Western Massachusetts – Page 13

Good Evening, everyone! Here’s hoping you’re all having a wonderful Friday night- or getting ready to, anyway!

My night is actually going to be fairly quiet and reserved tonight- consisting of watching a movie with friends, eating some pizza and sipping some hard cider since I have to be up for early morning plans first thing tomorrow. And honestly? I just really need a night in so I can wear sweatpants and veg out a bit.

This past week has been crazy at work, and when I wasn’t in my office- I was at networking events, keeping track of E3 coverage (hello, ‘Resident Evil 2’ remake I’ve been waiting for since I was in my teens!) and trying to soak up some Vitamin D whenever I got the chance- including taking an afternoon off for an impromptu beach trip in Manchester-By-The-Sea.

Last weekend, before I got swirled up in Manic Monday and all the tasks/errands/to-do’s that came with it and the subsequent days that followed- I actually ventured out to the wild, wild Western part of Massachusetts to lovely, quaint and picturesque Shelburne Falls to see the famous Bridge of Flowers that frequently make appearances on my friends’ Instagram feeds.

I’d never been, but neither the bridge itself or the scenic drive to and from there along some of the state’s winding back roads- dotted with farmhouses and fields- was well worth it. The footbridge (formerly a trolley bridge) stretches over the Deerfield River and is the home to hundreds of different types of flowers. It’s a very peaceful, pretty walk to take- and naturally I snapped some photos!

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the pics!

If you’re ever venturing out by Western Massachusetts this Summer- the bridge is definitely worth a quick stop! It’s open ’til October!

In other beautiful destinations I visited this past week- I took a half day at work yesterday afternoon to stop by Singing Beach in-between errands to meet up with my best friend, Sean, for lunch/coffee and to watch as the boats rolled by the marina. Even though the sun disappeared on us (more than once)– it was still a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The view was definitely better than the one I’m used to in my office, anyway!

Every time I travel to Manchester By The Sea, I try to visit at least one new shop or restaurant since the community has so many hidden and adorable seaside finds to discover. Yesterday’s dinner saw us watching game show re-runs from the 1970s while we ate burgers and fries at Superfine Food, and then grab a couple of ‘Aloha’ lattes (coconut and white chocolate) at Allie’s Beach Street Cafe.

Everything was so delicious- and the staff at both locations were very friendly! I highly recommend them!

But now, with friends on the way for movie night with food in tow- I’m off to be lazy, eat all the carbs- and get ready for the weekend!

Good night, everyone! Have a great weekend!

– Ashley –

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone!

We did it! We made it through the week and it’s time to kick back and enjoy the weekend- unless you live in New England, that is- in which case you’re probably getting ready to start shoveling yourself out of whatever the incoming Winter Storm Riley has in store for us.

It’s been rather lovely outside these past few days- albeit a little chilly- so to suddenly have about a foot of snow dropped back on us is a little disheartening, to say the least.

Regardless, I’m determined to enjoy my weekend- and have set aside a little “me” time to get my hair and my nails touched up for the Saint Patrick’s Day festivities and the First *official* day of Spring in a couple of weeks. I’m also looking forward to cooking up a couple of new dishes- provided that the storm doesn’t knock out my power since we’re expecting to get some pretty high winds where I am.

Now that it’s March, I’m getting an early start on my Spring cleaning. Old mail/bills are being shredded, bedsheets and pillow cases are being washed and refreshed, odds & ends that have been laying around all Winter and collecting dust are being rounded up and discarded- and I’m starting to rotate out my Winter wardrobe to donate the things I don’t wear anymore while simultaneously clearing up some space to fit my Spring/Summer clothing and accessories.

I have taken some time to enjoy the little things this past week, though. On Wednesday night I had a friend-date in Western Massachusetts with a guy I’ve known for a long time that included a pretty good blue cheese burger at a local brewery, followed by a late-night Sega Genesis game session at said friend’s apartment. He dug out Maximum Carnage (one of my favorites from when I was a kid!) and I honestly needed a minute to compose myself from the excitement.

Last night, after I’d run some errands and returned home- I enjoyed a long, hot soak in my tub while I flipped through the Spring issue of InStyle Magazine and enjoyed a glass of wine while a Lush Bath Bomb fizzed around me. I slept like a baby last night once I’d dried off and gone to lay down- that’s how relaxing it was!

Weather permitting, I have a luncheon scheduled with some friends from work a little later on this afternoon- and from there- I’m hoping it’s smooth sailing as I wrap up this work week (which was unbelievably productive for me!) and jump right into my Saturday plans.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! I’ll see you on Monday!

– Ashley –

Tag: Western Massachusetts

“Now it’s all covered with flowers…”

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”