My Morning.

Can I please tell you about my day. It’s been ridiculous already.

615am my alarm goes off to get up to work out. Yeah, snooze is immediately hit.

625am my alarm goes off. Snooze.

635am my alarm goes off. Snooze. I’ll work out after work.

645am my alarm goes off. Snooze.

655am my alarm goes off and I realize I need to wake up and work out because I’m going to dinner with Prerana and Lisa later so I won’t work out after work.

So I finally wake up to do my p90x workout (ok, I jumped back on the horse and have been successfully doing it since last Monday- go me). My back is KILLING me so I suffer through the first few exercises and then once it loosens up I feel a million times better and end up feeling great. I literally think to myself ‘today’s going to be a great day’.

Since I was switching hotels today I knew I’d need a taxi. I brought a huge suitcase with me this week to make sure I get everything from my project/parents that I’ll need for awhile back up to NYC- so I knew I wasn’t going to be dragging that thing to the office and then subsequently to the hotel. Sheraton never has cabs and honestly they’re like a pain to deal with to get cabs so I call classy cab. I call and I’m a little thrown off at first because Charles always answers the phone and whoever answered today was NOT Charles. This man denies my request for a taxi to pick me up at 830. First time ever I get denied by them. WTF? So I resort to calling the front desk. I tell them I’ll need a taxi at 830 to take me to the Westin.
Alright, so I jump in the shower, get ready and pack my stuff up. Go down to the lobby only to find out that they couldn’t get me a cab and I’d have to wait for the 9am shuttle. Awesome. Well, by then I knew I was going to be late to work – what’s an extra 20 minutes. Whatever.


Shuttle comes and I recognize the shuttle driver- I’ve had him before. I’m thinking ‘Great, chatter box is the driver. He’s not going to shut up the entire ride’.

4 ladies and myself climb into the van and set off. It’s 9am mind you and these ladies are SO loud and SO ramped up- so much for being worried about the shuttle driver.

‘We’re going to the casino! We’re going to the casino! HELLL YAAAAA LADIES!!!!’ they’re yelling. It was hilarious. I start talking to them trying to find out what’s going on in their world this lovely morning. Apparently they all just met each other the night before and decided they were going to go to the casino at 9am and then go shopping all day. They kept telling me I should not go to work and come with them. It was pretty hilarious.
So the shuttle drops them off and I knew that the employees of the Rivers Casino were in for some laughs. Hope those ladies win big!!! Next stop is the Westin to drop me off. I go up to the desk to check in and I believe I got a new employee. He kept apologizing for everything he was doing (even though he wasn’t doing anything wrong?) and it took like literally 10 minutes to check in. Finally I get my keys and make my way up to the 24th floor. Walk to my assigned room, put the key in and open the door….

‘HEY! WOAH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! GET OUT OF HERE?! ’

… yes, I opened the door and there was a lady in the room. The room was a disaster too. TV blaring, sheets everywhere. It was kinda ridiculous (I feel bad for housekeeping). So trying to apologize and run away I slam the door and run to the elevator. Um – seriously? WTF? Back down to the desk I go… again receiving about 50898 apologies. Honestly, at this point I really didn’t care. I dropped my bags off at the bell hop and started walking down to work.

As I’m walking I’m replaying the morning’s events in my head all the way up to the point of dropping off my bags at the bell hop. 1 bag I dropped off… SHIT! I left the present I had bought for my dad for father’s day at the Sheraton. So then I start to panic. What if housekeeping threw it away already? Then I started getting annoyed at the fact that I was going to have to go back over there and get the bag. I called and it just so happens that housekeeping had JUST radioed the front desk about the bag.
Awesome. So I guess I need to go back over there sometime before I leave Friday.

So yeah… that was my morning. Kinda funny if you ask me.

