Thanks, Taylor Swift

Mary Emma is a huge Taylor Swift fan. Like, big time. She is learning to play the guitar because Taylor Swift plays. She got cowboy boots for her birthday because Taylor Swift wears boots with her dresses. She loves her.

I'm cool with that for several reasons - 1. She's a good girl. 2. She's a VERY talented songwriter. I mean, she was hired by Sony as a songwriter when she was 14 for crying out loud. 3. Mary Emma, age 7, can sing her songs without bleeping out words or coming to me for an explanation of something that she's way too young for. 4. I actually enjoy her music. It's fun to listen to.

A couple of months ago, I discovered that Taylor Swift was in concert in Montgomery, AL, where my in-laws live and where I grew up. My husband and I started scheming to see if we could get tickets for Mary Emma. As luck would have it, my mother-in-law is good friends with the Mayor of Montgomery, Bobby Bright, and his wife, Lynn. She made a phone call.

Lynn performed miracles.

Not only did we get tickets to the concert, we got to sit ON STAGE during the concert. On stage, people. The guitar player hi-fived Mary Emma several times during the concert. He gave her a guitar pick with Taylor Swift's picture on it.

And that isn't the best part.

Before the concert, we were told to meet at a certain location to go onstage. ONSTAGE. We, of course, were there early and were given Meet-n-Greet passes for Taylor Swift. We were led through the maze of zillion dollar tour buses, right past Lady Antebellum (who were fab, by the way - get their CD for real)...

*SIDENOTE
The girl in Lady Antebellum is Hillary Scott. She's the daughter of Lang Scott and Linda Davis. Linda Davis sang "Does He Love You" with Reba. If you're a follower of my blog, you should know by now that I'm a crazy Reba fan. Thus a Linda Davis fan. Thus a Hillary Scott fan. Thus a Lady Antebellum fan.

*SIDENOTE 2
If Hillary Scott was the daughter of Joe and Jane Doe, I would still be a Lady Antebellum fan. They're really good.

...(back to the story)
Anyway, we were walking through the buses, and were led to a parking deck/street/place to stand and told to wait. After about 5 minutes, Taylor Swift walked off her bus and WALKED RIGHT TO US. Mary Emma almost fainted. She literally cried. The ran to Taylor Swift, who scooped her up and swung her around. Then they talked about their boots and guitar playing and the similar white skirts that they had on. We took pictures. Taylor signed Mary Emma's guitar. For the rest of the night, her feet didn't touch the ground. She didn't go to sleep until 11:45 pm. She was totally stoked.

It was so fun to see pure joy on her face. I loved every minute of it.

Steven Curtis Chapman

All we can do at a time like this is pray.
From the Tennessean:

Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest child died Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a car driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family’s Williamson County home.

Maria, one of the Christian singer’s six children, was taken by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt Hospital, which confirmed the death, according to Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The 5-year-old was hit by an SUV driven by her teenage brother, she said. Police did not give the driver’s name.

The teen was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser down the driveway of the rural home at about 5:30 p.m. and several children were playing in the area, McPherson said. He did not see Maria in the driveway before the vehicle struck her, she said.

“It appears to be a terrible accident,’’ McPherson said.

No charges are expected, she said. The accident was witnessed by two other children; the entire family was home at the time, McPherson said.

Let's lift this family up.

I grew up listening to SCC. I have tons of his songs on my iPod right now. I can hear a number of his songs today and am instantly transported back to the Youth Group days. I can tell you where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, what the place smelled like, etc.... whenever I hear his songs. He was the soundtrack of my teenage years. He has had such a major influence on my life, and still continues to. I want so badly to do something for him. The only thing I know to do is to get on my face before the Father on his behalf. I cannot imagine what the last 24 hours of he and his family's lives have been like. I do know, however, that the God of the Universe has tightened His grip on this family and is weeping with them. The love that the world has for this family will bring them comfort. The love that our God has for this family will bring them through this.

Eskimo Kisses

The girls just discovered what Eskimo Kisses are.


I love it.

Creative Advertising?

I was just watching a commercial that made me laugh. It was for Chocolate Special K cereal. I'm sure their product is great, but this commercial stretched it a little. In the commercial, a lady is watching her son put icing on a cake. She picks up the icing bowl and scoops up a huge bite of chocolaty goodness on her finger. As she ALMOST puts it in her mouth, she thinks, "hmmm, I bet a bowl of Chocolate Special K would taste just as good as this gooey finger-full of chocolate icing." You know, because HELLO, CHOCOLATE ICING AND SPECIAL K CEREAL ARE THE SAME. I mean, the last time I made a chocolate cake, I almost iced it with cereal because they are so similar that I got confused.

