Party Planning Woes Part VI

Mya: Like I really want everyone I invited to come and participate. I really want everyone to get along point blank period. I know you’ve been salty with the entire planning and aggravated with everyone but don’t let it show. I feel both of you guys could have been a little nicer to one another. But it is what it is.

Party Planning Woes Part V

The next morning Mya and I had the following text conversation:

Mya: I woke up to screenshots of your conversation with Lynn.

Me: OK. Personally I feel like $150 is not asking for too much. She knew it would have been at least that much from initial planning. And to have the audacity to call me rude and unprofessional! If that ain’t the pot! We were supposed to plan this together and she went ghost for several months despite repeated attempts to contact her. I am not the one for her to try.

Party Planning Woes Part IV

Lynn: You having an attitude and being short is rude and unprofessional. I’m trying to speak to you and ask you questions and resolve issues. If you’re having a bad day say so but please don’t give off the impression that what Mya’s friends think, need and want as it relates to the biggest day of Mya’s life is miniscule to you.

Party Planning Woes Part III

What follows next is our text conversation (with my thoughts):

Lynn: Hey Hun I am so sorry about being out of touch. I have seriously been beyond busy with work and everything. It’s not an excuse but if we can text that wil …(at this point the message is cut off). I haven’t received an e-mail from you so can you brief me on everything via text?

Cry me a river about being busy with work. I’m busy too but I didn’t just go ghost. And yes you didn’t receive an e-mail because when I asked all the bridal party to send their addresses, you neglected to do that as well.

Party Planning Woes Part II

Unfortunately I ended one problem only to be faced with countless others. Perhaps I should have listened to Lynn and reduced the cost. Most of the bridal party told Mya they weren’t going because the price was too expensive if it wasn’t all inclusive. Mya even told me she wouldn’t pay that much for a trip and that my other friends and I have expensive taste.

Party Planning Woes Part I

Writing is therapeutic for me. I might seriously maim someone if I didn’t write out my feelings in a journal or on a blog (which I use to chronicle things that are just too long to write by hand). I present a series on my biggest stressor right now – planning a bachelorette party!

If someone would have told me beforehand that planning a bachelorette party was going to be a massive headache, I might have gracefully bowed out of the position.

My oldest friend (we go back to the crib literally) declared me the Maid of Honor for her wedding taking place in November. Her sister is Matron of Honor and is planning the bridal shower. My job is the bachelorette party. For some reason I thought it would be a piece of cake.

Naked hour

My kind of t-shirt!

I like being naked. Really. Like. It. As a result I have implemented a daily naked hour. Each day I strip down and lay in the bed. It’s refreshing and gets me energized.


It began one particularly hot afternoon when I came home from work and announced, “I need to lay down and be naked for at least one hour.” Living in Florida means it’s hot 90 percent of the time. That in turn means I’m always sweaty and irritable. Couple that with wearing a bra (a torture device for women), and you have one unhappy camper. Naked hour lets me get my nerves together and allows me to cool off in body and mind.

The Principles of Envelope Addressing

Follow this guideline for envelopes.

Students don’t seem to know how to write letters, much less address an envelope, these days. I am on a crusade to make sure that changes. An interesting exchange with a student sparked my motivation for this cause. The way he addressed an envelope left me flabbergasted. The middle was left blank and he placed the address of the recipient in the upper left-hand corner.

the PK plight

Sometimes I feel like people assume because my dad is a pastor they can just recruit me for all things church related without advanced notice, proper preparation or training. They think I know how to do most things church-related. Sure I grew up in the church, but I wasn’t really involved in all the behind the scenes inner workings. I joined a church in January, and since then they have had me doing this that and the other.

the silent game

Last weekend I attended an improv show in Jax with a new friend. She rode with me to the show, but her fiancé was picking her up later. Not long after it ended, the fiancé was on his way. The show was in the downtown area, and somehow he got lost. Considering the roads and layouts of downtown, that’s not too hard to do.

