Before 30 To-Do List

I'm 23.
An awesome number, but pretty much out of my early twenties.
I'd love to start having kids at 30, and I realized that is less than 7 years away.
So, I made a list a few months ago in my physical journal (Big Red Book Vol. 3) of stuff I'd like to do before I'm 30. Now I've added to it and edited it to put on the blog. Some are big and some are small. Some are silly and some are important. And interestingly enough, a lot of them have to do with traveling.

1. Run a half marathon
2. Go to Ireland (test out my accent at a pub)
3. Pay off my undergrad debt
4. Move back to Florida
5. Go to Thailand (ride a freaking elephant!)
6. Go skydiving
7. Record a full-length album
8. Learn how to sew (like, for reals. Not just the BS'ing I've been doing when fixing buttons and stuff)
9. Tour the country (self-funded? label-funded? as an opening act? any and all work for me)
10. Go to the Grammy's (whether as a regular old attendee or as an artist)
11. Go skinny-dipping
12. Go to Paris
13. Become conversational in Spanish (I used to know a lot more than I do now. I've become really bad at it.)
14. Get a tattoo
15. Dye my whole head of hair some unnatural color
16. Go scuba diving
17. Go to Napa Valley to go wine tasting with my family
18. Be able to pay to have my family come visit me (when I'm in a different state, of course)
19. Hike in beautiful New Zealand
20. Take a cooking class
21. Crowd surf or stage dive
22. Go to SXSW, Austin City Limits, and Coachella multiple times
23. Get a cut on someone's record (translation for non-songwriters: get a song you (co)wrote on an artist's album)

a short list of just a few things that I want in life

I want to be as close to my family and friends as I possibly can (locationally & emotionally).
I want to be able to travel to some far off place once a year.
I want to be creatively stimulated often.
I want to be able to dye my whole head of hair bright pink or something without having to worry about career options or judgement.
I want to play shows at least once a week (even after I have kids).
I want to stop giving a shit about what other people think and do what makes me happy.

On inspiration

I've been writing a lot, but I've been hating everything I've been writing.
I feel like I'm trying too hard or something.
But, I just haven't felt truly inspired in a long time.

I don't know what to do.

Tales of the studio

Saturday I spent a few hours in a studio on the MTSU campus for my new EP.
Guitars were tracked. The guitarist, Matt, was great.
We were doing "Firefly" first and I felt bad because it was probably the hardest song to play on the record ("Not What I Need" being a close second).
Like I said to Matt "This song is a bitch...but, it's my bitch and I like it."

When we got to "Mysterious" next, I remembered how much I love the bass Taylor did for it.
Matt goes "you want fingers on this?" and I was very confused. Obviously he meant fingerpicking.
At the end, he was playing the hammer-on too aggressively.
So, Ryan (engineer) told him to play it like he was "kissing a baby."
We had a lot of fun and I got a lot of funny quotes from it.
The lights were on in the room where Matt was playing, and he was like "it's not mysterious enough in here."

Andrew brought a pizza to the studio before I arrived.
And when I got there, no one had eaten any of it yet but like 4-5 tiny black ants were walking around the counter near it. So, I ate a piece and moved the pizza over a little.
an hour or so later, we looked back and saw the counter covered in ants! AND they were all up in the pizza.
I was the only one to eat any of it. The rest of the pizza had gone to waste.
The ants took over and we couldn't figure out where they were getting inside.

Halfway through the time I was there, Andrew drove to Starbucks while we worked.
I was so funny once he came back with our drinks because everyone was so happy to have the drinks they made some sort of loud, satisfied noise at first sip. A choir of "mmmmm's".
Andrew and Ryan made "Broasts" instead of "Toasts" when drinking things....how bro of them.

I'm really happy with the way the music is turning out.
I've done a lot of recordings in the past where after it's done, I realize I am not happy at all with how it sounds or how it was mixed or how my voice didn't have the right reverb setting or whatever.
I'm kind of a perfectionist when it comes to my music and it can be a good thing and a bad thing.
A good thing because it pushes me to create things that I'm really proud of,
But, a bad thing because it sometimes prevents me from finishing or liking a lot of songs/projects.
AND it adds to my occasional inferiority complex.
Even though this EP isn't going to have the glossy, professionally produced sound of my first EP I want it to be something that not only I can be proud of, but my family, friends, and my old bandmates as well.
I wish John and Russell could have played on these recordings, and I'm sure they feel that way too.
I hope they can still find aspects of what they brought to my songs in these new recordings. I developed my first full band sound for a lot of these songs with them before I moved to Nasville.

I can't wait to go back to Miami from the 17th-21st.
John's recital is on the 20th. I'll be on two songs that close the show.
"Looking Up" by Paramore  and "Not What I Need" by me!
Two very different songs! And I really have to step up my stage-presence game with the Paramore one.
upbeat pop-punk in 4/4 and then an acoustic power-ballad in 3/4.
I gotta figure out what to wear that's flattering but still comfortable for jumping around on stage.
No heels....:/
I am so excited to be reunited with my bandmates and to see my sorority sisters.
Since I'm going straight to Richmond to see Wesley (!!!) after Miami, I'll be packing for two totally different climates. I'm glad to be spending some time in a place where winter really isn't a thing.

I'm really enjoying certain aspects of my job right now.
There are other parts that aren't fun at all.
I guess it's that way with all jobs, really.
I love the people I work with, I love interacting with customers, and I really believe in the products I market.
But, I really dislike not knowing my work schedule until a few days before.
And despite 8-hr solo shifts being the best way to make the most money (since you don't have to share commission), they are really really difficult for me for a couple reasons (ex. my back problems).
And the Sam's Club food is really hurting my girlish figure.
I'm still in Murfreesboro this rotation, on Whip It again.
But, I'm only working 2 days a week this week because of my trip coming up.
And I come back from Richmond a few days into next rotation.
So my check for this coming rotation will be a fraction of my last two.
But that's fine.

Wedding Progress Report

I'm getting married to my high-school sweetheart in a little over a year (3-22-2014).
We got engaged in August 2012, and we already have a great amount planned.

Things we've figured out-
Venue (Cypress Grove Estate House)
Food   (venue provides the food)
Dress  
Planner (Kristen from An Affair to Remember)
Colors   (Pink and Gold, with black accents)
Photographer (Julie Brewer Photography)
DJ (Liquid Entertainment)
Honeymoon location (thanks to my parents for letting us use their timeshare in St. Marteen!)

Things left to figure out-
Hotels
Transportation for bride & groom (classic getaway car, hopefully!!)
Wedding Party
Bridesmaids Dresses
Flowers
Stationary (which I'm hoping to design myself because
                     #1. I'm so picky
                     #2. I really love designing stuff
                 I've made a few different designs for the Save The Dates so far. Gotta get those out in July)
Favors (trying to decide between mix CDs of Wesley's/My favorite love songs or custom made ray bans with our wedding date on them)
Decor (like centerpiece stuff besides flowers, pictures to put around the venue, etc
Lighting
Hair/Makeup Providers
What will be our first dance song?
Officiant
Wedding website
Cake!

Probably forgot something in either category.
All in all, it's so exciting.
I'm so glad we are having a long engagement.
I mean, I can't wait to be married to him, but it just makes the planning part so much less stressful.

We've got a corny little engagement announcement in the Alumni section of our high school's magazine coming soon. I can't wait to see it.

Got a hair appt tomorrow to start the "back-to-blonde" process and get a haircut.
Hopefully I'll have a strawberry blonde look going. Like Jessica Chastain or something.
and I'm probably gonna take like 2 inches off at the most. My ends are just so split.
So, I'll look extra-purty when I go see American Idiot tomorrow.

Lori is still sick :( But, sadly I couldn't take a shift today to help out.
I feel really bad that I couldn't, but I really had stuff to do today
I'd never get any errands or appts. done if all my days-off turned into days-on.
When I can help, I will. But, I'm part-time for a reason.
I LOVE working for my company, especially because the people are so nice/cool to be around.
But, if I was going to be working full-time or be on call for something, I might as well be back in FL not pursuing my music and my independence.

Just realized today that Glee did a version of Halestorm's "Here's To Us," with it all censored out.
And of course, it's the only karaoke/instrumental version available. And the "back up vocals" sing the clean version. lame.
I was considering just doing a vocal/karaoke youtube video later this week, but if I'm gonna do that song, I'll need to play guitar on it.

I went to the mall to get my Clinique facewash since I ran out.
I discovered I.N.C. was having a sale and ended up getting a few work-appropriate things for like 70% off.
My wardrobe needs more business professional stuff, so YAY.
I love clothes. I guess it's the creative part of me just looking for more ways to express myself.
But, my problem is that I never get rid of anything.
I need to sell some stuff on ebay.
Because I still own shirts from 10th grade that I haven't worn in years.

Mo' money....no problems at the moment....

Got my first check from work today!
My savings have been pretty much non-existent for the 6 weeks or so that I've been virtually unemployed
(I say "virtually" because I still make a negligible amount of money from shows and cd sales).
I have been even selling possessions on Ebay.
Now, I just need to actually save the majority of the check amount.

It's a lot harder marketing hair products (amazing 100% ceramic styling irons and stuff)
Most people are very loyal to certain brands
AND now I'm pretty much selling to half the amount of people I was before with the cleaning products.
I do talk to men but most of the time they don't have any idea what I'm talking about.

Yesterday evening I got to help out this adorable elderly deaf couple. I saw them signing from far away
and while the woman looked at something else, the man came to my booth.
When they walked by and I showed them the products and they first weren't interested
but then I signed "thank you" because I always say thank you to people for giving me the time of day.
And I think the man was impressed that I knew any ASL whatsoever
So, the lady went over to look at shampoos and he came over to "talk" to me about the products.
I pantomimed how the 2-in-1 styling irons worked and wrote down the key points on paper.
He was somewhat verbal. He painstakingly said "Does it turn off on it's own?"
He seemed more interested in the products than the woman was.
He convinced her to come over and get some of her hair flat ironed for a demo.
She seemed to like it and signed with gusto to her husband from across the room.
But they decided not to buy and she signed an emphatic couple of "thank you"s
Made my freaking day.
I miss doing ASL.
I used to know A LOT of it when I volunteered with the mentally disabled kids in middle school.
I'd say about half of them had hearing issues as well and used signs.

My coworker, Missy (the KKG one), had me and Lori (another coworker) over for dinner last night.
She lives near the Green Hills mall.
Since I had to do inventory in murfreesboro, I didn't make it to Green Hills
until like an hour and a half after my shift ended.
We talked about family and life over some amazing chicken salad, vegetable crudite, chips+dip
and wine. I had a great time and learned a lot about both of them.
and Missy has an adorable Pekingese named Ping.
and after Lori left, Missy and I proved our chicken-ness around cockroaches
when one came in the house.  It was the first one she'd seen in her house ever.

So I went to bed kinda late since today was supposed to be my day off.
But, Lori got very sick so someone had to take her place doing cleaning products
at the store in Old Hickory from 11-3.
I ended up doing it.
I started out doing it begrudgingly;
But after I ate breakfast and woke up a bit, I was happy to help.
I put free samples behind my ears and in my hair and told people:
"I'm WHIP IT GIRL! and I'm here to make your life easier!"
The more bored I get, the more silly I get to try to make life funnier, at least to me.

So over the next few days (I have tuesday and wednesday off, then I work thursday,
then I get friday and saturday off, then I work sunday!),
I'm going to get a haircut, see the American Idiot National Tour cast at TPAC, clean my car,
do another youtube video, etc.
PRODUCTIVITY

Less than 2 weeks until I'm in Miami to perform in my wonderful friend/former bandmate John's senior drum recital.
17 days until I see Wesley for the first time in 11 weeks!