Friday, December 15, 2017

Last Minute Gift Ideas

This year I have been extremely lax on my Christmas shopping. I literally have two people on a list of about 10 people done. To say that I'm almost in a panic attack over it, would be an understatement. This weekend, I will bravely hit the stores and even the dreaded mall all while being 7 months pregnant. Thank the Lord for the invention of Amazon Prime because without that I don't know what I would be doing. Oh wait, I do know... paying an insane amount for rush shipping.

I've had some people ask me what I'd like for Christmas. Honestly, I don't know what it is about this year maybe it's because I can't go home for Christmas and spend it with my mom and husbandmaybe it's because I'm so pregnant and have had such a hard time with being sick but I haven't really thought about things I would like to have. I just don't feel as festive as I normally do because I LOVE this time of the year. Here's my attempt at my wish list.

1. To spend Christmas at my mom's house! 

I've only not been home for Christmas once (technically twice but my mom came to CA so I don't count that one). This will be the second time ever. I'm 33 years old people. This is a big deal to me. It's something about being at my mom's house with her live tree and the stockings and Santa's cookies. I just want to go home for Christmas. (PS I'm not going home because I can't make the long flight at this stage in pregnancy). Cue the tears. Last year with not my husband and my mom it was perfect to me. 

2. Amazon Gift Cards.

If I can't go home for Christmas, at least let me shop for free on amazon. I've got a whole wish list of Christmas decorations on there that will keep me occupied.

3. Anything Baby.


I'm so overwhelmed. We don't have the baby's room ready, we don't have any of the furniture yet. We literally have some blankets, sleepers, onsies and bibs. Hang in there baby. I'm working on it! Here in the next 2-3 weeks we will hopefully have a bassinet and a crib. We will also have the room somewhat ready. So anything baby related that's essential is a good thing. BUT hey, I've got my amazon registry done! Including the crib, changing table and dresser.

4. Books, Movies and Christmas Decorations.
 
 


I've got a giant list of movies, books and Christmas village pieces that I want. I've added to my amazon list all year long.

Friday, December 1, 2017

My Top 10 Elvis Songs

If you know me or have been following me for a long time you'll understand and know my deep love of Elvis Presley. I've been to Graceland several times and can't wait to go back again. I also have an entire Christmas tree themed Elvis. Once when I was a kid, I had an entire Christmas where all of my gifts were related to Elvis, I'm talking Elvis 3D puzzles, movies, clothing etc.



I have Sirius Satellite Radio and literally the only reason why I have it is so I can listen to the Elvis channel day in/day out while I'm in the car. The other day I was sitting in my car, stuck in evening traffic, listening to Elvis and one of my favorite songs came on. It made me start thinking about if I had to pick my top ten Elvis songs which ones would they be? He has such an immense catalog. How could I only choose ten?



After some deep thinking and several more days of listening to the radio, I've compiled my favorite Elvis songs into this top ten list.



1. My Way.
2. Suspicious Minds.
3. Burning Love.
4. It's Now or Never.
5. If I Can Dream.
6. Blue Christmas.
7. Kentucky Rain.
8. Bossa Nova Baby.
9. Can't Help Falling In Love.
10. Unchained Melody.


I love all of these songs for different reasons. When I got married, we walked back down the isle to It's Now or Never so that one will always have a special place in my heart. The others all mean something to me as well. I think when a song means something to you, then you love it/hate it even more.


Do you have a favorite song or songs by Elvis? If so, share with me!

Friday, October 27, 2017

Guess Who's Back?

Hello!!!

And here you probably thought I killed over! Fooled you! I'm alive and well. Well... as well as you can be when you're 23 weeks pregnant and still experiencing morning sickness.

That's right! That's where I've been. I've been relaxing and growing a baby. Exciting news! It's also probably the most terrified and frightened I've ever been at the same time of excitement.

Have no fear... this won't become a mommy blog. I'll still be back in no time blogging about fun vacations (speaking of which I've been on several since my last post), watching great movies and decorating for the holidays (which is about to happen next week)

In the meantime let me leave you with this fun announcement...

Friday, June 16, 2017

33 -Age Is Just A Number

Tomorrow I am 33 years old. Where has the last year gone? Scratch that. Where has the last few years gone? Time is flying and it's insane to think that I'm almost to my mid-thirties! I want time to slow down a little and let my brain catch up to this new number.

I thought it would be fun to do a little post where you get to know me better. I've done some posts in the past, but since then I've gathered a lot more people reading. I always love reading posts like these, and sitting here trying to figure out what to share was fun! In honor of my 33rd birthday, I'm sharing 33 things you may not know about me. Not going to lie... it started getting tricky around 18. It's hard to come up with things about yourself! So... let's get started shall we?

33 Things You May Not Know About Me
 
 
1. I use to twirl baton. As in competitive twirling. I also twirled in high school and college.

2. I majored in Criminal Justice and Foreign Language- German in college. That's also what I received my undergraduate degree in.

3. I studied overseas in college in London and Paris.

4. My first job out of college was for NASA's U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

5. My husband and I met at work (not my current job).

6. We had a winter wonderland/Christmas theme wedding.

7. I'm not a fan of sauce. Any kind of sauce actually. The only sauce I'll eat is a light spread of pizza sauce and fettuccini sauce.

8. My favorite movie of all time is Romancing the Stone. I've talked about my deep love for it several times here, here and here.

9. I was born in Huntington, West Virginia. #countryroads

10. Two years ago I collapsed and since then I'm obsessed with making sure I have enough electrolytes. I'm all about some Smart Water.

11. I put up a minimum of seven Christmas trees. This year I'm going for eight. Don't judge me! I love Christmas.

12. Speaking of which... Christmas is my favorite holiday!

13. I had a miscarriage and a nasty nail fungus all in the same year. I talked about them both here and here.

14. My favorite vacation spot in Pigeon Forge/ Gatlinburg, Tennessee. If you told me that we were buying a home there tomorrow and we were going to retire there, I'd say LET'S GO!

15. I have a gift for watching movies over and over and never getting tired of them.

16. This December is two years of marriage and four years of togetherness.

17. The older I've become the more I hate wearing open toed shoes/ sandals.

18. I'm excellent at cooking breakfast. The rest of the meals... not so much. But I can bake!

19. I love to read mystery novels. My favorite author is Stuart Woods.

20. When I was a kid I wanted to either be a dentist or a travel agent.

21. I love eating food off the grill. Give me a hot dog or a grilled steak and I am one happy camper! But without the camping.

22. Which brings me to... I have never been camping. No thank you! Which brings me to another point...

23. I am deathly petrified of snakes. Yuck, just thinking about them to type the name gives me the heebie jeebies.

24. I Skype with my mom almost every weekend.

25. I'm cold about 89.9 percent of the time and have a sweater or jacket with me at all times.

26. Gouda Cheese is my favorite but I wont snub my nose at other cheeses. Yum!

27. I cannot stand the Kardashians. Go AWAY!

28. The O.J. Simpson bronco chase happened on my 10th Birthday. I've talked about it here.

29. I've travelled quite a bit but I'd love to go to Italy, Greece and Australia still!

30. My favorite board game is Clue.

31. I have a collection of miniature alcohol bottles.

32. I love eating Spam!

33. I love freshly vacuumed carpet.

Monday, June 12, 2017

Favorite Soundtracks

There's nothing quite the same when a good song comes on the radio and you instantly remember it from one of your favorite movies. The other day I was coming home and normally I listen to the Elvis channel non-stop (I have Sirus radio) but I decided to just see what was on and instantly came Huey Lewis and the news and I was transported to watching Back to the Future as a kid (who am I kidding... a few weeks ago) and crushing on Marty McFly. So I started thinking about all the great movie soundtracks that have came in to my life. These are just a sprinkling of my favorites...

