• happy birthday,  jack,  jack pics,  my view

    Happy Birthday Jack!

    I had a wonderful and inspirational time in NJ over the weekend at the NJ RWA Put You Heart In a Book Conference (we won’t talk about how many times I got turned around driving in NJ. I think it’s my mental NJ block). I’ll write more on it later when I’m fully functioning and awake.

    But for today it’s special celebration time because it is everyone’s favorite bad little dog’s 4th birthday today. Join me in saying…Happy 4th Birthday Jack!!!

     

    Much love and treats to you. Thanks for all the excitement.

    Love,

    The Family!

  • blogs,  happy birthday,  my view,  Uncategorized

    Let the Side Show Begin

    What’s Jack up to? Poor Jack is not feeling well today which makes me sad but I’m afraid it’s his own fault since while I was out at the Nate show he took the opportunity to get into a box of Fiber One bars. That meant throwing up in the middle of the night for Jack in hall and on the couch and just… Ugh! Poor Jack and poor DH who got up with him and poor me who is still cleaning up today. Fun, uh, not.

    Now I had a great time at The Nate Berkus Show. Sure It would have been fun if it was Oprah like and announced that it was blogger show day but you can’t have it all. Nate was just as cute as he is on TV. He did a nice Q and A with us after the taping and we got a scarf and a gift card from Payless as a parting gift. Go BOGO! Though I’d still love a Nate makeover anytime. Hey Nate I’m just up the road and need all sorts of help. Holla. Thanks.

    A big thrill for this PR lover was seeing guest Christian Siriano. You know this girl was giddy over that part. Look for me in the audience in the gold (yikes) with the huge goofy grin (natch). BTW I’m totally afraid of how I’ll look on camera. I swear it felt like the camera was in my face all the time and all I wanted to do was scratch my nose. If I’m on camera I’m sure I’ll look quite dorkish. I’m sort of hoping I’m not so I can keep my nice distorted imago of myself just a little longer.

    Ahh well. Look for me,because, yes it’s all about me, in the audience on The Nate Berkus Show, the one with Dressing from your closet with Christian, and Home Make Overs by Shopping your house.

    Now the best part of the day for me was meeting so many wonderful bloggers whose blogs I drool over every day. What a time that was! Bloggers came from all over the country and many from Canada. There was also a fab after party put on my THE NEST magazine way downtown. What a great night out. I will post more ye bloggers and pics tomorrow.

    Finally. Let’s all say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my MA!!!

    Happy Birthday MA! All of you out there who know me or stop by often know how wild, unpredictable and fab my mother is. She is one you can’t hold down. You never know when she’ll show up or what color hair she’ll be sporting when she does. This oldie but goodie goes out to Ms. Kay! She always lovs a good side show. Love ya Ma!

    Best,

    Kwana

  • friends,  happy birthday,  Megan Frampton

    Happy Birthday Megan!

     

    Happy Birthday to my PIC (partner in crime) Megan!!

    Megan is my wonderful critique partner, but more importantly she’s my friend and partner in all things snark and writing suffrage. Megan is kind and generous with her praise as well as being there with that kick in the butt when I need it too in order to get to the next word. She’s one of the smartest writers I know with the, hands down, best catalog of music.  

    On top of all that she has great taste in men…

    and she can rock a vintage 70’s frock like nobody’s business while rocking out to Afrika Bambaataa.

     

    Happy Birthday PIC! Wishing you the best year ever! Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Megan.

    Love ya,

    Kwana

    dress from here. Megan may want to pick it up.

  • bad dog,  jack,  jack pics

    No Sleeping In… It’s Monday Ya Know

    What’s Jack up to? Well I had plans to sleep in on this day off Monday for everyone in the house. But Sir Jack wasn’t having any of  that.  Bounding into the bedroom bright and early, his annoying little nails scratching on the wood floor and when that didn’t work he went to pushing for all his might against the bed. Groan.  I’d say he feels bad for waking me and the DH up, but with this look, somehow I don’t think so.

    Stay cool and I hope you got to sleep in today.

    Best,

    Kwana

    P.S. A big, I mean HUGE, happy  birthday to my littlest brother, Semaj. There is a 19 year age difference between us and he’s way cooler than me so he’s probably not even reading ye’ old blog but I wanted to say a shout out to him and tell him how much I love him and he’ll always be my baby brother no matter how big he gets. This Hess truck goes out to him today.

  • family,  happy birthday,  jack,  jack pics,  my view

    Strange Hangover

    What’s Jack up to? Like me Jack is dog tired from all the B-day partying.

     

    I want to say thank you all so much for the outpouring of love here, on Twitter and on Facebook for my birthday wishes. You all make facing birthdays so much easier.

    I had a very nice birthday weekend filled with family and friends. After giving the DH a hard time for organizing a family BBQ for me on Saturday it turned out to be so much fun. I woke up today with a hangover and I didn’t have 1 drink of liquor. I think I am drunk off food and laughter.  How can everyone in a family be so competitive over cards? I tell you from Nana on down, it’s really scary.

    We are all such sore losers and talk so much crap. But in the end we take it all in good cheer; I mean how can you talk about someone’s mama when you have the same mama? And it turns out that even though my brother and I seem so very different in some things we are truly the same. That was nice to find out.

    And as I sweet topper I got these beautiful flowers from the DH which surprisingly (and not by accident) have the peach color from our wedding over 20 years ago. How much do I love him for that?

    All in all it was a fab way to turn the page on another chapter in my life.

