Go AROUND the leaf!

Anyone remember A Bug's Life? 

This clip describes me, in a nutshell. 

Let me elaborate. If I haven't made it clear yet, I am a little obsessive-compulsive/Type A when it comes to organization, planning...basically life in general. When things don't go exactly how I think they should, I have a very hard time rolling with it.

Two days ago, I was driving myself, my sister, and my mom to Cheesecake Factory to meet friends for my mom's 50th birthday. Even though I grew up around the area, I never was legally of age to go out and so my knowledge of Tampa nightlife & directions are slim to none.

As we left the Painting with a Twist parking lot, I accidently turned the wrong way. Rather than, like a normal person, immediately pulling a U-Turn at the next possible spot, I freaked out.

Sitting at the light facing the wrong way, my conversation with my mom went something like this:

Mom- You're going the wrong way.

Me- Aw mom! You're supposed to be navigating!! (While looking at iPhone for map) There is NO PLACE to turn around! It dead ends!

Mom- Just calm down I'm sure you'll find a place right after this light.

Me- No I won't! AHHHHHHH! People are following us! This is terrible!!!!

Mom- Jaquelyn, this really isn't that big of a deal.

(Light turns green. I immediately see a nicely laid out driveway in the shape of a U. I pull through and easily turn around.)

Mom- Wow, that was easy. 

Me- (Silence)

Did I mention my mom is as cool as a cucumber? She rarely cracks under pressure, and in this regard, we are complete opposites. Her flexible demeanor is definitely something I want to exude, especially as a teacher. I cannot expect all my lessons or plans to go exactly the way I want them. 

Therefore, I am really going to work on getting past those leaves in life without freaking out- wrong turns, messy rooms, changes of plans, you name it!

When I watch this video and see truly how silly I am with this rigidity, I hope to relax, breathe & go AROUND the leaf.  

 What "leaf" is blocking your path today? Take a deep breathe & go AROUND the leaf. :)

Land O' Lakes- Where The Cows Overpopulate The People

Well, the cows don't overpopulate the people anymore. Land O' Lakes even has a World of Beer which is MIA on The Treasure Coast. That's when you know your town is getting big! ;)

That cute line in the title is from a song we used in high school for a cheerleading competition dance. Yes, I was a cheerleader. Aren't we cute?

Ahh nostalgia. What was I talking about now? Oh yes, Land O' Lakes.

Aside from the atrocious name (The butter is NOT from Florida, are you serious people?) Land O' Lakes is a pretty typical small town closer to the West close of Florida and smack dab in between a whole bunch of lakes!

I am gracing Land O' Lakes with an extended stay this next week and a half to watch over our family restaurant, The Breakfast Nook while my mom is away in Texas. 

On My To Do List:

• Catch up with old friends ( I am never home. ever. Holidays are such a whirlwind of family that I rarely get to visit with anyone. )
• Get a cuban (or two) from Larry's Deli. An absolute staple in the area with the BEST Cubans.
• Tijuana Flats. I've already been once, and I've been here two days. If you recall this post about Orlando I mention it. I feel like my stomach takes over my posts sometimes...
• Go out on the lake- brush up on those wakeboarding skills! 
• Visit Courtney @ her new place downtown & check out The Taco Bus in Tampa. That place looks amazing!! 
• Howl @ The Moon/Channelside
• Spa trip
• Clearwater or St. Pete Beach
• Warped Tour @ Vinoy Park
• LA Fitness- I have to make myself workout or all that food from The Breakfast Nook & my other favorites will definitely be showing!

Currently Working On/ Done:

• Dinner Done 
• Painting with a Twist
• McDenton's Irish Pub
• Food from The Breakfast Nook
• Jagged Edge Salon for an amazing mani/pedi with Yen

Expect a very large post about all of the above in the near future!

On another note I'm also heading to Orlando for a very short stint- enough time to go to the American Idol concert with my sister Sunday night, visit Kierstan in her new studio downtown, and hopefully grab lunch with some friends before hightailing it back to Tampa to make sure The Breakfast Nook is still running! Phew! 

