Author Archives: Ali

One Year Anniversary!!

Posted on by
Reply

Hot Off The Dress is officially one year old today!

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the passage of time. This weekend, Miek and I traveled to beautiful Cohasset, MA to attend the wedding of one of my college friends. Even though it has been 5 years since Bates, everything fell right back into place. Dancing the night away, we might as well have been under the yellow sodium lights on the library terrace.

As my friends said their vows on the dock, with the Atlantic lapping at the shore, I thought about my parents home in Maine. They were married exactly 28 years ago! 28! What an accomplishment!

Below are a collection of photos to celebrate the blog’s one year anniversary, and to document the little snapshots of life in the midst of this great, big, passage of time.

CohassetBiscuitLoveCookieCleanOpenRoadxo Al

Unapologetic

Posted on by
Reply
Way back in September, Miek surprised me for my 26th birthday with tickets to see Rihanna in Boston — the show scheduled for March 10. We booked a quaint little Beacon Hill hotel through Jetsetter, and spent the next few months getting excited.

On our way down to the show last week, Miek got a weird 1-800 number call. It was Ticketmaster informing us of Rihanna’s “laryngitis” and need to cancel the Boston show. Slightly deflated <understatement>, we decided to keep driving and make the most of the weekend.

Despite dropping my debit card at the south-bound rest stop (and not realizing this fact until reaching into my wallet at a store on Newbury Street…), and mourning the canceled show, we still had a pretty fun time. A lesson for me in “going with the flow” and taking things as they come. When you’re with your best friend and it finally feels a smidgen like spring, few things can completely dampen spirits.

Some highlights:

1.) The snug Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro. Gray-walled and archetypically “New England”, this hotel had class without being pretentious, comfortable rooms despite being small in footprint, and a world-class staff. The spunky blonde bartender gave us waters and sodas for free after an afternoon of walking the city, and the front-desk concierge stopped up late-night and fixed our Direct TV with a smile. Owned by an American and a Swede, the hotel is undeniably European. A nice departure from the “big box” hotels that pepper the city.

2.) Laughing at the ridiculously haughty and pompous worker at Levi’s. Look, I know you’re working on Newbury Street — the self-proclaimed “Rodeo Drive” of Boston — but come on, you’re hocking denim. The wardrobe workhorse. No matter how “museum quality meets boutique” you say they are, they are still jeans. And I found better ones for $10 at the Forever 21 down the street.

3.) Running through the chilly North End streets after dinner to pick up to-go cannoli at Modern Pastry. Miek lived in Boston during college, but had never been to this family-run Italian joint. It was well worth the wait.

SittingRoomBHHBHHRoomBHHClosetBHHRoom1BHHBathroomDetailBHHBathroom1BHHArtxo Al

This Old Thing?

Posted on by
3

Two years ago, my mom opened up a consignment/vintage shop called This Old Thing? on Route 302 in Westbrook, Maine. A life-long dream realized, her charming shop features three rooms jam-packed with vintage jewelry, clothing, formal wear, house and kitchen items and antiques. So, next time you are headed to the mountains or the lake, or are in the mood for an after-brunch shopping spree, check her out (and tell her I sent you!)  SueShoppers Rooms Puffins KitchenRoom JewelryTable Hallway2 Hallway Casio Case Brooch Bows

xo Al

Crown Heights, BK

Posted on by
Reply

After bopping around Manhattan for a couple days enjoying the food (Eataly, DBGB Kitchen & Bar, Junior’s, Rickshaw Dumplings) and shopping (Uniqlo, Henri Bendel, FAO Schwarz), Miek and I took a cab across the bridge to visit Tig’s and Daniel’s new apartment in Crown Heights.

They whipped up a tasty brunch of parmesan and olive-oil-dressed arugula salad, jalapeno cheddar scones, poached eggs, oven-roasted tomatoes, apple pancakes (which tasted like flan!) and mimosas. We sat around, with Nymphadora Tonks the shih tzu underfoot, listening to tunes, eating, chatting, and celebrating their recent engagement! We went up to the roof to look at the skyline at dusk, had a savory and cozy dinner at Pok Pok (extreme and legit northern Thai cuisine), and then had Mr. Shah take us back to JFK.

BKBrooklynMiekandTonksTigDan

Tigger1TonksTonkyDogBrooklynBoysBridgexo Al

Two Thousand Thirteen

Posted on by
Reply

We are a few days into the new year, and I have already had a few of those “oh-my-god-what-am-I-doing-with-my-life” moments. Never fun, but necessary. Necessary to avoid stagnancy, to ask yourself those tough questions like “What is it I really want?” and “How do I get there from here?”

Moving forward into the new year, there are so many possibilities: opportunities to do more of what you love, opportunities to eliminate unhealthy habits, to streamline your life and strive for a balance.

Here are some of the things I’m looking forward to in 2013:

Cleaning out my closet and donating a bunch of clothes I never wear. Making home-cooked meals. Traveling to New York City and Boston to visit friends and catch shows. Learning more about my DSLR camera and Photoshop. Gaining more professional confidence. Not taking any crap. Maintaining a clean inbox. Eating good food. Singing more. Creating music.

What are you looking forward to?

20130104-094838.jpg

Odds and Ends

Posted on by
Reply

After getting in a minor car accident on my way home from work yesterday (don’t worry, everyone is fine, just some fixable car damage!) I’m reminded of how grateful I am for the people in my life, my beautiful home, and the things that give me peace and make me happy in this crazy, unpredictable world. Things happen {so, so} quickly – a reminder to be mindful, to live in the present, to be thankful for what I have, and to continuously send positivity into the universe.

Here are a few things making me happy these days:

[Baby Caramelo, who is always wide-eyed and big-eared]

Big Ears[Our turntable – perfect for playing Dad’s old records and Miek’s new ones]

Turntable[His and Her rock and roll nutcrackers]

Nutcrackers[A memory shadowbox]

Shadowbox[A vintage chicken tea set]

Chickens[Photos of loved ones]

Loved OnesAnd finally, this is hilarious!!

Yours, Al