Five Friday...Who is Boner-vair?!

I realize that the Grammy awards were a few days ago (or almost an entire week ago), so this post may be a tad late, but this is my blog, sooooo let me be lazy and eat my lazy cake, too, kay?!

I am not here to ramble on and on about the great and not-so-great fashions (YES to Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood for fabulous dresses and NO to Nicki Minaj for just....no), but rather, I want to discuss what the Grammys are truly about.....YESH, sir, it's time for an SS musical ssss-nack time ;)

After reading a tumblr page completely dedicated to poking fun at this artist, I thought to myself, "How on earth am I one of the (apparent) few who not only know of this man, but thoroughly enjoy his music?!" I meeeean, it made sense when momma and poppa bear asked me who the gruffly man was on SNL a couple weeks back, but youngsters like us? Shenanigans!


PLEASE, for the love of all that is music, take a few minutes and listen to the following songs from one of my favorites, BON IVER (pronounced bonnyvare or bone-E-vair)......you know, that bearded dude who won best new artist this past Sunday.
Fun Fact #1: His song "Skinny Love" is under the top ten most played songs on my iTunes since adding his first two albums to my iPod in 2009. Yes. He is winning best new artist nearly three years later. Again, shenanigans. Wasn't the Gaga-ster up for it last year? Those silly Grammys!
Fun Fact #2: His song "Woods" is featured in Kanye West's song "Lost in the World" -- a fantastic song, so check it out here!

Warning: Do not listen to Bon Iver if you don't appreciate the slower, more melodic tones (no, I'm not being sarcastic). Honestly, his music may bore some to tears (like SSB) but enlighten others (like me). He has the voice to make me cry in the shower and rejoice in the pleasure of a sunny day.....all in the same album. He's true, raw talent, no gimmicks included, which is why he was a great choice to win this year. (Still love my girl Nicki, but I could have done without the odd performance.....)

For FIVE FRIDAY, here are five great songs by the ever-so-enchanting Bon Iver....

Skinny Love

The Wolves (Act I and II)

re:stacks

Calgary

Beth/Rest

If you were lazy and couldn't click play on any of these songs (shaaame, they're SO good!!), go pull out your best pirate impression (see what I did there?!) and get all of his albums: Blood Bank (EP), For Emma Forever Ago, and Bon Iver. I promise, if you love music that is slower and overflowing with feeling, you will not be disappointed in the slightest!


Until next time, please let me know what you think of Mr. Bon Iver (or Justin Vernon) AND inform me of any artist that you love so I can check them out...................

SS Musical Snack!

I have done two previous music posts before, but as of late, there have been a few stand-outs that I have been blasting on YouTube during my free periods....where I may or may not (read may) take the time to have a serious solo dance session and fully enjoy the 42 minutes where students are not in my classroom.

Also, this falls into a FIVE FRIDAY, which I have not done since the first couple of months of my blogging career! Stop the madness.

If these songs make me want to jiggle my jello then it's only fair to assume they'll make you want to do the same! Feel free to get down with these tunes while prepping for your night(s) out this weekend....you can thank me later.

Rihanna - We Found Love

 

{this video takes me back to college where relationships were messy but you didn't care.}

Keri Hilson - The Way You Love Me

 {don't listen too closely to the lyrics...or watch the video.
unless you want to feel violated. hey, it still has a good beat!}

Florence + The Machine - Shake it Out

{she can do no wrong in my book, really. her new album is fan-freaking-tastic!}

Ellie Goulding - Lights (Bassnectar Remix)

 

{her album has been on repeat with me as of late...

listen to Bassnectar's "Cozza Frenzy" to feel badass, fo real!}

Chris Brown - Beautiful People

{i feel like i should be in some top nightclub with lights that make 

people have seizures....but i'm just not cool enough for that.}

Is it just me or is it sort of funny that Rihanna started this list and Chris Brown ended it? I assure you that was not my intention. I would never, under any circumstance, ever find his former behavior acceptable or justified......but you have to admit this coincidence is somewhat humorous.
For the record, I don't typically listen to hip-hop or R&B like SSB loves to do, but you cannot deny they are good tunes for dancing it out when you're in doubt!
(Music Post #1 and Music Post #2)

Happy Friday and have a fantabulous weekend, folks!

Until next time, farewell my lovebugs.......

I got mah bitches wit me!

There are certain things in life that I never tire of....aside from scarves, iced Starbucks, naps, and other events that take place in bed (whhhat?!), I can never....ever......everrrr tire of the following...

Enter : Mah Bitches, Music Edition

1. Florence + The Machine - I don't know if it's the upcoming fall season or just her eerie but wonderful voice, but I pulled out her album again (I say that like I didn't just scroll on my iPod to find her name......) recently and have been pretty much obsessed all over again. Her new song is quite wonderful, too, so if you haven't checked it out (or pirated it online, whatever), please listen to it, because I can't even put into words how much the sound and everything about this song is on another level! (Rachel Zoe reference, anyone?) P.S. if you watch the video in the link, I need that felt hat she is wearing, feather and all!

2. Sara Bareilles - If SSBoyfriend is reading this, he can attest to the fact that I can belt (not well, mind you) just about every Sara song without fail (unless failing means not singing well....) considering I did so on our road trip to the beach this past summer! She has great lyrics, a simple and enjoyable sound, and she mixes spunky with melodic tones quite well. My current favorite by her? "Breathe Again" - Gawwwd, gives me chills.

3. Mandy Moore (post "Candy" days...) - Speaking of chills, one of my go-to car songs has to be MM's "Gardenia". Like, you gals knowww what's I'm talkin' about, no? The nights where you go for a drive and you just feel like having the windows down and the music up and belting it out like there aren't other drivers out in the dark night? Yeah, tell me you've been there, because otherwise I just look like a loser. Her "folk" sounding tunes are perfect for just about any mood I find myself in, but "Gardenia" is my top favorite of hers. Don't like Mandy Moore still because of her pop days? "Folk" you ;) HAH, see what I did there?!

4. Adele - Last, but by no means least, we have the extraordinary, the wonderful, the show-stopping Adele. She can do no wrong in my book. Her song "Hometown Glory" is not only one of my favorites, but it takes me right back to walking to class in the fall weather, she was the perfect accompaniment to the scenery. Her new single, "Someone like You" is just ridiculous. Click here for a recorded version she did in her own home and it just makes the song sound that much better in its raw form.

As you can tell, I have a fair share of bitches in the music industry (that totes just made me sound like I know them.....) and these hunnies keep me sane in between all the other music I listen to. Regardless of what is going on in life, good or bad or sad, I can go to one of the four aforementioned ladies and they bring life right back around. If you haven't checked out the artists (or songs) that I just talked about, please do, you'll enjoy them, SS guaranteed!

If you're interested in other songsters the SS is into, I wrote a music post wayyyy back, so you can read that HERE.

Hope you're all enjoying this week and gearing up for the holiday weekend! I actually just remembered it was a holiday weekend a solid 5 seconds before I wrote this ;) Solid job, SS.

Until next time, happy first day of September, enjoy ringing in the first fall month!

P.S. As a side note, I started a blog in 2009 that has nothing to do with beauty, my daily events, or anything similar to how this blog is written. I dusted off its webs by writing something new. Feel free to read it here. My poetry site, which is a twin to the prose page, can be found here. Lest we forget I'm an English major first, beauty blogger second ;) It should be noted it's not meant to be somber, just....story-like. Yeah, let's go with that. It was actually first used solely for myself to file writings, more or less. Enjoy, or not, whichever you prefer!

Friday/Saturday Fives

NOTE: I wrote this on Friday the 13th but never got around to actually posting it. Therefore, dear reader, you need to go back into your Friday form for this to truly work. Whether you just got home from college so you were in your pj's all day (jealous) or you were drinking by 3pm (like me, rough day, try not to be a judgy bitch...) or you just had the typical Friday-the-13th-superstitious shit going on...whatever it may be, get back into that frame of mind, albeit quite painful for some. Are we there? Gooood. Let's continue!

While Blogger, my school email account, and several other of my morning websites are DOWN (what is going on Mr. Internet?), I have little to keep me occupied during my free morning periods! What's a bored teacher to do? Write lesson plans, put grades in? HA - been there, already done that, look at this teacher goooo! So with lessons written and grades in place, what's really left? Well, write a blog post inside of a word document (to later place in the aforementioned failed blogger) about her top five favs in five different categories in honor of the fifth month and fifth day of the week and in place of the usual five Friday facts (a whole lot of fives and a whole lot of f words in that last sentence...yep, f words, I said it.)

(I got this idea from elleandblair.com - great site - but then I made it five times better...or bigger...whichever.)

TOP FIVE BEAUTY MUST-HAVES

(Gotta look hot on that island where people are apparently forced by gunpoint to take a trivial amount of shit....riiiight).
1. Purity Facial Cleanser
2. Revlon Colorstay Foundation
3. Bronzer (no specific kind)
4. Mascara (again, not too picky)
5. Rosebud Lip Salve





TOP FIVE FASHION MUST-HAVES

(You know, in case alll of my clothes are stolen by closet gnomes and I just happen to leave a letter behind to let them know to not take these items!)
1. Scarves (no brainer for me)
2. Wedges
3. Skinny Jeans
4. Black Tanks
5. Leather Jackets





TOP FIVE FAVORITE DANCE-ANYTIME SONGS

(Because you and I both know you dance in your car....a lot)
1. Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble
2. I Do - Colbie Calliat
3. Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine
4. Good Vibrations - Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch (seriously...not kidding...)
5. Bigger than my Body - John Mayer






TOP FIVE FEEL-GOOD READS
(Who knew feeling good can make you smarter, too?!)
1. Bridget Jones's Diary
2. Breakfast at Tiffany's
3. The BFG (classic - love Roald Dahl!)
4. The Carrie Diaries
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (a teacher feel-good, perhaps)






TOP FIVE FAV EATS

("Oooh I just looove eating broiled salmon with dry brown rice" - suuuuure ya do, bitch. Let's pick the not healthy favs!)
1. Spaghetti & Vodka Sauce (with tons of Parmesan cheese)
2. Baked Mac n Cheese
3. Tacos & Spanish Rice
4. Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
5. BBQ Burger & Sweet Potato Fries





Hope you enjoyed my lists of favorites - what are some of your all-time favs in any of the above categories? Or even in something completely unrelated? I'd love for you to share your thoughts :)

OH - here's a mini OOTD : Teacher Edition for you, too!

