Hey Everyone ...
Thankful Thursday is something I do on Facebook every week. I saw it on a blog years ago and tried to do it on Myspace when that was the social network page to have. Well, after myspace fell apart ... I forgot about it. Recently I saw it again and ever since I have posted a Thankful Thursday on Facebook every single week.
You should try to do it too. It doesn't have to be public. Make it a journal or just a thought as you lay down or get up on Thursday's. Of course we should remember what we are thankful for everyday .. but it's easy to go about your day to day motion and be thankful without really thinking about what specifically you are thankful for. Obviously I am always thankful for family, friends, health, shelter, etc. This just gives us a chance to really think about what it is specifically we are thankful for.
I'm going to start posting my Thankful Thursday's on here too. I may try to elaborate a little afterwards since this blogging thing is about me writing everyday!
This week for my Thankful Thursday I am Thankful for ...
A few relaxing days "away from it all" .. that beautiful bronze look the sunshine leaves on you even when you must leave it behind...that I got to have a little time with my family and niece .. good conversation and catching up with good friends .. modern medicine .. the power of prayer .. and good souls. I am so blessed to be in love with one :)
To elaborate a little ... I went on a family vacation with Doug's family last week. It was by far one of the most relaxing vacations ever!! They own river front property in Savannah and literally we got up .. went either to the beach or out on the boat .. came back .. left swimsuits and cover ups on .. cooked out .. enjoyed each others company and had lots of laughs until the wee hours of the night then got up and did the same thing all over again. I am not sure I put on a stitch of make up for 5 days! It was awesome!!!! On top of that .. I adore Doug's family. So it was really nice to spend some quality time with them.
That is where the good souls part of my post comes from. I seriously don't think there are many left in this world sometimes. My man and his family .. they are good people. It was really nice to be around good, fun, laid back, accepting, wonderful souls!!
As for modern medicine .. let's just say someone near and dear to me could use some prayer right now for something she is going through. Nothing about it is a "good thing" .. but thanks to modern medicine and good doctors .. we found out today that everything may not be as bad as it seemed.
The power of prayer could be a laundry list of things right now. But number one .. my sisters step mom was diagnosed with a very invasive cancer. She was told she had only a 5% chance to survive after chemo. She went in for treatments ... the tumors were gone!!!!! No cancer and this is pre treatment?! No explanation except that this is a true miracle. I believe in them. I think we as believers have to. There are too many bad things going on around us to NOT believe that with hope, God's will and glorious grace .. anything is possible!
Good conversation.. seeing family and catching up with friends. This one really made my heart smile this week. I've had a tough time meeting good girls in Nashville. It's not that there are all bad people here .. i've met wonderful people .. it's just been difficult to form real, true, long lasting relationships in this town for one reason or another. I have so many wonderful acquaintances and people in Nashville that I just love to grab hug every time I see them .. I truly love them .. but having a close bond with people here has come few and far between. The fact that my best friends are almost all long distance makes seeing them even better! I still facebook, text and talk to this girls every week but seeing a few of them in person was so wonderful! Especially my former co-workers that I am great friends with. I also got to eat lunch with my daddy and have my mama and sisters great homemade cooking. It was a very short visit since I was there for work ... but it was nice.
Hope you take some time to meditate and think about all you are thankful for too!
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Test Drive .....
Hey Everyone ...
Today I'm testing out something called The Tuesday Ten. Basically I'm going to write about 10 things that were noteworthy to me in the past 24 hours and elaborate on them. They may not be important to you .. I'm sure they won't be .. so come up with your own Tuesday Ten :)
Not sure that this will be my topic every Tuesday .. in fact I'm sure it won't be .. but I'm trying to come up with a way to write almost everyday of the week and weekly topics seem to make it easier to come up with acceptable things to write about.
I was doing Take Back Tuesday .. which I really enjoy when I can think of something. But I've noticed my memory is failing me with age .. haha .. so not sure I can come up with anything interesting every week. SO I'm gonna have to mix it up :)
These may be more in the past 48 hours .. okay maybe even over the past like 3 days because my life isn't that interesting .. haha. But let me attempt this. Here we go .... my ten notables.
1. I found some cute black skinny jeans for less than 30.00. I am kinda a "jean snob". It's what I will drop the most money on because lots of good jeans are key in your wardrobe and you wear them often .. so they pay for themselves. I have yet to find skinny jeans that I LOVE. Not expensive ones anyway. I have to have all my jeans hemmed so I try to buy on sale, at Off 5th, etc, when possible because I automatically have to add at least 20 to 40 bucks to the cost for that. I stumbled across a pair of black skinny jeans that surprisingly fit and were comfy for only 29.99. They need to be hemmed for sure .. but I'll take em!
2. New Shoes. Yeah so I realize the first two things I've listed are material things .. whatever. That doesn't mean they are what is most important. They just came to mind first. I got some amazing new shoes that make me feel even more amazing. Now just to find the perfect outfits to wear them with :)
3. Reality TV. We all know that I love some bad reality TV. There is a new Real World on and I've discovered the bad girls club. So .. life is good. I also auditioned for a reality show on Saturday. It was as a joke .. but surprisingly had I not already been on TV ... i think they would have wanted me :)
4. I got a sunburn. This is rare for me. It hurt and I complained. I don't usually complain either .. so ...
5. I got a real burn and had real reason to complain. My curling iron fell on my arm and I couldn't get my arm off it as fast as I wanted. I have a nice big brown patch of dead skin and blisters. It's NOT cute. Thank god for Aloe and this all natural herb gel stuff my man got me for my sunburn that I'm NOT complaining about anymore for sure!
6. Found a new "regular" place to eat. It's called Burger Up. They not only have FABULOUS food .. they understand Gluten Free. I can have pretty much anything on the menu and they have gluten free hamburger buns on hand!!!
