That's A Wrap: American Idol Season 11 Tour

http://www.youtube.com/user/Channel19Network

The 11th season of American Idol ended back in May, but as soon as the show ended, the Idols hit the open road to tour the country, and even the Philippines. I am a HUGE fan of Idol, and have religiously watched since season one when I was only nine or ten years old. There have only been two times I can remember missing, and those were for legitimate reasons. Even if I was out of town, I would always find out the numbers of my favorites to vote. Anyway, there have been two seasons that really stand out to me (other than season four, for the obvious, Carrie Underwood) because of the impact they had on me and how much they inspired me.

The first was season eight. My grandma was in the hospital practically all of that season, with lung cancer, and she ended up passing away from it. But, during that time, Danny Gokey was on, and week after week, he helped me with the testimony of losing his wife right before his audition. He still had so much joy, and proclaimed his love for God. I knew that through my pain, I could do the same. It was like we were both going through that grieving stage together. Being able to tell him that he was one of my heroes the day of their concert in LA, and him coming back to give me a hug cheered me up in so many ways. If you don't think God has touched people with the gift of music to heal...Think again. It all goes back to the glory of God, but he gives people gifts like this to help others.

This time around, it's season 11, and I don't just say that because it was the last season, so it's all still fresh. I had so many incredible memories with this latest season, whether it was voting, talking about it with family and friends, or even running into them and attending the finale. I felt like out of all the seasons, this group was the closest to my age group. I could see myself being friends with most of them, if we were to meet each other on the street somewhere or at a concert. I related with Colton in his beliefs and his faith in God; his worship team background, and just having a dream. I related to Hollie with her quiet demeanor on stage, yet knowing that there's something great deep down inside, just waiting to come out. I related to Elise in her style, Skylar with her country girl ways, Joshua with his love for his family, and the list could go on and on. They are some of the friendliest and most humble people you will meet, and hearing stories of friends and getting to experience it myself, their families are just as amazing. To me, this wasn't just another "American Idol" group. It felt like they became my friends in a distant sort of way, and I'll be grateful for all the memories. If ever I could've been on a season of the show, this would've been the one I chose.

Tonight (or technically last night, seeing as they're in another country), was the last tour date of season 11. Normally, I don't get sentimental about the tour, but with this one it's a little bit tougher. They were always on Twitter updating how the show went, hacking each others technology devices, posting pictures, and just goofing around so much, that we were all apart of that experience with them. This is probably the last time that they'll all be on tour and sing together ever again. I'm sure they'll remain close, but nothing will bond them quite like this season did. I wish them luck in everything that they're all about to venture into. God has incredible plans for all of them, and I can't wait to see what they are.

My main reason for going on and on about how amazing they are is because Channel 19 started a video blog series on You Tube, showing more behind the scenes looks at the contestants and how life on the road is. Watching them interact with one another and getting to know them better as people, rather than just musicians is hilarious, awesome, and heartwarming! They all look like they're having so much fun together. If you were a fan of this season, I seriously recommend watching. You won't be sorry! I love them all even more than I did before. And I'm sure you will too.

That's all for now,
Shelby

It's The End Of The Summer

"This is our song
That's all that matters
'Cause we all belong right here together
There's nothing better than singing along
This is our summer
And this is our song
This is our song
This is our song
This is our song..."

(Camp Rock 2)

Today is the last official day of summer, which had me reminiscent on all of the amazing things I got to do this season! I had so much fun going to concerts, making new friendships, traveling, and just enjoying life spending time with some of my favorite people. That's what summer is all about...Youth and being in the moment; taking a break from the every day routines. The highlight of my summer was definitely Nashville. In honor of CMA Fest airing this past Monday, I thought I'd finally share my video of that week! Hope you enjoy the video and it inspires you to visit a city I love so much: Music City!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxIGxDpZzAc&feature=plcp

That's all for now,
Shelby

The Weekly Review

Phew! This actually has been a pretty busy week, getting last minute details together for our trip, and making sure I have all of my classes taken care of before we leave. Luckily, I won't be missing anything, and have already done what I need to. From here, it's all about relaxation. But, here's what the rest of the week looked like! :)

Monday:
I spent the day working on homework and that night, I got my hair cut! One of my good family/church friends cuts my hair, so it was great catching up with him. Then, it was time to re-live one of the best weeks of the year, CMA Fest. Although, somehow it's not quite as exciting as being in Nashville. I ended up fast forwarding through most of the acts. It was a really good special, and definitely highlights all of the reasons you should go.

Entered a contest to win a trip to the premiere. Sadly, didn't win!  :/ I wanted to meet Justin Timberlake!!!!! 

One of the newest judges of American Idol! I love him! He will be a fantastic judge. 

Packing! 

BUY THIS SONG WHEN IT COMES OUT...I KNOW I WILL BE!!! :)

Tuesday:

I went to my creative writing class, had lunch at home, then ran a bunch of errands with my mom. We recycled some cans and bottles, went to the bank, and got the car washed/oil change done. That was an interesting time, waiting at the car dealership. My mom and I walked around the lot, while I attempted to eat melty peanut butter cups, that got chocolate everywhere. It was funny, though. We came home, and got some stuff ready for the trip, and I did more homework. I didn't realize I had quite SO much. 

After my dad got home that night and we ate dinner, we decided to drive by the fairgrounds, since the fair is in town! We've had this tradition since I was really young, that we'd drive by the fair the night before it opened. There's something really exciting and magical about the fair, though I don't care if we go to ours much anymore. Maybe it's the idea of carnivals, like in a Nicholas Sparks book that I prefer. The dust kills my allergies every year. I am a little sad that we won't be able to make it this year, but South Carolina will definitely make up for that!

New hair cut 

I want this magazine!!!!

Reminded me of my best friend...she loves eyeshadow and superheroes! Perfect combo! 

"God put us here, on this carnival ride, we close our eyes, never knowing where it will take us next..."

Wednesday:

I devoted the entire day to homework, when I finally woke up at 11 or so, I believe it was. I also went biker riding, so I didn't go crazy!

My mom's so good to me. She made me coffee. 

This math sucks. 

Downloading podcasts for the plane! yay! 

Thursday:
Yesterday, I woke up much later than I usually do, but still had plenty of time to get ready. I went to my creative writing class, which was fine, because all we did was critiques on writing pieces from the students hadn't gone yet. It also had me brainstorming for what I should submit as my next work. I want to keep it simple, so there isn't much to say, but I am a tad curious to see what they think of my fiction or non-fiction. Decisions, decisions...
When my mom and I got back into town, we went straight to Target to pick up a few things. I got some makeup, then we grabbed lunch at Chipotle, and came home.
Last night, my parents were moving furniture around, while I tried to do some math, then we sat down to watch an episode of One Tree Hill. It was fun!

So frustrating. 

Paul Wesley on Jay Leno...Loved his interview!!

Countdown...1 day....

Friday:
I slept in a little, but wanted to get the day started, because I knew I had some stuff to take care of. I did my devotion, reading a little out of Psalms, and trying to feel rest. I've found that it's getting harder to let myself be happy again. I feel anxious, and I don't like the way that feels. I've been there before one too many times, and it's no fun. I had no idea how hard changing your mind set could really be. Anyway, I felt good after that...and spent a little time talking with my mom, watching The Today Show, and just hanging out. My aunt called, and we made plans for lunch with her. So, it was time to get ready. Which I did, while watching Beverly Hills 90210. I've tried watching before, but end up just making fun of the cheesiness...but, when I heard Dan Scott's voice, I was intrigued...It wasn't as bad as I thought.


