Brighter Days

~A look back, according to Mandy~

I gotta say, being a part of the Fiesta Movement has been one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. I've met hundreds of talented, creative people, and just meeting these folks has fueled my own creativity in a way I never imagined.

At the end of April, we have to give our Fiesta back to Ford, and I'm trying to come to terms with our impending loss. I started compiling all the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experiences I've had in the past year for a "good-bye" post, and while reminiscing, I realized something lovely.

I live a pretty amazing life.

I also realized I have to remember that and reflect on it more often. I'm too apt to focus on bummer days instead of brighter days. Today, I'm focusing on brighter days.

Here are just a few of the awesome things I got to do these last 12 months (links to videos are in blue):


~ Searched for (and found) the largest waterfall in MI, and survived in the wilderness for 3 days, Survivorman style.




~ Did a short documentary/music video on setting my Honda Element free into the wild. (I had to. It was time to nudge 'er outta the nest. Let 'er stretch 'er wings.) This one'll make you laugh, make you cry... It's Waiting for Guffman set to the tunes of Hootie and the Blowfish. What's not to love? (Plus I pull out my Missouri accent, just for y'all.)


~ Turned recycling some old computer monitors into a rip-roaring adventure while giving a nod to my old school love of Tetris. And there were French fries.


~ Went to see Star Wars at an old drive-in. Realized my deep-rooted *love* of drive-ins.




~ Found out messing with the Fiesta's British accent voice control is hilarity at its best.


~ Hacked some Ikea parts to make a custom desk. This video got featured on Ikea Hacker and other custom design blogs, which was just awesome. Plus, 5-stars for doing the video MST3K style!




~ Got to invade Ford's safety labs, see two full-scale crash tests, and attempt to recreate a crash test of our own.




~ Got VIP access to a NASCAR race, interviewed most of the Ford Racing drivers, actually sat on top of the UPS Racing pit box, stood with Carl Edwards and his team on Pit Road during the National Anthem, got to sit in on the Driver's Meeting (Kid Rock was there!), and even showed up on ESPN and TNT. Got a ton of great footage and compiled a music video.




~ Helped our local library out for a day. Have you ever gone behind the library counter???


~ Searched for buried treasure on Beaver Island and did the video "History Detectives" style. Mormons, legends, buried treasure, murder, mystery, mayhem!


~ With so much free gas, I took a trip back home, revisited my high school with old pals, and went to my home town county fair. Then I made the day's footage into a kick-butt music video. Katy Perry and Wilco tunes both star in this action-packed thrill ride!




~ While home, I made another music video, starring one of the cutest babes around! A 1YO babe, that is. Watch as Ele trades in her plastic toy car for a *real* party vehicle.


~ And yet another home adventure: We brought the Fiesta to the local Farmer's Market where my Pa sells organic veg and his secret recipe BBQ!


~ Took the Fiesta auto crossing and made a music video with the hit band Parachute! Here's Will, Johnny, and Alex after the race. All smiles!




~ Were extras in a Food Network shoot for the show "Chefs vs. City." In the Chicago episode, you can actually catch a millisecond glimpse of us in the Fiesta! (Which we think is totally rad.)





~ Got an all expenses paid trip to L.A. for the auto show last December, and helped reveal the new US Fiestas to the world. Attended the Fiesta Celebration party at the Palladium, where the hubs and I got to get up on stage and introduce the band Parachute to the crowd. First time using a teleprompter. While there, we helped set the world record for the World's Largest Tweet-up!






~ And finally, last week, we got to star in a Fiesta webisode. It was a blast. Can't fill you in on any details yet, but I'll make sure to post a link to the webisode once it goes live.

I can say I have a huge respect for film crews and what they do behind the scenes to make what's on the screen look so effortless. These folks work hard. 12 hours in pouring rain and they never slowed down for a second.

I can also say I am soooo proud of my dog, Browdy. I used to train service dogs professionally and at one point, I planned on moving to L.A. to become an animal trainer for TV/films. My life has obviously taken a different route, but I had forgotten the thrill of putting a trained animal to the test. It was so amazing to direct Browdy for the video. He sat for almost an hour in the pouring rain, soaked and cold, while I stood 20 feet away telling him to "stay."

And the dog stayed! Even with another actor calling to him, patting her lap, offering treats -- the dog stayed right where I put him. A jogger ran past. A guy walking his dog went by. Production assistants came running up to make adjustments. Cameramen shifted and scuffed their feet behind him.

And Browdy stayed.

The crew said I was amazing. That I played Jedi mind tricks. And yes, I trained him well. The dog knows how to count for goodness sake.

But, dude. Browdy was the amazing one. Even the best service dogs I trained in the past would have had trouble staying for that long, especially soaked to the bone and shivering. I have tried getting Browdy to mind me on camera many times before, and he always, ALWAYS, gets bored and distracted. Not this time. He must have sensed how important it was to me. And that just blows my mind and makes me so proud to be his owner.

