Things I Love Thursday

I believe in manicures.
I believe in overdressing.
I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick.
I believe in pink.
I believe that love is the best calorie burner.
I believe in kissing.
I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.
I believe that tomorrow is another day
...and I believe in miracles.

- Audrey Hepburn

I Would Really Like to Be Here...

Mmmmm... Greece.

crystal blue water + white sandy beaches + amazing adventure
romantic location + amazing food + good book
lots of wine + stress-free + relaxation

Bliss.


Where would you like to be today?

Doggie Heaven

Holy poooper scoopers, I cannot tell you how much Bella Beast loves the dog park!

Wait a second, let me back-up a step. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of meeting my little furry monster, let me introduce you...



This is Bella Louise "Beast" Porter!

She is 16 pounds of puppy fury, leaving not a day without a new and exciting beastly adventure!

Anyways, back to the dog park! On Monday, it was a balmy 75 degrees here in the metro, so I decided it would be a perfect day to take Bella on a run to the dog park. Let me just tell you, I think she knows when it's coming. As soon as I laced up my running shoes she was literally jumping 3 1/2 feet in the air (this puppy has freakishly long legs). I latched her green polka dot leash on and we were off!

I love running with her, because there is no way she will let me stop - HELLO WORKOUT! Upon arriving at the doggie park, we were greeted by the most amazing thing. Right past the entrance gate, on top of the picnic table read "WELCOME" spelled out in brightly colored dog treats. HOW CUTE! And if that wasn't enough, there were extra dog treats sprinkled all over the entrance way!

DOGGIE HEAVEN!

Beast almost didn't know what to do with herself - hahaha! -she ran around trying to carry as many treats as possible in her mouth without dropping them. I don't blame her!

I mean imagine if you walked into your favorite store and they had tables of fresh cupcakes scattered around with a sign saying, "Help yourself - Have a happy day!" It was absolutely adorable. To the wonderful anonymous treat fairy, thank you for making my puppy's day!

Let me just say that every time we go to the dog park, Bella feels obligated to personally greet each dog and owner with sloppy kisses before she can begin to terrorize the place. She may be a tiny little dog, but she is definitely not afraid of any dog. She walked right up to a big gray Great Dane who met her nose for nose when he scooped his head down to meet her smooches. So cute!

We were only there for maybe 30 minutes when all of a sudden, the largest, shaggiest dog I have ever seen in my life bounded through the dog park gate. This thing looked like a ginormous Muppet whose "run" was more like frolicking and flouncing about. It was SO funny... and now I WANT one (surprised?)!

Of course, Bella had to make this "puppy" feel welcome and went right up to it, sat down in front of him and stared. For minutes. You could definitely tell she was trying to figure out what in the heck it was!



(I tried to find accurate pictures of how HUGE this dog was - Bella only came up to it's first leg joint... this dog was a good 28x bigger!)

They played with each other and all of the other dogs for 20 minutes or so, and then I decided to take the Beast home. The second we walked in the door she drank a bowl and a half of water - "Mom! Hello! Refill please!" - before collapsing on the sofa... for the rest of the night.

To find the dog parks closest to you click here! Trust me, you won't regret it...

...doggie heaven for sure!

Happy Easter to You!

Wouldn't you just love to sit down for a fabulous Easter brunch at this adorable decorated outdoor table? The sunshine yellow daffodils, cute little bunnies and festive grass charges make this table decor to die for!




And isn't this photo from Room Remix so pretty? If I were to host an elegant Easter celebration, that is how I would like my table to look.

Well, I hope your Easter weekend has been absolutely blissful so far. I know we will be celebrating all day long!

Plans include an amazing homemade Easter feast, day-long outdoor activities (it's going to be a sunny 80+ degrees!) and the annual fight-to-the-death big kid Easter egg hunt... should be a doozy!

What holiday festivities do you and your family have lined up?


May your Easter morning bring you overwhelming joy and hope! He is risen!

April Fools' Day

Good morning lovely readers!

As I was getting ready this morning I went to check in on the facebook world only to discover that many people were engaged, pregnant, in the hospital and moving to New Zealand.


For the longest time I could not figure out what on earth was going on... and then it hit me... April Fools' Day. Tricky!


Oh man, let me just tell you that April Fools and I have a love/hate relationship.

There is nothing more gratifying that playing a successful prank on someone, but being on the receiving end just kills me! I'm too gullible... which by the way, that word is not even in the dictionary...

Anyway, I was wondering what the origin of the holiday truly is, only to find that it's quite controversial as to where it came from. However, I did find quite a hilarious list of April Fools' pranks (via Wikipedia) to share with all of you... here we go!


Famous April Fools' Day Pranks


- Spaghetti Trees:

The BBC television programme Panorama ran a famous hoax in 1957, showing Italians harvesting spaghetti from trees. They had claimed that the despised pest, the spaghetti weevil, had been eradicated. A large number of people contacted the BBC wanting to know how to cultivate their own spaghetti trees. It was, in fact, filmed in St Albany.


