happy cinco!

this day always makes me miss college and my best friends from baylor. i think even when i'm 80 (supposing i'll make it that long) the date of may 5 will always bring me back to that red brick house on 9th and wood. i don't know how it all got started, but we annually put on the biggest cinco de mayo fiesta anyone had ever seen! we had mexican food, sparklers, pinatas, margaritas, mexican muumuus, salsa...the whole shabang. and that's also how my famous sangria recipe got started (i'll gladly give you the recipe - it's SO EASY.) the last cinco party that we threw senior year was the best of them all and will go down in history as legendary. it started as a small gathering of close friends from the class of '08 and by the end of the night, i looked across our glittered/confetti lawn and counted 100 people! i even overheard little 18-year-old freshmen exclaiming, "THIS IS THE BEST PARTY I'VE EVER BEEN TO IN MY LIFE!!!" we knew we had to go out big. oh my friends, i miss you so much. thanks for the memories. VIVA CINCO!

it's the little things in life...

i am convinced they matter most. sometimes it's just a matter of noticing the little things. if you don't stop and consciously look around, you could miss it...and that would be a tragic thing.



i, for one, woke up this morning just as happy as a clam on cloud nine because i had a weekend comprised of these little things i'm referring to. to give you some idea of what i'm talking about, i'll give you an attempt at a consolidated run down:

friday night, my friend tabitha and i saw the new tyler perry film (which was great) and then we spontaneously decided to go to bodean's place to do some boot scooting (have i mentioned how much i love to dance? when i'm spinning around a dance floor, it's like nothing else in the world matters.) tab and i were famished after hours of dancing so we headed to las palapas for some greasy late night mexican food. we talked and talked and ate enough chips and salsa to feed a small country, but guess what happened when we asked for the check? our waitress announced that the people in the booth behind us had already taken care of it! when we turned around to graciously thank our philanthropists, the mysterious strangers had vanished. i don't know if this has ever happened to you, but wow, it's small, but so profound.

saturday morning i woke up to a symphonic thunderstorm and declared that this was a morning better spent under the covers. i had a wonderful morning sleeping in and waking in my perfect REM cycle (never underestimate this!) a few moments after waking up, i got an unexpected call asking to have lunch with my bud tyler. we went and had burgers @ momak's (home of texas monthly's #19 best burger!) and had the best conversation! at the end of lunch, tyler says, "miss sowder, i know you loooooooove them sad country songs, but i've been thinkin...we have GOT to break you of your keith whitley-gary stewart maudlin episodes." for the record, it is NOT that bad. tyler continued, "i have devised a list of songs for you that are going to do you a world of good." i went home with tyler's bent up index card and downloaded all the tracks and he was right - dierks & patty griffin's "beautiful world" and tenth avenue north's "by your side" are full of the best encouragement. tyler, you're a good friend...and it is always a pleasure to spend an afternoon with an aggie boy whose mama raised him right!

i spent saturday night with some great company tracing the path along the river walk and having the most excellent dinner at the iron cactus! if you haven't been, you need to check it out! remember, i never endorse anything unless i totally believe in it. i'm willing to put money down that this place has the best margarita on the river. after dinner, we went to see the critically acclaimed san antonio rose live at the historic aztec theatre. this show traces country music from the 1920s to the 1980s and while the whole thing screams branson and we were about 40 years younger than every single person in the audience, i LOVED every minute of it! what is not to love about a whole cast of characters wearing scully shirts and singing conway, tammy, george, hank, merle, and lefty? i admit, not everyone's idea of a rip roaring good time, but i was in hog heaven! i'm bound and determined to get my grandmother frances down here for this spectacle.

sunday, i woke up and went to my life group and service at the best church in the world (ok that's presumptuous)! i say "best church in the world" because this church has meant so much to me personally and it has really changed my life. i NEVER thought i would go to a mega church and the thought of attending the biggest church in san antonio frankly scared the hell out of me (is it ok to say "hell" when talking about church? well, sometimes i'm not PC, but i'm real and i think God knows my heart.) the point is, going to a church that looks like a small college campus can be quite daunting, but CBC is just the opposite. the people i have met here are the warmest, kindest, most joyful souls i have ever known. this sunday was just great because the legendary dennis jernigan recorded a live CD and chris' message on romans and the inseparability from the love of God was just what i needed. if you ever want to come to church with me, please let me know!!!

