to all that is gentle, kind and forgiving...

i am not quite sure where to begin this post.

but i think we can all agree that 2009 was quite a doozy, no?

personally, i lost a job that i loved. i got another, sort of, but floundered for awhile. i made some bad relationship choices. i was financially irresponsible. i drank and slept too much. i lost sight of myself for a few months.

but i also strengthened friendships and created new ones. i found another job that i love (and started it on monday). i learned that even when i'm losing things, i can be strong--and i've learned that letting go can hurt like crazy, but it's necessary to move forward. i discovered that happiness happens in tiny, significant moments, and if you blink, you can miss them. moments. that word is magical, to me.

yes, 2009 was quite a doozy. 2010 is going to be what i--we--make it. and i'm thinking it should be awesome. so i'm making peace with 2009. i'm giving myself the gift of closure. and i'm looking forward to making many magic moments in 2010.

are you with me?

{ happy new year, everyone. see you monday, january 4, if not sooner. oh, and image via one of my new-found favorite blogs, notebook doodles. a nice thought to end the year, yes? (psst. karey m. i think you might love this blog as much as i do.) }

happy, merry.

happy monday, everyone--and for those of you who celebrate christmas, i hope you had a warm, cozy, peppermint-flavored, pine-scented day (and weekend).

i thought i'd kick off the week (the last of 2009! eek!) with some fashion inspiration. i just love this girl's look, and would like to copy a page from her style book right into my own.

{ via urban weeds }

tuesday love.

just a little balloon-y love for your tuesday. i love this image, don't you?

p.s. tomorrow i'll share the fruits of my holiday baking labor. i feel like a baking elf, but it's been worth it!

my dear acquaintance, a happy new year.

i've been thinking a lot about the new year lately, mostly because i feel like 2009 was a package of days that was pretty crappy for a lot of people (myself included). sorry to be so negative--i'm actually a very, very glass-half-full person, and i would be remiss in complaining like this without saying there were some definite life-highlights over the past 365 days--but honestly, i just cannot wait for january 1st. i have a really good feeling about next year.

so in the spirit of the holidays, here are some things i pledge to do in 2010. these aren't my official resolutions, just things i'd like to accomplish at some point:

+ wear prettier underwear. fact.

+ take more risks in every area of my life.

+ go jet-skiing in the bay (never done) and kayak with dolphins (again).

+ evolve my look. more j.crew, less college student, please.

+ write--really write--more.

+ take a vacation to somewhere i've never been. (california, maybe?)

+ run a 5K, and then a 10K.

+ bake a lot.

+ be more loving. (i had a long talk with a friend about this recently.)

+ volunteer with an organization i'm passionate about (this is actually in the works, and i'm so excited).

how about you--any preliminary new year's resolutions you'd like to share? xoxo!

{ image via le love }

what are you doing this weekend?

happy friday, friends. what are your plans for the weekend? i plan on writing all of my holiday cards and baking up a storm. on the list: molly's caramel corn and peppermint bark, maybe some chocolate blocks, and my mom's famous chocolate chip cookies. wrapped up in pretty tins, i think they'll make for some nice gifts, don't you?

have a wonderful weekend. xoxo

{ glorious pink goodness by nicole }

the pleasures of cooking for one.

last night, one of my favorite people in the entire world--my friend m.--came over for a girly night of shopping, gossip, movie-watching and food. she brought the movie (casablanca--neither of us had ever seen it. i know), and i picked up the ingredients for one of my favorite new dishes: judith jones' sauteed shrimp with asparagus. after seeing the recipe and a quick write-up about jones' new book, the pleasures of cooking for one, in a recent issue of glamour magazine, i decided to make the dish a few weeks ago--and wound up making and eating it for about five nights in a row (i fixate like that). it's incredibly easy, healthy and it only has, like, five ingredients--three of which (salt, pepper and olive oil) you probably already own. plus, it can easily be doubled. m. and i ate ours atop some orzo, with a simple salad of lettuce and tomatoes, some garlic bread to sop up the oil/garlic/shrimp sauce, and a couple of glasses of white wine. yum.

m. and i are both huge garlic lovers, so when i made this for the two of us, i quadrupled the amount of garlic, but if you're making it for just yourself, one clove will suffice. also, i used frozen shrimp (again, i know, but financially it makes more sense for me) and a liberal amount of olive oil, because why not?, but 2 tbsp. would be plenty.

p.s. yes, i ordered jones' book, and i can't wait for it to get here. i'm sure i'll be sharing many more recipes!

sauteed shrimp with asparagus and orzo

adapted from the pleasures of cooking for one, by judith jones

about 9 shrimp, fresh or frozen

as many stalks of asparagus as you like (i like a lot), cut into thirds

2 cloves garlic (or less or more, to taste), sliced

salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste

1 green onion, finely chopped

splash of white wine (optional)

1/3 cup orzo

cook orzo according to package instructions; set aside but keep warm.

heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add garlic and cook for one minute. add shrimp and asparagus and season with salt and pepper, then cook 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. add a splash of white wine and cook down for another minute or two. just before plating, add green onions and toss. serve atop orzo, with a simple salad and some crusty bread.

happy merry everything.

my dear friends, i have a confession to make: i have not yet sent out any holiday cards, done any holiday shopping, or done any planning for the two very special december birthdays of two very special december babies (ok, they're not babies at all, but humor me) i know and love. so it's time to get crack-a-lackin', and that's what i plan on doing for the rest of the week. and speaking of, aren't these "happy merry everything" cards by e.m. papers adorable? i just want to go around singing, "happy merry everything!" to everyone i meet for the next two weeks.

how are your holidays going so far?

white christmas.

sorry for the light posting recently, my loves. i've been a bad blogger and, even worse, a bad commenter, but i have been keeping up with you, i promise! i think come 2010, i'll be much more back in the swing of things. there're some big changes happening chez megan, and i can't wait to share them with you. until then...how beautiful is this photograph? a book, a bed and some white fairy lights--it doesn't get much better than that.

{ images by anna inghardt--get thee to her flickr photostream immediately. (you're welcome.) }

happy monday!

love these words by karey m., one half of the delightful t.ruffles girls. visit their sweeterie here.

how are your mondays going, my dears?

girl crush.

i love the way the absolutely beautiful natalie portman was photographed for this month's issue of marie claire, don't you?

p.s. if i ever highlight my hair again, i'm going this route. so pretty.

{ via joanna }

ringing true.

"i believe in the good. i believe that it's been a hell of a year, and i believe that, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we will be ok. i believe we survive. i believe that believing we survive makes us survive." --grey's anatomy

(just a little thought to start the week--and start what is always the most reflective time of the year for me. how are you doing today, lovelies?)

{ photo by beth retro }

what are you doing this weekend?

happy friday, lovelies! what are your plans for the weekend? mine is looking pretty full, which is not uncommon for december, i think: tonight i'm going to have sushi with girlfriends to celebrate my friend s.'s engagement; saturday is a work day; and sunday i'm planning on taking advantage of the cool weather and spending time with friends outside. (even when it's cloudy here, it's still gorgeous.)

what are you up to? is your holiday calendar full? wishing you a firs weekend of december that is merry and bright! xoxo.

{ aren't these photos so sweet? ryan and angela got married on their college campus, and i am swooning over these bookish photographs. i'd love to have my wedding reception in a cute little library. photos by miranda karling, via courtney }

a christmas kitty.

someone loves my (teeny-tiny but cute) christmas tree. someone also loves to try to sneak playtime with the ornaments--so far, it's oscar: 1, me/tree: 0.

(seriously, i love my cat. he makes my life exponentially better in every way.)

xoxo!

