The Pleasures Of a Day Off

I took a day off from work on Friday. I had planned to take a photography class but decided against it. It was a 3 day commitment and expense that I just did not want to take at this time.

I had breakfast with a friend in Wakefield and then took a solo trip to Concord. If you have been reading my blog for a while you know Concord is one of my favorite towns. I started with Nesting on Main, a fantastic shop right in the heart of downtown.

The store uses a neutral palette for display with soft pops of color. I always spend too much money here because all of the merchandise matches my taste perfectly.

I had to control myself with the recent expenses of Molly's health care. This was one of the reasons I nixed the photography workshop. I wanted to buy everything in the cabinet but I controlled myself buy a single item (in the cabinet).

Do you love silver things as much as I do? A classy display for sure.

At Nesting, you will find antique and vintage pieces, and then there are the fabulous repurposed items. Did you notice the saxophone lamp?

The green birdcage caught my eye. In one of my magazines or home décor books there was a photo of a green birdcage just like the one above and the homeowner or stylist had used it to cover teacups and china dishes. So cute! I wanted the birdcage but passed on it. A little pricey for me. Maybe I can find one at a flea market.

What a sweet way to display bath products, bring in the whole sink!

I have never tried tub tea but it smelled wonderful. And you know that beautiful recipe book caught my attention.

 The ladies of Nesting have such a knack for presentation. Each piece is masterfully placed.

There are a couple of rooms to the shop. This room had more natural elements and again the neutral palette.

Oooh, would Vivienne my dress form like a little sister? Sorry, not today. I have no room for another little Vivienne.

It would be cool to have a scale like this in my bathroom. Oh wait, I am afraid of scales!

Back to the main room and the sunny entrance of the shop.  The floor is spectacular.

Unrelated objects all blend seamlessly when you use a muted palette. I like the composition of the display with the lamp shades and umbrella.

I was going to collect vintage mirrors at one point. I have two, but decided I have enough collections in my home. I let this beauty stay at the store.

Since the store is called Nesting, there are many birds and nature related displays in the store.

Speaking of nature, this is Phoebe, the neighboring shopkeeper's dog. She often wanders in for a treat from the ladies at Nesting.

A unique table for the industrial chic crowd.

Plenty of artsy items here. I love how this corner is merchandised.

Another shot of Phoebe before I depart. Here's the cool floor I mentioned earlier in this post. Bye Phoebe, I will be back!

I asked Terry at Nesting for a recommendation for a local coffee shop. I knew about the one downstairs that is always crowded and I did not want to go to a Starbucks. I wanted a coffee shop with ambience and a good product. She pointed me to Coffee Haute which is down a little alleyway and within walking distance of Nesting.

Oooh, yes! This will do nicely. I was a little warm from my walk and I wanted a snack and a cold drink.

And I staked out my spot. This is MY chair.

What a nice place to get the creative juices flowing. Spacious, uncrowded at this time of day, and the aroma of a good brew.

If I had not been flying solo, this would have been my seat of choice but I left it for a larger group should it be needed.

I love the couch and the table. The owners have a sense of style and have created a comfy spot despite the industrial look.

I guess I know who will take up residence at that comfy sofa and cool table.

I would imagine if it got busy it would still seem spacious in here. There is outdoor seating as well.

By the time I took this photo I had already devoured my chocolate cupcake with espresso frosting. The coffee was nice and strong and was not weakened by the ice.

I love love love Haute Coffee. I will be back for one of their fabulous salads another day. So glad I asked Terry for a recommendation.

Can't wait to return to Concord on another day when I have even more time to explore.

Coffee with Cafe Chatelaine

My morning routine is the same weekday or weekend. Wake up, feed the kitties, then breakfast at my coffee table in the living room.  When you live alone you can be a little unorthodox with where you eat, what time you eat and what you eat.

Yesterday's breakfast was lemon pound cake and a cup of black coffee. Every morning is different depending on plans for the day.

This is my latest obsession, the Starbucks Verismo. Bright, shiny and cinnamon in color. My sister calls it my new toy. I love having so many choices for coffee in the morning. It's fun to make lattes at home.

And I bought some syrups and mocha powder so I can get creative with my homebrewing.

Oh, another part of my morning routine is to take a photo of my coffee and post it on Instagram and Facebook. It has become my signature.

Of course, Percy photobombed this shot. He's such an attention hogger.

Different mugs and roasts of coffee are photographed and sent to my friends list. This mug has a lid that doubles as a coaster. It was a gift from my friend Jan, a former coworker.

