American Princess - Episode 2

If you missed Episode 1 check it out here.

American Princess Episode 2 - 1 of 3


American Princess Episode 2 - 2 of 3

SWAP!!!

Shawn over at Seriously is hosting a SWAP! So go check out the rules and join in on the fun! I can't wait to find out who my SWAP partner will be and I'm looking forward to seeing all of the fun goodies that everyone gets and shopping for my SWAP buddie!

American Princess - Episode 1

I have posted a few blogs about the reality show I was on and a few people had asked me about it, so I thought the best thing would be to share it with you! I made some GREAT friends on the show and one of them, Crystal, was able to download the videos on her myspace and I was able to get the code and share them with you here. So for the next 6 days I will be posting each full episode in two parts on my blog.

The show was filmed 6 years ago, so although we are taking a walk back in time, you will really get to know a HUGE part of me, because although I am 6 years older and wiser, I am still the same girl you will see on the show. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did living it! :)

FYI- Crystal, Stephanie U., and Carol become some of my dearest friends that I am still friends with today!


American Princess Episode 1 - 1 of 3



American Princess Episode 1 - 2 of 3

Rain, Rain, Come Again!

I know that I am probably the only one on the planet that doesn't like the heat (well, I take that back one of my Bestest Friends is in total agreement with me and luckily my hubby doesn't like it either). But I HATE HEAT!

I know, I'm crazy, It's Summer and the sun is shining and kids are playing outside, blah, blah blah.

I live in the North West for one reason, it isn't supposed to get that HOT here, and I LOVE RAIN!!!

Since, it's not supposed to get that hot here, nobody has air conditioning installed, so on days like TODAY, my entire house is smoldering.

Reasons I don't like it over 68 degrees:

Doing basic house cleaning turns me into a sweaty mess!

Cooking is NOT an option, especially when you have a gas stove (refer back to #1)

Even in little to no clothing, I'm still a hot, sticky mess!

Can't sleep well because hot, sweaty, sticky mess, then add hot, sweaty, sticky husband who likes to sleep diagonal to the mix and that ='s NO SLEEP!

Reasons I LOVE the RAIN + Fall/Winter + any temperature below 68 degrees:

It is much easier to cover up and get warm if I have a chill. Translation: it is easier to get warmer if you are cold, then it is to get cooler if you are too hot!

I like burning my 8000 party light candles. Translation: flame leads to heat which I won't add to in the summer, so I can only light in fall/winter cold months.

I like a fire burning in the fireplace and my house spotless and to be cozy up on the couch watching a movie.

I like kissing in the rain!

Only exceptions to HOT weather:

1. Laying out by a pool and being able to get in anytime I want.
2. Being on vacation anywhere Tropical.
3. Being at the beach.
4. Having air conditioning!

***side note: I like the Sun, just when the temp outside is below 68 :)

Sorry I have been MIA....

Wow, I can't believe it is almost August, and I can't believe it's been over a week since I last blogged. Too much going on, and although I LOVE blog land, and all of my bloggy friends, I also really love quality time with family and friends and Summer has just been crazy busy.

So wanted to touch base with a quick update:

The Bachelorette- Men Tell All- It was no surprise to me that Wes didn't come on the show. I seriously can't STAND him and I'm starting not to like my former favorite reality blogger, Reality Steve because he is sticking up for Wes and sounds like he is actually becoming his friend. Not a fan! Basically the boys and the "Man Code" was really annoying me, and overall I felt that Jillian is not "in-love" I am not even sure if she is going to choose anyone. She just seemed very vague and never seemed excited or giddy about being "in-love." But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for Ed.

Tonight's SYTYCD episode was FABULOUS! Ellen D. was the best celebrity guest judge EVER!!!!! I laughed so hard. And Tyse's Contemporary routine made me cry like a baby.

This week my 11 yr. old cousin is staying with us and she is my own little chef :) she planned out a weekly menu of dinners and desserts and let's just say, I am NOT dieting this week. Here is what our menu has looked like so far:

Monday: Chicken Fettuccine with Cesar Salad, Bread with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar and a Trifle for dessert.

