Kelly Rowland

My day started off great: I went to a chiropractor who realigned me and then got an hour-long massage. Both were much needed and felt so good! It was my first time at a chiropractor, and now I am addicted. I am currently looking for one in LA, so if anyone has a recommendation for someone near downtown let me know. Seriously though. After my massage, I got lunch and relaxed in my room for a little while before I had to get ready for an event. Kelly Rowland's new CD dropped today and she was at Planet Hollywood promoting it and doing a handprint. There was some confusion with the publicists because apparently all of the print reporters were supposed to cover her album release party later tonight. They just failed to let me know that. It was okay though because I ended up being able to do a quick interview with her. Kelly is so sweet and nice! I was happy that she was genuinely excited to see her fans and enjoyed every moment. Check out "Motivation" which is the hit off her album right now. I really loved talking to her and was so impressed by her humility. She is so thankful for her success and everything she has, and she is so down to earth. I think I might have a new girl crush.

I am getting really excited for my mom and Jen to visit! They are going to be here Thursday to Tuesday, and I can't wait to show them some great spots I have found in the city. They are staying in Tribeca, which is a part of New York I have not been to yet, so it should be fun to explore with them. The summer has gone by so fast, I can't believe I only have two more weeks left!

Sorry for the lame photo quality. I was trying not to lose my cool factor.

Kelly Rowland

Brooklyn bound

On Sunday, we went to City Bakery for breakfast, which was delicious as always, before heading to Brooklyn for vintage shopping and ice cream. Katy took us to one of her favorite consignment/vintage/thrift stores, and Katy and Katie each found a great pair of shoes. I tried on a dress, but the strap fit weird and I didn't want to have to deal with that, but it was fun looking around at all the cool stuff. Also, I realized I would not mind living in Brooklyn if I moved here after college, it seems very hip and fun.

Katy has been eating her way through New York Magazine's picks for the best ice cream places, and so we went to one located in Brooklyn. All their ice cream is made from natural, local ingredients and they have some really fun flavors. I got bubblegum, which was super yummy. They also had breakfast trash, which has a bunch of different cereals in it, and cotton candy. After cooling off for a bit we trekked to the subway entrance and headed back toward the city. I said bye to Katie and Sarah because their bus was leaving in a few hours and headed to my room for a refreshing shower.

Arthur was staying in the city Sunday night before his flight Monday morning, so we met up for dinner at Joy Burger Bar, which is only a block from my dorm. I really liked my burger, even though it was a little overcooked for me, and the honey mustard sauce I got on it. After dinner, we walked to Washington Square Park and chatted on a bench for a few hours. We spotted a few rats scurrying between the bushes. It was great catching up with him, hearing about his summer and talking about Seattleite things. It was getting close to my bed time, so we said good-bye and I ended up crashing when I got back to my room.

City Bakery

Washington Square Park

  

weekend of visitors

Bryce and I each had visitors coming last Friday so we decided it would be fun if we all went out together. After dinner Arthur and I met up to go over to Bryce's, and Katy joined us on the way to Union Square. We went to a couple of different places, one of which has karaoke. It was a lot of fun because the lyrics were displayed on several screens throughout the room so everyone could sing along. They were definitely playing the jams too. Arthur originally planned to spend the night at his friend from school's apartment, but the kid ended up going to bed before our night was over and wouldn't be able to let Arthur inside. So Arthur slept for a few hours in my dorm, but had to wake up super early to drive to Connecticut for the lax tournament. Usually, I would not have minded this, but at NYU you have to check each guest in and out. So this required me getting out of bed at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning and we all know I like my sleep. But in all seriousness, it was great seeing Arthur even if it was a short trip.

When I woke up for real a few hours later, I met Katy, Katie and Sarah in SoHo for brunch and some shopping. It was so great to finally have them in the city! We went to Brandy and again I left without a purchase. I think my no buying spree is going to end there soon because I have my eye on a super cute backpack that has been on my wish list since I first spotted it in LA. It would be perfect for back to school!

