Explaining My Absence

 (As though anyone still cares!)

I have been super absent since I started my new job and I am painfully aware. Sometimes I really miss writing here but I feel as though I have nothing super exciting or special to share. I've done some stellar, amazing things in the past couple of months: a trip to LA, back stage at The Pretty Reckless concert, hung out with pro-wrestlers (not my thing either but it was super fun) but I feel like none of them are that awesome to talk about if you don't share pictures and while I do have tons and tons of pictures I try to be as discreet as possible when sharing them. If you go back 3+ years and read my posts you will see nothing but pictures galore - but now, I dunno - I feel super protective of my life and the people in it. I don't know for sure what prompted the change within me but while I don't mind sharing myself - I am super protective of the people I share my life with. You will NEVER, EVER see pictures of The Rockstar's children here - I will never discuss the details of their lives. They deserve their privacy - our moments with them are ours and while I do not at all look down on those who openly share their children with the bloggernets this is not something that I will do. For starters they aren't "mine" to make that decision for but I don't think I would choose to do so even if they were. As far as my discretion with posts about my relationship and sharing pics of he and I together- there's a couple of reasons for that. Relationships are fragile and take so much hard work, love, and patience- sharing the details of that even just in asking for advice on small matters - I feel detracts from the trust within that relationship. I never want to share here things that I haven't already discussed with him or to ever come across as though I am speaking of him without the respect he deserves. Sadly, this is not something I always understood (again see old posts). Its important to me to put him first. The other reason - at least locally, we are in the public eye. We have made a name for ourselves as a musical duo and I can't allow for anything to hinder that in any way. Our friends, family, and musician friends know our relationship status but we don't advertise our relationship when playing shows - and trust me that works out for us- people are curious as to what our story is - we don't tell them, we don't disrespect the other we just let it become part of the intrigue. All of this, I feel like this makes for very boring posts.

I still read all of my favorite blogs. I'm not gone! Hope everyone is doing well!

Have a great weekend!

30 Before 30 and Checking One Big One off from Go!!!

I turned 29 on August 8th and knew that I wanted to create a 30 before 30 list right off the bat. The last 2 years for me have been a little off the beaten path for how I thought my life was "supposed to be" and while things have really started to smooth out in the past couple of months and life is once again starting to resemble some kind of norm that I'm used to; I thought that this 30 item list would help me strength my ability to achive some important goals in the next 12 months. Some of these things are pretty serious and some of them are just plain fun.
1. Buy my very own lap top (I'm loving the Windows Surface)
2. Get a tattoo
3. Audition for a televised singing competition- just for fun! (may prove harder than originally thought- I'm too old for Idol (would much rather do the voice anyway) and the Voice doesn't seem to be having auditions anytime soon - really wish there was still a Nashville Star!)
4. Travel to L.A
5. Perform a set with a full electric band
6. Finalize my divorce (would like to have this done by the New Year)
7. Go to the beach! Of course I've been to the beach before but I want to go again before I turn 30!!!
8. Sort through all of my financial what-have-yous: a divorce and a psycho ex wrecked what was once in pretty good shape - need to get that all sorted out- including past debts and future planning!
9. Have a facial- shit while I'm at it - how about a whole spa day!
10. Complete the 30 Day Shred - just once complete all 30 days. I have attempted this multiple times, get bored(and sore) by about day 4
11. Initiate contact with my long-lost sister on my dad's side and be prepared to accept whatever results come from getting in touch and then moving on.
12. Buy a new pair of glasses
13. Start a new car savings plan or ... buy a new car! Also be better about maintenance on the car that I have while I have it- its old and needs TLC!
14. Talk to a counselor about the scarring experiences I've had in past relationships
15. Take golf lessons and/or just go golfing- wear cute gold outfit ( :
16. Have a boudoir photo shoot ( after my 30 day shred haha!)
17. Take a road trip to somewhere awesome with my special someone
18. Learn how to let go of people & things that are bad for me
19. See a touring Broadway show, a ballet, an opera (or some other classical music)
20. Go to a shooting range and shoot guns
21. Buy MYSELF a piece of Tiffany jewelery
22. Revamp this blog to be more contemporary and a better reflection of who I am today, not who I was many moons ago when I first started this blog.
23. Take my mom somewhere fun overnight just me and her or maybe with my sisters
24. Do one thing to pay it forward each month of my 29th year
25. Take a kayaking day trip alone
26. Take a pole dancing class
27. Try my hand at making Russian Borscht
28. Stay in one of the "haunted" rooms at The Lafitte Guest House in New Orleans
29. Try skiing and/or snowboarding
30. Get a job working back in my field - I start September 9th!

