A Change of Pace for the 4th

Growing up, I always looked forward to the 4th of July so much. My family threw a gigantic (and when I say gigantic, I mean GIGANTIC) party & we'd have hundreds of people at the house. I would frequent the local festival with my friends and just soak up all of the summertime goodness. Looking back, most of the great summer memories I have involve the 4th of July in some way. I especially admired my dad during that time of year. He just had a way of making everything fun & festive, even if it was raining.

But obviously, times have changed. My parents are totally over throwing those big parties (and rightfully so) and most of us prefer to just spend the holiday relaxing. Jim & I were supposed to go camping, but we had a change of plans and ended up just spending the long weekend at home. And let me tell you, it was such a relaxing and much needed change of pace for this traditionally "go go go" holiday. Jim & I have realized recently how much we dislike spending holidays in a frantic rush of trying to see everyone and do everything. I get that sometimes that's necessary (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc...) - but the 4th of July just doesn't fall under that category. Instead of killing/exhausting ourselves, we prefer to just relax and actually enjoy things. I understand that some people might not like us for that, or classify us as antisocial, but I'm willing to accept that. It's what we like to do & I truly had a fantastic 4th of July weekend even if it wasn't as exciting as picnic hopping and drinking all day.

For starters, we spent a lot of time in the beach room which I just love so much. It was great weather all weekend & Luna was loving soaking up the sun. Our friend Lexi came in from Kentucky & our friend Matt was in from Hawaii, so we got to spend some extra time with them since we didn't go camping. 

I also finally replaced the lame bookshelf in our bedroom with this awesome cabinet that I found at Garden Ridge. I had gotten the bookshelf as a total filler when we first moved in, and it was just bugging me as the rest of the room started to come together. It was the worst dust collector & it was just a cheap piece of furniture ($13 from Target.... lol). This was a great find that perfectly coordinates with my teal accents & white bedding. I love it.

And when I have free time - glorious free time - I like to get my creative on. While the boys were watching some more of the World Cup on Saturday, I recreated a painting that I saw online ages ago & fell in love with. Don't know if/where I'll hang this up at the house, but I'm sure it will find a place eventually. I really love how it turned out.

We were a  bit bummed by the horrible view of the fireworks we had on Friday, but it wasn't the end of the world. We ended up having a good time anyways with Eric & Jenn who came along with us. Although, I think playing Heads Up with Jim & Eric was the real highlight of the night. 

I also started taking some classes this week at a local fitness place called Motion on Main which is owned by my mom & dad's neighbor. I'm absolutely loving it & I'm finally started to feel like I'm back in my workout routine. Now, if I can get back into the shape I was in 2 years ago at this time - I'll be thrilled :) I'm getting there!

In other news, my herbs are sprouting!

Whew, that was a big update post. But it was quite nice not picking up a laptop all weekend :) 

Finishing Up the Season

I've been teaching dance at my current studio for 4 years now. In the past, when the annual madness of recital week ended - I felt somewhat of a sigh of relief. For the next 2 months, I didn't have to stress about what the dances looked like or work 14 straight hours on Wednesdays or spend all my time after work making props/head pieces/costume accessories/etc. I could just kind of relax and enjoy my time off until classes started back up in the Fall.

But this year I did not feel the same way at all. I looked forward to the recital like it was Christmas morning, which I'm sure made me the minority among the studio staff. I woke up at 7:30am on Saturday with butterflies in my stomach. I was so excited to watch my girls perform and bring my visions to life for their friends and family and MY friends and family. We had poured so much into these routines this year & they truly went above and beyond for me on both a personal and dance level. I had thought that I was close with that group before, but I truly had no idea what we were capable of. It feels like a family.

Everything went perfectly. I couldn't have been happier or prouder of them. I got such a rush during the Michael Jackson routine that we were all so excited for that my face was tomato red after they were done. If I could have run on stage and hugged every single one of them during the blackout, I would have. And my younger girls proved that they're ready to fill the big shoes of my older girls when their time comes. For that, I am really grateful, because I would have a super hard time letting this group go in a couple years if it weren't for those little peanuts having the same enthusiasm and energy that I saw in my older group so many years ago. I'm just so thankful to have a group of kids to work with that love coming to my class as much as I love teaching it.

