Tag Archives: music

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

Hello everyone and happy happy New Year!! I hope all of you are having a wonderful time ringing in 2017! I, for one, am so excited to push 2016 aside and begin a fresh new year both in my life and here on lifewithlilred. Despite the excitement and anticipation that comes with entering into a new year, I am pretty bad at celebrating it because I NEVER make New Year’s Resolutions!

Lol, I guess I figure that if I want to do something like exercise more or lose a couple of pounds, I will do it when I feel like it as opposed to feeling obligated to doing it for the new year. Instead, I just try to focus my energy on things like *trying* to be a nice, well rounded person while dedicating myself to things like my work, family, pets, volunteer work, and friends.

But, no matter which way you cut it, I think we all can agree that the new year is a perfect time to make improvements. Whether you’re about to hit the gym or stop binge drinking every Friday, Saturday, and Wednesday the new year is the time to bring about healthy changes and a new perspective in your life. For 2017, I encourage my beloved readers and blogging family to practice kindness to everyone that they encounter to do their share in making the world a somewhat more tolerable place! 🙂

Happy 2017, everyone! Enjoy the rest of the holiday season and your new year’s celebrations and also: BYE 2016, ya bish. What is your New Year’s Resolution for 2017? What was your favorite or least favorite part about 2016 (or both!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Now, enjoy some new year’s themed music by a few of my faves:

Becoming An Audiophile Without Breaking The Bank

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Becoming An Audiophile Without Breaking The Bank

If you’re a music lover, then a pair of headphones and a cheap mini speaker in the corner of the room isn’t enough for you. An audiophile wants real quality. In the past, that might have been super expensive, between all of the hardware and the music collection your heart desires. Nowadays, however, it doesn’t have to have anywhere near that kind of impact on your wallet. Here, we’ll look at how you can tune into your inner music lover for a lot less.

Go Digital: You no longer have to fuss about setting up a huge system including a CD player, all of the connectors, and loads of speakers. Nowadays, you only need the power of your digital devices like your laptop, smartphone, tablet, and the right musical devices to connect to it. To that end, you want to look at high-quality Bluetooth speakers from places like Speaker Digital. Not only are Bluetooth speakers easily connected to all of those digital devices, but they require minimal wiring so you can transport that music setup of yours around the home for when you want to jam to your favorite tunes in a different setting. Some of the best Bluetooth speakers are backward compatible, too. So if you do have a vinyl player or CD system you want to hook up, you’re perfectly welcome to.

Get Smart With Your Placement: You don’t have to go buy hundreds of speakers to get the best room-filling sound, either. One can be enough. It’s all about where you place it and how you equalize it. This might require a bit of testing, but if you’re diligent, you can find the right setting. Just make sure that your speaker is placed in the best position in the room, where it’s not being cut off by corners of bookshelves or furniture. You want the sound to have as clear of a path of travel as possible. To make sure you’re calibrated to all of the highs and lows of the music so that nothing overlaps or drowns out the other parts of your music, it’s a good idea to use a bit of classical music as you equalize. Most famous pieces are diverse enough to give you an idea of how clear you can hear the individual parts of the music.

Stream, Don’t Buy: If you haven’t started using digital streaming methods of listening to music now, then you truly are missing out. Services like Spotify can offer you a library of thousands of your favorite songs. Nowadays, there’s a diverse market of different streaming services, so it’s true that you might not find some of your favorites all together on any one service. But if you don’t mind mixing and matching, it’s way cheaper than collecting CDs and even digital albums. You might want to spend a bit to get the ads out of the way, but that’s a small price to pay in comparison to purchasing every CD that you want to own.

Between cutting down on those once monumental hardware costs to getting all of your favorite tracks for less, it’s significantly easier to get your perfect audio setup. Just keep in mind the rules of speaker placement for the best possible quality with no distortion or blockages.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

7 Secrets To Create A Spa Experience In The Comfort Of Your Home

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There is no denying it, at the end of the year, sometimes all you need to enjoy the holiday is to relax and feel good in your skin. Easier said than done, you may comment, and you would be completely right. As a modern society, it is becoming more and more difficult to be able to sit down, relax, and forget the everyday pressures of work, studies, and life in general.

