Some Spring/Summer OOTDs

I got a hold of a camera with a timer! Whoo!
While I'm seriously missing the quality of my better camera, I still can't find it. So looks like I'm stuck with a little crappy camera. Oh whale.
Here's some awkward shots of some of the outfits I've been rocking lately. 

Like I said, awkward shots. Because I forgot how to pose. I apologize.

PS. Shooting yourself in your backyard without a bra on is super slightly awkward, but the sun insisted on making it very clear that I had one on. Rude.

[Maxi skirt is from Target, I have no idea where the cami is from as honestly, I've had it forever.]

 And here's outfit #2, but the same dress is featured in both #2 and #3.

Just chillin' by the dryer vent outside my house. Why did I take this next to it? -_-

[Above: Dress is from Target, and Dr. Martens 1460 boots were purchased from Amazon.com. Bracelets were all either made by myself of gifted from a friend. Key necklace was purchased by my best friend from a little local shop called the Bus Stop.]

And we have one more, which is a summer favorite of mine when I feel like wearing a dress but I don't want to dress up. 

[Below: Shirt was thrifted, and I paired this outfit with flip flops from Target.]

Yaaaay awkward legs!

So yeah, there's some of the outfits I've been loving lately. I'll probably/maybe do another post in the fall, and permayhaps even get another summer post in as I'd like to do a post on tie dye. 

Thanks dudes
-Lib

June Faves

Hey!

Happy mega-late Independence Day! I hope whoever may be reading this had an awesome 4th of July weekend, I know I did!
Mine consisted of riding a motorcycle and somehow not dying, working on my driving, shooting off some super fun fireworks, and maaaaybe possibly getting a little tipsy off of beer coolers.
Oh, and I
PHISH.
THIS WEEK.
SCREAMING.
SERIOUSLY I CANNOT BELIEVE I'M GOING TO SEE PHISH LIVE IN CONCERT ON WEDNESDAY I JUST
Alright, so to change the subject (but not entirely) we're gonna get on to the actual purpose of this blog post, which is June favorites!

10. Let it Roll > Rock Block - Little Feat

A super fun and summery jam I recently discovered from my favorite country jam band, Little Feat! I thought I'd share. :)

9. Velvet Green - Jethro Tull

So as you may notice in this month's favorites, Jethro is a new addition. My best friend Sophia has been talking about this band for a little while and finally showed me enough songs to get me interested (I get song/band suggestions on a regular basis, since most of my friends are musicians and music lovers. I try to listen to at least a couple songs from whatever artist I'm told to listen to, but after my listenlist adds up too much it gets overwhelming and I only end up listening to a few recommendations). And I gotta say, this was probably the song that really sparked my curiosity about JT. It made me think of lush forests, specifically the ones in The Hobbit (Sophia and I are huge fans btw). Beautiful song and it's got a very celtic sound.

8. Aqualung (Song) - Jethro Tull

Another one of my faves from Jethro, but this one's got a very different sound from Velvet Green. Much more prog rock, but I still love it. My brother's actually really intrigued by Jethro Tull now because of this song.

7. Barrel of a Gun - Guster

So if you actually follow this blog (which I have my doubts about) Guster is a somewhat new favorite band of mine as well. I'm slowly but surely discovering more and more amazing songs from these dorks, and this song is no exception. I found that this one really stuck out from its album, Lost and Gone Forever with a much more upbeat, rock band sound. I totally dig it, and it's just as catchy as the rest of their tunes.

6. Songs From the Wood (Song) - Jethro Tull

This is my favorite JT song so far, though I have to admit I haven't listened to a whole lot of them yet. This song really reminds me of something Gentle Giant would do actually. I love it. The harmonies, progression, and the way the harmonies follow the progression in creative ways is totally awesome! 

5. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel

Oh my God, the feels are strong with this one. It's too beautiful... I definitely cried the first time I really sat down and listened to this song. Originally I was checking this out for the gorgeous piano because I had heard Paul Simon's Concert in the Park version of it and fell in love with the song even more when I heard the original studio recording. It's really also just a fantastic piece of music altogether.

