January Juice

We're 10 days into February already? Dang. January was so fun, which you probably know from reading the Holiday Recap. We did in fact have a super fun time celebrating Sadie & Greg with Mary Grace & our awesome neighbors. We ALSO had a super fun time celebrating Greg's birthday at the Sigma Chi Hockey Tournament in Canada (Brampton, Ontario to be exact). This was Greg's 3rd trip and my 2nd. There was some confusion over whether or not I'd be able to go since I haven't officially changed my name on my passport yet, but thanks to Greg's excellent information gathering skills we were able to establish that I could go & just bring some supporting documents. Which of course NOBODY ever asked for.

Anyway, last time we flew into Detroit (where we got stuck on our return trip because it's Detroit & January & of course that would happen) but this time we flew to Buffalo & drove over. We flew INTO a snow storm this time (because it's Buffalo & it's January & of course that would happen) so what should have taken us an hour to drive took us more like three. But we arrived in time to go to the Pre-Tourney social where we reconnected with some favorite brothers, one in particular, Ken who hosted Greg on his first trip for this tournament. He wasn't playing this year, so it was good to at least catch up for a little.

The next day some of my tournament girlfriends & I had to run out for a few necessities (bathing suits in Canada in January. Obviously) so I missed Greg's first game, but I caught the next two. There were some stand out guys on that team, but unfortunately they weren't able to secure a win. SPEAKING OF TEAMS...in advance of this year's tournament we made an offer to the tournament planner(s) couldn't refuse: cheese grits (which I affectionately call Dixie Magic) in exchange for being put on the same team as Don, who is the husband of my best tournament girlfriend. This way us girls would have the same games to watch, and it doesn't hurt that Don plays pick up hockey 4 days a week and is really, really good. WELL...The Dixie Magic made the trip to Canada, but we WERE NOT put on the same team as Don. Oh...and Don's team won the championship game. I don't have anymore to say about that. Except I've told Greg we better start wheeling in dealing EARLIER this year. Obviously these people don't know who's boss. Yet. Just kidding. Kind of.

On our way back to Buffalo we stopped on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls to take a look. I was excited at the prospect of being able to do this, but as we rounded the corner to park so that we could walk around I caught a glimpse of the falls and gasped. It is truly one of the most breath taking things I've ever seen, and I'm not usually that easily impressed. This was very impressive. Also, the little town that's built up around the falls is super cute. Except Hard Rock cafe really needs to get a grip on the $12 hamburgers. Hard Rock burgers aren't that impressive. We took a million pictures, bought a couple little postcards & souvenirs & we headed over the Rainbow Bridge back to the US. The Canada trip is always SO much fun & ever time we go we always say we're going a day earlier next time so that we can do something else. Next year we want to go a day early so we can stay at the Fallsview Marriott for a night. Seriously...so impressive.

Birthday Girl

Since then Greg's made a couple quick trips to Seattle & Houston & I'm gearing up for Jacksonville & Orlando next weekend, St. Pete the following week, then the booming metropolis of Itasca, Illinois then back to my favorite second (or third or fourth) home, Oxford, OH to round out the month of February. I was supposed to be in New Jersey this past weekend for one of my favorite Beta leadership programs, Keystone, but that nasty storm Nemo (who names a bad storm after a cartoon fish?) cancelled our NE Keystone, which was a bummer, but Greg & I got a bonus weekend together in an otherwise travel heavy month. We're looking forward to Valentine's day this Thursday before I head to Florida. We're so lucky in Chicago to have so many cool little spots to dine, including the place we're trying this Thursday, called The Hearty Boys. So we'll walk there for dinner. I love being able to walk anywhere for dinner. THEN we'll be celebrating Lilah's 4th little puppy birthday on the 23rd. Actually...we'll probably celebrate early, since we'll be in the aforementioned BOOMING metropolis, Itasca on her actual birthday.

She's never getting married. But still.

That's all for now. Hope your January was a blast!

