Goodbye MySpace, Hello Twitter

This week I made the big decision to officially terminate my MySpace account... granted, I've been on the "social networking" site for years now, but with my obsession to Facebook ranking a much higher priority, I've decided to leave my friends there behind (even though I am sure the majority of them are on the Book now anyways) - the more I think about it, I spend way too much time on the internet each day and I am trying to be more active away from my Blackberry obsession, so I'm limiting myself to Facebook updates and Blogspot posts from now on (someone hold me to that, please!!)

On another subject, what's the new obsession with the now infamous Twitter? I haven't understood what all the fuss is about, but I have to admit, the other day I jumped on the bandwagon and created an account for myself. I guess I am asking my blogging friends out there exactly what is it?? Is it just so the people around you can know what you're doing at EVERY moment throughout the day - maybe I'm missing the point, but please provide any clarification you can because I'm super confused and I don't think it's just because of my goldi-locks. I thought I was technology-savvy, but apparently I'm getting old already seeing as I don't quite get it just yet. I do intend on seeing what this new website has to offer though, so stay tuned =)

If you want to follow my Twitter updates, see my profile here

It's Miller Time

It's Thursday afternoon at 3:00 and I'm sitting here in my office at work-trust me, I have plenty of things that should be occupying my time right now, but I think my mind is focused on something way more important than closing out proposal files... my best friend is getting married in 2 days! I'm elated, amazed, and ecstatic at the thought of how much fun this wedding weekend is going to be and I can't help but let my emotions get the best of me today. Put it this way, I think I am a pretty emotional person, but I've never been a real crier, and as I sit here typing this, I can't help but get a little teary-eyed.

I remember when Bev met Christian in college- they had gone to my other best friend's (Meg, my roommate) beachhouse in Seaside and I guess you could say they hit it off and were pretty much inseparable from that point on. I look back on all the happy times I have shared with them throughout the past 4 years they've been together and I know wholeheartedly that they are absolutely PERFECT for one another. They bring out the best in everyone and I know they're set to embark on one heck of the journey of life together... I mean, look at how cute they are - oh my camel and giraffe couple, you make me laugh and I love the times we get to spend together (even though it's not nearly enough since you're all the way in Knoxville).

Speaking of, I've got lots to get accomplished tonight before we embark on our journey to Memphis tomorrow morning to get this shindig underway - manicure/pedicure, tanning bed, pick up my bridesmaid dress from the alterations place, last minute workout, packing the car up, but it's all well worth it to know I get to stand next to my best friend on Saturday as she says "I Do" to her very own prince charming. I'm trying to get myself ready so I don't fall apart during the ceremony on Saturday, but if I'm already this emotional, I may need to pack my waterproof mascara =) Let's get this party started!! I'm ready for Beale Street, singing "Walking in Memphis" 100 times, Silky's dueling piano bar, divers (the deadliest group drink you could possibly imagine), Rayford's, and as much southern BBQ as I can possibly stand in one weekend!

FYI-I promise to have loads of pictures up next week, too so you can all enjoy, too!

Feel Good Music

Ever come across a video that just makes you smile? That's what the Plain White T's "1,2,3,4" video does for me... set amid the bustling metropolis of Chicago in late December 2008, the song centers around the ever-engaging subject of L-O-V-E! Between friendships, long time loves, and newly declared couples, I think this video focuses on something so positive, especially when we sometimes get caught up in the mumbo-jumbo of everyday life and forget to be thankful for the numerous relationships we have: our love of God as well as our love of friends and family. Hope this brings a smile to your face just as it does mine each time I watch it =)

Town Hall for Hope

In an attempt to brag about my roommate and how wonderful she is, while blatantly giving some PR for the ever-popular Dave Ramsey, I wanted to post about an event going on this Thursday (April 23rd at 8:00PM EST) around the country called "Town Hall for Hope". This event will be broadcast live around the country to thousands of venues where Dave will speak about the current U.S. economy, the "doom and gloom" that fills the radio and TV stations, and where we're headed in the near future. He will answer questions throughout the event, and the best part is that the town hall meeting is absolutely FREE to attend!

You can go online to view the current hosts for the event (loads of Nashville-area churches are participating) and for those of you not located in Mid-Tenn, visit this page to see where you can go to watch the broadcast and listen to exactly what type of economic crisis we're involved in and how to best weather the "storm". You can also ask questions to Dave via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, phone, and email.

And last but not least, a big shout-out goes to my roommate and best friend - she has worked extremely hard on this event and I know it will turn out to be a HUGE success!! Love you Meg!

Happy Birthday Friends

Today, April 16th, marks 2 birthdays for some special friends in my life... the first, turning 26 is my good friend Cody - we met each other my senior year in college and actually dated for 3 years. He and I have been through a lot together and after some time apart, have recently become close friends again - he is a great person, fun to be around, honest, straight to the point, a good listender, and someone I'd do anything for - Happy Birthday Cody- hope you have a great one and can't wait for the volleyball birthday celebration on Saturday. I promise to bring my A-game!

Cody and I at Jim's in the Boro

Go Titans!! (we look sooo much younger- probably because this was 2006)

At Steeplechase 2007- My Favorite Day of the Year!

My other friend Leslie, turns the BIG 25 today!! WA-HOO woman and welcome to the 25 club- you're officially 1/4 of a century old - I promise you this will be a great year!! Leslie and I are friends from college and met while we were both in Delta Gamma... we've shared some very fun experiences together!! She and her husband Dusty currently live in Charleston, but are hoping to move back to the Nashville area soon... other than being a crazy friend, Leslie is in the process of starting her very own photography business- her work is incredible and she is doing extremely well for herself so if you or anyone you know is in need of a FANTASTIC photographer for weddings, engagement pictures, baby shots, etc, be sure to check her out here.

Happy Birthday Leslie- can't wait to be reunited soon!!

Leslie and Dusty at Price's Tailgate Before the UT/FL Game Last Year

One Month to Live

Increasing my faith is something that has been a real eye-opener to me here lately... I'm going to a church that I love on a regular basis (Brentwood United Methodist), reading the Bible as much as possible, praying to God on a daily basis, and recently I was told about a book that is supposed to change your life and the way you live forever. As I can be somewhat of a skeptic when people talk about life-changing movies, books, events, and so on, I decided I was going to check this book out for myself and see what all the fuss is about. Boy I didn't know what I was getting myself into...

"One Month to Live" - this is the title of the book and to be honest, I'm only on Day 2 of the challenge and I can already feel a difference in the way I view my life, what I want to change, and what all I want to accomplish. The background of the book is this... all of us here on Earth tend to live like we're guaranteed a tomorrow, we say "one day I'll do this", and we act like our days aren't numbered, but in all actuality, God has a plan for each and every single one of us and we're only guaranteed a today. This book is a challenge for anyone that decides to undertake it- you're given 30 days to read the book and each day presents you with a different lesson under 4 guiding principles on how to live. It also encourages readers to face their own mortality and to live life to the fullest without having regrets. As you read a chapter a day, the authors present make it count moments, quotes on how to live each day, and then at the end of each section, you're presented with questions to make you reflect on what you read and how you're changing your daily life.

At the end of the 1st day's chapter "The Dash", you're supposed to tell at least one person you know (a friend, family member, work associate, etc.) that you are reading the book- they are supposed to circle the date on the calendar and then ask you 30 days later if your life has changed from reading the book- well I've asked a few of my good friends to do this for me and hold me accountable to getting through the book within 30 days... we'll see what happens.

The point of this post is to say that we all have doubts: doubts about our faith, our lives, our careers, our families, our future, but in the end, we need to have ultimate faith in God and how He guides us and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you're looking for some clarity in your life, this IS the book to read... 2 days down, 28 to go =)

The Power of Thank You

Never underestimate the power of "THANK YOU!" Trust me, it goes a long way and people will be more open to helping you in the future if you offer words of kindness and appreciation. For example, I recently helped my best friend Bev with calligraphy for her wedding invitations and she was kind enough to send me a hand-written thank you card for my work- to be honest, this gesture meant more to me than anything else she could've done- it shows there are ladies out there who were raised with manners and still know when and how to send a quick thank you note. And then today, I received another note from my friend Jennifer's mom (a work colleague of mine). Last week, I had dusted off my trusty paint-pens and decorated little easter eggs and chicks for her granddaughter and extended children in her family... to me, this was a fun little sidejob to distract me while at work, but she was genuinely appreciative and penned a sweet thank you card for me, as well (and actually gave me a Starbucks card, too!).

These little acts from people that I'm close with just show that there are individuals out there that still take enough time out of their hectic lives to do something nice for others- isn't that what life is all about? Anyways, I just wanted to tell them that their random acts of selflessness didn't go unappreciated and I'll gladly display my thank yous at work on my desk to remind me of how lucky I am to have such incredible people in my life =). Have a great day!

