holi-daze

the last few months have been a blur of work and play, and somehow i've found myself on the other side of fall, staring christmas - and all it brings - right in the face.

this past weekend, sister, e and many, many sweet friends gathered to throw me a gatsby-inspired celebration of a lifetime (30 years to be exact) and it couldn't have been more perfect. i looked around at all the smiles and love in that room and my heart almost burst. it was yet again another sign, confirming i'm exactly where i should be in my life and i don't think i've felt a stronger joy.

this thursday, after e and i participate in our respective work holiday soirees, we'll head to NC for our annual christmas celebration with family. i'm looking forward to heading down south to the land of the pines, lounging in some comfies and starring at the lights on two trees, each in a warm, familiar environment. i'll have cookies, mom's spaghetti and burgin beale's spiked eggnog. i'm excited to hug all their necks and truly live "off the grid" for a few days, which always forces me to slow down. i'll visit with gram + grandaddy, i'll remember christmas evenings with grandma + papa beale and i'll watch the christmas story at least 3 times.

i'll officially ring in 30 on the 24th, with e in a small bar in chapel hill. we'll have a beer and take a shot. he'll tell me how he can't believe i was 22 when we first met. and i'll ask him if i'm the hottest 30 year old he knows (he'll say duh). then i'll open his gift (the first of the day) and we'll head back for late night cookies and bed. after many moments of agony over the past few months, it's safe to say i'm approaching a feeling of excitement about this new chapter. yes, i look at it as an end to much that i know, but i'm excited about the beginning it marks as well and all in all, i remind myself i haven't even reached the middle yet. all the faces of friends and family this weekend, the dances, the drinks, and the pure happiness soothed my anxiety, reminding myself that all this is only possible because of the passing of that bittersweet frenemy, time.

merry christmas to you and yours. may your reminiscing of the past, excitement for the future and most importantly, enjoyment of the present keep you all warm and cozy!

xx

ladies and gents.

on saturday six of us boarded the train, nips (that's northern for mini bottles) in tow, sandwiches pre-made and cocktail treats pre-mixed, and headed on up to portland, ME for the Gentlemen of the Road festival. the day promised good music by a variety of bands, local food favorites and plenty-o-beer. but when we arrived, we were treated to a complete game changer that took our day to an e-lev-en: backstage passes a-la family member spencer lamb (thanks, spence!)

a day of music that was already going to highlight our summer quickly turned into a dream come true as we downed beers, played ping pong and threw cornhole alongside members of the bands. i was already starstruck hanging with mumford & sons, but as soon as they hopped on stage, i pretty much lost it. i'm a huge fan of their music - specifically the lyrics which i just find so beautiful - and on top of that, they rocked it harder than anyone i've seen in a long time. to this southern gal, these fellas from the UK who played their hearts out to 15,000+ of their new england fans, were the epitome of gentlemen.

official passport into the festival

@sammytb playing around backstage w/a larger-than-life 'stache

mumford and all the other bands gathered on stage to finale w/ the weight by the band

me & @alysonkaroly hanging with the bands side stage

cambridge/somerville ladies representing

If you didn't come to party...

don't bother knockin' on my door.

sometimes no one can say it quite like prince.

it's hard to believe that 2011 is coming to a close (wasn't will smith just singing Will2k?) but what a year it's been. as another dec. 31 approaches, i once again reflect on the past twelve months and i feel so overcome with love, luck and happiness. most importantly, i'm happy to say that i made good on most all of this year's resolutions which means to me, i've made myself a little more good as well. :)

to recap:
our little home is littered with photos of us committing to a lifetime of wedding bliss on our favorite NC beach; e + i explored the food and culture in san francisco and on two islands of hawaii and vieques, puerto rico; i've experimented more with my closet full of gems and am finally re-incorporating my heels and color into my wardrobe over my cardi + jeans; i volunteered for both habitat for humanity and a local cat rescue organization and whether at the beginning or the end of the day, i got enough "me" time to help me gather my thoughts/feelings for or from the day, which totally recharged my energy. from that though, i DID learn that i just loved to take that energy and use it up on friends + family, because i have the kind that are totally worth it. the road rage...well...five out of six ain't bad!

e + i will be compiling our list of resolutions + the year's highlights like we do every year, tomorrow over wine + yummies. and we're sure to pop bottles, throw some confetti and mumble the lyrics to auld lang syne when that NYC ball drops at midnight. above all, i couldn't be more excited to write down things that i hope to make happen in 2012. among some of the many adventures, there will be paris! e will start his new job! and...this gal will welcome the big 3-0! as all others, it'll be a year of new beginnings, growth, change and surely, surprises!

cheers + happy new year to you!
xox

christmas, christmas time is here.

and i'm SO excited! it's been a whirlwind of a month. while the number of holiday parties we attended actually went down, we seemed to stay just as busy and celebrate the season just as hard (like there's any other way we'd do it...). kicking off the whole fiasco the day after thanksgiving, we picked out (and cut down) our very own tree. with a fir this beautiful we HAD to have a party to show it off...so we hosted the old fashioned tree trimming kind and acquired a solid number of amazing ornaments from our friends while we rocked it around the christmas tree. over the next couple of weeks our group celebrated three birthdays and one amazing wedding. and now, on a late dec. 22, we're packed and ready to head to NC to wrap up this holiday season with our families and a bang.

when i moved to MA, for the first couple of years i felt that my christmas didn't officially start until i touched down in carolina. but now i find the moment the wheels hit that NC pavement, the culmination of all the holiday fun that actually begins well before plane tickets are even bought. and i think to myself how this place i live in and these people i'm surrounded by, have truly become a home. my how far we've come.

this weekend i plan to cruise around the sleepy streets of southern pines and take in as many lights as possible. i also plan to ingest an absurd amount of eggnog, red velvet cake, sparkling cookies and champagne, and sing mariah carey one too many times (i maaaay have already done that one...) all the while collecting long, snug hugs from my family and friends. and i suggest you do the same.

happy holidays!
xox

hawaii.

how i miss thee.

thanks, again.

it's hard to believe that it's time for another thanksgiving.

this year, e + i are welcoming people to our home - a first for us. we'll be making the turkey, adding some sides, downing some wine + building a fire. all with an intimate group of friends and, for the first time in four years, my sister. that's right, i will finally share the table with another beale again.

i've said it before, and i'll say it again, thanksgiving is my favorite (juuuust after halloween). there's no stressful gift-giving, no nausea as you watch your credit card balance slowly rise and (for us at least) no travel anxiety. as long as you remember to take the giblets out of the turkey and turn the oven on, it's a piece of cake, well...pumpkin pie. it marks the beginning of my holiday season for sure and i actually find it the most fun day of the span.

i do miss my home - meaning my mom + dad - and the years i had with them, at their house. since those times, thanksgiving food just hasn't tasted the same. i know it never will. but i don't let that distract me from being thankful for everything else in my life. my cup runneth over. and i hope yours does too.

so cheers to a day of family, friends and delicious food. take a minute to count your blessings, hug the ones you're with and give thanks to whomever will listen.

happy thanksgiving to you + yours!

it's the first of the month

happy november 1! while october 1 officially marks my favorite time of year, after the halloween festivities are over, i find myself even more excited than before they began.
it's true, tearing down the cobwebs + packing up the pumpkin lights makes me a bit sad, but i'm excited for what's to come in the following two months. the stream of holiday fun that is upon us is so...well...just plain fun.

i look forward to the following highlights that will help me close out this year:
law review winter event complete with dinner + dancing (any excuse to get dressed up with my husband is fine by me!)
harvard/yale game with nyc visitors (sister + rob!)
thanksgiving dinner with friends here in cambridge (food + wine with good friends can't be beat)
bachelorette party in nyc to usher out a dear friend's single life (congrats katie!)
champagne + cupcakes celebration to close out the semester for e (two of my favorite things unite)
sister's birthday in nyc (fried chicken dinner + karaoke anyone?)
my big 2-8 birthday in nc (hello mid-late twenties)

of course this sporadic chain of events is punctuated by homemade eggnog, ice skating, the season's first fire in our fireplace, decorating with lights and holiday shopping. really, what's not to love about now?
while my calendar is pretty open at the moment, i know the agenda will certainly fill up, guaranteeing that these last two months will fly by just as fast as the first 10.

time flies when you're having fun (in the sun)

how oh HOW is it july 4th weekend?

it feels a bit like a fall day here in cambridge, but the sun is shining, friends are in town + a weekend of celebration is about to be had. didn't july 4th technically mark the middle of summer back when we used to have a summer?

is it weird that i still sing patriotic songs in my mind when i watch fireworks? "ameeeeerica, ameeeeeerica god shed his grace on theeeeeee..."