“As hard as it is and as tired as I am, I force myself to get dinner at least once a week with my girlfriends, or have a sleepover. Otherwise my life is just work.” – Jennifer Lawrence

I will preface this blog with this: I love ALL of my girlfriends with all of my heart, today I just feel the need to highlight one in particular 😉     (As I do from time to time) With that said, I shall continue…

I moved to Chicago almost 4 years ago. A new city, a new region, a new school, new winters, NO friends! This wasn’t my first rodeo at this, but it certainly gets harder with age. My life consisted of working 8 to 5 and class 6 to 9, Bailey getting the rest of my time. There was little room for meeting new people outside of work and school. I worked with amazing girls and went to school with just as amazing people. But there is one girl who has become like family to me, my Italian sister in Chicago. Her family has become my Italian family up here and has opened their arms to me for every holiday, family get together and outing and it’s about damn time I give Marcee Manglardi a shout out.

We met in Grad School and were both intimidated by one another at the beginning, we learned later on, but once we broke that wall down, I knew she would be in my life for forever. This girl will drop any and everything for a friend. Barely knowing me she helped me through the worst time of my life and has celebrated my father with me ever since. She never misses a chance to check in, make sure all is alright, help me with work problems, life problems and personal problems (let’s be real). Well today was no different, she just reminded me why she is a part of MY “family” now and why I love her so much and cherish her friendship.

THANK YOU, Marcee Manglardi, for being AMAZING and for making me feel like a million dollars today when you said this to me! Not sure what I’d do without you…

“You know what kind of girl you are, you are a strong girl, with dignity and class…you are a girl who works very hard in your job and in your life and wants to share that hard work with someone who appreciates it. you are a girl with a heart that loves giving and making people smile and you do it for the genuine joy it brings you. you are a girl who is respectful and will put herself second to the needs of others even if it compromises your own immediate happiness. you are a girl who is compassionate and understanding and BRAVE for willing to put herself out there for someone she barely knows. THAT’S the kind of girl you are.”

And I feel the EXACT same way about YOU, my love! THIS is what girlfriends are for, and THIS is just one example proving that I have the best friends in this world! Be jealous, be veeeeeery jealous  😉 If you ever need a fill in girlfriend, I have a damn good shelf of them! Maybe I’ll let you borrow one from time to time 😉 A little Rascal for you below, Marc!