I'm a Carrillo!

Holy 9 months, Batman.. that roller-coaster sure did continue.
Can I just announce first and foremost that I am now Mrs. Katherine Carrillo? :)
Not even a month after I wrote the last post (Sept 2013) Oscar and I took the plunge in Austin Texas. We invited our parents to meet for the first time, and witness our 'paperwork' marriage before a judge. On October 4th 2013, I said vows I can never take back. I replied 'I do'.
At some point a few months after, I changed my name.. and started planning the big wedding. Many dates were thrown around but I didnt want to wait a full year, though it couldnt be too soon either. I had to give attendees enough time to save and travel. After closely having Costa Rica as the location of our wedding, we called upon Austin once more to hold our happily ever after ceremony and celebration.
June 14, 2014 at 4:30 I walked down the aisle in an Ivory Alfred Angelo dress, created with Disney's Ariel in mind.. wearing bedazzled Betsy Johnson heels that had blue soles. My hair was also a creation that rivaled Ariel's princess do, with big curls pinned softly to the right of my head and falling down the front, all the way to my hip. Aziz Salon did a fabulous job - Ms Jamie the tinkerbell knows exactly what she's doing. I did not wear a veil, but instead wore a sweet little Ivory flower with some wispy feathers, from Lithuania, that Jena my best friend owned and also wore in her wedding.
My Nana lent me a beautiful necklace and earrings mixed of diamonds and pearls that went splendidly with my dress beading. I also wore on my right hand ring-finger, my Grandma Berger's pearl ring that fit just perfectly. This ring used to be her sister Florence's, and she passed it along.. it was a delightful surprise to her that I wore it on my special day. My Mother (Mam :) ) provided me with her gorg keepsake pearl necklace and earrings that I changed into during the reception. I was made with assisted grace and beauty that day, with the help of the special ladies of my family.
Oscar wore his dress Marine blues with his ribbons instead of metals.. he looked so good, always does in uniform.
Our colors, Oscar chose - not ironic per the location - were burnt orange, silver, and creams and whites. I did my own flowers, with the help of the MOH, because of my past expertise in doing them... and although we stayed up until 4:30AM the morning of my wedding day doing them, they turned out splendid! Ha!
In the bridal party, I had Trisha, Jena, Rachel, Lauren, Merrin - and the groomsmen were Dustin Leon, Kris, John, Nicholas, and Dustin Ruffle.

So before I get into flowing details - lets back up and start with the day we arrived to Austin from Corpus Christi!! We stayed at Hyatt Place downtown on Wednesday and Thursday.. but Thursday was both of our bachelor and bachelorette parties (my second one, since the first was in San Diego). Couldnt tell you much about his.. but mine......
We started out at Iron Cactus - excellent food and margaritas. From there we went to front row tables at Pete's Piano Bar :) Mind you, this weekend was also a biker rally 'convention' if you will, so when I was put on the pianos and serenaded by 3 biker dudes in full leathers and big ol' beards.. I wasnt surprised, and loved it. "Bring back that loving feeling.. whoa that loving feeling".. haha
We also had hilarious and creative shirts we all wore, with love by Merrin - the girls wore pink and I wore white. I was a Gypsy bride! From there we went to Coyote Ugly and went straight up on the bar upon entrance. If you know Coyote Ugly, you know they are known for hot chicks dancing on the bars to awesome 80's songs, and that is exactly what we did. We got some shots, danced, did our thang, and there are pictures..... and proceeded to Oil Can Harry's. This is a gay bar that one of our friends of friends wanted to go to and no one objected! We got there just in time to watch a competition of men strut their stuff and watch the crowd be the judges. Interesting, yes since the voice of this competition was in pure drag. To be expected. Once this was over, I was feeling pretty good and took over the dance floor. Literally. I was the only one on it. With ear-drum blasting music, I backed it up and dropped it like it was hot many times. Sweat the alcohol right out of my system! Merrin my crazy girlfriend, was off to the side twerking on the wall, but couldnt stay up so inevitably kept trying until she just couldnt do it anymore. Haha twerk twerk twerk fall, repeat.
A handful of us made it back to the hotel around the same time as the boys, and fit 7 people in a 1 bed hotel room. It was epic.
Rehearsal day: Central Christian Church, Austin Texas
Rehearsal time came - we walked, teared up, practiced giving me away while I pinched myself to make sure it was all real. The first moment it hit me, is when I was at the top of the aisle and realized when I turned around that the faces I was looking at and hadnt seen in too long, were there for me, for this celebratory occasion. I lost it and this was the first of the bawling that took place throughout the weekend. To all that attended, there are no words. I love you and thank you for coming. I especially enjoyed your company, and it means the world that you and I were under the same roof for once in a long while. After a bit, Merrin turned green and had to leave and the rest of us headed to Eddie V's Seafood and Steakhouse.
Apparently the night before, Merrin, mixed with heat and dehydration, and potentially a little extra something slipped into her drink - had 911 called on her because she was slightly seizing and could not walk back to the hotel. She declined assistance of course, and drank water and rested the rest of the night and missed her rehearsal dinner. :( Eddie V's however, was AMAZINGGGG. I would like to go there every time I am in Austin. Compliments of the Family Dailey, we ate until we were full and then some. Oscar and I handed out our wedding party gifts as well! For the men, Oscar got G-Shock watches for each of them, as well as custom Chuck Taylor shoes stitched with their initials on the heel. For the ladies, I got them Dooney & Burke clutch/wallets, a book (signed with a quote from Bill Cosby) on the Driskill hotel, where the reception was held, and custom made bridal soap that smelled of Victoria's Secret Angel scent, by the hands of Candice Kostyniak's Mix Organics company. I hope they all loved their gifts! It was fun shopping for them.
Trish and I took the first night at the Driskill Hotel on Friday night. We were going to finish the flower arrangements.. and while gathering the flowers from the downstairs freezer, our request to hear of the Driskill hauntings, brought us a guest to our bedroom door. The head of security at the Driskill, who is very passionate about his job, told us many stories of people that have stayed there, celebrities, happenings and events, and even showed us a security video that no one can explain - happening exactly a month before that night (Friday, June 13th). I LOVE IT! I adored the Driskill Hotel before I even stayed there or had my wedding reception there, but now after holding such a fantastic event and meeting the people who run the hotel, the puppeteers to the concierge - just amazing, and I couldnt have asked for more. On top of that the dinner was fabulous, hors-d'oeuvrs were incredible, service and wait staff were impeccable and so so nice. If you are in the area, though a tad expensive, the stay is well worth it. Especially if you happen to experience the spirits of the Driskill!
