A Little Christmas Spirit Pick Me Up...

Hi Blog Readers,

I feel like I should post something...to try and keep my faithful blog readers engaged. But the truth is... ever since the beginning of the month, I feel like all of my creative energy flew out the window.  I feel just complete numbness and a little down and I'm not sure why.  Perhaps it's because this year has been a non-stop rollercoaster ride... and the coaster if finally slowing to a stop.  Perhaps it because this will be our second Christmas without my mother-in-law Barbara.  I feel a big sense of responsiblity to try and make the holidays special for my family, but I realize the only thing that it really important is us being together.  My husband's strength still continues to amaze me.  It's weird, there are certain times when you'd think I'd be the holiday "cheerleader" but really it's Justin who really gets into the spirit.  I've teased him for years.. calling him the "Princess and the Pea".....

 because he likes to have everything just right. 

Our home is decorated~complete with three different themes & three different trees: "Traditional Christmas" in the living room, "Winter Wonderland" in our bedroom, and we even put out a "Mom Starr" tree on our front patio ~complete with tons of little ornaments that help us to keep her spirit a part of Christmas. 

Christmas Cards are out ~ finally and hopefully they will arrive to friends and family before Christmas. I can't decide if they're cute or just totally weird..oh well. 

Baking~ yeah, I've never done Christmas baking...I would like to, but I fear having all those treats in my house....  Maybe next year.

Gifts~ gifts are all purchased and almost all wrapped.

Friday Night ~ Justin and I will celebrate "Our Christmas" together, just the two of us...one of my most favorite holiday traditions.

Saturday~ We well head down to CG to spend Christmas Eve with my mom, dad, and brother.  This will be a first for us. We've always spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma and Grandpas, but this year we changed a 60 year tradition and celebrated last Saturday.  So who knows that the five of us will actually do on Christmas Eve Night... 

Sunday Morning ~We will wake up at Mom and Dad's House, were Santa will have delivered gifts to two 31 years olds, and one 21 year old ~  my poor mom, I promise she will have a grandchildren someday!  Later on my Granny and Uncle Gene will join in the fun for some gift opening.

Sunday Afternoon~ we will pick up Trevor from the airport and Shannon will join late Christmas night to for our "Starr Christmas"..complete with yummy food, gift openning, many wine spirtzers ~just for you Barb. 

 

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Love this!

Feeling so tired lately... coming off of wedding season, Thanksgiving, and My Birthday...but there's nothing like a brand new age to get you re-focused on important goals...............I'm loving this quote!

 

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Amen!

 

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Let's Do This....

I will get through this month, and it will be fabulous.....

October.....

Goodbye are the calm, relaxing days of summer (we include September as a "Summer Month" in the AZ Wedding Industry) and hello is the busiest month of year for me.  Every year I forget how nuts it is...and then I get jump kicked in the face.

October.....
~Wedding Season
~When all companies book their holiday parties
~When all my January and February (2012) brides want to finalize all their details before the holidays.... 

It's a month where on mornings like today... I wake up and stare at my beautiful home in a complete daze... wondering........
~ How is it possible, that we have this much laundry to do?
~How is it possible that our refrigerator is empty?
~How is it possible that I'm out of all my essentials... shampoo, conditoner, ect?

It's a month when sadly I can't attend some of my friend's celebrations... which always make me sad...

But tonight, after work.... something fantastic is going to happen!!!  I'm way excited!!! I'll be crossing off one of my 101s... can't wait!!!!  It's a "silly, ridiculous, one that I never thought I would actually cross off goal"... and I'm stoked!!!

Stay tuned my faithful readers.... I have TONS of fun things to blog about out, once I can find the time. 

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Many Thoughts, One Mind.....

Just a few random thoughts and stories from this thirty year old mind I'd thought I'd share............

1.)  Between last week and this week Justin has four interviews set up, and the phone keeps ringing. I'm so excited for him to officially start his career.  It will be so nice to see him put all of this education to good use.

2.) This was an actual email I recieved from my boss as a response to an email I sent to a client whom I copied him on:

"Jenny from the Block,

Can I make one suggestion? You’ve got 3 smiley faces in an email, to someone we’ve never met in person or have a relationship with. Just a thought….call me anti-smiley face and Negative Nancy."

I thought this was hilarious, my boss is pretty awesome...... I won't get into too many details, but this particular client was not so friendly to me in her previous emails, so I used EXTRA smiley faces to cover up my rage.  So if you ever get an email from me with 3 smiley faces......

3.) IKEA stresses me out!!! Why do I keep going back, I don't know. 

4.) Firehouse Subs is Amazing.......it's just heavenly...

5.)  I booked my first Celebrity Event today!! Pretty cool, pretty big name...but I won't tell you, not yet.  Hopefully I'll have some photos to share soon.

6.) Did you know my co-worker Michael Dressor's sister-in-law is on the BIGGEST LOSER? Her name is Courtney Rainville, she's the youngest contestant..I've never really watched the show before, but I try to watch it now...it's so cool to watch her shrink!! 

7.)  I watched Braveheart last weekend with Justin.  I had never seen it before, and ummm wow...I get it now, what a great movie. 

8.) I think I've finally decided how I'm going to create my personal photo albums...much thought has gone into this process....but I think I finally found a winning solution.  No more scrapbooking, who has time in today's crazy fast digital world.

9.) I really, really, really have an amazing husband. Last week I had a rather frustrating week at work (which is really rare) and today I had one of those moments when I looked at him for a second, and thought to myself.... wow.  Sometimes I'm reminded of how crazy spoiled I am, today was one of those days.

10.) Michael Scott.  Justin and I have watched "The Office" for years....but we've never watched it on t.v.(our insane schedules would never allow this kind of consistency) We've always waited, purchased the new seasons when they've come out and then watched.  So last week or so we finally saw the episode where " Michael Says Goodbye".  And if you know Michael Scott, then you too have a special place in your heart for him.  At the end of the episode... Justin looks over at me with huge eyeballs and says "ARE YOU OKAY?".....tears were streaming down my face.  I will miss him so much!!! I know we all will.

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Charity Golf Tournament, Please Join Us

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What's the haps???

Wow.... what in the world ~  for it being summer time, I'm kind of blown away with how busy life has
been the past few months...  

I have tons of fun photos to share but until I can spend a good chunk of time uploading and editing... I thought I'd update you all with some snippets on life...

The Happenings the Highlights.....
July 2011
1.) 4th of July...not too much to report just some fun with few friends
2.) Spent some quality time shopping with my lil mama sita.  She's on a new crazy kick, involving all kinds of little treasures~more on this later
3.) "J.Starr Stylized Weddings" did some venue tours
4.) We flew to Berkeley to visit Trevor and had a blast ~ I just love San Fran, that place has such a unique vibe about it, we had some fun adventures
5.) I won the "Coolest Wife of the Year Award"...being that I went to the Perfect Circle concert with Justin (one of his all time favorite bands)
6.) I got to visit Baby Kayla, Andrea and Jessy's darling little baby girl who had quite the battle in her first few weeks of life ~ but she's recovered beautifully.
7.) Roomie Catch Up with Melissa and Andrea over Greek food followed by Gelato


August 2011
1.) Social Grace Studios snapped some crazy cute photos of Miss Kendall Tuttle (Tony and Jacquie's lil one).  It was the girlyest of photo sessions ever, when you see the photos you'll know how happy Jacquie is to finally have her lil girl after having her two rough and tumble lil boys.
3.) JUSTIN GRADUATED!  Holy cow, it was quite an emotional rollercoaster, but it happened, it really happened. We had an amazing weekend with our family and dear friends.
4.) Lunch date with Jessica Fortman ( a Seville survivor) catching up on old times and discussing  fun plans for the future~ Jess is starting her own accounting business!
5.) FIRST OFFICIAL "J.Starr Wedding" at the Royal Palms with the help of my lovely assistant Melissa Jonovich
6.)  Speaking of Melissa, we celebrated her 30th with her family at her "Retro Glam" Bday Pool Party. Justin and I surprised her with a photo booth, compliments of Social Grace Studios.
7.) Slumber Party with Mom, followed by a day of shopping
8.) Head shots of Jessica for her new business, and family photos of the adorable Fortman Family.
9.) Renata accepted the position of Food and Beverage Director at Superstition Springs!! This is a BIG deal, I'll explain more later!
10.) More family photos, this time of the Pretty Palmer Family.
11.) A Girlie Sleepover over at the Valley Ho Hotel, Celebrating Melissa's Birthday part deux w/ Friends.
12.) Justin shot a Wedding at Anthem Golf and Country Club
13.) My girl Addie Jo turned 30! We headed down to Casa Grande to celebrate w/ her and her family
14.) Followed by a Happy Hour at Canteen the next day on Miss Young's actual b-day with friends


