Episode 21 // Watermelon Beach Bag

This week's HGTV Handmade video is so summer-ready you'll need to get some SPF ready. Make a watermelon beach bag with this easy tutorial and get your bathing suit-covered body to the shore! For more watermelon DIY's check out my round up on Design Happens.

/// Meg's HGTV Playlist ///

SNOW DAY

The first big snow of 2014 enveloped the city in a clean white blanket last night and this morning, furthering the feeling of a fresh new start. The city is so peaceful, calm, and quiet after a storm like this, and even more so because I am cozy and warm inside in *loungewear due to the fact that I work from home. So, when I say snow day, I mean work-really-long-hours-day with pretty snow outside. I'll take it.


*Re: Pajamas

Happy New Year!

I am thrilled to say goodbye to 2013 and am so ready for the fresh start and clean slate a new year brings tomorrow. All of the 2013 retrospectives are a little overwhelming, as I can't even fully wrap my head around all that happened this year. Instead, I just want to focus on the gratitude I feel about a few of the loveliest things to come out of this year, and then I plan on focusing solely on what's to come.

// The Best of 2013 //

+ Our 5 year anniversary vow renewal. See it here, here, and here.

+ My precious, beloved babies and best friends, Gracie and Milo.

+ Our ability to laugh through the good times and bad.

+ The health of my niece and nephew, whom I love endlessly.

+ The birth of some of my closest friend's babies. Welcome to the world Emilie, Estella, Maia, Mary-Cate, Eloise, and Wes!

+ Time with my families, whom I adore and appreciate.

+ My darling and dear brother's wedding. My brother doubles as one of my favorite humans and his new wife is someone who I am lucky to call my sister.

+ The launch of HGTV Handmade.

+ The friends and family who stood by us during our hardest times. The ones who would never even think of judging either of us as we went through the hardest year of our life. The ones whose first response was "I'll be there", "what can I do to help", or "no matter what, you are not alone." Those perfect, amazing people who had our backs during the darkness and stood by us until we began to feel the light on our faces. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

+ YOU. 

Thank you for reading Nest, watching my videos, and supporting me and my work in whatever way you do. I love making, creating, and sharing it all with you. Thank you for helping making this year the best it could be, and I look so forward to sharing 2014 with you all.

+ Most importantly, my husband getting healthy.

Have a safe, healthy, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This/That: Christmas Edition

Christmas with my mom and stepdad was just wonderful this year. It was a chill, relaxed few days of crackling fires, delicious food, snuggly dogs, and the comforting company of my parents and husband. 

Last week we...

+ Ate this yule log, along with my mom's lobster rolls, her DIY egg-white McMackins, steamed dungeness crab, standing rib rack, and my frittata. We ate like kings and returned with enough food to feed a gluten-free army.

+ Drank these pomegranate seed, cranberry, citrus mocktail. We added lemon salt to the rim and it was to-die-for. 

+ Cozied up next to this roaring fire with the cutest and sweetest pups in the world. 

+ Yeah, okay, maybe Gracie and I took a few selfies togeths. Do we look alike? I hope so.

 + Wrapped one of my gifts for my parents with the help of DIY pom pom Frosty. 

We are home safe and sound and are ready for the New Year! Are you?

Christmas Time is Here

It's the most wonderful time of the year and also the BUSIEST. The last couple of weeks I have been juggling the first three episodes of HGTV Handmade while trying to keep up with Christmas prep for my wonderful families. I usually have a bit more time and space to revel in the holiday spirit, but this year has proven to be more challenging. I'm getting there and trying to shift out of work-mode and into a more relaxed, Christmas vibe. Are you guys accomplishing this yet? Tonight the DIY wrapping begins and that will help with the shift. As will our trip to my parents next week. The holiday spirit is all around our home, but this is nothing compared to how warm and festive my mom and dad's house will be when we arrive there on Monday. I can just smell the mulling spices now and can't wait to countdown to Christmas with the woman makes every holiday so special. My mom embodies the Christmas spirit all year 'round, so come December 25th, there is no one in the world better to share the day with. See you soon, mom!

This/That

This weekend I...

+ Brought this beauty home with my husband to fully welcome the holiday season into our home.

+ Decorated our tree with our favorite ornaments, most of which are handmade or were given to us by loved ones. There are little pieces of my mom, Nana, my grandma D, my sister Lauren, all over this beautiful tree, and THAT is what it's all about.

+ Made this Moroccan-inspired paper star for our tree. How did I NOT have a tree topper? I think I'm going to need to invest in one of these retro atomic tree toppers for next year.

+ Strung these magical and symmetrical Christmas lights in our front bedroom windows. They look so lovely inside and out!

+ Watched this beautiful snow fall while staying warm and cozy inside. 

+ Played and romped in it with these adorable babies. LOOK AT THAT FACE. Kills me every time.

+ Watched this. And this. And I dare you to judge me, this. Sometimes you just need a trip to the Church of Oprah.

Christmas Time is Here

This week I shot the first 2 episodes of HGTV Handmade and last weekend we celebrated our best friend in the Catskills. Work and life has been insanely busy right now, meaning my dear friend Christmas hasn't gotten it's moment to shine like a string of twinkling lights just yet. Usually we would have had the perfect Christmas tree with wrapped presents underneath by now, but it's been so hectic that we are incredibly late to the festive game. I am so excited that finally THIS weekend Christmas is coming to the Cole household! Tonight we are getting our tree and will add the magical lights. Tomorrow we will decorate it with same-said best friend while watching Christmas movies, baking treats, wrapping presents, and revelling is the aromatic scent of the balsam fir that will be shining in our living room. I can hear the soundtrack of Love Actually now.

