April Favorites

1. Shania Twain// After seeing her in Vegas, I went a little crazy with her merchandise at the store. I had to get the program since you can't take pictures inside, loved her Shania Kids Can t-shirt (the sweatshirt was too much), and her perfume, which has become my "go-to" fragrance.

2. Bare Essentials makeup kit//My parents surprised me with this kit one afternoon, and I was so excited. It came with foundation, primer, powder compact, a brush, lipgloss, and mascara, all in a spiffy little pouch. Great products at a great price!

3. Notebooks// you all know how much I love notebooks, and Target has some incredible ones as of lately. I'm really loving the patterned ones from Chronicle books. I love the texture, and they're great for writing ideas down that I want to save and keep nice and neat. I also love the really tiny notebooks with the words "dream, imagine, wish" on them. They're super handy to organize thoughts and I carry them with me all the time.

4. Polaroid picture effects// I love polaroid cameras and pictures; always have from the time that I was young. Of course, this day in age, with so many apps, you can actually do that to any picture and you don't need a polaroid camera to do it. I use Lo-Mob and there are a ton of different Polaroid filters to choose from; sizes, colors, etc. They make anything look fun!

5. The Band Perry's new CD, "Pioneer"// I LOVE The Band Perry, and I think I have become even more of a fan with this album. Most of their songs are edgy and fun to rock out to, but I have to say that my absolute favorite is the sweet and sentimental ballad, "I Saw The Light." It's about finding the one, and I really hope that someday I find the right guy to play it at my wedding. It's also a plus that you can get the exclusive version at Target, which has four bonus songs and is autographed :)

6. Keith Urban's Light The Fuse Tour// I haven't actually seen the show yet, but I already know that it will be a favorite, because we are seeing it at The Hollywood Bowl. FREAKING OUT! I've always wanted to see a show there, and now I get to see one of my favorite artists.

7. Dodgers// Baseball season is back, which means so are the Dodgers. It's going to be one heck of a year for them; switching owners, doing some renovations, and a lot of other exciting things. They're off to a pretty good start, and I am SO excited about all of the games coming up with friends and family. Those are some of my favorite memories.

8. Quote// If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present. Rachel of Gloriana posted this on Instagram, when I happened to see it, it just really hit home. I've been struggling with that, so it just helped me see things a bit clearer at the moment.

10. Lauren Conrad Fringe Boots// I got these on sale at Kohl's, because they went great with the outfit I was wearing to the Shania Twain concert. Well, I absolutely love them! Now, I wear them any chance I get, and they actually go with a lot more than I realized; you can dress them up or wear them with something casual, and they're great in all weather.

Lately

So, like I said, I haven't really updated much as of lately. I've been busy with school, church, a little bit of "work", and hanging out with friends. I've still managed to get on the computer, but talking about everything that has been going on hasn't exactly been at the top of my list, so here it goes.

• I have decided that I am going to commit 100% to the Youth worship team. The reason I have felt like "quitting" or just really unsure of the whole thing is because it's new. It's a challenge; something I'm not used to, and that doesn't mean it's a bad fit. I prayed about it, because I knew I had to make a decision about it, instead of feeling so wishy washy, and that night I got it in clear words. It was the best practice we've ever had, too! It's going to be a bit of a journey, but I know I'll come out on the other side much stronger.
• I've been writing for one of my city's magazines, and I am officially published now, which I am incredibly excited about. It makes me realize that I am one step closer to the goal...AH!
• I've been keeping up with my driving...Yay and nay! It's going pretty well, I'm just getting bored with the same routine every week. 
• I've been doing a lot of dealings with school; getting transcripts switched over, getting my stuff for graduation, etc. Finishing up my one class, and hoping for the best on next semester, if I'm able to switch to the university in town. It's kinda stressful not knowing the outcome, but I have to trust God and know that He knows and that's enough.
• American Idol has also been keeping me busy, for obvious reasons...
• I made a One Tree Hill blog. 
• Just trying to take everything one day at a time...Be Present...You know?
• Loving this weather, too! Spring is finally here...And I need to start carving out more time to spend it outdoors, instead of staring at a screen.

That's all for now,
Shelby :)

L.A. Baby

Last weekend, my parents and I went to LA for the day. We had a Dodger game that night, but we tend to go down earlier to do a bit of exploring.

We stopped at one of our favorite restaurants, Lucille's, in Valencia and one of my absolute favorite stores, which is just around the corner. Good time as always! After that usually comes the million dollar of where to go next. We decided to head into LA, and there were a couple places I've been wanting to check out, so we just did that.

• Brentwood Country Mart- I've seen so many things about this place, and on occasion you can see people like Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. It's a really cute little place. There's not as much to do around there as I thought, but they have little market, some places to eat, a book store and a few other clothing/jewelry shops! We did see Darryl Hannah in Free People, which was really cool. I only cared because she was Landon's mom in A Walk To Remember. I didn't talk to her or anything, but she did almost run into my mom as we were leaving, so there's that...
• LACMA- The L.A Museum is a pretty popular place! Someone is always there, as well, but I've seen some of the crazy sculptures and exhibits, so I wanted to check it out. We didn't actually have time to go through the museum, but I saw the street lamps outside, which was awesome. 
• E! News-If you know anything about me, you know that my dream job is to work at E! News. I'm a communications major wanting to be an entertainment journalist, and I have always loved E! I really admire Giuliana Rancic and Ryan Seacrest, and I would love to work with them someday. So, we walked around the studio (didn't actually go inside, just peeked through the windows), and in that moment, it felt more achievable. It had me doing a lot of thinking...Maybe I'm not as far off as it feels like it is at times. 

From the time I was about 4 or 5, I was always really fascinated with Hollywood; TV, music, movie stars, etc. I'm not really sure exactly why, but I just love the process behind all of it; how every production comes together and tells a bigger story. But, I feel like there is also a greater plan in it than even I realize. God's doing a little work behind the scenes himself. I have always wanted to be a reporter of sorts, and by the time I was in 7th grade, I knew I wanted to major in Journalism, and that's exactly what I'm studying today. I have my AA in liberal arts/communications and am one step closer towards the goal. I know that I have my plans and God has his, but right now the plan is to be an anchor at E! News someday! I don't know when it'll all happen, but I have to keep believing and trusting that it WILL someday. So, you can call me crazy for having a "different" kind of dream or that I'm not "realistic" enough....I'll take that as a compliment. Because I was born to DREAM BIG! And you should, too! Follow your heart and trust God that He knows the bigger picture, and you'll end up exactly where you're supposed to when you're supposed to. It only takes one door to lead to several other thousand opportunities...and it only takes one day, one decision to change your life. 

After that, it was time to head to the game, because we had quite a drive from the area we were in. We made it in plenty of time, and I was pumped for the game. There were no celebs to report on, unfortunately, but it was a great game, and the best part...THE DODGERS WON! You know, every time our family goes, they win...I'm just saying. Maybe there's something to that ;).

We drove home after the game, stopped at In-N-Out and came home. It was a good day! :) Can't wait for more like this during the season.

That's all for now,

Shelby