Letters For Lucas

Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son

  • Home
    • My Guest Posts
  • Letters For You

Barbie World

Posted on February 13, 2013 Written by Tonya

Earlier this week I wrote about Lucas’ obsession with cars and it got me thinking about my obsessions as a child.

When I was a little girl I used to love playing with Barbies.

My first Barbie was Malibu Skipper (Barbie’s kid sister) and I probably got her for my seventh birthday. It was all downhill from there… I was hooked!

I would spend HOURS making up elaborate story lines for my Barbies based on episodes of Dynasty and Knots Landing. I would fully stage sleep overs, dates, weddings, cat fights and court room dramas.

I would painstakingly handcraft Barbie-sized letters, money, magazines, books and invitations to Barbie and Ken’s elaborate parties.

I’d give each of my Barbie her own unique personality and characteristics, complete with flaws. All important parts of fostering any young girl’s imagination, socialization and development.

My mom and I were always on the hunt for everyday household items that could be used in my Barbie world; toilet paper rolls could be pushed inward and become high chairs for Barbie’s babies, shoe boxes become cars or beds, an empty Morton’s salt container can be transformed into a chair and a jacks box could be used as a suitcase.

At one point I had close to 30 Barbie dolls, including Peaches ‘N Cream Barbie, Loving You Barbie and Day To Night Barbie.

I also had the Barbie 3-story Townhouse with elevator, Sleep ‘n Keep case, which I took everywhere (see below), the camper van, a bubble bath that made real bubbles, Dallas, Barbie’s horse and tons of accessories and clothes. My mother also made a lot of my doll clothes.

Like most of my friends, not quite as Barbie-obsessed as I was, we all lusted after the coveted Barbie Dream House, which for the record, I never got!

My aunt Gail likes to kid me to this day about my relentless begging of her to “play Barbies with me” whenever we visited.

I kept the Sleep ‘N Keep Case and it is filled with all my favorite Barbies, clothes and accessories. I remember my mother telling me how much she wished she had kept her Barbies for me.

Sadly, the case wreaks to high heaven and the dolls hair is matted and the clothes have stiffened and yellowed, but it was fun to show Lucas and relive a very happy part of my childhood until he vehemently asked me to put it all away so that we could go back to parking with his cars. O_o

One of the most common criticisms of Barbie is that she promotes an unrealistic idea of body image for young women, but I also hope that she inspires them. Pretend play is a beautiful thing and Barbie can be and do anything and does it with the utmost grace, not to mention fantastic shoes.     

Hard to believe that Barbie made her debut 54 years ago. In fact, on this day, February 13, in 1959 the first Barbie doll went on sale.

Were you as obsessed with Barbies as I was and if you have a daughter, do they play with them? 

barbiewithwatermark

 

Related Posts:

  • Baby Tenderlove
  • 10 Things My Parents Did Right
  • Small Treasures

Filed Under: memories, pastime, TDA bio, toys Tagged With: memories, pastime, TDA bio, toys

For The Love (& Hate) Of Facebook

Posted on November 29, 2012 Written by Tonya

We accept friend requests from people that haven’t crossed our mind in 20+ years while ignoring ones from those we see weekly and we “friend” people we’ve only met once.

Throughout the day and overnight, profile pictures are updated, new jobs are added, relationships go from “it’s complicated” to “engaged” or “single” to “married”, honeymoon photos are posted, followed by ultrasounds, followed by baby announcements.

We bitch and complain hoping for a little sympathy.

We attempt to be funny amidst our pain.

We gloat and boast to make ourselves feel better or to express gratitude.

We share our lunch, pets, cocktails, garden, children, vacation and favorite quotations and song lyrics.

We support products and opinions we favor.

We promote ourselves, our blogs, our writing and our skill set all in the hopes of a click-through.

We poll our audience, ask for advice and often give it unsolicited.

We post status updates that either need a degree in physics to decipher, demand commentary, or at the very least, a “like”.

We get our world news, entertainment and weather by scrolling through our News Feed, in addition to the exact location of our “friends” at dinner (provided they have “checked in”).

As much as I hate to admit it, Facebook has become an enormous part of my social media life and I do all of the above.