Photo of the coolest ring ever found on Pinterest.

DIY No-Carve Evil Eye Pumpkin

I made a fun and super-easy tutorial on Pickie for kids and beginner crafters showing you how to make an evil eye pumpkin without having to wield a knife. Perfect for a last-minute non-traditional Halloween moment. (Insert evil omniscient laugh here!)

// More //

The step-by-step with tips and hints here. 

Autumnal tablescape tutorial here.

Plans

+ Continue on my mission Operation No Wrinkles with an arsenal of seasonal weapons to fight against the oppressive sun. I bought this hat the other day when the harmful rays were beating down upon my face fading the powerful SPF applied earlier and quickly burning my button nose. #operationnowrinkles

+ Everlane tees are a summer staple and now I'm coveting the new Poplin collection of crisp white and sand collared shirts. This weekend I plan on choosing which ones I need to wear with linen shorts and a braided belt and adding them to my Amazon wishlist. 

+ Finish organizing the office. One small box of supplies remains unorganized. ALMOST. THERE.

+ Memorize the 21 Rules of Entertaining by Dinner A Love Story. I printed this puppy out and have a high-lighter ready to make it mine. 

+ Read this because I finished this. Both by the brilliant Cheryl Strayed whose every word I eat up. I need to read every word that she has written.

+ Schedule which of these summer flicks we will go watch from the comfort of a blanket in the grass with a view of Manhattan behind the big screen. Mmm summer in the city can be so sweet.

+ Send this new baby mama care package.



Whatever you crazy kids get into this weekend be careful of that sun and have a blast!

Lobster Roll

On our day trip to Brooklyn Bridge Park we stopped by Luke's for a DELICIOUS lobster roll. If you are in the borough this weekend, do your taste buds a big favor and do the same. 'Twas amazing and only enhanced by that salty breeze I was telling you about.

Lemon Mint Water

In the last week it went from being oddly cold and rainy to hot, humid, and sticky-as-a-mug (the technical term). When it gets this brutal out we try to stave off putting the air conditioners in by any means necessary. I really prefer keeping the windows open and having a fan pulling a cross-breeze into the house for as long as possible. Coming up with tasty cold beverages helps in this fete, with the above being the most simple way to cool off with a spruced-up glass of cold water.

To make: Add a few sprigs of fresh mint and the juice of half of a lemon to the bottom of your glass. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to muddle the flavors of the two together. Muddling is basically just mushing the ingredients together, releasing their juices and flavors. Add in a few cubes of ice and top off with filtered water. Simple, delicious, and cold!

*Pre-make ice cubes with black, blue or rasberries in them for a pop of color and extra flavor.

10 Beachy Home Decor Ideas

I am FEELING a deep aching need for a beach vacation in my bones right now but sadly have nothing of that nature on "the books". Until I figure out that ole' chestnut, let's gaze dreamily at the beachy elements in my bathroom and just pretend.

Non-beachy but rad: the chevron vintage cabinet that I refurbished on Curbly.

10 Beach Decor Ideas:

+ A DIY Nautical lamp that I made on CRAFT.

+ A bamboo raft photograph taken in Thailand by Ben Freshman.

+ A vase filled with collected shells and rocks from the beaches you've traveled to. In mine I have  remnants collected from Siesta Key, Florida / Maine / Portugal / Lewes, Delaware / Cabin Point / and Montauk over the last 15 years.

+ A vintage black and white photograph of someone elses's beach house that I bought on ebay. Apparently, I am okay with having old photographs of strangers in my intimate spaces. 

 + A photo of my mom in college in a tropical South Moon Under frame. South Moon Under was always my sister's and my favorite store off of the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.

+ Woven fans from World Market.

+ Ikat shower curtain from World Market.

+ Blown glass orbs with little fish inside. My dear friend Dejon gave me these and they have very sentimental value.

+ A vintage Latin astronomy print that my stepdad had framed and gave to Will for Christmas a couple of years ago. Star-gazing is my favorite night-time beach activity, by far, so anything astronomy feels like I am laying on the sand at night to me.

+ A vintage nautical oil lamp that I bought in Lewes, Delaware donned with Christmas lights because it's just ALWAYS the season for Christmas lights.

DIY Projects for the Precipitation Situation

We awoke to BIG GIANT fluffy white snowflakes taking over New York City this morning. The sky has gone back and forth in a fickle manner between rain and tiny flakes ever since, but New York and especially New England are to get a ton-o-snow over the next 24 hours. Whatever your precipitation situation stay cozy and entertained with some of my favorite recent DIY projects: 

// Cozy up in a Blanket Cape // Make a Faceted Gem set as a gift for your Valentine

// Keep yourself entertained with DIY Animal Masks //

// Bring green into your home with a Driftwood Wall Garden //

Looks like this weekend should involve lots of: storm protocol, snuggles with dogs, yummy recipes, TV + movies, and (at best) clothes that feel like pajamas.

Another Brooklyn Blizzard

I can't believe how many times it has snowed this season. Luckily, I am working from our warm and cozy home.




Back to work, but stay inside if you can!

Wintery Mix

When I checked the weather last night, my source said today we would have a "wintery mix". I pictured a handmade cassette tape with snow flakes on it. When we awoke to find a white fluffy blanket of snow throughout our neighborhood, it came clear to me.




If you have a dog, then you know that when it snows they move about on two speeds only.


1) So fast they are a fuzzy blur and 2) A dead stop, slightly shivering.

First Snow

Right now New York is having it's first official snow of the season. There was a mini-flurry a couple of weeks ago, but today marks the first official snow!




It was a bit too chilly for Gracie's taste.


It makes me nostalgic for past snow days.





If it's snowing where you live, enjoy!