A BLOG ABOUT LOVE

Our Favorite Dessert

2013-05-17T05:30:00.000-04:00

Every once in awhile Danny and I will make dessert for special occasions. Ever since our friends made us this chocolate tart, this has been one of our favorite desserts ever. And I'm telling you, it's one of the easiest things you could make. I don't really cook that much these days so I get rusty with that stuff - but this recipe just turns out perfectly every time and just WOWS everybody. (Our friends who introduced us to this even won a very competitive pie cook-off with it in Brooklyn one year.)

The original recipe actually comes from the amazing Smitten Kitchen. But I adapted it to be GLUTEN FREE & DAIRY FREE. Yes! That is one huge feat, actually. But I'm telling you, this recipe still turns out brilliantly even without the gluten and dairy. You truly would never believe the recipe has been adjusted. For starters, I use gluten free ginger snaps for the crust (I love these from Trader Joe's).

Have you heard of ghee (it's popular in India)? The original recipe calls for a small amount of butter in the ginger snap crust, but I use ghee instead. It's a clarified butter which means the milk solids are removed. My doctor said that it was OK for me to eat it on my dairy free diet (though check with your doctor if you have allergies, just to be sure!) For me, I don't have any reactions to ghee like I do to dairy. (FYI, you can buy ghee from Amazon or most health food stores.)

I try to stay away from sugar on most days. And that even includes dark chocolate. But if I am going to have a treat, I'm always happy when dark chocolate is involved. I love to get the darkest chocolate bars from Trader Joe's - the dairy free kind. But um...on this day I used Ikea bars. Maybe I'm crazy but they're actually quite good and they're just 99 cents a bar. That helps keep the cost of this tart down as you'll need to buy about 4 bars for the recipe.

Instead of dairy cream, I use coconut cream for this recipe. It's really the BEST. I'm telling you - it could even be creamier than real cream.

OK, here's how to prepare the Coconut Cream before you begin cooking...

1. Put the can of coconut cream in the refrigerator over night or for several hours. (I just keep a few in my refrigerator all the time in case I need some in a pinch.)

2. When chilling, the coconut cream solids will rise to the top and separate from the coconut water.

3. When opening the chilled can, turn it upside down as the water will be at the bottom. You can save the coconut water for another recipe or discard.

4. What you're left with is solid coconut cream.

The cream can then be warmed up to room temperature and the solids will turn to liquid again. You can use this cream as a substitute anytime a recipe calls for dairy cream.

And here's where I pretend to be a food blogger with that shot that makes you want to stick your finger in the chocolate. :)

THE RECIPE:

Makes 10 servings

Crust:

8 ounces of Gluten-free gingersnap cookies from Trader Joe's (1 bag will do it).
1/4 cup Ghee, melted

Filling:

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped - I use dairy free chocolate
1 cup coconut cream (chill a can of coconut cream in advance overnight. See instructions above.)
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Whipped Coconut Cream - for garnish:

2 cans coconut milk, chilled overnight (Warning: Trader Joe's brand does not work for the whipped cream for some reason. Every other brand I've tried works fine.)

sugar to taste

1 tsp vanilla

For crust:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grind gingersnap cookies to a fine consistency in food processor (yielding 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups). Add melted ghee and continue to mix until moistened. Use a measuring cup to press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan or cake pan. I use a cake pan. As you can see, in a cake pan the crust gets pressed up about half way on the sides.

For filling:

Combine coconut cream and finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk over LOW heat until chocolate and coconut cream solids are melted and smooth (beware of overheating!) Remove saucepan from heat. (If your mixture so far looks grainy, don't worry. That always happens to me and I think I've ruined it.) Whisk egg yolks, egg, sugar, ground black pepper, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Very gradually whisk chocolate/coconut cream mixture into egg mixture and blend until smooth. Magically, it will get really, really smooth. Pour chocolate filling into crust.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling puffs slightly at the edges and the center is softly set. Transfer to a cooling rack, if you're fancy. Cool tart in pan 20 minutes.

For Whipped Coconut Cream: follow these instructions. It's ridiculously fluffy and delicious.

Cut tart into thin wedges. I've made the mistake of cutting pieces too large. It's so rich that thin is best. Serve with whipped coconut cream.

FYI: The Chocolate Tart can be made 1 day ahead. Cover tart and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving. Or, just keep slivering the heck out if it straight from the fridge throughout the day. :)

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Every New Yorker Needs a Driver

2013-05-16T05:30:00.000-04:00

OK, every New Yorker would be in HEAVEN with their own personal driver. But unless you're the CEO of some company, you likely don't have one. I never thought I'd have one.

But we do now.

Yep. Instead of hopping into random cabs at the airport (after standing in huge lines, only to hop in with a cabbie who takes you the long way) or calling our neighborhood car service with crazy drivers, we call a driver named Nazrul.

Nazrul lives in our neighborhood. He works for a local car service company (but has a few private clients on the side). He drives like a dream and wears a seat belt (is it just me or have you noticed that drivers who don't wear seat belts are often the same ones who tailgate and switch lanes like crazy??) Nazrul's car is super clean and well taken care of AND it's one of those mini SUVs so you get to avoid being swallowed up in car sickness by the back seat dungeon. He is super responsive by text. He knows what we look like (and we know his car) so there's no guessing when we're standing on the curb of JFK. He also knows the quickest route to our apt. We don't even have to explain the convoluted route, we just enjoy the ride. And, we have awesome conversations about his newborn baby and his wife and their happy arranged marriage.

So just like that, we got ourselves a driver in New York. If you've ever paid for a cab or a car service, you can have one too. Just wait for a good driver to come along and ask for his card. Or you can call or text Nazrul. 917-640-7519. (He says he'll take on customers in any borough! He has space for 5 passengers, and can offer car seats if you ask.) I promise, you'll feel like a million bucks texting him from the plane to say you've arrived. Icing on the cake: he's ALWAYS cheaper than a cab!!!!!!!

And...you can avoid this after a long flight:

And - a boring question for you all...do you have a favorite set of luggage?? Yes, we have to buy luggage. Our luggage got beat up pretty badly on this last trip and I've now realized it's the last thing I want to buy.

P.S. THANKS SO MUCH for all the awesome comments yesterday! I'm so inspired by you moms. Really. I'm so grateful to hear from you and to get a taste of what it's like.

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My First Time on the News

2013-05-15T05:30:00.000-04:00

Today I went to the Time Warner Building to tape a little segment for Headline News, Raising America with Kyra Phillips. Kyra wanted to talk about infertility and they wanted to include me in the conversation, which was very cool. She also invited her own infertility doctor from Reproductive Biology Associates (in Atlanta) to join in. (Kyra had twins at age 42 via IVF.)

