For a while now, my friend Lacy and I have been chatting on the topic of "happiness". What is it? Where does it come from? How do we get more of it? What makes us really happy? What makes one person a "happy person" and another not? The questions are endless, but the research, it turns out, is fun! We have in no way become experts, but have learned one thing: Happiness is, among other things, a practice. So like anything else we want to do better, we must make it a habit.
Lacy has been 'practicing' for a long time now, and I feel she has a lot to share on the topic. So when I decided to start this blog, I asked her if she would do regular guest-posts to talk about it. I plan to make a habit of reading them. xoxo, Leigh

Bring Balloons.

Hi all! Lacy here!

Making other people feel special is one of my top 10 Habits of Happiness! Since I was a kid I've loved sending short notes, long letters, cards and love gifts. It's a practice I still enjoy. But as someone who's tough to surprise I absolutely LOVE arranging surprises! That rush of feeling that comes from holding a secret mission. The stupid big smile you can't wipe off your face that would totally give it all away if the right person saw you (or heard your voice if you're totally see through like I am). And mostly the look on the other persons face when they open the door...it's elixir for the soul!

Gestures of love both big and small remind us that we're not alone but quite the opposite. Though we may be separated by distance or circumstance we are all still very much in this together (especially when the announcement is TWINS). I appreciate that we live in a world where we get to choose our people and that there are big metal birds in the sky to take us to them. Life is amazing if you take a moment to stop and notice and sharing it with people you love statistically* adds years to your time here.

Oh and I totally recommend that you bring balloons!

Go out there and love each other up!

xo, Lacy

Lacy Young is a professional happy person ©. You can find out more about her on her blog.

Since it is our tenth (TENTH!) year in business, and since we were out growing our longtime basement-of-a-building-near-a-dumpster-but-really-close-to-my-house-so-I-could-see-if-it-was-on-fire office situation, and since our lease was up this year, we decided that it was time for some grown-up, big-girl, just our style office space.

That is a long way of letting you know that we are moving our offices and retail warehouse across town and thusly, need to have a HUGE SALE so we don't have to physically move all that stuff!

There is a LOT of great stuff on sale right now in the online shop, and it is first-come/first-serve. There are even a bunch of signed canvases that we only have singles of and want you to have at a ludicrously low price. We only have a handful of days before we move to get this stuff out of here and into your hot little hands, so think of all the gifts you have wanted to buy or send or give to yourself and what a bountiful Curly Girl summer you are about to have and get thee over to the sale!

The direct link for the sale is here, and I am posting just a handful of the canvases that we have in the sale...some of them we only have one of so you'd better boogie!

If you need help, have questions about dinosaurs or just want to chat with someone about the awesome savings, email Lauren (lauren@curlygirldesign.com) or call the office: 617-484-9502 and she, or someone as nice as she is, will be glad to help you.

These awesome large-format, hand-finished and signed (by me!) canvases are in the sale along with many others! WHAT!? I know. Crazy.

xoxo

Happy Friday!! It is going to be HOT this weekend and outside of quickly digging in a pool in my back yard, the second most refreshing thing I can think of is cold Corona and fresh guacamole. Sadly, you will have to drink my Corona, but fortunately I make the BEST guacamole (if I do say so myself...) and am here today to tell you how to make it. It's best to make it before you start enjoying double Coronas though...improves your knife skills.

This is a super fresh guac (hence the clever title) that has nothing but raw ingredients in it. It does not contain garlic or red onions because a.) I am allergic to them and b.) I think that we should occasionally be able to enjoy guac without smelling like it later. You will not miss them or regret making it this way.

Though it contains a jalepeno pepper, it is not very spicy. If you want it hotter, use a serrano pepper or something to taste, just make sure it is a fresh pepper and not a dried one.

Also, I use a food processor (see my previous posts on how I feel about this magic kitchen tool). You can certainly do this by hand if you want a chunkier guac, just make sure your onions and pepper are minced as finely as possible.

Leigh's Super Fresh Guacamole

Ingredients:

4 spring onions

1 lime

3 ripe avocados

1 fresh jalapeno pepper

coarse sea salt

(this serves 6-8 with a bag of good tortilla chips)

Directions:

Cut the ends off of the spring onions and then cut them off again about and inch into the green part. Stick in the bowl of the food processor or dice finely and put in a medium sized bowl.

