Remember the time I shot a gun and went to sorority convention in the same week?

Hello Friends!

Yes it's true...this Yankee shot a gun yesterday. It was Ladies Night at Shooters Choice here in Wilmington, NC and so I went with two of my girliest friends to participate:

In case you're worried...we survived, thought I'd start at the end...

First you take a class to learn about the different parts of guns, who know a magazine wasn't just something you read at the beach?

You have to have your ears and eyes protected, sexy :)

Nothing goes with a 22 like a Kate Spade or Coach purse

clearly, we were proud :)

Sarah hit a lot on the bullseye, I'm skeptical she may be practicing at home

That's right baby... Stefanie Jo Mancuso... NYPD watch out

I must say, if you've never done it...it is VERY exhilarating.  I like to think I did pretty well for my first time :)

Yes, and in the same week that I shot a gun, I also am headed to Phoenix, AZ for Alpha Delta Pi Convention....good stories to come I'm sure!

xoxo

Good morning and happy Monday!

Big Pete and I at High School Graduation :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day! On a day that is often not the easiest for me I spent it with some of my favorite people doing some of my favorite things: enjoying a breakfast out, a day at the beach and making dinner and chatting with friends.

I must say, Fathers Day does for me what it probably does for many of you, causes me to reflect on what an amazing father I have. While many will meet JoJo and question how I became as obnoxious, loud and I like to think entertaining, I can assure you she will point to the man above. While that is not the only thing I got from him, I think it's probably what is most easily identifiable to those who knew him and know me. Strangely, many of my closest friends at this point in my life did not know him, I appreciate their willingness to let me share stories about to this day one of my favorite people. 


The thing many may know about my dad, he had a passion for many things: family, kids, the Dallas Cowboys, the NY Yankees, cheese doodles, Disney World, movies (specifically ones that taught a lesson...and Titanic lol), The Sopranos and... Bruce Springsteen. It was most appropriate that this weekend Clarence Clemons of Bruce's E Street Band passed away which of course meant Bruce Springsteen music, EVERYWHERE. So, in case I wouldn't already be thinking of Big Pete, I was reminded constantly. Bruce music makes me smile though, and laugh thinking of the many car trips where his music was blaring and while driving, dad was also playing the air drums, guitar, sax or all three. As JoJo said yesterday, I'm sure Big Pete was racing to the pearly gates to meet him, probably singing "Born to Run". Poor Clarence. 


The interesting lesson I am learning right now professionally is the transience of the field I have entered. It seems like every day I'm getting another e-mailing indicating a staff member is leaving the University to pursue a position somewhere else. While I am sad to see these people leave, one is particularly hard, Miss Jenn Smist. Jenn was the head of the search committee that hired me but has become one of my closest friends here in Wilmington. While I am incredibly happy for her to go on to pursue a position at the University of Illinois (yes it's cold there, I get it, she's from Boston, she'll be fine!) I am sad to see someone who has been a loyal friend and a great professional role model for me leave Wilmington. 

I think that's all for today :)

I promise...

To be a WAY better blogger. I can't believe it has been over a month since I last blogged. While I could make a 100 excuses as to what I've been up to the fact is... I think I just kept putting it off because there was so much to catch up on. With it being the summer there just is NO excuse not to blog. I will PROMISE to do a better job from now on. I do have to celebrate a year of having the blog and while I do not use it in all the best ways and don't ALWAYS blog I will say I'm impressed it is still around and people read it. It's amazing to me it's been a year since I've moved to Wilmington and started my job. I don't let a day go by that I take for granted what a great place I've found to live and work. :)

What have I been doing in the last month you ask, well here are some highlights:

Two weddings: the first Alex & Caitlin Waldie

the 5 best friends anyone has ever had

Then last week Caitlin & Chris Yeatman, I'm always a classy addition to a bridal party

a famous cute fam pose :)

Especially when I stand on chairs to lead choreographed dances:

Graduated some of my favorite people from UNCW :)

Went parasailing with Katie K

Introduced BG to the VB lifestyle and the family memorial day weekend

Went to see NKOTBSB with some of my FAVORITE people...the concert was Larger than Life if you get me:

The lassos came out, clearly.

Have to give Aunt Roe a shout out for still being the coolest godmother and going to BSB concerts with me 10 years later :)

So yeah, I guess I've been a little busy the past month or so... lots of fun stuff but it's making the summer fly by. We are halfway through June. Geez! I still have a lot to look forward to like ADPi convention in Phoenix, AZ next week, an awesome 4th of July weekend with my handsome boyfriend, moving in with the wonderful Sarah Clark and ending July celebrating the BEST bachelorette I know, have you met her?

I often get teased about the amount of time I spend in bridal parties and at weddings but the truth is it has almost become a hobby. I spend free time reading blogs about weddings and being a bridesmaid. I love to plan and organize to getting things together for the future Mrs. Best is fun. I have been lucky to have been asked to be a bridesmaid by people who I really love and would do anything for. Each time it's a new adventure to experience with the bride, another opportunity to share someone's big day with them...and let's be real, I look good in a dress and am a GREAT dancer ;)

You be the judge:

My big, Ashley Theado Raska, July 2009

My gbaby, Caitlin Revene Yeatman, June 2011

My little, Ashley Carawan Carlton,  June 2010

My cousin's wife Jackie Miano Murino May 2008

 You have to experience the dancing to truly judge that :)

That's all for now :) I'm back!

She get it from her momma....

after taking mom out to eat for mothers day last week...

I would like to take this time to wish a very Happy Mothers Day to my mom, Joann Albergo Mancuso otherwise known as: JoJo. As many of you know, I'm pretty blessed to have an amazing mom. I could list the reasons for 100 blog posts but let me just explain a few. As many (unfortunately) know, it is not easy to be a single parent, especially when you become one in a matter of seconds. Since my dad died in 2004 JoJo has worked doublely hard to make sure Peter and myself missed nothing. She moved us each in and out of college (grad school, and my first grown up apartment). She is also there to drop everything when we call and even when she's not there she's supporting us in whatever we're doing from a distance. It is a blessing to have a mom who supports you unconditionally in whatever you do and is there to cheer you on along the way. She has given me the confidence try anything and is always there for me in case it doesn't go as planned.

But I'm not saying anything many of you don't know, she often does the same for you. She loves all of Peter and I's friends as if you were her own. JoJo is not only the mom to  Peter and I but to anyone that needs a mom. After all, it was JoJo who when grocery shopping in high school would pick up not only the snacks our familiy liked but all the snacks my best friends enjoyed as well. She also, of course is the mom to many of the clients she has served over the years. JoJo spends her life serving others and today I'd like to publicly thank her for all she has done. I am the woman I am today because of my mom.... I love you JoJo.

I would also like to shout outs to some of my other favorite moms:

- Karen Shanley, my second mom and another rockstar of a woman. I appreciate you always treating me like your own. Your support over the years is unmeasurable and I love you very much!

-My Godmother, Rosemary Albergo, thank you for everything you've done for me... I can't believe it's been a year since Italy.
-My Aunt Rosemarie, also an amazing mom and godmother to Petey and mom to my cousins Anthony & Mike.

Celebrate your mom today, she deserves it :)

It's May already?

It is amazing to me how quickly April flew by.... when I posted last I was halfway through the month of April and still that feels like forever ago. I honestly believe the spring always feels that way, particularly on a college campus. Now that exam week has hit I can finally take a breath, stop eating Aramark catering and enjoy the last few days of the academic year. It occured to me as I looked at facebook statuses yesterday how much my life has changed in the past year. I am so excited for those graduating from JMU CSPA tomorrow... that program prepared me for the amazing first year I have had and I am so excited to see what that group will do. I also share that excitement with my best friend LK, who is also graduting from Clemson's higher ed program and is about to embark on the journey of being a first year Student Affairs professional.

