Just Another Saturday Shooting

On Saturday my 16 year old primary and I pulled into the parking garage at Southcenter Mall. We were going to see the movie Twilight when suddenly swarms of people began exiting the mall. I looked around and almost instantly knew there had been another mall shooting. The police were quick to arrive and the whole area was put on lockdown. We couldn't leave the parking structure while people around us ran for safety.

The picture above is of the 16 year old victim. A lot of reports are surfacing saying the incident was gang related. That may be true, but it's important that we remember the victim was a child and regardless of his history or whether he antagonized the shooter, he did not deserve to be shot and shoppers should not have to be surrounded by gunfire on a Saturday afternoon.

Incidents like this always lead to a public outcry supporting stricter juvenile sentences. I would challenge those individuals and resources to be placed in mentorship / preventative programs.

Hiedi and Spencer Elope... and tell Perez Hilton before their family

In the cheesiest move to date, Heidi and Spencer have become Mr. and Mrs. Pratt. Sometimes girls can be so dumb! BTW, I love how Us magazine had exclusive pics less than 24 hours after the ceremony. There were no family or friends present and it appears as if Heidi told Perez Hilton of the nuptiuals before letting her family know. Either she's preggers, they've been offered a Newlyweds spin off, or they break up in less than 9 months. I'm curious to see what happens!!

Bronx Mowgli... I kind of like it!

I know it's going to be blasted but I think Bronx Mowgli is an addorable name:-)

Maybe Boyfriend is on to Something.

So Boyfriend is mildly obsessed with this workout "lifestyle" called P-90X. It's basically a series of DVD's you do in your home. I've never really been a big fan of any TV based workout and I may have made fun of him on numerous occassions.

However, celebrities our coming out of the closet and swearing by the P-90X program. Poppy Montgomery recently lost 70 pounds doing P-90X. She was able to drop all her post baby weight in 9 months. Everyone's favorite 90210 alum Jennie Garth aslo swears by the program. Maybe behind the faded sweatpants, black crew socks, and geriatric New Balance shoes boyfriend's in the know with hip workouts. Who would have thought:-)

I but Gucci's not happy about this

Madonna broke a cardinal rule last night when she showed up at a party to celebrate Gucci's launch of the Tattoo Heart Collection wearing a Luis Vuitton dress. That is the ultimate snub to Gucci...

I just don't understand the Madonna infatuation anyways. She's an obvious narcisist and I don't understand why people make such a fuss over her. Her relevance as an artist really skipped my generation. I was introduced to Madonna during her "Western" phase.... Enough said.

Miley Cirus Might be the most Annoying Person Alive

Please watch this clip and then I dare you to name a more annoying celebrity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DVT9hP3s-0

Why Are Celebs Always Rushed to the Hospital?

Winona Ryder was recently rushed to the hospital via paramedics. Is it just me or does it seem like celebrities are always being transported to Cedars via ambulance.

Yikes! That's Scary Stuff

Is it just me or are fans becoming increasingly creepy. Poor Jennifer Garner is pregnant with her second child and has to file a restraining order against a "fan" who sends her threatening messages and follows her to her home saying he needs to kill her as a human sacrifice. Appearantly he follows her around the country. I couldn't imagine how terrifying that would be.

Umm... Are you serious?!?!

So the woman who owns the building where I rent is a... very hands on manager. aka incredibly nosy and slightly controlling of her residents. Anyways, this weekend I received two voicemails from her stating she had something "very serious" to talk to me about, and she is "gravely concerned." Her second voicemail stated she needed to speak with me and she was upset she had not heard a response back. (BTW this woman still operates with a pager and calls from blocked numbers. The only way to get a hold of her is to page her and wait for her blocked number return phone call)

I was at Boyfriends all weekend and did not have her pager number. Her voicemails had this accusatory tone and left me wondering what I could have done wrong. I went through every scenario in my head from leaving the oven on and causing a fire to playing my Britney Spears CD's too loud while getting ready for work in the morning. I was really anxious over the situation and did not want any landlord/tenant issues.

I returned to my apartment and paged her. She calls me back and says "I need to speak to you about a very serious incident that occured." My first thought was someone was attacked in the building and this is a safety related call to notify residents. "Ivy were you home friday night?" - Ok safety theory out the window, mom-style interrogation begins. I respond with, "Ummm no Janet(nosy owner lady) I was away most of the weekend." Her reply- "Well, I received a very serious report that there were two cars parked outside your window at 1 a.m. and they were playing loud music and smoking weed. The police were called twice until the people left. Your boyfriend was identified as being there."

