What is your favorite MOVIE?

My favorite movie of all time is "Gone with the Wind"

I actually read the book first for a project when I was in High School. I always had to read some book when we were at the beach, either for the summer or Thanksgiving. When I had to read Gone With the Wind, I of course, put it off to the last minute. So my cousin Jenn and I took turns reading it out loud to each other and I had finished it by the time we were ready to go home. I loved the book and our Nana said, that if we liked the book, then we should watch the movie. So she lent me her collectors edition VHS of the movie. 

Four hours later, I was hooked. I researched everything I could about this movie. I got the DVD for Christmas and fell asleep to it every night. I showed it to my sister (every thing she needed to know about entertainment, she learned from me) and she fell in love. She now has a leather bound copy of the book (which we both think is better than the movie, FYI). I have even drug my husband into the love of Gone with the Wind. While he won't sit and watch it with me, he got me a new DVD of the movie for Christmas one year (I literally wore my other one out) and he went with my sister and I to the Gone with the Wind exhibit at the History Museum a few years ago. 

Two weeks before my wedding, one of my oldest best friends and I went to the theater to watch Gone with the Wind for the 75th anniversary. And of course, every time it is on TV, I have to watch it. It is truly a classic that every single generation should watch. After all, it has the most recognizable movie line in history...

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"

Snow Days and Organization

Today is the 2nd full snow day I have had in the last two weeks.

Most people in the south love snow days, they love to see the snow fall. I however, do not.

I do not like the snow for many reasons. But there are two main ones...

1) I don't like my routine messed up. This has everything to do with my OCD, but on Sundays I make a list of what I will get done for the week and snow is neverrrrr in the list! Also, bundling up for the snow makes everything a mess and makes getting places a hassle!

2) I am an extreme extrovert. It's a good thing my mother had a snow day today too, because I have called her four times. I might call her one more time before my husband calls, just incase I need to tell her something that I thought of in the last hour.

Last snow day I was whining to my friend (and former co-worker) on how bored I was. She reads this blog and has seen how many times I have said..."organize my pantry" in my goals. She suggested that that day would be a good thing to get accomplished for the day. Having her little nudge was just what I needed to get off my butt and get going...

Here is the before:

Look at the bottom shelf...I don't even know what was going on there. I was so embarrassed to show this picture because as organized I am in other areas, the pantry just got out of control. I blame it on the size of the pantry, although that is no excuse.

In the process of cleaning out my pantry, I found 4 bottles of barbecue sauce and 4 bottles of Franks Red Hot Buffalo sauce. So by not cleaning out my pantry, I was wasting money by buying these things week after week. Not gonna let that happen again!!

The whole process took about 45 min. Not too terribly long. I want to get plastic bins to separate and label things in there, but for now, this is MUCH better than before.  I think my goal for March will be to keep the pantry looking this good! :)

Today, my goal was to have all of our clothes (James' and mine) in one location. Yes, I know that is silly, but when James moved in, I just shoved his clothes wherever I could find a place. They literally were all over the house. Poor guy, could never find his clothes! So today I went through every drawer and got rid of old clothes, moved things around and moved James' clothes in! There are no photos, but I was successful...now we really live together as husband and wife haha :)

One more goal that was accomplished on a snow day: I ordered the buffet for our china last Tuesday when I was out of work. It came in over the weekend and James put it together. So when we got to leave early this Tuesday for the first snow event, I took that opportunity to put all the china in it and arrange it how I wanted...the end result is below. Pretty awesome if I do say so myself:

So I have finally figured out what to do on snow days...but if there are anymore I might run out of things to do! So spring can come at any minute!!

What is your favorite MONTH, LETTER, & NUMBER

Favorite Month:

I have two: April and October. April because of my birthday and spring. I LOVE spring when the weather finally warms up and things start blooming again. I was also born in April and I believe in really celebrating your birthday. Everyone should get a day that is theirs, that is special. And I definitely take mine!!

James and Me at my Birthday Celebration last April

Then October because of fall and my wedding anniversary. This is actually a bit surprising. I used to say I was a summer girl and hated when the weather got cooler. But as I grew up, I realized that I love the fall, the leaves turning is so beautiful and I love when it is cool outside (notice I said cool, not cold!). So when picking a date for our wedding, we wanted a date that meant something. We met on the 9th and we got engaged on the 11th, so when October 11 was on a Saturday we knew we had our date. We had a fall themed engagement party and photos, which both were amazing. Of course our wedding was amazing too. So now every October we will have our love of fall to go along with our wedding anniversary! :) 

Engagement Party: October 2013

Letter:

L for Lauren. And its pretty to write in cursive. 

Number:

7 - my number in the Junior Miss Program

22 - my Birthday Number

11 - Our anniversary date 

I hope you are enjoying reading these as much as I am enjoying writing them! :) 

What is your favorite SONG and BOOK?

I love music, I loveloveLOVE to sing. Poor James had no idea of the concerts that would take place each morning as I get ready (I have backed them off to weekends since he gets up after me on the week days). My all time favorite song is "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. Two things...
1) I know its not country 2) I know it is also everyone elses favorite song...But this song has been my favorite since I was a little girl. My dad let me watch his video tape of Journey on tour in 1984. I was hooked. Steve Perry was my first celebrity crush (& I really was crushed when I realized the tape I was watching was over 10 years old, and he does NOT look like that today!). This song always reminds me of my daddy. The special bond we share over music and pop culture. How we always dance to this song when we hear it. So I know it is a widly popular song, but that is not why it is my favorite of all time!

Me and my daddy at my cousin's wedding, after dancing to "Don't Stop Believing"

My favorite book is "You Are Special" by Max Lucado. This is a children's book but it is such a good lesson for every age. I first heard this book read to me as a devotional at Camp Albemarle - a place I spent every summer of my childhood. The story is about Wemmick's, little wooden people who give each other stickers based on what they think of each other. Gold stars are for the Wemmicks with no flaws or who have special talents. Grey dots are for the Wemmicks who have chipped wood or have no special skill. Punchinello has all grey dots, and this worried him. He goes to see his creator, Eli (who represents God), and Eli tells him that it doesn't matter what others think about him - that Eli created him just the way he wanted him to be. Once he realized this in his heart, his grey dots fall off and can no longer stick to him. This is such an amazing lesson for everyone to learn. God created us just the way he wanted us! And the opinion of others, doesn't matter at all. God loves us through it all and he is all that matters!!

I would love to hear what your favorite song and book are. And if you haven't read "You Are Special" I HIGHLY recommend it!

Movie Review Monday: Gone Girl

James: AKA the BEST Husband Ever listened to every single one of my hints (all 75 of them) and got me Gone Girl for Valentines Day

I have to say this was one of the best book to movie adaptations I have seen in a long time. If you have not read the book, I definitely recommend reading it prior to seeing the movie. I really can't explain too much about this movie without giving away some plot twists, but I will try to give a brief summary...

Ben Affleck plays a Nick Dunne, a husband who's wive Amy (played by Rosamund Pike) suddenly vanishes on the morning of their 5th wedding anniversary. The story follows Nick as clues around Amy's disappearance and their live together are uncovered. The story also jumps back to show the events that led Nick and Amy to this day and through these events you see that their may be more to the story than meets the eye. I will say that this is not your typical wife disappears, husband did it, case closed story!!

I give this movie two thumbs up but if you haven't read the book please please PLEASE read it first, because even though this is a great adaptation, the book to me is always better! 

What is your favorite PLACE?!

So you are going to think this one is a little hokey, since I live here....but my favorite place is North Carolina - and here's why....

1) The BEACH

I love the beach. I love everything about it, the smell, the sounds, you name it - I love it. I have been to almost every single one of North Carolina's beaches. I am so lucky to live in a state where I can have my choice of beaches, none of which are more than a 3 hour drive. Some of my best memories with my family have been at a beach. Whether it be Holden Beach, Beaufort, or the Outer Banks - the greatest memories were made. I am not much on getting in the ocean anymore. It seems the older I get, the less appealing getting beat up by water is to me. But I LOVE listening to the ocean. It is so calming. Im more of a pool at the beach kind of girl (I know, that makes me sound ridiculously spoiled).

 Beaufort Waterfront

 James and I at Holden Beach

2) Chapel Hill - more specifically UNC.

When I was in college, my dad used to say "Lauren would rather be in Chapel Hill than eat when she's hungry". And that was about as close to the truth as you can get!  From studying on the Quad under Carolina Blue skies, to a He's Not Blue Cup. From running to get Yogurt Pump (or YoPo as its now called...) on my 10-minute Phon-a-thon breaks, to running to Franklin Street after winning the 2005 National Championship. Those memories are burned in to my brain and bring the biggest feeling of nostalgia. Thomas Wolfe said it best when he said "Far from forgetting this blessed place, I think my picture of it grows clearer every year. For it was as close to magic as I have ever been". I made life long friends there friends that share my love for this place. I know every college town boasts this form of magic, but Chapel Hill really has it. Why do you think James Taylor was "Gone to Carolina" in his mind...and to quote a new country artist, Chase Rice (and UNC alum) "Hey Mr. Taylor, she aint only on your mind" ;)

The BEST picture of the magic that is UNC

3) My house

By now you are REALLY thinking this post is hokey...and it probably is. But whatever! I love my house. It is the absolute perfect size for us. Three bedroom, so some room for our family to grow one  day ;) I love the area we are in. I love my yard. I love that we are far enough away from Raleigh that we miss all the traffic and we have 3/4 acres land but that we are close enough that we are a 30 minute drive if we want to go. Thats the best thing about North Carolina I think. That there is diversity all within a maximum 4-hour drive from whereever you are.

The view from our patio...absolute perfection :)

What is your favorite place? It can be as specific as your house, or as general as the state you live in. Everyone has a favorite...I would love to hear what yours is and why!! :)

What is your favorite...?

Those of you who are around my age (30)...remember MySpace surveys well!! I used to LOVE those. I would do probably one a day, any and all questions...and of course I would have to think of a different witty response to each one! So when deciding on my next few blog posts, I thought - how about a question a post? This way you can really get to know me better! I decided to do a "What is your favorite..." and there are 25.  Dont worry, I will be combining some so this wont be the worlds longest blog series! My first one will be up soon but here is a list of the 25...

1) Place
2) Song
3) Book
4) Month
5) Letter
6) Number
7) Movie
8) Memory
9) Smell
10) Genre of Music
11) Activity
12) Color
13) Thing about yourself
14) Age
15) Boys name
16) Girls name
17) Food
18) Drink
19) Piece of clothing
20) Actor
21) Actress
23) Singer
24) Animal
25) Room in your house

Hope you guys enjoy!! :)

A Sad Day for Tar Heels, but a Great Day for Coach

By now the news of Coach Dean Smith's passing has spread. There are numerous facebook, twitter, and blog posts about a man who was much more than a coach of a basketball team. I think I have read them all.

When I heard the news of his passing, I was sure I wanted to do a blog post about him - but I didn't quite know what I wanted to say. I still don't.

How can you put into words what an icon Coach Smith was? How can you put into words what he did for the University, the game of basketball, the sports world, and every thing he touched. I started thinking of all the things I knew about Coach Smith...and then it became clear what I should say...

If I could, I would thank Coach Smith. I would thank him for making Carolina Basketball something I fell in love with at a very early age. I would thank him for being the type of man people look up to, the type of man who stood for more than just wins on a basketball court. I would like to thank him for coaching the team that won the 1993 Championship. It was the first championship game I ever watched. Becuase of that Championship, I have a piece of my Papa with me all the time, in the form of a t-shirt. I would thank him for mentoring Roy Williams, for pushing him to become the head coach of Kansas, and for welcoming home to UNC. I would like to thank him for being the type of man that brings Tar Heels, Wolfpack, and Blue Devils together for a short while - because we can all agree how great he was. I would like to thank him for "The Carolina Way", because that is why I am most proud to be a Tar Heel to this day. I would thank him for being humble, because it makes his memory that much more special.

I never met Coach Smith. He retired well before I got to UNC. In fact, he retired 2 weeks after my Papa passed away. We joked that he couldn't go on coaching without my Papa talking to the TV, helping him out. But I heard the stories, and I will continue to tell the stories. Because they deserve to be told.

Yesterday, the Tar Heels mourned the loss of a ledgend. But Coach wasn't mourning. No - he was already in heaven, his mind restored new again. So while yesterday was a sad day for Tar Heels, it was a great day for Coach (and I'm sure my Papa too :))

Thank you Coach Smith.

Why I Wear Red

February is Heart Month. And on the first Friday of February, you are supposed to wear red in support of the American Heart Association. I am not a fan of the color red. It has nothing to do with a college affiliation (NC State), I just don't like red, it doesn't look good on me.

But today, Friday February 6, I wear red just like I do every year.

For my Papa.

Growing up, my Papa was everything to me, and I was his "little bit". In the words of my father "If he told you he could drive backwards with his eyes closed you would believe him"...duh, he's my Papa. Every word you could use to describe a grandfather, that is what my Papa was to me. He was my bus driver (I lived too close to school to ride the actual bus) and every morning we'd go get my grandmama a sausage biscuit and then ride by the high school to check and make sure my cousin was there before dropping me off at the elementary school. He was the "fun" one...I didn't even want to wear a bra because the only person who wore a bra in Disney World was Grandma, and she had NO fun (true story).

I had 13 wonderful years with this man, then in the Fall of 1997, my world was rocked to its core. On a normal Tuesday, I came out of school just like I always do, looking for "Annie" (the name for Papas truck), instead I saw my dad's mom, my Nana.

She said that Papa had had a mild heart attack, that he was taken to the hospital, and we were going to see him. When we got there, he was sitting up, joking and laughing just like he always did. We found out the next day that they were going to send him to Duke for a heart catherization on Thursday morning, to see just how much damage was done. He would stay for a few days, then come home. No.big.deal.

Then, on Thursday, August 28, I was in school and was called to the office. My Nana and Grandaddy were both there, they said we were going to Durham to see my Papa.  They made it sound like just a routine visit, but I knew it wasn't. They were getting me out of school. I was going to miss band. I just didn't get it...

When I got there, my mom was in the waiting room. She had told me that Papa had a massive heart attack on the table and was not doing well at all. She said that I could see him, but that he was hooked to wires and that I should try not to upset him, because it would make his heart work harder. I still remember what he looked like on that hospital bed, and it was not my Papa. This was the worst day of my life so far...he wasn't supposed to make it through the night. But he did. Then he wasn't supposed to make it through the week. But he did.

The last time I saw him was Sunday afternoon, September 21. I had told him all about my very first marching band competition and I saw his eyes light up as I talked to him. Getting ready to leave that night, I went in for one last visit. I said goodbye and that I'd be back next weekend. And then, just as I always did, I said "I love you". Papa had a trach in and couldn't talk, but as I walked out the door, I saw him hold up one finger, then four, then three, 1-4-3, "I love you".

Papa died on Wednesday, September 24, 1997. It has been almost 18 years and I still miss him just as much as I did on that day. He has missed so much, four high school graduations, three college graduations, two more grandchildren, two weddings, and one great-grandchild. But in my heart I know, he hasn't missed a thing. He actually has had the best view.

This is why I wear red. To honor the greatest man I ever knew, and in hopes that through awareness, one day heart disease is just a thing of the past and Papas will be able to live forever <3

Carlton Fanney - June 28, 1928 - September 24, 1997

Movie Review Monday - Saving Mr. Banks

I do not know how I have had this blog for almost 3 months now, and I have yet to mention my LOVE for Disney!

This year for Christmas, James had a Disney theme with all of my presents and one of them was "Saving Mr. Banks".

Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors. I love every roll he's been in, and his role as Walt Disney is no exception.

The movie starts off in Australia in 1906, you see a young girl playing in the field. Her father comes and crouches down beside her to play. Fast forward to 1961, where P.L. Travers (played by Emma Thompson) is preparing for a trip to Los Angeles to meet Walt Disney to discuss making her stories of Mary Poppins into a movie. She states in the beginning that she will not sign the rights to the Mary Poppins stories over until she is completely satisfied with the script. Disney and his team are met with much opposition with their adaptation of Mary Poppins, and Travers' stubborn ways are definitely humerous. Through out the movie, you realize that the young girl depicted in the beginning is Travers, and you will see how her childhood shaped her into who is grew up to be, as well as who Mary Poppins turned into.

My favorite part of the movie is when Walt Disney takes Travers to DisneyLand. I loved this part becuase it reminded me of the magic of Disney and I was so hoping that P.L. Travers would see this too!!

Ultimately, she signs the rights to Mary Poppins over to Disney and you will see how watching Disney's version of her beloved character changes her even more.

I am probably a bit biased since this movie starred my favorite actor (Tom Hanks) playing one of my favorite people (Walt Disney)...but I give "Saving Mr. Banks" Two Thumbs Up!! (I would give it three if I could!)

January Recap & February Goals

Disclaimer: This blog was so much harder than originally thought. I thought, I had all these ideas so of course I'll blog twice a week. What I don't have is time...but this month I will make a conscious effort to write twice a week...we'll see how that goes.

January was a whirlwind month! The month flew by, and although I had set goals laid out for me, some of them fell by the wayside. This is how I did with my goals for January:

* Finish the Thank You notes from the wedding - ALMOST complete. Thanks to my wonderful friend and former co-worker, I only have about 15 left!
* Organize our office so that we can get my piano - ALMOST complete, everything but our fine china is put away!! I am ordering a piece of furniture to put in our dining room to put all our good dishes. This will be complete in February
* Visit churches in our area - We visited one church, and we really liked it. The preacher was a tad bit long winded, but we will be going back. We may have found our church home!
* Organize my pantry - Didn't do this at ALL!!
* Plan a fun evening for James and I on our 3 month anniversary - DONE, this was SOOO fun! I planned a scavenger hunt for James and had little gifts hiding in the house. We watched movies, played board games, drank champagne,  and ate chocolates in bed. It was awesome! :)
* Start my blog series on Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps - DONE!
* Read "Make It Happen" by Lara Casey that my wonderful coworker gave me! - Didn't finish it :( But it will be a part of my February goals!
* Book our Disney Trip - DONE, the countdown is ON!!
* Purchase February Birthday presents DONE...February is a HUGE Birthday month for us, but we have all the presents bought for the month, and will be starting on the next birthday's soon! :)

February Goals:

* Finish Thank You Notes from the wedding 
* Order Buffett and put fine china away
* Revisit Clayton Community Church to determine if this is our church
* Organize my pantry
* Finish "Make it Happen"
* Start on "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn
* Continue my "Movie Review Monday" blog series...it won't be a weekly thing, but I am going to try to do 2-3 a month!
* Continue to do 2 blog posts per week
* Start on SPRING CLEANING room by room - I have got to get some of this junk out of the house
* Catch up on my bible reading - starting a new job has kinda of thrown me off on my reading :(

February is a short month and I hope I can complete all this. Stay tuned for my progress :)