VIDEO: 29 Ways to Stay Creative

I recently took a Mass Communication course and we had to watch this particular video as part of an assignment. I thought it gave some helpful tips on how to stay creative, so I’m sharing it here. 😊

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Motion Graphics:
TO-FU
Contact us at http://to-fu.tv
Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TOFU.design
twitter http://twitter.com/tofu_design

Reference:
http://paulzii.tumblr.com/post/3360025995

Music:
Fairest of them all (#)
by Kämmerer
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/751979

The Originals Cast Talks Hayley’s Future, Crossover Woes and Klaus’ ‘Multiple Ladies’ in Season 3

The Originals Cast Talks Hayley’s Future, Crossover Woes and Klaus’ ‘Multiple Ladies’ in Season 3

“FURIOUS 7” TO SPONSOR CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY XFINITY SERIES RACE

“FURIOUS 7” TO SPONSOR CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY XFINITY SERIES RACE

Cast Member Chris “Ludacris” Bridges named Grand Marshal of the Furious 7 300 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 19

image007

Chicagoland Speedway today announced Furious 7, the $1.5 billion worldwide box- office blockbuster and most successful installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, as the title sponsor for its NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Furious 7 300 will feature cast member Chris “Ludacris” Bridges in the pace car and leading the field to the green flag as NASCAR’s stars of tomorrow set the stage for the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Furious 7 will be released on Digital HD on August 25 and Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand on September 15 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) as an all-new extended edition. The film has become the highest-grossing movie in the history of the franchise.

“As we saw first-hand with our ground breaking Fast Five partnership back in 2011, UPHE understands the thrills that come along with great racing and the power that can be harnessed through NASCAR Nation,” said Scott Paddock, President of Chicagoland Speedway. “We’re looking forward to giving Furious 7 and its home entertainment release the national platform that a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend can uniquely deliver.”

“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Chicagoland Speedway for this prestigious NASCAR tradition,” added John Morici, Managing Director, US & Canada, UPHE.  “What better way to celebrate this global blockbuster home entertainment release than to be part of an American institution synonymous with speed, cars, and family.  This event is sure to be an unforgettable, adrenaline-fueled experience for racing fans.”

In Furious 7, the entire Fast & Furious crew reunites in purpose for an epic international adventure, hunted by a vengeful assassin from Abu Dhabi to London to Tokyo and the Dominican Republic as they try to retrieve a highly advanced piece of espionage technology and rescue the gifted hacker who created it.  Furious 7 stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Nathalie Emmanuel with Kurt Russell and Jason Statham.

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Sept. 18-20, will begin with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race under the lights on Friday night. On Saturday, Sept. 19, the NASCAR XFINITY Series will hit the track as the precursor to Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series showdown, the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In addition to the racing action, fans can enjoy live musical entertainment, Champions Park, tailgating and more. Tickets start at just $25 with kids tickets (12 and under) $25 OFF, and parking is always free at Chicagoland Speedway.

Tickets can be purchased online at ChicagolandSpeedway.com, by calling 888-629-RACE, through the Chicagoland Speedway mobile app,  or by visiting the Chicagoland Speedway Administrative office Monday-Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm.

The complete 2015 NASCAR schedule at Chicagoland Speedway is as follows:

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

Date                             Event

Friday, Sept. 18             I-Cash Pole Qualifying and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Saturday, Sept. 19        Furious 7 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series Race

Sunday, Sept. 20          NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

For more information on Chicagoland Speedway, stay connected on Twitter and Facebook or by visiting ChicagolandSpeedway.com.

 

Xfinity’s Summer of Soccer

Calling all SOCCER FANS!!

Mexico's defender Rafael Marquez celebrates after scoring the 0-1 during a Group A football match between Croatia and Mexico at the Pernambuco Arena in Recife during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 23, 2014. AFP PHOTO / YURI CORTEZ
Mexico’s defender Rafael Marquez celebrates after scoring the 0-1 during a Group A football match between Croatia and Mexico at the Pernambuco Arena in Recife during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 23, 2014. AFP PHOTO / YURI CORTEZ

Get ready for Xfinity’s Summer of Soccer where you’ll be able to watch all the action any time, any place with more ways to experience the action across all devices and platforms than ever before. Imagine seeing goal-to-goal coverage of the most anticipated international soccer tournaments of 2015! Copa America, the Gold Cup and more is at the tip of your fingers!

Experience all the action of 50+ games with these details below:

Xfinity Latino Entertainment Channel (XLEC) will provide customers direct links to matches and simulcasts of the opening match of America’s Cup in Spanish on June 11 and Mexico v Bolivia on June 12 from beIN SPORTS.

Xfinity is giving you more ways to watch the summer’s hottest soccer tournaments, FIFA Women’s World Cup, America’s Cup, and the Gold Cup anytime, anywhere, in Spanish and English via Xfinity TV Go.

Xfinity presents the Summer of Soccer with live coverage of this summer’s hottest tournaments of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, America’s Cup, and the Gold Cup via Xfinity TV Go app!

Xfinity is providing you America’s Cup opening match and Mexico’s first game versus Bolivia for free on the XLEC from beIN SPORTS.

Don’t miss America’s Cup opening match on June 11 (USA v Chile) and Mexico vs Bolivia on June 12 for free from Xfinity TV, whenever, wherever!

World-class soccer action featuring Copa America (26 total matches), and the Gold Cup (26 total matches) available in Spanish and English for next day viewing via Xfinity on Demand.

In addition to live coverage of every match, fans can also stream on the go both in Spanish and English.

Copa America: beIN SPORTS will live stream every match of the Copa America in both English
and Spanish to Xfinity TV customers via Xfinity TV Go.

Gold Cup: All matches in Spanish and English will be accessible via XFINITY TV Go; either directly within the experience or through seamless access to one of Univision’s TVE properties or
FOX Sports Go.

Visit http://www.xfinity.com/latino for direct access to live streams of matches from all three of the tournaments, updates, soccer blogs, daily lineup of upcoming matches as well as cross-platform tools to remote tune to a live match of On Demand asset and set a DVR recording.

Travel in style for the summer with Disney Baby’s Collection

The summer months can be filled with plenty of activities which require traveling for you and your baby. If it’s your first time traveling; I’m sure preparation is the first thing on your mind. From packing the diaper bag to sticking to a routine, we’ve created a small list to help you save some time and travel in style with the Disney Baby Mickey Mouse Travel Collection. All Disney Baby items are available at your local retail store and DisneyBaby.com.

1. Only pack essentials: From a few extra bibs to onesies and a nice stash of toys.
2. Pack 2 changes of clothing for each day.
3. Minnie Mouse 5 in 1 diaper tote filled with diapers, wipes, blanket
4. Mickey Stroller and Car Seat Travel System to make the trip easier
5. Mickey Play Yard and high chair for trips to grandma’s house
6. Pack a movie and healthy snacks for the ride! A movie will keep your sweet baby entertained while you drive safely.

 

Mickey Mouse Travel Collection

image005 image006 image007

Licensee: Dorel
Retailers:  Sears
Available: Now

Add some Mickey to your baby’s gear with the Disney Mickey Collection. Each Sold Separately. The Mickey Collection offers a black and white Mickey theme perfect for your little boy. Featuring a lightweight design for easy storage and travel.

 

Mickey Stroller and Car Seat Travel System – $189.99

Mickey Play Yard – $109.99

Mickey High Chair – $99.99

 

 

Minnie Mouse 5-in-1 Diaper Tote

 image008

 

 

 

 

 

 

Licensee: AD Sutton
MSRP: $22.46
Retailers:  Walmart
Available: Now

Lots of dots and a darling peek-a-boo Minnie Mouse makes this stylish Diaper Tote irresistible. Mickey’s favorite girl is bow-bedecked, appliqued and embroidered in white, red, and black – a standout on black fabrication with contrasting red and white polka dot insets and red trim. The zip-close top keeps contents secure, and the interior is wipe clean and light colored; ensuring baby’s needs are clean and easy to find. The diaper tote features open pockets on all exterior sides to facilitate easy grab and go, as well as coordinated pouches, wipe case and changing pad (included).

