50 Years of Greatness

Today is this lovely lady's 50th birthday. My beautiful Mama. Yesterday, at a small family and friends gathering, I was able to pull off what I'd been working on since the end of March! It was no easy feat, and at times, I came close to tears, but the project came together and I feel safe in saying it was a smashing success! For those unfamiliar, I had come across an idea on Pinterest for a 60th birthday memory project. I glanced at it and thought it seemed very endearing and wonderful, so with Mom's upcoming 50th, I figured I'd tackle it. I had an overwhelming response and there were even friends that I had gone to high school and college with, that have never met my mother, who were anxious to participate as they loved the idea so much. The idea was to have people from all times of her life send along their wishes and a memory of her, so that, by the end, we had 50 memories for 50 years (I actually was able to get 51, one to grow on!) Each memory went into it's own AirMail envelope and then was sealed until the big day!

Happy Birthday,  my sweet, sweet Mama. I love you more than I can say.

Ladyfriend Wednesday: Maya Rudolph

Happy Wednesday, all! You've made it more than halfway through the week AND there's a three day weekend ahead. BOOZE O'CLOCK. What? :)

It's time to get back into Ladyfriend Wednesday (my favorite!). This week, after her stellar variety show, has got to be Maya Rudolph. She may just be my favorite human. I've made no secret of my crazy love of strong, fierce and funny women. And Maya may take the cake. I just really dig women who are unafraid to go there and whose focus isn't on external beauty but internal.

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It could just be me (Bueller? Bueller?), but there is something so soothing about her that I will watch damn near anything she does. And by "near anything," I mean....ANYTHING. SNL sketches, Bridesmaids, and I think we can all agree that her "Bronx Beat" sketch on SNL with Amy Poehler should be a REAL. DAMN. SHOW.  A comedic powerhouse who I wish would just read me bedtime stories every night as Oprah.

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Do yourself a favor. Go rewatch Bridesmaids and allow your heart to flutter with happiness, because if there is anything better on this Earth than the end of that movie, I don't want to know what it is.

Be Honest, You Missed Me.

Happy Monday, you beautiful unicorns! I'm so sorry it's been such a lapse in between posts. Yikes! Life has been kind of crazy and I haven't gotten the chance to devote time to the blog. But, that's changing :)

I have to say, the kindness and generosity of people has overwhelmed me the last few days. I obviously cannot go into specifics quite yet (though most of you have an idea), but wow. I have never felt so humbled in all of my 28 years. To the people who have contacted me, please know that from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I am so touched and thrilled by your kindness and you have made this project such a love filled one. You are the reason why I believe people are inherently good.

HOLY HELL, YOU GUYS. Do you know what's on tonight? Please tell me you are taking an hour of your night to watch Maya Rudolph's variety show? I am so stoked, it's beyond ridiculous.

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An actual, singing and dancing variety show! I cannot wait. I am so in awe of Maya Rudolph and I know tonight will be such a damn delight. WATCH IT. LOVE IT. BE DELIGHTED.

I'm slowly starting to get back into this, so prepare yourselves. Hoping you all are happy, healthy and content. :)

Truth Bombs

You guys, it HAS BEEN A MONDAY. Jesus. Why don't they make margarita trucks? Like ice cream trucks, but for booze. Because I would never leave. Especially after today. But, the day is over and that's all that matters. Time to get ready to face tomorrow :)

I'm about to get super honest with you right now, because I just can't hold it in any longer. Do you ever feel like you're back in middle school? Do you have those days where it seems all the lunch tables are full and you've got to sit by yourself? Because, I gotta say, the last few weeks have felt like that for me. And it's tough. Shockingly enough, I was never the most popular girl in school or the smartest, what have you. I accepted that and was able to move on. It's just so odd to me, at 28, to have those feelings brought up yet again. I always like to think that I'm part of a certain group but than it turns out, I'm just buzzing around the outside, hoping to get in. Last week and this past weekend helped me see that I'm not part of something I thought I was. And the best way to rectify that? Distance. And I honestly can't say I'm that upset about it. I know that I may come across too nerdy/strong/ridiculous/what have you, but I always thought, in the end, friendship would win it (I'm such a damn Pollyanna sometimes, it's ridiculous even to me).

And when it doesn't, that's a tough pill to swallow. When you're not invited places, when you're not thought of, even though the effort has been made on your part, it's a sting that never quite goes away. I've preached a lot about working on myself and getting in tune with what I want, where I want to go, who I want to surround myself, and I've taken those first steps. But, I need people who are going to back me up and be supportive. And I'm dwindling down the people that I choose to surround myself with. Because honestly, I really feel that I can only be my real self around a handful of friends. When I'm laughing my ass off about the difference between Alan Thicke and Alan Rickman with my lady cats or when I'm spending the weekend in Chicago with one of my BFFs from EIU making jokes about the Golden Girls and Donna Martin, that's when I feel my most authentic self. Around strong women who make me laugh and allow me to be myself.

Not everyone currently in your life is going to be there 45 years from now, but luckily enough, I think I've managed to find a few who will tell me to invest in a good caftan, a strong drink and channel my inner Sophia Petrillo. Hopefully you've done the same.

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15 Things About Me

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. Things have been a bit hectic and I needed a bit of a break. While I'll stick close to the format I posted a few days ago, my friend Mandi had a "15 Things About Me" on her blog that I thought was such a great idea. Bear with me, I'm not the most interesting person in the world. :)

1. I'm an incredibly voracious reader. I never make it 24 hours after finishing one book before starting another. I think this probably stems from the fact that I learned how to read at a very early age and as an only child, and a bit of a loner, books were a way for me to escape. They still are. Honestly, most days, I would rather be with a book and a glass of wine than people. I'm trying to work on that, I am :)

2. I talk about my future sons and daughters, but there's a part of me that only wants to have boys. Look, girls can be catty and vicious and I don't think I have the heart to raise a teenage girl.

3. I've never been fishing a day in my life, and I never plan to. It's just not something that gets me going.

4. I was born on a Friday the 13th (yeah, yeah. I've heard the jokes, Chuckles McGee.)

5. There's a part of me that's always wanted to be a dancer on Broadway. I don't know why. But every time I saw a show at the Fox or in NY, I was just mesmerized by the unbelievable ways in which people can use their bodies. (This is something I've never once admitted to a single living person).

6. There is only one stamp on my passport, and that is sad as hell. I want to fill that sucker up and travel the world! I don't think we're meant to stay in one place forever, there's such a huge world out there to see. I need to get started. And maybe move to London for awhile. WHO KNOWS?

7. When I tell you I could quote the movie Grease verbatim, I'm not lying.

8. People that sleep with socks on weird me out. It could be -76 degrees and the dead of winter, and I am barefoot. I only wear socks if I ABSOLUTELY have to.

9. I've been told on more than one occasion that I have an old soul, and that is the best compliment anyone could ever give me.

10. I'm convinced that when I do get married, it will be forever. Because I don't tolerate bullshit. I won't apologize for my high standards and I know there's someone out there who can meet them. It's happening one time, and one time only :)

11. I don't wear much, if any, makeup. I've never been that girl and I never will be.

12. My mama and I were both born in the same hospital, in Boynton Beach, FL.

13. I would eat fried shrimp for every damn meal if I could.

14. At an STL Cardinals game years ago, I was hit in the stomach by a pitch. I still have that ball somewhere and it just goes to show my undying love for a team I've loved my whole life. :)

15. I toyed between Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois University when I was accepted to both. At the time I think I more wanted to go to to WIU because I felt better about the campus and only chose EIU because of the proximity to home. 10 years later, EIU was the best decision I've ever made in my life and where I've met some of my best friends in the world.