Letting Sh!t Go

We get emotionally attached to things. Even when these things are no longer of use to us, do not fit like they used to, or are just taking up space. So why hold on to the cluttered life we are so used to? Sometimes a fresh start is more like a simpler start. The best place to begin this is in your own living space. This task can be time consuming and requires you to be mentally strong as you may need to ask yourself if something is worth keeping or not. I hope this first blog post of the year encourages and motivates anyone who is ready to start the year off fresh and free of unnecessary things.

I’m going to work backwards and just show you all just how much I decided to part ways with. I got two full trash bags and 3 large shopping bags consisting of things ranging from clothes, shoes, purses, accessories and decor.

 

The more I cleaned my closet out, the more I realized I had gotten into better shape and that my style changed pretty drastically. When I realized how much I was tossing, I had so many empty hangers to place in the laundry room and more space in my closet to use for items that took up the corners of my room like my yoga mat, an extra comforter I decided to keep, and my tripod. Corners are now cleared in my room with the exception of the corner my bed takes up of course.

The closet alone was not the only place that had a bunch of unnecessary items. My desk was so cluttered, I couldn’t see the top of it. Oh, and those drawers were so unkempt that I would always have a hard time opening them and an even harder time looking for a pair of socks. I turned my attention to my drawers while listening to an audio book. The entire audio for the book is almost 8 hours and with the way those drawers were, I was already on ch. 9 out of 13, more than 4 hours of cleaning 4 drawers and the top of my desk. Not only did I toss many things, I even folded and organized each drawer using the KonMari Method which takes some getting used to if you’re used to not folding your laundry that much. Yes, I am lazy when it comes to folding clothes. Take a look at my drawers now:

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Rearranging my bed and chair and also adding a new air freshener was the last bit I needed to do to make my space look and feel more open and fresh. Glade’s Blue Odyssey is my new favorite air freshener scent. Look at me, a millennial talking about their favorite air freshener scent. Ha!

So what am I going to do with all those clothes in those bags? I either donate them to Goodwill or any thrift shop or I just find a donation station to drop off items there. I also list some gently used fashion on Poshmark, but if your goal is to remove these items out of your living space, then stick to donating them the next day instead. I am sad to part ways with a lot of my stuff, but at the same time, it warms my heart to know that there will be a shopper who will encounter these things and it will bring them joy the same way it did to me when I first received them. The bottom line is, if you’re not going to use it, don’t allow it to waste away in your closet when someone out there can put it to use.

I feel relieved now that this is all out of my living space. I feel accomplished and I even slept better the past few nights because my space just feels so much better. I encourage anyone who wants to start making changes this year to start by making changes within your own living space. Declutter, declutter, declutter! You’ll be so glad you did and you can enjoy a nice bath and drink right afterwards.

I hope you all love the way 2019 has been treating you and I will talk to you all again soon! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Love, Sara

 

 

Holiday Gift Review: Lifestyle & Beauty

Okay, it’s good to be back.

The last month of the year is always a hectic one for me (and I’m sure all of you too), but now that Christmas is behind us I can sit down and type up some reviews I have for the gifts my wonderful family has given me this year. Some of these gifts are beauty related, some are fashion related, and some are fit for my lifestyle and maybe even yours! I’m just going to get this show on the road now.

1. Laptop Bag – I just graduated from my university and my parents wanted to gift me something I can use in my professional life, so they gifted me a laptop bag. It was the biggest gift with my name on it under the tree and at first I thought maybe it was a giant pillow or something, but I am so much more happy with this bag. The specific one I was given was the Bridgitte Laptop Bag from Fossil. This bag also comes in two other colors which is a dark chocolate brown and black. It is more on the pricey side, but I know it’s something I can use throughout my entire career. I was gifted the light brown shade and I am keeping the straps wrapped until the day I officially use this!
2. Gray Duster – There was a gift I got from my mom that I was able to use right away which was this beautiful gray duster from Old Navy. Every woman needs one of these in her fall/winter wardrobe! This one is super soft and the material is thick enough to actually keep you warm on chilly days and IT HAS POCKETS!! Women appreciate pockets SO much since a lot of our clothing has tiny pockets or fake, sewn in pockets. I actually wore this all day today.

3. Colour Pop’s Rendezvous Eye Shadow Palette – Another gift from my mom because mom’s know what’s up and what you really want and need. Since Christmas, I’ve been wearing shades from this palette every. single. day. All the shades are very pigmented and will grab anyone’s attention. I don’t have anything bad to say about this palette because the shades show up great, they last all day, and they’re easy to remove at the end of the day. To shop this palette, click here. I swatched shades “Catch” (top) and “Textual” (bottom) so you all can see a shimmery shade and matted shade.

