Sisters

I am the youngest of four girls and growing up, 

I wasn't too aware of the beautiful gifts that are my older sisters.

While they saw my stealing their clothes and listening in on their conversations as annoying, I truly was just looking up to them and trying to be exactly like them.

When I saw this commercial, I practically teared up.

I love my sisters oh so very much.

Wishing you and all of your loved ones a Happy Halloween!

xoxo Meg

Rainbow Bright

Yay, today is Thursday.

That means that the weekend is only one day away and that makes me quite the happy girl.

Ya wanna know what else makes me super happy?

Rainbows.

Lots and lots of rainbows.

You can't help but feel a little peppier and brighter when you see 'em.

Fall rainbow.

Bridesmaid dress rainbow.

Candy apple rainbow.

Yum.

Cake rainbow.

Double yum.

You can even pull off the rainbow look in your home.

That rainbow chandelier shall be mine.

Rainbow stairs.

Possibly my favorite.

Such a pretty, cheerful way to style your bookshelf.

See, aren't you 100x happier now than you were 2 minutes ago?

I thought so.

Spread the sunshine!

xoxo Meg

Survey Says...

...The Ides of March was awesome. I don't really know why hardcore republicans some people didn't like it. The story was great, acting was superb, and Ryan Gosling was just as zeksi as ever.

And speaking of "survey says...", I really hope all of you have already seen this.

If not, then you're welcome for making your day...

Smiles and Giggles.

xoxo Meg

Ahh...Minnesoootahh

Definitely not on purpose, but this post is going to read like a total foodie blog. 

Trust me, I am more than ok with that.

When you think of mind-blowing food experiences and where those mainly occur, you probably don't think, "Minnesota!"

But you should.

Every non-Minnesotan that I have taken home with me for college breaks has commented on how we have the best food. And it is the truth.

So while I'd love to chat about my weekend in Minnesota and all of the cool places I went to and yadda yadda yadda, my trip was mainly about food.

Side Note: My momma is super-duper wonderfully amazing at almost everything, but the lady doesn't cook. Therefore, we eat out a lot and I'm not complaining. 

Don't judge-none of us are obese yet.

Hot off my flight (which landed at the crack of dawn) we went to Egg and I for pancakes the size of your freakin' head. They were amazing and I had three. And scrambled eggs. And bacon.

I'm pretty sure my food coma sailed me all the way through lunch and on to dinner. It was Gma's choice and she chose Mai Village, perhaps the greatest Vietnamese restaurant in all of everywhere except Vietnam.

via

 When you first walk in, you are greeted by a wooden bridge, surrounded on both sides with beautiful koi fish. Once you cross the bridge, you are in the main dining area that is so beautifully decorated you have to make an effort to stop staring in order to eat your food.

via

This picture definitely doesn't do it justice, you'll just have to trust me.

The next day I went to one of my ultimate stops that I have been eating at since I was about eleven years old. If you ever watch Guy Fieri lose his shit on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, you may just remember this little place.

The Nook is an absolute hole in the wall that has become famous for its Juicy Lucy.
At the Nook, they call it the Juicy Nookie, but I always get mine with pepper jack cheese, so it's the Paul Molitor, who happens to have gone to the same high school as the now owners of the Nook.

They get their hamburger buns fresh everyday from the bakery down the street, P.J. Murphy's, and it truly makes a difference. Oh, and for the poor souls folks who don't know what a Juicy Lucy is, it's a burger with the cheese in the middle of the patty. Awesome.

You can't get much better than that.


For our last full day in Minnesota, Tony and I had dinner at one of my favorite places, The Capital Grille. They have many a location so you should definitely check it out if you've never been there.

And get the filet mignon.
You won't be sorry.
Cooked to perfection. Straight up yummy.

We each got the filet and shared the au gratin potatoes.
Tony had never been there before and he just about died.

But the absolute best, most fantastic thing at The Capital Grille, and in all of Food Land...are truffle fries. Truffle fries are my best friend and The Capital Grille does this girl proud.

Tossed in shredded Grana Padano, kosher salt and white truffle oil.
Perfection.
I almost didn't eat my steak. Almost.


And now I'm hungry. Off to raid my fridge.


xoxo Meg

Movie Buff

Despite lackluster reviews from people I know,
I have decided to give in and go see The Ides of March.