I have to also take a moment to talk about the cake, since I've touched on the food of the rehearsal and wedding.. The cake was lovingly made by the talented, one and only Lorna Dee Poulos-Brown, artist and beautiful connoisseur of this 5-tiered masterpiece. She took recon of what I was thinking and the things I love, and painted a picture in her head of what she was going to sculpt. She started earlier in the year, and tested tastes and designs... I just can't imagine how much time she put into it. She does annual shows and it takes a while for her to create and build what she shows at these shows, and she WINS at these shows.... My wedding cake was her sculpture this year. It took the place of one of her shows or contests. Not only is that incredibly flattering to say the least, she had the family assist her by creating edible flowers, signed with each of their initials on the bottom of the flower, and placed them on the cake. Beautiful flowers. You can not tell that these were made of sugar!!! I JUST dont know how she does it. The colors were amazing, and she even placed electric candles on every tier of the cake, to give it a light glow on every level. Owls are my thing.. they follow me, I respect them, the majestic creatures.. and she even included them in the design of the tiers. I'll be honest I recognized the design, but it did not dawn on me until someone confirmed it for me after the fact. Unbelievable. The thought and love, blood and tears.. and sugar, that went into this, it was just beautiful! And the TASTE!! I asked for vanilla raspberry lemon and she nailed it. Nailed. It. I'm drooling again thinking about it. haha I can't wait to eat more of it on our 1 year anniversary :) :) :)
Wow. From the bottom of my heart, I can not express what that cake means to me. Lona, I love you so much.. yes, every twice a day.
SO - our ceremony was fairly quick.. Ms Mia Grace Phillips and Alexandra Leigh Walker were the flower girls and Jr Bridesmaid, and did a perfect job looking so cute. My Daddy handed me off while we were both trying to hold back tears through our smiles. He and my Mam looked both handsome and stunning. I couldn't have pulled this off without them - not even close. Oscar and I did the sand vase rather than the unity candle.. our Pastor was an elderly fellow (the original one had a family emergency) that was a Marine, so he and Oscar clicked nicely!
From there we headed to the Driskill Hotel via white limo.. had some bombtastic bruschetta that Oscar is addicted to even today, and champagne while we waited to be introduced. :)
We came in to the reception under a bridge like the soccer team used to do after soccer games.. haha! and went straight into our first dance. Our Song: All of Me, John Legend. It's popular now, but I cant wait to hear it in 40 years and love it even more. I danced barefoot because my heels were, well.. I was done with them. Vati said a prayer/blessing, and then the party commenced!! The saxaphonist played amazing, the DJ did a great job, speeches were had, I made a speech to my Daddy and new father in law, since it was Fathers Day weekend.. I showed a slideshow of Oscar and I growing up, and quoted the bible verse - two become one flesh.
I tell you - I could not stop crying the entire night!!! On top of being deliriously tired due to going to sleep at 4:30AM, I was on an emotional high and responding to the emotional low that the Poulos family felt the week prior. We lost my dear Aunt Marta to ALS the week or so before the wedding.. it was unexpected due to some circumstances, but with everyone traveling in already for the wedding, it honestly couldnt have been at a better time. The reality is still settling for me since I wasnt able to attend the memorial in Dallas or Michigan.. but I was told a little bit of her ashes made it to the wedding, and I lost it. Happy yet sad tears, and just a little lost in the emotion of everything.. but more on that later! She deserves an entire post to herself :)
I changed dresses mid-reception to a shorter lacy dress with my mother's pretty pearls and my new ring bling, and was ready to take on the night (for only a couple more hours before I passed out). We exited with the song Bye Bye Bye by N'Sync, and headed out the door that rolls out the red carpet on the corner of 6th street and Brazos - the heart of downtown Austin. Bubbles were the exit by all our party goers.. and then we headed to Summit for some beats!