Next we went and got gelato before heading up to Katy's apartment to relax a little and escape the overwhelming heat. It was 100 degrees with intense humidity all weekend. That night we went to see "Friends With Benefits," which I thought was alright and had some funny moments. Although I love me some JT, we all agreed that "No Strings Attached," which is basically the same thing, was much better.

After the movie, we walked to dinner at a Mexican restaurant, where we all split guacamole and carne asada tacos. The food was amazing. I especially liked the steak because it was prepared perfectly and the beans. It was a long, but fun day and I broke off from the crew to sleep at my own place.

wall at the restaurant

      

pilot preview

It has been a busy couple of days at Us, and some pretty exciting things happened:

1) I finished the broken links project that I have been working on for a few weeks now. I was really happy Romina (Executive Producer for Usmagazine.com) thought I did well because she is such an important person at the magazine.
2) I got to watch 10 pilots of shows coming out this fall. This project was dangerous for me because I am a TV junkie armed with a lengthy list of shows to keep up on that has little room for additions. I will definitely have to make room on my list for a few of the shows though. Some of my favorites were "The Playboy Club," "Pan Am," and "Revenge." I don't know if I am really supposed to go into detail about the pilots, but the titles are pretty self-explanatory and you should look out for them in a couple of months.
3) We did a huge project on "Twilight" which got me super excited for the next movie coming out this November. I also enjoyed it because there is never a downside to looking at tons of Robert Pattinson photos.

I am looking forward to my day off tomorrow so I can rest up before taking Arthur out on the town tomorrow night. I've been lazy with my photography, but no one should be complaining about looking at these fine fellows.

R Pattz

Tim Riggins (don't even care what his real name is)

vintage shopping

Today I had a fabulous day vintage shopping in the East Village with my friend from Us, Bryce. We went to quite a few little stores, and I found an amazing pair of slightly worn, black, ankle Frye boots. I'm obsessed. They were only $36 and would normally be a couple of hundred retail. Bryce got two shirts and some super cheap books (like a dollar each). It was really fun walking around and exploring more of the city.

After shopping, we went to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. I got a hot dog with sauerkraut and fries (delicious) and Bryce got a burger, fries and a shake. We walked back to Union Square (where Bryce's NYU apartment is) and brainstormed questions for an event he was covering tonight. I was really excited for him because a bunch of really cool celebrities were going to be there, like Penn Badgley (need I say more). Pharrell was also attending, and he was just in the office yesterday to promote his new alcohol. A few of the interns got to sit in on the alcohol tasting and hear him talk about his new product. He was really nice, smart and funny! Counting down the days until my boy Art, Katie and Sarah are in the city!

Shake Shack

Bryce enjoying his shake

the shoes

   

MoMa

I met up with my cousin Brittany, who is living and doing research in the Bronx this summer, for brunch. We went to this place called 9 Restaurant in midtown, and I got waffles with carmel and fresh fruit. We walked a few avenues over to MoMa and spent the afternoon looking at all of the great art. They have a ton of Picasso's and Van Gogh's "Starry Night"is also there. They had a lot of contemporary exhibits on displays as well, most of which included video instillations I found provocative. We spent a few hours conquering the six floors, before we parted ways. It was great to see her and catch up on everything she has been doing this summer. It sounds like she has had a great experience here so far, and I am so happy for her! I am excited for this week because I think I am finally going to finish the broken links project I have been working on for so long, and a few of my favorite people are coming to the city. Arthur is spending the night on Friday before he goes to Connecticut for lacrosse and Katie and Sarah are going to be here this weekend also. I can't wait to see all of them and do some more fun exploring in the city.

When I was walking home from the train, I couldn't help but obsess over how much I love this city. No matter what it takes, I will live here. Even if I have to have 10 roommates in a studio apartment in Brooklyn, it's happening.

