I love blogging . . . Right???

I was speaking with my friend Audrey @ I'm So Aud about this last week.  I was trying to express to her how I've been feeling about blogging.  Real Talk. . . I was feeling confused and empty.  Then this blog title popped into my head.  I LOVE blogging.  I really do.  It is an awesome outlet for me, but for this past week, I've had to force myself to think of something worthwhile to post about. I came up with nothing. photo credit

I mean, I've lived a full life, right?  Didn't I have a great childhood, filled with crazy stories.  Like that one time I thought I was being kidnapped.  Or when I almost drowned.  My first kiss. . . I mean I have great stories, right?  Wouldn't someone want to read them? Wouldn't I want to share them?  So what's my problem?  I don't know.

My blogging is the polar opposite of how I live my life.  On here, I give it to you straight, no chaser. No smoke.  No mirrors.  "In real life," I keep my cards close to my chest.  If you don't know, then you'll probably never know and don't need to know. That's me.  But here, somehow, I bare it all.  Maybe that dissonance has finally come to a head.

Are your words ever trapped in your head?  How do you get them out?  Do you ever wonder if you should keep on blogging?

Remember to check out Tell Me Something Good Blog for amazing daily conversation!

How often do you do it . . .

Every time he takes you to your favorite restaurant for dinner?  When he brings home that necklace you've been eyeballing for weeks?  Whenever he mows the lawn or serves you breakfast in bed?  Or is it the simple things that bring it out of you.  When he holds the door for you to walk through or when he helps you to put on your coat?  What does it take, for you do it?  How often do you say Thank You?  What?  You thought I was talking about something . . . Oooh, you nasty . . . 
photo credit

It's easy to remember to say it when you receive the big things, but do you remember to say Thank You for the simple things?

Right now, I'm gonna take this opportunity to send a big THANK YOU to CK and Becka at Made By Bedtime Tales for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award (#3) and to Ms. Baby Plan  at The Baby Plan for awarding me the One Lovely Blog Award.  Both awards ask you to list 7 things about yourself so I'm cheating and combining.  

1.  I had the highest road test score of anyone I knew (98% lost two points for driving too slowly) until I met an ex who told me he scored 100%.  To this day I think he was lying.
2. I'm usually a happy blogger, but the one thing that ruffles me is when people don't even read my post, but use the comment section to post their 30 blog links and twitter aliases.
3. By the time I was two years old, I had already lived in three different countries although neither of my parents were in the military.
4. When I was 16, my father bought me a Gucci watch.  When I was 21, it was stolen.  I would love to buy myself another one, but I can't rationalize spending that much money on a watch when I don't wear them.
5. My husband married me for my looks, not my cooking, LOL.
6. My laptop is pink.  My camera is pink.  I have a pink coin purse and a pink wristlet.  But I hate the color pink. (I buy pink things because it reminds me of breast cancer awareness)
7. When I laugh uncontrollably, I snort.  Not repeatedly like a pig , but every now and again one slips out.

*Here's a bonus.  I dislike long posts (especially long posts written by me), so I'm going to inform the award recipients of their awards directly.

Remember to stop by Tell Me Something Good blog for daily conversation.

It's so hard to say . . .

Three simple words, but they might be the hardest words to say.  They make your palms sweat and your heart beat a little faster.  You consider, reconsider and consider again before you let them escape your lips.  Should I say it?  Maybe he should say it first?  Why do I have to be the one to say it?  You give in and you say those three words . . .

I am sorry.

And it's like a cool breeze on a hot summer day.  The tension, still there, but just a little lighter.  Still upset or hurt, but not as angry.  Why are those words so filled with relief, yet so hard to say?  One word.  Power.

When you were young and played capture the flag, cops and robbers or, like our precocious group, find and grind (a story for another day), the captor had the power.  The captured person had none.  They were at the mercy of the captor.  Likewise, "I am sorry" causes one to flinch because power has been shifted to the recipient.  Now they can decide to accept or reject.  Who would want to give up power?  But there is power in just saying those words.

In 2005, an article was posted about a couple, who at that time, had the world's longest marriage.  At the time of the article, Percy and Florence Arrowsmith were about to celebrate 80 years of marriage.  When asked what was the secret to their success, Florence said, "If you've had a quarrel, you make it up - never be afraid to say sorry." 

Florence hit it on the head.  Don't let your fear of saying "I am sorry" prevent you from moving into a better place in your relationship.  For me, that's a hard pill to swallow, but I plan to make it until death does us part.

Don't forget to check out Tell Me Something Good for daily conversation.  We've got something new everyday.

Yin . . . Yang . . .

I liked the "bad boy."  He was the opposite of me.  I was Yin.  He was Yang.  And we were headed straight for destruction.

I should have known that something was not quite right when he "found" me one day at work.  Stalked might be a more accurate term.  He searched four floors of an office building until he found me.  He said someone told him where I sat.  I told him he was a liar.  He admitted my suspicions were right.  Caution bells rang in my head.  I turned off the volume. 

