History Catches Up

At one point or another, the past catches up with us. In this case, Titanic is back. Sure, Titanic sank in 1912, but it is the memory of it that keeps coming up. Ever since James Cameron's movie came out, I have been fascinated on the subject. To this day, Titanic is still my favorite movie.

When I found out I was moving to Florida, a friend of mine told me I needed to visit Titanic: The Experience. I took her advice. This museum had replicas of rooms from the ship, artifacts recovered from the site, props from the movie and there was a tour guide that took us around and told us stories and hidden secrets from the Titanic and the sinking. It was a very informative way to spend my day.


Some of the rooms that I got to see included the grand staircase, which I was pleased to be able to take a picture in front of. Yes, we could take pictures there! I also saw the veranda and first class cabin. I also got to stand at the spot the captain would be steering his ship and also where they alerted the crew to close those watertight doors. We also got to go "below deck" to where they kept the vehicles and mail and also where the crew shoveled coal into the furnace.


It was amazing walking through the museum and thinking about the lives lost and how the ship went from the ship of dreams to a nightmare. It gave me shivers, and not because I was touching an iceburg (bad joke).


At the end of the tour is when I saw the props from the movie including an outfit worn by Leonardo Dicaprio himself. Titanic is not only my favorite movie, but it the movie that made Leonardo Dicaprio my favorite actor (and still is today). Other props included the hair pin worn by Rose, an autographed script, photographs from old lady Rose's room and Rose's purses.


I say that if you are in the Orlando, Fla., area, then visit Titanic: The Experience. Glad I went!

Magically Memorable

This was the day of being in the right place at the right time. There is no other explanation. I'll cut to the chase. I'm a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Like, beyond ridiculous. It's my absolute favorite thing in the world. Besides my family and my cats. Yep, I'm a huge nerd. Anyway, I was going to buy it on DVD at midnight when it came out. The last and final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I was out that night so I went to a Wal-Mart that I never go to. When I walked in I saw a sign that said some Harry Potter cast members were going to be there that next day. Let me just say I was extremely embarassing when I saw that sign. Again, sorry to my friends.

I knew that some cast members from the movie were in town at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the movie release. So I figured that's why they were going to be at Wal-Mart. I wish I could have gone to the event at Universal, but it was a tad too expensive. Wal-Mart was free!

I was scheduled to work that next day, but I got off unusually early. I usually close, but that day I was off in the afternoon so it gave me time to still get in line a few hours early to see them. Again, I was lucky.

As I walk inside the Wal-Mart I am surprised at how empty it is. Then I walk around the corner and see all of the people sitting on the ground. So nevermind to the emptiness. I get in line and get handed a free movie poster, three pins and a Harry Potter lego set. It's already worth coming! So as hours pass, we see the back doors open and everyone screams. I'm on the complete other side of the area so I'm on my tip toes trying to see which cast members are walking in. Thankfully I'm tall so I can see.

Dean Thomas, Lavendar Brown, Cho Chang and Seamus Finnigan. Yay!!!!

I am beyond excited because I have always loved both Dean and Seamus. Lavendar I secretly dislike because she got to kiss Ron and I wish that was me. Cho is absolutely beautiful. She was the only one who had embarassing fans yelling her name louder than necesssary.

I unfortunately did not get an autograph because they were only there for a limited amount of time and there were just too many people in front of me, but that's okay. I was happy to have just been in their presense. Honestly, at that time the day before I never imagined I'd see any of them. Ever.

When they were leaving, Dean Thomas came out first and I was positioned to where he had to walk shoulder to shoulder with me, and I'm tall. So we immediately locked eyes and he smiled and waved directly at me and that made my day! My camera was held out far from me in case he was allowed to pose for pictures (which he wasn't) but I actually got a picture of his smile and wave to me! Cho Chang also did the same thing. Thank goodness for my height making me a focus point.

This was an amazing experience and for me to be in the presense of Harry Potter characters brought it all to life for me. Happiness.

My Mom Likes Them

So obviously I have seen a few concerts at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival. Hanson and Boys II Men were the only ones on the list that I actually knew who they were, but while I was in Epcot, I walked by America to see who was playing so I could say I have seen them. Well on this particular night, the group Air Supply was set to come on stage.

As I was walking to get a seat in the crowd, I noticed everyone else seated was not quite in my age range. It seemed more like my parents' ages were present. I had never heard of Air Supply so I texted my parents and they were both jealous that I was seeing them.

