tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51363316153495069382024-03-05T04:19:52.442-06:00Ladies...seriously!A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. That's my girl Coco Chanel. Well, being the single gal in Chicago, selling and marketing luxury travel and being a Sorority Director for Gamma Phi Beta, I have a lot to say. So this blog is my random thoughts on everything on love, life, fashion, movies, fitness and beyond and advice on how to be a lady and have some class!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-33986115707291354582016-10-16T13:59:00.000-05:002016-10-16T13:59:05.563-05:00It's Just Not OK!Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen seriously! I trust that you are behaving with class as we move into fall. The city of Chicago is all Cubs crazy right now as you can imagine. I know it has been some time since I posted but that is because I was in Africa for three weeks. I finally got to do my trip to Africa with my parents, we were supposed to go last year, however, it wasn't a good time for mom and dad and financially, it wasn't good for either of us.....Still paying off this trip.....But it was amazing and I am so glad that I had a chance to take this trip with my parents.<br />
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So, since we were out of touch for three weeks, we didn't have to hear any of the nonsense that is related to this history making presidential election that is currently going on in the states. It was quite a nice break, but the funny thing is that MANY people in South Africa and Kenya wanted to talk about our election. Some times we forget that as THE super power, our election is meaningful to everyone in the world. <br />
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And while I am not going to recount my opinion of who should win (see my post from April 2015). I do need to speak about what is going on in this country...the blatant racism, sexism and bullying that is being perpetrated by many so called "adults" in this country. Let me cite a few examples...<br />
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<li>When a reputable news organization posted the story about Malia Obama made a decision to take a gap year before attending Harvard...and said news organization had to take the story down because of the disgusting, blatant, out right violent comments made towards the classy young lady and her family.</li>
<li>The "outrage" of many people in this country because some retail stores and high schools choose to make their public restrooms non-gender specific to allow those transgender individuals to choose the restroom designated for the gender for which they identified. And some "adults" in this country called them pedophiles and rapists.</li>
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This election has turned into name calling central on both sides of the aisle. It is ridiculous, the debates aren't about their platforms or agendas, but about proving that the other person shouldn't be elected. In the last four years, it seems that name calling and bullying of different races, religions, gender identities, and sexual orientation is just OK now. People hide behind social media and think they can say anything they want without consequences. But when did all of this become OK?? Ladies and gentlemen seriously, I can't think of anything less classy that what is going on. It's embarrassing and highly upsetting that so called educated men and women are saying the things that they are....Pussy grabbing included.</div>
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And I know that my blog post certainly isn't going to be read by people that are doing these awful things and that many of you that read my blog completely agree with me, but as a classy lady, I had to say something. Ladies and gentlemen seriously, it needs to stop, we are teaching the children of this country that bullying and name calling is OK...It's not OK. So, my best message to all of you, is if you hear something or see something that smacks of this issue, say something. I have....and it isn't easy because you aren't going to change a bigot's mind, at least they will know not to say it in front of you.</div>
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On a lighter note, the GORGE blonde and I did achieve our goal of 100 bars of summer...and had a blast doing it. I actually got a few dates out of it and she has a BF. So we have committed to 50 wines of winter...might help me with my dreams of sommelier school. </div>
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....keep your heels, chin and standards high...</div>
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Go CUBS Go!</div>
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CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS.</div>
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Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-82364494905761214342016-08-21T09:15:00.000-05:002016-08-21T09:15:09.650-05:00Bikini tops are not TOPS!Good morning ladies and gentlemen seriously! You know it's been a busy summer with our bar challenge and all. And it's been quite some time since I have had to address a fashion trend BUT lo and behold last week, one came to me. When did high waisted shorts and bikini tops become a thing? Last week (or maybe the week before, hard to remember with all #100barsofsummer), the blonde and I were at Gino's East (I KNOW... we aren't tourists but we were going to the Comedy Bar). And a young girl walked in wearing high waisted denim shorts with a black bikini top. HUH? This is a restaurant, not a beach bar, there is NO sand or cute guys serving fruity drinks. And then later that weekend, I saw several women walking around in the same outfit. Ladies seriously! Unless you are at a pool or a beach, your bikini top is not a TOP...too much skin ladies, cover it up. And oh, BTW, high waisted denim shorts are really NOT flattering on anyone. And ladies seriously, especially if you are a curvier girl (like me)....if your denim shorts are cutting off the circulation in your legs...they are TOO tight and if they are climbing into your lady parts...really TOO tight. More fabric please.<br />
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And to the gentlemen...can we please talk about the tank tops and flip flops? Gentlemen seriously, if you don't want to look at your toes, then other people probably don't either...one word, pedicure. And no that doesn't make you soft...just helps people eat around you who are looking your toes with your flip flops. And guys, I know it is hot, but unless you have arms like Dwayne Johnson (The Rock...so dreamy), we don't need to see it. Leave the tank tops for the gym please.<br />
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So I am guess 10 days away from my departure to Africa...I am so excited. The blonde and I have 12 bars left and we have a plan to hit all of them before I leave. And while the blonde says it is the worse idea we have ever had and it feels like a job...we have had a BLAST. Such a fun summer, between all of the fun new bars we have found, my trips to Atlanta, North Carolina and New Zealand and all of the awesome people (read....cute guys) we have met. The blonde even has a boyfriend now...crazy I know. <br />
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This will be the last post until I return from Africa, watch my FB page for pics from the trip. And then the blonde and I will have a de-brief on the highs and lows of the #100barsofsummer...We will be doing this debrief on her rooftop deck while eating Rose Gummy Bars...So fun.<br />
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Keep it classy everyone.<br />
Keep your chin, heels and standards high...<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-69207226792798578362016-07-24T10:51:00.002-05:002016-07-24T10:51:47.604-05:00Quality individuals have quality friends!Hello ladies seriously! It is hot as hell in Chicago and everyone is just trying to stay cool around here. So I have been back from New Zealand for two weeks now and am back in the swing of things. This classy lady needs to sell something in the next 5 weeks as I leave for Africa. I am very excited to be taking my awesome parents to Africa for 3 weeks...South Africa and Kenya. We have been planning this trip for like 2 years and I can't believe it is just around the corner. <br />
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So the gorge blonde and I have been attempting to chip away at our bar challenge this summer. We did hit the midway point last night. YAY! Our day started in Boys Town, as we love our gay friends! So we we continued to hit some fun places on North Halsted, Melis and I were very happy about the cameo appearances by many of our good friends. I mean the group was even international as we had some fabulous women visiting from Canada. And as I was chatting to one of the lovely ladies from Canada, we started talking about how awesome everyone in the group was...and NO it wasn't the alcohol talking.<br />
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And so it got me to thinking about it...you know when you go out with your friends and then you met up with some of their other friends and you love the new friends just much? Well, ladies and gentlemen seriously, I think I have said this before...but you can really tell the quality of the individual by the quality of their friends. And I have to say, my friends are amazing quality! Everyone I met yesterday was so fun and were just awesome people. Gay, straight, black, white, Canadian....whatever, all super cool. <br />
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So here is my message for all of the classy folks out there, make sure you are careful about who you spend time with...your friends and companions should reflect the best of you. Your friends should be supportive and fun...you should enjoy spending time with them and WANTING your other friends to meet them as well. If you have friends that bring you down, it might be time to evaluate that friendship. Classy people have classy friends, right?<br />
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So continue to keep it classy this summer. The blonde and I will still be out and about on that bar challenge. And I will still be waiting for Mr. Wonderful to ask me out. :)<br />
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...Keep your chin, heels and standards high...<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-3942871741932824252016-07-10T08:45:00.003-05:002016-07-10T08:45:42.722-05:00Keeping it classy while traveling!Hello ladies and gentlemen seriously! Cheers to all, I hope you are enjoying the summer. This classy lady has been traveling quite extensively for the last three weeks. I started at my sorority convention in mid June in Atlanta. I was privileged to participate in training for the curriculum on Sexual Assault Prevention. Our organization is partnering with the Fraternity Health and Safety Institute in conjunction with one other sorority and several fraternities to provide training to our chapters. This is a bold step for our organization and I am very proud that we are working to assist our women with this important and timely topic. Our organization also passed 55 amendments during business sessions that will change our structure positively for the future. All in all, it was an exhausting week, but lots of fun and very rewarding. And hey, I got to visit friends and their new baby AND go to the college football hall of fame while I was there.<br />
