I celebrated my 19th birthday last Friday and I had the most amazing day ever. Two of my best friends, Karena and Natalie & I went downtown to have some fun. First, we ate dinner at ‘Departure’. It’s this really cool restaurant on the top of a 16 floor-building. For appetizers we got edamame & chicken skewers. The chicken skewers were to die for. Natalie freaked out when she took her first bite. It was thatttt good. Then for our meal we ordered a few sushi rolls. I ate unagi; which for those who don’t know is eel. Guess what? I loved it After we finished eating, the waiter brought out a fancy desert with a candle on it. I wished my wish & then contemplated about taking a bite. It was a dark blue cake, with an egg shaped ‘normal’ scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, topped with… raisins? Yes. Raisins. But being the rebel I am (I’m not a rebel at all) I took a bite and shockingly enjoyed it! I asked the water boy (who thought it was a good idea to refill our water every 5 minutes) what kind of cake it was. And he checked for us and then told us it was ‘Bundt’ cake. However, I swore that he said ‘Butt’ cake so that is what I’m calling it This was such a fancy-smanshy place, with a lot of entrees we couldn’t pronounce so we saved a lot of room in our tummies for our next destination— VOO DOO! Some of you may be familiar with Voo-Doo Donuts. If you aren’t then you need to check out their website: http://voodoodoughnut.com/
They have a Bacon Maple Bar with strips of BACON. Yes, that’s what I said. Real strips of bacon. It’s surprisingly tasty. If you ever make a trip to Portland, you best be ordering this deliciousness.
After we ordered our 18 dollars worth of donuts, we decided to bring them back to our hotel, which had really cool bonfires outside. So we brought our donuts out and started eating. Then, we heard a little voice say, ‘Scuse me, you aren’t allowed to eat out here..’ so we headed up to our room. Once we got to our room, we blasted ‘Vultures’ by John Mayer and rocked out on our beds. I may have been turning nineteen, but we are 5 years old at heart.
I wanted to share my birthday with you, so here are a few photos from the night. Love you guys! And thanks again for all the wishes, and for making my day very special.

Last Friday Night.. I’d do it all over again

As I’m sitting in my room, jammin’ to the ‘Foster The People’ album, I realize just how lucky I am. My 18th year of life has been quite a journey. All the way back to last year, I was apart of the American Music Awards Pre-Show, bought my very first lottery ticket & won $9, I tried Sushi for the first time, my best friend bought me a beach cruiser, became the new Wallflower Jeans IT Girl, traveled a bunch and met a lot of my amazing fans, made a small appearance in the upcoming 2012 Judd Apatow Movie featuring Paul Rudd, met Paul Rudd, had a good 30 minute conversation with Paul Rudd, had an inside joke with Paul Rudd.. & made a million memories.
I have a feeling nineteen will be a great year, too. I’m just that much closer to the dream. Very excited to share this journey with you.

Thank you all so much for the Birthday wishes. And for making it so special.
It’s time to celebrate with my best friends & eat lots of junk so I can run it all off tomorrow at the gym.
I love you guys! 1234567890876543245678987654x <----- that much

xoxo Savannah

I have “The Good Life” by One Republic on repeat as I’m reading fan mail online. I honestly cannot believe how lucky I am to have such amazing supporters. I came across this one letter from a girl named Hannah…. & I wanted to share.

“When I was in 7th grade, I had a big falling out with my best friend, and I swear, Goodbyes was all I listened to for weeks and weeks. I’ll never be able to truly put into words how grateful I am for you and your music. One day, I hope to meet you in real life. Thank you for being so amazing!”

When I read this, I was so happy to hear that my song helped her through some rough times. It’s just amazing that people can relate to the lyrics I’ve written. It means the WORLD to me that I can help someone out with one song.

So basically I just wanted to say HELLO, HI, Hola! And that I love you all so much. I appreciate all the support & love. You all inspire me everyday.
There are so many things happening behind the scenes that I CANNOT WAIT to share with you! Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know once I’m allowed to announce it. Thanks for staying by my side on this journey and always having my back.

This has gotta be the good life
xoxo Savannah

Let’s talk music <3:

Lots of you have been asking me to share my favorite songs of all time. I think this is a great idea because music is a huge part of my life. I had so much fun with this blog. It was tough, but I managed to pick my faves to share with you. I’ll break this Journal Entry into two parts since I love so many tunes. We’ll call this “Top Playlist: #1”.

