movie time

- last week i went with one of my most near and dear friends linzie to see the film black swan. what an outstanding, dramatic, beautiful and traumatic film. i found myself at the edge of my seat, hoping to at any moment rise above the audience and do a perfect pas de deux. this movie left me with a remembrance of being a ballerina. short lived, maybe not even deserving the term of a ballerina but it was a short lived dream. i was blessed with FLAT FEET, but i won't let that stop me know as i have a goal to reconnect with that lost ballerina within.

back to the movie. i highly recommend it to anyone, in fact everyone. it is not a sexist film, nor is it colorblind. it was in one word, unreal. natalie portman portrayed her part with flawless movement and poise. her portrayal alone left me questioning my own sanity. mila kunis who should not go unrecognized was the antagonist in the film. she was incredible and her performance truly had me asking linzie "is she acting, does she practice ballet?". both women are outstanding alone and together are a power dual.

i am a person who enjoys horror films, thrillers, and dark twists on otherwise comical subjects. black swan was and is the best movie i have seen this year.

i love leaving a movie feeling empowered, my first words were, "i know what i am gonna be for halloween".

- today i went to the palladium theatre with my dad, mom, one of my younger brothers, garren, and my husband blake. our movie of delight, the king's speech. i am not by any means a movie goer but its a hogan tradition to attend a movie on christmas day. unfortunately this christmas we were lazy and didn't follow through. but, we all knew which one we wanted to see and today was the perfect day to do so. typically i will red-box movies that i want to see but this is another film that i was excited to see. plus i love the theatre because it has every element you could ever wish for in a theatre... a full bar, arcade, two restaurants, a gelato stand, and of course your staple movie theatre choices (popcorn, giant pickles, pretzels, and blake's favorite: hot dogs!)

as i have so ruthlessly described i am a sucker for history. this movie was rich with the essence of a pre and post war era. in one scene colin firth (lead actor, portrayed king george the sixth) steps into the doctors office and the wood floors, window heaters, tall ceilings, blue and green wallpaper, and crown moldings had my eye.  i love history! there was also a scene with a portrait of william shakespeare, i quietly looked at my brother and said, "did you see the painting?", it had flashed so quickly he didn't notice. back to the acting, portraying a king with a speech impediment couldn't have been crafted by a better actor. geoffrey rush is a genius. he plays the king's speech instructor in the film. the chemistry they both shared on screen was surprisingly comical and at times brought tears to my eyes. they bonded onscreen and actually formed a friendship. this is a movie to see. i recommend it to anyone who cares about the world war II era and britain history as a monarchy. 

so get up, go out, and voice your opinion!

have any of you seen these movies?

saying i do

i am determined to transform my frustrations, advice, and hope to help a bride out there.

i recently married the love of my life in a gorgeous, yet affordable, outdoor evening ceremony. the day was a blur because there is so much to get done i.e., makeup/hair/photos/dress/drink fluids. so to help out any bride who may stumble upon this post i hope i can help.


blake and i had a year and a half engagement, which left plenty of time to get anything and everything complete... or so we thought.


first, find a photographer, if you plan to have one, and go over EVERYTHING, including what you want, when the photos will be ready to be viewed and settle on an appropriate time frame. i have been married for 55 days and still do not have my photos. my photographer says 10-12 weeks is standard. hmmm, don't remember having that conversation with her at our first meeting. i live in boerne, here are a few suggestions west vita, he is excellent and timely, urbane photography, and rachel russo. check out their websites.


secondly, your food menu. decide on something the yes you and your groom like but also something that almost everyone likes. we decided to go with don strange, a local caterer who customized our menu to perfection. we served mini sliders (hamburgers) both vegetarian and  slaughtered animal (ha!), mini french fries both sweet potato and regular, mini grilled cheese sandwiches, a mashed potato bar that allowed you to choose what you wanted in them and then they were served in martini glasses. there was also a carving station which featured pork pulled something, i honestly wasn't a fan of that part. continuing with the theme of home  and feel good foods we had fresh steamed veggies, a salad bar complete with fresh local grown vegetables and choices. also adding to the homey feeling was a macaroni station at this station you could also pick and choose what you wanted in them and the chef made it right there in front of you. i couldn't have been more happy with how the food was presented and how it taste.
my only upset was that we found out after the wedding they just threw away ALL of the paid leftovers! blake & i would have much rather had our families take leftovers or to have had them donated to a homeless shelter.
the stations were unique and customized to my vision. we had old luggage cases that held various plates, the silverware was mix matched and i collected it all summer from various thrift stores and antique shops. i had them arranged inside of drawers that i customized with crystal, glass, and brass knobs; none of them were the same.


next i want to talk about a wedding planner. hire one. now. i recommend lisa newburn. who ever you chose is completely worth the money. i promise.


the dress. i unfortunately picked mine up about 6 months prior to the wedding, never tried it on, didn't check for any imperfections and when it came to the 2 month mark, i tried it on. the zipper was broken. the boutique where i purchased it from said because i took the dress from them it was no longer their problem. eek! we had our local tailor make the corrections, $300 tagged on to the original cost of the dress. so when you pick up your dress, try it on, have them keep it in the boutique for you. schedule more than one fitting.


