#we had a bff necklace in the shape of a rainbow

[tyin-cherry-knots]

anyone else up thinking about that weird toxic deeply homoerotic friendship they had in lower school like damn she's from a very traditional christian home i hope she's alright i wonder if she remembers...

[sunkissis]

Bonjour guys,

I’ve had the most formidable (as the French say), chill summer. We hosted many special and dear friends and family that we ended up staying in Paris all summer. I started a new venture called Mon Ami Paree walking tours and this weekend we are hopping on a train for our 17th wedding anniversary. It’s completely bananas to me that I have done anything for as long as seventeen years but I’ve been with lovely Antz for half of my life so I consider myself lucky. I’ve been thinking about how I am getting closer to the midpoint of my life (fifty is creeping on me) and all the things I’ve learned, failed and grown from. Here’s my list of real talk life advice that have shaped me thus far.

Don’t pick at your face. I am so old school in my skin regime that I still use toothpaste on my pimples and I never touch my face. Now that I live in a city without a car, I feel the dirt and sun more than ever. So, everyday I wash my face with Bliss fab foaming 2-in-1 cleanser & exfoliator with bamboo buffers  (I bought a huge bottle before we left LA) and moisturize with my Holy Grail Aveeno Positively Radiant Sheer Daily Moisturizing Lotion. That’s it! I try my best not to frown but I am embracing my laugh-line wrinkles.

Manners first in everyday situations. When I was 11, I spent a summer in Oklahoma with my Grandmother’s sister. My Great-Aunt was super traditionally strict and she basically put me in charm school boot camp that summer. No elbows on the table, ask to be excused from the table and always say Good morning when you greet someone. These are no-brainer rules for Liv, lucky me I rarely have to remind her but it’s such a dying part of our society. Bring a gift the first time you visit someone’s house, hold the door for people struggling, make eye contact when you speak to someone. So many people have a hard time learning names but I always say the person’s name when we meet to remember it. I also write myself notes to remind myself (cute family we met at the park with two kids and live in the 2eme). Please learn a strong handshake. When I meet someone with a weak handshake I want to head bump them so hard. How far will you get in life with that weak grip? I don’t trust weak hand shakers. I often have to catch myself from saying “Bless you” out loud when someone sneezes on the bus because I get such strange looks (I forget, no one speaks English). One of the most charming things I appreciate here in Paris is you must always speak to a shopkeeper or bus driver when you enter. I also love how people offer their seats to elderly or pregnant women without a thought. From my observations, pregnant ladies get treated like princesses here. Remember, politeness goes a long way and shows integrity.

Always bring a umbrella! I have learned the hard way so many times since I moved to this land of unpredictable rain. I have gotten caught in rain and hailstorms without even a jacket. I am so LA that I forget to wear a jacket when I leave the house and the sun is shining bright. Little did I know it can take less than an hour for the weather to take a major turn. We have acquired so many cheap umbrellas because we get caught in the rain. Now we carry a bag every time we go out with two small umbrellas, a pack of wet wipes, portable phone charger and cords, hand sanitizer, our table tennis rackets (almost every park has a table) and a water bottle. These things used to live in the trunk of my car but now I have to schlep everything myself.

Invest in quality lip balm. I used to throw Vaseline on my lips if they were chapped for years in my twenties. Then I got an Anthropologie gift card for my birthday so I bought some fancy Smith Rosebud Salve. I loved the smell of the balm but the container would get bent in my bag and it was too cumbersome and messy to open. So when I found EOS in sweet mint at Target, I was addicted. I literally brought 20 of them to Paris with me because I fear running out. My Mom even sends me more in my care packages because she knows I am obsessed. Find a quality lip balm and never leave home without it in your purse. Trust me, I had to stop at a 24 hour grocery store to buy some lip balm while I was on my way to the hospital when I was in labor with Liv.

My Mommy keeps me stocked with LA necessities.

Don’t buy something with the hope of losing weight to wear it later. I bought a cute baby doll dress from Target thinking, it’s so cute and not expensive, I’ll lose some weight in my arms and be able to wear it in a few months. That dumb dress sat in my closet for five years. Why mentally psyche yourself up for something you can’t enjoy now? I no longer starve myself, or beat myself up about my weight. I am healthy and loved. I walk more now than I ever did and I feel great in my clothes. The apparel industry has come around to accepting that all women aren’t size six, so I feel great about being able to buy clothes that don’t look matronly or feel left out of what the cool girls are wearing. I was even asked to try-on clothes for two brands I adore (my darlings at Ace & Jigand Ban.do)  This 42 year old lady is still as rad as I was at 22!

