special thanks must be paid to some of the folks in my life who have made this all possible for me. first and foremost, it is the love from my sweet family that has shaped me into the person i am today. i can’t thank my parents enough for all their emotional support, understanding, wisdom, and compassion. i know i haven’t always lived up to your expectations, but i hope you are proud of the person i am today. thank you to my younger brother dan, for making me laugh when family functions get awkward and for picking my ass up at the train station on those many cold nights. the “biggest heart of gold” award goes to you, hands down. as anyone in my inner circle knows, and as innocent victims who have witnessed me pulling out clumps of hair in starbucks can attest, i have zero tolerance/understanding of computers. a very sincere thank you to clint suttles for helping me with the layout of this blog. without his infinite patience and tech knowledge, this endeavor would not have been possible for me to achieve. and with that comes a big fat thank you to his loving wife, my dear friend maria, who didn’t mind me pulling him away from the family to help me with this project. thank you also to heather dantec, designer extraordinaire, who created the adorable logo for mypixieblog.com. she never ceases to amaze me with her creativity and talent. to my bestest friend eve: words alone cannot express my gratitude for having you in my life. you’ve heard me bitch, cry, and moan and you’ve made me smile, laugh, and forget the little things that tend to weigh me down. you are a true angel. to all my friends who have listened and offered helpful advice, i am nothing without you. thank you for all that you do. and last, but certainly not least… jackson you will always remain in my heart. though we’ve had some rocky moments in our past, i will always remember the lessons on life and love you have taught me. i wish you all the best this world has to offer because you are deserving of great things.