Yesterday, on the first of December, Charlotte reached 70 degrees. I lit an apple spice candle and moped around our apartment all day. Today it's chilly and grey and I'm in a coffee shop feeling more alive than ever. I always feel like yeah, weather affects me a lot; but the truth is that yeah, weather really affects me a lot. With the exception of maybe our wedding weekend, I don't think I've ever wished for a sunny day. Sometimes I think Seattle is where I'm supposed to be.

Rob and I bought a dog collar at Hampden-Sydney last month.

I've been listening to podcasts non-stop over the past few weeks. I go for long runs and the time just flies by. My favorites are This American Life, The Dinner Party Download, The Thomas Jefferson Hour, Stuff You Missed in History Class, and Spilled Milk.

I'm looking forward to a new year. I love this time of year--everything seems magical and hope is everywhere. Sitting down to a list of goals is one of my favorite ways to start a new month, and that's just completely magnified at the start of a new year. There is so much to look forward to.

"I wish the world was flat like the old days / Then I could travel just by folding a map / No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways / There'd be no distance that could hold us back"

--Death Cab for Cutie, The New Year

As you might know from previous posts (like this one), I've been on the hunt for the perfect jumpsuit for quite some time. What you might not know is that I've been lusting after the perfect floppy hat for even longer. So when Zappos asked me to partner up with them for a holiday collaboration, I jumped at the opportunity.

This is how it worked: I was paired up with a holiday buddy (you can check out Rachel's blog here) and we were tasked with finding a few gifts for one another on Zappos.com. You can tell a lot about a person and their style from their blog, but Rachel and I decided to each create a wishlist and just go from there. I sent her a new pair of boots, two Alex and Ani bangles (this one and this one), a gorgeous faux fur neck warmer, and a cozy sweater. It was actually my first time ordering anything from Zappos and I couldn't believe the awesome variety on the site (or how quickly she and I both received our packages)!

As you can see, I ended up with a great jumpsuit and this lovely hat. I'm thinking about wearing the jumpsuit with some sparkly shoes for New Year's Eve. What do you think?

This post is sponsored by Zappos. Check out their gift guide for ideas at every price for everyone on your list. Shipping is always free and you can return any item 365 days a year. Happy holidays!

The night before Thanksgiving in Roanoke, Virginia (as I am sure it is in other cities as suggested by this article in The Onion) is often a bit of a high school reunion. You run into a pretty large number of people who look familiar to you even though you don't know their name, but if you arm yourself with a couple close friends you've stayed in contact with, it's usually a really good experience.

I write a lot about college and how much it made me into who I am today, but I tend to skip over high school. I really loved my time growing up and going to school where I did, but for some reason going back and and seeing old friends that I've lost touch with sometimes makes me feel a little melancholy. We met up with friends of mine on three occasions this weekend and had the best time, but on Saturday afternoon I found myself flipping through old yearbooks and feeling a little bit sad. Part of it is because almost a decade has passed since I graduated and it doesn't even feel a little bit like that length of time, and the other part is that I don't feel at all like the person I used to be and I wonder if I'm the only one.

Lena Dunham said she missed her high school reunion because, first of all, she was at a diner enjoying some delicious rice pudding when she should have been on her way over, but also because she wanted to avoid past incarnations of herself. "Everyone's nice!" she said about her classmates, but she still didn't make it to see them after ten years. I'm actually looking forward to our ten year reunion, but I kind of identify with what she's saying.

High School Megan was a bit of a goodie goodie and thought nothing looked cuter than a polo shirt with the collar popped. She had little to no anxiety, but she lacked a lot of experiences. She drove a Volkswagen Jetta with a license plate that said MEG JET and put a lot of sugar in her coffee. I love her, but she kind of embarrasses me sometimes. Nostalgia usually feels so good on me, but when I reminisce on high school days I sometimes feel like I'm shrinking. 

College and grad school and Minneapolis all played huge roles in shaping me into the person that I am today, but high school laid that foundation and gave me some wonderful friends along the way; and I forget about that sometimes. E.E. Cummings said "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," and he was right, but I don't think you have to venture out and never look back.

I hope this weekend brought you exactly what you needed.