I la la la la love...

1. The new Sara Bareilles Record. This lady holds no punches when writing her lyrics. The only thing better than the lyrics are her vocals. MAN, that girl can SING! (If she is coming to your city on her Kaleidoscope Heart tour, GO. I went last night. AMAZING!)


2. My Miir. I love these guys. I love their product. I love their passion for life and people. I believe in what they are doing and how they are doing it. These guys are the real deal. I seriously love my Miir... so much that I can't wait to order another.



3. Anne Jackson's book Permission To Speak Freely. I can't stop thinking about all of the goodness in this book. READ IT!

4. Nova's new EP.


5. My San Diego Chargers. They bring out the best and worst of me. They bring me great joy and cause me to fall into a deep depression. I am loyal. Win or lose, they are my team.


6. Google Reader. Seriously, this has made my blog reading SO MUCH easier. Instead of going through my bookmarks wondering if someone has even updated in the past week, or in some cases year, I just go to my Google Reader and it shows me who has updated. I LOVE IT.

What do you love?

Read More

Agree to Disagree

Rosie and I have learned a lot in our years of friendship.
One of the biggest lessons we have learned is that, often times, we agree to disagree.

I know that the Health Care Reform is a subject that many of us will most likely agree to disagree on. That is fine with me. Regardless of where you stand, I ask that you educate yourself.

This little video, if you allow it to, can teach you about the reform and what it really entails.

I hope that you will put your opinions aside and watch it...

Read More

Wedding Season Fall 2010

Dannell and Thomas
Faith and Michael
Jeanne and Tom
Josh and Annah
Kerri and Ryan

Yup. 5 weddings in 3 months.

This weekend, we ventured up to Malibu to celebrate Dannell and Thomas getting hitched. Their ceremony was beautiful. There was not a dry eye in the house as we watched Thomas cry while watching his bride make her way towards him. We laughed, cried, and cheered throughout the ceremony. Uncle Dwayne made us all laugh as he thought he was the second shooter to the wedding photographer. We cried with Thomas as he vowed to his bride. We laughed with Dannell as she said she felt like she should kiss him when he finished saying his vows. We took in the sweet sounds of the wedding singer as Mr. and Mrs. Moyer took communion as Husband and Wife. We hooted and hollered as they kissed for the first time as a married couple. It was just a really great wedding.

Read More

R E S P E C T

I love me some Karaoke.

I love me some attention.

I love me some R E S P E C T.

During a commercial break during the painfully long taping of the Season 8 Premiere of the Ellen Show, I was in a little singing competition. Basically Karaoke without the words. :)


I won. I won an iPod.

Read More

Memories...

Rosie and I met doing Work Crew at a Young Life camp in Ramona, CA, OAKBRIDGE. I had just finished my Sophomore year of High School and Rosie and just finished her Junior year of High school.

To this day, 9 years later, Rosie is one of my best friends. We have a lot of memories together. These are just a few that ALWAYS make me laugh.

1. Rosie didn't like me while we were on Work Crew together. She thought I was loud and obnoxious (I kind of am) and thought that I was always too busy socializing and never did my job. One day, after spending hours in the dining hall preparing, serving, cleaning, and setting-up, Rosie decided to take a nap under the Buffet line. She crawled under when no one was looking and set-up camp. Well shoot, when I found out about that, I wanted to do the same thing. Needless to say, I am not as incognito as Rosie, so we both got busted. She now had reason to not like me. She really didn't like me.

2. The next summer, Rosie got over it and actually came down to San Diego on a road-trip with her brother. They stayed with us in our tiny little Point Loma Apartment. Rosie and Jeff love soccer, and were so excited about the World Cup that was taking place during their visit. I couldn't have cared less. Rosie set the alarm for 3am so we could wake up and watch the game. I woke up and immediately went back to sleep on the couch, only to wake up a couple of hours later on the couch face to face with her hot older brother. I was mortified. Not sure why, I just was. I was so pissed that Rosie didn't wake me up when she went back to bed.

2.5 While we were driving through Point Loma, Rosie sees a Kermit the Frog on the side of the road. She makes her brother pull over and ask the people if they are giving it away. They are confused by the question, thinking that Rosie is asking for the car, when she just wanted the Kermit. They gave her the Kermit. She buckled him in and we drove off... with Kermit sitting shot-gun.

