Simply having a wonderful Christmas time

You know, Christmas. That time of year that is busy but beautiful, cold but cozy, expensive but exciting. In the past two weeks, I have made two kinds of cupcakes.

Vanilla on vanilla,

...and Gingerbread. (Recipe found here)

Except I used my favorite cream cheese frosting recipee. (We've been spelling it like that at our house recently. Don't ask)

Sam and I learned a duet on the piano, and it was so much fun. I loved playing and practicing with him. We make a good team. And it was one of my favorite songs, "Angels We Have Heard on High," except I always sing the words to "Angels from their Realms of Glory," except I only know the first line of that. But it's just so cool!

Anyway, I was secondo as usual. I like it because the player on the bottom pedals, and I like using the pedal because it makes me feel powerful. The hard part about the bottom is it's all in F clef, which I'm far less skilled at reading. But it is good practice for me.

I received many wonderful things, like a crockpot, luggage, clothes, and a watch. Sam gave me some wonderful pictures, and he got a large framed print of our favorite one.

But I do love giving people presents, like zebra print sheets for my sister Lindsey who's obsessed with all things zebra. And I gave Adriana a gift certificate to Color Me Mine, so she can go make some cool pottery.

In other news, I have been running and working out because a) I have time, b) I'm going to get fat from all the goodies and treats that the holidays bring, and c) I have new running clothes and watch.

Well, time to bring on the new year. And the new semester. Yay!

Merry Christmas!

And to all a good night!

-Megan

Heading, anew

Hey ya, so my blog has a new look. I wanted change, and I had all these elaborate plans... but then I found this photo, and I knew it was the right thing, for this blog and for me. So that was that.

I like to think of myself as a forward looking person, and I'm pretty certain that I see everything with my own filter. I'm on my little weird journey, which has a destination, but no exact course to reach the shore. Any set of waves heading there will do.


Other reasons why this photo fits so well:

I like sailing. Not that I do it much, but I like nautical things because I like adventure. (And fat blue and white stripes are adorable, no?)

I'm wearing a swimsuit cover-up which I also wear as a dress. This is one of my talents.

I'm told pony tails are attractive.

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And then I found this:

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Look forward to me blogging about my busted spectacles, Alexis--who leaves very soon on the greatest adventure of all, and Christmas things. (Like muffins/cupcakes, which didn't happen today.)

-Meg

Freedom!

I'm done! Now I can spend disgusting amounts of time on Pinterest, play Words with Friends and read for fun. I can also spend time with Sam and my family and not have to have the weight of homework and studying weighing on the back of my mind.

I've been eating a lot of junk food, and listening to a lot of Pandora.

There's a mouse in our house. We're working on killing it as humanely and ethically as possible. This is hard for me to do considering I just found out that my spirit animal is a mouse.

Oh, and Katie and I went and got our nails did.

And I made homemade brownies.

Anyway. I just wanted to say all that. Bye.

-Meg

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It seems that I hardly ever post Muffin Mondays actually on Mondays. Anyway, this weekend we had a delightful white elephant party at our house. I made these Christmas cupcakes and everyone loved them.

I did not read the recipe as closely as I should. It yields 21, so unless you want 42 cupcakes, I suggest you don't double the recipe...

But it was great to have so many cupcakes! Russell and Sam helped me, and I think they liked the part where they got to crush the peppermint candy canes the most.

I put the crushed bits of peppermint in the batter, the frosting and on top of the frosting. There was lots of goodness going around.

Recipe found here!

-Meg

(Thanks, Sam, for the photos.)

I wish

I wish I could take the happiness I feel right now and share it with the entire world. Everyone deserves to be this happy.

I wish to tell you about Sam, because I'm in love with him.

I didn't expect to fall in love this semester, but I did, and I am better for it.

Sam is 22 years old and doesn't like ice in his water. He served an LDS mission in Louisiana and is really talented at rollerblading. He makes me food when crossword puzzles are tearing my mind to shreds (and brings me food when I forget to go shopping). He likes taking pictures (and they're pretty awesome). He likes adventures, singing and hiking.

He's handsome, clever, and all-around fantastic. I am blessed.

OK, now back to my crossword puzzle. I had to just get it out there.

I wish finals would end soon. And they will. (I am done WEDNESDAY!)

-Meg

The most wonderful time of the year

Rainbow cupcakes! Yes, because it is Christmastide, I'm going to be making cupcakes instead. Mostly because I went crazy and bought lots of Christmas cupcake liners.

Finals are sucking out my soul like a dementor, but you don't want to hear about that.

You want to hear about cupcakes and how lovely my life is.

There really isn't a recipe. We made a white cake from a box mix, and divided it into four. We dyed the separate batters and then layered them in the liners.


There is a recipe for frosting. I'd recommend this to anyone, even if you don't like frosting.

4 TBSP butter, softened
2 cups powdered (confectioners' sugar)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 TSP Milk

Whip together and voila!

There has been much wind and coldness. But Sam and I went up to Syracuse to be with my family. It was lovely, because I love being with all of them.

Happiness has been filling up every corner of my life, and although it always ebbs and flows, I know that I'm happy deep down inside, I just have to remember that.

I have so many things to be happy about.

I think Katie said it best. "You know you're in love when you don't have to explain why you're in love."

Yup.




Things I am thankful for:

My ability to love others and be loved.

Times when I think that I don't have the right words to say, but I try anyway.

The strangely confident feeling that everything is going to be OK. And not just OK, but brilliant.

That wise girl whose been writing in my journals all these years.

My sisters, Sam, my roommates, my parents, and all the other people on Team Megan.

-Meg