Oh My Beautiful Girl

 I wish you saw yourself the way I see you.

You are smart, beautiful, funny, witty, amazing, incredible, and so much more without even trying. Even the butterflies know it!

Goddess has a way with animals. Ever since she was a little tiny girl living things have been drawn to her.

This latest photo she said to the butterfly "Come Here" and it did. Her dad and I were with her and I couldn't even catch my breath. I was amazed to watch it land in her hands. It was so quick I didn't have time to register what was happening. When I finally did I whispered "Don't breathe!" and quickly removed my phone from my pocket trying to get video and photos of the moment. Literally after this one finally flew away another landed on her finger. I asked, "What did you just eat?" What the hell?

Here are a few more of other times including little Goddess

Photo Friday - #Numbers

 Atlantic City isn't what it used to be however this was a Wednesday and 4 PM. I only went twice before but it was packed both times. It was so very different but my husband played 1 dollar on one machine and won and a dollar on another and won again. I loved how he proudly walked over to the cashier and with his little winning card and claimed his money. We walked out with $8. WINNERS.

Sisterhood in The Age of Social Media

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Beyond Likes and Followers: Teen Author Explores Why Real Sisterhood Matters in the Age of Social Media

 

TUSTIN, Calif., Sept. 3, 2026 — For a generation growing up with friendship, identity and self-image playing out against the backdrop of social media, 17-year-old author and aspiring journalist Kavya Thakrar believes one thing remains essential: having a support system of women who know the person behind the profile. Her debut book, Bows and Ties, explores the power of modern sisterhood at a time when connection may be just a scroll away, yet genuine belonging can feel harder to find.

 

Thakrar’s perspective grew from her conversations with 19 accomplished women across law, medicine, entrepreneurship and the arts, as well as her own experience building a network of women she considers her “tribe.” For her, sisterhood is not about having a long contact list or an impressive social circle. It is about finding people who celebrate each other’s individuality, challenge each other when necessary and remain part of one’s support system through life’s many stages.

 

“Having a solid network and a solid tribe has made me more secure in my mental health and who I am as a person,” Thakrar said.

 

Bows and Ties is not just a collection of interviews, but a carefully connected conversation featuring the likes of Psychologist Dr. Deepika Chopra, astrologer and author Jenn Sinclair, Chinese functional acupuncturist Kacie Hill, and attorney Astha Ghai. Each woman’s key revelation becomes the next woman’s prompt, creating an unbroken chain that highlights both the uniqueness of each journey and the threads that connect them.

 

The book’s format also lends itself naturally to classroom conversations, giving educators a starting point for exploring leadership, identity, career paths and women’s experiences through real personal narratives rather than traditional textbook lessons. The varied perspectives allow students to consider how different women define success, navigate challenges and shape their own paths.

 

Because each interview offers a distinct perspective while connecting to the next, Bows and Ties can also encourage students to think critically about the choices, experiences and relationships that influence a person’s sense of identity and direction.

 

Part handbook, part narrative exploration and part shared dialogue, Bows and Ties offers readers not just advice, but recognition — and gives educators an accessible springboard for meaningful classroom discussion. In seeing how others navigate uncertainty, redefine success and build meaningful lives, readers are invited to consider their own evolving identities with greater clarity and confidence.

 

“I wanted to show that sisterhood isn’t just about friendship; it’s about learning from one another, celebrating each other’s growth and creating space for more women to lead with confidence,” Thakrar said. “Bows and Ties is a tribute to the women who remind us that success feels more meaningful when it’s shared.”

 

Bows and Ties 

ISBN-13: ‎979-8271755682 (paperback)

ASIN: ‎ B0FYDGLCS4 (Kindle)

Available from: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FYDJ696S

 

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My Girl And I Hit A Different Kinda Boardwalk!

Yeah we just got back from the salty air, sandy Wildwood Boardwalk of New Jersey but my girl and I hit a different boardwalk last week. The Pochuck Boardwalk of Vernon New Jersey goes through the tall grass, over rocks and creeks to the sounds of crickets, birds and more. I have wanted to do this boardwalk for over 18 years now and it finally happened. 

