So I hate to say this, but it's been a long time since I've felt the least bit motivated to post any of my usual rants, updates, or...well, anything. It's sad, I know. I had Sooo many followers ;-) NOT haha. But for the time being, this blog is ending. I might some day come back and try my hand at it again. Until then my friends, good luck in life. more »

I've become slightly nostalgic as I watch movies from my youth on Netflix.

I've never felt so old as I do when I have a pop culture conversation with the younger generation. It's so funny, when talking to someone a mere 10 years younger there's this distinct space the size of the Grand Canyon in what they're saying and what you're saying. The entire language and meaning of words changes with each passing generation. I now know what it must be like to be a parent when a kid hits middle school and starts bringing home strange new phrases, lyrics and names of artists.

While sitting in a chair with my arm hooked up to a machine sucking my plasma out I overheard a conversation between the guy next to me and one of the tech's. Apparently the man's name was Norman and she asked him if it was like from Bates Motel and he laughed that uncomfortable laugh of someone who hears the name analogy on a daily basis and then he said "yeah, like Psycho". The tech looked confused and said something about Norman Bates and the guy goes "yeah, the guy from Psycho", she seemed to be so lost and said "I meant from the TV show called Bates Motel, oh is there a movie too?" and another tech says "yeah there's like this famous movie from the 80's or something that the TV show is based on", in that moment I thought my head might explode. Psycho, my friends, was not a movie from the 80's but a classic film from the 1960's made by only the greatest director of the horror genre ever! (In my humble opinion).

I grew up watching He-Man & She-Ra, The Smurfs, Transformers, Jem, Rainbow Brite, and the Gummy Bears. Listening to the musical stylings of New Kids on the Block, Green Day, Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men, TLC, Nirvana, Sound Garden, Chumbawumba, Right Said Fred, Ace of Base and Hanson. We had classic movies like Clueless, Edward Scissorhands, The original Batman series!, The Terminator movies, Point Break, Dumb and Dumber, Dirty Dancing, Jawbreaker, Pretty Woman, Groundhog Day and Jurassic Park! Don't even get me started on all the teen movies that came out during the time! We had plastic colored phones in our room, played outside all day long, Duck Hunt was my first video game and Tetris on the Gameboy was my jam! We said things like Da Bomb, let's bounce yo, dude, dawg, and dope, mofo, awwww snap! and WhatEver.

                        

These are things that define an entire generation and they seem to be fading further into the dark recesses of the past. A few of them will withstand the test of time...mostly movies and maybe some of the music but others will be reduced to Wikipedia searches once our generation is gone. There might be that one kid that has cool parents who pass the knowledge of past pop culture down into their hands but others will leave it behind. It's just so crazy that the things of my youth have been replaced with texting, selfies, Reality TV, artists like Miley Cyrus and Justin Beiber. Kids today say things with a hashtag (formerly known as the pound sign), when I hear things like cray cray, yolo and swag... I just shake my head in shame. This must have been what my parents felt like when I said things like da bomb and whatever. Leave it to an entire generation to make me feel ancient and obsolete.

 

Will it always be this never ending trending? *sigh* more »

I literally just posted this as a status update on facebook today, but I totally wanted to expand upon it. 

To those of you who live in all those states that get crap tons of SNOW on a monthly/weekly/daily basis year round (I'm looking at you Utah!)...Us southerner's get 5" of freaking ICE (okay sometimes it's snow) once in a blue moon. Our cities are hardly equipped to handle this because it doesn't happen every day. I just want to make you aware that we are not complete pansies that duck and cover during some puny snow fall of 1/4-2". 

I've lived in North Carolina my entire life, but that doesn't mean that I haven't traveled and seen snow outside of this state. When I was 14 on a family trip out to the western US, we experienced snow on the 4th of July in Wyoming. To me, that was possibly the most radical weather experience...and that says a lot coming from a 30 year old. I lived in Western North Carolina where we got regular drifts of snow every winter and I got really good at driving on winding and twisty snow covered roads. So don't get me wrong, I know how to navigate and be safe in SNOW. The thing is, I moved to Wilmington...a beach town whose last big snow was 4 years ago. We see snow rarely if ever in this town and this year we didn't even get the pleasure of snow. For an entire day sleet fell from the sky when the weathermen reported 5" of snow, we instead got about 3" of Sleet...if you don't know what sleet is I'll tell you, sleet is ice that masquerades as snow because it has a white color when it lays on the ground in big piles...generally you wont notice the difference until you step on it and bust your butt because you weren't prepared for what should have been white and fluffy to actually be a slick sheet of ice. 

    

Okay so now that we've covered the fact that we rarely, if ever, see snow...let's talk preparedness. I got that part down. I keep jugs of water in the floor of my pantry because you literally never know when a disaster may happen. I have a small food storage of beans and canned goods to eat off should it become necessary. But I am actually the exception to the rule...90% of this town doesn't see the point in preparedness (I can blame my Mormon religion for my being on top of it) when they never see snow. Also, why is the State of NC that rarely gets snow going to keep snow plows on call? Nope! That doesn't make sense. And so when they hear that some crazy arctic freeze is heading this way, yeah people freak out a bit and they run to the store like maniacs and buy up all the bread and milk and peanutbutter just in case their power goes out and they have nothing to eat. I personally roll my eyes and dread going to the store for anything during these crises because I don't like being mistaken for one of these loons. BUT, that doesn't mean I don't understand why they are the way they are and it gets really frustrating when we get made fun of by people who have never lived under similar circumstances. 

    

So all you Northern, Midwestern and Western United States dwellers who transplant to our home and have a good laugh at our expense...I've seen how you all act down here during hurricane season, so you've lost your right to make fun. When you manage to survive a single hurricane season without doing the same thing you crack on us of doing during snow season then you can open your mouth ;-) Seriously though, the best thing you can do in any foreign weather situation is make best friends with locals and find out what the actual protocols are. Most of the time they say we're going to get hit with a traumatizing hurricane it heads off somewhere north or south of here and we get some high winds and a little power loss, nothing we can't grin and bear...most people do it while having a massive "hurricane party" and getting totally wasted (not something I've ever experienced but I hear it's a blast). 

That said...y'all enjoy your snow the rest of this winter, now that we've met our quota for the next 2-3 years or so, I'm gonna go put on my flip-flops and t-shirt and go enjoy the 60-70 degree weather we're having a mere 2 days after an ice storm....because THIS is what it looks like after Wilmington struggles through a winter storm:

   

Beach photos courtesy of my friend Kelsi's trip to the beach today ;-)

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Growing up, I loved snow! So, you might be thinking, what has happened to turn my heart so bitter toward the fluffy white stuff that falls from the heavens??

I hate cold and I hate the cold and wet combination. I am a beach girl down to the very depths of my soul and so I love 70-80 degree warmth and sun shiny days sitting in the sand watching the ocean chase the shoreline. So when the North Carolina temperatures finally plummet to the subzero (okay okay 20's and 30's but it might as well be subzero!) Ariel gets cranky and then when white crap starts fluttering down from the sky it's just like dooms day for me.

Since moving to Wilmington I have had the pleasure of no snow and then yesterday they decided to announce 5" of the stuff. *sigh* This has happened a few times, they say it will definitely snow and it snows up in Raleigh and further north but we get nada and so I firmly disbelieve any weatherman that claims we will get snow. I still don't fully believe it will snow. It was supposed to start snowing this morning at 5am and when I woke up at 6 and looked out the window to see cloudy skies but green grass, I just knew I was right. Then they moved the predicted snow to 12pm, well lunch time came and went with not a sign of snow...and so they canceled school and people stayed home from work for a cold and rainy day. After about 5pm however, it started to sleet and has been doing so ever since. In this situation I think I'd prefer snow but hey, you get what you get.

I will say this about that fluffy white crap, it certainly photographs well. If it does snow I will take great pleasure in the fact that I don't have to go into the office on Wednesdays and can sneak out with my camera and take photos of snow on the beach. more »

I've recently experienced quite a few weekending days that feel like week beginning days. It's not the most pleasant of things. I'm almost positive it's just because for two weeks in a row the holidays fell in the middle of the week and my entire schedule is askew.

It's the WORST when you wake up and it feels like another never-ending week is beginning. It helps a little that I get to look forward to 5:00 with much anticipation for the actual weekend.

On a positive note...because complaining about Friday can't be the only thing I leave you with today... next Monday I have my first meeting with the Bow Wow Luau & Cat's Meow committee for the Adopt An Angel Animal Rescue Foundation. This place exists because Wilmington doesn't have an SPCA here, so we have a non-profit organization that is constantly raising funds to keep cats and dogs from ending up at the pound. I think it's quite a lovely organization and am SUPER excited to work with them on this years luau. And then Tuesday will be my last meeting with the Founder's Gala committee before we have the big Gala on the 25th! I'm so ready for Gala, I just need a dress haha. So good things do come on Monday's it looks like, and Tuesdays as well, go figure!