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Next I went to Pinehurst, North Carolina for a golf conference for work. And my dad came to visit so that he could play some of the courses at the resort. It was lots of fun and I always love seeing my dad. So from Pinehurst, I arrived back in Chicago on a Wednesday night and was home for 48 hours. Just enough time to see my BFF while she was in town and get my nails done...OH and finish up the quarter hitting my sales goal. :)<br />
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Then I was fortunate enough to travel to New Zealand for a week on a fam trip sponsored by United Airlines. I was on their inaugural flight from San Francisco to Auckland. WOW! What a trip, not only did we get to do things like sail on an America's Cup boat, cruise on Lake Taupo and visit Te Puia (a Maori Cultural School) in Rotorua, we also stayed in a gorgeous 5 star lodge, Huka Lodge. And they put me in the Owner's Cottage, very fancy. The highlight of the trip was our private yacht charter to Waiheke Island, where we did wine tasting and had a fabulous lunch looking back to Auckland. And then we took a helicopter back to Auckland. But the actual best part of the trip were the people! I had so much fun with the people from United and some of the other agents I met on the trip. It is amazing to think about what a lucky lady I am!<br />
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So with all of travel, the 100 bars of summer challenge has been derailed a bit. But don't you worry! The gorge blonde and I are determined ladies, we will get back on track here shortly. And I am actually in town now until 30 August when I leave for Africa!<br />
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For those of you who have been reading my blog for the last several years know that my dating life is awful, can't ever seem to meet anyone decent. And I have been saying for quite some time that I just need to meet someone on a plane, who travels and can understand my CRAZY schedule. Well, stay tuned because I did meet someone. Seems very promising and I will leave it at that....I mean, I need to keep you in suspense for the next post, right?<br />
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As always ladies and gentlemen, remember to keep it classy and have fun!<br />
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...Keep your chin, heels and standards high...<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-55327960331837242212016-06-12T11:16:00.000-05:002016-06-12T11:16:06.137-05:00Summer is here!Hello ladies and gentlemen seriously! Well our weather in Chicago has done it again...cold and rainy in May and then BOOM it is 90 degrees in June. This weekend reminds us Chicagoans as to why we stay in this city through the bad winters and bad traffic....It was such a wonderful weekend: Blues Fest, International Soccer at Solider Field, countless street festivals and the America's Cup boats were racing in our harbour! <br />
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For those that don't know, I am a bit obsessed with sailing. It started when I raced catamarans in college. I have had an opportunity to skipper a huge sailboat in the past and I just love it. So on Friday, I went into work and said...Who has a boat for me on Saturday? I want to watch the America's Cup races. Ok, so I was pretty much joking because I didn't really think someone would have access to a boat. And then magically on Friday night, a co-worker (awesome chick BTW) messaged and she said she had scored boat access. YAY!<br />
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So yesterday started early and ended early (a classy lady knows her limits and when it is time to go HOME). By the time we left for Navy Pier, there had to be 20-30 people on the boat...and for my gentlemen out there, about 75% women, you should have been there, they were ALL in bikinis. I believe there was a case of rose and at least 20 cases of beer on the boat. And here is what I have to say, everyone had a great time and nothing got crazy or out of hand. Now, I am a 45 year classy lady but most of the ladies on the boat were in their mid 20s. I have been teaching Jazzercise for 18 years and I still look pretty good, but I certainly don't have the abs and ass of a 26 year old. However as my co-worker pointed out, everyone was super friendly and non-judgmental. And keep in mind, there was not really an ounce of fat on those ladies. But my point in, there was no body shaming, all just good fun. And the majority of the men were married and I didn't see any inappropriate behavior going on. <br />
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So here is my message today everyone, just when you thought that people couldn't have fun and act like grown ups, you have a fabulous day like I had. So ladies and gentlemen seriously, way to go....keeping it classy and still having a great time. And extra thanks to my co-worker for getting me on a boat yesterday. And yes, we did see some of the race from a distance.<br />
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So it is summer time in Chicago and skirts are going to get shorter and tank tops skimpier, so ladies seriously, remember more is more and keep it appropriately covered, dress to your body type and age. Be classy and have fun. Don't forget to watch us on facebook for 100 bars of summer, it will start back up next weekend.<br />
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Keep you chin, heels and standards high...<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-15120879651034298412016-05-30T10:14:00.001-05:002016-05-30T10:14:15.470-05:00Ladies Seriously...Make your own fun!Happy Summer ladies and gentlemen seriously! I trust that you are all keeping it classy over Memorial Day. For those of you that follow the FACEBOOK...you will see that the gorgeous (previously redhead) blonde and I have started a summer challenge...NO, not a weight loss challenge, fitness challenge or financial challenge (in fact this challenge might hurt all of these areas), we are on a bar challenge...100 bars different bars this summer. The only rule is that we cannot count the same bar twice, we both need to be there and we each need to have one drink. Hey, it's lots of fun, ANY of our friends are welcome to join us at any point. It will get us out to new neighborhoods in Chicago. And maybe we will meet cute boys the old fashioned way....by talking to them in person over a lovely glass of wine. And maybe one of them might want to take me to dinner. <br />
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So last weekend, my pseudo little brother got married in lovely Pittsburgh, PA. While I haven't mentioned this, I had been seeing a guy and let's just say it never has really taken off. ANYWAY, I had asked him to be my date for the wedding and he was unable to attend with me (long story and honestly it is not worth mentioning). So I was scrambling for a date a week before the wedding. Of course, the gorgeous blonde stepped in as my date (as any of the fab 4 of SMB best friends would have done). The date included a 14 hour roundtrip road trip and 36 hours in Pittsburgh. I have to tell you that we had a BLAST. Not only did we enjoy our table (with people MUCH younger than us), we just had a great time all the way around. Side note...for those of us that grew up in the 80's, Pittsburgh is the home of the movie Flashdance of course. Just a steel town girl on a Saturday night. Well, the gorge blonde and I thought this was amazing...apparently it's not a "thing" in Pittsburgh. We did request it at the reception and did our best to do the Maniac dance, let's just say, it wasn't as well received as we thought it might be. <br />
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So here's my point, ladies seriously, we don't need a date with a man to make our own fun. And I know that I had a much better time at the wedding with the gorge blonde than I probably would have with original date. Ladies seriously...the best thing we can do for ourselves (for my single ladies out there) is make your own fun and make your own happiness. And if you find a man that fits into that life...awesome, be happy.<br />
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So as you go out into the fun summer, enjoy, make your own fun, no matter what you are doing. Keep it classy ladies.<br />
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Keep your chin, heels and standards are high<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS.Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-48410143193781987892016-05-15T13:50:00.000-05:002016-05-15T13:50:03.214-05:00Happy ladies are the classiest!Hello ladies and gentlemen seriously! Happy Spring (well not really in Chi), but maybe the rest of you are having nice weather. Just spending a lovely afternoon with my cute Corgi, Ruby Caroline, on the bed binge watching The Blacklist. I had a lovely brunch with my sorority sister Sam and her awesome BF Michael. I am happy to report that I have started a new healthy eating diet, Dukan. It is working well...about 7 pounds down thus far, very excited to have all of my clothes fit again.<br />
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So I know I haven't posted for a while, I have been busy traveling and just being me. I think previously I posted that ladies that are happy, just enjoy their lives and continue to be happy. Well, this classy lady is pretty much in that same mode. So since I last reported in, I enjoyed an awesome trip to Las Vegas and Scottsdale with some girlfriends, we had a blast and got some sun, it was a quick trip, but fun all around.<br />
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And then in early April, I had an opportunity to travel to Fiji for 13 days. Was it for work? Yes, kind of, but it is hard to say that staying in 5 different luxury resorts in Fiji is WORK. But I was seeing properties that we book at work, and of course, I had to check out the spa treatments, the pools, the beaches, the diving and other excursions for the experience. It was a wonderful trip, however, we did only have 4 days of sun, lots of rain, unfortunately. I also got to travel with my friend Mandi, whom I met in New Zealand several years ago. We like to take a big trip every year, last year was the Maldives, next year is Thailand and Bali.<br />
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The other parts of this classy lady's life are good, still chugging along with Jazzercise. I teach about 3-4 times a week (helping with the weight loss of course). And the sorority is just fine, looking forward to seeing my sorority sisters in Atlanta for Convention. I am happy to be teaching a few classes at Convention.<br />
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The dating life...well, seems to be the same old story....Meet a guy, mildly impressed, seems to go well and then he gets weird. The sad part is that I like this guy....it's not over yet, but let's just say, I am not overly optimistic. Same day that prince will come, I may be 85 years old and he may have no teeth, but hey, I am still hopeful.<br />
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So no big message here ladies and gentlemen, but just report that this lady is happy and just living life. And I guess the happy ladies are the classiest. So everyone, go forth and be happy! Summer is coming, no better time than the present to get happy.<br />
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....Keep your chin, heels and standards high...<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-62525785906454938492016-03-03T12:43:00.001-06:002016-03-03T12:43:16.023-06:00Give college women a break!Hello ladies seriously! I trust you all keeping it classy out there. So this past week, I had an awesome opportunity to participate in starting a new chapter of our sorority at the University of Maryland. That's right...Fear the Turtle. We spent two days interviewing over 250 college women. Not only was an awesome experience, but our team had a great time working together. At the end, we extending bids to a group of awesome women and they were so excited to be a part of our organization, that even this cold hearted Taurus found it difficult not to tear up. <br />
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I know that there is a lot of concern about this college generation and that they may have trouble having interpersonal conversations or that they have no drive or that they are all have an entitlement attitude. Well I am happy to report that the women that I met at the University of Maryland were none of these things. They are intelligent, articulate, kind, hard working and driven. I was thoroughly impressed with how well put together all of them were....some of these ladies are studying criminal justice, communications, pre-vet, pre-med, chemistry, anti-terrorism, etc. They focus on service to their community and their health. I met with women of all sizes and color and I am so proud to report that our chapter reflects the best of these ladies and is reflective of the diverse population of women at the University of Maryland.<br />
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I have been a member of my sorority for 26+ years now and of those 26 years, I have either been an officer of a chapter (collegiate and alumna) or volunteer leader for 20 of those years. Many people continue to question my commitment and loyalty to my organization. Well, first and foremost, I LOVED college and everything about college. My experience at the University of Nebraska and Gamma Phi Beta was so awesome, I want college women of today to have that same experience. And secondly, it really makes me proud that my organization continues to be relevant to the college woman of today. And that our philanthropic mission and values resonant with all women including those of color and other protected populations like the amazing member at Colombia University who is in a wheelchair, our openly gay members and the transgender woman who participated in recruitment. <br />
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So here is my message ladies seriously, GIVE college women a break, they are doing the best that they can and they are truly keeping it classy (on most campuses, we do have some rogue ones). And thank you to the college women, universities and my sorority for continuing to support our emerging women leaders of tomorrow. <br />
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....Keep your chin, heels and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-66586661150055703822016-02-07T09:59:00.000-06:002016-02-07T09:59:17.750-06:00It's OK to just be happy!So a friend pointed out to me that it had been a really long time since I had posted and he is right, so here we are. Good morning ladies and gentlemen seriously. Happy SuperBowl Sunday! I am sure many of you have parties to attend today....me? I am having brunch with some a great friends and then probably curling up with a nice Chardonnay and super cute Corgi named Ruby Caroline to watch by myself. <br />
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It's been a while since a topic has struck me as something important enough to actually comment on. Today is no different, I don't have any soap box issues today ladies and gentlemen. Things in this lady's life are pretty good, I am basically happy and healthy. You all know I love my job and things there are very good. I am happy to say I am traveling to Fiji (with my friend Mandi), South Africa and Kenya (taking my parents) this year. I also do marketing for my company and we have been really fortunate to be included on several tourism boards' campaigns. <br />
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I am celebrating my 18th year as a Jazzercise instructor this year and I continue to teach 3-4 times per week. And after 18 years, I still enjoy teaching and it allows me to continue to manage my weight appropriately and be healthy. Sure, I would like to lose about 10 pounds, which I am working on now, but hey....how many of us don't have a little weight to lose....unfortunately Chardonnay is not calorie free. <br />
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I am also celebrating 26 years as a Gamma Phi Beta. I continue to serve as a Regional Director for the Northwest Region. However, I have decided to run for our International Council as Education Vice President, which is with our nominating committee now. I am running against some HIGHLY qualified wonderful women, so who knows what will happen. If I am not slated, that is OK, I will figure out my next move in the Gamma Phi Beta world. I am happy to involved in our extension project to re-colonize our closed chapter at the University of Maryland. Happy Terrapin Gamma Phis!<br />
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So as I reflect on me and my current situation and you know what? Everything is great. And is it OK to just be happy. I think sometimes as women, we have to constantly be working towards something or there has to be something we need to change. But you know what? It is OK to just be happy. <br />
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Now, of course, I continue to TRY to date and find someone that might want to be in a committed relationship with me. That is proving to be more challenging than anything else. Ladies and gentlemen seriously, there is not a lot of quality single individuals available out there... Let me review what I have encountered in the last six months: a guy with whom I had a great date, but I didn't sleep with him on the first date, so he didn't call again; a guy that I dated for about a month and found out he was a racist; a guy who clearly just wanted to hook up, even though we had several awesome conversations and had great chemistry...OH and then he wanted me to drive to his house in VERNON HILLS on our first date, UM, NO, on the off chance you might be an ax murderer and plus I live in the city, I can find a local hook up, if I wanted; a guy with whom I chatted with for about a month, just to find out he was married and in an open relationship; oh and a guy that I was fine with being friends with, until he proceeded to down about 5 scotch on the rocks and tried to kiss me...AWKWARD!! But hey ladies, I keep trying, someday my Jason Statham will come!<br />
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So ladies and gentlemen seriously, it is OK to be happy. Enjoy it, many, many people don't get that opportunity!<br />
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....Keep your heels, chin and standards high.....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-48081214412699182422015-09-20T11:27:00.001-05:002015-09-20T11:27:57.704-05:00Life is all about choices....Good morning ladies and gentlemen seriously! Seems that fall is starting around Chicago and boy has it been beautiful outside the last few weeks. It kind of makes up for the fact that I was supposed to be in Africa right now on vacation. BUT never fear, the trip has been re-scheduled for next year. And I am now in the process of planning my trip to Fiji for April. <br />
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So in the last few weeks I have been thinking about choices in life. And more specifically, life choices that we all make...having kids, being single, getting married, getting a divorce, living in the city, living the burbs, our job, etc. And there seems to be some judgey judgey going on with people in regards to life choices. Let's be clear, we do live in America and women and men are generally free to make their own choices and decisions. I think it is fair to assume that each person's or family's decisions are made on what it is believed to be best for the person or the family. If you are a person that chooses to get married, live in the suburbs, have a child and be a stay at home parent, I don't judge. It would not be my choice, but that doesn't matter, we all need to respect each other.<br />
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And I guess the place were I start to get upset and things turn NOT classy is when people assume that their life is more fulfilled or better than someone else's based on their choices. For example, please don't assume that your life is more fulfilled than mine because you have a husband and a child. I am quite fulfilled and happy with my single dog parent life in the city. Would I like to have a date...sure! but that doesn't mean I am not fulfilled.<br />
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So ladies and gentlemen seriously, can we all just be classy and respect one another's choices? Don't try to change me, don't try to tell me, I will meet someone soon and then I will want to have children. And on the other side of things, if a couple is married and chooses not to have children, that is their choice, you don't need to try to convince them that they will want children. OR if a family chooses to live in the city and have their kids go to school in the city, don't try to convince them their life would be better in the suburbs. These are all choices, respect them and move on.<br />
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On a side note, apparently the dating gods read my last blog post and I am happy to say that a very lovely, normal adult man did ask me on a date. I met him online on Thursday and we went out yesterday. We had a great time. So hopefully more to come on that.<br />
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Keep your heels, chin and standards high<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-53350854473016503652015-09-07T10:31:00.000-05:002015-09-07T10:31:23.158-05:00Gentlemen Seriously....Time to step upGood afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Happy Labor Day, hope you are enjoying your holiday. It is HOT in Chi this weekend, so I have mostly been indoors. I have been having fun with friends and family. And on Saturday, I had an opportunity to see the Australia Wallabies play the USA Eagles in a rugby match at Solider Field. My awesome boss invited me to a suite to watch the game. Lots of fun.<br />
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So this classy, fun lady is in a major dry spell on the dating front. Yep, it's been about a year since I have had a date or even someone of interest, honestly. And yes, I play on tinder, but let's face it, that isn't dating in the real world, it is just like spinning the wheel for fun. And yes, lots of my friends tell me to get on match, eHarmony....blah, blah....Feels so forced and unnatural, I hate it. <br />
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In this day and age of social media and online EVERYTHING, dating has basically become non-existent. Gentlemen seriously, texting and messaging is not dating. I understand how chatting online to get to know someone is all FINE, but eventually you do have to have in person conversation. I mean, am I supposed to swoon because you sent me a smiley face emoticon? How about asking for a meeting for a coffee, drink or food? I can't tell you how many times, I have to wait for the guy to actually suggest that we get together. Gentlemen, what is it? How are hard is it?<br />
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And yes, I know, the ladies can ask the guy out and there is no shame in that. However, here is what has happened, gentlemen, you are generally lazy and will take the path of least resistance...sorry to say. And ladies, we feel empowered and so we get tired of waiting for the guys to ask us, so we just ask them and pursue them. And unfortunately, for a traditional, nice Nebraska girl like me, I end up waiting forever for my prince charming to ask me out because he is too busy dating the ladies that are willing to do all the work. <br />
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And many times, you don't even end up dating.....you end up getting drinks and going back to his house, because let's face it, if they guy doesn't have to take you out. I mean I went out with this guy who literally took me out twice and then every other time only wanted to get take out and watch a movie. I mean that's all well and good after you have been seeing each other for a while. But we live in CHICAGO, one of the best cities in the world....let's have some fun going out for a while. And it's not about the money and who buys what (I am fine sharing that), it's about the experience.<br />
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So gentlemen seriously, this one is on you. Can you just step up and ask us classy ladies out every once in a while? If we have been chatting with you or texting you, we are going to say yes, at least once. It is classy to have some manners and treat us like the ladies were are. <br />
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So the time being, this classy lady is going to keep waiting...<br />
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BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-46487112675750565302015-08-23T13:21:00.000-05:002015-08-23T13:21:35.353-05:00Being Wonder Woman means understanding your limitations....Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Wow....it has been a long time since I have posted. I am neglecting my blog...so sorry. It's been an interesting summer. Since I last posted, I did have a wonderful trip to Australia with the gorge redhead (well, now it is blue). Such an amazing trip, we went to the West Coast of Australia, did "some" wine tasting (read as A LOT), saw awesome wildlife, stayed in a tent on the beach, I swam with whale sharks and got to see Quolls and Quokkas. In life, you should count yourself lucky if you can find ONE person you can travel with internationally. I am lucky enough to have more than one...Thanks Melis and Mandi (and of course, my parents). I also did a quick trip to Jamaica to see my friends Steve and Amy get married, PLUS I did get my scuba diving certification. Next trip will hopefully be to New Zealand and/or Africa with my parents. We will see how the next 6 months go.<br />
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So this past week, I was in the salon (yep, I am no longer a redhead, went back to being dark and exotic). And I was chatting to my AWESOME stylist (she also does my nails). And she was telling me a story about how she was at the park the other day and there was a stay at home mom there. Mar and this lady were chatting and the mom was carrying on about how she can't get anything done during the day while she is home with her daughter, no cleaning, no cooking, etc. And the mom looked at Mar and said how many kids, do you have? Mar answers...four. The mom says and you work? Mar says yes. And the mom stopped talking. Now, I am not saying that Mar is more amazing than the stay at home mom. But I think it is time that as women we start to recognize we all have limitations. While Mar could be JUST fine working a full time job and having 4 kids, the other mom might only be able to handle one. And guess what? That is OK.<br />
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It got me to thinking about myself. And as much as I don't want to admit it, I have limitations as well. (I know, you are all surprised). I think you all know how much I love my job. And generally speaking, I have been one of the top sales people for the last two years running. So this year, when the opportunity came up to travel to the Maldives and then about 6 weeks later travel to Australia, I did it. I figured I was good at sales, so it wouldn't matter that I was going to gone for like 3+ months. Well some things changed at work and guess what, it did matter that I was gone for that long, as I have struggled this year with my sales. And while it stinks for me financially, it will be OK. And things are getting better. SO here is how I take it, it is a lesson learned, now I know how long I can and can't be gone from work. <br />
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So here is my message out there for all of the ladies! While society, media and facebook MIGHT demand that you are super woman, you are all allowed to be super woman in your own way. It is classy for you to understand what you are able to do and what you aren't. I know you all read the posts from women about how amazing their life is with their kids, their husband, their volunteer work, their job, their dog....etc, etc. Did you ever think maybe those women that are posting all of that are trying to convince themselves as opposed to everyone else?<br />
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So ladies seriously, you are all super women in your own way. And it is better to be really good at a few things, rather than being mediocre at a lot of things that you don't care about. So take stock, and be your own personal super woman (and your family). And it might be important for you to be available for your children so you have work part time or an administrative type of job that gets you home early, you know what, that is OK...don't let other moms shame you for that. OR you might be the type of mom that needs to be at a 40-50+ hours a week for financial reasons or other and you might also volunteer and be a Girl Scout leader, that is OK too.<br />
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So ladies seriously, assess your life and do what makes sense for you and your family. And that is the classy way to go.<br />
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.....keep your chin, heels and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!<br />
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<br />Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-65025757474519940912015-05-17T12:53:00.000-05:002015-05-17T12:53:28.192-05:00Ladies Seriously! Let's treat one another with some respect, celebrate success!Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen seriously! Happy Spring into Summer. It was a lovely day in Chi-Town yesterday. Ruby Caroline got a chance to enjoy a bar patio yesterday as we got the dogs together so some friends could socialize and MAYBE have a few drinks. :) I am busy packing for my next trip to Australia for another three weeks with the gorge blonde. I am so looking forward to the trip...highlights include: Vivid in Sydney and dinner with Sara (who lives there), selfie with a Quokka (google it), wine tasting in Margaret River, diving at Ningaloo Reef, snorkeling with whale sharks, overnight at Saffire Freycinet (google it) and ending with a private two wildlife tour in Tasmania where I WILL hold a wombat, see a platypus, quoll and Tasmanian devil. I am very lucky lady!<br />
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As many of you know, I work three jobs (two are paid, one is unpaid). In all three of these jobs, I work mostly with women. And recently I have been thinking...it's funny, we all preach sisterhood and talk about how we support other women. However, how come so many of us bag on other women? We are SO good at tearing each other down...in our work, relationships, behavior, clothes, hair, makeup, size, etc, etc. We gossip about one another (and as a classy female, I am guilty of this). We act like we are friends, but then we talk about one another behind the others back. I have been in situations where another woman actually sabotaged my personal success just to make to herself feel better and appear to better at her job.<br />
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Ladies seriously! This has got to stop. In this day and age, women have so much pressure to be a super woman....good at her job, great at raising her kids, successful, a good wife, a good friend, a good daughter. That is a lot of hats to wear and the last thing we need is to spend time cutting each other down. We are still earning less than men and we still have to deal with harassment at work. So stop trying to sabotage one another. In the work place, one woman's success should be celebrated by all women. Show some respect. Classy ladies make other ladies feel good about themselves. I am always so surprised when I compliment a woman on her dress, handbag, jewelry, etc and she is surprised by the compliment. We all need to do a better job with this.<br />
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This past week was alumnae spirit day with Gamma Phi Beta and I had lovely posts on my facebook page of women celebrating me and my relationships/work with them. This is what we should be doing ladies seriously!<br />
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Well, that's all for me and my little soap box for today, I am off to a land down under! Keep it classy!<br />
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....keep your chin, heels and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-23827475689643651112015-05-03T15:37:00.002-05:002015-05-03T15:38:04.000-05:00Ain't nobody got time for that!Hello ladies and gentlemen seriously. Happy Spring! Soon to be Happy Mother's Day (and my dear mother's birthday). I hope you are all keeping it classy this spring. It has finally warmed up in Chicago and we actually got to enjoy the sunshine this weekend. My sister was in town with my nephew. We participated in the Ovarian Cancer Walk on Saturday morning in honor of my sister's friend who is a 5 year survivor! My sister shared a story about when her friend was diagnosed and my sister came to see her in the hospital. The friend had stage 4 ovarian cancer in her mid 20s! My sister got into the hospital bed with her and she said was asking what she could do for her and the friend said "You think I am dying? Oh, I am not F***ING dying" And she didn't. So we got to walk on the field at US Cellular Field which was cool, even though I am a Cubs fan. Of course, we went out for Mexican food for lunch to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. And then we had to watch the Derby last night and broke in the gorge blonde's (previously redhead) amazing rooftop deck.<br />
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As we were chatting about life and what not, we were all chatting about dating and friendships...texting, emailing, calling, etc. And it got me to thinking about how a classy lady handles all of that these days. In this day and age, with texting and FB, there is an expectation with many men and women regarding how quickly you need to respond. Many not so classy women out there get CRAZY if someone (and a man in particular) doesn't respond with three minutes. Really? I am pretty sure anything being said in a text message doesn't require a response in three minutes, and if it does, you should probably pick up the phone call that person. So ladies seriously! CHILL OUT! Texting can be a fun, flirty way to chat with someone but don't make it life or death. <br />
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And here is another thing, ladies and gentlemen seriously, you don't really need to talk to anyone every day (spouses and kids are excluded from this)..... I mean I can't think of enough to say to someone every day, really, I am not that interesting. My life isn't that exciting. My best friend and I basically skype once every few weeks and I still feel connected to her. My good friends in Chicago....I speak/text to maybe once or twice a week. My mom....once a week.<br />
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And lastly, ladies and gentlemen seriously, if you want someone to respond to a message, make it something that is respond-able to....a SMILEY face or other various emoticon doesn't make me want to respond. Not saying you have to be witty ALL the TIME, but a simple question like how is your day....makes me want to respond.<br />
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So with all of the technology out there today, we are getting less and less connected with one another, so the last thing I want to do is to tell you to not talk to one another, however, you can stay connected with your friends and family once or twice a week, not every day. Let's take the time to have more real conversations with people a few times a week and fewer surface conversations via text message or facebook every day. As my dear nephew says, ain't nobody got time for that.<br />
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So I am headed back to Australia in a few weeks with the gorge blonde in the next three weeks. I know, it is a tough life for me, but I am really looking forward to the trip. Everyone, keep it classy this spring as we move into summer and the clothing gets more skimpy.<br />
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....keep your chin, heels, and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-92222150249820216382015-04-19T14:04:00.001-05:002015-04-19T14:04:25.865-05:00Madam President...It's Time!Greetings from sunny Scottsdale, AZ. Yes, I am on vacation again...it's a tough life. I am visiting my parents. And my sweet Ruby Caroline got to make the trip with me, she is currently asleep next to me on the couch. It has been quite some time since I last wrote. Since we last chatted, I have been in Dubai and the Maldives. Let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, the Maldives are as close to paradise as I think I will ever see. White sand beaches, gorgeous sunsets, the bluest water, amazing food and fabulous service. It was pretty incredible. I got to do three of my four required open water dives, so I am almost certified to dive. And I have been busy planning my next trip to Australia, another three week vacation with some pretty incredible experiences planned. And I am hoping to finish up my certification for diving when I am in Australia.<br />
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So most of my followers know that this blog is about being classy and fabulous. And very rarely do I make political or social statements, BUT I need to talk about Hillary Clinton's run for the Presidency. I happen to agree with most of her politics and whether you do or don't, that is OK. However, ladies and gentlemen seriously, it is time for the most powerful country in the world to have a female leader. If we are serious about committing to women being equals to men in this country, that means we are accepting of a female leader. Now I am not asking you to support Hillary simply because she is a woman, vote based on who you think will do the best job. But, especially to the classy gentlemen out there, don't NOT vote for her simply because she is a female.<br />
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And for those of you have doubts about the abilities of a female. I found <a href="http://mic.com/articles/115298/9-reasons-we-should-never-ever-ever-have-a-female-president" target="_blank">this article</a> interesting and a good way to debunk some of those arguments.<br />
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I have already started to prepare myself for being upset about things that are said about female leaders, we are too emotional, we are not tough enough to run this country. It is such a double edged sword for a female. As a strong female leader, you are required have the right combination of femininity, quick decision making, the courage to stand up for what is right, emotion and intelligence. If you are too strong, you are a bitch. If you are too kind, you are a push over. Trust me, I have dealt with it most of my life. And Hillary certainly is the warm, fuzzy type, but she certainly knows how to make a good decision, be strong and god knows she is a smart cookie. Girlfriend even got herself a stylist....in order to be a good leader, you do need to be be well put together, it is the classy way. :)<br />
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So we are heading into a historical time in the US, as I believe Hillary Clinton has a real shot at being our next president. So as classy people, ladies and gentlemen seriously, let's keep an open mind about our next possible president, because in this classy lady's opinion, it is TIME for us to have a female leader in the US. Go Hillary.<br />
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....keep your chin, heels and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS.<br />
<br />Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-47594981682515742482015-02-22T18:33:00.001-06:002015-02-22T18:33:57.997-06:00Being classy means being a good leader as wellGood evening ladies and gentlemen seriously. Seems fitting that this classy lady would be posting while watching the Red Carpet and getting ready for the Oscars (MY FAVORITE). I am such a dork about fashion so this is amazing. <br />
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SO happy to report another Anti Valentines Day Pub Crawl is in the books. And while we only made it to two bars, we had such a GREAT time. Our party has grown each year and this year, I think we had about 20 people at one point. While all of the ladies and gentlemen were pretty seriously in the bag, everyone acted appropriately, dancing and singing and seriously being the life of the party. So thanks to all for a great time. And I might have kissed a cute boy as well. ;)<br />
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As many of you know, I volunteer for my amazing sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. In addition to being a regional director for region 8 (Northwest states), I also am a part of the Presentation Team. So I get an opportunity to present and facilitate sessions for our collegiate chapter leaders. First and foremost, I get to work with awesome ladies to actually do the presenting. Second, I get a chance to interact with our leaders of tomorrow.<br />
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And of course, having been a volunteer leader for the organization for 10+ years and presenting to our current leaders got me to thinking about how to be a classy leader. I have had an opportunity to a a leader of my own business as well. And there are many actions I see ladies and gentlemen do that make me crazy as a leader. And so I thought I would share my list of actions that a classy lady can take to be a good leader.<br />
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<ol>
<li>IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! Sometimes I think about my leadership positions, and I simply don't understand what I do... honestly. My team does all the work. Leaders that make success about them...are not leaders. WOW, this is a hot button issue for me. </li>
<li>Transparency. The best thing that you can do is share as much as possible. While I was running my own business, I shared all of my numbers, revenue, etc with my team...all members, paid and volunteers. And it is very important for people to feel a part of the team if they feel they have all of the information, EVEN if it isn't imperative for them to complete their job.</li>
<li>Humility and Vulnerability. Your team needs to know that you are not perfect, sharing your failures and times in your life when things weren't perfect, make you human and more relatable. As women, many times we are expected to be SUPER MOM or SUPER WOMAN or both and we find it challenging to admit that we aren't. We get by with a little help from our friends.</li>
<li>Don't take yourself too seriously. Have Fun. Your team or your audience is much more interested in you, if you can poke a little fun at yourself. You will lose people if you are too dry, get people involved in the presentation - facilitate, don't talk at them.</li>
<li>Re-read action number one.</li>
</ol>
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Please know that I am certainly not an expert on the subject. But I felt compelled to share after spending a few weekends facilitating these conferences. Being a classy leader is something that I am very passionate about, so ladies and gentlemen seriously...take it for what its worth.</div>
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Enjoy the Oscars. Very soon I will be leaving for Dubai and the Maldives for 10 days. A very tough part of my of my job, I know, try not to feel sorry for me.</div>
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...keep your chin, heels and standards high...</div>
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BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!</div>
Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-72266360495806425962015-01-26T21:02:00.000-06:002015-01-26T21:02:28.523-06:00How do you solve a problem like Mr Big?Hello ladies and gentlemen seriously! I trust that your new year has started out with class. We are getting close to that one holiday that I continue to dislike HIGHLY year after year. Yes, we are having our annual Anti-Valentine's Day Pub Crawl, which continues to grow each year. Why? because no one likes to celebrate that sappy holiday, even the coupled people. So many of my married and single friends will be pub crawling on V day!<br />
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I have been traveling quite a bit for my sorority volunteer job. Several weekends in January and February and it is always inspiring to spend the weekend with women with similar values who are willing to give up their free time to help inspire collegiate women to be the best that they can be. And in March, I am getting ready to travel with another classy lady (my travel agent friend from Reno, met her in New Zealand). We are going to Dubai and the Maldives, can't wait! Warm weather, here I come!<br />
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So I thought it was time to talk about my Mr. Big. You know who he is...most single ladies have one. Ladies Seriously? Who is yours? In my case, our relationship is almost as long and as storied as Carrie and Big's relationship, honestly. We have known each other for 14+ years, between us, three divorces and for him little people are involved. And for both of us, lots of bad decisions and heart break. But yet, still after having gone through everything, this classy lady can't seem to let him go. WHY? I am an intelligent woman who basically has her S**T together. I am a catch, darn it. Why after everything, do I continue to respond? Probably because I have been in love with him for years and it never goes away. And previously I hadn't been able to say no at all, and then we would make plans and he would almost always cancel....NOW, I will say I had a small victory last year when I did say, NO, we can't go out. He was upset and he did go away for a little bit, but here he is again and I am back talking to him.<br />
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So ladies seriously, here is my message for all of those of you who have your Mr Big that you can't let go. Be smart, don't let him string you along. If he does, move on. Be smart, don't start walking the two of you down the aisle, this is not a fairy tale. Be smart, if he steps up to the plate, then by all means, go for it. But until he has the Mr. Big epiphany and flies to Paris to get you, it is probably best to move on. Because by continuing to let him string you along, you are closing yourself to someone else great (in my case, haven't a lot of offers of recent, except for my cab driver from the airport last night, figures that he is only guy to ask me out in the past 5+ months)<br />
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So ladies seriously, here is my problem solution for your Mr Big, unless you are convinced that he will be committed to you only RIGHT NOW, move one. You deserve to be treated the way Mr Big treated Carrier AFTER they got married. :) And remember actions speak louder than words. <br />
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This is the end of my public service announcement for Valentine's Day! Keep it classy ladies.<br />
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....Keep your chin, heels and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!<br />
<br />Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-86005992441859039572014-12-27T15:51:00.000-06:002014-12-27T15:51:08.181-06:00Classy Ladies are also good to their girlfriendsMerry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. I trust that you are all enjoying your holiday. Yes, I do love my job, this is a busy time for us in the world of travel, if you can imagine, lots of people want to travel during the holidays and there are lots of cancelled flights. So while I do get lots of days off until January 5th, I have been on call. Unfortunately, we have been busy!<br />
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Me? I had a wonderful holiday. Spent time with my family here in Chi, hosted some friends at my house, had a wonderful dinner with some friends on Christmas. And was reunited with a friend I haven't seen in a long time...let's just say, I hope to see him again very soon. <br />
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Last night, I had a chance to go out with a friend for some cocktails. We tried a different neighborhood...Logan Square....let's just say, it was a different scene. We felt dressed up and cute....which is not necessarily the case when we go out in the LP. And there were just a lot of beards..Gentlemen seriously, lumberjack chic is pretty hot, but not when every guy in the bar is like that. And well, you know me, I like the bald guys.<br />
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But anyway....on to my subject for this post. The gorge blonde that I was out with last night (and BTW, it has a little pink in it now) said something that rang true to me...You can tell a lot about a woman by the quality of her friends. And if you think about it, it is so true. How many classy ladies do you know who also have fantastic friends? That usually means she is a pretty good friend. And yes, we all know those ladies that don't have a lot of girlfriends, probably means that she doesn't treat her friends very well.<br />
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A long time ago, my mom told me that my uncle told her that if you can count 5 good friends in your lifetime, you should consider yourself lucky. Well, I am happy to say that I consider myself very lucky. For all you classy ladies out there, can you name 3-5 friends that would drop everything if you needed them? Last night, I found out that my best friend (whom I love dearly) was emailing another friend of mine (unbeknownst to me) while I was dating the last douche bag boyfriend to make sure that I was OK as she was very worried about me. WOW, thanks to that BF, it's really nice to learn how much she cares.<br />
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So here is my message ladies seriously....it is classy to be a good girlfriend because at the end of the day, men come and go, but you always have your family and friends (and of course, there is also my favorite quote, boys come and go, diamonds are forever, that one works as well). And you need to take care of those relationships. Return phone calls, shoot a text, be mindful of your girlfriends. Practice good girlfriend code, don't blow them off for a new boyfriend all of the time, don't hit on her ex or her potential new BF, be honest, be supportive and just be there when she needs you. <br />
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Well, here is cheers to all of you! Happy New Year! This classy lady is fabulously happy and ready for 2015! I hope you all are as well. <br />
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......Keep your chin, heels and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-34247060386714390042014-12-14T14:32:00.001-06:002014-12-14T14:32:58.132-06:00YOU...Just do you...Happy holidays to one and all! I trust that you are all keeping it classy this holiday season. This girl is happy to report that all of the Christmas shopping is done, all cards are done and ready to be mailed, Christmas decor is done AND I did my annual trip to the Museum of Science and Industry to see the Christmas trees around the world last week. It has been a pretty amazing year here....still love my job, got to take my parents to Australia for three weeks, am planning three more amazing trips for next year and after years of financial struggles (after owning and closing a business)....feels like things are back in the black as they say. So what did I do to celebrate....well, today I got a pedicure and bought an amazing bottle of wine just for me. :)<br />
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So one of my besties (a guy) has been doing tinder for the last couple of months and recently he has been to posting tinder fails on his FB page. Lots of humor but in seriousness about the lead in pictures that women post on tinder. Ladies and gentlemen seriously....this is an app where someone decides if they like you based on a picture and they decide within about 3 seconds. Ya might want to think about the pictures you are using.<br />
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So all of this online dating stuff, of course, had me thinking about our online persona and what we put out there for the world to see. Not just on online dating, but also on facebook, twitter, instgram etc. Why is it that we are SO afraid to be real on all of those sites? Ladies and gentlemen, let's take the online dating thing first...why do we post pictures that don't actually show us? Group pictures, really old picture, pictures with sunglasses, logos of your favorite sports teams? HUH? How are you going to make online dating work if you aren't being truthful about who you are and what you look like? UM...newsflash, if he or she likes your profile, you are going to meet in person eventually and then what? I know a lot of women that pretend they are something they are not to get a date, wow, that sounds miserable.<br />
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Ok, let's also talk about people that are constantly posting/tweeting about how super uber ungodly happy they are. Really? If you are that happy, why are you wasting time posting about it and not enjoying it? I mean I get, if good things happen, post about it....but all of the time? Makes me think that someone is trying to convince themselves how happy they are instead of everyone else.<br />
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And then of course, there are the ones that complain and moan about how unhappy/unlucky they are? You know the ones that post crap like this: So sad today, I want to cry.... And then what happens, everyone posts something like...what is wrong??? Seriously, ladies and gentlemen, if you are sad, call a friend or a family member, someone who can actually help you....not the random facebook friends out there.<br />
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So ladies and gentlemen seriously, my soapbox message about keeping it classy is this today: social media and online dating is fun. Take it for what it is....not real life. BE YOU and your online date, your social media network will respect you a heck of a lot more than if you are someone else online and show in up person differently. And think about it this way, if you aren't being true about who you are online, and someone likes your online persona, when they meet you in person, they will be disappointed, it will be one date and out...and then you will be back to square one. SOUNDS exhausting, why not skip those steps? <br />
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At the end of it all....Everyone should be proud of who they are...OWN IT, WORK IT...don't apologize. And to quote a song ..... every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top. Thanks Meghan Trainor...All about the base. :)<br />
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So that's all for me today. Have a wonderful holiday season. Be nice to your family, they are the only ones you have. Eat, drink, be merry and keep it classy.<br />
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....Keep your chin, heels and standards high...<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-34214621590617946052014-11-16T20:23:00.001-06:002014-11-16T20:23:45.166-06:00You know I have to talk about it....Good evening ladies and gentlemen seriously! Happy Thanksgiving. Time to spend time with family, overeat and hopefully be classy. <br />
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Well, you know I had to talk about it....Naked, Oiled Up, NOT CLASSY Kim Kardashian. And as much as I hate to devote space on my blog about classy women to a lady that I don't find classy, I feel compelled to address the issue.<br />
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First of all, let me say, that I am happy to see that we are finding curvy women like Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce beautiful and sexy. All of them are very beautiful women.<br />
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Second of all, I am happy that Kim has enough body confidence to put it all out there in a magazine and on the internet. BUT that is where my positive comments end.<br />
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LADIES! We do not need to see her naked, really. Kim, cover it up, you are just as sexy when you are wearing a nice jersey wrap dress. And let me also say that the photo is photoshopped, her waist is not that small. SO NOT classy! You don't see Taylor Swift naked, do you? Nope, she actually has class.<br />
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The crazy thing is on my facebook feed that same day there is an article that says, STARS REAL WEIGHTS. And of course, Kim Kardashian is listed on there....saying....getting ready for this... she weighs like 125 pounds. UMMM, can I call bull*&%$? I mean, ladies seriously, if we are going to be real, BE REAL and say guess what Kim weighs like 150-160 pounds. That's real.<br />
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And then there is the whole issue of PLUS SIZED models and the stuff that came out from the Calvin Klein model. A size 10 is a plus sized model? HUH? Average size for a woman in the US today is 14. So technically a plus size should be 18-24, right? So I am 145 pounds, size 8...what does that make me? A plus size, I am sure.<br />
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All of this media crap really makes this classy lady angry, NO WONDER, we have so many young ladies with eating disorders and negative body image. They look at Kim Kardashian and say that is a 125 pounds, then they kill themselves getting their weight to that, when it is not realistic. Our young women need positive body role models.<br />
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Ladies seriously? Why can't we just be real and admit our weight. Be healthy, eat healthy, exercise and wear clothes appropriate to your size. Doesn't seem that difficult. I guess the best way to get the media to stop sensationalizing women like Kim Kardashian is to stop looking at it and talking about it. SO, ladies and gentlemen seriously, this is where my comments end.<br />
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Keep it real ladies! Be true to you, be healthy and confident in who you are. That is way more sexy that a naked, oiled up bootie on the internet.<br />
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Enjoy your holiday. My Ruby Caroline gets to go to see her grandma and grandpa for a week. So I am checking out until December.<br />
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....Keep your heels, chin and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!<br />
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<br />Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-40140690610114199272014-11-02T10:53:00.000-06:002014-11-02T10:53:13.723-06:00Random Thoughts from a Classy American TravelerG'day ladies and gentlemen seriously! I have returned from my BIG 3 week trip Down Under. I spent most of the month of October traveling with my parents. It was an amazing trip and I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to travel like that. Just another perk of my awesome job.<br />
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So I thought for this blog post, I would give my random thoughts about being a classy traveler. Most of them will be directed at my fellow Americans who unfortunately have a tendency to be the worst travelers (besides our friends from Japan and China).<br />
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First of all, Sydney is an amazing city and if I win the lottery or marry a millionaire, I would tell you all to peace out and I would be gone, living in a fab condo looking at the harbour, with my sailboat parked out front. Since that probably isn't going to happen any time soon (I don't play the lottery and I can't pick a decent man to save my life), I may have to stay in Chicago OR perhaps my awesome company will have a job opening for me in the future.<br />
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I did have the opportunity to do a lot of small group touring, which of course, gives you an opportunity to meet lots of people. I met a lot of Australians, Kiwis and Europeans. And yes, lots of Americans. Japanese and Chinese tend to travel in large groups, so I didn't encounter them on my trip. As Americans, we need to be thankful for what we have in this country. And I find that most people are, but I also find that Americans think that all other countries should be like ours. And honestly, that is disrespectful. Part of the reason that you travel is to experience new cultures, new ideas but also to appreciate other nationalities and countries. And to respect that, you need to try to do things the way that the locals do...I find that many Americans have trouble with that. <br />
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Additionally, many of the Americans I met were so busy telling me about how money they had and trying to make themselves seem important. BLAH! Who cares? Honestly, I could tell in the first 5 minutes of speaking with these people, what they were about and I had to steer clear. Now, of course, this isn't unique to travelers, this happens a lot. But I found that only the Americans were the ones that were concerned about that.<br />
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Lastly, when on a small group tour, Americans, it shouldn't be your goal to drink every bit of wine/alcohol provided. Seriously, I was on a boat cruise and the Americans were the ones that were booing the staff when they took their glasses away...REALLY? Really gross and disgusting.<br />
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So American ladies and gentlemen seriously, have some class when you travel, don't expect all other nationalities to think that America is the best (it is great, but certainly not the best), please please be respectful and do as the locals do and generally be accepting of all experiences and cultures (otherwise, don't travel). And don't get drunk and stupid. And don't expect everyone to speak English (I had this lovely Italian couple at one of my dinners, their English wasn't great, but people were just talking louder to them...poor people. They were from Milano...AHHH, I would love to go there).<br />
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I know I have done blog posts before on this, usually after every time I travel, but boy, does it upset me. If you want to take a peek at my photos, they are posted on my FB page. All 600 of them. <br />
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So we are now getting into the holidays, and it tends to make people crazy (families sometimes have that effect on people). Ladies and gentlemen seriously, keep calm and remember they are family and you just need to go with the flow. Be merry, spread positive cheer! And keep it classy, no one likes big fights and icy silence on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.<br />
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....keep your heels, chin and standards high...<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-58394104819024197992014-09-21T17:34:00.000-05:002014-09-21T17:34:53.462-05:00Gentlemen Seriously! No material or pick up lines are better than the D+ material you are throwing out there...Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Happy fall. I trust that you are all keeping it classy out there. I am very excited to announce that I am heading to Australia VERY soon for a three week vacation. I am taking my parents (it was their Christmas gift, hopefully that gets me a few classy points :)). It will be an amazing trip. Don't worry I have secured two hotel rooms or a two bedroom apartment everywhere we are staying. I am not having a repeat of my childhood summer vacations where I had to sit in the bathroom at night reading because I couldn't sleep (I am a very light sleeper) due to my father's VERY loud snoring.<br />
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So this past Friday, a co-worker/friend of mine and I went to a new spot in Hyde Park. The Promontory, BTW, super cool spot. Check it out...great menu, cocktail list and live music! Anyway, Laura and I were sitting in the bar upstairs listening to a great local jazz band and we happened to overhear a conversation with two gentlemen and a lady at the end of the bar. Here's the scene, the lady is by herself and seems to want to just listen to some music. Two men walk up to the end of the bar to buy Miller Lites (gross...not classy). The woman clearly already has a drink and the one dude says he will pay for it...seriously dude? She already had taken care of it. And so the one very loud guy is spewing some stupid lines and stories that were making me roll my eyes. He orders her a shot, she turns it down. And to the lady's credit, she was being very classy, taking it all in stride and being very nice given the circumstance. The very loud dude's friend was just quiet and standing next to her. The funny thing is that the quiet friend got her phone number. The loud jerky dude....shut down!<br />
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Another story....I was on tinder the other day (yes, I know...don't judge). And I "liked" a guy and we had a match. Seemed like a good looking guy. He messages me this..."What's up, play girl?". SERIOUSLY....that's your lead in line? NOPE. He got an eye roll and a delete.<br />
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And so it got me to thinking...gentlemen seriously! It is time to retire the "pick up" line material. That means all of it, your A, B, C, and D lines. Ladies do not want to hear it. The next time you are at the bar and see a pretty lady...here is a clue, walk up to her, introduce yourself, say hi and ask if you can buy her a drink. BE YOURSELF, MAKE CONVERSATION! You know what, it just might work. And hey, if it doesn't, no harm, no foul...move on. And yes, I know, gentlemen, we ladies can be VERY intimidating, but you never know until you try. I mean it worked on Friday night for the quiet friend. <br />
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In this day and age of texting, facebook messaging, it seems that men and women have forgotten how to have a normal conversation and actually date. Personally, I don't love online dating, too much posturing and desperation, I would prefer to meet someone in person at a bar, restaurant, event or through friends. And I would love it if a guy would simply say hey, let's have dinner, I would like to talk to you more. PERIOD. Doesn't seem to be rocket science.<br />
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Guess, I must be an old school, nice girl from Nebraska but...hey gentlemen, drop the lines and the BS, be you. And the lady doesn't like you for you...then she ain't worth it. That's solid advice from JZZRGRL.<br />
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So I will be dark for a bit as I will literally be DOWN UNDER. So cheers mate, keep it classy and I hope to have some wonderful stories about my trip. Maybe I can write a blog about how koalas can be more classy. :)<br />
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....Keep your heels, chin and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!<br />
<br />Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-18320715003943420882014-07-27T13:31:00.000-05:002014-07-27T13:31:00.086-05:00Why I love the city.... everyone could learn to live together better.Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It's been a little while since my last post. In July, I was a bit busy and had the pleasure of participating in the sorority international convention. It is always inspiring to visit, meet and listen to strong, classy ladies. And of course, catching up with several of my favorite sorority friends. Check out this lady from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EmbracingRealBeauty" target="_blank">Dove Real Women Campaign</a>. <br />
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Of course, we are on the back slide of the summer here. Shorts are still too short and many of our ladies are still showing too much skin, but....you know that is a soapbox subject that I written about many times. SOOOO, on to something else....<br />
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So this past week, I had the opportunity to enjoy the fabulous city in which I live, Chicago. Thursdays are my days off my FAB job, so I took some time to walk through Millennium Park and then go to the Art Institute for the Magritte exhibit (he was one weird dude). I also read an article (probably on facebook, where I get most of my news...sadly) about how large populations of Democrats...aka liberals live in large urban areas. For example, Illinois is considered to a blue state but that is only because the city of Chicago is liberal, the rest of the state is pretty decidedly conservative. Now, you know this classy isn't going to make a statement on my opinion which political party is appropriate. But as I enjoyed the city this week and thought about the article, it got me to think about why I love living in the city.<br />
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Is it because there is ALWAYS something to do? Because there is constantly a new restaurant, concert, or event to attend? Because I can shop at thrift stores and high end stores in the same day or because I can choose from the opera, symphony, musical theater or dance at any time? Or is it really because I am constant exposed to new places, people and experiences? I would say the biggest reason is the last one.<br />
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I am true believer in that your exposure to different people, places and experiences are those things that make you a well rounded awesome person. In this country, we have so much hatred and intolerance and I believe that if we all opened our eyes and our hearts to different people, places and experiences, we would be a much a better country and society. And in a city, you get an opportunity to do all of those things. Plus you can get a cab to any one of those places, instead of having to drive.<br />
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NOW, I am not saying that everyone should move to the city...PLEASE don't, our traffic is bad enough. But I think that no matter where you live, if you seek out new people, places and experiences, you will be a much more accepting individual. And just because you are accepting person, doesn't mean you aren't entitled to your opinions, but as an accepting person, you can respect that everyone has a right to their own opinion and how they choose to live their life. <br />
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So for all of my people that live in the cities here are some suggestions to take advantage of the awesome place that you live:<br />
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<li>Take advantage of all that you can. Don't poo-poo an event or restaurant just because it is new or different.</li>
<li>Be open to meeting new people especially those outside of your own ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs. You can learn from all of them.</li>
<li>Smile, open doors for people, be helpful to those tourists (as much as they drive us insane), give up your seat on the train or bus when appropriate (THIS means YOU...gentlemen. This past week I had a lovely gentleman give me his seat...THANK YOU sir).</li>
<li>Just generally be courteous.</li>
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So there is ladies and gentlemen seriously, experiencing new things makes you a classier, more well rounded person. And the travel agent in me HAS to say this, if you have the money and the time, traveling outside the US really does broaden your horizons. The good ol' US of A is still a great place to live.</div>
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So one last bit of news, there is a new man in my life. Really, really good guy! We have been having a great time, he loves to travel just as much as I do. More to come on this one.</div>
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....Keep your chin, heels and standards high....</div>
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BONSOIR, CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!</div>
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<br />Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-73592139811207707232014-06-27T14:49:00.002-05:002014-06-27T14:49:31.403-05:00Ladies and gentlemen....show a little respect for your country!Happy 4th of July ladies and gentlemen. Yep, we are half way through the summer ALREADY. And it is time again to celebrate our independence day. You will be happy to know that I took a highly scientific facebook quiz today to test my knowledge of American history and they considered me a true patriot. Apparently I paid attention during high school social studies class.....or maybe it is just because I watched the mini series on John Adams. <br />
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So recently I went to Blues Fest here in Chicago in Grant Park. I had an opportunity to hear Aaron Neville, who was great by the way. Before the show started, they had a woman sing the national anthem. NOW, I know you all know that when someone sings the national anthem, you are supposed to stand up and take your hat off right? Well let me tell you about the woman I observed during the national anthem. First of all, she was a good 75-100 pounds overweight. Her chair was struggling. She was by herself, and when they started to sing, she didn't even attempt to stand up and continued to EAT during the entire anthem. HUH? Ladies and gentlemen seriously, I don't care if you don't like our president, our government, our policies, etc. Your utter disrespect for our national anthem is thumbing your nose at our founding fathers, our soldiers and all of the people that have died or are working tirelessly to give you the freedom to SIT and eat during the national anthem. Get your LARGE bootie out of the chair and show some respect.<br />
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Additionally, the woman in front of me allowed her children to run in circles around her blanket during the national anthem. Now, I understand they are kids, but lady, please....tell them to settle down and be quiet. NEVER too early to teach proper respect.<br />
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OH and people of Chicago, when they sing the national anthem ANYWHERE outside the United Center and the Blackhawks are NOT playing, please put your hands down, don't scream while it is being sung. For crying out loud, Blues Fest is not a sporting event, calm down. <br />
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So ladies and gentlemen seriously, our independence day is around the corner. And in light of the holiday I thought this was an appropriate topic. Show some respect for our country. We may have our issues in this country, but it is still one of the greatest places in the world to live. And by respecting our national anthem and our flag, you are at minimum respecting our armed forces, our founding fathers and the principles upon which our country was founded.<br />
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OH yeah, and gentlemen seriously (I know it is guys because women would never do this), stop lighting off those DAMN firecrackers. They are stupid and loud. And you might blow your finger off. My dog gets scared of them and I lay awake every 4th of July listening to those crazy things vibrate in the alleys in Chicago. Grow up. Firecrackers do not SAY hey Happy 4th of July America...they SAY, F off to everyone who lives in a 10 block radius.<br />
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ONE LAST thing....World Cup soccer is in full swing. And the US team is doing well. I am thoroughly impressed with the support our nation is giving to our team, especially since most people have never watched a soccer game in their life. If you are not a soccer fan, that is fine, don't watch the games, watch the games, I don't really care.... BUT be respectful of the sport, the team and the fans, please. The rest of the world has accepted soccer as a sport for A LOT longer than we have. Be happy that our team USA is competing on a world level.<br />
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Ladies and gentlemen seriously, have a wonderful 4th of July holiday. Eat, drink, be merry and stay classy!<br />
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....keep your heels, chin and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136331615349506938.post-89472142029868211892014-06-14T09:06:00.001-05:002014-06-14T09:06:32.334-05:00Conscientious Parents ....Don't fret, you aren't the ones being obnoxious!Happy Saturday to all the classy ladies and gentlemen out there! In Chi, it is a lovely day and my dog has had me up since 4:30 AM. I don't know how she KNOWS when I don't have to teach or go to work early, but those are the days she wants to get up and play. Good times, that furry alarm clock. It is getting to FINALLY be festival season in Chicago, so I am convinced that bad fashion and bad behavior will once again be upon us. So stay tuned and stay classy.<br />
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SO this week I had lunch with a friend. You know my fab job lets me have one day off a week, and my friend is a stay at home mom, so we had a lovely lunch OUTSIDE of Lincoln Park Zoo (you know I don't want to go inside...animal lovers UNITE). I have been friends with the lady since 1992...yes, that is right, back in college when I had BIG hair. She recently had her first baby, cute little boy. Now, for those of you who know me, I am not enamored with children. I like them well enough, yes, I will hold your baby and talk to you about breast feeding. My niece and nephew are awesome. Cooper Brashaw...fantastic. Noelle and Colin Wick...A-OK. Erica and Ryan Epstein...YEP. The Coughlin Clan...YEP. So my message is not coming from a kid hater.<br />
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So while we were having lunch, my friend's baby started to get a little fussy. You know, he is a baby and they do that sometimes. He wasn't screaming, he was just fussing. We were at an outside restaurant and no one could even really hear him. But my friend was so stressed out and kept apologizing to me for it. He was fine....I honestly felt so bad for her. <br />
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I have seen my sister and brother in law stress out because my niece or nephew are acting up in a restaurant or public place. And every time it happens, one of them remove the child from the situation and it is fine.<br />
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So here is my classy message to all parents out there, coming from a classy single lady who will probably never be a mom to human children. Kids cry....sometimes they scream....and sometimes they act badly in public. I get it...that's what kids do (although I was such a perfect child, I am sure I NEVER did that! Cue the sarcastic music) And if I can honestly see that the parent is doing everything they can to get the kid to calm down or stop crying. So be it, I understand. DON'T STRESS!! I have seen those poor parents on a plane whose child is SCREAMING because his ears hurt. And the parents are almost as upset as the child. Again, it stinks, but I get it.<br />
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HERE is where I have the problem....your kid is screaming, running around and being disruptive and you are on the phone, talking to someone else, ignoring your child or laughing at your child because it is funny. That it not a classy way to be a parent. Be aware of those around you. Don't let your kid kick the back of my seat in an airplane and think it is just OK and not try to stop it. Don't have your kid's DVD player playing with no headphones.<br />
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So parents, don't stress....I get it! If your child is acting up, do what you can and move on...And how funny it is that while I was writing this post, a reminder popped up on my computer that tomorrow is Father's Day! So this parenting message is coupled with a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to our dads out there. And especially to mine, SDB...you are the best.<br />
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Enjoy your weekend classy parents and single people everywhere!<br />
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....keep your chins, heels and standards high....<br />
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!<br />
<br />Jzzrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15430932056610751580noreply@blogger.com0