A little turkey and some wine....

Makes me silly....Just wanted to post some pics from Turkey Day of what happens when we drink the vino and dont get it on our sauce hands!

 Cooking with my BFF.. We like to coddle each other while we cook...LMAO.

 Choking my BFF because she was being a pain in the ass with the placement of the cheese on the platter.

Licking my BFF because, well, I just felt like it

                      Goofing around with my Momma and my Uncle Robert

                                                             Kissing my new brother in law because sleeping beauty was pooped from all the turkey eating

10 things you dont know about me...

I was reading a magazine yesterday and in the back there was a section called
10 Things You Didn't Know About  Insert Celebrity Name Here


 While I am the furthest thing from a celebrity, I thought this would be fun... Here it goes:


1.  I am a stickler with driving. I do the speed limit or no more than 5 miles over. Seat belts are mandatory. Turning signals are abused. I don't know why, but the older I get the more cautious I become. Probably because kids are in the car.  That and the fear of being pulled over, because my sick little brain thinks maybe  the lollipop I stole in elementary school was finally reported and they identified me & now there's a warrant and I am busted. LMAO.


2. My nickname in highschool was DFG. This was given to me by the father of my high school boyfriend. I had just met him and within minutes he says, "we are going to call you DFG." I don't know why, but later on after my ex & I had broken up, he revoked it saying that he didn't mean it and it wasn't until after me that his son started bring home girls that lived up to the nickname. But it did stick in our little circle. Can you figure out what DFG stands for?


3. I am on a life journey to find the best pair of jeans. I believe they are out there. That there has to be at least one designer that understands that because I have big hips and need a size above a 5 that that doesn't mean I have thick legs or a fat ass.  That I can find a pair of jeans that fits my waist perfectly without having to get the legs and butt taken in by a seamstress. That I will just put them on & they will fit perfectly. This theory has cost me a lot of money in jeans being that I don't try things on. There was a time when I owned 84 pairs of jeans that I had purchased in a 6 month period because proving this to be true became an obsession.


4. I believe in soul mates. I believe that there is more than one soul mate for each person that you connect and reconnect with in different capacities throughout lifetimes... They don't have to be connections in a romantic sense, sometimes they can be your parents, friends, relatives, strangers on the street....  I believe I have met 2 of mine so far in my life.


5. I want to own an antiques store. I would love to also have handcrafted items from locals to sell in my store. I already have the name picked out as well as the design of the store. I even have a copyright on the name.


6. I have nightmares at least once a week about falling.... Usually I am falling down the stairs at the house I grew up in. I never hit the steps going down. It sort of feels like I am being shoved from behind down them and I always wake up before I hit the bottom...


7. I can name almost every constellation in the sky on any given night. I was obsessed with astronomy when I was kid. Everyone thinks they can point out the big dipper, they are usually wrong about it, but I will let them have it.

 8. I can't walk past a charity or donation set up outside a store without giving something. This also goes for homeless people who ask for money. If I don't have anything on me to give, I feel guilty for days afterwards. I also have the need to talk to old people when I see them sitting by themselves eating because it breaks my heart that they might be lonely and maybe a little conversation, even from a stranger, would make their day.


9. I am obsessed with the blog http://www.remodelaholic.com/ and I must check it every 3 hours or so to see what is on it now. I want to do every single project on there. Actually let me check it now.

10. The second I cross the whitestone bridge, I feel like my confidence and self esteem rise 50% higher than what is was the second before I crossed the bridge. There is something about being back in LI and/or Queens for me that makes me feel more secure, more attractive and happier. Maybe I feel like me again when I am home, I dont know... It's weird, but its a good weird.

You dont own a cell phone?!

I love this reaction from people. NO I don't own a cell phone. I am grateful too that I don't own one.

I did, I loved it, but now I just don't. I could if I wanted one but I have no desire to constantly be attached to a little rectangular box to feel connected to the people I love.

Have you noticed how socially awkward people have become? No one talks to each other. No one has real conversations. See because I cant throw you a one line text means I actually have to put effort into a relationship with you.

Meaning: if you are worth my time you will know it.

The following things have solidified me not getting one either:
( That's right I broke out the bullets)

• Kids walking down the block together, not talking to one another but staring at their cell phones and texting. When I was a kid one of my favorite things to do was to walk around Massapequa with my friends & talk. And talk and talk and talk. We would laugh, we say silly things, and through those walks we get to know each other. It is some of the fondest memories I have of my childhood.

• Friends sitting at my house and in the middle of a conversation breaking out the cell phone to text someone or talk to someone. I mean seriously, could you be any ruder? That makes me nuts. I was taught when you have company you answer your phone & politely say, I have company may I call you back later... Or you don't answer your phone because caller ID is a beautiful thing and if it is an emergency they will call you until you pick up..

• Being on line a store, we are waiting, we all want to get out of there, but I don't need to hear you badmouthing your kids or spouse in the process. I have my own issues, I don't need to be involved in yours now. Plus its rude to the cashier. They are not invisible, you can acknowledge their existence, they probably hate their job and you make it worse. It wouldn't kill you to smile, say how are you today & maybe a thank you when you are finished. GET OFF YOUR PHONE.

I feel like people are too connected, like they cant be alone. They have to talk to someone constantly to feel cared about. It's crazy to me. You sit there & stare at your phone waiting for someone to text you or you call people for no reason just so you can talk to anyone so you are talking.

Can I tell you how freeing it was.. To be able to say, Oh you called? I wasn't home. Sorry I missed you! Not, why didn't you pick up your phone. With a cell phone you are supposed to be available to everyone at every moment. That is insane to me, its like never being alone ever.

My daughter of course wants one, I mean come on Mom, I'm ten, everyone has one.... O'well! I want you to be able to have a conversation face to face. I want you not to be socially awkward when you are 16 because you only know how to text people and not converse properly... I want you to be able to spell not abbreviate....

I don't know. I see the plus, the car breaks down you can call for help, you can call your kids anytime to see what they are doing.. You are at the store and want to ask someone a size..

Here's the thing.... people managed to get help before a cell phone if their car broke... You might have to walk to get help, but hey obesity is a problem so maybe walking is good.  We survived as kids without  constant communication with our parents... Kids can still lie to you over a cell phone about where they are... And people tended to figure it out on their own, the would take an educated guess, they didn't need to phone a friend...

So when people ask me are you going to get a cell phone? No, I'm not. Not anytime soon. Call my house phone and no you cant text that.

Happy Birthday Nanny

Today is my Grandmother's birthday... Her 34th birthday, according to her.

So I just wanted to take today's post to wish my Nanny a very, very, happy birthday! I love you Nanny!

She is my most favorite person in all the world.... I don't think she knows it but she is. She is the glue that keeps our family together & the reason we are all so close. She is the most loving, kindest, honest, purest, selfless person in the world. People could only dream of having a grandmother like her. I am fortunate enough to call her mine. 

Tell us about five things you want to do before you die...

Tell us about five things you want to do before you die....

Everyone has their own bucket list right? Being that I am only 29 mine you can imagine that mine is alot more than 5 things... So I picked the top ones...Now just be warned, I am a relatively simple person, I don't want to do anything crazy like jump out of plane, or swim with sharks.... Mine are more about moments than scaring the crap out of myself.

#1. I want to see my kids grown, accomplished and happy. Each with their own bright future ahead, living their lives, accomplishing their dreams and becoming the people I knew they would.

#2. I want to travel... I want to visit every state in the U.S., then explore all over Europe. I want to visit every country I can. Learn about all cultures, see all the history & beauty that the world has to offer. Spain would most likely be my first stop, then Greece, followed by Italy, then its where ever my suitcase takes me.

#3. I want to own my own business. I want to own a quaint little shop that sells items from antiques to handmade goods. I want to offer delicious homemade desserts with tea. I want to have a little outdoor area that people can sit, drink their tea. I want to own it in an artsy little town with alot of tourism...

#4. I want to have a re-do of my wedding,  new groom and all... I want to have it in a vineyard, down a row of grape vines, lit by candles & white lights. I want a beautifully set table, long enough to seat everyone we love. I want a quiet band to play love melodies in the background while everyone drinks wine & dances. I want to wear a simple white dress. I want a photographer that can capture that kind of magic. I want to read vows written by us, in our own words.

#5. I want to spend every second weekend of July for the rest of my life, sitting on a blanket in Hartford, CT, listening to live Jazz music under the stars at the Hartford Jazz Festival. I want to spend the days of this weekend touring Hartford & visiting all the beautiful gardens, architecture, restaurants and culture. I want to drink my wine at the roof top bar within walking distance of my hotel. I want to be in this place because it was where, I believe, I experienced true happiness for the first time.

You really can use duct tape for ANYTHING...

Potty training sucks. PERIOD.
If you have OCD like me, it really sucks.
If you have OCD & a weak stomach... It's the biggest suck something can suck.

Now that we have that established....
My 2 yr old, the beast, is at the milestone of learning to go on the potty,  near the potty, well, anywhere she takes her diaper off.

She takes her diaper off constantly. Like every 5 minutes. Which is great because it means she is ready, right? Um NO. She hates the diaper but equally hates the potty. We have the seat that goes over the potty so you can go like Mommy & sissy.. Wont use it, just wastes toliet paper.
We have the potty that sings when you go in it.... She learned you can stand in it & it will sing too.

Lately she is taking her diaper off as soon as she poops. I normally will get it off within 5 minutes but that is not fast enough. The past week, I have walked in her room to find her in her crib, poop diaper off, white crib now brown. NASTY. Then there are times I hear water splashing... Oh but it's not water she has peed & is splashing in it like she is playing a rain puddle....On the coffee table... She thinks it funny, Mommy not so much. This is only bad when its bed time & nap time.... I have to sleep eventually people. I cant be up all night worry about Poop.

So I reached out to my Mommy friends on facebook & asked them what to do.. How to keep the diaper on when needed. One said keep pants on her... I do , she knows how to take them off, even Jeans and leggings. ( I still have a hard time taking off leggings) One said pull ups.. She rips them at the sides or just pulls them down. That is a nasty mess to clean too when she slides it down.
Then someone mentioned DUCT TAPE. Tape the diaper on her. I thought about this. I wavered between I cant, that's horrible, to that's genius. I went with GENUIS.

Why not? You can fix everything else with duct tape. I happen to have some... Let's gve it a try....

You know what, she hasnt figured it out yet... There is a tranny  on the local radio station that is called Th Duct Tape Diva , I may have to call him/her & give her this tip.
As she says " If you can't duct it, F*ck it"

Do you have any scars? How'd you get them?

Do you have any scars? How'd you get them?

I have a bunch of scars but I have 3 particular scars that I notice everyday.

My first one is one under my left eye, its not huge and if you never noticed it, you probably never will. That is from me, at the wise old age of three, jumping on my grandfathers dog Devil dog... (Appropriately named)  Of course the dog was sleeping and I startled him and he bit me right under my eye. My parents opted not to go to the hospital for stitches so viola... My scar.
When I was growing up it was alot more noticeable & bigger, maybe my face was just smaller, anyhow, people in school used to ask me all the time how I got this scar. At first I told the real story, but as the years went on, and the question kept being asked, I would make stuff up... My sister hit me with a bat, I rode my bike into a tree.. I was sliced with a pizza slicer... LOL.

My second one is a tiny scar under my chin.... I see it everyday when I put on my makeup. It is a reminder to me that the world is filled with crazy people.
My ex-boyfriend, we shall call him senor psycho, I dated him when I was 16...Decided one day after we broke up, that I needed to learn a lesson. (What this lesson was I still have no idea, but those were his words, I am here to teach you a lesson)
So he snuck in my house when I was alone & attacked me. For 6 hours or so he physically beat the hell out of me. Luckily, I don't remember all of it, but the pictures the police took were enough to show it was bad.
I do remember this portion of the "lesson" I was supposed to be learning, he hit me repeatedly in the face with a metal hanger & split my chin open. Hence the scar.


Scar number three is on my left shoulder, it is 2 vertical lines, very thick & about 1 inch long. These came from the same ex boyfriend, Senor Psycho. At one point in his "lesson" I was trying to get away & I did... I was walking toward the door and to stop me, he threw a drinking glass at my back with the force of a major league baseball pitcher. The glass of course shattered & left 2 huge chunks of glass sticking out of my shoulder blade. I am lucky it only left 2. I see this scar everyday when I am getting dressed. 

It so funny to me how a simple little line on your skin can hold a story...I story that you can remember every detail to... Because the scar is not just physical, it's emotional too...

In what era or time period would you want to visit or live?

In what era or time period would you want to visit or live?

This is an easy one for me... The roaring 20's... I love, adore, this era. Everything about it from the clothes to the music. The sophistication that both the men & women had. The way of life, the simplicity of life. The beauty of the towns with the cobblestone streets, the fun of the speakeasy's... Even the style of the hair, makeup, furniture, men in suits & hats...

There was no cell phones or video games or tv's... You actually had to find entertainment and it was good, fun, entertainment like the movies or the fair or the beach, dinner parties, even just taking a walk together. Life was simpler then, safer, happier.

This is when a lady was treated like a lady & man played the role of the man. Kids knew how to be kids, they didn't grow up so fast, they played & had imaginations...

Anytime I see something on tv or hear of a book that pertains to this era.. I have to get a look at it. I feel drawn to it.

If reincarnation exists... I bet I am from that time, I bet I had the time of my life then... Maybe that's why I love it so much.

What would you NOT save??

If your house was on fire, what five things would you be glad to see go up in flames?

It's so funny because as soon as I read this one thing in particular popped into my head... My husband works construction so in the winter he works outside & working in NYC it gets cold. So he wears these pants, they are jeans lined with fleece and I HATE them. I dread the cold weather & seeing him in these things everyday. They are so unflattering and hideous looking and of course he LOVES them. He even will try to wear them on the weekends when he is not working. So my 1st item of 5 would be those god awful jean fleece horrors.

My couch... We just bought a new house and gutted it, so everything in the house is new except my couch. The hubby refuses to buy a new one ( or 2 new ones as I want) until the baby who is 2 is a little bigger & not the queen of stains, spilling and all that messes up everything. So if that was to catch on fire, I would not be sad even a little. I would actually fan the flames to help the process....

It's horrible to say this but... The baby's bookcase. It is a battle that I admit defeat to. It is her favorite thing to do 854 times a day... Pull all the books off the shelves and throw them onto the floor. For most people this would probably be just a nuisance but I am a little OCD and the books HAVE to be in size order as well as by author. So putting these back gets to be a bit much, it consumes my day lately. Yes reading is great, I know, my oldest constantly has her head in a book, a quality I instilled in her in a very young age. The baby however, prefers to throw them, rip them and do anything but read them. So if they happened to get burned up... I can't say I would be all that devastated.

Again I have to post of the hubby's clothes.... There is this carhart mustard yellow insulated sweat jacket. I loathe this jacket. I detest this garment. I cringe when he leaves the house with it on. It is faded, stained, ripped and just plain old ugly. When he combines this "jacket" with the fleece lined jeans I swear he can make more money sitting at Penn Station with a cup than he does at his actual job. I would pour gasoline on it just to insure that it didn't make it out- AT ALL. 
Now don't get me wrong... The hubby is a good looking man, in shape, but he cares about comfort not fashion, while I am fashion all the way.... As long as its warm he loves it. I tell him all the time, don't ever say your name out loud because I have a lot of friends who work in the city & I donut want anyone to associate us when you are dressed like that. Ha Ha.

Ah & last but not least.....My 10 yr olds snuggie. It's not a rob, it's not a blanket, you cant fold it or hang it, it just kinda lays around in a pile waiting for the chance that it might get worn. It's too big on her & the material is just awful. But of course she loves it. Her Pappy bought it for her so you CAN NOT throw it out.  I have a wood stove, maybe this one might actually make into that....

National Blog Posting Month

So I have signed up to a link that gives you a topic everyday or a question that you can answer for a month. So I will try to keep up with this...  No promises......Here is today's:

Now that you're old and wise, what advice do you have for children so that they can avoid the mistakes you made?



Well for my girls at least this is my advice...
Having been the child of a teen mom & becoming a teen mom myself, I would like to break this cycle with my daughters... So my oldest has been hearing this since she could talk from me....

School is the most important thing... You can be pretty and popular and smart all at the same time. Looks fade, trust me. Friendships fade, but true friendships, not ones built on popularity will last lifetimes, it is good to be street smart but learning, or being book smart is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Don't worry about boys there will be plenty of time for them. No one you date in high school will end up being your spouse.

Go to college. Basically this is not an option it is a goal. Pick a field you would love and can make a career out of. Not just  what is going to make you the most money. Don't worry about boys, there will be plenty of time for them. ( They are still boys in college.) GRADUATE.

Get a starter job, work hard, get your own apartment, create a rainy day account & do it all by yourself! ( the sense of pride you will get from this I can't even describe).

Live up your twenties with your girlfriends, travel, explore, have fun, discover who YOU are. Learn what makes YOU happy in life, what makes YOU tick, set your morals & discover your faith.. Remember the ones I instilled in you but now is your time to decide for yourself.

When you know all these things about yourself, when you know you can and you have done it on your own now you can find a partner in life, now you are ready... You have done all you wanted, you know who you are, you have achieved your goals, you have become a strong, independent woman.  Now love... Because you needed to love yourself first, then love life to truly love someone else. With no regrets, no missed chances... I want for you everything I couldn't do.

Once when I said this to my daughter who is 10, she asked me:
Do you regret it Mom? Having me so young.?
I tell her No because I had you at 17 and the path that I was on you became the greatest thing I have ever accomplished and you saved my life... But I want more for you, I want you to live. Really live life. Do all the things we worked so hard for you to be able to do.