The Jersey Shore - classic

I am obsessed Jersey Shore watcher. I admit it! Didn't miss a single episode from last season. I will admit that I looked forward to seeing JWOW and Sammi's cat fight and you better believe that I was glued to the TV when any kind of drama hit the fan.

I say all this because when a friend sent me this picture, I was blown away. These six kids dressed up like the cast of The Jersey Shore. The best part, these kids could really pass for the cast at their age!

Okay from left to right in the picture above... Pauly D, JWOW, Sammi Sweatheart, Snooki, Ronnie and in the back Mike otherwise know as 'The Situation.'

Halloween... New Orleans Style!

Four friends on a mission... trunk packed full of luggage and sleeping must haves... a grocery bag full of Sweet Tarts, Sprees and Bit O Honeys... and one 8 hour drive separating us from the party that is known as New Orleans!

I'm ready for some gumbo!

I'm ready for some seafood!

I'm ready to experience Burbon Street!

Ugh... Are we there yet?

I will updated everyone with pictures and fun stories when I return :)

Aaron's Sermon

I received an email from a good friend of mine, Aaron Hinton this week. It was embedded with a sermon that he had preached the previous Sunday at Generations Church near Southport, NC. I was so proud of him so I decided to share it with all of you. Here's the email and a link to his sermon. Enjoy!

I just wanted to send you a link to the video of the sermon I preached at Generations a few weeks ago. It was a hard series to preach in as it was on different doubts that people have and/or different things that make them doubt God. It certainly challenged me to make what seemed more like a debate into a sermon that people could learn and grow from. I pray I did just that. Anyways, I wanted to send you a link to the sermon so you could watch, enjoy, and/or give me any criticism/feedback that you might have to offer. Thanks for watching and listening when you can. Please feel free to pass on to others that you know may want to see me preach. Take care and God bless!

http://generationschurch.com/sermon-media/the-doubts-of-the-product/

AARON HINTON

Marketing Coordinator

NC Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell

100 Caswell Beach Rd

Oak Island, NC 28465

Taste of Atlanta 2010

Yep! You should pretty much be able to guess what happens at this event :)

If you guessed tasting some of Atlanta's finest foods, you guessed correctly... And tasting we did!

This was the 9th annual Taste of Atlanta... a dynamic, flavor-filled 2-day outdoor food and wine festival which showcases the diversity of Atlanta's food scene and has been known to attract food lovers from Atlanta, the Southeast and beyond. The festival was held at Tech Square in the heart of Midtown Atlanta encompassing Spring Street and 5th Street. There were so many people and SO much food to try. I think, at one point, I described it as "State Fair-like" without the rickety fair rides and creepy carnies! Maybe I only said that because they had funnel cakes...hmmmm.

This is how it works... you pay $25 and that covers your admission and gives you 15 food tickets to use at the vendor tents. Some would think that it would be no problem to use 15 tickets and try all the delicious food...wrong. It's very difficult because there is so much food and me personally, I can't consume that much in a small amount of time. My tummy was definitely full and I had a slight sick feeling as we made our way down the streets looking for the next item to consume.

So what did we eat? I'm glad you asked...

* Spinach Pie from The Greek

* Shrimp and Crab Bisque from Wildfire

* BBQ Ribs from 5th Street Ribs & Blues

* Chicken & Waffles from Glady's Knights Chicken & Waffles

* Organic Pumpkin Ice Cream from 5 Seasons Westside

* Porcini Ravioli in Champagne Cream Sauce from Il Mulino

* Chocolate drizzled strawberries, brownies & pound cake from The Melting Pot

* Red Velvet cupcake from Mosaic

That's all I can remember right now but there was way more than that... I'm full all over again just thinking about it all :)

I had such and awesome time eating great food, spending time with Kevin, Kristi and Brent and just being in downtown Atlanta on a beautiful Saturday afternoon!

Flower clip surprise

So, one of my awesome co-workers and friends made me a sweet surprise this week...

...homemade flower clips. Aren't they adorable?

I see a business opportunity in her future and I would totally partner with her. They are so easy to make and there are endless possibilities of colors, styles and designs. Want one?

Last Stop... The Wedding!

Weddings are always fun!

There's usually good food, fun people to hang out with and a night filled with dancing. Danielle and Dave's wedding was just that!

Here's all the fun expressed in a few pictures...

The adorable couple, Dave and Danielle

Happy Birthday to you! and 3...2...1, release cup, haha!

Third Stop... Upstate!

Time for some relaxing moments in a little town called Goshen, NY.

