“From A-Line Dresses to the Zakim Bridge…”

As seen on New Kid On the Loch!

I’m happy to be collaborating with Pristine today and to give you a virtual tour of five of the most fantastic little boutiques in my city. They’re some of my favorite places to shop and I’m sure that after you’re done reading this post, you’ll want to check them out too.

Keep reading to find out where I daydream about splurging every day of the week!

Often when people think of Boston, a few things come to mind; heavy accents, baseball and Newbury Street shopping. For the sartorially savvy, there’s more than just one street of chic treasures in this city. And it’s time more people knew about them!

Below is a short list of some of my favorite places to window-shop and splurge!

Serenella (Via Examiner.com)

Whenever they decide to film an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name in Boston, Serenella is pretty much ready and waiting to have all the shopping scenes filmed at their Newbury Street location. It has up-and-coming designers, tried-and-true favorites, and a sleek interior that will make even your shopping experience feel ultra luxe.

Serenella: 134 Newbury St., Boston

Vira (Via Boston Magazine)

My love for Vira can be perfectly summarized by a Yelp review I stumbled upon:

“Picture this: It’s Cindo de Mayo.  The sun shines brightly over the city of Boston, a rare and beautiful day.  Beacon Hill businesses have their doors open and some more welcoming than others.  VIRA’s interior is light and airy; the store front is clean and the layout inviting.  A table in the center of the room has a drink dispenser filled with margaritas, tortilla chips with a spread of salsa and guacamole, and pretzels for you to nosh on as you peruse the racks of colorful clothes with intricate designs and pattern.  The store clerks are sweet and offer plenty of help if needed. I spent a long time deciding about a dress and asked for them to hold it…had lunch and walked around Boston Common before returning to the store.  As soon as I entered the store, they remembered my name and brought the dress out from the back.  Now, that’s just amazing. All in all, what more can you ask for?!” (Read more here.)

Vira: 107 Charles St., Boston

Flock (Via The Local Find)

When fashion makes connections the way Flock has brought together the mother-daughter duo that runs this South End boutique, it just doesn’t get much better. Their style is bohemian chic and everything is perfectly appropriate for everything from a music festival to a Saturday afternoon in the city. Did I mention you can shop for wedding trinkets and accessories here too? Yea, this place is perfect.

Flock: 274 Shawmut Ave., Boston

Mint Julep (Via Mint Julep)

When I think about “buying” as a profession, no store would be more fun to shop for than Mint Julep. It’s the perfect combination of whimsical and young professional and carries everything from accessories and gifts to jewelry and jackets. Located in Brookline, it’s exactly what you would hope to stumble upon when adventuring down Beacon St.

Mint Julep: 1302 Beacon St., Brookline

Wish (Via Tickle Me Pink Style)

Every hour is “happy hour” when you have a Rewined candle you found at Wish Boutique. Other things you can find at Wish: Calypso, AG jeans, Milly, Cynthia Steffe and Tkees (to name a few)! From one city girl to another, your next pay check is probably best spent here, procuring something chic you’re going to love for summer days to come.

Wish Boston: 49 Charles St., Boston

Thanks to Pristine for having me today! For more on my city girl adventures, be sure to check me out on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

xo, Vanessa

Where Is The Love Button?

As seen on Pinstripes & Lipgloss!

I’d like to thank Taylor for having me guest post and for the opportunity to share some of my favorite blogs with you!

As a blogger, I find that social media is the key to new inspiration. However, as is the nature of social media, information is relayed constantly in quick blips and sometimes I don’t know what to look at first! When on Facebook, I’m always in search of blogs to follow and over the years, I’ve collected quite a few on my reading list.

Keep reading to meet some of my favorite bloggers who have some pretty lovely Facebook pages!

You have some catching up to do! (ViaWomanista)

1. Extraextravagant: For beauty, style & product reviews.

2. Sydney Luella: For fashion, beauty & lifestyle.

3. Farmgirl Writes: For lifestyle, photography & writing.

4. River City Chic: For style, fashion & adventures.

5. Wandering Forevermore: For crafting, traveling & yoga.

6. Danny +: For journalism, beauty & fashion.

7. In-Between Life: For twenty-somethings, post-grad advice & writing.

8. Allisonleighann.: For lifestyle, twenty-somethings & traveling.

9. Coming Up Roses: For motivation, style & satire.

10. Joojoo Azad – Free Bird: Fashion, social action & inspiration.

11. Briannah.: For lifestyle, fashion & beauty.

12. A Raw Petite Ness: For fashion, accessories & food.

13. Life In Kirsten’s Boots: For fashion, lifestyle & cooking.

14. The Craziest Paradigm: For fashion, beauty & lifestyle.

15. The Pink Paperdoll: For style, brands & adventures.

16. Simplysinova: For music, product reviews & giveaways.

17. Undergraduate Style: For style, college & lifestyle.

18. Designs By Emily F: For fashion, printables & freebies.

19. GenPink: For lifestyle, Generation Y & twenty-somethings.

20. Livin and Lovin: For college, love & food.

21. Style Spice: For fashion, beauty & lifestyle.

22. Brunette with a Bow: For college, life & style.

23. Mostly Lisa: For fashion, product reviews & lifestyle.

24. Eat Drink and Be Mary: For lifestyle, recipes & d.i.y..

25. With Love AR: For college, fashion & photography.

26. Sparkle & Shine: For lifestyle, college & sorority life.

27. Rhyme & Ribbons: For crafting, baking & poetry.

28. It’s Emma Elise: For college, life & fashion.

29. Organized Charm: For study tips, organization & product reviews.

30. Annabel & Alice: For traveling, d.i.y. & baking.

31. In Bloom: For college, movie reviews & style.

For more on my style, my adventures in the city and beauty tips & tricks, follow me onFacebook, Twitter & Pinterest.

xo, Vanessa

Sweets & Treats: Recipes for January

As part of my ever-evolving journey in being a more self-sufficient twenty-something, I have decided that 2014 will be the year I get more into cooking and making my own meals. That, and my goal to be healthier, is so far a very promising work in progress but to kick things off, here are a few of my favorite new recipes to eat, drink and be merry the whole year through that are impressive and easy to make!

Perfect Piña Colada

A homemade and healthy taste of paradise.

What you need:

2/3 cup pineapple chunks

1/3 cup Greek Yogurt

1/2 cup of light coconut milk

1-2 tbsp shredded coconut

8-10 ice cubes

Blend until smooth and garnish with a fruit slice of your choice.

(Pair with a Tart Deco manicure by Essie.)

Beer-soaked Ribs

 

The easiest crowd-pleaser, slow-cook meal ever.

What you need:

2 slabs (about 3 1/2 pounds total) baby back ribs

1 12-ounce bottle of beer

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce

Preheat the oven to 325°F (163° C). Place the ribs, bone side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the beer over the ribs, season with salt and pepper, and cover tightly with foil. Bake, undisturbed, for 4 hours. Then, remove from oven, drain beer from pan, peel back tinfoil and brush both sides of the baby back ribs with barbecue sauce.  Return to oven, uncovered for another 30 minutes. Cut the slabs into individual ribs, pile them onto a large platter, and serve warm, with cornbread, your favorite brew, for your closest friends.

Ramen Coleslaw

 

For lunch or on the side: the new slaw recipe you'll want to eat year round.

What you need:

1 16 oz. bag of broccoli slaw

2 3 oz. packages of chicken flavored Ramen noodles

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 cup of unsalted peanuts, slivered almonds, edamame or Crai-sins® 

1 cup of sunflower seeds

½ cup of white sugar

¼ cup of vegetable oil

⅓ cup of code vinegar

In a large salad bowl, combine the slaw, broken noodles and green onions. In a separate container, whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar and ramen seasoning packets. Pour over salad and toss to evenly coat. Refrigerate until chilled; top with peanuts/almonds/ Crai-sins®  and sunflower seeds before serving as a side or for a sweet and crunchy lunch!

What are some of your favorite go-to recipes? Got a cocktail concoction you love to serve up? E-mail me at Bostonsitgirl@gmail.com, comment below or "like" A City Girl's Guide To Life on Facebook for more ideas and to share your favorites!

xo, Vanessa

City Girl Calendar: What's Coming Up

City girl “must try”: Bagels from Bagel Rising.

If you have F.O.M.O. or you just get too swept up in the day-to-day, finding new and exciting things to do in the city can be a project in itself. One of the best things about Boston is that there is always something going on. From  brunching over French toast and mimosa’s at Green Brian Restaurant & Pub to creating your own Happy Hour at Sunset Grill & Tap, there’s something to do from the North End to Roxbury.

Here are some city girl-approved events I’ve rounded up in case you’re looking for something new to do:

Thursday, January 23

Fashion Thursday at Saint

Sain: 90 Exeter St., Boston

10pm-2am

Special Guest DJ Theo

Read more here

Saturday, January 25

Styling Event with blogger Emily Geaman

Free People: 63 Church St., Cambridge

1-3pm

d.i.y. cupcake bar and hot cocoa!

January 26

Sip & Swap

Scholar’s: 25 School St., Boston

1-4pm

Read more here

February 14

The Naked at the Art Museum Scavenger Hunt

Museum of Fine Arts: 465 Huntington Ave., Boston

6:30pm

Read more here

March 22

Spring Wine Fest

Boston Center for the Arts: Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama

12pm

Read more here

Wander with purpose and try something new with this list!

Now mark your calendars and be sure to let me know if you attend any of these events! You can also check out where I’ve been, what I’ve tried and what I recommend byfollowing me on Foursquare.

 Also, if you or someone you know is hosting an event, be sure to let me know using the form below or by messaging me on Facebook and I’ll be sure to include them in my next round-up!

xo, Vanessa

14 Chic Things To Buy In 2014

1. The number one thing you need to look lean, long and sophisticated. (Buy them here.)

We're now almost through the first month of the new year and already I feel pretty good about my ability to keep my resolutions this year. I've been great about drinking more water, eating healthy, and spending more time with my family. I've been good about making sure I eat breakfast every morning, "living" a little more, and finding time to exercise. I'm going to work on managing my time better so that I'm less likely to procrastinate important tasks, drinking less coffee and cutting out snacks that do more harm than good.

2. You and I both need this River Island clutch because it's chic, edgy and less than $10. (Buy it here.)

In addition to these things, I want to work on purging things from my closet I don't really wear and make room for things that are chic, versatile and sophisticated. Below I've rounded up some of the items on my wish list for when I'm able to do some early sartorial spring cleaning.

3. The quintessential summer shoes. (Buy them here.)

4. Gentlemen's hat (like this one by Ralph Lauren), 5. Hoop earrings (like these by Juicy Couture), 6. Knee boots (like this pair by Ralph Lauren), 7. Luggage (like this piece from Fox Luggage Inc.), 8. Mary Janes (like this non-traditional pair from Jessica Simpson), 9. Minnetonka moccasins (buy them here), 10. One-piece swimsuit (like this one from L Space that will look good on everyone), 11. Pucci (like these high fashion wedges), 12. Safari jacket (like this one by Kenneth Cole), 13. Coral jewelry (like this perfect set from DRK Accessories Shop), 14. Gloves (like these by Portolano)

Which of these items are your favorite? Which of these items do you own? Do you recommend a certain product or brand for me to try this year? Comment on below, on Facebook or tweet me at @vanessainboston. I look forward to hearing from you!

xo, Vanessa

A New Year, A New Look

Every ending is a new beginning, of that I am sure. With 2013 buried away under the new fallen snow, it's time for new memories. If you’ve been following me for a while you already know that in the past year I’ve been in and out of the city, local politics and about a bajillion coffee cups. Life as twenty-something young professional is not as glamorous as I would have thought but I’ll be darned if I don’t make it look that way…

I recently had my very first photo shoot! (This is my good side.)

If you were a fan of COSMOpolitique or Little Black Blog BOSTON, I can assure you that it only gets better. With all the people I’ve met, things I’ve done and places I’ve been in the past year, I am drawing inspiration from more experiences than ever before. (Thus the new look.) My affinity for sophistication and city life has never wavered so if you have any ideas or events I should be taking in, issues I should be aware of or people I should meet, please reach out to me here.

I LOVE new recipes. This is a caprese spinach salad with grilled grapefruit and balsamic creme!

Here it is, a photographic, social media-focused journal of what’s it like to be me; a professional city girl, looking for love, adventure and killer deal on stilettos.

Any and all tips on steals and deals are much appreciated! (Here are some treats I found while antique shopping in Concord, MA)
Follow me on my adventures:
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xo, Vanessa