A Fun Little End to November

...oh, November,

I liked you very much.

If I had to describe the past couple of weeks, it would go a little like this:

city walks

art projects

mailing calendars!

two toothbrushes in the toothbrush cup

birthday surprise squeals

is that a candle in a cupcake walking my way?

the best group of friends

introductions

stories

 belly laughs

cake

another piece of cake

late night talks

early wake-up calls

a see-you-soon goodbye that still made me cry

magazine time in the airport terminal

happy hellos

family hugs

fireplace warmth

first glass of egg nog this year

thanksgiving blessings

delicious homemade feast

dancing & giggling children

comparing pinkies

sister sleepovers

 staying up until 1AM talking about boys

leopard-print jammies

sappy girly movie day

{first time seeing: An Affair to Remember, Steel Magnolias, & Beaches}

my wonderful Papa & Nana

listening to Nana's hilarious opinion of the Kardashians

playing Santa with Mom

a Breaking Dawn, Part 1 date

car ride

train ride

cab ride

hoisting my overstuffed suitcase up the stairs

and into my little

home.

and in pictures ~

the big apple:

birthday love:

family:

hands:

thanksgiving:

travel:

 p.s. a little message from my 3-year-old nephew:

 until next time,

g

Holiday Gifts: $25 & Under Edition

1. paper & ink personalized platter.

2. lululemon sigg tea traveler. (plus tea gifts.)

3. custom keychain.

4. chloe rollerball perfume.

5. alphabet letter paperweights. 

(you can also make your own using this kit!...I made them for guys last year.)

6. apple green double gourd petite vase.

7. cook text bookends.

I Am Thankful For...

until next time,

g

For You This Thanksgiving

How to cook a turkey.

What to make with turkey leftovers.

6 Thanksgiving place card ideas.

Adorable Thanksgiving printables.

(not enough printables for you? Ok, here's 101 more!)

Thanksgiving salad.

A vegetarian Thanksgiving recipe.

You know you're from the south if you like marshmallows on your sweet potatoes. :)

An amazing dessert recipe: If you were at my party last night and were fortunate enough to enjoy Mrs. Mac's chocolate cake and insisted on having the recipe, this is especially for you. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is the BEST CAKE I'VE EVER HAD. Like ever. Even the waiter wanted a second piece.

Mrs. Mac's

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake:

- (1) Devils Food Cake Mix

- (1) small pkg. of chocolate instant pudding

- 1/2 cup oil

- 3/4 cup water

- 3/4 sour cream

- (4) eggs

- (1) cup chocolate chips

Combine everything except chocolate chips with beater.

Fold in chocolate chips

Pour into bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

 (until tooth pick comes out clean)

Enjoy!

*Mrs. Mac is my boyfriend's mom. :)

p.s. a special thanks to my family & friends

for making yesterday

the

 best

birthday

yet.

until next time,

g

Birthday Time

 not much has changed since turning two.

(note the level of concentration on the cupcake.)

here's to year 26!

until next time,

g

Snapshots

1, 2, 3 - girls night out!

happy veterans day

my letterpress calendars!
(i've sold 12 so far! want one? need a gift? buy here.)

11.11.11 flowers from my guy.

holiday markets are going up!

taco night in hells kitchen.

you'll be able to spot me from a mile away. ;)
the best stylist in nyc! (and a very dear friend of mine)

how awesome is this birthday gift? (you can wear it so many ways!)

my sweet 10-yr-old nephew can teach us all a thing or two -
or fifty-four.

until next time,

g 

Holiday Gifts: His & Hers Tech Cases Edition

1. J.Crew Rubber iPhone Case

2. Moleskine Folio Digital Tablet Cover for iPad

3. Ben Minkoff Harry Computer Brief-Leather

4. Etsy - Personalized iPhone Case & Wallet

...

a. J.Crew Glitter iPhone Case

b. J.Crew Printed iPad Case

c. Rebecca Minkoff M.A.C. Laptop Case

d. Michael Kors iPhone Zip Wallet

until next time,

g

New Shel Silverstein Book

I don't know about you, but I was a huge Shel Silverstein fan growing up. The Giving Tree will remain one of my all-time favorite books. I remember sitting in bed amongst overstuffed pillows and animals with my copy of Where The Sidewalk Ends, reading aloud, and his clever poems bringing my imagination to life.

Thus, I was ecstatic to stumble upon his new book last night!

I immediately scooped it up and ran to the nearest register like a little kid who just discovered her beloved toy wasn't actually discontinued.

from Amazon's interview with Silverstein's longtime editor, Toni Markiet:

Q: Shel passed away in 1999 but more than ten years later you’re publishing Every Thing On It, which includes tons of his never-before-seen poems and drawings. Can you tell us how this project came to be?
Markiet: Over the years, Shel continued to write and draw and work on poems. He left a rich archive of finished material. In the past few years, the Silverstein family has allowed us to unveil some of these in special editions of both Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic. The response was so amazing that the family felt it was now the right time to publish this book.
 
Boy was I in for a treat. I climbed in bed late last night and read out loud with a big ol' goofy grin on my face!

"A spider lives inside my head

Who weaves a strange and wondrous web

Of silken threads and silver strings

To catch all sorts of flying things,

Like crumbs of thought and bits of smiles

And specks of dried-up tears,

And dust of dreams that catch and cling

For years and years and years . . ."

-Shel Silverstein

Buy your copy here. (It'd make a great present!)

"Although I cannot see your face 

As you flip these poems awhile, 

Somewhere from some far-off place 

I hear you laughing--and I smile."

-Shel Silverstein

until next time,

g

Holiday Gifts: Wallet Edition

1. MZ Wallace Taupe Snake Wallets

2. Bosca Napa Vitello Slim Credit Case 

3. BE & D Poly Wallet

4. LODIS Odyssey Continental Wallet

5. Deux Lux Felix Zip Wallet

6. Abas Tassled Zip Travel Organizer

until next time,

g

Exciting News!

yippee!

The day has arrived! 

My calendars are for sale! 

Check out my website for details!

until next time,

g

New Drawings!

I recently completed these 11" x 14" pencil drawings

of Lincoln and Grant for a client...

...and had so much fun doing them!

{If you're interested in pricing for custom drawings,

please shoot me an email.}

until next time,

g

11.11.11

When I was a little girl I decided that today, 11.11.11, would be my wedding day.

Someone get me a tiara and a Disney prince look-a-like!

I also knew, according to my favorite backseat game of M.A.S.H., that by now I'd have four pets, a house identical to the one in Father of the Bride, and a convertible. (preferably in a purply-shade of pink)

skip forward about eighteen years...

Here I am! That same little girl is now an adult... (that is, everything besides my fingers that literally stopped growing at the age of seven)

...and guess what? No husband, no pets, no house, no car.

Instead?

Life has unfolded in a way I could have never predicted. I'm now dating my best friend I met at nineteen (despite countless obstacles, God has insisted we be in each other's lives), I snap pictures of puppies in my neighborhood and make-believe they're my own, I live by myself and I pay a monthly fortune for my 400-square-foot apartment on an island. Oh, and I only ride in cars that are orangey-yellow. I work in an industry for which I didn't go to school and I professionally go by my full name - something I never would have chosen at the ripe age of 8 as "Virginia" sounded too matronly. (or as I would have put it, gross!)

That's the funny thing about life. You can make plans of how everything will be, you can decide on a timeline that suits what you want to happen and in what order, thinking you somehow know best or that someone else's timeline sounds ideal. It's nonsense! If you're lucky, it will all take place how you least expect it.  A story isn't a good story if you know what's going to happen next. Take each paragraph at a time. Smile at the unexpected. Approach change with an open mind. If you get to a hard chapter, push to get to a new page. Know you wouldn't be where you are without going through what you have. And be thankful for the now.

Oh, 8-year-old-self, I know nothing more about what my future holds than what I did back then. As far as the now? The reality of my 11.11.11?

I wouldn't change a thing.

until next time,

g

Quotes for your Thursday

via

until next time,

g