My Best Friend's Birthday

How many birthday's have we celebrated since we've known each other? More than we'd care to admit.
Friends through it all, you and me, like two pieces of a puzzle that are the perfect fit.

Growing up together, how I remember long days of fun and adventure. We we never far from each other, neither one wanting our time to end if a guess, I had to venture.

Elementary school was a life full of dreams, junk food, and sleepover parties. We told ghost stories and did makeovers and considered ourselves the ultimate smarties!

High School was harder, you were older and  socially trying to make your way. So I stayed in your shadows and understood; a younger best friend needed to stay out of the fray.

Then college came, and we parted ways and made lots of  new friends. No longer down the street, we lost touch but inside our hearts knew this was not to be the end.

You moved.
I got married.
We didn't talk for years.

Yet the second we found each other again we laughed through the tears.

Our second act, as they say, has been quite a ride! Together we've loved and we've lost and we've marveled at accomplishments with pride. This time distance wasn't an issue, as you occupied both coasts.  I'll always be there, you know, you are my family and family is what matters the most.

So you're stuck with me San, and that's not so bad because to me, you are the best friend a girl ever had.
Happy Birthday to my BFF, here's to many, many more, and to the memories we will make and to what ever else our lives together have in store.....

I love ya!

We Have Contact!

I have been wearing contact lenses now for about six months. I recently did something I've always wanted to do-I got colored contact lenses! My first pair arrived last week with my own prescription and I immediately put them in my eye. The result is not too different than that of the picture above. Needless to say, I love them! It's me, only slightly different, and with lighter eyes. I couldn't wait to show them off and get everybody's reactions but I had no idea what was to come. Everybody reacted alright-some positive, some not so positive.

My mom-"You don't look any different to me, but I love them!"

My dad noticed right away-"You have colored contacts on! They look great!"

Frick-"Mom, are you wearing colored contacts? You look awesome!"

A work colleague-"What did you do different? Did you cut your hair? You look fresh! Like you just came from the spa. Did you do botox?"

Some of my very good friends took a moment to notice only AFTER I pointed them out-"Oh yeah...I like them!"

But my boys? Not so much.

Frack- "Mom, something's wrong with your eyes!! Look in the mirror!! You look like a werewolf!!"

And most of all My Guy- "Honey, there's something wrong with your eyes! It doesn't look good. Like you look sick."

Everybody has an opinion. Safe to say, I'm having a great time freaking people out but My Guy is having the hardest time with them. Not one to adapt to drastic change, he told me that he does not like them at all. He even went as far to say that he loves my eyes the way they are naturally, and that you can't blame him for not liking his "beautiful wife" any other way. "OK honey", I said, "let's not lay it on too thick"..

Good thing I'm confident in who I am. Otherwise I would be second guessing my new contacts. I'm chalking it up to a fashion experiment with very mixed results, but I'll continue to wear them, just not every day. You can't blame me for wanting to mix it up a bit every now and then. Can you?

Destination Vacation

Destination on the Magical Mystery Tour Part 3???

Key West, Florida!! It was an amazing weekend with lots and lots of sun, fun and the usual debauchery that comes along with being part of the Toxic Trio. A quick recap?
Thursday night, we arrived around 7PM after a day of flying and immediately had dinner in the hotel restaurant which is situated on the beach at the southernmost point of the state! Key West just happens to be 90 miles from Cuba, and is indeed the farthest south you can get in the USA. The Southernmost is also the name of our hotel! The thing about Key West is that even though you are in Florida, you really don't feel like you are in Florida. Key West has this awesome island feel that makes you believe that you are somewhere in the Caribbean.

The pool bar just to the left in that photo was our next destination on Thursday night, and we closed out the evening in perfect Trio fashion: cocktails, friends, photos and fun! Friday was a spectacular day, weather wise, it was in the high 80's and we spent the day at the pool relaxing and making merry. The sun was strong and hot and we got plenty of sun kissed color on our bodies. We had arranged a sunset booze cruise, so we told the Trio to be ready by 5:45.

