Cocktail Meets Chalkboard

Those of you who have been reading for a while (or see me on a daily basis) know that I love love LOVE cocktail rings.  I also adore accessories with whimsy and imagination.  So this ring on Etsy is the perfect blend of my two loves!

  {via Evrydiki’s Etsy shop}

I think it would be a fun conversation piece and a great way to inject some fun personality into any outfit.  If you can think it and write it, why not wear it?  Think of all the possibilities!  This little gem is going to need to meet me in Chicago :) 

What would you write and wear?

Birthday Thanks and a Great Birthday Find

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I want to send a giant THANK YOU to all of my dear friends, family, and followers for the sweet birthday messages yesterday!  My birthday was delightful, and I can already tell that 26 is going to be a very blessed year.  I was going to post a few birthday pictures from yesterday, but since I am a firm believer in celebrating one’s birthday week, I figured I’d wait until Sunday to post all of my birthday goodness.  No need for a full week of self absorbed posts (not that a full week of self absorbed celebrating is that different lol) but nonetheless…I’ll do a full recap on Sunday :)

However…there is one part of my birthday that I simply can’t wait until Sunday to blog about because it is so so so so so awesome that I just HAVE to share.  Be prepared that this news might cause many of you to instantly jump in your car and fly to the closest mall.  For realz, it’s that big.

I have discovered the best find at Forever 21.  And I mean, THE.BEST.  I will pause here for a moment to say that I have a weird relationship with Forever 21, and by weird, I mean, “I usually can’t stand it or find anything there, though every other cute blogger I know always finds good things there which makes me feel like a loser, but I continue to try and why can’t their sizing be more normal” kind of weird.  Anyone feel me on this?  However, I saw a really cute top on a blogger that I was determined to find.  So I treated myself to a mid afternoon birthday shopping trip, and given that our mall has um, like, 2 decent stores, I ventured to see my “weird” pal, Forever 21.  However, once I walked in, I forgot about the top I went for as I saw rack after rack of maxi dresses.  Now, another pause is needed to tell you how much I love maxi dresses.  They’re great for summer, easy to throw on, travel friendly, and second day leg shave friendly.  (Don’t act like you don’t know what I mean.  I know you know what I mean.)  Anywoo…my maxi dress obsession has a major glitch.  I am 5'10" minus a smidge, and well, maxi dresses made to fit 5'10" minus a smidge girls don’t really exist.  Ok, they exist, but very rarely.  So imagine my shock and awe when I tried on one of the seventeen maxi dresses and…omg, no way, really, it can’t be?  It fits!  It’s LONG ENOUGH.

Upon this discovery, I quickly ran through the store shouting “they’re long enough, they’re long enough,” grabbing every maxi dress they had in my size.  Literally.  Every.maxi.dress.in.my.size.  (Five in total.)  It’s not every day a tall girl can find a maxi dress that hangs below her knees, much less one skims the ground.  Hellls yeah.  Happy birthday to me :)

When I got home, still in shock over my discovery, I laid out my new lovelies to make sure I hadn’t dreamed of my marvelously long maxi dresses.  And because I know you all want to marvel as well…

Aren’t they beautiful?!  And their true beauty isn’t even on full display here because their true beauty is the fact that they’re long enough.  Long enough.  Sigh…I can’t say it enough, (long enough.)  Hahahha, sorry, I couldn’t help myself.  And by the way, do not make the same mistake as my husband.  I did not buy two identical dresses.  The patterned dresses?  One’s brown, one’s black.  The black dresses?  One has straps, one doesn’t.  Totally different, silly husband.

So, if you are a tall gal like me, run, not walk, to the closest Forever 21 to claim your newest summer BFF (or five.)  And just consider the tip an early birthday gift from me to you.  Because, it was definitely a sweet birthday gift to me!

Happy 26th! (and a Year in Review)

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Today I am so blessed to be celebrating my 26th birthday!  I am so incredibly blessed, and I am so thankful for all the incredible people who make my life so sweet.  The years seem to be flying by faster and faster, and I can’t believe 25 has come and gone already.  And because I’m a firm believer in reflection and revisiting where I’ve been…I took some time to think about all of the great things I’ve experienced being 25!

