Harry Potter Small Group

 We have a new small group at my church...it's finding God in Harry Potter. We're going to be watching the films (reading the books would take too long) and discussing the Christian symbolism in them. We had our first meeting last Sunday and I know this will not only be fun for us HP nerds in the group, but it will be informative for the parents of kids who are cautious about the witchcraft and wizardry in the books.
  Because there's been such a backlash in the Christian community about these books I think taking a closer look at them can make all the difference in the world. 


   All that said, I'm very excited and can't wait to get start....although I'll probably skip the 3rd movie...it sucks!

World Cup...Update

By now everyone knows that our Ladies did not win the World Cup. Although they put up a great effort they lost out to destiny and a team that had their entire country on their backs.

Japan came back again and again to ultimately win the Cup on penalty kicks. I cannot be happier for them because they needed it...as a nation, as a people. Joy is so little and fleeting at times of distress, but what little joy you recieve in these times can be life-changing. I can only pray that this was a life-changing moment for the people of Japan.

Being here and watching our Ladies lose was hard, but it was worth it...they showed the world that American fighting spirit, then the class we have, but so rarely demonstrate. I'm proud to stand behind this team and support them from now on. Next Up LONDON SUMMER 2012.

BTW, if I can only thank the Women's National Soccer Team for one thing, it's for introducing me to her....Abby Wambach, I'm thoroughly obsessed with you!

Another Blog...Again and again

 I decided to do this again....

 I have a tumblr blog, it's not a journal-like blog like this one...it is a "girly" fashion, makeup, shoes and accessories blog. I'm not trying to school anyone in the ways of being girly...cause I'm not, but I do have to say that somewhere inside of me is a real girly girl trying to escape!

 This belong is the first of many steps to that. I hope you swing by and give me your feed back, I'd really appreciate it!


 This blog will keep going, cause I still need someplace to vent my frustration and concerns.

 Until Next Time

The Royal Wedding

 I'm a girl who grew up watching Princess Movies...my favorite princess to this day is Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty. When the movie the "Princess Diaries" came out in 2001, my mom bought the VHS for me (I was 22). I remember watching the Wedding of Charles and Diana...they married in 81, I was 2. I'm saying all this to set up the fact that I'm one of those girls who hoped (and lets face it still does) that a handsome prince would look my way, sweep me off to his castle and place a tiara on my head. I don't even need to be queen, just a princess in fancy dresses and pretty crowns.

  So the fact that there is a royal wedding coming...not only that but the wedding of a prince to a common girl makes me happy. I can't wait to get up at 2:30 in the morning and watch this wedding. Watch this girl become a princess. Am I too excited...I don't think so. It's a wedding and a fairy tale wrapped up into one! It's a lovely story and I'm all for it. Some people won't get it, some will. I already know which one of my FB friends will be tuning in and I fully plan on tweeting and booking throughout...

  As I learn (I admit obsessively) about these two folks, I've found that no matter how "Crazed" other people around me may think I am about this wedding I'm not THAT crazy. A woman in Mexico was on a hunger strike until she got an invitation to the wedding (not sure if she's still striking) there are mobile phone covers, and I just found a full on refrigerator cover that feature the love birds...okay, I'll look at pictures of them on the Internet but I'm not putting them on my phone or refrigerator, and I'm definitely not giving up food for an invite. Not when I can watch it on television with popcorn and m&m's.

  This, as far as I look at it, is hope...there's always hope in love. There's always hope in two people coming together to pledge themselves to each other forever. There's always hope in the future when people are willing to take a step to become a united front, no matter what other's think. It wouldn't matter to me if this was just a regular wedding....the fact that it's a ROYAL WEDDING is just a bonus!

  So if you want to know where I'll be on the morning of April 29, 2011...it's in front of my TV watching BBC American and wishing well to these two Love Birds as their journey in marriage begins.

   Where will you be?

