Confessions

Not gonna lie, every time I hear the word "confessions" I hear Usher singing. 

Anywho...

Today I am linking up with

http://www.itsalyx.com/

My Sunday Confessions:

1) I had a super awesome weekend spent cuddling babies
and playing at The Greensboro Children's Museum.

Work finds me even on Saturday's!

2) I took a 3 hour nap today and it was a.m.a.z.i.n.g.
Why don't I do that more often?

3) Big decisions make me nervous,
and I am pretty much the most indecisive person ever,
but I don't like it when decisions don't fall into place
like I predict them.
Does that even make sense?

4) I'm currently watching an episode of Breaking Bad
which explains why this post is so all over the place.
This show is awesome...
must go pay attention!

I Don't Forgive You, Chris Brown.

 

Source 

Am I the only one who is saddened by Rihanna's interview latest interview with Oprah?

 I'm not mad. It is absolutely none of my business. 

The girl has the right to love who she loves. 

It is even healthy that she forgives Chris for brutally abusing her. 

The whole thing breaks my heart for Rihanna 

AND 

the other domestic abuse victims who think 

maybe they should still love their

abusers.

Source 

Even after Chris hurt her, she's still protecting him.

Rihanna told Oprah, "Because as angry as I was, as angry and hurt and betrayed, I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help and who's going to help him? Nobody's going to say he needs help. Everybody's going to say he's a monster without looking at the source, and I was more concerned about him."(Source.)

Man, I think Chris Brown got off too easily.

Boys, don't hit your ladies.

Ladies, don't think you deserve a man who hits you.

(Unless it's in a Christian Grey type of way, of course.)

Source

Oh, and for the record,

I don't support Chris Brown...

no matter how damn catchy his music is.

IF YOU NEED HELP:

  http://www.thehotline.org/

http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/

http://www.safehorizon.org/

Craving Time

Today was a big day for our little household. As most of you know I am Step-Live-In-Girlfriend-Mom (whatever you want to call me, I help take care of him 7 days a week, every other week!) to the cutest 5-year-old boy kindly referred to as G. Today was G's 1st day in Kindergarten!

Me: "What did you do in school today?"

G: "Played a lot, learned a little."

Me: "What did you learn?"

G: "I forget."

Me: "Your letters and your numbers?"

G: "Um, Chelsea, I already know my letters."

Me: Silence.

That's pretty much the extent of our convo about the "education" part of school today.

Not bad for a 1st day, I suppose...
I started dating B when G was 2.
Now he's a full-time student!
Boy, time flies...

Now--for the fun part of this post--tonight I am participating with some awesome ladies in "Me Myself and I" link-up!


1. What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? 

 

I think I would attempt to find a job that allows me to write each and every day. I want to tell stories. The stories of heartache and triumph. Stories of second chances. Stories that are just waiting to be told to the right person.

 

 Pinterest

 

2) If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time?

Thanks to that thing called melanoma, this question was one I actually had to debate. No, I was never told I only had a certain amount of time to live, but in the beginning days, we knew the melanoma had spread to my lymph nodes; however, we did not know if it had spread to my organs. For one whole week I had to wait to hear the news that my organs were clear. (I have to experience that fear again once every 3 months. Let me tell you, it f**king sucks.) Hearing the oncologist say, "It will not kill you right now..." has forced me to live life in a way I don't think I used to live. In other words, I eat the cupcake. 

Oh, and really, when you are in a position where life is uncertain, you crave the ones you love and more time. Always craving more time...

Pinterest

 

3) If a front page news article was written on you, what would the headline be?

 

Melanoma diva beats up that person who tells the beautiful 14 year-old girl that she needs to visit a tanning bed. OK, maybe not. But I really do hate tanning salons. 

Oh, and this wasn't a newspaper, it was a magazine, but I did end up on the cover...

adventurewithmelanoma.blogspot.com

 

 

4) What is your biggest pet peeve?  

 

Just one? I have thousands! A few to mention: People who make *weird* noises while eating. It makes me want to barf. Literally. AND having to clean up someone's pee off the seat!

 

Pinterest

Source

5) What is your favorite chick flick movie?

Again, it's hard to pick just one. I am a sucker for a good girlie movie. The classics are my favorites: Steel Magnolias, Beaches, Fried Green Tomatoes, An Affair to Remember. Then there are the new(er) movies I fell in love with: Sweet Home Alabama, The Wedding Planner, Something Borrowed, and He's Just Not That Into You.

Steel Magnolias

Sweet Home Alabama

An Affair to Remember

Now I'm craving a good ol' chick flick. Maybe I can convince the boyfriend to let me borrow the tv for a while............

Happy Tuesday!

Kickin' It Old School

It's a gloomy Sunday here in Southwest Virginia. After a night of (too many) fruity drinks, I'm totally diggin' any excuse to be lazy. I'm taking a break from being lazy simply to participate in this hilarious link-up with Neely over at A Complete Waste of Make-Up.

This Sunday Social is taking us back to our past. Since I live in an apartment in Roanoke now, I do not have access to all of my high school/middle school photo albums, so I'm breaking the rules a bit. I'm going to discuss my younger years. Please pardon me for being a rule breaker!

This Week's Questions: Kickin It Old School

1. What were you like in Middle School/HS?(pictures)

 I was pretty much silent. No, really. In a public place, I did not talk. I was so ridiculously shy! But in the privacy of our home? Yeah, I guess I was quite the little diva who fully enjoyed playing dress-up, performing dance routines for anyone who would watch, and being embarrassed by my family members. I wonder if my Grandmom still has this dress I could borrow to wear when I go to The Plaza.

 

 

2.  What were your favorite past times?

I spent all of my time with my family. We were lucky enough to have family surrounding us so we never had random babysitters who weren't directly related to us in some way or another. I especially loved hanging with my Aunt Dee Dee! 

 Apparently there once was a time---many moons ago--when I enjoyed cooking with my Grandmom.

3. What songs were you obsessed with?

According to my mom, I used to rock out to--on TOP of my Barbie Car-- "I Can't Dance" by Genesis, anything by John Michael Montgomery, Ace of Base, and all things Trisha Yearwood. 

4. What fashion statement do you look back on and cringe?

These shorts. Need I say more?

 

Our very 1st trip to Southwest VA. Who knew we would end up living here!

5. Who was your celeb crush?

 Pick one.  Nick Carter, Justin Timberlake, JTT!!!

6. What were your favorite tv shows/movies?

Besides anything my older sissy was watching, I loved Lambchop and Under the Umbrella Tree.

See! Wasn't that fun! 

 ...even if I did break the rules.

A Virginia Girl Goes To The Plaza

Girlfriends, I'm going to The Plaza.

As in The PLAZA HOTEL. 

Me, just a girl from a small town in Virginia, accepted the invitation from The Skin Cancer Foundation to attend AND PARTICIPATE in the annual Skin Cancer Foundation Gala hosted at The Plaza Hotel in New York City on October 9, 2012.

Holy smokes, friends.

What am I going to wear?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please read all about this huge news here: adventurewithmelanoma.blogspot.com

Oh, and if you have any suggestions for The Perfect Dress, please let me know! 

AH!!!! 

And Then I Was Reminded.

 Hanging on the ferris wheel, July 2011

Life has been a little crazy lately. 

Things are up in the air. 

Decisions are being made on our part

 and then something works against us 

which prevents those things from falling into place.

 We get our hopes up only to get shot down.

It is frustrating.

Today, after a typical,

"Have you heard anything yet?"

message back and forth to Mr. B,

I became really and truly bummed.

We try so hard to better our lives,

but how can we really do so until someone gives us a chance?

So, I said to Mr. B,

"Don't be sad. Things will fall into place."

