Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Thoughtful Thursday

Obsession #49349534895834908509…reading totally precious blogs by women just like you and I (sorry guys, I think it’s safe to say that this is our domain…)

I can spend a gagillion hours jumping from one blog to another. From cake balls and homemade camera straps, to coupon clipping tips and silly little anecdotes. You gals sure have a lot to say, and look oh so fabulous while doing it!

And this is where the tragedy steps in… sometimes, after pouring over pages of cutesy fabulocity, I am left with a little pit in my stomach. I wish I could be as darling and witty as you. As sassy and sweet, as stylish and stunning.

But I’m just me. My house is messy for days after I finish a craft project, sometimes I wear my clothes multiple times before I wash them and when my roomie is gone I eat out every single night!

Sooooo, when Kate at Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Journey came across the following quote, I simply had to play copy cat and re-post it… I think it speaks volumes to how we can be so super hard on ourselves because we compare everything we do to other people’s lives…it’s time we all lived it learned it and loved it! 

One reason we struggle with insecurity: 
we're comparing our 
behind the scenes 
to everyone else's 
highlight reel.

-Steven Furtick


Ciao

What I Wore Wednesday: New Jersey Housewife Edition

Yes I wear leopard to work, yes I am wearing tights in the middle of May due to some random torrential downpours as of late, and yes I am wearing sunglasses in my office (if frat boys can wear them at midnight while bumping techno, I can wear them in the privacy of my office when I am trying to look cool).

I hope you like my ode to New Jersey Houswives and their ‘are you’se lookin at me, cuz if you’se is, you’se betta fuggedabout it’ stylings.


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(Leopard Jacket- CAbi, Dress- Mossimo/Target, Shoes- Calvin Klein, Bag- Kate Spade, Sunglasses- super awesome online store ModCloth.com)


(I don’t want to have any mob bosses knocking down my door tonight, saying I offended their kin…Jersey Italian runs in my blood, my father is a Jersey ex-pat, Escalade driving, pinky ring wearing, bowling shirt sporting, Tony Soprano look alike….so I totally have street cred ok!?)


Ciao
 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Surprise! It's An Anniversary Party!

This weekend my big sissy, little brobro and I launched the mack daddy surprise of all surprise parties on my parents for their….gasp, 30th anniversary. It’s super strange to think that, at my ripe ol’age of 24, my parents had already been married for 4 years, successfully opened their own business, were preparing for their first child and had already bought the big beautiful house that they live in today.

I know right…talk about inadequacy central. I am still trying to figure out how to balance my online bank account and am nowhere near mature enough to have accomplished all they had by now.

In an effort to show my parents how blessed we feel to have them in our lives, the sibs and I gathered 80 of their closest family and friends on a rainy Sunday (let’s just say I was waffling between complete and utter hysterical blubbering and maniacal laughter all morning, trying to figure out where we were going to put 80 people if the hail didn’t stop. It did. My sanity remains intact.) and literally celebrated the day away.

My parents were blown away when they came home from their little excursion, expecting to find a special ‘little’ meal for just the 5 of us.
We felt so proud to finally be able to show the two people we care about most in life, how much we truly love them.

The stress of 2 months of crafting almost every night to prepare the décor, the countless hours spent perusing my local Michael’s, and the inevitable bickering between siblings suddenly melted away as I witnessed the pure happiness on my parent’s faces as they took in all that we had planned for them.

Beyond what my parents have already taught me about life and the constant struggle to be a good person and love with all of my heart….my parents have been the epitome of strength and encouragement and are a shining example of how true love can endure through sickness and health, through richer or poorer and til death do them part.

If that’s not mushy enough….I’ll leave you with this….

This morning when I went to leave to return to Sacramento and the real world, I went to kiss my Papa goodbye, he squeezed me tight and whispered in my ear, “Thank you so much for the party, I will remember it for the rest of my life.” Sigh. Gasp. Tear.

Here’s some snapshots from the awesome  day!


Our sweet little mason jar glasses
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Momemntos from 30 years ago...including my Momma's Wedding To-Do List


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THEEEEE most delicoso cupcakes made by Kate at Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Journey
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Chocolate fountain yumminess!


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Ciao

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday

It’s no secret people…I love clothes and boy do I love accessories. While my very skinny bank account may suggest otherwise, I find shopping and putting together outfits to be simply rejuvenating.

Had a long morning at work? I raid the aisles of Sephora on my lunchbreak.
Had an even longer afternoon at work? You know my debit card is going to get hot at Target tonight.

I just can’t help it!

Put it this way, I ‘gave up shopping’ for Lent…40 days and 40 nights later I had still somehow managed to accrue a new pair of work out pants, two neon sports bras, a package of running socks and 4 pairs of beyond chic earrings. My justification you ask? Come on ladies, these were must have items that I am sure Jesus himself would not have been able to pass up.
There you have it, I am so obsessed I am willing to risk offense to the Big Man in the sky in order to get my fix.

It’s a sickness.

In an attempt to reconcile my addiction, and by recommendation from the lovely Kate over at Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Journey, I will be joining the amazing ladies at What I Wore Wednesday, and will be featuring a unique outfit each week.

Hope you likey!

WIWW

(Blouse- Tulle/Heart Boutique, Skirt- Banana Republic, Sweater- Merona/Target, Necklace-Heart Boutique, Boots-Coach)


Oh, and PS- what did you wear today?


Ciao

Monday, May 9, 2011

I Live For Monday...

I live for the ghetto fabulocity of bumping a super inapprops rap song on my Monday morning trek back to Sac. My Italian booty may suggest that I have some moves, but my lack of rhythm and awkward seat dancing are clear signs that my German blood runs deep. While my dance skills may be better suited for yodeling from the mountain tops, there is nothing like re-living the glory days of dropping it like its hot in the beer soaked foyer of your local fraternity house.

I live for coming home after a long weekend to an actually made bed. Tucking into a freshly made bed with cool sheets and straightly fluffed pillows is a true luxury to this old lady. Gone are the bad memories of being subjected to corporal punishment should you forget to make your bed or clean your room, because quite frankly, I want to cry when I walk into my room after an on the go weekend to find that I had treated myself to a little slice of bed heaven!

I live for getting a voicemail, text or gchat saying that one of my lovely ladies can make a particular play date or sleepover. I still feel like the awkward and really lost high school chick who desperately wanted to be your friend. So when one of these amazing girls lets me know that they actually want to hang out with me. Play with me. Read books in the same room with me. Lay in our pjs and watch trashy tv with me.  Eat Taco Bell with me. Or any of the above….well let’s just say it warms my heart through and through and makes me feel like the most specialist girl in the whole world!
Ciao

Monday, May 2, 2011

“Turn on the news…”

“Turn on the news…” was the ominous text I received at about 8 pm last night from my beloved Meesh. It’s one of those open ended phrases that catches your breath. Your mind races. Your heart skips a beat. Will you laugh, will you cry, will you be shaken to core?

I will never forget the morning nearly 10 years ago when I had to deliver that phrase to my parents, bursting through their bedroom door shouting for them to “Turn on the news…”.

Our generation has seen buildings fall from the sky, tyrants hanging from beams and the bodies of captured soldiers being dragged through the street, all from just ‘turning on the news’. We have learned of international tragedies when the earth shook too hard and the water rose too high, all from just ‘turning on the news’.

Driving to work this morning, listening to the radio news broadcast and contemplating the last 24 hours and all that I had learned from ‘turning on the news’, my heart flip flopped between overwhelming joy and sense of retribution to an equally overwhelming fear and sense of insecurity about what the future will hold for us. For our country. For our military men, women and families. For the loved ones of those who have perished in the line of terrorist actions.

The changing headlines became too much. The facts and quotes from senior officials all began to melt into one blob of confused emotion.
I changed the station.

And my entire body filled with goosebumps, my eyes instantly brimmed with tears.

God had shown me how to feel and it had been delivered through the bellowing chorus of Toby Keith’s, “American Soldier.”

I feel proud. I feel thankful and blessed for these men and women and for them, on this day of confused emotions, I share with you a song dedicated to them.

I’m just tryin’ to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother, everythin’ to everyone
Up and at ‘em bright and early, I’m all business in my suit
Yeah I’m dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots

I don’t do it for money, there’s bills that I can’t pay
I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future’s, my responsibility

Yeah I’m real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can’t call in sick on Mondays when the weekend’s been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door 
Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core.

And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.

I’m an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right

I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, Soldier.

An American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m an American, an American, an American, Soldier.

Ciao