And this extra large cup was a purchase at an after Christmas sale at Pottery Barn. It doubles as a soup bowl in wintertime.

Sometimes I look through magazines during breakfast or I watch the morning shows. This cool cup is from Pier One. And the scratches are courtesy of the kitties. They have done quite a number on the table. Luckily, it had a rustic, distressed look to begin with.

Flowers from the farmers market pretty up the table. The cup is another after Christmas purchase. This time from Starbucks. I do love my after Christmas shopping.

This morning's latte was made with Guatemalan Espresso. Delish!

 

Molly thinks she might like to try a sip. Sadly, she was not successful in any of her attempts.

Today's shot was a little more involved. Kashi blueberry cereal, milk in a cat pitcher and my favorite birdie mug. It is obvious I like lidded mugs.

Oscar wanted to get in on the black and white theme I had going. Do you like the bowl? It's from French Garden House. The birdie mug is from QVC.

Earlier in the week Molly was unsuccessful in getting a sip of coffee but today she took the aggressive approach.  She dove head first into the milk pitcher.

Percy also wanted at the milk but he settled for posing behind it. After all, the kitty on the pitcher is the spitting image of him.

If you want to be sure to see my coffee images each morning, you can follow me on Instagram or friend me on Facebook.

Not a lot to talk about

Since I had dinner at the lighthouse, I haven't done much of anything.  Certainly nothing of interest and especially nothing blogworthy.  I am making some plans and making some changes in my life. Nothing  I can divulge yet but I am excited about it.

I've been putting in long hours at work, it's been so busy. Not leaving much time for play.

Except for the occasional cappuccino with friends.

Cafe Piazza Dolce

Friends had been telling me about Cafe Piazza Dolce and last night I finally tried it. It's a small cafe in Winchester. From the outside you can see some of the tables in what can best be described as a conservatory. This section of the cafe looked very romantic. Lots of twinkle lights added to the ambience.

I was with my friend Kim and we just wanted coffee so we went downstairs to a small area where they serve coffee and dessert. It was adorable and so was our server. He even gave us a few cookies to nibble on with our cappucinos. Of course, I will return to Cafe Piazza Dolce and next time it will be for dinner.

It's so Random!

What do you do when you have some random things to blog about but not enough to fill an entire blogpost? You do a random thoughts post!

I discovered a new coffee shop in Melrose last week and I've already been there twice! Coffee. Tea and Me is located on Main Street.  What a great place. there's quite the selection of coffees and baked goods too.  Last week, I tried an Iced Viennese and this week it was an iced mocha. Both of them were so fabulous I just know I'll be back. Check it out if you're in the area!

    

I am enjoying my little kitty pitcher, a recent purchase. Love it's irridescence and the kitty looks like my little Percy. And I am loving the fact that it's footed.

 

I just took photos of another one of my sister's live event paintings.  This is for the wedding of Michele and Brian.  They were married at the Copley Plaza in Boston.

Although Percy does not seem to mind the heat...

Oscar has become a complete slug! He just wants to chill out in front of the window.



And Percy can not understand.  Percy can go full speed all day long even in 90 degree heat.

Hope you all can chill out with an iced coffee, iced tea, or just in front of an open window. Get ready, Summer's coming!

Chilling out on the weekend

Last week had been very stressful. Lots of stress, at work and home. So I just wanted to chill out over the weekend.

I started chilling on Friday night. Coffee with a friend at the local Starbucks. My friend Kim and I both wanted decaf drinks. Our barista, Julio, suggested something called a steamer. Just chocolate syrup and steamed milk and I think that's it. He said it was less caffeine than a mocha or a cocoa cappucino. I ordered it and he delivered this to my table. I love the flower he made for me. He is the best!



Jump to Sunday breakfast. Met my sister at our favorite haunt, Aroma Cafe in Reading. It's funny because neither one of us had said we would go there today. But we both showed up. And we both had the eggs in the hearts. So cute but a little blurry with my camera phone. I will master this phone camera someday!



Here's what Percy did this weekend! He's looking for trouble to get into.



Here's what Molly did on Saturday.



Here's what Molly did on Sunday!



Oscar relaxed this weekend too!

Saturday night, I went out to dinner with friends to Absolutely Fabulous in Melrose. I had won a $100 gift certificate to this restaurant. We split an appetizer, each of us had an entree, one person had wine and we split two desserts. My two friends paid the tax and tip. The food was excellent amid a nice atmosphere. It was fairly busy but we were not rushed. We would definitely go back.

So I had a nice weekend, how about you?