The 49

Contrary to popular belief, Seattle does have it's own roller coaster known as the King County Metro 49 bus. It's not my usual line but I hopped on it yesterday to meet the boys in Capitol Hill and was in for a treat. Aside from the fever and chills brought by my Southern house guests, I got an awesome case of nausea from a) the driver AKA Father Time and b) the feral human sitting behind me with his fingers WAY to close to my hair. I kept snatching backward glances at Hobo Rider's hands certain they were inching closer to my precious mane until I finally resigned to moving across from him. Funny thing...the homeless have a sixth sense for riders-who-move-simply-because-they-don't-want-to-be-near-a-hobo. He spent the rest of the ride scowling at me through his matted hair. I spent the rest of the ride holding my breath and looking for an object to use as a weapon, just in case the need arose.

I digress.

Fun fact: this was, literally, the oldest bus I've ever seen. Pulling the stop line made an actual bell ring. Frealz. On top of that, we were driven by a man reminiscent of Dumbledore with a death rattle. His cough put mine to absolute shame. During the entire 20 minute ride, I sat there thinking, "If this driver chokes (due to the Cough of Death), I honestly don't think I could do CPR. I would literally have to sit here and pretend like I didn't speak English or understand the universal sign for choking" Then I felt like a horrible human being and tried to lose myself in a game of Angry Birds, which only served to fuel the nausea. Father Time was only capable of driving at two speeds: ridiculously slow and uncomfortably fast. When driving ridiculously slow, we were on straight stretches of road and holding up copious amounts of traffic behind us. When driving uncomfortably fast, we either had three inches of space between us and the University Bridge or were perilously close to flattening two sorority sisters and a Patagonia-swathed child in the crosswalks (sooooooo Final Destination).

Moral of the story? 

1. Having a car is très useful in Seattle. 

2. Riding the bus is NEVER boring.

3. I should become King Country's OFFICIAL Metro Blogger. Buuuuuuut then I'd probably have to say something nice about them and we all know that's not happening anytime soon (i.e. here and here)

On Conquering

Remember when I said I had visitors coming?

They came (sts), they're here and we're conquering The Emerald.

And I've done my best to keep my social media to a minimum lately to preserve the delicate feelings of our Missing Comrade: Max E. Hinton.

But trust me, not only am I documenting their visit but I'm also planning a little surprise for the Blessed Absent One. Quite unbeknownst to him, Max actually did come to Seattle...in 2-D form.

Here's a peek at the Flat Max Project. Creep the final product later this week.

Maxamilian taking me to work on Friday

Weekending

DYING over here for the weekend. As I'm chained to my desk for 6 more hours all I can think about is this:

1. Tonight, these two guys land in Seattle.

2. Friday night we are going here for BBQ & bourbon. Helloooooo two of my favorite things.

3. And then we are going here to see Seattle's sauciest burlesque. YES.

4. Sunday night we'll hang here (one of my favorite parts of the week)

6. Adventures will also be had here, here, here and certainly here.

Weekend come quickly!

Can I Get An Amen?

via

30 Things

Thanks to THE Forrest J. Underwood, I happened across this list from a cute married couple who dig sharing their practical thoughts with the masses. Their list of "30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself" struck a chord with me - life lately has been all about making moves and truly enjoying the life that I've been given. Over the past year or so I've tried to really invest in the friendships that matter, let go of the ones that don't, challenge myself, love who I've become and welcome change with open arms. So read this list and really see which of these resonates with you. I've highlighted some of my favorites. 


With that in mind, here are...

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. We’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – Help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.  
11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.  
24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.
28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Friday Feast...

For the eyes, courtesy of the nw is best tumblr.

(Art installation made with knives in the gallery wall)

 

 

I Guess I'm Gonna Be a Nurse...

And by "I guess" I mean I am. 

Yesterday I saw one of my longest running dreams come to fruition. I've wanted to be a nurse my entire life but got talked out of it in college by a silver-tongued adviser. Five years later I have a Biology degree figuratively collecting dust and my resume is like an occupational island of misfit toys. So two years ago I started saying was going to go in earnest. I knew the classes I needed to take, researched Accelerated programs (you get your RN in a year since you already have a Bachelor's) and just didn't do it. 