I wish with all my might I could communicate to him just how proud I am of him. Because of him, I got to experience one of my dream jobs, if only for a few hours.

And that, my friends, was one of the brightest of brighter days.

Wanna See Something Sexy?

Then check out our Fiesta Night Display photos:

Click here to view the entire set!

Ikea Mission Featured on Ikea Hacker!

Our July Mission is featured this week on ikeahacker.blogspot.com, the foremost collection of ikea hacks on the web! Thanks to Jules for posting it.

We forgot to post our third Ikea Hack blog which outlines why our desk is ergonomic, so we apologize. It's hard to focus on the blog when you're having way too much taking the Fiesta for a spin.



To make any desk ergonomic, the monitor must be at eye level or slightly below. It must also be 18-22 inches from the eyes. With our design, we can pull the monitor closer depending on the person, and push it back if we need to use the desk surface.



Your back must make full contact with the backrest, and you must sit all the way back in your chair. Your lower back must fit into the curved lumbar support. Tilting back is permitted, as it is better for your back to be fully rested on the back of the chair rather than hunched forward.



Thighs should be parallel to the floor and feet should be flat. My thighs could be a bit more parallel, so I could slip a footrest under to bring my knees up an inch or two. This desk and chair combo is customizable for Joel as well, and he's 6' 3".



When typing, forearms must be parallel to the floor. Keyboard must be at elbow height. Elbows and forearms rest comfortably on the arms of the chair.


And that's about it! You can get even more technical if you want, but these are the specs given to me by my physical therapist. Once I started using this desk, I have not had any back problems. That's worth all the extra effort!

Beaver Island Adventure Part #2

More Beaver Island photos to check out: Beaver Island Adventure Pt. 2

Check out the Mormon Print House where America's only king published his newspaper:



Beaver Island's old jail cells:



...and the home of Protar, the local legend and saint:

Beaver Island Adventure Part #1

Check out the first set of our Beaver Island photos! It is gorgeous there.

The Ford Fiesta is NOT a Festiva!

When we tell everyone about the new Ford Fiesta, they think we're talking about the Festiva. We don't want you to make the same mistake.

On the left you will find the stunning Ford Fiesta -- on the right is a ratty old Festiva. (Hood scoop gives it a few points.) No comparison!



Just wanted to make that clear.

We're Back!

Wow, sorry we've been gone for a while. Vacation was great, thanks for asking!

We've got a few new videos up our sleeves, but won't be able to get them up until next week. In the meantime, enjoy a few photos from our jaunt to good ol' Missouri. (Just click the photo below)

Behind The Scenes

Here are a few photos from behind the scenes at the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at MIS last weekend. To view all the photos, check out our Behind The Scenes at MIS Flickr album.

We got to sit in on the driver/crew chief meeting. Very few people get to do this. Here you can see David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Jack Roush, and Carl Edwards.


Kid Rock was the Grand Marshal.


We even got to sit on top of the UPS Racing pit box.

NASCAR Photos

Our weekend at the Michigan International Speedway with Ford Racing was amazing. We got to meet all the Roush-Fenway drivers and interview them about the Ford Fiesta, hang out in the garage and pit areas, sit on top of the UPS Racing pit box, and even sit in on the driver/crew chief meeting--things that most lifetime fans will never get the chance to do.

Ford had a win on Saturday with Colin Braun in the NASCAR Truck Series, and had two drivers place in the top 5 during the Sprint Cup race on Sunday.

Currently, our computer is filled with great footage and photographs. We hope to get quite a few videos out of the content and post them within a week or so. We have to work on our Mission #2 video first, but rest assured, you'll get a front row seat to our NASCAR experience.

For photos of all the drivers, check out our Flickr photostream.

With Tim D. from Ford Racing who made it all possible:


Mandy and her mom at the Ford Racing trailer:

The U.P. in Pictures

While we frantically edit our first mission video, preparing it for Mission Control approval, click through some of our photos from the Upper Peninsula. Pepper looked great up there amidst sand, birch, and hemlock. See for yourself:





We also saw some truly majestic waterfalls:





And some gorgeous Lake Superior landscapes:





Check out all 76 photos here: Fiesta Mission #1

Night At The Drive-In

Joel and I met up with @BrooklynHilary, @seanGT95, and @KitKatBar2008 for a Fiesta tweetup at the Ford-Wyoming Drive-In in Dearborn, MI. The place is a relic, but I often feel at home in places like this. There's something beautiful and poetic about how time ages man-made things...

We had some laughs, shot some photos, took the Fiesta for a spin, and saw Star Trek on the mega screen. A fun night, but we kind of regret staying out so late before starting our mission bright and early the following day.

Click on the photo below to see all the photos from the drive-in: