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Monday, May 31, 2010

Handwriting

Jenna at Jenna's Jargon tagged me in the handwriting assignment! I'm so excited because i've seen these before & wanted to play along but wasn't tagged. Haha. Anyway, finally getting around to doing it! :) 

I used to be the one people would ask to write things for them...i always was the one making the posters for car washes & bake sales! Love doing bubble letters! But i don't write as neat as i used to. I'm not saying i have a terrible handwriting, but if you look in my past journals I wrote so much neater! I honestly think it's because maybe we type so much more now? My hand actually gets numb after writing for just a few minutes - i'm not sure why (that can't be good, right?!).  I write the neatest using the Sharpie pen. I am addicted to those things! (That is what i'm using here.) 

If i tagged you (you don't have to do it, but it'd be fun!) - here's what you do: 
Write down the following, take a picture & post! 
1. Your name & Blog name
2. Are you left handed or right handed? 
3. What are your favorite letters to write? 
4. least favorite? 
5. Write: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. 
6. Write in All Caps: CRAB, HUMOR, KALEIDOSCOPE, PAJAMAS, GAZILLION
7. Write your favorite song lyrics. 
8. Tag 5 people. 
9. Write any special note or drawing. 

Mel's Handwriting Assignment: 


Click the pic to see it bigger. :)


I just realized Jenna had already tagged Laura... OOPS! Sorry, Laura! Obviously, you are excused...LOL... but i should have looked at that before i did mine. I'm not starting over! 


That was fun. Thanks, Jenna! :)

Getting to know you Sunday :)


1. Have you ever snooped around someone's house? 
I'm sure I have because I can be a very nosy person! I just am always interested in other people - the life they lead. I like to know what interests them & i like to wonder about them. (Is that creepy? I hope not.) I was a maid for awhile. I noticed everyone's decorating style, but i never opened drawers or letters or anything! I didn't snoop to see what medicine they had in their medicine cabinets (i know people do this!). However, if a photo album was on a table I might would take a peek inside. Or if I was vaccuuming the closet, I would totally look at the woman's awesome shoes. Haha. That kind of thing.

2. Can guys & girls be friends?
Duh. Yes. (Yes, there are some exceptions to this! Just don't feel like getting into all that!)

3. Can you curl your tongue?
Why, yes. 

4. Have you ever stolen anything?
I stole a piece of candy when i was about 5. I had to return it. I didn't do it again! 

5. Would you rather talk on the phone or text? 
Generally, i prefer texting. If it's just a quick question & answer, or letting someone know something real quick - I text. But if it is me telling someone something that happened... or if it turns into a conversation... i'd rather just talk. Texting is easier for short conversations... talking is easier for long ones. 


6. Memorial Day plans?
Nope. NOTHING. :)



7. What do you do to relax? 
Take a hot bath with a novel. Getting a pedi or getting your hair done - also relaxing. :)


8. Do you do anything to honor those that have died fighting for our freedom? 
I think mainly i just think about it a lot more, talk about it more & thank those i know who fought for our freedom. I definitely pray for those serving our country now. I also ask my parents again about my grandfather's World War II stories... & I talk to my dad about his Vietnam stories...sometimes i get foggy on the details. Talking to them about their stories opens my eyes & reminds me that all of our freedoms were not free. 


Happy Memorial Day!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Family, Friends & Crawfish

Today was a wonderful day. :)
Filled with some of my favorite things: our church, family, friends & CRAWFISH!


We went to church & then headed straight to Mandeville, LA for a crawfish boil at Mike's Uncle's house (Mike is my sister's boyfriend). My sister's very best friend Tiffanie is in town from England. Tiffanie is more than just my sister's BFF... they've been friends for so long that she really is like a part of our family. She married a guy from England years ago & moved there... and i haven't seen her for 5 years!! My sister has gone to England to visit her & her family, but i haven't been able to go. I mean, she hasn't even met my husband! So i couldn't wait to see her! 

Her main request: CRAWFISH. Yep, it's a huge thing in Louisiana & she's been missing it. She hasn't had boiled crawfish in i think 5 years! AHHH! That is insane! So here we are at today's crawfish boil (my first one of the season, which is ridiculous!). It was SOOO good! MMM! (I know some of you have never been to a Crawfish Boil, but they're big here. Kind of like your BBQ's (though we have BBQ's too). Anyway, they may look scary - but they're delicious!! & so are the extras that are thrown in (corn, potatoes, etc). YUMMY!)

Tiffanie & her tray of crawfish! YUM! About time, huh, Tiff? 

 Mike stirring up the crawfish!

Us with Tiff! 

 BFFs Michelle & Tiffanie

Mike's Aunt, Michelle & Brad (June birthdays...24th, 23rd, 22nd!)

Me & a big & scary crawfish!

Another one of Tiff & her crawfish! 

We had a really great time. It was wonderful to see Tiff & to meet some of Mike's family! They were so nice & welcoming. Very friendly! We had a really good time. 

We came home & ended up calling Brad's parents to see if they wanted to come over. I baked some cookies & Brad put on a pot of coffee & we visited with them for awhile. Then we watched the movie "Post Grad" with Alexis Bledel which was pretty cute. 

Another great thing about today? Knowing i don't have to get up & go to work in the morning! 

