Be who you are!

People will always find something to judge you on. 

People will always find a way to be offended. 

People will always think little of those who are above them. 

In the end, jealously is everywhere, and people won't always make sense in how they think and feel. 

It's important that we know what we believe and quit worrying about what others think of us.  In the end everyone will find something you do/say offensive, and they will judge you on ANYTHING they can to bring you down. 

Everyone strives for "perfection." Yet we all know that perfection is an un attainable goal. Saying what you feel, and doing what makes you happy is all that matters. Let people think what they want. 

"Don't ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can't be exactly who you are."

                                   -Lady Gaga

Why I AM “All about that Bass” (A response)

This post is a response to a blog I read a few days ago by TAYLORED titled “Why I am NOT “all about that bass.” She goes into the lyrics of the song and the fact that they are only positive towards those who are curvy. Taylored feels that it does not give girls who are “curve-less” a good reason to be confident. In other words, she feels that the song puts size two females on blast for not having curves, or for being naturally thin.

So I have touched on a similar topic before, I reference you to my previous blog (The Skinny on being skinny and not so skinny), if you want some of my other feelings on the issue.

Here’s my thing, plain and simple, skinny girls are favored in all walks of life. The media has been pushing the idea that “skinny is pretty” for years. Models who are over a size two are seen as only good for catalogs, and many popular store only cater to females under a size 10.

Long story short, body issues are a huge deal, and it mainly affects females who feel that they are too big. Obviously there is the issue of anorexia and bulimia, but why do people become that way???? Because they feel they are fat... Being overweight, or curvy, has been put down for a long time, and analyzing  the song “all about that bass” as “skinny shaming” is reading wayyyy too far into it.

As long as people keep posting photos of females with thigh gaps and say “are those fries worth it?” we still need songs and media that remind us “FATTIES” that we are appreciated too. No one has ever said “I’m going to bring my skinny friend so I look curvier in comparison!”

I strongly recommend my readers to look at my previous blog, linked above, to see my other opinions on this particular topic. I do not feel like repeating myself. I just really want to make mention that I DO NOT hate on females for being thin. What I do hate on are people who glamorize being skinny or those who fat shame. In the long run, the song “all about that bass” is a reminder that girls should love themselves for who they are. I think Taylored understood that idea, but I also feel she was playing the victim because never being called fat has made skinny girls feel left out all these years.

#RichKidsOfBeverlyHills

If you have been under a rock for the last year you may not know about the new hit reality show on E! #RichKidsOfBeverlyHills. This show follows a few of Beverly Hills Elite who are mainly rich due to their parents wealth. I find this show interesting, and annoying all at the same time. I have every episode on DVR and watch them binge style every few days. I'm not going to sit here and break down each character, how much they are worth, or their drama. I will, however, bring up some points that I find to be interesting. 

A few of these kids have their own wealth, but mainly all of them are born into money, and live off their parents dime. Two of the girls have their own homes that cost more than my car, college tuition, and everything I own combined. They own shoes and purses that cost as much as over half of my car, and they have multiple purses and shoes... I'm sure their entire closests of Louboutins and Birkins cost way more than a yacht. 

They swipe credit cards and never see the bills. They spend over 30K on a one night Pent House Party sipping Dom and eating bowls of caviar. It kills me that they make purchases over a thousand dollars and they have no idea what each dollar is worth. I don't think I will ever know what it is like to swipe a credit card on a price tag over 5,000 dollars....let alone 30K!!!!

Anyone reading this can easily say, "Erica you're clearly just jealous.." Hell yeah I'm jealous.... If you aren't you're on drugs. Before I get too sassy I would like to say that I'm proud I know what a dollar is worth. I make my own money, pay my own credit card bill, and I value what I have. Mommy and Daddy have helped me, but I was never OVER privileged like these 25 and 26 year olds on RichKidsOfBeverlyHills. 

Now I must commend these girls for some things before I end this post. As much as they are "name brand" girls (they do not do anything cheap), they DO actually EAT! They do not pretend to pussy around BS diets and only drink water for breakfast lunch and dinner. Yeah they work out, but they do not pride themselves on being mega skinny, not that they are fat, but they will talk about being drunk and hitting up McDonalds like it is HIGH CLASS. At least they are not 100% BOOSHIE. 

Nothing makes me more mad that a girl who pretends she doesn't eat, or EATS CLEAN... but thats a whole other post... 

50th POST!!!!

Where has the time gone. I've had this blog for less than six months and I have managed to find around 50 things to write about. I want to celebrate this milestone by writing about someone who means the world to me. I've mentioned him in posts here and there, but I haven't gone into too much depth about us... In case no one knows who I'm talking about it is my boyfriend of almost three years, Matt. This is the story of how he stole my heart. (P.P.P.S. This may be a long post... Sit tight!)

I've been blessed to have known Matthew for over five years. We met when I was about 17, he was 20; we met at the Mall that we both worked at. I was a sales associate at Wet Seal and he was the manager over at the chick-fil-a in the food court. We honestly got to know each other just from me going over there every night getting refills for me and my co-workers. After seeing each other every so often he asked for my number, and me being sooooo polite I gave it to him. (Side note: at this point working in the mall there with a HELLLLL of a lot of creepers... so I was being really nice... and hoping he wasn't a stalker.) 

ANYWAYYYYSSSS we didn't talk too much, just occasional run-ins as I passed him on my way into work. Believe it or not there was a time we went out for ice cream, as friends, and talked to each other about the people we liked/ were dating. So this was no "LOVE AT FIRST" sight type deal. We were friends for quite some time. Months passed and I was graduating from High School! The night of my graduation me and my three best friends at the time were going out to celebrate, so I invited Matt along. The funniest part of me inviting him... I was trying to set him up with one of my friends.... super crazy now that I look back on it! 

They ended up not working out, but this still wasn't the start of our relationship. I began my freshman year at Ball State in the fall of 2011, and I had a boyfriend who had just graduated from BSU... (Not my proudest moments) Regardless that lasted until after thanksgiving and he broke up with me. Even though that guy was a loser, no offense if you're reading this, I was upset over it.

One random night, late November I tweeted about how I was upset over the breakup. An hour or so after tweeting I got a text from my long lost mall buddy, Matt. He texted me saying that he was waiting for his employees to get done closing the store and he was looking through twitter (he had not looked at twitter in a few months... God was watching.) and was making sure I was okay. I told him what happened and after he got off work that night he trekked up to Ball State to talk to me and make me feel better. He was such a nice guy. 

A week later after seeing him, and having not really heard from him, I continued life as usual and prayed for Christmas Break to hurry up so I could GO HOME!!! 

One day while I was at the rec center my roommate tweeted me to get home... there was something delivered and she wanted me to come home and open it. I was confused... So I cut my workout short, and headed back to my dorm room to see what was there. I see a bouquet of a dozen gorgeous red roses, and a small box wrapped in red and white polka dot wrapping paper. I unwrap the gift, and realize it's a book.... I DO NOT LIKE READING... why the hell would someone give me a book.. So I'm looking at it and as I'm flipping it over to read the spine I realize something is moving inside of it.... So I opened the book. The book was hollowed out, and there was a small pre-paid cell phone inside. I turned it on and there was only one number saved... "Secret Agent Man"... There were already text messages on it as well. 

Long story short, at the time, I wanted NOTHING to do with him... I was just out of a  relationship, and did not want him to feel like a rebound. So he and I stayed friends, and we were hanging out often. Going to Starbucks, watching movies, but I would only hug him... If he tried to kiss me I would divert. We were basically hanging out all of Christmas Break, and every single day we would see one another... but I wasn't falling for him, at least I didn't think I was...

 Christmas Day rolls around and he went up state to spend the day with family. This was the first day all break that I had not seen him, and I realized that I MISSED HIM!!! What was happening to me, I was falling for a guy that I originally wanted nothing to do with. 

The next day I surprised him after work with a coffee from Starbucks. We were talking for a few hours that night, and eventually it was so late I needed to head home. I got up to hug him goodbye and when I pulled away I couldn't help but lean back in and kiss him. It was like a magnetic force pulled me to him. It sounds silly, and sappy, but I will never forget that night. This Christmas will mark our 3rd year since the night I realized I was falling for him. 

Things have been pretty perfect since then. He is the best man I have ever been with. He understands me, he knows how to handle me, he is BEYOND patient with me, and I do NOT deserve him. He is the best thing to EVER happen to me. There are hardly words to explain how lucky I am to have found this perfect guy. God had a plan for us, it was long and drawn out, but well worth the wait! 

Dear Step Father.

Dearest step-father,

It makes me sick to hear your name, to think about the wrong you did to our "family". It hurts to know we were so easily disposable when it was not longer easy. Do you not recall the words you spoke to my mother in your wedding vows "in sickness and in health," do those vows mean nothing to you? Clearly they don't considering your pattern of life consists of leaving when it gets rough. Leaving your kids, leaving your previous wives, and now us; we were just another stop on your road to whatever happiness you are searching for. 

She stuck by you when you thought your blood disease was going to kill you, she took care of you during all of your health issues... Why couldn't you repay her? I slammed the door in your face the day you said you wanted to marry my mom, now I realize I was right for feeling the way I did at 12 years old. 

We had a good life for quite awhile, even though you and I almost never agreed, we argued over curfews and boyfriends almost regularly. In the end you always provided for me above and beyond. My first cell phone, talking my mom into my own car, paying for my gas, shopping, and annual passes to theme parks in our Florida home. It was difficult to hear of your true colors. Leaving us behind, me in the middle of college, your newly blind wife who needed a caregiver, and our family pet who misses his Daddy. 

You managed to ignore both my mother and I at your daughter's wedding. You wouldn't even sit in the front row to watch her say her vows because you couldn't man up to the two women you left behind due to your selfishness. You ignored me like I was some homeless man on the side of the road begging for your change. I would think that after seven years of telling me I can't  stay out past 11 that you would have more to say to me. You couldn't even look at me.. You're a coward.

I can't believe I struggled for years to figure out how I would explain to  my father that I wanted to share a father daughter dance with you at my wedding. Now that worry is out the window, along with our so-called family. Wasted years, wasted fights, wasted time. My mother struggles everyday on her own, knowing she may never love again while you speak of marriage with a woman you've just met. I hope you hurt, I hope you feel the pain, I hope you also realize you're missing out. My mother is beyond independent without you, she has come so far after you left our lives.  She may have suffered, but she's still the best women you could ever get. I hope your new wife knows that if she falls ill she will be on her own; no one to help her in a time of need when she will need you the most. 

I hope your life is better now that we aren't in your way. I hope God forgives you for the mistakes you've  made, the acts of pain you inflicted on us while you paid for love beyond my mother. I hope you learn the pain not only I felt, but the pain my mom feels everyday. Most of all I hope I never see you again... For your sake you better pray I don't.

Thanks for nothing you worthless scum!

Love, your ex step-daughter who doesn't need you, and will be the caregiver you never could to the women who deserves everything you ever promised but never delivered!

Abandoned

So as I've mentioned millions of times before, I am a server... I still work at my first serving job, and I love the people I work with. I've been putting up with this place for three years now and one major thing I have enjoyed about my job would have to be my managers. Don't get me wrong, sometimes we argue and sometimes they piss me off, but in the end we always lean on one another. 

One thing that is difficult is when someone you work with, who you have become close to, decides to move on with their lives and leave for better opportunities.   Just yesterday I entered work and my GM pulled me to the side and sat me down. Obviously the first thing going through my head was "OH CRAP... I'm getting fired..." But that was far from the case, in fact it was worse than being fired. My GM, the man who gave me a chance as a first time server, told me he was moving on and would be going to a different company. It may sound silly, but I was heart broken. I did a decent job of not crying... too much. 

It's really hard to see someone leave who has become a big part of your life. being in college and coming and going so often it was great that he was always very good about letting me come and pick up shifts whenever I wanted. Having someone work  well with me is something anyone would appreciate. Having someone who genuinely cares about you, or at least pretends to, is an amazing quality to find in a manager. 

Although he is leaving I am still left with great managers and good co workers. The sting of losing what made my work place the way it was is very difficult, but I have to be happy for him because he is doing what makes him happy. Although I doubt I was his favorite employee he bent over backwards for me, and he was nice enough to sit me down and tell me face to face about his plans to leave our company...

I know I sound ridiculous, but part of me feels abandoned. I'll get over it, I always do. But for now I am going to throw a pity party over the situation.... 

Thanks Jeff for giving me the foundation I needed to get my foot in the door of the serving world! I appreciate all you've done for Matt and myself over these past few years. I hope everything goes great with the new company, and you are able to touch the lives of those you work with in the future!

Networking

About a month ago I wrote about my fear of putting myself out there with this blog and my YouTube channel. I'm at it again. I'm a little nervous, but I feel like it's time to start networking. I had some business cards made to share my blog/YouTube with those I come in contact with. Wish me luck.

 If you're interested in sharing my cards, email me and I'll mail you a few to share with friends. Thanks for those who read my blog and hear what I have to say. 

Stay sassy! 

PPPS: If you would like to contact me you can email me at perfectlypinkandsassy@gmail.com