Goings on of Late

I know that my blogging has been few and far between. I'm having a very difficult time in the blogosphere right now. I still read everyone elses blogs almost daily and keep up with the goings on but when it comes to posting; I just can't. No! Literally I cannot!

I do all of my posting from work right now during down time. Well, some time in the past month the computers at work stopped supporting Blogger. I can only write posts in HTML. I do not like this. I can't post pictures...so you know my posts would be super dull, it irritates the ever-loving- snot out of me!

You may ask well then dummy why don't you just post from home ... that's simple...

I don't want to.

When I moved in with The Rockstar I did just that I moved in. My furniture, my books, my movies, my ... LIFE moved into storage. The man has lived in his home for the better part of 20 years, he has everything ... so it made no sense to bring boxes of dishes and silverware and all kinds of crap that would clutter up the space that three people already lived in before I got there - it wouldv'e just been overwhelming. So long story short- I don't have a desk there or space that I feel like is my own to sit and think.(This is not at all to imply that if I want some alone time in the bedroom or something that I don't have it) The Rockstar is doing music full time and not working a day job so almost any time I am home- he is also home. I don't want to sit at his desk - which is like his home base and BLOG ( which honestly he thinks is a bit silly) when someone (one of the two children or the Rockstar himself) may come and peek over my shoulder and tease me (in good fun but a tease is a tease). This is why one of the items on my 30 before 30 list (post forthcoming) is to buy a new lap top. I need something that belongs to me to do my "silly" blogging on (and silly facebooking, instagramming, whatevering). I used to have one but you know.... divorce and everything.

Life has been great lately- no complaints. I received a promotion in my current position a couple of weeks ago and then wonder of wonder I finally landed a position back in my own field (My college degree will once again be worth its salt- yes!!!). So my year of part-time BS work is finally coming to an end! My last day will be a week from today and I couldn't possibly be any more thrilled! I have had my fill of wardrobing people at a store that sounds a little something like; Night Mouse, Whack Starket and selling hotel rooms to people with gambling addictions and nothing better to do than spend upwards of 4 nights a week in a casino hotel. I. Am. Done!

The Rockstar and I are still kicking ass and taking names with our band- we played 12 shows during the month of August! We couldn't be any more proud of the work we have done together since November. We played our first two shows together in December and have only continued to grow as a musical duo and as a couple ever since! We will have our 50th show together early in September and we will be releasing our first original song at that performance. We're very excited but still have some work to do.

As I mentioned a bit earlier I've created a 30 before 30 list that I plan on sharing very soon and am looking forward to completing each and every item on the list. Some of them are vital to living a cleaner, more stress-free life. Some of them are just plain fun! The Rockstar and I are planning a trip to L.A in October so that's one big thing right off the bat that I'm going to be able to cross off the list very soon...and my new job is also something big I can check off the list now! But no more previews - the real post is coming up soon!

Thinking of joining Story Of My Life for blogtember http://storyofmylifetheblog.blogspot.com/ (I would totally link but stupid HTML won't let me - ugh gotta get that laptop!) I need something to really get my back in the swing of blogging on the regular!

I also am in major need of a blog makeover .... as of today I'm not blonde, I'm an ex bride and soon-to-be ex wife, none of the shit in my blog name is legit. If anyone has any recommendations for a blog make-over and can tell me a little bit about the process if I were to seek professional help I would be much obliged!

Ok. I think that's enough for now. We are headed out for a kayaking trip tomorrow that I am so,so excited for! Hope everyone is having a fantastic Labor Day weekend!

Much Love Always!

Get To Know Me a Little Better

Saw this survey on Jennifer's page over at Crazy Shennanigans and wanted to play along!


1. Do you like blue cheese? I love bleu cheese!!! I like the crumbles (especially on salads and burgers) and I like the dressing - for wings, french fries, salads, burgers YUMMY!
2. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? Ugh. I smoked when I drank. Then The Rockstar and I went to New Orleans in March and I found myself smoking throughout the day as we cruised the city. I never quite kicked that habit. Guess I need to huh?
3. Do you own a gun? Negative ghost rider.

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Cherry Lime baby!
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not typically.  I did when I was heavy and knew they would tell me what I weighed and when I was suffering from anxiety.

