This and that.

I about died laughing at this post and the hashtags. You should check it out. 

Girls Wine Weekend in Dallas was a raging success. Pictures to follow - promise.

Also: I had Blue Fish (sushi joint) in Dallas for the first time. The rolls were UH-MAZE-ING. Seriously. The Sunday and Miami Vice were particularly delish. 

BUT, the Ahi Tower (something I was somewhat skeptical of based on the description) was so flipping good, holy cow, I want one now, all the noms. Whoa. 

This is what it looks like when they start (or something very similar)...

After they smoosh it together (smoosh is a very technical term). 

I wasn't sure it would be very good based on the second picture and the mediocre description. Wrong. Never been more wrong in my life, ever. It was so damn tasty. I want one right now. #getatmesushi

You'll thank me later.

It's beautiful, isn't it? You're welcome.

I don't even care that it's April. That is brilliant. I love the interwebs.

Whoa March

So, I was a bad blogger in March. I went from a whopping 20 posts in February to a measly 11 in March. Yikes.

I don't dig it.

I will say that I feel like I had some legitimate reasons. ACPA and Spring Break (which were both WONDERFUL - holy awesomeness) were each a week long and did not really include much blogging. I'm ok with this.

But, I'm back at it and not planning to let that be a trend. I'm an avid blog follower person, and I check at least 4 times a week on my favorites. I want them to be full of fresh exciting things every time (I know, I'm high maintenance), but that's only a tad hypocritical if I'm not keeping up the pace.

So, to apologize and rectify the problem, I'm sending love and awesome in the form of frilly pink dresses, super cute accents, and preciousness.

You're welcome. 

Presentation time!

Ahhhh! We definitely present in 30 minutes... I'm so excited and beyond nervous. It's going to be good, I have no doubt of that. Dr. Q. Would never let any of her students fall flat in their faces, and I've rehearsed several times, so I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

Eek! Short post today, but I'll do a couple of long posts when ACPA is over and I've got more time.

PS. It's AWESOME.

An obsession of mine.

I am fascinated by foster care. I'm sure that sounds really strange. It sounded strange in my head when I typed it, but it's the honest truth.

I began reading blogs (mainly on tumblr) about the foster care system and a few people that were foster parents talking about their experiences. As a kid from a middle class family with both parents still together, dad in a secure job, no question that we were loved and well cared for, I never knew anything about the foster care system really. I knew it existed, but what it was and what it meant in the life of that family being separated, or that family taking that child in... I had no concept.

When I was pursuing clinical psychology as a career before I didn't get into the clinical PhD programs (I mean, that's only the most competitive grad program in the country - no big deal, right? I was a little more naive than I thought even with the MONTHS of research, planning, and pretty stellar GRE scores that still didn't get me an interview, much less a spot in a program...) I started down the Adult and Higher Ed - student affairs path I spent time reading about attachment in classes, seeing how attachment effects so many aspects of our lives from the day we were born and nurtured or not. If you don't know what I'm talking about... it's so interesting and has such an impact. Google it. Seriously.

I saw a random post from a random blog that linked to another blog about a single woman's journey as a foster parent. I read all the back posts in one sitting (it took hours and hours). I devoured what Rebecca over at Fosterhood had to say. I was hooked.

On the right hand side of this blog you'll see a section titled, "Other Totally Legit Blogs without Fancy Buttons to Grab" look there for some of the blogs I follow. Many of the ones listed there are from foster or adoptive (some through the foster care system) parent blogs about their experiences. Check them out.  You will be drawn in and captivated. I have been.

I am also pretty sure I'll foster at some point in my life. I've got love to share, I should give a kid in need a chance to have some of that love. They deserve it, too. There is nothing that child could have done to make this situation their fault. Nothing. So, someday, I will make a difference in a child's life. Not because I'm a good person on a crusade to help a child, nothing like that. I will do it because I can and I think I should. I am able, I am capable, and I should, so I will. A lot of the blogs I most enjoy are single women fostering on their own. They aren't set on adopting, though some head that way in the end, but they're set on being a safe place for a kid in need. And they deserve a gold medal that I don't think most of them would ever accept because it's just not like that for them.

The statistics on older child adoption fucking suck. It will be a rare thing for me to use language like that on my blog, but it's intentional and doesn't begin to cover the atrocity of it all. The stats are awful. They make me feel ashamed. We are failing innocent kiddos that didn't do a damn thing wrong. That said, THIS LINK is AWESOME. I love those photos. They make my heart smile.

This family, whoever they are, that decided it was important and worthy to mark the massive, awesome, huge, totally worth celebrating, YES! occasion of adopting an older child... YES.

If any of this stuff is interesting to you, let me know. I'll share some links of blogs that will rock your world like they have mine.

Pinup Girls

I adore pinup girls. I always have. I once had a weekly planner with pinup girls on it. I wish I'd looked at the manufacturer info before I got rid of it. I loved it that much. Because it's the day before Valentine's Day, I decided to post something fun and sexy that always puts a smile on my face.

I know a lot of people aren't fans of pinups because the objectify women. I can't fight against that argument. I can see what they mean. But, I love the sass. I think the women look strong, powerful, in control. I'd love to see a man do what a woman does in heels with the poise and grace we do it with. That's what the pinups represent to me.

This is my favorite brunette Gil Evergreen pinup painting. I love the look of surprise and something about her body language. 

Again, I love the body positioning. Something about the tilt of her shoulders. It reads as confident to me. 

This is far and away my favorite pinup picture of all time, without question. The wink, the grin, the hand in the hair...yes. I love the bold blue background with the white dress and red belt. I love everything about it. 

Even looking at the pictures now as I've just written about them, they make me smile. They always make me feel happy. I identify with these women in the pinups that I think know the power they have, how sexy, but confident they look. As someone who does not always feel sexy or confident in my own skin, I look at those pictures and think, "Yeah, maybe. That's not me today, but one day." And that's exciting.