1. Romancing the Stone
If you've been reading for awhile, you already know my deep love for this movie. To me it isn't just a movie, it's a guide to life.  The fact that the soundtrack is my number one should be no surprise. I actually walked down the isle at my wedding to the main titles.

2. Crocodile Dundee
 
The songs are all instrumental and I love them. My favorite songs on the album are: Mick Meets New York and the Theme. Maybe I should go out and get a didgeridoo since I love this soundtrack so much. I'm sure my neighborhood would love that. Fun Fact- Did you know that someone has actually played the didgeridoo for a solid 10 hours!?! Check it out! It's on youtube.

3. Grease 2

I know, I know... most people just love the first movie and can't stand the second but not me. I love the second movie even more than the first. Cool Rider is one of my favorite songs. Not to mention the Hula music and Girl for all Seasons. I have literally played this album over and over on road trips and know every single word.

4. White Christmas

My favorite Christmas movie and it took me 32 years to get the soundtrack. It's actually not available in the U.S. but I was able to score a burned copy from someone overseas. Due to the record labels they actually never released all of the songs on one album here in the USA but overseas they did! Now, I can sing along to Snow while driving home in 105 degree weather in June! It's terrific! And who doesn't love liverwurst and buttermilk to help you go to sleep?

5. The Blues Brothers
 
The Blues Brothers is just one of those movie soundtracks that you just find yourself tapping your foot. Then you realize that your singing along and then you realize that you know all the words. I love the movie and I grew up watching it so it's natural that I know all the words to the soundtrack. While I'm not a big fan of the Blues Brothers 2000, I do love this original movie and soundtrack.
 
6. Sleepless in Seattle
 
I love this movie and I love the songs that are on the soundtrack. I love all of the older love songs and the newer (at the time) songs they also used. As Time Goes By is just a classic and we had this played at our wedding as well. I also love Harry Connick's A Wink and A Smile.

What's some of your favorite soundtracks?

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

5 Reasons Why Katy Keene Slayed

When I was a kid, while my mom was at work I would sit and spend my time reading all about Katy Keene. In my eyes she was the coolest and had the life.

Her career was awesome. She was a high end fashion model. She was always wearing amazing fashions and getting paid for it. She never mentioned having to watch her weight so she was always happy to eat out and enjoy herself.
The travel. Being a high end fashion model, she would get sent around the world for photo shoots and fashion shows in exotic locations. Katy would spend time in Paris, London, on yachts, Egpyt and the list goes on. She went everywhere.
Her apartment. Katy shared her New York City Penthouse with her sister fondly called Sis. It was spacious, well decorated and had amazing views. She never mentioned rent so I’m thinking it was theirs for free! Maybe their parents left it to them. Either way they lived in a great location with tons of space and high in the sky.
The men were lining up. Katy never had to spend a night alone if she didn't want to. The men were lining up to date her. That even included celebrities! They always paired her with a guy who's name resembled Arnold Schwarzenegger and since he was the man in the 80s she had to have been just as cool.
There was other great things about Katy Keene besides her great apartment, fashions and exotic travels. She took care of her sister. Their parents had died and it was her responsibility and she took it very seriously. She also gave to charity and was independent. While she may have had all these men fawning all over her she was paying her own bills, taking care of herself.
Many people have tried to channel Katy Keene's style (cough cough Katy Perry) but Katy Keene can never be duplicated!
Was there any fictional cartoon that you looked up to as a kid?

Monday, June 5, 2017

Здравствуйте

Every now and then I check in on my statistics to this little place I call home on the world wide web. Last month, I saw a staggering number of people from Russia, Ukraine and Germany checking out my space here. I've been noticing for the last several months that more and more people from Russia are reading so I want to say a big hello to all my foreign readers. Maybe I'll finally visit your countries one of these days!

When I go on to check my statistics I do more than see where my readers are coming from. I also see what posts are popular reads and what key words are pulling people in. I thought I'd share the top five blog posts I've had all time and share some back stories to go with them.

1. Crossing Fingers
When I wrote this post, I was desperately trying to get on the travel team at work. I had applied and was in a grueling process of interviewing, testing and just playing the waiting game. I waited for probably seven months and then found out that I got passed over. What really upset me the most was at the time there was another person at my work applied just because I did. You know that type of person. Everyone has one of them in their life. Well they ended up getting it and didn't even really want it. I got stuck and they travelled all over on the department's dime. But I did appreciate everyone's good thoughts for me!

2. How I Could Have Almost Went to Jail

Back in 2011, I was cruising around in my Pontiac Grand Am Sport (Aka it had two doors but no spoiler and the front passenger seat was broken and would slide forward if I braked hard). One winter night during the holiday season, at the height of  the inflatable lawn ornament craze my best friend and I  decided to drive around and ended up at a Walmart. Well my strong hate for those inflatables kicked in when we eyed the BB Guns in an isle. You can only guess from there where the story goes...

3. An edition of, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

I have done several editions of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. The only reason I can figure out why this one might have been so popular was the television show that I talked about that got cancelled. Geez FOX aren't you kicking yourself now? I still wish that show had continued. I bet it could have had at least one People's Choice Award by now.

4. An edition of Theater Thursday

This is by far the most seen Theater Thursday. It was a Christmas Edition and a classic Christmas movie. I included fun facts and talked about the movie. I still watch this one every year during the holidays. Do you?

5. Dynasty

I have seen every episode of the show Dynasty. When I moved to California, my mom found out that the original house that was used during the opening of the show is located only a few hours away. I set out to tour it and found out at the time of the post that it was closed for the winter season. Don't worry that summer I went and toured it!

Those are my top blog posts as of recent! Now the keywords cracked me up a little bit on how people find my space...

1. Crossing Fingers
2. Bratz Dolls
3. All I want for Christmas
4. Good Bad Ugly
5. VooDoo Dolls

Now I'm curious... how did you find my little space in the big world wide web?

Friday, June 2, 2017

Birthday Wish List


This year I'm turning the big 33. While I'm not too excited about the age, I am excited to celebrate my birthday! I always have my mom and boo asking for ideas of things they can get me for my birthday so here's a few things that I would love to call mine.

1. Toms.



I have a pair of canvas shoes that I recently pulled back out and I realized how much I love wearing those kinds of shoes. I recently saw a pair of Toms that would go with a lot of things that I wear and would be great for summer! Their in the color Ash.

2. Village Pieces.
On my recent trip to Tennessee, I was able to get several pieces for great prices. I want to keep adding to it and since all the pieces are so cute, it's hard not to! I got a great Marilyn who stands outside a theater, now I just need the theater! I love this Victory Theater! I also want the Griswold House because I have several pieces from the National Lampoon Series. I would also like to get Boss Shirley's house because I feel it's not as popular and they will discontinue it quickly.

3. Beauty & The Beast Mystery Mini.
I had no memory of ever seeing the original Beauty and the Beast animated movie. I think as a kid, I was just way more into 80s movies so I hardly remember watching any of the "classic" Disney movies. When the new movie came out, we went to see it and I really liked it! Funko came out with these Mystery Mini's of all the characters. Unfortunately, you don't know which one you are getting until you open the box and they made several of them available only at certain stores. I have got the entire set except one... Cogsworth the clock! I keep these little figures on my dresser and look at them every morning when I get up so I'd like to finish my set!

4. Books and Movies.
 

I love reading and I love movies. I'm still trying to get these movies (I've wanted them for quite some time) and I love books! I've been reading a lot this year! I need several of my favorite author- Stuart Woods.

Of course, I would just be happy to spend time with my boo and my mom! I wish we could spend my birthday together but this year Skype will have to do!

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Two Movies for Tonight


 
Looking for something to watch tonight? Time is precious and you don't want to spend it searching for a movie to only be disappointed with it in the end. So that's why I've brought you two movies for tonight. The movies I review here give you an idea of what's good to watch any time you want to quickly get a movie and start watching it. This week I'm giving you two movies that are totally worthy of your time.

