first comes job, then comes marriage

Priorities, priorities, priorities. Let this little one be the first to tell you ... 

SIDENOTE: for the kids … and the four adults in the back of the theater

Sup. Good to be back after a long week/weekend. Reading a great book, enjoying the 60 degree weather turned winter snowstorm, and so ready to get my spring on.  Here goes:

• I recently led a focus group of driven teenage girls who will honestly go on to do great things. After wow'ing them with my teenage charm, I asked them what the one thing they couldn't live without is. I shared that for me, for example, it is bronzer in the winter.  Ummm, can we say ROLE MODEL?
• This past weekend I saw the Justin Bieber movie, in 3-D. That's right. Judge me. I laughed, I cried, I danced in my seat … and I'd do it all over again.
• As luck (and coincidence) would have it, I came down with a slight bug of sorts.  Lying in bed after my 3-D movie experience I was fighting off a temperature.  Come on, you know where I'm going with this …  you can't make this stuff up. Bieber fever.  Turns out advil and a glass of red wine - plus the full season of Shameless - are the cure for pre-pubescent boys with great hair. 
• While laying low, chatting on the phone and lazily resting the iPhone screen on my face, I hung up to find my cheek (my face cheek) accidentally texted my HS ex-boyfriend's best friend the following not-embarrassing-at-all message: "woopooppppoopoop" Dear Life, seriously?

And not to belabor the topic, but in getting to know the Biebs (please note, we're besties after he reached out to touch my hand), I most admired his appreciation for his young fans and not wanting to ever disappoint those who brought him to fame.  A moment to all the students who put themselves to the test this weekend. Who showed their appreciation to the children who must brave cancer. Who canned, supported, donated, and danced in this year's Penn State Dance Marathon (THON). Years ago when my friends danced for 46 hours straight we broke records at $4.5 million.  This year, efforts raised an impressive $9.56 million FOR THE KIDS. Still makes me so proud :)  

Off to break it down at my hip-hop class.  Hoping I've actually convinced my coworkers to pull some awesome guest posts together. Stay tuned, never say never and FTK.


-HMOH

HMOH tip #215: i do's and don'ts of announcing your bridal party

The British Monarchy's Facebook page (yes, true) announced the Royal Couple's bridal party just yesterday.  Even if 300,000+ fans are not waiting for your announcement with baited breath, there are a select group of your closest gossiping about who will make the "cut".  It sure is a great feeling to be asked to be a part of a wedding ... and there are great ways to do it.  I've been asked in person, I've invited myself (yep, true) via blog or at another person's wedding, and I've been asked via text message (I caution against this - it doesn't end well).  As a flowergirl and junior bridesmaid, I'm guessing you had to go through my manager, Mom.


Getting off easy, guys are much more of the camp for the "Yo, dude what are you doing on the day I'm getting married?  Want to be a groomsman so we can go to Vegas?" [INSERT GRUNT AND CHEST BUMP], but a recent "horror" story shared with me by a friend (read on) prompted me to share some DOs and one big DON'T on how to ask your bridemaids, and how to possibly let others down easily.  

• Do something special:  There are so many cute and personalized ways to ask your bridesmaids to be a part of your wedding.  Take them to lunch, send them a card (I love this one from NaughtyBetty.com) or get creative (ideas to come, swear it).
• Do it individually:  Don't mass text or email the ladies.  Each gal will play a special role in your day and deserves some one-on-one attention.
• Do let her know who else is in the bridal party:  She should be aware of who else will be a special part of your special day.  She should also know who you've spoken to already so she doesn't ruin any surprises, or who she can contact to get started on your destination bachelorette bash! p.s. A heads up that her ex is in the bridal party is a pretty good idea too
• Do your homework:  Read up on TheKnot.com's "Setting Expectations" to learn about what you can expect from your b'maids (and what they will expect of you)
• Do know if you ask the HMOH you'll have "black out dates":  Jackie had two weekends she couldn't get married because her best friend - slash I - had previous "engagements"; and yes, that pun was most certainly and cleverly intended

oh yea, and DON'T do this: Let's just for a moment imagine this "hypothetical slash it really happened to a friend on Saturday" story.  Your newly engaged friend gets into town for a weekend with her gal pals (yourself included).  She hasn't yet announced her bridal party, but you have a hankering feeling you might be one of the chosen ones.  You wouldn't be surprised either way, but the secrecy is killing you. She's set up a group dinner on Saturday night, which you were excited to attend.  You're walking on the Upper East Side and pass a local mani/pedi joint, just blocks from your apartment.  There, inside, are all your other friends ... plus the bride-to-be ... getting their nails did. Her treat. She's also shadily set up a bridesmaid dress shopping adventure with her bridesmaids (yourself NOT included).  Not. cool. dude.

Word to the wise bride-to-be.  A wedding party invitation is a great honor, but it's understood - or at least should be understood - that you can not include everyone.  In a situation like this, be responsible after you've formally asked your bridesmaids by letting "the lone soldier" know that you can't wait to spend your big day with her and hope she'll understand.  We're all adults and hell, she should be ok that THIS time she gets to pick out her own dress to wear to the wedding.  No seriously - what.does.that.even.feel.like? Don't think you can do it yourself? Call on your Maid of Honor or other connected friend to gently break the news so she doesn't (straight out of a movie) catch you while you're getting your mani on.  


-HMOH

happy valentine's day

Whether you're in love, in like, in it for yourself, in it for the long run or wore all black as your way of mourning today ...  Whether you choose to spend it with yourself, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your best friend, your partner, your spouse; right next to each other or miles apart.  Whether you're the type of person who takes photos of the flowers sent to your desk and posts it on Facebook, or the onlooker who just threw up in their mouth ... 

Yep, whether you like it or not ...  today is a day to take a moment to let those you love know you're thinking about them and l<3ve that they are a part of your world.

Happy Valentine's Day.

-HMOH

Eat. Drink. Be Married ... and other handmaid greats.

You said yes, I say yes to these handmaid* items on Etsy.com:

Customized Wedding Napkins: 50 for $17.99 

Photo Booth Party Props:  $52.00

nella Designs Personalized Love Silhouette (with date):  $38.00 

Customized Wire Bridal Hanger: $27.00

-HM*OH

SIDENOTE: barbie and ken get social

Sometimes us PR folks are up to great things.  In a time when everyone around me is tying the knot because they've found their "perfect boyfriend", this was worth sharing.


Now, not that it's saying much - but I made a pretty amazing life timeline alongside my Barbie dolls.  Like Barbie, I was going to be a ripe age of 25, size 0, and have a sweet convertible and three-story home (including elevator).  I was going to change outfits every 15 minutes (only wearing heels), head out to hot tub with my long locks and friend Midge ... and the two of us would make out with our hot boyfriends (namely Jordan Knight from NKOTB Barbie with his sweet braided rattail).  In the next day or so, we were going to get married, have three to five kids, and make out some more.


Well I guess Barbie didn't meet Papa John in college, move to NYC during a recession and date NYC boys. Still, I'm not far off with a few years and sizes tacked on. No car, studio apartment (hey, I do have an elevator) ... whatever.  Regardless, I LOVE what Mattel's done this Valentine's Day season in an attempt to bring Ken and Barbie back together after a controversial break back in 2004. I can only assume at the time that Ken was tired of living in her shadow, intimidated, and after years of dating, just "didn't want to be in a relationship right now."  

They always come back. The current attempt to win Barb back has social media buzzing.  Ken's been tweeting love notes, campaigning on his Facebook page, buying billboards in LA and NYC ... and if you're not with me and hoping she says yes, then you have no faith in second chances and "meant to be" plastic love.  It's reported there are more grand gestures in store.

To top it off ... as if finding out if your fave gal and her boy toy are really going to make it and all your wildest 5-year-old fantasies are coming true ... there's a reality show hosted by Whitney Port where "Ken-testants" (amaze.) try their hardest to prove they're the perfect boyfriend.  


Kudos on the PR and marketing efforts for this one ... nothing like rooting for an iconic reunion in time for V-day. 


And OH the possibilities: the grand engagement, wedding dress designers bidding to make Barbie's gown, Midge, Skipper and the others trying on bridesmaids dresses that they can "wear again", and of course Barbie and Ken's full-on registry at Toys R Us, Target ... 


TGIF.
-HMOH

SIDENOTE: snow what

February [feb-roo-er-ree] (noun): a great month for the sheer fact that it's missing two - three days PLUS has a bank holiday … not to mention it promotes bright pinks and reds, hearts, romantic comedies and baking.

I like that ol Feb wants to be its own person - screw the 30th and the 31st, I say. 

It's been a while since I "sidenoted" and laid some random thoughts down. Whether you're into it or not, here you are:

• Have you seen the previews for the new MTV show "I Used to Be Fat"?  Yea, well I used to be skinny.  Where do I sign up for that series?
• While I was caught off guard looking at all my random acquaintances' recently-birthed children (pics at 2 weeks, again at 3.25 weeks old, etc.) - all the while wondering when there will be a day that I too am obnoxiously posting every smile, fart and sweet new pint-size outfit on social media - a friend shared this link to an article entitled "Facebook Makes Me Sad Because Everyone is Happy But Us."  Great write-up on how envy comes from all angles.  The mid-twenty something living the dream in NYC can be jealous of the girl who never left home and is raising her two toddlers.  While mom's posting pics of her loving family for all to see, she's also cleaning smelly diapers and wishing she was living it up in a big city.  
• Snow is so 2010 and I'm so over it. I'm over the muddy slush that are New York City streets … the black hole that looks like pavement until you step in and realize you're shin deep in your Hunter rain boots and shit out of luck.
• Be jealous classmate not living the dream in NYC -  bet you wish you had daily friendly encounters like I do!  After a solid faceplant by yours truly on a slushy street corner, the helpful neighbor behind me watched me fall and graciously thanked me.  She'd be sure not to step there too.  Yep, de nads ma'am. I got you.  I'll also get myself up from here too. You be sure to step around this puddle I'm lying in.
• Seriously, post nasal drip is the least sexy thing ever.
• Never ever underestimate the power of a: warm cup of tea, Emergen-C, post-it note, night in spent baking cupcakes, "for no reason" trip to the party store, new nail polish line and great pair of rain boots.

I feel like the start of the year brought a bit of a lull, but I'm getting my groove back. That Groundhog best get its shiz together and bring me pastels, wedges and a little Spring in my step soon.

-HMOH