I am glad we did it now because thanks to my daily multivitamin regime everyday my body (hip and back) can handle this kinda thing. The boardwalk is mostly about 2-3 feet above ground, narrow and at one particular area a little scary but it was awesome! Ended up a little too hot to do the whole things but next time.

Spending time with her walking in nature and saying hello to complete strangers always makes me happy.

Noooo I Don't Want To

 I am mostly positive. Everything can always be worse and trying to stay positive is important to my mental health but today I am just feeling a little angry. Honestly I don't want to go back to work tomorrow. 

Setting the alarm for 4:45 but having my internal clock wake me at 4 makes me so mad! My body works against me all the time.

Praying that we all have a wonderful day tomorrow no matter what we are doing.

The Words Children Hear Today Become the Voices They Carry Tomorrow

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

The Words Children Hear Today Become the Voices They Carry Tomorrow

 

Physician and author Dr. Tiffanie Tate says healthy self-worth begins with the conversations children have with others and with themselves.

 

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27, 2026 — Parents often worry about the words children hear from classmates, social media and the outside world. But physician and author Dr. Tiffanie Tate says one of the most influential voices children will ever hear is the one they eventually develop inside their own minds.

 

“Children are always listening, especially to the words that become part of their own identity,” Tate said. “The way we speak to them, and teach them to speak to themselves, can either strengthen their confidence or quietly erode it. Words have the power to wound, but they also have the power to heal.”

 

Her children’s picture book, Perfectly Perfect, helps parents, caregivers and educators begin those conversations through an age-appropriate story that explores friendship, bullying, apology, self-image and the lifelong importance of choosing words that heal instead of harm.

 

Written for children under 12, Perfectly Perfect uses rhythmic language and a relatable story of friendship to introduce big ideas in small, accessible ways. When a young girl begins to feel unhappy with her body and stops eating, her friends step in with compassion, helping her see what she cannot: that her value has never been in question.

 

“The ‘perfect trap’ is a public health issue,” Tate said. “Too many children seem to be suffering from image issues from social media. It’s time for us to rewrite self-worth in this age of pressure, comparison and mental health crises.”

 

Designed as both a story and a conversation starter, the book gives parents, caregivers and educators a framework for discussing self-image, disordered eating and self-worth.

 

Wyoming Star agrees, writing, “Perfectly Perfect is aimed as much at adults as it is at children. It quietly redirects attention back to the environment children are growing up in. It encourages parents to approach sensitive topics like eating habits with ‘calm curiosity’ rather than pressure, and to focus on function (how the body grows, plays, thinks) instead of appearance. The emphasis is less on correcting behavior and more on reshaping the framework through which children interpret themselves.”

 

With themes of kindness, empathy and confidence, Perfectly Perfect encourages children to support one another and to recognize their own worth from the very beginning.

 

“Perfectly Perfect is about raising healthier humans,” Tate added. “The story helps children understand they do not have to earn their value; they already have it.”

 

Perfectly Perfect is Tate’s latest children’s title, following Bad Touching, which teaches age-appropriate lessons about personal safety; Little Engine Mia Sings, which addresses bullying; and Money Matters, which introduces financial literacy concepts to young readers.

 

Purchase PerfectlyPerfect

Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing

ISBN-13: ‎979-8896378952

 

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KPop 3 Day Event

 

 

KPEX: KOREAN POP CULTURE EXPO

LAUNCHES IN 2027 IN NEW YORK CITY

 

New Event from LeftField Media and the Co-Creators of

New York Comic Con, PAX, and Anime NYC brings together

the worlds of Korean Music, Movies, Television, Comics, Games,

Food, and Beauty on May 29-31, 2027

 

New York, NY  - LeftField Media, a consumer and enthusiast division of Clarion Events, today announced the creation of KPEX: Korean Pop Culture Expo. This new event will be a three-day celebration of Korean entertainment and culture in America’s biggest city filled with special guests and events for fans of K-Pop, K-Dramas, K-Comics, K-Games, K-Food, and K-Beauty. Led by event industry veterans Greg Topalian (co-creator of New York Comic Con), Robert Khoo (co-creator of PAX), and Peter Tatara (co-creator of Anime NYC), and built by LeftField Media (the makers of Anime NYC, Anime Frontier, Awesome Con, and Rose City Comic Con), the KPEX team has made some of the biggest and most beloved popular culture live events in the US, and they now turn their experience on the exciting, burgeoning world of K-Content and K-Culture.

