Bridal Shower Boardwalk Style!!

This post is long overdue.  One would think that being a teacher and having the summers off would free up a lot of time for blogging.  Unfortunately, I have been planning countless parties and yet another bridal shower, which has left little time for my writing desires.

Anyway, this shower I am presenting to you now was for my cousin, Heather, who is actually getting married in a little less than two weeks (in Florida, which will be wonderful!).  She got engaged to her fiance, Jake, in Cape May, which is a boardwalk town.  Lisa, one of the matrons of honor, (the other being me) came up with the idea to use the boardwalk as a theme for the bridal shower.  GENIUS!! Or so we thought.  I went to Pinterest to find some cool boardwalk ideas.  I suppose some think that "boardwalk" is synonymous with "carnival," so needless to say, I got a lot of carnival ideas that were less than fancy enough for a bridal shower.  So, needless to say, we have to start from scratch.  Heather, the bride-to-be, is not a particularly traditional bride.  She is fun-loving and playful, so I wanted to use those elements in the shower.

The Food:

The food was the easiest part of the shower.  Thinking about the boardwalks I have been to (Ocean City, Rehobeth, Virginia Beach), I imagined the store fronts that line the wooden walkway, usually selling popcorn, sweets, barbeque, sandwiches, and french fries.  Inspired by those store fronts, I create fake store names and printables, which I put in frames and placed around each "store's" food.

The first was Lisa's Sweet Shoppe.  I named it that because Lisa was inspired to make some delicious custard cupcakes for the shower.  In Lisa's Sweet Shoppe, we had the custard cupcakes, peanuts, apothecary jars filled with gumdrops, homemade mini pretzels, and little triangles of kettle corn (a BIG hit with our smaller guests).  My aunt found the small plastic beach bins at her local Christmas store, which I have been told is "like the Dollar Tree on steroids" (her words exactly).  They were extremely cheap and could be reusable.

Next, we had Surfer Sammy's Sub Shop.  In the interest of time, we decided to buy $5 foot longs from Subway and just cut them into small finger sandwiches.  This turned out to be very helpful and easy.

Another shop was Sweet Baby's BBQ.  We wanted something really authentically boardwalk, yet something with a large quantity, since we were feeding 30 people.  We decided on BBQ.  We picked up BBQ pulled chicken and coleslaw from our local Red, Hot, and Blue and bought our own buns, since we wanted a smaller size than the ones provided by the restaurant.  Heather's aunt from her mother's side made an excellent Three Bean Baked Beans, which were amazing!

We had a lot of hearty food and we wanted to do something a little lighter.  We wanted to incorporate a salad and some fruit, so I decided to make a store front printable for a Farmer's Market.  We made a delicious BLT salad and had two fruit trays from Whole Foods.

The Drinks:

I was kind of at a stand-still when it came to the drinks.  I knew that we would have the typical bottled water and soda, but I wanted to incorporate something that was uniquely Boardwalk as a signature drink.  I thought, "How about lemonade?"  Who has ever been to a boardwalk that doesn't have a lemonade stand somewhere?  So I made a store front printable for Rascal's Lemonade and Corn Dog Stand.  Lemonade and Corn Dogs, you may wonder.  Well, to me, the boardwalk is always filled with restaurants and stores that always have a random mix of things, so I concocted Rascal's.  For the non-drinkers, we had raspberry and regular lemonade, which we simply made using Crystal Light Powder packets.  For the adventurous drinks, we had Spiked Arnold Palmer, which is a concoction of half a handle of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, a pint of fresh brewed tea, two containers of Simply Lemonade, and a lot of ice.  I had many people asking me for the recipe before they left.  It is a good choice, especially for those who don't like the "alcohol" taste.  Of course, we also had to make pigs in a blanket to represent our "corn dogs."  Those acted as an appetizer of sorts.

The Decor:

The decor was the hardest part to do.  How does one incorporate boardwalk without spending an arm and a leg?  I thought out incorporating the wood from the boardwalk.  I used that as a centerpiece.  I purchased two fencing boards from my local Lowe's for a whopping total of $3.42.  I had one of the workers cut the board into thirds, so they would be a good centerpiece size.  They were typical fresh wood yellow and I wanted them to look more aged and weathered, like wood from a boardwalk.  When I got home, I put some steel wool in vinegar overnight.  The next day, I brushed the vinegar substance on my planks and let them sit outside for a day.  That night, I let some tea seep all night long. The next morning, I took my tea and brushed it on the wood.  That process allowed me to achieve the weathered look I wanted.  Since we were only using three tables for seating, I only needed three centerpiece planks.  I decided to write words on the planks, which, when all three planks are put together, state a love quote  (SSSShhhh, I am giving them the wooden planks put together as a wedding present that they can put on their wall).  

