simply sam

thanks

2011-11-24T11:26:00.001-06:00

happy thanksgiving to all! i hope everyone enjoys time spent with family, friends, and copious amounts of delicious food!

i've just pulled out the pies from the oven...

wish i didn't have to wait until dinner to indulge!

what are looking forward to indulging in most this thanksgiving?

summer endings

2011-08-27T01:17:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile. Again. Oh well, moving on then...

I have wonderful news. I am once again employed! But this time, it is not a temporary position, but a permanent position as Senior Account Associate with an insurance company here in my town. Woohoo! I finally can stop the job search and learn and grow with an AWESOME company that I'm so excited to work for. Once I get in a routine with the job, I'll try updating the blog more regularly with what I've been up to.

I cannot believe that it is the end(ish) of summer! Where has time gone. The highlights of my summer would be:

1. Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee

2. Florence + The Machine concert in STL

3. Relay For Life volunteering and event

I'm still looking forward to the Japanese Festival coming up soon :)

What were the highlights of your summer? What are you looking forward to this fall?

Is anyone still reading my blog?! (thanks for sticking around if you are!)

Music Monday: Foster the People

2011-07-12T00:06:00.000-05:00

The old tune Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People has gained massive popularity as of recent and rightfully so. I am obsessed! The lyrics are dark and disturbing, but the beat and melody are addicting. Enjoy!

What's In Your Bag?

2011-07-10T02:17:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite memes on the web is 'What's in your bag?' I'm surprised I haven't joined in sooner, but late is better than never. So, without further ado, take a peak inside my bag!

1. Sunglasses X2 2. Bracelet 3. Wallet 4. Checkbook 5. Perks of Being a Wallflower 6. Journal 7. Coozies x2 8. Pills x2 9. Bugspray 10. Casino card 11. Batteries 12. Pen and highlighter 13. Coins 14. Fortune 15. Ipod 16. Phone 17. Chapstick x2 18. Keys 19. Meds x2 20. Wristlet 21. Hair tie 22. Sock 23. Pizza Hut giftcard 24. Lighter 25. Receipts 26. Free sweet tea vouchers for McD's x6 27. VIP wristbands for 4th of July festivities that never got used

If you're wondering, I really do carry a large bag most of the time. I tend to throw things in it here and there and eventually have to clean it out because it gets too heavy. Also, the camera I used to take this photo is normally in my purse as well :)

If you have a 'What's in your bag?' post, leave the link in a comment below so I can check it out. :D

Big Brother 13: First Impressions

2011-07-08T00:28:00.000-05:00

Summer has officially started. If you're a Big Brother fan, you know what I'm talking about. It's a new season with new houseguests, new twists and a blast from the past as old faces reenter the Big Brother house to have a second chance at the game. The houseguests will be competing this year in pairs, or at least until they get down to 10. 8 new players entered the house to form 4 teams while 6 old houseguests joined them to form 3 new teams.

Let me start this post off by breaking down the new houseguests in their duos and what my personal opinions on them are thus far.

Adam and Dominic: Oh, Dominic... there's a soft spot in my heart for him. He is an adorable mama's boy with an incredible smile. Definitely the best looking this year out of the newbies. He also seems genuine and kind and I hope that perception remains throughout this season. Adam is the self-professed "metalhead" who loves 90210. I haven't made up my mind on him yet. He seems like a nice guy, but I'm not a fan of metal or the Hulk Hogan vibe, so we'll see how it goes.

Cassi and Shelly. I really like this duo. Both are strong, intelligent women who seem like they could go really far in the game if they aren't targeted right off the bat. Cassi is the model from Texas who is strikingly gorgeous and a tomboy at heart. Shelly is another southerner with tomboy ways working in the fishing and hunting industry. I felt terrible for her 8 year old daughter when they showed her crying as her mom was saying goodbye. You could tell she has a beautiful family that I'm looking forward to hearing more about if she makes it far in the season.

Kaila and Lawon. Kaila is the relationship & sex columnist comparing herself to Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. I like her, but I don't at the same time. I feel like she could get too judgemental of the other houseguests right away. But I guess that will make for good TV, right? Lawon is the flamboyant man who says he'll be gay or straight if need be on the show. I think he could be pretty interesting to watch.

