a tribute that is long overdue...

though father's day has officially come and gone, i still feel the need to dote on my father a bit. though i have been a daddy's girl for as long as i can remember, i have realized over the last year just how much william charles means to my life.

upon careful thought and recollection, i believe that my daddy is the best man on earth for the following reasons:

first of all, my dad has the most hilarious sense of humor. okay, so he's not joel mchale or conan, but he is just so darn funny. my whole family agrees that the man is a deadringer for clark griswald and if you ever experienced a sowder family vacation, you would know why. there was the time he became mesmerized at chicago's o'hare airport because he was standing behind "mr. t." at the ticket counter of american airlines or the time he split his pants at wrigley field because he was diving for a homerun ball with all the other 13-year-olds. but who could forget the cruise of '99 when pops sang "double vision" in the karaoke room (my personal favorite?) pretty much, he's a goofball. but i love it. and believe me, no one's a better storyteller.



second of all, my dad is as tough as nails. he's a man's man. and frankly, in the emasculated world we live in today, it's nice to know a man who possesses true grit. ever since i was born, my dad has worn wranglers, boots, his hat and driven a truck (some of my best memories are when he would take me out to drive that truck and we'd listen to randy travis and bocephus.) he's a marksman and he's wrestled alligators with his own two hands. he's played the gridiron sport his whole life and much to his delight, he is now living vicariously through andy. did i mention that his degree from a&m was in engineering and he is a real handyman? this must be where my love for a man who can put in some real manual labor comes from. what can i say, daddy's right on par with chuck norris.



next, my dad is so smart! upon meeting him, he might not strike you as brilliant (his dialect or countenance certainly wouldn't fit in with any ivy league school), it's a different kind of intelligence, something i like to call wisdom. i'm just so freaking proud of him. he has worked so, so hard to achieve all of the things that he has done (everything from operating a law firm, being elected to four consecuative terms as lubbock country district attorney - a feat no one has yet to attain, serving as a district judge, and finally spending 20+ years with the u.s. army.) amazing things of course, but i am proudest of my dad for using his knowledge to help people. his entire life, he has gone out of his way to aid others and i can't begin to tell you how many lives he has touched by helping out with a struggling family's rent payment or offering to work on a case pro-bono. of course daddy has never mentioned any of these things to me or anyone else, i only find out about such things when the individual tells me out of gratitude for my father's services. the man is so humble that is astonishes me. daddy always fought for the underdog and because of his selfless service and infinite wisdom, i think daddy resembles atticus finch.



finally, i love my daddy for just being him. daddy's a dying breed. he's just such a simple man. he doesn't care much for "new-fangled technology" or luxuries. if he has a place to rest his head at night and his family is provided for, he's more than happy. daddy has been blessed, but he has always given credit where credit is due, which is to say that he has placed all of his faith in God. he has such a strong, deep, and steady faith with the Lord. yes, he's wrestled with God, but he has never lost hope that a relationship with Jesus is absolutely the most important thing in a person's life. though daddy had to deal with a daughter who loved boys on motorcycles and had a talent for racking up speeding tickets all over texas, he never once yelled, he always gave me "the dissapointed look" which was enough to make me cry every time. it's from daddy that i learned about sacrifice, committment, and the power of a positive outlook on life. daddy also taught me about building and maintaining relationships, which he considers to be commandment. i have always, always, always been able to count on my daddy and he has never not been there for me. though i've had some broken hearts, i have never given up hope that a good man exists because i have witnessed the virtues of a good man my whole life.

not sure they make them like you anymore daddy, but i haven't given up yet. one thing's for sure, i'll always be your girl ;)

shannan's book club

yes i am a bookworm, unapologetically so, might i add. i am proud to be a nerd and i am proud to rendevouz at b&n until they kick me out each night.

i can't explain it, but i just love books - everything about them (the way they smell, the carefully contrived cover art, the anticpation and expectation, etc.). however, i think what i love most is that feeling of getting lost in the words, that entanglement that happens when you become so engrossed in the plot that you feel like you're scout finch, josephine march, or daisy buchannan. although it takes an excellent writer to achieve this for his or her reader, when there is a true writer-reader connection, it's the best kind of magic.

