July 2012 – Page 2 – Concert Katie

Easy Canvas Prints Review & Giveaway

Katie July 22, 2012 8 Comments

Recently I had the chance to check out Easy Canvas Prints and order a print of one of my photos done on canvas! It was a tough decision to decide what photo and I actually didn’t even end up going with my first choice because I couldn’t find the photo on my computer. I ended up going with the photo of Zac Hanson that is used in my blog header. You can’t go wrong there.

Once I decided on a photo it was super simple to go to the website and pick out what dimensions I wanted as well as some other choices with the canvas, like if I wanted the image to wrap around the canvas or be a mirror image. I went for the wrapping and an 11×14 canvas.

The canvas was packed super securely and I have it temporarily hanging on a stray nail that was in my wall already. It came with the hardware already installed on the back so I simply had to balance it on the nail and it was good to go! (The above photo was taken of it on my bed before I hung it) I got an 11×14 canvas which I think is the perfect size and I am already considering getting another one done up when I get back from my trip to Jamaica. Hopefully I’ll take a photo worthy of becoming a canvas!

The owners of Easy Canvas Prints also own and operate several websites:

And have been kind enough to allow a Concert Katie reader their choice of which site they would like to win a gift card from! The lucky winner will receive a virtual gift certificate – which will include US shipping from the website of their choice!

To enter – visit each of the sites and leave a comment with which site you would choose to get your prize from if you win 🙂 A winner will be chosen on August 5, 2012 at 11:59pm EST and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email to claim their prize.

Book Review

Book Review: Stress Point

Katie July 21, 2012 0 Comments

Stress Point Thriving Through Your Twenties in a Decade of Drama is a book by Sarah Francis Martin. I choose to read this book when the deadline at work was stressing me out to the extreme, as well as some other things in my life as well. Unfortunately for me, this book was not what I needed. (A little bit too reliant on the Bible for me) So I skipped the majority of the Bible related items to see if I could get anything out of it at face value.

However, this book may be what you need. The book has an area for a journal at the end of each chapter which asks you questions about your own life based on the situations you just read in the chapter. I do like when books have things like this because it makes it a lot easier to put things into perspective with my own life.

Then each chapter also has “Worshiping at the Throne of the King”, with more journal questions based on items that it instructs you to read in the Bible. The next part is “Waiting at the Throne of the King” and a 3rd area of Journal questions, again based on Bible readings. Finally – “Finding Focus in Him Alone” and another journal area. Then we have “Stress diverted” which includes prayer prompts for your journal.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

About the Book

Want to ditch the drama and thrive through your twenties?

Body image. Friendships. Career. Money. Dating. All these issues and more serve as points of stress for the 20-something woman, and combined they can make for a decade of drama in a girl’s life. Sarah Francis Martin is the slightly older girlfriend who’s been there, done that, and got the not-so-cute t-shirt. Through this interactive Bible study, Sarah helps young adult women address each stress point by encouraging them to wait on the Lord, worship Him, and make Him the focus of their lives.

In Stress Point you will:

Find interactive chapters covering ten stress points for the 20-something woman
Dig through Scripture to apply truth to each stress point
Engage with real, raw, and relevant stories from girlfriends just like you
Journal through each chapter to engage with God in a meaningful way
Interact with Sarah through her video blogs for each chapter
Connect with your girlfriends in a Stress Point Survival Group; leader guide included

Sarah Francis Martin has a passion to encourage and relate to women in their twenties, and is honored to do so through She Seeks, the 20-something ministry of Proverbs 31. Her relevant and conversational style will lead young adult readers to live out the Kingship of Christ in everyday life in order to find godly success, purpose, and well-being. Obsessed with pink lip gloss and all things artsy-crafty, Sarah lives with her husband and son in North Carolina. Her ministry, LIVE IT OUT!, is a space for 20-somethings to connect with one another and grow closer to Jesus (www.liveitoutblog.com).

American Idol Concert Kris Allen

StageIt Kris Allen Performance

Katie July 20, 2012 0 Comments

I have been wanting to try out StageIt for a while now and when Kris Allen announced that he’d be doing a show the day before my birthday I knew that was the perfect opportunity to try it out!

