Blurbs and Procratination....

HOW is it already December 19th?

I was doing an amazing job of prepping for Christmas until December rolled around. Now, I'm on the struggle bus. I haven't even STARTED Christmas cards, yet. So, yeah. I am just in the mode that I want to enjoy the Christmas festivities.... not prep for them. This is why I need to really work next year on being at least 75% done by Thanksgiving.

Anyway, since I'm currently at the auto dealer waiting for my car to be fixed from a recall issue, let's put things off even further......

1) Last Friday, my sister, cousin, and I went to the Katy Perry concert.

It was WEIRD. Like, really weird. I only was able to sing and dance to 'Roar' and 'California Girls' because I was too bust staring at the stage in bafflement for the rest of the time. We still had a fun Girls' Night, at least.

2) I am supposed to run the Glass Slipper Challenge in just at two months. I use the term "run" loosely. I'm nowhere near ready and I know I need to step it up.

3) I have very little motivation to do Christmas cards, this year. Like, they are sort of my signature, but I really am being bad about it.

4) Over the last year, I have found the best facial care line. It's called Rafa Natural and I'm obsessed. I need to dedicate an entire post to it because it is THAT good.

5) Also over the past year, I have become enamored with my Erin Condren planner. I know they are a blogging and social media cliche, but it's for good reason. All through grade school, college, and working a few years part time for many jobs, I used a planner. I never left the house without it. Then, I got my (current) full-time job and just used my phone and work calendar. Last year, I got the itch to try a paper planner, as well. I decided to give EC a try and I fell in love. I still use my phone and work calendar to sync everything up, but I also write in my planner. It has helped me stay much more organized and on top of my slightly crazy schedule.

6) My cousin and his wife adopted four beautiful little girls in November. They are precious and I love them and I'm so glad they are in our family. Several of us were able to fly in (they live in a different state) for the adoption finalization.... Love it....

 

7) General Hospital.... I have watched the show for YEARS. Over the past several, it was on and off. Then, they brought Steve Burton back (as the real Jason) and Tamara Braun (as a new character). I can't handle how much I love the show, right now. I sometimes forget how much I really do love soaps.

8) Hallmark Channel Christmas movies.... Is it just me or are they REALLY good this year? I'm always about Countdown to Christmas and get sad when it's over. However, I haven't watched one that I didn't like so far this year. Including the Alicia Witt one, and I usually don't like hers.

Ok.... I should probably work or work on Christmas cards.

Shelby goes to Hollywood (Studios)

It's no secret that my family is a little Disney crazy. So, imagine our torture when my sister and BIL chose to wait FOREVER to take her to Disney for the first time.

It wasn't until after then that we were allowed to take her ourselves. You can see how thrilled we all were.....

She is obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Homegirl has watched some episodes so many times that she can tell you what's about to happen, "Pete about to come!!!"..... She also loves Pete. We decided to take her to Hollywood Studios and to the Disney Junior Live show. Her mind was BLOWN.....

She wasn't a fan of the parts of the show where Mickey and the Gang weren't on the stage. Sorry, Jake, Sophia, and Handy Manny.

For dinner, we went to Hollywood and Vine where they were having a Minnie's Summer Party for the character dinner. She was in Heaven!!! No fear of the characters, all excitement. Usually, the characters will come around twice with these meals (so the kids really do get some time with them). When they all came the second time around, they would all kneel down so she could run to them. You could tell that they were as smitten with her as she was with them.....

Goofy took her for a walk around the entire restaurant. My mom got video of them walking around waving at everyone, like they were holding their own parade. Goofy didn't do that with anyone else, that evening......

We were only there about five hours, but we had a blast!! The whole way home, she talked about her "abbenture" to visit Mickey's house! 

A quick jaunt around Part One of 2016......

It's hard to believe that we're halfway into 2016. It's been a whirlwind.... a lot of fun.

I have so many things to expound on, but there are always those little moments of life that you want to remember. Lest I forget.....


Junior League

I mentioned before that I joined JL and LOVE it. Still so true and the love is growing. We just finished out the year and I'm looking forward to next year. I'm staying on the two committees I was on for this year (Provisional and Special Events). I'm actually chairing the Special Events committee.... there are a lot of things I feel can be improved upon and the leaders agree with my vision. Most of the Provisional committee is staying on, which I am so happy about!

The girls (Katherine, Shannon, Emily, Katherine, and Kathleen) and I at a party for one of our major fundraisers.

Our committee meetings always turned into a party. We went into this one planning a party for Kathleen's birthday. That candle? Coolest candle ever. It opened up, spun, and sang.

Courtney and I at the end of the year banquet.

Kathleen and I at the end of the year banquet.

Marjorie, Malonie, Kathleen, Meranda, and I at a Prospective Member event.

Work

My job is going really well, this year! *knockonwood* I've always loved it, but I had some growing pains in the past couple years. This time last year, management finally "got it" and worked to improve some things for me. Since then, it's still busy and stressful and sometimes not a walk in the park, but I'm a lot more fulfilled than I was for a while.



My coworker Mike walked in my office holding this monstrosity. He found it outside of a side door in between my office and his studio. Blech!!!

These people are my best friends at work. We were at an event our station was hosting and got a bit slap happy.

One of the perks is getting tickets to fun events.... like a Rum Fest. My cousin Heidi and brother Trevor joined me at this one. My assistant Chris hung out with us and we all had a blast.

This little nugget has been my life saver in the past year. Ashley worked out her internship hours and practicum to be with me a full year. Now, she's hanging out to keep learning and hopefully get hired on. I'm working on it so hard!!!

Oh, and small detail.... I met Kate Upton. Her boyfriend (and I think now fiancee) plays for the Detroit Tigers, who call us home for Spring Training. They had an event and we supported. She was super nice. And, a lot tinier, lean, etc than she looks on the cover of magazines.

Family and Friends

I'm really so blessed to have such great people in my life. And, the most adorable niece in the world (more in depth posts coming).

We see one another all the time, so sometimes it doesn't feel like "an event." But, it is wonderful and I don't take it for granted.



We had an Easter party and a bunch of friends/family came over. It ended up being a great time.

The top left? That's Lydia. She is seven now and it's breaking my heart how big she's getting. I can't handle it.

This was taken in the bathroom at an event. The bathrooms were decorated to the max. Billie Jo and I thought this was hysterical, so it was selfie time.

Show Us Your Life.... A Reintroduction Of Sorts

I haven't posted in SO long. I read several blogs, but have just been horrible about posting. I think it's because it's become so much easier to document life on other forms of social media?

Anyway, in trying to add something new to the ole blog, I thought I would link-up to Kelly's "Show Us Your Life" series. I remember doing this years ago when I first started blogging. Maybe this will get me back in the blogging spirit. Or, maybe it will just be a nice way to update myself.

If you've never read before.... Hi, I'm Jess :)

I'm a native Floridian.... Central Floridian to be exact. I really, truly love Florida and am proud to call it home.

I'm a fan of all things Disney and can often be found roaming the parks like my own personal playground. Over the past few years, I've gotten involved in the RunDisney races and have completed five half-marathons, two ten-milers, and one semi-half (the Wine & Dine Half got shortened due to weather). I'm not particularly good at running (I'd like to get better and really need to try), but I do enjoy participating in the races!

While I am single, most of my family lives here, so I have lots of love around me. And, while I'm not a mommy, I have several adorable children around me to love on and spoil :) I'm also the proud Auntie Kecka to the BEST NIECE IN THE WORLD. Seriously, she absolutely kills me.

I work in this crazy field called Radio and I love it. I'm a Promotions Director.... which is a fun, stressful, and varied job. I started as an intern over 10 1/2 years ago and recently celebrated 7 years in my current position. I don't know if it is what I will be doing forever, but it suits me, for now. Also, for all of the headache and stress, there are some pretty cool perks....

When I'm not working, spending time with family/friends, or enjoying Disney, I'm focused on my new love.... Junior League. For real. I joined last year because several of my friends convinced me and I am loving it more than I ever thought possible. I'm more involved than my original convincing friends are, at this point. The committee I'm on is AWESOME and I've made some great friends.

That's all for now!! Thanks for stopping by and hopefully I'll be able to keep up with Kelly's link-up enough to at least get back into the blogging groove!!

Happy Birthday, Shelby Paige!

Warning, warning..... Looking at the following pictures may be hazardous to your health! You may just die from the cuteness....

So, originally, this post was labelled 'Welcome to the World, Shelby Paige'.... However, as my niece is officially a year old today, I figured it was time to complete and publish this long overdue post.

A year ago, yesterday, my sister and BIL came over for Taco Tuesday. It was at that point that it became apparent that she was most definitely in labor. They headed to the hospital, while we all got stuff settled in preparation for a long night at the hospital.

A long night, indeed......

Around 2pm on October 22, 2014, Shelby Paige came into this world and changed it, forever.....

I can hardly believe it's been a year. Shelby is SMART. Like, scary smart. She knows a lot of words ("Kecka" being my personal favorite), she is silly, she gives the best cuddles, she's stubborn, and she's just plain adorable. She's hard-headed, but tender-hearted. She'll tell you off in her baby babble, but if she thinks that you're truly mad at her, she'll burst into tears.

Looking back, she was so tiny. She's almost out of 12-month clothes, now. 

She LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. When they call Toodles, she'll start shouting, "TAADAASS." She can be playing in the other room, but the second she hears the Hot Dog song, she hightails it back to the TV to dance and chant, "Hot dog, hot dog." Just yesterday, she was in the store with my mom and saw this giant stuffed Mickey. She started shouting, "HOT DOG!!!!"

Needless to day, she is now the proud owner of a Mickey Mouse that's about as big as she.

Originally, I was going to write all about that night and day. But, just looking at the pictures, I can remember it like it was yesterday. This year has been so fun being her "Auntie Kecka" and I can't wait to see all the things she learns in this upcoming year.

Happy Birthday, Shelby Girl!! Auntie Kecka loves you!!

Birthday Fun........

My birthday weekend a few weeks ago and was a pretty great birthday weekend. In an attempt to just remember the small, sweet moments, I'll take you through the weekend......

Friday night, I went over to Winter Park to visit with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. My cousin Natacia was moving back into school for her Sophomore year. It's been great having her just a couple hours away...... she tends to be pretty busy, but whenever Aunt Teresa visits, I do, too. So, I've seen them quite a bit over the past year, which has been wonderful!!

We ate a super yummy Italian dinner and then walked around a bit, just chatting. While we visiting, I got a text from my sister asking if I'd like to join them at their 3D/4D ultrasound the next day. Ummmm, YES!

I eventually said my goodbyes and made my way home. Megan, Bryan, and I had a race in the morning.... which Bry and I completed. We were both HORRIBLE, but we did it. Megan has been having Braxton Hicks, so she decided to sit this race out.

Around noon, we all headed to the Ultrasound. My little niece was NOT cooperating. She had her hands over her face, her knees curled under her chin, and her little ankles crossed. After some prodding from my mom, I got up and started talking directly to her belly (I do this every time I see my sister and the babe will start moving around).

So, I started crooning, "Shelby... Auntie Kecka's here! Shelby, come out and play!"

I. Am. Not. Lying. She moved her hands and squinted one eye open. Everyone started freaking out. I kept talking to her and we finally were able to get one clear shot of her face. Like, none of this was specifically for ME, but it was still a pretty awesome gift :)

Sunday morning, Billie Jo and I headed to Disney for part of the day. We both wanted to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, so we got to the park right as it was opening. We grabbed a Starbucks and got in line. It was only about a 45 minute wait, which was perfect for sipping and chatting. The ride was very cute!

Disney and Starbucks... A match made in Heaven :)

We walked around, rode some rides, and basically enjoyed an easy day at Disney. At 2pm, we had reservations at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. It's at the Beach Club Resort. Neither of us had ever been, but it was really good and just so charming!!!

We split the chicken sandwich and, after much deliberation, shared "Mickey's Sink."

It was every bit as good as it looked. We couldn't finish it. Our next mission is to get a larger group there to split their "Everything and the Kitchen Sink."

We headed back home, so that I could celebrate with my birthday buddy. Since our birthday was on a Monday and getting everyone together would be difficult, the WHOLE family got together for dinner and to celebrate Anthony and I.

My cousin Heidi made my MOST FAVORITE meal..... Pumpkin Sage Sausage pasta. Soooo good.

Ninny hadn't seen Megan or her preggo belly for a while, so she decided to give Shelby some love...

After dinner, we had ice cream cake and opened presents. It was a fun gathering.

Jess and Anthony.... The August 25ths....

Monday was my actual birthday. When I got into the office, my sweet friend/coworker M had put a birthday sign on my office door and left a card. One fun thing about going to work on your birthday is that everyone pretty much makes a big deal of you, lol. I'm not sure that I got a whole lot of work done, but it was a fun day!

I came into my office after chatting with a couple friends for a bit. There was a card on my desk that wasn't there before and my phone was blowing up. I had three missed calls, a voicemail, and several text messages. Upon checking my voicemail, I discovered that TG had called to wish me a Happy Birthday! His message was fairly hysterical. I called him back and we talked for a while.

As I was talking to him, I thought to myself, "I hope I hear from FD today." (note lots of progress in one area, not so much in the other, lol). A couple minutes later, still chatting with TG, I picked up the card and opened it. It was from FD :)

He'd stopped by to drop off a card and wish me a happy day. Cue happiness.

After I talked with TG, I called FD and chatted with him. He told me he was sorry he didn't see me, but he was in a rush to get back to work. Regardless, it was a very sweet gesture.

My mom and M took me out to lunch. Delicious!

Amongst the FB messages, texts, and emails, the birthday email from my rep at St Jude was one of the best. She did the obligatory "Your St. Jude Family Loves You" and then added, "and, so does Ryan...."

 

 LOVED it, lol!!

After work, my immediate family went to Bonefish for dinner. Billie Jo and Scott also came along, which made for a lovely evening.

My drink of choice.... It was so yummy and pretty.....

My Momma and I

Billie Jo and I

My sister Megan and I

Thanks to my wonderful friends, the party didn't quite end there! I got several birthday lunches and dinners throughout the rest of the week. (In unrelated news, I did a 3-Day Cleanse a week later)

Some people say that birthdays are less and less of a big deal as we get older. Bullocks, I say! If you pay attention to the little details, it makes for a pretty wonderful day!