Communication Styles?

Silly me, I thought earning a Bachelors Degree in Communication and Public Speaking would have an easier time "communicating" with people.

Today, I proved to myself TWICE that I should have paid more attention in college...

One, studying communication styles with my husband to learn how to get our points across better.
Two, lashing out at my entire work team via email.  Woops.  I believe my boss started a team meeting (that I chose not to attend) by asking "Who likes it when Amanda is mad?"  No one liked it.  Shocking.

Someone's Turning 2 :)

In just a few weeks, this little sugar pie is turning 2 and I get to be there to spoil spoil spoil watch her open presents and give her lots of squeezes!

Being her godmother is awesome, but I have missed SO MUCH living this far away...but no more!  I am determined to be there for everything important FROM NOW ON!

<3

“Make sure you have a different opinion and people will talk about you”

Anyone who knows my personality, knows quite well that I've never bothered to explain, or apologize for, anything I like, believe, or feel.
It's the Leo in me.

What's my point?

Here's a text message I got from a friend...
"Well I'm not really feeling that new tattoo." 
....
I ask why
....
"They look trashy and you're better than that."

Wellll friendo...I didn't ask.  Nor do I care.

Again, what's my point?

We spend entirely too much time in life dwelling on what people think of us.  It makes conversation boring, and life completely uneventful. 
"We have no right to express an opinion until we know all of the answers".  My friend has no idea what my tattoos represent, he just sees what he wants to see....trash.  I see beauty, and truth, and details of my life that are treasured moments and memories.  "You're stuck with those for life."  I WANT to be stuck with them for life.  "They'll be hard to remove once you come to your senses."  I DON'T WANT to remove them, and coming to my senses has already happened...that's why they are there.  I guess my question to my friend should have been, "Why do you care?"

Why care enough about something (that has NOTHING to do with you) enough to go out of your way to TRY to make someone feel bad about something that means a great deal to them?

Another good friend posed the thought "there is only one person that has all the answers".....
... clearly that person is Tupac. :)

Oh Vegas...you are my playground

Sin City has a name for a reason :)

One of the best perks of living where I do is the closeness to things that are inherently better than where we are.  Sure, Utah is pretty, but at the risk of sounding like a jerk...I'm reminded daily that it is the most overly-religious population on the planet.  A girl needs a little debauchery fun sometimes!

M, B, R, and I hit the Strip for 3 glorious days of shopping, dancing, and cocktails. 
On the drive down, B mentioned that she's always wanted to get a tattoo but would never want to get one in Utah...it didn't take much to convince me to get another one...and R was also along for the adventure.  As soon as we mustered up the courage (in the form of vodka cocktails) and dolled up, M jumped on her handy dandy iPhone, hailed a cab, and off we went to Ironhorse Tattoos.
End result?

We love!
I have a hard time giving the go ahead to small tattoos, so I went with a slightly larger than planned owl :)

The rest of the weekend is a dizzying circus of total girlie-fied bliss, with some events leaving only pictures as proof :)




B, M, R, and myself on the strip

B and I gettin slizzard

B and I again



Second day, still riding the high :)

Hef can't handle this mess

Three days later, we are still busting a gut over the ridiculousness, and bandaging the blisters from dancing in stilletos on stages...all while celebrating the fact that we destroyed decorated our hotel room with glitter from unknown places, drank our weight in vodka shots, and came out of this trip an even tighter group of girlfriends than we imagined!

The First Few Steps

What is life without friends...more specifically, what is life without girlfriends?
I, for one, would have shot to kill lost my mind a long time ago if it weren't for mine.  :)

My college ladies...

(with many missing....)

And now...my Utah ladies  :)

I think my husband should probably thank these girls the most...they're probably the only reason I haven't heaved him overboard lost my cool yet :)

The Utah girls and I took a trip to sunny Las Vegas recently.  Hands down, best girl time I've had in quite some time.  I think it's safe to say I'm out of "newlywedded bliss" and settled into a somewhat regular "routine" with hubby hubs.  Seeing that the good ole USAF life has kept us somewhat isolated as far as family is concerned, it's pretty amazing to know that even after having the same core group of friends for years, I am able to make and maintain new friendships that add such awesome things to my life!

So I'm raising my glass to the friends that have saved me from myself, made me see the sunnier side of life, and have made me laugh until I couldn't breathe.  :)
CHEERS!