Happy Sunday,
Meggo

Holiday 2012 Recap

Per usual our time off went by WAY too fast & there was WAY too much goodness to even begin to retell the tale of our Christmas vacation 2012...but here's a quick recap!

Greg & the Beta A.O. staff

Greg & I traveled to Oxford, OH for the annual Beta Theta Pi Kai bowl & the fraternity's holiday party. The Betas graciously let Greg play in the Kai bowl which is annually held at Yager Stadium at Miami University. Greg played on the staff team & had a great time, despite the fact that he suspects he was the oldest guy on the field. Maybe he was...but he was also the most adorable. (I know, I know...I couldn't help it). We had a great time at the Beta holiday party celebrating another fantastic year & my first year on staff at Beta. Have I mentioned lately how much I love working there? Well, I do.

Penelope & her house guests

After the holiday festivities Greg headed back to Chicago to wrap a few things up at his office, while I worked from Oxford for a few days. Greg, Lilah & Sadie packed up 2 weeks worth of luggage and all of our Christmas presents & set off toward Oxford to pick me up for our road trip to Florida! The drive was easy, the weather was low maintenance, and the puppies were agreeable (mostly). We made it to Atlanta on day 1 where we stayed with Katie Fellows & her sweet lady pup Penelope Anne. Penelope was the perfect hostess! It was so nice to catch up with Katie & it's even nicer to have friendships (sisters) that are strong even after so many (9. Weird.) years & so many miles. Have I mentioned lately how lucky I am to have such amazing Zeta sisters? Well, I am.

Happy to be home!

On day 2 we hit the road super early. At that point we've got 8-ish hours to go and I am anxious to get home. Greg had a board meeting he had to attend the first weekend we were in town, so we needed to get him there on time. And I needed a Publix sub. So we were in a hurry. The second leg of the drive was also pretty easy...until we got really close to home & then everyone was anxious. Finally, we made it to drop Greg off in Tampa & the puppies Morgan & I headed just a little further south to the Burg of the Saint! What a relief. Have I mentioned lately how much I L.O.V.E. St. Pete? Well, I do!

Santa's a Bulls fan. Told ya.

From then on it was full on Christmas decorating, friend hugging, baby holding, carol singing, Christmas pageant watching, cookie eating, hometown Christmas HEAVEN! This year was Greg's very first Florida Christmas which was really fun. Coop joined us for Christmas eve & Christmas day. Even though kids definitely make Christmas magical, and we missed our not-so-little nieces & nephew this year, it was really nice to get up when we were ready, get breakfast started, have coffee, watch the parade & gradually open presents slowly enough that we could all enjoy the giving of Christmas. Ahh...so pleasant. I think all of the gifts were a big hit. I of course got spoiled by my thoughtful husband, amazing friends & family, which was special & exciting, but NOTHING tops giving the perfect gift, which I think I managed to do at least a couple of times. Have I  mentioned lately how much I love gifting? Well, I do!

All this running...so thirsty

We so enjoyed the warm weather, especially Lilah & Sadie, who got to take walks without sweaters, and Lilah got to go to the local dog park & chase her tennis ball until her heart was content. We've since realized that Lilah & Sadie are not "city mice". They were so much more relaxed in Florida, so we're looking forward to lots of sunny walks once we relocate back home...more on that later. Have I mentioned how much I love the puppies Morgan? Well, I do!

Happy New Year!

Sadly we had to pack up & head home after 2 glorious weeks in Florida. We were sad to leave but excited to be home again. I'd been away from home for 3 weeks at that point...which is obviously too long. After a tedious drive home through comparatively less favorable weather, and a creepy stay at a hotel we never want to see again, we pulled back into Chicago, unloaded the car & settled in for the last few days of 2012! We celebrated New Year's Eve with Rich & Charlene with a spread of every yummy thing you can imagine and (too much) champagne. We really missed them while we were gone, so even though we'd planned on watching the New Year's Eve special on TV & playing a board game...we ended up doing more catching up than anything else. We had a great time, and even enjoyed some lucky New Year's soup, another yummy spread on New Year's Day & some football the next day. So fun! Have I mentioned lately how much we love our neighbors? Well, we do!