4. A Customized Polar Camel Cup – Personalized gifts are pretty special. I got this 20 oz. cup from one of my aunts and it served as both a graduation and Christmas gift. This cup serves the purpose of keeping cool beverages cold, and warm beverages hot for a significant amount of time. Everyone knows my favorite color is red, so my aunt customized this cup to my favorite color and also had my name engraved on it. My brother who also graduated from college received the same gift from my aunt and we both found a Starbucks gift card inside our cups. Thank you to my aunt! If you love the way this looks, click here to see how you can customize your own!

5. iRobot Roomba – The most pricey item on this list and a gift my dad gave my mom. I know this blog was intended for my gifts only, but I am honestly going to be using this Roomba a lot myself! I absolutely loathe sweeping and vacuuming. I hate dust. I find doing any chore that involves dust super annoying! My mom has been wanting one of these for a while and my dad got a good deal on one of these during Black Friday. We had to set it up using the app and you also get to name it! Ours is named Rocky. If you have stairs, it will not fall off it because it is able to sense when one part of the floor ends. If you have indoor pets, please keep an eye on them the first few times you have Roomba roaming around so you can see if this is something both you and your pets can live with without any issues or worries. The Roomba is not too noisy, but there is a hum sound to it. It will also take a while before it familiarizes itself with the layout of your home so keep that in mind as well. It really works wonders for vacuuming under your bed and drawers.  Click here to shop iRobot Roomba.

So there ya have it. These gifts all had such positive impact to me this year and I loved that they were all diverse and will be used pretty often! I am happy to be able to blog for you all again. I will be back Monday to start up those music themed blogs again!

Thank you so much for reading and stay stylish!

 

Working With Professional Photographers: Brian Blackwell

With only a week and a half left of 2018, I thought I would reflect a little on how it was working with a professional photographer this year. I have been blogging since 2017 and throughout that entire time my photos were taken by my biggest supporters. Yup, I’m talking about you Andrew, Mario, mom and dad, and some of you wonderful blogger babes I met this year!

Once upon a time, I was extremely camera shy. My first photo shoot as a fashion blogger was the most awkward and uncomfortable I had ever been because I couldn’t run away from the camera like I was so used to doing. I grew comfortable doing photo shoots around the closest people in my life who I trusted. With that said, I was very surprised to find myself agreeing so quickly to work with photographer, Brian Blackwell, from San Marcos, TX.

I follow a former Silverstar dancer for my hometown basketball team, the Spurs, named Desiree Hernandez. I loved how happy she looked all the time and her red hair. When not in her dance uniform, I noticed she modeled in her day-to-day clothes and I loved the way her photos came out. I started being a weirdo and going through all her photos and liking away. Little to my knowledge, Brian had taken these photos and noticed that it grabbed my attention. From there he looked at my page and thought I had cool style so he reached out to me. We scheduled our first shoot back in October of this year.

A lot of bloggers are intimidated to meet a photographer for the first time since we are always unsure who is legit and who isn’t. If you’re scheduled to meet with a photographer, look at the models they have worked with and if they are tagged, reach out to them and simply ask about what it was like working with the photographer you’re thinking of meeting up with. Another thing you can do is bring someone you trust with you to the photo shoot as long as it is acceptable to your photographer. Most photographers are okay with company as long as they are respectful and are not a distraction to either you or them.

On my photo shoots with Brian, I usually pack 3 different outfits and what has helped make my photos a success is to pay attention to what Brian tells me to do. Whenever I would pose in front of friends and family, I honestly did whatever felt right to me at that moment, but when working with a professional photographer, expect them to ask and advise you to do certain poses or facial expressions. Brian was very clear on what he needed from me, but at the same time, he would take the time to ask me about my day. I bring that up because talking about something outside of business helps build comfort between people.

Prior to Brian, I only took my photos around people I knew, but one of the things I really appreciated with Brian is that he is never late to a session. I arrived right on time for our first shoot and all I had to do was send him a message that I was there and next thing I knew, he was walking toward the spot we agreed to meet at. With that said, photographers appreciate when you’re on time too! Always be sure to have that respect for not just your time, but theirs too. Photographers like Brian travel out of their city to meet with people so remember to not ever do anything that would communicate that you are unappreciative towards their effort to meet up with you. Take responsibility and build trust.

Build confidence in between shoots and spark conversation. Your photographer is human too, ask them about their day! Ask them about how they got into photography in the first place and compliment them on some of their previous work. Don’t just think about yourself. As bloggers we talk about our own personal preferences a lot, but it’s also nice to show interest in the work others put out there as well. Brian caught my attention when he photographed Desiree a lot. He told me about her bubbly personality and how fun it is to shoot with her. I loved hearing that because Brian has done an incredible job capturing Desiree’s personality and character.