7. I may have met the next American Idol. Auditions were in Nashville Saturday ... interviewed a few peeps that made it to round two. Ya never know :)
8. I actually did something that challenged my muscles, haha. I am really lucky that I don't "have" to work out and that when I do my muscle memory is quick to pick back up any toning I feel I need to do. However I realize I'm not in my 20's anymore and maybe should be working out for other reasons than looking good. I've started doing small stuff at home .. maybe I'll use my gym membership next week.
9. I always come home to a cooked meal on the nights I work and Doug doesn't. It's just one or two nights a week .. but it's nice :) Usually it's with tv trays in the living room. But last night I walked in to candles, a sweet note and music :) It was a nice little surprise!
10. Notable to me .. they are done fixing some fallen brick outside one of our entries. The sound of construction and/or "Beep .. beep .. beep" at 8am every single day for over a week was not cute!
Okay .. so not a huge fan of The Tuesday Ten in the sense that I list ten notable things. Not interesting and not easy to do. So I'll come up with a better Tuesday idea .. promise :)
Grace and Peace to YOU,
Stacy
Today I'm testing out something called The Tuesday Ten. Basically I'm going to write about 10 things that were noteworthy to me in the past 24 hours and elaborate on them. They may not be important to you .. I'm sure they won't be .. so come up with your own Tuesday Ten :)
Not sure that this will be my topic every Tuesday .. in fact I'm sure it won't be .. but I'm trying to come up with a way to write almost everyday of the week and weekly topics seem to make it easier to come up with acceptable things to write about.
I was doing Take Back Tuesday .. which I really enjoy when I can think of something. But I've noticed my memory is failing me with age .. haha .. so not sure I can come up with anything interesting every week. SO I'm gonna have to mix it up :)
These may be more in the past 48 hours .. okay maybe even over the past like 3 days because my life isn't that interesting .. haha. But let me attempt this. Here we go .... my ten notables.
1. I found some cute black skinny jeans for less than 30.00. I am kinda a "jean snob". It's what I will drop the most money on because lots of good jeans are key in your wardrobe and you wear them often .. so they pay for themselves. I have yet to find skinny jeans that I LOVE. Not expensive ones anyway. I have to have all my jeans hemmed so I try to buy on sale, at Off 5th, etc, when possible because I automatically have to add at least 20 to 40 bucks to the cost for that. I stumbled across a pair of black skinny jeans that surprisingly fit and were comfy for only 29.99. They need to be hemmed for sure .. but I'll take em!
2. New Shoes. Yeah so I realize the first two things I've listed are material things .. whatever. That doesn't mean they are what is most important. They just came to mind first. I got some amazing new shoes that make me feel even more amazing. Now just to find the perfect outfits to wear them with :)
3. Reality TV. We all know that I love some bad reality TV. There is a new Real World on and I've discovered the bad girls club. So .. life is good. I also auditioned for a reality show on Saturday. It was as a joke .. but surprisingly had I not already been on TV ... i think they would have wanted me :)
4. I got a sunburn. This is rare for me. It hurt and I complained. I don't usually complain either .. so ...
5. I got a real burn and had real reason to complain. My curling iron fell on my arm and I couldn't get my arm off it as fast as I wanted. I have a nice big brown patch of dead skin and blisters. It's NOT cute. Thank god for Aloe and this all natural herb gel stuff my man got me for my sunburn that I'm NOT complaining about anymore for sure!
6. Found a new "regular" place to eat. It's called Burger Up. They not only have FABULOUS food .. they understand Gluten Free. I can have pretty much anything on the menu and they have gluten free hamburger buns on hand!!!
7. I may have met the next American Idol. Auditions were in Nashville Saturday ... interviewed a few peeps that made it to round two. Ya never know :)
8. I actually did something that challenged my muscles, haha. I am really lucky that I don't "have" to work out and that when I do my muscle memory is quick to pick back up any toning I feel I need to do. However I realize I'm not in my 20's anymore and maybe should be working out for other reasons than looking good. I've started doing small stuff at home .. maybe I'll use my gym membership next week.
9. I always come home to a cooked meal on the nights I work and Doug doesn't. It's just one or two nights a week .. but it's nice :) Usually it's with tv trays in the living room. But last night I walked in to candles, a sweet note and music :) It was a nice little surprise!
10. Notable to me .. they are done fixing some fallen brick outside one of our entries. The sound of construction and/or "Beep .. beep .. beep" at 8am every single day for over a week was not cute!
Okay .. so not a huge fan of The Tuesday Ten in the sense that I list ten notable things. Not interesting and not easy to do. So I'll come up with a better Tuesday idea .. promise :)
Grace and Peace to YOU,
Stacy
Friday, July 16, 2010
The best feeling in the world ....
Hey Everyone ....
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, or even touched. They must be felt with the heart".
I love this quote. It's so true... especially when it comes to LOVE. I don't think any of us can really explain true love. We can give descriptions, toss out examples, or try to explain the way it makes us feel, but I think overall true love is too complex to explain.
But when LOVE is in fact REAL you don't need any words to describe it. Sometimes you can just look at two people and without a shadow of a doubt feel the love between them.
This kind of love doesn't always come in the form of a domestic relationship. It can be seen in friendships, between a parent and child, etc .I'm lucky enough to have that kind of love in more than one place in my life.
When it comes to a boyfriend/husband .. I've not always been so blessed in this department. Before my current relationship I never had anyone tell me what several people have said about me and my man ... "When your man looks at you .. you can tell he adores you .. you can just feel the love between the two of you".
Pictures can't really put what we have into words .. but here are a few.
If you don't have this kind of effortless, can't be explained, can only be felt kind of true love in your life .. please don't give up and settle for anything else than what is REAL. It can and will happen .. trust me!
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, or even touched. They must be felt with the heart".
I love this quote. It's so true... especially when it comes to LOVE. I don't think any of us can really explain true love. We can give descriptions, toss out examples, or try to explain the way it makes us feel, but I think overall true love is too complex to explain.
But when LOVE is in fact REAL you don't need any words to describe it. Sometimes you can just look at two people and without a shadow of a doubt feel the love between them.
This kind of love doesn't always come in the form of a domestic relationship. It can be seen in friendships, between a parent and child, etc .I'm lucky enough to have that kind of love in more than one place in my life.
When it comes to a boyfriend/husband .. I've not always been so blessed in this department. Before my current relationship I never had anyone tell me what several people have said about me and my man ... "When your man looks at you .. you can tell he adores you .. you can just feel the love between the two of you".
Pictures can't really put what we have into words .. but here are a few.
If you don't have this kind of effortless, can't be explained, can only be felt kind of true love in your life .. please don't give up and settle for anything else than what is REAL. It can and will happen .. trust me!
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Show me those pearly whites :)
Hey Friends,
Did you know that humans are the only creatures that use a smile as an emotional response? I know some people claim to see their animals smile .. and I'm sure they do .. but my little cool fact generator tells me that we humans are the only ones that use a smile as a true emotional response.
That made me think about other species and what they do when they are happy. I know in general cats purr, dogs wag their tails, I've even heard that guinea pigs do something called "popcorning" .. as in hop around. In the case of my cats .. when my little man is happy .. he head butts you (I call them love bumps). My little girl sticks her butt up in the air and usually drools.
How funny would it be if instead of smiling at someone .. you just head butted them like my Gizmo does? Or like dogs if we started shaking our bums every time we saw someone we liked? Or like my Hildi, started drooling? Funny thoughts, right? I know you are picturing you or someone you love doing one of the above, haha.
Those would be rather entertaining emotional responses to say the least, but I think I am satisfied with the fact that we humans just show off one of our approximate 50 grins :) That's another little fact .. I read one time that we have about 50 distinct types of smiles.
I know those are totally random and useless facts. But thought it may encourage you to not jut pass on a smile today. But please .. pass on the ONLY smile that matters .. a REAL one!!!
Go ahead now ... SMILE .. not only are they contagious .. we are .. after all ... the only species that has the power to do so :-)
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
Did you know that humans are the only creatures that use a smile as an emotional response? I know some people claim to see their animals smile .. and I'm sure they do .. but my little cool fact generator tells me that we humans are the only ones that use a smile as a true emotional response.
That made me think about other species and what they do when they are happy. I know in general cats purr, dogs wag their tails, I've even heard that guinea pigs do something called "popcorning" .. as in hop around. In the case of my cats .. when my little man is happy .. he head butts you (I call them love bumps). My little girl sticks her butt up in the air and usually drools.
How funny would it be if instead of smiling at someone .. you just head butted them like my Gizmo does? Or like dogs if we started shaking our bums every time we saw someone we liked? Or like my Hildi, started drooling? Funny thoughts, right? I know you are picturing you or someone you love doing one of the above, haha.
Those would be rather entertaining emotional responses to say the least, but I think I am satisfied with the fact that we humans just show off one of our approximate 50 grins :) That's another little fact .. I read one time that we have about 50 distinct types of smiles.
I know those are totally random and useless facts. But thought it may encourage you to not jut pass on a smile today. But please .. pass on the ONLY smile that matters .. a REAL one!!!
Go ahead now ... SMILE .. not only are they contagious .. we are .. after all ... the only species that has the power to do so :-)
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Simply ... The Truth :)
*DON'T LOOK AT PIC BEFORE READING*
Hey Everyone ..
Ya know boys, you may not realize it, but we women are very powerful creatures. God may have used one of your ribs to create us .. but he gave us one very powerful tool that he did not provide you.
I don't know why he gave us the ability to control all of mankind .. but he did. You all may not want to admit it, especially the controlling/manipulating type of guys, but it is a fact.
Sometimes a picture explains it all and that is the case with this very simple, yet true, blog.
Tee-Hee :) Thought this would make you all smile. Come on .. you know it's true! And ladies if you haven't used this power we are very blessed to have ... DO IT .. err, well .. don't :)
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
Hey Everyone ..
Ya know boys, you may not realize it, but we women are very powerful creatures. God may have used one of your ribs to create us .. but he gave us one very powerful tool that he did not provide you.
I don't know why he gave us the ability to control all of mankind .. but he did. You all may not want to admit it, especially the controlling/manipulating type of guys, but it is a fact.
Sometimes a picture explains it all and that is the case with this very simple, yet true, blog.
Tee-Hee :) Thought this would make you all smile. Come on .. you know it's true! And ladies if you haven't used this power we are very blessed to have ... DO IT .. err, well .. don't :)
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
Couples Hell
Hey Everyone,
I overheard someone's story about being invited to something with a bunch of "couples". They were referring to the night as "couples hell". Instead of taking a friend as a date or enjoying their "couple friends." they just bitched and complained about being single. I thought to myself .. umm .. and ya wonder why you don't have a significant other?
I totally get not wanting to go as a third wheel on a date, or not wanting to go as "the single girl or guy" to a party where it will be all couples. But people that are bitter about other peoples relationships kill me. It's always the same type of person that acts this way .. you know I'm talking about .... the one that can't ever seem to find a guy or girl and "can't figure out why". I'll tell you why ... tape record yourself and listen to how negative you are!