Now, this is in no specific order… Because that’s way too difficult for me. Here we go!

1. Jealous Guy by John Lennon – This is such a brilliant song. Beautifully written, beautifully sung. I love the way it portrays the act of jealousy. Usually people think jealousy is a bad thing because it’s labeled as being kind of “over-obsessive”. But he was able to express it in a lovely way.

2. Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars – I wish this song were mine. I am absolutely obsessed. Whomever Mr. Mars wrote this about is SO lucky. Not only are the lyrics perfect, the melody is amazing. This is my #1 most played song on iTunes, and I think it’ll stay that way for the rest of my life. I can hear the first two seconds of this song, forget about whatever’s going on, smile and get lost in the song. Bruno Mars, you’re amazing just the way you are!

3. Love by Matt White – My favorite movie is “She’s The Man” w/ Amanda Bynes, and this song is featured in that movie. So of course it’s one of my faves. But this song makes me melt. Literally, I’m listening to it right now and melting.

4. You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall And Oates – I’ve been in love with this song for a couple years and to see it in all of these movies recently makes me so happy! If I were to have a soundtrack for my life, this would DEFINETLY be number 1.

5. Moth’s Wings by Passion Pit – Such a cool song. It reminds me of December. This is the only “non Christmas” song I listened to last year. It just sweeps me away and takes me to a different world.

6. Breakeven by The Script – If you ask any of my friends what song reminds them of me, it will be Breakeven. When this song first came out, I flipped. I think it’s so clever. “Cuz when a heart breaks, no it don’t break even.” That's soo true.

7. Happiness by The Fray – This band is my iTunes. I have every song, every album, every special edition single. Whenever I’m feeling down, I go to The Fray. I would put every song of theirs in this playlist if I could. I love the message of "Happiness". It's right around the corner.

8. Come On Get Higher by Matt Nathanson – The ultimate “I Miss You” song. I heart this SO much.

9. A Lack Of Color by Death Cab For Cutie – Ben Gibbard is an amazing writer. I would try and choose a favorite part, but I don’t think that’s possible. The entire song is incredible.

10. Go by Hanson – These are my boys… I wish I were being serious. I’ve had the typical crush on Zac, Mmmbop was my anthem and their posters were plastered on my wall. But a couple years ago, they released another CD called “The Walk” and this is one of those albums that you listen all the way through and never push “next”. “GO” is my fave off the album.

I’m on this 17 hour car drive home from LA and I was just thinking, I should write a blog! I mean, I’ve already played the “road trip” games, listened to all 2,218 songs on my iTunes, and slept. So I’m going to write a blog!

It’s been a rough drive. We have our dog with us. What have I learned on this road trip? Colby hates gas stations. And is super smart. He knows where his “treat” bag is, goes to it and barks until he gets a treat. I have had nothing better to do than examine every move he makes.

On the drive here, I smelt something weird. I couldn’t put my finger on it for a while, then I looked to my right and there was this huge truck filled with garlic. My dad stopped at Panera for some coffee and the lady told him we were in Gilroy, CA: Garlic Capitol Of The World. What are the odds!

Once we finally got to LA, I was on the go! Every day. I was so busy, but I loved it. I recorded some songs for the Karma Club Soundtrack, wrote with my buddy Eddie Galan, had some meetings. I met so many great people on this trip! Ted Perlman, who is producing the Karma Club Soundtrack is such a cool guy. Everything he says is amazing advice.

Best of all…. I released a new single on Radio Disney!!

Last Thursday, I took over the Dot Com Top 3 with Candice and released a new song. I’m SOOOOO excited. (Hopefully the extra o’s come across as to how stoked I am.) I do have to apologize for all the Re-tweets. I just get so happy when I see you all tweeting about how much you like it! If you didn’t already know, it’s called Be Original. I wrote it with Phil Evans from School Boy Humor, Eddie Galan, and Steve Sundholm. It’s about guys who think they are ALL THAT & think they can get any girl. But don’t realize that they have to be original! I’m sure all you ladies can relate

I haven’t had a new song out in a while. Things were getting kind of slow… BUT that’s all in the past now and I can move forward and be stronger. The past couple of weeks have been a little stressful. I’m not going to go into detail, but everything that’s happening is for the better and it’s going to further my opportunities. It is just so crazy how rude and selfish people can be.

