Blog Therapy

10 things I want:
A long healthy happy life for all my loved ones.

To move to Washington
To pay off our bills

To attend the school of my dreams (since Ive already been accepted) The Art Institute of Seattle
Travel out of the country
To finish recording my album
The Rock Revival Jeans Ive been eyeballing at work
The new Sonicare toothbrush set.
Lasik eye surgery
A Remote Shutter 







10 things I have always wanted that I already have

A car that doesn't break down.
To go to college.
 A gorgeous wedding.
A loving husband.
A dog to complete our family.
A house of our very own.
Happiness.
A DSLR Canon Camera.
 Coach and Dooney purses.
A collection of instruments.




9 musicians/bands you love (in no order)

Kina Grannis
Jack Johnson
Izrael Kamakawiwo'ole
Colbie Callait
Bob Marley
Meiko
Priscilla Ahn
Zac Brown Band
Jason Mraz

8 things you do everyday

Brush my teeth
Shower
Photograph Something
Text
Eat
Smile
Kiss my husband

7 things you enjoy

Shopping
Bubble Baths
Traveling
Playing Guitar
Snuggling
Visual Art
sun on my skin

6 things that will always win your heart

Laughing Babies
Matthew
Hawaii
The Illinois River
Sunglasses
Nice people

5 favorites: movie, song, book, food, season

The Notebook
Claire De Lune
Where the Caged Bird Sings - Mya Angelo
Sushi
Spring

4 smells of scents you enjoy

Kim Kardashian's Signature Scent perfume
The smell of a clean baby
My husband, clean or dirty :)
The smell of summer rain

3 places you want to go

Italy
Bali
  Australia

2 favorite Vacations

Wedding/Honeymoon in Hawaii.
2 week vacay to Florida.

1 person you would marry on the spot
I totally had to edit this part because I copied and pasted this from another blog and forgot to change it :) but my real answer is,


I already married him :)

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Life. Love. Work. And Friendship.