Check out some of the cool art I got to see today:

Andy Warhol 

Vincent Van Gogh

Frida Kahlo

Henri Matisse

  

It All Ends

After work yesterday, two other interns and I went to a happy hour event for 1-800 Flowers' new flower collection. Bethenny's wedding planner designed the line and we got to talk to him at the event. It was at a very cool loft in SoHo, and I had a lot of fun talking to my coworkers and getting to know them better.

After relaxing for a little while at home, I met up with Katy to head to the theater for Harry Potter. We got there around 10:45 for our 12:25 showing and the theater was already madness. There was not a pair of chairs left together, so I sat in the chair directly behind Katy. The movie was so good! I cried three times. God, it was amazing. Part of me wanted to go see it again today, but I restrained myself. 

I woke up at 12:15 today because I was so tired from the late showing. I had a Genius Bar appointment at the Apple store because I haven't been able to send e-mails from my phone for awhile. Thankfully, I finally got that fixed, even though I felt kind of dumb because it was a pretty quick fix.

I ended up having to go back to the Genius Bar later in the day because my phone froze and would not unfreeze no matter what I did. I went to a different Apple store though because I did not want to look like a total technological idiot. Good news: my phone is working like a dream now. I walked around SoHo for a little while and was completely amazed that I went into Brandy Melville and left without a purchase. I was very proud of my self control. I stopped in Zara and got a navy, strapless dress that has a zipper down the front. I love it and I can't wait to debut it sometime next week. 

Later tonight I am meeting up with my friend Bryce from work and Theresa from USC to go to a place that serves Harry Potter-themed drinks. And I thought Harry Potter Week would be over once the credits started to roll. I am working tomorrow at a street fair in Coney Island and I am praying I won't melt from the incredibly hot and humid weather we having been having. Sorry I have been slacking on the original pictures, I promise to take some tonight. Have a great weekend! 

  

byline

I have not told anyone my fabulous news (except for my mom) because I didn't want to jinx it, but now it is official. I got a byline in this week's issue! In other words, my work was published in Us. As a journalist seeing your byline is one of the greatest satisfactions and I feel so honored that I was the intern given this opportunity. I wrote the "What's In My Bag?" piece, but the byline is on page nine at the bottom. I am so excited to have a clip from a national magazine! Brad, my supervisor, asked me if I wanted to write something for the magazine last week and of course I said yes. So, I was introduced to an editor who explained what I needed to do. I took the transcript from Us's interview with Poppy Montgomery (the celebrity who was featured in the piece) and pulled some of the most interesting quotes. I also wrote the introduction and sub-headlines for each featured item in her bag. On Monday, Brad told me the editor said I did a really good job, so obviously I was very happy. The article was rewritten and changed for the online version, so you will have to pick up an actual issue to see it if you so desire. 

This bit of news actually goes along with Harry Potter Week because Poppy Montgomery played J.K. Rowling in a Lifetime movie about the author's life. After work tomorrow, two other interns and I are going to a happy hour party and Bethenny Frankel's wedding planner is going to be there. I am hoping I can get a little nap in between the party and the movie because I don't want to be falling asleep during it. Okay, this video is kind of stupid but it was one of the better parodies I could find on YouTube.

Poppy Montgomery's bag

Harry Potter Week

I just got back from seeing "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying," and it was absolutely amazing. Daniel Radcliffe was brilliant (yay for British word choice)! The show was hilarious, and Daniel can actually dance. If you ever have the chance definitely see this show. I knew Daniel was a smaller guy, but his true smallness cannot be masked on stage like it can in a film. He was shorter than most of the actresses even, but I thought his height actually added to the charming, boyish aspect of his character. There was also speculation that some of the Harry Potter cast might be at tonight's show because Harry Potter premiered in New York last night. Unfortunately, Emma Watson did not sneak into the theatre once the lights went out, but my Playbill did successfully make it back home with me.

