Thursday, February 26, 2009

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yes, today is my birthday. I am 35. Gulp! Goodness. Where did time go?!? As my husband put it this morning, "You're half way to 70!" Smug little thing he is, younger than me by 9+ months. Ah, well. I don't feel that old. Sometimes, I still feel like the awkward 12 year old that I was long, long ago. Our culture is obsessed with age. We idolize youth and try to keep it for as long as possible. That's too bad, because I feel happier now than when I was 25. More secure, more knowledgeable, more content. Life just keeps getting better, really. And I feel, at 35, fortunate to still be here. At any age, we should not take anything for granted! But I have gray hair. And a few (or several) wrinkles. I feel time going by more quickly the older I get. I have relatives in my family that weren't much older than me when they passed on. All of that kind of freaks me out. But I look to people in my life who are much older than me and doing great things. Like the 70-year-old woman who was taking surfing lessons for the first time when we were in Hawaii -- you go girl! I believe there really is a beauty that comes with age. Unlike Western culture, the Japanese have one word to describe this: sabi. Cool and concise. I like that. And today, maybe I just gained a little bit more sabi. As all of us girls do!

Til next time,
EB

For positive and inspiring clothes for girls and tweens, check out Gis4Girl.com

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Hey, Ellen and Portia: Daughters Rule!

Hi girls! On my way into work yesterday, I heard a story on the radio about Ellen DeGeneres and her spouse Portia De Rossi wanting to start a family. Good for them! Then the announcer said that they were hoping for a boy, but they would be happy to have any healthy child. That's when my heart sank. I don't know how true that statement is, since it didn't come from either Ellen's or Portia's mouth, but it made me feel a little sad. If it is truly how they feel, let me state that I'm not one to judge their reasons, whatever they may be. But being the mother of a daughter, I am at a loss for understanding why anyone would prefer a boy over a girl. In many parts of the world, such as China with its draconian "One Child Policy," boys, being the ones to continue a family's lineage, are often valued over girls. Sometimes--horribly--girls are aborted or killed after birth so that the parents have another chance to try for a boy. This breaks my heart. To think of all of the amazing girls who might not be here because of such despicable acts. I'm not putting Ellen and Portia in this category, of course. Like I said, they have their reasons and are entitled to them. But to hear people say they favor boys over girls still makes me a little uneasy. My husband and I thought we were having a boy, since his family is boy-dominant. At our 20 week ultrasound, we were surprised to find a little daughter in the making. My husband's first reaction: "I don't know what to do with girls!" And, more importantly: "Now who will I leave my Mustang to?" My reply: "You'll leave it to her!!!" Perhaps, as she matures, we will have more to worry about with her than if we had a boy. Girls are more vulnerable to violent crimes. Girls are the ones with the chance of becoming pregnant. The list of potential worries goes on and on--believe me, I've thought of all of them! But my daughter is truly wonderful, truly amazing. I believe she will grow up to do great things, like the millions of phenomenal women before her. Sure, men have us beat on physical strength, but nothing else. So to Ellen and Portia, let me say this: boy or girl, may you discover that you are equally blessed to have either!

EB

For positive-ly cool clothes for girls, tweens and teens, check out www.gis4girl.com

Monday, February 16, 2009

Barack Obama is Following Me on Twitter !?!

Last week I received a little surprise in my inbox. Barack Obama, leader of the free world, decided to follow me on Twitter. What?!?! ME??? Why me? Why, I'm--nobody. I can understand if he wanted to follow, say, Hillary Clinton's Twitters (though I bet Bill's would be far more entertaining). But me? I'm a part-time housewife, part-time graphic designer--not Anderson Cooper. I mean, doesn't he have better things to do? Fix the economy? Devise a plan for our nation's healthcare? Play a pick up game of basketball? Befuddled, I logged in to Twitter and discovered that I am but one of 275,060 people he is following. Wow! How does he do it? He really must be superhuman after all! To have the ability to read all of those Twitters! I can barely keep up with my seven! Top that George W. Bush! You didn't even read! Of course, I realize what this is. Mr. President isn't really reading about my trip to the grocery store. Or about how my daughter made me laugh. Or how I drank too much caffeine and began to think my paperclips were doing the can-can across my desk. No, surely he hasn't the time for that. I doubt he even has hired anyone to do that for him. Thousands upon thousands of little Twitters are probably languishing in his account, unread. But for me and probably 275,059 other people, the announcement in our inboxes was a surprise and kind of cool. I mean, how often can you say, "The President is following ME!"

'Til next time,

EB

For positive-ly cool clothes for girls, tweens and teens, check out www.gis4girl.com

Monday, February 9, 2009

Mama's Kisses Heal (Almost) Everything

Hi Girls! A few weeks ago, my daughter bumped her head and immediately started crying. Sometimes she looks at me first to judge my reaction: if I'm wincing, she starts to bawl; if I'm smiling, she shakes it off, no big deal. But this time, it really hurt. I checked it out and could tell that no harm was done, so to make her feel better, I said, "Here. Mama will kiss it." And poof! It was as if I had cast a magical spell upon her! She instantly felt better and went about her day. Ever since, if she gets a boo-boo of any kind, she will immediately seek out Mama's kisses to heal them. Likewise, she has determined that her kisses have healing powers too (after all, she is Mama's daughter). I hit my knee hard against the door last week and she immediately offered her kisses to assist in my speedy recovery ("I kiss, Mama, I kiss," she said). And I thanked her for them. (It was so cute!!!) I suppose there will come a time where my kisses aren't enough. She might outgrow the need for Mama kisses or think the whole concept is silly--or totally uncool. Or have a pain that I alone cannot fix. I know they really don't fix everything right now, but they really do make her feel better when a little hurt happens. So I will keep on giving them as long as I can -- or as long as she lets me. And besides, who's to say there isn't a little magic happening with each little one?

'Til next time!
Erin

For inspiring and positive clothes for girls, check out www.gis4girl.com

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Positive-ly Cool Girls T-Shirts and Clothes at Gis4Girl

Hi Girls! This week I added some new designs to our online store at Gis4Girl.com! The latest is the "My Heart is in the Right Place" tee--perfect for the tween or teen girl who volunteers her time to others or helps out her family. We really are striving to create designs that are both cool and meaningful. As always, we are seeking feedback. So check them out and let me know what you like or don't like! You can e-mail me at info@gis4girl.com, or post comments on this blog. Suggestions, both positive and negative, will only serve to improve our product line.

'Til next time!
EB

Friday, February 6, 2009

Ode to Caffeine

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I would pay tribute to a long-overlooked love of people all over the globe: caffeine.

Ode to Caffeine

In many forms you come to me--
chocolate, soda, coffee and tea,
you pry open my eyes and give me a kick
just a cup or twelve usually does the trick;
Oh what fun! Now I'm typing so faaaasssst!
just me and this nifty buzz that I wish would last
For noontime always seems to come around
and you and I both come crashing to the ground;
Then you disappear, leaving me
with nothing but an empty mug and a memory;
'Til we meet again, I give you one thought that's true:
5 a.m. just wouldn't happen without you.

Adieu!
EB

Need cool clothes for girls with positive messages? Check out www.gis4girl.com

Monday, February 2, 2009

Camera Phone Etiquette, Please!

Hi all! Well, it's official: Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so there's six more weeks of winter ahead. It's been a tough one here in Chicago, so thoughts of spring are very welcome at the moment. My family and I always get inspired for warmer weather by heading to the sailboat show at Navy Pier, which we did this weekend. We love all things h20, especially sailing, which my hubby and I both grew up doing. We took our daughter along this year. She loved looking at all of the boats, including little electric model sailboats in the sailing pond. It was here that we encountered something weird: a man walked up to us, held up his phone, told us we looked cute, took our picture and walked away. Whoa! What the ... !?! He did not ask, he did not linger to say anything else, strike up a conversation--nothing. What will he do with that picture? Show his friends the random strangers he encountered? Print it out and put it in an album? Or has it already been deleted? Why even come up to us and make us aware the picture was being taken? My husband didn't see this happen, since he was standing off to the side talking to a vendor, but if he had, he probably would have gone berserk on the guy. I'm both p.o.'d and creeped out at the same time. But mostly angry. Just because you CAN take a picture of anyone, anytime, anywhere, doesn't mean you should. Maybe it was harmless. A photo just meant to capture the moment. Kind of like a photo diary. But when my child is involved--I don't think so. I wish I would have said something, but I was too surprised at the moment to verbalize any kind of response. Actually, a little afraid to, as well. Maybe I'm overreacting. I just know that I wouldn't ever take a photo of someone else's child without getting parental permission. Then again, often technology works faster than people's brains do.

'Til Next Time...
E

For positive-ly cool t-shirts for girls check out www.gis4girl.com