Some Confessions and Life Stories

I wanted to do a blog post about some of my life stories so that whoever reads my blog will get to know me better. I know I have shared a lot so some of these you might already know and some you don't. Also I am going to share with you that goes along with life stories the 90s I remember with some pictures included. After this post, I will be doing a series a posts not sure if it will be everyday but I will try, it will be posts on different topics and how I feel about them and my first topic is going to be Hate. 

But for this post here are some life stories and more for you to enjoy and learn about where I came from and who I am! 

I grew up in Powhatan, County, Virginia. It is about 20-25 minutes west of Richmond where I was born. I grew up in rural Virginia or the country as I like to refer to it. This is how it was when I was growing up: 

 We had wild flowers like the ones above and honeysuckles and back country roads like the 3rd picture. It was crazy when it snowed. It would take the plows a good 2-3 days or more to clear off all the roads so sometimes we had long snow days which was fun. I always loved the smell of freshly cut grass and at night since there was no city lights you could see all the star constellations in the sky. We would ride our bikes with no shoes on, swim in the neighbors pool until late at night sometimes, and we could have our windows and doors open without any fear. It was complete freedom. 

I had a purple skip-it, razor scooter, slip -n- slide, running through the sprinkler and drinking from the hose, I had a swing set in the back yard and I would swing really high and sing "I Believe I Can Fly" by R Kelly because swinging that high, I felt like I was flying. I would play baseball in the front yard with my dad but I have said that before. I had giga pets, nanos, pokemon cards, beanie babies, pogs, hit clips, and more. I still have my pokemon cards, beanie babies, pogs, and hit clips (don't judge me). Also I had up to 4 Furbies at one time now I only have 1 left. 

We would go to stores that I remember like SunCoast, Sam Goody, and there was a Beanie Baby store at the mall at one point that place was always crowded. We would go to a store called PharMor which was like a pharmacy and more store and we would go to the hardware store HQ or Home Quarters. Of course we used to rent VHS tapes not DVDs and we had a see through corded phone at one point too. I thought it was the coolest thing at the time. 

Here's a confession: When I was growing up I always wanted a power wheels barbie jeep, A Light Brite, and a Gameboy Color with the Pokemon games. 

I had a Sega Genesis game system and then I got a Nintendo 64 which I still have! Speaking of Sega Genesis though, I once beat the Sonic and Knuckles game! 

We would go to Kings Dominion and The State Fair of Virginia every year! I miss that. 

I have been to Washington D.C, Baltimore, Detroit, Asheville, NC, Orlando, FL, Jekyll Island, GA, and of course St. Augustine, FL. 

Something you probably already know, Virginia Beach is one of my most favorite places on earth!!! 

Some other things you probably already know: Lucy Hale and Alyssa Milano mean the absolute world to me and always will! They are true inspirations and idols to me and I am so lucky and blessed that I got to meet Lucy Hale back in January 3 days before my 26th birthday of course. Also my Fiance Rob and my BFF's Asu, Sarah, Ellen, Jen, Lisa, Lippy, and others mean the world to me too! I love all of these people with all my heart!!! 

We used to have some of the BEST 4th of July's! We would go to this awesome little fireworks store called "Big Bang Fireworks" and yes they are still there to this day in the same spot! We would get a basketful of fireworks and sparklers including my Favorite firework: Unicorn Fountain! 

We used to get this one every time! It was my favorite mostly because it has a unicorn on it! And that's how long I have loved unicorns!!! 

Anyway, we set off all these fireworks in the driveway and the neighbors would come over and we would eat the firecracker Popsicles and get all sticky! Fun times! 

Here are some more recent stories you may not know: 

Lovely me woke up with a sore throat the day of my high school graduation and ended up with a cold soon after. Also, lovely me got to the top step of the stage thing they had set up to get my diploma and my shoe got caught on the top step and yes I tripped but no I did not fall thankfully! 

I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth out in 2008 at the same time and ended up getting sick an hour later. I couldn't keep anything down and ended up needing an anti nausea/vomiting pill to stop it. Not a good memory of mine. 

I went to Disney World for the first time for my 6th birthday back in January of 1994 (Yes I know that is not that recent but wanted to include it). Went to Disney World for the 2nd time after I graduated High School back in 2006. I have been there now too many times to count as I live in Florida now. 

Another story that isn't recent happened when I was 6 or 7 or something. I was home with my Dad and we were on the back deck and we saw a UFO! It looked like a string of flying rocks it was weirdest thing I had ever seen. It was multicolored the first time and I saw it again and it was all green. No Lie! 

