Oh! Hello there blog.

March 1, 2010 | 20 Comments »

Once upon a time, I said I was going to blog once a week… which has clearly not happened.

And you know what? I am really okay with that. So rather than going into a long rant about how much I suck at blogging, or making a promise to myself to blog more or even writing something thoughtful at all, I’m just going to tell you in a nice, neat, numbered list, what my life has looked like over the past two months.

  1. I lost my happiness
  2. so I quit my amazing job
  3. I spent way too much time in my PJs
  4. and watched too many sappy movies
  5. but then I read a really amazing book about happiness
  6. I started running again
  7. and got organized
  8. I spent a lot of time with my best friend Monica
  9. which involved TONS of laughter
  10. I started finding happiness all around me
  11. and started wearing high heels again
  12. And then out of the blue I got a wonderful job offer
  13. I took it
  14. and my first project was Mom2 (hooray!)
  15. I changed a tire wearing a yellow dress
  16. and fell in love with the Mom2 Crew all over again
  17. I spent some time by a campfire
  18. and did some more organizing
  19. Today I woke up…
  20. and discovered a peace in myself that I never knew existed

I would say that as tumultuous as they have been, the last two months have been two of the most AMAZING months of my life! And it all boiled down to figuring out how to solve my own problems… with a ton of help from my beloved friends of course.

And because this post wouldn’t be complete without it (and because it totally cracks me up every time I see it)…

Photo evidence of Jenny and I changing a tire in evening gowns. And in case there is any confusion, I totally stole this picture from Jenny’s blog. So I am Maggie and Me is Jenny… if that makes sense.

And because I think this post needs a picture of Jenny and I looking like ladies (ie, without our asses in the air), here is this one with she and I and Gwen that I love just as much as the tire-changing one.

And because why not? BANGS:

Posted in Awesome Books, Conferences, Family, Houston Events, Mom2Summit, People I Love, Social Media |

My Happiness Project Begins

January 7, 2010 | 11 Comments »

One week ago today was my last day at Schipul.

After I wrote my farewell letter on our company blog, I was immediately flooded with all kinds of messages asking why. I have remained somewhat quiet on the subject up until now but I figure it’s time I explained the real reason I left a job I loved.

First things first: No, I am not moving. Yes, I realize it is a recession. No, I am not crazy.

Here is why I said Goodbye.

I have been working really hard to reach one goal or another ever since I was 15 and got my first job. My “Goal” list looked sort of like this:

  1. Graduate High School. Check!!
  2. Join the Army. Check!!
  3. Get into University of Houston. Check!!
  4. Major in Public Relations. Check!!
  5. Get a Cat. Check!!
  6. Participate in few great internships. Check!!
  7. Fall in Love. Check!!
  8. Graduate with Honors. Check!!
  9. Buy a sweet truck. Check!!
  10. Land a job. Check!!

A few months ago I looked at my list and noticed there was nothing left to check off. I had everything I had ever wanted and I was only 25. I should have been hopping up and down in excitement… Only I wasn’t. I was missing something I really really needed… and I didn’t know what.

So I decided to join the Peace Corps. Before you freak out, I didn’t… I already said I wasn’t moving right? I quit my job instead.

Fast forward to this Monday: I woke up JOBLESS but totally at peace. I wasn’t really sure what my next steps were because I’d reached the end of my list, but for the first time in my life I was okay with that.

Enter Laura and the Happiness Project.

On Tuesday I went to drink coffee and eat cake with the lovely Laura. As I was walking out the door to her house to head to my own, she stopped me and handed me a book.

“I just got this in the mail but for some reason I think I should give this to you.”

I looked down, it was The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

“Are you sure? You haven’t even read it yet!”

Laura ensured me it was fine and shooed me out the door.

My Happiness Project

I went home and immediately started reading. Within the first few pages, I was smiling… and I knew it was time to embark on my own journey to happiness. This is the quote from Gretchen that did it:

Se says to herself: “As soon as I have some free time, I should start a happiness project.”

