Tag Archives: tribute thursday

tribute thursday – julie

Posted by —

12

I love my friend Julie.

She is beautiful, talented, creative and inspiring. She also makes pretty sweet YouTube videos for her artsy classes that receive thousands of hits (1) (2). Basically, she’s kind of a YouTube sensation (like my man Justin Bieber. So maybe someday she will be just as rich).

I think she is a lot more amazing at things than she gives herself credit for. Like, she makes beautiful paintings (make me one…). And, she has an incredible eye for design.

Plus, I am jealous of her body because she looks like a Victoria’s Secret model. Even though I believe she wouldn’t agree with me.

I think she’ll be an incredible fashion designer one day, if she chooses to pursue that career.

And all of you guys will be buying her cool vintage-inspired stuff.

So really, she’ll be rich either way (either as (a) a YouTube sensation, (b) a Victoria’s Secret model or (c) a fashion designer).

I love you!

tribute thursday – jessica

Posted by —

6

It’s 5:12 in the morning and I can’t sleep.

It’s also Tribute Thursday.

I will keep this one short and sweet.

Jess – I love you. Everything will be okay. I know you don’t like to talk about these things, but if you ever need to talk, or a shoulder to cry on, I am here.

You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.

I hope you know that you deserve the world. Please don’t settle for less.

tribute thursday – papi

Posted by —

3

This Tribute Thursday is long overdue*

*most likely because I don’t have a good picture

(so Papi and Ariela in New York will have to do for purposes of this post)

I love my dad. I hope I’ve made that clear, time and time again. He had to be a father and a mother to me and my sister growing up, which I’m sure wasn’t easy. He has always been patient with me. He has taught me to be hardworking and to follow my dreams. He has always loved me with everything that he has. He always has and always will believe in me. He makes me laugh. He encourages me. He keeps me in check. He is the most lovable, sweetest father anyone could ever imagine.

I mean, all my friends wish Papi was their dad*

*even if he is a turtle. (inside joke. But he sort of does look like a turtle)

I love him so much.

I would’ve given up a long time ago if it wasn’t for him.

I love you Papi and I am very sorry you have lost your hair. I am sure you will still find a very nice girlfriend (but remember that Ariela and I have to give you our approval first because that mother of ours you married turned out to be a psychotic bitch. So we don’t trust you. Sorry.)

tribute thursday (yes, it’s back people!) – tapper

Posted by —

12

I just met Tapper a few months ago. I had just moved into my new apartment and she barged in the front door (that’s a thing about Tapper. Homegirl needs to learn how to knock. It’s gotten her into quite  a few, erm, uncomfortable situations, to put it lightly. Think about it. We’re in college and college students like to do dirty things…), yelling, “IS JESSICA HERE YET!?”

I had no clue what the eff she was talking about. I mean, I knew a girl named Jessica was supposed to move into my apartment, but dude, what was with the enthusiasm?

Later I learned that Jess and Tapper had been friends since freshman year. I also learned that Tapper would be my neighbor. Next school year, the three of us are moving in together.

So obviously, it all ended happily ever after. And Jessica is as cool as she made her sound. Sometimes. (I keeeed).

This is a Tribute Thursday, though, so obviously, I adore Tapper. I adore our cuddle sessions. I adore her polka dot phobia (I think it’s hysterical. But I’m sure she thinks my tag phobia is hysterical in return). I adore her obsession with dinosaur chicken nuggets. I adore her obsession with elephants. I adore her fashion illustrations (she’s so talented). I adore her impressions of Peggy in the movie Sybil (I almost wanted to post a video of one of them but she would totally kill me if I did). I adore that we’re each others’ dealers (just a joke. Sort of. We’re on the same medication and we help a homegirl out if one of us runs out – and don’t worry, our doctors are totally aware of this). I adore that I hooked her up with one of my friends (call me Yente the matchmaker, if you will). I adore her bubbly, sometimes annoying personality. Most of all, though, I adore that we get each other. We know what it’s like to come from broken homes. We know what it’s like to feel panic attacks and anxiety on a daily basis. We know that depression can be overwhelming at times.