Based on working with Brian, here is my advice for how to prepare for a shoot:

1. Pack 3-4 outfits (or whatever your photographer recommends)
2. Make sure you’re wearing the appropriate undergarments for those outfits
3. Pack a bottle of water to keep hydrated (I need to get better at this)
4. Pack deodorant, makeup to touch up your current look, and makeup wipes to help change your look if needed.
5. Pack hair ties and bobby pins to also change up your look between outfits
6. Be in a good mood! No one wants to work with someone grumpy.
7. Make sure you’re well rested. No one want to work with someone tired.
8. Bring comfortable shoes if needed like a pair of flats.
9. BE ON TIME
10. Say thank you at the end of the shoot. They are doing you a HUGE favor.

Brian Blackwell is a photographer who will confirm days and times for a photo shoot with you. He is on top of scheduling and appointments so return the favor and keep up with it too. Brian also a professional who likes to make the most use out of his time. Don’t you hate when you feel like you wasted your time? So do photographers. Really try to avoid last minute cancellations especially if your photographer isn’t from the same city as you!

Working with Brian has given my page more attention so I always tag him in my posts so that the favor is returned. He has not constructed one yet (currently working on one!) but if your photographer has a contract, please take the time to read the fine print before you truly decide to work with them. Having your photos taken by a photographer is essentially a business relationship. Do not get yourself in a situation where you will look bad. Your image is everything. Pun totally intended hehehe.

Not just anyone can pick up a camera and make your shots look as great as a professional. Find a photographer you really like or a photographer others recommend and reach out. You’ll be so happy you did because it really does make a difference on your page, your confidence and your overall performance as a model.

If you want a photographer who is one time and helps you make your poses and facial expressions look better and you are in the San Marcos, San Antonio or Austin, TX, area, consider Brian Blackwell to be a photographer for you. I would recommend other photographers too, but Brian is the first and only one I’ve worked with so far. First impressions are everything and I was impressed with Brian. You can check out Brian’s website and Instagram page linked below:

See Brian’s website

See Brian’s Instagram Page

That’s all I have for you all today! I am so happy to be back to blogging. Have a great weekend and I will talk to you all later!

-Love Sara

Pants Every Woman Needs To Try

One of the reasons I love being a woman is that we have a lot of options when it comes to clothes. Have you ever noticed the difference in size between the women’s and men’s section at a store? The woman’s section takes up way more space. We have so many options when it comes to shoes, clothing, jewelry and intimates compared to men. Despite our never-ending options, we still find a way to get bored with our wardrobe.

I love my skirts and dresses, but lately I’ve been bored with them! This past weekend I met up with some of my peers for drinks and I walked out the door in pants. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t wearing a dress or skirt. Here are the top 5 Dress pants every woman needs! C’mon ladies, let’s not believe that the only way to look dressed up is with a skirt!

A Classic Black Dress Pant – Black is a color of comfort. It’s flawless because it can pair with anything. Don’t make life harder by refusing to buy a dressy black pant. It can be any type of pant you want. It can be slacks, trousers or skinny jeans as long as it feels and looks good! I got these black trousers from Dillards some time ago. The brand is Chelsea and Violet, but you can find black trousers just about anywhere.

A Pop of Color – You already know my favorite color is red. I saw these and fell in love with them for the color and also because they can easily be worn straight from work and to a night out. I also love that these pants come in more subtle and neutral colors if the red is too poppy. You can shop them here

A Funky Print – We’re used to seeing others wear solid pants with printed tops, so why not literally switch it up? I love the flare and florals these pair of pants have because it’s just as feminine as a maxi skirt. Because of the neutral colors, I think I would even wear this to work! Would you? Tell me why or why not in the comments! Shop these pants here

A Dressy Jogger – If you live in your sweats, you’ll face no problem going out somewhere nice in them too. I didn’t think I would like the idea of making joggers look dressed up, but lately I’ve been seeing some fancy looking joggers I wouldn’t mind wearing. I found a lot of these pants at Fashion Nova. These sequined ones caught my eye because I’ve never seen joggers look so fancy. If you like these, you can shop them here. Or, if you like the idea of dressy joggers, but want something more subtle, these might interest you instead.

 

70’s Flare – I am noticing a 70’s vibe in every other store that I have walked into. One of the statement fashion pieces of this time was the high waisted bell bottom pants and I really like the way they look when paired with a blouse and dress shoes. I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you all about a local store that sells a beautiful pair of these pants called The Southern Bunny. I think that they have some really nice clothing and I am really loving their Everywhere, That Is. pants. To shop these pants, click here

I hope these pant styles will help inspire you all to give pants a try the next time you are going out. I think a woman in dress pants is pretty badass and I know there’s a pair of dress pants waiting for every single woman out there. Never be afraid to try something new! It just may be your new thing!

 

Thank you for reading and stay stylish!

Memorable Quotes From Scott Weiland’s, Not Dead & Not For Sale

Music blogs do not necessarily need to be centered around the music we listen to, but rather those who created it.

I love reading autobiographies of musicians because they have the most crazy and interesting lives. While sharing details about the exclusive behind-the-scenes stuff, their stories also remind fans that the fearless idols they see on stage also have to juggle every day life like we do. Scott Weiland was the frontman of the bands Stone Temple Pilots and  Velvet Revolver, and had his own solo project, Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts. He passed away inside of his tour bus when touring with the Wildabouts back on December 3, 2015. Weiland’s death was caused by drug overdose and his autobiography, Not Dead and Not For Sale, talks a lot about his battle with drug addiction. For the most part, his book tells us that he has had more than his fair share of twist and turns during his life time, but there are some memorable quotes inside this book that really stood out to me and I wanted to share that with you all today!

If you have not read this book and do not want spoilers, I want to make it clear that I am just going to be talking about why certain things said in this book stood out to me. I will not be talking about what happened in the book that made him say the quotes below. You will be fine if you read this blog post.

Quote 1: “Every time I try to catch up to my life, something stops me.”

Just when life calms down a little bit, a new thing to be thinking or worrying about arises. You do not have to be a famous person to understand the feeling. If you’re a student, you know the feeling. If you’re a parent, you know the feeling. If you’re an employee, you know the feeling. Even if you don’t fit any of the above, life will find a way to grab your wrist and slap you in the face as it says, “stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself!”

No matter where or who you are, you can always expect life to pile a lot of things on your plate.

Quote 2: “We do what we do and are responsible for our own actions.”

Pointing fingers at one another is never fun and the blame game is the worst game ever! Taking responsibility is also very hard to do. It takes a strong person to admit when they are wrong, because nobody enjoys being wrong. Another thing that takes a strong person to do? A P O L O G I Z E.

“I’m sorry.”

None of this “sorry, not sorry,” fake apologies. An apology that really says how you feel and admits what you’ve done. Nobody loves doing this either, but you’re strong if you do.

Quote 3: “Why not think big? Why not live in hope rather than fear?”

Alrighty, I think everyone needs to hear someone else say these words to them. Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a rut and need someone to help us out and give us that essential push to continue moving forward. I think it’s true that the only time we should look back is to see how far we’ve come. As much as I dread talking about my experiences, I do it to not only share a little bit of who I am with others, but to also show myself that I have conquered things I didn’t think I could. There are things that cannot be changed, but we can at least change our attitudes about the situation. A new perspective is a new hope.

Quote 4: “Creatively, we all continue to inspire one another and my hope is that we all grow old together…”

We meet people for a reason, but we remember them for an even greater reason. There’s gotta be someone who inspires you. Yes, you! There’s gotta be someone who you’ve met that has said or done something that has always stayed with you. Also, isn’t it true that we all want the people we love to stick around for as long as they can? It’s a pretty picture to paint even if we know the world has a different clock for everyone.

 Quote 5: “I embrace the day-at-a-time mind-set. For me, there’s no other way to live. I’ve got to stay present. I am optimistic.”

I used to try and plan out everything. I used to get disappointed when things didn’t turn out the way I had planned them. I suffer from the feeling of always wanting to be in control. When things are out of my control, I tend to lose my mind and fall apart. I can’t help it. I read this and tried living the way Weiland did. Staying present. I do this now, and when it comes to certain things, I often just tell myself, “if it’s meant to be, it’ll be.” Although graduation is near, I still don’t really know what my true purpose is, but do we ever? Can we have multiple purposes? Can we grow completely different a year from now and not feel like we’ve let others down? These are the questions that stir in my head pretty often. I’m still young. I have not fully entered the real world. I have yet to fully discover who I truly am. I sure do hope that the unwritten things ahead will land me the life I was always meant to live.

Well that got personal.

I think it’s time to wrap this up like a burrito and thank everyone who takes time out of their day to read my blog posts. Thank you guys for telling me you enjoy what I post on here one way or another. Any time I am inspired to write, I do it. Also, new blog post on something fashion/beauty related will be up soon!

Thanks for reading and stay stylish!

 

 

Listening Then & Now: Silverchair

Different day, same jam.

That’s what it’s like when you’re going through a phase of listening non-stop to a particular band, song or album am I right? I have been in a hard core, infinite, phase for the rock band, Silverchair, for most of 2018. This blog is going to be about how I got into this band and what it’s like coming back several years later to listen to them again.

