Fact or Fairy Tale with Cari Kamm

What a special day it is for my friend, Cari Kamm.  Not only is Valentine’s Day her birthday, it’s also Pub Day for her new novel, For Internal Use Only.  Cari and I met over a year ago through our mutual dear friend, Heather Hummel.  I’m glad Heather liked us both enough to introduce us.  Or maybe Heather doesn’t like us, and was pawning us off on each other?  Regardless, I’m honored to have Cari here today.  She is a gem of a gal, sweet to the core, and a loving friend.  She’s also newly engaged, and I’m going to take this opportunity to publicly announce my candidacy as her flower girl.  *Jen has no shame*  Here she is; enjoy…

Fact or Fairy Tale?

A dream is a wish your heart makes – Cinderella

I have heard people say life is not a fairy tale.

Throughout generations, from our childhoods and even as adults, we have these invisible mentors.  Some examples include Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, Cinderella and the little glass slipper, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and even Robin Hood to name a few. Whether it’s family trips to Walt Disney World, bedtime stories while safely tucked in, or wearing your character themed pajamas in front of the TV as a kid (okay, I will own it, Minnie & Mickey Mouse for me . . . I adored the love story even at five), these invisible mentors have all influenced us at some point.

These fairy tales have caused some controversy over the years and have their critics.  My belief is that you can find the good and bad, the positive and negative, in anything in life if you studied it hard enough.  Overanalyzing, trying to pick every bit and piece apart, can cause us to lose focus and not truly experience the journey.  As adults we worry so much, we limit ourselves, we allow Mr. Fear to be part of the deciding process, and we question more than we believe.  When did having faith ever hurt anyone?  Why do we allow ourselves to lose faith so much? We should spend more time believing in ourselves, in life, in love, and in others.  We should spend more time in living and noticing the beauty in our friends, our career, our home, our body, our significant other.  Overanalyzing allows so many things to go unnoticed. Remind yourself to pause and to take time to find the greatness in life, the love, the humor, and all the lessons.

Fairy tales teach us as children when we are innocent and impressionable to focus on believing and succeeding. We can never lose hope; that would be equivalent to losing “heart.”  How can we live without our hearts?  I do not mean literally, as the organ responsible for pumping blood to sustain life, but putting ourselves into anything we do, to do it wholeheartedly and beautifully.

Fairy tales live within us.  They allow our spirits to remain alive inside us.  Next time you are looking in the mirror, take a second and smile back at the little girl or boy whose reflection used to stare back at you. See if you can catch a glimpse of that part of you, which still lives deep inside you.

Fairy tales have taught me to always be compassionate, to listen to my heart, to always be open to new experiences and people, that happiness is a requirement and always lives within me, and that sometimes things are not always what they seem.  Most importantly, to never forget that there is a happily ever after and that everything is possible. 

Whether it’s fact or fairy tale, my philosophy on love is that it’s for my internal use only. I believe that we should follow our own rules, listen to our own head, and follow our own heart. We should create our fairy tale . . . not chase it. Dating and falling in love is an emotional investment. I don’t think any rules truly apply.

I stopped following rules several years ago. Then, one evening I bumped into a man. Our first date was on Valentine’s Day and we’ve been together ever since. That was four years ago. We probably broke every rule in the dating guidebook. He’s my partner in crime for life.

You can purchase Cari's novel HERE

My novel, For Internal Use Only, is a love story with an edgy and dramatic twist, and gives each of us a new fairy tale to look forward to: our own.

The lovely Cari Kamm

Cari Kamm has worked in the beauty industry for over a decade, building brands, working behind the scenes, and even selling her own skin care line. She has a master’s in clinical nutrition from New York University. Kamm currently works in corporate social media management with clients in the beauty, fashion, and restaurant industries. Living in New York City with her mutt Schmutz, Kamm loves finding inspiration in the most unexpected places, being a novelist, and convincing her fiancé that ordering takeout and making dinner reservations are equal to cooking. More information can be found on her website, CariKamm.com. To check out the book trailer, click here: http://tinyurl.com/bdr7bfn.

Thank you for stopping by Princess with a Pen, and spending time with Cari and me.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXO

Jen