So time passed.  We dated.  I was not attracted to him physically.  He was average height and skinny.  Not my style.  But he was gritty.  Urban.  Different . . . Wrong.  And I liked that.  And he liked that I was the good girl.  He was guns, drugs and alcohol.  I went to church every week.  A match made in hell.  I felt the fire.  I turned off my senses.

The relationship went the course that all bad relationships go.  He was jealous.  He was abusive.  And I stayed.  He didn't want me around my friends or family.  Yet I stayed . . . until I couldn't take it anymore.  The only way out was for him to leave me.  So I made him miserable.  Risky, but it worked.  He left.  I sold my house and moved.  Sometimes you have to leave it all behind.

Often times I think, oh, if I could do it over again.  If I had simply heeded to the warning signs. How different, how happy, that time in my life would have been.  Then I remember, the slightest change in my life could have set me on a course that led me away from my husband.  So I say to myself, it was all worth it because in I truly am the Yin to his Yang.

This post was written for Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. 
Prompt #1 was "If you could do it over again . . . "

Don't forget to stop in at Tell Me Something Good Blog and join in the conversation!!

I feel something in there . . .

You know that feeling . . . in your gut.  No, not that feeling you get after you ate something that you found in the back of the fridge, couldn't remember when you put it there and knew it smelled funny when your raised it to your mouth . . . or after eating bad food at a wedding (my poor husband had quite a day yesterday).  Nope, I'm not talking about that feeling that causes you to pop two effervescent pills into a glass or water, pinch your nose and take it down the gullet (lol).  However, I believe that's affectionately known as the bubble guts.  I'm talking about a different kinda feeling in your gut.  The type that makes you wanna jump on Oprah's couch and shout to the high heavens (thank you Tom Cruise).

I'm being featured!! (click to link)  I have to thank Teri @ The Bipolar Diva for recommending me to Dee @ Say Anything.  Please, check out the feature and come back and tell me what you think.

And if that wasn't enough going on, Christina @ Being Mrs. Jones and I are finally ready to share what we've been working on.  Stop in at Tell Me Something Good.  This blog was dreamed up after a blogger comment snafu.  Christina and I spent the day emailing back and forth and Tell Me Something Good was born.  We can't wait to hear from you.


The word of the week is Effervescent, of which one meaning is: (Chemistry) (of a liquid) giving off bubbles of gas; bubbling.  Join in the Word Up, Yo, a word meme by Natalie, Kristen and Liz.  Click on the Word Up, Yo button to link in.

Oh, I think they like me . . .

I sometimes find myself completely unable to put my thoughts into words.  I love words.  I love the emotions words draw from the reader and the writer.  I love the pictures that they create in my mind's eye.  This blog award really helped me believe my words were really painting a clear picture of my thoughts to my readers.

Susie Q at I Married a Moron - And Survived! gave me the A Blog With Substance award at the beginning of the month, but I could not think of a five word philosophy for my life.  After visiting Robyn's Nest today, her post helped me to develop the matra that I needed to accept this award.  I want to do more to enjoy the right now in my life.  I'm such a planner, I'm always getting ready for the next several months, but I also want to focus on this:

Enjoy the Beauty of Now

Thank you Susie for this Award.  I'm passing it on to the following bloggers:

Robyn's Nest

I'm So Aud

Peaceful Divas

Florida Girl Meets Midwest

Green Monkey Tales

I was given the Versatile Blogger award by CK and Becka at Made by Bedtime Tales.  Made by Bedtime Tales is a whimsical blog filed with great stories and awesome projects.  To accept this award, I have to tell you 7 things about myself you don't know.

1. I sucked my thumb until I was 12 years old.  The end of thumb sucking coincided with when I started kissing boys. I'm not saying there is a correlation, but maybe my parent's shouldn't have tried so hard to make me stop :) 
2. I used to be able to wrap both my legs around my neck, but now I'm old, so I can only do one leg at a time.
3. I want braces on my teeth because I think braces are cute.
4. I love horseback riding even though horses scare me a bit.
5. In high school, a friend and I skipped class, but we couldn't think of anything to do.  So we went to another class and ended up getting excused for missing class because we participated in the other class.
6. My handwriting is horrible.  Sometimes, I can't read it.
7. I love water balloon fights.  When I was in college, we had a HUGE water balloon fight.  At the end of the fight, I was completed soaked from head to toe, including my sneakers that made squish sounds as I walked . . . . into class . . . looking (and sounding) a Hot Mess.

I'm passing this award to:
Marlie and Me
The Happy and Not-So Happy Rantings of a Chocolate Mom
New Jersey Memories
A Sensitive Poet (This young man is so very talented, check out his poetry)


The WOW of the week is "Hot Mess."  Definition #2 is a person who looks as if they've been to hell and back.  Join in on this really fun word meme run by Natalie, Kristin and Liz.  Click on the button for this week's link.

I was So High . . .

The lights were low.  I felt his body pressed against mine.  I could smell his cologne.  I stared into his eyes and he smiled the biggest smile.  My palms were sweaty, but he didn't care.  He grasped my right hand his in left and his right arm was wrapped tightly around my waist.  The room was spinning. . . or maybe we were spinning, but it was all in a slow motion.  I was so high . . . he was so high . . . and John Legend sang us away from the rest of the world.  This was my wedding day.