But at the same time, I'm also thinking that people who can happily substitute chocolate icing for Special K cereal probably don't have the weight issues that usually are associated with the need for substituting Special K cereal with other stuff.

Know what I mean?

The Sweet ole South

I'm a Southern gal. I live in Alabama and have lived here for 28 of my 33 years. I lived in Louisville, KY for 2 years, but I was ages 0-2 and don't remember it. I also lived in Tallahassee, FL for 3 years. Other than that, It's been all Alabama.

And I love it.

But I'm beginning to see how limited my knowledge is about other places in the USA. I mean, I've traveled extensively across our fair country, but have never LIVED outside of the South. And the more I get into this Bloggy community, the more I'm starting to realize how many people aren't from the South and really don't understand it. So I thought I've have a little South tutorial.

(I can totally give credit to Boo Mama for this idea. You gotta read this post of hers.)

Here are some things about the South that you may not know.

1. If you've ever watched a movie where an actor/actress plays a Southern person, you can pretty much guarantee that they will have the accent all wrong. We don't all talk like we should be barefoot, chewing grass, and riding in the bed of a pickup truck. The exception to this rule is Reese Witherspoon. She's from Nashville and her accent is genuine.

2. We do not sweat all the time. Yes, it is hot down here. And yes, the humidity is so thick that you can cut the air with a knife, but we do have airconditioning in our homes and cars. The movie "A Time to Kill" totally bugged me because they were drenched the whole time.
And by the way, we also have paved roads, cordless phones that don't have a rotary dial, and shoes. We love our neighbors and take "welcome to the neighborhood" cakes and/or casseroles to people who move in. We also do the same for neighbors who have babies, get married, or have a death in the family. If you have a baby, you won't have to cook for 2 weeks, minimum, because neighbors will bring you food.

3. We do eat grits and not just for breakfast. They are a great addition to many meals. If you've never tried them, you aren't allowed to say you don't like them.

4. Sweet, iced tea is a food group. And when I say "sweet," I mean syrup. And when I say "iced," I mean jam slam packed with ice. Not just a few cubes. That doesn't count. Your tea should have to fight to get in between the spaces of the ice.

5. "Coke" is the generic term that is used for all soda. When you are at a restaurant and order a "coke," the waitress will say "what kind?" Then you specify. Dr. Pepper, Sprite, etc. We do not say Cola, Soda, Pop, or any other generic caffeinated beverage term. It's all coke.

6. We cannot drive in the snow. That's because it rarely snows. If we are fortunate enough to get an inch or two of the white stuff, the city in which we live shuts down. We don't have the equipment to drive on snowy roads. No chains for tires, no snow plows, etc. We are stuck. And I guarantee that you will see someone wearing a tshirt that says "I survived the blizzard of 2008" within hours after a snow. I can remember every snowfall of my life. I can also count them on 2 hands.
(Also, if you live in the south and can drive in the snow, you aren't truly Southern.)
((The kids in my neighborhood all own sleds. They aren't used for snow, though. They are used in the summertime when we wet the grass with the sprinkler and they sled down wet hills.))

7. Southern Hospitality isn't a myth. It's really true that people down here are NICE. We help each other. We let neighbors borrow eggs and never ask for them back. Men hold doors for women. Manners are taught at an early age. Every little girl in the south has been to a tea or shower by the time she's 4 and knows how to act like a lady at it. We say hello (or at least smile and nod) to perfect strangers all the time. Auburn University, my alma mater, even has a day called "Hey Day" where they promote friendliness. The requirements of Hey Day? Say "hey" to as many people as possible. Be nice. It's awesome.

8. The beaches in the south (especially Alabama and the Florida panhandle) are the prettiest beaches in the USA. The sand is white. Not white-ish. WHITE. The water is clear and blue-green. Plan a vacation here soon.

9. "Y'all" is the plural form of you. And I bet I'll say that word 1000 times today.

10. Tomato sandwiches in the summer are the best things ever. Tomatoes in the winter aren't even worth the energy used to cut them up. To make a summer tomato sandwich, put enough mayonnaise for 3 regular sandwiches on 2 pieces of white bread. Add sliced tomatoes, salt, & pepper. Pair with sweet tea. That'll be my lunch 5 out of 7 days a week this summer.

11. Everyone in the South has members of their family that totally blow the "sophisticated southern men & women" image out the window. Yes, I have family members who define the word "redneck." However, they'll give you the shirt off their back, will help you fix your garbage disposal, will jump at the chance to change a flat tire, and will lend you eggs whenever you need them. It's just part of being Southern.

For my non-southern friends, what characteristics do you think of when you think about the south? I'd love to hear them, even if they're wrong.
For my southern friends, please feel free to add to my list at any time.

Now, I'm going to get a Coke, y'all. You can guess what kind....

WFMW - Glass shower door cleaner

I have a big shower in my Master Bathroom. I love it. But with big showers comes big glass shower doors. And if you are like me, you have a hard time keeping those silly things clear.

Here's a secret. Spray-n-Wash.

Yep, the laundry pre-treater.

Clean your shower like you normally do. Then spray the glass doors with Spray-n-Wash (the generic kind works, too) and rinse with water. Don't scrub, just rinse. That's all. Your glass will be clear and will stay that way for a long time. Plus, they don't fog up as easily.

It's that easy.

For more easy "Works for Me" tips, head over to Shannon's blog.

Things I Think About (Part 2)

I've blogged before about random things I think about, but that was almost 2 months ago. You can that post here. I've had many more random thoughts since then, so I thought I'd make this a recurring theme. You'll soon find out (if you already haven't) that I am pretty random. I think about some crazy stuff sometimes.

Ok. Part 2. Here goes.

1. Have you noticed that Benjamin Linus (LOST) never blinks? Never. That's just weird.
2. I have an uncanny ability to remember phone numbers and addresses. I can also remember the name of any child I've come in contact with. I can't, however, remember an adult's name. Ever. It's so frustrating.
3. I don't understand people who don't wear seatbelts.
4. I am not a friend with the hot weather we're having right now. I love winter and being able to cover up in warm clothes. Hot weather brings out small clothes. I don't have the body for small clothes.
5. My friend, Erin, is going to the Siesta Fiesta in San Antonio with me. I am so excited I have been doing happy dances for weeks now.
6. There's nothing better than an ice cold glass of milk.
7. I really, really can't wait to see the new Indiana Jones movie. Holler.
8. I think I would be a really good actress if I ever had the guts to try it.
9. One day, my goal is to run a marathon. Guess I'd better start running, huh?
10. I have 51 episodes of Reba (the TV show) recorded on my TiVo. I doubt I'll ever get the time to watch all of them. I never get sick of them, so I doubt I'll delete them in case I get about 3 days solid to watch TV.
11, I'm so much of an optimist it can possibly be labeled a fault.
12. I love Law and Order SVU. I wonder how a person gets cast as a dead person. I mean, I totally could lie still and be dead. I'd love to be on that show.
13. I wonder what it's like to wash windows on a skyscraper.
14. I love interesting houses. I'm tempted every time I see a cool house to knock on the door and ask if I can look around. Dangerous, I know - which is why I haven't done it.
15. I drive around and intentionally get lost just so I can find my way back. I like finding new ways to get places in my city. It's not odd to hear me say, "Ooo, I wonder where that street goes - I'll have to drive down it and figure it out."
16. I ate shrimp one time and got food poisoning because of it. Since then, I have a really hard time eating shrimp. Why can't I have the same experience with chocolate? It would totally solve my weight issues.
17. I'm bribing my 2 1/2 year old daughter with M&Ms to use the potty. Is that bad?
18. My daughter's All-Star softball team is asking each family to raise "x" amount of money for the team. I am quite possible the worst person at asking people for money in the whole world. I would sooo rather just write a check than ask people for money.
19. I never win at any sort of random contest. Ever.
20. I'm so sleepy right now that I'm falling asleep while I'm typing. But I'm too stubborn to stop and go to bed. I'll regret that at 6:30 in the morning.
21. People who misspell contractions make me crazy. It's "y'all." Not "ya'll." "You're" means "you are." It does not mean that something belongs to you. Don't even get me started on "their," "there," & "they're."
22. Last one, I promise. My husband gave me a 55 minute massage for Mother's Day. A friend gave me a gift certificate for a manicure/pedicure. I'm looking so forward to a day of pampering that I can hardly contain my enthusiasm.

Ok. My random brain has now shut down. Nite nite, y'all.