I was in disbelief. At this point she wasn't really asking me if it could have been Boyfriend. She was pretty much telling me that's what he was doing. I was almost laughing as I told her I was with Boyfriend Friday night. That could not have been him because he was asleep! I then went on to explain that he's a federal agent and that could not have been more out of character for him. She asked me if I was sure and I had to repeat that I was 100% sure that was not him. I said my boyfriend is 5'7" wears glasses and is African American.

The closest thing to drugs Boyfriend has experienced is Zipp Fizz before workouts. Furthermore, I wish could remember a time he was up at 1 am playing loud music!

She then asked if he was living with me... Umm she's leasing me a STUDIO apartment. "No we are not living together Janet." "Does he drive a dark blue sedan with a University of Virginia sticker?" "Umm... yes he does." -Is this like building servailance? What is going on?

"Janet his car was not at the building Friday night and the sticker is in the back of his car so there is no way someone could have seen the sticker on his car parked in the lot." (The spaces are back in only). "Well, I'm not saying he was there. I feel much better knowing he wasn't. My source told me he's been parking in the spaces reserved for leases and could you ask him to park on the street?" Me-"Sure that's not a problem" Just for the record the parking space she's referring to has never been parked in and is the spot farthest from the building. At my building tenants prefer street parking because it's closer to the building. It's actually more convenient for him to park at the farthest spot than the street, but whateves.

She called me back later and said she felt much better knowing that I wasn't bringing "that" to the building and she would call her source back and let her source know it was not my boyfriend. She said it was late and dark and they probably a mistake because it was soo dark out. I asked about his car being identified and told her I thought that was very odd considering there aren't too many UVA graduates in the Seattle Area. She said her source gave her the car description regarding parking. Umm... ok. I told her I had every intention to be a good neighbor and if someone had a concern I was more than open to listening to it. She said she has not received any complaints yaddy, yaddy, yaddy but Friday night her source was concerned for his safety and could smell marijuana through his windows. Umm... that must have been some powerful weed to waft through the car windows into the triple pain bedroom windows, but whatevs. That piece of info did tell me it was the neighbor next door who is super odd.

Still- Could you get any more stereotypical. Also, Boyfriend lives his life with such integrity that it was insulting and borderline infuriating that someone would make an accusation like that. Haven't we moved past this form of racism and profiling.

It WAS Uncool!!!!

Ok- there is still a lot of hoopla in the media regarding Jennifer Anniston's recent Vogue interview in which she says it was very "uncool" of Angelina to give a public interview saying her and Brad Pitt fell in love while filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith and she could not wait to get to work everyday. Jennifer and Brad were still married at the time and they were acting in a movie Jennifer Anniston was co-producing. Technically she was Angelina's boss.

Obviously not all relationships work out and people choose to divorce and cheat for various reasons... However you have to be honest enough with yourself and others to admit what you did was wrong... The ends do not always justify the means. Tori Spelling spoke about her adulterous affair that ended in marriage and she came clean saying what she did was wrong and selfish and people were hurt because of the actions she and Dean chose.

Angelina and Brad are very lucky that the worst thing Jennifer Aniston has said about them is the way they began their relationship was not right and it was "uncool" or inconsiderate to speak out about how the relationship began while Brad and Jen were married.

Fallen Officer's Memorial Banquet

On Saturday Boyfriend and I attended the Fallen Officer's Memorial Banquet. The event raises funds to support the family of an officer who was killed in the line of duty. I was really unsure of what to expect. I kept asking Boyfriend what to wear and I wondered if the event would be a celebration or a more somber reflection. It turned out to be a lot of fun! The law enforcement community is really strong and I'm glad he's able to part of that comradere.

A lot of heroism is expressed for the men and women who are killed in the line of duty. I think it is important to recognize their sacrifice however, I also think it's important to recognize that their families pay the ultimate sacrifice. Spouses are the ones who have to pick up the pieces and move one with an abscence in their life. Children have to grow up without a parent. It felt good to be part of an event that recognizes the heroism of the families who have to move on after tradgedy.

The event featured live and silent auctions and we were really into the bidding! They had the cutest golden retreiver puppy that I wanted sooooo bad! Boyfriend vetoed that idea.... however I am making headway in my quest for a puppy. Our conversations have gone from:

"No Ivy we can't get a dog. You can get a dog but I'm not taking care of it. I don't want some foofy dog. I want a man dog!" -Boyfriend

"Boyfriend! I don't want to get a dog if you're not going to love the dog too. I really really really want one." -Me

Now we're talking about when the right time will be to purchase our pup!!

Jason Mraz!!

Boyfriend and I went to the Jason Mraz acoustic show on Monday and it was so much fun:-) I was surprised by how many screaming girls were in the audience! It was like being at a more grown up 'NSYNC concert. Thanks again pumpkin!

