Eric and I have had a very festive holiday season this year! Mine was sprinkled with a capella joys with the Jingle Belles and Beaux and the Dickens Carolers, and Eric's was lifted to new heights with Orlando Balloon Rides and even a hang gliding experience at Wallaby Ranch! He and I totally cleaned up at our respective workplaces' White Elephant gift exchanges--we went home with a Walmart gift card and a foot massaging spa--and enjoyed more holiday parties and get-togethers with friends new and old.
Eric's family had plans to visit us for Thanksgiving, but car troubles kept them stranded up north. Thankfully we were able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my kin, with some of whom we'll also ring in the new year on the first day of 2012. On the last day of 2011 (that's tomorrow--can you believe it?!), I'll be performing a gig with Earth Beat in Leesburg, but I'm lugging Eric along, so at least we'll be together and I'll be doing something I love!
My goals for next year will be to polish my professional skills a bit and add a few more to my arsenal: I hope to tackle vocal percussion, improve my dancing, and stretch my belt a bit higher. On a personal level, I want to carve out more time for crafting projects and coincide that goal with some DIY improvements around the house, and reduce my online time to leave more chill time with Big E.
For now, we extend our happiest wishes to you and yours for the holidays and the new year. We promise to post more pictures next time. Bye!
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Friday, December 30, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Gratefulness
During this month of Thanksgiving, many of us will evaluate all of the blessings in our lives. The good news is that Eric and I have been showered with our share of blessings lately. The bad news (for you) is that we've been too busy enjoying our blessing shower to keep this blog up to date. So I apologize (again) for not being more diligent with timely posts, but since you're here anyway, I'll fill you in (again) on all the latest news from the Brown household.
What started as a temporary assignment for Eric has turned into a full-time position as a Housekeeping Manager at his resort. He loves the cast, the behind-the-scenes magic making, and being done by 6pm every day!
I have had some pretty exciting career advancements myself. You can always read about my career updates on my website and now on Twitter. Most notably, I have started as a Casting Director for the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios! The American Idol Experience is an attraction that allows guests to audition to sing in a live Walt Disney World show where the audience votes for their favorite performer. My job is hearing those auditions and determining if they have the talent and star power to continue on to the stage. It really is a tough job but so enjoyable and rewarding, largely due to my amazing team and the ability to truly make dreams come true!
I also have a new church family at First Presbyterian in downtown Orlando--I am their new Second Alto section leader for Chancel Choir, Chancel Ensemble (a smaller, auditioned group), and Canticum Novum (an even smaller chamber group). In between my commitments to church, the Idol Experience, and other gigs, I still make it to my newborn photography gig at the hospital (just more seldom than before).
Speaking of other gigs, I'm shaping up to be one busy lady this holiday season. First Presbyterian will have two big services on Christmas eve, but in addition to that, I am also going to be singing with two a capella ensembles this winter. This will be my first year singing with the Dickens Carolers from Vocals, Inc., who have been caroling all over town for 20 years! I'll also be performing with a jazz quartet at SeaWorld for their Christmas Celebration this year--what do you think of the name Belles and Beaux?!
In the spring once things are settled down from the holidays, I'll be joining Legacy, a professional vocal group that is part of my friend Joshua's non-profit organization, Central Florida Community Arts. I was also just offered an ensemble role in the Orlando Philharmonic's concert production of Carousel next April.
I'm still with Earth Beat, my classic cover band, and I had my first two Sing gigs in the last two weeks--a fun one here in town and one really special one in New Jersey before that. We were so close to New York City that we couldn't resist popping into Manhattan for dinner and drinks and touristy photo ops in Times Square!
It was at this moment when I was looking up at the bright lights in the big city (where someone at flown me and fed me and put me up and paid me to do what I love) that I fully realized what a truly amazing career year I've had. I confessed my New Year's Resolution goal for 2011 on this blog--to become a full-time professional musician. Years of networking, interviewing, and auditioning finally culminated in successfully reaching that goal!
In 2012, it'll be Eric's turn for a banner career year. For now, our personal lives are mostly the same. Eric drives a new car, I lopped off a whole crapload of my hair, but it's basically the same story--we still have the same friends with a few fun new ones peppered in, we still find time for our loopy staycations and relaxing nights at home, we still live in the same house. We'll be having (almost) all of our family members over at our place for Thanksgiving in just a few short weeks, another blessing for which we're humbly grateful.
What started as a temporary assignment for Eric has turned into a full-time position as a Housekeeping Manager at his resort. He loves the cast, the behind-the-scenes magic making, and being done by 6pm every day!
I have had some pretty exciting career advancements myself. You can always read about my career updates on my website and now on Twitter. Most notably, I have started as a Casting Director for the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios! The American Idol Experience is an attraction that allows guests to audition to sing in a live Walt Disney World show where the audience votes for their favorite performer. My job is hearing those auditions and determining if they have the talent and star power to continue on to the stage. It really is a tough job but so enjoyable and rewarding, largely due to my amazing team and the ability to truly make dreams come true!
I also have a new church family at First Presbyterian in downtown Orlando--I am their new Second Alto section leader for Chancel Choir, Chancel Ensemble (a smaller, auditioned group), and Canticum Novum (an even smaller chamber group). In between my commitments to church, the Idol Experience, and other gigs, I still make it to my newborn photography gig at the hospital (just more seldom than before).
Speaking of other gigs, I'm shaping up to be one busy lady this holiday season. First Presbyterian will have two big services on Christmas eve, but in addition to that, I am also going to be singing with two a capella ensembles this winter. This will be my first year singing with the Dickens Carolers from Vocals, Inc., who have been caroling all over town for 20 years! I'll also be performing with a jazz quartet at SeaWorld for their Christmas Celebration this year--what do you think of the name Belles and Beaux?!
In the spring once things are settled down from the holidays, I'll be joining Legacy, a professional vocal group that is part of my friend Joshua's non-profit organization, Central Florida Community Arts. I was also just offered an ensemble role in the Orlando Philharmonic's concert production of Carousel next April.
I'm still with Earth Beat, my classic cover band, and I had my first two Sing gigs in the last two weeks--a fun one here in town and one really special one in New Jersey before that. We were so close to New York City that we couldn't resist popping into Manhattan for dinner and drinks and touristy photo ops in Times Square!
It was at this moment when I was looking up at the bright lights in the big city (where someone at flown me and fed me and put me up and paid me to do what I love) that I fully realized what a truly amazing career year I've had. I confessed my New Year's Resolution goal for 2011 on this blog--to become a full-time professional musician. Years of networking, interviewing, and auditioning finally culminated in successfully reaching that goal!
In 2012, it'll be Eric's turn for a banner career year. For now, our personal lives are mostly the same. Eric drives a new car, I lopped off a whole crapload of my hair, but it's basically the same story--we still have the same friends with a few fun new ones peppered in, we still find time for our loopy staycations and relaxing nights at home, we still live in the same house. We'll be having (almost) all of our family members over at our place for Thanksgiving in just a few short weeks, another blessing for which we're humbly grateful.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Our Holidays...and Beyond!
After celebrating my favorite holiday in October and spending Thanksgiving with Eric's folks, we had a festive Christmas holiday celebration here in town. My immediate family celebrated with us and then my mom's whole side piled in for a fun Christmas gathering! Then our friends Rachel and Ollie came into town to celebrate the New Year with us. We hit Universal, the Disney parks, some fabulous dining locations, and other various hot spots throughout town. (Poor Eric had recently had hernia surgery, so if you're wondering why he's in a wheelchair in some pictures, it's because it was way faster to push him around than drag him around hobbling!)
After the holidays, we just went back to our normal routines and finally took town our Christmas decor last week. Eric is still chuggin' along at work, enjoying his place on the Club Concierge Level at the Yacht and Beach Club. Resorts. He gets to rub elbows with lots of VIPs, so he gets a kick out of the mood and bustle of it all. Looking back, I personally had a very bustling holiday, gigging all over town, which was such a blessing. I got to sing with the Shrine Choir, one of the most musically fulfilling groups in town, a few times for the Christmas season, including midnight mass and Christmas morning service. Also, Seraphim, the new women's a capella group I sing with, premiered my newest piece, Winter Carol, at our gigs this season. Other than that, I've been auditioning my butt off trying to live up to my New Year's resolution of becoming a full-time performer. My other resolution was to relaunch my website, and that I think I have completed. Check it out!