“The Greatest Revenge is to accomplish what others say you cannot do. So go out & DO IT.”

you Kan’T stop MEEE.

I’m back everyone!

Xoxo Savannah

***Unfortunately this only took me 8 minutes to write, but at least I’m that much closer to being home!

This past weekend I went to St. Charles, Missouri for “America’s US Miss” Pageant. I had such an amazing time & I’m gonna tell you all about it!

I flew in Thursday night, and hung out with some good friends. We played Apples to Apples and I totally won! I’m a pro at that game. We also went to this cool Coffee Shop that’s open 24/7. Crazy huh? I didn’t get home until pretty late, but luckily I didn’t have to wake up early the next day…. At least that’s what I thought.

Friday morning, I was having a nice slumber until I woke up to a maid in my face, asking me “Are you sleeping?” I jumped out of bed and said, “Yea I’m still asleep..” So she left, and put the “STILL SLEEPING” sign on the door. I guess my Dad forgot to put that sign on the door before he left to judge the girls. Yea that’s right. My dad was a judge. It was so funny because I was looking at this paper with all the names of the judges and their occupation. There was an attorney, baby deliverer, Miss Missouri… and then: Savannah’s Dad.

I went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast that morning. Well, I went the next day too. I love that place. I had eggs, crispy bacon, yogurt, granola and wheat toast all for 6.99! AND Orange Juice! It was gooooooood

On the first day of the pageant there was a red carpet and fancy dinner. The dinner was intense. I didn’t know how to eat proper. Questions were running through my head like, “Am I supposed to use the first fork for the salad?” “Do I have to lift my pinky while I drink my water, just like in Princess Diaries?” “Why is everyone looking at me weird while my elbows are chillin’ on the table?”

We even crashed a dance party. Ok, we were invited. It just sounded cool to say that we crashed it. There was a Hoola Hoop contest that I was in. Of course I was the first one down. The Chicken Dance was the highlight of the night. I danced so hard with the kids.

The next day I performed for the final ceremony. I had the best time. I met so many cool girls. They were super nice. I was happy because a lot of them were fans of my music! Ashley Hansen did make up for performance. She was a sweetheart. Shout out to Ashley!

After my performance, Lorenzo the host called me back onto the stage. I was SO confused. I had no idea what was going on. Then all of the sudden, I was crowned America’s U.S. Miss Ambassador: 2010-2011!! I got a beautiful crown (that matched my dress perfectly) AND a sash.

Megan Wettach. You are so sneaky! I had no clue what was happening when Lorenzo told me not to leave just yet….You’re the best and did a fabulous job. Thank you so much for inviting me to be apart of the Pageant. I seriously had the best time!

I flew out on the 4th. Southwest Airlines gave out American Flag stickers & Tomato Basil Wheat Thins! Doesn’t get much better than that. Oh wait… it does. As I was walking to the Luggage Carousel, I saw two mini American Flags waving…. It was Marcus & Kendra! They surprised me at the airport! Not only did they come, they gave me Lucky Bamboo (which stands for happiness and health) & a fish! His name is “Commander Data The Beta”. He’s a purple/mustard yellow fish. He’s really pretty. I’ve never had anyone surprise me at the airport so it was really cool for Marc and Ken to do that. Made me feel special J

Sincerely, America’s U.S. Miss Ambassador: 2010-2011

Yesterday I had a show at the Festival Of Balloons in Tigard, Oregon. I was really nervous about performing because I’ve been sick for a week. I barely had my voice, and I was sneezing and coughing every other minute. Here’s how the day went, and how everything magically came together and worked out just fine.

I got my makeup and hair done by Cindi G. and Ashlea that afternoon. Gotta plug them! Platinum Hair Salon: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aloha-OR/Platinum-Salon-and-Day-Spa/82499754091?ref=ts They seriously rock.

After I was finished getting all “done” up, I went to the festival for sound check. I sang the verse of “Friends” and my voice gave out on me. I was getting really nervous because the show was going to happen in about 40 minutes.

40 minutes passed. It was show time. I ran on stage, hoping that everything would work out. I started singing “Friends” and my voice just didn’t want to cooperate. Once the song was over, I decided to just pick up the guitar for a while and sing some of my favorite songs. I even took requests from the fans. They were so awesome. I saw a lot of new faces which is always fun! My favorite requests were Gravity by Sara Bareilles and Come On Get Higher by Matt Nathanson.