Almost daily.

It has become a favorite pastime waste of time and my preferred way to connect.

Love it or hate it, remember with just one click of a button [POST], you could ruin someone’s day, destroy a marriage or end a friendship. Think (and please spell check) before you post and always remember “blocking” is your friend.

Facebook is a wonderful and wacky menagerie of our lives today, it’s like being a voyeur, but it should never be taken too seriously.

I do not presume to know you any better because we are “friends” on Facebook and always remember that what you see isn’t always what you get, we all have private lives.

Or at least we should.

Related Posts:

  • Timing My Online Life
  • The Great Debate [In My Head]
  • Connection

Filed Under: competition, facebook, friends, internet, pastime Tagged With: competition, facebook, friends, internet, pastime

Happy Sighs

Posted on September 10, 2012 Written by Tonya

Apart from spending time with my husband, son, puppy and friends, and maybe reading and working out, the thing that makes me the happiest is listening to Dave Matthews Band.

In fact, there was an amazing moment on my recent trip to Mexico when “#41”, my favorite DMB song came on while a small group of my friends and I were sailing on the Gulf of California and I couldn’t help but dance all over the boat feeling free and light and relaxed and oh so very happy. It was one of those moments that deep sighs are made of and will make me smile for a long time whenever I think of it.

If you know me or have been reading Letters For Lucas for any length of time then you know I am a die-hard DMB fan and never miss a concert when they come through my town.

I am thrilled to be guest posting on The Trend Tribe today with my first ever concert review of Saturday’s Irvine Dave Matthews Band show.

If you have never heard of The Trend Tribe, it is a super cool Web site featuring the latest trends in fashion, travel, events, food and health and it meant a lot to me that Editor-in-Chief, Nicole Standley came to me with this assignment.

Please visit me here today!

I HEART DMB!

Related Posts:

  • My ipod Has Schizophrenia
  • So Very Thankful – NaBloPoMo
  • Deliriously Happy

Filed Under: DMB, music, my guest posts, pastime, simple joys, The Trend Tribe Tagged With: DMB, music, my guest posts, pastime, simple joys, The Trend Tribe

24 Envelopes

Posted on February 27, 2012 Written by Tonya

Watching movies has always been my way to relax and I try to see all the latest ones, usually over the course of a few nights because I can’t stay awake from start to finish, so I adore red carpet events.

I love the Golden Globes, Emmys, Grammys, SAG Awards and the coup de grace…the Oscars, my favorite of all the awards shows!

I have always been the girl captivated in front of the TV, ballot in hand, watching the arrivals to see what everyone is wearing, who’s with whom, the extravagant and eye popping jewels, the hair, the makeup, all of it!

Whether it’s rude and ridiculous (Bridesmaids), dark humor amidst family drama (The Descendents), or the utterly sublime (The Artist), Oscar night is a celebration of cinema and all the reasons we love Hollywood…

To read more on my Oscar take, please visit my post today, 24 Envelopes on Smart Mom Style.

 

Related Posts:

  • On Disappearing & A Review Of “The Age Of Adaline”
  • Fall Things: Old School Blogging – NaBloPoMo
  • Big Kid Stuff

Filed Under: movies, pastime, Smart Mom Style Tagged With: movies, pastime, Smart Mom Style

For The Love Of All Things Pinned

Posted on February 1, 2012 Written by Tonya

Pinterest is all the rage. If you still don’t know what Pinterest is, good. Stay away for your own sake. There’s an app, people so you can pin anywhere, anytime and it’s as addicting as crack. I am not exaggerating. Not that I’ve ever tried crack.

It has become one of my favorite ways to waste precious time pastimes.

I have gobs of fun finding new things to pin, repinning others, attempting to make, bake, cook or create things I’ve pinned and of course poking fun at the whole damn pin thing.

With 41 boards, almost 3500 pins and over 500 Pinterest followers, I pin a lot!

I pin stuff I like to look at, products I want to check out, words and photographs that inspire, comfort or make me giggle, ideas for arts and crafts and other activities to do with Lucas, clothing I wish was in my closet, places I hope to see someday, celebrity crushes (both male and female) and an ever growing wish list. The Internet is your oyster!