A Different Way of Life…

Growing up we always had a backyard to play in, lots of room to grow, places to bike, and if we wanted to go somewhere we had to have our parents drive us there. Walking around NYC I’m amazed at the completely different way of life. I’ve always realized that everyone grows up differently, but the culture and life here is almost as foreign as Paris if you compare it to growing up in Pittsburgh, PA.

I’m currently sitting on my roof deck, which overlooks the New York Harbor and an insane, ridiculously long line to get on the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty. A chair over from me is a little girl, about 6 or 7, playing with her toys and speaking in a different language. If I had to guess I’d say German or Dutch. To be able to play outside this little girl’s mom had to bring her up here and let her play outside. Contrast that to my siblings and I just running out the backdoor into our awesome tree house.

Ridiculous Line for the Ferry

As I walk around the city I’m honestly amazed at how many little parks and squares there are. I absolutely love it. All the kids playing on the jungle gyms, riding their scooters down the sidewalks and nervous parents running after them. As I’ve taken notice to these activities I’ve also noticed that when parents take their children to the park it’s a whole family activity.  Walking up in Tribeca you see so many little families playing at the park. It’s not only a social activity for the children, but it’s a social activity for the parents. Do these types of family activities bring a family closer together? When you have the weekend off and you’re spending it together going to the park, watching your children ride their bikes on the sidewalk or just taking a stroll to a local restaurant I have to wonder if the relationship impact is different.

A typical weekend for me growing up was waking up late, my dad would be outside cutting the grass or doing yard work, we’d all kind of do our own thing and then eat dinner together. We have a great family dynamic and are extremely close. I wonder if our days would have been spent completely together if it would have ended differently? Maybe we wouldn’t be as close as we are today- or maybe we’d be closer?

I wouldn’t have changed a thing about my childhood. As I sit here watching this little girl change her baby doll into a different outfit it makes me think about my future and how I want to raise my kids? Is there a ‘perfect’ way to grow up. I’m sure the definition would mean different things to different people.  My first thought of growing up in a rural town is that I would have hated it- but would I? I wouldn’t have known any better.

There was a moment I had on the subway yesterday that I think I’ll remember for my whole life. I was sitting on the A coming back from the Rockaway beachs (yes, it was a long ride) and at one of the stops a mother and her son, about 7 or 8, walked on. They were smiling and seemed very happy. After another passenger left and a seat opened up she sat down and the little boy sat on her lap. She gave the boy a huge bear hug and I could hear her whisper 'I love you' to him. He got the biggest smile on his face and said back ‘I love you a billion times more Mom’. It was so cute because you could tell that the love they had for each other was unmatched to anyone in the universe in that moment.

Life is what you make it and as long as you’re living it to your standards of happiness then who can judge if one lifestyle is better than another?

At the airport on Friday I bought a new book to read. It’s called the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. She says in the book that she wasn't depressed, but she had not reached her fullest happiness potential. I believe I’m the same way. I’m happy, but I think there are things that I can do to extend that happiness and make it even better. I’m excited to read this book and possibly start on my own ‘happiness project’.

More to come on that book ;)

Throwin' it back to Gloria... I just want to be happy :)

Peace, Love and Happiness!

F YOU Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

 Yeah… I tried doing the Chest, Shoulders and Triceps video and I got about 15 minutes into it and said screw this.

I’ve really tried to make myself push through these p90x workouts, but WHAT THE HELLLLLL. SERIOUSLY? PEOPLE CAN DO THAT? I don’t know… I know Ms. Lighty,  my elementary school gym teacher, always said I had marshmallows for muscles in my arms, but holy shit.

I just put on the Shoulders and Arms video and called it a day.

For those out there that can do this video.. HELP! I need some motivation to actually attempt to do that one again.

Usually this song can motivate me to push through a hard work out, but it wasn’t helping on this video:

Peace, Love and Ridiculous Workouts.

MEANNNNNNIE

I love this.

Idina's I'll Cover You

I've been looking for this video ... I love this version... I love this song... I love her...

Update: Biggest RENTHead Contest!!!

I MADE THE TOP 10 FINALISTS TO BECOME THE BIGGEST RENTHEAD!!!

Read my original post here

I'm so excited! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEE RENT!!!!

I made a video the first time. Check it out here.

Now I need to write either a 250 character word essay or a series of 5 tweets about my love for Rent. I'm definitely doing the 5 tweets. I just keep writing tweets that I think would be good and on Sunday I'm going to pick my top 5 to submit. I'm trying to be really creative with them.

49 days until it opens on Broadway! Keep up with the count on the RENT Site and keep your fingers crossed that I get picked!!

Check out this 'you might be a renthead site'- haha LOVE IT. God, the sad thing is in high school we used to do so many of these!

Aweee I totally remember this performance from the 2008 Tony's!

Peace, Love and La Vie Boheme!

Finales

Celebrity Apprentice.
Biggest Loser.
Dancing with the Stars.
American Idol.

Oprah.

What's going on this week! All the shows are ending! At least The Voice is just starting :)

Well, I didn't watch Biggest Loser or the Apprentice. And thank you to my lovely roommate for taping Oprah's show today for me (I'll watch it this weekend). But I did watch DWTS and Idol.

As a side note, I totally want Trump to bring back the original Apprentice. I want to be on it. I think that'd be a kick ass show to be on and I know I'd do an awesome job on it. Anywaysssss....

Obviously Hines won because, as my boyfriend put it, Steelers are winners. DUH! It actually was hilarious because my mom got out her big Steeler flag and was running around the house. And yes, I made a trip home just to watch it with them. It was awesome to see how pumped all of Pittsburgh was at the win. Yay! Go Hinessssssssss!!

Idol has been interesting for me this year. If you recall last year (in this post) we had a big Idol party and were totally into it. Now I will say my family is still very in to it, but this year I really did start to lose interest. What I'm about to say may shock most of my friends- but I honestly don't care who wins. I wasn't really invested in this season and I think Pia should have won the whole thing.... soooooo yeah. I really did like Steven and JLo and I love how they had Jimmy work with the contestants every week. Will I audition this year? Hells yes... if my schedule allows. haha Of course auditions are now coming to Pittsburgh and I won't be here haha! OF COURSE!

Loving this track right now. Love love loveeeeeeee Swedish House Mafia. Seriously- if you haven't listen to their stuff check them out. They're album Until One is awesome. Def one I keep on repeat.

Peace, Love and Reality TV Love.

20.5 Carats? WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTT?

So when I walked in to work this morning I didn't realize it would be such a news filled day.
I knew it was Oprah's last show.
I knew the Hang Over 2 was opening tomorrow so people may start writing reviews.
BUT
I did not know that Kim Kardashian GOT ENGAGED?!

Over the last 6 months at work a lot of my good friends left my project and I for sure miss them everyday, but today I really missed Lisa. We used to sit and talk about the Kardashian's all the time and now that Kim was engaged she wasn't here to gossip!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh



Of course she'd break the news to People. Of course she'd have the most ridiculous ring known to man kind. Of course she'd be engaged to a basketball player... I'm just wondering how long it is until they announce she's pregnant. I for see a baby being born in about 8 months. Just a thought.

Well Kim. Good luck. Now you've caught up to your sister's and you can live your fairy tale life. How long do you think it is until she's on to the next one? JK. LOVE YOU KIM!

And as a tribute to KK let's throw it back to fall 2010 and her 'leaked' song Shake.


Peace, Love, and KK keeping up with her sisters.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

I have a very addictive personality. I hate waiting for things, and if I want something I find a way to get it ASAP. I'm always obsessed with new things and begin every other sentence with- ohhh that's my favorite or one of my favorite things is...

Back in high school and college I always had a top 5 favorite things list. I decided to revisit my top 5 favorite things the other day and came up with a new list.

My top 5 favorite things back then were:
1. Sunglasses and Earrings
2. Music- singing, listening to it, performing, everything about it!
3. Cheesecake
4. Peirogies, Pulled Pork and Zucchini Parm
5. Boys

So as it stands today, 25 years young, these are my top 5 favorite things at the moment...
1. Accessories - rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, scarves, shoes etc. I LOVE THEM (ESPECIALLY anything with animal print...)
2. Music- everything and anything to do with it
3. Traveling- airplanes, airports, everywhere (I kinda have the travel bug BAD right now)
4. Reality TV/Social Media - although they don't really go together, I combined them because I wanted them both to make my top 5 haha! kinda obsessed. in terms of social media- over sharing should be in my personal statement.
5. BBQ Sauce and Milk - I could drink a gallon of both in like 5.2 seconds

Don't discount the fact that cheesecake is still the way to my heart and my 3 favorite foods are still peirogies, pulled pork and zucchini parm...but they didn't make the top 5 this time. I'm obsessed with everything that's the color purple, the Voice, dieting and trying to be healthy, the internet, Disney, safari animals and the beach - they didn't make the list either.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite songs of the moment. Although a year old, I still love it!!


Peace, Love and 'I LOVE THAT TOO!!'

BUY MY CAR

Check out my car posting:

Vehix Car Classifieds

Peace, Love, and Seriously Buy My Car.
K, Thanks :)

Biggest RENTHead Contest!!!

I remember when I first heard the Rent soundtrack. I was in high school. And I was in LOVE.
I was so obsessed with the soundtrack. I used to hate having to go to school because it meant I couldn't listen to it.

My friends and I drove 5 hours to see our first Rent show. We missed the first 5 minutes and were kinda pissed. We actually brought candles, stood outside the theater, lit them and sang Would You Light My Candle. It was pretty awesome.

We used to have Rent parties. Make Rent memorabilia such as bags, shirts, shorts, etc. Sing the songs alllllllllllllll the time. We even tried to convince our choir director to put on Rent. Yeah, that didn't happen BUT we did get to sing Seasons of Love my Junior year. That was definitely a highlight.

I've seen the show 5 times in the theater - including one of them starring Constantine Maroulis. I went to see the movie TWICE in the theater on opening day (midnight and then later that night) and bought it the day it came out of DVD. I had 3 different cd versions of the show.

About a week ago my friend Krista, one of the original RentHeads that I hung out with in High School, tweeted me a link for this contest. What contest you ask... ohhhhh just to find the biggest RentHead to become the official blogger for the show.

Um yes. I know what you're thinking. MY DREAM JOB!

Obviously I needed to apply. So I made a video... and although it's probably not the standard 'Pick me! I'm awesome! I love Rent' video that others may enter - I'm hoping to catch attention for my creativeness. Haha we'll see if it works!!!!!!!

CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!!!!!!!!!



Peace, Love, and I wish I was latin so I could play Mimi on Broadwayyyyyy

p90x update!

A few weeks back I threw out there that I was starting p90x.
And I knew I wouldn't follow it to a T. I knew that going in.

First week = all 6 workouts
Second week = 2 workouts (Brad came home this week sooooooo woops...)
Third week = 3 workouts
Fourth week = 4 workouts

SO now that I'm in my Fifth week I'm doing the 'Week 4'.

GOTTA KEEP IT UP!!!! Ahhhh I hate it, but I definitely feel it.

I love all these new gaga songs!!!


Peace, Love and Sore Arms!!

THE VOICE

If you're my facebook friend you already know, from all my statuses, my thoughts on The Voice.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

I love all the different rounds.
I love all the variety.
I want to be on it.
I love the drama.
I love the singing.
I love the coaching.
I love the concept.
I want to be on it.
I love Cee Lo.
I love Xtina.
I love Blake.
I love Adam.
I have great memories of TRL with Carson Daly (and also those crazy ones with Tara Reid hahaha).
I want to be on it.
I love the different songs they've sung.
I love the blind auditions.
I love the battle rounds.
I want to be on it.

And I'm lovvvvinngggg me some Javier Colon so far...

No, but in all seriousness. I love American Idol (and if you know me you know I've auditioned a few times already), but it's repetitive. It's the same week after week. Singer gets up. Sings. And is judged. This show is showing variety and I love it. I do realize it's NEW and it'll got old like Idol is, but I love it.

In other news- Idol is FINALLY coming to Pittsburgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's just hope I can make it to the auditions now that they're in my hometown! haha

Peace, Love and THE VOICE!

Insipred.

As I'm sitting here watching Dancing with The Stars (obviously rooting for Hines!! GOOOO HINESY!!!!) I've been really touched.

They just had a little girl named Tayla Kelley dance on the show who has been diagnosed with a life threatening illness - one which has given her until her 18th birthday to live.

“Tayla was born with the same disease as the boy in the bubble,” said Tayla’s mom, Jill Kelley. “She is missing the portion of her immune system that fights off bacteria so she receives weekly blood treatments in order to stay alive and healthy.”

Read more in this article

This little girl said she made a conscious decision when she was little not to be the 'sick kid' and has set out to live her life. She said she loves to dance and focuses most of her energy on dancing. She had the opportunity to dance with Chelsie and Lacey in front of millions. I'm not an expert on dancing, but I really think she did a great job. I was sooo proud of her - I can't imagine what her family was thinking! Within her 5 minute story on the show she really touched me and I hope she gets more opportunities to dance her little heart out :)

On a lighter note... I'm loving GaGa's new song

Peace, Love and live your life the best way you can!!

DJ got us fallin in love again ;)

Yup. I took these pictures... oh ya know... just 7 rows from the stage.

 7 rows from a man who can sing amazingly.

7 rows from a man who can dance his little heart out.
7 rows from a man who my mom lovingly refers to as

THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Years ago my mom got an Usher Concert on DVD and fell in love with Usher Terrence Raymond IV.

She used to ride her stationary bike in front of the TV (and also while checking emails ;) hehe love ya mom) and watched Usher bust a move. Between his dance moves, his awesome voice and the way he treated his mother (he got lots of brownie points for this one) my mom decided he was 'The Total Package'.

Being the amazing, awesome, beautiful, super, fantastic, best daughter in the world that I am, this year for Mother's day I bought my mom (and me) tickets to USHER USSSHEERRR. Now when I bought the tickets we were up in section 204, 2nd row, but still up high. After watching Akon perform (who was pretty good BTW) we spotted a row of seats down by the stage that was completely empty. Of course we ran down to the lower level and swiped the seats! Sitting 7 rows from the stage we were paranoid that the rightful seat owners were going to show up and kick us out... but it never happened! We got to watch the entire concert so close and it was A.W.E.S.O.M.E!

So happy that I got to see the total package perform with my mom :)

Love you mom!!!!

Peace, Love and the Total Package

It doesn't matter if you love men or have a fat hairy chin

I love this video. It's hilarious



Peace, Love and my love for parody videos! haha

Relationships

I actually just wrote a really long ass blog post about relationships and the different levels of emotions that you go through throughout your years of life and as I started reading it back one thing kept screaming in my head. . .

'how do you have any right to write this post?'

I'm not a relationship expert (you're shocked right? haha! jk)
I don't know anything about relationships expect for the sitautions I've been in.

Yes, I've made mistakes along the way... but it definitely has shaped me for the better.

Through good and bad, thick and thin, hot and cold, fun and boring, nice and mean times I've realized what is most important to me.

Here's a snapshot of my thought progression on relationships...

Things I've learned a long the way:

Family is everything. When you're with someone you're not only with them, but with their family.

You shouldn't ever have to compromise your family for your relationship. Don't let anyone ever make you feel bad for wanting to attend family or friend functions.

Career is important, but not when it comes before everything else.

Spending money is fine, when you have it. (I know, I know. I'm working on this one)

Faith and religion are more important than I originally thought at first.

There are people out there that bring out the best in you.

If you don't like something- change it.

Negativity is evil and will ruin any and every situation.

My current relationship is teaching me alot. Although it hasn't been long, I would honestly say I've learned so much and grown so much from it already. Patience isn't something I'm good with and having a rock to lean on is so refreshing and comforting. Not having to be the caretaker all the time and knowing that I have someone there no matter what is also amazing. It's so funny to look at the differences between us. (he'll probably kill me that I'm even writing this post about him- hehe sorry baby.) Our experience in life have given us both different perspectives.

For example- our situation kinda sucks currently.

He's been over in Africa working since January and we've been having a long distance relationship through the last few months. Now my mindset is that I hate it. I absolutely hate being away from him, that I can't just text him all the time, that I we can't be together every week,  that July 1st is sooooooooo far away, and that this is the worst thing that's ever happen. His mindset is- it's only a few months, it's a great career opportunity, that we're closer than ever and that the time we have together we make worthwhile. I feel that his experiences in life have made him so much more mature in this relationship that I currently am. My thoughts are more immature and wanting to have everything right now... now, that is my personality- I hate waiting for things, I'm a very 'in the now' type of person. I believe that I'm learning to accept things I cannot control and am gaining patience that I did not have before.

Relationships. Shamlationship. Who has all the answers? No one does... but when you find something that works and brings out the best in you (and your significant other) that can really make your heart smile. And mine is definitely smiling the biggest smile it's had in a longggggggg time.

Peace, Love and LOVE!

ps. I love you baby :-*



New David - Released today!

New David Guetta track released today... with my girl Nicki!!



Peace, Love, and David Guetta (I love himmmmmmmmm)

Happy Easter!!!

I hope everybody enjoys their candy, sweets, food, eating after 9pm or anything else you gave up for Lent today!!! :)

This Lent I really couldn't think of anything to give up that wouldn't really be benefiting me. For example- if I gave up candy it wouldn't really have been because of Lent, it would  have benefited me because it probably would have aiding in me losing weight. I was trying to think of something that would really push me to recognize the Lenten season. So that's why I made a commitment to attend church as much as I possibly could. The only time I didn't make it was when I went to Africa.

Thinking back on past Easters I realized that other than being with my Family I was with Iwona for 2 different Easters! One in Tunis, Tunisia and the other in Panama City Florida!

In Tunis they had these rabbits right outside the restaurant. Our one friend Katie swore that they kept disappearing and that they were the rabbit meat on the menu at the restaurant! haha

We had a really fun trip, but we were sad that we were missing the yummy ham and all the chocolate goodies back in the states!

 

Maggie, Jamie, Myself and Alicia sad eating our 'Easter Camel'

 
The following year a bunch of my wild and wonderful WVU friends went on spring break to Panama City, Florida. We were there during Easter so obbbbbbviously we dyed eggs! I'm pretty sure Iwona and I were the most enthusiastic about dying the eggs, but some others got in on the action. 

Laura, Jon and Ashley dying Easter eggs!



Me and Von loved it :) haha!

While we were on our way down to Florida we heard a radio station playing this song:



Wishing everyone a blessed and fun filled Easter :)
Peace, Love and Happy Easter!!!!!!

Not gonna lie.. kinda proud of myself

1 week down.
Yay! I did all 6 workouts this week!
Not gonna lie, pretty proud of myself.
And pretty sore.

So I went to Walmart to buy bands for my workouts anddddddd my car wouldn't start in the parking lot. Great right :(

On a side note... you should buy it ;) it's still for sale. hahaha! When it rains it pours right... of course something would be wrong with it when I'm trying to sell it. UGH!

This song gets stuck in my head for days....

Peace, Love and Cars that Won't Start.