The night before, I spoke with the producer and she told me they wanted to bring up some fertility "myths" or topics that are not discussed enough - and they wanted the doctor and I to give commentary. The topics were related to age, food, supplements, etc. I was a little bummed, because I was hoping I could talk a bit about the emotional/spiritual aspect of infertility.

Wellllll.....something cool happened. During my conversation with the producer, she wanted to hear more about what my journey has been like. I filled her in. :) I told her that I actually feel grateful for the experience because I have learned so much. She couldn't believe it.

The next morning I got an email. She said they decided to change the show!! They wanted to have me share a bit of my story - and share about how I've been able to be at peace. Bam. I was relieved. To me, that part is what matters most. I couldn't believe they decided to change things around.

And then...what to wear?!? Is it just me or is it always such a task to figure out what wear? It's actually not my favorite thing to do. I was so happy to have my new scarf handy. But I wasn't sure if the studio would want me to wear a scarf on camera...

So I threw my old standby flower in a bag as a back-up accessory, just in case.

I was so lucky to have Danny snuggle me tight that morning before he went to work. He gave me the sweetest "I believe in you" pep talk. That man has a gift of saying things that you can feel in your core.

It turns out the doctor and I were patched into the show from separate locations. And I sat in a dark recording studio staring at this...

Then I heard Kyra's voice through my ear piece. She was super kind and asked us each a few questions. The whole thing was over in like 3 minutes - so really not much time at all. Though I hope I said something good. At least I know the doctor liked it :) At the end, I think he actually said to me: "You are my hero!" Is that not so sweet? I can't wait to hear how it all turned out. I'm told it will air on Friday.

P.S. Afterwards I went downstairs to Whole Foods, a store I could spend hours in. For the first time today, I realized I probably wouldn't be able to peruse every aisle like I do if I had kids in tow. haha. I guess going to the News interview would have been an ordeal in itself, too. I seriously have so much freedom right now. How different life will be with kids. How do you moms make everything happen? Do you get baby-sitters? Have regular nannies or have family nearby? Or do you have baby-sitting swaps? Or maybe you manage it on your own? I'm so curious about what works for you all.

xo, M

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My Beautiful Mother's Day

2013-05-13T05:30:00.000-04:00

It's the evening of Mother's Day and my heart is full.

I hope you all have had a wonderful day!

Things went well for me. I mean, it's certainly not the norm to be my age without kids - and to have a completely different life than every person around me. It is....strange...for sure. No doubt about that. Motherhood still feels so, so foreign and so far away. But, somehow the day was good. Life is still good. I know it's just a miracle to feel that way. I know my perspective on things could really just taint everything good in my life in a split second. I've been there. I will never forget that time. But those days are worth gold to me now. They changed me. They helped me to learn how to overcome something big. I am grateful for that every minute of my days.

Here are some beautiful things that happened to me on this Mother's Day:

-My dear friend with twins texted the night before and said that her husband was out of town and wondered if we could sit with her at church to help with the twins. OH MAN. So sweet. I just wanted to squeeze them and cuddle them the entire time. Danny later admitted that he didn't listen much as he was having too much fun drawing with the little guys. :)

-OK, I spoiled myself a bit. Today I wore one of those beautiful, handmade scarves from fashionABLE (it's an organization that empowers women in Ethiopia). The scarf was a collaboration with Alt Summit. They invited designers from the blogging community to design scarves that would be woven by the women of fashionABLE...and this was chosen as the best scarf out of all the designs. Anyway, it felt so special to wear it today in the honor of the women who made it. The scarf is SO beautiful and well made - I just love it so much and will really cherish it. You can buy one here. (I also really love the Meseret design.)

-A 19 year old girl whom I know at church came to me today and told me that I'll never know how much a recent conversation we had meant to her. My heart was about to burst. I just still can't get over that. I just love this girl so much - and just felt so grateful that anything I could say to her was meaningful. I just want her to know how wonderful she is and how great her future will be.

-AND...we spent the most LOVELY afternoon ever at the park with some of my dearest friends. I go back so far with these women. It's amazing to be able to say that about anyone at all. I feel so grateful. There is nothing better than sitting in Prospect Park with them on a Sunday afternoon. It's why we all love Brooklyn as much as we do. :)

------------

May you all have a wonderful Monday!

I'll be working to get back into my routine here in Brooklyn.
Oh, and I was asked to be on Headline News Raising America. They're doing a 1 hour show on infertility and asked me to join. I have no idea what I'm getting into, other than I need to show up at the CNN studios on Tuesday. I'll keep you posted. And I'll be happy to share my experience with infertility, if I get the chance. :) I guess I should also start thinking about what to wear. Mmm...my first thought is...the SCARF!

Lots of love to you all,

Mara

P.S. How was your Mother's Day?

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Great Artist Program

2013-05-09T09:15:00.000-04:00

Kahlo, by a fourth grader

Cezanne, by a 2nd grader

Durer, by a 1st grader

Hokusai, by a 5th grader

Today I'm so excited to share with you something awesome...and it may just make you want to go buy some water colors and do a summer art project. :)

Danny's sister started a company called, Great Artist Program. It has been SO exciting to see this unfold.

She is an artist and a teacher. More than anything, she loves teaching art and helping kids to feel confident. She has 7 children and has mastered her lesson plans while teaching art in all of her children's classrooms over the last thirteen years.

And now, she is selling her amazing art program to elementary schools! It has been designed for parent volunteers, so that any willing volunteer can pick up one of the lessons and easily teach the class. So far, the schools that have it are going NUTS over it.

If you'd like to get the Great Artist Program in your child's school, Laurie says to become a champion mom by telling your PTA and your principal about it. It's such a meaningful way to use PTA funds as this program combines art history, art appreciation, and art production - which is SO needed in our schools!

And...this part is SO GREAT for anyone wanting to teach their kids art from home (including homeschoolers): she just started an awesome blog and video series called Great Artist Mom. Here you can find great resources, info. about supplies, and art projects. Each week she'll be posting one art project idea and one VIDEO art lesson for kids to follow along with. If I had kids I'd have them watch every lesson all summer long.

Here's her first lesson from Where The Wild Things Are. I think ANY child would love this!!! She even made Danny and I tempted to go find some paint colors and follow along...

Also, if your school is able to buy the Great Artist Program, Laurie wanted to offer $100 off to all our readers' schools. Have them mention our blog when they make the purchase.

And, she'd love any feedback. Did your kids like drawing a Wild Thing?

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Writing from St. Thomas!

2013-05-08T05:30:00.000-04:00

Danny's awesome sisters!!

We're staying here.

Danny is so sweet and made a big batch of one of my favorite meals...rice & beans. He's so protective of me when it comes to making sure I have plenty of gluten free/dairy free food to eat, which makes me melt every time.

Sunday morning with the family.

Hi Everyone!
We're here in St. Thomas with Danny's parents, two sisters, and two brother-in-laws. It's such a rare thing for his sisters to be here without kids (they left 12 kids behind, between the two of them!)

The weather has been amazing. The beaches have just been spectacular. We're all staying in a condo together and sharing meals, going on outings, snorkeling, hanging out at the beach, and watching movies by night. We truly feel so spoiled to be here and to spend time together.

Our anniversary was simple and sweet. We spent the evening on a walk/run and a night swim in the ocean, which was so perfect and romantic. :)

A few things to share:

-I'm testing out some new all natural sunscreens. So far, I LOVE Mychelles for my face, which rubs in completely. For anyone venturing into all natural sunscreen, you know the mineral sunscreens normally don't rub in and make you look pasty white (which doesn't do me any favors since I'm already very fair.) Mychelles is a little pricey to use all over, so I'm using Mexitan for my body, which does a better job rubbing in than most. But I'm going to keep trying a few others. If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear!

-We brought some new Turkish towels and cover ups from Banyo, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and we have LOOVED them. So perfect, lightweight, and easy to carry. They are my new favorite things.

-We watched The Impossible one night. Oh wow. It's about a family who was in Thailand during the tsunami. The story was just so unbelievable, heart wrenching, touching, beautiful, and truly miraculous. It's a movie you'll want to watch with someone you love. I wanted to bury my head in Danny's shoulder the whole time.

-For anyone who is new to using coconut oil on your face, skin, etc....be careful in the summertime! It melts in warmer weather and so you have to be a little bit careful traveling with it. My dear friend once had a jar of it leak inside her luggage. :( I've been saving old glass vitamin jars these days and they have been perfect for traveling with coconut oil. (Btw, if anyone hasn't seen this post yet...here is my coconut oil routine for my face. I love this so much I'm still doing it twice a day. Ok, we use coconut oil for other things, too. haha. Many have given this a thumbs up since trying it :)

-I just saw that Crio Bru is currently 20% off until May 12. Use code: MothersDay20. I totally wish we had some here in St. Thomas. Danny's family is excited to try it.

Hope your week is going great!

xo,

Mara

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Celebrating Something Special Today...

2013-05-07T09:32:00.000-04:00

Today is the anniversary of our wedding, 3 years ago.

My heart could not be more full.

This man by my side has been so, so good to me. You just wouldn't believe it. It brings me to tears tonight as we're ever so grateful to celebrate our marriage. We consider it such a miracle.

Tonight, in our prayer, Danny said, "We are grateful to abide in Thy love."

(oh, the words he uses.)

And, I think that has been the key to our joyful marriage - to feel love from God - for this beautiful life - all of it - to be grateful for both the good and the bad. And in turn, to seek to be a conduit of that love and offer that love to others (and to each other).

THAT is it. I mean it. It really is that simple.

We try as much as we can to share with you what trying to live that kind of life looks like. We are not perfect at living that life, but we feel the joy from trying, and we get better at it with each new experience life brings.

And in case you are struggling on your journey or feeling a loss of hope or strength or worth, may you feel love and support and kindness from us. This blog really is dedicated to you.

With love,

Danny & Mara

P.S. Something I've written is in the Deseret News today (Salt Lake City's newspaper). They asked me to submit a piece for Mother's Day. And it turns out they decided to run two pieces! So there should be another in the next few days.

(Photo by the amazing Rachel Thurston.)

Yellow Happiness

2013-05-03T04:40:00.000-04:00

From Becca - on the day after the Boston bombings:

"Sarah Jane Studios is offering this seriously fantastic {YELLOW} printable that is PERFECT for today, for free. I'm not sure how long she'll leave it up, but it is sunshine to my soul." Also, I love, love, love the short post that Sarah wrote to go with this print. It's worth taking a peak.

From Megan (living in France and blogging at Hello Bougiotte!):

"Thought of your yellow project this weekend - came across this group of happy people playing some terrific music in Place de la Concorde in Paris. Their energy and enthusiasm was contagious."

From Alyssa (This is SUPER inspiring!):

"I just broke up with my boyfriend of almost two years last night. It was mutual. We both recognized that it wasn't working and we cared about the other too much to try and make something happen that clearly wasn't meant to work at this time. So when I woke up this morning, I knew I needed to dress for my new single life - a life I vow to live in love and with joy. So I pulled out my yellow striped shirt, with a shirt on top featuring what I could only assume is a strong confident woman riding a bike. And with that I paired these new yellow shoes. When I bought them, I thought of you guys and the fact that yellow can truly add cheer to the brightest day. And you know what, I feel better every time I catch a glimpse of my feet today. Thank you for the love you put out into this world. I'm sending my love right back at you both!" Alyssa, you're wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing.

From Tessa Lynn:

On one of my family's recent trips to France, we came across a field of "happiness." It was so beautiful, I just wanted to get out of the car and run, jump, laugh, and of course smile! I imagine that if nature were to smile, it would be through flowers in the spring. So, how then could your spirit not be lifted when you're encompassed about by a field of yellow flowers, i.e. one of Mother Nature's glorious smiles!? I've come to the conclusion that if smiles are contagious, then nature's smile has the greatest effect on me. The field made me think of you and your wonderful blog! It was so vast and wonderful and I couldn't help but feel happy for hours after.

From Petra, in the Netherlands:

"See here some yellowness on dutch roads :-) All the license plates in The Netherlands are yellow!!!!! Loads of road signs as well. Once you focus on it - neverending."

From Melody Rowell:

"Yellow has always been my favorite color-- I think because I was obsessed with Belle's yellow dress in Beauty and the Beast as a kid :) I LOVE this series that you do, and wanted to pitch in! Here is a photo of a giant bush I walk by on the way to work every morning. These bushes are huge and all over my neighborhood, and they always brighten my day. If anyone knows what they are, I'd love to know!"

From Claire Baker:

"I saw this fun yellow card from Rifle Paper Co. and thought of your yellow campaign. Hope you have a lovely weekend!"

From Carolyn Rubenstein (such a lovely blog - and book!)

"I was going through old blog posts today and came across a little collage filled with yellow happiness which immediately made me thing of you! Yellow is definitely my happy color :).

I am so grateful for your words on A Blog About Love, each post hits a different chord with me. Your writing is so beautifully heartmade (made up word!)."

From Anonymous, in Salt Lake City:

"I drive by this house in SLC on my way home from work. I love how it's such a cute cottage, but the yellow & periwinkle tickle me even more."

