Little Loves: Wire Baskets

Once again, thanks to my dear friend Jessica, I have a new love. Wire baskets. Too cute. Jessica pointed them out to me at Funtiques in Springfield and I've since ran across a couple. It seems like I have too many things in my apartment and they're a cute way to contain things.

 

This wire basket was a thrifting steal. $1.99. Can't beat that! It is now the home of my random pieces of fabric.

I found this sea foam green basket at an adorable new store in Washington called The Painted Home.  It was a bit pricier but I couldn't resist.

I think I shall store my penpal letters and cards in this lovely basket.

Tuesday Tunes: Sara Bareilles

You guys, I'm finally going to see Sara Bareilles in concert!! Ahhh, so excited!! She's amazing. This weekend I got tickets for me, Scott, and a coworker to see her October 16 at The Pageant in St. Louis. Can't freakin' wait!

If you haven't checked it out yet, watch this fantastic video of her song Brave. You won't regret it.

Mobile Link

Monday in the Mail: Cards, Postcards, Sand, & Letters

My penpals have been good to me lately! In the past couple of weeks I've gotten some gems in the mail and I just had to share!

My bestie from high school, Kaylan, now lives in Arkansas with her husband. We used to send cards back and forth occasionally in college and we decided to start again as a fun way to keep in touch. She sent the heart card in the upper left-hand corner.

A good friend from college, Shayla, is now a teacher and we've also become penpals. She sent me a fun note on her teacher paper!

I particularly like this card from my friend Cali. You can probably tell why. She always finds the best cards to send!

And last but not least, a post card from Tori. She visited the Outer Banks and sent me "a piece of the sea."

I love snail mail!

Green Bay Bound...

Later today my mother and I will be leaving to head to Green Bay, Wisconsin so that we can say goodbye to my dear friend Kelly Jo.  I've been trying to prepare myself for her funeral services as I know it will be very difficult and mentally exhausting. However, I'm very grateful to be going and celebrating her beautiful life with her family and friends.  Over the past week, I've realized how many amazing people KJ had the honor of calling her friends.  Several have reached out to me and I'm so thankful that we can all come together for support even if we don't know each other. I'm excited to meet her LA friends as well as reconnect with her high school friends that I met so many years ago. I can't wait to listen to all of their Kelly Jo stories.  Traveling to Green Bay one more time will be bittersweet. We made many fun memories there together; it was a home-away-from-home. I ask for continued prayers for her family and friends as we try to say goodbye.

Kelly Jo's beautiful obituary

Fundraiser in memory of Kelly Jo 

Sweet Kelly Jo

It's with a heavy heart that I write this post. I received horrible news on Saturday that one of my dearest friends passed away unexpectedly Friday night.  I'm not sure I even know how to begin to process this incredible loss. 

I mentioned before a little about how I met Kelly Jo as a 6 year old in Branson, MO and later traveled to visit her in LA in 2005.  I also talked about how she was my original penpal. We exchanged countless letters, postcards, [Lisa Frank] stickers, pictures, laughs, inside jokes, "AOL messenger" chats, and later phone calls, Facebook messages, and texts throughout the years. It absolutely blows my mind that I will not get to make new memories with her. But man, did we make some darn good ones!

I spent the majority of Sunday scouring my apartment for pictures and letters from KJo; I couldn't satisfy my need to feel close to her. I shed many tears, smiled many smiles, and laughed many laughs as I went through this ginormous and amazing pile of letters.

 

 

From the very first postcard in 1992:

 

 

To her last handwritten message after we both graduated from high school in 2004:

 

 

Going through those letters Sunday, I saw our friendship evolve into something powerful and unshakable.  From "What is your cat's name and what is your favorite color?", "What do you want for Christmas?", "I got a new beanie baby for my birthday" to "Sorry I haven't written lately, things have been hectic. My mom found out she has breast cancer for the 2nd time." I was also reminded of her beautiful, hilarious soul. In basically all of her school pictures, she had food stuck in her teeth. On the back of one pictures, she wrote "SHUT UP! I KNOW YOU'RE LAUGHING RIGHT NOW!" She would also make up crazy acronyms and write them all over the envelopes ("NAFAI"= Need Advice Fast About Ian!) She talked extensively about her love for dance, her family & friends, and her dream to move to LA, attend UCLA, and pursue her dream to act and model. And I'm so glad I got to see her follow her heart fearlessly.

 

If we were being honest, Kelly Jo and I didn't exactly know how long we've known each other. In later letters, she asked for my version of how we met because she only knew what her mom had told her. I couldn't really give her any details without asking my parents. It was just one of those things. We've known each other for as long as we could remember. And she was my best friend forever.

 

I'm so thankful for our parents allowing us to see each other as often as they did.  The memories and photos I have with Kelly Jo are absolutely priceless and dear to my heart.

 

After first meeting in Branson, we weren't able to see each other again until 7th grade when her parents drove through my town on a vacation. 

 

Shortly afterwards, my family traveled to Milwaukee so that I could go to an N'Sync concert with Kelly Jo. We began taking trips to see each other every summer; I'd spend a week with her in Green Bay and she'd spend a week with me in Missouri. Those weeks always went by way too fast.



(This was a themed high school dance she went with me to, we didn't really dress like this...)

 

 

During one of her visits, my family took us to Branson and we visited the pool where we met.

 

I'm so thankful for these memories. And I was so glad we could always pick up right were we left off the next time we talked or saw each other.

 

As her family and friends grieve and prepare to lay Kelly Jo to rest next week, I ask for prayers for these amazing people. I am honored to have known Kelly Jo for so long and to have met her wonderful family and friends in Green Bay. We are all better people for having known this beautiful, sweet woman. She brought such a light and joy to our lives and Heaven gained an Angel when they welcomed her this weekend. I hope she teaches them all how to speak with a northern accent like she did me and I pray that they have Cheeseheads and toothpicks up there.

 



 Kelly Jo, I'm quoting you when I say "UR2Sweet2B4Got10." I love you Jo sister. I can't wait to see you again.

 

KJKL
1985-2013

 

For anyone interested in helping her family with funeral costs, her friends from California set up a donation site in memory of Kelly Jo.

 

 





Fair time!

Please excuse my absence as I attend our [5 day long!!] fair!  Last night we saw REO Speedwagon and Thursday night we saw country music singer Justin Moore.

I'll leave you with a pic of me and Scott from last year...the REO Speedwagon concert got rained out last year so they came back this year!

Currently Reading: A Pug's Guide to Etiquette

So technically I'm not reading this book "currently," but I wanted to dedicate a post to it. I got this book in Chicago and quickly had it read within the first hour of the train home.

I love pugs. They have amazing personalities and they're so stinking funny.  My family was blessed enough to have one in our lives for about 6 years. 

Edgar chose us. He just walked up to my mom in the driveway one day, followed her into the house, and stayed. He was the best dog with the goofiest habits. Edgar had a lot of health issues and, unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to him this past winter. It was one of the hardest days ever and I still miss him so much. But he's still with me. Literally. Sometimes I still find his hair in random places. :) I love those little reminders.

I think that's why I love this book so much. It's sweet, funny, and all of it is true. Some of the things reminded me so much of Edgar. Definitely tugged at my heartstrings.

If you have an affinity for pugs or have ever owned one, you need to read this book. It will make you smile and appreciate what an awesome dog you have.