Bullies, Elves and Aspirations

Every Christmas when I was a little girl (OK, let's be honest, I was never really what one would consider "little"), my teachers read my elementary classes a book called "Elphland: The Story of Santa's Elves." And every year, I remember bragging to all of my classmates after story time, "My dad wrote that book!"

Their 8-year-old jaws would drop.

"Your dad's famous?" 

"Yep," I'd answer, glowing with pride and bragging rights. "And he also makes toys, so he's kinda like Santa."

I wasn't lying. My dad worked at a toy company for as long as I can remember. So in my mind, he was Santa. Or at least one of his lead elves. He was also my softball coach, assistant basketball coach, and life coach when it came to those shithead playground bullies. 

Yes, I was bullied. Not half as badly as hundreds and thousands of other kids, but as the chunky kid with braces, glasses and a seriously unfortunate case of psoriasis, I was an easy target. I was also a large target, which is probably why I only remember one bully in particular. The rest of them were probably afraid I'd sit on them. Rightfully so. 

Anyway, back to the reason I'm writing this. My dad wrote Elphland about 15 years ago, and although hundreds of students at Woerther and Ridge Meadows Elementary heard and loved the story every year, he never got around to getting it published. Elphland tells the backstory of Santa's Elves--who they are, where they came from, why they work so hard to put smiles on so many kids' faces every year--and in doing so, Elphland speaks to the bigger issues children face today like bullying and prejudice. 

Last year, my dad finally decided to self-publish a spiral-bound soft-copy and send it out to family friends and mommy bloggers. Babble.com, an influential parenting magazine, ranked Elphland among the Top 10 Totally Awesome Christmas Books of 2011. Yes, this is me glowing with pride and bragging rights again at the age of 26. 

"Whitney, why the hell are you telling us about your awkward years and the fact that your dad may or may not be an elf?"

I have a point, I swear. 

In my family, we like to go big or go home. (Actually, we all like to go big and then go home for a big Cuban meal.) So dad isn't stopping at a few flimsy spiral-bound soft covers. He has dreams to publish the fully illustrated storybook complete with an audio book with music, a musical soundtrack with songbook, a coloring book and plush dolls and animals based on the storybook characters. His ultimate vision is to produce an animated Elphland movie that will air on TV every Christmas season, because let's face it, those old Rudolf and Abominable Snowman claymations from the 50s are getting old.

Being that it doesn't look like any of us will be winning the lottery any time soon (trust me, I've been trying), he created a Kickstarter project to help raise the necessary funds. The video he created for the site gave me chills and made me cry. I blame the music.

If you're feeling generous, head on over to his Kickstarter page and donate as little as $1 to help him reach his goal. No pressure, though. I promise I won't sit on you if you don't.

Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/braulp/elphland-the-story-of-santas-elves

To Have and To Hold

Remember that wedding gift I made for Shanna and Ronnie? Well, I took that same idea, and made his and hers wedding gifts for my friends Mitch and Vanessa. I think I'm getting the hang of this. Might open an Etsy store for customized wedding gifts one of these days!

Here's the one I made for Mitch. The words in the middle are the lyrics to the song Transalanticism by Death Cab for Cutie. He used to listen to the song on repeat when he and Vanessa were in a long distance relationship. The countries are cut out from maps of Norman, Oklahoma, and Austin, Texas, which is where they lived during their long-distance. 

And this is the gift I made for Vanessa. It's her favorite quote.

And in case you forgot what Shanna and Ronnie's looks like, here it is! This is something Ronnie said to Shanna right before they got married. They, too, were in a long-distance relationship. The maps in the background are of the cities they commuted from. 

Merry Christmas Eve!

I planned on getting the blog caught up on Cayden's last visit before his next visit, but he's landing in about an hour and a half, so it's safe to say that's not going to happen. Apologies! I'll finish the story, but if you want to cliff notes version, here goes: Austin was awesome. Spent Sunday night at my parents house. Took him to the airport Monday and bawled my freakin eyes out. I didn't even kinda lock it up like I did last night. I ugly cried.

That was two and a half months ago. I spent Halloween and Thanksgiving without him (not without a few tear-filled phone calls), but now I get him back for Christmas. I couldn't be more excited! I can't wait to tell you what I got him for Christmas. He'll be here until January 3rd, so I'll get my New Year's kiss once again this year. I feel so blessed.
I hope all of you get to spend the holidays with the people you love most. For those of you who don't, my heart goes out to you. I truly feel for you.

Well, I need to go touch up my make up and perfect my curls before I head out to the airport. I'll be tweeting during his visit (@whitforbrit), but I probably won't be blogging until he leaves. So until 2012... have a Merry freakin' Christmas and a Happy New Year! Love y'all!

The Long Distance Relationship His and Hers Gift Guide

In my mad search to find the perfect Christmas gift for Cayden, I scoured through all of the previous (and mostly lame) LDR gift guides and came up empty handed. So I decided to create my own. Here are my top 20 favorite LDR gift ideas inspired by my own relationship, my friends, Etsy, Pinterest and some seriously creative Google searching. The gifts below vary in prices and include DIY ideas. These gifts aren't limited to LDRs, either. I'm sorry if this gift guide is too little too late for some of you. But if that's the case, there's always Valentine's Day, right?

---Long Distance Gift for Him or Her---

Memeoirs (Book of your emails) 

$12.50-$28.90

I literally almost peed my pants when I found this one. I'd been wanting to print out all of my emails with Cayden since we met and keep them in a binder somewhere. You know, just in case Gmail ever explodes and disappears forever. But I literally have thousands and thousands of emails. Email is an essential part of LDRs, which is what makes this gift so freakin bad ass. All you do is grant access to your email account, pick the date range, and designate the to and from and the program does the rest! You name it, choose a cover image, and write the forward and dedication page and they mail it to you when it's done. 

Buy it here: http://www.memeoirs.com/

What I Love About You (Book)

$11

I just saw this book as I was waiting for my coffee at Barnes & Nobles today. Usually, I'm not into these type of relationship journals, but I found myself flipping through it well after my coffee was in hand. The first page said "The 5 Ws of Our Relationship" (Where we met, Who we were with, What we were doing, When we met and Why we were there). I started filling in the blanks mentally. I turned the page and saw another one that said, "The moment I knew I'd fallen in love with you." I wanted to rewrite my entire relationship in these pages and give it to Cayden. Maybe it's something you'll want to do for your man or lady. 

Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/What-I-Love-About-You/dp/0767923154

Postertext

$31.99+

Do you know your girlfriend or boyfriend's favorite book? Turn it into a poster! The words of the book are spaced out on the poster to create an image in the white space. To the left, you'll see the poster for Huckleberry Finn. I know this gift idea isn't specifically for LDRs, but it's too cool to not include it! Right now they're only focusing on the classics, but you can suggest a book and they'll email you when they have a poster ready for it. Buy it here: http://postertext.com/

Countdown Clock

$12.95

This gift doesn't look all that fancy, but I love the idea behind it. You can set the clock to countdown to any specific date. I'm always keeping a mental countdown of Cayden's next visit, but the ticker in my head is always a little off. To make this one more visually appealing, you can create your own design when you place your order. Or, leave it white and add your own personal messages in Sharpie. Buy it here: http://www.countdowntime.com/timetogo/designyourown.cfm

Framed Message and Map

Price varies

Is there a certain quote or saying you and your boyfriend or girlfriend hold near and dear? Frame it! This is the gift I made for Shanna and Ronnie for their wedding. They were in a long-distance relationship at one time, and the quote is something Ronnie said to her that Shanna that meant the word to her. I made a collage of maps (from Half Price Books for less than $1!) from cities they lived and went to school and where they live now. Then I printed the quote on vellum and taped it together. Bought the frame at Hobby Lobby for less than $30. 

---Long Distance Gifts for Her---

The Coordinates of Your Heart Necklace
$62
When it comes to gifts for women, you can't go wrong with jewelry. But this hand-crafted sterling silver necklace is all about location, location, location. You can add the latitude and longitude coordinates of any location that's special to you. It could be where you met, where you had your first date, where you first fell in love, where you first told her you love her, or where you plan on moving with her. It's up to you! And that freshwater pearl adds a nice feminine touch. Shout out to @E_Ione for finding this one!
Buyt it here: http://www.thevintagepearl.com/products/thecoordinatesofyourheart_p279

Inner message ring
$120+
This ring got me all chocked up. I think it's really symbolic of a long-distance relationship. When the ring is in place, it's solid, stable and real. But when it's not there, the love is still present. Just like in an LDR. Besides the heart, there are two other options you can choose: "Always" and "Marry me." Don't even get me started on how much I teared up when I saw that one.
Buy it here: http://www.yoonjungyun.com/shop.htm

Long distance necklace
$29
This is such a cute idea for couples in an LDR in the US. You pick the two states, and the heart bonds them together. Just like in real life, right? I don't think this one works for international LDRs, though. There's no mention in the description of other countries. But it's worth a shot! Etsy items are handmade, so there's a chance the seller would be willing to make an exception.
Buy it here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/71008554/long-distance-love-necklace

2011 Calendar
Price varies
There are a few different ways you could go about personalizing this gift. You can keep it humorous and buy this 'Perfect Guy' Calendar and cut your face out and glue it to every half-naked man. Or you can create your own photo calendar on shutterfly.com or one of the other various custom photo services. Fill the pages with photos of you both together, or pictures of places you've visited. Or have each month show a picture of you holding up a sign with a different word. When she flips through the calendar, the words will create a message. Whichever way you choose to do it, make sure your circle all of the important dates and leave sweet messages in there before you give it to her. Try to circle anniversaries of when you first met, first kiss, first dated, first said I Love You, etc. Buy the Perfect Guy Calendar here: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Guy-2012-Wall-Calendar/dp/1416286950/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1323151006&sr=8-6

Q&A A Day Journal
$16.99
This is a fun spin on your everyday journal. It includes 365 questions, one for every day of the year. But the journal lasts for 5 years. You answer the same question on the same day over the course of five years so you can see how your answers have evolved. They aren't specifically relationship questions, but if you're in an LDR, you know you have your good days and your bad days. Your answers will probably reflect that. If you close the distance between now and five years from now, I bet your answers will change dramatically!
Buy it here: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?navAction=jump&id=20376364&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS&color=020

Charm Bracelet
Price: Varies
What I love about a charm bracelet gift is that you can add to it every time you see each other. If you take a trip to Paris together, surprise her with n Eiffel Tower charm. First Christmas together? Find a giftbox charm. Did you meet your girlfriend at a bar? Start her bracelet off with a cocktail charm. The charm bracelet pictured is the Love Story Charm Bracelet from Fossil, but a simple Google search will pull up a variety of charm bracelets to fit your budget. And as you add charms, the gift only gets more valuable. She'll be able to wear iconic memories around her wrist while you're away.
Buy the Love Story Charm Bracelet here: http://www.fossil.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=12052&catalogId=10052&productId=22257785&cm_mmc=goo2-_-feed-_-pdp-_-dly&mr:trackingCode=90D17E11-97B3-E011-9F24-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&gclid=COv2vrHl7KwCFYhdTAod5yF3oQ

