Brushing Up Against Fame

by Kristen

We've all had them, that moment when you see someone famous, you "brush up against fame", you maybe even have a conversation or a real moment with them. Some people know famous people and know them in their "non-famous" sense.

Well, recently I blogged about learning how to do the Butterfly swim stroke - huge accomplishment for me. And I mentioned Michael Phelps, how we are buds. I thought I should make this clear, as some of you may doubt that I actually know him. We are, actually good friends. He's been busy so we've lost touch, but our hearts are still connected in that rare way that super close friends feel - like velcro, kind of, without the bad ripping noise.

Way back in the day, in 2001, before the 8 gold medals at the Olympics, Mike and I were hanging out at the airport together waiting in Boarding Area B for our Southwest flight. We were watching the television posted nearby and the swimming competition going on. It was the National Championships and we were watching an impressive young man as he swam the Butterfly. Whoo-Hoo, he won! We could hear the announcer and cheers on the t.v. He had just set a world record in the 200 meter butterfly. The man traveling with Mike, who I later came to know was his coach, was talking to him animatedly and critiquing the swimmer. Suddenly it dawned on me, "This kid next to me, is that swimmer on t.v." Of course I congratulated him, and we began a long and deep conversation. We talked about our childhoods - mostly his - and how he would watch his sister swim when he was little, then he began swimming and loved it, and by age 15 he was accepted onto the US Nationals Team. He was very humble about it all. But his coach kept joining the conversation and bragging on him. He finally said, "You just wait...you'll see him win golds in the Olympics". How right he was! Finally it was time to board and we regretfully parted company as there were not enough seats for us to sit next to each other, I felt my heart stretch painfully as I saw him wipe a tear from his eye as his coach pushed him on down the narrow plane aisle, as he whispered "good bye" to me. But I've kept tabs on him through the years, and I suspect he has kept tabs on me too. We just had one of those connections, you know?

So what is your "Brush with Fame"?

Exaggerations are not only accepted, but expected. If you can't exaggerate, feel free to "remember big".

I should have voted.

It should have been Allison. Why can't we have a rocker chick as the Idol? I think Kris is cute cute cute and would totally have a 17 year old crush on him but Adam is the one I would pay to see in concert. Can you say "Rock Star"?

Randy Jackson said America always gets it right. But I'm not sure about that. What do you think? Did America choose the best Idol?

I have this amazing sister...

well, I'm not sure what to call her. Our parents were married for a while, so I can call her sister right?

Picture this, I'm sitting down reading Christmas cards and I open a darling letter from her family. I read all about the adventures of her 5 young children, her busy husband and then, I read that in addition to raising 5 kids (twins in there), owning a dance studio and teaching dozens of dancers each year, serving in her church and the daily tasks of house and home she has written a book!

An actual book. I can't even write my grocery list.

I can't wait to have this in my hands. I am so proud of her! Not only does it take talent to write like this, but perseverance to get it out there! To become a published author. Wow!

You should read it too. I read the first chapter and cannot wait to get this in my hands. You can buy it on amazon.com or through her publisher here. I think my 10 year old will really be into it too, especially because Aunt Laura is an author!

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby

Most people wouldn't call me a sexpert even though I am very good at sex.

I've talked to my kids about sex. I wanted them to hear it from me before they heard it at school. I want them to look at me as the expert on all things, including sex, so they can ask me the questions that most parents dread hearing. I want them to have their own knowledge, opinion, and information when they are exposed to their classmate's views on sex so that it won't be a big deal. I want them to view sex as a beautiful private gift between husband and wife and empower them to control their bodies and respect their sexual power.

So I try to be pretty open about it. Use the right names for body parts, answer questions about making out, oral sex, masturbation, what ever they need to know, I want them to ask me. Now, don't be thinking that my kids are comfortable bringing this up - they never mention it. We have to start the discussion every time and it isn't easy.

