P!nk

 The Truth About Love Tour

Saturday, March 2, 2013 --- Nashville, TN --- Bridgestone Arena

Best. Concert. Ever!!

 

The {unexpected} 10-hour car trip was worth every minute to see P!nk. I love her music on the radio or blasting as I get ready for the day but after seeing her in concert... I. Can’t. Get. Enough!

Forever friends right here.  Love her

Sisters!

She kicked the show off with lots of energy, lights and what better than Raise Your Glass? {My favorite} She kept the energy going for the entire show. 

I loved the stage set-up with all the screens, that looked like vintage picture frames, and how they added the perfect touch to each and every song she did.  I was excited that Nate Ruess was recorded singing his part of Just Give Me a Reason so that this song could be part of the show {a new favorite}.  The best was when she sang Family Portrait and had the heart screen covered with lace while showing her family portraits from growing up.  The personal touches {to anything} always tug at my heart strings!

Family Portrait

P!nk prefers  flying to dancing and that is ok because she does it so well! Flying around in gorgeous high heels …you go girl! That is another thing she had some fantastic shoes while on stage and I was sure to take notes! The other thing I took notes on was how absolutely fit and gorgeous she was.  Her body is so strong and perfect; it is hard to believe she had her baby about a year ago!  {I think she may be my motivation to get back to the gym…tomorrow} Either way I am thrilled I was able to have this experience.  

Thank you, Andrew for the BEST birthday gift ever!!

The lights made it hard for good pictures but looked awesome in person

**I took many videos but at this point can't get them to upload.  When I figure it out I will make sure to add them to the post**

The Plan

The Plan: attend the P!nk concert in Nashville, TN with the first stop being here…

 

This house might not seem like much to you but this was my first destination for the weekend that I have been looking forward to since December.   I was going to catch up with Erin then get all dolled up for the concert and a good night out with Erin and my sister.  This was my plan and I allowed plenty of time to make it happen {after all it was going to be at least 5 hours}. We left Zionsville at 9:45 AM and knew we would gain an hour due to Nashville being on central time.

We all make plans and for the most part expect them to go as planned but what happens when they don’t? Are you flexible? Do you know what your priorities are? Do you become selfish? 

On I65 around Elizabethtown, Kentucky traffic came to a backed up. We didn’t think much about it for a little while because we were creeping along but by no means making a significant dent in the many miles we still had to drive.  We had no idea what happened and of course started to become frustrated because this was not part of the plan.  We had places to be and people to see!  We had plenty of time before the concert started but I can become anxious when I have to come up with a plan B and not to mention a plan C.  What about my plans to catch up with my friend, go out to dinner and enjoy Nashville?  What if we missed the concert that we spent good money on?

Traffic eventually came to a complete stop.  When I say complete stop, I mean complete stop we were not moving.  We put our cars in park {I think some even turned their cars off}.  We got out to stretch our legs and talk to others.  We asked around to see if anyone knew anything.  We were taking pictures of the long line of traffic in front and behind us waiting to move.  People were walking their dogs and taking smoke breaks outside of their cars, because they could.  My sister and I were updating Facebook, Instagram and playing many rounds of Ruzzle against each other while we waited.   

We decided to look for an alternate route since time was ticking and traffic was still at a stand-still.  We found one that seemed reasonable and wasn’t too far out of the way that we would be adding much more time to our trip.  We needed Exit 86 and we were at mile marker 89. Easy enough, right?  At mile marker 88 I had my sister get out of the car to take a picture because it took us over an hour to move one mile but we were hopeful with all movement forward!

Thankful for smart phones we were finally able to figure out that there had been an accident.  Not just a small one and unfortunately not just the vehicles were hurt.  Families became broken on I65 this day because unfortunately people lost their lives.  We didn’t know the details of the accident but when I heard my thoughts changed and my priorities became clear.  It wasn’t about the concert or having extra time to enjoy Nashville, it was about my safety and the fact that my family and friends didn’t need to worry.

We saw this after 3 hours and seeing on our phone there had been an accident

My sister and I made the best of our time {I was so thankful I was not alone on this trip}, continuing to play games, take pictures and just talk.  We even did our make-up and changed into our concert clothes all while waiting in the car.  We made the best with what we had.   

We stayed calm and did not complain.  We understood there was nothing more we could do.  We replayed every choice we made and thought “what if.” What if we would have…left Friday night, left earlier Saturday morning when we were ready, stopped at a different location or time for lunch, what if...  I was keeping Erin updated by text and she was also looking into more information on the accident.  We later learned that six people were killed in two different accidents on 65 but close to one another!

