Kids Rock!

(I pulled this from another blog....just had to share bc these kids are wonderful!)

These kids are simply wonderful. They remind me that kids have immeasurable talent that, if tapped into, can be unleashed as amazing expressions of their unique abilities. Seriously, if I ever have kids and they want to learn music, this is the way I would want them to learn. There’s obviously a time when these kids get serious with their instructor and learn, but the end result is expressed in enjoyment and fun!

These kids are called the PS22 Chorus and I am pretty sure you could watch most of their videos and be pretty impressed. I watched this video this morning when I got to work and it reminded me that I honestly need to have fun in everything I do. You can’t take life to seriously! Even though it’s a nasty day outside here in Charlotte today, these kids have brightened every moment! I think I have watched this video at least 10 times!

They do all kinds of pop-hits so if you want to watch more of them, go onto UTube and search for PS22 Chorus. It's worth a little 15 minute break at work - trust me!




And I will add a couple more for your enjoyment!

" I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends"

"What would you do if I sang out of tune,

Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song

And I'll try not to sing out of key.

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends"

Honestly, it’s been one of those weekends/weeks. I don’t know what has been wrong with me but I have been in a really funny mood lately. This past weekend, even though I had a girl’s night at the movies on Friday, hung out by the pool all day Saturday and went out with friends Saturday night, and.. hung out with Dustin all day Sunday….I honestly felt slightly lonely (geeze, that’s hard to admit) But, I don’t know why. How could I be lonely when I was surrounded by people ALL weekend? Who knows.

School started this week and work has just been work but, I have to snap out of it. I want things I can’t have and I think that is my problem. Kind of like the blog post I posted two weeks ago where I found myself wishing away time so that I could be at a certain place in life…well now I am finding myself wishing I had things I can’t have because of circumstances out of my control and it’s really getting me down. I want a relationship I can’t have but have no clue where it’s going or really what it is because of stupid geography. I want a job I can’t have because I can’t afford to stop the one I have now in order to go back to school full time. Therefore I am having to take my happy sweet time and work on it slowly but surely from one semester to the next. I want all my friends to live in Charlotte. Even though I do have good friends here, I don’t have anything quite like the support system I had at home or in Raleigh. I have my girls here who I can depend on and love 100%, but I am being selfish and I want ALL my girls here. (I know. I can get over this one; you don’t have to tell me because this is never going to happen….but again, I can always want.) I want more hours in a day but I can’t have that either. On the way to work this morning I heard the song “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney and it made me mad that the days go by so quick. I feel like I go to work, come home, do homework, go to the gym etc. etc. But what am I doing to make a difference in the world? What am I doing to help someone else? I want to see my family but I have this, this and this to do this weekend. I need more hours in a day to do everything I want to do!

I think I have just diagnosed my mood this week. I want things I can’t have. I want a relationship, I want my happy career, I want my friends and family, and I want time…but no matter what I do, these are all out of my control to a certain extent and it really just stinks.

Several months ago I booked a flight out of Charlotte. It was on a whim; just a thought at the time while sitting at work. But, this flight could not have more of a reason now that this week has finally approached. I booked a flight to D.C. to visit one person that means more to me then she even knows. I leave today at 5 for a weekend with her that I already know is going to be more than I could ask for!

Lauren and I have been friends since pre-school and she has always been by my side. She is who I need now to pull me out of my funny mood and honestly, I think only her and D.C. are the cure for this diagnosis! Lauren is such an amazing and genuine friend that even though we live 400 miles from each other, distance doesn’t change a thing.

Today is technically my Friday and my hands are trembling right now in anticipation to get up to DC and spend the weekend with my fabulous Homey G Funk! We pretty much have the whole weekend planned (shocker I know, Lauren and I already have things planned?! Ha ha surprise surprise!) This mini-vacay is coming at such the perfect time and I can’t wait to spend the entire time with Muse!

As I was packing last night and having my own therapy session with myself as the doctor, trying to diagnose myself with what I just did in two seconds above as I let my fingers on a keyboard explain my head, I came across one conclusion:

Sometimes, you just need to stop. Stop nagging, stop asking, and stop whining. Just stop. Leave the issue with the Lord. Sometimes being pushy just prolongs the process. Act only when all signs point to readiness and quit worrying.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7a

Happy “my Friday” Friends!

I will leave you with several pics of the D.C. visit with Lauren last year! Get excited Washington, here I come!

(click on each picture to make them larger)

A note from the Author: Two posts today.. and sorry that this one was so long, but...I just had to share with you the one below as well; I couldn't resist! Enjoy!

