Carolyn Braden: Hallmark Card Store Winner!

I just wanted to post that Hallmark e-mailed me last week and notified me I am now an in-store winner!  My card will not only be sold on-line, but also in stores!  It will be in stores on June 21st, 2010.  I really hoped and prayed my card would make it to stores.  To think, I will be able to go into a Hallmark card store and see my dog Vegas on the front of a card!  He is such a wonderful dog.  :)

Go here to view the card: 

http://www.hallmarkcontests.com/page/WINNERS/sub/Gallery/Contest/BirthdayYourWay

Speaking of animals, I am so sad to report that our beloved Maine Coon mix cat, Phoebe, passed away on March 5, 2010.  She was such a wonderful cat.  She was always the life of the party.  We had to always make sure there was a chair for her to sit on at any party we had because she loved being around everyone and being a part of the party.  The vet believed she had feline leukemia, a blood disease.   Her body was attacking itself and it was such a hard decision to make to put her to sleep.  She became secluded from everyone, lost a ton of weight, and just was suffering.  We couldn't let pain happen to her.  

On the same day Phoebe passed, another little kitten was born.  Our soon to be new kitten, Monica, will be her legacy.  We pick her up very soon and she is adorable.  She is a Maine Coon.  She will make our Phoebe proud.  

Carolyn Braden: Hallmark Card Winner!

Well, another contest entered, another contest won.

I entered the Hallmark birthday card contest last month and my card was a winner!  My dog, Vegas, was the inspiration for my entry.  The outside of the card is the image above.  I took it one day just on a whim.  I love taking photos of my animals.  William Wegman is an inspiration for me doing this.  The inside of the card says "They say the first to go are the eyes.  Happy Birthday."  My husband, Tommy, came up with the words.  Vegas won some cash and his card will go on sale on Hallmark's website in March.  The card will then be up for the chance to be a card made for stores.  

So now, Phoebe, my cat has been on HGTV and Vegas is on a Hallmark card.  It's now Joey and Reno's turn.  I wonder what they can do........

--Carolyn

Carolyn Braden's Your Shape/Just Dance Party

I just found a great website: www.houseparty.com
I know many many other people knew about this website long before I did, but I am so glad I came across it! I randomly went onto a website from my Reader's Digest magazine. There was link to houseparty.com. I read through the website and decided to apply for the Your Shape Fun and Fit party. I heard about Your Shape and saw the advertisements for Just Dance on t.v. (They both looked so fun!) I was selected to be a host, and then all of the sudden my "Party Pack" came in the mail right before Christmas. Inside were both of the new Wii games and all kinds of other great stuff. I started inviting people to host a Fun, Fit, and Fabulous party (part of the deal when signing up for parties), and couldn't believe how I was so lucky to get these games for free! Jell-o Mousse Temptations also sponsored this party so I got all kinds of coupons for free pudding for people to try at the party. (They also sent napkins and spoons!)

Needless to say, everyone had an amazing time at my party. They all came dressed in their fitness gear (I asked people to dress up as their favorite fitness guru), we ate healthy food options, ate the pudding, took a celebrity fitness quiz, and more! I made party favor bags for everyone to take home with them. (The party pack contained all kinds of coupons and things for the favor bags). I also put in some Crystal Light packets and a Soyjoy or FiberOne bar in the bags.

Check out the link below to see photos from my event!

House Party My Party

I've applied to host other parties, so I hope houseparty sees that I am completely motivated to sponsor the parties and give all my guests a way to try new things and have fun doing it too! I especially loved this party because it got us all motivated to have fun while exercising, something we all need to do post holidays. Your Shape is a great game (every time I work out with Jenny McCarthy's avatar, I never do the same workout twice) and I recommend it. I also truly hope they come out with a second Just Dance Wii game. It is so much fun and a great warm-up to do before Your Shape.

Ahhhhh....video games...... What will be next?

--Carolyn :)

Carolyn Braden, Resting Finally!

I am at home today.  There is no school for the next four days and I decided to not make any plans.  Of course I have a few things to do, but as far as needing to be anywhere at a certain time and being rush, rush, rushed all the time..........................I  A M  O N  A  B R E A K.  :)

Do you ever feel like you want to go into a quiet dark room for a few moments to just get away from it all? I know I do.  Maybe I feel that way because I haven't been feeling great lately (sick kids at school and sick people everywhere!!!!!!!!!) but I really think it's because I've been in "Go Mode" since August 12th (first day back after summer break).   I have stuck to the exercise routine every morning to keep the "Go Mode" going.  I got bored with just the treadmill so I alternate weight training with the cardio.  We've got to keep the exercise going for our health, but also because we all tend to be like hibernating bears in the winter.  We eat and eat and eat in the winter to stay warm.  We tend to start it all now because the hibernation process is starting.  People have started vanishing from their porches at night and pretty soon they will start vanishing from walking around during the day. 