"How To Succeed" kicked off Harry Potter Week (dubbed so by my great authority) which will culminate in Thursday's midnight premiere of the final installment of the Harry Potter films. I cannot wait to see the final film because all of the Harry Potter movies have been so fantastic. I have to admit I have only read 1.5 of the Harry Potter books, but before you Potter freaks get your panties in a wad, hear me out. There are plenty of people who see the film adaptations of books without ever picking up the paperback. Now you might say Harry Potter is different because of what a big deal it has become, so fine classify me as a Harry Potter FILM fan if you are going to be petty. I will probably get around to reading them all at some point, if that makes you feel better.

I am exhausted from waking up early to get rush tickets and although it was well worth it, I am going to bed now. I have big news to share with everyone tomorrow! Also, I forgot to mention in my previous posts that I found out my friend Arthur will be in town for a night next week before he goes to Connecticut for a lax tourney. Can't wait to see him!

In honor of Harry Potter Week check out this classic. Too good.         

tourist weekend: part III

We went back to Angelina's Cafe for brunch (don't ask me why Justin bought two Groupons to the same restaurant), which was kind of awkward because we were just there the afternoon before, but the food was really good so we didn't care. I got a Nutella and banana crape with a side of roasted potatoes and Justin got a steak salad. Katz's Deli is only a few blocks away from Angelina's, so we decided to get sandwiches there for our picnic in Central Park. The sandwiches were crazy expensive (about $15 each), but they were piled high with succulent pastrami and they also gave us like six pickles.

We found a shady spot in Central Park and laid down to look at the clear, blue sky. We hung out there for a few hours and ate our sandwiches before walking to The Whitney Museum. The Whitney houses American art, and some of the exhibits had very modern pieces that we both really enjoyed. My favorite was a series of gradient paintings done in Photoshop by Cory Arcangel. The colors were bright and intriguing, and his playing with blurry and sharp lines within the same composition was very interesting.

We took the train back to my dorm and got ready for dinner. We went to Amber for sushi, and they had really unique rolls that we both loved. After dinner, we went to "Horrible Bosses," which was hilarious and I definitely recommend everyone should see it. It was one of the best Jennifer Aniston movies I have seen for awhile, even though she is not one of the main characters. I was glad to see her depart from a typical rom com for something with more wit. We went to the late show so it was almost midnight when we left the theater, and we were both really tired. I was thankful I was going to work late (and staying late) on Monday so I could get a chance to catch up on some sleep. Justin's flight was at 9:30 a.m. though, so we had to wake up pretty early so he wasn't late.

I had a great weekend with Justin and I was so happy to have him in New York! I got to explore new places in the city and do things I had not gotten the chance to do yet. Although his trip was short, but sweet, I felt like we did a lot. Now, I only have a few things left on my list of things to do in New York this summer. The last few things are High Line Park, Ground Zero, the Public Library and MoMa (which I am going to go to with my cousin Brittany this Sunday). I think I will get the chance to do everything left on the list when Katie (visiting the weekend of July 23rd) or my mom and Jen (visiting July 27th-August 2nd) come to the city. Tomorrow I am waking up early and rushing tickets to "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying," which stars Daniel Radcliffe. I hope everyone has a good week!

See more pictures from this weekend and my summer in New York on Facebook.

Katz's

Central Park

The Whitney

              

tourist weekend: part deux

We woke up early to get student rush tickets to "Catch Me If You Can," and we were the first ones in line at the box office. After we got our tickets, we walked through Times Square, stopping in a few stores and eventually making our way to the Empire State Building. It took us awhile to get to the 86th floor (so many lines), but it was worth the wait. That view is absolutely spectacular, no matter how many times you have seen it. It was a perfectly clear day, and we could see into the states neighboring New York. Even though I was surrounded by pushy tourists equipped with Canons and Nikons, I felt oddly peaceful looking out at the city.