Celebrating Rachel's birthday at Yachtsman Steakhouse
We surprised Rachel with a birthday cake!
Taking a ride on the monorail
Sisters enjoying some delicious Butterbeer
Rachel and Ollie at Universal
The Browns meeting a distant cousin, Doc Brown
Visiting Hogwarts
The girls taking a pit stop at Chili's
Another delicious dinner at Flying Fish Cafe
Wild ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Late dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Dining Room
After the holidays, we just went back to our normal routines and finally took town our Christmas decor last week. Eric is still chuggin' along at work, enjoying his place on the Club Concierge Level at the Yacht and Beach Club. Resorts. He gets to rub elbows with lots of VIPs, so he gets a kick out of the mood and bustle of it all. Looking back, I personally had a very bustling holiday, gigging all over town, which was such a blessing. I got to sing with the Shrine Choir, one of the most musically fulfilling groups in town, a few times for the Christmas season, including midnight mass and Christmas morning service. Also, Seraphim, the new women's a capella group I sing with, premiered my newest piece, Winter Carol, at our gigs this season. Other than that, I've been auditioning my butt off trying to live up to my New Year's resolution of becoming a full-time performer. My other resolution was to relaunch my website, and that I think I have completed. Check it out!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
In the Air Again
Thank goodness for free Wi-Fi at Hancock International! Now writing this blog post on my iPod will keep me occupied until our flight back to Florida leaves in an hour and a half. We always arrive early to airports just in case (there is actually an Eric Brown on the Do Not Fly list), and today it was a good thing we did. We didn't have to do the new body scan, but they did unpack and inspect literally every piece of luggage we brought: we each had a carry-on and a personal item, and every last square inch of space is full. (I'll be darned if I'm spending $100 round trip on bag check fees!) It took us a good 15 minutes and excellent teamwork to repack everything at the security checkpoint. L.L. Bean and American Tourister get a big thumbs-up for durability. These things are bursting at the seams. I wish I could take a picture because I feel you just have to see Eric's backpack to appreciate the true Mary Poppins carpet baggedness of this piece of luggage.
Our visit with Eric's side of the family was very restful and festive. We were very sad to say goodbye to the whole family, of course, but it was especially heartbreaking to leave our nephew Andrew and his sweet mommy Laura. Here's hoping he'll be ready to go airborne soon and he can come for a visit soon to his cool uncle Eric and aunt Katie in Florida!
Next on the agenda, making a trip to Apopka tommorow to pick up...my brand new car! Yes, my trusty Honda Civic, which I personally drove for 10 years, finally bit the dust last Monday. Eric is planning to fix it up nicely enough for us to sell or donate it and I'll be driving my 2004 Saab 9-3 just like my Civic--until it dies!
Aftter that will be a slew of holiday gigs stretching into the year, beginning with opening for the Walk Through Bethlehem this Friday night in Winter Park where my newest winter piece, Winter Carol, will be premiering! Then the next day I will be taking part in the filming for the Disney Parks Christmas Parade once again this year, this time with a mystery celebrity diva! I've heard dumped about who it may be but I'm sure I'm not at liberty to share the hunch with the world wide web until it's for sure. So on Saturday afternoon check back for another post :)
Our visit with Eric's side of the family was very restful and festive. We were very sad to say goodbye to the whole family, of course, but it was especially heartbreaking to leave our nephew Andrew and his sweet mommy Laura. Here's hoping he'll be ready to go airborne soon and he can come for a visit soon to his cool uncle Eric and aunt Katie in Florida!
Next on the agenda, making a trip to Apopka tommorow to pick up...my brand new car! Yes, my trusty Honda Civic, which I personally drove for 10 years, finally bit the dust last Monday. Eric is planning to fix it up nicely enough for us to sell or donate it and I'll be driving my 2004 Saab 9-3 just like my Civic--until it dies!
Aftter that will be a slew of holiday gigs stretching into the year, beginning with opening for the Walk Through Bethlehem this Friday night in Winter Park where my newest winter piece, Winter Carol, will be premiering! Then the next day I will be taking part in the filming for the Disney Parks Christmas Parade once again this year, this time with a mystery celebrity diva! I've heard dumped about who it may be but I'm sure I'm not at liberty to share the hunch with the world wide web until it's for sure. So on Saturday afternoon check back for another post :)
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Holiday Season Recap
We have officially survived the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, and we have a few photos to prove it. My first act during the holidays was to attend a book signing of the new Ridley Pearson-Dave Barry collaboration at Downtown Disney. It was very exciting to meet these two literary legends, but I couldn't even yet tell the two people who would most share my excitement--my parents--because I asked Dave Barry to sign a book for each of them as a Christmas gift! Didn't want to ruin the surprise :) The inscriptions (his idea, not mine)? "To Terry, my idol," and "To Sharon, a goddess."
Here's a photo from the Singing Christmas Trees, featuring my talented friend Rachel Scott as the mother Mary. Believe it or not, all of those hundreds of "ornaments" on the trees are choir singers!
Check out our fancy new robes for the Candlelight Processional at Epcot! They look a little funny up close, but from a distance in a tree-shaped clump, they look pretty spiffy!
Here's a photo I found online from our performance with Celine Dion for the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. Can't find us? Look more closely.
Okay, I'll give you a hint.
Look how festive our house looks when decorated for the holidays! We had a little get together to celebrate.
We partied for Eric's birthday, too! How funny are these cupcakes!
The Young Alpha Chis went on an outing to Kimonos for some sushi and singing! Rachel and I did a little number together.
We both had to work on Christmas morning, but at least Eric got a chance to wear the new shirt my parents gave him!
It was pretty slow at Saratoga, so he spent the morning making this pretty incredible ballon hat with his cast members.
And here we are, newly arrived home from our respective jobs, ready to open our stockings and read the Christmas story.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve
Tonight is Christmas Eve and I've been reflecting on our holiday season so far. I just returned from the Christmas eve candlelight service at our church and an open house at the home of the associate pastor and his wife. My favorite part of the party was listening to the partygoers' (church members') old stories. And the Baby Jesuses in a Blanket.
We've been keeping ourselves pretty busy preparing for the holiday and hob-nobbing with friends all over town. Our friend Kevin hosted a winter frost party so we frosted ourselves (meaning we wore white, blue, and silver outfits) one evening--there was a show and everything! We went to see Ice at the Gaylord Palms again this year, this time with our friends Jimmy and Becky, the newlyweds, and Paul and Missy. We all had fun and Eric and I wore our Smittens (mittens that allow two people to hold hands inside), except when we were on the slide (once you're in the mittens, you can't rightly let go).
A few Young Alpha Chis from our alumnae chapter got together for sushi, sake, and singing at good old Kimonos, and I got to spend a lot of time with my friend Rachel, but unfortunately I had to cram in the time because she is moving to Washington, D.C. to pursue a civics career. We connected very well and really enjoyed spending time together, so we'll have to reconnect sometime in the near future.
On Sunday afternoon we left for Waycross to have Christmas there and spend a few days with my family. We had our usual traditions of caroling to a few friends, having Christmas breakfast together, and reading the Christmas story. And opening gifts, of course. I got Photoshop from my parents, and Eric and I got a karaoke machine. Party at our house!
Let's see, what else? Our little holiday party was a success. We had lots of jolly guests and even more food. I'll be performing at the Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach with my friend Dick on New Year's Eve next week, but more on that in a later post. We performed together at the church's Christmas dinner as well. Tomorrow we each have to work on Christmas morning, but hopefully we'll each be done in time for lunch. Then we'll unwrap our gifts (the ones Eric hasn't opened already), watch A Christmas Story, and go out with Paul, Missy, Jimmy, and Becky to the China King for dinner. We'd host dinner at our place, but the kitchen's a mess and the fridge is in the living room. (It's a long story but the short version starts with the dishwasher leaking, continues with mold growing in the kitchen, and ends with the bank paying to have all the walls torn out and cabinets replaced, the epilogue being that the fridge is currently in the living room. So now I'm sitting here watching In Bruges (it's technically a Christmas movie) eating Christmas candy and waiting for my husband to get home so we can snuggle and cuddle in front of the fireplace all night long. A very festive way to spend our Christmas eve, I'd say.
We've been keeping ourselves pretty busy preparing for the holiday and hob-nobbing with friends all over town. Our friend Kevin hosted a winter frost party so we frosted ourselves (meaning we wore white, blue, and silver outfits) one evening--there was a show and everything! We went to see Ice at the Gaylord Palms again this year, this time with our friends Jimmy and Becky, the newlyweds, and Paul and Missy. We all had fun and Eric and I wore our Smittens (mittens that allow two people to hold hands inside), except when we were on the slide (once you're in the mittens, you can't rightly let go).
A few Young Alpha Chis from our alumnae chapter got together for sushi, sake, and singing at good old Kimonos, and I got to spend a lot of time with my friend Rachel, but unfortunately I had to cram in the time because she is moving to Washington, D.C. to pursue a civics career. We connected very well and really enjoyed spending time together, so we'll have to reconnect sometime in the near future.
On Sunday afternoon we left for Waycross to have Christmas there and spend a few days with my family. We had our usual traditions of caroling to a few friends, having Christmas breakfast together, and reading the Christmas story. And opening gifts, of course. I got Photoshop from my parents, and Eric and I got a karaoke machine. Party at our house!
Let's see, what else? Our little holiday party was a success. We had lots of jolly guests and even more food. I'll be performing at the Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach with my friend Dick on New Year's Eve next week, but more on that in a later post. We performed together at the church's Christmas dinner as well. Tomorrow we each have to work on Christmas morning, but hopefully we'll each be done in time for lunch. Then we'll unwrap our gifts (the ones Eric hasn't opened already), watch A Christmas Story, and go out with Paul, Missy, Jimmy, and Becky to the China King for dinner. We'd host dinner at our place, but the kitchen's a mess and the fridge is in the living room. (It's a long story but the short version starts with the dishwasher leaking, continues with mold growing in the kitchen, and ends with the bank paying to have all the walls torn out and cabinets replaced, the epilogue being that the fridge is currently in the living room. So now I'm sitting here watching In Bruges (it's technically a Christmas movie) eating Christmas candy and waiting for my husband to get home so we can snuggle and cuddle in front of the fireplace all night long. A very festive way to spend our Christmas eve, I'd say.
Friday, December 4, 2009
More Singing with the Stars
'Tis the season! With the Disney parks nearby, it begins to look a lot Christmas right around November 1st, but it never feels like Christmas to me until I get to sing some Christmas music! In college, I always had our candlelight concerts to look forward to and to generate holiday cheer, and now we have Epcot's Candlelight Processional to take its place. This week Eric and I sang in the cast choir in our first show of the season with John O'Hurley as the celebrity guest narrator. He interpreted the Christmas story wonderfully. By the end of the show, it really felt like the holidays were on their way!
Then last night, we got to see the Singing Christmas Trees at First Baptist Church in Orlando. My friend Rachel was playing the part of Mary in the show so she graciously invited us to the opening night! It was an amazing spectacle--literally two 40-foot tree-shapes full of hundreds of choir singers and thousands of twinkly lights!
Tomorrow I'm attending my first holiday function of the season, a brunch with the ladies of Alpha Chi Omega, and we'll be stopping by a few other soirees throughout the season and probably even hosting one of our own. Then the next two Sundays will be the Christmas cantata at my church. And, of course, today we had the filming for the (newly renamed) 2009 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade with Celine Dion! Rainy weather forced us out of the Magic Kingdom, but we ended up at the beautiful Grand Floridian hotel for the performance. Everyone involved really came together (and quickly!) to make everything go smoothly. Celine (we're so totally on a first name basis now) was amazing and totally gracious--she even gave Clay, our director, a much-deserved shout-out at the end of the shoot. Plus she looked fabulous!
EDIT: Here is a link to a post on the official Disney Parks blog about the taping. You can't see us in the picture, but it still looks cool!
If you're looking for us on Christmas morning, we're the very last number on the program, O Come All Ye Faithful. Nick Cannon--who's co-hosting the parade this year with Kelly Ripa--even announced the name of our group, Encore Cast Choir! The whole choir is in gold robes, and Eric and I are on the far right side of the group when you are looking at the whole group on the screen. I'm the one with a giant grin on my face! Hopefully we'll get some face time on ABC--we were all feeling very Hollywood today. The most ironic thing is that we don't have cable so I hope they put the video online so we can see ourselves!
