My Maggie December

Happy December one and all! I'm feeling a power-Christmas coming on. I'm not sure what that means other than making the most of each day this month and individualizing the season to celebrate in ways that really speak to me. I plan to do something lovely, Christmasy, celebratory every day this month. Join me!

My playlist this month, while short, is deliberate. It features all female voices and evokes ethereal winter days and powerful emotions about what matters most. It shares my approach to the Holidays this year.

I would love to share the whole playlist with you, but three of the songs are from Provo City's new Christmas Album Merry Christmas, Provo. I picked up a copy when I donated $10 to United Way. You can do the same, even via online, by ordering here.

Here are the rest of the songs:

My Maggie November

This morning, I found myself walking along Center Street in Downtown Provo. Charming ✔︎ Sunny ✔︎ Parking ✔︎ Not crowded ✔︎ 5 minutes from my house ✔︎ I decided it was time to try the Kolaches I've been hearing about, and I was hungry for brunch. They were delicious. I recommend the fruit-filled over the savories. Downtown Provo is charming. Interspersed between pawn shops and the three bars in Provo, there are tons of cute little shops. I ran into one of the famous pop-up markets, Bijoux Market, and started my Christmas shopping a little early. I love supporting local artisans. I donated $10 to United Way, and I left with a Christmas CD put out by the City of Provo. It's filled with local talent and AMAZING recordings of both traditional and original Christmas music. Provo is a special place.

If this weekend was fast-forwarded four weeks with some added snow, I would have been in Christmas heaven. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my outing, but I have to tuck it away and not categorize it as Christmasy. It's too early! I've been pretty forthwith here on this blog, that I'm a Mid-December Christmas celebrator. I think this year, though, I'll jump into the Christmas Spirit as soon as Thanksgiving is over. Speaking of which, here's my November playlist. Even though I'm late posting this, I've been listening to it all month. November puts me in the mood for cozy, love-y music. Stuff I can listen to at home while cooking and enjoying the beginning of the holidays.

Thanksgiving is welcome as can be around here. I can't wait to celebrate with family. What will you be listening to while cooking? Feel free to queue up a few of my November playlists. You can find them here, here, and here. And today's is below.

Once again there are a few songs I couldn't find on Spotify. I'll put some videos below so you can hear them if you want to.

#5 

#6

#13

I can't find any recordings of #16, Beautiful by Dan Cranney. Sorry sharing isn't the best this month.

My Maggie October

Well, isn't October off to a great start? For me there's been a football game, General Conference coziness, walks in the brooding fall weather, butternut squash soup, pumpkin ice cream, bon fires at the lake, and the Royals made it to the postseason. I mean, come on! Here's what I'm listening to this October.

Also, I've been thinking a lot about change lately. What's the right balance between speaking up and asking for what you want and patiently proving yourself? I think both are necessary, but for me, I have to follow my gut and speak when I have a nagging feeling that won't leave. 

I want to follow this counsel (my favorite talk from last weekend's General Conference):

A Plea To My Sisters

But I also don't want to come off all millennial:

I guess the easy answer is find a balance between working hard, speaking up, and trusting in the Lord.

My Maggie September

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair

Welcome September! The month of back-to-school, football games, sapphire skies, and cooling air has arrived. But before I fully surrender to fall, there are still the last days of summer to enjoy (want to do more hiking!), a roadtrip with besties to the lake, birthday celebrations, and family time.

I'm stoked to share a 70s playlist this month. I plan to drive with the windows down, listening to this over and over again.

My first love in music is indie electronic pop, but quite a few people are turned off by it, so it can be a little ostracizing. A very close second favorite is 70s folk rock. I think one reason I love it so much, is I can talk about it with so many people: my best friend's dad, MY dad, my physical therapist, my guy friends. It's so relatable across generations. I love this genre so much I could do two or three or even more playlists just like this, so maybe this is just a start.

My Maggie August

You'll shine like gold in the air of summer

Happy August! Remember how my last three Augusts have been hot, exhausting, and boring? Well, I'm done with grad school now, finally have a good museum job, and live in a glorious place, so I am feeling pretty good this August!

My playlist is inspired by hot, sunny days; cool, shiny nights; and songs about strong women who inspire me. Listen to it here:

Things I'm looking forward to this month: moving into my (new) new place (long story). Birthdays for a niece and a nephew. Fun outings with friends. There's already been some great moments, so here's a few pics below. I also wanted to introduce a few of my nieces and nephews, since I am finally getting to spend a bit of time with them.

Trevan, 9 (almost 10) and Carsten, 5 are your typical brothers who fight over almost everything. They are the two younger McClellan brothers and spend most of their time together and with Cameron, 12. Tyler is 15 and a little too cool for his brothers now. No pics of Cam or Tyler, but I'll get them on here someday. Carsten has no sisters, but the second his cousin, Juliet, comes around, he has a best friend.
Juliet, 2 (almost 3) and Carsten are so entirely adorable together. They are best friends. Juliet has no brothers, so they really compliment each other. At our recent Family Fun Day, as they got out of their respected cars, Juliet said, "Here I am, Carsten! I'm right, here!" Also when Carsten was getting upset over something Trevan wouldn't share, Juliet said, "It's ok Carsten, all you have to do is say, 'Trevan, may I please have a turn?'" Look at Nora Jayne! She is the most adorable almost one-year-old. She is so chill and happy and giggly. I promise, I have never seen her upset.
We went boating at Deer Creek Reservoir. The back of Mount Timp makes for a gorgeous backdrop, but the place gets really crowded on Saturdays. We were disappointed in the rocky beaches that make getting in and out of the water extremely treacherous, but we still had a great time.
I drove a jet ski AND paddleboarded (on my knees) for the first time. Just glad I didn't dip off either one.

My Maggie July

July! I've been in Utah for over a month. Can you believe it? This month has been busy. There's been outdoor movies in the mountains, downtown concerts, hot air balloons, fireworks, a Bees game, and so much more! I am feeling really grateful for my friends who moved to Utah before me and have made me feel welcomed and loved.

This playlist starts lazy and summery and picks up the intensity towards the end. Because, I can't not include some electronic music or anything that resembles an 80s ballad. Like most of my playlists, it includes old songs from my collection that need to be featured, songs that have become relevant through conversation, and new discoveries (through live music--the best kind!). Hope it makes you feel relaxed and pumped!

July shout-out to one of my heroes, Marie-Antoinette.

My Maggie June

Here's my June playlist. I created this more for the trek west in my Uhaul than for any other reason. I listened to it over and over from DC to Ohio to Missouri to Wyoming to Utah! I drove Bremen crazy. Let's just say we had very different ideas of how to fill our driving time.

Not gonna lie, I cried through a lot of this playlist while driving out of DC and many times throughout the rest of the trip. I had a lot of emotions.

My life in Utah is slowly coming together. I love my mountain and valley views from my new bedroom, love jamming to this playlist on my commute, love spending time with family and new and old friends. I'm also enjoying exploring new and exciting things in Utah.

My June has included a hike to a waterfall, festivals and rodeos and fireworks, fresh flowers and paintings, and sunshine! Hope you all enjoy the last week of June. (It's becoming a top contender on my favorite month list.)

My Maggie May

For some reason I am really excited about my May playlist. I'm way late this month, but I've had this ready to go since the beginning of the month. I forgot about it, and then when I found it, I made a few tweaks.

My playlist tugs at my emotions, pumps me up, and chills me out. I've been listening to it during my ethereally beautiful drives along the cherry blossom-lined MacArthur Boulevard and running to it on the Capital Crescent Trail. Passion Pit is heavily featured, because I crossed off a bucket list item by seeing them perform at the 9:30 Club earlier this month.

May brought about some incredible changes in my life, namely, accepting a new position in Utah that is pretty much a dream come true. I'm not sure how I will handle living away from DC. I'm afraid I will miss it miserably. I'm gearing up for all the wonderful things about Utah that made me want to move there in the first place. Hopefully it will feel right, when I get there.

My last week of East Coast living will be on the beach at the Outer Banks. A full week of lounging with friends. I intend to use that time to contemplate my 7 years in DC and prepare for another major life change.

10 Things Monthly Challenge: May

No fancy numbering this time around. This was the mother-load exfoliation for the month of May. This isn't even everything I donated, sold, recycled, or trashed. I am so proud of myself to selling some larger items. I earned enough to cover the cost of towing my car behind my Uhaul. My car is pretty worthless, but I just put $1000 worth of repairs into it, and it is running great! I'm going to take it with me to Utah and see how much longer I can make it last.

On June 1st, I will be pulling out of Washington, DC, with all of my belongings in a Uhaul. I'm moving to Lehi (Traverse Mountain area) and making a few stops along the way, such as Kirtland and Kansas City. With this new phase of life, I'm going to stop writing 10 Things Monthly Challenge posts. I've been doing them for 2 1/2 years, and this is just a good time to focus on new things. We'll see what my new life brings!

