30 Day Age Gratefully Challenge

Hello my lovely readers,

I decided to take part in a 30 day challenge about Aging Gratefully. 

#agegratefully23 was the hashtag to view everyone's posts. It really made me think about getting older and my views surrounding the process. It was uplifting to see so many woman Aging Gratefully & Gracefully.

I posted almost daily throughout November. Some days I played a little catch-up & three days I just couldn't get into the mindset. 

The topics were~

1. Hi! 

2. Cozy Comfort

3. Vintage

4. Note to Younger Self

5. Time

6. Freedom

7. Now vs. Then

8. My ___ Era

9. Topsy-turvy {no post}

10. Strong

11. Thank You {no post}

12. Imperfect

13. Bold

14. Roots

15. Vulnerable 

16. With These Hands

17. Black & White

18. Peaceful 

19. Action {not in video}

20. Wisdom

21. Change

22. Colorful

23. Thankful - on Thanksgiving

24. Rest

25. Mantra {no post}

26. Powerful

27. Vibrant {not in video}

28. One Thing

29. Reflect

30. Looking Forward

You can see all the posts on my personal IG page @stephanieleonacross

This is the video recap~Age Gratefully

Until next time...

Bye Chandler Bing

Hiiii...

I found out at work. I was on a break and scrolling through IG when I saw a post that was 3 minutes old...Matthew Perry Dead at 54. I screamed out to whoever was listening. I work with quite a few young people and another girl and I had to explain who he was to a guy. I was pretty sure everybody has heard of FRIENDS. I mean it is still in syndication after being off the air for over 19 years.

I don't follow that many celebrities, actually only three. Rob Lowe, John Stamos and Matthew Perry. I have been fans of all of them since my teens. I would follow Keanu too, if he was on social. Anyways, I am still processing how I feel. it's weird to grieve over someone you have never meet, but has been a part of your life for years.

I remember where I was when I found out about the deaths of Princess Di, JFK Jr, & Michael Jackson, but they didn't hit as hard as Matthew Perry's. Not even Luke Perry who was a day older than me. I have never been that into famous people, so I am tripping out that his death has affected me this way. 

I was always "Team Chandler" I like the other friends, but I loved Matthew Perry and his portrayal of Chandler Bing. I remember him from some other projects he did before FRIENDS, most notably one with Valerie Bertinelli. He played her little brother. I also watched the other shows that he did after FRIENDS, plus most of his movies.

When FRIENDS premiered 29 years ago, I worked on Thursdays and did not watch the first couple of episodes, but I started watching and/or recording from the 4th episode in, "The One with George Stephanopoulos." It was on my 28th birthday and I was hooked. I mean it was about a group of single people around my age. A show about how your friends become your family when you're in your twenties. It also helped that they were Gen-Xers. I watched every single episode from then on, that night or the next day, until "The Last One" in 2004. 

Like I said, I loved Chandler Bing, and Matthew Perry. The show got me through my mid-twenties until the night after I gave birth to my one and only son on May 6, 2004. I still have the TV Guide from that week, not the newspaper, since the cast was on the cover. Something people did/do to commemorate their child's birth.

I have watched FRIENDS numerous times throughout the years, usually whenever I would catch it on tv. Right after I lost my husband I purposely watched the whole series in order again. I had already watched the series in order for the with my son when he started high school. He's a fan, too. See my post on our visit to the Friends Experience. {the photos are from that day}

I am still processing this weird feeling...I lost a friend that I never actually knew

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Hi lovely readers,

For some of you today is a "spooky" day, for me it's my 57th birthday. I was born on a Thursday so my 1st birthday was on Friday the 13th!

Here are some 13 facts~

• Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th
• Friday the 13th didn’t become a  superstitious day until the Victorian Era
• The movie with Jason first came out in on May 1980
• Judas was the 13th guest at the Last Supper
• Loki was the 13th guest at Valhalla
• A book called "Friday the 13th" came out in 1907. It's about an unscrupulous stockbroker
• There are 13 lunar cycles in a year
• Both Friday & 13 have roots in paganism
• Then of course, there's Taylor Swift and her love of the number 

Any others?