Prepare the pepper by quartering it and removing the stem, seeds and ribs (the white part inside the pepper). Do this carefully and wash your hands and knife after. Your Corona won't taste nearly as good if you have hot pepper oil in your eye. Put the prepared pepper in the food processor or dice finely and put in bowl.

If you are using the food processor, go ahead and add the juice of 1/2 of your lime to the onion and pepper and give it a quick salt. Process the mix until it is diced up really finely together. You may need to scrape the sides periodically. If you are just using a bowl, add the lime juice and salt and mix well.

Half your avocados and remove the pits. I use a knife to score them into cubes and then scoop them out with a spoon into the food processor with the onion and pepper mixture. Pulse to mix. You will alternate pulsing and scraping to get it good and mixed. During this process, add the juice of the rest of the lime and salt to taste (good and salty is a nice off-set to all the lime...). Buzz until creamy and dish up!

If you are using a bowl, mash the avocados up with a fork and add in the salt and remaining lime to taste. Mix well with onions and peppers, and serve.

This is best served immediately (mostly because you will not be able to resist it...) but stick one of the avocado pits into the bowl and cover with saran wrap in the fridge and it will be good for a couple of days.

Enjoy!

Hello & happy Friday to you! I want to start by thanking all of you for your sweet and encouraging words regarding the twins news. I feel ever so supported and loved and that is totally what I need right now. I have loved hearing your experiences with twins, and just about babies in general. I really appreciate all of it.

Here is the final addition to the May release that made it by the skin of it's teeth to the Stationery Show! Emily, our production manager had to draw a hard line with me on this deadline as I couldn't really get my stuff together. She cut me off and said this would have to go in the July release...then she saw it.  (or that's how it went down in my mind)

This card has been needed for so long and I can't wait to send it to about a hundred people. It's pretty straightforward, and goes out to all of your bright and shinys.

My mom paid me perhaps the highest compliment ever by saying: "Oh honey! I would have written this for you! This is your 'daughter' card." It made me cry (but really, what doesn't these days...) and realize that I have not been able to write the much-requested 'daughter' card because I don't have a daughter...but my mom does, and now I will soon!

So whether it reminds you of your daughter or a dear friend or some other fabulous lady in your life... I hope you find a hundred ways to send this...so Emily will be able to sleep at night.

I would love to know what you think!
xo

**Caution** This post contains total hormonally-induced honesty.

Here's how it went down:

One week ago, 19 weeks, first ultrasound.

Quick-talking Ultrasound tech: Hey guys, how's it going? (squirt squirt)

Me & Coach: Great! thanks!

Quick-talking Ultrasound tech: This your first? (turns on the monitor, types a few things...)

Me & Coach: Yep. Pretty excited.

Quick-talking Ultrasound tech: So you guys know you're having twins?

Me & Coach: Ha ha! Funny ultrasound joke!!

Quick-talking Ultrasound tech: Nope. I'm serious. There they are....

All I could see on the screen were tiny body parts.

Then I burst into tears.

We have no twins in our families, didn't do any fertility work... only heard one heartbeat many many times!

This week has challenged my emotional range more than any I can ever recall in my now, 36 years.

I will start this by stating the facts. I know this is a blessing. I know that most-likely, everything will be just fine. I know that someday, I will look back on this and be so glad it went down this way. And I do, in earnest, just pray that everyone using my body as an HQ, including myself, stays healthy and happy.

And if one more person says the word "miracle" to me I may end up on the news.

But for the better part of this week I have been terrified. We walked out of that office having everything we thought about our life, changed. We have spent the time since then recalculating, relearning and rerouting. We have had lots of talks, lots of check-ins, a few fits, many sleepless nights and possibly one panic attack. I won't say who It was me.

Deciding that we have had enough surprises for one year, we opted to learn the gender, which was actually one of the highlights of the whole experience. One boy. One girl. Both are healthy so far and good size. We will be a family of four in a matter of months!

My panic is wearing off as the news sits with me, and the babies and I have regular conversations about how nice they are going to be to me when they get here. (I firmly believe in the power of suggestion.) We are working on figuring out what we REALLY need two of, and if I am going to have to give up my beloved Mini Cooper (tear). We have broken the news to Lucy, and though she wouldn't come up in the bed for 4 days, she has now decided to sleep in the giant body pillow with me, which I am taking as a sign of acceptance.

I think the life part is getting easier to imagine, it's the physical part of all this that I am still freaked out about. Can I do this? Will my body still work? Can I keep them in there long enough? How the HECK am I going to deliver? There is a whole lot of unpredictability about it. Unpredictability and I are not super-good friends.