10 Things Monthly Challenge: April

I had a hard time finding motivation to exfoliate in the month of April. I knew I would be moving at the end of May because my lease was ending. I was mentally preparing to move to an adorable apartment in Glover Park with some awesome friends. My room would have been tiny, and I would have had to get a twin size bed, but I would have had an awesome closet with tons of storage. I wanted to prepare for the move by exfoliating some stuff I've had forever. I had a weak pile forming all month. Then, late in the month, I accepted a new position at the BYU Museum of Art. Total change of plans! When facing an impending Uhaul and trek across the Plains, one finds exfoliation motivation real fast.

1. 7 Scarves - Donate
2. 3 Beanies - Donate
3. 2 Hats - Donate
4. 4 Undershirts/Camis - Donate
5. Shopping Bag - Recycle
6. Papers - Recycle
7. Chik-fil-a Sauce :) - Trash
8. Old Cassette Adapter - Trash
9. Old Tights - Trash
10. Sweater Blazer - Donate

My Maggie April

How's your April looking? I'm so excited for some upcoming spring festivities--celebrating Easter, watching General Conference, dinners, brunches, even an early Nationals ballgame. And there will be LOTS of cherry blossom outings.

Have a wonderful Easter holiday, everyone!

10 Things Monthly Challenge: March

I have a feeling no one cares about these posts, but I do! In fact, I found them to be a great help to me while I was filing my taxes! I had a record at my finger tips of everything I donated to Goodwill in 2014. So here's what I got rid of in March:

1. Shoe box - recycle
2. Old marker - trash
3. Shoulder rest - trash
4. Clear plastic tube with lid - recycle
5. Old phone case - trash
6. Shopping coupon - recycle
7. Shirt with hole - trash
8. Shopping bag - recycle
9. Old tights - trash
10. Gift wrap - recycle (I actually decided to keep the ribbons).

Over the years I have been a pack rat for creative materials such as paper, ribbons, markers, stickers, etc. I have tried so hard to get rid of a lot of it and was so proud of myself for giving a huge box of it away to a little girl who would enjoy it more than me. I still have one box and one magazine holder full of that type of material. The good news is with my new Primary calling, I find myself getting those materials out 1-2 times a month and creating fun things for my lesson. Hopefully I'll use all of it up!

My last lesson was on the wise man and foolish man and their houses they built on the rock and sand. Teaching seven and eight-year-olds requires interactive lessons. I wrote on flash cards the main words in those verses such as house, rock, rain, wind, flood, sand, wise man, foolish man, etc. The girls got to choose 4 words each, and then, as we read the verses, if their word came up, they had to pop their flashcard into the air. After we read the verses, we used my colored chalk to take turns adding images of our words to the chalkboard, creating a wild landscape with two very different terrains, two houses, one very serious wise man, and one WILD and CRAZY foolish man. The rain! The wind! The floods! It was totally fun. After the storm ceased (erased), the girls redrew the houses--one standing strong and one crumbled. Then of course, we likened those verses to our lives. I love my calling :)

My Maggie March

All of a sudden it's March, and an entire month has gone by since my last playlist post. This month, I'm feeling a little loopy. This playlist is inspired by all-over-the-board recent interactions and conversations plus an uptick in motivation for achieving some of my goals. There are some bizarre melodies here, people, with music that feels like it carries an electric current. It will carry me through the last of winter's major storms (fingers crossed for a snow day tomorrow!) to an upcoming day trip to Philly and into the first glimpses of spring.

10 Things Monthly Challenge: February

Finally got rid of some clothes! Still have so much more to go through. It's difficult for me to let go of clothing when it's a brand I like or from a store I still shop at. It's also difficult when I spent a lot on it or have good memories associated with it. But the lesson I've learned is to ask myself the following question: Is it me? It may still fit, may be flattering, may be from Anthropologie or Nordstrom, but is this even the style I want to be wearing? If the answer is no, then it's time to donate.

1-8. shirts to donate
9. soap: trash
10. Bath toiletries: trash

My Maggie February

February began with snowy walks through Central Park and banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery and continues with long drives (listening to this playlist) and dress-up parties to the heart's content. There's lots and lots to be grateful for, especially good friends, but man, life would be so good to have a little more love in it!

My friends are talking about their "funeral word" right now--the one word everyone would agree matches you perfectly as they look at your life. I've thought a lot about it, and the word that keeps coming to my mind is Beautiful. I don't mean I'm beautiful. I mean my life is beautiful. I seek beauty everyday and I have a knack for finding it. Though I'm single, I still do amazing things daily, weekly, and monthly. Luckily for my friends (and often brother), they get to experience it with me. My life is about living beautifully and making the best of everyday, but always keeping room to invite in more love.