My Heart Melts

There is one thing that makes my heart melt (and probably will scare the poop out of my future husband) and that is babies. I want to eat them to pieces! If we are anywhere and there is a baby in the room, you can bet that I will be the first person to hold it and I have a hard time giving it up! I LOVE them - even if they are crying; doesn't seem to faze me! Therefore, I just had to share these picutres with you off of a friends photography blog. Is this not the most precious little boy you have ever seen! He is perfect in everyway; look at his little face! I want to bite his little ears off they are so tiney tiny! I want to eat his little face! awww how precious! (Please still bring your babies around me, I promise I won't hurt them!)

Meet Nixon:

Click on the picture's to make them larger

(trust me, you want to see these in full screen...awww how sweet!)

I already know my poor kids are going to be so tired of a camera in their face!

Ouch...

Why do we do it? Honestly. I can’t even stand up right now. No matter how bad I have to go, I don’t even want to walk to the bathroom. They are red. They hurt. It’s not fair.
Cute shoes. That is what I am talking about. I feel pretty, sexy, hot when I wear cute heels to work. I feel professional and surprisingly more intelligent! But crap.

Yesterday I wore my pretty red heels with a cute little dress. Some of the guys I worked with wanted to go out to lunch so I decided to make the trip. Two blocks away from our building they finally decide we are going to go to LoLa’s in the AT&T building. If you are not familiar with downtown Charlotte let me just tell you that LoLa’s is a good 4 blocks over and 8 blocks down. Not only is it a long walk, but it is 90 degrees outside. Therefore, 4 blocks over and 1 block down my feet are starting to rub. I slow the group down as I am trying to walk on my tip toes to avoid the motion of my feel going in and out of the peep toe of my shoe. Not working. I grit my teeth and bare it. But, the only thing I can think of is “I have to walk back. Ugh” I left work yesterday with four band-aids attached to both the outside and inside of the front of each foot.

Today, I wore my shiny Jessica Simpson black pumps – looove them, especially since I got them on sale!... Plus, they went great with my pink silk shirt and black pants. Aaron emailed me this morning and wanted to go to lunch! I responded with a yes and let him choose the location. Bad Idea. He chose Nix Burger Bar. I love that place but…it is 10 blocks over and 2 blocks up. Ugh, not again. So out the door I headed in the 90 degree weather, feet heating up every step I took. The blisters from yesterday were back and they were growing brothers and sisters with every step. And again, all I could think was “I have to walk back, crap.”

When lunch was over, I started the journey back to the Duke “Jail” that I call home five days a week. I swear while we were in Nix the temperature rose 10 degrees in 45 minutes because my feet were sweating this time (I know that’s gross but I am not going to lie.) The “brother and sister” blisters I had before started having twins and I have never been so miserable in my life. Every inch of my foot that touched my shoe felt like someone was holding a lighter on top of it.

On yeah, and not only were my feet hurting, but I was “adjusting” my walk so not to make too many movements in my shoe . . . and . . . as I was in front of Jimmy John’s Subs, concentrating hard on the task at hand, I literally walked right out of my shoe - Actually walked five steps out of it as I left my little Jessica Simpson back on the sidewalk. It wasn’t a horrible move though because a very nice AND nice looking young man in a black pin stripe suite with royal blue shirt and shaggy brown hair picked my shoe up and brought it to me! – What a way to make friends!

Therefore, besides making cute friends on the sidewalk and looking hot in peep toed shoes in the summer…why in the world do we beat ourselves up like this? I look like I just got done running from China to Africa barefoot! Ouch.

In My Opinion.....

I hate physically going to the mall unless I am shopping for nothing in particular. I also like to shop when I have endless hours to wonder aimlessly. Therefore, lately I have turned my focus to online shopping. For Sharon’s wedding, I wanted a new dress to wear to her bridal luncheon, a new one for the rehearsal dinner and a new one for the wedding (I know a little much, but please notice I said "want" not "need"!) . Three dresses to find at the mall, not going to happen, especially on a budget and a little time constraint. BlueFly.com and Overstock.com came to my rescue! Three fabulous dresses and a little bit of altering – BINGO!

Leann’s DVD player broke the other day so I decided that I would replace it. It was a Wednesday afternoon and there was zero free time in the future to shop around. I went online to Best Buy, picked out a DVD player, placed my order to be picked up at the closest store, and ran by that afternoon and scooped my purchase.

I needed new sheets. I was using old ones from home that just were not making the cut anymore. (Plus the yellow and purple flowers paired with my white furniture made my room look even more like a child’s nursery!) Again, I made this decision on a random Tuesday afternoon. I was impatient to actually go to the store and look, so I went online to Target.com and ordered a new set. (I think a lot of my online purchases come from a lack of patience to look around!)

