To H

Posted on October 25, 2013 by adaymay

My dearest H… I am so excited that I get to see you next week. Can’t wait to see the new house and your new room. Are you having so much fun? Thinking hide and seek in all the rooms will be a must!

One thing I know you are just beginning to learn about is the great joy(s) of being a big sister. As your mama might have told you, Auntie May comes from a rather large family. I am blessed to be the big sister to not only two sisters but three brothers. And let me tell you, at times it can be a bit challenging. You see, we are all so unique in our needs, desires and how we communicate with each other. So, my words of advice for you this week is get to know what makes your little sister smile. Is it reading Thomas the Train? Or playing dress-up in your closet? These things will certainly change with time but it is important to take the time to really get to know your sister. And in turn, I promise she will get to know you too.

Alright little H. Sweet dreams and I will see you on Monday!

Awareness

Posted on October 17, 2013 by adaymay

I wish what I was about to write wasn’t true but sadly it is. This year, two very close friends of mine had relatives diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, both had access to top-notch doctors, received exemplary care and an aggressive plan in place to fight. And fight they did. There is still a long road to recovery for both of these courageous women but I have much faith that they have long lives ahead of them.

Since I am a self-proclaimed shopper, I thought it was my duty to share with all of you some of the amazing products being sold this month with proceeds going directly towards breast cancer research. Here are just a few of my top picks:

– In my book, you can never have too many scarfs and this Stella and Dot number would be a great addition to any collection!

– Without fail, I always leave the house on a rainy day forgetting my umbrella and so I have decided to purchase this cute Tory Burch one to keep in my car always! As an added bonus, Tory Burch is donating 20% of the sales of this item (or up to $30,000) to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

– Looking for that perfect pink nail polish? Well, your search is over with OPI’s Pink of Hearts. Created exclusively for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, OPI has donated $25,000 to this worthy organization.

– Keeping with my beauty finds, I just love this Bobbi Brown blush set. Between this October and next March, Bobbi Brown will donate $10 from each sale of this set to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Click on the link and get yours today!

– New Balance has guaranteed a minimum donation of $500,000 each year to Susan G. Komen for the sales of their Lace Up for the Cure product line. If you are in need of some new kicks, I suggest the Komen 860.

– As I have mentioned before, I love candlelight and think this Marie Todd Heal candle is just lovely, especially since 30% of the sales will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

– Chan Luu’s Breast Cancer Awareness Stretch Bracelet would be a welcome addition to any arm candy. Ms. Luu will donate 50% of all sales of this bracelet to the Think Pink, Live Green Initiative.

– And saving one of my favorites for last, La Mer has created a limited edition hand treatment set. La Mer will donate $10 from each sale of this set to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Smooth hands and a great cause, you can’t go wrong.

So ladies (and gents), do a little shopping and know that your dollars are going to a worthy cause. And I know I am the worst at this, but do remember to do your own self exams. Early detection is key!

To You

Posted on October 9, 2013 by adaymay

Sara Barellies is just one of those singer/songwriters whose lyrics speak to my soul. “Something always brings me back to you, it never takes to long.” Gravity. Gosh, everytime I hear that song I remember those feelings of lost love.

While enjoying her Blessed Unrest concert in Boston this past weekend, I was introduced to I Choose You, a letter Sara wrote to her future soul mate. Beautiful, right? So I was thinking, I should write one. Let me know what you think!

************
Wow… what a road it has been to get to you. I really tried to never lose site of you at the end of this journey but I must be honest and say I maybe fell short a few times. But you, you have restored my faith in not only relationships, but love and myself. With you, I have found me. I was always worried about the silences I shared with lovers in the past. “What are they thinking” would run through my head. But with you. I love the silence. Because I no longer doubt how another feels for me. You show me with your words. You tell me with your actions.

I was worried I would have to chose between passion and friendship but you put that worry to bed. I finally found the one to be silly with. And honey, you make me laugh harder than I ever have in my life.

Where will this journey lead us? Only time will tell. But I will tell you this. I will be here for you. Every minute of every hour of every day. I know there will be challenges. I know there will be tears. But I also know that there will be great laughter. And adventure. And a journey we never knew we deserved until we were united.

And I just have to say this, I love that you love to kiss me as I much as I love to kiss you for it truly is one of my favorite things to do.

I am grateful everyday for you.