whether it is just plain sad or pathetic, the way that i can always guage whether a book has truly been inspiring/memorable/impacting is that moment when i'm about 10 pages from finishing it and i feel almost heartsick. it's like i've had this beautiful, wonderful, passionate, intimiate relationship and it's all ending. this is most evident when i embark upon reading a thick book (case in point: last summer reading all 1,083 pages of lonesome dove...oh larry mcmurtry, you knew exactly what you were doing.) but i will say this, the great thing about books, as apposed to irrovecable, final breakups w/ that tragically beautiful bad boy who made you believe that you were going to be the woman who unearthed his heart of gold (definitely not speaking from experience here ;) is that the book always invites you to come back for another go-around without the sting of abandonment.

so now that everyone thinks that i will inevitably become the old public librarian w/ a million felines, i'll divulge the real reason for this post. i have started my very own book club! though i read a lot in college, there really wasn't time for pleasure reading so i have had an overwhelming stack waiting for the moment when i finally graduated. since i am taking the summer "off" for sorts, i have accounted for reading a book every single week this summer, which means that by the end of the summer, i should have read 14 books.

so far, i have read hemingway's the sun also rises, a book called stolen innocence by elissa wall which chronicles her escape from warren jeffs and the flds, and today i finished john berendt's midnight in the garden of good and evil.

i just want to take some time to rave about that book, because it's seriouly the best thing i've read in quite a long time. of course it being southern gothic and appearing on the new york times bestsellers' list for 216 weeks was great, but berendt's eccentric characters that make the city of savannah, georgia come alive are just fantastic. i cannot believe this book is based on actual events! i would kill to have the opportunity that berendt had in writing his novel. i don't want to give anything away, but this is a must-read!



*also, i was so enthralled w/ this book, that i went out and rented the 1997 flick based on the book. being produced and directed by clint eastwood, i had very high expectations and the movie was really great. fascinating really. and kevin spacey, wow! he had that deep southern accent down to a tee.

starting the shack by william young tomorrow, but i'm open for any suggestions!

a salute to sex (and the city...)

yes darlings, it's time for me to give my thoughts on the sex & the city film! for those of you who have been living under a rock for the last year, you should know that this movie is of epic proportions for women everywhere. i'll admit that i was skeptical about the movie, i mean hello! how could anything be more divine than the television show...the writing is just brilliant!

HOWEVER,

i am pleased to announce that the movie rose above my expectations. it seems to be getting panned by the critics, but i think the story is geuniune and heartfelt. call me crazy, but as loyal fans of the satc franchise, we weren't going to the movie to think, analyze, and ponder life's greatest mysteries a la the constant gardener or hotel ruwanda. this movie was about love, fashion, girlfriends, and bringing together two people despite life's obstacles. i personally came away from the movie with a deeper appreciation for my female friendships, knowing that the women in my inner circle will always, always, always be there for me.

i'm not giving absolutely anything away, but you must go see this movie!

take me out to a dancehall...

i am more than thrilled to report that in less than two days, i will be driving to helotes, texas to see pat green live at john t. floore's country store!

i cannot wait...it's been such a long time since i was out on the texas country circuit (okay, like 2 weeks tops) but i've never been to floore's before and the place is legendary. i mean everybody has played there...

plus, i'm completing my list of texas dancehalls that i have to visit. i have embarked on my little journey of visiting all the historic dancehalls in texas because someone who knows me very well gave me the following book, to which i have been deeply entranced by:



all i know is that i have a lot of two-stepping to do! not to mention, i actually have a cute 'ol boy to accompany me ;) life doesn't get much better than that.

may day

i know, i know...i've preached the virtues of keeping a blog far and wide across this land (well to my closeknit little circle of friends anyway)and yet over the last month, i have let this little project of mine fall by the wayside. i do apologize profusely to my readership, but please understand, my life has been absolutely insane over the last 30 some-odd days...

why you ask?

here's the short list: last days at my old haunts, spending every last second of time w/ my besties, doing our things in waco, graduating from good 'ol bu, freaking out about the possibility of not graduating due to SPA 4372 (i'll have nightmares about that one for awhile), and my least favorite: saying goodbye to the people i love so dearly.

to put it simply and ever so sylvia plath-like, i haven't written in awhile because i haven't had the heart to write about anything. i wanted to write about the events of graduation for a long time now, but every time i tried, i just wanted to cry. cue the violin music. i'm such a freaking tool.

however, i am happy to report that the damage from the existential crisis has only been a code orange.

i was reminded of this last saturday night when my posse and i ended the night at appling's after a night of rambunctious carousing. cori began to cry, which naturally led to waterworks on my part. i just started thinking about all the nights that i had spent in that rickety old house...all the times we'd watched that amazing journey live dvd and sang our hearts out w/ a double shot of hot damn, all the conversations that we'd had well past 4 a.m., all the bottlecaps we'd stolen from the boys. i swear i'd been to that house on 15th and daughtrey about a thousand times...so i cried because that piece of my life was over and it's something i'll never get back.

in the midst of my salty tears, appling looked at me and started singing an old hank williams' classic "there's a tear in your beer..." to which got me laughing.

and then he said the following: "come on shan, don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." i don't know about you folks, but i wanted to punch him in the face. this is the kind of shit they print on bumperstickers or tell you when you're devastated over leaving your week-long summer camp at angelo state.

but you know what, this is some unbelievably infinite wisdom. i was telling someone just the other day that i had the best college experience of anyone i had ever known, and for once, i'm really not embellishing the truth. i really did.

so you know what, i'm going to smile because it happened. trust me, i've got the pictures to prove it...

life is funny that way.

well this is one entry that i never expected to make, i can assure you of that. in my wildest dreams i never thought it would be april 24 of my senior year of college and i wouldn't have my plan, my ducks in a row. i really do apologize to those of you who have had to listen to my incesant ranting over the last few weeks about how bleak my future looks.

well you'll be glad to know that i've turned a corner. i'm by no means "footloose and fancy free," but I have come to grips with the fact that i don't have to have it all figured out.

for those of you who dismiss my lack of plans as pure laziness, i can assure you that that is not the case. i've already been on 3 job interviews and i currently have 5 job offers in texas on the table. i know what you're thinking, just take the job already! however, i simply can't do it. i have a dream and i'm not going to give up on it without trying. unlike a lot of people, i can't live my life always wondering what could have been. the thought of being 40 years old and realizing "i should have gone after this but now it's just too late" makes my stomach churn.

so here i am left with this crazy ambition to be in the literary business. despite the plunging economy and all allowances being aborted in the very, very near future - i would still rather be poor as a church mouse living in my one room apartment knowing NO ONE, but living life than taking the easy route. absolutely no offense to those of you who are taking business jobs in dallas or houston, but i just know it in my bones that i wasn't meant for that.

in the midst of my angst and despair, i started cleaning out my closet and i came across a box of magazine clippings that i had saved. because i save everything that has ever had just one ounce of meaning for me, i have boxes of this stuff. lo and behold, the first article i came across was a backrounder in W magazine about my beloved candace bushnell. for those of you who don't know who she is, shame on you. but on the offchance that you're not certifiably fanatic with the series known as sex and the city like i am, she was the creator of it all. pretty much, candace bushnell is carrie bradshaw. pretty much, candace bushnell is amazing to me.

in the article she was giving advice about women achieving professional achievement and having a sense of value. but my favorite part of the article was when she talked about her early years before making it big. she told of how she rented a studio in brooklyn for $300 a month only to get evicted, of how she used to stand in the ailes at the grocery store and sob because she couldn't afford to eat, of how she checked her bank account only to find that the balance was $2.58. then one day in her thirties!, it happened. she got the job at the New York Observer and her life changed dramatically. as unbelievably crazy as it is, i think this all sounds wonderful. so much so, that i want to try it out myself.

that being said. NO, i don't know concretely what i'm doing when i graduate yet. but that's okay. God's taking care of me and i have faith in that. he won't abandon me or forsake me and somehow this is all i need to forge ahead.

[sidenote: mamma would skin me alive for mentioning Jesus and sex and the city in the same blog posting, but i'm not going to refrain.]

shannan's favorite things

well, i'm currently relaxing and watching desperate housewives of new york so i figured i'd post something. unfortunatly, i can't stand not to multi-task!

so i had the brilliant idea to rave about some of my favorite products. i figured if oprah gets to do it, why can't i? so below are items that have been roadtested and have proved tried and true consistently...i swear by all of them!



i've been using philosophy product for about the last year and i cannot say enough about their line! i highly reccomend hope in a jar, but if nothing else you MUST try their shampoo/bath/shower gel combos! my favorite is amazing grace, which is a lovely floral, but just yesterday i put in an order to sephora for red velvet cake.



i'm not exaggerating when i say that i drink a bottle of vitamin water almost every day. i think this stuff has magical healing properties and i promise they have a cure for any ailment! hangover, loss of focus, energy depletion - everything! don't be fooled by the imposters; this stuff is the genuine article. besides, who doesn't love the witty little descriptions on the label!



tyler candles are amazing! first of all, they're very reasonably priced and second, they last forever! i have yet to try a candle that burns better or produces such a strong scent. personal favorites include: twentyfourseven glam, wisteria lane, ira jean, and french market.



i've been using this stuff since about 5th grade, but i honestly don't think you can find anything better. burt's is incredibly moisturizing and i love the fresh minty flavor - perfect for kissable lips! i'll be using it forever.



nars the multiple in orgasm is definitely a cult favorite and it's easy to understand why. it's a universally flattering shade and you can wear it on your eyes, cheeks AND lips!



anyone who knows me knows that i will eternally prefer written correspondence over emails. it's definitely a lost art that i intend to keep alive! i love this brand waste not paper because the colors and prints are just fabulous.



aviators are my favorite and nobody does them better than ray ban. definitely an investment, but totally worth it.



cowboy boots are one of my staples and the best i've found come from a little store in santa fe called back at the ranch. they do cost an arm and a leg, but you will wear them forever! i don't own this gold pair, but i wish i did!



another one of my staples is a red lip and though many people claim they can't pull it off, i love it! there's nothing more classy or glamorous. my favorite way to wear it is w/o a stitch of eye makeup except for mascara and then a good stain. my favorite is benefit's benetint.



i just love pashmina, someday i hope to own one in every color. they just really complete an outfit and they're great used as a scarf or a wrap. i never leave the house without a pashmina, red lipstick, and a good book!

thoughts on a sunday night.

i definitely shouldn't be writing on my blog right now. shame on me. i have the biggest spanish paper of the enitre semester due tomorrow, not to mention my freaking senior portfolio (a project that's been 4 years in the making)has to go off to the printer on TUESDAY!!!!!

yeah it's safe to say that anna's interpretation of my pregnancy dream is dead-on accurate...someone's been procrastinating. for those of you who aren't familiar with finding the meaning of dreams, i was informed by a credible source that the reocurring dream i keep having about being full-blown 9 months pregnant is directly associated with putting things off. who knew?

anyway, the last staple that's holding my sanity together right now is my discovery of pandora.com. you can create your very own radio stations based on your favorite artists and have them saved forever! best thing since sliced bread if you ask me. my personal recommendation: type in amos lee.

so yes, while i'm listening to the sexy, ubelievable voice of amos sing "colors" here in the moody library computer lab, i have currently typed one page of my paper. the truth is, i've just got other things on my mind.

like my looming gradutaion.

i must be one hell of a headcase because my feelings are so contradictory on the subject that it is really unbelievable. one day i'm so sick of school i can hardly stand it, the other i'm holding on to college like velcro. tonight my feelings side with the latter.