These people are always the ones walk around with a dark cloud above them that has a caption in it that says "Womp, womp, womp". They are the ones that you want to tune out, or try to avoid, because you know they will be going on and on about someone or something negative. The person I overheard talking about being in "couples hell" complains more than any human I know .. well that and talks about people endlessly! I wanted to just look at this person and say "If you would stop being such a debbie downer, have something nice to say about your day or the people around you and embrace being single maybe you would maybe find someone one day"!!!
People can move past this very annoying phase of life. There was a girl in my close group of friends in college that was like this. She was always so negative when my friends and I would go on dates, or when we would make plans with our boyfriends and invite her to come along. She would sit in her room and watch old re-runs of 80's TV shows and feel sorry for herself instead of coming along and having fun WITH us!! When couples go out with other couples 99 percent of the time the girls end up together and the guys end up together anyway! So it doesn't matter if it is couples or not! It got really old .. really fast.
My college friend finally stopped feeling sorry for herself and is now married and is as happy as can be. As for the person that experienced "Couples Hell" and lived to complain about it to everyone around them .. I feel like this person is going to forever be alone. Sadly, it may be best .. not sure who could put up with them!
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
I overheard someone's story about being invited to something with a bunch of "couples". They were referring to the night as "couples hell". Instead of taking a friend as a date or enjoying their "couple friends." they just bitched and complained about being single. I thought to myself .. umm .. and ya wonder why you don't have a significant other?
I totally get not wanting to go as a third wheel on a date, or not wanting to go as "the single girl or guy" to a party where it will be all couples. But people that are bitter about other peoples relationships kill me. It's always the same type of person that acts this way .. you know I'm talking about .... the one that can't ever seem to find a guy or girl and "can't figure out why". I'll tell you why ... tape record yourself and listen to how negative you are!
These people are always the ones walk around with a dark cloud above them that has a caption in it that says "Womp, womp, womp". They are the ones that you want to tune out, or try to avoid, because you know they will be going on and on about someone or something negative. The person I overheard talking about being in "couples hell" complains more than any human I know .. well that and talks about people endlessly! I wanted to just look at this person and say "If you would stop being such a debbie downer, have something nice to say about your day or the people around you and embrace being single maybe you would maybe find someone one day"!!!
People can move past this very annoying phase of life. There was a girl in my close group of friends in college that was like this. She was always so negative when my friends and I would go on dates, or when we would make plans with our boyfriends and invite her to come along. She would sit in her room and watch old re-runs of 80's TV shows and feel sorry for herself instead of coming along and having fun WITH us!! When couples go out with other couples 99 percent of the time the girls end up together and the guys end up together anyway! So it doesn't matter if it is couples or not! It got really old .. really fast.
My college friend finally stopped feeling sorry for herself and is now married and is as happy as can be. As for the person that experienced "Couples Hell" and lived to complain about it to everyone around them .. I feel like this person is going to forever be alone. Sadly, it may be best .. not sure who could put up with them!
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
True Colors
Hey Friends ..
I've got a good one for you .... "Don't you hate when you think someones true colors are sunny yellow and ends up they are just puke green". Ha, that quote is a "Stacy Original" for ya .. originated from a very true story! Love it, right? hehe!
I'll spare you the details and just say that something happen in the past few months that made me second guess my usual "assume everyone is good till they do bad" attitude! I know we all have temporary moments of evil that can overcome us and that is very normal. We all know that as humans we are moody creatures. But sometimes things just happen that make you realize what someone did WAS NOT a mood swing or bad judgment call....come to find out they are just a bad person.
I wanted to write about this a few weeks ago, but it would have just been a personal rant, so I chose to to talk to a few people about this topic. After talking to friends and even observing the actions of a few strangers, I've learned that most people, somewhere in the back of their mind, wonder if ANYONE is who we think they are at all? Most of us walk around with this wall up .. asking ourselves .. "Will I let this person in today" or "Hmmm do they deserve me telling them this secret", etc.
I totally get why people have these doubts about others .. in fact .. after what I went through a few weeks ago .. I wonder if I should be more of a sceptic too? Well really I sort of became a sceptic after what happened with a best friend of mine. After thinking about it I'm going to have to say (with a bit of hesitation) YES there are plenty of people good people that are exactly who they seem to be and who we think they are .. the problem is finding them.
In my adult life, I have made it a goal to only surround myself with good people. I don't want perfect friends .. that would be way too boring. I just want people that will be themselves, let me be myself, make initiative instead of always wanting me to do it, love me and stand by me through thick and thin and more than anything NOT talk about me behind my back .. no matter what!! Sadly it can take years to find out what someones "true colors" are and by then you have fallen in love with them, made them your "bestie" or if they are a work friend .. confided in them. Sometimes you never know someones true colors. I have someone in my life that used to be married to someone that had a group of best friends. They are still best friends actually. But he has told me stories of how bad his ex would bash them and how the others would do the same. I don't think to this day any of them know how much "hate" they have for each other. I don't want friends like that!! No way!!
One day everyone finds out the truth about someone .. but the question following is .. now what? Chances are we are going to put up these walls and let NO ONE in or become so picky and cautious to the point that it makes it impossible to allow anyone in! Despite my "assuming the best" in everyone attitude, I am the first to do this when I get hurt and I'm not really sure how to keep from being that way.
I guess it boils down to hope. Hope that despite all the people that have and will screw you over .. there are still true, solid, GOOD people in this world. After all, the opposite of this post is also true. How many times have you thought someone was stuck up, a douche bag, selfish or mean and come to find out, they are a really cool person?
I think that it is true that almost everyone has good in them, but the ones that are bad are just too in love with themselves, too hung up on some part of their past, or more often something about YOU they are jealous of to allow their true GOOD self to shine.
Here is to the continued search for really good people in my life. Except for a small handful, the ones I cherish are all so far away.
