EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

It was a beautiful day in Orlando on Saturday. Finally a bit cooler with a slight breeze but quickly got up to the high 80s. I left the hubby at home and headed out with my mom for the first weekend of EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival but not for the food or the wine. Our purpose was to hear Vern Yip, interior decorator and artist from HGTV, speak at a small workshop. I have a slight addiction to HGTV…okay maybe a little more than slight.

Vern was an excellent speaker focusing on entertaining decor. He showed beautiful pictures of his previous work on HGTV Deserving Design and Urban Oasis. To be honest, I didn’t take much away from his tips, maybe because I’ve lived and breathed event planning for the last decade. What impacted me most was his story, how he came to be, his passion for volunteering and just plain happiness for life. Vern was originally headed to medical school after finishing his undergrad but headed back to school for architecture which eventually led to interior design. It is great to see someone follow their dreams and exude such happiness.

A new addition to the festival was the Cranberry bog. I don’t quite know why but I was super excited to see it. Maybe it was the subtly funny Ocean Spray TV commercials showing the guys standing in the bog. I did learn a fun fact from one of the Boggers (don’t know if that is the technical term), apparently cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America. The other two are blueberries and Concord grapes. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. 😉

Overall, it was a great day with just the girls. My mom and I have a very special relationship being her one and only child and never remarrying after the divorce when I was two years old. We have many special memories at Disney together. Growing up in Orlando certainly has its benefits.

We did make it to Canada to have the famous Cheese Soup. I was a bit disappointed because they did not have the cider or the selection of Riesling and Icewine as last year… oh well. I am no foodie but if you want more details on food reviews and details I will direct you to the Disney Food Blog with a wealth of information. I certainly use their website to scout and plan for eating and drinking around the world. I’ll be headed back to EPCOT in a couple weeks with hubby to actually experience the food and wine part as we do every year.

Okay motivation

I’ve determined that I need structure in my life. Probably not a new revelation, I’ve always know the more I have to do the more I get done. Otherwise I end up staying up until 5am (guilty), sleeping in until 1pm (guilty), stalking on Facebook, perusing the endless ideas on Pinterest (guilty, and guilty).

So I’m thinking maybe I need my own chore list, ya know like what you had as a kid and you get fun stickers for brushing your teeth… no I don’t have a problem getting my teeth brushed anymore.

I’m lucky to have so much time on my hands but I don’t appreciate it. I have aspirations of starting my own business, possibly going back to school, organizing my house, preparing for an upcoming move, cooking more, and the list goes on…and having a demanding job is no longer an excuse.

So we will give this chore/task chart a go and I’ll keep you posted on further developments.

Happiness IS Everything

Recently I’ve been sorting, cleaning, and trying to get rid of some stuff. Yesterday I came across my senior year high school yearbook, which I was a proud member of the staff. I found a note from my best friend who passed away about six years ago and it really touched my heart. What stood out the most was “Happiness IS everything” which I tend to forget very frequently.

I’ve become re-energized by that statement and hopefully starting this blog will help keep me on track. I quit my high stress, well paying job in the field I got my degree in about four months ago. And now I’m trying to figure out what to do with my life…remember that above all else happiness truly is everything.