{ photos by me }

lavendar love.

love-love-loving this cozy purple-accented room, via {this is glamorous}. don't you want to curl up on that couch with a cozy blanket and a book?

one week.

oops--where have the last seven days gone? sorry to have dropped off the face of the earth last week, but you know how it is over the holidays--time loses all meaning.

anyway, i spent a very nice thanksgiving at my parents' house and came back to sarasota over the weekend refreshed, about 5 pounds heavier and with a small christmas tree in tow--the first i've had as an adult. decorating it was bliss, and i'm looking forward to staring at it lovingly over the course of the next month.

and speaking of the holidays, don't you just love this image? it's via the lovely dallas (of course), and it makes me want pink tights, a tiara and (more) twinkle lights. so pretty.

happy december, my loves! xoxo

tuesday sort of light.

i love everything about this photo by the fabulous jen gotch. such a fan of her.

office space.

so, you guys? i have a problem. i work from home now, and i don't have an office space. my current work set-up consists of me sitting on the floor with my laptop perched on my coffee table, a pen and notebook beside it. this is not acceptable. not only does it make me feel totally unorganized, it also makes me feel slightly crazy.

so i've been trolling around looking at inspiring workspaces, because i've realized that a desk, at least, is essential, and i just loved victoria's--isn't it bright and cheery? and those of you who work from home--any office space tips?

{ photos by victoria, a.k.a. sfgirlbybay }

what are you doing this weekend?

happy friday, my loves! what are your plans this last weekend before thanksgiving? (and, um, can we talk about the fact that thanksgiving is coming up so quickly? eek!) i have an action packed couple of days ahead of me: i'm having what i'm jokingly calling "first thanksgiving" with some very, very dear friends and their family; working for a few hours; going to a birthday party; and then spending a lot of time in bed on sunday. then it'll be three days of work and up to my parents' for thanksgiving.

so tell me, what are you doing? and are you looking forward to the holidays or are you feeling slightly blindsided by them this year? (for me, it's a combination of both.)

xoxo!

{ peaceful image by slight clutter }

that's amore.

i've been obsessing about making the italian staple cappellini con cacio e pepe (pasta with cheese and pepper) since i read about joanna's version of the dish on cup of jo last week. her cappellini con cacio e pepe was a little healthier than mine: i cooked the nigella lawson version, which consists of penne pasta, butter, lots of parmesan cheese and tons of freshly ground black pepper.

the florida version of fall has finally arrived, so i've been spending a lot of time with the windows and lanai doors open, enjoying the gorgeous weather. this is the perfect dish for a november night wherever you are, whether florida or maine: it's comforting, and the heat from all that pepper gives it a great kick.

what's your favorite comfort food? (soup is my second favorite after pasta.)

{ photo via khakai kitchen }

shoe love.

just a pretty photo of some pretty shoes for your wednesday. i love the colors.

{ photo by the fabulous jen gotch }

je ne sais quois.

ooh, la la: i'm loving sandrine place's gorgeous home, which was featured on design*sponge yesterday. so pretty, non?

quote monday.

love. between this and hearing the phrase "true love casts out all fear" last night, i feel like i'm in a pretty good place right now. not to get all, you know, quotey on you. i just like to share.

how are your mondays going, lovelies?

xoxo

{ via the lovely mary ruffle }

what are you doing this weekend?

happy, happy friday, lovely readers! how have your weeks been? what are your plans for the weekend? my friend s. is turning 29 on saturday, so we're having an asian-food potluck/birthday party at her house, complete with sake and japanese beer. all my closest sarasota friends will be there, so it should be a great time. other than that, i'm going to be working out, doing work and gearing up for a busy week that's quickly going to be followed by thanksgiving (can you believe it?).

tell me: what are your plans? i hope your weekends are delightful. xoxo!

{ seriously gorgeous dresses by kate towers }

i want to dress you up in my love.

this dressing room? genius. i love those illustrations. wouldn't getting ready for a fancy event be fun in a room like this?

{ via sfgirlbybay }

loving: leather writing pad from dewdrop inc.

in love with this lovely new pad from the lovely g.'s online shop, dewdrop inc. did i mention i love?

p.s. isn't "dewdrop" a nice word?

