Effortless Effervescence

My name is Emily; “Smoochagator” is a nickname my dad gave me when I was fourteen and my mom caught me kissing a young man on our front porch. What can I say? I’m a friendly gal, and that boy was darn cute! (Not very bright, though…) Our courtship lasted just a few months, but the nickname stuck. A decade and a half later, my father still calls me “Smooch.”

Today I live in Virginia Beach, VA with my husband (Jon), our five cats (Squeaker, Indy, Fluffy, Randall and A.C.) and our two dogs (Milo and Anastasia). I work as a graphic designer and in my spare time I love to read, write, watch movies, cook, and paint.

I named my blog “Effortless Effervescence” because I’ve been blessed with a (mostly) optimistic outlook on life and I am so grateful for that. I try to bring cheer to the people I meet in real life and on the net, but I don’t always succeed. (In fact, I have moments where I’m a real jerk.)

What will you find on this blog? Some essays, movie and book reviews, pictures of my adorable animals, comments on current events, and a lot of thoughts about God and church. After working five years as a “Missionary to America” at a local Episcopal Church, I left shortly after my pastor was fired for illegal and immoral conduct. Working behind-the-scenes at church and being a victim of spiritual abuse did a number on my heart and soul, but I have been slowly healing and I certainly learned a lot from the experience. Most of all, I learned that I’m not always right (and that’s okay!) but God is always good.

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoy yourself! Please take a minute to sign the guestbook; I’d like to know all about YOU! If you’d like to contact me directly (rather than leave a public comment on my blog) you can reach me at smoochagator [at] gmail [dot] com.

Photo credit: Carolyn Juanita Foster