Let's talk favorite words!

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My sister Janelle's quirkiness comes out at such random times during the day, but over the years, I've increasingly see it come out in our conversations. In fact, I've come to look forward to our quirky talks. A few months ago, we somehow found ourselves on the topic of words. What words we like. What words we wish would come back in style. While I have my favorite words, Janelle is a firm believer that the word man left the scene far too soon. As in...

"Hey, man, how's it going?"

"Cool it, man."

The word gives me visions of cool Beatnik poets wearing all black and performing their confessional slam poetry in smokey coffee houses -- you know, the classic '60s.

As it turns out, though, Janelle isn't the only one longing for a revival of some vintage words (and yes, I just made up that phrase...). Jeffrey Kacirk shows some love to forgotten words of yesteryear in The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten; his picks include words like snoutfair (A person with a handsome countenance) and wonder-wench (A sweetheart).

 

How awesome is that, friends? What words do you wish were back in the vernacular? Why do you like them? Do you find yourself saying them even if they're not "popular" anymore? xoxo

 

[Via Jezebel]

P.S. Remember these overused words? And, made-up words are fun too! :)

Love Lounge: What were your childhood vacations like?

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I once saw a news clip on one of those morning shows instructing parents on how to plan the essential family vacation. A mini television to dangle down like a disco ball. A pint-sized laptop perfect for your pint-sized five-year-old. Even some hand-held video games disguised as “learning tools.”

 

It's an electronic wonderland. All so the little tykes would have something – anything – to occupy the long and treacherous trip to grandmother’s house.

I scoffed and quickly changed the channel. For some 20 years, my family and I descended on the Deep Southnot by plane or train, but by our good old-fashioned family Ford. It was bare from the start. A couple suitcases, a pack of snacks and a few blankets and matches to stay warm should the car breakdown on a snowy, icy Tennessee road.

We didn’t have a television or a camcorder to lose ourselves in a fantasy world. Our television was America, just a stone’s throw away through the car window. We marveled at the barren landscape of the wintry Midwest and clapped with glee as we saw the first patches of green grass peek through the northern Alabama red soil. In the early years of our travels, we didn’t even have a CD player in the car. To pass the 20-hour trip, we’d sing everything from The Twelve Days of Christmas (the way it’s supposed to be sung – each person sings one of the 12 days) to my mom’s spectacular rendition of the Broadway hit On The Street Where You Live.

In fact, the most high-tech gadget in our tight yet lovable quarters was rather low-tech by today’s standards. A simple ‘80s tape player. And we didn’t even use it to listen to Paula Abdul or Phil Collins. My sister and I sat in the back seat recording ourselves onto a blank tape. We’d laugh, sing songs (I’d sing loudest and proudest, of course) and sometimes even interview each other. A few years ago, my mother found some of our “early demos,” and we discovered our sessions occasionally broke out in raucous fights, but even through the bitter words, we laughed a sweet, hardy chuckle.

See, we didn’t need to be “occupied” or “distracted” to enjoy the family car ride, and my sister and I didn’t end up climbing the walls of the car by the time we reached the sunny shore, either. In fact, we all looked forward to the ride home. It was the happiest time of the year. We knew we’d be together. And at that moment, we knew that was all we needed.

What were your family vacations like when you were growing up, friends? Did you end up fighting with your siblings in the back seat? Or did you fight for the window seat on the plane? What's your favorite vacation memory? I'd love to hear all about it! xoxo

[Photos from one of my favorite movies]

Family Photos: Sister love

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With my mom in Alabama with my grandfather this week (he's starting radiation next Monday; thanks for all the well wishes, friends...), I've been thinking a lot about family. I came across these photos a few months ago, and they brought back so many childhood memories. My sister and I were quite inseparable, apparently...

I loved reading to her (one of the major responsibilities of a big sister)...

We loved playing together...

And, of course, we were each other's travel buddy!

Ahhh, the memories. There's nothing like sibling memories, is there, friends? What favorite memories do you have? If you don't have a sibling, do you wish you did? xoxo