Saturday Sweetness Vol. 4

Hello There, Sweet Friends!
I hope you woke up this morning well-rested and that you have a fabulous rest of the weekend! I happened to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6:30, so I figured "Let's just get the day started." I thought today I could share with y'all some of the past jobs I had before the Army and then Mama-Hood. Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we? *Note* All of these jobs are in Houston, TX, because, well, that's where I'm from, folks.
Yee-haw.

This week's topic:

Some of Bri's Prior Jobs

********************

Hostess at Goode Co. Seafood

Let me just start off by saying, "Um, Yum!" If you like seafood, this place is "TheBomb.Com." Haha! I have never before used that word to describe anyplace in my life, since I'm 30 years old, but if ever I was going to use it, it would be for Goode Co. Seafood. They seriously have the best seafood, hands-down, that I've ever had. I go to other places, and it's like "Wah-wah." There is this amazing seafood salsa-like campechana served with tortilla chips that is amazing. I know you're thinking "Seafood salsa? Only in Texas." Yeah, that's right kids. :) And you would love it. They have amazing empanadas, shrimp po-boys and when the crawfish are in season; watch out! That place is packed! My very favorite thing on the menu: Seafood Gumbo. And this isn't any broth-y gumbo. This gumbo is thick and creamy and served with seafood rice and is just amazingly delish! I ordered gumbo at another restaurant one time, thinking all gumbo was the same. When they brought out this wimpy broth, I wanted to cry. Lesson learned the hard way. Besides the amazing food, half of the restaurant is an old train car, so when you go in, you can ask to sit in the train car, or "outside," which is still technically inside the building, just not on the cool side. Goode Co. also has a Hamburger & Taqueria restaurant, which serves the most amazing Mexican food! It sits right next door to the seafood restaurant and across the street, they have a Bar-B-Q restaurant and The Armadillo Palace, a restaurant and live music venue. There is like a 10-foot armadillo out front. Texans do it up, big. Seriously, Goode Co. has the most amazing food in Houston! I go every time I head back to my hometown!

********************

Framer at Hobby Lobby

Wow, who doesn't love Hobby Lobby? I didn't when I worked there as a senior in high school, haha. I'm kidding. I swear, every bit of my paycheck went into buying stuff from the store. I worked to feed my crafting habits. It's the perfect job for a scrapbook addiction. I actually worked in the framing department, which was an interesting job, and I enjoyed it. We got to help people pick out matting and frames for their photos and artwork. I did not, however, enjoy doing large shadowboxes, like for football jerseys. Oh, my goodness! I don't know if any of y'all have ever done a small shadowbox for baby stuff or kids' stuff, but a gigantic shadowbox for a man's football jersey? The sewing alone is tedious, then when that's done, trying to get all the fuzzies out from behind the glass, so you can seal it up! Torture! One piece of fuzz... Open it up... Blow it away... Close it up... Two pieces of fuzz! I die... Seriously... Haha! I had fun working with my friends, though, and it was a good working experience. And I definitely know how to mat and frame a photo.
Need any advice?

********************

Front Desk Receptionist at 24Hour Fitness

This job I loved. I worked the 5am to 1pm shift. Really early mornings, but I got off so early, that I had the rest of the day to get things done. I really loved those hours! What's not to love about working at a gym? Super comfy uniform: gym shirt, comfy black pants of your choice and tennis shoes of your choice. (Do y'all say sneakers? Never have.) For about three hours in the morning, I had the regulars - the people who had been there for years. They knew more about my job than me, so when I walked around the gym to get my daily tasks done, they knew to scan their cards and grab a towel. Great people. And because of those early hours, I was able to get those tasks done: check the chlorination level of the pool, wipe down stand-up tanning booth, check those bulbs, wash towels, check locker rooms, refill soaps, check equipment, replace whatever was out of place, organize merchandise... easy peasy. I loved it. What's so hard about being that smiley face at the door, when people walk in? Nothing. :) I also had a free gym membership with access to any gym, and I also had access to all the eye candy. (She says with a smirk.) I remember some of those faces, haha.

What are some jobs y'all had? Anything interesting?

Photo Sources:
Goode Co.
Goode Co.
Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby
24Hour Fitness
24Hour Fitness

Saturday Sweetness Vol. 3

Hey, Sweet Friends!