 

 

Frozen Food: Recommended Storage Times

Saw this online today and thought it was pretty interesting.  🙂

Frozen Food Recommended Storage Times #infographicYou can also find more infographics at Visualistan

No Judgment

One day, several years ago, I was watching my old *Nsync DVD’s with my niece (she was maybe 6 at the time).  I remember her telling me how cute Lance Bass was, so I explained to her that he liked boys.   She asked a few questions, and I told her that most of the time, boys and girls like each other, but every once in a while, a boy will like a boy and a girl will like a girl.  Why did I tell her this at such a young age?  That’s simple.  We live in a sad, sad world.  A world where parents make kids afraid to be themselves.  Where kids who are oblivious to certain subjects bully those who are experiencing them.  From the day I told my niece, she has never had one single bad thing to say about someone who is gay, transgender, etc.  For me, telling her wasn’t about trying to make her understand why some people are gay and why some aren’t.  It was about accepting people who might be different than you are.  There’s no need to try understanding what they’re feeling because you don’t have to.  What you DO have to do is understand that they feel a certain way and they’re entitled to that.  Unfortunately, those feelings are not free of judgment from closed minded people.

To be clear…I am your everyday straight woman in her early thirties.  I have never experimented with another girl, nor have I ever thought about it.  I do, however, have gay friends and they’re some of the most caring people I know.  So tell me why they should be told by society that loving someone of the same sex is “wrong” or “sinful.”  What’s wrong or sinful is dictating to someone who they should or should not have feelings for.  Wrong is the violence we see on the news between people of opposite races.  I mean, really??   It’s 2015 people!!  How is a woman loving another woman or a man loving another man affecting your life in a negative way?  If you don’t like it, suck it up and look the other way.

I’m disgusted by the ignorance I’ve seen by people I went to school with.  In light of the Vanity Fair cover with Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, being revealed this week, I felt I should share my opinion…because I have the right to do so.    Bruce Jenner was an extremely good looking man when he was in his prime.  He was a great athlete, motivational speaker and father.  Do any of these things make him a bad person so far?  Absolutely not.  Now, my question to you is this…have you ever laid in bed and really thought about yourself?  For someone with adequate self esteem, I sometimes look in the mirror and don’t feel as though I look the way I feel.  It’s the reason most people will join a gym or start a diet.  Heck, people even begin to look into weight loss surgeries!  So now, if a man has lived 65 years in a body he didn’t feel was his, in a gender he didn’t feel was his, why does his decision to transition to what HE believes is his true self become an issue?  Is it not similar to us joining a gym or scheduling weight loss surgeries or even getting breast implants?  Is that not “altering” the way we were created?  Bruce Jenner was an amazing man, and Caitlyn will be an amazing woman.  She sure does look amazing on the cover of Vanity Fair!  To those of you jerks who are asking how parents would feel if their daughters were in a public bathroom and a transgender person walked in…does being transgender mean you’re also a pedophile???? NO!!  Do I understand what they’re going through?  No.  But I don’t judge them for doing something that makes them happy.

I also think it’s ridiculous that people are complaining that Bruce/Caitlyn will be awarded the Arthur Ashe award for Courage at the ESPY’s.  Comparing her courage to that of a soldier, etc. is insane.  The ESPY’s are a sports driven award show!  For someone like Bruce to be such a well known Olympic athlete to decide, at 65 years of age, that they’re going to transition to the woman they always believed they were…in the public eye IS courageous for the LGBT community!

