In other words – my girls ain’t sissies.

It is no wonder that I surround myself with strong women. Even when my mother was married, she essentially carried the weight of our family upon her shoulders. Her life couldn’t have always been fun, and certainly it wasn’t easy – but somehow things got done. And she did it on her own. Without whining.

As an adult, I gravitate towards women of strength – women who are strong and independent, yet not brusque or harsh. She may be the one who fixes the kitchen sink or unplugs the toilet rather than scrambles for help, perhaps she is the ones championing and advocating for her kids in the school systems or medical realm, maybe there’s just crap going on in her day to day life. These women get things done. But make no mistake – they still have heart. These are not cold women. They are not so focused on the end-goal that they cannot see what surrounds them. Oh no, they are totally in tune with the world around them. And so even when she herself may need lifting, she’s out there supporting others. Her focus isn’t self-absorption – she is a woman on a mission, yes – but each one’s world is big enough to encompass more than what is on her plate.

The term “steel magnolias” is often used to describe such women – particularly women like this from the south. I use it too because the state flower of Michigan is likely the dandelion, and “magnolia” just sounds prettier.

I am blessed to have many such magnolias in my life – such strong, independent, focused, loving, caring, passionate and fantastic women encompass my circle of friends. And I am lucky.

photo credit: xlordashx / CC BY 2.0

But I’m getting off topic. On April 18, 2010, my dearest Leah, aka @califmom, became a widow. Her dearest Bob battled non-Hodgkins Lymphoma for over a year. Leah is the second very young woman (another local friend being the second) I know to have been widowed because of Lymphoma. My Mom was widowed in her early 50’s because of Lymphoma.

However, Leah’s case is particularly heartbreaking because of the beautiful love affair between Leah and Bob and the fact that their two beloved children are only eleven and thirteen.

Leah’s circumstances are so similar to mine, and yet so, so different that I know, and yet do not know, the pain Leah, Drew & Aunnie are feeling.

The women of Room 704 want to show Leah some love in this shitacular time:

Sending you love, peace, and strength.  Also, even more awesome stuff like bewb smooshes and ass slaps.  Love to you, m’lady.
~Lotus
.
Leah – I adore you and not just because you don’t gloat when you kick my ass in Words With Friends. And not just because when I lose my iPhone at 4 in the morning when I’m at a hotel in Nashville, you tweet me ways to MacGyver my laptop into a flashlight to find my phone under the bed. I adore you because you are strength – I have had my heart simultaneously broken and patched together over the past year following you through Bob’s illness through your blog and tweets. Through it all, through whatever life threw at you, you carried yourself with strength and humor. God, the humor. I have so much respect for you and your grace, and the love you have for Bob always made me smile. And that black hat? Pure awesome.

Want to help? Please don’t send flowers. Instead, donate via Pledgie or to your favorite charity in memory of Bob Norling.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEEE!

Happy Birthday to ME!

And many moooooorrrreeeee!!!!!!

Today I am celebrating my 30th birthday. The way I want to celebrate is by helping Anissa – You know, Anissa Mayhew – that Anissa Mayhew. THIS Anissa Mayhew -

So for every THIRTY comments here about me celebrating THIRTY, I will give THIRTY dollars to the Anissa paypal fund – Let’s see how many days of outpatient therapy copay we can pay for  :)

Awesome – thanks ya’ll for helping me help Anissa – and for helping me party on my birthday – husband was out of town so I was feeling a little un partied

Hoegaarden is a light and refreshing Belgian white ale. I enjoyed one as a before dinner drink, and it was later paired with an apple tart which sported a caramel sauce.

I’d hesitate to call it a ‘girly’ beer but it IS a beer that I think a lot of women would like. As a former non-beer drinker, I would say this goes on my short list of beers that I like.

In the next few weeks, I’ll highlight the other Belgian beers I got to taste (well really, imbibe in again) while on my trip to New York.

1. Yummie Tummie shapewear is comfy.

2. Yummie Tummie shapewear size charts are kinda generous – Loter, Victoria, Leslie and I all took measurements and ordered according to the size chart and we all felt like our shapewear needed to be sized down – not bad on the confidence building, but definitely something to be aware of.

3. Yummie Tummie shapewear has some sex-ay options.

4. Yummie Tummie shapewear goes with pretty much everything.

5. Yummie Tummie shapewear can totes show off your bewbs in unexpected ways.

from Rachel – A Southern Fairy Tale

(source)

*long story*

When Chris Mann played at the Spohr’s a few weeks back and Victoria went down for the party, I dubbed it a Room Seven Oh Spohr event and even made a tshirt. Since then, “Room Seven Oh Spohr” has become our rally cry – proclaiming that Heather is our girl foreva and foreva.

We’d already made our donations when @perksofbeingme was thinking about purple silicone bracelets, we talked and decided to go the route of beaded bracelets.

We’ve invested $100 into making the bracelets, there will be some shipping costs and some paypal fees. We calculate that *at least* 70% of each purchase can go to Mike and Heather.

Ideally, we’ll sell out of these bracelets today and I’ll take that $100 and go back to the bead shop and we’ll do this all over again. That would be my ideal way to spend tonight – making more bracelets.

I fully admit these bracelets were made with more love than experience. They are made from glass, amethyst and crystal bead combinations strung on beading elastic and reinforced at the tie. I took the photos before I clipped the ends of the elastic, rest assured they are now clipped. They come in XL, L, M, S and XS. That XS is tiny and I would say that it would only fit a little girl, but that would involve CPSIA testing and all that jazz, so clearly, that XS for a tiny adult. Shipping will be in the cheapest most minimal container I can manage while still keeping the beads protected, in order to keep those shipping costs down.

Each bracelet is $20. Again, *at least* $14 of each bracelet will go to Mike and Heather.

I have scrawny wrists and big hands – these are the bracelets on my hand in each size – when you find what you want to buy, click the picture and it will take you through to the purchase screen.

MEDIUM BRACELETS

LARGE BRACELETS