Idol Recap

I had a total blast Thursday at American Idol. I'm going to try not to do one of those lengthy posts that I normally do after an event like this; just going to keep it short, sweet, and to the point. Dim the lights, here we go!

We got to CBS Studios around 10:30 or so and waited ALL day long practically, and I decided to wear a denim jacket, which was not the smartest move, but I dealt with it, because it wasn't too hot, just a little warm after waiting so long. We met up with one of our friends who lives down in that area and talking with her passed the time off a little quicker. They let us into the studio around 3 or so, and we did a little more waiting, but this time we could finally sit down, and had a chance to go to the bathroom and grab a snack to keep the energy up. Closer to 4, we headed inside the soundstage, and I'll admit that I definitely still teared up and had chills as I saw the American Idol lit up brightly on the stage. It never gets old, because I'll always remember being a little girl and dreaming of being a singer. Heck, I still dream about it now. While I may never have the opportunity to sing for thousands around the world like I always thought I would, being in the audience, I feel like I get to live out that fantasy through the contestants in some way.

As we were waiting, Angie's mom walked in front of us, so my mom tapped her on the arm and said hi. We ended up talking to her for a few minutes; she asked us how we got tickets, where we were from and how long we had been waiting. When we said since 10:30, she was like,"wow! That's dedication!" We said that we'd be voting for Angie and she thanked us, then went up into the audience to talk to Angie's grandparents. She was really sweet!

Finally, the show started, the show is exactly what you see on TV, since the film straight through! However, what you don't see is all the running around, the talking between the judges, a little interaction with the fans, etc. I have to say that the results shows are a little more crazy than performance night, which I thought would be the opposite, but I think it all has to do with timing. So, I'm here to fill you in on a few of those behind the scenes moments:

• Randy Jackson waved to me as the judges were sitting down in their seats.
• Keith waved to our section because of the ladies behind us yelling to him!
• Pretty sure Nicki waved to me at one point during the show
• During one of the commercial breaks, Keith was making videos on his phone, and when he realized we all saw, it looked like he turned sort of bashful and just laughed about it.
• I could have been in the pit, but since I'd done it last time, I figured I would just hang out in the regular section instead. Well, Keith has been jumping into the pit for pictures to post on Instagram, and he did it again that night. I totally would've been there for that!
• The top 4 girls were so cute to watch as they messed around with each other or held hands during the videos and reviews of their performance that each had.
• You can feel the tension in the room during the results show, because everyone is super nervous about what's going to happen! I can only imagine what it's like to be one of the contestant's or a family member waiting to hear the fate.
• I'm pretty sure I shook hands with one of Amber's friends or relatives! He seemed nice!
• Nigel sat in front of us, and he's definitely in charge of everything that happens, because he kept running around to tell the contestants and judges what to do and when they needed to do it. He's definitely the boss man...
• I almost shook Drake's hand, because he came up to the people next to us in the audience, but then they started dragging him off, where he sat in the audience for the remainder of the show and said a few words into the mic, thanking Nicki for asking him to come!
• I was extremely disappointed that they didn't send anyone home! After all, it was our first results show.
• As we were leaving, we got to meet Keith, because he was talking to people in the pit and signing for them! He signed our tickets and I was SO happy... So was my mom!

After the taping, we walked outside and had to pick up our cell phones, and we passed Angie and Candice's family! I think it's so weird that they make family of the contestants check in their phones, but what can you do? We said bye to Candice's parents (who also seem incredibly nice), got our phones, then started walking towards our car. As we were walking down the sidewalk, we ended up seeing Drake in his car...He obviously wanted to be recognized, because he had rolled the window on his SUV down, so everyone was waving and yelling to him. We waved to him just for the heck of it since he was there, and I'm no Drake fan, but that was still cool!

We decided to go over to The Grove after, because the Idols are known to go over there for dinner with their families after the show is done. We had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, which was delicious; we were starving after not having eaten all day and that sounded yummy (When does it not, though?) I had a skinnylicious burger and it came with a small garden salad; I highly recommend it, because it tastes like the regular burger and not as many calories. While we were waiting to go inside, we also saw DeAndre from last season and said "hi" to him!

We walked around a little while to scope the place out after dinner, since the Idols were probably done with press, and were hoping to see someone, but we didn't. Finally, we called it a night and came home. You would not believe how exhausted I was after all of that! It's all worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but wow....LONG DAY! In case you're ever in the area and want to go...DO IT! But, come prepared to stand for long periods of time (unless you rent a chair from the guy on the street) and bring snacks. Most importantly, come with a lot of energy and excitement, because you will have a blast no matter what!

That's all for now,
Shelby :)

P.S. I'll be posting more pictures from the day very soon!

Homesick for Nashville, even though it's not my home...

It's a crazy town full of neon dreams

Everybody plays, everybody sings

Hollywood with a touch of twang

To be a star you've gotta bang, bang, bang 

Bend all the strings til the Hank comes out

Make all the drunk girls scream and shout;

Love it, hate it, we're all just trying to make it...

In this crazy town!

i miss Nashville.

i miss driving around, listening to country music in the heart of it all, while seeing lightning bugs lighting up from the side of the highway.

i miss the humidity at night, as weird as that sounds.

i miss hanging out with good friends from all over the country or running into people I know throughout the week!

i miss seeing Carrie Underwood just about every day of the week during CMA Fest! 

i miss the Opry!

i miss Sweet CeCe's yogurt...it really is the best.

i miss nightly concerts.

i miss wearing cowboy boots with shorts and dresses just because...

i miss hearing music everywhere, and country music at that.

i miss not feeling like i have to rush, and that things are going to be okay. simple as that!

i miss feeling like I know where i belong.

i miss the hospitality of everyone. Even the people you don't know...

i hope to go back soon. 