Lastly, I am FINALLY gainfully employed, and I am so relieved to be able to say that! Although I absolutely loved my Reach Up kids, I am so pumped and ready to be in a school system with a support team of colleagues, principles, and a bunch of crazy high schoolers! 

Does this mean I have to start acting like an "adult"?  

Nah!

Here are some pictures from good ol' Land O' Lakes & my high school days...

(Cue Green Day- Time of Your Life)

With Nikki freshman year

With Jessica sophomore year

With Aubrey at a Black & White Party junior year

With Ashlea @ a monster truck rally for our birthdays!

At Chris's party... The theme was goth ;)

Senior Prom '06- Ashlea, Kristin, and I

Senior Trip- Aubrey, Danette, Alison, Kristin, and I

On the boat during our senior trip to GA

Now, on to workout before Kristin arrives to lead the way to McDenton's Pub for a night out. I'm SO excited!!

Home Sweet Home

Wow it's weird to be living somewhere new....
& I just realized I haven't shown off the new house since we moved in!

David & I are finally nice and settled into our cozy place. Apparently, living in PSL makes us "Pizzle Rats" according to our friends in the area, but I could care less. With a cheap place to live 10 minutes from the beaches in a gated community nonetheless I'll settle for being considered a "rat"...for now. :)

Here, in pictures, is our place before & after.

Before:

The living room & dining room

Our porch

Another angle of the living/dining room...kitchen kind of in view!

Oh how I'm glad this is over!

Guest room/office

Our room

Pond in the back

After:

Still a little plain, but CLEAN.

Don't mind the random beer!

 & Pay no attention to my dirty dishes.... ;)

That cute little table was a steal for $45. Thanks mom!

Spare room/office

Master bedroom

Right now our house feels like a hodgepodge of things. Most of the furniture is mine, and it seems I had a bit of a thing for black furniture in college. However, now I would really like to lighten up at least the main living areas. The bedroom furniture is only a few years old and won't be changing for quite awhile!

David & I are going for- what else- a beach theme. I've always considered it pretty corny, but I think in the right doses (cute local art vs. terrible hotel style paintings) it will work out.

I also would really like to try to make some of this stuff. We're collecting shells on our bookshelf that we add to every time we go to the beach, but I would like to create something out of or inspired by the local terrain.  Any ideas for cute & fun beach crafts??


Speaking of art, I am SUPER excited for this Wednesday. It's my mom's (& her twin's) 50th birthday!!! To celebrate we're getting all her girlfriends together to paint & drink wine. I have heard amazing things about Painting With A Twist so I can't wait to try them out. Afterwards, we're going out to Cheesecake Factory for some dinner & dessert.

Stay tuned for a full post on my Land O Lakes trip...should be interesting spending 10 days back home!

My favorites in Orlando

Confession #1: I put this post off because it was hard to think of all the different places I loved in Orlando when many of my memories have been hanging out at football games, different apartment complexes I lived in during college, and just on campus during my daily classes and goings on.

Confession #2: This post is very picture heavy, sorry if it takes a while to load!

Without further delay, here is my compilation of 5 years in Orlando & the best places the tourists (mostly) never see:

Winter Park

• Park Avenue- This street is the heart of Winter Park and contains kitschy shops, an amazing Wine bar, restaurants with live music, and the beautiful Rollins College campus. 
• Farmer's Market- This weekly market takes place in the former railroad station and is a hub of fresh fruit, veggies, and plants. 



Wine bar in Winter Park for my 21st birthday

• Food- There are tons of great (if not expensive) restaurants up and down Park Avenue. One night, Kierstan and I visited the Morse Museum and then ambled over to Spice for some amazing martinis, live music, and great food. I love the atmosphere offered in this area and have heard rave reviews about many of the food places. 

Tijuana Flats

• Though Tijuana Flats is now state-wide, sadly I will not have one nearby in Port St Lucie. Therefore, this goes on my list of something I will miss from Orlando. Having first tried Tijuana Flats in high school, I have since hardly strayed more than a few times from my standard Chicken chimichanga with salsa on top & chips on the side. Luckily, these restaurants started by UCF Alumni have been no more than 10 minutes from my house since I started UCF. If you have never tried them- you are missing out!!!

