Inside The Mapparium
As the famous Ferris Bueller’s Day Off movie quote goes, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Despite always being on the go, I think I did a pretty good job carving out time for amazing food, time with friends, plus other adventures and experiences in 2012. From playing tourist in my hometown, to channeling my inner Martha Stewart, to personal and professional travels, here are 12 photos which celebrate 2012 and a little background behind them.
The first photo (see above) comes from The Mapparium. It’s the perfect example of how I still have so much to discover in Boston, despite living here for so many years. In 2012 I finally went in and really enjoyed in. For more information, check out this great blog entry I found from a family that visited. The Mapparium tour is six dollars for adults and four dollars for children.
BCBG Little Black Dress, $29
2012 was also a fantastic year for bargain shopping. From a few trips to Wrentham Outlets south of Boston, to working the deals and steals in the city, I enjoyed a number of great new pieces in my wardrobe, including this lovely LBD from BCBC for $29.
Who knew this image would go viral?
There were also some surprises in 2012. After walking through the Copley Place Mall in Boston one day, I snapped a few photos of Louis Vuitton’s archery inspired window display and wrote up a blog entry, as it was seemingly timed with the release of The Hunger Games. Little did I know that a writer for Wired.com’s Geek Dad blog would link to my blog entry, sending and good amount of traffic to my blog (thank you!).
Pumpkin Pie Brownie Cupcakes
Another great theme of 2012? Baking! I love experimenting with new recipes and different types of baking. For example, the recipe above is vegan, meaning that there’s no meat, eggs, dairy, etc. The recipe is from one of my favorite blogs Oh She Glows, which is worth a read, whether you’re vegan or not. For more info on the recipe, click here.
Goodbye, flip phone
I shouldn’t admit that I even possessed one of these devices in 2012, but the sad reality is that I did. I had a Blackberry and was waiting for iPhone at work, so I kept the little flip phone activated for nights/weekends. Don’t fret, now I’m all iPhoned out, on Instagram and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And, now my friends have one less thing to tease me about.
One of my many incredible salads
There’s nothing like a hearty, yet healthy salad. I continued to experiment with my salad repertoire in 2012, whipping up colorful, satisfying salads in 2012. This one featured spinach, feta, carrots, peas, edamame, fresh raspberries and grilled chicken in a homemade dressing of whole grain mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Want more salad inspiration? Here’s three more recipes I shared on the blog in 2012.
Weren’t we cute?
My brother got married in 2012 and as part of the wedding, I made a slide show of old photos. I found the photo above that I had never seen before of yours truly and my brother. I can’t believe how cute we were – and I also cannot believe you ever threw out those awesome sunglasses Mom. Seriously….:)
Edinburgh’s St. Giles Cathedral
Over the summer, I spent an incredible long weekend in Edinburgh before heading down to London. One of the highlights of my trip was seeing the stunning interior of St. Giles Cathedral. It doesn’t look like much on the outside, but the inside was breathtaking. I was also there while the choir was practicing, which was something I’ll never forget.
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge
On the theme of travel, I also enjoyed another first in 2012 – walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. I was going to NYC for a girls’ weekend and purposely went early in order to check this one off of my bucket list. It was definitely worth it and I took so many incredible photos.
Long walks always uncover small, but meaningful discoveries
While I love to travel, I also cherish taking long walks and exploring my home base, Boston. The above was snapped during a stroll down Marlborough Street. There’s nothing I love more than taking a long walk and discovering small, yet beautiful moments to capture.
Yours truly on stage at LeWeb
I spoke at five social media conferences in 2012, with LeWeb Paris being the grand finale in December. It was such an honor to be asked (the producer had heard me speak in London in 2011) and I enjoyed every moment of it. In addition to meeting leaders in social media and technology from all over the world, we enjoyed a special cocktail reception with the Prime Minister of France, Jean-Marc Ayrault, an exclusive preview of the Thomas Hopper Exhibit at The Grand Palais, and more. Here’s a link to my talk if you’re interested.
Happy Birthday to me!
Last, but certainly not least, was my 30th birthday on December 17th. What better way to cap off an amazing year than with a milestone birthday?
Final Thought
Between trips throughout the United States and abroad, to personal and professional achievements, there was no missing out in 2012. The above is just a small snapshot of the amazing moments throughout the year, both large and small. As we look to 2013, the new year has big shoes to fill!