When the show ended I just felt a void. I drove home after grabbing some dinner and drinks with the rest of the staff just kind of in a haze. It didn't really feel real that I had closed a chapter with the group I had spent the past 9 months with. They worked so hard this year. It was so much different than any other season. I woke up yesterday and just thought, "How the HELL am I going to get through the next 2 and a half months without seeing these girls every week?" But I should be thankful that I feel that way, because not many dance teachers get to work with kids that mean that much to them and work as hard as they do.

Congratulations on another great year, girls. Can't wait to see what next year brings.

Some of my peanuts in their ballet costumes waiting to go on stage

The Fab 5 & myself

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

My Little Surf's Up Peanuts

ALL HAIL THE KING! This number will live in my heart & mind forever.

Thank you for the memories, ladies.

10 Years Later

Recently, I had the pleasure of coming across the blog I had before blogging was cool. Of course, this online journal was kept on the very-popular-at-the-time website known as DeadJournal. It was somewhat of a little online cult that many of my friends also participated in, and looking back on my entries triggers a mix of nostalgia and embarrassment.

But I've been going through these old posts in my spare time recently, & I keep stumbling upon these surveys that I used to fill out. These things were quite popular & offered a nice way to make personal information public without anybody actually asking. I mean, that's what high school is all about - right? So I thought it might be kind of fun & interesting to post a quiz that I completed on June 11, 2004 & then fill it out as 2014 Kell, exactly 10 years later. Even though I don't feel any older than I did in high school, I'm sure this will be an eye opener as to how much change there has been since those glory days.

PREFS 

[195] Pepsi/Coke: i like coke better.. but vanilla pepsi is better (I still like Coke better)

[196] Cats/Dogs: dogs (I'll never be a cat person lol)

[197] Singing/Dancing: dancing (Same answer here)

98] Sleep/No sleep: no sleep. (HA! Sleep all day!)

[199] Math/English: english (I still love to write, so English. Math was never any fun)

[200] Internet/Phone: internet (I far prefer talking to someone on the phone than online. Come to think of it, do we even talk to people online anymore? AIM doesn't really exist these days)

[201] Eminem/50 Cent: theyre both sort of annoying (I really liked Eminem's last album)

[202] Chocolate/Vanilla: <33 vanilla (Hmm, you know I always did think Vanilla but I think I like Chocolate better now)

[203] Snow/Sun: sun sun sun sun (Oh yes, sun all the way. I still hate the snow)

[204] Love/Hate: LoVe :) (Love, just without the alternating caps & smiley face)

[205] Ketchup/Mustard: ketchup (Mustard)

[206] Short/Tall: i dont really care (I really love being short, it makes finding maxi dresses that don't come up to my ankles a lot easier)

[207] School/Home: neither.. (I love being at home)

[208] Shower/Bath: shower (Baths still creep me out, so shower)

[209] Gamecube / Xbox: i like gamecube better (Well I have an Xbox now and have never owned a Gamecube so I'm not sure why that was my preference)

[210] Christmas/Easter: christmas (Christmas)

[211] Drugs/No drugs: no drugs (Drug free 4 life)

[212] Dark/Light: in reference to what? (I painted and decorated my living room with warm colors because I like the dark. It's cozy)

[213] Night/Day: night (In between? Can we go with like - dusk?)

[214] Ocean/Pool: the ocean -- even tho i havent been there in forever.. (It's really old and lame of me to vote pool now, but I vote pool)

WHAT | DID | YOU | DO 

[215] Last birthday: partay @ 54 belvidere!! wooo (Sonoma Grille with Jim & then hanging out in our basement drinking good beers - my favorite thing to do!)

[216] Today: nothing.. singing @ graduation soon though (work work work)

[217] Last weekend: went out for my bday with guy, saw harry potter, took the SATs and then partied for my bday :) (Ugh! I am so jealous that at this time 10 years ago I was enjoying Harry Potter in theaters!! But um, last weekend I celebrated my birthday & had Kickline's first recital of the season for the younger girls. I also went for an awesome 5 mile run on the trail on Saturday)

[218] Christmas: went to beaver and got snowed in :( (Ha, I remember that Christmas very well. Now, Christmases are spent usually at my mom's house followed by stopping out to Laura's in the evening.. and obviously celebrating Jim's birthday! Christmas Eve is spent with Jim's family)

[219] Thanksgiving: grandma's house then aunt naomis to visit baby jacob :D (First of all, Naomi is not my Aunt she's my cousin - way to go, genius. And now Thanksgivings are spent at the turkey trot, followed by my mom's, followed by me and Evan Black Friday shopping from 8pm to 2am.)

[220] New year's: ohhh new years eve at the spotti household.. always BaNgIn (I miss those NYE's very much. Now, we go over to Jim's mom's house for her get together)

[221] Halloween: trick or treatin with 4/5 of suyag & lots n lots of drraaammmaaa (WOW! This was a Halloween for the record books that I am referencing here! Halloween is still a blast now, spent dressing up with Jim and typically going to the big party that Kiss throws at Stage AE)

[222] Easter: grandma's house and then.. aunt carol's maybe? i honestly cannot remember.. hmmph (Lunch at my mom's - this is the one holiday that has lost the most oomph over the years)

[223] Valentine's day: oh god.. went to the movies miserable as HELL and i also had wpials that day -- that was the ONLY highlight.. lol. (LOL I remember this one, too. I'm pretty sure I saw Miracle. But this year Jim & I got pizza and rented movies, and we celebrated a few weeks later again by seeing Taylor Williamson at the Improv)

THE | LAST

[224] Thing you ate: a mini pizza (it was a baby linz) (The strawberries I packed in my lunch today)

[225] Thing you drank: milk at like 1:30 last night.. blech. (Dr. Pepper Vanilla Float - it was the highlight of my lunch. Sad but true)

[226] Thing you wore: well considering i still have clothes on, blue fuzzy pants and blue hollister tanktoppy thing.. (Wish I could remember these blue fuzzy pants I'm referencing, but right now I have on jeans, my work shirt, a cardigan, boots and my nerd glasses)

[227] Thing you said to someone: "ok" to my dad telling me my khakis were clean ("Is it working?")

[228] Thing you got pierced/tattooed: my ears when i was 4 (My bellybutton when I was 18 - which caused me to pass out in the middle of the piercing sending Whitney into a panic)

[229] Person you saw: my dad (My coworkers)

[230] Person you hugged: whitney yesterday while walking through the point in a monsoon. (Jim this morning)

[231] Thing that made you cry: oh god, pat pat pat.. (Well this is embarrassing, I was listening to Michael Jackson this morning on my way to work & sometimes I just get emotional that he's gone and well... you do the math)

[232] Person you talked to on the fone: guy dedola. (phone? Elise)

[234] Person you poked: probably erin. just a guess. (Do people still do that?)

[235] Person you instant messaged: stinelli (RIP AIM)

[236] Person you laughed with: on the phone with guy at some certain human beings' assholeness (My coworkers)

NOW

[237] What are you eating: nothing but I'm hunnngryyy (Nothing at the moment)

[238] What are you drinking: nothing but im also thirsty.. (Dr. Pepper Vanilla Float!)

[239] What are you wearing: we already went over this (Same, 2004 Kelli. Same.)

[240] Any shoes on: no. (Yep, brown boots)

[241] Hair: in a big poof atop my blonde head. (Ah, I still love that poof. But right now it's just down and straight)

[242] Listening to: a commercial about ashlee simpson's show. (LOL @ Ashlee Simpson.. but right now, Pompeii by Bastille is on)

243] Talking to anyone: stinelli / amanda (Nope)

OPINIONS

[247] About flag burning: waste of fabric. (Lol, was this a hot topic at the time? This is a very random question to ask)

[248] Of the war on terrorists: i think its going a bit too far if you ask me (Oh dear lord, these are not things 17 year-old Kelli should have been commenting on!)

[249] About abortion: blech.. disgusting. (Eh, I can't say I'm not pro-choice)

[250] Who do you think you'll still be friends with in 5 years: guy, kerr, erin, linz, devney, frank, vince, honestly.. who knows. (Well, I've got news for you - you're still friends with all of them except one, so good for you, Kell)