Let It Snow!

Yes, that's right... I said SNOW. They are calling for that beautifully frozen precipitation here tomorrow, and I can't wait to see how Houston reacts (and drives!) Honestly, I'd prefer 70 degrees and sunny.

This was just a quick update to let you know that I have another review up HERE, at Stereo Subversion. I'm super busy with work and freelancing, but I'll be sure to post about Mom and Nana's Thanksgiving visit soon.

<3

My Name in Lights...

Ok, so maybe my name isn't in lights quite yet, but I'll get there one day! For now, I am pretty excited to see my name as a byline for a music review I wrote. CLICK HERE. It just got posted this morning, and I wanted y'all to see it first. (I also wouldn't mind if you retweeted it, commented on it or sent your honest feedback my way!)

The album was Good City for Dreamers, by General Elektriks. It was so-so. Regardless, I was thrilled to review it and submit it to Stereo Subversion, a kick-ass online music magazine that focuses on "music with meaning." I just finished another one, Fashawn's Boy Meet World, so I'll make sure to post that one as soon as it's up.

I finally feel like I am on my way to where I want to be... and where I was meant to be: writing. I love to write, and I feel like I have been blessed with a gift, even if it needs some refinement. Unfortunately, writers don't make much money, so thus far in my life I have abandoned my preferred career path for a more profitable one. Luckily, with side gigs like this, I can have my cake and eat it too, which makes me oh-so-happy. And, while writing doesn't pay right now, maybe I can make a name for myself and eventually land a paying gig at a magazine somewhere. Or better yet, perhaps my own communications business lies in wait for me (and hopefully some great PR diva friends.) Until then, I'll be dreaming about it and taking steps to make it happen.

I think that moving to Houston has had a remarkable affect on me (and Brian.) We have been able to really find ourselves here. It's been an adventure in self-awareness that has allowed us to figure out/remember who we are as individuals and as a married couple... or "the coolest married couple you know," if you prefer. ;) Since we've been here, we've changed and grown in a positive way as we've been faced with difficult decisions and situations and dealt with them all on our own. I was always "independent" (which may just be a nice word for "stubborn,") but this move has taught me how to be more responsible for every aspect of my life and helped me differentiate between what's important to me and what I love versus what the world around me thinks that should be. I think that is why I finally have the guts and motivation to venture ahead full force into writing, without fear of failure or faintness of heart. I can do this.

And Brian is almost like a different person. The boy that left North Carolina, for all his attributes, wasn't fulfilled. He doubted himself and his career path. He didn't seem sure his future would hold success for him, or if he'd ever feel like the man his mother wanted him to be. He wasn't even sure how to accept the love of his new family, I don't think. But now, he knows where he's going, and he is also more in tune with the important things in life. Best of all, he is experiencing great success in his career, which has given him the confidence he needed to know how proud Janet would be if she were here... how proud she is looking down on him. Not to mention, he misses OUR family so much... it is obvious he is ready to accept and return the copious amounts of love and hugs and encouragement and joy they send his way. It brings tears to my eyes.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want our family and friends to know how grateful we are for you. So, thank you to anyone who is reading this, for all of your support and encouragement throughout the years. And thank you in advance for the support and encouragement you will offer us in the future. Without each and every one of you, we wouldn't be the people we are today, aware and proud of our God-given strengths and weaknesses and dedicated to using them to make a difference in this world. We owe you big time, miss you so much and love you even more.

<3 Brian and Laci

I Believe in Santa Clause

Yeah, that's right. I've got Christmas on the brain. (Hence last year's photo. Don't you LOVE that beard!?!) And while I'm nowhere near ready for the post-Halloween onslaught of carols, decorations and crowded retail shopping (Poor Thanksgiving gets practically run over every year,) I am more than ready to start planning our FIRST trip home since we moved! We are SO excited to see everyone, and I can almost taste the chicken supremes, fries and Bojangle's sweet tea!

