Juicy Dreaming Diva

Breathing...

I am here.  And soon I will be back...but summer fever has taken hold and I am off doing and seeing and running.  Just one more week of school for the boys...and then we will "Ahhh" and relax.

Twitter Help Needed!

Do you Twitter?!  Are you a part of this craze?

I am new to this Twittering business.   But I just don't think I understand how to use it to its full potential (this Diva has to be in the KNOW). 

So help me out here babycakes!  Send this juicy dreamer, some serious comment love and tell me about your Twitting...or lack there of.   Give me the scoop and introduce me to your world!  And if you're NOT a Twitter...is there a reason why?

(feeling sadly under educated about Twitter)

Snazzy Pink Wellies and an Unabashed fear of birds!

Surfing through the internet one day, I stumbled right into her...(grace is not my middle name).  She hosts a  bright pink polka dotted blog that instantly stole my reader heart.  The blog is run by a darling southern girl (well... she sounds southern) named Amy Beth.    Every single day, she cracks me up and stirs up the juicy girl in me.   I sip my coffee and read about her daily tromps through this life and lately I've been swept right into her oh so creative saga videos... that somehow seem to make the old movie "The Birds" seem sensible and completely well-founded!

Being the juicy girl that I am,  I absolutely love it when a friend shares a snappy fun-fest with me, so I want to share the wealth.   I'd like to introduce you to Ms. Amy Beth!  [drum roll, rounds of applause and screaming not required here but most enjoyable for any diva...even if you're alone at your desk..clap on baby, clap on...]

Click on the webpage above and meet the juicy Ms. Amy Beth!    And bring your wellies...(AB, that's a rainboot..yes?)

(feeling happy to share the sparkling goodness!)

I'll have a cup of coffee and Gratitude, please!

A Juicy diva knows, (deep inside she always knows), gratitude is KEY to a fun and fabulous life.   And if, by chance, you're among the delicious group of women who are attempting to "Dust off your Diva!" then I'd like to suggest today, that you let your diva tell you how grateful she is.  I mean really, divas do have so much!

My juicy girl, (aka inner Diva) woke up buried deep inside fresh sheets that I put on the bed last night.  The unbelievable feeling of sliding my legs over the soft, sweet fresh-scented cotton...was enough to send a relaxed, "ahhhhh", type of smile streaming across my face.

The sunshine was already attempting to peek around the curtains...preparing to beam boldly into my room.  I could feel Spring's hands pushing there way into my world, with a consistency that I have longed for, throughout the long winter months.

When I looked to my right, I found my one year old little Jack, staring at me...batting his long eyelashes with the innocence only a baby can boast.  He instantly grinned when he saw my face.   I grinned back.   And then turned to look to my left...where I was face to face with my 7 year old Matt, who was tucked up next to me.  Somewhere in the night, he had found his way into my room.   There he was...deep into his sleep and scrumptious as a button....snoring.   I laughed.   Which made Jack laugh.   So we, my baby and my inner diva, laughed together.

As I sat up, I felt a firm lump of something heavy on my foot.   I smiled again...it was my very loyal and immensely kind pup, Pete.   His face and tail always say, "I am so happy to see you mom!"  There isn't a dog in the world who could take his place.    So I lathered him with hugs and cuddles.   In return, I received a rush of endorphines the size of the Bellagio Fountians!  It was "Diva-Grand", as my friend Chris might say.

Somehow, I feel that I am never officially awake, until after my first cup of strong caffeine-infused coffee.  So, I scooped up the baby and walked downstairs to the kitchen to make a pot.   As I came into the office, I sat down and looked out the window by my side...and found that everything looked brilliantly green and clear. (Whew... God sure knows how to start a diva's morning!)  I cracked opened the the window and felt the crisp morning air that didn't require down jackets.  Oh how I adore days like this!  It is always so rewarding to have days like this after a harsh winter, wouldn't you agree?

Feeling my gratitude in all its magnitude, this is what I chose to listen to in the moment:

Oh darling divas, if you don't feel grateful after listening to the breathtaking Chris Botti with his trumpet, and the staggering vocal chords of the legondary Andrea Bocelli, then darlings your diva is nearly dead!  We need to bring her to the Diva E.R. immediately!  Email us quickly.

The thing is darling divas, my day has only just begun...I still have much to see, do and feel throughout this gorgeous day.   Some of which includes, welcoming home my truly remarkable husband, who's absence is felt at the core of my heart whenever he is away on business.   No doubt, he will be grateful that my fiesty, flirty diva is alive and well to do the welcoming...yes? 

I suppose that I am riled up, because this is the truest part of me.  My inner girl is much happier to be bold and living out loud.  The truth is, I am a diva on a mission!  I am so grateful for all that I have in my life.  And I want you to join me in the contagious act of being grateful, on this beautiful morning. Together, we can create a slow but growing rumble of happy homes and delicious divas!

If my inner girl can show me how much I have to work with...and through this gratitude, my juicy girl gets all revved up with places to go, then what can your inner diva point out for you?

So, what will you have?   A sour day with grumbles and cold water?  Or would you like to join me for a cup of coffee and simple, sweet gratitude? 

(feeling particularly Grateful that my God would allow me to live this life as a Diva!)
   

Delicious Celebrity Bracelets that I love!

Being a Diva is absolutely Fun-tastic! 

Now I told ya, we're about to get your Diva all riled up..just yesterday. And I mean it!  Are you ready to meet a Diva whose got it goin' on and is strutting it beautifully?

Ok babycakes - if the Diva in the spotlight inspires you in any way...Darling Diva Code says..GO TELL THEM or leave a comment here!  (Keep in mind that whatever you do to another person in this life, will come back to you one day...if you want the good stuff, you gotta go give the good stuff!  It even says so in the Bible, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Galations 6:7" If God says it...whoa nelly, I'm on board! I really do want the good stuff!) 

The girl I want to introduce you to is a true Darling Diva!   Her name is, Staci and when I tell you the gal is talented...I mean it.  She's an artist to the core.  Staci has worked on paintings, carvings, sewing, floral designing, and she is a graphic designer as well.  (Oh how I love the patient Divas...as I personally would rapidly mangle anything on a sewing machine after 5 minutes!  Not the patient kind here...nope.) 

 

Give the old guy what he deserves - a good ole kick in the...

Overheard by my neighbors.

"Don't let the door smack you, on your way out!"

Screamed, by little ole' ME.  Screamed very loudly by me, to Old Man Winter just yesterday!   

I am normally very cool with elderly folk....I love them, I swear!   But this old guy, has OVERSTAYED his welcome by at least 2 months already.   And I am happy to see him pack up and go already! 

I'm sure you can relate.   He's been boggin' my boys down with piles of winter jackets and long-sleeve shirts.   Our feet have nearly suffocated in big, fugly socks....thanks to his inability to turn on the heat.   I've had to put up with frizzy winter hair, forgotten pretty red toenails, and strange frumpy sweatshirts that are only good for keepin' me warm but have very little appeal to my fashion sense!   

Oh and then there was the proud little moment when I scared myself last week.   Deep into my morning stretch before getting out of bed, I pushed my leg out from the covers and gasped!   That couldn't be MY leg!  It was ghostly white, you know what I am talkin about here girls... pasty-lookin, have-I-ever-seen-the-sun, WHITE!  I've forgotten how impossibly white skin can actually get, without sunshine (or lotion...ok, ok, I admit that the week of hair-growth didn't help much either!)  On so many levels, wrong...wrong...wrong!  Sooooooo not  juicy...not fun!  And definitely, SO not sexy! 

I heart SUNSHINE! 
I adore the feel of green grass under my feet!
I can't wait for color in my skin again! (And I do not need a lecture on the finer points of UV Rays here!  I don't care...I need some freakin sun and I will have it!  Nuff' said.)
I have gardening that is screaming for me to come and get in the dirt!
And I can already taste the fresh tomatoes with basil and fresh mozerella, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic...a dash of pepper...garlic and sea salt.....

ok...ok....you get the picture...so you understand my distaste for Mr. Winter's long overdue absence.   



Care to put your foot on his hind end with me and give the old guy a firm shove?!

(so freakin' happy that spring is brewing in New York!)

Ciao Bella...not just a fabulously romantic phrase

Mind, body and soul...parched!  That's exactly what I feel as a busy girl caught in the whirlwind of life at times.   And as blessings would have it, I was feeling this way when I stumbled head-long into the oh-so-charming, Ciao Bella bath & body shop. 

To be honest, I was surfing around the internet mindlessly.   You know the feeling..."I have so much to get done today but I am blocking that out while I surf!  At least until the kids run into the office." 

When I stumbled into the website I knew immediately that it was something entirely special!   It was a moment of pure "Ahhhhhhhh!"   Which is exactly the way I feel when I walk into a spa for a warm stone massage and they are playing that soft earthy music...and it smells like lavender and there is not a care in the world that could rip me away from my white terry-cloth robe!

Estrogen and a Mac Truck

Yesterday, I found myself deep in mommy-land.  Kids on break...so there is feet and boy-ness everywhere!  I mean everywhere.  In closets, on couches, in bathrooms, up and down the stairs, under pots and pans...everywhere! 

Realizing I can not do "normal" with this much boy-ness around me,  I get on the phone with T to talk about our gym time...and I say, "Honey, there is NO WAY I will be able to wrangle these boys and get down there!  Impossible.  But T, you mentioned that 20 minute workout DVD...you know...the Jillian Michael's one?   (Cause we're on first name chats with Jillian, the trainer on Biggest Loser, ya know.    Um.... I wish.) "I was thinking...crazy idea here, but wanna bring it over and we'll do the workout together at my house?"  She agrees with a kind of giddy joy that is totally reserved for girlfriends.   And I am thrilled that she wants to do this!   We get on the phone with my neighbor and our mutual friend MB and she enthusiastically joins us in this workout plan. 

Now, if you know me, you know that I am in a house that includes 3 boys, a hunky hubby and a dog...all of which belong to the male species.    I am the ONLY girl in the place.  I've even wondered if the two remaining fish in the tank are boys.   So perhaps you can imagine just how fabulous it feels to know that two other estrogen filled bodies are entering this boy drenched zone!   I compare it quite literally to a splash of spring water on my face in the midst of the Sahara Desert.    I adore these girlfriends - they are joy in a bucket!


 

She said what?!

Giving.  It seems like an easy concept.  But I have found in my short life span that it requires a lot more of myself than I had ever imagined.

This past week, I was given the opportunity to gather a few people to prepare meals for a family who had a sudden death in their home.   I grabbed the list of volunteers who signed up to help in just such a situation.  And began to call.  Most of the people were very willing to fit this into their already rapid paced lives.   But one phone call stood out among them...that stunned me.   

The phone rang and a woman answered the telephone.   I explained who I was and then shared the very sad story of this family in need. 

"I was wondering if perhaps you could prepare a meal for this family next week?"  I asked.
"Umm..." she replied, sounding rather irritated, "Where do they live?"
I gave her the location.
"Well..." and there was a slight pause...."I guess."
And with deliberate hesitation she continued...only this time sounding more bitter. 
"I could make the meal but I won't drive it there."
This made me pause and then I replied, "Oh... ok."
And she went on, "I don't like to drive very far...and well...I'll just leave the meal at the church."
I told her I didn't know if we had a person to drive it to the location...and she quickly said..
"Well, couldn't the people just come and get it?"
I blurted out rapidly...probably too rapidly.. "I'm sorry but I don't think these people would be in any shape to pick up a meal...they are in MOURNING!"

 

Birthdays, Marriage Proposals and Your Opinion!

It's February 29th!

Once every 4 years we get one of these days.  And holy moly for the people who have birthday's on this particular date...they actually get a birth-day!

So, on that note, can I just say right off the bat, a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my luscious friend Mariel...it is her BIG 16th birthday today!  Gorgeous girl, HAPPY Birthday!  You are indeed one of a kind.   Loving, athetic, sweet as pie, beautiful inside and out and just about as outstanding as anyone can get...you deserve to be celebrated in everyway!  Mr. G, myself and the boys are all wishing you the best!  Happy Birthday to a brand new driver!

In other news...I was wandering through the blogland that never ends and I stumbled into this article:

Friday, February 29, 2008

Propose to your man!

Scream the word 'proposal' and the image of a man kneeling in front of his lady immediately comes to mind. Though feminists would cry foul to that but many women are still rather reserve when it comes to initiate the proposal to their man.

Well, wait no more. 29th Feb (once every four years) is THE day for ladies to propose to their man, which apparently is a practice in the UK. Was watching BBC News 24 this morning and already a woman has proposed and her man accepted.

For those guys who are adverse towards commitment, you might like to stay low for today.

Courtesy of www.singaporeaninlondon.blogspot.com

Ok so what do YOU think here babes?  My always opinionated mind  is churning...much like my stomach at this idea.  "Ewww!" -  is the first thing that comes to mind.   Forgive me if I am offending you but for me...my knight needs to sweep me off my feet.  The idea of me on a white horse, coming to my husbands side and asking him to spend the rest of his life with me...just kinda makes me all squeemish and definitely sport a face that looks painfully scrunchy.

If you're LOVING this idea....I want to hear about it!  Sell me on the thought babycakes!

If you HATE this idea.  I am in your fan club.  Tell me why you hate the idea too?


Weigh in!  Post your comment below.