Cooler Weather

With the drastic drop in temperature today, I've gotten into the "Autumn Spirit". Fall has always been my favorite season and I'm ready for it to get here already! Leaves turning, wardrobes changing and temperatures falling are just a few of the reasons why I love, and am looking forward to, fall.

The wardrobe change is quite possibly what I love most about fall. Starting in late September the weather has cooled just enough for you to wear shorts and a hoodie. Ahh, now to me, that is the most comfortable outfit around. As we move into October, the sun is still strong, but daylight is limited, as are the higher temperatures. Now we are wearing jeans and long sleeves, with the possibility of layers. Sweet, sweet layers! :)

Fall is such a fabulous time of year. As soon as I smell that autumn air I think of Field Hockey, bonfires, smores, Halloween, Thanksgiving and shopping. What could be better?

Now, for your viewing pleasure, some random pictures I've taken:

The Birthday Club

Happy Belated Birthday to 2 very special people!

First is my dear friend, Kara! She and I go back about 5 years now, when we met playing softball. The "quiet" and "young" ones on the team, she and I instantly became friends. And we're still playing softball and still spilling our guts to each other about life & love. What I love about Kara is that she is always up for a good time, even when you're down in the dumps. She can take just about any situation and find a way to make you laugh. And just because she likes to have a good time doesn't mean she's just a party animal, she's also a caring friend that hates to see you troubled and generally wants the best for her friends. So happy [belated] birthday, Kara!

(I wish I could say I took this awesome picture, but I didn't! I just swiped it off her FB page-but she looks so pretty!)

And next up, we have my wonderful boyfriend, Bubba, who I absolutely adore! [I apologize in advance for anyone out there who doesn't like sappy stuff, because it's coming!] Bub turned the big 2-6 on Monday, and enjoyed a nice, relaxing day. Bubba truly is my best friend and it's hard for me to imagine my life without him. Everyday he makes me smile, and I love that! I hope you had a fantastic birthday, and I look forward to sharing many more with you.

(Bubba fishing off our pier, I bought him a fly fishing rod for his bday, so hopefully we'll be able to update this pic soon with one of him using his new gift!)

Weddings Galore!

My best friend is getting married. Yes, my best friend is getting married. With all of the weddings I've gone to (and will be going to) this year, you're probably thinking, 'big deal' right? Wrong! This is my best friend, my former partner in crime, my St. End. I am so happy for her, because Amanda & Charlie go together like peanut butter and jelly. They compliment each other so perfectly. I feel good knowing they are tying the knot because I know that she is in good hands with Charlie.

So this past weekend we threw Amanda her bridal shower. And it was so representative of everything Amanda & Charlie are: Laid back, comfortable, country, simple and beautiful. Not to mention the food (and especially the punch) was delicious! But what do you expect from the Goddard and Guy families?

(The beautiful bride and her bridal party)

As emotional as I am sure I'll be come October 17th, it's all out of shear joy and happiness for Amanda. She's been there for me to share in traditions during basketball season in high school, to go to softball games around the county "checking out the merchandise", to be my shot partner at Brads and was always there for me when I was upset or confused and just needed to talk about all of the boys in my life. Amanda, you are one of my oldest and best friends, and I can't imagine my life without you! I am so excited about your wedding and know we're going to have a ball.

Recap: Steve Miller Band!

I took a trip back to the late 70's / early 80's last Friday, and it was everything I'd hoped it would be. Okay, so I didn't really travel back in time (which would have been even sweeter), but I sure felt like I had. Rocking out to the mellow tunes of the Steve Miller Band was phenomenal. Yes, we were drenched from the torrential thunderstorms that swept through the area and delayed the show, and yes the majority of the crowd was 40+, BUT that didn't stop us.

I've been a huge fan of the Steve Miller Band pretty much since birth, and this concert was surely one of the highlights of my summer. These guys were amazing, I mean, can you imagine your grandfather on stage singing, playing instruments and even dancing for about 3 hours? The songs sounded just as good live Friday night as the did 20-some years ago when they were recorded!

A special thanks to my madre who purchased our tickets months ago. The show was sold out and thanks to her we were able to go. Our large and fun group included my mom and dad, brother Tyler and his pretty girlfriend Allie, my uncle John and his wife Cathy (and let me just tell you that John was thoroughly 'in the zone' and reliving his youth), my hippy sister Marci, wonderful boyfriend Bubba and best friends, Bee, Adam and Kara!

And She's Off!

I know a lot of Tennyson's, and odds are you know a few too. And if you don't, you should because they are great people. And one of the greatest is April, who I've become friends with over the past 3 years or so. Apey left for Boot Camp yesterday and kissed St. Mary's County along with all of it's drama goodbye as she joined the Army. A scary decision, but one that I totally respect and commend her for. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that she is going to be fine; You see, April is what you call "feisty"! And I mean that in the best sense possible. She doesn't take anyone's crap, and is never fake. If you can't respect someone like that, you're nuts.

Most everyone had a chance to say their goodbyes to April last Saturday at her going away party. (woooo, what a party it was too! True Tennyson style, lasting from 2 in the afternoon til the next morning sometime). April is leaving behind some great friends and family that are going to miss her SO much, but are extremely proud of her. Good luck, Apey! Show 'em what you're made of girl!

Why Towson?

I've been thinking a lot about my Alma Mater, Towson University, lately. not just the parties, the friends, the freedom or the bars, but the school itself and how grateful I am for how they prepared me for the real world. More specifically, my incredible major program: Mass Communications.

Oh and what a wonderful major it is. In my time at Towson, I learned that different majors were easy to "spot". Between where you hung out around campus and your style and attitude, I became pretty good at determining who was who. The really skinny girls and few boys surrounding the fine arts building were dance majors, conservative and stressed out young women and men near Linthicum and Hawkins Hall were clearly education majors, the small boys with laptops and bookbags circling the York Road building were your future programmers and IT gurus, the good looking, but somewhat materialistic men and highly strung and driven women at the front of campus in Stephens Hall were the Business and Marketing majors, and then you have the Mass Com. majors: the "fun major". And I'm not just saying that because it was my major, but because that is how we were typically perceived. Also, I'd just like to state that for the record, this description doesn't pertain to all Mass Com. majors, and certainly not myself, but the majority. You can spot them from a mile away: The girls who always look ahead of the trends no matter what time of day it is with their big bags, big sunglasses and big hair. Everything is bigger and better for Mass Com. women. And then there are the men of Mass Com. who are typically found with the Mass Com. girls who they are grouped with in their classes and are carrying them through so they can pass. These folks can easily be found outside of Van Bokkelen or the Media Center gossiping and smoking a cig or two.

On the outside the "Mass Com. Kids" look like they love to party, and we do, BUT we also know how hard we work. Our professors are, hands down, the best Towson has to offer, and push us to be our best every step of the way. Priding themselves on real world experience, they are truly preparing us for life after college, not just teaching from a text book. Sure we get to learn about promoting people, advertising, campaigns and media law, and to some that seems like a joke, BUT we are taught how to interview, how to promote ourselves, how to intern and how to communicate (obviously) so our transition over to the real world isn't quite as tough.

I just want to thank you, Towson University, for having the Mass Communications major and staffing it with some of the most educated and experienced professionals in the area. In case you're still reading this and want an opinion on some of the professors in the major, here are my suggestions:

• Dr. Lee: If you're lazy and don't want to work, don't take her class, but you will learn more of the in's and out's of advertising or media planning than you thought possible with her. Stay on her good side and she is more than helpful.
  
  
• Dr. Vatz: A communications studies professor, BUT I highly recommend his Persuasion class as an elective. This man is hilarious and definitely worth knowing.
  
  
• Garry Bolan: Ohhh, Garry Bolan! He can be somewhat of a pushover, but he knows his stuff, and a lot of people. His classes make you feel like you enjoy the major again while you're drowning in Media Planning or Research.
  
  
• Glenn Schorr: Last, but most certainly not least. I have to confess, I may have been slightly in love with Glenn, just ask my friend Erin, he is all I used to rave about. But he is an incredible teacher, especially considering he is an adjunct and your class is typically only once a week. He is down to earth, looks out for his students, wants you to understand the subject matter and makes it relateable, gets to know his students and their learning styles and has taught me so many valuable lessons.
  
  I could go on and on about this man, but at the risk of sounding obsessed, I think I'll stop and just say, if you're a Mass Com. major and don't take one of his classes you are really missing out.

Is it weird?

So, I must admit, I kind of have a 'thing' for Tim Burton movies. They are different, creative and have an amazing use of color. (Or lack there of) Beetle Juice, Big Fish, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands are just a few of his films that have made quite an impression on me, and now he is bringing us Alice in Wonderland.

When I first heard he would be tackling this all time favorite of mine, I couldn't contain my excitement. I jumped on the Internet to research and see if I could find any sneak peeks of the movie and Burton's take on the classic.

And from what I gather, here is how he will be telling the Lewis Carroll tales, "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found": Alice is now a 17 year-old, young lady who attends a party at a Victorian Estate and finds herself on the other end of a proposal in front of hundreds of ritzy, high society guests, so she flees. Running away, Alice follows a white rabbit into a hole and finds herself in a place she's visited 10 years prior, but can't remember, Wonderland.