10 Things Monthly Challenge: January

I mentioned last month that for 2015 I'll focus on purging one area of my house each month. This allows me to dig a little deeper and get rid of stuff that is taking up too much space. For January, I focused on my bathroom closet. I only have one shelf, and it is too crowded. I'm throwing away bulky things I always thought I would use but never will. Plus, I threw in some Christmas stuff.

1. Christmas cards - recycle
2. Christmas decorations - trash
3. Soap - trash
4. Mouth wash - trash
5. Gloves - donate
6. Cosmetic stuff I don't want - trash
7. Henna paste - trash
8. Nail Polish - donate
9. Facial cleanser - trash
10. (Not pictured) hand weights - gave to a friend

Today is Saturday, and I'm determined to go through my clothing storage and get rid of the 30 extra workout t-shirts I have, et cetera. And finalize my winter wardrobe!

Capsule Wardrobes

Have you heard of capsule wardrobes? I was introduced to the idea by reading Unfancy, a blog about fashion minimalism. I really recommend reading it and getting an idea about Caroline's quarterly wardrobe capsules that she displays so beautifully on her blog. Capsule wardrobes empower you to display a more cohesive style and nix impulse buying. Those were two things I wanted to work on. And let's be honest, I moved into a bedroom with no closet and really needed to control what went into the children's sized wardrobe I bought.

Caroline's definition of a capsule wardrobe is a 37-piece wardrobe that includes 15 tops, 9 bottoms, 2 coats, 2 dresses and 9 shoes. If you think about it, that is a pretty generous amount of clothing to wear for a 3-month period before switching out for another season. All off-season clothing can be put away in storage. The best part is Caroline is very open about this being a creative process that can be individualized for each person. If 37 pieces doesn't work for you, you can adjust it to work for you.

My first capsule was October-December, and let's just say it was a trial run.

It included:

26 tops

13 bottoms

3 coats

11 pairs of shoes (1 not pictured)

All of this (and more) fit in my closet! Even though accessories are not part of a capsule wardrobe, this process inspired me to pare down my purses and scarves to only have out what worked with my fall wardrobe, which was a space-saving bonus! As an FYI, since this capsule included the holidays, I still had out plenty of options to wear to holiday parties. I just didn't count them in my capsule wardrobe, which is totally ok. Also not counted are workout clothes, sleep/loungewear, etc.

Here's why I liked it:

- allowed me to guilt-free choose whatever I wanted to wear without feeling bad about the things that have been hanging in my closet for years without being worn. All that extra stuff was put away in storage, and I'll be working on getting rid of some of it throughout the year.

- helped me create a more cohesive style. Even on frumpy-feeling mornings, I always managed to put together a decent looking outfit.

- saved time getting dressed everyday.

- made packing for travel easier.

- helps me see more clearly what I don't wear that much, so I can consider getting rid of those items.

- I actually like wearing several of the same articles of clothing frequently. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a signature sweater or pair of jeans or boots. And as the seasons change, so will my signature items.

Things that made it challenging:

- For my future capsules, I need to put more effort into creating and solidifying my wardrobe before the season starts. I continued to shop throughout the fall capsule and even now into the winter capsule, which is a big no-no! My winter capsule is not really solidified, so I'm still wishy-washy about what I'm wearing.

- Caroline works from home, so her wardrobes are full of jeans, sweaters, and t-shirts. That doesn't work for me all of the time. I also need plenty of options for church clothing each Sunday. That makes for larger capsule wardrobes for me, but I'm ok with that!

- The no shopping aspect of this is going to be REALLY hard for me. Basically, I'm kind of ignoring that rule right now, since I'm still working on building the types of wardrobes I want.

- I also need to work on actually getting rid of things instead of just throwing them in storage. The whole point is to minimize!

So would you try this? I found it liberating and life-changing in a lot of ways. Definitely read Unfancy to get a better idea of how all of this is done. And keep in mind, this is a flexible idea that you can alter to fit your needs. I'm going to keep working on my approach and try to improve every 3 months.

2014 Recap Part 2 + 2015 Theme

Nothing ever happens if you stay in your room. Nothing ever happens if you leave the party too soon. Never be a winner if you're not in the game. Nothing ever happens if you always play it safe. Make a little space and get out of your own way.

Ok, that's the chorus of the song that inspired my theme for 2014, which I pretty much shortened in my mind to nothing ever happens if you stay in your room.

2014...was a tough year. There were some definite highs like graduating, interning at the Phillips Collection, interviewing for jobs, running more, and taking two two-week vacations. But there were some hard things too. There couldn't have been a more appropriate theme to get me through some of those challenges. When I was holed up recovering from a disappointment, my theme nudged me to overcome. When I faced a decision to try something new or to play it safe, I tried to follow that voice in the back of my head.

