The Proposal

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of G No's proposal and my acceptance. What a difference a year has made. The anniversary of this ominous occasion was difficult for me. I'm wondering how it was for him.
I have decided to share with you, my reticent readers, the letter he gave me when he proposed. Why? I'm wondering if you can help me make sense of it all. The letter below sounds like it was written by a man who was deeply in love. Nine months later, he ran out the door. Three months later, I am still confused by what has happened. Re-reading the letter hasn't made this easier to reconcile.
Here goes:

Bright, beautiful Carrie,
I love you so much.
When I see you sleepy,
I just want to hold you or keep vigil at your side,
keep you safe.
When I see you happy,
talking away about family, friends or work,
I brighten. Everything is right.
When we're apart, I trace in my imagination the distant flush
along your cheek and smile:
I am a lucky man.
I offer you this sparkling ring and this love message on silver paper
because you deserve your fairy tale
and I will love you forever after
with deepest earnestness.
There is no difficulty in such a promise.
It is like wind through the grass:
natural,
effortless. What should be.
Yours,
G No

PS - Now is the flower-laden summertime. No ice age lasts forever. This is the YOC (year of Carrie)!

Wow. Well, we all know it didn't last forever. It was not effortless. This is not how the fairy tale was supposed to end. My questions are: Does he feel badly? Does he even remember?? Does he feel anything???
The year of Carrie? Not so far!
Deepest earnestness? Uh, no. Whoever this Earnest is, maybe I should try to meet him?!

Birthday Blues

Just when I thought I was making progress moving on from the serious split with G No, I had a nasty reminder of the past show up in my calendar last week. After suffering through a particularly horrendous week at work, I woke up on Friday morning (a beautiful, sunny day), and checked my calendar. All it took to shake my morning up were two words: 'G No's Birthday!' Yech.
I had been reminded of it off and on, when I wasn't totally distracted by my worrisome work situation. But all of a sudden, there it was. I thought about what I had done for him in the past and how we had celebrated before. I had, months previously, known that I would have done what I always do to celebrate his day: made arrangements for a fun night out, bought one of his favourite desserts and gotten him a thoughtful, heartfelt gift. Not this year.
The lesson to be learned here? Not that I would have thought about it then, but I know now: Go through your calendar, girls! Erase all reminders of the past - there will be no more celebrations with that person. Ultimately, I care and hope that he had a nice day (well, not as nice as it would have been had he been with me, of course... I wonder if he's missing his birthday blow job?!). But, for the love of brutal breakups, let's remove these wretched reminders so that we don't have to suffer the birthday blues!

If You Had My Love...

Mmm... Not so much... Stop the presses! J Lo and Marc Anthony announced their split today. What happened? They sounded like a very happy couple. I must say (because, I'm like that...) that they certainly weren't matched in attractiveness, which is an indicator of successful couples. She is a sexy stunner and his nickname is Skeletor. J Lo is a ravishing beauty who is always smiling and glowing. Marc Anthony? Not so much. In fact, I've seen people on life support who have more of a glow than he does... I can't say that I understand what the attraction was for her. Does she have a thing for hollow cheeks? Sallow Skin?? The Grim Reaper???

This split marks the end of J Lo's third marriage. You have to admire her pluck. I do! How many times can one marry before one realizes that marriage might not be for them? How many acrimonious divorces can one handle? Certainly, multiple marriages are a luxury for celebrities - the rest of us couldn't afford it! So, here she is today - a thrice divorced, notorious single mom with an incredibly busy career. Her legs are the feature of the latest Venus ad campaign. Her cleavage-baring, super-slit Versace dress has gone down in the history of sexiness.. Her a** is practically more famous than she is... Yeah, I'd marry her, too!

Review & Giveaway: Beneath A Starlet Sky by Amanda Goldberg & Ruthanna Khalighi Hopper

How exciting – my first book review and my first giveaway! I was honoured when I was contacted to review this book. I was also nervous, as I was rendered unable to concentrate for the first 6 weeks after my most recent breakup. Would I be able to read a book from cover to cover? Would I be able to focus on the storyline and content?? Would I be able to concentrate and get through the book in less than a year??? Well, I did. Now, I am excited to share my victory with you.

Beneath A Starlet Sky is written by daughters of Hollywood royalty. Amanda Goldberg is the daughter of TV producer Leonard Goldberg and Ruthanna Khalighi Hopper is the daughter of film legend Dennis Hopper. They grew up amongst Hollywood’s elite and now they write about it expertly.

The book centers around the experience of our heroine, Lola Santisi. Lola’s father is a top film producer and her mother is a fame-hungry former model and star of a new reality show. A reformed actor-holic, Lola is excited and relieved to be dating a doting doctor in LA. She is also thrilled about her new position as CEO of her bff’s new fashion line, Julian Tenant, Inc. Lola has a lot on her plate: a burgeoning career, a budding romance and a busy schedule. Next up? A trip to Cannes, which will see her launch the fashion line, attend the film festival (where both her brother and her father will be competing for the coveted Palme D’Or) and have a glamourous European getaway with her bf. Or not…

This story has everything a sexy singleton could want in fun, frothy fiction: fashion, style, glamour, romance, celebrity, a family that puts the ‘fun’ in dysfunction and heart-wrenching breakups that leave you yearning for heart-warming makeups. A tantalizing treat whether on the beach, at the pool, on the dock or in the park. Indulge yourself in an escapist, exciting and romantic read this summer.

Now for the giveaway: A copy of this book will be given to the first person who sends an email to info@carrieblogshaw.com citing the subject: Beneath A Starlet Sky. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only. Please include your name and mailing address. This book now holds a special place in my heart and I am pleased to share it with you. Enter on my new website: www.carrieblogshaw.com Good luck!