Denton Women's Collective Hosts Clothes Swap in April

Unless you are new to my blog, (if so - WELCOME!) you probably read my post about "My Cause". If you haven't read it, I urge you to. It's something very near and dear to me that I hope to continue to share it with as many people as possible.

As we grow and develop, we are exploring different ways to positively impact the community. Lindsay brought with her an awesome idea from her days in Norman, OK. And we have decided for our April meeting, THE DENTON WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE will be hosting a CLOTHES SWAP!


Ladies, clean out your closets! Any CLOTHES, SHOES, JEWELRY, BELTS, SCARFS, JACKETS, PURSES, SUNGLASSES...anything goes! A great rule of thumb - if you haven't worn it in a year, or if it’s something that keeps getting pushed to the back of your closet, you probably won't wear it again!

It will be held on Sunday, April 17, 2011, from 2:30-4:30pm in Lewisville, near Vista Ridge Mall.
(There will be wine and light snacks provided.)

It is a free-for-all, so when you come in, you will drop your items in the appropriately designated area...and then, you take whatever you want! Whatever is NOT selected, will be donated to the Denton County Friends of the Family in Denton.

This event will be FREE and is for WOMEN ONLY. You are not obligated to join the collective by attending the clothes swap (though obviously we'd love it if you decided to).

If you are interested in participating, or would like to know more, please feel free to contact me!

Heavy

It's been a heavy couple of weeks in our home.  I won't go into much detail, because not all of it is my story to tell, but it started almost two weeks ago and hasn't really let up. Several events have led to our current "heavy", and while I know everything will be okay, and all parties involved will make it through, I've struggled to keep my usually optimistic demeanor every day. Forgive my brevity in this post, and any absence I have from this blog I love so much...as I may be focusing my energies on other things.

Just a little update

I realized last night that I hadn’t been keeping up with my blog (or Facebook) updates on my weight loss journey as much as I should be. One way I keep accountable is by posting everything for the “world” to see. So, I am here, and honest. I’m still at it, don’t worry, but February wasn’t kind to me. After many birthday celebrations (not mine), Valentine’s Day, other events out of my control, I did the best I could, and would lose a pound one week, just to gain two the next, etc. This was the battle all month long. I know, it’s my own fault. I certainly could have tried harder. Then I we went to Nashville for 4 days at the very beginning of March and this time, I just didn’t even pay attention to what I was consuming…and honestly didn’t want to. Ryan & I don’t vacation much, and when we do it’s usually a long weekend visiting family, so I wanted to relax and just…enjoy! And I did. We had a great time, but my eating habits are struggling (okay I’M struggling) to snap back. And because of it I haven’t felt 100%. I know what needs to be done, and I will do it. So, there’s the honest truth. I haven’t given up, or stopped caring. It’s still very much my goal to live a healthier (thinner) life; one I WILL achieve and continue to work at. So, if you are one of the many people loving and encouraging me…Don’t stop!! I still need you!! :)

Idol Wrap-Up

Top 12

Naima – I like her, but this was not good. I don’t know what else to say about that.

Paul – First, how stinkin’ cute were his parents?! I really, really like him. It’s kind of refreshing having a singer who focuses on the softness in his voice, not the power, but at the same when he belts it out, I just love his tone!

Thia – I thought she sang really beautifully. But she comes off very jazz lounge-y to me.

James – He was born 20 years too late. If he were his age in the 80’s, he would have given all hair bands a run for their money. I could definitely tell he was sick, but he wasn’t the worst of the night, that’s for sure.

Haley – The thing I like most about Haley is her gorgeous hair, haha. That being said, I still think she’s over sings/does too much.

Stefano – When he announced what he was singing I yelled “SHUT UP” at the TV (and Ryan). One of my all time favorite songs and he KILLED IT with his cool R&B stylings. LOVE LOVE LOVE. And thank you, Fano, for not being pitchy for a single second.

Pia – Her little story about her Grandpa reminded me so much of my relationship with my Gramp. TEARS!  And I still think she is the best girl this year.

Scotty – The way he holds his mic bothers me. Beyond that, he is a good, albeit predictable, country singer.

Karen – She is a fine singer, but I am always bored.

Casey – Nirvana?? YES PLEASE!!! I love that he brought “Casey” to the song instead of trying to sing just like Kurt Cobain. He was kind of an “angry singer” with it, but I dug it. Then again, I dig Nirvana. :) And I totally agree with Randy, I LOVE that Casey is fearless with his music.

Lauren Alaina – Her sweet crying Daddy was too cute. It was really clear she wasn’t feeling well, but she still sang her little heart out.

Jacob – Another of my favorite songs. :) And I just love him…but he was kind of a hot mess this week. Parts were delicious, and parts were disastrous. 

The theme for the night was “pitchy”. Sadly, most of them were at some point. Also, props to JLo for finally being real with the contestants, and not worrying about just being sweet.

The Accent Vlog

So, the fun little challenge, or game, or whatever you want to call it has been circling the web and until today I just enjoyed watching them. I first saw it on The Healthy Tipping Point and I loved it, then slowly but surely I had other friends (both In Real Life and just in the blog/Twitter world) start doing. So, today I jumped on the bandwagon.

Here is my Vlog: (That's Video-Blog if you've never heard of a Vlog.)

Now, here was the fun part for me. Ryan watched the video and started telling me all the words I pronounce "wrong". He refuses to make a video (because he knows I'm right) so I'm going to have to try and type this all out...

Like I joked on the Vlog, he said I pronounce SURE incorrectly.
He also said I pronounce MILK, BOTH and SYRUP incorrectly. All of those are in the video except for MILK...which is pronunce like it's spelled.

So, here's my best effort to show how Ryan's pronounce these words...you already know SURE. He says BOTH as "bowlth. MILK as melk. SYRUP as seer-up (mine is more sur-up).

There was only one way to settle this. We looked them up in the dictionary online, where they include an option to hear the word correctly pronounced. Anyone want to guess who was right on all four words in question?? Oh, right, it was ME! Now, I'm a gracious winner and I will say that SYRUP was pronounced both ways online. The speaker actually said "seer-up OR sur-up".

To reiterate what I said on the Vlog, I challenge YOU, my lovely reader, to participate. Here are the words and questions:
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

• What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
• What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
• What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
• What do you call gym shoes?
• What do you say to address a group of people?
• What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
• What do you call your grandparents?
• What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
• What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
• What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Have fun!!

Idol Wrap-Up

Last night was the Top 13 - & Here are my thoughts.

Lauren Alaina – The song did NOTHING for her vocally. I still think she is a great singer, but last night was VERY forgettable.

Casey Abrams – Holy goodness!!!!! I LOVE this guy and this song was KILLER. He is THE most talented guy this year. Period.

Ashton James - I guess I’m watching a different girl than Jimmy, because I thought she was just okay. In fact, I usually just think she is okay. The end was definitely better than the beginning. Maybe she kills in rehearsal and then gets nervous on stage?

Paul McDonald – Ryan Adams is one of the greatest songwriters EVER, so the fact that Paul picked him was AWESOME. And he picked one of my favorite Ryan Adams songs. I really like Paul. I think he is SO different and has such a unique way of doing his craft. He is definitely more Indie (which means I am a huge fan) but I worry “America” won’t get it.

Pia Toscano – I won't lie, it bugged me that she thought her song was a Celine original (it was first done by Eric Carmen in 1975) but DANG can Pia sing! I love her voice…I think she is spectacular.

James Durbin – I have really enjoyed seeing everyone’s personal “Idol”. I found it interesting that James picked Paul McCartney, seeing as he kind of comes across as a 80’s hair band rocker. But THIS made me love him so much more. He did a beautiful job with the song…and you got to see what a wonderful voice he has.

Haley Reinhart - Sorry, I am just not a fan, regardless of her flawless palate flips. She does too much (growls, runs, palate flips, etc) and I start to become annoyed.

Jacob Lusk – Jacob is great. First, he picked “I Believe I Can Fly” from Space Jam. Second, he opens his mouth, haha. I will say, sometimes I think he over does it and I wish he would just hold a single note instead of running all over the place, but that's only sometimes.
Thia Megia – I liked the first half much better… when she picked up the tempo, she had some trouble settling into a few of her notes and in her case, I feel like 15 is too young for AI.

Stefano Longone – He picked a great Idol, really fits his style. And he did such an great job and the arrangement was SO cool. I love his smooth runs when he hits those money notes. “THIS DUDE!” is what I kept saying during his performance, haha.

Karen Rodriguez – It was just okay for me. It was rocky and predictable in my opinion. If she went home tonight, I'd totally live.

Scotty McCreery – Well, I do love Garth Brooks AND the Garth song he went with. Buuuut I was iffy about this. He slid into every note at first. The second half got better and he is still a huge potential country music star...I just don't think he is anything special. Sorry!

Naima Adedapo – I really dug this, even though she lost her breath a little in the middle. And I don’t there has ever been an Idol break into dance on stage! It was super fun and showed how versatile she is.

