I've moved! 

Click here to visit my new blog. :)

february already?!

1. little white lights
2. thunder storms
3. father of the bride
4. erin's surgery having gone better than we could have hoped
5. organizing things
6. mom visiting

picnik

i don't know how to work super savvy design software like photoshop or illustrator, so i've
become a pro at using things like picnik and picasa.
picnik is my favorite and if you've never used it, it's a photo-editing website where you can do all sorts of fun things to photos and additionally make fun things like collages and such.
sad news: picnik is closing on april 19 of this year.
happy news: all the premium features on this website are now free to everyone until then!
this makes putting together the marketing packets for my music/speaking 100 times easier.

hooray!

progress.

1. progress

2. buckling down
3. 'allow yourself to fail, but at least go through with it'
4. my sister erin living with me.

1.

1. sleeping in
2. working out
3. cherry chia kombucha

top 15 of 2011

top 15 of 2011 (in no particular order)

15. spending a weekend in hanover w/ erin
14. spending a weekend in DC w/ frannie
13. having kelley visit me in nashville for three weeks
12. celebrating mom and dad's 25th anniversary
11. getting to work with such an amazing team at lululemon
10. working at camp greystone all summer
9. finding the perfect little antique suitcase to sell my CDs from
8. chai w/ neelam
7. colleen o'connell's visit
6. vanessa and brett's wedding, molly and lee j's wedding, kristen and chris's wedding, nick and jane's wedding, and all the other friends' weddings i got to witness this year
(+ whit's and boo's engagements!)
5. taking my first official cross-country road trip w/ my friend carolyn!

4. baba's 80th birthday w/ all the cousins and fam on dad's side
3. annual Christmas tree hunt and Christmas eve celebration
2. post-Christmas trip to CO w/ cousins and fam on mom's side
1. releasing my first EP, playing my first full band show, and receiving my first check from itunes!
mom and dad busting a move at my ep release

thank you to everyone in my life who has supported and encouraged me
and helped make 2011 so wonderful.
so grateful for you all.

here's to a 2012 full of
love,
simplicity, and
joy.

joy cards :)

hello friends :)
hope your holiday season is off to a warm and wonderful start.
i've spent the past few weeks designing and packaging boxes and boxes of stationery and am so excited to announce that they are officially bundled, ribbon-tied, and ready for the ordering!
10 cards + 10 envelopes + cute box + cute bow + lots of love = perfect gift
for sisters/friends/cousins/co-workers/grandmas/moms/etc.

pricing:

(not boxed / boxed*)

single pack: $12 / $15*
5 packs: $55 ($11 per pack) / $65 ($13 per box)*
10 packs: $100 ($10 per pack) / $125 ($12.50 per box)*

*boxes will either say 'joy' OR whatever name you choose (first name, last name, nickname - you name it!)

*pricing does not include shipping, but if shipping is required, i'll choose the most cost-effective option and it should not cost much. also, if you're in nashville or cheyenne, i'll bring your order straight to your door.

*'we' on the little blue card refers to me and you. :)

interested in ordering? leave a comment on this blog with your name and email address and/or shoot an email to joycardproject@gmail.com and i will be in touch with you as soon as i can.

joy,
meg

t-givs.

(sisters kel and frannie with cousin, ned)

it's a gift to come home for the holidays,
and there are the obvious reasons like getting to spend time with family, sleep in the bed i slept in growing up, celebrate long-held traditions, etc.
but it's the little things i really love.

like

mama's banners.
mom, gem that she is, makes any of us who has been gone for an extended period of time and a welcome home banner. absolutely the thoughtfullest.

skype.
erin is nannying in italy right now. thanks to skype, though, the rest of us were able to skype with her for an hour and a half on thanksgiving afternoon.
distance averted, in sort.
snow!
having lived in nashville for six years now, i absolutely LOVE when it snows at home.
happy thanksgiving!

peace.

"come to Me, and rest in my peace. my face is shining upon you, in rays of peace transcending understanding. instead of trying to figure things out yourself, you can relax in the presence of the One who knows everything."
- Jesus Calling

life lately

...has been characterized by learning a lot about the

art of patience.
and patience isn't really my forte if you know what i mean.
but praise for the fact that we all undergo seasons in life characterized by things
that are hard and

seasons of all sorts hold beauty.

here's to finding joy in the midst.
xx.

pink radio cake.

1. on sunday, i was at fido and decided i wanted to try their pink radio cake. people have been telling me, 'meg. that cake. is. amazing.' so to my friend in line, i said, 'sydney, i'm gonna get a slice of this cake just to celebrate life... share it with me?' and the guy in front of me turned around and said, 'you know what? i'm buying your cake. if you're celebrating life, i'm buying that!' treat.
   

fido is one of my favorite coffee shops and the pink radio cake was divine. look at it:

2. i finally traded in my beat up (though beloved) flippy phone for an iphone. yowza. my favorite thing is having a camera with me wherever i go. i like to take pictures of leaves:
the skyline:
my set up at coffee shops: cute kitchens:
cute courtyards:
perfect chai-ness:
my friend caroline on sunshiney days:
quotes that inspire:
words that remind:
wigs on counters: criss-crossy sky lines:
brainstormy things:
fences and benches and ladders and trees:and any other thing my little heart desires.
'tis quite enchanting.

3. the other day at work, we had an abundance of magazines in the back.
thisss was a gift.

i got crafty.

and enjoy your day.
xx.

also:
no great thing is created suddenly. there must be time. give your best and always be kind.
-epictetus

magic.

today just calls for two posts, folks.

because for three. (i put that period there on purpose, btw. bc i'd like it to be known that these were some greeeat hours, and the fact that i had three of them was an absolute gift from the doler outer of babysitting hours).
...solid hours this afternoon, i got to tote around this 4-week
(as in i weigh 10 pounds and was born less than a monthhhh ago 4-week)-old little babe
in the sunshine,
in this sling (!),
in this city that i love
and it was just. magical.

(boys, you don't have keep reading if you're weirded out).
girls: we went on an entire downtown adventure,
including to the library (if you live in nashville and haven't been to the main branch on church street, go as soon as you can - it's absolutely beautiful), as well as to the men's bathroom at the hermitage hotel (still fully functioning/famous for its 1930s art-deco styling/gets visitors every day), and up and down many city blocks, just exploring and soaking in the sun.

twas divine.

early.

there's something delightful about starting the day before the sun comes up.
not that i make a habit of this.
but today, for example:
i rolled out of bed at 5:34,
threw on some yoga clothes,
drove 20 minutes in the dark to a heated class a friend was meeting me at,
(absoluteeely questioning my sanity and intentions here)

but then felt wonder.ful.

and after yoga, all before 8 am,
i took my car through the car wash, filled up with gas, treated myself to my a chai tea latte from the perch, came home and made some spinach/carrot/lemon/apple juice, packed a lunch (trying to be both economical and healthy these days), met a friend for coffee, watched coverage of amanda knox being brought back to the states (ah!*), received a phone call from my sister erin and her 3-year-old italian precioso, eduardo, started a new blog,
(and by started, i mean claimed the name. but it's a start. stay tuned for what it's about), and texted a few lovelies like my mom and baby sis francesca.

allll of that actually took me until 10, but you get the gist.
early mornings - much productivity.

i know myself better than to commit to this early to bed/rise business for any significant amount of time right now, but i'm curious to see what might happen if i keep it up for a week.

cheers to tuesday, chai, and the IPHONE 5,
(which was officially was announced five minutes ago. ...cnn.com is open in the next window and just flashed this news. i've been saving and waiting for this date for a longgg time.
i'm not complaining, and sometimes i actually appreciate the simplicity of my
call/text/mayyybe take a pixely picture if it decides its up for it phone,
but let's be honest. the iphone is just cool).

joy from the nash,
m

*ps. amanda knox is the american girl who was found guilty and sentenced to 26 years (in an italian prison) for murdering her italian roommate while she studied abroad in the tuscan city of perugia in 2007. i happened to be studying abroad in siena, just 40 minutes away, when all of this was going on, and it was quite terrifying.
when the initial verdict came out two years ago, (guilty), i was both shocked, sad, and just bummed bc i have always believed her to be innocent (several reasons).
i've been following this case since it opened and am SO relieved/excited for her and her family/thankful to hear that the verdict was overturned and amanda is on her flight back to america as we speak.
i can't imagine how she must feel.
something about the fact that we are the same age, studied in neighboring cities, etc. made me relate to this whole thing on a personal level.

xo.

quote for the day:
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more."
-Melody Beattie

what are you most grateful for today?

drying racks and fallidays

today i bought a drying rack.
yep.
the thing that

costs money i'd rather spend on coffee or gas or a scarf or this deliciousness,

stands awkwardly in the corner of my room, just...hangin out,
and renders clothes both card boardy and more uncomfortable
than is necessary at all, in my opinion, though mom -and she's a wise woman- would have me believe differently, which is partially why i bought d.r. to begin with.
i digress.

the thing is kinddd of a joy-bringer.

because for the past two years,
every time i've washed my 'hang dry' stuff,
it's ended up strewn across
the counter, my keyboard, the couch, the stools, the chairs, hanging off door handles
(anyone?),
and things are just a bit of a hassle this way.

so cheers to my drying rack.

and also cheers to
fall, fall candles, fall smells, fall leaves, fall parties, fall air, fall clothing,
fall running, fall walking, fall photos, fall yoga, fall dancing, fall napping,
fall driving, fall holidays (...fallidays*), fall candy, fall love.
tis thee. greatest. season of them all.

what are some of your fall joy-bringers?

xo.
*click on this link and listen to my friend becca's song, "Falliday." just swell. :)

ceiling fans and dollar yogurt.

a ceiling fan brought me joy today.
during a quick nap.
in a hot room.
when i was really wishing it could get cooler.
(and then it did).

who knew?

also, the pinkberry guy gave me a small cup of yogurt for a dollar (not $4) as i was leaving
live on the green and
my parking space was literally the first one across the street from the stage.
niceties all around.

what brought you joy today?
xoxo.