It's gonna be a big trip. We are going to stay for 12 days or so. Right now the plan is to get outta here Friday the 18th and come back Wednesday the 30th. Given our affinity for (1) Road Trips, (2) New Orleans and (3) not paying $400 for a plane ticket, I think we have decided to drive rather than fly. We are going to make it a 2-day affair each way and make a few much-needed pit stops along our route. Airports are so hectic, especially around the holidays, and while you may think we're crazy... almost nothing beats a good road trip in mine and Brian's opinion. We actually LIKE spending hours upon hours cramped up in the car together. And it's about time we christen the Sentra anyway. :)

In addition to oohing and ahhing over Christmas plans, officially closing my first Thirty-One party, thinking about getting a part-time waitressing job and loving the finally-fall weather, I haven't done anything very exciting lately. Oh! Except I went to Austin this past weekend to hang out with Lindsay, her mom, her aunt and her nana. It was a blast. It was like being with family, which I miss a lot. We ate wonderful food, went to an authentic, Dolly Parton-approved Honky Tonk and just enjoyed Austin. I'll post the pictures when I upload them from my camera. I can't wait till the next time a family member comes to visit us.

Brian is still working a lot, painting fields now. Or "striping," as it used to be called, apparently. He keeps on impressing his bossman, which is wonderful. In fact, last week he worked six days and massive amounts of overtime with his 2 crewmembers and everyone else had three days off. It's nice to have job security, and it's even nicer to see him so happy.

I, on the other hand, just keep reminding myself of that. Job security. Job security. Job security. I know one day, if I keep working hard, I will be able to do something good for the world that I love, too.

Hugs from Houston!

Laci and Brian

Three Years

Since Friday the 9th was our three-year anniversary, I just wanted to say that I am married to the most wonderful man on the face of the freaking planet. :)

My First Thirty-One Online Party is TODAY!

Ok, just a reminder that my first Thirty-One catalog/online party starts today and lasts until the 15th of this month. Here's the step-by-step again:

1. Visit www.thirtyonegifts.com, and look through the catalogs. (I am going to send a couple to momma, too.)

2. Once you've found what you LOVE and want to order, go to www.lacileblanc.com.

3. Click on "My Events."

4. Click on October 1st and then "Shop for Event" at the bottom.

5. Place your order!

It's really that simple! Give me a call if you have any questions, want to have a party.... or if you just want to chat. :)

Miss you all and love you more.

Laci

You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin'.... Darlin'

No peanuts or crackerjacks, but a bunch of fun was had nonetheless!

Brian and some of his coworkers scored FREE tickets to the Astros game last night, thanks to their boss. So we all piled up and headed downtown for a few innings and some cold ones. Frank and his 3-year-old, Xavier, Maria and her girlfriend (who is also Frank's sister,) Jackie, and Sal. We had great seats, and Xavier was a BLAST! I told you I needed some young'uns in my life!

Xavier, Me, Brian, Frank and Sal. We had great seats: lower level, left field.
Minute Maid Park is pretty flippin' sweet.

Me and Husband

Xavier and his new best friend! He LOVES Brian.

Me and MY new best friend. You can call him The Franksta.
He's the muscle behind my Pretty Girl Gang.
We're peacemakers who do good for the world. ;)

This is what was on the screen between the lyrics for
"You Never Even Called Me by My Name," by David Allen Coe.
The entire stadium was singing it.
Welcome to the dirty south, y'all.

We left a little early and headed back to Frank and Jackie's, had a few beers, played outside with Xavier, listened to guitar. It was so much fun, and we are looking forward to many more low-key evenings just hangin out.