Burton is sure to put a creative and Gothic spin on the traditional characters. With a release date planned for March 2010, I already have my calender marked and am patiently awaiting the premiere!

No Trespassing

No Trespassing! Unless you are a bird, of course. I had to stop and laugh Monday morning on my way to work, and this picture only shows half of it. There were more birds hanging out along Point Breeze Road and the locals piers than I've ever seen. 3 Johnny Cranes, 4 Ospreys and more seagulls than I could count. It was quite an interesting sight, almost like something out of Alfred Hitchcock's movie, "The Birds".

An All American Fairytale

On Saturday, August 8, 2009, I had the pleasure of watching my dear friend Renee marry her one true love, Rob. It was a gorgeous ceremony and I cannot imagine two people who deserve each other more. Renee is one of the kindest, hard-working and most caring people I know and fully deserves all of the happiness that is in store for her during her life and time with Rob.

Rob is, without a doubt, Renee's Prince Charming; He is brave, honest and loving. Together these two will lead a beautiful and blissful life, filled with smiles and lots of little blond babies!

To the new Mr. & Mrs. Gruber, I wish you all of the happiness in the world, and I thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day. Stay safe, and know that we love you!

Renee and her grandfather share a special dance

"They're probably in a van with Tinted Windows"

Take a dash of The Smashing Pumpkins, Hanson, Fountains of Wayne and Cheap Trick, mix it all together and what do you have? Stacies Mom who Wants to Want a Minute Without You, Today.

Or more simply put: Tinted Windows

Wednesday evening, I had the pleasure of seeing Tinted Windows live at the Black Cat in D.C. To be honest, my sister is madly in love with Taylor Hanson and has been since, oh I don't know, 1996? So anyway, I agreed to accompany her to this concert to support her quest to meet him, and because I think the boy, excuse me, man (he has 4 children and is RIPPED, he is officially a man now in my book) can sing! Actually, I take that back, I know he can sing. This opinion is backed by a scientific experiment I performed at the concert. By plugging your ears, you can block out the instruments and can really hear the singer more clearly. Let's just say I have a feeling most singers rely on their bands to drown them out at live shows. This highly complex experiment proved to me that Tinted Widows was clearly the more vocally advanced as compared to the opening band, U.S. Royalty.

I apologize for my rambling. I just become irritated easily with people who judge Taylor Hanson and Tinted Windows based on the fact that MMMBop was so over-played and slightly annoying. He is wildly talented and so are the other members of the group. And if their fan-base consists of 20-somethings who are still trying to get a glimpse of their teen idol, so be it. It's only a matter of time before their demographic of fans expands.

However, they seem pretty content with the low key atmosphere at their shows. Intimate, comfortable and talented; This is the vibe Tinted Windows exudes. Everyone of them seems genuinely happy and relaxed on stage, doing what they love, making great music. I dare you to try and keep your toes from tapping while they're playing live, it's not possible...

If you want to hear some great live music and singing, try and catch them at their next show. You'll be glad you did, and please leave all Hanson stereotypes and pre-conceived notions at the door. Allow these guys to show you what they're made of and why they are all successful, you'll walk away with a new found respect for them and possibly a new favorite band!

Almost, Definitely, Maybe

I have a great admiration for those few and far between people out there who can honestly say that they are truly, undeniably happy in life. And I'm not saying this to be a Debbie Downer or for people to think I am unhappy, because that couldn't be further from the truth; In fact I am very happy, generally speaking. The happiness I am referring to is what I like to call, "Professional Perfection". These are the people you see who have or who are doing the most interesting and FUN jobs in the world. How do you get to that level of happiness in your profession? I mean really, could there be a better job than a photographer who gets to travel the world and take beautiful pictures of all the sights they see? Or what about a famous musician or singer who has the pleasure of knowing they make millions of people happy just because of their extraordinary God-given talent?

I suppose what I am trying to say is that people who are truly content with their professions are typically those with A-typical jobs. It's hard today, in this recession and debt-filled country we live in to be able to pursue our wildest dreams and make a living off of it. However, these entrepreneurs are some of the people in the world who I admire most. To take matters into your own hands and put your heart and soul into what you love to do is admirable. And only those with passion, confidence and intelligence, I feel, are the ones who succeed.

Lately I've been wondering what exactly my niche is that would allow me to really throw myself into my work and be happy knowing that I LOVE what I am doing, and as long as I am happy, I will be ok. And I think I am getting closer to an answer-(Almost-Definitely-Maybe)-that I believe is the key to my "Professional Perfection"...

Here is just one of the things that makes me happy outside of my professional life:

After being in Ocean City for the weekend, I was welcomed home by these beautiful flowers and sweet note on my kitchen table from my Bubbles! ;)