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
I've got a good one for you .... "Don't you hate when you think someones true colors are sunny yellow and ends up they are just puke green". Ha, that quote is a "Stacy Original" for ya .. originated from a very true story! Love it, right? hehe!
I'll spare you the details and just say that something happen in the past few months that made me second guess my usual "assume everyone is good till they do bad" attitude! I know we all have temporary moments of evil that can overcome us and that is very normal. We all know that as humans we are moody creatures. But sometimes things just happen that make you realize what someone did WAS NOT a mood swing or bad judgment call....come to find out they are just a bad person.
I wanted to write about this a few weeks ago, but it would have just been a personal rant, so I chose to to talk to a few people about this topic. After talking to friends and even observing the actions of a few strangers, I've learned that most people, somewhere in the back of their mind, wonder if ANYONE is who we think they are at all? Most of us walk around with this wall up .. asking ourselves .. "Will I let this person in today" or "Hmmm do they deserve me telling them this secret", etc.
I totally get why people have these doubts about others .. in fact .. after what I went through a few weeks ago .. I wonder if I should be more of a sceptic too? Well really I sort of became a sceptic after what happened with a best friend of mine. After thinking about it I'm going to have to say (with a bit of hesitation) YES there are plenty of people good people that are exactly who they seem to be and who we think they are .. the problem is finding them.
In my adult life, I have made it a goal to only surround myself with good people. I don't want perfect friends .. that would be way too boring. I just want people that will be themselves, let me be myself, make initiative instead of always wanting me to do it, love me and stand by me through thick and thin and more than anything NOT talk about me behind my back .. no matter what!! Sadly it can take years to find out what someones "true colors" are and by then you have fallen in love with them, made them your "bestie" or if they are a work friend .. confided in them. Sometimes you never know someones true colors. I have someone in my life that used to be married to someone that had a group of best friends. They are still best friends actually. But he has told me stories of how bad his ex would bash them and how the others would do the same. I don't think to this day any of them know how much "hate" they have for each other. I don't want friends like that!! No way!!
One day everyone finds out the truth about someone .. but the question following is .. now what? Chances are we are going to put up these walls and let NO ONE in or become so picky and cautious to the point that it makes it impossible to allow anyone in! Despite my "assuming the best" in everyone attitude, I am the first to do this when I get hurt and I'm not really sure how to keep from being that way.
I guess it boils down to hope. Hope that despite all the people that have and will screw you over .. there are still true, solid, GOOD people in this world. After all, the opposite of this post is also true. How many times have you thought someone was stuck up, a douche bag, selfish or mean and come to find out, they are a really cool person?
I think that it is true that almost everyone has good in them, but the ones that are bad are just too in love with themselves, too hung up on some part of their past, or more often something about YOU they are jealous of to allow their true GOOD self to shine.
Here is to the continued search for really good people in my life. Except for a small handful, the ones I cherish are all so far away.
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
Thursday, July 1, 2010
And THIS my friends is how you do Vegas :)
Hey Everyone,
I'm such a horrible blogger. Maybe now that I have a vacation out of my system I will focus more. I have like 6 unfinished blogs just waiting for a final few lines. Maybe I'll do that tonight .. nah .. tomorrow.
I am trying to make it a goal to write everyday. Sometimes those ramblings won't be here ... they will be under password in my journal .. but I want to try to make this a place you came and read some nonsense on MOST days. If you have fun on here .. then please add your input .. share my site with a friend. If not .. then first of all .. why they hell do you keep coming back .. and second .. please continue to leave comments .. just grow some and leave your real name and contact info instead of "Lily" or "Anonymous" . Oh how you haters make me giggle :)
I say I have a goal to write both a fiction and non-fiction book one day. If I don't start writing more for leisure (which is hard to do since I do it everyday for work ) and start reading more books .. I'm going to never reach my goal.
Anyway. What a better topic to write about than VACATION. I shall skip the shenanigans that occurred .. wait .. what shenanigans .. what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas .. right? I did however promise several people I would let them know what I thought about the places we ventured out to see. So here we go.
Lesson One: Transportation/Lodging
Fly mid week and fly really early. We were in and out of security and waiting to head west in less than 30 min on our 9am flight! While I love the cheap flight and free first bag that Southwest has to offer .. man was a non-stop 4 hour flight on that little plane rough! Between trying to position ourselves to where we could both sleep and the stewardess that took his job WAY too seriously .. we were so ready to have our first of many drinks in hand!!
I don't have to explain the comfort level on a Southwest flight ..but this stewardess .. let's just say he was so afraid we were going to join the mile high club because we both got up to go to the bathroom (one at a time) that he not only strictly enforced the "stay 3 rows back" rule .. he watched us!!!! My God .. we only wanted to get up at the same time because we both had to pee and we didn't want to bother the lady in the isle seat two times instead of four! Let me just say that whoever attempts to make a little magic in those horrible bathrooms seriously needs some sort of sex therapy because there is NOTHING sexy about those stinky, tiny, claustrophobic aircraft port-a-potties .. ewwww! So Southwest ... lighten up!!! As for our 1am flight back on Continental. Not a single complaint. Good price, more comfort. The only complaint is the first bag fee. By the way .. that 1am flight is the way to go if you want to stay an extra full day and avoid paying for a hotel room. The hotel held our bags had an ENTIRE day to explore Vegas, got on a shuttle (the way to do it by the way) at 11pm and we were on a 1am flight back to NashVegas!
Also MGM has a deal (or did) where it was just like 59 bucks for our room Wednesday and Thursday .. looks like weeknights is the time to go for sure .. our rate jumped to around 200 for Friday night!
Lesson Two: Bring your swimsuit
Enjoy the Vegas SUN! So may of my friends go to Vegas and sleep alllll day. DON'T .. make yourself get outta bed, ha! We laid out at our pool for 1 to 3 hours everyday and it felt like 30 min! Yes it's the desert and is HOT but there was no humidity! It was wonderful! Unless you have the money for a cabana or get there early and don't mind paying for a chair .. skip the "beach clubs". They are great if you wanna get trashed I guess .. but we really enjoyed a free chair next to the pool and some much needed r&r after our late nights out :)
Lesson Three: "What's the name of this club .. i don't remember .. just dance"
Speaking of nights out .... I feel blessed that we were able to get in every club with no cover and no wait in line. However most of you won't get that lucky (we had major connections) unless you are planning to drop some major money. Even then .. some of the "table" lines were 100 to 200 deep! So here are a few tips! If you are going to wait in line .. in my opinion .. here are the 3 clubs worth the wait. Surrender .. Tao and XS. If you want to go to a really hot place that isn't a "night club" and don't want to wait in a mega line then go to Blush inside of Wynn. Last time I was in Vegas I went to Tryst .. liked it. It was very similar to XS. Doug has been to Tabu' inside MGM and loved it. Couple others to note .. while i didn't get a chance to hit them up ... I've also heard Lavo and Haze are both worth the wait in line. There really isn't a bad route to take when you are going to Vegas ...all the clubs are busy .. it really just depends on what your style is. The best tip I have is to decide where you are going on not try to bar hop. The lines are just too long. If you insist on bar hopping then go to the mega club first and the smaller one second. Get to that first hot spot just as they open so you don't have to wait. You will also get to use the 1/2 off admission passes they hand out everywhere if you get there that early. We club hopped since we didn't have to wait in line and ended up spending too much money on cabs and never really had a chance to sit and relax and drink. The night we had the most fun was when we got a table at Tao. So no matter which club you go to .. if you can afford it ...and have a decent size group ... A table is the way to go! But no matter how much you spend and despite the fact it is SIN CITY .. you still must watch your manners. It is possible to get "asked to leave" these hot spots for simply having too much fun. I have heard stories and witnessed it happen more than once. I heard a story about this girl that decided to jump in the pool at XS (whether or not she was clothed is not the point) .. she got asked to leave? Seriously .. I think that is rather fabulous ... it was her bachelorette party! Another particular instance is one that I happened to witness at Tao. This sweet girl was sick, likely from too many adult beverages, so she tried to be polite and throw up in a cup ... it kinda spilled over :( She kindly got asked to go home. I say not fair .. it's VEGAS!!
Lesson Four: So much food .. so little time
We made the mistake of not planning where we wanted to eat or asking where we should go. We ended up eating in our hotel for all our meals except one. That is totally fine because all the places inside of these hotels are wonderful. We just hate we didn't ask around and experience more of the great good Vegas has to offer. Then again, we only ate one good meal a day really, so we couldn't have experienced too much in the first place. We likely saved a lot of money that way (not eating) .. because even McDonald's was several bucks more than "back home". The only thing we found to cost exactly the same ... Starbucks! Our ritual was usually Starbucks ... pool food ... expensive meal ... and if we really needed it ... greasy 15 dollar burger or pizza via room service!
The only place I can really recommend as a MUST is Diego inside MGM. Best mexican food I have EVER had! Last time I was in Vegas I ate at the nice steakhouse in the Wynn .. I give that 5 stars too!
Lesson Five: Experience some true entertainment
Vegas Shows. You have to go to at least one if you are in Vegas and the best thing to do is read both negative and positive reviews or ask friends because sometimes the previews can be a bit misleading. Our main reason for going to Vegas was to see Doug's favorite dance crew ... the Jabbawockeez. We LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the show!!! It wasn't at all what you would have expected from them and if you don't know and appreciate dance (specifically the type of dance they do) then you probably won't think it's all that great. But we loved it and I highly recommend you see them!
We decided to go see the ELVIS Cirque show because we had some tickets passed on to us to go see for free. We both LOVE cirque shows and were really excited about seeing one for that simple reason. While the production was AMAZING, the cast was stellar and the effects were really cool ... it was not what I expected out of a Cirque show. I think maybe my expectations are too high though. I expected more action, more acrobatics, mores "wow" factor. I guess I was thinking .. "KA" or "O" and it was more High School Musical with a few acrobatics. I think it would really make ALOT of people happy and had I not been expecting a cirque show .. I would have also been just as wowed. If you are an Elvis fan and like a good show .. then totally go see the Elvis cirque show. If you are into the amazement factor of true Cirque De Sole show and aren't a big Elvis fan .. go see another. My friends Josh and Jana just went to Vegas. They saw Zumanity and raved about it!
Lesson Six: You're feet will hurt
Carry with you lots and lots of Band aids or flats .. your choice. I chose band aids. I will rarely (if ever) sacrifice fashion for comfort and I wasn't about going to start in a place such as Vegas! My feet reeeeaaally hated me by the end of the trip. To make up for it, on day four, I did switch to a flip flop with only a one inch heel, but I still had blisters! So unless you are going to wear tennis shoes (something I don't even own except for the gym.. the gym that i never go to) plan for your tootsies to be rubbed the wrong way! My friend Jana wore heels but carried flip flops in her purse .. smart! That would mean I have to carry something bigger than a clutch .. which I don't prefer to do when going "out" ... so I'll think about that one!
Lesson Seven: Bye Bye Greed
Don't gamble if you are like like me and can't stand to lose! Seriously, I can't play charades on Christmas with my family without cheating my way onto what I know will be the winning team .. so what in the world made me believe I'd be "okay" gambling .. i do not know!! I can handle losing 20 bucks here and there on the slot machines ..but I learned how to play blackjack on our cruise last fall and things have never been the same. I barely broke even then and I lost $200 this go round in Vegas. It didn't matter that I played on that 200 bucks for like 3 hours .. I was still ticked off. I lost another 150 on slot machines but since we took advantage of the free drinks .. I feel like we broke even and therefore am not bitter. haha. I spent my last hour walking around Vegas with a scowl on my face.
Lesson Eight: "I Do"
Those chapels stay open 24/7 for a reason! Doug and I almost got hitched. We had a few of the yummy vodka cranberry drinks offered for free while playing those slot machines I just talked.. we we decided if we hit the jackpot again ( I had just hit a mini one) we were getting hitched. Well sure enough .. next spin .. I hit the jackpot. Well I shouldn't say THE jackpot ... that would have been several grand in my pocket .. I hit **A** jackpot .. meaning I got like 5000 points .. that means 5000 pennies . Since we weren't specific enough .. we nixed the getting hitched idea and sat there another hour and lost the 5000 pennies I won. It wouldn't have been the smartest thing for us to do for a couple of reasons. Number one our families would kill us. They kinda love that we are together and want to be present for this spectacular day .. number two I didn't have a cute white dress .. . and last but certainly not least ... Doug's last marriage happened in Vegas and was about as unfullfilling, stressful and fake as they come .. so yeah that was reason enough NOT to go through with it. But watch out or you WILL end up waking up in Vegas with a new last name!
I wish I had a number of lessons like10 .. but I've probably bored you enough ... Also 8 is Mama Joy's lucky number ..so I'll stop here!
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy
I'm such a horrible blogger. Maybe now that I have a vacation out of my system I will focus more. I have like 6 unfinished blogs just waiting for a final few lines. Maybe I'll do that tonight .. nah .. tomorrow.
I am trying to make it a goal to write everyday. Sometimes those ramblings won't be here ... they will be under password in my journal .. but I want to try to make this a place you came and read some nonsense on MOST days. If you have fun on here .. then please add your input .. share my site with a friend. If not .. then first of all .. why they hell do you keep coming back .. and second .. please continue to leave comments .. just grow some and leave your real name and contact info instead of "Lily" or "Anonymous" . Oh how you haters make me giggle :)
I say I have a goal to write both a fiction and non-fiction book one day. If I don't start writing more for leisure (which is hard to do since I do it everyday for work ) and start reading more books .. I'm going to never reach my goal.
Anyway. What a better topic to write about than VACATION. I shall skip the shenanigans that occurred .. wait .. what shenanigans .. what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas .. right? I did however promise several people I would let them know what I thought about the places we ventured out to see. So here we go.
Lesson One: Transportation/Lodging
Fly mid week and fly really early. We were in and out of security and waiting to head west in less than 30 min on our 9am flight! While I love the cheap flight and free first bag that Southwest has to offer .. man was a non-stop 4 hour flight on that little plane rough! Between trying to position ourselves to where we could both sleep and the stewardess that took his job WAY too seriously .. we were so ready to have our first of many drinks in hand!!
I don't have to explain the comfort level on a Southwest flight ..but this stewardess .. let's just say he was so afraid we were going to join the mile high club because we both got up to go to the bathroom (one at a time) that he not only strictly enforced the "stay 3 rows back" rule .. he watched us!!!! My God .. we only wanted to get up at the same time because we both had to pee and we didn't want to bother the lady in the isle seat two times instead of four! Let me just say that whoever attempts to make a little magic in those horrible bathrooms seriously needs some sort of sex therapy because there is NOTHING sexy about those stinky, tiny, claustrophobic aircraft port-a-potties .. ewwww! So Southwest ... lighten up!!! As for our 1am flight back on Continental. Not a single complaint. Good price, more comfort. The only complaint is the first bag fee. By the way .. that 1am flight is the way to go if you want to stay an extra full day and avoid paying for a hotel room. The hotel held our bags had an ENTIRE day to explore Vegas, got on a shuttle (the way to do it by the way) at 11pm and we were on a 1am flight back to NashVegas!
Also MGM has a deal (or did) where it was just like 59 bucks for our room Wednesday and Thursday .. looks like weeknights is the time to go for sure .. our rate jumped to around 200 for Friday night!
Lesson Two: Bring your swimsuit
Enjoy the Vegas SUN! So may of my friends go to Vegas and sleep alllll day. DON'T .. make yourself get outta bed, ha! We laid out at our pool for 1 to 3 hours everyday and it felt like 30 min! Yes it's the desert and is HOT but there was no humidity! It was wonderful! Unless you have the money for a cabana or get there early and don't mind paying for a chair .. skip the "beach clubs". They are great if you wanna get trashed I guess .. but we really enjoyed a free chair next to the pool and some much needed r&r after our late nights out :)
Lesson Three: "What's the name of this club .. i don't remember .. just dance"
Speaking of nights out .... I feel blessed that we were able to get in every club with no cover and no wait in line. However most of you won't get that lucky (we had major connections) unless you are planning to drop some major money. Even then .. some of the "table" lines were 100 to 200 deep! So here are a few tips! If you are going to wait in line .. in my opinion .. here are the 3 clubs worth the wait. Surrender .. Tao and XS. If you want to go to a really hot place that isn't a "night club" and don't want to wait in a mega line then go to Blush inside of Wynn. Last time I was in Vegas I went to Tryst .. liked it. It was very similar to XS. Doug has been to Tabu' inside MGM and loved it. Couple others to note .. while i didn't get a chance to hit them up ... I've also heard Lavo and Haze are both worth the wait in line. There really isn't a bad route to take when you are going to Vegas ...all the clubs are busy .. it really just depends on what your style is. The best tip I have is to decide where you are going on not try to bar hop. The lines are just too long. If you insist on bar hopping then go to the mega club first and the smaller one second. Get to that first hot spot just as they open so you don't have to wait. You will also get to use the 1/2 off admission passes they hand out everywhere if you get there that early. We club hopped since we didn't have to wait in line and ended up spending too much money on cabs and never really had a chance to sit and relax and drink. The night we had the most fun was when we got a table at Tao. So no matter which club you go to .. if you can afford it ...and have a decent size group ... A table is the way to go! But no matter how much you spend and despite the fact it is SIN CITY .. you still must watch your manners. It is possible to get "asked to leave" these hot spots for simply having too much fun. I have heard stories and witnessed it happen more than once. I heard a story about this girl that decided to jump in the pool at XS (whether or not she was clothed is not the point) .. she got asked to leave? Seriously .. I think that is rather fabulous ... it was her bachelorette party! Another particular instance is one that I happened to witness at Tao. This sweet girl was sick, likely from too many adult beverages, so she tried to be polite and throw up in a cup ... it kinda spilled over :( She kindly got asked to go home. I say not fair .. it's VEGAS!!