Bri, here, and I'm back with this week's Saturday Sweetness!
I love to travel, so I thought I would share some of my favorite places I've ever been. Places I have returned to and/or plan to return to. We all have those places we randomly find on a roadtrip, that we come across, make sure the doors are locked and immediately think of the nearest escape route, as the banjo music starts playing in our heads. These are not those kinds of places, sweet friends.

This week's topic:
Bri's 3 Favorite Places in the World

***********************************

Estes Park, Colorado


I first visited this town when I was young. My parents used to take us camping in Colorado every summer, and one year we camped outside of Estes Park. A few years back, my husband and I went to visit my dad, who lives in Denver, and we took a drive up to Estes Park for the day. We visited the Stanley Hotel, where The Shining was filmed (yes, we had a lot of orbs in our photos!), had lunch in town, walked up and down the main strip to go souvenir shopping, admired and photographed the elk, who walk freely among the town, but kept our distance. (I'm not going to try my luck at seeing if I can outrun an elk.) It's a beautiful little town, with fantastic little shops, cozy restaurants, hosts campsites nearby, sits outside the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park (which is gorgeous in and of itself - you really must go see the beauty that park has to offer!), and is simply a little gem just hidden in the mountains of Colorado. Every time we visit my dad, Estes Park is on top of our to-do list. And it is most definitely my very favorite place in the world. What can I say? I'm a mountain girl.

Haleiwa, Hawaii


Ah, Haleiwa... (Pronounced Holly-ay-vuh). My second favorite place in the world and completely opposite from the mountains. The beach! On the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. I fell in love with Haleiwa, when I was stationed there. It soon became my very favorite place to go on the island. The water on that side of the island wasn't as choppy as the rest (or I should say on the particular beach I went to, it wasn't as choppy), so there wasn't a lot of surfing going on. And the main attraction on the island was Waikiki, so Haleiwa was a pretty chill place to hang out and relax. I got a chance to people-watch a lot there. I really missed my family, and I got to see a lot of Hawaiian families hanging out together on the beach, having cook-outs and birthday parties, etc. There was also a family who set up a tent and roasted chickens. You could buy a whole chicken, which were amazing, by the way, and a to-go carton of sticky rice, and drive to the beach and have a great lunch. Yum! Miss that beach!

Las Vegas, Nevada


You knew I would have to throw in a big city, right? I have only been to Vegas once, and that was almost 10 years ago. Back in the day, when a friend and I would buy concert tickets to see Billy Idol play at a hotel in Vegas and decide to fly out and make a weekend of it. What else do you do, when you're newly 21, with no cares in the world, and dying to see your favorite 80's icon? Duh... So, is Vegas the city that never sleeps? The city of lights? The city where they supposedly pump oxygen into the casinos, so people get high on life and don't need to sleep? I'm pretty sure it's all of the above, and that makes it fan-freakin'-tastic! Or is it sin city? They did have a ton of baseball-card-like nekkid lady calling cards for escort/hooker/whatever you want to call them ALL over the place, even folded up in the fences. I was like, really? On a baseball card? We almost started a collection, haha. Anyway. We had a blast! Everything is bright and colorful and exciting! Food is cheap, souvenirs are abundant, casinos are loud, the air is dry - I loved it! Plus, Billy Idol was there! Make it all happen again, and I'm down!

What cities or towns make your Top 3 list? Are any of my 3 on your list?

Saturday Sweetness Vol. 2

Hello There, Sweet Friends!

I hope your long weekend is treating you well. I've been enjoying some lazy mornings with my boys, and we are gearing up for some football tonight with some "Game Day" food. I'm also totally dressing my dogs up in their football gear, as well. Yes, I'm going to be doing a post on that, so you can enjoy the ridiculousness, as much as I will be. :)



On to Saturday Sweetness...

I thought this week, I would share some of my favorite albums with y'all.

Not just albums by my favorite artists, but albums that I seriously like every.single.song.on.the.record. It could literally play over and over, and I wouldn't really have a problem with it. So...

This week's topic:

Bri's Top 3 Album Picks

That She Could Listen To Over And Over And Over Again



********************



Maroon 5

Songs About Jane

Source

What can I say about this album? I remember when I first started to hear their songs on the radio; I thought they were friggin' amazing! I loved everything about their music. They had this cool sound, that to me, was both sort of jazzy cool and chill at the same time. I don't know how to describe it. You've heard their music before. Or you haven't. And if you haven't; I suck as a critic, haha. I just really like Maroon 5's sound. Their music has a cool sexiness to it, and I totally dig it. I have their other albums, as well. "Songs About Jane" just happens to be my fave. And my favorite song on the album? Sunday Morning. Love, Love, Love it. And it doesn't hurt that the lead singer, Adam Levine, isn't that bad to look at. Mmm...Mmm...Mmm! :) Who doesn't like a sexy, tattooed, bad-boy with a voice and a guh-reat smile?



********************



Kalaeloa

Let the Good Times Roll



Source



I know you're probably thinking right now - Kalaeloa? Who? Well, they just happen to be a little Hawaiian duo I discovered while I was stationed there a while back. One thing I really miss about Hawaii is the Hawaiian music on the radio stations. I mean, where else are you going to hear new Hawaiian bands straight off the islands? They're not playing them in Nashville; that's for sure! Anyway. One thing about Hawaiian men; they love to sing about how much they love their women. That's how I came across this album. I heard the song "Kiss Me in the Morning" on the radio and thought it would be the perfect song for our Hawaiian wedding! I bought the album and never looked back. I love every single song and put it on any time I'm feeling nostalgic for those fun drives around the island with our windows rolled down and hair blowing all around. You can download it from iTunes. I highly recommend it!



********************



Jimmy Eat World

The Middle



Source



Ah, Jimmy! How I love Jimmy Eat World! What a fun band! And I am just realizing that besides my wedding song album, both albums are from right around after I graduated high school and was going to lots of concerts. Maroon 5 Concert - Check. Jimmy Eat World Concert - Check. This album rocks, except for one really sad song. (I think it's about someone who passed away. Sad, I know!) Unfortunately, I usually skip through it, because it kinda brings me down in the middle of rockin' in the car or rockin' while I'm cleaning the house. Poor little Debbie Downer song. I do know the words to it, though. I just completely love the album! I know every single word to every single song and could play it for days! It makes me laugh to remember being at the concert and thinking the lead singer plays his guitar really funny - or shall I say - he looks really funny while he plays it. And he wouldn't care that I said that. He would just throw money in my face and say, "Hahaha, that funny-looking way I play guitar took me to the bank!" And it's true. Touche', Jimmy Eat World lead singer, touche'. By the way, did any of you see them on Yo Gabba Gabba? I just about peed my pants when I saw them flying through the air on the backs of fluffy animals. Oh yes, almost forgot - favorite song - it's a tie - The Middle, of course and Get It Faster.



Maybe another time, I'll do a country Top 3 version, because you know I have one of those, too!



What's on your Top 3 Album Picks List?

Saturday Sweetness Vol. 1

I thought I would do a little series on the bloggy-poo here on Saturdays to let people know a little about me: Things I Like, Things I Don't Like, Little-Known Facts, etc. You know, just three little things a week to say - Here Ya' Go - Get to Know Bri - Just 3 Lil' Bits at a Time.

Thus, Saturday Sweetness was born.



This week's topic:

Bri's Sayings





Rethink Your Situation

This is usually said to my dogs or my toddler when they are about to do something wrong; i.e. jump or stand on my couch (both dogs & toddler), chew a toy (dogs), sit on the coffee table (toddler). You get the picture. It is sort of used as a warning, kind of a precursor, you could say, to a punishment, thus giving the perpetrator the chance to correct their wrongdoing before getting in trouble, haha. I honestly don't know where I came up with it, but it has stuck, and I like it! It's catchy. Rethink Your Situation. Use it. It works. Dogs don't understand it, but they get your tone, if you say it right.



Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fire

This is used in lieu of Holy S%#!, and we all know why. I have a toddler, and it's not good to cuss. It's not very lady-like, or very Christian-like. And let's be honest; hearing someone say, "Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire" is pretty funny. And we all know where I got it from. If you haven't heard the song before, do yourself a favor and download it on iTunes. It's a cuh-lassic. Don't Google the singer's history, though, because you will find out that he married his underage cousin, and that's just not very Christian-like people...but I digress.



Geez Oh Peez

This is said all the time. Usually when I'm exasperated. That is mostly caused by the hubs putting his laundry in that one spot on the floor by the bed, instead of that one place where it goes...you know...the laundry basket. Or it's said when I'm comfy on the couch, and one of my three loving dogs is comfy on the floor below my feet, and then the garbage gas starts leaking out of his or her butt for the next hour. *Puke* Or when my toddler goes to throw something away and comes back into the living room with the garbage can lid in his hands, placing it on the coffee table. Things like that call for a "Geez Oh Peez."