I rang in my 25th birthday celebrating with friends in the Texas Hill Country.  We had planned to float the river, but in a freak Texas weather incident, the temps dropped below 60, and we’re entirely too wimpy to float in cold water.  So we enjoyed the wilderness a little more “my style,” in a three bedroom cabin with a gorgeous deck, grill, flat screen tv, firepit, and beautiful views.  It was a great start to what would be a fabulous year for me!

After being engaged for almost a year, Matt and I’s wedding events went into full force this past spring.  My bridesmaids and bridesmen (yes, I had guys in my bridal party) threw me a fabulous bridal shower and my sweet mom flew in all the way from London to be there for it.

We celebrated Matt’s 26th birthday with a little surprise party.  (Surprise for him, sneaky planning for me!)

In May, my bridesmaids and friends headed to Dallas for an insanely fun bachelorette party weekend.  I was pretty firm about not wanting the typical bachelorette party, and my friends were fabulous in giving me exactly what I’d envisioned and more.  I wish I could have that same weekend once a month!

After two years of living in London, my family finally moved back to the States in June, and though I know they were sad to leave their life there, I was SO glad to have them back in Houston and much much closer to me!

The highlight of my 25th year was without a doubt, Matt and I getting married.  My life has changed so much since meeting Matt, and I was so thrilled to become husband and wife on June 26th, 2009.  Here we are on June 25th, at our rehearsal with our dear family friend and pastor (who flew all the way from England to marry us!)

June 26th was magical…

…and I am so very blessed.

The best vacation of my 25th year was definitely our honeymoon.  A few days after the wedding (we lingered in Dallas a few days so we could spend more time with family and rest up a little bit before our trip), we headed to Playa Mujeres, Mexico for a dream vacation.  I can’t even tell you how many times a week I dream to be back at this place (with our friend, Pineapple Man, and the yummy drink he contained.)

In August, we headed to Toronto for a conference.  We were able to venture out from the nerdfest quite a bit and really enjoyed the city, especially the Art Gallery of Ontario (shown above.)

The fall of my 25th year was not the best for me.  I had lots of drama and stress surrounding my degree, and for a moment, my confidence and belief that I could get this dang Ph.D was really shaken.  But with the help of my incredible family and friends, I got through it, learned a ton, and came out a much stronger person.  It was after this, that I started this little blog, I guess as a way to get back in touch with myself.  I got a much needed break from all the stress when my little bro decided he was serious about becoming a Sooner.  We took an official college visit and got the OU VIP treatment.  Boomer!

We spent Thanksgiving in Arizona with Matt’s family and continued the tradition of the early morning Turkey Trot.  (Umm, please notice Matt’s face; he’s on the left.  Hahahha, that is one intense looking trot!)  I adore Matt’s family and could not imagine a more welcoming group of people.  I heart them.

In December, we spent our first Christmas together as married people, and I was giddy over getting (say that five times fast, “giddy over getting”) a Christmas card that started with “To my wife…”  Eeek!

I rang in new years as a 25 year old with my best friend and my boy (and some other people of course.)  Another highlight of my year, my best friend Jordan got engaged.  Hooray!

After traveling all over the freaking country for Matt’s interviews, we fell in love with Chicago and crossed our fingers we’d end up there!  Luckily (and with lots of prayers from lots of people) we found out the Windy City will be our home next year!  We’ve went back to visit a second time and found a precious little home to live in!

I’ve been so blessed this year am continually grateful for the people in my life who make life so meaningful.  I’m also so grateful to this little blog, the joy it has given me, and the wonderful, wonderful people I’ve been able to meet through it.  25 has been absolutely fantastic and I have a feeling 26 is going to be filled with lots of fantastic stuff, and as always, a few surprises!

Giveaway Winner!

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Hello and happy Sunday!  I hope you all are enjoying a relaxing and refreshing afternoon and end to your weekend.  (I wish I was enjoying those tasty treats in the picture!)  Things here have been relatively peaceful this weekend, as we’ve enjoyed the beautiful weather, dinner with friends, and a fun little silent auction yesterday afternoon.  (Am I the only person who has a weird obsession with silent actions?!  I don’t know if its the good deals, the fact that it goes to a good cause, or the secret sense of competition, but I LOVE silent auctions!)  Its also been so nice to catch up on some much needed rest as well as some little errands that have been piling up lately.

