February 29, 2012

Leaping

Life today looks a little like this:
My department at work is going through a rather large, rather messy conversion, and we have piles and piles of work that absolutely has to be done by the end of today. Luckily, Dan and I have plans to go out with some wonderful friends tonight... plans which thankfully include a few glasses of wine. I am definitely going to need them.
For now, though, I leave you with a little humor that celebrates the "holiday" (anyone else think we should get today off work?):

 -- Information on the Leap Year-ly Internet Cleaning
 -- Confusion over the concept of leap years


[via]

And in case you feel the need to brush up on your leaping skills:


Happy Leap Day everyone -- hope your extra 24 hours is full of wonderful things!

   Love,

    Meg

February 27, 2012

In Which Tess Knocks At Least A Year Off Her Mother's Life

"I took Tess' leash off in the parking lot and she ran right down to the dog park and waited for me!"
Half asleep on the couch, I roused myself for long enough to muster what I hoped was a proud look before shuffling off to bed. Had my brain been truly functional Saturday night upon hearing this information, I might have had a more significant reaction. I might have thought to say to my husband "Don't you think that's a little risky?" or "Maybe the middle of the night isn't the best time to test this?" or "Are you crazy?! This is the dog that doesn't know 'come' and you're just letting her run free??" But Saturday night, I let it go. I curled up in bed while my night owl hubby made a snack and all was forgotten.
Fast forward to last night, when during a lull in the Oscar action I convinced Dan that we should both stand outside in the freezing cold wind while Tess wandered around, sniffed, chased shadows, and possibly (hopefully) used the bathroom. You know, there's nothing like bonding when you can't feel your face or toes. But sure enough, as we crossed the parking lot to the dog park (less than 50 yards away at that point), Dan unclipped Tess' leash and instructed her to "wait for us at the gate!" I could have sworn I heard the dog mutter something akin to "suckers" as she trotted off and disappeared down the hill. I fought the urge to chase her as Dan assured me that she had done so well the night before. When we got to the top of that same hill less than 15 seconds later, though, all we saw was a black blur traveling fast around the fence of the park... on the outside. Headed not towards the gate, but away from it and into the woods.
Both Dan and I started to yell her name, clap our hands, and generally make as many convincing noises as we could, struggling to keep an eye on her as she got further and further away. The one drawback to our lovely dog park, besides the fact that it turns into something like a mud wrestling pit when it rains, is that there is very little lighting in the area, so it is super dark by that time of night. Trying to track a black dog goes something like this...
Eventually we caught sight of her about 100 yards away and down a huge hill, running around in the parking lot of one of the other apartment blocks. We both jogged down the hill, but by the time we got down there she was, of course, gone. Dan headed in one direction and I walked in another, just in time to glimpse her headed down another steep hill and toward the road that leads out of our neighborhood. A road that is lined with trees and eventually leads another very dark, very forest-lined road where cars have a tendency to whip around corners and regularly hit 20 mph over the speed limit. I yelled for Dan and took off.
Of course by the time I got halfway to the spot I had last seen her, she was gone again. Luckily there are streetlights in that area, but even in the light she was nowhere to be found. As Dan headed down the hill on foot, I started back towards home to get in the car, visions of a night spent driving in circles, yelling Tess' name into the dark flashing through my head. I knew that the poor girl had not called our home "home" for long enough to find her way back from very far away, and I was terrified that she was gone forever. I could imagine the phone calls we would have to make: "no, she didn't slip her collar or jump the fence... no no, we let her go...." Worst dog parents in the world right here, ladies and gentlemen.
When I reached the top of the road, though, I happened to look up and across to our neighborhood's office (closed for the night), and who do I see loping towards me from the mail kiosk, just as happy as can be?
That's right, the dog who will remain on a leash any time she even thinks about the outdoors for the remainder of her life. 
I don't know about you, but I always prefer to end my weekends with a freezing cold, terrifying, late-night chase through the neighborhood.

   Love,

    Meg

February 24, 2012

Friday Favorites: Tiered

For reasons unknown to me (and largely unappreciated by my hips), my proverbial sweet tooth has been running rampant recently. Don't get me wrong, I've never been one to turn down dessert... I'm a firm believer that there are few problems which can't be solved with a cupcake. This week, though, it seems like every time I turn around there's a cookie or oversized muffin or pint of ice cream, and I just can't. say. no. I go through phases like this sometimes, so I am crossing my fingers that this one passes fairly quickly, because wedding dress shopping is rather high on the to-do list lately, and no one likes looking at a blimp, even if she is wrapped in satin.
In an effort to make a little use out of my latest cravings, I decided that there was no better time to start researching another wedding checklist item: the all-important wedding cake. When Dan and I got married in our small ceremony last April, we catered a small selection of hors d'oeuvres and, since I was super sensitive to the idea that the only thing we would repeat at both weddings was the "I do," we opted to save the cake for the big wedding and do cupcakes instead. 
unfortunately this was the only pic I have on my computer right now... they were on a great tiered platter and looked fantastic
Oh my goodness... these were less "cupcake" and more "little bite of heaven." We had chocolate with cream cheese frosting and yellow cake with lemon buttercream, and while the latter was pretty amazing, the chocolate ones are definitely on my list of Top Five Things I Have Ever Sunk My Teeth Into (and you know how I like to eat). I got compliments on those cupcakes for months after the big day, and we were lucky enough to have several extras left over... I may or may not have demolished two chocolate ones on the way down to the beach the next day.
All of this to say: now that it's time to pick the actual wedding cake... the pressure is on. To have any shot at living up to the crack cupcakes (disclaimer: I am 100% sure that they included no illicit substances, nor do I condone the use of such substances in any baked goods), this is going to have to be the best damn cake anyone has ever tasted. And it's going to have to look pretty amazing. So last night found me in bed with a box of girl scout cookies, searching "wedding cake" on Pinterest.
I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted: a basic, smooth, round cake with several simple tiers and colored ribbon around the base of each. I didn't want to overload with flowers or piping or too much frill. After two hours on Pinterest, though, I've found that in fact I have absolutely no clue what I want. More specifically: I want so many things that I have absolutely no clue how I'm going to narrow those ideas down into a single cake. 

Like I said, I'm not usually a fan of tons of flowers, but something about these is just perfect. I love the fact that they are tiny and delicate and the way that the color intensifies as the tiers get larger. I also love how they bunch at the top of each tier, but a few seem to escape and cascade down. If you look closely, you can see that the fondant on the base of each tier is somehow dotted (I'm sure that's the technical term for it)... a simple but adorable detail.

Again with the flowers... but I love that there are just a few for accents, not blooms plastered all over the cake. I also love the texture of the tiers -- I am definitely no longer sold on "smooth."

Again, the flowers are sparse enough that this one remains pretty simple, but also very seasonally appropriate. I looked at so many that were "fall-themed"... ie the entire autumnal season seemed to have thrown up and you could barely make out the cake underneath (sorry for that visual). As much as I am a huge fan of anything pumpkin, I don't want the tip of my wedding cake peeking out from inside a huge jack-o-lantern with fake orange leaves everywhere. This one represents probably the highest volume of "floral clutter" (another technical term, I'm sure) that I would be comfortable with -- somehow the bare sticks help to it simple.

Honestly, if you asked me why I like this one, I'd tell you I have no idea. That is quite a lot of flower up there, but something about it just works for me. I think the fact that the petals are large (a total contradiction from what I said on the first cake, I know) and that it's all white keeps it from going over the top. I also like how it sort of twists up the tiers... just barely, but I like the idea of a "swirl" (really, I am just a bottomless pit of knowledge regarding wedding cake terminology. I can't imagine why decorators aren't just pounding down my door to hire me...)

Caveat: too many flowers. Also, not very pretty flowers. Try to just focus on the delicate stripes here -- such a pretty idea!

This choice surprised me as well, but I kind of like the Missoni-esque zig-zags. I am definitely not a fan of the turquoise, but the cake on the right is actually very similar to the color scheme I am going to use -- although my green will be a bit closer to "sage" than that. I like both the round and square shapes for this concept, but I don't really like the fact that the tiers are such different heights on the left.


I am head over heels in love with this bow. It is big enough that it could only work on a cake that is otherwise completely plain (although I love the dots along the base again). I can't imagine this could be an easy thing to make, so I'm wondering how hard I'd have to look to find someone who could recreate this...

I know it's not elaborate, but I think this idea is brilliant. I just love the concept that those little colored dots (Dan asked "what are those things??" Answer: I have no idea) spilled onto the cake and left a fantastic little cascade of color.

I think we can file this last one away under: Dreams Which Are Unlikely to Come True. This is actually much better suited to a baby shower than a wedding, but it was just too cute not to share. I can't imagine how much time it took to make such perfectly detailed cake balls, and I love the two little tiers at the top. Maybe unrealistic, but still absolutely adorable!

And finally, one of the best cake toppers I've ever seen....
How cute are they??

So thanks a bunch, dear Pinterest, for leaving me much more indecisive and stressed over what I thought would be a pretty straightforward choice. I hope the potential decorators are not intimidated when I walk in to meet them with a folder full of pictures, place it in front of them, and ask them to use their magic talents to pick something and make it work. And I hope Dan is not intimidated when I start cordoning off the kitchen for hours at a time, inspired to hone my own multi-tiered decorating skills.....

Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

February 21, 2012

Excitement

There is nothing better than waking up on a Monday morning and realizing that it is, in fact, Tuesday. I am a big fan of four day weeks! Somehow (perhaps it could be the extra day?) I feel shockingly rested and ready for the week... or maybe it's that I'm ready for it to be over already. Either way, it must be some sort of miracle that I am not dragging the ground today, because our weekend was actually full of excitement... both the wonderful kind and the kind that makes you want to kick yourself in the head. Nice to have a balance, I suppose.

 -- Friday our poor puppy started experiencing some... intestinal issues. For the sake of preserving your breakfast and mine, we won't get into the details, but suffice to say that our carpet will never be the same. A few weeks ago, our vet had let us know that she tested positive for exposure to lyme disease, but assured us that since she didn't seem to have any symptoms, she would probably be just fine. And she was... until things got bad in the middle of the night on Friday (proving that pets really do wait to do these things on holiday weekends), at which point two slightly overprotective parents decided that she needed to be seen by a vet right then. ("Couldn't have waited just a few hours?" taunts hindsight...) One entire sleepless night and an exorbitant emergency vet bill later, we learned that Tess' symptoms have really nothing in common with the symptoms for lyme disease. Lovely.
3 days later? She seems to be feeling much better... and hasn't pooped in almost 72 hours. Really lovely.
 -- On a happier note, Saturday morning (on less than two hours of sleep) I ran a 5k, which is the longest distance I've logged in far too long. Even better, that was the first of three 5k distances I ran this weekend -- I followed it up with a second on Sunday and then another this morning. My shin pain was much better until today, but I'm hoping some stretching and more quality time with the elliptical over the next few days will fix everything again.
 -- Also on Saturday, I was lucky enough to enjoy time with two wonderful friends -- I had a lunch date with one and the other was visiting our hometown university and met up with Dan and I for dinner. Lots of yummy food and fun catching up with lovely girls! Between lunch and dinner, I also took a fantastic nap. I honestly wish I had time for one of those every day... I swear I sleep better during a two hour afternoon nap than I do all night.
 -- In case you didn't see my pictures on Sunday... it snowed! It started in the afternoon and I watched it begin to stick from the treadmill. Tess loved it and we spend some quality time down at the dog park freezing our toes off and watching her play with friends. In the evening, Dan and I drove around town with two very different goals: I was hoping to see our pretty town blanketed in a gorgeous snow (success) and Dan wanted to spin out and get stuck and be a man in the snow (not terribly successful thanks to 4 wheel drive). Nice to get one good snow in before spring comes (hint hint, nudge nudge... anytime now, really).
 -- Undoubtedly the best part of our weekend was yesterday, though, when we took a little drive out to one of our favorite little vineyards to sign a little contract, write a little rather large check, and make a little decision:

Meg & Dan: I do, part deux
September 28, 2012
Hooray! I am so excited to finally have a date and venue locked in. Now we get to start working on all the details: photographer, cake, save-the-dates... it's an overwhelming list and I'm so ready to start checking things off! 

   Love,

    Meg

February 19, 2012

Silent Sundays: Snow Day!


love that I can walk to my gym!



Tess (left) playing in the snow with her friends


worn out puppy... and a perfect day for my snowman mug


nothing keeps toes warm like a fuzzy cat


   Love,

    Meg
February 17, 2012

Friday Favorites: In Brief


One heck of a Friday at work seems to have exhausted me of any inspiration or ingenuity I might normally be able to muster (a fact which does not bode well for the remaining 7 hours of my day), so here you have it: things I'm loving this week... in pictures.

[center picture via... I made the recipe this week but didn't take any pictures of my own!]
Clearly cookies were a major theme of the week... nothing wrong with that. Whoever decided that Valentine's Day and girl scout cookie delivery should happen in the same week should probably have a conversation with my waistline though. The middle left picture was taken on my first run outside in almost two months, so hopefully that counteracted a little bit of the cookie action. That sunset was definitely worth the resulting frostbitten fingers and sore shin. 
And finally...

There are exciting things on the horizon these days -- things that hopefully I can share in more detail soon. Even though I'm not normally a big fan of changes, these I am absolutely ready for.

Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

February 14, 2012

Valentine-y

However you choose to celebrate (or not)...


I hope today finds your heart especially happy.

Love,

 Meg

February 13, 2012

Wanted: Tropical Getaway

All the frigid temperatures and endless conversations about weddings (ours and everyone else's) this weekend have left me longing to bury my toes somewhere that looks like this...
with one of these in my hand...
Dan and I haven't talked much about honeymoon options yet, but my vote is somewhere warm, sandy, and quiet. Hopefully somewhere with a private balcony that looks something like this...
(Playa Mujeres, one of my top picks)
and food that looks something like this...
(I may be drooling at my desk right now)
Ideally somewhere where we can do a little of this...
and a little of this...
maybe even some of this...
and a whole lot of this...
(in case you can't tell: sitting.)
In all honesty though, I'm not too picky. I just want calm, quiet, warmth, and this guy...
for one whole uninterrupted week.

And goodness, if this weekend wasn't enough to make me need a vacation?
Coming back to work this morning certainly did the trick.

Happy Monday, everyone... if there is such a thing!


Love,

 Meg

February 10, 2012

Friday Favorites: Best of the Blogs

I know I sing some variation of the same tune each Friday: this has been such a long week, I am so exhausted, I need a weekend so badly I just can't stand it. Today, after 6+ hours of overtime work (on top of those 40 that I am oh-so-thrilled to spend here at the office every week), almost 2.5 days of (mostly useless) on-the-job training, more meetings than I care to go back and count, and 7 sessions at the gym (including running! twice!) in the past 4.5 days... I'm going to sing it again. It really has been such a long week, I really am so exhausted, and I really do need a weekend so very badly (which is lucky, considering the one looming just hours away).
So instead of filling up a post with my complaints or sleepy ramblings or half-hearted attempts at humor, I'm going to send you off to meet a few other people whose writings are much more impressive. These are just a few of the faces of the internet who inspire me, make me think, set me off rolling with laughter, warm my heart, and brighten my day. Go ahead: check them out. Love them as I do.

This blogger is the complete package: wonderfully entertaining writing, incredible photographs, and the best recipes you will find anywhere on the whole internet. Not only do I read every day, but her blog is the first place I go when I need a recipe for anything at all. Searching for a dinner idea? Look no further. In need of a clever dessert? She's your girl. Cooking for a crowd? Got you covered. And I can tell you that absolutely 100% of the recipes I've made from her site (and I've made a lot) have been so straightforward and amazingly, unbelievably, earth-shatteringly good. The number of compliments I have gotten on her recipes is just unreal. Also of note: she has cornered the market on adorable puppy pictures.

This blogger is one of the most dedicated, impressive, and inspiring athletes I don't-really-know-but-love-to-read-about. She is a crazy-fast runner, super-amazing triathlete, overwhelmingly-spirited cheerleader, and general sweaty motivator extraordinaire (and calling her sweaty is in no means an insult -- it's a trait she's pretty proud of). She is a fellow carb fanatic (whether it comes in bagel or beer form) and is the first blogger I look up when I need a little extra motivation to get myself out for a workout. I have run in her city a few times (when staying with our friends who live there), and one of these days I would love to run into her (no pun intended)... although I doubt I'd even have time to recognize her as she whizzed past.

Even though I'm not a mama myself yet, I still like to read the words and wisdom of a few, and this blogger has to be one of my very favorites. She is absolutely one of the funniest people I don't actually know, and her writing frequently has me stifling snorts at my desk. She is brutally honest and incredibly witty, handling the ups and downs of life with an admirable sense of humor. She is also one fabulous mom to two little guys with autism (a special need that is very close to my heart and a detail that led me to her blog in the first place) and provides a wonderful point of view on parenting, marriage, and life in general.

If you were to look up the word "adorable" in the dictionary, I am relatively confident that this blogger would appear in the definition. If not her, then at the very least her daughter would be in there -- there's no way you can tell me that this little one isn't the cutest thing in the universe. This blog is beautiful in every way: introspective and insightful, creative, honest and real. She is reassuringly normal, refreshingly down to earth and yet always whimsically dreaming. And then there's that adorable baby... it's hard to get enough. Also be sure to stop by her etsy shop: I bought this necklace as a tiny birthday gift to myself a few months ago, and it is fantastic beyond words.

Finally, I want to introduce this blogger (although I get the impression that everyone probably already knows and loves her). Her blog was a relatively recent find, and I don't think it would be exaggerating to say that her writing fills a void for me. Every little bit of her being spills over into her words as she shares the beauty and balance of motherhood, friendship, family, and time alone. Her passion for life is truly infectious and her pictures tug at your heart -- each one is perfectly captured and infinitely beautiful. Reading her posts is like snuggling up late at night for a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) and conversation with a best friend: cozy, familiar, and satisfying. She is genuine and beautiful and determined to celebrate every moment as if it were something special (because, as she knows, it is). Her words have made me laugh and cry (sometimes in the same post) and always, always remind me of what is important. And if that's not reason enough to click over and get to know her, do it for little Nella, who is a beautiful girl and a fundraising powerhouse, all wrapped into one.

I hope you've met a few new friends today. I enjoy so many blogs every day, and it's nice to be able to share a handful with anyone who may wander across my little corner of the internet. Speaking of which -- if you do happen to find me here, and you have your very own little corner of the internet, please leave me a comment and share... I'd love to pop over and meet you too!
To all of the aforementioned bloggers: thank you for writing and making my day so often. I hope you're not too creeped out by the fact that I like your blogs as much as I do... I'm harmless, I swear.
Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

February 8, 2012

Stubborn


When I was in high school and college, I wanted so badly to be a runner. I wanted to have the stamina and strength that could carry me for miles. I wanted the sense of accomplishment and self worth that (I assumed) came with knowing I could run distances that would leave others wheezing and sore. I wanted the mental and emotional release of being outside, feeling the progress beneath my feet, putting distance between myself and my problems. I wanted (although it pains me to admit it) to be able to say to people, "Oh, sure, I got up super early and ran a gazillion miles this morning before your head even left the pillow."
Well, easier said than done. Every time I would actually try this running thing, I'd peter out faster than you can say "wannabe." Most days, I'd head home after only 30 minutes, a sweaty, exhausted mess. Sometimes, I would stick it out for a few days, focusing determinedly on that picture in my head of a tanned, toned runner gliding along some scenic route. Within the week, though, I was always done. Back to the elliptical at the gym, a few crunches here and there in a fit of ab envy, and avoidance of the fact that I doubted I'd be fit enough to be considered "in shape" ever again. Running just wasn't fun... in fact, it was so very not fun that even such lofty aspirations weren't enough to keep me going. I certainly wasn't a natural, and I couldn't imagine that it would ever get easier, so I did something that I rarely do with anything else in my life: I gave up. Again... and again... and again.
Until one day last winter, with no warning, it stuck. Something deep inside me clicked and there was no looking back. Running still wasn't fun -- it took at least six months before I would be able to even think about describing it with such a positive word -- but finally, I got it: the longer I stuck with it, the easier it could be. Each run would feel a little bit better than the last, until my muscles and lungs and head got with the program. Eventually, I realized, running could come naturally... or at least a little less unnaturally.
With this realization, something else subconsciously slid into gear and, at long last, locked. It was a mechanism that has driven me all of my life in so many situations, but one that had never quite fit with running until then: for lack of a better term, it was my overwhelming amount of sheer stubbornness. It was my just one more, my I am NOT going to let this get the better of me, my dogged, tenacious, bordering on self-destructive will to hang on tight and under no circumstances give in. It had served me well in swimming, academics, leadership positions, and personal relationships, but for some reason it had never quite engaged with running... until about the third run last winter. And let me tell you: when it finally kicked in, it kicked in hard and strong.
All of a sudden, I was running every day, determined to get out there and get it over with so that tomorrow, it would be that much easier. If I made it through three miles one morning, the next I would make myself do 3.25. If I could do it at a 10:30 pace one week, the next I'd be pushing myself to hit 10:00 (I started off slooooow). If I went to the gym thinking I'd run for 30 minutes, I would usually end up going for 40. Every day, I was determined to outpace, outdistance, outrun myself.
So before I knew it, I was the one running 5 miles every morning. Some days were tough, but generally it was easier than I had ever dreamed it would become. Double digit runs were no longer unfathomable: sure, they were brutal, but I knew I could finish. Races became realistic goals for which to train. $100 was finally a practical, necessary price for running shoes, and I didn't feel guilty because I knew that I was running them for all they were worth (and in many cases much, much more). I never used it as a bragging right, as I had always dreamed of doing, but instead found an inner comfort each day in knowing that it had either begun with a solid run or would end with one.
Eventually, gradually, it started to dawn on me: this was something I could do. I could run long, I could run fast. I could talk myself through 13.1 miles. I was the runner I had always wanted to be.
... And then I got shin splints. Which are, for the record, just terrible. I am dying to run again, but every time I do the pain serves as an irrefutable reminder of why I need to rest, stretch, and give my leg a little time to heal itself. I've pushed myself back into it too quickly, and every time it gets worse. Luckily, my new-found determination has served me well in the interim: 30 minutes on the elliptical has become 45, 50 crunches has become 100, and a minute and a half plank has now reached three.
There are times I question my sanity when I am struggling through that last mile, last minute, last repeat. Am I crazy to push myself this hard? Should I give myself a break? Should I be ok, just this once, if I don't break yesterday's record? I know the answer, though -- it's the same as it has always been, and will always be: I could never live with myself if I stopped pushing my boundaries. Even as I curse myself for this stubborn drive to be better, I love testing myself and finding that 9 times out of 10, I can do more than I expect. The whole experience has opened my eyes to the fact that I am stronger than I ever believed. And a whole lot more stubborn, but I choose to believe that's a good thing... just don't ask my husband.

   Love,

    Meg

February 6, 2012

Portrait of a Monday Morning

This morning, all before 8:35, I:
 -- rolled myself out of bed after hitting the snooze button only once, vowing never again to stay up past 9 PM
 -- pulled on several layers worth of workout clothes and tied my shoes with only one eye half open
 -- assessed status of clothes that were put in the dryer to "dry" last night.... and restarted the dryer for another cycle
 -- sprinted down to the gym in approximately 20 degree weather, dodging icy patches on the sidewalk with moderate success
 -- busted my you-know-what on the elliptical for 30 minutes, burning either 455 calories (according to the machine) or something approaching 250 (a much more likely reality)
 -- cranked out 100 situps and 3 full minutes of planking (the kind where your abs feel like they might be on fire, not the weird/dangerous hanging-off-a-balcony trend)
 -- sprinted back home in approximately 21 degree weather (the sun was starting to come up, which I figure must mean something, even though it felt just as cold)
 -- allowed my fingers and nose a few minutes to thaw out
 -- located, measured, and dumped several ingredients into the crockpot
 -- crossed my fingers that said ingredients in the crockpot would yield an edible meal in 10 hours
 -- rolled my never-to-be-confused-with-a-morning-person hubby out of bed
 -- showered, dressed, put on makeup, tracked down matching earrings, dug out heels from under a pile of laundry, changed my mind and switched shirts, realized that said switch also necessitated a change in scarf color, located the correct scarf (3 rooms and one bathroom later), and tripped over the cat no less than 4 times in the process
 -- made myself a cup of coffee, packed muffins for breakfast
 -- looked at the clock and choked, coaxed my husband into agreeing to bring me lunch since there was no time to even think about what I might be able to take for lunch other than more muffins (which wasn't an entirely terrible thought)
 -- found a pair of matching gloves with surprising speed
 -- scraped the windshield of my husband's truck while he sat inside, toasty, grumbling about how warm he would be if he were still in bed
 -- flew into work only five minutes late, making it to my desk just in time to grab the first of what is sure to be dozens of phone calls today
All of this to say... would someone kindly let me know when it's time for my nap?




   Love,

    Meg
February 3, 2012

Friday Favorites

Considering the to-do list that is sitting next to me and keeps tapping me on the arm impatiently, today's favorites are going to be short and sweet. With the kind of week I've had, I think it's pretty important to make room for some gratitude today. I apologize for the lack of pictures and generally decent writing though... I think this list may be sprouting teeth.

I am thankful for casual Fridays, especially those that end 45 minutes earlier than normal. I don't care if it's just so that I can rush across town to make it to our little pup's first vet appointment, and I don't care that I got to the office over an hour early to offset the difference: I'm wearing jeans and my day ends at 4:15, and that's what matters.

I'm thankful for late nights and early mornings (just not back-to-back). A few nights ago I stayed up late finishing a fantastic book and realized that it was the first time in weeks that I had been conscious post-midnight. It was quiet and peaceful and everyone was snuggled up asleep, and I enjoyed the "me" time immensely. Also, as hard as it was to drag myself out of bed super early this morning, I loved that the world was still asleep even as I finished up my workout and headed home before the sun rose.

My husband is getting some rather adorable Valentine's Day gifts. That's right... adorable. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I am lusting after so many of the iPhone cases on this site. Especially this one, this one, and this one (and at least a dozen more). And gosh, do I wish I could get this one for my dad... Marvin was his favorite.

Let's pause for a brief moment of honesty: one of my very least favorite things on this Friday? My left ear, which has been stopped up for almost two weeks now. At first it was pressurized and painful, but now the ache has subsided to a dull echo. Every time I open my mouth, I feel like I'm underwater. I think I'm starting to understand what Van Gogh was thinking that fateful night...

Another very favorite thing about this week: the yummy food it has delivered. Dan made the best ribs for dinner on Monday, my mom and I went on a girls' date to Melting Pot Wednesday (one of the best restaurants ever), and I am having a serious internal struggle over the fact that I want to eat today's lunch (pearled couscous: please please go to the store and buy yourself a box, you can thank me later) right NOW. Also, the plan is to make breakfast for dinner again tonight... yum.

I am really looking forward to some free time this weekend to gather the supplies for this cute craft (found on this beautifully-written blog). I'm thinking of making one with just pinks and reds for Valentine's Day. I am also patiently waiting on the delivery of a final necessity for another deliciously crafty project, which I will share when it is finished!

Finally, another "favorite" from my wish list: this simple piece. (Can it be a favorite when I don't even own it? Good thing I get to make all the rules around here...) Actually, it's amazing that I even like this right now, since I'm especially bitter towards most-things-running at the moment. I am determined to get rid of this stupid shin pain before it ruins the spring races I want to run, but the hours this means spending on the elliptical instead of the road have left me slightly increasingly extremely frustrated. Maybe wearing this gorgeous necklace would help me feel better?

Ok, my to-do list is now swishing its (rather lengthy, rather spiky) tail and grumbling ominously, so I think I'd better give it some attention. Or perhaps a small rodent for it to munch on...
Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg
February 1, 2012

Hump Day Humor

This week... hmm, let's not even get into it. Suffice to say, I am in desperate need of a rather large dose of happy. Thought I'd share:

(just one of today's problems)
(I think we need one of these at home)
(welcome to my life...)

A brief tribute to one of my very favorite cartoons...

(alot of snow... genius!)
And we conclude with some classic characters:

Happy Wednesday everyone... don't forget to smile at least once today!

Love,

 Meg
 

Blog Template by YummyLolly.com