travel – Bless Your Heart

Bachelor Finale

March 26, 2024 Shanny

It’s the finale BBs!!! Let me tell you that I have been avoiding social media since last night trying not to spoil it for myself! Anyway, let’s dive in!

We are in Tulum, Mexico to meet Joey‘s family. There’s his mom, his dad, two sisters and a brother-in-law. Daisy meets the family first. She looks so cute in a pretty red dress. Daisy tells Joey’s sisters that she loves Joey and would say yes to a proposal. Then Daisy is talking with Joey‘s mom and they’re both crying and Daisy says I’m so sure and confident in him. Joey‘s mom says she would be honored to be Daisy‘s mother-in-law which is really sweet!

Next, on the same day, Kelsey goes to meet Joey‘s parents and family which is unusual. I thought that they would do these on different days, but apparently not. So, Kelsey comes in and she looks beautiful. She has the best hair! When Joey’s sisters ask Kelsey, are you ready for an engagement? Kelsey says I think so. They tell Joey what Kelsey says and he’s concerned about it, because she didn’t say yes for sure.

The next day there’s a date with Daisy, the final date, and they go on a spiritual journey with a shaman. Daisy is all in her head worried that it’s not going to be her at the end. That night during the nighttime portion of their date, Daisy tells Joey she loves him.

Next is Kelsey‘s date with Joey. They have a spa day and everything is pretty normal. Kelsey says that she’s fully aware that Daisy is still in the picture and she’s worried about it because she knows how great Daisy is and she knows that Daisy and Joey have a really good connection.

So then we come to proposal day. Daisy goes to see Kelsey after they’re both all dressed up and Daisy tells Kelsey that her date with Joey just felt off, and she knows that it’s not her and she wants to step aside and let Joey and Kelsey be happy.

The next shot is of both of the girls riding together in the SUV!!! Presumably going to see Joey! They’re holding hands and supporting each other and it’s just amazing because this whole show is so often seen as a competition, especially between the women and it’s not. It’s just supposed to be about finding the right person for the bachelor or the bachelorette.

Daisy goes to Joey first. She says I love you but the thing is you’re not going to choose me and I’m going to do what’s best for me and I’m going to go. They talk for a little bit more and he says can I walk you out and she says no this is something I need to do on my own. So she walks out by herself. Daisy goes to Kelsey and they hug and Daisy says I know your mom is looking down on this moment and she’s going to be so happy! Daisy is a queen!!!

Then Kelsey walks up to Joey by the beach and he proposes and it’s beautiful and she says yes and they’re crying and it’s really sweet.

Then we cut back to LA for After the Final Rose. Daisy comes out onto the stage looking amazing. She joins Joey on stage and she’s so poised and positive and they have nothing but the nicest things to say to each other and about each other. Then Daisy leaves and Kelsey joins Joey on stage and she is wearing a similar dress to what Daisy is wearing. They are very happy and Joey says how lucky he is. It’s very sweet.

Daisy comes back out on stage and Kelsey joins her. They hold hands and support each other again, talking about their futures.

Next they announce the next bachelorette is ….. Jenn!!! I’m so excited for her! She’s the first Asian bachelorette and she’s so cute and witty and I think she’s going to have a fun season!

Jesse said Jenn’s season won’t air until July. I’m wondering if we will have a Golden Bachelorette first?? And that’s it for now BBs! xo 🌹

pop culture, tv

Bachelor Week 9

March 13, 2024 Shanny

It’s Fantasy Suites Week BBs and we’re down to 3 women! Rachel, Kelsey, and Daisy join Joey in Tulum, Mexico.

Rachel-

Susan from Golden Bachelor comes to give advice to Rachel before her date with Joey. Then Rachel and Joey go to an underwater cave/swimming hole. There are loads of diving platforms all around the cove. They are having a great time diving and jumping into the water together until they get to the 3rd platform. They jump but when they come up out of the water, Rachel is in serious pain. She’s hurt her jaw somehow. The medic comes and recommends that she go to the hospital for an x-ray, so they go. Joey stays with Rachel the whole time. Rachel’s x-ray comes back fine and by the time they meet up for Fake Dinner that night her jaw is all better. They talk over fake dinner and Rachel opens up about her fear of losing Joey. She gets v emotional and cries. They retire to the Fantasy Suite. The next morning Rachel reveals she told Joey she loves him last night.

Kelsey-

Leslie from Golden Bachelor advises Kelsey and BOY does Leslie suck the wind out of Kelsey’s sails! Clearly Les is still bitter over losing Gerry. Leslie tells Kelsey to go into tonight with a hopeful heart, but to realize she could very well leave broken hearted. Thanks Debbie Downer! Kelsey then meets up with Joey and they take a boat out to swim with stingrays and turtles. The water is absolutely gorgeous! That night Kelsey tells Joey she’s falling in love with him and he reciprocates the sentiment! Danger! What if he says the same thing to someone else??? The next morning they make breakfast and look like 2 honeymooners in love.

Daisy-

Sandra from Golden Bachelor comes to see Daisy. They have a great chat and Daisy is all smiles as she meets up with Joey to go 4 wheeling in the jungle. They then take a V steamy outdoor shower in their bathing suits. Later, Daisy mentions how fun it is to fall in love with Joey and he tells her he’s falling in love with her too! WHAT DID I JUST SAY??? Ay yi yi. The next morning Joey tells the camera that he thinks if he asked Daisy to marry him she’d say yes.

Later Kelsey goes to Joey’s room to talk to him, but he’s not there. She writes him a short note. Joey, we need to talk. She leaves the note in his door. Joey comes back to his room and finds the note. Now, what would a normal person do? He’d call or go see Kelsey. But NOOOO. Joey spirals in his own thoughts about how it could be something bad that she wants to talk about. Like he’s on the verge of tears! Just go talk to her!!! Jeez.

And that’s where ABC ends this episode! Next week is the Women Tell All and the continuation of the Tulum adventure. Until then, BBs!!! xo 🌹

pop culture, tv

Bachelor Week 8

March 6, 2024 Shanny

It’s week 8 BBs & that means Hometowns! One of my FAVORITE episodes! I love meeting the families!!!

Joey goes to New Orleans first to see Kelsey A. They ride a tandem bike and explore the city. That night they go meet up with her family. Kelsey’s mom sadly passed away a couple years ago from cancer. Tonight we meet her Dad, sister, and brother. Dad brings out a photo album filled with pictures of Mom and it’s so special to see her. Dad needs to be the next Golden Bachelor! He and the rest of Kelsey’s family are just lovely people!!! They are all so loving and supportive of the Bachelor process.

Next Joey goes to Rancho Cucomonga, California to see Rachel. Rachel’s family is multicultural as they are Filipino but are from Hawai’i. Rachel teaches Joey how to show respect to her mom by placing her mom’s hand on his forehead. It’s v sweet and Mom is impressed! There’s a big backyard bbq with loads of Rachel’s family in attendance. Mom and Dad are pretty skeptical of the whole process. Rachel’s whole family is just so loving and lovely too! Rachel tells Joey she’s falling in love with him.

Then Joey goes to Becker, Minnesota to visit Daisy. They tour around the Christmas tree farm where she grew up. Daisy’s friends surprise her with a visit. Daisy tells Joey if her family isn’t on board with him that she won’t be able to move forward with their relationship. We meet Mom, Dad, sister, brother, and Grandma and Grandpa. Another great family that’s so welcoming and full of love! And luckily for Joey they all like him a lot and can see how happy Daisy is. Afterwards, Daisy tells Joey she’s falling in love with him.

Lastly we go to Niagra Falls, NY to meet Maria’s family. OMG it’s the best! First Joey and Maria ride the Maid of the Mist into the falls. Then we meet the family. Bless the editors who put the mafia music on anytime Maria’s family is on screen!!! Dad is Nick. Nick has longish dyed black hair. All wisps and feathered. V 80s. He’s all unbuttoned shirt with pinky rings and big gold watch and a heavy silver chain around his very tanned neck. It’s all V Greek and Italian. Her 2 brothers are mini versions of Nick. Joey sits down with Nick for a chat and Nick gives Joey his blessing to marry Maria. Later, Joey and Maria go outside and sit on a bench. They are chatting when the camera pans to the house and her entire family is pressed up against the windows watching them! DYING!!! SO weird and funny!!! Maria says she’s falling in love with Joey but she doesn’t tell him! She says she froze! Uh oh!!!

Rose Ceremony

There are 3 roses tonight and the ceremony is at an airplane hangar in LA. Just as Joey picks up the first rose, Maria asks to speak to him. They walk over to a plane to chat. She tells him she’s falling in love with him. He says Thank You. They walk back. It’s odd! No hug or kiss. V formal and stiff feeling.

Daisy gets the first rose, then Kelsey, then ….. Rachel. Maria is going home. She’s all smiles as Joey walks her out. Doesn’t shed a tear. But she says she’s confused and sad.

Next week looks v v emotional!!! Until then BBs!!! xo 🌹

pop culture, tv

Bachelor Week 7

February 27, 2024 Shanny

It’s the week before Hometowns BBs, and tensions are HIGH!!! The ladies are all emotional and jealousy is a big theme this week. Buckle up Buttercup!

There are 6 women left as we head to Jasper in Alberta, Canada. Daisy get’s this week’s first 1-1. Joey and Daisy go horseback riding through the woods and by a gorgeous lake. Seriously some of the best views I’ve seen this season. Then they hop in the hot tub that just so happens to appear in the middle of the Canadian wilderness! That night over Fake Dinner, Daisy admits she’s not in love yet. She says she really, really likes Joey but just isn’t there yet. Joey doesn’t seem to mind and gives Daisy the rose. She gets V V excited!!! Then they go ice skating in a hockey rink and make out.

Group Date

The ladies join Joey and a professional Lumber Jill who teaches the women how to be a lumber Jill. Then the ladies compete against each other in axe throwing, log rolling, log flipping, and the like. Maria is NOT having it. She’s fresh off a 1-1 from last week and is not having a good time back in a group setting. Get over it girl, this is what you signed up for! Then, when Joey is filming 1-1 with production, Jenn spies an opportunity and makes out with Joey. Maria sees this and is fuming. That night at the after party, Maria, in a V V high slit (like to her hip bone high), tells Joey she doesn’t think she can do this anymore and wants to go home. She’s super jealous and doesn’t like seeing him with other women. And I ask, Have you not seen the show??? It’s a group dating show!!! Anyway, Maria walks away from Joey for a bit and cries. She then returns to Joey and tells him never mind, I do want to stay. Oooookay.

Joey goes back to the group of ladies and tells them he is not handing out the Group Date rose tonight, that he needs more time. The ladies are NOT happy about this.

1-1 Kelsey A

Kelsey and Joey tour around the town of Jasper then decide to do the Polar Plunge! They change into their swimwear and plunge into the frigid lake with a bunch of other brave souls. Then they make out in a sauna. That night Kelsey explains who all Joey would meet if he comes to meet her family. She gets the rose.

The next night all the ladies are anticipating getting some time to speak with Joey that night, then Jesse comes in and tells them that there will be no cocktail party tonight. They are going straight to the Rose Ceremony. Again, the ladies are NOT happy.

Before Joey hands out his first rose, he asks to speak with Maria privately. He asks Maria if she still wants to stay and she says yes, that she just let her jealously get the best of here because it’s so hard seeing him with other girls. They walk back out to join the group. There are only 2 roses on the table. Rachel and Maria get the roses. Going home: Kelsey T and Jenn. This is the hard part for me! I love Jenn and Kelsey T! But they’ll find love in Paradise maybe!

Next week is one of my favorite episodes, Hometowns! But next week looks ROUGH for poor Joey!!! Until then BBs!!! xo 🌹

pop culture, tv

Bachelor Week 4

February 13, 2024 Shanny

BBs! We’ve gone international!!! This week we’re in Malta! It’s so beautiful!!!

Lexi 1-1

Lexi and Joey walk around the city of Valletta in Malta doing all the touristy things you do. They visit a gorgeous church and speak with a priest. That night over Fake Dinner, Lexi explains to Joey that she has stage 5 endometriosis and may not be able to bear children. Joey is so supportive and shares that there are many different ways to build a family, like adoption. Way to go Joey!!! Lexi gets the rose.

Back at the hotel Sydney is still stirring up drama!!! She says the whole Maria sitch is affecting her health! That she’s exhausted, lethargic, and is breaking out. BAHAHAHA!!!! Ok, so never mind that they’ve all just flown from California to half way across the world Malta! You’re jet lagged Woman!!! What a drama queen!!!

Group Date

This is the biggest group date they’ve had so far. It’s ALL of the remaining women, save Lexi, Maria, and Sydney. They all go to Fort Manoel where they filmed scenes for Game of Thrones. The ladies and Joey change into knight costumes and Joey calls himself “the fun size Bachelor” which cracks me up!!! I love a man who can laugh at himself!!! There are a few “challenges” the women have to go through to “fight for Joey”. The best one is the sausage wheel. It’s this tall spinning wheel with sausages hanging from it on strings. The women have to catch a sausage in their mouths without using their hands. Nothing like getting smacked in the face by a juicy sausage flying by!!! Ha! Most of the women cheat and use their hands but Autumn is a TROOPER and follows the rules. Autumn wins 1-1 time with Joey and they go look out at the water and make out. At the after party that night, Kelsey T is worried about her lack of time with Joey. Jess tells Joey she is falling for him. Kelsey T gets the group date rose.

Next is a 2-1 date with Maria and Sydney. Syd says it’s literal torture being near Maria because she feels Maria doesn’t respect her and who knows when Maria will attack!? I swear, I’ve never seen such made up dramatics! They put Syd and Maria on a yacht to cruise out to meet Joey. Stoney silence between the two ladies. Joey joins them and they take a smaller boat to go look at some caves on the water. It’s super awkward. They park the boat and go chat. Joey takes Syd to chat first. Syd tells Joey that Maria told Lea to “shut the F&$% up!”. Joey then chats with Maria who denies this ever happened. Later the two women are sitting on a bench. Sydney tells Maria to stop “doing this to all of us” in the house.

That night Joey joins them and while they are all three together he asks each woman if she sees a future with him. He’s decided he won’t be able to figure out the truth so he wants to make a decision on who to keep based on their chances for a connection. They both answer to the affirmative and Joey takes the rose and explains his reasoning behind giving it out. He says “Sydney…” and her face LIGHTS up “I can’t give you this rose”. Joey walks Syd out. He comes back to Maria and gives her the rose. They make out while an opera singer belts out Ave Maria (natch). I don’t think he ever kissed Syd. Oh well. Girl, BYE.

Cocktail Party

Lea pulls Madina aside to chat. Lea criticizes Madina for being nice to Maria. Lea says Madina was Team Sydney and is now being all fake. Madina says she’s just trying to navigate her time here with all these women. Maria gets frustrated that this drama is still following her and starts crying. Lea says “I’m glad she’s crying! Maria is a drama queen cry baby!” OMG WHO KNEW Lea was so mean??? The episode ends with Lea sitting down to chat with Joey. Uh oh.

BBs, it doesn’t look like the drama is ending any time soon!!! Until tomorrow!!! xo 🌹

birthday, fun, travel

50th Birthday Mountain Girls’ Weekend!!!

August 11, 2023 Shanny

Friday afternoon two of my besties joined Sara, Morgan, Lauren, and me in Valle Crucis for my 50th birthday celebration! We got Michelle and Jennifer settled in their rooms and spent a little time on the front porch then went across the street to do some shopping at Mast General Store. We came back and had a fantastic dinner of salad and shrimp & grits!!! My favorite dinner! My sister Sara cheffed it up and it was delicious! We all wore these gorgeous 1920s inspired headbands & Mardi Gras beads.

After dinner, the girls gave me my birthday present- a Silhouette Cameo 3!!!

Then we played bingo. A custom game made by Jennifer that was all about me!

Jennifer also brought a great variety of prizes for us all to win when we called bingo! After bingo we moved into the living room and played Scrawl. Laughed soooo hard!

Lo & Jennifer concentrating on their drawings

After Scrawl we went to bed- big day tomorrow!!!

Saturday morning we woke up and had a bit of breakfast then watched Grease 2– a classic! It was so fun singing along to all the songs in our PJs! Then we all showered and got ready. I walked out of my room to find the dining room transformed!!!

Sara & the girls turned the dining room into our own Paint & Sip!!! Paints, brushes, water cups, and canvases for us all! Sara pulled up a tutorial of a mountain scene on YouTube.

I love how all of our paintings came out different from each other’s! They are all beautiful!!!

After we painted we went into town for an early dinner at Basil’s. Cocktails were half price so I enjoyed a couple! They make their own pasta at Basil’s and we each got a pasta dish for dinner- soooo good! We asked the server to snap a group picture.

We all wore our beads and headbands again so we were all sparkly!

After dinner we went back to the house and played Never Have I Ever (the board game- not the drinking game) while the original Grease played in the background. We sang along again and had so much fun learning about each other’s poor life decisions! We went to sleep then woke up early Sunday morning to clean up and pack up to leave. We were on the road to home by 10:30 am! I had the best time with my favorite people! A wonderful way to celebrate 50 years!!! 💜

birthday, family, food, friends, fun

50th Birthday Mountain Celebration!!!

August 9, 2023 Shanny

Thursday I turned 50 years old!!!

I woke up in Valle Crucis and had some breakfast then got ready for the day. It was a rainy day in the mountains. CSP, Sara, Marc, Joey, Jacob, Mom, Morgan, Lauren, and I piled into our cars and drove into Boone to have lunch at one of our favorite mountain restaurants- Wild Craft Eatery. We were able to get a patio table!

After lunch CSP & I went to Starbucks for my free birthday drink, then to pick up a beautiful fruit tart from Harris Teeter. We met up with everyone back at the house. That night we had breakfast for dinner then Lauren schooled the boys in poker & blackjack while the rest of the girls watched a movie.

Next thing we knew it was time for bed. It was a wonderful birthday surrounded by my favorite people!!!

birthday, family, fun, travel

Valle Crucis Family Trip 2023

August 8, 2023August 8, 2023 Shanny

Last week CSP, Betty, and I went up to Valle Crucis, NC for a family getaway to celebrate my 50th birthday!!! We had a FULL house! My Mom, her dog Bea, stepdad, sister Sara, BIL Marc, nephews Jacob and Joey, their dog Gypsy, sister Morgan, her partner Lauren, their 2 dogs Copper and Penny, Uncle Bobby, cousin Zane, cousin Woody and his wife Kate (who live in Germany) were all there!!!

The dogs LOVE it up in the mountains!

Betty getting some lap time in with CSP by the fire

We put all our camp chairs in a circle around the fire pit and had a great time visiting with everyone. We made dinner over the fire – brats and veggie pouches night one and chicken with my mac & cheese night two. Night three we did spaghetti with meatballs over the fire. My BIL Marc is quite the chef and the food was amazing!

Sara had decorated the house and it looked so beautiful!

The first night after dinner they brought out my birthday cake! It was delicious!

At night after dinner we played games, including my favorite game- Scrawl.

We laughed so hard playing Scrawl I cried off all my eyeliner!!! If you love games- go buy this now! It’s only $10 at Amazon. You will not be disappointed!!!

We got in a good bit of porch sitting time too- just visiting, relaxing, and enjoying the view. There was also giant Jenga and cornhole in the yard.

Gypsy likes to stick her head through the porch railings

Betty likes going to the Mast store to shop!

We arrived on Monday afternoon. Phoebe and Minnie were being cared for by CSP’s mom. Minnie doesn’t like to travel and Phoebe is so skittish. Wednesday Papa (stepdad) had to go back home to work. Then Thursday morning Uncle Bobby, Zane, Woody, and Kate left for home. We were able to get a group photo together thanks to the iPhone’s self timer!

It was so good to spend time with family and escape the heat up in the mountains!

travel

Disney Fantasy Bermuda Day 9 & Debarkation

April 22, 2023May 10, 2023 Shanny

Today is Castaway Cay day!!!

Today’s forecast was beautiful and we were on Disney’s private island so what could be better?!?

We had a surprise excursion booked for 9 am on the island so we woke up early and ate breakfast at Cabanas buffet. Then we debarked and took the tram to the stingray hut. Today we’re feeding and swimming with stingrays! This was another birthday surprise for MIL as she’s never interacted with stingrays before!

First we had a short briefing about stingrays (Disney stingrays have their barbs trimmed). Then we all split up into groups of about 10 each and went into the water. There were these floating platforms with a trainer in the middle of each one. We stood on the other side of the platform and the trainer gave us food (shrimp or a gelatinous vitamin blob). We were instructed to then place our hands (with the food) on the Mickey ears on the platform and the stingrays would come and take the food from us. This is the stingray named Kelly.

We were able to feed 3 times (Kelly came for seconds), then we had about 45 minutes to swim & snorkel with the rays in the lagoon. CSP had never snorkeled before but he got the hang of it quickly!

I had my phone in a waterproof case around my neck but I couldn’t get it to take pictures underwater. My snorkel mask kept fogging up etc. Whomp whomp.

After our snorkel time was up we grabbed our stuff and made our way toward the Family Beach area. On the way we saw Mickey!

Mickey and Pluto rode off in their spiffy beach cruiser!

Toward the entrance of the family beach is a gift shop and some drink kiosks.

MIL met someone else from Minnesota (CSP & his parents are originally from MN) in the gift shop so she was in there a while! We stopped and bought a 6 pack of water then went to find some chairs and umbrella shade.

LOOK at what a beautiful day it was!!!

As you can see we’re in the 3rd or 4th row from the water. That’s what happens when you have an excursion first thing in the morning instead of joining the throng of people racing to snag chairs on the beach. But it was perfect for us! We relaxed and read until we got hungry for lunch. Lunch was served at Cookies 2 BBQ on the island. There’s a giant pavilion that was just steps away from our beach chairs.

After lunch we relaxed a bit more then CSP and I decided to go back to the ship to nap. The sun and water can really wipe you out!

We took the tram back and got some good shots of the ship and island.

One of the magic pictures on the Fantasy. When you stand in front of it, it comes to life and there’s animation.

When we got back to our room we had our luggage tags. You attach them to your luggage and then when you disembark you go to the Minnie section to find your luggage. V organized. I filled the tags out for all of us then CSP & I took a nap. We woke up and by now MIL was back with us so we packed up all of our stuff. SO SAD!!! It’s the saddest activity!!! Then we showered and got ready for our last dinner of the cruise.

Tonight’s dinner was back in Animator’s Palate.

We were given the opportunity to draw characters that they animated and displayed on the nearby screens.

I drew the 2nd guy from the left and the last guy on the right. CSP always gets me to draw his.

Sher-Ann (our server) with our new friends Gabby & baby Jamie

How did I not notice the lights in the floor until tonight?!?

After dinner we went back to our room and got ready for bed. Our last towel animal was v fitting for the day!

Note the paper on the stingray. That’s a guest survey that they ask you to fill out and drop off in the designated boxes on your way off the ship. DCL takes these surveys seriously so please fill them out and recognize the cast members and crew who made your trip magical!

The next morning we took our final picture on the Fantasy (for this trip)!

We dropped our borrowed extension cord off at the Guest Services desk, dropped off our survey, and grabbed a quick breakfast in Cabanas. We listened for them to call for all the people with Minnie tags and we went and gathered our luggage. CSP found a v nice porter who helped us get all of our stuff out to the parking garage. Customs was a breeze and then we were out! We were off the ship v quickly. MIL & I waited on the ground level while CSP retrieved the car.

And that’s the end of a wonderful, family cruise!!! Next up for me & CSP- we’ll be back on the Fantasy in January 2024 for a Western Caribbean Pixar Day at Sea cruise!!!

travel

Disney Fantasy Bermuda Day 8 Part 2

April 21, 2023May 7, 2023 Shanny

When we got back to the ship we went to the room to shower and get ready for dinner. On our way to dinner we passed Pepe the King Prawn’s stateroom #5148 1/2. It’s so cute! It’s on deck 5 and is only about 2 feet tall.

We also passed the GIANT screen by the pool. Movies are shown here throughout the day and night!

Tonight’s dinner is in Palo! Palo is the adults only Italian restaurant. There is an additional charge to eat here, but it’s worth every penny!

Close up of the beautiful blown glass light fixture. It twinkles!

We all started our dinner with an amuse bouche.

Then I had the burrata caprese salad.

The burrata was SO creamy and fresh!

My next course was an arugula and parmesan salad.

Next it was time for my main course- roasted chicken with fingerling potatoes.

The sauce was amazing!

For dessert CSP & I both ordered the chocolate souffle. It comes with both chocolate and vanilla sauces. That’s too much chocolate for me and CSP isn’t a fan of the vanilla sauce so we always trade sauces. This souffle is so incredible!!!

You also get a scoop of vanilla ice cream with it. At this point we were all stuffed with a fabulous dinner! BUT- tonight was pirate night! So we rushed down to the pool deck so we could see the fireworks!