Here are the cartoons I used to watch well most of them: 

I also used to watch: Friends, Full House, Dharma and Greg, Mad About You and of course The Golden Girls which I still watch! I love me some Betty White! (Rose Rules)! You know that I love Charmed, Pretty Little Liars, Castle, Once Upon A Time, Rizzoli & Isles! 

Lastly, I want to tell you that my Nana is the one who gave me the love of country music! We used to watch CMT when it was all music videos back in the 90s! Country music is passion, love, life, and just fun and yes Shania Twain is the Queen as Lucy Hale tweeted! Love them both!! 

Speaking of music though, I did have an NYSNC and Backstreet Boys posters on the wall in my room when I was growing up! 

I think that's it for now but I am going to let you in on something: I am currently working on a Once Upon A Time fanfic called "Snow's Nightmare" I will post it here when I am done. I hope everyone likes it. I have a few more ideas for fanfics and of course I have an original story idea also. Check back for more!!

Oh yeah I have 2 cats: Angel and Stranger! 

~Peace and Love~ 

Video I made for Road Between and @lucyhale!

This meant a lot to me to make for Lucy and Road Between. It's not even a minute long but I love what I made and I hope Lucy and the rest of ya'll do too! I hope Lucy loves my Road Between nail art too! 

Lucy asked us Haler's to make pictures and videos to promote Road Between and here is what I came up with: 

I love Lucy so much! I am so blessed and will always be grateful that I got to meet her back in January it was truly one of the best days of my life! I love all her songs so far and when my Grandma passed away back in February, one of the only things keeping me from completely falling apart was listening to Nervous Girls. That is an amazing song and so beautiful too just like Road Between is. I was listening to Road Between last night over and over and it made me cry I couldn't help it, it is just so beautiful and inspirational just as Lucy is. 

So Lucy if you read this and watch my video which I truly hope you do, I just want to tell you that you gave me comfort and hope at a time when I had none and it really means a lot to me. I will always love you and I will always be a Haler from now until forever! <3 span="">

~Peace and Love~ 

The Loss Of Someone Special and What It Means To Me

As you may know or should know by now 3 days before my birthday was one of the best days of my life so far. I got to meet on my Idols, Lucy Hale! I love and adore her so much but 3 days after my birthday back at the beginning of Feburary, my Grandma passed away. She meant a lot to me. We laughed so much together. We played the card game Old Maid, I used to draw her pictures and she would put it on her fridge. The weird thing is I knew it was going to happen. See, a couple weeks before my birthday my Grandma was getting ready to go to a doctors appointment when she fell and fractured her hip. She could either have the surgery to fix it and spend less time in rehab or no surgery and more time in rehab well she chose surgery this time. She never liked being out of her house for too long. She made it through the surgery but I had a feeling deep down that something wasn't right. She went to the rehab place and ended up getting pneumonia and had to go back to the hopsital. She was recovering but 2 days later I think she passed away. I was so sad. I didn't know how I knew it was going to happen but I did. I felt it deep down just this bad feeling that something bad was going to happen.

I will miss my Grandma so much. The thing that she gave me that I love the most is the love of baking. I bake the Thanksgiving pies every year now allthough now I am not sure where Thanksgiving is going to be. My Grandma was the one who tought me how to properly crack an egg. I am going to miss bringing her her glass of water everytime she leaves it in another room and calling her about the weather and reminding her that "60 Minutes" would be on on Sunday nights. She loved that show. Her funeral will be in May and in her home state of Michigan.

I am staying as strong as I can right now thanks to my amazing fiance Rob and my wonderful friends Asu, Sarah, Ellen, Lisa, Terry, Lippy, and more who are always there for me and also Lucy Hale's music is keeping me going through this tough time. I love her and her music and I can't wait until her album "Road Between" comes out June 3rd.

All of this makes me think how much time has gone by so fast and how you never know when your time will be so live each day to the fullest and always follow your dreams and persue your passions. Also, it has made me think of my Nana who is still alive thankfully. She gave me the love of Country Music! We used to sit on the couch at her house and watch CMT music videos of Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, Brooks and Dunn, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, and more of the great country artists back in the 90s. My Nana loves country music especially Willie Nelson, Aaron Tippin, Patty Loveless, and of course the great Johnny Cash.

I always wished I could take her to see the Grand Ole Opry one day. She loved the Grand Ole Opry and The Johnny Cash Show was filmed at the original Grand Ole Opry and she has that show on DVD and we have watched it too many times to count. I will one day go to Nashville ( I have always wanted to go to Nashville) and hopefully be able to show my Nana me next to the Grand Ole Opry at least. I have always wanted to do that for her.

I have loved country music for a long time. I still have my Leann Rimes cassette tape that I have had since I was like 7 or 8. Country music reminds me of growing up in rural VA and the spring time and the smell of freshly cut grass, and big glass of Ice Tea and yes it even reminds of my best friend Sarah who I have been friends with since we were 12 years old and we are still best friends, she loves country music too! Country music to me is passion, love, tells a story, tells real life, and it just makes me feel good just like Lucy Hale does!

I hope you have something you really love like I do and I am sure you do. Always treasure the memories!

I love you Lucy Hale and this poem is for you!

~Peace and Love~

Dreams Really Do Come True!

This is my first blog post of 2014. I just had my 26th birthday on January 31st and it was one of the best ones ever.

Before I tell you my awesome news, I want to say that before this happened I was down to my last hope. Things weren't going so well and all that changed when 2014 came around. Good things started happening again, I won a pair of Touch By Alyssa Milano frames that I absoultely love and I never win anything but that was just the beginning. I was having a hard time believing that dreams could really come true, actually I was having a hard time believing in anything. I was feeling stuck and like only bad things were happening. I needed a change big time.

Lets just say I have been a fan of  Pretty Little Liars since it first started 4 years ago. When I first saw Lucy Hale's character Aria I became instantly attached. I identified with her a lot. I loved her style, her compassion. Anyway, since then Aria has been my favorite character and of course Lucy is my favorite from the show. I instantly became a huge fan of Lucy Hale as well. She is amazing, sweet, beautiful, an amazing role model, and she sings! She loves country music as much as I do and that's what she sings. She is an incredible talent and inspiration and I started thinking that there are only 2 people I would want to meet Alyssa Milano of course and Lucy Hale.

Here's the awesome part. Lucy Hale has been doing a radio tour to promote her new single You Sound Good To Me which is part of her upcoming album which I can't wait to get! Anyway, she has been touring all over the country so I started thinking it would be so cool if she ended up coming to Jacksonville, FL where I live. Well wouldn't you know it on January 28th 2014 she did just that. I found out she was coming a few days before and this awesome country radio startion here WQIK was doing a contest to watch Lucy Hale perform and meet her in their studio on January 28th so I jumped on it. That was 3 days before my birthday what a great way to kick off my birthday and I woke up Monday morning and I checked my emails like I always do and I saw it. "Lucy Hale contest prize winner" I was totally speechless I didn't even know what to think. I never win anything let alone anything that huge but I did. I was shaking. I was nervous, anxious, excited all at once. I just couldn't believe it.

I could hardly sleep that night. I kept waking up with my stomach all in knots. Finally the day came and it took me forever to get ready because my stomach was really hurting. I couldn't believe this was really happening but it was. We stood there in the reception area for a good 20 to 30 minutes before they allowed us to get in the elevator and go up to the studio. It was beautiful her band was all set up there was guitars all around. They had food but I couldn't eat anything my stomach wouldn't have it. Lucy Hale finally walked in and I couldn't believe it was really her. One of my Idols and Hero's right in front of me getting ready to perform. They had the brightest lights on her and she had to cover her eyes to see all of us because of it. I couldn't stop smiling. I never thought that would ever happen to me. She did 4 songs all amazing. I so can't wait to get her full album when it comes out. She did 3 songs then did a little Q and A with everyone then she did her final song her hit single "You Sound Good To Me" which I recorded and put on Youtube:


Here is my video I put up. It was so amazing. I know I may be a bit older than the usual fans but she has fans of all ages, even my fiance Rob is a huge fan of hers too and he is older than me! Anyway, she finished performing and we all lined up to meet her and take pictures. I thought I wasn't going to be able to say anything but I ended up rambling like an idiot. I usually don't do that I just felt so confortable. I had so many things on my mind I wanted to say but I didn't get to say them all. If I could have I would have also said that I am a huge fan of course that she is one of my idols and inspirations and an amazing role model and that we need more people like her for people to look up too. I also would have said that everytime I get in my car I have "You Sound Good To Me" on repeat which I do. I love it that much, but I didn't get the chance but that is ok because I got to give her a glass unicorn which meant a lot to me since I love unicorns too. I give people things to show them how much they mean to me. She hugged me twice. She's just the sweetest and I admire her so much and adore her so much. Here are some pictures:

Yes it was one of the best days of my life so far. So yes, dreams really do come true and I can finally say that with proof. This renewed my hope, it gave me a reason to believe again, and proved that good things do happen as long as you always believe and never give up. I only hope that I get to meet Alyssa Milano one day too.