6. Do you like hot-dogs? Every now and then. I even like the veggie dogs but a good hot dog every now and again can be pretty tempting!
7. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Starbucks venti iced coffee, no classic, add soy, and 4 Splenda

8. Can you do push-ups? I suck at push ups. I am queen of the girly ones.
9. What’s your favorite meal? Oh lord how do you choose. I love a good steak/baked potato dinner. I also love a nice lean piece of chicken or fish. I don't get as much meat like that these days- that's life around a vegetarian.
10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? I really don't have any jewelery right now that I feel emotionally attached to or wear all the time. I bought a really cheap necklace in New Orleans that has a mardi gras mask on it - I like that a lot.
11. Favorite hobby? Obviously Double Tap but that's more a job than a hobby. Zumba is always a blast!
12. Do you work with people who idolize you? You mean there are people that don't idolize me?!? J/k!
13. Name a trait that you hate about yourself? The inability to take things at face value - I am constantly trying to decode subtexts and undertones that may not even exist - especially with significant others - this is a scar left over from failed relationships. Sometimes I have to tell myself, sometimes when he says nothing is wrong, nothing is wrong or even if there is something it may not have a thing to do with you. Or if he didn't want to be with you- he wouldn't be- get your shit together girl!
14. Middle name? Lane
15. Name 3 thoughts at this moment: 1.) I can't wait to go home and see The Rockstar, 2.) The way I'm sitting right now is making both of my feet fall asleep, 3.) Today is the start of living a (bit) cleaner lifestyle
16. Name 3 things you bought yesterday: Lunch at Olive Garden, A coffee from Starbucks, and .... well I was with The Rockstar when he bought his youngest daughter a bday present
17. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Iced Coffee, Diet Coke, Alcohol (usually wine but I've been on more of a light beer/ gin and tonic kick lately)
18. Current worry right now? The future of my relationship- not that things aren't going well - they really are, better than ever perhaps but as I've eluded to without detail, we had some rough patches back in the spring that we are/ he is still recovering from and I've had to be very understanding and patient. I'm willing. He's worth it.
19. Current hate right now? I am still not back in my own career field after just over a year now since I left my last community.
20. Favorite place to be? Anywhere he is.
21. How did you bring in New Years? At home with The Rockstar and some new friends.
22. Favorite place to go? That's vague- go for what? Dinner? Vacation? Drinks? My first thought was the beach so we'll go with that!
23. What is your most recurring dream? That my teeth are falling out
24. Introvert or extrovert? VERY extroverted.
25. What color shirt are you wearing? Coral
26. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I used to have a set that I loved in red satin....I could take em or leave em now.
27. Can you whistle? Yes.

28. Can you sing? I get paid to do it so I'm guessing I can.

29. Favorite color? Pink
30. Would you be a pirate? For Halloween.
31. What songs do you sing in the shower? I used to always sing in the shower. I stopped doing that. Not sure why.
32. Favorite girl’s name? Autumn. Addison. Anastasia.
33. Favorite boy’s name? Gabriel, Christian, Tristan, Lucas....
34. Who is your loudest friend? Megan
35. What’s in your pocket right now? Nothing. I don't typically put anything in my pockets but my hands.
36. Last thing that made you laugh? I'm sure it was The Rockstar!
37. Bed sheets as a child? I had all different kinds. I know I had some rainbows, some kittens, some smurfs, and some Barbie.
38. Worst injury you've ever had? A broken ankle.
39. Do you love where you live? I'm sure I would love other places way more than Cincinnati. I'm sure there are other homes that I would love to live in but I wouldn't trade who I'm living with for anything in the world. It's the people in the home that make a house a home.
40. How many TVs are in your house? 3

41. What is your worst habit? smoking
42. How many dogs do you have? Zero : (

43. Does someone have a crush on you? Maybe, how would I know.
44. Do you own slippers? Yeah. They're in storage.
45. What is your favorite book? Where the Heart is: Billie Letts
46. What is your favorite candy? Chocolate
47. What is your favorite sports team? The Cincinnati Bengals. I have a feeling that there may be an attempt to convert me to a Giants fan this season.
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Bad Girls by MIA; "Live fast, die young- bad girls do it well"..... that may not be true but I think its funny.
49. What were you doing at 12 AM last night? Eating a party pizza and finishing up Pleasantville with The Rockstar
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning? ( ; I would blush if I was the type but suffice to say - I acted on my thought and started my morning out VERY well!

Catching Up and Weekend Re-Cap

I don't know if anyone else had trouble with Blogger last week but anytime I tried to post last week I simply could not. I would try to click in the compose box and type and nothing would happen. Very frustrating!

Now today, like magic its working again so I though I would take advantage.

So the last time we "chatted" I was about to embark on my 9 day staycation. That has now come and gone and I've been back to work for about 2 weeks now. Wow, time flies!

Staycaytion was good, very relaxing, the only draw back is it rained like every hocking day I was off - seriously almost every day.