These are my five recent pins as of Wednesday, February 1, 4:27 PM. NO JUDGING!
I have no idea how to credit this pin… I found it on my friend Rachel’s board, Wine Humor, repinned it to my board, Cheers and followed it back six pinners deep and still found no original link.

Who knows how many times it has been pinned? I’m guessing a lot because it’s hilarious. My point is, this is a big no-no in pinning! Always give proper credit to pins is the #1 rule of pinning!

Rule #2 Never pin when you’re hungry. It’s just stupid. I am SO making these!

OMG, YUM! Click photo for source.

Rule #3 Just because you haven’t been out of the country in years, doesn’t mean you won’t again someday. A girl can always dream. Can’t she? And make sure her Passport is valid.

Shangri-La Vilingili Resort, Maldives. Click on photo for source.

Rule #4 A Wish List is just that! It doesn’t mean you’re going to rush out and buy whatever you’ve pinned, but one of your many kind followers could. Just sayin’!

I heart DMB and must have these! Click on photo for source.

Rule #5 It’s my time to waste. As long as there’s a carton of milk in the fridge, the laundry is done, everyone else in the house is asleep and I have absolutely nothing better to do. So there.

The Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" series cracks me up! Click photo for source.

This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop Prompt 2.) Are you on Pinterest? Share the last five items you pinned, choose one and let it inspire a blog post.

Related Posts:

  • As Seen On Pinterest
  • Deliriously Happy
  • An Inherited Love

Filed Under: celebs, DMB, inspiration, mama kat's writer's workshop, me time, pastime, photos, pinterest Tagged With: celebs, DMB, inspiration, mama kat's writer's workshop, pastime, photos, pinterest

An Inherited Love

Posted on November 21, 2011 Written by Tonya

Home: the place where my husband and son are.

Both people bring so much comfort and joy to my life, but I am truly at my happiest in one of two other places; walking along the beach with the warm sun kissing my face, watching seagulls fly overhead, getting lost in my thoughts while at the same time completely clearing my mind. The salt air does wonders for my soul and the sound of the waves calm me.

My third favorite place to be, the place I find the most relaxing is a bookstore.

I miss the independent shops and the knowledgeable sales staff, the ones that actually read and can recommend something you’ve never heard of and fall completely in love with after the first chapter.

Books are magical; the way they feel and smell and line up against one another on shelves. I appreciate their ability to take our hand and transport us to another place and time.

Being in a bookstore is peaceful and I have spent hours walking up and down the aisles searching for inspiration, discovering it, exploring new topics, taking in the faint scent of print and coffee and relishing the quiet.

My love of bookstores, I inherited from my father. Sometimes he’d walk out of a one having spent hundreds of dollars and others, not one cent. The smile on his face was detectable either way.

Image courtesy of Pinterest. Click photo for source information.


This post was written for Write on Edge’s writing meme, RemembeRED. This week’s prompt: write about a (real) place that makes you feel peaceful. Where is your quiet place? What does it look like? What happens there? Word limit is 200. Constructive criticism is welcome.

 

Related Posts:

  • On Disappearing & A Review Of “The Age Of Adaline”
  • As Seen On Pinterest
  • For The Love Of All Things Pinned

Filed Under: books, exercise, happy thoughts, inspiration, me time, MSA, nature, pastime, pinterest, remembeRED Tagged With: books, exercise, happy thoughts, inspiration, me time, MSA, nature, pastime, pinterest, remembeRED

When I Don’t Have The Words

Posted on October 2, 2011 Written by Tonya

I love quotes! I have a 483 page Word document on my computer full of quotes that I have collected over the years. Sometimes my words are not enough and that’s when I turn to what others can say better, often more articulately and definitely more concisely.

To select only 10 to share with you is a difficult task, but here they are:

Always be a first rate version of yourself, and not a second rate version of someone else. – Judy Garland

Image courtesy of Pinterest. Click image for source.

With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy? – Oscar Wilde

Image courtesy of Pinterest. Click image for source.

Any life, no matter how long and complex it may be, is made up of a single moment – the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is. – Jorge Luis Borges

Image courtesy of Pinterest. Click image for source.

