merry. merry.

wishing everyone a very merry, merry christmas. hope santa was good to everyone :)

every year since we were little, my parents would get nicole and i an ornament for christmas. so we could start a collection and once we got married, we would then take our box of ornaments for our own christmas trees. my mom would write our name and the year on the back. in 1983, i was given this nutcracker ornament. it was one of my favorites, you pull a little string and his arms and legs move like he is jumping! even though it had my name written on it, every year nicole used to say it was hers! so through the years as we would decorate the tree, we would argue about who this ornament really belonged to. it became a running joke (not really to nicole) and one of our traditions. even up until last year, when she was in the hospital for the holidays...she still brought it up.

this year when it came time to decorate our tree, i was scared to get to that ornament in the box...and then realized i had brought it to my parents last year so that when she came home from the hospital it would be there.

we love you nicole. miss you everyday. hope you had a very merry christmas.

meet jebediah.

merry christmas eve!! as everyone's elf on the shelves are heading back up to the north pole until next year...i thought i would share the many hiding spots of our elf, jebediah. (yes, pat named him). see you next year buddy! save travels :)

handwork holiday.

last week i attended a holiday party thrown by long-time freelance client and friend, laura. she owns the handwork studio in narberth, pa. it is a needle arts studio that offers a huge variety of knitting, machine sewing, embroidery, fashion, fiber arts classes, parties, workshops and camps for kids and teens. it is quite an amazing place, with an even more fabulous staff. after 8 years of working with laura on the design end, i finally got the chance to meet this great group of women!

laura's house was gorgeous, with the most beautiful holiday decor. there was a cookie exchange for all those interested and lots of festive cocktails (thanks to alisha!) first course for dinner was a pumpkin soup and the main entree was lobster mac and cheese with a goat cheese salad. yum! did i mention, laura made everything herself....even the five loaves of challah bread!! lastly for dessert, my mom, dot (aka martha), made laura a custom cake. complete with a sewing machine, thread, yarn balls, knitting needles, a measuring tape and her company name! it was a huge hit and tasted delicious!

it was a beautiful party. i had a blast getting to know all the wonderful ladies that make the handwork studio such an amazing place! thank you laura.

two.

happy anniversary to my husband, pat. can't believe it has been two years already. still remember our snowy day like it was yesterday. love you. so. so. much.

{our amazing wedding video, by well spun weddings}

pretty song for friday.

on wednesday night pat and i went to a show at johnny brenda's with some friends. we were introduced to two beautiful new singer/songwriters. katie herzig and butterfly boucher. amazing.

this is one of my faves off of katie's new album the walking sleep titled closest i get.

warby parker!

yay! my warby parker home try-on samples have arrived! kim of eat.sleep.wear. introduced this company to me a few months ago. established by four friends, they sell frames and lenses for under $100...yes under $100. not only are their frames affordable, they also donate a pair of specs to someone in need for every pair purchased. so great. currently they have showrooms in new york, brooklyn, los angeles, san francisco, boston, oklahoma city, portland, austin and columbus, ohio....and as of november 17th, philadelphia!

they have two methods for trying on their frames: in their showrooms or the ultra-convenient home try-on option. you can select up to five pairs from their site and they send them directly to your house! you will have five days to try them out in the privacy of your house, with different hair styles, outfits, etc.

i did select two of my samples to purchase. can't wait for them to arrive!

"Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to create boutique-quality, classically crafted eyewear at a revolutionary price point." {the folks at Warby Parker}

stewart & claire.

it was an idea started over cocktails, by an old high school friend. just like concocting the perfect drink, stuart & claire blends ingredients to create organic and all natural lip balms. each are handmade and come in a variety of scents and flavors made from organic oils, butters and beeswax. they offer autumn, summer, bare (for sensitive lips), coconut and mint for $5.00 each.

if you have the perfect idea for a scent or flavor in mind, you can even create your own!

trick or treat!

happy halloween! hope everyone has a wonderful time tonight. here are a few of my favorite costumes through the years...

flash mob proposal.

this is one of the best proposals ever. love. love. love.

keep calm.

what a first week back from vacation...an earthquake and a hurricane! wishing everyone a safe, dry and happy weekend.

Source: None via Regina on Pinterest

addicted.

florence + the machine. addicted to love. need.to.dance.to.this.

spa castle. nyc.

instead of buying holiday gifts for each other, my college friends and i have created this tradition of a girls trip to nyc. usually for a day of shopping, cocktails and of course food! this time we decided to do something a little different and have a spa day. after months of narrowing down a day, we finally made our way to spa castle in college point, new york. we had been planning this day since christmas!

this spa is not your typical day spa, it is a unique combination of asian, european and american style. throughout the facility you cannot wear shoes and a uniform (which was provided) must be worn at all times unless on the bade pool decks. there were seven amazing saunas ranging from an iceland sauna (it really had thick ice on the ceiling!) at 55 degrees to an extremely cleansing jade sauna at 181 degrees. in each of the two pools there were massage jet chairs and benches, some with powerful spouts on the pool deck that poured water on your back/head creating an unbelievable pressure massage. you also could book various massages, manicures, and pedicures if you  felt the need for even more pampering! alcohol was served for those of age in a few locations, however, you were limited to a three drink minimum. needless to say, we were beyond relaxed after the six hours we spent lounging in the sun and testing all of the water massages and saunas.

after the spa, we headed to a quick dinner at zigolinis pizza bar before we had to catch our bus home. along with a refreshing pitcher of rose sangria, we shared two of the most delicious pizzas ever. it was a great day of pampering and yummy treats. can't wait to go back to that spa...

team melanie.

totally rad.



#doublehashtagbuck

happy two.

happy two year anniversary to one of my bestest (and longest friends) erin and her fabulous husband keith. e + k you are the best, hope you have a happy day! e1sw2howu :)

happy weekend.

Source: etsy.com via Danielle on Pinterest

promise.

saw this on pinterest this morning and thought i would share.

before + after.

finished another diy project from my list! since we moved into our house (almost 2 years ago!), i have been searching for the perfect piece(s) to go above our tv in the living room. i didn't really know what i wanted up there, artwork? a mirror? i had no idea. i just new i wanted something with a graphic pattern.

last fall, i was shopping in target and came across this really great collage photo frame. it definitely had an interesting pattern and i imagined two of them in the space and i thought it was perfect!

before: the frame was black with four openings for photos. size 19.5" x 19.5".

after: i removed the glass from the photo openings, primed and spray painted the frames a creamy, off white satin paint and hung on the wall.

misty blue.

yes.

brand new day.

pretty music. brand new day. by joshua radin.

before + after.

my mom and i finally finished one of our projects!! (not the bedroom set, that is almost done....promise!) i needed a client chair for my home office, so we re-finished a piece from my grandmother's 1960's asian inspired dining room set.

before: the chair was black and gold with a pea green and very dated patterned cushion (pictured below along with my then 6 year old mother).

after (51 years later): it is now a beautiful white glossy chair with a vibrant, funky patterned seat (fabric from ikea)!

thank you stacey tookey.

love. love. love.

from last night's so you think you can dance

boys + girls.

so so excited that so you think you can dance is back for the summer. last night they revealed the top 20. loved. it. although, where is alex wong?!

top 10 boys. (amazing)

top 10 girls.

on repeat.

totally obsessed with these two ultimate summer songs. they have been on repeat non-stop!

number 1: party rock anthem by lmafo. can i be a dancer in this video?! (dedicated to miss nicole bean)



number 2: by miss nicki minaj. makes me think about driving around with my friends in the summer back in high school!!

easter brunch.

just wanted to share a few pics from easter sunday. it was very low key and just a beautiful day. my parents came over and we enjoyed a delicious meal of creme brulee french toast, fruit salad, mimosas and of course apple cupcakes for dessert...my mom made those! while breakfast was cooking, we sipped the mimosas on our back patio and enjoyed the sunshine and amazing weather. i found the french toast recipe on allrecipes.com. here are baking instructions:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 6 French bread
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier®)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Remove crusts from bread, and arrange in the baking dish in a single layer. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla extract, orange brandy, and salt. Pour over the bread. Cover, and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the dish from the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature.
4. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until puffed and lightly browned.

enjoy!

google again!

google is on a roll this week! today's animated logo is in celebration of choreographer martha graham's birthday! it was illustrated by ryan woodward. brilliant!

have you googled today?

i am loving the google logo today! there are 16 various doodles reflecting the mr men and little misses characters. it is a tribute to their creator, roger hargreaves, for his birthday! everytime you visit or refresh the page, a new drawing will appear! reminds me of my childhood books! enjoy!

mom.

love you mom. so much. hope you have a fabulous day.

happy mother's day to all the moms + moms-to-be!

p.s. thank you to alison conklin for this beautiful image of my mom and i!

so pretty.

happy royal wedding day!

nicole.

i just want to say thank you to everyone who has helped us through this very difficult time.

nicole, this song, shape of you by jewel, is for you. we miss you. (i apologize if this brings tears...i have just loved this song since i heard jewel sing this at the grammys)

i wrote this the day before her funeral, in hopes of reading it that day, but i just wasn't able to:

you live for the fight when that’s all that you got. anyone who knew nicole knows that that was a line from one her favorite bon jovi songs. she definitely was a fighter. everyday.

no matter if it was because she had been sick and in the hospital and proved every single doctor’s negative prognosis and statistic wrong.

or when she was in high school and we all fought just to get her a handicapped bathroom or the auditorium ramp so that she could get her diploma on stage just like all of her friends.

or when she joined wheelchair tennis, wheelchair racing, and wheelchair basketball...proving that she could do anything just like everyone else.

or if it was when she would fight with me because i supposedly would steal the remote control from her, even though it was always right next to her.

or when she would argue with my mom about brushing her teeth, everyday...even though she never, ever would have a cavity when we would go to the dentist.

being her sister i never noticed the spinabifida, her wheelchairs, her crutches, her braces for her legs, her physical therapy visits, the at times, the lengthy hospital visits, her oxygen tubes, or her many medicines she always had to take....she was just a normal person and all of that stuff was just a normal part of our lives.

thanks to my parents we had an amazing childhood filled with so many happy memories. whether it was our rollerskating down our driveway when we were about 4 and 6, yes both of us did that. playing with our barbies and their dreamhouse in her room on saturday mornings. going to our first concert, new kids on the block. playing with teddy ruxbin. when my uncle ben gave us perms, mine only in my bangs?! snow tubing down the wheelchair ramp in the backyard. spinabifida association christimas dance parties. watching eagles games together and playing in our fantasy football league. going to a million nsync concerts. dancing together at my wedding....there are countless happy times to look back on.

next to my mother, she was absolutely the strongest woman and friend that i knew. she put up that fight everyday. even in these past few months, when it was really tough, she stayed strong and continued to prove those doctors wrong.

i love you so much nicole and will miss you. but i know that you are still putting up your fight, wherever you are...and probably stalking jon bon jovi right this moment and maybe even arguing with someone about the remote.

why the phanatic is awesome.

stand by me.

this video was done by 5 sound engineers who went around the world recording individuals performing this song. they then blended them together into one song and video, which is, IMHO, wonderful. the first guy shown is at the 3rd street promenade in santa monica and they move on, around the world from there...

Stand by Me from theRedPillRadio on Vimeo.

pat's birthday surprise!

on sunday, i surprised pat with an overnight 35th birthday trip to the city. i was able to secretly get him a vacation day at his work for monday. after arriving at our hotel, le meridien hotel, we went on a mini pub crawl and had dinner at the capital grille. it was a day filled with yummy beers, lots of good eats and of course, some cupcakes. thank you to kathy for the room. it was amazing!!!!!

while we were away, i had my mom set up everything at home for his birthday dinner on valentine's day!