Autumn Vacation Day and a visit to Nesting on Main

Well I have been chipping away at my 19 remaining vacation days.  They are the kind that you use or lose if they are not taken by the end of the year.  So since Veteran's Day on Friday was a bank holiday I took the Thursday before it and also Monday off.

Thursday I went to Cambridge with some friends.  More about that later.

Monday I decided to go to Concord.  My friend Beth works at one of my all time favorite shops in Concord, Nesting on Main so I headed there.  She works Mondays and Tuesdays, the days I never get to go there so since I had Monday off I thought I would visit her.  Of course, she had the day off. Figures!

Anway, I had a lovely time all by myself just browsing around the shop and talking to Melissa, one of the partners at Nesting. She let me take photos to my heart's content!

The ladies at Nesting have such taste and a knack for display and merchandising.  The shop is such a visual delight.  Isn't this box cool?

A lovely display of religious items.  A very popular theme nowadays.

Stunning glassware. Ooh, that would look lovely in a holiday tablescape! They look nice and heavy too!

I thought this lampshade was so sweet! It had such a warm glow.  Such a great item for Fall.

I have to say this display was my favorite.  So shiny and just gorgeous.  Love it all!

Grain sack tea towel.  You know I bought one.  Anything that says cafe and chocolat is a favorite of mine. I think I will hang mine near the tea cups over the new black chest in the kitchen.

A pretty Fall display.

And in close up.

For display, the ladies use some antiques and some reproductions along with natural elements. It all works.

If you are in the Concord area, you must visit Nesting on Main.  Word has it their displays for Christmas are going to be spectacular! They close down the three days before Thanksgiving, just to decorate!

A Day in Boston

I had the day off from work so I decided to take a trip into Boston.



The weather was perfect. Actually it started out a little cool and very windy but otherwise a spectacular Autumn day.



The Public Garden looked beautiful. Everyone was out enjoying the sunshine, eating lunch and lounging on the grass.



I met my friend Kim at the Four Seasons Hotel. While I waited for her, I took a little tour of the hotel. The view of the Public Garden was lovely.



This staircase was so grand. I wonder what celebrities have walked down these stairs? This is where the famous stay when they are in town.



Another view from the staircase.



The floor of the lobby was so shiny. The autumnal arrangement was colorful and tasteful.



We had lunch at Finale's. Soup and a half sandwich and of course the finale was dessert. So many to choose from.




We walked off dessert by touring Marlborough and Newbury Streets. One of the dogs was definitely a charmer and quite the girl watcher!



So many pretty windowboxes.




And iron gates, gorgeous lanterns.



Wonderful plantings.



Fantastic doorways.



Lovely entrances all along the street.



A scene on Newbury St.



I love his beret.



Had we not already eaten, we probably would have had lunch at Tealuxe. I was intrigued by a sign for chaider, a cinnamon chai drink steeped in apple cider.
Perfect for a windy day in Boston.



I loved window shopping on Newbury Street. Newbury Street is known for it's
pricey stores. I only spent money on public transportation and food and I didn't give in to my shopaholic tendencies. That means there's money left over for another vacation day...maybe next week?

A visit to Salem

I had another day off yesterday. The weather was perfect for a drive. I was looking for interesting shopping and brilliant foliage. I found both in Salem.

I love to go to Salem. The historic homes are beautiful and I love taking photos of their architecture, some of them are so ornate. Walking down the narrow little side streets, there's always something interesting that catches my eye. During my walk, I passed by the Witch House and it made me think. I really dislike the commercialization of the whole witch trial thing. This was serious history. Let's not trivialize it. I don't like seeing witch references everywhere around the city. Maybe the tourists like it, but I do not.

My favorite shop from my travels was Sophia's. This is a cool shop. The merchandise was gorgeously displayed. All my favorite things too, like soaps, candles, jewelry, hot chocolate, pretty signs, scarfs. Oh my goodness, a visual treat. The shop had tin ceilings and tin on parts of the walls. Fabulous! If I owned my own shop I would want it to look like this.

The owner was so nice. She let me take some photos of the store. To see more of the store
click here Sophias of Salem.

St Francis was surrounded by pretty nests, rabbits, and lots of nautral elements.

The shop is located in the childhood home of Sophia Peabody Hawthorne.
If this cabinet would have fit in my car I would have taken it home. Lots of interesting things

inside. I bought some of the hot chocolate, Mariebelle's. It's my favorite nowadays. It's more

like a European drinking chocolate- very rich intense chocolate flavor. I also bought some pretty signs for my new condo. One was a welcome sign, one had a cat on it. Such an elegant feel to this shop. If you're ever in Salem don't miss Sophia's.

After shopping, I needed refreshment. So across the street I went to the Hawthorne Hotel.

There is a fine dining restaurant called Nathaniel's but I opted for the tavern. I ordered the Ghoul Special of the Day-grilled steak tips, roasted potatoes and broccoli. It took quite a while before I could order and even longer for lunch to arrive. There was a TV at the bar and we

were all watching the Dow drop and drop and drop.

My neighbors at the next table started a conversation with me. They just bought a condo and I am about to do so we chatted about the housing market and the financial crisis. Terri and Charles live locally but not in Salem. Terri was hoping to retire from teaching next year.

Charles is a retired dentist. We enjoyed our lunches and I left to go back home.

I'm looking forward to displaying my new found treasures in the condo. Don't worry, there will be pictures.

I'm wondering about all of you. Got a favorite spot for interesting shopping? Leave a comment so we can all share.