So many other exciting things have happend lately (or at least since my last post). First, as many of you know my dear friend Leslie Lehner and Jake Miller have gotten engaged. I have been lucky to be friends with Leslie since the summer of 03 when Katelyn Grant brought her to my dorm room at Virginia Wesleyn College during Virginia Beach Leadership Workshop to introduce me to this rising junior who was interested in running for City Wide SCA with myself and Lindsey Dowd (who would go on to be Katelyn's college best friend) small world. Leslie and I spent a few minutes talking and the rest is history. We actually ended up being sorority sisters (she at Tech and I at LU). Anyway, enough getting sappy. The truth is Leslie and Jake have been two of my favorite people to spend my time in VB with and I could not be happier for the two of them. I am honored to be a part of their special day :)

Of course ACE finished our year strong with our last event Festapalooza. To say I was the luckiest Advisor on Earth this year is the understatement of the century. It is every new professionals dream to inherit a group that is open, excited, hardworking and yearns to grow as an organization and individuals. I could not be prouder of this group as individuals and as an organization. I am a better person for knowing and each them and I am excited for next year because of the groundwork this group laid.

As the semester comes to a close I am excited about what is sure to be a busy but awesome summer filled with weddings, retreats, beach weekends, moving, NKOTBSB concerts, girls weekends, visits with BG, bridal showers and a bachelorette party :)

Until next time... lets shout out!

- Congrats to all the graduates this week and next: Kelly Ann Shanley - MSW, Lauren Kennedy, Shannon Mariner, CSPA 2011, Lauren Curtis, UNCW graduates (specifically my ACErs: Tyler, Katie, Mike, Sami, & Hillary)
-Congrats to my senior Medallian winners: Tyler, Shannon & Katie
-Excited for a fun Saturday with KTK parasailing :)
-Shout out to JoJo for Mothers Day - I feel a special post coming on :)
-Congrats to all of CSPA 2010 for making it through our first year as professionals (Jim and Donna, Jim and Jim and Donna...)
-Happy early birthday to Miss Rachel Ann Myers
-Good luck on the rest of exams to my students and little bro Petey
-Happy teacher appreciation week to all my teacher friends :)
-I hit my 10lb mark this week on ww! yay!

Up Next: Mothers day special and after that.... Waldie gets married (insert Lasso NOW)

Spring has Sprung...

Hello Friends!

Well spring in upon us and for those of you in Student Affairs you know this time of year as Banquet Season. This week kicked it off for me with the Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards and our very own ACE Appreciation Banquet. Both were a huge success!

Alpha Delta Pi - Eta Alpha Chapter took home the Bradley Cup (Chapter of the Year)

ADPis with their Bradley Cup

The ACE awards were also a huge success recognizing an amazing year for an amazing organization.

Shannon, this year's ACE President

The Banquet Committee

Up next for banquets/receptions: RHA Awards, Student Org Appreciation Day, SGA Inauguration, Cornerstone Awards, Campus Life Extravaganza & Senior Luncheon. Thankfully, I have a slight dress addiction :)

It is strange to be wrapping up my first year at UNCW and it was bittersweet to review an amazing year at the ACE Banquet and realize how much has happened this year. As I told my ACErs the other night I have never been prouder than I am to be their advisor and I can't wait to see what's next. We still have three more programs to finish out the year so we are definitely not done but man we're close!

Yes, my facebook status did change this week,the truth is my status changed a while ago I just decided on a whim to change it on Monday night. Well, maybe not a whim, it was after spending a great weekend with the "new" boyfriend, Brian :) If I say much more, I know I'll embarrass him so... I'll just leave you with a picture from the weekend.

 

 

At the (rainy) Azalea Festival Downtown

I would be re missed if I did not give a shout out to my Hokies... I will be thinking of you all tomorrow <3

I also must give a shout out to two of my favorite people/brides-to-be who have birthdays tomorrow:

The first, Miss Caitlin Revene: Happy 23rd Birthday tomorrow! I love you so much and you have so much to be excited for in the next few months :)

And of course, my best friend in the whole world Miss Kelly Ann Shanley turns 26 tomorrow. She is this month's DGSC girl of the month:

At the Ocean View St. Patty's parade

DGSC weekend 2011

Baltimore, summer 2009

The top 5 reasons I love Kelly Shanley:

5. She always packs snacks wherever she goes
4. She sends about 10 cards a year, which always make me smile
3. She and I have shared wardrobes since 2001 and I we have vowed never to get too far apart in size that we can't share clothes when one visits the other
2. She will ALWAYS shake her head when I do something inappropriate but secretly I know she loves it (especially when I'm with Angela or KG)
1. She is the sister I never had, my best friend, the person who knows what I need when even I don't know and the person who has stood by me through everything for the last 10 years.

Shoutouts:

- Congrats to my Longwood turned Wilmington friend Katelyn Hackett on her engagement :)
- Good luck to the film committee this weekend with their annual program: Hawk-in
-Happy Birthday Tiff - hope that 90's party is rockin'
-Once again, thinking about those Hokies tomorrow <3
-Excited to see my family and friends next weekend in VB for Easter!
-To my friends interviewing and job searching... I'm cheering for all of you
-Yay! Glee returns this week :)
-Welcome back to freedom Shannon :)
-FYI seniors: less than a month, make it count!
-Go Caps! They are 1-0 with the Rangers right now. (Every relationship needs compromise, I have agreed to be a Caps fan for Mr. Gallagher as long as he roots for the Yankees) *with the caveat that he can root for his home team, the Orioles when they play each other*

A Quarter Century of Awesome :)

We did it! On Friday, April 1st ACE presented the spring concert, B.o.B. ft Playboy Tre & DJ Jason Smith. After months of surveying, planning, contracting and meetings we packed Trask with over 1400 people for this show. The day/night went well. Those of you in event planning/management know nothing is ever perfect but those hiccups are what make the stories that you laugh about later. For us there were a few that stood out:

- You will notice I am not wearing a red shirt in the above picture, that is because Bobby Simmons aka B.o.B loved our staff shirts so much that I promised him after the show that I would give mine to him. After he interrupted my "I'm so 'flippn' proud of you" speech I gave him my shirt... I offered an autograph... no go

-We were such worker bees on Friday that as soon as a truck pulled up to the loading dock with tables and chairs my students quickly unloaded and started to set them up when we realized, those weren't our tables and chairs :) It was from another company for another event...sweet life.

-Last and my favorite of course was the light breaking in the middle of the concert and dangling from the ceiling. After being made aware of the incident, we quickly had a "team huddle" on the main concourse and  

moved barricade to block off the area where the light would fall.

I can say I've never been more proud of a group of students for working so hard to make the event perfect. All positive attitudes, all smiles, all enthusiasm and of course the evening ended with a chorusline of people singing "happy birthday" and we all enjoyed an awesome cookie cake my students got me which read "Happy Birthday Stef, Tic Toc"

I was also lucky to have two of my favorite people in town to celebrate: Katelyn Grant and Angela Damiano :) They came to the concert with Jenn & Sarah! Saturday (my birthday) was perfect. Kate, Ang and I had panacakes, skyped Brian, shopped, had lunch at Dockside (by the water), watched the VCU/Butler game and then headed to a night out planned by my dear friends Sarah & Katie. A great dinner with friends at the Copper Penny then a night out downtown. It was an awesome birthday and I have not laughed that hard or had that much fun in a while :) The next morning we finished celebrating with Adrienne, Matt and Katie at Causeway Cafe enjoying a great breakfast!

 

So yes, awesome awesome birthday. I have a ton to be thankful for and have had a GREAT 25 years... I'm excited for many many more as I'm sure the best is yet to come. Thank you to my family and friends for the phone calls, cards, flowers and gifts and coming out to celebrate the other day. :) I hope everyone feels as loved on their birthday as I did.

Up next in life: a busy April filled with award ceremonies, birthdays, bridal showers, boyfriend visits, great programs and Easter.

Shout Outs:

• Congrats to Jane Arrowsmith for getting engaged!
• Thanks to my boss, Shannon for giving KTK and I her tickets to Darius Rucker, great concert last night
• So proud of Shannon, Tyler & Katie for being awarded Senior Medallions
• Good luck to my friends job searching
• Congrats to Ashley Carey for getting engaged
• Happy late birthday to my partner in crime Phillip Burns
• Congrats Peter on a successful golf tournament
• Thank you to KTK and Sarah for planning a great birthday
• Don't forget your taxes! They are due next week!
• Go Yankees! Yay for the start of baseball season!
• See you tomorrow BG :)