StarryCharley

Moving Day

My blog is being neglected, and my *term* is up, so I'm schlepping over to Blogger.  I've got a new address, but zero posts (i hope to start soon!), so gimme a day or two, and i should have something there.

Super Sugar Star Blog

You're how old?

A big, huge, gigantic birthday shout out to my sister Kelly on her 40th birthday!  She's been through so much, and is an amazing mom, wife, sister, and friend.

I love you, Kel!  Enjoy your day.  And if I can look as good as you at 40, I'll be darned lucky!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 31st birthday.  We are celebrating with Halibuts for dinner, and are getting ready to enjoy cake for dessert.  It's been mostly relaxing day, my first day off in a couple of weeks,and we're just gonna kick back and enjoy the rest of the night.

Thanks for the birthday wishes!  And special thanks to Nana and Papa for the birthday dinner.

Hooray for new jobs!

So, as I mentioned before, I've been hired by an adorable children's boutique full time.  Starting March 7th.  While still working at Shoefly (I'm helping them out until they hire my replacement).  I've figured out that I'm working 105+ hours between March 2nd and March 18th.  With one day off.  I'm going to be totally exhausted, but you know what?  I'm so looking forward to it.  The money will be nice, granted, but I'm more excited about the new responsibilities that come with my new position and the adult interaction.

We're interviewing some new nannies this weekend for the afternoon weekday shifts, and hopefully we'll find a good match.  Until then, we're preparing for a very hectic couple of weeks.

Best Bras EVER!

It's been about six months since the end of a looooong nursing stint, and I finally got some new, non-nursing, semi-fashionable bras.  And they're minimizers.  AND, most importantly, they're comfy.  And make my boobs look "perky" (that might be the most important part, actually). 

I know that every woman (and some men) are always in search of a great bra, so here are my suggestions.  I know some may not approve of me commenting on my undergarmets, but eh.  They're just bras.  And I'm just the messenger.

These bras are miracle workers for my saggy breasts.  May they benefit you as well:

1. Bali Downtime.  I believe the first person to recommend this to me was Citymama.  I can't believe a WIRELESS bra can fit so well AND prevent my boobs from hanging to my knees (they're close believe me).
2. Bali Cotton Craze.  Soft, stretchy, comfortable, and again, perky boobs.
3. Bali Double Adjustable.  This is, by far, my favorite.  Some of you may have BLT or BRT* syndrome, and this bra is the answer to your prayers.  Again, comfortable, soft, smooth (slightly lined, but no puckering/folding of the fabric), a great boob lifter, AND you can adjust the straps to fit you perfectly.  In two different ways.  I'm in love.

These are solely my opinions and I hope they are helpful.

*BLT or BRT = big left/right titty

Monkey Business

I bartered a cut and color for a birthday cake with my hair stylist, Beth.  She wanted a banana cake, preferably in a monkey shape, and I knew exactly what I'd make for her.  I made this cake for Maggie's first birthday, and decided to repeat it (and actually get a picture of it!).  Here's how it turned out (not perfect, but perfectly *me*):

Happy Birthday, E!  I hope you love your Monkey cake.

Run, don't walk...

For real.  If you don't have windchimes hanging at the NW corner of your house and red in the middle of your house, go get them NOW!

The fung shui is working in this house.  I can't really go into too much detail, but I just got offered a full time position at an adorable boutique.  If all goes well (the store is still under construction), I'll start in two weeks.  I'm a little bummed about leaving the shoe store, but the fact that I don't have to buy shoes?  Awesome.

I'll give more details soon, but until then, run!  Get your fung shui going.

Portland Recommendation

Last night I was having a severe craving for fish and chips, and went on the hunt.  I Googled and CitySearched until I found a highly recommended place:  Halibuts.  When C got home from work, and the girls were tucked in for the night, I sent him back out to pick some up.  I had extremely high hopes, and am happy to report that they didn't disappoint in any way.  I had the salmon (my favorite fish) and chips, and C had the prawns and chips, and we were both licking our lips and fingers when we were finished.  They were incredible.   The chips aren't as *thick* as traditional chips, but they were exactly like I love them (a bit squishy).

The take out was pretty quick, and the prices are a little on the high side, but worth every freaking penny.  This will definitely become a regular spot for us.  If you are in the area, you should definitely give them a try.

Happy Valentine's Day!

(art by Starry)

An extra special Valentine for our favorites:  Granny, Nana and Papa, Grandmother, and all of our Aunties, Uncles, and cousins. 

We miss everyone and love you all very much!

(ps.  nana and papa, we got your card, and grandmother's cards, too!  tell grandmother that the girls will love their ice cream!)

Oh, and be sure to check out some recent photos , including "monsters".  Starry and Charley did their own makeup while Mama was baking!

Refurbished.

Finally.  After 15 days, I'm starting to feel a little more normal.  I've got something that sorta resembles a brain.  I've got an attention span.  Vocabulary.  Conversation skills.  Emotions (where the heck were those?) and feelings and thoughts and even a few goals.

But, I also have some regrets.  Quite a few, actually.  I did a few things to some people in the past eight or nine months that I'm not proud of.  When I look back at my blase attitude toward certain people and situations, I wish it could've been different.  I treated some people very poorly.  I took advantage of some friendships, and I lost a few that were invaluable to me. 

There are a few friends that I really miss, and wish things could be different with them.  A few that I truly valued their friendship, and I blew it.  If I could somehow make things better, I would.  In a heartbeat.  I felt connections to some of these people that made me consider them my family.  I wish just a simple sorry would fix it all, but I know better.  I know that there is no chance with them. 

There are a few that I definitely will not miss, and my only regret is not telling them how I felt about our friendships at the time.  A few that took advantage of me over the years, and I was too afraid of confrontation, too afraid to hurt their feelings, to tell them exactly how I felt.  But now, looking back at that, it would've been a waste of time.  Some people will never change, no matter what.

And then, there are the few I'll cherish for the rest of my life.  Some new and old friends that offered love, support, guidance, advice, alcohol (when needed), and more.  Their actions and their words showed me what it's like to have true friends.  People there with you through thick and thin.  It's a good feeling to know someone has your back like that.  And I hope they know that if they ever need someone to have their back, I'll be first in line. 

This experience has opened my eyes to a lot in myself.  I've really grown a lot through all of this, and hopefully people will be able to see the changes in me.  I feel like a refurbished me.  Not completely new, I still need my experiences and my quirks to make me me, but a shinier, fresher me.   Even this Portland weather can't get me down (although, i will admit that we've had pretty consistent sunshine for the past 10 days or so). 

I want to clarify that I'm not writing this post looking for sympathy or pity.  I'm also not expecting it to make things better with my old pals.  This experience has been very humbling and eye opening for me, and I wanted to share it with others.  It's a partial explanation for those whom I wasn't able to give it to when they asked.  It's a reminder for myself, of what I lost, and what I need to do to not lose big like that again.  It's also a big thank you to a certain few.  Without your love and support, I don't know that I would've made it though this.