What's on the Horizon....
1.) Justin has to take the boards in the near future, so my house has felt like after school dentention for the past 30 plus days.  This is the last mountain he has to climb before he can start practicing as a Doctor of Physical Therapy..... .. I love my husband with all my heart, but I'm SOOOO ready for his schooling to be OVER.
2.) Thankfully, following this big monster of an exam we'll be flying away to Cabo for 7 days of paradise, we've been looking forward to this time for many many years in the making. 
3.) My little Stinks turns 21!! I can't believe it!! 

My Wheels are Turning About......

1.) "J.Starr Stylized Weddings"... after many discussions with my boss at Superstition Springs, we've come up with a beautiful plan and partnership idea for my company.  All the pieces are finally starting to come together, I'm so excited!  I'll be sure and blog in detail about this soon~ I've learned such an important lesson through this process..... You only live once, chase after your dreams...even if you can't figure out how to make them happen, just keep plugging.... the pathway will work itself out, but don't be afraid to take the first step... I'm really happy, appreciative, and thankful for where I'm at in my life right now professionally ~ I surrounded by happy, positive people...who are aware of my passions, my strengths, and my weaknesses... I have a lot of work ahead...but I'm so darn excited...I feel like I'm riding a carnival ride through the journey. 

2.) I've been working really hard at few my top 101s....and not the easiest of goals, the timely ones....but I'm glad that they're being put into action.

3.) Our 9th Annual Halloween Party....Yahoo!!  Date, Time, Location, DJ, and Theme of all been selected!!  Invites going out soon, SAVE the DATE: Friday October 21st, 2011.

Recent Things I think are Just Plain Cool....

1.)  My smartphone, yeah  I know it's not like the "newest" thing..but wow... that little device can pull my world together so quickly... and hello the Navigation Feature is a life saver!

2.) Venti Ice Waters from Starbucks, they're free and I feel cool drinking them

3.) The Valley Ho, that place is fun....the dj spinning poolside makes you feel like a spring breaker on mtv
4.) The movie..."The Fighter" (it's on netflicks right now) best movie I've seen in awhile

5.) Our upgraded Pandora....no commercials...good stuff

6.) Speaking of music I'm so loving Robin Thicke....he has some sexy, saucy jams... it's really good "getting ready for work music"

Until next time my friends...thanks for reading, thanks for caring... and please update your blogs, call me, or send me an email updating me on your fabulous lives xoxox

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On My Mind Today....

Hello Friends!

Okay, so today has been one of those random days where I have a million things on my mind~it's kind of hard to concentrate.  When I get feeling all crazy like...I like to turn to my blog~ it calms me. 

So here we go:

1.) Thank you, Thank You, Thank You to all of our beloved family and friends who joined us in celebrating Justin's big milestone!  I'm still in a state of shock, I never really thought that we would get to this point.  We looked at each other this morning like...Ummm.... this is awkward, what the heck are we suppose to do now???  But don't get me wrong I couldn't be more proud of my amazing husband....now that he's a Doctor of Physical Therapy.....his "hot meter" goes up a few notches for sure ;) More on this in upcoming blogs for sure!!!

2.) Camp Cabo officially starts today! Remember this post from a year ago?? In an effort in achieving goal number # 95 on my 101 in 1001s, I attempted this last August and after two weeks of pure exhaustion I became discouraged and stopped. But this time around I'm making a few adjustments to this goal to make it more realistic and more achieveable (after all, it's my 101 list, I can adjust as needed:), this time and certain stud has offerered to join me!  So this time around I'm committing myself to "Camp Cabo", working our one hour a day for 5 days a week, for the next four weeks.  We've been averaging 3 times a week for 45 minutes for the past three weeks so this should be totally do-able!  And.... you may be wondering why we're calling it "Camp Cabo"... well you guessed right!  As a graduation gift to the both of us, we're going to CABO BABY for 7 days in a luxury resort for total relaxation time!!!  And of course looking like a hot senorita is the goal!!!

3.)  Attention Fellow Bloggers (if you don't blog, don't read on, it will only confuse you)....

Now that I'm One of Those "Private Blog" People

Add http://justinandjenniferstarrblogupdates.blogspot.com/ to your automatic updater on your blog list.
So this little blog will be public~ I got this very smart idea from Miss Allison!
To keep up with my blog a little better (especially for you non-facebookers) , go ahead and add this to your blog list and I will post on here everytime I update my primary blog.

 Make sense? I hope so, I think I've just confused myself. Thank you for caring and sharing~ I hope even more of my sassy little friends start a blog, it's such a great way to keep up with loved ones in this busy world of ours.

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Mic Check... Anyone Anyone Bueller?

Grrr... I don't do well with change... but I'm not giving up.

Okay, so my precious little blog is now private, but I concerned that my readers aren't able to log on.    So this is a test, if you can read this blog post ~ please give me a shout via commenting below, on facebook, or by email. Thank you very much!!!

 Justin told me he's spending all tomorrow catching up on editting all of our recent photos, so I'll have some fun posts coming soon.

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Goodbye Outside World!

Okay, I've been rocking this blog for now 2 Years and 8 months, holy cow!  And now making my little blog is private which makes me kind of sad...but excited at the same time.

Why sad?

Well it was kind of exciting just writing to the world, not really knowing who was reading, who cared, who shared in my day to day thoughts~perhaps connecting on different levels and never meeting them in person.

{Perhaps I can get my fix through my J.Starr Blog~Coming Soon}

Why Excited?

I guess this moment marks our "unofficial" transition into adulthood. 

Now that I'm a business owner and Justin's going to be starting his professional career as a DPT, it's time to share our family and friends stories, photos, and thoughts...with only our friends and family.

So, to all of my loved ones..... I've entered your names into my VIP section and you should be receiving an email invitation and you'll need to accept the invitation into my private blog.

In case you have any issues logging in with your email address~ not to worry...... I've created a random gmail account login and password for you to use and log in with if need be. 

Login in: justinandjenblog@gmail.com

Password: starrblog

I'm sorry you'll have to take an extra step to read....but perhaps it will bring you some relief too....knowing how many possible photos of you will be on our blog in the near future :)

ANOTHER OPTION:  I added a little "Follow By Email" box on my blog in the far right side, if you'd like to be emailed everytime I post a new blog, just add your name in the box and it will send you an email with my blog post in the body of the email.

Much Love!!!

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VIP Access....

Hi Readers,

In the very near future I'll be launching my J.Starr Stylized Weddings & Events Blog.... so I've finally decided it's probably a smart move professionally to make my "personal" blog~ private.  So if you enjoy reading all the random tid-bits about our little crazy world... email me (at jenniferasu@hotmail.com) or comment below your preferred email address and I'll give you vip access.

Thanks for reading and allowing us to share our lives with you. 

 

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Confession, I'm a "Charlotte".........

Confession, I'm a "Charlotte"......and I've finally realized, that's okay.

Is There Such a Thing, as Being Too Nice?

  Warning Readers....

My heart is feeling heavy today with a mix of emotion. 

I have no idea where this blog will start nor end, or if it will have any sort of theme, meaning...it may just be a big mix of mess, but I feel the need to shrug off some heaviness my shoulders seem to be carrying. 

For as long as I can remember, dating back to Junior High School, I've always heard people say "She's just so nice" when referring to me.  When it came to elections, or royalty nominees my name was always on the ballot ~ it seems as though being the "nice" girl made me more popular. 

It wasn't until college, when I learned that "being nice" wasn't always a good thing.  I'll never forget the time, I was probably about 22 years old, going to college, and working at the lovely (insert sarcasm) "Joes Crab Shack", when I desired to move up from sever to bartender.  I was speaking to one of my managers at the time ~Scott, about giving me this opportunity.  I was a bit shocked when he looked right at me and said " Jennifer Norris, there's no way in hell you could ever be a bartender".... I looked at him with a shocked expression and said "Why"...and he simply responded, because you're too nice.   

That was the first time I can remember being shot down due to my so called "niceness".

As I grew into my professional career I started to realize that "being nice" didn't always equal being respected.  Over the course of my first five years in the "real" career world, I encountered two different experiences with two different co-workers...where they were just down right mean and hurtful.  Acting so nice and kind to my face and then mocking and complaining to others about me when I was wasn't around. 

I was crushed, I didn't understand why someone(s) didn't like me?  I didn't understand why these individuals would put so much effort in trying me to make me look incapable of my job to high ups and fellow co-workers.  I would tell my friends and family and they would look at me stunned and say "why in the world do you care, and why are you wasting your time thinking about these people". 

You see, being the "nice girl" is only one of my strengths/weaknesses.... I also wear my heart on sleeve for the world to see, and I'm always the first to point out any mistake I've ever made, and I'm the first to say "I'm sorry", a million times.    Which makes me a great target for mean hearted and opportunistic type of people. 

 All in all, I guess what I'm trying to say is that the old saying is true "One's greatest strengths are one's greatest weaknesses"....

And as I've gone through the past six months of starting a new job and starting my personal company, I've finally realized that I'm learning how to balance my strengths and weaknesses a little better.   Maybe it just comes with age and life experiences....

A few lessons I've learned that I always want to remember:

1.) Trust that gut feeling!
     Times when I haven't trusted that gut feeling have put me in difficult situations with not so nice people
2.)  It's okay to be honest
      Not that I was a liar before, but there have certainly been times when I've agreed or gone along with something just because I didn't want to hurt someone's feelings.
3.)  Speak Up
      Again the "nice girl" in me has held back before, in an effort to win the popularity contest, but that just can't happen when in comes to my business, my brand, and my vision
4.)  Be the Bigger Person
      It's a fine balance, but especially in the event design industry...there can be a lot of pettiness, judgment, and opinions...and sometimes the wrong people move ahead more quickly in life, but I truly believe that the truly geuine people sleep a whole lot better at night and certainly have happier and more fulfilling lives.
5.)  Lead By Example
      It's so true, people can see true colors, and people are affected greatly by positive energy.  To be a true leader you have to allow your strength and weaknesses to show from time to time, and be "okay" and proud of who you are. 
6.)  Jealousy is Ugly
      Don't measure your success by sizing yourself up to others ~ It's a complete waste of time.   Everyone comes from a different place with a different pathway... learn from others, share, grow, and continue to do things daily to better yourself and your business.
7.)  It's Okay for People Not to Like You
      I still struggle with this one, but I'm getting better.  It's their loss not yours, don't dwell on this, just keep loving on those that do like you :)

Okay, enough of my ramblings... on another note, I love how many of my friends are now "blogging"...isn't it just such a freeing experience??? 

Hugs and Kisses from the "Nice Girl" 

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Dear Jennifer,

 
Dear Jennifer,

~Keep moving forward
~Don't worry about what other people may or may not think.
~Don't expect so much out of people, everyone is human and everyone comes from a different situation and different life experiences
~Learn from mistakes
~Love people with a full and open heart, even if it doesn't always seem reciprocated
~Don't dwell
~Don't be so scared of failure
~Stop & appreciate accomplishments, savor in the moment for just a second before jumping to the next thing
~Don't worry about the critics, you are critical enough on yourself
~Continue to make things better



Love,
Your Vulnerable, Impatient, Critical, Self Demanding, Dramatic, Weird Self

P.S. It's probably time to make your blog private~so you don't scare away your clients with your randomness.

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Good Morning.....

  It's 7am on this lovely Wednesday morning.. and I feel like writing a quick little blog to start off my day, but I don't really have anything too exciting to blog at this moment... all I can really think about is what's on my agenda today, it was one of the those mornings when my alarm went off at six, but I didn't get out of bed until about 6:45am.  It's not that I fell back asleep or anything, I just laid that and went over about 100 things in my mind.

Life is good, I'm just continuously trying to find whys to manage my time most effectively...so I've gone back to planning my days out the night before~and I picked up a copy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People at an old bookstore...I've been meaning to read it for years~so will shall see...now I just need to find time to read it!!!

Here's what's on today's agenda:

6:00 am) wake up, ummm...oops... I woke up but didn't get up, does that count?
8:00 am to 10:00am) Work on J.Starr Weddings ~so, so, so much to do!
10:30am-5:30pm) Work at Superstition Springs Golf Club~calls, emails, proposals,contracts, tours,   sell, sell, sell Weddings and Events and don't get annoyed with cheap demanding people
5:30pm-8:30pm) Bridal Open House at Superstition Springs
8:30pm -10:30pm) Staff Meeting at Superstition Springs (not really looking forward to this late night meeting, good thing it's only once a quarter)
11:00pm- Come home and cuddle on my cute husband and weenie dogs

Okay.........Ready.........Go!!!!

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So I Keep Asking My Brother....

  If he'll be my personal assistant for the summer....and he keeps saying no.  Odd??  Doesn't that sound like the funnest job ever??? Ha!!  Apparently not.  I've been having a blast the past five months but I'm so so bummed that I've let my dear blog fall so far behind.  I'm determined to get my NYC Christmas photos edited tonight and posted to my blog tomorrow morning, so hold me to it!! 

This morning started out very early... because sadly we have one car down, so Justin had to drop me off EARLY this morning, but only after he treated me to Starbucks.  So I was able to compile a to do list... and this was the end result, all before I finished my coffee......  

But  80s Pop Radio is rocking on Pandora right now, coffee is kicking in.... let's do this day!

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New Job Update....

 So, I've officially been at my new "day job" just over 2 months now.....
Director of Weddings at Superstition Springs Golf Club

For some reason it feels like I've been here at least 4 months.  Perhaps that's because I'm a freak and I simply refuse to do anything simple. 

Truly I think sometimes it's a sickness I have, give me the easiest task and about five minutes.... and I will surely find a way to overcomplicate it.  I don't like that I'm this way, I just am. 

Want some examples....Okay... I'll give you examples pertaining specifically to this new job: 

 Business Cards:  I couldn't go with the standard "company" card, nope not me... I had to have mine designed specifically for me and wedding specific.

Ballroom Layout:  The ballroom had been set the same way for nearly six years or so.... but I just couldn't get past the layout of the ballroom.  So what did I do?  Changed it... that's right I asked the staff (it took a team of five guys) to disassemble this dance floor and move it ...so that the ballroom looked more visually pleasing depth wise.

Photography/Website: The photos that the club had been using prior to bringing me on board....were..ummm.. to put it nicely... DATED.  So I had my team of amazing photographers come out one night, and I coordinated a Bridal Fashion Photo Shoot.  Complete with borrowed gorgeous gowns, professional hair and make up, beautiful models, rented tables, specialty chivari chairs, and gorgeous centerpieces. 

Magazine Ads:  I just couldn't bare running with the same ads that the club had used before, I had to completly re-do them.

Organization Systems:  Specifically the BEOs (Banquet Event Orders), Master Event Calendars, and Folders/Filing System.... Yep, again.....I'm a freak...all of these things had to be changed too...and they're not simple tasks...plus I had to get the whole team on board

Weekly Open Houses:  Guess what I'm doing every Wednesday night from 5:30~7:30??? I hosting a Bridal Open House.  It's a night were a perspective client can come up a view the venue, meet me, talk pricing, and hopefully fall in love enough to book their wedding here.  We glam it all up...complete with chair covers, centerpieces, candlelight, love songs.

Wedding Packages:  Though I didn't change the menu (you never want to make a Chef mad, trust me...I learned this a long time ago)...I did put together an all-inclusive Vendor Package... I'll call it "Starr Style", because I'm a huge nerd like that...  

My Office: Early next week my office will get a new makeover, complete with new paint, decor, photos, and lighting. 

So, lately I've just felt so exhausted...but now when I step back and think.... I know why......it's because I'm a big freak... and I can't make anything simple.  The staff all seem like they like me, but I'm sure secretly they're all thinking who is the weird girl??? 

Overall though I must say... I'm really happy.  I love this job.  And I'm excited to share more SUPER FUN updates on my "night job" .....JStarr Weddings & Events, stay tuned. 

At this moment, life is good.  I'm hoping that I've gotten all of these changes and projects out of my system for a little while....and maybe one day someone will teach me how to make life simple????

   

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Is Blogging Too Braggy?

I had a great conversation last week with a past co-worker.   She was commenting how much they enjoyed reading my blog and I was encourgaging her to blog.  And her response back to me was... I love your blog, but sometimes when I read other people's blog... I just feel like they're too braggy~and they make life appear all happy and perfect. 

 She nailed it!!! 

That's been my struggle with blogging since the day I started. 

You see, that's the BIG difference between journaling and blogging.  Kind of like the BIG difference between acquaintances and best friends...atleast for me.

I tend to try and steer away for blogging about heartache in my life, things that make me angry, and things that could potentiallly hurt other peoples feelings.... topics of  religion, politics, sexuality, relationship dynamics, and all of thoses other socially taboo topics.  Don't get me wrong I have my down days and very strong opinions but I choose not to share those things on my blog...because it's just too public and those subjects are personal.

Believe it or not.... me (yes me the "showboat", as my mother would say) is for the most part, is really a  private person.  I share my thoughts with my journal (if and when I'm keeping one at the time)....but mostly I share these thoughts, concerns, hard times with my loved ones in a one on one, face to face kind of conversation.

And don't get me wrong, I know several people...who put it out there for the world to see (some of whom I even admire)... I'm just not that gal. 

I guess the point of my blog post this morning to apologize to my readers if my blog ever comes accross "braggy" and cheesy ;)  I treat my blog like my virtual scrapbook for the most part... so that I can look back at and remember great memories.  I know the "storms will always come"...but that's what makes the good times so good... right? 

I've just kind of been pondering this subject for awhile and thought it would make a good blog post, I'm curious to know other's opinions on the topic???

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My heart is happy...

  I had such a great day today....filled with many wonderful conversations with loved ones.  It just blows mind my how just one day in life can change and influence your thoughts on so many things... today was one of those days... a simple day but one that I don't want to forget...

 Today, these are things that made my heart feel happy....

~ Having a Saturday OFF
~The Baby Ducks I saw in the lake this morning
~My adorable husband, even cute when he is sick with the stomach flu
~Iced Coffee on the back porch at Melissa's house this morning and our great conversation
~Driving through the streets of ASU, and being proud to be a Sun Devil....loved seeing all the Pat's Run Participants
~Spending time with my brother
~Seeing my mom's beautiful and happy face
~Red Lobster
~Shopping in thift shops
~Buying 3 books for a dollar: Tuesdays with Morrie, Complete Book of Baby Shower Designs Ideas, and Me, Stories of my Life by Katherine Hepburn
~Buying super cute hair flowers with rhinstones
~Grocery shopping for the week, a day early
~Walking through the dorms at ASU
~Coming home to my loving husband who had recovered from his awful stomach flu
~Dinner at home with my loves, Sammy, Olive, and Justin
~Justin surprising me with these super sassy new collars & tags he had bought for the girls a couple days ago
~I discovered the my phone has this awesome "Speak to Text" option
~Seeing 3 Comments on my last blog post (aren't comments just the best? it's nice to know people care;)

Things I'm excited about this upcoming week:

~Blogging More
~Starting to use my new "Body Bug"!!
~NACE Event " Coming of Ages" at the Millennium Resort
~Melissa, Tommy and Baby G's Photo Shoot
~Spending the night in Casa Grande with the family
~Easter Sunday with the Norris Crew

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How Much is Too Much?

Sigh..... Well, as you can see I did not end up spending the day blogging last weekend.
Though I wanted to, my heart just wasn't into it.

One question I've always toyed with since I started blogging.... is How much is too much?

It's just wild the think all through high school... I never even had an email address. And now, it seems like everything in the world is ONLINE. It's crazy.

So back to my question, How much is too much? When it comes to blogging/facebook, is there a line? How many times have you read someone's post and thought... wow..too much information! Being open and honest can help people feel connected to you and even do wonderful things with to your career and image...but at the same time can be damaging.

So now that I'm a real "grown up"... and I'm starting my own business (launching a professional website) I've been really pondering on what to do with my blog and how much to share? Do I make my blog private... or do I always remember not to cross that line when discussing personal feelings and thoughts? Will sharing my insecurities, thoughts, and fears be a good thing or will it be damaging?

Should there be rules about personal blogs vs. professional blogs/websites? I really desire to create a brand as an Event Designer that is approachable, comfortable, genuine, imperfect...

I've thought about launching a new blog that will be professional... but a part of me wants to link this blog to the new blog...to give my clients a view into my heart... but....How Much is Too Much?

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"Blog Date" Coming Soon....

I feel so off lately.... I think it's because I haven't been blogging.....I've yet to blog about our NYC Christmas Trip... that was over 2 months ago... Life has been a whirlwind, but I need to take time to stop, appreciate, and re-direct my creativity!

So, I'm dedicating ONE day this weekend to BLOGGING because I know it will make me feel so much BETTER....you may think I'm a freak, and well I kind of am...but if you're a blogger you know what a mean ;)  Stay tuned for some major blog updates!! 

 

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