 

Spread across Memorial Day Weekend 2027, KPEX will provide fans an opportunity to meet their favorite Korean stars and see, hear, taste, and touch what’s next in Korean entertainment. Each day will be packed with panel discussions, premiere screenings, interactive workshops, autograph sessions, and a dynamic expo floor filled with shopping and unique experiences, and each night will be anchored by a showstopping concert spotlighting artists coming from Seoul to New York City. KPEX will present fans with over 100 hours of special events created by both leading companies in the K-Content world as well as their fellow fans all around NYC. KPEX is by fans, for fans, and the voices of the fandom will be felt all throughout the convention, delivering an unforgettable weekend for all lovers of K-Content and K-Culture.

 

KPEX is further proud to share that it will launch with partners, sponsors, and participants including the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), a governmental agency focusing on expanding K-Content worldwide, and Ize Press, the US publisher of fan-favorite Korean comics and novels including Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, with many, many more participants to be announced across the coming months. 

 

Fans can look forward to tickets to the convention launching on September 18 at 12 Noon Eastern Time. KPEX will announce special guests and show features throughout the fall.

 

“From Oscar wins and K-Pop stars performing during the World Cup, to record-breaking streaming success, Korean entertainment has become a beloved fixture in American pop culture with over 25 million fans all across the country,” said Peter Tatara, Co-Founder of KPEX. “We hope we can now give its fans, creators, and the companies at the heart of K-Culture a place to call home in the center of New York City.”

 

Looking across the country, comic cons and anime cons connect fans with American and Japanese pop culture in almost every city, but very few gathering places exist for fans of Korean pop culture. KPEX will change this and build a revolutionary comic con for the Hallyu Generation, bringing lovers of K-Pop, K-Dramas, K-Comics, K-Games, K-Food, K-Beauty, and more all together under one roof in New York’s Javits Center.

 

“KPEX hopes to create a space for fans to deepen their relationship with Korean culture, lifestyle, entertainment, and artists,” said  Robert Khoo, Co-Founder of KPEX. “We want to uplift the community by giving it a home in NYC, build a destination which elevates the fandom all across the United States, and our long-term goal is to expand this cultural excitement into lasting international awareness and goodwill that more closely connects the US and Korea.”

 

In addition to connecting fans with the Korean pop culture industry, KPEX will also connect industry professionals with one another through a B2B experience side-by-side with fan interactions. KPEX looks to build a path for companies and creators to debut projects and products and offer new media exposure and meaningful business connections.

 

KPEX is announced by LeftField Media just one week after the 2026 installment of its Anime NYC Japanese pop culture convention. Its largest year yet, Anime NYC played host to 172,000 fans from around the USA, world premieres, and appearances by some of the biggest stars and companies in Japanese pop culture, all brought together in the Javits Center - the same venue as next year’s KPEX.

 

“KPEX looks to follow the same success as Anime NYC, which LeftField founded nine years ago, and we’re working with many of the same partners and team who brought Anime NYC to life,” said  Kelly Comboni, CEO of LeftField Media and Clarion Connect. “We further want to make certain that KPEX is built authentically for fans of K-Culture. The KPEX team is made of K-Content fans, and we’re working with organizations and individuals across the Korean and Korean American worlds to craft the event in a genuine way, including partnering with Infinitize and IW Group, both award-winning agencies with tremendous experience in Korean culture, entertainment, and fandom, to help build the best, most fan-focused festival we can create.”

 

Fans wishing to hear more can visit kpexevents.com, join its newsletter, and follow the event on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok to be the first to learn about special guests, show features, and ways to get involved. High resolution logos can be downloaded here.

 

ABOUT KPEX
KPEX is a comic con for the Hallyu Generation, a celebration of K‑Pop, K‑Comics, K‑Dramas, and more in the heart of New York City! Join us for an exciting weekend filled with concerts, premieres, autographs, exclusives, and unique experiences that all connect fans with what’s next in Korean culture and entertainment. KPEX’s mission is to share Korean pop culture and support the artists and organizations behind it, and we’re a community for fans, a market for exhibitors, and a platform for publishers - all focused on expanding K‑Culture in America’s biggest city! Learn more at kpexevents.com.

 

ABOUT CLARION EVENTS

Clarion Events is the world’s largest privately owned event and exhibition organizer, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events and digital products across the globe. Since its inception in 1947, the company has grown into a truly international organization, with a portfolio of 125 events and media brands across a range of vertical markets. Clarion Events employs nearly 2,000 people in 12 countries around the globe. The organization aims for each of their products to become a market leader in customer satisfaction and delight whilst retaining talented people and loyal partners. The business constantly strives to increase its value across long term vertical industries with significant international growth potential. Clarion Events is presented as a best-in-class, customer centric and digitally enabled partner. By applying a customer first approach across the organization, they create outstanding platforms and products for their customers and partners to grow their own businesses. For more information, please visit clarionevents.com.

 

ABOUT LEFTFIELD MEDIA

LeftField Media, LLC is an events company focused on developing face-to-face events in a range of communities rooted in contemporary culture and shared passion. LeftField was formed in 2014 and is now owned by Clarion Events Ltd. With a keen sense of the evolving needs of businesses and their consumers, as well as new opportunities created by change, LeftField takes a clean-slate approach to its work. LeftField’s portfolio includes Awesome Con, Washington D.C.’s Comic Con; Rose City Comic Con, in Portland, OR; Anime NYC, New York City’s Japanese pop culture festival; and Anime Frontier in Dallas-Fort Worth. LeftField Media is headquartered in Shelton, CT. For more, visit leftfieldmedia.com.

 

ABOUT GREG TOPALIAN
Greg Topalian created New York Comic Con, the most successful launch in Reed Exhibitions’ history. This led to the creation of ReedPop, a division which grew to $50+ million in revenue under his leadership. In 2014, he founded LeftField Media, an experiential events company rooted in contemporary culture. In three years, it grew to $4 million in revenue. Clarion acquired it in 2016, and in 2017, Topalian was named CEO of Clarion Events North America. In 2023, he launched On Deck Ventures.

ABOUT ROBERT KHOO
A Tokyo-based gaming and live events executive best known as a founding architect and longtime show director of PAX, the world’s largest series of gaming events. As President at Penny Arcade, he helped transform a creator-led webcomic into a global gaming brand, while helping define the modern fan event; culture and commerce built around communities, not just floor space. PAX events are now held across the US and Australia and attract fans from around the world.

ABOUT PETER TATARA

Peter Tatara has spent 20 years working in live events and with East Asian media. At Reed Exhibitions, he managed guests and programming at events including New York Comic Con and the official Star Wars Celebration before leading global business development. Then at LeftField Media, he launched Anime NYC and grew it into the second largest Japanese pop culture festival in America. Most recently at the century-old Japan Society, he ran 100+ traditional and pop culture events a year.

 

# # #

Summer Break Is Over And I Am Sad About It

I don't feel like I had much of summer. Yes, it's probably more than some get. I mean I had three weeks off but the first week was after the last day of school and summer school beginning. As a one-on-one attendant for a child I don't want to change her world to much by taking the summer off if she will attend summer school. Her world should be as consistent as possible so if she is going, so am I. Unfortunately the first Monday off I decided to scrub  my bedroom from top to bottom.  I moved end tables and got under my dresser with a rug comb before vacuuming. I spent two hours on my hands and knees and unfortunately two days later couldn't move at all. My chiropractor told me 15 minutes top with long breaks in between. It took a week and a half to be able to move without pain.

Then I worked 6 weeks before being off for Wildwood which I didn't feel "off". I mean I'm in a hotel room with my family. Is that really off? 

Then I worked the daycare from 3-6:00ish depending on when the last kid left and did dog sitting. Soooo not much of a summer break as school employees get.

This week we go back but these two days that should be off I have to attend mandatory meetings for work. I wish I could say break has been amazing and I did a ton of fun things but I can't. I did more than last year though so I guess I should be happy about that. 

Today I am on the last hour alone for the week. There were 2.5 to be exact and I just zoned as I should. There is no guilt or judgement to just be. Being quiet is important to life too which is why I decided to write this. It feels good to spend time without any judgement. No one to say what you said didn't make sense (daughter), or snicker at what you might be watching on TV or playing on your phone. No guilt to read a chapter of a book when maybe you should have been caught dusting or cleaning something. It is beautiful.

Being alone for 2 hours a week is good for my soul. As I start gearing up to return to 11 hour days of work I know I need to make some changes. Maybe during the weekend I need to just go out alone. Sit in quiet and listen to my own vibrations, feelings, thoughts or whatever I friggin want.  Here's to finding me time!

Wildwood New Jersey 2026 And Turning 60

My family headed out this month on an 8 day vacation to Delaware of Wildwood NJ. We headed to Cape May and jumped on the ferry to Lewes Delaware to stay with my sister-in-law for two nights before our trip to Wildwood. We had gone last year but the weather was awful. The beach had about a 1-2 feet of water on it as well as being cold and rainy every day except the day we headed down and the day we came back.  We were out to redeem ourselves and enjoy the sand and ocean for a few days and celebrate my 60th Birthday.

The weather was hot and I am NOT really good in 90+ temps but I was a big girl and kept up.

We were at the ferry way too early but that's normal when we travel. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Stowaways and then jumped on the ferry. It was hot but eventually we all made it outside and enjoyed the beautiful breeze.

My sister-in-law is a wonderful host and our time with her is precious. I love her like a sister and enjoy watching my kids with her. 

We did some antiquing and relaxing. Very different from our Universal Vacations when we are on the go the whole time except when we are sleeping or eating. If you love antiquing I highly suggest Delaware.

Wildwood was nice! Relaxing with a few schedule free days. Just wake when we wake, walk to boardwalk and go to the beach. 

We stayed in Wildwood Crest at the Adventurer Oceanfront Inn. It was nice enough. Two rooms with a kitchenette, living room with balcony and a bedroom with two beds. The only problem I had with it was it smelled moldy and stale. It seemed like it needed a good airing out and some bleach.

The morning of my birthday my husband had put a birthday card on the table and my daughter came up behind me with a crown that she place on my head and a sash that read 60 and fabulous. It was very sweet. My son came over with a bag of two shirts and two bracelets he had purchased from the boardwalk. Very sweet way to remember our time here.

My daughter had also made me two dangles for my pocketbook with stones and gems. LOVE them.

We went to breakfast at the very delicious Station House where I had my favorite Eggs Benedict. I had been having it in a few places this trip and this was by far my favorite.

After that we went to the boardwalk and hung at the hotel for a little while. Before you knew it it was dinner time and I was so excited because they have such a good Italian restaurant in Wildwood called Little Italy which is really good. We had gone last year and loved it.

The best part of dinner was when dessert came out and the restaurant sang Happy Birthday with "60" candles on it. The waitress made my night. She kept telling me there is no way you are 60. You are all getting over on me because I am 63 and "kid you look younger than my 43 year old daughter."  The sweetest. 

I found out later that my daughter had brought the candles with her. Told her father when we were at the restaurant, he put them in his pocket and then "went to find the bathroom" where he gave them to the waitress. Very sweet! I loved that so much.

Wearing the crown and sash all day and all night meant a lot of strangers wished me a Happy Birthday and that made it all the sweeter. Turning 60 wasn't hard. My mom was 34 so I am proud and privileged to have made it to 60. Was it the best birthday not really. My husband and I are not in the most coupledom place we have ever been but at least we were all together and it didn't hurt hearing you don't look 60 a few times either.

