Vermont

February 27, 2015 In Be active, BLR Play It Forward 2015, Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship, Do good, News & Updates, People, Photos, play, Today Is The Day, Vermont

play it forward 2015 official announcements!

The schedule for our 4th Annual Play It Forward Event has been set! See full details here.

If for some crazy reason you are on the fence about whether or not you will be participating, maybe I’ll inspire you by sharing a photo from each of our first 3 events…

2012:

Play Forward Give Back

2013:

2014:

B30

Get on the bus, Gus! We’re doing good things, having fun and we want YOU! Won’t you join us?

Today is the day. What are you waiting for?

#PlayForwardGiveBack #RememberCelebrateLive #LoveHome

February 5, 2015 In Articles, BLR-Mobile, Links, Photos, Travel, Vermont

i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again; ILOVERMONT!

These cutesy articles about various states and kinds of people that live in them always crack me up. This one about my home state of Vermont, is pretty spot on. Numbers 4, 6 ,9, 11, and 14 describe me best/are my favorites. Boy do I miss those grinders from the Bennington Pizza House with that crispy, cold shredded iceberg lettuce that I would never otherwise eat.

Oh my beautiful little Green Mountain State and all the things that come with it! (Except the cold and snow- note my carefully planned visits always revolve around warm weather months.)

VT Border

Organic Rocks

Green Mountain Farm

What do you love about your home state?

#ILOVERMONT #GreenMountains #FreshAirKid

December 17, 2014 In Links, Vermont

eat more kale

Yay for this Vermont victory! So proud of my home state and all the amazing farmers who work so hard to grow food there.

Get your Eat More Kale (and other) tees here.

I love anyone who supports local as much as possible. Fresh food, healthy food, best food! As for corporate giants like Chick-Fil-A, who try to shut the little guys up, and are also anti-gay…take that! We DON’T support you. Hate never wins, honesty always will, and love will always rule. Put that between your two chicken sandwich buns and eat it:)

How do you stand up for what you believe in and speak up to corporate bullies?

#ILOVERMONT #LetLoveRule #SupportLocal

December 9, 2014 In Inspiration, Links, People, Photos, September 2011 BLR Honda Adventure, TTAA, Uncategorized, Vermont, Videos

one of my hero’s

Check out this video that promotes a youth film competition in Vermont. My little brother (who’s actually not so young, but I call him little brother, anyway:) is on the video at 1:37 until about 2:06. It’s a clip from when he spoke on the gay marriage bill at the Vermont State House back in 2009. How proud is this Peacock (thumbs pointed in at myself) to share blood with this good-looking’, hard-working, well-spoken, guy?

My brother is awesome

Awesome. I haven’t seen this footage (that made a ruckus, the news and a quote in the NY Times by the way) in a long time, but it just resurfaced last week. I can’t get enough of it, so I had to share again. My most amazing, kind-hearted, sweet, strong brother makes me want to be a better person and never stop fighting for what I believe in.

Thanks for always inspiring me, Brad! I love you.

What do you stand up for?

#SpeakUp #StandProud #LetLoveRule

August 6, 2014 In Articles, Links, Vermont

this cracks me up

I’d have a million dollars and be able to give that million dollars worth of money away in BLR Memorial Scholarships every year if I had even a penny for every time someone rolled their eyes and commented “Oh god- all you friggin Vermont liberal hippies!”- when they hear I am from The Green Mountain State.

Actually, I’d probably have two million. That’s why this article cracks me up.

Over the years, when people ask ridiculous things about the assumed maple syrup farm I must have grown up on with my Subaru-driving parents, I’ve gotten accustomed to sassing back with some part of; “No, we didn’t make make maple syrup growing up, Mom never carted us to town from the farm in a Subaru, my Teen Beat posters did not live within the walls of my room in our ski chalet, and I’ve never been cow-tipping. I’ve also never ridden a moose. Ben & Jerry were not our neighbors, and Phish did not play at my high school parties.” (I wish!)

Ahh- yes the stereotypes and stories that go along with all home states. Fun. As I sit here happily clicking these keys with the door open on this warm North Carolina day, Vermont is where my heart will always be in the summertime.

What a perfect way to intro to a snapshot I took just a few short weeks ago while I was back home:

ILOVERMONT

ILOVERMONT.

Where do you love?

#Vermont #LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad #Home

August 5, 2014 In Be active, BLR Memorial Travel Scholarship Fund, BLR Play It Forward 2014, Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship, Do good, Inspiration, Links, Live the life you want to live, People, Photos, Restaurants, Travel, Uncategorized, Vermont

“i’ll figure it out”

I love when friends send me articles like this. (Reference post title the author’s #4.)

