blondes ain't got nothin' on me

so we all know the saying, "Blondes have more fun!" however, I'm pretty sure red heads are a close second...look at these pictures of people putting on the "emily wig" and you be the judge!

someone older and wiser

I feel like getting older is a gradual process. With the exception of my 16th birthday when I instnatly got to start driving by myself, I feel the aging part of birthdays is a bit anti-climatic. Don't get me wrong, I do LOVE birthdays and will probably always make a big deal out of everyone's and stand by my belief that everyone deserves to be celebrated at least one day of the year. However the feeling older part doesn't really come in one moment on that day...at least it hasn't seemed that way for me.

with 25 being a quater of a century it's a kind of mile marker in ones life. Everyone keeps asking me how I'm doing, if I feel older and wiser and sooo much more closer to 30. Its not so much that I'm ready to be older, but I'm really excited about 25. We'll see if I become wiser this year...

here are some pictures on how I turned 25! Thank you to those who helped me celebrate! The party theme was ME! selfish I know...but it turned out to be really funny. I challeneged folks to dress up like me.

anna dressed up like me strickly by accident...gotta love target

Scott on the other hand did an amazing job of replecating 4th grade emily - what you can't see is that these are overall shorts, with bright blue socks and high tops...and he has a ribbon in his hair! AMAZING!

it was jason and jeremy's birthday as well...so they sang to all three of us!

I feel like 25 is off to a great start...stay tuned...more fun to come I'm sure...oh, more older and totally wiser fun at that!

i'm a pepper, you're a pepper

I don't remember not liking Dr. Pepper. Its by far my carbinated beverage of choice.

So I moved into my new place, right? Well it happens to be right across the street from target. ugh! I have to cut back on my spending and I move closer to my addiction...not good. But...I shall overcome. Anyway...last night I had a girls night with two friends that consisted of cold stone and a trip to target. At cold stone I didn't really feel like ice cream and wanted some sort of slushy/smoothie type thing. Well I got this strawberry/lemon smoothie and it was good...but didn't do the trick. We walk around target (Please note: for the record I did not buy anything!!!) and we get in the check out line and I say, "I really just want an icee!" Kera, the wise one of the bunch says, "Well there they are, you should just get one." Little did I know my life was about to change.

I looked over towards the icees and there it was. I swear there was a special light from heaven shining on it. - now let me interrupt this story by telling you that I'm not one to buy treats at target. I heard one of my friends mention something about coke and popcorn for real cheap at target and that it could be my new late night snack in my place b/c I could just walk there, but I didn't really listen b/c I had always been so focused on other things in target that when I go in, I just don't even look towards the pizza hut/pretzel/popcorn/icee goodness - So there it was, Dr. Pepper Icees!!!! I had no idea! Had I been missing this all along??? I almost screamed but I didn't ...emily might have screamed for me so it was ok. Needless to say I got right over there in that line and got myself a large Dr. Pepper Icee! The nice lady asked if I wanted my free popcorn...even better! So its true. You can get a large icee as well as popcorn for less than $2 at target. My life is changed...definatly for the better.

ps they also have Jolly Rancher Watermelon icees...kera had her life changed as well.

oh, country music

Growing up I was very quick to say that I did not like country music. I'm pretty sure I would even use the word "hate" occasionally. It wasn't until I went away to college that I discovered I do like most country music. I think initially I felt like I owed it to Nashville, my hometown, to stick up for country music when I moved away. I began to appreciate the old country and "the legends" and I started really like some of the new stuff...you know the dixie chicks, faith hill, tim mcgraw. I think I always liked Vince Gill (thanks to the Gentry's and me having to watch CMT everymorning before the bus came) and Garth Brooks. But slowly I started keeping the radio on country stations more and more.

Which brings us to today. I currently keep a steady rotation between soft rock (92.9), new indie music (lightning 100), NPR, and my country station of choice 97.9 wsix - mainly b/c of Jerry House in the mornings! So I got to lunch today and its on 97.9 from this morning and this song comes on that I haven't heard before...but the voices are very familiar. I come to the conclusion that it is Tim and Faith, however, the lyrics were HORRIBLE!

It was an obvious love song about two people needing the other person which is sweet and all but then chorus started off with:
"I need you like a needle needs a vain..."
for whatever reason that was the least romantic comparison I would have thought to have made and just thought it was really funny. It went on to say that he also needed her, "like the Father and Son need the Holy Ghost..." Seriously?? they were serious.

I think one of the reasons I have a heard time always liking country music is because the lyrics are so ... I don't know, blatent...which I guess is why some people like it b/c it is rarely sugar coated but I just thought it was really funny. I don't I'll want my husband to ever want me like needle wants a vein...but I guess it works for some folks!

speaking of funny lyrics...i do LOVE the new Brad Paisley song, "TICKS" incredibly clever!

feels like home

I can't remember the last time I was this excited! Maybe when my parents surprised me with a puppet stage, or the night I brought Bauer home, either way, I'm pretty excited about my new place to live! Is that silly? I have always said that I would never live by myself. It just sounded horrible to me. I love people so much that to think about coming home to a place where no one else lives was just sad. However, this past spring brought to me a place where I would entertain the thought of living by myself and it would make me really happy. So...I did it! I bit nervous at first, but I am absolutely loving it! It's really funny to me how moving into a new place gives you this feeling of completely being able to start over. It's not new year's, but here are my new house resolutions:

1. Make my bed everyday (we are on day 4 and all things are looking good!)
2. Keep fresh flowers in the room! (I'm not sure this will last, but they make me happy and look pretty and I would love to keep up this habit!)
3. Keep clothes (and especially socks...bauer!) off the floor at all times. - now, techincally not all my close are out of bags yet so I've yet to do this one, but once I get it done I'm hoping to keep it done.
4. I really want to try and be home at least 3 nights a week. I really doubt this will happen but I'm starting to kind of enjoy "emily" time - which is a super shock to me! - and its just so great to love where I live!

I've heard lots of things while being at the new place! I've heard most my neighbors stories which are good ones and I'm excited to have a new community to be involved in. I heard my dog bark A LOT! Who knew the little brat would be such a good guard dog?! I've also heard people tell me they like the place...maybe they are lying, but either way its been great to be able to have people over again and spend time with friends.

Speaking of friends...I could not have made the move without some wonderful folks! They made it such an easy and enjoyable move and made the first few nights full of fun!