Sweet Summertime…Come Back to Me!

Well…the time has come. We "can't" wear white anymore and there are not nearly enough valid excuses to leave work early to focus on your tan.

It just comes and goes way too quickly. The end of summer is never bittersweet for me. It's just sad!

I know I know…I can't really complain given that I live in sunny California and it's like summer year-round. But trips back home to the South remind me that I actually miss that suffocating humidity...sometimes.

It's been a great summer! Trips to Nashville, Charleston, Vegas and good ole Southwest Virginia always gave me something fun to look forward to when sitting in an air-conditioned office building. There were new babies and bridal showers to celebrate too! I've gotta say…I didn't realize until I left small town Abingdon, VA just how much I love that place. Hanging with the fam and enjoying the beauty of small town life won't be taken for granted anymore, that's for sure!

Back to summer…There were tons of fun country concerts to attend and interviews to be had! I chatted with Dee Jay Silver, The Cadillac Three, Leah Turner and Jamie Lynn Spears! So much fun!

Hangin with The Cadillac Three at The Troubadour

I got to be a lady who lunches (my dream) a few times this summer and had plenty of time to binge watch Scandal and DCC Making the Team. Yes, that's the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders show on CMT. Don't judge...I'm obsessed.

Me and my roomie…and Damon Wayans Jr.

Oh hey Tim Riggins!

I went to the "Let's Be Cops" movie premiere…which was AMAZING!! Two of my ABSOLUTE faves from New Girl - Damon Wayans Jr. and Jake Johnson aka Nick Miller had me literally laughing out loud during that movie. Y'all have to see it. No joke.







And I got to go the EMMY's this year!! Talk about the best experience EVER! It was so amazing. I mean I did manage to meet my end all be all crush Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights, so basically life made. Yes…I was shaking haha! I don't think it gets any better than that people.


As my ode to sweet summertime…here's a look back in photos at some of the highlights of my summer:

Happy 4th of July!!

YAY TRISHIE!!! Angel's getting married!

Chillin with the coolest country DJ ever - Dee Jay Silver

Beach trips with my DAWG!

Interviewing Leah Turner at The Greek Theatre

That time at the Emmy's with my Pretty Little Liars ;)

So precious! Baby Layton

Oh hey there Brad Paisley!

The Emmy's - view from the top!

So cool!!! EMMY'S

Yep - the ice bucket challenge got me! I donated too!

Can't forget all that summer relaxation…
My Diddy loves him a good pedi!

Best place to go for some quality "thinking" time!
The Creeper Trail is the BEST!

Gotta have a bathroom pic at the Emmy's

VEGAS babyyyyy

Now, that's a summer to remember! Since this year is deemed #25theyeartothrive, I have to say I've been making it a point to take advantage of new experiences and opportunities…and it's been a super fun summer!

So I say let's soak up the rest of summer 2014 to the best of our ability. Life's all about making memories, so why not get out there and do just that?! I guarantee you'll be grateful you did!

Any suggestions on how to wrap up summertime in style? Send them my way y'all!


Always have faith!!

Oh Nashville…you have my heart!

I can't even begin to describe the amazingness that was CMA Fest 2014. Seriously like the best week EVER!!!

Not only was it jam-packed with performances all day, every day from the best in country music…I mean Carrie Underwood joined Miranda Lambert on stage for "Somethin' Bad" and I died. And Luke Bryan shook that tooshie like nobody's business. Then Faith Hill came on stage to perform with her hubby Tim McGraw and he copped a big ole feel in front of the crowd of thousands. Like I just can't.

But it was hands-down the best people watching in the world. You've got guys in daisy dukes, more glitter and rhinestones than you could imagine, and just straight up rednecks having the time of their lives. I don't know that anything can top this crazy week!

It almost got to the point where all I wanted was a dern nap!

My week kicked off with Craig Campbell's 2nd Annual Cornhole Challenge. Why not watch country stars play cornhole for a good cause?! The proceeds go to the TJ Martell Foundation for colon cancer research and awareness. Some of the artists there were Lee Brice, Jerrod Niemann, Chase Rice, Parmalee, The Cadillac Three, and many more!

Here are a few pics and look out for my interviews with the artists on AfterbuzzTV!

Country boys playin' some cornhole (& having a beer of course) 

 Me w/ up-and-comer Chelsea Bain

 Me with the man of the event Mr. Craig Campbell

 Me w/ 3 of the 4 boys of Parmalee

Me w/ The Cadillac Three

Such a fun time! And trust me…the fun (and the heat) never ends. The cool thing about Nashville is that it's just not Hollywood. Now don't get me wrong, I love a good Hollywood celeb spotting now and again, but it's just so relaxed and laid back in Music City that the artists are straight chillin' at the bar with you. It's just feels like the good ole South.

Speaking of the South…I don't think I can drink another beer for the life of me! One thing's for sure...CMA Fest is an all day, every day kinda party!

Me and my girl Traci on Night 1 (Can you tell we're excited?!)

I did catch some great performances during the day too!

By far the guy to be on the lookout for is Sam Hunt. This dude's got it! There's not a doubt in my mind he's gonna be HUGE!

I also stopped by the HGTV Lodge during the day for great intimate performances as well. It's so cool y'all…they literally build a barn the week of CMA Fest and then tear it down after!

Here's Chase Rice performing for the crowd:

Any chance I get when I'm back home…I go for that Southern cookin…and this was my all-time fave meal of the week:

I mean what's better than some BBQ and baked beans? And sweet tea, of course! SO YUMMYYY!!!

Another awesome event I got to cover was the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game. It was bright and early on Saturday morning, but a lot of your fave country stars rallied together to #StrikeOutCancer. 

It was #TeamOpry versus #TeamiHeartRadio, and in the end the Opry team took home the win. The event raised over $200,000 for cancer research, a cause that obviously hits home to me because of my momma, so it was definitely a special event for me to cover. I've got tons of interviews from the day, so I'll make sure to post them on AfterbuzzTV asap!

Here a few candid pics from the event:

That's Dee Jay Silver, Scotty McCreery and Eric Decker chatting before the game 

Nashville fans…that's DEACON CLAYBORNE! What a sexy man! ;)

Jamie Lynn Spears, Florida Georgia Line and Jana Kramer were amongst the celebs at the game. Such an awesome game and the crowd loved it!

Then, I was gearing up for the night of performances at LP Field and lo and behold it's raining cats and dogs! It was INSANE!! That kind of crazy weather is one thing I don't miss. Cali's sunshine will always win! But have no fear, all ya gotta do to weather the storm is invest in a cow design poncho and traipse the streets of Broadway in the pouring rain. Definitely a night to remember, especially when you're up this close and personal when FGL takes the stage…

What can I say...CMA Fest 2014 was seriously one of the best weeks ever. I already can't wait until next year, although with all that Southern food and Bud Light, this girl needs a detox, y'all!

Overall: amazing people, stellar performances and a week I'll never forget...

Until next time…

Always have faith!!

Finally I can say it's been 24 - the year to soar!

Remember last year when it was my birthday? And I'm weird and come up with slogans every year...

That's right - last year's was 24-the year to soar. Well shoot...I had just plum given up thinking 24 was gonna be a soarin' kind of year, but oh how things changed!

I am no longer a Paramount page but a full-time real life grown up working in the Awards department at Paramount Pictures. That's right, I have a real job! WHAT?!

I thought it was never gonna happen. I had gotten used to my page uniform and small paychecks, but finally when I thought I couldn't give another dern tour, everything changed. Finally!!

And I must say my last day as a page was a great one. I worked The Doctors that day and got serenaded by the audience and took a picture with my favorite crew guys EVER!! Plus, all of my fellow page friends knew I just hated wearing those high-waisted khakis and blazer every day. It was almost surreal that I could retire that uniform forever.

No matter how much I may have complained about giving tours and wearing that uniform, being a page was the best first job a girl could ask for! It was like high school round two. You're basically hanging out with 50 people your age all the time. It was definitely a blessing and a great way to meet new friends in a brand new, scary city. Plus, I always LOVED working the shows and learning all about producing TV. You know I love me my talk shows... One day people, one day!

On September 30th, 2013 I began a brand new adventure. Now, I have my very own cubicle (which I plan to decorate with studly country musicians) and my own extension. Like people can actually call Paramount Pictures and ask for Whitney Fern. Craziness!

I just started my fourth week in the Paramount Awards department and I'm loving it. I get to plan and attend lots of fun, Hollywood events with big-time people! And if you know me at all, you know I love flitting around at events and meeting and mingling with lots of new people. So it's definitely a perfect fit!

I also somehow lucked out with a great boss who bought me Zac Brown Band tickets ahhh!! Can't wait to have some fun at the Hollywood Bowl this Friday!

So I guess it all worked out after-all. It's all been a big ole test of my patience that's for sure. At some point you just have to let go of everything and stop trying to control the outcome and pray that it all works out. And it usually does...

Looks like I better get ready for a jam-packed Awards season... Good thing I had a relaxing trip to Palm Springs right before I started the new job.

I decided to celebrate with a spa day... Turns out when I ask for a lady to be my masseuse they assumed I really mean an 18-year-old boy named Pedro. Let's just say it was more awkward and less relaxing than I'd hoped...

Other than that (and a crazy waiter), the trip was great! It ended up being a ZTA trip with three of my college sorority sisters. Good times!

I can't say 24 was a total bust until this new job. I mean I did get to go to a ton of country award shows and concerts, which I LOVE!!! And I've gotten to interview a ton of awesome actors and country artists as well!

Like these guys: Jared & the Mill. They're awesome and y'all should check them out!

Or if you're a fan of the TV show Nashville, we interviewed Chaley Rose who plays Zoey. She was the best!

Twenty-four was definitely filled with a bunch of new experiences and there's still so much more to look forward to!

I'm working a movie premiere tomorrow night for Jackass: Bad Grandpa!!

And I'm heading to Nashville for the CMA's in a couple of weeks. I'm sure it'll be another eventful trip! So I better plug the best country site EVER - www.spotlightcountry.com. I swear you'll love it! ;)

So that's what's new... Can't wait to see what happens next!

And don't worry...less than a month until my next slogan! I know you're just biting your nails wanting to know what it is. Ahhhh 25!!!  ;)

Let's hope it's even better than 24...if that's possible!


Always have faith!! (It's all that really matters after-all...)

My Summer Time Bucket List

Yep - it's been a while since I've sat down to write... Given that it's mid-June, I thought, "What do I want to do this summer?"

And a lot has already been accomplished!

Everyone loves a good wedding - and no worries, I've been there, done that already... so that's one check off of my summer time bucket list! My bestie Hannah got married on June 8th!! I felt so blessed to share the special day with her as her maid of honor. Here we are before the rehearsal dinner:

We sure have come a long way, haven't we??

Going back to good ole Abingdon, VA for the wedding reminded me of all the good times growing up. I got to see a ton of people I grew up with and it made me realize just how fast time flies. I mean my best friend is MARRIED! AHHHH

Next on my bucket list: Visit a fun, new city

Well that's a check too because I headed to Nashville, Tennessee for the CMT Awards and CMA Fest!! Let me tell ya, that place is the BEST! I definitely plan to make my way back South eventually, and Nashville is the place for me. Talk about everything you could ask for - cute guys, great food, and country music! It doesn't get any better than that!

I had an absolute blast going to the award show and interviewing different country artists for SpotlightCountry.com. Who wouldn't want to go to a bar and see Zac Brown playing the guitar? Or Kip Moore just chillin' and chatting with people? That's the life!

Then of course, when it comes to summer time, a great tan is a must!

That's my next goal...so I'm heading to Charleston, SC on a redeye flight TONIGHT! You may think why would you leave California and go to a beach in South Carolina?! Well...don't judge me, but I'm not gonna lie.. sometimes I really do miss the humidity. I've been spoiled with the Cali weather and I'm ready to sweat haha!

What else...

One of my summer musts is... a trip to VEGAS!!!

If you only live a 4 hour drive away, then there's no excuse not to go! Now it's time for some planning!


Of course I'll be celebrating the good ole USA. Can't wait for the 4th of July! Fireworks, friends and fun... and a bonfire would be a nice touch! Let's see if this year is better than last year...

That's about all I've got on my summer time bucket list so far...

I'm sure I'll think of many more things I'd like to check off my list soon. Until then, I'll be listening to country music and dreaming about my future ;)

What are y'alls summer plans?!


Until next time...


Always have faith!!