A Night at The Golden Temple

One of my best friends recently accepted a job in Milwaukee so on Saturday night we threw her a farewell party. When we graduated college Trica and I moved to Brookline together, our beloved Reservoir Court apartment was just up the street from Golden Temple. The restaurant served as the location for her send off dinner party; providing a hint of nostalgia, delicious Chinese food, strong tropical drinks, sake bombs and an evening of dancing to top 40 hits. Might I also announce before I begin the photo recap, that I am the proud new owner of a Canon Rebel T3!! After over a year with my Canon Powershot point and shoot, (which I still love) I was ready to upgrade, DSLR style. The other night at the Golden Temple saw her first outing and so far I am super impressed with the resulting photos. The evening started on a high note with Asian drinks of Sapporo, Mai Thais and Singapore Slings. The setting in the Golden Temple dining room was intimate with dim lighting so I decided to take some photos without the flash, at least for a little while. Balloons and confetti served as table decor.
Warm colors and seductive lighting set the scene. Our table was positioned along the back wall in the main dining room looking out to the bar complete with a DJ booth and dance floor. The festivities continued with a few Sake Bombs.For dinner I ordered the Special Pad Thai ($19.95) boasting a heaping plate of noodles with chicken, shrimp, broccoli, mushrooms, pea pods, carrots, bean sprouts, scallions, organic eggs and crushed peanuts. Friends look on as Tricia opens her present...A group of us chipped in for a little something to line the walls of her new apartment. A stunning four foot canvas of the Boston skyline. Obligatory shot of the college roommates!I'm certainly going to miss this girl! I envision a Milwaukee visit in my to be determined future. I should also add we were extremely pleased with Golden Temple as a venue choice. We received spot on service and the transition from dinner party to dance party atmosphere was perfect, everyone had a blast.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Is David Bowie stuck in your head now? You're welcome. Minor changes happening in blog life to report.

First up. I.joined.twitter. I know, you all never though this day would come. But I keep good on my word and so here I am world, follow me @Daisy_III. I'm still learning the ropes, but I'm pretty sure I like it so far. Thank you to my welcoming committee this afternoon (wonderful blogger friends) I am so thrilled to have a new addiction!!! (That sounds healthy.)

Second up. I became a FoodBuzz featured publisher. I've also been a little (lot) hesitant on this one. The adds never bother me on anyone else's blog, I just thought they would bother me on my own. I love a simple, clean, underwhelming look. But it doesn't seem so bad. Right?

Third. Wait, did I have a third? Just two ch ch changes? Oh yea I had an update. I sent in my precious, beloved, baby, Canon Powershot this morning. I packaged her up in tissue paper, bubble wrap and the nice woman at the Hanover Street post office boxed her up and shipped her off to Virginia. Don't worry, I purchased insurance and shipping conformation. I didn't overnight it (good lord that costs $18) so it will take 2-3 days to get there. It's so hard to be apart. I feel empty and naked without my camera.

I know my pictures weren't severely messed up, in fact for the most part they look fine. But you can definitely see that nagging gray/black dot in certain shots like the blue sky and the white menus from Friday's lunch. It is unacceptable on a for a 3 month old camera to be malfunctioning! I'm glad I didn't procrastinate this chore, even though it is rather painful.

Goodnight.

Friday Afternoon Clarity

I don't normally use this blog as a tool to vet my rather trivial in the big-picture-scheme-of-life details. Who cares about a spot on my camera sensor or the fact that I can't obtain my face cream? The thing is, after I wrote that, I felt a lot better. I stepped out my door and embraced the morning sunshine and the fact that I can walk 5 minutes and be at my eye doctor. As I walked, I laughed to myself about how seemingly small and insignificant my "troubles" really are. Writing allows me that clarity. So thanks for listening. I just figure, I write about my calm and relaxing Friday mornings as of late, so why not share when things are a bit off kilter / boiling my blood pressure. On a positive note, I'm making things happen. 1) I spoke to a technical assistant at Canon and he was more than helpful. Yea I have to send in my camera. I'll live. 2) I spoke to my doctor and she is working on obtaining authorization from the insurance company for my prescription. 3) The eye doc is checked off the to-do list. My eyes are healthy, my glasses were repaired, and my contacts will be in next week.


I wanted to share some things from Thursday evening that despite the frustrations, made me smile. I received a package in the mail. Who doesn't love a surprise package! It came wrapped in tissue paper with a card from one of my oldest bestest friends from Cape Cod, Jackie. How adorable and thoughtful is she for a) keeping up with the blog and b) embracing my love of food.

An old school nickname ;)

This is obviously a handmade card. How talented is she?! This quote is evoking a memory. I know it has a deeper meaning. (Right Jackie? Like one drunken night with the boys we were quoting it or something? Did I just make that up?) Anyways, this meant the world to me. Thank you so very much cute-fruit!
Last night on the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance (I won't announce the winner if you haven't watched. So read on) I spotted well known contemporary & jazz choreographer Mandy Moore in the audience wearing my dress. (Quick shout out to hip-hop choreographers Nappy Tabs & Contemporary choreographer Travis Wall! You guys killed it this season!)Below I am trying on the dress to make sure it fit. (I had to order it online, because they didn't have a small enough size in house.) Well, I didn't have to order it. I just desperately wanted it. This dress is one of my big Anthropologie purchases I keep yapping about. I thought it was fun to spot someone semi-famous wearing it! I am debating myself what to wear the dress for. I have a black tie optional wedding to attend in October (Adam's sisters, so he is in the wedding.) I am not sure if this dress is "fancy enough." I love it. I feel pretty glam in it. But is it like cocktail party, maybe rehearsal dinner fancy? (Major hit TV show finale fancy!) For a black-tie optional wedding, is that a hint I should be wearing a long dress? For your standard October wedding, I feel it could be perfect. Nice fall colors, you can dress it up or down....but I have my doubts for this wedding. You guys saw how exquisite the bridal shower was! Obviously, I've asked around. I have girlfriends etc to ask this sort of stuff. But I figured while I'm here I might as well fish for more opinions. Any and all are welcome. Off to lunch!

Friday Morning Vent Session

It's been one of those mornings. It started out innocently enough. I made a little to do list on Thursday! I love making to do lists. Things actually became rather annoying on Thursday evening. See two items added onto do list:
Why do I have to call the Canon Warranty center? See black dot circled in red on above picture (it's un-circled on the first one). I can tell you the exact moment where one picture was fine, and the next picture and everyone after that began showing up with a black dot. I know it is fairly light, but it's annoying the hell out of me. So is the fact that I'll probably have to send in my camera for repairs. I've spent a good majority of my morning on the phone with folks from Canon who have been extremely unhelpful to say the least. I just bought this camera back on May 16th!! WTH.

The last item, has also been a tiny little nightmare. There is a lot of hassle behind that statement. All week I've been trying to get a prescription filled for my face cream. FACE CREAM people. I've used it to treat a minor form of acne for the past 2 years now. Apparently, turning 26 requires a prior authorization for this generic brand of face cream. Now, as most of you know, I work in health care. I know exactly what a Prior Authorization is, and why they are required by insurance companies. They put these prior auth policies in place to contain costs and prevent un-medically necessary services, procedure and treatment. HOWEVER, I had no idea drug companies were now setting limits on generic face creams based on age. I mean really, why would I be filling a prescription for a cream that was non medically necessary? Does turning from 25 to 26 mean my acne goes away?! Don't they have higher costing drugs to contain? I didn't discover this "over 25 policy" out until countless emails with my dermatologist, phone calls to and from CVS, and phone calls to Medco (my drug insurance company) later.

And two hours into my morning, my blood pressure has gone through the roof and nothing on the list has been accomplished.

Citizen Cope tickets are already on sale. They will have to wait. The Canon Technical Support center is also open now (10am). Even though on the warranty it says they open at 9am. Nope. Only the sales department and the repair center. But the repair center can not help you with technical issues. What?!?

Sorry. I'm done. Now I need to go to my eye doctor. Here's hoping my vision plan doesn't decide I need a prior auth to determine if my contacts are medically necessary. Could you imagine? You're 26 now so we thought you'd be able to see again. Ok, I know I'm being a little extreme. But the way my mornings been going.....

How is your Friday the 13th going so far?

