I’m not sure why, but from my first concert I decided it would be a good idea to keep track of the setlist. I then continued to do this for most shows I went to (and now do it for almost every one) Here’s the sign I wrote the setlist down on… super messy lol
I am back from my 6th trip to Tulsa to see Hanson! Today’s post will recap Friday and next’s weeks post will recap Saturday and Sunday! (Monday was just a travel day, not too exciting) Sorry for no photos in this post – getting over a cold and the computer hasn’t been cooperating with me either.
Friday I woke up at 3am and drove to the airport. Made it through security with no major problems, got to the gate and realized that my flight was landing and my next flight taking off in 2 completely different terminals so I arranged to get some help with that. The flight to Chicago made it with no problem, I had a wheelchair waiting for me and then we got to ride a cart around which was a lot of fun. It spun all around and reminded me of the teacups at Disney World. I got dropped off and then waited for Maribeth and Amber to meet me as we had coordinated to have the same flight to Tulsa. They arrived and the gate had changed – but we decided to hang out, charge our phones and change our clothes and then I had a mini freakout we totally missed our flight. Turns out, I just am horrible with time zone changes. (Which I pretty much already KNEW…) So I changed my watch time to Central and we were in much better shape 😉
When we landed we decided to give Uber a try because Hanson had teamed up to offer a $25 off your ride for the weekend. It went well and we were excited when it offered me a $10 off code to refer a friend – we figured we could use that on the way back (since the Hanson offer would expire before we left!) We got to the hotel, checked in and headed down to get ready for the Hanson Day activities.
The first step – was to check in. We got down there a little after 1 and waited an hour and a half to check in, which was insane. The line was split by first name which meant Maribeth was in one line and Amber and I were in another. Then Maribeth got through the line and we didn’t. So that was a bit annoying too since one line was moving much faster than the other. Then we headed down to Cain’s Ballroom to get photos with the band. It was scheduled “first come, first serve” from 1-4. Of course somehow we got there at the precise moment the guys decided to take what appeared to be AN HOUR BREAK. So we waited again… the picture was as expected awkward. There were 10 people in it. Amber ended up in the back by Taylor and Isaac and Maribeth and I were awkwardly squatting in the front by Taylor. I’m glad they took the time to do photos but I am never really a fan of how my group ones come out. Hopefully this will be a good one though. (After we took the first one Isaac yelled “I BLINKED!” so they did another without the flash) By the time we got through were starving and while we needed to be back for the lectures at Cain’s we decided to eat instead.
We went to The Hunt Club and got some bar food and tried MMMHops. When we got out, the line for the lectures was still insane so we decided rather than wait in THAT line, we’d wait in the store line instead. That went rather quickly, but unfortunately, most of what we had wanted to buy was already sold out either completely or in our sizes. I didn’t even spend $100 which if you know me, know is rare 😉 Hoping some of it ends up back in the Hanson.net store to buy later. *fingers crossed*
We got in line for the lectures and made it in and got seats. Isaac went first and did his talk on “Underneath Naked” which was him talking about how they recorded the album Underneath 10 years ago and a bit of a behind the scenes look at the “layers” on several of the songs. Interesting but a bit longer than it probably needed to be – although with it being Isaac it was expected. He did give me some nice tidbits to use on my Hanson site for trivia though!
Then they set up for Taylor’s lecture. And then they un-set up for Taylor’s lecture. And then they set up something else. (You read that pretty quickly but it certainly did not happen that quickly) and then Zac came on stage. He was going to write a song based on cards we had filled out. Of course, our cards were never collected. He did a beat but then didn’t like our stomping, he kept messing up singing stuff and re-doing it and then played us each verse, chorus, bridge, etc. The cards basically asked for person/place/thing and he tried to work in as many as he could so it is quite a random song. He had us sing the chorus and then he had his brothers join him to sing the chorus as well. Lots and lots of mess ups later Zac says “Oh I better save this right?” ha. It sounds like the song will be released in a compilation coming soon to Hanson.net.
Zac also let us know that since time went so long, the dinners had been pushed back and they were talking to the movie theater and also that Taylor’s lecture would end up being tomorrow since they went over time so much. (I ended up taking my photo of my dinner menu at 10pm when dinner was supposed to start at 8:30…)
The guys ended up showing up at my dinner which was nice and they chatted a bit with the street team leaders and we took a group photo. I had chicken and waffles which was really good.