For those of you not “in the know” StageIt is a website that streams live concerts to fans. The artists can easily set up shows from the comfort of their living room or do a live stream of one of their concerts at a venue. For Kris’ show you could pay as much as you would like, with a $1 minimum. The currency on StageIt are coins/notes and you get 50 for $5. (That is the minimum amount you can buy so that StageIt doesn’t get stuck with credit card fees and more money can go directly to the artist.) You can also tip the artists with your coins/notes.

There is a set number of tickets available (so that the stream won’t crash the site completely!) and the show is at a set time, just like any other concert you might attend.

My only question is – if I was in my bedroom and Kris was in his living room – does this really count as a show in my concert count? For now I am saying no – but if you have an argument on why I should count it – please leave a comment 🙂

The page said “standby” for a really long time and then people in the twitter chat feed started talking about him singing “Out Alive” but my page still said “Standby” A quick refresh did the trick and there was Kris… talking about how it was awkward to see the comments in the chat on the internet. (Note to self: in the future continue to refresh so you dont miss anything!)

He also teased about how he could be doing the performance with no pants on and we would never even know.

Overall, it was a fun experience but I think I prefer live shows where I can see the artist and the artist can see me. It’s also kind of awkward to have no cheers or applause in between songs – just “cheers” from the twitter feed. I’ll probably attend more stageit shows in the future – but they will in no way replace my real shows!

Out Alive
Better With You
Monster
Blindfolded
Lights (Ellie Goulding cover)
Shut That Door
—
(reached 15,000 so he played longer)
Live Like We’re Dying
Rooftops
Leave You Alone
You Got A Way

Product Review

Product Review: Sally Hansen Nails

Katie July 19, 2012 0 Comments

For the past few months Ive had a bit of an obsession with nailpolish. When I received my influenster VoxBox and it had some nail polish as well as Nails and Cuticle Hand Cream I was thrilled. When I saw that the nail polish was actually MAGNETIC I was beyond excited to try it out!

I attempted to follow the directions and I used blue as a base coat but I am not sure that was really needed. You can’t see it except for where I got it more on my fingers than my nails haha. Then I did a coat of the magnetic polish and let it dry (the best I could. I’m impatient) Then you do one more generous coat of the magnetic polish and nail by nail when it is still wet hold the magnet over it for 10 seconds. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it did a really awesome ripple effect through the nail! It suggests you then put a top coat over it too, but I didn’t have one handy so I didn’t do it. Some of the nails are a bit “bumpy” to the touch because of the ripples, but the top coat of a clear polish would certainly take that away if you wanted.

I am definitely thrilled with the results and hoping I can find it in store soon to get more colors to play with! Here’s all the info that came with it:

NEW! Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color is summer’s hottest nail trend that allows you to create a gorgeous 3-D nail art effect in just seconds! This unique formula was specifically developed with metallic particles – just hold the built-in magnet over wet polish to reveal a unique design on the nail. ($9.99)

One of the problems I’ve been having lately with my nail polish is it cracking off not long after I put it on. I have had the Sally Hansen Magnetic color on for 3 days now and only 1 nail is chipped – and that is because I caught my finger between my desk chair and my desk (ouch!). Otherwise my other fingers still look good!

Another great product that I got in my VoxBox was Sally Hansen Nails and Cuticles Hand Creme: $5.99 for a full sized bottle. Made with shea butter, the Sally Hansen Nails & Cuticles Creme softens hands, smooths cuticles and conditions nails. Active Moisture Complex formula with Ceramides helps to lock in nutrients so hands maintain their ideal moisture level. Offers 24 hour moisture and lasts through hand washings!

I didn’t notice my hands getting any softer, but I have only used it a couple of times so far. I’ll stick with it a while longer and see how it goes. The lotion has a citrus scent to it and it didn’t leave a greasy residue like some other hand lotions I’ve tried. It also didn’t make me feel like I was allergic to it either, like some other hand lotions I have tried have made me feel. (My hands get read and feel swollen. It is no fun and I think it is limited to one certain companies lotions but I haven’t done much looking into it.)

I received both of these products in my VoxBox from Influenster for free to try in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review

Book Review: 50 Years The Rolling Stones

Katie July 18, 2012 0 Comments

50 years The Rolling Stones Part I, covers half of the bands 50 year career. And it jam packs it all into over 500 pages. (I can see now why they chose to release this book in 2 parts. It would be completely massive to try and have a go at all 50 years in one sitting!)

The book contains a lot of articles and interviews with the band, “Views from the inside, views from the outside” as well as a lot of photos from over the years. It’s kind of crazy to see how young they look – yet at the same time they kind of look the same.

I never realized just how many songs the band had, but many chapters end with an album track list. Some I recognized, some I didn’t, but either way I was amazed with the amount of content they had – even from just the first few years as a band.

While I haven’t read any other Rolling Stones books, this one has to be one of the most thorough ones out there. It doesn’t seem to skip anything from the band’s history in their first 25 years at all. If you are a long time fan – you’ll probably want to check it out (though you’ll probably already have heard some of the stories) if you are just looking to learn more about the band you should check it out as well. You’ll no doubt learn lots of new things.

Part II will be released in the fall of 2012. I am looking forward to it.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

The book celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band The Rolling Stones. The eBook will be released in two parts, giving access to a rich archive of material from old and inaccessible newspaper articles, interviews, audio and images which will, altogether make for more than 2,000 pages on the band and their half century of history. Edited and introduced by respected music journalist Hanspeter Künzler (known for his work in Germany’s biggest music magazine ‘Musikexpress’), the book will be split into to two 25 year volumes with a single chapter to each year, providing views from the the inside and the outside blending together a wealth of criticism, fan opinion and interviews to chart the course of the ‘Stones through the ages..”

American Idol Concert Kris Allen

Kris Allen at The Arches

Katie July 17, 2012 0 Comments

Saturday evening, Kris Allen was going to do a performance at the Tanger Outlets at the Arches on Long Island. It was only about 2 hours from where I live, so my mom and I decided we would go to kick off my birthday week.

We got there around 2pm, went to see where he would be performing and then headed off to a few of the shops. After hitting up pretty much everything we wanted to check out, we stopped for Ice Cream. While sitting on the bench I heard Kris singing, so we headed back over to the stage to watch him soundcheck. He did bits and pieces of Monster, Always Better With You, Red Guitar and Rooftops. At one point he wasn’t singing they were just playing the instruments and he apologized for it being “the boring part”. Then he thanked those of us who watched and said he’d be back later. The funniest (or most annoying!) thing was when people would come by they’d say “Is that him?” “Yeah.. it’s him!” I guess these people had never heard of soundcheck before? It was funny because we were around the corner from the stage and I knew it was him soundchecking and these people were looking right at him and still didn’t know. (But that’s why I am concert katie and they are nobodies)

We opted to stay at the table until 6pm. (At this point it was 4:30). Z100 set up their tent and slowly the crowd began to form. It got to the point where we’d no longer be able to sit and watch the show, but that was ok. I was prepared to stand if I needed to. Finally at 6pm the emcee came on stage and started attempting to get us pumped up by making us dance to LMFAO (no thanks!) and Greg T from Elvis Duran’s morning show was there too. (I had to stand up to see what he looked like because his dumb ass is on the radio every day on my way to work)

Kris didn’t make his way to the stage until about 6:30 and by that point I was so glad to see him! He didn’t change his outfit from soundcheck – my mom commented on that – and then when we got home I realized he had the same shirt (or similar) on in all the ads for the show as well!)

From the first song he had great command of the stage and he interacted with the crowd a lot. And it wasn’t just boring banter either – he commented on the outlets and stuff like that so you know he had to come up with it in the moment and it wasn’t just “wow you guys are so great!” scripted nonsense that a lot of artists seem to do these days.

About halfway through his set I realized I had never seen him do a headlining set before – all the other times were either radio events or he was opening for someone else. It was nice to hear the new songs and get a full hour set out of him instead of just 4 or 5 songs!

He did a “karaoke hour” medley which made me cringe a bit though. It started with Rihanna’s “We Found Love” but then went in to Katy Perry’s “Firework” and then to Lady Gaga “Just Dance” (ugh) and then he kind of redeemed himself by doing Brian McKnight’s “One” but completely lost me again when he did part of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” (I’m obviously joking – these are just not artists I am in to but I love Kris and he could sing whatever and I’d be totally cool with it.)

He also mentioned that one song got requested a lot and that he was finally going to play it – My Weakness. He split the crowd up and had us sing “no woman no cry” and “everything is gonna be all right” and said that we did great for it being his first time trying that and he thought he needed to step up his part to sound better with us.

Overall it was a fun time, it had been a while since I had seen Kris and I’m hoping it won’t have to be that long again!

Music Monday: John Mayer Born and Raised

Katie July 16, 2012 0 Comments

Tracklist:

Queen of California
The Age of Worry
Shadow Days
Speak For Me
Something Like Olivia
Born and Raised
If I Ever Get Around to Living
Love is a Verb
Walt Grace’s Submarine Test January 1967
Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey
A Face to Call Home
Bor and Raised (Reprise)

Born and Raised is the much anticipated release from John Mayer produced by himself and Don Was. The CD was released on May 22, 2012, after Mayer’s spring tour to promote the album was canceled due to a granuloma on his vocal chords. This means John is unable to sing and therefore can not do as much promotion for the new album as he would like, the album must speak for him.

Born and Raised is a bit more mellow than any of John’s other releases, but it is still just as great as everything else. It has a bit of a country vibe to it as well. The title track – Born and Raised – contains vocals by none other than Crosby and Nash, which is awesome.

Random note: Walt Grace’s Submarine Test at times sounds a bit like the Jonas Brothers Love Bug. The first time through the record I actually did a double take and was all “wait a second…”

Win a copy of Born and Raised from Concert Katie! Contest ends July 30, 2012 at 12:01AM est.
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Product Review

Product Review: Smooth N Shine

Katie July 15, 2012 0 Comments

Recently, BzzAgent sent me some Smooth N Shine Keratin Power Semi-Permanent Hair Tamer. It leads to smoother, straighter hair with 5x less damage than traditional relaxers. I had never used a relaxer before, but my hair is very wavy and frizzy and could definitely be “tamed”. At first I was afraid to use the product, but I read all the instructions a couple times over and started with the strand test.

The strand test took about an hour. I had to take a small area of hair and try the product on it. There is first the incredibly smelly relaxer. You have to put it on for 8 minutes, smooth your hair and then leave it on for another 25. It smelled nasty. I couldn’t imagine what it would smell like with my whole head covered in this stuff. After that you wash it out and then add the milk product for 10 minutes and then wash that out. Once the product has been washed out, stretch your hair to see if it breaks. If it doesn’t you can use the product on all your hair. If it does, step away from the product!

I choose to wait overnight to see what the true results of my strand test would be. I have sensitive skin so I wanted to make sure that even after the product was washed out that I wouldn’t have any problems.

The actual steps to use the product on your whole head take a really long time as well. First you need to shampoo your hair twice, then add product #1 and wait 25 minutes. Rinse it out and add product number 2, wait and rinse. Make sure you have an evening to devote to doing this, it is not something that you can do quickly! Also keep in mind that it is suggested you do not pull your hair back with elastics for 48 hours and that you do not wash your hair for 3 days after using the product. This may require a bit of scheduling!

Make sure you are also in a well ventilated area. As I mentioned before – it STINKS! A bathroom with a window and/or fan is probably ideal.