T-Shirt Quilt
Price varies
I stole one of Cayden's shirts during one of his visits, and it's been my favorite shirt to sleep in since then. It smells like him and it reminds me of him. Chances are, your girlfriend does the same thing with one of your shirts. So this Christmas, let her sleep with all of your shirts by giving her a T-Shirt Quilt. OK, not all of your shirts. Pick a handful of T-shirts you're ready to part way with and send it to a quilting company or beg your sew-master of an aunt to do it for you. If you can't give up that many shirts, buy some that represent your relationship (Trip to NYC? Include an I <3 NY shirt. Go to a sporting event together? Find a cheap jersey online). But before you wrap it up, don't forget to spritz it with your cologne. Buy it here: http://www.toocooltshirtquilts.com/

Bracelet Engraved with 'Patience' (as seen on 'Like Crazy')

Price varies

'Like Crazy' is a movie about a long-distance relationship that's so much like my life it's, like, crazy. During one scene in the movie, the guy gives his girlfriend a gift. It's a bracelet inscribed with the word 'Patience.' I cried. But then again, I cry all the time. This bracelet might help your girlfriend remember that good things come to those who wait. 

Buy the bracelet here: http://www.limogesjewelry.com/Custom.asp?productid=12377&mr:trackingCode=7A58932D-C481-DE11-B712-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA

---Long-Distance Gifts For Him---

Boudoir Photos 
Price varies
My first thought when I saw a Groupon for a Boudoir Photo Shoot was "Um, hell no." My second thought was, "Cayden would love it." Imagine how excited your man would be if you sent him home with a few professional sexy photos of you? I mean, it's not like he gets to see that everyday. Boudoir photos are tasteful and classy, and you don't have to wear lingerie, either. Go sexy casual with just a T shirt and cowboy boots, or just wear your boyfriend's favorite sports jersey. Watch for a Groupon in your area. Otherwise, these photo shoots can cost anywhere from $300+.
A few DFW-area suggestions: http://www.runwayboudoir.com, lplboudoir.com

Local Sports Team Starter Kit
Price varies
If you read my earlier post about what I gave Cayden for his birthday, this one will sound familiar to you. If your man is moving to your city (eventually) or you're both moving to another city to be together, get him Sports Fan Starter Kit. Cayden is moving to Dallas next year (fingers crossed), so I got him a Mav's T shirt, a Dallas Cowbows hoodie, a Rangers T shirt and a pair of OU basketball shorts because I'll be forcing my alma mater on him. He absolutely loved it. If you have a bigger budget, splurge on actual jerseys.

Scratch Map
$24
Almost as fun as scratching off a lottery card, the Scratch Map lets you track your travels by scratching away at the map's surface. The underlayer reveals different colors to show where you've been. With enough skill, you could probably scratch a little message into the Pacific Ocean before you give it to him. Or scratch little Xs into the places you want him to take you.
Buy it here: http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/scratch-map

Hidden Message Tie
$49.95
Usually, I designate a tie as a fall back Father's Day gift, but there's something special about this one. Inside a little hidden pocket is a little hidden heart. No one has to know he's walking around with his girlfriend's heart so close to his. I love this gift because it's both classy and romantic. You can add an engraved message on the heart for an extra $6.95.
Buy it here: http://gifts.redenvelope.com/gifts/hidden-message-tie-30049422

Dual Time Zone Watch 
$119
This gift is especially handy for people dealing with a drastic time difference. Cayden is always 6 hours ahead of me, so we have to stop and do the math before we call each other. A dual time-zone watch would make that math a little easier. If you don't like this one, Amazon has a lot of other styles, but this one had the most feasible price in my opinion. Make sure you set the clocks to both of your time zones before you wrap it.
Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Skagen-733XLSLB-Leather-Dress-Watch/dp/B003XGMSL2



---

Well, that's all I have for you for now. I hope that helped somewhat! Please feel free to leave any other suggestions in the comments below. Good luck with your holiday shopping!

'Like Crazy'

Have you ever watched a movie and thought, Wait... this is my life. You're so convinced that you look around the theater to see if there's a camera on you and you half expect the movie to end with the main character going to the movies and sitting in the exact same spot you're sitting.

That happened to me a few weeks ago when I saw a screening of 'Like Crazy.' I made Rae go with me because she'd been in a long-distance relationship before, so I knew she'd appreciate the storyline. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, watch this:

A few people told me not to go see it. "It doesn't look like it ends well," they said. "Don't put yourself through that."

I knew I was torturing myself by seeing the movie while I was missing Cayden, but I felt drawn to it. I downed a glass of wine in the theater and soaked a decent sized stack of brown, scratchy theater napkins with tears and snot by the time it was over. Never has there been a movie about long-distance relationships that was so real, so true, so raw.

In one scene, they take the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow airport on the way to another tear-filled airport goodbye. Cayden and I have taken that same train to that same airport to experience the same overwhelming feeling of not wanting to let go. And you know that scene in the trailer where she calls him crying and says "Hey..." It ripped my heart out. I can't tell you how many times I've done that.

But it's not all sad and depressing. It's also beautiful, funny, optimistic, passionate, hopeful, powerful, and above all, romantic. But without seeing it, these are just adjectives. These adjectives come to life on the screen and the feelings they instill in you stick around for a while after the credits roll. I had to see it again.

