Wedding planning with Lauren

Yesterday, I met with Lauren, her mom and Rosa from the PeaPod Group.  I'm grateful for Rosa, a certified wedding planner!  We went through a checklist for the wedding and met with the photographers and staff at Premiere Photography in Colleyville.  When Lauren arrived to our meeting, she looked amazing...by looking at her, you never would have guessed that she was in a coma last year.  You'd never know that she has Wegener's Granulomatosis -- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/wegeners-granulomatosis/DS00833

I wasn't feeling 100% myself -- just feeling congested with allergies and feeling uncomfortable due to female stuff -- and when Lauren arrived, she declared that she had developed a rash and some severe pain.  While we were talking about flowers and colors, she was trading messages with her doctors.  She managed to make it through our afternoon of appointments and then headed to the emergency room for some tests.

I felt so humbled and honored to be with a girl with such tenacious spirit.  As I said, I wasn't feeling 100% myself, and I had nothing to complain about...Lauren has been in the fight of her life.  I truly feel grateful for my overall health (it's easy to take it for granted).  And now I'm helping Lauren with a dream wedding.  It all seems so surreal.  But I will say that it is wonderful to step into someone else's shoes -- even for an afternoon.  It is elevating to help someone else -- and I am inspired by Lauren and her strength.

I can't wait for the wedding on December 19th!  We'll have so much to celebrate...Lauren's life, and her love and commitment with Sean.  My advice for today -- enjoy each moment and be grateful for each breath.  Be grateful for being alive...



 

Looking good is feeling good

Well, not always, but it helps!  I had a fantastic time this week at Lady Gaga....I enjoyed some down time and down dog time at YogaSport, and I hit Katy Trail for some walking/jogging action thrice....I also got a bang trim from Kaycee Clark at Dear Clark Salon and knocked out some exciting work for Dreamfly Productions & Talent Management and Jackopierce.  I've reconnected with myself and my girlfriends, and I'm enjoying a break from dating!!

I continue to be so excited about my wedding giveaway.  It feels like fate brought me to Lauren and Sean.  They are a dedicated and inspiring couple!  Wise beyond their years...AND the honeymoon on its own is a HUGE blessing and well-deserved for these two.  Check out Project Husband on Facebook for news updates!

Also this past week, I confirmed the singers in my upcoming Chick Singer Night show at Lakewood Theater Sun, Mar 27.  Invite details here:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=179826985389665

I also booked two Anthem singing gigs for the Texas Rangers!  Gig details here:  http://www.reverbnation.com/lisalinehan#!/artist/artist_shows/468079

There are a couple of cute boys on my radar, but I'm not in a hurry to go speed dating anytime soon...

xoxo

Tonight I'm loving you

I love Enrique Iglesias.  I love his latest song so much....tonight I'm loving him (I wish).

Also, I'm loving Kaycee at Dear Clark.  As I waited for my appointment with her recently, I noticed the fact that having one's hair done is like going to therapy.  I watched Kaycee greet each customer at the end of the appointment, and each customer looked so happy (and beautiful with freshly trimmed and fixed hair)!  It really is fabulous to be treated to a shampoo and style...it feels so good.  When I visited Shanghai a few years ago, I loved the fact that I could pay $2 for a shampoo, scalp massage and ear cleaning!  Literally, the girl would clean out my ears with Q-tips.  But I digress.  The point is I love going to Kaycee's salon and feeling pampered.  She really is awesome -- as a person and at her craft.  She even added a semi-permanent color to my hair to cover a few silver strands.  Don't tell....but she did an awesome job.  This was the first time I ever ever colored my hair, so I was scared.  But she made the experience painless and successful!  Greys be gone.

I've got a lot of love.  So I'll also say that I love working at Dreamfly.  Last night, basically our entire team went to Love and War in Texas (in Plano) to see John David Kent and the Dumb Angels play.  What a fun show!  And, thanks to a tip from Jaclyn at My Fit Foods, I drank vodka and water with tons of lemon, and I lost weight yesterday...I lost 7.5 pounds in 16 days, so I took off the weight gain from massive celebrating over Super Bowl, my birthday and Valentine's Day.  Now, I'm feeling awesome....!!  I'm only one pound from my favorite goal weight.  I lost 50 pounds last year, and I want to keep it that way.