After some Pirate photo ops-complete with earrings and eye patches, we boarded the boat. The band on board was the first indication of the next two hours of fun and safe to say that the Trio ladies hijacked the boat and held court on the dance floor! We held a limbo contest and even dressed other people up as pirates with our props. Some people even thought that we worked for the cruise company! The scenery was perfection and the sunset didn't disappoint! We left the boat and retired to dinner on world famous Duvall Street. (remember the clue:Robert Duvall?) So many bars, restaurants to choose from, we chose outdoor dining and engaged in people watching for the rest of the evening.

Saturday was another gorgeous beach day and the guys managed to find a new obsession: Wallhooky!
Who would have thought the men could find so much fun with a hook, a brass ring and a piece of string? We then rented an electric car that seated six, perfect for the Trio and we were off to explore the island.

First stop was lunch at El Siboney Cuban restaurant for the locals favorite and then off to the Hemingway House. Earnest Hemingway was a very famous Key West resident whose home has been turned into a museum of sorts, and we toured the old home complete with the many cats that reside there. FUN FACT: the many cats that roam the property freely are direct descendants of Earnest Hemingway's first cat, Snowball, that was given to him by a Massachusetts fisherman decades ago. Hemingway was a complete dog-we found out-as he was married 4 time in his life, seemingly to women his wives had introduced him to. We had a wonderful dinner at Louie's Backyard, which is smack dab on the beach. The fine dining was some of the best food we experienced on the island and the atmosphere was incredible!

Sunday funday was another great beach day! The Trio spent the day playing Wallhooky with the world famous champion, Barcode-who was touring the coast trying to promote the sport. It was Sunday Funday for sure because the Trio got very tipsy spending quality time at the pool bar with Barcode and the boys and almost missed our dinner. We made it of course, and because it was our last night we just HAD to experience some Duvall Street night life and we chose, of course, Sloppy Joes, as our final destination for Key West night life.

Sloppy Joe's is a historic bar in Key West and its most famous patron was Earnest Hemingway himself!
The drinks and the music were flowing freely by the time we got there and I'm not quite sure we ever left the dance floor! The band was awesome, the patrons were just as crazy as one would have thought they would be in Key West and we danced until the wee hours in the morning.

Monday reluctantly came and the Trio boarded the plane to head back home, but not without heavy hearts.
We were just grateful that no one came home from vacation on probation..

The Magical Mystery Tour:Part 3

Hey bloggers! It's that time of year again..
Time to embark on our storied tradition of mystery travel with the Toxic Trio. This is our third year of the mystery trips and it is our turn to plan the events of the long weekend. In case you aren't familiar with what I am talking about I'll give you a quick bit of background:

• The Toxic Trio are a group of 3 couples that we are a part of and spend lots of quality time together making merry and crazy wherever we go. Believe me when I tell you we have been kicked out of only the finest establishments.
• This tradition started back in April 2013 and you can read about our first trip HERE and HERE.
• The next trip which was last April 2013 and was a great success! You can read about that trip HERE and HERE.
• The idea of the "mystery" is to provide the other couple with clues, so as to try to understand where we are going without really knowing where we are going.

This year it is up to us! My Guy and I have planned a fab vacation destination for the Toxic Trio to converge on and enjoy some quality drinking/fun time together. Last night we had our kickoff dinner, to get our Trio Trip vibe on, and as always it was a wonderful evening for all of us! We are definitely getting pumped for the weekends events!

Before I try to tempt you to solve our Mystery Tour riddle, I need to let you know that I will be leaving on our Mystery Trip tomorrow, April 9th, 2015. I will not be returning to the bloggersphere till Tuesday, April 14th, 2015. On Tuesday you can all find out if you guessed the right destination.

These are the clues we provided:

• We will be traveling in the United States-no passports are required.
• The destination will be warm, so beach attire and light clothing are a good bet. 
• We will be taking 2 planes to reach our destination. (remember-I live in Boston)
• And the last clue was this:
  

Good luck guessing bloggers! I'll see you on the flip side!! That is if I survive...

I've Got The Music In Me

I have made it no secret in the seven years I have been writing this blog that I suck at music. There is even a category in the archives of The Daily Dandy that states just that, "I suck at music" with two posts to date. To say that is a bit overstated may be more accurate, but by calling myself out with the generalization I mean that I have never really been much of a music collector through the years. Even in my prime teen music listening years, I was happier listening to the radio than collecting albums. Then Apple and Steve Jobs changed the way the world listened to and purchased music, yet I still seemed content listening to my radio.

