allow me to reintroduce myself

Allow me to reintroduce myself…

My name is Tiffany. I’m 42 – and I love my 40s. My husband is my high school sweetheart, and even though I throw him an occasional side eye (when he cannot find his car key for my car because it’s NOT ON THE TRAY ON THE NIGHTSTAND WHERE IT BELONGS AND HE’S LOOKED EVERYWHERE and I find it in under a half second sitting on the book on the nightstand NEXT to the tray), he is my favorite person in the world. We recently celebrated 24 years of togetherness, and we’ll celebrate 21 years of marriage in a few months.

Together we have four absolutely spectacular children. Addy is 17 and a senior in high school. Ava is 14 and a freshman. Carter and Charlotte are 11 and in the sixth grade. They are all straight-A honors students in advanced classes – and Addy will graduate high school in May with her AA. She’s currently been accepted into every university she’s applied to (but I don’t want to talk about her leaving because I’m pretending it isn’t happening).

I feel as if I live in my car these days because of all the sports. At any given moment we have approximately 3-5 sports actively in session. Cheer, Golf, Tennis, Football, Tumble, Acro, Flag Football…it’s a lot, but we don’t miss a game or match. This is probably why I’m constantly exhausted – but this too shall pass and I’ll miss it or whatever the elders keep telling me.

But I digress…it’s been almost a decade since the start of the blog, and I thought I’d take a moment to reintroduce myself by sharing some useless information you probably don’t care about but will read regardless because your curiosity will get the better of you.

I love to read. I’d read all day, every single day, if I could. This year, unfortunately, has been a slow reading year for me. I’m clocked in right now on my Goodreads list at only 93 books in 2025.

I love the fall and winter months significantly more so than summer. I find fall and winter more elegant months with a certain softness and sophistication that speaks to me. I enjoy summer, but it feels like the trailer park of all the seasons.

I am a superior driver and everyone else on the road is on my nerves.

The older I get, the more I say exactly what I’m thinking…and I don’t worry about how it makes others feel (weirdly, this seems to make people like me and want to get to know me which is the exact OPPOSITE of what I wish to accomplish).

I prefer to sit by myself at sporting events (I mean, with my husband and kids, of course) but away from everyone else.

I bring my book to my son’s tennis matches and read because he doesn’t play right away, and I cannot express to you how little I care about the other kids playing. Is it rude? Probably. Do I care? Absolutely not.

Do not use big lights around me. Soft lights and lamps only.

There is always at least one candle lit in my home, but usually more than one.

Cocktail hour is my favorite part of the day (on days we don’t have sports and actually get to be home to enjoy it). I love sitting in the lounge with my husband while he mans his bar and creates something spectacular. Earlier this week, he made a lovely spiced cranberry honey gimlet that was to-die-for.

(He made the simple syrup using honey, unsweetened cranberry juice, and added cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, and star anise. He added that to our favorite Barr Hill gin, added fresh lime juice, shook, served in a coupe, and garnished with some of the fresh rosemary I’ve cultivated in my herb garden).

Do not ask me to eat at a chain restaurant.

I prefer to sit at the bar at my favorite restaurants and order cocktails and appetizers. I don’t need an entrée. Give me all the appetizers, a cocktail, and a dark, bitter espresso martini for dessert.

I judge anyone who drinks a creamy espresso martini.  

Family game nights with the kids > everything else.

If something or someone brings me no joy, it/they are unwelcome in my life.

I will happily say no if the vibe/guest list is not for me.

I won’t drive a vehicle without a sunroof.

Front porch > pool deck.

I don’t do small talk.

I find ‘supposed to’ people exhausting (the kind of people who do things/buy things/make decisions based on what they think they’re supposed to do rather than what they actually want) and lacking personality, creativity, and interest.

I have horrible astigmatism and cannot drive at night even with corrective lenses.

I am a shoe snob and only wear high-quality designer shoes (I don’t care what you wear, though).

Classics > trends.

I will give someone I love a million chances, but the moment I’m done…I’m done. There’s no going back.

Sometimes I walk into a room in my house and think it would look better a different color, and my brain will not allow me to do anything else until that room has been painted…so I’ll go out, buy paint, and paint it no matter how much it disrupts my life. It’s all-consuming.

I find animal print clothing wildly gauche.

There’s a very fine line between looking sexy and looking trashy, and I am perpetually perplexed by how many people cannot find that line.

I am a really, really good mom. And there is nothing more important to me.

I have great skin. Like truly great skin. And I love that for me.

The Diplomat is the best show on television.

Group projects are fucking ridiculous.

I say fuck a lot.

I love to cook.

But I’m a much better baker.

I don’t need to be busy all the time (I mean, I am, but not by choice thanks to kids and sports).

Coffee sitting outside on a beautiful morning is my jam.

I have worked my ass off the past year of my life to get into the best shape of my life, and I’ve become a mirror selfie fan. I’m not good at mirror selfies, but I like them.

Our oldest daughter was on homecoming court this fall, and I had the time of my life watching her experience all the fun that week.

Walking our oldest daughter across the field on Senior Night before she cheered at her last ever high school football game was simultaneously the proudest and saddest I’ve ever been in my life.

Don’t threaten me with a comfy sweatshirt.

I need cleanliness in all places of my life all the time. House, cars, everywhere, constantly.

Wireless earbuds are fucking stupid.

I think people who haven’t any class are always the people who have no idea they have no class.

Grown adults living vicariously through their children give me major ick.

The phrase gives me ick also gives me ick.

I think my son has my anxiety.

Taking my dog on a morning walk is one of my favorite parts of the day.

I don’t understand why valet isn’t offered everywhere.

I’m obsessed with seasonal YouTube frame art with seasonally appropriate instrumentals playing softly in my family room.

I’m already sad that the holidays are ending and it’s not even November.

Open concept floor plans are not my favorite, but I also don’t care for too many closed-off spaces.

Flavorless beige food makes me sad.

I could never park anywhere other than my garage.

I prefer to back in to parking spots.

I always wear lipstick.

I love a color-drenched dark, moody room.

I love black coffee.

Dill is my favorite herb (spice? Is dill a spice? Or an herb?)

My favorite day of the year is spring planting day with my best friend.

I love school holidays because I love having the kids home.

I find myself aggressively annoyed any time I have to leave my neighborhood.

I cringe when people’s seating touches their walls.

I cannot accept a home without a foyer.

I complain that our laundry room is the size of a bedroom, but I’d actually die a little on the inside if someone tried to give me a smaller one.

We have a second refrigerator/freezer in our laundry room, but we are throwing around the idea of a third because we just need more space. Also, I’d like to have a second washing machine and dryer added to the laundry room.

I wear shoes in the shower. I hate grout.

Boundaries are so important to me.

I am a great judge of character.

I am so thankful our kids make good decisions.

Motivational quotes and vague-posts on social media are like a trainwreck – I cannot stop looking because I think people think it makes them look wise and mature and enlightened but all I see is insecurity, deep-seated issues you should probably talk to a therapist about, and people who care entirely too much about what other people think. But God it’s entertaining as fuck.

I say no a lot.

If I like an outfit, I buy it in every color.

We are mostly gluten-free in our house because we have so many friends/family with celiac that we’ve just grown accustomed to cooking and eating GF over the past 5-6 years. However, you couldn’t pay me enough money to eat even the best of the GF breads. GF brownies, cookie bars, the double chocolate Sweet Loren’s cookies, puff pastry, crackers…yes. I actually prefer those to the regular ones, but I’ll never give up bread. Even though I think now that our bodies are so accustomed to eating gluten so infrequently and now it makes us a little sick.

I have many opinions, and very little ability to keep them to myself.

I am a republican.

I’m traditional.

I prefer sit-down dinners in my dining room with a beautifully set table, candles lit, and good conversation with my family.

Fucking Ritz crackers and Kraft block cheese on a charcuterie board make me want to cry. That’s a lunchable. Please use good, soft cheese with flavor and crackers that aren’t cardboard.

A loaded baked potato is a whole meal.

We have Christmas bedding, and I love it.

Gas tanks should be on the driver’s side of every vehicle (my husband’s new car is on the passenger side and it’s like WTF. Fucking BMW).

We are up to 19 Christmas trees in our home.

I decorate our bathrooms for holidays.

I will never own a pair of uggs or crocs though our kids have about 800 pair.

Manolo Blahnik > Christian Louboutin

Yves Saint Laurent > Louis Vuitton (and I say that as the owner of many LV handbags…but LV is the beginner designer handbag for people who don’t realize there are better luxury brands to purchase).

I’m not ignoring you on social media. I’m a poster…not a scroller. And when I seldomly scroll, I see ad after ad after ad. When I finally see your photos, they’re like 3 weeks old. It’s the week before Thanksgiving and I’m starting to see people’s Halloween photos.

One signature scent and one occasional scent. No woman needs more than two fragrances. (I like Jo Malone’s Mimosa & Cardamom for casual wear, but my signature scent is YSL Libre).

The most important skincare to invest in is a high-quality moisturizer.

Simple is always best.

The little things are the biggest things.

Liking your spouse is so important.

Not everyone has the outward appearance to support their inside attitude – trust me.

There is no such thing as too many cozy couch blankets.

Doors open > doors closed.

Anything below 75 is winter…except the air conditioner. I dare you to turn my AC even a degree higher than 72 (69 is preferable).

Raising good kids is really easy, so it actually shocks me that’s it doesn’t seem easy for everyone.

You can get older but not grow up, if that makes sense (also, that’s not a good thing).

Life really is as simple and as happy as you make it – so choose wisely.

Hatred and envy are wasted emotions.

I’ll never tire of a hallmark Christmas movie.

The hotter the water in the shower, the better. I’ll get out looking like a burn victim, please and thank you.

I could do this all day long, but I’ll stop now.