On love.

Love comes in many forms. Friendship, relationship, spouse, pets, children and many more interpretations. It doesn't matter really, love is love.

As far as I am concerned love will rule my life. I defiantly am not a pro at the romantic type but in a world of love I think I'm alright.

I have always been sensitive, more so than most people. But as much as this has plagued me this has also benefited me. I appreciate those who are real. People that stick around and love you no matter what are the best of people. I have been so lucky to see the purest of hearts. People that love beyond themselves & give more than they should. I am beyond grateful to have seen these this kind of love. Most people cannot recognize such things.

My friend Jessie was everything that embodies life. Fun, funny, strong, successful. She made me feel welcome among people I never felt that way with. I've always been more quiet and reserved. She was more than out going. Not even close to shy. She was someone that I loved. Someone that I admired. She always had a passion for life. She was more outspoken than anyone should be sometimes. But in the best way.

In April of this year, Jessie will have been gone for two years.

I still have her number in my phone. I don't even feel like we were the best of friends but we were friends. Her being gone has more than impacted my world. It's hard to be mean when you realize life is short. Its hard to be hateful when you see that good people die. It's hard to know that the last moment you have with someone is truly the last. Life is just hard. Love is what carries us through this. The only thing. I will forever miss my friend but I do know that her laughter & love carry on. And I am better because of her. Every. Single. Day. Love is all you need.

Fixes for fashion "issues"

Scuffed your heel? Bored with your heels? Try the heel condom:
Thank you to my fabulous FB friend's for introducing me to these beautiful things. I buy a lot of shoes. Anyone that knows me knows this. But what's more fun than spicing up a pair of old heels with some fun accessories. Or hiding a scuffed heel with lace or feathers!! You all know you have a pair with a dent or two. How cute are these???!!! Check them out. Www.heelcondoms.com

Drawer full of summer clothes & it's cold!!!
Pair your summer casual shorts with a pair of textured tights & a blazer. It's fun, dressy & cute. And can be worn in the winter even when you think your shorts are a no go for a few more months. I love this look as it can be dressed up or down & is generally more comfortable than a skirt.

I was inspired by my sister's blog post yesterday (seen below). Beautifully written post for her charity wedding site. www.thecharitywedding.com

Here it is...


Long live…

burlap
bunting
suitcases
picnics
peonies
bird cage veils
skeleton keys
dessert tables
cake pops
chalkboards
Long live details that make you happy, elements that make you grin, and mementos that bring back memories and create new ones all on their own.

Long live modern, vintage, offbeat, eclectic, budget, extravagant, destination …

Long live shoe shots, ring shots, posed shots, jumping shots…

Long live mustaches, paper straws, balloons, and photo booths…

Long live weddings- however you interpret them.

Long live love- love for details, love for special touches, love for planning, love for each other.

Long live marriage because when all is said and done that is all that matters. Details or no details, you married your best friend and you should feel pretty great about that regardless of what anyone has to say.

Want to get fired up about something? Want to rant about something really terrible?

Do you want to really start a conversation?

Start fighting for marriage equality, we have far bigger problems than mason jars.

Thanks Alicia!

People like Kim Kardashian are rewarded & sought-after for her 72 day marriage. People continue to google her, watch the show & buy the magazines. These type of people should not be paid any attention. She's not only making a mockery of the institution of marriage but rubbing it in the faces of those that are truly in love and not legally able to marry. Everyone should be able to express their love and share it with the world. And if so inclined make it legal.

A healthy"ish" dessert for your Thanksgiving festivities

Those of you who know me know that I am constantly trying to achieve the perfect diet. Delicious & healthy which is hard to come by sometimes. And as I am not a meat eater my Thanksgiving meal usually consists of potatoes, bread & pie. Carb fest. I would usually try to avoid eating this way as I enjoy veggies and think they should come with every meal. But who eats healthy during the holidays?! So I've been on an Internet search for some alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving goodies. I came across this dip on the Mayo clinic website. (thanks doc's) for a dessert or appetizer. Granted it's not supremely healthy but it's gotta be better than that second piece of pie.

Here it is complete with advice from Mayo's dietitians.

Dietitian's tip:
This light dessert stands in nicely for calorie-rich pumpkin pie. You can also use it as a spread for bagels.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Serves 12

Ingredients

Spread:
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 cup of canned pumpkin (unsweetened, unsalted)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Serve with:
6 apples sliced

Directions

Mix all ingredients for the spread together in a mixing bowl by hand or with an electric mixer (medium speed). Serve with apple slices for dipping.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving)
Serving size: about 3 tablespoons
Calories 107 Cholesterol 10 mg
Protein 2 g Sodium 91 mg
Carbohydrate 18 g Fiber 3 g
Total fat 3 g Potassium 177 mg
Saturated fat 2 g Calcium 39 mg
Monounsaturated fat 1 g

Sounds great right?!! I'm thinking you could add celery, strawberries (or other dip able fruits) and maybe even whole wheat crackers?!! So here you get your sweet fix and less guilt. I love to have my pumpkin pie dip & eat it too.

Man bob & other fashion fails

I work in the industry of beauty. Daily people come to us in hopes of change, enhancement, or to look younger. We lighten, brighten, repair, tweeze and cut all in the name of beauty. There are some times in our world that we see or are asked to do something that we'd prefer not to.

1. Man bob- think nights of the round table. A generally one length man cut stopping just above the shoulders. This Gentlemen is not a good look. Length does not make you look younger nor is it anywhere near bad ass. We will do it but this will NOT make us happy. This is seen generally in older men 60's I'm assuming. Guys, embrace it, then cut it off. It will make everyone happier, especially your wife.

2. The mullet- we all know what it is, business in the front/party in the back... If you don't know what it is you have one. I'm telling you people rocking this style have mullet denial. (that was kind of a poem) This also goes for the ladies who have long hair with suuuuuper short layers. Mullet. 80's hair band... Ring any bells?! I almost always try to talk people out of this buuuuut sometimes you can't. But just know I'm going to go in the back and tell EVERYONE about the sweet mullet I just formed.

3. Feathered Anything & mall bangs
Ummmm... Hi. The 70's and 80's might have been really groovy decades but they're over. Let's not keep rockin the hairstyles of the past just for old times sake. And yes, Farrah was super hot back in the day but is no longer the pinup of choice. I don't know how to recreate your mall bang. My hands won't allow it. So let's update your style just about 20 or 30 years. I swear we do cute things with hair in the current decade.

Enjoy the photos!

Bright Side?

Let's face it. Sometimes there isn't a bright side. There just isn't. There's a suck side & a suck more side. My belief in this matter is that it's not about "looking on the bright side" (don't you want to punch people who say that sometimes?!) it's about how you handle all the crap. Putting your head up & trying to be the bigger person is difficult to do. But in the end will not only make you stronger but will make you look like less of an ass when everyone forgets about what really happened. So how do we handle this? How when someone is mean, disrespectful or downright hateful do we as humans "turn the other cheek"?

Whelp, it's not easy let me tell you. I guess for me I choose to figure out what I am grateful for. What is going for me and focus on that.

Here's a story for you:

A few months ago I had an incident involving my dog & roommate. My 2 year old lab got a hold of her stuffed animals and needless to say they ended up with a few holes & missing eyes. These toys had sentimental meaning to her and of course I felt horrible. But the fact was that it was an accident. I had opened the doors to air the house out and the bears were attacked. The following weeks were miserable. I was attacked via Facebook (by her, her friend's, even her mother sent me a nasty email), I was attacked via text & made to feel awkward in my own home. My initial instinct was to fight back. But I did not. In fact I did everything I could to fix the situation. Yet was still treated horribly. Now I'm not telling you this to vent (although it feels kind of good) I'm telling you this to let you know that I chose to remain calm & be the adult. And you know what, it paid off. Not on her side so much. But I feel better to this day. But was I too passive?

So what is the line between too nice & being the bigger person? I struggle with this as I hate confrontation. I think I need some mean lessons. My sister is great at speaking her mind (maybe too much sometimes, sorry A) but I'm bad at it. So I admire this quality. I need some middle ground bitch lessons. As i know there are times you can't just let it go. Someone help me with this!

"When a man gives his opinion he's a man.
When a woman gives her opinion she's a bitch."


-Bette Davis

Put it in CAPS

We live in a funny time. We communicate through a virtual world more often than not. It occurred to me a couple of months ago that the way we write on Facebook or twitter or text can express various forms of emotion. It's actually pretty funny. The post that I found to be the most amusing was the nasty rumor that FB was going to become a pay site. So people's status' read something like "ATTENTION YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED TOMORROW IF YOU DON'T REPOST." You remember them right?! I found them annoying more than anything but the caps made the posts seem really, really "important". And while the majority of normal humans knew that this particular rumor wasn't true many more posted & reposted those cryptic messages complete with prices and further threats. So was it the all capital letters that made this seem more real? Not sure. I just imagined some techie nerd out there making this up just to see how many of us would fall for the joke & repost his message. Oh, Mark Zuckerberg would be so proud.

Let's play around with this a bit, shall we?

"I would like a piece of pizza."

"I WOULD LIKE A PIECE OF PIZZA"

Which statement seems more urgent to you? The second right? Seems like I really, really want a piece of pizza. (I kind of do...) This is also how we express anger. So how else to we express emotion through our media outlets?

:) happy :( sad :/ confused (maybe??)

;) winking happy. ;( winking sad

;-) winking happy with a nose

,) winking happy lost an eye

<3 heart... (the ideal way to say I love you)

Enough? Okay you get the point. These things make me laugh. Filtering what is real & fake in an online world can be difficult. Guaranteed next time you see a post full of caps you will probably think twice. Does she really want a piece of pizza or does she just sort of want one? Will that crazy Zuckerberg really make us pay for our favorite social network? (the answer is no, never EVER, I can explain why if you need me to) But the long scary posts made us think that maybe, possibly it could happen. So for fun's sake let's keep our posts dramatic, daunting even. Or add a winking smiley face when you're feeling mischievous. If nothing else it keeps things interesting.