Of course the travel & adventure part of this womans’ story are inspiring and invigorating in that I-wanna-go-out-and-do-those-things-right-now, but the best part of this is lesson is that she took action when she had an aha moment. She started really living, and didn’t just crawl under her bed.

We all know life is short, but it seems like we just don’t live like it is. I vote for more of us to wake up with that carpe diem- life is short-let’s do it now attitude, rather than not. Whaddya say?

After wrapping a 3rd Annual BLR Play It Forward Event, I’m more than ever convinced that spending time with people I love like these:

VT playing tourist

Green Mountains

…and doing work that means everything to me:

BLR Memorial Scholarship Award

BLR Play It Forward 2014

Soccer rules at BLR

…(just to share a very few)- is what’s most important. The rest of life- can always be figured out. Read this article, pass it on, then ask yourself; If you could spend time with who you wanted, and do work that really meant something to you- what would you be doing?

Find your Blue Lollipop Road. Today is the day. What are you waiting for?

#Inspiration #BLR #TodayIsTheDay

*Above photos taken in Vermont during my stay for BLR Play It Forward, 2014

July 14, 2014 In BLR Memorial Travel Scholarship Fund, BLR Play It Forward 2014, Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship, blue lollipops, Do good, grow, Inspiration, Live the life you want to live, People, Photos, play, Vermont

it’s officially blr play it forward week!

Friday kicks off BLR Play It Forward 2014! Another radio interview on WBTN 1370AM Radio at 5:30PM tomorrow (Tuesday 7/12/14) listen on AM radio or online to learn more about the weekend so you can join in the fun! Schedule of Events:

Play Forward- Give Back

How do you play Forward and give back?

#BLR #Community #PlayForwardGiveBack

July 9, 2014 In BLR Play It Forward 2014, Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship, Sponsors, Vermont

radio interview for BLR Play It Forward 2014

Tune in at 8:30am on Wednesday 7/9 to listen to my interview with David Lively at WBTN 1370AM Radio or listen online! WBTN has been supportive of Play It Forward for 3 years in a row, inviting me in for annual interviews. I’ve had a blast on the air, and secretly thought about how cool it would be to host a morning radio show. (Watch out David- I might steal your job!)

Big thanks to WBTN for being supporting BLR Play It Forward since year 1!

Who supports you?

#LocalRadio #BLRPlayItForward #PlayForwardGiveBack

June 20, 2014 In BLR Play It Forward 2014, Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship, Do good, Uncategorized, Vermont

less than a month; play it forward 2014!

Whoop!

It’s been busy behind the scenes of BLR with BLR Play It Forward 2014 planning. We are less than 1 month away now from our 3rd Annual Event in Southern Vermont.

Mark your calendars and join us for Friday & Saturday festivities July 18th & 19th. All are welcome.

Also:

I’ve had several requests to purchase 2014 BLR Play It Forward jerseys:
1.) Yes! I can ship anywhere in the USA, or you can pick up day of Alumni Game (7/19) at Howard Park.
2.) $20 donation gets any size kid or adult shirt. All donations go to the BLR Memorial Travel Scholarship Fund.
3.) Get order in by July 1. Donate online with PayPal.
…and note what size you’d like- or send a check to the Blue Lollipop Road office:
305 W Morehead St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

Any questions? Email me:

Diane(@)bluelollipoproad.com

How do you play it forward?

#BLR #PLayItForward #PlayForwardGiveBack

February 5, 2014 In Olympics, People, Utah, Vermont

olympics junkie

I worked at the Salt Lake City Olympic winter games in 2002, and some have said that’s why I’m a junkie. It’s not.

As I sit here watching the stories of the athletes and their families, I am in awe, inspired, and crazy excited that 2014 in Sochi kicks off tomorrow night. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a huge Olympics fan.

GO TEAM USA!

If you are wondering where I am over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be in from of the TV, glued to NBC watching the best of the best athletes in the world. Bonus, a little boy now all grown up, from right down the road (by that I mean literally a mile down the road from my parents house in little ol’ Shaftsbury, VT) Andy Newell– will be competing for gold in Sochi! Hello adding to my total junkie-can’t-tear-me-away-hoo-rah-for-the-Olympics feelings!

Here’s to dreaming about everything that’s possible, and knowing that if you work hard- you really can get there.

What are you determined to be today?

#GoTeamUSA #Sochi2014 #LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad #ThankYouMom