Sigh (Contentedly) Forever More for Mumford and Sons

            If a tweenie-bopper girl were asked what the most wonderful things in life are, she would probably reply with a mixture of answers, including “Justin Bieber”, “Europe”, and “One Direction”.

            If a tweenie-bopper boy is asked what the most wonderful things in life are, I honestly have no idea as to how he would respond, but I can imagine that his response would include such things as “Axe”, “Beyoncé”, and “football”.

            If any sample of the young adult through senior population (by this I mean roughly 13 years old and up, up, and away) were asked what the most wonderful things in life are, the answers would most likely contain a smattering of such wise suggestions like “love”, “friendship”, “happiness”, “British accents”, “British music”, and “concerts for British all-male bands (with British accents)”.

            Being completely honest, I went with stereotypes for the first two scenarios listed above. But, being honest yet again, I must tell you that I was completely honest when listing some things that music-savvy American men and women enjoy beyond anything else. All of these wonderful things occurred last night—and are occurring again tonight—at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Yes, indeed—Mumford and Sons is in Colorado!

            Their concert last night was by far the friendliest and one of the most fantastic concerts that I have ever seen. Aside from the band’s hearty supply of British accents, British man candy, and what is most likely Britain’s most highly concentrated grouping of good looks in a set of four individuals, Mumford and Sons brings heart, spirit, passion, and quality MUSIC to our gorgeous red rocks. This concert actually made me feel proud to be a Coloradan; this band chose our concert venue as their last stop on their concert tour. What a compliment.

            The Mumfies, as their warm-up bands call them, treat all their guests in the audience to an intense, genuine, and beautiful performance. They set the mood right: their accents, quirky-yet-fashionable clothing, and love of music show that they are genuine, relatively humble, and talented. They amp up the energy and anticipation: song #2 in their concert order is Little Lion Man (you know the lyrics—“And it was not your fault but mine, and it was your heart on the line, I really f***ed it up this time, didn’t I my dear?), and they scatter in songs from their new album, Babel, in between hits and quieter songs from Sigh No More. And, of course, they deliver. Boy, do they deliver!! The singing was heart-reaching, the banjo-strumming was simply exciting and delightful, and the harmonizing that the singers (which is really each member of the band) create is perfectly on tune—the lead singer actually takes off his headset to harmonize so that he hits the perfect pitch.

            They’re the sort of band who are even better live than on a record because they are too good and far too real to be auto-tuned. Besides, with a husky British voice like that, who would ever want to auto-tune those notes away?

            The concert was stellar on a personal and emotional level as well. The crowd was relaxed, casual, comfortable, and happy. The people were happy in a different way than the people at Lady Gaga and Katy Perry concerts; rather than stoked and riding high on either some hardcore drug or a film of euphoria that comes from complete devotion to an artist, Mumfie fans (while often still on some substance or other) let the band and the venue pump them up. Mumford and Sons had to earn our love and screaming and wild singing—and they definitely earned it! (Take my nearly non-existent voice as proof)

            Perhaps the best way to impart to you how wonderful they truly are is to illustrate it through clothing. I bought a $40 tank top that says Mumford & Sons London on it at the concert last night. I adore this shirt so much that I believe it deserves every penny I paid for it, tax included. And FYI I have NEVER bought a $40 tank top in my life. Plus, it’s super soft and awesome-looking. I highly recommend it.

            Another fascinating aspect of the Red Rocks concert was the people watching. There were big people, small people, hippies, punk rockers, parents, couples, college students, high school students, and far more admirers who are out of their twenties than you might think. In fact, two of my mother and my favorite fans were two rows ahead of us.

