Boston Snow...how bad is it?

If you don't live in New England, you've probably been seeing some coverage in the news about how New England is having record-breaking amounts of snow this winter. Before the end of January, we were actually running a snow deficit. We looked winter in the eye and pointed our index fingers in its direction and laughed. Winter had been a cakewalk! Where was the snow? Sure it was kinda cold, but we were convinced we were going to get off scot-free.

And then blizzard Juno happened on January, 26. Okay, Winter, you showed us. We were asses to laugh at you. She dropped 2' of snow here in Boston and we were like...OKAY. That's cute, you can stop now.

On Groundhog Day, we got more. MUCH MORE. Every Sunday/Monday it seemed to blizzard with Mother Nature sprinkling annoying intermittent snow in between just to be a biotch. We went from Holiday Paradise from Frozen Hell in 23 Days. She dumped 58 or so MORE inches of snow on top of what was already there in three weeks. Plows drive by and just push snow to the side of the street and when you're pushing like 8' of snow to the side of the street, you basically replace a parking spot with snow so...

No Parking. No, seriously.

That snow needs like a thousand parking tickets.

Both sides of the streets now have snow, making the roads incredibly narrow and challenging for two lanes of traffic to exist on. You can only park on one side of the street in some places. My husband and I have taken to a game which is called: Snow Pile or Car? I believe some people have just given up. There's no place to park your chariot anyway once you get to where you're going. Boston is a challenging place to drive enough WITHOUT all the damn snow.

Is it a Car? Is it just a Snow Pile?

Can't drive? No problem! Just take the ever-so-reliable MBTA, the world's oldest public transport system! Well, guess what? There was so much snow...it crippled the poor MBTA. I've been living here for 20 years and for the first time in my memory, the MBTA (Otherwise known as the "T") just put up both its hands and shut it completely down. No buses. No Trains. No Ferries. No commuter rail. NOTHING. There is too much snow on the tracks, stuff is frozen and the T is completely crippled. The T usually can return to regular service if it's disrupted within a few hours, but officials from the MBTA are saying it could be 30 days or more (provided there isn't any more snow). Your commute which might have taken 30 minutes might take hours now. People are just walking instead to get to where they're going.

And lastly...as you may have heard...Bostonians are going crazy and jumping out of windows into snow piles. It seems we are hoarding all the snow in the Nation. Someone better call A&E. 

Terrifyingly enough, we are getting rain and 46 degree temps on Sunday which scares the crap out of me because it's going to FREEZE EVERYTHING. WHY?!?! It's all become very depressing. You don't want to leave your house because temps are somewhere between 4 and 24˚ F with wind chills often below 0˚. Sidewalks are seriously treacherous. Because of the massive piles of snow and ice in intersections on sidewalks, my new paranoia is falling into the street as I attempt to cross. I wouldn't bat an eye at walking a mile under normal circumstances, but walking even around the block right now is a daunting proposition. I cannot begin to describe the misery and aggravation Bostonians feel on a daily basis. It feels like the snow will never melt and when it does, there will be a host of new problems with flooding, leaking, rust and road damage. Winter is not even close to being over and everyone in New England is counting the days until Spring in this currently 2nd Snowiest Winter in history. How is Winter where you live?

Keep Calm and bake more cookies...

The Weather Outside is Frightful & a Copycat OOTD

Well...here I am in Boston stuck inside AGAIN. We have had 60" of snow this winter already and this morning...yet another snowstorm is pounding the city. Streets are a mess, but worse is there is NO place to put the snow anymore. So today, I am staying home from work and practicing and updating some professional materials. Singing Purcell and Dowland while sipping some earl grey isn't bad, I suppose.

For Sunday's OOTD, I decided to copy Peggy from She Hath Done What She Could and pair my Mary Shirtdress with the Red Delicious Blouse. I saw it and I thought this was a brilliant pairing!!! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?! Peggy, I hope you don't mind me stealing from your style file :)

Dress: Anthropologie Mary Shirtdress with Anthropologie Red Delicious Blouse

Boots: Payless Marley Boots

Belt: Ann Taylor (Pre-historic)

My first job out of graduate school was the conductor's assistant and music librarian for the city ballet company. Being a musician, part of my job was to coach and conduct a girl's choir in the Nutcracker Snow Scene at Christmas time. Boston Ballet was one of the few companies to have a live choir during this ballet and the girls that were in the choir were actually girls that were also dancing in the ballet. They were not excited about singing, but they were sweet and did the best they could. This was the best job I ever had and if it wasn't for budget cuts, I'd probably still be working there.

I probably went to 70+ Nutcracker Performances in two years. I had fond memories of arranging the little choir in the pit with the orchestra (it was crowded down there with all the girls and the players!), but everytime I see snow outside, I think about this scene.

Here's what it really looks like...minus the awesome Tchaikovsky soundtrack...

It's a Nor'Eastah!!!! Happy Tuesday everyone!

OOTD, Thrifted Anthro and Blizzard Craziness

So, it's no secret that there was a impressive blizzard across New England yesterday. We are buried in tons of heavy, wet snow which caused power lines to collapse and trees to fall down. Unfortunately, my husband's car was a victim of a downed tree branch. The branch fell from a very large tree taking out the sideview mirror, part of the frame and windshield which is cracked. As if we haven't had enough car trouble in the past 6 months! The insurance company is coming out to see if the car is totalled on Friday. Nightmare! Aside from that, I was actually relieved to have a snow day. I had a rehearsal scheduled in the evening, but since the Governor declared a state of Emergency, it was canceled. I did a little looking through my calendar and realized it was my first "day-off" since the 28th of December. Yikes. I've been very grumpy and overtired and I think I needed this day to recuperate. Back to the grindstone today though!

I have been non-impressed with Anthro's January additions, which is bittersweet, since I'm on an Anthro ban until my credit card is paid off. I allowed myself to go treasure hunting at Second Time Around, which always seems to have old Anrtho pieces. I scored an adorable little cream cardi with cherries at the snaps (Moth) and a GORGEOUS red and gray cardi with ruffles at the bottom (Guinevere). I scored them for a song and I threw on the little cream cardi over the Waffle Weave Dress Monday night!

Dress: Anthropologie Waffle Weave Dress

Cardigan: Anthropologie Cherry Cardigan (don't know name or year)

Belt: Anthropologie High Prairie Belt

Somehow, this photo doesn't do very much for the Waffle Weave Dress, which is adorable and totally comfortable. I was very pleased with how the two pieces worked together. And of course...my workhorse Marley Boots from Payless. When it's cold and wet and snowy outside...you throw these on with every dress with some legwarmers. You gotta be cute, but at the same time...winter in Boston is no place to wear cute shoes. Especially when you're a city dweller like me.

Sorry for the delay in posting, but I'll announce full details of the Anthro Flux Closet Challenge tomorrow! Hope you are all having a great week and aren't snowed in!