Krispy Kreme recently unveiled some “coffee flavored” doughnuts. Since I was at the casino and saw that the line for the Krispy Kreme was not all that long and I was looking for something to eat for dinner since all the restaurant lines were super long… I figured I’d get a coffee flavored doughnut. This is the “Mocha Kreme Doughnut”
A moist yeast doughnut filled with a tasty blend of chocolate and coffee flavors, topped with mocha icing, a milk chocolate swirl and decorated with milk chocolate icing.
Calories: 350 Per Serving | Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 150mg | Carbohydrate: 49g | Protein: 5g
I am not a fan of overpowering coffee flavors, and this doughnut had just enough of the flavor that I could taste it mixed in with the chocolate, but it was not too overpowering or leaving me wondering if my breath would be stinking of coffee for the rest of the evening. I’m not a fan of the filling that Krispy Kreme uses – it’s thick and similar to cake icing which is often a bit too much. This is my complaint for all of Krispy Kreme’s filled doughnuts though, so nothing new there.
Overall I enjoyed it and would probably have it again if the opportunity arose. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys chocolate and coffee flavors.
(I received no compensation for this post nor did I receive the item mentioned for free or discount. I am posting only because it is something that I wanted to share with my readers.)
Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. 
Lately I’ve been having trouble with my hair brushes. They are loosing the little ball at the tip of the bristles and hurting my head and at times even scratching my head. I’ve been going crazy trying to find something that won’t hurt me but can still tame my wild hair. When I found out about Crave Natural’s Detangling Brush, I knew I had to try it out!
Of course, I tried to get wild hair for my “before” picture and of course my head must have known that I was doing that because this is nothing compared to my typical bed-head! Although my hair is curly, thick and wild, the brush has no problems brushing through it and even though it was very soft on my head it got the job done! I think I have found my new hair brush!
Both children and adults will notice the benefits of the brush on the first use. Children love how it will not cause pain or tears. Adults love the brush because it is gentle and does not cause pulling or breakage. The brush was designed to minimize breakage and split ends while it tackles knots and tangles effortlessly.
– Can be used on wet or dry hair – Great for the beach
– Use on wigs or extensions without causing damage
– Pain free and tear free so little ones do not get upset
– No more breakage and pulling that you old brush used to do
– Has a handle and can be used while blow drying your hair
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Portrait of a Chameleon is the 3rd album from American Idol alum, Blake Lewis. Blake describes the album as “eleven songs of pure magic.” This is his first independent album and it was funded by fans on pledgemusic. Those who pre-ordered through PledgeMusic have received the album and it should be available to everyone else tomorrow!
Start Again
Back to Life
Not Today
Silence
Grounds for Termination
Your Touch
I Want You
Survivor
Disco in Space
Retro Romance
Love, Love, Love
She Gives me Her Love
Runaway
Lost in Heaven
I often wonder how artists choose the order of the songs on their albums – Start Again is pretty much the perfect choice to start off this album. I guess sometimes it’s a bit more obvious than others! As to be expected from a Blake Lewis album, there are some really catchy beats included – I have to say that Back to Life had me tapping my foot as soon as it began. Another stand out track that I really enjoyed is I Want You. If the 80’s are your favorite, you’ll love Retro Romance! But if there is only one song off the album you can listen to – kyou should have it be Disco in Space! It’s one of the longest songs on the album but it is just great! I love the arrangement.
Overall a great CD if you’re looking for something fun to move to. And there are no songs on it that I want to skip which is always a good thing 🙂
I received a download of this CD after participating in Blake’s PledgeMusic campaign.
As you may know, starting this month I started my “Try it Tuesday” which sometimes will involve some sort of crafty new project I am trying to do. One of the projects I bought was needle felting. I’m not sure how I am liking it so far, but I am hoping that I’ll eventually finish a project that you’ll end up seeing some day. When I saw that there was a book on Felting I figured I should check it out because maybe it would give me some tips. The instructions I got with my kit are less than stellar and even the youtube tutorials I’ve been watching haven’t really explained things. This book offers insight on the great range of possibilities that felt has to offer – and that is exactly what I am looking for.
The book contains a lot of photos which is always appreciated. Some of the photos show the history of felt while others show techniques – and yes, needle felting is featured as a “dry felting” technique in chapter 3! I think my main problem is that I took on a project perhaps to big for a first project and you need patience. The tutorial was similar to that of which I have found on Youtube – they made a cool green cactus (I’m currently trying to make a monkey). In addition to dry felting techniques the book also talks about wet felting techniques which for my project is not going to work, but there are other projects where wet would be more suitable over dry.