Totally Copying

So I read perezhilton.com everyday, but he also has a fashion blog and a health blog, which I usually don't read. A couple of weeks ago I thought I'd look at his fashion blog to see what was going on and I found something very cool. A fashion stylist whose worked for several big names decided to start an experiment with fashion and Walmart. I look up her blog and checked out some of her combinations and realized...I can do that to.


I'm cheap (well, broke) and I need to find clothes I can wear that are well...price wise cheap. I know that because I'm spending less I will be getting less. But I take good care of my clothes and as long as I'm not playing tackle football I should be fine. Besides, sometimes you can buy items for 50 to 100 bucks that are as cheap as items for 15 to 30.


So I'm going to start my own little fashion experiment but totally copying someone else's idea. Hey she wouldn't have started the blog if she didn't what to impart this knowledge on others right?


Good shopping to all!


P.S. last week I scored 97 cent jeans at Old Navy....pure awesomeness!

New Phone

  I remember a few months back I was jealous because my Brother had a bible app on his android phone. I thought (to myself) that I would get an app like that as soon as I got an android of my own...well, folks I got my new phone a couple of nights ago and it wasn't until about 45 minutes ago that I realized I hadn't already downloaded a bible app (but I had downloaded a "find Starbucks" app). So I installed the bible app and have been going along on my merry way since! Back to the phone...
  I got the Samsung Vibrant (which I keep calling the Vibrate)...it's an android and it's awesome...a website I found while doing research called it the "iPhone killer" and although I LOVE it and I do not regret not holding out for an iPhone, I wouldn't go so far as to call it the Killer...not yet. The phone has a beautiful colorful touch screen, plays video, has a great camera and is just all around fantastic (and yes you can make phone calls on it too).
 Like any new gadget I am very happy to play with it and learn about all it's new tricks...but as an "old dog", it's hard for me to learn some of the new tricks! This is where/when I'd pick up the handy dandy user guide and read read read all the info I could to help me...but the user's guide is lacking big time! It only has the bare minimum of information and the rest you have to learn with patience and by pressing every button you come across. I've learned some things that way, but a sufficient and specific guide would help me greatly!
  The phone runs on the google system...so I can easily get to everything I need, my email comes directly to my phone (without having to forward it) and I can get to my blogs without an additional app. Best of all, my social sites have greatly improved. Twitter and Facebook are amazing on this thing! So amazing that I've spent so much time on Twitter, I think I've forgotten about Facebook.
 Anyway, my phone is wonderful and I'm so happy I was able to get it! The only complaint I have so far is the user guide...well and the fact that I can't just sit and play on it all day. I'll update this with a picture as soon as I charge my camera battery (I've neglected it in favor of spending all my time with my phone).
  Until Next Time...

Mary Kay

 Over the past few months I have been trying to decide whether I want to take on the responsibility of selling Mary Kay. I thought about the extra money I could make, the great experiences I could have and of course the epic failure waiting for me at the end of the road.
  So since February I've had this running debate going on in my head and finally after making some hard decisions and coming to some fine conclusions, I realized that I needed to do something in order to help me reach my goals. But still to me that choice wasn't necessarily MK....remember EPIC FAILURE!
  This past Saturday I attended an MK event and I started to question all the road blocks I set up to prevent me from taking this on...and you know what? By the middle of the breakfast they were all knocked down and that was even before the main speaker got up to the podium! So, with all my caution signs laying by the side of the road I signed up to be a Mary Kay Consultant on Kristen's team. I know what my personal goals are...which I'm not really sharing yet, but my professional goals are simple...I want to do the best job I can, I want to help women see their inner beauty as well as their outer and I want God to use me as his light. And if epic failure is somewhere in my future, but I have accomplished that last goal...then I'm okay with that!


