The Christmas Commercial That Can Change Your Life

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Tara Darazio

I haven’t seen it yet this year, but I know it will be coming soon.

It’s the commercial I remember seeing every holiday season since I can remember, and the one that truly puts me in the Christmas spirit.

I still cry when I see it, like I’m seeing it for the first time. Maybe it’s just such a strong reminder of my childhood and those glorious days of believing and innocence.

Do you know what it is yet? This 30 second gem from Eat ‘n Park:

In 30 seconds, they manage to make so many messages clear, that it’s honestly genius. I wish I could have been a part of this advertising team. Did they have ANY idea what they were creating so many years ago? A classic, a commercial that elicits emotion no matter what your age.

The messages in this commercial are great ones to live by every day, and here’s my take on one of my favorite little pieces of Christmas.

Believe that anything is possible. The star relays this as she bravely decides shes’s going to get on the top of that tree. And in life, this message is one we are told when we are young, but often forget as time moves on. We let outside influences ruin our image of “we can be or do anything” and we lose a little bit of that hope with each passing year.

Never give up. Even though the star knows the treetop is too high for her, she keeps on trying, knowing that sometimes it’s just that one little extra push that will make it all happen. We’ve all done things we never thought we could do. We have to remember that inner strength and that passion when we need it most.

Know your purpose. The star knew she belonged up on that tree and set her sights on that goal. We were all put here for a purpose and for some of us, we know what it is almost instantly, for others, it may take a lifetime. But we will find it. And when we do, we should embrace it and share it with the world.

Trust in others. When the tree so graciously bends down to pick up the star, who is almost crying on the ground, if you look closely, we feel an overwhelming sense of joy and happiness. When we are at our lowest point, when we think we have nothing left to give, the impossible happens. Whether the strength comes from a family member, a friend, God,  we will be lifted up, just like the star, and we will move forward. At Christmas, everyone is a bit nicer to one another and the world acts how it should act year round. I wish we could keep that spirit longer.

Shine. The star shines in the literal sense, but we learn to shine in a different way. We must find what makes us happy, what brings us love and peace, and use that energy to shine as a person, as a parent, as a friend, as a spouse. If we all focused that kind of positive energy in our everyday life, wouldn’t things be easier?

If I think of myself as the star, then for me, writing is my “tree.” It lifts me up when I need lifting, and it’s where I am supposed to be in my life. It’s what I am supposed to do. I’m thankful that I’ve found my peace, and I wish for all my readers that you find yours this holiday season, or anytime, and shine on for many years to come.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I’m too young to be this old…

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Tara Darazio

I’ve been out of the blog mode for a while, in a creative rut lately, but I think I’m back.

It’s November – seriously?! Wasn’t it just the beginning of summer? They really don’t lie to you when you’re a kid and tell you that time will start going faster and faster. It’s very true and very scary.

My friends and I were just talking about this “getting old” scenario. Most of us are nearing our big 3-0, or have already taken the plunge, and we aren’t real sure how to deal with it.

When I was little, I figured that I’d get to a certain age and then I’d “feel” grown up. I would just forget all the childish things and be a full-fledged adult. I can’t say I’ve reached that point yet, nor do I think I ever will!

Are our parents just faking it? When they yell at us, are they really just doing it because that’s what they are supposed to do? Or when they claim they’d love to babysit on New Year’s Eve, because going out isn’t any fun, are they telling the truth?

I also thought once I became a mom I would feel more grown up, but nope, I still act like a five-year old sometimes. In fact, right now I’m eating a bag of Lemonheads and watching my son’s Disney shows (and yeah, I actually like the shows and even DVR’d one the other night because I wanted to see the end.)

Sometimes I still feel like I’m playing dress up, like I’d much rather be in sweats and a t-shirt and not “business” attire. And I want to answer my phone like a normal person – Hey, what’s up? not Hello, this is Tara, how can I help you today (or insert normal phone etiquette here)? I feel like a robot.

And when I meet people, I just want to give them a high-five or a fist bump, not a traditional hand shake. It seems so old and grown up. I met a friend’s son the other day, he was like 10, and I found myself putting out my hand to shake his. He looked at me like I was so weird and so old. I’m too young to be this old!!!

I guess being an adult means you have more responsibility and duties, but in your mind, you’re still a kid. Even though we can’t act on every thought we have, we still have those thoughts.

I think one day a week we should get to act like kids. If someone pisses us off in the store, we should be able to push them down or tell on them to the manager. If someone cuts us off in traffic, we should be able to beep a hundred times just to be annoying. If someone makes us sad at work, we should be able to cry and hide in a corner and call our mom on the phone. I need a kid day every once in a while, and so does every “adult.”