And I am HUGE. Which is all part of the process, I understand, but considerably awkward.

I promise this will be my only whining post. I fully plan on returning to my upbeat optimistic self shortly. I just needed to say out loud that this scares the shit out of me.

In fact, a clever reader posted a comment the other day after sniffing out the multiplicity going on over here asking if we had a nickname for the 'bump'. I jokingly said to Coach: "Yeah, it's "Holy Crap!"

So there you have it! Big news just got bigger! I am soliciting positive vibes, reassuring stories and lots and lots of laundry detergent. Send help! diapers!

Thanks for being out there in this moment!

xoxo

Hellooooo! Here is another addition to the May release. Yes. I know, it's May.

Don't judge me.

I am so fortunate in my life to be surrounded by people who love food. My dad and brother are excellent cooks, several of my close friends are solid enthusiasts, and a few are professionals. Together we share a love of nurturing and building our tribe with food and around tables. Though, as you probably know by now I love to eat, the thing I love most about these gathering times is the other stuff. The sharing of stories, the passing on of family history, the laughing and the wishes made over clinks of a glass. These things make even the most regular food taste better.

This one goes out to my Dad, who would wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment, and to my friends and their tables...wherever they are.

Who is this about for you?

xo

Oh my gosh! It has been ages since I put together a style board for you guys! Though, I am sure you have done just fine without me, I love them and hope you find them inspiring. This little bundle of joy I'm carrying around has had his/her way with my appetite during the past 19 weeks, with more than a few cravings. I thought I would base a couple of this season's Style Boards on these gestational demands... I will, however, spare you a 'chicken fingers' inspired collection. It's so last season.

Baby wants: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream! Grasshopper Ice Cream to be more specific. The kind with Oreos in it too. Oh HEAVEN! To be fair, I have always liked mint and chocolate together, but I have never in my life actually gotten in my car, in my pajamas after ten at night to go hunt for some. Fortunately, there is a local ice cream shop that makes absolutely the best Grasshopper and if I walk there and back, I don't feel so bad about the whole thing. Actually, I really don't feel bad about it at all. Is that wrong?

Mint is also a delicious color and is out there in just about every adorable way to add to your life. Here are some of my favorite finds:

1.) Mint Baubles - Marmalade (617-484-0093)* This statement necklace is all you need to get your summer started off right! Top off a simple tee or a party dress with this fresh strand of sparkle and you are good to go!

2.)Jukebox Lip Salve - Anthropologie handy to have in every bag, this lip salve softens lips and keeps you minty fresh. Great packaging doesn't hurt either!

3.)Lace Yolk Tee - Anthropologie this gorgeous and simple top is the perfect length to pair with those skinny white pants that are sneaking back into your wardrobe. It is slightly over-sized, but totally flattering and super comfortable. It comes in several colors....because you won't want just one.

4.) Hobnail glass candle - Marmalade (617-484-0093)* These refreshingly gorgeous hobnail glass candles are on our "best gifts" list at Marmalade. We can't get enough of them (or keep them in stock!) and they make the perfect Mother's Day gift! When the candle is gone, the glass makes a lovely vase. Score!

5.) Grasshopper Ice Cream - Moozy's, Belmont, MA Just in case you were local, and wanted to see for yourself. You will have to get in line though....

6.) Mint Resin Watch - Marmalade (617-484-0093)* These darling watches come in loads of colors, but the mint is by far the most popular, and freshest looking! Stretches to slip on so is perfect for everybody. Stack them up!

7.) Moxi Lolly Roller Skates - Urban Outfitters Oh to live on streets without potholes! These amazingly adorable retro rollers are making a comeback and I don't know about you, but I will take my comeback in mint green please.

8.) Cotton Stripe Scarf - Terrain My birthday is right around the corner and I think this is going on the list. I mean, stripes plus color plus cotton? Adds up to happiness in my book!

9.) Joy and Merri-mint Flats - Modcloth I can't think of a single reason not to have these. Not one.

10.) Mint Julep - Recipe here or for a bee-utiful twist on it, here. Derby is almost here and though I will not be enjoying one this year...y'all should! Cold cup, Crushed Ice. Big hat.

11.)Mint-colored paper straws - Backtozero on Etsy While you're at it... stick one of these little darlings in your julep and sip away!

12.)Mint Candy Apple - Essie at Target Can't get enough of this craving? Try it on your fingers and toes!

13.)Heartfelt Moment Blouse - Ruche This is a very lady-like answer to my minty craving. A subtle pattern and a dotty tie make this as playful as it is pretty.

What are your favorites? Any cravings of your own?

xo

* Those of you wondering and waiting for a Marmalade website..the wait will be over this summer! Expect glorious things!

Hello! Here is the next addition to the May release, fresh from the studio. This release is taking its sweet time for some reason. Apart from all that has gone on in Boston recently to distract, I feel generally scattered. I am sure it has something to do with pregnancy, but I have really intense moments of inspiration, clarity and focus, that are heartily offset with an inability to focus on much of anything and a slight feeling of detachment. It's strange. So, I am trying to go with the flow, and really capitalize on the moments when the energy is there and let myself drift a little in the rest of that space.

This one is a little cheeky, but it is meant to speak lightly to the idea that what we need, we will get. The concept of abundance and non-scarcity is big for me in this year of "plenty" and I tried to distill that concept into its simplest form. Lemonade from lemons. Cake from the rest.

It is also about making delicious things out of the most basic ingredients. There is art in there.

Hope you enjoy it...love to hear your thoughts!
xo

Hi friends! It has been a rough week up here in Boston and I thought I would lighten it up a little with some good news! As some of you have suspected, and those of you that I will see in Columbus this weekend will soon see for yourselves, I'm pregnant!

Coach and I are super SUPER excited and have enjoyed some time with our news to ourselves. I am just about 17 weeks along with a due date in early October. I had about 8 rough weeks in my first trimester, I felt hung-over all the time, ate mostly chicken fingers and Cheetos, and slept pretty much two months straight but lately, feel very good and so far the baby is healthy. Vegetables and I are now friends again, which is helpful and I feel less like something has me by the ponytail and is just swinging me around willy nilly. I am also weeping less, which makes it easier to go out in public.

We are waiting to be surprised with the gender and are so looking forward to being parents for the first time. Our journey together has brought us so far, and so close, and though I don't think anyone ever feels really ready, we feel like the time is right for a tiny person to join us on this adventure.

Lucy, on the other hand, might not share our sentiments. Time will tell.

Here is a photo of us on the day that we found out:

Looking forward to having you all with me on this crazy ride! Have a great rest of the week!

xo

Today is opening day at Fenway Park. It is going to be 66 degrees and sunny and I think it is fair to say that spring has officially arrived! Thank all that is good and holy!

I love baseball. I am not a rabid fan of any one team (though, the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are my 'home teams' and have my heart and I will root hardest for them. In the case of inter-league play (and several recent World Series,) I go with who is winning...useful strategy.

I think it is everything surrounding baseball that I really like.

The accessories, if you will.

I like hot dogs (only at the ball park) and beer and open-air play. The uniforms are classic (though a getting a little baggy if you ask me...) it's family friendly and the game is distinctly American. Oh, and summer is a fine thing to have in your back pocket if you are looking for fans. But I think the thing I like the most about it, is that despite the outrageous budget discrepancies between teams and all of that front-office malarkey, it can always surprise you.

A player can, at any moment have the game of his life, pitch a no-hitter, take it to extra innings with a well-placed grounder, or land in a slump the size of his team's Yankee-sized budget. No matter how much money is spent, there is still room for a little magic. And sometimes, sticking it out until the 9th inning... really pays off.

I found this poem, written about local Boston baseball hero Ted Williams and thought that it would be a great way to celebrate the beginning of the season, and also remind all of us to keep our eyes on the ball.

Enjoy!

The Ted Williams Villanelle by Wendy Cope
"Don't let anybody mess with your swing."
- Ted Williams, baseball player

Watch the ball and do your thing.
This is the moment. Here's your chance.
Don't let anybody mess with your swing.

Its time to shine. You're in the ring.
Step forward, adopt a winning stance,
Watch the ball and do your thing,

And while the ball is taking wing,
Run without a backward glance.
Don't let anybody mess with your swing.

Don't let envious bastards bring
You down. Ignore the sneers, the can'ts.
watch the ball and do your thing.

Sing out, if you want to sing.
Jump up, when you long to dance.
Don't let anybody mess with your swing.

Enjoy your talents. Have your fling.
The seasons change. The years advance.
Watch the ball and do your thing,
And don't let anybody mess with your swing.

xoxo