The problem with preschoolers



Preschoolers = the Kindergarteners from Recess.

 It takes a special person to teach children, especially preschoolers. That person is NOT me.

I was recruited to assist with the preschool class at Vacation Bible School last week. I work with the youth ministry at church and even help out in Sunday School with the primary class when needed. A Vacation Bible School class would be easy. Or so I thought.

Give Dad his due

Is it just me or do good dads not really seem to get the love and respect they deserve on Father’s Day? Take for instance the cards available for the occasion. Father’s Day cards are a joke compared to Mother’s Day. Most seem to be filled with back-handed compliments, undercover insults or are just plain rude. Fathers are often portrayed as lazy, henpecked or worse in those cards. If I see one more card saying, “Dad here’s your day to do absolutely nothing and not get in trouble with Mom!” I am going to call Hallmark and give them a piece of my mind.

The definitive reunion

“Reunited and it feels so good!” Peaches and Herb were on to something with that song. It does indeed feel good to be reunited as I discovered during my class reunion last week.

reunion worries

My high school senior shirt.

Suddenly ten years don’t seem quite that long. In just two days I’m attending my first class reunion. Can you believe it? The days have gone by too quickly. It feels like just yesterday I was walking the halls of high school (actually I was because my job involves working with students, but you catch my drift). 

Business hours

Sometimes a dating woman needs business hours.

Gentlemen callers used to be a little more respectful of when they called a lady. A phone call after 12 a.m. was a definite no-no (unless you were a booty call at which point respect is not a factor). Unfortunately, I’ve started to notice that guys are calling later and later and thinking it’s OK. Newsflash fellas: IT’S NOT! For that very reason a dating woman needs business hours for male callers.

Better, not bitter

Back in my dating prime I didn't take break-ups, disappearing acts or ending "friendships" too well. One minute you're all sprung, infatuated or in “like” with a person. The next they're saying you're unable to reciprocate what you expect in return or are too goofy for them. Even worse they might just disappear from the face of the Earth without even a messenger pigeon.

the letter

Dear Wesley,
Where's my letter?
Signed your friend,
Toni

Letter writing seems to be a dying art form these days. Facebook, Twitter and e-mail have done away with sending messages, except for the occasional Christmas card. Randomly I send letters or cards to folks whenever the mood strikes (usually at Easter and during the summer). In most cases, people either write me back or at least acknowledge receiving the correspondence. Such was not the case with a certain celebrity.

Green-I-am

Would you like green eggs and ham?

Green Eggs and Ham always was hilarious to me. Sam-I-am was just so persistent about getting the other character to eat the dish. The story was a good example of how we should be open to trying new things. Not to long ago I had my own green eggs and ham experience.

Hymnology 101

The leader always has this handy when lining a hymn.

Growing up a preacher’s child exposed me to a lot of church traditions throughout my childhood, such as hymn lining. Unfortunately future generations might miss out on it. A few months ago I watched a video about hymn lining becoming a disappearing tradition. Hymn lining is a form of call and response and dates back to slavery times within the black church. Typically a leader sings, or lines, the verses of a hymn in a suggested tune and the congregation repeats in kind. The leader chooses from a variety of meters to line the hymn to, such as common, short and long. Thus lined hymns might be sung in a different tune from how one normally hears it.

the pat down

Nothing to hide here

This time last week I was preparing to head to merrye olde England and gay Paree! Thursday at the butt crack of dawn (also known as 5:30 a.m.) I got up to shampoo and style my hair before we left. I knew we would be constantly on the go during the trip and didn’t want my hair to be a major concern. Also I didn’t want to give TSA a reason to pat down my hair. I’ve read horror stories about the experience. If celebrities have to go through pat downs, what hope would there be for me? Two-strand twists simply hanging down seemed like the best option to combat both problems. So I mixed up some curl-leeper (my fave product) and shea butter and twisted away. Typically twists are how I wear my hair during domestic travels. I never had a problem. Until this trip.