P.S. I'd also like to give a little shout-out to Courtney (a good friend at work) who while out shopping this past weekend, saw a pair of shoes that screamed my name and decided she just had to get them for me... they were a steal and she said she knew I'd love them. I am happy to report that they are officially adorable and I'll be sporting them soon- am I a lucky girl or what?? I love you Courtney!!

Cirque du Soleil

If you know me at all you know I am not a sit-at-home and take it easy kind of girl... I am definitely one that loves to be busy and thrives on having a jam packed personal life. I love trying out new restaurants, traveling and seeing different cities, and whenever possible, I absolutely love going to see concerts and shows. Last night, my boy and I went to the opening night performance of Cirque du Soleil's newest show, Saltimbanco.

The show, with means "to jump on a bench" in Italian, explores the urban experience ,the people who live there, and the hustle and bustle of the street. Even more, the costumes were colorful and extremely detailed, the cast was out-of-this-world talented, and I am still in awe of just what these people can do with their bodies. I could work out at the Y non-stop everyday and still not have the ability to do what they do... truly incredible!!

The show is in Nashville for the next 3 days (day and night shows) and if you have the opportunity to go, you most certainly should!! I know for a fact you'll sit there in amazement throughout the entire show and you won't be able to stop talking about it afterwards... I'm sure my friends at work want me to shutup about it already-haha!

And on a side note, Happy Easter friends!! I hope you have a blessed holiday and get to spend it with those who are most important to you... Meg and I are actually getting spoiled by my parents this weekend because they are taking us to Destin!! We're keeping our fingers crossed that this beach trip will provide us with better weather than we had a few weeks ago, but we're most certainly looking forward to relaxation and reading time, lots of great seafood, and a little shopping, too!

A Favorite Site

So I can't take all the credit for the fabulous website MxyerTones because one of my old friends (who will remain nameless) gave me the link a long time ago, but I definitely wanted to create a post dedicated to this site and relay on to my blogging friends just how great it is.

Not sure about you, but I love to download ringtones on my cell phone, except for the fact that I'm cheap and refuse to pay $2.99 for one song - that just seems a bit ridiculous to me considering I get tired of the ringtone after a few weeks... with Myxer, you can upload music from your computer and then create your own ringtones - to break it down, you can cut out a particular part of a song you're wanting (the chorus, verse 1, bridge, etc.) and can crop it into your very own ringtone. The best part, it's absolutely free!! Once you pick the 20-30 second section you want, it sends you a text with the ringtone and you can save it to your phone... it's so easy!! Even more, you can upload your favorite pictures of family and friends to store as contact ids and wallpapers for your cell phone, too! I know it sounds too good to be true, but I assure you it's not - and just think of what else you can spend all that extra money on that you save with using this service... for my close friends out there, you could take me out to lunch! =)

New Nashville Tastings

As I'm still on my journey to try as many restaurants as physically (and financially) possible in Nashville, last week I tried out 2 new places... both in my favorite little suburb of East Nashville coincidentally enough! The first was Eastland Cafe which is located right next to Rosepepper Cantina (my favorite Mexican establishment in Nashville with the absolute best mojitos in town!). A trendy little cafe, we started our meal off with the Coconut Shrimp appetizer and then for dinner I had the Pecan Crusted Chicken - both were absolutely incredible and believe it or not, your money goes a long way there! Even better is that they have a nightly HAPPY HOUR from 5 to 6:30 which is perfect for those after work rendezvous with your favorite person... appetizers are only $5 and include such goodies as pepperoni pizza, spring rolls, hummus, and potstickers, specialty martinis are $5 as well, and their premium beers are featured at a whopping $3 - a little can go a long way at this casual bistro that's a sister restaurant to the Park Cafe.

