With wisdom gleaned from their careers as single, globe-trotting flight attendants, first-time authors Susan Johnston Hamrick and Kimberly Webb have crafted a modern-day book that celebrates singleness. A contemporary fairy tale for all ages, Princess Bubble was written to reduce the overwhelming sense of failure, self-doubt, and despair that some single women face.

“Knowing how low self-esteem and depression plague many single females, we wanted to spread the message that ‘happily ever after’ can occur even before Prince Charming arrives. . . or even if he never does,” said Webb.

“We’re definitely not anti-Prince,” said Johnston (whose college nickname was “Bubble”). “We’re not anti-family or anti-marriage; if anything we’re anti-‘Damsel in Distress.’ Our message—the single life can also be a fairy tale. The End!”

Princess Bubble stars a princess who is confused by the traditional fairy tale messages that say she must find her “prince” before she can live “happily ever after.” Princess Bubble dons her “thinking crown” to research traditional fairy tales, interviews married girlfriends, and even takes counsel from her mother, who advises her to sign up at FindYourPrince.com. With a little help from her fairy godmother (this is still a fairy tale after all), Ms. Bubble discovers that “living happily ever after” is not about finding a prince. “True happiness,” the book reveals, “is found by loving God, being kind to others, and being comfortable with who you are already!”

New Release, Princess Bubble, Strikes Chord with America’s 51 percent single women who, for the first time in U.S. history, outnumber married women.

Featured on The Today Show in the segment, “Raising Confident Girls.”

 I am so thrilled to see that even Walmart is selling napkins celebrating Single the Valentine’s Day! I married for the first time at 43 and my husband 44 years old! (Also his first marriage) 

^{I used to get so sick of people asking me, “Why aren’t you married? and implying that I should have at least tried it-by “it” they mean marrying the wrong person!! Commit my life to the wrong person to be able to say I tried marriage?? I don’t think so!} 

^{I used to host a “Girls Without a Valentine’s Party” I would serve Princess Bubble Margaritas.}

^{The Princess Bubble Margarita is basically a margarita with pink lemonade and pink salt; but here is the real story:
Princess Bubble, a modern day fairy tale for girls of all ages, is the inspiration for the celebration.
Princess Bubble travels the world, helps others, and finds “happily ever after” even before she finds her Prince!
Our fairy tale celebrates singleness. And with 51 percent of American women living single today, it’s about time someone told this story.
This contemporary fairy tale for all ages, Princess Bubble was written to reduce the overwhelming sense of failure, self-doubt, and despair that some single women face. Princess Bubble learns that true Happily Ever After is found by loving God, being kind to others, and being comfortable with whom you are already!”
We have had a million Princess Bubble parties for children with our bubble machine and everything princess.
I decided it was time to start having single girls Princess Bubble parties.}

This is such a fun party.
Every girl attending purchase a gift they would love to have for themselves. Then we pour the Princess Bubble Margaritas and play a dating game I invented that makes you rethink some of your dating priorities of what you would want and not want in a prince. This game has everyone rolling with laughter. We then head out to a non-romantic location to have dinner. This party is special and fun way for single girls to spend Valentine’s Day. Princess Bubble parties have spread (during the entire year-without gifts) the parties are just a great ways to celebrate being happy where you are in life!
So, pour a Princess Bubble Margarita and realize you are a princess with or without a prince!

^{www.PrincessBubble.com}

Steven serves Laura in ways that I have never seen any husband even attempt! I adore my husband; but I got him (first marriage) at 44 and he did not have a sister-so there is a lot of training involved. Luckily, Bill is a quick study when he wants to be but he isn’t a push over.

I tease my husband, Bill, lots and say “What would Steven do?” And I ordered so rubber bracelets as a joke to pass out tonight at dinner to other friend’s husband’s that say “What would Steven do?”

One reason I believe Steven desires to serve Laura, shop for Laura and cherish her so much is he has experience such loss, heart brake and tragedy in his life. One of the many experiences this couple has had involves their daughter. She is the most wonderful little girl in the world and is a cross between Tiny Tim, because she is so positive and thankful for EVERYTHING and Shirley Temple, because she is too cute!! But, this little girl has a heart condition that has caused her to fight for her life her entire life. Steven sees through this amazing child and the other major tragedies he has experienced that every day is a gift and he lives like the country music song “Live Like You Are Dying.”

This family just went on their first family vacation where everyone was well.  You would think they had won a trip to somewhere spectacular they were so excited that things went smoothly and normally to the rest of us who are healthy. How many times do I not even realize that even a bad day healthy is better than any good day sick?

I tease Steven about being so exceptional but he reminds me to be thankful for my own exceptional life and all the things I take for granted.