In other news, my Thirty-One kit should be here Wednesday. My first online party is going on right now, if you want to take a look at the catalog on the Web site. To order, just go to www.lacileblanc.com, select "My Events," and click on October 1st on the calendar. My goal is to have 12 parties in 3 months so that I can take advantage of all the goodies Thirty One offers for swell new consultants. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if you want to have a real party, a catalog party or an online party, let me know. I will provide everything you need, and you can earn lots of free goodies. PLUS, if you are one of my first 12 parties, you automatically get a FREEBIE. I'll post more in a new post dedicated to my new Thirty One business. Check back soon!

Love from Texas!

Laci and Brian

Thirty One

Well, the move is over. It was heinous. We are behind schedule getting unpacked, but I promise to post pictures of our fabulous new place as soon as it is presentable.

In other news, I have decided to become a Thirty One consultant!

It is a Christian-based direct selling company with the cutest accessories. There is a catalog for women, teens and even kids/moms. It is so very adorable. I LOVE it. The name is based on Proverbs 31:

The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle his mother taught him:

² "O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,

³ do not spend your strength on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.

⁴ "It is not for kings, O Lemuel—
not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,

⁵ lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

⁶ Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine to those who are in anguish;

⁷ let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.

⁸ "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.

⁹ Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I am REALLY excited to get started, so go ahead and take a look at the catalogs and start thinking about Christmas and birthdays. I can do online parties or in person parties. If you hostess, you get all kinds of cool deals. I'll keep you updated as I dig into the process. For now, just spread the word, start making a list of what you want... and how you want it embroidered!

Love, Love, Love,

Laci

I like to MOVE it, MOVE it.

Well, it's finally here. The big move is upon us, and I would like to thank my husband and myself for not accumulating a whole bunch of crapola over the past 7 months. I have barely packed anything, and we are almost done! We have furniture and approximately two carloads of et cetera. (You may ask how I know this, and it is because that is the amount of junk with which we arrived. We may have a few more items of clothing, but nothing a space bag can't make disappear!)

The whole packing process has made me appreciate the massive amount of purging we accomplished prior to the REAL big move down here. Sure, I have occasionally missed my pink moccasins, my "Animals are little people in fur coats" T-shirt and my stockpile of jewelry I only wore once in a blue moon... but I do not miss at all whatsoever the endless barrage of kitchen accessories, thoughtful yet putrid gifts or clothes that were too nice to get rid of but too big or small to fit into. So, all in all, it was a very fair trade, I'd say. Not to mention, I now get to thoughtfully replace all of the items I wish I still had without feeling like I have too much stuff already.

I'm not sure that Brian feels the same way, of course, since he could not possibly care less about any of the aforementioned items as long as he has his one pair of tennishoes, his PS3 and his computer... or should I say MY computer since HIS is broken... again. I suppose this would be an appropriate time to ask, on his behalf, that everyone give him money for Christmas, as he has set his sights on a monstrosity of a gaming computer that costs more than my first two cars combined. No, I'm not kidding.

I suppose this would also be an appropriate time to mention that it will definitely be Christmas before we come home for a visit. On a brighter note, it's looking like we will be able to stay from the 18th until at least the 28th. Does that make you as happy as it does me? I hope so. Until then, any and everyone is welcome to come visit us in our new place. Just not all at once. ;) I'll post pictures as soon as the place is presentable.

Love you all! Talk to you soon!

Sorry!

Ok, so I know it has been a SUPER long time since my last post, but there is just nothing "blog-worthy" goin on right now. Working, packing, making a couple of new friends... but nothing too exciting.

The move is September 20th, and thank goodness we have some cool kids to help us with the big stuff. Our couch is pretty gargantuan, and though I am pretty strong, I don't think I could maneuver it up, over and around all those stairs at our apartment. So, an early thank you to Frank for his offer to take my place on that one!

Mom's birthday is Sunday, so I will be shipping off her present this week. I hope she loves it.

Other than that, it's election season! So, I will be attending my first Harris County Democratic Party meeting this week. I should have done it sooner, but it takes a while to get the handle on the local political scene, especially down here in tea-party central. I think I've got the basics down now, so it's time to start getting involved. The Young Democrats meet monthly too, and they have a happy hour at the end of the month, so I'm hoping I can meet some cool people there, too.

I am also thinking of getting a part-time job once we move to the new place. I have some time to spare, and I'd like to pad our savings account as much as possible right now while I can. Plus, I think I could get a good babysitting job that wouldn't overwhelm me. I need children in my life. I miss Mallary and Crowson so much. But they are doing beautifully, from what I hear. I can't wait to see them.

Speaking of which, we are doing our very best to plan a trip home ASAP, but it's been very difficult so far. Fall is the "busy season" for Brian's landscaping company. (I put "busy season" in quotes, of course, because he pretty much works all the time already.) They do all the football fields around here, and as you well know, Texas is high school football country. It's not looking like a week off is going to be possible in his near future. On top of that, I only have a week of vacation left. I want to come home, but I also want to be there for as long as possible at Christmas. I hope we don't have to wait until Christmas to come home, but it's looking more and more like that is gonna be the case.

We miss everyone so much. Can't wait to see you, whenever that may be.

Love,

Laci and Brian
We are so ready to see everyone at home.

Our New "Villa"

Now, don't get your panties all in a bunch... it's just an apartment. We've decided to hold off on buying a house until we have some more time to figure out the who, what, where and when of it all. It's just not exactly one of those things you rush into. Fingers crossed, the tax credit will last another year...

In the meantime, our lease is up at Westcreek, and we've decided not to stay. We are moving north to "Jersey Village," a cute little suburb. The new place will be a little quieter, a lot more spacious and much closer to Brian's work. (We are hoping we can split the difference with the commute.)

The name of the complex is The Villas at West Road. Our unit is a two bedroom/two bath. About 1150 square feet, as opposed to the 750 we have now. It's much newer and nicer, from the kitchens to the bathrooms to the HUGE walk-in closet. Everything is on one level, and it sits above our GARAGE! I am excited about being able to keep the Sentra out of the elements.

Wish us luck with the big move! It will be much more guest friendly than where we live now, and after September 20th, I am sure it will be much cooler here, too. So if you needed an incentive to come, book that flight!

Love you all. Talk to you soon!

Home on the Range

I officially joined my first extracurricular group this month. BOOK CLUB! Now, I know it doesn't sound exciting, but it was actually really fun. We read Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. It was a good one. Whimsical and totally unrelated to real life, so it was a nice escape. Next month, I will be returning to discuss Main Street by Sinclair Lewis.

Weekend before last, Lindsay came to visit. We spent some time by the pool, but the highlight of the weekend was most definitely the Texas Heat Music Festival, a hip-hop-esque festival. Sure, attendance was pretty low and tickets were a little high, but it was the first year. I love the music scene here. It's so eclectic.

This week was my first HIP HOP dance class, which was a lot of fun. While I have not quite figured out how to accomplish the spin, the rest of the "routine" was way easy. And the people were really fun. It was also an effective way to expel some of that excess energy I am always harboring. I slept like a baby.

I also signed up to teach an after-school class for middle-school kids. I have a phone meeting tonight to get more details, so I will update on this as soon as I know more. I am just so excited to finally be getting involved in all the things I was looking forward to most. Houston is really starting to feel like home. :)

Speaking of home, we are looking forward to heading back to visit soon... probably Labor Day. We miss everyone and can't wait to see you!

Could the LeeBlanks be future homeowners?

Brian and I have been thinking a lot about buying a house, or maybe a condo. Something inexpensive... that we could work on while we lived there and perhaps even rent once we decided to move out or away. I mean, it's a "buyer's market," right? And Texas seems to have the most reasonable property prices of anywhere I've ever seen. We could actually buy for less than we are renting, in all actuality. And like daddy says, renting is not exactly ideal in the long run.

Now, all that said, we are also very fond of renting. I like having someone to call when something breaks and not have to fix it myself or out of my own pocket. And I like the idea of being able to up and move whenever our lease is up. So, needless to say, the responsibility of owning a home and the finality of a 30-year mortgage are both pretty intimidating.

But, we are in the early stages of deciding, and we aren't in any kind of rush. Number one, we'd have to get a loan. And that's not exactly easy as pie these days, especially without much of a down payment, if any. And, of course, I've got to talk to dad and nana, our realtor from afar.

Mainly, I just wanted some feedback. Good, bad, whatever... just honest. So, what do you think?

Feelin' the Love

Well, after a week with the family and a tearful goodbye, I wanted to post some highlights from our shenanigans. It was SO good to see mom and dad and nana and papaw billy. Nana and Billy got here Sunday morning. Mom and dad arrived late Monday evening. Despite some small hurdles with the guest suite and Brian having to work so much, the whole week was fabulous.

First things first, we tackled the apartment. Everything looks GREAT. Like people actually live here instead of squatters. Our bedroom is a beautiful white, fuschia and birch combo. Everything is hung as it should be throughout the apartment. And our new furniture is fantastic, especially since we kept the futon in the living room and covered it with our giraffe duvet (see below!) No one can quite bring a home together, even in the form of a crappy apartment, like mom and nana. :) HANG HANG HANG!

Other than that, we mainly just enjoyed our time together. Spent some time at the pool. Ate a lot of good food, like the Rainforest Cafe and Shipley Donuts. Did a little shopping at Cavender's for boots and cowboy accessories. Visited the Johnson Space Center and ate some fresh seafood.

Brian had to work a lot, BUT... he is now responsible for all the new business at his work, including meeting with the customers, budgeting and the artistic aspects... picking out the flowers and trees, placement, etc. He even got his own work cell. He is working his tail off and getting promoted left and right, and we are so proud!



We miss everyone already, and can't wait for them to come back. And as for the rest of you reading this, get your butts down here, too!

LOVE LOVE and MORE LOVE from Texas,

Laci and Brian

Best Birthday EVER

Well, I am officially old. OK, maybe not. But I feel kind of old. Twenty-six years old may be young, but when you think about your 10-year high school reunion coming up in a couple years, it starts to sink in. Especially since my lower back is killing me for some reason!

Whining aside, this birthday was pretty wonderful. In addition to the Sentra and a hair cut, I got a package full of goodies from home. (I think I like Cory's card the best, though the one work got me was pretty good, too.)

Brian took me to a yummy Lobster dinner at Pappa's Seafood House Friday, we ordered our new furniture Saturday and I spent most of the day perusing TJMaxx, Marshall's, Ross and IKEA Sunday. Very relaxing. The only thing that could have made it better would have been, of course, family and friends.

But momma and daddy booked their flight for the end of June, and we are so excited! I can't wait to see them and for them to see our new home.

Now that we are finally getting settled, I have been trying to think of ways to meet cool people here. So far, I think I am going to sign up for a cooking class. (We all know I could use the instruction.) And maybe a book club. And then maybe an outdoorsy group to meet some fellow hippies. A new guy at work, Marshall, joined a yacht club, but I don't think that's quite our style. ;)

Anyway, this week will be spent running errands and preparing for our guests from Louisiana, Brian's friend Jordan and his girlfriend. They'll be here Thursday thru Sunday. And then Sunday we get to hopefully eat lunch with Quentin, our future, fellow Houstonian.

Thanks everyone, for all the birthday wishes. And a special thanks to my wonderful husband for making it such a wonderful weekend.

Oh, and HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY, CORNBALL!! Your present should be there Thursday. :)

Love you all,

<3>

RIP Honda, Hello SENTRA!!

A moment of silence for the 1992 Honda Accord, as she has done Brian and I well for the past two years. Bless her heart.

Now, onto the good stuff. Drumroll please....

Brian and I are the proud new owners of a brand new 2009 Nissan Sentra! I love love LOVE her already. I wanted to share her (and all her cool perks) with you guys. :)

2009 Sentra 2.0S

Nissan Intelligent Key™ Keyless Entry and Ignition System

Bluetooth® Hands-Free Phone System

Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel

Integrated Overhead CD Holder

Divide-N-Hide™ Trunk System

Cargo Net and Hooks

Remote Trunk Release

Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)

16" Steel Wheels with Wheel Covers

Fog Lights

Vehicle Security System

Power Outside Mirrors

Upgraded Audio System with Six Speakers

Illuminated Steering-Wheel-Mounted Audio and Cruise Controls

Trip Computer with Outside Temperature Display

Our First Taste of Negativity

Oh my, did Brian ever get a taste of Houston last week!

Apparently he angered a motorist in a purple impala while driving his work truck and trailer Friday. After the guy was a total a$$hole, cursing and throwing up select fingers, he stopped at a caution light, hopped out and punched Brian right in the face!

Luckily Brian is ok. I'm a strong believer in Karma, so I'm pretty sure our friend in the purple impala got what was coming to him.

No worries. We still love it here. Though it is getting a little hot. ;)

SXSW in Austin

Well, we're headed to Austin this weekend to celebrate Brian's 24th birthday, so it only seemed appropriate that we post our pictures from the SXSW Music Festival in Austin last month. We stayed with Lindsay and met her friend, Moses. Lots of concerts. Beautiful weather. We saw Sandra Bullock and Jesse James hanging out at a little cafe right down the street from her restaurant. It was a blast.

Me and Lindsay with the lead singer of some band. Can you see our (sarcastic) excitement. We were at this place called "The Tiniest Bar in Texas." I accidentally lost Brian's brand new check card here the next night. :(

This is Chris. We started a Conga line. :)

Coolest DJ ever: Japanese Hornet. The only hornet Lindsay won't run in terror from. It was funny because they were "of Japanese descent."

Lindsay and I watching Carolina TROUNCE on those LSU Tigers. We were telling all the Tiger fans that it was ok, we were gonna be national champions, so at least they lost to the best team in the country. It's like a 6th sense!

French Horn Rebellion. One of my new favorites.

The LeeBlanks!

My favorite picture of the weekend. That's our new friend, Moses, on the end.

That's all for now. We finally went and got furniture, so I will post some pictures of our apartment next time. I promise, once we get settled, I will get into a routine of updating. Just haven't gotten there yet.

Love,

Lace

Apartment #122H

Work (and life) have been crazy busy, so this is later than I thought it would be. But anyway... I promised I would post photos of the one, the only Westcreek Apartment #122H!

We're so happy with where we ended up. We can walk to the Galleria, the big mall, and watch people ice skate while sipping on a yummy smoothie. I am only 3 miles from work, and we are traveling the opposite direction of everyone in rush hour, as we live inside the city, so it only takes me 5 or 10 minutes to get home.

Brian started his job this week, and he loves it! He is working for Professional Ground Management Services as a crew leader. Yep, that's right. He's a supervisor. And he's already wowed them with customers calling the boss to say how happy they are with his work. :)

Here is the living room. SHHHHH.... Brian is taking a nap. :)





And here is what will be the office nook... once we get up the courage to go back to IKEA and get our desk!


Here is the kitchen. AND, YES, THAT IS A DISHWASHER!! We haven't gotten around to hanging our bulletin board quite yet. Sorry momma!!




And here is the bathroom. It's so nice to be able to get in the shower without feeling a draft through the window!



Here is the laundry room... errr... closet.


And finally the bedroom. A little spare right now. We need to find some furniture for in here, too. But check out our 50% bamboo bedspread. It's SO soft.


Perhaps my most favorite part of all. A CLOSET. I truly missed this.


Love you all! Check back soon for photos of last weekend in Austin for the SXSW Music Festival with Lindsay. (We saw Sandra Bullock and Jesse James!)