And while I'm talking about East Nashville, I'll also mention another fabulous find we discovered last week... Battered and Fried Boston Seafood House at 5 Points - a little forewarning, do NOT go here if you're looking to eat lightly, but quite the opposite- if you're itching for some fried fresh seafood, this is the place for you! They do feature a sushi bar, as well as sandwiches, pastas, and burgers, but I went all out and tried the Batter'd and Fried Basket which had a sampling of fish, clam strips, and butterfly shrimp AND quite possibly the best french fries I've had in what seems like forever! They also have a cozy little patio perfect for spring and summer nights and I can't wait to go back with a big group of my seafood lovers- ARGGHHH! (that's my best pirate impression)

Bring on the Rain... Bachelorette Style

Some friends may get sad at the idea of a bachelorette weekend surrounded by flooding waters, but if you know my friends at all, you know that didn't get in our way one single bit this past weekend when we went to Seaside for Bev's Beach Bachelorette Bash (try saying that 5 times fast)! What started off as a nice relaxing drive to the beach quickly turned into monsoon mania once we got into Florida late Thursday night- we took our time and arrived in one piece... then the fun really started!

Friday morning we got up, looked outside, and knew we were going to have to revise our outside activities of laying out and drinking so we decided to let loose and play some fun drinking games inside... there's nothing like playing F the Dealer at noon with your favorite friends! Within 3 hours, we all had a lot to drink, had downed 4 (yes I said 4) bags of chips and dip, and then decided it was nap time before our Friday Night Fun commenced.

Party Signs for Natalie's Arrival at the Airport

Those Bars Make Me Think We're Locked Up For the Day!

For dinner, we went to our favorite Italian beachside eatery, Angelinas, which is amazing each time we visit (if you've never been you MUST try it- it's literally a 1 mile drive from Seaside to Sea Grove where it's located). After rounding up the troops there, we headed to our local bar Bud N Alley's... the band couldn't play because of the weather, and it was pretty chilly that night, but that didn't rain on our parade- lots of drinks that night, and even I can attest to that =)

Me and My Hot Date

Julie, Bev, and Bev's Sister April at Angelina's for Dinner

Some of the Ladies at Bud N' Alleys in Seaside

Saturday morning, we took it pretty easy and once afternoon came around, we were pleasantly surprised to see the storms had passed and we finally got to take a walk on the beach! Yes it was a bit chilly, but it was great just to be able to dip our feet in the ocean and walk in the sand.

Later that day, we all got showered and ready and had a lingerie shower for Bev... she did exceptionally well with all her lovelies (yes, that's what we'll call them) and of course we had her favorite margaritas for our special cocktail! She loved everything and I know Christian will be happy with his presents too once they are on their honeymoon in Jamaica.

Look at all that BACHELORETTE GEAR!

Meg, Candice, and Me Ready for a Fun Night

The Bridesmaids and the Bride (We Missed the Others!!)

Afterwards, our taxi came with our chaffeur for the night, Rob. Don't know how we did this, but we managed to cram 13 girls into 1 Ford Expedition... it may not have been pretty, but we got to Baytown Wharf in Destin in 1 piece and headed to dinner at the New Orleans Creole Cookery - we drank their famous "Swamp Juice", munched on fried pickles, and sampled the local seafood including shrimp (or scrimp as Bev would say), crab cakes, and jambalaya, too! Then we took the long walk over to Rum Runners (the neighborhood dueling piano bar) and this is when things got crazy!! I'll let you judge for yourself, but to put it mildly, Bev had a fantastic time and I know this party is definitely going down in the books... she was "that bride" for sure- Love You Best Friend!!

The Start of the Night- WOW!

So Much Fun at Rum Runners!!

She Broke Her Magic Wand =(

Singing and Dancing on Stage ALL NIGHT!

I Finally Gave In...

As I sit here on April 1st, as we all affectionately call today "April Fool's Day", I have something to admit to the world and I promise this is not a joke...

Yesterday I bit the bullet and went to the local Verizon store and traded in my old cell phone for a Blackberry.

I know, I've officially lost my mind and you can call me a nerd, a techie, an addict if you will, but I'm not ashamed at what I did - hopefully by the time I figure this whole thing out I'll be happy with my decision, but as of now, let's just say I am uber confused with this mini computer (at least that's what the salesguy told me that's what it is).

As soon as I walked in the door, I knew I was in trouble... sure I have lots of friends who have Blackberries and they love them so why did it take me so long to get one??? Do I really want to be that accessible 24 hours a day? Do I need to have Facebook on my phone just so I can status stalk my friends? The answer to these questions is I just don't know... watch and see what happens, but I am asking for any guidance out there from my blogging friends - if you know some good tips and tricks, send them my way- I need all the help I can get!!

**With that being said, I do hereby promise to my friends and family that I will not become a crackberry addict, I will not use my Blackberry while driving, and I will absolutely not act like I'm listening to you when I am really texting/emailing/facebooking on my phone =)