Friday, December 17, 2010

'Tis the Season!

Once again, Casey, my friend...your blog inspired me! I started to post a comment on a few movies you didn't have on the list --and definitely should see if you haven't yet! :) -- and then I started thinking about all my favorites....

I love the holidays! And I looooove my Christmastime movie and tv specials! Here's a list of a, um, few (lol) of my all time favorites! Ok, 25 of them, roughly listed from most to least favorite! After 10 it all really gets a little fuzzy :D

1. White Christmas ( <3 Bing Crosby!!)
2. Polar Express
3. Christmas in Connecticut
4. Elf
5. It’s a Wonderful Life
6. A Charlie Brown Christmas
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (original tv special)
8. The Santa Clause
9. Home Alone
10. Glee’s Christmas Episode
11. Santa Baby (ABC Family Movie)
12. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (the old, awesome claymation-style one!)
13. Frosty the Snowman
14. The Holiday
15. The Family Stone
16. The Muppet Christmas Carol
17. Meet Me in St. Louis
18. Hallmark’s Christmas in November
19. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (movie)
20. A Christmas Story
21. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (made the same way as Rudolph)
22. Miracle on 34th Street (1947, 1994)
23. A Christmas Carol (1951, 1984 tv)
24. The Nutcracker (1993, starring Maculey Culkin)
25. Disney’s Fantasia’s Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy

I was going to write a little bit about each one and include some visuals...but there are 25 movies, and I think most of them are pretty self-explanatory as to why they are so great. Some are just plain awesome, some are reminiscent of a younger, more innocent time in life, and others are time-tested classics. Hope you enjoyed my list and maybe discover a few to add to your own! :)

xo-k

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Dick-Move of the Day

Wow! Really?! The following video is a clip from last night's Jets/Dolphins game. An assistant/strength and conditioning coach for the Jets (Sal Alosi) INTENTIONALLY tripping a Dolphins player (Nolan Carroll) while running along the sideline.


I seriously can't believe that happened!! I mean really?! C'mon people!! That coach should be FIRED! He could have ended that player's career! Alosi's lucky it looks like a "clean" trip and Carroll sustained no significant injuries...that could have ended up much, much worse!

What kind of person does that, though!? I get that as a coach (and probably former player), you are still very apart of the team, you get really into the game/wish you were on the field, and your emotions can run high...but none of that excuses Alosi's actions! Just absolutely ridiculous...had to share!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The "Infinite" and the "Unexplainable"

So this morning I was watching The View (judge me if you want, but I love their Hot Topics lol), and they said that scientists have recently made some discoveries that suggest the universe is three times bigger than we originally thought it was. I wish I could find a clip to put in this post, but I watched it twice to make sure I heard it right. Well, naturally, my question was: How can something we believed to be "infinite" suddenly be "three times bigger" than what we currently thought?

It's been on my mind all afternoon while decorating for Christmas around the house. I couldn't understand why people just HAD to know the answers to everything, and they "whys" behind all the mysteries of life. Why can't people come to a point where they accept not EVERYTHING can be explained, and that maybe those things that are hard to figure out are better left to accepting as something bigger, outside the realm of human understanding, and possibly divine?

So anyways, I decided to do a little digging and look for some articles about the topic. What I found was that the actual article from Yale (found here) really says that there are three times more stars in the universe, specifically red dwarfs, which in turn increases the number of possible planets in the universe, leading to the possibility of more "Earths" and life similar to our own out there--except they'd be far more "evolved" because their galaxies are apparently older than ours. Anyhow, I thought it was just interesting, even if finding this article kinda killed my whole train of thought on people saying the size of the universe multiplied, haha.

xo-k

Monday, December 6, 2010

Day...5?

Ok, just to be holding myself accountable...

Friday's workout: Wii sword fighting w/Truman (my kindergarten-aged neighbor lol. he's tough competition!!)

Saturday: Technically, I gave myself Sat/Sundays off...but if you count dancin my ass off at P&L...lol

Sunday: Coach vball. Yeah, I play and do some workouts w/them, too! They def worked harder though, haha!

Monday: P90X Cardio workout (43 min)

So far...on track!! :)

Oh, minus the getting up earlier part...oops! Weekends will do that to ya! :)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

My 30 Day Challenge :)

So I guess a lot of people that blog/use facebook/twitter do these 30 day challenge things...and I thought, hmm...sounds kinda fun! But, I'm doing my own little twist.

See, lately I've just been feeling so tired, sluggish, lathargic...just plain blah! I know my lifestyle doesn't really help much...I have such odd hours with work: Some days I open at 9am to get the office stuff ready. Some days, that's it. Some days I stay and work the floor, opening the bar from 10-11am, which includes sweeping, washing windows, cleaning tables...just getting the bar ready for customers to come in starting at 11am. Days are slow, so I'm usually cut by 2:30pm. Some days I do non of that can come in around 4:30 for a night shift, which is much busier, and can last til 1:30-2am if i'm the closer. So I don't really have a  regular sleeping pattern. And as much as I want my rest, and I require a lot of it each night (lol),  I hate sleepnig in late. Even if I'm not scheduled to work the next day til the night shift, or not work at all, I just feel like it wastes the day.

Anyway, so here's my challenge to myself: I'm going to work out every day of the "normal" work week (Mon-Friday) and have weekends off. I'm not going to give myself any strict rules as far as what i'm going to do each day, or how long I'm going to do my workouts. Sometimes I think that defeats the purpose. My minimum workout time is 20-30 min though, since I have a couple dvds that fit that criteria.

I started today already actually! :) So here's what I did:

  • Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, Level 2 (20 min)
  • BeachBody's 10 Minute Trainer, Cardio (10 min) & Yoga Flex (10 min)
  • Karen Voight Yoga & Sculpting, Abdominals (10 min)
There was also about 20 min of Windsor Pilates Maximum Burn Cardio....but it was really dance-based, which is great 'n all....but the last time I took a dance class, I was about 6 years old...and it's just not for me as far as workouts go. Fun on a Saturday night, that's a different story! lol :) So I stopped that one, cuz I felt like I wasn't getting anything out of it. Then after my ab workout I was moving to the Yogaflow (25 min) section of the dvd...but I got really light-headed and sorta blacked out for a sec...like, pre-passing out (which I've never done, but I don't wanna find out what it's fully like), so I decided it was definitely time to quit for the day. And definitely time to eat, since I havent since breaky! (oops!) Time for lunch!

PS- I started my day with an energy drink (NOT like Red Bull! ick!) It's called Spark, by Advocare...its supposed to be a healthier version. Comes from a powder mix, NOT a carbonated pop can. And I followed my work out with a post-workout recovery powder  (chocolate flavored!), but instead of just mixing it w/water I mixed it in with my peanut butter-banana smoothie (banana, spoonful of natural creamy pb, organic non-fat skim milk, and crushed ice)--so good!

OOOH, and my goal is NOT weight loss. It's to GAIN energy, and to tone up. I also hope to start doing the exercises earlier in the day/mornings...which I hope will help regulate my sleeping pattern somewhat. I just want to feel GOOD again. So naturally, I want to clean up my diet a little, start avoiding the little things that i've let slide lately (like snacking on french fries in the kitchen at work, lol, and avoiding so much fried stuff/cheese). More veggies/fruit, more lean/white meat vs. red (though I will NOT turn down a steak if I want one!)...stuff like that!

Ok, that's it, just putting this out there to hopefully help hold me accountable in some way. :)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Love is Love

I got motivated for this blog when reading my friend Casey's about her support for gay marriage. A friend of hers commented like many people I know do: they don't agree with banning it, but disagree with the homosexual lifestyle. And many religious friends say, like this commenter noted, that allowing homosexuals to marry goes against the "sacredness" of marriage that is intended only for a man and woman.