And you know, maybe I was comforting myself just as much as I was comforting him.

Then he replies,

"I'm not sad. I'm hopeful. 

And I still have you to come home to at night."

And just like that,

in one single text message

I am reminded

how lucky I am

indeed.

Nora Ephron

You aren't familiar with this lady?

You should change that.

ASAP.

See what she taught me: http://adventurewithmelanoma.blogspot.com/2012/08/choose-not-to-be-lady.html?spref=fb

Thanks for the smile, Pinterest

I was forced to return to life of a Cancer Patient today. I fully enjoy my 3 months of freedom so it's always a bit of a bummer when I'm forced back before my break is over. OH WELL. I should not complain about an appointment where I received good news (just an infection) when so many others are receiving bad news.

The point of this post is that I was feeling a bit grouchy this weekend and today. I didn't feel well and I was a tad bit nervous. What did I do to cheer myself up? I browsed Pinterest, of course!

Please tell me you didn't crack a smile at these. I so will not believe you.

See, isn't your day so much better now?

Happy Monday!

Peace, Quiet, and Country Music

I took advantage of the glorious weather this morning by pouring a cup of coffee, grabbing my laptop, and heading out to the balcony to respond to emails and catch-up on some of my favorite blogs. While I was moderately distracted by the 2 grown men chasing after a ground hog, I was enjoying the peace.

And then the couple with their boombox strutted down to the pool. (Do they even make such a thing anymore?) Anyway, whatever it was, their iPod, their phone, whatever was blasting country music. Blasting! B (known as Mr. Spots on my melanoma blog) actually came outside to see where all the noise was coming from. While I enjoy country music, I do not appreciate hearing it on Sunday morning at full blast while I'm trying to relax. Our apartment overlooks the pool and I became quite annoyed by their disrespect for everyone else.

Am I just being grumpy or should people keep their music at a reasonable level? 

Maybe I'm just getting old........

Happy Sunday!

I'm Addicted...

...to blogs I love.

 My Other Addiction: Pinterest

I have been browsing new ways to gain exposure for my blog melanoma blog and I have come to the conclusion that there are a lot of really awesome blogs out there. Seriously. I have laughed more in the last week while staring at the computer than ever. (And yes, those laughs cause my boyfriend to look at me like I'm officially loosing it.) These girls are funny. And honest.

This brings me to my next topic at hand: How do they have so much free time to write such awesome posts? Man! I'm envious! Between that silly thing called work, my private life, writing for Everyday Health and keeping my melanoma blog readers happy--and my mind clear--I'm all out of time! I know that sharing my journey with melanoma is my number 1 priority; however, sometimes I want to talk about something ridiculous like......pizza. 

 Yum.

OK, I don't know. But here are some great sites for you to check out.

 

Seriously, you need to go check out these girls. I'm even forgiving them for their tans. ;-) 

Team USA!

http://pinterest.com/pin/143411569354951209/

It seemed appropriate! ;-) 

Happy Monday!

I'm ONLY 25!

I am seriously in love with this article Emma Gray recently wrote for The Huffington Post titled "25 Things I know Now that I am 25."  People constantly ask me why I am not married, they are shocked that I don't have children, and seem to believe I should be further down this road called life. Hello! I'm only 25!

Well, here's my opinion on their opinion: Tough shit. I'm loving my life...just like it is.

Check out Emma's post, and maybe it can give you a little bit of comfort like it gave me.
I even blogged about it on my other site: http://adventurewithmelanoma.blogspot.com/2012/08/life-at-25.html

"Your body, your job and your love life might not be "perfect" -- in fact, it's a guarantee that they're not. But at a certain point you just have to realize that no one gives a sh*t nearly as much as you do about your "flaws." So take Nora Ephron's advice: put on that bikini and rock it the whole decade long. You'll thank yourself later."

Read the full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emma-gray/25-things-i-know-now-that-im-turning-25_b_1726642.html