While some rely on a night out with friends to get rid of the stress of the routine, others prefer to spend a day at the spa where they will be pampered and looked after. It’s not always easy to find the time to get to the spa, and it’s never 100% relaxing anyway: You are away from home and there’s the possible awkwardness of being surrounded by strangers wearing nothing but towels. So why not take the best of the spa experience and re-create it at home?

#1 Get The Best Hot Towels Experience:

The one thing that is common to every spa is the warm towels that the professionals use to wipe off excess product on your face. This immediately gives a delicious feeling of comfort and care, which helps you relax. If you think that this is impossible to achieve at home, think again. If you have a tumble dryer, you could wet your favorite towels and place them to dry for a few minutes before you start the spa treatment. Make sure that they are not fully dry when you stop the tumble dryer! They will be nice and warm on your face.

Alternatively, if this is not an option, you could soak your towels in hot water and wring them out until they are nearly dry. Let them stay slightly damp. To maximize the sensation, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the water to benefit from the aroma-therapeutic smells as you place the towel on your face.

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Warm towels are a spa must have!

#2 Relaxing Candles:

You can’t have a proper spa treatment under the harsh light bulbs of your bathroom. You need a soft and calming source of light, such as candles – especially scented ones that help to relax the mind. The light of candles has an immediate relaxing effect, its soothing dimness will ease your thoughts and get you in the spa mood in less time than you need to say ‘spa treatment.’ Choose your candle scents carefully because you don’t want something that smells so overpowering to the point that it’s unpleasant. Wellness candles that contain essential oil will have a positive impact on your mood: Lavender is a common choice, for example.

If candles aren’t your thing, there are countless other ways to help set the vibe. Aromatherapy diffusers, CBD gummies, or even a percolator bong can get you in a relaxed state of mind to fully enjoy your spa experience!

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Thomas Wanhoff Image

#3 Find The Right Music:

When you walk into a spa, you generally hear soft and quiet music such as bird songs, the sound of water, or a tranquil oriental piece. While you may not consciously register it, this music can slow down your mind and prepare you to enjoy your spa treatment. If you are one of those people who naturally find it difficult to relax at the end of a long day, you want all the help you can get to set the perfect mood for your spa experience. Finding a calming playlist, with slow tempo music, will help to reduce your blood pressure and let go of the stress that your day brought about.

#4 The Importance Of Massage:

A good massage is not only a relaxing experience, but it also contributes to your overall health. However, you will find it difficult to find a professional masseuse for your at home spa! You could find chairs on the market with heated roller heads that can prove incredibly relaxing, too. If you are not keen to invest in a new piece of furniture, you can still find a smart alternative that will be just as helpful, such as taking a warm bath to soothe your muscles.

#5 Use High-Quality Skincare:

Start your spa day with a facial mask to clear out your skin from all of the impurities that it could have gathered outside. You can decide to treat yourself to a high-quality skincare mask, with the advice of a skin expert. But, if you prefer the organic feel of a spa treatment, you can make your own facial mask by mixing one tablespoon each of turmeric, raw honey, and milk. Then, apply the thick mixture onto your face and leave it for about 10 to 15 minutes. The combined actions of the three ingredients – anti-inflammatory turmeric, anti-bacterial honey, and exfoliating milk – will leave your skin feeling clear and healthy.

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Ahhhhh 🙂

#6 Make The Most Of Essential Oils:

Essential oils are common in most spa locations and are used in a variety of treatments for their relaxing, exfoliating, and moisturizing properties. If you, too, want to follow the essential oil route, do make sure to choose only organic oils that will offer the best of the plants. While there are plenty of choices including luxurious blue lotus oil or invigorating citrus, lavender and eucalyptus are two favorites that you will find in most spas. The key when using essential oils is to remember not to apply them directly onto your skin. Instead, you could mix them to your bath water, for example, or soak a washcloth in a mix of water and a few drops of oil. You don’t need much to get the best of them, so make sure to be cautious when using them, as too much could harm your skin.

#7 Make It A Healthy Rendez-Vous With Yourself:

Finish your spa day at home with a healthy treat, such as a cup of fresh green tea, a berry smoothie, or maybe a matcha cupcake if you are feeling a little naughty. Also, do make sure that you are drinking plenty of fresh water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated. Remember that the spa day is about feeling good inside and out, and one of the best ways to do that is to stick to a healthy diet at the same time!