shoes. i wore custom made cowboy boots. my designer was my amazingly talented cousin her name is lauren bates, her company is called born again boots. fantastic.


i want to advise each and every single bride out there to be a bridezilla. do not stop that voice inside you from saying what you want or how you feel. take a deep breath and let it out. my wedding was wonderful, everything i dreamed and hoped it would be, but i had to be a b!tch. things had to be delegated to people and the only one who did that was ME. it's only one night of your life, but it is YOUR night so it should be how you & your groom want it to be.


something i did along the way to keep others in check and to have documentation was to print off all emails between venders and to also use the 'lock' feature on my phone to save any text messages. it was easy to do that because if i had a tiff with any of the people involved i had proof of what they promised. don't settle.


if you are wondering where we had our wedding, both the ceremony and reception were at cibolo nature center. a gorgeous spot and completely unique.


we also built our own photo booth and then donated it to the center, which has become a fun spot for hikers, visitors, and locals to take goofy photos.


a lot of the wedding was DIY, my idea, and i wouldn't have traded it for anything else. i have had so many gracious people tell me how unique and special the event was. my mother told me that my vision was complete and everything was 'so you'. blake's original thoughts were that it would look like a giant garage sale, he was quite happy with the result, no garage sale at our wedding. although we had a few guests steal extra champagne bottles on their way out (tacky!) which were to be used for my parents brunch the following morning.

our guest tree. we asked each guest to 'leaf' their thumbprint and sign their name

is this a helpful post?
or is this just the result of a bride who wants what she was promised?


you be the judge.


more to come later....

only the tan survive

today i began by day by having a client over to my house early. the coffee was flowing and my custom air-brush tanning machine was spraying a glorious bronze onto my winter white client. i love my side business, making others feel good about their appearance, especially their tan, is one of my passions. after she left i decided it was time to make myself a bronzed goddess. it's tricky tanning yourself, especially your backside but well worth it. i always feel better both mentally and physically when i have a tan. plus my method is 100% safe and cancer free! i spent more than half of my life in and out of tanning salons. i would rollerblade to the closest salon (this is a memory from the seventh grade) tan, then skate on to the next salon. it's disgusting to admit that i would go to up to three salons per day! in college i found mystic tan which was awesome put i would 'cocktail' it, which means spray tan and then tan in a regular booth as well. it was my vice, my double whammy. then at the beginning of the summer a girlfriend of mine, nina, helped me start my own tanning business. i haven't been in a booth since.


one thing i like the most about my side job is getting to know the people. i tan them right outta my living room (awkward you would think, but it isn't) and like a hairdresser, they want to purge their thoughts and feelings. sometimes i think they not only leave my house looking good but also feeling good. it's nice to sometimes tell a stranger your secrets. anyone who is thinking of starting their own business weather it be tanning, retail, or maybe something beyond the norm my advice is to DO IT!


i guess today is my pre new year's pampering day. i am off to get my hair done and by done i mean blown out, it's something i cannot give up. pamper yourself and know that you are a creature of god, now worship yourself!

say no to tanning beds

rain is a good thing

birds of a feather

a perfect home

a rainy day

skeleton keys

i woke up this morning ready to tackle the day, home alone was on, which happens to be my favorite movie. my husband went and got coffee for us and the skies were showing signs of a storm. my favorite weather is stormy, rainy, and full of surprising thunder claps and rays of lightning. i am about to leave to travel to a small town nearby called kerrville. there are several cute antique stores that i cannot wait to visit. but most importantly i am going to change my name. we have been married since october 30 and due to the fact that i am a teacher i haven't had the time to take care of this important matter. my precious frup bella bell is watching as i type this. i will post photos of my babies soon. it's hard to imagine that 2010 is almost over. the new year will stir up many emotions, memories, and most of all hope for a blessed year. i hope you enjoy your morning and remember that "the soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience"- Emily Dickinson

• what type of weather do you prefer? 

beginnings

'the cross wall'

the same cross blake & i used at our wedding ceremony

beginnings are scary. here goes my perspective into life, love, and happiness. i begin this blog and venture into an unknown universe before the new year. stay tuned... i am a novice.


i have added photos of things i enjoy. one of those things the the old medicine box i found at a flea market. knowing simply that it is filled with history, tragedy, hope, bliss, and all the other emotions that come with having a house, maybe a hospital, entertain my curiosity. i simply love the old and allow my imagination to create a story. i also have posted photos of my 'crystal' shelf. my husband, blake, hates my nick-knacks, the shelf alone irritates him; yet he allows me to continue collecting because it makes me happy. on this shelf you will find treasures from all over the globe, italy, germany, india, u.s.a, to name a few. my hunger for the old is an appetite that will never find its end. there is also a photo of a window pane with mirrors, crosses, and pressed flowers. my husband gave that to me on my 27th birthday, as a surprise after i picked it out at a local market day event. the dryden sign was created by my incredible mother-in-law, martha, she is so talented. it was a wedding gift to us. as you grow to know me you will find i have a curiosity for birds, history, maltese dogs, family, turquoise, voodoo, and louis vuitton. i am excited to begin this journey of purging my inner most thoughts, questions, and ideas into the unknown world that we call the world wide web.


is there something you have been wanting to start but haven't found the time?


how about today?