4. Farmhouse (Song) - Phish

Welcome this is a farmhouse! One of Phish's poppier but definitely just as fantastic jams, Farmhouse is so pretty and summery. If you're curious about Phish but not so keen on the idea of 10+ minute-long jams I would recommend this one.

3. O New England - The Decemberists

My amazingly fantastic music teacher showed me this song, and I honestly can't stop listening to it now. He lived in Boston for some time so this song gives him feels. To be honest, it gives me feels and I've only been to NE a few times. It's just so sad and gorgeous and perfect. If you like feelsy acoustic songs, give this one a listen.

2. Waiting All Night - Phish

Definitely the most-listened-to song in my playlist this month, hands down. The harmonies, the David Gilmour/Santana feel, the everything about this song is perf. I heard this song before Fuego was released but it's still my fave on the entire album and actually it's become one of my favorite Phish songs of all time. I really, really hope to hear this one on Wednesday.

1. Fuego (Album) - Phish

Oh yes. Yes yes yes. Yesssssssss. I've been waiting for this. (Run away while you still can).
INSIDE YOUR FUEGO, WE KEEP IT ROLLIN'
ROLLIN' (ROLLIN'), ROLLIN' (ROLLIN')
VIKING WARRIORS WITH ANIMAL HEADS!
Okay if you haven't heard Fuego you're most likely hella creeped out by now, but that's okay. Because this album, I just-
Yes.
When Phish releases a new album, you're never really quite sure what to expect. I figured they would have settled down a little since it's been a really long time since they've cranked out a studio album, but seriously this was worth the wait.
If I were to pick the highlight songs from Fuego, I'd choose:
Fuego (of course!), Devotion to a Dream, Winterqueen, Waiting All Night, Wombat and Wingsuit. (Those aren't my favorites, by the way. I'm just picking the songs I think really stuck out from Phish's "usual" sound.) I was so stunned by the entire album, though. 10/10 would recommend. Honestly I love each and every song from it and I can't wait to see which ones they play when I see them live Wednesday at the Mann Center!

Alright, well that about wraps up my favorites for June! Thanks for reading through all of this (if there's actually anyone who did).

Rock on!

May Favorites

Hello my peeps,
So a lot has happened in these past few weeks! I'd also like to say that there's a good chance I won't be posting nearly as much (if at all) this summer, and same goes for my Polyvore if you follow me on there. I do this with all of my blogs, it's just how I am. I don't like to be sitting around inside on the computer when I can be outside making the best of the warm weather, you know?

But hey, let's get into the May faves!!

10. Careful - Guster

Possible new favorite Guster song??
I hung out with my best friend this weekend for her birthday, which is today, by the way! Happy birthday Soph! Ily <3

9. Kodachrome - Paul Simon

Okay there are several reasons why this song is amazing.
It's super catchy and fun and silly, but can we just take a moment to appreciate these lyrics:

"When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school
it's a wonder I can think at all,
And though my lack of education hasn't hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall."

8. Bust Your Knee Caps - Pomplamoose

Pomplamoose is a band I discovered on YouTube. They aren't mainstream, but they have some really cute, fun songs. This one's my favorite!

7. Ænema - Tool

Because Tool is amazing. That is all.

6. Bulls in the Bronx - Pierce the Veil

I started listening to PTV after I went to the show my boyfriend was in and they performed this song. The middle-eastern breakdown guitar solo thing was really the only standout part of the song to me at the time, but this band's slowly growing on me.

5. Train in the Distance - Paul Simon

Okay this is a gorgeous, gorgeous song. As one of my fellow SoR's said, it "hits me right in the feels." I'm lucky enough to be playing keys on this one in our upcoming Paul Simon show, and I'm so excited.

4. She Makes Dirty Words Sound Pretty - Pierce the Veil

Again, I'm really not a huge PTV fan (yet), but this song is really nice. It's perfect for when I need a passionate but acoustic music fix (though that's mostly Radiohead for me).

