Simple truth.

It truly is the people (and the puppies) in this life that make all the difference.


♥mb.

Hydration.

Certain songs sometimes feels like hydration to me. Like water for a very thirsty soul. At the moment, those verses and chords are the one thing you need to feel whole again, renewed and refreshed.

♥mb.

Molting.

Another gem pulled from the days of late 2010/early 2011...something I think all women struggle with. But fear not, beauties. It's all in your head. And if you think the right way, your head can be the difference.


   You can pull off an outfit if you feel comfortable and love ourself in it. I think the same thing applies to our bodies. We can't all look like Miranda Kerr or Blake Lively - but we can all feel awesome in our own skin. So why do most of us want to shed our skin like a snake and get a new one? People don't molt for a reason...we're beautiful as is.

Originally written: January 4th, 2011.

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Barefoot.

One of the reasons I love writing so much is going back years later and re-reading the things that I've written. Sometimes I find my past thoughts to be the perfect supplement to whatever I happen to be going through at the time I dust off and crack open an old journal. I did this not too long ago with a journal I wrote often in back in the summer of 2010, and found this poem that I just cannot get past my immense love for.

It's a great reminder to not overcomplicate things - life, at its core, is made up of quite simple emotions. Embrace those and take on the world with the reckless abandon in which true happiness lies. Hope you all enjoy.




The world's on your doorstep
And the front door's wide open
It's waiting for you to find the right shoes
To make your mark

But the thing you forget
Is that your fashion doesn't matter
Stop looking for the perfect fit

All you need is your spirit
And a smile on your face
And a light in your heart
To lift the world with your soul

So leave your heels behind
Throw your sandals under the bed
And run into the blustering winds of this world
And change them

Barefoot.


♥mb.

Redefining Valentine's Day.

I don’t know about you, but I have two dates tonight: one is named "Triple-Chocolate Fatpants Cake" (shout out to my favorite bakery babycakesNYC) and the other "merlot". Or maybe "malbec". I haven't really decided yet. And, if I had a boyfriend, I am pretty confident my night would be pretty much the same, I would just add another date to my list and an extra fork.

This pinky-red, frosting-covered holiday that graces us with its presence every February 14^th usually inspires two very distinct types of outpourings from people (read, GIRLS):

We have #1: the "I am SO in love!-I can't WAIT to see what my honey-buns has in store for me-I am so blissfully happy I might have to call in sick!" people. 

And we have #2: the "omFg if I hear one more person talk about the beautiful flowers they received I'm going to jump off a skyscraper-spending my night alone watching the Notebook on repeat-boys are oxygen-wasting jerk-offs" crowd.

It, in all honesty, is pretty rare to fall outside the scope of one of these two camps come February 14th - it just seems to inspire extremism in one direction or the other. I myself feel rather indifferent toward the holiday - perhaps this has something to do with the fact that during my time in Rome I saw St. Valentine's skull inside a glass case in a Catholic church. (Yes, I have a picture. And also, yes, I have thought every Valentine's Day since then of sending out cards with his lovely portrait on them to all of my single friends.) Romantic, no?

In all seriousness, here is my issue with this holiday that seems more driven by men looking to impress their girlfriends/wives with fancy dinners, beautiful flowers and sparkly jewels than by the desire of people to express their love to their loved ones: it just feels really un-genuine to me. I mean, think about it. Valentine's Day is essentially a day set aside during the year when we are supposed to outwardly show how much we love one another. Um, excuse me but, why isn't that the case every day? Why does there have to be a label to warrant the delivery of special gifts and the giving of thoughtful, handwritten cards? Why limit that to only a day? Grand romantic gestures seem to be much more real to me when carried out on a Wednesday. Not a special Wednesday, just...Wednesday. But then again I am more for subtlety when it comes to romance - it suits me better than planes flying across the sky carrying banners that say "I LOVE YOU!" I'd rather a guy take me in his arms when I am in sweaty lulu clothes after a yoga class, kiss my forehead and tell me I look beautiful then. Yes, I would know he was lying. But I would also know that he meant it. 

