hayleythrills: childhood week

Showing posts with label childhood week. Show all posts

Mister Rogers documentary

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3GSwNXrVFqIrNbW95uR7hDOkZB4clhDa8eSbuIOdvvFD5NdgZN3F-5OSnRjzuw1Lwl26eHroaHKvQPSE5YxHoa4WUBcrQTPm9zmHKNggg6bQPXjFAZJhb1C-nZGaVp_7AorkVpSu5eE/s1600/01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735414337152124866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3GSwNXrVFqIrNbW95uR7hDOkZB4clhDa8eSbuIOdvvFD5NdgZN3F-5OSnRjzuw1Lwl26eHroaHKvQPSE5YxHoa4WUBcrQTPm9zmHKNggg6bQPXjFAZJhb1C-nZGaVp_7AorkVpSu5eE/s400/01.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki5CMB4o7_XrkxbuAKtXuvFUuUJ91QCkWkO1v1G9dMYb7YQWwBrfPjAz5I3CWtY1pWUT8haYAtbrYxIc9jRHBGHoTba4rYmYUkR3rUCCq70HIg49KFfbVNwvsSMSt4gV6I-AXeVIvWuI/s1600/02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5735414331800327410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki5CMB4o7_XrkxbuAKtXuvFUuUJ91QCkWkO1v1G9dMYb7YQWwBrfPjAz5I3CWtY1pWUT8haYAtbrYxIc9jRHBGHoTba4rYmYUkR3rUCCq70HIg49KFfbVNwvsSMSt4gV6I-AXeVIvWuI/s400/02.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>Growing up, many children wished they lived in Mister Rogers' neighborhood. Well, in 2001, MTV producer <a href="http://www.benjaminwagner.com/category/blog/">Benjamin Wagner</a> spent the summer as Mister Rogers' real-life neighbor on Nantucket island. After Rogers' death in 2003, Wagner set out to learn more about the man who meant so much to a generation. He also wanted to dig deeper into some of the lessons Rogers had taught him that summer, including the idea that "deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex."<br /><br />The result was <a href="http://www.misterrogersandme.com/">Mister Rogers & Me</a>, an 80-minute documentary chronicling the life-changing friendship. "If I learned one thing during the making of Mister Rogers & Me, it was that nearly everyone has a Mister Rogers story," says Benjamin. "Everyone has a story of inspiration and impact."<br /><div align="center"><iframe width="400" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TMXKs6OSrNg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>How amazing is that? The trailer made me so excited to see the film. It must have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience -- a childhood wish come true! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Will you watch it, friends? Did you watched Mister Rogers' Neighborhood when you were little? What's your Mister Rogers story? I'd love to hear it! I'll share mine in the comments! xoxo</span><br /><br />[Via <a href="http://laughingsquid.com/mister-rogers-me-a-documentary-film-about-fred-rogers-by-his-real-life-summer-neighbor/">Laughing Squid</a>]

Mister Rogers documentary

Growing up, many children wished they lived in Mister Rogers' neighborhood. Well, in 2001, MTV producer Benjamin Wagner spent the summe...

11:54 AM

Little Miss books: Which one are you?

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJeICa-DxD7wFdJZks0Gbr4dHqpWyUqTltAthhBgsCQprbHrtH3ryBdDA7gJB_qqBBej3dweQZkEOLu3oDiJj4OuFU4oW2Ex3wf94kafYISWPbc8mbqiWq3s1FPMsLv9XfxU7kNRqEy4/s1600/little.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734979916324743330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJeICa-DxD7wFdJZks0Gbr4dHqpWyUqTltAthhBgsCQprbHrtH3ryBdDA7gJB_qqBBej3dweQZkEOLu3oDiJj4OuFU4oW2Ex3wf94kafYISWPbc8mbqiWq3s1FPMsLv9XfxU7kNRqEy4/s400/little.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" /></a>Whoa! These <a href="http://www.mrmen.com/uk">Little Miss books</a> sure took me back this morning. Do you remember them? Each book features a different character with a <em>big</em> personality, like Little Miss Bossy, Little Miss Curious, Little Miss Helpful, Little Miss Shy and Little Miss Trouble. Roger Hargreaves created the series after his son, Adam, asked the simple question: "<em>What does a tickle look like?</em>" Now, 40 years later, Adam is the writer and illustrator of the series.<br /><br /><strong>How sweet is that? Did you ever read them when you were little, friends? Which one could you identify with the most? Did you have a favorite? xoxo</strong><br /><br />P.S. Fun fact: A new book is sold every 2.5 seconds worldwide! :)

Little Miss books: Which one are you?

Whoa! These Little Miss books sure took me back this morning. Do you remember them? Each book features a different character with a big pe...

7:55 AM

New Feature: Disabilities In The Media

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vdbMLxrfqsJrY5czYL9b6G8LBZfU6ec3UDdlJj_eHHYRNAaE2tFoVagZ2uSkv-cujWXQiXAjxBHlzQegGM9x8SOw3VvkMl2CLSjfl7FgRmZoxUZA8T1HoRqPfmCqASrqKUIfwkPsOMM/s1600/handicapped.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734635934268452786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vdbMLxrfqsJrY5czYL9b6G8LBZfU6ec3UDdlJj_eHHYRNAaE2tFoVagZ2uSkv-cujWXQiXAjxBHlzQegGM9x8SOw3VvkMl2CLSjfl7FgRmZoxUZA8T1HoRqPfmCqASrqKUIfwkPsOMM/s400/handicapped.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 388px;" /></a>I always get so inspired when I see positive news stories about people with disabilities -- the kind that highlight the person more than the disability. It makes me feel like, little by little, those walls of stereotypes and misconceptions are being torn down. After all, remember the amazing <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2011/10/people-with-disabilities-in-media.html">Mariah Slick</a>? So, I'm so excited to introduce a new feature today, friends: Disabilities In The Media. I'll be sharing stories of movers and shakers who are making headlines, not for their disabilities, but in spite of them. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrAzFYkOHl_yHQ63hpqE3dqgWPskWmzrgqP-WJk7GRTGsQgw-phqImM1B_EHeSDtKt6HuG_rJyP9hFxag-1eitERCiiDtQUsD7I3yzMILmLMzXg3CY8XfqxpM2n1Hj6P6KDdGmH0k0l8/s1600/annie-clark-440.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734377898801710530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrAzFYkOHl_yHQ63hpqE3dqgWPskWmzrgqP-WJk7GRTGsQgw-phqImM1B_EHeSDtKt6HuG_rJyP9hFxag-1eitERCiiDtQUsD7I3yzMILmLMzXg3CY8XfqxpM2n1Hj6P6KDdGmH0k0l8/s400/annie-clark-440.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>First up: Meet <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20589127,00.html">Annie Clark</a>. The seven-year-old recently took home the Nicholas Maxim Award for her exceptional handwriting. This was the first time that educational publisher Zaner-Bloser Inc. offered the award to students with disabilities. As she was cheered on by her fellow students, Annie accepted the award on her school's basketball court. <br /><br />"Annie has always been very, very determined, very self-sufficient in dressing herself and feeding herself," says her dad, Tom. "She can ride a bike. She swims. She is just determined that there's nothing she can't do."<br /><br /><strong>You go, Annie! Have you read any stories about people with disabilities lately, friends? I'd love to feature them, so feel free to email me (mellow1422 [at] aol), send me a <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/melissablake">Tweet</a> or post on So About What I Said's <a href="http://facebook.com/soaboutwhatisaid">Facebook page</a>! xoxo </strong>

New Feature: Disabilities In The Media

I always get so inspired when I see positive news stories about people with disabilities -- the kind that highlight the person more than the...

9:35 AM

Fashion Friday: 8 beautiful baby gifts

<div align="center"> </div><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13729000/13729151_4276_625x625.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13729000/13729151_4276_625x625.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 518px;" /></a>Friends, what would <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/baby%20week">Baby Week</a> be without a little shopping thrown into the mix? It's so much fun to shop for a newborn or a mom-to-be, isn't it? Here are 8 ideas for the perfect baby gift, whether it's a boy or a girl...<br /><br />*Classic <a href="http://www.superpavillion.com/rubber-duck/">rubber ducky</a>, $3.64.<br />*<a href="http://www.target.com/p/Circo-Baby-Animals-4-Pack-Flannel-Receiving-Blankets/-/A-13532650">Baby blanket</a>, $10.29.<br />*<a href="http://www.jr.com/gund/pe/GND_320115/">Plush teddy bear</a>, $14.99.<br />*<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlesaplingtoys?section_id=6830081">State/province teethers</a>, $12.<br />*A <a href="http://www.carters.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Carters-Site/default/Product-Show?pid=714442434889&cm_mmc=CI_Carters-_-Shopzilla-_-Carters%20%3E%20Baby%20Girl%20%3E%20valentines%20day-_-714442434889&srccode=cii_10043468&cpncode=32-114463883-2">lion</a> onesie, $7.<br />*<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71631090/wooden-whale-push-toy-waldorf-eco">Wooden whale push toy</a>, $14.<br />*<a href="http://www.landofnod.com/baby-mobiles/kids-room-decor/sheep-mobile/f9914">Sleep mobile</a>, $130.<br />*...and of course, the classic book <a href="http://www.landofnod.com/all-books/toys-gifts/goodnight-moon-board-bookby-margaret-wise-brown/f4448">Goodnight, Moon</a>, $8.99.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What's your favorite baby gift, friends? xoxo</span><br /><br />P.S. Like my mad InDesign skills? I'm having so much fun playing around with the program! :)

Fashion Friday: 8 beautiful baby gifts

Friends, what would Baby Week be without a little shopping thrown into the mix? It's so much fun to shop for a newborn or a mom-to-be,...

9:30 AM

Love Lounge: What if you don't want to have children?

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pxMVN6-dPE4Qk2ALjpj-Cog4hClDOsPfDqEbIaH5LieWN0JwMsKcSGDW1rV-D7a12LdbGWva8T0mQR3NthFfSsiOA4nx0Ecn5dks268diPN0kQefRjNu5b1CDFNxCZdNvJMYQ9_NhPk/s1600/01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732845575509594690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pxMVN6-dPE4Qk2ALjpj-Cog4hClDOsPfDqEbIaH5LieWN0JwMsKcSGDW1rV-D7a12LdbGWva8T0mQR3NthFfSsiOA4nx0Ecn5dks268diPN0kQefRjNu5b1CDFNxCZdNvJMYQ9_NhPk/s400/01.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" /></a>On Monday, to kick off <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/baby%20week">Baby Week</a>, we shared our <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2012/04/its-baby-week.html">baby fever stories</a>, and I reminisced about three little boys who had a not-so-little effect on me and made me begin to rethink my future, if only just a little bit. But let's turn the table today because, well, despite my story on Monday, my heart didn't always swell every time I'd see a new mother with her newborn in tow or see a toddler's face light up as he pointed to animals from a colorful picture book. In fact, I was a metaphorical card-carrying member of <span style="font-style:italic;">that</span> group at one time. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I didn't want kids</span>.<br /><br />It's not that I don't necessarily like kids or that I've never been around them; I'm one of the oldest cousins on my father's side of the family. The simple fact was that I just never envisioned having children of my own. Even now, I sort of cringe when I look at those words. A simple four-word sentence, and yet, it holds so much power. Think about this: We as humans are hardwired to want kids. It's supposed to come naturally -- this instinctual desire to have kids, have a family, have the the white-picket fence and everything wrapped up in the American dream. Don't get me wrong: Sometimes I <span style="font-style:italic;">do</span> want that. And then other times? Well, it just terrifies me. Something tells me I'm not alone here.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkoyjMIBzBp7l6i_HtoLbO5OWEiMmciaXSQMEXpwdoQC2ztee4rn7Svr14Rch-pxqBcpf4Kd4rs5RQH4kJ3x7OReUaUI8fXkH5Mabv-18_wrhFGKXOnv6b64i0AHHdxB-qDP6KoJBZ5s/s1600/02.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732845786762757410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkoyjMIBzBp7l6i_HtoLbO5OWEiMmciaXSQMEXpwdoQC2ztee4rn7Svr14Rch-pxqBcpf4Kd4rs5RQH4kJ3x7OReUaUI8fXkH5Mabv-18_wrhFGKXOnv6b64i0AHHdxB-qDP6KoJBZ5s/s400/02.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 302px;" /></a>Of course, I can't discount the role my disability plays in all of this. Maybe that's what's making me so fearful and unsure? There is a very high probability that my child would also have Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, and part of me doesn't want that for my child. As hard as I've worked to thrive despite my disability, I don't think anyone would ever want that for their children. That's sort of like saying, "Yes, I want my child to have lots of hospitalizations and have more than 20 surgeries." It just doesn't sound right. Does that make sense?<br /><br />So what happens if you're wired a bit differently? What does that say about you if you're never bit with the baby-fever bug? What kind of person does that make you? Are you any less useful or valuable to society? Do you think society judges women who don't want children differently than they judge men who don't want children? Does your desire to remain childless make you any less of a woman? Did your womanhood somehow get tossed aside? And, does not wanting kids mean you lack a maternal side and instead have a heart of ice and stone?<br /><br /><em><strong>**Don't forget to enter the <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2012/04/shopbop-100-gift-card-giveaway.html">Shopbop giveaway</a> for your chance to win a $100 shopping spree!**</strong></em><br /><br />[Photos by <a href="http://charlesgullung.com/">Charles Gullung</a>]

