Mila

"I've heard it said that 

people come into our lives 

for a reason,

bringing something we must learn, 

and we are led to those who help us most to grow

if we let them, and we help them in return...

now I don't know if I believe that's true, 

but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you...

it well may be

that we will never meet again, 

in this lifetime,

so let me say before we part, 

so much of me

is made of what I learned from you.

You'll be with me, like a hand print on my heart.

And now whatever way our stories end, 

I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend."

- "For Good," Wicked

I'm missing this girl a whole lot today. Things have been crazy, a roller coaster, a ride I wish I wasn't on, and it's almost been a month.. I'll post more soon, I have thoughts to share and stories to tell.. but for now, I wanted to share this.

xxoo 

Who's Clayton??

This week at the Golden Bough we had a benefit concert for the beautiful Camila on Monday and Tuesday night. There was music, friends, wine, auctions, dancing and laughter. It was an amazing experience. One of the acts that performed were two friends of Camila that she knows from Cal State Fullerton... they are in a band called "Who's Clayton"... little did I know what these boys had in store for us... they were brilliant.. 

Team de la Llata!

xxoo

Camila's Cure!

It's been some time since I found out that my beautiful friend Camila was diagnosed with acute myloid leukemia. For a while, I couldn't really wrap my mind around it... I mean, she's 22 and she's perfect... until I was able to see her in the hospital, visit with her, and later spend more time with her once she was home for a bit. This lady has been a dear dear friend of mine for about 4 years now and I couldn't imagine life without her. I met her doing theater here in Monterey and we became very close through the experiences (she's taught me well). 

My prayers have been going out to her daily and now my mom has been holding donor drives and recruiting as many people as possible to be her possible bone marrow donor! 

Please pray for her healing and that we find her a match. She has kept her spirits and hopes high and we are all doing the same! 

Go to  Be The Match! (that's her direct link) to sign up and hopefully be her match! Her donor needs to be between the ages of 18-44 and a bi-racial mix of Mexican and Caucasian. 

 (Below: Camila and I on a recent trip to Tahoe! My family had planned a trip while she had coincidentally planned a trip with friends at the same time, for the same side of the lake, and we were staying in cabins 2 blocks from each other! Let's just say it was a great trip!)

 (Below: Camila and I in a production of RENT that we did at MPC! She played Mimi and if you know the show you know how amazing that is! That summer changed my life!)

 (Below: Camila, Casey and I after a show!)

 (Below: Camila, me and our other great friend Tara, at a New Year's Eve celebration at a local theatre!)

 (Below: Camila, Tara and I on our weekend trip to San Francisco for Camila's 21st birthday! That was a good time, let me tell you!)

This girl is my partner in crime! I love her so much and she has taught me so much about living! I pray for her health and strength every day. I want this girl back to being healthy so she can get back to her life as it should  be... on stage, singing and dancing and reeking havoc with me whenever we can find the chance! 

I LOVE YOU CAMILA!

Team De La Llata!!

xxoo

a few lists.

I'm greatful for...

-fall. (football, scarfs, boots, rain).

-the fact that i am able to go to work at a job that i know and love with people that i love. 

-being able to choreograph and teach 13 wonderful little girls as their cheer coach.

-the wonderful, amazing, beautiful, generous friends and people i have in my life (no matter how far away we live from each other). 

-the excitement i have inside my heart to be starting work on a new musical project, October 1st. 

-my good friend Camila, this sweet lady spent 45 days in the hospital figuring out a problem with some leukemia, and yesterday she was released from the hospital! 

-the awareness i gained today of what we, as wealthy Americans and Christians, can be doing to help 'the poorest of the poor' gain healing and jobs in other countries (and got some really cute stuff in the process). 

I'm bumming because...

-i don't live with my sister anymore (i know it's been 2 months... but i'm still bitter about it).

-i don't have my own space. I know how lucky i am to be living rent-free.. but i'm anxious (and trying to be patient while waiting) for that time when i can journey off on my own, hopefully to San Francisco ;) , living my life. 

-i feel like i am no longer surrounded by the strong, close friends i was surrounded by at school. i mean, shoot, maegan and i lived together and Keifer was just 3 doors down.. and i had all my Greek system friends, and theatre people! i was truly surrounded, and it was fabulous... and i don't feel like i have that here. 

I'm praying for...

-peace. lately i've been struggling with this. i've been having some mood swing issues and i've been pretty irritable and i don't like it at all. i can tell when i'm doing it and i don't like it. 

-guidance. i need God to show me my next step and show me what he is doing with me in my 'waiting.' 

-healing and acceptance. i have not been doing well with accepting all of the changes that have been happening in my life (not living with Maegan, therefore living at home, Amanda getting married and moving.. Camila getting sick)... 

-my husband. i have no idea who this man is... i don't know if i know him, or not.. i have no idea when he will come into my life or what he will even look life.. but i know that God has been preparing him for me and me for him, our whole lives.. i pray for the time that he will come into my life and change it forever. i am extremely exciting for this. 

thought upon thoughts.

keep peace..

xxoo

7.8.12

On Sunday, my beautiful little married her Marine. 

It was beautiful beyond words. 

I was so honored to have been a part of this day, I love you both so much.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Jacobson!

(Photo credit goes to my amazing friend Pierce Larick: New Revolution Photography)

3 more days!!

in just 3 more days I will be standing beside this amazing couple on the day of their wedding. 

I can't believe it's finally here...

I have been beside Amanda through this whole process, starting back in October and it has been a wild ride.

Tonight, Maegan and I will be driving up to Pismo Beach to stay with Amanda, tomorrow is the rehearsal dinner, Saturday will be a relaxing/pampering day, and Sunday is the day.

It is going to be such a beautiful overwhelmingly special day for these two and I am so beyond happy and honored to be able to be a part of it. I can't wait!

(P.S. Amanda, I stole this pictures from your FB and the wedding website...shhh)

Congratulations (soon to be) Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson!

I love you guys!

July 3rd/Independence Day, 2012

Tuesday night was my 4th of July.

I went with Maegan to her hometown of Moorpark for their annual 3rd of July celebration!

I don't know why they do it this way, but for years and years (or so I'm told) those Moorpark(ians) take over a huge park in town and all celebrate, eat, play and watch fireworks together. It was a sweet time. I liked it.

As for July 4th... I had homework to catch up on, so it was just me, drinking some beer, doing my homework and watching "Sweet Home Alabama." It was actually a nice night.

Is is seriously the 5th of July already??

(I am 23 in 25 days!)

(Wedding time starts tomorrow!!)

in 27 days...

I turn 23!

I don't know why I feel like 23 is so much older than 22...

maybe it's because the first 2 years of my 20's (holy crap did I just say that?) went by so fast?

My 21st birthday feels like ages ago...

(Amanda and I on our Vegas trip with my parents).

when I was turning 21, I had just had one life-saving semester as a new member of Delta Zeta, I was in a run of "RENT," Amanda wasn't even engaged yet, and I hadn't even met Maegan yet!

On my 22nd birthday, I was dating Thomas and I went with him to a crazy, nice dinner in Pebble Beach...

(again, this feels like forever ago!)

since I've been 22... I have gained a sister in the form of a roommate, my best friend has gotten engaged, I have decided what I want to do with my life, I graduated college, and this summer I am in 2 weddings for 2 amazing friends (ONEISTHISWEEKEND!!!), and my time in Northridge is very quickly coming to an end!...

So with the thought of 23 quickly approaching, I think of the things ahead of me...

I am going to:

move home

watch my best friend get married

start to substitute teaching

coach a fabulous cheer squad in the fall

start working on making my dream a reality

and I plan to work out and diet so I...

(notice the #?...this will happen very soon).

strange and exciting things lay ahead of me...

this will be a good age.

Happy Tuesday!

(5 days until Amanda and John's wedding!!)

my slightly crazy weekend at home (I wouldn't expect anything less).

On Tuesday night when I got out of class my little sis, Amanda and I ventured to her home in Arroyo Grande. Wednesday consisted of a (3 hour) meeting with her DJ for her wedding, and her final dress fitting (it's getting close!) and then me driving the last 2 hours it takes me to get home from there. 

Wednesday night was some good family time, complete with UNO Attack and tequila shots (my mom's idea!), 

Thursday was my tiny (or not so tiny) brother's 8th grade graduation, followed by family dinner at Olive Garden, then I went out with some friends in Monterey! 

Friday was a mellow day complete with laundry, a relaxing bath and dinner out at my favorite hometown pizza place Angelina's.

Saturday was my first in-person cheer coaching meeting (getting excited for fall!), then the family headed off to San Jose to watch tiny brother play some crazy good baseball games and CASEY (other little brother) got back from Florida and is now home for the summer!

Sunday was a little scary, my mom got a tear in her retina and had to have laser surgery on the spot to fix it, then we sat and watch "Joyful Noise" (a fun, light-hearted, musical with Queen Latifa and Dolly Parton... and Jeremy Jordon) and finished the night with a family BBQ, complete with my grandparents and my mom's uncle and his wife!

and Monday got a little crazy... my computer seems to have a virus that I'm trying to get wiped out (Best Buy wanted to charge me $200), and I took my car in to get a few things looked at and found out I have cracks in my front brakes and my back pistons are leaking....

based on this news, and also finding out it wouldn't be done for a few days, I thought I would be stuck home for another day or two (and would have to miss my summer school classes) and later, after thinking about it a little more, mom decided it'd be best if I just took her car... so at 9:40pm.. I headed out on the 4 and a half hour drive back to school so I could make it to my 9am class... I got home around 2am (OY!)

Aside from the craziness of all this, I was able to spend some good time with the bestie, playing pool, drinking beer, getting lunch and catching up (in no particular order) and I got to hear all about her wedding that is also quickly approaching! 

 (family UNO/tequila shots)

 (Cameron and I all set for his 8th grade graduation.... yes, he's taller than me)

 (home.)

 (Cameron, Mele (my cousin) and I after Cam's graduation)

 (all 3 back together!)

(yummy lunch with the bestie)

*big sigh*

Happy Tuesday!

can I make the next 20 days last for a semester?

I am really struggling with the fact that Maegan and I are graduating in 20 (well I guess now, 19) days...

(more on this later)

but I really want to cry. I have an excitement but more of a deep deep sadness that this time in my life is coming to an end. These last 3 years turned into so much more than I could have ever asked for. 

I have been so blessed.

(and, more on all this later)

but I really am upset.

I want to go back and do it all again.

This song from "Glee" (yes I am aware how cheesy this is) has really been feeling appropriate for how I feel about this time in my life before graduation, so it's kinda been on repeat with me...

"Here's to us, here's to love, all the times we messed up.

Here's to you fill the glass,

cuz the last few years have gone to fast.

So let's give 'em hell, wish everybody well,

here's to us, here's to us..."

Maegan and I also had our Delta Zeta Senior Send-Off on Monday night (again, more on this later) so we are now both officially alums. We both read letters to the chapter, attempted to say goodbyes, and cried. It was heart-wrenching.

Thankfully we are going to Palm Springs this weekend for a SAE Formal (Sigma Alpha Epsilon), so that will be a good long party!

(more to come on all this later, but for now, I need some shut eye).

for my best friend.

This video clip from "Dear John" reminds me so much of my best friend Amanda Noel and her fiance James. 

For the majority of this 5 year relationship Amanda and James have been in a long distance relationship. They even experienced a deployment together since James is in the Army. 

I am incredibly happy for these 2. The relationship that I witness and hear about between the 2 of them is something I look up to. James treats Amanda like she is the most important thing in his world and I think that's beautiful. 

I have witnessed and heard of so many times where that exact image (from the video) of the laughing and playing together and then the focus turns to the uniform... it is so much a symbol for the relationship Amanda and James have had... short visits, that are few and far between and communicating any way they can otherwise. 

But they love each other, they are the most in love I have ever seen them after 5 years and they're engaged. Words cannot describe how happy I am for Amanda. I can't even articulate how happy I am that she and James have made it through everything and now they can finally really be together. I am ecstatic. I love her so much. 

we fell down the rabbit hole!

There was a time I portrayed the Queen of Hearts in a fantastic photoshoot with several lovely ladies. The beauty and wonder of this concept was dreamed up by my friend Cassie and the pictures were captured by my best friends little sister Candace!

It was a fantastic experience and there are about 32 other photos to go along with our "Alice in Wonderland" theme! To see them visit Candance Mann's Photography page! I love this stuff.

Looking back at 2011!

I took this idea from the best friend. I am going to take a look back at 2011 via my little blog!

In January I was just starting to get the hang of this little blog thing.

In February I decided to kick-start my blogging my doing "30 Days of Blogging."

In March I started the "Green Dress Challenge" where I decided to start losing some weight (still working on this, it's a constant challenge) and met one of my "Idol's" (or American Idol that is).

In April I fell in love.

In May I had my first experience traveling along and got stuck in Dallas overnight, and my life (and my perspective on life) was changed forever when my roommate lost her father to cancer.

In June I committed to growing up and doing better in school.

In July I turned 22 and "completed" my "Green Dress Challenge" when I could finally fit into the dress I was wanted to wear, and wore it to a Jason Aldean concert!

In August I reflected on the summer and said goodbye to my little brother when he moved to Florida.

In September my heart was broken and I turned to God and family and friends and made a full recovery!

In October we celebrated 2 Murray birthday's and officially took my life back.

In November I blogged for 30 days about what I was thankful for.

and in December I reflected on my college experience I found out my graduation date and celebrated Christmas with my family.

Happy Birthday Best Friend!

Today is Amanda Noel's birthday.

I blog about this girl all the time so we all know how I feel about her.

buuuuuuut I love her and now she's old.

I am just very thankful for her friendship and that it has continued to grow and change (but still stay the same) as we have grown and changed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!!!

Day 3: All the world's a stage..

Day 3: Theatre.

I can't even begin to explain what theatre has done for my life. But I will try and give you a little idea (ps, sorry for how out of order the pictures are).

My whole life I have loved Disney movies, which some people for whatever reason don't realize are musicals, and I was always in my church musicals. I started ballet when I was 3... but for whatever reason, with all of the singing and dancing in my life, I never thought about the idea of combining them and doing musical theatre until I was in high school. My senior year of high school (see picture below), I auditioned for "Grease", one of my all time favorite movies, and was cast as the role of "Sandy." <---highlight of my high school career, and ever since then I wanted to do as much theatre as I could.

At MPC, the community college I went to, I started talking all the acting classes that I could. I jumped in to doing scene work and was loving it! The summer after my freshman year of college I was in "Evita" which ran all summer, we did 32 shows, and I never wanted it to end. My next show was "My Fair Lady" (picture below), and I did more dancing than I think I had ever done up to that point.

That next summer, after doing more scene work and a few smaller shows during the year, I was in a big summer production of "The Producers." That was amazing, and I met one of my dearest friends Camila (far left in the picture below).
The next summer *intert deep sigh here* I was in the central coast premiere of "RENT." This show, the cast, the process, the rehearsals, the music, everything about that summer, changed my life. I can't explain it, but know that it did.

(below: some of the cast of "Evita," guy to my right Mike(che), one of my dearest friends in the world).

(below: Camila and I in our "Springtime for Hitler" costumes!)

(below: rehearsing for "RENT")

(below: "Danny" and "Sandy")

(below: Jameson, another dear theatre friend, backstage)

(below: Mike(che) and I, again)

Loooonnnnng story short, I am very very thankful for theatre.

30 Days of Thankfulness (Day 2)

Day 2: Amanda Noel Mann... soon to be Massingale!!

I know i've blogged about this girl before, but i'm doing it again. Seriously (not but seriously), I do not know what I would do without this girl. I know one things for sure, I wouldn't have stayed in LA if it wasn't for her. My butt would have gone home a LONG time ago. This girl has been through everything with me. I can mention any guy or almost anything that has ever happened in my life between about middle school and now and she will know exactly what I'm talking about. This girl is amazing and brilliant and I look up to her for so many reasons (I don't know if she actually knows that).
She just graduated from Cal State Long Beach in the Spring with her degree in Journalism and I am so proud of her! I honestly wish I could be half the student this girl is/was. She always got amazing grades, wrote amazing pieces and still found time to read and blog just for fun! I want to do that!
She was, and still is really, my sanity here at school (with the exception of Maegan, duh).. but I cannot count the times I called her crying at 10 o'clock at night, my first semester here, and asked if I could go stay with her, and she always said yes and whether we talked about what was going on when I got there or not, it always made me feel better. She always has my back, she is always there to give me advice and she's always (well mostly heehee) down for a crazy time.

She also just recently got engaged to an amazing man and I am so so so beyond happy for her! I only hope that God has a relationship, and a man, that perfect for me, planned for me. (I know he does, it's only a matter of time).
When she called me to tell me, which I found out later they "discussed" for about 20 minutes as to how they were going to tell me, I freaked out! I screamed! I have been bouncing wedding ideas off her almost every day since, we even went and looked at dresses one weekend when I was home. I cannot wait for her wedding, although I am a little sad about losing out on the whole sleepover thing, can't really have those once you're married. I am going to be all over her bachelorette party and bridal shower, yes I am.

I don't even know how this girl puts up with my shinanigans. I am that crazy best friend. No really. I love her and her family more than life itself and I cannot wait to spend as much time as I can with her and her fiance over Christmas this year. She is also coming to visit me next Wednesday through Saturday and I am SO excited! There will definitely be a blog and many pictures following that visit.

Happy November!

Days Go By..

I don't know if I've ever really done a blog "dedicated" to Amanda Noel, and when this picture (taken around freshman year of high school, I believe) surfaced on facebook yesterday, I figured now was the time!

I have known Amanda for as long as it's possible to know a person in their life... so whatever age it is that you start meeting other people your age and remembering who they are, that's how long i've known Amanda... soooooo 21 years roughly? I will be totally honest, as would she if you asked her, and say that I wasn't too fond of her when I was younger (when I was in elementary school I would say), couldn't tell you why, just wasn't.. but around middle school when I started going to youth group we started hanging out... and we have (more or less, it's a long story) been best friends ever since. This girl has been through EVERYTHING with me! Whether she was acutally there, or involved she definitely heard about everything and "talked" me through everything. This girl knows my WHOLE life. She knows my past, my present and my hopes and dreams for the future. She puts up with my crap and has accepted me for the crazy, out of control, free-spirited, (at times) irresponsible young lady I am.

She is my sister. I don't know where I would be today without her! I don't think I would have stayed in LA without her.. and I definitely wouldn't have made it anywhere near surviving my first year away from home without her. I love this girl to death. She's one of the strongest, smartest, most beautiful, Christian ladies I know. She keeps me in check and has a work ethic and maturity level that I aspire to achieve myself. I love her.

So, Amanda Noel, thank you for being around for... my whole life! I love you. I'm so excited for you! Finishing college and starting another insane chapter of your life, and i'm very excited to be right next to you for the whole thing! We're growing up and going to be doing all those crazy grown-up things and I'm so happy to experience all of them with you!! = ]]]

This isn't entirely current, but you get the idea. We've changed a lot since that first picture!

oh, the things to come..

how quickly things change.... this time last year is depicted in the picture on the right... and currently I look like the picture on the left. soooo weird...

10 days left in Northridge and I'm starting to think a lot about summer. I've been thinking a lot about this time last year; where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, how I was thinking.... everything. This time last year I was studying f0r finals, doing DZ stuff (as a newly initiated member), I was getting ready to pack and leave the hell hole that was my dorm and I was very much looking forward to the project that awaited me as soon as I got home, "RENT."

"RENT"/Summer 2010, changed my life. The process by which I grew over the course of the summer is hard to even contemplate. The Corinne that was in Northridge at the end of Spring 2010 semester, is no where NEAR the Corinne that came back to Northridge in the Fall 2010. I had gained new perspectives on life, "No day but today," and new ways of thinking about life and its experiences, "forget regret, or life is yours to miss"...

Over this past year, so much has happend, and so much has changed. When I came back to Northridge in the Fall I met a girl who, now, I can't imagine living without. My roommate, Maegan. She has gone through so much with me in this past year that I can't even put it into words. We have challenged and helped eachother in ways I never expected. After living in our sorority house in the Fall, we decided to get an apartment for the following semester.... I could never have imagined what changes and experiences that would bring.

Since living in the apartment, but not because of the apartment, I gained the friendship of two amazing women that I never thought I would ever be friends with, Gail and Natalie. These women have been everything to me this semester, and now I can't imagine college without them.

Now, as I'm looking forward to this summer and assessing all the things that have changed in the past year, I look forward with curiosity and excitment. No, I'm not doing a huge summer production this year (for the first time in 3 summers), but I have the boy to think about and work work work. I have no idea what this summer has in store... but I'm sure a lot will change, in me and in my life. In the Fall I will still be living with Maegan, in a new apartment, and I will be entering my final year of college at CSUN... taking on a new major and an added minor. I have no idea what's going to happen, but with all that changed since this time last year, I can't wait to find out! "There's only us, there's only this, forget regret or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way, NO DAY BUT TODAY."