Here and There

going back here soon

1. Jennifer Lawrence after her Oscar win. I have watched it about 5x. SO funny. "Sorry, I just took a shot..." 

2. Thanks to a blog reader I am now hooked on the tv show The Following. Warning: do not watch at night, alone, before bed.

3. The Bachelor. My heart hurt for AshLee even though she totally got stage 5 clinger on Sean. Her level of intensity was just a little too much for his fun loving adventure spirit. (that last line was said with a bit of snark) I also knew she was going, because I may or may not have read the spoilers. It did not make it any less painful for us. And by us I mean AshLee and I. 

4. I realize I just mentioned two tv shows in a row. Judge away. It is still winter here and it is almost March. 'nuff said. 

5. I am not even done mentioning tv shows. I hope Grey's Anatomy is done after this season. It is time to lay it to rest. I also started watching Friday Night Lights per Bridget's recommendation. I like it. The people are attractive, even though they are clearly in their late twenties playing 16 and 17 year olds. Also all of their burger and shake eating makes me hungry on the reg.

6. There are going to be some surprises hitting this blog soon. Some of them may make appearances on instagram first (instagram name: meganacrosspond)

7. I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that in a few months time Stephen and I will be permanent US residents. I am also coming to terms with the fact that it will probably take us close to a year to transition and get on our feet. Stephen will have to learn how to drive on the right side of the road, we will need a car, jobs, social security number (for Stephen), bank accounts, health insurance (that is going to be such a rude awakening for Stephen...and myself now) and the list goes on. It feels exciting, but also a little scary, but it is oh so worth it.

Lets Talk About Blogging and Support

from my bridal shower in cali. One of my bffs, Emily, who I met originally through blogging. (Images of the whole shower coming soon..i swear). 

I have had this post saved in drafts for almost a month now,
and after going over it again and reading some recent posts by other bloggers,
 I finally feel like it is time to share it. 

Over the past year or so,
even more recently over the past few months,

I have noticed a lot of posts about blogging:

How to be a successful blogger,

How you should "blog if you want me to read it",

How to make your blog a business,

How to sponsor or be a sponsor,
or how you shouldn't sponsor at all,
or have sponsors,
or promote your blog.

A lot of people telling a lot of other people what to do is pretty much the gist of it,

and a lot of it is super helpful information coming from a genuine place
(like these posts from my friend Jenni)

and some of it seems a little cutting/judgmental. 

When I first started blogging,

over 3 years ago,

I honestly do not remember there being so many posts like the ones mentioned above,
or maybe there were and I just didn't notice them because I was too busy meeting cool people
to pay attention to whether I was finding these bloggers through a sponsored post,
guest post,
or giveaway.
I just loved it all and went with it.

For me,

and I think most people,

blogging starts out as one thing:

Keeping a daily journal for friends and family who you might be separated from,

or you want to share baby updates with other more distant family members. 

Then something happens...

you realize that there are a lot of other people doing this blogging thing too,

and hey,

you can make your blog look really cool too?

And wow,

look at their photos, I need a new camera!

Then snap,

I am sorta obsessed with what this chick is wearing, must buy new clothes and photograph them with my new camera.

And omg,

 now I have online friends, lets take this affair to skype and maybe have a blate,

and then you can be my bridesmaid! 

(okay that last part might just be me)

Then lastly,

hold up,

you can make money and write about what you love for people you love?

During this likely progression,

people seem to get annoyed or upset,

because the blogger is changing.

Don't get me wrong,

sometimes change can be negative,

but I believe most of the time,
and I think in the case of blogging,

change is just a natural part of a human being evolving and finding their way.

I am all about bloggers switching up the way they do things,

I don't need to read a "well thought out" post every day,

It's okay.

You want to make money off of your blog?

Then I want to empower you to do that so you can do what you love,

stay home with your kids,

eat for that week,

pay down your student loan,

pay your rent...

why not?

Is there a right or wrong way to do it?

Maybe...

But I won't  knock you for trying.

I have seen a lot of my favorite bloggers start their own businesses
 (ie: wedding planning, photography, clothing stores)
and part of the reason they were so successful at the start
 is because they had grown their blog first,
and their readers supported them.

I think that is so incredible and I have loved cheering them on,
 watching them grow,
and do the things they love.

There are a lot of ways people are making money off of their blog that you may not know about,

and some are more obvious,

in either scenario,

I support them,

because they are women like me,

and as long as they are kind, genuine, and are doing the best they can and being honest along the way,

then I want the best for them.
I will respect them.

If I have learned anything this year,

it is that love and support go a long way.
That life is better and easier when you want the best for others,
accept others for their differences,
and help them to achieve their own idea of happiness.

That is what I have always believed this community is about,

helping others grow, lending support, building relationships, and patting each other on the back

even when we mess up from time to time and blog while we are pmsing.

That's all I have to say. 

Wrapping up

photo from Valentine's day, shirt was a gift from Stephen from Zara :) 

This past week has been really nice...

We celebrated Stephen's birthday,

went bowling,

laughed at my inability to bowl (everything changes when the bumpers go down...)

ate yummy food,

drank delicious drinks,

picked up our wedding bands (!!)

spent time watching our guiltiest TV pleasure of all time: Love in the Wild

*hangs head in shame*

and talked about Stephen's 26 goals for his 26th year of life.

One of his first ones was to get me a puppy...

smart man.

Oh and then there was The Bachelor hometown dates...

All I am going to say is I felt for Sean during Desiree's hometown...

felt for him.

that is all.

I will be spending the weekend photographing half of my wardrobe
to sell in preparation for our move back to the US

so I am going to  leave you with one awesome blogger

(her comments make me seriously laugh)

and one of my favorite stores.

You can read and shop at the same time this weekend.

You're welcome.

*******

Jasmine has become one of my favorites,

she has a knack for telling stories that suck you in,

make you laugh,

make you cry,

and make you think.

She also happens to live in one of my favorite accented places,

Australia.

Hi! My name is Jasmine and I blog over at Curlicue. I live in Sydney, Australia and spend all my time hanging out with my fiance and his dog. I write about the perks of life, sharing things that inspire me, the photographs I take and the hilarious mischief I always seem to get up to! Come over and visit me to have your mind blown and world changed. Oh, and like Kristen Bell, if I'm not between a 3 and a 7 on the emotional scale, I'm crying. I think maybe I should film this so that you can enjoy it too? 

BLOG

*******

Jigsaw London is one of my favorite stores.
It was originally a UK based store,
that made its way to the USA.
So I guess that kind of makes it an expat store,
and I resonate with expats.
They have high end, high quality
staple wardrobe pieces.
The type of items that last forever,
and you can wear over and over with different items.
Some of my favorite: here, here and here (I own the last one! and it's on sale now)

SHOP

Here and There

coat: Zara (last season) | Bracelets c/o Poshlocket | Sunglasses: H&M (old, similar) 

1. This Zara coat that I am wearing has been my best clothing purchase to date. It was more than I usually spend on any one item, but dang was it worth it. I have worn it hundreds of times since I bought it...basically almost every time I go outside, which is a lot since it has been cold every day since the purchase date, which I think was last fall. That fact makes me a little upset. It will probably be the only coat I dont sell or burn upon my move back to Los Angeles. 

2. I am super mad at myself that I pre-judged Perks of Being a Wallflower and didn't read the book before I watched the film. After last weeks post everyone was like "You should read the book!"  I usually always read the book before watching the film, but I have a hard time reading a book after watching the film. This was an epic fail on my part. Don't make the same mistake I did, guys.

3. This was one of the most beautiful and touching things I have read about in awhile.

4. One of the funniest Bachelor recaps I have ever read. (originally found it via MM). It is written by a male and I laughed out loud a lot.  One of my fav lines:
"'I CAN’T CONTROL MY EYEBROW. I CANNOT CONTROL MY EYEBROW. I CANNOT CONTROL MY FACE' and all of those statements are false, because it’s your face, and some would argue that faces are the most controllable." 

5. LOVED this article written by the Man Repeller on Blogging, fashion, and our generation. 

5. Recent conversations I had with S:

Me: I am so excited to have a trader joes and a proper big Whole Foods with cranberry tuna back in my life soon. Along with all of the organic fresh produce.

S: It's pronounced prawjuice. (produce)

Me: Don't even get me started on that again. You can say it that way, but no one will know what you are talking about.

S: But that is the correct way to pronounce it

Me: There is NO J in Produce so why would it have a J sound?

S: It's like in tennis, when the game is at 40-40 and one player needs to get two consecutive points to win...it's called a juice...

Me: Really? Pretty sure that is a DEUCE. Again, there is no J in the spelling of that word.

S: Well tennis originates here so pretty sure we are right in the pronunciation. 

Me: You are definitely incorrect.

S: Well what about Django? You pronounce it "Jango"

Me: BECAUSE THERE IS A J. I love you, but I can't have this conversation anymore.

Me: Do you think if I put our yogurt in the freezer it would turn into frozen yogurt?
S: I don't know, I have never had frozen yogurt
Me: GASP

*Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments on Stephen's birthday post yesterday. His face lit up reading each one. Thank you.

To My Stephen on his Birthday

Look at that Stud. 

Hot.

Stephen is 26 today,

which means, 

yes,

I am with a younger man.

Winky face.

Sometimes I'll catch myself just staring at him,

all swoony,

getting those familiar butterflies that I thought disappeared after 6 months of dating.

Stephen is the type of person that really listens when you talk...

you can tell that he cares about what you have to say.

I always knew this and loved this about him,

but then in the USA my mom and her friends started telling me the same thing.

They felt heard,

like they mattered,

and I realized he doesn't just listen to me,

but to everyone.

His heart is that big that everyone can fit into it,

(if you are lucky, because he is also very selective about the company he keeps).

I love listening to his stories,

even when he tells the same ones over and over again

(which happens a lot)

he goes into so much detail and gets so excited to share his tale.

His accent gets broader,

his eyes light up,

and he often cracks himself up.

I love how he calls me Pet,
cares about cards and letters,
and how he fits in so effortlessly with my family.
My grandmother even sent him a birthday card and gift.
She has never done that for anyone I have been with before,
it said "Grandson" on it,
and I just about melted.

We love spending every moment together,

we enjoy being around each other.

We are our happiest when it is just him and I,

watching Survivor,

late night snacking in bed,

and talking.

The way I feel about him is just too hard to describe,
like trying to fit the ocean into a plastic cup.

I am just so lucky...
so very very lucky.

Happy Birthday my love.

Engagement Photos Part II

Okay this is the final round of Engagement photos,

because it is starting to feel a little too much like this is the Megan and Stephen show here...

which I guess technically it is...

since this is my lifestyle blog...

I am sure other photos from the shoot will pop up here or there,
so don't worry. 

BUT you can see more photos here

if you want ;)

A lot of people have asked where these photos were taken.

We drove up the 154 towards Santa Ynez,

we had a couple spots in mind that Oz had found online,

but we didn't make it to either of them.

Oz is like some sort of location scouting machine,

because he would just randomly swerve off to the side of the highway and we would be like what?

And then the next thing we knew we were hopping fences,

 climbing
(or in my case, being carried)

down steep hills,

or walking along the edge of a cliff,

then boom

 we would end up in some sort of fairytale land 

that none of us even saw from the road except Oz.

That is talent right there friends.