It’s funny, because when I first met her, she sort of reminded me of this girl I used to be friends with who totally screwed me over.

But then I got to know her.

And now I love my Tappity Tap Tap. (No Tapper is not her real name).

So this one’s for you, Tapper.

p.s. I will Tribute Thursday Jessica someday. If she ever lets me take a picture of her. What a party pooper, geez.

tribute thursday – ariela, v. 2

Posted by —

5

disclaimer: my first ever “Tribute Thursday” was actually to my sister, Ariela. Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted a bunch of my old posts. Regardless, I’ve known all along that I would write a tribute to her again this week, especially given the events of last night.

I’ve been thinking about how to write this post all day. I can only hope you will all read with an open mind. No judgments.

Last night was draining, to say the least. I really am trying very very hard to only look at the positive aspects of being home, but it’s hard for me to even be in the same house as my mother. She has caused me pain in a way that no mother ever should. It’s especially frustrating to me that my dad, whom I love and adore with everything in my being, thinks (or acts like) he is incapable of stopping her. It truly hurts my heart. Last night, I tried to express this to my father. I’ve been feeling some very healthy anger towards both my parents that I never thought I was “allowed” to feel. For the longest time, I truly thought I deserved everything I got. But now, I know this isn’t so. And I am perfectly allowed to feel angry at those that hurt me and disrespect me in awful ways.

My dad, however, thought I was ganging up on him. Thought I was trying to hurt his feelings. Thought I’d gone crazy. I hadn’t. I simply had to release so much anger that I’d held in for far too long. To make the long story short, there were tears, screaming, etc. And at one point, I took a framed picture of me as a baby and my mother and slammed it on the ground, glass shattering everywhere (I’ve never done anything remotely this violent before. And I don’t plan on doing it again). Looking at that picture made me sick. She never acted like a mother to me but something far, far worse.

Immediately, I ran to my sister’s room and slammed the door. I crawled into bed with my sister and she just held me while I sobbed heart-wrenching sobs. My YOUNGER sister. She protected me. She soothed me.

I cannot even begin to explain what my sister means to me. She’s been my rock, my confidante, my partner in crime, my best friend. For some reason, my mother was never quite as abusive toward Ariela as she was toward me. But Ariela saw what was happening while my father couldn’t, or wouldn’t. She saw the pain I was in. She has always, always been there for me. She never ignored me like everyone else.

We are so different. But I respect and love everything about her. Her artwork, her yoga, her inner party animal. She is the definition of someone who will never stop living her life, no matter how hard the circumstances may be. I truly admire that about her.

Is it weird to say that I want to be like my younger sister when I grow up?

I do. I want to be free.

p.s. I will not explain in detail how my mother abused me or how this is related to my sexual abuse because this is something very private to me.

p.p.s. Jersey Shore comes back on today! Woohoo (talk about off topic).

tribute thursday – ruffruff

Posted by —

8

Let me start this post by saying that I’ve had a terrible day today. First, I had to move out of my apartment all by myself. I’m a small girl and this involved some heavy lifting. Plus, carrying HEAVY HEAVY stuff down two flights of stairs. Which was an accident waiting to happen – I think I actually fractured my foot when all my luggage fell on me. I’m in PAIN right now. Then, I got the meanest taxi driver ever who wouldn’t help me with my bags and was just plain rude. Plus, Mike played a little joke on me that I totally took the wrong way (he’s still the best boyfriend ever. Ever). Ugh. It was a rough day. I’m so tired.

The only thing that made today good? My best friend from school, Ruffers – real name Alexandra, also known as Ruffers or Ruffruff – came to visit me for a few hours. I love this girl so much. She is honestly one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, emotionally. She’s been through so much and it amazes me that despite all that, she’s such a confident person. Plus, we’re like the same body type and height, which I think is cute. And she’s half Greek (and gorgeous. Totally a Greek goddess). I LOVE Greece. And I adore her family of Greeks. Cutest little Greeks running around, ever.

Ruffers is obsessed with evil eyes, just like I am. And feathers. Man, this girl is all about the feathers.

Before I end this post, I must mention that Ruffers threw me a birthday party this year. I LOVE HER TO PIECES.

tribute thursday – erika

Posted by —

5

Today’s Tribute Thursday is to my best friend from high school, Erika. Honestly, I don’t think any post could do this girl justice. She is absolutely hilarious and just a wonderful friend who has been there for me through thick and thin. I wasn’t exactly the most pleasant person to be around with in high school, so I’m even more thankful that Erika was always there for me. We are polar opposites in many ways but also get each other so well because we both tend to be driven by our emotions. I love her and miss her!

I have so many amazing memories with this girl. A night that unintentionally ended up in a sleazy strip club (oh, the people in there were nasty! I’m never going to a strip club again), renting the weirdest movies, discovering our favorite movie ever, a spring break trip to Miami…Erika is going to be my bridesmaid someday. I know it.

tribute thursday – mike

Posted by —

6

So far, I have avoided Tribute Thursday-ing my boyfriend Mike because I hate cheese. I don’t mean cheese the noun (as in, the food) but cheese the verb (that is, the act of being cheesy). However, he is taking me camping this weekend, therefore helping me cross off two items off my bucket list (camping and skinny dipping), so I believe that warrants a Tribute Thursday post (I hope I used the word “warrants” right in this sentence).

Plus, he’s pretty awesome.

So, here it is. Mike is awesome because:

(1) One time I wanted to donate blood to the Red Cross, but I couldn’t because my iron was way too low (that’s what I get after years of eating like an Auschwitz prisoner. Sometimes I’m really stupid). So Mike, who wasn’t really into the whole thing in the first place (not that he was AGAINST it, of course. But it was just totally my idea because sometimes I want to save the world), stepped in for me and not only donated blood, but did this whole fancy thing that took over half an hour in which the red blood cells were separated from the white blood cells or something science-y of that sort that I don’t really understand. He felt like crap afterwards, but I bet he saved a life, and it was just the cutest thing he’s ever done for me, like ever.

(2) We all know the Mikey the Build-A-Bear story, don’t we?

(3) He is Egyptian but he has blonde hair and blue eyes and it just makes me wonder…hm. But I like it.

(4) One time, when I was on the verge of relapsing into my eating disorder, he emailed my dad, whom he’d NEVER met, to tell him that he was really worried about me and was there anything he could do (it was during the summer, so we were really far apart).

(5) That same summer, while I was in Greece or Israel (I don’t remember. It was all a blur because I wasn’t eating so I was a tad delirious), I broke down over Skype and told him I felt ugly. So he shaved a big random patch of hair on his head, took a picture, sent it to me and wrote “THIS is ugly. You are beautiful.” (Okay, we’re approaching cheese territory here. My apologies)

(6) He still loves me even though he’s legitimately seen me pee my pants on Madison and 72nd street because I really couldn’t hold it in anymore. AND he refrained from posting this little incident on Facebook. Such a gentleman.

(7) I’ve wanted to adopt a kid since I was like 10 (plus have a couple of my own), and even though he’d never really thought about it, he says if we ever get married he would do it for me.

(8) He cracks my back. HELLO? Winner right there.

(9) He makes the best Dopey (from Snow White) face. But he likes to call it his penis face, after Russell Peters. Real mature, I know.

(10) He reminds me everyday that the most important thing in life is to be happy.

There. I really like lists lately. I bet you Mike doesn’t remember half this stuff because he’s got like the worst memory ever. But it all meant a lot to me.