There were only two lead singers in the band. Let me just say that every single one of their songs talked about love. They did not have a song that did not have the word in it. At one point, both of the singers (and one actually played the guitar) came out into the crowd and oh my goodness, I have never seen adults act so crazy over someone. I was sitting there in shock. I could not help but stare at the ladies who were fawning over these guys. These are probably the thoughts my mom has when I see a celebrity my age around (sorry Mom, now I know).

I actually had heard of some of the songs before, but it was not my kind of thing, so I left the concert early. It is not that they weren't good because obviously plenty of people thought they were. They just are not my era so I did not enjoy it quite as much.

So I saw Air Supply. I have my own air; don't need theirs.

Mmm Mmm A Lot

First loves always win in the end. They are the ones you never forget about. It is a real thing. My first love is and always will be Zac Hanson. Yes, the same Zac Hanson that is the drummer and youngest brother of the music group Hanson. It is Zac Hanson that I base everything I like in a guy on. From the way he looks to the instruments that he plays. He is what every guys must measure up to. And honestly, I did not realize that until today. He is the basis of all that.

Lucky for me, Hanson was on the list to play at Epcot during the Food & Wine Festival. Ever since the list came out over a month ago, I have been counting down the days until I would see Zac and his brothers in real life.

Well, ladies and gentleman, the time has come. I saw Hanson tonight!!! I arrived at the ampitheater about an hour before the show, and honestly it is not a huge area, so even if I was standing in the back, I would still have a fantastic view. I rushed over after work to Epcot and was able to get second row. I was more toward the left side, but still an amazing view.

When Hanson came out, flashbacks from my childhood came to me. I remember posters on my walls, books on my desk and their cd playing loudly in my room. Isaac is the oldest one and no one ever cared about him, but he grew up nicely. He was dressed real suave. Taylor is the middle child who everyone loved, except me. And then there is Zac. He was and still is my favorite. He came out with his long hair in a ponytail (actually a bun on the back of his head) and a tshirt and jeans with holes in it. That is the look I love.

I am confident when I say that I had a smile on my face the entire night. I was taking pictures frantically because I wanted to make sure I had great photographic evidence of my night. I was singing along, but unfortunately the concert was only 30 minutes long. All of the concerts during the festival are short, because they do three sets each night.

Hanson played around six or seven songs. New ones, old ones and even a Beatles one. Zac was on the drums the entire night and kept smiling and seemed very carefree and like he is just as awesome as I think. Taylor was getting into the songs like the lead group member always does. He played the keyboard and a harmonica. Isaac was on the guitar up front and sang quite a bit, too. He was really into his guitar. He was the only one who did not really smile.

All in all, it was an amazing concert! These guys can sing and play musical instruments. They actually are talented. If I ever get the chance to see them again, you can count on it that I will be there.

Blast From the Past

Ladies, I know you know. Boys II Men.

I honestly did not overly listen to their songs or anything growing up, but I knew their more popular songs from the radio or by listening to my older sisters' music playing.

During the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot in Disney World, there is a list of several bands who come to perform for free. Several of the bands on the list I had no idea who they were. It was before my time I guess.

Since I only actually knew who only two groups on the list were, I figured I may as well go see them, since it was free and all. So I went to go see Boys II Men. I got there about three minutes before the show actually started, so I did not get a seat, but rather stood in the back. But it was an outside ampitheater type of area, so it was still an amazing view.

When they first came out, I was surprised. I never knew what they looked like. But I must say, they were suave. They were all dressed so nicely and at one point, they each grabbed a dozen red roses and started passing it out to girls in the audience. SMOOTH!

The concert was about 30 minutes long. I liked that length. Not too long at all, but still long enough to play old and new songs. They were very entertaining to watch and listen to. They sing amazingly in perfect harmony and their dance moves... oh my! They were like straight up from the 90s which is my FAVORITE!!! They did dance moves that people now would consider uncool, which is why I loved it, something different finally!

Have Cake, Eat it

One thing to know about me is that I love cake. Honestly, that does not even describe how much I like it. I LOVE it! I like to eat it, make it and decorate it. Mostly, I like eating it, but decorating it is what I love to do in my spare time.

Being the world of reality television shows that we live in, there are several cake decorating shows, and I gravitated toward one in particular. Only one. Cake Boss.

I love seeing how quickly Buddy decorates and how precise it is every time. It really is fascinating to watch and especially for me, so I can try and pick up a few tips.

