I'm a crafty vegetarian!

Life is moving fast. Today is the due date for my baby nephew Isaac... COME ON ISAAC! I've been preparing people at work for my absence over the past two weeks but he's still not here!! It's okay, though. We're glad he's going to be completely ready for this world before he gets here. And I have the best job (and boss) in the world so whenever Isaac decides to grace us with his presence, I will be there.

Tomorrow I start work at the mall as one of Santa's Helpers! SO excited to work there again this year. As I stated in this very blog just last year, my family didn't do the Santa thing when we were kids. In fact, last year was the first time I'd ever even had my picture taken with him. Maybe I'll get to work there next year and there will be a little one-year-old that can get his first Santa picture from Aunt Meme :)

I'm also happy to report that I have a new craft project. I seem to go through different phases. I've done ornaments (that one didn't last long), I did canvases, and now I'm on to fabric flowers. I love wearing clips in my hair so when I learned how to make them at First Baptist's Crafts and Conversations, I was hooked. Now I have 12 home-made rosettes and I plant to make more and more! Let me know if you'd like one because I would LOVE to make one just for YOU!!

Biggest news of the past three months (since there's no baby to brag about yet) - I no longer eat meat. On this Monday (the day my nephew will most definitely be here), it will have been three full months since I had a single bite of meat. Well, except for one time at Gymboree that someone gave me a chicken finger and I ate a little before I remembered that I didn't eat that anymore... It's been pretty awesome. I haven't had any cravings and, now I know this is silly of me, but I went to the pumpkin patch with my family, they had a petting zoo. It was truly lovely to love on those little animals and know that I no longer consume anyone in their family. Of course Rush is still very much a carnivore but so far that hasn't even been much of a struggle.

Alright. So mostly I can't stop thinking about this silly little boy who only my sister really knows right now. I'm so ready to meet little Isaac that I don't have much else to talk about. I know an even bigger piece of my heart will soon reside in my hometown and I'll have to visit even more often. But I'm happy with the crafty, vegetarian, awesome kid-friendly job-filled life that Rushy and I are setting up here.

On the Bright Side

You know how when you say a word over and over and over, it eventually loses all meaning? Such is the way I feel about Hairspray. Not the show itself or anything about my experience, just the word. Today at work, one of the kids randomly started talking about the movie musical version and it took me a couple minutes to comprehend what was coming out of his mouth.

I’ve been meaning to write a final Hairspray blog for the past week, but I don’t even know what to say. How does one describe the most positive, successful, meaningful experience of their career? Not to mention, I’ve been rather heart-broken by the absence of my time on the stage, the dear friends I made, and oddly enough, Tracy herself. I’ve got to get it out now because Rushy gave me until today to be an emotional mess. Of course he’s been an absolute saint to me during what he deemed Emily’s Breakdown Week. Worry not – it only took a couple days.

The end of the show was such an interesting roller coaster. Throughout our final performance, and even in the hours following, all I felt was relief. I can’t tell you how many times I came dangerously close to giving up. More often than not, I legitimately believed there was no way I could make it through the entire process. I had an absolute blast and everyone was so supportive but let me be honest here. That show was hard. I was exhausted and constantly in terror of losing my voice or butchering the words beyond recognition (as many of you know I am apt to do) or just not having enough energy to make it all the way through act one.

We made it, though, and it was so rewarding that by the time I left our final cast party that Sunday evening, I could barely hold it together as my husband walked me to the car. Ultimate meltdown. I instantly missed everything and everyone involved with Hairspray. That was when Rush transformed into Superman (as if he weren’t that already) and declared that I had a full 7 days to wallow. Fortunately for everyone involved, it didn't last nearly that long. Perspective.

At work, I danced and sang and played with the kids with every bit of my being for the first time in months. At karaoke, I sang with abandon and stayed up much too late. When my body was tired the next morning, I knew the most significant thing I had to do was clap my hands and sing about the bubbles in the air. And, best of all, I ate a nice, leisurely dinner with my husband every single night. So, as much as I long for Tracy every now and then, and miss the sweet friends that I made, I know that the next thing is just around the corner. Until then, I will enjoy my state of peaceful relaxation.

Oh, and I got a tattoo. On my foot. It’s awesome.

Living on the Stage

No posts in the month of June. I am positively ashamed of myself. Bad blogger, bad! I feel like I approach this the same way I clean my room. The longer I wait, the harder it gets, the more effort it seems it will take, and eventually I decide it's just been so long I might as well not bother. But, eventually, you gotta clean your room. And I gotta blog.

I thought I was busy with Tracy training and appearances, and I suppose I was, but it does not compare to what the past two weeks have held. We started rehearsals and I just have to say: what an absolutely, mind-blowing cast and crew we have! They work so hard and so fast and it is a truly beautiful, creative experience. Everyone in that room is so stinking talented that I sometimes feel like the fat kid that got picked to play on their team because nobody else was left.

It has been a blast and I cannot (let me repeat that) CANNOT believe we open in a week and a half. I keep thinking that it's almost over and that I'll miss this family that I've barely even gotten to known. Then I remember that we still get to run the show for a month! I want to do it forever. With this group of crazy supportive people. Please come see us. I know not everyone will be able to swing it, but I really hope you try. You'll be missing something amazing if you don't.

Of course I know all good things must come to an end, which is why I'm trying to find time to attend some auditions and keep up the momentum of being in the theatre again. That's right, I said auditions. I was behind the scenes in most of the shows I did in school and nothing fills my life with joy quite like piecing a production together and watching it come to life. I think somewhere along the way I forgot just how thrilling it is to be on the stage. I think I'd like to live there for a while and see where it takes me next.

A Year Ago Today

A lot has changed. In our lives, in the lives of our family and friends, and in the lives of our communities. A little over a month ago, our state was ravaged by the worst storms it's seen in my lifetime. From my friend's damaged house to my sister's infertility, so many people around us experienced personal tragedies. While I desperately searched for employment, Rush and I spent 2 months of our marriage as a one-income family.

These hardships help to sweeten all the glorious moments we've experienced this year. Just this weekend, we celebrated my cousin Molly's graduation from high school. Katie and Noah are 25 weeks away from holding their first child. My parents were able to move to a new, cute house just a couple blocks away from my sister. On Valentine's Day I had the immense pleasure of announcing that 4 months of auditioning had paid off - I'm now just a couple short months from bringing Tracy to life in RMTC's Hairspray! We brought in 2011 with Blake and Scotty's beautiful wedding. Since October, I have worked 5 jobs and enjoyed every single one of them while Rush has been blessed with more security at his own. After the best 4 days of my life at the most magical place on earth, Rush and I moved into our first home and adopted our two babies, Schnitzel and Luna Lovegood.

In a year of so much change, we loved using today to remember things that stay the same. One year ago...

I ate lunch at Surin with my family while Rush watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia with his friends.  Today Rush and I ate dinner at Surin together and put on How I Met Your Mother when we got to our home.

Rush and I enjoyed the entire day being with family and friends. Today we spent the entire day on our own, enjoying each other's company.

My family and I drove all over Birmingham to find the correct Publix and Krispy Kreme to pick up our wedding "cakes". Today Rush and I bought 2 cupcakes and 2 doughnuts just for us.

My husband of about an hour sang Mario Kart Love Song with me in front of our loved ones. Today we sang the same song quietly in the car, just to see if we remembered it. We did.

Rush and I had our ceremony at the Botanical Gardens and our reception at Park Lane - 2 places that hold a special place in our hearts. Today we went to the McWane Center, which is where we went on September 27th 2007 - the anniversary of our first year as a couple.

Rush and I stopped at Sonic on our way home after a long night of dancing, talking, and laughing with our wonderful guests. Today we shared a drink from Sonic as we started our special day.

I married my best friend. Today he reminded me how lucky I am.

Blue Hair of Expression

I love to dye my hair. I love it so much, it could possibly be called a hobby of mine. My hair has, at one point or another, been pretty much every color under the sun. And I'm not just talking about the colors that are found on natural heads of hair, much to my mother's chagrin. Hair is the ultimate accessory and I feel so lucky to have a type which holds up to color extremely well. From bleaching, to putting pink and purple side by side, to dying it as dark as it can be, my hair has continually helped me express a little piece of myself.

Lavender - my personal favorite

Luckily, through the generosity of RMTC and the excellent instruction of Shad Simpson, I've had the opportunity to express myself in a much more rewarding way. NS Dance is a beautiful building full of beautiful people who create beautiful art. It has been so exciting to get to know the high school girls in my musical theatre class and I hope our paths cross again and again. I love being able to move and explore dancing in this comfortable setting. It is so incredible to be given the opportunity of learning from and amongst such talented human beings.

Just a wig, but oh how I'd relish this color all the time!

I can't pretend I don't miss put crazy colors in my hair ever few months, though. Way back in November, I was searching for the perfect audition song for RMTC's Hairspray. A friend of mine turned me onto a song called "Blue Hair" and I was instantly devoted. It's not too mainstream, it has that up-beat story-telling feel to it, and it is about a young girl who wants to dye her hair blue, which I would love to do (again). I told myself that if I didn't get a callback, I really would dye my hair blue. Then I decided that if I didn't make the finalists, I'd dye it blue. So then I said, still, if I don't get the part, I'm going blue... I'm quite happy that my hair is still not blue!

Blue Hair circa 2007