The Outfit of Yesterday

If you saw me today, you know I wasn't wearing this. I call it my #OOY (outfit of yesterday). It was quite windy, and I included a couple outtakes for your enjoyment. Hope you made it through hump day happily. 

Meeting Sarah Jessica Parker

Our SJP "Meme"

The tweets

SJP herself, what a delight! Bonus: They didn't tackle me for taking a selfie.

Our beautiful new friend, SJP's sweet assistant. We love her!

My lovely cousin Katya, SO fun hanging in line with her!

Her mention of us on Instagram. 

My Carries, in love!

Square Pegs, Flight of the Navigator, Footloose, and Girls Just Want to Have Fun. I loved Sarah Jessica Parker way before she was Carrie Bradshaw. Carrie, was just the icing on the cake that is SJP.

A tad bit of Instagram stalking and a wild hair sent me on a mother daughter weekend with my 12 year old to Miami, on a mission to meet SJP during her whistle stop shoe signing tour. My friend at Nordstrom Aventura Mall tipped me off that she'd only be there one hour, so we'd better be early. I also knew if I wanted a chance to make a connection, I'd have to be creative. I decided to come up with a hashtag, #operationmeetsjp. I started documenting our trip from the start and what do you know, SJP responded to not one, but two of our tweets. She's a mom, and she loved it that we were doing this together. Fast friends we became. As she came down the escalator, her assistant pointed us out, she was looking for us! Social media allowed us the opportunity to skip introductions, and just be friends. I have the video to prove it. :)

I didn't have time to tell her a fraction of what I had to say. How I adore her as a mom and wife, how I respect her ability to balance career and family, what an an amazing example she sets for women and young girls, how I love that she puts the ones she loves the most first, and how much her fashion risks have inspired me over the years. I thanked her. For taking her time to do this, to make dreams come true for people like me who have adored her for so many years.

After our signing and selfie, we were interviewed by the local news station about our social media connection and then we headed off to hold up my the end of the bargain....taking my daughter shopping and to lunch. It really was a fantastic time. We waited about four and a half hours, but it was totally worth it. Nordstrom was super accommodating and took great care of us, we made so many new friends, and we had the chance to spend time with my sweet cousin Katya who actually moved to NYC from Russia years ago, after falling in love with Sex and the City.

The highlight of the trip was spending time with my family. We met up with my other cousin Milo one evening, and then spent our last day with my oldest son in Boca Raton. My daughter and I laughed, sang, and talked about all things girlie. We ate good, slept good, and played good. The weekend will go down as my best ever. So far anyway....no telling where my new purple Carrie's will take me. ;)

The "J" Word

jeal·ous  (jĕl′əs) adj. 1. Fearful or wary of being supplanted; apprehensive of losing affection or position. 2. a. Resentful or bitter in rivalry; envious: jealous of the success of others. b. Inclined to suspect rivalry. 3. Having to do with or arising from feelings of envy, apprehension, or bitterness: jealous thoughts. 4. Vigilant in guarding something: We are jealous of our good name. 5. Intolerant of disloyalty or infidelity; autocratic: a jealous God.

My morning devotion agitated a raw spot in my heart. So today there will be no outfit, only a post on my feelings and I hope that's alright. I was lead to write this, and that's all the confirmation I need.

Today I read the following in my Joyce Meyer daily devotional. "Comparing our lives with other people's lives in unfair, to them and to us. It's unfair to them because if we become jealous of what they have, what they know, how they look, etc. we start to resent them. Then we can no longer appreciate them as the wonderful person that God made them to be. It's unfair to us because it limits God's plan for our lives. Comparison says to God, "I want to limit Your work in my life to this and nothing else. I just want to be like this other person, and have what they have."

In the definition of the word jealousy, letter b above says: Inclined to suspect rivalry. I wonder how many wonderful relationships we are robbing ourselves of because of our suspicions? Our judgements of others before we ever even give them a chance? I say this because I have battled this my entire life. I am tall, I like to dress nice, I was a cheerleader, a dancer, involved and outgoing. I have been labeled a "snob" and "selfish" and "all about me." People have even labeled me as materialistic. I would later receive apologies from friends that judged me before they knew me. Stating that they were wrong, for letting their suspicions and assumptions determine their opinion of me, rather than taking time to know my heart. This still happens today and I am 38 years old! It makes me sad. It hurts, because the desire of my heart is to be friends with everyone, and the thought that someone may take a step back because they don't want to take time to know me is painful.

I don't write this to paint the picture that I am totally unapproachable to everyone, because generally I do make fast friends. But in these situations when an assumption leads to a judgement, I feel like I get robbed. Do I do this to others? I am sure I have been guilty, and I have surely robbed myself on occasion.

I end with this. I took my daughter to a birthday party this weekend. I had to snap a picture of her face, pure joy in watching her friend open her gifts. She didn't have a second thought of jealousy, she was just full of joy to see her friend opening her gifts. Are we that way? Can we smile and feel happy for our friends when their good is SO good when our lives seem less than fantastic? Are we reaching out to celebrate with them? Or feeling left behind and resentful of their glory? I want to continue to find joy in the gifts my friends receive. I may think...WOW I sure would like that, or I sure wish I had it as good as they do, but I don't ever want that to get in the way of celebrating the good things in their lives. I also don't ever want to let my assumptions sabotage an opportunity to love someone. Because you know what, God has unique gifts for all of us and if we know that, and rest in that.....we won't have time for suspicions, assumptions, or jealousy.