Tag Archives: friends

Remembering the World Trade Center

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I wrote this last year and wanted to post it again. I added an update at the bottom. I find I feel the same today as I did when I wrote it.

Have you ever reflected on little segments of your life and realized just how much they influenced who you are today? One of the big questions that people will ask of each other this weekend is “where were you on 9/11?”. Everyone has a story. Each one unique and each of us on that day were changed. We hugged our loved one’s a little tighter, perhaps were a little kinder and  together we bonded in our love for our country.

If you have a memory or two tucked away that involves the World Trade Center, chances are you are pondering those as well. On that day, as I watched the first tower fall and then the second, I couldn’t help but reflect back to my days in NYC and an amazing dinner at Windows on the World with two very special people in my life. They, like the Twin Towers are no longer here.

It was a period in my life that was all good. I was a young naive college student studying design at FIT on 27th and 7th. I walked to work at Macy’s and had an amazing roommate and best friend from New Jersey named Lisa. We hung out at Columbia University, Studio 54 and the Underground. We were thin and fabulous. We wore short skirts, stiletto’s and designer clothes. Truth be told, we thought we ruled the world.

Making Memories in NYC… Lisa, me and Jinny

My Aunt Jinny,  a gentle soul that never married, called me one day from Cincinnati and asked if she could come visit for a weekend. I almost selfishly said no…are you kidding me? Give up a weekend to entertain my 60 year old aunt? Thankfully, I had some sense and told her I would love for her to visit. Looking back, Lisa and I had some of our best times with Aunt Jinny over the next two years. We would dress her up, give her a make-over, let her sleep in our dorm and take her out on the town as if she was the college student she never was. In return she would bring us skyline from Cincinnati, take us to tons of musicals and gift us with one special memory – dinner at Windows on the World.

It was a magical night. We took hours to get ready and then called a cab to pick us up. As the elevator climbed to the top floor of the tower and the doors opened up, you truly felt as if you were on top of the world. The view was incredible, the bathrooms fabulous and the food delicious. Back then, to us it was about being dressed up and out on the town at an exclusive restaurant that we could never ever have afforded as a college student. Today, I realize it was about being in a magical place that no longer exists with two very special people that meant more to me than words can say and like the World Trade Center… are no longer here. Ginny passed away shortly after the towers fell and unexpectedly, Lisa just a few years ago.

I am emotional. I was inspired to write this after I read a post this morning by Thrify Decor Chick; touched by her photos at Ground Zero. Now my mind is flooded with memories of Jinny and Lisa…I miss them. They made me a better person. I wish I had just one more conversation with them… I am glad they knew I loved them.

Excerpts from a book written by high school friend Andrea Raynor called A Voice that Calls you Home swirl in my mind as I think about that heart wrenching day known simply as 9/11. In her book, Andrea shares her emotional journey including her days at ground zero blessing body parts and later, her battle with breast cancer.

I think of my friend Heath who is getting ready to leave his family to serve yet another year across the world I think of  my friend Cheri’s son Jake, and my children’s friends Jason, Zak and Ashley who are all in the different segments of the US Military. They make me so proud. I just want to wrap my arms around them and all the other brave men and woman who are serving our country and working to keep us safe.

Today, I am reminded how precious life is… How lucky we are to live in this wonderful place called America. In these trying times, in the midst of a struggling economy and financial struggles… we may not agree on politics or religion or even sports teams, but that fateful day on 9/11 reminded us that regardless of our differences, we are united in our love for this  beautiful place on earth called America. Today as I remember, I am especially grateful for that. xo Amy

Update: I am VERY excited that my friend Heath is coming home this month! I will get to see him at a Ohio State Football game this year – can’t wait to welcome him back! Jason left a few months ago for Afghanistan and his wife is expecting their second child. I’m keeping them (and all military personnel/families) in my prayers! Here is an article about my friend Andie (Andrea) that was in USA today recently. xo

Get Inspired by Sex and the City

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I amazingly had never watched Sex and the City until last year. Thanks to my DVR, I have now seen every single episode. Imagine how excited I was when Ashley (my daughter) and I each won 2 tickets for the early screening of Sex and the City last night! Personally, I was excited just to have a girls night out. She on the other hand was excited about that too, but was equally as excited about the mandatory, ‘I have nothing to wear’. pre-screening shopping marathon that was necessary in order to attend the event.

As luck would have it, she found the perfect pair of hot pink 5″ pink stillettos with a fab flower atop each toe that perfectly matched her pink chiffon knee length new dress. I admit that for a very brief moment I had a flashback to my twenties and slipped a pink stilletto onto my freshly manicured toes. WARNING: If you haven’t worn stillettos in twenty years – you probably shouldn’t wear them in this century – trust me they are dangerous.  Did I really once dance in these till the wee hours at Studio 54? That’s another story, but, I do think believe that Ashley and I have gone full circle. I pulled out my pink vintage purse that I bought in the NYC village flea market before she was born and instead of rolling her eyes, she actually carried it to the preview. For those of you with teenage daughters – there is hope for you yet!

So, back to the movie… Did I say it was Fabulous? Here’s my review: I LOVED IT! My plan was to keep an eye on the amazing interiors I would surely see and then report back to you. I don’t think I saw any. I was so wrapped up in the girlfriends, steamy scenes, stylish clothes and of course the amazing shoes, that I swear they didn’t show any interiors. you’ll have to tell me if I missed something :)

Since I sadly have nothing to report regarding the inside of their homes, the philosopher in me feels compelled to encourage you to find inspiration for yourself and your home through Carrie and the girls. Note: Some of what I write below will make more sense after you have watched the Movie. Here are my thoughts…

Rekindle a Friendship. When I won the tickets to Sex and the City, something propelled me to call a friend that I dearly love, but whom I hadn’t called in a shamefully long time. She asked me as we were driving to the theatre, why I asked her when she had never seen a Sex and the City episode. I answered simply and honestly – “because I missed you”. It was like we had never missed a beat. It’s those kinds of friends; the one’s who love you inspite of yourself, that you should call.

Learn from Carrie: Style is not determined by Budget. It’s true. You’ve seen Decorate on a Dime and Shabby Chic. Find an inspiration picture. Study the lines (curvy, ornamental, sleek, etc.), note the patterns, explore the use of texture and use that as a guideline for shopping. Style is about knowing the attributes that make a room beautiful. It’s NOT about the label.

Honor the Samantha in You. Most of us are so busy working, nurturing others, and taking care of our homes that we forget out ourselves. You may even say that we ‘lose’ ourselves. I ask you this – if we don’t honor who we are, who will? Make YOU a priority in your life!

Forgive like Miranda.  Forgiveness can be hard. Let’s face it, it’s easier to stay mad than to forgive. But life is too short to carry the weight of anger and hate. Try to forgive someone who has hurt you. It doesn’t mean you have to like them or even have a relationship with them, but yours will be a much lighter load and you may even find that forgiveness can change your life for the good.

Be a Charlotte. Do you ever look at someone who is ‘always’ happy and want to slap them? Is anyone ever really that happy? The truth is no. But the other truth is that happiness is a choice. You can choose to see the glass half empty or half full. You can be a pessimist or an optimist. You can CHOOSE to be happy or choose to be sad. Sad has it moments, and sometimes we need to be sad – but if you remember to choose happy most of the time – it’s a much better life!

Enjoy the Movie! I think you are going to LOVE it!

 

Reflections and Resolutions: Part 1

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Can you believe it? Another year is almost gone! Now that the Christmas hustle and bustle is winding down, I’m taking a few minutes as I drink my morning coffee to personally reflect on 2007, form a plan of action regarding my 2008 New Year resolutions, and give you a peek of what Jayne and I are cooking up for 2008.   Here’s Part I – Reflections.

I’ll admit that I am a perpetual optimist. It drives some people crazy and hopefully inspires more. My philosopy is that life is a choice. You can choose to see the glass as 1/2 empty or 1/2 full, and truthfully, I can’t imagine why anyone would  pick anything other than 1/2 full. It’s in that spirit, that as I reflect back on 2007, I’m focusing on what I’m grateful for; rather than what was bad. Let’s face it, at some point in our lives, we are going to have a really bad day, a bad year, bad month – maybe even a really bad year. As Forest Gump once said, “shit happens”. But as I grow older, I realize that even on the worst day, I can find something to be grateful for. It’s a pretty humbling thing.

Here are some of the things I am grateful for as 2007 comes to a close:

My Family. Yes, we have our dysfunctional days. But anyone who thinks that their family is perfect, probably has a family that is more dysfunctional than mine – haha! At the end of the day, I am grateful for every little thing that makes my family mine.

My friends. I used to want everyone to like me. I was a people pleaser. Actually, I still want people to like me, but I realize that you cannot please all of the people, all of the time and some people are just not going to be a true friend. I am grateful to have finally realized this and that I’m smart enough to focus on friends who love me inspite of myself. They are rare, but precious.

Our Customers. Jayne and I have been so blessed to have met and talked to so many great people over the last couple of years. We truly love what we do and are so thankful for the oppurtunity to create and supply products that not only do we love to create, but that our customers love as well. It’s a journey that we look forward to for many years to come.

My health. God knows I should do more to honor my body, and I am thankful that it continues to put up with me. You know there’s a New Years resolution coming for this topic :)

Pay it Forward. I am a firm believer in what goes around comes around. I am thankful for the stranger that told me I dropped a shopping bag in the mall, the cashier that always has a big smile for me, and the salesman that told me I was beautiful on a day that I really didn’t feel pretty at all. I just hope that in my lifetime I do as many randomly nice things for people who cross my path, as those that do for me.

So, reflecting back on 2007, that is what I’m grateful for. Next week I’ll share my resolutions and things that Jayne and I look forward to business wise in 2008. Have a safe and happy New Year.