Tampon Ear

sometimes friends are the best inspiration for a new blog posting... true story that was just emailed to me:

the other day i burned my ear with my straightener and totally forgot about it but now have a nice sized scab on my ear. i was very carefully scratching around it this morning in the car...forgetting the size of the scab when i accidentally knocked it off and started profusely bleeding out of the side of my ear while going 85 mph on the blue route. of COURSE i did not have a tissue in my car to stop the bleeding or even a suitable jacket sleeve...so what did i do? took out a tampon from my center console, unwrapped it and placed it around my ear. i drove to work with a bleeding ear and a tampon attached to it.

my "christmas spirit" drive to work

Scenario 1:

i walk into Wawa and approach the coffee stand where i need 2 napkins to catch the drips as i fill my Lilly Pulitzer travel mug (thank you, alex). as i reach for the napkins, i hear the woman next to me say "you could have asked, a**hole." i assume she can't possibly be talking to me so i go about my filling of the mug. then i go back to the coffee station to secure my lid and wipe up the drips. then i hear yet another cursing in my direction. ok, so apparently i DID offend this woman by reaching near her to get some napkins?! i offended her in such a way that she must curse me under her breath in hopes of me hearing?! again, i do nothing and smile while securing my lid. i head to the ATM machine and then to the check out. she is 2 people in front of me in line. after she pays and proceeds to the exit, i hear a "F*** you" under her breath as she passes me in line. at this point, i can no longer be silent. in front of all customers i yell "EXCUSE ME?? were you talking to me?! maam!!! did you have something to say?!" she quietly exits the Wawa without incident. everyone in line is confused and i kindly explain that i offended her by reaching for napkins at the coffee station.

Scenario 2:

i get on the Northeast extension southbound and am quickly met with a silver VW Golf (mk4) in front of me. normally this would excite me, as i love meeting up with other VW owners on the road. this person was driving a bit irradically. slow. fast. medium. fast. super fast. slow as a turtle. i begin to get annoyed and attempt to pass him. oh of course, he then speeds up to super fast while i try to pass him. (keep in mind i'm driving a chevy HHR rental car, not my awesome jetta GLI) so i am even more annoyed as he then slows down again. he thinks this is funny. pick a speed dude! now he is carelessly swerving or i should say drifting to the center white dotted line and then back to the middle of his lane. i don't trust drivers who clearly can't gain control of their vehicle. especially at 630am. i painfully follow this person to the lansdale exit where he gets in the right lane to exit, rolls his window down, and gives me the finger! yep - I'M the jerk! not sure exactly what i did to piss him off while driving behind his bumper at various slow speeds for miles upon miles. the best part? he had a Christian fish on his back bumper. would have LOVED to have a photo of him giving me the finger with the fish symbol in view :)

Merry Christmas everyone!

a little bit stronger

this song would have been so fitting in July...perfect words. glad to be in a better, happier than ever, place today. awesome song...

A Little Bit Stronger
by Sara Evans

Woke up late today and I still feel the sting of the pain
But I brushed my teeth anyway
I got dressed through the mess and put a smile on my face
I got a little bit stronger

Riding in the car to work and I'm trying to ignore the hurt
So I turned on the radio, stupid song made me think of you
I listened to it for minute but I changed it
I'm getting a little bit stronger, just a little bit stronger

And I'm done hoping that we could work it out
I'm done with how it feels, spinning my wheels
Letting you drag my heart around
And, oh, I'm done thinking that you could ever change

I know my heart will never be the same
But I'm telling myself I'll be okay
Even on my weakest days
I get a little bit stronger

Doesn't happen overnight but you turn around
And a month's gone by and you realize you haven't cried
I'm not giving you a hour or a second or another minute longer
I'm busy getting stronger

Getting along without you, baby
I'm better off without you, baby
How does it feel without me, baby?
I'm getting stronger without you, baby