From Jackie Paslay (Jacquelyn Lee Photography):

"I bought myself some ranunculus Friday night, sometimes a single girl just gotta buy herself flowers haha, with the thought in mind that I would, of course, photograph them. I just shot a quick pic with my iPhone & I immediately thought yellow…A Blog About Love!!! Thought you might enjoy them as well! Also, wanted to say thanks for what you guys are doing here!!! It's truly wonderful, although wonderful doesn't even really touch upon y'all's greatness. It is a beautiful thing what you are doing. Sharing your stories with the world with a level of vulnerability that is truly genuine & radiates love & positivity...I cannot thank you two enough!! :) "

From Brooke Andreoli, Alpine, UT:

"I wanted to pass along a link to a painting (and series of paintings) that when i saw i immediately thought of sharing with you. So, i'll just follow that thought and be brave and send it to you! the artist, caitlin connolly, says this about the painting: I have a lot of close friends who are struggling with wanting to have children, but realizing it is ultimately not in their control. I tried to emulate the feelings of pleading, faith, hope, loss, and all of the emotions that are involved the depth of this experience. This painting is dedicated to you, dear friends, and to all of you who have been through the same thing.

my dear friend called me last night and told me i just had to check out this artist. caitlin lives in her ward (in utah) and she had just had a little art show for the young women.

and her paintings are beautiful. wonderful, strong women. i love this one called courage (that features yellow) and the strong women deep roots.

thank you for all the beautiful things you put out into the world. i appreciate it. i took one of your first online classes last year and still think about the principle of seeking virtues."

From Elizabeth Thackeray:

"I wanted to contribute #yellowhappiness. I have always loved the color yellow. Though my favorite color is green, yellow and blue are close seconds (and yep, they just happen to make green!) A few years ago, I was living in the basement in a house. It had a window, but because of the direction it faced it really didn't let much light in. It could have been a really dreary space, but I painted the walls in a yellow diamond pattern--and it definitely cheered things up. The following year I lived there was one of the hardest years of my life (if not the hardest up to this point)--with a really messy relationship of my own, and then some substantial family trials (one of my sisters was pregnant outside of marriage and was giving her baby up for adoption and another sister was struggling with severe depression). Meanwhile, I was in grad school just trying to survive. Haha. It was certainly a trying time, but waking up to sunshiny walls certainly helped me through. It was a small thing, but it's amazing how much difference small things like that can make. Nothing but blessings have come from all of those difficult situations and I am SO grateful for those experiences despite how hard they were at the time. It is always amazing to me how God can bring out beauty and goodness in ANY situation."

"p.s. I recently got these shoes from Old Navy. I don't think it would be possible to not be happy wearing these little gems!" -Elizabeth Thackery

From Christine Higgins (becomingbetter.com) &

Mckenzie Higgins (future blogger @ purehungry.com):

"My daughter Mckenzie Higgins snapped this photo yesterday and It made me think about your yellow happiness feature. It was taken at BYU in Provo. Enjoy your trip to WV, and remember what you said at Alt... "If you find a way to help people, great things will happen!" Best to both of you."

To all of you - - - THANK YOU!! You're so dang cute to send in these photos.

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!!

Danny and I will be off again. I can't believe it. We are headed to the Virgin Islands. Yes, this is nuts. I know. But Danny's parents invited us to go and we couldn't resist. His two sisters and their husbands are going, too. So it will be a week of catching up with Danny's dear family - something I am looking forward to so much. I seriously have the best in-laws you could ask for.

xo,
Mara

More Yellow: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

"Everything Significant in My Adult Life Has Happened in New York"

2013-05-01T05:30:00.000-04:00

There is a new book that just came out called Mapping Manhattan: A Love (and Sometimes Hate) Story in Maps by 75 New Yorkers. (Thanks, Shannon!)

Blank maps were handed out to people on the street and they were asked to "fill it with whatever best fits your experience in the city." I love what people sent in...and it's made me think so fondly about my own experiences here. Oh my, I feel so similarly to this first line, "Everything significant in my adult life has happened in New York."

Here are some of those pivotal New York places and experiences that I carry with me...

Read more »

The Healthiest Way To Consume Chocolate!

2013-04-29T22:34:00.002-04:00

Danny calls these 'puppy ear mugs'. :)

I am way too excited to share with you our new favorite drink. Our friends up the block introduced us to Crio Bru and a we've been going nuts over it ever since. Have you tried it?? It brews just like coffee, but it's made from cocoa beans instead and it has the BEST dark, roasted, chocolatey flavor. Danny and I just LOOOVE it. Ok, we may be a little excited here. We don't drink coffee and so we're learning how fun it is to have a new little ritual. Here's our favorite place to enjoy a cup at the end of the day...

10 Reasons We're Going Nuts Over Crio Bru:

1. We take turns making it for each other. I don't know...I just love it when Danny gets the mugs and starts to make a batch. :)

2. It smells A-M-A-ZING while it's brewing and the smell fills our entire apt.

3. It usually brings on good conversation. It's nice to sit and chat and sip away. Or we'll drink it with popcorn while watching a movie. Either way, it's just all cozy.

4. Crio Bru is totally natural and has just has ONE ingredient: 100% cocoa beans. NO sugar, NO sodium, NO dairy, NO additives and only 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per cup. It's only 10 calories and contains no fat. The cocoa beans also provide a natural (non-addictive) rise in energy and they are a natural appetite suppressant.

5. Crio Bru is caffeine free - or it may contain just up to 1,000 parts per million (less than 1/20th of the caffeine in coffee.) So cool. It's such a great alternative to caffeine.

6. Raw cocoa beans, by weight, have more antioxidants than almost any food in the world!! You know I'm on doctor's orders to get as many antioxidants as I possibly can. So drinking this stuff is a dream. Even after it has roasted and brewed, Crio Bru has 150% more antioxidants than pure pomegranate juice!! As if I need to be convinced to drink dark chocolate. :)

Have I enticed you yet?!? :)

7. It's a good excuse to buy those awesome mugs from Kate Spade Saturday (most are just $10!)

8. The cocoa grounds can be reused for another round of chocolate brew or you can add them to smoothies, brownies, or use as a compost or body scrub. I'm already starting to see recipes out there.

9. Crio Bru follows fair trade practices and is organic (aside from one flavor). The organic certification label will be available soon.

10. It's a nice thing to serve guests. We love having this when people are over.

See why this is our new favorite drink? It's the first thing we had when we returned home from West Virginia. We just love it. Danny adds a little honey to his and sometimes a little cream. I love mine plain.

You can order some Crio Bru on-line HERE. I'd love to hear if you try it! Our favorite flavors so far are Cocoa River, Cavalla, and Maracaibo.

AND - - by the way, the best way to make Crio Bru is with a French Press. They make me feel all fancy and it's been fun using one.

I got to test out several of what I would consider are the best looking French Presses. I wrote a post here on Babble so you could see which ones we like the best & why. We did have a favorite :) Here's a sneak preview:

French Presses: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

See my full round-up here.

ENJOY!

I was delighted to have this post sponsored by Crio Bru. I also received some French presses to try out from Freiling, Bodum, and BonJour. Mugs from Kate Spade Saturday. Mint sweatshirt & mint jeans by Kate Spade Saturday.

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Highlights from West Virginia

2013-04-29T05:30:00.000-04:00

Here are a few highlights from the conference in West Virginia (Danny and I were asked to speak there over 3 days at a singles conference at this beautiful, woodsy lodge.):

Read more »

Love Story: A Little Snippet

2013-04-26T05:30:00.000-04:00

Photos by Melanie Mauer, Bryant Park, NYC (I love remembering that photo shoot with Melanie. She is SO talented and all around amazing to work with.)

Here's one little snippet from the next part of our love story. At this point, we had still only seen each other just that ONE single time in person (ha!), though we were already completely in love due to loads of email correspondence over about a month so far. We had plans to see each other for a second time in Boston...

photo by Melanie Mauer

Mara,

Thank you, THANK YOU for the love and support you give me. I will learn to get used to this, I know I will (okay, not used to it like it will cease to be the most amazing thing ever...but you know what I mean :) ). Today is proof that I can both think about you all day and still get stuff done at work and have effective meetings and go golfing and make dinner. And I'm even happier with all those things done :) It will take me a while to get into the appropriate rhythm and develop the discipline needed to both love you completely and give my other responsibilities the attention they deserve. But I will get there, especially with you being as understanding and wonderful as you are. I LOVE YOU way too much, I really do. I can't get enough of you.

Yes, I'm about to go crawl in bed, and oh how I will think of you.

Goodnight sweetheart! Sleep well, my love.

Danny

photo by Melanie Mauer

Danny -

I am a very, very bad girl. It's 3:00 am after a late night of work and I just now crawled into bed. But I'm so happy. Life is so good.

I am wearing your favorite perfume just cause it reminds me of you. And now I am completely in la la land!!!!!! :)

Oh my, I just realized something. Did I hear you say that you have like 30 vacation days?? K, forget what I said earlier about focusing and balance!!!! Get in your car and get your cute butt to B-town!!! It will be morning by the time you get here and we can have breakfast together. :) Haha. I love you so very much.

photo by Melanie Mauer

Good Morning!

And thank you for your sweet message last night! Oh my goodness, how great will it be to spend our days together! So I did wake up some time after you sent it, and I literally thought to myself...if I hop in the car now I can be there around 8 or 9! Maybe I'll just work from NY today :)

But, I'm obviously not there to wake you up this morning, sorry. Nor did I get up early enough to write before work, so this is gonna be a short one. Just wanted to tell you how happy I am beginning and ending each day with you. It's like everything feels all right in the world.

Have a great day darling, I'll be working hard and thinking of you always!

Love you -

photo by Melanie Mauer

Darling, HI!!

I hope you've been having a wonderful day!! I got your super cute email this morning. And laughed that you actually thought about coming here. Haha. And actually, bright and early this morning I did get buzzed by UPS and I fantasized for a split second that it might be you waiting downstairs. Haha :). I hope you know that I was totally just dreamin' about you coming here. I know that would not be wise. :)

I've been able to get a lot done today. And I even fit in an amazing run in the park. Man, this world is beautiful. It was drizzling a little but the air was so clean and the foliage and colors were just breathtaking. I'm actually very much looking forward to riding to and from Boston as the views must be incredible this time of year.

Anyway, I continue to feel on top of the world. And it's cool that I feel so much more in tune with spiritual things since meeting you. I love that. And I do agree with you that all is well. (But what I especially love is that we were also able to say that even before we met!)

I am on the train heading to the garment district. So I have to be brief. But know that you have been in my heart all day. Oh, I am full of more love and happiness than I know what to do with!

For now, know that my new favorite thing is looking at the photo you sent me. And know that I am so, so, so very much in love :).

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An Amazing Place to Visit: Fallingwater, by Frank Lloyd Wright

2013-04-25T16:29:00.000-04:00

Fallingwater (in PA) left us speechless. It's a home designed in 1935 by Frank Lloyd Wright. And it made our jaws drop.

We started out in the waiting area, which is a short walk away from the house. And already I was loving some of the details. Haha. Like these wooden chairs (and just now I saw those brighter green chairs in the background. I totally missed seeing those in person! They look so great.)

And I loved the wood chips on all the paths. It was drizzling that day and those wood chips just smelled so amazing.

OK, and then... the HOUSE....

This was our first glimpse at it. We were going nuts.

It really is one of the greatest things we've ever laid eyes on. To see such masterful design - combined with nature...oh my. It just overloaded our senses. I had heard that pictures of the home never do it justice. And yep, that's true. Seeing it in person was unbelievable.

Do you see those stairs leading down to the creek?

I snapped a few photos of the living room with my iphone...don't tell the tour guide!

That red kettle to the left was used to serve cider to guests and apparently filled the home with the smell of cider. Sounds dreamy.

Loved the grates in the fireplaces...

You just wouldn't believe all the genius details throughout the home. For example, all those little windows could be opened or closed to control the level of breeze and sound from the water below...

We were SO glad we stopped here on our way to West Virginia. We couldn't recommend this place enough. Brooklyn friends: you seriously need to get your buns over there. You will die.

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Do Not Base Your Relationship on Pain! Eeks!

2013-04-24T05:30:00.000-04:00

Dear readers, I often hear of people joining up together or bonding together as a couple because they have experienced similar pains/trials or have similar baggage. They feel they understand what each other has gone through, which is oh-so-comfortable. This negative part of their lives can easily become the main reason they feel connected and is often the topic of their conversations.

Doesn't that sound familiar???

OK - this is not always necessarily a bad thing.

BUUUT - may I kindly suggest that if PAIN & NEGATIVITY are the main reason two people are attracted together and the main reason two people feel comfortable with each other, that it might not be the best foundation for a relationship.

I learned this when I met Danny. SO many people said to us, "Oh - how perfect that you both have been married before - - you guys will just be able to understand each other because of all that you have been through."

Yes. But that is not at all the reason we bonded. That is not the reason we felt comfortable with each other. Thankfully that is not the reason we were perfect for each other.

We felt attracted to each other because of the POSITIVE PATH we both were on, the lives we were living and wanted to continue living, and the respect and admiration we had for each other's character. The foundation of our relationship was not based on bonding over and rehashing the negative pain we had experienced. In fact, we rarely even talked about that part or made it a focus of our conversations. Instead, we talked about the wisdom we had gained and the love and positivity we were trying to cultivate in our lives. And let me tell you - bonding over positive things makes for one beautiful foundation in a relationship. :)

Do you agree, disagree? Would love to hear your thoughts! [Both on the post, and on Vans. :) I've always kind of wanted a pair of Vans.]

(image)

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Pet Names

2013-04-23T05:30:00.000-04:00

I kind of love pet names.
:) :)

Danny calls me 'Honey Pie'. And then he breaks out into song.

What are your favorite pet names? Do tell!! hee, hee.

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Our Weekend + Some Must Reads

2013-04-22T05:30:00.000-04:00

(Photo taken at Cooper's Rock, West Virginia)

We just returned from West Virginia, where Danny and I spoke at a 3 day singles conference. I'll share more details soon...but for now I'll just say that we are just blown away by the whole weekend. We're still just looking at each other and shaking our heads in awe because of it all. It just so happens that Danny LOVES to speak and teach. It's actually his most favorite thing to do. And, you probably know by now that I love to share whatever I can as well :) And so it was really quite an experience to be able to do that for 3 days straight. But the best part was meeting all the people there. I mean - seriously. They were as kind as can be and so welcoming. We got to connect with them so much. And we're just feeling so grateful.

For today's inspiration, I didn't want to post anything major because I wanted to encourage you to check out the comments that came in on my last big post called, "I Don't Believe in Work/Life Balance, I Believe in Managing Energy." Dang, those comments are SO, SO GOOD!! Danny had me read them to him when our road trip got started. And we just sat there in amazement. We thank you so much for all the wisdom you guys share with us and everyone else reading.

Also, the next day after publishing that post, I saw a couple of articles that align with it so well! They're from a website I highly recommend checking out called Positively Positive. Read these articles and just see why I was smiling so big when I read them...

1. Energy Leaks + Enlightenment by Danielle LaPorte (FYI, I've started following this woman and think she's doing amazing things!)

2. Conservation of Energy in Conversation by Seth Godin.

May you all have the best week possible. Let's all gather every bit of courage, love, strength and kindness that we can. Oh man - last week was so rough. We still cannot believe what all went down. But I am on fire more than ever with wanting to do my part to make this world a better place by encouraging people to HEAL; to live up to their potential; to develop their WORTH and HAPPINESS separate from their circumstances; and to give back. This is a path of peace. This is the way we can influence the world for the better. This is the way we can face trials and tragedy. I feel so strongly that every single person - every single one of you - can take this path and make the world a better place by doing so.

Much love,

Mara

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Love Announcements

2013-04-19T05:30:00.000-04:00

Waiting for IVF.

(I know I've been saying that for a year!)

There were some scheduling delays (luckily nothing more - simply scheduling with the office). But it means we now must start over this phase of the process. You know, at a certain point, you kind of think, "Ok, we're there. What else can possibly go wrong." ha! Well, something has gone wrong nearly every time along this journey. I guess that's just the way it goes.

Unfortunately, because of a booked trip, we won't know the results of all this until June now. JUNE! I can't believe it. It just seems so, so far away. Sorry for the ongoing saga.

Anyway, carrying forward. Trying to breathe in spring.

And...collecting some great things to share with you. :) I hope you enjoy them:

-I found the BEST eggs I've ever had at the Queens County Farm (the longest running farm in New York State!) It's on the way to my doctor's office on Long Island so my new favorite thing is stopping there for eggs... (I don't think I ever want to eat a store bought egg again.) These eggs come from 7 heritage breeds and they're just so beautiful!! (note: they only sell eggs Wed.-Sun, 12-5 pm.) My favorite way to eat an egg these days is pan fried with olive oil and salt & pepper.

-I want to see this art installation: Murals on the Bowery (after hours only! The art is on the steel roller shutters on the fronts of the supply shops.)

-I discovered my new favorite 'French Provencal' olives from Sahadi's on Atlantic Avenue (the best ever Middle Eastern market in Brooklyn.) Also, get the marcona almonds in bulk. The freshly made hummus (so fluffy). The freshly ground peanut or almond butter. And the bitter dark chocolate chips (darker than semi-sweet - also dairy free). What do you love buying there?

-The couple married for 83 years said good-bye. This just makes my heart swell. They have been an inspiration to the world!

-Sometimes, riders find a cabby worth praising (beautiful.)

-An adorable post about supplies needed for spring foraging! :) (The blooms have burst. It's seriously time to get some shears. I found these, made by a company that's been making garden tools since the '40s.)

-Some of the best birthday invitations I've ever seen, from a designer in Brooklyn. (You can buy them on Paperless Post!)

-My friend, Kelsey, has her own cooking show!! She just started filming her 5th season (which is amazing) and she decided to blog about the behind-the-scenes of having a cooking show. SO exciting and fascinating to read.

-How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking (the silliest tip in this I think can actually be very effective.)

-And...16 Ways I Blew My Marriage (this post is heart felt and so good. 3,481 comments!)

---------

Hoping you all have a very, very good weekend.
The report on West Virginia will be coming next week.
At this moment Danny and I are in Pennsylvania so far. Visiting Fallingwater today! I'm so excited!!
(I'll share some photos on Twitter.)

xo,
Mara

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I Don't Believe in Work/Life Balance, I Believe in Managing Energy

2013-04-18T00:56:00.000-04:00

Here's a post I've been wanting to finish up forever...it's long, but the info. has been life changing, for me.

Do you like reading about work/life balance? It seems to pop up everywhere. Do you find that you are able to score a good work/life balance that is truly effective in the ways that you would want? I love reading about it, BUT...I often feel like there is a piece missing...one that can take the whole balance thing to a new level!! :)

You see, no matter how much you try to strike a balance, it's possible that a well-planned day (or well-planned decade) could get a wrench thrown into it at any moment :) Right? In fact, it's nearly a guarantee that it will happen. That's just the nature of life! No matter how carefully hours and days are prioritized, no matter how much you try to control your day and time to have a nice balance, well...children get sick, relationships get complicated, money comes and goes, homes get really messy, family members may have special needs, health is never guaranteed, job demands can vary, and life can be so very fragile. So then what happens to the work/life balance? Is everything then "off-balance" until things fall back into your desired schedule?!?

Well, I have found a way to have a sense of balance EVEN WHEN crazy things come along. It works so well that it really, truly has changed my life c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y. It's one of the best things I can pass on to you.

Here goes...

Instead of trying to control time and schedules and manage hours and days, I choose to...

MANAGE ENERGY.

By this, I mean - instead of basing my balance on the circumstances outside of myself, I manage the way I react to things (internally). I manage the amount of energy I burn over something.

This was revolutionary to me when I learned it from my mentor:

You only have a certain amount of energy each day, so you need to use it carefully.

Reacting negatively to things burns up energy very, very fast. Makes sense, right? It's called a short fuse. Too much of a short fuse and your creativity and spirituality will be zapped. Keep it up some more and your body will be so deficient in energy that your body won't even be able to operate optimally.

