Past, Present and Future

Over the past several weeks I have been "Friend Sick" which is my version of home sick.  Missing and wanting to spend time with my friends from Alabama, Jacksonville, Tampa, Canada and the ones who have moved and traveled all over. Familiar voices and personalities, people that know who I am and love me for just that. People that I share common interest and funny memories with. There is something to be said when you can call a friend and say lets meet up for a run, dinner, drinks, coffee, a play date, it's warm and comforting.

I have really been blessed with meeting and knowing some cool, smart, crazy talented and caring individuals. I love seeing the people I care about flourish in their dreams and watch how they enjoy life. And that is one of the reason why I love social media so much, it allows me to feel connected with the people I know or knew and helps me find out more about the people I am  getting to know.

So I got to thinking about my past, present and future friends. The people that were once friends and have either drifted  away or abruptly left my life, the friends of my past that have gracefully grown with me into my present and then friends of my future. Its crazy to think about who you were close with 5 years ago, 1 year ago and who you are close with in the present moment. I often wonder how will the people I meet today affect me tomorrow, will a "It was so great to meet you"  naturally  evolve into a new friendship or just be someone passing by?

Plain and simple I miss my friends and even though I can't see most of you as often as I would like, I think of you fondly and I do wish I can put everyone I adore in my bubble so I can see you all whenever I want!

To friends; past, present and future!

Life is so much sweeter

When you decide to be the sugar.

It's not news to everyone who knows me that this year I have had my share of changes in my life. From a new move, to new jobs, to a new school (for Everly), to moving and expanding a business, changes in relationships and the development of new friendships. To me it is an understatement to say a lot has been going on and to say it has been easy would not be true. With change comes challenges, obstacles and opinions, and I had to choose on how I would handle them. Honestly sometimes it has not been very gracefully but my heart reminds me that every experience is a journey and to embrace, hold on tight and try to have fun. So when I read this quote "Life is so much sweeter when you decide to be the sugar" I smiled and made that choice to be the sugar.

This life we our given is amazing, surround yourself with people that make you laugh, tell you the truth, place no judgement, want to see you happy and gives a good hug! And remember to do the same for them.

Does anyone speak toddler?

Because if you do I need you to teach me. I got the baby stage down and over with for now and I am pretty sure I can handle the talking stage because she can actually communicate what she wants. But this toddler land is something I have no clue how to navigate and to be completely honest, I am not really fond of toddlers. They scream, they are very demanding, they pull you in every direction, they throw things, they are always sticky....oh this list can go on and on. But when they aren't being taken over my aliens, they are so sweet and cute filled with love and snuggles. I think God created them that way so you don't run away to your local drinking establishment.

This post is sponsored by my amazing husband, who actually does speak toddler, and the nice glass of wine I finally have when she goes to bed! I couldn't do it without you both!

In the morning with her cereal and juice
What you don't see is all the cereal on the ground and Lily eating it
Thank you Lily! 

And this is how it went down

On my way to drop little E off and some guy came up to the car and asked for a ride. I politely said no and have a nice day and Everly said good bye and blew him a kiss. Then I saw a women advertising her passion parties on the side of the road, all before 9am.

Off to the office I go, met with my editor and boss, pitched a few ideas, all received very well. And I am out of there and on my way to For the Girls , I get a call from my boss with some amazing news on a new project, which I will go into more detail on a later blog, and I am beyond over the moon excited. Have a meeting with my partner at Bridal Gallery and a wedding vendor about a few events coming up. Picked up the little from school with snacks armed and ready for consumption, note to self and all people providing snacks to kids in a car, don't give them the squeeze pouch fruit  stuff because certain aged children thinks it would be a fun activity to squeeze it out all over the car. And to be honest, if I was not the person cleaning it up, it would be a fun activity!