I loved that song, So High, since the first day I heard it.  For my 28th birthday, my husband put together a slide show of our relationship and that song was the soundtrack.  There is something about song that reminds me of our love.  So when we had to decide on a song for our first dance, there was no question of what OUR song would be.  There no need to consider a rambunctious booty shaking, arm waving, feet stomping tune or some other ballad.  Nothing else would do. 

So as we danced.  I didn't see my friends and family sitting at the tables looking at us or standing taking pictures.  I didn't see the videographer or photographers.  I didn't see my daddy beaming or his mom crying (saw that later in the video).  I saw him.  I saw him smiling.  And I was So High.



This was submitted as part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.  I used prompt # 2, Write about your wedding song. What was it and why did you choose it?

This post also contains the Word of the Week.  Word Up, Yo is a word meme put together by Natalie, Kristen and Liz.  This week's Word of the Week is Rambunctious - turbulently active and noisy. 

Baby, since the day you came into my life, you made me realize that we were born to fly

~ John Legend, So High

Nobody puts Baby in a corner . . .

You know that line from Dirty Dancing where Johnny/Patrick rescues Baby/Jennifer from the corner her father made her sit in (if I'm totally showing my age and everyone here is to young for this movie, here is the clip ).

I wish I had my very own Johnny when I was in Kindergarten because that's what they did to me.  They thought I was a baby, so they literally put me in a corner . . . away from the other students.  Why?? Because I had already completed Kindergarten, but I was only 5 years old.  They didn't want to put me in 1st grade. Ummm. . . hello school board, you do the math. If I started Kindergarten at 4, I wasn't gonna be 6 in time for 1st grade.  They eventually promoted me to 1st grade in January (I was still only 5 years old) after four months of sitting in a corner. 

Their actions made just about as much sense as this street sign that is prominently posted at the corner of 6th and F Streets, NW - right by the Verizon Center where the Washington Wizards play basketball (click to enlarge if you can't see what the to one says).

Soooo  . . . can I park or not?  I actually called this sign in and the lady at the call center said, "It says what?? That doesn't make sense." . . . . . Exactly.

Something else that doesn't make sense is my need for things to be in order.  I'm that person you see in the grocery store turn a can right side up and keep on walking.  This is how I store my food in my cabinet.

Why do we have 8 cans of blackeye peas?  It's my husband's doing.  I think he's saving for the apocalypse.  In contrast to the organization I have in about every other aspect of my life, below is  pic of my work bag.  I can barely find my keys in that thing (daily issue) and I'm almost sure if I looked, I could find a receipt from 2008 when I bought the thing.

It doesn't look so bad in the pic, but believe me, it's bad.  LOL.  Everything sinks to the bottom and I think the bag eats it.  Oh, here's a bonus.  The roll of Smarties candy that I have in there that takes all of 10 seconds to devour, takes about 20 minutes of jogging to burn off the 100 calories I took in.  Doesn't. Make. Sense.

Lastly, something that most folks wouldn't guess about me is that I'm pretty mean >>>Insert Shocked Face Here<<< I know!!! Truth be told, I'm pretty nice most of the time.  I try to look out for my fellow homo sapiens, but there is a point in time when if you try to speak to me . . . you will be met with some really choice words.  Bottom line.  Do not wake the sleeping monster.

Case in point, I was in my dorm room napping on a Saturday afternoon.  My friend called my room and woke me up.  Here's how the conversation went.

Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring
Me - groggy and sleepy - Hello??
Friend - Oh, hi.  I didn't think you'd be in there.
Me - iritated - So why did you call me?

The conversation ended pretty quickly after that.  I'm generally not that snarky.  My response didn't even make much sense since people call people they don't think to be home all the time to leave messages (which is what she explained), but like I said, I'm a different person when someone wakes me up.

I can't be the only one who has encountered things that just don't make sense (please please say I'm not the only one cause that means the problem lies with me, LOL).   Whether within you or around you, what have you seen that just leaves you saying "huh??"

I was able to get two stories into one post (LOL).  I hope it makes up for the fact that it's been a week since I posted.  Work has been a killer.  Although it's too late to enter the post, I still used the Word of the (past) Week in this post.  The new WOW will be up tomorrow, check it out at either Natalie's, Kristin's, or Liz's blogs.

* Special announcement - In my penpal post, I said my blog was my private life that no one knows about, well, my best friend has entered blog land!!!  I confessed to her that I'm been living the blog lifestyle for a while now, LOL.  Check her out, she's just getting started.  Image of Paradise

I got punched in the face . . .

Okay, so clearly that's not me, but work with me on this.  photo credit

Back in my senior year of college, there was a major snowfall.  My friends and I decided to revert to childhood and have an old fashion snowball fight (hey, I was only 19 years old).  So we were out there having a good old time.  A guy friend  and I started wrestling in the snow.  It just so happened that his girlfriend saw us playing and apparently didn't appreciate the physical nature of our play. So .  . . . she decided to put me in a head lock.  Ummmm . . . wrong move.  We slipped.  Her left eye met my right knee.  She spent the next several days wearing dark sun glasses. In retrospect, I wish I would have just punched her in the face.  LOL.

Earlier this week, blogger decided to punch me in the face.  I sat there and typed my post about my first date with my husband.  I proofread and pushed the publish button with pride.  I received emails stating that I  received comments, but each time I viewed my blog, there was NOTHING.  gasp. . .  I whined to my husband, "Babe, my blog is brooookkkeeeennnnnn!!"  His response, "Awww . . . " I wish I would have punched him in the face.  Instead I just scowled at his nonchalant response do my SERIOUS dilemma.  I posted a question to Google Help and Bonnie tried to help me to no avail.

So I decided to try something different.  I emailed everyone in response to their comments.  I had great conversations with so many of you that day.  In particular, Christina and I chatted back and forth for hours.  From there, we've decided to collaborate on something pretty special that's forthcoming.  Stay tuned for more about that. I wish I would have started responding to you guys that way before because it was great having those conversations.  Hopefully Google won't feel the need to punch me in the face again, but I definitely appreciate the lesson learned.  How do you keep up with followers/visitors who comment on your blog.  Do you respond via email?  Do you comment back on their blogs?

This blog post followed the #2 prompt from Mama Kat's Writing Workshop - I wish I would have…Describe a time when you didn’t take action, but later wished you would have.  Join in on the fun.  Click on photo for link.

How it all began . . . .

*UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who has left comments. I received them in my inbox.  There still seems to be a bug in the comment display, but I'm glad that the comments are finally displaying.

Happy Belated Independence Day ladies.  We had a quiet weekend.  We pretty much stayed indoors for most of the weekend, but today we got out for dinner lunch and a movie.  We saw Grown Ups with Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James and Rob Schneider.  The movie was HILARIOUS and sweet.  As we were leaving the theatre, we drove by a place that is really sentimental to us.

It's where it all began . . . .

I met my husband in August of 2006.  We had our first date at Smokey Bones Restaurant.  I was usually cool and confident when I went out with guys, but there was something different about this guy. . . . Maybe it was because he didn't seem disarmed by me like guys usual were. Or  . . . maybe it was because he was 6'4" and super handsome.

In any case, as I sat across from him at the table, I couldn't look him in the eye, blushed throughout the entire meal and fumbled over my words.  I had no idea what was wrong with me.  Dinner went well, so we walked over to the movie theatre and watched the oh so romantic, Talladega Nights . . . . .

Several months went by and our romance progressed.  He wined juiced and dined me.  We traveled together.  Went bowling.  Watched the Superbowl.  I mean it was great.  The guy was smooth.  He even bought me a puppy.

I was smitten.

But it wasn't up to just me.  I came with baggage.  I came with a pet snake that he had to accept.  LOL, that didn't come easy.  I also came with a fixed in her way, grumpy, will bite you if you piss her off Siamese cat.

Like I said, the dude was smooth.  He even won her over.

I think it even shocked her.

So today, for the first time since August of 2006, we went back to the theatre where we saw our first movie together.  It was cool to be back there.  It was nice to reflect on the long way we've come. 

And the story continues . . . .

I participated in two memes in this post.

iHappy Mondays is a meme created by Mummy-time.  I was introduced to this meme by Tiny Little Reveries, who has a great blog that I follow.  iHappy Mondays is a meme where you post pics that make you happy that you took with your iPhone (or from your regular camera phone if that's what you got, LOL). 



Secondly, of course, I participated in the Nerd Mafia's Word Up Yo meme.  In this meme, you use the Word of the Week (WOW) in your post.  This week's word is fumble.  I used the definition - to make, handle, etc., clumsily or inefficiently.

Even when I'm sad . . .

Could it be that I'm not starting with a childhood story??  Maybe I'll think of one by the time I get to the end.  I've noticed a lot of the ladies in my blog circle participate in a Writer's Workshop by Mama Kat, so I thought I'd try my hand at this workshop.

The focus that I selected was: 10 things sure to put a smile on my face when I'm sad.

1.  Babies - I'm not one of those who thinks every baby is ooooh soooo "cute", but I think every baby is adorable.  Their baby smile. Their baby smell. Their baby antics.  Babies are perfect.

2.  Shopping!!!! - I love shopping.  The outlet mall is my Mecca and I'm sure to get a smile out of every trip.

3.  Reminiscing - When my friends and I get together, every conversation starts with "remember when . . . "   Looking at old photos also puts a smile on my face.

4.  Birthdays - Although I'm not thrilled with the candles on my cakes increasing, I love birthdays.  My friend Audrey @ I'm so Aud is celebrating her birthday today (and her official blog launch).  If you can, stop by and wish her birthday greetings on her special day.

5.  Reading - A really good book can drag me out of my funk and into the life of the story.

6.  Eating - I love food.  Pasta. Cookies. Pizza. Cake. YUM!!!

7.  Swimming - I'm an island girl.  I love going to beach. Sand between my toes.  Sun on my back.  Wading through the beautiful blue refreshing water.

