The Dirty 30.

One day you wake up and suddenly you're 30 years old.

That happened fast.

Turning 30 is kind of a big deal. 30 is the benchmark for adulthood. No more 20s. 10+ years out of high school even though it doesn't seem like it was that long ago.

Hmm, suddenly making myself feel old.

I'm happy to be here. Happy I've made it to see 30. And very happy I have a wonderful wife and wonderful mother who had the great idea to help me celebrate.

I seriously couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Started out with gorgeous weather and time well spent at the driving range with 2 of my best friends - my brother, Reuben and my brother from another mother, Johnaustin. The range has become a fun place to go to for killing time, thinking, and trying to capture that elusive perfect swing. Good times with good friends, doesn't get any better.

Next it was party time. And again, couldn't have asked for anything better. Friends and family all gathered at VBGB to eat, drink and celebrate. I didn't want a huge event. Didn't need tons of gifts or all the attention. I just wanted to hang out with some of my favorite people.

I ended up getting some pretty sweet gifts too! Apparently I've done a fantastic job letting everyone know I'm a big fan of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and the Ninja Turtles. But my favorite gifts were the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack on vinyl and… a new vacuum. (What can I say, I like a clean floor.)

To those who were unable to be with me and sent messages through text and Facebook, thank you so much. It actually does mean so much to me to get those messages. And to everyone who came and celebrated with me, I can not thank you enough. I genuinely love you all.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Mraz Superfan Status

I'm pretty sure you all know by now that I am a huge fan of Jason Mraz. On Februray 20th, I'd say I finally reached the super fan status by attending my 10th show. Seeing my favorite fedora wearing, earth loving, happy hippy artist never gets old. Each and every show I see is different in the best ways possible. He is always changing things up for the better. From ad libbing songs, to acoustic sets, to creating visuals made out of recycled plastic bottles, Mraz is constantly doing something new to keep things fresh.

When it was announced in January that Jason Mraz and Raining Jane were finally making their way to the Carolinas, I was one happy girl. So happy that I tweeted about it. That tweet led to the Jason Mraz Team kindly reserving a pair of seats for Jeremy and I on the 5th row, smack dab in the center. They were perfect seats where we sat beside a few other Super fans that I was happy to meet.

The night began with Jason introducing  Raining Jane, an electric rock-folk band, who he created his last album of upbeat, acoustic songs with. Although down one Jane, the three women warmed the audience up with their sweet harmonies and stories of how some songs came to be. Jason joined them soon after starting with one of my faves from the new album, Love Someone.

I was on cloud 9 the entire night. By the time we reached intermission, my cheeks hurt from smiling the entire time. I have never heard Jason talk so much during the show. It was awwwwwesome. He cracked jokes, serenaded a couple who just got married that day and told stories of his garden. The venue made the show feel intimate, almost like we were sitting in a coffee shop, which I love.

My favorite part of the show was when Jason showed a video of when he and percussionist, Mona, went on an Antartic voyage with Al Gore's team for The Climate Reality Project in 2012 . The video played behind them as they sang along. You couldn't help but marvel at the breathtaking sites, say "awwww" at the penguins and laugh at their attempted dance moves. They made you feel like you were right there with them on the trip.

Another personal touch of the show I enjoyed was seeing Jason's garden while they played, "Back to the Earth". A beautiful picture of his garden was shown during the set and afterwards he shared his gardening skills and stories of his avocado farm. I'm hoping to follow in his footsteps this spring by building my own garden box! (Okay let's be real. Jeremy is building the box for me.)

I didn't want the night to end and even attempted waiting by his tour bus to get a print I have signed. Sadly, I wasn't the only one waiting and have to dream of getting the print signed another day.

I could not have asked for a better little getaway for Jeremy and I that weekend. It was nice to explore the streets of Greenville, SC and treat our ears to some great music. I couldn't have asked for a better 10th show. 

L-O-V-E

Every February, we like to update everyone on what we're currently loving. It's our way to share with you all some of the awesomeness we've got going on in the Singleton household.

So without further ado, let's put a bow on this month! Here's a quick look at what we're loving at the moment!

Vinyl
We definitely have a bit of 'hipster' in us, but we've totally fallen in love with vinyl records. There's just something about the crackling noise made once the needle touches the album that just feels (and sounds) good. We've quickly increased our little collection with a wide variety of albums. From Jay-Z to Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson to Hozier - relaxing on a Sunday afternoon with the smooth sounds from a vinyl record has become routine.

Date Nights!
Recently we've enjoyed time spent together and have had some fun date nights! Our date nights have included:
Comedian Hannibal Burress. This guy is funny. He's pretty quirky, but undeniably hilarious. He's played small rolls in a few movies (most recently the police officer in 'Neighbors') but his stand-up is must-see.

