Hangout Music Festival 2011

I had a really great time at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama this past weekend.  I left on Thursday afternoon and arrived 8 hours later in the beautiful Gulf-coast town.  The festival started on Friday and for 3 DAYS straight I boogied, grooved, and jammed.  It was awesome!!!

I got to see so many friends that I haven't seen since I moved home in December.  I had the opportunity to see 'LIVE' a whole bunch of awesome bands that I probably would have had a hard time getting to if they weren't all at this beachy fest!!! I ate lots of good food, got kissed by the sun, and spent my days jammin' out in a bikini and water-soaked bandana on my head.... it was HOOTTTTTT!!!!

My favorite shows were Widespread Panic, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Xavier Rudd, Madeski Martin & Wood, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Primus, The Black Keys, and PAUL SIMON (he was absolutely off the richter scale!).  We had 'church with Paul' on Sunday night to close out the weekend and let me tell you... it was epic.  He promised us he'd be back next year!

Who's coming with me!?!

Peace and Love

b a i l y

Oh yeah... and one night I got tagged by those crazy paint dancers!  It was like a game of "tag your it" with paint and I was one of the chosen ones! Holla?!? I don't know, I thought it was nifty.. It came right off in the shower (once I finally got to one) so it was no worries. And Jackie joined me in the fun and let me tag her after I was tagged. Oh, besties!

While I Was Gone...

Hello!!! I am back from Gulf Shores and trying to get back into my routine that doesn't revolve around the most amazing music festival ever.  While I was at the Hangout Music Festival, I had planned on posting this awesome guest-post that my friend Jennifer wrote for me.  However, cell phone reception and internet were random, weak, and unreliable so I could never get the darn thing posted or get in touch with someone that could do it for me.  Therefore... I am a little late in sharing this with you.  Sorry, girl.

I'll write more about my weekend soon.  Until then, meet Jennifer!

So while Miss Baily is having a grand time at The Hangout (I’m so jealous by the way) she’s asked me to come and guest blog for her! And can I just say I’m so excited! I tried once to blog but felt so incredibly boring so I’m super excited to get this opportunity to blog for Bai!! 

To start off with let me introduce myself: my name is Jennifer, I’m 24, a graduate of The University of Alabama which I have an incredible love for (I really believe Alabama will always be my one true love), I’m a mama to a fur baby Sadie, my little lady,  and I’m a lover of music (especially counrty, southern Rock, and 70s), pink, and all things girly!

I’m sure when you saw that I  graduated from Alabama you immediately assumed Baily and I met at school and were maybe sorority sisters or something like that right? We’ve probably had this six year friendship going on, total bffs, been through it all together right? Well you’d be totally wrong! Want to know how Baily and I actually became such close friends…... This blog you're reading.

I have a rather boring job. (Only 2 more months left then I start law school!! Yay!) I enjoy blog hopping and reading about people I’ve never met… makes me feel a little stalkerish but hey I get bored!I have to say it’s completely amazing I never met Baily in college because of 2 people.
One being Brett, meet Brett:

(Brett and my brother, Jabe)

Brett and my brother have been best friends since they were about 5 year olds. Guess who else is great friends with Brett? Bai!

Along with Brett, one of Baily’s roommates from college just happens to be a sorority sister I was close too, Jenna. Who would believe that I actually went to Baily’s apartment more than once and NEVER met her! Not counting the many parties and other things that would have put us in contact. I had known who Baily was for a while, she went through rush at Bama and with me being a year older I studied her face for about 2 weeks straight (sorry ADPi <> ladies we didn’t get her!) then I saw pictures on facebook of her through mutual friends.. so I always knew who Baily was.. I just did not know Baily.

One day I stumbled upon her blog, I decided to facebook her, facebook messages turned into tweeting each other which eventually turned into exchanging numbers and texting. All of this led to a friendship I am so thankful for.