            These special fans were two women with an obscure fetish: making food. We watched, giggled, and commentated on the culinary prowess/insanity of these two women. They were both short-haired blondes in long skirts with large bags of groceries carefully positioned behind them. One woman took so much delight in serving her food that we were certain she’d toss her make-shift arugula salad onto several rows of men next to her. Unfortunately, this did not happen.  We simply had to settle for gawking as they… organized mini pieces of bread onto Tupperware containers, set mini pieces of mozzarella onto each piece with a two-inch flourish, flicked and tapped slices of tomato into place upon each piece of cheese, pressed a leaf of basil onto each tomato slice, sprinkled a spot of pepper onto each basil leaf, drizzled olive oil (from one of their eight mini Tupperware containers) onto each mini pizza-like bit of sustenance, and, finally, licked every piece of misplaced food, whether it was on a lip, hand, or bicep (Yes, one woman licked her entire arm. I do wonder what she was thinking.).

            We were so in tune with these women that, when one of them couldn’t find her seat during the concert after getting up, we told her exactly where she needed to go—and prayed that she didn’t seem suspicious of our slightly stalker-like behavior.

            But it was totally all right—because Mumford and Sons were there. <3

            The audience members were also super kind and friendly. When my mother and I tried to leave early (our idea was to begin walking to the parking lot as they played their last song), a die-hard fan stopped us, exclaiming, “You can’t leave before The Cave!!!”

            We acquiesced and stayed for The Cave—and it was a great decision on our part. This woman turned out to be the nicest fan I’ve ever met, and the most interesting; she told us how at a different venue where Mumford and Sons had played a few years ago, she’d paid $125 to see them play for 47 ½ minutes (but who’s counting?)—rather than the several hours we got at Red Rocks. Bargain and awesome experience of a lifetime? I think YES!

            So we stayed for The Cave amid excited and singing fans, video cameras, and ecstatic cheering J

           

            The red rock surroundings added even more to everyone’s excitement and energy; Mumford and Sons uses a classic set with blinking-lights as their only props, and these red, blue, yellow, and purple lights complimented the red rocks beautifully. For the song Dust Bowl Dance, which is by far their most intense, hardcore rock song, the lights even went out for a time!

            The rocks also provide fantastic acoustics. Red Rocks is a different kind of loud than other venues. Red Rocks Loud is when the sound echoes off the rocks around you and provides a natural “surround sound” system. This kind of loud, if you’ll pardon the pun, rocks! Especially when you’re being dramatically gifted with Mumford and Sons music from all directions!

            Last night was an especially unique performance because at Red Rocks and Red Rocks only is Mumford and Sons filming their live concerts. Perhaps we’ve all been immortalized, cheering and screaming to Mumford and Sons in Red Rocks Amphitheatre!

            When the Mumfies finished up with their own songs with The Cave at the end, there was a surprise for the audience: confetti! And I warn you, Mumford and Sons confetti is the best kind of confetti there is. It’s huge, it’s plentiful, and it’s floating and dancing about in the air as they are playing their music!!!!! I proudly kept the pieces that landed on me as keepsakes.

                       

            It’s safe to say that I am more inspired than ever to learn how to play the banjo!

            I highly recommend purchasing Babel, their new album, which comes out in the second half of September. While keeping with their classic sound—banjo, harmonizing, quality lyrics, and great voices—Mumford and Sons still has a flair that they show off in this new album. In case you haven’t already, check out the single I Will Wait for a taste of the songs on the new album. It will be hard to create another album full of hits like Sigh No More, but if anyone can do it, Mumford can!

            In case you do not know many Mumford and Sons songs, here are some of my favorite lyrics! I think perhaps the reason I love this band so much is that their lyrics are soulfelt, poetic, emotional, and real. It truly is poetry set to song.

And, of course... Thank you, mom! You are the best for taking me to this concert on a school night. It was worth it. I promise! Plus, you're an awesome mom! :)

            “Love will not betray you, dismay, or enslave you, it will set you free to be more like the man you were made to be!”—Sigh No More

            “And I find strength in pain, and I will change my ways—I’ll know my name as it’s cold again.”—The Cave

            “Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.”—After the Storm

            “My head told my heart ‘let love go’, but my heart told my head ‘this time no’.”—Winter Winds

            “Yes sir indeed. I know what I’ve done because I know what I’ve seen.”—Dust Bowl Dance
            “Stars, hide your fires. These here are my desires, and I will give them up to you—this time around. And so I’ll be found, with my stake stuck in this ground, marking the territory of this newly impassioned soul!”--Roll Away Your Stone

My Mumford and Sons doodle!

Did You Hear?

Here's a quickie view of new albums coming out in the next month. Check out these new albums set to release at the end of August and September!

August 28

September 18

September 25

September 25 <3

Goals and Perspective

It's getting to be that time of year again-- the time when we return to school, buckle down in the workplace, and allow the to-do lists to grow faster than a bamboo plant (they can grow up to three feet a day!--and yes, we've all written THAT MANY lists). But before the chaos or the joyride (however you want to look at it) begins, it's always helpful to take a moment and step back and reorganize our priorities and goals for the year.

I know that for every one of your, your list of things that matter most and your aspirations in those areas are unique to you. However, the amazing thing is that all of us have more goals in common than we know--and we'll never ever know that until we take a risk and share them. The list of goals in this post apply directly to me and the roles that I play in my life, but hey, you might be surprised! They might even be completely relevant to you and your dreams, too!

Devote 100% of my effort when I'm working on something or participating in a class, activity, or conversatsion.

Be aware of the effect my mood, energy, presence, and contributions can have on a conversation or a room.

Be efficient and committed to getting work done that must be done.

Focus on one thing at a time as much as possible.

Have trust in the things that I truly believe in and the people who I know can grow.

Be both fearless and conscious with honesty.

Always have a smile around somewhere to pull out when I need it most.

Remember that anyone can have anything happen to them or feel anything about anyone or anything at all--and that without actively using this knowledge, I can't truly understand a single thing about a single person.

Take a moment to think about something I do not understand.

Keep my shoulders back and chin up.

Don't let anyone take away my love for the innocence and goodness in my heart.

Be a positive influence.

Have respect and confidence in my ability to act first or take a risk that will help someone else.

Take a deep breath and consider before reacting meanly or severely to someone.

Be unafraid to be "for" something instead of "against" something else.

Have patience.

Commit to good results and never give up on what I know I can accomplish.

Dance! Smile! Wink! Jump! Think! Read! Write! Draw! Hug! Sing!

Stay in touch--with me.

Believe in the wonderful and happy things that people regard as imaginary happy endings--because even existing in my mind's eye is real enough for me. Don't you give your mind any credit at all?

Have a depth of character so that I can speak--with either pride or awareness--about the things I do.

Make wishes and continue dreaming, for always. The world needs more of those.

Brave the barbs and hard things when the rose at the end of the way is worth it.

Treat myself to music, love, or anything else that makes me smile.

Give happiness and goodness high priority--because I know that I'm happiest and feel best when the things I do are good and are done well.

This might not seem like a comprehensive list of important things for your entire spirit--and it is most likely insufficient for mine as well. But it is a starting point, and in a sense that matters more than the content in itself. The effort, the caring, the personal investment, and the clarity that comes when you let yourself see all the things you want to be--no matter how hard or strange they may seem---is always worth it. It doesn't just show other people who you hope to be and what you believe yourself capable of; it makes it a reality for you, too. Now, these thoughts aren't just buried in a corner of your mind that you nicknamed your subconscious. They're literal, they're carefully phrased, and they are out there for your eyes to see and take in again. 

So wish me luck with following this bit of a mission statement--and good luck with yours.