3. After I applied and got accepted to Seattle Pacific University, I scheduled a trip to stay with Rosie and the rest of the Maxin family and to visit SPU. The first night there, I couldn't fall asleep because I thought that their neighbor was playing the drums. Nope, it was just rain hitting the metal box outside of Rosie's window. It goes without saying that this San Diego girl isn't used to the sound of rain.

4. The next summer, Rosie was in San Diego again, this time with her friend Emily. We loaded my stuff into her Toyota Camry and headed to Seattle for my first, and only, year at SPU. I like to sing along to songs on the radio. Rosie and Emily don't so much. In fact, they don't at all. And in that, they hate it when others do. It was a long road trip for all of us. More for them than me. I had a great time singing along to all my favorites.

5. I spent Thanksgiving of my freshman year of college with Rosie and her family. Rosie decided to make me and my friend Emily sing to her whole family. Why?! I to this day don't know why. but, she did.

6. Rosie is the favorite in my house. I am the favorite in her house, behind Jeff of course.

7. Rosie has spent a lot of time in Peru, it is even where she met her husband. Every time she is there, we are sure to talk on iChat, gChat, or even on the phone sometimes. Lots of HILARIOUS conversations have taken place. Advice given and advice taken.

8. Rosie was preparing for Stiv to come to America and was planning a wedding when I visited Seattle February a year and a half ago. We went thrift store shopping and Rosie found a sofa that she wanted. She called Stiv to discuss it. His response was priceless, "But honey, how will I eat?"

Rosie has been a constant in my life for over 9 years. We have had our ups and downs. We have laughed and cried together on more than one occasion. We have seen each other through so much.

Seattle Pacific, Azusa Pacific, and about 15 other schools between the two of us.
Rosie's mom getting diagnosed with Lung Cancer.
My dad dying of Lung Cancer.
Rosie traveling the world and then meeting and marrying Stiv.
Crippling anxiety.

Rosie, thank you for being such an invaluable friend. Thank you for your love and support throughout all of the years. You are a blessing. Love you Fer. :)

Read More

All Year Long

I am that girl who listens to Christmas music all year long.
I always have a play list in iTunes and on my trusty iPod full of Christmas cheer.

Today, I am putting that play list to work.

You can't tell me that these two records don't bring some yule tide joy to your life...



YES PLEASE!

Read More

Teach Me How To Dougie

Read More

Uncharted

As I have said NUMEROUS times this week... Sara Bareilles' new record is SO GOOD.

This is one of the songs that I can't get enough of.

Read More

Walking for Ben

Tomorrow, I will be participating in the San Diego Brain Tumor Walk.

If you follow this blog at all, Alex and Katelynn, you have read about my friend Ben who died of a Brain Tumor at just 18 years old.

Tomorrow, we walk for him.

We will walk in his memory. We will walk celebrating Ben' s life.

We will walk for a cure.

Please consider donating to this cause.

Here is a link to my page, which is part of the team LOVE BEN.

Tomorrow, we will wear green, remember Ben, celebrate his life, and fight for a cure.

We love you Ben! :)


...I sit here with tears rolling down my face, a full heart, and much gratitude. I can't say THANK YOU enough to the support that has come through. I have no words other than THANK YOU.

Read More

Christmas Cards

I am one of those people who sends out a Christmas Card every year. It is just something that I do. I love the whole creative and production processes. I love labeling and stamping the envelopes. I love all of it. :) Needless to say, I get started on this process early.

The problem is, my favorite card came two years ago when I dressed up like Santa and got all tied up in Christmas lights. In my mind, everything has to be better than that now. That isn't easy.

As I think through this, I have been thinking about cards that I get. I don't want to copy those, so that is an important question to ask. Here is just an observation that I have made since watching friends get engaged, married, get a dog, have a baby and watch their kids grow.

This is generally the order in which those Christmas cards come.

Year One: Engagement Photo with the tag-line "Soon-To-Be"
Year Two: Wedding Picture
Year Three: Picture of the happy Newly-Weds with their dog
Year Four: Picture of Mr and Mrs and their new baby
Year Five: Family Picture, mom is probably pregnant with number 2

Am I the only one to have experienced this?