As I was making up my bed this morning, all I could think about was how much I loved my new sheets! 700 thread count is like a mini heaven! What made my buy these sheets? The reviews online! Everything I buy online I buy because of a solid review from previous buyers. I have heard the rumors saying that many of the online reviews are fake, written by someone that produces the product. But let’s be serious, if the product had one star and five bad reviews, you wouldn’t buy it. I know I wouldn’t. It’s funny though, out of all the items I buy online, I have never reviewed a single purchase! I want to start; I want to help people make easier decisions – especially if it is something that I truly love and believe in…like my sheets! I want my opinion to be heard (shocker, I know!)

Friday Funny

Wow, it's been a week; seriously. I feel like I have been around the block and back, twice! Thank Goodness It's Friday.

Just thought I would leave ya for the weekend with two of the funniest videos. Most of you have probably seen them already but I promise you will laugh again. Many times you will find me pulling "one liners" from both of these clips!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

BonQuiQui @ King Burger


LaSara

Time Flies When You Are Having Fun

It is already August 20th. Where the hell did the year go! Honestly, it seems like just yesterday that I was surrounded at Common House with a boyfriend, my Eastover Friends and my oh-so-amazing college diva’s ringing in the New Year in nothing but all out party style! I have ended a year long relationship, gone back to school part-time, married away several other friends, taken several fabulous vacations and it all seems like yesterday. I know we all say “this year flew bye.” But honestly, this year has flown by…its already August 20th! GEEEZE

This all hit reality yesterday and today when “planning” went into full swing for the fall festivities. College football stole my heart my freshman year at NC State. Tailgating at the fairgrounds and enjoying a cold “beverage” with friends all while wearing my most comfortable jeans and either a GAP Favorite T or an NC State T-shirt….doesn’t get better than that! Being able to watch the season change on football Saturday’s at Carter Finley is a feeling I wish I had year round! Coupled with football games, there are birthdays, bridal showers, engagement parties, holidays, and bachelorette weekends. (My co-workers tell me that I can solve the problem of “overbooking” myself on the weekends if I would just get rid of my friends! NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! They are my life!)

Anyway, I got into work this morning and added all of my “FUN” activities to my calendar and my head started spinning. CRAP – lots to do this fall. I am already planned well into December! WHERE DID THIS YEAR GO?!

Weekend 1: Aug 27 – 30: Washington DC to Visit Lauren

Weekend 2: Sept 4 – 6: Taylor Swift Saturday with the Girls in Charlotte for Jenna’s B-day

Weekend 3: Sept 11 – 12: Raleigh for NCSU football and Jackie & Resnick's Bday OR CLT for Jenna's Bday

Weekend 4: Sept 18 – 20: Either stay in Charlotte or Raleigh for NC STATE football

Weekend 5: Sept 25 – 27: In Charlotte for Kirsten and Reece’s engagement Party

Weekend 6: Oct 2 – 4: In Charlotte for Laura Faust’s B-day and the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk

Weekend 7: Oct 9 – 10: Either stay in Charlotte or Raleigh for NC STATE football

Weekend 8: Oct 16 – 17: Raleigh for a “Stock The Bar Party” for Ashley and Paul

Weekend 9: Oct 23 – 25: Ashley’s Bachelorette Weekend!!!!

Weekend 10: Oct 30 – Nov 1: HALLOWEEN

Weekend 11: Nov 6 – 8: Ashley’s Ornament Shower in Charlotte

Weekend 12: Nov 13 – 15: Raleigh for an ADPi girls Reunion Weekend and NCSU Football vs. Clemson

Weekend 13: Nov 16 – 18: A “Breather” Weekend! yeah

Weekend 14: Nov 26 – 29: Thanksgiving in Kernersville and Raleigh for NC State Football vs. UNC!

Weekend 15: Dec 4 – 6: Ashley and Paul’s Wedding

And….. We are up to Christmas and planning our next New Year’s Party. All of a sudden, come February, I turn 26 and another year of my life is behind me. SCARY FAST!

Which One Would You Choose?

Sad times, but I think the dentist removed my sweet tooth; really mistaking it for one of my wisdom teeth. If I didn't lose it while removing my wisdom teeth in high school, I must have chipped it and filled it in with part of a salt lick! If it's not ice cream, I really don't care for a sweet treat.....seriously sad times...

The downside of my predicament, I love to bake! I love to get in the kitchen and make a total flour mess!

