A New Chapter

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on my life. For those of you who don't know, I have applied to Western Kentucky University, in Bowling Green, KY where I plan to pursue a degree in Performing Arts. I have sent in my application and my requests for my transcripts to be sent, so now it is just a waiting game. I am actually very excited about this. I know that my life is about to change drastically, in addition to all of the changes that have gone one in the last several months, and I am excited to see what comes next. My parents are probably about to move to South Carolina where my dad will be taking on the position of pastor at a church down there, and I, hopefully, will be moving back to Kentucky within the next 6 months. As I have said, it is all very exciting, but also very scary. I am excited because this is yet another chapter to my book, and I am interested to see where all of this leads me, but I am also scared because this is so different from everything I know. When it is all said and done though, I know that this is leading me to where God wants me to be, and that is a very comforting thought.

My Favorite....

Movies:

Steel Magnolias
Wizard of Oz
Dirty Dancing
Harry Potter series
Ocean's Eleven
The Family Stone
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
Italian Job


Books:


Harry Potter series
Twilight!!!! series
anything Mary Higgins Clark
The Good Earth
House of the Scorpion


TV Shows:

Alias
24
Grey's Anatomy
Monk
Will and Grace
Golden Girls
Gilmore Girls
Supernatural!!!
The Tudors
Hell's Kitchen
Ghost Whisperer
Smallville


Music:

Carrie Underwood
Gavin DeGraw
Hairspray soundtrack
Mamma Mia soundtrack
Chicago soundtrack
Aerosmith
Kelly Clarkson


Things To Do:

Read
Go to the movies
Spending time with friends
Listening to my iPod
Road trips
Painting pottery
Horseback riding
Cooking and baking
Making up my own recipes
Buying new clothes
Being pampered
Car shopping
Learning new things
Take pictures
Decorate cakes
Blog (when I have a good topic)
Go to Disney World


Quotes:

Steel Magnolias

"There's so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money."
-Truvy

"You are too twisted for color tv." -Ouiser Boudreaux

"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." -Clairee Belcher

Annelle: We are in the house of the Lord!
Clairee Belcher: A lot she cares. Ousier's never done a religious thing in her life.
Ouiser Boudreaux: Now that is not true. When I was in school, a bunch of my friends and I would dress up as nuns and go bar-hoppin'.

"Ouiser, you sound almost chipper. What happened today-you run over a small child or something?" -Clairee Belcher

Will and Grace

Jack: For your information, most people who meet me do not know that I am gay.
Will: Jack, blind and deaf people know you're gay. Dead people know you're gay.
Jack: Grace, when you first met me, did you know I was gay?
Grace: My dog knew

"Good Lord. I can't believe I'm at a public pool. Why doesn't somebody just pee directly on me."
-Karen

"Would it have killed you to acknowledge that he exists, or were you too busy high-kickin' it with Nicole Kidman at the Moulin Rouge?" -Jack, to Will about Elliot

GRACE: You know, it's strange how things have changed for the two of us over the last year. KAREN: Hmm.
GRACE: I'm a married lady giving out dating advice. Now you're the single girl, starting your life over.
KAREN: Mm-hmm.
GRACE: I like it
KAREN: I hate it.
GRACE AND KAREN: [BOTH] I know you do.

68 Little-Known Facts About Me

1. I frequently wake up in the middle of the night craving orange juice.
2. I don't eat candy because it rots your teeth.
3. I don't drink milk by itself.
4. I find plain chocolate to be disgusting.
5. If I could have any super power, I would be able to conjure fire from thin air. This would enable me to throw fire balls at the backs of stupid people's heads.
6. I have read all 7 of the Harry Potter books at least 3 times.
7. I can't eat perfectly "well-done" cookies. They have to be undercooked by at least 2 minutes, and I can't eat them after they have completely cooled off.
8. I only eat chocolate chip cookies and I have to have sweet tea when I eat them. No milk thanks.
9. I can only eat oreos dipped in milk.
1o. My favorite cereal is banana nut crunch.
11. If I could be any fictional character from a tv show, I would have to go with Sydney Bristow (Alias), Jason Bourne (Bourne series), or Jack Bauer (24).
12. When I was little, I wanted to be an OB/GYN. The thought of delivering babies fascinates me still.
13. I heart fruit. A lot. I would rather eat a bowl of fruit salad than a bowl of ice cream.
14. I'm not really a big junk food eater.
15. After much deliberation and determination of what will make me happy, I have decided to return to school to major in performing arts; concentration acting.
16. My life goals are to become a famous actress and win an Oscar.
17. Believe it or not, I am aware that number 16 is a LONG shot, but I feel as though I won't ever be truly happy until I know whether or not I can do it.
18. I am a HUGE hypochondriac. Tell me about a disease and its symptoms, and in a week I will have decided that I have it.
19. If I could have any car, it would be either a BMW M3 or an Audi TT.
20. I am deathly afraid of guns, but I like to shoot them nonetheless.
21. My favorite color changes day to day. Right now I am all about yellow and black, but a constant is red.
22. I DO NOT play sports. I like to watch them, but I DO NOT play them.
23. I am deathly afraid of rodents. If I see/hear one, I start shaking and almost cry. I would seriously rather encounter a giant anaconda than a 2 ounce mouse. It's a true phobia.
24. I loved my grandfather more than any other person in the world. He died 4 years ago, and more often than not it still feels like yesterday.
25. When I was little, I wanted to be a twin more than anything. I just thought it would be the coolest thing in the world to have someone in my life who looked exactly like me. Well, there is nothing I can do to change the fact that I am not a twin, so long ago I decided that I would have the next best thing: twin daughters. The desire to have twin girls is still very much alive and well today.
26. I cannot sing. As much as I would love to be able to belt it out like Carrie Underwood or Celine Dion, I was not blessed with a rockin set of vocal cords. Very sad day.
27. Despite number 26, I was blessed with many other talents. For starters, I am an excellent public speaker. Speaking in front of a large audience has never been a fear for me, quite the opposite. In addition, I have also been blessed with the ability to act which is something I thoroughly enjoy and am looking forward to going to school to do this.
28. I don't really watch a lot of tv. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of favorite shows, it's just that I am too busy to watch them when they air, so I either watch them online or buy them on dvd.
29. SOME of my favorite tv shows are alias, supernatural, monk, greys anatomy, gilmore girls, and golden girls.
30. I can quote Power Rangers: The Movie.
31. I collect Wizard of Oz memorabilia.
32. Life doesn't get any better than fresh pineapple.
33. I enjoy cooking. I like to try new recipes and come up with my own variations.
34. My life was complete before I read the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I can only hope that my life will be half as cool as falling in love with a vampire and having a werewolf for a best friend.
35. I like art. Mostly abstract. I don't really own any right now, but I hope to become a collector soon.
36. My 2 best friends are Leslie and Ashley. They are the greatest and even though I don't see them at all anymore, I still think about them daily.
37. I greatly enjoy the world of fiction. I am an avid Harry Potter fan, as well as a now-imcomplete follower of the Twilight series. There's just something about getting lost in the world of make believe that I just can't get enough of.
38. The top 3 songs being played on my iPod right now are In Love with a Girl by Gavin DeGraw, Crazy in Love by Beyonce, and Misery Business by Paramore.
39. My generic cell phone ring is Last Name by Carrie Underwood.
40. If I could be friends with any 3 celebrities (girls) they would have to be Amanda Bynes, Carrie Underwood, and Mandy Moore. Okay 4, Alexis Bledel. They just seem to be very nice, down to earth, level-headed people.
41. As for the boys, I would have to go with Jared Padalecki, Robert Pattinson (he plays Edward Cullen, hello!), and Michael Phelps.
42. I think the most brilliant actresses on the planet would have to be Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Reese Witherspoon, and Sandra Bullock. I also love Jennifer Garner and Gwyneth Paltrow.
43. My male favorites are Matt Damon, George Clooney, Dermot Mulroney, Bruce Willis, and Michael Vartan.
44. When I was in high school, I had every intentions of marrying Lance Bass (from NSYNC), but then he decided to date boys and that kind of ruined it.
45. At the moment, it is 5:16 am and I am still not sleepy. Dang it!
46. It takes a lot to offend me.
47. I have 2 younger siblings named Stevie and Luke. Stevie, my sister, is 17 and Luke, my brother, is 12.
48. My dad is a minister and my mom is a teacher.
49. I have many nicknames that I have acquired over the years. There's the most recent Shea Mary, then Sheafers, Shealee, SheaBaby, Shea of Sunshine, Shea Bay, and the list goes on.
50. I just can't get enough of it when people say "Hey Shea! Oh hey, that rhymed." (Note the sarcasm) Drip, Drip, Drip
51. I am very good at spelling. My grammar is impeccable and my vocabulary endless.
52. I love going to the movies.
53. My two favorite places in the world (so far and that I've been to) are Gatlinburg and Disney World. One day I would really like to go to Europe and New York. I would also really like to go to Australia.
54. I'm not really a big fan of the beach. I like to go maybe one day a year, and then I am done. I am over the being covered in sand and potential of man-eating sharks in the water. No thanks.
55. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches are my favorite.
56. I love love love to eat Mexican and Italian. They are the best!!!
57. The mall is not my idea of a good time.
58. Crab legs are quite yummy.
59. I like to take pictures. I would really like to become the proud owner of a digital SLR camera, but alas, that will have to wait.
60. In my opinion, Pizza Hut has the best bread sticks. They are just so awesome!
61. I love big dogs, particularly Great Danes and Rottweilers. I'm not really a small dog person. They're cute and all, but nah!
62. When I was younger, I was a clogger. One of our dances was to the Michael Jackson song Ease on Down the Road. Another dance was to the song Sold by John Michael Montgomery. Good times.
63. I am a girly-girl but I also like to get dirty. And I'm not afraid of bugs.
64. I have a necktie fetish. For some reason, I just really have a thing for neckties.
65. I love learning new things and expanding my horizon. I like to obtain as much knowledge as I can. It's not about being smart, it's about being a more well-rounded individual.
66. I like the smell of a flame that has just been blown out.
67. At this stage in my life, I have decided that I am not interested in dating. I'm not ready to get married and would rather not expend my energy into a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. Instead, I would just rather have as many friends as possible and focus on enjoying my life.
68. My mother almost named me Martha Faye. Or was it Martha Kaye. Either way, I think I would have just told people to call me "Hippo."

Life's Choices

There comes a time in a person's life when he or she has to decide their own path. We all have our own desires. Desires that burn deep and either have to be fulfilled or let die. Some people want to be doctors. Some dancers. Some lawyers, or teachers, or chefs, or musicians. And then there are those of us who want to be stars. Of course, that's the path I have chosen. In recent years, I have put a lot of thought into what would make me happy. Is it teaching? Is in advertising? Is it in retail management? While I think I could easily be happy in each of these, the burning desire of my heart is to become an actress. There are many times when I am sitting and watching a movie or tv show that I insert myself and my own character into the show, and then I go on to think about the acceptance speech I would give at the awards show for that performance. Yes, I'm the girl nobody has heard of, and yet she has an awards show acceptance speech already planned out. That's me, awards show acceptance speeches....never leave home without one.

Hell Hath No Fury Like Gordon Ramsay

The kitchen was hot as Christina, the culinary student from Missouri, and Petrozza, the catering director from North Carolina, battled it out in Hell's Kitchen. Two worthy opponents battling it out for the chance to be the new executive chef at Gordon Ramsay's new restaurant, London West Hollywood. A position worth a quarter of a million dollars.

The two opponents started out the evening choosing their team of competitors. Petrozza, having one the last challenge, was rewarded by being first to choose his first team member. Up for grabs are Ben, Corey, Lou Ross, Jen, Bobby, and Matt. Bobby is first pick, followed by Corey, who is chosen by Christina. Petrozza chooses Ben next, which is followed by Christina choosing Lou Ross, leaving Matt and Jen to be the last two standing. Tough call for both teams. Had it been me, I would have said no thank you to both of them! But alas, they each have to take one. Petrozza's turn to pick next, and after debating which is the lesser of two evils, he pulls Jen to be on his team; Christina happily takes Matt.

This is where the heat really kicks in and things really start to get interesting. While Ben and Bobby are eager to do everything they can to help Petrozza win, Jen is none too happy to be returning to the show as a team player and not a team captain. Of course, one of the more interesting things said on the show was when Jen said something like this:
"I know that I was picked next to last because I am one of the best cooks in this competition and they didn't want to be outshined by me."
She also had the nerve to ask Chef Ramsay for a letter of recommendation. Needless to say, he didn't say yes. Jen, I think it's safe to say that it's time to get a clue. You suck as a cook. You suck as a person and you need to freaking get over yourself!

On the flip side, we have Corey and Lou Ross who are very excited to be back in Hell's Kitchen supporting Christina and eager to do their best to help her win. The same, however, cannot be said for Matt who told his fellow cooks, as well as Christina and Chef Ramsay himself to "shut up" and let him cook. Let him cook? Get a grip Matt. You don't know how. Let us all take a moment to think back to the episode when he suggested that they serve "sushi on a tortilla" at a girls' 16th birthday dinner.

The evening gets even hotter as each of the kitchens run into their fair share of obstacles. Over in Christina's kitchen, she has trouble getting Matt to actually cook his fish, meanwhile steaks come back to the window cold. Petrozza is not without problems of his own. As if just having Jen on his team were not enough, he can't get her to produce him a decent onion ring. In addition, both Bobby and Jen announce that they are out of ingredients needed for two different appetizers. Because they wouldn't be in the top 2 if they couldn't, they both recover from each of their individual problems and cruise on to serve the last of their 13 tables.

And now the moment we've all been waiting for. Christina and Petrozza are finally called to Chef Ramsay's office where he gives them the traditional pep talk. It was during this time that I actually thought that Chef Ramsay was going to pull rank and present them both with offers they couldn't refuse. After all, really, they both deserved it. But, alas, he did not. Instead, he instructed them to take their respective positions in front of their doors, place their hands on the handles, and open the doors on the count of three. As a reminder, both door handles turn, but only one of them will open. The one that opens leads the winner out into the dining room to be presented to family and friends. Chef Ramsay counts to three, they turn their handles, Christina proceeds through her door out into the dining room of cheering family, friends, and Hell's Kitchen production staff. In the end, Chef Ramsay said he thought Christina not only had the most potential, but had the most potential long-term.

Until next time folks, remember, it's not real, it's just reality!!

My Current Reality

Just to give everyone a small update on my life. This past weekend my parents went to a town in East TN where they met with the personnel committee of a church. They met with them on Saturday, and on Sunday dad preached. Dad was basically told that if he preached well, it was pretty much a done deal. We shall see. The committee is supposed to meet tonight (wednesday) and call dad with a verdict. I will keep you posted on that.

As for me, I really don't know. I jus keep thinking to myself "didn't we just do this? did we not just move from kentucky to atlanta thinking that THIS is where God wanted us?" WHAT IS GOING ON? Well, I do have a choice about whether or not I am going to move. I can stay here with my aunt and uncle and live with them and go to school. I just don't know. Once again I am waiting on a giant billboard to magically appear and say "SHEA, DO THIS." Alas, that is probably not going to happen, sad day. So, that is where I stand in my life today. When that changes, I will let you know. Until next time everybody, remember: It's not real, it's just reality.

"I can't believe I picked the guy with the pink shoelaces!!"

It was down to the final rose ceremony. Two men with two rings. One woman with only one rose. Who's it going to be? Jason, the single dad with a steady career, looks that could win him an Oscar, and a smile to melt half the female population, or Jesse, the long-haired snowboarder who is funny, charming, and says things like "rad"?

And the final rose goes to......... JESSE!!

That's right, women everywhere fell off their chairs as they watched Jason get out of the first limo and walk on towards the biggest rejection of his life. DeAnna, who looked gorgeous, simply smiles as she watches the man whose heart she is about to break, walk up, get on one knee, and propose. (they say he actually went through his entire spill before she said anything and asked him to get up; editing)

Afterwards, Jesse arrives to meet his woman and present her with a ring most women only daydream about.

While none of us saw that coming, I think we can all agree that A.) we are happy for them and B.) this just means that we can all fly to Washington and vy for Jason's heart ourselves.

Don't get me wrong, I thought Jesse was adorable. He was cute, had a great personality, very sweet and loveable; I just never dreamt that he would be the right one for DeAnna. Clearly, she thought differently.

In closing, I would like to congratulate Jesse and DeAnna. I hope the two of you will be very happy together.

To Jason: All that this means is that there is someone 12 times better out there for you and you will find her. Best of luck!

Until next time folks, just remember: It's not real, it's just reality!