Life is crazy, we make a million mistakes, and we never really get it all figured out no matter how old we get. But that’s what makes us all who we are and let’s just celebrate that.

Here’s to a fun and relaxing weekend for all my readers. And if anyone wants to start a petition for this kid’s day – just let me know 😉

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top 10 Non-Scary, Scary Things

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Tara Darazio

Happy Halloween!

It truly feels like Halloween here in Pittsburgh. It’s raining (has been for days due to Sandy) and it was snowing earlier this morning. It’s dreary and cold and I’m loving it. It’s putting me in that spooky mood.

Today I thought I’d put down the top 10 things that scare me this time of year, that aren’t really supposed to be scary. Please feel free to add your own:

1. The sound of a child’s laughter in the distance when it’s dark outside (Always makes me think of The Shining twins or The Omen kid)
2. Anything swinging or rocking or blowing (Like a chair, or a swing set swing, or a flag)
3. Slow footsteps – (Anytime, anywhere)
4. Crooked trees with no leaves (They just look like they can grab you at any moment)
5. Church bells or any other type of bell  (Just find the tunes eerie and out of sync)
6. Leaves rustling behind me (It always catches you off guard)
7. Any old man wearing a hat like Cane did in Poltergeist (Who isn’t scared of that)
8. Clowns (I guess they are scary, but they aren’t supposed to be)
9. Carnival music or those magic mirrors (Just plain creepy)
10. Dolls or kid’s toys (Like my son’s cookie jar that laughs even when it’s not on)

I guess this time of year just puts our brains into a different thinking pattern. But it’s fun to be scared, we want to be scared. That’s why we go to haunted house and watch  movies. So enjoy the day and tell me, what scares you?

BOO!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Channing Tatum is in my hometown…HOLY CRAP!

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Tara Darazio

My sister just informed me that Channing Tatum is filming his new movie a mere hour or so away from my house. My first instinct was to jump in the car and drive down there, then I realized, whoops, I’m a 29-year-old married woman with a baby – what the heck am I going to do when I get down there?

I rarely get that butterfly, little girl excitement feeling anymore, so when I do, it’s kind of fun. It all started when I was about 12 years old, and I fell in love with Hanson. Remember them? I was obsessed, posters all over my room, went to every concert they had, had VHS tapes stacked up from every talk show they ever appeared on. You know…

This obsession continued with *Nsync. I can still remember the most obscure facts, like all the guy’s birthdays and where they grew up. Again, I was only in my early teens, so this was all still normal and okay. I again continued with the posters, the concerts, VHS tapes, etc. I still can’t get rid of any of that stuff and it’s tucked away in my storage closet.

The first time I remember this little girly excitement getting weird was when I was a freshman in college. Justin Timberlake was solo by then, and he was having a concert in my hometown. I actually ended up going with one of my much younger friends, and as we took our seats on the floor level (yes, the floor!) I realized I was the tallest and oldest girl there, besides the moms that had taken their little kids.

Damn, when did I get so old? This girly excitement has continued over the years. Bon Jovi is one of my all time favorites, hell my best friends and I still do the same toast from college, and Jon himself is included in it. But at least at those concerts, I’m one of the younger crew, since he was popular before I was even born.

But today, after I heard about Channing – the little girl came out again. I have loved Channing since the first Step Up movie and pretty much every single movie since. My friend and I went to see Magic Mike soon after it opened, and as we sat in the theater  packed with the other girly excited fans, we had a blast! It was fun to be 29, but feel like I was 14 again, just screaming for that hot guy on stage (or screen).

That movie experience was one of the best ever. I love when the audience gets involved, like the older ladies behind us (I’m taking retirement age) that were hooting and hollering and making really obscene comments behind us. They literally made us laugh out loud.

So do we ever really get too old for this silly girl crush stuff? I don’t think so. We’re all entitled to that little adrenaline rush sometimes. It takes us back to our youth, and what could be wrong about that.

Magic Mike comes out on DVD next week, and I’m already planning a screening at my house with some friends. Call me lame. Have you seen Channing dance?!

Here’s the trailer, in case you haven’t seen it, and you need a little Tuesday pick me up, and hey Channing, if you happen to stumble upon this blog, feel free to give me a buzz. I want to go dancing!

Do you still have a little girl crush on someone? I want to hear about it!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Laziness Inspired by Bruno Mars…

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Tara Darazio

I’m taking a cue from Bruno Mars today and I’ve been singing this all day:

Remember when Fridays used to be slacker days? When did that stop happening? I’m busier on Fridays now than I ever used to be.

