When You Wish Upon a Blog

Ahhh yes, it's one of those Tuesdays. The weekend seems impossibly far away (even though I have Thursday and Friday "off" this week), my coworkers are dancing all over my very last shred of patience, and I'm pretty sure that my brain is starting to flood with all the rain. My evening is calling out to me with a big glass of wine, a warm blanket, a funny movie, and a pint of Phish Food fro-yo... I just have to get there first. Until then, here are a few items from my wish list that have been frequenting my daydreams of late:

The fact that none of the furniture in our apartment matches is starting to get to me. I don't dislike any of the pieces on their own, but hate the fact that our living room looks like a four-year-old threw together a bunch of magazine clippings. More than anything, I am so ready for a real bed with a headboard and matching bedding to replace our dinosaur box springs. That's right, there are dinosaurs on our box springs. Thankfully they are covered with a sham, but I still know they are under there. I am so in love with the bed, couch, and chair above (all from heaven-on-earth-aka-Pottery Barn) I could just crawl right into the pictures.

My closet is positively crying out for both of these lovely creations (from the amazing Kate Spade). One for fun, one for business. Flirty vs. professional. Both equally adorable. Why choose?

I have been lusting after one of these babies for quite a while now. I was working on convincing myself that it's a practical purchase and will save me money in the long run, but when I discovered this weekend that they brew iced coffee and iced tea, I knew I was a goner. Any bets on how long I can hold out? I'm guessing it will be only as long as it takes for Dunkin' Donuts to start selling K-cups, which should be later this year.

I have been struck by a serious craving for unhealthy food lately. I'm pretty sure that my body is rebelling against all the healthy stuff I've been force-feeding it lately, because I have been positively dying for a greasy, fattening, calorie-dense feast. Preferably one that includes some (or all) of the above dishes. If you need me, you can find me at the gym for the rest of the month: either in a desperate effort to avoid this kind of meal, or recovering once I eventually give in.

At the very top of my wish list though (as always) is this guy. I'd gladly forfeit the bed, the shoes, the coffee, and the calories if it meant my handsome husband could come home to stay. I am so excited to see him on Thursday and have him home for several days, even though I know it will be bittersweet. Luckily, he proves to me over and over again that he still knows just the right way to make me smile, even from miles and miles away.

What are you wishing for on this dreary Tuesday?

   Love,

    Meg

Friday Favorites

Oh hey there Friday. You certainly took your time this week, didn't you? Seriously, friends, this week did not play fair. I'm pretty sure someone squeezed an extra day in there when I had my back turned. The good news, though, is that it's finally over. This weekend could not be any more welcome!
I've been feeling a little bit under the weather since about Tuesday -- that headache has hung around, my legs have been super sore (thanks to almost 20 miles in the past 5 days), and I've been especially tired. Every day I have promised my body an early bedtime, but sadly I have neglected to keep my word on that and I keep finding myself still awake trying to get things done at night. Last night I spent over 2 hours vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen, putting away laundry, and a thousand other tasks that have been piling up. While I'm glad that I got a lot done, this morning I really wished I had just given up and gotten two extra hours of sleep.
BUT today is Friday, the sun is out, and I have these lovely tidbits to share with you this week:

Have you been to one of these fantastic stores? I'd never heard of them until I went Christmas shopping with my bestie last December, but it was love at first sight. I purchased several gifts while I was there (and may or may not have gotten a thing or two for myself...) and have been dying to go back ever since. Or until two weeks ago, when I stumbled upon hometown's very own newly-opened shop. Hurray! I walked through quickly and looked around, but didn't allow myself to spend any money (oh, the willpower). I am already planning a return trip though: my jewelry collection is just crying for growth (I wear the same few pairs of earrings constantly) and I would love to find a home for some of their gorgeous decorations. Who can deny such a wonderful cause?

Confession: my survival this week required two trips to Starbucks. I try really hard to limit myself to one Starbucks run a week for the sake of both my waistline and my wallet (notice I make no such effort to contain my Dunkin' Donuts obsession... we all know our boundaries, right?) Some weeks, however, call for breaking the rules a little bit. Besides, the pumpkin bread? It calls to me sometimes.

This goofy wonderful guy always knows how to make me smile... and laugh out loud in a room full of cubicles. Our email conversations throughout the day are completely random, hysterical, and totally make my day. Recently he wrote me with a list of "exotic" animals he wanted to try as pets, including an Eastern Wallaroo (named Wall-E) and a Toyger to be friends with Toby. I agreed to both of these, but not the monkey who he wanted to train to run with me. I run so slowly, I'd hate to hold back a poor monkey.

Ahhh, retail therapy. I went shopping after work today and made a few exciting purchases: an adorable bathing suit top, a cute ruffle top, a new pair of running shorts, a pair of $1 earrings, and a really great dress for work. Unfortunately, I couldn't find pictures of most of these new additions to my wardrobe, so the above are stolen from my online wish list. I am especially in love with the one on the right -- so cute and perfect for summer! And speaking of wishing...

Yes, I watched the royal wedding this morning. I'm at the gym crazy early anyway, so I turned on the tv and read subtitles while I sweated through 5 miles. I thought it was a gorgeous ceremony and I definitely drooled over Princess Kate's gorgeous dress (does anyone understand why she's Catherine but Kate?), but I thought Pippa was  truly breathtaking. I can't imagine it's easy being the sister of royalty, but she seemed so graceful and sweet. She also just might have the cutest name in history. 
Hope that you are all as ready for this weekend as I am. Dan is determined to grill tomorrow night, and otherwise I'm hoping we will have a quiet, relaxing weekend. Sadly this is Dan's last (entire) normal weekend at home, so it will be bittersweet but hopefully fun!

   Love,

    Meg

Long Weekend... No Really.

This weekend was super long (and not just because it had an extra day in it), but packed full of some of my favorite things... family, friends, cooking, excellent food and wine, gorgeous weather, and spending lots of time with my sweet fiance! I really couldn't ask for more. Here's what we've been up to the past few days:
It sort of felt like my weekend started on Thursday, because Dan finished up work for the week that morning and was waiting for me when I got home! It was a beautiful day so I went out for a run, but I quickly learned that our new neighborhood is really not the best place to run after dark. There are very few sidewalks, some pretty beastly hills, and before long I basically ran out of road, so I just turned around and came home. It was great to run outside for the first time this season, but I was a little disappointed. After that, Dan and I headed out to Bonefish Grill for a belated valentine date. We had a fantastic meal and picked up a gift certificate for his parents, who were celebrating their wedding anniversary that day, so we ran by their house to visit quickly after dinner.
Friday I woke up at the crack of dawn so that I could get to work early and therefore leave early. Luckily it was a quiet day and my sleepy self was able to lay low at my desk. As is typical, a major problem exploded across the phone lines about 15 minutes before I was scheduled to leave, but thank goodness it turned out to be a quick fix and by 4 my butt was scootin' out into the sunshine.... and right back into the car. Dan picked me up and we swung by Dunkin' Donuts (the perfect start to a weekend) before driving about two hours to meet up with his family, who had just left the first day of his brother's state wrestling meet. We went out to a wings place with them for what turned out to be a very long and interesting dinner, and then Dan and I drove to our good friends' apartment to hang out with them for a while and crash on their futon. I was so glad to see my bestie for the second weekend in a row!
Sunday morning we headed out for another day of high school wrestling. Dan's brother Z won his first two matches of the day but sadly lost his second two (both by just a few points). He ended up taking 6th place in his weight class in the whole entire state -- we were so proud of him! We had a few hours before the championship match/medal ceremony, so we headed out for a really great meal at... brace yourself... Hooters (unsurprisingly, a choice made by the 17 year old male in our midst). I've never been a huge fan of their wings, but hand me a basket of ribs and a beer and I'm a pretty happy camper.  We went back to get pictures of Z with his medal:

sorry for the terrible pic -- I forgot my camera and had to use my phone (Z is on the far right)

... and then a very tired seven people made our way back home. I for one made a crash landing into bed that night.
Sunday started off slowly: after sleeping late, I grocery shopped and then came home to make two cheesecakes while Dan cleaned the entire apartment (aren't I such a lucky girl?). Dan's parent's, Z and his girlfriend, and Z's wrestling coach and his wife (who are close family friends) came over for dinner that night, and we made our go-to pasta with chicken dish, homemade garlic bread, and a salad. The cheesecakes turned out really well... so well that I don't even have pictures! The first was a chocolate marble cheesecake (I did it without all the whipped cream on top) that tasted great and looked so fancy with the marbling, and the other was just a simple recipe that I topped with fresh strawberries. The best part? These were both of the "no-bake" variety, so I had enough time to make the crusts myself. Homemade graham cracker crust -- or chocolate teddy graham crust for the marble one, which worked surprisingly well -- is simple but so so good! After everyone else left, Z and Dan and I played Mario Kart on the Wii, which was a perfect way to finish off an evening of wonderful food, wine, and family.
Yesterday, Dan and I took full advantage of our day off by relaxing in the morning and then heading out to shop. I was in desperate need of more clothes for work, so my patient and wonderful fiance was tired of hearing me whimper when I go into the closet to get dressed every morning agreed to take me out. I stopped first at Ann Taylor Loft (aka my favorite place to buy clothes) and picked up a pair of black pants, a few sleeveless tops, and this sweater:

It's pretty colorful but so perfect for spring! We also headed across the street to Banana Republic, where I picked up a couple more tops and this great skirt:

So cute and on sale! Can't wait for the weather to finally get warm so I can wear all the lovely spring outfits sitting in my closet (because right now? It. is. SNOWING. outside. Last week was glorious, but apparently Old Man Winter isn't quite done with us yet).

Dan and I finished our shopping spree at Target, where we picked up several odds and ends and I finally caved and let Dan buy the knife set that he has been lusting over for months (don't tell him, but I really like it too!). We picked up dinner and headed home to watch a movie and go to bed early, since he had to leave for work at 4:30 this morning... boo.

Just thinking back over the past weekend wears me out, but luckily this week and upcoming weekend will leave me lots of time to relax, since Dan is working all week and through the weekend. Luckily I have a few things planned to keep me from getting too bored, including a long overdue dinner with my dad, stepmom, and grandmother, as well as helping my future-mother-in-law paint several rooms of her house, which I am way too excited for. Call me crazy, but I love me some painting. The rest of my week/weekend will also be filled with catching up for all the workouts I missed this weekend, finishing a book and hopefully starting a new one, a few good movies, and some quality time with my pillow. Can't wait!

   Love,

    Meg