- Left Handed Whoppers:

In 1998, Burger King ran an ad in USA Today, saying that people could get a Whopper for left-handed people whose condiments were designed to drip out of the right side.[11] Not only did customers order the new burgers, but some specifically requested the "old", right-handed burger.[12]


- Taco Liberty Bell:

In 1996, Taco Bell took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times announcing that they had purchased the Liberty Bell to "reduce the country's debt" and renamed it the "Taco Liberty Bell." When asked about the sale, White House press secretary Mike McCurry replied tongue-in-cheek that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold and would henceforth be known as the Lincoln Mercury Memorial.


Today's April Fools' Day Funnies:


- Google

Have you logged onto Google yet? Hahaha, those folks over at Google are quite clever. Go check it out, and if you don't seem to understand click here for the whole story. It sure does make me proud to be from Kansas - oh, lordy!


- The Sun - Edible Newspaper

The British newspaper reported that they had invented the first edible flavored newspaper this morning. It encouraged readers to lick a section of the newspaper for a "hidden taste". There's nothing like a good latte and some newspaper to get your metabolism rolling!


- Prank a la Meg

So, I am headed home this weekend with my puppy to spend Easter weekend with my family. Having Bella Beast around is always an adventure and a lot to handle at their house, so I just had to play a trick on Mom! I text her this morning saying, "So, I just want to let you know that I will bringing home more than just Bella... I bought a PUPPY yesterday! She was so cute that I just couldn't resist and her and Bella get along so great! I named her Lola... you will LOVE her!!!"

...Within 2 minutes I received a shocked phone call from home... APRIL FOOLS! (Love you, Mom! You're such a good sport.)

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Now, go out there and get to your prank pullin'... you don't want to be the fool, do you?


Happy April Fools' Day!

Back to Ballet!

T hose of you who know me well know that I am all about new adventures and cultural experiences... which is why today is the day that my ballet class begins.

That's right, ballet class!

Promptly after my work day is over, I will be headed downtown (pink slippers in tow) with my lovely cousins to embark on a new adventure/hobby.

I have been dancing since I was 3 years old, and I absolutely love everything about it. The three of us are always seeking out new adventures, and although they have never taken ballet before, I already know it's going to be a good time!

It's been quite sometime since I last danced, but I couldn't be more excited to dawn my ballet shoes tonight. Excited for a stellar workout and I know it's going to be a complete BLAST (and potential cousin giggle fest - everything is hilarious when we get together)!



...Welp, hope I still remember how to plie... wish me luck!



Hurray for new hobbies!

Spring Cleaning for Charity

I don't know about you, but after a long winter cooped up inside, I welcome Spring with open arms! Yes, spring is commonly associated with green trees, new blooms, chirping birds and mushy love, but I need some spring cleaning in my life! (Trust me.)

I started this process toward the end of February, but it really went into action this past Sunday afternoon. After being sick and tired of clutter and disorganization - I went to town on my little place!

The spring cleaning project was a selfish motive at first, but then I got to thinking about all the people that could use the things I was weeding out. So, I wanted to challenge you to spring clean for charity today in 3 easy steps:

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1) De-clutter your life!

- How much junk do you have stuffed in drawers? Do you have bins of barely used toiletries under your sink or rejected clothing hanging in your closet? Get rid of it! There are so many people in your city who desperately need the things that we take for granted: clothes, food & toiletries.

Start off, by identifying which rooms have hidden junk. Go through each room and make a piles:

1) Yes - I am, for sure keeping this.

2) Maybe - I might need this later.

3) No - This has to go A.S.A.P.

Now take your "Maybe" and "No" piles and bag them up! I know, I know... I debated about the maybe pile too, but if it's a "Maybe" that means it's not a "Yes"! Be sure to sort out old papers and recyclables, unused non-perishable food, clothing/miscellaneous and trash.


2) Give to Those in Need

The charities in your city are there for a reason - they need YOUR help! Each charity has been developed to meet a specific public need, so this is where you come into play. Put all of the clothes that you didn't wear, food you didn't eat and papers you no longer need to good use!

Turn your "trash" into other people's treasure! Not sure where to take your hand-me-downs? The national links listed below will help you find a location near you!

Clothing/Accessories

- Salvation Army
- Goodwill


Food

- Feeding America
- Ample Harvest


Toiletries
- Johnnie's House (Domestic Violence)
- Homeless Shelters


Recyclables
- Earth 911



3) Celebrate Your Generosity!

Make spring cleaning for charity a friends and family affair - after all, you're not the only one with junk! Once you have cleared your place and made your donations, go celebrate by grabbing ice cream with your cleaning team or going on a picnic.

Give yourself a good pat on the back! It takes a lot of heart, energy and time to do what you just did, so go celebrate giving back and helping others.



Imagine a world where everyone looked out for others and lended a helping hand. Be a trailblazer and inspire others to give back in your community!

Cheers to charity!

How To Have A Lovely Day

Bonjour, dear friends! I happened to stumble across this lovely "how to" and just knew that I had to share it with you today...


