Confessions of Jersey Girl

The quandry: We feel terrible. Just horrible. And oh so helpless… if only there was something we could DO for them.

The answer: Ummmm. Did you forget that WE ARE THE INTERNET?!?!!??! And also, Yes We Can!!!

The result: Brandy and your Hot Awesome Dude… this one’s for you. Love, The Internet.

Our Plea

Our friend Brandy is a brilliant writer, a wonderful teacher, and a generous friend.  And she is in love with a man who has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

We are raising money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Fund in his name.  For the price of a cinnamon dolce latte, half-caf, hold the whip, you can be part of an effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide.

http://www.loveharder.org

Every dollar brings us a dollar closer to a cure.  And every donation brings a sliver of hope to a girl who needs all the hope she can get.

Love Harder,

Rachel

What You Can Do

• Give. Be part of a worldwide effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide.  Every dollar helps.
• Pass it on. Forward this story to five people.  Share this blog post.  Become our fan on Facebook.
• Love harder. Life is short, love is unbending, and no one knows what could happen next. Tell someone you love them today.

Where Your Money Goes

• The American Institute of Philanthropy recently named The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation one of the best organizations to give to in terms of their accountability and use of resources.
• By working closely with researchers, clinicians and partners in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, the MMRF has helped bring multiple myeloma patients four new treatments that are extending lives around the globe.
• The MMRF has advanced twenty Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. They need your support to advance these clinical research programs and accelerate the development of better, more effective treatments.
• The MMRF’s Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative recently became the first to sequence the multiple myeloma whole genome in its entirety.
• A whopping 98% of your donation to the MMRF will be used immediately to support high-priority multiple myeloma research.
• With diminishing funding for early stage drug development and the next myeloma treatments not expected to be approved until 2011, the MMRF desperately needs your help.

You can see Brandy’s Story here.  Trust me, it’s not something you’ll want to miss.

DONATE: http://www.loveharder.org
CONTACT: theloveharderfund@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.loveharder.org
MORE INFO: http://www.themmrf.org

(I just want to throw out there how insanely honored I am to have had the chance to be a part of this. This video, the Love Harder Fund, Brandy… they are all something so very special.  Everyone involved (especially this girl) went above and beyond the call of duty in putting this together.  The internet can do so many amazing things, and as a community, I think we’re capable of HUGE things… this proves it.  WE LOVE YOU BRANDY!!)

As a girl that wants nothing more than to become someone who takes pictures as a living, it comes as no surprise that I am so much more comfortable BEHIND the camera lens.  In front of the camera, i’m awkward.  I don’t know how to pose, i’m not a natural when it comes to looking “natural”.  I snapped this picture this morning just being goofy and then I really looked at it.  Sure, it doesn’t show my face, but does it have to?

You can see my hair, so carefully parted on the right (seriously, the side part was a REVELATION in my late teens).  This (after I googled it) means that i’m “smart & together.  When things aren’t fair, I just work harder”.  Hm.  Not quite accurate, but i’ll take it.

You can see that the walls are blue.  This (to me at least) screams calm.  It is, in fact, my bedroom.  This place is my sanctuary.  It’s my escape.  It’s where I go to feel energized and centered.

You can see the insane amount of light pouring in behind me.  I love bright spaces.  This seven foot high window is what drew me to our little house.  I love it.  All I saw when I first stepped foot in this room was the crazy amount of natural light for taking pictures.  Eeeeek.  Love.

You can see that I have a DSLR camera.  You can also see that it’s a Canon.  Having a DSLR just screams “budding photog” (at least to me) and having a Canon?  Well, that just screams “budding photog that’s got a brain”.

You can see that I have a ring on.  Which means i’m taken.  TAKEN.  Ah, happy.   You can see that there is no wedding band… which means I haven’t had a wedding yet (I HAVEN’T!  Real wedding?  October.  Jamaica.  Be there.) and that i’m probably in the throes of planning.

You can see my lovely chipped manicure.  This, I think, says I care about my appearence… obviously.  I mean, I made the effort to go and actually GET a manicure.  The up keep, however…  Well, let’s just say they aren’t thinking of all the women that have men currently deployed to Iraq when they think of the staying power of this polish.  I picked it all off yesterday morning while waiting for a phone call from my love that never came.  I haven’t gotten around to taking the rest of it off just yet.