I know Steven and Laura will live “Happily Ever After” even if it is not what we think of from the story books because they have the right attitude and love so deeply.

Maybe we all should ask,”What would Steven do?”

www.princessbubble.com

This was my first family trip with my new family and it was great. Of course, like any family we had the members that did not want to conform or participate in certain things. My husband and I are both the first born and pleasers. So, not only did we agree to wear what our mother-in-law wanted us to wear for the Christmas card picture-we also brought additional white shirts for family members we suspected would not bring what they were asked to wear.

The rebels not only did not bring what they were asked to bring they also refused to wear our back up options. And one member was not even present when picture time rolled around. It was refreshing to see that all families have their black sheep and what really matters is how you handle the rebels.

My mother-in-law was a sport about the whole thing. But, having lost a parent and knowing my parents will not celebrate their 50th (as well as being a pleaser) I wondered why others can’t conform for 5 minutes to make their mother or mother-in-law happy while celebrating their anniversary???

I am sure part of making it 50 years is learning to roll with the punches and that is the lesson I got out of our celebration week. We can’t control others even when it’s our party!

I am thankful to be a part of such a great family (rebels and all) and hope to celebrate 50 years with my prince!

Happily Ever After and Congratulations!

Do people believe William and Kate to live “Happily Ever After?”

What do we expect happened to Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast….? Do we expect them to live blissful every day with no money troubles, in-law issues, fertility problems, loss of jobs, government shut downs, wars or the issues of every day life?

And could “Happily Ever After”  just be the fact that they are no longer hidden in a dungeon or feed a poison apple?

The Brothers Grimm originally wrote the stories with more reality and less Disney. Here is an excerpt of the original Cinderella.

http://www.divinesecretsofadomesticdiva.com/good-reads/books-for-kids/princess-bubble/

Princess Bubble is your average fairytale.  Sure there’s a

beautiful and good princess who lives in a fairytale kingdom,

but her quest to find her Prince Charming doesn’t end the

way that most “happily ever after” books do.  No, this thirty

five paged book, complete with colorful and beautiful drawn

illustrations, has a very different ending.

Princess Bubble finds herself a graduate of Royal University,

she takes a job with Royal Airlines so she can learn about

other kingdoms and cultures, and then this well-rounded and

beautiful princess finds that many of her friends, also

Princesses, are starting to get married.  The Queen tells

Princess Bubble she must find a Prince so she too can live

“happily every after.”  But after searching for a prince,

Princess Bubble has a visit from one of my favorite Fairy

Godmothers ever.  Princess Bubble’s Fairy Godmother tells

her that she doesn’t need to have a Prince Charming to have

a “happily ever after.” She tells her that if she lives a good

life, loves God, does good deeds and treats others well and is

comfortable with who she is, then she is already living her

happily ever after!  Princess Bubble realizes that the other

fairytales were wrong.  She realized that since she had great

family and friends, was a good person that she didn’t need a

Prince to live a happy life. Princess Bubble went on to do

many great things and she did live, “happily ever after.”

The authors, Susan Johnston and Kimberly Webb, are “never-

married, seasoned career women-turned-authors <that> did

not meet through their former employer, Delta Airlines, but

rather through Johnston’s ex-boyfriend. These small town

Southern girls immediately became kindred spirits and have

been close friends ever since. Taking advantage of their

company travel benefits, these two well-educated women

decided to continue their education through their many

excursions all over the world. As they traveled, Johnston and

Webb formulated the idea of a new generation of fairy tales:

encouraging women to find their security in something much

deeper than a left-hand ring and to emphasize the notion that

“happily ever after” is attainable for everyone.”

What a fabulous message for young girls!  Even in 2011

young women are just hit with a barrage of messages from

all around them that tell them what it means to be a “happy

woman” or a “successful” woman today.  Many times this

message also says that to be complete or a success you must

marry and have a family.  While I found that to be my path,

it certainly doesn’t mean that is the right decision for every

woman.  This book will help me enforce the message to my

own young daughter that she can have a happily ever after

herself that may or may not include a prince of her own.

For more information on Princess Bubble, as well as other

books and where to purchase, visit their website, “like” them

on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter!

http://www.divinesecretsofadomesticdiva.com/good-reads/books-for-kids/princess-bubble/

I was 43 before I married. When I was in my late 30′s I was just exhausted from blind dates, bad dates, being in limbo…I had a great life and wonderful friends and family so I decided to retire from dating.

Some people were not happy that I decided to retire from dating. They thought I was giving up or doing something weird. But, I saw it as such a load off my shoulders and just a chance to relax.