Then this summer, something snapped. I got tired of hearing myself do a lot of talking and zero doingt. I started making my quarterly To Do lists and actually took my classes and applied to four nursing schools in Portland, Charleston, New Orleans and Omaha. To me, it felt like a complete shot in the dark but yesterday I got the best news ever...Creighton University wants me! As soon as I heard I burst into tears, locked myself in the office breastfeeding room and called my dad. To be honest, I never could have done any of this without my parents. They've been my biggest cheerleaders, fiercest advocates and have dreamed big with me over the years and this is just as much their victory as it is mine.

On the drive home from work I just couldn't stop the tears realizing that all my little wishes and dreams are finally coming true in a big way. I have a month to decide on Creighton or take the risk of saying no to see if I get into any other schools. This whole experience is going to be a huge leap of faith but I'm up for the challenge. And throughout the day, I still find myself murmuring my Carrie Underwood inspired prayer of gratitude, "Thank God even crazy dreams come true."

All You Ever Needed to Know...

About Forrest J. Underwood: A Photographic Journey


Guess who's coming to town? None other than my hetero-lifemate, Forrest J. Underwood. He's so popular here on NW is Best that he has his own category. In just nine days the Sultan of Swag arrives for an entire week to take the Emerald City by storm. If this isn't highly deserving of an "All You Ever Needed to Know About Forrest J. Underwood" pictorial, I don't know what is. Upon reading this, you too can practically consider him your hetero-lifemate. 


1. He loves to party

2. He's GREAT with kids

3. Animals love him

4. He flies this

5. He was born swagga-docious

6. Super hot older brother: CHECK

7. Knows how to cut a rug

8. He loves his mama

9. He's strong 

10. He moonlights as a swimsuit model

11. The stash looks good on him

12. Impeccable dentition

Finally (and most importantly)...

13. He's got great taste in friends

Count on Me

If NW truly is best (and it is), then the same must be true of our artists. Enter: Mat Kearney. He's an Oregon man and his music is near and dear to my heart. Over time it's gotten a bit more mainstream and Michael Franti-esque but I can't deny that his ear snacks are catchy as hell. I've had the album two weeks and I wake, drive, walk and fall asleep singing Mat's songs. His latest album "Hey Mama" hit the ground running as has his tour which hits Showbox at the Market on February 16th! 


Here's a viddy of Mat performing my favorite song so far on his album, "Count on Me" at The Cannery in Nashville. Clever lyrics if you listen close. Buy your tickets here for his Seattle show and leave a comment with your email address if you want the album via Dropbox. 


Happy weekending!

Cleanin' the Moneymaker

Skin Care by kbarnes on polyvore.com



I promise you, I am THE worst at doing anything routinely aside from going to the bathroom, sleeping and engaging in obsessive dental hygiene. Habitual tasks and advanced planning have just never been a gift of mine, which is why I buy the 2-day teeth whitening kits and plane tickets less than three weeks in advance. Whoops. But I am proud to report that I've been sticking with the same skin care regimen for a couple of weeks now and have been crazy happy with the results. I was raised by a woman with a no-fuss beauty routine and it seems I've followed in her footsteps - these items are all pretty cheap and SUPER easy to get your hands on. If you click on the picture, it will even link you up to each product and it's pricing (God bless Polyvore!) 


At night, I use the Purity wash first, then the exfoliating scrub. To clean my moneymaker face extra good, I use small crocheted squares made using a Tunisian crochet stitch. These guys are soft on one side, rough on the other and have saved me from ever buying cotton rounds again. I make 5-10 at a time and they last quite a while. When they're dirty, I just throw them in the wash with everything else. 


For days, I just put these two creams on before my 3 minute warpaint routine and I'm done before the dog's even finished her breakfast. 