I LIKE KNEE SOCKS. (true)

I WANT A CHEESE BURGER (false)

Hard to tell the difference, isn't it?

In case you all don't know what Mark Zuckerberg actually looks like I included a picture.

By giving people the power to share, we're making the world more transparent.
Mark Zuckerberg

On being Thankful

We aren't Thankful enough. I'm not, you're not. We are not. I hate to be the bad news breaker but it's the truth. Around this time of year we start to pay attention to such things. We write daily "I'm thankful for..." posts on FB or our blogs or make family members come up with something at the dinner table. (a game that I do not enjoy) I've done all of these things...also I'm doing it now despite my shit talking. Most of us live pretty great lives, healthy, decent job, 100 pairs of shoes (or whatever your irrational obsession is), great friends, family, pets. Many blessings, right? So why is it that we wait until this time of year to be the most grateful? Tradition I'm assuming and also it's too cold to do anything else. So instead of a list of what I'm Thankful for I'm going to throw out some ideas on how to share the love & recognize our blessings all year round. I'd love some input & feedback. Also if you feel the pull to say what you're thankful for you can add that too.

1. Job- our bosses remember complaints, mistakes & negative comments. People generally call to report a problem or complaint so I say we counter act this. Excellent service deserves a call as well. Employers LOVE to hear that someone is doing a great job as opposed to someone bitching. (whether it's justified or not) Have you ever called to report great service? Try it. Here's why: positivity breeds positivity. We all want to hear that we are doing a great job & that we are appreciated. All of us. No exceptions. So your call will make someone's day perhaps even their week. Feeling like you're doing well in your work place will make you more grateful for your employment. And happier to go to work every day. See how this works?! Love spreading. It's an epidemic.

2. Friends, family, Facebook friend's
I love you goes a long way. Pretty simple, tell those closest to you that you love them, appreciate them, like their shirt... Whatever. Honestly, I'm not the best at this. But I'm making an effort. My issue is that I HATE the phone. I don't like lengthy conversations. But I've found that a simple text or email also goes a long way. "thinking about you, miss your face, I love you" I think we take each other for granted thinking we will always have tomorrow. Which, unfortunately isn't always the case. So I'd say it's important to share the love today. Show those you love that you're thankful for them all year.

3. Time- give back. Volunteer, help those that have less than we do. I'm very lucky to be surrounded by loving people. Friends & family that don't hesitate to offer their time & services to those in need. I'm thankful for that. (sneaky Thankfulness) I think when you give your time you are rewarded beyond measure. And as most of us don't have a lot of it generally it is more difficult to give than money. Participating in selfless acts generally reminds us of how much we have. Sometimes we all need a little dose of reality, a smack down if you will. For me this helps.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'd like to spread some year round love. I added some "turkey" pictures for you. Just to add a little holiday spirit. (one is the flag of Turkey, because I think I'm clever)

Diabetes Camp

Picture a world where you always count your carbs & watch what you eat. Sound familiar? Now imagine a world where not doing this with careful & precise accuracy could make you sick, super sick. Even that sneaky piece of pizza you eat when no one is watching ( if no one sees it doesn't count, right?) MUST be logged. Now add to that multiple daily finger pricks, wearing a medically attached pump & setting your alarm in the middle of the night to make sure that you are still healthy. This and many more things are the daily life of a type 1 diabetic. Children's lives are supposed to be carefree, fun, and irresponsible. But kids living with a chronic illness are in a rhelm all their own. These kids are forced to recognize highs & lows in their blood sugars through out their daily life. Give themselves shots & probably see the doctor more than I have EVER. To other kids they are different, and maybe even scary or weird. I spent a weekend with the kids of Camp Soaring Eagle suffering from this disease. The bravery & maturity that I saw in these 8-11 year olds was inspiring. They stop mid activity to check their BG (blood glucose) if they were feeling low, they didn't complain about multiple shots and figured out their carb counts (at EVERY meal). All while having a fun time at camp! A blog post from one of the parents talked about how her daughter couldn't participate in slumber parties and had never spent a night away from her family due to her diabetes and celiac disease. She was thrilled to join our group which provides gluten free meals & midnight BG tests for the kids to keep them healthy. Can you imagine taking care of a child like this? It would be a full time job. The beauty of this experience was that these kids got to feel normal for perhaps the first time in their lives. They got to forget about being diabetic and just be a kid! In fact I was the odd woman out if you will, my two attempts to prick my own finger to test did not go well. (not enough blood) At that point I gave up, but they HAVE to do it all day long. They also got to taste cotton candy (a special sugar free version) for the first time in their lives which I'm sure I don't have to tell you was thrilling for them. Experiencing this with them was inspiring and fun. And beyond this gave me amazing perspective that I am grateful for. Health is a beautiful thing that most of us take forgranted. Seeing the smiles on these kid's faces says it all and getting the random "just because" hug melts my heart. Its beautiful to see what CSE is providing for these awesome kids and hear the "I've never had cotton candy before" comments with a mouth full of pink goo. The smiles hardly left their faces. This is what makes life beautiful.