My New Hobby

Posted on October 7, 2013 by adaymay

I can officially cross one item off my fall bucket list! Scalloping. And what fun it was. Ventured out with my good friend David, a bee keeper and all around nature guru on the island. How does one scallop you might ask? It’s really quite easy. You need: 1) waders (or a wetsuit if you’re snorkeling for them); 2) a rake; 3) a bucket in a tube and 4) lots of patience. Scallops live in the eel grass around the island so we had to find a high destiny spot and start raking. Sadly, most of the ones we caught weren’t legal (need to be at least two years old and you can tell that by their growth ring) but we were able to collect enough for a delicious lunch. My favorite part of all… catching the amazing sunset from the water. A perfect night indeed!

Pictured above: my rake; a scallop (did you know that they are hermaphrodites… crazy); and our bounty the next day for lunch. Delicious!

My List

Posted on October 4, 2013 by adaymay

It’s that time again… my seasonal bucket list. Fortunately, work life has slowed down just a bit so hopefully I will be a bit more successful is completing these (fell a bit short with my summer list)!

1. Go scalloping. Yes, I am a native and no, I have never been. Tragic, I know.
2. Make apple butter. Fall always makes me reminiscent of my college days and one of my favorite memories is heading to Judie’s in Amherst with my girls. They made not only the best apple butter but the popovers to accompany said apple butter were insane.
3. Plan a road trip. I don’t want to admit how long it has been since I have been out of the lovely state of Massachusetts. For a girl who use to always be on the move, I can’t believe I have stayed still this long. Let’s just say, a boat reservation for the trusty Volvo has been made and I plan on hitting a few states. More to come!
4. Host a pot luck. It really is time to bring all my island friends together in my home.
5. Recipe testing with cranberries. Nantucket has one of the most beautiful cranberry bogs and I would love to spend a day in my kitchen coming up with some new recipes. Inspiration is most certainly welcomed.

My King

Posted on October 2, 2013 by adaymay

One of the many joys of island life is having wonderful friends come and visit. A few weeks back, I was able to spend a delightful morning with my dear friend R visiting from D.C. I really do have some talented friends. She was telling me all about this new podcast series she is working on with two of her friends down in the district “Ten Questions we Always Ask.” So what ten questions do they always ask? Well, you will just have to tund into the podcasts (available on iTunes) to find out.

Ok, fine. I will share just one with you. The questions is “what can you always be found with?” Let’s see… I always have my planner, a book, my journal, my favorite pen, my iPod and my king of hearts card. Yes, you read that right. My king of hearts card.

Since my divorce, I indulge in a yearly card reading. Why you ask? One of my greatest fears is that I will end up alone. I know, I know… I shouldn’t think such things but I do. So the one question I return to again and again (as he always ask, “is there something you want to focus on?”) is “will I find my great love/partner?” And you know, the card I have pulled more times than not is the king of cups. Lucky for me, there are few cards that are more loving than the king of cups, which indicates that someone who is very balanced and loving will enter your life in the future. Hope.

So how does the king of cups translate to my king of hearts card. Well, let me tell you. It all goes back to that wonderful series Sex and the City. I think it was a February night when I was siting in my apartment at 263 watching an old episode (season 6, episode 7 to be precise) when I realized, oh my god, my ex is Berger. Now don’t worry, he didn’t break up with me on a post-it note but the similarities are quite strong. Berger’s one redeeming quality was his quirky hobby of collecting playing cards found in the street. So I thought… I want to do this. And as you can guess, the first card I found was the king of hearts. My past leading me to my future? Yes, that is exactly how I see it!

And there you have it… the things I will always be found with. Be sure to tune into this bi-monthly podcast. I promise you will be well entertained.

Have You Heard

Posted on October 1, 2013 by adaymay

That’s right. Domino magazine is coming back. Now I know that they have had bi-annual issues this past year but word on the street is that Michelle Adams, founder and former editor of Lonny Magazine, will be taking the reigns and moving it back to a monthly publication. Are you as excited as I am?

Funny little story. I use to technically be a sort of magazine hoarder: Cottage Living, Martha Stewart Weddings and of course Domino. I had a small intervention with myself and decided to clean house. Well you know what, literally days later, I got word that Domino was ceasing its publishing and my heart sank. Instant remorse. So you know what I did… got myself on eBay and bought almost all of the issues. Crazy, right? But now they are one of my prized possessions and I refer to them often when I need a little inspiration.

Can’t wait to pick up the new issue and see what Michelle and her team have done!

A Day with May

Monthly Archives: October 2013