I’ll be forever grateful for the Lord putting Baily in my life. I guess it was all timing. Who knows if we had met at Alabama we might not have been friends, but now I honestly don’t know what I’d do without knowing Baily is my friend. She’s one of the absolute best friends I could ever ask for. Baily always listens, always answers my texts (and let just say they are alot, I'm a bit of a texting whore), and always understands. I’m so blessed to have her in my life… and you know what if it wasn’t for this blog I wouldn’t! Isn’t it crazy how you can connect with someone?

Now all we have to do is handle this whole meeting thing… which I feel certain will be taken care of by the end of the summer!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed meeting Jennifer. She is such a blessing to my life and a huge reason why I believe in blogging!  I have made the best friends through this wonderful world of blog writing and reading and I have so much to look forward to in meeting everyone in REAL LIFE! Yay!   (Thanks, Jennifer... I love our friendship!!!)

peace and love

bai

Write more soon!

HangOutMusicFestival

this week:

I'm looking forward to:

I'm headed to Gulf Shores, AL this weekend for the HANGOUT MUSIC FESTIVAL and I just can NOT wait!!! It is going to be a great time with best friends, white sandy beaches, and the most groovy line-up of music if you dig my kind!!!

I'll be staying with two of my best friends, Jackie & Emily, and rockin' out on the Gulf Coast.  It's going to rock!

WIDESPREAD PANIC

THE AVETT BROTHERS

PAUL SIMON

THE BLACK KEYS

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

UMPHREY'S MCGEE

PRIMUS

DRIVE BY TRUCKERS

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS

THE FLAMING LIPS

THE FOO FIGHTERS

MY MORNING JACKET

MATISYAHU

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW

GIRL TALK

KELLER WILLIAMS

GALACTIC

AMOS LEE

JJ GREY & MOFRO

BRANDI CARLILE

WARREN HAYNES BAND

BASSNECTAR

PRETTY LIGHTS

SLIGHTLY STOOPID

XAVIER RUDD

BIG GIGANTIC

and lots of others!

3 days packed full of groovin'...

I'm getting to spend time with some really nifty folks this weekend.  It's going to be so good for my soul.

peace & love

baily



Weekend Re-wind!

Hope everyone has had as lovely a weekend as I have.  I caught up on family time, friend time, puppy time, and rest time!  I'm feeling good these days and I hope it stays that way.  Here are some of the reasons why I'm so darn happy:

This beautiful hydrangea I get to see everyday.  Mom's blooms have been delightful this Spring!  It's not just pickin' wildflowers that I love.  I like to plant them and watch them grow -- to see nature go through it's slow and perfect cycle.  Those are the types of flowers there to remind us to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy things simply.  My love for wildflowers, however, comes from their spontaneity -- their surprise blooms that show glimpses of hope in some of the oddest of places, going where the wind blows.  I just love all of God's nature, really.

There are over 50 blooms on this bad boy.  It's beautiful!

My date-night with Mom on Friday night made me happy, too.  It was great.  We went to the tornado relief benefit at Kress Chophouse that Simeon Castille and other former UA players and NFL players (as well as former UF/NFL players) hosted.  Simeon was one of my favorite players while at Alabama and I was lucky enough to meet his beautiful (I mean, really beautiful!) wife, Haley Hunt Castille.  She's a singer & entrepreneur and I just fell in love with her instantly!

I hope to get to know Haley better, as I enjoyed my conversation with her and we talked about her new business of cute tee-shirts with positive messages that spread peace and love. 

I will be blogging about our meet & greet... so I will just say this for now: she's amazing!

The benefit was a silent auction on sports memorabilia and other items.  I scored one of Haley's company's tees and I (in my opinion) hit the jackpot with 2 Matisyahu tickets for $20.  Woo!

Mom and I ended our night-out in high heels on Church Street with a girly dinner at Amura Sushi.

It was the bomb and now my new favorite sushi spot in Orlando.

Yummy, huh?!?

Then yesterday, I went to 'Bridesmaids' with Michelle and had a great time.  We thought the movie was at 4:00 & it ended up being at 4:40 so we were able to sit at Barnes & Noble and have a Starbucks... so we were able to really catch up.  I love spending quality time with that busy real-life blogger friend! :)

The movie wasn't what we were expecting plotwise, but it was hilarious!  Adult humor.  (Don't worry, I asked the Lord to forgive me while I was in church this morning!) Ha.