Find a picture of you and post it!  Tell me what it says about YOU! :)

We were laying on the couch watching 27 Dresses.  I had drank a bottle of wine while I was vacuuming and making dinner.  (Seriously, these chores are so much easier with a good glass of Rose in your hand, try it & thank me later.) Matt kept kicking me off his lap when I tried to sit on him and kiss him.  Truth be told, I was getting a little upset and didn’t know what his issue was.

The movie got to the part where they are on the bar singing “Benny and the Jets” by Elton John (my favorite part, by the way) and I went on to say how seeing Elton John in concert was one of the top moments of my life.  Second to only seeing the Eagles in concert, because seriously… those events were life changing.  So i’m going on and on about this and I was walking around the house now, shutting off lights that Matt INSISTS on leaving on ALL THE TIME (really.  What is with this MEN?!  If the toilet seat is not up, you’re leaving every light in the house on.  Knock it off.).  I’m professing my love for over the hill musicians and Matt is out on the couch going “Are you SERIOUS?!  The best moments of your life were concerts?  REALLY?”  and I was just telling him that I was only 25, and had so much more left to LIVE! and he keeps going on and on about how he doens’t even rank up above two concerts and I was all “Sorry babe!  It’s the EAGLES and ELTON JOHN!  At least you’re above Hanson!”.

All of this was said while I was wandering around the house and he was sitting in the living room.  I went into the bathroom (right next to the living room) to pee and I came back out and there he was on one knee in the living room.  “Marry me?” he says and right then, I could hear my heart beating in my ears.  Then the waterworks started.  “Did I beat Elton John NOW!?” he said to me.  “OF COURSE.” People really don’t lie when they tell you that everything goes blurry.  I was CERTAIN that I wasn’t going to be overly excited when he asked me since I knew it was coming eventually, but man.  I was FLOORED.

We were in our pajamas, I was half drunk and a DISASTER from cleaning.  (Really.  My hair was in a ponytail and a hadband was holding back my bangs, which were sticking STRAIGHT UP behind this headband.  I was a sight, let me tell you.)  He had planned on doing it Saturday night sometime, but I set him up perfectly for that one, and he said he just had to prove me wrong.

I’m not a “big production” kind of a girl, so i’m thrilled with the way it all played out and I was so completely shocked that he had gone and gotten a ring and I had NO IDEA.  I didn’t expect him to ask me until AFTER he was back from Iraq, but it’s definitely nice to have a fiance. WHOA.   After I got myself together, we went to my parents house to tell them.  They had no idea Matt had even gotten me a ring, and I begged him months ago not to tell my family or ask permission or anything because I wanted it to be a surprise to them to.  My mom cried and my dad just kept saying how he was the happiest guy on the planet.  Sweet.

Once we were done visiting family and got back home, we were standing on the porch and I looked up at Matt as he was unlocking the door and asked “Babe, do you feel any different now?” “Nope, just feels good.” he said.  Swoon.

So, that’s my story.  Nothing fancy, but oh so perfect.  I’ve been engaged for… 40 hours and it’s amazing.  I’m thrilled and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this amazing guy.  (And plan a wedding.  We’re thinking Jamaica.  I’ve bookmarked 9,000 wedding blogs and websites this morning.) But now, I know you all want pictures of the RING!  It’s 1.5 sizes too big.  He didn’t want to wait to get it sized since he’s leaving for Iraq in two weeks.  So, I have a ghetto plastic ring guard from Wal-mart on with it so it stops falling off my size 5.5 finger.  Anyway, here’s the pictures! (and I don’t have a macro lens, so I am forced to keep the ring 1 1/2 feet away from my 50mm lens and therefore, the pics aren’t that great… but you get the idea i’m sure.)

ps. NO.  We have NOT set a date yet.  Jesus. (People seriously asked me that like, all day today.  Really?  It hasn’t even been 48 hours yet!!)

pps.  He kept kicking me off his lap all night because the ring was in his POCKET.  Ahhhhh!

Portrait sessions, building my portfolio and mastering Adobe Lightroom…

20sb Project: Love Story!  I’ve gotten six AMAZING submissions so far, and i’m looking for 50 total!  Send me your love stories!  The good, the bad, all of it!   This is going to be pretty incredible if the first few submissions are any indication.

Sitting three rows off the field at Phillies games on the most perfect end of summer night in the world…

And getting to do it with a pretty super fantastic boy…

And getting ready to live here.

