Holiday Time-Out!

It's the most wonderful (and busiest) time of the year!

Happy Holidays, friends - we'll see you in 2013!

Music Stuff: Our First Concert

You never forget the thrill of the first time you hear some songs you love played live...



My dad took me to my first concert at the Tulsa Fair Grounds to see Alan Jackson.  I'm sure we went solely for the ever-popular Chattahoochee song.  We'd sing it all the time, my mom thought we were just hilarious (obviously I had no idea what the song was about at such a ripe age).  Though besides this being my first concert experience, it was also one of the first times I remember seeing my dad for the amazing man he is.  Back then, anyone could smoke, anywhere really, and my Dad and I ended up with seats next to someone who was lighting up incessantly.  Well, he marched over to a security man and said the seats just weren't going to work for he and his young daughter.  And like magic, we were shuffled to the FRONT ROW.  I thought my dad was superman that day. 

I'm not 100% sure that this is my first concert, but it is the first concert that I remember being truly awesome. I was 10. I went with my mom, my 3 best friends and their moms! Mother-Daughter concert date! What is also so awesome about this concert is that Point of Grace and 4Him performed in Gallagher-iba Arena... if you aren't an Oklahoma State University fan then that fun fact won't be as exciting to you. I remember our seats were on the court, my mom must have stood in line for days for those tickets! P.S. I googled and found the article from 1996 about them performing at OSU, that was a big deal for 2 huge groups to perform in Stillwater, Oklahoma!

GARTH BROOKS CALLIN' BATON ROUGE by rawestern
I've been fortunate enough to see some pretty dope concerts in my day. However, I think seeing Garth Brooks for my first concert just set the bar unbelievably high. He's a phenomenal performer and one of the few country acts that is known and loved across the U.S. I'm also pretty partial to him because he says my name in a song.

Hello Samantha dear, I hope you're feelin' fine!  (min 1:20)

I swear, hundreds upon hundreds of seats back from the stage, I know he was singing directly to me :)

To follow the themes of first concerts being country music or at the fairgrounds, mine was both!  I grew up in a little bitty town called Woodward in Oklahoma (pop. 12,000), and for some reason, a somewhat successful country music singer named Bryan White gave a concert at our fairgrounds when I was in 6th grade.  My dad took me and my best friend, and we sat at tables in folding chairs.  It was weird, but also awesome.  Bryan White was only really prominent on the country music scene around 1995-1998, but you might remember his songs "Rebecca Lynn," "Throw Another Nickel in the Well," "Someone Else's Star," or "My Heart's Sitting on Go," or even the song I put up for you above, which I still maintain is one of the saddest songs everrrrrrrrrrr.

Vote Yes on Lee Greenwood's Leather Fringed Jacket

Do what you need to do tomorrow, Americans!

(and by that I mean:  vote)

Happy Halloween!

Ghoulish transformations performed on the amazing Picmonkey

Things Grown-Ups Do: Be Prepared

Sandy has made her brief but destructive East Coast appearance and has now gone on her way.  When disasters strike, there's always a bit of panic involved in getting things together in case the worse happens.  I'm here to remind you to get things together now, so the panic isn't necessary!

First off, assemble an emergency kit.  It will take you less than an hour, and then you never have to think about it again.

Include:

• Flashlights (that work!) - good idea to have at least one for every person living in your house
• Battery powered radio
• Batteries for both the above items (check what kinds they use!)
• Candles and lighters
• Extra blankets
• Good stock of non-perishable food items + bottles of water
• Emergency contact information, important phone numbers, insurance policies

Seems like an easy list, but somehow whenever bad weather is on the way, there always has to be a trip to the store for batteries, and we discover that our flashlights have disappeared.  Get a clear storage box, label it "emergency supplies," toss everything you may need in there, and then put it in a place that is easily accessible (because if the lights go out, you need to be able to reach it!).

Secondly:  insurance. 

We tend to get lazy with insurance because it's a hassle and it seems like something we will never need.  If we're lucky, that will most certainly be the case, but that's not something we can predict!  So, if you own a home, make it a point to get homeowner's insurance AND flood insurance (floods aren't covered in homeowner's insurance!).  If you rent, as silly and pointless as it seems, get renter's insurance.  There are tons of policies that are only $10-15 a month, and guess what?  They cover allllll of your belongings.  If anything you own is stolen (even if your laptop gets stolen from your car, for example), renter's insurance will cover that.  It's too important and too cheap to overlook!

Now that I've given you my public service announcement for today...I'm going to follow my own advice and make an emergency kit and get some insurance!  Do it, do it, do it!

Favorite Stuff: October

A few of our favorite things this month (or year)!

I'm not sure why I am making this my favorite this month, because it has been my favorite for about 2 years now, but I think it's about time I talked about this. (I recently put it in Valerie's get well box!) My mother-in-law opened my eyes to these incredible color catchers and they actually work! I seriously have saved numerous loads of laundry and clothes with these babies. Now I wouldn't suggest putting your sexy red panties in with your favorite white tee, but you can live a little with your colors and darks. It's amazing! At under $4 you too can have easy laundry days.

Last week I talked about my love for the cheese-tastic Dancing with the Stars, and this week I was provided with one of my favorite moments ever from the show:  when Carrie Ann Inaba fell out of her chair in a fit of overjoyed ecstasy.  She wasn't hurt at all, so that means we get to laugh at it!

Ah, this candle.  It's from Anthropologie (swooooooon) and it's probably way too pricey for a little ol' candle, but it smells so good and I've had my eye on it all month. My in-laws are big into Christmas lists, so I think this bad boy is going to make the cut!  Next time you are in Anthro, take a sniff and let me know what you think. 

Beautiful Advice About Loving Your Body

I recently discovered that Amy Poehler has a channel on YouTube called "Smart Girls" that celebrates girls around the world who are accomplishing wonderful things by being themselves.  It's geared toward young girls, and I actually wish I could go back to my 13-year-old self and watch some of these videos and be inspired.  If you have a younger sister/daughter/friend, send them here!

Amy Poehler just jumped up a few notches in my book, though she was already pretty high on my list of favorites.  In response to a young girl's question about being unhappy with her body, Amy gives this thoughtful answer that I think every woman should hear, because body issues can plague women at any age and at any stage in life.  As I struggle with my body right now while recovering from surgery, wishing I could heal faster, hoping my body will be able to once again do what it could before all of my back problems, these words are encouraging, uplifting, and universal.



Let's not forget to be grateful to our bodies, and focus on what they enable us to do, rather than what we dislike about them.  And let's pass this on to the next generation of girls as well!

TV Stuff: Fall Shows We're Excited About

Leaves changing colors, the holidays approaching, everything pumpkin, and TELEVISION.  These are a few of our favorite things about fall!

I have to go with Nashville -- for the country girl deep down inside, the big love for Connie Britton, and the pure enjoyment of a diva throw down.

This is such a hard decision! Fall TV is what I look forward to the most! I could pick all of the funnies out there right now and I wouldn't be lying but I think what I'm most excited about is The CW, particularly Gossip Girl and 90210 (along with others). I have been watching these shows since college, and they are still going strong. Well, not that strong, but they are still on the air for one more season so good job! I love the fashion and the ridiculous unbelievable story lines, I love that I never remember what happened the previous episode, and I love feeling like I watched these crazy kids grow up. The CW sure knows how to make magic....

As Heidi said, this was tough! I love Fall TV too. Probably more this year than ever before... I could literally write about so many show I'm stoked for; Vampire Diaries (I love the CW too Heidi!), Hart of Dixie, Revenge, Nashville, Sons of Anarchy, Switched at Birth, The Office, Once Upon a Time, The Walking Dead, Duck Dynasty, X- Factor, Downton Abbey (projectfreetv.com, you da bomb!) and truly the list could go on forever and a day. HOWEVER, life just really seems to get in the way of any and all TV watching. Between school in the mornings, work in afternoon/evenings, then studying, cooking, working out, showering (let's be honest, doesn't happen much either)... my TV time is quite miniscule. It's really sad... However, in my heart and mind I know I will watch them all eventually.  Someday, someday...

My favorite for the fall has already been on for 4 weeks:  DANCING WITH THE STARS.  I love this show so much I wish it was on every night of the week.  My dream in life is to reach the minimum level of fame possible to be on this show.  I don't know how I'm going to achieve that, but...just you wait.

What do you have your DVR set for?

The Only Mess I Can Handle

As I've mentioned before, I'm a neat freak who married a slob (is there a nicer way to put that?).  I'm also a neat freak who has spent the past week laying in bed recovering from my back surgery and the fact of the matter is that with me unable to do anything around the house, it's easy for it to very quickly get to a bad state.

I'm pretty much relegated to the bedroom right now, and honestly, I'm surrounded by a super mess.  Stuff is spread out all over, things are piling up, there's an empty Cheeto bag on the nightstand.  But for some reason, it's not really getting to me.  As I looked around the room today, I realized that I think that's because though there is a mess, it's a lovely one.  It's the loveliest mess I've ever seen, because everywhere I look in this room, I feel love and support and memories from family and friends and everyone I love.

Here:

(1) PJ pants I bought on a trip to see my favorite college friends.
(2) My laptop, which has All of the Stuff up on it, this blog that I am so excited to share with Kendra, Heidi, and Sam everyday!
(3) Flowers from my parents and siblings.
(4) A TV from my grandparents.
(5) My husband's biking clothes, which are kinda stinky, but are a great reminder of something he loves to do.
(6) Magazines brought over by sweet friends.
(7) Crosswords sent by my thoughtful cousins.
(8) My phone I've received a million "thinking of you" texts on.
(9) A tapestry my husband brought back from Bonnaroo, a yearly tradition (both him going AND him bringing me back a tapestry)

I feel a lot of things laying on this bed in this room - among them, boredom, restlessness, and discomfort - but I also feel a whole lot of love.  Laying here it's easy to see that love really is all around, even in (and perhaps especially in) the mess.

Man Down, Man Down!

We originally had the usual Friday group post planned for today, but one of our comrades is down for the count. So instead, we decided a well wishes post was more appropriate!

For the past two{ish} years, Valerie was fighting major back problems. However, yesterday, she had surgery that's going to fix her right up and this back business will be done for good.  So, after a speedy recovery, she can get back to her...

elvis impersonating,

stair jumping,

party-rockin', self!

Get well soon Val.
All our love :)

Where To?

Chicago, DC, St. Louis, Disney World, Mount Rushmore, Seattle

My parents did a wonderful job making sure the travel bug bit me, and bit me hard.  Ever since I can remember, we took a family vacation every year.  And it was always a big one:  at least a week long, to a different state, taking being tourists to an entirely new level (our family trip itineraries are a sight to behold).  We've been to the East Coast and the West Coast.  I've put my feet in both the oceans.  We've seen historical sites and national parks and ridden a million roller coasters.  We've traveled by car, plane, train (for real - an overnight one to Chicago), go-cart, alpine slide, subway, and tram.  I've been to over 30 states, and I have my parents to thank for that.

Not only are those trips some of the greatest memories of my life, they've also made me appreciate so much that my parents made traveling a priority.  We never missed a vacation for 18 years straight.

Next year will be for the first time ever in life that neither Scott and I will be in school (which is kinda weird to think about!), and I would love to start doing the very same thing:  put aside a fixed amount of money every month, all year long, so that every year when vacation time comes around, you can go without a second thought!

I've got about 20 states to go before I've hit all 50 (Hawaii and Alaska, you elusive things!), so I would love to hit up some of those...along with about a million places overseas.  If you could leave for a vacation tomorrow, where would you go?

Music Stuff: Favorite Movie Soundtrack

So, my favorite soundtrack doesn't fall under just one movie, but a series of movies... THE TWILIGHT SERIES THAT IS. I can't even pretend to be ashamed because these soundtracks are just that good! I know, I know... but really guys, before you stop reading, give these bad boys a go.  I truly can't decide which one I love more out of the 4 options. It all depends on the day and what kind of a mood I'm in, but for the sake of the post I will say that New Moon was my favorite. I genuinely listen to every song on the album! Not just a select few :) I'm glad my love for the soundtracks hasn't faded at all, which I sadly cannot say about the books or movies.

 



I debated picking one of my favorite artsy/indie movie soundtracks but then I decided I wasn't being honest with myself or with you all.  So here it goes, High School Musical, 1, 2, and 3. I love them all. Does it count that it's a musical and the first movie wasn't even on the big screen? Whatever, HSM is by far the best soundtrack out there. Is it possible to not start dancing around your room every time you hear any of their greatest hits? I couldn't pick my favorite song but "Can I Have This Dance" really brings it home for me, I posted the extended scene so you can relive the love for yourself.

Remember that obsession with Zach Braff that I mentioned awhile back?  Well, it mostly stemmed from this movie, Garden State, and the fact that he picked out all of the music himself was a cherry on top.  Seriously, love this guy (though now that I follow him on Facebook, I find he cusses a whole bunch and is mildly inappropriate, but I try not to think about that).  Above is my favorite song from the soundtrack, Let Go by Imogen Heap (also known as Frou Frou).  Enjoy!

 
Love Actually, if not my true favorite movie, is at the very least the movie I have watched the most times.  Probably upwards of 20.  It's just complete and total perfection.  And the soundtrack totally is too!  It starts with a Kelly Clarkson song and ends with Christmas music <-- #winning.  The clip above is a perfect showcase of two of the other songs on the soundtrack as well.  First is the instrumental one, which is called "Love Actually Theme" on the soundtrack, and it will make you feel all the feelings.  Then when he walks outside, and Dido's "Here with Me" starts playing, and he zips up his sweater at the exact moment that the music gets epic...IT SLAYS ME.

Rabbit, Rabbit

As a child, I read every Babysitter's Little Sister book I could get my hands on (until I graduated up to the much cooler Babysitter's Club books, obvi).  It's weird the things that stick with you, but I have never forgotten that the main character, Karen, would say "Rabbit rabbit" upon waking up on the first day of every new month.  I tried and tried and tried to remember to do that as a kid, but I just never could.