The first movie... The Day After Tomorrow.

Welcome to the summer! What's one way to cool down? An ice age! First of all climate change is real people. If you don't think so, I'll remind of that later this summer when we are set to have the hottest summer on record. Second of all, my husband and I love this movie. Every time it's on television we catch ourselves turning it on. Doesn't matter if there's 5 minutes left or it's just started. It's a staple. We love it. I don't know if it's because it's set in New York or what but we just love turning it on. If you haven't seen this yet, then grab a popsicle, sit down on the couch and cool down as you watch and become familiar with the drastic incidents that can take place because of climate change.

The second movie... Deju Vu.

I hadn't watched this movie till about a year ago. It came out in 2006 but I somehow missed the boat. I think I remember seeing the trailer but I thought it was a different kind of movie that it really turned out to be. I watched this at the urging of my husband because he's a fan of Denzel Washington (the star of the movie). I sat down and watched it and I liked it. Then I saw it on tv a few weeks later and tuned in. I liked it a little bit more and then eventually it grew on me. I'd actually say this is on my top movies list. The story line was original. The characters are believable. New Orleans is a great back drop and me personally, I always wonder about if we could go back in time and alter events. Watch it, trust me it'll become one of your favorites too.

So as we start the summer, what are you watching?

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

7 States in 6 Days

Last week we hit the road for vacation and managed to find ourselves in seven states in only six days of travel. When we left California we flew to Denver, Colorado for our hour long layover. It was raining when we landed in Denver but it didn't delay us.

Three hours later we found ourselves in the eastern time zone and in Columbus, Ohio. A lot of people have asked me why we fly into Columbus when there's an airport closer to my mother's house. We fly into Columbus because it's the closest airport that Southwest Airlines flies into and since we have a companion pass that allows my husband to fly for the bargain price of $11.20 round trip, we will take the time to drive those extra miles.

After a few hours drive, I was reunited with my mom in West Virginia. We stayed in town for three nights and hit up some of my favorite restaurants while I was in town. While their some of my favorite places, they were new to my husband. I tried to take him to different places than his last visit. This time he got to try out Stewarts Hot Dogs and Cams Ham. He loves Stewarts and can't wait to go there again on our next visit.

While we were in town, we also visited my mother's business and hung out with her for a little bit on the one day that she had to work while we were in town. I spent many hours there before/after school/summers/etc.

In addition to visiting my mom, we all drove through Kentucky to get to our favorite place, Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This is our happy place. Each time we go there we stop at our favorites and always find something new to do as well. My mom and I determined that we've been here at least 50 times. This was my husbands second visit and he can't wait for his third. It makes my heart fill full that he loves going there.

This time while we were in town we went to the Dixie Stampede, The Comedy Barn, The Christmas Place, visited The Islands, shopped Book Warehouse, Christmas Collectibles and tons of other shops! We even stopped and saw an impromptu Elvis show.




The new attraction that we did in Pigeon Forge was the crime museum, Alcatraz East. In the winter we had seen it being built and knew that we wanted to visit it on our next trip. This place was really interesting. They had tons of artifacts from serial killers, modern criminals, Gangster days, outlaws and terrorists. One thing that was I was most excited to see...


The Ford Bronco used in the O.J. Simpson car chase. This day will always connect me with O.J. seeing as how it happened on my 10th birthday. I remember sitting in our living room as a kid and watching this unfold. We were mesmerized by the events unfolding on tv and couldn't stop watching until we knew how it was going to end. So when I was able to see the bronco up close, I was in hog heaven.

In Gatlinburg, we weren't able to ride our beloved SkyLift due to the fires that took place in the winter. It was badly damaged and had to be repaired and replaced and wasn't opening for another week. So we did something we hadn't done in years and rode Ober Gatlinburg. When we got to the top, we did some things we had never experienced and enjoyed the wildlife encounter. We got to see black bears feed, encountered raccoons, owls and even reptiles.