So...who did I vote for? A lot of people - Casey, Paul, James, Stefano, and Naima...and I threw in a few votes for Pia and Jacob.

Idol Wrap-Up - It's BAAAACK!

BACK by popular demand! (And by popular I mean 4 Facebook messages...hey, I'll take it.) I kept most of them short and to the point since I am covering all of them, not just my favs.

It's American Idol Season 10...


TOP 24

Top 12 Boys:

Clint Jun Gamboa – He’s got a good voice, but the song ate him up until the end. Plus he’s a bully so I don't like him.

Jovanny Barreto – Odd song choice, a different song would have probably served him better. He has a nice voice, but it was boring.

Jordan Dorsey – He rubbed me the wrong way all through Hollywood week. I think he thinks more of himself than anyone else ever will, haha. He just hasn't ever really knocked my socks off.

Tim Halperin – At this point I was starting to lose hope. Tim didn't help. Love the song, but it was boring.

Brett Loewenstern – He gets on my nerves slightly but he’s a good singer.

James Durbin – He is so cute, his story is SO touching, and he has a really great voice…and I am SO glad he kept the lid on the screaming till the end. That will get old really fast.

Robbie Rosen – I love this kid. Another strange song choice and he was slightly pitchy, but I still think he's got the goods.

Scottie McCreedy – Some people are born into things. This kid was born into country music. I don’t think he could sing anything else though, haha. But, stick with what you’re good at…which he does. (For the record, I typed this before JLo said it. And yes, that means I take notes during Idol so I can blog it the next day. I'm cool like that.)

Stefano Langone – I’ve loved him from the moment he opened his mouth in the audition round. I think he is SO cute and so, so good.

Paul McDonald – He is just so awesome. SUPER cute with a smooth, unique sound and style. Love him!
Jacob Lusk – When he sings, I feel it deep within my soul. Yes, I know how cheesy that sounds. He reduces me tears. I don’t know what else to say.

Casey Abrams – This dude is super talented. When my brother, who loathes everything Idol, gives an Idol contestant props…he’s special. And WOW, is he special!!

All in all, I was pretty underwhelmed with the first half. If I had my way, I would have replaced the first four with Luke James, Rob Bolin, Deandre Brackensick (fast forward to :35) and Colton Dixon (fast forward to :35 again, ha!) who all got cut during the Hollywood rounds.

"My" Cause

So, many of you already know all about this because you're either a part of it, or I've gotten on my soapbox around you and told you all about. But, I've decided to share this with my bloggy friends too. So, this is my cause...

Denton Women’s Collective
And What It Means To Me

If you know me very well at all, you know I’m a passionate being. When I find something I love, I dive in with both feet. And recently, a cause has struck me so deeply to the core, that its almost as if I didn’t have a choice in the matter…my feet jumped for me. At the start of 2011, I stated that one of my goals for this year was to volunteer more. In a way, this is fulfilling that for me…and so much more.

Ever since the Glamour article featuring Lizzie Miller, I couldn’t help but think, “Why is it causing such uproar, both good and bad, that this NORMAL, BEAUTIFUL woman is revealing her REAL, BEAUTIFUL body?” But I assumed, based on the reactions, that I was alone in that thought. Let me introduce you to the Denton’s Women Collective. A friend, who I’ve only recently started getting to know on a deeper level, Lindsay, sent me a simple Facebook message inviting me to join a FB group she was trying to get started. She touched on what the group was about and I thought, “That sounds an awful lot like what I’ve had running through my head lately.” So, I joined. Well, I couldn’t make it to the first meeting, but I emailed Lindsay and started an exchange of thoughts, and it was in that moment that I had a revelation. Lindsay and I could not be more opposite in appearance, but we are so very similar in heart and mind. And isn't that what makes us all so great? So, here we are. Committed to our cause. And our cause is this - Women.

It’s a hard world to live in for a woman. Especially a young woman. We are under constant scrutiny to fit into a certain mold. But why? See I think we are good enough, smart enough, strong enough and definitely beautiful enough – just the way we are. But the startling statistic is that in today’s world girls start dieting younger and younger; in fact 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight. Why? Because they don’t feel good enough. And that, right there, is what I aim to change. I think we can do something to help women to realize that their self worth is SO MUCH MORE than what they look like. That being smart, strong and independent is even more important than fitting into society’s mold for “the perfect woman”. I have big dreams for this group. Dreams I'm sure I'll blog more about. But for now I'll leave you to digest that this is just me trying to do MY part to change the world we (women) live in.