My publicist turns 23 today.

Me and the BIRTHDAY GIRL!

It is official. Today is the one and only Jordan Stephens' birthday (you know - that day we may or may not have been counting down to / celebrating the 25th of every month all year). Since "Jordo", "J-Dawg", "J" is by far this blog's biggest fan and honorary publicist (sending the links to her parents, friends, coworkers, talking about it at parties, the grocery store, the bathroom to random strangers) I have decided, in honor of her birth,  to write a very special post as to why she is one of the people I admire most in this world.

So without further ado, here is a list of the top ten things I love about Miss Jordan Blakely Stephens.

Let's begin.

10. Jordan saves me tons of money on therapy. She is the best listener and g-chat buddy on the entire planet. She makes me feel understood and I can make her laugh at the drop of a hat just by telling her stories about my daily life (not sure what that says about my daily life... but I enjoy it all the same). I have this syndrome where I have to talk about every emotion I feel all the time  and the only remedy for a syndrome like that is to have a friend who will not only listen at a moment's notice, but will give well-rounded, non-abrasive advice - will laugh with me and fight for me and beside me. She never makes me feel crazy (which I am) or like a burden (which I am sure I am). She is just there unconditionally.

We met in '09 as interns at CMT! No, that is not Papa John.

9. Jordan, Papa John and me have a special bond. When we first met as interns in the music strategy department at CMT, we hit it off right away and shared so much in common, including our absolute love of Papa Johns pepperoni pizza dipped in ranch dressing (don't knock it until you try it) while watching old episodes of Dawson's Creek. We would order a large and finish it in one sitting. And we still do today even though our metabolisms are becoming increasingly less responsive to such binges.

Which brings me to my next point...

8. The word "fat" is not in Jordan's vocabulary. This may sound like a weird one, but most women I encounter comment, talk or even obsess about their weight (yes, this includes me, the gym rat). It is like we have been genetically programmed with this verbal word vomit to vocalize that we are "indulging" in that cake, or to ask if something makes us look fat. We compare, we contrast, we gain, we lose, we eat, we regret. But not Jordan. No, Jordan is content.  Jordan just eats, never makes you feel bad about pigging out and genuinely does not think about it. Kind of a refreshing miracle.

Green romper - given to me from Jordan's closet.

7. Jordan is the closest thing I have to a chauffeur (one of my top three wishes, if world peace didn't count).  She is directionally gifted, a great driver, and the front seat of her bad ass Chevrolet Tahoe fits me like a glove. Getting in her car and driving downtown with her free parking CMT badge and her maneuvering skills is literally a dream come true.

6. Jordan is my stylist. Her closet is adorned with fabulous clothes and a trap door where I swear little fashion leprechauns sneak in new items every day. I have free reign to borrow. And not in that "I am going to let you borrow that top, only if you let me borrow your boyfriend and your left arm" but in the most carefree, encouraging kind of way.

Three musketeers :) Jordo, JC and MA

5. Jordan has brought some wonderful people to my life. She makes friends with everyone. She seems to know everyone and everyone loves her. Undoubtedly, my social circle in Nashville grew from meeting her during our internship. She let me live with her for an entire month in January to do another internship in Nashville my senior year of college, during which I met one of our best friends, MaryAnn. From our amazing crew of friends, to her charming family, I have met some incredible people because I know her - or because she randomly introduced herself to a slew of people at a bar and I happened to be standing close by.

4. Jordan's bed is like Disney World. One word. Magic. She has the most comfortable bed in which many people can cram in and yet no matter what, you sleep like a baby. It is as though the bed expands and molds to each unique sleeper. And no - it is not tempur-pedic. It is just magical. Her bed is like the pair of jeans in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Just call us sisterhood of the cloud bed (that sounds a little dirty... you know what I mean).

3. Jordan loves long island iced teas as much as I do. Enough said.

 Britney concert! (notice her CMT badge - legit).

2. Jordan has an undying love for music. Her passion for music (specifically John Mayer) drives everything that she does and it makes you realize how important it is to find something to love that deeply and go after it. She is now living her dream working at CMT and has introduced me to some awesome bands, including The Civil Wars, Elenowen, and countless country artists that have influenced and enhanced my own passion for music in this town. And of course, channeling Britney Spears with this girl makes for an unstoppable, hair whipping event.

And the number one reason I admire and love Jordan Stephens:

1. Jordan has the most real heart. From her faith, to her kindness, to her authenticity, to her unconditional support and enthusiasm for the accomplishments and everyday happenings of my roller coaster life, she radiates what it means to love yourself and in turn, love others for who they are. No, she is not perfect and no one is. But to me, she is everything I could ever hope for in a best friend, and for that, I am lucky.

And now, in the words of the birthday girl herself - Let's rage!

(And to make this even more special, comment below with reasons why YOU LOVE Jordan too :)