I also love working with Lauren and Sean -- they're getting MARRIED, and their fabulous dream wedding package is totally coming together.  With some big help from Ruthie at Dallas Bridal Shows, Inc., I was able to secure the honeymoon yesterday, and it's INCREDIBLE!!  It's an all-inclusive package at a luxury resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico (near Cancun).  Check out all the goodies in their wedding package on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=271695&id=343250606282

I get so excited thinking about this wedding.  And I still hold onto the hope that my soulmate is out there somewhere.  He has to be, right?!  I want to find him.  I want to love and be loved....even more than I already do and am.  I want a family of my own, but I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't have children without a father.  It seems so simple, but it's become so complicated these days.  Why is it that the simplest things are sometimes the hardest to achieve?  Is it because we make them too complicated?  Perhaps...what I know right now is that I am living my life.  When fate allows it, I will find a soulmate who fits me.  I guess it's just not my time...I have bigger work to do -- like plan a dream wedding for Lauren and Sean and help them build their lives together.  It's kind of cool because they both are interested in getting in shape, and many of the donation items will help them do exactly that!  Lauren's medical treatments have been tough on her body.  And the stress of it all has affected Sean, too.  I just want to be a ray of sunshine in their lives and help them achieve all of their wildest dreams.  It's pretty wild how I booked this wedding for me but ended up finding the couple who was meant to have this ceremony and celebration all along.  While I was dating last fall and living it up, Lauren was fighting for her life.  Now, she can focus on getting better and living an incredible life.  Life is such a precious gift.  We can't waste a single moment.  Feel the love, people!  Go tell someone, "I love you."  Do it because I love you...I love you for reading this.  I love you for being you.  And I'm truly learning to love myself and this beautiful path called life.

Lauren & Sean

Yesterday, I met the most amazing couple, one that has found true love.  Last fall, Sean stuck by Lauren's side when she nearly died.  She contracted a rare auto-immune disease and was in a coma.  Sean proposed while Lauren was in the ICU -- since time was of the essence, he decided not to waste any.  He also had encouragement from Lauren's family.  I truly believe that love saved Lauren.  She is a brave young woman.  At 21 years old, she has endured quite a battle.  And Sean was with her every step of the way.  They already have demonstrated their commitment -- their ability to stay together in sickness and in health.  They are so inspiring!

We tasted cakes yesterday at Delicious Cakes, and it was such a happy moment!!  Lauren's mom, Becky, joined us, and she is such a lovely woman.  Sean and Lauren were on the same page and quite decisive about the cake decision, and it was excellent.  I love people who know what they want!  We then headed to Robbins Brothers, where Lauren was able to replace her cubic zirconia with a real diamond!!  Robbins Brothers was amazing -- the CW33 brought in Robbins Brothers to sponsor the diamond -- and the guys at the store even went above and beyond the original promised prize.  Lauren has the ring of her dreams.  Sean got on one knee and proposed again, and we all cried.  It was beautiful to witness, and I couldn't be more pleased about the couple who will be getting married due to Project Husband.  It all feels meant to be.  While I was dating last September and having a ball, Lauren was in the hospital fighting for her life.  Today, she is planning a dream wedding, and she deserves it!!

You can read about her journey here:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurendollarhide

Where to begin...

Hi Blog,

I am sorry I have been so distant lately.  I have found myself busier than ever -- in the past week or so, I was featured on Dr. Phil, CNN and CNN International.  It was a lot of fun, and I've made a ton of new friends online.

I also celebrated Super Bowl in Dallas, followed by my birthday and then Valentine's Day.  That was a lot of celebrating.  As a result, I'm back on a strict program at My Fit Foods, and I've discovered a new love of the TheraSauna at Planet Beach in Uptown.  I'm enjoying the pursuit of physical fitness and taking care of myself.  While the celebrating and partying was FUN, I'm glad to take a break.

I actually had a date on Valentine's Day, which was lovely...

And, I'm working hard with Dreamfly Productions, Jackopierce and private music students -- as well as my regular Sunday gig, leading music at Legacy Presbyterian.  I'm working on several projects right now, and there is never a dull moment.

That's how I like it!  I'm taking a weekly yoga class as YogaSport, working out with Vickie Griffith and enjoying this warmer Dallas weather!

I'm excited about giving away my wedding -- we'll know the winning couple on Feb 28.  Then the planning will begin!  There are so many fantastic giveaway items involved -- and they just keep coming! Check out the Project Husband page on Facebook to see the album of Wedding Giveaway Items.

Thank you, blog, for being a sounding board for over a year now.  I still hope love is around the corner for me.  In the meantime, I'm taking care of myself and getting excited to give away the wedding!!

Dallas Bridal Show and grocery store encounter

This past weekend, I enjoyed two days at the Dallas Bridal Show near downtown Dallas.  I was in the Demetrios fashion show, modeling three gowns.  It felt great to slip into the gorgeous princess-style dresses.  It's kind of like an adult dress up fantasy - taking me back to my dress up in my mom's closet days.  I know guys find it silly, but girls often can relate.  There's just something about putting on a beautiful dress.

