Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014 in Review

Hi Hello!

So 2014 has come to an end. It is the end of the year and in just a few hours the new year will begin. I have decided to look back on my year and I realized that I've had a pretty great 2014. I've done more traveling this year, and I've seen a fair amount of concerts (not as many as I wished to...but its been a busy year).

So here is a look back at my year...

Jan. 27 - Yellowcard Concert where I met Chad Gilbert, Kait, and Nezzie of What's Eating Gilbert. With John and Brittany.

May - In Orlando with Cherry.

June thru August- Just a few of the staff from Camp. These people were my family for 3 months.

August 17(?) - Milwaukee Irish Fest. Being part of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers' new concert DVD with Brittany and John.

August 25(?) - Chicago Comic Con with my aunts.

August 29 - One Direction Concert with John, Brittany and Cherry.

August 28 thru 30 - Chicago with John, Brittany, and Cherry.

November 7 - The 1975 concert with John, Brittany, and Cherry.

November 25 - The release of John and Brittany's Christmas EP. 

Looking back I've noticed that I have shared most of these memories with John, Brittany and Cherry. Three of my closest friends and I wouldn't want it any other way. When you are making memories you want to make them with the people that mean the most to you and I'm glad that in 2014 I did just that. 

I do have plans for 2015. I wouldn't say that they are 'resolutions' because I feel that you can start working towards a goal at any point in the year...you don't need the first date of the calendar to start. But I do have goals, as well as plans for 2015 and these are goals that can be calculated. 

1. I want to go to more concerts. This being said...I'm going to set a number goal to try and reach. I want to see at least 20 bands/artists live in 2015. In 2014 I saw 10 bands live but I was also at camp for 3 months of the year which limited the amount of summer concerts I could go to. So I feel like 20 is a good number for me.

2. I will read more books. Towards the end of 2014 I have gotten back into the proper swing of reading in my free time. I will set another number of books to read by the end of 2015...this number will be 50. Since the end of summer I have read 15 books. That is including textbooks for school. I feel like if I can read 15 books in 3 months I can get close to 50 in 12 months.

3. I want to see more places. In 2014 I've traveled to Florida, Illinois and Minnesota. In 2015 I want that number to grow. I want to get to at least 3 states I've never been to by the end of 2015. This might be a stretch..depending on how my financial situation is in the new year...but I would like to get to some new states in the next year; expand my travels.

4. Finally I want to meet more people. Not in the sense that I want to meet them and become friends. But I would love to just sit down somewhere and start a conversation with a stranger. I want to hear more stories, hear other peoples goals and ambitions, struggles and victories. I realized from being at camp for 2 summers that you meet so many interesting people from different places of the world and I am so fascinated with that. I want to meet at least 5 people in 2015. In 2014 I've met so many people from different corners of the world from being at camp but this year I'm not going to camp so I set the number low so I can reach it easier.

That is it for my goals for 2015! If you set goals or resolutions or whatever you want to call it for the new year I would love to hear what you have planned! I would also love to hear what your highlights of 2014 were! Did you go on a road trip? Meet new people? See a band or artist live? Whatever...I want to hear it.

Talk to you in the new year!

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Concert Dreams

Hi Hello

Happy Holidays, today is Christmas, and if you celebrate Christmas I hope you had a wonderful day with family, friends, pets, who ever you celebrate with. My day was busy but now that it is dwindling down I have decided to write up a small post about my concert dreams.

I've recently been wanting to go to another concert but right now my concert pickings have been slim and I've been thinking about who I would love to see in concert and who I would like to see again in concert.

People I would love to see in concert:

1. Sam Smith (if you know me...then its pretty obvious)
2. Paul McCartney (again...he's like my inspiration)
3. Billy Joel (pretty much the same as 1 and 2)
4. Imagine Dragons
5. The Lone Bellow
6. Avett Brothers
7. Trans Siberian Orchestra
8. Michael Buble
9. Whitney Houston (sadly this will never happen)
10. Nina Nesbitt

People I would love to see again in concert:

1. Ed Sheeran (i'd see him a million times)
2. One Direction (already happening)
3. 5 Seconds of Summer
4. All Time Low
5. We Are The In Crowd
6. Paramore
7. Fall Out Boy
8. New Found Glory
9. Yellowcard
10. The 1975
11. Young Rising Sons (possibly going to happen again)
12. Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Well, that's all I got for you right now...this list grows everyday. But I really need to get out and go to a concert again...its been too long.

Any group or artist that you want to see in concert for the first time or again?

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Top 14 of 2014

Hi Hello

The year is coming to an end and there has been an abundance of great music that has come out this year and I would just like to take a moment and acknowledge those pieces of work. Now, I'm like everybody else, I listen to a wide variety of music, yes, but I do cater to a specific genre of music more because it is my favorite genre. So if this list seems heavy on a specific genre, don't go up in arms that its not diverse enough for you...its my top 14...not Billboards Top 14.

I have searched through my iTunes library for all the albums that have been released in 2014 and wrote them down. Then I went through that list and made my top 14. This is what I've come up with.

1. Sam Smith - In The Lonely Hour released June 17 on Capitol Records. (Pop, R&B, Soul). Basically if I could marry a voice...I would marry Sam Smith's voice. Pure beauty. Pure talent.

2. Ed Sheeran - X released June 20 on Asylum Records. (Acoustic). If it doesn't work out between Sam Smith's voice and me...I'd marry Ed Sheeran. Not just his voice...him in general.

3. We Are The In Crowd - WeirdKids released February 18 on Hopeless Records. (Alternative Rock, Punk). I have never related to an album as much as I did this one. Amazing.

4. John Laing and Brittany Benish - Christmas Memories released November 25. (Holiday, Christian). Gotta show the love for my friends and this EP is just amazing. If you haven't gotten it yet what is wrong with you?

5. One Direction - FOUR released November 17 on Syco Records. (Pop). I mean...I did a review on it and its just a great album!

6. Hozier - Hozier released July 29 on Rubyworks. (Indie Rock, Soul, Blues). This man can sing. No question this is a great album.

7. 5 Seconds of Summer - 5 Seconds of Summer released July 22 on Capitol Records. (Power Pop, Pop Punk, Pop Rock). Showing some love for the Australian idiots. Bringing be back to my high school days with this album.

8. Young Rising Sons - Young Rising Sons released July 22 on Interscope Records. (Indie Rock, Alternative Pop). Found out about them this year, saw them in concert, fell in love. Basically.

9. Troye Sivan - TRXYE released August 15 on EMI Records (Universal). (Pop, Electropop). Its something new from what I'm used to listening to but I fell in love with it once I heard it.

10. New Found Glory - Resurrection released October 7 on Hopeless Records. Loved New Found Glory as a young one and needless to say I was super stoked that this came out.

11. The Vamps - Meet The Vamps released November 4 (USA) on Virgin EMI Records. (Pop, Pop Rock). Hated the fact that I loved their music but couldn't buy it and so when I was able to I jumped on it.

12. Passenger - Whispers released June 10 on Black Crow Records. (Indie Rock, Acoustic, Soft Rock). Loved "All the Little Lights" so naturally, loved this album!

13. Nina Nesbitt - Nina Nesbitt released April 1, 2014 (USA) on Universal Island Records. (Pop, Acoustic) still a bit upset that I cannot get my hands on "Peroxide" but this was a nice treat for me this year.

14. Cher Lloyd - Sorry I'm Late released May 27 on Epic Records. (Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B). This was a surprise for me. Liked her, but didn't love her...until this album.

There you go! Those are my Top 14 of 2014! I highly suggest that you take some time and listen to these albums. All of them are great and are done by very talented artists.

If you have any albums that you feel have made your Top 14 of 2014 that are not on my list, please share them below and I will listen to them. Maybe they will make one of my playlists in the future??

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Searching For You

Hi Hello

Dreams. Goals. Ambitions. Everyone has them. When you're a little kid and you dream of having the newest GameBoy or Barbie doll, or you have a career ambition to be a firefighter, doctor or mother or father. Or even now, at your current age, you have a dream of having a family, living in a nice neighborhood or working at your dream job. Everyone has them and we think about them everyday.

But do you take action?

Do you, with the start of everyday, merely think about your dreams, goals, ambitions; or do you work towards them?

I have on my desk a piece of stationary that has my short term and long term goals. My short term goals are tasks that I can achieve in a day, week, or months time. Once they are completed I check them off the list and its the greatest feeling. And I wish to one day check off my one and only long term goal. To help striving artists achieve their goals.

I have never been one to think solely about myself and what I want. Growing up I always was helping other people get where they want to get. Now, as an adult, I want to help musicians achieve their musical goals.

My mission is to find those artists that are recording on their laptops on GarageBand to make an EP to sell. It is to find the artists that are going to local hang outs and playing their music on amateur night. It is to find the artists that are playing on the street corner of a busy shopping center, or concert venue, or tourist attraction.

Find these artists and help them in anyway.

If that means just buying one of their CDs out of their backpack, then that is what I'll do. If its helping them find their next gig, then that is what I'll do. If its spreading the word about them on social media or in my hometown, then that is what I will do.

I am here to help striving and hard working artists get to where they want to be with their material. And hopefully one day, I will be able to expand and travel to other states, or even countries, looking for these talents. But for now, I have to start small in order to build.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Holiday Listening Guide

Hi Hello

How is it already December???? I feel like I was just celebrating the Fourth of July and now I'm searching online for deals on Christmas gifts. Anyone else feel like this?

With the Holiday season upon us, so are the Christmas songs on the radio (and on my iPod playlist). But with only so many songs in the Christmas songbook, I can only listen to "Let It Snow" so many times until I get sick of it, and if you're anything like me...you'll need new artists and arrangements as well as original songs to listen to this season.

Here is my Holiday Listening Guide for most genres of music. Now, I say "most" because I do not have a Holiday album for all genres or age groups.

Christian

Simple Little Christmas by Anthem Lights is the perfect Pop Christian album to listen to this holiday season. Anthem Lights is a Christian Pop Boyband that are mainly known for their amazing covers on YouTube. This album not only has song Christmas classics like "O Holy Night" and "All I Want For Christmas" but they also have original songs on the track-list like my personal favorite and album title, "Simple Little Christmas."

Alternative

...And A Happy New Year by The Maine throws it back to 2008 with a fun and catchy Christmas Album. This album contains all original songs with one cover by the 80s band Wham! John O'Callaghan's voice is very unique and when you hear a song by The Maine you know exactly who it is. The Maine teamed up with Brighten on the song "Ho Ho Hopefully" where they did a fun little music video for on YouTube.

Another great album to listen to that falls into the Alternative category would be A Green River Ordinance Christmas by Green River Ordinance . This album adds a more orchestrated rock feel to song of the classics. The arrangements of these classics like "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night" really show case the band's abilities instrumentally as well as vocally. There are some shinning vocal harmonizing in both of these songs that just make your jaw drop.

Oldies

A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra by Frank Sinatra if you are looking for some classic songs with a nostalgic feeling of sitting by the fireplace sipping on some hot cocoa, this is the album for you. Everybody loves a little Sinatra, right? This album features some of Frank's best Christmas songs recorded with traditional classics as well as song songs you have forgotten about, like "Mistletoe and Holly" and "Adeste Fideles." If you're going to listen to any classic Christmas album this season, this one should be one of those at the top.

Rock

Let It Snow Baby...Let It Reindeer by Relient K even though most people will classify Relient K as Alternative, I get a more rock feel from them than anything else. But, not only is the title of this album clever, the songs and arrangements on the album are hilarious to listen to. And their cleverness sarcasim doesn't end with the title, it goes on to their songs with titles like "I'm Getting Nuttin For Christmas" and "Santa Clause is Thumbing To Town" these songs are fun to just sing along with the hilariously recorded "Good King Wenceslas" which, if you're going to listen to any song off this album, it better be that one.

Country

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Other Christmas Classics by Gene Autry if you are going to listen to any country Christmas album I hope you listen to this one. I am not a huge country fan, and by "not a huge fan" I mean I don't listen to it at all really...with the exception of Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton and some Alan Jackson. But this album I have on my iPod and I listen to it every Holiday season without fail. Yes, this album is full of classics, but just like the Frank Sinatra album, you need the classics in your life but the classics that are sung by a classic artist makes them more nostalgic and easier to listen to peacefully.

That is all I have! If you have any other albums that are in a different genre of music or that you feel are a great fit for these genres of music, please leave it in the comments below! All of these albums are my opinion (obviously) and they could not be the right fit for you, but give them a listen because they are all unique and they are my go-to albums for this time of year!

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Soundtracks Of Our Lives

Hi Hello

Ever hear a song on the radio and have a flashback to a moment in your life where you either first heard the song or shared a special moment with someone while that song was playing? When you are taken back to that place in time it can make you feel all sorts of emotions. The song can take you back to a time when you were sad, happy, angry and can make you re-feel all those emotions again.

This happened to me recently. I was listening to my iTunes song library on shuffle (which is an experience in itself) and the song Vegas Skies by The Cab started playing. I was instantly transported to a summer night during high school where my best friend Shawn and I were sitting on his porch swing at his mom's house. Everything was silent with just a faint sound of music playing on the cd player and it was one of those moments when we didn't need to speak, we just needed each other's company. This was the song that was playing and that night we made it out friendship song. Although its a love song, we had a different meaning for it and when we graduated and he was moving to Indiana to go to school closer to his dad we sat on his porch swing on his last night home and just sat silent listening to this song. No words had to be said.

So when that song came on my shuffle, I'll admit...I cried. He is my best friend and I practically lived at his house and now, its been 4 years and I only get to see him for a few months out of the year. It really sucks.

That trip down memory lane made me think of other songs that have special meanings to me and I thought I would share (briefly) what some of those are.

First I'm taking it way back to when I was a kid and my dad would drive my brother and I to my grandma's house so she could babysit us before school while our parents were at work. All three of us would pile into his old pick up truck and I would flip the cassette player to play Fred Bear by Ted Nugent because at the time that was my favorite song. I knew every word of that song (yes all 7 minutes complete with words and instrument solos) and I would sing it during the short trip to grandma's house. Now that I'm older, and its been ages since we've been taken to grandma's to be babysat, whenever I hear that song I grin from ear to ear and I turn it up and sing it like I did when I was 7 years old!

But, like I said...songs don't always bring you back to a happy memory, they can make you angry as well. One song in particular for me is Forever by Chris Brown. Although this sounds cheesy now, it made me angry then and still does now. I was dating a boy and I was really "falling" for him hard...as hard as a high school relationship can fall and this was our song. I remember going paintballing with him and they played it over the PA system in the dining area of the arena and that it was specially requested by the boy I was with. It made me feel so happy at the time. But then the relationship started to turn for the worse (which is a whole other can of worms that I'm not opening) and every since we broke it off whenever I hear this song I think of him and get angry.

It is amazing how songs can do this to us. How certain ones hold a special place in our memories and can take us back to a time in our lives to be relived again for the duration of the song. These songs that link us to memories act like our soundtrack. Like if our lives were a movie, these songs would be part of the soundtrack; each song for a specific moment or scene in the film.

My list could go on and on since music is ver prominent in my life with everything I do, but how long is your soundtrack?

What are some songs that you hear that take you back to your past?

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Christmas Memories

Hi Hello

Today is a very exciting day, hence why I am writing a post on a Tuesday and not on Sunday (but don't fret for I will post my playlist on Sunday). Today is special because two of my best friends released their debut Christmas EP entitled, "Christmas Memories" on iTunes. And to just persuade you to pick up a copy (don't be stingy its only $4.99, a steal compared to that One Direction album you just bought) I will be posting a little review of the album, track by track. So let's get started!

The EP starts off with the classic "The First Noel" and the opening instrumental is reminiscent of John's first album, "Awakened" (buy it here) with some celtic influences. But don't worry, if you are not a fan of celtic music, the whole song is not greatly influenced, once Brittany's voice comes in you are taken back to the first time you heard "The First Noel" and you are filled with the warm embrace of Christmas. When John comes in to join it adds to that warm feeling. Both of their voices sound like they were made to sing together. The tone of both of their voices compliment each other perfectly. The arrangement of the voices on this song is beautifully done and flows with the instrumentation that is backing them up.

The next song is a solo by Brittany and it is the modern Christmas classic, "Where Are You Christmas?" made popular by the 2000 movie "How The Grinch Stole Christmas." The Song starts off with a wind effect (nice touch friends) which gives you the feeling that Brittany is singing this while walking through Whoville looking up at the mountain that the Grinch lives on. I don't know if they noticed that, but it is what I imagine. Although the song starts off soft with an angelic sound to Brittany's voice, the song builds in the middle and becomes powerful and slowly decreases back to the soft angelic feeling as in the beginning.

Next comes John's solo entitled "The Light of Christmas Morn" which I feel is a very underrated Christmas song during the Holiday season. This is a song that when I listen to it I imagine John walking through a wooded area in the snow and finding the manger that Jesus was born in and the feeling of the true meaning of Christmas filling his heart. (when I typed that I noticed that I always imagine John in a wooded area with all of his songs...I did that on his full length as well) John's voice on this song is very smooth and actually reminds me of a well established boy band member that went solo...like if a member of Anthem Lights went solo, that would be John's voice on this track. The instrumental is subtle but every little addition is perfectly placed and adds to the overall feeling of this song.

The final song, and probably my favorite song on the EP, is "Angels We Have Heard On High" a very well known Christmas song, but the way that this song is arrange it is nothing like you have heard before. It comes in with a driving drumbeat and an extraordinary fanfare of trumpets with a call and repeat style between the voices and the trumpets. The song is at a fast tempo throughout most of the song but then slows down towards the middle with another celtic influence interlude. Probably my favorite part of the whole song is when they slowed down the famous "gloria excelsis deo" melody of the song to not be as fast as the normal tempo, but slowed it down to create an ending to the song that I've never heard before! Amazing track. Its my favorite on the EP, definitely.

And that is all for their debut EP. Christmas Memories is out now, and its literally a steal on iTunes! I highly suggest this EP to all of you, not because they are my friends and I'm doing a plug for them, but because they are truly talented musicians and this EP is nothing short of that. Wonderfully orchestrated and put together. This is not your typical Christmas EP, my dear readers, this has a new twist and unique sound to each Christmas song but with a traditional sound (if that makes sense). Its a unique take on the songs keeping with the traditional sounds...just go with it and buy it.

You can buy the EP, "Christmas Memories" on iTunes. I will also have the link in my sidebar over there >>>>> so if the link above is not working, you have another option. Please share this with your friends and get them excited for the Holiday seasons!!

See you all again on Sunday with my November Playlist!

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Thursday, November 20, 2014

FOUR

Hi Hello

What??? Today isn't Sunday...why am I posting on a Thursday? Don't worry, I will still post on Sunday, today is just kind of like a bonus post, but it is necessary. This week One Direction dropped their new album, FOUR and let me tell you, it is an absolute jam.

Throw away any preconceived mindset that you had of the five British/Irish heartthrobs and listen to me. This album is nothing like "What Makes You Beautiful" off their debut album, Up All Night. This album has the mature sound that shows their fans, as well as the critics, that the boys are grown up and that your typical boyband. Like their third studio album, Midnight Memories, this album brings forth a indie and rock elements into their music that separates some of the songs from the bubblegum pop music they were making when they first hit it big.

Before we break down some of the songs, lets talk about some technical stuff first, starting with their vocals. They have grown and developed with the boys. Their voices are no longer little boy voices, they have grown to fit their personalities and they show a great difference in maturity as well as range. When they first started out Zayn was not hitting as many high notes or riffs as he is now. Their voices also blend together better now then in the beginning. They have really learned how to sound like a band, not like they didn't before, but now you know that they are not just five individuals that were thrown together to make a band, they are five boys that make one band. Five voices that make one. Just like working in a choir, you need the voices in your section to sound like one voice. This doesn't mean they all sing in unison, it just means that the blend and balance is so on point that it sounds like one voice. That is what FOUR gives you. One voice, one band.

