humbug you say?

For the record, I am not a grouch! True, I am totally exhausted from working so hard during the season, but it is for such a short while, that I can do it and rest later. Also true that I don’t celebrate Christmas and wince every time I hear another version of Last Christmas (I’m shivering right now!!) Just in case you haven’t heard it in the last five minutes, I thought I would include the vid.

enough with the negative vibe already!

OK. Now that I have had my rant, I can move on. If the holidays don’t bring me joy, what does? Overall, I’m a pretty happy person and like to think that I’m fairly easy to please. Well, at least if you are a mind-reader, you can amuse me.

Focusing on the negative brings me down. It’s kinda like Favorite Things from Sound of Music when Maria comforts the children during a storm. The whole raindrops on roses thing seems silly to me but the point is to observe small pleasures and build from there.

Taking a cue from Maria, I wanted to list the top 9 things that make me smile. If you are lucky(?) maybe I will sing the list while dancing in my jammies in the rain. STOP LAUGHING! It could happen

delight abounds in the simplest things

1. a hearty laugh
2. a book or movie that makes me cry
3. singing along to a song on the radio
4. feeling a breeze in my face while riding my bike
5. drinking coffee or tea with a friend for hours at Starbucks
6. waking up snuggling with someone I love
7. taking pics on my iPhone then using an app to make it unique
8. sitting on the couch watching Food Network while eating popcorn
9. making a positive difference to someone else

now I’m all touchy-feely mushy inside

The funny thing is that although I am an emotionally driven being, I don’t like being all sentimental fake sweetness. I’m not ooey-gooey and just the thought makes me want to barf. I guess that is the sarcastic side coming out.

What nine things bring you joy? They might be huge like diamonds (always best when huge) or miniscule like winking. Maybe it’s a mix of both. Search your mind and heart to create your own list. I practically guarantee (if you don’t get the urge to barf) you will feel uplifted.

Then, share your list with me, your friends on Facebook, your family or coworkers. Ask them what their list is. See how far you can pay this forward. Remember my #9 is making a difference to someone else. Now it’s your turn.

Related articles

• Christmas Joy (markconner.typepad.com)

my little angel

This week for my entry into Mama Kat’s Vlog prompt, I decided to get completely out of my comfort zone and take on a challenge. I was to describe a memorable Christmas.

why is it a challenge?

Well, for one thing, I am Jewish and did not grow up celebrating Christmas. Truthfully, it is a time of year I dread as visions of Santa, elves, stockings and other paraphernalia abound in all directions.

I have nothing against those who celebrate the holidays, but it is difficult being the only one in a room who does not believe in X-mas folklore (IE Santa Claus).

a memorable holiday

My forefront memory is one about my daughter Avery (now 21) when she was about 6 years old. Like her mom, Avery is blatantly honest and had no qualms explaining to her friends that there was no such thing as Santa.

Talk about embarrassing moments! Avery’s honesty was not shameful, but was it really her place to ruin it for the other kids. Realistically, it is not her responsibility, but as I learned, it is OK to believe in things that aren’t necessarily real.

A typical Christmas for our family includes skiing, movies, and of course Chinese food. Working in retail, X-mas has always been a day for me to relax after a crazy busy season. This year, I am considering seeing Les Miserables (opening X-mas day).

What does the holiday season mean for you? Share your thoughts and stories.

Happy Holidays!

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disappearing in the blue blankie

With craziness overflowing, how do I continue forward? As everything gets louder, I find myself looking for ways to escape. Losing time playing solitaire on my cellphone, I evade consciousness. Tap, swipe, tap tappy tap, swipe…The rhythm envelopes me as I magically disappear.

 disappear to where

Ensuring isolation, I extricate myself, hiding in a fortress of solitude (aka bonus room) silently stretching my toes under Avery’s plush little mermaid blanket. Propped with soft throw pillows, gather the laptop and surf.

Any good emails or all spam? Hmm… Moments later, although it may have been hours, emails sorted, spam deleted, action diverted. Is there a post clambering to escape my head, into fingers, translated onto keyboard?

disappear with a snack

Not hungry, but eating for comfort. Food gains love/hate status. Need sustenance, not Cocoa Puffs. Outside noise stills as I crunch hastily. How long can I ingest junk food before getting nauseous? Best not find out. Leave temptation in the kitchen, watch television and fall asleep.

why disappear

Need there be a reason for a need to periodically disappear? Just in case, I came up with a few excuses.

• cold weather
• short days
• looming holidays
• senseless violence
• lack of sleep
• lack of exercise
• too much time at work
• too much free time
• uncertainty
• feelings of inadequacy
• hair frizz

imminent reemergence

Eventually the fortress becomes overly quiet and I crave human contact. Snow falls, skiing calls. A new year begins very soon.

• new beginning
• new chances
• new choices
• old and new friendships
• bottle of wine with two glasses

Come out from under the pale blue blankie. Spread toes on yoga mat. Smile. The cycle continues.

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How High can I go without props!

hair trends

Ever since I can remember, I have had a love-hate relationship with my hair. It has been closely cropped, chin length, and a little past the shoulders as I search for the perfect hair trend to suit me.

Having fine yet wavy (frizzy really) hair, I have always limited. If I let the curl take over, I get volume, otherwise it is super flat. A friend pointed out a remedy that could transform me from limp and lifeless locks to voluminous and sexy in a matter of moments.

enter the hair bump

Either by teasing or inserting molded pieces of plastic into my hair, I could be a fashion trendsetter? The problem is that I find the hair bump looks silly! Is it me or does the pouffy bump on the back of the head look like a deformity?

pouffy hair 101

Originating sometime in the 1960′s or 70′s (when Aquanet was queen) poufs were abundant. I guess the bigger the hair, the more beautiful a woman looked. Did men really enjoy that look or was it the pointy torpedo bra’s that were actually garnering male attention?

does it hurt?

Not only does the bump look somewhat ridiculous, but it also appears painful. Pulling on the hair, back-combing and matting it in a design can’t be all that comfortable. I wonder how many brushes get broken everyday performing a pouffy do?

Visions go to Geisha girls teasing hair until they went bald in an effort to create the perfect bump. Didn’t they sleep with their necks in some sort of wooden cradle in order to keep the hair in place? I learned everything I know about this from Memoirs of a Geisha.

When I Googled articles about hair bumps and poufs, most of the articles found were about ingrown hairs and how to avoid them. Wow! I sure want a hair style that conjures images of unsightly razor bumps (sarcastic font should be used here)

Grandma and the roll of toilet paper…

I am probably seriously dating myself, but how many of you had grandma’s or moms who wrapped their hair in toilet paper at night in order to preserve a hairstyle? I had recurring nightmares about waking up covered in toilet paper for years (major damage here!)

I believe she also had a partial wig, or fall, that she would attach at the crown of her head. Maybe it was my mom. Whichever it was, I was not overly traumatized by the experience.

My own experience with wigs of any sort is that they itch and make my head sweat. Hence, the reason I am currently growing my hair long instead of opting for a wig when dressed as a mermaid.

famous poufs

Both made up characters and real people have sported hair bumps to varying degrees. They include:

1. Marge Simpson
   
   

   Portrait of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, 1775. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    

2. Kate Pierson (B52′s)
3. Barbra Streisand (early years)
4. Samantha Stevens
5. Marie Antoinette
6. Rupaul
7. Tracy Turnblad
8. Bride of Frankenstein

This post was inspired by Mama’s Losin’ It weekly prompt a trend you can’t stand? What trends make your head itch with confusion? What is your favorite type of do and what makes it so? Share your picks (and pics).

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• Why Your Hair Is Frizzy (and What You Can Realistically Do About It) (bellasugar.com)
• Jenna Bush Hager: Pregnant Today Star Baby Bumps Her Way Through New York City (eonline.com)
• Swedish hair studio stuffs plastic bottles with human hair to create poufs (ecochunk.com)
• Comb + Short Hair + Blow-Dryer = No-Pouf Results (bellasugar.com)

What do you do, when you don’t know what to say? Is it better to wait patiently for someone else to break the tension, or start babbling just to stop the silence from continuing? Do you enjoy the sound of your own voice more than anyone else? If you suffer from these or other various symptoms, you probably have a case of talking out of your ass.

don’t say anything

The Urban Dictionary defines talking out of your ass as:

Words produced from a man that does not know what he is talking about. Often in an attempt to offer assistance with some type of problem or dilemma. The dialog usually is nonsensical and is of no help. It is often just made up bullshit with no basis in fact.

Urban Dictionary

 

commence ass-talking

Recently I was at a friend’s party sipping a glass of Pinot laughing and talking with other guests when this new guy (don’t even remember his name, so I will call him Buddy) entered the room and joined in. (insert suspense music here)

Hey, I love meeting and chatting with new people, but Buddy had a way of clearing a room. What is it with some people who think they have to know something about everything?

No matter the topic, Buddy had a comment or two ready. Maybe he was a real-life renaissance man?  I never believed (and still don’t) that one person could be an expert in so many subjects.

proceed talking out of your ass

Time stood still as I listened to Buddy and his rantings about:

• YouTube
• Self-Help
• Psychology
• Male Models
• Female Models
• The perils of quitting smoking while pregnant
• Wine
• Facebook
• Google

I’m sure there was more, but at some point, I stopped listening. I  fought the urge to shout out one-word topics just to see what he would say. My friend and I began texting back and forth while sitting next to one another questioning if he would ever stop. BTW,  I know it is rude to text while at a party, but the situation was way too funny not to share with her.

lesson learned: sometimes it is OK to say nothing

Buddy did not appear eloquent or even the least bit intelligent. I couldn’t wait to get away from him and his nonsense. Buddy was probably harmless, and may have even been a nice guy to know, but I could not get past the rabid ass-talking.

If he wanted to impress me with his knowledge and/or witty conversational abilities, Buddy should have stopped trying so hard. Inauthentic ass-talking is a major turn off.

How would you react to someone talking out of his ass? Share your stories or helpful hints. You need not be an expert in everything to reply.

Lip gloss Woot!

Who am I and what makes me unique? Have you ever really asked this of yourself. I am a complex individual so deciding on only three things was a big challenge for me. But hey, I always love a challenge!

a list of 3

The fun in this prompt provided by Mama’s Losin’ It is in going past the obvious. I write about so many aspects of my life that I wasn’t really sure how deep I would have to dive to discover something new. Here is my list (watch vid for details. It’s short and won’t kill you)

1. I have a thing for makeup; especially lipstick and lipgloss. I carry a huge cosmetic bag full to the brim with different colored lip cosmetics.
2. I can’t stand it when someone calls me sweet. I am a nice and likeable person. Nice and sweet are not the same thing. Sweet comes across as insincere (is it just me?).
3. I have no sense of delayed gratification. This goes way past being impatient, although I am extremely impatient as well. I want what I can’t have and want it now.

your turn!!

What three things can you tell me about you. Don’t be shy! Unless of course one of the three things you want to tell me is that you are shy. I guess that would work.

cheers

So raise your glass if you are wrong

In all the right ways

All my underdogs, we will never, never be

Anything but nitty gritty, dirty little freaks

P!nk–Raise Your Glass

pursuit of perfection

What is perfection and why pursue it? Does perfection pertain solely to the physical or is it cerebral in nature?  I understand that “ideal” is relative. Does perfection actually exist outside of our own minds?

Somehow I am reminded of a young girl flipping through the pages of Seventeen Magazine
dreaming about getting perfect hair and makeup so she can resemble one of the models. Who decided this was supposed to be the right look? The scrawny girl with a boyish figure may be attractive to some(?) but it is not realistic for most of us.

wrong in the right way

There is undeniable beauty in imperfection. Rather than agonizing about behaving like the masses, I try to stay true to my inner mermaid, zebra-princess vamp, goddess (whew! what a mouthful). It is so much more fun being me than attempting to suppress my off-beat personality.

So if perfection is not the goal, how do I know if I am right in all the wrong ways? Does someone have to tell me how wrong I am, or is it also relative? Below is a list I created trying to decide if I am truly wrong in all the right ways:

1. I have no sense of when to shut up, sharing way too much information. If you don’t believe me, ask my kids!
2. I wear low cut tops that emphasize my boobs. Hey, I think that if you got it, flaunt it. Besides the low-cut tops take away from the fact that I have no waist (TMI?)
3. When at home, I prefer to pee with the bathroom door ajar. My husband thinks this is gross (you might too) but I don’t like feeling enclosed in a small space. (Besides, obviously I don’t care what you think)
4. I blow my nose like a fog-horn and have been known to honk my nose in public places when necessary.
5. I sometimes snore. OK! probably more than sometimes.
6. I prefer eating with my fingers whenever possible.
7. I shop too much
8. I have a potty mouth
9. I am impatient
10. I laugh loudly
11. I want things I can’t have, and don’t rest until I get them
12. I cry easily and my feelings get hurt (recurring theme here)

yup! definitely wrong

Upon reviewing this “list of wrong attributes,” I have officially come to the conclusion that I am most certainly wrong in the right way. I am perfectly aware of my faults and I don’t let them stop me from enjoying life.

Along with being wrong, I am fiercely loyal and care about the well-being of others. I have a wicked sense of humor and when I laugh, it is never fake. I don’t lie (terrible liar to tell the truth). I am not afraid to admit I am wrong and say that I am sorry.

here’s to being wrong!

Let’s raise a glass together and toast to being wrong in the right way! P!nk got it right when she said that we will never be anyone but who we are. What makes you wrong in the right way? Give up your dirty little secret and share it with me.

This post was inspired by the weekly blog prompt provided by Mama’s Losin’It. If you are in need of a little inspiration (or just some community fun) go check out Kat’s site.

cheers!

.

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breathing fearlessness

breathe

Coming up gasping for air, I wake up cold in bed wanting and wishing; for what I don’t know. More, less, hugs, kisses, love, hate, energy, rest, laughter, tears, stability. I am nothing, yet everything.

Heart racing, warming, forcing me to breathe. Relax. Things will get better, be strong. Keep breathing.

Wrap me in your fearless embrace. Need you. Need me. Love you. Love me.

Karen and I share a sparkly moment at Starbucks

By comparison, the Urban Dictionary explains sparkle as what the Twilight vampires do (woot!), the act of throwing glitter on someone, or a bad case of diarrhea (wish I was kidding here). Urban dictionary also describes sparkle as a sensation you get when falling in love, which is much better than the diarrhea reference.

sparkle is a good thing

I love to twinkle! Never tiring of it, I always have been attracted to glitz and glam. As a 10 year old,  I had a lavender satin baseball jacket and matching satin sneakers. Wow! I probably looked more like a shiny little freak but hey, it was the late 70′s and disco was king.

Over the years I bought countless glittery or shimmery eyeshadow. Not sure if this is an addiction to makeup, sparkle or both? I usually reserve shimmery lids for when I get dressed up. There is something almost magical about applying glitter to my face or decolletage. It is kinda like putting on armor (much lighter though) as I become invincible.

some of my favorite sparkly things

1. sequins on sweaters. I am so glad this fashion is so readily available in many pricepoints so that there is enough sparkle available to brighten the world.
2. glitter nail polish. Red, silver or gold are my favorites when it comes to fingertip sparkles.
3. jewelry. Diamonds are an obvious fave but I also like rubies (my birthstone), amethyst (kids birthstone) or jewelry with different color crystals. Also, can’t forget the tiaras
4. mermaid stuff. my favorite mermaid tails have plenty of sparkle to them. It is also the perfect opportunity to load up on glimmer makeup and jewelry. After all, mermaids can never have too much glitter!
5. sequined/glitter shoes. Probably a throwback to the ruby slippers in Wizard of Oz, but some of my favorite shoes are all decked out in sparkles.
6. sparkly outerwear/accessories. Why be limited to sweaters or shoes when it comes to glitz? I have several hats, scarves and gloves that add a bit of shine with a touch of sequins.
7. handbags. I also consider metallic part of the sparkle spectrum. I have several purses in gold/silver/rose gold that catch light wherever I turn. As well as glinting, these metallic shades are perfect neutrals.
8. champagne. Also called “sparkling wine” I see no reason to wait for a special occasion to pop open a bottle of Champagne to toast everyday successes.
9. personalities. Ever notice when someone seems to sparkle from the inside? He is genuinely effervescent in the way he looks and interacts with you.  I am immediately drawn to people who shine. This is not necessarily (although I won’t dismiss it) someone who is extraordinarily good looking.
10. friendships. Some friends bring out the sparkle in me as well as themselves. We may both be covered in glitter (IE mermaid sista’s) or perhaps it is the conversation and the company that sparkles. Either way is good.

your own ode to sparkle

Like me, does sparkle make you happy? If so, what is your favorite sparkly thing? Share your thoughts and stories about what makes you sparkle.

sparkly rings

This post was inspired by Mama’s Losin’ It weekly blog prompt. Kat’s blog sparkles plenty and makes me want to keep coming back for more.

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