8. DANCING!!! - I can work these hips like a stripper, LOL.  I will dance the night away.  Great workout.  Great stress reliever.  Talk about a two for one.  Bonus is when my husband joins in with his awkward dance moves.  Definitely leaves me in giggles.

9. Singing - I can sing myself into tears or flip it into singing myself into happiness (which is usually accompanied by fits of dancing).

10.  Traveling - I love to travel.  I wish I could do more of it.  Cruising is my most favorite travel method.  After cruising it's hard for me to come back to reality.

* I know the usual answer of "my husband" is absent.  He has a amazing knack of being both the biggest joy and biggest annoyance in my life.  LOL.  So he just gets an honorable mention . . . LOL.

I ran away from home . . .

I can't remember how old I was and I can't remember what "pushed me over the edge," but I do remember trying to run away from home once.

Yes, TRYING to run away.  I packed my little bag, mustered all my anger, girded my loins (LOL, always wanted to use that in conversation) and walked my little too grown behind out the door.  I walked ALLLLLL the way to our retaining wall and sat for probably 10 minutes, but it seemed like 10 hours.

Yeah, they'll be sorry when they see I'm gone. . . tick tock tick tock . . . yup, they'll be crying and sad and come looking for me . . . . tick tock tick tock . . . I finally gave up and went back into the house.  I don't think they even noticed I was gone.  Or maybe they saw me sitting on the wall the entire time and were laughing at me from their bedroom window.

Fast forward, to present, three of my girlfriends and I "ran away from home"  this past weekend and had a girlfriend road trip.  Before I give you the snapshot of our weekend, allow me accept this award from Tica @ Tica Tattleteller.  To accept this award, I have to say where I see myself in 10 years and then pass in on. Okay, in 10 years, I'll be forty . . . wow . . . and I see myself celebrating 10 years of marriage, raising two children and traveling more (hopefully visiting one of the places in the blog award pic).  I'm passing this award to Momarchy, The 5th Girl and The Baby Plan. Thank you Tica for the great award.  It's amazing how it fits with my post, LOL.

So, my girlfriends and I hit the road, fleeing the DC area, and drove the Atlanta, GA.  I mentioned before that I'm Seventh-Day Adventist.  All of our churches are connected under one General Conference.  From last Wednesday to next Sunday, all of our churches around the globe have descended upon Atlanta like the plagues of Egypt come to Atlanta to fellowship and conduct meetings/elections.  We saw old friends, I met up with a classmate I haven't seen in 12 years and, of course, did some retail therapy (GA sales tax is a murderous 8%, but it's better than DC's 10%). We even drove through the set of a zombie movie, which initially FREAKED US OUT because there was a car on it's side and it looked like it was an accident.  (When the movie The Walking Dead comes out, if you see a silver Dodge Charger with four chics looking completely bugged out, that's us, LOL).

During the drive back, we all said we wanted to stay in Atlanta, but jobs, husbands and a plethora of bills beckoned us to returned.   We're already in talks for our next run for the border.  The Word of the Week (WOW is plethora, which means overabundance, excess).  Come play along in this word meme by the Nerd Mafia. (click on pic for link)

What happened to the 9 year old?

Last week I shared with you that at the age of 9 my then boyfriend taught me a lesson about dating that stuck with me for the rest of my life.  I learned that in relationships, especially the immature, self-serving relationships that you have as pre-teens, in teen years and quite often into adulthood, people are in it for what they can get out of it.  I also shared that after I got a new boyfriend at the age of 12, I was never single again.  So here is how that happened.

Like I said, the lesson stuck with me.  I vowed I would never let myself be on the side where anyone else got more out of the relationship than I did.  I know it's the absolute WORST attitude to have about a relationship.  Every time I felt I was on the losing end or less beneficial side of a relationship, I moved on to guy who was waiting in the wings.  That was my MO, my defense mechanism, my foible.

But I eventually lost myself in that cycle and the cycle started to define me.  I was not the sassy 9 year old who told her boyfriend he could step off.  I wasn't even the teen girl, who moved from the 13 year old gentleman to the 17 year old older guy to the 15 year old funny guy as I saw fit.  I became the 22 year old who started defining herself by being in a relationship.  I became the 24 year old who stayed too long in a bad relationship.  I became the 25 year old who accepted mediocrity in a "relationship" because at least it was a "relationship".  My independent spirit became needy.  My sassy 'tude became deflated.  My foible became my downfall.  I finally woke up and realized I didn't like who was looking back at me in the mirror.  And although I did move from the "relationship" to my husband, I was no longer THAT girl.  My husband has no idea why I need to be so strong, so independent and so unlike the girl I became, but I'm happy about who I am today. 

What were some of your dating missteps and regrets?



This post was written as a continuation of my last post and I'm surprised I opened up this much on here.  It's also my submission in this week's Word of the Week, a blog hop led by Nerd Mafia (Natalie, Liz and Kristin).  This week the word is foible; one definition is a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior.  Come join us (click on pic for link).

Oh for the love of gadgets

My husband and I spent the better half of yesterday online at Apple's website trying to buy the phone of the century decade year moment, the iPhone 4.  No such luck.  We're Mr. and Mrs. Gadget over here and Apple has seen a  pretty penny of our money with our Ipad 3G, two iPhones and an iPod Touch.  (The gadgets don't stop there, I have a touch screen slow cooker, LOL)  I've decided to wait until I can get the iPhone in the store to purchase mine.  He's going to pre-order and have his delivered.

On to the purpose for my post.  For the past several months, I've been wanting to purchase a big girl camera.  I've asked around the blog world and gotten suggestions from some very helpful ladies (thanks Megan @ Twinsomnia and  Katie @ Katie's Dailies)
 
Canon PowerShot Elph SD1100 IS
photo credit

Canon EOS Rebel XS

Megan @ Twinsomnia uses this camera and if you check out her blog, you will see how gorgeous her pics are - although it might be the skill of the photographer, not just the camera.

Features include: 10.1 megapixels, EOS integrated cleaning system, 2.5" LCD screen, external flash mount, SD/SDHC memory card compatible, 3 frames per second shooting and a host of other features.  This one retails at the big box store for $499 and comes with the the camera, lens, camera strap, software, two cables, the battery and charger. photo credit

 Nikon D70
Katie @ Katie's Dailies uses this camera and if you check out her blog, you'll see her amazing photos there as well.

Features include:  6.1 mega pixels, 1.8" LCD screen,  external flash mount, 25 custom settings and a number of other features.  This camera was introduced in 2004, yet it still sells from between $1500 - $2000 new.  In the box: camera, lens, strap, software, cables, lens cap, battery and charger.  photo credit

 Canon Rebel T1i
While checking out the previously listed cameras, I found this little beaut.

Features includes: 15.1 megapixels, HD video capture, 3" LCD screen, 3x optical zoom, face detection, 3.4 frames per second shooting, EOS integrated cleaning system and a number of other features.  I found one online from a pretty popular site for $734 that in addition to everything in the box (camera, lens, strap, eye cup, cables and software), it included some additional software -an 1.5 hour video course on using the camera, an extra battery and a shoulder carry bag.  photo credit

I will be honest.  When I saw these prices and knew I had the money to pay for a camera at this price, I couldn't help but think, why not get this gorgeous little shoulder carry bag for about the same price instead (LV Montorgueil PM MSRP $800).  photo credit

I'm still on the hunt.  Anyone else looking for the perfect camera?  Any other suggestions out there for cameras?  Anyone think I should just get the purse instead?? LOL (my little pink camera would fit in this just fine).  I wonder if I just say the word "gullet" if I could post this on the WOW blog hop.  They'd probably shove a a camera down my gullet if I did (LOL).

He broke my heart when I was 9

Well, I guess not really, but I was pretty bummed about it.  Why did I have a boyfriend at 9 years old? It was that childhood kinda relationship.  The one when he asks someone else to ask you if you would be his girlfriend and you figure why not since you have no major commitments for the next few years other than sixth grade graduation.  So that's how I got my first boyfriend at 9.  Hey, what can you expect from a girl who started wearing heels at 11 years old.  So how did he break my heart?  The conversation went kinda like this:

10 year old boyfriend - Umm, you should kiss me (he was so smooth, LOL)
Me - No way dude
Boyfriend - Other people get to kiss their girlfriend
Me - So. You ain't putting your lips on me
Boyfriend - Well, she said if I made her my girlfriend, she'd kiss me *points to girl standing 10 feet away*
Me - Whatever, guess you got a new girlfriend then *boyfriend walks off into the sunset with his new girlfriend who was willing to give up the goods . . . . wench*   LOL

So I learned a harsh reality that 9 year old shouldn't have to learn.  He will leave you for the girl who gives him what he wants. I considered wrapping my little 9 year old hands around his gullet, but didn't.  Instead I licked my wounds for the next couple years, enjoyed telling guys that I didn't want a boyfriend.  I started dating again at the ripe old age of 12 (you know, cause I was so mature now).  I was never single again.  How is someone never single again from the age of 12 on?  I'll tell you more in a little bit.

How old were you when you started dating?  When was your first heart break and how did you deal? 

It typed this entire post then save it proofread.  I visited Natalie @ Mommy of a Monster and learned about the new word game that she and her blog friends came up with.  Check it out.  It's loads of fun.  This week's word is gullet - one definition is throat (technically I used it in my post as neck, LOL)

Shoes and Shakes

As I stated in my last post, I love high heels and I have been wearing them for the past 19 years (oh boy, I'm really telling my age, here, yeesh).  I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you, so you can see a little bit more about my shoe obsession, fetish, compulsion, preoccupation love.  Shoes are my fashion go to item.  They make or break an outfit.  They take it from causal to chic to glamorous.  So here are a few of my little lovelies. photo credit

These are from Bakers and I've had these shoes for YEARS.  They are 4".  They are my only metallic shoe.  I would love to get another (higher) pair of silver shoes.






 I *heart* these shoes.  I love that they aren't the regular looking shoe that everyone has.  The bow says cutesy, but the overall look is edgy.  

 These are 4 1/2" heels from Nine West.  Love these shoes (although I've never worn them out the house.  I like walking around in them in the house cause they're cute.  Still looking for the perfect outfit.

 
These are my tried and true 4 3/4" peep-toe leopard prints.  I wore these for our engagement photo shoot while we walked about Georgetown taking pictures.  Didn't hurt my feet at all, which is a very important part of picking shoes for me.

 These are my favorite pair of wedges. They are 4".  I wear them literally everywhere with anything.  I wear them to work. I wear them to the movies.  Dresses, pants or skinny jeans, it works across all outfits.  I find it hard to find a nice pair of heels at Coach (I have lots of sneakers, ballet slippers and sandals, but only one pair of heels).  Coach tends to have chunky heels on their shoes and that's not my style, but they did it right with these wedges.

So, now on to the shakes.  Crystal @ Wanna Be Balance Mom posted a couples weeks ago about a product line called Isagenix.  I posted a comment about checking them out and Crystal, being the awesome chic she is, sent me a sample of the IsaLean Chocolate Shake.  I tried it out yesterday as I was running out of the house. 

I didn't mix it particularly well (which was evident as I drank and found some powder lumps).  In the flavor department it was a weak seven (6.8 - 7.3). But I have to say in the fulfillment department, this thing is a TEN!!!!  I drank it at 8:30 am just before jumping on the train.  Usually if I grab something to eat (say croissant sandwich), my stomach starts talking an hour later.  10 o'clock rolled around . . . no hunger sounds.  I wasn't even thinking about food.  At about 10:30 am my training group took a break - snacks were provided - and I grabbed a mini danish.  I took it back to the conference room and it sat on my plate until 11:30 am.  I wasn't even hungry when I ate it, I just knew we were about to break for lunch in a half hour.  When I got eat lunch at 12:30, I wasn't famished like I usually am.

I have to admit, I was skeptical.  So I googled to see if it had an appetite suppressant in it.  How can I be full FOR HOURS off essentially a milkshake?  I haven't seen anything that says there is an appetite suppressant in it.  So I'm happy to say I'm gonna get this product.  I really need something to stand in for breakfast because I'd frankly rather sleep for the extra 20 mins (which leads to eating donuts/muffins/croissants when I get to work).  I'm so grateful to Crystal for sharing her diet gem with the blog world. 

So, what are you dieting secrets?  I'm still on the road to getting my Mii to stop being chubby.   And what is your fashion go to item?

I lost my virginity . . .

It was a bright sunny day in the August . . . . oh wait . . . wrong post. 

(photo credit  This is a picture of Carambola Beach in St. Croix, USVI - my hometown.  Yes, our water is that blue.  Definitely worth the trip.  Make it when you can. *end of shameless plug for hometown to increase tourism*)

This post is about me getting my FIRST BLOG AWARD!!!!  My wonderful blog buddy, Natalie @ Mommy of a Monster, gave me this award.  As such, I've now lost my blog award virginity.

So to follow the rules, I must:

1. Thank the person who honored me with this award.

Thank you so much Natalie.  This girl is amazing.  She has three little ones, a little guy just under 3 years old and twin infant daughters.  They are so adorable!!!  Her blog posts are hilarious and she's definitely a blogger to follow.

2. Share seven things about myself.

• I only get pedicures.  No manicures.  Every time I go in for my pedicure, they ask if I'd like to wax my eyebrows or get a manicure.  Nope, no thanks.  I'm afraid to have to draw my eyebrows back on and, besides, I bite my nails.
• I play Wii Tennis like I think I'm at the US Open.  I don't get into a tennis outfit or anything, but I get tennis arm by the next day.  I go hard.
• I have retail fetishes, particularly Coach and Tiffany & Co.  I shop there all the time even though I know I'm over paying.  I'm pretty happy with my collection.
•  I'm afraid that my husband and I will never get to the point where we think we can afford to have a child. Being a Stay At Home Mom is already out of the question.
• I've been wearing high heeled shoes since I was 11 years old.  I used to practice wearing my mom's heels in the house and then she let me wearing high heels for my sixth grade graduation.  Been smitten ever since.
• I met my best friend, Ms. DD, in 1985, thus making this year our 25th anniversary of our friendship.
• I don't like apples or apple pie.  I love apple sauce and apple juice.  Go figure.

 3. Pass the award on to fifteen four bloggers who I've recently discovered who I think are fantastic.

• Shannon @ Green Monkey Tales - Shannon is an amazing writer.  She has a post about summer love that will having you hanging on to every word.  She is so real with what she posts.
• Jennifer @ Baby Making Machine - Jennifer is a future mom, only about three weeks to go.  Her blog is great.  I especially love her letters to her daughter, Lil' J.
• Megan @ Twinsomnia - Megan is a mom blogger who always has a great post about her ever exciting life.  She has a hilarious post about her daughter's dance techniques.  Plus she loves purple.  That makes her great in my book.
• Lori @ Tiny Little Reveries - Lori is a fun blogger to follow.  Her Tuesday post-its make me laugh every time.

There are other blogs that I love,  Teri @ The Bipolar Diva for one, but she recently got this award.  Check out these blogs.  If you aren't already following them, I'm sure you will be after checking them out.  Thanks again Natalie. 

I used to have a pen pal . . .

Last week I spoke with Natalie @ Mommy of a Monster and Teri @ The Bipolar Diva via email about SITS and how it's great that we met up through that site.  It got me thinking about how technology has changed the way we communicate.  photo credit

I've mentioned before that I'm a Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Christian.  Growing up, we had a magazine called Guide, which basically is the equivalent to unisex, mini version of Seventeen Magazine for SDA kids.  The magazine had all sorts of articles, games, jokes, etc.  But near the very end of the magazine was a section for  pen pals.  (come to think of it, it was almost like personal ads for kids  . . . whoa)  I remember reading through the names and descriptions and thinking "Hmmm . . . . she sounds interesting, maybe I'll write to her."

So I wrote my letter and sent it on it's way. . . . and waited.  Things didn't move as fast back in 1994 as they do now.  Finally one day, my father brought home a letter just from MY PEN PAL.  I ripped it open in anticipation and read through it.  We exchanged letters and got to know each other.  It was amazing to know with all our differences (I was black, she was white; I was in the Caribbean, she was in the states; I went to private school; she went to public school), we had sooo many things in common (we both LOVED Kris Kross; had crushes on guys who had no idea; could relate to everything each other wrote in the letters).  Eventually, we stopped writing to each other, but I still have her picture in one of my photo albums.

One thing I never did was tell my friends I had a pen pal.  I could just imagine hearing, "What?!? You are talking to a COMPLETE STRANGER!!"  Then one day, a wise man named Al Gore invented THE INTERNET (tee hee).  Now talking to complete strangers is the norm.  With Myspace, Twitter, Crackbook, Facebook, blogs and a multitude of other internet-based social mediums as close as your smart phone away, you're strange if you don't talk to complete strangers.  However, just like my pen pal, I keep my blog life to myself.  Only my husband and my friend Audrey know I blog.  My blog, like my pen pal, is my dirty little secret . . .

Do your friends and family know you blog?  What do they think about you baring it all on the net?

Peace of mind . . . .

Tonight my husband and I sat on our front steps for about 25 minutes.  Just prior to that, we were in the house, in front the big screen watching something that I can't recall and on one of our gadgets (ipad, laptop, cell phone, something).  It seems that we are always Googling, YouTubing, Wikipedia searching, channel surfing or otherwise occupied. So tonight, I asked to sit outside for a bit and we left everything else inside.  photo credit

It was soooo peaceful.  There was sound was the sound of the crickets and the occasional passing vehicle, the smell of my blooming hydrangeas and lilies and the warmth of my husband's arm around my shoulders.  We made some small talk and smooched, but pretty much just sat in silence and basked in the peace of the night.  It was simply beautiful.

What do you do to find your peace of mind?

Three wishes . . . . . .

When I was younger, I used to wish and wish and wish for hair as long as my Barbie's hair.  Oh, if I had hair as long as Barbie's I could have long billowing curls or a really long pony tail or a number of other styles that I just KNEW I would look so gorgeous wearing.  Oh how I wish.

Then my older brother said to me one day, "If your hair was as long as your Barbie doll's hair, your hair would be like three inches long."

When the room stopping spinning around me following that revelation from the dream killing jerk my brother, I realized I should just leave the whole Barbie hair wish alone.
photo credit


As of late, I've been evaluating where I am in life right now and thinking of where I want to be.   I love making lists and plan on writing down my five year plan in the coming weeks.  I know the saying, anything worth having is worth waiting for and I plan on eventually acquiring these things over the next five years, but if I had three wishes . . .

I wish I could have a piano.

I used to play the piano when I was younger, right up until I left home for my Junior year of college.  Playing the piano was such a relaxing, therapeutic escape for me.  I would close my eyes and run my fingers across the keys.  I was no Beethoven, but I was pretty good.  So the question might be, why not just get a piano?  Not so easy.  I have no where in my townhouse to put it.  So, that leads me to my second wish.

photo credit
 

I wish we had a brand new single family home.

First of all, it would be a great place to put my piano.  Then they would be all the wonderful space that would come with it.  I would have a real kitchen to cook in and a new space to decorate.  It would be cool to have nifty stuff like double vanity sinks and a jacuzzi tub.  It would give us great space to raise our future family (and our current menagerie - two dogs, cat and snake).  So lastly . . .

photo credit

I wish my husband and I could sail off into the sunset.

I was telling a friend of mine today that for my 35th birthday, I would love to organize a group cruise with my friends and their husbands/significant others.  My husband does not fly; absolutely refuses to get on an airplane, but he's completely open to the idea of a cruise.  But I would love it if we could get away right now for at least a 7-day cruise.

photo credit

So those are my three wishes.  What would your three wishes be?