Keith and Porche. This is probably my least favorite couple this season with the newbies. Keith is the deacon who talks nonstop about "the ladies". Porche is the VIP cocktail waitress who isn't telling anyone about this job because she doesn't want people to know about her "luxurious lifestyle", therefore, not granting her the winning prize. Oh, please...

Okay! Now that I've covered all of the newbies, it's on to the veterans! I'll start with my favorite couple of the season...

Jeff and Jordan! Oh, how I am SO HAPPY that they are back in the Big Brother house. They are cute, quirky and just so so adorable to watch onscreen. I really hope they make it far in the season.

Evil Dick and Danielle. I was so surprised about this duo! I never would have thought Danielle would agree to come back on the show, especially with Evil Dick. I wasn't a fan of either of them on their season, so I'm not looking forward to their presence in the house.

Brendon and Rachel. Ew. I wish I wasn't having to include them in this post, let alone tell you that they won Head of Household. Lets just say I really hope next week they're up for eviction and I will never have to hear "hahahahhahahaha" again.

So that is my breakdown on the duos this season! I think they did a good job casting and I'm happy about at least 2 of the returning houseguests. I'm not the biggest fan of the whole playing as couples aspect, but at least it seems that will be done away with once it gets down to the final 10.

If you are a BB fan, let me know in the comments what your first impressions are on the houseguests, veterans and BB twists!

Florence + The Machine

2011-07-06T20:01:00.001-05:00

Last night I went to the Florence + The Machine concert here in St. Louis at The Pageant with Brandy. All I can say is WOW. This is by far the best concert I have ever attended. Florence Welch is so beautiful and her set matched her beauty. The backdrop and lights were whimsical, magical... and her dress... just breathtaking as you'll see in the photos below. And I haven't even talked about her performance! Florence Welch sings even more angelically live! I didn't think it was possible. Accompanied by her band on the keyboard, guitar, drums and harp, Florence twirled across the stage making her way back to her silver sparkling drum to play in between. St. Louis was the last stop on her tour, but when she heads back out on the road, definitely go see her live.

After the show, we headed to the Halo Bar for a drink, then to the back of the concert hall to see if we could get a peak at Florence before she heads out. When we got back there, we noticed a line of about 15-20 people waiting to see her so we quickly jumped in line. Not long after, Florence came out and met us all! She signed autographs for everyone and was incredibly sweet. I still can't believe I met her! It was the perfect ending to a perfect concert.

Here's a video I took of Florence + The Machine performing Dog Days Are Over. I will have more videos up soon on my YouTube page that you can check out in the next few days!

sparks fly

2011-07-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th! So, remember how I blogged yesterday about going to see Maroon 5? Well, it stormed ALL DAY yesterday canceling the concert along with the fireworks show. I was really looking forward to it, too! Instead of going downtown, Brandy and I hung out in our hotel room we got for the night and watched movies; Going the Distance, He's Just Not That Into You, The Strangers and In Her Shoes. Have any of you seen The Strangers? It is a legitimate scary movie. One that will make you feel uneasy being home alone. Luckily this was my second time seeing it and it didn't leave me fearing for my life in our hotel. Before watching The Strangers (since we wouldn't of had the guts to do it after) Brandy and I went down to the parking lot and lit some sparklers! I was curious to see how I could capture it with my camera and here are some of the results!

This was so much fun to do; I think I'll be getting more sparklers during the after 4th of July clearance sales!

fireworks

2011-07-03T00:11:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July weekend! What's everyone's plans? I stayed in tonight and took some photos from my window of our neighborhoods firework display. I'll be seeing fireworks the proper way tomorrow night after watching Maroon 5 play at Fair St. Louis! I'm really excited for it! Brandy and I are then staying at a hotel after that and my plan is to buy some sparklers and try out some fun photography techniques on them :) Here are a few photos I took tonight. Happy 4th!

shimmer

2011-06-30T18:28:00.000-05:00

images via pinterest

lovely

2011-06-27T18:09:00.000-05:00

This is the sunset I watched on Friday as I enjoyed the breezy 70s weather waiting for the production of Legally Blonde: The Musical to begin at the St. Louis Muny, our outdoor amphitheatre that runs shows each summer. It was the perfect night to attend the show. The actors were great, the singing was beautiful and the delivery man (you know, the one Paulette uses the "bend and snap" on?) stole the show.

We threw a semi-surprise party for my mom's birthday Saturday evening. I say semi because it was at our neighborhood's adult-only pool party. Everyone gathered around to yell "surprise!" when my mom entered as she was greeted with balloons, presents, cake and more.

Thunderstorms called the party short and I escaped the party drenched head-to-toe. The rain didn't ruin the mood of the night though, and everyone still had a lovely time. My mom's actual birthday is this Wednesday so I'm looking forward to celebrating again with her then.

Enough about my weekend, how about yours? Did any of you have fun plans or a relaxing weekend indoors? Tell me about it in the comments :)

the art of getting by

2011-06-24T12:28:00.000-05:00

I did something for the first time this week that I've always wanted to do, but never did. I went to the cinema... alone. It might not seem like a big deal to some of you, you may do it all the time or you may be like me and feel a bit awkward embarking on the journey solo.

It was midday and I just felt like going to the movies. I heard of The Art of Getting By and since I'm currently loving Emma Roberts, it was the perfect film to see. Set in New York, this coming of age tale follows George (Freddie Highmore) as he embarks on his senior year of high school. Having not done any work all year long, it finally catches up with him and he has to figure out how to get by and still graduate. Along the way, Sally (Emma Roberts) befriends George and their relationship blossoms on screen in an intriguing and different way than most movie relationships.

I really liked this film. I couldn't help but think of Perks as I watched; George as Charlie and Sally as Sam, which may be the reason I'm currently rereading Perks of Being a Wallflower. If you're into independent artsy films then I think you'll like The Art of Getting By.

I think I may have enjoyed it more so being their alone. There were only 3 others in the big theatre with me and it felt great to be doing something completely for myself. I think every girl deserves a date with herself now and then.

i need some luck

2011-06-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

Today I feel like answering some fun questions that I hope are fun for you to read! I originally found them on Michabella's blog, but if you'd like to answer along on your blog, make sure to check out Perfectly Imperfect where they originate from :)

Here we go!

1) Tell one thing not many people know about you.

When I was little and living in Texas, I was stung on the face by a scorpion while I was sleeping. Scary, right?

2) If you HAD to change your first name, what would you change it to?

Hmm well I quite like my name, but if I HAD to change it, I think I'd change it to Riley

3) What are your 3 favorite songs of the moment?

Give in to Me - sung by Garrett Hedlund & Leighton Meester

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

January Wedding - The Avett Brothers

4) List 3 goals on your life's to-do list:

- Start my career & be happy in it

-Write a book

-Travel Europe

5) What is one of your favorite quotes?

“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.”

And since I'm rereading Perks of Being a Wallflower at the moment... "I feel infinite"

6) Fill in the blank: If I had an extra 10 dollars to spend . . I would buy __________?

a birchbox.

7) What’s your birth date?

October 29

8) Do you have a hidden talent and if so what is it?

Umm... I really wish I did! I can touch my nose with my tongue?

9) What do you think of when you hear the word "blue"?

the sky. I immediately pictured what I saw yesterday when I went to the park and laid on my blanket looking up at the sky. So beautiful!

10) Finish this thought: I need . . .

some luck.

Bonnaroo

2011-06-20T13:06:00.000-05:00

Hey-o! Remember me? Yeah, it's been a really long time since I last blogged. I've been up to some fun things, one being my trip to Manchester, Tennessee for Bonnaroo! If you don't know what Bonnaroo is, it's a music and arts festival held each year for 4 days in the blistering heat and humidity! Okay, so that's not how they would advertise it, but it's the truth. Despite the sun poisoning and dehydration, I had the best time in Tennessee listening to good music, getting involved in art and meeting a lot of really nice people.

It all started on Wednesday June 8th when my friend Tony and I headed out from St. Louis. We left around 3 in the afternoon passing through Illinois and Kentucky before making it into Tennessee. As some of you know, I'm a big fan of the movie Elizabethtown so I was especially excited when we passed right through Elizabethtown, Kentucky. I was amazed to find out it only took one tank of gas to get to Tennessee! This new knowledge means I might be taking some more road trips out that way.

Once we finally arrived in the glorious 10 mile line on I-24 to get into Bonnaroo, we made the best of the time waiting by watching Harry Potter and treasuring the last bit of air conditioning we'd have for the next few days. We finally made it into camp about 3 hours later and immediately set up our tent. We were in the farthest possible lot from Centeroo making for about a 50 minute walk to the action, but it meant we had lots of camping space and no one parked behind us. We were also right by the bathrooms and showers, which was a plus.

