Been Gone For a Minute Now I'm Back With a Short Film!

I haven't written in over a year and yes, there is sooooo much to write about. So much to catch you up on, so much to vent about. But, for now, I'll give you something to laugh at!

A close family-like friend of mine, Ryan Rossum, has already written, directed and starred in two full-length movies. Now, he's expanding his vision with short films. His first, "Kicks Is Everything," is already a hit! Watch and let us know what you think! You won't be disappointed. And, I promise...I'll post some juicy real life stuff soon so you guys can be all up in my business!

Wordless Wednesday

Just a few words.... 

GRACE. ELEGANCE.POISE.AUTHENTIC.GENUINE.STRONG.CONVICTED.SECURE.

OUR FIRST LADY OF OUR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

Does this usually happen?/VentPost

I love to write and love to talk even more... and you would think at one of the most emotionally and mentally... trying, challenging, hurting... times in my life, I'd have plenty to write about, but for some reason, I'm having writers block like a mofo. I have a going list of ideas, but everytime I begin to write I get three sentances in and .....................................................................

THIS HAPPENS...I can't think of anything else to write (I'm typing especially hard right now) I'm trying, but I got nothin'

I could write about the night I had in Harrisburg that didn't start until I got a plate of greens, cornbread, turkey, rice and meatballs (randomest combo ever...kept wanting sweet potatoes and baked mac to add to the mix)

Or I could write about the mess my house is in and how I have no motivation to clean, organize or throw out. Procrastination is the sole culprit here

But then there is my insane (yes, because I've done the same thing over and over and expecting the same result) relationwhreck with Josiah's dad... that stretches me at every turn..I, for some reason, keep expecting some magical change to take place and responsibility, respect and consideration to suddenly take permanent residence in the space currently occupied by their exact opposites

And let's not forget the most important subject of all, my struggling realizations with my spirituality and how I'm trying (and this is hard to type, but it's honest) to figure out how to put all my trust, faith and dependency in God, whom I feel so far from right now

On top of all that is all the things that I don't even realize I'm keeping in, holding on to and blocking from my memory...

On the upside, my relationship with Josiah has been going really well, except he's learning how to lie to get what he wants, i/o just to not get in trouble..he conned me into staying with his cousins for a movie night by telling me his dad was going to pick him up, which I couldn't confirm because his dad didn't pick up the phone, so being as though the story was so believeable, he stayed. He never talked to his dad....OH! and work is going pretty alright too...first 90 down...great feedback and some really bright yellow carnies on my desk after the meeting!

DEEP SIGH OF....NOT QUITE RELIEF...

BLOG SHARE: FIRST DOWN

A forward thinking, self-motivated, passionate friend of mine, started a blog recently called "First Down: Moving Forward, Never Backwards."

He offers insight, evokes thought and encourages momentum. Keep moving forward. It should be our motto in life.

If your husband is tired of all your mommy blog friends, he can visit First Down and feel like he has a little something to call his own....

Happy Reading!

Something About....Me!

I was featured on Buffy Andrew's Blog for her "Something About" section. I got asked a lot of random questions..but they really got me thinking...and I definintely would need to be able to read peoples minds, be invisible and fly..if I were a super hero...and as of this current time, there are only 2 types of cheeses remaining in my fridge and I would have dinner with Mary J and Maya A for the record...



http://www.yorkblog.com/buffy/2011/10/10/something-about-sharee-mcfadden/

"The List"

Here it goes: I was in and out of a relationship for eight years and during that time, I've learned what I want through experiencing what I don't want..and after typing that, I realize that that's pretty much how a lot of people learn to figure out what they don't want..I guess this is that whole...live and learn thing I've always heard about. The learn part, as it has turned out, is harder than the live part...

I'm trying to figure out what I want/need in a relationship/man so I've come up with this list..keep in mind, it's a compilation of things that I've realized at the intersection of: who I was, who I am, who I want to be, and who I'm meant to be: (not in any particular order...except number 1!)

