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America's Got Talent Audition

2011-06-09T13:36:00.001-07:00

My sister Stephanie did an online audition for America's Got Talent, please watch, like and SHARE SHARE SHARE!!!! :)

Courtney and Drew

2011-05-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

I had the absolute honor and pleasure to be in Courtney and Drew's Oklahoma wedding this weekend! It was a beautiful wedding, and an even more stunning bride. The details of the day were spun from love, you could tell. I'll let the photos do the talking.....by Clayton Austin.

Click HERE for the photos.

My First Blog Feature

2011-04-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the privilege of making Drew and Courtney's wedding shower cake. It was a delicious red velvet with cream cheese filling and cream cheese icing. I gave it a whipped, unfinished look; which complemented the shower's decor. Cake topper and photo by the talented Stacey Ramsey.

My new friends have started a too cute design studio - Covey Studio. They are quite talented in many, many ways! Check out their blog for more info! Stacey and her team beautifully styled Drew and Courtney's shower, be sure to check her website for all the amazing photos!!

Cake Creating

2011-03-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

Cake season is in full swing! I recently made a fabulous 80's cake for a friend of mine, and from there received FOUR new orders! So very exciting! I've slowly but surely improved my skills, and am excited to take another class at a local bakery.

Here's just a bit of work I have done so far.

The Fun Theory

2011-02-20T18:04:00.001-08:00

Check out this great initiative, The Fun Theory:

MAMMOTH!!

2011-02-17T12:32:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had the chance to go to Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, CA. I took two of my best friends, Dani and Katie, and we had an absolute blast! Friday we took snowboarding lessons, and by the afternoon we were able to go down the mountain. I'll use that term loosely in regards to me, I had some "technical difficulties". Let's just say I prefer summer sports over winter sports. Let's also say that almost a week later I'm still sore. ;)

We had a great time checking out The Village, Main, Eagle and Canyon Lodges, The Yodler (they will roast marshmallows for you!) , The Auld Dubliner, the list goes on and on. Katie flew out from Nashville to join us in our little jaunt north to Mammoth, and I was so excited! Any trip is better when your best friend is with you!

My favorite part of the trip was probably when we took the gondola all the way to the summit of MM. We lucked out with that! We were prepared to pay the $25 ticket to ride to the top, but for some reason we just hopped right on! We weren't about to complain! The video below was taken from the summit.

Tons of memories were made, girl time was had, and I can't wait to go back. Maybe this time I'll stick with skiing. ;)

Spotlight on Franklin, TN!

2011-02-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

My friend Ian Collins is a Franklin, TN based photographer; and I happened to be perusing his photoblog when I stumbled across this entry about Main Street in my hometown.

I loved how the snow looked on all the charming houses that line to downtown of Franklin. Of all the years that I lived there, it never snowed quite enough to cover anything. I remember one freak snow on birthday, which is in April. Tennessee has some strange weather, that's for sure.

Anyway, Ian is a dear friend of mine and incredibly talented. Just wanted to share what he captured of my favorite small town.

Streams of Life

2011-02-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about home. Not in a home-sick way, but remembering things I used to do, where I've come from, etc. It has made me miss the way things were. Isn't it funny how life ebbs and flows? Sometimes things overflow from the past, and sometimes they get stuck in a memory. Kind of like a fallen leaf in a stream. It flows with the current until something causes it to stop.

I miss the smell of the field in the fall, jumping out of the hay loft in our barn, the tacky feeling on your hands after cutting tobacco. Red wing boots and the smell of the horses. The liberation of an afternoon free after school. The dusty smells of the county fair, walking to church. Muddy Truck day at school, learning to drive in the field (and backing my dad's truck into the barn, oops!).

I miss Sonic Tuesdays, jeepin' with Jon, Leiper's Fork on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Going to the lake in the summer, creeping through the woods around Halloween. Lining up pumpkins on a back road and running them over. Sitting outside around a bonfire, talking about life and how crazy it is.

Now, my life is different.

I love bonfires on the beach, SoCal sunsets with my friends. Line dancin' with my girls and traveling all over this great state. Camping in the desert, climbing crazy rock formations. Taco Tuesday anywhere is the best, and having warm sunshine every single day. Seeing the ocean, and just being amazed that I live here. Experiencing new things in LA.

I never thought I'd be in this place, but it's just another current in the stream of my life. And I'm ok with that. :)

Music from the movie Country Strong

2011-01-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to see the movie Country Strong. I loved it! I love it when actors can successfully transition from acting to singing, and vice versa. I thought each actor portrayed their characters very well, and that all of them had incredible voices.

My favorite was Garrett Hedlund. No, not just because he's a cutie, but because his sound is so unique. As soon as I got home last night I purchased the soundtrack on iTunes! Now, there are two soundtracks out, and I bought the one with the actors singing the songs that they sang in the movie.

Be sure to check them out!

Mammoth Mountain

2011-01-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

Photo by Kevin Luby

That's a lot of snow. Can't wait to go play in just a few weeks!!!!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas weekend, and an exciting New Year! 2011 is going to hold some very eventful things that I'm excited to share. Until them, eat to your hearts content, laugh til it hurts, and love one another.

Merry Christmas!

Tales from the Farm-The "Lagoon"

2010-12-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

Many of you have asked that I document the crazy experiences I had growing up on a farm. Many of my California friends haven't heard these stories, so it's my pleasure to introduce them to you today. Although they are much funnier when told in person, I'll do my best to capture each moment.

THE LAGOON

We lived in Bagdad, Kentucky (yes, Bagdad). The town consisted of one general store, one bank, and one feed store. Every good rural town has to have a feed store. Our home was at the base of a large hill, and most of our land backed up to it. Across the one lane road was a creek, and the farm next to us had beautiful horses. For some reason, my parents thought it would be a fantastic idea to move the house, yes, the HOUSE, to the back of the property; which was on top of the hill. So, it began in the late fall. Construction workers created a driveway up the steep hill, and soon our house was amazingly moved to the top of the hill.

Now. Let me remind you that this was in the middle of nowhere. It isn't quite as simple to get water, electric, etc. when you move your home in the dead of winter to the top of a hill. Mom? Dad? Are you out there? Why did you do this to us?!?!

Some official person suggested along the way that we create a "lagoon" of sorts off to the side of the house. So, they came, they bulldozed the trees, they went. The lagoon began to fill with water from the rain and snow, creating a perfect ice skating rink. Again, for some odd reason we had a collection of ice skates, and off we went to skate in the winter.

The Lagoon also made a perfect rise in the land to target shoot. Shoot, as in guns. Gasp, yes we grew up with guns. Yes, we even killed animals. So one sun shiney day, my parents asked me to take my then 4 year old brother out to shoot the bb gun. We climbed the side of the lagoon, stood on the embankment and aimed for the trees. I showed Sam what to do, then turned the safety off. My sweet, precious, innocent little baby of a brother declared: "I'm gonna shoot you!" So what did I do? What any 10 year old sister would. I RAN. I ran and ran and ran and wouldn't you know it, I heard the 'pop', felt the pain, and crashed to the ground. While Sam I'm sure was clueless as to what he had done, I stood up, felt the back of my head, saw the blood and ran for home.

Yes. My four year old brother shot me in the back of the head. While I was running. He's in the Army now. Nice aim, kid.

Coldplay's 'Christmas Lights'

2010-12-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

I love Coldplay. I love Christmas. I love Coldplay and Christmas together. Enjoy.

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

2010-11-30T20:47:00.000-08:00

I am so very excited! Today The Pioneer Woman, aka Ree, announced that she has finished her novel and it will be released in February 2011!!! How exciting is this! The book is the story of how she met and married her 'Marlboro Man', and moved to a remote ranch in Oklahoma. She began chronicling her journey via her blog a few years ago, but ended the short chapters at her wedding. She is adding those chapters, and continuing through her honeymoon and first year of marriage.

Click to pre-order "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels".

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, PW began a blog a few years ago. It has now blossomed into an award winning, recipe posting, life chronicling, hilarious blog. I love it so much because she just writes. Simply writes how she feels. Since Ree has gained national (and I'm sure worldwide) acclaim, her followers are into the millions each day. There's even been a rumor of a movie one day. I'd go see it. :)

A friend told me about her crazy blog shortly after it began, as a friend had told her. We kept it quiet, on the down low as if we had found a nugget of gold amongst the riff raff of the Internets. But alas, we've all shared her site with our friends and loved ones, and now the secret is out. She came out with a cookbook last year, and I had the privilege of ~~standing in line for three hours~~ meeting her.

I love Ree. I love reading about her life, her kids, the ranch, the cowboys.....and I dream of the day I could live on a ranch...with a cowboy....and the kids......

Hey! I can dream, right?

A Marine Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

The crew at Jen's on Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I wasn't able to return home to Kentucky this year, but am so thankful for my family of friends here on the West Coast. I split my day between my family that I work for, and my friend Jen's house. She hosted four Marines from Camp Pendleton who are finishing their training before shipping out to various locations across the world. It was such a pleasure to honor them, hang out with them and just love on them for the day. We had so much food, played pool, games, watched football, the works. They were too sweet and we all enjoyed getting to know them.

I joked that they were modeling the "Fall 2010 Marine Wear"

I was able to accompany Jen back to Camp Pendleton to drop the guys off, and we got to talking about how much more we as a people can do for our military servicemen. Some of the young men and women who serve our country do not have families who can visit them, or do not have family at all. I encourage you, if you live near a military base to contact the local YMCA or MWR on post to see how you can get involved. Upon further investigation, I have found that the YMCA on Camp Pendleton has over one THOUSAND families who have signed up for the Secret SANTA program this year. They are still looking for donations for over 350 families. Below is an excerpt from the Director of the program:

"Our Secret SANTA (Support And Nurture Those Americans who serve) program focuses upon junior enlisted families with children who are the ranks of-5 and below. These families have provided the Armed Services YMCA a wish list is then assigned to a donor family, organization, or business so they can shop, wrap and personalize gifts."

I am so excited to be involved in this program, as my younger brother himself is a serviceman, the least I can do is help out. If you are based in the Southern California area and would like to help, please see the contact information listed below.

Program Contact Information

Camp Pendleton Armed Services YMCA

Phone: 760-385-4921

Suzanne Tabrum Director of Events and Community Relations

Email: stabrum@camppendletonasymca.org

Thirteen Things I'm Thankful For

2010-11-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting at my desk watching the warm Southern California sun cast dancing shadows across my Macbook screen. Shaking my head, I'm thinking...never in a million years did I think I would be sitting here. A sparkling pool right outside my window, snow capped mountains in sight, (Bette Midler, anyone?) chilly evenings and warm afternoons year round.

Still, never even dreamed that I would be here.

But here I am, a year and a half later, and I have to say...

I LOVE IT.

Don't get me wrong. I'm going back to my homeland someday, Tennessee, that is. Just not today.

In this season of thanksgiving, here are thirteen things that I am thankful for living in Southern California.

-Daily dosage of sunshine

-The ocean

-Bonfires on the beach

-Sandcastles

-Churros (Ps-didn't even know what that was until I moved here)

-FroYo!! (See above comment)

-The abundance of parks

-Being within driving distance of some of the most amazing geological creations

-Disneyland (Come on, it's awesome and you know it :)

-Breathtaking views of the city

-Standing still, with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other

-Having an amazing job that made this move possible

-Being blessed with the most incredible friends a girl could as for

There you have it! Of course I have a million other things to be thankful for, but I thought I'd give some props to my Cali experience thus far.

For My Harry Potter Friends...

2010-11-23T12:53:00.001-08:00

Joshua Tree

2010-11-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the crew and I loaded up for a camping trip at Joshua Tree National Park. We had an absolute blast, and the weather was perfect, albeit a little chilly in the evenings. The stars were INCREDIBLE! I wished I could bottle them up just to see them sparkle all the time. I've been on a few cruises in the middle of the ocean, but somehow seeing the stars this time around was more profound than before. It seemed as if you could see the galaxies, so amazing!

Ok, call me crazy, but doesn't this look like a fish?!

So many beautiful rock formations.

We picked a route and just went for it. We were inside little rock caves, climbing up and over huge formations, you name it, we did it. We came to this one formation that the guys were determined to conquer. I really wanted to as well, but sadly... I have little legs. Ah, to be tall.

Half of the crew

Climbing inside of the rock formations

We only suffered one injury, and that award goes to Grant. He was Spiderman over all the of rocks, conquering his fear of heights pretty quickly! The last formation he was coming down, he fell and sprained his ankle. We had to cut our explorations a little short, but we didn't mind. The other guys in the crew were so sweet to take turns helping Grant out of the park. Now I now why people could get so lost out there, it's really hard to stick to a trail!! Next time, I'm bringing walkie talkies. :)

Nothing better than a fire...

The crew.

Glee

2010-11-09T13:35:00.001-08:00

For my Nashville friends...notice someone behind the lead singer? Look familiar?!

GO COLIN! :)

Repurposing...Record Style

2010-11-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

A Nashville musician used records to shingle his outdoor porch! How cool and resourceful!

You can see the original post here.

Whew!

2010-11-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Halloween was quite the blast, a friend hosted a fantastic party, complete with ghoulish martinis! So cute! Everyone got all dolled up and decked out, so much fun!

Dani, Courtney and I

Courtney and I

A group of friends bought tickets to Go Fest, the local country radio station's festival. We had lawn seats, but snuck into the Terrace level and had oh so much fun!!

Only half the crew!

My dear, dear friend Jessica married her sweetheart in an adorable outdoor ceremony in Huntington Beach. It was a super small wedding , and I was so honored to be there as her guest. Congratulations Josh and Jess!!

Mr and Mrs. Fowler

One of my favorite highlights from the past few weeks would have to be scoring tickets the to Tennessee Titan/ San Diego Chargers game! I took my friend Dani, and we had an incredible time. Our seats were nosebleeds, but we didn't mind! We were just happy to be there.

Our Seats

On the way to the stadium, we met a few fellow Titans fans on the train to whom we gave some of our temporary tattoos. So fun to meet new friends, especially when they've lived in Tennessee!! They mentioned that they had field seats...

Trent, myself, Dani and Tom

And offered to move us down with them if there were extras.

There were :)

We were the luckiest girls that day!

People Takin Pictures of People Takin Pictures...

2010-10-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, good ole' Jack Johnson was in concert last week, and I was so excited to see him perform live! I've always wanted to, but Jack never toured near Nashville. Thankfully, 2010 was my year in Southern California.I'm so glad I follow the musicians that I do; they are all so talented! It's so fun to see someone perform live and be as good or better than their records. That in itself is a kinda funny statement, huh? But in these days of the Taylor Swift's of the world, I mean what I'm saying. Love sweet Taylor, own her records, but girl can't sing live. Poor thing. As we say in the south..."bless her heart!"

But not Jack Johnson! He is so chill, funny and talented. He brought his opening acts on stage with him, Zee Avi and G-Love from time to time. He sang all of his classics, covered a song or two, and his grand finale was my personal favorite song, "Better Together".

I also saw Sara Evans and Rascal Flatts this week, as their concert was re-scheduled from a previous date. We met up with a group of friends and tail-gated all afternoon. I'm still not used to the idea of tail-gating for a concert, but hey-I won't complain! We had a great time! We originally had lawn seats, but by the time we got in the venue it was SO packed, we decided to be sneaky sneaky and head into the Terrace seats. All of us made it in! Have NO idea how we did, but we did, and loved every second of it. We sang and danced our little hearts out and had an absolute blast.

Well, this officially ends Stacey's Summer Concert Series....but tune in for more adventures! Coming soon is camping at Joshua Tree, my first time to Las Vegas and New York City, Christmas in Kentucky and Tennessee, and most of all, my solo trip to IRELAND!

Dancing Queen

2010-10-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs to browse is The Finer Things, and todays post was incredibly adorable!

How stinkin' cute!!!

Thunderbolts and Lighting...Very Very Frightening!

2010-10-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year! Halloween! I recently went with friends to the Knott's Berry Scary Farm, where ghosts and ghouls ruled the night. Creatures would slide across the pavement, through the fog to scare you, and creepy clowns would follow you around. There were many "mazes" to walk through, and believe me, I had NO voice by the end of the night.

I haven't been to anything to frighten myself in a long time, and now I remember why. I hate it! I had a fantastic time, but I so do not enjoy getting scared. My friends got a good laugh at my expense, and I'm glad they did. I just won't be returning next year unless I have someone to death grip. :)

It's in this season I'm reminded of traditional things I did back home in Tennessee. Every fall we would get pumpkins, go out on a back road in Jon's Jeep and obliterate them. I've tried to think of a way we could do that here in California, but I just don't know where we could.

Corn mazes were always a blast, and sadly, we have no corn here! Knott's did their own version of a corn maze, and my friends made me go first. I was impressed, and terrified of course!

I hope you all have a fantastic fall season complete with timeless memories only fall can bring.

Nothing to Say

2010-09-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

I like to talk. A lot. Not a shy person. Would tell anyone something. Anytime. Even if they weren't listening and didn't care. I'd just keep on yakking.

But sometimes when I sit down to write a blog, I can't think of what to say. I know I recap my life a lot, but that's mainly for my family who reads this blog. Thinking back, I started this blog just because it was the new, hip thing to do. And here I am, wordless.

In this world of social media, we have a lack of guarding our lives. Back in the day, (I'm talking when you had shared phone lines) you worried of conversations being overheard. Nowadays, you cannot go anywhere without hearing the person next you telling whoever is on the other end of their phone what they did that day, where they were, etc etc. It's quite mind boggling if you stop to think about it.

We log onto Facebook and Twitter, and the question "What's on your mind?" looks us in the face. Of course I want to know that someone just had In N Out! Of course I want to know you just took a shower. And the winner, absolutely, hands down...OF COURSE I want to know you are tweeting/status updating during church.

Now, I'm not here to hate. It's all love, baby. I'm simply thinking with my fingers here, and wondering why we are ok with letting the world know our lives. Sometimes, and only sometimes, I toy with the idea of deleting Facebook. *GASP!* I know. Treason right there. But seriously! I talk with those I'm friends with in real life, and hardly talk to those I was friends with in the past. But yet I, along with many others, are guilty of trolling the pages of those I one knew, just to know what they are doing with their lives. Sometimes I'm jealous, sometimes I'm not, but bottom line-it's not personal anymore.

I'm old school. I love sending cards, letters, small gifts in the mail. And I love getting them too! I feel all them move loved, knowing someone took the time to sit down and write me a note. Or that someone thought of me when they saw this item, and knew I had to have it.

Anyways. This is me, having nothing to say. :)

Whirlwind Weeks!

2010-09-16T19:45:00.001-07:00

Hi!

Hey there!

Remember me?

Stacey? That girl who lives in California?

Oh, right. It's ok. I've been gone.

BUT I'M BACK!

I do apologize for my absence of late, I've been a leeeeeetle busy.

I went to Kentucky over Labor Day to visit my family, and had such a great time! I feel like it was a whirlwind, and I was super caffeinated the entire time I was there. I flew in Thursday evening, and met up with my dad and sister to have dinner at my favorite place in the Louisville area, Buckheads. Not just any Buckheads, but the one across the river in Jeffersonville. Tasty tastiness in my mouth! We enjoyed a fantastic meal while the sun set over the city, outlining Louisville in a fantastic light.

Friday I was up and at 'em early to take my grandmother to breakfast, then coffee with my dear dear friend Heather (who is having her baby any day!!) and lunch with another longtime friend, Sarah. It was so good to catch up with these ladies, I wish we had more time! So thankful for their friendship over the years.

Friday afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting my sisters work; she is a stylist at Zappos.com. I had a fantastic afternoon watching her style the models, and seeing how the operation worked. I'm a process person, so seeing how the models are styled, photos taken, and sent to site. Site being, THE site. After Steph got off work, we headed to the outlet on campus and shoe shopped our little hearts out! I bought FIVE pairs of shoes. FIVE. Don't judge.. if you had a chance to buy shoes 95% off, wouldn't you do it?

Uh huh. Yeah, that's what I thought.

Friday evening I headed out to my mom's place in Lebanon Junction, KY. Had a wonderful meal, my favorite meal she cooks; "The Good Chicken", mashed potatoes, green beans. DELISH! Saturday morning I was up early to meet my dad and visit my older brother, Scott. Later in the afternoon, I met up with my sister to attend the much rivaled, UKvs. UofL football game. Her boyfriend plays for UofL, so we went to cheer him on. They lost, sadly, but we had a great time tailgating and cheering the guys on.

Sunday we were up early again to go boating all day! The entire fam (menos Scott and Sam) got together for a fantastic day of conquering fears, jumping in the water, and just chilling out. I think it was one of our favorite family days in a long time.

Monday came too soon, and I boarded a plane for home. I haven't stopped working since I've been home, but it's all worth it. I love what I do and I'm thankful to be employed.

Until next time...

Love. Want. Covet.

2010-09-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

I need these.

Oh, Kentucky

2010-09-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

I'll do a recap of my trip home to Kentucky here soon, but please enjoy these photos until I do!

Katie Came to Cali!

2010-08-30T12:40:00.001-07:00

Katie flew into LAX and we headed straight for Hollywood to meet Manny for dinner at a fantastic place called Aroma Bakery. It was delicious and so fun to be in the city for an evening. Saturday we went shopping, then to dinner at my favorite restaurant in Newport Beach, the Bluewater Grill. From there we went to see Dave Matthews in concert! I will never get tired of seeing that band perform. So talented!

Sunday we got up early and headed for the water. We rode bikes all along the boardwalk, ate lunch at Sharkee's, and partied til' the sun went down. Monday and Tuesday I had to work, so we played with the kiddos in the morning, and hit Huntington Beach for dinner on Monday; and the John Mayer concert on Tuesday.

John Mayer deserves a whole other paragraph. He was incredible! First let me tell you about his opening act, Owl City. His name is Adam, and he makes good music. Well, more than that, his lyrics are catchy, somewhat ironic and mostly stick in your head goodness. I was intrigued to see him perform live, because his music is so heavily electronic. Surprisingly, he stood in front of a microphone, playing an electric guitar. His band played so well, and he closed the night with "Fireflies".

Enter John Mayer. In his plaid pants and ugly polo, he stole the crowd instantly. Playing his classics, we all stood and swayed to the goodness that comes from his melodic guitar. Aside from his constant cursing, what he said in between songs wasn't too bad! He made us laugh, made some people cry, and over all played an incredible set. All too soon it was over, and we had to go home.

Enter the football.

Traffic was a nightmare, so Katie and I stood by my car munching on snacks we had brought, when I saw some guys playing football. Knowing we had time to kill, we jumped in the game and killed some time. I'm pretty sure I kept nailing the same white Toyota Camry over and over...oops!!

Wednesday came and I had to say goodbye to my bestest friend in the whole wide world. We had a great time, and I can't wait for the holidays so I can see her again!

EAT. PRAY. LOVE....and LIVE!

2010-08-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

I saw Eat.Pray.Love the other day, and it was incredible. If you aren't familiar with the story, a single woman goes on a year long quest to find herself, and find God in three different countries. While her story is different than mine, it made me again question why I'm not pursuing certain things in my life.

I love to travel. I'm thankful I've had the opportunities to travel all over the world. I have yet to travel to Europe, and I'm so excited to go in the spring. I've planned to go with my sister and mom, but watching the movie the other day made me think of "what if they can't go". And here's what I've decided. I'M GOING. I know it's not the safest thing to do, or the smartest, but I can't let fear of the unknown keep me from living my life. I've wanted to go and do things for the past few years, but have watched opportunities pass me by because I was afraid to go alone. Well, no longer.

Now, I'm not going to be a complete idiot and walk into things unprepared, no way. I'm just finished with watching life pass by while I stand still. So, Ireland, here I come, with or without my travel companions. I mean, it's IRELAND. In March. Which means one thing...

ST. PATTY'S DAY IN IRELAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New York, New York

2010-08-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

I was reading my favorite blog The Pioneer Woman today, and she recaps her recent trip to the Big City. It got me thinking about my upcoming trip in the fall and I realized that I'm terrified to go!

What if I don't fit in?

Don't worry, you won't.

What if it's terribly cold?

It will be. Get over it.

I have to meet a million new people. Awkward conversations.....GO!

Again, get over it.

I'm scared I'll feel claustrophobic.

Go to Central Park.

Oh, you'll take me to Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ?

Ok. :)

Manny's LA Birthday Bash

2010-08-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

The legendary Manuel Garcia celebrated his birthday in style Saturday night; he celebrated with about 50 of his friend in the Fashion District of Los Angeles. Host Alastair Chang opened his LA loft for the amazing party....

Manny's cake I made, it's one of my favorites!

We all had such a great time! I met so many new friends, and reconnected with a few old ones. What's ironic, I met two people from Nashville, and we are connected in all these random ways! The world really is a small place sometimes. Alastair has a fantastic home, the perfect place for an intimate party. The talented Noel L preformed, as did Vinyl Siding and others.

For the seven years I have known Manny, each birthday he outdoes himself. One of my favorites was his 30th, two years ago at a mutual friends home in Green Hills, Nashville, TN. It was an outdoor event, complete with a pool, pool house, wine, gourmet snacks and much much more. I'd have to say that this year tops even that. Or, maybe not tops, but definitely matches in display, entertainment, etc etc.

One of my favorite elements from this years bash was the photobooth. A new favorite trend at parties and weddings, it adds a fun element as well as lasting photos for years to come. Here are just a few snapshots!

Photography by Brandon and Serra Wright

Wheelin' and Dealin'

2010-08-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I'm a nanny for two small munchkins that I love to pieces. We are always on the go, being active, doing whatever we can to keep me sane. Just kidding. We love the outdoors! I grew up on a farm where I had the vast countryside to roam and play, build forts and hunt, interact with animals and run from my brothers. I'd like to show the kids I care for a taste of that free childhood. Living in Orange County we are within borders, but I've done my best (with their parents help!) to find the coolest parks and am constantly looking for new and exciting things to do.

One of the things I've been wanting to find is a traveler to attach to my bike. They are a little pricey, and I'm sure we won't use it but for a year or two more. So, we've looked and looked but never made the purchase. Until today.

I was a Target, and happened to run through the bike equipment aisle, and there on the shelf for 50% off was a Schwinn Bike Traveler!

I was so excited! I quickly confirmed with my boss that I could purchase it, and the kids and I are so excited to put it together! I love bike riding, there are SO many trails around where I live; just another reason to be outdoors!

Ireland

2010-07-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

I've been talking about visiting Europe for years, and in 2011, it will become a reality. While there are many countries I will visit in the coming years (Hello...Norway/Finland/Sweden!), Ireland will most likely be the destination for next year.

I've been thinking about taking my mom with me, seeing as it will be her 50th birthday next year. I'm planning on keeping it on the down-low, and I know she never reads my blog; so I'm good to share it here.

If you have visited Ireland, please let me know of any tips, places, B&B's, etc! I can't wait to make this trip happen!

Stacey's Summer Concert Series

2010-07-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

I went a little concert crazy this year....I'm blaming it on living in a place where big name artists come more than once a year! Living in Nashville was fantastic for indie artists; but big name concerts happened maybe once a year. I've gathered quite the list, and I am so excited!

I kicked off my Summer Concert Series in June with Tim McGraw, Lady Antelbellum andLo ve & Theft. It was an outdoor venue in Rancho Cucamonga, and I went with my dear friend Dani. My dad and sister gave me the tickets for my birthday. I loved Love & Theft, love love loved Lady A, and absolutely melted during Tim McGraw. What a fantastic concert to start the summer, and what a better friend than Dani to go with!

Next up is Dave Matthews Band with Brett Dennen in August. Katie is flying out for this show, and I am so excited to make this our third summer seeing DMB together! It'll be at the Irvine Ampitheater, and we have really great seats. Should be a fantastic show, as usual! Dave never lets me down!

Just a few days later is the ever popular (and sometimes not) John Mayer with Owl City. I was so surprised by my employers with tickets to this concert for my birthday. I've never seen either artists in concert; so I am so very excited to see them! Owl City had a show a few months back at a smaller venue, and I so badly wanted to go, but was unable to find a wingman (or woman) to join me. Luckily I'll get to see their show on an even grander stage and a great venue! BONUS?! Katie will still be in town! Woohoo! Two great concerts, in California, with my bestest friend ever........happy girl right here.

Wrapping up the summer is Jack Johnson. You have no idea how long I've waited to see him in concert! I am so excited, I just can't hide it! For the past few years I've wanted to see him, but he has never played inland close enough to where I've lived (Nashville, TN). Lucky for me I moved to a coastal town! Ironically, he chose this year to play inland, and my friends back home will be able to see him in Indiana and Georgia.

There may or may not be another concert in there somewhere.....I'd love to see a little Maroon 5/OneRepublic action....

One Year Later

2010-07-07T12:30:00.001-07:00

Drew, Jenni, myself and Katie

My Nashville peoples :)

One year ago today, I moved from Nashville, TN to Anaheim Hills, CA.

Culture shock.

A year later, there are things that I am still getting used to: freeway drivers, u-turns, constant traffic, etc etc. Although the people aren't seemingly as hospitable as they are in the South, they are every bit as nice. Granted, don't ask to be let over in a lane, and don't apologize for being in someones way in the grocery store...things I took for granted in Tennessee. :)

A year ago I was unraveled. I was knee deep in drastic changes in my life, and added to that was leaving everything I'd known to move to a place I'd never been. I was leaving friends who are so dear to me, friends who had stood by me when no one else would. I was leaving my family, who although they were just a few hours away, gone was the convenience of visiting whenever I wanted.

So I took a deep breath, and boarded a plane.

And I've not once looked back.

Oh, I miss Kentucky. I miss Tennessee. Maybe one day I'll live there again. But I was, and am, determined to live my life to the fullest. And in this moment, it's here, in California. I've gotten to know some incredible people who were so obviously put in my life for redeeming what was stolen to me. Dear, sweet "California best friends" who have been a continual lifesaver. Courtney is from Oklahoma, and I believe God brought us together just so we would have someone to relate to! He's awesome like that.

Dani, myself and Courtney

Cali friends :)

So one year later, I'm a better person. And I would relive the past year again and again if its to learn the lessons that I have.