Everyone should listen to "You Sound Good To Me", watch Pretty Little Liars and follow Lucy Hale on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram if you have it.

There are still good role models out there you just have to find them and Lucy Hale is definetly one of them. She is someone who genuinely cares, is full of compassion, and would never give up on her hopes and dreams. We all need someone like her in our lives.

So, never give up on your dreams and always remember good things do happen you just have to believe it.

Thank you to Lucy Hale and WQIK for one of the best birthdays ever!!!

~peace and love~

Happy Holidays! My Holiday Gift Ideas!

The Holiday season is here again! I love this time of year, the decorating, tree trimming, egg nog, cookies, holiday music, lights, TV specials. It all just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. It is the season of giving and we should always remember to help those in need and everyone deserves something special to open on Christmas Day! These are just a few of my Holiday Gift Ideas!

1. Food/Cooking Gift Ideas. Whether it be something cooked or baked or something to bake or cook with. Food ideas are always great. There is this amazing Tea and Spice shop in St. Augustine and other places too. They have amazing Tea and Spices and they have gift sets for this special time of year too! The one spice I keep going back for is called Florida Sunshine. It is a mixture of salt, ginger, green peppercorns, rosebud petals, lemon zest, lime zest and orange zest and is amazing on chicken, fish, and even vegetables! The cook in your life will love Florida Sunshine or any of the other amazing tea and spices available: http://www.spiceandtea.com/ that's their website!

2. For the female sports fan in your life, I highly suggest Alyssa Milano's Touch Sports Fashion line at http://bit.ly/1ghkeyV Alyssa has a huge variety of amazing clothes in team colors for every Major League sports team. No more does the female fan have to wear pink or boxy. Trust me when I say she will love it!!! ,

3. A Unique Personalized Gift! Anyone would love a personalized gift. It would be one of kind just for them what's not to love about that.

4. Gift Cards! For the picky person in your life who you don't know what to get for, gift cards are a great way to go. They can get what they want and everyone will be happy!

5. Make the gifts! I did that one year and it turned out awesome. I made Christmas ornaments for everyone! Making gifts is a great way to show love on a tight budget. Everyone will love it!

6. Donate to your loved ones favorite charity in their name. What a great way to help people in need and put a smile on your loved ones face at the same time. Whether it be UNICEF, ASPCA, or any of the other national or local charities out there, this is a great way to show compassion and love in this special time of the year!

Well, there you have it, some of my Holiday Gift Ideas! I hope everyone has a happy and Merry Christmas a wonderful New Year! I am so Thankful and Blessed to have my amazing Fiance Rob in my life I never thought I would find love until he came along and I thank God he did! My Amazing Hero and Idol Alyssa Milano who makes me feel like anything is possible as long as I keep believing and that there is a place for everyone. and my amazing Best Friends Sarah, Ellen, Asu, Lisa, Terry, Lippy, Sarah, Delphine, and Cat you all make everyday better and brighter just by being who you are and making me feel loved and I couldn't picture any day without any of you in it.
I hope you are just as blessed as I am and always remember you are beautiful and you are loved and giving back is the most beautiful thing you can do for someone!

~Peace and Love~

12 Reasons Why Alyssa Milano is the BEST Role Model for all of us!

As you know, I love Alyssa Milano with all my heart. She is my hero, idol, biggest inspiration and my role model and speaking of role models I got the inspiration to write this from a recent BuzzFeed article so here are my reasons why Alyssa Milano is the BEST Role Model for all of us:

1. Alyssa shows inner beauty is just as important as outer beauty.
 Alyssa is one of the most gorgeous women on the planet inside and out and she shows that having a beautiful heart, compassion, a good sense of humor and love and respect for yourself and everyone makes you just as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. She shows that being a good human being makes you one goregeous person.

2. She has a deep love and passion for philantropy and helping to better our world.
Anyone who helps to make our world a better place is an automatic role model in my eyes and heart and Alyssa shows that no matter who you are, how much money you have there is always something you can do to help someone or an animal in need and help make our and world better.

3. Her favorite word is compassion.
What else is there to say, her heart is just so big and beautiful and full of love.

4. She proves women can love sports just as much as men and can show it through her gorgeous fashion line Touch.
I love sports and I love Touch. Women are just as big of sports fans as Men are and Alyssa proves that it's ok to be that everyday. Her clothing line lets us show off our team colors and spirit and we don't have to wear pink anymore. This shows acceptance and respect and that is definetly role model material.