We made our way to Angelina's Cafe for lunch, where we each got salads (mine was almonds, goat cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers over baby arugula -- nom). Then we walked through SoHo on our way home. We stopped in a few stores, but neither of us bought anything (I made a point to stay away from Brandy). It was a beautiful day for a nice walk. We had some downtime before getting ready and heading back uptown for "Catch Me If You Can."

We were disappointed to find our seats were in the second to last row of the mezzanine, thankfully there were seats open a few rows lower, so we moved once the lights dimmed. We actually had a pretty good view in our new seats and we both really liked the show. Norbert Leo Butz, who played the detective in the show and won the Tony for best actor in a musical, was amazing. After the show, we took the train to a restaurant/bar for dinner and shared asian-inspired pulled pork sliders and edamame. Sadly we left our Playbills on the bar, but we were both fully expecting that to happen. I went to bed exhausted with my feet aching, but excited we fit so much in that day.

waiting for the box office to open

Times Square

view from Empire State Building

Empire State Building

      

tourist weekend

I apologize for being so unreliable with my posts, it has been a crazy week, but hopefully my Cape Cod adventures were entertaining enough to hold you over. Justin came to visit on Thursday, so I met him right after I got home from work and we grabbed dinner at the dining hall. We decided to have a relaxing night, catch up on "Weeds," a show we only watch together, and prepare for the busy weekend ahead. We also went to get gelato at this amazing place right by Katy's apartment, and we ended up running into Katy and her whole family.

Justin had never been to New York, so I had prepared a list of touristy things for us to do. After breakfast Friday morning, we took the train to Battery Park and got tickets for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The line to get on the ferry was insanely long and we estimated it would take a few hours to get to the front, but it ended up only being around an hour -- thank God.

The views of the city from the ferry were beautiful, even though the day was kind of cloudy and grey, and the Statue of Liberty was very impressive. I had never been to Liberty Island before because the first time I visited New York and attempted to go it was too foggy for the boats to make the trip. It was very cool to see such an iconic piece of history and American symbol of freedom in person, and I was really glad we went.

Next was Ellis Island, where we wandered through the museum and learned about immigration to the United States. The first thing I did was try to look up some of my ancestors. I attempted to just enter "Zech" in the system, but it required a first name, so I just entered a "J." My dad used to say that our family name was originally Zechinstein until our ancestors came to America and it was shortened to Zech. I honestly believed this was true until about the seventh or eighth grade, when my dad casually said he had been kidding all of these years. I have a vivid memory of Jen and me looking up Zechinstein in this massive dictionary in our elementary school library (it means green trophy in case you were wondering). Anyway, my favorite part of the museum was learning about the different intelligence tests doctors invented for the immigrants. I thought it was interesting they mostly used puzzles because they did not require translators for instructions. There are quotes throughout the museum and my favorite was a girl's response to the question: which direction do you clean stairs, top to bottom or bottom to top? Her answer: "I didn't come to America to clean stairs." I love it.

When we walked outside to get in line for the ferry back to Battery Park, it started to rain. Thankfully, we were the last two passengers on the next ferry and did not have to wait that long outside without an umbrella. The rainy afternoon spoiled our plans for the rest of the day (walk through Central Park). Justin, who felt like he was on a lucky streak because of some clutch guesses on hanging with friends (download the app right now), demanded we go and buy lottery tickets. So we grabbed my umbrella and ran down the block to a mini mart. Even though Justin did not win anything from his scratch tickets, the trip was well worth it because I am 95 percent sure I saw Zach Braff from "Scrubs" (he had his rain coat hood on and an umbrella which cast some doubt). I just looked him up and he is from New Jersey, so it is very likely he lives in New York, plus, he seems like he was a New York vibe.

Justin bought a ton of Groupons in preparation for his trip, so we planned most of our weekend meals around them. We walked to dinner at Paul and Jimmy's in the East Village. The food was great (I had pasta with sausage, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes), but it was a very awkward dining experience. When we first got there at about 8:30, there were only three other parties in the restaurant. We were also eventually the only diners in the restaurant, so we felt like the waiter was sort of watching us eat, waiting for us to finish so everyone could go home. It was odd for New York especially because people eat so late here. Justin and I have realized though that a lot of businesses on Groupon are struggling and are trying to generate more revenue (one restaurant I bought a Groupon for went out of business). Overall, it was a great day!