1. Lover of all things Jesus
2. Loves kids, or if that's a stretch, at least my kid!
3. Funny
4. Insightful
5. Thoughtful
6.Handsome of course
7. Responsible
8. Daring
9. Affectionate, but not too much
10. Playful
11. Likes Transformers
12.Likes Transformers II
13. Likes Transformers III
14. Wants another Transformers movie to come out
15. Likes watching movies
16. Enjoys traveling...more for pleasure, not so much business
17. Can allow himself to be ambitiously lazy
18. Likes to read
19. Likes to cook
2o. Good at cleaning
21. Enjoys doing laundry
22. Passionate
23. Wants to be in a relationship
24. Cultured
25. Excited about life

So there it is..the first installment in a series of ... um... more lists...

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

MomMe Time DIY

I absolutely love this! So Warhol!!! I'm going to do this with Josiah...for some reason, my diy projects never come out as glamourous as they looked on someone else's post (like the soap crayons of 2009), but we'll give it another whirl...don't know how I feel about spending all that money on crayola's, just to melt them, but oh well..I know Josiah will have an absolute blast doing this..I might enjoy it a lil too.....The best part will be the quality time with my baby! I'll be sure to upload pics!!!!

Awesome Holiday Gift Idea!

I'm def using this idea! Found on Homework! Check out her blog, really cool and crafty! All you have to buy is an enlargement of a photo if you need one, double sided tape and some organza ribbon!

Get comfy...again..

So 2011 started off with a bang..sike, idk..because I don't remember a lot of the beginning of 2011...

Jan. 1 year in Amway,.one year of haters...but I'm still a business owner

April 2011 Happy 6th Bday JoJo!!! Perform my first Christian Standup Comedy set

July 2011 Start my new job

September 2011 Open for Comedienne Q-Stiletto of B-more at the Valencia Ballroom in York Pa! Great response and feedback, Join H.O.O.D. Helping Offer Opportunities and Direction a community organization advocating for change, as the PR chair!

October 2011..start blogging again...

I thought this year was a lil more exciting..but based on my obvious lack of recollection, it seems it must have been rather uneventful..

Oh, well..Thank God for life!! 2012 will be on and poppin'!

I have a thing with odd numbers..maybe that's why the year seemed a lil thrown off!..idk..

Here goes...get comfy...

Kindergarten Grad! Logos Academy

Josiah's 5th Birthday Party. Matey's LAND HO! The cake was the bomb, but can't find the pics!

My friend Amber's Bacholerette Party in Philly..I was in front of the Philly Art Museum..quite a jump...
First day of Kindergarten! Image courtesy of Poetic Stills Photography (my lil sis)

I cut all my hair off..it wasn't off Jan 2011..thought it would be curly

My engagement ring..this kiss actually did start with k
___________________________________________________________________________________

So, it's been almost two years since I've actually sat down to write a blog post. My, how much has changed. I guess, the best way to do this would be a simple timeline

January 2010- I join Amway as an independent business owner! and little do I know that I also would start on my journey of self-discovery and self-growth

January 17, 2010 - I re-dedicate my life to Christ...again, but with a genuine and sincere heart and mindset to live for Him

Febuary 8, 2010- My on and off boyfriend slash baby's fava proposes to me...I look like crap, it's 10:30 at night so I can only call a few people..all of whom keep the convo short bc they are sleep, about to go to sleep, but mostly I think because they can't believe we're engaged....it was actually kinda nice..since we had always played around..literally..pretended to propose to one another, so I thought he was playing..until he pulled out a ring, which i had no idea he'd bought...and like my dramatic self... I ruined the original plan bc he had planned dinner and everything at the rest. where he'd given me my first gift, but something happened, i got mad (prob over something small and we wound up not going..hence the 10:30 proposal time

April 2010 - My lil man turned 5 and we have an awesome pirate bday for him...

We go to Philly for my friend Amber's Bachelorette party Diva 2 of 7 to get married (Diva 3 wedding next may)

May 2010..Feel like something happened, but I don't remember quite what it was

June 2010 Finally got a new job (unemployed from Dec. 09 til June 14..worked hard for this one..Persistence is key!) later that month...I Broke off the engagement.... more on that later

August 2010 I'm the Featured artist at Word Wide's ArtOfficial Open Mic night! I do stand up comedy!

First day of Kindergarten for Josiah at Logos Academy Christian School!!!!!