I’m reminiscing about the days when I actually could “do nothing at all…”
College was probably the last time I felt like this. You’d set that alarm at night, all prepared to get up for your 8:00 am class, but if you woke up and didn’t feel like it,  you just didn’t go! Even better would be the days you did this, only to find out class was cancelled anyway. Those were the best!

And in college, it was only affecting “you” if you missed class, right? The teachers would say something like, “Well, you’re paying for this education so if you don’t want to come to class, that’s your choice.” Did they realize that was only encouraging us more?

The lazy days we had in college were amazing. I remember one day we had a snow day, and we lived in the dorms at the time, so we were just sitting in a friend’s room watching all the cars slide down the Blvd. of the Allies. For like hours we did this. And sometimes my roommate and I would just lay in our beds all day and watch reruns of Sex and The City or Dawson’s Creek, ALL DAY! I could never do that now, I’d feel so unproductive.

But man, I miss that!!

I also miss sick days when you were a little kid. As an adult, sick days just mean you still have to do everything you were slated to do, you are just even more miserable. I want to be 10 years old again, laying on my mom’s couch, wrapped in a blanket, tea and toast at hand, the touch of my mom’s cold hand on my feverish head. You just got to watch movies all day and sleep. Wish I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up so fast. I’m feeling a little Peter Pan -y right now.

Now being a mom and a wife, I’m third in line to take care of. My boys are number one. And even though it’s a great feeling to take care of your family, sometimes we just need a day to ourselves. A mom day. A girl day. A sleep day. A lazy day. A dance with monkeys in your room day (if you watch the above video that will make sense).

So even though today is too busy to be my lazy day, I’m going to plan one soon.

So thanks for inspiring me to be lazy, Bruno. Have a great weekend everybody. Don’t work too hard!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Michael Myers, still the scariest of them all…

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Tara Darazio

Horror movies today just don’t cut it. Sure, every once in a while one comes through, but all in all, they are too focused on the special effects and goriness, rather than the good old fashioned story.

In my opinion, the scariest movie of all time is the original Halloween. Nothing compares. Period.

We own the DVD, and every year, my husband and I watch it to kick off the Fall/scary movie season. We are both big horror buffs, and it’s a tradition to have this movie on our playlist.

So why do I think this is the scariest movie ever? Because everything in it can actually happen. I’m not scared of zombies, or killer clowns (wait, just thought of It, yes I am), or mutated people from the mountains, because the likelihood of that happening is slim to none. Knock on wood…

But the likelihood of a mental patient escaping, wearing a scary mask, and stalking me, is too darn possible.

My favorite elements of this movie, are the little things. Early on in the film, Laurie walking out of her house, and you can almost feel the chill in the air, and you see the leaves blowing across the street, and you first hear that music, that chilling music, you are instantly in the moment and scared, and you haven’t even seen anything yet.

The fact that Michael Myers is often visible in the daylight, is another one of the greatest parts about the film. When Laurie looks out the window at school and his car is there, or when she sees him on the sidewalk slightly hidden behind the bush, or my favorite part, when he’s behind the clothesline in the backyard. These images haunt me on a daily basis, Halloween or not. I don’t know how many times I’ve looked out my window at night and thought I saw something. The Boogeyman? Maybe…

I also love how Michael never runs, he always walks. I watched a documentary about the movie and they referred to Michael as “the shape.” I find that fascinating. The one scene when Laurie is trying to get back into the house with the kids, and Michael is slowly walking across the street after her, is literally terrifying. Even if you’ve seen the movie a hundred times, and you know she gets inside, your heart still races and you still feel the need to cover your eyes and tell her to hurry up.

The head cock Michael does after he kills the guy in the kitchen is classic. I don’t think there’s anything scarier than a killer admiring his handiwork with just a movement of his head. A movement that can elicit chills down our spine.

That mask is unbelievable, as well. It’s the perfect combination of an emotionless and frightening image. It makes the man behind it seem not human at all, which is much scarier than any actual non-human killer.

For a movie with such a small budget, and written and directed by an unknown at the time, I think it’s horror movie gold. It will never be topped.

When I was in college, I was walking into school one night, it must have been Halloween weekend, and a lot of people were in costume for a party at school. I turned the corner to go into the elevator and a kid dressed as Michael Myers was coming up the stairs from the rec center. I took one look at him, screamed and actually tripped, falling to the floor. It was all too real. No other horror figure could elicit such a response out of me. If I want that true feeling of being scared, that adrenaline rushing feeling, I just watch Halloween.

Here’s a link to the music, in case you feel like getting into the Halloween season mood.