"Don't postpone joy until you have learned all of your lessons. Joy is your lesson."

roadtrippin'

mmm.
what. a treat.

i spent the last two nights in the mountains of colorado with my dear friend melissa.
highlights included
-an incredible hike
-finding fresh raspberry bushes and eating some right from the plant along our hike
sources assured us they were safe. :)
-a free & public s'mores pit (what? who invented this? these should be everywhere)
-napping on the face of a huge rock in the middle of our hike
-dinner at a cozy little Italian place to commemorate mel and i's study abroad experience in siena
-playing music for/meeting some of mel's friends
-the simple act of driving across the country. there's something really therapeutic about driving across beautiful country and having time to take everything in.

other thoughts:
i love nashville, but being both home in wyoming for a bit and now here in colorado for a few days has made me think about moving out west again... or at least want to visit a lot.
i love how outdoorsy and nature-y everything is.
i totally have a mountain girl in me.

currently in a super cute and cozy starbucks in edwards, CO enjoying my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. i normally opt for local coffee shops - actually, one of my favorite things ever is visiting non-franchised, funky, independent coffee shops- but this is perfect for this morning. welcome the fall. I LOVE. the fall.

i can't believe 10 years have passed since sept. 11. 2001.
i vividly remember sitting in a student council meeting in my science classroom at mccormick jr. high watching the initial news reports and videos pour in
on a tiny tv in the corner of the room.

about to trek out to las vegas, my stop for tonight, and then to california tomorrow. got some steve moakler, ben rector and andy grammer tunes to keep me company. all great picks - check them out.

joy to you,
m

home-ity home home.

hello my lovely blog followers!

these past few weeks have been a blur, but joyful nonetheless.
camp wrapped up mid-august and then I spent a week in Nashville, enjoying coffee dates galore, walking around my favorite neighborhoods, and just relishing in the fact that i was HOME!
my sister, erin, flew to Nashville at the end of that week and we road-tripped all the way back home (as in home-where-we-grew-up-home) to wyo, and that's where i am now.

days here have been full of those simple, only-at-home-in-WY moments that i have been craving for a long time. and by long, i mean prior-to-starting-college-long, as i have not been home for this many consecutive days since i graduated from high school.
it is so nice to wake up and share coffee with my mom, take lunch to frannie at high school, watch her tennis matches, visit my grandparents and sit on their porch swing and eat the cherries (and all the other miscellaneous foods that they feed me :)), etc.

yesterday was especially fun - it was my parents' 25th anniversary.
yowza!
i am so inspired by this.
all six of us were home, which was so special because this rarely happens now that my sisters and I are all (or relatively, at least) grown up. ernie made an incredible dinner of steaks (slash dad grilled the steaks - he does not pass up his grilling job), sweet potato fries, wedge salads (mom and dad love these), and a key lime pie and chocolate sheet cake for dessert. mmm.
i was in charge of the ambiance - thanks for that delegation, e ;) - and set the dining room table, made place cards, set out lots of pictures of mom and dad from different years of their marriage - definitely not necessary, but why not!? 25 years is means for celebration!

it was just the six of us and was absolutely perfect. we ended the night by all trying on my mom's wedding dress from 25 years ago! priceless!
The dress fit all of us and my mom, too. Twas sweet.

other recent bits of joy:
-coming home from the gym tonight and being greeted by 2 neighborhood girls asking for my autograph on their cds! So precious! I proceeded to play coffee shop boy and they sang every word with me. Melt. Laugh. JOY.

-visiting my grandma, baba. sitting in the same yard where all 8 of her children and all 28 of her grandchildren once played. the way the sun sparkled and dipped through the leaves into the area where we sat. seeing intermittent bits of memory flicker across her face, even in the midst of sharing the same conversation over and over again. filling her in on my hopes and dreams and asking her to share whatever wisdom she wished she'd known at my age.
spending time together.

-running. zumba. blue gatorade and a steak and avocado sandwich for dinner (weird, i know, but it was lovely). xo.

lake road

today i'm thankful for dry socks, hairdryers, coffee, raspberries, nutella, friends that run by your side the whole time, renewed perspective on a few things, and clarity about another few things.

corn roast

corn roast: ribs, turkey legs, potato salad, watermelon, root beer, cat williams,
dancing, enjoyment of a perfect midsummer night together.


skittle cart

before the rain

joy to you,
m

decade dance.

tonight was the decade dance.

i sported this little number:
everyone had lots of fun.
joy.