    Best,

    Kwana

  • happy birthday,  inspiration,  my view

    Not Kansas – Not Oz-Still Home

    So it’s here. Today is my birthday. Look around go ahead and look, I am. Slowly….

    Nothing has changed. I’m still here and so are you. I’m still the same old me just a day older and now officially 41. A wife, mother of teen twins, former thinner fashionista slash budget designer in the NYC now writer in the outskirts of the NYC and owner of a terrier that sometimes thinks it’s human. Oh and I’m a multi-published blogger. *snicker* How do you like that term. Feel free to use it all you bloggers out there. But other than that no big changes happened overnight. Ah well… big sigh and moving on.

     

    But wait. Before I just move on, in honor of being all these (ever so slightly) fab (in my own mind) things homage must be paid. 

    So I’d like to raise a glass to me and also a glass (double fisting this weekend totally acceptable for my birthday)  to you my dear friends who make the multi-published blogger part possible. Thank you so much for being here ,which is out there in cyber space, and stopping by to say hi and let me know they my words do not fall on deaf ears. That my tree falling in the woods does indeed make a sound. You all are so precious and lovely. Super heroes in your own worlds! Here’s to you!

     

    And thank you Lord for getting me through another year full of all that a year can bring and then some more. I’m still here, saying YES.

    Best,

    Kwana

    P.S. this pic is the sweet cake my Knit buddies gave me on Wednesday. So yummy.

  • happy birthday,  inspiration,  my view

    Over The Rainbow

    So tomorrow is my birthday and I know that once again I’ll wake up like I always do with a bunch of hopefulness seasoned with a hint of fear. Hopefulness because that’s how I wake each morning to face the day despite my constant jaded twin that whispered in my ear all throughout the night about fear and the uselessness of hope.

    But depending on how you look at it (good or bad for me) I was way too affected by this movie as a child and live a life stuck in two worlds. One is in Kansas where it’s cold, harsh and in black and white and the other is the world of my imagination. The world of rainbows and color (and lollipop guilds) where my dreams just refuse to die.  Part of me hopes (or is it fears? ) that  I’ll wake up and that world of imagination will be gone along with the longing and the hope. I’ll be a grown up for real-real ya’ll.  But the other part, the truly hopeful part, hopes that I’ll wake up, open my eyes and be Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

     

    Where will you wake up tomorrow, in Kansas or Over the Rainbow?

    Best,

    Kwana

    P.S.

    Thanks so much to my Knitsters for all the love yesterday, Knitting, food, cake and presents! I’m a lucky girl. (Ugh. Getting so past the point where I can say girl.)

    And a big Happy Birthday to my friend Wendy! Wishes of a pot of gold for you this year!

  • happy birthday,  marriage,  my view

    Adoring… happily

    What’s Jack up to? He’s very happy today because today is HIS BFF’s Birthday. But he’ll have to wait in line to give out some birthday cheer because before he was his BFF he was MINE.

    Yes, today is my DH’s birthday.

    Happy Birthday Lovey!!

     

     

    I always find this the hardest post of the year to write. What do I say after over 20 years that hasn’t already been said? ‘Happy Birthday’ are truly not strong enough words to express the magnitude of what I’m feeling and wishing for my dear DH today.

    So since the right words fail me (the writer-um, nice) when it comes to you. I’ll leave it to Prince because he was there from the beginning:

     “Until the end of time
    I’ll be there 4 u
    U own my heart and mind
    I truly adore u
    If god one day stroke me blind
    Your beauty i’d still see
    Love is 2 weak 2 define
    Just what u mean 2 me”

     

    Wishing you all the happiness in the world and then some more if I can grab it for you.

    With you I’ll get greedy.

     

    Love Always,

    Me

    P.S.

    Love from DS, DD and Jack too

    XOXO

    P.P.S

    All you bloggy folks. Check me out tomorrow over here! Yay!!!!!

  • friends,  happy birthday,  my view

    Friends… Gotta Have Em

    Though it’s tax day today we’re just going to forget all that here on ye old blog and say Happy Birthday today to one of my dearest friends and always BFF, more like a sister, Ceska.

     

    Ceska and I have been friends since young girls on the playground from the days of Kick The Can to Jams in the Park (shhh don’t tell Nana) to the births of our children. Yeah, I still can’t write right after being in the delivery room with her for the birth of my 10 pound godson now 18 years ago. But a nearly broken hand? What’s that between best friends? Nothing.

    These songs go out to my girl Ceska. Thanks for always having my back and being a Queen of Peace Forever. Happy Birthday!

    Stop laughing. Now. You know you want to sing. What songs make you think of your old friends?

    Best,

    Kwana

    P.S.

    The winner of The Uptown book giveaway is…. Lecia from the beautiful blog A Day That Is Dessert. Congrats! Lecia please email me your info at kwanawrites (at) yahoo (dot) com.  Yay!

  • artists,  happy birthday,  happy holidays,  PVE

    Happy 2 P day!

    It’s a 2 celebration type of day. Hooray!

    Happy St. Patrick’s Day. There will be plenty of cheer flowing around New York and the country. I say do it up in style! Klassy like.

    And Happy Birthday to Patricia of pvedesign!

     


    Patricia is a wonderful artist, mother and friend.

    I know plenty of you have been touched by her artwork and the daily inspiration she gives out on her blog. If you haven’t been by then click on over.

    Spread some love and stop on by here to give her birthday greetings today.

    Best,
    Kwana