When people retire (in general) many come out of retirement and work again. But, unless the person is broke- they generally don’t come out of retirement for a job they do not enjoy or are passionate about. This is how I saw retiring from dating. I would stop dating and worrying about finding Mr. Right and enjoy my life and I could be a consultant to my friends about dating if they had any interest hearing my opinions. And if someone amazing came along I could come out of retirement. But, I was not going to date just to date.

People said you have to put yourself out there…You have to be open…I heard it all.

I said, “I went on The Today Show and CNN and said “I am single.” And still no one asked me out! Or anyone I would have wanted to go out with. What else can I do?” That shut people up, for a few moments at least. (I wrote a book, Princess Bubble about a princes that has not found a prince and by the grace of God I  landed on national TV! www.PrincessBubble.com)

I was enjoying my retirement. It made me feel like being single was my choice and not that I was just left behind. Then my mother called wanted to fix me up with my now husband. On paper he was so many things on my list as far as similar backgrounds. We were both dirt poor (which was not on my list! Hee Hee) from the same area, the same age, went to the same college, same faith and values, never married…

I felt God said, “This is The One!” so we got engaged and married 6 months after meeting. Since then, I have fallen head over heels for MY prince. But, on hind site I don’t know how “in love” we were till we married. I think we just really liked each other and felt called to each other.

I think maybe not being infatuated and being older has been great for us. We could see clearly. We both knew the other has faults but that there really was not anything better out there for either of us because believe me we had both looked!

I have a good friend who is still single. I thought she was content as I had become in the last years of my single life. She tells me she loves to date just to meet people and has not intention of ever marrying. But, I recently learned  from another friend that she is grieving for the husband God has for her. So, I am passionately praying for God to bring her a godly man who will cherish her and make her smile.

I don’t know God’s plan for her or His timing. But, based on my own life I think he wants us to be at a point where we can let down our guard, fearlessly commit, and realize we are imperfect and our spouse will be too- before He brings the right person (if He even does)

So, what do I pray for this friend?  I don’t know. I guess I just pray for her to be the best she can be! To be happy and to be protected from the wrong men and her eyes opened clearly to the right man. I pray for God to heal hurts in her life that may prevent her from trusting or being open and I pray for her to let go of control and rest in His plan.

There is always an area in our life that has the same challenges as being single. In the bible all the women seemed infertile. I have thought maybe because they were arranged in marriage and that was not a challenge so fertility was an area they had to release to God. If it is not being single, it is having a baby, finding a job, worries about children, worries about aging parents. There is always something out of our control. But for some reason, the single struggle has a little different angle to it in my mind. I don’t know if it is because complete strangers want to give you advice. “Have you tried…?” Or , if it because or physical appearance is tied to dating and acceptance far more than fertility or dealing with other issues? Or that is more obvious than other issues because they just look at your ring finger.

I believe being single can be wonderful. But, only if a very,very important person loves you. Yourself. If you like who you are you will be happy in most stages of life.

I plan to pray for my friend. I am not sure what each days prayer will be. But, every girl needs a friend who prays for her and is willing to listen, cry and laugh with her. If a girl has a friend like that she is headed for “Happily Ever After” whatever that looks like for her.

A Time Magazine article by Mary Pols states “His (Secretariat’s) owner, however, was an underdog, if only by virtue of her sex, and that provides much of the film’s drama. Penny Chenery Tweedy grows up around her father’s horsebreeding business in Virginia, goes off to Smith College, has four children and settles into a housewife’s life. When her mother dies, she leaves behind Penny’s ailing father (Scott Glenn, lending dignity to a man with dementia) and a not exactly thriving horse farm. Penny, ever her father’s daughter, doesn’t want to give up the farm; her brother Hollis (Dylan Baker), a Harvard professor, is frantic to sell before they get hit with an enormous inheritance tax…” This gives you a little background.

But, I saw something a little different than my friends or the Times journalist. I was watching the movie and ironing clothes and I looked up and saw Penny (the owner) in the stables making a determined statement to save her family’s farm and land as well as  hold on to Secretariat. And in Penny I saw Scarlett O’Hara holding a turnip. Shouting, “As God is my witness, as God is my witness they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again.”

Now granted, I am a Georgia girl and grew up miles from the fictional Tara. So, I do love Scarlett despite her boundless selfishness. Penny, like Scarlett, was going to save her family’s land and did not care if she lived in a man’s world with very little horse racing experience. Penny first plotted a breeding plan that did not work out as she expected- just as Scarlett ripped down the drapes and had a dress made to fool Rhett into giving her the money she needed to save Tara.