Well I do have free time… and vast amounts of it! Why not start my very own project while I read Gretchen’s story?

My Happiness Resolutions.

Like in the book, I would pick one happiness resolution to work on every month. That makes 12 happiness resolutions total. Gretchen picked all of hers before she started her project but I’m still sketching out all of mine so I’ll just start with the first and what I’m working on in January: Organization.

So here is what I did today to kick off my Happiness Project:

  1. I started cleaning out my closet: Let’s face it. I’m never going to be a size 2 or an A-cup ever again so it’s time to get rid of those clothes I wore when I was 18, blond and bartending and make room for things that look good on my body now.
  2. A whole lot of shredding went on: I like to keep things… but do I really need the syllabus from my freshman “Intro to Public Relations” class? No. I allowed myself to keep the book, but shredded the rest.
  3. The recycling bin on my computer desktop is by new best friend: Like the syllabus, it’s not necessary to save every little thing. Chances are, if it was really important, it’s in my email archives or I can find it online somewhere. That .jpg of the UH logo has got to go. Trust me, it’s you can find it somewhere else.
  4. I died my hair: Come one. EVERY good project needs to start with a great hairdo right?!

So here is to 201o and my Happiness Project. I hope you start your own!

I’m heading to Austin tomorrow morning to do a reading of my 6 Word Memoir (join me!!) and then I’ll be babysitting my teenage cousins over the weekend. If you don’t hear from me on Monday, I would suggest heading to Austin with a rescue party. You may find me hanging upside down from an oak tree… tethered with nothing but toilet paper.

Posted in Uncategorized |

Happy Holidays from Me to You!!

December 17, 2009 | 9 Comments »

Monica + Twilight = My 2009
Perfect.

Happy Holidays

Make your own at www.merrynewsinator.com. It’s fast and fun!!

Posted in Awesome Books, People I Love |

Loves Box Wine in Solo Cups

December 16, 2009 | 7 Comments »

On Saturday I opened gmail expecting to find the usual emails from twitter, my sister and Monica. Those were all there… but there was also one with this little gem of a subject line:

Your Six-Word Memoir is Going to be Published!

Let’s rewind for a second. What is a Six-Word Memoir?!? Over a year ago, I heard the tale of Ernest Hemingway’s Six Word Memoir and I was pretty immediately hooked. As a former bartender, the story had me at hello. Why?

It takes place at a bar!! One night, Ernest Hemingway was out on the town and a fellow patron challenged him to write a memoir in six words… and he didn’t hesitate. His response?

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

I know what you are thinking. BABY SHOES? And you were HOOKED? Well I was enchanted with the idea of a life summed up in six words… and I would soon find out that millions of other people were as well. Thanks to SMITH Magazine, the challenge lives on. SMITH believes that everyone has a story, they just need a place to tell it… And you can… right on their homepage.

For a while, I was a six word stalker. I read other people submissions, which range from heartbreaking (These bruises prove he loves me) to hilarious (Never really left the Trailer Park). On January 28, 2009 I finally strapped it on and posted my own.

Loves box wine in solo cups.

And on Saturday I got the wonderful news that it’s going to be published in a book called It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure. You can pre-order it from Amazon now!! Or come to the book tour. I’ll be at the one in Austin on Friday, January 8 at 7 pm at BookPeople on Lamar.

Yes… it’s only 6 words. But it’s my six words.What are yours? Leave them in the comments section!!

Oh – and check out the video JMO filmed to help me commemorate the occasion.

Posted in Uncategorized |

An open letter to myself… At 16

December 15, 2009 | 21 Comments »

Today marks ten years to the day that I found out my father committed suicide. I was 16 and would be just getting home from school right about now. Today marks ten years to the day that everything I knew to be true was shattered.

I thought long and hard about actually posting this, and almost didn’t, because it is intensely personal. But upon reflection, I realized that if I so needed to hear from someone ten years ago what I am about to say, then there might be someone out there who need to hear it too…

I wish I could go back in time and hand this letter to myself right after hearing the news.