Hope you all enjoy your Saturday and Sunday this weekend! I'll look forward to more positive posts coming your way soon. more »

Why HELLO THERE! I haven't talked to you in so long it feels like I hardly know you anymore! 6 months ago I dropped off the face of the bloggerverse. I feel like I left you all hanging and for that I am so sorry. Let me fill you in...some of it you know and some of it you don't know. *deep breath* aaaand....

 

Goodbye 2013! HELLO  2014! But I can't say goodbye without remembering all that 2013 brought to me. This past year has been full of ups and downs, changes and some of the same old things, growth and a little bit of stagnation. Let's get on this then and talk about the good the bad and the ugly and then move on to the future goals and plans for 2014.

 

 

So, 2013 in summary: I moved on. I let go of my past love, I let go of my past life and I started over. I turned 30 with my beautiful friends. Made and lost friends, went on dates, had my heart broken, got stabbed in the back by someone I considered a friend and then learned to forgive. Got mad, got over it, got mad again, got over it again (this could keep going LOL). New roommates, new apartment. Gained 40 extra pounds that I could have lived without. Red carpet premier parties, galas, fashion shows. Taught a class on what it's like to be a photographer. Gained two new nephews through quite a bit of a struggle for my sisters. Quit one magazine and started a new one. Networked my butt off! Started working with an event planner and learned some invaluable lessons. Met and learned from some amazing photographers. Started a business that failed, expanded my photography business and began working out a plan for a new company. Laughed so many times, cried tears of joy and pain many times over. Went back to church, gained a solid testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, got my Patriarchal Blessing, returned to the Temple for the first time in so many years, and was finally worthy enough to get a full temple recommend and set a date for endowments.

 

  

  

What does 2014 have in store for me? I don't know everything but I do know these things:

I will lose at least that 40 extra pounds. I will stop eating fast food and give up soda finally *I WILL, I SWEAR I WILL*. I will volunteer my butt off as much as possible and give back. I will serve others. I will start my own business, success or failure. I will start going to bed earlier so that I'm not so tired all the time. I will learn to let some things go so that my stress levels are lower. I will become an endowed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I will be open to the possibilities. Oh and I will be sure to update this darn thing with more frequency!

  

 

My roommate, Lisa, and I have decided it's a wise choice to set some quarterly goals and challenge each other to meet them. This is going to be a great year full of success and fabulousness! Tell me friends, what are you going to do in 2014?! Let's make this year a year to never forget!


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I throw them right back like a grenade that might explode momentarily. Well, I wish I did, but honestly I tend to hoard them and squeeze their sour acidic juice right into the open wounds. I'm not sure why I do it, maybe something about being miserable drives me..who knows? Lately things have been piling up again.

So lemon number 1, my roommate is leaving. I'm 50/50 on this one...at first I was so hurt and felt betrayed because we made all these big plans for what we'd be doing soon and then she springs on me that she's decided her best bet is to move to San Francisco to live with her parents. The more I've thought about it though, and talked to some people about my feelings, I've realized that it's not about me. She has to do what she needs to do to make her life better for her plus I'm starting to miss living alone. Now that I have friends and see people on a regular basis I miss having my home all to myself.

Lemon number 2 the guy I was so enamored with proved to be another loser. Lemon number 3 goes hand in hand with Lemon number 2...there was a girl I made friends with from church and tried to help with her relationship problems because I saw the same things happening with her that were happening with me. I told her how great it was that this guy had become a part of my life after all the things I had just been through and how much she deserved someone who treated her with love and respect and who could take her to the temple. One day the guy I was spending time with and talking to walked up to me after church and told me he had some good news for me...he had decided he wanted to pursue my friend. I was so stunned I didn't hear the rest of the conversation past the part where I asked him how it was good news and he told me well it was good for him. Yeah, that happened. When I asked the girl that I thought was my friend if she knew he had decided  to date her, she told me he had spoken to her about it and she wasn't sure how to tell me but now she guessed she didn't have to because he broke the news to me. I asked her how this happened since she knew how I felt about him and she told me that she couldn't deny what he had told her. Yeah, that happened too. I was so stunned. Instead of being a REAL friend and telling him that if he didn't have feelings for me he and I needed to work that out first with me before trying to date her. So not only did I lose the guy, I lost what I thought was a friend too. And now I have to see them all over each other at church every Sunday and come to find out apparently they're already having sleepovers. Wow, guess I dodged a bullet there.

Lemon number 4 financial instability which is being compounded by lemon number 1. My job is just not cutting it anymore. I'm working 3 jobs and making way less money then when I only had 1 job. It's stressful not knowing if you can pay your bills from week to week. And this particular lemon is extremely sour right now because I have applied to several higher paying jobs that I probably wont hear from for a little while longer since they're State and County jobs. I literally pray every night that one of these jobs calls me back soon because I need the financial stability here more than anything else right now.