*All images via OzVisuals

*All of the clothes were sent to me by Marc Cain (borrowed),

with the exception of the white blazer and white lace skirt, which are Zara (duh),

and the jewelry was all courtesy of Poshlocket (pieces worn: 1/2/3/4/5)

For The New Readers

I wanted to welcome all the new friends who have started reading this blog over the past few months,

with a giant picture of myself,

and a little about me, fully equipped with links to posts, so you don't have to go trolling through the archives.

I am from Los Angeles, CA

I used to work in the fashion industry,
then I decided to go get my masters in Neuroscience (it seemed like the normal transition),

and now I currently live in Scotland.

I got engaged to an amazing man from N.Ireland on July 4th.

We met while we were both studying at the University of Nottingham in England.
Sometimes I write down our conversations where things often get lost in translation.

And lest you think my life has been this perfect

"American girl moves abroad and finds love" 

story,

then read this post.

I am a lover of blogging and the community...
I believe this should be a place where women can find support,

and I believe that you can make long lasting friendships here,

friendships that extend far outside the confines of the internet,

and reach real life;

as evident here and here

Stephen and I had planned a very large and beautiful wedding in Northern Ireland to take place June 29th,

but had to cancel it.

So if you see the Monogamy Monday posts that came before,

that is what that is about.

So clearly this blog is not void of a little drama,

you are welcome.

Thank goodness I had some engagement photos to bounce back with,

because I think we were all a little traumatized.

Not too long after canceling our big N.Ireland wedding,
on March Second 2013
we got married in Scotland.
The wedding was small and intimate,
and a true reflection of Stephen and I.

We are moving back to SO-CAL this summer,

after what will be months of visa paperwork,

(side eye immigration).

I LOVE my family.

My mom, little brother, and I are extremely close.

And a little crazy.

Our journey, however, has not been easy.

I am a big advocate of love,

hope,

dry humor,
and the occasional pelvic thrust.

Oh and cheetos.
I really love cheetos.

A LOT of Love: $1500 Visa GIVEAWAY!

Happy Valentines Day!

One of my main love languages is gift giving...

I love, love giving gifts,

and get really frustrated and upset when the funds are low and I cannot give as much as I would like...

So when I heard about this giveaway,

I jumped on board,

because it was the perfect way to contribute in a small way,

towards a very big gift.

Times are tough for a lot of people right now,

Stephen and I are no exception to this,

(he asked if he could make a blog and enter...)

so I hope that this giveaway really blesses someone.

One winner will get a $1500 visa gift card.

You can use that money on whatever you want...

the possibilities are endless.

Check out the ladies below and just enter using the rafflecopter entry! 

Goodluck!!

Gussy Sews | Living in Yellow

The Shine Project | The Wiegands | JustLove.ly

Saturated Canary | Sugar & Dots | La Vie Petite 

Running on Happiness | Cupcake Mag | Oh Sweet Joy

House of Rose | Because Shanna Said So | The Pleated Poppy

Don't Quote the Raven | Wonder Forest | KV's Confessions 

Across the Pond | Tales of Me & the Husband | Crowley Party 

Julie Ann Art | Take Heart | Sparkling Footsteps

Aunie Sauce | My Keep Calm & Carry On | Rags to Stitches

The Chiffon Diary | The Daily Tay | Life of Bon

Eat Yourself Skinny | I Wore Yoga Pants to Work

a Rafflecopter giveaway


GIVEAWAY RULES: No purchase necessary. To enter, participants must use the Rafflecopter form above. This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Visa. The giveaway closes on February 20, 2013. The winner will be notified by email on 2/21/13 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older in order to win. Contest is open worldwide, however dollar amount is in USD. Prize is valued at $1,500

Escape

I know. My hair looks awesome.

Last week Stephen and I took a little trip to our favorite spot,

Cameron House.

It is close enough to Glasgow for us to go for just a few hours,

and far enough away to where we feel like we are on vacation.

It is our perfect escape spot,

and we just so happen to have gotten engaged there.

I think we may be heading there tomorrow night for Valentines day...

or maybe Stephen has something else up his sleeve...

either way,

I am excited to get to spend another Valentines Day with that guy.

Be sure to come back tomorrow though for a HUGE Valentines Day giveaway.

I am really excited about it. 

Here and There

one of my favorite photos from our engagement session...I think it looks like a painting. Photo by Oz

1. I finished this book shortly after I posted about wanting to read it. It was really strange and sad. There were two specific things that left me feeling really weird. I don't have a child, but I found myself asking the question, "what would I do as a parent?" I feel like I would have completely different emotions reading the book if I had a child. I held my breath a lot in the beginning, but then felt like it lost a little momentum towards the very end. I would highly recommend it though. I want to say more but don't want to give anything away. Has anyone read it yet? I also need more recommendations now for some good reads ;)

2. I saw this guide online. It is about being an introvert. It seriously describes me to a T. Except I am probably not as introverted as I would have been if I hadnt worked in LA; being surrounded by the most extroverted people on a daily basis can make the most introverted person a little extroverted. I wish more people would take the time to understand different types of personalities.

3. The Walking Dead is back on. Stephen and I are beside ourselves.

4. I am attached to my hot water bottle like it is oxygen. I got it as a gift when I first arrived in England from my friends who live here in Scotland. It sat in my kitchen drawer for months because I had NO idea what the heck it was, and now I can't survive a winter without it.

5. I have been keeping up with The Bachelor. I know you were worried that I wasn't. Tierra definitely got crazy. I still really like AshLee and Desiree best, but I think AshLee seems a little too uptight/OCD for Sean? I love her as a person though. I love when the girls are all "omg Sean is so romantic...is this how it is always going to be?" Come on ladies..really? ABC is taking you these epic dates. Not Sean. They must know this, right? I didn't watch last nights season yet...don't tell me what happens.

6. I found this on ASOS and I really want it, but it's sold out. I want something pretty/simple for our little courthouse wedding here, but I am having a hard time finding something as cute as that now. I hate when that happens.

7. I watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower last night. I didn't read the book so had no idea what it was going to be about going into it, but I was totally surprised and blown away by how much I loved it. It was not what I was expecting.

9. I had made this for Stephen for Valentines day. It took me a lifetime to figure out the web program that put it together. I also may have given it to him early, because I have no self control.


8. Speaking of Valentines day,  Jigsaw London is offering an additional 20% off sale items right now for Valentines day with the code  AcrossThePond3996 . Jump on that. I have been eyeing this sweater for awhile. Sale code ends tomorrow.

Engagement Photos Part I

In honour of Valentines day week,

I thought I would post some of our engagement photos 

shot by the AMAZING OzVisuals.

We had originally scheduled the shoot for December 29th.

I woke up in the morning,

and it was raining.

I hoped for the best and continued on with my morning routine..

I got my makeup done by my makeup artist who came all the way to my mom's house at 8am,

and as I was about to finish my hair Oz called me.

I knew what he was calling about.

We had planned and envisioned this shoot for months,

and we knew the weather was going to ruin our dreams.

He was in his car,

pulled over on the highway,

talking to me on the phone,

debating if we should cancel and do it the next day.

This normally wouldn't have been an issue,

but we were getting down to the wire,

as Stephen and I were flying out in two days back to the UK.

We decided to take the chance,

cancel the shoot,

and start over the next day since the weather report said it was going to be sunny.

I am SO glad we waited,

because Sunday was GORGEOUS.

The sky was clear,

it was a lot warmer,

and we were able to shoot at five different spots in Santa Barbara.

Stephen was such a stud,

and I could not be happier with the end results.

Not that I'm surprised,

Oz is a genius behind the camera,

as is his wife (and one of my bffs) Ali.

You can see more photos on his blog here

All of the clothes were sent to me by Marc Cain,

with the exception of the white blazer and white lace skirt, which are Zara (duh),

and the jewelry was all courtesy of Poshlocket (pieces worn: 1/2/3/4/5)

A Thank You

another sourceless image...let me know if it is yours

I just need to say thank you.

The comments, tweets, and private e mails I got yesterday were encouraging, 

humbling, 

kind, 

supportive, 

and healing.

So many of you shared such wonderful wisdom,

similar stories,

and a lot of love.

I read through them all, 

more than once.

I read them out loud to Stephen,

and I had some awesome conversations through e mail.

I honestly am struggling to find the words right now...

I am just so grateful.

I am disabling comments on this post because I just want YOU all to hear how thankful I am for you.

To know I am a better person because of your comments,

because of your e mails,

because of your kindness.

Thank you.

Monogamy Monday: N.Ireland wedding cancelled

this image source has been lost somewhere in the black hole that is tumblr, let me know if you have the proper source.

Ok so THIS is definitely my most dramatic post title,

and there have been far too many my friends.

I don't even really know what to say,

so let me begin by saying Stephen and I are FINE.

We are together.

We are in love.

We are amazing.

We are a strong team.

I love that man like crazy.

However,

due to unfortunate circumstances,

we have had to cancel our wedding in Northern Ireland.

The decision was a heartbreaking one to come to,

but it was completely necessary and we feel peace about it,

even amidst the many tears we have both shed.

I cannot go into the personal details of the situation here on this very public blog,

but some of you probably have an idea already what has happened.

So I will just leave it at that on here.

Moving forward,

Stephen and I WILL be getting married,

because it is about the marriage, and not the wedding.

We are planning a very VERY small, private ceremony through the registrars office 

(like a courthouse wedding)

and will have a larger reception in California this summer 

when we move back.

A welcome home AND a wedding reception.

You can all come.

Our hearts are sad,

but we are remaining optimistic and hopeful,

thanks mainly to the incredible support that has been pouring in from our friends.

You know you have good friends when your bridesmaids who have already booked flights,

 are only concerned about you and your happiness instead of the money spent.

The silver lining 

(if you can make one in this situation)

is that we will be able to move back to the USA even sooner than originally planned.

Thank you for all of your love and support,

it means the world (seriously) to Stephen and I.

Friday

I want to write this happy/excited for the weekend post...

but I pride myself with being honest in this space.

The past 48 hours have been really horrible..

heartbreaking.

And while I also pride myself on rarely ever vague blogging,

I am going to have to leave it just at this for today,

use the weekend to figure out my thoughts,

and come back to you on Monday with a less cryptic post.

So since I am debby downing all over you,

I am going to leave you with a couple sweet friends of mine to lift your spirits.

*******

Casey has graced this blog of mine before,

which means she is extra awesome.

She has been an expat,

so naturally we connect,

and has traveled all over the world with her husband.

I love her, "how to travel more" post,

for the wannabe adventurers. 

Grab a cup of coffee (or tea)

and go through her travel guides page,

it will be like you are going to all of those places.

I am Casey from True Colours (yes, spelled the European way as I love all things Europe!)  I grew up as an expat kid in Saudi Arabia and fell in love with the traveling lifestyle, the inspiration of other cultures and the draw of a plane headed somewhere far away.  My blog is a journal of our adventures, of my thoughts and our crazy journey in this lovely life.  Come on over and visit me on True Colours, to see my husband's gorgeous photos of our adventures, my thoughts on all the places we've seen and a little bit of everything in between!

BLOG

********

Bobbi has become a REALLY good friend of mine over the past year.

She is the designer behind "Ready to Blog"

her own blog design shop where you can purchase ready made templates,

or have her do some extensive custom work on your space.

She has designed what you see here on my blog,

our wedding website,

and is about to do a complete overhaul on my space over the next couple of months.

So she obviously comes highly recommended by me.

She is talented, and a dream to work with.

If you are in the market for a little blog facelift,

check her out.

BLOG| SHOP