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

Happy April Fool's Day! I don't have any tricks for you today, but I do have a big 2nd birthday wish to (big)  Marmalade ! We opened our Belmont Center location on April Fool's Day two years ago and have so enjoyed every moment of it. The community, the space and just the general vibe over there is just about exactly what we are going for. Thanks to my marvelous Marmalade girls who help pull it off every day and for our amazing customers that support us and make it all worth doing. We will be celebrating with cake and champagne this Saturday at the store, but I wanted to shout out on the actual day.

In other news, here is the most recent addition to the May 2013 release. I think it might be my favorite one of all time. It just might.

It needs little explanation, I think you can all relate. It is true of each and every one of us and is hopefully a reminder of the wild, extraordinary that is inside. It is also in honor of a friend who I recently got to watch get her feathers... boy are they beautiful and boy, did she earn them!

Would love to know what you think!

xo

Here is the second installment to the May release. I had so much fun with this one, painting the flowers and imagining this wild place where everything I dreamed up would grow (my green thumb is more of a chartreuse...).

This one goes out to all the women in my life and yours who know what it takes to get things done. The roll-up-your-sleeves, finish-your-row, this-life-ain't-gonna-live-itself girls. They teach us what it means to flourish, and grow and be involved in your own getting there. Because, in the end, no one is going to do the work of becoming you for you.

And it's true. This life ain't gonna live itself.

Who would you send this to?

xo

I have been working away these last several non-spring (sigh.) days in the studio getting ready for May releases. It is really for the best that it has been not warm and not springish outside. I would have a very hard time focusing if that were the case. So, you can thank the groundhog for this next series of sneak peeks!

This one is a little bit of a reminder to myself, and to all the little voices inside all of us that say we can't or shouldn't or have no business being. I wrote this awhile ago and created the artwork several days ago, but today I was reading this post on my friend Andrea's blog and I realized that what she is talking about is exactly what I meant to communicate. Only my job is to distill it into three lines or less.

This goes out to the biggest, shiniest, brightest, sparkliest, limitation-free versions of yourself. Be reckless, sometimes you must.

P.S. This is also a tip of my hat to the graduating classes of 2013. Some of whom are near and dear to my heart and are already giving their limits a nudge. Go get 'em girls!

xo