Mellow Mushroom

• Though not started near UCF, this is by far one of my favorite places to eat. Amazing beer, craft brews, and fun nights like trivia & drawing make this place a great place to gather large groups. My favorite pizzas are a tie between Karma Sutra & Hawaiian. This UCF location also offers Garlic Balls which were a staple appetizer with our group. Top that all off with a pitcher of Lost Coast Great White, and I am in heaven! 

Lake Eola

• This park in downtown Orlando is beautiful! Not to mention it has weekly events from Farmer's Markets to festivals. It is also a great place for runners & work out enthusiasts alike to stroll around the lake for a leisurely walk or strenuous run.   
• There is also an event called Make 'm Smile put on by an organization called Nathaniel's Hope  that makes kids with special needs & their families "VIPs" for the day. I volunteered at this event and really enjoyed myself. If you're in the area, I highly recommend checking them out for some amazing volunteer opportunities. 

The family from Make 'm Smile I was paired with!

Chillers/Big Belly/Latitudes   

• Also downtown, this 3 level bar boasts a different theme on each floor. This has remained my favorite downtown bar for its variety and relaxed vibe. Chillers on the first floor serves all frozen beverages and has crazy contests and dance music. Big Belly is the sports bar of the three with a random stripper pole, beer pong stations, and darts. This floor is the one to go to for those who get bored just sitting at the bars. Last is Latitudes, the rooftop bar. This island themed level has tiki torches, alcoves to sit, and great drink specials. By far, Latitudes is our favorite of the three.  

Baby Grands

• This new addition to the downtown scene mimics Howl At The Moon without all the tourists and overpriced drinks. On a Thursday night you can get 3 for 1 drinks, a pretty open selection of tables to sit at, and the undivided attention of some amazing pianists!

Give Kids the World

• This is another amazing place to volunteer your time in Orlando. This organization is dedicated to giving terminally ill children and their families the trip of a lifetime. They offer accommodations, park tickets, food, and lots of great activities at their facility for the families. 
• You can bring a group & volunteer to play with the kids, march in their parade, hand out presents at their weekly Christmas or do some much needed behind the scenes work. 

Light Up UCF

• Around Christmas time, the area in front of the UCF arena turns into a winter wonderland! Christmas movies play on outdoor projectors, local bands play Christmas tunes, nightly light shows grace the arena front, and ice skating & an ice slide top off a great area to get in the holiday spirit!

Kierstan dancing

Amber going down the slide

As you can see, they were barely staying still long enough to get a good picture- it was that fun! :)

Dandelion Communitea Cafe

• Though I'm not a vegetarian, my vegetarian friendly roommate & full vegetarian (former) roommates have coerced me to try options without meat, and I generally really enjoy these options when done the right way. Dandelion is one of those amazing options that leaves you feeling healthy & full. Near Lake Eola & the downtown scene, this cottage like restaurant boasts cozy rooms, an eclectic collection of furniture and local art, daily brewed tea and fresh produce in their selection of food.    

 Wekiva Springs/Wekiva Island

  
•  In the farthest northern part of Orlando (technically Altamonte Springs area) is an amazing state park! We generally went to Wekiva Island to rent canoes, canoed to the state park for a picnic lunch, and canoed back to the island to hang out before we left. The river is calm & beautiful and for a mere $20 plus a packed lunch & gas it makes for a cheap but awesome day outdoors. 

Jake & Mickys 

• After growing out of the "Knight Library" and "TDs" phase, I realized the best local bar around UCF was Jake & Mickys. A strict 21+ policy allows this hang out to stay clear of the under 21 crowd that makes local places seedy and instead hosts local bands and great specials. The owners are UCF grads who are present and bartending most nights. 

David & I are now both official UCF graduates & living in SoFlo, crazy! 

Farewell Orlando, its been a great run! 

Are there any amazing spots that your city/town has to offer that is a must see? Any other fellow Orlando people have places they love??