Movie Review - Charlie St. Cloud

Okay, before I even get started I am going to admit that I should have waited for this one to come to video before I spent $10 (the matinee price, geez movie prices are getting expensive!) at AMC.  But overall, I didn't hate the movie.  The story was a little strange, but it had a good message and a little hottie named Zac Efron.  Now I must digress:  I have had a little thing for Zac since his High School Musical days (thanks to my sister, Sarah, and Emily Lester)!  Exhibit A:

First of all, love that movie!  It is so cheesy and good, I could watch it anytime, anywhere.  But back then I was 21 and he was more like 16 and I felt like a perv for thinking he was cute.  Fast forward 5 years and all of a sudden, I don't feel like such a puma (i.e - a younger cougar).  Exhibits B and C:

  

Now do you see why I had no problem handing over the 10 bucks.  I knew that even if the movie was bad that I got to look at the above for approximately 1 hr and 47 minutes.  


Moving on, now I had seen the commercials for this movie, unlike Casey.  So I knew the plot of the movie was that he plays baseball with his dead little brother after he dies in a tragic car accident.  Casey had no idea and leaned over to me during the movie and said "This is really weird....".  So, note to self:  the movie is a little Sixth Sensey... Zac's character Charlie sees not only his dead little brother, but a dead friend of his, and others as well. 


The plot is pretty simple:  Charlie and his brother are real tight.  Their dad isn't around and Charlie takes care of his brother a lot because their mother works late night shifts at the hospital.  Charlie likes to sail, and graduates high school with a full sailing scholarship to college.  Before he is set to leave, Charlie promises his little brother to play baseball every night until he goes.  Then disaster hits:  Charlie and his brother get hit by a drunk driver; the brother dies and Charlie  has to be shocked back to life.  Fast forward 5 years and Charlie is a lost soul, working in the graveyard in the local town and playing baseball every day at sunset (as promised) with his little brother.


Charlie then meets and runs into Tess, a former high schoolmate and fellow sailor, asleep in the cemetery at her father's grave.  She said she had had a rough sail the day before.  They spend time together and develop feelings for each other.  So much that Charlie is late to meet his brother.  He tells Tess that he can't be in both her and his brother's world.


The next day he finds out that Tess has actually been missing for several days; and he realizes that he can see Tess like he can see his little brother.  Apparently this is a gift since he came close to dying himself.  However, he realizes she isn't dead....yet.  Her ship has been wrecked and he must find her and save her.  He does, and during doing so he completely misses a sunset meeting with his brother.  He sees a shooting star (from his brother) that leads him to where Tess's shipwreck occurred.  He finds and saves her.  Then they end up falling in love and sailing away together.


Sounds weird right??  Trust me, it was.  The story didn't flow as smooth as it should and some parts of the plot didn't really make sense.  But, I must admit that it was good to see Zac Efron in a dramatic role.  He actually is a pretty good actor, and so easy on the eyes.  But, while the movie was weird and you didn't know if people were dead or alive, the message was good.  Charlie was holding on to his little brother's memory because he felt guilty about moving on.  It took him saving Tess to realize that he had to move on and doing so wouldn't make him forget his brother, but remember him with love and respect.


I have never lost anyone important in my life, but if it were to happen I hope that I could find comfort knowing that they were in a better place and that I will see them again.  You can't miss the rest of your life blaming yourself or feeling guilty for the loved ones you have lost.  You need to remember and love them, but ultimately (after enough grieving time) transition must occur in order to move on and live life.


Overall grade:  B-  (it would have gotten a C or a C- without Zac, but like I said before I could have watched almost anything with Zac Efron for 2 hours and been content!)


Stay Tuned, the Emmys were tonight and I will have a full recap tomorrow....winners, losers, and my personal opinions on best and worst dressed!


Until then, Ciao for Now!

Congrats to the Newest Design Star!!

Congratulations to Emily Henderson the newest HGTV Design Star!  While there were several great designers, Emily beat Michael in the show finale.  


If you know me, you know that I really love this show.  It's a show where designers compete to win a job hosting their own design show on HGTV.  PS- I really think that HGTV has more of a cult following than people let on.  Seriously, there is some really good stuff on this channel.  Emily's show idea is Style to Lifestyle, she is looking to help people make their homes reflect their own personal style, which I think is a pretty brilliant idea for a show.  It got me to begin thinking about how I would help people I know decorate with their own personal style and improve my own.  Now I am no designer, but I must mention that a friend that was recently over at my apartment made the statement "this is exactly what I pictured your place to be like".  So I guess my personal style is reflected in my place, which would obviously mean that I would not be a good candidate for the show.  But, maybe I should look into working on the style crew or something....

 Here are some of my favorite pics from Emily's designs.  Let them inspire you if you are in a need of expressing yourself in your living space.

   

Love these green chairs and chandelier.

I also loved what she did with this glass house challenge.  Love the wallpaper here.

I also love the drapes in this dining room.

And this chandelier in the kitchen challenge.

Now go be inspired and see what you come up with!  If only I didn't have things like a full-time job and limited funds.

Movie Review - Eat, Pray, Love

Hello all followers (which is 10 based on my last count....haha....).  First off, I want to address that I am aware that I said that I would talk about my love for a Mr. Will Ferrell and the sport of running.  That will come soon, I promise (I know you are just dying waiting for it).  And I am not going to talk about Bachelor Pad this week (although I did watch and it was fabulously awful....it was like being in high school all over again...there were cool kids, dorky kids, people getting it on, people calling each other sluts, absolutely priceless!)  Since I am not going to talk about that this week, please refer to the I Hate Green Beans blog for updates as Miss Lincee Ray has a fabulous recap ready for readers.  I will say one thing and one thing only about B-Pad.....who in their right mind would ever vote hot-ass Kiptyn off the island?  Luckily he charmed his way into next week...keep your fingers crossed as I would love for him to win!  Still haven't gotten to see enough of his abs though....


Moving on with the point of this week's post.  My first movie review on my blog!  Seeing how this is my number one dream job I hope you take what I say to heart.


Movie:  Eat, Pray, Love 
Starring:  Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco, Bill Crudup
Movie Rating (per Emily) :  B-

Now before I get started, I must admit that I have not read the book (it is on my to-do list, but I haven't gotten that far yet....).  So, my review is purely on the movie alone.  Now while I did not hate the movie, I didn't love it.  I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert's journey across the world and the people she met along the way.  What I didn't care for was why it took a journey around the world for her to figure out how to be a happy person.  Especially since her journey was one that most people would not be able to afford (she apparently paid for the trip with a book advance).  I found her character at times to be selfish to those very dear to her, yet very giving to the people she meets on her journey (Can you tell how conflicted I am with her decisions?).  While I was happy with the ending, I felt like it didn't have to take her that long to get there.  


The movie starts out with her being married and unhappy.  Outwardly she has it all:  cute husband, good friends, successful career.  But, she isn't sure if she wants kids, has an itch to travel, is unhappy in her marriage, and spends many nights crying on the floor.  She divorces her husband, and starts dating a so-so actor half of her age (played by James Franco).  Shockingly, 6 months later she is unhappy in her relationship and again crying on the floor.  So she decides to leave and "find herself".  She will spend a year away from the states:  4 months in each Italy, India, and Bali.


Eat - Italy


Before it even started I knew Italy would be my favorite part of the movie.  Who doesn't love Italy?  She meets some wonderful friends here:  mainly a Swedish woman and her boyfriend translator who helps her learn Italian.  Note to self:  eat before you go see the movie.  In Italy it is all about food, food, food, and it all looks delicious.  Anyway, the Swedish woman and her become great friends who must go shopping for new jeans together after about a month of living there.  Seeing Julia Roberts squeeze into a pair of jeans on the dressing room floor was priceless!  Italy is a happy place for Elizabeth.  The people are nice, the food is great, and the views are remarkable.  However, as soon as you get attached to her new friends, it is time for her to move on to India.  No major developments happen for her in Italy; she leaves in a happy place missing her new friends.


Pray - India


Again, before it even started I knew that India would be my least favorite part of the movie.  Mainly because I was aware that this portion of the book was not Christian based, I therefore had issues with her trying to find her spirituality while meditating to a picture of a woman that people call the "Guru".  (I think that was my problem with the whole story, she tried to find her spirituality within herself instead of through God, and I don't think that is the right way to approach spirituality).  Regardless, in India you see her go from a happy place to rock-bottom.  She can't focus in meditation, there is no good air conditioning, and she gets bug bites the size of quarters (where is the Off! when you need it?!).  She meets a fellow American man from Texas who she ends up be-friending.  He teaches her to listen to herself and tells her to forgive herself for the past.  She also becomes close to a young Indian girl who must become a bride in an arranged marriage.     Her and the Indian girl share the same feelings about feeling trapped in their relationships.  However, the Indian girl did not get to choose her arranged marriage and she has hopes for her and her new husband's future; Elizabeth had the right to choose and was still unhappy.  Definitely puts things in perspective for the viewer.  She leaves India having risen from rock bottom, but she still doesn't have the balance she was hoping for.


Love - Bali


Oh Bali.  Now I loved this part of the movie.  Bali looks beautiful, and I have never thought it would be at the top of my list for worldly travels, but it is definitely rising after seeing this movie.  Elizabeth rents a hut right off the water, and there don't appear to be quite as many bugs!  She chooses to go to Bali to find her balance.  A medicine man she interviewed for a previous magazine article said that she would come back to Bali in the future, thus being the reason she decides to end her journey there.  


Two major things happen in Bali:  she becomes friends with a divorced woman and her daughter.  This woman doesn't have enough money for a home, but Elizabeth raises it from all of her friends back in the states.  That is the part of her character that is so giving, you really begin to love her.  She also falls in love in Bali, although she doesn't want to admit it.  Javier Bardem's character is a divorced business owner from Brazil who has moved his business to Bali.  He is kind-hearted, sweet, and incredibly good looking.  And he wants nothing but Elizabeth.  Sadly, when he expresses to her how he feels she freaks out and runs away.  She feels as if he has thrown her off of her balance.  She doesn't know if loving him will cause her to love herself.  However, when she goes back to the medicine man, he gives her a  wonderful piece of advice (which is my favorite part of the movie):  He says "Sometimes you have to lose your balance in love to find your balance in life."  And all of a sudden she's got it:  you don't have to lose yourself in a relationship, you can find yourself by being in a relationship and growing with that other person.  The movie ends with her and Javier setting sail to a romantic getaway.  She has indeed found her balance.


