Let's talk about something else

The US media loves to focus on the sensational, the trashy, the depressing. They'll argue it isn't what they want, it's what consumers seek and they have a point. I have a certain love for celebrity gossip and bizarre news stories because they're a nice distraction from the every day.

I've been working to take personal responsibility on the media I consume. If you would like to join me, there's an easy way to do that today.

A certain trouble-making celebrity was arrested last night for being immature, stupid and violent. Whenever the news comes up today, change the subject to Malala Yousafzai. A quick Google search will give you all the information you need about this brave Pakistani girl who just wanted to go to school.

She became an outspoken leader in women's rights, even though she's only 15 years old. The Taliban decided she was such a threat to their culture that they shot her in the head as she rode the school bus home in October. As a teenage girl, she was targeted for assassination. She is recovering from her injuries in England.

There's a world out there that doesn't involve TMZ, Honey Boo Boo or the trash the media spoon feeds us. Make today about someone who works to make a difference, and you'll be making a difference, too.

I'm thankful for 2012

It’s been a whirlwind year with a lot of highs—and a handful of lows. In fact, without this tradition, I may not sit down this year and give thanks for a year that has brought me to tears more than a few times. But, on closer inspection, I have so many things that make me thankful. Chief among them, the spirit of resilience that all of my family members have, the attitude that no matter what happens, we each will keep going.

In 2012, I couldn’t be more thankful for:

-Steve and your patience; your enthusiasm for picking on Marlie and me; your sense of adventure; that moment when your patience runs out and you finally tell me what’s on your mind; our love for travel; your generosity with my family; and your incredible sense of humor.

-My mom, my very best friend, who puts up with all of me, which is no easy task.

-My dad, who is only a phone call away to fix all of the problems in my life, from leaky showers to tearful fits.

-Taylor and every giggly phone call that reminds me of our late night conversations growing up.

-Reed and your ability to take on everything, including our family drama, in the same way you caught frogs for Taylor and me when were little, like it’s easy.

-Mallory, thanks for bringing your insight to so many of our family moments. You have a careful eye that catches the things we often miss.

My dear, dear friends. God blesses me through each of you every day with humor, love and attention. I’m so very thankful for friends that:

-Wouldn’t commit a misdemeanor, let alone a felony.

-Laugh loudly.

-Dive into pools.

-Have traditions.

-Let me cry.

-Apologize.

-Pick me up out of the bushes.

-Make breakfast.

-Have babies.

-Get married in awesome weddings

-Appreciate my bossiness

-Read my blogs

-Make me dinner to celebrate their engagement.

-Gossip.

-Introduce me to new people.

-Dress up for birthdays and Halloween.

-Share inside jokes.

-Sister, get up!

-Make me laugh. Hard.

-Introduce me to their fabulous in-laws.

-Tweet, GChat and Email, because we can’t see each other often enough.

-Give side-eye

-Share their struggles

-Celebrate life with girly cocktail hours

-Share our love of any of our passions.

-Love Will Hoge

-Tailgate for Opening Day

-Ask me to be in their wedding

-Take us rafting

-Quote 30 Rock and make up drinking games

-Hike

-Encourage me

-Let me sleep at their house

-Cook

-Commiserate about the Braves

-Have an irreverent sense of humor

-Have a disdain for raised medians

-Are very upset that I have no Georgia swag but plenty from FSU

-Tahiti

-Aren’t judgy

-Form friendships even if we haven’t met in real life

-Are happy

-Show me how to start over and learn new things

-Say “good talk”

Thank you for the many ways you bless me and the nonsense you put up with from me: Molly, Brad, Wylly, Sharon, Nate, Rick, Chris Brown, Nikki, Steven, Brett, Liz, Theresa, Chris Connolly, Ben, Matt, Debbie, Krisi, Pete, Sarah Beth, Cam, Patrick, Tom, Ivan, Kristi, Sarah Melissa, Chase, Shawn, Kevin, Callie, Joe, Matt, Martha, Chris Bailey, Kristin, Damon, Ashlee, Meaghan, Jenna, Seth and Billy.

Thank God for Twitter; Riesling, Malbec, ciders and tequila; treadmills; DVR; Homeland, Nashville and 30 Rock; blogs like Suri’s Burn Book; Sharpies and highlighters; Susan B. Anthony; Midnight in Paris; Zelda Fitzgerald; Will Hoge, Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean; Dry Roasted Almonds; Willy’s Mexican Grill; my phone; covers; celebrity gossip; vacations and new adventures; people that drive better than I do; library books; hurricane coverage; the Silver Comet Trail; Jackson Square; fortune tellers; my bed; gum; the days I can work from home; coupons and contests; old pictures; awkward conversations and situations that are funny later; the laughter that comes from old jokes, and being easily amused and a little bit childish; and the million other small things that get me through the day.

God bless the Braves; Baby; Freddie Freeman hugs; Craig Kimbrell; Chipper Jones, his tweets and all his retirement gifts; Kris Medlen; Andrelton Simmons; the way Chip Caray says Francisco; and fans that throw trash for garbage calls. I’m still mad about the infield fly rule.

