Jasmine Star Workshop

In November I made a list of goals for the year, number nineteen was "go to a photography workshop". Never in a billion years would I have thought that I would get the opportunity for that workshop to be a Jasmine Star Workshop. The day was filled with love and laughter and an amount of learning I still can't really wrap my brain around. I told myself going into the workshop that this was either "make it or break it". I decided to make it... make it work with my crazy life now, make it work with a future life, make it work because I FREAKING love it.

There are so many things I want and need to talk about from the day. Honestly, I am still processing it all and making changes to my online life and brand so that will come another day, but today, today is photo shoot sharing day and you should be fully warned that the images below are H-O-T-T (yeah, I went there... two t's).

...sometimes you've just got to let the photos speak for themselves. More posts to come from this epic day. Get Excited... it comes with homework! 

Jasmine Star Workshop Vendors 
Models: The new Mr. and Mrs. Nate and Loren Whittset
Venue: Rosewood Crescent Hotel  

Hair & Make-Up: Maitee Miles 

Dress/Tux: The Bridal Salon at Stanley Korshak 

Floral: Bella Flora of Dallas

Backstreets Back... ALRIGHT!

** If you have ever been in the same room as me and the topic of Backstreet Boys came up you have heard this story so feel free to scroll down to the end. 

If you follow me on social media you know that Whitney was gracious enough to invite me to see Backstreet Boys last week at The Pavilion. This was not my first BSB concert, in fact BSB was my first concert ever. Apparently I have some sort of BSB magic because both concerts have ended with stories I will tell forever.

It was 2000 we were all clamoring for Limited Too and B&BW roll on glitter, and the Backstreet Boys were in the throws of their Millennium tour. My dad worked at a hotel in downtown San Antonio and the Backstreet Boys were staying at the hotel and gifted the managers and their daughters tickets to the show. To beat traffic my mom picked up the four girls and delivered us to our dad's hotel fairly early in the day. The best part of getting there early was the "secret tunnel" that lead from the Hotel to the Alamodome (where the concert was being held) our dad's set us up in the pay roll office, prime real estate for catching a glimpse of Nick, Brian, AJ, Howie and Kevin. We were fed dinner and spent a few hours twirling in office chairs, debating which BSB was the cutest (Brian, duh) and having our noses pressed up against the pay roll window waiting for our exclusive glimpse. Soon it came time for our trip over to the concert in SURPRISE A LIMO. With visions of limos dancing in our heads we forgot all about the fact the boys had not passed by in the "secret tunnel".  We went to the concert and had a BLAST. Our poor dad's they deserve an award for dealing with the screams and shrieks and singing at the top of our lungs to "Larger Than Life".

Fast forward 6 years, somehow the dinner conversation turned to our BSB concert experience. I casually mentioned I was still pretty disappointed that we didn't get to see BSB go through the "secret tunnel". My dad looked at me puzzled.
"What are you talking about?"
I reminded him about the pay roll office and the "secret tunnel" and the other details that day. He erupted in laughter.
"Ummm we lied. We stuck yall in that room to keep yall busy until we finished our work for the day. There is no secret tunnel."

COOL DAD, REAL COOL.

Now this year's show, I took the above picture and posted it on Instagram on Thursday and tagged The Backstreet Boys... no big deal. On Friday I picked up my phone after the last day of school and had a little red bubble with the number 35 hovering over my twitter app, HOLY NOTIFICATIONS BATMAN! . Ummm WHAT? I was so confused. I scrolled through the notifications but was still really confused... then I opened instagram. Apparently The Backstreet Boys used my picture as their instagram picture representing the Houston show! 

COOL BACKSTREET BOYS, COOL! 

Thanks boys for giving my some of my favorite stories and making me feel like a 10 year old rockstar and then doing it again 15 years later! 

Now, do Tuesday right and sing along with Larger than Life 

Reflections on Year Three

Reflection on year one// Reflection on year two

Teaching is a lot like playing a card game, the dealer gives you certain cards and you play with what you are given--for better or worse. Sometimes those cards are perfect and give you everything you need to play a perfect hand and then with a pull of a card the whole game can come crashing down in one fell swoop. That was my year, equal parts mighty successes and massive failures with one move.

I had the best of intentions to write my reflection on my third year of teaching last week, but much like this year things didn't go quite as planned. It is said that your third year is when things start to fall into place, everything gets a little easier, everything starts to work together. They lie. My third year of teaching was hands down my hardest. With that said I believe that in any situation in life we are refined by the hard situations and I was refined over and over and over again both as a teacher and as a person.

I said in my last two years of reflections that the "My first year I learned about the navigating being a teacher and surviving. My second year was all about the students and their needs." This year, my third year, was about marrying those two ideas together... and failing over and over again. But it was also was about learning to pick myself up motivate my students and pressing forward. This year wasn't always fun, I didn't always "like" what I was doing but I am better for it--a better teacher, a better person, a better comforter, a better motivator, a better me.  

I sure can't wait to see what year four has in store, but summer first, I NEED SUMMER.

Year Three... Brought to you by coffee, lots of coffee. 

Top Golf North Houston

In the 4th grade I was living in Orlando, FL golfing was the cool thing to do.... so I went to golf camp. I received the "most improved award" which lets be honest is basically a really nice way of saying "thanks for trying but you still kinda suck at this". So with my hopes of joining the LPGA dashed I put up my clubs and didn't pick them up again until I started going on mini golf dates... spoiler alert I still sucked. So when TopGolf came on my radar last fall when Reese and his fantasy football team held their "Awards Ceremony" there I was less than intrigued... remember I suck at golf. All of that changed this Sunday when I faced my fear and hit the driving range Top Golf style.  

Stephanie – Whitney – Amy – Meg – Jenn – Shalanda – Bree

 TopGolf is an interactive driving range that combines all that is good in the world-- games/competition, delicious food and drink, friends and a fun atmosphere. The Houston Blogger Social Club was invited to play at the new Top Golf North Houston location in Spring, TX. Here are some things you need to know about this TOP NOTCH concept and facility:

• You don't have to be good at golf... see above
• You don't have to bring your own clubs! They have ones you can use for free!
• You don't have to go hungry! They have an amazing restaurant and bar!
• You don't have to be bored waiting for a bay on busy nights! They have a roof top lounge and a basement lounge packed with entertainment options like xboxes, pool tables, live music etc. 
• You don't have to be in Houston! They have several location across the country (even internationally!) and they are planning even more! 

Blo Bar

I've always been super jealous of people who get blow outs on their lunch break... I also assume that only happens in NYC which also makes me jealous that people who live in NYC. Luckily my neighborhood (ok fine... suburb) got a blow out bar aptly named Blo The Woodlands, so my dream of a "lunch" break blow out was realized. I played a little hooky from school before a trip to Louisiana on Friday and had my hair blown out into "pillow talk" curls. Best. Curls. EVER. (shout out Crystal!) They stayed in all night and into the next day which like never happens. If you are on the fence, a word of advice, DO IT it is the perfect treat! 

INSIDE SCOOP BLO THE WOODLANDS 

WEB//INSTAGRAM//TWITTER

CONNECT WITH BLO 

WEB//TWITTER//INSTAGRAM//FACEBOOK

**I was not compensated for this post... they extended my groupon coupon two days because I apparently can't read a calendar.