My aunt got to our house, and off we went to lunch. After much driving around, and trying to decide where to eat, where we ended up going to Chic-Fil-A. My aunt and mom stayed in line, when I walked outside to grab a seat. It wasn't too bad out today, so I thought it'd be nice. As I opened the door, I went to step to my left and almost stepped on a rat...It was either that, or a big mouse. Either way, it really freaked me out. I just stood there, frozen, screaming my head out on the inside. The other ladies around me said they had already notified someone that it was there. It weirded me out a lot, not gonna lie. I ended up just taking a seat somewhere else, a little more in the sun, but I didn't mind. Finally, someone came out to take care of the little guy, and we carried on about our days. I then informed my mom and aunt of the story when they sat down. We ate lunch, talking about random things, then went over to CVS pharmacy so my aunt could pick up some things. We made one more stop at Wal-Mart for a few minutes, then headed home.

We were talking about Justin Bieber, Jennifer Aniston, and the like...What else is new? And things got interesting, when my mom brought up the video I had made for Ellen. My aunt was determined to find it on YouTube, because I didn't want to tell her anything about it. It was too weird! Haha. I barely wanted to do it for the group I made on Facebook, but they're hardcore Taylor fans and "tweeters", so I thought they could help me campaign. She thought it was cute, which made me feel less embarrassed about the whole thing, LOL. Then, we watched a couple episodes of Friends before she had to take off. It was a fun afternoon.

I just finished painting my nails, and the rest of the night will be packing, watching The Vampire Diaries, and getting pumped up for tomorrow! WOO! :)

TVD while I ride on the exercise bike!! What a workout...

Have a fantastic weekend all!
Shelby :)

Rock Star

Rock Star by nashchick09 featuring top handle bags

Valentino spaghetti strap tank top
$390 - farfetch.com

J Brand skinny leg jeans
$340 - farfetch.com

Leather motorcycle boots
gojane.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs top handle bag
shopbop.com

Burberry hat
stylebop.com

MUST Items for South Carolina

MUST Items for South Carolina by nashchick09 featuring ballet shoes

The time is finally here to start packing. It used to be that when I was younger, I would pack about a month ahead of time when I found out we were going anywhere, even just a trip to the beach or Disneyland. Now that I've gotten older, I wait until it gets closer to the time of leaving. Usually, because now I'm still doing stuff or just have other things on the brain, so I'm more focused on that. But, I still don't like doing anything the night before, that would stress me out too much.

These are some of the basics that I think would be great for South Carolina weather : Maxi skirt, sweater, vest, colored pants, jeans, shorts, v-necks, fedora, oxford shoes, jean jacket, and some simple jewelry. I don't want to bring too much, so I'm hoping I would be able to mix and match some of these items as well.

That's all for now,
Shelby

The Weekend Review

Saturday, I slept in a bit, got ready, did my quiet time with God (the Lord knows I NEEDED it) and as soon as my dad got home from running errands, I went with my parents to look at wood flooring for our house. We were there for a little while, getting everything finalized and setting up an appointment for them to actually do it. Finding time was the harder part. After everything was good to go with that, we headed down to LA for the day.

He is all we ever need, and right now I think I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that at times.

You'll have to wait to see what floor we picked.

TRAFFIC SUCKS. 

Had lunch at Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake. I was hoping to run into Nick Jonas, but that didn't happen.

After we finished eating, I text my friend, Kathryn, because she said she was just at the Starbuck's next to Bob's the night before. I thought maybe we could meet up somehow, if she wasn't busy. We were both heading different ways, but we're trying to plan something to meet up for a Partners (Sophia Bush) taping and maybe me hanging out at WB with her for a little bit. She's interning at a production company inside of the WB lot. That would be so much fun, so I really hope October works out after some of the craziness here dies down.

My parents and I ended up driving around Toluca Lake, when I saw a tweet about the Creative Arts Emmy's at Nokia Live. We used to hang out by the red carpets for the award shows, but finally there were just too many to keep up with. Anyway, the Creative Arts Emmy's are actually more exciting, to me, because it's a lot of the younger stars from Nickelodeon and Disney. Unfortunately, by the time we drove over there, they'd already stripped everything down, except for the red carpet, but everyone was already inside. We drove around downtown LA, checking out Chinatown and the Fashion District. You can see a lot of interesting people down there. I'd love to take my camera sometime, just to photograph people that really stand out, or talk to them about their business/life. 

People of LA...dressed up like superheroes. Maybe they're doing something for FIDM or a film class?

By that time, it was time to start heading over to Dodger stadium. We still had plenty of time to kill, as always. We walked around the lower levels, got something to drink and headed up to our seats. No one special sang The National Anthem, but we did see Magic Johnson and Rick Fox, with his wife, Eliza Dushku. The game started off a little slow, in my opinion, but it really picked up towards the end. There were a few really great plays, by Kemp and Cruz, when it came to catching the ball, getting someone out, and of course, winning the game. The Dodgers had been behind the entire time, then they tied up, and in the very last inning pulled it off. I was so afraid it would have to go into extra innings, but it didn't, which was great. I thought it was even cool, that during a game when someone got hit with a bat, Magic Johnson walked over to them, gave them a signed baseball and talked with them a long time. Rick Fox even went over there for a few minutes too. I thought that was really nice.
It was a little sentimental knowing it's our last night game of the season, and there's only one more after this! WHOA!
During the game, I got a text from one of my friends in Nashville saying she met Colton Dixon at the Kelly Clarkson concert that night! I couldn't believe it! Moments like that...I wish I lived in Nashville LOL. But, I went back to just enjoying myself at the game and being happy for her that she got to see him again.
It was SO hot during the day. LA is never that bad, and it was in the 100's, and didn't even cool down much that night. I think that has to be the first time none of us brought a sweatshirt. It should be getting into cooler weather, and it's getting hotter by the minute. Something is wrong with that picture.

After the game, we went to our usual stop of Del Taco in Valencia, then headed home. I was quizzing my dad on One Tree Hill trivia, asking the names of the characters, and things like that. It was hilarious to hear some of the names he'd come up with. It's little moments like that I'll always remember.

Sunday:
Yesterday, I woke up around nine, got ready for church, and off we went. The service was so good, about loving completely, and forgiving others. Holding onto our bitterness and anger, does nothing for anyone, including ourselves. Our pastor, Lydia, spoke because her husband is preaching over in Ethiopia right now, which I think is so cool. Anyway, she showed a couple clips of October Baby, and now I really want to see the movie. After the service ended, I bought my ticket for the Women's Conference coming up in a couple weeks, and I am so excited about it. The theme is going to be "Freedom Without Fear," which sounds incredible, and after hearing about some of the big plans they have for it, last week...It's going to be so much fun. I also know that God is going to be present all three days, and is going to bring healing to so many hearts. I'm expecting BIG things to happen that weekend.

After church, we had lunch at a local restaurant, Getaway Cafe! We sat down with our drinks, and I went to grab my cup, but somehow my key necklace caught the edge, knocking it on my lap and leaving a big spot. I don't consider myself super klutzy, but wow...What a moment. Luckily, by the time we left it had pretty much dried. My shoes were still a bit wet, though.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty boring. I worked on homework a bit, got distracted by ideas on Pinterest, and watched Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill on Soap Net. Yup, I like to live life on the edge.

We decided to call some family friends of ours to have dinner, but no one could think of anywhere to eat, so we ended up at Denny's. Go figure! It was a lot of fun; we don't always get to hang out together as much as we'd like a lot anymore, but it's always a blast when we do. We ate, talked (about cars, houses, Carrie Underwood, South Carolina, and other little things in between). Then, they showed us their new car, and we talked a little more outside. The weather was really nice; felt like it was actually starting to cool down a bit.

Just some words of wisdom I saw on Instagram! Love it! 

My parents and I stopped at Sonic for drinks, then came home. I spent the rest of the night watching The Kardashians, Married To Jonas, and working on a story I'm writing. It was pretty low-key, which is good, because this is going to be one very BUSY week.

That's all for now,
Shelby

Have a fantastic week! :)