On that note:

There is one blog that I stumbled across that I absolutely love and constantly have the urge to try almost every idea this chic has! Its http://bakerella.blogspot.com/

On Sunday the author posted a recipe called "Monkey Business" and it is a recipe for Banana Cupcakes with Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting. This is one of those recipes where I just "want a bite!"

Recipe: http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/08/monkey-business.html

Ariston came into work on Monday and informed me of a new desert he had tried over the weekend that was to die for. Of course I had to look it up and not to my surprise it was a recipe by my all time favorite leading kitchen lady, Paula Deen!

This recipe is for Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies : http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/red-velvet-sandwich-cookies-recipe/index.html

It sounds like so much fun to make! (I think I am drawn towards deserts that are not rich but full of unique flavor!)

Since my sweet tooth is not that strong but I still have that urge to bake, my co-workers and neighbors are getting lucky this week! There is just one problem....which one should I attempt first?!

Black Gold

Several weeks ago I posted about some of my favorite shows on TV - Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch. Well the creator of those shows is at it again!
Let me introduce you to Black Gold! Forget cheesy reality like The Bachelorette, Black Gold just jumped to one of my top two fave shows (still miles away from Friends, but in the upper half!)

Yesterday was a rainy Sunday afternoon. I opened the blinds so I could watch it rain and crawled back into bed. As I was flipping through the channels, I ran across Black Gold on TruTV. Instantly I was addicted. Again, don't ask me what draws me to shows like this but I find them 100% entertaining and secretly wish I could do these jobs one day! (I know, a little strange for a girl but hey, I am who I am.)

About 30 mintues later Dustin called and was bored. He came over and laid down beside me, and within two minutes he was just as addicted as me and we started to pickout our favorite dudes and decided which rig we would want to work on! (I would soooo work for Justin!)

Dustin and I literally laid there and watched as the Black Gold marathon continued until 3pm and we decided to take a field trip to Ikea (we will save that for tomorrow's post!)

I will leave you with a little Black Gold sneak peak of the new season starting this week! Anyone want to watch with me Wednesday at 10?!

Deal or No Deal ?

The following article was posted in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem news this morning about JetBlue offering a month of unlimited flights for $599.

JetBlue Airways is offering an “all you can fly” offer. The airline is selling all-you-can-fly tickets for $599 per passenger, allowing for unlimited travel between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8.

New York-based JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) offers daily nonstop flights between Raleigh-Durham International Airport and three destinations: New York, Boston, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The airline also provides service to 46 other markets, including Las Vegas; Orlando, Fla.; San Francisco; Puerto Rico; Bermuda; Seattle and the Bahamas.

The airline does not fly out of Piedmont Triad International Airport.

The deadline for the purchase of the unlimited-flights package is Aug. 21. Individual flights must be booked at least three days before departure.

The airline has also said it will gauge demand to see how long it might offer the all-you-can-fly deal.

So on the surface this seems like an amazing deal if you are someone like me who has friends spread out over the US, or if you are a retire looking to visit several destination hot spots within the month of Sept. and Oct. It would be worth the money to hop on a plane every weekend and jet set to the next city I have a friend residing in, spend the weekend, and then fly back on Sunday; something I would definitely try to accomplish one month for this deal!

But, what is the guarantee that you can book flights when you want them? You have the flight there that you want, but can’t get a flight back, what do you do? Will it then cost you more to buy a one-way-ticket back?

This might be useful for a company like ours where we have employees who fly very frequently between Charlotte and Cincinnati, but what is it worth to the common traveler?

A Little Photo Dump of the best summer!

(click to view larger)

This time two years ago was probably one of the best summers I have ever had. I had just moved to Charlotte in July but still went back and forth between Charlotte and Raleigh hanging out with friends!
"Back in the summer of '07..oh it was the best time of my life!"

(click on any photo to see it larger)

We spent way to much time on the lake!

This was a normal look at our apartment on Thursday nights... Kenyon and Charles kept us entertained!

Best "Blind" roommate I could ever find!

A little stress relief from the workday..

My Thunda also moved to Charlotte that summer!

We got lucky with the best neighbors in Eastover Ridge!

We all had just started working so the poor people had to put as many people in a cab as possible!

A night out on the CLT town!

After moving to Charlotte, some how I never could get Anna or Charles out of my bed on a AA5 night out!

Raleigh was a hard place to move away from :(

One of our last nights out together in Raleigh before we all parted ways for different cities :(

It was exciting to move to Charlotte, but sad to leave everyone in Raleigh

A night out with my new Roomies!

