What A Hot Mess

So, where do I begin with this hot mess?

Let's start with the fluff...

What is wrong with my child? Seriously...Oprah are you watching? I need some help with my crazy little hoarder. The stuffed animals are one thing, but the candy? A part of me is just hoping she was just hiding it from her mother who eats dessert before dinner.

I am happy to say that she no longer hides candy in her room and the space under her bed is void of any crazy collections. Thank god! Lexi is really so funny, she cracks me up and I truly enjoy her company. Friday night we drove to the city together in the convertible and had a big girl dinner in the meat packing district. Last year my Friday nights would have been spent running an event. We have a very special relationship where we can be friends, but she also recognizes that I am her mother and it's my job to guide her in life. Don't get me wrong, she is 13 right now and it's not always sunshine and roses, but for the most part I think my decision to stop working is a good one. I wouldn't give up these simple dinners with her for the world. At this tender age a girl needs her mother and I am so grateful that I am able to be there. I have to thank my husband for the luxury of staying home. He works so hard to take care of us. I am well aware of that fact that in this economy it is truly a LUXURY to be able to put my career on hold. So thank you Tommy...I love you.

Caroline and her attack dogs...
Holy sh*t. Those dogs scare the crap out of me. If you saw me at Caroline's house when they are out and about you would know that I am not kidding at all. I literally sit on the kitchen counter when they are around. I am so afraid that one of us is casually going to say the German attack word in a sentence by accident and someone is going to lose an arm. I am so happy that Caroline lives five houses down from me...I know "the word" and all I have to do is scream it out the window if anyone tries to mess with me. Or I could just hope that the sight of Gramma Wrinkles with scare them away. I love my grandma and from what I hear, people are not thinking she is as beautiful as I think she is. I don't care. "Let 'em talk." I love her, but poor Ladybug (my Persian) is like the Christopher of Cats. Albie and Grandma are getting all the attention! Hello? Christopher and Ladybug deserve a little love here. (Kidding Albie, Aunt Dina loves you and your handsome face.)

Jacqueline's Parents...
How cute is her dad? He seems like he has landed on another planet here in Franklin Lakes. Granted, there is a lot of Botox and "Bubbies" here, but in the defense of my town, we are not the norm here. It is a VERY conservative town - very low key filled with mostly tennis moms who started their careers as mothers late in life. We kind of stick out like sore thumbs for the most part. I think that is why Jacqueline and I may have had some crooked stares when we first came here. It's all good - I think we add that little spice that keeps things interesting. We may have the flashy cars and the big hair, but we are harmless. We love our families just as much as the next guy. So some people just need to calm down and take this show for what it is...A SHOW.

Teresa and her Mansion...
I got a little a head of myself in my last blog, but if you read it again you will see that I love the way that her house came out. I continue to think that the Giudice's are the comic relief for a show that sometimes tended to get a little dark. How could you not love them? After watching the last episode I have realized how grateful I am that I have stayed on Teresa's good side for the last 14 years! LOL - I for damn sure will continue to do so...that girl has got a hot little Italian temper and I am glad she is on my team. Lesson learned? Don't mess with a Jersey girl.

The last supper...duhn duhn duhhhh...
Let me first start by saying that it was 100% Danielle's choice to make this book a part of the show. We really felt it was a little too serious to bring this to light. She chose to bring this book on and I have to say that I, to this day, feel like it was a poor choice, but I am sure she has her reasons to do so. I've said this before and I'd say it again...we were SHOCKED when asked to comment on this book. SHOCKED. But I made my comments on-air because I felt I needed to defend myself against Danielle saying that I was the one spreading around gossip about the book.

Now here we are having a great family dinner, and Teresa was in rare form cracking us up about her sore chucky. (By the way, the children didn't hear any of that conversation. They were at a separate table. So no worries.) It was really a nice dinner, we had all had a long summer and it was nice to get together and just BS about nothing and laugh 'til we cried, which we did. Then out of nowhere, Danielle decides to pull out "THE BOOK." Why on earth she chose a family dinner to do this is beyond me. Can anyone say inappropriate? But whatever, what's done is done, can't cry over spilt milk, so lets move on.

Every time I see the footage of Danielle's daughter Jillian's face in the background of that dinner scene, I cringe. I feel so badly that they were there to see that go down. But it was Danielle's choice to keep them in the room. Teresa's girls and LEXI were not in the room. She and the girls didn't see any of the big stuff go down. NONE OF IT. I feel so bad for Danielle's girls that they have to deal with any of this. They seem to be strong kids and I guess Danielle's theory of letting them know everything helps them out in situations like this. I'm thinking and hoping that her girls will be just fine. I meant what I said about praying for Danielle...I actually do and have some of my friends that pray on a higher level praying for her too. All I ever wanted was for this girl to leave me alone. As my sister Frannie jokingly says, " Keep my name out of your mouth!" LOL. That's all I want! I never meant any malice towards her. We will see how that works out. Only time will tell...

I also cringe when I see Jacqueline and I going at it. We were definitely not at a good place at that dinner. I think the combination of that and Jacqueline being misinformed about who showed the book was what made that quick exchange go down. I want to make it clear that although we did go through a very bad place for a while there, we are over it. That is what family does...they fight and then love, history and time heal all wounds. Little babies definitely help out with that too. Baby Nicholas is as cute as could be and we are thrilled to welcome him into this crazy family of ours. We may be a little nuts here and there, but I have to say I wouldn't trade my siblings for the world. My sisters are my best friends, and when thinking about my best friends like Teresa, they are like sisters to me too. I love each and every one of them and to quote Caroline, "We are as thick as thieves and will protect each other till the end." Sometimes a little bullshit gets in the way that's all.

In closing I just want to say that although this ride was a wild one, it has had it's fair share of rainbows as well as clouds. Project Ladybug has certainly spread its wings this year and I owe a lot of that to the show. We are busy as little bees restructuring the foundation to keep up with the demand to have satellite fundraisers all over the country. What started as a little something I would do for the kids with cancer at our local hospital is quickly spreading to a national foundation and for that I am truly humbled and grateful beyond words. I look forward to having Ladybug funds and Ladybug houses all over the country so we could continue to help these beautiful children in need. For more information please visit www.projectladybug.org. Our website is being relaunched and will be updated very soon!

I am also thrilled to announce the launching of www.InaJolie.com. I have taken my love of beautiful things and fashion and partnered up with a great friend to bring you all some of "my favorite things." This is a great way to keep my creative juices flowing without taking any time away from Lexi and my home. I hope you enjoy it. It is a work in progress, but will be up and running very, very soon!

Thank you to the thousands of fans that continue to reach out with kindness and support, I never in a million years would think I would have fans but I have to say, they are the best fans a girl could have!

Love, Dina xoxo