Love Lounge: What if you don't want to have children?

On Monday, to kick off Baby Week , we shared our baby fever stories , and I reminisced about three little boys who had a not-so-little effec...

1:55 PM

Baby photos: Then & Now

<div align="center"> </div><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13679500/13679792_bc73_625x625.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13679500/13679792_bc73_625x625.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height:461px;" /></a>For her extraordinary series <a href="http://www.annegeddes.com/modules/anne/galleries/ThenAndNow/Joshua.aspx">Then & Now</a>, photographer Anne Geddes revisited the babies from some of her original images "as they are today." I love how the photos, also included in her autobiography <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Labor-Love-Autobiography-Anne-Geddes/dp/B005Q63Y56/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334759728&sr=1-7">A Labor of Love</a>, offer a glimpse of just how much we all grow and change over time. Here are a few of my favorites from the series, along with Geddes' behind-the-scenes thoughts...<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13678500/13678944_008b_625x625.jpg"""><img alt="" border="0" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13678500/13678944_008b_625x625.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 518px;" /></a><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13679000/13679066_dd8b_625x625.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13679000/13679066_dd8b_625x625.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 518px;" /></a><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13679000/13679170_500e_625x625.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13679000/13679170_500e_625x625.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 518px;" /></a><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13679000/13679270_ad37_625x625.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13679000/13679270_ad37_625x625.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 518px;" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Aren't these photos amazing? Don't you love the idea of a photo timeline of a person's life? Have you ever done something like this? Would you? xoxo</span>

Baby photos: Then & Now

For her extraordinary series Then & Now , photographer Anne Geddes revisited the babies from some of her original images "as they ...

9:20 AM

Two cute baby videos

<div align="center"><iframe width="400" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_OBlgSz8sSM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Do you have any favorite baby videos, friends? I found two this morning that totally made me say "<em>Awww</em>" out loud. First, meet little Charlie Davies-Carr from England. He became a viral sensation in 2007 after his father posted <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM">Charlie Bit My Finger</a> on YouTube as a way to share the boys' life with family friends in the States. The video features Charlie, now 5, chomping on his older brother, Harry's (<em>you guessed it!</em>), finger. The video has been viewed 417.6 million times, making it the most successful noncommercial video in YouTube history. I love Charlie's little laugh and how Harry reassures him by saying, "<em>I'm not really hurt</em>." And how adorable is their accent?<br /><div align="center"><iframe width="400" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lih0Z2IbIUQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>And who can resist this study-in-language <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lih0Z2IbIUQ&feature=relmfu">video</a> of Brooklyn twins Sam and Wren having a wildly engaging conversation with each other? Their mom <a href="http://www.twinmamarama.com/">Abby</a>, also a twin, posted the video, and it's received 6 million hits already. Don't you wonder what the twins are contemplating? (There's another video of the twins <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmA2ClUvUY&feature=autoplay&list=ULlih0Z2IbIUQ&lf=mfu_in_order&playnext=1">here</a>).<br /><br /><em><strong>P.S. Don't forget to enter the <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2012/04/shopbop-100-gift-card-giveaway.html">Shopbop giveaway</a> for your chance to win a $100 shopping spree!</strong></em><br /><br />[Charlie video via <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/world/europe/charlie-bit-my-finger-video-lifts-family-to-fame.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper">The New York Times</a>]

Two cute baby videos

Do you have any favorite baby videos, friends? I found two this morning that totally made me say " Awww " out loud. First, meet li...

7:30 AM

Let's talk siblings!

<div align="center"> </div><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13534000/13534056_e1b4_625x625.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/13534000/13534056_e1b4_625x625.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 329px;" /></a>In honor of yesterday's <a href="http://www.siblingsday.org/">National Sibling Day</a>, let's talk about those relationships that are often a mixture of love, competition, petty fights (<em>and some not-so-petty ones</em>) and at the end of the day, respect. They can be all at once frustrating, fascinating and fantastic. I've talked about <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2011/10/do-you-have-nicknames-for-your-siblings.html">my sister</a> before, but I'd love to share a little more of our story today...<br /><br />My younger sister, Janelle, and I are twins, despite our four-year age gap. We talk alike -- we’ve been known to spontaneously burst into a British accent, riddled with <em>bloody</em> this and <em>cheeky</em> that. We think alike -- my aunt once commented that we seem to have our own <em>sister language</em> because we could finish each other’s sentences and know instinctively what the other was thinking long before a single syllable ever escaped from our lips. And my mother used to say that we both share the same hurried gate, a mixture of frenzy and determined energy -- though I bustled around in my wheelchair while Janelle laced up her slick white Nike’s and set off to pound the pavement. Until my father’s death, I never understood the deep bonds of sisterhood. Our lives are changing and our paths are beginning to diverge on the metaphorical trail that has become our shared existence. And all the while, I’m not so sure if I’m ready to swiftly wave goodbye to our shared history and enter the <em>real world</em> without my partner in crime. After all, it had always been us against the world. Will the solo woman I become vastly differ from the little girl who wrapped her gangly arms around her little sister in a childlike bear hug?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4RRZbiBGbYfRgvryBZGPd8YHqkVwd1SDu0CdzksQfgbrYV7Cwh9Y3URAxhNo54FWHV8aZzJtbPTrkfYC4hnW9wlvc3eiIVyvYvOzEd721bYpdWF1Kve-ub67GtMZzRCOV7MAZw3WmJM/s1600/02.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730137653258038338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4RRZbiBGbYfRgvryBZGPd8YHqkVwd1SDu0CdzksQfgbrYV7Cwh9Y3URAxhNo54FWHV8aZzJtbPTrkfYC4hnW9wlvc3eiIVyvYvOzEd721bYpdWF1Kve-ub67GtMZzRCOV7MAZw3WmJM/s400/02.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 313px;" /></a>Janelle was born when I was a four-year-old little redhead. There was some concern that she would also have <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/Disability">Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome</a>, so my parents did their homework: They visited three geneticists, one of whom said my Freeman Sheldon Syndrome may have come from my mother’s side. And then, ever the thinkers, my parents contemplated, discussed and contemplated again. Apparently, they thought a sibling would be good for me, so on a chilly fall day in October, with the colorful leaves falling from the trees, we welcomed the newest member of our family. As the story goes, I was as proud as if my new baby sister was my own daughter as my father lifted me high up so I could peek through the glass walls of the tiny incubator to get my first glimpse of her big bald head and shiny blue eyes. I was the first one to see her, even before my mother, and in my child mind, that somehow gave us an extra-special bond. <br /><br />But our roles were often reversed growing up. Because of all my surgeries and the fact that the hospital became our second home by the time I was two years old, my sister had to grow up fast, bypassing a totally typical childhood for the sterile halls of doctors' offices and hospitals. She was a little person in a big, scary medical world, getting shuffled around to family members during my surgeries so my parents could be with me at the hospital or sitting for hours in a hard hospital chair. A child shouldn’t know the words needle, IV or operating room better than words like playground, toy or Chuck E. Cheese, but she never once complained. Instead, she took care of me, playing games with me as I lay in the large hospital bed and telling me about all the exciting things she and my father did while they were home by themselves.<br /><br />So when my father died, I worried about my sister more than ever. I became her protector and felt this intense need to take care of her, to give her the stable sort of life she missed out on during her childhood. I thought that if I could just hover over her like a mother hawk, I could ease her grief and prevent anything bad from ever happening again. I couldn’t physically take care of her the way she did for me all those years, but I could be the emotional rock -- the stability -- that she needed. But maybe all my motives went far deeper than that. Maybe it was my way of taking care of her, of paying her back for all those years she took care of her big sister. Maybe I even felt guilty that my little sister was robbed of her idyllic childhood because of me. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9yTqqX5100thtyy__ZeVtnHdSrFKwz5H9UOBvdUq-SJVejPXx6U5ohTrXUZf2ofio3KsQO4s5u5mBPWbiHXO2BOD1peZY-i1_TT6rhxKmoW0wEPdUeiaOvdd6ySO6NJ8Gd-JmSvKJYc/s1600/03.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730137650841329250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9yTqqX5100thtyy__ZeVtnHdSrFKwz5H9UOBvdUq-SJVejPXx6U5ohTrXUZf2ofio3KsQO4s5u5mBPWbiHXO2BOD1peZY-i1_TT6rhxKmoW0wEPdUeiaOvdd6ySO6NJ8Gd-JmSvKJYc/s400/03.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" /></a>A few years ago, I happened to glance at her as she emptied the dishwasher. And she was a carbon copy of my father. Her mannerisms, her meticulous technique of placing each bowl in its proper place -- it was all my father. And yet she also looked like that little girl who once screamed in sheer joy as he pushed us halfway to the sky on the playground swings. I got a tear in my eye as I realized we’re each other’s last link to our father. She’s the only other person on Earth who’s had the same childhood and who will carry those memories of being with our father in her heart like I do. We may grow up, but I know we’ll somehow always come back to each other. And maybe for a little while longer, it will still be us against the world. <br /><br /><strong>Do you have siblings, friends? How has your relationship changed since childhood? Are you closer now than you used to be? Are you alike? Different? Do you think the sibling relationship between brothers is different than it is between sisters? What do you love about your siblings? What's your sibling story? xoxo</strong><br /><br />P.S. A very, very (<em>very!</em>) exciting <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/gorgeous%20giveaways">giveaway</a> is coming up soon! :)<br /><br />[Top photo via <a href="http://www.siblingsday.org/">National Sibling Day</a>]

Let's talk siblings!

In honor of yesterday's National Sibling Day , let's talk about those relationships that are often a mixture of love, competition, ...

8:00 AM

Funny comic

Funny comic

So true! Didn't candy seem so much bigger when you were a kid? P.S. Will you be eating Cadbury creme eggs on Sunday? [Comic by Gemma Co...

7:05 AM

10 creative Easter egg designs

<div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7046573011_9b2dea0a35_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7046573011_9b2dea0a35_z.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 533px;" /></a>Growing up, one of my favorite <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/spring%202012">things</a> <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/spring%20fashion%20trends%202012">about</a> <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/spring%20fling">spring</a> was dying Easter eggs. Every year, though, I stuck with the same standard colors -- the reds, the blues, the greens, the pinks. I never got too wild and crazy. I haven't decorated eggs in years, but lately, I've been seeing so many creative and beautiful designs that it makes me want to get back in the ring and step up my game so I'm not left with egg on my face (<em>pun intended...</em>). Here are the 10 that made my jaw drop this morning...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwV9-1264X_hf1NYKA-J6Wb3ZFSey4yBlnrWR84aS68rf1U3Jfr7LeRuTqewfne-D3q3ah8zGQFfp5y4_aseZioO3XC3EXSnKTokeaKyT0hwcnjfFU2CaCJUiRH3Y3JuEJsnTDAzejPc/s1600/aa5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727716166926772802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwV9-1264X_hf1NYKA-J6Wb3ZFSey4yBlnrWR84aS68rf1U3Jfr7LeRuTqewfne-D3q3ah8zGQFfp5y4_aseZioO3XC3EXSnKTokeaKyT0hwcnjfFU2CaCJUiRH3Y3JuEJsnTDAzejPc/s400/aa5.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a>A groovy throw-back with <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/easter/easter-crafts/easter-egg-decorating/tie-dye-easter-eggs-670296/">tie-dye eggs</a>...<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7046583411_bc0e6f64c8.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7046583411_bc0e6f64c8.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 331px;" /></a>A futuristic look with neon <a href="http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2012/03/everyday-party-dip-dyed-eggs.html">dip-dyed eggs</a>...<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7046610953_5f4ea85715.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7046610953_5f4ea85715.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a>A classic mix of <a href="http://www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/eggs/pretty-no-dye-easter-eggs/#page=11">pastel striped eggs</a>...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnQanLUXC2w4AJRWv-9GA0JJ0y5zNMaKJOwyLWHAGcVPIxRc3bYRlGHZDBNTlYbg-k6iSV3sz79FgHp5KQJAja5xmBCt5LHutBwsJzVufG7S3PEZXP5hCDTKFZ7Pv6roFKsvwmf4zoFY/s1600/aa.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727720780841697058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnQanLUXC2w4AJRWv-9GA0JJ0y5zNMaKJOwyLWHAGcVPIxRc3bYRlGHZDBNTlYbg-k6iSV3sz79FgHp5KQJAja5xmBCt5LHutBwsJzVufG7S3PEZXP5hCDTKFZ7Pv6roFKsvwmf4zoFY/s400/aa.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" /></a>A set of <a href="http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2010/04/01/easter-surprise-eggs-the-easy-version/">vibrantly colored eggs</a>...<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7133/7046620897_9a2f111b0f_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7133/7046620897_9a2f111b0f_z.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 533px;" /></a>A set of <a href="http://www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/eggs/quick-and-easy-easter-egg-decorations/#page=3">intricate origami eggs</a>...<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/7046578891_b947a846a6_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/7046578891_b947a846a6_z.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 554px;" /></a>Two words: <a href="http://www.fabhousewife.com/diy-ombre-easter-eggs/">Ombre eggs</a>...<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/7046517091_69f27a87f6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/7046517091_69f27a87f6.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 500px;" /></a><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7046526021_6ae96f3131.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7046526021_6ae96f3131.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 500px;" /></a><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6900435256_de0c8fe6f9.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6900435256_de0c8fe6f9.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 500px;" /></a><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7046540025_d45b98bd50.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7046540025_d45b98bd50.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 500px;" /></a>And of course, no one does it like Martha, with her <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/893176/thread-wrapped-easter-eggs?center=276968&gallery=275369&slide=893176">Thread-wrapped</a>, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/lace-eggs?center=276968&gallery=275369&slide=264362">lace</a>, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/893174/glittered-easter-eggs?center=276968&gallery=275369&slide=893174">glittered</a> and <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/dripped-on-eggs?center=276968&gallery=275369&slide=264371">dripped-on</a> eggs. <br /><br /><strong>Do you still dye Easter eggs, friends? Do you stay more traditional, or do you get crazy? Let's chat! xoxo</strong><br /><br />P.S. More egg-tastic posts, including an <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2010/04/inspiration-egg-engagement.html">egg engagement</a> and <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2011/04/confetti-eggs.html">confetti eggs</a>. Also, remember when I <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2009/04/sunday-column-mr-bunnys-image-makeover.html">gave the Easter Bunny a makeover</a>?<br /><br />[Top photo via <a href="http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/03/pipe-cleaner-easter-eggs/">Teach Preschool</a>]

10 creative Easter egg designs

Growing up, one of my favorite things about spring was dying Easter eggs. Every year, though, I stuck with the same standard colors -- t...

6:45 AM

Dream Home: Balloon lamp

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4f9gfQR5o0d0zmtD9CeQHiBhLMuFREuiqyBkbEa_3hX0vlH6XGYhdlY9fhwCMCDAktYQ6ug3zK876STT2zbp5L4yieYTNBIAysuT3Qmt7QS1xe_y-rwhzW53szKl6UNdY6TqoTXN0ew/s1600/aa.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724944422122726882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4f9gfQR5o0d0zmtD9CeQHiBhLMuFREuiqyBkbEa_3hX0vlH6XGYhdlY9fhwCMCDAktYQ6ug3zK876STT2zbp5L4yieYTNBIAysuT3Qmt7QS1xe_y-rwhzW53szKl6UNdY6TqoTXN0ew/s400/aa.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgux-DtYNoFkmtGI-aVLTeiiP64NAXsGUW2drvy7dY8IeQeeEBHFy0rq0YHLaUbzUTpHPCnzWw5TjHrV1aSmAY4dVKTB0acg9B0w0cZjhszUQ0St7WxMaun5t3jnviOyTtcZY1BS8-q-s/s1600/aa2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724944418897267026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgux-DtYNoFkmtGI-aVLTeiiP64NAXsGUW2drvy7dY8IeQeeEBHFy0rq0YHLaUbzUTpHPCnzWw5TjHrV1aSmAY4dVKTB0acg9B0w0cZjhszUQ0St7WxMaun5t3jnviOyTtcZY1BS8-q-s/s400/aa2.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a>I'm in love with the magical feel of this <a href="http://www.estiluz.com/modulos/productos_detalle.php?id=14148">balloon-shaped lamp</a> this morning. Created by Francesc Crous and Alessandro Calogero, the bright minds (<em>pun intended</em>) behind Barcelona-based studio <a href="http://www.crouscalogero.com/">CrousCalogero</a>, it reminds me of a whimsical fairytale and would be perfect for a child's room, don't you think, friends? Plus, you can suspend it from the ceiling for a nice, soft glow. Part of me secretly thinks it would be fun to pull that string and daydream of flying away! xoxo<br /><br />P.S. <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2009/06/up-up-up.html">Five</a> <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2010/10/balloon-save-dates.html">more</a> <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2010/11/up-inspired-engagement.html">balloon</a>-<a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2011/03/birthday-balloon-wishes.html">themed</a> <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2011/08/geronimo-balloons.html">posts</a>.<br /><br />P.P.S. A new <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/Letters%20to%20my%20future%20husband">Letter To My Future Husband</a> is coming up this afternoon! :)<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/playfully-creative-balloon-lamp">My Modern Met</a>]

Dream Home: Balloon lamp

I'm in love with the magical feel of this balloon-shaped lamp this morning. Created by Francesc Crous and Alessandro Calogero, the brig...

8:22 AM

Spring Fling: Whimsical watercolors

<div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7008452069_577c8ffbb3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7008452069_577c8ffbb3.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 403px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VlXuhvl1ibYCvQCJIJ7_tLUyUhwM3KXzJrNFztcqviqDOWZi2UOC_WAB3UClZQDc_tXrxaHgUab4oAT8R0MJo56OPsIMWGd1_nHxpiSoSgNjfCZUfyYxq_xvytfbqya7QOFZtdTP0ck/s1600/02.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723094903941934466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VlXuhvl1ibYCvQCJIJ7_tLUyUhwM3KXzJrNFztcqviqDOWZi2UOC_WAB3UClZQDc_tXrxaHgUab4oAT8R0MJo56OPsIMWGd1_nHxpiSoSgNjfCZUfyYxq_xvytfbqya7QOFZtdTP0ck/s400/02.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KfHXf8sp6Hu5qY20a0gQv55HX5pYnsyIokCaL7GMOYNesaPHi7o2L_ct1S-AC-OekrgNGntg3AFE4Ex4BVh4NFG1zwq6OKM3t-UTyiJPUb63lsrUjb4l_NGLOdLV5MFGzAyb9fdu_IA/s1600/03.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723094893502692034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KfHXf8sp6Hu5qY20a0gQv55HX5pYnsyIokCaL7GMOYNesaPHi7o2L_ct1S-AC-OekrgNGntg3AFE4Ex4BVh4NFG1zwq6OKM3t-UTyiJPUb63lsrUjb4l_NGLOdLV5MFGzAyb9fdu_IA/s400/03.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 288px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12GqeogI_M0DF_Du0pHiSG8CFWrohQXbNwWb6LuAxoWpK5fxZvBjAFmjiB2kAZy0aSS7Wu4DsoxnZfMaDsBmruwmLAhuFAhKbR5kNsNN5wsEnxnfObkdM-zzStDuaRSzjxNAyhnl4eAU/s1600/04.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723094890738988914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12GqeogI_M0DF_Du0pHiSG8CFWrohQXbNwWb6LuAxoWpK5fxZvBjAFmjiB2kAZy0aSS7Wu4DsoxnZfMaDsBmruwmLAhuFAhKbR5kNsNN5wsEnxnfObkdM-zzStDuaRSzjxNAyhnl4eAU/s400/04.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUaQ_agVPqU9DTXb0w7x3dJ2VZ2_27nxLvQUnVgFlXT7-BK47d6HY6ZPIEfHGZJErOTUhGT4b-oWbixXtLrWKH9lrK3RvowAhhVRiaHPcRXGaVf7nC_xPPa6V9Ic3U9gW6OJ6rRMsD-8/s1600/05.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723094885242185458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUaQ_agVPqU9DTXb0w7x3dJ2VZ2_27nxLvQUnVgFlXT7-BK47d6HY6ZPIEfHGZJErOTUhGT4b-oWbixXtLrWKH9lrK3RvowAhhVRiaHPcRXGaVf7nC_xPPa6V9Ic3U9gW6OJ6rRMsD-8/s400/05.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/6862328572_7c3f15450b_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/6862328572_7c3f15450b_z.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 527px;" /></a>I'm in love with everything about <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/joojoo">joojoo's</a> prints: The bright, bounce-off-the-screen colors, the cute birds and the sweet nod to nature in each one. Don't they remind you of a children's book, friends? xoxo

Spring Fling: Whimsical watercolors

I'm in love with everything about joojoo's prints: The bright, bounce-off-the-screen colors, the cute birds and the sweet nod to ...

7:14 AM

Spring Fling: Cadbury creme eggs

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikE4iAxyw_oMhuZDahZ5Z2PWh9sVGny9xDZ3U9p1YKA-7pZ4yZNsnrc8rnYtnh8Tp9y_TwfUc8DpudQwcfTrvEcHROYsCQ9Er6D4Z89UzQRwGvsl7xiQZw97ulbUmXBEysif5nb2NmFJ4/s1600/01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722785740991066370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikE4iAxyw_oMhuZDahZ5Z2PWh9sVGny9xDZ3U9p1YKA-7pZ4yZNsnrc8rnYtnh8Tp9y_TwfUc8DpudQwcfTrvEcHROYsCQ9Er6D4Z89UzQRwGvsl7xiQZw97ulbUmXBEysif5nb2NmFJ4/s400/01.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 260px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggka32ORBvHA6OS4DCyQ2R6iyXlsAT8g7BUMXEhbIoEKqunXlj6oFnlrdeuVSTenuAQKCzEiRBcP_JC4uPcIAmhlmUkgpEmP6puch7WMr5GlIpuq7hHjbjcLe0dS3GZNRAZH5eQz4LBok/s1600/02.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722785734294581778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggka32ORBvHA6OS4DCyQ2R6iyXlsAT8g7BUMXEhbIoEKqunXlj6oFnlrdeuVSTenuAQKCzEiRBcP_JC4uPcIAmhlmUkgpEmP6puch7WMr5GlIpuq7hHjbjcLe0dS3GZNRAZH5eQz4LBok/s400/02.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 305px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDPfiVtgTpT4CS-tP4a3QMSfipNzyWBaTrvTmAqYeH9RSwAzgtdm3i2-r-SUb2weAcWsXn9q6l7BfXG5bpj1yRJlinj8LgQ-4pbG355relVljMVAoWp0unDy2Be49fnoEbVv4nrEeBXE/s1600/03.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722785731506010594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDPfiVtgTpT4CS-tP4a3QMSfipNzyWBaTrvTmAqYeH9RSwAzgtdm3i2-r-SUb2weAcWsXn9q6l7BfXG5bpj1yRJlinj8LgQ-4pbG355relVljMVAoWp0unDy2Be49fnoEbVv4nrEeBXE/s400/03.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" /></a><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/6860213578_25978a2ce0_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/6860213578_25978a2ce0_z.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 601px;" /></a>One of my favorite things about <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/search/label/spring%20fling">spring</a>: Easter candy. I've mentioned my love of ooey, gooey <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2009/03/have-peeptastic-weekend.html">Peeps</a> before, but <a href="http://www.cadbury.co.uk/home/Pages/home.aspx">Cadbury creme eggs</a> rank a close second on my must-have list. Growing up, finding a Cadbury creme egg during an Easter egg hunt was the equivalent of getting the Golden Ticket. Pure joy! So, when I discovered Ashley's recipe for <a href="http://notwithoutsalt.com/2011/04/07/homemade-cadbury-creme-eggs/">homemade Cadbury creme eggs</a>, my heart did a rabbit-style flip flop. For blended perfection, she mixed the egg's sweet center with an outer coating of bittersweet chocolate. The best of both worlds...doesn't it sound delicious, friends? xoxo<br /><br />P.S. And <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/delicious-recipes-using-cadbury-creme-eggs">13 recipes</a> using Cadbury creme eggs...

Spring Fling: Cadbury creme eggs

One of my favorite things about spring : Easter candy. I've mentioned my love of ooey, gooey Peeps before, but Cadbury creme eggs ran...

11:10 AM

Love Lounge: Let's talk high school

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXm6pkFgE2wnXKzOawaFRNAYixNAAY1GlfV8lzbuJ-gEbSk2LvVDqvktLZDct1tmpC2eY9uE51mJZ1iJ8g9EjRvciP0JVcIr5LYjGAvuiTlhUJeKh3aP0PGFtxxTqjii3HVjqLd-TYU8/s1600/01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722376916488423378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXm6pkFgE2wnXKzOawaFRNAYixNAAY1GlfV8lzbuJ-gEbSk2LvVDqvktLZDct1tmpC2eY9uE51mJZ1iJ8g9EjRvciP0JVcIr5LYjGAvuiTlhUJeKh3aP0PGFtxxTqjii3HVjqLd-TYU8/s400/01.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>The shadow of your high school self stays with you, doesn't it? Awkward first kisses. SAT nightmares. Embarrassingly puffy prom dresses. It’s all there, in the back of our minds, like a hauntingly beautiful oxymoron. We somehow think we’ve moved beyond high school, that we’re adults in this big bad world. Even I thought that, but then I stepped back inside my high school a couple years ago. For the first time since I threw my cap in the air at graduation.<br /><br />High school is the ultimate encapsulated time capsule. We check our adulthood at the front door when we enter those hallowed halls for the first time since graduation. We <span style="font-style:italic;">are</span> that 18-year-old once again, even if we're really 26, 56 or even 86. The smells – the gym, the freshly mopped linoleum floors, the cafeteria. The sights – my old classrooms, my old locker. The sounds – the frenzied hustle of the teenage crowd, the basketballs bouncing in the gym, the whispers of gossip. It all takes you back because whether we like it or not, we were all someone in high school. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtGbhsZ89BlqCiLsKa-M9RsfcBrrMqpFQYzuzquOszocRgpCHj8F3SuhijK74HCSNQHpCRd9TbqL8qeaFEIpLsY1I-jq4VAPpVKL2INqcMVW2AEmCUQqE2p8-cqhYvq7Fc-4HoI11y3w/s1600/02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722376912522285858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtGbhsZ89BlqCiLsKa-M9RsfcBrrMqpFQYzuzquOszocRgpCHj8F3SuhijK74HCSNQHpCRd9TbqL8qeaFEIpLsY1I-jq4VAPpVKL2INqcMVW2AEmCUQqE2p8-cqhYvq7Fc-4HoI11y3w/s400/02.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a>So who was I? Well, I had to dust off my old yearbooks for inspiration. I wasn’t on Student Council like the popular girls. I wasn’t the introspective poet like the theater dudes and dudettes. And I certainly wasn’t the star athlete like the football quarterback. No, I was the wallflower. The quiet one. That girl daydreaming in the corner, her head and nose always in a book or a pen in her hand. I suppose I hadn't grown into my larger-than-life personality just yet.<br /><br />So when we come back, it’s almost as if we’d never left. I got those same insecurities and fears the second I set foot in my old high school for the first time a few years ago. Apparently, parts of that high-school dreamer were still walking right beside me, and I suppose part of me couldn't deny how much being in that building affected me -- the building where I spent four of my most formative years. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9MfBV0Z5i6QEQIG-5M_48i3ei_S5nnQDCTD3H66v28JcFipaN31o1ySNcozUV81ZPMv_c3V4g5mneE4rynj003eEHnV4nqkuEmvPSRbmMTLad1G9GCynxKxGt8iYsdY4QPfplZW2r4A/s1600/03.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722376906391177810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9MfBV0Z5i6QEQIG-5M_48i3ei_S5nnQDCTD3H66v28JcFipaN31o1ySNcozUV81ZPMv_c3V4g5mneE4rynj003eEHnV4nqkuEmvPSRbmMTLad1G9GCynxKxGt8iYsdY4QPfplZW2r4A/s400/03.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Are our adult selves mere outgrowths of our 18-year-old innocence? Are we forever our high-school selves? Or do we mature with age and time? Let's chat, friends! xoxo</span><br /><br />[Photos via <a href="http://weheartit.com/">We Heart It</a>]

Love Lounge: Let's talk high school

The shadow of your high school self stays with you, doesn't it? Awkward first kisses. SAT nightmares. Embarrassingly puffy prom dresses....

11:35 AM

Homemade thin mints

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLdPXe0aCXktKf8tCMPeG3zoKA6kVm4GW2QBQhafG1_As8SyJGcX3QQxd0n3YOlu9IuR9BghL2H-JjFKo-YwmiZLOSs9PqpQNMXfOBpRcxDA-HEm2PtQSJleutRcia_BJGXr61Us1X6U/s1600/aa.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719914434817889250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLdPXe0aCXktKf8tCMPeG3zoKA6kVm4GW2QBQhafG1_As8SyJGcX3QQxd0n3YOlu9IuR9BghL2H-JjFKo-YwmiZLOSs9PqpQNMXfOBpRcxDA-HEm2PtQSJleutRcia_BJGXr61Us1X6U/s400/aa.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAUqX_HWqgiz_03wks-321sjOazF8W1pPybzGwxWR7-luBBWW-PSBbFvbm6g934XgkQ9kN5J8jVWObJ9fFuAT1cFUp7RL3yRbVAnp2RIboRzSETECjfxleWx4cnOOEPYbvRSf3ilKw10/s1600/aa.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719915236561072210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAUqX_HWqgiz_03wks-321sjOazF8W1pPybzGwxWR7-luBBWW-PSBbFvbm6g934XgkQ9kN5J8jVWObJ9fFuAT1cFUp7RL3yRbVAnp2RIboRzSETECjfxleWx4cnOOEPYbvRSf3ilKw10/s400/aa.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmQq1TGeVS75e4kYye8NQA7XQxrmvwMQGbf2gqrvZ0mrslCBzzXjZTeheupeFsUfSD-rNvA0YLkbKUO-DgGXJk8exSVfLRCcxa9o9C7RbIW_-RsawoXyRioXv0VoDKcJNNa9J8stwkGQ/s1600/AA2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719915231215386802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmQq1TGeVS75e4kYye8NQA7XQxrmvwMQGbf2gqrvZ0mrslCBzzXjZTeheupeFsUfSD-rNvA0YLkbKUO-DgGXJk8exSVfLRCcxa9o9C7RbIW_-RsawoXyRioXv0VoDKcJNNa9J8stwkGQ/s400/AA2.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUTnQO1baYRJUm6dVZgtxkSmxKcK4t0rEugaCypzFVv3_k8n5NqV6fCShVwcMJ3zO1j-w1Ko1kXRS-Z91dp7bydyeec7m3rcHthwTLmoTJC8CWl_7Rv6Wagz6Lwx8GrQwb6DJDJEK9cg/s1600/AA2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719914430670589074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUTnQO1baYRJUm6dVZgtxkSmxKcK4t0rEugaCypzFVv3_k8n5NqV6fCShVwcMJ3zO1j-w1Ko1kXRS-Z91dp7bydyeec7m3rcHthwTLmoTJC8CWl_7Rv6Wagz6Lwx8GrQwb6DJDJEK9cg/s400/AA2.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" /></a>How delicious do these homemade thin mints look -- or, as Blair calls them <a href="http://www.wild-and-precious.com/2012/03/ritz-mintz.html">Ritz Mintz</a>? The best part? They look super easy (<em>read: Even I could do it... </em>): All you need are Ritz crackers and Andes mints!<br /><br />P.S. Remember this <a href="http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2011/09/girl-scout-cookies.html">Girl Scout cookie pie chart</a>?

Homemade thin mints

How delicious do these homemade thin mints look -- or, as Blair calls them Ritz Mintz ? The best part? They look super easy ( read: Even I c...

6:00 AM

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

<div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6800637000_f5df88fe7d.jpg"""><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6800637000_f5df88fe7d.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 440px;" /></a>Today would have been <a href="http://www.seussville.com/">Dr. Seuss</a>'s 108th birthday. The creative mind behind some of our childhood favorites could rhyme with the best of them and had a way of making stories pop off the page. A few that are especially near and dear to my heart...<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6946748897_af5ba9a3d8_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6946748897_af5ba9a3d8_z.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 578px;" /></a>My mom used to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Cat-Hat-Dr-Seuss/dp/039480001X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330706140&sr=1-1">The Cat In The Hat</a> to my sister and me in that sing-songy rhythm that never failed to calm me down and make me sleepy.<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6800647522_d9b8a5476d_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6800647522_d9b8a5476d_z.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 549px;" /></a>My kindergarten class performed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Green-Eggs-Myself-Beginner-Books/dp/0394800168/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330706425&sr=1-1">Green Eggs And Ham</a>, complete with, yes, green eggs. My 6-year-old self was just a wee bit scared.<br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6800658200_73a89900c4_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6800658200_73a89900c4_z.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 554px;" /></a>When my sister was struggling a few years ago, I bought her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oh-Places-Youll-Go-Pop-Up/dp/0375852271/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330706460&sr=1-1">Oh, The Places You'll Go</a> to remind her that no matter what she ever thinks, she's a strong woman who is, indeed, going places.<br /><div align="center"><iframe width="400" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bu3Kkh9D8es" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Will you also be seeing <a href="http://www.theloraxmovie.com/index.php">The Lorax</a>, which also comes out today, friends? Thank you for all the memories, Dr. Seuss!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What's your Seuss story, friends? Do you have a favorite book? Did you read certain ones over and over as a child? What did you like about them? xoxo</span><br /><br />P.S. Get in the Seuss spirit with these <a href="http://blogs.babble.com/family-style/2011/03/02/tons-of-dr-seuss-quotes-to-celebrate-dr-seuss-birthday/">awesome quotes</a>!<br /><br />[Top graphic via <a href="http://blogs.babble.com/family-style/2011/03/02/dr-seuss-quotes-top-10-best/#more-27808">Babble</a>]

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Today would have been Dr. Seuss 's 108th birthday. The creative mind behind some of our childhood favorites could rhyme with the best o...

9:51 AM

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