Lunch with the girls: Beacon Hill, Boston

I ran into Katherine on a Saturday morning after getting a quick bite to eat at Panaficio on Charles Street. After a bit of talking she revealed that this is an outfit she wore to have breakfast with the girls.

It's decided, my girl friends need to experience my most fierce, classy and just plain ole fabulous outfit next time we all meet up for brunch!

A Milestone

For my American readers, Happy Thanksgiving.  It's my favorite holiday hands down; spending time with family, and eating good food.

So this is my 500th post! Whoohoo!  I was trying to figure out what I would do for this milestone, when the idea popped into my head after getting a visit from my aunt. Here's how it went down.

When the Boston Globe feature came out, in my excitement, I called my aunt and left her a rambling message. I thought for sure that she would call me right back, but nope. Nothing.

She came over for lunch the following Saturday. I kept waiting for her to say something but nothing. After 1.5 hours, I cracked.

"Did you see it?"

"See what?" She responded in Haitian Creole.

"The Globe feature!"

"I saw it." Please note there was very little affect in her voice at this point.

"And," I prodded.

"It was nice". Her voice did not reflect my enthusiasm.

"Nice?"

She paused dramatically.  I waited, because I knew it would come.  And what would come would not be congratulations, but full-on censure. Then she said, "Why is it you go around taking pictures of perfect strangers and never take pictures of me?! I'm always well dressed."

My mouth flopped open and closed like a gully. "Well," I explained, "I'm looking for something very specific in the picture I feature on the blog."

Then she went on and on. But here's the gist of it.  The family is well dressed (very true) and I'm a bad niece, sister, daughter etc... for not featuring them.

So, though the thought may have entered your mind, dear reader, this post is not cheating!  This post is to share with you that my interest in fashion and style go back to my home in Haiti.

It was fun to flip through the family albums to see how hip the aunt and aunties looked in these pictures.  Since we'll be visiting more aunties over the holidays, I'm hoping I can find more pictures to share with you.

In the top picture, the woman between the two guys is my momma.  The other pictures are of my aunties, or taties as we call them.

Harvard Law School: Cambridge

Thanks to all of you who contacted me about participating in a style round up of the schools in the Boston area. From here on, I'll do a once a month spotlight on a school. We're starting with the Harvard Law School. If you'd like to have me come down to your school, holla at me (martiniATbeyondbostonchic.com).

So, meet Jess and Cole. They are both finishing up law school this semester. Both very awesome, down-to-earth and funny. I gotta say, I have the best job, I get to go around taking pictures of cool people. And in turn they never fail to amuse me.

Bomber jacket: Boston

Last time I was in Florence, a friend and I found a perfect leather jacket in a little shop. It was perfect on him.  Whenever he shrugged into the jacket he was immediately transformed into Wolverine...well, not exactly Wolverine, but it was one of those bad-ass jackets. He looked so dashing and would strut his stuff whenever he wore it. A month later, after a delicious dinner at Sibling Rivalry, he left it on the Red Line. Can you believe it? It's too bad really.

Young and free: Cambridge

I had the opportunity to go to Project East this past weekend. As one would expect, the audience was made up of smartly dressed Harvies and BU students.

Back in my salad days I remember the excitement of going to fashion shows. This time around, a thought popped into my head that hadn't occurred to me before.  The models were young girls. Some tall, coltish, with legs to their armpits others, as Ms. Banks would say, were petite models.  As these young women sauntered past my seat, a thought crystallized in my mind:  Oh, to be young with no cellulite!

Don't you know the next day I headed off to the gym.  My, ah, glutes have never hurt so good.

The spice of life: Boston

Variety is the spice of life, right?  Take Lyndon here.  You first met him, last spring when he wore his colorful trousers that he got in Thailand. 

Before taking the above picture, I had seen Lyndon around Harvard Square. The problem was I never had my camera with me, so I had to settle with giving him a flirty smile each time (how could I not, he's so handsome!). Each time I did see Lyndon, he was always in professor mode (as in below).  So, when I first took the above picture, I had no idea that the colorful Lyndon was the same as the bow-tie and suspenders Lyndon.  How cool is that!  AND, on top of it all, he's so cool.

In living color: Cambridge

I was rushing to an appointment when I caught these two colors in my periphery. I can only imagine what someone who was watching me thought.  There I was half running when I halted to a stop half a block after passing this young woman. I quickly turn back to fully take in what captured my attention.  I thought to myself, of course, makes complete sense. 

