'Tis the season for a little reflection

As I type this, I am completely in awe that Christmas and New Year's are both right around the corner. Another year that seemed to pass in the blink of the eye is just about behind us..and oh what a year it has been. More than anything (be it the heaps of great memories, loads of laughs, and oodles of tears), I think this past year has been marked by a great deal of personal growth. That term sounds so boring and bland compared to what it really means in relation to the last 365 or so days.


I think the obvious reason is clear. Losing a job that I adored was quite hard. Standing at the front door when my husband came home after losing his was just as hard. It’s times like this where you find out very quickly what truly matters in life. Sure I was bitter and mad and felt like a total failure but I quickly realized, while all of those emotions were a completely natural way to respond, they certainly wouldn’t get me anywhere. So I let it go and got over it. It wasn’t easy, but it was clear that it’s what I needed to do in order to make the best of the situation.


We were asked constantly “What in the world are you going to do? How is the mortgage going to get paid? What about bills, groceries, insurance…?” I would be lying if I said I wasn’t in panic mode for few days, but the answer was simple….you make things happen. We make things happen. Between the unemployment benefits and random ‘acting’ gigs (who knew non-unioned film extras made so much), we managed to stay afloat. Here is shot of the fearless film crew at the commercial shoot:



I was eager to get back to work. I hadn’t not worked in forever - the feeling of not being burdened by the alarm clock and not dealing with rush hour was completely foreign to me. I set a goal of applying for so many jobs per week and spending so many hours per day searching, applying, networking and researching. I had never experienced as much rejection in my life as I did this past summer. But through that rejection I became resilient and more confident in who I was as a professional. Not to mention I got some stellar interviewing practice out of it.

But let’s be honest, you can only sit inside in front of the laptop and on the phone for so long. It was summer and the pool was calling my name. As was the tennis court and driving range. I enjoyed every last ounce of my time off. It was glorious. We even managed to spend some downtime in Aspen:

As cliché as it sounds, this past year speaks to the fact that everything happens for a reason. I couldn’t be more thankful for where I am personally and professionally – with an amazing new gig. As crappy and hard as times were, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And I know husband feels the same way.

In my previous life…

I was a regular attendee at Fashion Week events (right now, living vicariously through twitpic updates from all you luckies out there that are attending, keep ‘em coming). I called a stylish (and not-so-roomy) apartment in SoHo home. I held down a job much like that of the ones highlighted in The Devil Wears Prada, Citizen Girl, and Chasing Harry Winston (a few of the fine titles I have indulged in over the summer). I spent my hard earned cash on anything but the necessities. Think Carrie Bradshaw, but not as slutty…It is all clear now…in my previous life, I was a New Yorker.

I recently came across something from my past made me start to think about this…It turns out that at some point during my senior year of high school we all wrote down where we thought we would be in 10-15 years and our responses were published in what looks to resemble a newspaper . You will find mine alongside a crowd of changing-the-world-do-gooders, the next Bill Gates, and other lofty 18 year old aspirations.

“Living in Manhattan, successful in my career, I might even have a family.” Funny huh? If you would have told me back then that I would be without a job, married, with a dog, and living in a suburb of Denver, I would have laughed in your face…loudly. And harshly…like a true New Yorker would.

As it turns out I am not living in Manhattan. I find the peace and quiet of my golf course suburbia life quite nice. Its home for right now. Not forever, but for right now. And although I don’t fit in with the SAHM crowd around here, they aren’t as terrible as I once imagined them to be. At least most of them don’t wear mom jeans.

I’d like to think I’ve had some success in the career department despite the current lack thereof. I’m excited for what is next. And my family – wouldn’t trade them for the world. As challenging as the last few months have been, I love where this different road has taken me.

“As we drive along this road called life, occasionally a gal will find herself a little lost. And when that happens, I guess she has to let go of the coulda, shoulda, woulda, buckle up and just keep going.” - my alter-ego-previous-life-persona, Carrie Bradshaw

Pageant mom?