There are certainly a lot more project ideas in this book than I ever imagined, so maybe there will be some more felting in a Try It Tuesday post in the future as well. Although, maybe I should stick to trying to needle felt this monkey first and then go from there… too many half finished projects going on already!
About the Book
Basic felt techniques are thoroughly explained and illustrated with over 550 step-by-step photographs. Twenty-eight original projects presented use both industrial felt and felted wool. As a fabric, felt comes from wool and is set apart from other woolen fabrics in that it is not woven. This book explains in simple, easily followed, illustrated instructions the techniques for making felt from wool and working with it, both wet and dry, to create felt flowers, balls, and cords,how to use felting with molds, and more. Projects for children, home decoration, and clothing accessories are all provided, including finger puppets, table runners, sunflower bowls, rings, and purses. Enjoy these techniques, originally discovered thousands of years ago by Asian nomadic tribes and passed down from generation to generation. In the modern day, there are artisans in every corner of the world who work with felt in art. This extensive book is complemented by a gallery of work by international felt artists, showing variations that will inspire the imagination.
Subway Love is a young adult love story. The two main characters are Jonas and Laura. Jonas is a budding photographer and carries his film camera around with him just about everywhere. When he spots a girl on the other side of the subway platform he takes her photo and then can’t stop thinking of her. He ends up showing up at the subway station over and over in hopes of finding her again. When they finally meet, he gets her Dad’s number from her – she doesn’t have a cell phone and she seems a bit confused as to what Facebook was. At first I wasn’t sure what year the book was set in – but Jonas seems to be all about technology (despite the film camera) and Facebook and emails, etc. Laura doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what he is talking about and even if she wasn’t allowed to have such things she should at least know what they are, right? Well, if you check the book out you’ll figure out just why Laura is clueless.
When I finished the book, I wasn’t sure quite what to make of it. It was a nice love story, different, but still an enjoyable one to read about with characters that you were rooting for (for the most part. Laura’s mom’s boyfriend Bruce we could all probably do without – but he is also an important piece to the story at the same time, even if he is an ass.) This book should have been a quick read but it took me 2 days to get into the first 1/4 of the book. Once things got moving though I read the next 1/2 in an evening and only stopped because I fell asleep. The last 1/4 I finished quickly the next morning to see how things would wrap up.
I also liked the concept of soul mates or “beshert” as explained in the book. It basically says that when you are born the trauma of birth makes you forget everything you knew about your soul mate but then you spend your life looking for them and once you find them, you know it is them.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
What if destiny leads you to your soul mate, but the laws of time conspire to keep you apart?
If her parents had never divorced, Laura wouldn’t have to live in the shadow of Bruce, her mom’s unpredictable boyfriend. Her mom wouldn’t say things like “Be groovy,” and Laura wouldn’t panic every weekend on the way to Dad’s Manhattan apartment. But when Laura spots a boy on a facing platform, lifting a camera to his face, looking right at her, Laura feels anything but afraid, and she can’t forget him. Jonas, meanwhile, thinks nonstop about the pretty hippie girl he glimpsed on the platform — trying to comprehend how she vanished, but mostly wondering whether he will see her again in a city of millions — and whether if he searches, he would have any chance of finding her. In a lyrical meditation on love, Nora Raleigh Baskin explores the soul’s ability to connect, and heal, outside the bounds of time and reason.
Song of the Sound tells the story of Libby and Bree – a mother and daughter, who end up moving from France to New Zealand. Libby is an expert on dolphin communication and so because of her job the two travel a lot. Bree is about to be thirteen and Libby is a single mom. One of the other major players in the story is John-Cody Gibbs. John-Cody is living in New Zealand and having trouble letting go and properly grieving the death of his wife, Mahina.
The book is a bit on the long side, almost 400 pages and I felt like it dragged the story on a bit in parts, there were several flashbacks and while I guess they helped round out the story, I could have done without them. A couple of times I was just reading along and was just waiting for romance (Libby and John-Cody HAVE to both like each other – why is neither acting on it?!) or some action. I am happy to report that I got both of my wishes by the end of the book, but I won’t expand upon it too much more.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and I absolutely of course loved that it had some dolphins in the mix, I just wished it was a bit shorter because I felt like it took me forever to read. (Which in my world is about 4 different reading sessions .) There were a couple of times when I thought I would put the book down and never pick it up again – but I am very happy that I stuck it out and didn’t listen with my gut, so to speak.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Love blossoms in one of the world’s most pristine—and tragic—locations
Libby Bass works as an expert in whale and dolphin communication in the coastal waters surrounding the Milford Sound in New Zealand, known to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s the ideal situation for Libby: She can practice what she loves while her daughter grows up in one of the lushest locations imaginable.
