Busy Body

The majority of my blog postings reference how insanely busy my life has been this year. And a lot of my time has been going to wedding related events, the ones that I can actually make it too or aren't double booked with conflicting wedding parties. But as we are approaching August, my schedule is taking a slight turn. Don't get me wrong, I still have PLENTY of wedding "stuff" to go to, plan, celebrate, etc. BUT I've been blogging about it a lot lately and want to focus on something else that is coming up and that I am really excited about: Concerts!

So many people around my age are 'concert goers', but I was never one of them. I really didn't have a ton of luck with concerts and just weren't that into them. Let's take a little look back at my concert experiences:

1. N*SYNC-My first concert experience ever-and yes, this was at the peak of their popularity-not to mention pretty much the same week I found out I was as blind as a bat. Attending with my cousin, her step-mom at the time and my sister, we were pretty much in the nosebleeds but were SUPER excited non-the-less, what can I say, I've always had a thing for JT. So Tatyana Ali and B*Witched opened for them (aka Ashley from the Fresh Prince and a slightly scary girl group from Ireland) and then we were ready for the big show, and that is when it hit me-"I can't see anything, I can't even see the individuals dancing, I just see lights and figures moving/dancing". So we get some binoculars and the next day made an eye doctor appointment since I spent the whole show sad because I couldn't even see Justin's pretty face...

2. Blink 182-My first band experience, and it was amazing. I was pretty much the biggest blink 182 fan you could find at the time. I was in 8th grade and my best friend Claire loved them too. We sang along to pretty much every song and begged for an encore, which by the way, never happened. Thinking back, I feel like Green Day opened for them, but that may be inaccurate, I only had eyes for Mark Hoppus and could care less about anything else going on. Most memorable moment from that concert? Marci's friends, who I suppose didn't think I recognized them, approaching me and asking (and this is a direct quote) "You guys want some drugs?" Please mind that this friend of Marci's is the most non-drug dealer looking person in the WORLD and I could see Marci and her boyfriend at the time, Jimmy King, about 15 feet away snickering.

Throughout high school I pretty much only listened to Pop and Rap and didn't have time for concerts. You could call me a jock I guess, since all I was worried about was playing sports and going to sports camps. I was more likely to be found at an Orioles/Yankees game rather than a concert. Then came college and my lame decision not to play sports anymore, in turn leading to more free time, and hence, more concerts.

3. USHER-My first R&B/Rap Concert...I believe it was Christina Milian who opened, followed by a pre-famous, pre-arrogant and annoying Kanye West accompanied by John Legand on the piano/keyboard. All around a pretty 'sensual' concert, lots of screaming ladies anyway.

4. O-TOWN-The classic 'theme park concert'. That's right, Marci and I went to Kings Dominion to see O-TOWN, who I'm pretty positive isn't even together anymore, but still had a great time. LFO opened for them (i like girls who wear Abercrombie and Fitch....) and they sang probably a good 6 or 7 songs. Pretty lame, especially considering we were most likely the oldest people there (except for the parents who brought their middle schoolers), BUT we did get to ride the Hurler with Eric Michael Estrada (one of the members and son of THE Eric Estrada) and managed to meet him and get a picture. Not a bad time for a bunch of guys who are probably regular joes now.

5. The Killers-My first concert 'up close' experience. Marci and I went to see the Killers along with Keane and had pit tickets or whatever and were pretty much leaning on the stage all night. Not bad, but feeling like I was deaf for 2 days isn't exactly a paranoid person such as myself's idea of fun!

6. New Found Glory and Cartel-My first 'intimate' concert experience. The venue was small and intimate in downtown Baltimore, so much so that the drummer from New Found Glory was pretty much chilling behind me all night til their set with the electronics/sounds/IT whatever you want to call them people. Good time, very loud, and I learned that being on the edge of a "mosh pit" is NOT a good place to be. Between that and my little brother crowd surfing to the front and kicking me in the head, I was ready to go by the end of the night. (FYI: NFG actually sounds pretty amazing live, go see them if you have the chance)

7. Fall Out Boy/All American Reject/Hawthorne Heights/And someone else I can't remember...-You typical 'lawn seats, beer and lots of teenagers' concert. It was fun and relaxing, but I'm not sure I'd pay to sit in the grass and hear these bands play again. FOB was awesome live, but I felt like I could sit in my backyard with a beer and my iPod and get the same effect. I'm just sayin'...