Epiphanies where God finally shows me what he’s been working toward all along.

That I have a Savior who blesses me everyday, and loves me for who I am but loves me too much to leave me this way.

And finally, for the chance to count my blessings. 

Living in Midnight in Paris

Living in Midnight in Paris

Have you seen Midnight in Paris? Steve and I love Woody Allen movies, but this one is endearing for so many more reasons besides the director's quirk. It's a great story of wanting, wandering, trying to find your place. It also has such whimsy and just a hint of Dali, another personal favorite.

After watching the movie, I've been learning more about Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of F. Scott and the basis of many of his characters. She also embodies the 1920s indulgence mentality and spent much of her own life on a similar search for purpose. I'm reading her biography now and a review will be forthcoming. 

For now, check out this set and certainly find the movie soon. 

Education and Necessary Skills

There's a lot of debate over public education and it received a lot of media coverage. With so much at stake, it makes sense. In Georgia, school funding has been a big issue over the last few years. Georgia also made a controversial decision to change the high school math curriculum that the new superintendent has promptly undone.

Steve and I don't have kids but I've recently given a lot of thought to a subject missing from our schools. Why don't we teach kids responsible personal finance?

It's a subject that I've recently found interesting. Earlier this year, I picked up Dave Ramsey's book which convinced me that I needed to finally start budgeting. I'm glad I started when I did because I was able to save a few grand that eventually went to help a family member in need. Now, Steve and I have established financial goals, I've become coupon crazy and I devour all kinds of personal finance news and advice.

I wish I would have started earlier. I'm curious to know where I would be if I'd started at 22 instead of 27.

Our economy has suffered significantly as families collapsed under debt. It started with the housing bubble and many believe student loan debt will soon cause more problems. Wouldn't it make sense to teach our kids how to live within their means and what to do with their eventual wealth?

The Girl Scouts rolled out new badges a few weeks ago, which include Good Credit, Money Manager, Budgeting and Financing My Future. Bravo to this organization for teaching girls the skills they need to really be successful today. I hope our schools take their lead because, at the end of the day, personal finance success is a skill we all need.

Book 5: Bossypants

If you can make me laugh, I want you to be my friend. You can be a terrible, horrible person. You can be the worst cynic ever. If you make me giggle, you win.

Someone told me they were shocked that I liked 30 Rock and Tina Fey. "She's so liberal. How can you listen to that? She's out to destroy our values."

Yes, there are values I hold dear and I've worked very hard for candidates I believe in. At the end of a hard day though, I just want a good laugh, folks.

..And, that's why I love Bossypants.

My mom had surgery earlier this year and I spent the whole day in the hospital reading passages of Bossypants.. to my grandmother, who didn't understand. I reread the book a few weeks ago, on a football Saturday, aloud to Steve, who pretended to listen but at least laughed.

One of the best passages in the book is about Amy Poehler's first day at SNL. She's goofing around with Jimmy Fallon, who returned the joke by saying she was unladylike and he didn't like it. "I don't f*cking care if you like it."And she moved on.

It made me think about my own work demeanor and personality. How often do I shy away if someone doesn't laugh? How often am I scared to reach out at a networking event for worried I might be shunned? Why do I care if they like it?

Experience the Gold Dome from your iPhone

Georgia's State Capitol is truly one of the best ways to learn about Georgia history- and its free. Another way to experience it for free without even having to travel to Atlanta is this new iPhone tour app from Georgia State University.

The video segments are narrated by Monica Kaufman Pearson (etc., etc.) and there is even a welcome from Governor Nathan Deal. I hope they update it with more videos and definitely more pictures (I mean, there isn't even a two-headed animal mention), but it is an awesome start.

Can you spare a few dollars to fight ALS?

Steve, Sharon and Ben

I hope you don't mind this brief update asking for your help in the fight against ALS.

As many of you know, Steve's mom, Sharon, lost her fight to ALS over two years ago. I wish I would have met her sooner, before she was sick. You could see how much energy the disease had taken from her, even though she made sure you could still feel her love. Since Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with the disease, little progress has been made to determine the cause or to find a cure. It remains a fatal disease for everyone diagnosed.

On Saturday, October 22, Steve, Ben and I will participate in the Walk to Defeat ALS, sponsored by the ALS Society of Georgia. Not only does this organization fund research for ALS, they also help the families provide for their loved one's basic needs during their fight. For Sharon, they provided everything from a chairlift for stairs and a hospital bed to education materials and support groups. They truly do important work for patients.

I understand budgets are tight but please consider donating a few dollars to this very worthy cause. If it's not in your budget now, maybe you can remember them before tax season, forward this email on, or even just offer a prayer for those suffering from ALS and the families support them.

Please click here to donate.

Thank you so much for your help. We're looking forward to spending a pretty autumn morning supporting the ALS Society of Georgia.

Did you know it's August?

...read the subject of the panicked email to my friends. Summer is almost over and I hadn't even made sangria yet, my favorite summer drink. So even though I shouldn't have, I invited six of my favorite girls over last night for sangria, cheese, laughs and lots of gossip. (Sangria circle of trust.)