We also rode the Ski Mountain Coaster and it was a blast!

Much to my husbands disappointment (he's not a fan of heights) we rode the Chair lift to the top of the mountain. When we got to the top we were rewarded with amazing views. While the fires did major damage in areas all along the mountains, this place will always be wonderful and it will come back in time. #mountainstrong

When our time came to and end and we had to leave, we travelled back to Columbus and this time flew into Las Vegas, Nevada for our layover. By that time we were tired and maxed out with our luggage quota. While it's good to be home, I can't wait to get back to see my mom and be in our happy place.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

No One Wants To Talk About This

No I'm not talking about miscarriage today. I'm talking about something less important but important none the less. I'm talking about something that 35 million people around the world have experienced.

Nail fungus.
totally my thumb nail

Ewwww, gross! Yuck! I know that's what you are thinking but guess what? It can happen to you! It happened to me a few months ago and I want to bring more awareness to how it can start and how to get rid of it.

Take a look at these beautiful nails. Look at all the fun, colorful designs that I displayed.
 
How did I go from super cute nails to a nail fungus? Well let me tell you. For a year, I was going to a nail salon about every three weeks. I started with fake nails being placed on my real nails and once my real nail became long enough they could just start filling them in. I kept doing a fill for months. My real nails were doing great and growing out like clockwork. At least that's what I thought. Once day I was working and I noticed that my thumb kept itching. I noticed that it was a little red and swollen around my nail. I was only a few days away from getting my next fill so I decided to go home and remove the gel color to see why my finger was itching so bad.

I got home, removed the gel color and once my fingernail was clean proceeded to immediately freak out at what I saw. My nail had black underneath. The sides were completely loose from the nail bed and my poor little nail was barely hanging on. So then I took off all of the gel polish and took stock of my real nails. I had this black fungus under 8 of my ten finger nails. Guess what I did once I calmed down? I called the nail salon and cancelled my appointment. I told them that I got a nail fungus from them and their response to me... We can give you some free nails.

Um... no. You need to learn how to clean your tools.

Think about it. Even if they clean the tools, all it takes is one person who has a nail fungus to have picked the same polish that you do. If miss may over there picks that seafoam green you were eyeing for vacation and has a fungus that's going all over the brush that's in that polish bottle. You use the same one and then bam! So obviously the salon wasn't watching this or they weren't cleaning their tools after each use.

So then I went on a 9 month quest to get rid of the fungus. I tried over the counter nail fungus. I tried a prescription cream. The doctors took a nail culture and still couldn't get a final name on what kind of fungus it was. Then I started asking my friends, my mom then suggested that I try Apple Cider Vinegar. I went out and bought the biggest bottle that I could find of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar that I could find, got a bowl and dunked my fingernails into it for 5 minutes at a time. Have you ever just smelled it? It's a very strong smell. My fingers would reek of the smell but I didn't care because guess what? After two uses, I could tell my nails were looking a little better. The fungus started to pool together under my nails and was getting closer and closer to the edge. 

Once the fungus got so close, I actually had to dig the fungus out and trim the nail to the quick. I thought I was going to lose all of my nails. I had to keep trying things. I had to explain to people that my nails were not going to cause them to immediately get it by being in a room with me. It was rough but after a few months the fungus was gone and then began the long repair of getting my nail shape to take hold. Because the fungus had lived in the dark under the gel paint, it had got really strong and reshaped how my nails looked. Slowly, my nail beds took their normal shape and finally 10 months later my nails are starting to finally go back to what they were before. Granted my nails are really short but that's better than a fungus and that's better than them being an inch from falling off.

I have no idea if I'll ever go back and get my finger nails done again. If I do, I definitely won't be going back to that same salon. I'm also going to ask them about how they clean their products and how often they change out their nail polish. Remember it can happen to you! Even if your just getting a manicure. So ask questions! Watch them clean their tools! Ask for a new nail filer, etc! Keep your nails looking good and fungus free!