8. Chris Brown, Bow Wow, Sean Kingston, Hurricane Chris-Paid WAY to much for the tickets, but had a pretty good time watching Chris Brown dance. There isn't too much else to say about that concert, except that Sean Kingston may be the biggest man I've seen in my life and Bow Wow may be the shortest.

9. Hanson-Before you judge me, I only saw them a few years ago and they were singing their new stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed this concert. For all you haters out there, their new music is pretty different from MMMBop and they are actually REALLY talented musicians. Which leads me into the point of this un-necessarily long post:

This summer I'm actually going to be attending a few different concerts and think it's going to be a blast. I'll be sure to post pictures as soon as I actually go to these said concerts. Never-the-less, here is what I'll be rocking out to for the next few weeks:

Tinted Windows: A combination of Taylor Hanson (Hanson), James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) and Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick). Something new and different and a pretty cool mix of people!

Steve Miller Band: Only one of my favorite bands of all time! They may be old, but I bet they can still rock (yes I know how corny that sounds...) This is probably the concert I'm most excited for!

Alan Jackson & Kellie Pickler: This one is still up in the air, but if Bubba's cousin's offer is still good, we'll definitely be enjoying this one, and close to home! I could do without the Pickledick, but whatever, Alan Jackson is a legend in my opinion!

Sunday in the Country: Darius Rucker, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, Jason Michael Carroll, Kieth Anderson, Trent Tomlinson, Love & Theft. I can smell the beer and the leather from all the cowboy boots already! I should be quite a relaxing evening with some good entertainment as well!

Family Ties

Anyone who knows me, knows that family is very important to me. Your family are the ones who are there for you through thick and thin; You can't divorce them, you can't cheat on them, they are your blood, and whatever you do, they will always be your blood. For my birthday my sister Marci bought me a picture frame with the saying, "A sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of." I love it, because it is so true.

This weekend I got to spend time with the Hill family, who I love! This is Bubba's family :) We all met up on the Eastern Shore, where his sister Ashley lives, for her birthday to surprise her. Surprising her at the Salisbury Zoological Park, we got to see some pretty cool animals, then have a delicious lunch at a bangin' sandwich shop, followed by some play time with the cutest 1 year old around, a very filling dinner and a smith island cake that was to die for!

(Ash, Mike, Sarah and Adam)

(Peacocks have such pretty colors)

(An otter showing off and doing flips)

(Little Jakey, being as cute as ever!)

(I was able to catch this drangon fly just hanging out)

Don't Move

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Rudman!

"So baby don't move at all
Cause you're about to break my fall
Stay where you are, staring at the stars
Don't ever move at all"

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Sarah and Pat are soulmates. This weekend they celebrated their love and created their holy union to make it official. And they couldn't have done it in a more beautiful and fun way. There were tears and smiles, hugs and kisses, and most importantly...dancing...lots of dancing!! So thank you Sarah and Pat for such a great time, I'm so glad we could all be part of your special day!

The cake cutting...they are so cute :)

Tyler and Aunt Mary cutting a rug...This woman is amazing-She's beaten cancer 4 times, is slightly above 70 and she still tore that dance floor up! She should be an inspiration to ALL!

Blue Denim also made a special appearance with their own rendition of MMMBop!
(The DJ said, "This song was supposed to be a joke, but I guess I'll keep playing it...")

"Some guys have all the luck..."

Oh Rod, what a great song, except yesterday I was singing, “Some girls have all the luck”. You would have thought I won the lottery the way I was yipping and skipping around the house last night. But it wasn’t the lottery, it was a gift I came home to that thoroughly made my day.

Let’s start at the beginning; I may quite possibly have the BEST landlord. EVER. Not only is she generous enough to let Bubba and I reside in her grandmothers beautiful and unique cottage, so helpful and accommodating to our needs, but she is thoughtful and giving as well. She and I just happen to be around the same size…shoes, height, etc. and share a love for classic fashion, so when she stopped by a week or two ago to help us switch out our storm and screen doors and she mentioned she was getting rid of a highly sought after pair of shoes she’d only worn once, and asked if I’d like them, I thought I was dreaming!

Yesterday I knew she had stopped by to take care of something and was going to leave the shoes for me, so I raced home to see the divine work of art. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to expect since she had only given me a brief description of the shoes, and of course the brand name. And then I saw the box, the beautiful black box with the word PRADA gently scrolled across it. I could hardly contain myself as I pulled out the open toe, black pumps with the most adorable piece of twine across the toes, giving them a nautical, but classy look. Ahhhh, I can finally say I own a pair of Prada shoes…and I didn’t pay a penny for them!

But that’s not all! In all of my excitement over the shoes I almost didn’t see the lovely red and white flowing Nanette Lepore cocktail dress draped over the couch next to the shoe box. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was gorgeous AND just my size. Next to the dress I found a note that stated, like the shoes, had only been worn once…Yesterday, I indeed had all the luck, and I feel more glamorous already!

Loving Life in the Point

Colton's Point is a beautiful place; A beautiful place that Bubba and I are lucky enough to call home! We have the sweetest neighbors, a quaint and quiet little cottage, and some pretty breathtaking views if I do say so myself. Nights like tonight are a prime example of why I love life here in the Point...It's July 8th and the breeze coming off the water is so cool we still have the windows open and no AC on, the sun setting casts a beautiful glow on everything it touches, and our dear neighbors brought us each a slice of lemon meringue pie before settling in for the night! Sometimes it feels like a scene out of a movie, and I love every minute of it.

So as we trek somewhat to the edge of the mid-west this weekend for a family reunion, of my grandfather's side of the family, I wanted to leave you all with some shots I took walking around the point this evening:

An old tree right on the edge of the beach at the end of our street.

Bubba re-baiting his crab pots on the end of our pier. Like I said, the sunset makes for a dreamy backdrop!

And my favorite shot-the old car and barn-every time I walk past this place (which has an even cuter and vintage cottage tucked away in the trees and facing the river) I can't help but stop and adore it. It fascinates me!

Young Love?

Ok, so I've noticed a growing trend over the past year or so: People getting married young. More than a handful of my friends are either married or engaged to be married soon. And I couldn't be happier for them! Depending on who you talk to, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. You have those who believe that you couldn't possibly find someone to spend the rest of your life with at such a young age, and that in the grand scheme of things, 20-24 years old is still very young and that you should experience life to the fullest before "settling down". And I am definitely not knocking those of you who believe in that, because it's a very good way of looking at the situation, especially with skyrocketing divorce rates and broken homes. However, I want to look at it from another angle. I am 23 years old, and I am not married or even engaged, so I'd like to think I'm a pretty unbiased opinion here.

Marrying young could be a growing trend due to the fact that many young men and women my age grew up in broken homes of divorce. Maybe they are looking for lasting relationships at an earlier age so we can have that love and affection that they didn't see in their parents relationships. Another possibility for this new trend of early nuptials could be because young adults today want to "experience life to the fullest before 'settling down'" but figure, why do it alone? They may want to experience people, places and events with someone they truly love. I mean isn't that what marriage is about? Sharing it with the one you love?

Back in the days I wish I had known (See my 'housewife' posting) people proposed quickly because that engagement period was when you figured out how much you really loved the person and whether or not you wanted to go through with the marriage. Today everything is so drawn out...dating for YEARS before getting engaged, having extended engagement periods in order to plan the 'perfect dream wedding', and then getting married only because your bored. or "it was the right thing to do". Why not get married and take the plunge because you know how much you love that person and couldn't bare to see them with someone else! Maybe, just maybe, romance is still alive and making a comeback. That's the way I am going to look at it!

Since we're on the subject weddings, checkout 2 of my favorite photographers in the local area who do weddings and take AMAZING pictures and some other helpful wedding websites:

http://www.robinowenphotography.com/

http://www.melissabarrickphotography.com/

http://www.theknot.com/

http://www.todaysbridetuxedos.com/

http://www.davidsflowersmd.com/

http://www.djscram.com/

http://www.somdweddings.com/

Independence Day

Independence Day - July, 4 - is absolutely one of my favorite holidays. You can always plan on sunny outdoor activities, plenty of delicious food and good times with your family and friends. Not to mention the fireworks and celebrating our nations freedom! The 4th is the one day that is set aside throughout the year that allows us to appreciate our country and the rights and freedom that we have. Americans, to me, are a melting pot of cultures, personalities and history that makes each and every one of us unique, but similar at the same time: We are all individuals, however that is what makes us all Americans.

For us, the long weekend was filled with fun and relaxation in the sun, topped off with a trip to the nations capital to watch the spectacular fireworks and experience the excitement and festivities that took place. *Disclaimer: I may also be partial to this holiday because it is so close to my birthday, I truly believe I was supposed to be a 4th of July baby :)*