Finally home but have so much excited energy I desperately need to go for a run. My runners are on and playlist ready, go out side and find 2 guys in a truck selling meat. And of course they approach me and say, "Excuse me but do you eat meat?" I lied and said, "no I am a vegetarian" ( oh how I wish I was still a vegetarian because maybe I might have been convincing) and then they said, "Really? You don't even cheat?", this conversation goes on and it ends up with me looking in a freezer, on the back of a pick up truck, viewing variety packs of meat and cheesecake. I finally say thank you for showing me my options but I will be passing on the meat and cheesecake purchase.

This was my random day that ended in a run and a much need cocktail!

Drinking a blue moon out of a wine glass,  yes that is actually happening

Happy New Year

I like to think of birthdays as my own personal New Year. A time for me to get my priorities and goals together to make that year a memorable one. So I've been thinking about what I would like to shift around in my life to make that possible for year 32.

Here are a few goals I would like to strive for...

Live my life envy free and without jealousy.
Speaking up for what I believe in even if it is not the most popular choice.
Learn and try something new everyday.
and continue to add and cross off my "to do list"

1. Learn Italian
2. Cook out of my French cook book
3. Take a cake decorating class
4. Go rock climbing
5. Drive a stick shift
6. Organize and print my digital pictures
7. Make Everly’s baby book 
8. Finish Everly’s first year video...I am on to the second one now
9. Remember birthdays and send cards to family
10. Start my bridal business  This one is a work in progress 
11. Read more books 
12. Start my blog
13. Learn to snowboard
14. Grow a garden
15. Sell our house in Jacksonville...Almost
16. Buy a new house preferably on the west coast 
17. Run a ½ marathon 
18. Plan a surprise trip for Justin 
19. Learn photoshop 

I love reading this list and I look forward to doing everything on it as well as adding more fun stuff to it!

Happy New Year to me!

A lot of new

2012 has been the year of change for me and my family! Each month several new and exciting opportunities have presented themselves and it's only March! Last month Justin decided to take on a new job and move us to Daytona Beach. So within a few weeks we found a new place to live, packed up our live's in boxes again and loaded a truck to our new destination! We are finally unpacked and somewhat settled. I was extremely excited to move, not only would I be closer to my mom but I would have more of an opportunity to be present with building our new business For the Girls. 

I also decided to make few more life changers when we moved:

1.  It was time for Everly to branch out, meet new friends, start learning and acquiring some independence from mom and dad.
2. I wanted a new job, one that was flexible and would allow me to network for the shop, meet new people in my new town, cover Everly's school and bring in some fun money a long the way. 

And the search began! After much googling I started to bookmark schools I wanted to visit. A lot of research, several tours and a few recommendations later I found Everly her first school! I wanted a daycare that had a curriculum and much needed structure and I am very happy with the decision we made! 

On to life changer #2, I was looking for some new advertising and networking opportunities for the shop, again  a lot of time on google and a few Facebook searches when I came across a most interesting opportunity. I found Floridian View, a magazine I was not familiar with but I knew I wanted to get  For the Girls involved in some way. After learning more about the magazine I found out it was only a year old, a start up company by a group of young professionals wanting to showcase their community in a different way. After liking them on Facebook I noticed they had a job opening and jumped at the chance to submit my resume. A few emails later I had an interview the week after we moved. As soon as I met with them I knew it would be a perfect fit and apparently so did they since I was offered the job on the spot. It all worked out so perfectly.

So while Justin continues to work hard at his new job, Everly and I start our new jobs Monday, April 2. Change can be a challenge but I gladly except the challenge and looking forward to the new experience! 

Reason, Season or Lifetime

We are moving to Daytona Beach tomorrow, I am so excited, nervous and sad, a lot of emotions going through my mind. This week has been tough as I give my hugs and say goodbye to the people I love. My friend Amy said to me the other day..."its not goodbye, its see you later" and I like thinking about it that way. You would think for a person who has moved around a lot in the last few years it would gets easier to say goodbye or see you later , but it doesn't.