Note: I'm not rich. I buy the Sephora products in teeny travel bottles (they last forever) or have gotten them as gifts. The astringent lasts eons - I literally am about to finish a bottle I bought in high school. I also have sneaking suspicious I should probably be using some kind of wrinkle-reducing eye cream but I'm super happy with this one...which I got as a free sample and I'm making it last (:

Every Christmas Letter Ever

A couple of weekends ago I felt an urgent need to obsessively clean. I'm typically a pretty neat and organized person but this urge to purge was largely precipitated by a three day bout with the 8th wonder of the world, Hoarders. After watching innumerable episodes over the weekend, I was convinced my condo was cluttered, squalid and must be cleaned immediately. Two hours, two boxes and four bags later my place was freed of all Christmas decorations, superfluous kitsch and that woozy old Goodwill credenza on the verge of collapse. 

The holiday vestiges I couldn't quite part with were the Christmas cards. I made out like a bandit this year, receiving cards from FL, AR, WA, OR, CO and everywhere else in between. I kept most of them simply because they're too sweet to throw away. Many get put on my fridge or used as bookmarks to serve as little prayer reminders throughout the year for my peeps. One  very special Christmas card (cough, my family's, cough) got carried with me to work this morning where it is now hanging proudly in my austere cubicle. 

My sibs and old Lady Matie, Patron Saint of Plain & Fancy Gifts

Okay, so this wasn't really the Barnes Family Christmas card but isn't it AWESOME? I really have a knack for making the picture and choosing sexy outfits and washing my hair regularly. Since it's literally the only personal item in my cube, my boss spotted it immediately and asked if my family sent Christmas letters out too. I quickly replied, "No we HATE when people do that..." citing my mom's college roommate who always used her Christmas letter to tell us how awesome and brilliantly talented her kids were. High five PAM! To which my boss replied, "Oh...you have got to see Every Christmas Letter Ever." 

This letter (penned by Huffington Post humorist, Tim Siedell) is hysterical and glaringly true of most Christmas letters we ever received growing up. 

Impersonal Greetings!

Here's a sentence about how the year is almost over, in case you don't know how the Gregorian calendar operates. Here's a trite phrase about how quickly time passes, probably stolen from a friend's Facebook wall. Here's an attempted joke that doesn't work.

Let's talk about the hubby. The dad in this family probably got promoted and now has additional responsibilities that the letter writer sincerely hopes will make you question your choice of a life partner. The rest of this paragraph will highlight regular stuff that every parent does, like coaching a little league team or building a shed in the backyard. After briefly mentioning some award received at a convention in Orlando or wherever, it's time to make this Superman appear more human, so... Snarky comment about how the dad didn't beat his marathon time from last year because he did something stupid like hurt his toe during training!!!!!!!!!!

Let's move on to the kids, who are better than your kids in every way. These ways will be listed and categorized by child's name, age, and some personality trait that nobody but the parents of the child actually sees. If a child had a minor health scare or got banged up while biking or something, it will be milked here for maximum sympathy, perhaps focusing on how hard it was for the letter writer to make it through this tough time. If applicable, the letter will now veer off into a diatribe about how the city should make things safer for young bicyclists. The point will be made at the end of this paragraph that the letter writer is no different than any other concerned parent or citizen, thus clearly implying the exact opposite.

Now let's blow some kind of minor family problem into a full-blown tragedy. The death of a pet, perhaps. Some kind of costly household repair due to a storm would work nicely. If nothing else, this paragraph should focus on how the family has struggled coping with world events, such as the Japanese tsunami. Obstacle stated here. Explanation of how the family overcame said obstacle here (in the case of Japan, the solution will be prayer and the family moving on to some other issue). Now, here's the poignant end to this section of the letter. While these events would have ripped a normal family like yours apart, the letter writer's family came together and is now stronger than ever before.

(This is the blank space between paragraphs that make no mention of the husband's affair with a co-worker in Orlando or the fact that the parents haven't slept in the same bed since February.)

Now's the time to mention a friend of the family or a distant relative who did something remarkable, like climb a mountain or meet Michelle Obama at a fundraiser, in order to make the entire family look interesting.

Self-deprecating apology here about how this letter is so long, cleverly implying that your family could probably just summarize the year on a notecard.

Oh, well! Or another mindless statement meant to abruptly end a letter! Mandatory holiday greetings, almost as an aside.

(Family name in script font)

Now that you've read this, do me a favor and make a mental "Note to Self" Don't ever do this. But, if you do, don't send one to me. 

King County Metro: Part II

Remember my bitter diatribe against the King County Metro? Specifically how boofjank their Route 31 drivers are and how I continually get passed over by the bus I ride every single week day at the exact same time?


Welcome to latest installment in the series. 


After a slew of substitute drivers passed me over during the holiday weeks, I decided to start driving my car to work. This has some serious upsides like waking up 45 minutes later, a shorter commute to work, getting home earlier and especially the lack of daily red-hot rage associated with chasing down the bus. But it also had it's downsides - paying $6 a day for parking, gas money to get to work, not scoring my Commuter Bonus and a serious decline in my daily reading. More than anything  I felt like I was disappointing you, my three faithful readers, by not pressing on in my quest to bring justice and a modicum of intelligence to the King County Metro system. 


So, I got back on the bus. And as much as I hate to report, the drivers have stopped for me both days. Why, you ask? Because now I stand on the corner preeeeettttty much looking like this dude (minus the blank expression). 

I begrudgingly took my mom's (and every single bus driver's) advice and have transformed myself into a pre-dawn beacon of light on Thorndyke Avenue. My former rationale shunned taking extra measures to draw attention at my shady bus stop simply because I'm stubborn. Buses should stop for you - that's their job. So why should I flag one down like an idiot every day just to get them to do their job? Regardless, I swallowed my pride and have been getting picked up without incident. Whereas before every driver made me feel like I was standing motionless in the inky blackness looking like this guy:

They now pick me up because I've got these guys!

Though I originally questioned my mom's judgement on this purchase (they're for a bike...which I don't own) they've been a lifesaver. Container Store Flashing Bike Lights will most definitely blind you. But seriously, these little guys pack a punch. With the click of a button they strobe brighter and faster than lights at a GirlTalk show, have three speeds and they fit right on my key chain. Thanks to mom's holiday-induced brain fart, the price tag was left on so I can happily inform you they're only $2.99 if you want to score a pair. 

If you know Robb Barnes (aka Dad) in any fashion, this next apparatus won't surprise you. A SureFire flashlight. This company doesn't refer to these as just a flashlight. No, they're "tactical illumination tools with optimal beams" that even include sharp bezels on some models to strike attackers as your "last line of defense". Of course Dad couldn't get me any old flashlight. It had to be a multi-purpose tool primarily used by law enforcement, military and firefighters...JUST what I need. The kicker is that these babies range from $59 to  $695. Six hundred ninety-five dollarsssssss. For an illumination device. I'm not complaining though, it's awesome (much like Robb Barnes) and gets the job done. 


It's only been two days since I've been back on the Metro and so far, so good. Don't worry though, I'm still in the process of hassling the City of Seattle for a light at my bus stop and think I just might win now that I have the Seattle Children's Commuter Services department behind me. Now I just need to figure out how to make every STANKY Seattle bum who eats ranch packets with their finger STOP choosing the empty seat next to me. But that's a whole other blog post...

The Blessed Mug

Once upon a time, I owned World's Best Coffee Mug. It was deserving of a proper noun being extra tall, white (my favorite color) and possessing a faded old picture of the regal Polk County Courthouse on it with my hometown name, Dallas, Oregon, emblazoned across the bottom. It came to me in 2009 via Paige, one of my heart's dearest, who had scored it at a crusty estate sale somewhere in Oregon's Willamette Valley. It was quite unexpected and the perfect cure for my rampant homesickness while in the Great State of Texas. Through a series of unfortunate events, the stalwart mug got in a car accident of sorts and has now taken up residence wherever garbage ends up here in the Emerald City. 


Last night, I got the bright idea to start scouring the internet for its replacement which has proved to a) be a lot harder than I initially imagined and b) provide some priceless fodder for the blog. Naturally my search began with Google. I figured "Dallas, Oregon coffee mug" was a good place to start but alas, that search produced nothing useful. Then I headed to eBay which somehow pointed me to the Made in Oregon store, a commercialized repository for all kinds of crap with loose Oregonian ties like seaglass balls, dream catchers and ceramic angel ornaments. I decided to make one last attempt before bed and ran a Google image search to see if the mug even existed on the interwebs annnnnnd here's where the night got interesting. 