Well I think I may have reached an all time low in my life…I have officially become a pageant mom pimping out the good looks of my “child” for my own personal gain. And by child, I mean pup. And by pageant, I mean the Cutest Dog Competition. But I couldn’t help myself when I saw the amount of money the winners walk away with. So I did what every sensible parent of an obnoxiously cute puppy would do…uploaded a pic (one from my blackberry that actually wasn't blurry) of Rocco immediately and started dreaming of what I would do with the winnings. Don’t worry, I talked everything over with Rocco and he agreed it was in the best interest of our family to start his doggie modeling career now. You know, with the lack of jobs and all, he is realizing that he should start pulling his weight around here.

So if you feel inclined to vote (it only takes a second), here is the link: http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=4DBE46F338A85729934A5B66D2725522.

Boston…home of Lobster Dogs, Mike’s Pastry, and the Burns girls!

Two weeks ago Brenda and I embarked on a 24-hour, multi-city excursion to Boston. No we weren’t traveling by covered wagon or Greyhound bus, just another great travel experience brought to us by our great friends at American Airlines (I’ll get to that in a sec). Why Boston? Well aside from the great history (The Freedom Trail is Brenda’s fave I’ve heard), great baseball (cringing my teeth as I type this…not really a Sox fan), and heavenly pastries (to-die-for tiramisu from Mike’s), it just so happens to be home to the Burns girls! And one in particular celebrating her 25th birthday so what better way to celebrate than with a surprise at Fenway Park!

I’d love to say that the trip started off great but that would be lying through my teeth to say the least. Here is the bullet point recap (because I have a little thing for bullet points):
· Our flight was delayed due to weather, or so the evil woman at the ticket counter kept telling us as we watched plane after plane take off. I’m willing to bet that her middle name might be ‘the devil.’
· As we waited for said weather delayed plane, undercover police officers gathered around us and reenacted a scene from Cops on one unsuspecting passenger.
· Missed our connection in Chicago so the airline put us up for the night but the hotel was out of rooms. Well there was one room that may or may not have someone in it and there was also a miniature bed that folded out of the wall in someone’s suite we could use. Awesome.

Fast forward a few hours…we made it to Fenway (after convincing a hotel in Boston to hold our bags while at the game).

We discovered that Fenway is home to a wildly popular game day treat, the Lobster Dog. Lobster = good, hot dogs = good, Lobster + hot dog = sick. I guess you have to be a Sox fan to understand? Fast forward again to the fifth inning when Britt and her bro decided to join us!

We spent the rest of the trip catching up on much needed girl time. We shopped, sipped margaritas, binged on diet coke and peanut mnms, spent a day on the beach...and sung many Disney songs with Emma in the car. Emma might take the cake for the cutest 2 and half year old I have ever met. She is so beautiful and smart... just like her mama!

Life happened again...

This past weekend was my friend Kelly’s bachelorette party. These kind of events always make me a little nervous as I’m not the type to prance around town with accessories made of man parts…I’ll take a classy strand of pearls over a pee-pee necklace thankyouverymuch. And no, I will not suck anything off of a shirt for a buck. But thank GOD my friends are on the same page and this was one classy shindig. We did, however, leave Kel with a present she can cherish forever. With sharpies in hand we all scripted our best “advice for the bachelorette” on a shirt the both of them could fit into. I’ll spare you the details (and pictures) and simply say that Nathan and Kelly have some great words to live by and even wear if they ever felt the urge.

I reminisced today to when I was in her shoes (great ones, of course)…all of the wonderful, gracious, loving advice that friends and family shared with me as I prepared to marry my best friend. Always kiss goodnight. Never go to bed angry. Laugh together often. However I don’t think anyone could have prepared us for what life has handed us these past few months (see the little sentence in the first blog post and repeat). And I’m so thankful for that. I don’t think life really comes with an instruction book - it’s what we figure out together that has been the most precious of all things. The little bumps we’ve hit along the road this year have brought us closer together and forced us to rely on what brought us together in the first place. Love. And knowing that as long as we focus on how truly blessed we really are, we’ll be ok. We’ll figure it out. The bills will get paid and we will have food on the table… but most importantly, we will have a whole heck of a lot of love in our hearts.

And the award goes to...

Well the award for biggest blog fail goes to….Me. It’s been an eternity since my last post and although I think about blogging about life happening on a regular basis, I just haven’t. I’m not one for excuses but ever since my laptop crashed and burned it has been a chore to get online. So rather than rush out to the local Apple store (come on, unemployment doesn’t pay that good), I had to dust off the prehistoric laptop I got when I graduated high school (the one that barely made it through college because Dells are just that awesome) to continue the job search, answer emails, and periodically check facebook. But alas, here I am with one hell of an overdue blog post about life happening.

Where do I even begin? This summer has been nothing short of an adventure filled with great friends, great golf shots, awesome pool days, and yes, even some interviews. Oh yeah, and one big hole in the side of my house. Yes, you read that correctly. I even got a chuckle out of the insurance lady as she asked me to tell her again what really happened. See exhibit A:



Let me tell you there is nothing like coming home from running a few errands to a note on your door regarding the car that drove through the side of your house. I’m thankful that some people in this world are still decent human beings and leave notes in situations like this. Husband immediately called the number scribbled on the note and within 5 minutes, the son-in-law of the fossil that couldn’t find the break pedal was at our front door. We invited him in and he calmly strolled through our house and on into the garage. Obviously he had to take the long way, well, because the garage door didn’t exactly work properly.

As he was assessing the damage, he said to me and husband so matter-of-factly, “Well last time she did this, I just patched up the wall and painted.” Pause...LAST TIME?! EXCUSE ME, she has driven through this wall previously?!? Oh yes, the previous owners also had the pleasure of coming home to this mess. I’m sorry, but maybe she shouldn’t be driving any more if crashing through walls is becoming her signature move. I understand forgetting to signal every now and then, but when driving thru your neighbor’s walls gets to be a habit, its time to surrender your keys. Just sayin’. Oh and did I mention my car was trapped in the garage during this fiasco? And only by the hand of God himself was my car untouched (he must have known that would have thrown us over the edge). But somehow that car needed to get out pronto for an interview (see, I wasn’t lying). And it did, after numerous contractors meticulously took apart the garage door piece by piece. What. A. Mess. They asked if I could go a few weeks without a garage door and I guess it was the look on my face that provided them with the answer they weren’t exactly looking for. So they worked tirelessly in the hot Colorado sun trying to piece back together what once was my garage door.

So after several insurance estimates, endless phone calls to the insurance company, and not one single apology from the one responsible for the damage, we still have one giant hole in our house. And as we head out to run errands today I hope and pray that we return to our house untouched and not a single note on the front door.

Dear NYC...

I’m writing this post from the comfort (and quietness) of my patio in my lovely backyard (now complete with flowers). I have a new-found appreciation for days like today after my latest adventure in your hood. Last week I took a break from my not-so busy schedule and headed out of town to spend a few days with you.

For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved visiting your city. In high school I saved my cash for rent and couldn’t wait to escape the white-picket-fence-stepford-wife-like suburbs of Colorado and head out to the city that never sleeps. Every time I visit, there is a part of me that can’t wait to apartment shop and start a new chapter of life with you. But just a little part. For now I will just keep visiting and appreciating you from afar. So thank you NYC for being you and always teaching me new things every time I visit…

· Times Square makes my head hurt. I do not enjoy it.
· Maid in Manhattan is apparently based on a true story and has inspired maids everywhere to “borrow” guests’ belongings. Reported missing LBD Tuesday, returned to the closet by Thursday.
· There is no such thing as an early dinner.
· $5 for a small soy latte is a steal.
· It’s all about survival of the fittest (this applies to cabs, jobs, clothes, tables with great views, and the dressing room line at H&M).

· Bike messengers do not value human life.
· Same goes for most cab drivers. Especially the one who drove me to the airport.
· Cupcakes will instantly bring you out of the depression you fall into after realizing you can’t afford anything in Intermix these days. Give me a red velvet with vanilla cream icing and I'm in heaven.

· On that note, the shops on Bleecker are not for the faint of heart.
· If you’re not sassy, rude, or grumpy, no need to apply at Zara.
· Hotel concierges should know a thing or two about good restaurants aside from what Google can tell them. I do not want to eat at TGI Friday’s thankyouverymuch.
· And when the concierge recommends a “great lunch spot” simply go around the corner to find something better. No need to pay $25 for a caesar salad at the place his brother works at.
· Eat something before LaGuardia. Even if has to be TGI Friday’s.
· Note to cab drivers: honking does not make the traffic move faster nor does it make red lights turn to green. You can get me from point A to point B without your horn.
· Never, I say never make eye contact in Harlem. Lots of creepers.

(Check out the view from my wannabe office in the Hearst Tower)

FOMO...

The first step is admitting the problem, no? F.O.M.O. I have it. Fear of missing out. Symptoms include never wanting to miss happy hours, lunch dates, weekend trips, episodes of the Real Housewives... you get the point, this list can go on and on. Which is precisely why this little blog of mine has gotten the shaft recently (sorry about that). But as I’ve said before, life has been happening and I’ve been loving every second of it.

Aside from job searching my life away, my week was full of puppy-sitting (which was an instant mood booster), a coffee date in Boulder on one of the most gorgeous days I’ve ever seen, gardens, painting, wine nights, and a visit to Kathy’s for Sarah’s bridal shower. (Side note: I met four of the most amazing ladies while working at BBW in college. Lisa, Sarah (the bride-to-be), Colyn and Kathy are like food for the soul).

(Colyn, Husband, Me, Lisa, Brandon (Lisa's husband), Kathy, and Sarah)

So I have a little extra time on my hands these days and decided that I am going to take full advantage of those things that I’ve always been “too busy” to do. I don’t want to miss out on the fun things that have been on the to-do list for what seems like an eternity. (Yes, husband, the job search remains the numero uno priority, don’t worry). But don’t the flowers in the backyard look great? I discovered the wonders of the garden section at Home Depot this past weekend. And the guest bathroom that we’ve always wanted to re-do? Yep, I started that project. The running shoes are coming out of hibernation and I’m dusting off that yoga mat I’ve never used. Might even get a little crazy and take a spin class at the old gym-bo.

But for now, I need to pack. Early flight to NYC tomorrow (the not-so-ideal city to have FOMO in because there is just too much to see and do). And this time I’ve pinky sweared with my husband that I will not return with a list of places for us to live and a moving company that will help us get there. Plus I don’t think Rocco would enjoy the city as much as I do...

"Say hello to my little friend…"

No worries, there are no M16 assault rifles or grenade launchers here…those really aren’t my thing. To be honest, the movie Scarface isn’t really my thing, either. But nevertheless the infamous line is fitting for today’s post. Meet Rocco…

Rocco is the pup that we stumbled upon one snowy day back in December. The Humane Society was having an “adoption sale” and being the sucker for sales that I am, decided to check it out. If you don’t believe that love at first sight exists, then clearly you have never stepped foot inside a humane society full of adorable little guys looking for a home to spend their lives in. Much like Target, I have no willpower in places like this. Rocco came home with us the very next day. And hasn’t left our side since. He is our extremely spoiled doggie child.

We have experienced our fair share of chewed up picture frames - yes, the fancy metal ones that previously showcased our wedding pictures (for some reason he isn’t into shoes…let’s keep it that way). We have spent small fortunes at Petsmart on toys that didn’t live through the night. He has even shown off his interior decorating skills a time or two..

And yes, I hate to admit it, but I’m pretty sure I’ve cooked Rocco dinner (per vet's orders) more than I’ve cooked for Husband. But I wouldn’t trade Rocco (well maybe a few of the vet visits in March) for the world. Yesterday I even overheard Husband say to him, “Rocco, I hope that whenever kids come into our life, they are half as cool as you are.”

Yes, all of the catchy clichés apply right now…

When life gives you lemons… Make one heck of a lemon drop martini? Yes, please.

All of the catchy clichés apply right now. It’s been a few days since the last post and I know this is probably breaking some unspoken blogging rule, but rules are made to be broken, right? Oddly enough, life has been happening. The last few days have been a flurry of baby showers, champagne toasts, catching up with great friends, and cover letters. Not to mention Husband returned from a boys weekend in Vegas and the job search is now in full force.

To be quite honest, the Vegas trip had me worried at first. Not about silly things “happening in Vegas and staying in Vegas” (my husband is not that kind of guy and doesn’t have that kind of friends) but because of what life handed me last week. But everything happens for a reason, and it is with a smile that I can say “Thank you Las Vegas for paying our mortgage and for helping Husband find his way into a few of my favorite shops.” Yes, it finally happened. Someone actually won money in Vegas. I guess if at first you don't succeed, try, try, (and try) again?

There’s more…Turns out the little angel on my shoulder (we’ll call her Stephanie, and oddly enough she doesn’t hang out on my shoulder, but lives in San Francisco) got the best of my conscious and I crossed the Neimans trip off of the top of my to-do list. Yes, you will find the Neimans trip in good company on that list next to things like get a job, update LinkedIn, and dry clean the power suit.

I guess I didn’t need the retail therapy after all (Target sooo doesn’t count). Husband did it for me at the expense of our good friend, Las Vegas. And as luck would have it, I am now the proud owner of some sassy new Coach goods.

I need to confess something…

Yes, I might be out of a job…but I want nothing more to buy fabulous *new* shoes. Call it superficial…call it what you want. When life hits the fan, some people turn to comfort food or to their spirituality, others to working out. Not necessarily my thing. Me? I want nothing more than to blow a stupid amount of cash on a ridiculous pair of heels. Maybe it’s the fact that my (professional) life was all about shoes for the past two and a half years and I maybe slightly abused my employee “perks” (yes, that’s what we’ll call them) and my feet are yearning for something more these days…like the ones with the red soles (wink wink husband..those are what I affectionately call “Loubies”).

I know my parents raised me better than this. I know it’s probably not the best decision I could make right now. To be quite honest, there is a very small part of me that thinks this ranks right up there with spending your unemployment checks on booze. Trust me…I learned all about financial responsibility the hard way. Turns out becoming a regular at Coach and at Nordstrom wasn’t the best decision I could have made with my first credit card. I remember that Christmas well…my parents returned every.single.present that they had for me and graciously loaned me cash to pay off my (stylish) debt. Learned my lesson that day and have never made that mistake again.

So why is there this part of me that can’t wait to walk through the doors at Neiman’s tomorrow and head straight to my favorite department, pick out the loves of my life, and walk out temporarily satisfied with a ridiculous pair of heels? Yes, I’m talking about the ones with the red soles.

Here's to missed opportunities

Hi there, welcome to my blog. Thanks so much for visiting. This is a project that has been “in the works” quite some time now. I often think to myself “hmm that blog thing, yah I need to get on that” and then life happens. Which is kind of a crazy thought because that is exactly what I want to write about…life happening (in great shoes of course).

Which brings me to today. And my first post. Life did happen…well more like life decided to stir things up a bit and blindside me. I’ll tell you quickly what happened and then we’ll move on because that isn’t what this is about…just allowed me to reflect a little bit. I lost my job yesterday. And moving on. There are so many times I have thought to myself “I need to totally blog about that” so I’m dedicating today’s post to all of those missed blog opportunities like…

The morning the person in line in front of me at my regular (well not anymore) Starbucks that bought my drink. Made. My. Day. So I decided to do the right thing and pay it forward and offered to buy the customer’s drink behind me. Little did I know that the vehicle behind me was actually carrying a small country that preferred only the most expensive beverages on the menu and all of the blueberry scones you could imagine. Oh well...I hope that it made their day.

Or the day that a dear friend of mine told me she was planning her wedding. Except she wasn’t engaged. And he didn’t know. And she had set a date. And maybe had a dress. And picked out flowers. And she wanted me to be in it.

And the weekend I flew to L.A. simply to attend a celebrity’s 2-year olds’ birthday party. Yes, I was invited - I’m not a stalker. But ever so random. Explaining to people why I was going to be out of town was interesting… “I’ll be away this weekend at so-and-so’s house. Why? Her kid is turning 2.” That weekend I learned a lot about karma and Murphy’s law and came home thankful that I didn’t have to take the 405 to work every day.

So those are just a few of life’s little happenings. Or a little taste of life in my shoes...