Even though we were only in Tampa for a few years it has been great. I  have enjoyed being closer to my Dad, Grandparents and extended family. And it has been great meeting new people and learning from so many. I am truly blessed because with each city I end up in I have been given these amazing friendships that I cherish, truly authentic individuals that are supportive and uplifting. With each move I always think about a poem that I read when I was in Birmingham, Reason, Season or Lifetime, People do come and go in your life for a reason and hopefully you learn from each them.

To new adventures, new people, new opportunities and new lessons!

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown

Sweetheart Party

My special Valentine and I went to a sweethearts party at  Lil Peeps' Playhouse this year. She was dressed up in her heart tutu and rocker pink pants of course and handed out "be mine" valentines she made with a little helping hand from me.

All the kids had some free time to play and explore, then it was songs and circle time, followed by a small craft and then topped off with decorate your own cupcake. It was a great day and a fun way to spend Valentine's day with my little sweetheart.

Crawling through the tunnel 

Sophia is ready for her road trip 

Pushing a truck

Building in a tutu

Andrew all dressed up

Target Tuesday

On the first Tuesday of the month the Glazer Museum has Target Tuesday which is free admission sponsored by Target of coarse. I have been wanted to take Everly there for a while but wasn't sure if I really wanted to spend the money since her attention span is well, like a small child. So when the mom's group was planning our next meet up at the museum I was super excited to explore what it had to offer.

The Glazer Museum has so much for  kids of all ages to do. The first level your little one can explore and learn about water and rain storms, build sand castles, drive a cruise ship and much more. On the upper level they can tap into their creative sides in the art smart center, go shopping at Publix, learn to take care of animals at the vet clinic and learn at many other play stations.

It was a great little Tuesday at the museum and all the kids and adults had a fun time. I would recommend taking advantage of Target Tuesday if you are wanting to learn more about what the museum has to offer and to see if your kids will enjoy it.

With a Smile

I ran my first 1/2 marathon this past weekend and I did with a smile and had a blast! I NEVER would have thought I could run 13.1 miles but I am thrilled to announce I can cross this off my "things to do list". To start I would like you all to know I am not a runner and I do not enjoy the act of running alone. With that said I do enjoy running with a group and with friends because I have had the most interesting conversations when I run and I have made some amazing friends running. So I guess you can say I am officially a runner as long as I have a buddy and a Starbucks after a nice run.

If you are friends with me on Facebook you all know I have been training for this race for a few months now and you have already been experiencing this with me through my many status updates, photos and videos but I would like to take you back to how it all began.

I knew that if I was going to participate in a 1/2 marathon it would be at Disney, I mean the thought of running through the Magic Kingdom just sounds like a great time! After talking about it with friends and family on various occasions I decided that 2012 would be a great year to complete my first 1/2 marathon. Like I said before I was not a runner so I started slowly running the galloway method, the way this method works is you run for an amount of time like 1 minute and then you walk for 1 minute and alternate run/walk, this method helped me build up my endurance. When I joined the Y a few months ago my lovely tour guide Leslie told me about a running group that met up on Saturday mornings, I jumped or ran at the opportunity to join the CORE runners. Every Saturday at 7am my friend Amy and I would meet up with the CORE runners and have an enjoyable run followed by a more enjoyable Starbucks. This seemed like such a great way to get ready for our 13.1 miles we needed to train for. Eventually 7am turned into 6:30am and maybe even earlier as our training miles needed to increase to meet our goal. But no matter how early we needed to get up or how long we need to run that day it was all worth it since you knew you had a goal and someone to hold you accountable. One of the best parts of running with a buddy is the conversation, because really when you are with someone for that long and you are trying to pass the miles by, nothing is of limits and you talk about it all. From babies, to food, to sex, to bodily functions, through memory lane of your past and all your goals for your future, there is never a dull mile.