The image search "Dallas, Oregon coffee mug" gave me the following GEMS:

Frolicking goats on Clay Street (pretty sure this is verrrrry near my house)

A registered sex offender I did go to high school with

A registered sex offender I did not go to high school with

An Indian chief and our ex-governor whose campaign ads claimed 
he was raised by nuns and that, "I'm a pretty good bowler too"

Dirk Nowitski

In hopes of bringing a greater level of specificity to my search, I Googled "Dallas, Oregon Polk County Courthouse Coffee Mug" and got these lovelies:

My recently deceased Great Uncle

Super hottie, brought to you by METH!

Needless to say, the search continues. But if you happen to be perusing a dead person's belongings up for sale and see a tall white mug with something like this on it (see below)...don't hesitate to buy. I'll pay the shipping.

Guess what?

And my favorite part about it is...

(via)

A Very Merry Birthday

I truly cannot believe how gracious my friends and family were this year in celebrating my 25th. All the phone calls and well wishes flooded my inbox and I even got to speak with every single member of my far-and-wide family! I just felt so loved and very ready to take on another year of life. The best part was that it felt like the celebration has gone on for days! After Christmas, my family sent me back to Seattle laden with gifts and, standard me, I opened them little by little over the following 9 days. Some of the goodies I'm most looking forward to using and playing with are...


The Wii! I'm a diehard Super Mario Bros. fan and, once upon a time, almost beat the entire game. Now I'm ready to take back my title. Y'all are welcome to come play with me but be warned, my already foul mouth gets far blacker when I play the Wii. Poor Davy Crockett has heard some unforgivable things in her short year of life because of that thing...

These boots are definitely made for walking. I was in dire need and my parents answered my plea for shoes that will get me from work to my bus stop in style without rain soaking through. Voila! The most comfy boots I've ever had and in a unique color I love. Thanks Nordy's!

The way to my heart: food and books. For my 25th I requested these two and can't WAIT to dig into them and chip away at my Winter reading list. Real Marriage is written by my Pastor and his wife and has been touted as an extremely candid view into their marriage and how to make it work well. Diane Keaton can do no wrong in my book and has gotten rave reviews this touching memoir on her mother. 

Though I love my birthday month, I'm already counting down the days until February and March when I get to see some of my most favorite country crooners. One of my most favorite memories of living in Texas was seeing Brad Paisley & Dierks Bentley in the pouring rain in Dallas/Fort Worth with my nearest and dearest. Can't wait to relive that night minus the soggy boots and ponchos. Brad's performing with The Band Perry who I have two minor issues with. One, Kimberly has the arms of an MMA fighter and scares me with the sheer diameter of her mouth. Two, the hair. Kimberly's is barely passable but the boys need someone who loves them to slap them sharply across the face and then promptly scissor that shit into something a little less Jefferson Airplane. And helllooooooo, Lady Antebellum?! I die. I absolutely die for them. I made my first and last attempt as a wedding singer at my brother's wedding with a Lady A song and can't wait to see them in person with Hootie (aka Darius Rucker). I literally nearly cried when I received tickets to these two concerts and you'll definitely be getting a blogger's earful when I go. 

The oddest gifts even touched my heart like this little guy from my older brother. It takes me back to Texas where I saw and caught my first fireflies out on the reservation. One of the coolest things I've ever done and now I can relive it every day with my Firefly in a Jar! This guys attached to a teeny tiny wire in a mason jar and, when tapped, will light up and flit about providing hours of entertainment for me and the pup.. 

My perfect roomie elicited a gasp when I opened her gift of a Madewell acorn locket. Acorns are my favorite for too many reasons to count but mainly they remind me of my mother and my favorite fairy tale (Peter Pan). So much so that I have one tattooed on my wrist. The cap pops off the acorn and I can stash my most treasured items in there like a love note or a Davy tooth (Gross or cute? You decide)