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Fresh Green Tea Leaves

The Top Ways Your Smartphone Could Be Entertaining You

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The Top Ways Your Smartphone Could Be Entertaining You

Almost everyone has a mobile phone these days. And of the people who have them, a smartphone is the popular choice. While some people choose simpler phones or don’t have one at all, smartphones are taking over. Many people who own a smartphone don’t use it to make calls too often. They might text and message on it as their main methods of communication. They also use it as a media center, from internet use to listening to music. Even if you use your phone every day, you might not be making the most of it. There are some great ways that it can entertain you and you might not even be using them.

Play Games: Playing games on smartphones is something people have been doing for a while now. Some of the most popular ones include Angry Birds or Candy Crush Saga. However, playing games on your smartphone doesn’t have to involve only small apps like these. With many smartphones, you can play games that are more sophisticated. If you want to play games on a smartphone, one with a larger screen will serve you well. You get a better picture, and it will be easier to control. You can also use your smartphone alongside your computer or console, such as with FIFA 17.

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 Pexels Image

Watch Movies: Many people are moving away from the traditional model of having a television with aerial, cable, or satellite reception. Fewer people own DVD players or similar machines, too. It has become more common to stream movies or to download them to either a storage device or the cloud. Smartphones are excellent for watching movies. You can use them to store them or find apps that allow you to stream them. There are some great apps that offer free movies for Android. With some of them, you can hook them up to Chromecast and similar devices to put them on a larger screen. You can also use your smartphone with a projector.

Learn New Skills: Smartphones don’t have to be all about passive entertainment. You can also engage in some apps that will improve your education. For example, you might want to learn a new language. There are lots of apps that you can choose from, several of which gamify the process of learning. Apps like Duolingo can help you to learn the fundamentals of a language, although you still have to use other materials.

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Be Your Music Library: Your phone can make a great music library, too. Many people don’t bother having a separate media player anymore. They can just put their music on their phone. And it’s easy to hook it up to speakers. You can put your phone in a speaker dock, use Bluetooth, or use Apple AirPlay to play music from your phone. The music doesn’t need to be on your phone, either. You can just use it to stream, assuming you have a decent internet connection.

Your phone could be much more useful than it currently is. Make sure you use it to its full potential to get your money’s worth.

Featured Image By: Public Domain Pictures

Got The X Factor? Tips On How To Break Into The Music Industry

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Got The X Factor? Tips On How To Break Into The Music Industry

Got The X Factor? Tips On How To Break Into The Music Industry:

Love it or loathe it, The X Factor is back on our TV screens, which means just one thing; it’s the first signs of winter! Well, actually it means a few other things too. Namely, some great talent mixed with some dodgy talent. And the raging debate of whether The X Factor is a credible show to be on if you’re serious about singing. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, if you read entertainment news, it’s going to be hard to escape The X Factor for the next couple of months. So, if you are interested in a professional music career, I’ve compiled a list of tips to help you on your way to getting a break. And better still, none of them include having to sing in front of Simon Cowell.

Know The Business: In the old days, you could just be a talented singer or musician and if you got on a record label, the company would do the rest for you. Since LP’s went out the window and new technology took over, this just isn’t the case anymore. These days you have to prove yourself as an artist before a record label will consider signing you. This means getting to know the business inside and out. Set up your own gigs at local venues, write your own songs, promote yourself across all online platforms and canvas the area with cheap business flyers uk (or your local area), and prove that you can produce an income from your music.

Create An Online Presence: One affordable way of marketing yourself and your music is to create an online presence. You can do this through YouTube or by setting up your own website. It is a crowded market, so you’ll also have to use social media, paid advertising, and SEO to make an impact. The best way to do this is to set up a professional website. There are many software packages out there that will enable you to do this in a relatively cheap way that still maintains a sleek and skilled look. 

Record and Create Your Own CD’s: If you’re performing in local pubs and venues, you will want to sell some of your merch. This is a great marketing opportunity. Invest in some time in a recording studio and you’re already setting yourself apart from the competition. Companies such as Nationwide Disc allow you to create stylish sleeves, wallets, and digipacks which will give you the competitive edge. These are ideal for handing out as promotions and selling at gigs. Investing in a professional photographer for a couple of hours will guarantee you get some stylish shots that you can use as artwork for your covers.

Get Your Music On Spotify: You don’t have to be a signed musician to get your music on Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon. In fact, they really like independent artists. Spotify has over 280+ million active monthly users so it’s one of the best marketing tools that you can implement. You can employ the services of a music distribution company to help get your music on Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes. If you are serious about becoming an artist, you’ll need to put in a lot of hard work. You’ll also need to be motivated and dedicated, not just to your talent but to the extra promotions that goes into making your music heard across the globe.

Where are all of my songbirds at? Feel free to provide the links to your work and Youtube channels in the comment section below! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image Provided By: Unsplash.com

The Happiness Tag

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The Happiness Tag

Hey everyone and happy Thursday! I was recently nominated by my friend, Ellen, over at eclecticellen for The Happiness Tag and I’m so excited because I’ve never been before. Everyone please give her blog some loving, it’s fabulous! Thanks, Ellen! I think that this tag is great because it will be an awesome reminder of things that make me smile when I’m feeling low. It’s always nice to take a minute and think about all of the good things in your life no matter how you’re feeling so it was such a treat to be able to make this post. Check out the rules and then let’s get started:

The Rules:

  • List 5 things that make you happy.
  • List 5 songs that make you happy.
  • Nominate 5 people to do this tag.
  • Smile while you write this post.

Five Things That Make Me Happy:

  1. Drinking coffee during lunch over the weekend with my parents.
  2. Getting straight A’s for days in school because I love having proof of how hard I work.
  3. That warm fuzzy feeling that I get when I think about my summer internship on my college campus. I’M SO EXCITED!!
  4. Reading before bed every night. I’m reading the final book of The Hunger Games series, Mockingjay, and I’m sad but happy to finish it!
  5. Spending time with my family, friends, boyfriend, and dogs! ❤

Five Songs That Make Me Happy:

  1. Beautiful Day by U2
  2. Fuckin Problems by A$AP Rocky, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and 2 Chainz 😉
  3. Lazaretto by Jack White
  4. I’ll Believe In Anything by Wolf Parade
  5. Clocks by Coldplay

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

Thank you so much again to Ellen for nominating me for my first Happiness Tag! This was such a fun post to do! And again, please be sure to check out Ellen’s blog! What makes you happy? What’s your favorite feel good song? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

John Patrick Halling

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John Patrick Halling

Hellooo everyone and welcome to a very special article on lifewithlilred about an extremely talented artist that I had the pleasure of getting to know, Kent, Ohio blues musician, John Patrick Halling. I was lucky enough to sit down for a chat with John Patrick about his most recent tour, his performance style, and some of the corniest jokes you’ll ever hear in your life.

Those who frequent my page will know that I have literally no talent for music. I can’t sing, I can’t play any instruments other than three songs on the guitar, and I also have cried during every concert I’ve ever attended – but that’s neither here nor there. What I’m getting at is that I LOVE talking with musicians because they are skilled at something that I wish I could do. John Patrick was no exception. He was humble and genuine with the quick wit of a seasoned performer. Take a look at part of the interview conducted by yours truly and listen along to the songs we discuss on his website.

Our chat began with some rapid fire questions about John’s most recent two month musical excursion, his Boy in the Water US tour, so let’s get to it:

  • Lil Red: What was your favorite place you traveled to?
  • John Patrick Halling: Well I’m from Kansas City, so playing there was a lot of fun. I loved Asheville, North Carolina which was a cool little hippie city, and Boulder, Colorado too.
  • LR: What was your favorite tourist activity you did?
  • JPH: I liked trying all of the different foods and craft beers, sight seeing, and hiking! I hiked ten to twelve national parks. For two weeks of my travels I hiked from Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon.
  • LR: Favorite restaurant?
  • JPH: Oh, what was it’s name? The Mellow Mushroom. It was in the south. It was wood fired pizzas, there was a lot of vegan and vegetarian options, and a bunch of stuff on the walls…Not in the TGIFridays or Applebee’s way, in the cool way. The Mexican food in New Mexico and Arizona was also out of this world. (So jealous, mama loves Mexican food!)
  • LR: Favorite venue?
  • JPH: It was called the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, West Virginia. This place was cool because it had a hostel built into the venue where the performers could stay as well as a crowd that was pretty much built in too from all of the tourists and locals.
  • LR: Where would you like to go again?
  • JPH: Everywhere! Wyoming was beautiful and it was filled with the nicest people – they were exactly how you would picture people from Wyoming to be, in the best way possible. I am bummed that I didn’t make it out west, though.
  • LR: How many shows did you play?
  • JPH: Around thirty…I played to a few empty coffee shops. I also performed at open mics and found a few good places on the streets where I would set up shop and play. Pearl Street in Boulder was great for that and so was San Antonio and Asheville.
  • LR: How many miles did you travel?
  • JPH: I traveled 12,000 miles in two months. But 2,000 of those miles was probably me driving around not knowing where I was going. My GPS system broke down halfway through the trip so I had to buy a road map, which was actually hard to find. I had to map out my routes and rough it and if all else failed, I still had my phone! Being on the road is a glamorous thing.