When Frogstomp hit stores back in 1995, I was not even born yet! It was the Australian band’s debut album and their song, “Tomorrow” got a lot of recognition worldwide. At the time, it was the most played song on modern rock radio in the U.S. The band members were 15 years old during the recording and release date of the album and were soon touring and talking to the press as their fame escalated. Two years later, the band released their sophomore album, Freakshow. By that time, I had just turned one. Their next album, Neon Ballroom, started the band’s new musical direction and by the time Diorama was released, it was hard to believe the band performing, “Across The Night” was the same band that performed “Tomorrow” seven years ago.

I was around 5 or 6 years old when I started to sort through my dad’s CD’s. I found Frogstomp and Neon Ballroom and pressed play. I knew every song from those two albums after obsessively listening to them for about a week. No, it’s never any parent’s dream to hear their kids singing about hate, suicide or depression instead of Disney, but Silverchair rarely had an uplifting and positive tune. Even as a child, I wanted to listen to real songs about real things. I found those topics with this particular band.

The older I got, the more I gave their other two albums a listen. Life went on.

This little thing called the internet came along and I immediately started watching music videos on YouTube. I was into bands like Green Day and My Chemical Romance (guilty of the emo phase) but I decided to visit memory lane. When Silverchair crossed my mind, I didn’t type in a particular song. Instead, I just typed the band’s name and waited to see the search results. I clicked on the most recent music video, “Straight Lines” from an album I hadn’t heard of called, Young Modern that apparently came out earlier that same year in 2007.

I listened in disbelief. Who were these guys and what did they do with Silverchair?

I have to admit I felt disappointed. Their music was unrecognizable and so were they!

The band went on a hiatus after the release of that album and we never heard from the band again. They announced that they were done and just like before, life went on.

Silverchair Left to Right: Ben Gillies, Daniel Johns and Chris Joannou

A decade later, On May 18, 2017, we lost one of the greatest presences in rock history…Chris Cornell. When that news hit, hearts sank like ships and eyes nearly popped out of their sockets around the world. A year after Cornell’s death, my dad and I were talking about grunge music and how much we felt that grunge truly died when Cornell left the world. Anytime my dad would talk about the era of Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains, it would make me feel like I was there too. Our conversation led to bands we felt were underrated.

My dad thought for a second and said that even though some of their songs made it on the radio, he always felt that they did not receive much of the spotlight. That band was Silverchair. He began telling me about their album, Frogstomp, and my face lit up. How could I forget about them!?

I grabbed the same two albums my dad owned and stared at their dusty covers for a while in my car. I played their debut album first and smiled my way to university across town. I soon found myself on Amazon and bought Freakshow just so I can roll into the university parking lot blasting “Freak” and help wake up some sleepy head college students.

As of last night, I bought a signed copy of Diorama that I found on eBay. My collection will soon be completed, but then I remembered Young Modern. It had been 11 years. I was an adult now. I had different taste. Maybe I could learn to appreciate that song I had heard off the album now that I had a more open mind. I re-watched and re-listened to everything. I gained a new respect for the band and understand even better now, that no band ever wants to make the same album twice.

They all always seem to come out with a bang. Their sophomore albums are usually similar, but then after that, bands gain a new creative leap that they take a chance on. Some current fans may or may not like it, but there will always be new fans that dig the new sound.

For those wondering, yes. Yes, I have given Daniel Johns’ solo stuff a listen and I have given his new band, Dreams a listen too. I’m not crazy about it, but I’m not going to get upset and storm off like I did when I was a bratty teenager. I can respect Johns and his decision to not rekindle the fire that was known as Silverchair. I can look at musicians and see other regular human beings now instead of out-of-this-world super humans.

I can accept the fact that I’ll never go to a Silverchair concert and that it’s the most precious gift when I meet that one other millennial who can understand how much we’ve missed out on so many shows and possibilities of great music way before this Ariana Grande shit.

Yeah, I said it. 

If you ever revisit an artist you were once obsessed with, remember to listen with an open mind now that time has passed and many things have changed. Remember that music is intended to bring like-minded people together and although it may not be your cup of tea, there is truly no right or wrong when it comes to music. Either you like it or ya don’t. I may be stuck with in the era of music I cannot stand, but I’ve met like-minded people who simply get me and understand the struggle. I can go to concerts and forget about everything that’s happening in this world and feel right at home with new friends as we listen to music that resonates with us.

Most importantly, I have the freedom to turn that junk the radio plays off, and turn my own personal playlist on!

Thank you for reading and stay stylish!

 

 

 

R O C K F E S T

R O C K  F E S T

A rock festival that takes place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX and has 3 different stages with different bands playing all day long. That sums it up in a sentence. I went to the River City Rock Fest this year and saw bands like Drowning Pool, Chevelle, Joan Jett & The Black Hearts, Stone Temple Pilots and NINE INCH NAILS!

Today’s music blog is going to talk all about that day and my time there.

I got my tickets earlier in the year and anxiously waited a few M O N T H S for the day I could be seeing multiple bands back-to-back-to-back. I had been to other concerts, but never Rock Fest. It was a big deal for me for a number of reasons, but most of all, I really just wanted a chance to see Nine Inch Nails. If you’re someone who listens to a lot of older bands, you jump on the opportunity to see them whenever they are in your hometown or near you because you just never know if they’ll ever tour again. Nine Inch Nails formed back in the late 80’s and they brought industrial rock/metal to the world with their song, “Head Like A Hole” from their debut album, Pretty Hate Machine. Yes, I have that album in my CD collection! In fact, I pretty much have all their albums.

Drowning Pool was the first band we saw around 3 p.m. They are best known for their song, “Bodies” released back in 2001. They play it all the time on local radio stations because it’s one of those songs that you MUST mosh the hell out to when given the opportunity. Drowning Pool played on the Monster Energy stage just like Chevelle, All That Remains, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots. Out of all these bands, I personally don’t listen to All That Remains, but they were pretty good live! I had seen Chevelle another time prior to Rock Fest and it was great to see them again. Out of all the bands that played, I felt that their set flew by really fast.

Their new album (above image), 12 Bloody Spies, will be released globally Oct. 26. If you’ve already seen the track list off the new album, you may recognize a few songs on there like, “The Clincher,” but don’t fret my friends…right next to that title says, “(Version 103)” so let’s not expect to hear the exact same tune from This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In. I wonder what’s next! (Pun totally intended).

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts were playing on the Bud Light stage which is seriously on the opposite side of the AT&T Center. Joan Jett’s birthday happened to be on the day of Rock Fest, so in the middle of their set the crowd sang Happy Birthday to her. She didn’t look too happy since she’s a tough bad ass, but she showed her gratitude by rocking out with her band. Joan Jett changed what it means to be a woman in the rock industry. When her and her band first formed shortly after her career with The Runaways, the band had a hard time landing a record deal since many companies found it offensive for a woman to be leading a band of men. Now we have many bands with a female lead vocalist, but for the rock industry, it all started with Joan Jett not caring what other people thought.

For the very first time, I heard Stone Temple Pilots’ frontman (image below), Jeff Gutt, sing and perform with the band. When I found out that Gutt was also the former frontman of the band, Dry Cell, I immediately recalled one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack to The Queen of the Damned which is “Body Crumbles” and that is when I became more open to STP again.

If you’ve been an STP fan since the very beginning with Scott Weiland, you know that the band has been through a lot. Weiland, the band’s original frontman, was replaced with Linkin Park frontman, Chester Bennington, for a brief amount of time before Jeff Gutt came along. While no one can necessarily “replace” Scott Weiland, it makes me happy to see that STP had a future with Gutt as their frontman. While watching them perform before the headliner, I went through all sorts of emotions because I had lost hope of ever seeing STP after both Weiland and Bennington passed away. There was moments where I forgot that the band wasn’t up there on stage with Weiland because Jeff Gutt recreated that same look and feeling. I understand that Jeff Gutt is his own person, but if I didn’t know any better, I would have really thought I was looking at Scott Weiland twisting and swaying as he held those notes. Since that performance blew me away so much, I am giving the latest album with Gutt a listen.

A full moon with thick fog slowly grazing over it and an eerie silence is exactly how I imagined a Nine Inch Nails concert beginning. When it actually happened, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I could have easily had a heart attack due to how excited I felt seeing this life long vision happening at that moment. Everyone who was at Rock Fest had waited all day to see Nine Inch Nails. Just as I was wondering what song they were going to open with, the crowd went crazy when the pounding noise in the beginning of “Mr. Self Destruct” came out of nowhere.

Trent Reznor runs up on stage as the pounding grew faster. I don’t truly remember much of what happened after that. I must’ve went ballistic. Without any breaks in between, the band went straight onto “Wish” and their light show matched every single beat. They ended with “Head Like A Hole,” the song that gained them fame and recognition forever. It was great to be surrounded by many like-minded people that day. I enjoyed the concert and did not film or take pictures that day. Luckily a beautiful soul on YouTube named Jason Jude 1 filmed Nine Inch Nail’s entire set! View it below.

I get tired of being the only person at a social event who can talk about certain bands and albums, but being there that day made me feel right at home.

The day could have been a whole lot better without the toxic stench of whatever people were smoking. I am not a smoker or much of a drinker either, but I love to be wherever the music is heavy. Overall, I’ll never forget my first time at Rock Fest.

Tell me about your music festival/concert adventures!

What is the best band you’ve seen?