Anyway, as I was at Disney World a few weeks ago, I saw a group of people walking with a guest relations cast member and I tried to see if I recognized them. I did not get a good look so I did not think too much of it. However, a little bit later, I got a good look and recognized Buddy himself and his entire family! I was so excited! Not many people knew who I was talking about, but I was absolutely estatic to see someone I look to for cake ideas in person!

He was making his way through the Disney parks and I was lucky enough to have seen him. Right now Epcot is having the annual Food & Wine Festival, so I think he was there doing a special presentation or something with his baking. Either way, I left Disney that day a very happy girl.

Lucky Enough for a Nightmare

October is the month of Halloween (even though it's still September, fyi). However, for me, Halloween is all year long. I love anything scary or creepy whether that be spiders, ghosts, vampires, witches or trick-or-treating. It is when October comes that things really get kicked into gear.

Because I am in Florida, I jumped at the chance to go to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. I am an annual pass holder, so I was able to get a discounted price. There are several ticket packages you can get, but I just got the most basic one for the opening night. Yep, I was there on opening night for the event.

Universal only has a specific number of tickets available to each night's event, so it is not as crowded as a normal day at the park. The event consisted of eight haunted houses, six scare zones and two shows. I kept hearing from friends of mine that in previous years you only have enough time to do a few haunted houses and maybe a show in one night because of the lines. I went into it thinking that is what would happen to me. Also, when I first entered the park, I saw the chance to get text alerts about the line times, so I decided to do that just so I would know. Good choice!

Little did I know, a storm was about to hit. Well, I should have known, it is Florida afterall. The downpour pushed basically everyone inside, so I took that opportunity to get drenched and proceed with my haunted house viewings. This was a brilliant idea because the lines became only five minutes long. Success! I am happy to report that I completed ALL eight of the haunted houses. I believe I went through five of the scare zones and saw one show. I even found time to ride a roller coaster.

The haunted houses were great! They were all themed differently and had a story. I am not someone who gets easily scared (probably because I love this kind of stuff), but I will admit that I jumped a few times. There was one haunted house that was in 3D. I cannot even explain how. It is one of those things that you just have to go to.

Whether you love creepiness or get scared easily, I say go. It is a fun experience and I am glad I went. I have never been to anything quite like it before. However, I would not get a multiple day pass. To me, it is only one of those things that I can go to once.

I am sad to report that I had no nightmares that night. Nighty night.

photo credit: floridatix.co.uk

Getting Fierce in the Animal Kingdom

It seems to be commonly known that if you spend enough time at Walt Disney World, you are going to see a celebrity. Especially if you work there. It's gotta happen, right?! Right!

I am lucky enough to work at Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Wildlife Express Train. However, because the train is just transportation, any celebrities that come basically can get their own transportation to Rafiki's Planet Watch, which is where the train takes you. So I have prepared myself to think I am not going to see any celebrities. Unless I get lucky. Some celebrities like to ride the train, but since I've been here, I've seen none... until a few days ago.

On this particular day, I was being the conductor on the back of the train. As conductor, I talk on the microphone to the entire train and supervise the trip. We were just about to pull out of the station and I see a guest relations cast member walking with a small group of people coming out from the backstage area. Everytime I see a guest relations cast member, I immediately look to see who they are with and try to see if it is a celebrity. I cannot do anything either way, but it is nice to look and to know. Don't worry, I don't freak out or yell their name. I just glance naturally. All I notice is how much I love the outfit that the woman is wearing. Her head is down, but I wanted her outfit (love my fashion!). I also noticed she had dark short hair and was tall... and I know tall because I am.

When I was leaving work, I walked past a fellow cast member and he told me that Tyra Banks had been in the area just a little bit before. I freaked out because I love Tyra and always wanted to be on America's Next Top Model! He said she was with guest relations and I started connecting the dots and after asking what she was wearing and how many people she was with I realized that I had just seen THE Tyra Banks!

My life is complete.

photo credit: celebrity-gossip.net

We Are Boys Like Girls

"We are Boys Like Girls" was the quote of the night.

I am one of those lucky people who have a season pass to Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. During the summer, Universal holds a Summer Concert Series and has different artists coming every weekend to play. And the artists chosen are good ones, not lame ones that no one likes. This past week was Boys Like Girls. I love that band. I have seen them before a few years ago in my home town (and it was from the front row). I wanted to go since it was a free concert and I already knew it would be an amazing show!

My roommate and I showed up at the concert only about twenty minutes before showtime. We still got an amazing spot and saw the band perfectly. The fans in the crowd were mostly teeny-boppers. So as you are probably assuming, there was a ton of screaming going on.

When the band came out, everyone went wild! They started playing songs and everyone, including me, sang along. The band members had such great energy and I could not help but to be totally into it. I now have a HUGE crush on the main singer of the band, Martin Johnson. He even said that he was 25 and single. Hey, I'm available...

Martin kept on saying throughout the entire show, "We are Boys Like Girls." "We are Boys Like Girls from Massachusetts." I am not sure why he kept on repeating it. Sure, say it a few times, but dude, we love you guys which is why we are here supporting you.

So since I saw them perform a few years ago, I knew that they are very big into throwing things into the crowd for the fans. When I saw them a while ago, I caught their song list when they threw it into the crowd. At this concert, they were throwing guitar pics, song lists, towels, water bottles, sunglasses and more. They were very interactive and great!

Let's just say that this concert was amazing and I want to marry Martin. I could listen to their music all day long, and honestly, I am not a fan of many groups, so this is saying a lot.

They did promise to have another album coming out at some point, so I guess step one is to buy their first one.

Miranda's Got It Right

Dress: Wet Seal $11.99

Jacket: GoJane $38.60
Purse: Alloy $19.99

Shoes: Rue 21 $26.99

Total: $97.57

TV To Reality

"Greek" is one of my all-time favorite television shows. It came on ABC Family, and unfortunately, its last episode aired a couple months ago. It had a nice long run (several seasons) and I never missed an episode. Although I am in college, I still lived my college life through the television show. It is hard not to do. The characters are all so relatable.

I love following celebrities on Twitter. So naturally, I follow some of the actors from the show and the show itself. As I was sitting in a night class a couple months ago, I noticed a tweet from the show that put up a contest. Okay, I know I should not have been on Twitter in the middle of class, but sometimes you just gotta. It said something along the lines of: Fill in the blank "The nicest thing I've ever done for a person was..." I replied with my answer. I knew that the contest was to get objects from the show since it was ending. There were 50 winners. I did not really know my odds. I just knew they were not that great.

Later that night, I got a direct message on Twitter saying that I was a potential winner and I needed to email my address to a show worker. I was so excited. I automatically got my hopes up and answered the email immediately. Weeks went on, then it was months. I got nothing. I had finally decided that I did not win. I knew I was only a "potential" winner at the time, but not the real winner.

This morning, I woke up to my doorbell ringing. I looked outside and there was a package on my doorstep. I looked down and saw my name. I had no idea what it was - I had not ordered anything. Then I saw that the return address was from ABC Family and I knew exactly what it was! Just when I completely forgot about the contest, I find myself in posession of not one, but three items from the show. This contest was strictly for ZBZ items. So I received a license plate cover, a pledge pin and a button pin. These items were worn/used by several cast members! It even came with three certificates.

I know the show is over now, but I am so excited to have part of it in my room! It is crazy to me knowing that these items were on the show I have been watching for years and in the hands of some great actors.

Royal Relationships

I love love. It is a fact. Everyone in the world is obviously aware of THE wedding that is about to happen on Friday to the one and only Prince William and Kate Middleton. I never thought too much of it, but ever since that Lifetime movie about them, William & Kate, I cannot get enough of it all!

Seeing them in the magazines and on the Internet is one thing, but seeing their life on that movie made me see them in a whole new light. I never put their relationship under a microscope. I knew that they had broken up and gotten back together a few times, but I never knew why. I did not care too much about them. Honestly, I think Prince Harry is the cute one.

The movie really takes the viewers in to see the "real" reasons for everything. Of course, I am not sure how accurate everything is, but I am just believing as I see it. I like that they started out as friends. I think that is a good start and means that they will last. In the movie, the actors had a lot of chemistry, so I like to think that it is the same way in real life.

The actors in the movie did not look exactly like the real thing obviously, but I really thought the actor for Prince William is more good-looking than royalty. He gets my vote! This movie definitely shows that Prince William is a guy like all others - except he gets to live a much more fabulous lifestyle. At parts of the movie, I just get so mad at Prince William. My favorite quality about Kate Middleton from the movie, and hopefully real life, is that she is a very strong and independent woman. Just because she is dating a prince does not let her depend on him for everything. She lives her own life. I think that is inspiring.

My favorite part about this movie is that the two characters met in Scotland at school. For anyone that knows me, you will know why I am obsessed with that fact. It is a magical place.

So the movie all in all is FABULOUS!!! Honestly, I was sitting in my bed smiling like a really happy person for basically the entire movie. I liked seeing how normal they really are and how they face situations just like everyone else. And quite honestly, ever since someone told me I look like Kate Middleton last week, I see myself as her in the movie.

I am quite excited about the wedding on Friday, and I wish them nothing but happiness!

photo credit: blog.zap2it.com

Dobby Deserves a Trophy

The time has come! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is now out on DVD! I have already watched it numerous times even though its only been out one week. So this is going to be my little mini-review of it.

I got the special 2 disc edition of the DVD and that is available exclusively at Wal-Mart. I do not have a Blu-Ray player, otherwise, I would have gotten that one. Anyway, on the special features disc, it has got some good stuff!

Additional scenes are always my favorite thing! There were some that I agreed did not need to go into the movie, but there were two that I really wished were in the movie. One explains how Voldemort's name is a trigger to find Harry and another is a special moment between Ron and Hermione. I wish the movies played up Ron and Hermione's chemistry more, and this scene would have been perfect! But I also think that it's what sets this movie franchise apart from others. It seems that almost every movie ever made revolves around love or has love in the plot as a large part of the film. This movie focuses on other aspects and love is focused on more between family and friends.

There was also a behind the scenes look at how they made the seven Harrys. That was awesome and educating to watch. If you love movie making, you definitely need to watch this! There are also other features including off the set with a few actors and some more behind the scenes on certain scenes such as running through the forest, battling with Nagini and the frozen lake.

Honestly, this movie is amazing! Yes, it is long, but I am so glad! I am such a fan of Hogwarts that I was sad none of the characters were in uniform and the castle was MIA in this movie, but to see another side of these characters and how they are developing into young adults was awesome to see. I have grown up with these characters, so it is natural for them to take on a dangerous role.

So a few things: I am in love with Ron Weasley. I wish Dobby was my best friend.

Buy the movie! The special features really are worth those few extra bucks. And I am probably going to watch the movie again today. Actually, I definitely am! I am just so sad that there is one more now. It's only a couple months away!

photo credit: btscene.eu

Third Times a Charm

I will admit it. I took my not first, not second, but third trip to Covington, Ga., in attempts to see any cast member of The Vampire Diaries. AND... it paid off!!! I cannot even begin to explain the experience that I had. In simpliest terms - it was a good one!

It was Thursday afternoon when I discovered that filming was scheduled for the Season 2 finale that day and the following day. Since I do not live in or near Covington, it was a waste to try and go on that day. I made plans to go the next day. A Friday. I knew the time schedule from my cousin and the Internet. I got there when they were scheduled to start, but they did not start until a few hours later. And I knew it was filming until the early morning hours of the Saturday. Because of my long drive, I could only stay so long. Trust me though, I stayed long enough to get the experience in! Basically everyone there watching lives in that town or beside it, so they did not have to worry about the lateness.

The first thing I saw was the town square decorated with equipment, a large screen and Hawaiian tables. I am assuming that it is going to be a Founder's Day event, because almost every episode involves some Founder's Day event. Anyway, I then got to watch my first scene being filmed! I have never seen a television show being filmed live before. It is fascinating to me! They were filming outside of the court house, which is home to Sheriff Forbes' office, and she is played by Marguerite MacIntyre. She was the first cast member that I saw that day. I saw her enter the court house and leave several hours later. From that moment on, I knew I was going to have a great day!

In between her appearances, I also got to see Carol Lockwood, and she is played by Susan Walters. Although her outfit called for heels, she opted for some slippers when walking outside. Smart. It was just a little bit later that I saw Elena Gilbert herself, played by Nina Dobrev. She came walking up on the sidewalk out of no where! All of the on-lookers were preoccupied with watching the filming that no one noticed her walking around until she was on the set. She actually looks exactly like she does on the show. Usually, to me anyway, people look different in person. She basically has perfect hair and is gorgeous! Her outfit was very casual with converse tennis shoes. Awesome!

I saw another girl in the same clothes and realized that it was her stunt double. They gave her a wig to wear so from far away, in the dark, I had no idea who was who. I do not want to give anything away because the show is still a few episodes from the finale, but there was a bit of stunt work that we got to watch them do, but it looked to me like Nina wound up doing it all and they did not use the double. Nina even bowed to all of us fans when she was over because we were all clapping. She is really a fun girl. I am bad at associating people with their characters, and Elena is sort of un-fun sometimes, but Nina is as energetic as the bunny! She was skipping around on set instead of walking and having a good time. I got to see her a ton throughout the day.