Catalyst

Last week, I went to the Catalyst convention in Orange County with one of my closest friends, Febe! We went last year with our church, and it was such an incredible time that we decided to go back, even though some of the group couldn't make it. We decided to go the day before to get settled in a bit and not have to rush down there the day the conference started, which was nice! It gave us a chance to hang out at the beach and just stop before all of the craziness and excitement ensued.

I could go on for days about exciting Catalyst was! As overwhelming as it can be at times, because there are so many speakers and so much information, I learned SO much on what it takes to be a leader from so many great pastors like Andy Stanley, Jud Wilhite, and Matt Chandler, as well as other great speakers like Jim Collins, Tom Shadyac, and Christine Caine. After each session, I felt more inspired than the one before. But, it's not just about feeling inspired, it's about actually applying what they give to use in our everyday lives and DO something about the callings that God has given each of us. That's the hard part, when you're away from everyone who is on the same page as you are, coming together for the same goal. It's about going for it, even though everyone might not understand what you're wanting to do. One of the biggest things that I gained from this is about ministry, especially now that I'm diving in deeper with that. It's not going to be easy, and there are going to be plenty of times when I don't know whether I'm prepared or can handle it...But, you know what? God can. He knows what I'm capable of, and He's not going to leave me hanging.

• If God tells you to run through a brick wall, start running! God will make a hole.
• Part of leadership (or most of it) comes from unexpected opportunity!
• We have to commit to the what and figure out the HOW later. Too many times we get caught up in the how, and we psych ourselves out from doing what we're called to do!
• You don't learn much on wrinkle free days. It's when things are really messy that you see how God works and what you're made of. 
• The only mistakes you can learn from are the ones you survive.
• No matter what the conditions are, you just have to keep pressing on towards the goal.
• "God knows..."It's really as simple as that. He knows what you've been through and He knows what's to come. That gives me peace!
• Stay a little crazy for Jesus!
• "If I'm a leader, it's because I am a follower and go wherever God is calling me."
• On my worst day; God loves me and cherishes me, even when I'm less than what I could be.
• Your calling will never change, even though your responsibilities will
• God is good, whether or not life is good or people are good
• With God, you are equipped 100% to do whatever He has called you to do! 
• Easy doesn't come from the outside, but the inside. And when challenges face, you'll be able to handle them easier, because you have peace.

We got to see so many talented musicians like Hillsong, Israel, and the David Crowder Band lead worship. And we were surprised by visits from Kid President and Rainn Wilson, which is something I will never forget! I guess the look on my face was pretty priceless too, judging by the way people were looking at me...HAHA! I was excited!!!

On our way home, we had planned to stop in Hollywood to check out the Hollywood sign and a few other things, but by the time the conference ended, we were pretty wiped out and just wanted to get home. We did talk about possibly doing another trip down in that area or go a day or two earlier next year to do some sightseeing and hanging out around the area. 

It was such an amazing experience of getting to hear and share stories, and to inspire one another. Now, hopefully we can all take the lessons we heard from others to apply them to our own lives and our own dreams in the future.

That's all for now,
Shelby

Last Saturday

Last Saturday was wonderful! I just really wish that more days could be like it. I was able to sleep in, did some things around the house, and a little later our family came over for dinner! We had ribs, salad, bread, desserts, etc. I love having big family gatherings, but we tend to not have them as often as I'd like, just due to schedules and life, because everyone is so busy. You all know how that can be, I'm sure. Anyway, I got to hang out with my cousin, Carissa, and we talked a lot about some big changes coming up in both of our lives...Hers with her boyfriend, and their future together, and mine with working towards becoming an entertainment journalist/writer down the road and some of the projects I'm involved with right now. 

We decided to take a walk after dinner, because the weather was incredible, and it gave us a chance to get away for a bit, since everyone else was talking or watching whatever game was on at the time. It reminded me so much of when we were little, and we used to daydream and pretend what life would end up like. As a kid, you have quite the imagination, and I guess I still do, which is where I am where I am. We talked about our "husbands" and jobs...And it's funny to be having a full circle moment. Although, I'm nowhere near getting married and I don't have a job. I guess this is how I thought my life would turn out or I see that I fit what's going on for right now; studying and still dreaming impossible dreams.While other girls are finding their "match", I'm just focusing on my dream and I'm the closest that I've ever been, so why would I let anything get in the way of that now or shift my focus? It's cool to see how far both of us have come and I think we're going to end up where we're supposed to be. 

We came back to my house and had dessert with the rest of the fam and hung out for awhile; we took pictures, talked, and of course, all of us sat around the table, while looking at our iphones and ipads. Typical night! HA!

Later that night, I also found myself thinking about the future (AGAIN...Because I don't do that enough, right?) and how I want my life to be. Most importantly, who do I want to be? All of a sudden, I was restless, trying to figure everything out in that moment, which is obviously impossible, and had some trouble getting to sleep. I have a rough time with change, if you couldn't tell before. 

All in all, it was a fabulous day and helped me gain some perspective, which I can always use :)

That's all for now,

Shelby

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