I listen to music all day. I listen to the radio on my way to work and all day in my store. At the store I listen to Pandora and can tailor my music tastes to suit the environment, but in my car I am at the mercy of the radio station of my choosing. Yes, I have an iPod and yes, I have a bit of music I have bought in these "iTunes" recent years. I even know what a playlist is but I never really had much of a need to create one. Really.

Well that all changed on Saturday night.

After a fab dinner with 5 of my favorite people, on the ride home in our Uber car, we got stuck in over an hour of unusually heavy traffic. One of my friends asked the driver if he had an AUX cord to which he obliged. She plugged in her phone and we listened to her playlist on her phone. I explained to her that I wasn't sure how all that "worked" with the phone and she explained it to me quickly.

A light went off.

Of course I knew how this worked! I had bought music sporadically here and there on my phone, but I never had really organized it or realized the power I held in the palm of my hand. I started organizing and setting my previously purchased music into playlists! "I don't suck at this!", I thought to myself and I immediately wanted more. I then downloaded the app Shazam and began purchasing songs I liked in the iTunes Store. When the traffic had ended and I was safely encsconsed at home I had already purchased 63 songs.

A monster has been created and I LOVE it! As of today I have purchased over 100 songs and find that during down times I am shuffling and organizing my music on my devices. It's beginning to get a bit pricey and I know the novelty will wear off soon, but for now I am making up for lost time! As a matter of fact as I type this I am listening to some of my favorite songs on my phone.

And this whole experience has helped me to realized that I have pretty good taste in music. Eclectic, yet classic and edgy at the same time and distinctly me. Music makes me happy and you know what?
I don't suck at music!!

In fact, I'm quite good, really. Who knew?

Wondrous Wordless Wednesday-"Santa! I Know Him!!"

Bright Eyed And Bushy Tailed

Ahhh, fresh off my "mini-cation" and I feel great! Nothing like a few days of R&R, good friends, shopping, laughing and eating to your heart's content! I tell ya, I could get used to this empty nest thing!

A few observations on the weekend:

• I love my blogger buddies! MarkD60 even though we have never met, I'm pleasantly surprised that you know me so well and that's awesome! You win the prize on where I went!

• Nothing like a Florida sunset, the open ocean, a couple of drinks and the love of some great friends. The foods and drinks taste better when you are with people you love, don't you agree? The gorgeous backdrop doesn't hurt either. 

• My Tommy! YES! My Tommy silenced the critics and everyone else who wanted to spew poison and spread crap about my boy and his commitment to his team. OK, so we won a big one. I'm not a romantic fool. I know that the team's problems are a lot bigger than anyone really knows, but I'm also not one to question it. For now, I'll happily take the momentum and move forward to Buffalo. You go Tommy!!  

• Funny, on Sunday afternoon, when we were sitting out at the beautiful bar on the beach looking at the sunset having drinks, we were chatting with the fun people sitting next to us. They were from Cincinnati and they were talking serious trash about how they were going to kill us in Sunday night's game. Believe it or not we took it! We bowed our heads and agreed that this may not be the Pats year and that there were serious issues with the team, with Brady-hes not happy, blah, blah, blah. We quietly and uncharacteristically agreed with the trash talk.......I couldn't help but think of them halfway through the first quarter of the game. 

• It always takes my dogs a good hour to re acclimate to us coming home. I read once that it causes stress to the "pack" when you separate dogs that live together. They must have been stressed this weekend, because they really take their time about getting right back into the family routine when we get home. It's like they are pissed at us or something. 

•  Happy are those who come home to rest their heads. As fun as it is to get away for a bit, it's always good to come home. That goes for here too bloggers! I'm happy to be back!

They Lift You Up

Friends are like gems...so a good friend of mine inspired me to say.

I think he's right on. When you need it, it comes in the most amazing packages. Is it our faith? Is it our karma? I will not question why. I will only be grateful. Whatever the reason, good friends can elevate you to a place you never thought was possible. It is then that you realize that they are your family and family comes in many forms.

They lift you up, become your cheerleaders and keep you going knowing that you should not be afraid to try to achieve because they believe in you. They see it all. The good, the bad and the ugly, and yet they still care about you and give you strength. It's reciprocal, this friendship thing and it only works if you too, care enough to lift them up. And it happens when you/they may not even realize it.

