Sweet Sixteen!

Our Princessa of Quite A Lot turned Sweet 16 in February! We tried to make the day as special as we could.  When she woke up and opened her bedroom door she was surprised to find Sweet 16 streamers in front of her door, as well as balloons and banners all over the hallway and the kitchen! She told me she couldn’t believe that we had done all that for her. Of course in true Princess fashion, it was a weeklong celebration.

On the morning of the Big Day, Big Daddy took her to the DMV to get her Drivers License and out to breakfast before she went to school. She was very excited to come home and show me her driver’s license!  The picture wasn’t bad and the decorative beading showed in the picture.That weekend, for her celebration she invited six of her closest girl friends to dinner at HuHot Mongolian Grill, where they gave us a small private room for our group. She was the belle of the HuHot, rocking her Sweet 16 Birthday Princess sash, tiara and feather boa. Her girlfriends (and Mommy) wore little tiaras.  They had a blast creating their stir fries and the “Grill Warriors” sang Happy Birthday to her as they grilled her food. After dinner the girls came back to our house for a sleep over that included cupcakes we made that looked like our pup Mischa, snacks and a Nerf battle. It was a little different than those Super Sweet 16 television shows, but I am sure that they had just as much fun, if not more.

The next day Big Daddy and I actually watched a ‘Best of’, of that show. P. Diddy gave his kid a Maybach and a driver…we gave our kid key chains from Las Vegas for ‘her’ keys to the Town & Country minivan.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on these huge extravaganzas that featured multiple hip hop acts, catered food and expensive cars. I wonder if the birthday child really enjoyed these grand parties as much as they said on camera.

Most girls dream of how their “Sweet 16” will be. We older girls wished that we would have a “16 Candles” moment and our Jake would be waiting with his sports car and sweep us off our feet with a private birthday celebration and a Sweet 16 kiss.  

For my Sweet 16, I had a ‘Death by Chocolate’ party and invited my best friends, which included boys because my very best friend to this day is the same boy. The dress code was fancy.  My friend Nina and I rocked velveteen knickers and bolero jackets that we had sewn ourselves. We gorged on chocolate cake and desserts including chocolate pizza. Jake didn’t stop by with his sports car but it was a pretty good night just being with my friends!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome to “A Little Bit of Monika”, my new author page blog! My writer friends encouraged me to start a blog, so here it is! I made it 18 and over since I don’t run a family show here! Not saying it will always be naughty, but you never know!

I plan to discuss all different topics.  Some may be writing, sex, marriage, being a mom, relationships, life, entertainment, books…I have a lot of opinions on all kinds of different things!

Let me tell you a little about Monika Michalak. I am a writer, focusing mainly on very, hot and sexy contemporary romance. I have been writing since Second Grade and I credit my very creative and wonderful teacher with introducing me to this love of words. (She and her family are still an important part of my life.) I already had the runaway imagination! My parents read constantly and shared that love with me too.

 I am married to an amazing guy Big Daddy, who works very hard to keep me in the style I am accustomed to. We will celebrate 21 years this May. I am a stay at home mom to two teens.  The Princessa, our amazing almost 16 year old daughter whose mantra is “I don’t have anything to wear”, despite the multiple thousands of dollars of clothes from American Eagle all over her room. Our almost 14 year old son “The Prince of Whatever’s Left” is one of the funniest people I have known in my life. We also have two adorable little dogs, Teddy Bearski and Mischa Bearski. Teddy is a 6 year old Cavalier/Bichon mix and Mischa is a 7 month old Malti-Poo.

I love to read and write of course! I read a wide variety of genres. Scrapbooking and sewing are other hobbies. I love all kinds of music but R&B and Hip Hop are my favorite. I love shopping and purses. I idolize Ralph Lauren. A friend teases me that if I ever get a tattoo it should be a Polo guy. I LOVE television and movies. I always have the TV on and watch all different shows. From The Big Bang Theory to True Blood…General Hospital to I Love Lucy. My favorite colors are pink and green. I have an obsession with floral, plaid, topiaries, snow flakes and snow men. My favorite beverages are Diet Cola, coffee and Tequila. I love Mexican food.

When I grow up I want to be a Pussy Cat Doll.

I love to cook but really hate to clean the kitchen afterwards. I dislike housework immensely. Who has time for that when there are so many other things to do with your time! I love to procrastinate too! I can always find a distraction.

I love meeting new people, talking to people, learning about people. My son calls me a social butterfly; other people may call me an attention whore. Did I tell you I have an interesting sense of humor? If you can’t laugh about life, why bother getting out of bed?

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Memories of making “mailboxes” out of paper plates laced together and decorated to receive our Valentines and treats in grade school. Fortunately in my grade school, as well as my kids’, a class list was sent home and everyone was to receive a Valentine. That is the fair way. Of course you saved the very best, biggest and prettiest card for your best friend and your crush. The Room Moms planned a party with games and treats. It was a happy day!

In high school I remember groups selling flowers or candy to be delivered with messages on the big day of romance. My sorority did this as a fund raiser every year and two of my friends had declared the day as “Love is a Battlefield Day” and wore black when we delivered the messages of love and lust. I can’t say I remember any Valentine gestures from my boy friends in college.

After I started dating Big Daddy we exchanged huge Hallmark cards “To the Love of My Life”, “To My Sweetheart”, with a long handwritten message declaring our undying love. I honestly can’t remember any of the gifts we gave each other. After we got married, he would give me a card and a single rose. 

When I finally got pregnant with our long awaited child, I was due on Valentine’s Day. I remember having an appointment that day and begging the doctor to let me have her already! One of my friends said, “Maybe you’ll have her on my birthday, February 22!” I told her I would kill myself if I was still pregnant ten days late!  As things tend to work in my life, I went into labor the evening of the 22nd and our beautiful daughter was born the next morning with much drama and has been dramatic ever since! She calls the day “St. Guilt Day” and says that it’s for guys to make up for being douche bags the rest of the year.

Two years ago my best friend sent me a gorgeous bouquet of pastel roses saying that she knew our husbands would never send us flowers. That was a lovely surprise!

In my novel of epic proportions (that you will hear more about), my sexy hero makes a grand gesture on Valentine’s Day that reconnects him with his heroine. 

Although I love romance I can’t say that the grand gestures mean a lot to me Candy and roses and a big expensive dinner out – bah—why waste the money? Nah… I want something that my love knows that I would love. In the Real Life Adventures cartoon I saw yesterday, a guy said he had McBurger coupons, candy from the vending machine and grocery store flowers for his wife. His female coworker was all good luck with that! That is exactly what I would love! My husband knows that McDonald’s is my favorite place. I love McDonald’s! We don’t go there much since he hates it and the girl doesn’t like it much either. (I make the kids go on his bowling night!)  That and a big Snickers bar that I wouldn’t have to share, would tell me that he put a lot of thought into what would make me swoon.

What makes other people happy I am sure is completely different. Many women expect the grand gestures that they believe show how much their man loves them. I want to know that he put thought into this. I put thought into everything I do year round. Why can’t he? I have to say once in awhile Big Daddy will surprise me with a Snickers bar when he comes home from grocery shopping. He knows the way to my heart.

What is the way to your heart? Is it a Hallmark card and a single rose? Is it a romantic dinner out? Or is it a Snickers bar all to yourself? Tell me what your dream Valentine’s Day is.

Valentine’s Day! The day of epic romance!