So take a deep breath, and choose the path less traveled...you'll be a better person for it.

1, 2, 3, FOURTH OF JULY!

2010-07-06T21:52:00.001-07:00

I celebrated the 4th of July by piling in a car full of friends and headed north on the 101. We were were on our way to the beautiful town of Paso Robles, located somewhere on the central coast. As we passed through the smog-laden City of Angels, we crossed slowly into not just clean air, but a part of California I have yet to have seen. We drove up the 101, passed through Santa Barbara (I cannot wait to go back!) and many ocean side towns.

As soon as we got to Paso, we went to Micah's parents house for a "siesta"; and oh, how fabulous it was! It was surprisingly hot in Paso, so we sat outside in a divine backyard full of almond trees. Dani and I fell asleep sitting under the patio, it was so fabulously relaxing!

Saturday evening we walked around downtown Paso, and I highly recommend visiting if you haven't already. It's a small, quaint town, but large enough to accommodate most major retailers. We visited every nook and cranny of the downtown shops, loving P owell's Sweet Shoppe the most! We enjoyed it so much, we went back the next day. Dani scooped up Hello Kitty tattoos, and Dots; Tyler got hilarious men and woman's moustaches! Micah grabbed the always hilarious classic Mad Libs for our trip back. Powell's even has the original Willy Wonka playing during store hours, with vintage theater chairs to kick back and watch the show.

Saturday night we met up with Drew and Courtney, who were in town for a friends wedding. We had such a fabulous time laughing, dancing, and just being together. Sunday morning was the beginning of the madness! We made their engagement cake (the party was that day) in ONE HOUR! I had pre-made the cakes, so all we did was fill and fondant. Luckily, we had about 4 people helping out, so the process went pretty quick. It was my first time making a fruit filling, and I learned a few things that I will do differently next time. It was a vanilla cake with strawberry and blueberry filling, for the 4th of July.

We had a great afternoon chilling at Drew's parents house, listened to his old band play music, and celebrating their engagement! Sunday night we went to Meridian Vineyards for music, down home cookin' and amazing fireworks. Being in the city for the past year, I had forgotten what it looked like to see a million stars in the sky; but laying back and watching the fireworks go off, I remembered why I love where I'm from.

Monday morning we hopped on the road, headed for lunch at Firestone Grill in San Luis Obispo. We walked around downtown SLO, shopped a bit, then took our grub to Avila Beach. We waited as long as we could before making the sad trip home-no one wanted to leave! We had such a great time celebrating Drew and Courtney, and loved meeting all of their friends and family!

The Grand Canyon Adventure

2010-06-23T17:08:00.003-07:00

We had the time of our lives driving out to the Grand Canyon! We left late Friday night due to a serious accident on the freeway, and drove through the night. Now, most of you who know me know that I am NOT a night owl. 9, 10pm, I'm out for the night. However, I made it until 3 AM before chugging the nasty energy drink. I taught Grant and Nicole how to drive my truck (a stick shift), and we were off. I've never driven through Arizona before, and sadly, I didn't see a thing since it was the middle of the night.

Nasty Necessity

I didn't know there wouldn't be any gas stations along Interstate 40....so about 2 am we had to pull over and thank GOD we had reception on our iPhone's to find the nearest one. Good Ole' Roy was kind enough to turn on the pumps for us (he must do this regularly) in the middle of the night to fuel up; at the tune of $3.59/gallon!! On our way back to the 40, we decided to take a different way and this happened...

We found the Route 66!

Sunrise on the way to the GC.

We finally arrived off the 40 about 4:45 am, and drove the remaining hour to the sight of the sunrise. I was so amazed at the landscape around me; again I've never been out "west". I took photo after photo, and just couldn't stop! We drove straight to the South Rim, at about 6am. The park had just opened and it was deserted. Seeing the Grand Canyon as the sun was rising, on a crystal clear day was something out of a movie. I've never seen anything so incredible; it almost seemed fake. No photo could ever do it justice.

Little chickens wouldn't venture out with me!

One of my favorite photos.

Nicole, Grant and I

Waiting for the sunset. We had the best seat in the house!

I still can't believe we didn't sleep for almost 40 hours! Other than a 20 minute cat nap here or there, we powered through the day. We were hoping to luck out and get a campsite IN the Grand Canyon National Park, but that didn't happen. Luckily the Park Ranger told us that we would camp anywhere outside of the GCNP, for free. Well heck yeah! We found the first dirt road, turned down, and claimed our wild spot. It was in a perfect clearing, just right for a fire pit. Grant was quite the nature man (he claimed watching Bear Grylls helped:), and made us the best rogue fire I've ever seen. After a good night's sleep, we were on the road again back to SoCal. We were all so surprised at the Arizona landscape, seeing as it was pitch black when we drove the night before.

It was a whirlwind trip, I was exhausted and slept A LOT when I got home, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. What better travel buddies than Grant and Nicole?! Oh, and the love bug bit them somewhere on the trail. They're now dating. How cute :)

My Song of the South

2010-06-21T21:29:00.007-07:00

Beautiful Franklin, TN

It felt so good to go home! I was craving the smell of the freshly sprung green leaves on trees, seeing wildflowers blowing in the wind, feel fresh raindrops on my skin, and feeling the humidity expand my hair. Just kidding on that last one. But seriously, when I walked out of the airport, I literally said out loud: "Holy humidity, Batman!" It was so nasty humid!

Friday I was able to get my hairs did by my favorite hairstylist, Amanda. I've gone to her for years, and it was sooooo good to catch up and see her cute lil' baby bump! Anyone reading this in Nashville, check her out. Amanda Pierce at Serenity Hair Studio in Cool Springs. Tell her Stacey sent ya!

I had lunch with the incredible Kelly Williams, who filled me in on her kids lives (I've known them since they were in middle school!), college, proms, girlfriends....kids grow up too fast these days. Friday night the ladies (Katie, Jenni and I, also known as the Tennessee Trio), went to Tin Roof 2 for a night of dinner and drinks. Man, I've missed my girls. You know you've found your "people" when you can maintain the same depth of relationship thousands of miles away, and pick right back up. THAT'S a friendship.

Drew, Jenni, myself and Katie

The Melton's came by to say hi! Love these two :)

Jon and Bethany Melton

Preston's wedding was awesome! It was in Arrington, TN, which is a little bit in the middle of nowhere. It was held at the cutest little white church surrounded by miles and miles of nothing but green green fields. I was able to catch up with many friends, old and new, that I didn't realize would be there. Saturday night we went straight to the Stardust Drive In, which was one of my favorite things to do while living in TN. It's literally in the middle of nowhere, in Watertown, TN. We watched Robin Hood, and I loved it!

Gotta be a a little goofy here and there :)

One of my dearest and closest friends, Preston.

Congratulations, Preston and Erin!

Sunday my dad and sister drove down from Kentucky, and we had lunch at Puckett's in downtown Franklin. I miss them so much, and was so glad that they came down to see me. It seemed like the weekend flew by, which it always does, and all too soon I had to board my plane back to California.

Dad and I

Or so I thought.

And so begins the worst flight nightmare of my life.

Original flight departure: 6pm.

ACTUAL flight departure: 9pm.

Missed connection, have to stay in Denver.

And I can't get my luggage.

It's 1am.

I'm standing in the umpteenth line, for the umpteenth time, waiting for my hotel assignment.

I stand in line for the shuttle.

I stand in line at the hotel to check in.

I stand and stare at my bed.

It's 3am.

Moral of the story? NEVER fly Frontier Airlines. EVER. Well, I'll need to use my flight coupon, but after that, NEVER again.

Beg, Steal or Borrow

2010-06-17T22:44:00.002-07:00

Ray LaMontagne's new single is up on his website...check it HERE!

I've followed Ray for a few years and got to see him perform live at the Ryman in the Nashville (one of my FAVORITE venues, by the way). He was fantastic!

Disneyland Summer Discount

2010-06-15T06:11:00.003-07:00

Posted in the Anaheim Hills News was an article about Disneylands' "Summer Pass". For $108, you get three separate visits to either Disneyland or California Adventre. That's about $36/day, half the price of a general admission ticket! Residents have 45 days to use all three tickets-each one good for each park per day. Passes can be upgraded to park hoppers for an extra $21.

Check out Disneyland.com for more info!

Stacey's Summer Concert Series

2010-05-12T13:51:00.001-07:00

I kicked off my Summer Concert Series in June with Tim McGraw, Lady Antelbellum and Lo ve & Theft. It was an outdoor venue in Rancho Cucamonga, and I went with my dear friend Dani. My dad and sister gave me the tickets for my birthday. I loved Love & Theft, love love loved Lady A, and absolutely melted during Tim McGraw. What a fantastic concert to start the summer, and what a better friend than Dani to go with!

There may or may not be another concert in there somewhere.....I'd love to see a little Maroon 5/OneRepublic action....

THE LIZARD INCIDENT

2010-05-10T14:00:00.002-07:00

Let me begin this awful story by saying that I loathe reptiles. Of all kinds.

SATURDAY

It all started on Saturday evening. My friend Courtney and I were standing in my driveway next to my SUV, waiting to go to dinner. The drivers door was open for just a few minutes, and all of the sudden Courtney tells me there is a lizard in my car. I grab her poor arm and squeezed for dear life! I could see it's beady little head sticking out from underneath my seat, and I was FA-REAKING out. I ran inside, yelled for Ken (the dad I work for) to come get it out of my car.

Ken is trying hard not to make fun of Courtney and I, while we were shrieking, jumping around...he takes apart a wiring console, bangs around for a while to no avail. It seems the lizard has taken up residence in my car. We decided that the lizard has left, and we are safe to go to dinner. We all climb in, toes curled, looking around our feet for the nasty little lizard. I even get in, start my car, get out, get BACK in, pray, get back out.......I'm completely serious.
The night goes on, we are hoping that if the lizard caught a ride to Newport Beach, that he made his exit with the valet, and not us.

Little did I know...

MONDAY

The weekend has gone great, my fears of the lizard attack are just a blip in my memory bank. I'm in a store parking lot with the kids I nanny for, and I pop the hatch on my SUV to open the back...and what comes slithering out of the INSIDE of the door? That stinkin' lizard!!! I instantly freeze, then unfreeze, putting E in the shopping basket and commanding James not to move. I just stood there, trying to figure out what to do. Do I try to hit it with my purse? Do I slam the glass hatch down, killing him and breaking him into two pieces? (Sorry PETA). I decided to knock it out of the car, but he jumps over the door, and INTO the back of the car! EEEEEEEK!!!

By this time, I know I've gone pale, chill bumps are covering my skin, my muscles hurt from tensing, and I may or may not have screamed. Now I know he won't hurt me, but he is nasty gross. I open the tailgate of my car and just starting throwing things into the parking lot. Big Wheel, stroller, shopping cart cover, all of it, into the street. I know I was screaming a little bit, but I must have been screaming a liiiiitle louder than I thought, because a nice gentleman comes rushing over, asking to help. I tell him what has happened, and he goes to town. I mean, this guy is on a mission to find the lizard! After picking through the contents that I've strewn across the parking lot, he comes slithering out of the Big Wheel. The guy helping me decides not to kill it (I wanted it DEAD.), and shoos it away. The little lizard has the audacity to stop, turn around and hiss at me!

After I'm sure he's gone away, that's when I stop to look around me. There are 4-5 people standing around, watching this crazy lady with two kids throw her crap into the street. Hey, I didn't care! I had chill bumps, my heart was racing, my muscles were tense..... let's say I never want that to happen again. Ever.

Sorry little lizard. We weren't meant to be best friends. Don't take it personally.

By the way, did anyone take notice that he was in my car for TWO ENTIRE DAYS???

The Pioneer Woman

2010-05-06T13:08:00.003-07:00

Last year I had the privilege of meeting Ree Drummond, author of my favorite website. She is a true Pioneer Woman, chef extraordinaire, homeschooling mom of four, Ranch Wife, etc etc etc. A friend in Nashville told me about the site a few years ago, as someone had told her before that. Ree has now gained national attention with her New York Times best selling cookbook 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks'.

She has been featured on numerous talk shows, made her way around the country on a book tour, and I GOT TO MEET HER!! Now, I've never been a put-a-person-on-a-pedestal type of girl (thanks, mom!); but I'll be honest, when I sat down to chat and snap a photo with her, I froze. I didn't know what to say. I think I mumbled "hi, hello, thanks for all you do, I'm a nobody from Nashville who moved to the big city".... or something like that. I've wanted to live her life! In my dreams, I would be living on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere (like Ree), have a hot husband (like Ree), have too many kids (like Ree), cook some amazing food (like Ree), and take incredible photos (like Ree).

So why am I telling you all of this? I don't know. I'm just talking here. BUT-I will let you know what she is having a giveaway today on her site...for an iPad. Yes, yes. The beloved, the coveted, the super awesome and very cool iPad. No strings, nothing needed from you. Just a quick and easy chance to win an iPad! Click here to check it out.

I hope you fall in love with Ree's site as I have. I've so enjoyed her recipes, her humor, and a peek into my future, I mean HER life on the ranch.

Ashley and I waiting, waiting, waiting.

We are Nashville

2010-05-05T20:13:00.004-07:00

I was living in a dream
I was living for the scene
I was floating high above
cause I have been through mire and confusion
I am free

as far as I can see
is Nashville skyline
underneath it all
you yourself are free
floating high above
the Nashville skyline
-Dishwalla

Oprymills Mall

First, I must post a link to a blog so well written about Nashville. Please read it here.

We are Nashville.

My heart has been broken over the past few days. My hometown, my beloved Nashville, has seen widespread devastation. There are no words I can say that describe how I have felt. I've cried over seeing photos and videos, and I've never been so proud of my city than I am of Nashville.

While the national media has been slow to report, the precious little we have heard is all positive things. Over 11,000 have signed up to volunteer at Hands on Nashville. Our states motto isn't "The Volunteer State" for nothing! You haven't heard or seen of any looting, vandalism or out of sorts. The greatest warning Tennessee has received is "stay out of the water". Not bad for a thriving metropolis!

Many many friends of mine have experienced major damage to their houses. One friend has lost her entire house to the flood. Just the day after, they began ripping out the contents and starting over. I wish I was there so badly, to help, to serve, to give in any way I can. I've taken to Twitter to do my part in spreading awareness of the situation. I've posted, reTweeted, Facebooked and googled as much as I can. I absolutely hate that I am not there.

In two weeks, a dear friend of mine will be getting married in Arrington, a small town south of Nashville. I'm flying back, and I'm looking bittersweetly to seeing my flood-ravaged town. I might just wear my mud boots. :)

Uuuuuuuuuupdates.

2010-04-29T15:10:00.008-07:00

I know it's been weeks since my last post, but I haven't been in a blogging mood. As per my last post, my youngest brother was shipped to Afghanistan. That kinda took a little bit outta me emotionally. BUT, I'm happy to report that I received a phone call from him while he was laying over in Turkey. He's tired of traveling, but doing well. I'm excited to put together his first care package! If you want to write letters to a soldier, he's a great one to write to! Let me know if you want to donate something to the care package.

My birthday party was SUCH a success! Thanks to all who came out, I had a fantastic time! We played volleyball, night disc, buried people in the sand like five year olds, braved the icy waters, strolled along the boardwalk, and last but not least, had a wonderful bonfire.

Later in the week my sweet baby sister came to visit me, and I was SO excited! We had a PACKED weekend ahead of us, but after a million delays, she was finally in California! I quickly rushed her to the nearest In N Out and she fell in love and had her way with the classic Double-double. Friday we were up and at 'em for a quick morning run down to the local coffee and bagel shop. We were both scheduled to race on Saturday morning, and I didn't want to run a full run the day before. After bageling and coffee'ing up, we made our way down to Newport Beach for some sightseeing and lunch. My friend Matt met up with us and took us to a fabulous place called the Bluewater Grill. Nestled back in the cove of Newport Beach, we sat on the terrace and had quite the fanciful lunch. I can't wait to go back!

Friday afternoon we headed out to Disneyland, and promptly picked up Steph's "1st Time Visitor" pin and set out to conquer the park. Sadly, the conquering didn't take long. After our morning jaunt, early afternoon lunch, Disneyland was whooping our butts left and right! We were trying to conquer both Disneyland and California Adventure, but I think every other person in California had the same idea. We had a great time, even if it wasn't as long as we would have liked.

Saturday was the Great OC Eco Mud Run. I've been training for the past three months for my very first race, and the day dawned bright and early. I thought that I would be nervous, but surprisingly, I wasn't. I think all the pain-filled days of running had finally prepared me. We met up with other runners we knew, and filed in to the starting area. THAT'S when the nerves hit. We moseyed our way to the front, not where I wanted to be! The race officials encouraged us to dress up, and Steph decided it would be hilarious to dress as a cop and escape convict. So, there we were, duct taping white stripes to my running outfit. I even bought handcuffs to wear! As we started running, my nerves went away, and were replaced by concentrating on not falling on my face. Slowly, we got a pace, set it, and ran our little hearts out.

I can't wait for the next mud run! Wanna get muddy with me?

Sam Leaves for Afghanistan

2010-04-20T20:54:00.005-07:00

My younger brother Sam deploys to Afghanistan on Monday, April 26th. I've never been a delayed reaction person, but I have totally delayed my reacting to his deployment. When I think about it my heart beats a littler faster, the tears come a little easier, and my brain moves a little quicker. I've even kept quiet on the deployment date (even though I've known for a while), just to avoid talking about it. Even now, as I type, I'm blinking through the tears falling down my face. I'm still torn with the feeling of being so incredibly proud of him for serving our country, for protecting us, for keeping us free; and by the other part that so selfishly wants him to stay home. Behind the border, away from war, terrorism, violence, and the reality of the harshness of this world.

Christmas 2009

I know that God is bigger than this. He is bigger than the war, bigger than any person wishing harm upon the United States. He's seen Sam going into that country, and He knows the outcome. I won't lie and say that I haven't thought of all the what-if's. I can't even type them out, but I'm sure you know what I'm speaking of. But God is bigger than that. This is where faith comes in. Because I know what I believe, I know what's true. It's when the time comes to TRULY believe it is the strength of your faith. And I'll be honest, I'm a little weak today.

Sam's Basic Training Graduation

I just wish I could hug him one more time. I wish I could tell him it's going to be ok. I wish I could wipe the fear from my heart. I wish I could stand at the airport and wave goodbye. I wish my brother Scott could see him one more time. I wish he wasn't 19. I wish he didn't have to leave his new wife alone.

I wish he wasn't going.

Sam's first meal out of Basic Training-HAHA!

So, if you will, say a prayer for him. Fly a flag today. Thank a veteran. Stand a little taller knowing you are protected by our amazing Armed Forces. Never take for granted what we have in America. There are hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have sisters whose hearts are breaking, just like mine.

I love you Bubs. Be careful, see you soon.

Birthday Goodness

2010-04-15T13:30:00.007-07:00

Ok, I'll admit. This birthday, this YEAR, this number, kept haunting me. Now, I'm a lover of birthdays. It's that one day a year that everything is all about YOU! I love to celebrate others and make them feel like a king or queen for a day. And, you know, it's nice to feel pampered on my birthday too. However, this year I wasn't looking forward to turning another year older. I know I'm only 26, but for some reason I had some serious struggles. Serious as in, while walking down the street I pause, consider, cringe, and keep walking. THOSE kind of serious issues. :) But, as I suspected, my fears were eased as the week went on.

It all started on Monday evening, when my dear precious life group friends surprised me with not one but TWO cakes! They were delicious and I felt so loved and honored. Tuesday morning (my actual birthday) I woke up to James singing 'Happy Birfday' at the top of his lungs while dragging my gift bag behind him. Danielle had made a Happy Birthday banner for the kitchen; and I don't know who was more excited about that, James or me!

I was so incredibly shocked by their gift...I'll let the picture do the talking.

Yeah. Not gonna lie, I cried!! I am so excited! I can't wait to go!!

My mom sent me an AWESOME gift this year too. As I've posted before, I'm really getting into cake decorating. She sent me a clear tub with all kinds of little tubs to keep my tools organized. Being a neat freak, I absolutely loved getting everything organized and put together.

Tuesday evening a small group of friends went with me to my first ever swing dancing lesson! It was an absolute blast, and I went from nervously wringing my hands to being twirled around in circles by the end. We capped off the night with yummy tacos from Fresca's, and yogurt from Golden Spoon. I had a fantastic night! All throughout the week I was overwhelmed by the sweetness of my family and friends. I recieved so many heartwarming cards and gifts; I am truly touched.

I've mentioned her before, but my closest friend Katie also shares the same birthday. While it was the first year we didn't celebrate together, it was so fun to swap gifts through the mail. I sent her a hilarious box of random goodies, filled with an entire bag of confetti. She sent me (along with our dear friend Jenni) a wonderful bouquet of fruit from Edible Arrangements and an awesome thing called the FitDeck. I'm so excited to try out the FitDeck for my workouts at the park! What a great way to shake up your workout routine!

Hip Hop Hippity Hop

2010-04-05T10:24:00.003-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I had a fun-filled day of church, lunch with friends, a mean game of softball, and ending the night with game night at the Runyan's. I usually don't stay up very late on "school nights", but since I didn't have to work on Monday, I decided to be rebel and hang out late. I didn't go to sleep until almost 2:30am!! EEEEEK! That just doesn't happen to me, ever. I woke up day feeling like I was hit by a truck, and remembered why I don't do this! It's just too painful. BUT-great fun, great conversations and great friends were totally worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The family I work for surprised me yesterday with an Easter basket, and I was so thrilled! I received a fantastically awesome gift of how-to's and tools for learning to create gum paste flowers. For those who do not know, I've become a bit of a cake freak. I love to create and decorate cakes. I'm a little intimidated about gum paste flowers, but now that I have to tools to try, I think I can do it.

My favorite part of the basket was this adorable apron. I've been thinking about just making one for myself over the past few weeks, but now I don't have to!! It's too adorable! Check out the stripes, polka dots and flowers! I love it!

I hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends, ate boatloads of chocolate (I actually did not!), and watched the Yankee Opening Day Game. I won't say the score. It's a shame in our household.

Glimpses of Kentucky

2010-03-31T11:51:00.005-07:00

My childhood home,
Taylorsville, KY

I've always had a dream to buy back the small farm my family owned in Kentucky when I was young. Behind the house is (or I hope still), a smokehouse, silo, large barn, and icehouse. So many memories in that home, lessons learned, and such a fun childhood. I hope one day my dream will come true.

I grabbed these images off of google, and they represent Kentucky so well! I'm feeling a bit reminiscent today, so please enjoy a trip down memory lane with me.

Sonic Tuesdays

2010-03-30T12:46:00.005-07:00

I'm adventurous. I miss my adventurous friends (ahem, JULIE!) from Nashville, who would drop everything just to do something random and crazy. We used to have what we called "Sonic Tuesdays" when we all worked at the church. Every few weeks, we would silently give one another "the look" which meant "meet outside at Jon's jeep in 5 minutes! Tell no one!" Julie, Christy, Jon and I would totally bail on work, jump in his Jeep, and go for a random crazy adventure that always ended at Sonic. You see, Sonic has these amazingly refreshing blend of beverages that cannot be topped. AND, between 3-5pm, they are half price. Not bad for penny pinchers as ourselves! So there we were, every few Tuesdays, drinks in hand, windows down, music playing, bopping along as Jon took us on a quick off-road adventure. I miss those days. OH, how we all have changed! Jon is married, Christy is married and just had her first baby, Julie lives in Denver, and I'm in California. Who woulda thunk?

There are so many new and interesting things in California that I can't wait to do! I've begun compiling a list in my head...and I need to write them down. Since I'm not one for keeping handwritten notes too long...(I may or may not lose them. I plead the 5th).

Kayaking on Catalina Island
San Francisco
San Diego Chargers game
Hike a mountain
4Wheel in the desert
Shoot a gun in the desert
Sail on a sailboat
See a show in Hollywood
Santa Monica
Redding
Run the Camp Pendleton Mud Run
Lakers Game
Anaheim Ducks game (preferably when the Nashville Preds are here...)
Wine Country
Alcatraz
Horseback Riding
Drive to Mexico
a date on the beach :)

That's what is in my head for now...I'm sure there are more to come! Please leave your suggestion as well!!

Vanilla Twilight

2010-03-24T17:39:00.001-07:00

Weekend Recap

2010-03-16T20:06:00.005-07:00

Tonight, as I sit listening to the (somewhat) amazing talents of American Idol, I'm reminded of how life can take you a million different ways. I know I've talked a lot about how moving to California, and how transformational that was for me; but I'm going to say it again...You.Just.Never.Know.

Case in point?

My favorite beach, Huntington.

I had the pleasure of having a four day weekend this week, and I took full advantage of it! This photo was taken yesterday (Monday). I was able to go run down on the boardwalk, and was it so rewarding! I got a nice little tan, ocean on my right, snow capped mountains to my left. Could it be any better?

I also had Friday off, so I went to the park and played umpteen games of volleyball with some friends. I haven't played that much, so they were so very sweet to teach me the rules, technique, etc. We played for hours and hours! Thankfully, Nicole had planned a great dinner at her place. We played old school Nintendo 64 (Mortal Kombat, to be exact), ate yummy food, and had a great time. I took off a little early, just to relish in the fact that there was no one in my home!

Saturday morning we had a great breakfast at church for the 20-somethings. A couple that used to go to Southlands (my church) shared their hearts and story of the their life. I was so inspired by what they had to say! I can't wait to see what the Lord has for them in the future.

Heather, Manny and Melissa

Saturday afternoon I ran around like crazy getting things prepared for the dinner party I was having that evening. Thankfully, Melissa came over early and helped me out on the final details. I'm such a people-person, and if cooking and baking was a love language, I've got it. I absolutely love hosting people, serving people, and making sure they have a good time. So, Saturday was my first chance to have my friends over to my house! We enjoyed steak with a whiskey cream sauce, artichokes, asparagus, sweet potato fries....YUM.

Heather, Manny, Myself and Melissa

We played an endless amount of the game murder, over and over and over again! I love these people so much, and I'm so glad they are in my life!

Matt, Phill, Jarrod, Brent and Heather

So, that's the basic rundown of my crazy weekend! I had a blast, lost a LOT of sleep, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. :)

Snail Mail

2010-03-11T20:01:00.003-08:00

I received the sweetest card from my best friend Katie today. A real card! In the mail! It totally blessed me and I'm not gonna lie, I teared up just a bit. Because I'm an over sharer, I'm going to type out the card. It's just too sweet.

"You know me so well, you can just tell when something's up by the sound of my voice. Or how I've been acting. Sometimes I don't even have to explain or go into details.

You just get it.
You just get me.

I can't tell you how much that means.
You're a great friend."

How sweet is that?! I am SO very glad to have Katie in my life-she's the bestest friend a girl could have! Wanna know something crazy? We have the same birthday! The very same! It was crazy when we realized it, and we've had joint birthday dinners ever since. :)

Just Call Me Tree-Girl

2010-03-10T19:57:00.003-08:00

I went running in a new park this week, and as I started my run-I didn't turn on my music. I don't know why, but I was enjoying the silence. Listening to the wind through the trees, my feet crunching the twigs and leaves, (not to mention hearing my out-of-breathness), and the ducks quacking in the lake. I took those moments and just thanked God for such an amazing creation; Nature. When I'm amidst the trees, the grass, the LIFE-I feel whole. I feel like I was made for moments like these.

I know, just call me tree-girl.

It's moments like these that make me miss the space of Tennessee. It makes me miss the vastness of my family's farm; where you could drive up the way and look out, and all you saw was Hilton land. Something so powerful and old-fashioned about that feeling. Your heart swells, and you just feel....home.

As I drive down the streets of Southern California, I feel trapped. I feel frustrated. My left calf muscle hurts from clutching all the time. But when I make it through the traffic, the smog, the cut-offs and road ragers and reach the beach with the mountains in the distance, I feel that so-good feeling again. I hear the waves crashing, feel the squish of sand between my toes, and I know I am where I'm supposed to be for now. Nothing can replace the smell of a green spring in Kentucky, or the cinnamon-y spice of Tennessee in the fall; but I'm loving California, all year long.

And I feel home.

OKGO is insane!!!

2010-03-03T12:50:00.001-08:00

Ken-tuck

2010-02-27T21:34:00.005-08:00

Last weekend I flew home to Kentucky to be with my youngest brother, Sam before he ships to Afghanistan. Sam and his wife Tiffany flew in late Friday, and I was so glad to spend as much time with them as possible! I flew in Thursday evening, and Dad and Steph met me at the airport and took me straight to Cracker Barrel! I had to get me some sweet tea and biscuits-and quick! Friday I was stuck at my sisters house, since I didn't have a car and she had to work. I got to sleep in (thank goodness!) and then we met my grandmother for a late lunch that afternoon.
For whatever reason, the three hour jet leg REALLY gets to me! I know it's lame, but hey-I'm lame! And I'll continue to use the "I have no car" excuse to sleep in. I'm ok with that. :)

Saturday morning began the insanity...we picked up my brother and his wife and went to visit my older brother, Scott. It was SO good to see him, he is doing so well. I'm very proud of him. I can't waitto see him the next time I'm in town! After getting back to Louisville, it was go time. We all split up to run various errands for the going away party that evening. We were able to pull it all off and it looked fantastic! I even got "camo" balloons!

Sunday we made the obligatory trip to the Shepherdsville Flea Market, know out here in Cali as the Swap Meet. We saw the usual, old men smoking, mullets, fried foods, wedding dress retailers, you know-the usual. :) Gotta love Kentucky! Sunday night we hung out at my dads and got take out. There's just something about that last night of a trip that you need to relax. Maybe it's just me, who knows. Monday morning came all too soon, and I was headed back to California. While I loved seeing my family, I was so ready to be back in the sunshine and warm weather!

Breathe.

2010-02-24T14:26:00.003-08:00

Today I'm feeling trapped.

Not in a negative sense, but in a I-have-dreams-what-is-holding-me-back kinda of trapped. I've always joked that I was born in the wrong country and the wrong century, but we all know that we have purpose and destiny for where we were created to be. That said-I want to travel abroad!! I have a burning desire/passion to visit Europe, and I have specific countries in mind. I'm constantly looking up airfares, train fares, ferry fares...you get my point?

I know I am here for a reason, I do. But in this moment, I'm looking to my future and wondering where I am to be. Will I stay here? Will I live in England? Two summers ago, my dream was to be living in London by the 2012 Olympics. Who knows if that will happen? Will I still be single? Will I be married? Will I have a family? I don't know what is prompting these thoughts, but they sure are running through my head!

Before I moved here, my dear friend Jenni reminded me about scuba divers. Scuba divers change drastic environments while still breathing the same air; but they learn to breathe using an alternative source of the same air. So that's what I'm doing. I'm still adjusting to my new, drastic environment; but learning to breathe.

Inhale, exhale.

Repeat.

Love Day

2010-02-14T20:33:00.004-08:00

Things I love...

the ocean
snowflakes
flip flops
cozy blankets
windows down, radio up!
dave matthews band
phone calls from dear friends
sweet tea
letters in the mail
snow covered mountains
starbucks
sunshine
Tennessee
barns
my Mac computer
iPhone :)
high heels
sundresses
baseball games
roller coasters
people with passion
the TN trio
Jack Johnson
kayaking
snuggles with James (whom I nanny for)
yogurtland
TN Titans
drive in theaters
fall weather
5 Points, Franklin, TN
bonfires on huntington beach
my cowboy boots
sleep
LOST
Kentucky spring
Tennessee fall
SoCal all year long
dear friends
precious family
My Jesus.

Running Running Running

2010-02-03T20:26:00.004-08:00

See, here's the thing. I hate to run. I loathe it, actually. You would think I would not mind it at all, seeing as I played soccer for years and years. Somehow, someway, I began to hate it. So much so, that when I work out, I avoid it at ALL COSTS. Interval sprints, cross training, you name it; I'll do it.

Just don't make me run.

Ever.

And then I saw these.

And then I wanted to run a 5k.

What? Who? (Looks around nervously) Me? Ok, yes. I really want to run a race. I really wanted to run in the Camp Pendleton Mud Run, but it is already full when I went to register. So, I googled around, (since when did google become a verb?!) and found two similar races in Orange County in April. I'm signing up and running my little heart out! Best part about these races? They are MUD RUNS. As in....running in mud. Translation: you don't have to run the entire race! Just kidding. A little. Maybe. Through obstacle courses, over walls, you get the point. I think it'll be a lot of fun, and I'm hoping to get some friends to run with me or at least come out and cheer me on!

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, see, to RUN the race means I actually have to get out and RUN. My absolute favorite thing, remember? (See above. Pay attention!) In addition to my regular workouts, I added running. Oh, running. I started out small, charted a 5k course, walked it, ran intervals, walked some more, and wanted to call it a day. Well, on Monday, I busted out the old faithful tennis shoes (which have since been shunned since I fell in love with the shoes above) and started my walk. What I DIDN'T anticipate was running about 85% of the course flat out!! I came home, baffled, face red, legs on fire, just standing in the driveway. I brushed it off as a mere coincidence and went about my week.

It's Wednesday. Running Day again. Instead of walking, I started running, and running. I didn't stop! Well, ok. I stopped twice because my right calf muscle was KILLING me! Just a 30 second stretch, don't worry. I wasn't slacking. Same thing, I ran home, stopped, stretched in the driveway, and shook my head. I ran..let's say...93% of the course. What the heck?! While a 5k may seem insignificant to others, it's a milestone for me. After years of knee pain from my soccer addiction, I had two surgeries and years of physical therapy. I thought I'd never run again. And here I am, running my little heart out-pain free. Now that's a miracle.

But I still hate running.

It's boring.

LA Adventure...

2010-02-02T18:57:00.007-08:00

Heather, Manny, Myself, Melissa and Phillip
LACMA

Friday night I had a hankerin' to do something outside of the Orange County bubble. So, I called up some friends, (Phillip, Melissa, Heather and Manny) and we headed to Los Angeles for the night. Our main goal was to see the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Arts), and have dinner at Cafe 101.

Well......

LA traffic is a force to be reckoned with.

LA traffic and I do no get along.

LA traffic...you get my point.

After fording through the traffic, we picked up Manny in Hollywood and headed over to the LACMA. Although, of course, my GPS in my iPhone took us the wrong way (shock of all shocks!), so we had to backtrack and wade through some traffic AGAIN. By the time we got there, we had about 45 minutes to peruse through the museum. Luckily, one of the floors was under construction; so we only had two floors to go through. They didn't allow photography in the museum, or I would have some awesome photos to put up. Thankfully Heather took some great photos of us all in the Lamp post exhibit outside of the LACMA.

Manny, Myself and Phillip
Our "Band" Photo teehee!

After the LACMA, we headed down the street to see the La Brea Tar Pits. I've never seen them, and for whatever reason, am not a believer. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong but...actually I'm pretty sure they are for real. But for whatever reason, they looked totally fake to me. The link to their website is above...check it out sometime!

We did make it to Cafe 101, thankfully, and we were able to recharge before heading back to the OC. It was a late, late night, but so very fun and worth it! I had a blast!

Cafe 101 Hot Chocolate Goodness :)

Sunrise, Sunshine and Sunsets

2010-01-28T19:22:00.004-08:00

Sunrise yesterday morning

After last weeks torrential, continual downpour, I am SO welcoming this week long sunshine! Today was blue skies, sunny, and 75; and I took every advantage of it. I took the kids I nanny for to feed the ducks and play at the park. During their nap, I took twenty minutes to soak up some rays in the backyard. I do believe I got my first tan of the season! So odd that the "season" is starting in January. NOT normal for me!

Sunset this evening

This evening instead of going to the gym, I ran outdoors. I had enjoyed the day so thoroughly, I couldn't be indoors just yet. I was running, running, running, and then I just stopped and turned around. It was as if I needed to, and I'm so glad that I did! The sunset was beyond beautiful, and completely breathtaking. It seems as if the Lord has been showing me more and more of Himself to me through the Great Outdoors as of late. How incredible is this? I know it's just an iPhone photo, but it still captures some amazing goodness.

Speaking of running...and just be...different (ok, weird)....here's my running playlist for this evening:

Spaceman-Dave Matthews Band
She'd Be California-Rascall Flatts
Pickin' Wildflowers-Keith Anderson
Viva la Vida-Coldplay
You Give Love a Bad Name-Bon Jovi
Separate Ways-Journey (don't hate!)
Fireflies-Owl City
Super Massive Black Hole-Muse
Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love-Coldplay
Set Me Free-John Legend
Straight Away-Mat Kearney

and...because I loved it so much, I ended my run with
Lovers In Japan/Reign of Love-Coldplay--again. It's amazing.

Night On the Town!

2010-01-23T13:16:00.003-08:00

Bryan, Julie, Luis, Myself, Manny, Marcos and Malachi

Yesterday my dear sweet friend Julie arrived in Orange County! She's here on business, but I get to keep her for a few days at least! Last night I picked her up, and we headed straight for LA to meet up with Manny. We all used to be interns and on staff at the same church in Nashville over the past six years or so. We made it to LA in RECORD time for Friday evening traffic! It only took me about an hour or so from the O.C. to Hollywood, where Manny lives.

We decided on a restaurant (or so we thought...) and set off on the adventure of the night. We drove around in circles for about and hour, with two guys in the backseat driving me CRAZY with their lack of knowing where they were! Julie and just laughed and laughed, but I'll admit; I was getting a little frustrated! After changing our cuisine many times, (Mediterranean, Italian, Brazilian, Vietnamese, Israeli..) we finally met up with the others and decided on a little Thai boutique place in Silverlake. It had a great vibe, the food was the best Thai I've EVER had, and we had an absolute blast. Laughed and laughed..got to know one another, it was so fun.

The not so fun part of the evening was losing my wallet! For anyone who knows me, knows that I don't lose things. I'm a very particular person, and normally keep account of my belongings. We searched and searched, to no avail. I was confused, because there had been no fraudulent happenings on my accounts, but no wallet to be found. After returning to the gas station this morning, and calling every place I can remember; I was giving up. Then, this morning I was at the farmers market and I received a phone call from my bank. My heart sunk. I thought for sure she was calling to report fraudulence on my account! Oddly enough, she was calling to say that whoever found my wallet, called the bank!! She three-way connected me to Fred, a dear sweet soul who picked up my wallet last night. I was SO very thankful that an honest person picked it up, and not some thief! Thank GOD! He was definitely looking out for me, that's for sure.

So, an eventful last twelve hours, but the sun is shining, my sweet friend is in town, I see snow covered mountains, and my wallet was recovered. What else could I ask for?

Oh yeah. A date. ;)

The Tennessee Trio goes to San Diego!

2010-01-20T13:34:00.005-08:00

Jenni, myself and Katie

Katie, Jenni and I spent the weekend in San Diego last weekend and had a BLAST! They flew in a few days before I was able to drive down, but once I got there it was go, go, GO! Friday evening we had fun in Old Town, then drove downtown for dinner. We stayed at the fabulous Hotel Indigo right in the Gaslamp District. It's a new, cute, quaint boutique hotel that even had a water fall wall in the lobby! So very cute.

Our awesome hotel! It even had wood floors!

Saturday we drove to Coronado Island. For those who know me know that I have a terrible fear of bridges. It's the strangest thing....but I was able to drive over just fine. There may or may not have been a few moments of panic. I plead the fifth. We toured the Hotel Del, which I vow that I WILL stay in sometime in my life! Being friends with two personal trainers has its benefits, and one of them is working out until you feel you will die. We ran intervals for almost an hour on the beach! After my legs felt like a combination of fire and jello, we rested at the Hotel Dels' beachfront bar and grill. Katie had the most expensive Mimosa ($12!), and Jenni and I enjoyed the sunshine.

Katie and I at the Hotel Del-pre run.

After freshening up at the hotel, (and getting interrogated by the valet), we decided on lunch in Pacific Beach. We did a little walking around and shopping, then ended the afternoon with the sunset at LaHaina's. I know I've talked about this place before, but it really is one of my favorite places in San Diego! It's a small bar/grille tucked in between a few buildings with a great deck overlooking the ocean. It's standing room only out there while the sun sets, but we were able to snag front row seats! I'm amazed every time I see the sun rise and set. God is an incredible Painter.

LaHaina's

View from LaHaina's

Sunday morning the girls had early flights (booo!), so I was on the road home by 6:30 am. I watched an incredible sunrise while driving next to the ocean. The more and more I'm near the ocean, I truly believe I was created for this! I love it. I love the culture, the relaxing attitudes, the beach hair and of course... the surfers!

My girls for life!

I won't see my sweet friends until May, but at least this was an awesome trip, and hopefully will tide us over until Preston's wedding!

Colin Makes it to Hollywood Week!

2010-01-14T21:20:00.003-08:00

My friend from Nashville, Colin Benward, made it through the Atlanta auditions and onto Hollywood week! To see his interview, click here.

He is such a great guy, has a great voice, and most of all, a true passion for the Lord. I hope he makes it far! Good Luck Colin!!

Saturday at the Beach

2010-01-13T14:10:00.005-08:00

My girls Heather and Melissa

Awkward Family Photos :)
Andy, myself, Phill and Melissa

Gorgeous sunset!

O Christmas Tree....

Twas a wee bit chilly...

Phill surfing in the sunset

How could you ever stand here and not say God is the Incredible Artist??

This past Saturday my friends and I decided to embark on a late afternoon adventure to the beach. We loaded up the car with blankets, chairs, snacks and firewood and headed for the coast. It's so strange living 20 minutes from the ocean, but I'm loving it. We were robbed by the parking attendant for $15 parking, but other than that, we had a fabulous time! We roasted marshmallows, ordered pizza, watched the INCREDIBLE sunset, saw Christmas trees go up in flames, laughed as Phill went body surfing.....Heather took these amazing photos all evening, and Phill vlog'd the entire time. Click here to see the video.

I'm so thankful for these precious new friends He has brought into my life. Each one of them plays an important role in my healing heart; and I'm looking forward to what 2010 has to offer!

Spiritual Things

2010-01-11T22:06:00.002-08:00

I usually don't post about my personal spiritual life. Not for a lack of wanting...I just, don't.

Tonight was our weekly small group at church, and we had a great time of discussion. It was a little uncomfortable, but very revealing and left us in a place to build one another up. Afterwards, I was talking with our small group leader, Bryan. Somehow we got to talking about my past, the things that I've walked through this year. I was crying, sharing my heart; and he says "Can I stop you right there? Do you pray for them?" I lost it again. The feelings of injustice, deep heartbreak, and misuse of trust were suddenly right in my face, staring me down. I've been so hurt, so wrapped in my own pain that I've failed to do my right as a believer. To forgive. To give it wholly to Christ.

So tonight on my way home, I shut off the radio, rolled up the window, and took back my place in the Kingdom. Where I've been robbed, where I've abdicated my role, I've now done my part and reclaimed it. He has given me a new song, and I will not be silent!

Married at 18 Enlisted at 19 War veteran by 20

2010-01-07T20:06:00.003-08:00

Today I received news that my youngest brother Sam, would be joining our troops in fighting the war in Afghanistan. He deploys in March with the 10th Mountain Division of Fort Drum, NY.
I'm finding it hard to put words to how I feel. One moment I'm scared, sick to my stomach, anxious, and worrying about his future; the other I'm proud, and stand a little taller knowing someone who is fighting for my freedom. For the most part, I'm sad that my younger brother will experience far more life that I ever thought he would at 19.

So tomorrow, I'll be purchasing a large amount of yellow ribbon, a new yellow ribbon magnet for my car, and a new American Flag. It won't come down until he comes home.

Here's to our troops, veterans and enlisted, who serve bravely, with honor, duty, strength and courage. Now I know how it feels to send a loved one to war.

Photos from my Trip

2010-01-07T20:01:00.002-08:00

Three Cities, Two Weeks, One Exhausted Girl.

2010-01-02T06:52:00.002-08:00

My two week Christmas/ New Year vacation is coming to an end. While I'm sad to see it go, I'm very much ready to return home to California. Warm weather, sun shining, my job, my routines. I'm a fairly structured person, I like to believe. I love new years, new months, new weeks to start fresh and crisp.

The past two weeks have been packed with family, friends, tons of food, and an abundance of laughter. I started my trip by visiting my dad in the city (Louisville, KY that is). We spent the week just relaxing, seeing movies, shopping, Christmas Light looking, etc. It was a great time. We saw Sherlock Holmes on Christmas Day, and I have to say-I LOVED it! I knew that I would, I've been looking forward to it since the first day I saw the trailer for it. If you haven't seen the trailer, click HERE.

My dad and I got to visit my oldest brother, and that was so rewarding!! He is doing so well, and I can't wait to see what 2010 has for him. I also got to visit my youngest brother, Sam. We thought that he wasn't going to be able to be home for Christmas, but the Army came through and there he was!! He is doing so well also, and I'm so proud to have a brother in the military. We'll find out soon where he is to be stationed next; I'm looking forward to know where he'll be! I can't wait to go visit he and his wife, Tiffany.