This is the true gem, the diamond in the rough. And that cannot be valued, for friendship like that is truly priceless.

Exerpts From A Conversation With Myself

SCENE: It's a clear, bright and gorgeous Wednesday morning and a group of my high school girlfriends have decided to meet at the beach for the day....which almost never happens.

ME: Ok Self, it's a beautiful day! Nothing better to do than play hooky and hanging with your best girlfriends at the beach all day. I am definitely going to meet them! 

SELF: Seriously Candace? You have a JOB. It's not like you have a million things to do. Sure, you just go take off for the day and let everything handle itself. Real responsible....

ME: Oh c'mon, don't be such a wet rag! I have everything covered. The store is completely staffed and there is nothing that can't wait till tomorrow. Its summer, and days like this don't come along often. Lighten up!

SELF: Ok, well you just take off for a day of fun and I will worry about everything else. No really, go have a day to yourself and don't you fret. Everybody else will do your work for you. Yup, you can just be a lady of leisure today. Go for it.

ME:  Isn't that what I pay them to do? Don't I deserve to enjoy a day to myself? 

SELF: If that's what you want to tell yourself. 

ME: You are ruining this for me. You know, if I could I would dump your ass like a hot potato. Im going to do what I want to do so just mind your own business. 

SELF: Isn't that what I'm doing? 

Guess who won this argument bloggers? 

Now That's A Fire!

It was a great weekend here, but Sat night was a bit chilly. It got down to the high 50's in some areas and we had invited some friends over for a cookout. After we had feasted on just about every grillable delicacy imaginable, we retired to the fire pit for some fun not knowing if the cooler temps would keep us at bay. The fire pit pictured above is almost identical to ours and every seat was taken as we piled on the wood to create the heat that would allow us to enjoy the elements. It did not disappoint. It was perfect fire pit weather and everyone enjoyed the relaxing vibe and great conversation.

I love a nice fire and My Guy and I really love our fire pit. We labored a bit over the decision to make it natural gas or wood burning and I'm so glad we went old school. I'm a pyro, by nature, and My Guy laughs at me when I pile on the wood and stir and stoke the fire like it's a bowl of homemade soup. He enjoys stacking the wood and keeping it supplied and he's even added a bluetooth device that plays Pandora from his phone that sets the mood and keeps us all entertained.

The interesting thing about a fire is that it brings out the good in people. My kids love to sit out there with their friends and sometimes they will even invite us! It's amazing, the things the kids will talk about when we are sitting around the fire, and some of our best memories have been made out there. I've had heart to heart talks with some people and we've even solved a few problems and dreamed some big dreams while sitting out back at the fire pit. It's also the ideal place to create a perfect s'more. We have gotten to be  s'more connoisseur's, as we have tried them every way possible. 
(QUICK TIP*the smaller the marshmallow, the better the toast and the better the "ooze" when you eat it. The big marshmallows look amazing and aren't bad, but they are really messy and take longer to toast all the way through) 

Fire is good, and I'm happy to be able to enjoy a night under the stars with the hum of the crickets, a roaring fire and the people I love. I ask you, what could be better than that?

Scrub You

While I was away I had the distinct pleasure of having a body scrub at the Eau Spa. Being in the business that I work in, I was more interested in the body treatments than I was in massage. I had a fab mani/pedi on the first day I arrived and after My Guy had a wonderful massage that he raved about, he persuaded me to try the services at the Spa.

I chose the decadent Champagne Shimmer Body Luster. A 60 minute service, it was nothing short of incredible. After being ushered into the spa facilities where I was given a robe and flip flops, I was taken to the relax lounge where a hot tub(with a cascading waterfall fell continuously from the ceiling), steam shower and heated lounge chairs set the tone for my body scrub. I entered into the treatment room where I was instructed to choose the lighting and the music for my treatment. I chose an upbeat playlist with a mixture of lighting (different colors changing sporadically).

The treatment began with a spoon full of honey that was curated by the spa's very own bee keeper and told of the benefits of a spoon full of honey a day. Then it was time for the treatment. Face down, I laid on the massage table as my girl worked the gritty scrub into every part of my body. I had never experienced a spa scrub before, so when it was done my body felt invigorated, yet gritty. I was then allowed to go to my own private, outside shower, just outside the treatment room, to rinse the scrub off. My skin looked amazing and felt even better. Smooth and supple, I then climbed back into the massage bed where I was massaged with exotic oils till my skin literally glowed.

My friends thought the body scrub would scrub off any suntan that I might have gotten the two days before, but on the contrary, my tan was even better and my skin felt and looked...glowing.

I can report that almost 5 days later, my skin never looked better. No dryness, no flaking, which usually happens when I change from a warm climate back to a cooler one, and the best thing? The condition of my skin has improved dramatically. Dimples, freckles and all of those "older skin" issues have almost disappeared completely. I think I may be onto something here! I can't wait to inform my clients the benefits of a 30-50 minute at-home scrub for healthy skin. I would say that an oil based scrub would be most beneficial as we head into the summer and I'm thinking that once a month I will take to a Day Spa for a serious scrub treatment.

I will keep you informed of my results...and I will thoroughly enjoy it. I''ll just file that under "research and development".

 

Plastic and Play

The winner is....
US! My Guy nailed it. It was West Palm Beach and it was spectacular! We arrived at the Eau Palm Beach Resort. It was gorgeous.The posh hotel and spa, the Eau was the subject of the second clue:

Which was very funny...because my friend thought "Eau" meant "ewww", but we later learned that it relates to water. So this clue was out of left field.
Anyway.. we arrived at the fantastic resort that was once The Ritz Carlton and we were ushered into the seaside bar for cocktails and a spectacular view of the ocean. It was then on to dinner and the service at the restaurant couldn't have been better. While we were there, we noticed that a lot of the women walking about had a similar "look". Nobody said anything, but I kept thinking that I had "seen that lady before wearing something completely different".

Next day after a leisurely day at the pool and a luxurious mani/pedi, we were off to Worth Avenue for some shopping.

Worth Avenue is an upscale shopping district in Palm Beach. voted one of the 3 Most Iconic destinations in the world, I call Worth Avenue the "rodeo drive" of the East Coast. Rod Stewart walked right by us and I issued a "Hey Rod", to which he replied, "oh hello", in his adorable little accent. After some retail therapy, we had dinner in one of Worth Avenue's little alley restaurants in outside dining. It was then that we really saw the women of Palm Beach. And we realized that they all look alike because they must all have the same plastic surgeon...
They looked like Stepford wives clones. Each one older than the next, but the same face, tight and completely lifted. You could tell by their exposed arms that they were older, but they all looked forever young. And the diamonds....we joked that after casing the joint, we could finance quite a few trips around the world with those rocks.Then there were the rugs, and I don't mean the ones that you step on. The men had to keep up with the women and they had the hair they bought to prove it. Needless to say we had a blast, the entertainment, the food and fun seemed endless.

Next day it was on to Delray beach. A bit of a change from Worth Ave, and a bit more real, the shopping and dinner was a bit more casual. We then stopped for music and drinks at an outdoor cafe with live music. It seemed like it belonged more in Key West, and there was a certain "biker element" in attendance, but strangely we were much more comfortable here than the previous night.

The last day was a relaxing Sunday by the pool, time spent at the spa getting a Champagne Body Scrub that was the most incredible feeling, I can hardly describe it. Then it was on to the world famous Breakers Hotel for dinner. It was the greatest way to cap the trip off, and we thoroughly enjoyed hob-nobbing with the elite of Palm Beach.

The whole trip was a joyous celebration of fun, friends and excess, in just the right amount. I have to admit to needing a wee bit of rehab...and detox, but it was well worth it. And next year, it's our turn to plan the trip.

Any suggestions bloggers?

Magical Mystery Tour Part 2

 It's that time again bloggers!

Remember last year when I went on a Magical Mystery Tour with The Toxic Trio? Yes? No?
Quick recap: The Toxic Trio are a group of three couples that I hang out with. We are a crazy bunch and a year ago we made a credo to travel once a year, for a long weekend, on a mystery trip. One of the three couples plans the trip and keeps it a secret until it's time to go. Well that time is here again!

This time we have received only 2 clues!! And while we still are not sure where we are going, we have narrowed it down to two choices of destination. Let's see what you come up with...
Here are the clues:

So that picture above was our first clue:
Kim and Kanye. Really? I don't think it's LA, because that would be sooooo obvious. Don't you think? But what do I know?
Ok, so we believe that the clue here lies in Kanye's last name..West. Hmmm..