Whoo! It was a long day to say the least. The next day I had no voice and bags so big under my eyes they were purple. I just wanted to sleep.
Thus... here I am. Katie Carrillo, of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Short story on everything else? Married life (twice now) :D is great. Work is still fab, flying back and forth to San Diego every month.. and Finn!! OMG FINN!!

Soooo.. how could I forget!? We adopted a puppy at 7 weeks old last November, and named him Finn. :) He is a Lab-Husky mix (labsky) and looks like a dingo. He is SUCH a good dog, and his birthday is on September 27th. Since I work from home, I am with him the most when I'm here. So spoiled, but he couldnt be a better pup! He was house trained quick, had some bouts of health issues, but all in all - he's our perfect fur-baby. We call him Finnius, Finnius Maximus, and sometimes Finnius Maximus Carrillius. He will be 10 months this month! So he completes our little family right now. Babies will come a bit later, so Finnius will reap all benefits of being an only child for the time being.

Life is good.

September in the year 2013

Is this the way blogs are supposed to work? I guess maybe I'm an exception. I come back when I remember I have one.. so so much missed. This may be mumbo-jumbo but I don't want to pack.. so take it as a brain dump, and a bit of an update! 

Oscar has been back from Afghanistan a little over a year. We are still together - in fact, on my birthday August 24th, he proposed. :) I turned 28. I said yes, I had a going away party.. because I am moving to Corpus Christi, Texas with him.. I've shipped my 12 boxes and sold my furniture, sold my car, gave away several bags and boxes, flew to El Paso and celebrated with the future in-laws, bought myself a new beautiful car thanks to so many people at Hoy Fox Lexus (shout out!) and the incredible individuals that helped make the buy in less than 6 hours, Oscar bought a new house that he got the keys to today, and my job? My job asked me to work remotely from Texas! So I've transitioned my agency (AdEase - a crazy cool and talented agency that I adore) from paper and jackets and routing to the new digital age, successfully. I fly out tomorrow as the first stint of this remote plan, into my new house with my new car, and most importantly, with my new fiance in my new city. :) Things just don't slow down, and the world does not stop turning for anything. Life is so sweet.. even in the last couple days thinking about planning (but not planning yet.. not sure where to start!) the big day that changes my last name.. I have come across so many names that I really wish I could sit down with and catch up, get advice, give advice, talk about life and all the little things that make it all worth while. As I sit here in this Residence Inn Marriott in San Diego, while I should be packing, I'm in a reflective mood tonight and remembered I had a blog to poor it all out. My girlfriend Erin and I had a good workout and then some good discussions sitting in the hot tub for a while. Men, relationships, careers, crazy people, potential.. just makes me want to sit, relax, and take it all in again and again. Changes are what make us, and I do like my fly by the seat of my pants moves - lately I'm trying to hang on for dear life. This move to Texas took a while to settle in the soul.. San Diego is who I am, it's who I fell in love with before I even moved here 9 years ago, I've built what I wanted, my network, my friends, my career.. I've gained so much, so many relationships that I don't want to fade. I sold my car. It was so pretty. It was a tangible good, but it was pretty. I've lived in PB, FV, PL, Northpark, LJ, Bankers Hill.. and I'll be taking a bit of those and a bit of everyone I've met and come to love.. with me to Corpus Christi. I've had some melt downs and realizations that I am truly a control freak, even when it's controlling my sporadic and gypsy nature - it's still controlled by me. This is a learning curve for me as I not only leave San Diego but I start such a brand new chapter on a figurative 100# silk book text calligraphic engraving each story in there.. starting tomorrow. Though this is the toughest move I have personally had to make, not once did I doubt it was what I was supposed to do and where I was supposed to go. Only He can give me that foundation when I have the faith I have - but only Oscar would be the one to take me there. I am pumped that it's all come to fruition. I can not wait to feel the keys in my hand to the new house, actually drive my car for the 2nd time, and get to see my future husband all in all. Time apart has been significant in our relationship, but we've done well. We both would obviously want to be by each others side and its hard when we aren't, but we've been through it all before. :) I'm ecstatic to see what our future looks like.. I just can't help but feel like it is just beginning to get good. 
Nicholas, I love you - stop looking or you'll miss whats trying to hide until youre ready to see it.. you'll see her when the time is right. 
Rocket-Jamie, I love you and I love that you're a fighter and have beat cancer twice now. Words can't express how much I look up to you and though I've never been in your shoes, I take a piece of you and the pain and healing you go through, gladly with me in my every day steps.. it's one of many things I can do from afar. I miss you.
Micah, you're my Godson!! I have acquired you 15 months ago.. and I am the luckiest GodMommy in the entire world. I wish I could see you more and spoil you rotten. ;) You get a little sister soon, and man I can't wait to see how she molds you into an incredible big brother. I love you Kings.. Brandon, Shannon, you mean the world. I'll never stop thanking you for trusting me to your baby. He's going to move mountains when he gets older. ;) 
Trisha, you've taken some reigns and started your own chapters recently. Arkansas is so lucky to have a Berger there, you show them how it's done. Remember what I told you not too long ago.. Good bad odd crazy the 'not you' the wrong place wrong time, the I totally made this decision and I have to follow through regardless if I lose friends lose my pride lose sleep gain some pounds or gain a legendary reputation that has your face molded into history - - I'm excited for you. Haha college life is the best. So incredibly proud of you and excited to see where you take yourself.
There are so many people I have little messages like this for... I wish face to face could be much simpler. Find your faith and build it, grow it and nurture it so intensely. If He is for you, who can be against you? Anything is possible and I love seeing challenges met with even better and crazier not-thought-possible outcomes. To all reading or just perusing through.. pass the buck - know that everyone is fighting their own battles. Share the love - It's a crazy time!! On to the next roller coaster!! <3 

Departure to the Future

Welcome back..
Behind every blog, is a reason to blog. It's to keep some memory to the crazy things I do, but its all to keep everyone I love in the know of what I'm up to since many are so far away. Since I last wrote in July of last year - things have been pretty consistent! Not too much as changed.. but several things have progressed.

The relationship I found myself in last I wrote has remained a rather large part of what makes my day. Now over six months later, I find myself in a position that many women have been and are going through as I type. Outside looking in, a military relationship for both parties, is unbelievably undervalued. Although I am only 2 days, 2 nights, 4 hours and 18 minutes in to my boyfriend being deployed, the transition time leading up to deployment should be read in it's own 'How-To' book. I have roughly 7 months to go until he comes home. That timing is not promised, and could be up to a full year.

I am so very intrigued by his work. He hates tooting his own horn, but knows what he does is pretty badass. It's an answer you so often hear kids say when you ask them what they want to be when they grow up: a pilot. He's not just a pilot however, he's a CH-53 helicopter pilot, a Captain in the Marines, that is the transporter into and from battle. From as little as he could remember, he knew he wanted to fly. Graduated from UT Austin with a Kinesiology degree and went right into the Marines. I respect that dream more and more as he trains, flies, does missions, and night flights.. that's dedication. It's dedication to his Marines, because he has taken the job to get them into war safely and remove them from harms way while taking fire. His helo is the only one that is used to pick up other jets and Humvee's, and can even load them up for transport. He may think this is mute information but I guarantee you 90% of you reading this are at least somewhat impressed. I am, just typing it.

His pride and ambition are fun to feed off of, so when he left for Afghanistan this past Monday it was actually hard to feel bad or scared for him. I'm proud. Between now and then there will be ups and downs just as if he were here, I'm sure. I Facebook Messaged him for only 20 minutes tonight before he had to go.. that's all I got. I'm not used to this and I don't know what to expect. Every day is a new day with something else to learn. I understand the first and fifth months are the worst, and emotions vary from sad to angry to hurt to lonely.. but strength is in there. My routine having to change is the worst reminder, on top of people constantly asking how you're doing. Which I do appreciate tremendously, but know that it's hard to keep focused on anything but that topic as it is - so when you ask, you could very well find me losing it. I told him it feels like the twilight zone.. it's weird that he's not here, and as much as I tell my brain that you're on the other side of the world - the rest of me doesn't understand. So when I hear someone say 'they just don't understand', in this situation, I do.
Anyway...
I'm a happy girl and I have a crazy busy life, so I'll be ok. Friends and family have provided the prayers and support for him that make me comfortable knowing it'll all be alright. Devouring a load of mexican food and an entire pizza to myself will have to cease, but it's ok to let loose for a minute. :) RIGHT?! Yoga, dodgeball, soccer, and kickboxing with a mix of massages in there should keep me content. Projects are always my favorite, so making routine boxes and care packages for this man of mine will be fun. Summer will be here before I know it and then BAM, he'll be home for the holidays.

Maybe just take this as a reminder to hug a military friend, acquaintance, family member, or even a complete stranger, and say thank you. It's not just the bullets they put themselves in front of, it's the raw human connections that they'd rather fight to protect first than enjoy. For those on this end that are awaiting their significant other, hang in there. That's the best comment or piece of advice I've heard so far. You don't have to ask how we are - you know already.. and don't tell us it'll be ok, because nothing is promised.. just say you'll pray for them, and to hang in there.

All in 2 days.
7 more months in counting..

Keep Calm & Carry On

Goodness y'all it's been a minute since I blogged!
Since Allison Dubois, my 1's still follow quietly in the background.. I just smile if I come across some ridiculous collaboration of the solo numbers. A lot has happened in the past couple months that is worthy of reflection and blogging in my opinion, so read on, nosy!

I kid..
Well, still at the agency and plan on being there for a bit - a long bit, for those reading from work. ;) I do miss the travel extremely and daily variables, but I can not complain. Something I want to highlight - I realize when I say pharmaceutical marketing, people automatically think pharma sales rep.. and that is sooo not what I do. I do not sell. I do not like selling, and if you were to tell me No to buying a random hand held case of pills, I'd say "very well" and walk away.

Now.. What I do is give those who have the natural knack of salesmanship, the reason behind why and how they sell. We make drugs look good. :) Not just drugs, but your aesthetician's $1000 serum they tell you your face needs, your plastic surgeon's brand new less invasive liposuction system they promise will create a new beauty out of you with, or even the new auto-retractable lens that you have surgically implanted for your robotic, eagle-eye sight. We create the brands and the stance behind all of those marketing tactics, in print, video, training, conferences - all pieces for the sales reps to use to sell to physicians and specialists, as well as consumers. We are under FDA and several regulatory team restrictions, which makes it a bummer at times, but also makes it a challenge to parts of the projects.. in what we can and can not do/say/claim/pitch etc. Brains and raw strategy in the pharmaceutical, health to cosmoceutical industries. THAT is what I manage, and that is what I'm doing currently. :) Now you understand a tip of the iceberg... enough to differentiate me from a sales rep. (Bless you sales reps!)

On another note, the movie Refuge from the Storm will be premiering in the Dominican Republic 11-11-11! Not in the US just yet (TBD), but post production just wrapped up this week in fact and the new trailer will be out towards the end of summer I believe. :D My 2 seconds and IMDb profile will live forever, but make sure to check out my wardrobe on everyone through the entire movie!!! Haha uber excited and will post trailers and updates as soon as they are released!

The most hectic part of the first half of 2011 was my relationship status..  this is the reason for the title of this blog, keep calm and carry on. I got that quote from a great friend that was with me/us through this keep calm part :) and needless to say, I made it through this quarter of a year, but not without a frenzy of emotions and conversations leading to crazed days of ups and downs. Everyone has one of those relationships, right? A lot of intense learning, and a LOT of learning yourself. I regret nothing; all took place for good reason, and I wish the best moving forward.

Carry on is the latter part of the phrase, and that's the part I'm enjoying. I've moved on and boy have I found myself in a place I don't want to jinx. :) Those that know me and the situation I'm frolicking in, may think perhaps too much too soon.. I say, when it's clear you know what you want and everything's on the table.. if it makes sense on every page you turn to.. . what are you waiting for? This is me not waiting. It makes perfect sense, and I am a lucky woman. ;P Gag, I know.. sorry.

Off topic, US Women's team lost to Japan and that is BS. We dominated the game and I absolutely love taking PK's, the pressure is awesome, but hate watching them - it does not tell you which team has more talent! Ridiculous that we missed so many, the focus was not there.. they toy with my emotions like that, so unfair. I am looking forward to Alex Morgan however, in the upcoming years!! Shout out.

To those I haven't spoken to in a while for whatever reason, please please keep in touch (as will I but I'm horrible at it I'm telling you up front). Whether you are from Refuge, the Dominican Rep, or football related.. I enjoy you - don't be a stranger. :)
A esos no he hablado en a un rato para permanece en contacto cualquier razon, por favor (lo siento, I'm horrible). Si usted es Refuge (pelicula), de la Dominicana, o futbol Americano relacionado. I enjoy you - don't be a stranger. :)

.....on to Thursday! It will be an amazing Thursday if I can get to sleep tonight... Fly Safe!

Dubois continued..

The last thought I had to add because I wouldn't be detailing the true Stacy if I missed this one.. :)

One of the first things that Allison told Mandi, was that she (Stacy) feels like Dr. Doolittle, because she is with every one of the deceased family pets: hamsters, guinea pigs, etc
(Hilarious.. Mandi lived on a farm and had a TON of odd pets between her and her brothers)

Still speechless, and pretty sure Mandi is slowly letting it all sink in. It certainly gives an entirely new perspective of death and those that have passed. It's still a human hardship that the brain can't wrap around, but death is just a little bit less scary and hopeless because of this experience. That's a good feeling.
If you want to visit Allison Dubois, her direct site is www.allisondubois.com to buy tickets. You can also 'Like' her on Facebook, to get her event updates and happenings, or to just support the coolest medium you know. www.facebook.com/allisonduboisfanpage

XO!

Allison Dubois.. I'm speechless.

So tonight I was present at perhaps the oddest most exciting event I have attended in a while. Mandi (my sister-in-law) met me in Irvine - her from LA, me from San Diego.. and went to a group reading with Allison Dubois. If you don't know the name, she is the real life story behind the TV show 'Medium' with Patricia Arquette, and she also made a cameo appearance on the Housewives of Beverly Hills as Camille Grammer's bff. The latter, she made a ruckus at a dinner party with her electric cigarette and badass attitude.. she seemed fun! So I found out when she would be visiting southern Cali and told Mandi that we were going to go see her work her claravoyent skills. Mind you that Mandi's mother passed away for reasons literally only God knows about 4 years ago. Closure has been hard to come by for her, so I figured.. why not!? Aside from number 1's haunting me, I thought perhaps this would be neat for both of us. Months in advance we bought our tickets. Well this evening was the show, and our group was about 60-70 people I'd say. Out of this group, only about 20 individuals were 'read'. Mandi was one of them. This is how it went: (everything in parinthesis is me adding my own 2 cents) and everything in "these" means a direct quote from Dubois herself..

The microphone was given to Mandi - they were chosing at random from around the room.
Mandi: My name is Mandi
Allison: Mandi with an 'i' (weird)
M: yes
A: who are you here for?
M: my mother
..that's the extent of Mandi's information.. from there on out for the next 10 minutes was Allison Dubois confirming her medium skills and talking to the deceased "on the other side"..

Allison giggled as she was "bringing her mom through".. and said while smiling, "oh, she isn't going to be hard to pull through at all.."
As she scribbled with pencil on a pad of white lined paper (this is SOP for her while she is speaking with those on the other side she says), she unloaded details to Mandi that her mother wanted her to know, or informaiton to validate it was really her.

 - she was blessed to have her as a child
 - she enjoys the walks
 - Mandi grew up too fast
 - she said Mandi was a precocious child
 - she remembers her as 9 years old, as HER daughter
 - she really likes Mandi's new car (she got a brand new BMW not too long ago)
 - she apologized for not making it physically to her wedding, but she was there.. "some place like Mexico" (Nick and Mandi got married in Cancun, Mexico) ((The wedding was almost right after her mom's passing, so this was the first of many huge events that hit Mandi really hard, post-passing))
 - she said "it wasn't supposed to be this way" (we still don't know how or why she died)
 - she didn't want to take up everyone's time (that was in the crowd) and pretty much apologized for coming through (so cute, and so Stacy!)
 - she said cats know when she's around, and to get one
 - she plays with Mandi's hair sometimes
 - she's in the stars, so when you're outside look up and she's there
 - she still likes to go shopping with Mandi and loves the sales - even though they have very different tastes (haha!)
 - she said she wasn't happy with the way her dad treats their relationship between them
 - she didn't want Mandi feeling like she was an orphan
 - "he's not doing a very good job and she is not happy about it"
 - her moms wedding ring is to go to Mandi, Mandi needs to get it from her dad
 - she was closer to Mandi when she was alive than her dad was at certain times
 - she enjoyed the songs they put together for her (mandi's assuming for her memorial)
 - she said "she was the wind beneath YOUR wings"
 - she likes watching old movies, so put some on for her
 - Christmas times were most special
 - Charlie Brown's Christmas.. watch it every year
 - she said even though she isn't here, to write her a mothers day card anyway (Mothers Day is this weekend)
 - she said she worries about Mandi not sleeping lately
 - she knows it's a hard year for Mandi, but assured her that she will make it through okay
 - she told her "don't be afraid to have children"
 - Mandi will have a long life ahead of her
 - she ended with butterfly kisses on mandi's cheeks and said she loved her

All of this was not in the order above except the last one. This is all that I remembered, and I'm sure there was maybe a bit more.. but almost every single one has a meaning specific to Mandi. She elaborated on most of them with me over dinner afterward.. I am speechless. Mandi is speechless. Nick is currently in New York for work, so there is some time to let it all sink in during this alone time. This is closure for her. Her mom is ok, and she said everything she needed to say. She may not have mentioned Mandi's siblings, but I explained in my opinion.. this was Mandi to Mom time - she was there for her.

I know some of you are thinking 99% of those topics anyone could choose and majority of a room would connect to it.. but when there are only 10 minutes to depict exact details and big events that mean so much to a stranger in a crowd, it's hard to believe she's making it all up. I wasn't a skeptic, but I like to see it in action. Some of the other stories were unfathomable the details that she had for these people she read. The confirmations with connecting details that those being read would affirm to everyone, was astonishing. Some were touching, some were silly. 
Example: Allison mentioned the deceased wanting a rock that said Believe on it.. the woman in the crowd said, "Yes,.. I have a rock that has Believe engraved on it, sitting on my desk". The woman continued through tears and said that she was jewish and explained that in memorium, it is tradition to throw a rock on the grave of the deceased.. and she felt incredibly awful for not yet doing that - and broke down bawling.