And, consider this: just because your day is planned out and you have X amount of hours for this and that, you could still feel unbalanced. Balance is not external. Case in point: you could be sitting on a bench in the park on a gorgeous day and STILL feel like a frazzled mess.

SO...how?? How do you manage your energy? This is what works for me:

Read more »

Share the LOVE

2013-04-16T05:30:00.000-04:00

We'd like to bring back the "Reader Round-up" series in a new format called “Share the LOVE”. With so much wisdom and thoughtful advice pouring in, we can’t help but want to highlight you readers and the community that has been built here. Today feels like a good day to do it. Cause I'm sitting here watching this news with a hole in my heart. So please, please keep your inspiring comments, tweets, and emails coming! You guys do SO much to make this world a better place.

(Unless otherwise noted, the below photos were taken in Boston by our wedding photographer, Rachel Thurston, the weekend Danny & I got married there.)

-If you aren’t already, visit Molly Ford’s SMART, PRETTY & AWKWARD. A sample of one of her great tips:

“How to be (less) Awkward: When feeling uncomfortable in social situations, one of the quickest ways to feel better is to do something action-oriented, like standing up to get a drink, taking a stroll around the party, or opening the menu to look at food options. The longer you stay still feeling nervous, the worst it gets. Physically doing something to change the situation takes the focus off your feelings.”

-If you are trying to eat GF/DF, make sure to take a look at Katy of All Sorts of Pretty’s DIY Almond Milk & Almond Flour post!

(image)

Loving these tweets:

@realsimple: “Today's thought: "People aren't here for you; everyone is here for one another." -Will Schawlbe #quotes”

@pospositive: “If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished? -Rumi”

@WellandGoodNYC: "If you're lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it." —John Irving”

@ScobeyPhotog: "We have abundance. A luxury of place & time. Something wonderful. We must do extraordinary things. It would be absurd not to." -DE #nataliereads

@natalienorton: “Heart full. To anyone who has ever lost someone too soon... it gets better. Life is beautiful, even the darkest parts. #holdon #thereshope”

@dooce: “Hey, @Hertz. You hired a gem in Brittany at the front desk at the airport in Columbus, OH. She couldn't have been more helpful.”

@ChristyBWright @GoodWomenProj: “Set an example for how you want others to be. If you're relaxed, it invites them to relax. (Reinforce with #boundaries :)”

‏@OwningPink: “Dealing with Uncomfortable Feelings: Emotional Intelligence, Sitting wth Pain & Feeling Good | Tiny Buddha... http://fb.me/2UgUMXWd2 “

‏@PosPositive: “There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them. - Phyllis Battome”

@shopthebbar: “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now. —Zig Ziglar pic.twitter.com/FGdOY6Ke7Z”

And finally, some thoughts and tips from our readers:

-Anonymous: “The more I learn on this blog, the more I'm grateful (daily) that I'm not married and can still have a paradigm shift in how I view potentials. On days when I wish I could be married I have to evaluate why. Being 29 isn't a good enough reason. Thank you for your insightful comments. I really value them with my whole heart.” Don't FIND a Soulmate, BECOME a Soulmate

-thak: “I've found that when I focus on one aspect of my identity--being single or not being married/in a committed relationship--it is much, much harder to stay positive and be happy. When I do this, I'm not being fully present. I lose perspective and it prevents me from living life to its fullest... I think it is harmful for anyone to define themselves by one aspect of their identity-- whether it's a strength or weakness, a general personality trait or any type of title. I know that society largely likes to qualify and categorize things, which has its place, but it can be a tricky balance not to base our whole identity on titles and categories that we may or may not fit into. As individuals we are all so complex, that we really can't be defined as simply men, women, single, married, gay, straight, etc. We all sell ourselves short when we confine ourselves to labels :)” 6 Tips For Single Women

Would you like to share something good that you saw, did, or heard about today?

Much love to all of you at this difficult time,

M

(top image)

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Our New Window Boxes

2013-04-15T05:30:00.000-04:00

I used to have lots of plants around here. But they all died when I met Danny as I was traveling up and down the east coast nearly every week. :)

But we recently decided to add some nature back into our lives. I guess that's a big deal when you don't have a yard! And now our hearts are just full because of what came about...

We contacted the shop, Dig, on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, to see if they'd like to do the little project with us. Dig is a Brooklyn destination for plants - run by a husband and wife. It has such a cute, lush storefront along the best strip on Atlantic Avenue, an area I just love, love to window shop in any chance I get.

So...Dig agreed to join in on our project which we were so thrilled about! But, it turns out we didn't realize how great the day would turn out to be...

The owner of the shop, Chuck Dorr, came over to our home with a box load of flowers and herbs. He's a custom landscaper all over Brooklyn and an expert in gardening, of course - so it was rather exciting to have him in our home. But never mind those window boxes...This man had a love story to tell us. :)...

He's been married to his wife for 40 years! And he had the sweetest things to say about her. You could tell he wanted so much to be a good husband. Ahh...it made us melt.

Here he is telling us about how he met his wife on the first day of college...

Danny and I were all smiles listening to his great story. :)

(Oh my goodness...I could stare at that smile and those kind eyes all. day. long. :)

Our great conversation about life continued on as Chuck attended to the plants.

He brought a selection of thyme, oregano, rosemary, chive, sage, and two kinds of mint. We were giddy. Danny started rattling off all his favorite recipes he can't wait to make. :)

Chuck brought some evergreen boxwoods which will last through the winter (yay! Such a good idea.) And then he added a selection of blooming plants appropriate for spring. He said in a few months we may want to rotate in some summery blooms.

He said some people don't like to add herbs next to flowers. But I don't mind it one bit!!

All done....

And here are our new window boxes!! They really do make me so happy every time I look at them. I literally can't stop looking at them. It's crazy how much they have brightened up this entire apartment. New Yorkers - go get some plants!! I'm telling you, it does something good to your soul.... :)

Here's the view of them from my computer. Yep...so happy :)

And as much as we love our new window boxes, the best part of all of this was meeting Chuck Dorr. He has such a good heart and soul and we couldn't believe how our conversation unfolded. Somehow it felt like we were meant to chat that day. It's amazing how much you can connect with someone in a short time when you get to talking about life and love and what matters the most. :) We're just so grateful to consider him a new friend in Brooklyn.

Dig is at 479 Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill between 3rd Avenue and Nevins. Open 12-7 pm, Tues.-Sun. 718-554-0207.

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Preparing to Speak in West Virginia

2013-04-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, we were asked to speak at a conference for single adults in West Virginia.
Every time we do something like this, it turns out to be such an amazing experience, one that we wouldn't trade despite the work, time, and emotional energy that goes into it.

