21 Tips I'd Tell 21 Year Old Me

1. Dont cut, die or over damage your hair.  It will take years to repair and by then you'll start finding grays.  And the eyebrows...dont overpluck.

2. Friends....invest in quality not quantity.




3. Your parents arent as uncool as you think.



4. Professors know a lot...take advantage of it.  Oh and go to class; it makes the difference.



5. Your coolness factor wont change if you sit out Friday's party to spend the night watching movies with your girlfriends.



6. Save your money.

7. Dont kiss the frogs.  They just aren't worth it.


 
8. Take care of your body.  Get 8 hours of sleep, drink lots of water, work out and eat right.



9. Call your grandparents.

10. Shadow someone who has a career you'd like.  Find out early if that's the path for you.



11. Never underestimate the power of a good hard day of work.

12. Build your confidence.  Go solo to the movies, shopping, to sit at Starbucks.  Look in the mirror and learn to love you.



13. It's ok if you dont have a serious boyfriend.  Only a small percentage of the relationships at this age last.


13. #yolo it up (within good judgement).  You never know what might be gone tomorrow; appreciate it all today.

14. Pain and hurt are a process of life.  What matters is how you move on with the scar. 



15. Dress to impress.  Invest in high quality products: make-up, clothes, purses, shoes.  They look better and last longer than anything you'll buy at Gabes.



16. Have a journal and write down all that flows through your soul.


 

17. Have a passion and dont be afraid to show/use/express it.



18. Make your bed every day.

19. Most likely, "she-who-will-not-be-named" will always fill the shoes of the b-word.  Karma will come around.  Peace and moving on looks better on anyone.



20. Binge drinking is so last season.  Keep is classy.




21. Be you, sparkle and love the roses.






Love, 

0 to 100 to crash - A Step-by-Step How to Sparkle Style

The first lesson taught to new MS sparklers is that if you push yourself too hard, it wont do you any good.  You will crash and pay for it.  

Pace yourself.  The steady one wins the race.

That is a great lesson.  And one that should be heard, learned and practiced.

However, after spending two months in bed, this lesson might not be the first one that comes to mind.

Hence, 0 to 100 to crash - A step-by-step how to Sparkle Style

Step 1: Go to Plasma Exchange.  Never stop finding the ironic theme of blood and Team Edward.

Step 2: Head home and give yourself a Vitamin B injection.  Receive a really funny card, flowers and gifts.  Laugh.  All while actually doing your hair (first time in months).

Step 3: Celebrate your bff's graduation with his MBA at the ol' Burgatory, surrounded by his family and friends.  Enjoy every moment of it.

Step 4. Reconnect with an old friend for a Starbucks.  Share thoughts, tears and be given roses.

Step 5. Celebrate your wonderful mother on Mother's day.  (She's pretty awesome).  Attend mass, go see Iron Man 3 (so good), give her a funny card.  

Know you are lucky to be a mom to the best puppy Sputnik, who gets you and his "gma" Blake Shelton tickets.  Also, send good wishes to your wonderful Grandma in Colorado.  

Step 6. Crash.  Be thankful that you were even able to have a weekend as such and then spend the next 48 hours or so in bed.  

Step 7. Go to hospital for 4th Plasma Exchange. Tell your nurse that your veins are rough and to be nice and have her not listen.  Have the nice nurse come to the rescue and find a better vein, all while having your so thought clotted vein explode and blood go everywhere.  

Step 8. Go back to bed.  Be thankful for what you have.  Know that you are getting better, even if slowly.  Drink a Starbucks.  Text a friend.  Hope.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekends and Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers!!

Love,

Things About Me Part 2

Today I am so over MS.  I'm so over needles and blood and drugs and things not working.  So over applying for disability and all the hurdles they make you run through.  I'm over it all, for today anyway.

Plasma exchange part two began with a very rough start, digging and digging in my vein until finally another nurse came and said "let's start anew".  I'm still bleeding, my arm hurts and I have a nasty battle wound growing.  Ugly.  

 I was gifted with roses  and beer today.  That was definitely a positive.

So, due to me being so over MS, I decided it'd be a great opportunity to focus on me. (;  Or rather, things about me.

I did part 1 about 9 months ago (can be found here: http://sparklebutonce.tumblr.com/post/28932747963/thingsaboutme).  

It was a great exercise then, reminding me that though I have rough days and might have a disease that is mean to me, I still have some fun and interesting qualities and history.  So here we go again (and again, I encourage you to do the same exercise.  It's fun!)

• I would love to own a Range Rover, even though it doesnt fit in the "Jeep or BMW only" category.
• Shopping is an activity that I best enjoy alone.  If I need an opinion, I'll text a picture. 
• I despise Mayo.  Even just looking at it makes me gag.
• I think brick streets are beautiful.  No matter how ghetto the houses/area are surrounding it.
• I have lived in the ghetto.  I lived a block away from a shoot out.  Upon hearing fireworks, I would always drop to the floor.  You never knew.  (I should probably clarify that this "ghetto" was during my college years).
• I can listen to a song on repeat for hours.
• I love mail, sending and receiving.  The fact the post office might not be delivering mail on Saturdays makes me sad. 
• My longest relationship was 1 year, 10 months.  
• Once my mom left for the weekend with the words "when I come back, I dont want it to look like a tornado came through!".  An hour before she arrived home, a tornado came through our town, destroying shopping malls, houses, my high-school.  It wasnt our fault.
• My highschool was as large as my college, student population wise.
• In highschool I worked at the local ice cream hut/hang-out.  It was fabulous.  To this day, I can still do a pretty good twist soft serve.
• Ron Paul is my very favorite politician.  
• I was notorious for locking the keys in a certain car.  We definitely got our AAA money out of that one.
• Ive watched the movie Titanic close to 100 times, if not over.
• I once convinced a group of kids that I was a real life princess.  They (and mom) believed me.  It was fabulous. 
• When little, I would sign my name and say "Be sure to keep this, I'll be famous someday".  Such a princess.
• I love men in suits.  Its a weakness.
• My love language is gift-giving.  I love to give gifts (even if its small) as well as receiving.  
• My family and I have spent the night with a pack of coyotes.  They were so close you could feel and hear them sniffing our scents.  I dont think my sister, brother and I have ever snuggled that much in one night.
• One of my pet peeves is when people complain about having too much to do (Im not going to say I never commit this crime).  Just do it.  
• I believe the welfare system needs to be re-evaluated. 
• Fashion is powerful.
• With regards to friends, quality over quantity always trumps.  
• I've gone over a waterfall in a kayak with my sister.  (I wont admit how large the waterfall was).
• Once while babysitting my siblings, I got this great idea to make a fire for smores.  So we used one of mom's pots, got some sticks from the backyard, used some lighter fluid and started a fire.  Ruined the pot.  Burned the patio table. Almost set the deck on fire.  Still thought of as a cool babysitter by my siblings.
• I love champagne.  Bubbles.
• A rule was more clearly defined in the college handbook due to my, um, abilities to work around rules.
• I dont believe in soul mates.  I believe in love.  I believe in falling in love.  But the thought of one person out there just for you doesnt work for me.  Im not that romantic.
• However, Im romantic enough to love the idea of a prince charming arriving without any effort.  But then Im a realist too. (:
• The best days end with good night and love you's, either said or through text.
• I believe your work reflects your determination.  If you want that great job with a fabulous office, then I better see your butt working for it.  It rubs me when people are handed things in life.   
• I believe there should be a book written about Abe Licoln and his "real life".  His real, cocaine buying (I have read proof of this), depressed life.  The title: "The Other Side of the Penny".
• I make up words, often, without realizing that they arent words.
• I have a very quick rebound rate.  Give me 10 minutes to cool off and I'll come back, apologizing for anything I've done wrong and then go on living in life.
• Unless I run away from home.  Then I may be gone for a while.  (;
• My overall goal in life is to get through to my last day with a smile, no enemies, have learned from my regrets, and ready for the next stage of heaven, where I hope they serve Starbucks. (Wouldnt it be awesome to drink Starbucks with God? Yes.)
• I look forward to eventually turning this all in to a book.
• When I cry, my whole face turns ugly.  I try not to cry when people can see me.
• I dont have any special talents, like touching my nose with my tongue.  I cant even throw a yo-yo.  And I'm ok with that.
• My favorite place to be is on the shore.  My second favorite is on top of a mountain.  
• My family tree is quite interesting.  And I learn something new all the time about it.  I love it.o
• I feel better about life after writing down things about me. The end.

Have a great day sparklers!!

Love,

Prayers for Boston

Yesterday something so pure and historic, a tradition upheld by many, was disrupted.  The Boston Marathon was bombed.  

Definitely prayers for those in attendance, those suffering due to it, the government that they can come to the source and for the person behind the incident. 

Much love, Eliz