But, if you ask me, there is nothing more sacred about straight marriages than gay marriages. I mean, look at all the cheating scandals, 5-minute-marriages, lies, etc. that are strung across tabloid headlines in recent years. Hell, even way back when,, Elizabeth Taylor was married eight different times! Isn't a marriage sacred if the couple trust one another, and treat their partner with respect, they are loyal, they never stray, they never commit adultery, and they are together forever ( barring major infractions on the previous criteria). I'm sorry, but I just don't see a lot of straight couples that are fulfilling those requirements of a sacred marriage.

According to Dictionary.com, here are a few definitions of the word "sacred:"

sa·cred [sey-krid]
-adjective


4. reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object


5. regarded with reverence

6. secured against violation, infringement, etc., as by reverence or sense of right: sacred oaths; sacred rights.

and... reverence =

rev·er·ence
noun, verb, -enced, -enc·ing.

–noun


1. a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.


2. the outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence.


3. a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, bow, or curtsy.


So, I say, why keep a whole group of people - who are human and love just like the rest of us - keep from finding happiness? I know I look forward to the day I can plan my own wedding, I know how that desire makes me feel....and if I were told I could not have the day that I want to celebrate the love I feel for my man/the love we have for one another...I would be devastated. I don't think that anyone who has the desire to celebrate their love with friends and family, and commit to a sacred marriage between themselves and their partner, should be denied the right to do just that.

xo-k

AMA Fashion!

Sooo last night was the American Music Awards, and, as always, they provided me with plenty of great costume ideas for Halloween next year lol. Well, at least the outfits worn during performances did :) But, I was seeing some other fashion I loved, so I felt like sharing some of them (with, like, the one person that reads this, haha!):

:Taylor Swift:

I LOVED her new 'do, loved the sparkly dress, loved the shoes, love love love T-Swift :) (Mini by Colette Dinnigan)

:Rihanna:

 There was a lot of lacey, see-through looks at the awards show last night, from the red carpet to the award podium, and this one is one of my favorite. Most of the others were black, but I like how Rihanna took the trend and made it her own. (Gown by Elie Saab Haute Couture)

:Katy Perry:

Omigosh Katy looked flawless last night! I loooooved this look on her, so girly and soft, which is such a 180' from her crazy-fun performance costumes (which I love just as much)! She always looks amazing, especially when she glams herself up like this.

:Whitney Port:

I didn't see this til looking through People Magazine's website, and I think she looks fabulous! I mean, really, she looks so pretty, and so her age. I feel like Whitney's City looks kind of age her a bit, and she's always in black! I love this look on her! (Dress by Rafael Cennamo, shoes by Camilla Skovgaard)

:Kelly Osbourne:

I don't know how anyonen can not love her. Kelly looks so amazing lately, and last night was no exception! I adooooore her! Serioulsy, look at her! Amazing!

:Miley Cyrus:

I am NOT a Miley fan. I mean, I find some guilty pleasure in some of her music, yeah, but her...can't say I love her. Horrible, horrible "idol" for young girls (see her b-day pic below). But, I will say that she looks pretty good in this dress, minus the ridiculous train/tail. I hate when something long like that is attached to a mini (see Julianne Hough, below in trends). But, I will say its a MAJOR step up from this:

WHERE ARE HER PARENTS!?

:Jessica Alba:

She looks so good! Perfect necklace for an asymmetrical neckline, love the sleek lines, love the LBD/gold accents, shoes are to die for...she definitely got it right last night!

There were a few other looks I liked that I just can't find embeddable (is that a word? lol) pics for, but Dave from Lady Antebellum and his wife looked amazing, as did John Legend and his...girlfriend? Wife? Date? Not sure on their status lol.

TRENDS

:See-Through Lace:

Heidi Klum and Julianne Hough both wore the same trend I mentioned earlier (Rihanna), but I'm just not loving these versions. Especially on Julianne....I LOVE her, but I don't love the half/half dress thing she's got going on. Either make it a full-length look or chop off the lace overlay where the rest of the dress ends.

:YUCK YUCK YUCK:

Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha...both look ridiculous. I don't care if this is a "fun" awards show and you can get away with a lot more experimental fashion....these looks suck. Newsflash: neither of you are Lady Gaga, it doesn't work for you! Nicki...she has awesome curves...but there's absolutely no need to accentuate them even more, we see them. Ke$ha....you're just ridiculous...everything she wears/does just seems so gimmiky and fake to me...that dress looks like a shredded trashbag. Just stop. PLEASE.

Willow Smith...adorable girl...love that whole Smith fam...but....this outfit...well it's a look. C'mon Will and Jada...you're fashionable people...that has to transfer to your kids.

Thanks for reading, if you did! haha!

xo- k

all pics from People.com and Usmagazine.com

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Things I want to Do

Just a little, "of-the-moment" list. Purely going off my mood today/yesterday/this week/this month...whatever! Subject to grow. Not likely to change :)
  1. Take a photography class
  2. Travel abroad--Italy, Greece, Ireland...for starters :)
  3. Find my "calling"--a job that both pays AND I actually enjoy
  4. Watch all the Harry Potter movies
  5. Make a move
  6. Take that next step
  7. Live happily ever after
The end.

xo-k

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Picture Perfect

This is seriously the most beautiful fall afternoon...I took the pup and kitty out earlier for some fresh air and a little dabbling in photography.

My mom's been talking about how she wants to take pictures of our trees this fall and send them to my brother, who's away at the Air Force Academy, so he could have a little taste of home. Since I loooove fall, love taking pictures, love editing pictures, and looooved this weather I decided to make good on mom's wish and do the pics for her. I have to go get ready for a volleyball banquet now...so I'll just post one or two of my pictures from this afternoon for now. I might get a few more on later :)

xo-k




Saturday, November 6, 2010

"I swear I sound just like her when I'm singing in my car!"

This time, exactly one year ago, I watched some of the people I love most in the world go through one of the hardest things anyone could every go through. Hell, it was one of the hardest things I've ever been through...

A month earlier, at the beginning of October, I went with my boyfriend to Wichita to celebrate two of his friends from his hometown's birthdays, Robbin and Beth. It was seriously one of the best nights of my life, I had so much fun with a group of people I have grown to love so much over the past 5 years! This was pretty much the first time I'd gotten to go out with Robbin, mainly cuz her life had taken her down a different path during college, and there was a little falling out for a little bit between her and some of the group we were with. But all was well now, and everyone was together and celebrating and having an amazing time. I honestly felt like I had found a long-lost sister-friend, haha. Robbin and I really clicked, and after that night I was so looking forward to my boyfriend and I going and visiting/going out with her and her husband...I really cannot put into word how awesome that night was, and the impact she made on me that night. I know it sounds cheesey, but you know when you meet someone and you just KNOW they are meant to be a great friend? Or even a boyfriend/girlfriend, whatever, someone significant in your life? Well, that's kinda what I felt with Robbin.

A month later, on a Wednesday night, I was at my boyfriends. I was on his living room couch, and he was in the bathroom (lol sorry for the tmi !), and his phone rang. I NEVER look at his phone when it goes off. I NEVER answer his phone. I just don't. But for some reason, that night, I did. It was Cayla, another one of his friends he grew up with. I ran the phone to him, while it was still ringing. "It's Cayla," was all I said. I don't even know what made me do it. I mean, he was in the bathroom! I went back to the living room, sat, and waited. I listened a bit. Something...wasn't right. Within a few minutes, Jake was back, and all he could say was:

          "Robbin was in an accident. It's not good. They don't know if she's going to make it."

They...don't know? IF? What?

It wasn't five minutes before we were in the car, driving the hour or so from Emporia to Wichita's Wesely Hospital to join her family and the friends we had all just been out with the month before. It was around 9 or 10 pm when we got there...Everyone was waiting for her to get out of surgery...waiting for swelling in the brain to go down, crying, praying, hugging each other....I cry now just thinking about it and typing this up.

No one slept. No one ate. It was the worst waiting game in the world. She was on a ventilator...they couldn't get her levels right to do one thing, or when they did the swelling would go up...it just went back and forth, and back and forth...it was excruciating...

It hurt me knowing this wonderful woman and great friend was going through this. But I had only known her that way for about a month, even though I'd "known" her for almost 5 years. Moreso known of her...but all these people I was with, my friends, they had been her friends forever. I mean, they had all gone to grade school/middle school/high school together in the same small town in the middle-of-nowhere, Kansas. The kind of town where you know everyone in your class, and the classes ahead of and behind you, where you dated all your guy friends at least once, and so did your best girlfriends, and there's no hard feelings about it. I love them all...and it killed me even just a little more to watch all these friends that I care so much about watch this person we all cared about...die.

They couldn't save her...I'm not even sure she was ever really "there" the entire time we were in the hospital. Late Thursday afternoon, the group of friends that had been together so long growing up went in to say goodbye to one of their own...her college friends said goodbye...her parents said goodbye...her younger siblings...her husband...her baby boy...

We left the hospital around 6pm. On the drive home we got the call. She was gone...

Jake dropped me off to get my stuff and my car, and about 30 minutes and a good deal of tears later I drove to his place to stay the night. When I got there, he was on his phone...calling Robbin. His voice breaking, he told me, "I just had to hear her voice one more time."  He called to hear her voicemail message.

I don't get it. I don't get why...why someone like Robbin would be taken away, just a month after turning 23. Taken from her parents, siblings, husband, son, friends...maybe she was just too good to keep here. I believe that...God just needed her more...

Oh, you know what caused all this?

Texting.

The girl that hit Robbin was texting and driving.

I am both simultaneously pissed and ashamed. Pissed because, well, geezus! Really?! How fucking NOT fair is that!? If that girl had stayed off her phone, Robbin would still be here with us today. I'm ashamed because I know I'm guilty of doing the same thing. That sure put things in check...

Anyways, I'm going to leave this with the lyrics to a Toby Keith song that I heard for the first time that Friday morning after leaving Jake's house. The video came on CMT while I was in my room by myself. The words described so much of the last 36 hours...so much that I started balling uncontrollably. It's my "Robbin Song." That, and anything Taylor Swift. When one of her songs came on when we were out for her birthday, Robbin exclaimed, "I SWEAR I sound JUST LIKE HER when I'm singing in my car!" Just another reason I knew we were meant to be friends. :)


Me and Robbin

Jake, Burl, Me, and Robbn

ps...she played the saxaphone in high school...just listen to the song/video, or read the lyrics. 


 



"Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)"

Got the news on Friday morningBut a tear I couldnt find
You should me how I am supposed to live
Now you should me how to die
I was lost til Sunday morning
I woke up to face my fear
While writing you this good bye song I found a tear

I'm going to miss that smile
I''m going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I'd do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
I'm not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I am cryin for me

I got up and dialed your number
Your voice came on the line
That old familiar message
I have heard a thousand times
It just said, sorry that I missed you
Leave a message and god bless
I know that you think I am crazy
But I just had to hear your voice I guess


I'm going to miss that smile
I'm going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I'd do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
I'm not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I'm cryin for me

Oh

So play your upsidedown, left handed
Backward bass guitar
Ill see you on the other side superstar

I'm going to miss that smile
I'm going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I'd do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
I'm not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I'm cryin for me

I'm still cryin
I'm cryin for me
Oh
I'm still cryin


Love you Robbin...Miss you and think about you all the time...

xo- K

Friday, November 5, 2010

I am obsessed!

I love making things look pretty. Like this blog. I like things to feel like me; let a little bit of my personality shine though. Even if nobody but me sees this...when I look at it, I want it to be an extension of myself.

I've been trying and trying and TRYING to change the fonts of my page header, post headings, sidebar headings, dates, etc to a font that is not in the short list of generic/defaults given. I am anything BUT generic, my friends ;) I am fabulous, so I want this blog to be. ANYWAYS! I've gotten SOOOO CLOSE! I've downloaded a super-cute font from www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts (seriously, adorable!), and even gone through this whole tutorial thing  , but I STILL cannot get it to work! So I looked for another way to do it, by just replacing the name of the font used in the HTML editing stuff to the one I downloaded. Well, that works, but ONLY when I have the file opened on my computer! :( I WANT THIS TO WORK SO BADLY! If anyone comes across this blog randomly and knows how to fix it, and you see that all those headers are still lookin' pretty generic, pleasepleasePLEASE let me know how to do so!

Thanks!

xo- K

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Annoyance 2010

I know, right? How DARE I not VOTE!? Yeah, yeah, I know, I should’ve. I even WANTED to. I always WANT to. It’s my right. I should exercise the right that my countrymen aaaand women fought for. It’s my duty to “rock the vote” if I don’t like the way things are going, or even if I do, to make sure things keep going the way they are going.
Truth be told, I HATE politics. I absolutely despise them. I know that should be no excuse for not voting, but it is. Part of it anyways.
I guess what I REALLY despise are the politicians. A classmate in high school once said something that I found both really funny and poignant (obviously, because it, of all things, has stuck with me for the last 5 years):
The word politics is derived from “poly-“ meaning “many,” and “ticks” meaning “blood-sucking
parasites.
          -Joe S.
It’s so true! That’s what they all are! I mean, did you SEE all those ridiculous smear campaigns candidates ran against each other?! I don’t even know what issues our candidates stood for, all I know is that Carnahan lady (I THINK) said that….oh what’s his name….well whatever it is (it WILL come to me later!), she compared him to Lindsay Lohan. Really? Lindsay Lohan? How in the hell is that even appropriate? How does anyone expect me to take them seriously as a politician with a true commitment to whipping this city/state/country into shape when you’re calling your competitor Lindsay Lohan?? Yeah, he had  a DUI he lied about or whatever, but still, showing a picture of LiLo’s mugshot alongside a picture of this candidate does nothing but make me say “WTF?!”
Now that that rant is out, I want to make it clear that I know it is my responsibility to learn the stance of each politician on all the issues relevant to society and decide who best represents my own beliefs/values (though I can’t say I’m convinced they HAVE values), blah, blah, blah….but I get so turned off by these ridiculous and malicious campaigns that I just tune out. I tune it ALL out. And the constant bombardment of automated messages left all day, every day, for each candidate on each issue…omg it’s absolutely exhausting. Not to mention, incredibly annoying.
So, if I’ve learned ANYTHING this week, it is to do my homework. Learn what’s going on, then go vote. Make a difference. If you don’t know what’s going on, it’s your duty to educate yourself to make an informed decision. If you DO know what’s going on, then duh, VOTE! Otherwise, stupid things happen. Things you don’t agree with happen. Things that maybe your vote would have helped avoid. Like Bristol Palin making it through these last two rounds on DWTS over both Audrina Patridge and Rick Fox, who are both OBVIOUSLY better than her (definitely did my “homework” on that one, just didn’t vote, haha)! How the hell she’s still on there now…I don’t know! But I’m guessing her mom has something to do with it! :P
Just a quick side-note: I do not consider myself a part of ANY political party. I guess if you HAD to label me, I’d be a pretty liberal republican. Or conservative democrat? Or something in between or outside of that! J
-xo- K