But guess what:  today I did!  I'm not even kidding!  I said "Rabbit rabbit" when I woke up this morning, and it only took me about 21 years to get it right.

The phrase is supposed to bring you good luck all month long (and also I just learned from Wiki that really its supposed to be "Rabbit rabbit rabbit" so I guess I'll only have 2/3 of the luck I could have), so I've got high hopes for October!

Also, it got me to thinking about taking things one month at a time.  We do New Years' Resolutions at the beginning of each year, but those are usually quickly forgotten and difficult to keep up with (I'm not alone in this, right?).  What if, instead, we made a new resolution each month?  "They" say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so if you followed through on one resolution per month, by the end of it, your habit would be formed!

I'm going to try it, starting now.  My October resolution:  Getting to work on time every day this entire month.  That seems like a pretty basic principle that I should have under control at this point, but...I don't.  Work starts at 9 AM, and to be honest, I'm generally rolling in around 9:02/9:03.

Anyone else want to join me in this?  If you do, tell me what your October resolution is!

(and let's all try "rabbit rabbit" for November!)

Favorite Stuff: September

September really flew by, didn't she?!  Another month gone, another list of our favorites!

I'm not a big lipstick girl. In fact, the only things I wear on my lips is Carmex and maybe lip gloss, usually in a non-color. But the wedding I just flew to Oklahoma for the bride gave us lip gloss along with other goodies. This Bobbi Brown Popsicle 3 gloss is a real crowd pleaser. It looks great on any lip, stays on and is very moisturizing. It also looks like it's going to be bright, but it's not at all, it's just shiny and even looks great over an actual lipstick color. Yo go Bobbi, you go!

    
A friend sent this video to me, I watched, and then immediately starting doing the horse-like dance.  Now, I try to bust it out every where I go: side of the street, my husband's triathlon, at work.  And in the last few weeks 'gangnam style' has totally blown up in the internet world, and on Ellen!  Which means immediate success, right?  Watch, it's fun and ridiculous. 

Sam's September Favs: 

Future Husband's GQ debut!   

(Yes, I bought it) 

My baby boy's 3rd birthday! 

THE AVENGERS ON DVD!

I love it any time an awards show comes around and all the pretty dresses come out to play!  These 5 above were my favorite from the Emmys (apparently I'm into the primary colors?).  As you can tell, the super-glamorous, blinged-out dresses are not my cup of tea - my favorites are always the ones I could actually see myself wearing (should the occasion ever arise where I get to attend a red carpet event, that is!).  And I had to be sure to throw my girl Mayim Bialik in the mix for two reasons:  first of all, that shade of red is banging; second of all, I'm pretty sure that from a distance, she and I could be twins, so if I squint my eyes a little, that's what I would like if I were at the Emmys!  ...right?

Check out our August favorites here!

I Want To Talk About Bedtimes

Okay, so I know that I am a 27-year-old woman (with no children!) and realistically I should have gotten the hang of my own sleeping patterns by this point in my life, but the thing is:  I can't.  No matter what time I go to bed or get up in the morning, I'm tired.  I'm tired all day until it gets to night time, and then I inexplicably just stay awake for no reason at all...when I ought to be going to sleep.  WHAT IS HAPPENING.

Ryan Selvy's Tumblr

 

Here's what I intend for my schedule to be:

• In bed by 10:30 PM, read a book for a little while, asleep by 11:00 PM
• Wake up at 7:00 AM

That's a whole 8 hours of sleep...and seems perfectly doable, right?

Here's what actually usually happens:

• Think "I should get ready for bed" at 10:00 PM
• Watch more TV, do more internetting
• All of a sudden it's 11:30 PM
• For some reason, continue to be on the internet
• Get in bed at midnight
• Set alarm for 6:30 AM
• Hit snooze until 7:30 AM

So, here's what  I want to know:  What time do you go to bed every night?  Do you have a specific "bedtime"?  Is it different on the weekends?  How much sleep do you get?  If you know the secret to the magic amount of sleep and how to not be tired, what is it?!  Or are we all just doomed to be tired the rest of our lives?

Seasonal Stuff: What We Love About Fall

Tomorrow is officially the first day of fall!  Sure, we all love summer, but as soon as it hits September, our biological clocks all starting longing for those first crisp days that signify autumn has arrived.  Here's what we're looking forward to in the upcoming season!

Boots, scarves, sweaters, hats, and more boots are my favorite part about fall.

p.s. Thanks to Valerie for helping me get this together while I was on an airplane.

Sweaters, and soup, and pumpkin spiced latte's, oh my!

When fall comes around, I get to have this view out my window:

Kinda wish it would look like this all year round!

Hunting season, homecoming, Halloween, and my birthday! 

 October is by far my favorite month of the year, bring on the fall :)