Speaking of stuff that has been piling up, I am a little behind in announcing the giveaway winner!  I hoped to announce it by Friday, but time got away from me and I’m just now getting to it.  Better late than never right? :)  So without further delay…the winner of the chic little travel jewelry box is…

Norma!  Hooray and congrats on your new travel accessory!  Email me at smartandsassywithsprinkles@gmail.com and I will get you in contact with CSN stores to get your sweet new prize mailed out!

Thanks to all those who entered, I adore giveaways so I have a feeling it won’t be too long till I host another one!

Oh and ps: tomorrow is my birthday!  Woo hoo!  So I am off to enjoy my last day of being 25 :)  Have a fabulous rest of the weekend!

Happy 101 Award!

I was so delighted to open my laptop this morning to see a lovely, and thoughtful shout out from Chelsea at The Vintage Chair.  I’ve seen the Happy 101 Award floating around blogland, and I was so honored that she thought of me.  I also wanted to say a big thank you to Ashley at As a Matter of Opinion for bestowing me with the Honest Scrap Award a while back.  It came in the middle of a crazy time for me, and I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner  (Ashley, please forgive my scatterbrainess!)  So if its ok, I’m going to cheat a bit and respond to them at the same time, with ten things that make me smile-from-ear-to-ear-happy!  (I stole a few of these from the Happiness Challenge I did a few months ago.  No reason to completely reinvent the wheel right?)

1. My husband.  Predictable, I know, but my life has changed dramatically since I met Matt, and I can honestly say that I’ve never met someone who makes me laugh as often or as hard as Matt.  He gets me, even the parts of me that I sometimes don’t get, and he loves me unconditionally.  I am so so blessed and thankful to be sharing my life with such an fun and incredible guy.

2.  My family.  We have always been that crazy, strange family who loves hanging out together and laughing at things other people just don’t get.  Even as a kid, I would gladly pass up a sleepover invite to stay home and watch a movie and with family.  My little brother is the light of my life and the motivation behind so much of what I want to do.  Being a good big sister is the accomplishment I’m most proud of to date.  (This picture was taken in Positano, Italy two summers ago.  If you haven’t been, add it to your must-go-to list!)

3. Celebrating the small stuff.  In my family, we celebrate everything, no matter how big or how small.  Every year on the last day of school, my parents would print out a banner with something like, “See ya second grade, hello third grade!”  We celebrated Valentines Day as a family with heart shaped pizza, we celebrated St. Patty’s Day with a green dinner where my mom would add green food coloring to everything (yes, we had green milk and green mashed potatoes, and yes, it was awesome), and when my mom was pregnant with my brother, we had a “congrats you’re gonna be a big sister” celebration.  I’ve translated this into my “adult life” having parties to celebrate Matt’s first solo publication, friends getting accepted into various programs and internships, and having a 100 followers party.  Life is short, celebrate the small stuff!

4. Diet Dr. Pepper.  I’m from Texas, and no Texas girl can survive life without this delicacy.  For real yall.

 5.  Thrifting with my mom.  I love things that have history, things that tell a story.  I love things that have been loved by someone else and things that show they can stand the test of time.  There is no better way to discover these things than thrifting, and my mom and I have made this experience into quite the adventure, though we prefer the term “treasure hunting.”  It’s a bit more inclusive (garage sales, flea markets, family hand-me-downs, thrift stores, etc.)  Our treasure hunting was put on hold when my parents moved overseas, and it’ll be put on hold again when Matt and I move to Chicago next month.  But I have no doubt what we’ll be doing when my mom comes to Chicago to visit!

6. Longtime friends.  I love all of my friends, and I am all for branching out and discovering new relationships with each phase that life brings you.  However, I think there is something to be said for longtime friends, friends who have known you for years and friends who have experienced you at so many points in your journey.  No matter how often we see each other or how often we talk, there’s just something about the bond you share with longtime friends that makes me happy.  And these three ladies certainly fit that bill!  (That’s me on the far right.  Short hair is a definite “never again” for me!)