I got a treat from Michabella's Cupcakery on our movie-date. 

I'm the Choco-Loco flavor's #1 fan!!!

Today has been full of rest & relaxation because a certain little smush-faced dog hogged the ENTIRE bed last night.  I mean, she spraaaawled out.  So I had to squeeze me a nap in after I went to church at First Baptist Orlando this morning.  I heard a powerful and moving message and I prayed for it to continue to guide me throughout the week as I fell into a deep sleep this afternoon. 

My nap time was NO DOGS ALLOWED!

Much needed!

Oh, and then this evening... these pretty mallards came and sat in our yard for a while.  I love when animals come by for a visit :)

Pretty aren't they?

What did you do this weekend?

I wanna know, I wanna know!

Hope your new week is off to a great start.

Peace&Love

me

From Above

Today, God told me to slow down.  He asked me to give Him some of my worries and fears, and to not forget that prayer is more powerful than anything. 

My heart has been in such service for others ever since 'the disaster' happened 2 1/2 weeks ago. I have stayed so busy and on the go, so I had not realized that my daily quiet time God & in His word had become, well... not so daily anymore.  Maybe I didn't realize it because of all the praying I have been doing -- for the state of Alabama, my friends that lost everything, and the families of those who lost loved ones.  I've prayed so much for the tornado outbreak crisis that I guess in my mind was mistaking that to be my daily quiet time.  God has blessed me for being a good and faithful servant in my prayers for others -- but I have not been spending much time on my personal stuff - the things He and I have ridden out together and the things I want to change but need His help for.  You know, just on our relationship in general.  God and I have been extremely close buddies throughout my battle with clinical depression but I must say that it's a good thing He is so forgiving. And loving. Because, geez, sometimes a lot of the time,  I'd wander into a mess that He had tried to keep me away from & that I knew better than to get myself tangled up in... I would get hurt... and then I'd come back crying to God to help me fix it.  Most friends would have been over me already and thrown me out, all the blatant sin I was partaking in, but instead He straightens me out by convicting me, forgiving me, and loving me. I guess I was inadvertently 'wandering' again by only asking that He bless others and forgetting to praise Him for what He's done in my life and ask Him to continue to be my captain.

Part of loving and comforting me -- He told me not to forget about my personal issues, my faith, and my partnership with Him.  I needed to remember what is going on in my life, as well, and not let myself wander out of our beautiful friendship like I have done so many times before.  Even though my heart is exploding with emotions for my 'home away from home', I can put my trust in Him and be diligent in my faith that He has it all under control and that a better future is in store for Tuscaloosa and those other areas.

 I realized it is okay to hand some of that worry and anxiety over to God, and to remember to not put too much worry and sadness on my plate because I have experienced that breaking point time and time again.  The breaking point that happens when everything going on in life implodes and causes a huge mess. I put too much on just myself without the ability to cope, deal, and handle my issues in the right way all the time.  The only way to successfully do it... is with Him.  

He told me to remember how far I've come and that I still have so much to be proud of and celebrate.  Not only that, but He reminded me that it's not mean, disrepectful, or cold-hearted to celebrate and find joy in things just because there is suffering.  Even though I am mourning the loss of those that I knew who died in the storms and even though my heart is breaking for everyone who is going through this nightmare, I can honor the Word and be content - even happy - for the will of God to carry-on and that we all live according to His purpose.  There will always be pain and suffering, but there is happiness when you lean on the Prince of Peace and the one who willingly gave His own life so that we could live ours.  The least we can do to say thanks is fulfill his purpose for doing so, right?

For those of us who have walked through the fire, sustained the high winds, kept our heads above water, and been given the chance to rebuild and start over with a new beginning - it is okay to rejoice in that!  It is for a reason that we were given this opportunity, and it means God has a future, a plan, a meaning, and a purpose. He saved us from death, and how close we could have been to that fate, but He did not have that as part of His plan.  His plan is unkown, but with faith, it brings great joy and no more pain, sorrow, and depression.

And that's what God told me today.

I'm looking forward to the time I spend with him tomorrow. 

peace&love

comes from above

baily



#CheckItOut

Well, Armageddon didn't happen last night -- despite my minor freak-out in thinking that it was.  I know you enjoyed laughing at me and my bunker, but it is always better to take precaution. 

Anyways, I'm alive and kickin' - but these allergies are going to have to get themselves under control because I'm sneezing, my nose is running for the hills, and my eyes are itchy and dry beyond Visine's repair.  I took some allergy medicine today that said  it was "daytime" but it also warned me that it may cause drowsiness... oh yay, let's see how this goes.  I think that is code for: I'll be taking an after-noon nap when I get off of work.

HAPPY THURSDAY!

Here's some solid inspiration.

One of my best guy friends sent me this on Facebook because he thought of me when he saw it.  It makes me smile so damn big when people know I'm a quote-lover and when they find something inspirational and think "aaah, that's so Baily!"...  Thanks, friend.

"I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger than reason.  I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me.  Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go.  Reality doesn't impress me.  I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another.  No more walls."

I think that sums me up pretty well, huh?  I'm just glad I find intoxication and ecstasy in healthier ways than I did when I was a wilder child.  But Oscar Wilde backs me up best on that: "Every saint has a past just as every sinner has a future."  Here's to the newer, healthier way of doing things... Cheers!

 Anyways, do you love my Natural Life  headband?  I rocked it to work today. 

I love all their accessories.  So free-spirited and so my style.  I have lots.

Oh, I have something to tell you!!

You coupon lovers out there will DIG this!

A family friend sent me over to this wonderful website, Coupons of Compassion, started by her future-sister-in-law.  I am already a HUGE fan... and if you follow me on Twitter (@bailyjones) then you know I'm all over this project already!

This awesome gal with a heart of gold, has organized this organization for a way that people can help in disaster relief even if you have no money to spend.  Trust me, I know that it can be overwhelming and annoying when people (like me) seem to be begging you to donate to this, to send money to that, attend this benefit (and bring cash!), send a check to this organization or text your contribution... etc. 

But with this, all you have to do is CUT OUT COUPONS then send them off to Tampa where the organization purchases the items that are needed with the coupons you've sent, they assemble care packages, and then send them to churches in the areas that are affected by disaster and in need of the items.

Current project: TORNADO RELIEF.

You get coupons in the paper for free... there's no reason not to just snip them out and send them to an organization that is going to use them to send supplies, offer compassion, and give hope to people who are suffering.  What an incredible idea.  Please check it out! (here's the link again)

I organized the first of my coupons and sent them their way!

Jot that address down and get to helping! I found it easy to do as I watched American Idol last night.  Felt good to know that I was continuing to help those in need.  I know that the need is going to be there for a loooong time after what I witnessed in Alabama last weekend. 

I'll write more later... back to work I go. High-ho, High-ho.

Peace&Love

Bai

Bad Weather Scare

I'm an over-reacter.  But I'd rather be safe than sorry.  I guess you can say that some things will never change.  Let me just tell you a little story about my afternoon and evening that I spent at home by myself with just the 3 dogs and the Weather Channel on.

This was in affect for my county today.  I about peed my pants when I heard our National Weather Forecast talking radio come on and I thought someone else was in the house with me. This is my worst fear.  I wish the talking radio voice was not a grown man's and that it was more like "Gretchen" - my name for my British accented Garmin woman.  His voice and urgency in his tone scares the hell out of me every time.  Anyways, the point is... I saw this alert when I signed on my computer, so no matter how bad the alert-man's voice spooked me, the threat of any atypical weather scares the hell out of me now. 

Now that I saw the devastating results of what happened two weeks ago in Alabama - I'm going to always take alerts seriously because I know that the storm that caused that destruction also started with an alert and news warning from a respectable meteorolgist. So when I saw Seminole County on a Severe Weather Warning I went a little... well, overboard.

Overboard in a good way if you ask me.

Better to be safe than sorry, right? The Severe Weather warning was alerting my area of potential 70 mph winds, large hail, and heavy rains and lightning. 

