The Royal Wedding: A Love Story....

I think it's pretty safe to say that there is NO ONE on this planet that is more excited about the royal wedding than I am.
For so many years I had a super hard core crush on Prince William.
I used to cut out pictures of him from magazines and make collages...What?

I loved him for the following reasons:

1. He's super dreamy

2. He wears a uniform

3. He looks cute holding a baby

4. He rides a horse...like a boss.

So I think it's safe to say I have some mixed feelings because in my mind we were kind of destined to be married.  If you need more evidence just look at this picture I made once.

(*side note: at the time my friend Kelly was going to marry Prince Harry.  She has since married someone else so....I blame her.  She broke the sacred vow.  So now I'm screwed.)

So here's how it was supposed to go...
I'd be in Westminster Abbey just walking around and he'd be there just walking around.
And the light would be shining through the stain glassed windows and it would catch my blonde hair just perfectly
And then a soft light breeze would come out of nowhere...softly blowing my luscious hair and he'd look up.  And our eyes would lock.
Like....lock.  And we'd be in love.

So to Prince William I say this....
you are missing out.   We could have had a beautiful life together.  We could just...go to the mall and eat Pretzelmaker pretzels....and....we could....like....walk around....and....watch Jersey Shore together.   And our wedding announcements would look like this:

(the sepia tone adds EXTRA class)

But whatever you know....just marry that gorgeous and sweet and perfect Kate Middleton and live in a palace and have a chauffeur.  SEE IF I CARE. (*side note: spell check tried to change the word chauffeur to the word chaffer which seems...unfortunate).

I do actually like her and I'm so freaking excited for this wedding.  I'm already pre-gaming and gearing up for the coverage that starts on BBC America and 1 AM!!!!
And I may get scones....and....a hat....what?
So....there you have it.
I am thinking about doing a vlog (video blog oohh look at me getting all fancy!) while I watch the nuptials.  You'll just have to wait and seeeee.....muah ha ha ha ha ha ha
which is so not something I've ever said to the question "do you stalk prince william"

In other news but still relating to the royal wedding....I was at Wal-Mart the other day (ahhhh the horror) and they are CRAZY about the royal wedding.  We've got $5 movies about "Wills and Kate: a Royal Romance" and we've got $5 "In honor of Wills and Kate" wedding mixes.
And while browsing the internet I found THIS

aaahhhhhhhhh
nightmares.

That's all!  It's a love story baby just say.....Prince William are you surrrreeee about this?
*also if you ever ask me if I watched the Lifetime Original Movie "William and Kate" I will deny it and swear on my deathbed that I never even ever considered it.  Ever.  At all.  Let alone watched it....on demand.

WHAT?

I swear I'm not a stalker...

What's up readers???

I know...it's been a whole 3 days since I've blogged.  How have you been able to continue on with your lives?  You probably haven't.  You've probably been laying in bed incredibly morose with single tears falling occasionally from your eyes.

Well NO MORE!  Because I'm back!

Just a little update about my weekend last weekend (which I know you all care about a whole lot)

I went and saw Tyler Hilton again!  Yep you read that right.  For those counting at home this would be the FOURTH time.  I'm not a stalker though.  Really I'm not.......(if you want to read how I'm NOT a stalker you can just read here and here)

Anyway..he was awesome as usual.  He did a show with Sarah Darling (she sings country music...one of her music videos just entered the CMT Top 20 countdown...wow!) and wait for it.....EDWIN MCCAIN.    Yeah Edwin McCain as in "I wrote the most perfect song of all time called I'll Be" Edwin McCain.
It was a great concert and for those of you who couldn't be there (awwwwww) here is some video (yayyyy)!

In other news I was watching "16 and Pregnant" last night (because clearly I hate myself) and the girl's family kept calling her baby daddy "disrespectful" but I think they really meant "poor".
Then I kept watching and no...by disrespectful they meant "douchebag who is poor".

That's all folks!  Keep waiting because my feelings on the Royal Wedding are coming up soon.  And you don't want to miss that because my feelings are intense....