3. Heroes and Villains - The Beach Boys

This is my favorite Beach Boys song. It's just... it's perfect. The harmonies are beautiful, and it's really catchy and just asdhfjkgf
It also made me really happy when Duane told me after we were fangirling over the BB in one of my lessons that he started listening to this one all the time after I mentioned that it was my favorite :)

2. We've Gotta Get Out of This Place - The Animals

I heard this one in Supernatural (wow, big surprise xD) and I guess like besides the fact that it's just catchy and cool, it's my tolerate-my-household song? I've been kind of fed up with life in general these past few weeks and mainly because of what my household is like. But I'm not gonna complain, it's not like I get abused or anything. This song just helps me release my anger and stuff.

1. The Coast - Paul Simon

Ayyyye more Paul Simon!
No but seriously.
THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL AMAZING FANTASTIC GORG SONG. IT'S PERFECT FOR SUMMER AND SO ATMOSPHERIC AHHHHHH
<3
I'm playing bass on this song in our show and I'm so happy, it's beautiful.

Alright so that's it, I'm gonna go study some more now, I'm taking the permit test tomorrow!! Buenos tardes amigos!

Rock on!

April Music Faves!

15. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - Frankie Valli

I actually just discovered this song when I watched on of the latest Supernatural episodes, Meta Fiction (which is probably my new favorite episode of season 9, by the way.) They played it at the end of the episode, and at first I didn't really pay any mind to it. But then I re-watched the episode and it kinda stood out to me, so I Shazam-ed it (Shazam is a music identification app) and it's been stuck in my head ever since. I'm not sure what it is about older, slightly cheesy-sounding music like this that I love so much (*cough*BeachBoys*cough*) but yeah, the only real reason this one's at the bottom of my list is because I only started listening to it yesterday. (TBH it kinda makes me sad though, because now I just think back to the scene they showed while playing the song with Cas and the angel siren and asdfghjkl METATRON Y U DO DIS)

14. Kingpin - Wilco

Yay, more Wilco! I love, love, love this band, and this was one of the songs that made me regret not doing to Wilco show in SoR haha. It's amazing. That is all.

13. Ramona  - Guster

I only recently found this band through the Phish radio station I created on iTunes. (Why Guster was one of the bands on Phish radio, I don't know.) And so I listened to some more of their stuff and found that they were pretty chill. And btw this is a totally last-minute addition to this list but I don't even care because THIS SONG.

12. My Time - Minus the Bear

This song xD
Ahh where do I begin? I guess how I ever found this band, which was how I discovered most of my favorite bands: My music teacher and best friend, Duane. He actually recommended Minus the Bear for this cover/jam band I might be in this summer (we're all good friends so we plan on jamming) but I thought this song was really catchy and fun and may or may not have ended up dancing to it (and possibly filming it on my iPhone) but we don't talk about that.

11. Gumboots - Paul Simon

THIS SONG IS SO FUN. I have slowly been falling in love with Paul Simon's music after going on a listening binge. His African-influenced stuff is my favorite, but really most of the songs I've heard of his are amazing.

10. Dixie Chicken - Little Feat

Hehe this is my Little Feat jam okay. I don't even really have a lot to say about it, I just really love Little Feat, this song especially. But a few others I enjoy besides the ones on this list are Skin it Back, Fat Man in the Bathtub and Oh Atlanta.

9. Up on Cripple Creek - The Band

So this was one of the first songs I heard from The Band. Again, this band was suggested to me by Duane, because he knows how much I love gorgeous piano playing.

8. Shine - Trey Anastasio

This is another happy, fun song that I heard from one of my jam band radio stations and loved. It's so poppy, but in a good Trey kinda way.

7. Dazzling Blue - Paul Simon

The first Paul Simon song (besides Cecelia which I learned for a show) that stuck out to me, Dazzling Blue is great. I particularly love the harmonies, they're so beautiful.

6. I Get Around - The Beach Boys

This was the first Beach Boys song I ever heard and at the time I wasn't even sure why I liked it (it was the harmonies, but I didn't know that).
Okay, so you're probably like, what kind of sixteen-year-old girl is into the Beach Boys? Duane and I were actually joking about that during one of my lessons. Yes hello my name is Libby, I'm sixteen and in love with angsty boy bands, jam bands and the Beach Boys.

5. Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Little Feat

Whoo, more Little Feat! Yes, going with the pattern, I came across this song on my Classic Jam Bands station and, being the sucker for badass blues piano that I am, was like "Whoa, I need to check these guys out." So I did. I was not disappointed.

4. The River Hymn - The Band

Wow.
WOW.
I do not have words.
The. Piano.
The. Harmonies.
This song makes me feel so peaceful, that's all I can say.

3. Either Way - Guster

Again, I really don't have words. I think I may have cried while listening to this song. That's how beautiful it is.

2. Pet Sounds (Album) - The Beach Boys

Yes. I am actually putting an entire record down for a favorite. But seriously, this album is completely breathtaking. These guys are masters of music. My favorite song from Pet Sounds is currently I'm Waiting For the Day, closely followed by Wouldn't it Be Nice. This album is excellent if you enjoy this kind of music, I would highly recommend it!

1. Center of Attention - Guster

This song is addicting. Like seriously, there's something about it that I instantly fell in love with. It was the second Guster song I listened to, and it's the kind of tune that makes me want to blast though headphones while I run/dance through the woods (not that I did that or anything... >.>) If you like happy, fun, catchy songs then you definitely should give it a listen!

So that is all, hope this gave you some ideas if you're ever feeling like you want to expand your playlist! I know it's not a huge variety this month, but I tried to make up for that by giving you 15 songs instead of my usual 10.

Rock on!

My Nose Piercing Experience

So today is the day, I'm finally going to recap my experience with getting my nose pierced!
I've been wanting to write about this for such a long time but I'm lazy, so I kept putting it off.
Now firstly I'd like to say that if you're reading this for educational purposes, I'm going to state the obvious: I'm not an expert. Also, I'm just sharing my own personal experience; yours could be entirely different. Now that that's all out there, time to tell this story!

I had just turned 15 years old (on 4/11). The date was April 19, 2013. But for a few months now I had been doing my research. Originally, I was considering an eyebrow piercing. But after I had visited a few different websites I ran across an article about the nostril piercing and I decided I liked the nose piercing better. Plus, my fringe would probably cover up the eyebrow bar anyway.

Then came time to talk to my mom about getting the piercing. I brought it up a few times to her and she kept brushing it off, so I decided to take a different approach. I sent her this long email about how I wasn't trying to rebel and how my grades were good, I had done tons of research, yadda yadda. I wouldn't do this unless your parent isn't taking the time to hear you out; that was my case. Try to talk to them in person if you can.

Anyway, she read my email and then we talked about it and eventually she reluctantly agreed that I could get it done, as long as I paid for it. Oh, and she really wanted me to go to a specific place. It was the same place my uncle got all of his tattoos.

Sometime after that I called the place with some questions. It's called The Quillian. The guy I talked to was really sweet! I wanted to know if I had to make an appointment, which I didn't. I also asked about the gauge of the needle, because my mom was worried about scarring.

Then came time to go and actually get it done. I can't really say I was too nervous, from what I can recall. We did have to wait a little while, but that was okay. It was a really nice place, and if I ever get any tattoos or other piercings I'd like to go back there. The lady who pierced me was named Desiree (she actually follows me on Instagram!). She threatened that if I passed out she would draw a dick on my cheek, so that was reassuring. XD

The actually piercing process was fairly quick. After she had marked my nose and showed me the ring, she cleaned out my nose and stuff. Yes, it's a slightly awkward feeling having someone stick a Q-tip in your nose, haha.
So after she cleaned it she explained that she was going to tell me to breathe in and out once, and then again. And the second time, as I was exhaling she would stick the needle through. So I did that and she pierced my nose and put the ring in. And yeah, I may or may not have yelled out some expletive, I don't actually remember XD. For that split second when she stuck the needle through it hurt. (On a pain scale of 1-10, it was about a 5)
I've read that a lot of people are sore for the following days. I wasn't sore at all. Not even when I flared my nostrils. The first few times I cleaned the piercing it did bleed a bit, but that's normal; it is a wound after all. My cleaning routine was: Clean the ring, hole and area around it twice a day with Dial soap, as instructed by Desiree. Most people recommend using H2Ocean, but I didn't get any. My nose never got infected, and it was overall a decent experience. I did end up replacing the sterling silver CBR (Captive Bead Ring) with a stud, which I got from Spencer's. The studs I wear are surgical steel. I also went down a gauge size somewhere along the way (I went from an 18G to a 20G).