i capped off the weekend with an afternoon barbecue, visiting my old college room mate alexis, watching the acm's, and finding out that one of my best friends got engaged - CONGRATULATIONS TO JESSICA & BRANDON! we'll be getting ready for a big, beautiful wedding in st. louis, missouri!

nothing terribly exciting of course, but i've found a lot of happiness in the intricacy of the smallest things. i know you could care less about what i did for the weekend and you're right, it doesn't really matter. i'm just an ordinary girl trying to live life the best way that i know how, but i do know that life is full of goodness and it's too short to be wasted. i know it sounds incredibly delusional and like i must be popping prozac at an alarming rate, but my message is genuine: do not let your heart become embittered, resentful, scarred, or held captive because not only can you be set free from that, but quite frankly, why would you want to live like that anyway?

this chick understands me

want to give a special shout out to my dear, dear friend megan koontz(ybear). she sent me the following card (proudly displayed on my fridge) in the mail and it warmed my heart to no end. never ever underestimate what a kind word can do for someone...it may make their day, week, or even month! seriously, if you send me a handwritten note via snail mail...i feel personally indebted to you forrrrrrrrever and i'm putty in your hands.

thank heaven for little girls.

the most beautiful thing i've ever laid eyes on was born last week and i got to drive out to bandera tonight and see her! her name is olivia grace walker and she is precious. everything about her is absolute perfection. her mama happens to be one of my best friends...and since my best girlfriends are really like family, that makes little liv my niece.


she smells soooo good and she has the most lovely cupid bow little lips. she'll be a knockout someday!


aunt shan & liv


i'm gonna spoil this one rotten!


allison's a mom! can you believe it?

allison greer

i haven't written about one of my girlfriends in a very long time (which is such a shame considering how wonderful they are) so here we go with "my besties: installment III."

allison greer walker comprises 1/6 of my college crew who i affectionately refer to as "sassy frass." i had the pleasure of spending my college days with this group of incredibly beautiful, accomplished baylor women and oh my! it was the best. i'd give my left arm to go back to some of those moments. anywayyyyy, each member of the group is indispensable for her own reasons, but for now, i'd like to tell you about alli.



how did you & allison meet?: i first remember meeting allison in north russell dormitory freshman year, courtesy of miss brittany heath; however, we didn't become close until our junior year of college. then we were all inseparable!

allison in three words: unapologetic (in a good way), warm, insightful

what song(s) remind you of allison: "keeper of the stars" - tracy byrd (she promises to sing this at my redneck wedding), any and all CLAY WALKER.



what makes allison so special?: oh geez, where do i start? i'm so, so proud to be friends with this girl. alli is so unbelievably authentic and genuine and she just knows who she is - i happen to think that's the most attractive quality in a person. nothing about alli is fake or contrived, it's as if she continually lives her life with the statement of "this is me, take it or leave it." i admire her conviction and security so much. additionally, she has such a beautiful heart and a rock solid faith. she has been through so much and she has prevailed every step of the way...God's got his hand on this girl and it has been so cool to witness that. now that i get to watch allison transition into the roles of wife and mother, i am so impressed by her grace and dedication. she is going to be the best mom!!!! baby olivia grace walker arrives this month and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

birthday weekend part II

so the wedding was fab and gettin' hitched never looked so fabulous as it did on mel. after recovering from the late night festivities, i awoke in a beautiful, luxurious hotel room at the renaissance worthington hotel down in sundance square. i was so excited to spend the day in fort worth, seeing as though it's my second favorite texas city.

there's just something so magical about ft. worth. yes, magical. it's a very historic city full of rich heritage and flavor, not to mention, it's a real cowboy's town. i think it's the only other place in texas, besides the hill country, where i could happily hang my hat.

after crawling out of bed, we spent the morning walking around the square and i bought a few trinkets and a new scully shirt at the retro cowboy. i also went by and visited 95.9 the ranch radio station because that is the best radio station in texas i assure you... i love that music scene comin' out of ft. worth!

after a little shopping, we had lunch at MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD and i feel so lucky that i got to eat there not once, but TWICE, on my birthday weekend. if you are so fortunate to eat at this little restaurant named for the ranch in this movie, then i recommend ordering the stuffed tamales as an appetizer and the carne asada with cheese enchiladas as an entree...it is literally to die for and you will never taste food this good again in your life. i feel so passionate about the reata that i emailed the owner today to tell him how wonderful it is! haha, i know, i'm a dork...but i like to tell people they're doing a good job when they are...and his reply was very gracious i'll have you know.

best of all, i went to leddy's ranch and had a pair of custom boots made. it cost me a pretty penny, but i think it'll be worth it. i'll have these boots for the rest of my life. i wish i could show 'em to you, but you'll just have to wait. they're going to be brown/red/turquoise with the state of texas, a yellow rose, and my initials. leddy's has always been a favorite of mine and after ranch at the rim, i think it's just about the best western wear store.



after the amazing weekend in cowtown, it was time to head back home to my #1 city in texas to celebrate with a party out at floore's country store! jimmy crib and his band played, wendi made me the best red velvet cake (my fav) i've ever eaten in my life, and my dear, dear friends came out to the honkytonk just for me! oh my goodness, we had a good time doing the cotton eye joe and boot scootin' boogie, not to mention the waltzes...i love a good waltz, always have.

all in all, i had the most fantastic weekend. God has blessed me so, so much. I'm so very thankful and I'm so ready to start another year of living! I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WISHED ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. YOUR CALLS, TEXTS, GIFTS, LETTERS, AND EMAILS MEAN SO MUCH TO MY HEART. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR TRUE FRIENDSHIPS THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. I COULD NOT ASK FOR MORE!!!!

mel's wedding/birthday weekend I

yes, my birthday weekend is taking part in a mini series...i know you're on the edge of your seat!!!

as some of you may know, one of my dearest friends and one of my college room mates married the love of her life this past saturday. it was a classy, swanky affair and it had melissa nicole skaar written all over it to the very last detail!

since mel's dad is the pastor at fbc grand prairie, he performed the ceremony, which i thought was very touching. then, after the ceremony and church reception, we headed over to sundance square in ft. worth where the real fun began!

if you presumed that it was a baylor lovefest, you'd be correct. all the baylor ladies and dashing sigma alpha epsilons were in attendance and we danced and dined the night away at the fort worth city club. mel, i'll never forgive you for the dj calling us all out individually and making us bust a move solo on the dance floor!!!! (impromptu "you got served" soul train minus a glass of wine has never looked good on me...) but hey, by the time, "single ladies" rolled around, we were a-okay. by the way, tell jdub that his mother-son dance was a riot! LOVED IT!

everyone at the wedding sang happy birthday to lindsey and i and we were made to feel so special even on mel's day! i had THE BEST time at the skaar-theilig wedding and i truly have never seen a more gorgeous bride - CHECK HER OUT, SHE'S STUNNING! what can i say, my friends are knockouts.






all the baylor bears celebrating with the happy couple (AND THE BIG WIN OVER MIZZOU!)


sheri & nathan gettin' down!!! (this was hilarious.)


the bridesmaid and her mamma!

one great matrimonial affair...

feels like comin' home!

that's right, baylor homecoming was this past weekend and it was great. just great. i had been so stressed out about pulling off the golf tournament, that i totally didn't even register the fact that i was going back to wacko until i got there late friday night.

of course we got stomped by osu and the parade was a little more lackluster than usual, but the company more than made up for it. my entire extended fam (20+) made the voyage down, as did most of my best friends, and an unusually large representation of the class of '08. we made it to all of our old places - scruff's, cricket's, cafe cappuccino, lolita's, and are you ready for it...george's not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES! ah...the smell of crazy wings and the sound of pat green.

more than all of the baylor happenings though, i am most appreciative of my time spent with my best friends. i have longed and pined for their company more than i can ever express. since we're spread out all over the country we hardly ever see each other, but i carry them around in my heart always. we know each other so well that we pick up right where we left off the last time...