It was when the white van pulled by us on-lookers that the set went from "Quiet. Rolling" to "Ahhhhhhh!!!!!" Ian Somerhalder had just arrived. He was a good sport and was waving to all of us (and there were a few hundred of us fans at one point). He was joking around with us telling us to be quiet because they were trying to film, but he took some pictures with little kids who were allowed to approach him. I wish I was a "privlidged fan." I guess those fans knew the right people. He was so sweet with them giving them hugs. And honestly, I could have sworn that we made eye contact for a few seconds. Maybe that was because I am three feet taller than all of the little girls that were around me. Yep, I am that girl. He really is flawless. Well, I wish he was taller. There, I said it. His one flaw. But he really is gorgeous!! And he was dressed in all black. Typical Damon. Cough cough, Team Damon, cough cough.

As the day was turning into night/early morning, I saw several extras come and film with them. When they film scenes, they have to do it several times in a row. It is amazing how two minutes on screen takes about two hours to film. Oh, and one of my favorite parts of the night... Ian Somerhalder waved at me specifically! Seriously! The crew and security was having to move all of the fans to a new spot and no one was paying attention. Ian stepped out of his tent and at this point, it was pitch black and he was in all black, but I saw him. Thank you to my eyes and my ability to see in the dark! I was in front of everyone, so I took that opportunity to wave (probably a little bit more enthusiastically than I intended) and he waved back and smiled. It was a good wave, too. Not a puny little wrist turn. I turned around to see if anyone was watching or waving, and no one was! Yay me! I mostly stuck with some new friends that I met that day for the whole day and one of the girls saw the wave and then joined in also. So thank you Ian! We interpreted that wave as a whole lot more than what it actually was. We serve as each other's wave witnesses!

There are several details that I want to share, but I do not want to spoil anything for anybody that watches the show. My camera did not take the best of pictures either. We could not have our flashes on, so I knew that my camera had no hope. But I will always have this memory in my mind. I cannot wait to see the finale play and recognize which scenes I was there to witness. I am so happy that my third try worked!

Bring Your Fairytale to Life

Dress: Forever 21, $24.80

Cardigan: Forever 21, $24.80

Shirt: Forever 21, $19.80

Shoes: Forever 21, $24.80

Belt: Forever 21, $5.50

Total: $99.70

That's A Lot of House

I have been to the Biltmore House two times before, but my mom and I decided to take a third trip to Asheville, NC to see it. We were very excited to spend the day there and be in the presense of this beautiful and historic home. It is actually the largest home in America!

For a little background on Biltmore, it was not open until 1895. George W. Vanderbilt had it built and he later met his wife and they had a daughter. When we went on the tour, we chose to get the headsets, which gave us additional information on each room. There are 250 rooms in this house, and no, we were not allowed to see them all. Some of the rooms we did see included: Billiard Room, Breakfast Room, Music Room, Library (wow!), Mr. Vanderbilt's Bedroom, Mrs. Vanderbilt's Bedroom, four guest rooms, Bathroom, Halloween Room, Bowling Alley, Swimming Pool, Gymnasium, Kitchens, Smoking Room, and that is just to name a few! I just have to say that the library was ridiculous! It reminded me of the library from "Beauty and the Beast," but real! Something else I noticed is that the house color scheme is basically a maroonish color. I got excited whenever I saw a room that was not that color.

I do have to point out that the woman of the house, Edith Vanderbilt, and I seem to have several similar qualities. She was 6'0", had long brown wavy hair that she wore up a lot, loved "out there" fashion and loved any type of cake and dessert. Anyway, I just thought that was funny!

Before we left on this journey, I looked up Biltmore on the computer and several movies and television shows were actually shot at this location. The most recent one in my mind is from one of my favorite shows, "One Tree Hill." Brooke and Julian went there to consider it as a place to hold their wedding. That episode was a few months ago, but oh well. They stood in the iconic spot with the house in the background. It really is beautiful to just stand there and look at it. The outside is just as detailed and exquisite as the inside.

I hope that I can go back a fourth time one day because there is so much to do there. Not only can you look at the house, but there are several trails to walk, a beautiful flower area, stable shops and restaurants, winery, carriage rides, special tours, an on-site hotel and more!

My mom and I had a wonderful time! And word to the wise, make sure to wear walking shoes. Much of the landmark is outside, so also dress according to the weather!