Takeaways:  First of all, before she comes back to him, she leaves Javier on the beach....who in their right mind would do that?  (Not me!)  Anyway, I am happy that Elizabeth finally let down her guard in the end.  I know in real life that she did marry the Brazilian man.  I think she could have gotten there a lot faster if she could have just let herself be happy in her surroundings (where ever she was).  Not all of us can run across the globe trying to get away from our problems, we must instead face them head on.  


My advice to Elizabeth (not that I have ever been married, but from an outsider's perspective):  do what makes you happy and learn that you can't solve all problems on your own, you have to talk to the big Guy upstairs and lean on Him in times of need.  We are all weak and cannot fix everything ourselves.  Do not be afraid of admitting that you need help in life.  That's what friends, family, and God are for (when you can't escape away to Italy, India, and Bali).


Look for new posts within the next week about the promised topics.  And if you did see Eat, Pray, Love, let me know what you thought as well. 


Until then, Ciao for now!


  

Bachelor Pad...or should I say the B Pad??

Ok, before I even get started....let me tell you that the I Hate Green Beans blog will have much more details and play by plays than my recap here....but here are my thoughts on the B Pad.....which happened to be full of tons of D Bags....shocker?  I think not....


It started out innocently enough with Tenley being the first person to walk out of the limo and talk with Chris Harrison.  As Disney-like as she is, I definitely love Tenley....a part of me secretly wishes that I could have seen her as Ariel in the Tokyo version of the "Little Mermaid".  After Tenley's introduction it started to go downhill.  Basically we have a group of 8 guys and 11 girls for a total of 19 people competing for $250,000.  Now I really cannot believe that ABC is giving away that much money for the winner.  I honestly think that these people would have come and competed for free beer and a ride on a Mardi Gras float.  Regardless, the winner of this Real World/Road Rules type of competition orgy will be 1/4 a millionaire....scary thought.


The rest of the people who come out to play consist of a variety of crazy people including Nikki and Juan (who are now ex-lovers...watch out....), Elizabeth and Jesse Kovacs (Elizabeth sporting some really bad blonde hair and professing her love for Jesse), Natalie and Jesse Beck, anger management David Goode, crazy Michelle (who looks like someone I know who is also crazy), Gwen from season 2 (who should have been the girl Aaron chose that season), bad boy Wes, the Weatherman and his best friend Craig M., swimsuit model Gia, and a few others, including hot ass Kiptyn (cannot wait to see him with his shirt off!).


After all the introductions a few things become clear:  people are going to hook up, make out, make alliances, fight, and cry their eyes out.  So it is a recipe for both great disasters and great TV (now when I say great I mean really bad, but so bad that is good...much like a train wreck).  Moving on....hottie Chris Harrison will cohost with fellow Dallas girl Melissa Rycroft-Strickland.  There will be several challenges where people can win roses and each week one girl and one guy will be voted off by the members of the opposite sex.  This is where Juan realized he was screwed for using and abusing Nikki.


The first challenge was a giant twister game where people thought Tenley would be the clear winner because of her great flexibility.  However she was the first one out when she couldn't tell her left from her right foot.  Sadly, she wasn't the only one to get out for this reason.  I counted and there were 4 other people that also got out for not knowing their right limb from their left.  Now we shouldn't be too harsh on these people.  I have gotten out from twister before because I didn't know my left foot from my right.  However, the last time this happened to me I was 7 years old and at a slumber party.  And you know what I did?  I had my mom write a big "R" and a big "L" on each of my hands so that would never happen again.  Maybe a few of the contestants will learn this little trick for their next twister competition.


Craig M. wins and decides to take girl Jessie, Elizabeth, and Gwen on his date.  Surprisingly, he does not invite Michelle even though he made out with her in the bunk bed the night before.  Oh yes, I said bunk bed.  All contestants sleep in a camp-like style room and Craig and Michelle were allegedly the first two to hook up.  Michelle needs to learn that guys don't like girls who give it up on the first night..... Craig's date with the three women who didn't give it up was your usual bachelor date....it included the beach with all 3 girls and a concert just for Craig and Jessie, who he gave the date rose to.


Back at the B Pad you see a couple of things go down.  Elizabeth is manipulating all of the girls to think that Jesse K. is being cruel to her and she is just so heart broken because she is so in love with him.  I couldn't really listen to any of this because her hair color was blinding me so much.  She was a much prettier brunette.  Other than that Tenley got locked in the bathroom with Michelle and Michelle made her cry because apparently it was Tenley who told everyone about Michelle and Craig M and Michelle was PISSED.  Now I do feel bad for Tenley because Michelle is crazy, but the last person I know who got locked in the bathroom and cried was a kid under the age of two.


At the first rose ceremony we learn that both Michelle and Juan are going home.  So the lessons learned on how to stay in this competition are don't be an easy girl or a guy who hooks up with someone prior to learning who all is ending up on the B Pad casting list.

I left the episode with only one thought.....I did not see enough of Kiptyn's abs.  Hopefully that will change next week.  Until then this pic will have to do.


And that my friends was B Pad with some D Bags thrown in.  Make sure to check out the Green Beans blog for further humor.


Until next time, Ciao for now!