Move in Day to Eastover Ridge 3306-336! July 2007 It was not a normal night out unless we ended up over at Alan's after the bar playing Rock Band

Every Saturday was spent on the lake at Charles'

Michael and Lori even joined us this year at Beach Music Fest in Stuart, VA!

My brother-in-law in his tank-top at Beach Music Fest

Beach Music Fest in Stuart, VA !

Any Friends Interested?

While I was working at GE Aircraft during college, one of my fellow co-workers was a professional skydiver and he worked part time for Carolina Sky Sports in Louisburg, NC videotaping guest jumps.
Skydiving was something I had wanted to do for a long time s, for Christmas that year I convinced my college boyfriend to jump with me. We decided that this would be our present to each other instead of spending hours at the mall shopping for just the right thing. (Can’t you feel the love; we wanted to throw each other out of a plane!)

So Slade and I jumped one afternoon (of course strapped to an instructor) and it was amazing! The best part was my co-worker agreed to jump with me and video the entire thing for free! So as I was doing a little cleaning last night I found the DVD and it made me ready to go again! (I will see if I can post the video tomorrow, it’s pretty cute!)

I am now searching for any friends that maybe want to set a date in September or October to go back with me!!!! Let me know if you are interested! You won’t regret it!!! (We also don’t have to go back to Louisburg, NC; anywhere in the southeast will work for me.)

Patience...Gotta Have It

Patience. I have to make it my new practice. Over the past two weeks I have spent too much time focused only on the future and not on today or tomorrow.

I paid my tuition bill on Sunday and found myself lying in bed that night, hoping for this “phase” of life to hurry by as fast as possible so sooner than later I can wake up every morning and adore the career I have ultimately chosen. Patience.

Sunday night, Dustin and I grabbed dinner together at Sundries and our main topic of conversation was the house that he just bought. We discussed furniture, wall colors, blinds, etc. (In my head I know what I want his house to look like!) It was so nice outside that after dinner we decided to go for a little ride over to the new house for me to investigate! It is simply precious and I am so happy and proud for Dustin because what a major accomplishment - he has purchased a house on his own! As we were headed back to Eastover, I started to get a small envious feeling. I wish I could buy a house right now and somewhat “ground” myself in one location. But what if I am not meant to live in Charlotte for the next 20 years in a house I have purchased? What would I do with it then? Would that be a huge financial mistake? What if I meet someone that doesn’t live in Charlotte or what if I take a job outside of Charlotte in another school district? That night in bed, I started praying so hard that all these questions would be answered sooner than later. I felt like I was ultimately praying this part of my life away. Patience

I have been single now for awhile and I found myself yesterday wishing away this time of “waiting” to meet "him" in hopes I can catch up to the rest of my friends who seem like they are taking a joy ride on the “life” train as all the pieces fall into place for them (every single girl out there would be lying if they said this thought has not crossed their mind once!) Patience.

I have to stop. I have to have patience. I have to realize that all these factors are out of my control. This is what God has planned for me and only he knows the reason why before I can see it. . There is a reason that the activities that are occurring in everyone else’s lives, that I long for to happen in mine, have not come alive yet. I have to have patience. I have never been a patient person and this is going to be one of the most difficult things I will do this year. I need to learn to live each day as it is in front of me instead of wishing away the time until I can see things a little more complete and grounded. Patience. I can’t play this time in life as a waiting game. I have to take what is going on now, run with it, and hopefully everything else will fall into place! Patience. I have to learn patience.

All SMILES

ITS FRIDAY! AND I AM ALL SMILES!
Headed to the lake this very second to meet Kenyon, Kirk, Rackin and Josh for a little fun weekend!

Love you friends!

Rock Star, Porn Star, or Killer ???

So I get picked on at work since I am the youngest in the crowd. Everyone places bets on whether I will know an event, a band, any famous person etc. So when I walked in the door this morning, I was asked by one of the traders "Who is Charles Manson?" Not really giving a rats butt or wanting to think twice at 5am, I said "A singer." (I really had no clue who he is!) My answer was followed with an "awww poor Blain." Well I will let you know that Charles Manson was a killer, not a lead singer of a famous band!
So...I continued to get joked on all day and when I got back from lunch I had a test awaiting me on my desk. The test was entitled: Rock Star, Porn Star, or Killer??? The instructions were to go through and circle whether I thought the person listed was a rock star, porn star, or killer.
As you know me, I am always up for the challenge and HATE to be defeated so I took the test. Come to find out, I am not as sheltered as most people think I am! I got 13 out of 15 of the people right! Yeah, go me!

How well do you think you could do?! Try the test below! Circle one!
(PS - check out two names on the list. As soon as I saw them I said: "Well Ted Bundy was on Married With Children and John Holmes was a man at my church that sang in the choir!" and yes, that got my co-workers at me again!)

Rock Star, Porn Star, or Killer ???

Lee Harvy Oswald -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Kurt Cobain -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Freddie Mercury -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Jenna Jameson -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

John Allan Muhammed -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Marilyn Chambers -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Bon Scott -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Chrissie Hynes -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Lou Gramm -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Jeffrey Dahmer -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Ron Jeremy -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Steve Perry -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

John Holmes -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Ted Bundy -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

Ted Kaczynski -- Rock Star, Porn Star, Killer

You always have to add a little humor to the work day!

Dolla Dolla Bill Ya'll: Want more $$$$ ?

So I read this article today and actually enjoyed it. Some useful info so I decided to summarize and share!

ENJOY!

The secret’s out: We’re in a recession! No matter how stable your financial situation, we are all looking for ways to find extra money.
A few bucks here or there may not seem like much, but if you make a conscious effort, the dollars can add up quickly.
Here are a few ideas that will get you started without forcing any huge life adjustments.

Negotiate a Lower Interest Rate
If you keep yourself out of debt and pay your bills on time, you are a credit card company’s dream!
They do not want to lose you, so that means you have the power. Give them a call to negotiate a lower interest rate on your credit card and pocket the savings. You may run into some resistance at the start of the conversation, but if you remind them how reliable a customer you have been and that you have no problem walking away, you should get what you want.

Join Netflix
If you regularly rent movies from the video store or go to the theater, joining Netflix could save you a hefty sum. Choose from over 100,000 movies, and they’ll be delivered right to your door within a day or two, along with a prepaid envelope to send them back. You can keep each movie as long as you want.
You’ll see a bunch more flicks, and it’s a lot cheaper than renting one at a time from the store or buying those incredibly expensive theater tickets (and getting tempted to buy that overpriced popcorn and candy!). A painless and fun way to find extra money!

Cut the Cable
Having the premium movie channels may be another way to stay out of the video store and the theater, but are you really getting your money’s worth?
Go through the premium channels you subscribe to and make a list of the ones you never watch. Call your cable company and negotiate for a deal so you are only paying for what you use, which should make your monthly bill a little less hefty.

Bring the Party Home
So many of us meet at a restaurant or bar when we want to spend time with our friends, but why not get together at your home?
Get a couple bottles of wine and a few hors d’oeuvres or make a nice meal. A game of Pictionary, as corny as it may sound, is always a good time, and it’s a whole lot cheaper than going out. If your friends like the idea, convince them to take turns playing host.
Spending quality time with friends while saving big bucks? Sounds like a perfect night to us!

Use Your Own ATM
We’ve all been there. You’re out and realize you don’t have any cash on you, and the most convenient ATM is not your bank’s. The two or three dollar charge for using the machine is steep, but not that big a deal, right? WRONG!
These fees may seem small at the time, but they can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars. Take the time to do a little preplanning before you leave the house, and use your own bank’s ATM. The extra money you’ll save can go a long way!

Quit While You're Ahead
Looking for extra money? Sell your lousy investments. Chances are, with the way the stock market is going, you have a few stocks in your portfolio that you wish weren’t there. It’s tempting to ride things out and hope they’ll turn around, but at least consider whether you should sell these investments.
Even if you don’t make a ton of money, it’s better than losing even more further down the line. Plus, there may be a tax benefit to taking those losses.
Of course, don’t make these decisions on a whim. Consult your financial advisor to discuss whether it’s time to dump some of that dead weight.

Cash In Your Savings Bonds
Remember that savings bond Grandma gave you all those years ago? Go find it and cash it in! It’s free money just waiting to go into your bank account. If you’ve been hanging on to it for more than 30 years, it’s not earning one red nickel, and even if it still has some appreciation left, it might be wise to use it in a pinch. Another quick way to find extra money!

Review Your Insurance Policies
Most of us are pretty thorough when we are choosing an insurance policy, but when it comes to renewing it or paying the monthly premium, we tend to stick with what we have and just pay the bill.
But your insurance is a huge expense and often a place where you can find some extra money. Sit down with your insurance policies and figure out if you are paying for insurance coverage you don’t need. Chances are your priorities and needs may have changed since you originally bought the policy, and making a few adjustments could save you major money every month.

Sell Your Gift Cards
Gift cards can be terrific presents to receive, but only if you want to buy something from that particular store! How many times have you been given a certificate to a store where you don’t shop or that’s nowhere close to your home?
Don’t let that card take up space in your wallet — sell it! You can turn those gift cards into cash by selling them on e-Bay, plus it keeps you out of the stores and away from tempting, unnecessary buys!

Cut Up Some Credit Cards
If you have any credit cards that make you pay a fee, you can find extra money right now by getting rid of them! There are plenty of credit card options that give you great benefits with no annual fee.
Some annual fees may seem worth it if the benefits are something special, but most times paying an annual fee is just silly! It’s an expense you can eliminate with a single phone call today.

Read 'Em and Sell 'Em
Instead of using the books you have already read for decoration around the house, go to cash4books.net and make a few dollars. All you have to do is type the book’s information into the web site to find out how much you can make. Maybe some of those classics are worth hanging on to, but if you’re like us, books you’ve already read just sit around and collect dust.
It’s a no-brainer — sell ‘em!

Hey, Can't A Girl Dream?!

I don’t have a style. I wear clothes usually bought from the mall at either Express, department stores, or, at work I really know how to rock-out some Anne Taylor Loft! Look at me and its pretty simple. I can easily blend in with majority of the crowd on the street and on a regular night probably have the same dress that the other boring girl across the bar is wearing. I might try a new trend here and there, but it’s usually months after it came out because I wait for that “big belt”, “skinny jeans” or “headband” to go on sale. By no means am I a trend setter.

I have come to find out that I envy the artsy type. The way SOME of these peeps throw together the most random shirt, jeans and jewels makes me so jealous. They wear funky hats, headbands and sometimes feathers on top of their stripped tussled hair. It all makes me envious. I know I could never pull off this style in the office (which hinders most of my creativity in life anyways) and sometimes I feel that if you were going to pull off this look you need to be a perfect proportioned smaller girl, which of those I am not.

The artsy talent that these individuals have also makes me extremely jealous. Majority of them make a living doing EXACTLY what they have always wanted to do! I have run across a blog by a girl who is probably the epitamey of what I would want to be if I came back in a second life. She is a freelance graphic designer, photographer and fine artist…. and… on top of it, absolutely amazing at all three! She’s good at her work AND she looks the part; life’s not fair.

If given a second chance at being born again (and it probably would take different parents – sorry mom and dad!), as crazy as it sounds, I would NOT want to be a supermodel, a movie star or a pro sports player…I honestly would be an artsy photographer with a talent for design!

Below is a wedding invitation designed by the girl I was describing above and hold me too it, when the day comes to pick out my wedding invitation, it will be a carbon copy of this one! Also below are several pics of the types of clothing and accessories I would want to pull off every day!
Hey, can’t a girl dream?!

click on any of these to make them larger!

If I could do It again you know I'd do it the same

Tomorrow at 11:30am I am south bound with Luck to the small town of Atlanta! The Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker concert with friends is awaiting us tomorrow night! I have recently been told that I can never sit still on the weekend – well, it may be true, but when else in my life will I get to wake up on a Wednesday and decide that I want to go to Atlanta for the weekend with Friends at the last minute! The only thing I have holding me back is myself so tomorrow I will have the wind in my hair southbound on 85!

Thanks to our “group organizer” Kenyon, those of us participating in the concert activities received the following email today! Not sure if everyone will find this comical but if you know Kenyon – it’s only a precursor to how the rest of the weekend looks! Ridiculously fabulous!

EMAIL

Subject: Die Hard Hootie Fans
For those who jump head first into awesomeness and others who are stupidly
sit on the fence (and Jillian because I would never leave her out),

The "Guys in Jorts" summer tour will once again be crashing an Atlanta
summer concert event. If you haven't seen our show yet you can be sure to
expect lots of man thighs and situational flirting. If flirting isn't
something you're interested in I suggest taking it easy on the sour apple
Smirnoff Ice. Before I get started with some logistics I'd like to thank
Darius Rucker (formerly Hootie of Hootie & the Blowfish for those that are
musically challenged) and Rascal Flatts for dropping this little gem into
our laps. I'd also like to give props to Clayton for forwarding his
Ticketmaster pre-sale alert to me back in March (you can never be too
prepared for a July concert). Little did he know I was forwarding my
pre-sale alert to him at the exact same time, which is so cool that our
emails high fived as they crossed each other in cyberspace.

I'll keep this short so I don't dilute the logistics with one
liners.......which I'm sure Clayton will have coming in his reply, so here
we go.

Concert starts promptly at 8:00 PM. That means yours truly wants to be
into the venue and well established on the lawn in between at least 2
groups of highschoolers by 7:45 at the latest.

