Best. Concert. Ever.

A few years ago I went to the Bayou County Superfest in Baton Rouge, LA to see George Strait (among Reba, Luke Bryan, and a ton of other performers). I thought, hands down, no one could possibly beat a George Strait concert. I wanted to see him for as long as I could remember, and when I was there, finally, I remember crying because I was so happy.

Last Friday I went to Garth Brooks’ (and Trisha Yearwood) concert. He hasn’t been to Houston in over 17 years. Like George Strait, Garth is a really popular. Really, really popular. Besides the 2 new songs he sang from his new album, I knew every word to every song he played.

I went with my parents, Kevin, and a few of my dad’s clients. Kevin & I were originally supposed to be on the ground level closer to the stage with my parents. But, my dad thought he had 8 tickets instead of 6, so he accidently gave me & Kevin’s tickets to a client. The day before the show, my mom calls me to tell me my dad gave our tickets away… but that she was able to buy us two new seats. In the nosebleeds.

It was a little disappointing, but I wasn’t heartbroken. When you go to concerts in a huge stadium, it doesn’t really matter where you sit. You can see it on the big screens and you can definitely hear the music no matter how high up you are.

Anyway, I left that concert knowing that was the best concert I’ve ever been to (sorry George). It beat all of Free Press Summer Fest – all the DJs and rock bands. It beat all of the Rodeo concerts I’ve seen. It beat all of the local Austin, Texas bands I saw during my college days.

Why? Not because all the other concerts I’ve been to sucked. But because Garth brought so much energy to his music and performance. He was non-stop moving around. Non-stop getting the audience pumped up.

It was amazing.

My throat is still really sore from singing along screaming at the top of my lungs.

Pushing Fear Aside

Opening an Etsy shop has been on my bucket list for the past few years, but I always let it slip away. Life is too hectic. I don't have time. So many excuses.

To get a step farther in making this Etsy shop dream come true, I decided I should pick a name. But how? I am the type who gets tired of names & then decides to change them. Like I've changed blogs about 4 times now. And I can't even count how many times I've changed my instagram name.

Anyway, I picked a name, and then I made an email address, instagram name, and even registered it as a store on Etsy.  I guess you can call it official.

Except, the shop isn't opened yet and won't be open for probably months down the road. I don't have anything to sell yet.  I have to make these things, sometime & somewhere.

I have a lot of ideas of things I want to create. I have a lot of time to create them. I'd like to have my shop open by September, maybe sooner. I'd like to have at least 10 items listed for sale when I open the shop. Doesn't seem too hard to accomplish, but let's see how life goes the next few months.

I guess the biggest thing holding me back is fear. I'm afraid of putting all this money (that I don't really have) & time to make these items... and then open my shop and never sale anything.

I'm afraid of having piles of artwork sitting in my already too packed, boxes everywhere, one bedroom apartment.  I don't like the clutter.

I'm afraid of selling something and then it going really wrong. It gets lost -- or breaks -- in the mail or the buyer hates it. Or I totally underestimate how much shipping is and end up losing money on my artwork.

I'm pretty stressed about the whole thing, which doesn't make it the funnest experience. But, it's something I've never done before, and it's OK to be a little afraid. I will learn a lot during my research the next few months. I will continue learning when I open the shop. & one day, maybe, if I don't lose the steam on this, I'll run a successful and stress-free Etsy shop.

Mid-Month Check Up

D = No Dairy  || B = No Booze || S = Squat Challenge

01. This month I decided to stop eating obvious dairy (like ice cream, cheese, etc.). It hasn’t been as hard as I thought to cut out my favorite food (cheese), but now that I started paying more attention to food labels, I can’t believe how many things have dairy in them! For example, I recently became addicted to Vanilla Wafers. I checked the box last night and found out that even they have dairy.

Side note: Kevin & I usually don’t snack, so we don’t buy cookies, chips, etc. when we go to the store. But we thought there was a huge storm headed our way (Tropical Storm Bill) and that we’d be trapped inside for days without power – so we’d have to survive off non-perishable foods.  Since the storm didn’t hit like expected, we now have some delicious – and unhealthy – snacks.

I had cheese once this month so far, and it was just a few little dips. We got free baked pretzels & cheese – and I just had to have a bite.  Other than that, the days that don’t have a “D” in their box is because I ate something with some sort of dairy in it (I’m saying all dairy; not just the obvious dairy that I’m attempting to cut out. One of them is because I had Italian Dressing with my salad and didn’t realize it had dairy).

So far I don’t feel any differently than I did when I ate cheese all the time. Not even a little bit different.  My face is clearing up a little bit, but that could also be because I changed how I wash my face.

02. I stopped using my face wash that I’ve used for a few months now and switched to organic coconut oil. I figured that the chemicals I put on my face aren’t helping since my acne has stayed the same since I started using that product. I’m trying to cut out as many chemicals as I can, so I decided to give it a try after hearing my sister’s reviews and reading this article.

So far my face has cleared up some and my acne scars are getting a lot better! But I’m also adjusting to the new face routine (so getting some new breakouts). I’m really excited to see my progress in a month or two.

03. I failed booze-less June already. I do really well on work nights, but the weekends always get to me.  I’m starting to wonder why I’m obsessed with going a month or so without alcohol. I enjoy having a beer or two with dinner. I love going to beer festivals. I like trying wine. Why should I make myself stop enjoying these things?  It’s not like I’m abusing alcohol in any way.  I’m also the type of person who believes that you should eat a piece of cake if you want to—life is too short not to enjoy some dessert every once and a while.

04. Squat challenge. I made it a few days… Again, the weekend gets to me! I have these routines during the week. I go to work around the same time. I get home around the same time. But the weekends are always so random. I need to prioritize and not let these things (like laundry) fall behind just because it’s the weekend.

05.  I’m stressed because I ordered a package on Etsy for someone’s Christmas present, and the postal service said they couldn’t deliver the package so they forwarded it.  I contacted the seller, but I have no idea where my package is or where the postal service is forwarding it.

 

My Next Place

I recently wrote about how cramped our current apartment is. Even though I enjoy living here & am grateful to have found this spot, I can’t help but think about what I want in our next apartment. Ideally, I’d like to rent a house, but it seems like that’s harder to do for us with our dogs (not many people are willing to accept two puppies, especially since one weighs over 65 pounds). Our lease doesn't end until March 2016, so we have plenty of time to find a new place to call home. 

Here’s what is on my wish list for the next place we call home:

A Yard. This would probably only happen if we ended up in a house. Not many apartments in Houston have yards. Shit, some of them don't even have balconies. My dogs love going to my parents' house on the weekend to run and play in their yard. It's amazing how much energy they get out, and how great they sleep! Growing up in an apartment isn't an ideal life for puppies, but we take them to the dog parks, my parents' house, and also on walks as often as we can. I just want them to have their own yard.. so all I have to do is open the door and they have freedom to play. 

A Dog Park.  If we don't end up in a house, an apartment with a dog park would be ideal! There is one just down the street from where we live that has a dog park. We didn't even look at that complex when we were looking for places to rent. It's pretty much the only one on the street that we didn't tour. At least we know for next year.

Two Bedrooms. Besides the lack of storage, our place is plenty big for us. But there are certain things I don't like -- like the two huge dog crates in our living room! They take up sooo much room, and we always have to design around them. I would love to have a two bedroom apartment so that we can set up an office and the dog crates in the spare room.

A Bigger Kitchen. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I know it's rare for an apartment to have a decent sized kitchen, but I can dream.  I’m not too picky. I just want enough cabinets and counter space.

Eat Whatever You Want

When I started dating, people gave me all sorts of advice about what to order, what to talk about, and how to act.   I appreciated the advice and that people cared enough about me to give me advice. But there’s some advice that I just couldn't follow, like when people told me what I should and should not eat on a date.

I know people want to make great first impressions, especially if they really like the person they are on a date with.  But to not order a certain type of food just because you’re worried what your date will think about you if you get ketchup on your cheek? That’s crazy to me.

If I feel like ribs for dinner, I’m ordering ribs. If my date becomes disgusted because I have BBQ sauce on my face before I can wipe it off .6 seconds later, then why would I even want to be with him? I understand if you’re meeting his parents or his boss, but if it’s just the two of you – why be afraid of a sloppy meal?

Trust me. If this relationship lasts, your date is going to see a lot worse things than you having a piece of spinach in your teeth or BBQ sauce on your cheek. What about when you have a booger in your nose? Or if you get sick and end up vomiting on him or you have to go to the bathroom for a long period of time?  If you’re with someone who can’t handle you when you eat a sloppy meal, how do you think they can handle you when you’re giving birth to your babies or when you’re living together and you get food poisoning one night?

Tacos are also on the list of things we should avoid. Are you kidding? Tacos are amazing!  They say it’s because more food will end up on your plate than in your mouth – and your date shouldn’t have to look at a plate full of food. What?

I did a google search “what not to eat on a date” and was really surprised that the first article was written for guys, telling them what they shouldn’t eat on a date.  This article says that guys shouldn’t order vanilla ice cream because it’s boring.  Supposedly, if you order vanilla ice cream, the girl you’re with will think that “You don’t take risks and you don’t enjoy the finer things in life.”

Another item guys shouldn’t order is salad.  According to the article, “A man getting a salad means he is either incredibly vain, incredibly cheap or dirt poor. None of those are attractive qualities in a partner. She wants a man who eats more than her -- or at least more than the animals in her backyard.”

I have yet to meet anyone who judges someone based on what they order off a menu. Is our society going crazy? No wonder people can’t settle down – they’re too busy ending relationships based off their date ordering a scoop of ice cream for dessert.

June Painting

I promised myself I'd paint at least once every month until May 2016.  My favorite, maybe because it's the easiest for me since it doesn't require any drawing, is abstract art.

I'm the type of person who loves canvases that are painted a solid color and then have a line (or lines) going across it.

via

Or canvases that are just slathered with paint.

via

I'm hoping that my art skills will grow each month and that one day I'll paint something badass. I'd really like to sale my work one day! Here is how my painting turned out for June:

Sorry that the pictures are so blurry. It's amazing how different the painting looks in real life compared to what it looks like from my iphone camera.

One Single Question

I like to think I'm a fairly easy person to get along with. I hate confrontation and arguments, so I try to avoid those situations if possible.  I try my hardest not to judge people, and I try to put myself in others' shoes before I jump to any conclusions.

I like to think I don't get annoyed or offended easily. But, there is one single question that never fails to get on my nerves, and I pretty much judge the questioner as a jackass almost immediately after they ask it.

When someone asks this question, all they're implying is that you're stupid if you don't know something that's obvious to them.

"You know that, right?"

Examples:

Person 1: So, are you going to break up with Ryan?
Person 2 (heartbroken): I don't know. I really love him.
Person 1: He cheated on you. You know that, right?
Person 2 (through tears): Yes, I know that. Thanks for the reminder.

--------

Person 1: I just got a new car!
Person 2: Don't you have bills to pay? And now you just bought a new car?
Person 1: Yeah, but I did my finances and was able to budget for it.
Person 2: Cars are a lot more expensive than just a monthly payment. You know that, right?
Person 1: No way! You mean things like insurance and gasoline? I had no idea.


Does this question annoy you too? Or am I the only one?