I put my thinking cap on and went into extremo to prepare for what might could be.  Look at the world these days, you never know.  And trust me, if you have witnessed destruction like I did this past week... you would be a little bit of a tizzy-ass yourself.  I hope no fly on the wall ever learns to talk because he'd have one heck of a stand-up act talking about me going into 'worry-wart-survival-mode.'

First, I called my parents and freaked out.
Secondly, I dreadfully put on a sports bra in case chaos happened and I had to go running or be separated from my bras for a while.  I say dreadfully because I'm a free-bird in my own house... don't know about you but that's the best feeling in the world at the end of the day.  So anyways, I ran and put <favorite> sports bra on.  Then, I thought... tennis shoes!  I remembered the story about the guy in the tornado with the piece of wood through his foot and I didn't want that to happen to me... so on go my Merrill Hiking Shoes (you know, to hike myself out of my imaginary warzone I was worried was going to happen due to meteorite sized hail I was imagining and winds that knocked the windows in). 
What else I thought?

A water bottle - I grabbed the one dinky lukewarm water bottle I could find.  (Note: pick up water at the store tomorrow). Then I grabbed the 3 dogs and the 3 dog leashes and went to Mom and Dad's room where I started setting up my bunker.  Oh, I was ready Freddy!

The charger for my phone in place, my lukewarm and gross water bottle with my, the dogs names on their collars, their leashes hooked together with one to hook to me so wherever they go, I go or wherever I go, they go.  Come on, the Wizard of Oz wouldn't have been the same without Toto. 

I called my parents one last time to let them know I was being a freak about the Severe Weather Warning and that there was no need to freak and I told them I had it all under control.  This probably humored them because I don't think I've ever had it all under control... but it's cool to say when things get all intense and stuff you know.  Kinda like the Terminator when he says, "I'll be back."  Haha.
Then I tweeted and texted all my friends and made sure they knew I was still just as anxiety-ridden as I've always been and I told them to take it seriously.  I will take every weather warning seriously from here on out.  Mother nature isn't joking anymore.

Execpt for today.  She kinda joked around with me today.

No rain.  No huge hail.  Nowhere near 70mph winds.  It ended up being quite a peaceful night to be honest.  

Haha, but at least I know now that I won't be a complete idiot when these infamous summer storms start brewing up in Orlando.  I do live in the lightning capital of the world, you know.  I have had to seek shelter in a bunker in that closet with my entire family before (and then again and again and again) when we were hit by 4 huge hurricanes my senior year of college.  I've seen a deadly tornado with my own two eyes as my dad, sister, and I drove parallel to one on the way to the airport to pick my mother up many, many years ago.  I know that a sever thunderstorm warning in Orlando also means FIRE warnings: it's been a drought here for God knows how long and when thunderstorms come in their almighty fury like they do here in the lightning belt and when water evaporates as fast as it does in 99degree weather (which is the record-high that it was today) and when there is droughts... lightning causes hellacious, out of control fires.  So just imagine all my worrisome ways and understand why I was acting like a psychopath today! 

But, hey! At least somebody had a really good time.  And the fly on the wall had a nice laugh too, I'm sure!

Peace

&

Love

BAILY

WILW

link up here

Here's what I'm diggin'...

I'm loving Grayson's nursery-in-progress.  Like most things about my Sister -- her nursery sense of style is the same as her fashion style and lifestyle: simple, charming, and elegant.  Grayson's nursery is beginning to come together after we were up there helping her set up the furniture & new floors.  I snapped a sneak peek to share! And, I'm definitely loving it and can't wait to love on him.

I'm loving how freaking cute my Sissy is as a 6-month pregnant lady! No further explaination needed, just look!  She's going to be a wonderful Mommy! (She's had almost 24 years of experience being my second mother, trust!)

I'm loving that I got to spend some quality time with Chaceface! We remember the ol' best friend turned boyfriend turned ex-boyfriend turned good friend again, right??? Being as he was the very first person I met at Alabama (summer orientation prior to freshmen year) it is odd look back on our journey the past 5.5 years.  We are so much alike, yet we are polar opposites.  The good thing is, we always find solid ground (after lots of brother-sister type of fussing at and teasing one another) and I am forever grateful for him being in my life.  We are sugar and spice, I tell you what.

Pray for him and his family and their community of Pleasant Grove, Alabama.  The tornado took everything from his childhood home where he was living, along with his older sister and parents.  My heart breaks thinking of the things that he cherished so much that are spread across the state of Alabama because of an F4/F5 tornado was relentless in it's destructive path.  He and his family were the ones who were there for me last year when I had nothing.  That home is where I had my first home-cooked meal after the hellacious fire, and where we looked out over hills and into the Southern summer skies, and where we broke-up and ended the romantic chapter of our relationship.  But, just maybe, this is what brought a special and cherished friendship back to friendly grounds.  After all, real friends walk in when the rest of the world walks out.  I think that's true.

I'm loving this favorite road-tripping snack of mine!  If you do not like the smell of boiled peanuts, never plan a trip in the car with me.  Yes, I would choose the boiled peanuts over an anti-b.p. fan!

By the way, looking through my camera roll I just realized that I either take WAY too many pics of my food or I eat ENTIRELY too much.  I think I'm just photo-happy! Ha.

I'm loving that I caught this precious "napping" session yesterday. Poor Daddy was so tired after traveling, donating, and putting back together my Sissy's house that was all torn up (not from the tornado, but from getting all of her floors redone) - to be honest, it sort of looked like a miniature cyclone had ripped through her house.  But, it's looking good now!  Daddy though, he was tired and decided to snooze on his office floor & the dogs had missed him so much they chose to pile around them (and on top of him!)

Of course my little nosey-butted thing had to be the closest to "Big Butch" and she looked so darn cute doing so!  I missed that little wiggle worm while I was away - and I missed Lola and Jackson, too!

I am loving my best friends 3-month old baby, Piper!  This was the most beautiful and precious and well-behaved baby I have ever spent time with.  "The Pipelette" definitely got me itching to be an Aunt Sissy, so it's a good thing I only have to wait 3 more months!  Oh my goodness... I couldn't stop kissing and loving on this precious little thing that was always adorned in pink and smothered with love from her parents.  I am SO proud of Elena and Taylor -- they are such special friends and I feel priviledged to have shared this journey with them!  I was around for their getting together, their breaking-up, their getting back together, the pregnancy, (sadly, I was in Orlando for the birth), but now I am going to get to see this little booger grow up and I am so excited.  Gosh, Elena still just glows!

I am loving that so many people are still praying for Alabama!

Thank you!!

Peace & Love

Baily

my trip to Tuscaloosa + another groovy way to help!

Hello blog-world, friends, family, and fellow prayer warriors! 


Let me especially thank that last group for the support you've sent to Alabama by praying for strength, comfort, and direction for the future.  I think it is safe to say after visiting the Heart of Dixie this past weekend that God has wrapped his arms around that state and is sending so many volunteers & servers to spread His love and I hope that love continues to bring peace and comfort to the many people who are still suffering, lost, heart-broken, and in disarray... as they will be for quite some time but with the spirit that is alive and well in that special place, I see GREAT things in store for the future of Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and the entire state and it's beautiful, gracious people!  I am SO glad I went this weekend. 


Seeing the devastation was the most uncomfortable experience of my life. With our load of donations from Central Florida in tow, Dad drove and I squirmmed around in my seat in every effort to find a place of comfort as I looked at my 'second home' in a complete and utter, tragic mess.  There wasn't much Daddy and I could muster up to try to explain what we were feeling.  All we could keep saying is, "it's nothing like it is on the news, which is bad. But being here and seeing this is WAY worse."  We just kept saying that over and over... needless to say, we know devastation on a completely new and heart-touching level. 


That place -- that special place -- where I have spent the last 5.5 years of my life and where I called 'home' from August 14, 2005 - December 1, 2010 (straight thru without ever coming home for a summer or anything) was and is forever changed.

Here are the photos I snapped while we dropped off the donations & supplies!

Here's the view from my front porch that I last lived at in University Village...

the neighborhood across the street (Rosedale Community) and the neighborhood adjacent to my last apartment dwelling (Forrest Lake) were completely destroyed and where several residents and UA students lost their lives.  Words cannot express my sympathy.

This was a humbling experience and I can't even imagine what it was like in the immediate aftermath and days following the huge tornado outbreak crisis.  It was AWFUL, and I was there a week and a half later.

The state of Alabama still needs your prayers!!!

Like always, though, I was able to see beauty even in the most tragic and ruined of places.  There is a spirit, an emotion that is so present in that town, and I know now that it's not just championships on the grid-iron that fuel that town's fire... that place is not only moved by the grumble of Bear Bryant's voice but the grumble of mother nature's fury and the path it left behind -- each bringing inspiration to future, but marking it's major spot in history - and both bringing a town, a state, and people of every race, religion, and background together...

and if that's an all-around beautiful thing and what the true spirit of God's word is!!!  I can't wait to see what God has in store for the future there and everywhere.  Sometimes (and I know this first-hand), you have to lose the life and the things you knew in order to find the life and the things that awaits you... and when it is something like a fire, or a tornado, an earthquake, or another form of nature's fury, you can find trust that it was constructed by the man upstairs for a purpose.  Somedays it will be hard to see that because the destruction can overwhelm us, but rewards await he who is faithful. 

Trust me.

I want to send a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to everyone that helped me in my relief efforts by bringing supplies, food, clothes, money, neccessities, and etc. to me so that I was able to make use of my pre-planned trip to Alabama and turn it into a service opportunity.  It is comforting to know that I am amongst friends, family, and a community that is so willing to help out others that are complete strangers... and on a personal level, it means a lot that they know how special Tuscaloosa is to me.  It may not be where my roots are - I am back living there, now - but it is where my branches formed, where I sprung to life as a young woman, where I fell, stumbled, and got back up again and where I learned to embrace myself as Baily.  I am proud and gracious that the Lord made me a server because I was gung-ho on giving back to the place that helped shape me and to the people who gave to me when I was in a time of need and suffering.  I love you Tuscaloosians!! And fellow Central Floridians - thank you for helping me shower T-Town with that love!!! I'm lucky to have been "made" by the experiences I've gained in both places.  I couldn't ask for anything better!  Orlando to Tuscaloosa LOVE!

Thanks, Dad for your help that day and for the moral support you always are.

Except, I think this experience - seeing "ground zero" in our favorite little college town - was just as shocking and life-changing for him as it was for me.  I am glad to have a Dad who taught me how to care for others first!  He is the most unselfish man I know and my Mom is the most unselfish and giving woman I know so it's no wonder they were a perfect match :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you want to know how you can give to the relief efforts in Tuscaloosa in a REALLY nifty way?!?  CHECK. THIS. OUT.

This awesome blog is hosting a Blogger Baby Shower for the little tiny victims and their mothers in Tuscaloosa.  As a mother-to-be with a little sister who lives in Tuscaloosa (sound familiar!?!) she and other blogger-friends of hers are hosting this fantastic virtual party and I invite you!!!

Here's how it works:

Simply visit the baby registry that they have set up at Amazon.com.

CLICK HERE

Then, pick out what you'd like to donate! 

Amazon will automatically send and deliver the package to a church in Tuscaloosa who has volunteers that are assigning the supplies with the correct needs of each mother and baby.

By doing this, we are able to help the hundreds of mothers who are in desperate need of these basic neccessities in order to care for their infant.  Knowing what it is like to be displaced, without a home, and amongst destruction after losing everything - I can only imagine what it would be like to have to care for and worry about the needs of an infant baby being met when it is so often a struggle just to get back on one's own two feet. Pray for these mothers and pray for these babies!!

Items start at just $8.99 at this super-cool e-baby shower, so there is something for every budget!

Plus, by purchasing something to donate, you are automatically entered to win some pretty cool prizes (like a $50 giftcard to HomeGoods by The Insprired Housewife and a $25 giftcard to At The Picket Fence)

Props to these ladies for hosting such a wonderful baby shower and service project!

May God shower them with many blessings!

Peace & Love

Baily