Stacy was real tonight and I know I had this crazy idea for a reason. That reason wasn't for me. Yes, these number 1's will still follow me but I wasn't supposed to find out tonight. Tonight was for Mandi, and I do believe her mom was standing in that line behind Allison, knowing we were on our way.

Now I'm not an advocate for psychics and I certainly don't live by any horoscope or suspicion and superstitions. Allison Dubois is however, checked out in my books. She's been studied at large and is very successful at the real deal readings with facts provided by those that have passed. Google her or read her books. Tonight was definitely a night to remember!



Love you MandiJo!
Time to think about cat names.

It's April already..

So I haven't read my last blog.. therefore I'm not sure where I was last I posted, however I know I was in the middle of the middle or what I was calling 'limbo'. Neither here nor there, and specifics weren't really specific. Reason I started this blog was to include those close to me into my whirlwind of happenings because they were coming and going so quick, so far outside my typical realm. I italicize typical because I really don't know what typical is.. in fact, I'm pretty sure I live my life to not have a typical. I digress..

Well as I wrapped the movie and stepped in to 2011, I had no real direction. I had all sorts of new doors I could try and run through even if they were only barely cracked. I wasn't sure which I should put all my energy towards so I was waiting. Instead of sprinting through a chosen door to find myself nose to brick with a wall that had been hidden behind that cracked door, I could have sworn it was an illusion. Or maybe the whole door was an illusion from the start. I don't know myself well enough to barge through a random door and start making promises. Who knows.. call it hesitation, insecurities, call it untrusting, call it just that awkward feeling I had that said just wait.. so I waited.

I waited long enough to have made a great big circle.. all the way back to the ad agency I was laid off at. This is the place that spit me out in time so I could find myself as a sports marketing vice president of a football league.. as a model, an actor, a costume designer.. a video game ambassador.. and as projects slowed, a freelancer..  Now? I am an employee of this fire to hire agency. Haha. After a year and a half, beginning March 21 I am full time employed again in the corporate world.

When my former now present colleagues ask me what I've been doing.. my response is feeling more and more like I'm just making up random facts. They ask me, What?! How?! and I just smile and nod. :) I've been given the chance to see more and learn beyond the wildest textbooks from such amazing opportunities and blessings.. all I can say is, "It's been crazy." The people, cultures, projects, expectations, rewards, relationships, and ultimately the new life views I've made my own.. are just so bold that now that I am in the shiny polished pair of shoes I was in before the whole whirlwind happened, I see it all differently. New approaches, new thoughts on humanity, on how I saw the same people I worked with before.. and what I feel I understand much differently now. Hm. Cool how that works. All a part of the big picture, I guess.

So I'm corporate now. Haha I'm in the suit from 9-5. That's crazy.. but I'm still waiting.

Life is a series of projects. Since my title is now ironically Project Manager.. the projects I'm working on outside of the agency:
 - writing a novel and screenplay of my cousin's life, mi prima. Mi adopted prima. It has begun. With an amazing writer, an amazing life story, and myself, us 3 will be meeting twice a month to interview and script such live details into what will be a life-changing story. I am ecstatic about this because it's all a God thing. Like my whirlwind, He's moving chess pieces here, the owner and ultimate champion of this game of life is moving me. It's fun. It's fun to trust and not know what the outcome will be. Fun!

 - Whitfield and all he entails. Ha! Helping him conquer the world through football.. Thursday, April 28th will provide a stamp on his life's passport for sure. Til then, nonstop gears churning and working for him in the US!! I shall provide support and a helping hand in sanity. Giggle. Sanity. As much as I can at least.

 - all the tidbits that make up the in between gaps and breaths amidst all else, well those are fun too. Just, TBD.

Fun fact of the day: Adele (the singer and both albums) is incredibe. I want to steal her voice.

That is all.. Pay it forward this week to/for someone.
God is Love.


RevRun.


Kidding.. about the RevRun. :)
Xo