I blush

Now this post is a bit like rubbing your stomach while patting your head, as none of the pictures have anything to do with the blush worthy story I am about to tell you..

When I lived in Northern Cali I worked at a medical office for six years and became very close to many of the woman who worked there.. I often got that "let me set you up with my.." feel free to choose from the following list:

Nephew

Son

Neighbor

patient

I never felt dateless but apparently other people felt it lol.

I turned down each one, plus I was about to move people common now whats the point in that? (hmm sound familiar? yeah I know)

A year after I graduated from high school I was getting ready to make my big independent move out to Az. On another last night hoopla with my two best friends we went to a party and had a pretty ok time.. silliness was abundant, and music loud.. good times were had.

I started to talk to this one guy though who was pretty cute, when suddenly my friends needed to go! like NOW! well knowing girl code+party drama= I had to leave no matter what

boo.

I decided to F That and to jog back and slightly, ok totes attack this guy a'la quick make out.

when i finally released the poor guy he asked for my number

I know right.. awwww so cute!

 but NO! I am moving. Which I told him

(ps lived under rock and didn't get cell until I moved to Az and had to)

I ran back to meet up with my girlies and decided that as the sun was coming up it was only right that we go eat breakfast and just stay out the entire night.. which was a good call.. 4am pancakes are always the right choice.

The next day I had another good by meeting at a co worker and friends house with my mom, friend and ex boss Elle my soon to be sister in law and a few other office friends.

I share everything with my mom.. especially when she is eye balling me arrive home in last night clothes at 6am bright eyed and bushy tailed (as she says-yeah she is adorable) so she knew the details of the night and gave me a wink of a "thata girl" approval.

The little gathering was nice. Margaritas (sure I was only 19 but it was fine) too many slightly hung over cigarettes ( I know I quite already :) and shower was pretty much my chilled standing at this point.

Son though my frosty drink bliss and smokers calm  was frazzled when I saw cute guys picture on the mantel..

this was our hosts son.. awesome

the son who would be home soon.. bonus

the son in which my mother could NOT wait to meet.. score.

after many failed threats to poke my mothers eyes out, both left and right she called him over when he got home and introduced us all the while giggling, smiling with her little rosy cocktails cheeks and making those giant eyes at Elle.. who was also already filled in at this point and Love.ing.it.

I hid behind my frosty glass for as long as I could, but finally had to fess up but luckily he played along, "its nice to meet you" he said but fml he dropped the act when my mom went for more berries and nuts (my mom snacks like a tree squirrel.. a cute one fo sho tho) and had to ask if I in fact :

was at the party last night?

(my shame full head nod said yes..)

and I am moving this weekend?

(more nods)

OH YOUR Cathys daughter

(F.. yes more nods...)

it was pretty much left at that. and folks it aint over.

a wedding in northern cali has me thinking I might want a date for the night. I mean sure why not. When I told my mom and Elle I might bring Mr. X up with me since we are still good friends, and he is a lot of fun...

the plot to contact the host and have her have HIM take me was hatched..

my fb inbox tells me the call has been made..

ladies please join me in now holding your breath..

-creeper cat staking me in my car.. dude!

ELLOoo!

thanks to my bombtastic iPhone

 SPRING IS HERE!!

and in Az it will only last a week so look alive people!!

This weekend is going to be packed with funness.. yes.. fun..ness.

First of all each morning I wake up to these beautiful flowers I bought for meself makes me oh so happy! That's step one of course

the rest of the steps I hope will fall into place as I bake (more? I know!)

 hold babies,

get some moola,

await my license (yes finally stopped being a chicken shit and sent in for it)

plans birthday surprises ;)

redecorate

plan my escape

and slumber in fresh sheets while I catch up on my Bewicthed NetFlix arrivals.

Yeah about that.

I am suddenly (ok not so sudden but more than usual) obsessed with black and white tv.

it started with Seasons one and two of I Love Lucy.. which did me proud.. but you start to kinda get the point after the second season not that it ever stopped me from laughing so loud I woke up my sleeping cat.

But now I am onto NetFlixing Bewitched and I LOVE it. Although I am sad for the poor woman across the street.. oh Ms. Abbott will you always think your nuts?

I am also finding the way the marriages used to work back then appealing. Don't get me wrong I am all about the r.e.s.p.e.c.t, and equal partnerships. But there was something about it that was just.. simple. and nice. like.. I'd love to stay home clean like the dickens make a BOMB meal and by dresses, and serve on "Woman's committees" what the hell did they do on those? I don't know but I think I would give them a run for their money is all I am sayin.

Yeah I know.. fun for a week.. maybe a month. But then I'd get bored.. and more like Lucy and cause a fuss about any 'ol thing..

ALSO

I have been so busy its down right wrong at this point. I have heard myself say "sure why not" more than I'd care to in any span of time.

Which results in more sloppy hair days..

Exhibit A:

but also I need to messy to hide the GRAY! Yes I have found FOUR more Silver hairs this week.. I think its my work giving them to me.. BLAST YOU! Can my hair coloring be a workmans comp kinda deal? please?

Exhibit B:

Alright peeps expect mucho baking posts on Sunday.. or Monday.. like late Monday.. hey man just trying to keep it real

(And one more thing: I am about half way thru the blogs I need to read up on WOOOOW there was a lot I missed and took me a good three hours to catch up on the first half.. why are there so many interesting and hilarious cant miss posts out there! Slack off guys your killing me!)

;)

Opening Up (2of2)

On March 19th most people are recovering from a long night of acting a fool on St. Patrick's Day. I am Irish all the live long day so besides my proud display of green that's usually as far as I go the past five years.

where else

I also don't go out any longer on this day because it is generally unsafe, and just asking for it. It is kiiiiiind of a lot of an insult to how people view the Irish. its sad because rather than the culture drinking habits being a little quirk and funny ingredient to stories we tell some of the time, its to the extreme of being these fall down fools.. so not the Buckley way folks.

ANYWAYS.

What I am taking a terribly long time to get at here is the biggest reason I don't go out any more, and generally save my time for the following day where I am needed to be in good health and able to stand.

March 19ths day has changed for me over the past five years. it marks the day that I lost a best friend, first love and high school sweetheart. it started as an extremely angry, frustrated and sorrow full day. I decided the first year the day came around again that I'd go be in nature which is something he loved. Since then the day has evolved into fond memorizes, a day to remember lessons learned, tell those that I love, "I love you", and to try and make it positive.

My mom told me when my wonderful Aunt Mary passed that there is NO way she could ever be gone because she touched far too many people in awesome ways that would forever remember her, but more importantly keep sharing her stories (which are guaranteed to make you crack up laughing.. and blush) and by "taking her with".

I decided to do this.. I believe that he is still with me and the people he loved, and because of this I try and take him with me to new and interesting places I think he'd like.. SPIRITUAL ROAD TRIP WHAT UP!!!!

One year it was to Thumb Butte my favorite place when I was little, and where I first heard "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong which is still my favorite song to this day.. I think I was 7yrs old.

that was important to show him that place since I told him about it before...
next it was to the Botanical Gardens which were FILLED with Sunflowers. **the third year was to the top of South Mountain, the forth to the Bryce Thompson Arboretum, and the fifth year (this year) to Sedona.

**this is cool because my Aunt Marys fav flower is the sunflower, which I adopted as MY favorite flower when I was young, and because I associate him with sunflowers as well because knowing this about me he often filled the hood of my car with them...


Here are a few pictures from the trip up north to the land of Red Rocks!

Driving out I listened to a mix cd my friend Sto made for me YEARS ago. It has many "roll your windows down, let your hair get wild, and sing along as loud as you can so you can hear yourself over the wind" songs from people like Cat Stevens and such.

The Red Mountains: Breath taking

The Blue Sky: Beautiful

The fact that I look like a total creeper: Bonus

Bell Mountain had a Vortex.. I had to check it out.. sorry Uhem.. we had to check it out :)

lol this looks like I edited it but it is straight from the iPhone.. job well done little buddy!

I was surrounded all day by towering red giants

About half way into my hike I decided to the trail wasn't "Vortex-y" enough for me and decided to hoof it up what I considered a very steap (surely mountain goat) path a little more than half way up.

I then realized MANY have made this trek up the side and clearly to the right place of "Vortex-y-ness" because there was a gathering of those point of balance towers...

I examined each one... in awwwww. I have never been able to make these.. I have tried, you know sometimes at the beach on those rock piers.. but nah.

I had a seat and took in this incredible view from above

Then I decided.. what the hell right. I could totally make one of those stack thingies!

I mean I am sitting on a VORTEX PEOPLE!

then..

I did!

BEHOLD! (also I am a hot mess)

I trekked it back down the goat path and found myself at Chapel Rock a place I had seen from the road but never actually GONE to.. so we did that too..

Then we sat awhile longer and took in the wind, views and mucho water.

I ended the trip once I felt that I had made the connection I needed to make, had total recall as I have each year on details good bad hilarious and frightening.

made me peace with all of it again.

then hit the road back home.

You know I think half of the therapy in these trips isn't so much the place or anything but at this point I noticed the DRIVE. I love car trips I really do, and it is something we both had in common. Many a trips to know where in those days and they were the absolute best.

It is also becoming more important now that's it is a tradition for me, and it helps me to get out of my head, out of a poor me, poor him, poor this world we live in attitude, and OUT, out there out in the new and out in the fresh air which was his favorite place, his nature place in things and his final place.

from here

This is so old its funny to me now.. its like this "other" me had that life sometimes, but I am lucky a few pictures like this are still around to remind me NOPE same you... and a happy me was what was captured.

My beloved Sto wrote THE most heart breaking and beautiful song about her take, and experiences with the loss (as I heavily depended on her during this time (ok ALL times) of my life for support and love.. something that she has an abundance of.

I hope she doesn't mind that I share her bands site in case any of you would like to hear it. She was so respectful in asking me about it first, and by including me in it. I cry each and every time I hear it, and so does all my family members as well.

Thanks Sto. I love you madly.

hotmesslovesyou.com

~ Happy to have gotten that off my chest thanks !!

Update 1 of 2

OK

YES. I look like a crazy person because no I am not getting married, but let me explain.....

...

..

.

Ok I cant really explain past I really really wanted to try one on.. so there.

 But this picture remains as one of my favorite of myself and my beautiful friend (who is in fact getting married)

In fact!

Her Bridal Shower was this past weekend and her twin sis (Underwood of course) and I put on a the event at their parents giant house.

The party was interesting to say the least girls. Social etiquette is a rare thing I tell ya!

 I wont go into all the details and missteps, but I will say this much:

The Maid of Honor and Myself started out VERY pleased with ourselves and the party!

The cake I decorated for the day was an attempt to copy the inspiration I got from blog I am Baker

Beautiful Bride to be!

Her Grandma won the TP Dress competition :)

The girls

(Bride to be top right, Maid of Honor in purple on bottom right and myself far right (being a lady in my new dress) otherwise known as the "Tripod")

The party was to be from 11-1pm on Saturday.

we had games, food (TONS in fact) decorations, prizes, music, drinks, and anything else we could think of!

But the party just... kept... going?

It was odd really. No one wanted to go lol.

The group was a small group of girls the bride to be chose personally to keep it just her closest friends

But ladies it was time to GO!

Shit man. I started to clean up after awhile as a clue.. it was now WELL past one and it isnt that the girls were even having a blast.. everyone just kinda sat there and looked to Underwood and I for.. what? I dont know lol. We brought the day to a close SEVERAL times offering the party favors in their pretty boxes and did all our "thank you for comings", and still no one left.

 THEN! Hope! Their Grandmother decided to be the first. Surely the other girls would feel ok leaving now that someone has "started it" you know sometimes that helps..?

But no.

(bomb Oreo balls Underwood hand crafted I'll get the recipe!)

Ladies please don't do this to party throwers lol.

The family wanted their house back for the love of sam! I was late for another meeting which I thought I safely scheduled two and a half hours after the party should have ended...

 So then Underwood and I became Oh So Annoyed and put at a loss..

How in the hell do you kick people out? Nicely of course?

Underwood announced that when he son arrived she and the bride to be needed to leave to get him fit for his tux for the big day.

Well, he arrived and still they sat.

oi.

Baby of the Family~ Knows when to leave

"Now, Ms. Ruth was a lady.. and ladies always know when to leave" - Fried Green Tomatoes

udpate! sorta

Hello all!

I am sorry I have been so MIA these past few days!!

 My goodness its been one? Two? Three? too many days since I have last posted about something anything!

Work has been crazy as per usual, and this has taken most of my time, energy, and any thinking power I have.

 BUT! I SWEAR! Cross my heart (hope to die, stick a needle in my eye... ah err.. somethin somethin somethin.. MAN alive we knew how to swear to something when we were young right?)

But I do! I swear I will be reading and catching up on all your blogs tomorrow, and be posting some more updated pictures, and stories about the past few days!

Until then enjoy these super yum cup cakes I made over the weekend, and late last night :)

Chocolate Carmel filled butter cream delights!

Baby of the Family~ Doesn't have enough swagger to be MIA anymore.

Feelin' Lucky!

weheartit.com

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Loves!

I am as Irish as I can possibly get living in the United States, and well.. by also being Austrian French and Polish, let’s not forget Bohemian too!

I feel so lucky to have the family I have and the pride they take in where we come from.

I am so lucky for so many other things in my life. Too many to count even. It is easy to only notice the bad, or the frustrating because if you let it those feelings have a way of really lingering around you. For the past several years I have made my St. Patrick’s Day less about getting trashed like popular tradition, and more focused on all the ways I am lucky

Fun Buckley Family History! (ok fine, fun for me)

My Grandpas father came over from Ireland when he was twelve years old from County Cork to Chicago! My Grandpa loves Chicago, and all his memories there where he met my Grandmother and with his buddies. My Grandpa still listens to old Irish military songs, and songs about the war and struggle. Irish magazines paper their tables, and anything that can sport a Celtic knot in their home does, right down to their coasters HA! My Grandma was a Fitzgerald before she married a Buckley. They have both kissed the Blarney Stone, and both have rings with the family crest on them from Ireland.

I am so happy that I am Irish! I love the different pieces of heritage that makes me who I am. But the Irish is what stands out to me, and gives me that extra “oomph” I think ;)

All the names in my family are Catholic names, Robert (but who has always been a Bobby), Amanda (I’m actually not sure about these first two lol? huh), Peter (obvs), and Mary (hello!), and mine Bridgette is actually not the way I legally spell my name.. I know odd..

My legal name is Bridget (the extra “te” at the end kinda came out of nowhere, I think my mom thought it was prettier or something lol) I was named after Saint Bridget of Ireland (there is also a Swedish St. Bridget-she’s coo too) St. Bridget of Ireland is also referred to as the “Mary of Ireland”. She is popularly known for the crosses made out of wheat from the fields she handed out to people, and children.

As you may have read in previous posts, I can defiantly see living in Ireland one day surrounded by the lush green rolling hill sides, and stone walls. I mostly look forward to an accent I am sure to pick up quickly, as I am a dialect chameleon

I hope you all have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day today!


Baby of the Family~ Watch out she pinches!

Tuesday Truth Day

Truthfully, I have pretty much dropped the ball with the whole losing weight and staying fit thing. I am not going to lie to you...mostly because I am under "T T D" oath lol..

 I really really really.. don't mind the extraness that is me at the moment.

 I am aware however, that I am to be wearing and photographed in two strapless dresses this summer, and need to tone these giant arms of mine. That being said another order of whoopass has been ordered so that I may call upon any strength and willpower I have to muster up the dedication to work out and eat less.. much less..much much less in fact.

{OH! Here is my first cake from the Cake Decorating class I take on Monday nights.. be kind it is my first one! lol}

So...
Goodbye late night Cheese Nips
So long "just a taste" tests when I bake
Check ya later pasta straight out of the pot I made ya in

Ugh again FOCUS! My on going motivation ladies.. motivation and possibly obsession

(Have you seen her leg muscles people!)

Today I was on the 'ol Yahoo extravaganza that is their crazy "news" scroll.. and came across something actually worth while!

Here are a few of the pics I got from this site, an album of animals caught on camera

(thought we could all use a little lighter post following the one I posted the other day eh?)

(maybe my favorite of all the pictures.. how freaking cute is this guy! (or gal?) Am I right..)

Also awesome

(I feel an obnoxious erg to speak to this large cat in my version of an Australian accent "ELLO LOVE!)

HAHA! Cute little monkey face!! Marcell? Is that you?

and last but certainly not least

random I know, but why not? its a freaking fantastic movie!

Baby of the Family~ Can't handle her own Jelly