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Isn't this such a wonderful little truth for today? I thought so! Today is absolutely beautiful, and I can think of many reasons why today is lovely...


~ 8.5 hours of sleep makes me a happy girl
~ My favorite song came on the radio on my way to work
~ Warm weather = cute strappy sandals
~ I'm wearing a bright red, twirl-worthy dress
~ Only 2 work days left this week
~ Today is the perfect, warm, sunshiney spring day
~ I don't have to cook tonight
~ Dinner will be enjoyed outside on a lovely patio
~ I get to enjoy the company of my handsome BF this evening


...Wishing you and yours a truly lovely day!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I could not be any happier that today is Friday! Yes, I am super excited that the long work week is over, but I'm even more pumped because I get to see most of my hometown best friends for an extravagant KC girls weekend! Ahhhh!



The only part that I am not looking forward to is choosing a handful of fun things to do after we have narrowed down the extensive list of KC's finest! So, in order to help ease our habitual indecisiveness, I have made a fun list of things we could do!

I believe once the girls get in tonight, we are going to grab some grub from one of the local places just up the street from my place! Chipotle is always an easy safety net for us, but if we're craving some local flavor we may have to check out SPIN Neapolitan Pizza. Mmmm... love that place!

After we're stuffed to the brim, we are going to grab some tasty girly drinks (I have my fingers crossed for some good sangria) at the local store and head back to my casita. Naturally, we're going to change into our jammies, brush each others hair as we sit in a circle, and giggle about boys... because that's what girls do, right?

Wrong! There is no telling what this group of girls is capable of. Look out KC!


After getting up in the morning, we will probably end up hitting up Starbucks and chat about what the day holds. It would be a beautiful day to head down to the River Market district and go check out all of the wonderful things that City Market, our local outdoor farmers market, has to offer! Yum!

Perhaps we will go "window browsing" in Westport and then stash our multiple "window browsing" bags (and denial) in the car, before heading to our next adventure.


Elbow Chocolates, based right here in the metro, would be a great pick-me-up for the afternoon! I was just on their Web site yesterday and discovered they have their Easter egg chocolate sampler out!

Don't they look too pretty to eat?


The real question is what will we do with ourselves on Saturday night? As always, we welcome long, locally unique gourmet dinners, but however will we choose from the lengthy list of delicious restaurants?!

Well, being the sports fanatic that I am, and my dear friend being a K-stater, we can't miss the game! The only problem is how can we creatively bribe the other girls into allowing our game viewing? Perhaps dessert and drinks on us will do the trick (cross your fingers for us!)?

I am hoping Sunday is just lazy, complete with sleeping in and a late brunch before the girls have to head out in the afternoon! What a wonderful time to look forward to.

What are you up to this weekend? I hope you find yourself surrounded by friends making amazing memories...

Megnificent Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

In all the world of cookies, there is not one that I love more than the classic oatmeal raisin. Between the heartiness of the oatmeal, warm spices of the cinnamon and nutmeg, and chewiness of the plump raisins, this cookie just cannot be beat in my book.

I have spent more than six months trying to create the perfect recipe. I have tried every oatmeal raisin cookie recipe I could get my hands on, so now I must pass along my creation to you!

Megnificent Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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Ingredients:

- 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened - not melted)
- 1 cup golden brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon authentic vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3 cups quick oats
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup regular raisins


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat liquid mix well.

2) In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, soda, salt and spices. Slowly add the dry mixture to the liquid mixture and mix well.

3) Stir oats and raisins into the dough, mixing well.

4) Scoop dough in medium spoonfulls onto a cookie sheet (I always use a Silpat when baking. Perfect cookies guaranteed!). Bake for exactly 10 minutes.

5) Cookies will not look fully done when removing them from the over. Let the cookies set-up on the cookie sheet for only 1-2 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.


After setting-up for just a few minutes, these cookies are warm, chewy and full of juicy raisins - yum! Grab a fresh glass of milk and enjoy!

Bon Appetit!

Oh, Happy Day!

Mmm, Thursday. The weekend is within our grasp... how excited are you?! Well, once again it's a cloudy, rainy morning here in the metro. This weather has caused quite a stir in the office today, but despite the pessimism... I'm loving every minute of this rainy Thursday!



I came across this photo recently and think it is absolutely lovely. Every bit of "Meg" essence, if I do say so myself. For whatever reason, I find rainy days full of magic and whimsy. It's like the very first day that it snows big, fluffy snowflakes... everything is just so spontaneous and wonderful, and you find yourself captivated to relish the moment.

On a lovely rainy day like today, there is nothing more that I want in the world than to enjoy my favorite things...


- A good book
- Delicious hot tea
- Wonderful company
- The music stylings of Missy Higgins
- Baking delicious cookies
- Snuggling with Bella Beast
- Overly sappy romantic movies
- Putting together a puzzle
- Lounging in my sweatpants and newly favorite BF sweatshirt


What makes you happy today? Wishing you a wonderfully rainy day full of whimsy!