Link Love + The GOOD

Any Sailor will tell you, it doesn't matter how much they love being at sea it's the good at home that makes it all worth it.

Good Friends.  Good Times.  Good News.  Good Things.

Except, what is good for me is good because I have to wait for good.

This is why we cry at the kitchen counter, no?  Because we know a little cry is good for us every now and then....and when we bottle it all up it's harder to see the good!

Wanna know what's good?

Well, wanna know what's good in addition to having good people in your life - the kind of people who tell you to cry it out when you vent on your blog?  (Thank you for that.)

Flowers sent from family letting you know they're proud of you.

Grilled Veggies and Lamp Chops with Wine and Friends?

It's not a delicious meal.  It's everything.

Morning blog time with coffee...under a mermaid-y quilt made by a friend?  THE GOOD.

I always find a little link love freshens me up and gets me back in the swing of things.

Lets start with a pretty view of Vancouver for you.  You're Welcome.

Book Suggestions.  Must.Read.More.

Simone, nails it with Nobody is Perfect.  Her blog is racy and I love it.  (This post also helped motivate me to blog drunk so hey, she must be doing something right *wink*.)  

You're gonna make it after all.  A simple but lovely reminder.

Here's something only my closest friends know:  I really can't stand Thanksgiving.  That being said, I could do a Friendsgiving....in fact....it looks quite lovely but, I'm not doing it without flower crowns....just saying.....

I have a thing for small abodes.  This tiny space is a gem.

Check out this music video.  Pure Genius.

I like Kurt Vonnegut.  That is all.

Ashton Kutcher might actually be the man.  This surprised me.  Watch It.

This is some hardcore but amazing writing advice.  Unpack everything.  Thanks Davinia!

I'm leaving you with a laugh.  This interview really made me belly laugh.   

Have an amazing weekend!!

Link Love :: Gender Equity, Molasses and Flakiness

In July, I made this list.  I followed this tutorial to comply with the list.  It works!  But, they were right - don't put it in the dishwasher - if you do your mug will have a semi scratched up 'Nautical but Nice' written on it.....

I want to go here.  I also want my friend Baisey to go with me.

Agreed.  We should stop flaking out.

A Mettle Making Quote.

Gender Equity.  Interesting.

I had no idea there was a molasses pipeline in Hawaii.  Apparently, there was no contingency plan for a spill.  That's just absurd.

11 Untranslatable Words.

You can take your roots with you.  Preach.

I love me some Humans of New York.

I tend to store up internet goodness like a squirel preparing for the winter.  What's the point of storing up internet goodness if not to share with friends?!

Ash & Anchor + Megan the Nautie Mermate = LOVE

You know that feeling when you find something you love and you want to buy many, much, more?  You want to use it all the time and you want everyone else to know how much you love it.  More importantly you want everyone else to have it and love it too!

ASH AND ANCHOR SCARVES ARE THIS THING THAT WE SHOULD ALL LOVE!  (and Nautie Friends it's your lucky day!)

I had been oohing and aahing over Ash & Anchor scarves for a long time.  I would look at all the pretty designs and think, 'I think this is a need not a want, right?'.  I've actually talked about them on the blog a lot too!  (See here and here and here.)

Finally, I said:  Treat 'Yo Self!

When my Pavo Scarf arrived in the mail it was packaged beautifully - with a hand written note - which my Grandmother would have majorly approved of.

I immediately took it on a few trips.  Vegas, Austin, Seattle and, Vancouver were all just slightly more enjoyable with Pavo along.  On my Seattle / Vancouver trip the weather was a strange mix of warm and cold - sunny and drizzly - Pavo was perfect for this.

Listen, when you have a scarf that looks good in a bag you know you've found a winner!

We talk a lot about travel accessories around here.  What our travel 'must-haves' consist of.  Where we like to go and what we like to wear when we go there.  We talk about looking fancy when we feel anything but.  We also talk about things that just make sense....and are lovely at the same time.

Traveling with Pavo was lovely...and made sense.  It rolled right up into my purse.  I wrapped Big Bertha up in it and threw her in my bag.  I pulled it up over my head when I was freezing on the plane.  I cleaned my sunglasses lenses with it.  I zipped my jacket up over it when I was freezing in Vancouver.  Lovely I tell you, Lovely.

Here's the good news:

Nina Glaser of Ash & Anchor has been so kind as to give a Veda Scarf to one lucky reader!

Nautie Friends, I'm so incredibly honored that Nina has gifted a Veda Scarf to this humble blog.  I'm also incredibly excited that one of you are going to be cruising around town in style!

Here's what you can do to make this lovely yours: 

• Post a comment.  Tell us your favorite travel destination and your must have travel accessory.  We love travel stories around here!  Have you had an adventure that you'd like to re-tell?  Now's your chance!
• We love us some social media.  Tweet it up!  Facebook your Friends!  Instagram this amazingness!
• Tell everyone you know.  You have a blog?!  Perfect!

One week from now (that would be 09 Aug) I'll pull a name from a hat.  Posted a comment?  That's a slip in the hat.  Sent a tweet out into the twitterverse?  That's a slip in the hat.  Invited a new reader to the blog who is sly enough to drop your name?  That's a slip in the hat!  

Was I right, or was I right?

IT'S A LUCKY DAY!

Can't wait to read about where you've been and what kind of shenanigans you've gotten up to!  Can't wait to see you kicking around the interwebz!  Can't wait to meet some new friends!

You can find me on Instagram @nautiemermate (sorry can't link up to Instagram on the ship) - I tweet away @nautiemermate - I'm alive and well at Megan the NautieMermate on Facebook.  

Link Love :: Is this a reset button?

I'm hitting the reset button up in here.  I'm really tired of talking about all of the feelings.  I want to show you the rest of my photos from Napa!  I want to show a few pictures from Vegas....that I managed to take with my iPhone when I was semi-coherent!  I want to talk about books!  I want to recap some wickedly awesome 30x30 activities - and explain where I'm at with all that!  No more time for feelings!

It's been awhile since I shared some internet awesomeness.

First off, I'd like to invite you to a Mermaid Parade.  Oh boy this looks sweet.

When I first started watching this I was stone faced.  And then?  'I only like Pino Grigio!'.  I've now watched it twice....majorly not safe for work!

Let's make these.  They could be so purty.

Funny.  (Also, I love Judge Judy.)

This guy knows what limited space truly is.  That's why we should listen to his suggestions. I drool over everything he posts.

I lust and I mean lust after ash & anchor.  Please tell me this isn't one of the prettiest prints you've ever seen?  (also, while I was writing this I clicked over and they're offering 10 dollars off through tomorrow - Monday the 27th - do it...)

This sounds delicious.

Meet Eddie the Geriatric Sea Otter.  I can't even.

Einstein knew what was up:  I do not mind that you are a girl.

Everyone loves Anthropologie, right?  When I saw this set today I wished I was a bazillionaire.  (I also really enjoy their blog.  They pick themes and then find pretty things that match it.  Stellar.)

Maya Angelou is the best.

Well Nautie Friends, that's a wrap.

I had a completely unproductive weekend.  I bought some wine, I folded some clothes, I lazed around with my kindle.  It was splendid. I hope your weekend was splendid as well.

I'm strangely looking forward to Monday - and on Tuesday my Mom flies in - Yay!

Look for some Napa photos soon!

Mettle Maker + Link Love = About Freakin' Time

This sweet little blog has been without a Mettle Maker or some Internet Lovin' for too long....way, WAY too long...

First, let's make some Mettle...

via

P!nk Lyrics.  I'm in.  (Plus, it keeps with my whole, I'M ON FIRE! theme...)

Now let's snuggle with the world wide web...

Yes!  I believe this!  When something doesn't feel right....stop.

I really wanted to take some early morning advice from Amy this trip.  So far, I've been waking up 10 minutes before I need to be on the bridge.  Fail.

Anyone who has lived in New England for any amount of time has had an encounter with a Mass-Hole that has stuck with them.  If you know and love any Mass-Holes you might think  this is hilarious.

I'm still working on my 2013 intentions.  I know!  I have them all set and then I make changes.  Elise compares Goals and To Do's.  Good Read!

Just a cool image.  That's all.

A VERY belated tribute to Senator Inouye.  Merchant Marines will miss your staunch support of the Jones Act.

Bathroom Basket round up.  Nuff Said.

Stephen King has written a book on Gun Control.  Haven't read it but I imagine it's good.

This is a perfect example of wonderful things.  Actually, I don't know what this is an example of....but I want a coat just like it!

I don't know how I'd feel about living in a container (do a trip on a container ship and let me know if you'd live in one...) but, I might be okay with living in this one.

I love me a good travel blog - here's a kick ass roundup of some of the best.

I've actually been thinking about this meal (and kinda craving it) and I've never had it.  Seriously, I think about it.  It was posted after I joined the ship so, sadly It'll have to wait until April to be made...

Those links should keep you busy for awhile.  Enjoy!

Link Love :: It's about time.

Aloha Nautie Friends! Seriously, it's about time. 

It's about time that I share some link love....and sadly, it's about the time I don't have.  I'm sharing links because I don't have the time I need to write some of the posts that I'd really like to write.  (Sad face.)  I have posts stacking up just waiting to get written....they'll just have to keep.  Because I'm totally, totally swamped.  So swamped that my Dad told me to watch out for alligators!  (Seriously, he really did.)

Please enjoy some link love!  I have tons of starred items in my Google Reader that I've been meaning to pass along for ages....I figured what better time than right now.....re-reading them makes me smile....hope some of them make you smile too!  (You don't have to smile if you don't want to....I know that feeling too!)

• When I was a kid I told my preschool teacher that I had a whole bunch of siblings who lived in Honolulu and that they were Japanese.  I desperately wanted to be Japanese growing up....I even made up a Japanese name for myself....Meiko.  These little Japanese kids made me want to be Japanese all over again!
• Want some good advice?  Tidbit One, Tidbit Two, Tidbit Three.  You're Welcome.
• Taking photos of fireflies using time lapse photography?  Oh hells ya.
• These prints made me totally homesick.  Aloha Aina.  Loves it.
• Have you heard about Aluminum in Baking Soda?  It's not true.  Thanks Crunchy Betty!
• My latest discovery:  Brain Pickings.  How to Find Your Purpose and Do What You Love.
• Wanna lend a sailor a helping hand?  This guy is in need of resupply.
• Fancy Butter?!  This is a kitchen project I am adding to the list.....the list of things to do in the kitchen when I have one again :)
• Do you ever look at people wearing 'outdoorsy clothes' and think, 'I bet this goofball has never been camping in his life?!'.  Me too.  Therefore, this is funny.
• Twelve rules for inner confidence.  Now go own your world.
• Benjamin Franklin on frugality.  I think I need to re-read this daily!
• Seriously, right?!  Sometimes I need to give myself a kick in the ass too.....like right now.
• A nautie button.  'Nuff said.
• Crunchy Betty again.  This time on Olive Oil.  Who knew?!
• A photo from the Chica who makes all my danglies.  Gold hoops with coral fronds?  Need.  Would Ben Franklin approve?  Probably not....
• Can we say:  Beach Fabulous?  The Fighting Eel Spring Collection.  Drool.

Okay, that's enough for now.  I think that may in fact be the longest love fest we've ever had!  I told you they had been stacking up!

Again, enjoy (and hopefully I'll get a post up about current goings on soon)!