What I Wore Wednesday

This is another one of my fun, funky favorites

I bought the blouse from the Metro catalog because it looked so sharp on the model. Don't we always do that? Usually for me, that ends in disaster, but not this time.

I can pair it with my good ole standby black slacks, or with these nice grey ones. I think this summer, I may pair it with my white pants from the thrift store to change things up a bit.

I'm wearing my faithful black flats that I bought from Walmart for just $9. I have gotten my $9 worth of wear out of them the first year and now I'm just skating on borrowed time. I tripped in the lobby this morning and seperated the sole from the toe, so I'm thinking it's time to send them to that shoe-shop in the sky.

Jewelry from Premier...a gift from the boss. She's really the best!

Sorry about the security badge. I'm so used to wearing it on my nifty Brighton badge holder, that it's  sort of like wearing another necklace. It's really sturdy, but comfortable and I forget I have it on.  I wore it to my classmate's dinner last week and was halfway through dinner when I realized I was still wearing it.

~EnJOY!

Dump the Bump

Fergie is tweeting about hers
Photogs around the world are clammoring for a pic for Princess Katherine's
Kourtney K wants "privacy" but still posted pics of hers

Yep....I'm talking about the almighty baby bump.

I may lose friends and readers over this next statement: I'm getting really tired of people and their stupid "baby bump."

I know, I know....I'm being petty and jealous. My infertility issues are well documented here.

My green eyed monster rears it's head more and more the older I get.

 I don't want to see the pictures of someone holding their hands around it  and grinning like an idiot in attempt to make it more obvious, or those gross, bare belly shots that are becoming so popular lately, and I sure has hell don't want to see a naked one, even if it is a celebrity!

Remember the good ol' days when you didn't talk about someone being pregnant? In my life time you couldn't even say the word "pregnant" on t.v. Women were let go from their jobs to take care of the more important job of mothering. It was a private, natural affair, not the multi-media spectacle it is today.

And where the hell did MODESTY go?

Remember when pregnant women used to wear actual maternity clothes? They were  modest and charming and covered all but the most appropriate amounts of naked flesh. I remember being extremely embarrased to be seen in public fully clothed. The thought of showing off my misshappen, discolored belly (that a tiny foot protruded from about 10 times a day for me to rub) was extremely embarassing and  nauseating to me.

 When Jada Pinkett Smith went to some award show "big pregnant" (my term for 5+ months and showing) with Willow in a tube top and an unzipped skirt, suddenly women everywhere thought it was okay to do it too.

GROSS...NO ONE wants to see THAT!

Women no longer wanted to cover  up or even wear clothes that fit! In an average week, I see at least one unfortunate soul a week, slouching around Walmart (yes IN PUBLIC) with her belly hanging out from under a  tee-shirt hem, that doesn't meet her pants.  Must not have any mirrors in her home.  Some don't even bother to get maternity clothes and make do with whatever they have lying around. A former coworker surmised that there was no need to wear actual maternity clothes when  her "husband's clothes fit just fine."  She actually made calls on clients wearing her husband's shirts, ties and pants (yes pants) for the duration of her pregnancy! Very professional looking, I assure you.

Also, now everyone must have a "pregnancy photo."  Now,  I would have loved to have a professional photo of me, big pregnant, in a flowing white nightgown, staring off into the distance. Those are so beautiful and tateful.  But now there seems to be a disturbing "I'm pregnant, I think I'm beautiful and I'm not ashamed to bare it all so the rest of you can be sickened too" photo trend.  I blame Demi Moore.

There exists only ONE PHOTO and it was because my ex wanted to show how my once cute, slit of a belly button had become a swollen, painful bulls-eye in the middle of my stomach, riddled with stretch marks. Far from the photo spreads of the bare-bellied mother smiling whistfully down at the husband/boyfriend lovingly kissing what is surely a stage prop, as no one's pregnant belly is naturally that "pretty." Thank God for photoshop!!

Yeah, pregnancy CAN be beautiful, but usually, it's not.

~En-JOY my opinion.  Save the comments for yourself.

Happy Valentine's Day Y'all

So it's Valentine's Day y'all. The day that everyone suddenly loves each other.

 

I've been playing it cool this year

 

In my first marriage I spent this holiday pretty much unappreciated. The cheap bastard wouldn't even get me a card.  I guess I could mention that one year he brought me a heart-shapped box of candy....two days after the fact, from the clearance basket at Walmart.