Photo caption: fanpop.com

Driving in the Fast Lane

Yesterday I went to a sort-of NASCAR convention called "Food City Race Night 2011." The Bristol Race is in two days, so this is a type of tradition since it is in the area. Plus, Trevor Bayne, winner of the 2011 Daytona 500, is from Knoxville, Tenn. People sure did give him a good hometown welcome!

It was a four hour event, but I did not get there until one hour and a half into it. My mom came with me, and my brother-in-law was already there. I grew up in a NASCAR house, so I felt right at home there. This convention had free food, race cars and free autographs!

The line to meet Trevor Bayne was closed before we even got there. His line filled up first. I would say he is probably one of the most popular guys in the country right now. I still got very close to him though, so I at least got to see him and get a picture. So it seemed like Trevor was by himself, but then I saw the curtain part behind him. Out walked Kerry Earnhardt! Yep, the son of Dale Earnhardt! I was so excited, but then I got sad that his line was closed. And I could not help but notice that he looked a ton like Brad Womack, the latest "Bachelor."

Since that line was closed, we hopped over to the line to meet Elliott Sadler. When I got up to him, I have to admit that I fell in love. He is a good-looking guy! As I walked up, he gave me an autograph on a picture of him and I was a cheesy fan and asked for a picture with him also. Surprisingly, no one else was asking for a picture with him (only with Trevor Bayne). He put on a big smile and I started to lean down across the table for my mom to take our picture, but he held out his hand and said, "No, you are already so tall, let me stand up next to you." Well, it was something like that. Anyway, he was a pure gentleman. And I love him.

As I was scooting down the line, I got an autograph from Sam Bass, who is the first official licensed artist of NASCAR. I also got an autograph and a picture with Chad Hackenbracht who drives in the ARCA Series. He was really young. I am not sure how old he is, but I would imagine even a few years younger than me. He was really nice though. When I asked for a picture with him, he invited me to come behind the table with him. Anyway, I got an autograph from Chocolate Myers who has worked crew for so many drivers, including the late Dale Earnhardt, Jr. And last but not least, I got a picture and an autograph of Eric McClure who drives the #14 car.

It was a pretty fun event, and I sure will never forget it. Oh the day I met my love Elliott Sadler. Oh my.

The Happiest Girl in the World

Attention ladies and gentleman: I AM GOING TO BE AN INTERN AT WALT DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!!!!

I am going to be joining other college students on the Disney College Program for the Fall Advantage 2011. I am so beyond excited!

My plans for after graduation were set before I found out about this, but really, who does not want to work and live at Disney World?! Honestly, I am counting down the days until I get there. I am excited that I will get to live with others my age and there are going to be interns from 60 different countries! I am not sure who I will be living with yet. I put in a request to find out prior to going, so I am just anxiously awaiting my e-mail at this point.

I will be living in Orlando from May until January, which is a while to be on this program, but I will be there during the fun celebrations such as July 4th, Halllween, Christmas and New Year's Eve.

My role as a cast member will be in Attractions. That was one of my top choices, so I am very pleased that I was chosen for that. I am not sure where at within the parks I will be working yet though. I will find that out when I get there.

I have only ever been to Disney World once, which was two years ago, but it made a good enough impression on me that I want to work and live there. I am so excited that I get the opportunity to do this!

Only two more months until I am at the happiest place in the world! And I will even get to go into the parks for free on my days off!

As I have been scanning the Internet trying to find information on past cast members who have participated in this program, I came across a ton of YouTube vlogs. Apparently, it is a very common thing for interns to make vlogs about their experiences, which are all great! So I made my very first one and posted it. I plan on making more talking about my experience!

P.S. This picture is me at Disney World two years ago inside Minnie Mouse's house. Is it not the cutest house ever?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6txriNxrc

Batter Batter Swing!

I never just "flip through the channels" on my television. I already have so many shows that I am faithfully committed to through my DVR, that I do not invest time into any other TV time. So it was very unlike me to go flipping, but it must have been fate or something because I found this wonderful show on TLC: "DC Cupcakes." Oh my goodness, I cannot begin to explain to you how wonderful it is! The store is in Washington, D.C., but DC to me stands for Delicous Cupcakes!

You may all know that I am obsessed with 1) Eating cakes and 2) Baking cakes. When I came across this television show, I saw pretty desserts with fabulous flavors and I could not take my eyes off of it. It was basically love at first sight. They have flavors like S'mores, Cinnamon and Banana Split! You cannot beat that!