Memorial Day Weekend Kick Off

How fitting that after this weeks review of Market in the Financial District, I end up at Market in the W Hotel.
How are there two places in this small city with the same name? Confusing much? Well hopefully not because what they have in common begins and ends with the name.
You won't find a Reggae jam band at the W hotel. ;) Tricia, Erin and I meandered over to the W located in the Theater District, after we saw the sold out 7:30 showing of Sex and The City 2 at the Boston Common Loews. As you are probably already aware, SATC 2 is getting lackluster to terrible reviews. My latest issue of Entertainment Weekly gave it a C-. Barely Average. Whatever. I'm a cheesy movie lover, and the ladies of NYC delivered a host of cheese filled lines and as to be expected, over the top, unrealistic scenes. I can see why it got some bad reviews. I really can....
But I loved it. The laughs were non-stop. I'm not sure why the movie poster only includes SJP strutting through the dessert of Abu Dabi in heels. (Well technically it was filmed in Morocco.) I know probably not all of you have seen it yet, so I'll keep the spoiler alerts to a minimum and continue on my picture montage of the intimate urban garden that is Market Lounge at the W Hotel.

The sophisticated Market Lounge actually sits across the hall from the restaurant. This funky sculpture of mirror cut-outs spans the length of the natural stone wall.

Did I mention my Canon Powershot takes phenomenal pictures in low light?! I know I've taken some low light shots before but I don't think I mentioned just how pleased I am. I no longer have to suffer through to-dark-to-see shots or blind the entire lounge with my flash.
Once we decided on our drinks, it took a little while to place an order at the bar, (large group ahead of us / only one bartender paying attention to standing patrons...) but once we managed the male bartender was super nice and poured some brilliant libations. We sunk back into our seats on the plush couch situated low to the floor directly behind the bar, in between these dramatic metallic curtains. On the left, Tricia's Pomegranite Fizz ($12) which the bartender noted was his favorite drink on the menu contains Skyy Vodka, Cuvée Brut NV Domaine St. Michelle, Pomegranate and Blueberry
I was impressed with my Lychee Raspberry Bellini ($9) with Prosecco ‘Il Fresco’ NV Villa Sandi, Lychee and Raspberry. Served in a tall champagne flute, it delighted the taste buds with the dry Prosecco fizz and went down easy with sweet lychee and raspberry flavors. The three of us agreed we must make another appearance at this trendy establishment, as we bid them farewell and headed to Delux. We still had a good 3 hours left on the town!
If your a faithful reader you've seen a shot similar to the above (or just read about my Delux outings) here, here , here oh and here. That would be the bottomless dirty martini, my drink of choice poured by the gal who puts up with all our drunken shenanigans, Nikki. But I mean really, how could you ever tire of viewing the picture perfect cocktail that is the dirty martini?!
Nikki made Tricia a fun martini too. Something sweet is all I know. For last call, as usual (reference above links) I drank a Magners before we re-convened on Clarendon St. and headed to....
If you are quick to catch on, and you guessed Beehive, you would be correct.  A hip bohemian underground jazz club, draped with deep red beaded curtains, massive ornate chandeliers and local artwork, it gives a feel quite unlike any other spot in the city.
The infamous Beehive mug is filled with Kronenbourg 1664. The distinct taste of this aromatic hoppy beer is reminiscent of time spent in Paris last September. What I would not give to be sipping one outside at a cafe. Sigh. 

Since I have a super great functioning low light camera, I took some more shots to show off The Beehive. If you are a local and haven't visited Beehive yet, you must.

A few of the men with whom I spend my Friday nights.

And the ladies accompanying me, Tricia and Erin. I fed them and the mysterious man pictured with them below dinner last night at 3am. I made a mini feast of spaghetti with the last of my vodka cream sauce leftovers and a side of sauteed spinach. Oh how we love late night eats.

The Beehive has some of the coolest bathrooms ever. I adore funky the mirror collage against exposed brick alternating with a bright pink and brown damask wallpaper design. 

What a Friday! How did you kick off Memorial Day Weekend?

Canon Powershot SD1300

Thank you to all who shared your camera experiences and recommendations this past week. A couple of you recommended the Fuji FinePix - water proof, dust proof, shock proof - amazing! But an even greater number of you recommended various types of Canons. I made up my mind a point and shoot is where it's at. At this time I realistically don't need to spend more money on something that is only going to take up more room, or not fit comfortably in my purse or backpack. I woke up on Sunday around 10:30 and was out to enjoy the glorious day by 11:00. I hopped the Green Line to the Hynes Convention Center stop where Best Buy is located, Sbux Iced Vanilla Latte in hand.
I browsed for about ten minutes. I checked out the latest Sony Cyber shot models and made my way to the Fujis and then the Canons. The Best Buy associate, who just graduated photography school was a Canon advocate all the way. He said they tend to be of a higher quality and last the longest. That fact solidified my choice in brand. But now, what camera?! I didn't tell the salesman how much I was looking to spend, just that I take a lot of pictures on pretty much a daily basis. He wasn't trying to upsell me whatsoever. He basically told me I didn't need HD video or all those other "functions" as it is essentially the same camera. I thought about it. My Sony cybershot actually had a ton of settings: beach setting, landscape setting, low light with flash, low light without flash etc. In the past when I toyed around with the beach and landscape settings, I never really saw a huge difference in the picture. Half the time I forgot or did not want to change the setting anyways. The simpler and less expensive option was sounding more and more appealing. I made the purchase.

Canon Powershot SD1300 IS Digital ELPH 12.1 MP Digial Camera (Silver)

What a beauty she is. Sleek, simple, and super light weight. The love affair began after my breakfast and blog session at Trident Booksellers & Cafe located right around the corner from Best Buy at 338 Newbury Street.
I was here last week for the first time after I had picked up my computer (virus free!) I didn't actually eat anything the first time around, but I did take advantage of their free wi-fi while while hanging out at a high table sipping a Perrier.

It was surprisingly easy to tune out the crowd and focus.

This might be my new favorite spot to blog. When I came in again on Sunday I found a seat at the bar and ordered a coffee.FYI The new camera has not come out of the box yet. Unpackaging and set-up at a busy brunch counter was not the time or place. A little while later I ordered the Breakfast Burrito ($8.95)
Scrambled Eggs with mushrooms, avocado, onion and cheddar wrapped in a tortilla with a side of salsa.
Light fluffy eggs in a warm tortilla with a plentiful amount avocado slathered over them, with flavorful mushrooms and gooey melted cheese, this was excellent! Thank goodness I decided to try the food here. Not sure what I was waiting for the first time around. The staff makes you feel right at home. If you're hanging out at the counter with your computer or a book, there is no pressure to order food. (Again, not sure why you wouldn't want to!) It's decided - I'm coming here to blog and eat more often!! I paid my bill and found a stool in the corner of the bookstore to open the camera. She's all set up and ready to shoot.

Yep I'd say it works.

Loving the bright green ivy that has grown up the sides of these buildings.

I also love this brickwork on Gloucester Street.

I want to live in an apartment covered in vines!
The doors of Back Bay.

I like that montage. I wish I shot more doors now. The detail of the entryways with their arches and columns and unique brick molding is stunning. Notice the intricacy and placement of the wrought iron in each doorway.

So many gorgeous flowers, too.

I strolled down the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The kids scaling that statue was pretty funny. There was a whole crew of them running around climbing anything they could get a good grip on.

Oh hello Public Garden.

Most of the Tulips are gone or on their last leg. But these baby pinks were still in decent shape.
So the two shots below I cropped myself. You get an unbelievable clarity on the zoom.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure what type of flower this is. From far away they look like giant dandelions but I'm not convinced.

There are plenty of fancy trimmed shrubs and trees,

and swan boats with sightseers a plenty. I've never been on one. What about you?

And the gorgeous Weeping Willows. These were always my favorite type of tree.

Just look how elegant.

What is your favorite type of tree?

Ducks are everywhere. No zoom here, I'm just that close to them. A cute little boy ran over two seconds later and chased them away. Good thing I got my shot. Somebody sign me up for National Geographic.

People are also everywhere, walking or lounging in the grass (or riding a duck boat). I chose a spot in the sun and just lied for an hour or so. I'm pretty impressed with my new camera. However, these are easy daytime shots with bright light. I realized I never asked the salesman how it shoots in low light. Gretchen has the same camera and assured me it works well. I also read from the manufacturers description "...bold innovations that include remarkable low light performance..." Sounds reassuring. Now I just need a dim lit restaurant to experiment.