7 Dresses....So Far.

"It's wedding season!"  To some of you this may conjure up some great memories of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson motor-boating their way through Wedding Crashers (I realize this is likely mostly male readers).  To others, this makes you think of the months of May - September when weddings appear to happen as often as the 100 degree plus heat in Oklahoma and Texas (as of August 7 we had 12 days in a row that topped 100, someone get the sprinkler!).  Now some people LOVE weddings (mostly female) and others HATE them (mostly male).  Being female, I am one of the ones who loves weddings....not really a shocker here.  For me it is all about the music, alcohol, and the cake.  


First off, I don't care if you want to have italian cream, lemon, chocolate, or red velvet cake....be as creative as you want (however, let's leave the creativity to the groom's cake).  I get really disappointed at weddings where I cannot have some form of vanilla cake.  Call me a boring person, but nothing is better than eating a piece of vanilla cake and then dancing to "Shout" with everyone from little kids to grandparents.  I know it's cheesy but that's what makes weddings fun.  You can't really have a wedding without the following classics:  Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, Shout, and YMCA.  All you need is a little alcohol and (as was the case with me at a wedding yesterday) you find yourself dancing with someone you wouldn't normally dance with during one of the previously mentioned songs (which was the groom's father...shockingly this wasn't that inappropriate).  Now, I am not condoning alcoholism, but if you are going to shove several hundred people in a room and expect them to "get down" you have to throw in a little liquid courage.  It just makes the party more fun, and iced tea and punch will not get you there.


Moving on with the point of this post, I have had the blessed opportunity to be in several of my friends weddings.  I didn't really realize just how many weddings I had been in until one of my friends pointed out all of the pictures I had of me with the various brides.  So, in true Katherine Heigl style, I am going to "model" each of the weddings I have been in.  Enjoy, and remember the quote "you can shorten it and wear it again".  (And FYI - I actually have worn several of these dresses again, so that statement is in fact true):


Friend #1 - Allie

My sorority sister Allie's wedding was the first I was in.  This was fall of 2007.  We lucked out here; it was supposed to rain, the weather had been cold and rainy all week.  But the day of the wedding, the sky cleared up and we were able to have the wedding outside, and it turned out perfect.

Friend #2 - Sarah C.

Sarah and I became friends during middle school drill team tryouts.  That was back in 1996 and almost 15 years later we are still great friends (I am ready for her to be done with Optometry school so I can see her more often).  I have to tell you the meaning behind this picture.  Sarah and I became friends during the Spartan Cheerleader days of Saturday Night Live (look for a future post on my love for Will Ferrell). Therefore, we are paying an ode to our favorite SNL skit.    The Cheer we were known for involved the Spartan Cheerleaders trying to impress people at a party who were watching the movie "Halloween".  We may or may not reperform this cheer upon request, especially in McDonald's parking lots:  "Boo! You're Scared, I think you pooped your pants.  Now run downstairs and clean yourself and do a funky dance!  Look, it's Michael Myers, he might hurt us.  If you're scared, you'll be bouncing up and down like Jamie Lee Curtis.  Jamie Lee, Where's her bra? I don't know, I don't know....  Jamie Lee, Where's her bra? I don't know, I don't know....Headlights!"  

Friend #3 - Audrea

Audrea and I have been friends since we met in the OU dorms in the Fall of 2003.  She got married in 2008 right before moving to San Diego.  Thankfully, she is moving to Fort Worth in January so I will get to see her more often again!  But, I will miss having a friend to visit in California!  She is frowning in the pic because she let me borrow her engagement ring and I did NOT want to give it back!

Friend #4  - Jenni

Jenni and I have been friends since we were babies.  She got married back home in Ardmore in the Summer of 2008.  Weddings in your hometown are always great because a lot of local people come and help you celebrate.

Friend #5 - Crystal

Crystal and I have known each other since youth group at the First Baptist Church.  I kind of had a girl crush on Crystal, but she was a year older than me and we never really had the opportunity to hang out.  However, in college we got the opportunity to become great friends though my friend Holly.  Now, she is like a sister to me and I love every moment I get to see her, which is at least once every 2 months because she is also my hairdresser!  (I didn't have a picture saved on my computer of us together with me in my bridesmaid's dress, so this will have to do.  One is a pic from Crystal's bridals, and the other is all of her bridesmaid's the day before her wedding).

Friend #6 - Sarah P.

Sarah is my best friend from Kappa.  She has been a great friend to me over the past 5 years and I am so thankful for her friendship!  I loved the grey and yellow theme that we did for her wedding (thanks to the wonderful wedding planners and friends, Ann Marie and Jenny)!!  




Friend #7 - Amy 

I feel weird calling Amy my "friend #7", because she is actually my number one friend since she is my twin sister.  However, I did these in chronological order, and my sister was the most recent person in my life to get married.  She went with a very classy black, white, and pale pink color scheme and it went off without a hitch.














So there you have it.  I have been in 7 weddings in the past 3 years.  They have all been such great experiences that I wouldn't change for anything.  I doubt I will be in 20 more weddings to make it to the golden number 27, but if so I will highly consider asking all of the bride's to wear their bridesmaid's dress to my wedding (just kidding!)  On a final note, I would like to thank all of the brides involved for not doing any themed weddings...nothing is more weird than being on a horse, underwater, in the air, or in a themed outfit to match some special motif the bride wanted to follow.  

Next up, a detailed opinion on ABC's new show The Bachelor Pad, plus a tribute to Will Ferrell, and a discussion on my favorite aerobic activity:  running.


Until then, Ciao for now!

Favorites

Okay, now that I have basically told you everything about myself since the womb, I thought that I would tell you a little bit more about some of my favorite things.

Favorite Movie: “When Harry Met Sally…”
I just don’t see how there can be an argument here. You have Meg Ryan (who doesn’t love her?) and Billy Crystal’s comedic timing is perfection. It’s a romantic comedy but a classic all at the same time…and I don’t know why but I have always loved movies that took place in the 80s….I don’t know if it is because that is the first time period that I actually remember or what….but there is something about the big hair and bad clothes with scrunchy socks that I just love. And I think Sally Albright reminds me so much of myself….she is a little too driven and high strung and she thinks that every thought she has is reasonable and logical. And then Harry just totally rips all of her arguments apart and you realize that their personalities complement each other perfectly. One of my favorite scenes is the beginning car scene on their drive from Chicago to New York….Harry asks her to tell him the story of her life and she says that nothing has happened to her yet, which is why she is moving to New York. He says, what are you going to do in New York? and she says that she was going to be a writer at a paper….he follows up with “So you can a write about things that happen to other people….” Absolutely hilarious. And then there is everyone’s favorite scene: the diner scene where the infamous “I’ll have what she’s having” line was born. I love it….and just a little side note….everyone knows that Meg Ryan is much more attractive than Billy Crystal. But I am really glad the movie was made in the 80s because Billy plays that character perfectly; if the movie was made now there is no way he would ever have been cast in that role. And who doesn’t love the thought of falling in love with their best friend? (this might also be why I love Chandler and Monica together so much….)

And the only movie that I have enjoyed almost as much as “When Harry Met Sally” was the most recent “500 Days of Summer”….if you haven’t seen it, you must. I mean I went and rented the movie and as I returned it to Blockbuster I walked over to the shelf where it was for sale and purchased it, took it home, and watched it again. Since this movie is runner up, I won’t go into grave details other than to say that Jenny Beckman is in fact a bitch. (Carolyn – tell Andrew that quote is for him!)

Favorite TV show: This one is hard because I have my classics that I watch on reruns every single night and then my current shows. Of course my two classics are Friends and Sex and the City. They both come on between the hours of 11pm and 12:30am so I normally fall asleep to episodes I have seen plenty of times. I don’t know why but I never get sick of seeing Ross in hilariously weird situations, Chandler’s jokes, and Carrie running around New York City constantly searching for her Mr. Right, who ends up being Mr. Big, who we all know she meets in the first episode anyway…it only took six seasons and two movies for us to know for sure that they are going to end up together.

On a side note, I know that most girls have had the conversation about if they are a Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, or Samantha. I have done some thinking about it and most people I think want to be a mix of Carrie and Charlotte. No one wants to be Samantha because they don’t want to be labeled a slut, and no one wants to be Miranda because she is….well Miranda. Of course who does everyone tell me that I remind them of….freaking Miranda (As my friend Holly put it….a much prettier version….thanks Hollus….but that still means I am Miranda none-the-less….). Ok seeing how neither of these shows are on the air anymore I guess I should move on…..

So the current winner of the favorite TV show category goes to……..Modern Family. This show just did it for me this year. And I think it is due to the character development. I am absolutely in love with Phil and Cameron; they are my favorite two characters. But who also doesn’t love Manny, Gloria, and Claire? And, Claire and Phil’s son Luke….he is so funny….I was trying to describe this character to Casey and all I could come up with was the following: he is the kid who eats glue….come on, we all know there was the one kid in your elementary school class who fit this category. And, who doesn’t love the resurgence of Ed O’Neil (aka Al Bundy). The show is phenomenal and I hope it has a steller second season; however, if not all of season one is still saved on my DVR.

Favorite Reality TV show: this one is not hard as it is anything that is put together by the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise….now I could go on and on and on about the Bachelor, but I will just say this: if you really want to hear funny commentary about all things Bachelor/Bachelorette then go explore the blog by Lincee (I don’t know her but her blog is hilarious….it is www.ihategreenbeans.com, see to the left). But let’s face it, the show does not get old…well actually it does, but I really enjoy mindless entertainment on Monday nights. And we all know Chris Harrison has got to get sick of having the same interviews with different people. But at the same time he gets to go all over the world with the contestants and all he has to do is talk to them for half an hour. So I really don’t feel all that bad for him. And in all honesty the show is fun to watch because of all the beautiful places they go and chiseled abs I get to look at. For all other commentary, see I hate green beans….you will love it.  And I will always love Chris Harrison.


Favorite Music: I love so many kinds of music. If you know me, you know that concerts are my number one thing I like to do. I don’t care if the concert is big, small, pop, country, rock, whatever. I love watching people play music. But, if you know me, you also know that I am OBSESSED with country music. This includes watching CMT most mornings (in conjunction with the Today show, which is my favorite morning news broadcast), reading country weekly, and going to as many country music venues as possible (The most fabulous concert I went to was with Heidi, Chapman, and Holly in College Station Texas. It was called Big State Festival and was a two day concert event with everyone from Lyle Lovett to Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley….loved it).

Favorite Band: Right now it is hands down Lady Antebellum, and I have been way on to them since before the Need You Now phenomenon. I caught on to them in early 2008 and have been following them ever since. Their talented writing and Charles and Hilary’s voices together are absolutely amazing. It is hard for me to pick a favorite song, but I want to highly recommend one song from each of their albums that were not singles for you to try: “All We’d Ever Need” from their first album and “Love this Pain” from the Need You Now album. They also have a fantastic acoustic version of “Need You Now” from the CMA music festival that gets played on Sirius….I highly recommend that as well.

Favorite Store: Besides Cloverleaf (see previous blog entry) this award goes to Anthropologie…I could live in this store….literally, they have bedding and home décor along with jewelry and clothing. And, as long as I could order in there are also kitchen supplies so I would be good to go! What I love about Anthro is how unique all of the items are….I can shop there and not feel like I am going to see myself when I go out that night.

Favorite Thing to Read:  People Magazine.  Now let me tell you, this is not and can not be considered a tabloid....all of the stories in People are legitimate, nothing is printed that hasn't already been confirmed!  I blame this addiction on my mother....I remember the first weekly edition of People that I read, my mom had gotten it in the mail and asked if I wanted to read it.  It was 1999 and Carnie Wilson was on the cover.  She had just had her first bypass surgery.  Over ten years later I am still reading it weekly.  It comes in the mail on Friday.  I normally have it read cover to cover by Saturday afternoon at the latest.  I will be a subscriber until the day I die.  Although, I am not a fan of their movie reviewer.  Her name is Leah Rozen and she hates a lot of movies.  She will say things like..."Valentine's Day was  silly romantic comedy.  I wouldn't recommend it."  My response:  Duh!  Of course it is a silly romantic comedy.  If I wanted to watch something thoughtful and insightful I would have gone to see "Inception" (which was captivating by the way).  Sorry to get off track...I have always secretly wanted to be a movie reviewer...think about it....I could get paid to watch movies and then write about them?  Man am I in the wrong field.  But, my advice to Leah...don't go into a cheaply made funny movie and expect it to be as moving or deep as "Crash"....it won't happen!  Take each movie for what it is worth and try to enjoy it.  Sorry, soapbox....moving on....

Favorite Quote: This will be a shout-out to my co-workers. We keep a list of funny quotes at work and read the list out loud at various times. And the best so far was me and my co-worker trying to fix a paper jam in the rear door of the copier. Another co-worker of ours was out for the day and I said that we needed to make sure to tell him that he missed “some real good rear door action”. As soon as I said it I knew that it didn’t sound all that appropriate, but that is what makes it so funny. Needless to say we laughed for a good ten minutes about it.

One final shout out to my co-workers, if any of you are reading this. First off I must say that one reason I had time to start this blog is because I am in the middle of training for work….which means I have a lot of down time. Anyway, let’s just say that someone from work saw the time of my last post and I had a very good prank pulled on me. All I have to say to you guys is bravo, best prank of the year. (PS- don't look at the time of this blog, as I am once again in training.....)

And per request from Holly, my next post will be dedicated to my own little version of the movie “27 Dresses”….until then, Ciao for now!

Who I am...

Ok, so here it goes. I have entered blog land. I have always thought that blogging was just for married people or families: a place to highlight engagement pics, wedding pics, and baby pics. No offense to my friends who are married (which is a vast majority of you) or who have kids (which is becoming a vast majority of you), because I love nothing more than catching up and reading about other people’s lives on their blogs. I just have never felt that I have fit the category of someone who should become a blogger. I always thought that no one would really care what I have to say (which may still be entirely true seeing how a lot of my day consists of me talking about things such as natural gas spot prices, liquidity, and debits and credits….I know I know you are all thinking “Boring!”). However, being the fact that I speak Accounting language for 8-14 hours a day (I am dreading busy season already!), I decided that I need a creative outlet in my life. If anything, this blog will simply be a way for me to remember how I felt and what was going on in my life at any given moment (If I keep up with it, which I strongly intend to do). Of course I would love to have readers, but besides my mom (love ya Nance), close family members, and a few friends that I send this blog link to, I am not sure who else will read it. However, I do not really care; I think me just taking the time to write is a wonderful release from number crunching and will help me stay a sane person.

So with all that being said, let me tell talk a little bit about myself. I was born and raised in Ardmore, Oklahoma, a small town just north of the Oklahoma/Texas border. It was a great place to grow up. My dad is a high school baseball and football coach, so my twin sister and I grew up always going to games and having a blast running up and down the bleachers and across the field. It was just my sister and I, and with being a twin I always had someone to play with (love ya sis), which made it fun no matter the size of the town. Now that I live in Dallas, I miss those days where I could get across town in 10 minutes flat. Now, I have to allow at least 20 -30 minutes to get to certain areas of the city.

I left Ardmore in the fall of 2003 to attend the University of Oklahoma, where I graduated with a Master’s of Accountancy degree in May of 2008. While in college, I was mostly involved in working and Greek life (Go KAPPA!!). Work for me (from the time I was 16 until I started my first real job) was at a fabulous place called the Cloverleaf. Maybe you have heard of it, maybe not. It is a fantastic women’s store that sells gifts, clothes, jewelry, and has the best eclectic feel. My mom’s friend, Heidi Chapman, owns 3 Cloverleaf stores: one in Ardmore, one in Oklahoma City, and one at the Winstar Casino just north of the Texas border. She has the best eye and wonderful vision when creating fabulous things out of what most people would call “junk”. This vision helped her land a spread in Country Living in 2008 and I am so very proud of everything she has accomplished. I miss working at the store, but still help her from time to time (mainly when it’s time for her to get things ready for her taxes! haha). I could not have asked for a better fun learning experience. It was a pleasure helping her over the years with everything from displays to picking out clothes for mannequins and helping customers shop. You never know what you are going to get with Heidi. Some of my favorite experiences with her from 2001 – 2008 included all of the many garage sales, road trips, Canton and Round Top stops where she has collected everything from old carousel pieces, to a large wrought iron chicken, and a 1970s car that had been turned into a Mexcian Taxi or the “Tijuana Taxi” as it is now known. When she showed the Taxi to my mom and I her words to describe the car, as she turned the key several times in the ignition before it finally started, was “It drives real smooth….”. We then took a drive around town and received several honks and stares by the people in town. It is these kinds of moments that make me realize that no experience I have ever had or will ever have with Heidi while on pleasure trips or on the job can be considered “normal”. But that’s what makes every memory with her and the Cloverleaf so great. Can you tell I miss the place? I always stop in the store when I am in town, and I still get to see Heidi and all of her recent “great finds”, but it is just not the same as walking into the store at 10am with no idea what to expect for the day ahead.

This is the Ardmore Cloverleaf.  I have always loved all of the stuff out front!  And here is the infamous Tijuana Taxi... I mean how great is that?!!!

Kappa was one of the best organizations I was ever involved in. Not being from a key area (aka Tulsa or Oklahoma City), it took this small town girl a year or two to get my bearings and make friends. However, quickly after moving into the house sophomore year I realized that some of these girls would be lifelong friends. Moving in a house with 90 girls is not something you get to experience a lot, and as hard as it was having to coordinate shower times, study times, and a quiet place when I needed a piece of mind, I also wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. Some of my favorite moments from living in the house consist of late night fire drills, watching the Bachelor (it was on tape not DVR back then), and my friends Jenny and Sarah catching a fraternity guy on our balcony who was trying to sneak into the house and wasn’t wearing any shoes. We coined him “Spiderman”. It is experiences like this that make me look back and be thankful that I decided to go through the whole Greek thing. I enjoy all of my friends in my pledge class so much. We even took a trip during the last year of college when we all went on a cruise together. It was a great experience and a great way to end college. I miss my Kappa friends, but truly enjoy every moment I get to spend with them at weddings, football games, or reunion get-togethers.

Below is the Kappa House, it was built in the early 1900s....so classy!

Here is a pic of me with most of my Kappa friends from my pledge class, love these girls:

After college, I moved to Dallas in August of 2008 after a brief 3 month stint living with the parentals, (which by all accounts, was not really that bad….Nance was a little needy at times, love you mom, but other than wondering what Lifetime show or movie we were going to watch that night there wasn’t much else to speak of). I did leave that summer with an unhealthy appreciation for the TV show Reba, which I would rather not go further into. I moved in with my cousin Casey and began work for Ernst and Young, who I am currently still working for (about to be promoted to a Senior Accountant in October….eeek!). I absolutely love living with Casey and living in Dallas. It is a great city with a lot to offer people of all ages. I could never imagine living alone; Casey brings me so much comfort in sad times and laughter in good times. We have always been close, but have just never lived in the same city. Now, I cannot imagine my life without her. The biggest issue we have is that she loves coffee and I hate it (although this isn’t mutually exclusive to Casey, every roommate I have ever had likes coffee….I will never understand why). Other than that Casey describes herself as “not a morning person”. She sat me down the first night we lived together and told me not to be offended if she didn’t talk to me in the morning, which I found extremely humorous that she even felt like I would be offended by that. Casey really helped me plug into living in Dallas, and she introduced me to the The Village Church, which has been such a blessing to my life.

Here is a pic of Casey and I on a recent trip to Napa and San Francisco!  It was so great!

My other cousin Jenny is two years younger than me and my sister.  She lives in Denver and is an Engineer (miss Smarty Pants!)  Casey and I recently went to see her.  Here we are at the Rockies Game. 

While we were there we also climbed a mountain...Casey and I definitely looked like posers...but we did it!

Other than Casey and Jenny I have three other significant friends in my life. One of them is my sister. Amy just recently got married (June 12, 2010, which has such a nice ring to it I think) to a great guy we grew up with, Chris. I am very happy for her and where life is going to take them. They moved back home and are working at the church we were involved with in high school. Although I don’t think I would ever choose to move home, I think it is the right choice for them. Amy and I are very different, yet we have a very special bond and understanding of each other and I am extremely thankful to God that he placed us together in life.  Here we are below at the wedding:

Then there is my best friend from Kappa, Sarah. I did not know Sarah my freshman year and did not truly get to know her until sophomore year when we moved into the Kappa House. Within probably a month or two Sarah and I had formed a remarkable bond (mainly over country music! haha). Over the years we have been through a lot of fun times and trips together, and we continued to live together for two years after moving out of the Kappa house. She is my go-to person anytime a new country music song or video is out, or if there is any good celebrity gossip. While she still lives in Oklahoma, thanks to text messages we talk several times a week. I love nothing more than getting a text from her or sending one to her….some of the best lately have been “How have we not talked about Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough?” and “I know! And have you seen her new video? I’m pretty sure it’s soft-core porn!” It is moments like this that truly brighten my day.  Here are Sarah and I with a cutout of Keith Urban....one of our best concerts ever!

Finally, there is my other best friend Holly. Holly and I met almost ten years ago. We worked at the Cloverleaf together for several years in high school and college. We were just friendly work acquaintances at first, and I honestly cannot even tell you when it changed into a deeper friendship. We have also been through a lot together. I cannot really describe our time together better than to say that we have true “experiences”. Holly and I love to people watch. If we have somewhere to be we are totally content lounging before or afterwards to simply see the people around us (case in point: most recently the Lady Gaga concert….we had more fun watching the dressed up freaks walking into the concert than watching the opening act). And there have been times before where we have gone to dinner and not done anything but talk about the other people in the restaurant. Who are they? Are they on a first date? What do you think they are arguing about? I know when I am talking to Holly and she looks straight past me that something good must be going on. Holly is the easiest person to get along with; I don’t even think in 10 years we have ever even had so much as an argument. Unfortunately, she used to live in Dallas, but has been back in Oklahoma for a while. But, we run up and down I-35 every chance we get to hang out with each other (always saying a little prayer at mile marker 55, which was the scene of a car accident we were in together back in college; no worries – we both walked away without a scratch….the Nissan Pathfinder however did not make it through). Holly’s mom Cathy asked me once how many miles do I think Holly and I have traveled to do different things together and my response was “I don’t even want to know”. Holly is my go-to travel partner. We both are constantly looking for our next big adventure. We love road trips, flying together, and exploring new places every chance we get. The biggest adventure we have ever been on was Greece last summer, and we are in talks of taking a trip later this year. Stay tuned!  Here is a couple of pics from our Greek adventure:

         Us at dinner one night.

The place we stayed.  Absolutely gorgeous.  I forgot to mention that the hotel thought that we were two lesbians on our honeymoon....ah the joys of being 25 and single!  haha!

The town of Oia.  So beautiful.

And then there is my family. I have a fantastic family that I am extremely close to. My parents have been married for over 30 years and are about to move to Wylie, a town just a little north of Dallas (which I lovingly told my mom, might be just a little too close for comfort…). The key to their success is my mom likes to bitch about most things and my dad is very laid back and can handle it. He has nicknamed my mom “Jewell” which is the name of a mean aunt of my dad’s. Apparently the real Jewell would look outside in the morning, see rain, and respond with “Well shit, it’s raining!” Situations like that would completely ruin her day. Let’s just say she wasn’t much of a silver lining person. We all joke in the family about it and I am lovingly referred to as Little Jewell a lot of the time (aka, when I am being bitchy). Now don’t go thinking I think my mom is bitchy….she just likes to bitch….there is a strong difference. And I can’t say anything negative about my mother….I am an exact replica of her. Which is a pretty funny thing; the best example is shopping. We could go shopping at the same store in different cities and end up picking out the exact same thing. It’s quite funny. The only thing where I am not like my mom is her anal side (which Amy amazingly picked up; so I guess if you put us together we would be our mother exactly). My mom is very Monica Geller; she would be the type to get a small vacuum to clean up the dust that gets collected on the lager vacuum. She used to tell me my room was a mess when the remote wasn’t in the right spot. This is why we love her.

And then there’s my dad. He is your typical coach. His favorite things are football, baseball, and beer. And he has no interest in any kind of activity that doesn’t involve one of those three things. Which makes buying presents for him a very easy task as all I have to do is buy him a 12 pack and some Ranger Tickets and he is good to go. My dad is a great guy and him and I am so thankful that I grew up with such great parents. Not everyone I know can say that.  Here is a picture of the whole family this most recent Christmas:

I also am extremely close to my mom’s sisters and my grandparents. They have all been a part of my life since day one. My grandmother even now at 84 remembers that I don’t like nuts on my chocolate cake and leaves a section of it completely nut-free. And she makes the best vegetable soup that my mom claims she also makes in the same way but for some reason my grandmother’s is just better. And my granddad is the biggest OU fan on the planet. He has had season tickets since the 1950s and just gave them up this year because he never goes anymore and didn’t see the point in continuing to purchase them as they were just getting more expensive. I love my grandparents more than anything, and I am so lucky that I have had them in my life for this long.  Here are my grandparents with all of the cousins at Christmas:

I realize that this post has become more of a biography of my life. I promise that they won’t all be this long; I just wasn’t sure where to start. I used to journal in high school, but quit once I got to college. Now, over 7 years later I feel like I need to start over. I need to tell you where I came from so I can learn where I am going.

I will say that I want this blog to be light hearted and fun. I plan to talk about some of my favorite things which will consist of: church, shopping, celebrity gossip, music, movies, travel, and my opinions on various topics including bad reality TV, which I personally LOVE. Feel free to email me or leave comments on any opinions you might have. And, before I get started I have to thank the author of my favorite blog from someone I actually know (because I actually read a lot of blogs by people I don’t know….I hope that doesn’t make me a weirdo!). My friend Allison Davis (used to be Niebes) has the most fantastic blog (it’s called Sweet and Sassy with Sprinkles, see the link to the right). Allison – I don’t even know if you are going to read this, but I love keeping up with you through your blog and I hope things are going good for you in Chicago!

Until then, Ciao for now!