I think one of the questions I got asked the most after I got it done was "why?". Honestly? I think they look nice. That's all, I promise. I didn't do it to be a rebellious teenager and make a statement, I just did it because I wanted to. Still, not everyone is going to respect that, and if you're thinking of getting a piercing you'll need to prepare yourself for that. A lot of my family members didn't like it, and even some of my friends. But that's okay, because I was really happy with it, and I still am. That's all that matters.

Rock on!

March Faves!!

Heya again!

Whoa, I'm not late for this month's favorites! *pats self on the back*
Hurr we go..

10. Back in the Saddle - Aerosmith

Heard this one in Supernatural and I've just been listening to it for some reason XD I'm not a huge Aerosmith fan but this song's pretty cool. So yep.

9. Sample in a Jar - Phish

Ah, Phish, always Phish on the list. XD I've been playing a little guitar so this was one of the songs I played chords along with for shits and giggles.
But guysguysguysss
I'M GOING TO SEE PHISH THIS SUMMER
LIKE LIVE IN CONCERT
OH MY GOD I SCREAMED AND RAN AROUND THE HOUSE WHEN I FOUND OUT
I CAN'T WAIT IT'S BEEN ON MY BUCKET LIST TO SEE THEM.

8. Celestial Elixir - Haken

Creepy story about this one. I don't even really listen to Haken, and I still don't know where this came from.
It was maybe 11pm and I was just browsing le YouTubes and then I went to go to the bathroom (I didn't leave any videos playing or anything, it was just on the YT home page). And when I came out I heard some music playing. I walked back into my room and it's completely dark and this song was playing and I saw the freakin' album cover and practically peed myself and I just

 

WHAT THE HELL
But actually I ended up listening to the whole song and I kinda like it so yeah this whole story is just really disturbing though because my mom and brother were both asleep at the time so I have no idea how it happened.

7. In the Backseat - Arcade Fire

(On a completely different genre..)
Wow, this song is so beautiful. The cello, the vocals... just wow. With reluctance I'll admit that I didn't love this song the first time I heard it, and sort of forgot about it. But I was going through all of the MP3s that sort of pile up on my computer and I listened to it and it took my breath away. I love the strings and chord progression, and pretty much everything about the song.

6. Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys

A late addition to the list, I had to listen to this song a couple times for it to grow on me, but it's really cool and catchy. I should really listen to more of the AM, they seem like a pretty cool band, and from what I've heard I like them. Crying Lightning is another favorite.

5. The Becoming - Nine Inch Nails

I may or may not have put this song in last month's favorites, I don't care, because I've still been listening to it all the time. I like that it's in 7/8, how very technical of them xD.

4. Reflektor - Arcade Fire

When Reflektor first came out I was kind of indifferent about it, I think I probably only listened to it once. But I've been on an Arcade Fire kick recently so I re-listened to it and I'm like "Oh, this is actually an awesome song!". Not much else to say about it, really. Just a really cool, trippy tune.

3. Shine - Collective Soul

You know when you've heard a song on the radio a bunch of times and you like it but you don't know who it's by, and then one day you find out and you're just like "OHHHHHHhhh okay." XD Yeah, that's this song. I was reading a Supernatural fanfic and Castiel asked Dean what was the "gospel song I like about holy guidance?" I don't know how Dean got Collective Soul out of gospel and "holy guidance", but yeah, he said this song. So I found a Collective Soul CD in the basement and I listened to this song and I'm like WHOA WAIT A SEC I LOVE THIS SONG XD So now I know.

2. Closer - Nine Inch Nails

I know, such a vulgar song, don't judge me. NIN is one of those "I listen to them because they're catchy" kind of bands for me. Some of their songs I love, some I can't stand. This is one of the ones I really like, even though the lyrics are.. overly blunt xD.