Never not wearing my favorite Ace & Jig dress

Embrace your quirky self! I used to have an unhealthy relationship with my hair. I have bleached it to death, chemically straightened it for years and mistreated it out of sheer laziness. The straw that broke my hair unhappiness was in January 2017. I was putting a chemical straightener on my hair when I had to take off my Olivia pendant necklace (the chemicals would ruin it)  I somehow lost my necklace that day so I vowed to never use that stupid (and damaging) stuff again. I haven’t put any chemicals or color on my hair since then. I replaced my necklace too. When I want to change my look, I get colorful braids. Now that I live in a more humid climate (my hair literally turns into a mushroom the second I go outside)

I’ve learned to embrace my natural curls. I have an established hair routine that I do once in a while because I’m still lazy but the less I mess with my hair the stronger and healthier it’s been. I bought products I know keep my dry, damaged hair moisturized and leave it alone. I broke my expensive flat iron when I first moved her because of the dumb voltage. I bought a new Euro flat iron but it doesn’t work as well as my old one so I decided, why go through the time and energy trying to make my curly hair straight? Now I throw tons of leave-in conditioner in my hair, or sometimes I wear flexi rods overnight and poof! I’m little orphan Lizzie.

Young Lizzie and Lizzie in her 20s (with extensions)

I’ve retired my signature braids for the summer to give my hair a rest and let it breathe. Braids are a protective hairstyle in the Black hair community but they can also cause breakage if you use the wrong type of hair or have them braided too tight. Plus they are annoyingly hot.

Please for the love of God know the difference between homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled and mean different things!) I am in a Facebook travel group and when I see adult people typing “I waisted a ticket because the whether was bad,” I have a brain meltdown. Listen, I am no grammar snob, I am completely aware my spelling is atrocious (thanks autocorrect for fixing that for me) and I am a serial run-on-sentence writer, but if you aren’t sure (NOT SHORE) which word to use, take a second and Google it. It took me years to grasp the difference between stationary and stationery. I subscribe to Word Genius which emails me a new word a day. I really wish I had a reason to use the word hornswoggle on my blog. Learn new things all the time.

Master your penmanship. I may sound so old-fashioned and prissy in my unsolicited advice but have you ever tried to read a doctor’s prescription? I now live in a country where they write in lovely italic cursive however, I can’t tell an S from an R. Liv has beautiful penmanship, I have always instilled taking pride in your handwriting in her from an early age yet the French education system has taken over and she writes so teeny tiny, I can’t figure it out. I bought her a calligraphy set and she loves to practice writing fancy.

Not everyone is going to like you. Believe it or not this is hard for extroverts like myself to accept. I can be hypersensitive and get anxiety around new people. I am an only child so my friendships are everything to me. I have been told that I am a people person but I really have a small inner circle of only about five or six people who really know the real uncensored me. I’ve had to deal with people flaking on me, people mischaracterizing me and many people doubting me for years. My confidence comes from learning self-trust. I am okay being the loud girl who listens to weird music or dresses like a toddler obsessed with rainbows, that is who I am, not sorry about it. I can’t help but be selfish about my happiness. I try my best to set an example for my (sometimes shy and quiet) daughter because growing up is hard and things like bullying, eating disorders and now the fake Instagram perfection standard makes it even harder. I never had a sibling to give me advice or tell me I look crazy so I’ve made great friends and spent time listening and learning. I now have many sisters (by marriage and my bff) but I wish I knew at 13 that just because someone didn’t like me meant something was wrong with me. As you get older, you stop caring what other people think. What they think doesn’t matter and are inconsequential to your success! 

Proud Pokemon Go Mom. If you play too, let me know so we can be friends!

Fail, ugly cry and then try that shit again until you succeed! OMG, this was a hard lesson for me to learn y’all. I am impatient and when I don’t immediately get my way, I turn into the biggest brat ever. I have gone through every type of disappointment, felt like life was over for me and through all the drama and heartache, always came through better than I started. It’s weird when you are going through something serious, it feels like being stuck in quicksand. I now know that the harder something is for me to achieve, the more it’s worth it. I also know that anything worth doing requires sacrifice and commitment. You may sacrifice sleep, spending money, eating desserts but will it be worth the sacrifice in the end? Ask yourself this when going into a new venture. I have learned in the past twenty two years that my internal stress and anxiety is a complete overreaction. I know deep down things will work out because it always seems impossible until it’s done. The word is literally I’M POSSIBLE!!

Have a lovely rest of the summer. I am still working on last summer’s travel posts, it’s taking forever because my laptop memory is full so for every photo I upload I have to throw away three. It’s moving slow but it’s possible.