The movie opened on October 28 in select theaters only. Sadly, none of those theaters were in the Dallas Fort-Worth area. Until now. 'Like Crazy' is playing at the Angelika theater in Dallas and Plano. I'm going to go see it again tomorrow. And probably 10 times after that. As I'm sure you can tell, I highly, HIGHLY recommend it. So go see it and then tell me what you think!

News and Updates: Salute to Love

As you all know by now, I'm a freakin sucker for love stories. Especially proposal stories. I get goosebumps when they get to the part where they say, "And then I/he got down on one knee..." Yeah, that's where I lose it. My eyes well up with tears and I'm done for. 

Well, @LyndseyMAlmon sent me a tweet last night with a link to a story about her friend John. I almost didn't click the link because I was in the middle of blogging while simultaneously watching/complaining about the Kardashian Fairytale Wedding. I waited until the 4-hour drama-filled, ridiculous "fairytale" wedding was over and my blog was posted before I clicked it. The link sent me to yet another contest for brides- and grooms-to-be to win a dream wedding. (No, I'm not hating. You'll surely find my ass asking for a vote one of these days!) The contest is called "Salute to Love: The Ultimate Outer Banks Wedding Experience Giveaway for a Deserving Military Couple."

I scrolled until I found John and Meghan and I clicked on their story. And now I HAVE to share it with you. This couple, John and Meghan, truly deserve a fairytale wedding. 

John and MeghanAir ForceWright Patterson Air Force Base, OH

How and when did you meet your fiance(e)?: We met at a local coffee shop in downtown Colorado Springs, CO. She was in town training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and I was finishing my last semester at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

After a long afternoon of studying in the local coffee shop for mid-term exams I decided my brain had endured enough, and headed out to make my way back to the Academy to call it a night. As I got up to leave, she was sitting quietly reading by herself in the middle of this crowded bustling place. The emotions I experienced over the next 30 minutes, as I repeatedly left and reentered the coffee shop (in a desperate effort to muster up the courage to talk to her) ranged from smitten, to anxious, to obsessed and to downright terrified! Her long blonde hair, tall athletic physique, and captivatingly piercing blue eyes were quite intimidating to say the least.Over our first conversation I learned that the amazingly beautiful girl I had approached was the captain of the U.S. NationalSynchronized Swim Team, a former Beijing Olympian, and in the middle of training for the 2012 Olympics in London. I wasamazed and even more amazed she was captivated with my story as well. Meghan had actually never heard of the Air ForceAcademy, and had little exposure to the military lifestyle. We talked for hours about her travels to competitions in China,Russia, Italy, Spain and my experiences jumping out of airplanes, running the Leadville 100, and my plans to travel toThailand as a volunteer for disadvantaged youth.The next morning I picked Meghan up at the training center and we headed off to tour the Academy before driving up toDenver, all the while constantly chattering like two canaries in a cardboard box. That day I knew that what I told myroommate the night before (that this was love at first sight and I would marry her) would someday come true. I had no cluehow it would happen but I was absolutely sure that it would.Unfortunately, less than a week after meeting, Meghan was headed back to California to train with her team and our future asa couple seemed uncertain at best. However, we each felt the same instant connection so we vowed to keep an open mindand more importantly keep talking.Our faith in our connection would eventually pay off in some incredibly unforeseen ways. After graduation from the Academy I had been planning to go to Thailand to volunteer but the Red Shirt protests of May 2010 forced me to change my plans to go to Peru instead. Luckily this gave me a few extra days after graduation so I took the opportunity to travel to California tobe with Meghan.

After a summer apart, ...one incredibly significant event would forever change both of our lives and bring us even closertogether.On October 7th, Meghan called from the Olympic Training Center, as trainers, coaches and doctors frantically discussed theresults of a routine x-ray for nagging knee pain that revealed a tumor the size of a golf ball behind her knee cap. The tumorhad eviscerated from the bone into the soft tissue of her knee and had possibly (they feared) metastasized to the rest of herbody. As I attempted to process all of this information from the comfort and safety of my couch in Ohio 2000 miles away, theincredible feeling that I was about to embark on something amazing with her could not be ignored. I made the decision rightthere to stand beside her through the unknown but I believe that us being together made everything much moremanageable. She decided to go through treatment in Ohio so that she could be close to me and also close to her formerteammates at The Ohio State University.The next 9 months would be filled with appointments, week-long hospital stays, one major 9 hour surgery and hundreds of 1-hr drives from Dayton to Columbus where she was receiving treatments. My assignment at WPAFB is actually as a graduatestudent and I did the majority of my class work and even took most of my final exams in the hospital! In fact, I was even ableto achieve a 4.0 GPA for the last two class quarters. Together, we spent over 100 nights in the hospital but the love that weshared for each other kept us focused on the light at the end of the tunnel.Meghan finished chemotherapy treatment on July 14. It was then that I knew that I unequivocally wanted to spend the rest ofmy life with her and I proposed to her on August 20, 2011.

How did you get engaged?: At a coffee shop, of course! Two of my friends here in Dayton own a local coffee shop andthey helped me plan the perfect engagement. After speaking at the 2011 Health and Fitness Expo in Columbus, we decidedto head back to Dayton for the night and I asked if she wanted to go say hey to our friends at Press Coffee Bar. She,thankfully, said yes and once back in town we went to the coffee shop to order our favorite drinks. Unbeknownst to her, I hadprearranged a proposal surprise. There is a special song to us both by a band named Train with the following lyrics:Together can never be close enough for me Feel like I am close enough to you You wear white and I'll wear out the words Ilove And you're beautiful Now that the wait is over And love and has finally shown her my way Marry me Today and everyday Marry me If I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe Say you will Mm-hmm Say you will Mm-hmmI gave the song to Janelle at the coffee shop and she agreed to play that song, and serve us champagne (instead of coffee)as part of the surprise. As we sat down she started flipping through a magazine, and minutes later the song cameon. Immediately, she looked at me as my eyes started to well but I kept my composure. “Just a lovely coincidence” shethought, before Janelle called out our order and we both stood up to get it. At the counter were two glasses of champagneand a burgundy red ring box with the engagement ring I had gotten sparkling brilliantly under the bright lights. Tears instantlyflowed from both of our faces as I took a knee. I don’t even remember what I said, but all she did was say yes! We hugged,and we cried and the whole coffee shop cheered.

Tell us why you think you deserve the Salute To Love.: After 18 months together and battling cancer together on the frontlines, I believe that we are humbly deserving of an amazing wedding experience. Due to the enormously high costsassociated with her cancer treatment, we have been faced with a very limited budget to plan our dream wedding, addingunnecessary stress to our situation. I love this girl so much and it would absolutely mean the world to me to be able to giveher the dream wedding that she (and her family) deserves.As my career in the Air Force blossoms I know that I will need to look no further than the person beside me for my biggestinspiration. Patriotic selfless service is something that we are both truly passionate about, and also something that we haveembodied in our choices and actions. As ambassadors for the United States, we both realize the amazing opportunities thatliving in such an amazing place brings. Especially now, when it seems like peoples’ trust in celebrities and world leaders isfading due to inappropriate and unethical actions, Meghan and I both want to be a beacon of hope and measure of inspirationfor everyone that comes across our story. I feel that we deserve the Salute to Love because a dream wedding like this wouldset the tone for an amazing marriage and we are both looking forward to making this world a better place together!

Let's help them get their fairyale. To vote for John and Meghan, click HERE and scroll to the bottom. 

News and Updates: I'm alive!

Just in case you were wondering if I'd fallen off the face of the Earth (I didn't) or if Cayden had kidnapped me (I wish), I thought I'd write a short post to tell you that I am, in fact, alive and well. Still getting adjusted to the new job, and I recently decided to quit being a fat ass and start working out again, so I haven't reallocated time for blogging. But I promise I'm working on it. I even wrote half a post tonight, so that's progress!

I hope all of you are well, and I hope you'll forgive me for my blogging hiatus. I also apologize if you've emailed me recently and I haven't gotten back to you yet. I've neglected my inbox as much as I've neglected my blog.

I have lots of fun stories to share with you, so I'll try not to delay any longer.

But for now, it's my bedtime, so I'm going to leave you to go dream about sugar plum fairies and a certain sexy British boy. What the hell is a sugar plum fairy, anyway?

Goodnight, yall!

News and Updates: UK Cosmo Guest Blog 4- Nice Guys Finish Last?

To read the rest of this post, click here.

News and Updates: UK Cosmo Guest Blog 3

The other day, I was having drinks with some friends when the topic of the Awkward Arm came up. Two of my girlfriends acted like they'd never heard of it, while myself and another girl led the discussion of the dreaded Awkward Arm and the bedroom problems it causes. And that's how I came up with the next topic for Cosmopolitan UK. Enjoy!

To read the rest of this post, click here.

News and Updates: Crystal Ball

It's Friday night and my roommate and I had a date with a bottle of wine and a movie, but instead we decided to be spontaneous. So we went to see a psychic. I love psychics. But this one was a little... odd. We went to her house, her tiny white dog was yapping, her baby was crying, and random relatives were lurking around the house.

I sat at her dinner room table while she stroked my right hand. She said some things that were spot on an some things that couldn't be farther from the truth, so I thought I'd share with you some of the real gems from the reading. Below are quotes from her reading, followed by my unspoken remarks.

"First off, I'm sensing a LOT of energy from you. You're outspoken, outgoing. You don't talk about people behind their backs. You say it to their face. Is that right?"

False. I do both.

"I need to tell you to be discrete. A lot of people know a lot about you. Too much. And at the same time, there's something there that you feel like you need to keep quiet. Something people can't know."

So, you're saying I shouldn't be writing about every details of my sex life for the world to read? Shit.

"But I am feeling like there's a lot of negativity around you. Not for something you did, and you're not the one being negative, but you're surrounded by envy."

Is there something you guys want to tell me?

"When it comes to your friends. Don't trust them. I'm not talking about all of them, but there are a few that don't have your best interests in mind. Two in particular, a man and a woman, are hoping you don't succeed. Do you have any idea who that could be? Who wouldn't want you to succeed?"

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

"You're a positive person, very generous, and always a good friend to others. But you're not surrounded by people who would do the same for you."

False. Generosity isn't a term my friends would use to describe me, that's for damn sure.

"I feel like you have this huge potential, this path to success, but there's something in the way. Some kind of wall stopping you and pushing you back. Like every time you take two steps forward you take three steps back. And whatever that is is making you weak. I'm feeling exhausted energy from you. Exhausted emotions."

It's called a long-distance relationship. You try going without sex for months at a time and see how you feel.

"When it comes to love and relationships, you haven't had much success. Am I correct?"

Am I really paying this lady???

"Oh, you have a boyfriend? How long? A year? Let's see...with him, I'm sensing confusion. He's holding back. There are things he's not telling you. He's saying one thing and doing another. There are bad influences around him, negative people, and they might be causing that confusion. Causing him to have doubts or to think a certain way."