Read More

Hold my Heart

I never meant to be the one to let you down
If anything, I thought I saw myself going first
I didn't know how to stick around
How to see anybody but me be getting hurt

I keep remembering the summer night
And the conversation breaking up the mood
I didn't want to tell you you were right
Like the season changing, oh, I felt it too

Does anybody know how to hold my heart
How to hold my heart?
'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark
How to hold my heart
'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you

I'm not the kind to try to tell you lies
But the truth is you've been hiding from it too
I see the end sneaking in behind your eyes
Saying everything no words could ever do

Does anybody know how to hold my heart
How to hold my heart?
'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark
How to hold my heart
'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you

Is anybody listening?
'Cause I'm crying
Is anybody listening?

Does anybody know how to hold my heart
How to hold my heart?
'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark
How to hold my heart
'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you

-Hold My Heart, Sara Bareilles


This is proof that Sara Bareilles' new record is too good not to buy.


BUY IT!!!

Read More

3 in 4

3 of my favorite artists are coming to San Diego in a 4 day span.

September 29th, you will find me at House of Blues, taking in the sweet sounds of Sara Bareilles.
Between Little Voice and Kaleidoscope Heart, there is enough piano and ridiculous vocal ability to make me a VERY HAPPY girl for a VERY LONG time.


October 1st, you will find me at the San Diego Sports Arena, singing along with Carrie Underwood. The first and only time that I have seen Carrie was at my favorite venue, The Ryman, in Nashville. It was a taping of The Grand Ole Opry featuring her, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, and others. Needless to say, it was an amazing night.

October 2nd, I will be at Cricket Amphitheater for Rascal Flatts. I have seen Rascal Flatts a few times. At The Ryman in Nashville, at Cricket in Phoenix, and at Cricket in San Diego. These guys don't disappoint. Their harmonies are always on point, their production is always entertaining and exciting... they put on a good show.


So, the week of September 27 is looking like it is going to be a pretty wonderful week in my life musically.

Read More

FINALLY

I love me some Sara Bareilles.

Three years later, and I am still listening to Little Voice as if it came out last week. Her music is that good. Listen to her vocals on Gravity and try to tell me that she is anything but amazing. Go ahead, try. You can't.

I pre-ordered her new record the day they released the first single, King of Anything. From the instant it became available, I was hooked and counting down the days of the full album release. There aren't many artists that I geek out over like her. She is just that good.

Last night, I got an e-mail from iTunes saying that my pre-order was ready for download. Ummmmm, what?! The day before?!? YES PLEASE. You best believe I grabbed my MacBook and downloaded that ish IMMEDIATELY.

Kaleidoscope Heart is available TODAY on iTunes. Buy it. Trust me.

So far, I have listened to the record, in completion, about 4 times. It DOES NOT disappoint. Songs to sing on a summer day with your windows down and ocean air in your face. Songs to sing on a night drive with the windows down and heater on. Songs to sing when you have found love. Songs to sing when you have lost love. The album is full of songs to sing.

I am already singing these beauties:
Uncharted
Hold My Heart
King of Anything
Basket Case
Breathe Again

I am beyond thrilled that this record is finally here. FINALLY!

My friend Daniel, plays bass for Sara, both on the record and on the road. He's so stupid talented, it's not even funny.

Read More

Permission to Speak Freely

I have been following Anne Jackson on Twitter for a while now. Not sure how it came about, but it did and I am glad. Maybe it was Don Miller or Los Whit or Brian and Promise Wurzell. Who knows?! Either way, I am glad that I began following her and I am even more glad to have read her most recent book.

As I stated a few posts ago, I am a book worm. I love to read. I love to curl up in the sun with a good book, my iPod and some lemonade. There are few things I love more than those serene moments on a blanket in a park with a book, some sweet tunes, and sunshine. Good thing I live in San Diego. Monday, was one of these days. And YES, I was working.

It was my job to sit at an info table outside by the harbor in the sunshine all day Monday and Tuesday. Rough, I know. From the moment I cracked this book, I couldn't stop. I laughed and I cried. Then, I laughed and I cried some more.

I cried tears of fear and tears of hope; tears of shame and tears of freedom. My story is much like Anne's, even in the most ridiculous ways. The theme in this book, is that you are not alone. No matter what your story, situation, or predicament in this moment... YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I am not alone. You are not alone. We are not alone.

No matter your faith stance or belief, I would encourage you to read this book. I can't wait to re-read it once I get through my pile of half-read books.

Read it.

In fact, if you don't want to bite the bullet and make the purchase, you can read bits and pieces on some blogs. Start HERE.

Read More