Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
March Comes in Like a Lion!
Here's the week, so far--

Monday--Day 2 of Daughter's Birthday--most of you know that she's a leap year baby. So on those years that she doesn't have a birthday, she claims both Feb 28 AND March 1 as her birthday. She stretches it over 2 days. So Day 2 bought more birthday cards, cake and cash!

Tuesday--She gets an acceptance letter from her first choice in colleges--Drexel University in Philadelphia. She's over the moon!

Wednesday--TheTinyJEWELBox is named Best Personal Blog in the Sun Sentinel Best of Blogs contest. I was over the moon!

Thursday--She gets an acceptance letter from her second choice in colleges--Clemson University in South Carolina. We're both over the moon!

Today--I'm sitting outside waiting on the postman. I'm hoping that I win the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes and continue the winning streak...

What's happening in your house this week? Your comments--priceless!!


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The Queen of Gospel Music
It was on this day in 1911 that Mahalia Jackson was born in New Orleans. She is considered the first Queen of Gospel Music.

When I was very young, not even old enough to go to school. Granny took me to see her sing. It was a little church in DC, I have no idea where. I just remember her voice being so powerful that it made me cry. The only other thing I remember is that I thought she was the most beautiful woman that I had ever seen.

Here's a peek at her talent..




Your comments--priceless!!




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I Just Can't Do It...
Well, they say honesty is the best policy. So, I'll be honest. I had a topic today that I wanted to bring to you. Today is my Granny's birthday. She would have been 86 today, had she not passed away 4 years ago, 2 days AFTER her birthday. This period is the worse for me all year long. I dread it. But I so wanted to tell you how special she was.

When I sit down to start writing a wonderful tribute to her, I realized that time has NOT healed all wounds and it was just too difficult. So let's just pretend that I poured my heart out and made you all know how warm, kind, funny, and special that she was to me.

Your comments--priceless!!





I post daily. So that you don't miss any of my randomness, you might want to subscribe by email.
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Happy Birthday to Me!

Yep, it's my birthday. The big 4-6!!! Boy, do I feel the love! I've gotten a ton of birthday wishes and I've also gotten a few fabulous gifts--so far, I've gotten my Flip video camera, a pair of Ed Hardy sneakers(pics to come), and I even got myself a gift. I got the first season of True Blood so that FOJ Lisa and FOJ Jan can stop being MEAN GIRLS. I plan to celebrate at Bahama Breeze tonight, so stand by for video tomorrow.

I have the most wonderful family, friends, and readers. I love you all and appreciate everything that you've bought to me life!

Your comments--priceless!!



I post daily. So that you don't miss any of my randomness, you might want to subscribe by email.
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9-9-09
Some say today, 9-9-09, will be the end of the world. I would like to hope not. I'm so not finished living. There are many things on my bucket list that I haven't done yet. I'm ill prepared for the end today.

Why do folks believe in such superstitious things? Why do they pass them on to their kids? Yesterday, my son came home from school and asked if I knew the world was ending today. I told him that I knew no such thing. In fact, I was so convinced that today would be no different than yesterday, that I insisted that he do his math homework.

On the other hand, I've heard of everyone from brides to film companies, coveting this date for their weddings and film releases. Everytime one of these triple digit dates comes up, we have this nonsense. Carry on, folks! Besides, my birthday is this weekend and I haven't gotten my flip video camera yet. Surely the world can't end before that!

Your comments--priceless!!


I post daily. So that you don't miss any of my randomness, you might want to subscribe by email.
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A Flip for My Birthday
So, I have just over a week until my birthday (9/13) and I found the gift that I want. Being the gadget freak that I am, I think I want a Flip video camera.

Have you seen these babies??? I've checked them out thoroughly and to quote Will Smith, "I have GOT to get me one of these!!"

But, of course, I need to make a decision--looks or logistics? You see, the Flip comes in this cute pink, but not in HD. The HD version only comes in black or white. Either way, you all will reap the benefits, as I'm sure my blog will have many videos to go with the posts. Decisions, decisions....

Anyhow, I'm going to let you guys decide. Should I get the "cutesy" one? Or the one with more features...

Your comments--priceless!!



I post daily. So that you don't miss any of my randomness, you might want to subscribe by email.
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FOJ Friday: Lori Karmel

Please let me introduce FOJ(Friend of Jewel) Lori Karmel, owner of Fort Lauderdale's We Take the Cake. Lori was among the first people that I met when I moved to Fort Lauderdale, and I like to say that I met her BO (Before Oprah). You see, We Take the Cake's Key Lime bundt cake was featured as one of Oprah's favorite things in 2004. The endorsement revitalized her business and she's still riding the wave. Let me introduce you to the woman behind it all.

Lori's family moved to South Florida from Toronto in 2000. Her son was a toddler and she was a full time mother. She found We Take the Cake while searching through the yellow pages for a birthday cake for him. She was intrigued by their chocolate cream cheese frosting. Once her son started school, she started looking for a business to get into, found that We Take the Cake was up for sale, bought it, and the rest is history.

Her biggest challenge day to day is balancing staffing with production, since it's all custom. Her goal is to produce a premium, quality product, in and out, and that can be hard to do consistently. But Lori seems to be getting it right!

Her family and friends are her biggest supporters, her husband even came aboard to take care of the operations aspect, allowing Lori to concentrate on what she does best--sales and marketing. She absolutely loves getting notes and letters back from satisfied clients. She thinks that it's the most rewarding part of her business.

But it wasn't always easy. She was motivated by a book written by Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks. It described his extraordinary journey that took the company from his initial vision to the overwhelming success that it is today. She advises anyone looking to start up a new business that the most important part is marketing--


"Don't sit around waiting for business to come to you. Think outside the box to bring new business in. Forget about traditional advertising."

She's working on some new things for We Take the Cake. She's always looking to create new products. Client suggestions help drive new designs, flavors, and product offerings. In fact, she now has brownies on the menu, after landing a deal with the new W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. She promises that the new Red Wine Reduction brownies will be a rich and fudgy hit! I can't wait to try them! You can contact Lori via email at sales@wetakethecake.com or by phone at 888-901-2253.

Your comments--priceless!!

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Birthday/Holiday Weekend!

This is my husband's birthday weekend. We are celebrating! Nothing big, but we are certain to have a ball! We don't have definite plans yet, but we'll figure something out.

My husband is the bestest! And if you know me at all, you know he would HAVE to be a saint to endure all these years with me. He's a hard worker, a great provider, and a true leader for our family. He's the son of Cuban immigrants, an ex-Marine(if there's any such thing), and a civil servant. He loves Batman, 80's music, and vehicles that go fast. He's also kind, generous, and loving. I'm not sure if I would be who I am, if he wasn't who he is. Happy birthday, Sweetie Pie!

Your comments--priceless!


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Happy Birthday, America!!

This weekend, we celebrate the birth of the United States of America. With nearly 4 million square miles of land and more than 3 billions multi-cultural citizens, it is arguably the greatest nation in the world.

As citizens, we often have complaints about our land, our laws, and our leadership-and rightfully so. We are granted rights to publicly criticize our government--a right that many other countries don't extend to their citizens. Many of us don't understand that the mere fact that we are able to speak out, without fear of our lives, is a testament to our Constitution.

I have to say that I'm the first to admit that while everything here isn't wonderful and grand, I wouldn't trade my American citizenship for anything else in the world. Besides, when is the last time you saw a group of Americans floating away on a raft, in search of a better life?? Happy Birthday, America!

Your comments--priceless!!


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Across the Miles...
How do you keep in touch with friends and family that live far away? Email? Phone calls? Snail mail? I do a mixture of them all. It's so easy to lose touch these days and family is important to me.


I send email regularly. I think it's a great way to keep in touch, but also a bit impersonal. Who wants to be on a list of 10 other folks that you are sharing "exciting news" with?


I try to call at regular intervals as well, especially the older generation. They may not be getting my email updates. And they love to just hear your voice. And talking to family makes my day!


I send snail mail, though not nearly as much as I should. When I get an envelope or package in the mail from a friend, especially one that I wasn't expecting, it makes me giddy. I want to share that feeling with someone else.


How do you all keep in contact? And how do you make holidays and family milestones special, even when you can't be there?


Your comments--priceless!!


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Gifts versus Gift Cards

Today, I need to pick up a birthday gift for my Mom, whose birthday is next week. I know exactly what I'm going to get, it's something that I know that she'll get a kick out of. On the other hand, I could always get a gift card--or could I?

I wouldn't mind giving a gift card to a coworker or a neighbor, but I would never consider giving a gift card to my mother. I just feel that it's much too impersonal. I've been knowing her all my life. I know what she likes. I know what her interests are. Why not give her something that she would just love?

I do realize that in some situations, gift cards are ideal, especially when shipping is a consideration. They also work well for kids, teenagers, college students, and those you just don't know very well. I even keep a couple gift cards around for those occasions that catch me unprepared. But for my Mom? A gift card? NOPE..

How do you feel about gift cards versus a real gift? Are they always acceptable? Are there exceptions? Do you give everyone gift cards or just some people? Tell me about it...

Your comments--priceless!!
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Kudos For a Leap Year Baby

This weekend, we celebrate my daughter's birthday. She's 17 this weekend, but has only had 4 actual birthdays. She's a leap year baby, also known as a "leapling." She's decided that, instead of choosing either February 28th OR March 1st to celebrate this year, BOTH days are her birthday. Yeah right!

She's always been a special child--always older than her years. She's accomplished a lot in her first 17 years. As a Brownie Girl Scout, back in 1998, she addressed the nation, on behalf of it's children, opening the annual Pageant of Peace and with then-President Bill Clinton, lit the National Christmas Tree. I'll never forget that on the way home that night, after meeting the Clintons, Sammy Sosa, Tony Bennett, and the cast of Cats, she became very upset. She couldn't remember meeting the President. When I reminded her that he was the man who helped her light the Christmas tree, she looked at me incredulously. She insisted that he was NOT the President and to prove it, she asked me his name. I really should have questioned her further before giving the name. Had I done that, I would have realized that she had been looking forward to meeting Abraham Lincoln!!! HA HA! She had a great picture in the Washington Post, they honored her at school, tons of folks watched her on tv, and she is STILL upset about being duped, insisting that somehow she was tricked.

Through the years, there have been many ups(like the Pageant of Peace) and downs (like her surgery, back in 2000). She does well in school, a Criminal Justice magnet student, who wants to go to Law School. She's also well traveled--she did a tour of Italy and Greece over Spring Break last year. We are now looking at colleges. She has tons of friends, as evidenced by her monthly cell/text bill. All in all, she's a great girl, my middle child--the Grounded One. Maybe I WILL let her celebrate both days, she's worth it..

Your comments--priceless!
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