THE HEART BEHIND THE WORDS

Well, here I am, enrolling in this journey I often contemplate, but seldom find the confidence to venture out on. I've let self doubt and destructible thoughts hold on tightly for too long and why? Why not, is the better question. Why not listen to the encouragement from my husband, from my family and friends, those that say just do it, what do you have to lose? That's just it, I have nothing to lose and it is my hope that I can relate to, inspire and connect with someone, just like the number of blogs I find myself navigating daily. So instead, let me tell you WHY. The Writing: It's a passion, it always has been. It was my dream to be a magazine editor, just like the ones in, "The Bold Type" (if you haven't watched this show, I just did you a favor, go binge watch it...now). I am not eloquent and poetic but I find writing therapeutic, I love the way words come together to inflect so much, words are endearing, they are engaging and thoughtful, they say so much about a person. If I put my words on paper (blog) I won't forget them, I can look back in decades and re-read the words that once laid so heavily in my heart, they will take me back to the moments I long for, the ones I miss so much that time came in like a thief and took from me. This is a journal for me of the journey I am taking with my most precious cargo, it is a means to preserving memories, to making time stand still. Just that alone, that is enough for me but there is more... The Kids: Most of what we mamas' do is for the kids. We put on silly costumes and dance around the house to make them laugh, we stress and pine away planning perfect birthday parties, we are soccer moms rushing our kids from one thing to the next to make sure they are experiencing the world, we wake up in the middle of the night to chase away the monsters under the bed, and we worry every moment of every day that we are doing it all wrong. I hope this will be a place of encouragement, a means to gather ideas on planning that next party, or fun trips to take, a place to share ideas, recipes, tips and tricks for raising our most precious jewels, even if that means sharing some vulnerable moments of feelings of failure and defeat. The Passion: My name is Annie Papi, and I am addicted to shopping. There I said it, and I'm not lying, just ask my husband. I love shopping, and I love to share my finds with you. I don't discriminate; shoes, jeans, dresses, sweaters, pillows, throws, plants, vases, wall art and the list goes on and on and on and on. Did I mention I also like all of the previously mentioned items for my two mini-me's (hence the reason we are not having anymore children). I also love interior design and Disneyland. I love baseball and Starbucks, country music and Nashville (I should mention I have never been there, bucket list), I love party planning and gifting, I love Chip and Joanna, and Fuller House, running and eating and I'm pretty sure I am one of the last few that actually desperately believes in the love story "The Bachelor" tries to sell me. So there you have it, my passion(s), as you can see this is a blog about it all. You know, like when you were a little kid and you couldn't pick just one flavor of soda so you mixed in a little bit of them all? A little something for everyone. The People: You. This is a place we can connect, we can inspire and encourage, share ideas, failures and aha moments. I have gained so much and been inspired in so many ways by bloggers and I appreciate their raw vulnerability to put themselves out there for the world to see, maybe some even ridicule. I know I am always just a click away from outfit inspiration, a good deal, a facelift for my house, the perfect party, or advice on parenting. So, it's YOU, that has inspired me to put my self-doubt behind me, to trudge forward and share a look into my life in hopes that maybe I will be an encouragement to someone, anyone. It is YOU I want to connect with, to gain wisdom and insight from. It is YOU that inspires me. There we have it. I am officially entering in on my new journey, one that scares me a little, but one I hope will be fulfilling. Before I go I should tell you who I am. I'm a 36 year old mama to a princess worshipping 5 year old, Giada Rose and the sweetest little pea, Gemma Anne. I'm a baseball wife deeply rooted in the valley of California. We are known to take an obnoxious number of trips to Disneyland, die hard San Francisco Giants fans and we cherish making memories with our family and friends. Above all else my favorite thing in this big world are my people. We travel, we sing country music at the top of our lungs, we do baseball, a lot of baseball, and we love with all we got. Excited to see where this takes me, so welcome, thanks for stopping by, I'm glad you are here.

Photos by Daphne Mae Photography