Hey little girl…

Lets get this out of the way first. It’s not your fault.

Now chin up. And let me tell you a few things.

I know you are hurting. I know this is the absolute worst day of your life. I know that for the first time in your life, you truly understand what it means to have a broken heart… because I know right now you can feel yours breaking.

But also know this. You will wake up tomorrow and every day after that… and it will get a little easier. This doesn’t mean that you will ever forget Daddy, it just means that your will remember how to breathe, and more importantly… you will remember how to live.

Know that you will laugh again in a few days and know that it is not a betrayal of Daddy to do so. He was a funny guy… he would want you to laugh.

Know that even though he is gone, you will always carry parts of him with you and that when you need him most, you will feel him there.

Know that you are strong and smart and amazing. Know that you will do things with your life (I’m not going to tell you what–you’ll see) that will make Daddy so proud.

In three days you will sing “Eagle’s Wings” at Daddy’s funeral in front of all of our family… that was always the song you loved singing with Daddy in church. On the last note your voice will fail you and the cantor will finish for you. Afterward, you will sit down in the pew and you will swear to yourself that you will never sing for an audience again… because you wanted the last time to have been for Dad.

Don’t make that promise. We regret it later.

Keep singing sugar,

Because you and I? We end up just fine.

Daddy

Oh and one last thing… dump Phillip. That guy is a serious douche.

Posted in People I Love |

#Best09: Brought to you by MommyMac & Pizza

December 13, 2009 | 7 Comments »

Tralalala la la la la… this post is in response to Gwen’s “the best of 2009” Blog Challenge. Check it! I missed yesterday so this is a double one.

December 12: New Food. You’re now in love with Lebanese food and you didn’t even know what it was in January of this year.

I’ll make this one short and sweet. Monica and I spent my birthday week in New York and it one of the most amazing trips of my life. I’ve been there several time before but I’ve never (please don’t throw things at me here) eaten the pizza from one of the little pizza places that seems to reside on every corner.

This time in NYC, both our new Irish friend John and Monica made me try it out… and oh boy it is amazing.

It’s not delivery OR DiGiorno. It is DEELISH!

Pizza

Thank you flickr user Daniele Sartori for the awesome photo!!

December 13: What is the best change you made to the place you live?

Recently I moved back home to dear old Tomball to live with Mom. There were several reasons behind this change, the biggest and most important probably being the need to save money saving and to pay off those old student loans.

I lived on my own all through college and for a few years after so I was a little nervous about the transition at first, but the last couple of months have been so much fun.

My Mom lives on a cul-de-sac and we’ve become really great friends with all of our neighbors. We become a fun, sometimes dysfunctional, always silly family that lives together – only in separate houses. I swear I’m going to write a book about this motley crew.

We’ve got the widow, the 20 something that lives with her Mom (clearly that’s me)… we’ve got the single mom and then the cougar. We’ve got the family with yours-mine-and-ours and then on the corner there is the overweight president of the homeowners association (we try to stay as far away from him as possible). Probably the most normal of all of us is the pharmaceutical rep.

We have made it a habit to get together every few weeks in someone’s driveway, drink lots of wine, and stay up talking as long as possible. You can imagine the variety of the stories that are told and the wonderfully different perspectives you get on things.

It is this eclectic bunch I bring all of my problems to first and it is these people who have picked me up time and time again when I’ve thought things are too hard. I have plans to move back into the city sometime in spring, but I don’t think I could have imagined a better place to live in my 26th year. How I love my dear little circle.

Oh… another great thing about living at home are having conversations like these (this occured five minutes ago):

Me (yelling from the kitchen): Mom!!

Mom (yelling from the computer room): What?

Me: I bought you some really great chips!!

Mom (walks into the kitchen): What did you say?

Me: Ummm. I bought you some great chips?

Mom: Oh thank goodness! I thought you were yelling about eating some “good shit” and I thought that was just so white trash!! Good chips. That’s funny.

Me: Wow Mom.

My little sister is coming home from college this weekend. Can’t wait.

my-family

Posted in #Best09, Family, People I Love |

#Best09: Almost Heaven West Virginia

December 11, 2009 | 18 Comments »

This post is written in response to Gwen’s Best of 2009 Blog Challenge. Head on over to her blog and check it out!

December 11: The Best Place. A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook?

This one was easy for me. As soon as I read the prompt, I knew what place I would be writing about.

Almost heaven, West Virginia,
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Life is old there, older than the trees,
Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze.
Country Roads, take me home,
To the place I belong:
West Virginia, mountain momma,
Take me home, country roads.

- John Denver

My Mom’s family is from a tiny town in West Virgina named Hinton. It is tucked between two rivers in the mountains and the only place to get a pair of shoes is Magic Mart. They now boast a Subway restaurant (watch out world!) and the only bar in town is a cute little joint called Pop’s.

Of all the places I’ve traveled, Hinton is one of my favorite places in the world because going back always feels more like going home.

In October we went back for my cousin’s wedding. It took place in a tiny cabin high in the mountains and my uncle officiated. After the service we drank moonshine and stayed up all night talking around a fire. Another uncle brought out his fiddle and we sang “Country Roads” by John Denver.

We are a family that is very much in love and we laugh all the time. We value our roots and tradition is important to us. We like passing things along… including names.

The top picture below is one of my favorite of all time. It best illustrates both the beauty of West Virginia and the sense of consistency I have when I am there.

In every generation of our family, there is a Margaret. I am the one that belongs in this generation. Pictured is Grandma Margaret, Aunt Peggy (which is a nick-name for Margaret), Baby Margaret and me.

Every time I look at this picture… my breathe catches in my throat. What an amazing place.

The four Margarets

Just the three of us:

Just the three of us

The whole crew:

The Whole Crew

My beloved other half:

MO and Alice

A few more cousins:

7122_1010012685Cousins

Posted in #Best09, Family, People I Love |

#Best09: I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (literally)

December 10, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge here I come!! Scoot over Gwen… I’m sharing your chair. I know I’m a little late getting on this train, but better late than never right? At least that’s the excuse I’m going with anyway.

December 10: Album of the Year. What’s rocking your world?

Michael Jackson HIStoryThis one is easy for me… mostly because the same set of songs has been rocking my world since the album came out (and long before). I love love love the Michael Jackson HIStory: Past, Present and Future Disc Set.

Yes I know it’s not new and it’s sort of cheating since it’s a greatest hits album… but it’s my favorite!!

I just checked the play count on my iTunes, and on average, every single song on Michael’s HIStory album has been played over 200 times… and that is just the record since my computer crashed 6 months ago and I had to reinstall the software.

I grew up listening to Michael Jackson and one of my favorite memories of my father has to do with the release of this album.

When I was little, I had a subscription to the all-Michael HIStory Magazine (I still have all of my copies!) and would have MJ dance parties at my house with my friends. When I am looking for inspiration, I still go looking for Michael.

The song I always play first? I Just Can’t Stop Loving You…

Now back to the challenge…

I’ll catch up on the rest of the posts over the next few days – promise.

For more info on the #Best09 Challenge and to see a list of participants, head on over to Gwen’s blog!

Posted in #Best09, People I Love |

Holy moly we’ve got SPAM on our hands!!

October 29, 2009 | 2 Comments »

And I’m not talking about the meat!

I posted a list of quick tricks for IDing SPAM and avoiding internet phishing scams on the Schipul Blog this morning but I think it’s a pretty important topic so I wanted to repost it here.

Especially since (and I’m not admitting anything here) I may have fallen for it… right in front of our IT director.

So yesterday I received an email that looked like this guy below (minus the pink arrows of course)… I clicked the “UPDATE” button and a window like this popped up… and holy moly.

At this point there was a whole lot of cussing and minimizing and I realized a blog post (or two) was definitely in order.

So let’s talk internet scams…

Facebook Scam Email

What questions should you ask when receive an email from your favorite site?

  1. Who is the email from? If it’s not coming from the actual site that is requesting action from you then it is probably spam. But beware. Email addresses are super easy to spoof. Our example email looks like it’s from Facebook but when we check out the rest of our criteria for IDing spam, it’s clearly not.
  2. Who is the email to? If it’s not “to” the email address that is tied to the account that is requesting action then ignore it. The example email was sent to a group address at Schipul but my Facebook account is tied to my gmail address so I know this is fake.
  3. Who is the email addressed to? Social Media sites are created to be your buddy, so when they reach out to you via email they will almost ALWAYS use your real name (Dear Maggie McDonald) or your username (Dear MagsMac), if they don’t use a familiar name when they, then they do not know your account. SPAM!
  4. Are they asking you to click a link in the email? If an email has failed all of the prior tests then most assuredly DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS in the email. Go directly to the site and check their to see if they need any info from you. If they really need something, you can bet they’ll tell you right when you log in and not just in some random email.
  5. Even if the email looks like it’s from the site, beware! See point #1. Emails are easy to spoof. The example email includes the correct address for Facebook headquarters but that doesn’t mean it’s really from Facebook.

Check out ebays guidelines for IDing a legitimate ebay email. They take internet security VERY seriously and are a great company to use as your email benchmark.

So in summary, be careful what you click. If in doubt don’t click anything and head on over to the site requesting action for more information!!

Oh… on a related note. Twitter SPAM is out of control this morning. I have received no less that ten requests that I check out a site to help me “cleanse fat” and I’m either really insulted or assuming your account got hacked.

Tip: If you have entered your Twitter password into any third party software lately, I would suggest you change it lest you inundate your friends with DMs like these:

Twitter Spam

*** Avatars Starred to protect the innocent.

Posted in Social Media, facebook, twitter |

Once Upon a Conference

October 19, 2009 | 10 Comments »

SchipulCon 09 at the Houston Zoo A wise woman once told me that to be a good writer, you have to actually write. So the same goes for bloggers right; to be a good blogger means you actually have to blog. That’s what I tell my clients anyway.

Well once upon a conference, I forgot about my blog because “things just got too busy.” Now the conference has come and gone and for the first time in two months, I find myself without an excuse not to visit this quiet place again. It’s home and it’s nice. But I haven’t actually been present here to enjoy it.

But once upon a conference, I found myself inspired again… and wishing I had never neglected writing at all. Oh how I wish I had a record of some of the hilarity that ensued when Ed said “Sure Maggie. You’re an event planner. You can plan the conference.”

Hold the phone please. Didn’t he realize I had been a wedding planner? At a country club? The difference between taupe and off-white is quite different than the difference between having wifi or lacking it (as I would later learn).

Well… The First Annual Schipul Web Marketing Conference (SchipulCon09 for short) was last week and thanks to the super smart crew I work with, our speakers and our sponsors, things just went fine. 200 people had a chance to come together at the Houston Zoo to learn some pretty amazing things… And I managed to avoid incorporating the wedding march into any intros.

So today is Monday and once upon a conference, I have realized that for the event planner in me, the most important lessons were not learned on stage.

And it is those things that SchipulCon inspired me to write about.

So what do I wish I had known before I started planning this conference?

  1. The quietest person on your team will be the one who is always there when you turn around and need help.
  2. Trucks are great for many things, but not moving popcorn machines when there is a chance for rain.
  3. You can never have too many power strips.
  4. Blogging Panels are ALWAYS better with Sharks.
  5. When help is freely offered, take it with grace.
  6. Check your speaker flight times… at least 36 times.
  7. If you invite Ziv, you will do shots. No matter how many times you say no.
  8. And no matter how loudly you say no, for that matter.
  9. If you say “y’all” 40 times in the closing remarks, people will giggle.
  10. Have someone outside of the team you can bounce ideas off of. This person will be your savior and one of your biggest cheerleaders.
  11. Have confidence in yourself. But make sure you have a back up plan in case a meteor hits your venue.

And in case you were wondering… we went with white linen.

Posted in Conferences, Houston Events, Schipul, Social Media |

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