TagTORsAdventures

Jake Owen in Key West!

01 Jake Owen American Country Love Song Nashville to Key West Road Trip 1966 VW Bus Music Video TORsAdventures     02 Jake Owen American Country Love Song Nashville to Key West Road Trip 1966 VW Bus Music Video TORsAdventures

After hearing about Jake Owen’s journey from Nashville to Key West I definitely wanted to try and see him while he was here. The story goes something like this:  last week he bought a 1966 VW Bus in North Carolina and decided to drive it from Nashville to Key West and promote his new song “American Country Love Song” the first song on his new upcoming album. Yesterday I kept looking for VW Busses.  Who knew there were so many and blue too!   He posted a video on his Facebook page this morning saying that they were shooting some scenes for the video and was looking for people for this afternoon. Since I have lived in Key West for a few years I immediately knew where he was from the video. Scott and I walked that beach so many mornings in search of turtle nests ( see my blog about turtles)  I hopped in my car and drove down to Smathers Beach.  Before I could even find a parking spot I spotted the van so I knew I was in the right place.

06 Jake Owen American Country Love Song Nashville to Key West Road Trip 1966 VW Bus Music Video TORsAdventures

As I walked up I saw him sitting in the bus and they were filming part of the video. After they were done they let us come over and I got to say Hi to him and take a photo. Two of the people that were with him said that they were going to be filming the other parts later today.  Later in the afternoon he posted on Facebook saying that he was at Andy’s Cabana having a beer and inviting people to join him. Once again I hopped into my car and went down there. He was there hanging out have a beer and then he picked up his guitar and played “Beachin” and “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”.  What an awesome day!  What a great guy!

08 Jake Owen American Country Love Song Nashville to Key West Road Trip 1966 VW Bus Music Video TORsAdventures Beach Whiskey     09 Jake Owen American Country Love Song Nashville to Key West Road Trip 1966 VW Bus Music Video TORsAdventures Beach Whiskey

Today has been a day that I will never forget and now I am even more excited for this year’s Key West Songwriters Festival since Jake Owen has been announced as the headliner! If you would like to see more photos and videos be sure to check out my Twitter and Instagram accounts.  By the way……………. he retweeted the picture of us on the beach from this morning!!!

 

 

I’M Getting Hitched! <3

TORsAdventures Wedding Planning Grandmothers Ring Dress Lace Victoria Elizabeth Scott McKay

Well the cat is out of the bag and I’m Getting Hitched! It didn’t happen exactly how I thought it would but there sure were some fireworks. After lots of talking Scott and I couldn’t come up with any good reasons why we were not married or getting married. We both love each other and even when we are apart we are still talking even if we don’t want too. I LOVE that boy and that is pretty much how I ended up engaged without a ring and a fiance in another state. Might I add that he is still in Florida and I have been in Chicago for the past 2 months helping with my Grandma Doris while we try to figure things out. I already knew that I wanted to use my Grandma Lorine’s rings that she left to me as part of her estate when I was a kid. I think this adds something special since they were chosen with love by my Grandfather and Mamaw proudly wore them for years. I took them and put them into the safe deposit box and never really saw them again. I always knew that I liked them and thought they were pretty but when we went to the bank to retrieve them I was overwhelmed by the beauty.  I am sure I made the right choice.

TORsAdventures Wedding Planning Grandmothers Ring

I have also dipped my toe into the extremely scary world of wedding dresses. My first trip I went with my Mom and Grandma.  (Different from the Grandma with the rings.) For my next trip I enlisted the help of my friend Alli who got married last year. I think she is my go to person for all the stupid questions or to also ask how the hell did you survive this. I don’t think I would believe it if I wasn’t there to see it. The photo below is from the back of a dress that I liked it but not enough to start crying and say this is it … I seemed to find things I like about them but nothing that has it all ……………….YET!

TORsAdventures Wedding Planning Grandmothers Ring Dress Lace

Since the proposal and rings weren’t normal why would anything else be right? We are having a shotgun wedding without the baby or the shotgun! I should say that it started out a little quicker than it is now. Its currently Feb 16th, 2016 and we started this journey on Feb 3rd. At first we were talking about getting married on Feb 29th since why not … its a leap year why not leap right in? Well that lasted about 5 minutes and then it was pushed back to March 23rd. We then discovered that it was Spring Break and that would be crazy! So we moved it to April 23rd. Then after all of our friends and families had their way it had moved to May 21st back to April 9th then up to June 4th back to May 10th and now we are in limbo about April 9th or 23rd. I wish I could make this stuff up but I’m not! I have the crazy text messages to prove it and about 100 Orbitz and Southwest searches! You see we will be doing the wedding in Key West but my parents are in Chicago and his are in Portland. And that is not including some of our closest friends who will be attending too.

We are not trying to plan some crazy and extravagant wedding just something small on the beach with my toes in the sand. I shouldn’t say WE … Scott told me that I could have – do whatever I wanted and to top it off I also have $1000 to use for a honeymoon. My honey said that since nothing is normal with this he would at least give me a honeymoon. I have already taken some action to get his passport! Sand & Sun here we come! Maybe via plane maybe via boat who knows!

Planning a wedding is hard work! I don’t think I quite understood until I was in the driver seat … everything is a battle whether it be with the date, family, friends, dress shopping or anything else that on my 50+ to-do list. All I can so far is that I am absolutely excited to marry Scott! Everything else will somehow work itself out. <—- His words to calm me down NOT MINE!  I think my favorite quote from him so far was when he was talking about the shotgun and the date. Feb 29th = Shotgun to the face. March 26th = Shotgun to the Chest. April 23rd = Shotgun to the belly. May 21st = Shotgun to the knees. June 4th = Shotgun to the feet.

 

Sweet Pete’s

01 Sweet Pete's Lake Forest The Profit Marcus Lemonis TORsAdventures

I have to admit that I am a HUGE fan of the show The Profit.  I am something of an entrepreneur fanatic!  When I was a kid I had to be dragged in from selling candy for whatever thing it was my school needed me to sell for them. I created Victorious Creations in grade-school. Now it is Tor’s Adventures Media. SO……I love this guy!  I want him to be my mentor someday! I loved the show with Sweet Pete’s and was hoping to visit the store next time I was in Jacksonville since I have been living in Florida for the last three and a half years. I am now  in Illinois and I saw on the update show that they opened a store in Lake Forest, IL …… a little north of Chicago. We were heading to the city this morning so I added the sweet stop onto our trip.

02 Sweet Pete's Lake Forest The Profit Marcus Lemonis TORsAdventures 03 Sweet Pete's Lake Forest The Profit Marcus Lemonis TORsAdventures 04 Sweet Pete's Lake Forest The Profit Marcus Lemonis TORsAdventures

The store was everything I expected!  From the smell of candy being made as we walked into the bright and cheerful store, to the taste of the salted caramel they were sampling as we walked into the door it was fabulous! I got to see the gummy bear lamp that I saw on TV.  AWESOME!  We bought some cupcakes, strawberry straws and some salt water caramels. The store manager was absolutely delightful and I would love to come back to take some of their classes.

06 Sweet Pete's Lake Forest The Profit Marcus Lemonis TORsAdventures 05 Sweet Pete's Lake Forest The Profit Marcus Lemonis TORsAdventures