The second clue:

This one really threw me...WTF? I am not looking forward to going somewhere smelly. I'm not getting anything here. Word has it when I find out what this clue means, I will think it was a brilliant clue.

WE have come up with two destination guesses:

Key West or

West Palm Beach. What do you think?

So, we leave tomorrow in the morning, Thursday, April 3,3014 and I will not be returning to the bloggersphere till Tuesday, April 8, 2014. I'll have a full recap and we will see who guessed correctly!!

I'm dying to know what you think....

Boston You're My Home

Recently my new favorite TV pastime has been Netflix. My favorite is "House of Cards" starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Juicy, edgy, evil and down right horrid is the best way to describe Kevin Spacey's "Frank Underwood" character. During the Academy Awards telecast on Sunday, Spacey came out to present an award in character. He began his speech in his best 'Frank Underwood', much to the crowd's delight.

I had mentioned to my BFF that I loved Spacey and the Netflix series and the next day she sent me this:

Cuddles and love to Kevin and Boston! You are much more the man than Frank Underwood could ever be.

I Was Just Thinking Of Nothing Important Really...

• Frack got his first college acceptance yesterday! Big day for him because at most we know he is going somewhere. It is not his first choice, we still await that decision, but it's nice to know that he's got one under his belt. Tonite we celebrate his golf team's Division 3 State Championship title at his year-end banquet. Frack is team captain so he gets to MC for the evening. I'm excited to see my son speak in front of his peers and their families. After all, he did come from me and I know there is lots of public speaking swagger in him. Handsome Frack, today I am proud and happy for him.

• The holiday rush is upon us. I'm trying really hard not to push the retail bonanza buttons too early, and I've been trying to brainstorm ideas for projected growth this year. I've got a few goodies up my sleeve, and a store full of fantastic product. The question is, with all the competition out there can I capitalize on the season?

• Speaking of The Candy Bar,Friday will be one year complete. Time flies when you are having fun, doesn't it?  So far, I have escaped alive. 

• I saw an old friend last night and it was WONDERFUL! She and I were like peas and carrots from the moment we hugged our hellos. It was as if we never left each other some 13 years ago. the children are grown and we are both married to other men, but the connection between us remained the same.  It was so satisfying to hook up with someone whom I once was quite close to, although I never quite confirmed it, until last night. We somehow lost touch, and neither of us could remember why. The love and warmth I got from my friend was truly inspiring and I'm grateful to have her back in my life. 

• Old man winter has sat his wrinkly a** in the region and he's not moving. It snowed yesterday for the first time and we, New Englander's, marveled at the flakes that did not accumulate on the ground. You'd think we never saw snow before...better be careful what we wish for. 

I'm Outta Here...

Sorry bloggers...but I'm off like a prom dress.

As of 3 PM today I am officially on mini vacation, and boy do I need it. I'm headed on a trip with my two bestest girl friends to a sunny Floridian destination for the rest of the week.This trip couldn't have come at a better time too. I think a bit of Vitamin D will do me some good!

I will be gone from today, Wednesday October 9th, 2013, till Sunday, Oct 13th 2013. I will return to the bloggersphere on Tuesday, Oct 14th, 2013. And I'm sure you won't miss me... what with all the whining and crying I've been doing lately.I promise a dose of BFF fun and some relaxation are going to recharge my battery.

Take care of each other while I'm away bloggers, and try not to whine and cry...

I'll try not to as well while I'm sipping on my frozen drink, poolside.

Have a great week!

Snake Oil

So the strangest thing happened to me yesterday. A valued member of my inner circle told me that while out shopping, a woman working at the store, who she did not know, randomly asked her about her "friend who owns her own boutique". How did she know about this?, she was asked, to which she responded, "I'm a psychic." Without going into too much detail, it was confirmed that she was most probably referring to me. 

The "psychic/sales girl" produced her business card and informed my friend that she was available for home parties, of course, because life is sometimesone big sales pitch. Believe it or not, that's not the weird thing. The weird thing is that this swami/psychic/sales girl proceeded to tell my friend that the reason she asked about my business was that she wanted to tell me to get some....peppermint oil.

Peppermint oil?