Things aren't good for anyone right now, but these girls always send me some sunshine from God.

If you're not ready for summer to end, I'm happy to share my dad's sangria recipe with you. I hope you share it with some good friends, too.

4 cups dry red table wine
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 limes or 1 apple, sliced, to serve.

Also, help yourself to some cheese plate tips.

Biggest fail of the night? I didn't take pictures. Suffice it to say, we all looked fabulous.

What We Had for Dinner

When Steve and I got married, I was still a bit of a cooking novice. I assumed I didn't have the patience to cook, since I don't have the patience for much of any hobby. I've challenged myself, though, and realize now I'm very good at following a recipe.

Last night, Steve's boss came over for dinner and I treated them to Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas. Had I known his boss was coming, I probably would have made something nicer but these were a big hit. They were a bit spicy for my palate, so next time I'll probably reduce the chili powder. But, I'm a wuss.

I don't know what it is about football season, but we usually end up with at least one unannounced guest. Chicken enchiladas will be a great Saturday meal for welcome friends.

Tonight, Steve and I enjoyed Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Vegetables, which was excellent but may be more of a fall meal. Also, you can freeze these and cook later.

If you're not on Real Simple's recipe e-mail list, you're missing out. They send you a daily recipe and everything I've made has been a hit!

"No, Daddy. I can do it."

My Dad's favorite story to tell about me must have started when I was five. He came home every night from work and asked if I needed help with my homework. I never let him help me.

"No, Daddy. I can do it."

Sure, I'm a pretty independent girl who works hard. He thinks the story highlights those qualities.

Maybe not. The more I think about the story, the more I see other traits that aren't so great. Stubbornness. The need for control. 

Lately, God's thrown a lot of obstacles my way and I've handled them the best I could. But, the stress has definitely taken a toll on me and I haven't been the nicest person to be around.

I'm finally ready to admit it.

No, Father, I can't do it. I need Your help on this and I know You'll be there for me. Instead of worrying and trying to bend every problem to my will, I'm ready to let go and let You take care of me and my family.

I've said it. Now, I need to do it. :-)

*Please pray for my Mom who is facing several surgery to correct back problems that are causing her severe pain.

Happy Anniversary, baby!

Happy Anniversary to my sweet, patient and funny husband. To everyone afraid of marriage, the first year isn't as bad as they say. :-)

I love these boys.

I am a huge Braves fan. I have the sticker on my car, the t-shirts in my closet. I countdown to Opening Day the way children countdown to Christmas. I call Brian McCann "baby."

I can't explain it easily. It's summer. It's the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. It's the personalities and the game.

Family Braves game.

My sister and I on Opening Day two years ago.

Most think I'm just exaggerating when I say I love baseball but think of this: My then-fiance and I went to Braves Opening Day last year, flew to San Fran, got married in Napa Valley and then went to the Giants home opener where they played.. the Braves. That's right, we planned our wedding around the Braves schedule.

2010 Giants Home Opener against the Bravos.

It's hard to meet the excitement we had for Opening Day last year. Every year, however, holds new promise and more excitement.

Addendum:

In today's game, the Braves' Tim Hudson (a pitcher) slid into home plate HEAD FIRST (a big no-no) to score. How do his teammates handle it? Let's check Twitter:

How could you NOT love these boys?

Well hello, blog!

Confession: I've been a bad blogger lately. When I started Magnolias Bloom, I promised I would post regularly. Well, after a lengthy absence, I'm ready to admit I've fallen short of my goal but I'm also ready to try again!

My last post was February 7, which was right around the time I accepted a new job! For a while, I've known my career in media relations was no longer fun for me. In fact, some of the days I dealt with reporters were stressful enough to make me question my life decisions.

Also during this time frame, I fell in love with Twitter. I've been on Facebook since 2004 (yikes!) and Twitter since 2009. While Facebook is fun for pictures and funny posts from friends, I actually learn things from Twitter, from news to sports to diet advice. Twitter is what you make it and if you take the time to build a community you value, you will find it's a treasured resource.

I've been blessed to find a job in social media marketing for political candidates and non-profits. It's been such a great, challenging, educational and exciting month for me, and I'm so excited for the future.

So, in addition to my 30 for 30 challenge, I will also use this space to share some interesting new media news and advice I learn along the way. I hope you'll still come along!

Laughter is medicine from God.

On Friday, I was blessed to stand for my father-in-law as he got married. I can only wish them all the happiness God has blessed Steve and I with in the last year (almost!!).

They decided to get married during their Sunday School class's retreat so it was a very small ceremony in Rome. The minister was borrowed from a neighboring church and it was his first wedding. (I think he's happy he doesn't have to face us again.)

He did say something beautiful during the ceremony: "Remember that laughter is medicine from God." How simple and beautiful.

I've been trying to find some artwork to put above our brand new bed. I'm not artsy at all and I'm worried about how this will turn out, but I'm going to try. (EEK!)

What does everyone think of this? The text would be stenciled on and the blue transition darker in the center... although I don't yet know how to do that.