When Libby meets the haunted and handsome John-Cody Gibbs, she’s taken aback by his inherent understanding of the natural world. But despite his picturesque surroundings, John-Cody is trapped by his depression over the death of his wife, Mahina. As he and Libby grow closer, a long-buried secret from John-Cody’s past resurfaces and threatens to tear them apart forever.
Nailed is another one of my favorite COSMO Red-Hot Reads. This book is just shy of 100 pages and seems to pack a whole heck of a lot of story into those few pages. The book follows Sophia Holbrook, who has gotten a job hosting a new TV show on a design / home improvement network. She is going to be renovating and decorating a building – a building where she and her mother lived when she was growing up to help them get back on her feet. Because of this connection, Sophia really wants to do a wonderful job and won’t let anyone doubting her get in the way of that. Her co-host is a hot contractor named Fynn and their chemistry seems to be heating up – both on screen and off.
At first things are a little awkward because Sophia isn’t sure if Fynn wants nothing to do with her or not. Of course, one night when they are the only ones staying late at the renovation site, things heat up and Sophia realizes maybe there is a mutual attraction there after all. That is, until Fynn seems to be ignoring her the next day. Their relationship is a bit of a rollercoaster ride.
The sub plot is that the renovation budget was done incorrectly and they are now short $50,000! The producer of the show decides that he will hold a benefit and wants Sophia to tell her story – including about her father. Sophia wants nothing to do with it. This was probably the best part of the story (line), though it came at the end.
A quick, cute read, and taking it for what it is, I enjoyed it.
I received a free e-copy in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Warning: This show contains scenes of sexual tension.
Hosting a new TV show is a fantasy-turned-reality for diva decorator Sophia Holbrook. But concentrating on colour swatches is hard when all she can think of is her studly co-host, contractor Fynn Babineau. These two may clash over blueprints and budgets on-screen, but with the lust palpable between them, rumour has it they have been putting more than just their heads together behind the scenes….
What secrets will the cameras expose? Tune in tonight to find out.
Viewer discretion advised. Mature audiences only.
I found the book The Dylanologists to be very interesting. A lot of the “obsessive” Bob Dylan followers reminded me a lot of some of the Hanson fans. And yes, I’ll admit it, there are a couple in the book that remind me a bit of myself. (Though I’m not sure I’d call myself “obsessive”, I’m sure there are others that would!) It is always nice to see that this love of music brings everyone together – no matter who the artist. There was one woman who was talking about camping out for front row for Dylan shows and honestly everything she was saying I have heard other Hanson fans say or have heard myself. Sam shit, different band.
It was also interesting on how this book told the story of Bob Dylan and his career, but moreso from the fan’s perspective. How the fans are looking for unreleased recordings or collect really obscure things that have some sort of a connection to Dylan. The other interesting part is how Dylan doesn’t really want to be known – the book starts out with a fan saying to him “You don’t know who I am, but I know who you are” and Dylan responded “Let’s keep it that way.” The more Dylan tried to be unfound the more it seemed his fans wanted to find him.
This was certainly an interesting approach to a book but one that I am very glad that I read as I found it to be quite fascinating.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist David Kinney enters into the world of obsessive Bob Dylan followers (aka the “Dylanologists”) to deliver an immersive work on the artist’s singular impact on American culture.
Bob Dylan was the most influential songwriter of his time. Half a century later, he continues to be a touchstone, a fascination, and an enigma. From the very beginning, he attracted an intensely fanatical cult following, and inThe Dylanologists, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist David Kinney ventures deep into this eccentric subculture to answer the question: What can Dylan’s grip on his most enthusiastic listeners tell us about his towering place in American culture?
In exuberant prose, Kinney introduces us to a vibrant underground: diggers searching for unheard tapes and lost manuscripts, researchers obsessing over the facts of Dylan’s life and career, writers working to decode the unyieldingly mysterious songs, collectors snapping up prized artifacts for posterity, travelers caravanning from concert to concert. It’s an affectionate mania, but as far as Dylan is concerned, a mania nonetheless. Over the years, he has been frightened, annoyed, and perplexed by fans who try to peel back his layers. Intensely private and fiercely combative, Dylan makes one thing plain: He does not wish to be known.
Intelligent, entertaining, and insightful, The Dylanologists is a richly detailed work of narrative journalism in the tradition of Confederates in the Attic and an absorbing story about the tension between zealous fans and their beloved idol.
Katie