Sadie's birthday cookie!

Greg's birthday cupcake!

After all of that celebrating & vacationing it was a hard transition getting back into work & school but we're getting the hang of it. Greg's headed back to class tonight & we both just finished up sorority recruitment at Northwestern. It was Greg's first experience with recruitment...I'm sure he could write a blog post about that. We were lucky to have a recruitment pro, a super sweet & energetic consultant, & probably the most dedicated recruitment advisor around on the Zeta team this year, so the Zetas did well & a good time was had by all. Speaking of a good time...Greg's Mom was just in Chicago this week for an early celebration of Greg's birthday. Speaking of birthdays...Sadie Mae turned 2 last week! We had a little fiesta to celebrate Mary Grace's arrival & Sadie's birthday! It's been so busy around here, but we're always happy to celebrate, especially when we get a special party guest like Mary Grace! We're all grateful for a prosperous start to 2013, and another happy healthy year for Greg & Sadie! Have I mentioned lately how totally unworthy of & totally grateful for the goodness I am? Well, I am...so very grateful.

Happy New Year y'all,
Meggo

News from Morganland

Hey y'all! Man...I'm really getting bad at this. Obviously I've been slacking. Per usual, there's MUCHO to report, so I'll keep it short-ish.

It's December. So first of all...WHAT? Second of all, Greg juts finished his 3rd semester of Grad school, which we're all super proud of! It was definitely a challenging semester (which I can attest to since I intentionally AVOIDED the combination of the classes he took this semester), but he made it & with great success! I am winding up a short consulting role I took on with Beta Theta Pi fraternity, which thankfully has evolved into a full time job! I will officially be the Assistant Director of Leadership & Education as of January 1, 2013 & I have committed to staying with the fraternity through their convention in 2014. Greg & I are obviously thrilled & so looking forward to a long, healthy relationship with Beta Theta Pi. I'll be working from home most of the time, but will travel to Oxford, OH (among other places) to do my face-to-face work a few times a month. This working from home has its benefits...not the least of which is flexibility in our geographic location. I hear Florida is nice this time (& every time) of year.

In other news, Lilah & Sadie are brilliant & amazing & we're (still) totally smitten. Frances Bee, my not-so-small business dream is really picking up steam. We've got some exciting plans for Frances Bee that will likely unfold in the next 18-ish months, but for now, we are grateful for our clients & looking forward to many more!

We hosted our 3rd annual (although it was our 2nd hosting gig) Gypsgiving this year. We had a full house, adding some new faces, Rich, Charlene, Ashley & Chris, and enjoying some old favorites, Justin & Coop. Per usual, we all made our best dishes, and there was an overabundance of wine and desserts. Two days later we did the Ugly Sweater 5K. It was a little less 5K run & a little more 5K stroll...

We're headed home to Florida to celebrate Christmas with my parents and the rest of our sweet family of friends, especially our favorite little elf, Ella Mae. She's celebrating her very 1st little lady Christmas. Uncle Greg & I could NOT be more thrilled to be with her & all the rest of our St. Pete loves this holiday season. After all, it is our very first Christmas in Florida together. Hard to believe there's any more firsts! Speaking of what's hard to believe...this Friday, December 14th marks our 5th year together. Yes, we've only been married 9 months, but this thing has been a work in progress for 5 years. FIVE! It has been a blast and I can't wait to see what the next 5 years will bring!

That's all for me for now! Greg, Lilah, Sadie & I wish you & your family the very happiest holidays!

Merrily,
Meggo

Frances Bee

Only a few of you have been in on the story of Frances Bee from the beginning. Mostly because I'm a "fraidy cat", but also because the idea was (& still is) in development. But, last week, I had to take the leap.

More of you probably know that my Grandma's last day with us was October 17, 2011. She was brave, kind, gracious and hospitable, all the things I want to be, and values I want reflected in my business. So I thought, in honor of the original Frances B.I should take the risk & share the news of Frances Bee. 

If I haven't reached out to you personally or through one of the social media outlets that Frances Bee is now on, then you won't know what Frances Bee is about. Don't worry...I'll tell you. 

Frances Bee is a company that was born out of a hobby. I have always said that I'll never be rich because if I've got it, I spend it, & most of the time, I spend it on others. I truly LOVE gift giving. I can remember the year that this first took off for me. The day after Thanksgiving, from my brother's kitchen table, I sat down to make the first of many gift lists & set out to strategize how to do it all within my budget. Since then, I've been helping friends, family members, colleagues & co-workers as they search for gifts for the people in their lives. After many years of gift shopping for others purely for the love of it all, someone (now a special Frances Bee client) finally said to me "you know...you should charge a fee for this". And the idea was born.

Thanks to my sweet Grandma, I was finally able to put a name to an idea. I knew it had to be her namesake; what better name to give a company that is dedicated to celebrating others? She was the most accomplished hostess & helper. 

So now, Frances Bee is officially open for business. An idea born out of the things I love, revealed to me by the women I treasure most, dedicated to the service of others for the love of the act of giving.

I hope you'll share the news, join my client list & tell the story of Frances Bee. 

Happy Giving,

Megan 

(& Frances Bee)

Oops...It's Fall

Lilah & Sadie en route to PA!

Welp...the last time I posted I had big plans, and I was hopelessly ineffective at doing most of those things. Still no headboard, no curtains (yet), & no furniture changes have been made. But I'm ok with that. I did finish my books,  & I still want to take Sewing classes. More on that later.

 In the mean time, things have been dynamic as ever around here. We did lots of summer travelling, some for fun, some for family & some for work. We made a particularly bitter sweet trip back to Pennsylvania this summer to say goodbye to Greg's incredible Aunt Gail. She was funny, wise & bright & we're both better for having been loved and counseled by her.

C & T on their 2nd Chicago visit

There have been some other transitions in Morgan-land. I am now working for Beta Theta Pi Fraternity as an Instructional Design Consultant (writing curriculum) for an educational initiative they have. It's my favorite job & I'm so looking forward to the future with Beta. Greg's back to school, which isn't exactly fun, but it's already Fall break so that means he's approaching the half way point of the semester. It'll be Christmas break before we know it!

Backyard Baseball  with Bella & Jas

Speaking of Christmas, my favorite time of year has arrived so we're busy breaking out all of the Holiday decorations. It's hard to believe it'll be Halloween in just a few short weeks! We're planning on heading back over to our neighborhood's gathering to celebrate with the local kiddos. It's hard to believe that was one of our first "dates" with Rich & Charlene. We spend so much time with them now it's hard to remember a time before they were in our lives. In fact they'll be joining in on our 3rd annual Gypsy Thanksgiving here in Chicago. Coop's coming back for a visit & we're trying to recruit some more of our loves to join in the fun too. Fingers crossed! After that we'll head back to the sunshine state for a very Florida Christmas with the home team & the puppies Morgan! Can't wait!

Can't wait to celebrate this
nugget's first Christmas!

Obviously this update is totally lacking 'cause it's been MONTHS since I posted, but we've had a great summer & we're easing into an even better Fall.

Happy Sunday,
Meggo

PS - I missed all the farmers markets. Shoot.

Get Busy

Now that I got my homesickness off of my chest last night & the Chicago sun is shining & plans have been made to leave my house & enjoy this day, I'm ready to be optimistic & day dream a little about all of the projects & adventures I would L.O.V.E. to make time for! 