And so as my lemons pile up I call my dad for advice and he tells me that he swore to me when I started attending church again and trying to live a righteous life that Satan would throw up lots of roadblocks to try and keep me from being where I need to be and that I need to re-read my patriarchal blessing because there is something in there that will always help me through these times of trial and stress. And so I do that. I work harder to build a stronger testimony on my own and to stay active in church and provide service for others because this is how I am going to make these lemons turn from sour juice into some sweetly tart lemonade. :P more »

A while back I did this Survey type post just for fun...So I'm just gonna do it again because it's been, um 5 years! wow. Okay so here we go again and my how things have changed!

Ten Things I Wish I Could Say to Ten Different People Right Now:
1. Get your head out of your ass and more people might actually enjoy being around you.
2. Let go, move on, I promise you'll never regret it at any point in your future.
3. You're going to be the best mother...EVER!
4. You're just not cute...time to accept it and move on.
5. I can't BELIEVE you lied so thoroughly to someone who loved you so much! Next time try the truth, it'll get you a lot further in life and relationships.
6. You are not Siskel, nor are you Ebert, your constant movie reviews are so...oh you get it
7. Being a flake is NOT okay...ever.
8. Girl, I love you more than you will ever know, and count you as one of the top people in my world
9. You are THE single most amazing man I think I have ever met in my entire life...and I hope it stays that way.
10. I can't believe you are repeating history again...I'm so sorry things have turned out this way but just know that you will always matter to me.

Nine Things About Myself:
1. I can be the biggest bitch or the nicest person you'll ever know... you get to choose which you experience.
2. I have had some of the coolest roommates ever
3. I'm a Mormon.
4. My life has been a never ending roller coaster ride.
5. I am a slob...it's sad but true.
6. I am probably one of the single most passionate people you will ever know
7. Reading is my happy place.
8. I can't STAND being ignored...I mean like REALLY CAN'T STAND IT!
9. I turned my world on it's axis for a guy, it didn't work out but it was still the best decision I ever made.

Eight Ways to Win My Heart:
1. Buy me shoes
2. Food...the homemade kind.
3. Honesty is the best policy
4. I love affection! Public, Private, I don't really care which.
5. It's the little things that really matter
6. Being able to truly understand me is a huge asset
7. I'm actually pretty simple to get...it's not hard to figure out
8. Just be you.

Seven Things That Cross My Mind A Lot:
1. Some guy or another
2. My severe lack of money
3. How it is I have managed to stay alive this long
4. Goodness how my life has changed in such a short period of time
5. How did I get so lucky?
6. Dang. I think I may actually die alone...
7. It's all good, really, you got this!

Six Things I do Before I Fall Asleep: (In no particular order)
1. Tell Trishy goodnight
2. Have an out loud conversation with God
3. Read...book, scriptures, something
4. Snuggle down into that perfect spot surrounded by pillows
5. GET NAKED!
6. Check my Facebook one last time.

Five People Who Mean A Lot:
1. My Entire Family
2. Emily
3. Patricia
4. John
5. Steph

Four Things You're Wearing Right Now:
1. Khakis
2. Tank Top
3. Headband
4. Bra

Three Songs You Listen to Often:
1. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark - Fall Out Boy
2. Over You - Chris Daughtry
3. It's Time - Imagine Dragons

Two Things You Want To Do Before You Die:
1. Marry
2. Lose 40lbs and keep it lost!

One Confession:
1. I over think everything.

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This is something I am constantly reminding myself. I have a bad habit, sometimes, at looking into someone else's life and thinking, why am I not there yet? And then I remember, because I didn't want to be there when I had the opportunity or I've never been ready to be there and so I am here. I love my here and now. Do I have hopes and desires for things that have not happened yet? Absolutely! Will I let that be something that holds me back from being the best at all the things I do until I get there? Hell no!

With Trisha at the Iron Man 3 Premier

On rare occasions I look at my life and think, why? Why am I 30 with a menial job, no boyfriend or husband, no financial wealth, no great accomplishments to my name?? How did I end up as this person? Because I had such grand dreams when I was younger of who I would be at 30 years old. And then I slap myself and realize I have a pretty fantastic life! I am 30 and single and have the ability to travel or move whenever I want because I have no one thing tying me down to one place. My job is mobile and can go with me anywhere I decide to go. Not to mention the opportunity this job has given me to experience places like Dallas Texas and Puerto Rico! I have been blessed with a multitude of friends all with different life experiences to help guide me through my own trials.