Statue of Liberty

the city from Liberty Island

Ellis Island           

reflections

The next morning we woke up, cleaned up and packed up. On our way out of town we stopped to get lunch for the road, and I finally got the lobster roll I had been determined to get the whole trip. I am glad I held out until the last day because the lobster roll I had was absolutely delicious. There was a lot of traffic on our way back to Boston, so much so that we were concerned we were going to miss our 4:30 p.m. bus. With less than I minute to spare, Katy and I jumped out of the cab (leaving Sarah and Katie to handle paying) and sprinted through the bus terminal. I arrived to the line before Katy and thought we had made it, but it turned out that the people waiting in line were there for the 5:00 bus. When the bus driver came in to start letting people on the bus, we were the first ones on the stand-by list and thankfully there were empty places for us on the bus. New York bound!

There are a couple of things I want to reflect on (yes, I went to a Jesuit high school and we do lots of reflections) from our trip to the Cape:

1) The geography of the Cape is very unique because it is all completely unstable sand. The dune above the beach where everything is built is slowly deteriorating and eventually all of Cape Cod will no longer exist.

2) Part of me wants to forget the traditional lifestyle society sets as a standard, with money being the ultimate priority and goal. I want to travel, see everything and end up wherever feels right. A simple, beach lifestyle is so appealing to me. I would be perfectly content running a beachfront restaurant or rental shop in some exotic location, while dining on local, natural fare, reading all the books I have never had the opportunity to read, soaking up the sunshine, enjoying all of the beautiful things in this world and hopefully sharing it all with someone I love. Is that too much to ask? Part of me is totally terrified of graduating college and getting stuck in my career without having these experiences I so desire. Maybe I will take a few years and travel around the world once I graduate, who’s with me?

3) I have some of the best friends in the world. They are all accomplished, driven, smart, beautiful people who I am so lucky to be surrounded by.

4) I am very good at lots of things.

If you haven't yet start reading Katie's blog.

lobster roll

The Fourth

Happy Fourth of July! Decked out in red, white and blue, we lined the sidewalk for the Wellfleet parade. It started with a bunch of old cars, most of which were in fabulous condition and were beautiful to see. Then the real parade started with different floats, banners and talents. Anyone can sign up to be in the parade so there was quite the array of people: from burnt-out “Keep the Cape Cool” hippies and pirates to tween baton twirlers and the world’s fastest oyster shucker with everything in between. There was also a clam that squirted water and Smokey the Bear. It was really fun and we loved attempting to get candy tossed to us (we positioned ourselves next to young kids for better odds).

After the parade, we went to The Wicked Oyster for brunch and I had blueberry pancakes that were super good. Then we headed back to the cottage with our minds set on the beach. Katy, Sarah and I put on wetsuits and decided to go boogie boarding. I had not participated in that sport since the last time I was in Hawaii quite a few years ago, but I was excited to have some fun in the water. I caught a lot of great waves and had so much fun, especially because the water was so much more bearable safe in my wetsuit. The spot where the waves were breaking the best became overcrowded (I ended up running into a woman who jutted out in front of me on a wave), so we moved back over to where our stuff was. Katie decided she was going to try to boogie, so we tried to catch a few more waves where it was less crowded. After we got out of the water, we read and lounged in the sun. Sarah and I, who are both fair-skinned, shared the shade. In the afternoon, we buried Katie in the sand and shaped the classic mermaid figure around her buried body. She had never been buried before, so it was really fun. Katie and I went back up to the house because she wanted to shower and get the sand off of her. After she showered we both hung out on the deck, and right when I was about to go shower Katy and Sarah returned and wanted to go to a pond. I agreed to go, but Katie decided to stay put in her clean state. We swam out to a raft in Long Pond for a quick dip before dinner. We also picked up baking supplies because Sarah wanted to make short cake with berries for dessert.

We had BBQ chicken, zucchini, salad and baked potatoes for dinner and Sarah’s short cake with blueberries, strawberries and Cool Whip for dessert (very patriotic). Julie, who is a food stylist, styled mine and it was almost too pretty to eat… almost. Later that night we watched the fireworks coming from the beach from the deck. It was a great view because the cottage is on the dune way above the beach, so the fireworks were much closer to us. One group of people had an astonishing amount of fireworks for us to enjoy, and Katy and Julie saw them picking up all their trash the next morning (so nice and so green). We also made s’mores from the gas grill outside and Katie, Sarah and I played Scrabble (#winning). I went to bed not wanting to leave the Cape the next day, but happy for the time I got to spend in such a beautiful place with some of my favorite people.

fireworks

         

P-town

We started off the day at Dyer Pond, and with foam noodles in tow we swam to a rope swing and jumped into the water from it a few times. Well actually, most of us (except for me on my first attempt) dragged from the rope rather than jumped. A little farther down the shore was a tree that had fallen over the lake. The tree was elevated a few feet above the water, so we all (expect for Katie) took turns jumping off the end. A pretty shaky tree and it was kind of scary, but still a lot of fun. On our swim back to the beach we saw a turtle sunning on a log in the water with a baby turtle on its back. They both had bright yellow bellies and were so cute.

We spent the afternoon in town, which was very sweet and quaint. We started out with lunch at The Lighthouse and I had a great bacon and blue cheese burger. Then we popped into a few stores, like Periwinkle, which is a home and garden goods shop that had really cute frames and bedding. This store also made me want a house to decorate so badly! Next we went to a stationery store that had unique cards, journals, notepads, and obviously stationary.

Originally the plan was to go to Provincetown for the Fourth of July, but we decided to go Sunday night because Scott (Katy’s dad) had to leave during the day Monday. We drove to the tip of the Cape and walked around P-town before our late dinner reservation. The main street was full of people, and decorated with marine, American and gay pride flags. Katy took us to The Penny Patch, which used to be a penny candy store, and although the candy is a little more than a penny now, it was still fun to load up a basket with all the best treats. If you know me at all you know that I have inherited quite the sweet tooth. Provincetown has a very openly gay community and the main street was filled with men in drag passing out fliers to shows. Two men had the world’s smallest towels covering themselves and one of them claimed he could see us “de-toweling” him with our eyes—hilarious. We stopped into a few t-shirt shops (my purchase cannot be revealed at this time) and a marine supply store that had really cool decorative things and tons of vintage stuff.

Finally it was time for dinner at Ciro and Sal’s, which is an Italian restaurant tucked away down a nondescript side street. I had linguine with clams in a white wine sauce, which was delicious. After dinner we drove home and I quickly fell asleep to the soothing sound of the ocean.

Periwinkle, love the distressed wood

Provincetown

more design inspiration

Ciro and Sal's nom nom

                         

beach combers

Saturday was overcast so we decided to start the day at the flea market, which had a mixture of cheap knick-knacks, vintage and unique finds. We all got charms from one stand, and mine is double-sided pewter with a J on either side. It is kind of difficult to explain, but I have been looking for a silver J charm to put on a long chain I already have and I loved this one for how unique it is. One man was selling vintage postcards from all over the world (some even had writing on the back) and they were really cool to look at. I also loved the old buoys and glass bottles; they made me really want a cottage of my own to decorate.

We went to The Beach Comber for lunch and I got a po boy sandwich (which has fried oysters on it for those that don’t know), which I have been craving since I had one in Seattle about a month ago. We also had a massive plate of nachos to start (like bigger than my head), which was delicious. We burned off our lunch by walking home on the beach. We went to Great Pond to cool off for a little bit before going back home to shower. The shower is outside of the house (don’t worry it is still private) and has a spectacular view of the ocean. I did not think I would, but I really enjoyed the outdoor shower because it felt very natural.