We went to the pool one day for a couple hrs...I think that was the very first day and it was very over cast. Then it rained and rained and rained and rained. Even on the 4th of July- so we pretty much stayed in for the weekdays of the week of the 4th. We didn't have the girls over the weekend of staycay so we spent a night in Ky with our friend Jenny one night, then the next we went to some old band mate's house of The Rockstar and watched the UFC fights.

One day we took the girls to see Man of Steel (it was oooook. Too long, too many exploding buildings for me- I'll take any of The Avengers movies over that movie any day especially Iron Man or Thor...mmmm Thor:

We did get one sunny day the second to last day of my time off so The Rockstar and I went on an all day kayaking trip which was a BLAST! We made some new friends and spent a relaxing day, kayaking, floating, and drinking. On the last day of my trip we tried the pool again but it started pouring down rain about 20 minutes after we got there so we packed up the girls, cut our losses, and had dinner at CiCi's pizza and called it a day!

JUly 13th was The Rockstar's 38th birthday so you know we did that up right! Birthday lunch with his family at his mom's then a downtown Cincinnati karaoke dance party - just us to start with then our friends joined us and we partied down!

We've had a couple shows between then and now including two this weekend.
We played a four hour show at a local bar this Friday and had oh-so-much-fun there and after! Saturday morning I had to work but when I got off it was show time again! So we both prettied up and hit the road for Clifton, an urban college area very near the heart of Cincinnati (we live about 30 minutes NW of the city).


I took a shameless selfie in the bathroom of Aquarius Star (the bistro that we played in).
This is while my hair was still looking moderately fluffy and styled - the humidity helped to alleviate that within no time!

We played second in a show of 3 acts. Our friend Morgan did a solo acoustic set to begin, then us, then our friend's brand-new band "Cain" debuted to close out the evening. It was an early show to accomodate the dinner crowd so the entire things spanned 6-9pm.



Taken of me by one of the other band's members sipping ginseng,mint iced tea like a good girl ( :



Double Tap (That's us!) playing Anna Kendrick's "Cups" with Morgan guest starring on the Cup!



The Rockstar- one of these days I'll ask his permission to post his face directly but I'm not ready for him to know that I still post here relatively frequently- not that I don't trust him. I think this picture is adorable - don't know why....



My very favorite fountain in Clifton- I think its magical!

After the show we discovered that our friend Jenny who I've mentioned here several times, just so happened to be meeting a friend on the same block where we had played so we all met up at a local bar for a few drinks.

In the bathroom stalls of the ladies rr were chalkboards I couldn't resisit telling the masses to like our band on Facebook:


 



I also wrote a message telling ladies to have a nice pee but I digress..



To tell you what we did next, I first have to go backwards. On Wednesday after going to the grocery store the Rockstar and I were pulling into the garage when a  local music radio station announced that the first person to call in would win tickets to see a national entertainer perform at a local venue that coming Saturday. The Rockstar got all bummed b/c he wanted to win and we had a show. I quickly reminded him that our show was early and we could still make it so he quickly called ...and won!

So who was it? Where was it?

I'm an open-book and I call shit like I see it. I am not at all ashamed to admit that the entertainer was porn star Katie Morgan (also hosted an HBO show about sex) and she was dancing at a gentleman's club about 30 minutes away from where we performed Saturday night.

So after our show and after drinks with Jenny's friend; The Rockstar, Jenny, and I took a trip out for the show....

Obviously I didn't take pictures inside but I did snap one of my peeps out front after they closed:

I know everyone, especially the ladies have differing views and opinions on establishments such as Racers and I appreciate and respect everyone's. My personal opinion is that when its taken at face value and is a sometimes thing its A-Ok- especially when you can share that with the person that you are in a relationship/intimate with. Matter-of-fact as a couple's experience I find it very sexy.

We all had a blast.

Afterwards we needed some kind of sustenance to get us back to our corners of the tri-state so we stopped at a Steak n' Shake that was as cold as an igloo so the Rockstar located his Giants jacket in the trunk and I rocked that sucker (Bengals fan for life PS!)



Drunky girl face - I'm cool with it!

We made it home just after 5pm and were ready to call it a night...well almost ( ;

Sunday we slept until noon (how very Rockstar of us)

Then showered and met my mom for lunch at Olive Garden. So yum!

We ran a couple errands including a trip to the video store for the last two discs of season 7 of Dexter and Pleasantville (which is definitely in my top 10 favorite movies and he has never seen).

We vegged the entire rest of the day- well I did laundry so I wasn't a complete vegetable.

It was amazing.

I have the best weekends ever! Matter of fact I have the best weeks ever too!

Glad I'm sharing it all with someone I have so much damn fun with!

Have a good week everyone!

Much Love!

Amber Lane

Weekend Re-Cap

This weekend was pretty much the most chill weekend I could ask for.

Friday we took it easy during the day then got cleaned up and The Rockstar, kids and I loaded up for the annual Greek Fest AKA: Amber eats a lot fest.

I only took a few pics and half were of him and the kids so there's not a whole lot I can share here.

My very favorite thing to eat at Greek Fest is the pizza!!! We ordered a whole one and split it:

How can you go wrong with spinach, onion, tomato, and tons and tons of feta!!!

I clearly love it!

It started raining about .5 seconds after we paid our admission and entered the area so excuse my hot mess flat hair! I was too busy enjoying my yummy pizza to care though. It was pretty crappy weather- actually has been all weekend... sunny one second and pouring rain the next. Matter of fact if weather.com knows its shit that's how its going to be from now until next weekend. Ugh.

After dinner I had a glass of greek wine, followed by a blue moon as we walked around, ate baklava and honey puffs and the girls rode rides.

                                             I lost those damn glasses Saturday, not happy!

We wrapped up the festival fun around 8pm and went home and relaxed the rest of the evening. Saturday I worked 12-8:30 and then The Rockstar and I were  drinkng and practicing while the girls were in bed, when our friend Jenny showed up with the man in her life and we did some visiting with them to close out Saturday night.

Sunday was LAZY!!! We slept until noon, then had a late breakfast. Afterwards I went out to pay a bill and to vacuum my yucky car and pick up shredded cheese for our dinner: vegetarian skyline chili. After dinner The Rockstar and I both took naps while the girls finished watching Jumanji then we all spent the rest of the night watching reruns of Catfish ... sometimes you just need a Sunday that is super low key!

Today is my last day of work for 9days! So excited to be off over the 4th and relax!

We aren't going anywhere big but we are talking about at least taking an overnight somewhere good...anyone have any suggestions for this part of the world? Southwestern Ohio?

Hope everyone has a fantastic week! I'll be around but sporadically at best. I'm on vacay bitches!

Much Love Always!

Miss Amber Lane

Sunday Social - A Day Late but whatevs!

Teaming up with Neely for Sunday Social...

I will preface this post by saying that my taste in movies borders ahem dives head first into the frivalous, light & fluffy category. I say, real life is hard enough, I want my movies to be enjoyable and wrap up in pretty pink bows by the end of it ..happily ever after!

1. What is your favorite movie of all time?
Its a 4-way tie:

2. What is your favorite movie quote?

Is it bad that I don't really have one? I know tons of one-liners but when it comes to an epic quote I draw a blank.




3. What is the best movie to watch for a girls night in?

I instantly thought of movie nights with my big sisters.. we love this movie....

"There's something amuck with this spongecake"
"Certainly not all boats"
"Did you say to him, Billy I love you"




4. What is the best breakup movie?

Reminds me that love comes in many forms and that just because I don't have a sig. other doesn't mean that love isn't "all around". This also my favorite Christmas movie.




5. Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

In the last year I have been likened to the following 3 "entertainers"

None of the 3 are stellar actresses to my knowledge but all 3 are beauties so I'll take any of the 3!

6. Which movie star’s closet would you want to raid?
Christina Aguilera ... she's been in movies she totally counts!

Not only do I like her clothing style. Her design aesthetic period is right up my alley.
Totally glam, a ton self-indulgent, and just a little bit too much!

Much Love Always!

Miss Amber Lane

Bloglovin

Catching up with the times:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

A real post coming soon but in the mean time I'm organizing to prepare for the demise of google reader!

Much Love,

Miss Amber Lane

Summertime Weekend

It's officially summertime ya'll!

My very favorite time of year!

I love the heat, I love the sunshine, I love the extra time outside...

I love the over-all more relaxed pace....

I love corn on the cob, fat, juicy tomatoes, and grilling out ...

I love sun-kissed, tan skin ....

I love that my birthday is in August and I don't even mind that this year

I'm turning twenty-nine fine.

I look damn good for pushing 30 ...

I'mjustsaying....



gratuitous sunglass pic before our open jam last Wednesday



I also love that because I'm a part of The Rockstar's life and the his girl's lives that I get to see summertime through the eyes of children again. Usually when I go to the pool solo its loung time, listening to music and reading with occasional dip to cool off. With the girls its Marco Polo, and diving contests, and hand stands...

the activity wears me out by the end of our pool time but its also cathartic in a way and so refreshing!

Ok on to my weekend!

This weekend was busy but awesome.

Friday night we played a benefit with some friends of ours. It was for victims of a fire in a local apartment complex. Turns out it was like the 4th benefit for this family and they didn't even bother to show up or acknowledge the organizers after the initial arrangements. Rumor has it they are milking this for all its worth. Rumor also has it that the organizers have since re-directed the funds to Oklahoma tornado relief instead.