• DIY Headboard is the first thing I'd like to do...however, I'm pretty content (for now) with the situation we're working with (primarily, the gallery wall above our bed). Even though we've extended our lease until June 2013, my heart is already beginning to construct an exit strategy for this apartment & this city...I know it's a little premature, but I'm not sure constructing a custom headboard is such a good idea in an apartment we'll only be in for 1 more year. We'll see...
• The few little items on the To Do 2.0 list
• starting with no sew curtains for our bedroom. Greg recently put up the mini blinds that we bought for our room shortly after we moved in so now it's my turn to finish the window treatments. I already have the curtain rod & rings, so now i just need to pick out some fabric. I'm thinking maybe mustard yellow as an accent color? Greg's rooting for Navy. 
• Re-staining the dining room table was on the list...although I think our energies will be better spent staining the 2 extra chairs & the bench we bought to finish up our dining room. Refinishing the armoir was also on the list...although I'm feeling like I'll probably start looking for a replacement. The truth is, the one we've got "works", but it's not good quality. I think it's time for a re-purposed upgrade. 
• We also have a few pieces of furniture in our bedroom from my childhood bedroom that need an update. It's time to borrow the old electric sander & get to work. 
• Finally, we I'm going to start looking for a dresser for our bedroom. I'd like to get something like this & paint it a complimentary accent color. That'll depend on what happens with the curtains. I'd really like to organize our closet, & getting a great dresser would help. 
• Wedding "Art" & Photos Framed: Our marriage certificate created by brilliant blogger Design Editor & signed by all of our wedding guests is sitting in a shady spot in our living room & it breaks my heart every time I look at it. It needs a frame & a prominent spot in this house & every one after this one. That's gotta get done pronto! I'm guessing it'll take a custom framing job as will the large family photo we had printed for our hall way. We both REALLY love that photo & want it up immediamente. We also ordered a few prints that I'd like to incorporate into our gallery walls, which'll probably take a trip out to Ikea. Once that traveling husband of mine gets home we'll get on it! 
• Sewing lessons: I love to craft, create & do things myself. I bought myself a sewing machine a few years ago, and haven't used it once since we moved to Chicago. I am SUPER impatient, which is why I'm not a great seamstress. SO I think it's time for some sewing lessons to learn the right way to do it so I don't get frustrated & give up. I'd love to learn to quilt, & be able to sew some linens like crib sheets, bed skirts, duvet covers & pillow cases.  
• Tennis lessons: I have ALWAYS wanted to learn how to play tennis & they are being offered right in my very own neighborhood for beginnings. This is a SUMMER MUST. 
• I would REALLY love to take a Letterpress class, but they seem kind of pricey, so this line item might need to get held over to a future life. Or until somebody wants to do a more affordable clinic (hint hint: Paper Source). 
• Of course, I need to get BACK to the reading list. Sometimes I can't get enough, and sometimes my brain is just not in the mood. I'm almost done with 30 things every woman should have & should know by the time she's 30, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I also started the Hunger Games, which is also great, but I've been distracted. 
• There's a couple other random crafties I want to try...
• Decorate some inexpensive dinner plates for serving. (Lyrics to wedding song? Some favorite quotes? Perhaps some holiday-specific quotables? We shall see...)
• A sunbathing towel for Ash Matty.
• Summer & Fall ribbon wreaths.

Is it weird that this list seems short to me? Now all I have to do is choose which one to start with...more on that later.

#ilovelists,

Meggo

Oh my...May!

I can hardly believe that the last time I blogged was before my parents arrived for my graduation. It can't have already been almost a month...right? WEIRD. Since then I've done some reflecting on what's happened, but I just didn't make time to sit down & jot down the details. For now, here's the readers digest  version (warning: it's still long).

After about a year and a half as a Sigma Chi Headquarters staffer, Greg & I decided it was time for me to move on.  Working at Sigma Chi was an incredible experience, one that I look forward to telling our children & grandchildren about.  I try to always publicly give thanks for the privilege that our lives have been, and having worked together for an organization that we both love is definitely something to be thankful for.  I've been drafting a post about my time at Sigma Chi, & I'm looking forward to finishing it up & sharing it...soon!

Of course, my parents arrived early last month to celebrate my graduation form Grad school. My departure from Sigma Chi coincided with my parents visit which allowed me to spend a great deal of time with them, which made us all really happy.  We got to take in a cubs game, take an architectural tour, and spend some good old fashioned family time together.  It was a great visit. As for the reason for their visit, my graduation, I still can't believe I did that.  My experiences in the masters program at Loyola University Chicago is one that I've also been reflecting on pretty regularly, and I really owe it to myself to commit those reflections to writing too. Again...soon!

What I can reflect on right now is the amazing graduation party that my family, friends & neighbors threw for me.  In typical Latch Morgan style, I had a "vision" for what that party would be like, which I'm sure felt overwhelming for Meghan, Greg, Charlene & Rich, but true to form, they created a day for me that was beyond my wildest dreams. It was so much fun & I felt truly celebrated. My graduation party was the punctuation on a long year-and-a-half-ish of celebrations in my honor, all of which I was incredibly grateful for. And I'll be even MORE grateful when I get to through the same number of celebrations for all of them...soon!

My parents 8 day visit ended up feeling like an 8 hour visit...always too short...but we had a great time. Naturally two days after they left, Greg hit the road for a work trip, but I had my trusty sidekick & best lady Coop by my side...for a little while.  As I'm sure you know Meghan had been planning to return to our hometown to begin a new chapter of her life, and the weekend after my parents left, Greg & I threw her a going away party.  I for surely do NOT mind 2 weekend bbq's in a row. A good time was definitely had by all! Of course, the celebration was bittersweet. Just a few days later Meghan & I hit the road at 4:30 AM to officially move her "back home". That road trip & the experience of sitting (physically & metaphorically) by my best lady's side as she headed off in her very own direction is also something I should spend some time thinking over. In contrast to my feelings on Sigma Chi & Loyola, my heart hasn't allowed my head to do a lot of reflecting on that transition...soon!

B

A

Since then I've been getting into the swing of things with my #newlife. After I left Sigma Chi I officially took over for Coop in her Nanny role with an incredibly kind family that she'd been working with for 2 years. They have 2 brilliant & hilarious children, Brendan who's almost 5 & Annika who just turned 2.  I already had a relationship with Kerri, Peter & their two nuggets by way of "Miss Meghan" but I've really enjoyed developing my own relationships with all of them and their super friendly dog Edson.  This new work is definitely a departure from my work at Sigma Chi & from the training I was getting at Loyola, but I'm getting lots more hugs & really enjoying the new work/life balance I'm beginning to strike.  I'm also especially excited about the flexibility that my new role offers...I'm getting to volunteer & do all of the leadership programs my little nerdy heart desires, which is EXACTLY what I need in my student-loving life. My first program of the summer is coming up just a little over a month from now.  I'll be helping facilitate Beta's Wooden Institute in Oxford & I can hardly wait! More to come on that...soon-ish!

Lady Baby E

Best Lady Pups

In the mean time I'm struggling with a pretty rockin' case of homesickness. As it turns out, even though we've spent the last year and a half celebrating our engagement, showers, school accomplishments, our wedding, the birth of sweet Ella Frederick, graduation, Coop's big move home, etc....immediately after we were done with all of that, I returned home to a city I'm kind of on the outs with, to a house that is empty (Greg's on the road...again) with almost all of my best friends back home.  I know "this too shall pass", and there'll be many-a-post on this blog about how incredible our Chicago lives will be this year, followed (I hope) by a post about how much I'll miss this city when we leave it, but for now, I miss my family, my friends & my husband. The bright side? The two cutest puppies in the world are here with me, happily cuddled on the couch & they like Law & Order reruns too. I'll be back on top, into some other DIY project, getting into some kind of trouble, bragging about what a lucky lady I am...soon!

Optomistically,
Meggo