Cayden's never held anything back in his life. Even when he should.

"I see a lot of changes coming up very soon, all for the best. You'll be making some pretty serious decisions. And you need to follow your own advice. And that's not something you've been doing lately. You've been relying too much on others' opinions instead of forming your own."

You'll be happy to know, I took my own advice and left my job. Got a new job that allows me to focus on my writing more. How's that for big changes?

News and Updates: UK Cosmo Guest Blog 2

My second UK Cosmo guest blog post is up! This one is all about weddings (and glass slippers!) Enjoy!

To read the rest of this post, click here.

News and Updates: UK Cosmo Guest Blog

If you're getting bored with the story and want to read what else is going on in my mind, check out my first of four guest blog posts for Cosmopolitan UK. (I tried to make that sound casual, but as you know, I'm jumping up and down with excitement!) Today's topic: Sexual Frustration. And, yes, this one might make you blush :) To read my first post, click here.

To read my first post, click here.

Photo by Amy Pittsinger

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News and Updates: My bad

I'm so sorry for being so behind on my posting! I really want to get you caught up on my Rome/London trip because the trip took an interesting turn for the worst, and I can't wait to tell you about it. You know, just my luck. Work has been a little overwhelming and I've been stressing out about when I'd ever get to see Cayden again, so I've been in a bit of a funk. One of my best friends (and coworker) Rae got her long-distance boyfriend Chaz back today, and I'm so happy for her, but so so so jealous. It seems like everyone I know is in a serious relationship, so I end up being the good ol' 3rd or 5th wheel quite a bit these days. It kills me. They don't make me feel like the third/fifth wheel by any means, but it's just the nature of the situation. I'm trying not to let it get me down, but it makes me want to find that little Cupid Bastard and beat him with his own arrows. Ass.

Well, I have family coming in town tomorrow and then I'm going to Norman, Oklahoma, on Saturday to be the guest judge in the Miss Hispanic OU Pageant. I'm psyched about that! It's been way too long since I've been to Norman, and I'm pretty sure there's a Mont Swirl with my name on it. Norman, oh how I miss thee.

Long story short, I probably won't have much time to blog this weekend, either. But how about next week I get you all caught up on the London/Rome bit? Hopefully I'll have some time between then and Cayden's next visit to blog about some other things on my mind (sex, bathing suit season, dieting).

Until then, I leave you with this:



Oh, and this (because it never gets old):

News and Updates: Off Topic

Although this is a bit off-topic from what I usually post on this blog, but I just received an email from a reader asking me to pass this link along : http://www.give2gether.com/projects/Raven-Woods-Animal-Sanctuary/

Excerpt from the email:
As it says, the Raven Woods Animal Sanctuary needs to raise the funds to install a new septic system, or 200+ dogs and cats will be seized and likely euthanized. The sanctuary is especially wonderful because they'll take in animals with a number of disabilities that would generally not be adopted, and gives them a place to live where they will be cared for and loved. There's just over 3 weeks left until the deadline, and if the needed funds aren't raised, all donations will be returned to the donors.


I can't imagine that happening to one of my six puppies, so please, please, help spread the word. Thanks!

-Whit

News and Updates: The Chris Mac Show

What do you get when you put three sport-loving males and two Jersey Shore and Kardashian-loving women in the same room with microphones to talk about love, sex, and breast-milk ice cream? Yesterday's Chris Mac Show. That's what.

Carson tagged along with me for moral support (just in case Chris Mac was actually a psycho murderer posing as a radio show host to reel sex-bloggers into his lair). Good news, though. He wasn't! Chris, Mason, and Andre turned out to be great, hilarious guys that I wouldn't mind getting shitfaced with sometime.

The first 30 minutes of the show is the interview with me, and then the rest of the show includes commentary from me and Carson about sports (Wunderlick test), and weird news like a live-sex demonstration in a Human Sexuality class, a porn debate at a church, and smuggling iguana meat from Mexico.

PS-My mic is broken for the first half of the show, so that's why Carson and I sound really far away.

I tried my damned hardest not to giggle this time.

Click here to listen to the show.
Fan them on Facebook here.
And follow them on Twitter @thechrismac

News and Updates: The Chris Mac Show

Remember when I did that podcast with the hilariously inappropriate guys at It's Just Banter? Well, one of their listeners heard me on there and he's been reading my story ever since. He has an internet radio show of his own, and he asked if I'd be the guest on Saturday's show.

This gives me a chance to redeem myself from the embarrassing giggling shit I pulled on the Banter podcast. I cringe when I listen to that (the guys were great, I just sounded like I'd sucked on helium balloons all day after binging on pot brownies). So I told him yes, I'd love to be on his show. Hey, maybe we can even call Cayden in and grill him on the spot.

The show will be live this Saturday from 1-3 CST. It will be on fishbowlradionetwork.com in the green bowl (I have no idea what this means) and later you can find the podcast at thechrismacshow.podomatic.com.

I'm bringing Carson along to keep me in line. Chris will be interviewing me during the first half hour of the show and then Carson and I will be commenting on the rest of the show while the guys talk about Charlie Sheen or whatever other celeb hits rock bottom before Saturday (see: Christina Aguilera).

****You can tweet us your questions during the show (@whitforbrit and @thechrismac) or post them on The Chris Mac Show Facebook page and I'll read your questions and answer them live on the show.******

That's all for now! Hope you get a chance to catch the show!

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News and Updates: I Cried at Work

Yesterday I was sitting at my desk at work, minding my own business, when one of my managers called to me from across the rows of cubicles.

"Whitney? Are you CRYING?"

I quickly wiped the tears rolling down my face and sniffed loudly

"Yes."

For every tear I wiped, there was another one close behind.

"Those better be tears of joy!"

They were. I'd just clicked on this video link from @melaniemagic from my Twitter Feed.



I started crying the second I heard the song. I loved that song. I had goosebumps from head to toe. When he got down on one knee, I lost my shit. I was bawling at work. All eyes were on me.

"Yes, they are tears of joy." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't quitting.

Her stream of tweets explained that she'd met her boyfriend on Twitter and exactly a year after they met in person, he proposed at the exact same Starbucks they'd first met at. They entered the Crate & Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest to win their dream wedding. Would I vote for them? Sure! (You should, too. Click here).

Then later that day, I opened a Facebook message from a friend saying her cousin had entered the same contest. She and her fiance had always had a long distance relationship, just like me and Cayden. He lived in New York and she lived in Texas. They both had families in Singapore who had met them separately and thought they would be great together and so they just started emailing and skyping and are now engaged. Would I vote for them? Hell yeah! (You should, too. Click here)

Aside from those stories, I've received tons of tear-jerking proposal stories from all of you that have further proved that I've turned into an emotionally unstable die-hard ROMANTIC. Yuck.

BUT... Check this out. I just saw that Samuels Jewelers is hosting a Most Romantic Proposal Story Contest on their Facebook Page. You send in your romantic proposal stories and then Samuels will pick their five favorite and those will go up for a vote. Winner gets a 14K white gold anniversary band. Ah, it's so pretty!

I'M GOING TO GO VOTING CRAZY!!! Oh, and I'm also going to go through 40 boxes of Kleenex. The kind with soothing lotion.

So, for all of you beautiful, happily engaged or married couples out there, you should send in your proposal story to their Facebook Page! And then send it to me (fairytalebaginning73@gmail.com) so I can post it on my blog and bawl my eyes out.

Pretty please? A small part of me loves the hopeless romantic I've become :)

News and Updates: iPad AND iPhone Apps!!

Good news! The Fairytale Beginning HD iPad App is finally live! And it's so pretty...



The iPhone App went live tonight, too! Just go into the App store and search Fairytale Beginning. I don't have an iPad or an iPhone, so yall are just going to have to go enjoy those for me and let me know how you like them.

Hopefully down the line we can start working on a Droid App for all my fellow Droidians out there :)

A HUGE thanks to Obvious Apps for the beautiful work they did. I owe those guys a Leffe or two! (Follow them on Twitter at @ObviousApps)



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News and Updates: Cross your fingers

Before tonight's post I just want to ask you all to keep your fingers crossed that the flights get back on schedule in London (and any other city with bad weather and flight delays) so everyone can be with their family/loved ones on Christmas. My good friend Sarah just finished a semester abroad in Scotland and is supposed to fly from London to Dallas tomorrow, but now they're telling her they can't get her on a flight until the 26th at the earliest. If she can't get on standby before then, she'll miss Christmas with her family, and she'll also be stranded without a place to stay in a city where she knows no one. (Granted, there are worse cities to be stranded in!) So I might be begging some of you London readers to take my friend out for a drink if she gets stuck there. She's really sweet, I promise! I'm sure a lot of you know someone in a similar situation, and it's awful to think so many people might miss their family Christmas. Hell, even Cayden might not make it here in time! (I'm trying not to think about that for the time being). So, can everyone keep their fingers crossed, not just for Sarah, but for everyone out there stranded on Christmas?? I'd super duper appreciate it :)



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Kiss the One You Love: Kathryn and Vinny

I need each and every one of you to do me a favor. Remember that NIVEA contest I wrote about the other day? (Two long-distance couples win a trip to NYC to share a midnight kiss in Times Square.) Well, a reader of Fairytale Beginning and a fellow Sooner fan, Kathryn, entered the contest, and I'm asking all of you to vote for her. She lives in Texas and her boyfriend, Vinny, moved to Australia for a 3-year job opportunity. She won't be able to see him again until July or December 2011 (If I had to wait that long to see Cayden again I'd probably have to admit myself into a mental ward. For real). That just breaks my heart!

How cool would it be if YOU helped them ring in the New Year together in NYC?? Also, Kathryn has never had a New Years kiss!! We must fix that!

It's super easy, all you have to do is click HERE and then click VOTE.

There are only 11 days left to vote, and you can only vote once, so it's not like I'm going to have to bother you every day (although I might send some friendly reminders). The couple in the lead right now has more than 800 votes, but if each and every one of you vote for Kathryn and Vinny, we can totally pull out a win! (I know there are more than 1,000 of you who check into my blog daily, so pretty pretty pretty please, vote!). I promise it will only take, like, three seconds out of your day to possibly make their year.

And if you're a super sweetheart, maybe you can post it on your Facebook and tweet about it so we can get all of your friends to vote as well? I know it's all thanks to you guys that I won the Cosmo Blog Awards, so I already know yall have what it takes to make dreams come true :) (Yes, I'm aware that was super cheesy.)

Tweet suggestion: Help this long-distance couple share their first kiss together! Vote for Kathryn and Vinny. PLEASE RT! http://ow.ly/3ojdR

Here's their story and a little more about them:


"I met Vinny while I was in graduate school. The first time I saw him he was standing over the copy machine while I was walking to my office. He was a PhD student and I was there for my Masters. I thought he was in desperate need of a haircut and he was wearing a sweatshirt with the University of Florida football logo on it, which is my least favorite college team. We exchanged a little "smack talk" since my team (The University of Oklahoma) had played his team for the National Championship the year before. It was all in good fun, but I did not think our relationship would become anything more after that point.

In December, my second semester at Graduate school, I got a mass email from Vinny to everyone in our graduate department about this type of toy drive he was organizing. He was collecting "Jared Boxes" which are boxes of toys, clothes, and other essentials for children of all ages that are sick in the hospital. The Jared Box came from a little boy named Jared whose parents would always bring him a little box of toys to brighten his day in the hospital while he was fighting cancer. Unfortunately, Jared passed away but Jared Boxes are still collected by numerous organizations and donated to local children's hospitals. I was really touched by Vinny's compassion for the cause, so I started to look past his love for the University of Florida and Tim Tebow (which is where he did his undergraduate degree) and decided I needed to get to know him more.

We initially started to talk occasionally on facebook chat or in passing at the graduate student offices. It was only small talk, but I noticed that my day would always be a little brighter whenever I ran into him. We went out to the bars on campus or in Oklahoma City a couple of times with other people from our department, and we would somehow end up only talking to each other despite the fact that we would be in a group of 10-20 people. Despite the numerous chances he had to ask me on a date, I went home to Texas for Christmas break dateless and he went to Florida.

When we returned from our break, I got a text message from Vinny finally asking me on a date. Yes, he asked me via text but I let it slide since I found it hilarious. I still remember what it said: "Hey, so I'm thinking we need to go on a date. You pick the day, and I will get my classiest Affliction shirt dry cleaned." (Side note: we both watched Jersey Shore as our guilty pleasure so that is where the Affliction shirt came from) I found that text so funny, that I couldn't say no! On the date the plan was to go to dinner at a sushi restaurant and see a movie.

We went to dinner, where the food was great and the company was even better. I introduce Vinny to the concept of RedBox that night and we ended up watching "7 Pounds" at my house after dinner.

We shared our first kiss after the date, and it was the kind of kiss that still gives me butterflies when I think about it.

After that first date, we became inseparable and I became Vinny's girlfriend. Things could not have been better. We loved each other's company. Some of the memorable things I can remember doing are visiting several Oklahoma museums, art galleries, zoos (including the drive-through zoo in Arbuckle, OK), sporting events, oh-and class. We had to spend a lot of time at school, especially since Vinny was finishing his dissertation and graduating in May of that year. I was scheduled to graduate in August. Vinny had applied to several jobs, and was starting to go on interviews. We had only been dating a month or two when he was offered a job as a professor/researcher at Central Queensland University in Rockhampton, Queensland. It was a great opportunity, but the job was in AUSTRALIA.

To make a long story short, Vinny and I talked about it and decided that he should take the job. We had just started dating and did not know where it was going yet. I did not want to be the reason that he missed out on an opportunity, so I told him that if he really wanted the job then he had to take it. That was in March 2010. He would be leaving June 1. We had roughly 2 months left together. We discussed the option of ending things at that point so we wouldn't have to do distance, but we didn't like that option. We decided that we would just take everything one day at a time and see where things went. To make a long story short, we made the most of our time together and things got serious between us.

After graduation, Vinny and I went on a roadtrip together 2 weeks before he left for Australia. From Oklahoma to Texas to meet my parents and youngest sister, and then to Florida to see his family. It was such a great trip, and it brought us much closer together. When we returned to Oklahoma, I told him that I loved him. Thankfully, he felt the same way.

June 1st was a rough day for us. Taking Vinny to the airport was absolute torture, and it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. We had no idea when we would see each other next, especially since it is so expensive to go to Australia and a very long plane ride. It's not exactly the kind of trip you can make in a weekend. The not knowing makes everything worse, so I was a mess for a few days while I waited to hear that Vinny made it safely halfway around the world. When he finally arrived, our long distance relationship began via facebook chat, gchat, and emails. Skype was not an option because Vinny did not have a webcam, so I sent him one. We were finally able to Skype about 2 months into his time in Australia. We have been able to talk once or twice a day, but it is not the same as being together in the same place. Skype can really be a tease since you can see and hear the other person, but cannot touch them.

I was able to make a trip to see Vinny in October for 12 days. I was gone for 2 weeks, but it takes a whole day to fly there. The trip was AMAZING and I can't wait to go back and see him again, I will just need to win the lottery first! Vinny is so busy with work and teaching that it is hard for him to take time off to travel back to the States. The next possible visit will most likely be in July for a conference in Las Vegas. We both need to go to the conference, but who knows how much time we will have to just be together.

Winning this trip to see Vinny would mean the world to us. He would be able to take off of work because he will not be teaching class yet, and I would get to see my boyfriend much sooner than I thought! I know that my chances are not the best, but I really appreciate all of your help!! It's so nice to read your blog and know that I am not the only person who is in a long-distance relationship. :)

If we were together on New Year's it would make the 3 years we have to spend apart a little less torturous.

(Side note: I am a pretty outgoing person and I have no problem sharing things about my life with others, but it was a real challenge to write about my relationship! I feel like nothing I write will portray what Vinny and I feel for each other in the right way, so I have a new respect for how you share your story with Cayden. Vinny and I have not been together for long, but I feel like I have known him forever. We know everything about each other, the good and the bad, and we love each other. I know my chances for winning this contest are slim to none, but it can't hurt to try. I really have nothing to lose, except my palms are sweating right now just thinking that people will be reading about and judging my relationship. )



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