We left the benefit at around 10:30 and drove across town to see my cousin sing with her band Hollywood Tragedy which was amazing. We stayed long enough to hear one set and fill our bellies with oh-so-yummy but oh-so-bad-for-us fried mushrooms and jalepeno poppers then we drove back towards home and stopped by our local bar to see The Rockstar's cousin dj.

The next morning we had to be up bright and early to play a couple of hours at a local farmers market. We were afraid it would be too darn hot but it was warm and breezy and actually very comfortable.

Double Tap rocking the court house steps!

Since it was so close to my mom's and the senior community where I used to work, I had mom pick-up my favorite little lady Wilma and bring her to hear us play.



Ma Mere, Moi, and my bff/surrogate grandma Wilma

We partook in some serious r&r after our show. The Rockstar enjoyed comfy pants and the ac while I bikinied up and parked in the backyard to catch some rays.

We ate big summer salads for lunch and then got ready to go hear another friend play (singing, acoustic, keyboard) on the patio of another local bar/restraunt.

He asked us to play a couple songs so of course we happily obliged!

Our friend Danielle met us there and we drove across town for a joint b-day bash for our friends Dawn and Amanda. Our friends in Caffeine provided the party music!



Me, Danielle, and Dawn



I ran into my old friend, "The Most Interesting Man on Earth" and offered him a little love which he was glad to accept.



we go way back



Sunday I worked until 4:30 then The Rockstar and I spent some time with our friend Junior at his house and then hit up karaoke night. We ended the night with an hour or so of practice and a good night's sleep.

I shot this picture before we headed to Juniors - if I wasn't so attached to the length of my hair I would totally chop it to the length that it looks like it is in this picture.... but I would miss my hair too darn much!

My new work schedule started today meaning I didn't have to come in until 11am which so far has been wonderful, I am so much better rested and amicable. Waking up at 6am for this job was killing me. Its not the type of work I can do that early. Once I'm back in a career position I'm sure I'll have no trouble adapting back but for now I'm so happy to be working 11-7:30!

One week from today will be my last day of work for 9 days. 9 blissful days off ...happy sigh. We may be headed to North Carolina for the better part of the week, or we may just stay in town and find fun things to do - including celebrating his 38th birthday!

This week is looking like it will for the most part be pretty chill. The only gig we have is our weekly acoustic jam on Wednesday. We have the girls this weekend so I'm forcasting movies, pool time, and a cook out Sunday with Junior and his daughter.

Did I mention how much I love summertime?

<3>

Much Love Always!

Miss Amber Lane

Apparently I Like Designers Named Christian

Linking up with Neely for Sunday Social today!

What is your favorite store to shop at?

If you could afford anything and everything, which designer brand would you covet?

 Oh, how long I've lusted after my very own Louis V....their timeless and so luxe but even when I had a great job with good money I couldn't bring myself to drop that much on a bag - that's a good chunk of vacation or several months of a new car payment ... maybe I'll never get there, maybe I will but I will always LOOOOOOVE!

Christian Loubitans are Ah-mazing shoes. They are sky high and come in styles that are completely timeless as well as over-the-top extravagant like the ones above. If I ever own a pair I'm sure they will be a pair I can wear with anything like the black peep toe pumps featured later in this post. I sure would kill for some blinging Loubitans though!

Speaking of Christians.....

If money were no issue I would have Christian Siriano dress me every single day! Of course I probably wouldn't wear a ball gown everyday so we would have to work on some sportswear for sure! I love his use of color and drama. You never look at a Siriano and think *yawn* whether its your personal aesthetic or not, anyone can admit the designs are breathtaking. I mean seriously.....

Not only do I love the style of the dress but that color has to be the most perfect shade of pink I've ever seen so rosy and feminine!

Reminds me of my childhood favorite:

What girl doesn't want to sleep a long, long time only to be awakend by the kiss of some handsome,hottie who also happens to be royal?

Must have closet staple?

 I live in my knee high leather boots from late September through March. I wear a lot of dresses and skirts so when the weather turns chilly they help me remain stylish without freezing my little chicken legs off!

 Again, in the fall/winter months I live in a fitted leather jacket. I lost mine this past spring (it was falling apart anyway but I still loved it ): )  so I will be on the hunt for a new one when fall begins.

 I just mentioned how I wear a lot of skirts and dresses this is double-true in the summer. I'm partial to punchy colors and fitted waists with full skirts... I am much bigger on top with narrow hips, no butt, and very thin legs. I find when I wear this particular shape it compliments my figure more than straight silhouettes which have a tendancy to make my boobs dominate the shape and make the dress hang mis-shapen everywhere else.