Ever heard of it? Well you should look it up because it looks straight out of fairy tale. The town everyone wishes they grew up in. Mom and pop town stores, a little bagel shop that makes them fresh every morning, the old timey pharmacy on the corner and beautiful homes decorated for the appropriate holiday season. This time of year, it was all about pumpkins, ghosts and goblins.

Take a look at this cute town...

The oldest horse track in America.

Webster taught here. Yes Webster, the guy who wrote the dictionary!

This house was incredible. They have a character from the greatest horror movies of all time. They put on this Halloween event every year, inviting the whole town to come and be a part of their haunted tradition. They were in the local paper last year and people donate money each year to them so they can keep adding to their collection. So cool!

They added a new piece to their collection a few days after we left. Kev and I are trying to get a picture. I'll post it if we ever succeed :) The new piece is the Headless Horseman.

And the most exciting part of our Upstate experience...

This guy! haha... long story but let's just say this guy got around, ha.

Last stop of the trip will be posted tomorrow :)

The Wedding!

Second Stop... The Big Apple

New York City!

More than a city... it's a completely different world where I step foot on the streets and I'm completely enthralled with it all. Movies don't do it justice and pictures can't capture how amazing you feel when you're there. It's a place where my heart longs to be and my mind wanders to what it would be like to walk those streets daily and become part of that culture. Ahhhh, daydreams!

This was my second visit to the city and I had big plans to make it extra special for a special someone who was having a birthday :) The plan... Good food, a Great show and way too much candy.

Broadway... American Idiot... Amazing show!

Yea... I wasn't kidding about the candy part! We bought almost 3 pounds of candy from FAO Schwartz. And it was gone before we flew home, haha.

Grand Central Station... It was so overwhelming. I walked in and I was taking back by the magnitude of it and of course the beauty of it. We had to take a picture of us there... we just had to :)

Happy Birthday Kevin! I hope you had fun!

Third stop... Upstate New York...

First Stop... Red Sox Country!

I've always had some what of a bucket list for the things I want to do in my life time. The list grows more and more each day and I will say that it is quite lengthy already. This list consists of places I want to go, things I want to see and experiences I want to be a part of... it's great and it gives me lots of things to look forward to!

Well last week I was able to cross off a few in one trip!

Kevin and I were blessed enough to have a few days off (9 to be exact) and we ventured up to the New England area for some sight seeing, some wedding dancing and some unbelievable eating!

First stop... Boston!

Harvard...do I look smart sitting here? haha



Boston is one of those cities that you can get lost in the history, the beauty and the almost romantic atmosphere. You can take a stroll down to Harvard Square and see where all the brilliant minds migrate. You can take a walk by the river and get lost in how peaceful the area feels. You can hop in a taxi (way more expensive than NYC cabs) and head downtown where lights fill the trees and there's a variety of options for fun moments! Everything is pretty much walking distance and I wouldn't want it any other way. Walking down the streets allows you every opportunity to see Boston's amazingness (is that a word?).

And then there's Fenway... a Ballpark I've always wanted to visit! It's small but powerful. The fans are devoted and the presence is addictive! I've been a Red Sox fan for a while now and I can remember having conversations with my brother about wanting to visit Fenway and cheer the Sox. Well, it finally happened and the best part... they were playing the Yankees and they WON! It was everything I hoped for and more :)

Gorgeous city! I will return ... soon.

Next stop... New York City!

The reality land of make-believe

Dreams can make you question so much. It's that battle between reality and make-believe... a hidden world created by what your mind has stirring around when you doze off. Sometimes dreams can be enlightening, giving you a twist on something that you've been struggling with or highlighting something that in the daytime may not stand out as much as it should. Feelings become more apparent as you dream about first dates or first kisses...dreams bring to light those hidden feeling that you may be too embarrassed to admit. But sometimes dreams can leave a somewhat bitter feeling when you awake from a long night's sleep...and that's where this blog comes in.

What do you do when your dreams make the reality make-believe?

Now I know that's an awkward question so let me try to explain myself...

I've had a few dreams lately that have pinpointed some events in my life negatively...events that aren't negative at all but my mind has created this twisted version of what could or has happened. Most of the time it involves another individual and coming out of the dream leaves me with this bitter, almost angry and un-trusting feeling towards them. I know that some things are spun out of achieved memories/experiences (experiences I try to forget) and how people have treated me in the past. My dreams, however cut and paste present people in those moments and actions which make things really difficult. It causes me to look at them like they've hurt me, making my make-believe dream world into a make-believe reality world. ugh!

It would be like dreaming that your husband cheated on you with someone you knew well, even though in reality they would never ever do that.

And it's happening more and more these days!

What could that mean? What are some solutions? Does any one else deal with this?

Happy Birthday Kevin

Happy Birthday to my amazing boyfriend!

I hope you feel special and spoiled today :)