Your favorite shell is BACK!

"Life's a party, rock your body" - Marcel the Shell, 2014

And just in case you don't already know Marcel (or want to revisit his previous greatness):

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on Part One HERE and Part Two HERE 

Happy Day.

Today, December 9th 2013 is SeektobeMerry's 2nd Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you bloggity blog.

Over the past two years, my attachment to this tiny project, to Grandpa's suggestion that I write a book, has grown larger than I could ever have anticipated. Hundreds of daily visitors and over 505 posts to date (on more topics than any human should be able to dream up!) make this my most ambitious "hobby" yet. But more than any statistic or number, the best thing about writing this blog continues to be all of you. I cannot tell you how gratifying it is to hear someone say that they are a reader or that they enjoyed something I shared. Knowing that I am achieving my goal of sharing merriment with all of you is what keeps me coming back, motivates my creativity and brings me joy on a deep and incredibly fulfilling level.

Fact.

I don't know what the next 365 days will bring for me as a blogger (or as a real life human for that matter!) but I do know that being Merry Meri is awesome so I'm going to try my bestest to keep at it for another year of Hump Day Distracting, Craft inspiring, Healthy Habiting, Restaurant reviewing,  and Smily-worthy musing. Thanks a million to all of you for making this blog the source of joy that it's become.

Looking back... The Blog is born!! * Happy First Birthday * 

Celebration

Hooray!

Do you know what Sunday is? Sunday is Seektobemerry's FIRST BIRTHDAY! Remember this:

HELLO!

I'm Meri and this is my blog. I live in Manhattan and I am constantly exploring and searching for the beautiful and interesting things in life. I seek to be merry at all times and this blog is a collection of the thoughts and ideas I hope will take me there.

*   *   *

Well, one year and 252 posts later (I only missed like 10 days! Speaking of which, sorry about yesterday:) here we are. When I started this little side project, I had no expectations. I wanted a place to be creative, to write and to share internet goodness of the adorable, amusing, trendy and tasty varieties. Mission accomplished. And the best and most unexpected part!? YOU GUYS. Way more people than I'd ever imagined are reading STBM and the friendly feedback and fun comments I get from all of you make my day every.single.time. It seriously rocks. So thank you for reading - I hope the year ahead brings more merriment for us all.

To celebrate, here's a collection of some of my favorite, and some of the most popular, posts from the past year. I have no idea how I'll keep it interesting next year, so let's just enjoy this original content and worry about that later!! xoxo, m

* How much is too much? * Big solutions start with small actions * Just a little comfort (object) * Valens * I Moustache you a question * You look tired * A Tribute * Dare to Bare? * My absolutely ridiculous b*tch list * Quirk it! * I'm in love with Joe * I want it all * Funnies for your Friday * It's better with a theme * Coming undone * A Stinky Situation * I want to go to there * On Vanity * Sit the F down * Going Bananas (b-a-n-a-n-a-s) * Pet Panic * Happily Ever After: Year One * Where the curvy girls at? * Something to smile about * Love in a digital age? * 

And of course, everywhere I've told you to go eat: Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse, Meatball Factory, Oriental Gardens (Dim Sum), Chat n Chew, Socarrat Paella Bar, FRANK, Do Hwa, Miss Lily's, The Smile

A tribute.

Get in my belly!

I would like to dedicate this blog post to one of my favorite things on planet earth: seasonal candy. Specifically, I’m giving a shout out to my true loves, Candy Corn and Cadbury Eggs  (how on earth am I the daughter of a dentist!?). There is no match for the sheer joy I feel when I’m in the checkout line at Duane Reade and there, perfectly situated for impulse-purchase suckers like myself, is the Easter season’s first bucket of goop-filled chocolate egg deliciousness (I lied, this feeling is matched by that aisle of orange and black which pops up sometime late-September).

Seasonal candy rocks for a ton of reasons, the most obvious being that it’s freaking delicious, but the less obvious being that its presence is fleeting. M&Ms may be my favorite candy, but I can get an M&M any time of day, any day of the year. The “egg and corn” seasons however, are short: that delicious creme center thickens over time and corn hardens beyond chew-ability by spring (not that I’ve ever attempted to stockpile and last the whole year or anything...) You have to enjoy your seasonal candy while it's fresh and then wait until its corresponding holiday rolls around again the following year. In my opinion, this makes every sugary bite that much more fantastic. So cheers to you seasonal candy; may you never lose your magic by having manufacturers realize that there's totally a market for selling you 365 days a year!

Photo credit and Cadbury awesomeness HERE.