Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Vow to be spontaneous in 2013!

Well y'all...since it's a new year, my roomie and I decided we're going to get off the couch and be more spontaneous!

Yeah, we've lived in LA for over a year, but there is SO much we have yet to experience. So we have vowed to do something new and adventurous each week.

I must say we're doing pretty well so far!

We started out 2013 pretty darn strong if you ask me. Our first weekend, we brought out our inner child and headed to the LA Zoo!


It was a great day! We saw all the animals and definitely got our exercise for the day. You should definitely go once!

And later that night, even though we were tired ladies, we headed to Santa Monica to The Wilshire. It was a new bar we hadn't tried yet, and we'll definitely be going back!

Later that week, I interviewed an up-and-coming country artist named Chris Janson! Check out my blog here:

http://spotlightcountry.com/spot-on-chris-janson/

Also, I got to work the ABC Press Tour. Talk about a blast - and not to mention, lots of celebs! We got to help with different panels like for Pretty Little Liars and other shows. And later that night, we escorted the celebs to the red carpet! Obviously, I fell in love with Sean Lowe (The Bachelor). What a hunk! But I also saw stars from Revenge, Happy Endings, Nashville and Scandal. You name an ABC show, and I bet I saw somebody from it! It was such a cool experience and made me want to be a correspondent so much more! Basically television critics and bloggers come to the press tour and interview show producers and actors, and then go back and write reviews. What a cool job!

Let's see - we're in day 22 of January, so there's definitely been a lot going on...

Guess this will be a long blog so I can catch y'all up with my LA adventures!

Last weekend, I went to brunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel. You've gotta try this place out at least once. It's such an experience and feels so 'Old Hollywood,' which is cool! I had the Maine Lobster salad. Talk about good food!

And this past weekend was the best! My bestie from New York came to visit, and boy were we spontaneous! When you have someone coming to visit, it's an excuse to do things you haven't done before!

Plus, she must have been our good luck charm because we literally saw at least one celeb each day she was in LA! Crazy!

We went out for a nice lunch in Beverly Hills on Friday and saw Derek Hough!



Then on Saturday, we headed to the beach! We went to Santa Monica for a day in the sun, and we even went to the pier and rode some rides! Here's the gorgeous view from the top of the ferris wheel:



I felt like a kid again. I don't know what it is, but my friends can tell you...I act like a crazy person when it comes to riding roller coasters haha!

After our excursion, we decided to go to a dive bar to relax and chat. And guess who's there?! None other than Mr. Legally Blonde, Luke Wilson. He was just chillin' with the guys.

Then on Sunday, we decided to hike up to the Hollywood sign. It's seriously been the most beautiful weather in LA. 80 degrees in January! Is this real life?!


It was so pretty! And after such a hike, we were hungry ladies, so we headed off to Sunday brunch at BLD. We wanted to try something new, and it was a great place! We even saw Chuck Bass dining at the same restaurant. Let me tell ya...the dude has swag haha!

Our goal was to try as many new places as possible, so next stop was MILK! Yummy ice cream and milkshakes, and since we felt like we were on vacation the entire weekend, we said why not?!

You can see I enjoyed it... Tasted like heaven to me haha!


We were so sad when the weekend came to an end and we had to take Nina back to the airport. But before she left, we took her to experience The Grove - one of my favorite places in LA. We were just enjoying our lunch as Scott Speedman walked by. Now, I mentioned a while back that my roommate and I literally record like 20 shows a week on our DVR (probably a lot of random ones that y'all don't watch). This guy was the main actor on Last Resort, but it got cancelled. I literally just glanced up and there he was crossing the street. It didn't end there...we walked through the Farmer's Market and saw Joe Manganiello enjoying his lunch. Can we say Magic Mike?! Like what?! We obviously need to get out more on the weekends haha!

Overall - January has definitely been a successful month. And it's not even over yet!

I can only imagine what other adventures 2013 will bring, and I can't wait to share!! :)


Always have faith!!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Ahhh it's 2013!

Happy New Year, y'all!!

Can you believe it's time for a brand new year? That means we can start fresh - put the past in the past and move forward with excitement and determination for a great year.

It's the time for new year's resolutions. Make a list of what you want in 2013 and go for it!

I, for one, would like to learn how to cook more. I don't need to be a Paula Dean ;), but it would be nice to be able to whip up some simple and yummy meals. Plus, cooking at home saves money and can be a great way to eat healthy.

I also plan to make 2013 a time to grow in my faith. I have new devotionals for the year, and I plan to grow in Christ, knowing that He's the One who will lead me down the true path for my life. How exciting!

Not only that, but I just know that 2013 will be a year of growth in so many ways. It's the year to move forward in my career and relationships. It's going to be year of big changes...I can just feel it, y'all!

I've always been a list type of girl. For the new year, I've made quite a few lists already. Places to travel, 2013 goals, and of course my new year's resolutions are all lists I've made in my brand new 2013 notebook (nerd, I know). I can't help it...these lists just inspire me to live a year of fun and fulfilling experiences!

Speaking of places to travel... Who would have thought that good ole Abingdon, VA would be one of the Top 13 places to visit in 2013. Check out the article here:

http://news.menshealth.com/13-places-to-visit-in-2013/2012/12/27/

I'm so proud of my little hometown. It really is a special place. And so glad I can check it off my list! :)

And now...the moment we've all been waiting for...what could possibly be the catchphrase that can sum up the year of 2013?!

For me, this is it:

"2013 - THE YEAR TO BE SEEN, THE YEAR TO BE LEAN, THE YEAR TO DREAM!!!"

It's the year to get out there. Go forward with all of your big dreams (which you should have every new year), and show yourself that you can do what it takes to accomplish your goals. Take that risk and find ways to be seen. Tell everybody just what it is that's important in your life.

It's also the year to be lean. This phrase can span many areas of your life. 2013 is going to be a year of healthy eating (since I'm going to be cooking more), finding fun ways to exercise and taking better care of myself. I mentioned that 2012 was a tough year when it came to health issues in my family. Now's the time to take better care of myself! The year to be lean also reaches to many other aspects of your life. Take this year to focus on what and who is most important to you. The new year is no time to hold on to past issues, relationships, old hopes and dreams. It's the time to become a lean, mean, fighting machine in all areas of your life! :)

I pray that 2013 will be all this and more for y'all. New year, new you, new experiences!

Make it the best year yet! :)


Always have faith!!