Happy New Year

Almost every year I try to write some words, words that reflect the mark of a new year. You can view past years here if you'd like.
_____________________

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

People cheer, kiss, sing. Explosions of lights, laughter and confetti.

Celebration.

Those last seconds can be a moment full of insecurities and doubts of the new year. But they could also be a moment of hopes and dreams. However significant the specific moment at the toll of midnight is, use it as a stepping stone for more moments. Better moments. A lifetime of moments, of change.  

Will you fight?

For something broken? For something worth believing in? 

For healing, for sobriety, for you?

Maybe this year was kind, and maybe it wasn't. Regardless, the mark of the new year is another chance to start new, to start over. Or just simply start. Start living, start challenging yourself.

are you ready to make a change? To start a new? To take a leap of faith?

Make an adventure out of everything. Go on road trips, count the stars, laugh. Call in sick, see a show, cross something off that bucket list.

Fall in love. With a place, with a feeling, with a person, with a band.

Fall in love with life.

Find your inspiration.

Chase your dreams.

Life is full of endings. But the beauty of an ending is that there is a beginning attached. Take this beginning and take a chance. A chance to change, to believe, to heal. And someday, those last moments of the year will reflect joy instead of hurt. Hope instead of sorrow.

So live. Not only in that midnight moment, but in the moments hereafter.

Happy New Year.

xoxo

In case you missed it...

Well hey there!

Truth be told I'm a little shameful. As it turns out, I haven't blogged since the beginning of November! GASP! Wowza. Apparently I was busy...?Anywho, I figured I would update you all in cyber land on my happenings over the past 2 months or so. 

Back in November, I won tickets to the Cities 97 Sampler Release Party! I never win anything, ever. The entire show was epic. And honestly, this was something I had been hoping for for years! It featured The Wild Feathers, Matt Hires, The Unlikely Candidates, and Delta Rae. Here's some pics from the show...

And here's a video of The Wild Feathers:

Moving on...
Grad School definitely took a toll on me this semester, and I probably had one too many emotional/mental break downs. But in the end it all paid off.. I am a 4.0 student! Chyeah! Now, my program requires us to take 5 classes as oppose to 3 that a "normal" grad student would take to be full time.  I like to think of myself as relatively intelligent, but I tend to not apply myself  (Ask my mother, she will vouch for that) and I have NEVER gotten straight A's in all my high school or collegiate careers. So this 4.0 thing is big achievement. I should also probably give a shout out to my friends and family, because I've been a crabby little hermit crab and they have lovingly supported me this semester. And I pray they continue to do so throughout this endeavor. 

I volunteer with a group for teenage girls called Braid at Youth for Christ. . We had a retreat last weekend and despite all the leaders being completely burnt out, it went swimmingly. Unfortunately, I cannot continue to volunteer with Braid next semester. The group meets Tuesdays, and I will have class Tuesday nights. Total bummer. However, I have dedicated some time to another ministry on Friday nights called Hoop Time. Maybe you can tell from the title but it basically revolves around basketball. Admist playing, the members develop a sense of responsibility, community and we have speakers that present aspects of the gospel that is relevant to the members. YFC is definitely something I am proud to say I volunteer for. I'm sad to be away from Braid for a couple months, but glad that I can help out elsewhere.

In addition to all the craziness, I decided to get a second job. Yup. Who's idea was that?! I started at JC Penney a couple weeks ago. Holiday time is a ridiculous time to start a job in retail but whatever! Even though I am paid through my graduate assistantship, I needed some additional funds. The chaos of the holidays is dying down now, so I will soon be working one night a week and every other weekend. Not too shabby. The extra cash flow will really help with bills and doggy necessities. The discount isn't bad either!

And that brings us to now. Christmas with my family was.... well... ya know. We were missing Dan this year, however he did surprise us with a visit home over Thanksgiving so I am thankful for that! I love my dear mother to pieces. She spoiled me this year and continues to be a great influence in my life. I cannot express enough gratitude. I wish I was able to stay at home longer during the break and spend more time with her.

So there's my life the past month and a half. I'm planning on decorating, reading and watching a lot of Netflix/Hulu over the next couple weeks. And hopefully posting here!

TWLOHA has a campaign running called Welcome to Midnight. So you'll probably see a post related to that in a couple days. :)

xoxo.

Pinterest Inspired-Knock off Anthropologie Letters

I'm sure many of you have seen these on Pinterest. Anthropologie letters are all the rage. They're super cute and minimalistic. I first got the idea from this pin:

See the "Bath" on there? Well, I wasn't going to spend an arm and a leg on the zinc letters from Anthropologie. 

So, like many DIYers, I decided to make my own! I also decided against doing "Bath" and decided to do "Eat" instead for my kitchen. 

You can head to any craft store and get cardboard letters. Mine were somewhere between $2-3 a piece. I had some silver spray paint from another project laying around so I used that. You just spray paint the entire letter and make sure to allow for adequate drying time. 

During:

I used those 3m picture hanging adhesives to put them up. They snap to one another so I wouldn't ruin the back of the letters. 

They now hang above my sink. 

Its a nice and easy decoration. Especially because my kitchen has limited space to put anything on the walls. 

Music Monday: The Wild Feathers- If You Don't Love Me

A couple weeks ago, as well as this summer, I wrote about The Wild Feathers. I have definitely developed a great affinity for the band.

I decided to feature "If You Don't Love Me" off of their debut self titled album. It isn't a single yet or anything, I'm just a fan of the song. (As well as the rest of the music)
The song is really raw and honest, and can speak to almost anyone who has experienced heartbreak. The four part harmonies are flawless. It is this specific song that reminds me of early Bruce Springsteen.

Anyway, take a listen to this acoustic version. And Enjoy. I hope you fall in love with them just as much as I did.

Music Monday: Lorde- Team

My first Music Monday post was Lorde's "Royals". She is obviously talented and I wanted to share more of her awesomeness with you all.
The New Zealand artist released her debut studio album Pure Heroine (the female version of hero, not the drug) on September 27, 2013 in her home country as well as Australia, and on September 30th here in the states.
The song "Team" is the third single off the album. It was leaked to an Australian radio station on September 12th, and as a result was released at a digital download in Australia and New Zealand on September 13th. The single became available in the US as part of the pre-order of Pure Heroine.
"Team" debuted at #31 on the US Rock Songs chart, and at #3 on the New Zealand Singles chart.

Take a listen.



Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Concert Review- The Wild Feathers

In one of my past posts I wrote about Sunsoaker Thursdays. I also mentioned that one of the most influential bands I saw over the course of the summer was The Wild Feathers. At first I was super upset to hear they were doing a show in Minneapolis, because I have night class Wednesdays. However, the show didn't even start until 9. Granted, we missed the opening bands, but that's definitely overlooked considering the amazing performance they put on.

The show was at the Nether Bar. Its basically the basement bar of Mill City Nights, formerly Club 3 Degrees. The venue allowed for a very intimate setting, a rather small stage to fit five band members on, and by my guesstimate, only around 100 people were in attendance.

The sound and genre of The Wild Feathers is tough to pinpoint. You can hear the 70s rock influence, as well as a bit of country and bluegrass in their music. I also heard a bit of rockabilly, reminiscent of early Elvis, Buddy Holly, and Johnny Cash (they are from Tennessee after all). Growing up listening to Bruce Springsteen I found a familiarity in their music, sounding similar to his early work circa 1975-1980.

Now the band themselves. The men of The Wild Feathers are some of the most talented musicians I've ever seen. The four part harmonies in a majority of the tracks are nothing short of incredible. If eargasm is an appropriate and sufficient term, that is what occurred. A masterpiece of sound, in regards to the voices and instrumentals that occur. Not to mention, they have fun while performing. Almost every song they played, which was basically the album in its entirety, was graced with a mini jam session during the bridge. In addition, the individual members are some of the most genuine musicians I've met. They expressed gratitude frequently and were more than willing to hang out after the show into the early morning hours to take pictures, sign merchandise and have conversations with their fans.

Here's a pic of us with the band:

(I'm cheesin a bit.  Sleep deprivation with an overabundance of caffiene mixed with a great concert experience will do that to ya!)

This show was honestly one of the best concerts I have been to in while. The sheer talent of the band mixed with the intimate atmosphere made for an unforgettable experience.

The Wild Feathers are returning to Minnesota in November opening for Gary Clark Jr. However, the show is already sold out. Which is actually a bit of a relief. As much as I would like to be in attendance, the show again, is on a Wednesday.

Music Monday: The 1975- Chocolate

The 1975 is an indie/rock band hailing from England. The band formed around 2002 after meeting in high school and is composed of members Matt Healy, Ross MacDonald, Adam Hann, and George Daniel. They were also known under various names until deciding upon The 1975  in 2012.

The 1975 had 4 previous EP releases and released their self titled full length on September 2, 2013. The song "Chocolate" was previous released as a digital download on January 24, 2013 via the EP "Music for Cars" and is also featured on the self titled album.

This song, to me, is reminiscent of some 80s music. It's got a pretty catchy beat.

Take a listen.



Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Spare time? What's that?

Remember when I said I would try to do this blog in the spare time I have? Well lately it seems I have none. Grad school is starting to take its toll, with group projects, case analyses on top of already assigned papers, tests, and presentations. Thankfully, fall break is this week and I hope to catch up on some of my school work as to make "midterms" week (or in my case its 2 weeks) a bit easier.

I've also moved into a new apartment. YAY! Except I'm still in the process of unpacking even though I moved in over a week ago. Ellie (the pup) is still getting acclimated to the new surroundings and the fact that there are multiple other dogs and people around. She starts doggie daycare tomorrow! Wow, I sound like a crazy person... But really. Between work and class on Wednesdays, I'm on campus for 12 hours and feel awful leaving her in a crate all day.

The whole living alone is a new experience as well. Dealing with bills, feeding myself, (and forcing Ellie to eat breakfast.... seriously, she's like a child) and realizing there's no one to come home to is tough some days. I haven't seen some friends in a while either, but the whole being busy and broke thing is keeping me from participating in activities that might actually keep me sane during this time.

Life is full of transitions, and this is just one of them. But I hope to be back blogging more soon.

I do have some new "Music Mondays" coming up. In fact, I almost posted a Music Tuesday, but that doesn't have the same ring to it. Additionally, I'll be posting some craft projects I did to decorate the new digs. So stay tuned.

Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Etsy Finds- Wedding Gifts

With being a 20-something, going to friend's weddings is something that happens quite frequently. Its also a constant reminder that I'm still single. But thats a story for another time.

 

Even though registries are great and all, I enjoy finding gifts that reflect what the couple is. Things that other people might not have gotten them and that they might possibly use and enjoy.

 

So here we go. About 2 years ago, my friend Connie married this pretty awesome guy Todd. I know both of them from college and was really good friends with both of them when they started dating. In fact, Todd texted me to ask if he should actively pursue Connie. SO CUTE! Their first official date was at a coffee shop and, in addition to that, Todd always had a weird obsession with mustaches (before they were the hipster cool thing to put everywhere.) His sign in the game "Signs" was something related to a mustache. So what better gift to get them than Mr and Mrs coffee mugs?!  I know I'm creative and all when it comes to crafting but I thought I should leave this up to the professionals. In comes, Etsy.

 

These mugs came from the shop Timeless Creations, which apparently is no longer in business. But there are many different varieties of these mugs, these were just my favorites that I found.

 

More recently, my very good friend Rachel got married to a guy named Jake. I met Rachel through my work doing security for Sonshine music festival, and she met Jake working for a company called Camfel where they travel around giving presentations to schools. Now, I thought about getting them coffee mugs as well, because well, they like coffee. But after some investigating I thought it better to maybe step up my game. But I still went with a similar theme for their bridal shower gift.

 

 

Mr and Mrs Pilsner glasses from the shop Hummingbird Hill. Again, there are many shops that offer these, this was just the ones I liked best. I liked the font of these specific ones and the engraving.

 

Moving along... I mentioned that Rachel and Jake met traveling, and their first date was actually in Pennsylvania. But, Rachel is from Minnesota and Jake is from Florida. I'm actually pretty in love with the gift I got them for their wedding.

 

 

This is an 8x10 personalized print. (I still have to frame it) You have the opportunity to obviously choose the cities and states, the background color and add text if you'd like. The owner of the shop is also AMAZING to work with. She sends you proofs before they print and if you don't like it, you can change aspects of the print. The shop this comes from is Near and Dear Designs.

 

So there's some of my favorite wedding gifts I've gotten people. Like I said, I think its so much more fun to do these things than getting them a toaster from their registry.

 

What are you favorite gifts to give at weddings?

 

Until Next Time,

XOXO

Belle

 

 

Music Monday: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis- White Walls

I've wanted to post this song for a couple of weeks, but, I had other songs lined up before I found out they were releasing this video. The song wasn't supposed to be released until October 8, 2013. Obviously that isn't the case. 

"White Walls" is the 6th single off of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' album "The Heist." The video was released September 9th, 2013, so almost a month before it was allegedly supposed to hit mainstream radio. However, I've already heard it on some radio stations. 

The song, if you haven't caught on, is about a Cadillac. 

We all know that he can be serious and influential with a lot of his songs, but then he's got others like "White Walls" that bring a new sense of humor to hip hip music. I'm also a big fan of how Ryan Lewis mixes songs and the progression of the music within a single song. 

Anyway, I'm rambling. If you haven't heard this yet, take a listen. 

Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Music Monday: Coldplay- Atlas

Coldplay is a British rock band formed in 1996 by lead singer Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland while they were at University College London. Their band name has changed multiple times until finally going by Coldplay in 1998.
They've had much success and have won many awards for their music.

Coldplay released their most recent single "Atlas" on September 6th, 2013. "Atlas" will be featured on the upcoming "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" soundtrack.

Check the lyric video out.



Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Anchor Wall Art

Considering I'm moving into a new place soon. I've decided to do a nautical theme (yeah I know, real original). But I don't want it to look like a beach house at all. 

Anywho, anchors have become a pretty big deal lately.  Crafts Direct's inspired me by posting this to their Pinterest. 

Here's the link to their project sheet: http://craftsdirect.com/project/anchor-canvas

I obviously knew they had the vinyl there. So I picked that up in addition to a canvas and some grey and blue paint. 

Also, I decided to get chevron painter's tape, which I picked up at Menards. 

My first step was to paint the canvas grey. 

I let that dry, and put the tape on. 

Then, I painted over the exposed. (Totally messy, I know)

Peeled off the tape....

Looking pretty awesome, right?

And then applied the vinyl.

And.....

Voila!!!!

I apologize for the mess around the pictures, its been kinda crazy around here! 

Anyway, I'm not going to lie, I'm a pretty big fan my new wall art!!! 

Until next time, 

XOXO

Belle

Music Monday: Capital Cities- Kangaroo Court

The duo Capital Cities, which actually met via Craigslist, hails from Los Angeles, CA. Their debut album, "In a Tidal Wave of Mystery" was released June 4, 2013 underneath Capitol Records. They are most known for their single "Safe and Sound".

In addition to "Safe and Sound", "Kangaroo Court" was initially released off their self titled EP over a year ago.

The video however, was just released September 5th, 2013. And it features one of my favorite people, Darren Criss.


Take a Listen.


Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

A Saturday of thrifty finds.

My brother recently had surgery (due to a football injury) so my mom and I graciously made some freezer meals for him and met him and his girlfriend for lunch. On the way back home however, we saw excuses to stop and spend money, little money, at garage sales.

Now my grandmother trained me from a young age to shop thrifty. Not saying that I get all my clothes at Savers or anything, but I like stopping places to see what I "need" or just to find other odds and ends to be crafty with.

The main purpose of stopping today was to find some furniture for my new apartment. No such luck. I did however find some other neat things.

This super cute clutch was only 85 cents at a garage sale! I don't think the pictures does it justice, but its black with gold lace. In love!

 *picture no longer available*

My  next purchase comes from Goodwill, so I spent around $4 for this dark purple clutch. I liked the pop of color and its attached wrist strap. Its Target brand and snaps as well as zips close for added security. 

*picture no longer available*

And then this guy! $10 at a garage sale, barely used! I love that the straps unzip for use as a backpack. My camera bag that I have now is more of a cross body bag and can get very uncomfortable. This one has ample space and pockets for all my camera accessories.

*picture no longer available*

I couldn't forget about Miss Ellie, she got a bunch of stuffed animals to chew on and tear apart for 25 cents

>I also had my eye on some N*SYNC CDs, but one was missing from the case, and the other was scratched to high heaven. BUMMER!!

I'd say it was a pretty productive day. Well, except the part where I spent money instead of studying. I still have another day in the weekend, right?

Until next time, 

XOXO

Belle

Glee's Return

If you don't know, I'm kind of obsessed with Glee. Its one of the few shows I've watched from the very beginning. Even so, it is starting to get to that point where I roll my eyes and yell at the television sometimes with the way the storyline has been going. I think I solely watch it now to see Darren Criss every week. *swoon*

Here's Darren himself doing a short promo for the first episode of Season 5:

And just released.... the official Season 5 trailer!

So its Beatlemania! I'm actually surprised they haven't tackled this yet on the show. I'm excited and interested to see what the writers will do with this season based on the fact they didn't end it at the end of the school year but right after regionals. Not to mention, the unfortunate passing of Cory Monteith.  

What are your thoughts? Are you a Gleek?

Until next time, 

XOXO

Belle

Music Monday: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis- Same Love

Can I just tell you to go listen to every song this duo has made?

I never thought I would enjoy rap music, but Mr. Ben Haggerty, aka Macklemore, can change anyone's view. He doesn't rap about drugs and sex and booze like many rappers of today do. He has fun; rapping about thrift shops and dressing up like a makeshift royal, wanting to dance all night and have a really really really good time. With the guy's undeniable charisma he's pure gold using these songs as a gateway to others that tackle issues like consumerism, human rights, and his personal struggles with sobriety.

I think for today I'll be choosing "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Even though the song is the 4th single from the platinum album, "The Heist", the video was released after the 5th single "Thrift Shop" and previous to the 3rd single "Can't Hold Us," almost a year ago. (The 1st and 2nd singles were "My Oh My" and "Wings," respectively, if you're keeping track) "Same Love" recently won a MTV award for "Best Video with a Message" and has gained much media attention because of the issues it references. Not to mention it give me goose bumps every single time I hear it.

Take a Listen. And while you're at it, just go buy his music. Support the independent artist. And support one of the biggest voices of our generation, not to mention one the artists with the most integrity I've seen in a while. Did I mention he donates proceeds for some of his songs to charity? Yeah, purposeful music. 

Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Music Monday: Bruno Mars- Gorilla

I was lucky enough to score tickets (thanks to my best friend) to Bruno's "Moonshine Jungle" Tour this past July. It was one of the best performances I've seen. I saw this song performed on his tour, and its also on the CD; but Bruno debuted the song "Gorilla" last night at the MTV VMAs. The song comes from his 2nd album "Unorthodox Jukebox."

Take a listen.

The "Moonshine Jungle" wraps up in the US on Sept 1st, but continues in the UK as well as New Zealand and Australia well into 2014.

Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Cooking up Pad Thai

I love Asian food. Love. But considering most of it contains soy, the whole gluten free thing can prove somewhat difficult. I try to find things that I can make myself that are gluten free and don't cost an arm and a leg. A while ago I stopped by the GF section and found a pre-packaged Pad Thai deal. And I decided to try it. Did not realize how much I liked pad thai til then! 

Anywho, instead of buying the overly priced package that makes 3-4 servings every time, I decided to just buy the "ingredients" and make my own.

I got a box of rice noodles:

And found pad thai sauce at Cash Wise:

I had some stir fry vegetables in my freezer so I added those as well as a fried egg and chicken (You could do shrimp as well, just be careful not to overcook).
There was directions on the pre packaged box so I somewhat followed those.
Boil the noodles, and as that is happening fry up an egg and set it aside. Then in the same pan you can cook up the chicken as well as the vegetables. When the noodles are done you can put everything together and add some pad thai sauce (I did about a third of a cup) and some oil. Stir it around until it's all kind of soaked up. Super easy and super tasty!

 Nom, nom!

Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Music Monday: One Republic- Counting Stars

This weeks featured artist is One Republic. The band that calls Colorado home, originated in 1996 but didn't truly form until 2002. They were picked up and dropped by major music labels but after becoming wildly popular on Myspace, One Republic became the first rock band to be signed to Mosley Music Group.  Following this, the band was able to release their debut album Dreaming Out Loud in 2007 and made radio history with their first single "Apologize", receiving the largest amount of air plays in one week.

The song "Counting Stars" is the 3rd single off their 3rd album Native. Even though their previous singles from this album ("Feel Again" and "If I Lose Myself") are huge hits, it's "Counting Stars" that makes its mark with me. The song has kind of an electronic folk sound mixed with a little Latin influence. (That flute!)


One Republic will be kicking off a co-headlining tour with Sara Bareilles on Aug 29th.

Take a listen. And I'd love to know what music genres and influences you hear in the song!




Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

The Last SunSoaker Thursday.

You might know by now that I'm a pretty big fan of Cities 97. And every summer they do these free concert things at lakeside bar and grills. For ten years they were known as Oake on the Water, until Brian Oake started doing the morning show and relinquished the duties to one Paul Fletcher. These shindigs are now referred to as SunSoaker Thursdays.

My friend Jessica and I try our very bests to go to as many as possible, or at least the ones in Minnetonka. :)

SunSoakers are probably one of the greatest things of the summer. You get to see free music in a great setting and see some of your favorite artists.  Some featured this summer were Delta Ray, Amos Lee, Matt Hires, Tyrone Wells, Quietdrive and many others. One of my favorites discoveries played on my birthday weekend, The Wild Feathers. Here's one of their videos. 

Well, this Thursday was the last Sunsoaker of the season. It was an amazing turn out and they really went out with a bang. I even got retweeted by Cities 97. 

*sorry for the mini fangirl sesh*

So if you didn't make it out to a SunSoaker Thursday, there's always next year! 

And I for one can't wait. Thanks for an awesome summer. 

Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Etsy Find- Dog Collars

Truth be told, if I'm not on Pinterest, I'm on Etsy. It's such a great place to find quality one of a kind items. Especially when I know I can't make it myself! I do a lot of shopping for gifts on the site, but my most recent obsession is finding cute dog accessories!! My dog is way too spoiled. 

Thanks to Danes and Divas, I found a super cute collar.

However, I wasn't a fan of the pink or olive interior. And Ellie's neck was a bit too big for the sizes they are made in. 

But! They do custom ordering! So I was thrilled when I got this in the mail:

They ship from Canada and it only took about a week to get here. They offer so many options and I love that they are willing to give you exactly what you want. 

So, if your looking to add some flair to your puppy's wardrobe, please check out Danes and Divas!

P.S. I think it looks really good on Ellie. :)

Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

A Follow Up...

Thanks to the Cities 97 morning show with Oake and Keri, I found this!! 

Figured it was a good follow up to Music Monday. 

Walk off the Earth covering Lorde's Royals. 

Enjoy!

Until next time, 

XOXO

Belle

Music Monday: Lorde- Royals

I decided to try Music Monday. I'll post a song that's been either stuck in my head, influential or just a song that's new to me each week.

So this week, its Lorde's Royals. She's a 16 year old UK artist (well from New Zealand) and just released an EP back in March.

Take a listen.



Until next time,
XOXO
Belle

Bulletin Board craft

I've always been a big fan of crafting. With social networks like Pinterest, its opened a world of sharing ideas and connecting with my favorite craft stores. 

I decided to make this bulletin board. 

Crafts Direct provides the idea and you can get the project sheet here.

So I traveled to the Crafts Direct to pick up the materials, and added a bit of my own flair. 

I'm really excited to put this to use!

Until next time,
XOXO
Belle