Bisous

My mid-life check in Bonjour guys, I've had the most formidable (as the French say), chill summer. We hosted many special and dear friends and family that we ended up staying in Paris all summer.

[blissolaced]

*throws all 40 questions at you* you ask, I deliver:) Seriously though, if there are some questions you want to avoid, feel free to do so!

1. What was the name of the first person you ever had a crush on? Why did you like them?

Dylan, we were just close throughout grade school, he was my first kiss in the rainbow tube slide on the playground. He’s like a brother to me now though hahahaha. Weird and a little bit cringey to look back on LOL.

2. What is one thing you regret having done or not done in your life?

I don’t regret much, I feel like everything is what it is and you just gotta make the best of it. And there’s a lot of time to do and experience stuff, I’m still young, no regretting there either.

3. Which parent do you identify with the most?

Definitely my mom, she raised me and I have a lot of her good and bad attributes.

4. What do you think you cook or bake the best?

I can make mean pasta dishes, I’m pretty bad at baking (I haven’t tried in a while).

5. If you could change your first name what would it be?

I used to hate my nams but now I like it. Megan is aiight. I’ve always thought being a girl with a boy name would be rad though.

6. Can you hula hoop?

Yeah and I can do a few tricks too!

7. What embarrasses you the most in front of other people?

When I stutter or get noticeably anxious.

8. Have you considered running for president?

LMAO

9. If you had to choose one thing you were most passionate about, what would it be and why?

Self help. Learning yourself. Caring about how I treat myself and help myself to grow, and changing my perspective on how I see the world has changed my life immensely.

10. Who are you most envious of—real or fictional—and why?

People who are carefree about their appearance, I get so anxious and unsettled in my own skin sometimes that it makes it hard for me to want to be around people or go out. I know nobody has a spotlight on me and it’s all in my head but wish I were more carefree.

11. Where is the most beautiful place on earth and why?

Right now I say Northern Minnesota. Superior National Forest. I find so much peace up there.

12. Are ghosts real?

Most likely, I believe in paranormal stuff although I don’t and haven’t experienced much of anything

13. Are aliens real?

There is definitely more life out there. I used to get scared at night as a kid because I thought a UFO would come to my window and I’d be abducted. Irrational childhood fear.

14. How old is the most expired item in your fridge?

Nothing that I know of? I could be wrong, I’m too lazy to go look.

15. What are your favorite style of underwear?

I like comfy ones with lace, I don’t know what the shape I like is called though.

16. What’s the saddest song you’ve ever heard?

I used to think it was the one that goes “all around me are familiar places, worn out faces, la la laaaa la la la” that one?

17. How about the sweetest song?

Oh gosh, way too many. Although I will always love Death Cab for Cutie - I will follow you into the dark

18. Do you know how to play dominoes?

Yeah

19. What’s under your bed?

The floor, because my bed is on the floor

20. Have you ever prank called someone?

I used to prank call sex toy infomercial numbers (the ones on really late night tv) for fun lmao, I’d ask absurd questions about the dildos they were selling

21. 100 kittens or 3 baby sloths?

Kittens, sloths kind of scare me, but also that many kittens sounds like a lot of work, I’m not the crazy cat lady

22. Are you proud of what you’re doing with your heart and time right now?

Yes.

23. Why or why not?

I’m trying to grow and keep myself in a positive mindset and that is what counts. I’m happy as of right now.

24. How many bones have you broken?

None :) never fractured, sprained, or broken anything

25. Have you ever won anything? Big or small?

Yeah but I probably can’t name all the shit I’ve won. I recently won a wire wrapped necklace from a favorite artist?

26. If you could buy one material thing, and money was not an issue, what would it be?

A tiny home on wheels.

27. What’s your favorite movie from your childhood?

Home Alone maybe ?

28. What food will you absolutely not, under any circumstances, eat?

Raw fish, fuck away from me with that

29. What’s the best way to comfort you when you’re having a really terrible day?

Let me do me. Pack me a bowl, wrap me up in a blanket, let me cry and tell me it gonna b ok.

30. Has anything/anyone every saved your life before?

The same Dylan from the first question saved my life once when I was a suicidal 13 year old. Music has saved me, I also give myself credit for saving myself.

31. Would you ever adopt a child?

That’s all I’d ever do if I wanted a kid. My mom was adopted, and I’ve been adopted in court twice, so I think that way of having a child is just as special as having a child of your own blood.

32. What is one thing you’re embarrassed to admit you want to try?

Kinky things in bed ? LMAO

33. If you were a cake which cake would you be? something lemon and creamy :,)

34. What is the most important material possession you have and why?

I hate to say my phone or laptop cause that’s so generic, so probably this little jar I have that is holding my dog Camden’s hair, he passed away and it’s a physical reminder he was here with me.

35. What is the most important memory you have and why?

I always say the memory I have where I tripped on molly in college. Completely changed my life and how I see everything. That night made me a better, happier, more appreciative person.

36. When was the last time you cried?

Today hahahaha

37. How old was your mother when she had you?

23???

38. Which famous person would you like to be BFFs with?

Angelina Jolie or Jeffree Star haha

39. Is there something you wish you had said sorry for but never did?

I like to think I’m pretty good at apologizing. Nothing I can think of

40. Have you been on your first date? If so, how did it go?

I’ve been on dates, but never a first one until this past year If that makes sense???? I’ve been on dates within a relationship, but I never DATED before choosing to be in a relationship with said person. But anyway I went on my first REAL date this last year and I’m in love with that person today so it went well:,)

Thank you for all these asks, I’ve never received this many so it was fun to do ~

[brokeandbeautiful]

Screw “Singles Awareness Day” – the coolest alternative Valentine’s Day holiday is definitely Galentine’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate the friendships you have with your BFFs and close pals, not to be confused with the Polish chicken dish, galentine. This is much cuter than that.

If this is your first Galentine’s Day, let me give you some background. On February 13, 2010 Leslie Knope introduced the world to Galentine’s Day, an alternative to the hetero-normative, greeting card holiday that may or may not start with a V.

Of course you can head to your local megastore to shop for your affordable Galentine’s Day gifts – but is that really in the spirit of Galentine’s Day?

The right thing to do is to hop onto your local Internet gal-hub, Etsy, and support your Galentines by supporting some creative gals. There are such good gifts on Etsy, and they’re unlike anything you could ever find in stores. Seriously! Try to find a sexy Jeff Goldblum mug in a Macy’s – it ain’t gonna happen. 

These gifts are all under $20 and will totally delight and surprise your favorite BFFs. If you’ve never Galentine’d, make this your first year!

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Pins or Magnets by Raising Two Jays, $6.19-$8.25

For some reason, Galentine’s Day doesn’t feel complete without bringing a little bit of Kimmie Schmidt into the picture. After all, it’s one of the most girl-power-forward shows that we’ve seen! If you haven’t caught seasons one and two on Netflix, you need to get your pajamas on ASAP and marathon. It will change your life (and potentially your vocabulary and wardrobe).

Ian Malcom/Jeff Goldblum Mug by Memeskins, $14.10

If this is the wrong type of gift to consider giving to your girlfriends, then I don’t wanna be right. Ian Malcolm, the incredibly saucy mathmatician from Jurassic Park was played by Jeff Goldblum and kickstarted the puberty of an entire generation. This mug is the perfect addition to your “objectifying men” dishware collection.

Temporary Tattoo Self-Care Bandaids by Motivational Tattoo, $5.77

Brilliant idea alert! File this under “How has it taken this long for someone to come up with this perfect idea?!” These little, tiny temporary tattoos come in a rainbow of colors, or transparent, if you prefer, and are adorned with uplifting, motivational, and frankly quite necessary statements and mantras. “Breathe,” “You can do it,” “Hold on,” and “I am enough” are all things I would love to be reminded of on the daily – especially during my low points. What a cute and thoughtful gift for your BFFs and fellow #spoonies in your life!

Wish Friendship Bracelet from By Molly and Izzie, $4.81

Have a ton of friends and not a ton of cash? Quit bragging! These are the perfect, lighthearted gift for your gaggle of galentines. Each charm bracelet is less than $5, and the sentimental payoff is huge thanks to the packaging: “If you were stung by a jellyfish, I’d totally pee on you.” Get right to the point and tell them how important they really are!

If jellyfish and pee aren’t your things, Mollie and Izzie have other excellent proclamations such as “You’re the Ron to my Harry,” “I’m so glad you’re as weird as me,” and “We’ve been friends for so long, I’ve forgotten which of us is the bad influence.” Such a good idea and so totally affordable (while supporting an Etsy business! Ahhh it’s just too perfect.)

Dainty Gold Shimmer Choker Necklace by Shop Evren, $17.25

Buying jewelry for friends can be kind of a gamble unless you perfectly share their aesthetic (which many BFFs often do). This choker necklace, though, is one of those pieces that can easily infiltrate just about any personal style and become a staple. A very delicate, gold-plated chain is all that makes up this necklace, which has a flexible length of 11.5″-14.5″. There’s no additional shipping charges if you buy more than one necklace, either!

Crystal Pyramid Necklace by Oliki, $19

Obviously, these long pendant necklaces are beautiful, but the most fun part of this gift is the customization. I have tons of friends who love crystals and gemstones, but definitely have their favorites. Oliki lets you pick the exact crystal you want out of twelve different types. Not only that, you can also choose the metal used in the fixture and chain, the design of the chain (choose from four different patterns), and the length.

So if your BFF loves long necklaces – but only when they’re silver – and has an affinity for jasper… boom, $19, custom-made, done. To sweeten the deal even further, every order comes beautiful packaged in a gift box, ready to present to your galentine. It’s minimal effort and maximum effort at the same time!

Groceries n’ Shit Reusable Tote Bag by Breakout Press Co., $15

We all know that BFFs are 100x more likely to save the world together than separate, right? Right. Reusable tote bags like this are awesome to keep in your car or even purse, and when your girls are out buying groceries for the week, what better way to encourage healthy habits than to buy them a grocery tote bag with the word “shit” on it? Just imagine how many grocery line checkers will smile when they see this. It’s a win-win-win-win-win.

Real Dried Flower & Bronze Bobby Pins by Villa Sorgenfrei, $11.90 per pair

  From far away, these bobby pins look like beautiful, vintage, enameled barrettes, but up close, you can see the each bobby pin has real flowers immortalized in clear resin. Choose from five different colors, and each is breathtaking in its own way.

Bestie Candle by Etta Arlene, $8.99

What does your BFF smell like? You may not be able to choose in real life, but you can choose when it comes to this Bestie candle. There are three soy candle scents to choose from: warm vanilla, tropical blend, or… beard. Yep, beard. Not sure how to interpret that, but I know that I like it. These are just little four ounce candles in jam jars, but I love how transportable they are. I used to think that “travel candles” were a hoax until I checked into an ultra-skeezy hotel room and craved a little light flicker and a pleasant scent more than anything. These little candles are rad, and soy candles last longer than conventional, too!

BFF Pizza Slices Friendship Necklace from You Love You Shop, $11.54 per slice

Need to cover an entire squad? This pizza necklace is perfect for a tight-knit group that maybe just so happens to love pizza as much as they love each other. (I think we all know that describes about 90% of girl squads internationally.) Get as many “slices” as you have friends, it doesn’t matter if you have more than six. Alternative, you can pare down your overgrown squad by handing these out like roses on The Bachelor. Your choice! Galentine’s Day! 

What’s that? You’re part of a gluten-free girl gang? No worries.

Cheese Wheel BFF Friendship Necklace from Bella Aniela, $10.26 per… wedge?

This cheese wheel has you & your fromage-squad covered.

Pink Promise Ring by Silver Dove Jewelry, $11.99

This looks like an old vintage signet ring, but with the almighty pinky swear instead of some dumb family monogram. Buy this for your friends and next time some gross dude Is sidling up on you in a bar, your BFF can come up and tell him that they’ll “break a pinky swear on his face.” How cool is that?! We live in an action movie now, so get used to it.

Glowing Skin Tea Sampler Set by Gratitude Tea Company, $14.99

Tea is a constant in the life of my friends who live overseas. As much as I love tea, I’ll never have the relationship with tea that my girlfriends in the UK do. It just won’t happen. Even some of my USA-born girlfriends are getting so into tea, they barely drink coffee anymore!! (Can you IMAGINE?!) Shoot your tea-loving friends one of these vibrant and delicious tea samplers including sweet, fruity teas like hibiscus and rose petals to deep, complex flavors like lemongrass and chamomile.

Whether you get one of these gifts for your Galentine, or you’ve had one stashed away for months – be sure you wrap it in Galentine-sanctioned wrapping paper.

Boob Wrapping Paper by Julie Ann Art, $4 per sheet

So perfect, right?! Now you can #freethenipple on Galentine’s Day – quite possibly the most appropriate holiday to promote nipple freedom. Also, celebrating boobs of all shapes and sizes is an excellent activity for a Galentine’s Day brunch in a public place. I can think of no better way to rack up the brownie points with the ladies and and draw attention to the fact that all of your BFFs are, collectively, the tits. ?

What are you getting your girlfriends for Galentine’s Day? Even if all you can do is shoot a quick text, start a tradition this year by showing your girls some love on February 13th.

14 Amazing, Budget-Friendly Galentine's Day Gifts Under $20! #GalentinesDay Screw "Singles Awareness Day" - the coolest alternative Valentine's Day holiday is definitely Galentine's Day. It's a day to celebrate the friendships you have with your BFFs and close pals, not to be confused with the Polish chicken dish,