today i am stuffed.

with the salad below. (euf, so full!)

with gratitude.

with love for friends new and old.

with undeserved kindness.

with peace.

and the knowledge and faith that life has a way of working out. (ps: remind me of this the next time i think the sky is falling, as invariably i will at some point in the near future.)

(note: ignore the strange look on my face. i think it's the product of nearly finishing the salad {yes, the ENTIRE thing}, which left me careening toward food comatose. and ignore my poor hair--that's a product of dying hair dryer.)

dear mallorie,

thanks for giving me my first cafe rio experience. and for the trip to wal-mart for a new hair dryer. my hair thanks you. let's play again soon.

xo,

meg

helloooooo, utah!

i had the loveliest afternoon. yup, the loveliest. there, i said it.

the gorgeous emily of la vie en rose treated me to gelato on provo's center street (we both had pecan) and then took me on a walking tour. she pointed out the best places for mexican food and milkshakes (diego's and sammy's {separate stops}).

i had so much fun and laughed and laughed and instantly i felt a little more at home.

oh, did i mention that when she came to pick me up she brought me a jar of jam? a jar of my very own. for the fridge. and yes, it's homemade. swoon. and yes, i've already had some on toast. and yes, perfection, it was.

thank you emily for giving me such a gorgeous welcome. (and for being patient enough to post for the obligatory picture-taking session). i can't wait to do it again!

ps: camilla of champagne bubbles posted this and it came as such a surprise. it kinda made my month. actually, no kinda about it, it did. it made my month. especially because i want to claim camilla as a real-life friend, desperately.

a picnic along the tribeca waterfront.

my gorgeous (and unbelievably talented) friend, erica lives in tribeca with her clark-kent-of-a-husband, chris. (i blogged about their wedding, here).

oh, tribeca! to live in tribeca where the air is fresh and the crowds are sparse! (and the rent is sky-high).

they live there (at a great price, as luck would have it) in a single bedroom (in a hotel). the catch is..

there's no kitchen.

this would deter most.

not erica.

she cooks. without the kitchen.

and when i say cooks, i mean...really cooks.

erica being brilliant (as she is) has created a kitchen-of-sorts in the bathroom and a blog to go along with it.

today we met up in union square which (while i'm not really a fan of because of the huge crowds) has a massive and versatile greenmarket. and from there we headed home and the cooking began.

what i really love about erica's take on food is that she's adventurous about simplicity. and she believes in educating herself about what it is she's eating and why it's good for her.

i'm starting to think there's nothing like a time outdoors, good food, and girl-talk (intelligent girl-talk, at that!).

to see why i gush about this girl check out her very new and very exciting foray into blogdom.

when i grow up.

the most darling camilla has been doing a wonderful series entitled "when i grow up" on her blog, champagne bubbles. and it has got me thinking. a lot. about what i want. and i figure that if men can't help looking at a gorgeous woman (and science will defend that for them), then i can't help dreaming about the future or googling photos of brooklyn brownstones.

so here is my list, as inspired by camilla and all the gorgeous woman who have submitted to her series:

i want a neighborhood cafe. around the corner. with strong lattes and fresh bread. i want to know the names of the faces behind the counter and i want them to know the names of my children.

i want early evening walks in the neighborhood and after-dinner story-time.

i want hard wood floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. banisters on the staircase and hallways of family photos. built in bookshelves and sprawling desks.

trees in the neighborhood.

i want season tickets to the closest baseball team.

i want to travel the world. to live in different countries. to speak spanish fluently. and dabble in a little french.

i want sharp knives, a kitchen aide mixer, and a large cuisinart.

i want saturday morning pancake breakfasts. and sunday nights spent in the kitchen as i listen to the hustle and bustle of everyone preparing for the week.

i want the love of my best friend and the promise of a whole life together.

i want things to get clearer. {a little, at least.}

i want the idea that will write the book.

i want to do what i love.

i want to love.

these photos are via google's image search.

i might just die for that kitchen.

i mean really?

look at it.

look at all the green out the window.

it may be small, but it might also be perfect.

love, love, love.

{vic and i remembering to take a picture just as we were saying goodbye. it was freezing last night, can you tell?}

i spent this weekend celebrating valentine's day in the best possible way:

with my girlfriends.

saturday night brought a wine bar followed by dinner followed by sweet treats.

we spoke of boys and success and fear and all those things so important to women in their twenties who are learning and working and figuring it all out.

and when i got home. i turned out my lights, got into bed, and thanked the universe for the love of good women--for their insight and understanding, their strength and support.

and when i talk about my girlfriends yes i mean erin and vic who shared their saturday with me and angela who i always see on sundays and so many others, but you all too--you all who read this silly thing and leave comments that continuously floor me. you all who challenge me and make me want to work harder and fight harder and love more.

so thank you.

and a very merry valentine's day to you.