what's changed? instead of talking about frat daddies, the hills, and horrendous all-nighters, we now discuss IRA's, purchasing power when dealing with car dealerships, leveraging for better salaries, and being chamber of commerce members. what can i say, my small group of friends is pretty much kicking everyone's rear end and taking names. i am so honored and proud to be associated w/ my group of gals. we all seemed to agree that like-minded, goal-oriented individuals attract each other (gotta love that law of attraction) and that's how we all ended up together. just a sampling of what my bffs are doing: jess is taking over the sales dept at st. louis homes & lifestyles magazine and racking up clients all over the place, ali is top sales at state farm and pretty much runs the company, heather runs development for a prominent albuquerque NPO and is in charge of a 2.5 million capital campaign, britt's in grad school @ tulane getting her masters in social work and she's going to be the next miss louisiana after next weekend, cori jo is tearing it up in law school and clerking for my pops, and allison's shaping young minds and having the first little babe of the group! WOW. no slackers here. we may be baylor girls who prefer pedicures, hilights, and pretty jewelry...but we're all pistols and don't you dare underestimate us!!!

what hasn't changed? we're still fun. too much fun. :)

shame on me, didn't take one single picture this past weekend, but i do have some oldies if you'd like to take a stroll down memory lane...



house party in china spring baby!



random night senior year. we don't do serious very well. lawdy, y'all make me laugh.



ELITE! ELITE!



heather and i are retards that like to dress up in old dance costumes. we thought it was a good idea at the time.



my girlfriends and i used to go down to george's bar, we'd drink big o's until they closed down the place. talk about our lifelong ambitions...





scruffy murphy's. the site of most of my life's definitive moments.



told you so.



running through our "class of 2008 banner" at our graduation party.



i want each of you to know that i love you.
your friendship has challenged me, inspired me, molded me, and lifted me up when i have fallen to the bottom.
i thank God for y'all so much. every day.

that's what i love about sundays.

today's been a good day and i sure am grateful for good days. sometimes they're rare, sometimes they're nowhere in sight, but most of the time i just think they go unnoticed. in an effort to recognize a swell day and give it the credit it most certainly deserves, i thought i'd share with my blog world.

first of all, church was just phenomenal this morning. had a great lifegroup with intersect, where i got to meet some really cool, really genuine people who raved about my paula deen brownies! then our pastor, robert emmitt - who is AMAZING!, delivered this awesome message based on mark 14 and dealing with life's adversities and the cup of suffering. he talked a lot about tony dungy and wow, that man's faith is just flat out inspiring to say the least.

i left church feeling renewed and recharged, but mostly, full of appreciation for all the struggles and hard times that God has brought me through. whether i acknowledge it or not, He's always right there walking beside me, picking me up when i fall flat on my face. i think to myself, "what do people do without faith in their lives?" i just can't comprehend going through the travesty and heartbreak that is life without Jesus. how hopeless and unbearable.

after getting home, i called miss ali to come over and help me with a little project. since i've moved into the new apartment complex, i've been wanting to do something special for all of my nearby neighbors who i've met as we come and go.

now don't get any grand illusions, i'm not a fantastic cook, but i do love to bake and i have this deep-seeded notion that a piece of pie does the heart good. with this in mind, i have spent all afternoon baking pies to take to the neighbors and just finished hand delivering them.



the reaction? well, my goodness, you would have thought i just told some of these people they won the lottery!!! they were so blown away by this small token of goodwill, they just couldn't believe it. you know, i'll always believe that homemade gestures have a way of really impacting people. i know, i know. it's ridiculously corny, old fashioned, and reminiscent of decades gone by, but it's a way of life that i think is worth preserving.

it's so unfortunate that our society has socialized us to become isolated, self-reliant, self-absorbed people who don't even speak to each other in person anymore. if you happen to live in the same vicinity as this little girl from shallowater, texas, she just won't let it happen. sorry. :)


(thanks for the picture al.)

thank god for friends who really know me...

friends like leelee. leelee saw this t-shirt at a little store in pigeon forge, tennessee. she said it had my name on it. what could be better than a "doc holiday: will you be my huckleberry" t-shirt???? that's right. NOTHING. when this little package from UPS showed up at my doorstep today, it made my day!!!! maybe she read this angsty post from yesteryear?!

thank you my little southern belle from memphis, you're the best. you make friendship oh-so-easy.



love it...

evea lauren

my besties: installment II

evea lauren haass has only been in my life for a mere four months, but yes we are a cliche; i feel as though i have known her my whole entire life. if you've ever met someone who you felt so completely comfortable with from the moment you met them, than you know what kind of awe-struck relationship i'm talking about here. i do believe that God brings fundamental people into your life with intention and purpose and lauren is one of those people in my life. i'm so lucky to have her!



how did you and lauren meet? at a mayoral candidate debate for the city of san antonio! (yes, we're political nerds.) she was supporting the eventual winner, and i was there to support the opposition. in a crowded auditorium, i looked across the aisle at a sweet-looking, beautiful blondie and asked if i could have a seat. we started talking, realized we had 987,904 things in common and eventually figured out we lived one street apart. annnnd the rest is history!

three words to describe lauren: tough-as-nails. driven. wise.

song(s) that remind me of lauren: anything gary p. nunn, but especially "friends for life" and "roadtrip." "somebody's trying to steal my heart" - kyle park. "good hearted woman in love with a good hearted man" - we changed the words.

the most surprising thing about lauren: let's just state the obvious, my friend is drop-dead gorgeous. she's modeled all over the world and been featured in countless campaigns. she's the kind of girl you would take one look at and dismiss as shallow and vapid based on distorted preconceived ideas, but i'm here to tell you that as beautiful as lauren is on the outside, she is even more radiant on the inside if you can believe that!!! lauren is one of the most compassionate, giving people i've ever met in my life. and dang, that girl is sharp as a tack! she is so accomplished professionally and i have no doubt she could take over the financial world with her mad real estate investment skills. i'm not even going to go into the fact that she's more industrious and handy than most guys you'll meet today...but let's just say she drives a big bad truck, shoots skeet and clay, and can shoot off on a horse with the best of 'em. (lilo, don't kill me for posting this pic of you in your modeling days...)



best thing lauren ever did for me: lauren knows how to really authentically love people and i have benefited greatly from that. she has challenged me to be the very best version of myself and her friendship has helped me grow personally in every way imaginable. having an honest, reciprocal, spiritual relationship with another individual has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

as for how i'm ever going to pay her back? i kinda, sorta was involved in helping her meet a handsome man who happens to be the love of her life and now she's deliriously, blissfully, uncontrollably happy. :):):)

amanda kay

this blog is my blog. it's about my life. so i figured i can put whatever i want on here. besides, i think only 4 people read this thing anyway. something i've neglected for way too long is to tell my loyal readership about my best friends, the people in my life who are my rock-solid anchors of support and endless encouragement. i haven't done everything right in my life, but something i'm tremendously proud of is the fact that i got really lucky and i was able to find extraordinary, amazing people as my best friends. if you don't have people in your life like these people, i feel sorry for you...you need 'em. and they need you.

i think i'll start a series and tell you about each person individually...they're all way too fascinating to lump them into one generic post. so here it goes, the inaugural post of "my besties: part I."

tracing my friendship history back through time leads me to one person who i could not dare embark on a project such as this without honoring first. amanda kay fowler and i have been friends for 16 years! 16 years! seeing that we're only 23, that's an awful long time to know someone. amanda's friendship is like my favorite pair of old boots...they're getting old and worn out, they've seen it all, there's been good times and bad; but they fit so perfectly. and every passing year, they get even more comfortable, as if that were possible. amanda, you know i love ya, and you know you have to be with me forever and always...because frankly, my dear...you know too dang much.



how did you and amanda meet? first day of school. 2nd grade. PE class. i was the new girl and didn't have any friends, amanda took me in.

three words that describe amanda: selfless. heart-of-gold. loyal.

quirkiest attribute: hmmm...amanda is always planning for everything!!!! you should have seen her back into 1999 before Y2K, she was fully stocked and ready to live off her canned food. she's also insanely good at horse betting and she's a member of the UFO beerknurd club at the flying saucer where she's actively trying to enter the ring of honor.

song(s) that come to mind when you think of amanda: "small town" - john mellencamp. any 1990's country...especially "wild one" - faith hill, "x's and o's" - trisha yearwood, and all deana carter.

craziest thing that ever happened with amanda: oh dear, where to start. the list could go on forever and a day, but mandie, don't you think our most popular story is the gang shootout the night midnight rodeo shut down? that always gets the most roaring laughter. amanda and i were forbidden to go to midnight rodeo "teen night" by our fathers, but when i turned 16 we decided to be big rebels and go anyway...we had been hatching this plan for three years, keep in mind. well wouldn't you know the night that we go, there's a huge brawl and we nearly end up getting killed and on the news?

in high school, amanda was...an angel. she still is, but goodness, in high school amanda and i were little saints. we were so innocent and naive largely due to our overprotective parents. but the thing was, we were in it together so it really didn't matter that much...we always had each other. in high school, everybody loved amanda...i'm serious. she was the token "girl-next-door" and sweet as can be...i think all the boys had crushes on her because she was much like shs's own version of kelly kapowski. i don't ever think people say one negative thing about her, because really, there isn't anything bad you could say about this girl.

in ten years, amanda will be...married to josh and traveling the world going on more of their crazy, spontaneous adventures. they'll still be brewing their own beer together and going over to europe at a moment's notice. i hope she has kids by then too, so i can be an auntie and spoil them rotten.

why amanda's great: what a sweetheart. this girl is the definition of someone who has a huge heart. she never thinks about herself, and she would go out of her way to make the people she loves happy. when i stand back and watch what all she does for other people - her family, josh, her friends, and the kids she works with - i'm blown away.

best thing amanda ever did for me: besides buying me tickets to my first george strait concert and then carrying me out because i was running a 103 degree fever and sick as a dog...you just always know you can count on amanda. she's there...i never ever have to worry about her bailing on me or being inconsistent. no relationship is perfect, but i think this one comes pretty close.



p.s. amanda, you look adorable with short hair, but don't ever allow me to chop mine off after a breakup again!! i mean it!

the texas music trail (from my perspective)

well this week has been one heck of a week for me, so much so, that it almost seems like one big whirlwind! somehow, someway, i managed to see several live shows over the last few days and yeah it's exhausting and you almost feel as if you are on tour yourself, but it is oh-so-worth it when you love the music.

of course the highlight of everything was the county line I-10 concert. this concert series is just phenomenal and it has quickly become my favorite thing to do in s.a. the concept of it is so cool because every single wednesday night, they just pack in as many people as they possibly can into this little backyard for these amazing acoustic sets. it's not about "the smoke and the lights" (pure country anyone?); it's about ordinary people just getting together and having an absolute blast listening to some good music.

this past week, i got to see paula nelson, who i happen to think is one of the coolest chicks around! besides being the daughter of another famous nelson (i'm pretty sure you know who i'm talking about), the girl really can sing. it's got to be tough having that kind of iconic musical history before you, but paula's got her own sound and she works it. a few people at the concert told me that she reminded them of me and that's such a fantastic complement because paula nelson is WONDERFUL! i guess all i have to do now is get tatted up and learn to play the guitar and i'll be good to go...



how would you like for waylon jennings to be your godfather? pretty darn cool.



however awesome paula may be, it was the next act that really blew my mind. so i've seen stoney larue play a lot over the last 5-6 years give or take, and gosh, he's getting better and better every single time!!! the thing about stoney is that he can write a song that is so powerful that it causes you to stop your car on the side of an old dirt road, but that man works his rear end off to entertain his fans as well. i think a lot of the guys on the scene can write a good song, but no one gets a crowd going like stoney. seeing stoney play in a tiny enclosed venue is seriously one of the most religious/spiritual experiences you can have. you're soaking wet because you're sweating profusely. you inhale the aromatic fusion of marlboro lights, shiner bock beer, and that cheap perfume all the sixteen-year-old girls are wearing. you turn to your neighbor who you only met two minutes before and give them a hug as if to say, "sure is a great day to be alive." and then with stoney as the leader, you all form one passionate, zealous choir singing "forever young. forever young. may you stay forever young." take my word for it, it's like an out of body experience.