Meetup: We're planning on meeting up at Matt's (plenty or road parking)
and leaving his place no later than 4:00pm. His address is 370 Alberta
Terrace NE, Atlanta, GA 30305. Yes, a 4:00 pm leave time may be aggressive
to some people, but think about it this way, Josh Champion, being the
animal that he is, suggested we head down to the venue to tailgate at 2:30.
We're going to hit traffic no matter what, so leaving by 4 will still give
us plenty of time if it takes us an hour to get down there or if any other
unknown variables come into play. If 2 hours of tailgating scares anyone
(ie. Clayton) and they think they'll drink too much before the concert then
I recommend you seek some professional help on how to exercise some
personal self control.

Transportation: I'll be taking the murder wagon down to the venue, fits 6
comfortably and 7 if you want to get to know each other better. Let me know
if you're meeting us at Matt's before we head down so we can plan how many
other cars we'll need, my thought is at least 1. We'll have a buddy system
to go pick up the cars in the morning as I plan on taking a cab back unless
someone volunteers to drive my car home.

Food: Since we're leaving at 4:00, and nobody should be subjected to
paying $15 dollars for a hot dog in the venue, I suggest we all maybe bring
something to eat to the tailgate. My personal choice is going to be a
hearty sub from my local Publix. Preston said something about bringing his
dip. Not sure if that was intended to be sexual or if he was actually
bringing food. Any other suggestions are welcome.

Beverage: Adult beverages are not frowned upon in the Lakewood parking
lots. I have a small cooler that will hold about a case and a bag of ice.
I suggest BYO liquor/beer/wine/squirt gun shooters and have a plan for
keeping them cold. I suggest picking a buddy and sharing a cooler, or
share with multiple friends if you have a big cooler. With 6 people in my
car we're not going to have a lot of room for coolers, but if we split off
into a couple cars we'll have a lot more room for party favors.

Wine em, Dine em,

Jenny From the Block

AKA: Ryan Kenyon


ATL here I come!

Joe Camel vs. Malibu Barbie

If you told me to smoke, I would say “No” – without question. Sure, cigarettes paid for my education, food, and a roof over my head (thank you Joe Camel) but I know the potential risks and the zero benefits that come from smoking. It’s a sink hole for $4 a pack which could ultimately be the price of a meal! I have had family members and others I know pass way from the risks due to smoking. I have learned from their experiences; there is nothing positive associated with the hobby (except for giving my dad a salary! – This could be a controversial topic but...lets stay focused...)

Anyway, today in the Charlotte Observer is an article on Tanning Beds. (Oh yes, here we go...) In summary, this article explains how research has proven that tanning beds are a type of carcinogenic due to their radiation. An analysis of about 20 studies concludes the risk of skin cancer jumps by 75 percent when people start using tanning beds before age 30. London International cancer experts have moved tanning beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation into the top cancer risk category, deeming them as deadly as arsenic and mustard gas.

So, for most of us this is not “new” news. Tanning beds cause cancer, do permanent damage to your skin and can ultimately kill you. Therefore, tanning beds are like cigarettes: dangerous and expensive. In the past year, I have cracked down on my tanning bed use. I somehow justify to myself that it is ok to go only before “big events” – i.e. weddings, etc. (This morning I was honestly thinking about going after work before my date tonight – until I saw this article) I have friends that go to the tanning bed at least 4 times a week on top of being at the pool, beach, or lake on the weekends. I have family members (I won’t name names :)) that go several times a week as well. Sure I can lecture them on their amount of tanning bed use, but I would be a hypocrite to tell them they should never go.

This is where I need to change. I don’t smoke cigarettes because of the dangers and I don’t want to go to the tanning bed because of their dangers either … but why is it sooo hard to totally cut out this habit- especially when there are alternatives like bronzing creams and lotions. I have cut back, but why can’t I cut it out? I am not addicted to the tanning bed per say because it does take a lot of money, time and smelling gross for the afternoon. Why is it so important to be tan for a friend’s wedding, but then possibly take off 10 years of your life that could then be spent with a friend? Is it really worth it; NOPE.

Sometimes in my head I feel like I play that invincible rule when it comes to the tanning bed. I have so many friends that go and so many people I know that go WAY more than I do, therefore I am only one in 10000 so nothing bad from it couldn’t happen to me. I know this is wrong and starting today I am going to work towards NEVER going to the tanning bed again. If I challenge myself to no more tanning bed, can I challenge each of you to cutting this out of your life as well? Can we spend an extra 10 years together that the tanning bed could possibly take from one of us?