{ image via dewdrop inc. }

up, up and away.

this movie looks great, doesn't it? i can't wait to see it.

have you seen any good movies lately? (the last one i saw was paranormal activity, and while it scared the you-know-what out of me, i also thoroughly enjoyed it.)

p.s. happy tuesday! xoxo

endless love.

i have no real reason for posting this photo other than that it makes me happy, and that i can almost feel its sunshine on my back and its cool breeze in my hair.

{ photo: max wanger; via: joanna }

truth?

loving the text-art this week.

{ via karey m. }

the year of magical thinking.

loved this from today's post secrets, via megan.

it's true, no?

xoxo

deep blue something.

the lovely and talented dallas tweeted about this gemma comas image today, and when i looked at it, i couldn't help but share it, too (click to enlarge). how soothing is that gorgeous blue?

what are you doing this weekend (halloween edition)?

happy friday--and happy halloween, my loves! what are your plans this spooky weekend? i began the holiday early by going to see paranormal activity with one of my best friends (i don't much like scary movies, and i kept saying to him, "i'll go! i'll go! i just have to grow some balls first!") and holy moly, was it scary, but in kind of an exhilarating way. funnily enough, i was so proud of how calm i was when i got home--until i accidentally locked my cat in the bedroom and freaked out when i heard him scratching to be let out. oops.

anyway, please share your plans (i'm going to a party and listening to a lot of "thriller"), and i'll see you back here on monday--a new month! (november already? what?!) xoxo

{ ghostly dress by this is janis }

falling slowly.

words can't even begin describe how much i love this photo.

{ via {this is glamorous} }

wine wednesday?

i love this pretty girl's dress and red hair and i like pretending that she's sitting across from her best friend sharing that glass of white wine.

happy wednesday, lovelies--how have your weeks been? xoxo

just some tuesday eye candy.

love this photo, via sugar pop tarts.

there's not much that's better than a cupcake.

friends, i present you with my 1 a.m. activity last night (also known as: what happens when you promise people baked goods and then have to deliver).

and for the record, yes, they are really good, and i definitely ate a cupcake's worth of batter while making them.

happy fall monday, lovelies! xoxo

{ recipe and photo from patent and the pantry, via cup of jo }

loving: branch handmade.

how sweet are these pillowcases from branch handmade? i approve.

p.s. happy hump day, lovelies! xoxo

fleurs.

dear readers,

here are some flowers for you. i just love the colors in this photograph (and that red skirt is awfully cute, too).

xoxo,

megan

{ via wild keiki }

and i'm on my knees, looking for the answer.

sorry for the lack of posts towards the end of last week, my lovelies. i had a few hiccups come up that had to be dealt with, but i'm back and ready to go with a full week's worth of pretty. so in honor of that, i thought i'd share my motto for the week. i hope you enjoy. xoxo

{ via le love }

second star to the right and straight on till morning.

i love everything about peter pan--the book, by j.m. barrie, of course; the disney version of that classic; the robin-williams-and-julia roberts-led hook. when i was little, just before sleep, i used to look out my bedroom window and dream about flying into the sky towards neverland--there was something so romantic and wonderful about the words "second star to the right and straight on till morning."

so when i saw this lovely photo, by 16-year-old(!) chrissie white, memories of those dreamy nights came rushing back--and it was nice to take a moment to remember them. in this fast-paced world, it's always nice to believe in fairies for just a few seconds, isn't it?

pretty in pink.

why, yes, i would love to look this effortlessly polished every day, please. thank you. this look can be delivered straight to my closet, right?

{ heart that sart }

happy monday!

happy monday, dear readers! for some reason, i thought this photo would be a really great way to kick off this monday--there's something inspirational about the young girl in the yellow dress making her way in the big city, isn't there?

here's to a good week ahead--what's on your agenda?

{ photo by joseph o. holmes, via cup of jo }

what are you doing this weekend?

happy friday, lovely readers! what are you up to this weekend? i have college friends coming into town, so we're heading to lunch and the beach on saturday, and i think i'm going to whip up some nutella croissants as a little treat for us, as well. yum! other than that: lots of relaxation time and some cleaning. sounds like a good weekend to me.

tell me your plans, and i'll see you back here on monday! xoxo

{ pretty photos by smash my dreams of love }