The morning of the race started at an early 2:30am but that didn't matter because I was to excited and nervous to sleep. With our tutu's on and cameras in hand we were ready! Me, Dawn and my Mom made our way to our assigned corral. I was franticly trying to get a hold of my running buddy Amy so we can try to meet up in the sea of 26, 000 runners  (and we did meet up). The count down began and the fireworks went off  and we were on our way! On a runners and sensory overload there was something to get you motivated at every mile. High school bands lined the streets, volunteers cheered you on as they gave you refreshments, characters were available for pictures, spectators screamed your name in encouragement, if you didn't have fun on this race something was wrong with you because it was amazing! And to my surprise we found my fan club (Justin, Everly and Aunt Lisa) and Amy's fan club on more than one occasion, hats off to all the support!

My goal was to run with fun and a smile and finish under 3 hours but I came in at 3:01:30 but hey I was to busy laughing, singing, wooting and cheering. It was an experience of a life time and I can't wait to do it again. Thanks to all who have taken this journey with me and for all the encouraging words and motivation!

Cooking Blunder

I love cooking, food, shows about food and anything to do with a culinary adventure for my taste buds. And not to honk my own horn but I have occasionally made some creative and tasty dishes in the past. However the last two nights I have failed miserably in the kitchen/cooking department, so bad that Justin had to band me from the kitchen and start over completely. It could be I am getting slight overwhelmed with activities throughout the day, keeping Everly entertained and trying to decode what she would like to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and lets not forget snacks. Plus trying to come up with something other then my five go to dinner recipes.

So my baby yoga mommy friend Julie has turned me on to e-meals, you get to pick the meal plan that works best for your family and they provide meals and recipes for the week, as well as a shopping list! I signed up today and can't wait to get started. We shall see if this will help me be slightly more organized for 2012.

The New Year

I look forward to the New Year, I believe it is a great way to start fresh and get excited about what the coming year could bring. My idea of a perfect New Year's Eve party is actually very low key, it would be at someones house or my own, with yummy food, some bubbles and cocktails, the kids playing and dancing to the music in the background, maybe a game of taboo going on, and everyone just enjoying the time with each other.  My NYE has definitely changed over the years to say the least, but life evolves and so does your vision.

I have learned from the heartaches and enjoyed the many blessings that 2011 have brought to me, my family and friends. Relationships have blossomed, babies have been born, loved ones have passed, businesses have been developed, trips have been taken, life is being lived and memories are being made! This is more than I can ever imagine, being able to share and enjoy what is offered to me is amazing.
I am looking forward to 2012 and the many adventures that are in store for me. I can't wait to keep learning, loving, giving and receiving.

Happy New Year to all! Be safe and enjoy.

Evolving Traditions

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons. The obvious reason, all the amazing food. The corny reason, watching the Thanksgiving Day parade (because I secretly still want to be a rockette). The sporty reason, football.  And of course all the thanks that is given all day long! But what I love the most are the non traditional traditions that have developed over the years. When you get older you get to pick and choose how you want your holidays to go and of course they never go as planned but that's part of the fun and it is the chance for new traditions to develop.

Thanksgiving Eve is my favorite tradition I have choose to continue. Ever since I lived in Birmingham I can remember going out with friends and just having such a memorable time. I'm not really sure how it all started, I think it was when I was in high school my mom and I would always go out to dinner and do something fun the night before. As I got older it evolved into cocktails and appiez at a local restaurant with friends. It was great because such a unique mix of people would come out, you would have a few laughs, you could sleep in the next morning and you knew at some point there would be an amazing feast the next day.

Now that I have a Everly we will have to create a new Thanksgiving Eve tradition that will be more suitable for a little one.  That's the best part about the holidays you can create whatever memorable moment you want, it's all about being surround by the people that make you smile and laugh!

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving Eve followed by a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Let the Magic Begin

This past weekend we headed to the happiest place on earth, Disney World! We had very mixed feelings about if we should take her when she was this young or wait till she was older, but since some of Justin's family was in town to enjoy a little magic Disney style, we thought we would join in the fun too. Justin and I agreed that this was all about Everly and we were in no rush. What ever she was in the mood to do we would do and that is what we did. It was a little overwhelming for all of us at first,  since this is the "Happiest Place on Earth" there is a lot of expectation to make sure every one is happy! 

I felt like we accomplished a lot for our first trip to the Magic Kingdom, we went on five rides: Small World, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride and we ended with some Pirates of the Caribbean. We also watched two parades and saw a few of our favorite characters. I was very thankful for all the short lines as Everly has not mastered the art of patients just yet. She just wanted to keep walking right on to the ride, but who doesn't. She also wanted the ride to start immediately, she is still in that instant gratification stage of her life. 

Here is my Disney Tip: For anyone who is thinking about taking their family to any Disney theme park, pack snacks, lunch and water. It may be a magical, happy place but I did not taste any of that magic in the food. And after walking around and chasing a little one you might want something yummy to snack on and your wallet will thank you later. 

All in all the day was great, the weather was perfect and everyone had such a fantastic time. I am so glad we took Everly and got to hang out with Justin's family. We will always remember the fun time we had and all the firsts we enjoyed with our family.

I say it was a very successful first trip to Disney! 

Here we go

Daddy and Everly

On our first ride, It's a Small World

Cinderella's Castle

High Five 

Waiting for the Parade

A little snuggle with Cousin Collin

Daddy higher! 

Headed home

Smile

Fall Day Fun

Last weekend we went to a fall festival in our neighborhood. It was one of those perfect days in Florida, sunny, no humidity and a cool breeze. So of course I got out the boots and leggings, anytime it is slightly cool in Florida that is what we do break out the boots because you never know when you are able to wear them. But I also had the weekend packed with outdoor activities for the family, one being the pumpkin patch at the fall festival.

Everly wandered around picking out her perfect pumpkin for this years Halloween festivities. I wanted to get some posed pumpkin patch pictures but she has a problem with me holding her back when she has so much to explore.

And she's off

I think I like this one!

What do you think?

This one is just my size. 

Miss Representation

I recently watched a brilliant and inspiring documentary about the impact of the media on our young boys and girls it was called Miss Representation by Jen Siebel Newsom, I saw the trailer for it about a week ago and knew I needed to watch this for me, Everly and her generation. The statistics were astonishing yet not shocking all.  Here are just a few of many:

•  American teenagers spend more than 10 hours a day consuming media, most of it filled with content that objectifies women and distorts their bodies.
• Women respond to advertisers’ messages of never being good enough: American women spend more money on the pursuit of beauty than on their own education.
• 67 countries in the world have had female presidents or prime ministers. The United States is not one of them. Cuba, China, Iraq and Afghanistan have more women in government than the US does.
• Study after study proves that TV violence enhances violent behavior in real life.
• Only 16% of protagonists in film are female. Only 7% of film directors and 10% of writers are female. 

I fumble through my journey of motherhood daily, trying to figure out how not to screw up this precious opportunity I was given and how I can raise her to be a driven, passionate, loving, self confident individual. Watching this documentary just affirmed my greatest fear and conquest. I am never going to be able to shield her from everything and I don't want to, well I can't say that is completely true, if I could keep her in my little bubble forever I would... but that's not very healthy is it? The best I can do is commit to being the change I would like to see happen and lead by example. This is definitely an evolving topic for me personally as a learn for myself and my daughters future.

I encourage everyone to see this, it's not just our daughters that are impacted but our sons as well. And even if you don't have children of your own I am sure everyone has a young mind in their lives that are dear to their heart and wants the best life possible for them!

For the Girls

A few months ago my mom came to me with an idea and a plan. She wanted to partner up with our friend Dawn and open up a bridal boutique. Dawn and my mom our neighbors and her and her husband Jim have become great friends to our family. She is the owner of Bridal Ltd. in Port Orange, Florida, a bridal shop that specializes in couture bridal gowns and focusing solely on the lady of the day, after all it is all about the bride. Talking with her brides and getting to know their needs for their special day she saw a potential opportunity to provide a full service bridal boutique experience to her customers.  After some casual conversation amongst friends, my mom called me and said, "I decided I want us to do this, I want to partner up with Dawn and open up a bridal boutique. We are going to focus on bridesmaids, lingerie and accessories...oh and I want you to do it with me."

At first I didn't know what to think, to be honest I was a little upset, this has been something I wanted to do for a long time but I didn't think it was the right time in my life. And then I wasn't sure how I was going to be able do this with me living in Tampa and the boutique located in Port Orange. But then the whisper became louder and the gentle nudge turned into a firm push and I knew this was the right journey to take. After making the decision that I was on board everything started to fall into place. I was overjoyed with all the excitement and support I received from family and friends as I shared with them about this new endeavor in my life. 

So that is how For the Girls came to fruition. It will be excited to see how this process unfolds since it is all new to me. I am looking forward to sharing this experience as I learn all about this new chapter in my life! 

Positively Amazing

This past month has been the month of transitions for us. We moved into a new condo, Everly is running, I have decided to embark on a new venture and Justin continues to grow his business. So many exciting experiences have happened and continue to transpire. But what thrills me more is the amount of positive and supportive energy that is oozing out of my friends and family. It is so important to me to surround myself and my family with uplifting, positive people. People that are inspiring, loving and creative in their own way. People that are genuinely happy for you and want to see you succeed. When you share your visions and dreams with them, their eyes light up and you can see they are filled with joy not jealousy and their tone is filled with eagerness and excitement.  It is fantastic to be supported by your family but it is truly special to be cheered on by your friends. I try to live my life by these standards as well, I want to see my friends and family live out their dreams and I want to be the biggest cheerleader out there for them.

As I find myself experiencing these new shifts in my life and sharing them with friends and family, I get to learn about their fantastic changes and vision for their life. I realize how blessed I am to be surround by talented, smart, innovated individuals all making it happen for their lives.  In this social media frenzy, constantly connected, celeb crazed, negative news era we live, we need a new way to reinvent the American dream or "having it all" mentality. Making it work for your family doesn't mean you need to follow the trend everyone else follows. What's great about this time we live in, is we can do whatever we can dream of and we can have more than one dream for ourselves. Today and everyday I give thanks for the positively amazing people in my life, the dreamers, the doers, the believers. I can't wait to see how everyones vision unfolds and I look forward to sharing this journey. 

Boo Boo

Everly got her first official boo-boo yesterday and what made it official was the blood! After our guilty yet pleasurable five guys dining experience she was walking around with daddy and feeding the birds and having a grand time, then she suddenly lost her balance and face planted on the concrete. Justin came over to the table and said. "um we had a little accident" then I turned around to a crying little with blood coming out of somewhere on her face. Now the proper reaction to this situation would be what: A) "Oh honey you're ok, you are such a brave little girl, lets put some ice on it and make it better." B) Everly you are fine just brush it off." C) OH MY GOD! What Happened, oh my god she is bleeding!" The correct answer would have been A but the way I reacted was C, and I know better then to react in a frantic way but the blood got the best of me. All was well after we cleaned her up, we headed to high five and made her forget about her bleeding lip by treating her to some froyo.

Daddy and Everly froyo

Living the dream

This date will forever leave a hand print on my heart for the rest of my life.  I will always remember how I felt as I watched the tragic events play out for the world to see on September 11, 2001. I know all our lives were changed that day but I will always think about the people whose lives were changed directly from the events that have occurred. I will always be grateful for my unknown heroes that sacrificed their lives for mine and the people who continue to fight for this amazing country we live in!

To my dear friend Brad Talley, lets raise a bottle of miller light to "living the dream"! You lived your life full of color, laughter, love and the occasional inappropriate jokes/comments that only you could get away with saying! I am so thankful I was able to know you and I will never forget you! I know you are missed dearly by so many. 

Our beloved Grandfather, it was heartbreaking to hear of your loss this morning. We are so very blessed we got to spend time with you and will cherish the fond memories we have. Thank you for being such a thoughtful and caring man. We will love and miss you always.

Let us all celebrate the life we have and the lives we will miss! Live your dream for your life!