Boston-- can I have some "kaaffee?"

Today was insane! I'm not sure what I was thinking agreeing to take 14 people to 3 showrooms in an 8 hour time period. It was like herding cats down a marathon!

Boston is a gorgeous city. I look forward to flying in every time because it's usually at night and the approach is so beautiful. My drive to Burlington, MA (about 30 mins NW of Boston) is nice too. I get to go over the Zakim bridge which is lit so wonderfully at night. It's a memorial to those who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

We meet at the Regional office at 8am and headed into the city. We took 2 cars and a van. My group was about 1/3 union negotiators, 1/3 managers and 1/3 workers. We went to Kimball, AllSteel and then lunch. We made the plan to meet at the van (which was parked on the street in "commercial" parking since it looks like a delivery van) at 1:15 to make our 1:30 appointment at Herman-Miller.

About 1:10 I got a call from someone who was riding in the van. "Hello?" "Hi Meredith, where did the guys take the van to get lunch? Are they bringing it back here". I turn to the van driver who is sitting beside me.... "Bob?.... who did you give the van keys to? Do you know where they went?" Bob: "no one, I have the keys right here".

OH BOY (except I didn't say oh boy in my head).

So Bob and I book it back to where the van should have been. I love Bob and here's why: he goes up to the meter maid and starts sweet talking her. He tells her that he's here on official government business (flashes his FAA badge) and we were on a stake out ("in the middle of the city!? we can barely see the sky much less a flight pattern!?). She thinks he's cute. She makes a call.


We send the "van people" to Herman-Miller in a taxi and Bob continues on to the compound where he gets the van back FOR FREE!?

I mean seriously!? Who does that!? He's totally my hero.

A Very Roman Christmas

I can't believe I haven't blogged since the beginning of November! These last two months have been a blur of Christmas decorating, wrapping, shopping, and random work trips to Boston.

I love our house at Christmas. It helps that we have red furniture to start with (thanks Lacey!), so everything always coordinates! I use to be into candy colors- lime green, electric blue, hot pink, purple-- but ever since Jared and I got married, I'm settling into a more classic red and lime green.

When I was a kid we got a Christmas ornament from Santa every year. It usually represented something we did or were into that year. Mine were usually "artsy"-- I have a bunch of the Hallmark, Crayola line. When I became a children's minister I got a Veggie Tales ornament... you get the idea. This year, Santa brought Jared a motorcycle that lights up and sings "Bornto be Wild" in honor of his accident.

Something we always did as a kid was to put up an advent calendar. When I was little my mom, sister and I made a felt tree with velcro ornaments. We put one up every day until the 25th. The tree topper (which goes on on Christmas day) is a manger in honor of Jesus. I started to make my own this year and I was doing pretty good- making an ornament a night- until I had to go to Boston on work. I fell out of the habit, so hopefully I'll get it made in time for next Christmas!

So what are your favorite Christmas traditions? What do you love to do? What has your family taken and made into your own thing?

Halloween weekend fun!

My friends Angie and Brian had a fantastic Halloween party at their house this weekend! They had an "open flame night" where we all sat out on the back porch and roasted hot dogs, Jiffy Pop popcorn, and made smores! Angie even taught us her secret recipe for smores: sub fresh baked chocolate chip cookies for the graham crackers-- it was so good! Even after their dogs almost burned the house down (they knocked over an unattended candle), Brian and Angie were game for a couple rounds of mafia! They are the best hosts!

Saturday we just chilled out and ran errands. It's days like that when I feel truly "married" to Jared. Going to Home Depot, Sam's Club, and Bed Bath and Beyond doesn't get more "suburban married couple" than that!

Sunday, our friend Jerry scored us free tickets to the Thrashers game. He got us great seats-- center ice! Apparently the Atlanta Thrashers are ranked 25 out of 26 in the NHL and they beat the Florida Panthers (who are 22). It was actually a good game! I do regret having the cheese fries for dinner though.

Pen Snob

Everything on my desk is really up for grabs on my desk except for one thing: my pens. Seriously-- I'm very particular about what I choose to write with. I can't stand the tranditional Bic ballpoint. Don't even think about handing one to me. The only times I will use one is when signing a reciept (and even then I'm likely to reach into my purse and use one of my own).

Right now I have 4 pens of choice:

1) The first is my classic, default pen. It sets the standard and has never let me down. Pen phases will come and go, but this one stays the same: the Pilot G-2. It's a smooth gel pen that never skips and hardly smudges. Better yet, it also comes in red! (which I need to mark up drawings).

2) The Staedtler triplus fineliner is also an amazing pen! It comes in a rainbow of colors and has an ergonomic, triangle barrel. It's sleak, compact, and comes in it's own easel case. What else could you need? Like the Pilot G-2, this pen never skips and allows me to sketch with a really fine nib.

3) The AD marker is my go-to sketch marker. These markers blend, shade, layer and have a fantastic bold color. A lot of people prefer Prismacolors, but I would never trade in an AD marker for a Prismacolor. The ADs have almost a watercolor-likeness when they're used properly and I love thier nibs-- chiseled to let you have a fine line or thick one.

4) The Sharpie Pen is my latest find and I'm totally obsessed with them! It's everything you love in a Sharpie Fine Tip, but without the bleed! These pens don't even run through newsprint! They're absolutly amazing and come in a bunch of colors.

So that's it. If you're ever by my desk, don't mess with my pens! My stapler though... that's totally up for grabs!

Weekend Update 2

This weekend was intense. It actually started on Wed when Jared called me from his ambulance to tell me he had been in a motorcycle wreck and needed to get his wrist x-rayed. We're really lucky it wasn't worse than his wrist! Other than a couple bruises, he's doing really well.



My artistic interpretation of what happened:


Friday we went to the surgical center so Jared could have a couple screws put in his wrist so everything would set nice and neatly. My parents just happened to be visiting this weekend so my mom went to the hospital with me. Jared came out A-ok and in a lot less pain (he's high on codine and xanax!).

We went home and had a relaxing afternoon on the couch (while Jared snoozed off his drugs). Mom and I decided to go pick up a pizza from Mellow Mushroom and walked outside to find a unit down the street from our apartment on fire! It's in our complex, but luckily not close to our home. It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen! You always see stuff like this on the news and you think "those poor people", but it's totally different when you're actually standing beside the people whose homes are being destroyed. The Red Cross was amazing and helped the victims find places to stay and relocate. I have a lot of respect for our Sandy Springs fire fighters and emergency workers!

I think my parents think Atlanta is nothing but motorcycle wrecks and apartment fires, but we redeemed Atlanta by taking them to the Aquarium the next day where there were a lot of calm fish and water.

Interoffice Voting

The people I work for are members of unions, which makes everything a little harder than just picking a carpet or paint color that would look good and going for it. Instead, we have to let them vote on everything. My latest project is designing work stations for two groups that are merging into a new office. The office is gorgeous and modern! Wood on the walls, limestone floors, a fabulous black and white striped carpet with flecks of green and red. It's going to be wonderful!

I've kept the color palette pretty neutral on the building finishes so the cubes can really sizzle and pop! I finished the boards for this project and I've given them 4 options:

If you were the employees, which one would you vote for?

weekend update

This was a great weekend! I got to sleep in on Saturday (which I really needed), go on a mini-shopping spree, and then Jared and I went to hang out with our friends Lacey and John and their new baby girl Ella! We just hung out and watched Auburn beat LSU.




Ella totally gave me baby fever! Not enough that I'm going to do anything about it, but enough that I cuddled her and cooed over her all night long. She smells SO good! I think it's making Jared nervous. ;)

Lacey and John are two of those friends who you can not see or talk to for a month and then just pick up where you left off. Lacey has been really important to Jared and me and I am so thankful God has put her in our lives! She even directed our wedding!

We love you Updegraff's!