a Sweet Life Saga

I know you expected something scandalous as a follow-up to the photo I posted on Tuesday, but if you recall, I mentioned I would start with something small and work up to the really juicy stuff!  You know, sort of like an ice cream cone.  Hmmm, but the good stuff is never at the end of an ice cream cone, it is always at the beginning.  Well, never mind with that analogy.  Regardless, I will be starting with the non-juicy stories...you can read it or turn a deaf ear.  Another poor analogy, but stick with me.  It will be worth it when you finally get the story that goes with the photo.  :-) Below is something Monica wrote about our girlfriend group, the Real Magnolias.  No, I don't have written permission to publish the stories the other girlfriends wrote, but they should have known back when they gave them to me that their writings were not for their eyes only.  Here's what Monica, aka The Czar, aka Arrington, had to say about us: ...

Now, let me preface this by saying I should be packing! However, it is difficult (closer to pert near impossible -- yes, Southerners can say "pert near" and get away with it) to stay focused when I have so many memories running through my head. It doesn't help that the "O-fficial Real Magnolia Blackmail Book" is laying open beside me begging me to turn each page and have a good laugh or cry, whichever is more convenient for that memory. I feel that I should start with something slow and easy and then work up to the stuff that will make you fall out of your chair laughing. And if you don't fall out of your chair, that's your own fault and you have no sense of humor. Because every single time o ne of us discussed any of our Real Magnolia events, we fell out of our chairs and still do!! It just can't be helped! Regardless of your sense of humor, or lack thereof, the most important thing you should remember is that there ARE photos. In order to ...

Over the past 7 years, my life has twisted and turned, taking many different paths.  In 2001, my oldest son graduated high school.  In 2003, he moved 9 hours away from home.  In 2004, I buried the man I was married to for almost 25 years.  In 2005, my oldest son got married.  In 2006, my youngest son had an aortic root transplant.  In May 2008, my youngest son graduated high school and in July 2008 I remarried.  That was a busy year!  :-)  In July 2009, my sweet little granddaughter was born.  Through all of those major life events, my girlfriends were there. Many years ago, we formed our little group and called ourselves the Real Magnolias (after a book written by Becky Freemen).  We had monthly events where we would meet in our homes for some outrageous theme party or go out to dinner.  Dressing up, acting silly and calling major attention to ourselves was always the norm for us.  Occasionally, we would take our show on...

Well, here we are.  It is the day after Christmas.  The big finale is over.  You're sitting on the sofa looking at all the toys and boxes strewn about.  The Christmas tree is waiting to be shot -- to be put out of its misery.  Your brain is weary and your eyes hurt.  While you are breathing a sigh of relief about having survived yet another Christmas, you suddenly realize the next holiday is right around the corner.  You break out in a cold sweat, dread envelops you and tightens it's icy hand around your throat.  What are you going to do and when will you have time to do it?  Do what you ask??  Why write out your New Year's Resolutions of course! Ahhh, the loathsome list of New Year's Resolutions!  People try to avoid this task almost as much as standing in line at Walmart on Christmas Eve!  You try to relax again telling yourself not to worry...that you can skip it this year to give yourself a break.  After all, didn't y...

O Holy Night is one of my most favorite traditional Christmas songs.  It just gives me chills.  However, not just anyone can sing this song. Charlotte Church gives it a good shot, but the best rendition, hands down....Luciano Pavarotti.  Since I couldn't find a good Pavarotti performance of the song on YouTube, my readers will have to settle for a version recorded by Josh Groban. Take a look at the lyrics: O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! O hear the angels' voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born; O night divine, O night, O night Divine. Noël, Noël, O Night, O Night Divine. I'm just sayin',

In honor of the old man in the famous red suit, I decided to post the letter and response from The New York Sun , 1897: We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: Dear Editor— I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? Virginia O’Hanlon Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe unless they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men or children, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of gras...

....Martha Stewart.  I used to love her, subscribe to her magazine and watch her show as often as I could.  Now, she nor her current show appeals to me.  And no, it has nothing to do with her stint in jail.  I like lots of people who have been in jail; unfortunately, I just can't think of their names right now. I don't like her because she is rude and obnoxious to the guests on her show.  On her previous show, she wasn't in front of a studio audience and she treated her guests kindly, or at least it appeared that way.  But now, she interrupts them mid-sentence, talks over them while they are talking or just takes over their spot altogether.  Recently, and I use this term loosely as it could have been 4 months ago, she had Johnny Knoxville as a guest.  She told him since he took the city where he was born as his last name (Knoxville), she wanted to quiz him to see exactly how much he knew about Knoxville.  Well, he wasn't able to answer most...

