february is...

february wears its heart on its sleeve.
she has many things she loves.
february never skates on surfaces.
she is lyrical.
february always gets to the heart of things.
she loves to slow dance.
february can surprise you.
she writes love sonnets in cafes.
february loves paris.
she is a friend forever.
february believes that the heart can do anything.
she has the ability to touch. and dream.
february is a good thing in a small package.
she sees life as poetry.
february loves chocolate.
she believes in love for love's sake.
february will never break your heart.
she is a song.

{image via}

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brrrr....

there is nothing to say about today other than it's freezing. the temperature at home this morning was a balmy -20, and it has just now crept above the 0 degree mark. it's the kind of cold that hurts and makes the inside of your nose stick together. the kind that, as my brilliant friend seb said, "makes me want hot cocoa, a grilled cheese and my couch" and i wholeheartedly agree! so, here's to an evening with a steamy mug of yumminess and some quality time under the blanket...cause really, what else is there to do!? so, c'mon old man winter, bring it on!

{via}

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happy {hockey} weekend!

it's a big weekend up here in vermont - well, for my mr and i anyway! we have friends coming from near and far not just to see us, but to be part of hockey history. the middlebury panthers are celebrating the anniversary of the 1960-61 team (which was pretty impressive by even mr. frederickson's standards) and they are doing it up right! so we will be bundling up and cheering on the 2011 team and celebrating at our favorite spots (here & here) with many of our favorite people. it's a good weekend in our world...

{image via}

i hope your weekends are full of all of your favorite things as well! stay warm (-:

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snow day poetry.

brew me a cup for a winter's night.
for the wind howls loud and the furies fight;
spice it with love and stir it with care,

and i'll toast our bright eyes, my sweetheart fair.

~minna thomas antrim

...the snowy, grey world just feels poetic today, don't you think?

(image via)

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baby, it's cold outside!

i have party planning on the brain these days in a big big way. and i fell instantly in love when i came across this ice skating party. the bonfire, the mason jars, the burlap table cloths, the hot chocolate, the candles, the tubs of beer....cozy, romantic, fun and oh so vermont-y. plus, my husband to be (yup, that's right, mr. frederickson and i are making it official!) is quite the skater. i think maybe we are on to something....

so, a winter wedding? what do you think!?!?

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the most wonderful time of the year...

happy friday! and what a festive week it has been - i am almost sad to see it come to an end. but i am floating on cloud 9 (more on that later) and can't wait to cozy up with someone special tonight and celebrate this magical time of year! i hope this weekend brings you all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings as well.

i'll be back in full force next week with lots of holiday cheer and a little bit of news....

until then....make it a great one!

XOXO

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the polar express

hands down, the very best book of all time is the polar express. no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

and this weekend, in vermont, this magical book comes to life - both here in burlington and down the road in hartford. a train ride complete with hot chocolate, homemade cookies, sing-a-longs, conductors, santa and of course, the first gift of christmas! can you imagine a more perfect way to spend a saturday? 'cause i sure can't....

so, what do you think? who's on board?

“though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”

-the polar express

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december is...

december is (very) merry.

she is filed with joy.

december speaks many languages.

she hears hope in every voice.

december makes angels in the snow.

she is happiest with open hands.

december loves the smell of evergreens.

she comes bearing gifts.

december sparkles with goodwill and strings of lights.

she lights candles in the dark.

december is a great last act.

she can experience things spiritually.

december wraps it's packages carefully.

she dances in the arms of the world.

december has read & green slip covers.

she believes in things unseen.

december gives and receives.

she is a revelation.

{image via}

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a daily dose of holiday spirit

tomorrow is december 1st, and you know what that means: the official countdown to christmas has begun. and growing up in my house that meant one thing: advent calendars. so since i am on the slowboat this year, i am hoping to get a bit creative and do a make shift one at home that will encourage some holiday spirit! (i love mr. frederickson, but he is lacking a bit in that department)

check out all these super cute diy versions...now i just have to decide what little daily treats are going to win over my scrooge's heart this season. any thoughts?

{via etsy - nuvanova}

{via not on the highstreet}

{via oh hello friend}

{via etsy - oh hello magpie}

{via oh, happy day!}

{via twig & thistle}

{via pinterest}

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tuesday shoesday - coziness cont...

please see post below and add these to the mix. perfection achieved. done and done.

"shut the door not that it lets in the cold but that it lets out the coziness.”

-mark twain

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coziness defined.

'tis the season for fireplaces. aka - heaven. i mean what is better on these dreary november days than curling up under a cozy blanket in front of a crackling fire with a good book (or trashy magazine) and a steaming cup of tea (or big glass of wine)? correct answer: nothing.

actually, that's a lie. there is something better. and that would be cozying up in front of one of these fireplaces - complete with a clever little nook to stack your kindling. you should know that i have a soft spot in my heart for woodpiles and love any situation that means i can stay curled up under the blanket and not have to travel far to keep the fire burning, so this is pure perfection in my book!

what about you? what's your go to cure for the november chill?

{1,2,3,4}

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happy {hockey} weekend!

i don't have any idea how it snuck up on me so fast, but it's here. hockey season is already here! yes, that's right, tonight marks opening night of the college hockey season up in these parts and i could not be more excited!

admittedly i know very little about the sport, but this team in particular represents so many things i love that i can't help but be excited. i love the experience of it all. i love the way the community comes together. i love the people watching - from toddlers in mini jerseys running in circles in the stands, to the teenage girls drooling over the cutest new players. i love the loyal fans who have sat in the same seats for as long as they can remember. i love that there is another whole community that supports the team from behind the scenes. but mostly, i love how cute mr. frederickson looks barking at his players from behind the bench. and i love that his parents come and still cheer for the guy who wears the number he wore back in his glory days. (#37)

so, see, even for a non-hockey fan....it's a great season. a really great one.

wish us luck (-:

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vermont evergreens.

you know how i feel about simon pearce. everything they do is pretty darn perfect in my book. but i have to admit that my very favorite thing they make are their vermont evergreens. they are simply stunning, weather you have one or a million lined up on your mantle. (although to be honest, seeing a dozen lined up is breathtaking!) they are perfectly vermont and they add the perfect amount of holiday decor to any room....so perfect that when i got the email today, just seeing these beauties put me in the spirit!

also, check out this video of the brilliant craftsmen at work in their quechee shop. if you haven't stopped in there yet, it is a holiday season must do! how cool is this?

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snow day excitement.

i know there are a few of you out there who are thrilled that there is already snow on the mountains out there, thanks to last weekend's nor-easter. i, unfortunately, am not one of them. snow is great, but i prefer mine in december and january! although this video, filmed atop stowe's gondola, got me just a little bit excited about the first snow day of the season. i mean, seriously, how happy do they look?

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black & white.

there is something timeless about a black & white photograph.

and there is something magical about a day that looks like a black & white photograph.

scenes from yesterday...

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snowman snow.

it's a SNOW DAY here in vermont!
and it's not just a regular snow day - but the very best kind of snow day.
the kind with heavy, wet, snowman snow.
the kind of snow that sticks to the trees and just begs for a snowball fight.
that light, fluffy unpackable snow is sooo january.

so, the plan for the day is as follows:
coffee
work (maybe...)
winterwonderland walk/grocery store
snowball fight
hot chocolate
nap/olympic hockey
soup
wine
bed

...pure heaven if you ask me...
this also means that comfort food thursday has to come a day early this week- stay tuned!

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forest heavens.

it's that time of year. the time when the temperature during the day climbs ever so carefully above freezing and the earth breathes a sigh of relief that it can relax and warm up a bit. but what that means for the rest of us is simple, we must welcome the frost heaves and the signage that accompanies them.for the next few weeks the roads will be posted with signs as seen above - signifying a bumpy ride ahead (and trust me, bumpy is often an understatement) but for me, this sign reminds me of my childhood, when the ride in the backseat of our volvo stationwagon felt like a roller coaster and my little brother, who was just learning to read, pronounced these bumps in the road to be "forest heavens." a name that has managed to stay with us and will always make me smile.

so, in the next few weeks, i challenge you to take a wrong turn and drive down a bumpy dirt road - you never know where the forest heavens might lead...

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valentine's day phantom.

vermont has a phantom. a valentine's day phantom.

here is what we know...
his date of attack: february 14th
his location: montpelier, vermont
his weapon: thousands of red paper hearts
his true identity: unknown

clearly this phantom (aka the love bandit) is no ordinary phantom. this phantom writes poetry, has a theme song, a youtube video, a facebook fan page AND has single handedly turned the word heart into a verb. forget cupid, vermont's valentine's day phantom is sooo much cooler.
so this weekend, if you can't make it to montpelier, be your own phantom and heart your home town. red construction paper is a powerful weapon.

"all you need is love. love is all you need."

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