The commandments of blogging!

When I started blogging, I wondered about the rules. I am not good with no rules. When I was a kid and they said, here is a some paper, imagine and draw anything, I wondered huhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! I needed the teacher to give me a hint or a direction! On the same note i'm terrible at movies that involve fantasy, remember Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze (may he rest in peace) it was pure torture for me. My mind just doesn't function that way.

I love this blogging thing, it happens at such random times. I can be at the gas station or the office or shopping and I see something or talk to someone and it gives me a spark of an idea to blog about. The problem is there are tons of things I'd like to blog about but I wonder, wow, is that appropriate blog content? That got me thinking, so I started to look at other blogs to see if the things in my head (kinda like that voice in my head, which i've learned not to act on, especially if I want to keep my job in order to continue paying my mortgage!!!) were being blogged about by others. NO LUCK! So, here are my commandments of blogging!

1. If you want to blog about someone that pissed you off, wait until you are officially no longer friends, so it doesn't matter if they get mad when and if they read it.

2. If you want to blog about sex with a partner, but you don't want them to know about it, you need to change a lot of facts so they don't figure it out, in reality, BEST NOT TO BLOG!

3. Write your blog the same way you speak, if people love your wit and your conversation they will love your blog if it sounds like your voice! (the great thing being punctuation won't matter!!!)

4. Don't blog about anything you don't want your parents or their friends to know about because their friends have big mouths ( my mom is constantly telling me that people are telling her what i post on facebook)!

5. Don't be afraid to be honest about yourself in blogging, as an example, there are people who would say I am tough and not particularly warm and fuzzy. I constantly remind my employer, they hired me to get a job done, not to be nice! That's why i'm good at my job!

6. Blog about what you know! I like to shop, I have a vast knowledge about xanax (I crack myself up!!) and I love travel, hotels, good food, good books, great websites!

7. Mix it up, nobody wants to cry everytime they read your stuff, believe me too many tears and they won't be back!

The power of a good quote. . .

I have always loved a good quote. When I was in middle school and high school I collected advertisements, I loved the Nike Ads from magazines, they always made me stop and think, put hope in my thoughts. I enjoyed the clever play on words in Abosolut ads! I had a folder stuffed with torn pages from magazines, poems that seemed at the time powerful.

As I got older, I grew to love card stores, both garden variety hallmark stores but also little gift shops and book shops that held cards to buy and send. Cards that made me laugh, described friendship and heartache. My desk drawer to this day is stuffed with cards to mail.

I guess part of me was always destined to be a litigator by trade because I got to use words to tell a story, to pull on the emotions of people, and yes often to get the last word! I also found that words were important with my love affair with jewelry and gifts and clothes. Much of items you find at http://www.bdazzledjewels.com/ are filled with messages. Stationery with cute phrases, pads of paper, shirts.

I love scouring gift shows and accessory shows and am always fascinated by the creative side of the designers and never more so than when I see a display with quotes and words and images that pull me in and on some level resonate my own story.

So here are two of my new favorites. Lizzy Flannigan at Pieces of a Girl has the most beautiful necklaces, each simple and delicate but full of inspiration and hope and truth. I love selling her pieces because they translate to so many girls and women and to their stories in life. Another love of mine is Ben's Garden! His decoupaged trinket trays carrying phrases in vintage typeface are so delicate and special and I am so happy when a customer picks one up and just "gets it" right away!

So I hope you enjoy the two phrases that i've added to this post and that they stop and make you think and make you smile and fill you with hope, even if for just a moment!

What to do on Easter if you are Jewish

It's easter sunday in Miami, well actually it's easter sunday everywhere! Every year I find that we forget most things are closed on Easter, it is of course a huge holiday to the majority of the world. As jews, we are used to Christmas, it's movies, chinese food and friends.

Here in Miami, if you are lucky and its a sunny day, it's pool or the beach. I have also found that Borders is open and so is Whole Foods. Movies are a good option too! Restaurants, last year surprisingly PF Changs was packed with people!

The bad news is, no days off until Memorial Day! At least then everything is open!

Once in ahile

I like TV, even more so now that TIVO exists. It relaxes me after a long day at work, it brings me back to the days of college since I can still watch mindless Melrose Place, and relate to gossip girl, epecially late at night when i'm having trouble sleeping!

There are a few shows, that actually make me stop and think. They make me think not so much because of the storyline but but from a brief interaction among characters or from words to a song or for a proposition that they stand for. They remind me to be the best person that I can be, to stop and breathe and not sweat the small stuff when I seem so caught up in it.

The Good Wife is beautifully written, and one scene in particular really reminds me of why I chose to become a litigator. A firm lawyer is in federal court and he is out of his comfort zone, he appears before a Judge who is rarely reversed. The Judge is smart enough to know that if she does not rule on objections, then there can be no appeal since there is no ruling. The lawyer has done his homework and pushes in court to get a ruling and not let things continue on status quo.

It's a powerful scene, although maybe only to those who litigate and appear before Judges who have similar traits. The message to me comes through loud and clear, don't accept things just because they are, fight for what needs to be fought for, don't be afraid of the tough battles.

Parenthood is a new show that is also very moving but the best part of the show for me is the credits which roll accompanied by Bob Dylan's Forever Young. The song so powerful and true and such a reminder of how to live life! So, here's the lyrics for you:


May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.

May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young
,Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

Copyright © 1973 by Ram's Horn Music; renewed 2001 by Ram’s Horn Music

Moxie the Dog

Many, many years ago long before my husband and I were even thinking about having children, we adopted a wonderful dog. She was a precious beagle/daschund mix that a dear friend dubbed a Rare Himalyan Deagle. She was an AMAZING dog. She died a year ago last August. For several months now, my husband and the children, occasionally have been trying to talk me into getting a new dog. I resisted. Arguing that I didn't need anything else in the house to clean up after and take care of. It was my mantra.

But Saturday, I took a temporary leave of my senses and suggested to my husband that we go and take a look at a dog some neighbors had taken in and now were trying to find a home for. Needless to say, one look at that sweet face and it was all over.

We called her Sweetie for a few days, but I realized that not only did it not really fit, but couldn't imagine 10+ years of calling the dog Sweetie. And so, Sweetie became Moxie. And for better or for worse she has come to stay.

She got a great report from the vet, and as soon as she stops chewing on everything, I think we'll have a wonderful relationship. But I will say this, it is nice to have a dog in the house again.

cupcakes are the new taco's

So i've always been a salt over sugar girl, chips to cookies any day! A few summers ago a friend of mine went to visit a friend who was renting a house in Malibu. That was the beginning of the end of salt! She came back with tales of karoake and cocktails and days on the beach with afternoon massages followed by trips to http://www.sprinkles.com/ . That sparked my interest and thus began my internet hunt for cupcakes. Her second trip to Malibu had stories of fancier houses, jewelry parties hosted by famous people and even better cupcakes at http://www.crumbs.com/ . Now CRUMBS was attainable, they shipped, they had stores in NY, NJ and CT.

A business trip last october took me to Orange County and I myself had the chance to experience SPRINKLES. Every cupcake has sprinkles on top! They were good and I enjoyed! Another friend traveled to NY, prior to her second baby being born and sent me picture mail, there it was the CRUMBS awning, (Just a little mean) she and her husband came home with tales of amazing red velvet cupcakes. On a trip to NY in January I finally convinced a friend she had to drive me to CRUMBS, (on my previous trip she insisted on http://www.browniepoints.com/ in the Short Hills Mall, NO COMPARISON at all! I picked up a 6 pack and brought home for a friend or two! I've been back to NY and tasted S'mores, devils food and a wannabe hostess!

Last week an elementary school friend started to post about cupcakes and then I saw her link about a new item in D.C. http://www.curbsidecupcakes.com/ and thought to myself, now that's a good one, a cupcake delivery truck, especially in a city like DC! Then i found http://www.daintycakesla.com/ which travels around Los Angeles!

For the love of g-d i've tasted the cupcakes here in Miami, mostly baked with a Latin flavor, send us something better soon!

And here we go

So, that's an interesting coincidence. That Robin is serving as president of her condo board, and I am about 6 weeks away from being installed as PTA president. Hmmm.

Anyway, I am already dealing with my first challenge. There is a mom who has volunteered to chair the big fundraiser, and she is the ONLY person who has expressed interest in this position. So, what's the problem, right? Well, let's just say she hasn't been the easiest person to work with in the past. She actually told me that she likes to work alone and doesn't like to ask permission for things that she wants to do, and she has no interest in participating in board meetings, which IS a requirement of the position.

So, we are having discussions. I am trying to see if I can get some commitments from her that she is willing to operate under the guidelines and policies that EVERYONE else is bound by. I really don't want to tell her "No thanks. I'll find someone else." 1. There is no one else. 2. I don't think that's good "politics."

Oy! What have I gotten myself into.

I know there is a lesson somewhere to be learned!

Patience is not my virtue, i'm terrible in traffic, long lines at the pharmacy counter make me insane and stupidty! Lately i've been tested by the challenge of being the president of the board of directors of my condominum association. I KNOW, I KNOW, I deserve every horrible thing that comes with the job for agreeing to it!
Now the job itself isn't that hard, i've done it before and with experience and age, i know to ask a lot of questions regarding budgets, monthly reports, and i've learned that when there is a subject I don't know a lot about to invite a very seasoned board member to get involved. I am wise enough that in this uncertain economic time we don't spend like drunken sailors and that we prioritize. I have 2 members of this board who really are on my last nerve. I don't begrudge the board members that are on the board and need to be explained 100 times what our governing documents require to change things, they mean well. What does drive me nuts are the ones that comes in and wantsto be the monday morning quarter back, wans to make NEW AND IMPROVED the motto, of course the new and improved only has to do with things that they thinks are important.
These are the same board members who don't bother to check their mail in the office for a month and then complain that they too have a roofing contractor who could submit a proposal. Or the guy who thinks the association should pay him for his office furniture and spend money to make the floor and walls of the loading docks travertine! Here's what these board members haven't asked, what is our annual budget, what amount of money goes into our monthly continegency account, how many unit owners are behind on maintenance and what are we doing to correct the problem, what are the ways in which we can bring in money if possible.
I'm trying so hard to hold my tongue, to not let my head explode at a board meeting when they want to talk about moving the gym into the recreation room so that they can look out onto the pool deck. JOIN A FREAKIN GYM you cheap bastard!
But, i think the lesson i'm learning is that good things come to those who wait and when I sit at the meetings and stay calm and they start talking and the whole room is chuckling at their nonsense I realize that at the end of the day, at least for this term logic and practicality will prevail!

Less is More in so many ways!

Less is More really holds true on so many levels. First, less is more always when it comes to clothes and shoes and bags. I mean, i'd much rather have less crap and more of the good stuff! Think expensive shoes, good black dress and bag, beautiful pearls and a pair of fab boots.

But less is more holds true to purge the extra in your life that really doesn't give you much. Recently I parted with a friend, actually let me rephrase that, we had been friends, the kind who laughed, went to dinner, shopped. And then that friend did something that really clued me in that we weren't friends, and that's ok, but when I realized I wasn't getting much out of the situation and that all she really created for me was work, I was honest enough to say, maybe we shouldn't be friends because really its just a facade.

So here's to cleaning out your closets and looking at your list of friends and remembering its quality in life that matters in all aspects, not quantity!

News from Liz

I agreed to be PTA president next year. That should give me a lot to write about.

New Things i find FAB

Happy 2010! From time to time I find new and fabulous sites that I think are either hip and creative or are selling something good that I want to touch or taste or try!

so here is my first list!

www.crumbs.com the best cupcakes ever

www.milkandkrunchies.com i so want to taste these

www.kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com her stuff looks super cool and I wish i had creative in my bones!

I'll admit i'm a blogger stalker! I've found a few blogs and I'm just addicted to them, i'm hoping that someone out there feels that way about me!