The F • R • I • E • N • D • S Experience

Hi lovely readers,

I don't know about you, but I was and still am a HUGE Friends fan. I was 27 in 1994, the year it started, and just like the path of the Central Perk crew~I went through more than one relationship, had many ups and downs in my life, finally found my forever person, and became a mom {the day before the last episode}. 

I saw an ad on IG earlier in the year about the Long Beach, CA arrival of Friends Experience. I of course had to join.

I took my favorite person, the one born on May 5, 2004. He's watched the series at least once in order, and humored me this summer by watching it almost nightly. We went on a Wednesday afternoon, his last day of being in Southern California before going back to school.  

It was billed as the one near Long Beach since it was in the city of Lakewood, in the mall that my first job was at. Driving up to the former Joanne's/Nordstrom Rack/Dick's that had turned into an experience was weird. Once we entered the door the ghosts of retail past disappeared. 

There were so many details throughout the maze of rooms. Every corner we turned was a new discovery. I took lots of photos, plus paid for a digital photo pass the supplemented some of our photos taken by other fans.

We had a great time hanging out in Central Perk, chatting in Monica's kitchen and relaxing in Joey & Chandler's recliners. Plus, trying to get the couch up the stairs, and revisiting the famous couch in the intro. 

Here's a video recap of our experience~ @stephanieleonacross IG Reel

Try and check it out if you're a fan and it comes to your town.

Until next time...

It's a Barbie World

Hello lovely readers,

I grew up in the 70's, a proud Gen-Xer. One of my favorite toys was Barbie. I received a new one each Christmas and I had all of her accessories, too. My favorite was  the 1977 Superstar Barbie. My outfit for the day was inspired by her. I've always been a pink loving girl, and thought I would be too much in a hot pink jumpsuit but I fit right in...

So besides the movie, which was fantastic, and very empowering, Los Angeles, or more specifically Santa Monica had a fun, fan experience. It's a Barbie World included a life-size dreamhouse living room, kitchen & closet. We were able to "swim" in her pool that was full of bubbles. Then we ventured over to her camper. Her first one came out when I was kid, and they had one that we could "drive." There was also a beach, a campfire & "fountain."

There were human-sized boxes that we could pose in, and a cute wall of shoes. Upstairs was a museum, runway, recording studio, newsroom and airplane/spacecraft. It was so fun stepping into Barbie's world for an afternoon.

Check out the 4 part series first posted on my IG reels @stephanieleonacross

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Until next time...

First posted on @stephanieleonacross

Happy Birthday Barbie.

SuperStar Barbie

Malibu Barbie

It seems like everybody is going Barbie this week in honor of her 50th birthday. Today, I even received my new Barbie catalog. They brought back two of my favorites~Superstar Barbie and my first one, Malibu Barbie. I was really into her and had just about everything including her famous corvette.

Here are some fun Barbie facts~

• Barbie’s real name is Barbie Millicent Roberts
• Barbie’s signature color is Barbie pink
• Barbie has never been married~She just likes to model them
• Barbie’s “real” measurements are 5 inches (bust), 3¼ inches (waist), 5 3/16 inches (hips). Her weight is 7.25 ounces
• Barbie had had 108 different careers
• 70 famous designers have outfitted Barbie
• Barbie has owned 50 different pets including dogs, horses, ponies, cats, a parrot, a chimpanzee, a panda, a lion club, a giraffe and a zebra
• Barbie and Ken were together for over 43 years. They brook up in 2004.
• Barbie has four sisters: Skipper (1964), Stacie (1992), Kelly (1995) and Krissy (1995)
  

What toy brings back your childhood memories?

Happy Reading,

Images & facts courtesy of Barbie.com