I like to stay busy so I can avoid the whole hibernation thing.  But, we all have to remember to rest at times so we can go go go some more.

Daily life is tending to be entirely too robotic for me right now.  I was talking about this with someone the other day.  I don't need drama, I just would like to change up my routine a little.  Maybe after this resting period I'll figure out how to change it up a little.  :)

---C

Carolyn Braden: Tim McGraw Southern Voice!

Well, the music video is now out.... Tim McGraw's Southern Voice. Go me! It was a great experience. I was just a "featured extra" and you can barely see me (you have to really know what you are looking for), but I still got paid and can tag it onto my resume!

Ah.......now what?

--C

See it here:

http://www.cmt.com/videos/tim-mcgraw/437639/southern-voice.jhtml?id=1622758

Carolyn Braden: Southern Voice

Okay.....the something good did happen.

I just was accepted into another talent agency. This one is in Nashville, TN. Within the first month of being in the agency, I booked a good job. I was a featured extra in Tim McGraw's about to debut music video for "Southern Living." This experience was really a good one. I met Tim and some of his friends. His friends were really guys that work on his farm, but he treated them like his buddies. They drove his vintage cars in from his farm to be in the video. His one friend, Bobby, was really a funny guy. He trains some of Tim's dogs and horses. I got to hang out with the dogs too. They all were just regular, nice people. Oh, but they live in the good ol' south. You know what? I thought I lived in the south here in Kentucky, but I'm not really in the south. When I've been in the "real south" (TN and lower) I have witnessed some true niceness. The people I've encountered have been friendly, kind, caring, and just all around good people. Now, I'm not saying that they are all nice or that everyone that lives everywhere else are mean. I am just saying I've had a good experience with TN, which happens to be in the south, lately. MMMM.........maybe TN would be a good place to live. I know to do what I want to do full time will result in a move at some point. I just don't know when and where yet.
Anyways, I hope my scene makes it to the video. I was the "ice tea girl" as everyone was calling me that by the end of the day. I was in charge of carrying a glass of iced sweet tea across the front of the band which started the extras walking into the scene. I didn't spill the tea one time, so I'd call it a successful day. My husband even got pulled into the crowd scene.
I am so ready for more.................

Carolyn Braden: That's Enough KANYE WEST!

Holy cow. I have been a supporter of Kanye West since he first broke out onto the music scene. Every time he screwed up by punching someone out or running off his mouth, I still supported him. When his mother died, I was sad for him. I just thought he was a fellow artist who just felt understood and frustrated. Being an artist myself, I know what it is like to be frustrated and want to sound off because I've felt understood. BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

I never voice my opinion so strongly against a great artist. I am tonight. I had to get this out. I stopped watching the regular MTV channel and tuned into the other MTV channels to watch music videos from time to time. I go to MTV.com sometimes to view the newest music videos. After seeing an advertisement online today about Janet Jackson performing and Madonna introducing her, I decided to tune in to the regular MTV channel for a while tonight. What I saw tonight hurt my heart incredibly. I am not sure why I am reacting so strongly to what I saw, but I am.

Kanye West jumped up on stage and stole Taylor Swift's moment.

How dare you Kanye West steal someone's first moment!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a fan of all artist's in the world whether I agree with their agenda or not, but this is horrible. Do I know these people personally. No. But. That. Is. Enough. Kanye, take out your frustrations on your art, man. She is just a kid. She is a fellow artist. HOW DARE YOU. You've done this too many times. Your mother died. Yes, I am sure that hurt your world more than anything, but why continue to take out your anger on everyone else????????????????? I will pray for you. I pray that you truly get a wake up call. You have a talent. You are an artist. Why do you continue to hurt people with your celebrity? God gave you a talent and you are totally using it in the worst way. You are making yourself look worse and worse. Your talent is about to go down the drain and your supporters are fading away.

I just don't know what else to say. Oh....I know....go away Kanye. I am an artist trying to make it like you were. Clear out you belongings and go away. Make room for the artists in the world like me who want to make a difference in the world without hurting others. Shame on you.