Going with that, their harmonies have improved dramatically. When I first listened to Midnight Memories I was aw-struck with their harmonies. They literally made me gush (being someone who's life is surrounded by music on a daily I am a sucker for great harmonies). And finally, the lyrical content, we are not in the ages of "you don't know you're beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful" oh no my friends, we are talking profound lyrics that actual mean something and that are actually based on a real life event or on a real life person. Liam has actually said that their song "Illusion" is about is girlfriend Sophie. Although, Liam himself did not write the song, one of their songwriters did (unintentionally I believe). Even though their songs are still about relationships you cannot get mad at them because, when you think about it, all bands write about relationships with boyfriends/girlfriends or even past friends. EVERY BAND DOES IT! So don't you dare say, "They only write about love" because I will have you look at the songs by your favorite band and make you count how many are about love. But on FOUR we don't see so much "oh I love you and our relationship is the best thing in the world" type songs, no we hear quite a few of breakup songs or songs of a love gone wrong, as well as unconventional love songs, such as their song "Stockholm Syndrome."

Now, let's get into some of the songs. The songs that I will be listing are the ones I believe are the best (a.k.a my favorites) as well as the ones I feel like "break the boyband mold." Legggoooo!

The first one, would probably be my favorite song off the album and this one is what I would call a "pub song". You're sitting in a pub, its almost last call and you've been chatting it up with some of your friends when one (in my life it would be me most likely) breaks out into song. And that song would be "Act My Age" the last track on the deluxe edition. This song brings me back to my roots. Being an irishwoman this song screams home (even though I was not born in Ireland, I still think of it as home). They have an irish jig beat starting off the song and the lyrics are in a pub song type of chant. There are not specific voices on the verses or chorus, its like they all just went into the studio and sang the song together straight through because that is what you would do in an actual pub. I love it and it makes me want to get up and dance. This song also breaks your typical boyband song. I mean, what type of boyband brings in celtic elements into their songs?

The next song would be "Once In A Lifetime." Now this song is not on my top 3 favorites list (which was hard to pick let me tell you) but this song brings a different sound that we are not used to with One Direction. When I first listened to this song I immediately thought of The Beatles. The chorus is something that you would hear on a track by The Beatles. Now don't throw daggers at me for making that reference, but the structure of the song is very reminiscent of something that you would find on a later Beatles album. This is also one of the songs that shows great harmonies from the boys. This song is a masterpiece and I feel like not enough people are giving this song the credit it deserves.

Everybody loves a good Louis solo right? Well "No Control" has a great one, and its called the chorus. I think that Louis has the most unique voice in the group and its not showcased enough on the albums so when I heard "No Control" and Louis was on lead for the chorus I was all giddy inside. I feel like the melody fits his voice perfectly and really shows the vulnerability in his voice but still holds onto the strong, controlled voice that he has.

The next two songs I'm going to pin together because they are finish out my top 3. The first would be "Fool's Gold" and the second being "Clouds." Starting with "Fool's Gold" this song has amazing melody that really shows a sensitive side to their voices in the verses. But I also really love the message of this song. Its not your typical love song, its about falling for something fake but having no regrets, the analogy of fool's gold is perfect in this song. We've all been there I think, we see the charm and beauty of a person on a surface level but then as we get to know them, and even fall for them, we find that they are not the person we thought they were. They're fool's gold. Then we have "Clouds" now this song has a bit of a alt-rock edge to it. I see this being on a movie soundtrack. When I listen to this song, yes its about a relationship, but I view it as being on such a high that you feel like nothing can bring you down. You are high on life, as they would say, and having the time of your life that you feel higher than the clouds and you never want to come back down. Its a feel good song for me and an absolute jam.

Finally, last song that I will be mentioning would be "Change Your Ticket." If you are a fan of The 1975 I think that you will enjoy this song. It reminds me of their song "Girls" its got that indie pop sound to it and the lyrics of it really show a mature and grown up side to the boys. Nope, these boys are not talking about holding your hand anymore and being your first kiss, no...they're getting more into their relationships. The opening lyrics are all talking about sharing a hotel together and being in the same bed (you can make your own conclusions there) and asking for their girl to stay longer. "playing hard to get, we did that when we were younger" I think that explains it all really. There is no more playing around like little teeny-boppers. No, they are men now and they are in real, meaningful relationships with more intimate actions, and this song I feel expresses that in a lighthearted way.

Well, I could talk about every song but I will stop there. You can go and listen to the album yourself to make your own conclusions, but I would definitely consider giving it a listen. Its not your typical boyband cookie-cutter album. Oh no, these boys are all grown up and they sing it loud and proud on FOUR. If you want to take a listen to it before you buy it you can now listen to it on Spotify or you could buy it on iTunes now! You wont regret it.

Say hello to the new One Direction.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

P.s. I will still do a post on Sunday and I will still do a November Playlist at the end of the month, this was just a bonus post. :)

P.s.s I just thought I let you know that I'm going to be seeing them in August in Milwaukee on their On The Road Again Tour and I'm gonna be 10th row. Very happy that I'll be seeing these songs performed live. Ready to kick out my dancing shoes and beer for Act My Age.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Christmas Memories November 25th!

Hi Hello

I am so excited to finally post this today, for the last few months I've been wanting to express my joy and excitement for this project that my dearest friends have been working diligently on AND NOW I CAN EXPRESS THAT TO YOU!

Now, like I've mentioned before, I have talented friends. One of those friends, John, actually has his own full length album (available now on iTunes) but now he has joined forces with our very close friend, Brittany, to make their debut Christmas EP! They have been talking about it since last year, and wanted to release something then but realized that time was not on their side and decided to put in the appropriate time and effort into making something as magical as the feeling of Christmas!

Their EP really brings home the true meaning and feeling of Christmas. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and we forget what it really means to us. The true meaning (whatever it may be to you) is showcased in their song selections. Not only are they keeping true to some classic songs of Christmas, but they have also brought in some more modern songs, like Brittany's solo.

Working up to the release of the EP, on Facebook we will be releasing promo photos leading up to the release date that is November 25th! It is being called the "12 Days of John and Brittany" (like that play on words here...12 days of Christmas...12 days of John and Brittany...ehh? ehhh? get it?) Each day we are releasing a new photo of the two with little sniplets of information about the EP as well as John and Brittany themselves! Trust me, this is something you don't want to miss out on.

So go to the link above to view the Facebook page and hit that little 'Like' button to stay updated! Once the album becomes available I will be posting a link on here as well as all of my social media sites, which you can access from the side panel >>>>>

I am so incredible proud of my friends (not like I've never been...) but with this Christmas EP, and being that it is two of my closets friends in the world, I am over the moon and all jittery in excitement over the approaching release date!

With the spirit of Christmas all over this post as well as floating in the air, tell me below you favorite thing about the Holidays, favorite movie..song..family tradition..whatever comes to mind when you think of Christmas.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie


Sunday, November 9, 2014

Concert Tips

Hi Hello

If you are anything like me, you are a concert junkie. I thrive at concerts, I just love the atmosphere, the common bond between everyone, the chance to discover new music and meet new people. When I'm at a concert I am taken to another world, its like being teleported and I just get into this state of mind where the people at the concert disappear and I am emerged in the music and the vibe. I am at my happiest state at concerts, even though it might not seem that way from an outside perspective (but thats because people are dicks...which I'll discuss later).

Recently I went to go see The 1975, Young Rising Sons, and Cruisr at The Rave/ Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee. This venue has a special place in my heart since it is the home of my first ever concert and it was really the start of my love for live music. The venue holds so many memories for me, from seeing my favorite bands, meeting new friends, band members, deep chats about life with the members of The Maine as well as marrying Kennedy Brock (long story for a different day). Although I love going to concerts I can't help but loath the idiotic people that come with it. No matter the band, the venue, or city, you will get those people who just wreck your experience...those are the people I would love to drop kick. It doesn't matter if you are an experienced concert goer or if this is your first concert, it will happen...and sadly you have to deal with it. But I am here to give you some tips on going to concerts in general to help your experience be a great one, because no one likes seeing a great band but surrounded by idiots.

Concert Preparation

Although you are dying to wear your band shirt and go all out on make-up and clothing to make you fit in or stand out, you do not have to put much effort or time into your outfit. Trust me, what you wear is not going to make the band members see you in the crowd or get you on the tour bus. Yes, you want to look good incase you do meet someone and get a picture, but you need to look like yourself and be comfortable.

Outfit Choices

1. The Shirt: Now, I'm not big on wearing band shirts to the concerts, I don't have a reason, I just don't do it..but if you like to, go for it. But a simple shirt will suffice. For the concert that I just attended I wore a black t-shirt that had a skull hand on it with the words "I don't trust me either" from Choies. It was comfortable but not too heavy to keep me cool during the concert. It is best to keep in mind the weather on the day of the concert. If it is a summer show, its nice to wear tank tops so you do not over heat and to prevent those sweat stains in your armpits. If it is a winter show, you want to wear a t-shirt and bring a jacket to wear when you are in line outside and after the show walking back to your car. I wore my leather jacket with a gray sweatshirt hood to the concert and since I had a t-shirt under I did not have to take it off since it wasn't too hot where I was sweating.

2. The Pants: Wear what is comfortable. If you are into skinny jeans, wear your skinny jeans. If you are into flare jeans, wear your flare jeans. You really cannot go wrong with the pants, just whatever is comfortable for you to wear and that matches the rest of your outfit. I wore my basic black skinny jeans (if you can't tell I wear a lot of black). Keep in mind the weather as well. Summer shows, I suggest wearing shorts. If you insist on wearing a skirt, wear spanks, leggings or tights on underneath because you never know what creep will be trying to flip up that skirt, or if you are at an outdoor venue..you never know when a gust of wind will pick up. I'm not a big fan of wearing dresses to concerts, but if you are dress person...take the same advice for the skirts..wear something on underneath, trust me.

3. The Shoes: THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. If you are at a concert, especially general admission concerts, you will be doing a lot of standing. Please, for the love of all that is good and mighty in this world do NOT wear stilettos. Your feet will be screaming by the end of the night. I cannot even count how many concerts I've been to where women try and wear heals and by the end of the show they are walking out holding their shoes because their feet hurt. Now, if you are wearing a small, chunky heal, that is okay because there is more support there, but no pencil thin heals that are 6 inches tall. You're trying to hard and you will most likely regret it later. My suggestion would be comfortable flats, boots or converse (or any type of trainers that you have). They are the most comfortable because they have the support in them and you're feet will be feeling fine by the end. I wore my black combat boots that are practically worn to bits. They have a half inch heal, great support, warm and black. What more would I need?

4. Accessories: Go with whatever you feel is appropriate for your outfit and that you're comfortable with. This could be rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, headbands, hats, whatever. Really, you can go no wrong in this area. For my accessories I wore two rings (the ones I wear everyday) and two necklaces. One was my Ohana necklace from Taylor Jardine's Never Take It Off line and then a harmonica necklace from Hot Topic and a belt to keep my pants up.

Food and Hydration

I always make sure that I eat something before I leave for a concert. For one, most venues do not have a concession stand so if you get hungry during a show you have to wait to go somewhere after. Second, its cheaper. If you make something at home you do not have to worry about buying food afterwords. Now, you do not have to make something big or small..make whatever you are hungry for at the time. If you are hungry after the show, which happens to me all the time because I'm always hungry like for real, stop somewhere quick if you have to, otherwise pack some snacks and leave them in the car. Make sure they are nothing that has to be refrigerated or that melts easily because they could go bad in your car and make a mess. Chips, granola bars, pop tarts, cereal...snacky stuff.

Also, drink lots of water! I cannot stress that enough. Its going to get hot, the air is going to be thin, you will get dehydrated. Drink water! Now, I know you cannot carry in drinks to venues, and water at shows can be deadly expensive. So, what I suggest is to bring a water bottle and drink plenty before the show, then leave it in your car, so when you get out of the concert you can rehydrate on the way home. But always bring some cash with you just incase you need water during the show because that does happen sometimes.

At The Venue

Placement

I know you want to get as close as you can to the stage, but you must weight out your options. Yes, being up by the stage is an amazing experience, but it can also be very dangerous (depending on the crowd) and uncomfortable. But if you are short, like me, placement is everything. You paid to see the band, not the back of someone's head. And whether you like it or not, you will get those dickheads that are 6 foot or taller and they will look you in the eye and stand right in front of you because they want to get closer to the stage. In this situation you have two options, to move, or yell at the person who just stood in front of you. If you are me, you do both but you have to be careful. If you go for the yelling option you might yell at the wrong person and get into something you don't want to get into, or the person could be a bit understanding and move. If they do not move, then you have to move.

Throughout my experience at general admissions concerts, it is usually always just best to move. I have been front row many times, I have been in the pit, I have crowd surfed, I have been in the mob of people unable to see, but from what I have found is that actually standing in the back is not only allows for more room to move and dance, but you can see everything! More specifically, in the back and off to one of the sides is ideal. Once we moved to the side and to the back at The 1975 concert I was able to move to the music, wave my arms, get into the zone, and see the band.

Another great tip, when you go to general admission concerts, everyone is spaced out fairly well before the first act starts. Once the first act comes on they all rush the stage and if you stand towards the back and do not move, you will be able to see better and have plenty of room to see.

Enjoy Yourself

The most important thing about going to concerts. Enjoy yourself. If you do not enjoy yourself then that was a waste of money. I mean, I have seen bands that sucked but because I was having fun with friends, meeting new people and having a great time at the concert I did not care that the band I paid to see was horrible live. Also, don't worry about looking a fool at shows. Yes, people will judge you. They will judge what you are wearing, how you are dancing, how you are singing, and the amount of selfies that you take at the show. But you cannot let that get to you otherwise you will not have a great time because you are worried about everyone else. When I'm at concerts I love to dance and get into it and sing along. I know there are people behind me thinking I look stupid or that I'm "uncool" but do I give a damn? No. At The 1975 show there was a middle aged man dancing and hip thrusting with his lady the whole night. I loved that guy. He was probably somebody's father who drove them his kids and friends to the show and decided to make the best out of his night. Right next to my friend was two middle aged women who were jumping and dancing the whole night as well (props that they didn't spill their beers) and did they care if kids half their age were talking about them? No. So have fun, and don't worry if you look like an idiot during the show. The people who are judging you are the cynical hot heads who think they are better than everyone else anyways and show no emotion at concerts.

After The Concert

Be Patient

Most people after the show is done rush out of the venue like a stampede. This for one, gets you no where any faster. When we left The 1975 concert it took us nearly 5 minutes just to make it off the floor because everyone was leaving at the same time. Now, I knew that we should have waited, but everyone in my group had things to do the next day and some of us were up early and needed sleep, so we left with the crowd. But, normally I wait until it clears out. Sometimes you can catch band members hanging out in the venue because they were watching the headliner. I've actually met all of the members of The Maine for the first time doing that (I've met them like 3 times..but thats irrelevant). Also, it makes getting out of there a lot easier. Now some people will tell you to leave early before the band is done playing so you can beat the crowd but I'm going to tell you to stop right there. Why would you leave early? Most bands play their best songs last, or they do something awesome as a finale in the last moments of their set. So why would you leave and miss that? Also, I paid money to see them, I'm going to see as much of them that I can get.

Bathrooms

Now, you would think it would be a great idea to go to the bathroom on the last few songs because the majority of people go after the show. Although this works sometimes, I would suggest going at some point towards the middle or 3/4 way through the show. All the times that I've gone around this time I have noticed that hardly anyone was in the bathroom. I think there was one time that I had to wait behind like 3 people for the bathroom but that was it. Now, if you don't want to miss any of the show, you can wait in line after the show...but if you have to go and don't want to wait (because ladies we know that it takes forever in those lines) just hop on over to the closest gas station or store that is open and go there.

Meeting Band Members

Probably the most memorable thing about going to shows. If you meet a member of the band you are going to be telling your friends for years to come. I still do. I have told all my friends about my meetings with band members. I can't tell you what songs they played or what they did during the show (unless that was also unforgettable) but I can tell you if they put on a great show or if I met one of them. Now, this all comes down to the status of the band. Some bands do meet and greets, which is one way to meet them, or you get that nice random meeting in a more one on one way. If it is a more low-key newbie band they will most likely be selling their own merch at their table after the show because they cannot afford a merch guy. So going to their merch table is ideal after the show. Its how I met most of the musicians that I've met to this day.

If they are a middle status band, meaning that they have played multiple shows there and have a few albums out, they will sometimes be hanging out around random areas of the venue, inside and outside. Sometimes they will be hanging out by their vans or busses, and sometimes just in the parking lots. Its is all based on luck and hanging around the venue for a bit after the show. Yes, I've met plenty of people this way. At The Rave they usually hang out in the front parking lot or on the side road by their vans. Or inside just randomly in the room where the concert was. I met Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship by literally running him over coming out of the bathrooms. We were both coming out of the bathrooms and ran into each other and I actually knocked him over because I was kind of rushing. A bit embarrassing but a cool story to tell.

High Status bands. You either need pure luck or a thick wallet. These are bands that are popular on radio, people that you always hear on the radio. A-list artist. Most of the time they wait until the crowds clear out after the show to leave or they sneak out fairly quickly after the show. So if you meet them just randomly it is pure luck. The other way to go is to pay out a whole load of money to meet them at meet and greets where its basically a "hi" *picture taken* and then "bye" type of situation. No fun.

But do not get discouraged if you do not meet anyone, its not the end of the world. There will be other concerts that you will go do and have a chance. Trust me. But if you do meet them, stay calm and cool. Do not be one of those annoying fans that just talk about how much they love them and blah blah blah...actually be a normal person and talk to them as normal people. I've had some pretty amazing and deep conversations with some bands because we talked like we were just two normal, everyday people having a conversation. Not once did we talk about the show or how much I'm a fan. We talked about everyday things, yes music was a topic but it was bands that we were both into and since music is something that we are both passionate about, we would talk about the technical stuff of it all. Because of these conversations, and my "marriage" to Kennedy Brock of The Maine, the second time I met The Maine, Kennedy actually remembered me and what we talked about our last meeting like we were old friends. Those are the moments I live for and tell my friends about.

_____

Wow! This post was longer than I expected, but I hope you retained some of that information and that I gave you some tips for when you go to your next concert. If you would like to hear some of my concert stories, or how I managed to marry Kennedy Brock, just comment or share this and I will maybe do a bonus post midweek.

If you have any concert stories, leave a comment and tell me about them. I would love to hear your concert experiences!

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Michelangelo is a PCP Baby

Hi Hello,

So its finally October! Yayyyy *faint audience cheers in the background* And that means that I am in full on Autumn and Halloween mode right now. This weekend I will be painting my room (finally) and getting some lovely Autumn and Halloween decorations to put up. I will also be preparing for this Fun Fall Activities Party thingy that Im going to with my friends. There will be lots of fun fall and Halloween related foods and crafty stuff and decorations and just plain FUN. So that I am looking forward to!

But, that is not why I brought you all here today. (by the way, this blog is brought to you by my new laptop which was made possible by my school) No, the real reason why I'm typing this and you are reading is because I had some messed up dreams last night. And when I say messed up...I mean, they had no direction or point or plot or anything. Just a whole bunch of random happenings and scenarios that would never happen but hey..its my brain so you know..things happen.

So first, I had a dream that I was being chased by this crazy queen lady. In the dream, it felt like I was of some type of importance to her, like I knew the secret to something..i don't know, and she had me locked up in her mansion. But then I got away because the butler did not lock the door (i think he did that on purpose) and I started running and trying to get out and I kept having to hide behind things because I would see her walking around. But once I ran out the front door (why I went to the front door and not a side one Im not sure) all of a sudden I was in a mall. But the mall was part of her house as well and I had to keep running to get out. Last thing I remember is seeing a patch of grass outside the mall and running towards it when the security guard told me no running in the mall and then threw me in jail. End of dream. I think that security guard overreacted a little bit...but either way I never escaped and Im not sure what happened to me after that. Forever alone in a jail cell.

Second dream I had was I was in this hotel looking place and I was with all my close friends. Im not sure if we were on vacation or not but we were there and trying to find the pool. But we were avoiding someone for sure because we kept talking about this girl who we did not want to see there. But I remember having to go to the bathroom in the dream and walking in there and my friends following. And I had an awkward moment in my dream..(why does the awkwardness follow into my dreams?) I sat down on the toilet and my friends came in and just kept talking WHILE IM SITTING ON THE TOILET TRYING TO PEE! And I have shy pee syndrome in real life, like I cannot pee if someone is talking to me..so this was a true struggle in my dream. So I turned around and said, "excuse me, but can I have some privacy" and my friends just walked out and said "fine, we're going to the pool." Of which, I could not pee in my dream, and I decided to go to the pool with them and picked out a very odd swimsuit and put it on over my clothes and then proceeded to take my clothes off underneath my swimsuit as I was talking to my dad, Nathan Fillion. (Nathan Fillion is not actually my father, duh..i was just watching Castle before bed so that is probably why he made an appearance) Then I woke up actually having to pee and made the cold walk to the bathroom.

My last dream however is the strangest, but yet the shortest. I was in a department store, just minding my own business when this pregnant lady came in and started throwing stuff around. And I mean, like she was picking up check-out counters and throwing them across the room and just causing a big disturbance. While the cops arrived and they said that she is the pregnant PCP lady that they have been trying to catch for months. While right as they were trying to arrest her without dying, she started going into labor. And she gave birth right then and there and who pops out of that PCP raging body, but Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And he wasn't like a baby version, no, it was the fully grown holding his nuncucks in one hand and in the other a slice of pizza. End of dream.

Im not sure what I ate, or what I watched before bed last night, but I had a series of messed up, strange dreams last night. They started out just odd and random and then got strange and messed up as the morning grew closer. I just don't even know what to make of it. I'm not even going to try and figure out what they mean or anything. Just leaving them as is...

If you wish to decipher my dreams, or tell me strange dreams that you've had, pop them into the comments. I'm interested to know your thoughts.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Friday, September 19, 2014

The Direction and How Many Seconds of Summer?

Hi Hello

I was scrolling through my photo gallery on my phone and remembered that I never posted a blog about my trip to Chicago at the end of the summer. So Imma do it now. Legggooo!

At the end of the summer a group of friends and I took a road trip to Chicago before school started (for them). But it wasn't just any random trip, oh no, we went mainly to see One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer (judge us). But we decided to make it a whole trip instead of just going down there for a day to see the concert.

When we got there we went and did the traditional Chicago tourist thing and went to Millennium Park and took selfies in the big bean. I mean, its not a trip to Chicago without doing that. I also found out that I was the only one in the group that has seen the big bean before, so I got to watch everyone else's first experience which was cool. We spent the rest of the day just walking around downtown Chicago and taking in the city.

Cherry and I taking bean selfies

 The Trump Building

 Over looking the river on Michigan Ave.

The Jay Pritzer Pavilion

The next day was the day of the concert. But we needed something to do during the day, so we decided to go down to Navy Pier and take a boat tour. It was such a beautiful day and the boat tour was very interesting and relaxing. We took the architectural tour, which I know my friend AJ would have loved because he's going to school to be an architect. It was nice to just sit back and cruise down the river and look at some buildings and also take in a little history and see the city in a different way. 




Then it was time for the concert! Even though we spent 2 hours in heavy stand still traffic and spent 50 dollars in parking, we made it into the stadium just as 5 Seconds of Summer started their first song. But finding our seats was a struggle, stupid Solider Field, and the security guard that we asked for help was extremely rude and asked me if I could read. Excuse me? I was inches away from initiating bitch mode and slapping him with a Packer fan comeback to his rudeness, but I was not about to get kicked out of this concert, so I just gave him a judgmental look and walked away saying thanks for nothing. But once we got to our seats we were all good to enjoy the concert. 5 Seconds of Summer was great as well as One Direction, but those pesky fan girls behind us were not. The decibel of their screams were high enough to cause me more hearing problems then the actual concert. And every time Niall started to sing they would scream, and I mean they screamed so loud it rattled my eardrums to the point where it hurt my head. There were a few times that I looked back at them and gave them the bitch face, and there was one time I wanted to turn and tell them that I did not pay this much money to hear them scream in my ear but to hear the boys sing. Like what is the point of screaming when an artist starts to sing? Don't you want to hear them sing and not yourself screaming? Like I don't understand the logic of a fangirl. But, besides all of that, the concert was very pleasant, and it was Liam's Birthday as well, so it made it a little special. Judge me all you want, but I was so happy that I got to experience a concert like that. Even if you don't like One Direction or 5SOS, it is an experience in itself to see a music group that big live in concert. And, to just shoot down al the haters, they do sing live (trust me, I know the different between live and recording) and they gave a great performance. So shut your hating mouth. We all have our own opinions, if you like them you like them, if not you don't. But don't talk shit about an artist or make false acquisitions about them just because you don't like them. Overall, it was a great night.

Zayn, One Direction.

Harry, One Direction.

Niall, One Direction.

Ashton, 5 Seconds of Summer.

Michael, 5 Seconds of Summer.

The next day we were all pretty beat, so we just went home. It was a great trip and I'm glad that we made it into a whole weekend trip and experienced the city. It had been a while, a whole year, since I had been to Chicago and it was nice to go back and see this concert. But now I have no concert planned to see in the near future and that leaves a hole in my heart. I need to see someone live soon. Time to go searching for bands to see!

If you have seen a concert recently, leave a comment below about your experience, good or bad. I want to know what you guys are up to!

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie.



Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Milwaukee Irish Fest

Hi Hello

Here are just a few photos from Milwaukee Irish Fest that I took. I really only saw 2 bands because that is all I really wanted to see. So here we are...

The High Kings



The Red Hot Chilli Pipers









Monday, June 16, 2014

The Feels are Strong With This One

Hi Hello

Its been awhile. And I want to say that the reason for the lack of blogging was due to my life being super busy because of an awesome social life....but its not true. I have no social life.

I have just gotten back from one week of training at camp (home for a week of vacation before the intense stuff starts) and I have been sitting around doing absolutely nothing. I mean, I did hang out with my friend Cherry within six hours of me being home. *we have separation problems* But that was the only social interaction that I had since Friday.

Now I don't know about you, but when I have nothing to do and I'm home all day being lazy I sit on my computer searching bands and movies and going on Tumblr and Twitter and Youtube and so on and so forth. Sounds normal, but I take it to an extreme. I don't just go on Tumblr, I invest my life into it. I don't just go on Youtube, I watch videos of people until I feel like I know their life. *creepy but they put it out there in the videos* It gets real.

During this time I experience something that is known to the internet world as "The Feels". The Feels are when you feel so many emotions at once about someone or something that you just can't take it anymore and you feel bad about your life because you are not this person, you are not with this person or you are not in this situation. You just can't deal with life because you are so overly emotional. Some will say that the best way to understand "the feels" is to observe a "fan girl" of a popular band or artist like One Direction or Elvis Presley. These girls are feeling so many emotions that they appear to be crazy or just really excited to see the particular band or person that they experience "the feels."

Now having the feels can be portrayed in different ways. You can go crazy fangirl, like the majority of the One Direction fandom, or you can just sit in a corner quietly thinking "damn I wish I was dating this person." I experience this phenomenon on a daily basis and this week it got real.

Now I am a huge fan of the band McFly . They are a British band that has been around for awhile time but they are still such awesome people and musicians. Their guitarist and singer Tom Fletcher just received the award for Marvel's Celebrity Dad of the Year and the photos of him with that award just made my heart melt. You may know who Tom Fletcher is if you have seen his Wedding Speech video or his most recent hit video, From Bump to Buzz . Either way, he is probably my favorite human. And this week I got the feels for him so bad. Just the way that he loves his son Buzz and his wife Gi just makes me all warm inside and I just wish that I knew him personally.

He seems like such a great dude to just chill with and to make you laugh and to pretty much just hang out with in general. I am just sat here in my house, doing nothing for the week, thinking about how I wish Tom and I were friends. Like why is this not a thing? WHY? Now, don't get me wrong, I love all the members of McFly and want to be all of their friends but these past few days I have just been having the "Tom would be the best friend" feels and I just cant seem to shake them. *not that I would want to*

Anywho... if you know what I'm talking about with "The Feels" phenomenon and have experienced some version of them please leave a comment below and tell me who. If you don't thats cool too, some people don't get the feels and thats probably the simpler life.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Sunday, June 1, 2014

May Playlist

Hi Hello

Something that you may not know about me, or maybe you do I don't know, is that I am a huge music person. I am going to school to be a music manager because I love it so much but have no real talent to be an artist. *reflects on my talentless life* Moving on....

Since I'm always listening to music and sitting on the internet discovering new bands and such things...I have decided to make a monthly playlist of the songs that I have been listening to non stop. So lets get started....

To start off is a song by an up and coming band called 5 Seconds of Summer, who with their recent recognition from One Direction fans, are starting to build up a world wide fan base of their own and I'm absolutely loving their EP!

The song is called "Heartbreak On The Big Screen" and its just a song that I like to jam out to in the car and I always find myself turning on that song when I don't know what else to listen to. And, it helps that there is a part in the song where Luke's voice just makes me melt, the music slows down and his voice goes low and he does this little run with his voice and its just....you'll understand what I mean when you listen to it.

Next is a song by Fall Out Boy, a long time favorite band of mine, and although their new album has been out for over a year now, I am always listening to "The Phoenix" while I'm driving. I mean, put that song on while you drive and you automatically feel 10x more badass. Trust me. Just do it.

The third song on my May playlist is "Afraid" by The Neighbourhood. I honestly don't know what it is about this song, but I just love it. I like the melody and the all around vibe of the song and it just puts me into a mood and makes me feel very chill even though the lyrics would not suggest a "chill" vibe.

My fourth pick is a song by my favorite artist. This man is extremely talented and I don't think people realize exactly how talented he is. His fame hit the states with The A Team but I caught wind of him before then when he was just singing about Cold Coffee. And now he is selling out stadiums around the world and I have to say, a few years ago I got the opportunity to see him perform live and it was honestly the best show I've seen in my life. The man sounds better live than what he does in studio and that is something that you don't get anymore.

If you haven't guest it already, his name is Ed Sheeran and is song "Thinking Out Loud" is my fourth song off my playlist this month. The song is on his upcoming album X and although it is not released yet, he sang it live for a show and it instantly became my favorite song. Its simply a beautifully crafted song.

And finally, my last song on the playlist is a song that I'm pretty sure is not released in the states, but I heard it on a Spotify playlist with my friend Cherry and we loved it so much that it somewhat became our theme song for our friendship. Its not a serious song, its more of a fun, dance type song and we laugh every time we hear it come on our ipods. The song is called "Bonkers" and its by Dizzee Rascal and its just one of those songs that makes you wanna dance.

Well, there is my May playlist, I will link videos to these songs below so you can listen to them and hopefully understand my love for them and maybe they will become your new monthly jam.

If you have a song that you have been loving lately, post a comment and let me know! I will look up the songs that I don't know and maybe they will be in my next playlist??? But you don't have to...I'll live..

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

1. Heartbreak On The Big Screen
2. The Phoenix
3. Afraid
4. Thinking Out Loud
5. Bonkers

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

A New Leaf

Hi Hello

So today's post is going to be somewhat serious, something that I've been feeling really passionate about lately and I feel like the best way to express it is writing (or typing) it out.

We've all had those moments when we sit there and we plan our dream vacation or we talk with our friends and say how we wish we could travel here or do this or that someday. But with all that planning and dreaming, nothing gets done. Those plans and dreams remain plans and dreams and no one makes the move to go forward with anything.

In the past few years my friends and I have always been saying "Oh I wish I could just go to California, or London, or anywhere BUT Wisconsin." But we never sat down and really said, okay lets plan this out and start saving up. There has always been excuses. "I have bills to pay" or "i have to focus on school" or other lame excuses. And I'm sick of it.

I'm absolutely sick of the excuses and the plans that never leave the ground. You cannot live your life on dreams. You cannot just sit in your house saying that you're going to do this or do that but then never make any initiative to actually get that plan going and do it. If you want to achieve anything in life you can't just sit around and wait for it to fall in your lap, you have to work for it and make it happen. So why should your travel plans be that way?

In the recent months my family has experienced some medical hardships. My uncle was just diagnosed with cancer and thinking about his life and all that he has accomplished inspired me to write this post. I have been saying for the past year that I've been wanting to travel to all of these different places and just really experience life, but I never made an effort to save up my money and work hard to make these plans reality. Until now.

I made a deal with myself. The deal is, whenever I think of an idea, or create a dream in my mind I am going to write it down and start working towards it. If I think of a place to travel to, I'm going to write it down, start planning it out financially, and then start working and saving up my money to go to that place. If I think of a life goal or career goal that I want for my future, I will write it down and start working towards it. I do not want my life to be a list of unfinished plans and unachieved goals. I want it to be a list of accomplished goals and finished plans.

So no more "I wish I could go here" or "I wish I was doing this right now" and more of "I'm working and saving to go here." In fact, as I'm typing this I am currently planning a trip out of state with a few friends. We wanted to go on a vacation and I sat down and said, why don't we just go. So we planned it all out and in a few weeks we are leaving for vacation. And you know what? It feels good. It feels great to just plan a trip somewhere random and actually make it turn into a reality.

This one trip is simply the beginning of many more to come. Which is another reason why I started this blog. I want to be able to document my goals and travels as they happen and it all starts with this first trip.

Its the start of something new and I'm ready for you to join me in this experience. So you can either live in envy of other people's adventures, or you can start your own. Its your choice.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

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