I love these two colors together.  Just the day before I took this picture, someone asked me, how do you know what colors go together? I was wearing a salmon sweater, a hot pink tank top and orange and blue bangles. Sounds weird as I described it, but it worked. I responded, well, if it works in nature, it'll work in life.  I told her to think of a sunset, or of the brilliant colored fish in the movie Finding Nemo or to think of her favorite flowers...I don't know if she bought my response, as she looked very skeptical.  In any case, I'm really digging the purple and yellow together.

Falling in love

We have our favorite pieces of clothing. We love them but sometimes we forget how much we love them. The same goes for friends. Sometimes as I’m hanging out with friends, I fall in love all over again.

I first met A. (not in the above picture) in our first-year writing class in college. That was the only class we would take together; we would go on to have different friends. Fast forward and we end up in grad school together. We become very good friends.  We have tea, we have walks, she fattens me up, we swap men troubles, and we cry over heart-aches.

A. is the best! She’s smart, funny like all hell, gorgeous, and would put Martha Stewart to shame with her cooking. Last Friday, we hang out, and as we’re having dinner, I realize, this is one woman who is just fab-u-lous! She’s wonderful, and I love her to pieces. And you know what, she thinks I’m just as awesome. Men will frustrate us, life will have us by the horns, but with A., I’ll never have to doubt that she’s just as crazy about me as I am about her.

Reluctant Rosie: Cambridge

Minutes after Rosie and her mom entered Darwin's on Cambridge Street, I approached her mom, to ask if I could take a picture. Although Rosie said yes at first, there was a problem.  I don't blame her, she didn't know me, but there I was wanting a picture.  The one below is the first frame.

Why force the talent to do what she doesn’t want to do? So I say, it’s ok, Rosie. If you don’t want to have your picture taken, no problem!

Her mom asked a minute later. But nope. No, way Jose. So back I go to my readings. 10 minutes later, I’m told that mademoiselle has changed her mind.

Slow to warm up, but then I got the smile.

Isn't she adorable?

We talked about her boo-boo.  I showed her mine.  Ouch!, she says.  I fell down the stairs, I tell her. Are you ok?  I assured her that I was. She flashed me another smile that just warmed my heart.

Then she went to mom, who kissed the boo-boo.

25 Most Stylish Bostonians

Very quick post before I head off to the office.  Guess what?!  Wait for it....I was nominated by the Boston Globe as one of the "25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2009."

Yippee...Is it too early for a celebratory drink?...probably not a good idea since I've got to be at my desk in less than an hour.

Big ole shout out to my friend Kristina who put up with me as I was trying to decide that to wear, to Christine who nonimated me and to Jeannie Vincent who did my make-up.  Off to take the train.

Student life in Boston

I ran into Jaime after rushing into Crema in Harvard Square for a bit of their delicious tomato soup. You see, Jaime is a student at Harvard College. Isn't he darling. As I was snapping away at him, I had a thought.  There are 60 colleges and universities in the greater Boston area. Why not do a style round up at a few schools?

So, for those of you who are in school (grad and undergrad) in the BOS area, hollah at me. Have been meaning to go to Western Mass and to the North Shore, so if I you are out there, let me know. Would love to take pics of you and some friends or just to get a tour of your school.

Bundled up: Woodstock, VT

I spent a relaxing weekend in Woodstock, Vermont last weekend. It was the perfect weekend to bundle up (as Suchin is here in this picture) and enjoy the now before winter sets in. The weather was crisp.  Afternoon hikes were followed by evenings of drinking hot cider in front of the fire.  To top it off there were even walks under covered bridges. Wondeful weekend indeed.

Silent connections

I spent the weekend in Woodstock,Vermont.  I came down for dinner, and a guest of my friends (let's call her B.) commented me on my chartreuse corduroys. I said thank you, and explained that their bright color perks me right up each and every time I wear them.  After a scrumptious dinner that I tried to figure out how to recreate, B complemented me again. I pointed to my corduroys and said, JCrew then pointed to my sweater and said, Madewell.

No!  She said.

Yes, I said conspiratorially.  I exclaimed how I always hit up those stores for basics especially before traveling.

Your scarf then, it's Madewell!?  Nope, the bright plaid scarf was from Denmark.

I went on and waxed about the two brands (no, they are not paying me for this post :-) and talked excitedly about having met Gigi (left) and Elise of Lucky Magazine at a Madewell event in September.

No!  she said.  My daughter, A., works for JCrew and knows Gigi well. Then of course I gushed about meeting Gigi (I remember her work when she was at Lucky Magazine) and Elise.  I remember my interaction with the lovely Gigi and Elise with such color. 

We talked of B.'s daughter and the more we talked, the more I wondered about the people we know in common.  Granted, I met Gigi and Elise once, but doesn't it make you wonder, as you're standing in line at the coffee shop or on a plane how you and the seemingly (and often strange) strangers are connected?