   So, Until Next Time

San Diego

So a couple of weeks ago Amber and I went down to San Diego to see No Doubt in concert. We planned an overnight trip going down on Friday for the show and coming home on Saturday. But since it was the long weekend we turned it into a weekend trip. Now, since we were going to stay longer we decided to go on a city tour and take our cameras so that we can get some cool shots of the area. We also decided to change hotels (thanks to Paul), and move from the first hotel, which was in Chula Vista close to the concert venue, to a hotel in San Diego close to the Gaslamp district, cause that's where Amber wanted to go hang out on Saturday night.

So we drove down on Friday and stayed at Best Western. Then on Saturday we drove from Chula Vista to San Diego and checked into the Westgate Hotel (pictures above). This hotel was very nice, we got a free upgrade and had a step-out balcony with a view of the harbor and mall. We decided not to go on the city tour...partly because we asked the concierge about it and she told us it sucked and suggested a different one, partly because we just didn't want to leave the room.

We did, however, go across the street to the mall and look for a movie to watch (cause the price for a movie at the hotel was 12.99), but we couldn't find the movie we wanted, so we walked around the mall for a while and then around the block and we stopped to get lunch. On our way up to our room the elevator stopped at a ballroom full of wine and champagne (seriously). When we got off to our floor we decided to take some pictures and as we where doing so a couple got off the lift with a dolly full of boxes of wine. Well they happened to be our room neighbors and Amber made a comment about having a party and they gave us some of their wine. Not only that but they came back and asked if we would want Champagne too, then went to go get it and brought it back to us. We drank and lounged most of the afternoon, deciding to do a different city tour that would pick us up by the mall the next day.

We went out to the Gaslamp and walked around ate and did a little shopping, the next morning instead of getting up we lounged some more (neither one of us wanting to get out of bed) we didn't actually talk until the movie we were watching was almost over. When it did end we got up and sadly checked out. Went and got coffee and hit the road again.

That drive was unexciting except I did think I got on the wrong freeway for a minute. We stopped at DAIRY QUEEN in Mission Viejo for lunch and got back into LA about 3pm. I dropped of Amber and went home to sleep.

All in all I had a great weekend, even though we didn't do what we set out to do, it turned out to be pretty perfect!

No Doubt in Concert!!!

Tomorrow at this time I will be driving down to San Diego with Amber to see No Doubt at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater. We will be spending the whole weekend down there taking in the sights and sounds of the city!

I'm so excited not only for the concert but also because I don't have to go to work tomorrow! I think it'll be good!

Have a great weekend everyone.

WICKED!!!!

This past weekend, my friend Amber, my brother and I went to see WICKED at the Pantages theater in Hollywood. So, I thought I would give you a review of the show and tell you about my experience.
First of all, the theater is beautiful, if you like old Hollywood art and history then you have to visit this place. I can only assume that it was renovated prior to this revival of Broadway shows having long engagements in Hollywood theaters. It takes you back to when men wore suits and women knew that dressing up didn't involve jeans and a cute shirt. It was a fabulous place to see a fabulous show.
WICKED is the untold story of the witches from the Wizard of Oz, we see them all Glinda, the Wicked Witch of the West and the Wicked Witch of the East and how their lives were all tangled together and ultimately "wrapped up" when Dorothy and Toto came to town. It takes place in Oz, of course, where there are talking animals, a road made out of yellow brick, a university called SHIZ and of course a Wonderful Wizard.
I do have to say that the musical is based on a book written by Gregory Maguire in 1996. I tried very hard to read this book in it's entirety but after three attempts (the last two i didn't even get as far as the first) I gave up. But I didn't have to read the books to understand what was going on in the musical. In fact, from what I read in the books, the show explained it better anyway.
The outlying set was really mechanical, but if you know anything from the book you understand that it is set is the clock of the time dragon (which in the books, tells the truth of all things, but isn't featured in the musical). There are bright shiney lights all around the set, but they aren't always on, though they'll blind you when they do come on. The costumes, are great they're kinda funky, but you have to expect that, you're in OZ, And the animals talk...they are flying monkeys and yes the Wicked Witch of the West is green.
The truth of the story is simply this... "are we born wicked or is wickedness thurst upon us?". We see the Wicked Witch, whose name is Elphaba, and how she grows thru college and how she comes to be what we see in the Classic tale "The Wizard of Oz". But there's always another side to everyside, and ultimately you see that that tale is just a retelling from someone on the outside trying to look in. You'll laugh, smile and if you're anything like me you'll cry a bit. you'll be moved by the friendships. disgusted by the lies and inspired by the music. The singing is fantastic...and I saw the show with Elphaba's standby actress (the lead wasn't in) she rocked the house...then brought it down.
If you've never seen a musical then I suggest that you go see this one, it's 2 hours long, but it doesn't feel that way and the close of the first act will truly take your breathe away. The only thing is that production on this show stops in January, so if you have the time go....

I know I didn't say much, but I don't want to give the story away and I fear that if I get into the story I'll let something slip. Okay, well here's something...it starts in OZ after Dorothy and the Wizard leave and the story is told in flashback.

Lord of the Rings Marathon

Hallo Shire Folks,

Today Eden Grace and I had our second movie marathon day. The first one we had was last year and we watch the Harry Porter Movies, well today we watched all three Lord of the Rings movies and not just the theater versions either. We watched the extended versions of each movie. We've both seen all these movies several times, but thought that it would be great to just sit and watch them all back to back to back.
We started at 10 am with a brief breakfast and turned the first movie on at 10:30. We sat and ate popcorn, m&ms, pastries, chips and dip and we drank, water, soda and juice. My mom and brother watched the movies too, but they didn't sit with us.
Eden's favorite character in the films is Legolas and I really like Gandolf. Although Legolas is my favorite in the book and I'm partial to Elijah Wood out of character.
Our Marathon day went way into the night and we finished up at about 11pm. I didn't cry at the end of Return of the King like I usually do, but it was still good. We dropped Eden off and except for everyone involved having gas I think we had a great adventure in Middle Earth.

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us take over the living room and and thank Randal for not eating all our food. Thanks to the Fenwicks for letting me steal their kid and thank you Eden for spending a great day with me.

Pirates Adventure

Hello Everyone,


I have to tell you all about the Pirate's Dinner Adventure in Buena Park. You should all go, it's a good time of music, food, adventure, drinks and pirates. You will like everything about it or my name's not Melanie!!!!
I went to the Pirate Adventure for the second time this past Saturday. I went with eight other people to celebrate Amber and Paul's Birthdays and we had a great time. So let me tell you about this place.
When the doors open you come into a "holding room", which leads into the "Tavern (or as the show calls it) the governor's ball room"....There you'll find three bars and several appetizer stations. You will also find two souvenir shops (one big and one small). The doors open about two hours before dinner starts and about an hour and a half before the "show" starts. There's a stage in the tavern and there you'll meet the Princess and the Pirates. and of course the pirates are there to seek revenge by kidnapping the princess and stealing the treasure. As "invited guests" to the ball, you are subject to being kidnapped with the princess. From the tavern, you follow your pirate (all pirates have a distinct color, you are given a colored pass when you check in at the ticket booth), which will be introduced after the princess is carried away, into the main dining room which has a large ship in the middle, once seated....Let the games begin.
The show is great (if you're not too drunk to pay attention) you follow the pirates on board as they sing songs, play games and do battle against one another and you eat....You eat some darn good food. The servers are great and everything is super entertaining, you can cheer for your pirate, boo the others, sing along and clap. And when you leave, you can go back into the tavern drink coffee, eat more dessert and dance....dance, yes Kristi you can dance. All in all it's a rockin good time and I think everyone should go enjoy it. It is very cheesy, but we all need a good dose of cheese every now and then.
So....I give the Pirates Dinner Adventure in Buena Park to thumbs up and I hope to see you there soon.


Peace Out
m