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^^^ Pictured above: John striking a pose in the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming as well as a scenic pic he snapped while driving into Kansas City.

After having a spitfire session about the Boy in the Water tour, John and I moved on to discussing his music, his style, and his future plans for his career. Please don’t think that I use the word spitfire lightly, either. All of the questions above were asked and answered in a little over five minutes. Everyone tells me that I’m a very fast talker and I met my match with John Patrick! Turn his music up and let’s move on:

  • LR: Where did the title for your album Boy in the Water come from? Are you part merman?
  • JPH: Well now the secrets out! I tried a lot of different titles but they were all basic and boring. My cousins and I are big fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and in one of the opening scenes Elizabeth is standing on a boat and she sees Will Turner flailing in the ocean and she says “there’s a boy in the water”. So the album title is a tip of my cap to my family as well as whatever metaphorical symbolism it might mean.
  • LR: What was the first song you learned on the guitar?
  • JPH: “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream and some Lynyrd Skynyrd songs. Since we’re sitting in a Starbucks, I like my coffee how I like my Eric Clapton greatest hits albums, with a little bit of Cream in it!
  • LR: I was a fan of your Hawthorne Heights reference in “If I Would’ve Known”, who are some of your musical influences?
  • JPH: Everything. Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Hendrix. I grew up on 90’s country. I had a Rasta phase in high school where I listened to a lot of Bob Marley. I had my punk phase where I played a bunch of Blink, Simple Plan, and Green Day.
  • LR: Your lyrics are very poetic, have you always liked to write or was that a talent you didn’t know you had?
  • JPH: A little bit of both. I loved history and English classes which involved a lot of writing. I was also always a performer because I’m the middle child who was always striving for attention! I was very into theater in high school and played in quite a few different bands so I think all of these things helped develop my writing style.
  • LR: I thought it was interesting how in “Siren Song” you portrayed the devil as a woman. Is that based on a particular situation?
  • JPH: Kind of, but it also goes back to mythology in general when mermaids would sing their siren songs to tempt men. Women have always been men’s number one vice, asides from beer and cigarettes. But I also feel like I lose myself in relationships very easily. I try to change myself for the person and make myself into what they want me to be instead of finding someone who accepts me for my vices…If that makes sense.
  • LR: It makes perfect sense. Because I have a lot of fashion bloggers tuning in, how would you describe your look when you’re playing a show?
  • JPH: I wear whatever doesn’t smell. No, I’m a big hat guy, I have three or four wide brimmed Brixtons and Stetsons that I love. I also wear a lot of boots. You’ll never see me in shorts though, I’m always in jeans…I woke up like this.
  • LR: You should be a comedian if your music career falls through.
  • JPH: I actually love telling jokes on stage. Why does Peter Pan always fly? Because he never lands. That joke never gets old. It’s got a good hook to it.
  • LR: So where do you see John Patrick Halling one year from now?
  • JPH: Hopefully on the road again. I’d like to start recording a new album in January or February and be out on another tour by August. I have about ten to fifteen songs to narrow down so I’m still deciding on if it will be an album or an EP.
  • LR: And finally, does the drinking ever end in downtown Kent?
  • JPH: Not when you’re drinking with your friends!

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^^^ Pictured above: Sporting a signature hat in Asheville, North Carolina and a view of the picturesque Arches National Park in Utah. (Can we just talk about how the sky in both pictures looks like something out of a story book? So amazing.)

Are you a fan of John Patrick Halling? You can reach out to him by:

  • Liking his page on Facebook
  • Following him on Twitter
  • Following him on Instagram
  • Emailing him at: johnpatrickhalling@yahoo.com

You can also listen to the album Boy in the Water on all of the following mediums:

I really can’t begin to tell you guys how much I enjoyed my time with the fantastic John Patrick Halling. The pleasure was truly all mine and I can’t wait to see him perform in the near future! Do you have any questions for John Patrick? What is your favorite song off of his album Boy in the Water? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Detroit Trip

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My Detroit Trip

Hi everyone and a very happy Tuesday to you! Last Friday I took a little road trip to Detroit, Michigan with my Uncle Ray as a favor to him. My uncle is a total car guy and he needed a wing girl so he could drop his car off at Monkey Wrench Racing to get some work done on his whip. I told him I was up for the journey and even though my day was filled with a lot of driving, it was still a lot of fun!

My uncle and I departed for our adventure around ten on Friday morning to begin the three and a half hour drive from Mentor, Ohio to Detroit, Michigan. The plan was to follow my uncle in the Little Red Love Machine for the trip there and then we would travel back to Ohio together. The drive to Michigan was relatively easy and we luckily had really good weather for the trip. The only snowfall we experienced was this random little flurry once we got into Michigan and that was it. I was really happy about that because the last thing I wanted to do was drive in unfamiliar territory in the snow.

I don’t really mind driving if I have things to keep me occupied so the trek wasn’t too bad thanks to my iPod, phone calls from my boyfriend, and occasionally waving to my uncle as I followed him. I was telling my boyfriend while we were chatting that the Detroit drive was an emotional rollar coaster because I had my iPod on shuffle. During the drive I was hearing everything from pop to screamo to rap and R&B so needless to say, I was an emotional wreck during some of the trip…Thanks a lot, Hawthorne Heights. -_-

Before I knew it, we finally arrived at Monkey Wrench Racing to drop Uncle Ray’s car off. We stuck around and chatted for a half hour or so and let me tell you, hearing all of the gents in the shop engaging in car talk with my uncle was like hearing an entirely different language. I didn’t understand one word of what they were saying but I’m glad my uncle had a good time with it! We also both got a free Monkey Wrench Racing t-shirt compliments of the crew so that was really nice. It’s in my color palette of black and white so I’m sure I’ll make use of it some day!

What killed me about my Detroit adventure was that once my uncle was done at the shop, we started making our journey back home. Haha, the break at Monkey Wrench Racing was much needed because I was essentially driving seven hours straight. -_- At least this time around, I was in good company because my Uncle Ray is one of my favorites! We’re very similar to each other so it was easy to fill our journey home with good conversation and laughter.

My Uncle Ray and I made a stop in Lakewood, Ohio to meet some of his friends for dinner. We went to a little Greek place called Our Friends and enjoyed a nice meal with my uncle’s comrades. It was so great to meet them and we all ended up having a really good time. My uncle ended up staying in Lakewood for a little while so I drove back to Mentor solo to have some quality time with my Aunt Mary Ellen before I made my way back to Akron.

I was so happy to spend some time with my Aunt Mary Ellen because I don’t get to see her as often as I would like. It was really nice to sit down, relax, and have a chat with her before I began my journey back home. My aunt and uncle are seriously the most perfect couple ever so any time with either of them is time well spent!

I would make the journey back to Detroit again for my uncle in a heartbeat because I’m one of the best people that I know of…But lucky for me, my uncle and his friends will be traveling back to Michigan to pick up his car once it’s done being worked on. I’m not complaining! All in all, it was definitely an adventure of a day and I’m so happy that I was in such fantastic company for it! ❤

My Detroit Trip was one of the best most random ways to spend a Friday that I can think of but I wouldn’t have it any other way! How was everyone’s weekend? Who has been on a road trip recently? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Interested in making a road trip to Cleveland? Let these videos inspire you to take the plunge and DO IT! #werenotdetroit 😉

My Second One Lovely Blog Award

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My Second One Lovely Blog Award

Hiii everyone and happy weekend! I hope that everyone is having a fabulous day so far. On Thursday I was so flattered to be nominated for My Second One Lovely Blog Award by the sweet Juliet at: notcapulet! I’m so appreciative to everyone who has been nominating me for all of these fun awards lately – believe me, it does not go unnoticed! As always, with these awards comes some rules for the nominees to follow, so take a look:

The Rules:

  • Thank the person who nominated them, including a link to their blog.
  • List the rules and include the award badge in their acceptance post.
  • Add seven facts about yourself.
  • Nominate fifteen other bloggers and notify them of their nomination.

