Don’t ever pick up a bride magazine. That’s my advice for having the most personal, least costly, memorable wedding. Forget the tedious etiquette and “you must have this or your wedding sucks” mentality.
Aaron and I got married in Vermont on September 6th. Nikki drove up from Boston and Amie and her new fiance Cameron flew in from Maui. The reunited Within group rocked the dance floor all night. That’s what we do when we get together. We hug and jump up and down in excitement. We laugh, we joke, we have serious talks, then we laugh some more. What blessed friends we are.
I must take a moment to apologize to anyone who has to hang around Aaron and me. We are one of those totally annoying newly wed couples that oogle at each others’ wedding bands and call each other husband and wife with irritating over annunciation. This too shall pass but we’re milking it.
And to everyone that took advantage of our ‘I am present’ wedding sale I have to report that presence was definitely the theme of the night for me. The evening was like a... Continue Reading

I don’t know about you, but it’s not often that I find something beautiful in a public restroom. But after I stumbled upon the Operation Beautiful website, I realized that I have the power to change that!

The mission of Operation Beautiful is “Ending Fat Talk One Anonymous Post-It at a Time.” The people who have participated in this growing movement write notes to random strangers and post them in public places, like the mirror in a bathroom. The notes say things like “You are amazing just the way you are!” or “You are so beautiful!” or “Smile! You are loved!” I adore this idea – it’s such a simple way to practice a random act of kindness and make a stranger’s day…and your own day, as well!

So ladies, grab some sticky notes and a pen, and hit the town! Let’s all work to silence that critical voice in our head and remind each other – all the time – of how beautiful we are, inside and out, every day, in every way. Below is a note I posted this morning on the bathroom mirror of a local coffee shop! If you... Continue Reading

One week left at my full-time employer. Next week I jump into uncharted territory as a jobless, homeless vagabond in an “uncertain economy” (I promised I would never use that term, hence the quotes). What the heck am I doing? I’m leaving my good paying job where I am appreciated and respected. Aaron and I are selling our fancy condo in the heart of Boston. I’m changing my last name when we get married in three weeks. Do we have a new place to live? No. Do I have another job lined up? Not exactly.
Do you ever get this nagging feeling that everything is all wrong? Your dream life feels out of reach. You don’t have time to do the things that are really important to you. You’re not inspired. When does this end and how far do you go before you can’t take it anymore? These are all things I’ve given some serious thought to over the past few months and we finally came to the conclusion that now is the time to take the leap of faith. I have this beautiful and meaningful business that I want to pour... Continue Reading

I have a confession to make. I’m in love!

With a musical.

The musical is RENT, and I’ve seen it four times on stage. Each time I’ve been positively hypnotized by the stories, the songs, the love, the pain…the lives of these individuals, getting by as best as they can, in the Big Apple. RENT has tons of fabulous messages and powerful life lessons woven into the story line, and the song “Seasons of Love” is a prime example. The song asks: how do you measure your life?

Since no one comes with an instruction manual, how do we know we’re doing this whole ‘human existence’ thing right? The answer, according to the song, is to measure our lives in love. What does that mean? Well, have you ever gazed in wide-eyed wonder at a glorious sunset? Measure your life by that. Have you ever read your child a bedtime story as she drifted off to sleep? Measure your life by that. Have you ever been there for a friend who was going through a tough time? Measure your life by that. These tiny miracles are how we should be keeping score. These moments of grace, so common... Continue Reading

The Free Hugs Campaign video is hands down (or maybe, arms around?) my favorite video on YouTube. And I don’t think I’m the only one – as of this writing, the Free Hugs video has been viewed almost 47 million times, making it one of YouTube’s most popular.

When I first saw this video, I thought it was crazy. Hugging strangers? That’s simply not done! For some of us, we have a hard enough time breaking down walls so that we can hug the people we know and love! But as the video progresses, and the hugs start to add up, the sweetness of this clip is undeniable. One man, who reached out to others when his own heart was aching, started a hugging frenzy in Sydney, Australia – and around the world! I think we all wish, at times, that we could be that open with people and let them know how much we adore them. However, our many cultural rules about physical affection keep some of that love unexpressed.

But our time on Earth is short, folks, and we only get so many chances to give hugs, hold hands, hide behind a door and tackle a loved one... Continue Reading

I am very proud of myself. I created a masterpiece.
Since my father died six years ago my mother has not seen or heard him on video. For her 60th birthday I aspired to create a picture/video montage as a gift. I hadn’t thought about how the process would shake my foundation. I spent weeks collecting and sorting family photos and reviewing videos of family vacations. I experienced a heartwarming fondness for my childhood and my spectacular and close family. I smiled, cried and remembered. By the time I finished the video was my masterpiece.
The soundtrack, To Build A Home by The Cinematic Orchestra, is perfect not only for its epic beauty but because it encapsulates what fathers do for their families. They give selflessly to build a home and a life for their family. This is my tribute to the man who built a home for me.

ps. If you cry I will consider it a success!

“I don’t want to make money. I just want to be wonderful.” – Marilyn Monroe

I painted this phrase on the inner rim of a cappuccino mug so long ago. It’s my absolute favorite. I love this phrase because I believed in that idea long before I ever knew it came from Marilyn’s mind.

Since I was 7 years old, I wanted to be an actress. Not just any actress, mind you… I wanted to be a star. The brightest star in Hollywood, that was going to be me. I never could figure out where that desire came from, as I am painfully shy in real life, but all I ever wanted was to be the type of movie star that everyone wanted to see and longed to touch and had interest in listening to. Not once did I think of money or want to be rich, but I knew that movie stars were paid very large sums and were given clothes, cars, and vacations free of charge. I always felt uncomfortable around money and nice things, so this lead me to make lists of items I wanted to give my friends and family, and dream up the kind of... Continue Reading

I really don’t need to say anything else, the film speaks for itself. Check out www.thestoryofstuff.com

It is stunning work, and so simple at the same time. It is easy to feel helpless after watchiing something like this, like we can’t make a dent in such a giant. But we need to remember that we vote all the time. Every time we make a purchase we vote. Every time we judge someone for not wearing designer labels or having a new car, we vote. We have more can control than we can possibly imagine. We are limitless and it all starts in our own heads.
It may seem unwise for an online retailer to promote a video that tells people not to buy stuff, but here is where I get self serving. Within is completely committed to only selling organic products. We print our marketing pieces, hantags, etc on sustainable materials even though it costs us significantly more money. Why? Because IT MATTERS! Amie, Nikki and I said we wouldn’t get into business if we had to do it any other way. And we are not the only ones. We go... Continue Reading