KIM'S FAIRYTALE WEDDING...OR WAS IT?

When I found out the morning of Oct 31, Halloween Day that Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kris Humphreys I was a bit surprised because I gave it 9 months. Imagine the disappointment of the people who were dressing up as the Newlyweds for Halloween. After all, some people I know were dressing up as Kendra and Hank…and their cat was dressing up as Baby Hank…pretty cute!
So it’s no surprise that people would dress up as the two most talked about people in the tabloids...the newly married couple.

The thing I don’t understand is if Kim knew in her heart that marrying him was the wrong thing to do, then why did she go ahead with the wedding? Was it for the show? Or was she so scared to change her mind not knowing what the outcome might bring. What will everyone think of her. Is she this terrible, heartless person who left this guy at the alter? Are these the right reasons to move forward with the wedding? The answer is NO!

One day I met with a smart, eloquent, and beautiful young woman. She saw me doing my matchmaking magic on the show “KENDRA” and decided to call me for a private consultation. She told me she had been engaged and called off her wedding 2 weeks before because she knew in her heart it wasn’t right. I gave her a big hug for being able to do something so difficult and yet so courageous. Imagine her friends and family who booked their airline tickets, bought their black tie garb, booked the hotel, and on top of it sent a gift? How must she have felt knowing it was not the right thing to do and yet cancelling the wedding would disappoint her friends and family. Or would it? Wouldn’t her friends and family want her to make the correct life changing decision for herself? Well BRAVO to her for calling it off and having the inner strength to do something that changed her life in a positive way.
Now’s the time for her to date as much as she wants and choose the man who is supposed to be her future husband. The one who she knows in her heart is the right one.

Many of you know how difficult going through a divorce can be. How many of you who were about to walk down the isle have had second thoughts…is he really the one? What the hell am I doing? Is it too late to run for the hills? But I spent so much money on the wedding dress. Who cares about the dress…it’s just a dress for gods sakes! Ladies, please be sure this is what you want before the big day arrives.
I must give credit to all of the woman who had the guts to call off the wedding before it was too late.
And to Kim Kardashian...your Mr. Right will come along when
YOU know he’s the one!! Not your mother, your sister, your best friend, your priest…Not anyone but YOU!

New York Bound By Lisa Conrad Cohen

I wake up at 4:00am to leave for the airport at 5:00am to catch
A 7:00am flight to New York from Burbank airport. Being as vain as I am I make myself as presentable as I can. Afterall I’m now on the hit reality show “KENDRA”. What if somebody recognizes me and wants my autograph, or have a photo opp with me. I slab on some makeup not to scare anyone. I get to the airport in enough time to grab a Tullys vanilla latte and make a quick stop in the ladies room. As I walk to my gate I noticed a few people staring at me. Wow people actually recognize me as the Matchmaker/Friend on“KENDRA”. Better get the pen out to sign my first autograph.
I hope my hair looks okay for a photo. I’m at the gate and look down at my purse to grab my boarding pass and notice the longest, never ending strand of toilet paper stuck to my shoe which I’ve been dragging with me all the way through the airport. Mortified I tear it off my shoe realizing that I won’t be on TMZ. I board my plane, sit on the runway for almost 3 hours and play every game imaginable with my 3 year old, to try and keep her from running up and down the aisle of the plane. At this point I was quite frustrated, stressed, and anxious to get to New York. HELP I need a bloody mary!!
The pilot announces that due to heavy winds we might have to stop in Denver to refuel, but first we’ll have to deplane for 20 minutes before we take off. Another bloody mary please!!
Now I’m ready to jump out of my skin, but I’m trying to keep it together for my 3 year old daughter. In the terminal I walk calmly to the bathroom to throw cold water on my face and realize that the woman in the mirror can be me. Is that really me? Do I need botox? Should I get my eyes done like everyone else on TV? Do I really want to look like the Housewives of Beverly Hills….Hell no…I want people to recognize me from my high school year book photo.
I get back on the plane and notice an email that just came in through Facebook which reads, “It’s your old friend from 20 years ago…I was looking through old boxes (KEY WORD “OLD”) and I came across a photo of you who 20+ years later looking more beautiful than before…Please let me know if you are the same Lisa Conrad in the photo. Yup it was me alright…with my 80’s Linda Hamilton hairdo.
Now this guy is a good 10 years younger than me so at this moment I was on cloud nine!! A boy toy thinks I’m beautiful?
At that very moment I felt like I was 25 again. To all you ladies out there in your forties, remember this…if you feel young, and you love yourself, and exude confidence, and take pride in your appearance you will conquer all. The answer to nab the guy of your dreams in NOT running to the plastic surgeon for an eye lift, or shots of botox.
Get your ass to the gym, a yoga class, eat healthy, see a good therapist once a week (or twice if you need it), buy a new sexy dress, get a new updated hair style. If that’s what it takes to feel better about yourself, DO IT!! Be proud of who you are as a woman. Let me tell you if I wasn’t happy in my current relationship you bet your ass I would be with that boy toy in a quick minute…but I have what I want and I’m happy to say…
he thinks I’m beautiful.

Alaska… A Dream Come True

Now that our trip has come to an end I must share some of
the highlights of our fantastic vacation.
Taking a helicopter to the top of a glacier. Dogsledding with the most beautiful dogs in the world in Juneau. Canoeing through the rainforest in Ketchikan. Watching the salmon swim upstream in Skagway and riding bikes through the rainforest with Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Seeing magnificent whales from our ship that you can almost touch. Standing in front of the largest glacier in the world…73 miles long, in Hubbard Bay. Drinking good wine, eating delicious food, and meeting interesting people from all over the world. Does life get better than this? I don’t think so. One of the things that blew me away during our tour of the galley was seeing how each appetizer and entrée comes out in such a timely manner. In the 8 days I was there I didn’t have to send anything back. Maybe that’s because I ordered three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts. But don’t tell anybody. Let’s put it this way…everyone in the kitchen knew me. Thank you Guido for the most magnificent food!

Other fun and interesting moments were singing karaoke with the cruise director, winning $132.00 playing bingo. We joined the game 5 minutes before it ended and covered the entire card. Well it was Rick’s card. The last time I played Bingo was with my mom, may she rest in peace at the Bingo hall on Nostrand Ave. in Brooklyn when I was 12 years old.
Rick dared me to kiss a banana slug in Ketchikan so of course after our tour guide said it was good luck I did it. First Ashley kissed it and then I got up the nerve to do it. We won Bingo the following day. Sex on the ship…a bit rocky but great! Just thought I’d throw that in there. They should definitely invent a drink SEX ON A SHIP! I fell in love with my honey all over again. The greatest part about being on the ship was if we had an argument he couldn’t go anywhere.

I loved dining at one of the local eateries in Sitka, eating a 2 pound Alaskan King Crab all by myself and having an Alaskan Ale to go with it. This is something everyone must do while in Alaska. A lady approached me on the ship the next day and said you were the girl who was eating the Alaskan king crab like it was your last meal? Busted!
Seeing local art galleries, charming shops, and jewelry stores at each port was a great way to spend time off the ship.
Loved meeting the crew and entertainers who always had a smile. All in all this was a vacation of a lifetime. I hope my next cruise will be either the French or Italian Riviera.

Until the next time…Bon Voyage!

Love On A Cruiseship

Well it’s coming to the end of our amazing, unforgettable and very romantic vacation at sea. Alaska is not only one of the most beautiful places in the world, but also quite romantic.
When word got out that there was a matchmaker on the ship
well you can only imagine. I had mother’s, sisters, aunts, grandmas, and even crew members asking me to find them that special someone. I had coffee meetings in the lounge with people who want to fix up their friends daughter, a 75 year old aunt who is looking for an active man who loves to dance, a beautiful single mom from Alabama who is looking for love, and wants me to help her find him.
The highlight had to be when the couple from New Jersey got engaged on the ship. It couldn’t have happened in a more perfect place. Congratulations to the happy couple. I hope you have a happy and joyful life together and don’t forget to laugh a lot!

A MUST DO BEFORE YOU DIE!

I thought canoeing through the rainforest was amazing, but by far even more amazing is taking a helicopter over a glacier and dog sledding. If you're in Alaska please do this because you'll never experience anything like it. The dogs are well taken care of and magnificent!!

My Dream Vacation!

Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted to see Alaska. My vision of Alaska was Eskimos and Penquins. We'll there's a magnificent world which I never knew about.
We left Vancouver, boarded The Navigator and our voyage began. I was blown away at the size of our cabin. Very roomy and modern with a spacious balcony and the most comfortable bed. The highlight for sure is the service and the food. We even have our own private butler. Can you believe it? Our first day at port was Ketchikan where we went through the rain forest in a canoe...boy what a workout that was! We ate smoked salmon and rolls with delicous rasberry jam, clam chowder and the best hot chocolate.
We hiked through the forest and saw a 750 year old tree, quick sand and a banana slug. Did you know if you kiss a banana slug it's good luck? I kissed it three times. It's very cold and slimy. Our tour guide was so passionate the about nature that when he showed us a specific flower he made sure it was placed in the exact spot he took it from. It gave me such a new appreciation to nature.
After our excursion we did some sightseeing and shopping in the town of Ketchikan. Whether your 5 or 55 Alaska is a must! Tomorrow you can read about my helicopter ride through the glaciers and my dog sledding experience.
Cant wait! I'm off to another delicous dinner!

Mama Mia what a meal!!

We arrived in Vancouver very hungry and went to dinner at Cioppinos Meditteranean Grill. From the moment we sat down we were treated like royalty.
We had a table outside which was quite romantic, and started with the warm ceasar salad which was by far the best I’ve ever had. I was able to talk chef Pino Posteraro
into giving me the secret recipe to his salad dressing , but I don’t kiss and tell. While sipping my Pinot Noir I was presented with the most gorgeous presentation of lobster risotto and my honey had the duck o’lorange which was like butter. It literally melted in your mouth.
For dessert we had the dark chocolate and a cappuccino. Chef Piro Posteraro came over to our table to make sure we were happy. I must say Cioppinos is at the top of my list of restaurant faves. If you’re ever in Vancouver you must try Cioppinos.