"Almost Famous" Fridays ~ Erin

When I originally started this blog, I said I would feature my talented friends with a Friday feature called "Almost Famous" Fridays (for those of you who don't know, the name is a shout out to one of my favorite movies of all time).  I have to admit, I have been a bit lazy about  contributing to my blog. Bad Cari.  This week's entry is about my friend Erin.

First...let me just say that Erin has a beautiful soul. I am so happy that we found each other.  Even though we've known each other for only a few years, it feels like a lifetime (and I mean that as a big ole compliment!).

Erin and I met after she found me on MYSPACE.  I know, what the hell is MYSPACE right?  It just so happened that our circle of musician friends was very similar.  Small, small world.

Erin is extremely talented.  She's a fantastic singer - part of the "Erin and Matt Acoustic" duo.  Check them out at Erin and Matt Acoustic.  When you go out - make sure you have her sing a little Led Zeppelin for you.  She will rock your face off.

She's also a fabulous photographer.  Band pictures, baby pictures, wedding pictures - you name it, she's your girl.  She just recently launched her website.  View her portfolio at Erin Messerschmidt Photography. 

I'm not sure if she has an official website for this - but Erin can put together phenomenal gifts/act as a personal shopper. Especially baby gifts.  She even makes "diaper cakes".  Erin if you're reading - post something here so people would know how to reach you for this.  You can also get in touch with me and I'll point you in the right direction. 

Love you girl!

Rainy Days and Mondays ~ The Year of Reinvention

So here's the scoop. I gave up on New Year's "resolutions" years ago. Seems to me that declaring that I am absolutely going to do something by such and such a time has always set me up for a let down.  Why go there? Maybe I just don't like the word resolution. Maybe I don't want to be held to something?  Who knows.  Here's what I will say -- I have a vision for 2011.  I am looking at it as the year of reinvention.  Here are the things that I will be focusing on...

I have spent the better part of my life supporting others and helping them achieve their goals. I'm a great "cheerleader".  Please don't misunderstand me. I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. It's who I am and I will continue to cheer all of you on as best I can. My point is that in doing so, somewhere along the way I lost sight of my own dreams.  This year I plan on reinventing myself and bringing some of those dreams back into focus.

I don't only want to talk the talk, I want to walk the walk as well.  I became a member at Crosspoint at the beginning of last year.  My biggest goal for my reinvention is to find ways to be an ACTIVE member of the church.  I have a few ideas (thanks to the suggestions of others) that I am working on to achieve this goal.

Health is also at the top of the reinvention list.  Time to ramp it up.  The goal is to figure out a way to stay motivated.  To make eating healthy and working out FUN!  First thing on the list is to try out at least one of the classes my gym offers...zumba will be first. Once I have a bit more strength and more confidence - I'd love to try kick boxing.   As far as the eating part----finding a way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables is my top priority.  If anyone has any healthy snack ideas that they can share.....I would appreciate it!

I will be looking at ways to embrace my passion of music.  Honestly, I had all but given up on the idea of ever being in a band or a duo. No one has told me I cannot do it....I just get in the way of myself.  I'm friends with so many talented people - I compare myself to them and think I just don't stack up.  Part of the reinvention is a different mindset.  I CAN hold my own and there is no reason why I can't use my God given talent of singing! Keep your ears open people....I'm throwing it out there to the universe!

Lastly I want to focus on doing things that will continue to broaden my horizons.  This spring I will be taking a sign language class.  Who knows where that will lead to!

The biggest thing about reinvention is that it's a working plan.  There are no rights and wrongs. It's a plan that is constantly in motion.  Here's to the year of reinvention!

What a Long Strange Trip its Been...

Let me start out by saying I am blessed.  I have my health, a terrific husband, a loving family, and the most amazing friends a girl could ever ask for.  This past year proved it to me once again - that even at the lowest of low times, we always need to remember to count our blessings.


Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes.....how do you measure a year in the life? Man o man so much can happen in the course of a year...


My first memory of 2010 was attending the funeral of my lifelong friend Beccee Kujawa.  No one single event in my life has made such an impact emotionally on me.  It was the most surreal feeling walking into the sanctuary for the first time.  Being completely grief stricken yet feeling totally "at home" all at the same time.  Beccee brought me back to the church and I became a member at Crosspoint this year.  The outpouring of love that day was indescribable.  Hundreds of people from all stages of Beccee's life were there to pay their respects to a friend that had made such an impact on their lives. I remember giving Ron a hug in the receiving line and thinking he looked so broken (wouldn't we all?).  At this time I hardly knew Ron...pretty much just from our time together planning the benefit.  As I said, things can really change in the course of a year :)  I remember Carol as she was leaving with the family.  We made eye contact and she stopped and gave me the biggest hug ever.  I know that there is no way that I could have, but if there was a way I could have taken away even one small portion of her pain and sorrow that day I would have done it in a heartbeat.  It was bizarre to see faces from my "other" life so long ago...the Mirgage guys, Benet, Lisa, etc.  I remember the video playing at the end of the service with Beccee singing.  I literally could not move.  I could not take my eyes off of the screen. Even though I know with complete certainty that Beccee was taken home to be in Heaven....saying goodbye completely broke my heart.  Beccee's passing has affected me profoundly. Not a day goes by where I do not think of her or pray for her family.  Beccee's light continues to shine in my life....I imagine it always will.


In January I became a Supervisor! Go figure!  I am very fortunate to have a team of people who are dedicated to their jobs.  I'd still drop everything in a heartbeat for a job at Summerfest (in case anyone is connected) - but I honestly am lucky to have a job that pays my mortgage and puts food on our table.


My friends continue to amaze me with their "wonderfulness" (my blog, I can make up words if I want to!).  I just can't express how cool it is to be surrounded by such amazing individuals.  Some friends I am lucky enough to see on a regular basis - but even those that I see only occasionally continue to be a HUGE part of my life.  Know that each and every one of you plays a very important part in my life. Thank you for putting up with me.  I  know that I'm opinionated and relatively (ok VERY) impatient...but I mean well :) I am also excited about the new friendships that developed this year.  It's always very interesting to me how certain people are put into our lives.


It was a tough year in the job department for Casey.  This put a lot of stress on us emotionally and of course financially.  I won't drudge it all up - but I will say that I am very happy that he has settled into the job at Nona's.


I "retired" from my (very small) role in the music business.  I had been managing Majestic Mudd as well as booking them and a few other acts from time to time.  I said I would get out when it wasn't fun anymore and that's what it boiled down to.  We all know I don't like to chase people (musicians, bar owners - anyone).  It just wasn't a good fit for me anymore.  Now I'm a fan....and please do not call me a groupie ha!  


Where one door closes, another one opens.  My dear friend Laura Kiley asked me to work with her on her latest business venture localstopp.com.  We will be going full force come the new year....it's a brand new website devoted to all things Lake Country.  The backstory is what I find most endearing.  Laura came up with a business to fund a foundation to help others.  She's my hero. More to come on that soon.


I've been bouncing around an idea to start an online bakery business.....thoughts?


Of course the year was filled with seeing live music......Amileigha and Mike,Majestic Mudd, Keith, Ryan, Phil, Rebel Grace, the Love Monkeys, Erin and Matt, Ron and Droopy, Old Mil, and the list goes on and on! Love me some live music! 


I no longer make resolutions (Brea and Debbie will remember our NYE at Cactus Jacks writing resolutions on bar napkins!).  I will say that I am very excited about the new year. I'm calling it the year of reinvention.  Stay tuned!


I hope all of you are doing something special to ring in 2011.  Here's to a happy and healthy New Year for all of us!!!!

Missing You...

Because Beccee has been on my mind so much lately, today's post is dedicated to her.  One of the questions I have been asked probably more than any other in the past year is "how do you know Beccee?" ~ here ya go!


Hands down, one of the biggest influences in my life was my friend Beccee.  Let's start at the beginning~first of all, I met her when she was still "Becky" (ha!)  We both went to Horning Middle School.  We must have been 12 or 13 when we met.  What I remember most about her from that time was her outgoing personality.  Yes, even back then :)  I remember that even then, she was so comfortable in her own skin.  She was so sure of herself.  I am fortunate to have a group of very loving friends NOW, but back then ... not so much.  I was kind of a loner.  I was NOT popular by any stretch of the imagination. Beccee had this gift of making me feel good about myself.  She didn't care about what other people thought. Not even a little.  I never had a chance to tell her this, but her acceptance of me really helped shape me into the person I am today. I don't always succeed, but I honestly make a point of trying to be accepting of all people and make them feel special. 


When it was time to move on to high school Beccee went to North and I went to South.  In all honesty we lost touch for several years.  This is where it gets interesting.  One of those things  you look back on and say, yep...that was meant to be.


This is the part where we get to the story within the story. Anyone who is currently reading this blog probably knows me well enough to know that my passion is music.  More specifically - live music.  When I turned 21 and was able to go out (ok let's be honest, go out LEGALLY), I was introduced to a band called LONDON USA.  The guys in the band and their friends were a great group that I spent a lot of time with.  A LOT of time with.  I was at pretty much all of their shows.  I have no idea where I found the money for that!  Anyhooo, I digress.  


At one of their shows at the City Club (for those of you too young to remember this club, it was downtown on Broadway and Wells) I remember running into Beccee (yes, now she was two cc's and two ee's).  Turned out that we had a few mutual friends.  It was so nice to see her.  Because of this chance meeting, we managed to reconnect.  Turns out that Beccee was in a band called GERARD.  When she found out about my dream of working in the "biz", she said that the Gerard Office was looking for a secretary...she would hook me up.


And so it began.  I have shared this sentiment many times.  I give Beccee all of the credit for me getting introduced to the music business as well as introducing me to some wonderful people who in turn introduced me to more wonderful people.  You've probably heard of that game where people trace their degrees of separation to Kevin Bacon?  I can do that with Beccee.  Seriously.  I can also play the Kevin Bacon game but who really cares!  ha!  


I got the job at the Gerard Office and started going out to see the GERARD band.  Gerard Entertainment booked many of the local bands.  Through this job I met so many wonderful people... and no I'm not going to name drop all of them.  Quite frankly there are just too many. However, I am going to name drop one of them ~ Keith Pulvermacher.  You may have heard of him :) He is another very important piece in this puzzle.  We'll get to that later.  


There have been many bands and musicians that I have befriended over the last 20 years.  Each and every one of them can be traced back to Beccee.  I'm glad I had the chance to thank you for that Beccee. Not just musicians either. Let's not forget all of the wonderful people that I have met by going out to see said bands.  The circle just gets bigger and bigger.  It's really crazy.


Beccee and I managed to keep in touch over the years. I don't know this for certain but I think we had a special relationship because she knew I wasn't a "musician" and was not interested in getting knee deep into all of the drama.  We were always very open and honest with each other.


There is a very distinct memory I have from -- gee it must be about 5 years ago?  I was headed out to see Keith play at Rooters.  I invited Beccee to come out.  She hadn't seen Keith in years.  I remember that night they were chattin' like crazy because Keith had recently moved to Oconomowoc.  Beccee was telling him how she saw him riding his bike past their house.  Beccee was telling Keith that they had lots of girls clothing that she could pass onto him and Tammy for Isabella.  I believe that is the night that THEY reconnected after many years.  It was cool to see.  


Fast forward to 2009.  We find out that Beccee has lung cancer.  Keith had a vision to throw a benefit for Beccee and her Family.  He enlisted some people to help him and the rest is history.  The Love for Life Benefit  was one of the most glorious days EVER.  I have never literally felt such an outpouring of love.  You could actually feel it in the air.  It was amazing to see Beccee's face light up as she saw friends from all phases of her life.  There was definitely something larger than any of us going on that day.  I will NEVER forget that day or the smile on Beccee's face.  


Due to my involvement with the Benefit, I was blessed to meet so many wonderful people.  Once again, all can be traced back to Beccee.  Funny how that works.




Beccee lost her very courageous fight on December 30, 2009.  She continues to make an impact on my life through all of the people that I have met because of her.  I cannot tell you how many people have shared with me that they have been inspired by her....some of those people never even had the chance to meet her face to face, they have been inspired by her story.  


Beccee will always hold a very special place in my heart.  She was a beautiful soul and I miss her very much.  I will continue to draw inspiration from her and live my life with an open heart and an open mind. I love you Bec.


Here is where you can find her story....caring bridge 

i am so very grateful....

There are so many blessings in my life, I'm a very lucky gal.  


I am grateful for my Faith.  It has been tested a few times this past year...but He has shown me time and time again to trust in Him.


I am grateful for my husband who loves me unconditionally.  We have our ups and downs - but together we manage to work out our differences.


I am grateful for my mom. She is not just my mom, she's my best friend.  She is and always has been the one person I can count on no matter what.  Plain and simple I love her to the moon and back.  I can't imagine a world without her in it.


I am grateful for my grandma.  How many 43 year olds still have a grama?  Yep, I do.  She's led quite a life and is a very strong woman.  Nothing makes me feel better than doing something for her.


I am grateful for the roof over my head.  I know that there are people less fortunate that don't have a place to call home.  


I am grateful for my job.  It can be a very stressful job at times, but I'm happy to have a job.  I know from experience how quickly a job can be taken from you.  I'm fortunate that I'm appreciated and have job stability.


I am grateful for music.  It's hands down my passion and what moves my soul.  


I am grateful for my friends.  I mean that from the bottom of my heart.  Ever since I can remember, I've always tried to be the best friend possible. I take my friendships very seriously.  Through the years I've had the honor and privilege to be friends with some pretty fantastic people.  Each has given me something more than what I had before just by knowing them.  I am so very fortunate to have the circle of friends that I do now. I'm grateful for the friends I've known for years as well as the friends that I've met recently.  I love each and every one of you.


Of course this is just the short list of the things I'm grateful for.  I will continue to count my blessings each and every day.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Your "go to" place for all things Lake Country!

One of the reasons I started this blog was because I am by nature a "promoter" for all of the wonderful projects my friends are involved in.  This is a nice place to showcase them!

Today I want to give a shout out to my friend Laura Kiley.  Laura has recently launched her website localstopp.com.  This website was designed to be a resource for all things Lake Country.  Whether you are looking for a restaurant, live music, or shopping it's all right there on the website.  She did a wonderful job on the site~ stop by and take a peek.

For those of you reading this who are musicians/promoters, please make sure to visit the site and get your gigs in Lake Country listed for free.

If you are a business owner and would like to advertise on the site, her rates are very reasonable.  Contact information for Laura is on the site. 

Bookmark the site for easy reference.  The best compliment you can give Laura is to tell a friend about the site...so feel free to share the information!  

Congrats Laura....I love this new project!  You know I'm your number one cheerleader!

"Almost Famous" Fridays ~ The Prince Experience

Keeping the post short today.  I have to say that I am VERY excited about tonight.  My friend Droopy (yes, he really goes by "Droopy") is in this really cool group called The Prince Experience.  They do all of the songs from "Purple Rain".  Rumor has it it's a little "sassy" too.  Can't wait!  Check them out ~ Gabriel Sanchez presents the Prince Experience.

It's going to be a great weekend!!!!!!  Wish I could take pics at the casino and post them here....that's a big no no!

"Almost Famous" Fridays~Amileigha Blue

First, the title...."Almost Famous" is hands down my favorite movie.  A movie about rock stars trying to make it big.  I figured it would be the perfect title for my Friday posts.  So far everyone who is reading this knows me ---but perhaps a little background should be established in case I meet a few new friends through this site.

My absolute passion is music.  I have always loved going out to see live music whether it was a major concert or a live local band.  As a result of this love of mine, I have met some very interesting people.  Some of my best friends are musicians. Let's put it this way-if I had a "do-over", rock star would be what I would want to be when I grow up.  

I am blessed to be surrounded by some extremely talented people.  I try to support them any way that I can.  I am proud of each and every one of them.  I thought this blog would be a nice platform to introduce a few of them to you.  

**Author's note** Each and every one of my friends is beautiful and talented in my eyes.  This is just a place to showcase some local (Milwaukee for those of you joining us from other parts of the country) musical talent.  

For my first entry, meet Amileigha Blue....

"REBEL GRACE"

Amileigha started singing and writing songs at a very young age in her hometown of Hughesville, Missouri.  For Amileigha music has always been a huge part of life but it wasn't until 2005 when she moved to WI that things really got rolling for her.  Since moving to Wisconsin,  Amileigha has had the privilege to work with some of Milwaukee's most talented musicians by opening for Chasin' Mason, singing in an acoustic duo with Mike Bustin, writing with Keith Pulvermacher and now as a singer in the much anticipated country band Rebel Grace.  

Often compared to country singers such as Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood her voice speaks for itself and the energy she brings to the stage is sure to please any music lover.   

What I love most about Amileigha's songwriting is she paints a picture of her life experiences as well as those people around her.  Two of her singles are available online, check them out  at: Amileigha Blue Music

You can find information about the band (including gig dates) by visiting them at Rebel Grace.

A little side note, Amileigha has another love besides music.....derby! Yep, she is a roller girl.  Check out the Brew City Bruisers and see if you can figure out what team she is on!

Amileigha is a shining star in my life.  Someday you will see her name in lights ~ I'm callin' it!