surprise the designer

There's an incredible event happening tonight in a little suburb of Boston. People are gathering to raise money for Luke's Lights , and, in turn, for Unite to Light . There will be a family potluck style dinner followed by inspirational speakers and plenty of dance-worthy live music. It's an event not to be missed. (Seeing this now and interested in attending? More info here .)  Unite to Light is an organization focused on bringing little solar powered lights to people who need them, particularly students in parts of the world that are off the electrical grid. These lights provide an alternative to kerosene lamps; they allow people to continue their days after the sun goes down without worrying about the safety (or lack thereof) of kerosene. Luke's Lights is a movement that started after the sudden death of a close friend's young son earlier this year. It was (is) a big, gaping, impossible-to-conceive of tragedy, the sort of thing that makes you want to cl...

I'm pretty sure Sundays are my favorite.  They're big, long, languid days when it's ok to sleep in and then sit around reading the newspaper for an hour (or two.) They're days when I probably should think about visiting a church, days when it's a good idea to spend at least a handful of hours in the kitchen, especially in the winter. Sundays are the time to pull friends closer and slow life down, enjoying every single second before the start of the next work week. On this particular Sunday, I picked up my friends Kate & Katie and we headed over to the Eat Boutique  Holiday Market. Eat Boutique is an awesome little business run by food champ Maggie Battista. I love this snippet of their mission statement: "We eat boutique, which means we eat small, local and independent." I think this is another way of saying, "We're out to save the world." The Eat Boutique Market is a place for independent food businesses to share samples an...

Today is a holiday in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I believe in most of the state, it's recognized as Patriot's Day . Here in Boston, it's more commonly referred to as Marathon Monday. Runners come from across the globe to participate in the Boston Marathon. It's a race steeped in history and tradition, and most people have to qualify with a speedy time in a different marathon just to be able to get a bib number in Boston.  One of the most incredible things about the race to me is that the city of Boston stops what they're doing for a day to cheer on the runners. People of all ages line the race course, clapping, and cheering, and urging athletes on. And today, on this unseasonably balmy 90 degree day in April, spectators lined the course with orange slices and dixie cups of water and coolers full of ice. It is so very moving to see so many people supporting each other in the admirable goal of running 26.2 miles. On days like today I would hug th...