Think about the young children who are confused about why they like someone of the same sex.  Or the ones who feel they don’t match the gender they were born.  Do babies get to choose what gender they’re born?  No. What if it were YOUR child who felt that way, and your ignorance caused them to take their own life because their own family couldn’t accept them?  Sadly, that scenario happens way too often these days.  So keep your judgments and think about how “perfect” your own life is.

LOVE IS LOVE and our main purpose in life should be to make ourselves happy.  Not tearing others down.

Memorial Day 2015

Contrary to what many believe, Memorial Day isn’t just a random day off from work that allows you to BBQ and go boating with friends.  It’s a holiday meant to appreciate and remember those who gave their lives in order to protect us and give us our freedom.  As the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran and the granddaughter of a World War II Veteran, I’ve always understood the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

In the last three years, however, Memorial Day has had more meaning to me than ever.  My grandfather passed away three years ago, just five months after my grandmother passed away.  He had non-Hodgkins lymphoma which quickly spread to his bones after she died.  My dad passed away this week, only four weeks after being diagnosed with end stage cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer and hepatic encephalopathy.  He dedicated years of his life towards helping other veterans and enjoyed working with an organization called Building Homes for Heroes (please see my previous post if you’d like to make a donation to this organization in his name).  He was chairman for the TWU Veterans Committee, and they were gracious enough to put together a video for Memorial Day that includes a tribute to him.

Please check out the video and feel free to share it.  Enjoy your BBQ’s this weekend, but also take the time to do what this holiday is meant for us to do…remember those veterans who have lost their lives and given us our freedom.

1

Fallen Hero

Unfortunately, my dad passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 7:55 am.  I am beyond heartbroken, and it’s actually too hard to compose an entire post at the moment.  Instead, please see below for information on an organization my father felt passionately about.  If you choose to donate, please see the information in the post about how to donate in his name.  Thank you so much.

rip

Hi everyone,

As you all know, Henry “Hank” Trujillo passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 7:55 am. Some of you might know him as simply a coworker, but he was so much more than that. He was a Vietnam Veteran who had a passion for helping other veterans. He was an active member of the Transport Workers Union Veterans Committee and truly enjoyed helping and following the work of Building Homes for Heroes. He was also a husband and a father. He was the type of person who went out of his way to help everyone else, and put everyone else’s needs before his own. We all have different ideas of what a hero is and, even though we knew he was special, seeing the outpouring of love and respect for him, and the thoughts and prayers for our family during this horribly difficult time…we know he truly was one. Not just because he served our country, but because of his commitment to help those in need.

In light of this, our family is asking that, for those who choose to do so, please make any small contribution to Building Homes for Heroes in my dad’s name. Please see the information below to make your donation as simple as possible:

Organization Website: http://www.buildinghomesforheroes.com/about
Donation Link: https://co.clickandpledge.com/sp/d1/default.aspx?wid=71680

***Follow the steps on the Donation page and include the following information at the bottom of Step 2:

Comments: Please include any heartfelt comments you might have about my dad.
Donate in Someone’s Name: Transport Workers Union Veterans Committee
Donate in Memory of Someone: Honor and Memory of TWU Veterans Committee Chairman Emeritus Hank Trujillo

Our family is truly thankful for all of your comments, emails, phone calls, visits, thoughts, prayers and respect. We take comfort in knowing that he is looking down on us now and is proud that we’re carrying on something he was very passionate about.

Thank you,

The Trujillo Family

Xfinity Delivers Ultimate Fan Experience as Lead Sponsor of Taylor Swift’s U.S. Tour

Taylor Swift 2

XFINITY OFFERS TAYLOR SWIFT BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR CONTENT AND EXPERIENCES AS PART OF “THE 1989 WORLD TOUR” SPONSORSHIP

Comcast’s XFINITY Brand Becomes Lead Sponsor of All U.S. Tour Dates

 Customers Get Access to Behind-The-Scenes Videos, Plus Chances to Win Tickets, Meet & Greets, Backstage Tours, and Tour Merchandise

 

Comcast today announced that the company’s Xfinity brand will become the lead sponsor of Taylor Swift’sThe 1989 World Tour, offering its customers benefits such as access to behind-the-scenes video footage from tour rehearsals as well as the chance to meet the seven-time Grammy winner and win backstage tours, tour merchandise and concert tickets.

Xfinity will become the lead sponsor of all U.S. tour dates on The 1989 World Tour, starting on May 20 in Bossier City, LA and ending on October 31 in Tampa, FL.

“Taylor Swift is a global superstar and her fans have an unrivaled passion for everything she touches,” said Todd Arata, VP, Brand Marketing, Comcast Cable. “And now, Xfinity and Taylor Swift are coming together to bring Taylor fans an experience they can’t get anywhere else.”

As a part of the sponsorship, Xfinity will build an unprecedented Xfinity On Demand experience including videos that give viewers a backstage pass to what goes into preparing for each show of The 1989 World Tour. Customers also will get On-Demand access to a curated collection of movies, TV shows and talk show appearances featuring Taylor as well her music videos.

“Throughout the tour we’ll also surprise fans with ticket giveaways, signed merchandise and more,  including a lip sync competition among fans for the chance to meet Taylor herself,” added Arata.

At each U.S. concert venue, Xfinity will host a backstage “vibe room” where select Xfinity customers and concertgoers will have an opportunity to go on backstage tours and attend a meet-and-greet with Taylor. At select tour locations, the brand will also create an “Xfinity Zone,” where concertgoers will have an opportunity to experience the best of Xfinity, including the X1 Entertainment Operating System. Visitors can also have fun with a photo booth that enables fans’ photos to be super-imposed onto backgrounds featuring the singer.

Xfinity is Comcast’s residential service brand and the nation’s largest video and high-speed Internet provider and more information about the Taylor Swift sponsorship can be found at xfinity.com/1989.

 

1989

About Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is the only artist in history to have three albums selling over one million copies in their first week of release (2010’s Speak Now, 2012’s RED and 2014’s 1989), is the all-time leader on RIAA’s digital singles chart, the only artist to have two singles hit No. 1 on Billboards HOT 100 Chart in 2014 and 1989 was the highest selling album of 2014, to date selling over seven million albums worldwide. Taylor, a seven-time GRAMMY winner, is a singer, songwriter and the youngest winner in history of the music industry’s highest honor, the GRAMMY Award for Album of the Year and the inaugural recipient of AMA’s Dick Clark Award for Excellence.

Taylor has an album on Rolling Stone’s prestigious The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time (by women) list, she is Billboard’s youngest-ever Woman of the Year and the only artist to have been awarded this honor twice, Time magazine has named her one the of the 100 Most Influential People in the world and one of only eight candidates for their most prestigious honor, 2014 Person of the Year. Taylor has career record sales of over 40 million albums and more than 130 million song downloads worldwide, and has had singles top the pop and country radio charts around the globe. 1989 sold almost 1.3 million copies in the U.S. in its first week making it the highest selling album release since 2002 and the only album to go platinum in 2014, topping Billboard’s Top 200 charts and iTunes’ sales charts in 97 countries on its release. 1989 has sold seven million copies globally and continues to top Billboard Top 200.  Her current No. 1 single, “Style,” is the third consecutive chart-topping release from 1989.

 

About Comcast Corporation:

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

Blah

This is just a random post about something I need to get off my chest…

When I was younger, I was daddy’s little girl. My dad would put me on his shoulders as he coached my brothers’ little league baseball team, he’d blow-dry my hair as I sat on the sink (because only daddy did it correctly) and he’d sing “Oh Donna” from La Bamba with me.

We moved to Miami from NJ when I was about to turn 6 and there wasn’t much of a change in how close we were. Everyone in my house smoked cigarettes for as long as I can remember, and I’ve hated it just as long. When I got older, I remember my dad driving me to school and he just HAD to light up before I got out of the car. I used to be so embarrassed when kids in school would ask me if I was the one who smoked. Even to this day, I’ll catch him smoking in the house and it causes a rift because he lies about it.

Now there are a lot of things that have happened over the years that I won’t discuss here, but they are things that have placed a large wedge in our relationship. I started to say I had daddy issues as a joke because I felt my father didn’t care about my brothers and I the way he did about injured veterans he’d come across. My dad is a Vietnam Vet, and I’ve always been proud of that. He started working with a veterans committee at work (before he retired) and it consumed him. I’d get annoyed because all he wore was a Veteran t-shirt, a Veteran hat, he put random Veteran stickers on his car window. He’d watch war movies and videos on YouTube of people singing the National Anthem for hours on end. I really felt like I lost him.

In recent months, he started becoming very confused, and his driving skills diminished drastically. It was a shocking sight if he was out of his recliner, or showered for that matter. I would walk by him and roll my eyes at the lazy, empty person he’d become.

Now my guilt for doing this eats at me, as we discovered two weeks ago that my father has been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer and hepatic encephalopathy. In addition to that, he has blood clots in his esophagus that could rupture at any moment. He’s also had diabetes for years, so it’s not just one thing that has been causing this drastic change in personality.

My dad wasn’t just choosing to sleep all day and it wasn’t lack of communication and people interaction that was causing the confusion. It was a mixture of things that were unknown and undetected by our doctor. Now, at 31 years old, I’m forced to realize things my father might miss. Things like me getting my Bachelor’s Degree that I’ve been working on for years, falling in love, getting married, having kids. Not that I really thought about getting married, but now that it’s possible he won’t be around to walk me down the aisle…it something that bothers me.

I’ve avoided thinking about it and talking about it because I’m not sure how to fix a relationship with someone just because I know they’re sick. It seems hypocritical. All I can do is try to stay positive and be there in the present. Tomorrow he has an appointment with an oncologist to see how far along the cancer is, and whether any treatment will help prolong his life. Praying for good news.

Happy Mother’s Day!

2

I just wanted to wish all of the wonderful mothers a VERY Happy Mother’s Day!

I also wanted to wish the fathers playing a mother’s role in their child’s life a Happy Mother’s Day as well.  Too often we forget that sometimes people other than mothers are playing this important role and it’s important to recognize them as well.

Such is the case for someone like me, who has no kids of my own yet, but I play an important role in my niece’s life.  One that I appreciate every second of.  Thankfully, I had great women as role models who have helped shape me into the loving and hilarious person I am today!  🙂

So thank you to my incredible mother, her sisters and my grandmothers for being such wonderful human beings, and for allowing me to be a part of their lives.

Update

Hey everyone!

Sorry for the absence the last few days. My family and I have been in and out of the hospital after my dad was admitted last Thursday. Unfortunately we discovered last night that he has cirrhosis of the liver AND liver cancer. Needless to say, I haven’t been in the right frame of mind to post my favorite things or anything because we were dealing with the run-around at the hospital and not having any information. My grandfather also passed away recently of cancer, so this whole thing has been extra rough.

Thankfully, dad seems optimistic about treatment even though we don’t know how far along the damage is. With that being said, I’m finishing up a semester at school and am trying to stay as busy as possible. I’ll try posting here as often as I can, but who knows?

Positive thoughts are appreciated and hopefully I’ll have some good news soon! Thank you! 🙂

Day 14 of My Favorite Things

april

Day 14 of my favorite things is dedicated to movies!

With so many amazing movies having been released recently and so many more on their way to the theaters, it’s no surprise that this would make my list!

Some of my favorite older movies are classics like Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Grease (the original), The Breakfast Club, The Goonies, etc.