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. – Elizabeth Stone

Image courtesy of Pinterest. Click image for source.

How people treat you is their karma, how you react to it is yours. – Wayne Dyer

Image courtesy of Pinterest. Click image for source.

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.  – Anna Quindlen


This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley! This week’s topic: 10 Things Quotable was chosen by Bits of Bee.

Related Posts:

  • Old School Blogging: The ABC’s Of Me
  • The Great Debate [In My Head]
  • Vacation

Filed Under: list, monday listicles, pastime, pinterest, quotes Tagged With: list, monday listicles, pastime, pinterest, quotes

The Fine Art Of Relaxing

Posted on August 24, 2011 Written by Tonya

Never is it harder for me to relax than when someone asks me to.

I try. I really do, but it seems I wasn’t built with that gene.

A glass or two of wine certainly helps, as does a napping child, or a really great workout, but in large part I’m constantly in motion. I’d love to blame motherhood but the truth is, I’ve always been this way. I’m the most energetic person I know, a part from my son, of course.

I don’t know how to nap and hardly watch TV because I get too antsy. I piddle around the house late at night; organizing and reorganizing God knows what, making lists and perusing the Internet. Even writing, which has proven to be tremendously helpful, makes me anxious.

I’ve tried yoga and love it but find it difficult to stay focused and consistent with a practice. I’ve tried meditating, but always end up with a mind full of more things I think I need to do.

I drive myself nuts.

I drive my husband nuts.

I’m starting to see my wacky behavior in Lucas, which scares me. I’m hoping his intense energy level is due to his age, but he’s very very busy and thrives on moving from one activity to the next. The upside to teaching him how to relax is benefiting me as well.

I blame my father for my craziness. He was the same way, only worse! The man never sat down. With him, it was all about the next thing.

He hated dining out. As soon as the check arrived, he was reaching for his wallet and ready to head for the door. This was very frustrating growing up and even more so once I became an adult and wanted to have leisurely meals with him and talk about anything and everything.

Maybe with age or the strong urging of my mother, my father enjoyed collecting stamps and would spend hours cataloging his latest find. He would research the origin and delicately place his treasures in one of the dozens of binders that filled our entire guestroom closet. Those binders are full of the most exotic, colorful, beautiful stamps you have ever seen. Stamps he culled from all over the world. My father’s hobby helped calm him, helped him with the very fine art of relaxing.

Perhaps a mind numbing hobby would do the trick for me too?

What helps you relax? If you have a child, how are you teaching them to relax? If you blog, besides writing, what are your other hobbies?

Related Posts:

  • An Inherited Love
  • My ipod Has Schizophrenia
  • Even More Things I Know For Sure – NaBloPoMo

Filed Under: annoyances, exercise, life, MSA, pastime, TDA bio, writing Tagged With: annoyances, exercise, life, MSA, pastime, TDA bio, writing

Save The Ta-Tas

Posted on September 16, 2010 Written by Tonya

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. – Steven Wright


I am putting all my walking to good use and have signed up for the 2010 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

This will be my third time participating in this event and second time with my sister, Leah.

I walked in LA in 2001, San Diego in 2008 (while 12 weeks pregnant) and this time, I’m tackling San Francisco.

If you’re not familiar with the 3-Day for the Cure, it is an amazing walking event that covers three days and 60 miles. Yes, you read that right, I will be walking 60 miles over the course of three days, sleeping in tents, meeting some incredible people and hearing stories of survival and bravery along the way.

Fortunately my life has not been directly effected by breast cancer, but this is a cause that is very important to me.

In 1990, I found a small lump on my right breast and had it checked out immediately. It was only a cyst. I had it completely removed in 1997 and have been getting yearly mammograms ever since.

I was lucky.

Many are not.

Unbelievably, there is still not a cure for breast cancer and one person is diagnosed with it every three minutes in the United States. That’s why I’m walking, to help do my little part in finding a cure and I don’t believe mailing a check is enough.

Lucas, I hope you find a cause someday that is important to you, and that you do whatever you can in your power to defend and fight for in a bold way.

More Breast Cancer Facts (courtesy of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for a Cure Web site):

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the leading cause of death among women worldwide.

More than 1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globally each year.

More than 465,000 die from the disease each year.

A woman dies from breast cancer every 68 seconds.

Incidence rates are increasing five percent annually in low-resource countries.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure partners or funds programs in 50 countries to end suffering from breast cancer.

Komen Founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker, a Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control for the U.N.’s World Health Organization, is urging global health officials to include cancer in global health agendas.

Each walker is asked to raise at least $2300 and so far I am half way there. This is not a fundraising plea, but if you are feeling generous, please let me know and I can tell you how to donate.
post signature

Related Posts:

  • Not Just Another Three Days
  • Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk
  • An Inherited Love

Filed Under: 3-day, aunt leah, donation, exercise, pastime Tagged With: 3-day, aunt leah, donation, exercise, pastime

I Am A Sucker For Awards Season

Posted on February 1, 2010 Written by Tonya

I love watching the Golden Globes, Emmys, Grammys and the coup de grace…the Oscars! I just love the red carpet. I’m the girl captivated in front of the TV watching the arrivals to see what everyone is wearing; the designer dresses, who’s with whom, the extravagant jewels, the hair, the makeup, all of it!

Thanks to my dear friend, Lindsey, I have been lucky enough to attend both an Emmy award ceremony (2007) and a Grammy night (2005). What a complete thrill!! Two nights I will never forget. There really is nothing like being there live.

Last night, I had to settle for watching the 56th Annual Grammy Awards from the comfort of my bed (which isn’t a bad place to be at all these days) and it was best Grammy show I had seen in a long while. There were, of course the multiple wardrobe changes and all the glitz and glamor of previous years, but the performances were breathtaking.

I was floored right out of the gate by Lady GaGa and Elton John’s opening medley of Poker Face, Speechless and Your Song and then Beyoncé kicked it in to high fierceness with If I Were a Boy and her rendition of Alanis Morissette’s You Oughta Know, and the Michael Jackson tribute was very touching, but it was Pink that had me with my jaw on the floor.

USA Today described her performance best: “The famously feisty singer/songwriter showed her dreamier, more buoyant side. A vision in white (until she disrobed, revealing a flesh-colored body suit), Pink sang sweetly and surely, even while suspended by wires, twirling in midair and soaked in water.”

If you weren’t a fan of Pink before this, I bet you are now. It was a beautiful performance and the lyrics to the song she sang, Glitter In The Air are too good not to share:

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said I just don’t care
It’s only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg
The sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning
The breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you’re not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It’s only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table
The walk before the run
The breath before the kiss
And the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?

There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee,
Calling me ‘sugar’
You called me ‘sugar’

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Laugh so the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself
Will it ever get better than tonight?
Tonight

Of course, another huge highlight of the night for me was seeing my all time favorite, the Dave Matthews Band perform. Dare I say that Dave even looked rather dapper. Unfortunately, they lost out to Taylor Swift for Album of the Year, but I still heart DMB, their music always makes me smile.

The best is yet to be and I’d be lost without music.

Related Posts:

  • Live & In Person
  • Sound Off
  • Happy Sighs

Filed Under: awards, DMB, lyrics, pastime Tagged With: awards, DMB, lyrics, pastime

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Subscribe TwitterFacebook Email

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

My Parents

Photobucket

I was a Listen To Your Mother Cast Member! Click on image to view my reading:

I was a Listen To Your Mother Cast Member! Click on image to view my reading:

Proud to have my writing featured here:

Proud to have my writing featured here:
Blog Archive

What I’m Pinning

Letters For Lucas
BlogWithIntegrity.com

What I Write About

a mother's guilt annoyances aunt leah birthdays blog books challenges conversations with Lucas DMB exercise family friends grandparents gratitude grief guest post holidays KRA Letters For You list loss love mama kat's writer's workshop memories me time milestones motherhood MSA NaBloPoMo parenthood parenting photos praise pregnancy2 question quotes SAHM school siblings simple joys TBW TDA bio travel update writing

Creative Kristi Designs

Copyright © 2009- 2025 · Letters For Lucas · Design By Creative Kristi Designs