Three hours later {a total of 4 hours} we made it the last two miles to our exit and found our way to Erin’s house.  Every little step was more of a relief…Tennessee state line, Clarksville exit, Erin’s house, and finally the Bridgestone Arena where we did get to see P!nk in concert! 

 This was the only sunshine we saw on this day.  For me it was a pocket of hope and smiles that we saw for only a short time after making our exit off of I65.  God was watching over my sister and I for sure!

I made it to my destination… 

but at least six people did not on this day. 

Don’t let a day go by without telling all the ones you love how much they mean to you.  Realize that plans do change and we can’t have control of every situation.  Life is too short to not enjoy every moment to the fullest.  Be flexible, smile, laugh, relax, have fun and live your life with no regrets!  The what ifs can be fun to think about but we can’t get hung up on them or even change what has happened we have to keep moving forward, otherwise life will leave us behind.  Everything happens for a reason and some things may not make sense in the moment but they will come full circle someday.  Sometimes we just need to slow down, enjoy what is in front of us and stop wishing for more and what we think is better.

Tomorrow is never guaranteed so what are you doing to make the best of today?

xoxo

Time Well Spent

The end of winter break is quickly approaching and although part of me is ready to go back to work and get back on my regular routine I was most excited to spend 2 days with the best friend any girl could ask for.  Lesley and I do not get to see each other near enough so when we finally get our girl time it is very cherished time.  If you know anything about either one of us we do not like to make decisions so there is never a game plan and we spend a ridiculous amount of time saying things like: "What do you want to do? Where do you want to eat? What should we do?"  But you know what, it is the time spent together that means so much to me.  We could sit in the same room just talking and I would be completely content.  We actually had a {very short} beautiful time together and it was very productive.

{side note--Lesley is my forever friend because...} Lesley is the friend I can tell everything to and she doesn't judge me but loves me unconditionally and gives me her full support.  I turn to her often with, relationship questions, my struggles with my faith or anything that is causing me trouble, my victories, my goals and everything in between.  Lesley is always there to support me and give me her honest opinion.  I know I can trust her to always be honest with me and make me see all sides to a situation.  Our friendship has grown exponentially over the 10 years that I have known her and everyday I am thankful for her and her beautiful friendship she offers. I hope everyone has a friend like this, everyone deserves the same peace I find in our friendship. WAIT... It gets better...15 months ago I fell in love with her cousin so someday we won't just be friends but family!

Ok...back to this wonderful, beautiful and exciting 2 days with my bestie.  We started by exchanging gifts with one another.  I love sending and receiving packages in the mail but being in person is always more special (unfortunately I did not get pictures of this, someday I will be get better at this).  The sight of belongings all over and things not put away, surprisingly made my heart very happy {this says a lot to anyone that know me}

We headed over to the apartment clubhouse to start our blog that we have been planning and talking about for awhile now.  We were super excited {dancing around acting crazy kind of excited} but it ended up taking us longer than expected to make it just right but after three locations, coffee and much thought we made it and love seeing all the love and support we already have.  You can read it {here}. 

It all started here...

...needed coffee to help the thoughts flow...

...finished it here, perfect place, right?

Such a beauty

Back home I finally got to watch the Kimmel wedding video.  As expected it brought tears, smiles and laughter to me.  Eyenamics does beautiful work and truly know how to capture the love of every bride and groom they work with.{here you can find their blog}  I CANNOT wait for them to capture my big day.  Having Eyenamics there will allow me and everyone to see the whole day no matter where you are, the video adds something more special that still frames alone cannot capture.  Eyenamics are you ready for me? HAHA. So glad I got to share in Lesley and Lane's special day even if I do look crazy in the video!

The next morning we weren't sure what the day would bring {no surprise here} but we started with breakfast (grilled PB&J and tea) and girl talk. Perfect.  We decided a visit to the container store was needed even if we were just window shopping.  That store is just full of inspiration, but hey girls can dream!

After sitting in the parking lot for a few minutes deciding what to...craft time was the winning decision! Another thing we have been wanting to do together for some time. Here is what we started with...

The goal was to use just two colors, a canvas and our fingers to make a bunch of circles.  We were not sure how this would work and when it came down to it we got really nervous.  We didn't want to mess it up and had such high hopes for our {cheap but cute} art work!  Once we got going it was so much fun and much easier than we had anticipated.   

They look good for being made with my finger, right? So I kept adding more dots...

Lesley adding dots

As more dots were added and we started overlapping we saw the need to have different shades of the two colors, so we added white to make lighter shades.

Close-up of the dots

Here are both canvases almost finished.  Looking at them we decided we wanted the top section more overlapped and in a larger section making us bring the more spacious dot section (the middle) farther down. They looked great thus far though, and we were happy with the progress.  It was slowly coming together.  What do you think?

Here are some close ups and the final  products! You can see the color variations that we used. Now where to hang them in our living rooms?

This was a perfect way to end our visit! I am so glad that Lesley stuck around to finish the project with me.  This was a great idea and I hope that we are able to meet up every other month like we talked about.  That would be so much fun. Even FourSquare knows how special our friendship is :)

Saying goodbye was so hard.  After any visitors leave I realize how lonely I can be and it sucks! I decided to spend much needed time with the Lord and the new devotional book Lesley got me. {She always knows what I need} It was perfect and said exactly what I needed to hear then.  Although tears may have been falling I found peace in my quiet and lonely apartment.

Lesley, thank you for everything! Thank you for being you, thank you for your love and support, thank you for visiting and bringing winter break to the best ending ever! These memories will live on forever!

Today is a gift that we will never get back.  Enjoy today, it will be over before you know it! Life is to short to have worries, live for the moment and enjoy all the small things. Appreciate everyone you come into contact with and pay it forward.  Joy is easy to spread. A simple smile may be the cure a stranger needs to make their day.  Enjoy the journey...I am!

xoxo

Spreading Cheer

Christmas 2012 is here! Holiday cheer is everywhere and I love it.  From Christmas lights, to wrapped presents and Christmas music you can't go far without being infected with the cheer.  I just love this time of year and how happy, giving and patient everyone seems to others.  It is such a great thing to see and experience.  Even in the toughest of times I like to do something that gives back and shows others that I am thinking about them and that I am thankful to have them in my life, everyday!  After all it isn't about the money spent but the heart and thought that went into a gift.  Someday when I have gifts I want them growing up not wanting the most expensive toy on the shelf but wanting the gift of experience and giving back to others.  I want to be that parent that does activities and crafts with my kids and turn around and spread our cheer to those less fortunate. It isn't expensive to give a smile! 

These little gift bags I put together for my neighbors! {Wishing you a Merry "Kiss-mas"} Just a little smile to brighten their day AND I got to tap into creative me :)  I didn't get a picture of it, but for the teachers I work with I put a pair of socks (a little random, I know) and nail polish in a gift bag with a note that said "wishing you warm and cozy toes all winter" So, the socks might seem random but with the cute little note it all comes together and who doesn't like a cute pair of socks?!

I don't know about you but I feel like 2012 has just flown by.  It has been a wonderful year full of so many adventures and blessings that I am very welcoming of 2013 and the new adventures that are to come. I am excited to be able to spend the holidays with my family.  The family time {and homemade food} is actually is my favorite part of the holidays and gifts are just a bonus.  I still long for the day when Andrew and I can spend a holiday together. "All I want for Christmas is you {Andrew}" This song and many others give me hope for the future! I can't wait to do those little things, like decorate a tree, walk hand in hand while looking at Christmas lights or even open up gifts in the same room together! I never thought of things as a big deal until the holidays came around and I realized I wanted to start making my own traditions with my love...someday! I am hopeful and patient! The wait is worth it, most definitely worth it!   

From Zionsville to South Bend...the sun was shining, Christmas music on and I was smiling and excited for Christmas 2012! Holiday cheer all over and I love it! 

xo

Lights, Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

 On my way to my friends house tonight I was in bumper to bumper traffic as it was 5 PM on a Friday and a car was attempting to get into the turn lane, she was obviously in more of a hurry than me because she thought squeezing between me and the curb was the answer...NOT! My beautiful, red HHR now has some of her silver paint on my bumper, I am thankful that everyone is ok and that the damage is not as bad as it could have been.  I will get an estimate hopefully this week and make some decisions...FUN FUN!  I guess 28 looks like this too :)

Once I made it to my friend's house birthday celebration continued Friday night when I went for Pizza and Zoo Lights! It was an amazing evening and a great way to continue  my "28 looks like this" adventure! Last year I visited Chicago and their Zoo Lights and I only heard good things about Indy's version so I had to check it out.  We had a beautiful night, we went close to closing so the crowds thinned out and the air was the perfect crispness yet not too cold that we were freezing. Here were a few of my favorite "animals" of the evening...

 I am a peacock! haha

 This one probably made me smile the biggest! A Red Panda!! My favorite zoo animal!

This was a great start to my weekend and end to my birthday celebrations! I am so glad I was able to experience Christmas lights to their fullest with great company! After my more eventful, than necessary trip to meet my friend this evening this was the perfect way to take my mind off of stressing and actually enjoy myself.  The evening was perfect!

 I just thought this one was fun :) (this was not at the zoo, this was a drive through light display)

xoxo