Secondly, it seems like people tend to equate Valentine's Day with romantic love and romantic love ONLY. Now maybe this stems from a lifetime of getting presents/cards from my parents on this holiday (a tradition that, yes, still continues today) but I am more of the mindset that we celebrate ALL kinds of love on Valentine's Day. (After all, to limit the idea of love to simply the romantic form would mean there are a lot of single people running around out there with no love in their lives. Which simply is NOT true.) Love can be for a spouse, significant other, new flame, sibling, family, friend, classmate (hello, have we already forgotten about perforated Valentines attached to candy?) pet, cake...all of it. Only a handful of those are romantic, but that doesn’t mean the whole lot of them aren’t just as meaningful. There is a reason that Papyrus (my card brand of choice) has sections of Valentine’s Day cards cordoned off for “Mom”, “Dad”, “Sister”, etc. To me, nothing about a Valentine's Day spent on the couch with your dog drinking beers seems sad. You love your dog, right? And, presumably, you love beer, right? Well then, a very Happy Valentine's Day to you!


This year, and in many years past, I sent my close, single friends Valentines, because I truly believe that friend love is just as important as the romantic variety (if not more, if you're an unattached 20-something like me). And if I am given a specific day that I am instructed by society to express it (something I try to do as often as I can without seeming overemotional, which, by the way, I am) then by jolly geez, I will do it! Everyone loves mail. And even more importantly, everyone loves to hear that they are loved. Everyone doesn't just love it - they deserve it. (Side note: If you are my friend, single & did not receive a Valentine, I apologize for the oversight. If you are my friend & in a happy relationship & still sad I did not think of you, be assured, I did. I just figured your Valentine’s Day would already be filled with love from your honey and I felt compelled to share it with those running around this world unattached.)

So, this February 14th, I choose not to be bitter. I choose not to envy those who are in happy, fulfilling relationships (...much). I choose not to lament old relationships - they were beautiful in their fleeting moment, but I'm not still in them for reasons that make sense now. I choose to (mostly) ignore the dim flicker of hope that someone will come out of woodwork and surprise me with a romantic gesture I never expected (something that I admit to having every Valentine’s Day…I’m a girl. What can I say?). I choose instead to embrace my evenings filled with high-calorie, sugary treats and red wine - it won't always be this way.

After all, in the future, I will have to share. But I have the feeling I won’t mind.

♥mb.

New Years are Refreshing.

After my recent post blasting the importance and significance of New Year’s, I have yet another confession: this year actually does feel different. (But, in my defense, historically this is never something that has happened. Not ONCE! Typically the only thing that feels different is getting my hand used to writing the new date.)

I am certain, of course, that the reason 2012 feels different than 2011 has more to do with changes I began putting in place at the end of the year than the fact that with the turn of the calendar year things magically fell into a better place. But I have to admit, life is a little rosier, and it isn’t just due to the bright red polish on my fingertips (although I’d be lying if I said that didn’t help!)

I finally signed up for French classes, something that has been on my to-do list for years and has often been the subject of my Google searches during an afternoon lull. I feel happier and more fulfilled in many of my relationships – with family, friends and most importantly, myself. I am engaging in more positive self-talk (something I can truly not stress the importance of enough) than I have in a while, and just that alone helps me feel brighter. I’ve already read one book and have started another. My mind is constantly firing a million rounds a minute coming up with new things to try in the kitchen, new activities to engage in and new ways to enjoy the people & things in my life that mean the most to me.

I truly do feel revitalized. Refreshed. Clean. Newly rejuvenated. Ready to take on my life in ways I didn’t previously feel capable of.

My attitude is of great comfort to me – it is proof that despite the world around you and how it may be changing, we truly are rooted in ourselves and as long as that is planted firmly in the ground, we are capable of anything. We will be ok. Defeat almost always begins with unkind words to oneself, but if you garner the ability to filter those negative thoughts you will be blown away by how much more you are able to accept, attempt and create, even if the world around you is shaky.

Be an oasis in your life and for those that you love. Be a fresh drink of water and a shady tree after a long journey in the desert. And know that to be these things, sometimes it only takes a hug. There is no such thing as “too small” when it comes to a gesture of love, friendship, kindness or thankfulness.

Love those around you and love yourself. And more importantly, TELL THEM, every chance you get.

♥mb.

A little advice...

...when in doubt, always choose what is right over what is easy. After all, what is right will usually make things easier in the end.

♥mb.