So next weekend is the 3 day conference (Fri.-Sun.) at Jackson Mill. We'll be speaking each day. And our hearts feel very full as we prepare. As always, I just hope to be able to say something that is helpful and applicable to someone's life.

I found this photo that was taken in West Virginia. It's so appropriate for what we'll be talking about: Looking up. Anchoring yourself to light. My goodness, it still blows me away to think that I would ever be speaking at a conference. This is just crazy. I mean, it's just a miracle to me to feel like I have anything to share at all.

By the way, anyone is invited to attend the conference (please let me know ASAP if you'd like to attend and I can let the organizers know and also send you more details!) The people formally invited are Mormon congregations from all over West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Maryland. But we hope that our message could be applicable to anyone.

Also, we decided to drive to the conference, just for a good old fashioned road trip... (very excited about that part!)

If anyone has recommendations for places to stop along the way (restaurants, sights, shops, etc.) - we would so love to hear. One detour we want to make is to Fallingwater, the home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (in Pennsylvania). And I don't know if we'll have time, but I want to try and make it to one of the Fiestaware outlets in West Virginia for one of those vintage reproduction pitchers from 1936 (and maybe some mugs). It turns out Fiestaware is actually made in West Virginia!

Hope you all are having a great weekend!!

MK

P.S. My apt. has been clean for like 4 days straight. This has never happened since I started the blog. I think it's the infertility drugs. Or maybe the thoughts of possibly adding a little human to this household :)

(VA Print, dandelion photo)

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Yellow Happiness

2013-04-12T05:30:00.000-04:00

ENJOY!!

From Teddy Nykiel:

"I'm currently studying abroad in Brussels, Belgium. I've noticed a lot of homes in Europe are very brightly colored, and it always makes me so happy to see them! The first two photos were taken in Notting Hill, England and the third in Cologne, Germany."

From Breanne Martens:

"I have been loving your blog posts about the color yellow. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada and we got dumped by a snow storm yesterday. The first day of Spring! I asked my husband to pick up some daffodils while he was at the grocery store as a little pick me up. Last night they were all closed up but this morning I had one that had opened up completely. Just in time to say good morning to me as I ate my breakfast! I love daffodils and how they always look like they're saying "Oh, Hello!""

From Camille Moffat (of Washington D.C.):

"Found this beauty while walking from work to meet up with a friend for dinner (homemade latkes, yum!) It's the perfect shade of yellow to remind me how close spring is...makes me think of Easter!!"

Meradyth Moore:

"Here is some yellow happiness for you! This is the table setting at a surprise party for our dear Relief Society President. She goes above and beyond for our ward and deserves nothing but happiness in her life. She is truly a blessing to us."

From Ivana Ostojcic:

"I'm a 30-year-old freelance translator and social media manager from Zagreb, Croatia - sending warm greetings to you and Danny from across the world. And... thank you for reminding me how beautiful yellow is! On my recent trip to Italy I found this lovely purse in Coccinelle shop in Venice. They had them in so many colors, but I immediately knew I wanted the yellow one! Here's s photo of it. :)"

From Jarrod Schenewark:

"I was perusing Cassandra Barney's art site, and saw two of her "retablos" that made me think of you!
One was about yellow, and one was about fertility."

From Yandary Zavala:

"I don't really like yellow much (pink is my happy color!), but I absolutely LOVE yellow daffodils! :)

And I love my yellow Easter chicken condiment shaker!"

THANK YOU ALL!

Life has been so exciting around here. Today we had a visit from the owner of Dig, in Brooklyn. It's a garden shop on Atlantic Ave. We got to collaborate with him on our window boxes! They turned out so great and I can't stop smiling. Pictures coming. :)

More Yellow: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11

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Old School Sandals

2013-04-09T22:38:00.000-04:00

I love old school sandals. In fact, I wrote a whole post over at Babble listing some of my favorites that I've been seeing around Brooklyn. And I got all opinionated on you....

The post is called, "Saying No to Salt Water Sandals. 14 Alternatives."

Eeks.

Sorry!

I'm terrible, I know. Salt Waters are so well loved. I could be the only one on the opposite side of that fence.

Of course sandals of ANY kind will do! :) It will just be awesome to wear sandals, period.

Cheers to lots of days in the park!

Do you love Salt Waters? What other old school sandals do you love?

(sandals shown: 1 / 2 / 3)

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6 Tips for Single Women

2013-04-09T05:30:00.000-04:00

Recently I was talking to some of my single friends here in Brooklyn.

In New York, many of the single women here are professionals. They've graduated from college, they have good jobs, and they are paying their own rent here in the city. And so most all of them are in a place and age in life where they'd love to be married. One woman said to me recently, "You know, we are all just trying to make the most of this, but deep down we're just so over being single and would just LOVE to be married."

Oh man. It really does make my heart ache.

SO, I hope to write a bit more about how to thrive during that time.

(6) Tips for Single Women...

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Don't FIND a Soulmate, BECOME a Soulmate!

2013-04-08T05:30:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!

I've been doing some spring home projects (like a crazy person) to make this place a little more efficient. Anyway, it has been so ridiculously fun. I may actually write a post about a few organizational tips for small apartments. Because I guess as a New Yorker, we kinda go nuts over that stuff (but we're talking the basics...stuff like drawers, shelves, nooks and crannies of any kind.)

But in the meantime, I've had this post that I've been wanting to share with you. Every once in awhile I have a topic that I just want to shout from the rooftops. This is one of them.

This topic makes me think of myself in my twenties when I found myself in a less than desirable state and in less than desirable relationships, including one that turned into a marriage. Oh my. And now there's nothing more I'd rather do than pass on some of this info. to you, in case it's helpful...

OK, I grew up hearing about the idea of "finding a soulmate." Or finding that ONE TRUE LOVE that was meant to be with me. I grew up believing that it would just "happen"...I would just know it when I met the man I was supposed to be with...and that there was a man out there that was just meant for me. I thought of it like this person would make me feel whole - like two halves coming together to complete each other. I felt like if I got close enough to someone to just love him with all my heart - and if he could make me feel completely comfortable, confident, and accepted and if I could do the same for him...that THIS would be a sign that we were meant for each other. THIS would feel like true love. If we could fulfill each others' needs, make up for each others' weaknesses, if we could accept each other as we were (even with who knows what kind of drama), if we had similar tastes in music or the like, if we just "got" each other (whatever that means), if we had a chemistry through the roof and "love" and longing that felt like magic - that it would mean that we would have enough love to make a marriage work - because "love" could get us through anything. I believed that couples who seemed to have happy relationships and marriages MUST be soulmates.

OH dearie me.

I now couldn't feel further from all of these ideas!!! Here is what I think now:

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