She told my friend to tell me to put peppermint oil all over the top of my front door, on my body, on my wallet, in my bag and to carry it with me at all times. 

Really? Peppermint oil?

She said it brings money and good fortune. And before you ask, yes, I thought this to be very strange. But what I thought even stranger is that a couple of months ago, one of my BFF's gave me a bottle of peppermint oil as a gift....We had gone to Miami together in April and while we were on the plane she applied the pepperrmint oil to her neck. Being the complete product junkie that I am, I of course, inquired about the fresh smelling scent. My BFF told me that it relaxes the senses and that it's great for stress. I love any and all things peppermint, so I immediately applied it to my skin. I loved it and here's the thing...I have carried the roller ball bottle of peppermint oil in my bag ever since she gave it to me. 

Ok, so I know what you are thinking (I know you so well). She's a fraud, a Machiavellian scheister, a grifter and a swindler. It's highly possible and likely, but I'm not doing business with her. Heck, I didnt even meet her. Why did she bring up me? 

I'm a firm believer in psychic powers but I'm not stupid. I know how the grift works, but I also believe in messages from the universe and I can't help but think this is a message. Is the peppermint oils good, old fashioned snake oil? Probably. But what do I have to loose? 

So if you walk into The Candy Bar and detect the heavenly scent of peppermint. Smile. 

You'll know exactly the reason.

He Who Walks Alone Walks Faster

He walked right into my store!

That's right! That picture there is of me and the infamous Walking Man! The Walking Man and I got to spend the day together talking and shooting the breeze. He's over here in MA on some family buziness, and he gave me a call to arrange a visit. He decided to take the trip to my store and when he entered The Candy Bar, the big bear hug he gave me told me just about everything I needed to know about this most lovable character.

It was immediately like I had known him my whole life!

We spent the first few hours "shooting the shit" about life, God, relationships and family. I even solicited his sage advice about parenting and before I knew it we had devoured  the better part of a very enjoyable afternoon. The Walking Man even got to meet my mom, dad and FRICK!!! And you should have seen her face as he bear hugged himself right into her heart.

He told me the story of how he got the name The Walking Man, and about his life before he came to reside in his beloved (I'm kidding) Detroit. I always love meeting up with my Blogger buddies, but this visit was extra-special, as The Walking Man is one of my most very favorites. It's always nice to be able to put a face to a blog, and his kind face and warm heart belies his tough looking exterior and his sometimes serious prose.

I consider myself very lucky to call him my friend. I miss him already!

De-Toxic

Remember this photo?

This was one of our clues that I shared with you last Thursday regarding the Magical Mystery Tour the Toxic Trio embarked upon this past weekend. The Trio asked what the significance of this photo was, to which a blurry answer was provided. But since we were a wee bit blurry ourselves, we didn't pursue. When trying to recall the significance, I could only come up with the clues; three blue wine glasses and something about three's. That was it. 

Anyway, when we arrived home we were told that the Trio Trip was not complete. There was yet more and a delivery would be coming to our home Tuesday night.
Really? 
I was quite sure my liver would go on strike if there were more, but I anxiously awaited this new development. It was an exciting new surprise, and I thought for sure there was no way to top the weekend.
But this? Turns out, it was far better than anything I could have ever imagined.

Delivered to us, complete with enough for an entire day for both My Guy and I was The Blue Print Cleanse. I couldn't have been more thrilled and more curious. 

The Renovation Cleanse, by Blueprint, is today's complete menu for us and I'm looking forward to food deprivation like I never have before. I've always wanted to try a cleanse, but wasn't exactly sure how to start or where to start. Looks like I need no longer wonder.

The Renovation Cleanse is 6 juice drinks, each 16 oz to be consumed throughout the course of 3 days. The goal is to abstain from solid food and to cleanse your body. Instructions are to space them out as you like, but to stay hydrated with herbal teas and water in between. The only specific instruction is to try to have #6 two hours before bedtime.

So I'm anticipating an interesting day for me today, considering I have never done any type of fast or cleanse before. BUT I LOVE IT!!! I'm excited, and if I make it through today successfully, I just may purchase days 2 and 3 and go for it all. Cuz that's how I roll!

Oh, and incase you were wondering about the picture above and significance of the clue? It was quite brilliant, really. 

Three blue wine glasses- We had three blues:

• Jet Blue
• Fontainebleau
• Blue Print Cleanse

Good luck De-Toxing Trio!

Wiggle It, Just A Little Bit

And the winner is.......Miami's Fontaineblue Hotel and Happy Mommy! 

And it did not disappoint! We arrived Friday afternoon to pouring rain and lots of excitement. Of course a little rain never never held back this group, and we quickly had lunch, unpacked and went down to the lobby to explore our new surroundings. In hindsight, I should have realized that a lobby that has a huge bar, complete with a light up disco floor in the larger portion of the lobby was there for a distinct reason, but in my "just arrived" excitement I hardly noticed.We had a few drinks then went off to the first destination, Mr. Chow in the W Hotel. 

Is everything in Miami a "scene"? I'm not complaining, because I seemed right at home in the nightclub atmosphere of the Asian Fusion  famous chain restaurant. The food was outstanding, the wait staff amazing and the atmosphere was fun and young, but a bit loud for an intimate dinner if that's what you are looking for. But that's not what this group was looking for. This group was ready for a little party. I said little right? 

All of that was fine and well, but the real heartbeat of Miami and our trip was yet to come. We had no idea what we were about to encounter. Now, I had been to Miami before, but I brought the children last time and we enjoyed the famous South Beach in a different way. This time it was from an entirely new perspective. The Fontaineblue has a unique vibe and by unique I mean after dark it turns into something completely UNBELIEVABLE. (Heff and Bama, save your pennies, cuz this place is your kind of vacation!)

After Mr. Chow, we arrived at the front of the Fontaineblue among what looked like lots and lots of young people. Did I mention lots? and we sort of looked at each other like, "What's going on here?" 

WHAT WAS GOING ON? Hundreds, and I'm not kidding you when I say hundreds, of scantily clad young women and men had descended upon the lobby of our hotel. Scantily clad being the operative words here. One young lady was more "naked" than the next and it was then that we decided that this "show" was so much better than anything we would have paid admission for. 

For the next two to three hours, we sat at the lobby bar and had what was the best part of the trip: the people watch. The Fontaineblue has a famous four story night club called LIV and no we didn't go into it, but believe me when I tell you, we didn't need to. The line to get into LIV starts forming early in the evening and never stops. The club opens at 11:30 and closes at 5:30 am, but the real show is what takes place outside the club in the expansive lobby. 

Jiggle and wiggle were jiggling and wiggling all over the place and I'm sure jiggle did not know what wiggle was up to. Boobs, butt and legs were on display in every size, shape, color and creed and even the fat ones looked gorgeous. I swear. It was hilarious and us newbies did not know where to look next. The entertainment was endless. The best part were the dresses..or lack of and the high heels. Judging by the height of the high heels and the length of the dresses, (strategically just above the coochie area, was the average) you would have SWORE there was a stripper convention going on at that hotel, and not the medical convention that was taking place in another part of the hotel. 

That scene was only topped by the scene at the hotel pool the next day. Really, that scene was much better if  I ever believed that could happen. I never have seen more bikini's, boobs and big heels at a beach destination. Skin was a pre-requisite and if you weren't showing lots skin, you were the one who was looking uncomfortable. God bless them, they were out in full force at the pool too. What a scene. 

We saw much more on our ventures up to Ocean Drive. That's where the late great Gianni Versace was brutally murdered on his front steps in 1997. His palatial private residence is now a private club complete with a restaurant, but you can't walk by there without stopping to ponder the sad shame of his untimely murder.  On our trek further down we caught a full on Drag Queen show that was amazing! We didn't even need to go into the bar that was hosting it, this one was right on the street for all to enjoy! Some of the most beautiful transgendered men/women I ever had the pleasure of judging with my applause. It was at The Clevlander, a few crazy blocks down, that we saw first hand the art of naked body painting and pole dancing right on the street!!! In full on view of everyone. The point here is, if you can't beat em', join em', so we sat and had a few jovial cocktails and enjoyed yet another show. 

All in all, the endless skin show was a blast, and the trip a huge success, but the greatest thing of all was the great time spent with great friends. Like the name of the famous night club in the Fontainebleu, it makes you want to LIV your life to the fullest. Miami beach is one of those places that really enjoys life. 

And a life like that is certainly worth living every once in a while.