a much needed twin day.

today was one of those days that started off wonderfully lazy. i slept (way) in, enjoyed homemade blueberry muffins made by mom, and did a few chores around the house. since i spend most of my days working (and commuting), i try to make sure that any day off does not go to waste. so, you could imagine the wasteful feelings that were setting in by 4pm, having yet to leave the neighborhood. that was when twin and i decided we would take a drive to newburyport. with the sunroof open. i'm not sure if i have made it clear on this blog yet, but for anyone who knows me (even a little), they know that newburyport massachusetts is my favorite place on planet earth. it's my heart. it's my home. i would spend every day there, forever...and be overly content. today i even came to the conclusion that i would be perfectly fine with never leaving the town borders. 

twin and i did a little window shopping and talked about our future plans to own a store in town, as we stopped to take the occasional photo and exchange needed smiles. we were in our happy place, all afternoon. twin had walked the clipper city rail trail in the past, and had spoke so highly of it that i knew i had to experience it myself. so, we made our way under the newburyport bridge, and followed this trail all the way to haley's diner for a quick fresh lemonade. we then walked back, taking a few wrong turns (on purpose), and stopping to notice the simple wonders of such a beautiful, seaside town. we pointed out little things we noticed and loved, whether it be the style of a colonial home, the perfection of a white picket fence, backyard dinners for two, painfully blue hydrangeas, little shops, or restaurants we need to add to our "try" list. 

it quickly became apparent to me that little days like this one may be my favorite. there's nothing more enjoyable than walking and talking with someone you love, and together experiencing something that you both adore. by the time we caught the sunset from plum island, i realized just how happy i was we decided to leave the house today. 

so here's to finding those little things that make you so happy. 

take a wrong turn. go the long way. have a day with no agenda.

i promise...it'll be worth it. 

a twin scare.

this past friday (the 13th, ahem) twin made an unexpected trip to the hospital. i was out with my best friend when i got the call from laura herself, and that was when best friend and i hurried ourselves to the ER. within minutes, twin was joined by her best friend, her boyfriend, our dad, and myself. (she is very loved.) twin had been experiencing strange, sharp pains in her stomach all day and figured she was having appendicitis. but after five hours, some yucky drinks, and a CAT scan, nothing was evidently wrong with her (yay!) which baffled all of us. 

as my dad, ben, and i were sitting directly outside the room of laura's scan, my dad had a recollection that gave me chills. it made me believe that despite the circumstances, everything does happen for a reason. he told me that the very wing that we were in, possibly the door next to the one laura was in, was the room where he and my mother found out they were having twins. he explained to me that they were enjoying a late dinner in ipswich when my mom began to experience discomfort, so he immediately brought her to anna jaques hospital in newburyport. an ultrasound was taken, where the doctor said to my dad, "do you hear that..." and my dad said, "two heartbeats." and those two heartbeats were not the baby and my mom, but us. their twin girls. 

and here we are. twenty-two years later. back in the same place. 

seeing my sister scared and in pain has to be the worst thing in the world. the great thing is though, i have great intuition/gut feelings. from the moment she called me and told me she was heading in, i knew in my heart it wasn't anything serious. and thank god, it wasn't. i do not want to jynx twin's new health, but after a day of sleep and chicken broth, she's good as new. :)

laura, my dear, please don't scare us like that again. i understand that you look adorable in a johnny, but let's just stay good. no more hospitals. 

love, meg

a concert at a castle.

{this girl on the right hoola-hooped her heart out the entire night}

i have mentioned before how wonderful castle hill in ipswich massachusetts is, and how much i missed it while i was abroad. last thursday marked the kick off of the thursday night picnic series, which will follow for the next six weeks. on these lovely summer nights, we pack a blanket, yummy snacks, and a bottle of wine... ready to take in the sunset while enjoying the music and company of good friends.

{thank you twin and ben for always putting a smile on for me!}

last night my best friend corrie and i did something a little different. instead of driving home with twin and her boyfriend, we got a ride on a friend's boat! as we were finding our way to the beach, the remnants of a beautiful sunset left its marks in the night sky. we followed a sandy path down to the shore, and were dazzled by the brightness and number of stars blanketing the sky. other people were on the beach too, each person and boat a distant silhouette. on our ride in, far off fires were sparkling and near waves were splashing as we saw the illuminated little town of newburyport in the distance. and when we got in, we stargazed from rocking chairs.

summer, if you would like to send more nights like this my way, i'd be completely okay with that. :)

if one (long) paragraph can move you...

"The Truth as it Currently Stands"

You will not remember much from school. School is designed to teach you how to respond and listen to authority figures in the event of an emergency. Like if there's a bomb in a mall or a fire in an office. It can, apparently, take you more than a decade to learn this. These are not the best days of your life. They are still ahead of you. You will fall in love and have your heart broken in many different, new and interesting ways in college or university (if you go) and you will actually learn things, as at this point, people will believe you have a good chance of obeying authority and surviving, in the event of an emergency. If, in your chosen career path, there are award shows that give out more than ten awards in one night or you have to pay someone to actually take the award home to put on your mantlepiece, then those awards are more than likely designed to make young people in their 20's work very late, for free, for other people. Those people will do their best to convince you that they have value. They don't. Only the things you do have real, lasting value, not the things you get for the things you do. You will, at some point, realize that no trophy loves you as much as you love it, that it cannot pay your bills (even if it increases your salary slightly) and that it won't hold your hand tightly as you say your last words on your deathbed. Only people who love you can do that. If you make art to feel better, make sure it eventually makes you feel better. If it doesn't, stop making it. You will love someone differently, as time passes. If you always expect to feel the same kind of love you felt when you first met someone, you will always be looking for new people to love. Love doesn't fade. It just changes as it grows. It would be boring if it didn't. There is no truly "right" way of writing, painting, being or thinking, only things which have happened before. People who tell you differently are assholes, petrified of change, who should be violently ignored. No philosophy, mantra or piece of advice will hold true for every conceivable situation. "The early bird catches the worm" does not apply to minefields. Perfection only exists in poetry and movies, everyone fights occasionally and no sane person is ever completely sure of anything. Nothing is wrong with any of this. Wisdom does not come from age, wisdom comes from doing things. Be very, very careful of people who call themselves wise, artists, poets or gurus. If you eat well, exercise often and drink enough water, you have a good chance of living a long and happy life. The only time you can really be happy, is right now. There is no other moment that exists that is more important than this one. Do not sacrifice this moment in the hopes of a better one. It is easy to remember all these things when they are being said, it is much harder to remember them when you are stuck in traffic or lying in bed worrying about the next day. If you want to move people, simply tell them the truth. Today, it is rarer than it's ever been.

{from one of my favorite blogs, i wrote this for you.}

a midnight missing spell.

i know i have mentioned here before that i am really missing nyc, but by golly the missing has gotten worse. it's pretty much on a whole other level now. the walks. the hustle and bustle. the parks. the neighborhoods. the boroughs. the nightlife. the shops. the food. the style. the feeling. 

when it comes to the places that i love, my heart is divided into two parts. part one: home. the other: new york city. it's no surprise to me that "the other" chunk has been growing rapidly since the last time i caught a glimpse of the shiny, stunning, scintillating, sweet, sassy skyline that i love so much. nothing has ever made me feel as alive as that gosh darn city.

as i come into my final year of study in nyc, there is so much that i want to accomplish, experience, and enjoy. i have already made a list of my goals for this upcoming school year, and will not let one slip by. and as for all the years that follow? that list is in the making ;)

{all photos from my last two years in nyc}

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p.s. one of my favorite bloggers, emily schuman of cupcakes and cashmere shared this photo of her "summertime sunset manicure" and i think it's just so cool.

when sparks flew: laura + ben.

two years ago today, twin and her boyfriend made it official. ben had just spent a month backpacking through europe, and decided the moment he got home that he wanted laura to be his. (i think he actually figured it out before he left). i can't say that i knew what adventure, excitement, and unbelievable love story was ahead of them at that point, but having the opportunity to be their personal paparazzi,  hang out with them, and watch them grow these past two years has been nothing short of incredible. 

 being a twin, it's a hard thing to let your other half go. it's a tricky thing to know that the future will only bring more separation. but i can honestly say that if there is one person that twin is going to give her heart to other than me, i'm so happy it's ben. he's become more than a best friend, almost a brother to me, and has done way too much the entire time i've known him. ben has introduced us to people and places that we couldn't imagine life without. 

i am so happy for you, twin. i hope that your fireworks never fade.

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happy 4th!