And it's not just because of this guy...

Or um, yum, this guy...

Just kidding. It totally is.

Taking work off early to go see it with my manfriend.
I'll report back later on if Ryan Gosling takes his shirt off what I thought of the film.

Tootles!


xoxo Meg

Canopy Love

Tony and I have been trying to figure out what to do with this bed we inherited when he moved out of his parent's house.

 That's pretty much what our bed looks like. 

Turns out I didn't take a picture of the bed as a whole. Oops.

 So that's the headboard...

...and the foot board.

 To say that it's not quite our taste is an understatement. But it's been in his family for a good amount of time, so I wanted to give it a face lift instead of just tossing it. Plus, my manfriend is a closet sentimentalist, so I know he wants to keep it too.

Here's what I've been thinking about...

Angie Hranowsky

Vogue

Windsor Smith, as seen in House Beautiful

Apple Martin's bedroom

Obviously in different fabrics and whatnot, but you get the idea.

When I presented this to Tony, he reminded me that we are most likely moving in a few months and I should put this project off until then. Fair enough.

In the meantime, we agreed that this may be the best option.

'Member when we talked about this bedroom a while back?

Pretty similar to this bed too.

So I think I may just paint the bed a fun little number and then add the simple, curtain like fabric. 

Consider it a half project.

I like both of these Benjamin Moore colors to make the bed ever so happy and cheery.

Cool Aqua

Utah Sky

What do ya think? Oh, and if it helps, the bedding is a gold damask pattern (the same bedding that Bethenny Frankel has, naturally, and for the love of Bravo TV, I couldn't find a picture of her freakin' bed), and the bedroom has a zebra print rug and a cream couch with Missoni throw blanket and pillows.

Me thinks it will look just fab.

Thoughts?

xoxo Meg

you spin my head right round

Yesterday I suffered through took my very first spin class.

Tony was there too, but he has done it before, so his pain < mine.

We arrived at class early to check out the class before us. 

I see a blonde, female instructor who plays a techno version of Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain". Perfect.

This might possibly be fun.

But no. She will not be our instructor. Life isn't that kind.

We grab two bikes in the back (obviously) and wait anxiously to see who our instructor will be.

In walks a man who is about 8 feet tall and 500 pounds of pure, steroid-lovin' muscle. With a headband.

Tony and I look at each other and with our amazing telepathy, both say "Oh f*ck."

We were in for it big time.

Oh, and by the by, this spin class, come to find out, was the advanced class (who knew?) and was held on an Army post if that gives you an idea of the kind of people who attend.

I've always heard that spin class is no joke, but there are three big things that no one mentioned to little ol' me.

1. Your instructor will almost always be a sadistic cousin of Satan mixed with Jillian Michaels.

2. Chances are, there will be at least one Lance Armstrong in the class and he/she will conveniently sit right in front of you, so that their sweat of glory whips backwards and hits you. For reals. Nasty.

And my particular Lance Armstrong was this happy about being in class. I just don't get it.

3. The hard as a rock seat (or saddle as I learned last night...) will act like a meat cleaver to your lady parts.

When I told this to my loving husband, who happened to be the one who adjusted my bike, he said that it shouldn't have felt like that. "Your bike adjustments must have been wrong." Thanks a heap, Coyote Ugly.

So I guess #3 might just be saved for yours truly.
Anyone else?

And I hope any exercise addicted readers are not offended. More power to ya. I would just rather sit on the couch and watch Bravo, that's all.

Tony thinks we're going again tomorrow. Haha. As if.


xoxo Meg

You are just so adorable SJP. So adorable.

If Sarah Jessica Parker were a normal person and even knew slightly who I was, I would make her my friend. 

I mean, did you see this outfit?? 

 If she were my friend, I could borrow it.

 The dress is Proenza Schouler and the shoes are Nicholas Kirkwood.

Yes and Yes.

xoxo Meg

Beautiful & Beautiful

I nearly squealed with joy when I saw one of my favorite jewelry stores Doyle & Doyle featured in this month's Matchbook Magazine. I love pretty much all of their pieces because frankly, I am a sucker for antique and estate jewelry. 

Everything they have is just b-e-a-utiful.

I picked out a few of my favorite everyday rings that have immediately been added to my wish-list.