Whats’s your favorite scary movie? (Scream movie voice, lol)…

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The magic of photos

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Tara Darazio

I recently backed up my computer, kind of serendipitoulsy, as it ended up dying a few weeks later and I realized I have over 8,000 photos.

That includes the past ten years or so, that I’ve had a digital camera, and that’s a whole lot of memories. I don’t know about you, but I’m that annoying person that always has the camera. Family events, nights out with friends, vacations… I have so many photos, all documenting the amazing journey of my life.

I love to look back at all of them, and try to remember that day. Some photos instantly transport me to that time (like my wedding) and I can even remember posing for that frame; other times I don’t even remember taking the photo, or the people in it, and that’s always fun, too.

But with today’s instant gratification, seeing a photo seconds after we take it, does it take away from the magic of a photo?

It used to be so exciting when I was little and my mom would get a bunch of rolls of film developed. You never knew what was going to be on there, and it was always a blast ripping open that clumsily sealed envelope to see what was inside. Maybe it was summer and you were expecting your beach vacation pics, when all of a sudden it’s Christmas again. You couldn’t just take those last two Christmas photos and get them developed, you had to use the whole roll, and sometimes that took months! I miss those days.

Even with the disposable cameras, you had no idea if you got the shot you wanted, or captured something you didn’t even notice. Now, we know everything in an instant. Kind of boring, if you ask me. At my wedding, six years ago, we did the disposable cameras on the table. I know that’s old school now, since everyone just emails and uploads to Facebook in real-time, but I guess it was kind of a while ago, and that was still “in.” My husband and I had a blast looking at what people captured, and it gave us time to sit there and just laugh and look together. Plus, we actually had them printed out! Most of the time, our photos just sit on our devices. We don’t hold them and really look at them. It’s more of a pain to get them printed now. And we usually only do if we are making a book, or putting it in a frame. That kind of stinks!

I’m an old soul, would have done better in a different time period for sure, and I sometimes hate how technology has taken these little pleasures away from us.

Everyone is a photographer these days, too. Our phones and cameras are so well-equipped to take a good shot, we don’t even have to try. And with apps like Instagram, we can do just about whatever we want to make our photos look professional! I miss the days when you had to actually go somewhere to get a family picture taken, not just turn your phone around and do it yourself.

I believe there is an art to photography, and a little bit of magic, too. A photographer just has an eye for things that sometimes the average person cannot see. They capture moments. Let’s not forget about this special group of people.

A photo can instantly take our breath away, make us smile, make us cry, give us inspiration…photos are cherished. We carry them in our wallet so we can look at our kids, we keep them on our desks to remind us of our life away from work, we look at them and reminisce with friends. Photos are a huge part of most of our lives. I just wish sometimes it was still like the old days.

I miss the magic of photos…

Do you like the new/anybody can do it/instant way?

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Candle Power

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Tara Darazio

Candles are one of my all-time favorite things. Especially, seasonal candles, and I just picked up an amazing one for Fall: Simmering Apple Cider. It inspired my blog today.

There’s just something about these fall-centered candles that make me feel comforted. This morning was super brisk and the heat came on for the first time all year. I kind of love that dusty smell that comes from the vents, because it just reminds me of the season at hand.

I was chilly, so I threw on an over sized cardigan that my much taller than me brother just gave me because he was getting rid of it, and sat down to work with my steaming hot coffee in hand. I noticed my candle and I lit that, as well. A pretty perfect way to start a Fall morning.

As I was watching the flame, I realized that candles have a lot of power, healing and spiritual power I think.

We use them so much in everyday life. We light them in prayer, we use them for light when we lose power, we burn them to make our house smell beautiful, we carry them in honor of someone, we wish on them for birthdays, we use them to unite us in wedding ceremonies and at baptisms. Candle power…

We’ve all been mesmerized by just staring at a flame, even if it is just from a tiny candle. It’s a simple pleasure in life, an easy thing to do if you need a pick me up. Light a candle for whatever purpose you need it to be for today: in honor of someone, to calm yourself, to get into the season, for inspiration, or just because.

We have to look for the little things that make us happy in a day. The little things we can do for ourselves that give us the motivation we need. And a few famous folks said it best:

How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. 
-William Shakespeare 

It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. 
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just Relax…

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Tara Darazio

If you’re like me, you worry too much. This morning, for a split second, I felt very relaxed. I woke up to the sound of rain dripping on the awnings outside, the smell that rain brings was blowing into my room, and for just a small second, I felt truly peaceful.

Then life slapped me in the face and my brain immediately went into think mode. I started worrying about emails, and how I lost my fantasy football game last night, and how am I going to get this work done, and why is the baby crying, and on and on and on…

I wish there were some magic button that we could use to put our brains into relax mode. I’ve always been a worry wart, even when I was a little kid, so there hasn’t been much of my life that I wasn’t stressing, but today, and the rain, reminded me of the last time I remember I was 100% relaxed and didn’t feel an ounce of stress.

Actually, oddly enough, it was when I was in the hospital, pregnant with my son. If you know my story, you know I spent a LONG time there, and this one particular day was probably about half way into my journey. I knew the baby was healthy, I knew I was healthy, and I was really just waiting at this point, to reach the goal date.

I was on bed rest so I couldn’t do much, but one of my little things I would do, was go to the window and open it, especially on rainy days, my favorite kind of day, and watch the activity outside.

It was mid-morning, the air was cool and crisp for Spring, and after checking out the people below, I grabbed my book (I was reading about the Johnstown Flood, and the rain made it all more real, really took me inside the book) and plopped down into bed. I pulled on a hoodie, opened the book and began to read. Within minutes, the church bells across the street began to ring, and I stopped to listen to them, as I did every day. But that day, it was the most beautiful sound, and I felt amazing.

I guess the combination of the rain, my book, the sound of the bells, the smell of the air, and the comfort of the small room I had made my own, for that day, was all I needed to feel relaxed.

I rarely have a second alone anymore, so I often miss those days in the hospital, or rather, miss the peace and the feeling of no responsibility but to be in that moment. Life is so busy, we are all wired for stress, we always have something on our minds. Today, find a way to get yourself into that relax mode, even if just for a short while.

We all need a break, a break from reality and anxiety, and from everything we have to do.
Even God gives us that advice…

Philippians 4:6
 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Wishing everyone a peaceful, relaxing day.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where Were You?

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Tara Darazio

September 11, 2001…

I had just started my freshman year in college, in fact it may have been only the second week of classes. I was commuting with some good friends from high school and we thought life was just perfect. Even though it was a long drive into the City everyday, and finding a parking spot was always up in the air, we finally felt like grown ups, like we were really getting to the next level of our lives. Freedom was in our grasp, and we were taking it.

We went to school as usual that morning and I had just finished my first class of the day when I headed to the school’s cafe for a coffee. I ran into a friend, who happened to be from New York, and he said, “Hey, get to a room with a TV, there’s a fire at the World Trade Center. I’m really worried because my mom works there.” These were the first words I would hear about a day I, and so many other Americans, will never forget.

I remember walking down to the rec center, because I knew there was a TV down there, and I found myself huddled together with about ten other students in front of a tiny screen. We were watching when the second plane hit, and I remember my stomach literally dropping to the floor. I suddenly felt completely alone and terrified. My “grown up” feelings melted away in an instant and I just wanted to call my mom, be with my family.

Everyone scattered and started calling people on their cell phones, or shouting to others to get out of town. Rumors started to fly quickly that these attacks were happening in other major cities, and I felt even more helpless.

I actually didn’t have a cell phone yet, and I thought to  myself, how the hell am I going to find my friends and get out of here?

I knew one of my friends had a class in a certain hall so I just started looking into classrooms to find her. I remember her teacher staring at me as I burst through the door. I tried to tell everyone what was happening. I felt strange relaying the message, the words didn’t even seem real, and we still had no idea what was going on – whether it was an accident, an attack, but I could see the fear in student’s eyes as they ran out of the room.

We drove home in almost complete silence, just turning the radio to every channel trying to get more information. I remember running through my front door and turning on the TV. I sat there for hours by myself just watching the coverage. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. My sister and brother were still in high school and elementary school and they ended up coming home early and joining me in watching the coverage.

To this day, I think 99% of people can remember exactly what they were doing on this day and I find that amazing. The difference and the impact that one day, one event can make. The stories we hear, the accounts we listen to are astounding. The “I wasn’t supposed to be there,” or “I took a different route to work.” I remember watching one story and the man was recording the image of the smoke on his phone as he was driving, and he was talking in the background saying he had been late to work because he was up watching Monday Night Football the night before, or he would  have been at work in the Tower. Stories like that… no words.

I am still fascinated with this day, eleven years later. I want to watch every movie and documentary about the attack. I become so engrossed in the stories of the survivors, or the loved ones talking about those they lost. I feel connected to all of them, I think we all do.

For that one day we were all Americans. We were all scared. We all needed each other. We all needed hope. No matter what our experience that day, it in some way shaped us. It’s a forever part of our world. Please take time today to remember and reflect.

Where Were You?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment