It would be hot as Haiti’s for The Killers concert and they weren’t lying. It felt like I was trapped in a sauna with scores of people surrounding me and incredibly stuffy it was hard to breathe, but who cares… I was FINALLY seeing The Killers. Ever since they hit the music scene, I’ve been waiting ever so patiently for them to come to Raleigh or anywhere in the state of North Carolina. My dreams came true on August 12th when they performed at Red Hat Amphitheater.
Due to the insane heat we had to get some “air” which basically meant we needed to get out of the massive crowd. While we were standing off to the side a man came out of the pit and ripped his wristband off and proceeded to give it to us. For the remained of the show we took turns going in the pit to get an up close + personal view. It was oh-so amazing. I felt like I was on cloud 45,985 watching Brandon Flowers commandeer the stage. The only downside of the night was the heat, it was rather unbearable, but we mustered through it!
Not my best concert photo, but here’s Brandon Flowers of The Killers. Swoon.
Most of my friends who know me know that I’m not much of a beer drinker so for me to go to the Beer, Bourbon + BBQ festival was kind of a big deal. To celebrate this momentous occasion we went big- VIP tickets. Go big or go home! Having VIP tickets meant you could gain access to the Beer, Bourbon + BBQ Festival at noon, which meant we had two extra hours to get a head start on drinking before it opened up to rest of attendees at 2pm. Let’s just say I was there for a solid six hours. Six hours of drinking, six hours of getting sunburned, and six hours of pure fun.
Y’all like my Beer, Bourbon + BBQ souvenir glass?I’ll confess. I bought one of those cheesy necklaces that holds your drink. It actually came in handy.With my friend Natalie before things got a little fuzzy.
One of the guys that went with us pretty much peer pressured me into drinking some of the bourbon. Yes, at the age of 31 I was peer pressured. Regardless, I did not celebrate drinking bourbon. Had it been mixed with Ginger Ale, I probably would have handled it better than making a hideous face whenever I tried to drink it straight up. As I’m typing this, I’m cringing at the thought of drinking bourbon. Did I mention it was hot as all get out? Hot bourbon, y’all. Ick!
By the time the festival opened up to the rest of the ticket holders at 2pm, I couldn’t feel my brain. (Not being able to feel my brain = being tipsy). The rest of the day was a bit of a haze, due to the heat and alcohol consumption…. and no I did not get white girl wasted where I couldn’t remember the rest of the day. Although I did discover I had bought an $8 jar of jelly. That’s correct, an $8 jar of jelly.
I present to you my $8 One Screw Loose jelly. Someone go find me some high-end peanut butter.
That’s what happens when you drink all day, you go home with high-end jelly.
I’m going to leave with you one last photo. Don’t be like this guy who passed out beside the trashcan, otherwise someone like myself will come along and snap some pictures of you.
Maybe I’m still trying to process the L’il Wayne + T.I. concert or maybe I’m in denial that I was at a concert venue with filled with hot messes. Nonetheless, this is a belated post.
I suppose I’ll start from the very beginning.
Of course there had to be a torrential downpour before the concert. Not cool. Luckily we came prepared with ponchos and raincoats. As we sat in the car at Walnut Creek Amphitheater waiting for the rain to ease up we couldn’t help but watch in horror all the tragically dressed girls getting out of their cars. (A little bit about Walnut Creek; it’s a massive outdoor venue which I despise and it’s like walking through the shire like on Lord of the Rings). Like I said earlier, it was POURING rain… girls were emerging from their cars in stripper shoes and what looked like outfits from 5-7-9 or _____. Most of them were wearing sizes that were too small or too short. My deer in the headlight expression made me realize, this is what’s wrong with society… it’s going downhill. Then again, maybe I’m getting old and that’s my age talking.
So as we were making the long trek to the gates, two girls fell. One of the girls was wearing heels… in the rain… walking on grass. She should have known better. The other girl was wearing white shorts and literally fell on her butt in a puddle. When she got up, let’s just say it looked like “oops I crapped my pants.” I laughed at both girls. I always laugh when people fall and I give permission to people to laugh at me when I fall.
Once we approached the gates… it was still raining and our feet were wet from all the rain (maybe my choice of wearing Havaianas flip flops wasn’t the smartest decision I made). As we were hanging out waiting in line a surge of people started coming towards us and I was sandwiched in a mass crowd. I’m still surprised I didn’t have a massive panic attack, I get claustrophobic easily. It was pure chaos. I had a couple to my left smoking cigarettes and blowing their cancer stick smoke into my face (apparently they weren’t raised with proper etiquette… don’t do that) and I was literally sandwiched between two dudes. I was pretty much violated. There was no such thing as “personal space” while we waited. While standing there, I thought to myself I’m going to get trampled and die. My parents would have to tell friends + family that I was trampled to death while waiting in line to see L’il Wayne + T.I. and that all was left of me was my North Face raincoat. Alas, I survived and made it safely in.
After we all got beers (we needed them after dealing with all the chaos), we decided to hangout in a gazebo to regain our composure and strategize our next move. It was there we met Gilligan from Gilligan’s Island.
Before Gilligan went on a 3 hour tour
Once we found a spot on the lawn everything was much better. T.I. put on an amazing performance (he’s my jam) and L’il Wayne is quite the talker. We left early because 1. We didn’t want to get caught in the mass chaos and, 2. We had a hankering for empanada and wanted Calavera.
Final Thoughts:
I doubt I’ll go back to Walnut Creek. It would have to be someone absolutely amazing for me to see to go back to that hell hole and I would purchase seats, not lawn seats. Speaking of Walnut Creek, they really need to work on maintaining their bathrooms. Not only did a majority of the toilets didn’t work, but I also saw a sink hanging out of the wall. Classy. I’d like to thank those I got to witness who fell down, thanks for the laughter. I needed it.
While I was at Ocean Isle Beach on vacation, I went antiquing + thrift shopping when we had a rainy day. Who knew Ocean Isle, Calabash, Shallotte and Holden Beach had so many hidden treasures. I seriously picked up some amazing finds and can’t wait to put them to use.
On our first stop at Bargain Basement Resale in Shallotte where I picked up this adorable teacup planter. I have plans to spray paint it (I’ve had suggestions of hot pink, white or gold… not sure what direction I’ll take) and I want repurpose it into something other than a planter. Those who know me know I kill all my plants. The longest I’ve kept a plant alive is maybe two weeks… three weeks tops. I’ll keep you posted as to what I end up doing with this find.
Next stop was at a small thrift store in Calabash (can’t remember the name, oops)! I came across these tall glasses and all I could think about is how summer cocktails or lemonade would look perfect in these glasses. That was the best $4 I spent in a LONG time!
At The Memory Cottage in Shallotte, I found these AMAZING vintage steel locker baskets. They had about ten in the store and I walked out with two. I’m seriously considering calling them to see if they’ll ship me a few more. These would be great for storage in a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom or really anywhere. It’ll give any room character. That’s it, I’ve made up my mind… I’m going to call them tomorrow to see if there’s any left so I can call them mine! Not bad for $14.99, right?!
Last stop we made was at Miss Minnie’s Antiques in Shallotte where I fell in love with this bright blue lantern. I knew I had to have it. I think it’s the color that really caught my eye because it was so vibrant. Since the last thing I need to do is play with kerosine and matches, I’m going to turn it into a lamp. Either I’ll become a mini Bob Vila or find someone to help me convert into a lamp that doesn’t require starting a fire.
I realize pretty much everything I bought was in Shallotte, but there were some great little shops everywhere. We didn’t rely on Google or Yelp to steer us in the right direction, we just hopped in the car and came across these unique stores along our adventure.
I recently got back from a family vacation at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina. When I say “family vacation” I mean there were about 20+ folks coming and going from the beach house. This has been an ongoing tradition well before I was born. It’s an opportunity for cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and so on to spend a week together under the same roof to really bond + catch up. When you think about it, It’s priceless. Here’s a recap of my vacation at Ocean Isle!
The views from the beach house.
This was the best $9.99 I spent on a cheesy shirt from Waves to give to my cousinI kept it classy on the first day with a Diet Coke in my House of Swank koozie.
Wine, saltwater and sand is all I need. This is what heaven looks likeThe beach hat I bought was cutting it, so I bought this amazing mustache hat to keep me cool and looking hip
My cousin Blake found this starfish on the beach. Poor l’il guy lost a limb later that day.
This is what happens when a pack of cute kids asks you to buy one of their bracelets they made. I couldn’t say no!
Every evening led to an exciting game of beach volleyball
I adore Ocean Isle for their calm beachesAnother gorgeous view of Ocean IsleThe family flag that was on display everyday!
These 2 goobers kept me laughing all week long and I got to feel young again hanging out with them
That pretty much sums up the week I spent at Ocean Isle… drinking wine/ Diet Coke, hanging out with my cousins, being goofy and LOVING the beach.
As of recently, I’ve been blogging about my adventures in Dallas and all the concerts I’ve been going to. What I haven’t mentioned, but meaning to do is announce my most recent career change! *happy dance* Who knew I would go from drugstore marketing to fashion marketing?! Somebody needs to pinch me because I still can’t believe I’m working in fashion, not to mention one of my favorite stores (other than Anthropologie of course)! Ok, ok… I’ll tell you where I’m working. I got a job working at bevello (it’s a women’s boutique based here in Raleigh). It’s pretty amazing. bevello carries various designers most folks are familiar with like French Connection, Hudson Jeans, Paige Denim, Toms, Free People (my fav) as well as smaller brands you might not recognize. Like I said, it’s pretty amazing.
Once I get more “settled” (I’m about to start my third week there), I’m sure I’ll post more about my adventures in the fashion world and all the exciting opportunities I encounter, so stay tuned!
xoxo
Ok, so I realize I’m still waaaaaay behind on all my blogging. Way behind. I saw Passion Pit 2 weeks ago… so yeah, I’m behind on everything.
So the day after I saw The National, I had tickets to see Passion Pit. (My last post was yesterday so that means I saw The National 2 weeks ago too). Enough about all my tardiness.
My gal pal, Natalie and I grabbed a quick bit to eat at the Hibernian in Cary (the one that didn’t burn down… too soon?) before we headed to Koka Booth Amphitheater to see Passion Pit. Due to time constraints with getting off work + going home to freshen up, we skipped the opening act. For the record, I don’t always skip the opening acts.
Passion Pit put on amazing show. I realize that I refer to every concert as “amazing”, but it’s true. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a bad concert. As for the Passion Pit concert I’d say I enjoyed their performance of Sleepyhead (my fav) Carried Away, Moth’s Wings and Take a Walk.
Here’s some of the pictures I took from the concert…
Passion Pit at Koka Booth in Cary. I realize this is a bit blurry, but I wanted to show what the over look of the stage was.
Passion Pit at Koka Booth in Cary.Passion Pit at Koka Booth in Cary.Passion Pit at Koka Booth in Cary.Passion Pit at Koka Booth in Cary.
Another great show in my books! My next concert is July 27th… brace yourselves…. I’m going to see Weezy aka L’il Wayne and T.I. I’m mainly going so I can go see T.I. Shout out to Groupon for $22 concert tickets!
FINALLY!! After a few years The National made it back to Raleigh. I can officially now mark them off my bucket list of bands I want to see. P.S. AMAZING show… I would definitely go to another one of their shows. I’m absolutely smitten with Matt’s voice, he could totally have his own radio show with that deep, smooth voice of his.
Ok, back to the show. I honestly wasn’t sure how the weather would pan out since we had thunderstorm warnings/ tornado watches out the night of the show. The skies cleared as soon as we arrived (I missed the first act) and it was smooth sailing from there!
Despite buying seats I still couldn’t see over all the tall people. They need to make a section at Red Hat Amphitheater for fun size people like myself. I always get stuck behind a guy that’s as tall as Shaq. Not cool. That’s what I call, “short girl problems.” Luckily I was able to shuffle around since there were some unsold seats around me and I got a good spot to see the band. Not only did I get entertainment from the band, but the 50-something year old man in front of me was dancing his heart out and was super crazy.
Here’s some highlights from The National show:
The National at Red Hat AmphitheaterThe National at Red Hat AmphitheaterSo Matt came out into the audience + walked right by me. This is a photo of him and since I spazzed out taking the picture this is what I got. Fail.
The National at Red Hat AmphitheaterThe National at Red Hat AmphitheaterThe National at Red Hat AmphitheaterThe National closing the show at Red Hat Amphitheater
The National closed out the show with Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks. You can check out the full video here (I didn’t record the whole song and let’s get real, I’m not a professional videographer). They are truly a beautiful band… amazing show!
Ok… not really, but hopefully I got your attention.
I managed to fly by myself again, but this time all the way to Dallas, Texas! Woohoo! Since I’m behind on blogging about my adventures in Texas I decided to recap with photos.
Day 1:
First Stop: The Taco Diner. Major NomsStopped by The Glass House to catch some rays by the pool. Gorgeous view of DallasMy view from The Glass House pool… probably one of the most amazing pools/ views I’ve seen. There needs to be more chairs in pools… just sayin’Pure relaxation after long morning of traveling. Nap time at the pool is absolute bliss.Sambuca for drinks + dinner. The band was mediocre, they loved playing Maroon 5 songs and the guy needs a stylist to fix his tragic outfit.Hitting up the Dallas nightlife with DarnellBrunch at Chicken Scratch is a must. Amazing atmosphere and delicious food. Think of it as an upscale Bojangles.The interior of Chicken Scratch. I love a chalkboard menuChicken Scratch is probably one of the best restaurants I visited while in Dallas.Last night in Dallas we stopped for drinks at the Full Circle Tavern. The Jackass Mule is amazingDallas was so much fun! I got to spend time with my friend and meet his partner as well see everything Dallas had to offer. Can’t wait to go back for another visit!
I know, I know… I’ve been MIA. There’s been a lot going on and when I say a lot you’ll understand. Right now I’m sitting in the Charlotte airport waiting for my connecting flight home back to Raleigh! I managed to fly to Dallas and back without getting jazz hands. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that just yet, I have one more flight to make.
I will be blogging about my Dallas trip tonight or tomorrow (depends how exhausted I am) and I have a big announcement that I’m waaaaaay jazzed about. You’ll have to stay tuned!