30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 2

Day 2 - Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

For as long as I can remember I have always loved music. My aunt has told stories of me being very young and always remembering every lyric to songs that I heard only once or twice. I decided to start blogging after I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer a few years ago, it was easy for me to update my progress here on a blog for friends and family to read. As I was going through my thyroid removal surgery and even before then with my troubled pregnancy, music and lyrics were my escape. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard God speak to me through a contemporary Christian song or how many times I will hear a song that will spark a wonderful memory/moment in my life. Even though my blog is not put to music, these words that I type are my life's lyrics.

Ready, Set, BLOG....

(me and my daughter Addison)

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 1

So today's topic for the blog challenge schedule is to introduce myself and tell 15 interesting facts about me.

My name is Stephanie and I am a wife, mommy, employee, student and child of God. I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee and now live in Bartlett, Tennessee. I have been married to Shawn for six years and we have a five year old daughter named Addison, a fifteen year old step-daughter named Jena and we have Addison's twin sister Avery Grace who went to be with Jesus shortly after birth. I have had some major trials in the past six years of my life but I have not given up and have not stopped looking up to the One who has helped me through the stormy times. I started blogging so that I can eventually print these posts out and make them into a book for Jena and Addison someday. I hope they enjoy having these silly rants and babbling that I do from time to time for years to come.

Okay, so on to the 15 facts about ME!

(if you have read my blog for any length of time, you might know some of these already)

1. I am currently in school to become a teacher and will FINALLY student teach in January of 2011!!

2. I LOVE Mascara and have physically injured myself with the mascara wand more than once!

3. I cannot drink from a "glass" glass. I have to drink from a plastic cup or have a straw to drink from a glass.

4. I adore Rick Springfield and have seen him live in concert over 60 times.

5. My daughter Addison was born 15 weeks early and weighed 1lb 11oz at birth.

6. I am a music lover and enjoy MOST music. :)

7. Yes, I am one of THOSE moms - I love all things Twilight and or vampires!

8. I have recently attended several painting classes and enjoyed each and every one!

9. I said that I would NEVER own and iPhone, and now it is my favorite gadget!

10. I currently have a 4.0 GPA and have worked very hard to achieve it!!

11. My parents are two of my very best friends.

12. I am a night owl - I could easily stay up all night and sleep all day.

13. I will admit that I am a reality show junkie - especially the shows that are about celebrities.

14. I love all things Titanic

15. I could not get through each and every day without the grace and mercy given to me by Jesus Christ. He has shown me that with Him nothing is impossible.

30 Day Blog Challenge

So it has been over two weeks since I have even had the time to THINK about posting on my blog. I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs tonight and I came across a post about a 30 Day Blog Challenge. This is the PERFECT thing to help me get back into the groove of regular blog posts.

Stay tuned - here is the schedule in case anyone else wants to join in on the 30 days of fun!!

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name

Day 3-Your first love

Day 4-Your parents

Day 5-Your siblings

Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

Day 9-A picture of your friends

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

Day 11-Favorite tv shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-A picture you love

Day 15-Bible verse

Day 16-Dream house

Day 17-Something you're looking forward to

Day 18-Something you regret

Day 19-Something you miss

Day 20-Nicknames

Day 21-Picture of yourself

Day 22-Favorite city

Day 23-Favorite vacation

Day 24-Something you've learned

Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 26-Picture of your family

Day 27-Pets

Day 28-Something that stresses you out

Day 29-3 Wishes

Day 30-a picture

Top Two Tuesday - Hair Products

Hey fellow bloggers!! Long time, no post - life is just wicked busy around our house but I wanted to jump in on this weeks Top Two Tuesday!! Visit The Undomestic Momma to play along!!

1. - Paul Mitchell Flat Iron

This thing was not cheap but it works like a CHARM!!! I like it because the plates are a little wider than say the Chi. I am lucky to have a Paul Mitchell Hair School close to me so I did get a tiny discount on this gem!!

2. Moroccan Oil

This is a MUST HAVE for anyone!!! It leaves your hair so soft and silky!! I highly highly recommend this product!!!

Last but not least, who saw Jennifer Grey on DWTS last night??? I was a little emotionally unstable when the showed the clip of Jennifer getting so upset over missing Patrick Swayze!! I am thinking that Jennifer and Derick just MIGHT take home the trophy this season!!

Hope everyone has a fabulous week!!!

My Weekend in Pictures....

I had an amazing Labor Day weekend filled with music, friends, shopping and my precious family!!

Friday, I went with some girlfriends to Beale Street to hear to our dear friends Kevin and Bethany Paige perform. If you are ever in the Memphis area you need to visit them at Alfred's on Beale, I promise you will not be disappointed!

Saturday was the BIG concert day!! If you are "friends" with me on Facebook then you already know that RICK SPRINGFIELD was in town Saturday night. I have been a huge Rick fan since 1981 and my "love" for him has only grown stronger in the past 3o years!! Before I headed to Sam's Town Casino for the show I met up with Jessica for some pre-concert shopping!!

I bought these shoes:

I was going shopping specifically for Yellow Box flip flops but I bought these Volatile wedges instead!! I walked in them the rest of the day shopping and also to the concert, they are some of the most comfortable shoes I have ever had on my feet!! I had a coupon so I just HAD to get two pairs of shoes right?? Since my mission was for Yellow Box shoes I did get a pair for fall/winter. Yellow Box shoes are my "must have" for winter, they look great with pants as well as jeans. I bought these cute little slip on wedges - this picture really does not do them justice they are adorable!!

I also picked up 3 pairs of pants, along with 2 shirts and I had coupons for everything I bought!! I was really pleased with all my purchases!!

Saturday night was THE night with THE rockgod, please forgive these pictures I did not want to wag my camera around so I just took a few with my phone. Our seats were on the front row so I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera once I was inside the venue.

(Not a great shot at all - I am ashamed to put it on my blog!!)

My sweet, sweet friends - AKA "Rick" girls

I do not see these girls often because we all live in different areas of the city and two are in different states, but when we do get together we just pick up right where we left off! Thanks to email/Facebook/texting we do keep in touch often.

And last but not least on Sunday I took the girls to see Nanny McPhee Returns.

Very cute movie - Emma Thompson does such a great job as Nanny McPhee!

Which now leaves me at Monday and we are headed to my parents for some BBQ!! I have spent all day relaxing and preparing myself for my work/school week ahead!! I hope everyone had just as an enjoyable weekend as I did!

How Could You Be So TOOTHLESS...

As I was sitting in class tonight I got a text from Shawn that read, "Addison just pulled her own tooth!!" I was kinda bummed that I missed the "first tooth" falling out experience, but she made up for it when she met me at the front door looking like this...

I cannot help but wanna kiss all over that little wrinkled nose!!! I cannot believe that she has lost a tooth - this all seems to be happening so incredibly fast!

She was a little spooked by the idea of the tooth fairy getting under her pillow while she slept so she decided that she would just leave her tooth on her Barbie Vet Center. Oh....what is that I hear??? Why yes, its the fluttering of tooth fairy wings....I better go help her leave some money for this very special tooth!!

Project Life August 16 - August 22

Is the weekend already OVER!!?? Whew - I do not know about everyone else but these crazy busy weeks are wearing me out! Once Addison started Kindergarten, I changed my work schedule to 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. but we have been so busy that I have not walked out of the office at 3 p.m. yet! This whole getting up early and going to school business has been not only an adjustment to Addison but to our whole family. Honestly, I think that Addison is adjusting better than anyone else! I have missed all the Project Life posts this month except for one so I wanted to show you all some pictures that I want to make SURE are added to the album. I cannot believe that I am already about to start taking pictures for my September section of the album; Christmas will be here before we know it!!

Addison and THE purple unicorn pillow pet - she has been begging for one of these for months and months. I ordered her one and forgot about it until the box showed up on our doorstep!! She was extremely surprised!!

First night of dance class- she is REALLY enjoying herself! She is always bummed when class is over.

Addison and "Alice" - My mom and I took Addison to see The Germantown Performing Arts Centers performance of "Alice in Wonderland." Addison adores all things Alice and since the all of the actors in the play were kids, she enjoyed it so much!! She wore her Alice dress, shoes and carried the Cheshire cat; the whole cast commented on how Addison was "dressed for the part." She was tickled to no end when one of the photographers there asked her if she would let her take her picture with "Alice."

Another shot of Addison and the little girl who played the part of "Alice"

**note to self for album - I skipped 8.9 thru 8.16 and 8.23 thru 8.29** :)