Downton Abbey paper dolls

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We won't be getting new episodes of Downton Abbey until next January (nooo!!), but how cute are these paper dolls by Kyle Hilton? The Dowager Countess and her many facial expressions! Sybil in a modern t-shirt! These are the perfect little treat to hold us over until the season premiere!

Just one question: Where's my home girl Edith? #TeamEdith

[Via Vulture]

Summer Week: 6 ways to feel like a kid again

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Happy first day of summer, friends! Ahh, the summers of youth -- those long, lazy days spent playing and frolicking and laughing until your sides hurt. These days seemed to last forever. Until, well, they didn't. Somewhere along the way, you grew up (how did that happen...?), and the summer months lost that special spark of magic. It all leaves you with a very unsettled feeling.

I've been thinking a lot about my childhood summers lately. I'll be going about my day, and waves of nostalgia will just come over me -- sometimes, from out of nowhere. So, this summer, more than anything, I'd love to recapture that feeling of child-like enthusiasm. I know what you're thinking: "Melissa, you can't recapture you're childhood. Don't you know that? Once it's gone, it's gone." Of course I know that, but who's to say we can't enjoy those things that made our childhood summers so special? Still don't believe me? Here are 8 childhood classics to get you in a summer mood...

*A summertime temporary tattoo, $5 for set of two.
*A pint of Jeni's famously delicious ice cream, $12 (if you're feeling adventurous, here are the 20 best recipes for homemade ice cream).
*A classic paddle ball to see if you can still beat your childhood record, $2.59.
*Colorful sidewalk chalk to make your driveway pretty, $6.69.
*Bouncy balls because you used to spend hours seeing how high you could make it bounce, $4.91.
*An old-fashioned kite that reminds you of all the good summer afternoons with your father, $12.99.

Do you miss being a kid in the summer? What was your favorite part? Any toy or games you loved? Let's get a bit nostalgic, shall we, friends? xoxo

[Top photo via We Heart It, edited by me]

My new smartphone: What are your favorite apps? (And, yes! I'm on Instagram!)

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Well, friends, it's quite the big day for me! One word: New smartphone! My faithful Blackberry served me well for some three years, but it was time to move on up in the technological world. Getting a new phone is big for me; I mean, you all know about my tenuous relationship with change.

But! I'm jumping in -- or, I'm trying to, at least. I'm finally catching up with the rest of the universe and joining Instagram. You can follow all my adventures here (my IG is melissablake81), and I'm so excited to probably get addicted to it.

My new Samsung Galaxy smartphone is all shiny and pretty, but other than Instagram, I still have it programmed to all the factory settings. I feel a bit lost and overwhelmed (is that how people felt when the Internet first came along?). There's just so much you can do on these phones; it's pretty wild. I'd love to add some fun apps, and would love to hear your recommendations. Which ones are your favorite? Which ones do you use most often? Thanks, and I'll see you on Instagram, friends! xoxo

P.S. OH! And don't forget to let me know your IG so I can follow you!! :)

Pictionary proposal

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Reddit justmli used everyone's favorite drawing-and-guessing game to propose to his girlfriend of more than a year. He took the Pictionary card with the word marry on it, and, using his Photoshop skills, added the word me.

He then invited some friends over for a rousing evening of game playing. Midway through the night, he slyly put his romantic plan into action.

His girlfriend drew the lucky card. "She started drawing and we all started guessing," he says. "I was already on my knee and had the ring hidden in my hand. As she drew, I shouted out a lot of fake guesses. I wanted her to work for it."

"Finally, when the moment was right, I shouted “MARRY ME!” and she said “yeah!" -- excited that I had finally guessed it. Then I looked at her, held out the ring and calmly said, “Will you marry me?” She was equal parts shocked and confused, and it took her a good few seconds to realize what was happening."

Even more romantic? The couple is saving that little drawing that changed both their lives. "The end," he says at the end of his story. "Actually, the beginning..."

How sweet is that? What game would you choose for the perfect proposal? I'd go with Monopoly! xoxo

Fun game: 7 Little Words

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Have no fear, friends -- a Blog Redesign Week post and an exclusive tour of the blog design's new look is on its way, but first: A fun game my mother recently introduced me to. Have you guys heard of the game 7 Little Words (it's available as an app, too)? You're given 7 clues to words, and you have to rearrange the letters in the word bank to figure out each answers. Some of the clues are surprisingly tricky!

There's a new puzzle each day, and the best part? A big smiley face pops up on your screen when you get them all right! I played a little mini-marathon before I went to bed last night, and, well, I'm hooked now! Give it a try, friends...but don't say I didn't warn you about its addictive qualities! xoxo

Found: The perfect wooden puzzles

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Remember this awesome 3-D tic-tac-toe wooden game? The Etsy shop Siam Collection also sells these fantastic wooden puzzles. The heart puzzle, above, is so cute and clever.

Tangram puzzle...

3-D puzzle cube...

Circular wooden puzzle...

Hexagot wooden puzzle...

 

I had a tangram puzzle when I was a teenager, and the thing used to drive me nuts. But these puzzles would make a cool coffee table fixture, wouldn't they? You could challenge your friends to brain teaser marathons... xoxo

Found: The cutest Wizard of Oz toys

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To celebrate next year's 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, Warner Bros. will release a Yellow-Brick-Road-themed toy collection. How adorable are Dorothy and friends? Who's your favorite character?

 

I've also been dying to see Oz: The Great and Powerful. Have you seen it, friends? xoxo

Etsy Love: 3-D tic-tac-toe

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How fun (and mind-boggling!) would it be to play this childhood classic in 3-D? I'm sold! xoxo

 

P.S. A fun Fashion Friday is coming up this afternoon! :)

Fun game: Spoons!

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Have you guys ever played a game called Spoons? My mom grew up playing the fast-paced game on family vacations deep in the woods in her aunt and uncle's cabin. She used to regale me with stories of how her whole family -- sometimes 20 at one time -- would gather around a huge table with a deck of cards and a number of spoons totaling one less than the number of players (i.e., 4 spoons if 5 people are playing...). The object of the game? Be the first player to have four of a kind and grab one of the spoons, which have been placed in the center. This is the signal for everyone else to grab a spoon; the player who ends up empty-handed is the loser.

 

Well, I played the game for the first time at a family party recently, and it was hilariously fun. It's one of those raucous games that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Have you played it before, friends? What's your favorite family game? xoxo

Love Lounge: On childhood and snow globes

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A couple years ago, I found one while I was rummaging around my room. They're small. They come in a variety of scenes. And they used to entertain me for hours on end.

Snow globes.

When I was a kid, my parents always used to buy my sister and me snow globes around the holidays. You'd think they'd just given us $1 million by the sight of our faces -- all lit up (our faces, not the snow globes) with huge smiles brimming from ear to ear.

Now, these snow globes were nothing special, probably the cheap kind you can buy at Wal-Mart, but it felt as if they'd just given us those expensive kinds. Even as a young child, I knew all about the top-of-the-line expensive kind. They were the sorts of snow globes you'd see in catalogues. Huge catalogues. Filled with equally huge snow globes. These things were mammoth, I tell you. These snow globes were mounted on a huge platform -- at least it looked that way to my young and covetous eyes -- and each elaborate scene (trust me, there were many elaborate scenes) was encased in a thick, round dome. I could barely get my hand around its diameter. Or, that's what I assumed because, remember, all I had to go by was the photo in the catalogue.

Still, I so desperately wanted to hold one in my hands. Just once. To feel the weight of it on my fingers. To run my hand over the smooth, crystal clear dome.

But every year, I'd find the small ones in my hand. The scenes they depicted varied over the years. There was the scene of Santa Claus and his wife, Mrs. Claus, in front on their home in the North Pole. There was the scene of the reindeer trying to pull the sleigh full of toys.

My sister and I would just sit there, holding these little treasures. We'd tilt the globes one way and watch the snow float and drift. We'd tilt it the other way and watch the snow drift back over to the other side.

All the scenes, we soon found out, were happy and calming. That was the gift my parents wanted to give us, each and every single year. Whether it came in a large or small dome, with or without a mounted platform, didn't really matter. Looking back, I can't remember a Christmas where I didn't receive one of those small snow globes and felt a rush of happiness and soothing calm run down my spine. All thanks to what I'd perceived to be a "small" snow globe. 

And now, as I get older, I see another little lesson in those globes. It may be that the world is spinning around us -- the snow may be whirling in thick patches, making it nearly impossible for us to see. But even if everything around us is moving in chaotic motion, that doesn't mean we can't remain still. I always marveled at how the centerpiece of those globes never moved out of place. Santa, Mrs. Claus and the reindeer never lost their balance. Now it all makes sense to me. Maybe I'll buy myself a much-needed snow globe this year.

Did your parents give you snow globes when you were young, friends? Aren't they magical? xoxo

P.S. Remember these snow globes?

[Photos via We Heart It]

Holiday Gift Guide 2012 Part #7: Six picks for your perfect pet

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This buster bowl to elevate their dining experience, $29.99.

A plaid dog snuggie because, well, it's a dog snuggie, $5.99.

Catnip that your cat will most definitely go bananas over, $8.99.

A sleek new collar to make all the other neighborhood pets jealous, $19.

A cozy bed for sweet dreams, $39.99.

And of course, some toys, so they can play to their little heart's content, $5.99.

Holiday Gift Guide 2012 Part #5: Your little cousin who loves to play outside and questions everything with "Why?"

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An elephant piggy bank for their hard-earned money, $50.

A book celebrating their favorite city or inspire their inner traveller (obviously, Good Night, Chicago is my favorite), $9.95.

This hat and mitten set for long walks (and building snowmen) in the snow, $26.95.

Nail polish kit for those bonding moments, $14.95.

A fantastical cape ($32) and matching silk crown ($22), so they can properly fight those evil villains.

A supercharged bouncy ball that flies up to 75 feet in the air, $8.50.

A pair of happy socks because you know they'll be getting at least a few pairs of not-so-happy socks this year, $12.

Eye-spy camera for their curious side, $11 (and here's a top secret spy kit to go with it, $39).

Chia pet because, really, you can't go wrong with a classic, $22.99.

Treat them to some outdoor fun and fresh air with L.L. Bean's Outdoor Discovery School -- kayaking, canoeing and cross-country skiing is included, $20.

P.S. How cute is this snowman in a sack ($34)?

Peek Inside: My favorite piece of family furniture

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We've affectionately dubbed the kitchen table the Yahtzee table in my family. We've played hundreds (maybe thousands) of games on its sleek wooden surface. So many games, in fact, that last summer my mother had the entire table refinished. Apparently, our years of dice-rolling had left too many scratches and scuff marks for my mother's liking. I came home one day to find a table I almost didn't recognize. Two refinishing treatments was all it took. It looked like a new table right there in our kitchen, like something straight out of the showroom or a fancy catalogue. Shiny. Pristine. Scratch-and-scuff free.

 

And I didn't like it one bit. So of course, I had to make my feelings known.

 

This was an affront to me, I told her. An assault on our game-playing fun that has become a ritual for us since my father died. Because there were memories attached to that table. Memories attached to every scratch on that table. You can't buy those sorts of memories. They take time to form, and you're most definitely not going to find them in a new piece of furniture.

Maybe you've got similar memories attaches to your home decor items. A rocking chair? A comfortable bed? A seemingly dusty end table? These are the items which mark our lives. What is it about a piece of furniture that can hold such powerful memories for us? How just the sight of it can take us back to that moment in time - times of joy and comfort? Does any furniture hold special meaning for you, friends? What does it mean to you?

P.S. That second photo shows our game-playing essentials; notice Harry's little paws? :)