Welcome to the Inner Circle

This is where the veil lifts.
Here you’ll find personal reflections, behind-the-scenes chaos, and deep dives into the writing life—grief, growth, creativity, and all the messy magic in between. Some posts are heavy, some are silly, and some are just me figuring things out in real time.

  • Movie Monday: Review of Die Hard (1988) 🔫

    “Now I have a machine gun. Ho-ho-ho.” 🔫 The Christmas Movie Debate That Will Outlive Us All I scheduled Die Hard for this week because of the debate. Every December, someone dusts off the same argument: Is it a Christmas movie? And every December, I plant myself firmly… Read More

  • 🎭 Mary: The Voice of Rome

    Opera, Legacy, and the Bloodline of a Song Mary was born in Italy around the mid-1800s—fair-haired, fiery, and destined to stand out. She came of age during Italy’s golden age of opera, when Verdi’s music filled every street and women with strong voices were both adored and judged.… Read More

  • Photo Friday: Empire’s Electric Blue

    Village Park, Empire, Michigan — where the water looks like it forgot it’s a lake and decided to cosplay the Caribbean instead. I love the mix of textures here: the wild dune grass, the weathered fence, the bright turquoise stretching out like it has no business being in… Read More

  • Travel Thursday: Willkommen to A Lifetime of Frankenmuth Memories 🎄

    What Even Is Frankenmuth? (And Why Have I Basically Lived There) Frankenmuth is Michigan’s own Bavarian cosplay town—a gingerbread-looking little escape where every building has the audacity to be adorable. Think lederhosen, river walks, endless fudge samples, and chicken dinners that could resurrect the dead. My family has… Read More

  • 🖋️ Angelo: The Man Who Couldn’t Outrun His Own Heart

    If my great-great-grandmother Lucia passed down rebellion, my great-grandfather Angelo perfected it. A man of contradictions—brilliant yet impulsive, calculating yet emotional, rebellious yet deeply romantic. The kind of man whose story feels half legend, half confession. The Boy Who Lived Too Fast As a young man in 1930s… Read More

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    Music Monday: My Favorite Female-Fronted Bands ♀️

    There’s something sacred—borderline alchemical—about women who step up to a mic and unleash something primal. The kind of vocals that rattle ribs, resurrect teenage fire, and remind you you’re not losing your mind…just finally hearing it echoed back. 1. Halestorm: My North Star of Noise Halestorm quietly climbed… Read More