7.  Tiny, local restaurants.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good trip to Chili’s or Olive Garden once in a while, but sweet, small, hole in the wall restaurants just warm my heart.  I don’t know if it’s the people, the food, the cozy atmosphere, or the feeling that the spot is someone’s pride and joy, but something about these places makes me really happy.  Matt and I have our own favorite spot where we live, and it’s so special to us, we got engaged just outside of it, on a wooden bench.

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8. Christmastime.  I know lots of people enjoy Christmas, but I actually prefer the 24 days before Christmas (though I try to always be mindful of the reason for season.)  The tunes, the spirit, the weather, the get togethers, the trees, the family traditions, the Nutcracker…I could go on and on.  Oh how I looove me some Christmastime!

9.  Finding an old mix cd. In college, it was the cool thing to do to make your friends mix cd or mark a special occasion or roadtrip with its own soundtrack.  Though that idea has now evolved into an iPod playlist, there is nothing like finding an old mix cd stuffed at the bottom of your car console, desk drawer, or suitcase.  I found one from my junior year in college and was literally rocking out like a crazy person to Wilson Phillips, old school Gwen Stefani, and early 50 Cent for weeks.  I encourage you to dig up an old mix cd; I promise you won’t be able to stop smiling!

10. Blogging.  I started my blog about six months ago, and I had no idea how much joy it would bring me.  There is something magical about intentional reflection, connecting and sharing encouragement with so many different people, and having a little place to call my own.  But blogging wouldn’t be blogging with each and every one of you, so thank you, for being a part of my daily happiness!

To pass the happiness around, I am excited to share the Happy 101 Award with ten other delightful bloggers who keep me smiling each and every day.

Amber at Amber’s Notebook

Kelly at Just a Girl in a City

Jessica at Living the Swell Life

Anne at Get Your Martha On

Anh at 9 to 5 Chic

Jordan at Living in Leopard, Relaxing in Rhinestones

Amy at kelinda.KELINDA

Melissa at Martinis and Football

Lauren at Busy Bee Lauren

…and Belle on Heels

Happy Thursday to all of you!  May you find yourself smiling from ear to ear sometime this afternoon!

The Best Kind of Morning

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This morning, I got to have my favorite type of morning.  Snoozing for a while, then slowly getting up, not in a hurry to jet off to work or class.  I got to enjoy a cup of coffee and a bowl of Life cereal, while reading through emails, checking blogs, and listening to my favorite Pandora station.  All of this while wrapped up in my favorite, cozy leopard robe.  It was simply delightful and the perfect start to my Wednesday.  What are your favorite kind of mornings?

Live (and Giveaway Reminder!)

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(And don’t forget to enter my giveaway for this precious little jewelry box.  The giveaway ends tomorrow night!)

Early Birthday Celebration and Easter Weekend Recap

Why is coming back after a three day weekend so hard?  You’d think it would be easier, especially after such a lovely weekend, but no no, when my alarm went off the morning I groaned and cursed all sorts of crazy.  But if it weren’t for Mondays, we couldn’t look forward to Fridays, so I’ll deal.  Speaking of Fridays, this past Friday was a lovely start to my long weekend and birthday celebration with my family.  My mom, brother, and I had quite a bit of shopping success in Houston.  I took advantage of Ann Taylor’s 40% off sale, and I must say, I am loving their recent revamp.  I am obsessed with tissue cardigans and long flowy tanks, and right now, Ann Taylor is doing both really well.  I snagged two great cardigans, this pretty petal top, and a black top that I won’t attempt to describe (and can’t find on their website), but can totally envision myself rocking in our new city with skinny jeans and black boots.  Then, we moved onto to Anthro so I could use my birthday discount, and I showed quite a bit of self restraint, leaving with only three items.  One of which was my birthday dress, which I’ll wear when I celebrate with my friends in two weekends.  I love it so much that I have to share a sneak peek :)

The picture simply doesn’t do it justice, so if you want a closer look at the Castle Lake Dress, click here.  I love the rope detailing along the neckline.  Perfect for my upcoming birthday plans!  I also picked up this hat with the money my brother gave me for my birthday.  I have been looking for a hat like this for over a year, but I can’t ever find one that looks quite right.  But this one did the trick for me, though my brother and Matt told me I looked like Jason Mraz lol.  I can’t wait to wear it to summer concerts in Millennium Park! 

Saturday my mom and I treasure hunted all morning, discovering some great (and some not-so-great) garage sales, as well as hitting up our favorite thrift stores.  We both found some great treasures, but rather than show them each individually, I think I’ll wait do a “spot the treasures” post when they’re out and arranged in our home.  That night, to celebrate my birthday, we were supposed to go out for a fun bday dinner, but unfortunately my little brother got really sick, so we stayed home.  My parents offered to take Matt and I anyway, but it wouldn’t be the same without my brother, so we stayed in, and my mom cooked fettuccini, my favorite meal of hers. 

But we since we weren’t going out to eat, and we had some time before dinner, Matt and I decided to go look at new cars  (look not buy!)  We have been talking about trading in Matt’s Aviator because it gets about an inch to the gallon and only takes premium gas, and with Matt having a 45 minute commute in Chicago, its just not doable.  (I wish I could say we’re thinking about the polar bears, but we’re not; we’re thinking about our wallets.)  But, we just went to look.

Annnnd we walked away with this.  Hahahaha, crazy, I know.  But we had a bottom line and they met it, so we went for it.  We were pretty sad, however, to get rid of Matt’s car.  It reminded me of a time when I was little and my parents got rid of their minivan.  My brother and I hated this van.  It was eons old, had no AC, was falling apart, and put out black smoke with any pressing of the gas or brake.  My little brother used to beg my dad to drop him off at the corner rather than in the drop off line at school because all the safety patrol kids covered their nose to avoid the smelly black smoke.  Hahaha, it was awful (but rather awesome now thinking about it.)  When they came to tow the car away (it was way past its trade in day) we all stood on the front porch watching it drive be towed away.  I have such a vivid memory of my brother and I cheering on the front porch while my parents cried.  They talked about all the memories, the trips, and the love in the car, and though I didn’t get it at the time, after Saturday, I totally understand.

Sad day.  I literally cried three times during the car buying process.  It wasn’t about getting rid of the car itself, but about the memories we had with that car and all the fun life events Matt and I have experienced in and with the car.  Sorry Mom and Dad for making fun of you and the black van.  I get it now.  However, Matt and I got over our sadness and celebrated in our first big purchase together as a married couple.  Of course, I got emotional and cried over that too :)

That night we opened presents, and my parents thoughtfully gifted me with a fabulous spa day at Bella Nova spa in Houston.  I absolutely cannot wait for a day of pampering!  Thanks Mom and Dad :)  As you can tell from the picture, we also popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate Matt and I’s new purchase.  Lots of celebrating all around!

Easter Sunday was delightful, and we started the morning off with an awesome message at church.  It was about the baggage we have in our lives, and it really spoke to me and energized me to make some important changes in my life.  They also brought in an amazing singer/songwriter, Sarah Reeves, who made for awesome praise and worship.  Loved her, loved the service, and love God’s incredible love for us.  After church, we came back to admire the lovelies left by the Easter Bunny and enjoy a highly competitive Easter egg hunt.  Though my brother and I are 18 and 25, my parents still indulge us in an egg hunt.  This was Matt’s first year to join in, and no surprise, Ryan and I kicked his butt :)

All in all, it was a delightful weekend!  Nothing makes me happier than hanging out with my family, and I am sad that we will be so far apart come May 25 (our official move day.)  Thanks to my sweet family for being so wonderful, I would be nothing without you. 

So what about you, how was your weekend, what did you do?  I’d love to hear! 

Hooray for 3 Day Weekends and Early Birthdays

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Happy Friday sweet friends!  I know lots of people are off work today for Good Friday and though I too am off work, it’s not for Good Friday…its for my pre-birthday shopping day!  (Ok, I lie a little.  I am technically off work due to the holiday, but am pretending I’m off because its National Allison is Going Shopping with Her Mom for Her Birthday Dress Day.  You all got the memo right?!

My birthday is around the corner (April 12) and though I usually obsessively anticipate my birthday months ahead, this year I’ve been a little slow on the uptake.  I don’t know if its the stress I’ve been under the past few months, the focus on our upcoming move, or what, but I’ve kinda been “ehhh” about the whole thing.  However, I got my Anthro birthday card in the mail earlier this week, and suddenly I perked right up!

So I’m headed home this weekend to celebrate an early birthday with my family.  My mom and I have a big weekend of shopping planned (Friday is Anthro, J.Crew, Banana, Nordstrom, and Ann Taylor day, while Saturday is our big treasure hunting/thrifting day.)  Of course its also Easter, and we’ll celebrate that on Sunday, but until then…happy early birthday to me!  (Guess I’m finally in the birthday spirit!)

On the task list this weekend?  Pick out a birthday dress for my celebration with my friends, score some new black shades, use my Anthro discount card like crazy wisely, hit Ann Taylor’s crazy big sale (40% off everything), and find some perfect spring wedges.  (God please don’t let Matt read this before the shopping day is over.)  Then Saturday, we’ll do a fun birthday dinner with my family and take an obsessive amount of pictures which I’ll post later next week.  On Sunday, the focus shifts to something more important though as we celebrate the joy and hope that Easter brings and give thanks for all the wonderful blessings God has given us.

So with that, I’m off to Houston!  Hooray for birthdays, early celebrations, and time with family!  Enjoy your weekend!

Make “Mom” a Contact

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Earlier this week, I mentioned that I was cocooned in my bed with a bad case of the sneezes/coughs/sniffles/sore throat/aches, and after two days and nights of consistent meds and pampering by Matt (being sick is a great excuse to be pampered), I felt better enough to go back to work/school on Wednesday.  However, apparently Nyquil has a longer hangover effect than I realized…

A group of our friends decided to meet on campus and then walk to Starbucks for a  midday caffeine pick me up.  (Having a Starbucks across the street from your office is a horrible blessing.)  As we waited for Matt, I sat on a bench texting away.  Then, Matt arrived, and we skipped off for coffee.  (Ok, I lie, we didn’t really skip, but it sounds ten times more delightful.)  Five minutes later, Matt gets a call from my mom.

Mom: “Matt, are you with Allison?”

Matt: “Yeah.”

Mom: “Please ask her where her cell phone is.”  (Matt disrupts my coffee ordering and asks me.  I begin to look through my purse though it quickly turns into a furious fumble.  OMG.  My phone, my Blackberry, my lifeline, where is it?!)

Matt: “She can’t find it.”

Mom: (laughing as she speaks) “That’s because she left it on campus, sitting on a bench.  Someone found it.”

Matt: “Wait what?  Talk to Allison…” (Apparently it was too much at once for Matt before his midday coffee.)

Matt handed the phone to me and my mom proceeded to explain the phone call she had just gotten.  Apparently, still in a Nyquil induced state, I set my phone down and then waltzed off for coffee.  Someone found my phone sitting solo on a bench outside my office, but since my phone isn’t bedazzled with my initials or anything (which I’m now rethinking having done, clearly it would’ve helped in this situation) they intelligently picked up my phone, scrolled through my contacts to find “Mom.”  When my mom answered, the incredibly wonderful good Samaritan said, “Hello, I just found your son or daughter’s phone on campus, but since I don’t know who they are, I thought calling mom would be a good place to start.”

Umm, how genius is this person?  Scrolling through to find “mom” in my contacts.  Brilliant. 

The moral of the story?  1.  Have your mom’s contact in your phone read “mom;”  no nicknames and no official synced Outlook contacts.  On the off chance a nice person finds your phone, they’ll know who to call and how to get it back to you.  2.  Avoid doing anything for at least 15 hours after you’ve taken Nyquil.  It apparently causes you to forget how to function.

PS: When I told this story to my dad, he vowed to change my mom’s name in his phone to “wife.”  A precautionary measure should someone ever find his lost phone.

PSS: I ended up knowing the awesome good Samaritan who found my phone.  In fact, she is a follower of my blog and a delightfully sweet person.  Thank you Jessica for being such a wonderfully smart person to search for “mom.”  You are a lifesaver; I heart you!