The store is run by two sisters, Katherine and Sophie, who look nothing alike. They are fun to watch. Because they are sisters, they bicker back and forth, but it is in a pleasant way. They are always holding competitions between each other to see who can make the best cupcake or the best new flavor. They have new flavors coming out all the time! I really want to make a trip to DC just to get a cupcake. Sad sad. You can actually order cupcakes and have them shipped also.

It is a really cute store! It's got a black and pink theme. I'm not a huge pink person, but with cupcakes, it works! The sisters also wear pink aprons and pink rainboots, which I find odd but fascinating. They do not make cakes, but huge masterpieces out of cupcakes. They will make 6'0" tall statues and cover it with cupcakes in a grid sort of way. I am just fascinated. I have only watched about six or seven total episodes, but I am keeping an eye out for them to come on TV!

Photo caption: tlc.discovery.com

Happy Birthday Morelli!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Joe, Happy Birthday to you! Now everybody, let's eat tasty cakes!

Joe Morelli is indeed a book character, but for those of you who are like me and have several parasocial relationships (thinking characters from television shows, movies or books are real), then join with me in celebrating Joe's birthday!

The book series that he graces the pages of is the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. The book series is based out of New Jersey and involves a girl who decides to become a bounty hunter. She finds herself in the strangest positions and happens to blow up way too many cars to count. Joe is one of the guys who pulls on Stephanie's heart strings, but there's another guy by the name of Ranger that pulls another set. He is your typical bad boy in black. But Joe is no good boy either. Joe is bad gone kinda good. You see, he's now a cop, but still knows how to enjoy life.

One for the Money is the name of the first book in the series and it is actually going to be a movie starring Katherine Heigl. The movie will be hitting the big screen in the summer of 2011, that's what I hear anyway!

My mom is the one who got me hooked. She had asked me for years to read it and I finally gave in and zipped through the books in about one month. You see, there are 16 published and another one on the way. That does not even include the in-between novels, which of course I read also.

I found that Janet Evanovich has a website, so of course I joined it and I ran across bookplates. I honestly did not even know what they were. She does signings sometimes, but never around me. For those fans that cannot get to her signings, she is nice enough that if you send her a self addressed and stamped envelope, then she will send you a signed bookplate! I did that and I was so happy when I got mine!

Here is her website: http://www.evanovich.com/

I highly recommend that you READ THESE BOOKS! They are funny, romantic, adventurous, scary and any other genre that you can think of! You will not be disappointed!

I have to rate this book series as my second favorite ever. Harry Potter can never be replaced, but this one sure does come close!

Give Yourself a Lively Style

Jacket: Macy's, $22.49

Shirt: Forever 21, $13.80

Skirt: eCRATER, $27.00

Shoes: Forever 21, $11.99

Bracelet: Forever 21, $8.80

Total: $84.08

photo credit: style.mtv.com

Second Time Around

I made my second trip to Mystic Falls, aka Covington, Ga., yesterday. My cousin and her friend were awesome enough to join me. This was our second time going on a mission in order to scope out vampires. The Vampire Diaries films there for those of you who are completely confused with what I am talking about.

Unfortunately, I had a class in the morning, but we left immediately after. In addition to that, we got stuck in traffic due to flat tires on the interstate. We finally got there after about five hours of driving and immediately saw the signs of where they were filming.

We followed the signs and saw that they were filming at the cemetery. We saw several huge trucks that held the equipment and large white tents set up for the food and make-up area. There were already three other people standing in that area waiting, so it was six of us all together. Not that many fans there, so we thought we would surely get a picture. Nope. Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev who play Damon and Stefan Salvator and Elena Gilbert had left a few hours earlier. Apparently they had early call times.

At this point, they were moving filming locations over to the Lockwood Mansion, which in actuality is only one block over - very convenient. We were able to see some pretty amazing things though. We saw Damon's car - the blue Chevy Camaro. We also saw the cast member's folding chairs that say The Vampire Diaries and their names on them AND their wardrobe being put into a truck one foot from where we were standing.

All that was left were a few scenes at the Lockwood Mansion. It was only Mia Kirshner and David Anders, who play Isobel Flemming and John Gilbert, filming. They were not there for very long at all. Maybe an hour or a little more. We never saw them come or go unfortunately. It seems to me like we were in the wrong places at the wrong time.

But one highlight is that we talked to the director of the show, Marcos Siega! He was in a rush trying to leave because it was a long day of work for him and it was cold outside. But that is still pretty cool. Plus, we saw all of the lights and cranes at the mansion of them filming.

Maybe we will try for a third time, afterall, the third time's a charm!