updates from ireland.

Friday after work I took off for Ireland for a week of exploring with a good friend. Although neither one of us has been here before and there's lots we want to see and do, we've resisted our inner-teacher urge to plan detailed daily agendas and have been casually planning our days as we go. We're off to Galway then Cork after a lovely three day stay in Dublin, and are super excited to continue this adventure for the rest of the week. Follow us on Instagram at #weregoingtodublin and share any tips you have for the rest of our trip! 

christmas lights.

A few weeks back a bunch of us went on our annual Christmastime adventure to see the best lights in the NYC area. We trekked to Astoria after work on a snowy Tuesday evening, picked up some delicious pizza for the road, and piled into two cars to head up to our first stop in the Bronx. 

If you've never been to the Garabedian House, it's a must. For the past 30 years, the family has worked together to create this absurd Christmas display/show that takes over the entire house and can probably be seen from thousands of feet above the earth. They design, build, and maintain hundreds of dolls that not only decorate the outside of the house, but actually entertain visitors by moving in sync with music blasting from the house. This was the second year in a row that we approached the house to the sounds of Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There." Sadly, the weather caused the dolls to take the night off from dancing and we only got to see them through their creepy protective bags. 

A rare sighting of Mr. Garabedian hard at work inside the house.

The second stop was the Lynch house, a more traditional, yet perfectly gaudy place in Whitestone. We even got to chat with Mr. Lynch, who was welcoming visitors on his porch and sharing stories of his family's recent victory on ABC's "The Great Christmas Light Fight."

Finally, we headed out to Jamaica Estates to my favorite of the bunch. Nestled in a fancy suburban neighborhood, it feels like you're far from the city unless you spot one of the gorgeous views of Manhattan. In my opinion, this house provides the ideal combination of flashy and tasteful, and with the snow covered trees and lights shining down from above, it feels as though you're walking through a winter wonderland. 

Thanks to our friend Matt, the king of planning fun events, for getting us together for such a delightful winter outing. 

What are your favorite holiday activities?

love, m

apartment tour: the parlour

As I've mentioned before, our apartment is oddly shaped. The main living area is made up of two long, skinny rooms, and it's taken us a while to figure out how to use the space. We thought about making one room a dining room or one a bedroom or treating the whole thing like one large room, but nothing seemed right. We also didn't want our personal stuff all over the living room, so since this is where our dressers and much of my jewelry and make-up lives, we opted to think of it as a sitting room off of the bedroom (the parlour, if you will.) Although it doesn't feel quite finished (I think these West Elm poufs are exactly what it needs; I've got some major plans for crafting them myself over break!), the parlour is a bright spot in the apartment that has recently served as the ideal spot for quiet work time, gift wrapping and at-home workouts. 

december weekend.

I know it's not over yet, but this season already feels too short. It was snowing through our kitchen door on Saturday afternoon (a problem that has thankfully already been fixed by our amazingly attentive super), but the white lights and Christmas tree smell made the apartment feel especially inviting. Trekking home from a friend's birthday in Queens with frozen hands and soaking feet in the midst of the ridiculous storm was a hilarious adventure. Nothing could bring me down this weekend; I wish this perfect cozy/cold combination could last forever.

apartment tour: bedroom

After living in our Brooklyn apartment for three months, it’s finally feeling like the cozy home we wanted. The layout is a bit unusual and, especially with only one closet in the whole apartment, it’s been a challenge to make everything fit without it feeling cluttered and random. There are two living spaces separated by French doors, and a teeny little room off to the side. We thought about making one of the larger spaces our bedroom, but opted to keep those more guest-friendly and make the teeny room our bedroom. Even with just the bed and one side table, it’s a tight squeeze, but white bedding, simple artwork and the sun beaming in from Bergen Street keep it bright and airy. It’s quickly become my favorite little nook in the apartment. 

snapshots of summer.

Admiring this crazy-beautiful sky after the last sunset in Aruba.

Now that it's nearing the end, I realize that this summer was a pretty perfect one. Immediately after school let out there was one thing after another to enjoy. It started with an extra long visit from one of my closest Cleveland friends, followed by trips to Georgia, Aruba, Virginia and Philly, and is now winding up with a few inspiring weeks at work and a big move this weekend (eek!). Though with the start of the school year and the packing/unpacking that's looming over me it doesn't feel like there will be much time in the coming weeks to reminisce, I'm ready to do my best to get posting again! Here are a few of my favorite moments from the last couple of months and I'm looking forward to sharing more soon!

What are you going to remember most about this summer? 

love, m

Playing dodgeball with my students on the last day of school. 

Sharing a much needed glass of milk after accidentally chewing on the spiciest pepper ever (and watching T fail in his attempt to prove I was overreacting about the spiciness.)

Laying on a raft for a week straight at a friend's heavenly river house in rural Virginia.

Relaxing by the campfire with my canine bestie in the Georgia mountains.