i was talking to my mom this weekend and she said something about me needing to be ready to go the day after graduation because she had already reserved a uhaul and taken off of work to move me home - to which i thought, how strange. that's in 40 days. i'm not ready for that.

yeah, yeah, i'm being overly melodramatic about the entire thing i realize. has my readership of 2.4 people ever known me to be anything different? but it just seems like everyone's so damn excited about graduating and starting their lives - they're "over college." is something wrong w/ me because i'm not over it? maybe i've been living in ignorant bliss, but the last 4 years of my life have been idyllic. why would you want to change that?

don't know where all of this is stemming from...i suppose i can forsee that i'm on the verge of a quarter-life crisis. and for those of you attending graduation events/those of you who have any contact w/ me during that last week...there will be tears. lots of them.

however, the best man in my life made me feel a little bit better about my predicament. tonight, my daddy said, "well shan, would you rather be the girl who was really upset about college being over because you absolutely loved it and had the time of your life, or do you want to be the girl who was ambivalent about the whole thing because college was simply a means to an end?" so much wisdom pops. you're right, because i've already been that other girl before. and it's something i always regretted.

you see, i did things completely different in college. i broke the rules (sorry daddy.) i stayed out all night long. i drove to college station in the middle of the night. hell, i drove across the country. i dressed up for every theme party imaginable (delts of hazard to swimsuits and cowboy boots.) i went to concerts all over texas and screamed like the groupie i am. i got a whole glove compartment full of speeding tickets. i joined a sorority. i drank myself under the table on special holidays like diadeloso. i danced every chance i got. i lived in two different foreign countries and even picked up a foreign language along the way! i went out with a slew of different boys. i dealt with a substantial amount of relationship drama due to aforementioned boys. i sang karaoke often, or at least along w/ the piano man. i walked the catwalk in front of my house. i had long, life altering conversations on the bear trail. i got visiting hours violations. i went to baseball games, basketball games, football games, lacrosse games, tennis matches, and even some rugby. i went to places like west, texas (no, not my neck of the woods - the actual town) @ 4 a.m. just to get kolaches. i met my best friends, the loves of my life. and more than anything, i loved with my whole heart and nothing less.

yeah i realize i'm going to pay a price for that one, but in the end, i think it was worth it. ;)

there's absolutely not one thing i would do differently about the past 4 years and i couldn't be more proud to say that.

no regrets.

march recap

now that april fool's day is in aprox. 1 hour, i figured i'd take a look at how the month of march played out. the whole thing was really a whirlwind seeing as though i lived out of a suitcase 70% of the time. there was vegas, lubbock, horseshoe bay, luckenbach, and austin; but my personal favorite was my time spent in san antone.

as the pictures below can attest to, jess and i always know how to have a good time in alamo city.



this is jess and i getting ready for a night out on the town. but not just any old night, this was on the day of saint patrick's! let me assure you that we were the toast of the town in our old favorite haunt pat o'briens. i love being irish...



and the night continues at rita's...



that marg was so freakin' good.



and this is "flair" that i woke up to sitting by the bed the next morning. the remnants suggest that we had a grand time.

in addition to st. patty's day, i also went to a house party out in china spring that proved to be every bit as good as those i remember from the good 'ol days at shs. i found this great little boutique on south congress in austin called tresoro's, which has the most amazing mexican treasures...definitely going to stock up there for the future apt. i also finally finished rhett butler's people, which is extraordinary!!!

things to look forward to for the month of april:

*helping megan plan her fabulous wedding!
*chilifest in snook, texas with all my tech girlfriends(look for a full review of all the shows next week!)
*interviews in birmingham, nashville, and atl! and finalizing future plans!
*gavin degraw's first album in a million years! (yes, i'm on the street team...)
*the final four! hello!

best quote i've heard in a long time.

so i have to credit my friend crystal for digging up this old quote, but it's so damn genius that i couldn't resist putting it up.

"life in lubbock, texas, taught me two things: one is that God loves you and you're going to burn in hell. the other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth and you should save it for someone you love."---butch hancock