Sleeping in a tent is new for me. We were situated on tall grass so there were bumps and mounds underneath us with only my thin sleeping bag to pad my back. Even though conditions weren't the best, it still wasn't horrible. Morning soon arrived, about 6:35AM to be precise, and I immediately got up with the sun and got ready for the day.

Centeroo didn't open until 2PM on Thursday, so we hung out with some of Tony's friends beforehand and eventually made our way into Centeroo as it opened. It was magical! What Stage, Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent, The Other Tent.... the stage names were confusing and went on and on and on. For a girl who is in love with music it was a dream come true.

When I wasn't listening to music, I was people watching, painting, playing drums, dancing, stealing some shade and A/C in the cinema and checking out comedians like Donald Glover in the theatre. Oh, to be back at Centeroo this moment...

My all time favorite moments of the entire trip include dancing to Childish Gambino, catching some shade and a breeze during Freelance Whales, watching Mumford & Sons gain energy through a sunny set, experiencing The Black Keys, happening upon Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, discovering and dancing to Robyn and closing out the trip to a crowd driven, stunning set by Beirut. It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.

Now, if you'd like to see photos from the event, make sure to check out my Flickr page. There are just too many to post here. I'll leave you with a few of my favorites.

Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons

Centeroo Fountain

Childish Gambino

Cutest kid at Bonnaroo

Beirut

Music Monday: Ancient Cat Society

2011-04-18T00:00:00.003-05:00

[photo credit]

Ancient Cat Society is a folk/pop band from Houston, Texas. Bandmates include Haley Barnes, Sergio Trevino and Austin Sepulvado. I have been listening to Haley for a few years now singing covers and original music on her YouTube page, and from there, I learned about her new gig with Sergio and Austin. The band is not signed, but hoping to put out an album sometime this May. If you visit their Facebook page, you can listen to some of their music. Here is a video of the trio singing their new song, Carolina. I love how their voices compliment one another. Haley has such a unique voice that adds much quality and richness to the song. Enjoy!

hats, masks, and more

2011-04-17T19:54:00.000-05:00

As I type, I have a facial mask on that is tightening my skin like I've never felt before. I've used face masks before and none have firmed up my skin like the one I'm currently using. I can barely open my mouth! I went shopping today for some necessities like shampoo, conditioner, body wash and of course came home with some additional items that I don't really need but really wanted! :)

I also went to the mall today with my mom who is the best lady in the world and not because she bought me this adorable hat at Macy's. Oh, and I bought a new Fossil wallet! It was too cute to pass up... that's reason enough to get it, right?

I had too much fun switching over all of my things into my new wallet.

After that is when I headed to good ol' Walmart and got some smelly good things + extras.

The clay mask with avocado and oatmeal is the mask I have on right now!

I also bought a daily pill case thing for a dollar for my vitamins. I'm hoping this will make me start taking them regularly! Do you take vitamins daily? I hate taking pills so it's extra difficult for me.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead! I'm about to read my magazines that came in the mail today; Self, Vogue and Marie Claire then watch The Amazing Race! :)

bacon and cheese muffins

2011-04-16T15:57:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! It's a cold, windy Saturday here in Mo and I'm not happy with the fact that I'm wearing jeans and a sweater today. I was getting used to the sunny 80s! Sigh...

After reading my favorite foodie blogger's recipe for bacon and cheddar muffins, I knew I had to try out the recipe. Check out the original post and recipe by Jenna on eatliverun.com.

The recipe said it would make a dozen muffins, but it only made 9 for me. No biggie! I freaked out for a second though because I thought I missed an ingredient or measured something wrong. But I double checked the recipe and what I used and I seemed to do everything right.

Here is the final product!

Don't they look delicious? They smell sooooo good! The only problem is, they are a bit dry. Maybe I baked them too long or it could of used something to moisten them up. Despite that, they still taste pretty darn good!

Do you guys like to bake? What's your favorite recipe? Please share!

moanin'

2011-04-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! What are you all up to this weekend? Tonight I'm going to see Scream 4 and I'm really excited about it despite the fact that I haven't seen Scream 1-3 :) I will eventually!

So, I don't know if any of you are watching American Idol this season. I have to say, I LOVED Steven and Jennifer in the early stages of the show, but once it got to the live performances, their jokes and commentary began to fall flat and have been really annoying me lately. I usually DVR the show, so I'll end up fast-forwarding through their comments and get straight to the music (and even fast-forward some of the music.. Jacob Lusk makes my ears bleed... mean, I know, but seriously. I can't listen to it).

ANYWAY, that is besides the point. I'm bringing the show up because I want to have you all listen to my two favorite contestants, Haley and Casey, sing AMAZINGLY to the jazz number, Moanin'.

These two should make a CD together and go on tour. They have perfect chemistry!

Listen and love.

enchanted

2011-04-10T20:51:00.000-05:00

I love everything about this video. The fashion, makeup, music, lighting... everything.

Enfant Sauvage from Claire Gorman on Vimeo.

Lookbook: Klaudia

2011-04-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

Klaudia W., 17 year old from Poland

happy birthday, grandma

2011-04-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

My Grandma's birthday was this week and we celebrated at my house last weekend with the whole family. I hadn't seen my aunts, uncles and cousins in a long time so it was great to have us all together again. My cousin's baby boy, Ben, is the cutest little one I've ever seen!

I love my Grandma so much; she is such a beautiful woman inside and out.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Lookbook: Charlie

2011-04-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

Charlie P., 22 year old from Liverpool

Music Monday: Eisley

2011-04-04T00:06:00.000-05:00

I have been obsessed with Eisley as of late. Consisting of 4 siblings and 1 cousin, this indie rock band from Texas creates beautiful harmonies and music I never get tired of.

What I love about their new album, The Valley, is that the songs are consistantly good as you listen through. I have problems with most artists in that I will only like 3 or 4 songs off the album, but I didn't have that problem with Eisley. Some of my faves are The Valley, Better Love and Ambulance.

Here are the girls of the group singing The Valley. Enjoy!

Lookbook: Alexandria

2011-04-03T23:16:00.000-05:00

Alexandria P., 22 year old student from Vigo

beautiful

2011-04-03T17:24:00.000-05:00

Today is beautiful. 80s and sunny. Window is open and the breeze is blowing in. This weekend was wonderful despite my mind trying to bring me down. It's hard for me to turn off my mind for the weekend and not think about the stresses that the week will bring. This week in particular. But it's these challenging times in my life that will help me grow and become a stronger person. I'm currently slumped into my chair making a U with my spine and have my laptop propped on my legs. I find myself in this position quite often. I could let the chimes sing me to sleep in this position.

March of the Penguins is on the TV, but it's muted and a mix I made earlier is playing. It's currently playing Tom Petty, It'll All Work Out. It will all work out...

Those are words to live by. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it will all work out. Life goes on. Keep on keeping on and remember what wonderful blessings you have in your life. My life is wonderful and I'm grateful for that. Life is a beautiful thing.

oh, hi!

2011-03-11T20:49:00.000-06:00

February 20 was my last blog post.. time has been flying by so quickly! My new job has been great, very stressful at times, but I'm learning so much. I've done so many things from managing accounts for well-known companies, stepping in as production assistant on commercial shoots to editing copy for print. I really couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity. It is a temporary position, but I feel as though I could get any job after working for this PR firm learning from the best of the best in our industry.

I never thought I would ever call myself a morning person, but I find myself now going to bed around 10 and waking up at 730 on the weekends. Crazy, right? My body just doesn't want to sleep in! I wake up, lay in bed trying to fall back asleep for 15 or so minutes, realize I'm wide awake and get up to start my day. So this is what it's like being a grownup... :)

I really have been wanting to blog about Bonnaroo, but just haven't had the time. I think I may have mentioned it in my last post.. if not, is anyone going? I plan on doing a full blog post on the festival listing all of the bands I can't wait to see. Maybe I'll hold off until they have the lineup for comedians as well.

I'm off to see Red Riding Hood tonight. It's not until 940, so staying awake during the movie will be a challenge if I continue yawning every 5 minutes like I have been. I hope it's good!

So, what has been going on with all of you? Have I missed something important in your life that you may have blogged about the past month or so? I haven't had a chance to read any blogs so I'm behind on everything that's going on. Feel free to fill me in! :)