I met a ton of amazing vendors at the Bridal Show, and I garnered additional support for the Project Husband wedding giveaway, which has me very excited.  I am passionate about providing a dream wedding for an amazing, deserving couple.  The contest is open on www.projecthusband.com, and a current list of items in the wedding giveaway is on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=271695&id=343250606282

After the show on Saturday, I needed to head straight to the grocery store.  I was out of toilet paper, that's how busy I've been.  If you've ever been there, you know that it's not a great feeling.  I was in the grocery store, in my flattering dress from Frocks, and I got lots of attention from grocery personnel - especially the guy in the drinks aisle.  I was looking for some healthy beverages with Stevia, but I guess I have to head to Whole Foods for those.  Anyhow, the guy in the aisle said, "How are you doing?"  I said, "Great.  How are you?"  He said, "Much better now."  It was cute, and it meant nothing, but it was fun to have the exchange with him, especially since it had been a while since I had done any flirting!  I've been so excited about planning someone else's wedding, that I haven't thought about myself in a relationship for a while.  I've also been busy working, taking yoga and eating well - so dating hasn't entered into the picture much at all this month.

As I headed to the health and beauty section, I saw a guy bent over looking at shaving cream.  His cart was in the way, so I said, "Is it okay if I just move your cart to get by?"  He stood up and said, "Oh, yes.  I'm sorry,"  I then proceeded to knock into his cart with mine, while noticing how amazingly cute he was.  I didn't usually see hot guys in Albertson's.  He noticed that I knocked into his cart and said, "I guess you're getting me back."  We both smiled and laughed.

I finished up my shopping and headed to the car.  I looked around, and no one was coming, so I backed up.  Suddenly, I heard my rear sensor going crazy, and I stopped.  The same cute guy was right behind my car!  I almost hit him!  He backed up, and said, "I guess you're still getting me back."  I blushed and smiled and apologized for not seeing him.  I said, "I didn't see you, but I heard my rear sensor."  He said, "I'm glad it worked!"  It was fun to almost run into him.  I hope I see him again.

The next day at Day 2 of the Bridal Show, I met two guys who had messaged me months ago.  They probably weren't that into Project Husband and dating in front of or near a camera.  And, I totally understand.  Nonetheless, it was fun to meet both of them within minutes of each other - for the first time in person.  We had traded several messages, and I even talked on the phone with one of them, but we never met up.  It was cool to see them face to face, and I liked both of them.  A normal date could be in my future...and perhaps a mate!

Day 20 & 21 | three weeks can fly!

I can't believe I've completed three weeks of the My Fit Foods challenge.  Time really flies!  I've felt amazing during this challenge.  I lost 6.5 pounds, and everything fits better.  My stomach is flat, and I feel on top of the world.  It's amazing how slight changes can bring big results.  This is as much about the way I look as it is about the way I feel!  I know the yoga at YogaSport has been a huge contributor as well.  I have a renewed sense of commitment to myself.  I know I'm not getting married on February 15th, and I know it would have been awesome to take advantage of an amazing wedding -- all planned and sponsored for me, but maybe I needed more time to fall in love with myself...or maybe fate wanted to teach me something...as much as I am in control of my actions and attitudes, I am not in control of love.  Love is something that can't be measured or charted.  It just exists and ebbs and flows...like the tide.  We cannot trap love.  It's not ours to contain.  We can only give love....we cannot take it or buy it on the shelves.

I just had my first cup of coffee in three weeks, and I avoided the artificial sweetener.  I learned that I didn't need it!  Thank you, My Fit Foods.  I am excited for some yoga and dance tonight.  And, I'm going to have a glass of wine with a girlfriend after I work out.  Just one!  It's been three weeks since I had alcohol, so I'm starting with one...Josh at My Fit Foods said it never works out that way, but I'm going to stick with my plan.  Go say hi to Josh or Jaclyn at My Fit Foods on Lemmon in Dallas.  They're both lovely and amazing.  (Josh is cute, too!)  I stopped in last night to get some food for the next few days.  I don't want to go crazy now that the challenge is over -- in some ways, it's just begun.  I love eating fresh foods...and I love the energy I have.  I'm feeling poised and ready for really good things.

I received an email from a CNN international producer last night....fairly soon, I will have an interview that will reach 260 million homes worldwide.  Love is an international topic!  I've received hundreds of notes from couples who want to get married but cannot afford all of the costs involved.  I want to help each and every couple, and I'm thinking of ways to do that.  My wedding giveaway is for a DFW area couple, but there are so many loving and deserving couples outside this area (and within) with amazing stores and love for each other.  I'm inspired!  I know my prince is out there somewhere.  And I think that giving love is the best way to receive it.

Incidentally, I've had a major flow of emails from guys who want to "get to know me."  Some said they wished they knew I was looking for a groom.  Some are just more likely to write to me now that I'm NOT getting married.  Wedding is like a four letter word for some guys!!!