Classier not Flashier

The make-up and nail polish world had a huge, achem, "make-over"over the last two years. Eyelashes became larger, longer, fuller, and in some cases (the Kardashians for example) furrier than life. Eyebrows either became thiner and more precise than ever before, or bolder and darker-- Lily Collins-style. Thanks to Covergirl's super aggressive campaigning (among other brands), eyeshadow palettes are now grander, more sparkly, and more colorful.
Traveling down a few feet, the nail art and polishes that came out recently revolutionized the world of nail accessories and fashion. Tip trend-setters like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and even the women who check you in at the airport with those notoriously big, long, and statement-quality nails helped put nail portraits, 3D nail designs, and glue-on shapes and objects on a relatively mainstream market. Sally Hansen, OPI, and Sephora did the rest of the work by creating collections of stick-ons, fast-dries, and metallics that were affordable and accessable.
However, behind all the glamour and fun, bright new color choices was another obvious fashion trend: flashiness. Advertising campaigns for nails and makeup alike boasted that they had something NEWER, BRIGHTER, more NEON, more SPARKLY, or BOLDER than the competitors. And thus the era of flashiness began.
But the fall/winter 2012-2013 collection is bringing in a new phase in the beauty department--the phase of CLASSIER (not flashier). Nail ideas are still as fun and novel as ever, but the industry has surpassed the "experimentation" stage and created products that show off a woman's fun side as well as her sophistication. After all, it is extremely difficult to feel sophisticated wearing Windex-blue nail polish to a formal or solemn event--believe me, I've tried. But with the new looks I'm about to show you, you won't have that problem again!

With a special thanks to Mimako, a wonderful nail specialist at the Cherry Creek Mall Sephora Nail Bar

Texture

Velvet

Ciaté is a new featured nail polish brand at Sephora, offering a new, festive look for nails. A product entitled the "Velvet Manicure" provides a bottle of polish (either navy blue, purple/maroon, or off-white) and a tube of velvet-y powder that you sprinkle onto nails the instant you finish coating them with color. Lightly tap the fuzz down after applying it. After waiting a few seconds, use the little brush to dust off loose fuzzies that aren't held down by the polish. 

This look isn't the best if you're washing dishes or getting super wet, but this warm winter look is a fun cool-weather way to wear your nails for a few days.

Pearl

Ciaté isn't just pioneering the texture market on the fabric side; this brand has it covered on the glamour side, too. Ciaté gives the option of having 3D caviar micro-perle decour on your nails in three wonderful shades; mother of pearl, rainbow, and black pearl. To apply this out-of-this-world style, coat your nail (do them one at a time so the polish doesn't dry too quickly) and tap the pearls out of the bottle, being careful that they land on the nail and cover as much surface area as possible. Then, carefully press down on the pearls with a fingertip to "glue" them down with the polish, being extra careful when you lift your fingertip up so that the pearls don't come away with your finger. If you have any blank spots where the pearls fall off, press a fingertip into a spread of pearls and dab them onto the wet spot. 

The pearls are actually awesome tiny multicolored/tinted beads that catch the light in different angles; I'm wearing this on some of my nails right now and they alternate from appearing white, neon/glowing, and multicolored. A few pearls may fall off within the two day window, but it's easy to retouch the look with the polish and bead bottle.

graphics

Fishnets

Nails Inc, a British nail polish brand now featured as part of Sephora's Nail Bar, has an intruiging new take on the magnetic nail polish look as produced first by China Glaze and later by Sally Hansen. Nails Inc calls one of their magnetic polish collections the Fishnet collection, due to the fishnet-shaped design created by magnets on the bottom of the bottle. Offered in different colors--and different patterns, Nails Inc metallic magnetic polishes are all super fun, long lasting (roughly two weeks), magnetically designed nail adornments that are subtle enough to wear to almost any occasion but fresh and glamourous enough to wear out and about. Plus, the idea of having a nail polish pattern in the easily recognized fishnet pattern is just pure British genius. Also, the so-called "age limit" for this type of polish is much higher than the previous limit to other companies' brighter, more flashy magnetic designs.

Cupcake

Nails Inc didn't just leave it at fishnets. They took texture fun into Girl World, too, with a collection of polishes that decorate your nails with confetti-like pieces of color that look like cupcake sprinkles. These flirty shades are perfect to mix and match with various pastel colors as base coats, and they also look cute with more than one shade to a hand.

Other Fun Things

Scented Nail Polish

This new nail product, now offered at Sephora Nail Bars, enables customers to have sweet or lusciously scented nails. Rather than opting for the infamous "nail polish" smell that everyone loathes with a passion, companies are now beginning to offer polishes infused with perfume. Fun, no?

“Matte-ify”

Sephora is also offering a matte-ifying top-coat. This polish is meant to go on top of any typical, glossy nail polish if you want to make it non-shiny. This isn't a concept I'd ever even thought of before, but it is interesting to consider that there has never been a completely matte nail polish. Ever! We have matte lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes, but nail polish? It's basically in its biology (although let's face it, there isn't much 'biology' in nail polish, but you know what I mean) to be shiny. I'm not sure if I particularly care for this new fashion opportunity, but if you're interested, go for it! 

hot and top shades for this season

Speaking honestly, I can't write a post about nail polish without making a few color recommendations! I know you all want to know the in colors for fall and winter nails, and what's fleeing the shelves due to popular demand. So I asked a nail expert at Sephora for a mini list of this season's hottest shades and top-pick colors.

From the Sephora collection: high maintenance (a very red red), metro chic (a grayish-purple color that cashmere sometimes comes in), caffeine fix (a dark burgundy), and I'm with Brad (another burgundy color that's a bit more like satin. Does anyone else wonder if Angelina wears this shade?)

 

So have fun this year in choosing your new polishes! For women in the workplace, know that there are many fun, fresh ways to paint your nails that are both exciting and appropriate for professional attire; try out a velvet manicure, a matte topcoat, or a dark burgundy color when the fall days start to get a bit chilly! For women looking for something totally new and glamourous, opt for a caviar pearl mani, golden fishnets on those fingers, or a shockingly perfect scented nail polish. And for anyone interested in something perfectly wonderful, or a new twist on something classy and classic, try out a bright red nail polish for those tips or even a cupcake sparkle to go for the sweetest look you can! :)

Have fun with those nails this year, ladies, and know that these tips and ideas are part of a movement to get fun, unique nails classier, not flashier!

Breathe it in!

It is unclear which sense--sight, taste, touch, smell, or hearing--is the most important to our health and wellbeing. However, the importance of using our sense of smell as a tool to concentrate our energy, relax, or revive is considered invaluable in many belief systems, wellness programs, and philosophies of thought.
On that note, by controlling the scents and odors that we pick up in our free time and down time, each and every one of us is able to affect--to varying degress--how we think and feel.

Some scent triggers are obvious:
Chocolate chip cookies baking= Yummy! , comfort, and maybe hunger
Deodorant= time to get energy up for a workout, a long day, etc.
The smell of the cedar closet where you keep winter sweaters= wintertime, coziness, maybe warmth

Other scent triggers don't remind us of conscious memories or possibly don't remind us of anything at all. While the entire effect of these sorts of scents can be entirely subconscious (because they trigger emotions and energy levels rather than memories), they're still super useful in understanding more about yourself, in using your energy how you want it, and in encouraging certain behavioral or emotional traits.

Here's a general guide of popular and easily accessible scents that, when applied either through oil to your body, through a spray-bottle in the air of your room, or even in lotions, soaps, and other clever dispensaries, to the items around you and your body itself, can help direct your mood and wellbeing in positive ways.

Lavender: calming, balancing, rejuvenating
Cinnamon: anti-depressing, stimulating for love, strengthening
Grapefruit: reviving, energizing, healing
Camomile: peace-encouraging, comforting, calming
Peppermint: mentally clarifying, restoring confidence, purifying thoughts
Eucalyptus: frees the mind, healing, balancing
Jasmine: for stimulating passion and creativity
Honeysuckle: relaxing, uplifting, sharpening for intuition