Attempting a new hobby....

I have always wanted to learn to play the guitar so I finally went out and purchased an acoustic one.  Now we will see if I can actually teach myself to play it or not.  Hopefully this will be something else to knock off my bucket list. If nothing else though at least it will look pretty sitting in my room :)

I'm feeling in a quote quoting kind of mood....

“Every new endeavor is created out of the quality of the energy you bring to it and is meant to be its own thing.”
— Oprah

I wish we could put up some

of the Christmas spirit in jars

and open a jar of it every month.

  ~Harlan Miller

Always be a first-rate version of yourself,

instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. 

~Judy Garland

No man has a good enough memory

 to make a successful liar. 

~Abraham Lincoln

Hope is the physician of each misery. 

 ~Irish Proverb

No government has the right

to tell its citizens when or whom to love. 

The only queer people are those who don't love anybody.

  ~Rita Mae Brown, speech, 28 August 1982

When words become unclear,

I shall focus with photographs. 

When images become inadequate,

I shall be content with silence.

  ~Ansel Adams

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.  ~Confucius

A beautiful cool, crisp night in Orlando....

Looking out over Lake Underhill....notice the plane flying over above the moon to the right

A few things that should be banned at Christmas time....

• ugly Christmas sweaters
• the bell ringers outside stores (or at least their bells)
• fruit cake
• the hippopotamus song
• people who act like the Grinch
• Santa's who look really fake with their cheap santa suits
• random "wintery" characters that scare not only children but adults

My favorite things about the Christmas holiday.....

Just a few of the things that make me happy during the holiday season....they are of course in no particular order.....

• Cold weather                                                   
• Snow falling
• Christmas trees all decorated
• the smell of Christmas trees
• NYC all decorated for the season
• Receiving Christmas cards and packages in the mail
• the smiles on peoples faces when they get into the holiday spirit
• Christmas music
• Starbucks Christmas drinks and pretty red cups
• Going Christmas light looking
• Giving presents
• Spending time as a family
• Santa
• Christmas movies
• Ice skating
• Getting to wear peacoats and scarves
• Building a snowman and making a snow angel

Things that make me smile.....

Especially after having a horrible week.....received this in the mail yesterday and it puts a huge smile on my face!!

One of nature's beautiful creations....

Taken by me at a NC vineyard

My 1st real Christmas tree.....

It only took 30 years but this year I have my first real Christmas tree.  I've wanted one for ever but for some reason just stuck with the artificial.  Must say I'm pretty glad I opted for the real.  It's just so much fun :)

Bringing it home and getting it to stand straight in the tree stand was a challenge as you can see here where it is leaning. 

Day 2....it is leaning no more and the lights are on it...

Day 3 (I'm a busy person what can I say)...the tree is all decorated and looking beautiful.  I will have to admit decorating a real tree is a lot more difficult than an artificial.  The branches definitely do not want to cooperate as well as the fake but I did not let it defeat me and I am quite pleased with the end result...laying of beads and all!





Favorite show on tv.....

Grey's Anatomy

Heaven in a cup......

Things that make you go "what the heck were they thinking"

Today's thing that makes you go what the heck where they thinking is the lovely car below.  Really what was going through their head when they decided to paint the car like that and add wheels like that?? SMH!!

Midnight Movie Premieres...Are they worth it? - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows is!

                                                              
Have you ever been to a midnight movie premiere?? If the answer is no, I would highly recommend going to at least one in your lifetime but make sure you chose the right movie for this experience.  The Harry Potter series is coming to a close but if you can make it out for the last one in July, 2011....do it!! You will not be disappointed.  Not only will the movie be amazing but the aray of people that you will see at the midnight premiere will be worth the staying up until almost 4am for :) What makes a midnight movie premiere better than just seeing the movie at a random time opening day....the people!!  Grab a group of friends, bring snacks and plop yourself down in line 3-4 hours before the movie starts and be ready to be entertained.  Just the sheer velocity of fan devotion alone will have you amazed, cracking up and left if awe.  The extremes some people go to amaze me every time....the elaborate costumes, the games played, the competition of who's in character more all suck you in and leave you wanting more from these random strangers.

Pick the right movie for a midnight premiere and you will not be disappointed.  Plus seeing the midnight show makes you one of the first people in the world to have seen the movie and it will make those that couldn't go jealous b/c you know what happens first!

some of what you can expect at a Harry Potter premiere.....

How early is too early for Christmas merchandise in stores....

This is a question many Americans ask each and every year right around this time....just how early is too early for stores to start putting out the Christmas merchandise and decorations? It used to be stores waited until Thanksgiving before pulling out all of the Christmas stuff and putting it on the shelves for you to browse and purchase.  Then it started to be around mid-November they began stocking the shelves. Mid-November turned into the first week of November, the first week of November turned into Halloween and now Halloween has turned into the last week of October.  Pretty soon stores will just leave out the Christmas merchandise all year long.  Have the stores gone too far with bringing out the Christmas decorations and merchandise so early or does it even really matter? Being a huge Christmas fan myself, I often ponder this question.  It always puts a smile on my face when I walk in and see all of the pretty lights and trees and ornaments but I know to others it makes them start to hate the holiday b/c by the time it gets here they are already sick of it.  We all know the stores are just in it for the money so what do they care if Christmas decorations are mixed in with the 4th of July. A sale is a sale right?  So I guess it all comes down to us as individuals and how much Christmas spirit we have in us and how much we can tolerate. 'Tis the Season!

Target was in the spirit of Christmas the week before Halloween...now Christmas has thrown up all over be back left section of the store.  I love it though :)

Best concert I have been too....

I've been to a TON of concerts but the best concert I have ever been to took place this past Oct. 15 in Tampa, FL.  Who was the singer and/or band you ask....Sugarland :) Truly an amazing concert put on by an amazing duo!  You can tell as soon as they take the stage that they are doing what they do for the fans and their number one goal is to make it a night you will never forget.  Mission accomplished Jennifer & Kristian!! 

My favorite shot I took from that night.... 

What this blog will be

Hello everyone reading my blog....thought my first post should be about what this blog will be about.  I thought about doing a blog that was all meaningful and blah, blah, blah and then decided completely random sounded better.  There will of course be the meaningful posts mixed in with the random but to keep it exciting it will be all over the board :) I guess it is fitting to my personality as my mind is always all over the board. I blame the ADD in me and the fact that I can't sit still. I don't mind though. I get to do so many things bc of it while others waste their days sleeping or being a couch potato. So in a nutshell that's what this blog will be :) Hope you enjoy and stick around for the ride!