"Things Have Just Been So Busy Lately"

Tomorrow is the start of a New Year. A start of something fresh. A clean slate. A chance to set new goals. And, if you're like me, you already have appointments and meetings and rendezvous galore filling up your calendar. Why is it that we get so busy so quickly? Will there ever be a chance to just relax?

When you try to plan things with people, you often hear them say, "things have just been so busy lately. Maybe we can try for next month when things slow down." But, do things ever slow down? Why is it that our schedules are full nearly every month of the year?

We put things off around the "holidays" because, well, it's the holidays. "When things settle down 'after the holidays,'" you hear people say, "then maybe we can set something up." We are busy with parties and gatherings and family flying in to see us and us flying out to see them. Christmas has just occurred and New Year's is around the corner and the kids are out of school for the week. So, it's just too busy to plan anything. But then when New Year's rolls around, you've gotta get the kids back into school and start to get organized again. Then, slowly, January starts filling up and we're into February. When February rolls around, you still haven't planned anything with anyone yet because someone's birthday is occurring and you are throwing them a party. So, all your energy has been centered around planning that party and it's just "too much" to try to plan anything else.

When March comes around you're getting exhausted. There was a big snow storm that came and the kids have been out of school for a week again, and things have been hectic. Little Jimmy lost his first tooth and you have had too many Dr.'s Appointments for yourself and for the kids to try to fit in another dinner date with someone. Maybe in late spring, you tell them and yourself, we can try to hook up.

But April rolls around and there's a spring play at school for the kids. Your parents have flown in town and they are staying for a week to see the play and to visit. You're also participating in the 1/2 marathon you've been training for as well, so you haven't got time to relax.

When May comes you are starting to plan your summer vacation beach trip and you've been really occupied with that. You've spent most of your evenings and weekend nights looking into deals and trying to get the best package. You're tired from the marathon and really just need time to relax. So, no extra events for you in May.

June is here and and you really think you can meet for a coffee. So you actually do squeeze in a 30 minute coffee date on your lunch break with your best friend. But it is rushed because you have a big presentation later that day and that is all that's been on your mind. Your friend feels a little neglected and you don't even notice it because you are so busy.

July comes fast and all that's on your mind is the vacation you've been planning for two months. The first week is spent prepping for your vacation, the second week you go on your vacation, and the last two weeks of the month are spent "winding down" from your vacation.

The August heat makes anything pretty much unbearable. So, you spend your time trying to find ways to stay cool and at the same time you start gearing up for football season. The kids are at the stage of summer boredom and you have to find ways to keep them occupied.

September quickly becomes busy with school supply shopping and book buying, and perhaps college move-ins. It's one of the busiest months of all.

Halloween rolls around and everyone is getting geared up for Fall. You've been to three weddings since September and your wallet is running dry. Every time you think of planning to see your friend again, there is another excuse.

November quickly comes and Thanksgiving is all that you think about. You're busy gathering recipes and trying to make plans for family.

As December hits we are back where we started. Planning and going to parties, buying gifts, and going nonstop is what your life has been consumed with. And by the time Christmas hits you are in "wind-down" mode again before the New Year comes.

As soon as you know it, the entire year has flown by and it is 2010. You have had coffee with your friend one time for 30 minutes on your lunch break. Why? Even if we don't have children are we that busy that we can't stop for an extra hour once a month to visit an old friend or meet a new one? Are we really that tired too pick up the phone to wish Grandma a happy birthday or send a card to Uncle Paul for his? I thought life was about cultivating relationships and sharing with those we love. How can we do this if we are so busy all the time?

I know for me, that is what 2009 was. I was constantly on the run. I had no time, or made no time, to focus on the friendships and relationships that mean the most and my goals and dreams were brushed to the back. I'm going to try, hard, to wipe the dust off some of those old dreams and try to put more effort into things that matter the most. I guess you could say that is a New Year's Resolution. I'm not going to make a promise I can't keep, but I really want to slow down in 2010. I really want to try to enjoy it. I really want to see more friends and have more fun and focus on goals that I have pushed aside for so long. I want to focus on eternal truths and not temporary highs. As we all well know, we don't get younger, we get older. And as a wise man (Dr. Rutland) once said, "you can be 5 years older with your degree, or 5 years older without one." Maybe for you this is not a degree or an education. Maybe it's a promotion or reorganizing your address book or making a movie, or learning how to sew. Or, perhaps it's just making a commitment to meet a friend for coffee once a month.

What will you choose?

Christmas

Thanks to my wonderful husband,
for the necklace I received.
You always have good taste,
when it comes to me.

Big: the meatballs were outstanding,
the pepperoni all the more.
We ate so much pasta,
I'm surprised we fit through the door.

Big and Anna:
Thanks for the lovely teapot,
and my favorite lotion, too.
Also for the entertainment that Big provided,
When he tripped over that shoe.

Carrie:
The Euphoria perfume was a surprise!
The earphones and candy as well.
You always remember what I like,
And obviously my favorite smell.

Mom and Pop:
More perfume from you, my favorite kind;
Thank you so much.
The socks and book were so thoughtful,
A special touch.

Gramie:
Thanks for the gift card,
That'll come in handy!
I'm sorry your present got switched,
that's just dandy.

Isaac liked his presents too,
Especially the Redskins stuff;
Mom, it's OK you got him a woman's shirt,
It could've happened to any of us.

Cindy:
The wine is always great,
Especially Passaggio Unoaked Chardonnay.
We will probably have a glass of that,
Sometime today.

To all our friends and family,
Thank you so much.
We're glad you're in our lives,
and such.

Christmas Eve

Surprisingly today I did not find myself running a mile a minute like I usually do (I actually did that yesterday). I usually wait until the very last minute (again, yesterday) to finish all my shopping up. Last year I did pretty good, though, getting most everything done a few weeks early. But, today was actually a day of semi-rest. I wrapped presents in the morning by myself and had a nice bit of peace and quiet while Isaac was at work. Sipping coffee and watching the news is a rarity for me, especially in the morning by myself. Gosh, I sound like I have kids or something.

I did go out to pick up Isaac's gift and to visit Mema and Uncle David. It was great to see her face light up when I gave her the purple down blanket I picked out. Sidenote: I met her Caregiver (Mema lives in an Assisted Living apartment right down the street) and her parents live in Ghana with her 24 siblings. I know, small family right? It was interesting to hear someone say "Ghana." That is where Dr. Rutland, SEU President and Isaac and I's all time favorite preacher, started his foundation. It's refreshing meeting new people and learning their story. Anyway, I had a fun visit with Mema and David. I sent "Dad" (Isaac's) a few pics and videos of them. Mema is his mom and David is his brother. Dad loves it when I do that.

By the time I had done all that it was too late to go to the gym. I mean, technically the gym was still open, but let's face it, who wants to go to the gym on Christmas Eve? Not me, even the most-of-the-time fanatic.

So, Christmas Eve service was beautiful, as always. Saw lots of familiar faces and was in the company of many good friends, lots of babies, and tons of young kids. Mom cooked a great meal -- spiral ham, scalloped potatoes, fruit salad, cranberry sauce, and green beans. YUM! And what is Christmas Eve dinner without a little White Zin...followed by some Christmas Trivia. Yes, I did always wonder if the North Pole was 44mm larger in radius than the South.

It was some "great times" tonight. We laughed, we ate, we made up new words, and spun some new memories. You know, the usual Weaver family fun. But then there are some folks out there who while you're having fun making jokes about Christmas Trivia, wish they could enjoy that Christmas Trivia with you, even if it is learning that the Grinch's breath actually smelled like garlic, not onions. After all, Christmas is really about spreading love.

So, here I sit writing to you on Christmas Eve while my husband is fast asleep. I'm getting ready to watch The Devil Wears Prada for like the 90th time. I never get sick of it. It inspires me about fashion. Remember...accessorize (my last blog)!

Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite. And enjoy your families - especially the ones that flew miles to see you.

It's Official...

...Isaac has been accepted into the Police Academy. My husband...the once drawn to dream of shiny desks and pretty laptops while number crunching in high rise buildings has changed his career path and focus. He will now become a Police Officer for Prince William County. I don't know what got into him, but ever since he joined the Army in 2007, he's had a different mindset. I like it.

He will start the Academy on January 13th where he will undergo 6 months of what I'm sure will be intense training. Cindy, his mom, was also a Police Officer for Prince William County several years ago (I think it was Prince William) and underwent the same training (she is now a Wine Chemist in San Francisco, California).

He has spent nearly two years undergoing a number of tests, phsyicals, interrogations (joke), bloodwork, interviews, etc. It is a much more detailed process than I thought. They talked with so many of our family members including my parents, his parents, my sisters and brother-in-law, a number of our close friends, Army Sergeants, past and present employers, as well as one or two of our neighbors. He deserves a big round of applause (virtually) for his hard, persistent work.

He actually applied two years ago, as I mentioned, and went through a lot of the processes I outlined already. And when they decided to cancel the Academy for July of '08, he was bummed. They remembered his name though and kept his resume and application on file. I guess he made an impression on them especially with all of his Army experience. Now, he will be one of the highest paid starting Police Officers in Prince William County because of his education and military experience. I am so proud of him!

It will be a lifestyle change, though. There is no doubt I'll be worrying every day and praying he is okay on the streets (though I'm sure a lot of it will be proudly handing speeding tickets out). I'm expecting me and my family members to be slyly pulled over by him from time to time when we're speeding as well (very funny, Isaac). I imagine that will be after he gets bored from eating all the sweets from Dunkin' Donuts. Hey, maybe he'll gain a few pounds. This would be great!

I dunno' if I'm ready for it, but I support him no matter what. It will suck when I am just about to wake up and he is just getting home, or vice versa. It will be no fun when he has to work on certain holidays or will have to pull a side job patrolling traffic, but it is pretty cool to know that I'll feel protected, and so will our neighbors and our families. Just think...when we are buying a coffee at 7-eleven and a mean man holds up the lady behind the counter for all her money with a toquito hanging out of his mouth, and Isaac is in his Reebok sweats, he can whip his badge out and save the day. Hopefully that will never happen and the weapon the dude is holding is a watergun. But to think that my husband, your son(in law), our friend, your brother-in-law, and the community's courageous servant will be looking to save us is a feeling that I will love knowing I can have, until he becomes a DETECTIVE!

Some Good Movies

As Christmas "break" sets in and work comes to a halt for a week or two, I'm thinking back on some good movies I've seen (in preparation to watch them again), and looking ahead at viewing some new ones. I think two of my all time favorites are "Something's Gotta Give" and "The Holiday." Coincidentally, they were both directed by Nancy Meyers. There is also a new movie coming out on Christmas Day called "it's Complicated," which is also directed by Nancy Meyers. So, I'm thinking I'll probably end up seeing that too and probably devour it. I guess I like her style.

"Something's Gotta Give" was a great movie for me because it was the perfect length (as was "The Holiday"). It was not too short, but not too long. It had great characters and good senses of humor. And I loved, loved, loved the beach house. It was so...perfect. It was not too beach-y and not too unrealistic. It made me want to redesign my house to look just like it. And, the fact that Erica used an Apple computer instead of a PC, for her writing, made it all the more relatable. It was so clean, too. Not clean from a sexual or vulgarity standpoint, but in a fresh way. Maybe crisp is a better word. Everything about the house from their outfits and attire, to their food and wine and choice of restaurants, to the fresh ocean air surrounding them seemed refreshing. I think it was the way they portrayed their lifestyle that made the movie a breath of fresh air to watch.

Diane Keaton did get on my nerves a bit. She always does and I don't know why. I think part of the reason is because they had the "some 'older' women can still be attractive" mentality when they made the film. However, showing someone's full bodied figure at, what, 57, is not really something I want to see. Period. Sorry. At any rate, I wanted to waltz right into that house and make it my own. And the fact that the whole family seemed classy and prosperous in a subtle way made it enjoyable as well. They did not seem to flaunt their success or make it seem to outweigh any real problems they had. Divorce is still hard to deal with (Marin dealing with her dad remarrying) and new heartbreak is tough to swallow (Erica and Harry). It was life. And life for them was real--and good.

"The Holiday" is another favorite of mine. I think I like it more than the former. Again, Meyers just has a way of finding great, ripe actors and developing their characters into ones we fall in love with. I love the story of Amanda and Graham. Cameron Diaz and Jude Law developed those characters so well. It was such a unique way of finding love and one we probably cannot relate to but dream of. And Ira and Miles' love stories were beyond relatable. Ira--a typical girl who fell in love with Jasper Bloom who has been unavailable for years and will never become available. Finding gumption, it seemed, was the only answer. How many stories are there like that out in the world? We could all use a little gumption.

From the moment you set eyes on this double love story unfolding with all it's twists and turns it envelops you in a way that finds no retreat. Even though the love parts of the plot were semi-typical (especially the Amanda and Graham story) it is still sensational to watch. The way that Meyers even plays their English accents (including little Sophie and Olivia) into the movie was brilliant and the part with Arthur Abbott just adds another exciting dimension.
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I'm really excited to see what Meyers' next movie, coming out Christmas day, holds. She has great ideas, great subjects, and amazing talents that she brings to every motion picture.

I think I've found my new, and first, favorite director.

A Note About Accessories

You always hear people say, “I don’t have any clothes.” If that really meant what it said, I wouldn’t want to be your friend. I prefer my friend’s fully dressed. My instincts tell me this just means you are tired of the wardrobe your have in your closet and feel like you have worn each article of clothing one too many times. My gut tells me you’re genuinely ready for some new looks and styles.

I am the same way. I actually do think I need to go clothes shopping because I have had some of the same clothes for years, including a pink Roxy sweatshirt that I bought when I was practically in high school. Some things you just never want to give up. But, I have a fashion secret: all you need is a little accessorizing. Accessories, non-fashion speaking, are the little balloon designs on top of birthday cakes. They’re the pictures hanging on the walls in your house. They’re the wine charmers on your wine bottle. They’re the shiny new glass knobs you installed on your dresser drawers. They’re the spoilers (ugly) on the back of your cars. They’re the cute strawberry hand towels you have hanging on your refrigerator door or the blanket you have thrown over your couch. All these things add a little “something” to the dullness that is.

The same way you decorate your house, your car, or your food, you can decorate yourself. But please don’t take a tube of frosting and draw balloons on your favorite sweater or drape a strawberry towel over your shoulder. I said accessorize your clothes, not wear your bedspread to work.

What I am suggesting is simple. If all you have to wear are black shirts, you can rotate them out every week. Wear a scarf with one Monday, earrings with one on Tuesday, a necklace with one Wednesday, a belt with one on Thursday, and a vest over one on Friday. No one will ever know that you are wearing the same shirt over and over again. The following week you could wear the scarf with the earrings and the belt with the necklace, or the belt and the scarf together. Making sense?

Let’s say you don’t have a belt. Wear your scarf as a belt. If you have two necklaces, wear both of them together to make a cosmopolitan look. I will say that less is more, but you can wear lots of different things and still make your outfit look simple. Do your hair different too. Wear it up in a clip on Monday, down on Tuesday, half up on Wednesday, in a bun on Thursday, and put a headband it in on Friday. People will appreciate and value your sense of fashion and respect you more. Trust me!

People always ask me where I get my clothes or my jewelry or where I got a certain purse. The truth is, I’ve gotten a lot of things at Target and even Wal-mart (alright, not a whole lot at Wal-mart, I’m a Ross and Marshall’s girl). But, the key is to dumb it down and play it up with embellishments and add-ons. You can buy so many cheap things and make them look fancy by creating different looks. Adorning your outfit with different things is the key to a successful and sassy wardrobe.

Rings are good accessories too – even fake ones. People kill me when they think that only real jewelry is classy. True it might be “classy” and classy is good. There is a time and a place for classy. But sexy and flashy can be good as well. If you are concerned with being too sexy at work, you should be. That’s good. It shows you have a good sense of awareness. But there is a way to be sexy and classy at the same time. For instance, wear one of those black shirts we talked about, but find one that is slightly more open in the front than the rest – one that shows a smidgen of your shoulders, but not too much. Make sure it is fitting to your stomach. Then, drape your neck with a shiny, silver, slim, and sleek chain. Simple. Wear a pencil skirt with a belt that wraps your waist at the midline. Throw on some stilettos and you are good to go! People respect classy and sexy together. They think it’s a smart and sophisticated look.

Baggy is good too. I love my baggy sweaters. But, pair them with skinny jeans and accessorize them with boots and a long pearl necklace so it gives your outfit variety. Or, drape that baggy sweater with a low-hanging belt.

If you wear your hair up, offset that neck, again, with a necklace. If you wear your hair down, offset your hair with a belt or a scarf. And remember, black goes with everything. Though, too much black can be Goth-like. Also, pink is not child-like. It’s sexy, if worn with the right piece of something else. It can represent softness and a sense that you like to feel pretty. But, make sure you pair it with something to offset the pink or else you may be labeled too flashy.

Earrings, necklaces, headbands, belts, scarves, bracelets, bobby pins, clips, barrettes, rings, boots, stockings, leggings, heels, and even makeup, in my opinion, are all forms of accessories. Use them, take advantage of them. Spoil yourself with what they can do for you. Dress yourself up, or dress yourself down. Add a big or small touch of flair to anything you own, but remember – play it smart by not always playing it safe. Take a risk!