Tag Archives: music

5 Below Finds

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5 Below Finds

Hello! As you all know, I am freaking obsessed with 5 Below and go there fairly frequently. It’s the perfect spot to pick up treats for my nieces, myself, and honestly anyone when I see something that reminds me of them! The prices are just too good to pass up and I’m genuinely amazed by the quality of everything that I have purchased from there. During one of my last trips, I couldn’t resist a new K-Pop Demon Hunters crop top for myself as well as a Britney Spears T-shirt for my sister. Unfortunately, the shirt didn’t work for her but it SO works for me! Check it out:

The K-Pop Demon Hunters crop featuring Rumi is basically the same K-Pop crop I already have from 5 Below with a different pattern. That was A-okay by me because my other crop top is just the best. It fits like a glove, is soft as can be, and shows off my shape without being too tight. I was so excited to find the Rumi one because I already knew that it was going to work and I loved rocking it on a mini golf outing last weekend. I always have to rep my Huntrix girls and 5 Below is the spot to find all of the K-Pop swag. They are constantly releasing new clothing and I am constantly SO there for it! ❤

And, of course, we have Queen B. My beloved Britney Spears. The sweetest angel in all of the land. My sister and I grew up on Britney Spears and she was and always will be our favorite. There is nothing toxic about this T although it features lyrics from her banger! It is just pure pop amazingness! I am so blessed to add another Britney Spears top to my wardrobe as I only have one other one and it was lonely lol. While I am sad that this top didn’t work out for my sis, I am sort of happy that it wound up with me… I was kicking myself in the butt for not buying two of them so all’s well that ends well. 😀

Need a pick me up? 5 Below. Need to find what you didn’t know you needed to begin with? 5 Below. I love that damn store!!

What is your favorite discount store? Who is your favorite pop princess? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Random 5 Below Finds

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Random 5 Below Finds

Hi there! Johnny and I delight in being the fun aunt and uncle and love spending time with our nieces. This past weekend we took our middle niece out for a special morning before meeting up with her big sis, mama, and their Uncle Andrew to see the new Mario movie. Our little was so sad she couldn’t join us for her sister’s birthday treat day and we promised to take her on a solo outing ASAP. Before the movie we shopped till we dropped at 5 Below, visited the animals at Petsmart, and went to Mickey D’s for lunch and Play Place time. It was a blast!

At 5 Below we let her pick out anything and everything and got some treats for ourselves and her sisters too. It was a full fledged shopping spree! As you all know, I loves me some 5 Below and just couldn’t say no to the following:

I saw the freaking hilarious Pitbull shirt the last time I was at 5 Below with a client. I was going to purchase it but they only had extra larges at the time. Am I a huge Pitbull fan? Isn’t everyone secretly? Lol I will be the first to admit that he has some straight BANGERS! During this shopping trip I was so happy to see that the sizes were restocked and I just had to get it. How could I not when it was only five bucks?! Mr. 305 happens to be coming to my neck of the woods in September and I am SO trying to go. I already know exactly what top I’ll be wearing! 😀

And, of course, the K-Pop Demon Hunters sticker went into the cart immediately to decorate my laptop with. My nieces love that movie so much and I do too! We are always listening to the soundtrack together and singing and dancing like crazy. It’s just pure joy and I honestly tear up every time I hear Golden because it makes me think of them. I adore the Huntrix girls and now I get to see them every morning when I work from home. This was the very last K-Pop Demon Hunters sticker on the shelves so we visited 5 Below at the perfect time. Great success!

These Random 5 Below Finds featured two very different musicians for sure. Future Mr. Worldwide/Huntrix collab? I think YES!

What is your favorite song from K-Pop Demon Hunters? How about Pitbull (lol)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Funko Pop Haul

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Funko Pop Haul

Hi!! A few weekends ago I attended Akron Comicon with Johnny and my big bro. It is our tradition to go together and we look forward to it every year! Akron Comicon is the place to be to celebrate any and all fandoms, meet new friends, and shop til you drop. From walls of Lego Minifigs to outstanding artwork and collectables of all kinds, it is so much fun to walk through the vendors peddling their wares. One of the stands was selling Funko Pops for half off which was SUCH a steal and we ended up walking away with four more to add to our collection. Check it out:

Our haul definitely erred on the side of Christmas with a side of music for good measure. I was absolutely elated when Johnny found Luke Spiller, the front man of The Struts. This is one I have coveted for a while as they are one of our favorite bands and we were lucky enough to see them in Cleveland this past August. Experiencing The Struts live was one of our bucket list concerts and it was unforgettable. I still can’t quite believe it and our new Funko is such a fantastic nod to our big night out. ❤

On a polar opposite note, the remainder of our haul paid homage to our all time favorite Christmas movies. Ever since Johnny and I started dating, it is our tradition to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol together every Christmas. I am treated to a concert starring Johnny as he knows every song by heart. I must say, last year’s performance was probably the best one yet and we were both impressed with his character voice work lol. There is nothing humbug about our new Scrooge Funko, though! How cute is that?! It even comes complete with his first gift he received – a red scarf. :*)

Last but not least was our little pride and joys from Jingle All The Way. This is not just a Christmas movie to us but a year round flick and we must watch it at least ten times per year. We love an Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle and this one holds strangely sentimental sentiments. When Johnny and I had our first conversation on Facebook Messenger, I scrolled through his page and saw that the only thing he posted in literal months was a video of the “Put the cookie down – NOW!” scene. It really humored me and I knew he was a keeper! Also we just LOVE that Howard As Turbo Man is holding a little Turbo Man Funko!! 😀

This Funko Pop Haul was a collection of a few of our favorite things and we got them for a steal. You can’t beat that!

Do you collect anything? Do you have any Funko Pops? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Polka Premiere

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Polka Premiere

Hello! My Johnny and I absolutely LOVE Polka music and are lucky enough to be dear friends with the singer and accordionist from the Chardon Polka Band, Jake. For those of you who are not hip, the Chardon Polka Band is one of the best touring Polka parties all across America. Johnny used to play shows with them way back in the day and I have known them through work for the past decade. It is so exciting to watch them live out their Polka dreams and we just adore them!

The Chardon Polka Band has a phenomenal show that airs nationally on PBS called The World According To Polka and its third season premiere was this past Friday. Over one year ago, Jake contacted us asking if Johnny might play some tunes on their very first episode that revolves around trains. We were thrilled and took a drive to a historic village in Burton, Ohio to record his part of the episode. Take a look and be sure to peep my TikTok for some snippets:

As it has been a phat minute since then we honestly kind of forgot about it lol. Until we received an email inviting us to the season premiere party at the PBS station in Kent, Ohio. The festivities were this past Thursday and it was a blast!! Johnny and I went out for a celebratory dinner at a super cool restaurant down the road from the station called Mike’s Place. We enjoyed every bite of our meals and rolled into the shindig both stuffed with food AND feelings!

At the party, we got to mingle with all of our friends from the Chardon Polka Band, PBS employees, musicians, and diehard Polka enthusiasts. There were pretzels and pierogies, dancers, and Dyngus Day Festival character actors and the station was radiating with pure joy. After we got settled into the auditorium, it was time for the show to begin. It started with some clips of all of the great work that PBS does in our local community and then Jake took the stage to speak about what the Chardon Polka Band has been up to and presented a larger than life trailer of The World According To Polka. We were then treated to a viewing of the first episode of their new music education show on PBS and the season premiere of The World According To Polka with my Johnny.

The Polka Train episode was so wonderful from start to finish. The Chardon Polka Band visited several train related locations in Northeast Ohio. This included a model train museum, a one eighth scale train ride in a Metro Park, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and the last stop in Burton where we filmed. Seeing Johnny on screen was simply amazing and I was so incredibly proud of him. He gave extensive knowledge to the two songs they were performing together and why the train motif was so popular in music upon its invention. Johnny played guitar and sang in both songs and when each of them were over the whole audience went wild. Everyone sitting by us acted like they were sitting by a celebrity and it was just so freaking cool! ❤

Being able to take part in this season premiere party was such a gift. The Chardon Polka Band does so much good everywhere they go and we are so thankful that Johnny got to share in that. Be sure to tune into The World According To Polka every Friday on PBS and give the Chardon Polka Band a listen. You will love them as much as we do!

Has something exciting happened to you recently? What is your favorite show on PBS? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

“Weird Al”: Bigger & Weirder Concert

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“Weird Al”: Bigger & Weirder Concert

Hello! “Weird Al” Yankovic is a beloved favorite to me, Johnny, and my big brother Andrew and has been since childhood. Whenever he comes to the greater Akron area, it is an absolute must for us to see him and we were lucky enough to be at his Bigger & Weirder tour at Blossom Music Center this past Saturday. This is the third time I have seen “Weird Al” live and this was my favorite show, hands down. His opening act, Puddles Pity Party, was hilarious and Al’s set was a celebration of all of the fun and laughter he has gifted to the world for so many years. I’m still on cloud nine from it! Let’s discuss further:

Our night at Blossom began with the traditional long journey from the parking lot to the venue. Once we arrived, we had time to snag some shirts and make our way to a good spot. At Blossom you can either be in the pavilion or posted up on the lawn. I always like to go to the barricades that separate the two areas for the best view and we got ourselves a spot there smack dab in the middle. It was perfect! By the time we were settled, it was about seven fifteen and Puddles Pity Party promptly took the stage at seven thirty. We had no idea who or what this act was going to be but were hooked as soon as he made his entrance.

Puddles Pity Party is a one man show where he is dressed as a clown and sings the most gorgeous operatic music you will ever hear. It is such a strange juxtaposition but it works so very well. His performance also included excellent media including a “Cry Cam” and a moving montage of Kevin Costner as Puddles belted My Heart Will Go On. His set featured renditions of Come Cry With Me, Crazy Train, and Estoy Sentado Aqui. Our favorite had to have been Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin To Talk About because funnily enough, I just purchased wall art with the exact same sentiments! He was such a fabulous opener for “Weird Al” and when we got home, Johnny and I watched Puddles Pity Party perform on America’s Got Talent. It was so crazy to watch that when we literally had just laughed and cried with him!

After Puddles Pity Party got us all warmed up, we were ready for the big show and “Weird Al” didn’t disappoint. In fact, he played SO. Many. of our personal favorite songs that it felt like he made the set list exclusively for us. He opened with Tacky which was really cool because that’s what he started the show with the first time we saw him live. From there, he continued to deliver heavy hitters like Fat, Eat It, Dare to Be Stupid, eBay, Everything You Know Is Wrong, Like a Surgeon, Word Crimes, and so much more. His performance was high energy and everyone in the crowd was laughing, dancing, and singing our hearts out. It was the most amazing night and we still can’t quite believe we got to be there and hear a set that felt like we planned it. ❤

If “Weird Al” ever comes to your area, seeing him live is a complete must. I can’t wait for him to return to Akron so I can experience the magic for the fourth time!

What is your favorite “Weird Al” song? What was the last concert you went to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Why Do Live Performances Hit Different Than Streaming?

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Why Do Live Performances Hit Different Than Streaming?

Live performances are among the most unique and exciting adventures you can have. No matter what you enjoy, from stage plays to rock concerts, no streaming channel can match what being there offers. From sensory engagement to unpredictability, here are some examples:

With the rise of streaming services, it’s easy to forget the unique experience of attending a show. What’s better, relaxing on the couch and pressing a button, or planning, booking with Broadway.com, and venturing out on a trip? The convenience of streaming has its benefits. But there is nothing like experiencing a live performance, even if you do it only once. Nothing compares to the overall adventure of seeing musical idols, stunning plays, and comedians right before your very eyes. And, of course, we can’t forget the amazing magicians who leave audiences wondering just how in the world they did that. Magic shows are a delight to the senses and can provide for a totally unique experience. If you are interested in seeing fantastic feats beyond slight of hand, simply enter a search for “Pigeon Forge Magic Show” (or your local area). An outing like this will be just as fun for children as it is for adults and will certainly be a show that you can’t stop talking about!

