I have these two beautiful nephews that I love as my own.

I was planning to go see them this weekend, but plans were interrupted by the death of my sister's friend's father. My prayer go out to that family having recently experienced the death of my own father.

When I was planning a trip to see the boys, I called to ask the oldest boy (6 years old) what he would like me to bring him as a gift. I knew the 2 year-old would want whatever his brother had.

My nephew was at a day camp and I left word that I wanted to talk with him about this gift. My sister did not really want me to ask him what he wanted because she did not want me to feel as if I needed to show up with gifts.

I waited excitedly to hear what would he want. I knew his wants would represent the stage of his life and fill me in on some of his life I miss day to day. I hurt that I am not with him all the time and miss out of small details. The gift would be insight. Was he still into Cars (Disney) had he moved beyond the 10,000 Playmobil items I have searched for and purchased in the past? Did he still like airplanes??

As I thought of all the things he could name, I realized God must also want to know what we want because it is deep insight into our heart, maturity, insecurities, fears, and pleasures. I believe God is all knowing, but think He also loves hearing these wants. I am sure He loves that we draw close enough to him to share these.

This actually convicted me because sometimes I get tired of praying over and over the same prayer. I think how many times do I have to pray this to be heard, or even to cover myself. The truth is it is not about repeating the words. It is about drawing close.

I still don't know what my precious boy wants. But, I sit and wait and will be thrilled to know.

Bravo is airing a new show about Atlanta. Too bad not one of these housewives live in Atlanta.

4 out of 5 of these women are black, which is not too far off. I looked at the demographic of Atlanta and African Americans make up 61.39% of the city’s population. But, remember these women live in the burbs. I looked for demographics in Alpharetta and race was not mentioned. My suburban housewife friends have told me the demographics in their children’s schools are so diverse-representing so many countries it looks like a Benetton ad. These mothers bragged about this feeling this would make for a well rounded education for their child; so I am guessing the burbs are not 61% African American.

A few comments I heard from clips of this show on Entrtainment Tonight that made me really look up from my laptop were– the one white woman said she was “A black girl in a white girls body.” And another woman said that Atlanta was the black Hollywood.

Atlanta may be the black Hollywood with all the rappers and athletes here. But, I thought it was odd that the producers would use the clip of this white woman and she would feel the need to mention she had some type black connection. To me, this screamed we have no intentions of being diverse.

What if the only black woman on a show with 4 other white women said, “I am a white woman in a black body?” First, I would feel sorry for this woman that she was not happy in her own skin. Secondly, this black woman would probably hear from her race many comments about this statement.

Personally, I do not care about her race. But wonder what about Atlanta or the suburbs are the producers saying/portraying.

I copied the below about the show.

Bravo reveals ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ preview to air July 30

By Steve Rogers, 06/26/2008

Cross another state off Bravo’s ever-growing The Real Housewives list.

The network has announced that it will air a 30-minute “special preview” of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, another new version of its The Real Housewives reality franchise, on Wednesday, July 30 at 12 AM ET/PT.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta marks Bravo’s third attempt to replicate its original The Real Housewives of Orange County reality series. The first spinoff, The Real Housewives of New York City, debuted this past spring. Similar to the format’s West Coast original, it follows five New York women (only four of whom are actually married) as they attempt to juggle their busy schedules and highfalutin lifestyles.

The network announced it had ordered new seasons of both reality shows – Orange County’sfourth and New York City’s second — back in April.

At the same time, Bravo had also announced it had ordered The Real Housewives of New Jersey, a second spinoff of the format. The show will follow five of the Garden State’s most affluent women and their families, including the “McMansions and lavish lifestyles of these women and all the drama that money can buy,” according to Bravo.

Why the network has now decided to debut — at least in “special preview” form — the previously unannounced Atlanta edition before the New Jersey edition remains unclear, however Bravo is still proceeding with New Jersey edition, according to a network spokesperson. Except for today’s Atlanta“special preview” announcement, the network has not announced a regular premiere date for either new edition yet. When it debuts, The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s season will air as seven one-hour episodes.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta is being produced by True Entertainment, an Endemol subsidiary, with Steven Weinstock, Glenda Hersh, Shari Solomon Cedar and Kenny Hull serving as the show’ executive producers. True’s previous credits include Gastineau Girls, HGTV Design Star, and Unwrapping Macy’s. (Although they share a common branding, each The Real Housewives version is produced independently. The Real Housewives of Orange County is produced by Evolution Film & Tape whileThe Real Housewives of New York City is produced by Ricochet Television.)