I love my black pencil skirts they go with anything. Matter of fact I like the whole look from above. Simple, timeless, very well put together but not fussy!

Favorite kind of shoes? (brand or type)

Black, peep toe pumps...also nude. Consider these a staple as well.

Best clothing deal you’ve ever gotten? (sale or amazing find)

I'm a notorious consignment shop, shopper. I find amazing deals all the time!

Style you’d love to try?

My look is generally pretty structured. I wear a lot of garments with clean lines. Shirts that tuck in to pencil skirts. Dresses that nip in at the waist and flare out at the hips. I really like the organic, boho look here:

 I'm dying for a pair of cute cowby boots to wear with sundresses, shorts, and short skirts. It typically isn't my look but I'm gonna be honest... Though they're thin and not incredibly long I have pretty nice legs and I've seen the look on other girls and think cowboy boots on bare legs look damn sexy!


Case in point...

I call this picture glamour and grit ...I think its lovely I would frame it and hang it in my house.

Alright ya'll Happy Sunday. Time to read some more of Revenge Wears Prada while I chug along through a boring Sunday work day (please have early outs today, please have early outs today!)

( :
Much Love,

Miss Amber Lane



Some Things, They Have to Change

Well here I am on a Monday again ( seems like the only time I can focus enough to actually write a blog).

This weekend was nice. Mostly uneventful but nice. I worked Thursday and Friday-
The Rockstar and I spent those evenings practicing and hanging out with the girls (they spend each day with him/us during the week now that they're out of school and this weekend was also his weekend).
Saturday was very lazy. We all slept a little late. When I got up the youngest was already up so we hung out, outside and I gave us both pedicures out in the sunshine. When everyone was finally up and fed we went to the pool for a bit before coming home for The Rockstar and I to get ready for our Saturday night show and the girl's to get ready to go to his mom's. Our show was great, our little after-party following was fun and then it was back to work as usual for me on Sunday.

For Father's Day The Rockstar woke up to a card and a movie gift card (to see Man of Steel) from me and when the girl's got home they gave him cards and a present then took him to breakfast and out shopping while I worked. Later in the day we all watched Warm Bodies together and then The Rockstar had the great idea of asking his 12 and 8 year old to make him Father's Day dinner with my supervision. I was not to coach them on what to make, just help where needed.
Our dinner last night consisted of heart shaped pb&j, tater tots, a crunchy granola bar, fruit cup, and a stale fortune cookie. You can't help but to smile at that. I hope that will be a sweet memory that he will carry with him through the years. We watched another movie together later, one of his faves: Flash Gordon. I found it incredibly boring and kept falling asleep ... so I've been told I have to watch it again - from the beginning...we'll see.

Today is my Friday and I'm hoping to spend the next couple of days running some small errands, relaxing, going to the pool, and formulating a life plan.

Yeah I said formulating a life plan. I can do that in two days off right?

There are just some things happening in my life that I'm just not that proud of right now. I mean don't get me wrong I have a lot of fun but at the end of (most) days I'm left feeling tired, over-worked, out of control, and over-all messy.

So what are these things?

Glad you asked.

image via: www.sodahead.com

1. Sleep: I don't get enough. Ever. I'm working during the day 4 days a week and playing shows up to 4 nights a week. It is not uncommon that I go to bed at 2am ( or sometimes later) after singing all night to get up at 6am to make it to work on time. I frequently wake up in a panic, very late and have to rush to get to work on time (45 minute drive mind you!). This leaves me very tired, cranky, and impatient pretty much all day. Not only that but on days like this I look like complete garbage. Traces of last night's makeup ( I know shame on me) all over my face that I may or may not have groggily remembered to clean up before hauling ass to be on time. It's not pretty.



image via: www.beautyheaven.com.au

 To fix this problem I first of all am starting a new work schedule next week that has me coming in later. 3-4 hrs later which will be a huge help to me because I don't plan on giving up the band (it brings it about as much money as my job and is way more fun). This way even if I stay up late, I'll still have precious hrs to sleep. Besides that I need to curb my drinking anyhow. Which brings me to...

image via: candidasarestaurant.com

2. I drink too frequently. I'm not saying I always get slammed, because I don't. When you're "in the band" however, drinks find you. "So and so bought you a shot", "a pitcher of beer is on the house etc". I've read articles that just one drink can keep you from a good night's sleep. So I'm sure that besides not getting enough sleep anyhow, I'm not getting good sleep on nights that I have a glass of wine or two and then go to bed at a relatively reasonable hr. I need to pretty much stop drinking period on nights before I have to go to work. Otherwise I need to figure out how often is reasonable for me. Its easy for me to say ok I'm not working tomorrow guess I can drink but that may be getting in the way of another issue I'm not exceptionally proud of....



image via: julies40sproject@blogspot.com

3. I came a long, long, loooong way with my eating habits in the past 3 years and as a result successfully lost 60 lbs and kept it off without much of a falter ever. I have maybe gained 5lbs in the past several months so the actual number isn't too bad. My pants still seem to fit fine but overall lately I feel GROSS! The Rockstar and I were talking about this just yesterday, I don't sleep enough, may/or may not have a hangover or at least be groggy from drinking the night before so when it comes to choosing meals I may not always be using the most discretion. There have been several times in the last month or so that I've basically said "fuck it" on my way to work and driven right on through the McDonalds for breakfast. I'm not completely derailed in the eating habits- I mean I do share almost every evening meal with a vegetarian so healthy choices are generally built into at least one meal and he is also health/weight conscious but even he will admit that sleepily, drunkenly, lazily he will snack more on junky things than neccessary. My Diet Coke in-take is also through the roof. There is a pop machine in our break room and I am not shy about feeling up my cup several times a day. I need to get back to drinking more water!

The important thing in changing this is something I am well-versed in. Planning ahead. I've been very bad about making regular trips to the grocery. The Rockstar will go and pick-up what he believes are staples and I'll think OK that's good for now but then I end up without things that I would normally snack on or take for lunches. I have to be better about going myself. Some things that were always staples for me but are not for he:  ground turkey, apples, almonds, blackberries, hummus, sandwich thins, tuna, chick peas. shaved turkey, chicken, avacados, crystal light, egg beaters, feta cheese, grapes, 100 calorie pack Wholly guacamole.....

Tonight I am making the two of us dinner since we are without the girls. Chick pea and brown rice veggie burgers with tomato salad and chipotle roasted new potatoes. They are both vegetarian Weight Watchers recipes ...never tried any of it so we'll see how it turns out. I've had some reservations about cooking for a vegetarian and even more reservations about cooking for a picky 8 year old and a 12 year old who's also a vegetarian. Its a challenge. But I guess if I want to stop eating pizza, burritos, and eggs all the time (healthier versions of all 3 and all vegetarian but still...) I'm going to have to get over myself and get my ass in the kitchen!

Speaking of places my ass needs to go ....

image via: www.zumba.com

4. I'm not working out nearly enough. I used to be a zumba fanatic at least 2 times a week, plus any special event they had, plus I walked/jogged at least a couple times a week, and maybe did a dvd workout a couple times a week. Yeah...I don't think I've gotten a real work out in, in at least 2 weeks. And I wasn't doing that great then. Actually I haven't worked out with the same frequency, intensity that I once did since I left my marital home. ) : The Ex didn't like me to go to Zumba - too sexy he said (another sign he was crazy) and he wanted to know my whereabouts at all times so unless we were kayaking or mini golfing or I was walking the dogs I didn't get much exercise. Well chasing the baby was a ton of excercise too. Now its mostly because my classes are Tuesday/Thursday and during school those were the only week nights I could spend with the girls and they complained when I would go to Zumba instead of hanging out with them- so I cut my losses and only went time to time. Now since they've been out of school I've pretty much just completely stopped. Seems like Tuesdays were at the pool until late so we get a late start on dinner so I miss it, and Thursdays I'm working during the day (and starting next week until 8:30) so I come back and spend time with them. So I need to A: Find another class that is more conducive to my schedule B: Start walking/running again. C: Possibly join the gym The Rockstar belongs to.
While I said I haven't gained much weight I can tell from pictures that I am not as toned as I was this time two years ago- may even weight a little less right now than I did then but looked better then. Gotta change!

5. Iphone addiction. I'm addicted to Iphone. Not so much facebok and I don't tweet, or instagram, or pinterest ....but texting. I text constantly. When I'm not physically with The Rockstar we text all day long and I find myself physically annoyed, sometimes sick to my stomach even when texts go unanswered for awhile...not just with him with anyone. I have to charge my phone several times a day to keep power. I can't stand to be without it - unless I'm home, then I'm ok ...I don't want to self diagnose but I have a feeling its risidual effects of my last relationship. If I wasn't around my phone when he needed me - I was in trouble. I was to answer calls and texts immediately or I was accused of everything under the sun. Sigh. That sucks. Sometimes I  think I have more internal damage from that than I admit or even fully understand.

I'm going to recover though. And fix all these things and be the best me I can.... There is one more big thing that needs to change but its so big it needs it own post! So, something to look forward to!

Much Love!

Amber Lane