Just being in the same space as a performer you love creates a tangible experience that brings the senses to life. The sound, sights, and even smells of a packed auditorium are like nothing you can get at home. Adding to the excitement is the energy of the crowd, which makes a significant contribution to the experience. Through light, sound, and smell, your brain creates powerful memories connected to emotions that will typically last for the rest of your life.

In 2024 alone, Ticketmaster sold 637 million tickets. It’s safe to say live performances are alive and well, and whether you enjoy stage plays like Hamilton or want to rock out at an AC/DC concert, you can only get the connection you crave from a live show, and not a TV channel:

  • Performers will usually interact with the audience in a direct manner.
  • The experience feels more personal and conversational because of this.
  • Being among an excited crowd provides more energy and electrifies a performance.

While stage shows and artists might tour with a set of performances, every show is unique. There are many variables that can impact a show directly, making each experience different from the last. Improvisation, audience participation, and surprising moments can make a show memorable. Singers might begin to sing in a different key than usual, actors can bring an audience member on stage, and an unexpected event can cause the show to change to a once in a lifetime memory.

The vivid sensory experience of a live performance is unlike anything else. Because of this, the emotions attached to it while you are there become much more pronounced, and this forges solid memories. More than a studio production, a live show has the power to evoke an even deeper emotional response due to the unfiltered energy that a band, singer, or actor exudes over the crowd. What makes it even more special is that that moment will never happen again.

The adventure and experience are why live performances deliver something no streaming platform can. Go to a show and have the time of your life!

Featured Image By: Pexels

The Struts Concert

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The Struts Concert

Hello! This past Tuesday I got to recelebrate my birthday with Johnny’s gift – seeing Dirty Honey and The Struts at the House Of Blues! As soon as I saw that The Struts were coming our way for their tenth anniversary tour of their debut album, Everybody Wants, I told Johnny that was the gift for me and he delivered! We had the absolute best time rocking out and dancing the night away to one of our favorite bands and new favorite too. Dirty Honey freaking ruled! Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

After a fantastic dinner at Barrio for the most delicious tacos ever, Johnny and I headed to the House Of Blues which is my all time favorite venue. It’s rather small and provides ample opportunity to get up close and personal at the stage and it is just so freaking cool! After paying an arm and a leg for insanely overpriced drinks, we were able to squeeze our way through to the front of the right stage wing and had a phenomenal view of the bands. This was super lucky because by the time we got to the venue after dinner it was jam packed with fans!

Rather than listen to Dirty Honey prior to the concert, we decided the first time we hear them should be live and that was an excellent decision. They were So. So. SO. Good!! Dirty Honey was serving MAJOR Led Zeppelin vibes but they did it in their own way. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Greta Van Fleet but let’s be real – they could simply be a Led Zeppelin cover band. Dirty Honey just oozed pure rock n’ roll sex appeal in a way that felt so vintage but fresh and new. We’re talking killer riffs, thumping bass, and the voice of Marc Labelle that would make Robert Plant oh so proud. From gravel lows to the highest of highs, his voice was carved by the rock gods and Johnny and I were mesmerized. If they come to your neck of the woods, I cannot recommend checking them out enough and you can thank me later. 🙂

Very shortly after Dirty Honey completed their set, the night kept on rocking with The Struts. It was very exciting when they took the stage because I have a big fat crush on Luke Spiller and it’s wild to see your celebrity crushes IRL. I just love his fashion and voice and he really is a pint sized power house! Taking a trip down memory lane with The Struts as they revisited their debut album was such a treat because it’s just banger after banger. We’re talking “It Could Have Been Me”, “Kiss This”, “Put Your Money On Me”, “She Makes Me Feel”, and “Where Did She Go” – just to name a few. It was amazing to hear It Could Have Been Me live because that will always be my favorite as it was the first song by The Struts Johnny ever played for me. ❤

The band’s energy from start to finish was captivating and it was impossible to not dance your ass off and sing your heart out. Spiller was flitting about the stage at rapid speed giving ALL of the drunk aunt feels and I was living for it. It’s always interesting to see how a band compares live to their albums and I think The Struts sounded even better live. It was so real and hearing the songs not sound as studio album perfect only enhanced the glam rock party atmosphere of their music. This concert really was a party and it wasn’t over until The Struts said so. We were gifted with a four song encore including their rendition of “We Will Rock You”, “Body Talks”, “Pretty Vicious”, and “One Night Only” to wrap the show in the most wonderful bow. 20/10 one of the best nights ever!

The Struts have been on my concert bucket list for a good long while and everything about the night exceeded my expectations. Shout out to my main squeeze for such a perfect gift! ❤

Have you seen The Struts or Dirty Honey before? What did you think of their performance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson Concert

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Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson Concert

Howdy!! This past weekend, Johnny and I checked off another concert on our summer lineup list. It was Outlaw Fest at Blossom Music Center and Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson were performing. We were supposed to see Willie Nelson at Blossom during the pandemic and had to skip on it so we were so happy to have been able to make up for it. I mean… kind of? Because the night definitely didn’t go accordingly to plan and it was basically one of the wildest nights out I’ve had since the after party at our wedding lol. Take a look at some pics that I don’t even remember a random stranger taking and let’s discuss:

Like any big event, the concession prices at Blossom are absolutely insane. To remedy that, literally everyone going to a show there pregames in a great big parking lot tailgate. Johnny and I got to the show with about an hour to kill, White Claw ready to go, and we posted up in the trunk of our car to sip away. As we were having our trunk time, a young couple who went with family across the way approached us to talk about our tattoos and they became our instant BFFs. We were chatting up a storm and, eventually, the entire family joined us. They were absolutely hilarious and we spent our pregame in stitches together. We were having so much fun that I don’t think any of us noticed we were all getting a fair bit tipsy.

Once we all felt good and ready to head into the venue, we did so as a team and found a nice, shady spot to watch from. We couldn’t see anyone on the stage, but we could hear the music and that was perfectly fine. Besides, Johnny and I were DEEPLY invested in conversation at this point. You guys, I kid you not, Johnny and I held individual sidebars with every single member of the family. Lol, they came to us with their complaints, we essentially gave them the “you have to get your ish together” motivational speech and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the mother’s daughter’s boyfriend would get a job and a license. We stepped into our roles as therapist beautifully and hope for nothing but the best!

Once Johnny and I had our fill of other people’s problems, I REALLY needed the bathroom so he waited for me while I did my thang. When I emerged from the facilities, I found Johnny standing there with two mixed drinks that featured a commemorative plastic pink cowboy hat. Lol he just couldn’t help himself! At this point, I was gone to the wind (Johnny was responsible because he was driving!) and we broke free from the family therapy session. We had been outside in ninety plus degree temps for close to four hours, Willie Nelson was going to be on soon, and we wanted to be able to fully enjoy it.

From what I recall and the poorly shot videos on my phone, both Willie and Bob tore it up. Those senior citizens still sound great!! Also, I was a little busy while Willie was playing because I ended up somehow with a new job perspective lol? One of the people we were standing by needed some social media assistance and we exchanged information! The night just kept getting better and better and I joked that Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan were simply our background music for the evening. By the time the show was over, we were totally and completely beat but it was so worth it for a whole lot of fun!

When we drove to the concert, we were not expecting for our night to transpire the way it did. It was, however, a memory (Or lack thereof!) for the ages!!

What is the craziest night out you have ever had? Are you going to any concerts this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New & Improved Concert Lineup

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New & Improved Concert Lineup

Hello!! During the pandemic, Johnny and I had a plethora of concerts that we were going to attend but, sadly, couldn’t. One of the most painful losses was easily not seeing My Chemical Romance for their reunion tour and I am still Not Okay about it! While it was a bummer to forego all of these shows and experiences and basically eat my money, I am so happy that Johnny and I are making up for it this summer. We have already seen AC/DC and will be seeing Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson next weekend and Weird Al in September. But wait! There’s more!!

For my birthday, I was surprised by not one but two sets of tickets. For my gift, Johnny ordered us two tickets to see The Struts for their tenth anniversary tour at the House of Blues. We are avid fans of The Struts and to make it even better, they are playing at my favorite venue! I have seen countless shows at the House of Blues and they have always been some of my favorite concerts. It is a smaller venue and gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with the stage. It makes for such an exciting evening and being in such close proximity to your favorite musicians is intoxicating. I have been dropping helpful hints that I would love to see The Struts since I learned that they were coming to Cleveland and I am so happy Johnny caught on. 😀

Not only did Johnny gift me with concert tickets, but my beloved big sis did too. We recently learned that Lil Wayne was coming to Blossom Music Center and I let Kristen know but we didn’t do anything with that information. This was okay because I actually saw Lil Wayne at Blossom Music Center when I was a teenager (I definitely sneaked out to see that show!). I had kind of forgotten about his upcoming show because I assumed we weren’t going. Then, Kristen texted me with the most beautiful sentiment I ever read on my birthday: “Do you have tickets to Lil Wayne?” I was on cloud nine and Kristen, my brother-in-law, and I will have a banner night on the town. So nice, I’ll see him twice and I can’t wait for my belated birthday outing!

This was a musical birthday, indeed, and I am so excited to make so many amazing concert memories this summer with all of my favorite people!

Are you going to any concerts this summer? Who would you love to see live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Birthday Partay OOTD Bloopers

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Birthday Partay OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Birthday Partay OOTD! Johnny and I had a banner birthaversary week and the good times are going to keep rolling. We recently went to see AC/DC in Cleveland which was phenomenal and we have another concert on the horizon in the next few weeks: Outlaw Fest where Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan will be headlining! We had so many amazing concerts lined up during the pandemic that we had to forego and we are certainly making up for it this summer. Let’s take a look at some yikes shots and discuss a lil funny from my last nail appointment:

In my head, all of the adults who I interact with are my age. However, there are instances when it becomes glaringly obvious that that is, in fact, not accurate lol. Take my nail techs, for example. Both of my go to girls are at least five or six years younger than me and you could have knocked me over with a feather when I made that revelation. As per ushe, I forgot immediately until my last appointment when we were discussing summer concerts. I was telling my gals about mine and Johnny’s lineup and mentioned that we were seeing Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan in a few weeks. I kid you not both of them replied “who?” at the exact same time and my worldview was shattered.

As a forever young thirty-one year old, I kind of assumed that everyone knew of Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. A movie about the latter just came out this past year! I rarely feel old but, in that moment, I felt ancient! Honestly, this concert is more for Johnny. I love me some Willie but do not get down with Bob Dylan in the slightest. So, I just tried to explain them the best as I could to my techs. My response was “Willie Nelson is a super old country artist and Bob Dylan is just folksy BS” lol. Despite my excellent description, it still didn’t ring any bells!

It was seriously the cutest thing and humored me so much because I find myself asking the same questions when they tell me about the musicians they love or concerts they are going to. Hey, we all learn something new every appointment! It’s never not going to be fun or funny to try and describe artists to each other that we have no idea about. I get to teach them about what’s old and they get to teach me about what’s hip (Omg do I sound old lol). It’s a beautiful win/win scenario and I can’t wait to fill them in on my old timers concert at my next appointment! ❤

This new generation is A-okay in my book and no matter what your age is, you can always ALWAYS learn something new!

What is your summer concert lineup? Who is a beloved artist that you can’t stand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah