Beginnings

Posted on June 3, 2014 by adaymay

The first weekend of May I had the honor of celebrating the union of one of the greatest girls I know and her very lucky husband. Truth be told, Kristen and I will be celebrating our anniversary this week. 8 years. We fondly call each other wifey as we have found in each other what everyone hopes to find in a soul mate. And let me tell you, her wedding made me fall for her that much more. Every detail, from the save-the-date to the dessert buffet, was perfection. I thought I would share a few of my favorite.

The Venue

Kristen knew she wanted to have an intimate wedding, no more than 40 guests. To be included in this group was such a privilege. The location, a barn, just added to the closeness of this affair. Everyone invited shaped these two people as individuals and as a couple. A room full of great friends and many happy memories. And the best part, many were able to stay in the adjoining house so it almost felt like we were at someone’s home. Hardy Farm, 3 hours from Boston. What a place!

Placesettings

I have been to my quite a few weddings… as a guest, as a bridesmaid and even as a worker (yes the glamorous life of catering) and I have never seen such a creative and thoughtful placesetting. A photo of the bride or groom (depending on which side you are on) and you along your journey as friends. And the cool thing, after you found your seat, you were asked to hang the photo on the garland featured in the photo above. Beautiful. And the dinner plates were vintage. I thought they may have been from a family collection, but Kristen told me her resource was Etsy.

The Getaway Car
I love old cars. Like love them. And when I heard that Kristen’s father was bringing one of his, I couldn’t wait to see it. And what a beauty. Just look at this thing? And you know what, it traveled all the way from Ohio for this special occasion.

There was cornhole, customized red silo cups, sparklers by the fire pit, a serenade to the lovely bride from her groom. A magical night. We danced well into the evening. I was most happy to find a “hangover kit” in my welcome bag the next morning. The 5 hour energy, aleve and breathemints certainly helped prior to my arrival at the morning after brunch.

So here is to one of the greatest couples I know on the beginning of their journey together. I was beyond honored to be included in this celebration of love, family and friends. Certainly a strong foundation for a lifetime together. Much love to you both!

Endings

Posted on May 28, 2014 by adaymay

Friends… once again I apologize for my silence as of late. Last week was my last day at Nantucket Looms so as you can imagine my days had been a bit hectic making sure all the loose ends and little tidbits of information I acquired over the past 18 months were passed along. As with all transitions, I’ve been doing quite a bit of reflection of what I’m looking for in my next move. And while this summer I will be keeping busy in the catering kitchen, I’m excited for my upcoming move back to Boston. Finding an apartment, reconnecting with old friends, checking off all those things I never got around to the first time around (list forthcoming)… starting new.

I’ve been out of college for 13 years now, have worked at 6 different companies (4 law firms and 2 small island businesses), and have collected a few pieces of wisdom. As I begin to think about what’s next, I hope these will help guide me to that “near perfect” opportunity.

1. It’s all about team.
I have worked with some fantastic people along the way. My colleagues at Nixon Peabody and WilmerHale are still some of my closet friends. And at the Looms, I had the privilege to work side by side with the two ladies pictured above. Stephanie and Becky. Creative souls, amazing moms and business women who are carrying on the tradition of Nantucket Looms. Work is certainly work but to collaborate with those you respect, care for, can laugh with and generally like… that’s the key.

2. Work to live, not live to work.
The COO at Nixon Peabody use to always say this at our annual retreats. Of course we are employed to fulfill a certain set of tasks and job functions. But we have to work in-order to indulge and enjoy the things we enjoy in life. While I have loved every minute living on this little island, I have realized that the ability to do my weekend road-trips and impromptu travel is difficult. And for me, the ability to pick up and go is a must.

3. The bottom line.
The world lost an amazing voice today: Maya Angelou, who I believe said it best. “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” Liking and believing in oneself has always been a struggle for me. Part of the reason I returned home was to heal and work on that piece. And today, I can confidently say, “I like myself.” And so the rest will hopefully follow. I like to do so many different things. I want to be creative but analytical. I want to write. I want to present. I want to tackle a project head on. And I want to work for a company I believe in. That has vision. That is a member of the community and believes that comes with some responsibilities. Hopefully when these things align, I will find success.

So here begins my search for what’s next. Endings are always hard but they lead to beautiful new beginnings. Beyond excited for this next chapter!

35

Posted on May 13, 2014 by adaymay

Friends… please accept my sincerest apologies for my absence as of late. I was in a bit of a funk last week. You see, Friday was my 35th birthday. That’s right… in 5 years I will be 40.

I share a great deal with you on this blog: dreams I have; failures I’ve had along the way; and thoughts on the future. I have no regrets. Only one wish that my sweet brother was here to celebrate these moments with me. But something about turning 35 just set me back a bit. My evenings were filled with worries that I don’t have a child. That I’m divorced. That my savings account has dwindled down to nearly zero after taking these past two years off from corporate life. That I won’t find a job back in the city. Worries.

But you know what, so many great things have been happening lately. I have a wonderful group of friends who helped celebrate my birthday with a bang and who I know will be lifelong friends after I leave this little place. My nephews showered me with cards and a cake and sang happy birthday to me (if you follow me on Instagram you will see the artist talents of my nephew Tuck). But the greatest gift of all… I have met someone who has changed my life in ways I never knew were possible. And while I don’t want to jinx anything or share too much, I can tell you that all the heartache was worth it. So I welcome 35 with open arms. And every morning while blow drying my hair, I greet those gray hairs that have finally come to be with open arms!

Possibility

Posted on May 1, 2014 by adaymay

“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.”

My namesake month is here! I am overjoyed and oh so happy to say hello to May and again goodbye to winter, although the weather as of late has me wondering if spring really is here. I’m excited (and a bit sad) to share some exciting news with you. As you know, I returned back to island life nearly 24 months ago. I fondly called it “my time-out on life.” After many quiet days (and nights) and endless hours of soul searching, I have peace in my heart to let you know that I will be leaving my little island 30 miles out to sea. But please don’t worry, I won’t be leaving before summer. I mean, who leaves Nantucket before summer, right?

With this revelation, though, I have decided to return to managing an island catering company full-time. While I have loved nearly every minute of my time at Nantucket Looms and all the creative endeavors I have been a part of, I need to work my little tail off this summer to put away some hard-earned cash for this next chapter. Where will it be? I’m not sure just yet but as soon as I decide, I will let you know. And as Edwin Way Teale so beautifully reminds us in the quote above, anything is possible in May.

I have lots of fun plans to look forward to this month. Let’s see…

– I am off to Fryeburg, Maine and Hardy Farm this weekend to be celebrate the marriage of one of my nearest and dearest.
– Next Friday I will awake to my 35th year. More on that later.
– The weekend of May 15 is the 18th Annual Nantucket Wine Festival. A few Boston friends will be visiting so very much looking forward to yummy dinners and delicious wine, of course.
– The official start to summer is Memorial Day weekend (and the my last day at Nantucket Looms). I’m hoping to do a little weekend getaway for the thought of waiting in-line to dance at The Box with those Figawi sailors… no thank you!
– And I will end the month with a concert on the Boston waterfront with the one and only Ray Lamontagne (and two of the greatest friends a girl could as for). Can’t wait!

#BostonStrong

Posted on April 21, 2014 by adaymay

Boston. What a place. This city is like no other. The architecture. The people. The landscape. Home.

My heart aches that I can’t be there today to watch my city come together for the running of the Boston Marathon. So many incredible stories have come out over the last year. Stories of tragedy and triumph. New beginnings. Bravery. Community. One such story is from my sweet church Old South located at the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth. The finish line.

In February, members of the Old South Knitters Club came up with a beautiful idea: the Marathon Scarf Project. A simple idea really. To wrap runners in marathon blue and yellow scarves knit by hand. The group thought they could complete a few hundred at best. But like all good things, news of this project went viral and as of this weekend more than 7,000 scarves were handed out to runners. What an act of love. Now that’s what I call Boston Strong!

Good

Posted on April 18, 2014 by adaymay

Good Friday has always held a spot near and dear in my heart. You see, it was on this day many year ago I received my acceptance letter to Mount Holyoke. The story is actually quite funny.

My Mom went to the mail and saw the package: an express overnight envelope. For anyone who knows a thing or two about college acceptance, a big package is a very good thing. She was so excited she quickly made her way to Beautiful People, a little boutique I worked at my senior year of high school (my shopaholic tendencies started early). Since it was one of those first gorgeous spring days and we had a half day of school, my boss said to take the afternoon off, which meant I could join my friends for lunch. I must have missed my Mom by no more than 10 minutes. Now remember, this is well before cell phones so I didn’t give my Mom the courtesy call that plans had changed as I figured I would just head home after lunch. The magical part of this story is that there were two Mount Holyoke alums in the shop at the precise moment she was relaying the good news to my boss… that a large envelope had arrived for me. They wouldn’t possibly send a rejection letter overnight, would they? The exact question my Mom asked. Love her.

I decided to walk home that afternoon as I wanted to take in every moment of the arrival of spring. As I turned into the driveway I saw my Mom in the garden and she told me I had received a letter from Mount Holyoke. I said “big or small” and she didn’t answer. I ran in, saw it, opened it and in that moment knew my life would change forever. Earlier that week I received the dreaded rejection letter from Davidson, my top choice. This acceptance quickly eased those wounds. I ran outside with tears in my eyes and was beyond words. In those moments I knew that Good Friday was always gonna be a good day in my book. As I shared before, my years at Mount Holyoke were some of the best. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. It turned out exactly as it was meant to. My mom later confessed that she may have opened the package. I guess she is as impatient as me at times.

And friends, on this Good Friday I am more hopeful than ever that life is revealing itself to me just as it should be. Have faith. Trust yourself and believe in magic for as Roald Dahl reminds us “… watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

Blah

Posted on February 26, 2014 by adaymay

Friends, I am having one of those days. Wish I could just stay curled up in bed with a cup of tea, my book and see you all tomorrow. But since I leave for vacation in three days, I thought it best that I get myself to work. While getting ready, I caught a glimpse of a this little postcard my sweet friend Emily gave me from her adorable shop. And you know what… I instantly felt better. Funny how reading a few little words can pick you up. I’ll be back tomorrow with my Oscar picks. Get excited!

Late Night

Posted on February 18, 2014 by adaymay

I have always loved me some late night comedy. I remember in middle school, I use to stay up late to watch The Arsenio Hall show with my BFF Meghan. David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno… these guys have certainly gotten me through many a sleepless night. But no one compares to my Jimmy. First off, he is adorable. Second, we share the same sense of humor. And lastly, he sings and is best friends with Justin Timberlake. What isn’t there to love. Did you see him on in his premiere last night? Amazing!

I thought I would share just a few of my favorite Jimmy moments. As someone who loves a good thank you note, I thought his thank you note bit was genius. “Thank you, extra virgin olive oil, for making it clear that you’re better than trampy old ‘virgin olive oil,’ who probably already went to third base.” Or “Thank you, exercise, for being the only thing stopping me from getting in shape’ (sadly, so true). And my favorite “Thank you, hors d’oeuvres, for being appetizers that moved to France and got all snooty.” Cracks me up every single time!

I have always said I love a man who can sing. Jimmy’s collaboration with Robin Thicke (one of the sexiest voices out there) and The Roots… love it!

But really, does anything get better than the history of rap. Just watch and you’ll see.

So excited for this next chapter for Jimmy and excited to see Seth take over his late night spot on Monday, February 24.

A Day with May

Tag Archives: Just Because