Real Housewives of Philadelphia

i went to a meeting downtown yesterday on finance geared toward women. taking control of your financial future, saving, etc. very interesting, empowering, good content. i was enlightened and enjoyed the morning seminar. however, there were a few observations i made while participating i was amused by:

a) most of the women in the room had a rock on their finger larger than i'll ever see in my lifetime

b) most were over 50 and dressed better than i can

c) the majority could have passed the casting call for Real Housewives of Philadelphia

i was out of my element for sure. i have a long way to go if that's what i have to look like to begin saving for retirement :)

Holding On

what am i holding onto? SUMMER of course. i mourn this time of year. truly madly deeply. who sings that song? anyway. i now enter my deep state of depression which earned me nights on the Nadelhoffer's couch with 'the three best friends that anyone could have!', as well as cheez its by the box, ghirardelli double chocolate brownies, and red wine times at least 2 glasses. this routine also earned me an extra 10 big ones. yep, pounds that is. (please refer to earlier blog, The Three Wives Club - of the Mainline)

this past spring was scary. very scary. i took out my beloved jean capris with holes in the knees, yes. but they did not fit. no, they weren't just a little snug, suck it in to button. nope. my LEG would not even think about entering the leg hole. before breaking down in tears, i quickly removed them and began furiously working out and eating close to no carbs. except rice on sushi of course. but avoided BREAD at all costs. lived on salads and fish. and FRUIT. a long 2 months later with grueling hours at the gym and on the pavement running, i am back to my normal size. but the idea is to avoid the Big 10 while entering my state of depression until approximately April 2011.

with that said... i'm pleased to present you with some of my most memoriable moments of the Summer of 2010. seriously one of the best summers. ever. in my life. no exageration. already looking forward to Summer 2011 which will bring many more Avalon weekends and a vacation in MAINE!

enjoy my life. because i did!

(in no particular order.)

another friend i'll meet in heaven...

is it ok to tell God that i'm sick of going to funerals? and that i'm sick of going to funerals for friends my own age...in their 20's. robbie was one of the most incredible people to know, laugh with, and count as a friend. in high school he was part of my dad's small group at church and quickly became close friends with dana, dating for a while, then remaining good friends. the time and soul and heart my dad pours into the guys he mentored in small group can not be described in words. he counts them as his own children. another father to many. loves them like his own. robbie was one of his best buddies. 2-3 years ago robbie was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the frontal lobe. fortunate enough, they were able to operate to remove it a few months before dana's wedding. he was still able to attend her wedding and party like the best, celebrating dana and steve. virtually given a clean bill of health, he was required to go back for scans every few months. in May 2010 we got the devestating news that things were not good. they had detected 2-3 additional tumors in the oscipital lobe. unoperable. cancerous. fast growing. aggressive. all the words you don't want to hear. no. this could not be true. he was so full of life and loved living it. he had just traveled to Japan as well as went sky diving. he was the perfect friend to countless others. the laugh of the party. center of attention with a personality that drew you in. his courageous fight lasted until August 22, 2010 when the Lord called him home. finally without suffering, no more pain. and now we're left with the memories and laughter i can still hear in my head...until we meet again one day. what a joy to know with faith, we will rejoice again together.

we miss you everyday robbie. your incredible spirit and excitement for life will remain in us all. and your smile engraved in our hearts.

as dana said last week, she could not get this song out of her head...

"i went sky diving

i went rocky mountain climbing

i went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fu man chu

and i loved deeper

and i spoke sweeter

and i gave forgiveness i'd been denying

and he said someday i hope you get the chance

to live like you were dying..."

dana's Sweet 16 party

my dad's small group at Camp Brainerd, senior retreat

(robbie is in the middle, black dress shirt)

from dana's scrapbook. one of her homecoming dances. photos with big sis.

Lake Wallenpaupack. boating with friends for the day.

another page from dana's scrapbook. there are too many to post them all!

The Three Wives Club - of the Mainline

Bravo! will host a new series this fall entitled The Three Wives Club - of the Mainline. it features three best friends who happened to be named Adriana, Rachelle, and Becky - and they all share one husband. figuratively speaking, people! this idea came to the network after quite a routine was formed this past winter throughout persistant snow storms dumping a few feet at a time, burying any modes of transportation. alas, they resorted to their good 'ol feet. on this particular episode, Rachelle and Adriana get dressed as if they're about to hike the Swiss Alps to prepare for their mile long journey across Wayne, PA. complete with back packs and ski masks if the wind became too much to bare. have no fear though, because within those back packs are precious cargo. that's right, 2-3 bottles of red wine. and to keep them safe in the journey from clanging around, they are each inserted into a large tube sock. (see photo) upon arrival at destination Home #2, Becky's couch... they began their normal routine of eating a few entire boxes of Cheez Its gourmet flavors, ghirardelli double chocolate brownies, and red wine. (story about that combination and mass consumption coming in later entry.)

and so the story continued like this repeatedly throughout Winter 2010. now each night they resumed their same position on the couch watching Real Housewives, Teen Mom, Bachelorette, Kardashians, etc. Becky's husband, Mitch came home one night to see them in these same familiar positions, when he announced "oh look, my three wives!" ...and so the plot was born. where cameras will now follow their escapades around Wayne... Lulu Lemon... Wine & Spirits... Osaka... TJMaxx... Christopher's... Great American Pub... Spamps... the pool... coaching athletics... babysitting our 3 children... etc.

these three women may or may not parallel my life...

(as in, an exact replica.)

Caught without Clothes

this entry is not what you think it is. i had clothes on at all times, thank you.

as many of my readers know, i moved home with my parents in February to save money to buy a house. my social life is still in the Wayne, PA area. this causes me to often spend the night at friends' houses in which case i need to prepare and pack a bag for sometimes days at a time. i've become quite the expert of living out of my car. my trunk generally doubles as a closet.

one particular thursday, i had planned whole heartedly to go home that night and was not planning to stay anywhere closer to work. therefore, i did not pack anything. not one single solitude piece of clothing. other than what was on my body. which happened to be a business skirt and dress shirt, and heels. later that evening after work, we had a happy hour event planned at one of our VP's house. i was having just such a good time, that i decided i could go to the bar after the party for "just one drink" before heading home. well we ended up chit chatting until midnight when i finally made the realization it was probably best to stay at my friend/coworker's house megan. thankfully we're about the same size and she offered me a shirt to wear the next day. ...with the same skirt and heels. fashion arrest #1. duplicate outfit the next day.

now it's friday and i had plans to visit my best friend andrea in the city. with only the clothes on my back, and a borrowed shirt. clearly this would not suffice for being a city socialite later in the evening. i quickly emailed andrea informing her we needed to go shopping to get me an outfit upon my arrival. there were no objections. i found a cute little dress at Express ...to wear with the same heels i've now worn for 3 days. stole some of andrea's jewelry. literally, i'm not giving it back. and a clutch purse and called it a night.

now, walking to my car to drive home saturday morning is where it gets comical. i had nothing to sleep in as well. so andrea gave me a pair of gray shorts. ok, fine. and a bright red tank top that said "Little Miss Naughty"... wonderful. i was REALLY hoping to wear this to walk to my car WITH high heels on. which is exactly what i had to do. i think the construction workers at 11th and Locust enjoyed my Saturday morning outfit. i wanted to scream to the world "this is NOT the walk of shame! i slept at a girlfriend's house, i swear!!"

lesson learned: there is now a bag of clothes in my trunk permanently as my "emergency outfit". it is not the most fashion forward outfit, so i'm hoping to not have to ever resort to wearing it. but just in case i'm caught without clothes again...

where have i been?!

it has been brought to my attention by one of my faithful followers, that i have not posted in quite sometime. wow, it is true. my apologies for keeping you all waiting on the latest and greatest of my life.

...i've been doing ME lately. living and loving summer to the absolute fullest. hitting the gym hard. making some good life chages. getting rid of shitty people in my life which is a rewarding feeling. and just feeling grateful for all that i am blessed with that is GREAT in my life. God is so good. <3

recent observation this week: went into a beer distributor at lunch to buy a case of beer for a friend who was working on my car. there were 3 people in line in front of me. do you think ANY of them were there to buy alcohol? no. they were busy scratching off lottery tickets. are you serious?! i stood there waiting in line for 5 minutes while old ladies decided what numbers they wanted to pick and kept scratching. finally the man behind the counter looked at me with a "how can i help you?" look... i simply said "i'm actually here to just buy a case of beer..." shocking, i know.

tomorrow is my brother-in-law's sister's wedding. did you follow that? dana's husband's sister. dana's sister-in-law. etc. haha. the whole family is invited to an elegant garden wedding with reception on the lawn of the Cornwell estate. aside a resort worthy in ground swimming pool. that is an important thing to note as it will be 96 degrees tomorrow with high humidity. i have secret plans to stuff a bikini in my clutch purse. not kidding. oh, cake is being served? i'll be in the pool, thank you.

i promise to not lapse on entries for this long in the future. i know you missed me :)

Golf?

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Preparing for Vaca

this could be one of the hardest tasks for a perfectionist and overpacker like myself. i spend the preceeding week making list after list of what to not forget. i begin creating piles of things to bring in my room and the surrounding hallway at home. i mentally prepare what luggage i will use and what will need to go in what bag.

just how many bikinis is too many for 6 days of Florida vacation? not sure the answer there. i tend to bring one for each day.

last night i stock piled my reading selection with my new favorite blogger. Jennsylvania. thanks to my dear friend, rach who introduced me to this phenomenon. i read one chapter last night and couldn't put it down. good thing i bought her first THREE books. i've been known to go through a book a day in peak sunning hours. then there is the question of how many magazines to bring. Fitness, Vogue, Us Weekly... the possibilities are endless really. i hope there isn't a weight limit for my carry on. i may need a crane to operate carrying it. at least i'm flying Southwest where bags fly free! even if one bag IS filled with strictly beach attire.

then there is the 6 page lists of tasks at work that i must tie up loose ends on before i'm able to even leave the office. i was warned by a friend to only check my email once a day while on vacation or i'll go nuts. probably a good tip. when i return to my desk at the office after a week, then i'll be able to deal with the stress of returning FROM vacation to the piles that have collected electronically and physically. always a good time.

but well worth it.

ready or not - sunshine here i come! (in 7 days)

the Flood

so i generally carry a bottle of spring water everywhere i go. hence my last blog entry. i often carry it around in my purse. no big deal. i have huge purses.

last night we had the grand idea to go to Christopher's - our favorite neighborhood spot in Wayne - after our cheerleading meeting to discuss some "cheer business". the girls had to vote on captains for next year at our meeting and i had all the slips of paper in my purse. upon arriving at Christopher's, i went to retrieve the papers out of my purse and wondered why they were wet. (now, it WAS raining outside pretty hard. but they were inside my purse.)

well, it was because the next great FLOOD had occurred INSIDE my purse. i was carrying around the contents of an entire FULL water bottle sloshing around with all my accessories. iPod, digital camera, iPhone, checkbook, planner which is my life of social calendar events, make up. EVERYTHING was in an inch of water. good thing the leather purse really retained that water and didn't leak anything, just let it all absorb inside my electronics! ughhhhh.

these things just don't happen to me! haha. so i continued emptying the contents of my purse all over our table and blotting incessantly with paper towels. wringing out my iPod socks. throwing away disintegrated tissues. what fun.

surprisingly - everything WORKS today!! so happy for hair dryers at rachel's house :)

lesson learned - don't tote water bottles in your large hand bag.

4 bottles a day

so i've been trying to drink 4 bottles of water a day. do you know how HARD this is?? a normal 16.9 fluid oz bottle of Deer Park or Poland Spring. but then i refill it at our filtered water cooler in the kitchen.

so far, i've been able to easily get 3 down. i can't seem to squeeze in that 4th as hard as i try. how did i come up with 4? no idea! just decided that was the goal to achieve and that it would be good for my body.

in the meantime, i'm literally peeing every half hour i swear. and it's clear. i guess that means i'm pretty hydrated! which makes sense.

how many can you drink? i challenge you to beat 3 or 4! happy guzzling.

The Bachelor Sickness

that's what i believe it is. and i have it. i caught it. i swear i am not a tv addict in entirety. just on certain shows i have a weak spot for. this is one of the front runners. i had never watched the Bachelor/Bachelorette until Jillian's season last year. yes, i will blame this solely on Rebecca Nadelhoffer and Rachel Lenzo. that's right, it's their fault i now have this sickness among thousands of other women (and men) across the country.

now i'm VERY excited for Ali being the new Bachelorette so i immediately had to google the start date this morning. which is Monday, May 24, 9-11pm EST. for those interested. it's already on my calendar and i'm brainstorming who will host the kick-off party.

we'll miss you Jake. we will not miss others. like the girl you chose.

beware: it is highly addictive and will cause religious meetings once a week among food and wine. and best friends. and non stop laughter.

Moving

yes, you heard correct. i'm moving home to Bethlehem for a little while. no, there is nothing "wrong". i just finally put some numbers down on paper and realized that in a year or slightly more, i could own my very own condo/house!! why had i not realized this a long time ago? not sure, but i believe timing is everything and i know God will lead the way. SO - the plan is to live with Ma and Pa and put "rent money" aside in savings each month until i have enough for my down payment. i can't rent and save at the same time.

the commute will suck. but not always. i generally enjoy spending time in my car and i love driving. love my car. etc. but i'm sure i'll have days of extreme road rage on the northeast extension of the turnpike. drivers, beware.

i've also been lining up some temporary housing options down here in the Phila area for when i need to stay overnight, yet must also be at work in the morning. The Nadelhoffer Inn, Rach & Joni's bed and breakfast, Andrea's Bungalow, Lauren's Malvern Mansion, Mary's Hotel, etc. have no fear, my friends, i'll never be too far!

bittersweet. excited to set up shop in my old room with new additions of antique furniture my parents recently purchased, a closet i designed with my dad, and an overflow closet of my mother's office that may be my "walk in". (shh! don't tell her.) also looking forward to home cooked meals and not walking half a mile to my car each morning. my dad told me he's been "stocking up" on my favorite wines since i'm moving home. this could be dangerous. my dad's wine collection is quite impressive.

i'll be looking for friends to come visit on the weekends who enjoy fine wine, laughing with and AT my parents, a pool in the summer out back, and tasty food. any takers?

Bethlehem, PA. home sweet home. for now...

(i hope the truck i rented for Saturday is large enough. i'm beginning to fill my living room with mountainous piles.)



Some other reasons to come visit:

Bethlehem Steel (ok, it's closed. but it's still there.)











Awesome shopping.

Historic downtown with shops, restaurants, etc. (and women wearing Christmas sweatshirts.)

To Go

Cosi is probably one of my FAVORITE places to eat. not sure if you're familiar with this chain of fabulous food, but one of their specialties is that they offer Smores for a dessert option. you actually roast them at your table. delicious.

recently in the past year they've opened one within walking distance from my apartment. genius. i stop in every chance i get. generally on my nights when i'm running to coach cheerleading practice right after a long day in the office.

last night was no different. i stopped in for my usual "Pick Two" combo deal. signature salad and tuscan pesto chicken melt. TO DIE FOR. i get really excited for this food. i happily skip to my car with food in hand. ok, i may not have been skipping.

i then arrive at Eastern and begin to devour my meal in the basketball office before practice as Rebecca and i chat about the ridiculously awesome stunts we're going to teach our girls last night for a new halftime routine. (they nailed basically. two claps.) back to my meal... so i go to move on to my salad and discover much to my dismay that i have NO SILVERWARE. plastic ware. fork. spoon. any of the above. no napkin either.

so i am left to eat my salad with my HANDS. which i did because it is so yummy. but seriously, if you order something TO GO - wouldn't you think it would be nice to have eating utensils in the bag they package for you? possibly a napkin or two would be pushing the limit of expectations?

don't worry, Cosi - i still love you.

Overexposed in South Beach

no, i am not laying topless in Miami on a white beach with blue water. although i WISH i were there. just not topless. however, that IS the name of one of my favorite OPI colors.

i have a serious problem buying OPI nail polish. whenever i'm in CVS, i seem to "need" a new color. 'oh maybe i'll see if they got any new ones!' ....hmm look at that, i don't seem to have this one. etc. and why is it that they never seem to have the latest line that i see advertised in my Vogue magazine?! i guess i have to go to salons to get the latest and greatest?

maybe it's the creative cutesy names. they intrique me and lure me in to buy them. maybe it's my obsession with always having my nails done. not fake. just painted and manicured.

i do them myself and always get compliments on how nice they look. i enjoy doing my friends nails too. maybe in my next life i'll get my manicurist license? is that what they even call it? i don't think i would want to touch feet though. just hands.

some of my favorites: midnight in moscow, all lacquered up, OPI red, concord grape (this one is retired and only available on ebay for far too much i would spend on a bottle of nail polish), off with her red, pink flamenco, calendar girl, lincoln park after dark, cha-ching cherry, and finally mrs. o'leary's bbq (i'm not sure who mrs. o'leary is but i like her color).

and today i've chosen "otherwise engaged". wouldn't that be nice?! sigh.

Pleez Type Like an Adult

i've decided one of my biggest pet peeves is when adults type on the computer as if they're texting. AND i'm just as annoyed when people text by abbreviating as well. maybe it's because i'm a writer for much of my job, and do editing constantly. and feel it's the lazy way out. and i hate when people are lazy.

is there a reason to type so that it's barely legible to save a few letters?! it takes me twice as long to decipher the message when i have to decode it first! i realize it may take some longer than others to type on a keyboard, such as the "hunt and peck" method. however, i was in that boat once too. and the more i typed, the faster i got. this may have something to do with my frequent online AIM conversations back in the day. i can thank social networking for teaching me how to type quickly with all the fingers on the correct keys.


sometimes the word is even the same amount of letters but STILL spelled wrong as if they're trying to abbreviate.


"r u goin 2 the movies" is not an acceptable sentence. in text or IM or email or anywhere ever. i once saw an icon image somewhere online that said "rite 2 me like dis, and i'll shoot you". HAHAHA. seriously - it's THAT annoying.


so please, grow up. learn how to type. and speak proper english in your electronic communication. you'll do the world a favor.

The Lillian McGugan Fessler Label

i decided my Nanny Lillian and her fashion forward-ness deserves an entry. i have been blessed to have incredible family, and one of the most special people nearest and dearest to me is my Nanny Lillian (my dad's mother).

she lived the fairy tale romance of falling in love with a Marine during WWII. my Grandad Charles aka 'Chot'. once they settled in Easton, PA they became quite the socialites on the town! always going to gatherings at the country club they were members of or other fancy evening social events. i think this is where i inherited my "fashionista" in me. my nanny was always dressed in the latest and greatest, buying things at unique boutiques in downtown Easton. as time would tell, alot of it is now becoming "vintage couture" and right back in style on the runways by top designers.

over the years i've "stolen" many of her items... clothing, accessories, amazing jewelry, etc. i've gotten compliments every time i wear something of hers. and i get to say "oh i got it from my Nanny".

she is now in her late 80's with a clean bill of health and still goes out dancing at least once a month with my Grandad and my parents. the LOVE ballroom dancing. (which is probably also where i inherited my love for dancing.) i'm so thankful for her in my life and the joy she brings to so many. i love you Nanny!! - i'll be over to raid your closet again in the near future!

modeling one of her matching "skirt suits" for the winter.

Wearing one of her nautical skirts i love that she would wear to the Yacht Club at our lake house.

Wearing one of her cashmere golf sweaters from Northampton Country Club women's league.

Christmas 2008 - wearing her gold locket necklace and black sweater that zips up the back.

Christmas 2008 - Wearing her black coat i stole with a mink collar. she LOVED real fur...uh oh.

One of my favorites. The jewelry box my Grandad made for her...


The blue and white plate came from her China cabinet.

I'm wearing a black beaded necklace from her collection.

An opal and ruby butterfly ring she "regifted" me on one of my birthdays. i wore it for Allison's rehearsal dinner to match my purple dress and gold accessories.

Wearing another one of her mink fur trimmed coats. With my best friend from childhood, Danielle, on Christmas Eve 2009.

Using her metallic gold clutch for a wedding accessory!