Loving Vi-Carrie-ously

My cousin’s awful divorce has completely turned me off of dating. We all know that dating can lead to marriage which can lead to divorce. I know that is very dramatic outlook, but that is how I am feeling so I am going with it for now.

Since I am still pro-romance and mushy love, I have decided to just enjoy chic flicks. In light of that… Could there be a better time for the latest Sex In the City movie to come out? I think not! I have already seen it twice, which is really saying something since I rarely see any movies at the theater, especially non-kid ones.  I can probably count about 5 movies I have seen over the last 4.5 years.

I know some people were not impressed with Sex In the City 2, but I love it because:

1. The girls were back together. Oh how I’ve missed them and their silly antics.

2. The gay wedding only further goes along with why I support gay marriage – amazing weddings that would do wonders to boost the economy.  Talk about over the top...

3. I can’t stop singing, “If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it!” I may have just become a fan of Liza Minnelli.

4. I am a huge sucker for the Middle East. I was afraid that it would be more Morocco than Middle East, but they pulled it off beautifully (hollywoodish of course). Now, I want to go back for a visit. I am also dying to go to Morocco, but that has been a fantasy for a while and is un-related.

5. The wild fashion has made me want to go into a shopping frenzy. To be honest, there were LOTS of outfits that I did not like, but those probably inspire me to go shopping too. Perhaps, I should just admit that I like shopping for clothes. Maybe someday I’ll have money for that kind of spending.

6. The men in the movie are hot. I have always loved the talk dark & handsome look that BIG and Aidan so easily qualify for in different ways. Samantha’s two flings are pretty HOT too.

7. I don’t have any friends out here and no real desire to make any, but it is so fun to think about hanging out with the girls/long time friends. Maybe I need to take a trip so I can hang out with one of my old friends. Then again, I have a good one planning a vacation here in July.

8. The movie is a nice escape away from some of my stressors. Once in a while, I love movies that take your mind off of your own life.

I guess I’ll end the list there. Eight is an odd stopping point, but those just came flowing out. To add more to the list, I would have to really think and it is Friday. Plus, I have been working way too hard.

For now, I will leave the love life to Carrie and other characters in movies. Unless of course, the stars align and I get hit on by….

Or even…

Dream on, right?

Lexi singing Hot n Cold

I have been crazy busy with work and also stressed out about a few different things.  Fortunately, being a mom means that there is always some comic relief.  Last night, we painted our nails the new "Who the Shrek Are You" color from Opi.  Can you tell we are excited about seeing the movie?  Anyway, Lexi took the opportunity to entertain us while hers were drying:

Mother's Day 2010

Wedding Crasher

Last weekend, I crashed my first wedding (that I can remember anyway). Before you write me off as a tacky chic, let me say that I can justify it a little. I promise that I didn’t show up at a random wedding and pretend to be a relative of Aunt Bertha. I also didn’t show up at a wedding where I was the long lost love of the groom hoping that he would call it off. Those two things, I wouldn’t do.

My cousin was the Maid-of-Honor in a wedding that was held here in San Diego. She stayed with us for the weekend. She invited Lexi, Jordan and me to go with her on Saturday. Normally, I would say no, but she had submitted an RSVP for her and her four kids. Unfortunately, she is going through a nightmarish divorce and last week the judge decided that her abusive (soon to be ex) husband should get the kids for the weekend. (That could launch me into several different topics, but I’ll refrain. It just gets my blood boiling.)

Anyway… we went to the wedding. I thought it might be a nice for her to have moral support and the distraction of my kids. Besides, this was the bride's fourth marriage and she is only 32. I figured that if it hadn’t happened before, it was time for someone to crash one of her weddings. What I hadn’t counted on was the fact that my cousin and I were seated at the bride & groom’s table. Oh well. Fortunately, the kids were all off at their own little party upstairs. I decided to play it pleasant, but quiet. I had a nice time, but still couldn’t help laughing at the bride when her nipple/boob popped out of her dress while she was on the dance floor. I turned my head and tried to hide my snickering.  Now you know, I am not only a wedding crasher, I laugh at others during embarrassing moments.

Lucky Book Winner

This morning, we held the contest to find out who won Palace Beautiful.   The lucky winner is....(drum roll please) .... Shokufeh.  Congrats!!! 

For those of you who are interested in reading the book (but didn't happen to be the lucky one today), feel free to order one from amazon:

Palace Beautiful

The amazon price is only $11.55.  They even have a used one for $7.22.

Barnes & Noble is another option:

Palace Beautiful

Blogger Love

For the past year or so, I have almost fell completely out of the blogging world.  I cut back on the number of blogs that I keep up with and have lost most of my readers in turn.  Fortunately, those who are left are all gems. 

To my surprise, a few minutes ago, I actually got a blogging award.  I swear it has been a decade since that has happened, so I am more than thrilled!  THANKS Dayngrous Discourse!  I am especially honored given the fact that you truly are the queen of social media. 

The award looks amazingly mouth-watering, right?  It is my turn to pass it on to five great blogs (avoiding a few that I like that Dayngrous picked):

1. Aerin's Cranberry Blog
2. The Diva's Thoughts
3. Relish, My Relish
4. Crazy Bloggin' Canuk
5. Gluten-Free Girl

Please check out the blogs above and if you own one of the ones I picked, go ahead and pass on the award.

Book Contest

For many, tomorrow (April 15) is a stressful day. This year, I am quite excited about it because my friend, Sarah DeFord Williams, is going to be experiencing one of the most thrilling days of her life. Tomorrow, her book, Palace Beautiful, is going to be released!!!! (amazon link)

I met Sarah when we were 16 right after my family moved to Katy, Texas. We went to the same school and church. I was always impressed by her creativity, artwork, and musical skills. Of course, I had no idea that she would one day become an accomplished writer. We went off to different colleges and I think I only saw her a few times after that. Fortunately, through the magic of FB and blogs we have been able to catch up.

About a month ago, she received several galley copies (which I now know are advance soft-cover copies that are given out for people who write reviews). She decided to have a little contest on FB and somehow, despite the fact that I am usually unlucky, I won one. She even wrote a great note and signed it for me.

Of course, I could rave about what a fabulous book it is, but most of you would think I was just saying that because we are friends. Instead, I am posting a review from an unbiased party:

Review

I am also posting an article written about her:

Article

Besides the fact that I am very happy for her, I am posting about her book because I have decided to have a contest. I think someone else should get the thrill of winning her amazing book, so I am going to draw names on April 23rd. You can enter by leaving a comment or e-mailing me at frecklefacegirl01@hotmail.com. Please let me know that you are interested and provide a way for me to contact you in case you win.

I will print out the entries & put them in a bowl for Lexi to draw. Then, I will post the winner’s name (or blog identity) & contact them for their address so I can send a copy of this great book.

Lost My Spit Fire

Recently, someone I have only known for a short time described me as an introvert. While I can certainly see their reasoning for that, I was taken back because that really is not my personality. Sure I can be reserved with strangers and a little introspective at times, but I doubt anyone has thought of me as much of an introvert before.

Last March, when I came out to California for six weeks, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I was already sure that divorce was in my near future, but I was not satisfied with any of my options. When I got here, my mom politely told me that I looked horrible and had pretty much lost all of my personality. My boss seemed to notice a difference during my trip too. He mentioned that I seemed to be coming back to life, which is a little odd since we had only been speaking on the phone and he had not seen me in person. I am guessing that my state of mind was just that obvious.

Several of my brothers have mentioned over the last few years that I have lost my fire. I used to be so spunky, opinionated, and full of life. Sure there are flashes of it at times, but I am not full of sparks like I used to be. So, what happened? Thinking about this makes me a bit sad. However, I believe it is more like a thick fog hiding the inner spark.  Eventually, I can get most of it back.

I think the first wave of fog happened when I was working for an evil company in Miami. I swear the owner was el Diablo. There were quite a few back stabbing Beelzebubs in training as well. While I was never a main target, I learned to watch my back and live in a state of nervousness. I worked there for three LONG years.  Even though it was nine years ago, I still wake up with nightmares about it, which I know is completely ridiculous. 

The dense fog certainly came during the last few years of marriage. While I am still not going to go into detail here, I will say that there were amazing days when everything was too perfect. Most people saw us on those days and thought we had the kind of relationship they dreamed of. Unfortunately, the great days would quickly be followed by a day of insanity when I had no idea what was going on and couldn’t sleep. I was extremely stressed out. The next day would be a recovery day, full of mostly numbness. The last year was the worst when the cycle was every three days – good, horrendous, numb (repeat). It doesn’t take long to slip into a survival mode just to cope. I feel like I was holding my breath during the horrendous days. 

While, my personality is making more appearances, I realize I am still more comfortable living in survival mode at least around people I haven’t known for a long time. I have some ideas on how to find myself again, but they are all quite off-the-wall like moving to Turkey. If you know me, you know I would absolutely do it.  The problem with those kinds of dreams is that they are not easy to make into reality. For now, I sit and wait for the time that I am back to being me.

Break-up Song

Some people like to have a break-up song to help them delve into their emotions.  I prefer to laugh, so I like
P!nk's "So What."  For those of you who aren't P!nk fans, she is always a bit irreverent (some might say offensive - so don't watch if it might bother you).

Funny Music Video

Twilight What Have You Done to My Wife?