The five women who will be featured in The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s season — and their Bravo-released bios — will be:

DeShawn Snow — Snow and her husband Eric, captain of the Cleveland Cavaliers, recently moved to their dream home in Alpharetta, GA. Mother to three boys: nine-year-old EJ, six-year-old Darius and five-year-old Jarren, Snow is an active member of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. She exercises her faith by running The DeShawn Snow Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on improving self-esteem in teenage girls. She is a regular on the Atlanta social circuit and extremely active in local philanthropy, sitting on the board of three different charities, all while expertly juggling her busy social calendar with being an NBA wife and keeping up with her boys.

Kim Zolciak — Zolciak lives in an exclusive gated townhouse community in Duluth, GA with her two children, 11-year-old Brielle and six-year-old Ariana. Zolciak is single, but happily dating with hopes to marry again in the near future. She also has her sights set on fame in the music business as a country singer, and is currently working with Grammy award-winning mega-producer Dallas Austin and will begin recording an album later this year. A staple on the Atlanta scene, Zolciak balances life as a single mom with a vivacious social life.

Lisa Wu Hartwell — Hartwell, a resident of a luxurious country club community in Duluth, GA, is a busy career woman who wears many hats - she owns her own real estate firm, Hartwell & Associates, a jewelry line called Wu Girls, a baby clothing line, Hart 2 Hart Baby, and juggles a budding acting, modeling and writing career. She’s a devoted wife to her husband, NFL player Ed Hartwell, and their three children 13-year-old Jordan, ten-year-old Justin and one-year-old EJ. When she’s not running one of her many businesses or running after the kids, Hartwell is very active in Atlanta’s social scene.

NeNe Leakes — Leakes is an active member of Atlanta society. She resides in the upscale Sugarloaf area of Atlanta with her husband Gregg, a successful real estate investor and business consultant, and their two sons, 18-year-old Brice and nine-year-old Brentt. Leakes donates her time to various foundations and is the founder of The Twisted Hearts Foundation, which brings awareness to domestic violence against women. Never one to sit still, the outspoken social butterfly also hopes to open a luxury boutique hotel in the very near future.

Sheree Whitfield — Single socialite Whitfield, a resident of the exclusive Sandy Springs area of Atlanta, juggles her busy home life with a packed social calendar. She is a busy working mother to three children -Tierra, Kairo and Kaleigh. Whitfield prides herself on her fashion sense, and owned her own upscale clothing boutique - Bella Azul - for years before closing up shop to focus on her next business venture, a clothing line called “She by Sheree.” Whitfield is opening a new chapter in her life as a single mom while balancing her entrepreneurial spirit and active social life.

Runaway Bride and Sue-away Bride Both from Gainesville, GA?
I just read the below article and thought it was funny that this ex-bride was also from the same area.
Do I think something funny is going on in this areas romances? I DO!
Woman Sues Ex-Fiancé, Wins
POSTED BY: DUFFIE DIXON
GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- A Gainesville woman has successfully sued her ex-fiancé after he called off their wedding. A jury ruled it was a breach of contract and ordered him to pay $150,000 in damages.

Rosemary Shell holds a large, glittering engagement ring in her hands. She no longer wears it on her ring finger, but instead keeps it in the box it came in. She says it's a reminder of what could have been.

"He changed his mind for no good reason," said Shell.

She's talking about Wayne Gibbs of Gainesville, a man she dated for five years. Shell says when he said he wasn't interested in marriage she moved to Pensacola, Florida and started a lucrative new job earning $81,000 a year plus bonuses and benefits. Then Gibbs showed up.

"He asked me to marry him. He gave me a ring and I gave up my life and my career and I came back to Gainesville. He told me he would pay my bills, that we would be married by the holidays and we would live happily ever after. I believed him," said Shell.

But two days before the wedding, she says Gibbs left her a goodbye note saying he couldn't go through with the wedding. He also wrote her a $5,000 dollar check. She says she tore up both and instead sued him for breach of contract.

Shell's lawyer, former Hall County District Attorney Lydia Sartain, successfully argued before a jury that Gibbs owed Shell what she'd lost in salary plus pain and suffering.

"He callously allowed her to quit her job, move back and into his house where she had no income and then after a couple of months he just put her out on the streets and said 'you know you're on your own'," said Sartain.

After just a day of testimony, the jury sided with Shell and ordered Gibbs to pay $150,000 dollars in damages.

Neither Gibbs nor his attorney was available for comment. Gibbs did testify that he didn't feel he owed Shell anything, especially since he'd let her keep the engagement ring.

The ring Shell now keeps in that box and plans to sell. She says she hopes the next woman who receives it has a fiancé who will follow through.

It Is Hard to Be in Business with a Friend!
)

I just wrote the words “Kim Webb was a tremendous help in taking the story of Princess Bubble from an email Susan originally sent out to her friends to a beautifully published book. Her friendship is extraordinary and priceless to Susan! But, sometimes it is hard to be best friends and business partners so Susan has bought Kim’s interest in Bubble Gum Press and will always be grateful to Kim for her love and passion for the message of Princess Bubble!” on our site

As I was writing those words, I was grieving the loss of my business partner. But, I know I still have the dearest friend anyone in the world could ever ask for!

It is just HARD to be business partners and friends. Here is a little of our story in case this can help anyone else and probably mainly to vent my grief since I am not really telling this story to the one I tell everything to—my best friend/ex-business partner.

I wrote the story of Princess Bubble and Kim thought the story was missing and needed to be told to the world. Having always been the most attention deficit person in the world, I said, “Join me so it will get done!” What I did not realize about myself was I am the Queen of Attention Retention when I have a passion. I guess up until Princess Bubble I never really worked on anything that I thought could change, empower, encourage people/girls the way I feel about the message of Princess Bubble. Having a passion that burns like a wildfire makes you excited every minute of everyday to work on something this powerful.

Kim, also passionate about the message, became the ADD one in our partnership, which is totally unexpected because she is brilliantly focused and taught herself Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian!

My background prepared me more for this project. My family has always owned a retail/wholesale business and I started buying for our store as a tween. I majored in public relations and understood the value of the media.

We both made a million mistakes along the way and knew absolutely nothing about publishing, so we have been blessed beyond measure. But, I saw early some of Kim’s mistakes in the few areas I knew something about. Then this weird control freak person came out in me that had been hiding under a blanket of apathy my whole life. I had learned to sell/promote my family’s wholesale line as a child; therefore, I assumed that ANYONE would know the basics I knew! Turns out they don’t.

Then the miracle of all miracles happen! We were asked to be on the Today Show! But, Kim said she only had limited availability. Limited availability! We are unknown, self-published authors. In my mind, if I was getting married that day I would have canceled the wedding to be on the show! Plus, my father had just suddenly died and I was crushed beyond measure. The good news of the Today Show was this fantastic thing I could focus on through my tears and pain.

The show was kind enough to work with us and we appeared in a segment with Ann Curry. But, ever since then our business relationship has been strained with our different views of work and commitment.

Thank God we have a friendship that is sibling-like in nature; where, despite the fights, you adore the person so much that I can fight, fight, fight and then say, “Whatcha wanna do tonight?”

Our new personal story reads, “Once upon a time there were two princesses. The two princesses realized their kingdom was crumbling with both of them ruling. But, they knew as friends they would live ‘Happily Ever After’ forever

Florida woman offers home, hand in marriage on Internet
This is such a crazy story I had to post it!
By KELLI KENNEDY
The Associated Press

Trabosh
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. | She’s tried nightclubs and online dating sites, but now a 42-year-old single mother is looking for love where everyone else’s heart is breaking — the real estate market.
After eight years being single and a year trying to sell her four-bedroom house, Deven Trabosh is offering the South Florida home and a shot at marrying her on the Internet.

“I figured, let’s combine the ad because I’m looking for love and I’m looking to sell the house,” said Trabosh.

“Marry a Princess Lost in America,” Trabosh wrote in the ads posted on eBay and Craigslist last week. She describes a life of romance and travel and a home with vaulted ceilings, upgraded tile and a soaking tub in a gated community with a pool and tennis courts.

Trabosh, a licensed real estate agent who hasn’t practiced in years, knew she would struggle to sell the home in the troubled real estate market, but insists her fairy-tale ad isn’t just a sales gimmick.

“I’m struggling ... I don’t want to lose my house, and I want to find somebody,” Trabosh said. “So I came up with this dream plan because I’ve always dreamt about being a fairy-tale princess.”

She listed the home for $340,000 on a sell-it-yourself Web site, but she upped the price on eBay, adding a $500,000 shipping fee to include her companionship.

Trabosh says eBay removed her ad, though she planned to change the wording and repost it.

Under the site’s prohibited-services policy, eBay does not allow the sale of human beings, body parts or relationships, spokeswoman Catherine England said Friday.

Trabosh hasn’t received any serious offers but says she’s had nearly 500 responses, mostly positive, including one from Ottie of Surrey, England, who e-mailed, “You are offering the perfect life with the perfect American princess.”

She’s gotten criticism, too. Her 21-year-old daughter, Haley, says she just wants her mom to find love, but her 14-year-old daughter says her mother is embarrassing her.

“I know I’m putting myself out there. I’m sincere. I believe in true love,” she said. “I want to get married again.”

The Good and the Bad of Children’s Books

It wasn’t that long ago that various media (frommagazines toblogs)spoke up in disbelief over My Beautiful Mommy, a children’s book by Michael Salzhauer. Anything I have to say about the book won’t be anything new, but needless to say, it’s problematic given its glamourisation of plastic surgery.

Some good news, though? Well, it seems it’s been available for some time now, but I got an email from Susan Johnston this week about her book,Princess Bubble. From the website:

The star of the book, Princess Bubble, is confused by traditional social messages that tell her that she has to find a prince to be happy. Princess Bubble enjoys traveling and helping others, recently graduated from college and is happy, so she seeks understanding as to why she needs to find a prince. After a fun little adventure, she discovers what the really meaning of true happiness is.

Although my sister is slightly too old for illustrated books, I just may pick this up for her, and that way I can check it out for myself. If not, I’m sure the Women’s Centre could use a copy!

This review is was orginially posted by http://doingfeminism.com

Because Happily Ever After Doesn’t Always Involve a Prince

Moms of girls - are you sick of the happily ever after stories involving a princess finding her prince? If so, then you have to check out the new book, Princess Bubble, written by two single, jet setting women!

The star of the book, Princess Bubble, is confused by traditional social messages that tell her that she has to find a prince to be happy. Princess Bubble enjoys traveling and helping others, recently graduated from college and is happy, so she seeks understanding as to why she needs to find a prince. After a fun little adventure, she discovers what the really meaning of true happiness is.

Princess Bubble contains cute illustrations and a fun message to counterbalace the ubiquitous princesses.

www.momsfavoritestuff.com

Pregnancy Pact

You probably read about the teen “pregnancy pact” in Gloucester, MA. At least 17 high-school girls expecting babies, including many aged 16 or younger.

What would lead these girls to make life altering decisions like this? This story made me even more passionate about the message of Princess Bubble because I believe these girls were searching so hard for something to complete them. Now, they will just be completely exhausted and overwhelmed for many, many years to come.

We at Princess Bubble believe “True Happily Ever After comes from loving God, helping others and liking who you are already.” Princess Bubble was written to reduce the overwhelming sense of failure, self-doubt, and despair that many youth face.

“We are definitely not anti-Prince,” said Webb. “We just believe that young girls today are bombarded with so much inaccurate advice on how to build their self-esteem—messages that focus on the outside rather than what’s within. We want to change that message.”

Was this a result of these girls following Jamie Lynn Spears or the movie Juno? If media has this major of an impact on our children; isn’t it time for a new message for these kids? Reminding our youth not only that they are special and valuable; but teaching our children self respect, responsiblity and that you can not expect someone else to fulfill all your needs. Happiness begin from within.

One teen mother interviewed on The Today Show, when asked what advice she would give to other teen girls mentioned that having a baby would not allow you to go out everynight. Go out? That is the least of these girls concerns! What about providing for the child? The mother finishing her education? The responsiblity for the rest of your life…The teen mother interviewed obviously has not faced her own reality yet.

Speaking of reality,the new show “Baby Borrower” could not come at a more perfect time for teens or the shows ratings. I have not seen this show but if I understand correctly a teen couple borrows a baby and experiences parenthood first hand. But, this is a couple and will the MA teens have any help from the fathers of their babies? The girl that conceived with a homeless man probably will not receive much assistance from him and I pray that a baby is the only medical condition he gave this girl!

I know so many couple waiting to adopt a baby I can only hope some of these teens will be willing to make the best of their mistakes and fulfill the dreams of adult parents that long deeply to adopt.

Susan Johnston & Kimberly Webb certainly get my vote for Princess of the week. Best friends and former flight attendants have co-authored the book: Princess Bubble, in which a Princess learns that “Happily ever after comes from becoming the best person God wants YOU to be with or without Prince Charming”. The book dispels the traditional fairy tale of finding Prince charming, then living “happily every after”. The duo are hoping to raise the self esteem levels of girls everyone by speaking a message of hope.

3 Tiaras up!

http://www.highprincess.com/

Princess Bubble is pleased to announce we have added new stores to our list of retailers.

Pink Crocodile Too -Mt Pleasant, SC

Laursen Design- Sioux Falls, SD

Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art -Nashville,TN

Squaredots -Covington, Ga

We are thrilled to be a part of these wonderful stores and hope you will visit any of our retailers in your area because we know the importance of supporting small business.

Happily Ever After!