When I Grow Up I Want to Be…

As I child, I had a lot of aspirations to be something great. My mind was forever changing, one day I wanted to be a police officer, the next the President of the United States. No matter what profession I dreamed of becoming a part of, there was always a pattern. Every single job; firefighter, baseball player, princess, president, nurse, vet, police officer, designer, etc, every… single… job, has one MAJOR thing in common. Can you guess it? Every single one of them, to me, was a possibility. I never looked at something and thought to myself, “Well I could never be that, that’s not possible for me.” For that I have my parents to thank.

I grew up in a home where I was very fortunate to have two loving caring parents who from the day I was born told me to follow my dreams and be whomever I wanted to be. Sounds like the start to a Disney movie, I know. They instilled the idea of hope and possibility. My first job aspiration was to be the first female president. Now that I’m older I realize how un-fit for the presidency I would be, but as a kid, I wanted to be her. I wanted to be Madam President. I wanted to live in the White House with my First Husband (the male equivalent of the First Lady, not that I planned on divorcing and re-marrying). I was going to run around the grand hallways naked all day long, a weird yet equally important aspiration to my 4 year old self, and paint everything pink, also a phase that I am glad to have grown out of. I was going to create world peace and spread love and laughter. I was going to be amazing.

I was going to be a baseball player. As a kid I would throw around the ball with my dad and feel as though I was ripping my arm right out of its socket. Proud was just the beginning of how I felt every time the ball left my fingertips. I was the best baseball player there was. I felt as though my 90 mile and hour fastball was my sure fire ticket onto the SF Giants. There was no way I wouldn’t be the first female MLB player… I just had one problem… I couldn’t hit… or catch.

I was going to be a princess. Dresses? Pink? (again, just a phase! phew!) Sparkles? Ponies? (Remember I’m in my dreams.) A castle? Sign me up! However, I realized that princesses are supposed to be proper, whereas I giggled anytime someone passed gas or burped. Princesses are supposed to be clean, and yet I enjoyed running through puddles and mud. Princesses are supposed to marry the prince, and I always rooted for the common man, the peasant, the baker, the everyman, the underdog. 

I was going to be a witch. Yes there was a time in my life, around the age of 6 when I found a huge obsession with the ideas of spells, black cats, and cloaks. My love for halloween and the realization that my super curly crazy hair was that out of a storybook led me to feel like the part was made for me. I wanted to be a witch. However, for the first time, I stopped and thought about it. Witches are not real. I can not be a witch. That was the day I realized there were limitations to my aspirations… or so I thought.

Years go by and I loose interest in discovering what and who I want to be. I live in the moment and work on school, soccer, friendships, earning money (chore money), etc. I was happy. Then as I start middle school a P.E. teacher of mine asked if I wanted to help record the school play. Agreeing out of interest in not having to run another mile, I signed up. That was the day my faith was restored. I just didn’t know it at the time.

I met with my teacher after school along with another girl from my P.E. class. My teacher taught us all about how to work the video cameras and how to reset the tapes. He told us that we cant talk while recording because the microphones will pick up our every movement and murmur. It all just came naturally to me, and since my older brother was in the band for the play, I felt as thought this was finally my opportunity to get involved with something greater than just me. I was going to be working alongside my brother, my idol. 

The show passed and so did many more to come, each and every one I volunteered to record and edited the videos together. I was slowly but surely fell in love. Let me be perfectly clear, this love was not what I thought I would have to show for a first love, and yet it was just that. I was in love with film. I loved the idea that every single story and moment was captured forever on some tiny tape, yes tape, that’s how old I was. That’s when I realized something I never had before. Memories of my 6 year old self wanting to be, but realizing I could never be a witch came screaming back to me. I could be a witch. I could be president. I could be a police office, a baseball player, a princess, and a restaurant owner. I could be anything I wanted to be. Art, film, storytelling, it’s all a way to capture the best, worst, most creative, most inspiring, or insightful parts of life. It opened my eyes and allowed me to express myself and be anything and anyone I wished to be. I could be that firefighter. I could play the damsel in distress, or the warrior. I could be and do anything I wanted. Once again I was free. 

As I child, I had a lot of aspirations to be something great.

As an adult, I have a lot of aspirations to be something greater. 

When I grow up, I want to be . . . simply me.

ROAD-TRIP | FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS

Road-Trip Essentials | Games | Tips | & More

I recently arrived in Texas after a two day, 25+ hour, four state long drive and realized, I am pretty much the queen of car drives. Anywhere from three to ten times a year I take the (what I consider, short) drive to Los Angeles (Southern) California from my home in Northern California. To me, the six to seven hour drive is nothing, however; I have had a lot of people surprised that I am always eager and excited to take the drive whenever at all possible.

Now I do usually have a pretty big incentive for driving over 300 miles to the LA area. I used to have a Disneyland Annual Passport of which I used anywhere from 4-11 times a year, easily paying for the price of the ticket and saving me big bucks on food and souvenirs via their annual pass holder discounts. However since I am now an adult (collective crying) and I need to pay for things like car payments, taxes, food, housing, and everything else that makes me that much more understanding to Peter Pan and his plight of aging. I realized that at this time in my life I can’t afford to spend the money I used to on trips to the happiest place on earth (crying continues). No matter how much I want to spend every dime I own going to the parks and buying every Mickey Pretzel and Bangle BBQ skewer in sight.

Even though my road-trips to LA have decreased significantly over the past year, I have been on a few longer road-trips to visit my grandma in Texas.

About 2 years ago my grandmother moved to Texas to help take care of and be around my uncle who was diagnosed with ALS. However, the distance between California and Texas causes a lot less visits, and a lot more time in the car in order to see one another. I am happy to take the trip, however, over the 6+ days I’ve gone back and forth to and from Texas here are a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Griffith Observatory | December 30th, 2014

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE DRIVE

The Night before you leave for your road-trip, whether it be short or long, you need to do a few things to help have a smooth and painless time the next morning.

1. I ALWAYS create a checklist of everything I may need to pack for my trip. It can be on a post-it note or in your phone, or maybe you go above and beyond and actually print out a checklist from the internet. I like this one. No matter what you do, a checklist is an easy way to see everything you will be packing in one spot and be able to identify any missing items. Plus! It’s a great way to have a list of everything you brought with you, just in case something gets lost or misplaced, you can see what is needed.
2.  I suggest you double check that you are all packed! I usually pack at least 24hours ahead of any trip I take. This way I can practice living off of only what I pack and it helps me figure out if I’m forgetting something I may need. I have a few friends on the other hand that pack last minute, aka: the morning of the drive, and just throw things in grocery bags or pillow cases. They usually end up forgetting something or saying, “I wish I brought _____” or “I should have packed ______”. Don’t be that person. Plan it out and make time to pack the night before, it saves you energy in the morning and money when you don’t have to go buy socks and a toothbrush.
3. If you plan on leaving before 4am try to get into bed by around 7pm. On my long road-trips I usually get up around 3 - 3:30am and depart home around 4am. So I try and hop in bed by 7pm (this rarely actually happens, but I plan it to work out that way). If it takes you a little longer to get into bed, or a few hours to fall asleep at night, like it takes me, than 7pm isn’t actually as early as it may seem. When I get in bed by 7pm, on average I don’t actually start to nod off until around 9pm. 9pm to 3am only gives me 6 hours of sleep for my 10+ hours of driving. Not a lot, but sufficient for me, when I average 4 hours of sleep normally (yes I know that is bad).

Carlsbad | May 5th, 2014

ESSENTIALS TO HAVE DURING THE DRIVE 
(WITHIN REACH PREFERABLY)

This is a list of things that I have learned are a must have for any road-trip I embark on. It’s especially helpful to have these items within reach (if possible) during the drive so you don’t have to stop and pull over to retrieve them.

• FOOD - snacks and drinks are super helpful during a long car drive. I usually pack about 4 water bottles, a coffee drink of sorts, crackers, an apple or two, a few breakfast bars, and some gum. I try not to pack to many sweets because in a car drive sometimes it’s easy to fall into the trap of fast and easy food and you end up eating junk food the entire trip. I know I will be stopping at drive-thru’s so I don’t want to add too much other junk foods. Anything that doesn’t need to be refrigerated and can be easily eaten in a car (ie; no crumbs, no sauces, no pungent smells) is a great option.
• CLOTHES - clothes sound like an obvious thing for any venture into the world, however I’ve learned a few things about what often is the best items to wear during a long road-trip. Think comfort! Nobody cares if you are wearing makeup or if your hair is a mess, or even if you are wearing your middle school band shirt, just be comfortable. I usually lean towards a loose v-neck t-shirt and some loose pants (ie; my velour track pants, yes I own a pair and I am not sorry about it). Make sure nothing is tight or uncomfortable for long periods of time. I don’t know about you, but I tend to bloat a bit during long car drives, anything over a eight hour drive, and I would hate to find out my shirt isn’t as comfy as I may have thought. Make sure you have sunglasses easily accessible. They save you a lot when driving. You may want to put a jacket within reach. I always leave one out of my suitcase and laying on the back seat so I can grab one if need be. This leads me to my next point… make sure your clothes are weather adapting. For example, as I drove from California to Texas, I had to stop and get out at gas stations along the way. In the matter of one day I went from 76 degree heat to 32 degree snow. No joke! make sure your clothes can easy change with the weather you plan on having during the drive. Also, bring slippers in the car! You don’t have to wear them the entire time, but have them and a pair of slip on shoes accessible and easily interchangeable. I usually wear slippers during road-trips, they are soft, comfy, and if need be, I can wear them to pump gas or get out at a rest stop. Now, even though I say dress comfy, think about what you are wearing in case something happens. 

STORY TIME:

January 1st, 2015

I was driving home from LA with my friend Lisa back on January 1st, 2015 and I knew it would be about a 7 hour drive and I wanted to be comfy and lazy at the same time, so I decided to wear my pajama top and leggings with no bra and slippers. As luck would have it, as we were about to go over the Grapevine I blew a tire. It went rolling across 5 lanes of traffic, lucky hitting nobody else on the road, and we pulled into the center divide. I am very fortunate that there was a huge center shoulder and that we were in the fast lane, so it was a smooth (lol) transition off the freeway. Although it wasn’t until I had to get out of my car, in the middle of the freeway, on New Years Day, with people whizzing by that I realized I would rather be wearing something else.

LESSON: Be comfortable, not lazy. Wear clothes you don’t mind if people see you in.

• CREDIT (DEBIT) CARDS / MONEY - I learned this one the hard way… times have changed and credit card companies are all about your protection, which is great, except when they cut you off because they think your card has been stollen. My suggestion, if you don’t travel often, and you decide to take a long road-trip, especially across multiple states, call your card company a day or two before your trip and let them know of your plans and when you estimate to be back home. I didn’t know what would happen, but because I don’t take as many road-trips as I used to, my credit card companies thought that someone buying stuff in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas within two days was enough strange activity on my account to shut them down on fraud suspicions. Due to the fact that none of my cards were working, I was turned away at multiple gas stations. I started to worry that someone had in fact stollen my number, but when I called the companies, they informed me that they assumed it had been fraud because of the fast travel times, distance, and charges. It was easy enough to sort out, but it’s easier to call ahead and not have to worry about your cards being cut off. I suggest bringing enough money for at least a half a tank of gas and some food just incase something like what happened to me happens to you. Just in case your cards stop working, make sure you have enough cash with you to get some food and gas.
• PILLOW - I think this one is easy to understand and needs very little explanation. If you are a passenger, bring a pillow. Even if you don’t sleep during car rides, sometimes it’s nice to have a comfortable surface to lean on during long drives.
• CHARGERS - make sure you have a car charger for your phone within reach. I tend to use my GPS on my iPhone whenever I’m taking trips as well as play music off my phone, so the battery is something I cannot afford to lose. If you and your passengers all share the same type of device, you don’t all need an individual charger, just one or two depending on the number of people in the car should be sufficient. Just take turns charging and pack the rest of the chargers away.
• MUSIC / AUDIO PLAYERS - I can not take a drive without music, even if it’s down the street to the grocery store or to my friends house 5 blocks away. I live and breath off music. I suggest for a good time creating a playlist of your music before you leave home, or creating a Pandora playlist for the drive. My favorite Pandora stations are: “Angus and Julia Stone Radio”, “Michael Buble Radio”, “Today’s Hits Radio”, and “Arctic Monkeys Radio”. I also highly suggest breaking up the music on the trip with a few laughs. I listen to “Comedy Is Not Pretty Radio” on Pandora. It brings lots of laughs but does have some explicit language, so be aware of the age of your passengers.
• CHAPSTICK / LOTION / MOISTURIZER - I tend to get very dry skin naturally, but it becomes even more dry in cars. I usually apply moisturizer, lotion, and my Burt’s Bees Lip-Balm before any long drive. I DO NOT apply makeup. This way my skin has time to rest and breath and moisturize while I travel. It helps me have healthier skin when I arrive at my final destination. Plus, chapstick is a total lifesaver. I usually apply chapstick every two to three hours on a road-trip due to chapped lips. Don’t get dry skin or chapped lips. Drives are an easy time to refresh.
• BACK WARMER / ICY HOT - I have a pretty bad back, thank you scoliosis and back spasms. If you are prone to sore muscles or back pains, may I suggest bringing along a back warmer and/or some icy-hot for the drive. Also, a hint for the females out there, if you are on your period during a long road-trip, yes I know, it sucks, the back warmers can be shifted onto your stomach and relieve menstrual cramps and pains.
• HAND SANITIZER / TIDE-TO-GO - sometimes, when you dont want to stop driving, like I do, you end up eating in the car and when you finish you realize you can’t wash your hands… there’s no sink in your vehicle. A moment like that is where hand sanitizer is a life saver. Bath & Body Works often has a deal on hand sanitizers. And don’t forget that you can easily clean any stains that may mystically appear on your clothes or even the car if you bring with you a Tide-To-Go Pen . No longer will your food stains or coffee spots be a huge worry. Tide-To-Go pens are a necessity for any bag I carry, but especially for long car drives. (I swear I was not paid to say any of this, I just love the stuff and need it with me on my road-trips!)
• BOOK / NOTEBOOK - Even if you don’t plan on reading in the car or writing anything down, bringing a notebook or reading book can save you from boredom and if you have a great idea for your next book, movie, blogpost, or just general notes, you can jot them down. I never realized how many things I actually wanted to take note of before I started bringing a tiny notebook in my purses. I always have one in the car now. And if you are stumped on reading materials might I suggest a few good books? 

Wild - Cheryl Strayed

Me Earl and the Dying Girl - Jesse Andrews

Room - Emma Donoghue

Me Before You - Jojo Moyes

Just Kids - Patti Smith

• ADVIL / EXCEDRIN / MEDICATION - for those pesky headaches or neck-aches, I always like to be prepared. I tend to get migraines, but if you don’t normally have a problem with headaches or any other aches, you can skip packing this and putting it within reach. If you have any medication that you take, then make sure these are within your reach during the car ride.

Las Vegas, NV | August 1st, 2014

TIPS & TRICKS

1. DONT OVER PACK - I still do this to this day, but if you are going somewhere with a washer/dryer than you really dont need more than just the bare essentials, you can wash your clothes at your final destination. A heavy suitcase is never fun and only takes up more space in the car that could be used for other things (see Tip #3).
2. FIGURE OUT WHAT “THEY” HAVE - if you are a serial over-packer, figure out what your final destination already has. For example; my grandma has a hair dryer so I don’t need to pack one and clutter up my bag, it would just be a waste of space. My grandmother also has an umbrella so even though I looked at the weather before hand, and it says rain, I really dont need to bring my Mary Poppins umbrella, even though I love it so. Figuring out what your final destination has, helps cut down on the amount of stuff you bring and leaves room for other things that may accumulate during your trip, leading to my next tip…
3. LEAVE SPACE FOR NEW THINGS - I have a major problem with buying things on trips. It doesn’t matter if its to Disney World or just to Texas, I always buy at least one or two things, and lets face it by one or two things, I mean maybe a couple of hundred things (get it? Bieber reference... no? okay moving on!) I always end up buying things and run out of space to bring them back home. If you are driving, usually you have more room than if you’re flying which allows some leeway for trinkets and things. Just try to plan as accordingly as you can if you know you like to buy souvenirs. 

Catalina Island | December 31st, 2014

GAMES

1. KID FRIENDLY GAMES

• Eye Spy : One person spies something and recites the line, “Eye spy with my little eye, something _______”, ending in a clue (ie; red, blue, round, bright, etc.). Everyone else takes turns trying to guess the mystery item.
• License Plate Game : See how many different license plates you can find on your trip and check them off your list. You can shoot for all 50 states, or just a select few, you choose. Work as a team in the car, or individually. Bonus points for Canada, Mexico, or US Territory plates.
• Punch Buggy / Slug Bug (same thing) : Look out the window and find a Volkswagen Beetle or New Beetle. Punch (lightly NOT HARD) the person closest to you on the arm or leg while calling out "Slug bug!" or "Punch buggy!". It helps to call out the color of the Punch Buggy, so it will make it easier for the other person to see it too. Whomever has the most at the end of the drive, wins.
• 20 Questions : Guess what noun (person/place/thing) someone in the car is thinking of in 20 questions or under. Rules: someone in the car thinks of something, the car begins to ask yes or no questions trying to narrow down the possible answers, a question can not be repeated, whom ever guesses the right answer gets to start the next round.
• Hangman : The first player thinks of… anything, really. Instead of writing out the saying, you leave an underscore for each letter in each word. The second player guesses one letter at a time. If the mystery saying contains the letter, it is written in the correct place. If not, the first player draws a head on the hangman scaffold. When enough incorrect letters have been guessed, the dead body is complete and the second player loses. If the guesser solves the puzzle before the body is complete, they win.
• Bingo : This game combines bingo with a scavenger hunt. Give each player a small white board. Each player writes out the possible bingo sightings on a 5 square by 5 square chart, (ie; tree, bike, stop sign, dog in car, fence, church, horse, airplane, cow, traffic cone, police car, railroad sign, bus, free space, bird, fire hydrant, construction vehicle, etc.) and an expo marker. When a player spies an item on his/her card, s/he puts and X through the word. Just like in regular bingo, the first player to cover all the squares in a straight line wins.
• M.A.S.H. : Ask any 90s kid, they can help you figure this out. If you need help, you can look up the rules here.

2.  ADULT ONLY GAMES (just to be safe)

• Never Have I Ever : This is usually a drinking game, but since safety and not getting arrested comes first, leave the alcohol out of the equation until you arrive at your destination. Instead, play the game as you usually would (and take a drink), but with water, juice, soda, or whatever your appropriate drink of choice is. First one to take a drink 10 times, or the first to need to use the bathroom, loses. 
• Swear Jar : Decide on a common word that will be off limits for the duration of the car trip. It doesn’t have to be a swear word, just a common word that everyone will use at least once during normal conversation. Try words like bathroom, cow, phone, etc. to try and trip people up. You can use real money, or have the offending passenger write their name on a scrap of paper and put it in the jar. The person with the most money or names in the jar has to buy the car a round of drinks at your destination, fill up the gas tank, or do something else of your choosing.
• Would You Rather : We all know this game. Everyone takes turns asking whether the others would do something or another. Feel free to make it as gross, weird, and unique as possible. Here are a few suggestions: “Would you rather never be able to speak again or always have to say everything that is on your mind?” , “Would you rather never listen to music again or live without TV forever?” , “Would you rather have no eyebrows or no lips?” , “Would you rather have the best house in a shitty neighborhood or the worst house in a fancy neighborhood?” , etc. You get the point.
• Pop Culture : If your car is full of film buffs, music idolizers, or just pop culture know-it-alls, play “Pop Culture”. (I don’t know if there is another name for this game, because I made it up with my dad on a trip from California to Seattle, Washington) Game: Connect actors, singers, musicians, through movies, tv shows, and relationships they have been in. Rules: The game starts with an actor, actress, or singer. Then choose someone you want to try and connect them to. Then you take the first name and you try to say a movie, or relationship they have been in or are in. The following person has to state another actor/actress from that movie or someone else they dated. It continues on until you can reach your goal person.  

Example: lets say you want to connect Bruce Willis to Lady Gaga. The game might go something like this:

• Bruce Willis 
• (whose ex-wife is) Demi Moore
• (who was married to) Ashton Kutcher
• (who starred in) Valentine’s Day
• (with) Jessica Alba
• (who was also in) Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
• (with) Lady Gaga

DONE!!!

* Note: I just did this Pop Culture run on my own while writing this blog post, so it wasn’t until I finished the link that I remembered that Bruce Willis was in fact in Sin City as well… so this link could have been completed a lot faster, however; you get the gist and how to play the game.

[Pike Place Market] Seattle, WA | October 3rd, 2015

Now go forth and have an AMAZING road trip!!! I hope some of these tips, tricks, and games help you have a smooth and fun drive. Don’t be afraid to leave me a comment on your thoughts of my list or what you think can be added to it. If you have suggestions or things that you do on a road-trip, do let me know. I love to learn new things and ideas for a more successful and entertaining trip. 

If you would like to follow my adventures, where I often post photos of my road trips, feel free to follow me on my instagram.

If you would like to see a short video I made of my drive to Texas, you can play the video below. That's another thing, if you like playing around with apps (I used iMovie on my iPhone) or any other video makers, you can make a short film/video of your drive to remember it and keep busy during the road-trip. :)

Love

Always

kirsten nicole huxtable

Well Then . . .

Welcome to TWENTY - FIFTEEN!!! 

This isn't a new thing, it's been 2015 for approximately 15 days now, so if this comes as a surprise to anyone, I suggest you call someone who can help you.

Now I have no idea where this year will lead me, and I've decided to forego the concept of "new years resolutions" because a lot of times I choose tasks to large to complete in a mere year. Instead I chose to create a list of goals. Yes, those sound screamingly similar, except my list of goals don't hit completion at the end of the 365 days that are 2015. Instead these are lifelong goals that I want to start making more prominent in my life. It's a way to prioritize myself towards the life I want to live.

So here it is, my list of lifelong goals that I am putting into action starting NOW:

GOALS

1. Be Healthy
    (probably a pretty common one in most people's books)
2. Move
    (always keep myself in motion; whether that be via exercise, 
     career goals, or simply location)
3. Be Happy
    (probably the hardest on my list, but I strive to find something 
     good in every day)
4. Try New Things
    (nothing but knowledge can come out of new things)
5. Be There
    (for family, friends, or strangers... be more present)
6. Write More
    (I would like to, once again, find beauty in the written word)
7. Believe
    (believe in myself, believe in others, believe in love, 
     believe in pain, believe in monsters, believe in magic,
     believe in something greater)

Keep in mind that this list will grow. I have my entire life to follow through with these goals, I only hope to find pleasure in them sooner than later. 

I wonder...

If you could create a list of things that would help you live the life you've always dreamed of, what would you put on it? Or maybe you are living your dream life. What do you do to maintain peace of mind, heart, and soul?

Always,
Kirsten Nicole Huxtable

Take A Chance . . . You Never Know

Take a chance, I know it sounds cliche, but I mean it. 

This summer I decided to put myself out there and try new things, take a chance or two, and have no regrets.... and I LOVED IT!!! Since the end of May I have gone to Disneyland 3 times, Vegas, a taping for Comedy Central's show @Midnight, Newport Beach, San Diego, a SYTYCD (So You Think You Can Dance) live taping, and even to Lamorne Morris' private Birthday Screening of Let's Be Cops (which by the way is an unbelievably funny film, go see it!).

Now to back up and explain a few things. 

Our impromptu Surrey ride around Coronado Beach.... the faces tell it all.

Summer started out with a few pre-planned trips, such as Vegas and Newport Beach. One of my best friends Aimee was turning 21 and we had planned a trip to Vegas to celebrate. Newport Beach is where her home is and so before road tripping it to Vegas, we drove from NorCal to SoCal and stayed there. Whilst in Newport Beach we decided to drive down to San Diego to visit her mom and her mom's fiance. There we did some impromptu stuff of our own, such as a painful, but utterly fun surrey ride through Coronado Beach.

Disneyland was another pre-planned trip... if you consider 48 hours pre-planned. Another one of my best friends and I decided only 48 hours after I picked her up at the airport from her trip to Spain, that we wanted to drive down to Anaheim and go to Disneyland... So we did.

Disney's California Adventure Park

See that's the thing, I know sometimes it's hard to go through with ideas or things you think would be fun, but someone very wise once told me, "If you want to do it, do it, no matter if nobody else wants to join. If you want to go do something, you better do it, or you will regret it." So I took his words to heart and decided instead of just saying, "Yeah, that would be fun.", I was saying, "I'm packing, let's go!" And we did.

Disneyland

On the first trip to Disneyland I convinced my friend to leave her number with one of our servers and just seeing how proud of herself she was for having the courage to do something so bold was more then enough reward, however what made it even better was that he contacted her. Without giving away too much personal information, I'm happy to report that they are still in contact... 2 months later. Whether it be the start to a great friendship or something else, the bottom line is she stepped out of her comfort zone, took a chance, was nervous as all hell, but it all worked out.

When I got home from Disneyland I was watching an episode of SYTYCD and wanted to see how you can get tickets for the show, so I went online and signed up through a site called On-Camera Audiences. I was placed on a wait-list and honestly believed that it would be a miracle if a spot opened up for me to attend a show. Well miracles happen. Two weeks after our Disneyland trip I received two tickets to attend a live showing of SYTYCD. So we packed our bags and hit the road once more.

SYTYCD Season 11 Top 16

*This may just be a blog about how to live out of a suitcase all summer, because I don't think I ever truly unpacked. ;)

While at SYTYCD we were isle mates with New Girl's Lamorne Morris (Winston). I'm not going to say we didn't make some eye contact... cause we did, but I was honestly more invested in the dances than trying to meet Mr. Lamorne. However, as life would have it, almost a month later I saw a contest that Lamorne had posted to his social media sites. 

The contest was to take a photo relating to the theme "Let's Be Cops". You email in your photo submissions, they are looked over and the 25 winners would get to attend a private screening of the film Let's Be Cops with Lamorne Morris on the Fox Studio Lot. After hours of texting humorous ideas back and forth, just for fun, my friend Lisa and I decided "What the heck! Let's try!"

*There was no harm in trying, we were just taking a few funny photos to see if we could win a fun night out. We honestly did not think we would win. Another far fetched idea... or so we thought.

24 hours later, at 5:30pm I received a response to my submission email. We won! I couldn't believe it. I was running around the house out of pure excitement. I don't know what I was more excited about, the fact that I would get to watch the film Let's Be Cops, the fact that the email was signed "Lamorne", or that someone was going to allow me onto the Fox Studio lot for hours at a time. (I'm a huge film and television fan, I sort of geek out over costumes and sets)

On the Fox Studio Lot

By 9:00pm we were on the road driving down to LA. Now while I don't think driving from 9pm to 3am is the smartest thing I've ever done, it was our only choice since the event was the next night and I knew I needed to rest after and 6-7 hour drive.

At 5:40pm the next day I was wandering the Fox Studio Lot and loving every second of it. Then came time to watch the film. Lamorne got up and said thanks to all his friends and family... and strangers that came to his birthday screening and the film began. After the film ended I got to take a few photos with Lamorne, tell him happy birthday and thank him for letting us have this experience, it truly was once in a lifetime for a girl who grew up in a 15 square mile town.

Myself, Arthur, and Aimee

Through the same On-Camera Audience site, I was able to gain access to tickets for a Comedy Central show called @Midnight that airs, you guessed it, at midnight. So Aimee, her boyfriend Arthur, and myself drove to Hollywood to attend a taping for  @Midnight which was hilarious and raunchy beyond belief. Since phones were not allowed inside the theater, I had to settle for getting the photo posted here outside of the studio. However I have found the full episode of our taping of @Midnight you can watch free HERE. 

Oh!!! And I bought a fish and named him after one of my all time favorite Disney movies. Meet my double tail betta fish Sharkbait! I know this image is super dark, so if you want to see some more photos of Sharkbait to come in the future, then you will want to follow me on Instagram.

Also if you want to see more photos from Vegas and my other trips this summer then you will want head on over to my Instagram. I also went on my first Wine Tour in San Diego and saw Smashmouth live in Santa Cruz.

Overall, this summer has been one of my favorites. Sure there have been hard times and even some days where I just don't want to get out of bed. But I do. I have been taking chances that I never thought I would. Sure they may not be life changing chances, but they make me happy, and that can change your life. So even if it's just entering a contest that you don't believe you can win or jumping off the high dive in the swim center, don't be afraid to take a chance or fifty because you never know what can happen.

Always, 

Kirsten Nicole Huxtable

Off the Screen: Felicity Smoak

Felicity Smoak

Arrow's Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) isn’t just a quirky, computer hacking genius that just-so-happens to be teamed up with Starling City’s most-wanted vigilante, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). Ms. Smoak is one head-to-toe fashionista! 

Need proof? No problem. Here are just a few of the amazing outfits that the lovely Rickards gets to don throughout the first two seasons of Arrow.

* Please keep in mind that some of the images of the actress will be rather fuzzy due to the fact that I had to take a screenshot from Netflix or cwtv.com.

Worn: Season 2, Episode 5
Exact Match: BCBGMAXAZRIA

Talk about a stunning top. This peplum waist banded floral and lace top from BCBG is an absolutely exquisite top. Felicity Smoak is a character with a subtle presence yet her style is off the charts. You can wear this top casually like Ms. Smoak or you can take it into a night look effortlessly with a skirt or dark wash jeans and some heels. Either way, this top is brilliant.

Worn: Season 2, Episode 4

Dress: Saks Fifth Avenue 

(Above) I will admit it, the first time I saw this dress all I could think was, "Dalmatian" but after reviewing the infinite options on how to spice this look up, I realized that the spots on the bottom half of the dress are just a thing of taste. Even though this dress may not be the perfect option for me, it's soft solid black top paired with the skater skirt of the dress is gorgeous. 

Worn: Season 2, Episode 2

 Dress: French Connection

(Above) Now on to my absolute favorite dress that Felicity has worn on the show thus far. Talk about sexy color blocking! The simplicity of this geometric dress is wonderful. The salmon colored squares and the black strip around the waist creates a slimming effect that I love so much. This dress is a great option for work or a night out on the town.

Oh... And clearly the costume designer loved the dress as well because not only did Felicity Smoak wear the orange/salmon color dress, she also donned a yellow version or the exact same dress. (pictured below)

Worn: Season 2, Episode 11
French Connection (Yellow)

(Below) This outfit is a more unique look that might not be for everyone, but I sure as hell love the look. The costume designer for Arrow really has an amazing eye when it comes to dressing Ms. Rickards. She is transformed from the sexy office fashionista (above) to a dainty girl next door (below).

Worn: Season 1, Episode 23

Sweater: Anthropologie // Exact Dress: Anthropologie // Similar Dress: ModCloth

"From Bombshell to Girl-Next-Door then back to Bombshell."

Worn: Season 2, Episode 7
Dress: Bebe (White)

These two dresses (above and below) were both worn during episode seven of the second season and are both brilliant! Talk about the power of pink. This episode was full of pink tones to bring out Felicity's more soft feminine side. And I don't blame them. Rickards looks stunning in both dresses, however if I were to choose one to be my favorite, it would have to be the BB Dakota dress (below).

How simple they both are, yet the dress below has a little bit of flare with the faux leather waistband, cutout and button down back. However BB Dakota does not sell the burgundy dress online, so if you are interested in the one Ms. Smoak wears, then you will have to shop in stores.

Worn: Season 2, Episode 7
Dress: BB Dakota (nude) Amazon

Well that rounds out my favorite outfits from Arrow's Felicity Smoak. I hope you enjoyed this little "Off the Screen" moment on KirstenNicoleHuxtable. If you are at all interested in seeing these outfits and more in motion, then head over to any of the places listed below to get more info about the CW's Arrow and miss Emily Bett Rickards. 

Until next time...

Watch Arrow

Wednesdays 8/7c on the CW

Season 1: Netflix

Season 2: cwtv.com
Season 3: Pre-Production

Felicity Smoak Snapshots: Netflix and cwtv.com