Now, I suppose I have to think of some new fun facts about me – which is actually kind of difficult! I’m really not that exciting. Let’s see…

All About Me:

  1. I currently have over twenty days worth of music on my iTunes and my collection is always growing. I’m looking forward to adding Enya’s newest album, Dark Sky Island, as well as some Fleetwood Mac next.
  2. I absolutely adore the Despicable Me movies! I usually don’t care for anything animated but those movies are definitely the exception. Minions are my spirit animals and thanks to my boyfriend and sister I have a collection of Despicable Me stuffed animals including: Agnes, Kevin, Stuart, fluffy unicorn, and Kyle!
  3. My two favorite television shows are Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is a genius.
  4. I love to read and am about to start rereading Neil Gaiman’s Sandman graphic novels for the second time. Sandman is easily one of my favorite series and I plan on getting a tattoo from the amazing artwork that it boasts eventually.
  5. I was completely heartbroken over the deaths of the great David Bowie and Alan Rickman this past week. The world lost two great talents and I am so sad to see them go.
  6. One of my goals is to become fluent in French and I’m working very hard to achieve that.
  7. I’ve gotten over thirty piercings in my twenty-one years of living. I now only have ten – five on my nose, four on my ears, and my bellybutton. I also have four tattoos and I can’t wait to get more soon!

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

So there you have it, all of the details from My Second One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you so much again to my friend, Juliet, at: notcapulet for nominating me! What is everyone up to this weekend? What are some fun facts about yourself? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Second Liebster Award!

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My Second Liebster Award!

Hi everyone and happy weekend! On Thursday I was nominated for my second Liebster Award by my sweet friend, Alyson, at silverpepperofstars! Her blog is a real gem so make sure you check it out! The Liebster Award comes with some rules for those who are nominated so check them out:

The Rules:

1. Create a post, tagging and thanking your nominator.

2. Answer the eleven questions they asked you.

3. Nominate a new eleven bloggers.

4. Ask eleven new questions for those you have nominated to answer.

5. Notify your nominees.

Q & A:

1. What is your biggest pet peeve – what really grinds your gears?

Oh goodness. I guess my biggest pet peeve would probably be when people drive under the speed limit or exactly at the speed limit. That’s so annoying!

2. If your house was on fire, what one item would you grab before you leave?

Uhm…I honestly have no idea. That’s a tough one.

3. What was the last film you watched?

I watched one of my favorite films, Let The Right One In, last weekend for the seven hundredth time.

4. Which food item can’t you live without?

TACO BELL!!!

5. What are you really passionate about?

Writing, my family, my friends, and helping people and animals.

6. If there was one thing that was guaranteed to cheer you up when you were at your most cranky, what would it be?

Hanging out with my sister, my boyfriend, or my best friend.

7. Are you allergic to anything?

Not that I know of!

8. What is your favorite book?

I have too many! The Little Prince, Coraline, The Book Thief, Night Film, and the Sandman graphic novel series – just to name a few.

9. What is your favorite song/track?

Once again, I have a lot, but if I had to pick one and only one it would probably be “Beautiful Day” by U2. It’s been one of my favorites since I was little. So much so, that I got lyrics from that song tattooed on me the day I turned eighteen.

10. Do you have any hidden talents?

Does eating a lot of food without gaining weight count?

11. Describe yourself in 3 words.

Passionate, quirky, red.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

  1. mommyteacherfashionista
  2. sujatagazderblog
  3. fantageecho

My Questions For You:

  1. What are the most important qualities that you look for in a friend?
  2. What is your favorite thing to write about?
  3. What is your favorite candy or sugary treat?
  4. Where is your favorite place in the world?
  5. Where would you like to travel to?
  6. What inspired you to create a blog?
  7. Do you prefer shopping in store or online?
  8. What is one beauty item that you can’t live without?
  9. If you had a pet while you were growing up, what was its name?
  10. When you were a child, how did you answer the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up”?
  11. What is one color that you love? What about a color that you hate?

So there you have it, all of the fun details to My Second Liebster Award! Thank you again to my friend, Alyson, at silverpepperofstars for the nomination! What is everyone up to this weekend? Any fun plans? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah