Always With Love.
Today I decided that I wanted to do something special for Mom’s heavenly birthday. On the coldest and Windiest day of the week, Armand and I took a bit of Mom from her urn And decided to let her dance on her birthday in the ocean. It was so windy and it was so cold but worth every moment.
Happy Heavenly Birthday Mommy.
The year of firsts continues today as family & friends celebrate my mom’s first heavenly birthday. She would have been 69 years young today. I imagine Armand & I would have given her a gift card so she could buy what she wanted. She loved it when we did that. Grandpa would wanna take her out to eat. She would get texts and calls all day long from so many who loved her.
This Smile is Masking Something.
So here's the truth.
My mother’s birthday is on Saturday.
It'll be the first one since her passing. In a year of 1sts, this one day is going to hit me harder than anything in my life.
DVF X Target Collection.
Gotta say. I love this collection. I didn't pick up as much as I wanted and there is still one piece that needs a photo but I love how bold the prints are. I love that the sizing went way up. I love that classic wrap dresses were features and I super loved a lot of the home decor. If I knew how to get some of the home decor home I would have gladly bought it. I just love the designer collaborations at Target. It gives us a chance to afford something a little finer.
Orange Vibes.
What do you think New York City? Think spring is finally showing her face or not? Because I think she finally trying and in honor, I wear a color I usually don't do. ORANGE. I don't know something about it always scares me. Sometimes orange can wash me out especially if I've tanned. So the brighter the better for me. Unless it's that long pleated burnt orange skirt from H&M. Then I can pull orange off with no problem.
maybe ally…sees “Moulin Rouge”.
You gotta come into this knowing you're about to be dazzled. Much like the film, it's a spectacle but in all the good ways. You will be wowed. I'd be concerned if you weren't. The music was great. I loved how my audience would get tickled when a song would begin. Unsure of how the arrangement of a song so well known would go. I loved to look around and see happy faces rediscover their favorite tunes in new ways. I'll never hear Bad Romance the same way!!!
maybe ally…Tries a Stay-Cation.
I had a friend ask me a few days ago why I was staying at a hotel. I gave them the cliff notes of it all. I needed time away. I needed time to reset. While I had some projects to work on the main goal stayed the same. I needed time. I needed space. I needed to be alone. In silence. It's much more healing than one thinks.
Where I’ve Been…
SO THERE IS NO WAY TO SAY THIS WITHOUT IT SOUNDING INCREDIBLY BLUNT…
MY mom died.
In December of last year my mother passed away. At the time I was at the museum of broadway grabbing content with zero clue anything was wrong. the hospital didn’t have my correct information and there was a delay in contacting me. While I’ll spare the full details I will ask that any woman reading today — the symptoms of a heart attack are very different than in men. Please learn the signs…
maybe ally…sees “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
You've got just a few weeks more to catch Sweeney Todd as it's closing once Aaron Tveit & Sutton Foster end their run. So if you've got the chance I definitely recommend going. Sometimes with some shows, I don't fully get the hype. It isn't until I see the full spectacle that I realize it. That's what happened here. I grabbed coffee after and had to absorb it.
maybe ally…sees “Monty Python’s Spamalot”.
Back in 2005, I was a freshman in college and making crazy life choices so I didn't get to see the original Broadway production. After a lot of tours and a stint on the West End later we got to the 2023 revival and I grabbed tickets thankfully just a few weeks shy before its closure (too early if you ask me! Even if it was a limited engagement!).
Varsity Reds.
You're gonna see a Stoney Clover Lane look at any time in any season. If you asked to look at my collection I'd be here for quite a while showing you every single sweatshirt, pouch, bag & even charms. I go all out. Did you see my New Orleans post! I’m a fan. So when the weather finally cooperates you create a little SCL moment.
maybe ally…sees “Little Shop of Horrors”.
It was my first time seeing the show with Darren Criss & Evan Rachel Wood. Both of them were perfectly cast but more importantly, perfectly cast — together. They made a wonderful pair and anytime you see Seymour & Audrey together it is quite magnetic.
This. Denim. Jacket.
Did you think I wouldn't grab this @bttfbway denim jacket? It was a must-purchase from the @bttfbwaystore and I'm so happy I did it. I don't think I've ever owned a denim jacket that fits like a glove & brought joy to strangers. Yet there I was walking around Harlem with a jacket that made at least 3 people smile. True story!
The Emergency Jeans Story.
See the jeans I'm wearing here? While in Philly I had to buy them at Old Navy at 10 am because I didn't bring the right thing for one night there. You would have laughed seeing me in a Dr. Who dress and a J.Crew trench coat desperate for warmth and grabbing the first size 14 I could find!
maybe ally…sees “Days of Wine & Roses”.
What a beautiful & rich show. Rich in its performances (Brian D’Arcy James & Kelli O’Hara are exceptional) but also rich in its subject matter and storytelling. As someone who's lived a very similar life (hyper-independence due to a family who weren't always taking care of themselves as they should), I found this musical to be quite the reflection on rebuilding family & quite the damnation of alcoholism.
maybe ally…sees “Girl From the North Country”.
So I didn't get the chance to see this off-broadway in 2018 and certainly didn't get to in 2020 when it made its Broadway debut but I always kept this musical in the back of my mind. So when I accidentally entered a lottery for tickets a few things happened:
I realized what I’d done and sorta kicked myself a bit.
I made a plan in case I won… and then I won.
One & a Half Days in Philly.
So what's a girl to do when she accidentally gets tickets to a show that's not in her city? She goes to Philly! With her partner in crime for not only that show but amazing art, great food, and more stories to tell in the future.
For Mom.
I welcomed the opportunity to honor my mom in my way. While it may not be a way she would love. She would understand and accept. That was always her way of thinking as I got older and tattoos would show up on my body. She called me a walking piece of art a lot. She always joked it would be easy to identify me if needed. She didn't judge. She always poured love into me.
International Women’s Day.
I want to tell anyone who identifies as a woman that it is ok to remind folks every single day that there is power within you. Remind people of your confidence. Remind people of who you are and why you're this way. It's ok to be the energy that lights up a room. It's ok to exist and be!
Travel: New Orleans
I loved the people. I loved the food. I loved the culture. I loved the spirit. New Orleans gave me the kind of respite I've been lacking since my mother passed away. A real refresh and focus on life. I got to not think about my troubles for just a little while and I got to embrace love, kindness, and beignets!