Tuesday: Homemade Chili, Cornbread, Guacamole, and Key Lime Pie.

Wednesday: Chicken Parmigiana, Broccoli crown with cheese, garden salad and Cheese cake pops for dessert.

Thursday: Mustard Marinated Flank Steak with Yam fries and Orange Dream Shakes!

(Did I mention that she is only 11!) She needs her own cooking show. :)

So that is what I have been up too. Oh and WORK- which has been keeping me SUPER busy! I will be catching up and commenting on blogs soon.

My Heart!

I was tagged from Kristen Marie over at: and all that Hoopla

To:

"with as much creativity as you can muster, show your heart in: a picture, a poem, a song (or piece of music), a phrase (or quote), an item of clothing, a place, and (just for fun) a Disney princess. if you want to join in, tag 6 more blogs."

So here I go!

My Heart in a picture are these 5 children (and one that was just recently born and not pictured.) I currently do not have any children of my own and I pray that one day God will bless me with my very own, but until then I love these kids I swear to you like they were mine. They are my nieces and nephews and I am so blessed to have a wonderful sister and sister in-law that lets me take them pretty much whenever I want, and I have a Husband that loves them just as much as I do.

A poem I am skipping because I don't have one :) (well that is a lie, I have one of my own but I can't find it, so that is the real reason I'm skipping it. Can you believe that after living in my house for over a year I STILL have things in boxes. I do!)

Okay, just so you all know, Pretty in Pink is one of my all time favorite movies. I have wanted to name my unborn daughter Andie because that was Molly Ringwalds name in the movie and the song "If You Leave" by OMD is one of my all time favorite songs. So that is why I chose this song to show you a piece of my heart!

A phrase or quote: Tickled Pink and Fabulous (of course!)

A piece of clothing: My Wedding Dress- which I'll have you know was also PINK (well they called it blush but it had a light hint of pink to it!) :)

A place: Ireland. This was taken on a trip my Husband and I took the week he proposed to me.

A Disney Princess: I have to say Cinderella. I just love the rags to riches story and her finding her Prince Charming.

Now I tag:

Becca at: The Texas Darlings

Amber at: aeFilkens

Tanya at: Miller Racing Family

Sara at: Domestically Challenged

Friend Makin Mondays

This week while Kasey from All That Is Good is enjoying her vacation with her family. Friend Makin Monday is being hosted by Mamarazzi over at Dandelion Wishes. So go check her out and join in on the fun!

This weeks question is:

List 5-10 of your favorite things! These can be things you think everyone must have, a collection of things you have, or some product or miracle invention that has changed your life (yeah I am a little dramatic)...it's YOUR list of favorite things...HERE are a SOME of mine (with pictures...you don't need to add pics if you don't wanna)!!

And the winner is.......

We have a winner folks, and I had to laugh because of who it is, and I am so happy for her, but also sad for a few other blog friends because I know how excited they would have been to win!

Khayla over at Adams Family is the (picked at random-see below to see how I randomly picked) big winner of the Twilight giveaway. Khayla is new to blogging (in fact I am the one who begged her to start blogging) and to enter my giveaway because she LOVES Twilight and Edward Cullen. And then....... She wins. Soon, she will have Internet at her house and will be blogging more, so go check her out, I know you will all love her as much as I do.

THE Surprising NEWS........

Is that I had already bought Khayla a few 'Twilight' themed things for her Birthday which is in August and some of the items I bought are duplicates of what she won, so I picked a runner up for the remaining items which are: The bookmark, magnet and Twilight Sweethearts and that random winner is: Bobbi from Bobbi In La La Land. (Bobbi, please email me at jackson_ml@hotmail.com with your address so I can send you your little Twilight goodies) :)

• To pick the winners I went to http://mytexttools.com/Random-Line-Picker.html
• I then entered all the entries (almost everyone was entered twice for being a follower and leaving a comment).
• I then pressed the 'PR' button which randomized all the entries that I entered
• then I pressed 'pick 1 line' which picked 'Khayla'
• then I pressed 'pick 2 lines' which picked 'Bobbi' for the runner up prize.

Congrats to the winners! I hope EVERYONE has a FABULOUS weekend!

Photoshop for Dummies! Part 2

THANK YOU DJ FOR SHOWING ME HOW TO DOWNLOAD MY PSE FILES INTO DOWNLOADABLE FILES ON MY COMPUTER! YOU ARE FABULOUS!

My Before PSE Photo!

And After PSE Photo! - So Cool! :)

Photoshop for Dummies!

I am attempting to learn photoshop.

Key word: ATTEMPTING!

My goodness, this program is hard? Am I the only one who thinks this?

Luckily I am taking a class on line which is helping A LOT, but it is still a work in progress and I had thought I was pretty good with computers until this program.

Anyone else use photoshop and have any tricks of the trade to share with me?

Here are two things I have worked on, I guess it's a start! :)

*********************************************************

Okay, SCRATCH that!

I just tried downloading the Photoshopped pic's into my blog and it won't let me because I obviously didn't save them on my computer correctly. It saved them as a Photoshop elements link to PSE, not a picture!

ARGGGHHH!!!!!!!

So I guess I still have even more to learn then I thought! SO FRUSTRATING!!!!!

Happy Friday! :)

Bachelorette Review

Okay, I have been struggling with how to write up my Bachelorette review all day. Truthfully I was so disgusted by wes that I am pretty much speechless. So instead of writing the same feelings about wes as everyone else has who watches the show, I am instead going to direct you over to my blog friend Connie who frankly, wrote one of the best reviews for last nights show and honestly I couldn't have said it better myself. Connie I feel the same way about EVERYTHING you said and I love the letter you wrote to wes. (I don't feel that he deserves his name capitalized!).

So blogging buddies check out Connie's Bachelorette Review at:

The Young and The Relentless

And make sure to take her pole on the left hand side of her blog! :)

This week Friend Makin Monday is hosted by Kelli at Outside My Kitchen Window while Kasey from All That Is Good is out enjoying herself on vacation! :)

This weeks question is:

Tell us about your BFF...where did you meet, was it BFF at first sight, how long have you been friends, etc.

What makes him/her your BFF...what is it about this person that makes him/her so special to you?

I met my BFF in the 3rd grade and we have been friends now for more then 23 years. Her name is Niina. (with two i's)

I truely believe that God brought us together and meant for us to be Best Friends, and she has been by my side through all the ups and downs of life, happy and sad times.

I think we had every sickness together growing up, and when I needed some sense knocked into me about a certain boy I was dating, she was there to tell me to snap out of it.

When I had my heart broken and just needed to get out of town for a few months, she quit her job and moved to Montana with me for the summer.

We lived together for four years after college and multiple break-ups and I used to call her my 'wife' (in a non-lesbian sort of way) She would cook for me and take care of me, and I love her like my own sister.

My favorite times with her are when we take the whole day and just spend it together; going out to breakfast, having pedicures, shopping, going to a movie and then out to a nice dinner, wine, and desert.

No matter if I fail or succeed, Niina is always there for me and I couldn't have asked for a better or more loyal best friend. I love you Niina! xoxo :)

TWILIGHT GIVEAWAY!!!

Yay!!! I am so excited to be giving away some fabulous Twilight gifts to one lucky winner. And even if you are not a fan of Twilight, I am SURE you know someone who is, and everyone loves to win free stuff, right?!

First, ALL items were bought from Forks, WA where Stephanie Meyers found it to be the perfect setting for her Twilight saga books (and where I happened to spend my fourth of July- see yesterdays post).

There are three ways to enter:

1. Comment on this post
2. Become a follower (and if you are already a follower, just let me know)
3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog (and let me know)

Super easy! ***giveaway will go until 8 p.m. PST on Friday July 10th***

Here are the fabulous items one lucky winner will win!

I'm a Twilighter Tank in turquoise glitter letters (says Forks on the back)

Young Love Lives forever Book Mark and Magnet

Fang Floss- LOL

And Love at First Bite, Werewolf Droppings (chocolates)

4th of July weekend in Forks, Wa

We had a great time in Forks this weekend, but boy am I happy to be home. There is something about sleeping in your own bed.

And Forks used to be this tiny little town that no one knew about, but now, it is still a tiny little town that EVERYONE seems to know about because of Twilight Mania!

Everything in the entire town is Twilight!

Twilight Coffee's at the coffee shop are named: Breaking Dawn Breve, New Moon Mocha's etc.

the restaurant's menu's all talk about Twilight.

A man stopped me in the only grocery store in town and asked if I knew of any fast food joints and I said, no, that they didn't have any fast food like McDonald's or BK, and he said, 'Well Bella had to eat somewhere.' LOL

The parade had a Bella and Edward look a like (not really) in her red pick-up (see pic's below)

And everywhere you went they sold Twilight memorabilia.

I could see where the residents of the tiny town of Forks would get so irritated with all the hype, but it was so much fun for me to buy lots of twilight gear for my Twilight giveaway that I will be posting about tomorrow, so make sure to come back and enter. There will be three ways to enter, and I am so excited about it! :)

Here are a few pic's of my weekend. Hope you all had a fabulous Fourth of July!

My Aunt and Uncle's property where we had a huge picnic and camp out

Forks, WA (and Edward Cullen) Here I come!

For all you non Twilight Fans- (are there any of you out there?) Forks, Wa. just happens to be the town of one Bella Swan and one Edward Cullen and I will be travelling there tonight! I'll be there around Twilight (hahaha) :)

My Aunt and Uncle have lived there my whole life and they have a HUGE Fourth of July event (well, as huge as it can be for a town that is only 2 miles long).

So we are packing up our stuff and our dog (who can't be left anywhere because she is so afraid of fireworks I am afraid she'd run off) and we are headed north!

I will be MIA for a few days, but when I get back I will be having a FABULOUS Twilight themed giveaway (Jenny Kate, get ready!) :)

I will also take tons of pictures!

I hope everyone has a FABULOUS Fourth of July!

Photo Tag Game!

I was tagged from Tanya at Miller Racing Family to play in this Photo Tag Game!

The rules:

1) Go to your photo files…Select the 6th photo folder

2) Select the 6th photo in that folder

3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.

4) Then challenge 5 blog friends to do the same!

This picture is of my Nephew Tanner, and my Niece Tessa.

I have six nieces and nephews and when the oldest (Shaun) turned five I took him to Disneyland for his fifth birthday. After that I made it a tradition that on each of their birthdays when they turned five, Auntie would take them to Disneyland. I think I get just as excited as them as the day approaches and we usually start talking about it on their fourth birthday to get them really pumped up for an entire year. In this case, Tessa and Tanner are only 6 months apart in age and Tessa is older, but since they are so close I decided to take them together and give Tessa a few more months to try to grow a few inches (she is really TINY). This picture is of them on the plane to California. This was their first plane ride and as you can see, they were both so excited. My husband and brother (Tanner's Dad) also went and what you don't see is that my Brother and I are both terrified of flying but we had to act like we were cool with it because we didn't want to scare Tessa and Tanner. We are hoping that they will not have our same fear. They actually loved it, well, Tanner's ears hurt him really bad on the way down, but he wasn't afraid of the actual flying. At one point as we were getting ready to land he had these big crocodile tears in his eyes and he said, 'Auntie, why does God make my ears hurt so bad on the plane.' I about melted to pieces.


Once we were off the plane and went to the hotel pool and then slept until morning, they had a BLAST at Disneyland. 3 kids down, 3 more to go!

I know this is cheating, but I had to add one more photo from this trip!

This was the end of Day 1 Tessa was pooped, but both kids were troopers on Day 2 and made it till midnight! :)

Flip Flop Exchange

First thing is first, I didn't get axed by an ax murderer! :) And sweet Jess from A Queen, her King and their two Princes (love that blog title by the way!) was the blogger to send me some fabulous flip flops!

These are so cute and comfy and I own a lot of flip flops but I didn't have any with brown soles so I was very excited to add some brown to my collection and anything with PINK, is FABULOUS! Thank Jess, for the flip flops, the cute little magnet and for NOT being an Ax Murderer! :)

And a HUGE thank you to Becca at The Texas Darlings for hosting this Flip Flop Exchange. :)