Knowledge is power, baby. But there can be too much of a good thing.



Did you see this Oprah? When the sex therapist suggests introducing something to your 15 year old daughter, she is suggesting giving her a vibrator. Check out the link here.

What they don't show you in this clip is the teenage girl's reaction. She basically said that it wasn't right. Lots of moms said it wasn't right. I agree. Aren't we sexualizing our children enough without focusing on how to teach them to be more sexually active?

I'd love to see a follow up show on how to keep our children innocent and protect them. How to teach our daughter's that they don't need to hurry and grow up and buy into the sexual pressure they are getting from the world, and if Dr. Berman has her way, from their parents!

What bothers me the most about this is the idea that has been pushed for the last 30 years that "kids are going to do it anyway, so let's be as supportive and helpful as we can!". I can feel myself getting pretty worked up about this. So I will turn it over to you. What do you think? Would you buy your 15 year old daughter a vibrator? Why?

Last year, I posted a blog about how to talk to your kids about sex Click Here to read it.

Would you wear it?

by Kristen

The Oscars have come and gone and all that remains is the buzz of fashion critiques. I don't claim to have the best sense of fashion, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't wear any of the following (even if my body size indicated I could).

Um...hello? Just because no one knows who you are doesn't mean you should dress like this...and the shoes?

I wonder if she gets good reception with that foil dress on?

Oh dear, Cyndi, forget the dress, what happened to your hair?

I used to have a negligee like this, but mine was black, and more modest.

What is with the epaulet on this buttercup yellow dress? The dress might work without it, it is just wierd.

Hmmmm...

Okay, this looks like she is wearing an uncomfortable thick brocade curtain which is ugly to boot. Can she even move in this?

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And lastly... the dress I actually really like and would love to see from the front, and yes, I would wear it in a heartbeat if I fit the dress...

Beautiful. I love the ruching in this dress. It's fabulous!

Pretty enough?

by Sally

Why?

Is Faith Hill not pretty enough?

The blurb on the cover says: Faith & Tim: What's normal about them (and what's not). Come on! Anything that is normal about her has been photoshopped out. Also, and this is just a side note, but take a sec to read all the headlines on the Redbook cover. Then notice the Redbook tag line: love your life. Really?

I don't usually read Greek men's magazines, but I thought the contrast in photos was interesting.

Did you photoshop your Christmas pictures? I am thinking I could give it a try and be 25 again. My children will have perfectly straight teeth.

The problem with this, of course, is that we (and our husbands, teenage daughters and sons) see these pictures and begin to believe that this flawless quality of appearance is normal. It's not. Faith looks great in the second picture. She looks like a real person who actually lives. Like a friend you might run into at the grocery store.

Another interesting example is here. If you have a teenage daughter, you should show her this.

After I wrote my first draft of this post, I was at Target. Walking past the magazines, I couldn't help but look a little more closely at the covers, and it made me sick. Next time you are in a store, take a look at the covers and the photos--the airbrushing and photoshopping is unreal. Literally.

And now for something a little less depressing:

How did the ocean say "hi" to the beach?

Gave it a little wave!

Celebrity Fashion

By Emily

If you haven't already heard of the term "fugly" let me catch you up to speed. Its a combo of the very very bad word "fantastically" (wink) and "ugly." Its a superlative for ugly--so, so ugly. Fantastically Ugly. Its not a very nice word to use when you think about it--but since when do people bother to think about what they say? Anyway, sometimes, just *sometimes, something can be so fugly, it's really fabulously fashionable.

Which brings me to this humorous site, with a not-so-nice-url, gofugyourself.com "Fugly is the new Pretty"

If you need a good laugh, or maybe you're just feeling bad about your wardrobe, why not turn to celebrity fashion mistakes to make you feel better. Ah, yes, how nice it is to laugh at someone else to make you feel better about yourself. Here's some Bossy advice: Lighten Up! Go find some fugly in your closet.



*this fugly is fab