9.25.14

"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend." - Red, The Shawshank Redemption

God Bless the USA

Innocent Americans lost their lives this day 13 years ago.

Heroes from the NYPD, NYFD, as well as bystanders, risked their lives to save another.

Men and women walked selflessly onto a battlefield to fight for our freedoms in honor of our country.

While this may feel like "old news" to some, families live with these memories every single day.

This day and every day, I am proud to be an American.

The evolution of 'girls night'

Gone are the days of wild, late nights, pregaming until midnight, and shaking our asses in the bar until 2AM. Gone are the days of nursing hangovers the next day with pizza and fountain drinks.

As we've gotten older it is safe to say we have evolved. Had you told me 10 years ago that I would be looking forward to crafting until 10PM and sleeping by 11PM, I would have told you that you were crazy.

If you asked me then if I would miss the crazy nights now, my answer would have been yes.

If you were to ask me now if I miss those nights, I would still say yes. They were some of the best nights of my life with girlfriends that I will undoubtedly grown old with. What I didn't know then was how much I would love quiet nights in just the same.

It's not how you spend your nights that matters. It's who you spend them with. What matters are the memories you create. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Besides, I got a cute new wreath out of the deal. Look for us at the next Christmas Bazaar!

Welcome to the family

Krissy and her family are heading south. With their move, we have acquired a new family member. This little pup is special. He's been my sister's favorite since the day she got him. He's a snuggly little guy.

She was heartbroken when she came to the realization that their new home wouldn't allow for pups. I had no other answer besides 'yes' when she asked if he could join our family.

For the days leading up to getting him, Murphy was excited. I told him he would have a new friend that understood the concept of fetch and, hopefully, would teach him. I also told him that he was coming from a home of pups and he'd need Murphy to help him adjust to his new home.

Meet Duke, the newest addition to the family.

He doesn't seem to be all that fond of Murphy yet, but he also can't seem to get a quiet moment alone.

Looking forward to this guy making himself at home and Murphy learning the value of personal space. 

Time for a break

Have you ever felt like you were getting lost in your day? The hustle and bustle of life, the 24/7 connection to the rest of the world. How many times have you 'spent' time with someone, without really spending time with them? Were you engrossed in your social media feed and missed the point of their story?

I think we've all been guilty. When did this happen? We spend more time taking photos of our food, or wine, or environment only to post to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Is it because we as a society have become more vain? Are we afraid that people may forget us if our online activity diminishes? We take photos for memories, but we are missing the moment. Often times, out of boredom, we find ourselves looking to social media to fill empty time. I'm personally guilty of this, especially with Facebook.

I've come across several articles over the last few months that I've found to be quite interesting. This concept of "divorcing your smartphone" and getting back to when things were a little more simple, and things were a little more meaningful.

I decided to embark on this challenge. Knowing that my family, my friends, and my friends' families were too important to me to miss entirely, I decided that I would "detox" if you will, for two weeks.

I deactivated my account. I deleted the app.

The.World.Didn't.Stop.

In fact, the world became a little more quiet and a little more enjoyable. 

I realized that if I added up all the time I spend scrolling out of boredom, I could read a chapter in the book I have on my nightstand. I could finally get the room I love the most in our home complete. I could write a little more often. I could spend more time being healthy. I could enjoy more quality time with my husband.

I've since reactivated my account after the two weeks were complete. (In all fairness, I love my friends and enjoy the daily accomplishments, motivations and damn adorable family photos posted regularly)

The app, however, remains removed from my phone.

I choose to invite inspiration and activity into the space previously spent scrolling - and definitely spending more time in my favorite room.

finally complete.

Smartphones and social media were created to help us stay in touch with the people in our life in "real-time". What's interesting is the effect this has had on the relationships put on hold by constant notifications. It's become a little counterproductive, wouldn't you say? Just some food for thought.

If you're interested, I've linked two of the articles below.

Breaking up with my smartphone
Our Unplugging Challenge

Survival Instincts

"She rolled over, buried half her face in her pillow, and smiled slightly. It was then the overwhelming realization washed over me that there is so much more to life than simply surviving it."
- Tyler Knott Gregson


How often do you live your days simply by surviving? Will you wake up 40yrs from now, look back on this time in your life, and say 'Damn, that was one hell of a ride'?

Maybe it's time we all focus more on living instead of simply just surviving.

Said best