Funny enough, I guess you can say I took this theme quite literally when I upped and moved out of my room in the Tenleytown house that I lived in for over three years. Nothing ever happens if you stay in your room. I had been wanting to move for a while, but I was paralyzed by the uncertainty of the unknown. I wanted something to happen, so I decided to move. I'm glad I did.

I'm still working towards making more things happen!

*************************************************************************************************************************************
 My theme for 2015 comes from a beautiful song on my January playlist called, "Slow and Steady," by Of Monsters and Men. The line that strikes me is, "I move slow and steady, but I feel like a waterfall." I like it because it reminds me that it's ok to move slow and steady towards my goals. I don't have to have everything I want right now. At the same time, I can FEEL rushes and spurts and constant flows that are intense and powerful. There's moving slow and steady. And there's feeling like a waterfall. Both are quite different from each other, but compliment each other. I want to honor my emotions more. For me, that will mean recognizing my emotions and expressing them in my journal. I want to develop stronger (positive) emotions, such as love. It will be nice to have this phrase in my mind to motivate me towards becoming a better person.

My Maggie January

It's a new soundtrack; I could dance to this beat forevermore! 

In the words of Taylor, I'm welcoming in 2015 with some fresh beats and inspiring lyrics. This playlist brightens my mood and perspective, which is really helping me right now.

There's also a great mixture of beautiful, ethereal winter poetry in some of these songs that is just so pleasant to listen to during my snowy morning commute. How about this?

Oh the trees without their leaves tap each other in the cold breeze. It's an ominous sound when bones clacked twigs fall to the ground.

This is a month of fresh starts for me. Starting my half marathon training. Fresh winter snow outside my window. Some people cry when they take their Christmas decorations down. I enjoy it. Put everything away, give the floor a good sweep and have a fresh start in your living room. In fact, listen to this playlist while you do it!

My theme for 2015 comes from a song included on this playlist. Any guesses? I'll post about that soon.

Happy New Year!

2014 Recap--Part 1

Around this time of year, I have a tradition here on My Maggie to recap the outgoing year and introduce my theme for the year ahead. It's one of my favorite things to do, because it puts at my fingertips the best moments of the past year. It allows me to reflect on what was hard and what was awesome. Here are some of 2014's best moments!

January: A trip to New York with friends + ice skating at the National Gallery

February: A lovely Valentine's Day party

March: Successfully passed my comprehensive exam + worked with a team to produce an exhibition with a DC Arts and Humanities Grant.

April: Always the cherry blossoms + an Easter picnic with great friends in a beautiful setting.

May: A BIG bucket list month for me: Graduation! + got my dream internship at the Phillips Collection + and knocked a state off my to-visit list: North Carolina. Enjoyed an incredible weekend with best friends visiting the Biltmore Estate.
Of course, it wouldn't be My Maggie without a homemade movie to document our roadtrip to Ashville. Take a look here.

June: After serving in the DC 2nd Ward Relief Society for over two years, we were released + boating on the Potomac!

July: Making a ruckus with friends + an inspiring visit to Kenyon College in Ohio. This was my first time being flown in somewhere for a job interview...that will make you feel grown up real fast.

Wasn't the World Cup fun? + double rainbow outside my window!

August: Just enjoying the beauty of my city + a fun trip to Bethany Beach, Delaware.

A first and only visit to the Corcoran Gallery of Art. It has since been closed. + you know, the Nats.

The birth of beautiful, darling Nora Jayne Young + my diploma.
August also brought a remarkable experience for me on my last day as a museum studies grad student. Read about it here.

September: Always my favorite month! A monumental birthday celebration for me + took the party down to the Outer Banks for a week at the beach with friends.

Wild horses at the beach + headed out to Utah for another week of family time.

Celebrated Juliet's 2nd birthday + made it back to the East Coast just in time for my ward's retreat to the Gettysburg area.

"Qwua!"

October: Can we just call this month oKCtober? It was the best World Series of my life + Lacey came to visit from Philly.

I moved into a beautiful new apartment + it is a 5 minute run to the Capital Crescent Trail and C&O Canal trail = I love my life.

November: Celebrated Thanksgiving in NYC with Bremen. Knocked off a bucketlist item, to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It really was special.

December: A little taste of DC Christmas before heading home to KC for two weeks of wonderful!

My time in KC was filled with old and new Christmas classics. Some traditions I've been enjoying since I was a little girl and some new traditions filled my grown-up eyes with wonder. I definitely want to keep these traditions alive, both in KC and DC.




And just in case THAT wasn't enough for you, take a look at my recap from last year!