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! Thank you so much to those who have sacrificed a LOT for our freedom. Thank you especially to my daddy, my Uncle Ruby, & my late grandfathers - Papaw & Papajoe. :) And thanks, love & prayers to all of my friends who have family members serving our country now.


Saturday, May 29, 2010

New furniture! Woohoo!

So you know you're getting old when you start getting super excited about new furniture. HA! But yes. I ordered a dresser for our bedroom & it FINALLY came in. It took forever. They had told me 2-3 weeks. I wouldn't have minded 8-10 if they would have just TOLD me that. I was starting to worry that I wasn't getting a dresser at all! HAHA. They offered me the one in the store, because it turned out this one was on backorder. I told them no because that one had scratches & dents & we weren't going to buy it at all if we were taking that one! So i told them it was fine, i would wait. Finally got a call on Monday saying it was in & would be delivered Saturday - today! & it just arrived! 

I love it! It was worth the wait. :) I am so excited! I took some pics but i am afraid they do not AT ALL do it justice. So you're just going to have to trust me here. But i am so thankful! I was starting to worry that it wouldn't look as good in my room as in the store. Don't ask me why - it was in a huge warehouse with tons of furniture there & now it is home in a bedroom - of course it will look better now! Anyway, i really love it. I LOVE the Potterybarn style & this dresser has that look - the knobs & the mirror especially. BUT it did not have the Potterybarn PRICE. :) 

This is how our room looks when you walk in: 


This is how it looked before:

And this is how it looks now (use your imagination... it looks so much better in person!):

Here is a better shot: 
(Yes, that is paint on the floor - long story that Brad loves to tease me about, but basically when we painted the room, i was not good at keeping the paint OFF the floor, we even had plastic covering all over the floor & i still managed to get paint UNDER the plastic! But i didn't care because at the time we were planning to get wood laminate flooring...but we never did that & so now i have ugly green carpet - with nasty paint spills! HAHA!)

ANYWAY - i love the new dresser! I have organized all my stuff in it & i have SO much more space! It's much better. Before my clothes were in the Hobby Lobby drawers (the white drawers in the "before" pic). Those drawers have been moved to Brad's music room & he will be able to use them to organize a lot of his stuff. Then we put the brown dresser (which has his clothes & such) to where the Hobby Lobby ones were & put the new dresser between the windows (i never did get curtains... or the kind of blinds i like...one day!) 


So the plan is for me to save the money & get the dresser that goes with the one i just got. It is tall with drawers all the way down & the same silver knobs as this one. Then the brown dresser will go in the future baby's room. It so looks like it's for a baby boy, though - not a baby girl. Right? Well, you know, we can cross that bridge when we get to it! That's the plan for now!

But i love this dresser! I was silently cheering & jumping up & down in the kitchen when they were setting it up in our room! HAHA! I just love it. Funny how we girls get excited about such things! See how deep the drawers are? 





Sorry about the flash - blehhh. 

SO YAY! I love it!




 

Friday, May 28, 2010

Crazy Busy!

I am sorry i haven't blogged in awhile! It seems like forever. This has been the busiest week. I'm smack in the beginning of rehearsals for Sound of Music (I am the Stage Manager for the local theatre's summer musical) & I'm loving it. But it's crazy. My schedule goes like this (Mondays - Thursdays; no rehearsals on Fridays):

7:15ish - Wake up
8:05ish - Leave for work
8:30 - 5:00 - Work
5:15 - 6:15 - Gym
6:30 - 10:00 - Rehearsal
10:30 - Home & BED.

Don't worry - this is only during a show. I don't do every show & when i'm not doing a show - i'm quite good at NOT being busy! Haha. ANYWAY - that is why i haven't done much blogging lately - because even work has been busier than usual! But it's Friday afternoon & though i still have plenty of work to do before 5:00... well, i think i'll take a little break for this. :)


1. Is there something you've always wanted to try but haven't actually mustered up the courage to do yet?
Hmm...not really... I mean i really want to travel, but that's more about finances than courage! & i also *THINK* i want to sky dive or bungee jump, but haven't really had the opportunity present itself...or have i sought it out!

2. If you had $100 in cash handed to you without your significant other knowing about it, what would you spend it on?
If i got it RIGHT NOW, well, there are a few things i'd need it for. But in general, i might spend it on a massage & pedi! & i'd totally tell my husband! He wouldn't mind!

3. What was your favorite piece of playground equipment as a child?
The swings & the merry-go-round! Oh & the slide! Really all of it, i just couldn't climb those monkey bars! HA!

4. Do you prefer a sweet or hearty breakfast?
Well, i don't like donuts or cinnamon rolls - anything like that - in the morning. Gives me a stomach ache (even before i started eating healthier!). But i do like fruit & that's sweet. Love a hearty breakfast as long as it's not TOO early! Eating too early gives me a stomach ache too. I don't know why. HAHA.

5. Are you a neat freak or messy bessy?
I'm pretty organized. I totally believe & live by the saying "there's a place for everything & everything should be in it's place!" & I get a little bit angry when there are things everywhere... (not mentioning WHOSE things!)... I also must have a clean kitchen! MUST! BUT...i could go weeks without dusting or mopping... i will do both if company is coming. Otherwise, i just kind of leave it alone for awhile. Though there does come a point where i'm like "must.clean.house.now!" & i do it that weekend!

So that's it! You should do it too! Head on over to Mama M's My Little Life & add your link to the blog hop!


Sunday, May 23, 2010

Warning: this one's a little boring. :)

I had a wonderful weekend. Relaxing.


I slept so much yesterday it was ridiculous. I felt like i'd overdosed on some sort of sleepy med (but i hadn't!)! I was either sleeping or feeling sleepy. HA! I usually wake up between 7:30 & 8:30 on Saturdays. Brad had to take my car to his parents at 8 am. The guy that looks at our cars was going to his parents to look at theirs for something & Brad was bringing mine because when we got my oil changed last weekend the guy said he thought something was wrong with the transmission (sorry for the lack of detail - i kind of tune out around car talk). Brad wanted our car guy to check it out. (Turns out nothing is wrong. THANK YOU, LORD!) 


So anyway, i never heard Brad get up, get dressed or leave. I woke up about 9 because the phone rang. It was Brad calling to see if i wanted some coffee & pancakes at his parents. I was SO tired. It took me awhile to decide. I ended up getting dressed & going over there (DELICIOUS coffee & pancakes, by the way!) We came home & relaxed some more. I took a long afternoon nap. I woke up but still felt drugged. HAHA. Insanity. It was my first full week stage managing a new show (after a long break) so i guess that's the reason! 


We ended up spur-of-the-moment calling Brad's parents over to have dinner & watch one of our movies we got in on Netflix. (My idea to have his parents over - breakfast with them was not enough - it's kind of strange but i'm always telling brad to call his parents & see if they can come over. I love them!) Anyway... they came over & we watched FAME (the newer version). Funny seeing Debbie Allen since i just worked her show the night before & saw her in person! Love FAME. Had seen it before. Any move with dancing/acting/singing is right up my alley! 


Today we went back to our old church, HeartsEase. I really want to write a blog on this whole topic (church) because i have so many thoughts i need to blog about it. Why we left in the first place (though we didn't really "leave") & why we went to Victory in the meantime. And why we kind of wish the two churches could just merge so we could go to both! :) But I can't blog about it... i don't know that i could be completely free with what i want to say so i am hesitant. But i will say that ever since we went to a shower there a few weeks ago, we have missed those people TERRIBLY. This morning we went back to visit & i have never felt so welcomed or wanted in my life. ESPECIALLY in a church (sad but true). Except for the first time i started going there (in 2006). Brad felt the same way. So that was crazy in a good way. My heart feels full. I love those people.


We went to Barnes & Noble after church. Brad bought himself a book on orchestration & he got me a novel i picked out. I wanted the new Emily Giffin novel, but should have known it'd be in hardback (i hate reading hardback). I got a book called "Never Let You Go" by Erin Healy. It just looks good. Gripping. We'll see. :) 


We came home & i made lunch & then took a nap (seriously - sleeping like crazy this weekend!). Then i got up & we watched our other Netflix'd movie: Horton Hears a Who. When i used to nanny, the little girl (who is now 13...GASP!) had a thick book of 5 or 6 Dr. Seuss stories. My favorite one to read to her was Horton Hears a Who. So that's why we netflix'd it. It was cute. :) 


SO that's really it. Tomorrow is work & rehearsal & i am joinging the Y in between! Woohoo! I am SO excited! Next weekend is a crawfish boil at my sister's ... can't wait!

Please pray for the Louisiana coast!

This picture in today's paper made me very sad.

Caption: An oil soaked pelican takes flight after Louisiana Fish and Wildlife employees tried to corral him on an island in Barataria Bay just inside the the coast of Louisiana, Sunday, May 23. The island, which is home to hundreds of brown pelican nests as well at terns, gulls and roseate spoonbills, is impacted by oil from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Here is the beginning of the article "State not going to Wait": ON BARATARIA BAY. (AP) -- "Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says the state is not waiting for federal approval to begin building sand barriers to protect the coastline from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Jindal's defiant comments Sunday came as oil pushed at least 12 miles into the heart of Louisiana's marshes. Two major pelican rookeries are now awash in crude."

It's so sad & terrible. Please pray for our coastline, for our governor & for all the men & women down there working so hard to clean up that oil spill. 

Friday, May 21, 2010

Just Dance!!

You know i love dance. I could watch people dance all day. It is amazing. 

Tonight i was on the schedule for my (very) part-time job at the Manship theatre. I knew it was a dance company. I didn't realize WHICH dance company. Then later this week a girl who was in CATS (which i Asst Stage Managed at BRLT in 2007) facebooked me an invite to "Just Dance with Debbie Allen" - i realized then that it was the same show i would be working tonight! 

 
If you don't know Debbie Allen... she was in FAME (the new one, which is currently in the netflix envelope on top of our entertainment center), she's an extraordinary dance teacher & she is Phylicia Rashad's sister (you know... Claire Huxtable...). It is crazy to me how much they look alike!! ANYWAY - i am a debbie allen fan. So i was excited. 

I expected to meet her after the show, but i never saw her after. I did pass her a time or two & say hi & she said hi too but she was extremely busy & probably a little stressed. Then before the show, she gathered all 60 of her dancers on stage plus crew (including me) & she gave a little inspirational speech (the girl next to me whispered to me, 'she should be a preacher!' & i agreed!) & led a prayer & then the show began.

 
I couldn't stand in the wings, but a couple of times i did manage to escape & sneak into the theatre. i HAD to watch. I LOVE dance. The show was AMAZING. Phenominal! TONS of kids of all ages (probably ages 6 - 21) dancing in perfect rhythm. TONS of people on stage at the same time, all moving at exactly the same time. It was beautiful. Some hip hop. Some pointe. Some tap! A very cool beautiful dance called "africa". I absolutely loved it. I'm trying to get some friends together to see it tomorrow or Sunday because i just have to see the whole thing!! 



P.S. A girl hurt her hand during the show... i'm not sure if you know this about me... but i can handle, blood, guts, vomit, poo, anything. But i can.not.handle the thought or mention of broken bones! She didn't break it but it turned blue & was swollen... & i was NAUSEOUS! (Usually if someone starts talking about breaking a bone, i have to urge them to stop talking. They don't think i'm that serious & so they keep telling their broken bone story...meanwhile i'm seriously trying to ignore what they are saying! Some of you have mentioned a broken bone in your blog & i've had to stop reading. It's awful!) Anyway, i texted brad & told him when we have kids he is going to have to deal with any broken/sprained/smashed bones! He said okay! YAY. (He did already know this about me!)

Other than that - & other than a few annoying stage moms - it was a great night!! (& i did pay the parking attendant! HA!) (see last post if you have no clue what i mean!) 


Have a great weekend!

Have you ever wondered...

So.

You know those parking garages? You sometimes end up having to park in one? Well. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you didn't have the cash on you to pay?


I have always wondered this. I'm not sure why. Except (1) I rarely have cash on me & (2) these prices range by the hour, so what if you took longer to get back than you expected?

This happened to me yesterday & really - it turned out to be not that big of a deal at all!

SO i have this part-time job at the Manship theatre downtown. I've only worked there twice so far & both times i got a great spot right in front of the theatre. Awesome. It probably worked out that way because I was arriving there between 4 & 5 pm, so downtown employees were leaving, and leaving me their parking spots. :)

But Wednesday i had a meeting there at 5:30. I don't get off work now until 5. I headed downtown praying for a good spot. No such luck. NO spots available. Except in a parking garage. Great. I don't carry cash!


I looked in my wallet. $1 in cash. I drove into the garage so i could get a glimpse of their prices. It said,

0-1 hour - $1
2-3 hours - $2
3-4 hours - $3

...and so on. I said to myself, "Okay, you are staying at this meeting for 55 minutes & that's it! No matter what!" I had already told them i'd have to leave by 6:20 or 6:30 (depending on where i got a parking spot!) so i could get back to BRLT for Sound of Music rehearsal. But now my ticket read "5:23". So i'd have to get back to my car & out of the garage by "6:23" or ... what would happen?! Would i go to jail? Or get a ticket? Owe a fine? Or would they let it slide if i was just one minute or two over?! Who knew? I didn't want to find out.

I parked & my friend Jenn was waiting to walk with me. I said "I can only stay in the meeting for 55 minutes because i only have one dollar!" She laughed & said she could spot me if i went over. :)

Into the meeting we go. 55 minutes later & i didn't leave. (You know how it is sneaking out of a meeting early? I HATE doing that when someone is in the middle of expressing their thoughts! Even if i had told them ahead of time...)

57 minutes later, i left. It was 6:20. I had 3 minutes to get to my car & out of there! Jenn was still in the meeting & i didn't take money from her because i thought i would make it!

The times on my cell phone & car radio are different. So i had no idea if i REALLY made it or not. I didn't know what time the TICKET HOLDER would have.

So i pulled up to the ticket window thingie. It was a woman, younger than i am & she seemed sweet. I said as i dug for my dollar & my ticket, "I'm kind of nervous because i may have went over the hour & i only have 1 dollar!"

"Oh, it's 3 dollars."

Um...I'm sorry... WHAT?!?!?!?!?

"But the sign..."

"It's 3 dollars after 4:30 pm," she replied & pointed to the sign.

Uh-oh. I hadn't read the ENTIRE sign (& that was at the very bottom).

"Oh. I'm sorry... I only have $1. So what do i do?"

"Oh, i just write you an IOU!"

SERIOUSLY? That's it?

Yup. That was it. She took my driver's license, copied my name, address, phone number & driver's license number & wrote that i owed them $3. I had to sign it. There was just one sentence above where i signed "I agree that i owe in the above amount & that i will pay in person or by mail within the next 7 days." 

So THAT'S what happens if you park in a parking garage & don't have the cash. 

I've always wondered. 

And now i have the cash. And tonight, when i go to work there, i'll bring them there $3 & my name will be marked off the list. 

Not too bad! I thought i'd owe some terrible fine or something! 

Just thought you'd like to know... you know... in case this ever happens to you. ;) 




Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Random!!

This is going to be a very random post... VERY. Just a warning. :) I have nothing specific to write about but really miss blogging! Ah-well...