the other really cool thing that happened at that show was that i managed to get backstage (which was incredibly easy to do) and i got to talk to stoney's wife (and manager) kandace. she is an absolute doll and she is perfect for stoney! we started talking about what a close-knit community texas country music is and how everybody seems to be really supportive of each other. for instance, many of the guys are really close friends...i learned that jason boland, wade bowen, cody canada and stoney are a pretty tight circle. which, random trivia, did you know that wade & cody are married to sisters (shannon & shelby)? i agree with kandace, the makers and followers of this brand of music are just awesome people and there is a real camaraderie that exists. i've been able to really see that first hand since i've been a part of this "movement" - or whatever you want to call it - for the last 10 years. from the beginning of seeing shows out at west texas fairs all the way to working with the guys from texas music mag , i just really can't believe how big the whole thing has gotten.

anyway, caught eli young band and casey donahew band this weekend. eyb didn't disappoint, but mike eli, get over yourself and stop being so "california!" uhh i hate it. casey donahew didn't do much for me, but maybe it's because he looked like a second grade little boy coming on stage with his pressed short sleeve plaid shirt and clean-cut, gelled hair. whereas hayes carll would be the smelly, dirty, loud, crude, motorcycle driving boy that your parents would hate to see you with; casey donahew is the sweet, all-american, letter jacket wearing, all-a honor roll, student body president that would make any grandmother proud.

all in all - great shows last week!

i have to say that living in the hill country has been like a dream for me because that is where the roots and home base of this music reside (in addition to stillwater). i have been so fortunate to see so many people play around s.a. and meet so many people who share my same passion for the music. navigating post-college life isn't easy for anyone, but it was particularly difficult for me because i just felt alone and like a fish out of water most of the time. i went from living in the "mansion" with 5 girls and constantly being surrounded by people, noise, and endless options for entertainment/activity (with me being the ringleader most of the time) to moving back home, moving to mexico sans knowing anyone, moving to s.a. and knowing only one person in the whole city! this past week, magic happened. doing something that i love, encircled by my best friends from all phases of my life (the lifelong friends, the college friends, the new friends, the brand new acquaintances), i really felt like myself again - for the first time in probably a year. i guess that's what being in your element will do for you.

hope you find yours.

one tiny pearl of wisdom

so i just returned from the most fabulous, decadent wedding i have ever been to in my life! props to lindsey coffman macleod on pulling off this event because it was spectacular! everything from the full choir to the hamburgers and fries served at midnight - this bride truly thought of EVERYTHING! not to mention she looked like a supermodel...

anyway, i could go on about this wedding forever, but this post is in regards to something that happened at the wedding. at the reception, i was seated next to a baylor girl, one of my sorority sisters actually, and i had the best time catching up with her. in college, she and i ran in different social circles and while i knew her name and where she was from, i am embarrassed to admit that i knew little else about her. (sad, but true, when a sorority has 200 members, you don't truly get to know EVERYONE; sorry to bust the myth that we're all tight as family.)

okay, back to the story...this girl was just so warm and charming, telling me all about her love life, struggles with graduating, navigating post-college life, etc. i couldn't help but think, why didn't i get to know her better when we were in college? i really missed out on getting to know such an amazing person. then she said something that i don't think i'll ever forget.

this particular person was gone from baylor for an entire year due to studying abroad and then subsequently taking a semester off. she told me about how when she came back to baylor after taking such a long hiatus, she felt lost, excluded, and somehow disoriented about missing out on so much. then she said, "you know, when i came back to that first theta meeting after being gone for so long, you were the only person who talked to me. the only one. all you said was hi and you asked me how i was doing, but that meant so much to me. i've never forgotten that."

of course i don't remember this exchange, but i couldn't believe the effect that a mere commonplace greeting had on someone's life. this got me to thinking...how much power do we really have over improving each other's lives by doing the most menial tasks? a random phone call on a tuesday night, a handwritten thank you note to express your indebted gratitude, a smile and a wink, the fetching of a customized cup of coffee.

a quote that i keep close to my heart is "people will forget what you said and people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel." maya angelou, i think you were right about that.