Thanks for reading and stay stylish!

 

 

My 5 Fall Essentials: Beauty & Fashion

FALL IS MY FAVORITE SEASON OF ALL TIME!

I love that the days are still sunny, but with a cool breeze. The world turns into my favorite colors, Halloween and its decor, Thanksgiving and its food, PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING, and today’s blog theme: F A L L  B E A U T Y   &   F A S H I O N

With the cooler breeze, I cannot be wearing the same outfits or keep using the same beauty products that worked for me in the raging hot summer. I no longer need to mattefying my skin, I’m going to have to keep it moisturized. I cannot be wearing shorts and sandals, I’m going to need more coverage. I wanted to blog about the first 5 things I shopped for as I said goodbye to summer and H E L L O to fall!

B O O T S

My shoe of choice. Boots are perfect. I love that they are easy to dress up and down and can be worn year-round. Booties are all the rage right now since we are becoming chillier, but not completely cold. I went ahead and bought these black ones from Fashion Nova and a brown pair from A’gaci. Since it had been raining and flooding in Texas, I made sure these were faux leather instead of suede.

B R O W N  S U G A R   &   O L I V E  O I L

Let me explain…the colder weather makes our skin dry up right? Well because of that, we need to make sure that we are still taking really good care of our skin and who says that needs to be expensive?! Brown sugar and olive oil need to be in the house at all times during the fall AND winter because it is seriously the best homemade exfoliator and moisturizer in one! Just get a small paper plate, mix the sugar and oil together, and apply it to your face, lips, feet, hands, or anywhere on your skin that is taking a beating from that cold air! Not only will this last you a long time, but it is so simple to make and you do not have to worry about any shady ingredients. Seriously, it’s so organic, you can just lick it right off your lips if you’re ever exfoliating them…or not. Maybe it’s just me.

H A T S

Did you know that heat escapes from our heads? Do yourself a favor and invest in a hat of some sort to keep your body temperature warm. I am personally obsessed with beanies so you know I am on the lookout for the cutest ones that hit stores! In high-school I wore my parental advisory or my cupcake beanie almost every day. I still sport both whenever I get a chance, but since I get SO many compliments on my cupcake beanie, I wanted to leave the direct link to purchase one of them here

H A I R  S E R U M

I hate it when I reach to open the door and I get zapped. Like, “H E L L O, I’m not a fly !”

Getting zapped is pretty annoying. It not only hurts, but it shows in our hair like a mad scientist! Even if you have a hat on, as soon as you remove it, your hair is going to show the frizz in all directions. Apply a penny sized drop of hair serum and start applying it from the ends and make your way to your scalp. Make sure most of it is in your strands or else your hair will look greasy if you apply too much on your scalp or bangs.

L E G G I N G S   &   T I G H T S

Add a little something to your skirts and dressed now, and your pants later. I love all the patterns tights have. They help add more interest to a simple skirt or shorts. Add a pair of boots and you’re unstoppable! Grab a pair of leggings so you can use it both now and later. I get cold easily, so I always find myself wearing a pair of tights underneath my jeans in the winter. Legs get cold too!

These are the first 5 things I make sure I have when we start fall. I am so excited for fall this year and I cannot wait for the holidays! What is your favorite thing about fall? Are you doing anything to prepare yourself for the new season? Let me know!

Thank you for reading and stay stylish!

 

 

 

Organizing My CD’s….

Cleaning anything out is going to trigger memories. That’s just a straight-up fact, whether those memories are good, bad, or make you ask yourself what on earth you were thinking when you bought that thing.

About two weeks ago I decided to take a deep breath and deal with the monster hiding under my bed…three big bins of CD’s. Yes, the 90’s and early 2000’s called and want their CD’s back, but I personally love having a tangible album. Now that everything is downloaded, streamed and virtual, we have lost what it’s like to have an album in our hands and look through the booklet of art as we listen to its disc. I just don’t feel that instant gratification by simply buying a song off of iTunes. I feel as though I am missing out on so much more.

My music obsession is something I get from my father. We both love it. He is the real reason why I have all these CD’s in the first place. When iTunes came along, my mom and I began a long journey of burning each of his albums into iTunes, but we ended up losing track of where we had left off real quick. We were going through some renovations in our living room at the time and had to remove the shelves these albums sat on, so we ended up storing the albums in bins and told ourselves we would return to this project as soon as our living room was finished. That day never came.

Ever heard of the saying “out of sight, out of mind” ? That’s exactly what happened when we moved these bins under my bed.

My mom is not very into music. She can listen to the radio, hear a song she absolutely loves, yet not really care about finding out who the artist is. WHAT THE HELL MAN.

While she forgot all about the CD’s, I forgot all about iTunes. I kept the CD’s in my room and started listening to them randomly with my golden CD player. I KNOW THE EARLY 2000’s CALLED AND WANT THEIR CD PLAYER BACK, BUT I LOVE IT OKAY??

I have been on a Silverchair craze this whole month and put their album, “Frogstomp” in my CD player. From there, I dug up the bins from under my bed and got to work. It took me 2 days to organize all the albums. I wanted them alphabetized by artist and album title, but I also wanted the third bin to be dedicated to just the Spanish and Country albums. That was my goal until I realized we had more rock albums than I thought. The third bin is mainly Spanish and country, but some rock albums had to go in there because not everything fit!

I came across some old favorites and wanted to show you guys them.

System Of A Down – Toxicity

I hear from many people that they listened to this album nonstop when it first came out in 2001. Everyone who said this also mentioned that they were in college at the time. Trust me, people who are in college even now, are still listening to this album non-stop.

 

Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

Oh yeah, this is the deluxe edition! I love the art that truly went into this album. It is one of the best masterpieces of 1995. My father bought it at a CD store and it still plays as good as new without any scratches.

My Silverchair craze….I just bought their album “Freakshow” but it is in my car and I am too lazy to get it and photograph it. I am missing their album, “Diorama” and “Young Modern” but one day I’ll have them all. None of their albums sound the same. By the time you hear “Young Modern”, you have the hardest time believing it’s the same angry band you heard when “Frogstomp” came out.

I also attended River City Rockfest this past Saturday, and while Stone Temple Pilots do not have their original frontman (RIP Scott Weiland) they still managed to amaze me. I really never thought I would enjoy them so much with Scott gone, but I did. They played a lot of songs from these two albums.

Lastly, I have The Cure’s “Join The Dots” which ranges everything from 1978-2001. It has four CD’s in it and in the center there is a booklet with commentary and photos of the band. My father has ALL of their albums. Just thinking from the top of my head, we have all albums of The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Tori Amos, and PJ Harvey.

I can go on and on about my hidden gems, but then this blog would never end! Do you still have CD’s? Let me know and stay stylish!

How To Take Better Outfit Pictures

I was asked through Instagram’s, “Ask Me A Question” feature some time ago on what advice I had for anyone who wanted to start taking outfit pictures. I answered simply, but wanted to dedicate an entire blog post to how to take great outfit pictures!

Here are my top 5 tips on how to make an outfit photo shoot successful!

Be Happy! – I know you’re wondering what that has to really do with anything about making sure your photos are on point, but if you’re in a crappy mood, you’re pictures are going to show that. If you’re just not feeling yourself and what you’re doing, you’re not going to look good. It doesn’t even matter if you’re aiming to do a fierce look. There is a fine line between looking fierce and just looking like you’re upset. If you want to be fierce, you have to go out there feeling good about yourself!

Practice Posing In Front Of A Mirror – You’re going to feel a little silly at first, but after doing this so many times, it really comes in handy when you’re out there in a public place and don’t have to second guess yourself in front of a whole bunch of people. I recently hung an over-the-door mirror in my room to help me practice some poses. The more you do it, the more natural you’ll feel out there.

Know Your Lighting – Natural light is the best light. This is why so many of my photos are taken outdoors. I also recommend taking photos early in the morning or around 6 p.m. Any photo taken during the middle of the day or at night can get tricky. Natural light is the way to go. It also makes editing a lot less time consuming.

Understand Your Clothing’s Behavior – If you want to wear something that wrinkles quickly and easily, make sure you iron it and take photos wearing that outfit first. In my photo shoots, I pack multiple outfits. I take about 4-5 outfits on the road with me and I always model the one that I know will wrinkle if I fold it and pack it away for later. If your outfit looks messy and not cared for, your viewers may find that distracting and unpleasant.

Have A Good Relationship With Your Photographer – I am beyond grateful that my boyfriend takes my photos. Taking photos can already be nerve wrecking, so don’t make it harder on yourself by not feeling completely comfortable with your photographer. This will just make you feel like you have to hold yourself back. Blogging and taking outfit pictures taps into self-expression and the last thing you need is to feel like you have to hold back. If someone you know is not willing to take your photos, ask around for photographer recommendations in your local area. If you find one you’re interested in, contact them and see if by just talking to them they are someone you can be yourself around. Take a friend with you the first time you meet if that makes you feel safer. There are many photographers that are aching for someone to give them a chance and help build their portfolio.

Those are the best tips I can give anyone who wants to start taking more photos. Whether you’re interested in fashion photography, taking band pictures, or simply just want some Instagram worthy photos, these are the 5 basic things I recommend for you.

I hope you keep these 5 tips in mind the next time you are planning a photo shoot. Let me know if this helps you and thank you so much for reading. Stay Stylish!