Emily

Dating life Update:

So this Saturday I broke things off with the Diamond Back. He was so nervous about everything.. the "your my friends little sister" factor that I thought we had both gotten over already, the fact that he liked me and I was moving, yet somehow at the same time he felt he was distancing himself too much..? I decided that HOLY COW. He was just all over the place, and to be perfectly honest it just got a little annoying. So I ended it the same way I take off band aids, quick.

I think its for the best really and I feel really good about it.

That night I went out and had a blast! I went out with some guy friends of mine and headed to The Tavern in Tempe. ASU had just won their game (woot woot!) and the downtown area was PACKED with people in the game time attire... except for me.. as I was clueless to the game that night (oops!)

My hand always looks weird in these shots.. am I the only one that feels that way?? lol



 I danced, I met new people, I caught up with old friends, even an ex boyfriend of mine {we'll call him Herman} who I hadn't seen in years! It was so good seeing Herman again and we were super friendly the entire night. It was really nice to be able to hang out as friends again.

 Anyways (get to the point right?!) I met the cutest guy waiting in line at the bar. We shall call him SacTown {where he hails from} and he asked for my number, to which I obliged ;) He texted me the next day and called me last night... Unfortunately for him I was having the best conversations with my sister MGrace who was filling me in on one of HER fab-U-lous nights in Hollywood at Melanie Griffiths' and Antonio Banderess' house. Yeah.. my sister had a fun night. So it's just phone tag now, but it's still something new to smile at when I glance down at my phone!

from

Yesterday I headed to the Library and checked out "Dickinson" a Pocket Book of Poems. I have made a goal to read at least five each night, and to give each line and word considerable thought, and let my mind wander with it's imagination.

I've taken to reading them outside, on long walks, or on breaks at work.. yes I'm bringing this little pocket of poems with me everywhere!

Today is lovely outside... just lovely. It demands a picnic. Crisp blankets, a warm sun, and cool breezes in the shade. I day dream of how or when and where she must have written the poems I am reading, and like to picture her stream side, in a heavy dress, hair up, and hands slightly dirty from ink and the ground around her...

Today I am head over heels for:

The Martyr Poets -- did not tell --

But wrought their Pang in syllable --

That when their mortal name be numb --

Their mortal fate -- encourage Some --

from

The Martyr Painters -- never spoke --

Bequeathing -- rather -- to their Work --

That when their conscious fingers cease --

Some seek in Art -- the Art of Peace --

from

Good advice no?


Speaking of which I still need to start packing.. and start in on my Halloween Costume... bird hands anyone?

from

and so I leave you with one final image...

*

Panda Jazz Hands

. . .. . .

Hedi Slimane

When reading up on the obscure news on Yahoo.Com I came across a link that lead to another link that lead down a rabbit hole of links to find these black and white photos taken by Hedi Slimane.

 With what started as my inner grunge child seeking out Francis Bean Cobains photos (above and below) I quickly fell head over doc martins for these other pictures as well.

I’ve been walking in the same way as I did

Missing out the cracks in the pavement

And tutting my heel and strutting my feet

 

 Round my hometown



Memories are fresh


Round my hometown


Ooh the people I’ve met


I like it in the city when the air is so thick and opaque
                                    I love to see everybody in short skirts, shorts and shades
 
I like it in the city when two worlds collide




 

 You get the people and the government

Everybody taking different sides

 Shows that we ain’t gonna stand shit

Shows that we are united

Shows that we ain’t gonna take it

Are the wonders of my world



Are the wonders of my world


Are the wonders of this world


Are the wonders of my world
~Adele Hometown Glory
Have a glorious defunked weekend everybody :)

Okay

via

 I am channelling the Phoebs these days. I need some super woman powers, and some general badassness.
As explained to a bestie in Chico, Cali early this morning via longest email of my life, I have been acting a little like "old Burns" and New Burns... Beyonce Burns.. should never act in such a way!

For awhile I thought I may have found my lobster. If not my lobster then certainly someone to pal around with and hold claws..

...you know..lobsters. Yep talking about Diamond Back. He sorta pulled the rug out from under me this weekend and started to retreat out of fear of being hurt. Lame. I mean yeah ok fine. I get it.. but still... we all have our "things" don't we?...

Thankfully I am not trapped in a box {yet anyway} and haven't thrown anyones' leg in a fire {Thank God for that}. But I still though that we were both  going in knowing that we liked each other and knowing that I was leaving... and knowing that I was leaving=knowing that we would be getting a little hurt in the process. Not in a malicious way mind you.. just in a way you do when someone you care about moves away duh.

 I am of the "Better to have loved at all.." way of thinking.

And I guess he is more of the "Better safe then sorry.." way of life.

I respect it, and I understand it. I just don't agree with it.  

I fall in love easy, and I can fall slowly or quickly. I love with my entire heart and my entire self, and I feel more empowered, more healthy, and happier for it. Even if I lose it.

My sister pointed out to me that I am a lucky and rare person who can love like that. And that when I get hurt and can feel that heart break, it means that I cared for someone.. and that's never a mistake to show someone love, devotion, trust, or any other of those fab relationship goodies.

Friends tell me I make peoples lives better by being in them, and that they see all I do, and how important it is to me to cultivate all of my relationships, and how special that it is that I take the time do do that...

I am not sure where I now stand. He isn't really admitting to the fact that he is pulling back.. perhaps he doesn't even see he is doing it? But I can defiantly feel a "shift", and so I am backing way off.

"Carrie voice-over (the next morning, after Big woke up feeling like his normal self again):

 It was a shift imperceptible to anyone but me. But I knew, Big’s heart had closed again. Maybe it would reopen in another five years, maybe it wouldn’t. But I knew myself well enough to know that that’s not enough. For the first time all week, I didn’t feel like crying. Life’s too short."

via

Getting a for sure answer out of this guy was like a magic show pulling rabbit after rabbit out of a trick hat.

Each time he made any kind of sentence it was followed up with an, "but i mean hey.. who knows, lets be real here.." and then he would completely contradict what he had just said. He fell asleep and I was left scratching me head thinking WHAT the WHAT?

Feeling rejected, a little foolish, and just plain old sad. I slunked away to the bathroom to have a good old fashion cry. because I'm a chick. An emotional chick. And because this feeling made me flash back to one of the worst relationships I have ever been in, and the fact that I was feeling that again with someone I sorta just trusted of the bat because of the brothers friend factor.. did not feel good. Not good at all.

 But this too is a part of being open, sometimes being open means getting hurt and hiding mascara stained tissues in the kitchen trash. It just does.

In other odd news:

Mr.X (yeah I know, roll the eyes all you want lol)

In back and forth texts today he drops this:

Me: you def owe me a beer... you have some esplainin to do..

Mr. X: HAhaha I know! Shit I'm so sorry. We will soon. Next week? I'll fill you in on my lady and the baby {Mr. X} mishaps lol!

Me: I'm sorry... what's that now? Make it two beers sir.

What train of thought Do You Have??

via

Fall in New York is beautiful.. or so I am told.

But I am no fool and I looked up the average temps for the months to come.. and Imma be freezing~!!!!

 I love Jens boots and her entire look here.. -the glasses.. I'm no celeb. So I have no reason to be in shades on a dark dank winter day.

So far I can not find her pair but I liked these:

via

I have decided to wear a new sweater I bought over a pair of long johns yes.. and colorful long tank top, and long sleeve black top, with colorful scarf, jeans and these boots to NYC when I first arrive.. thoughts?

Besides how DUMB my face is in this picture? I seriously thought about cutting off my head in the photo. But honesty is the best policy lol. I originally took the picture to send to my sister for a YAY or NAY vote on it from the dressing room.. not for the blog world.. to be fair I mean.

These boots?

 I love them! Don't you!?

So this weekend I am house sitting for a different coworker and her two small pets. Which means Ill be leaving my darling and feisty mamba cat home in the evenings :/

I wish she had more room to play and be crazy. Did you know that people actually have homes made for their pets??

cat house.

     LOVE it

This house also has an area for their dogs!

What do you think?

Crazy Cat/dog lady? Or BEST IDEA EVER!?

Boys have "Get Ready Play Lists" too!

I know this SMP pic is large and quite in charge.. but dude.. it's beautiful..it deserves to be this large!

This weekend had so many positives that I am sad that what stands out is another car problem :/

"Car problems are the worst.." says every single person I know..

And while that it is true that a "Check Engine Light" can strike fear into this girlie little heart of mine..it isn't the WORST ..right???

More positive things to focus on from this weekend?

How about a sleep over at Underwoods house on Friday night!

I went on an actual JOG Saturday morning. One that ok.. I MAY have stopped and started to walk part of the way.. but the jogging was more than the walking! yahoo!!

Underwood taught me how to make eggs a new way (still need to test it out :)

Went to lunch with a good friend. So good it turned into hours upon hours of chatting, catching up, and laughing our little booties off! 

I wrapped up Saturday with a date with the Diamond Back. Ladies.. I kinda like the fellow. I have said it before on here, and dang it I'll say it again..he is one of the best people I know. 

*Little history on the Diamond Back..

*He is my brothers friend. 

Ahh I know right. Rule breakers. But to be perfectly honest when I told my brother, he was really happy for us both telling me, "Bridge the guys I am friends with are good guys.. really good people. And I love you..and I love them. So if you date one of my friends I can trust your being treated right."

To be even more honest the FIRST thing he said was, "Go Diamond Back!" which I promptly dismissed. 

My brother then made a call to Diamond Back to have the oh so "intimidating" conversation with him about treating my right and so on...

Ahhhhh Brothers! I love um! 

The date night was low key. I went in a casual striped skirt, black tank top and some flippy floppies

(you'll know why this is important later).

We settled in with a movie and snuggled up with cold beers while his roommates and a visiting friend went out to eat... and drink. They walked home but started to text us him asking for a sober ride down to the bars on the downtown collage strip next to ASU called Mill Ave.

Only slightly annoyed at them, I made an agreement to stay sober with him and we got ready to go out with the boys.

Have you ever gotten ready in a house full of guys? I thought it would be all high fives and chest bumping.

But mostly the questions I was asked were:

"Are we too matchy matchy"?

"If this was just a butt.. guy or girl.. how's my butt.. you can be honest?"

"How many push ups was that?"

"Should I text her?"... "What do I text her?"

"Close your eyes. Smell this... ?"

and

"Hows is this not your jam?"

(when talking about Will Smiths' "Men in Black"... I mean its good buuut I was more delighted to find that one guy had "Spice up Your Life" by the Spice Girls.. they continued to get ready to THIS jam)

The car ride there overrode any annoyance I had with the silly group of boys when they each took turns singing verses to random songs off the iPod.. quite seriously preformed mind you and made the 40min trip feel more like 10.

Mill is pretty casual. There are mostly just bars and pubs that line the avenue. But one of the boys wanted to dance. I mean DANCE. So I took them all to a roof top club called 301. At this point in the night I am sober. Painfully sober. It is after midnight and I am standing watch over their drinks and over them like they were my little ducks. I stayed at the table and chilled in a club in my flip flops. Feelin... a little lame.. and a little out of place. Ah well. Diamond back was in the same boat. But he wasn't in flip flops.. he looked good.

After hearing one girl exclaim on the street:

"We're wearing red because we are both on the rag together!"

I wanted to go home.

I am READY.

NOW.WOW!

 Is that not the SICKEST thing you have ever heard? And girl why you are admitting this to a guy..??

On the street???

That you don't know??

Oh honey no. There are so many things NOT cute about that.

The boys decided to pay for a cab to take them home, or pay for a hotel that night down town and we took our sober lame butts home ..

Which was quite fine by me.

Sunday = non fun day.

I had to drop my car off at my (closed) mechanic's and stay the night at my sisters (which was fun!) so she could take me to work in the am (thank you sister sue!).. and here I remain..

So far I have eaten six mini snickers.. or so the trash can tells me so.

One diet Coke and three Halloween "corns".

Diet=fail

Tell me... how was Your weekend spent?

How Do YOU Do?

<3

Recently Mr. X and I had a conversation via text. I spent the better part of my morning sneaking off to the back office, pocket responding, or taking extra trips to refill my water in order to text him back with friendly questions about how he has been, how his dating is going, and other such polite niceties such as those... However, not once did he ever ask how I was doing, how life had been treating me, or even so much as a "happy birthday".

 Although I don't think the motivation to ask someone "How are you?" should be just so you can tell them how YOU are, I still think it is the polite thing to do in a conversation.

Don't you?

I sometimes think that I know the best way to..eat..travel..or even communicate, but I am sure there are times I slip up and make mistakes all over the place..

This is why I asked good friend and fellow blogger from Audry Onasiss to guest post for me today on some topics why may all need a little refresher course in. Audry is a beautiful and wickedly smart 20 something with a sharp sense of humor whom I am oh so lucky enough to know, and love. Enjoy!

***

Hello Readers!

I’m Ari, and I’m guest blogging over here today for Mighty Burns. I know that you love her like I do, so you can imagine how excited I am to be writing on her amazing blog.

If you follow my musings over on Audrey Onassis, then you probably have at least an inkling of my love of all thing etiquette. I’m no expert, but I have done a fair amount of reading on the topic.

Picture Mighty Burns took of me, looking like a lady (or something, ha!)

I’m pretty staunch when it comes to manners, so I thought it would be fun to share some of my views that would probably be considered backward by most.



Gift Registries

{via Callaloo Soup}

I was on the fence about these for some time, but I’ve recently taken a more firm stance on these ubiquitous lists. Gift registries are in poor taste. That’s right, I said it. Everyone knows that guests are required to give gifts to the newlyweds (preferably thoughtfully selected and sent before or after, and not brought to, the wedding), but many brides (and grooms, I suppose) treat these tokens of affection as a price of admission. Some even take it so far as to quote the price to their guests in the form of a Crate + Barrel registry. Begging isn’t cute.


A Facebook “Happy Birthday” Does Not Suffice

{via Busted Tees}

The fact that Facebook gives us friendly reminders to wish all of our friends a happy birthday is certainly convenient (especially for the absentminded among us- guilty!), but I can’t help feeling that it rather cheapens the sentiment. This may be totally unfounded, but I think that people slap a “Happy Birthday, so-and-so!” on a Facebook page and consider their social obligation met. The texted birthday wish is equally egregious. Email is okay; I’ve received some really lovely emails on past birthdays. Still, call me old-fashioned, but there is nearly nothing that brings a smile to my face quite like a birthday card or phone call.

It’s Never Okay to Bring an Uninvited Guest

{via Style Me Pretty}

I could see where the rise of technology and informality might make this one a tad messy, but I think the basic principles still apply. In the olden days (ha), it was easy to tell whom was invited to an event because their names were explicitly written on the invitation’s envelope. Now, though, it seems that invitees bring their own entertainment. It makes me sad to hear about brides cracking under the financial strain of their weddings, because they are under the impression that every single guest must be invited “plus one”. Haven’t these women heard of the “singles table”? I seem to have gone off on a tangent about invited guests, when what I meant to lament was the uninvited ones. When I was 17, my mother threw a bridal shower for one of our coworkers. Not only did this bride-to-be show up an hour and a half late to her own party, but she brought close to ten people that she hadn’t asked us to invite! Similarly (sort of), I was once invited to a bridal shower, but not the wedding (!), even though the bride had asked me to be a bridesmaid the day after she became engaged! Scandalous!

This list isn’t all-inclusive, I also always address letters to women using their married names, never buy pre-written greeting cards, and refuse to ask people their ages (even when I’m dying to know!) All of these things are just part of what makes me a crazy lady, I’m sure, but there is something so satisfying about all those rules and customs, don’t you think?

Thank you for reading my ramblings, and please stop by Audrey Onassis, where you are sure to find me discussing food, cats, or Miss Manners.

& P.S. just for fun, Guest Posting Etiquette! How did I do? :)

sooo this happened... and giveaway info!

9/9/11

Was My Birthday {As Ya'll Know}

And I celebrated at work with coworkers who brought in mountains of Delicious food! I mean..dE-LiSH 

 I ate and ate all day...

At 7:30 I met up with my closest friends and my sister for a hilarious dinner at my favorite Mexican food restaurant *Serrano's. Ladies I can not put into words {I know.. then why do I have a blog LOL} Just how much fun this dinner was. Everyone had a story, and everyone of them cracked me up! I love my girls they are the best. I got some very sweet cards that I not only have read more than once, but have teared up rereading them. I love you girls!

*History: I have gone to Serrano's every year I have lived in Arizona for my birthday dinner. it goes back as far as my 7th birthday.. I have pictures in these giant hats from each of those years Hizah!

Serrano's had the famous Sprinkles Cupcake Co. Make a Margarita Cupcake..

it was good.. it was..different

Also on Friday I received the surprise flowers..BEAUTIFUL!

From the Diamond Back of course.. After dinner Underwood and I met up with him and his roommates for some dancing and drinks... the night just got better from there and I finally scored a good night kiss ;) boo ya!

yeah this is a picture taken from my iPhone off of my camera screen..

Ghet-tttoooooo

ghetto

lol sorry.

The gift that made me leap in surprise? My besties friends mother is my coworker whom I LOVE cherish and adore. She is a hugger. She is a fierce momma bear. And she is the kindest {is that a word? most kind?} person I know! Except for the day she took my gift in a white elephant gift exchange and snagged the awesome martini glasses I was soooo happy I picked! I couldn't believe it! Here we are in September and believe it when I say I was not expecting to open my birthday gift bag to see the same box, untouched from that day!!

Behold:

Saturday morning I met up with my girlies once more to visit Sprinkles in Scottsdale, Arizona. i picked out *cough* three of them. Peanut butter, coconut, and marshmallow.. YUM

***

Did you watch the Miss Universe pageant?

 I know, me neither..

but she won!

All info from

"SAO PAULO (AP) — Newly crowned Miss Universe Leila Lopes wants to help her native Angola further escape a history of war and impoverishment and said she plans to focus on combating HIV around the globe."

-Umm this is awesome. I think they chose a really good person this year from the sound of it!

"She deftly handled the interview question that is asked of the remaining top five contestants. She was questioned about what physical trait she would change if she could.

"Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing," Lopes said. "I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life."

-What a fantastic answer from a contestant in a pageant that apparently "started as a local bathing suit revue in Long beach, California, organized by a swimwear company". Huh.. who knew?

GIVE AWAY!!!!

My aunt is the most amazing woman! She can make..pretty much Anything. And my anything I mean I have several earrings necklaces and belts from her..and have an order placed for a few dresses, tweed trousers I've been obsessing about, and jackets. This woman is fantastic!

Recently she has shared an idea of hers for a "Mommy and me" apron collection.

 I know.. ADORABLE! What a great idea right? I am iffy on kids.. but this kinda sells me on the idea.. I mean I love to bake and I love aprons.. so if I could be teaching my cute little one my "how to tricks" in her own matching apron.. I'm so in!

Here is a look at some of the aprons, although there are more, and she can make any pattern variation, and theme

(i.e birthdays, Christmas..so on)

*This one is my fav! The "mommy" fits like a freakin dream{read in Jersey accent}!

(thats a picture of my aunt kissing her daughter Elieen on the cheek! lol so cute)

I also really like the pretty colors of this one, and the small little bow details!

This one I almost bought and took home because of the sweet summer colors! Those are yellow/orange strawberries! How sweet right? I love it!

My sisters, Aunts cousins, and cousins wives, were all crammed into her room as she showed off her newest items and creations. They are the best idea for gifts for yourself, for Christmas, Birthdays, Mother's Day, Grandparents Day (which was this past Sunday) and even for the boys! She is working on some man of the house ideas for BBQ aprons, and prints for your little man!

I'll be talking to her more about what will be available for the giveaway and what the rules will be to enter!

 Stay tuned :)

Much love, and Hunger pains~ Mighty Burns

Toot Toot Beep Beep

Yep I am tooting my own horn here on this 'ol blog of mine...

Today I turn 25. Yowzah. Last night while checking for more grey silver hairs, and wrinkles, I realized I have some little Confessions to make this Friday about the habits I have held onto and the new habits of my 25 year old self..and soo..

Confession 1: I still paint my nails at stop lights... I know. its bad. probably not the safest. but.. I'm stopped. that parts ok right?

2: I have a weird toe thing. I had to perform my own toe surgery. Now I have like... a nubbin toe nail. I know. It's yuck, and I'm now super self conscious about it.. and very toe aware..

 Hey not all confessions are cute warm and fuzzy ok

 3: Now that I am a young lady.. I'm getting acne what the what! And because I have not been able to break the habit of sleeping on my hands at night (Which I am convinced leads to break out on my cheeks) I have now worn {clean!} socks on my hands to bed two nights in a row. No lies people. No lies.

4: Still to this day, I eat in my bed. Another none attractive quality. It's very Carrie circa Big hating the oranges smell in his sheets.

5: I love to dance in my car to music that are "my jams!" But when I sense that another car is watching me.. my dancing gets worst I think. I do much better thinking no one is watching me. ugh.. eyes forward people I'm trying to dance to my jam here

{Cousins Brian, and Brennan and myself. Look how super burns-y I am.. see THIS is where I get my Mighty Burns name LOL man look at them grow!}

6: Today is a massive eating day. I have not stopped eating since 6am. DUDE. Bagels and dips and cookies.. oh my! But starting Monday it is game on to a better, healthier and slimmer 25 burns bod.

7: Sometimes {and by sometimes I mean most often} I narrate in my head what's going on..

"She sat there and waited for the words to come to her while slow taps on the keyboard rang out into the quiet office.." I'm my own little movie. It's a good one.

8: I have come to realize that to be totally honest with myself I now know this:

I LOVE my mothers side of the family. Which is evident here. But I think a big part of my latching on and really holding tight is that from a young age I was disowned by my fathers parents (I think I was about nine or perhaps ten). It was very hurtful but at the same time made sense. i never seemed to fit into their clean white carpet "don't touch that" world. But now that i am older {more mature at 25 don't ya know} I realize I have Aunts and Uncles and cousins on that side of the family too.. and I really should try and get to know them as my sister recently has. It is all family. And in a family you take their good with their bad.

9: Diamond back just might be the best thing for me at this point in time. Although I feel slightly like kicking rocks and pouting in the corner when its been the 6th date and still no move has been made, it's made the feisty burns take a chill pill on the whole topic and just enjoy having someone actually get to know me. nice right :)

{My Grandpa and I at his birthday weekend}

10: I am freaking out about NYC! Everyone keeps telling me how brave it is. Although I don't feel like it is a brave act. I do feel over come with mild panic that HOLY CRAP I'M MOVING TO NYC!

 And then I pop in a Sex and the City and try to pay attention to what streets they are on to associate with the city.  

That's all I got ladies!

 Enjoy your weekend.

Tonight i am going to dinner with my ladies

Then possibly out on the town

Then cupcakes and the famous Sprinkles

Then a road trip to Sedona!

 YAHOO!

Family Album

Where do you come from?

(These pictures were taken with my iPhone from the albums, sorry for the glares)

I am a lucky lucky girl, because what I come from is a family tree that is so large, and deep rooted I picture it as a large Oak.

{The home my mother grew up in}

Branches upon branches stacked with interesting ancestry, life of the party Irish fellows, and sassy working gals that knew how to wear a fur coat in the cold Chicago weather.

{My great Grandfather-My Grandfathers' father}

Loving the hat on you both!

{Great Grandfather younger here and bottom center {John Buckley}

Dated 7-8-1917

{Great Grandpa Buckley}

Mostly what I saw page after page in all the multi colored albums was love.

Lots and lots of love.

{My Awesomely dressed Grandmother}

{My Too cool for school Grandfather J.P. Buckley far right in the shades}

 Arms wrapped around one another...

... and endearing candid glances.



Silly Skits for the clubhouse meetings..

Yes, that's My Grandpa about to "deliver", and My adorable Grandmother the expectant "father"

Turning the pages I sat with my sisters, Grandpa and Aunts and got the "who's who" on each page with a back story, or two..or three...

My Great Aunt Rita is a great Beauty

My Sister MGrace defiantly takes after her. Several times my Grandpa thought my sister walking across the room was my Great Aunt Rita {His only Sister}

{in the local Newspaper with her boys}

{most recent... very Audrey Hepburn style. Always in classic looks and the short hair *sigh*}

I love the prints! Wallpaper flowers, dress designs, and larger than life corsages.. I love seeing them all in contrast in the black and white photos...

{My Grandparents, and my Grandmothers parents John Becker, and Agnes Fitzgerald}

{Friends of My grandfathers in the Park holding their news paper framed when the war ended}

{\Great Grandparents .. Frolicking? What else! lol}

{My Grandmothers' sister and my Grandmother}

Love



Great-Great Aunt Who was A sister..

 Ireland

My Grandfather is so passionate about Ireland... patriotic to our "Mother Land", so in tune that he weeps listening to Irish songs about war, hunger, and the Irish pride.

You'd think, like I thought for so many years, that my Grandfather was there not only in spirit but as often as he could. You can practically smell the salty sea breeze from the Cliffs of Moher on him. His cheeks freshly flushed from being at a local pub...

He seems to have magicianed himself right out of the Irish countryside and landed back in

 San Marcos, Ca within the hour.

{My favorite shot: a young Irish boy on the side of the road with his donkey hitched with two baskets that served as bucket seats for two small dogs peeking out the top}

So Imagine my shock when I learned.. he has been there...Once...

His father, My Great Grandfather was brought over to the Unsited Staes from Ireland when he was a young teenage boy.

It has been a dream of mine to visit Ireland with my Grandpa.. it looks as though I won't be able to make that happen after all..

So instead I suck down the {put hair on your chest, STRONG} Irish Coffees, listen to his favorite Irish songs, and page through photo after photo of the Irish magazines he subscribes to monthly with him each visit.

**My Mother**

She is still absolutely stunning today. Anyone will tell you how blue her eyes, how silver her hair, and how bright her spirit...

{My Aunt Maggie, Aunt Trish and My Mother... in original dresses made by my Aunt Maggie}

Sitting around the dinner table long after dinner is severed talking, joking, and visiting has long been a family must...

{My Mother, Aunt Maggie, Great Grandmother Agnes, and My Grandmother}

Even as a small child in, what I call her "Mini Julie Andrews Phase" my momma was a little cutie!

The family was featured in the paper for "Family Fashions To Be Shown AT Thursday Party" article about a fashion show where my mother modeled the latest in children's dresses...

{My Uncle Danny, Mother, and Grandparents}

Below: My Aunt trish modeled here with my Grandmother and two other woman for the paper..

My fam bam was all over the local press!

Love

My Grandmothers Parents on their Wedding Day

August 19th, 1910

My Great Grandmother Agnes' wedding ring is the ring I will get from my mother, now a century old.

My Aunt Maggie replicated her flowers in her wedding which turned out just stunning!

Here! Here! To all the love that has been passed down through our family right to lil 'ol me.

 I am grateful for them. Proud of them. And so happy to be one of them!