So, last night we decided to take the boys to see Elf at the Alabama Theatre . For those of you who have never been to the Alabama Theatre, you are missing a treat! The Alabama Theatre was built in 1927 by Paramount Studios to showcase Paramount films. In 1987 the owners declared bankruptcy. Fortunately, it was purchased by Birmingham Landmarks, Inc. and was lovingly restored to its original grandeur. I was telling my husband tha t the last time I was at the Alabama Theatre was to see the movie Animal House (when it was originally released). I had a date with a college guy and after the movie we went to a party, Toga at that, held at his fraternity house. The main thing I remember was (1) the boy -- he was popular, cute and drove an awesome car and (2) everything was so filthy in that house I wouldn't touch a thing (have I mentioned I'm a bit obsessive/compulsive and a neat-freak??). I didn't really remember much about the movie or the theater...guess the filthy ho...

While I have many wonderful memories of Christmas past, one of my favorites is the year we held our extended family Christmas party at the bake shop where my grandmother worked.  My grandmother could bake like nobody's business.  One year, I was running for Homecoming Queen (I was in 5th grade) and sold her lemon meringue pies to everyone in the neighborhood.  She baked them all at our house and I delivered them fresh out of the oven.  Lemon meringue pie....I can still smell those pies baking.  You might say "there's nothing special about that", but anyone who bakes knows that making a killer meringue is something that takes years to perfect....soft peaks, browned ever so lightly...but I digress. So, this particular year we held the party at the bake shop, well I didn't, but the family did...you get what I mean.  Me and my sisters sported our new "midi dresses" (something wildly popular in the late sixties) and white boots....yes, that is what I said, ...

Birmingham is known for many things.  Unfortunately, most of those things are not positive aspects of the city.  Last week, we were able to add another smudge to the already tarnished name of the Magic City.  The headlines read " Copper Thieves Burn Down City of Birmingham's Christmas Tree ".  Whoever you are, was that really necessary???  I know the holidays tend to make everyone desperate for money (or for drugs - depending on how you celebrate), but to burn down the city's Christmas tree!!!!???!!!  Unbelievable!!! I'm just sayin',

Engaged - A Wedding Library is a great business in the Homewood area. They help brides prepare for their BIG day! Preparing for a wedding is a massive undertaking, so why not let the professionals assist you and eliminate some of your stress.   On Monday, my husband and I attended a holiday Professional Wedding Guild Luncheon held to benefit Pathways (a United Way agency that aids homeless women and children). I've provided links to both businesses above. Please take a moment to follow those links and read about them. Find out if there is a way you can help Pathways continue providing the services they offer to women and children in need. I'm just sayin',

A headline I read this evening said,  " Experts say watch out for cold temps ."  Really??!!  Like it hasn't been cold for the past few days.  What different temperature do I need to watch out for?  These "experts" go on to advise us to wear a hat and warm shoes out in the cold.  As opposed to what, no hat and cold shoes?  Bermuda shorts and a tube top?  Baby, it's cold outside.  I'm going to bundle up like I live on the tip of an iceberg at all times.  I think all people with a little common sense will do the same! Who writes this stuff??!! I'm just sayin',

It is officially the first snowfall of the season!!  I've always wanted to say that but living in Alabama, there aren't many "seasons" of snow here. And, given that I do live in Alabama, by the time I finish typing this short blog, the first official snowfall of the season will be over!  :-( Enjoy it while it's here folks.  It may be the only one this winter!! I'm just sayin',

While we all want to believe this is true, it really isn't the most wonderful time of the year for some. Yes, everyone's heart seems to be a bit lighter and most days, there seems to be a general happiness in the air. However, if you look into the faces of those you see while out and about, you won't see alot of happiness there. Sadness and despair cloud the eyes of many. The other night, while picking up a few things at the store, an incident took place that I'm still unable to get out of my mind. My husband and I were going through the aisles selecting what we needed. I saw a man who looked a bit scruffy and dirty, as if he just got off work, not from the cushy desk job but from a job where he gets dirty on a regular basis. With him was a little girl who appeared to be about 4 years old. Instead of placing things in his hand-held basket, he was putting food items back on the shelf. Now there were very few items in his basket to begin with, some tuna, cracker...

I am not a traditional person.  My husband is not a traditional person. Therefore, it would stand to reason that Christmas decor and celebrations around our house are not traditional.  Our Christmas tree this year is white with black ornaments.  Gifts (actually empty boxes right now) are wrapped in black and white polka dot paper.  White boxes are tied with black tuille and ribbons.  The mantel is decorated with white garland, white twinkle lights, white and off-white candles/candlesticks and a few black ornaments scattered here and there.  You can see some of both in this Lipstick Legend portrait.  Our favorite Christmas movie of all time is not the traditional White Christmas or It's a Wonderful Life .  Nope, not for us.  Our favorite Christmas movie of all time, A Christmas Story ...the wonderful tale of Ralphie and his quest for an "Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle with a compass in the stock an...

The turkey that is!  To quote a line from my most favorite Christmas movie of all time, A Christmas Story , "the heavenly aroma still hung heavy in the house, but it was gone, all gone! No turkey! No turkey sandwiches, no turkey salad, no turkey gravy, turkey hash, turkey a la king, or gallons of turkey soup! Gone, all gone !"  You have to watch the clip to appreciate the meaning behind No Turkey!!  Start at the 6:20 mark!! The Thanksgiving turkey is officially gone, gone, gone!! I'm just sayin',

Now that the Iron Bowl has officially been laid to rest (as crazy as it sounds, I believe that I am the only person in the country who did NOT watch it -- even though I bleed Crimson), it is time to move on to the sight, sounds, tastes and smells of the winter holidays. One of the most wonderful things about cold weather, besides snow (which we do not get often living here in the deep south) is hot chocolate!  I LOVE hot chocolate.  And recently, I found the bestest (yes it IS a word) and most wonderful recipe for homemade hot chocolate.  It tastes divine and makes you feel so warm and incredible inside you will want to snuggle with perfect strangers!  How's that for some Christmas spirit!!  :-) It is called.....Let It Snow Cocoa in the Homemade Christmas Cookbook from Gooseberry Patch.  Before the cold weather goes away (which will probably be next week, again, given that we live in the south and Spring can spring at any given time of the year), you must...

Well, it is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the season!  Once we get home and unload all the goodies we've acquired during the day, all we want to do is rest and recover....and eat some leftover turkey! According to the National Sleep Foundation, most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.  Not getting enough sleep has been linked to health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, negative moods and behavior and decreased productivity. Here are a few tips to help you establish and maintain good sleep habits: Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. (Sounds good in theory but is quite impossible to do, unless you are a robot) Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine, such as soaking in a hot bath or listening to soothing music. (WHO has TIME to soak in a hot bath!!) Keep work materials, computer, and television out of the sleeping environment. (But how do I entertain myself until I fall aslee...

For me....'cause I need it for a Lipstick Legends Santa Baby photo shoot!  :-) I believe the Christmas season has officially kicked in.  I have seen more than my fair share of homes sporting Christmas decorations this week.  And, to be honest, my home is included.  I decorated early to gear up for Christmas portraits!  Below is a sneak peek from a Lipstick Legends Santa Baby shoot! Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree for me, I've been an awful good girl, Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight... I'm just sayin',

Why is it that some of the hardest words for us to say are “thank you”, especially when things aren’t going well in our lives? Why is it we only tell God thank you when all is right in our lives?  It’s easy to tell God thank you when we are sitting on the mountaintop all happy and smiley-faced, but what about when we are in the valley, sad and defeated?  We don’t even think about saying thank you to Him. When our burdens are heavy, we forget about the wonderful blessings He’s given us and are angry about the troubles we face.   All we can see is our present  darkness.  But we should give thanks to God for all of our circumstances, not just the good times.  Even though we can’t see it at the time, there is always  a positive force in our trials — God.   We should make it a habit to say thank you to Him for trying times, as well as good times.  First Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in ALL circumstances, not just the go...

I love this quote, "When God created man to desire companionship, he didn’t take a rib and turn it into a Wi-fi signal." This is from an article I read about our addictions to social networking, specifically, Facebook.  I've attached the link to Social Media Addict seeks Connection, Escape .  Hopefully, it will cause each one of us to take a step back and look at others in a different light and possibly offer them more than a "friend request".  While I don't play Farmville or any of the other games offered on Facebook, I do understand how one can lose track of time while on the internet.  It seems to be the shiny coin we can't seem to pull ourselves away from. The story about the 22 year-old mother who killed her baby over a Farmville game is mortifying and shocking.  But equally disturbing to me was the photo in the article...our household looks just like that sometimes.  Today's quality family time is spent on computers or in front of some gamin...

Yeah, yeah, I know the title is a song by Toby Keith, I think.  I must confess -- I don't listen to alot of country music.  Well, actually, I don't listen to it at all, unless it is Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard.  :-)  But I know most of the performer's names even though I don't know their songs.  However, I digress.  This blog isn't about Toby Keith or his song...it is about becoming a woman of ACTION!  A re you a woman of talk or action?  We all say things we are going to do — pray for someone, take a meal to a friend in need, send a card, make a phone call — and we honestly have good intentions, but most of the time, we never follow through. I recently read a short story about Bob Dahlgren.  Do you recognize the name?  I had never heard of him until I read his story.  He died quite a few years ago at the age of 52.  His death doesn’t affect us in any way, but to James Brady, it was a deep-felt loss.  You ...