Laurie's Journal

  'Twas The Week Before Christmas, And All Through The Store... Pure, Unadulterated Chaos Alright, fellow survivors of the retail trenches, gather 'round. Take a deep breath. Have you finally thawed out from the frostbite you acquired standing by the perpetually-ajar automatic doors? Have the echoes of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" finally receded from your nightmares? Good. Because it's time to talk about it. The Christmas season in retail isn't just a "busy period." It's less like a period and more like an alternate dimension where logic dies, patience goes to hibernate, and the fabric of reality is stretched thinner than a bargain-bin stocking. The Grinch's Demographic First, let's address the species of customer that emerges from the woodwork. You know the ones. The "I need a specific toy that was discontinued in 2007, and it MUST be here because my child will literally spontaneously combust if they don...

  Cheers to 60 Years: Celebrating John Perrone's Milestone Birthday Sixty isn't just another birthday; it’s a "Diamond Jubilee" of a life well-lived. Recently, we gathered friends and family to celebrate my husband John's 60th, and honestly, the planning was just as much fun as the party itself. Whether you are planning a massive bash or an intimate dinner, reaching six decades is the perfect excuse to look back with gratitude and forward with excitement. Here is a look into how we toasted to his big 6-0 . The Menu: Elevated Comfort At 60, you know what you like. We kept the food sophisticated but approachable. Instead of a formal sit-down meal, we did it family "Italiano-style" with Anti-pasta, Bruschetta, Vodka Penne, Italian Caprese salad and, of course, main entrees of choice: Chicken Marsala, Sole Oreganato, or Chicken Francese. For dessert:  We were served various slices of cheese cakes, brownies and carrot cake. And here was the cake for the Guest...

Hello, everyone!  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!  Pre-Christmas stress, preparing for John's 60th as well as attempting to e-mail that important article for the new year was pretty daunting for me and here's why: That "Submit" button can feel like it weighs a thousand pounds. Whether it’s your first pitch or your fiftieth, the moment you send your work off into the void is always a mix of adrenaline and anxiety. There it is. The cursor is no longer blinking at me. The word count is locked. The "Sent" folder has a new resident. I just submitted a piece for my freelance gig at Kearny Life magazine.  If you’re a writer, you know that the five minutes following a submission are a strange, caffeinated blur of relief, terror, and sudden "did-I-miss-a-typo" paranoia. Before I hit send, I did the dance. I read the piece out loud. I ran it through three different spell-checkers. I formatted the headers exactly the way the style guide requested...