After I used the product, the next morning I could tell that my hair was a lot tamer than usual because my bed head was not as crazy as it has been lately. But the real test would be heading out to see Kris Allen at the Outlets – an OUTDOOR concert. I might be crazy attempting to do this – especially since I won’t be able to pull my thick hair back…

—

At first I wasn’t sure I was happy with the results. It was straighter, but that is because the directions said to use a straighter on it. However, after walking around outside at the Outlets where Kris Allen was performing, I was sweating like crazy. When I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror – I was shocked. By that point in the day the top of my head should have been a ridiculous frizz ball and it wasn’t. Even my mom commented that my hair looked a lot less frizzy than it would have had I not used the tamer.

It’s only been a day that Ive had the product in, so if anything drastic happens I’ll post again – but the fact that it reduced my frizz gives it two thumbs up.

Book Review

Book Review: Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys

Katie July 14, 2012 0 Comments

Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys contains the story of 50 of the Beach Boys greatest songs – as told by the band, people who worked on the songs and famous fans – including Alice Cooper and Zooey Deschanel. While I wouldn’t call myself a Beach Boys fan (my parents don’t like them so I never really heard much of their stuff growing up), I always enjoy reading about band and music which is why I chose to check out this book. Going down the list of 50 songs, there were way more that I recognized than I thought I would have.

Each song is a chapter and before the write up it gives you all the information about the song which I liked – who wrote it, who sings lead, who produced it, when it was recorded and released, where it peaked on the charts and what albums it appears on. This will make it really easy for me to track down any of the songs if I feel like checking them out after reading about them!

I definitely recommend this book for any Beach Boys fan and any music fan as well, it is an interesting approach to writing about the band and I really enjoyed it.

About the Book

An original look at a beloved band, Fifty Sides of The Beach Boys chronicles the story behind 50 of their greatest songs through exclusive interviews with the Beach Boys, their collaborators, fellow musicians, and famous fans.

Featuring interviews with music legends such as Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Alan Jardine, Bruce Johnston, David Marks, Blondie Chaplin, Randy Bachman, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, and Alice Cooper, and commentary from a younger generation of musicians and writers such as Lyle Lovett, Matthew Sweet, Jim Fusilli, Cameron Crowe, Daniel Lanois, and Zooey Deschanel, even hardcore fans will be delighted by the breadth of Fifty Sides of The Beach Boys.

The Beach Boys’ music is as influential and fresh as it was 50 years ago, and this innovative retelling of how the iconic rock group became an essential part of American music history couldn’t come at a better time.

Product Review

Dr. Scholl’s Massaging Gel Insoles

Katie July 13, 2012 0 Comments

Recently, since I am a bzzagent, I had the chance to try out some of Dr. Scholl’s massaging gel insoles. This was actually something I had been thinking about buying for myself but wasn’t sure which kind to get.

I wear a leg brace because of my cerebral palsy so I have 2 different sizes shoes to accommodate the brace. My left foot is a size 10 and right is a size 8. The insoles came in a general size 6-10 and you cut them down so that they fit comfortably in your shoe. I had no problem with both fitting. The left one I stuck in my brace so I would feel it instead of the plastic of the brace that has been bothering me for ages. We’ve been using all sorts of moleskin and other things to try and make that more comfortable, but after a day or two of walking my toe pushes it off the brace. Since the insole was the entire length of my foot, it didn’t shift and kept me feeling comfortable!

I have yet to try them out at a concert, but I am sure that the added support will keep my feet comfortable even if I am standing through a 90 minute set!

Some information about the product:

Whether you’re on your feet all day for work, or your feet are simply the innocent victims of a busy lifestyle, you have plenty of reasons o try Dr. Scholl’s Massaging Gel Insoles. For starters, these ingenious insoles:

– Double the comfort in your shoes (for people with foot discomfort)

– Feature a Dual Wave Design – soft blue gel cushions and provides a superior shock absorption, while firmer purple gel offers added support

– Can be used in a variety of shoes

– Belong to a full line of Massaging Gel foot care solutions

– Come in men’s size 8-13 and women’s sizes 6-10

– Sell for a suggested retail price of $12.99

– Can be found in the foot care aisle of most drugstores, grocery stores, and discount mass retailers

– Offer a money-back guarantee, so there is no risk in trying them!

Check out the Product Consultation tool at drscholls.com to see which product works best for your specific foot needs!