  Dear blog, I have been soooo insanely busy lately I can barely handle it!!! So many things going on with music, photography, work, life, and marriage these past couple months have been a whirlwind of life and love.  I have to admit that I started cheating on you with tumblr. Its alot more modern and I have a ton of friends and fans that have been telling me to convert to it. I havent decided if I am making the change just yet. Does anyone else have tumblr? Likes or dislikes? Im on the fence :)
Anyway, lets start with music. holy HELL I have so much going on in the music world of my life. I won Battle of the Bands hosted by TZMR records here in Fayetteville NC on September 9th. TZMR is completely unorganized because they just started up their label 2 months ago. NOT exactly the most trustworthy or reliable bunch of people so I will not be booking any more shows under their watch. However my turnout for BOB was HUGE and amazing! thanks to anyone who came out if you are reading this it was a total blast! I have been getting contacted since my appearance there for multiple bookings which include PAID set time which is always a plus :) My pay usually goes towards equipment and/or musical accessories such as, guitar strings or my brand new Quarter Inch Cable made by Monster which is completely amazing and I highly recommend it. Other then that I am officially enrolled at the Art Institute of Seattle! My start date is unclear for the time being thanks to military life but I dont even care one bit as long as it happens! OH and I am currently number 5 on ourstage.com in a competition to Open for the GOO GOO DOLLS! So if you are a voter or are just plain bored go check it out here  http://www.ourstage.com/judge?channel=381-subway-fresh-artists Photography life has been kind of slow because of everything else going on BUT I just ordered a new lens that I am soosososososo excited about! 50mm is exactly what I need! I am needing some models to pose for me while I take that baby on a test run so if you are in the area and are interested contact me :)  I have so much to learn and it is a work in progress but I seem to have TONS of support so that helps me when I am feeling uninspired.  Work: Buckle has been so wonderful! Of course there are good days and not so good days, as this is a job that requires alot of energy, smiling, decisions, and people. BUT for the most part I love my teammates and my boss. They rock! Its such a fun atmosphere to be in. Plus I lost 5 pounds since I started working there hah. Could be a combination of healthy eating also but none the less I feel healthier and happier! Perhaps the best part about it is being able to pay bills :) I love being able to not only pull my own weight but also buy things without consulting the hubby. Not that I always had to but I have my OWN money that I earned that I can use to buy HIM stuff for a change. Instead of buying him things with his own money! His birthday is on Halloween (mine is on cinco de mayo and our anniversary is new years day) haha I think its cool. I will be buying him this new part for his truck hes been wanting, an air intake system that increases horsepower by 10! which I would never be able to afford without my job yayyyyyy! Im going to get him 26 gifts shhh! Since he got me 20 on my 20 and 21 on my 21. He will be so surprised. One more awesome thing about working in a fashion forward store = learning fashion like the back of my hand and getting 40-60% off on clothes! Ahhh i love my closet :)   Marriage; has been significantly easier since I started working. Not that it was ever HARD persay, but we tend to bicker alot when we are together 24/7 like siblings haha. Now we get a chance to miss eachother, we have less stress about money because we have so much more to work with, and we drink less alcohol. I dont care who you are, alcohol = conflict in one way or another. Weather it is behavior, misunderstanding, or simply ruining a weekend with a hangover. Dont get me wrong, Im a party girl and always have been but Im not afraid to admit that tequila does not agree with me, or my temper haha!  Since we have cut down on partying so much we have noticed less bickering which is awesome! And less hangovers which is even more awesome. I also have been sticking to wine when I do drink rather then vodka. Its such a fun happy buzz, not to mention classy :)Overall, I feel at the end of every day, good and bad, that I married my best friend. 
ALSO, short rant if I may: 
Quote of the year: "Question; if you are in an argument with your husband do you find it appropriate to facebook it""Answer; Fuck No"-AG 
haha AG I know you are reading this! Shout out to you for being awesome. I feel it is so entirely immature and an invasion of personal privacy to post fighting with your significant other on facebook. wtf is wrong with people? What ever happened to "Marriage is a bond between two people?" Not "Marriage is a bond between two people and their entire face book friends list" LOL.... just saying.  Rant over.
I know I havent posted 365 at all in foreverrrrr but you can go here and see my photos if you may :) It is 1:50 am here and I cannot SLEEP for the life of me. That is the only reason I have time to blog...... I also have 3 weeks worth of 365 sitting on my camera that haven't been edited yet. Taking the picture is the easy part. Editing it is a whole new ball game since I am a perfectionist when it comes to my artistic ventures ugh.... 
So whats new bloggers :) I feel out of the loop I haven't been on here since I cant remember when!
One last thing that has been on my mind lately. I SUCK at loss. Weather it is loosing a loved one to a disagreement, growing apart, death, or life in general. I suck at it...... I feel like people kind of grow out of eachother. Some stay where they have always been, others mature and blossom out of the friendship or simply time tears people apart. I feel like friends arent friends anymore but at the same time they havent really been a friend after all. Then there are those who I like to call "Chameleons" They change their color depending on what environment they are in. Man those are the worst!
The definition of Friendship according to webster stands:  "Friendship is the cooperative and supportive relationship between people, or animals. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis" Buzz words= supportive, cooperative, affection, respect, need, crisis.  How many people can you HONESTLY say have fit that description in full? Thats what I ask myself. I can count on two hands people that will always be there for me no matter what happens. And if I turn back the clock, it has always been those same people. In the past, people who I called my best friend, never EVER truly fit that description. 
mom. dad. brother. grandma. grandpa. husband. Natalie. Vanessa. Kayleen.
None of those people do I consider Friends. I consider them Family. Weather they are blood or not, they are my family. Natalie and Vanessa are sisters to me, since the age of 11 we have off and on lived under the same roof, shared the same bed, or were just plain together all the time through thick and thin. Kayleen on the other hand is my very dear friend from college :) She was with me every day during Matthew's deployment. She knows my life story and understands me. She not only is a wonderful soul inside and out, she is down to earth, honest, real, sometimes bitchy which I love because then I dont feel guilty when I am bitchy :) overall she is one of the only people who I don't consider family that I could call at any hour, any day, and she would be there for me and vise versa. Although I have only known her since my freshman year in college. Quality has most definitely trumped quantity in this friendship.
Friendship is a funny thing because dont get me wrong, and if you are a close friend of mine reading this I dont want you to get your feelings hurt by me not mentioning your name. You know I love you near and dear However, life is busy, ever changing and at times chaotic. Friendship is high maintenance if you ask me and sometimes life just sweeps you away and the bond is not severed but almost put on a back burner. I am the type of friend that you can not speak to or hear from for 2 years but the moment we see each other or get a chance to catch up, I pick up right where we left off.
I guess I am just realizing that in this situation, loss can be a good thing. Because some of the "friends" that I have lost over the years ended up being more of a burden or bring-me-down then I even realized. Its true what they say, you dont know what you've got till its gone. In more then one perspective. In most cases you miss what you had. In some, you end up surprisingly NOT missing what you had at all. All you needed was a reason to leave the burden behind. When I think about those people I think about the good times we shared and the lessons I learned, good and bad, from them, their lifestyle, or their friendship. Bottom line, if someone isn't in your life anymore, its for a reason. I never wish harm against any of them or anyone for that matter. To me, that is insane and just plain wrong to wish horrible things on other people. What goes around comes around I say. Plus what does that say about your character that you wish bad things upon others? what is wrong with you? haha!
I have many friends who sit on the fence of acquaintance/friend, many people who simply make my life a better place :) but I have begun to truly appreciate and cherish those who fit the definition of friendship. Another lesson learned. And I am happy with that.
Honorable mentions to new and old friends who make my life happier = Brittany, Chelsea, Ashley G, Courtney, & Emily :) Thank you for being awesome.
I guess that's all for now folks :)   Share

Im Alive i swear!

 

Woah, where to start?? Its been sooo long!! I have been so busy lately its insane, Im rarely home anymore it seems. Okay so, where was I?.... Florida! Yup it was AMAZING 2 week paid vacation compliments of the US Army! We are so lucky! He left for TDY and I was expecting him to be gone for 20 days :( which why I mentioned some unfortunate upcoming military dates, But since he had the weekends off I spent the first week at home alone (which I didnt blog about at all or put up on facebook for safety reasons) and then drove down to FL by myself to meet him. I was only expecting to drive straight to Orlando and then head home on monday but I met his team and they were like "Oh shes cool as hell man she can stay as long as she wants" so I found a sitter for Koa and stayed!  He only had to work about two hours every morning briefing some soon to be Green Berets, then he would come back to the hotel and be done for the rest of the day! We stayed in Jacksonville during the week and hit up Orlando and Tampa on the weekends, it was amazing and I would sooo love to live there. Surfing was so much funnn ahh Ive missed it. I forgot what a great workout it is too, the only downside is the surf rash that my husband and I both got pretty bad boo. But it was worth it!  I have been working at The Buckle since the 26th, So far I absolutely LOVE it and everything about it! I am such a people person that working with guests comes naturally for me. We work off of commission and on my first day working on the Sales Floor I made about 11 bucks an hour and even more on the second day! Ahh Im loving it its so much fun, the people I work with are awesome, and not only that I have the opportunity to learn 2302938290 things about fashion. Ill post some secrets here soon. I have always loved fashion which made me think this job was perfect for me and low and behold I was right! I just found out today that Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z among other celebs wear our denim. I thought that was so cool haha!

    Basically Life has been extremely busy, Im working 5 days this week, 5-7 hour shifts, my only days off are today and Sunday both of which will be used to grocery shop/ clean / work on the yard and all the things I have been neglecting because of work. I have to say, The longest I have ever gone without a job since I was 13 has been this past year, mostly because I wanted to spend every waking moment with my wonderful hubby who got home from war last July, I have been lucky enough to have him for a full year whoop! There was really no time to get a job on account of planning my dream wedding and having it in Hawaii plus taking a huge chunk of leave to fly to Oregon for Christmas and half of January, Then we bought this house in Feb, Spent alot of time painting/decorating and settling in, then we got our baby Koa, We contemplated starting a family then stopped to take a look around at everyone we know who has children that wish they waited. We were planning on getting prego shortly after marriage but we changed our minds :) Everyone always says "I want to be young with my children" Why dont they say "I want to be young with my husband/wife?" Thats the conclusion we came to and we have been having so much fun enjoying eachother. Then we had our trip to Cali and my Birthday, as well as 2 vacations at the beach not counting Florida so its been a busy year to say the least. Full of fun! I finally decided that I couldn't not work anymore because I feel like I have to pull some weight around here more than just being a housewife, it got boring to say the least haha. So I talked my husband into "Letting" me get a job, hes a mans man who loves to support his loved ones and he feels I dont need a job but likes that I am not lazy and like to work. Anyway getting back to work feels so good! I love that I can help out financially too because within six months we bought our 2010 truck, Got married (in hawaii) , and Bought a house so were still catching up on bills. I was afraid that I would want to buy everything at Buckle (which I do) But Matthew assigned me the cell phone bill and then I get the rest for me! :) However, my first paycheck will be going towards his 2 Year anniversary gift! shhh! haha. If I start full time on a regular basis, then he will assign me another bill haha hes so cute. The good news is, my boss told me yesterday that when I hit my 30 day mark I will already be eligible for promotion because Im Rockin! She told me on Saturday that when they interviewed me they also interviewed 50 people and Chose me! I feel special :) K enough about that, back to 365.

Where Dreams Come True.

Day Fifty Nine. Friday July 9th.

Today I drove 7hours to meet my husband in Jacksonville FL, he took over and we drove 3 more to Orlando where we stayed at Walt Disney World Resort! It was simply amazing. RIP Walt Disney, you truly changed the world in a magical way. This was taken at Magic Kingdom. We stayed at the "Shades of Green Resort" Only for military personnel, half the price of any other Disney Resort! Tickets are half price and everything is tax free :) And it was incredible! Here are more pictures of Friday July 9th. 

 The view from our room! 

I like this:) 

 Worlds largest guitar.

 Best firework show in the US! I was really excited haha.

Thee Castle. 

Animal Kingdom

Day Sixty. Saturday July 10th.

Today we went to Disney World's Animal kingdom and it was AMAZING!! They have such a great animal reserve there. I am against Zoo's completely but Animal reserves are a wonderful happy place for endangered and rare non-native animals can live comfortable lives. This picture was taken on the Safari! 

 This is what I woke up to saturday morning :) 

Dumbo!

Mount Everest haha.

The Lion King show which was so amazing I almost cried lol Lion King is my all time fave disney movie. 

 Dorks!

Yummy food we ate in "Asia" 

This is beautiful. 

Jelly Fish

Day Sixty one. Sunday July 11th.

Today we went to Disney world's Epcot Center where they have an aquarium and alot of futuristic rides. Jelly fish have always amazed me because they dont have any organs or a brain. They are purely a nervous system. Thats IT! I got stung by one when I was a little girl while I was surfing, it temporarily paralyzed my leg but the lifegaurd fixed me up and I had a cool story afterwards :)

"Italy"

Thee Yummiest, Healthiest, Italian food. So Fresh and so legit! Everyone in this restaruant is from somewhere in Italy, and speaks Italian fluently, it was the nicest place I have ever eaten and so delicious! 

 "Paris" 

Us :)

Ginormous Lollipops we got for our neighbor's kids for helping watch Koa :) 

 Dooney Bag

Day Sixty Two. Monday July 12th.

Today we slept for most of the day, recovering from disney world. My feet are blistered from walking all over all 4 of disney world's amusement parks! But it was so worth it. We got up in the late afternoon and went exploring at the outlet malls. We went to COACH and my husband said "You already have two of these ugly things lets get out of here" haha so we went to Dooney and Bourke and he picked me out a purse and wallet. Hes amazing! And has such great taste! lol. DB has such better quality purses than coach does. And I love the smell of the leather. ♥ 

  Surfin USA

Day Sixty Three. Tuesday July 13th.

Today we surfed allllll day! We got a little burnt but we went and rented some longboards and had a great time. I took a break to take some pictures (of course) but I am SO sore. Unfortunately they pulled an elderly man out of the water today and he didnt make it :( may he rest in peace.
More pics from the beach, 

Canon Ad.

Mua

 Reflection beach

 All mine

 This little girl was so cute, she wanted me to take a picture of her shells :) 

 I belong at the beach.

   

Red Eyed Tree Frog

Day Sixty Four. Wednesday July 14th

Today it was stormy out, too stormy to go surfing so we hung out in our hotel and watched movies. It was pouring rain outside and there was a patch of rainforest behind our hotel so it brought out all the frogs. This little guy was hanging out on the hotel's back door. Hes so cute!

 

 

 

Florida

Day Sixty Five. Thursday July 15th.

Today we surfed all day. Were addicted. Jax beach is a beautiful place.

 

 

 

 

Repetition.

Day Sixty Six. Friday July 16th.

Today we met up with some of Matthew's co-worker army guys and surfed. Since I grew up in Hawaii I Know a thing or two about surfing, It was fun being this tiny girl teaching these big tough special forces guys some basics haha.  The waves were perfect! I cheated a little on this one because I was so occupied with surfing that I didnt take any pics, but this was taken the day before at the same beach. I like fences :) Oh and we had THEE WORST surf-rash afterwards ouch!

 

  

Me.

Day Sixty Seven. Saturday July 17th.

Today we are sunburnt and we both have a pretty bad Surf-rash :( So we decided to stay out of the sun, window shop at the mall, and watch movies.

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Where Dreams Come True. Day Fifty Nine. Friday July 9th. Today I drove 7hours to meet my husband in Jacksonville FL, he took over and we drove 3 more to Orlando where we stayed at Walt Disney World Resort! It was simply amazing. RIP Walt Disney, you truly changed the world in a magical way. This was taken at Magic Kingdom.

  

  

Tampa Florida.

Day Sixty Eight. Sunday July 18th.

Today we drove down to Tampa, we got there in the late afternoon so we decided to go explore the town. We found an AWESOME place called channelside just off of Tampa Bay where we found a super NICE bowling alley/dance club/restaurant/bar where a ton of famous people like Jordan Sparks, Eva Longoria, N*sync haha, Martina McBride etc. It was so much fun! That drink was big enough to fit 4.5 regular drinks in it. The first game we played I beat Matthew by ONE point hah our score was 105 to 106!

 

Loved this booth

Yumm!

 Whoop! victory is mine! 

This is thee coolest movie theater ever! We saw Inception at IMAX! Amazing. 

Messy hair :)

One of my favorite nights out of our vacation. So fun! I love you Tampa!! :)

Moving on......

 

Busch Gardens.

Day Sixty Nine. Monday July 19th.

Today we went to Busch Gardens and had a blast! We rode all the big roller coasters including Sheikra which had a 90 degree 200 foot drop! So much fun, we rode that one a couple times. I took this picture as we were leaving the park because I couldnt carry my camera with me on account of the roller coasters and there are a few rides that we got soaked on.

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Tampa Florida. Day Sixty Eight. Sunday July 18th. Today we drove down to Tampa, we got there in the late afternoon so we decided to go explore the town. We found an AWESOME place called channelside just off of Tampa Bay where we found a super NICE bowling alley/dance club/restaurant/bar where a ton of famous people like Jordan Sparks, Eva Longoria, Joey from N*sync haha, Martina McBride etc. It was so much fun! That drink was big enough to fit 4.5 regular drinks in it. The first game we played I beat Matthew by ONE point hah our score was 105 to 106!

 

  

Chardonnay

Day Seventy. Tuesday July 20th.

We are exausted from Busch Gardens, we are totally theme-parked-out after going to Disney World and conquering all 4 of the theme parks they have there and then going to Busch making that 5 theme parks in 2 weeks! We chilled out in our hotel, had some drinks together, and watched Bounty Hunter and Cop Out both really funny. We took a trip to a Liquor store that is literally like a Mall for alcohol because they have everything you could imagine and more, and its HUGE so I had to take my camera, I like this label I just think its cool :)

 

 

 

 

Home again Home again jiggity jig.


Day Sevety One. Wednesday July 21st.

Today we drove out of Florida, through Georgia, through South Carolinaand all the way home. It is so good to be home we missed our baby koa. Hes getting so big. Home sweet home. We didn't unpack anything and we just relaxed. I ended up going to brittany's house to spend the night and see the baby :)

 

  Baby!

Day Seventy Two. Thursday July 22nd.

Today I spent the day hanging out with Brittany & her two sisters and the kids. Newborns are so precious and innocent I love it! 

  

Mission Accomplished.

Day Seventy Three. Friday July 23rd.

Today Matthew had the day off but we had to go to post to a Special Forces Family Event and listen to the Commander speak. After that I went into work to fill out some paperwork to become an Official Buckle Employee :) I got home and made my husband a bet, mowed the entire lawn by myself! It took me 2.5 hours but it was a damn good workout and I proved my husband wrong and he had to put away 10 loads of laundry, mop the floors, scrub the house, shampoo the carpets, and cook dinner. We are very competitive around here haha.

  I have yet to edit this past weeks photos as far as 365 goes. Those will be up the next time I get a chance to blog again, who knows when that will be! Ive been working my tush off at work and this weekend will be soooo busy! No tax weekend here in NC where everyone gets to purchase clothes tax free! Since tax is nine percent here, that means at Buckle where Military gets 10% off they will get 19% off this weekend. And employees, well we will get 49% off! Big deals! ahah. 
Mini Update on Koa, He is a whopping 62 pounds at 8 months old, his muscle mass is clearly defined and he has become more protective but even better with kids! The perfect dog. People definately dont mess with him thats for sure! Funny story, My husband was out working in the Garage when Koa started wandering down the street towards a family of people because he wanted to play basketball with the kids haha, The father of the family jumped ON TO his car, meanwhile leaving this wife and three kids including a 2 year-old to get mauled (so to speak) by a dog HAHAHAHAHA It was hilarious, Of course Koa would never harm anyone that wasnt trying to harm me, but it was just too funny! 
Thats all for now, Im thinking of having a freebie soon, But my goal is to win one before I start one :) I realllyyy want to win one! haha. 
KBye :)