All in all, it's been a very eventful (and exclamation point-worthy!) week and we're definitely in the holiday spirit now. The house is decorated, the shopping is underway, and, of course, there will be lots more singing. Here is our tentative Epcot Candlelight Processional schedule for this season:
Then last night, we got to see the Singing Christmas Trees at First Baptist Church in Orlando. My friend Rachel was playing the part of Mary in the show so she graciously invited us to the opening night! It was an amazing spectacle--literally two 40-foot tree-shapes full of hundreds of choir singers and thousands of twinkly lights!
Tomorrow I'm attending my first holiday function of the season, a brunch with the ladies of Alpha Chi Omega, and we'll be stopping by a few other soirees throughout the season and probably even hosting one of our own. Then the next two Sundays will be the Christmas cantata at my church. And, of course, today we had the filming for the (newly renamed) 2009 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade with Celine Dion! Rainy weather forced us out of the Magic Kingdom, but we ended up at the beautiful Grand Floridian hotel for the performance. Everyone involved really came together (and quickly!) to make everything go smoothly. Celine (we're so totally on a first name basis now) was amazing and totally gracious--she even gave Clay, our director, a much-deserved shout-out at the end of the shoot. Plus she looked fabulous!
EDIT: Here is a link to a post on the official Disney Parks blog about the taping. You can't see us in the picture, but it still looks cool!
If you're looking for us on Christmas morning, we're the very last number on the program, O Come All Ye Faithful. Nick Cannon--who's co-hosting the parade this year with Kelly Ripa--even announced the name of our group, Encore Cast Choir! The whole choir is in gold robes, and Eric and I are on the far right side of the group when you are looking at the whole group on the screen. I'm the one with a giant grin on my face! Hopefully we'll get some face time on ABC--we were all feeling very Hollywood today. The most ironic thing is that we don't have cable so I hope they put the video online so we can see ourselves!
All in all, it's been a very eventful (and exclamation point-worthy!) week and we're definitely in the holiday spirit now. The house is decorated, the shopping is underway, and, of course, there will be lots more singing. Here is our tentative Epcot Candlelight Processional schedule for this season:
- Monday, December 7 at 5:00pm with Anika Noni Rose
- Sunday, December 13 at 6:45pm and 8:15 with Vanessa Williams
- Tuesday, December 15 at 5:00pm with Abigail Breslin
- Friday, December 18 (Eric's Birthday!) at 5:00pm with Whoopi Goldberg
- Monday, December 21 at 5:00pm with Brian Dennehy
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Our 15 Minutes of Fame!
There haven't been many posts lately because since we got back from vacation, we've basically just been settling back in and catching up on real life...until we got an email from Encore, the charity choir we sing with during the summers. We've been asked to appear in the Christmas Day Parade being filmed at Walt Disney World and airing on ABC! The coolest part is that we'll be singing in the finale as back-up singers for a famous singer! The celebrity's identity was very hush-hush and we were all trying to guess who it might be until our first rehearsal last night when it was revealed to be the fabulous, the incomparable, the outrageous...Celine Dion!!
She's just as shocked and excited as we are! We are taping our segment this Friday on the Cinderella Castle stage! So if you have a DVR (or if you have nothing better to do on Christmas morning than to watch TV), tune in to the 26th-annual Emmy award-winning Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade to spot two of your favorite Browns!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Christmas in January
I've been clearing out space on our hard drive, so I finally got around to editing and uploading some video footage I've been avoiding. Here are three early (or late) holiday treats from the Pinders and Browns.
Above, a taste of our annual Christmas caroling tradition. Directly below, links to the outtakes of our attempts to recording the caroling tradition, and finally, our performance for the Christmas Eve service at FBC Waycross.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Lately
Well, our lives have been pretty busy lately! We've been singing in the Candlelight Processional at Epcot fairly often, which is a tradition that we really enjoy. As a part of the Concert Choir, I participated in a similarly-structured concert each year, and very early on I began to regard it as the herald of the holiday season for me. Thankfully, the Candlelight Processional Service of Traditional Songs and Scriptures (I think that's what it's called...something like that) has stepped into that role!
Also, Eric's birthday was last week. I got pretty excited and was going to bake a cake, but we didn't have any eggs. So I made a cookie cake! (This photo was taken after we had already gotten hungry and torn into it.) He also finally got the GPS he's been longing for!
In other news, President and First Lady Bush have caught up with the times and sent us a note congratulating us on our wedding. Way to get with the program, Bushes! :)
Let's see, what else is new? We're leaving for Waycross today to celebrate Christmas with the Pine-ders so Eric and I had our Christmas last night. Who has an awesome husband and got--not one but--two Coach purses? That would be yours truly! Tomorrow night we'll be caroling around the neighborhood (all six of us in harmony!) and performing at the Christmas eve service at FBC Wayx. If you're in town, swing by and have a listen!
Right now, I'm watching VH1 (instead of wrapping presents and packing), and I started to notice a pattern--I apparently love the '80s more than I thought I did because these are seriously all of my favorite karaoke songs! Namely #1 and #11, but where's "Open Arms" on this list?!
1. Bon Jovi / "Livin' on a Prayer" (1986)
2. Def Leppard / "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (1987)
3. Duran Duran / "Hungry Like the Wolf" (1982)
4. Michael Jackson / "Billie Jean" (1982)
7. Guns N' Roses / Sweet Child O' Mine (1987)
8. Madonna / "Like a Virgin" (1984)
10. AC/DC / "You Shook Me All Night Long" (1980)
11. Journey / "Don't Stop Believing" (1981)
13. U2 / "With Or Without You" (1987)
14. The Bangles / "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986)
15. Van Halen / "Jump" (1984)
17. Whitesnake / "Here I Go Again" (1982)
20. Rick Springfield / "Jessie's Girl" (1981)
23. Cyndi Lauper / "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (1984)
24. A-Ha / "Take On Me" (1985)
28. Wham! / "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (1984)
30. Pat Benatar / "Love is a Battlefield" (1983)
33. Soft Cell / "Tainted Love" (1981)
34. Poison / "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" (1988)
38. U2 / "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (1984)
39. Modern English / "I Melt With You" (1982)
40. The B-52's / "Love Shack" (1989)
46. The Police / "Every Breath You Take" (1983)
50. Eurythmics / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (1983)
52. Dead or Alive / "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (1985)
56. Bonnie Tyler / "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (1983)
57. Toni Basil / "Mickey" (just kidding, I would never sing this song)
59. John Mellencamp / "Jack & Diane" (1982)
62. Berlin / "Take My Breath Away" (1986)
70. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts / "I Love Rock N' Roll" (1981)
78. Blondie / "Call Me" (1980)
83. Prince / "Kiss" (1986)
89. The Pretenders / "Brass in Pocket" (1980)
91. Katrina and The Waves / "Walking On Sunshine" (1983)
Also, Eric's birthday was last week. I got pretty excited and was going to bake a cake, but we didn't have any eggs. So I made a cookie cake! (This photo was taken after we had already gotten hungry and torn into it.) He also finally got the GPS he's been longing for!
In other news, President and First Lady Bush have caught up with the times and sent us a note congratulating us on our wedding. Way to get with the program, Bushes! :)
Let's see, what else is new? We're leaving for Waycross today to celebrate Christmas with the Pine-ders so Eric and I had our Christmas last night. Who has an awesome husband and got--not one but--two Coach purses? That would be yours truly! Tomorrow night we'll be caroling around the neighborhood (all six of us in harmony!) and performing at the Christmas eve service at FBC Wayx. If you're in town, swing by and have a listen!
Right now, I'm watching VH1 (instead of wrapping presents and packing), and I started to notice a pattern--I apparently love the '80s more than I thought I did because these are seriously all of my favorite karaoke songs! Namely #1 and #11, but where's "Open Arms" on this list?!
1. Bon Jovi / "Livin' on a Prayer" (1986)
2. Def Leppard / "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (1987)
3. Duran Duran / "Hungry Like the Wolf" (1982)
4. Michael Jackson / "Billie Jean" (1982)
7. Guns N' Roses / Sweet Child O' Mine (1987)
8. Madonna / "Like a Virgin" (1984)
10. AC/DC / "You Shook Me All Night Long" (1980)
11. Journey / "Don't Stop Believing" (1981)
13. U2 / "With Or Without You" (1987)
14. The Bangles / "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986)
15. Van Halen / "Jump" (1984)
17. Whitesnake / "Here I Go Again" (1982)
20. Rick Springfield / "Jessie's Girl" (1981)
23. Cyndi Lauper / "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (1984)
24. A-Ha / "Take On Me" (1985)
28. Wham! / "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (1984)
30. Pat Benatar / "Love is a Battlefield" (1983)
33. Soft Cell / "Tainted Love" (1981)
34. Poison / "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" (1988)
38. U2 / "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (1984)
39. Modern English / "I Melt With You" (1982)
40. The B-52's / "Love Shack" (1989)
46. The Police / "Every Breath You Take" (1983)
50. Eurythmics / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (1983)
52. Dead or Alive / "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (1985)
56. Bonnie Tyler / "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (1983)
57. Toni Basil / "Mickey" (just kidding, I would never sing this song)
59. John Mellencamp / "Jack & Diane" (1982)
62. Berlin / "Take My Breath Away" (1986)
70. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts / "I Love Rock N' Roll" (1981)
78. Blondie / "Call Me" (1980)
83. Prince / "Kiss" (1986)
89. The Pretenders / "Brass in Pocket" (1980)
91. Katrina and The Waves / "Walking On Sunshine" (1983)
Monday, November 17, 2008
ICE! Update
ICE! at Gaylord Palms was really cool (haha). All volunteers from Give Kids the World qualify to purchase the special VIP charity preview tickets, so we headed to the attraction and exclusive VIP gathering.
The hotel in itself is beautiful, but we were so excited to see the ice sculptures that we decided to head straight through the resort and go back to visit later. We were met by a little party featuring the thickest, richest hot cocoa I've ever had (and hot cider, eggnog, and cappuccino for my thirsty husband).
Inside the attraction, we walked through a lovely foresty Winter Wonderland, the colorful Hall of Ornaments, the delicious Candy Land, Santa's special elfy hideout, a beautiful sparkling Nativity scene, and Santa's Magical Flight, featuring four frigid slides made entirely of ice, and finally Penguin Pointe.
We followed up the experience with more hot cocoa because it was--holy cow--NINE degrees inside! Good thing they provide the parkas!
Below is a sample of the amazing artwork we experienced. Follow this link for pretty pictures!
The hotel in itself is beautiful, but we were so excited to see the ice sculptures that we decided to head straight through the resort and go back to visit later. We were met by a little party featuring the thickest, richest hot cocoa I've ever had (and hot cider, eggnog, and cappuccino for my thirsty husband).
Inside the attraction, we walked through a lovely foresty Winter Wonderland, the colorful Hall of Ornaments, the delicious Candy Land, Santa's special elfy hideout, a beautiful sparkling Nativity scene, and Santa's Magical Flight, featuring four frigid slides made entirely of ice, and finally Penguin Pointe.
We followed up the experience with more hot cocoa because it was--holy cow--NINE degrees inside! Good thing they provide the parkas!
Below is a sample of the amazing artwork we experienced. Follow this link for pretty pictures!
EDIT: Almost forgot about the video! Of course there's a video. :)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Miscellaneous Photo Post
Hello, readers! Here are a few random photos we've taken recently. We're going (across the street) to the Gaylord Palms to see ICE! which is a display of giant ice scupltures, so we will probably have even more photos after that!
Our new Jim Shore nativity set! Thanks, in-laws!
The whole little Christmas area
Our current cruise fund
Eric Brown, baker
Eric's delicious cinnamon raisin bread
Covering our chairs to match the dining room decor
January 1953 - presumably when our dining set was made
Sold at a furniture retailer in Utica, NY
Eric got creative with my curly fries
Our Christmas decor!
No flash = artsy photo, in this case
The piano area
Our new Jim Shore nativity set! Thanks, in-laws!
The whole little Christmas area
Stockings (and trusty nutcracker nightlight - thanks, McCreas!) hung by the kitchen with care
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