Hanging with local celebs at the Iron Man 3 Premier

I sat  here today and looked over an old friend's facebook page and realized she's married finally, has a kid, their own home and a great steady job. And I looked at that and for a split second thought, how is this possible and I'm sitting here with  none of that? And then I just laughed and said but oooh look at what I do have! I just met with the event planner this morning that I just started working, she wants to take her company to the next level and in doing that she wants my help (and two other girls). She wants to get us all dolled up and sized for outfits and have a photo shoot for the website! She wants us to get her information about what we enjoy working with so she can cater our responsibilities to our likes and what we're good at and she wants to know our goals. I think this is fantastic! I have been dying to get into this industry for YEARS and here it is falling into my lap finally!

With Victoria and JJ - A Boxed Event Planning Meeting 

On a weekly basis I have the opportunity to mingle and network with the societal elite in Wilmington! I know the Mayor and his wife by their first names and they know who I am on sight. I have rubbed elbows with Dr's and lawyers and actors and producers as well as the people who run numerous non-profit organizations. I take pictures of these people for a local magazine and most of them remember me every time they see me and ask how I am. I've made friends with the best hair dressers a girl could ask for and people who own their own clothing stores! I have been given the opportunity to volunteer with the hospital's founder's gala committee in planning their annual gala again this year. I have shaken hands with the man that owns the local baseball team and met his wife. I truly KNOW Wilmington and all the people who make this town work.

With Terry and Kendall of Salon Beyond Basics

Founder's Gala Committee

I did not get these things by sitting idly by and watching life happen, I received BLESSINGS by putting myself out there! Making sure these people know who I am! And by going to church every Sunday, reading my scriptures and living the Gospel the way I've always known I should. I have been SO incredibly blessed in the last 6 months. I am not living a flush life full of financial freedom in a big fancy apartment or zooming around town in a brand new car. By no means am I well off. But the things that I have worked SO hard to achieve are finally happening because I took my life out of my own hands and offered it up to God and I worked hard at being patient and waiting for His timing on things. I am learning daily that when I want something badly and pray for it to happen, it may not happen immediately but it does happen, in God's time. Because our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us, when we can handle things and when we need things to happen. And so I may not be married with children and a mini-van (not that I really want the last two...) but I am happy and content with the incredible life that I do have and all the people that are a part of it. I have met and am "dating" (I use quotes because when I say dating I mean literally just going out on dates...for the time being) the most incredible man I have ever met in my life with the strongest testimony I've ever heard and I don't know if it will ever become something other than a friendship but I have come to realize that even having this person in my life as a friend is a blessing. I have the most amazing roommate who just radiates light and strength in the Gospel and is a constant blessing to have in my home! I am so grateful that she needed somewhere to live and the Lord pointed her in my direction.

At the Founder's Gala with Renee Saffo (Mayor's Wife!) and Sandy Spears 

So the next time you look at someone else's life and start counting their blessings that you are lacking...stop. Take a moment to breathe and really look at YOUR life! I bet it's just as wonderful if not more so than that other person's! more »

Nope not THAT big day, I'm not getting married...yet. Give me some time I'm sure I'll find someone I'm capable of duping into that long term commitment. But for now, I am finally getting my Patriarchal Blessing. This is a HUGE deal. Most people get theirs really young but I never wanted to get mine until I knew I was absolutely ready for what it held and so I put it off and put it off and put it off some more. I am so thankful that I am finally in a place mentally and emotionally to be ready to hear what the Patriarch has to tell me.

I spoke with my Branch President this past Sunday for the third time since going back to church and when he told me "I don't see why you can't get your Patriarchal Blessing now" I burst into tears. I couldn't hold it back it just came out in a huge flood of emotion. Until this point I have never cried in front of this man and then all of a sudden BOOM tears. I said wow, this is huge, I've been working on and off for this for the last 5 or more years and it just seems like FINALLY I'm getting to where I need to be. So we're doing my interview on Thursday evening and then I have an appointment for the 28th to get my blessing. I am also giving a talk that Sunday, my first in a long while, and so my father was already planning to be in town that day and will be coming with me for my Blessing. It's interesting because my roommate is getting her blessing this Sunday and had to book a month in advance and I was so worried when I called him that he would be all booked up, so I had prayed and prayed that it would work out, and then he said oh no I absolutely have an opening for the 28th. What a great day this has been so far!

I am so so very blessed right now....and I next to never say that kind of thing. Goal 1: Achieved. Next step temple ready and go do Baptisms and then work on getting my Endowments by the end of the year. I am so excited! more »