This grosgrain bow ring was featured as one of Matchbook's fifty classic baubles.

It is so classically girly and sweet.

Forget Me Not Ring

According to folklore, the wearer of the flower would not be forgotten by their lovers, and it was also a sign of faithfulness and enduring love.

This antique fede ring is one of my favorites. Similar to the widely popular claddagh ring, the fede ring features two right hands clasped together. Fede comes from the Italian phrase meaning "hands joined in faith" or "hands joined in loyalty".

Thomas Jefferson's daughter Martha was given this ring by the British Ambassador to France, engraved "j'aime et j'espere" meaning "I love and I hope." 

I love these rings as special gifts for friends or sisters.

Possibly my favorite of the bunch, this antique buckle ring is right up my alley. 

It has such wonderful character and is a subtle statement piece.



Do you drool over antique and estate jewelry as much as I do?
If so, Doyle & Doyle really can't be beat. For those who don't live, work, or play in New York City, their website is fantastic as well.

Have fun shopping!


xoxo Meg

Happy Birthday John Lennon

 

When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. 

When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. 

I wrote down 'happy'. 

They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life.

xoxo Meg

Vermont

For Labor Day weekend (wow, that was a long time ago...) Tony, Chloe, and I headed north to Vermont.

It was Tony's first visit to Vermont and it was so wonderful to show him a place that is very special to me. My grandma has a house on Lake Champlain that has been in her family since 1913, and as a kid, growing up in New York, I took many trips there during the summer. As I have gotten older and moved farther away, my trips have unfortunately become less frequent. I was beyond thrilled to make a trip up to Vermont this summer, as some other members of my family were making a trip up the same weekend.

My cousin Bobby "initiated" Tony into the family by making him go cliff jumping.


Can you see them up there?

Almost every member of my family has jumped from this cliff over the years.
Including yours truly. Impressed?



We also took a tour of Charlotte Village Winery, which our wine-lovin' selves enjoyed immensely.

They are a boutique winery that makes grape wines, as well as fruit wines, using only fresh Vermont fruits.

We greatly enjoyed all of the fruit wines. Of course.

And yes, I dressed up for the occasion.

That's Tony, me, and Grandma...her fav was the strawberry Riesling number, fyi.

But we mostly spent our days doing what I love best.

Just hangin' out by the lake.

See Miss Chloe there?

It was her first time seeing water and she just fell. in. luff.

You have no idea how much restraint it took for me to not post all 184 pictures I have of Chloe in the lake.

You are welcome.

I had to get a TOMS shot in there, but please note the highlarity of Tony on that tube.

It still makes me crack up.

We enjoyed hiking, tubing, softball, and various other fun activities that I have no photographic evidence of.

I hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day weekend as much as I did.
Next time I will be sure to post more timely.


xoxo Meg

Things Everyone in Love Should Know

Tiffany & Co.came out with tips for when love gets serious. 

And they are simply brilliant. 

One of my favorites is No. 7

I am clearly a sucker for flowers, cuddling, and champagne. And I'm ok with that.

Some are funny, most adorable and sweet. Go check all of them out here.

Share them with the one you love and try to live by them.

Hugs and Kisses

xoxo Meg

Adele. Girl Crush.

"You know how the time flies
Only yesterday it was the time of our lives
We were born and raised in a summer haze
Bound by the surprise of our glory days"

Have I mentioned how much I love Adele?

She is one of my girl crushes. Because she is just awesome.

So awesome that I even allowed her to sing at my wedding as the bridal party walked down the aisle. Well, ya know, my DJ played it, but still, it was like she was there. 

Any girl crushes you'd like to share? No need to be shy...I have tons. 

xoxo Meg

Wedding Preview

I have pretty much been the worst blogger lady in all of blogland lately. I've been really slacking on my postings and all I can say is sorries!

Don't think I have forgotten about all the things we need to catch up on-my recent trips to Vermont and Minnesota, and of course a round-up of the latest Elle Decor, Matchbook and Rue, just to name a few.

Yeah, that rhyming was totally on purpose.

But first, here's a little preview of that wedding we were talking about a few weeks ago.

I know it's kinda crappy quality.

I'm waiting for our digital downloads and then you'll be able to see the real deal.

Pretty awesome, though, right?

We had the bestest time ever.

More to come on that.

Love you all.

xoxo Meg