Penny was strong willed and I love the line where she lost the coin toss but got the choice she wanted anyway and said, “Well, I got what I wanted.” She was told, “You got what no one else wanted.” But, in life is what we want devalued by the fact that no one else wants the same thing? True treasures are valuable to us despite supply and demand.

Penny and Scarlett both save the family land and show strength to overcome life’s challenges. And I feel if you loved something before you saved it-afterward the love has got to be unmeasurably greater knowing it is your, you saved it and it safe!

I am sure when I watch the movie again I will learn another lesson because this gem of a film tells me there are many more to be learned. But, like Scarlett, “I will think about that tomorrow!”

Secretariat will be release on January 25, 2011 by Disney

 

 

 

Here are a few links as well

YouTube

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Small Frame

<iframe frameborder=0 width=352 height=284 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&clipid=e72761&playerid=69&affiliateid=-1&bitrateid=378&formatid=10″></iframe>

Widescreen

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=290 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e72761&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

Playful Big Red (Bonus)

Small Frame

<iframe frameborder=0 width=352 height=284 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&clipid=e82908&playerid=69&affiliateid=-1&bitrateid=378&formatid=10″></iframe>

Widescreen

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=290 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e82908&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

Are You a Golfer (Deleted Scene)

Small Frame

<iframe frameborder=0 width=352 height=284 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&clipid=e82920&playerid=69&affiliateid=-1&bitrateid=378&formatid=10″></iframe>

Widescreen

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=290 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e82920&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

Time of Her Life (Bonus)

Small Frame

<iframe frameborder=0 width=352 height=284 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&clipid=e82912&playerid=69&affiliateid=-1&bitrateid=378&formatid=10″></iframe>

Widescreen

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=290 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e82912&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

Already Won (Bonus)

Small Frame

<iframe frameborder=0 width=352 height=284 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&clipid=e82914&playerid=69&affiliateid=-1&bitrateid=378&formatid=10″></iframe>

Widescreen

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=290 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e82914&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

What Do You Think (Film)

Small Frame

<iframe frameborder=0 width=352 height=284 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&clipid=e82902&playerid=69&affiliateid=-1&bitrateid=378&formatid=10″></iframe>

Widescreen

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=290 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e82902&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

Heated Press (Film)

Small Frame

<iframe frameborder=0 width=352 height=284 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&clipid=e82906&playerid=69&affiliateid=-1&bitrateid=378&formatid=10″></iframe>

Widescreen

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=290 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e82906&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

Diner Deal (Film)

Small Frame

<iframe frameborder=0 width=352 height=284 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&clipid=e82904&playerid=69&affiliateid=-1&bitrateid=378&formatid=10″></iframe>

Widescreen

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=290 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e82904&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

www.PrincessBubble.com

 

 

 

 

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Featured on The TODAY SHOW in the segment, “Raising Confident Girls”

New Release, Princess Bubble, Strikes Chord with America’s 51% SINGLE WOMEN WHO, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN U.S. HISTORY, OUTNUMBER MARRIED WOMEN

ATLANTA, January 8, 2011—This Valentine’s Day almost 90 million Americans will celebrate the romantic holiday single. Two successful prince-less princesses show the world that being a stuffy Old Maid does not have to be “in the cards” for single woman today! Susan Johnston and Kimberly Webb offer girls of all ages updated version of the traditional fairy tale. No longer a “Damsel in Distress,” this princess travels the world, helps others, and finds “happily ever after” even before she finds her Prince!

With wisdom gleaned from their careers as single, globe-trotting flight attendants, first-time authors Susan Johnston Hamrick and Kimberly Webb have crafted a modern-day book that celebrates singleness. A contemporary fairy tale for all ages, Princess Bubble was written to reduce the overwhelming sense of failure, self-doubt, and despair that some single women face.

“Knowing how low self-esteem and depression plague many single females, we wanted to spread the message that ‘happily ever after’ can occur even before Prince Charming arrives. . . or even if he never does,” said Webb.

“We’re definitely not anti-Prince,” said Susan Johnston Hamrick (whose college nickname was “Bubble”). “We’re not anti-family or anti-marriage, if anything we’re anti-‘Damsel in Distress.’ Our message—the single life can also be a fairy tale. The End!”

Princess Bubble stars a princess who is confused by the traditional fairy tale messages that say she must find her “prince” before she can live “happily ever after.” Princess Bubble dons her “thinking crown” to research traditional fairy tales, interviews married girlfriends, and even takes counsel from her mother, who advises her to sign up at FindYourPrince.com. With a little help from her fairy godmother (this is still a fairy tale after all), Ms. Bubble discovers that “living happily ever after” is not about finding a prince. “True happiness,” the book reveals, “is found by loving God, being kind to others, and being comfortable with who you are already!”