Black Violin. This duo of hip hop violinists was quite a surprise! Mixing classical violin with hip hop culture, this fusion was a delight to experience and dance to. The creative mix of genres and styles made for a fun and highly entertaining evening the sold out theatre clearly enjoyed.

Mraz. Asha's favorite artist finally put a tour date that was semi-close to home. She bought tickets and instantly told me I was her date for the evening. It was a great show and of course she loved it. I'm pretty sure she'll be blogging about it in the next post.

Coaching
I enjoyed another fun year of coaching JV basketball at Carmel Christian High School. This past season was the debut of almost an entirely new coaching staff. We didn't quite have the same success on JV as the previous season, but there's definitely a new culture forming within the basketball program. The new staff had a seamless transition bringing in much needed excitement and energy which definitely translated onto the court. The best thing about coaching is that it continues to be fun and I'm already excited for next season.

TV
Thank God for DVR! A couple shows we're enjoying right now are 'Empire', 'Blackish' and 'the Goldbergs'. Empire has been surprisingly addicting. I've labeled it as the "black version of Nashville". Lots and lots and lots of drama within the music hip hop music industry. Plus, there's some good music.

After a slow start, 'Blackish' has now become a favorite. It helps that the show is very relatable to us, but it's nice to see familiar scenarios played out comedically on screen.

Asha has also been into the Goldbergs. She's been watching since season 1 but I seem to laugh any time I get a glimpse of it. It seems to be having a good run.

We really wanted to bring you at least 5 subjects to talk about but that 5th was a struggle. We'll just have to settle for 4 and hope that you enjoy those.

Something Borrowed

I love it when a vision comes to life. I had been daydreaming of my desk area in our master bedroom for quite some time. This is embarrassing to admit but this project is 2 years in the making.

It all started when my grandparents wedding gift was graciously passed down to me. They were given a beautiful, brass mirror that hung in their home for years. I knew it was special and wanted to put it into use in our own home. I painted the brass white and eventually got Jeremy to hang the mirror in the perfect spot.

The mirror looked great but sadly, it hung alone for a while. I searched for the perfect desk to pair it with and after a year, Sauder was my answer. I was a kid at Christmas when the parts arrived at our doorstep. My handyman husband had the desk built in one hour leaving me giddy with glee.

The fun part came next. I dug out a few of my wedding essentials; my shoes and flowers from my sash. I framed the delicate, white flowers on a burlap background and put my shoes on display, placing them in a glass jar. Now I am always reminded of the sweet messages that my mom, mother-in-law, aunt and bridesmaids wrote on the soles before walking down the aisle. I always wanted to display my shoes in a unique way and I was over the moon to finally do so.

A few vintage books and jewelry filled the remaining space as I did a happy dance around the house. I found the perfect chair at World Market for the finishing touch that brought everything together. I now sit at my desk, pretending to be a queen, happily reminded of my grandparents love, memories of my wedding and an organized space that warms my heart.

A Fresh Start

A new year means fresh resolutions to conquer. I must say, I didn't do too bad on last years list. I was happy to set realistic goals for myself, only failing to reach but one resolution that I am ecstatic to say WILL happen this year. We've got a trip to Nashville already in the books :)

I'm keeping the list small again. It keeps me focused and to the point. 2015, let's do this.

LOFT LOVE
I would like to give our upstairs loft some love this year. All it contains right now is Apollo's bed. Let's just say a makeover is way overdue. I would love to add a daybed, a wall featuring antique cameras and some curtains to make the room a little more cozy. With this possibility, we'll have more room for guests to stay.

VINYL ALBUMS
This one is for both Jeremy and I. We're putting the television on mute and listening to vinyl records. Jeremy's collection started with 3 records but has already grown to 44 thanks to my parents. My parents had quite the collection of Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Grover Washington, Tina Turner and more. They were gracious enough to hand them down to us and we couldn't be happier. We would really like to add albums that have meaning to us. You KNOW Jason Mraz will be added to our collection and I'm pretty sure Jeremy wouldn't mind adding a few more Jay Z albums, Maroon 5 (Songs About Jane) and Gary Clark Jr.

BATON ROUGE
A visit to Louisiana is a must this year. Jeremy and I would love to see Sairy and Julius in their new home of Baton Rouge. I'm sure they would give us a greater experience than the last time we were there in 2008 for the App vs. LSU football game.

ORGANIZE
A few trips to Goodwill are in order. We have been in our home for close to 4 years now and a few things have started to clutter up. It's time to dig out the old and replace with some new.

HAPPY MAIL
I've decided that our mail boxes shouldn't only overflow during the holidays. I've got enough friends spread across the country to send them a little love here and there. My goal is to send a little note at least once a month to a loved one. Get ready friends, you're about to get some happy mail!

5 goals. That'll do. I hope to reach each of them this year along with conquering and learning from any challenge that will be thrown my way. 2015, I'm ready for ya.

Uptown Funk

The new year started out pretty awesome with visits from friends that live hours away and family that we usually only see once a year during Thanksgiving.

Last weekend started with a New Year's dinner with my favorite ladies from Food Lion. We laughed over pasta and bread as they filled me in on all things gossip at the Lions Den.

The next day, one of Jeremy's oldest friends visited from Burlington as we nervously watched the Panthers play in the first playoff game of the season. The guys celebrated the win with a couple of high-fives but I celebrated by going out with my sister and Chelsea to watch my cousin play a gig uptown.

It was an epic night as we danced, sang and requested songs until the wee hours of the morning. It was the perfect way to celebrate a Panthers win.

The next day we drove around South Charlotte with Reuben and Jeremy's friends in town, searching for a breakfast place with a short enough wait to satisfy our appetite. Apparently, everyone and their mothers decided to eat at the same time we did. After what felt like hours searching (at least according to our rumbling stomachs) we settled at 'Another Broken Egg' and feasted on a delicious meal.

We certainly didn't want the weekend to end but I must say, if the rest of 2015 is anything like this weekend, then it's going to be a great year!

Looking Back: 2014

For the world, 2014 was the year of the selfie, iPhone 6, ebola and more. But for the Singletons, it was a simple year filled with love and happiness. Once again, we filled a mason jar full of "the little things" that happened throughout the year. On New Years Eve, we took turns reading each paper, bringing each memory to life, reminiscing on what we had accomplished throughout the year. With that, we bring you our top ten moments of 2014 in no particular order.

3, 2, 1...Action!
Thanks to our friend Theoden and the random emails for GOFOBO, we were able to see a crazy amount of free movies this year. From 'About Last Night', to 'Godzilla', to 'Let's Be Cops' and 'The Fault in Our Stars', these movies had us laughing, crying (okay maybe only Asha on this one) and on the edge of our seats. We loved seeing over 15 movies FOR FREE! That may be hard for 2015 to beat.

Stingray City
During our visit to the Grand Cayman islands, we decided to "live a little" and swim with some wild stingrays. Let's remind you that we imagined "swimming with stingrays" would feature the smaller size ones we saw at the Georgia Aquarium 4 years ago. The wild stingrays that we had the pleasure of meeting were at least DOUBLE the size, causing Asha to have a mild melt down in the rough, choppy waters. It was a terrifying experience but one that brings many laughs whenever we bring it up. It was definitely a memory for the books.

Ya Mon!
Jamaica has been on our bucket list for quite some time and we were excited to cross this destination off our list. We could not have had a better day touring the island while we ate at local restaurants, became Jamaican mixologists and learned some key Jamaican dance moves that had us fitting right in with the locals.

Hair Cut
After 10 years of growing out his hair, Jeremy cut his beautiful locks. This sudden move shocked a lot of people only because they have only known him with his long hair. Don't worry, we made sure this hair cut was after we paid a visit to Jamaica.

The Adventures of Charlie Brown
About halfway through the year, Asha happily accepted a graphic design job at MetLife. Her 3 hour round trip commute turned into a 30 minute round trip commute adding extra time for sleep and overall happiness. The shorter commute makes all the difference allowing her to spend more time with family and having occasional lunch dates with Jeremy.

Filmmaker
2014 was the year of freelance video jobs for Jeremy. He worked hard during several weekends fitting in his love for recording video and piecing together awesome footage. He shot his first wedding of our friends Sairy and Julius, worked with small businesses throughout the Charlotte area along with producing videos for the YMCA when needed. Business cards will be making a debut in 2015.

Home Improvement
We were really able to focus on our home this year, making upgrades we've wanted to do for quite some time. We brightened up our home by changing the wall color from a dark brown to a light neutral tone. Jeremy was a furniture-building, picture-hanging handyman as he kindly built and hung anything Asha desired. We have only begun in turning our house into a home and hope that 2015 brings even more updates.

Burger Tour
Over the summer, we ate our little hearts out (and a ton of beef) as we visited Charlotte's most talked about burger joints.

Playoffs!
Both the Bobcats and the Panthers made the playoffs in 2014. This always makes for a happy Jeremy. We also welcomed our beloved Hornets back to Charlotte. It feels good to have the buzz back in the city.

Online shopping
The online shopping bug hit Asha and Jeremy hard this year. With the easy access of apps on our phones, we had boxes being delivered to our door on what seemed like a regular basis. Wayfair, Amazon, Jack Threads and Jane have been popular ordering sites in the Singleton household.

If we could give 2014 a name for us, we would call it Most Improved. We were able to focus on our home, improve on our jobs and most important, love one another. We can't wait to see what 2015 brings! Happy New Year, folks!