*P.S. I was under the influence of Easter candy and Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper while writing this.  So if you're reading it and thinking that it's coming off like I'm a crack head with ADD...that's pretty much exactly how it is.

Easter

"...may we ever reflect our gratitude for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  His glorious gospel provides answers to life's greatest questions.  Where did we come from?  Why are we here?  Where do our spirits go when we die?  That gospel brings to those who live in darkness the light of divine truth.

He taught us how to pray.  He taught us how to live.  He taught us how to die.  His life is a legacy of love.  The sick He healed, the downtrodden He lifted, the sinner He saved.

Ultimately, He stood alone.  Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him.  The Roman soldiers pierced His side.  The angry mob took His life.  There yet rings from Golgotha's hill His compassionate words: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Who was this 'man of sorrows,... acquainted with grief?  Who is this King of glory, this Lord of lords? 

He is our Master.  He is our Savior.  He is the Son of God.  He is the Author of Our Salvation.  He beckons, 'Follow me.' He instructs 'Go, and do thou likewise."' He pleads, 'Keep my commandments.'

Let us follow Him.  Let us emulate His example.  Let us obey His words.  By doing so, we give Him the divine gift of gratitude."

-Thomas S. Monson

I hope we all remember the greatest act of love anyone has ever known today.

Happy Easter

a picture of twiggy and a playlist

• Josiah Leming - To Run
• Dion Roy - Ocean (I'm Sick Of Missing You)
• Blake Shelton - Honey Bee
• Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
• Mumford & Sons - Awake My Soul
• Mozella - Thank You
• Patty Griffin - Let Him Fly
• Matt Nathanson - I Saw
• The Naked and Famous - Girls Like You
• Alison Krauss & Union Station - Paper Airplane
• Brett Dennen - Make You Fall In Love With Me
• The Civil Wars - Tip Of My Tongue
• The Avett Brothers - Kick Drum Heart
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Free Fallin

where the magic happens

so for the last few months I've been working on plans to re-do my bedroom.  I needed something more grown-up and sophisticated because I myself am so grown-up and sophisticated (kindly disregard any previous blog posts about the jonas brothers, justin bieber, or hannah montana...that was a previous life.  I don't even know that person anymore).
So naturally I gravitated toward my old flame anthropologie...dear sweet anthropologie.  And there it was....this was not a fleeting romance.  This was the real thing.  This was true love.

*you can see multiple views here...and why wouldn't you?  that's like not looking at the mona lisa....

So because I have no impulse control I purchased it.  The bedding and the shams (because why just go into debt when you can go into full blown poverty?)

I decided to center my room around this print of Tennessee that I won in a contest last year (anyone remember that?  It was pre-Chinese curse days so you might not)

So I got my bedding in Ivory so it would be the perfect starting off point.

Then because decorative pillows are basically my form of crack cocaine...I purchased 3 from Pier 1 Imports.

I received all my purchases and immediately put them together but because my room looked like Aiden Quinn's loft in Desperately Seeking Susan (mattress on the floor and everything) I decided to re-arrange it and make it look like an actual human bedroom.  Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the before...just the afters.  So I'll use the dungeon on Saw II because I think it's pretty much the same thing...

Before

After

 (the coloring on this one sucks...it was taken on my cell phone...)

My eBay purchase of 1500 thread count 100% Egyptian Cotton sheets pretty much completed the transformation (it's like being hugged by a cloud every single night....seriously...best purchase of my life)There's still a few more things to do... I'm going to re-paint the stand that my TV/computer are on.  I'm also planning on moving my painting of the Eiffel Tower over the couch and then hanging my Tennessee print over my bed with 2 more prints.  I'm thinking this one

and this one (in my name of course and in a different color)....

*And contrary to the title of this post....nothing magical happens here. Unless you count my Harry Potter movie marathons.  Which may be the explanation as to why nothing else magical happens here.  What a Catch-22.

opossums

We can all pretty much agree that opossums are basically creatures of Satan right?

I rest my case.

crocs give me a sad face

wouldn't it be an awesome summer if no one wore Crocs this year?

eat pray love

I watched this movie last night

I found it to be incredibly inspiring.  It really made me think about the delicate balance we all try to develop in life.  And it further proved to me that most things we do....need to have a spiritual element to create that balance.  A spiritual relationship with food, with prayer, with love.  There was a line in the movie that said "Americans know entertainment but they do not know pleasure".  So true.  We work ourselves to the bone.  Run ourselves completely out of steam.  And on our days off....we're still working.  Laundry, dishes etc...or we are lounging in front of the TV or browsing Facebook.  I am incredibly guilty of this (see past blogs on American Idol, Teen Mom, everything Jon Hamm....you get the picture).  How often do we stop.  Just pause.  In the middle of a meal to really enjoy what we are eating.  When we have a quiet moment.  How often do we "meditate"?  I use the term meditate lightly because I am the most easily distracted person of all time.  I've paused at least 3 times during writing this to see what was on TV.  But I think we need to take that time.  To learn about ourselves and to create a healthy relationship with ourselves, with God, with food, with others.
Something to think about as we all busily finish out the remainder of our week.  Take time, pause, meditate.  Even if it's just for 5 minutes.  Try to shut the world and thoughts out.  Just be peaceful.  I'm going to try and I hope you all will as well.

In the end, I've come to believe in something I call "The Physics of the Quest." A force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity. The rule of Quest Physics goes something like this: If you're brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set out on a truth-seeking journey, either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you. 

- Liz Gilbert: Eat, Pray, Love

1. David Mead - Nashville
2. Randy Rogers Band - Steal You Away
3. Dashboard Confessional - Hands Down
4. Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds
5. Patty Griffin - Heavenly Day
6. The Avett Brothers - Pretty Girl From Cedar Lane
7. Boyce Avenue - Last Kiss
8. Ray LaMontagne - Meg White
9. Angus & Julia Stone - You're The One That I Want
10. Tyler Hilton - I Believe In You (acoustic)
11. Wakey! Wakey! - Almost Everything
12. Lykke Li - Jerome
13. Adele - Don't You Remember

anthropologie

I received the new Anthropologie catalog today....

Looking at things from Anthroplogie is probably the closest I've been to experiencing true love (Zack Morris and Jon Hamm excluded)

my palms get sweaty
my heart beats faster
my pupils (probably) dilate

we carry on like this for good while....a courtship if you will.

I consider making a commitment.  Going the distance (aka purchasing everything I see).

Luckily for me (and my paycheck), I have a big fear of commitment.

Then the break up conversation starts:
"Look....Anthropologie (insert season here) catalog.  We've been seeing each other for 20 minutes now and while I think you are fantastic.....I just don't think it's working out.  It's not you....it's me.  I just need my space (and my money) right now.  Please don't cry."
Then I promise to come back (insert following season here) and we do the whole thing over again.
Sigh.
It's a vicious cycle but someone has to do it.

* for the record this is really close to how my relationships with both zack morris and jon hamm work out too....

My future spouse

So this Mr. Hottie McHotterson

got married.  Word on the street is he met his Mrs. at a Whole Foods while grocery shopping.

Taking that equation and considering my personal habits......
I will meet my husband at a Maverick gas station when I am 10 minutes late for work.
How romantic.

johnny and june

I wanna hold you baby right or wrong

build a world around a country song

pray a sweet prayer, follow you there

down in history

I want a love like Johnny and June

rings of fire burning with  you

I wanna walk the line, walk the line

until the end of time

I wanna love, love you that much

cash it all in, give it all up

and when you're gone, I wanna go too

like Johnny and June

Johnny and June: Heidi Newfield

Ode to Wal-Mart

Dear Wal-Mart,

Even though I have to weave through crowds of mullets if I come after the hour of 10pm, thank you for having all of my favorites for $5.  You're the best.

Love,
Vanessa

WOW

So as y'all know I entered a blog post into this contest of sorts to be a guest editor on Bethany Joy Galeotti's incredible blog.  Well I got the news today....that my post was chosen.  I could not be more surprised and happy.  If you'd like to check it out you can read it here....be sure to check out Joy's blog too...it's awesome.