1. Senses Working Overtime - XTC

My music teacher Duane showed me this song (they're doing it in the 80's Alternative show in SoR)
and I instantly loved it. This is one of those bands that's absolutely brilliant and yet never hits it big. A damn shame, too. Yes, they are very strange. But so are plenty of other famous bands (Talking Heads, Arcade Fire, etc.). These guys deserve way more recognition!

Rock on!
~Libby

Like, OMG, How Could You Not Have a Boyfriend Until Now??!?!11

Hello friends,
So something pretty exciting (to me, anyway) went down on March 31st this year. We have been putting it off for a pretty long time, actually. And no, I haven't decided to start talking like Golem and refer to myself as a plural. I'm now in a relationship!
Sam and I have known each other since the Allentown School of Rock opened (sorry, I don't know the exact date). We joined at the same time, actually, and Pink Floyd The Wall was both his and my first show. I guess you could say he was my first friend in School of Rock, though we didn't really talk much. I was too shy and he was too excited to meet other guitar players (*cough*apparentlybassistsaredifferent*cough*).
Anyway, we also both did the same second show, Modern Rock, which was a lot of fun. I'll admit, I probably could've been nicer to him (I picked on him a lot). But in all fairness, he did smack my bass into the wall (even though he was practically in tears and apologized about a dozen or more times).
Moving on, Sam decided to do some shows at Easton, and for a while, I didn't see much of him. I had convinced myself at the time that I was loyal to Allentown and I wasn't going to do any Easton shows. Well that all changed when Duane announced that the Easton Saturday show was The Best of Radiohead. How could I resist? So I did two shows that season (MTV Unplugged in Allentown and Radiohead in Easton) and I think something changed in our friendship over that show. Once he realized how much I had progressed and matured as a musician, and how challenging my parts were, I think he gained a newfound respect for me.
Then we come to Dance Rock, when I finally left Allentown. And I know, I know, this story better be heading somewhere! Trust me, I'm getting there. I'll cut straight to the exciting part just because this post is becoming longer than I had intended it to be.
In October of last year, a bunch of the School of Rock kids took a group trip to Dorney Park for the Halloween Haunt, including my best friend, Sophia, my good friends Justice and Evan, and Sam was there too. When I got home from this trip, Sam had posted a "Like for inboxed truth is." or something like that on Facebook. So I liked it because I almost always like those kinds of things, and then I got the message and yeah..

To sum it up, he got all awkward, told me he liked me more than a friend and that I'm "very pretty, kind, funny and an amazing bass player", and if I didn't feel the same way that's okay and that he just didn't want to ruin our friendship no matter what happens.

I guess I was a bit overwhelmed when I read it, 'cause it didn't really sink in until I had read it about two more times. Then I broke down sobbing. Yeah, Libby handles big news really well.
Anyway, I eventually wrote him back and told him I needed some time to think about it. I'm not going to explain why, because that's a really personal matter.

So almost six months roll by, and finally everything is worked out (for the most part). I had to give him some gentle encouragement, but he asked me out again and, well, here we are!

So the other day I was texting a long-distance friend of mine and I told her the news and when I said he was my first she was shocked. (She's a few years younger than me) She just didn't understand why I didn't have a boyfriend until now. I never got why it's so important to some people to have a relationship as soon as they hit the teen years. Like, what's the big rush? And yeah, we all want to have fun with our teen years and part of that is meeting people and falling in love and all that jazz. But there shouldn't be any hurry. I'll admit, I was feeling kind of crappy when all of my friends started getting into relationships and I felt like no one was interested in me. But I'm sure a lot of kids feel that way, and even when you try to convince yourself that it's stupid to feel bad, sometimes you can't help it. My advice, if you want to hear it, (and this isn't me with some kind of newfound strength now that I have a boyfriend, I would've said the same thing before Sam and I started dating): Enjoy your time being single. Dress to impress, or whatever makes you feel confident about yourself, and have fun!

Sam, thank you for being so patient and never pushing me to move things along. I'm so happy to have you in my life, and I look forward to making some great memories with you.

Rock on!
~Libby