I knew I wanted to put a mason jar filled with oranges and white flowers on each the planks, but I felt they needed something else.  While at my local AC Moore, I found some mini Adirondack chairs.  I thought they would be perfect.  I bought six (two per table) and spray painted them teal, since the colors of our shower were teal and orange.  It ended up working perfectly.  

Lisa also added a beautiful touch to the shower by purchasing this pennant banner for the wall.  

The shower turned out to be so wonderful and everything I expected.  I can't wait to see how this wedding will turn out.  I know it will be beautiful, and I must admit I am looking forward to the mini vacation.  Until next time...

Bridal Shower Brunch Ideas

This year is the year for weddings.  If you have ever been apart of a wedding, you know that means it is also the season for bridal showers, bachelorette festivities, bridal luncheons, etc.  The list could go on forever.  It was two years ago next month that one of my best friends from childhood, Courtney, along with her mother, threw me a beautiful bridal shower!  When Courtney got engaged, it was a "no brainer" that my mom and I would return the favor.  The bridal shower took place in my mom's Alexandria home, where both Courtney and I grew up, along with the other core members of our group of friends, who were also in attendance.  Growing up in the "mixing bowl" of the Washington DC area, it is not a surprise that my little group of friends is also a mixing bowl.  We all have very different personalities, but not so different that we are like oil and water.  We all seem to blend, like water and sugar, despite our differences.  Courtney is one friend who has always been very "classic."  She is straight-forward, elegant, and practical.  When planning her shower, my mom and I knew that we would have to incorporate all of her into it.  We decided to go with a formal brunch theme, which turned out to be amazing.

~THE DRINKS~
The star of the brunch, besides Courtney, was the mimosa bar.  I bought glass milk containers, like the ones you see at the left.  They add a nice touch and can be found at Ikea or online for relatively cheap ($3.99/bottle).  I filled them with four different juices: Strawberry Guava nectar (Giant), Cranberry Pomegranate juice (Giant), Orange Juice (Trader Joe's), and Orange Peach Mango juice (Trader Joe's).  The Orange Peach Mango and Strawberry Guava were the biggest hits.

We also got the champagne and prosecco from Trader Joe's, which was very tasty and not super expensive, since we needed a lot of bottles!! :)  You can see the prosecco we used (The picture was taken from a different website.  I do not own rights to the picture).  We used various types of champagne, just to test them out.  I know one of them was "Bubbles."  I am not sure what the others were.

For the non-drinkers, we also provided cucumber diffused water, unsweetened iced tea, and a carafe of lemonade.  After gifts were opened and games were played, we had a coffee and tea spread for everyone.


~THE FOOD~

My mom and I went back and forth on the menu so many times...it was ridiculous.  Brunch is difficult because you don't want to make it completely breakfast or completely lunch, so here was what we did:
Spinach Quiche and Quiche Lorraine, which we figured would be our "breakfast" item.  To conserve time, we decided not to make them (though they don't take a super long time to make).  We went to the prepared foods/deli section of the local Giant and got the quiches from there.  I have had some pretty well made quiches in my day, and I have to say that these were fabulous.  It was surprisingly difficult to find whole quiches, not just the appetizer-sized ones, so I was nervous to purchase prior to researching ratings and reviews.  Thank goodness the were amazing and the guests raved about them!

We also had chicken salad sandwiches on croissants, which kind of crossed between lunch and breakfast.  THIS recipe for chicken salad is one of the best ones I have ever had.  It is extremely easy and should be prepared ahead of time, which makes the day-of event much less stressful.  If you want to make it even easier, you can used canned chicken, which I often do when I am making it for myself at home.






Courtney and I used to have basketball practice every week in middle school.  Our moms would take turns bringing us to and from practice.  Before each practice, we would be treated to dinner at La Madeleine French restaurant in Old Town Alexandria.  One of our favorite dishes to get was Strawberries Romanoff, which is basically strawberries with a delicious creamy sauce with bourbon in it (very little).  We decided we had to have a fruit and since it is both classy and sentimental, Strawberries Romanoff was the best choice.  Here is the copycat recipe.

We decided we should also have a light salad.  At a girls getaway weekend my mom had with her friends at the beach, she tried a Caribbean shrimp salad.  She thought this would be a perfect addition to our bridal brunch menu.  A wonderful blend of lime, mango, jicama, and pineapple juice, this cold served, which should be served over a piece of lettuce, was a wonderful piece of our menu.  Not only was it delicious, it was refreshing and colorful.  The recipe can be found HERE.

Some other items on our menu included a bread tray, which contained an assortment of breads and scones from Trader Joe's, and cupcakes made one of my best friends Amanda.  The best things on the bread tray was the orange cranberry scones from Trader Joe's.  The rest of the bread, while good, were not touched due to the fact that people were so full from the rest of the food.  Amanda made an assortment of cupcakes, as well.  She tied in our brunch theme with mimosa cupcakes and "24 CARROT" cupcakes.  They were both delicious!!

~THE GAMES and PRIZES~

My job for the shower was mainly to get the games and prizes together.  The key to a good bridal shower is to make sure that you have enough games, without having too many.  I decided that three games would be just enough for this event.  The first game, which can be found in many bridal shower books, was what I called Celebrity Spouses.  Most of the books tell you to place the names on people's backs and have the couples "find each other" at the shower.  I, personally, don't like games like that.  My husband says it is because I hate people, but it is really just because I am a little more reserved than some.  I decided to simply make a printable for the game, requiring guest to match the famous women with their male counterparts.  Please feel free to use the printable.  I did a mix, since we had a mix if ages and interests at the party.  It was HILARIOUS seeing the guests try to figure it out.

The second game came to me in a dream...not really.  My husband and I watch Chopped all the time and I randomly thought one day- how could I make this into a game for my students?  Well...it didn't quite work out as a game for my students, but it did work out as a game for the bridal shower.  So, for those of you who don't know about the show Chopped, basically, four different chefs are given baskets that contain four random ingredients.  The challenge is for the chefs to make something with ALL of the items in the basket, transforming them into a delicious dish.  For the bridal shower, we changed the show concept slightly so that it fit into the whole "wedding" theme.  Everyone worked in pairs, giving us 6 teams.  I didn't want to store baskets anywhere after the shower, so I decided to use recycle shopping bags from Harris Teeter, in which I put the ingredients.  Rather than have the teams work to make a delicious meal, their objective was to make a signature drink for the bride and groom with the ingredients in the bag.  The only had 10 minutes to make the drink and give it a name.  In the show, the contestants are also able to use the "pantry" of items in the studio.  The guests for the game used the mimosa bar as their pantry if they needed any additional ingredients.  Once I explained all of this to the teams, I announced, "Open your baskets/bags," signaling them to begin.  They began pulling out the mystery ingredients, which included mini bottles of Burnett's Strawberry Banana vodka, pixie sticks, Pineapple Coconut sparkling water, and tropical fruit cocktail cups.  The teams were able to mix their drinks in a large cup and test their products using straws.  Once they achieved their final product, they poured it into three shot glasses, to be tested by the three judges- the bride (Courtney), mother of the bride, and the grandmother of the bride.  To say it was hilarious would be understatement.  Teams worked rigorously to create their products.

The last game, The Price is Right, we played was during the gift opening.  I was inspired by playing a similar game at a baby shower.  To prepare, I purchased some things for the bride, some of which were on her registry and some that were not.  They all HAVE to be from the same store, or else it might be problematic.  I created a printable that had the list of the items I purchased.  The goal in the game was for people to guess how much each item cost. The person with the total closest to the actual total wins the game.  It was a fun game.  People were really surprised at how much things cost!  Please feel free to use the printable.


For prizes, I did giveaway bags.  For the celebrity game, I did a "movie" bag, stuffed with popcorn, mini cans of Sprite, and a gift card for Redbox, which has to be purchased online.  For the Chopped game, I gave a bag to each member of the team.  Each bag contained orange juice, champagne, and a stemless wine glass.  Lastly, for the Price is Right, we did a relaxation bag, complete with Lollia fragrances and lotions, cupcake bath beads, and a candle.

This shower was so much fun!  I could not have been more pleased.  I can't wait until my other friends get married and I will get to plan a shower for them!! Stay tuned...next month we will be hosting a "boardwalk-themed" bridal shower.  Should be fabulous!!

My New Poem

Poetry has always been cathartic for me.  While I do not feel I am a natural Langston Hughes, by any means, I always like to write poems to release my emotions to the "universe." Wow- that sounded super emo.  Anyways, please enjoy.

Love’s Garden

In the budding of life, love was family. 

New parents trying to do the right thing.  Cry. Laugh. Hug.

It was new words and first steps, long nights and songs to sleep.

Growing.

In Kindergarten, love was friends.

Coloring blank canvas adorned with sketches of cartoons. Nap. Play. Run.

It was play-do shapes and imaginary games, playing house in the sand box.

            Growing.

In elementary school, love was learning.

Desks in organized rows like patches of grass separating city streets. Organized. Homework. Backpack.

It was having the box of crayons with the sharpener, diagramming sentences into distorted stick figures.

            Growing.

In middle school, love was caddy.

Whispers behind backs of friends.  Fight. Choke. Façade.

It was sitting at the right lunch table, “you’re poor- lunch in a plastic bag?” she said. 

            Growing.

In high school, love was unrequited. 

Heart flutters and butterflies to look at you. Ignoring the reality. Deception. Forgiveness. Naive.

It was in the form of an old Cadillac and slow songs, shoulders of friends wiping away tears.

            Growing.

In college, love was freedom.

Thousands of ants scattering to-and-fro, searching for themselves. Happiness. Adulthood. Change.

It was no classes on Friday, parties in the Webb. Some fair-weather friends- come and gone.

            Growing.

In marriage, love was unconditional.

Flaws become perfection. Made in His likeness for each other. One. Friendship. Family.

Walking down an aisle to pledge forever, patience and kindness guiding us through life.

            Growing.

In death, love is remembrance.

Memories kept safe in your legacy. Stories past down from year to year. Eternal. Treasure. Recollect.

Live life well- to have lessons learned. Immortalize the mark you left on the world.

A Lesson from Aristotle

"The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal." - Aristole

One thing I love to see in the morning is students walking into my class.  It is, however brief, a moment that they are all equal.  If you look at their faces, they can tell you, nonverbally, about everything they're thinking.  You can tell what kind of day they're going to have, how well they will participate, or whether they haven't taken their medicine.  Teaching 7th graders is even easier because along with their facial expressions are loud sounds of either joy or agony coming from their mouths.  Today, I knew, as soon my students walked in, it was not going to be the best day.  They all filed in quickly, as they know not being in the seat by the bell is almost punishable by death (joking, of course).  Most of them were smiling, asking me whether we would continue reading "Out of the Dust."  Their smiles faded when I said, "No."  Then it hit- like a smell as you're walking by a sewer.  All of the happiness that was in the classroom had by sucked out.  My tallest student, a young man with a typically cheery affect walked into the room with the scowl meaner then Mr. Scrooge's (before he met the ghosts).  "Good morning," my co-teacher said to him as he walked in the door.  He looked at her with a blank expression and proceeded to his seat in silence. 

"What in the..." I was thinking, but decided to let it go.  "Maybe something bad happened on the bus," I thought to myself and moved along with the lesson.  I quickly noticed by his less than usual attitude towards work that today was not going to be a good day.  I knew why he was mad.  This past weekend, after warning him numerous times about his off-topic conversations as his group was trying to conduct literature circles, I called home and expressed concern.  Now he was in trouble, and he thought not doing anything in class and ignoring his teachers was going to make me pay for it.  (Kids are so funny!)  Needless to say, before class was over, I decided to talk to him, one-on-one, to get him back on track.

  

I must preface this next part by saying that, since moving from my old school district, where students would attack teachers and other students (verbally and physically), to my new district, I believe that my students are angelic.  They are typical middle school students who might get a little off topic, act strangely, and exhibit crazy behaviors, but for the most part, are kind to me and each other, and have NEVER, EVER been disrespectful.  With that being said, I immediately started to see shades of my past school when conversing with this student.  While maintaining a fine line between respect and utter disrespect, he made his point quite clear- he thought I was being "unfair," and that is why he had an attitude.  He said it was "unfair" that he was the only one punished when another boy was talking just as much as he was. Parents and teachers alike know that "unfair" is a word that kids just have a magnetic draw to by the time they turn 13.  It is like a rite of passage- I remember going through it myself.  Despite my outward appearance of being completely displeased and intolerant of his tone, inside, I actually felt bad for him.  He was right, it wasn't fair.

What I verbally (and somewhat nonverbally) told him was to worry about himself. "Two wrongs don't make a right," "Life Isn't Fair," and all of the other cliches we heard in school and from our parents.  What I really wanted to say was, "Trust me, kid, I don't want to give that other kid chances.  I would like to kick his butt out of class daily, but his legal accommodations require otherwise," or "I know it seems like I am unfair to you, and I don't want to be, but it is because this other student has paperwork that states I HAVE to give him preferential treatment, even though it burns my heart and soul each time I have to turn a blind eye."  If he were older, perhaps he would understand.  If I didn't care about compromising my job, I would have told him the truth, that equality is not always fairness.  

In my few years of teaching, I have discovered that many things I thought I knew, many ways I thought things should be done, and many social expectations we hold are wrong (or not so black and white).  This would be one of them.  I used to think each student should be treated exactly the same, with the exact same expectations.  I quickly found out this is was not even a possibility.  When students have disabilities, behavior problems, or if they are just struggling learners, it would not be fair to treat all of those students equally, despite my initial desire to try.  The truth is, you do have different academic and behavioral expectations for your students.  Does it mean that you believe in one less than the other?  I don't think so because we each have our strengths and weaknesses- wouldn't you rather be judged for what you can do, rather than what you cannot?

I hope that one day, my student will look back on this day, and understand the true nature of his situation.  I hope he smiles when he realizes that he was being treated "unfairly," knowing that it means he was expected to be different and rise above.  I hope on that same day, he walks into a classroom, or a board room and smiles to replace the disdain of his morning today.

Out with the old...

Happy New Year to all!  

This morning, as I was sipping the last of my Trader Joe's Vanilla and Cinnamon tea, I started reflecting on the happenings of 2012 and thinking about all of the things 2013 could have in store!  2012 was a wonderful year for me and my family, filled with typical ups and downs, but mostly laughter and exciting memories.  My husband, Ron, and I laughed our way into 2012 when we went to a Kevin Hart show, a birthday gift I gave him.  Two of my best friends, Courtney and Amanda got engaged.  My cousin, Heather, also got engaged.  I continued to pursue my Master's degree and maintained a 4.0 GPA.  Ron and I celebrated our first anniversary and gifted ourselves a trip to New York, which was filled with unforgettable memories for both of us.  The most exciting event was that I got a new job that I absolutely love.  I feel appreciated and recognized for the hard work I do and, even though I miss my old coworkers, I have made new friends I know will be extremely influential in my 2013 life.

2012 wasn't all good, as I lost my grandma.  Despite that, I can feel her with me, watching me always and I strive each day to make her and Grandpa proud.  My dog, Karma, for whom this blog is (partially) named, gave us many medical scares after biting a battery in January and randomly breaking out in hives in June, but both things ended up being minor, which was truly a blessing!  My only remaining friends in Virginia Beach moved away- Kristen and Rick, we miss you terribly! I am thankful for having so many wonderful friends who have filled my life with such happiness, but I definitely wish they were a little closer!  Ron and I didn't have a baby, like a had anticipated, but 2013 has smiled at me, and winked it's eye; it has offered me a possibility.

There are many things that are certain in 2013, my love for my husband will grow even stronger than it is today.  My friendships with continue to blossom.  I will be able to witness my friends and family make the next step in love with their significant others when they say "I do."  Karma will still sleep, play, eat, and maintain her lifestyle as the most beautiful, spoiled dog princess alive (and hopefully not eat any more batteries).  I will graduate in May 2013 and begin my doctorate degree.  I will work on myself- mentally, physically, emotionally.  I will keep writing, no matter how many people are reading and listening because it gives me peace.

I hope you all have a wonderful 2013.  I can't wait to see what is in store for us all!  Cheers!

To Be...or Not to Be

When I was younger, two of the first gifts I ever received were Cabbage Patch dolls.  One was Katie, a lovely young string-head whose sunshiny face constantly cheered me up on even the most difficult of days.  The other was Nicholas, a boy doll I acquired when my little brother was born.  He was supposed to be a foil of my little brother, and, in fact, he was.  Despite the similarity that they both were bald, my brother was loud and cried a lot- as many babies do- and my Nicholas was quiet and content.  I could only attribute the difference to me being an exceptional "doll" mother.

As I grew up, my greatest dream was to get married and be a mother.  I looked forward to decorating a nursery and arguing with my spouse about what names to choose.  I was one of the first people to start using those websites that generate what your future baby will look like.  While my friends were watching Gilmore Girls (which I love), I was watching A Baby Story.  I couldn't wait for that moment that I would hold my first child in my arms.  I wondered if I would cry like many of the mothers on TV and in movies.

Well, I have fulfilled one part of my dream.  My husband and I got married in August 2011.  Despite my interest in having a baby right away, we decided to wait a while, since my husband felt it was the right thing to do.  It was what everyone told him he should do- so we waited for a little less than a year.  What was a few extra months, I thought to myself.  I can wait for a little while longer, and at the time, I thought I could.

The months seemed to pass by quickly.  With each passing one, I was getting so excited- I would look for nursery ideas and healthy eating habits online to prepare me for this wonderful experience.  I created a board on pinterest, thinking that soon, I would need all the pregnancy and newborn help I could get.  I anticipated everything- had a preconception check-up, set up a new "baby savings account," and started taking prenatal vitamins.

The one thing I hadn't anticipated was that it wouldn't happen.  We started trying in June 2012, that was  seven months ago.  After the first two months, I wasn't discouraged, but as the months continued to pass, I grew increasingly more desperate, depressed, and confused.  I should have bought stock in pregnancy tests.  People probably thought I was crazy because I would constantly touch my breast to see if they were tender, like I read they would be.  I got excited every time I got nauseous or tired- thinking this would be a sign of pregnancy.  I can't describe in words the pain I felt each time I would stare at the negative stick.

My doctor told me everything was okay and I should just keep trying, even knowing my periods are irregular and often don't come, a problem I have been having since college.  I don't have PCOS, or endometriosis, so why is this happening to me?  There had to be a reason.  It was easy for some people...most people, even.

This month, I decided things needed to change.  I was tired of feeling depressed and stressed, so I put on my big girl pants, got a new doctor, and started doing more research.  My doctor immediately felt my urgency and put me on clomid.  Suddenly, I see light at the end of the tunnel.  I feel refreshed and excited to see what my future has in store.

I have not wanted to share my story, for fear of judgement and because I was ashamed.  After sharing it verbally with many people, I have come to realize that my story is not as uncommon as I had predicted. In fact, many women struggle with getting pregnant.  I have met more people who tried a variety of methods before getting pregnant, and that fills me with so much hope and joy.  I believe everything happens for a reason, and if nothing else, it has proven to me how strong and resilient I am.  I will not give up on my dream of being a mommy, no matter how long it takes.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." -William Shakespeare

My name is Jamie, but I go by many other aliases. My husband calls me babe; my mom calls me Sweetie; my dad calls me girl, which I undoubtably am; my friends, with whom I have grown up since elementary school, call me Jams because of my love of music; my middle school students call me Mrs. LO, since saying my hyphenated last name takes up too many seconds of their time; my co-workers call me J.Lo...for various reasons. Interestingly enough, I feel a closer connection to all of these nicknames than to the one bestowed upon me at birth. I always felt that Jamie was so plain, so boy-like, so NOT me. Hearing that I was named after my grandfather, James, made it even worse. What girl wants to be told that she was named after a man (no offense Grandpa)?  As a fifth grader, I would dream that my parents had named me Salvatrice, the unique name of my Sicilian great-grandmother. As a teenager, my name was Thalia, and exotic name, given to men who wished to obtain my "digits." "Jamie" seemed hardly big enough to define all that is me: my outgoing personality, my "short fuse," my tell-it-like-it-is approach, my subtle shyness, my anxiety issues, my fountain of wisdom, my mountain of mistakes...yes, Jamie was not a name that could possibly embody all that is me.

Today, while I was preparing this first (not really) blog post to introduce myself and my blog, I was trying to think of something exciting to tell you about me or something profoundly interesting that would make you want to read my blog. Sadly, today was the first day in my short 25 years of life that I realized my name is not what defines me; it is not what makes me interesting, or what people recognize me as. I am babe, Sweetie, girl, Jams, Mrs. LO, and J.Lo. I am the granddaughter, and name-sake, of a wonderful man, James, who I know is watching over me from above. I am a young lady who is trying to write a blog to share her feelings, her experiences, her highs and lows, her insane ideologies in the hopes that one person may read it and have a chuckle, or a cry, or say, "Oh, my God! I can totally relate!" So, I will tell you again, my name is Jamie, but what I'm really telling you is that I am an imperfect, unpredictable, opinionated, compassionate, humorous, loving person who would love for you to come along on this journey with me. I can promise that it will be nothing short of an unforgettable experience :) Until next time...