Settlement is in SIX DAYS (well, five really), so posting might be a little bit here & there for the next week or so. (Just when I was trying to get better at this whole regular posting thing too!)  But, never fear… I’ll be back.  :)

I don’t really know where to begin.  I don’t really know what to say that hasn’t already been said by the amazing people that were on this trip with me.  It’s a strange feeling to talk to someone on the phone for over a year and never actually see them face to face.  It’s a strange feeling to connect with people through the internet, through doing what we do and know that if you could just be in the same place at the same time, you would be instant best friends.

Leading up to this trip, it’s been a hard few months for me.  I’ve really been trying to branch out, make friends and rekindle my old friendships that I let fall by the wayside.  I’ll admit, there was a second of hesitation before actually clicking the button and buying my ticket to California and Vegas.  What if they didn’t like me, I thought.  Then, it occurred to me that 25 other people were probably thinking the same exact thing that I was and I needed to take a chance.  That chance changed my life.

It’s crazy to think that just one week ago, my life was so different.  I acted differently.  I carried myself differently.  My heart wasn’t as full as it is right now, sitting here typing this.  Theres absolutely no way possible that the words I’m typing here are going to do this weekend the justice that it so rightly deserves.

Not one time in this trip was I ever nervous, scared or worried that someone wouldn’t like me.  Flying to meet Doni in Phoenix I was like I was waiting for an old friend.  Landing in burbank and running towards Nicole, I felt like i’ve known her my whole life.  Driving to Vegas with Andrea, Nicole and Doni… I doubt you’d know we’d only all known each other a short time.  Seeing Kerri in the lobby, meeting Steph in our room and sitting up for hours just talking… I had to keep reminding myself that this was real.  These people, their words, all of the months of reading… it all came together this past weekend and made something magical.

Highlights

Shots with Doni in Phoenix

Fountain Jumping with Nicole, Andrea, Doni and Kerri.

Cases of wine from Trader Joes. “Okay, let’s fill this case.  Nothing over $3.99. GO.”

Flashing the boys in Barstow.

Kerri and I getting called ugly by some nasty guy on the strip (really?)

Smiling for pictures until my face hurt.

Freaking out at the buffet to the point that the manager tried to run away from me.  I’M FROM JERSEY, i’m very stubborn.

Thinking my sunglasses made me invisible.

Me, Steph, Kerri and Amanda debating on heading into Zeffirinos for happy hour, realizing when we got in there that it was the best decision we had ever made.

“Wooder”

The whole group winding up at said happy hour and staying for hours on end just visiting and chatting it up.

Matt and his quest for 100 high fives.

Sitting up in our room with Elizabeth, Ev’Yan, Kerri, Steph, Nicole, Doni, Matt, Andrea, Allison, and Matt just talking until after 2am.

“I can see your face upside down!” – Steph

Makeouts.

15 pound bud light bottles of Margaritas.

Midnight french fries.

“We’re completely bellig!”

Being steps away from a filming of The Hills and despirately wanting to sneak into the club.

There are so many other little things that i’m forgetting to mention.  I am completely awestruck by each and every one of you.  We aren’t just bloggers anymore, we’re friends… FAMILY.  When we left on Sunday, each and every one of you took a piece of my heart with you.  I am forever changed by this experience.  I’ve learned to let myself take chances.  I’ve learned that I deserve to surround myself with beautiful, loving people each and every day of my life.  I fell in love with you guys out there, with 26 wonderful, encouraging, loving people.  I held you guys near and dear to my heart even before this weekend, but now?  Now, it’s in a whole different level.

See?  I already feel like i’m not doing this justice!  I’m going to wrap it up and just say thank you.  Thank you to Nicole for tweeting about Vegas.  Thank you to everyone who took a chance and came out to meet 26 strangers.  Thank you to everyone for being so accepting and loving and beyond words.  This weekend was incredible.  I’ve learned through all of this that it’s okay to take chances, to walk towards the unknown… because that’s when the most amazing thngs fall into place.

Returning to normal has been an adjustment.  I swore I spotted Kerri and Doni today and when I realized they are thousands of miles away, I wanted to cry.  Realizing that no one in the real world uses the words “WIN” and “FAIL” quite as much as I did this wekend has forced me to think before I speak so I don’t sound stupid. It’s actually pretty funny.