Lesson Four: So much food .. so little time
We made the mistake of not planning where we wanted to eat or asking where we should go. We ended up eating in our hotel for all our meals except one. That is totally fine because all the places inside of these hotels are wonderful. We just hate we didn't ask around and experience more of the great good Vegas has to offer. Then again, we only ate one good meal a day really, so we couldn't have experienced too much in the first place. We likely saved a lot of money that way (not eating) .. because even McDonald's was several bucks more than "back home". The only thing we found to cost exactly the same ... Starbucks! Our ritual was usually Starbucks ... pool food ... expensive meal ... and if we really needed it ... greasy 15 dollar burger or pizza via room service!
The only place I can really recommend as a MUST is Diego inside MGM. Best mexican food I have EVER had! Last time I was in Vegas I ate at the nice steakhouse in the Wynn .. I give that 5 stars too!
Lesson Five: Experience some true entertainment
Vegas Shows. You have to go to at least one if you are in Vegas and the best thing to do is read both negative and positive reviews or ask friends because sometimes the previews can be a bit misleading. Our main reason for going to Vegas was to see Doug's favorite dance crew ... the Jabbawockeez. We LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the show!!! It wasn't at all what you would have expected from them and if you don't know and appreciate dance (specifically the type of dance they do) then you probably won't think it's all that great. But we loved it and I highly recommend you see them!
We decided to go see the ELVIS Cirque show because we had some tickets passed on to us to go see for free. We both LOVE cirque shows and were really excited about seeing one for that simple reason. While the production was AMAZING, the cast was stellar and the effects were really cool ... it was not what I expected out of a Cirque show. I think maybe my expectations are too high though. I expected more action, more acrobatics, mores "wow" factor. I guess I was thinking .. "KA" or "O" and it was more High School Musical with a few acrobatics. I think it would really make ALOT of people happy and had I not been expecting a cirque show .. I would have also been just as wowed. If you are an Elvis fan and like a good show .. then totally go see the Elvis cirque show. If you are into the amazement factor of true Cirque De Sole show and aren't a big Elvis fan .. go see another. My friends Josh and Jana just went to Vegas. They saw Zumanity and raved about it!
Lesson Six: You're feet will hurt
Carry with you lots and lots of Band aids or flats .. your choice. I chose band aids. I will rarely (if ever) sacrifice fashion for comfort and I wasn't about going to start in a place such as Vegas! My feet reeeeaaally hated me by the end of the trip. To make up for it, on day four, I did switch to a flip flop with only a one inch heel, but I still had blisters! So unless you are going to wear tennis shoes (something I don't even own except for the gym.. the gym that i never go to) plan for your tootsies to be rubbed the wrong way! My friend Jana wore heels but carried flip flops in her purse .. smart! That would mean I have to carry something bigger than a clutch .. which I don't prefer to do when going "out" ... so I'll think about that one!
Lesson Seven: Bye Bye Greed
Don't gamble if you are like like me and can't stand to lose! Seriously, I can't play charades on Christmas with my family without cheating my way onto what I know will be the winning team .. so what in the world made me believe I'd be "okay" gambling .. i do not know!! I can handle losing 20 bucks here and there on the slot machines ..but I learned how to play blackjack on our cruise last fall and things have never been the same. I barely broke even then and I lost $200 this go round in Vegas. It didn't matter that I played on that 200 bucks for like 3 hours .. I was still ticked off. I lost another 150 on slot machines but since we took advantage of the free drinks .. I feel like we broke even and therefore am not bitter. haha. I spent my last hour walking around Vegas with a scowl on my face.
Lesson Eight: "I Do"
Those chapels stay open 24/7 for a reason! Doug and I almost got hitched. We had a few of the yummy vodka cranberry drinks offered for free while playing those slot machines I just talked.. we we decided if we hit the jackpot again ( I had just hit a mini one) we were getting hitched. Well sure enough .. next spin .. I hit the jackpot. Well I shouldn't say THE jackpot ... that would have been several grand in my pocket .. I hit **A** jackpot .. meaning I got like 5000 points .. that means 5000 pennies . Since we weren't specific enough .. we nixed the getting hitched idea and sat there another hour and lost the 5000 pennies I won. It wouldn't have been the smartest thing for us to do for a couple of reasons. Number one our families would kill us. They kinda love that we are together and want to be present for this spectacular day .. number two I didn't have a cute white dress .. . and last but certainly not least ... Doug's last marriage happened in Vegas and was about as unfullfilling, stressful and fake as they come .. so yeah that was reason enough NOT to go through with it. But watch out or you WILL end up waking up in Vegas with a new last name!
I wish I had a number of lessons like10 .. but I've probably bored you enough ... Also 8 is Mama Joy's lucky number ..so I'll stop here!
Grace and Peace to you,
Stacy