You might try to identify with one of the characters in a film and live the events vicariously through that person.  It’s exciting to me!  I often tend to read the books before seeing the film adaptation so I could identify the differences (NOTE: This is a judge free zone haha), but, for some reason, doing this never ruins the actual movie for me. Just like with TV shows, I enjoy escaping life for about 2 hours to watch how certain things play out.

That being said…I can NOT wait for Avengers: Age of Ultron to come out!  The Avengers movie is honestly one of my favorites!  What a cast!  What are some of your favorite movies?  Do you have a favorite actor who you think can do no wrong?  Let me know in the comments!

Day 13 of My Favorite Things

april

Day 13 of my favorite things is dedicated to fan conventions!!

I’ve met some great friends at fan conventions (specifically for The Vampire Diaries).  You may have heard of cons like Comic Con, Walker Stalker, Wizard World, MegaCon, SuperCon, etc., but there are so many others you might not know about!

Being involved with Variety Radio Online, we work closely with EyeCon.  EyeCon puts on many different cons dedicated to certain TV shows, like The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, One Tree Hill and more to come.

Recently, they wrapped up their #ReturntoTreeHill con in Wilmington, NC dedicated to One Tree Hill.  They had tours set up, a party at Tric, concerts, hilarious Q&A panels, meet and greets and an extensive guest list!  The con was given a ton of publicity and, luckily, there will be a second one August 7-9!  Chad Michael Murray (Lucas) and Hilarie Burton (Peyton) have already signed up to attend and more will be announced as August approaches.

There will also be a con for The Vampire Diaries/The Originals on October 9-11 in Atlanta, GA.  Unfortunately this will be the last con for The Vampire Diaries through EyeCon, so make sure to visit their site & get your tickets!  Did I mention that the first guest announced is Joseph Morgan aka Klaus himself??  Well, now you know!!  Joseph Morgan usually doesn’t do cons, aside from Comic Con, so take advantage and meet the mysterious and awesome man!

Either way, whether you’re a fan of these shows, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Power Rangers, Arrow, The Flash, etc. or even just a fan of movies and comic books in general…check out all the different con pages and make your way to one!  You’re guaranteed to have a great time, and you might even be lucky, like me, and meet some amazing friends!

Here are the links to check out EyeCon on social media!  Follow them and let them know which shows you’d like to see a con for:

Website: EyeCon Conventions

Twitter: @EyeCon3000

Facebook: EyeCon Conventions

Day 12 of My Favorite Things

april

Day 12 of my favorite things is being dedicated to one of the most visited sites in my search history.

A few years ago, I met a girl named Keisha at a Florida Marlins fan event, and we became really good friends.  We found out that we had more in common than a love for baseball and ended up going to a fan convention for one of our favorite TV shows…The Vampire Diaries.  While there, she introduced me to one of her awesome friends, Raechel, who obviously also loves the show.

About a year ago, I noticed that they were doing on air reviews for popular TV shows on a website called Variety Radio Online, so I asked how they got involved. They introduced me to Amy, who runs the site and that was it! Keisha, Rachel & I now do On Air reviews together for The Vampire Diaries and The Originals ( I also write blogs for those shows), and we each also do other show reviews.

In the year that I’ve been involved with the site, I can’t say I’ve met anyone else in person YET, but I’ve been accepted into this incredible little family and I love it.  Everyone is so helpful and we’ve all become fast friends. I’ve learned so much, and I’m gaining so much experience in the field I’m going to school for. It’s a win/win!

Enough of my rambling! What are you still reading this for?? Go check out Variety Radio Online and their social media sites (links below) and I know you’ll love it as much as I do. Chances are, some of us are reviewing your favorite shows! So go love it and share with the your friends and fellow TV lovers!

 5

Twitter: @TheVRO

Facebook: Variety Radio Online

Tumblr: Variety Radio Online

Day 11 of My Favorite Things

april

For Day 11 of my favorite things, I’m going with TV shows.

Yes, when we were younger we all heard that too much television rots your brain, but I’m a firm believer that it can stimulate your mind as well!  I mean, when you watch mysteries/thrillers, don’t you find yourself THINKING about what might happen next?  When you watch comedies, don’t you laugh out loud?  Laughing is healthy!

True, I might just be trying to justify the fact that I watch A LOT of TV, especially since I do reviews for certain shows.  But I genuinely find it exciting to transport myself into another world for an hour.  It’s sort of like acting.  As someone who is passionate about writing, I watch my favorite shows and wonder what it might’ve been like in the writer’s room coming up with ideas and character plot lines.

Call me a nerd if you want to, but I look at it as creative energy needing to be released! 🙂

tvlogo

So, here is a list of my favorite TV shows (past and present) in no particular order:

F●R●I●E●N●D●S

The Vampire Diaries

The Originals

The Walking Dead

Game of Thrones

The Following

New Girl

Orange is the New Black

Revenge

One Tree Hill

Don’t forget…at Variety Radio Online, we review a wide variety of TV shows in blog and podcast form. So check out the site and get your binge on!  😉

Twitter: @TheVRO

Facebook: Variety Radio Online

Tumblr: Variety Radio Online

Day 10 of My Favorite Things

april

Day 10 of my favorite things in light of National Siblings Day!

Even though they annoy the crap out of me at times, I have to admit that I have two cool older brothers. One of them cried when I was born because he wanted a little brother, but he wouldn’t know what to do without me! Haha!

We’ve definitely had our share of fights over the years, but we’ve also had a ton of laughs. So here we are a few months ago at a Motley Crue concert at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. My oldest brother has always been a fan of theirs and has never seem them live. I decided to buy tix to their Farewell Tour, and it was the first time the three of us went out alone without our friends joining us. It was a blast and we’re doing it again this September! 🙂

IMG_6361

Day 9 of My Favorite Things

april

 

I’m a day late in posting day 9 of my favorite things, but I had a good reason! Yesterday was my 31st birthday, so I was a little busy lol.

In any case…day 9 of my favorite things is dedicated to my favorite stores!  Two of my favorite stores EVER are Target and Barnes & Noble.

Why, you ask? I mean, because why not??

Target has it all. Cute clothes at reasonable prices, entertainment, home decorating, affordable groceries and a ton of cleaning products and candles.  Really, you can’t go wrong.  I’m all about bargains and getting more for less…not because I have to, but because I find it fun lol.  I recently downloaded Target’s Cartwheel app for the phone and it’s awesome! It allows you to choose 10 items from a list of options and adds those 10 to a barcode.  When you checkout, you just show the cashier your barcode and it deducts the savings rather than having to show hundreds of coupons.

My love for Barnes & Noble is self explanatory! I love books! I love the smell of them, I love the feel of the pages and it’s probably the only time it’s acceptable to judge a book by its cover. I own an iPad and a Nook, but there’s just something about holding an actual book that makes me happy.

Luckily, for my birthday yesterday, I was given giftcards to both, which is what sparked this post!

So download that Cartwheel app and join Barnes & Noble’s annual membership and you’ll discover just why I love these particular stores!

4

3

Day 8 of My Favorite Things

april

I’m dedicating day 8 of my favorite things to my favorite place(s)…New Jersey/New York.

I went to visit family last year around this time to celebrate my 30th birthday and had an amazing trip! My niece got to see a pile of snow for the first time, and we missed a snow storm by a few miles.  I’m pretty sure her, my brother and I were the only ones excited when we saw them salting the streets in preparation! haha.

We took a short trip to NYC to show her around for the first time and it was so much fun. It was freezing, and I ended up losing a hat and ONE glove on our travels, but it was all worth it! I could’ve lived without the cab rides that almost gave me multiple anxiety attacks though lmao!

We even got to have my birthday dinner at Justin Timberlake’s restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen, Southern Hospitality. If you ever get a chance to eat there…DO IT!! The food is amazing!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our trip:

IMG_4268 IMG_4293IMG_4500IMG_4545IMG_4525