Come Cruise With Me!

Last fall I took the trip of a lifetime and when the Travel Channel sent me, Wifey and Ms.Wanda on a dream cruise through the Mediterranean on Royal Caribbean! We started with an amazing land tour in Spain - Madrid, Toledo and Barcelona - and then we set sail on the Brilliance of the Seas to visit Cannes, Capri, Florence, Venice and more!

I am used to working behind the camera so this was a big switch for me - but I quickly got used to my new role and soaked it all in! It was a great trip for three fabulous girlfriends, and we were joined by wonderful family from North Carolina, the Partridges ( yes, that's really their name!). Check out all of our adventures on Great Cruises:Why Not The Mediterranean? which airs this Sunday, May 24th at 8pm EST (check your local listings to confirm the time in your area). These are some fun pictures from our trip!

Wifey and me in Florence

Arriving in Cannes

The Atlanta Girls in Venice

Finale Song = Finale Bomb = WTF?!

American Idol is my reality show guilty pleasure. I follow it closely - as soon as the ridiculous audition phase winds down and they get down to really trying to find talent. The addition of new judge Kara DioGuardi this year didn’t bother me at first, but when she opened her mouth I realized the show already had a nice balance of nonsensical comments and her jibber-jabber was quite unnecessary. But I looked the other way. Until last night when the two finalists were saddled with that tanker of a song. No shock it was co-written by DioGuardi because the song was as over-wordy and melodramatic as she is. Both Adam Lambert and Kris Allen looked painfully uncomfortable suffering thru it, and rightfully so. It didn’t fit either of the finalists, Adam was just lucky enough to do a better job with it. It’s the eighth season of the biggest reality competition show on the planet and the producers couldn’t find a better single? WTF?!

I hope that Adam Lambert wins, I have been a fan of his from the start. I was really happy to see the contest finally welcome somebody with a more theatrical background. He's a glam rocker and with a powerhouse voice, and his talent was not overshadowed by his sexual ambiguity (tv talk for he's gay). But Kris Allen is the definition of a dark horse and could pull off a huge upset. He grew on me over the last few weeks, and while I am still not a big fan, I did see his talent emerge and his confidence grow. Who ever wins the contest has achieved its goal. Neither of these kids could probably get past the receptionist at a major label but both will walk away with lucrative recording contracts. And Simon Cowell will get richer, Randy Jackson will still be pitchy, Paula Abdul will always be wacky, and Kara DioGuardi has a year to start writing a real song for next season.

Six Months Strong!

Hello world! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I did - the husband and I celebrated our six month wedding anniversary! Yes, I just had a gushy newlywed moment. When I shared that news on facebook I got a mixed bag of reactions. Most people sent me congratulations and wished me well (the romantics). Some people reminded me to enjoy this time while it lasts (the eye-rollers). Then others told me to check back with them in six months or six years and see how happy I am then ( haters! :) . I see the wisdom and humor in all of the responses.

In our group of friends, we are the newlywed couple so I am used to getting lots of advice. And it's usually a very balanced blend of constructive, positive thoughts mixed in with some bitching and some warnings. I enjoy observing people in general, so I have always watched other relationships to see what works and what doesn't. I did not get married until my late thirties, which is one of the smartest things I've ever done. I waited for the right man in my life - but even more importantly - I was finally the right woman and could appreciate and enjoy a healthy relationship.

I look back at the last six months and I have never been happier! Which is not to say that every day has been perfect, there definitely have been some bumps in the road. But we deal with them and we grow stronger every day. I still look at him and get the butterflies in the belly, which is fun. But I also look at him with a whole new appreciation every day as we work on our relationship and build our lives together. I am so thankful for my partner in crime and can't wait for the next six months, and the next six after that, and the next six after that, and the next six after that. Love you baby!

Mental Health Monday

Hello world. I am taking a mental health day! If this were a job a would be calling in sick right now. But it's My Inner Dialogue so there's no need for the fake cough and a weepy voice as I describe the flu that seemed to hit me over night. I'll just let you know straight out that Nikki D needs a day to herself!

But I will not leave you in the lurch. I wanted to share some exciting news that my sister Wifey and The Blog Rollers are announcing today! Check out this video and please visit their website for more details - www.theblogrollers.com

Have a great day!
Nikki D

Happy Mother's Day

It's a busy day as I am getting ready for a lovely Mother's Day brunch on Sunday! I am filled with thoughts of motherhood as I make my grocery list and prepare the house for our guests. I can't wait to celebrate each of these fabulous women who hold the most difficult title in the world; Mommy. I am so happy to be hosting this shindig and can't wait to spoil them all. I am off to shop, then to clean, and then to cook. But first I want to send a very special Mother's Day hug to my mommy - Love you Mother Duchard! I also wanted to share a few funny quotes about the sanctity and reality of Mommyhood, and wish everyone very Happy Mother's Day!

"There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power."
~ Maya Angelou

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."
~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"Most children threaten at times to run away from home. This is the only thing that keeps some parents going."
~ Phyllis Diller

"It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it."
~The Golden Girls

"Cleaning up with children around is like shoveling during a bizzard"
~ Author Unknown

"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child."
~Sophia Loren

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylum would be filled with mothers."
~Edgar Watson Howe

"Raising a kid is part joy and part guerilla warfare."
~Ed Asner

"I suffer from M.A.D.D. - Mommy Attention Deficit Disorder."
~Raenita

"The hand that rocks the cradle usually is attached to someone who isn't getting enough sleep."
~ John Fiebig

"My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint.
~Erma Bombeck

"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids."
~Unknown

Another WTF Wednesday

For one reason or another I seem to find myself ranting on Wednesdays and letting off steam about some WTF moments in my life. But as I sat down to write my post this morning I found myself in the unusual and unfamiliar situation with nothing to complain about! I woke up in a very good mood, the Husband has the day off and we have a great day planned, and no one in the media has crawled under my skin this week. But last night I was watching the news and at one point during the story I remember thinking “If I was in that situation and that happened to me I would be like - WTF!” So today I will speak on behalf of those I feel deserve some attention and some empathy on this WTF Wednesday.

Kate Gosselin
I am a big fan of the show Jon & Kate Plus 8 . I can not imagine what the strain of having eight kids under the age of eight would do to your marriage, and I’ll be the first to say that Kate uses the same tone of voice with Jon as she does with the kids (not a good idea), but none of that excuses cheating on your wife. And we really don’t know if he did or did not cheat. But regardless, he was photographed out with another woman and the implication and embarrassment is there no matter what. You KNOW Kate had a big fat WTF and a whole lot more to say when Jon came home.



The Flu
I have been really irritated with the media coverage of the Swine Flu but couldn't put my finger on the exact reason why. Then I saw Bill Maher the other night and he hit the nail right on the head. I respect the concern for this new strain of flu but the regular flu – or "Flu Flu" as Maher calls it – scares me far worse that the Swine Flu. It’s been kicking our butts for years and along comes this new Swine Flu and it gets more media attention than Paris Hilton. Not only should the Flu Flu be asking WTF but several other serious infectious disease should be insanely jealous and pissed off at their lack of air time after all of the havoc they have caused. (Warning, Bill Maher type language in this clip)




Elizabeth Edwards
She’s all over the press this week and has got the big interview with Oprah today to promote her new book Resilience. I have not read the book but by the title you can infer that she is one strong woman despite some hard times. Her oldest son was killed in 1996 in a car accident. In 2004 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she battled fiercely only to have it return and spread further in 2007. She is married to a man who has not aged in the last 25 years and so she looks more like his mother than his wife standing next to him. Despite that cruel superficial twist they always seemed like a very happy couple, until the news broke that John Edwards had an affair with a campaign worker and is rumored to have fathered a child with the woman. Adding the salt to wound, the affair occurred after Elizabeth's cancer diagnosis. Clearly this she not the type of person who sits around “why me”, but even the strongest woman at some point has got to say “WTF”! So I say it for her today. And if I ever met John Edwards I certainly would say it to him, right after I kicked him in the shins.

A Movie Motivated Monday

I am really struggling to get motivated on this Monday morning. Truth be told, I am struggling on most Monday mornings. The dreary weather and steady downfall of raindrops are only working with my natural desire to stay curled up in bed. I have a list of things to tackle and lots of projects that I am excited to work on, I am just lacking the steam to get rolling. I can't blame it on anything in particular like exhaustion, depression or stress. I have suffered from all of the above and when I'm faced with a tough situation I am able to shake myself by the shoulders and move forward. But when it's just a case of the plain ol' blahs I find it harder to reach around and kick myself in the butt.

I always wonder what other people do in situations like this to get motivated. Is this where a self help book kicks in or the Vision Board shows me the way? Should I crack open a book of famous quotes and look for some wisdom in those words? I am at a loss and starting to panic because I don't have anything to write about for my blog post! I turn on my computer and stare it with contempt for a few minutes, and then it hits me. I am more likely to quote Meryl Streep or Al Pacino than Joel Olsteen or Les Brown, so I go my rock solid source for inspiration - the movies. With a few keystrokes and a simple YouTube search I've found what I was looking for; a killer montage of motivational movie speeches that may not change the world but it was enough to get my blog post written and the first load of laundry started. I'll take that small victory on a Monday morning.

We Are Family

It’s going to be a fun family weekend for Nikki D. We are still celebrating Wifey's birthday (man, that girl can milk it! ;) It’s also my cousin Dana’s birthday who just got fantastic present - a beautiful engagement ring! And my cousin Charles & his wife are coming to visit. Charles is my first cousin, we are only one year a part but we just met for the first time six weeks ago. Charles was given up for adoption at birth and my Uncle Tony never knew him. Apparently there was a small rumor going around that his high school girlfriend had a baby, but no one ever really knew. Thirty eight years later they were reunited and our family welcomed its newest baby boy!

It has been an amazing experience getting to know him and getting to know his story. It’s made me think a lot about the definition of “family” and how strong those bonds can be. I think about what it must be like for Charles to meet his father, and for the first time in his life, be in the presence of someone with whom he shares the same blood. I think about what it must be like for Tony to see your adult child for the first time when it’s a carbon copy of yourself 20 years younger. I think about what it must have been like for his birth mother to hug a child she let go of so long ago. And I think about the joy it’s brought to all of us – his brothers & sisters, his aunts & uncles, and his cousins. We were all given a special gift and the chance to turn a biological connection into a member of the family.

When Charles and Tony met for the first time a news crew from 11Alive was there to capture that remarkable moment: