TSwift - 2011 at Arrowhead!

So Taylor Swift decided she liked Kansas City so much that she came back in 2011- but this time it was to Arrowhead Stadium.  Pretty cool and it turned out on September 24, it was perfect weather - not too hot and not too cold (well in the beginning).  My sister bought me these tickets what seemed like forever ago as my birthday present - awesome present!!  We went out to dinner before and then were off to Arrowhead.  

Walking in was funny because the demographics are mainly girls that are with their mom's or teenagers.  A few 20-somethings, but not that many. However, I think if you know the words to every song on her albums - it should be normal that you are there, right?!?!?  Well, my sister and I do - so we were excited!!!

Check out Arrowhead when it was still light outside and people were still filing in.  Love T-Swift on the big screen!!

And my niece, Libbie, was there with my sister in law Shellie and another mom/daughter pair.  It was Libbie's first concert ever (how fun - don't you remember your first concert?!?!?), so she was really excited!  Even better, when I asked Shellie where their seats were, they were just 2 sections over from us, so before the concert, I went over to say HI to her!  They were SOOO excited!!!

After 2 opening bands (not the best....), it was TIME - for the SPEAK NOW tour!!!!!!!!

Oh boy - my sister and I were so so so so so excited!!!  We couldn't wait for it to start.  As a flashback - and a reminder that this was my fourth time seeing TSwift!!!  But do you remember that we went to the concert together last year??!!?  Well here is a picture flashback.

 How funny because we pretty much look exactly the same (same pose, both have different hair), but really not much has changed.  Except in the 2010 picture, I was a Bruns, in the 2011 picture, I was a Carter (hint: I got married a week after the 2010 picture).

But anyway, the concert was AMAZING.  I'm not even kidding.  What amazes me the most about Taylor's concerts are the fact that she is involved in all of it.  Like she wrote the song, plays the song, sings the song and also coordinates the entire concert.  The detail that she puts into each stage change with each song is just amazing.  No one goes to school to learn how to put on a concert - and she has quite the talent.  It's so fun to see what she will come up with for each song.  And also the way she interacts with the crowd.  It's pretty awesome.  She's awesome.  Haha - I really like her.

And on with the post so I don't sound creepy....

My favorite might be the bottom right picture above.  See the bride????  She staged a wedding to go along with the Speak Now song where the girl in the song stands up in a wedding and tells the groom to not marry the bride, but marry her.  She claims it was about a friend and not her, but who knows, right??!

And then the encore was Love Story - and she floated through the crowd - ummm...so awesome.  I cannot imagine being in the front row and having her float over me!!!

And at the very end - lots and lots and lots of fireworks!  Something that cannot happen in the Sprint Center and only at an outdoor arena.  Pretty freaking cool!!

Overall it was a SWEET concert, but it was freezing cold.  I totally should have listened to my sister when she told me to dress warmer because the dress with a sweater didn't cut it!!! The traffic was horrible getting out of the parking lot, but still it was so fun hanging out with my sister and getting to talk and most importantly, see T-Swift!!!  Until next time....

Just act like you're 15- why not!?!?

This past weekend could no better be summed up in one word/number: 15. Why do you ask? Here's a pre-cursor to the explanation.

Individuals involved: Emily McClelland, Erica Snyder, Heather Lichtenauer, Ashley Payson, Rachel Knight, Taryn Phillips, Lauren Hensley, and myself

Location: Dallas, TX

Well here goes the explanation:

1. Friday night = baller seats at the TSwift concert, courtesy of Heather, because she pretty much runs the show at AA arena :) Average age at the concert: 15 years old. Maybe even lower. But we sat next to 15 year old boys.
2. Late Friday night = we went out, sat down to get a beer, had one beer, then boys arrived. Minutes after boys arrived, we all left. While we did not leave because of the boys in real life, that is what 15 year old girls would do. Because they have secret crushes on boys and get all silly and smiley when they come around. So they leave because they are nervous.
3. Later Friday night = get home and pop in High School Musical 2. Most of us fall asleep watching, but it's so good.
4. Saturday morning = sleep in (a bit, not sure Heather would agree with this one...but getting up 4 hours later than I do during the week makes me happy!), head to brunch with $1 mimosas. Only 2 of us (out of 4) order them, we eat and leave, not even thinking twice that we could have had a nice buzz to start out the day.
5. Saturday afternoon = go to Yogalicious. Eat yogurt/ice cream with 17 toppings each. Sit around and talk about how good it is and we can't wait to come back tomorrow.
6. Saturday mid-day = go to a bar. ***Ok so yeah, 15 year olds can't do that, but I mean you will understand later. Just go with it*** We sit at a dark booth by ourselves, only talk to each other and the funny bartender. Boys that we know come over and talk, we chat but show no real interest and they leave, just leaving us girls again. Then we convince the bar to make us a special appetizer (not on the menu) of fried pickles. Because they are delicious and we are 15- so our metabolisms are rocking and it doesn't even matter.
7. Saturday later day = go home and take a nap. Not because we maybe had one too many beers......just because we are tired and need rest. Like all 15 year old that exert far too much energy. To try to put us to sleep, we watch the remainder of High School Musical 2. I never nap because I'm so intrigued as how they are going to solve the dilemma in the movie of Troy not remaining true to himself. *Gasp!*
8. Saturday night = get ready and meet friends for dinner. Three people at the table order grilled cheese. Yum...love those 15 year old taste buds!
9. Saturday later night = attempt to go "dancing" at a bar in a "rough" part of town. Instead we just stand there with our drinks and look awkward as biker boys stare. We call our moms crying and walk out.
10. Saturday later later night = back to our mid-day bar spot. Walk in through the crowd, take a booth, order diet cokes and water. 20 min later, the rest of the group arrives and we all agree that we want to go home and watch High School Musical 3. Yes, this is why I love my friends. I'm secretly dying to watch it. They know it.
11. Saturday slumber party = fall asleep to High School Musical 3 and dream happy dreams of a 15 year old with worries of a 15 year old. No job stress, wedding planning, owning a home...just "why is this zit popping up? OMG"
12. Sunday morning = Cinnamon pancakes, eggs, and soda for breakfast. Just what the doctor ordered.
13. Sunday afternoon = Ice cream stop #2 of the weekend. Like I said, we're 15, we got some kicking metabolisms.
14. Sunday afternoon (as well) = Ikea- while this is not the destination a 15 year old might pick. I absolutely felt like a kid in a candy store- a BIG candy store- here. WOW is all I have to say. WOW. But I did pick up the Spanish version of their 2010 catalog.
15. Sunday evening = off to the airport, McDonald's for dinner, and Sudoku on the plane.

While these 15 examples of how our weekend consisted of acting like 15 year olds wasn't enough, Taylor Swift's song lyrics to her hit song "15" was enough for me to realize how much life changes each year. As a 15 year old, your activities, priorities, thoughts were SO different then as a 24/25 year old.

However, everything in your life at that time was just as important to you as everything is now- regardless as how the world sees it. So whatever is truly important to you, whatever dream you have of accomplishing or wherever you think you see yourself going- don't let the world stop you. Yes, responsibilities are much greater when you get older and there are more things to consider---but that shouldn't stop pursuing a dream of yours. At 15, I truly thought I could conquer the world, no matter what I chose to do. Sometimes now I find myself having a dream or vision, but stopping those optimistic thoughts short because it's not the "right" thing to do. It's not what I "should" do. But you know what? If as we grow, we all keep a little bit of that 15 year old spirit we once had with us....I think the world would be a much happier place....full of ice cream, HSM movies, laughter, friends, and a whole lot of dreams to come true.

Thanks friends in Dallas for a WONDERFUL weekend. Emily and I couldn't have had a better time or asked for better friends!! And thanks T-Swift for your ever inspiring words, even for this 24 year old. You rock :)

Upcoming weekend: In pictures

This morning, I received our weekend schedule from our gracious host Erica for our trip to Dallas which officially begins Friday at 3PM. Here is a preview in pictures of what is to come. I CAN'T WAIT.

OPENING ACT FOR T-SWIFT. LOVE HER. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER AGAIN.

NO WORDS NEEDED. FAVORITE EVER. 2ND TIME SEEING THE FEARLESS TOUR THIS YEAR. SO SO EXCITED. THANKS HEATHER FOR THE TICKETS!!

OF COURSE, WE WILL BE WATCHING THE K-STATE GAME. MAYBE THEY'LL PULL OUT A WIN? OR NOT? REGARDLESS- LOVE THEM.

NIGHT OUT IN UPTOWN IS A MUST WHEN GOING TO D-TOWN. LOVE PEOPLE WATCHING THERE.

I WOULD LIKE TO ENTER A SOUND CLIP HERE OF ME SCREAMING BECAUSE I AM SO EXCITED FOR MY FIRST TRIP TO IKEA EVER. I MIGHT NEED AN EXTRA SUITCASE.

THERE SHE IS - 2 STEPPING OF COURSE - GRACIOUS HOST #1. ERICA, LOVE THE MOVES. MAYBE SHE'LL EVEN TAKE A WALK AROUND THE LAKE WITH ME :)

THERE SHE IS, HOST #2. WITH HER 2% MILK OF COURSE. ANY WEEKEND WITH HEATHER IS GUARANTEED TO BE HILARIOUS :)

Thanks for letting us invade your house and city. Can't wait for the fun to begin!!