September 2010..My job is pretty bootleg..but I'm thankful for it

December 2010... I turn 26 and....look back over 2010...Brief summary: I joined a business that everyone doubts,except for me and am excited that I've been doing something for almost 1 year! I re-dedicated my life to Christ, I got engaged and then broke it off. I became a school mom, sucked at it the first year (still warming up this year too)Got a new job with some awesome people, but HORRIBLE management, so I spent a year looking for a job in the PR field (gratefully, I have a great job at a strategic marketing firm now!)

I noticed it was getting a lil long..soooo..2011 timeline and recap tomorrow! I WELCOME YOUR WELCOME BACK COMMENTS BELOW!!!

Back at it again!

WOW!!!! So much to write..but since it's 5 of 12, I'll spare my eyes and hands bc I've been in and out of sleep all day and am achy all over...(sniff sniff, sniffle sniffle)

Anyway, just wanted to do a quick lil something....so here it is...

(That was the quick lil something above...)

Til next time! nite*

7 Days and Counting

As my birthday moves closer and closer, I can't help but think more and more about the new year and what I want to accomplish. Here's a brief list of what I've been thinking about: Feel free to comment and leave some of your 2o10 goals. Maybe we can help e/o out and be held accountable..that always helps!

1. Pray and read my Bible everyday and write down what I'm thankful for
2. Keep a dream/idea journal
3. Be more graceful
4. Practice patience
5. Have more one on one mommy/JoJo time
6. Cook 3-4 days a week
7. Get 30 minutes of some kind of exercise every week (Ya'll knew it was coming)
8. Write or blog everyday


I have more of course, but I'm stuck right now.... I have a list somewhere...

9. Be (even) more organized! HAHA

12 Days of My Birthday

Okay, so I'll be 25 in 12 days and I realized last night that I'm kinda scared to turn 25. Up until now, I've been playing it cool and acting like I have it all together, but **This Just In..." I DON'T! I'm actually rather unprepared. As a 25 year old, what will some of my new expectations and responsibilities be? Should I know what I want to do with my life? I don't. Should I have a certain amount of money in the bank? I definitely have a certain amount and that's it....lol...

I asked my self a question, "WHAT DO I WANT" and it's funny (not really) because I don't have a clue...but then again who does....maybe 26 year olds do....I know a lot of people are going to tell me that it's okay to not have a clue what you want to do, but then what do you do...(I'm a lil frustrated if you can't tell).

In that same journal, I wrote...."WHO AM I" I have a lot more answers to that question than the first and maybe seeing who I really think I am, will help me figure out what I want and who I want to be...

I'm thinking of a REINVENTION OF SHAREE. There are so many things I want to change, but I'm not sure how.......I've been taking small steps and that's a good place to start I guess.....

Can't wait until Christmas and then my bday and then it's 2010, just like that....oh my.....

12 DAYS LEFT!

25 DAYS TIL 25

Well, there are 25 days until my 25th birthday and I figured out what I want to share from my Road to 25. This year, was especially hard for me for so many reasons. One being that I broke up with my boyfriend of 6 years (only to get back with him) but I broke up with him so that I could be happy. I thought I was out of love with him, and for a while, I think I was, but then something happened.... don't ask what, because I honestly don't know, but something did. I started learning about love, for real.

Love is not always pretty, on-time, convenient or expecting. Actually, it's rather annoying, obnoxious and tiring. Even though we weren't together, Julio never hesitated to tell me he loved me and was even more willing to show me. Of course, the whole "It's not you, it's me......really" conversation didn't go over too well, but hey, it was the truth.

I had been going through so much in the months leading up to our split......so naturally my mind was everywhere, no place in particular, just everywhere on everything. When we got back together a couple months later, we had a loooooooong talk about what we wanted for and from eachother and ourselves.....a looooooooooooooong talk. Over the past couple of months, we have been working to make ourselves better and happier so that we could make e/o better and happy.

Love revealed itself just in time and showed me that God actually does know what he's doing when he puts (or takes) people in/out of your life. For me, loving Julio didn't come easy, I had to work at it (it's getting easier though) and I really see that Love will reveal itself when it wants. Learning the hard way may not be so bad in the end.

25 DAYS LEFT

Birthday Countdown ( 26 Days Left)

So every year, I do a countdown to my birthday (December 28) starting on the 1st. I've been doing countdowns since I turned 16. In high school, I would write the countdown on the board of every class I went to. Even though my birthday fell during our Christmas break, I made sure it was top of mind. Anyway, now all of my readers have the pleasure of counting down the days until my 25th Birthday. I can't believe it! I'll be a quarter of a century old! So for the rest of the countdown, I'll be doing a road to 25 list and each day, I'll write about something new or different that I learned on the way to 25.

Wow, where to begin, I guess I'll start with one of the most important, yet harder things I learned this year:

True friends are true in every sense of the word: I broke up with my best friend of nine years and it happened to be one of the best decisions I had made in long line of bad decisions

26 DAYS LEFT

Farewell Oprah

This Just In! Oprah will announce today that her last episode will air on September 9, 2011. This will be a monumental point in history people! Oprah has been around my whole life...literally (I'll be 25 next month) and it's going to be so hard to find someone who can match her wisdom, credibility and amazing ability to touch and reach millions everyday.

I've grown up watching Oprah and have loved her ever since, "You told Harpo to hit me?! All my life I had to fight.....now I loves Harpo, Lord knows I do, but I kill 'em dead before I let him hit me!" -The Color Purple

I've performed this monologue many a times! Now, let's take a look at Oprah's impact over the years.

-Oprah's Book Club: Guarantees #1 on any book list if you're on her list

-HARPO productions: Be a contributor to Oprah's show and get your own (Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz)

• It has been the highest-rated talk show for 23 consecutive seasons, her Web site says

• An estimated 42 million U.S. viewers watch it weekly; show had its origins in 1984 in Chicago
• Winfrey's wealth was estimated at around $1 billion by Forbes in 2004

For me the impending end of the show means 3 things:

1) I need to get my butt out to a live recording of her show
2)Send in my compelling life story for a future episode
3)Write my book about my compelling life story to get on Oprah's Book List (Thereby killing two birds with one stone!)

Gotta go, I've got work to do!

Vote for JoJo!

Vote for Josiah in the Parenting.com Baby and Child Model Search!

Vote for me in this contest!

Contest details

Purple Tail Giveaway

This give-a-way comes from my girl over at Simplified Saving.

Purple Trail {A Review and Giveaway}

I love hosting parties and helping to coordinate events, but I have to be honest about my hostessing abilities. I'm not very organized and I usually end up having a nervous breakdown the day of the party...especially when it's at my home. I've even been known to stuff everything sitting out around the house (mail, shoes, etc) in my dryer to make my house look neater. I have a hard time remembering who is coming, how many friends they're bringing, if they offered to bring a food or drink (and half the time, I'm not sure what kind of food to provide as a main dish). Party planning can be overwhelming, but I have found a great tool...Purple Trail. Purple Trail is like having your own event planner!




Click here to find out how you can enter!

Thankgiving Traditions in the Shell Family!

TwitterMoms asked: "What three favorite family Thanksgiving traditions have you passed or will pass on to your children?"

Well, it used to be tradition that our whole family would get together, cook, watch movies, sing and have all the little kids put on a show for all the older cousins, aunts and uncles. Many of the kids (18 and under) in our family have no idea how strong these traditions used to be as we have all moved, began our own families and stopped really getting together.

It makes me really sad that we don't get together as often, especially during the holiday when we can express gratefulness for the values, stability and dedication to family that my great-grandparents instilled in us.

The most important (favorite to me) Shell Family Thanksgiving Traditions I want to pass onto my children are:

Getting together every Thanksgiving and playing Monopoly (my family members will appreciate this the most! lol)

Thankgiving night talent shows (much to the horror of the participants who get little advance notice) We have a family of performers (singers, dancers, musicians and actors!)

Going around and having each person say what they are thankful for.

Also to remind whoever's doing the cooking to get Nana's (Aunt Pat) and Grandmom's recipe for Banana pudding and Ouma's (Stephanie's) recipe for the Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

And don't forget "One More Time" either. We have to sing this and pray before the first person leaves, to thank God for allowing our family to be able to come together one more time (feel the tears swelling up...).

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am especially going to miss my great-grandmother, who passed away just after Thanksgiving last year: R.I.P Willie Mae Shell

(This post began as an entry to get aTarget gift card, but as I began to write it, it became much more.)