After I performed I had a meet & greet and hung out with everyone who came. A Nick Jonas look alike gave me the cutest Elephant stuffed animal. A fan named, Zandra made me a cute bracelet and a Woody doll that talks! I kind of freaked out. A girl made me a sign, too. I had so much fun meeting new fans. We had a blast hanging out.

My elementary school PE teacher came out to support as well! He was my Jump Roping coach. If you guys didn’t know, I used to be on a competitive Jump Roping team. We were called The Red Hots. Seeing him brought back so many memories! I miss elementary school. The only drama was when someone stole your pencil or your friend got picked to answer a question before you, even though your hand was raised forever and you were shouting “Ooooh! Oooh! Me! Me!” Everyone was your best friend. Those were the days.

At the festival, there were rides so my friend, Kenzie and I rode a couple. I’m not sure if I was scared because of the fact that it didn’t look safe, or because the guy taking tickets looked really mean. We were debating on whether or not we should ride the “Spaceship 3000” but I didn’t feel like passing out. We decided to try the “G Force”. I think my hand still has indentions from Kenzie’s nails and rings. We were so scared. It takes you upside down and all you have are two metal bars saving you from falling out. You sit in a circle, so it’s funny to watch the group of people across from you as they scream their lungs out.

The next ride was a ride called, “The Spider”. I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t breathe! Kenzie made me sit on the outside so I had to feel like I was hitting all the tree branches. It was a fast, spinning ride. When we got off, we couldn’t walk in a straight line. It was intense.

I have to say, the scariest ride was…. The Bear Ride. It was in the kid section. You sit in this bear, and spin around. It’s like the tea cups, except bear style. Of course, the little girl who I rode it with wanted to spin it as fast as possible! Oh, Presley. The ride looked super cute, but it was definitely not.

Even though I was sick, lost my voice, and had a horrible headache, everything worked out & I had the best time. Just my guitar and some awesome people.

xoxo Savannah

Dear World: Drop whatever you’re doing and find the nearest theatre playing Toy Story 3.

I have been waiting 11 years for the third installment of Toy Story, so I had to see it at midnight. Words cannot describe how amazing it was! P.S. (I’m warning you… I may accidentally SPOIL parts of the film for those who haven’t seen it yet.)

Andy is all grown up and off to college. And might I add he’s looking pretty adorable. There were a lot of new characters. My favorite being, none other than Ken: The Boy Barbie. Woody stole my heart again though. He’s been my all time fave since the first movie. He’s just so sweet and cares so much about Andy. All he wants is to be there for him and make him happy.

The last 20-30 minutes are pure brilliance. I was crying into my 3D glasses non-stop. OH and by the way, I usually don’t like things in 3D. I find it distracting and I get dizzy, but it was a nice touch to the film and gave it depth. Anyways, I was tearing up by the last 30 minutes. It was so sad to see Andy give the toys away, but I’m glad they were given to Bonnie. I’m just crossing my fingers they’ll make a Toy Story 4 showing Bonnie’s adventures with Woody and The Gang.

Watching Toy Story 3, really made me miss my childhood. I remember the days where I would bring Baby Jelly everywhere. Baby Jelly, was my favorite baby doll growing up. But then there was Benji. He was a doll, too. He could fit into size 3-6 month clothes, so my mom and I would go shopping for him. I brought him everywhere. I just found Baby Jelly and Benji the other day while cleaning my room and it put the biggest smile on my face. Even though we’ve gotta grow up, the memories never do.

The movie made me laugh, cry, and I even got creeped out by that baby doll with one eye. It was absolutely perfect. It was the best Animated film of all time in my eyes. It surpassed my expectations. Took them to “Infinity and Beyond!” Pixar, you have done it again. Even though I had to wait 11 years for it, it was worth it J

xoxo Savannah

Do you ever just want to stay in your jammies, listen to music and do absolutely nothing? Well tonight is just one of those nights.

I woke up this morning with a cough and runny nose. Hopefully it’s just a day thing and I’ll be 100% by tomorrow. I hate being sick. Who doesn’t? My head also hurts. I was opening the door to my Dad’s car last night and accidentally hit my head. Now, there’s a lump and it hurts to chew. I’m just a wreck.

OH! And I’m sun burnt on my nose. Just my nose. This weekend it was actually sunny in Portland Oregon! So my friends and I went swimming. I forgot to put sun screen on though…. Soooo folks, I advise you to wear sun screen or else your going to look like Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

As I’m blogging, I’m listening to “Fresh Pair of Eyes” by Brooke Waggoner. I just bought it on iTunes a couple minutes ago. It’s amazing. This type of music is my fave. Some people call it lullaby music but I call it “awesome-sauce”. I actually heard the song on Pretty Little Liars. Speaking of PLL… That show ROCKS. I watched it last night for the first time. I’ve never witnessed so much drama in my life. This will definitely be my new obsession.

Who’s excited for Toy Story 3? I know I am! I’m seeing it at midnight tomorrow with my best friend Marcus and my mom. I’m totally Team Woody. When I was younger I wished that my toys came alive. Who am I kidding… I still wish that would happen.

I think I’m going to continue doing nothing. Until next time…

xoxo Savannah

PS: My best friend, Marcus just surprised me with a Jamba Juice on my front door since I’m not feeling well. He wrote on the cup, “It has an immunity boost cuz your sick and all”. Now that’s a friend. That just made my night

Yesterday was a very hectic day. So let’s begin with my morning.

I woke up around 8 a.m. Feeling good and awake, I went downstairs to eat my traditional breakfast, Wheaties. Once I got ready I headed to Platinum Salon off of TV Hwy (gotta plug em’). Ashlea & Cindi G did my hair and makeup for the busy day ahead. Gosh I love them. Cindi made my hair all big and volume-ized… Is that a word? I don’t think it is but we can put that one in the “SAVI VOCABULARY” book. I’m sure there will be a lot of those in my collection of Diary entries. Anywhoooo.. Cindi did a wonderful job with my hair, and Ashlea did my makeup.

After that, I went downtown to be the Grand Marshal in the Junior Parade. I was so honored to have been asked to be a part of it. I got to ride on the hood of a Red Convertible. Jim, the driver was excellent and super sweet. Hi Jim, if your reading this J But let me tell you. I was super tired once the parade was over. My face hurt from smiling. But, it was great to see all the cute little kids waving. My favorite part was when a lady nodded her head and advised me to wave a different way. From then on, I was terrified that I had been waving some ridiculous way. Thank goodness I saw her at the beginning of the parade. I took her advice from that point on. There were SO many people there. I’ve lived in Portland my whole life and I’ve never realized how big of a deal this parade is. Parents take their kids out of school so they can experience it. I had a good time.

Koin 6 was the next destination. As I’m waiting to appear on the show, this lady starts getting acupunctured. I felt like I was going to throw up. I hate needles, but I hate seeing needles in action. So I’m glad I got to witness that right before I went on. (Sarcasm. Note: I’m very, very, very, sarcastic…. J) They finally called my name and I had a quick chat with three great gals. They even pronounced my last name right! Heads up it’s…Ooooo-tin. But they did say I was 15.. Which I’m not. I’m 17 & a half.

The last thing on the list: Concert. After switching from 2 parking garages, we managed to find the right one. I performed at the Rose Festival. It was an experience. The sound may have not worked, “If You Only Knew” may have stopped half way through, and it might have rained…. BUT it was still fun. And that’s all that matters. The fans that showed up are amazing. And if you’re reading this, you know who you are. I adore you all and I’m so excited that you’re on this journey with me. So excited to see what happens in the next couple of years. And I’ll always remember you people who came to the little shows

When the show was over, I went out to dinner with my friends and family. Kenzie and Mama Kelly, Marcus, Kendra and my parents went to a restaurant called “Rock Bottom”. We had to walk about 2 miles in the pouring rain but at that point, none of us cared. Once we sat down, we ordered our food and had a tasty meal. Then we walked 10 blocks to Voo Doo Doughnuts. This place is INSANE. I love it. I don’t go that often but when I do, it’s a nice treat. Voo Doo is the best doughnut shop in the world. I’m not even kidding. After we ate our treats, we walked all the way back to the parking garage. We walked our doughnuts off for sure. We finally made it back to our cars and I ended the night with Marcus and Kendra, jammin’ to Kid Cudi.

Final Destination: HOME! Yesterday was crazy. I had a good nights sleep for sure.

&& That was my night. Rain or Shine, everything worked out. I sure do love my family, friends & fans.

Xoxo Savannah