5. She proves women can do and be anything they dream.
Alyssa is a fashion designer, author, and she even wrote a new comic book called Hactivist. She proves everyday that women can accomplish all of their dreams if they put their minds to it.

6. She inpires everyone to keep going and never give up on their dreams.
This means more to me than anything. She gives me hope everyday and gives me the inspiration and motivation I need to keep going no matter how bad it gets. She puts a smile on my face when I need it most and she does that for so many people and that makes her an amazing role model to me and so many.

7. She is an Amazing Mother.
Enough said. Nurturing the next generation is a tough job but she does it well and shows how it should be done. This in and of itself makes her an amazing role model to women and mothers everywhere.

8. She proves that even women can be geeks too.
Like I said she wrote a new comic, she loves Twitter and technology and shows that women can love all of that just as much as men can.

9. She shows that everyone is beautiful just the way they are.
This is truly meaningful to so many especially to us girls. She shows you don't need to change yourself and you don't need to be pencil thin to be beautiful everyone is beautiful in their own way and she emphasizes that daily. You just need to be healthy and be you no matter what.

10. She shows and inspires everyone how to get involved and better our world.
She shows how easy it is to help change our world for the better. She inspires people to get involved and help everyday and she tells and shows us how.

11. She genuinely cares for everyone and animals.
Some people just seem to care but Alyssa genuinely does care for all of us and she shows it through her tweets everyday. She accepts us into her twitter family/community no matter who we are or where we come from and when you need prayers or need to be uplifted she always helps and makes it seem like everything will be ok and I love her so much for that.

12. She is not just a celebrity, she is a beautiful woman who shows what a true good role model is!
Alyssa truly embodies everything a good role model is and should be. We should all look up to her we would make our world a more beautiful and better place if we do. Alyssa will always be my role model and hero and I hope that my dream comes to true to meet her someday. It would truly mean so much to me.
These are the 12 reasons I came up with. If I come up with anymore I will add them. We need more people like Alyssa in our world.
~Peace and Love~

A Charmed Reboot... Not Sure That's Such A Good Idea.

If you know anything about me you know I love Alyssa Milano and I love Charmed. Charmed aired from 1998-2006 and Starred Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty and later Rose McGowan and 3 sister witches known as the Charmed Ones the most power witches of their time. Anyway, just recently it was announced that CBS has ordered a pilot for a Charmed reboot. I could never picture anyone one else playing the Charmed Ones.

Charmed was and still is an amazing show. The reruns still air on Lifetime and TNT and they already want a reboot. That's all they seem to be doing lately is reboots of classic TV shows and it is rare that reboot is actually successful. It is hard to imagine an original as something new when you love the original and original actors so much. Alyssa said that "Charmed fans are the best fans on the planet and the most loyal fans on the planet." That made me smile so big and it makes me feel that I am not sure that a reboot could have that same effect when all of us are and always will be dedicated to the original show and the original actors like Alyssa.

Charmed means a lot to me. It shows how strong women can be and that nothing should stop us from achieving our goals and dreams. It shows that no matter who you are or what you do or anything that you are still meant to be loved and should be loved. It shows great morals and values of family, sisterhood, teamwork, strength, and hope. It is a great show for all women to see and you always feel amazing from watching it. I am not sure a reboot could provide that same thing especially not without Alyssa, Holly, Shannen, and Rose. Also, it is too soon for a reboot, a reunion or movie maybe but a reboot, it is too soon for that and even Alyssa says so. Here is the link to what Yahoo TV says about it and how even Alyssa and Rose say it is not a good idea: http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/charmed--reboot-is-a-bad-idea--say-the-stars-of--charmed--231806433.html
What do you think about this Charmed Reboot? If you read this and what to leave your opinion feel free to do so.

Another thing I want to talk about is just last night I saw this shameful article saying that Alyssa was being rude to a contestant at the Project Runway All Stars party she was at last week in NY. I was so mad when I read that and I never believed it for a second. Alyssa even said that it was "beyond" bs and I always knew it was. It maddens and saddens me that people have to do these sorts of things just to have a story to share. Alyssa is the sweetest, most beautiful inside and out, down to earth, compassionate, and loving woman on this planet. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body and would never be rude to anyone and it makes me mad that people say that kind of stuff about her. She is my hero, idol, and biggest inspiration in life and I will always stand by her no matter what. I love Alyssa for who she is and what she does to help people, animals, and our beautiful planet everyday she gives me hope and makes me believe that there really is still good in this world and that there is hope for humanity still. I am always proud to be part of Alyssa's Army!

Anyway those are my thoughts for now so until next time...
~Peace and Love~