For dinner we went to the harbor for, of course, seafood and to watch the sunset (well, not the actual sun setting because it sets in the west, but the colors in the sky). I got the clam chowder at Mac’s Seafood and it was rustic with huge chunks of potato and juicy clams, needless to say it was very good. We walked down to the beach and took some pictures. The sky was absolutely beautiful, full of pinks, oranges and purples. 

We also played putt-putt golf and obviously I was victorious. Although, Sarah did give me a run for my money and was only behind two strokes. The guy who was working let us all play for only five dollars, which is the usual cost for one adult. I forgot to mention how spectacular the night sky also was because there were so many more visible stars that were amazingly bright. I hadn’t looked at real stars like that in so long and I was in absolute awe.

If you want another perspective on the trip, take a look at Katie's blog.

The Beach Comber

massive nachos and Katie's poor photography skills

walking to the beach from The Beach Comber

Mac's Seafood and Katie's awesome photography skills

sunset at the harbor

boats at the harbor

CAPE COD

Alrighty, so it is finally Cape Cod recap time. Prepare yourselves. After work on Thursday, Katy and I went straight to the bus headed for Boston. Thankfully my experience with Bolt Bus this go around was much more pleasant and the bus left on time. There was traffic getting out of the city because it was a holiday weekend so we were a little delayed in our arrival time. We took a cab from South Station in Boston to Watertown, a suburb, where Katy’s aunt lives and where we were going to spend the night. We met Katie and Sarah who both flew in from D.C. at the house, chatted for a little bit and went to bed because we had an early morning the next day.

We woke up at 7:30 a.m., grabbed some Dunkin and were on our way to the Cape (we borrowed Katy’s aunt’s car for the weekend). Yup, I was in Boston for less than eight hours. The trip took us about two and a half hours, and I was so excited when we finally arrived. The cottage is right on the dune above the beach, with an amazing view of the Atlantic. The kind of view where you test as far as the eye can see. The actual town in Cape Cod is called Wellfleet, which is about 30 minutes south of Provincetown. Pretty immediately we changed into our swimsuits and went down to the beach. It was so nice to relax, read, listen to music and just look at the waves. The water was too cold for everyone except Katy, who went all the way in without a wetsuit. The weather was perfect too: very warm, but with a nice breeze coming off the water. We stayed at the beach all day, and in the afternoon we went to one of the many secret ponds (which are really more like lakes) in Wellfleet, Slough Pond. The water was “soft” as Katy said and very refreshing. Everyone was able to handle the temperature of the water and got in for a quick dip.


Julie (Katy’s mom) made a fabulous dinner of burgers, corn on the cob and salad for all of us, and we ate outside on the deck. After dinner, we went to P.J.’s for ice cream. Sarah and I each got black raspberry soft serve dipped in chocolate and Katy and Katie got a coffee and black raspberry swirl with chocolate sprinkles. We also went to see “Larry Crowne,” which I did not particularly like because I did not buy the relationship between Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks. Although, there were some funny lines and cute scenes, so it wasn’t all bad. We went to see the late show, so once we got back to the cottage we were all pretty exhausted. I brought my earplugs but decided against using them once I noticed I could hear the waves crash on the beach from my bed. That was the first night I slept without earplugs since I was in Seattle earlier this summer. Peaceful is the only word that comes to mind.

Katie and Sarah on the beach

G Phi love

view from the deck

R&R

I just got back from my long Fourth of July weekend at Katy's cottage in Cape Cod, which was an amazing trip. There was spotty Internet and cell service, so I have been beyond tardy with my posts, but it was great to unplug and relax for a few days. I will fill you in on all the details soon because I am too exhausted to conquer any post longer than this right now. Here is a picture to get you excited for what is to come, and thanks for being patient!

Wellfleet, MA