I've only had 2 Sound of Music rehearsals but i am loving it! Though i'm already tired. Kind of ridiculous. I changed my hours at work in early May - from 7:30-4:00 to 8:30-5:00. You wouldn't think an hour makes such a difference but it TOTALLY does. I'm still waking up to pee at 6 & thinking "i get to sleep a whole 'nother hour!" And then when i get up at 7:10ish i'm totally happy, refreshed, ready for the day. Unfortunately, around 10, i realize i'm exhausted. Part of this may be due to the fact that i'm not eating enough for breakfast. But that's all i'll say about this since i'm not on my weightloss blog at the moment! :) ALTHOUGH - speaking of my weightloss, i'm at 19 pounds lost (as of today)...sooo close to 20 pounds...almost there!! :)


I recently got a (very) part-time job at a theatre (not the community one where i stage manage) & i have to wear all black. Since the only shirts i had in black were old t-shirts with logos on them, i went & bought two black shirts from Old Navy. Well, it turns out, i am in LOVE with these shirts. IN LOVE. I want to wear them ALL the time. I love them so much, that yesterday i returned to Old Navy to buy a few more in different colors! They didn't have one of the shirts. But the other one was on sale for $10. I bought 3 of them. I know it's just a plain tee, but it's perfect. SO comfy & i just am in LOVE! (For the record, the other shirt wasn't so plain...but they were out.) I got this plain one in purple, gray/navy/lime stripes & aqua (shown below). I think i could go back & buy a few more! (Ok, not really.)


I LOVE IT! :)


When i signed up to SM Sound of Music, i forgot i'd be missing out on the last 4 weeks of American Idol (aka: the best weeks). Shoot! So i missed last week. & will miss this week. My prediction? That Casey will go home this week, leaving Lee & Crystal. & though i think Crystal should be the winner, I wouldn't be surprised if Lee won. I love them both but think Crystal deserves the win! They're both sweethearts. I am at some point going to get to my friend Robyn's & watch the shows i've missed (she has DVR), but i have no idea when that will be! Ahhh!


My sister's boyfriend is MIKE. Not MATT. I recently posted a pic of them & put "Michelle &  her boyfriend Matt". It's now a big joke in the family. I was not as good natured about it as i am being now! I was so embarrassed! Of course i know his name is MIKE! And i'm typically very good with names! I was braindead from those crazy auditions (that's what i'm blaming it on anyway!). Sorry, Matt er, i mean, MIKE! :)

Well, that's all i got for now!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Summer Time!

I had such a great weekend & there are so many more good ones are in my near future! I am so excited! 

It seems that summers aren't usually as fun for us adults. I mean "real" adults. College students who do not have to work full-time - i love you & i feel sorry for you during exam week - but i do not include you in this! You still get free-time!! You get all summer AND a month in December/January AND a whole week at Thanksgiving! These are foreign concepts to most of us. (Actually, i do feel sorry for you, because come time for your "grown-up job" you will be thrown into "grown-up world"...unless you become a teacher...and then you'll have oodles of paperwork that will take up all your free time... i'm just sayin!).

Even if you are a stay-at-home mom... sure, you get to be home during the summers... but most of your summer is you trying to make sure your KIDS have fun! Right?! (Though i hope you take time for yourself as well!)

Anyway, it's okay - because we had our fun free summers at one time. But man...they're just LONG GONE! So sad.

You know what i mean, right?! Summers of nothing but neighborhood friends & bike riding, woods exploring, popsicle eating, sleepover having....etc etc?!


All that to say - lately i've been adding FUN THINGS to my calendar - & i am loving it!

This past weekend i went to Lafayette. I'd never been, which is weird to me since it's only an hour away! i went to my good friend's house to a jewelry party. She just moved there when she got married a few months ago. It was fun. It was all girls & we had a great time!!! I loved it!

I also started rehearsals for The Sound of Music! And it's a great cast & we had a great first rehearsal. I LOVE IT!

MAY 30th = CRAWFISH BOIL! At my sister's boyfriend's uncle's (got all that?!) about an hour & a half away! I've been dying for some crawfish & haven't had any yet. YES!!!

Then in June we are having a Father's Day/Birthday shindig! See, my family & my husband's family have been friends since FOREVER (when they met, my husband's sister wasn't born yet, i was an infant, my husband & my sister were 3) so sometimes we plan get-togethers. It has been FAR TOO LONG since the last one! Well, we did this last year & just today we're in the plan-making stages to do it again! Since Father's Day is June 20th & Brad's birthday is June 22 & Michelle's birthday is June 23 - we all get together to celebrate both dad's & both birthdays (who are turning 35 this year! EEK!). It is a great time & i am SO looking forward to it this year!

Then it's wedding time!!!! July 10th (Megan & Trey), July 17th (Amanda & Matt) & August 5th (Jennifer & Kirby)!!! SO FUN!

There is probably tons i'm missing! I'm just excited!

Well, that's really it for now! But i can't wait! :)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

SUNDAY FUNDAY!


Sunday's Getting to know YOU! Ah, i love these things... :) If you'd like to play along, answer the below questions in your own blog & then head over to Keely's at MannLand5 to add your link to the blog hop! 


1. The most expensive thing hanging in my closet is: 
I'd assume my winter coat or a dress? I really have no idea. 


2. Have you ever played a team sport?
Believe it or not, i was actually on the 8th grade basketball team. Let's just say (1) you didn't have to try out to be on that team & (2) i spent 90% of the time on the bench. Athletic, i am not. AT ALL.



3. If you were a bug, what kind would you be? 
A firefly! That would be fun!

4. Where on your body is the worst place to get sunburned? 
i think shoulders are probably the worst b/c your bra & purse straps are KILLER!! :( 

5.  Are you happy?
EXTREMELY :) Life is amazing these days!! 



6. People are always abbreviating. Are there any abbreviations that make your skin crawl when people use them? 
The one i hate most & see on FB all the time is "FML". I just hate it. And honestly, most of the time it has nothing to do with the person's LUCK - usually it's just a result of their own actions! I really hate it. 

Other than that, nothing bothers me except a certain person who abbreviates so much in her texting that it takes you awhile to figure out what she's saying. She'll text something like: "hy r u gng 2 mt me ltr?" I mean, that's a bit much, don't you think?! 

& for the record, LOL doesn't bother me, except when it is overdone; try not to put it every 2 sentences in your blog!! :) 


7. Do you love where you live or could you live anywhere? 
Yes, to both questions. I'm sure there are places where i WOULDN'T want to live...but i love new places & i love change, too! But i do love Louisiana. A lot of people hate Baton Rouge, but i don't know why. I like it here, truly! The only bad thing is the intense humidity!


8. What, if any, extreme measures do you take to keep yourself from overeating when you're full? 
There are no extreme measures. I just stop eating... or i keep eating...depending on mood, willpower level, how many calories i've already had that day & what time of month it is! :)

YOUR TURN! :)

Friday, May 14, 2010

5QF

YAY!! I am not even gonna say a million other things first. I'm just gonna get right to it!


1. Take your pick: date night, girls night out, or night out alone?
Definitely date night. I love date nights with my man. HOWEVER - i've been missing some girl time... & am going out with some girl friends tomorrow!

I am sure i will cherish a night out alone once i have kiddos, but i'm good for now. I love alone time (in, though...not out) & i get plenty of it.

2. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
Nope. But i can touch my chin with my tongue (barely). In a psychology class in college, our teacher told us on the first day that only 1/1000 people can do either one. For some reason we thought that was really cool back then (now i'm kinda like..."so?").

3. What is your favorite flower & why?
I love roses & tulips. They are beautiful. But i also ADORE gerber daisies & poppies! They're fun!

4. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?
I may have told myself to go get some professional help or christian counseling! Those teen years were really tough... i went through a lot back then... & though i thought i was dealing with my issues, i wasn't. I was turning to food. I gained so much weight through those 4 years of high school & kept on gaining after that. I eventually DID deal with all my issues, completely & totally... but i had already formed some very bad habits! So now i'm trying to lose a whole lot of weight. And it would have been nice if i had just not gained it to begin with! Ya know? Anyway... didn't mean to get all serious! The weight is coming off! 17 pounds down!

5. If you won the lottery, what is the very first thing you would do?
Um...i would #1 - ask my boss if i could have the rest of the day off (surely i'd quit but i wouldn't want to be too hasty!) & then i would #2 - call my husband. :)

That's all! Now, you should answer these in your own blog & then head on over to Mama M's My Little Life & add your link to the blog hop!

Friday's Fill in the Blanks!

Friday = Memes. I know you know this by now. I also think you know what to do... right?

I am so happy it's Friday. Hubs & i are going to see a play tonight - it's a cast of 5, and 3 of them are very dear friends of mine...so i'm excited. It's a comedy - it's called Private Lives. I helped them run auditions, so i heard some of the dialogue then & it was hilarious!I'm really looking forward to it! It is also our year-&-a-half anniversary. I finally got out of the celebrating each month phase, but if think i'm goofy for celebrating 1.5, well i am just soooo sorry! :) ANYHOO. Let's fill in the blanks, shall we?


1. The very best thing about the summer is vacation...if you take them. I didn't take one last year...but i consider our honeymoon the one for the year before. We're going to Destin with the fam in early September this year & i cannot wait!

2. My first crush ever was this kid Matt Bezet in kindergarten. We apparently chased each other at recess & around the carpool line after school, trying to kiss each other. HA! (I do actually have a very vague memory of this.)

3. This may sound really silly but I do miss my husband terribly after a few evenings at the theatre. I sometimes will call him just to hear his voice. I am sorry if this is too mushy! :)We are just not sick of each other yet. :)

4. I squeeze my toothpaste from the middle of the tube. It doesn't bother me. I start squeezing from the end when i don't have much left. Brad is the opposite. But we each have our own thing of toothpaste, so it doesn't matter. 

5. My absolute favorite comfort food is that down home country cookin. You know...roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, green peas, sweet tea. Mmmm, hmm!

6. A random fact about me is that I am very good at remembering dates. Sometimes i wake up in the early morning hours & when i do, i usually grab my cell phone to see what time it is. I will notice the date then & even though i am not totally awake, i will still immediately think "oh, it's so-and-so's birthday!" before going back to sleep...it's often a friend i haven't seen in 15 or more years.

7. The one piece of technology that truly makes my life better & that i could not live without is my cell phone. I don't know how we lived life without them back in the day - i have left it at home before & i can deal for a day or so - but it would really be inconvenient to stage manage shows without one - because you are the source of contact for the cast... & Brad likes me to call him on my way home when i'm late at the theatre. YEAH.

So that's it! If you wanna play, too, just answer those questions in your own blog & then add your link to the blog hop at Lauren's the little things we do!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

audition extravaganza & mother's day

What a crazy week! Fun but insane! Haha. I am Stage Manager for Sound of Music, which opens in July. They decided to do what i call "audition extravaganza" - auditions for three shows at one time. We had TONS of auditionees...i think we saw 268 people...& i'm not even sure if that counts the 100 kids...it was crazy! Everyone had to do a vocal audition...& a dance audition...& then two nights of callbacks. I am so thankful for my friend Susan, who will SM Rent & part of Sound of Music. She is the most amazing SM - she is incredibly organized & for everyone who thanked us for the smooth process, i had give the credit to Susan! 

So yeah - the last several days went something like this... 


Thursday - 
5:30 arrive at theatre, set up
6:00 begin vocal auditions - a person every 5 minutes
10:30 end vocal auditions
11:00 leave theatre


Friday - OFF

Saturday -
1:30 arrive at theatre, set up 
2:00 begin children's auditions - they were taught a song & dance in groups of 8-10 & then had to sing alone & then dance with their group. 
5:00 saw last group of kids. 
6:00 discuss with directors
6:30 leave theatre in a rush to meet family for dinner...brought stack of kid's forms with me & called parents in the car (to invite their child to callbacks!). 


Sunday - 
12:30 - arrive at theatre, set up
1:00 - begin more vocal auditions, a person every five minutes again!
7:00 - end of 2nd round of vocal auditions, begin dance auditions for Sound of Music & Pirates of Penzance
9:00 - begin dance auditions for Rent
11something - go home


Monday - 
5:30 - arrive at theatre, set up
6:00 - begin last round of vocal auditions
7:00 - vocals continued on 2nd stage, but i went to mainstage for Sound of Music callbacks
11something - SOM callbacks over! In the green room with directors to cast the show! 
12:40 - leave theatre! OMG! 


Tuesday - 
6:30 - arrive at theatre dead tired, set up again! 
7:00 - Begin Rent callbacks in one room, Begin Pirates of Penzance callbacks in the main theatre! (I helped with Pirates).
10:30 - finished with Pirates callbacks. Asked to leave!! SO TIRED! Rent callbacks still going strong when i left!


CRAZY!!! I am SO glad to be home for some rest & relaxation & for some time wth my sweet husband. He has made sure the dog left me alone in the mornings & has been as quiet as possible so i could sleep soundly until i had to get up for work. :) I love him! He is wonderful to me! 


The cast lists have been posted & i am SUPER excited! Lots of new faces & familiar ones as well. i am thrilled with the Sound of Music cast & can't wait to begin! 


In all the craziness, i only took two pictures! And i had my camera the whole time! 


 Good friends Natalie & Susan! Natalie is choreographer for RENT. 
Susan is the best Stage Manager EVER.

They broke out the chips & salsa!! Susan, 
Jack & Chris (Sound of Music director & music director).



It was tons of fun, but wow. It was a marathon! I am so exhausted & can't wait to get to bed early tonight! We had SO MANY come out & audition & tons of new faces. I LOVE THAT! :) Congrats to all who were cast!!

 In all of that madness, i was able to have some time with my sweet mom & mother-in-law! My mom wanted to go to dinner for Mother's Day, but requested that we go the night before on Saturday night. We went to The Grill Room because mom wanted to hear the live jazz band. :) It was fun! Mom, Dad, my sister Michelle & her boyfriend Mike (who i was meeting for the first time! We really liked him!!) plus me & brad. We had a GREAT time. Then on Sunday morning i had brad's parents over for breakfast. I made my Meditterranean Frittata & they loved it! It was great visiting with them! Here are some pics from dinner with the fam on Saturday! 


 My sister & our mom

 Michelle & her boyfriend Mike

 Me & my daddy

Me & Brad! :) I think he was laughing at something!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Top 10 Tuesday

Sorry for another meme. I promise i'll have a "real" post soon!! I have been doing nothing but working & Stage Managing auditions. FUNNNN. I'm so excited about that right now, though VERY sleepy!!! :) More on that later.

Today is Ten on Tuesday. And i liked the questions, so i thought i'd join in!


1. What was your high school superlative? And if you didn't have one, what would it have been? I was runner-up for Most Courteous. I'm not sure if i'm still that courteous today! I try to be! Haha!

2. What sports did you play in high school?
NONE. And was made fun of in P.E. class. Oh, the agonizing memories! So glad those days are over!

3. What was the best part of your wedding (& if you're not married yet, what would you like it to be)?
When Brad said "I do!" too quickly & very wholeheartedly...cutting off the pastor. it was HILARIOUS! Everyone burst out laughing! It was especially funny if you know Brad - he's not one to be outspoken! The pic is from right after he did that... we are cracking up laughing! Do you see how red his face is?! :)


4. It's your last meal. What appetizer, soup, salad, entree & dessert would you choose?
Mmmm! Ok...
Appetizer - nachos or chips & spinach artichoke dip!
Soup - tortilla or potato!
Salad - Ceasar
Entree - Something fried. Since it won't matter. I never eat fried anymore & i love it! I'm thinking Fried shrimp & some fries!
Dessert - cheesecake or chocolate chip cookies!

5. What song is your guilty pleasure?
Hmm...i don't know... Don't really have one? I get addicted to one cd after another & currently it's Sara Barreillis. I love her.

6. What is your professional sports team & why do you like them?
Um...i was going to say NONE. But then i remembered the Saints. Just not big into football. I'll watch it if it's on, but i don't go out of my way to make sure that i see it! But i do get excited when they win!

7. What is your favorite reality show & why do you like it?
American Idol. Because i love looking at new talent & cheering them on! But this season has been disappointing. The judges annoy me. But it's getting good now!

8. How would you describe your home decorating style? (modern, country french, etc)
I love country french. And whatever potterybarn/restoration-hardware is considered. :)

9. Pizza - deep dish or thin crust? red sauce or white? toppings?
The only one i allow myself these days is the Digornio Tuscan Chicken! It's thin crust & is topped with spinach & grilled chicken & it's not THAT bad calorie-wise. But if calories didn't count, i'd go for deep dish with red sauce & onions/ground beef for my toppings! YUM!

10. Favorite weekend getaway within a 2 hour driving radius?
I guess that'd be my sister's but i've only gone ONCE! Should go visit more often! She lives on the lake & it's gorgeous. =)

Friday, May 7, 2010

5QF!

Like i said in my last post...Fridays = memes. =) Today is Mama M's Five Question Friday. LOVE IT! If you wanna play along, just answer the below questions in your own blog & then head on over to Mama M's My Little Life & add your link to the blog hop. :)

Oh & Mama M - SNOW?! I am SO SORRY. But, OF COURSE you can move down here! We don't have room in my tiny place but surely we could make a hotel fund for your family of 7! :)


1. What is your worst memory of your siblings?
I have one sister, she's 3 years older & we are COMPLETE opposites. I mean, in every possible way except that we are both female. :) However, we still have that awesome sisters bond & we get along very well. Trying to think of a worst memory though?! Hmm...well, she did throw me off the bed once. She got in so much trouble. But mom didn't know what really happened. I was actually being a very annoying bratty little sister while she was trying to go to sleep! HA! It's not really a BAD memory, though. Just a funny one!

2. What is your naughtiest childhood memory? (Must be something YOU did, no pawning it off to someone else!
Ok, seriously, i RARELY got in trouble. I was the good kid (Michelle was not so much. Remember? Opposites!) The only thing i REALLY got in trouble for was my grades. :o/ I do remember getting in trouble for asking mom if i could go somewhere & her saying no, so me turning around & asking dad instead. HA! Never did that again! I also apparently colored the bedroom walls with magic marker. I was only 3 years old, but mom handed me a bottle of COMET & a washrag & made me clean it all by myself! Never did that again either! Ok, that's all i can remember! I'm telling you - i was a decent kid! Ask my mom! :)
3. Where do you like to go to relax? 
HOME. Or, the beach is nice. :) Also Brad's aunt kk's or aunt paula's. I could sit on either one of their porches all day! :)

4. What was the last thing you won? 
I won some ADORABLE gardening/cooking/cleaning gloves from a giveaway at Everything Happens for a Reason. They are darling! I got to pick the color & i got lime green & white. They came from here. Too cute!

5. If you could be on a game show, which would you choose? 
Definitely Wheel of Fortune! I'm so good at it at home! Mom & Dad & i used to watch it back in the day! Mom was the BEST at it, though! I'd also love to do Family Fued! And, because of Brad & my grocery shopping team work... i always say we would SO WIN Supermarket Sweep! HA!

Your turn! :)

Fill in the blanks: Books!

Friday = fun memes! First, Fill in the Blank Friday! This week's theme is BOOKS. YES! =)


 If you want to join in, answer the below answers & then head on over to Lauren's the little things we do & add your link to the blog hop! =) 


1. My favorite book growing up was Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. In my preteen years i was also a fan of the Mandi series...anyone remember those?!


2. The funniest book I've ever read was surely by Marian Keyes. She writes fiction, chic-lit type novels & they are just hilarious!! She has this way of writing about serious issues in a funny true-to-life way. Love her!


3. The one book that has truly changed my life was obviously & truthfully, the Bible. Also, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It's a novel but is a true example of God's unconditional forever love for us. Passion & Purity by Elizabeth Elliot as well.


4. If you're looking for a real tear-jerker, you should probably read White Oleander - it tore me up. The movie is good too. All Francine Rivers books make me cry. And when i was a teen, i read a lot of Lillian McDaniels. Very sad books!! :(


5. If i could meet any author living or dead, i would want to meet Paul (from the Bible). Also, C.S. Lewis. & Beth Moore. :) I'd like to have lunch with her. 

6. The next book on my "to read" list is a few health-related books that i have in mind. 

7. If i was snowed in a remote cabin & could only have 3 books with me, i'd choose the Bible, Mere Christianity (i'm in the middle of it now but it's taking me forever!) & a fun chic lit book! :)


Your turn! :)