From Louisville we drove down to Gatlinburg, TN to the cabin that my mom and her husband rented for us. We had so much fun just chilling by the fire, making tons of food, laughing, playing games, and warming up in the hot tub! Saturday we went shopping ALL DAY. We had so much fun, and I scored some awesome sales at the GAP outlet. Sunday we visited Ober Gatlinburg and went snow tubing, rode the alpine slide (I thought I was going to die!!),the chair lift to the top of the mountain, etc. The alpine slide is this fiberglass slide that is almost 2,000 feet long; down the side of a mountain. You get in this "cart" of sorts with wheels, and you go flying down the mountain!! It was so much fun, but I was scared I'd fall off! It's so high up, you have to take a ski lift to get there.

All in all, we had a blast. It was so great to be with family. My mom dropped me off in Nashville, and I met up with all of my different friends throughout the week. I'm staying with Katie, and so far we have had so much fun! We've been to all of our old "spots", Dan McGuiness, Blue Coast Burrito, 9Fruits Smoothies, etc. For New Years we got all dressed up and went downtown to the Flying Saucer. It's in the basement of my favorite hotel in Nashville, the Union Station Hotel. They had a live band, great food, darts, pool and the like. We left shortly after we rang in the New Year and called it a night. To get a good table, we got there fairly early, so by the time 12:00 came around, we were pooped! After taking friends home, we finally called it a night at 3:30am. SHEW! I'm just not that girl anymore!! New Years Day we rented movies, grabbed some food and stayed in most of the day. We had to recoup (as did the rest of the world) from the night before.

Today we are keeping it fairly low-key as well. Visiting my friends who are personal trainers is fun, but it makes you very sore! So we are heading to the YMCA for a quick, but hard work out. Then, hopefully we are going downtown to the Boot store to get my new cowboy boots!! A girl can't have too many. :) Tonight is a sweet friends wedding at the Cheekwood Estates, so I'm looking forward to celebrating with them.

I'll be posting my new years "resolutions" in the coming days-until then, have a fabulous new years weekend!

The Best of 2009

2009-12-21T11:31:00.002-08:00

I was inspired to reflect on 2009, and to highlight the 'best-of's' parts. As most of your know, 2009 was the most challenging, heartbreaking, emotional year that I have ever had. But even through the hardships I faced this year, I am ending 2009 on a positive note! Even though I walked through some very difficult things this year, I have grown more as a person, as a Believer, and have truly come to know what it is to lean FULLY on Christ. He has been my Sustainer throughout every single intricate part of this year.
He orchestrated my move to Southern California, He directed my steps to find my new home church. He knew the specific friends I needed to lean on, confide it, and find healing within. He wanted to show me another side of the country, that He made just for me. He knew I loved the Great Outdoors; so He moved me to where I could experience yet another vast part of His creation.
He is wonderful.
He is faithful.
He is good.

Without further adieu, here is my list of my BEST OF 2009!! (I will not be numerically numbering these, how could I rank events in my life?!)

*Switching to an iPhone. I found cellular freedom!!
*Seeing the ocean on a regular basis.
*Getting my backbone back.
*Meeting new and precious friends.
*The pleasure in serving Him, to truly serve Him.
*Discovering a hidden talent for cake-creating/decorating.
*Seeing a dear friend find musical success. (Check out seabird.com!!!!)
*The joy of assisting in raising the two precious munchkins I nanny for.
*Seeing my youngest brother graduate from Army Basic Training.
*Seeing my oldest brother at the best point in his life.
*Moving to California.
*My 25th Birthday at Arrington Vineyard.
*Seeing dear, precious friends move around the world, pursuing His purpose in their lives.
*Dreaming again.
*Breathing again.
*Dave Matthews Band en concerto!
*Attending the CMT awards right before I moved.
*Seeing my first West Coast sunset.
*Hiking up to the Hollywood sign with my dad.

That's all for now.... a part two will follow soon!

It's the Holiday Season!!

2009-12-16T13:13:00.004-08:00

Well, it's Christmastime. I wouldn't know, as I live in a climate that stays relatively warm year round. It's taken some getting used to; but being able to go outdoors in shorts on December 16th is pretty fabulous!

My dad came for a visit shortly after Thanksgiving-and we had SUCH a blast! We went everywhere. Hollywood and the Hollywood sign, San Diego, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, etc. He was quite culture shocked (as was I when I moved here), but had a wonderful time. I made him a fall-inspired birthday cake, complete with fondant leaves. He was so surprised!

Dad and his cake

Dad and I

I'm gearing up for my trip back to the South, and I am SO ready! I'm taking a two week vacation and hitting all the places I love. Nashville, Gatlinburg, Elizabethtown and Louisville. I'm super excited to spend some fun time with my family, and super, super excited to spend New Years in Nashville with my girls Katie and Jenni!

The list of places to go? I'll start with Nashville:
Ivey Cakes-BEST cupcakes-EVER.
BlueCoast Burrito-the best Naked Salad ever.
9Fruits-Fabulous smoothies, owned by two of my friends.
Opryland Hotel-what's Christmas without seeing the lights at Opryland?!

I've been baking up a storm lately, and have an exciting cake to share with you hopefully, this weekend. It's for a contest that I'm entering, and for my Christmas Party that I'm sharing it at! I can't wait, and I'm hoping it turns out as well as it is in my head!

My Wish List

2009-11-19T17:26:00.006-08:00

Here's my list of things I want...in my dreams.

The new MacBook. My little iBook G4 has been chugging along the past few years; but I'm ready for an update.
These beaut's are Lucchese 1883's. I love Lucchese, because they are the same quality and hand-crafted as the Old Gringo's; but these are made in America.Do I REALLY need to explain this one?! I love MAC cosmetics. But, they are a little pricey! So, I make myself ration my purchases....

Oopsie!!!

2009-11-12T11:36:00.007-08:00

I've been so busy the past few weeks, I've totally neglected my blog!! Sorry. :)

Where to start...the Yankees won the World Series! WOO HOO!! I know in my previous post I was wearing an Angels hat, but I've since burned it and changed my loyalty to the Yankees. There may or may not have been conflict within my household that influenced me. Haha.

I've had a few different friends in and out of the LA area recently, and one whom I haven't seen in almost a YEAR! My dear friend Adam was in town rehearsing for his upcoming cruise. Yep, he's a cruise ship singer, and a very talented one at that! You can check out his music on myspace.com/adambastien.

Halloween was a BLAST! My small group had a fabulous party, and everyone dressed up! I was a pirate...a slightly thrown together pirate. I think it turned out well. My favorite was my friend Mel, she was the "Life of the Party". Complete with lampshade on her head! How incredibly AWESOME is that? Props to her for being so original.
Mel and I

I flew home for a week to see my youngest brother graduate from Army Basic Training! I was a proud sister, tears were free flowing. He's away in Maryland at the moment finishing his AIT. I don't know what AIT stands for...I just know that's what he is doing. I'm excited to spend time with him at Christmas when he and his wife join us in Gatlinburg. I'm still not used to the fact that he is married! Ahh! Where does the time go??So proud of him! My brother Sam, the Soldier.
The cake I made Sam

I've taken a few trips into LA over the past weeks, and my confidence is growing. Yes, I admit it. I'm terrified of the city. I didn't grow up around any large city; so living in one is intimidating to me. I avoid it at all costs. Ashley and I spent the day in LA with Preston, who was in town with his band Seabird, playing a show. Check out myspace.com/seabird to hear their awesome music! We took the Metro and went everywhere we possibly could! It was a busy, busy, busy day, but totally worth it. We ate at a sketchy Taco Truck in Compton (hey, we had real deal Latinos with us, we trusted them!), got lost in Compton, ate breakfast in Compton...best part? We didn't even know we were IN Compton. Woops!

Manny, Ashley and I at the Metro Station

The best part of this blog today will chronicling my trip with KATIE!! Yes ladies and gents, my best friend returned for another West Coast vacation! I was sooooo glad to have her visit, meet my new friends, see new sights, etc etc. We had a BLAST! I had to work during the week, so we braved the crowds and took the munchkins to IKEA. What a day! We spent entirely too much money, and watched as the kiddos slowly melted down. We were all sacked that day; I can't imagine being a real deal mama! Thursday we took the kids to Irvine Park and had a blast! Rode the train, fed the ducks (J was drawn to the peacocks...), and had an overall GREAT time.

View from our room!

Friday Katie and I headed out early to San Diego, to catch a show of our beloved fellow Nashvillian, Mat Kearney. We stayed at a ridiculous hotel, the Hilton BayFront.We went into the Gas lamp District for some great food and fabulous shopping. We ended up spending some of our Friday night in the Hotel's bar area, it was SO beautiful, complete with Bay views and a awesome fire pit. The fact that a Marine Corps Ball was going on had no impact in our decision. :) Well, maybe a little bit. :) We did meet a very nice Marine, who took notice of Katie ;). We spent most of our evening hanging out with him and his friends, watching them do what they do.

Katie and I

Saturday we took our time shopping, we didn't want to leave San Diego! A quick stop at a little dive called LaHaina's a friend told us about, and we headed home. We had just enough time to make a quick change, then we were off to the Irvine Spectrum for dinner with the above mentioned Marine. I absolutely love the Spectrum! It's an outdoor shopping area that is just too cute. I could spend entirely too much time there.Lovin' the fire pit at the hotel!

Sunday was a day for relaxing...so that's what we did. After church, we went to Duke's on the Beach to watch the Titans take on (and DEFEAT) the 49'ers. What a great game! I was glad that a Titan game was airing on Pacific Time, was watching on the beach with my best friend. Who could ask for more?!

We were up and at em' early early EARLY on Monday for Katie to catch her 6a flight. Shew! Rough getting up that early. But, all the fun adventures we had the days before more than made up for it. I can't wait for the next time she visits!!

It's a Bright, Sun-Shinin' Day!

2009-10-01T13:52:00.011-07:00

WOW! I can't believe this weather as of late! So beautiful! There have been hot spells well into the 90's-100's temps; but I still love it. No more Southern Humidity here in Southern California!

A few weeks ago I went with some friends from my new church to "Feed the Troops" at Camp Pendelton, near San Diego. We had a great time setting everything up, serving the guys, and seeing them DEVOUR the food. We served tri-tip steak, potatoes, corn, salad, bread, dessert, I mean the list goes on. The best part was that they had just returned (literally!) from a five day mission out in the fields. They were dirt-encrusted, smelly, faces painted, and shaking from eating nothing but MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). It was so great to see them so excited for a home cooked meal!

Beth and I at Camp Horno, inside Camp Pendleton.

Serving the Troops

Manny and I went down to Balboa Island, Newport Beach a few weeks ago to walk around, see the sights, etc. We had a BLAST! I'm so glad I've got a few friends from back home here in California. Balboa Island, Newport Beach, CA

Manny G on the ferry to Balboa Island

This week I had my first experience at Angel Stadium! We saw the Angels beat the Texas Rangers in a seemingly chill, but really intense game. Smelled the stadium smells, saw the classic "girls who dress like they are going to club", enjoyed our view from out fabulous seats (thanks Ash!), and cheered on our favorite players. What a fun night!

Ashley and I pre-game

Yeah, we gangsta.

Melissa and I

I prayed and prayed for good, quality friends in California, and of course, He exceeds what I ask for! I'm loving my new group of friends, and can't wait for the exciting adventures to come!

A Taste of Home

2009-09-17T13:16:00.004-07:00

Rainbow Cake

As I've posted before, I've really gotten into cake baking and decorating. I started attending Wilton classes at a local craft store, and it's official; I'm hooked! I was a little nervous at first, but my confidence grew as I was decorating. I'm now doing THREE birthday parties in the next month! WHEW!

I'm really into Fondant, but am learning the basics. I need and want to know everything I can!

Grass Cake
My 1st attempt at fondant

I'll try and post photos of the other cakes in the coming weeks!

Thankful...

2009-09-11T17:47:00.004-07:00

Days like today, I like to take a moment and reflect on what I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful for:
my life
my family
my country
my FREEDOM
my military who protects and DEFENDS me
my military family
my beloved friends

I will never forget.

Ok, sad times over. Onto what else I've been up to these past weeks!

The past few weeks have been so fun! I've finally landed on a church home; Southlands at the Gallery. It's a super cool, fun, upbeat church. I'm really loving the worship and teaching. Meeting new friends has been SO refreshing! Hard to believe I've been out here almost three months! I was SO ready for people to hang out with.

The last few Saturdays I've been checking out the different beaches in the area with my friend Manny. We've been to Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach so far. Last week, we rented bikes and cruised the boardwalk along Huntington Beach. It was so fun! On Labor Day I was invited to join my new small group out at a fabulous Lake House on Canyon Lake. We spent the day on the boat wake boarding (or attempting to!), relaxing by the pool, playing crazy games off of the dock on the lake, warming up in the jacuzzi, and getting to know new friends.

I'm looking forward to going into Hollywood this weekend. Yes, doing the cheesy tourist things like the Walk of Stars, Hollywood sign, etc. What can I say...I'm a tourist until I've seen it. :)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, whatever you are doing!

My Newest Addiction..and Inspiration!

2009-08-19T13:16:00.003-07:00

With this recent move, I now am enjoying DirecTV. Not only do I have cable, (gasp, shock!) I even have a fancy schmancy DVR!!! And boy, am I putting it to use! I've gotten addicted to watching any and all shows pertaining to cake baking. In particular, "Cake Boss" on TLC. I love the interaction, love the New Jersey accents, and loooove their work. If you haven't seen it, you can preview the show and Buddy's work here.

I have been thinking and thinking of a new hobby. A project, if you will. Something to challenge myself creatively. After watching these cake shows, it has piqued my interest into Fondant Cake Decorating. Fondant is a "creamed confection". Basically, it's sugar and water, in a certain consistency. Gelatin and Glycerin are added to get that dough-like texture. While I by NO means am aspiring to be a lavish cake decorator as these, I think I can hold my own! So, I'm starting with the basics: a Fondant Cake Decorating class at my local Michael's Arts & Crafts. I could be horrible, I could do just fine. Either way, I'm excited about starting something new!

This is a cake Buddy and his team did for Rachel Ray's 500th Episode. All is edible, impressive, right?

I Miss Kentucky

2009-08-13T20:51:00.002-07:00

I've missed home a lot this week, craving some familiarity. Luckily, a friend from Tennessee was in town playing a concert at The Troubador with his band Seabird. It was so good to see a familiar face, and a good friend at that! I'm so excited for him, he's engaged to be married in May! I just love weddings, now I just need a date....

BUT-I've been LOVING getting to know the California outdoors! I've been doing my workouts outdoors, since the weather is so fabulous; I'm drinking in the constant sunshine, smell of exotic flowers, and the never-ending cloudless blue skies. I have been dreaming of rain the past few nights! Weird and random, I know, but I think it's because I'm used to seeing rain once or twice a week, and I've been here since the beginning of July-and no rain! Weird.

I'm missing my family so much! 2009 has been such a big year for our family. Sam was engaged, married and enlisted in the Army, Scott is away for a while, and Steph is working on entering the workforce. Mom and Alvin are still recovering from the damaging ice storm in March; having to purchase new farmland. Dad is still working at the same location, not much has changed there.
All of my transitions this year have had my head swimming. Leaving my church, pursuing fresh, true and new beliefs in Christ, deciding to leave Nashville after six years, embarking on a journey across the country.

Fall couldn't be here soon enough. I can't wait to go home and see my little brother graduate from Basic Training!

Sam's Wedding!

2009-08-08T23:40:00.012-07:00

I can't believe I've totally forgotten to update and upload about Sam and Tiffany's wedding! Sheesh! Where has my mind been? Oh. Moving across the country. To the city. To the beach. I digress...here are a few photos from the weekend. We had a great time!

The newest addition to the Havard family!

My Daddy and I

Smile, it's cake time!

The Sis and I being silly

The beautiful bride and her ladies!

Goofin' off before the ceremony

Sam and Tiff, the happy couple

"Hawaiian Elegance" Rehearsal Dinner
My sister and I decorated, Mom cooked.

Oldie But a Goodie

2009-08-08T23:10:00.002-07:00

Video from Christmas Day a few years back. Good times with my sister, my mom's new camera, and the Farm's "Mule".

Katie Comes to Cali!

2009-08-04T20:25:00.002-07:00

This past weekend my friend Katie came out to visit me while here on a conference for her work. We had an AMAZING time, as always; and it was SO good to see a familiar face!

The conference was in Long Beach, so Friday evening we ate at Gladstones and had a great time. We ran down to the Irvine Spectrum for some late night shopping. That place is beautiful at dusk! Ferris Wheels, tinkling lights along the sidewalks...it was great. Saturday we spent the evening in Newport Beach, along the boardwalk. We ate at a place beside the ferry to Balboa Island, so good!
Sunday we spent the day at Manhattan Beach in LA. There was a surfing and sand volleyball competition going on....SO perfect!! After enjoying the sun, we headed back to the house to chill and watch a movie. Monday, the day Katie left (so sad!), we ran down to Laguna Beach for some last minute beach time. It was a slow and relaxing morning, Mimosas and Bloody Mary's on the beach. Perfection!

I had a great time exploring the area around me, and it was so nice to have someone to do the adventuring with! I can't wait to meet more people and go explore some more!

My Journey to the Other Side of the Sea

2009-08-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

My journey to the west was one in the making for months. I had kept it on the down low for many reasons; and I’m glad I did. I toyed with the idea of moving to California, then found many reasons to stay in Nashville, TN. Back and forth I went, until I finally realized that yes, this is what I wanted, needed to do.
I work for a fabulous family as a nanny to their two small children. In March, they announced that they were moving to Orange County, CA. In that announcement, they asked me to move with them. As stated above, it took a long time for me to come to a decision!
In part, I didn't want to leave Nashville because CA was so foreign, so different to me. It took me realizing that I moved to Nashville knowing no one at 19, and surviving and thriving. Surely I could make this move at 25. So after putting away the weights to weigh my decision, I made with confidence the choice to move to California.
I was born and raised in the South, something I have taken for granted until now. It truly is a way of life that only exists in the South. I can’t wait to return one day. I didn’t want to leave the green, the rolling hills, the farms, the smell, the Fall season, I could go on. Instead, I’ve traded it for weeks and weeks of blue untainted skies, perfect 80-90 degree weather, and winds from the beach. It’s so odd trying to get used to it not raining here!
So, my Journey began on July 9th, 2009. We flew out on a Thursday, and traveled to Palm Desert for a week of relaxing while the new house was being painted and kid-proofed. We’ve been in our new house for over a few weeks now, and I love it. It sits in the hills, we’re on a culdesac and it’s very lush (with the aids of sprinklers, of course!) in the hills around us. We have a pool in the back (which is AWESOME!), and plenty of space for the kiddos to run and play.
I’m getting used to the area, being able to drive myself around and not get lost (ok, ok. I may have to turn around a few times…). As I said before, we live in the Hills, so it’s beautiful to look out and see the cities below us. We are close to Disneyland, so at 9:30 every night you can hear the fireworks. I’m sure if you were in the right spot, you could see them from our neighborhood.
What do I miss? I miss the ever present smiles on strangers faces, not hesitating to smile and say hello. I miss the Southern Hospitality somehow innately ingrained in almost everyone. I miss seeing muddied up trucks, and I even miss that Deer head sticker from Bass Pro that is on the back of tons of trucks! I miss Sweet Tea, Mello Yello, and no, I haven’t seen a Moon Pie. I doubt I will.
But I know I’m here for a reason. When a new chapter of life begins, new characters are added, and old ones exist no more. A good friend recently gave me this analogy: she said that she was scuba diving for the first time, and after about ten minutes underwater; she had a thought to go to the top and take a breath of air. It was then that she realized that she had everything she needed to function, live and thrive in that moment; just with completely different surroundings.
So that’s what I’m doing, I’m learning to breathe.

Mat Kearney

2009-07-01T21:20:00.005-07:00

I've followed Mat Kearney since the beginning of his career, finding success in indie venues in Nashville, to hearing his music on Grey's Anatomy. I love following artists through the years, see how they morph, change, grow.

Mat is one of those artists. While I miss his hip-hop influences, I really love his latest album. It dropped a few weeks ago, and took me a few spins of the disc before I endorsed it fully. But, it's fully of acoustic and piano flavor; enjoy it!

This video I found on his tour blog, and thought it interesting enough to share. It's an impromptu acoustic version of "Closer to Love", with his drummer on basketball percussion. Take a look!

Summertime!

2009-06-23T17:58:00.002-07:00

I am a lover of all seasons. In the winter, I love winter the most. In the fall, I love fall the most. In the...can you see a pattern?! I guess it's a good thing; to love where you are when you are there the most. Hmm. Deep thought for the day, eh?

Today, I love summer. I have had some wonderful summertime evenings recently, and I wish I could bottle them up and save them forever. A few weeks back I went with a group of friends to the drive-in. We sat in the back of the truck, loaded down with blankets and friends. Perfection.
Curtis, a friend of mine was house-sitting a fabulous home in Green Hills for a couple weeks; so I spent plenty of time over there relaxing by the pool, grilling out, chilling out, and enjoying friends. I'm tellin' ya, bliss. BLISS. There's just something about a warm, balmy evening, a refreshing and fun pool, grilled food, cold beer and good friends. The perfect combination!

A few weekends ago we (Jenni, Katie, and Katie R.) went canoeing; which was SO much fun! I even brought a disposable waterproof camera. How awesome is that?! My computer unfortunately isn't reading the disc that has the photos right now, or I would have some pics to share. We found this great sandbar to stop and have lunch, and the current was rushing pretty strong; so we took the cue from the other boaters and donned out life jackets and floated down the river. Me and my waterproof camera were having such a great time snapping pics that I didn't even see the large rock coming up. Yep, my little knee smacked right into it! OUCH! I think I said a curse word. Or two.

Father's Day weekend I was supposed to go to Kentucky, and I did, but under different circumstances. I won a local radio contest to see Jamey Johnson and Justin Moore at 4th Street Live in Louisville, KY. The bonus? Going to see it in a tour bus. Yep, that's right. Katie went with me, and we joined a few other winners and radio personalities and headed on up to Louisville for the night. We had a BLAST! Great people, fun times on the bus, met and hung out with Jamey and Justin; saw the show from perfect seats (thanks Andie!!), and had the perfect weather. It was a late, late night, but well worth it. We returned to Nashville about 2:30 in the morning, and I went home to sleep for a few hours before getting up and driving BACK to be with my dad for Father's Day. Crazy, I know, but it was worth it.

My sister and I went with my dad to the Shelby County Flea Market for a morning of browsing endless rows of junk. It's a place we used to go to all the time growing up; so we thought it would be fun to return. I bought $20 worth of classic 80's records! Michael Jacksons' Thriller, Styx, The Carpenters, Def Leppard, The Sound of Music Soundtrack, and countless others. I'm looking forward to playing them!

Saturday afternoon my sister, Grandmother and I drove out to Leitchfield for my brothers' wedding shower. It was so cute, and they got tons o' stuff for their new home! What I love about the shower the most was that it was a fire station! How cute! The back side of the fire station has a general room, kind of like a reception hall. It worked perfectly for us! Sam (my brother) took us back to his new apartment to show it off, and it looked awesome! I'm so proud of my baby brother.

Sunday we took dad to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch; he had never been! My older brother joined us, and we were so glad to all be together at one time; it's rare these days! We ended the night by joining my mom and her husband for a late evening Father's Day dinner with him. I loved seeing the sun set over the south...so pretty.
I'll miss this...

I would have posted photos for each event, but I dropped my NEW iPhone last week and I took it to the doctor today to have it's face replaced. I'll post photos later...

Tis the Season...

2009-06-12T12:58:00.003-07:00

...for new iPhone's! Yesterday I walked into an AT&T store...and walked out with an iPhone. Having been a dedicated Sprint subscriber for the past 10 years, I felt a sense of cellular freedom come over me. No more unnecessary fees, no more Sprint calls late at night, no more nonsense!! As soon as I got home I synced, installed, downloaded and uploaded for hours on end.

You see, my iPod was stolen (my fault, really. Left my car unlocked.) about a month ago. I had been toying with the idea of an iPhone, but couldn't gather myself to switch carriers and get all fancy-schmancy. But, when my monthly cell plan was becoming astronomical in price; I decided it was time. And why not combine both phone and iPod? Cheaper in the long run...since all of my family and close friends are on AT&T (free chat time!).

So far, I'm loving it. All the bells and whistles, all the time consuming yet addicted apps (Paper Toss, anyone?!), it was a good and fun investment.

Here's to you Apple, thanks for creating the iPhone. :)

Redikerous!

2009-06-10T12:21:00.001-07:00

Take a look at this amazing light show; made using dorm lights in a building!

Whirlwind Weekends

2009-06-04T06:26:00.009-07:00

Whew! I've been gone the past four weekends in a row; talk about EXHAUSTING! As tired as I was, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I enjoyed every second of it!

Mother's Day weekend I went to Kentucky to visit my family, and had a great time. I spent Friday night with my dad in Louisville, caught a quick breakfast with my grandmother, then saw Star trek with my dad before heading down to Elizabethtown for the remainder of my time in Ky. Went fishing, Mother's Day picnic...it was wonderful.

The following weekend I flew to Washington, D.C. to visit my dad and family. We didn't have an agenda (which was nice!), just attended all the kids softball practices, games, etc. We played so much catch that my arm hurt for a week! Weak, I know. :) We toured a civil war era plantation: The Chatham House. Being a history nerd, I loved every second of it. I took tons of photos, and deemed it my new favorite place to get married. Wait, I think I need to find a man first! We had a great time looking back into the civil wartime, and exploring all the grounds had to offer. I flew back late Sunday night..and was back at work early the next morning.

Former statue pedestal in the gardens over looking the river.

Memorial Day weekend Katie, Jenni and I drove down to Destin, FL. for a little R&R. We had a fabulous time, even amidst the rain. By Saturday evening it had dried up, and Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were perfect Florida days. I've got the tan to prove it! We enjoyed going out to this cool Irish Pub called McGuire's; who hosted a fantastic band called A200. They played SO many great cover songs, and we danced the nights away. I will say, (and Kate and Jenn will laugh at me) that they DID NOT play Summer of 69'! What's up with that?! Any great Southern Rock band needs to know how to play that. Sheesh. I don't get it.

Katie, Jenni and I on the beach

I was planning on staying at home this past weekend, but my mom called and said that all of the family was getting together for a last minute camping trip on the lake. How could I turn THAT down? Lake? Camping? Together? HECK YES!! So, I was off again. We had a BLAST on the lake, camping, sharing stories 'round the fire...and even braved a SERIOUS thunderstorm our second night. I didn't sleep that much that night, camping on the lake made the thunder SO much louder. But, we survived. I had to work on Sunday, so I was up early to book it back to Nashville by 10am.

Enjoying the sunshine on the boat
Tiffany, Sam, Stephanie and I

Tiffany and Sam, to be married on July Fourth!

So, that's my weekends so far! I was supposed to go camping in the Smoky Mountains this coming weekend, but I had to postpone that one. Super tired from the past four! So, I'm looking forward to enjoying going to the Drive In Theater, relaxing by the pool, maybe some hiking in the beautiful TN hills, getting my car detailed (it's still has sea-grime and and sand from Florida!), and hopefully redeeming a massage certificate at a local spa.

I hope you are enjoying this fabulous weather as of late, and are experiencing everything life has to offer!

Frozen Fruit & Yogurt Pops

2009-06-02T06:44:00.006-07:00

This morning I decided to venture out and create a healthy alternative to the ever-so-delightful- sugary frozen treats. It was incredibly simple, actually!

I used two containers of low fat, organic blueberry yogurt, and mixed it in a bowl. Then I gently blended the organic mixed berries (Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) with a hand blender. I didn't want to puree them; I wanted to have some texture in the yogurt once frozen. I mixed the two together , and WOW! what great color the fruit brought. Very rich...I wanted to eat it right then!

I used 2oz Dixie cups for the freezing, and I was out of popsicle sticks...so I used toddler spoons for the handles. Just popped those in the center of the cups, and in to the freezer they went!

*I apologize for the low quality of the photos, as I only use a basic point and shoot digital camera. *

I am really getting into buying local, so I think next time I make these, I'll buy fresh fruit from the local farmers market, freeze it, then use that for the frozen fruit. Right now I've got fresh strawberries, blueberries, grapes, bananas and pineapples on hand...I wonder what tomorrow's concoction will be!

I Miss Kentucky

2009-05-11T17:52:00.002-07:00

This past weekend I traveled to my hometown of Louisville (and surrounding areas), KY for Mother's Day weekend. Whenever I'm in the area, I try to visit as many people as I can, and it gets a little crazy. This weekend I decided to not see any friends, but give all my time to my family. How rewarding it was!

I drove in late Friday night, and spent the late evening with my dad. Saturday morning my sister and I took my Grandmother out to breakfast for Mother's Day. I had not seen the new development of Westport Village; usually when I'm home visiting I don't have time to see all the changes to the city! It was so quaint, full of unique boutiques and restaurants. We ate at this fabulous place called "Wild Eggs", which was so different, but completely delicious!

I caught a matinee of the new Star Trek with my dad-and I LOVED it! Being a child of a sci-fi fan dad, I grew up watching all the old ST's with him. I give it a two thumbs up! After the movie, I drove down to Elizabethtown, where my mom and her husband now live. They are in a beautiful farm house temporarily (major damage to their home in the winter ice storm), but we had a fabulous time. Fished, cooked, laughed, cried, sang...we had a wonderful time.
Sunday I was walking back and forth setting the picnic table outside, and it struck me. I miss Kentucky. I looked down at myself and thought how I would never dress this way in Nashville....boots thrown on, jeans haphazardly halfway tucked in or halfway down my leg. Old faded jeans (ok those are a must no matter where you live!), white button down shirt, my hair was all windblown from driving home in the truck. I looked down at myself and I realized how incredibly comfortable and at home I felt. I was in my element.
So WHY am I moving? Well, I know that it's what I'm supposed to do next. I can't describe it, but I just know. I am secretly hoping that my next destiny is to move to a county home in the south....haha.

All in all, I had a wonderful weekend celebrating my mom and grandma. All of my siblings and I bought my mom a beautiful silver diamond necklace, mom loved it. :) Hopefully I'll have some photos up tomorrow.

April Showers...