Floral Tank - Target (love their stuff right now)

Open Cardigan - Nordstrom (kimono sleeves with lace detail - yessss)
Scarf - H&M (a lot of my scarves come from here)
Pants - Metro (shop at college - miss it!)
Shoes - JustFab.com
Ring - Forever21 (shocker)
Watch - Marc by Marc Jacobs (featured in April Favorites)
















Enjoy the rest of your weekend - you can go back to your Saturday state of mind now. Thanks for playing along!

Until next time, farewell lovahs....

OOTD & Tune Tuesday (Warning: LOTS of photos ahead...)

I have never done an "OOTD" because during the week, I just rock my teacher attire, and although I try to be somewhat fashion-forward, I don't always go above and beyond...after all, my kiddos couldn't care less what I'm wearing. I do get the comments from my gals saying I dress better than most teachers (which is sometimes true!) but for the most part, it's very simple during the week. It's rainy here today, though, and I just felt like putting some pep in the day by doing something different....so here is my first "OOTD : Teacher Edition."

*Photo quality sucks today, my camera was being a huge bitch.
I promise better quality if I decide to do another OOTD*

Pants - Mood (a store at college)
Shirt - The Loft (such a teacher store!)
Cardigan, Ring, Necklace, Shoes - Forever21(yes, a teacher wearing F21 clothes....)
Nail Color - Essie's Lapis of Luxury

That ends the OOTD : Teacher Edition! Now onto even more...

I recently saw a post on Dream Out Loud's blog (check her out!) about the music she has been listening to as of late. I thought about doing a post on music, as well, and since "tune" and "Tuesday" start with "t" it seemed to work out just fine for me ;) So, here are some of my all-time favorites, broken down by songs, artists, and albums. Dig in and enjoy the musical snack!

Songs

Talkshow Host by Radiohead - I actually posted this song in the comment section in the aforementioned blog, but seriously, it probably is my favorite song. If a song can ooze sex and funk all at once, this song does it flawlessly. Go listen to it right this second. I know when I just feel like "agfgh all the songs suck right now" that I can go to this little diddy and life is once again restored.

In Your Atmosphere by John Mayer - I have been addicted (yes, addicted) to John Mayer and his music since the 8th grade. I have every album, both studio and live, and can listen to him endlessly. In my old bedroom before I left for college, the wall behind my door was dedicated to him....yep, I was that girl in HS. I was not so publically crazed about him (aka waiting backstage to rip his shirt off or scream his name as he enters venues for late-night shows....beiber fever is not my thing) but I definitely love him and his music. He's got talent, mah-jor talent, even if he did fuck Taylor Swift and leave her hanging. Sorry, too abrasive? Too bad. The girl had it coming, he's a notorious player....he can play me anytime, though. Right, back to the song. It's soft and calm but has a great flow and just feels right anytime of the day.

Little Lover's So Polite by Silversun Pickups - If you have never heard of this band, you need to go & download their music. This song is fantastic, both lyrically and musically. End of story. They have a ton of songs that I am in love with, but I go back to this one like the hot ex-boyfriend in college that did too many drugs. So there's that.


Artists
*Let it be known the bands/artists mentioned above are automatically on this list. Since they were previously mentioned, however, I will add more under this list.

 The Faint - So musically appealing and they're from....Nebraska? Not hating on Nebraska, but these kiddos have the sound that is more Euro Rock than, well, anything from Nebraska. Never listened to a song by them that I didn't love.

Ellie Goulding - She sounds like La Roux and Oh Land mixed into one, which is right up my musical alley. Her album "Lights" is definitely one to check out for those who appreciate funky beats with a soft female voice to complement them.

Adele - Love, love, love. That's all I can say. Smooth, soulful, powerful, and just all around fierce. Her sophomore album surpasses her first in my opinion but both are still very good.

Albums

Oh Land (self-titled album) - Awesome the entire way through. She has such an interesting sound that I cannot seem to tire of.

Sara Bareilles, Kaleidoscope Heart - Such a fun, upbeat album with a lot of spunk. She has a great voice in my opinion and some of her songs are just great for singing in the car (yep, I'm that girl!) She goes well with sunshine, too, as a side note.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way - Some albums are great for just looking back on memories and this album does that for me. It brings me to this happy and carefree place of high school, where my concerns seemed so large but pale in comparison to now. I loved those days, so I, in turn, love this album.




There you have it, a tuneful Tuesday with a teacher outfit thrown in. That last sentence sure did have a lot of "t" words...a perfect way to end, well, Tuesday!

Keep on keeping on...