 

 

Darling Hubby, on the other hand, never misses the opportunity.

 

This year I got this lovely bouquet. They called me to the lobby at 8:05 a.m. sharp.

Nothing like being the FIRST one in the building to get my goodies!

 

 I texted him a picture and a "thank you"

 

 

I get the message back "You are welcomed....now show me the BEAR, BALLOON AND CANDY"

 

I responded, "there was only this"

 

to which he responded

 

"I'll call you right back"

 

to be followed by

 

"CALL ME WHEN THEY GET THERE WITH THEM"

 

so much for a suprise

 

Ten minutes later, they call me to the lobby again.

The delivery guy was apologizing profusely.

The balloon, bear and candy, with the tag clearly marked "2 of 2" had gotten lost in the overstuffed delivery van. He found it about the same time he got the call.

 

I texted the updated picture to Darling Hubby

"Now that is more like it" was the response.

 

 

While I always get little goodies for my family, and  I usually get candy for my work peeps (see heart-shaped box in first picture)  I'd never really branched out and given anything to anyone else.

 

This year, a dear friend was facing this holiday for the very first time, without the love of her life.

He had been killed in an accident, just the week before my brother's accident.

It had been very shocking and her FB posts since have been filled with her sorrow and grief, as she pours out the emotions hemoraging from her broken heart.

My own heart broke for her, all the while wishing there was something more I could do.

 

She had lamented, a few weeks back, how much she had dreaded this holiday coming. In the past, her beloved had always made sure she got all the trappings. He was a true romantic at heart.

"I will never get roses again"

she had posted on her FB page.

I had never thought about  what it would be like for the goodies to stop.

 

I vowed that day that  I would do something.

 

 

While I could not afford to send her the roses that she was so accustomed, I came across these chocolate roses at a local store. I bought the last five that they had on the display.

 A few aisles over, the little pastel lion caught my eye.

 

The card was perfect, featurning a coffee cup with a heart on it, surrounded by chocolates.

The verse inside mentioned that one hoped this holiday was filled with love, JOY and a little bit of chocolate.

 

This collection of items sat in my desk for nearly 2 weeks.

 

On Tuesday, I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to go ahead and send it.

So I boxed it all up

 



 

and I shipped it UPS.

 

It arrived a day early.

 

I can not tell you how much JOY this simple gift brought my friend, and though it was not really expensive, the reaction was PRICELESS.

 

Never underestimate the power of a small gesture.

 

You might just make someone's day.

 

~En-JOY

The Success Indicator

 

As you remember, my New Year's "Life Changes" goal was to work on ME.

Thanks to a Facebook friend, I have found the most inspirational website for working mothers!

Working Moms Only.com On this website, Mary Ellen shares her Success Indicator (pictured above)

I am printing several copies and posting them around my home, so that my whole family can see them!!

I thought I would share it with you


~En-JOY

What I Wore Wednesday = Severe Weather Edition

Obviously, I am unhappy here.

What I Wore Wednesday

This is one the outfits that I bought because I loved how it looked on the manequin. Jewelry and all.

Happy New Year ! Can I leave now?

This is the day that I look forward to all year  long: Vacation Request Day.

Vacation Request Day is when my team of 17 people all try to take off the same days every year.

I've had a knot in my stomach all week.

Because I have to tell all but one of them "no"

And if there is one thing I hate, it's having to tell people "no."

I was raised to be personable and accomodating. "No" wasn't really in my vocabulary.  But now, I find myself telling people "no" with more and more frequency.

And never saying "yes" for anything for myself.

It's always hard for me to decide when I should take vacation. I usually sprinkle my 21 days liberally throughout the year, starting with the second full week of January. But things have been so tight at the office, I doesn't look like I will be getting any substansial time any time soon.

Holidays are always the most hotly contested. While the Fall and Winter months are the businesses busiest time, that is also the time when most of the staff want to be off.

I would love to have the week between Christmas and New Year's off. My husband is off and my kids are all out of school.  But my boss, who's husband is in school administration, always takes this week off so that she can spend time with her husband.  I don't begrudge her that. She spends so much time at the office, I'm surprised they ever see one another.

So when I head out for the weekend, I will be carrying my schedules and my calendar and my stack of requests.

Oh JOY!