11 April 2012

March Comes In Like A Lion And...I'VE BEEN A TERRIBLE BLOGGER?

Yes, I know. I've been remiss. Things have been crazy busy here lately though and for that, I apologize. I promise I'll be better about blogging now that I'm doing some spring cleaning around the house (the impetus being RL's visit and the emptying of some boxes and clutter) and will try to be more on the ball about things.

I love springtime. The lilacs, tulips, cherry blossoms, azaleas, and all the other colorful blooms are out. Not to mention it's the beginning of Major League Baseball season and yet another chance to wish my beloved Cubbies luck at the pennant.

What do you love most about this time of the year?


02 April 2012

Bring It Sista!

See that girl below? That's my BFF and Sissy. Since you'll probably hear me mention her a lot here on Bouquet of Bubbly, I thought I'd introduce you. For the sake of this blog, she shall henceforth be known as RL.

I am so happy that she is coming to spend the holiday weekend with me and to have some much deserved and long overdue girl time together!

Here's a few morsels about RL:

Although she's graduate of psychology from Boston University, RL is a self taught tech maven and because of this holds the distinction of being an in-house Director of IT for a nationally acclaimed law firm in the Chicago area. She shares a high rise apartment with her two "babies" - Moe and Cuddie - adorable felines that look like something off of a greeting card.

She is a true girly girl: all things pink, heels (even to the beach!), bags (we initially bonded over our mutual penchant for all things LV) , and mani-pedis are her signature. Yet, she can knit a mean scarf, disassemble a motherboard, and locate the source of an HVAC problem. 

We disagree over condiments (she thinks ketchup is the sauce of champions) and beverages (she likes Boba Tea and makes fun of my diet pop purchases). Although the latter two atrocities are tempered by our shared love of copious amounts of caffeine, ginger (not simultaneously - natch), and Stewart and Colbert.

 She peppers her sentences with the occasional F-bomb and laughs at my euphemisms. 

BUT
BUT
BUT

at the crux of all the humorous juxtapositions is the real reason I love her.

She is my soul sister.

She calls/texts to check in on my son and daughter regularly (they even have a key to her apartment in case of an emergency!), celebrates them when they accomplish something (she sent Penn State t-shirts when my daughter was accepted to PSU) and cheers them on when they've had a hard day (she texts my son during his wrestling meets across the miles even when he loses a match to let him know he's a winner in her book).

She champions my husband. It was actually through him that she and I met (they were roommates and coworkers while living in Florida back in 2003), but our own friendship grew separate of that triad and I love that. She encourages his business ventures and ideas and is always there to lend a hand.
She knows my darkest secrets and will take them to her grave and vice-versa. I cherish this loyalty and the profound depth at which she holds it sacred. 

She encourages my writing and art and always knows just what to say when I feel overwhelmed.
Sometimes words or texts aren't even necessary and we understand that silence is precisely what the other one needs at the moment. In fact, even when we disagree with one another, the rifts never last more than ten minutes because we know each other's heart and intentions.

RL knows she can call or text me at any hour and vice versa (it doesn't hurt that we both have sleep issues) and I'm there for her (even on birthdays/anniversaries/holidays our friendship is open 24/7 with no breaks or days off).

We share an affinity regarding crazy parents divorces and mothers (although RL's madre is decidedly less kooky than mine, she "gets" my issues and I never have to expound on my explanations to her when venting). 

She has a generous spirit and believes in the Pay It Forward concept. Another reason we bonded from the get go.

RL brings out the best in me and I know without a doubt that we will grow into Golden Girls together with a friendship that spans/stands a lifetime.

What does your best friend bring out in you?
Submit your Best Friend story and enter to win a Sephora gift card. Please send your tale (no longer than 400 words) to PressForChampagne@Gmail.com. The winner will be announced on May 2nd.