Why is Madonna Dressed like Shredder from the Ninja Turtles?

I guess she's looking at Rocco's toys for costume inspiration!

Pretty Impressive

Yesterday boyfriend took another step forward in his career. I was so proud of him! He's worked incredibly hard and has patiently maintained his focus while working towards his goal. He's pretty impressive.

I was excited to go out an celebrate! I surprised him with a dinner at Canlis. It was fabulous. It was the best fine dining experience I've had to date. Everything was exceptionally prepared and tasted delicious. The staff provided first class service that had a hospitality vibe and did not feel pretentious. I loved it!

It's a great value for a special celebration!

Are you serious!??!?

There's a city in Florida (a battle ground state) called Deerfield Beech. This city is predominantly African American. Anyways, at 6:15 this morning there were over 400 people waiting in line to vote... Inside they found ONE voting machine!

Are you serious?!?! This cannot be happening in 2008. Appearantly there was also an individual at the door telling people that if they registered as a democrat they needed to go to a different location to vote. Some people in line said they had received phone calls that said democratic voters were supposed to show up to the polls on Wednesday instead of Tuesday...

Obvs that blatant sabatoge is probably done by a radical and neither party should be judged by their radicals... but come on!!!

Oh Gosh... She's really just not that bright!

PALIN: FIRST AMMENDMENT RIGHTS THREATENED BY CRITICISM

ABC News Reports

In a conservative radio interview that aired in Washington, D.C. Friday morning, Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin said she fears her First Amendment rights may be threatened by "attacks" from reporters who suggest she is engaging in a negative campaign against Barack Obama.
Palin told WMAL-AM that her criticism of Obama's associations, like those with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, should not be considered negative attacks. Rather, for reporters or columnists to suggest that it is going negative may constitute an attack that threatens a candidate's free speech rights under the Constitution, Palin said.
"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media

Wow! That's some interesting and backwards thinking. I feel like her comprehension is very limited!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Last night boyfriend and I took my little primary to a haunted house. It was fabulous! They had props that were completely new to me. For instance, there was a claustrophobia room and meat packing plant that totally reconfirmed my vegetarian belief. I ended up running out of the house screaming like a wimp being chased by a chainsaw yielding clown. Good times:-)

More than a voice.... direction

George W. Bush became the 43rd President Jan. 1 of 2001. I was a 17 year old junior in high school when he was inagurated. At that time I favored Howard Dean, and then Al Gore when he recieved the nomination, but I had no legal voice in politics. I was still 17 when 9/11 occurred. I remember the state of shock everyone was in and the saturation of 24/7 media coverage. I remember everything feeling like it was in slow motion and the silent fear that so many people walked around with. At the time, I didn't understand how this event would shape and define my generation. The class of 2002- my class- was the first to graduate and enter adulthood in a post 9/11 world.

We were told that things would be different and it seemed like everyone; adults and kids, took a step back to observe what those differences would be. Our genereation no longer knew what to expect. We were entering a skewed world that was not reflective of those that had entered adulthood before us. We lived in a world where we could be attacked while attending a football game. We lived with a color system that clued us into our safety. Was it a red day or were we on orange alert? I remember sitting in the O'Hear airport in Chicago during a "Red Alert" waiting to take a flight home from college. Everyone was nervous and on edge. People looked around to judge those who they would be sharing travel space with. Passengers developed silent plans in case of emergency. Mental lists were made of who we would be called in case the plan was hi-jacked... We looked around and wondered which passenger would be able to stand up and lead the fight against the hypothetical terrorists. Our generation entered adulthood as vulnerable and passive observers.


This flock of sheep mentality was best demonstrated when the hurricanes hit. I had been in India 6 months prior to Hurrican Katrina's attack. I remember walking through villages in Nagapattinam that had been completely destroyed. I visited with families who had been displaced and provided us tours of the tin huts they lived in. The whole trip I was thinking, "This would never happen in the U.S." I remember verbalizing those thoughts to my travel companions and we were all in agreement. We believed that the U.S. had leadership in place that would prevent that type of aftermath. There's an odd sense of safety and entitlement you feel as a U.S. citizen. We believe we have inalienable rights that citizens of third world countries are still fighting for. What an interesting assumption. When Katrina hit, neighborhoods were destroyed and families were displaced. The scene looked very similar to third world India. Once again our leadership looked to the right and to the left. Local government looked towards the federal government to take lead, federal government observed. They did not know what to do and so they did nothing.

It seems like the whole country has been searching for leadership, not just the young adults. We looked at the adults ahead of us, who in turn looked at those above them. Those that were in positions to lead were looking to the left and the right... almost wondering who was going to stand up and lead. My mom has often commented that my generation has been politically silent when compared to her late '60's early 70's revolution. I wouldn't disagree with that. I think the difference is they had something to rebel against. They had a generation of leaders attempting to shape their world and their future. They didn't like the vision of the that generation so they fought for their own vision. My generation has been given a blank canvas. We've been given change and the unknown. We don't have anything to rebel against because we don't have any leadership pointing us in any direction. It's as if the country feels lost and unsure. No one rebels against uncertainty... During uncertain times people observe and they wander. That's what we've done.

To me this election represents an oppurtunity to choose an active leader. I'm excited for Barak Obama to fearlessly accept the responsibilities of leadership. I'm not just ready for change... I'm ready for direction.


READ THIS: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-mayer/hope-is-not-a-buzz-word_b_138771.html

Wow... Sometimes Strangers Impress Me

So... I totally left my wallet at the Bellevue Post Office and a complete stranger turned it in to the postal workers who contacted my bank and asked my bank to contact me and let me know the location of my misplaced wallet. No problems with fradulent credit charges; nothing was missing; amazing! How fabulously trustworthy is that? I am so impressed.

Watch This

On Saturday I took my primary to see Rachel Getting Married starring the lovely Anne Hathaway. If you are in the mood for a raw movie with a lot of depth I greatly reccommend it. The portrayal of a family dealing with crisis is incredibly authentic with complex character portrayals. This Focus Film does not dissapoint.

Thank you!

Last night was a lot of fun. Not to turn this into an Oscar speech but I had a lot of friends and family who fabulously showed their support. Big thanks to Brandy who sent me a super yummy edible arrangement; to Taylor and Dave who stopped by and mingled with my coworkers and family. This morning I was surprised with a fabulous Taylor note on my desk. I'd like to thank my parents brought flowers and my mom told "funny" stories. Of course Boyfriend who surprised me with Jason Mraz tickets and helped with clean up. Last but not least I'd like to thank the acadamy... oh wait. nevermind! What a great night. Thank you:-)

Today is the Day

All this hard work finally comes to an end with a big party tonight! I hope you can make it:-)

Gym Profiles

So I've been hitting the gym more frequently and I can't help but notice the emerging profiles of those I work out alongside

1. Profile numero uno... "The under dressed workout lady." You can easily spot this lady as she is the only one sporting spandex shorts causing you to reference everyone's favorite one toed, water storing, horselike, desert dwelling animal. She has a fabulous matching hot pink sports bra that seems to offer very little top shelf support and accentuates every love handle. I know this sounds incredibly unnatractively catty.... However, just because that outfit looks like a good idea on the model in Self magazine, doesn't mean the vision will translate well.
2. "Martini Shaped work out man" This man's upperbody is hugely inflated yet he's completely scrawny from the waste down. He seems to form the letter "Y" while standing. Sometimes I feel bad for his little legs that are forced to hide in three layers of socks and schmedium (smallmedium) sweat pants.
3. "Overly Competitive Treadmill Runner" Ok I have to admit it... sometimes I fall in this category. I like to have imaginary races with the people next to me. If we're on the same pace.... I always have to up the mph.
4. "Unnecessarily Naked Locker Room Dweller"- This person bugs me. They exit the shower, drape the towel over their shoulder and parade around the locker room in full nudist glory. This causes the rest of the weekend warriors sharing that space to have to awkwardly divert their eyes and think "happy thoughts" until they can make a swift get away. Please utilize the towel. It's a good thing.
5. "Miss Cute Guys Hang Out at the Gym" This chick is easily spotted. She's usually wearing a non workout tennis shoe like Keds with a platform sole, Juicy Sweatpants a tank top that's bedazzled with the word SPOILED, and her hand perfectly primped hanging loose around her shoulders. She'll awkwardly transition from the water fountain to the treadmill- she's careful not to break a sweat - back to a weight machine. All the while her eyes are constantly darting looking for Mr. Muscles.

This is Hideously Disgusting

Here is another example of hideous parents. These people make me sick and my heart bleed for their poor children.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008261218_webabuse13m.html

Sonic Boom

Gary Payton was on hand at Qwest Field this weekend to raise the 12th man flag at the Seahawks game. After the game a Seattle Times Reporter had the oppurtunity to interview Payton who made some incredibly shocking statements. He's trying to bring an NBA team back to Seattle and he is going to play a roll in the new franschise!!!! His goal is for the team to return by the 2011 season. The Glove was one of my favorite players back in the day and I absolutely love that he will be returning to Seattle. He's such a fabulous piece of Northwest History.

Audrina Nooooo!!!!

I'm totally a hills fanatic and would absolutely check into Promises if they cured addictions like this. Anyways, I have to express my disapointment in how Audrina is handling this whole "justin bobby / LC rumor" fiasco. It is completely transparent this is her attempt to develop a personality and identity outside of "Hills" fame. She is totally in cahoots with Speidi and is trying to be a spotlight person on the show.

The interesting thing is... I think Audrina both admires Lauren and is jealous of her. It's Lauren's show, she's done well outside of the show and has managed to establish a career for herself. In this process Lauren has laid down expectations regarding how she wants to live her life and expectations for the people she chooses to be in her life. She expects her friends to be loyal and in turn she is a loyal friend. However, when the people in her life do things that are untrustworthy she calls them out on it. At times it costs her relationships, but it also filters out poor relationships.

This is interesting to me, because it is really difficult to live your life with such honesty. I say honesty because I think it is easy to settle for ok relationships. I think it's easy to call someone a good friend or a best friend when the reality is that they aren't. It's much harder to question behaviour that goes against your what your hopes and wants and wants are. We all want to feel like the people we have chosen to be in our lives care. That doesn't always happen though. If you're dating a guy who says he cares about you, yet treats you like he doesn't, it's easy to ignore the behavior. Often times deep down you know if you question his behaviour you will be faced with an anwer you don't like. It's really difficult to be honest and say, if he cares it would be reflected in the way he treats me.

It's also interesting to see the dynamics that can unfold with integrity. When a person chooses to live with personal integrity; meaning, values, ideals, and standards, it can affect the relationships of those around them. At first some people are awwed by the confidence and straightforwardness exhibited by those with integrity. They subcounsciously strive to emulate those same characteristics and are searching for behaviour cues to copy. That's the tricky party. Integrity is personal and it's built over time. It's not something that can be copied; it's inherent. These relationships seem to develop in phases. The person who meets someone with integrity develops a high level of respect for the individual. They enjoy being with them and think they have just met a trusting life long friend. As the relationship develops the person with integrity expects their friend to display similar characteristics that they display. When the friend isn't able to live by the standards that they admire in someone else, they become frustrated at their internal lack of integrity and project that frustration on their friend.

All of a sudden their fabulous integrity friend is "not that great" and jealousy begins to rear it's ugly head. This is where the friendship implodes and the relationship ends...

Global Economic Meltdown

Wow... so the lead story on the seattletimes website is:

The Federal Reserve and six other major central banks around the world slashed interest rates Wednesday in an attempt to prevent a global economic meltdown.

Gosh... a global economic meltdown. That seems a like a big deal. For some reason all I'm picturing is lava over flowing mafor metropolitan cities like New York and Dubai. I wonder what will emerge from the wreckage of this global economic meltdown. My guess is that there will be a distrubution of wealth amongst countries. The US and parts of Europe will probably begin taking a back seat to countries like China, Japan, most of the Middle East, and India. This could be a humbling experience for our country. Well, a little humility is never a bad thing.

I'm a soldier

So... in the midst of an extremely busy two weeks coming up at work.... i got sick. I'm fighting it like a trooper, but I'm sick and it sucks. Boyfriend was sick and I bragged about my "Super Immunity" which is a joke, b/c I'm sick an average amount; anyways he gave me his stupid sickness. Not fun:-(

Comfy Cozy Storm

Awww... I heart a good Seattle storm. Nothing is better than an evening with yummy soup curled up on Boyfriend's couch.

Friends are the Family we Choose

Throughout life there are a lot of people who make up our social networks. These people include teammates, classmates, co-workers, party friends, ect. Sometimes it's difficult to navigate which people in our social network (aquaintences) actually make the grade as true friends. True friends are the best gift anyone could ask for.

Recently, I've started to receive emails from my oldest friend. We met in kindergarten and were best friends all the way through elementary and middle school. Our birthdays were a week apart and we often had joint parties where we would invite the whole class. Our families spent Christmas Eve together with her dad dressed up as Santa Clause... So many of my childhood memories involve this fabulous person. It's been a while since we've seen each other. She's off exploring and traveling in Asia. I'm in Seattle trying to build a career. A lot has changed since we would quote Clueless and practice free throws; but in some sense not that much has really changed. There's an almost unbreakable bond that develops when you have known someone almost your whole life and have grown up with that person. It's crazy to think that we have shared a friendship for almost 20 years! Wow... that's so impressive to me!

Over the weekend I went to brunch with another fabulous friend. We have shared our early 20's together, navigating our first post college "real" jobs and reluctantly reaching those terrifying adult milestones. She's shown herself to be a caring, open, and honest person with a wicked sense of humor. I appreciate her friendship more than she knows...

Making friends in your 20's is a unique experience. It's less about sharing common externals i.e. the same major or similar social circle, and more about sharing this unique period in your lives. There's a comradare that exists among young women as they navigate huge milestone decisions. We know what it's like to work the entry level job, ponder grad school, consider moving in with a boy, and try to live a fabulous life on a less than fabulous budget.

Being a young woman in your 20's is exciting because life is full of oppurtunity and true independence. However, those same traits can make life feel overwhelming and lonley at times. Sometimes coffee with a good friend, or a weekly tradition is the key to regaining perspective. Reach out and strengthen those friendships. To have people support and encourage you for no reason other than they want to, is pretty cool! Don't take that for granted!

Funny Stuff

This was posted on Post Secret recently and made me chuckle:-)

Watch This

So the other night I saw former Prez Bill Clinton on David Letterman talking about the economy. This is the best explanation I have heard regarding what's up with America. I was incredibly impressed! This first half of the segment is a little slow but stick with it and you'll feel like a smarty too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5GBWOx6bKU&feature=related

A Fabulous Affair

This weekend boyfriend and I attended the wedding of a family friend in Spokane. It was such a beautiful event. They were married at St. Aloysius Chapel on the Gonzaga campus. It's an incredibly decedant and regal church. Father Hightower s.j. from Bellarmine Prep. presided over the wedding and he did an amazing job. (Later at the reception he played the air guitar with beer in hand to 80's rock music). I miss my Jesuits! The reception was held in the Marie Antoinette Ballroom at the Davenport Hotel. The whole event was gorgeous and well planned.

Upon arrival to the reception my dad handed boyfriend the keys to the car and promptly appointed him the designated driver. After a few festive rounds at the bar my padre turned into quite the dancing queen for the night. It made me really happy to see him have so much fun. He often made the comment that "this is how a wedding should be." This gave me hope for the future budget of my event.:-)

When the bride went up to the balcony to toss the bouquet I looked at boyfriend and said, "This is mine!" Sure enough with outstretched arms and an old school box out (basketball rebounding move) I secured the bouquet! My mom had a look of horror on her face and my dad put his arm around boyfriend and said, "You're in trouble now!" To say boyfriend looked awkward would be an understatment!

It was a fun night of dancing and drinking. Best of all, the bride looked so happy and seemed to soak up every moment of the night! Congratualtions Nicole and Grant!

Jessica Simpson is stinky!!

So I loved newlyweds... I cried when Nick and Jessica split up and I've rooted for her along the way. She's a girl with talent, and I'm happy she has found some commercial and critical success in the country market, however I wish she would stop talking about passing gas! I don't know if this is her ridiculous attempt at shedding her hot girl image and becoming more authentic... but it's stupid. Jessica, please stop. Please, please, please... just stop. It's cringe inducing and not at all enderaing.

"You can get into an elevator and actually pass gas, and people still won't smell it." – Jessica Simpson, on the wonders of her new perfume Fancy, on Rachael Ray

"I do pass gas a lot. But I guarantee you it smells like roses."

‘I do pass gas a lot,’ she said at her concert.

"If you want to date me, you have to be OK with camera flashes," she said. "You have to be OK with people telling you that you're dating a dumb butt. You have to allow me to pass gas under the sheets." People cheered, and she dedicated the song, "Man Enough," to "anyone who thinks they're man enough for me -- and I spend too much money, too!"

My mom's "in the know" with bands that fight for good causes

I just received an email from my madre that I would like to pass along.

"The band Five for Fighting is donating $0.49 to Autism Speaks each time this video is viewed. The funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a minute, please watch the video and then pass it along. They're aiming for 100,000 hits but hopefully we can help them surpass this goal."

http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214

The video is touching and made me tear up a bit. I encourage you to share it with others. It's an easy and fabulous way to make a difference.

Insipiring Celebrity Day

Wow, today must be celebrity do-gooder day. I was pleasantly surprised to read that the man candy that is Mr. Pitt has dontated $100,000 to an anti-proposition 8 campaign. For those that don't know, Proposition 8 attempts to ban gay marriage in California by labeling it unconstitutional. It's almost as if the United States Declaration of Independence should have read, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.... unless they're gay! The fight for equality is a never ending battle, however it is always a battle worth fighting.

"Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8." Brad Pitt

Just another reason she's so lovely

Ok.... So I have pretty much been a Lauren Conrad fan since the beginning. During the Laguna Beach years most girls I know identified with little miss Queen Bee Kristin Cavallari. Nope not me, I've always been a fan of the nice girl.

Often nice girls play the side kick like my dear Donna Martin, but everyonce in a while they are cast as the heroin, i.e. Lauren Conrad.

Lovely Lauren has released a new necklace line that donates all profits to a charity that helps break the cycle of teen violence. The link to purchase her necklaces is: www.shop.avon.com The necklace is called the Mark Have a Heart Necklace and it's supercute!

Also, a dear friend of mine recently wrote a fabulous piece on Breaking the Cycle of Abuse. Her amazing articulation can be found at www.ratherhaveacat.blogspot.com

Read This

Hey All,

I read an interesting and slightly in your face article that I have very mixed feelings about. Here's the link. I'd love to hear other's thoughts on the subject.

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articleoprah.aspx?cp-documentid=10274156&GT1=32023

$$ Money Money Money Moneeeey $$

It's really interesting being a young woman in today's economic times. My generation was raised during a time of prosperity and excess. Those good ol' Clinton years blessed our parents with career oppurtunities and an ability to consume in excess while living within their means.

By all appearances most women in my generation have a difficult time living within their means. I don't know if it's our obsession with youth that propels us to spend, experience, and acquire. At times it seems like we view our 20's as a last hooray with youth. It's as though once we reach 30 we'll be knitting and nesting and all oppurtunites for fun will end. When you operate with that mentality it's only logical to maximize any oppurtunity for fun no matter what the cost is.

Budgets and phrases like "I can't afford this" are foreign concepts to many women in their 20's. I recently talked with a friend about this topic. She said she often felt pressure from her friends to adopt their spending habits. I know I've been there. There are countless times I've opted out of a round of drinks to save ten dollars only to have my friends push and insist or buy the drink for me with the expectation I'll purchase the next round. Now instead of saving $10 I'm spending $40 on the next round.

$200 jeans, fabulous trips, and overpriced handbags are the norms for most young women I know. A night on the town easily runs $100 between drinks, cabs, tips, and food. You do this once a week and $400 has just been spent in one month on having a good time. When you consider most young women are taking home $2,000 - $3,000 a month after taxes. that's a seriously high percentage of someones salary. You also figure in the amount of money 20 somethings spend on looking fabulous between waxing, cuts and color, mani and pedi's, and cosmetics and you're easily looking at $300+ a month. Clothes, gym memberships, car payments, insurance, premium cable, rent, and student loans and you've surpassed that $3,000 monthly take home.

I realize I may sound a bit like a negative nancy, and I really do believe in the imporance of celebrating and treating yourself. A promotion or birthday should be marked with an indulgent reward or celebration. It just seems like those "rewards" have become necessities. With the economy looking like it will continue to tank, 20 somethings are going to take a hit. There will be less oppurtunites for promotions and salary increases. We have graduated with more student loans than previous genersations. Rent is skyrocketing, home and car loans are more difficult to obtain and have higher interests rates. We're looking at a bleak future.

I encourage young women to be responsible. Plan for your future and position yourself for freedom and independence. 20somethings should support each other and find ways to have fun within their means. Skip dinner at the new swanky spot and catch up over a walk through the city. Challenge eachother to find fabulous clothes at outlet malls and discount shops. Have fun without the stress of debt!!!!

My Practical Bouquets

I spent last weekend with my fabulous girlfriends. We celebrated the birthday of one of the most impressive girls I know. She's this fabulously fun, down to earth, smarty pants who has a beautiful smile and one of the best dispositions I have ever encountered. My smarty pants friend is a second year law student who somehow manages to avoid all those stereotypical type A traits that law students posses and friends sort of "learn to live with." Nope, not my friend. She bakes cookies, gives hugs, sings songs without inhibitions, and elevates the mood of any group. She's pretty fabulous.

After a weekend of celebrating a fabulous person, I was looking forward to going home. As our car pulled out of our vacation destination I found myself texting Boyfriend: "Babe I'll be home in 2 hours. Can't wait 2 c u!!!" When we got to the main freeway I sent him another update. When we crossed the bridge leading to my part of town he received update number three. Finally, while walking into my building I gave him a call. (I've never claimed to be low maintenance:-) He said he was stuck in traffic and was on his way. Sitting in my super tiny studio, I realized that I wanted to feel like I was "home" and my feelings of home are tied to his precense. Whereever he is, I feel like I'm home. His old apartment felt like home to me and was a haven from roommate hell. His new in the midst of renovation home feels like home to me and I look forward to spending weekends with him. Even my one person, maybe 300 squarefoot studio feels like home when he's there. He says I need to upgrade to cable before it feel like his home, but that's another story. Anyways, Boyfriend walked in the door, gave me a big hug and I felt comfortable. The lingering itch of cheap hotel blankets, the sleep deprivation from nights on the town, and the complications of a roller coaster weekend seemed to melt away and I felt like I was home.

He pulled out an already opened padded manilla envelope and told me he had something for me. I opened it up and found a new charger for my camera. I was so excited. You see, my boyfriend is "not a flowers kind of dude." (he's explained that on many occassions) Yet, he always seems to find that fabulously practical, useful, and thoughtful gift that let me knows he cares. I had lost the charger for my camera when I moved a few months back. Boyfriend and I searched multiple malls and stores looking for a charger and no store seemed to carry my camera brand or an adaptable charger. We searched on-line and I became frustrated when I didn't understand if the universal chargers on ebay would actually fit my camera. After weeks of searching I had given up and was just planning to buy a new camera when the battery on mine officially ran out.
No need, Boyfriend swoops in and gifts me with something practical that shows me he's thinking about me.

Somehow Boyfriend always manages to surprise me with the comforts of home and the practicalities of an easy day to day life. I know I don't give him nearly the credit he deserves. He's the most thoughtful, reliable, and nice intentioned person in my life and I love him. I love the duality of how his practicalness bounces off my whimsicality. I love the way his plans ground my scattered spontaneous thoughts. His emotions are steady while mine fluctuate daily. He sticks by me and helps bring out the best version of me and I'm grateful for that.

Over the weekend I performed Earl Had to Die by the Dixie Chicks at this dive country karaoke bar. Boyfriend does not like country music; especially country music with a serious twang where three women sing about murdering a man. I was SO excited to perform for him! I woke up Boyfriend this morning with a performance of "Earl Had to Die." He danced with me and remixed his own version of the lyrics. I was on my knees laughing. It was a great way to start a Monday morning. Thanks for everything babe!

Any Artists Out There

Today I'm reving up for my first company kickball tournament and I am super stoked:-) If anyone out there is an artist or knows someone whose artistic my company is sponsoring an art contest with a $1000 first prize. Even if you're a "non traditional" artist this is a great oppurtunity to earn some serious cash. Please visit www.creativechallenge.us for more info.








"web design" www.fgi.com
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Conflicted - My Heart Hurts

When I worked at RDCC I was assigned a fabulous primary. A fun, smart girl, with a wicked sense of style and humor. I definently felt like the I won the primary lottery. We worked together for about 8 months. She was patient with me while I tried to find my footing as a counselor and role model. As a young, eager, and inexperienced social worker I often found myself in over my head. Inspite of my inexperience and the numerous adults who had failed her in life, she showed true resiliance. She excelled in school and participated in extra curricular art activities. She was a hardworker who did more chores than any other kid -way more than I ever did as a teenager! Despite her small stature she could hold her own. Unlike me, she was brave. She faced problems head on and stood up for herself. She had a pension for drama, art, and design. Her art was edgy, innovative, and ahead of trends. I pictured her growing up and freelancing for Vogue as a photographer. I could see her being the creative director for edgy high fashion shoots.

My little primary and I met up for dinner last night. She's 16 now... so I guess she's not too little anymore. It had been about 18 months since I last saw her. I had heard she had experienced some tough times and I wanted to keep in touch and help where I could. I wasn't sure what that help would look like or what exactly it meant. I just knew I didn't want to be another adult in her life who told her they cared yet walked away.

We had a great dinner and I was relieved to see the same fun, smart girl with a wicked sense of style and humor was there. She's packed a lot of living in her 16 years and my heart broke with some of the stories she told me. My instincs (and subsequent failure as a social worker) are to fix all her problems for her. I want her to have the oppurtunity to experience happy and carefree teenage years. I want her to worry about zits and clothing labels not food and shelter. I want her to explore her artistic talents and develope a sense of confidence built through accomplishments.

I want to give her my childhood. I want to replace her panic attacks with Friday Night Nacho Nights. I want to swap her memories of endless bus rides to temporary dismal housing with flights that land in tropical destinations. I want to shift her point of refrence away from icky predatory men to caring, patient, and dorky coaches.

I so often took for granted the gifts my parents gave me. My childhood is full of fabulous memories, my mom selflessly and eagerly signed me up for any and all activities. She sacrificed so I never went without. I played on the best teams, was given a nice car, and had someone who was present daily and wanted to attend my games and support me. My taught me to laugh at myself and not take things too seriously. I have a dad who taught me to be fearless and practical. He listened and encouraged me.He walked me through problems and taught me the value of a strong work ethic. They saw the best version of myself and always encouraged me to keep striving to achieve that. All children you should be so lucky to experience that. I so badly want to give that to my little primary. I want to right all the wrongs she's been dealt and support her so she's able to reach the best version of herself.

Healthy boundaries and rational thinking bring me back to reality. I can't care for a teenager. The question that is left lingering is what will happen to my little primary?