Sunday Stealing Invites You to Be Bold

 July 31, 2026

Bold the Ones You've Done

Have you ever ...

1. Slept under the stars


2. Played in a band


3. Visited Hawaii 


4. Visited Easter Island 

5. Watched a meteor shower


6. Seen the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace


7. Been to Disneyland or Disney World 


8. Climbed a mountain 


9. Held a praying mantis

10. Been to the Louvre 

11. Had food poisoning


12. Eaten vegetables you grew yourself


13. Slept overnight on a train 


14. Built a snow fort


15. Held a lamb


16. Gone skinny dipping


17. Been on a cruise (day cruises and dinner cruises count)

18. Seen Niagara Falls 


19. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors


20. Sung karaoke


21. Sat for a portrait

22. Walked on a beach by moonlight


23. Been transported in an ambulance


24. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 


25. Kissed in the rain


26. Played in the mud


27. Gone to a drive-in theater

28. Changed your vehicle's oil yourself

29. Taken a martial arts class 


30. Visited the Vatican


31. Volunteered at a soup kitchen or food pantry


32. Sold Girl Scout cookies

33. Bought a used car

34. Sat on a jury

35. Ridden an elephant

Sometimes The Quiet Is Deafening

 

Trying to soak up the rest of summer with a husband who doesn’t share much.

The days are long and warm, the evenings are quiet! Sometimes a little too quiet. It’s hard to build a conversation when the other person keeps most things to themselves. You ask about their day, get a short answer, and the silence settles back in.

Still trying to enjoy the season anyway, the late sunsets, the slow mornings, the little moments that don’t need words.

Just wishing the talking part felt a little easier sometimes.

Anyone else in a quiet relationship and figuring out how to make the most of the season anyway?

PENNY LANE IS DEAD | A Blood-Soaked Homage to 80s Australian Horror Arrives on Shudder August 28th

Written and Directed by Mia-kate Russell   Starring Sophie Wright-Mendelsohn, Tahlee Fereday, Alexandra Jensen, and Bailey Spalding

 

Available to Stream on Shudder August 28th

Set on a hot summer’s night in 1986 Australia, Penny Lane is celebrating getting into college with her longtime girlfriends Toni and Amy. The night, however, does not turn out as planned. After Penny's jealous and troubled cousin Kat decides a cruel prank is in order, what begins as a thoughtless spiked cupcake game spirals into a night of bloodshed. In the Ozploitation tradition, Mia-kate Russell’s debut feature is a blood-soaked descent into love, betrayal and survival, infused with dark comedy and rage. 

 About the Director

 An artist with an original voice and an unapologetic flair for thriller and horror storytelling, Mia-kate Russell’s directorial work is marked as much by darkness as it is at times a sly, even camp, humour. She has the gift of creating emotionally impactful stories that challenges the audience to examine their own behavior as her complex and flawed characters are forced to confront the consequences of their own. Mia-kate is committed to making wickedly entertaining character-based genre films with authenticity and a social conscience. 

 As a writer and director, her short films have won more than 30 awards and screened at prestigious festivals all around the world including SITGES, Screamfest and Shriekfest. 

Her first short film Auditioning Fanny, starring Sam Johnson, won the Best Short Film award at the Phenom Film Festival (2012), her next short Swallow won multiple awards for FX Makeup and had the honour of being nominated for Best Picture at SITGES (2014), Death By Muff was a finalist of the ABCs of Death 2 and was included on the horror anthology ABCs of Death 2.5, Liz Drives (2017) won multiple awards at genre festivals both in Australia and overseas including Sydney Indie Film Festival and Monster Fest, and the award-winning Maggie May (2019) was a hit with audiences and critics at festivals all over the world, the last two surpassing 100,000 views each on online platform ALTER. Mia-kate’s work is featured in Alexandra Heller-Nicholas’s 2018 book 1000 Women in Horror.