2009-04-29T14:01:00.007-07:00

In the past month I've celebrated my 25th birthday, had family visit from out of town, stayed in a hotel, purchased my first pair of bon-a-fide cowboy boots, went to a new restaraunt, saw three concerts, packed my apartment up to move...and the list goes on. Can you see why I haven't posted?? :)

My 25th birthday party was held at Arrington Vineyards, and what a bash it was! Every Spring and Summer, on the weekends; AV hosts "Music in the Vines", a free live music venue. And WHAT a venue!! A spectacular view, amazing music, and the fabulous wine....oh the wine...

The Tasting Room (aka The Lodge) sits atop a grand hill that overlooks the countryside of Williamson County. So beautiful. The vines were not "leafy" just yet; that's what you get when you have a vineyard in Tennessee! My family came down from Kentucky, and my friends all came with yummy food....I couldn't have asked for a better birthday celebration.
Everyone brought cameras, the scenery was too beautiful not to capture! Enjoy these snapshots from various friends..

The Tasting Room (the Lodge)

AV kegs flanking the gated entrance to the Vineyard

My one and only request: IveyCake.
Sweet little Emerson!

The whole crew...minus a few who had already left.
What a fun and fabulous night!!

Tales From the Farm

2009-04-06T09:31:00.003-07:00

The John Boat Experience

It was summertime in the hills of Kentucky, which meant my brother and I were outdoors. It was either be outdoors under the shade the woods provided, or indoors where central A/C was a foreign object and we could quite possibly get sucked into the attic fan in my brothers' room. The fan pulled air so hard through the house, it was scary!

After wandering around one afternoon, my brother Scott and I asked my mom for some help on finding something to do. I'm sure it sounded something like this: (thick Southern accent here) "Mama, we're BOOOOORED!". This particular day mom's idea was for us to carry our little john boat down to the "pond" and go "canoeing". We, of course, thought this was a FABULOUS idea; and quickly ran to the barn to dig out the boat. I'm sure it was buried under all kinds of interesting things in there....I'd rather not think about it.

So, here we were, two little kids struggling to carry this metal boat over our heads and down the hill to the "pond". After what seemed like FOREVER (and I'm sure was only a handful of minutes), and a few drags through the mud, we were here. Our afternoon of bliss. Our boating adventure. We quickly hopped in the boat, so excited to be on our way to expert boatmen. Boatwomen. Boatkids. Aquatic Professionals. Whatever.

We're paddling, paddling, paddling; then all of the sudden "crash! smash! nails on a chalkboard noise! (cattails scratching the sides of the boat)." It seemed that our "pond" was nothing more than a glorified puddle. A sinkhole filled with water. A hole in my heart. But we were not dismayed! We simply reversed positions, and "STROKE! STROKE! STRO"-crash! smash!...we had now arrived at the north end of the "pond". Again, we were not dismayed. we reversed positions, and continued on our journey through the muck.

I'm not sure how long we continued this back and forth process, but eventually, our trusty john boat began to fill with water. Being the girl in this situation, I began to panic. Even though our "pond" wasn't really a pond, it was oddly deep and over my head. As my heroic brother was so frantically trying to bail out the water, I was concerned with getting my feet on dry land as soon as possible. Being the sweet brother he was, Scott paddled enough to get me to the bank just before the unthinkable happened. The trusty john boat sank, and took my brother down with it! While the entire time this tragedy is happening, I was screaming bloody murder for my mom. Soon enough, Scott's head popped up from under the nasty greenish brown murky gag-me water.

He was standing up, his feet stuck in the mud below the waters surface. Ol' Trusty John Boat was stuck in the mud below the water as well. My mom came running, and helped pull my brother out of the mud. I'm sure my dad came home that evening, driving up the dirt road to our house, and was perplexed to see the corner of a familiar john boat sticking out of a really big puddle.
He never asked what happened, and I never returned to the "pond".

Quick Work Out

2009-03-16T17:00:00.002-07:00

Got 30-40 minutes? Live near a park? Want to be active and enjoy the outdoors?

Well, have I got a little present for you! I thought I would share my workout today; so simple and effective! Having a best friend for a personal trainer; I've learned a few good things over the years. One of them is how to have a quick, yet effective and enjoyable workout. Did I just say enjoyable workout? I did.

Items you will need:
Park with a picnic table (Or backyard, whatever works for you)
Beach towel (or yoga mat)
Water
Medicine ball (I used a 6lb today, it's the only one I have)
iPod

Start by warming up with a light jog for 2 songs. I'm BIG into having a good playlist to work out to, and also use it to judge my time by.
You can do the following exercises in any sequence, but I prefer to alternate legs and arms.
Here is what I did today:

20 Walking Lunges w/ medicine ball (MB) over head (be sure to keep your arms straight, and sit down through your butt.)

20 Incline Push Ups-use the end of the picnic table and place your arms shoulder-width apart. For a harder workout, scoot your feet farther away from the table. Be sure to keep your back straight, don't let your lower back and butt sag towards the ground. This can cause back pain!

20 Sit Ups w/ MB. Find a flat spot on the ground and use your towel (or yoga mat) to lay on. Grasping the ball between your hands, be sure to keep it directly over your chest. Let yourself feel the additional weight as you sit up. Do not strain with your neck; let your muscles in your core do the working!

10 Single Leg Squats-lightly holding on to the end of the picnic table, sit down as you would sit in a chair. Feel your you glutes burrrrrrrn (at least mine do)! Be careful not to hold too tightly, rather grasp lightly and let your leg do the work. Switch legs after 10 reps.

Repeat workout as many times as you like. I did this workout 5 cycles today, and finished with a brisk walk around the parks' trail. Be sure to stretch!

My playlist for today:
Dancing Generation-Matt Redman
Bigger Than My Body-John Mayer
Miles to Go-Dave Barnes
These Days-Rascal Flatts
Up and Away-Dave Matthews
Sovereign Hands-Hillsong
Back At your Door-Maroon 5
Angel-Jack Johnson
Yes-Coldplay

2009-03-13T22:27:00.002-07:00

I've joined the twitter world. Follow me HERE!

Now some thoughts on Twitter....

Twitter has now become a verb. To "twitter", or more recently shortened to "tweet"; means to update your status. What is status you ask? Whatever the heck you want it to be. My status today (on facebook. I don't know how to sync the two...) was "Stacey just saw a Segway roll by. Nice.". You can tweet about whatever you want, share a link, a photo, etc. The funniest of it all today was someone's tweet of this : "...let me know if you do a tweet up. i'll join and invite my tweeps aswell."
Let me break it down for you: a tweet up is speaking of a meeting, or joining together of people. Tweeps is a description for the people (aka Twitter'ers) who follow one another.

Clear as mud? I'm glad we had this talk.

Tweet ya later.

Cowboy Boots and Guitars!

2009-03-10T10:05:00.004-07:00

After years of dreaming, hoping and wishing I could attend a Brad Paisley concert, my dream is becoming a reality! Thanks to a good friend (and his good friend) for incredible seats at a ridiculous price! I'm super excited, we're talking ever since Brad came on the country music scene I've been dying to see him live. He is an incredible guitarist, songwriter, and just plain funny. Opening for him is Darius Rucker (more commonly known as the Hootie and the Blowfish frontman), whose country debut cd was pretty good! I'll admit, every time I play his cd I'm taken back to the "Hold Myyyyyyyy Haaaaand!" days...
Also opening for Brad is Dierks Bentley. While I enjoy his music, I'm not a super huge fan. I do like his new single out on the radio right now though "Feel This Fire". All in all, I'm super excited and can't wait for Saturday! Good times to be had!
See below for yourself :)

Me.

2009-03-08T14:43:00.003-07:00

I'm a girly girl. However, I don't keep my toenails painted year round. In fact, as I sit here typing, my toenails have the remnants of last years' pedicure still on them. Don't worry, I plan to fix that this week. The warm weather and my addiction to flip flops is my incentive to get a pedicure.
I like country music. Always have. Have tried to deny it at certain times, but have given myself completely over to it. I think it's the stories the songs tell. Some remind me of frog-giggin with my brother and the neighbor boy when I was 10, the others make me wish I was "the girl" in the songs. Some may say it's wrong to get swept away in a song. I say they are wrong. Be swept away. Favorite one right now?
'Cause there ain't nothin' like the sound
Of a cooler slushin' on the bed of your truck
And ain't nothin' like the sound of real country music
C'mon, turn it up
And I love to hear the whippoorwill sing any night
And the crickets out in the woods
Ooh, don't it feel so right
Don't it sound so good'
"Sound So Good, Ashton Shepherd"

I like my Mac. Alot. Although I'm not very technological, I love my Mac. I may not know how to sync my Twitter feed and Facebook updates, but I love my Mac. I also like having a cell phone. I may not take photos with my phone, upload them to TwitPic which is synced to my Twitter feed which then uploads to my Facebook, but I love my phone. I may not care too much for texting, but darn it I have a super cool 'whooshing' keyboard that pops out and everything. I'm fancy. In my world. Only to me :)

I'd like to consider myself a safe risk taker. Ironic, I know. But I like to take a risk, get a rush, but have investigated it beforehand. Maybe it's my lack of free flowing funds that keep this in line for me; I have a feeling if I had all the money in the world I'd blow it left and right on fun little risks. I like to travel. I like going to a city that I don't know much about (other than transportation and where my hotel is!), and just walking around. Seeing the sights, smelling the smells of something unfamiliar. There are moments in my life when I stop, think about the last time I experienced something unfamiliar, and decide right there to change it. My next unfamiliar adventure? Driving to Alabama. I spent some time in my childhood there, but haven't been back in ages. I think I may take a little trip to the coast and be with my family. This could be interesting. And unfamiliar. But fun.

I'm coming to the realisation that I don't really like clothes shopping. How on EARTH did that happen? I'm constantly asking myself as well. I'm not sure. I'm realizing that it's not as much fun anymore. Again, maybe it's the lack of free flowing cash that's changing my life. Maybe this is a good thing? Nah. I hope my love for shopping is simply being stowed away in the back of my heart for a time being, and will resurface when the time, (and free flowing cash) comes.

I have about thirty pairs of high heels that I don't wear anymore. Part of that is my job change; I went from a corporate environment to a laid back atmosphere that involves kid spit and a lot of snuggles. But I miss my heels. I only wear my black patent leather point toe stilettos anymore...no time for the others. They miss me.

I miss home. Yes, I'm home now, but I'm talking about the home in my memory. Sad thing is I won't ever experience that home again. I drove back home last year, only to find the farm of my memories was crumbling away, one crusty paint layer at a time. That, and the current owners painted the original green tin roof PEACH. Yes, peach. I'm not sure why. I've always thought in the back of my mind that I'd buy that place back one day. I think I may. Lots of memories in that barn. Friday night parties, hay loft adventures, my brother almost dying from bee stings when moving hay, my first cigarette smoke, the carvings from the 1800's builders in the walls. The smell of of tobacco leaves in the dirt. The overgrown cattle stalls. The scary ice house. The memories are endless, and I miss them.

I love warm weather. I'm not sure why I live in a climate where it gets cold. Oh, I enjoy the cold. For just a few days. Then I'm over it. Maybe a trip to a northernmost state will change my mind; since I've never really experienced true snow. Except in the "blizzard of 1994", when it snowed 12" in my hometown in Kentucky. We jumped off the roof of our house into a snow pile. We walked to the store. I thought I was cool and walked off of the road, only to be completely submerged in a snow drift up to my chest! I love the water. Lakes, creeks, waterfalls, the ocean, I love it all; and want to live by a body of water someday. And own a boat :)

So there you have it. Just a little bit more about me. Enjoy the sunshine today, I know I am. :)

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2009-03-03T11:09:00.002-08:00

This past week has been quite the week! Full of its ups and downs, that's for sure. I have been battling a upper respiratory/sinus infection for 10+ days now. We're talking a sore throat that has not let up! It feels like I'm swallowing glass every time I swallow. PAIN. I woke up this morning to PINK EYE! What the heck?! I haven't had this since I was a little girl. The doctor said that it is stemming from the infection in my system. I was sent away with an armful of drugs, hopefully I'll be feeling better soon.

Over the weekend my car was hit. Nothing major, but a few scratches and dents. SO glad it wasn't anything worse, and that no one was hurt (I was not in the car). So, that's never fun...then on Monday I went to have my tires rotated and balanced (been feeling some shakiness when I'm over 50 mph), and was told that I need all new tires. Mine are shot, and ready to blow out. Again, what the heck?! So, I'm in for a big purchase in the coming days; and I'm super excited. Can you tell?

We we re supposed to go cold camping this weekend, but we canceled at the last minute due to the weather. As always with TN weather, we totally could have gone. The rain stopped midday, the sun came out, it snowed overnight...how fun would it have been to wake up to the snow! I had all the food packed; heck, I even bought my fishing license!

So, those are my series of unfortunate events; luckily there were plenty of good times this weekend to counteract all the bad. :)

Because we didn't go camping, we decided to go for a late night bowling adventure. We got to the alley about 12:30 AM, and left by 2am. I bowled my best ever game of 106! And what's a late night without IHOP? So off we go to eat pancakes in the middle of the night. Because we didn't go camping, we decided to "camp" inside at Trish's. Every came over after their late sleep-in; piled on the couch and watch Jack Black movies. We even had a Wii intermission, which we found out that I dominate at Wii boxing HAHA! So random, but so fun.

Sunday I visited Grace Chapel with Jessie and Greg; and LOVED it! Saw a few people that I haven't seen in a while, had a great lunch with the Breeden's and Ecrement's...I loved it. After lunch we decided to catch a matinee of Taken (see preview HERE) , which was incredible! We hung out at Starbucks for awhile before going back to Jessie's and watching Changeling. Not sure what I think about that one just yet. The cinematography was odd, and the plot was a little slow. Can't believe it was up for Oscars! Monday night was Mike's birthday party before he goes back to Iraq (so sad :( ), so we had dinner at Moe's, then to see a movie.

All in all, the positive WAY counteracted the negative this weekend :) Now let's hope I can kick this pinkeye super quick and get back in the swing of things...hope your weekend was fabulous as well!

AMAZING

2009-02-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Power Song

2009-02-03T17:53:00.003-08:00

The key to any great workout is great music. Even having a "power song", if you will. My power song would have to be "Breathe Into Me" by RED. You know the moment in your workout when you are tired, want to go home, bored with your w/o..etc. I wish I had THIS! It's perfect!
I'll be honest, it was hard to get motivated to the gym tonight. I wasn't feeling so good, had mountains of laundry and....HAVE YOU BEEN OUTSIDE? It's cold! Really cold!
But, I overcame the cold, the ickiness and ran my little heart out.

Here's what kept me going:

Green Light-John Legend
Summer of 69-Bryan Adams
Spotlight-MuteMath
Good Morning Revival-Good Charlotte
Staple It Together-Jack Johnson
Keep Your Hands to Yourself-The Calling
Better-Brooke Fraser
Annie-SafetySuit
Hide-RED
Viva la Vida-Coldplay
The Moment-SafetySuit
Free Fallin-John Mayer version (GREAT cool down song!)

Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie

2009-02-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

Saw this video, thought it was incredibly creative; and wanted to share! Enjoy!