Three Cheers For The Music That Means The Most

Hello Angels,

Music is something that I think everyone can relate to in some sort of way. And I'm pretty diverse with my music, I'll listen to almost everything (except country because country sucks unless it's Johnny Cash. Also I hate rap music usually). Music means a lot to me and there are some songs in particular that have meant a great deal to me over the past few years. I feel like if you want to relate to me, you have to do it on a musical level. A guy who is musically talented is, to me, more attractive than one who isn't. Sing me a song and you will have my heart. Or at the minimum at least like these bands. So here's a list of the songs and artists that have gotten me through some rough patches in my life and that I hold very dearly to my heart.

1. Mayday Parade  I cannot limit this band to one song really. Mayday Parade means more to me than I could ever describe in a post. I could go on and on for days about how much I love this band and if you don't know my obsession with them, I'd say you must not know me at all. I have loved them for a very long time, since Miserable At Best first came out. This band has helped me through a lot of rough patches in my life, every emotionally draining thing I've ever gone through this band has been there. My favorites include "Three Cheers for Five Years", "Kids in Love", "Terrible Things", "Stay", "When You See My Friends", "Angels", "You Be The Anchor", and pretty much all of them. There is not one single song that I don't like or that I don't know. When I saw them setting up on stage at my first Warped Tour it was the first time I was finally able to see them live and I could have almost cried from happiness. I got those butterflies you are supposed to get when you see the love of your life. Easiest way to become my best friend, talk about this band or just say you love them at least a little.     
2. Ed Sheeran - All of the Stars  I've been in love with Ed Sheeran for a very long time before this song ever came out, back when no one even knew who he was or cared to know. He came up as a related artist to The Fray and so I listened and fell in love. His whole album + is incredible and that album in and of itself means a great deal to me but his recent song All of the Stars is my favorite. It's incredibly beautiful and it is for one of my favorite stories, The Fault in Our Stars. He has also done "I See Fire" for another of my favorite movies The Hobbit and I love that one as well.
3. Mumford and Sons - Hold Onto What You Believe Another band that has meant a lot to me for a very long time. Probably the only band with a banjo that I could ever fall in love with. This particular song is my favorite, the lyrics are very meaningful and inspirational. I enjoy everything of theirs but when I'm feeling a little down this song is my go to of theirs. 
4. Coldplay - O & A Sky Full of Stars I love Coldplay so much. Their whole album Ghost Stories was one I listened to over and over again this past summer, usually when I was driving home late at night after work. It just seems to fit when it's dark and the stars are out. I love "Sky Full Of Stars", it's very up lifting and just makes you want to smile. Their older stuff has also influenced me a great deal, such as Viva La Vida, which I used in a project once about the French Revolution. 
5. Jimmy Eat World - Hear You Me & The Middle  "Hear You Me" is the song I always say I want played at my funeral (still want that so no one forget it). It's beautiful and sad but it's amazing. "The Middle" is of course a great encouraging song for when you feel like giving up and it's certainly given me some encouragement throughout the years, especially recently. 
6. We The Kings - Just Keep Breathing  This is another inspirational one and another band I had the pleasure of seeing at Warped Tour. The lyrics are prime and this song is a very good motivational song and it's a little less down than some of my other ones. 
7. Sleeping With Sirens - Iris Cover  I like the original of this song don't get me wrong, but I fell in love with Sleeping With Sirens version of it. I love how Kellin sings it and it's just so beautiful. I listen to it a lot and I don't think I will ever grow sick of it.
8. Go Radio - Goodnight Moon & Go To Hell  "Goodnight Moon" is a song that if I had a boyfriend I would want him to sing to me. I mean Mayday Parade would be prime but their songs are all about break ups or people dying so this would really be better. Plus it has Jason Lancaster, who used to be a singer for Mayday Parade. Also "Go To Hell", obviously not a very nice song but I love it. It just makes me walk with a little extra bounce in my step and I want to sing it to everyone who has wronged me.   
9. Real Friends - I've Given Up On You  I love this song and it's actually a band that I have just started listening to this past year. This is my favorite song of theirs and I was able to see this band at Warped Tour as well. It's just kind of one of those songs that you can listen to when a boy tries to play with your heart or you are feeling the feels. Guys are jerks sometimes so this is just a nice little fit for when you get that feeling of disappointment. 
10. Blink 182 - I Miss You   This band is obviously gold. I have already stated that I like their song "First Date" but this song in particular is my favorite of theirs. It's just an all around perfect song from a perfect band. Because sometimes I miss people. 
11. Panic! At The Disco  This is another band I will just do in general. I love their songs and their weirdness.  I have been obsessed with them for a long time now, got a t-shirt and everything. I've been with them through their lost members, the removal of the ! and then when it came back. I've just been with them through it all. 
12. Micheal Buble - Close Your Eyes  Despite my other taste in music, I always love a little Buble around Christmas time. When the weather starts getting cooler or at least when I feel like it should, his music will often be in my playlists. "Close Your Eyes" is one of his songs that is not Christmas related that I love. As always Buble's voice is beautiful and something about it is just soothing and reminds me the Christmas season. 
13. Josh Groban - You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) & Brave   Josh Groban is another singer that I tend to only listen to after the snow has fallen. I like this song in particular because of the message and I also really like "Brave" for the same reasons. When it starts to snow for some reason I listen to him as well as Buble more than I should, especially when it gets closer and closer to Christmas. I love their Christmas music. 
14. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah  This is a very well known song, but Jeff Buckley's version is by far my favorite. He sings it beautifully and I love listening to it when I'm just in that kind of soft music mood. 
15. Saosin - You're Not Alone This song is just wonderful. It's an amazing song that gives you a little reminder that you're not alone and everything will turn out just fine. It's beautiful and I love it. 
16. Twenty One Pilots - House of Gold  I feel like I have to include this because this is that one song that comes on and I crank it up all the way and tell everyone I'm with that "this is my jam!" because it's just so catchy and awesome. I love singing it at the top of my lungs and if you are ever in the car with me, odds are you will be subjected to this song. Another one that I say is my jam is "Sweater Weather" by The Neighborhood. 
17. Our Last Night - Sunrise   Our Last Night is a band that I feel like isn't very well known, but they are one of my favorites. I usually tend to love their cover's of pop songs more than the original pop songs themselves. They just add that touch that makes it better. This song also has a good message that I really like, very encouraging. 
18. Paramore - Ignorance  I have loved Paramore for a very long time as well. Since the days of "Misery Business" and "Crush Crush Crush". I have purchased many shirts that no longer fit me and I have a guitar chord book of their first album. This song in particular switches gears of the other songs a little that deal with encouragement and motivation. This is the song I listen to when I'm a bit on edge and moody. 
19. Pierce the Veil with Kellin Quinn - King For A Day   This is pretty much as hardcore as I get. I've listened to some a little bit more hardcore than this, but none that I would really put on this list. I do like some screaming once in a while but I have to have some sort of singing in the song in order to like it (I listen to We Came As Romans and bands like it). This is one of those ones that I like when I'm feeling a little feisty. 
20. Johnny Cash - Get Rhythm & Walk the Line  Like I said, I like a little Cash every now and then. These two are my favorites. Get Rhythm is one of the best pick me up songs around and I also love listening to the Joaquin Phoenix version from Walk the Line movie. Johnny Cash is the only country you will ever catch me listening to and let's all be honest, country today sounds nothing like Cash.  

So there we have it. I listen to way more than these 20 but these are the ones that came to mind when I thought of all the songs that have meant a lot to me or that I just really like. I just think music is important and I don't know how anyone could live without it. Listening to music is significantly better than not listening to music.

Sing on Angels and stay classy

List of Reasons Why I'm Single / A Clearly Flawed Human

So I mean I take pride in being independent but I think we all do stupid stuff and say to our friends (or our friends say to us) "This is why I'm still single". So I've just made a little list of some of those reasons. Enjoy.

1. I meow when I'm bored(or make a variety of other noises). Yup I'm a little kitty cat as soon as the conversation gets too dull or we are driving in the car with complete silence. There was once a time when I was so over tired I refused to speak actual proper English to my friend, I only meowed at her. I also go "wee" when I'm driving and go around a corner. 
2. I eat a lot and I don't eat well. Oh your dates usually order salads? That's nice I want some pasta and 5,000 bread sticks. Also yes I want dessert don't even ask, also that dessert better be pie or cheesecake. 
3. I listen to a really weird variety of music. Mostly stuff like Mayday Parade (if you don't know that about me, then we aren't friends), Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Our Last Night, Real Friends, Go Radio, Mumford and Sons, Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, Twenty One Pilots, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182, etc. That list can go on and on. Basically if you see them on warped tour, I probably listen to them. I can listen to some pretty hardcorish stuff sometimes but then there is other times that I'm just like, it's a full on Micheal Buble day today. Let's all serenade each other with Josh Groban songs. Time to sing along to the soundtrack of Rent or Les Miserables. Micheal and Josh tend to be around Christmas time or if I'm missing Christmas. But still, it's hard to keep up. 
4. I am incredibly awkward. There are several instances to prove this fact. For instance some old man once pressed the wrong button for me in the elevator. He pressed two when really I needed three so instead of just saying something or not getting off at the second floor, I got off at the second floor, walked around the second floor a bit so that I would not run into the man when I actually got to floor three. Yup, that's my life. 
5. I drink a lot of coffee. This might sound normal for a college student, but I mean I drink a lot of coffee. I make a half a pot in the morning, get at least two cups at the cafe on campus a day, then make a half a pot again midday. I did a speech once on why you should drink coffee and got an A so I'm pretty sure it's not bad for me. But why is this such a bad quality? One it means that I constantly want coffee and if I do not get it I will throw a fit. Two it makes me very energetic. And Three, it makes me have to pee all the time. Oh you wanted to go on a little road trip somewhere an hour away? We will probably have to stop three times for me to pee.  
6. I make sarcastic comments for everything. I'm one of those people who has a comment for everything and it's rarely, if ever, a nice one. Insults are my thing so if you are sensitive don't even bother trying to make conversation with me. 
7. I don't always have common courtesy. I don't hold doors open for people or say their shirt is nice to be polite. I got places to go and people to see. I often times don't mean to be rude, but odds are I come off as being so. There have been many times when my friends have had to tell me what the nice thing to do is. But I mean I'm still pretty nice...I think.
8. I don't dress up all nice. My favorite outfit is my high tops or combat boots with one of my band t-shirts or a long sleeve sweater that also usually has some sort of music or movie/TV reference. I have some nice shirts, but I rarely wear them. I do wear skirts or dresses every now and then, but it's usually paired with black leggings, black combat boots, and a leather jacket. You'll also never catch me wearing a decorative scarf. 
9. I'm flighty and have major commitment issues. Can't tie me down. I will jump from place to place and run away from my problems and pretend they don't exists. I am never happy where I am at and I will always want to go somewhere else. I change my mind about things more times than you blink a day. I can't stick to anything and I never want to stick to anything. I don't only change my mind, I change it with passion and give my all into my new idea. But they never stick (just like this blog most likely wont, let's be honest). Like how are you people getting married? I can't commit to a school or a major, how on Earth are you committing to a person?
10. I don't like going out all that much. Large groups of sweaty people that probably have a low IQ or at least act like it when they are drunk? Count me out. You can find me in my own room watching a movie and making a painting or drawing sipping hot coco. Or going out to a movie or a concert with friends (I know concerts have a lot of sweaty people touching you too, but at least it's worth it). I would never want to date someone I met while either he or me or both were intoxicated. What kind of story is that? I've seen drunk people, loads of times. Sorry honey I like to keep my wits about me. If he's not cool with a night in watching movies and cuddling with some hot coco or listening to music for hours straight, he's not worth my time. 
11. I'm not good at dealing with emotions. I suck at being serious. If someone needs comforting I usually offer jokes and comments. If someone is sad I don't know what to do. I see someone cry and I panic because I don't know how to comfort them. I also don't like it when people come to me with relationship issues. Like seriously? Do I look like I can help you with that? When is the last time you saw me in a committed relationship? Yes, let me give you advice on what to do with your relationship issues. Um no, go find someone else. The most I know about good relationships I've learned from Marshall and Lily. 
12. I can't make decisions for anything. This goes back to my commitment issues. But I can't make decisions for anything. Do I really want ice cream? Better spend twenty minutes deciding.Then another twenty if I decide yes because then I have to pick a flavor. I contemplate everything, literally everything. I have to weigh all possible outcomes of all possible choices before I decide and it can take me forever. So if I can't pick an ice cream flavor, how am I supposed to pick a man? There's like so many more of those things walking around. 
13. I have high expectations. If you aren't going to be outside my window singing Goodnight Moon by Go Radio then don't bother. Also if you don't listen to or sing First Date by Blink 182, or at least think of the song, than I don't want to date you. You clearly aren't pumped enough for our first date. 
14. I have an addictive personality. Had a cup of coffee once, have five thousand daily. Watched a good movie/TV show once, must watch it all the time and buy all the things related to it and pin everything I see that deals with it. Oh I like pie? Freaking love pie must eat it all the time. Christmas? It's not even the end of October and I have listened to the Micheal Buble Christmas album and thought about how I'm gonna decorate. Peppermint everything, eggnog everything. I can't have anything in small quantities. I either hate it or really really love it. 
15. I don't care about what people think. This could be good or bad. I will act weird in public with friends without a second thought. I will talk too loudly and not care who hears me. I walk around and look people in the eye instead of staring at my tiny little feet. I will try to make jokes to get people to smile or break the silence. I will almost always try to break the silence. I don't care if you don't like me. The only person that affects is you and that just sucks for you because I'm awesome. 
16. I want a kitten. I swear 90% of guys (not a proven statistic) hate cats with a passion. But you know what, when I get my own place I am going to get myself a little kitten and there is not a single person who can talk me out of it. I want a puppy too, which dudes are always pretty cool with, but as soon as kitten comes out there like "no way, cats are evil and they aren't even cute". You are a little liar. Don't tell me that your heart doesn't melt a little when you see those little kittens on pintrest wearing Santa hats or something. Don't even lie, it's adorable. 
17. I put my career before men. Sure I don't have an actual career or a career path, but I always put any work I have to do before a social life. School work is more important to me than going out or hanging with friends. 
18. I suck at flirting and picking up on cues. Unless a guy just outright says "I want to date you" I will have literally zero idea as to whether or not a guy likes me. He has to tell it to me straight up and to the point or I will never know. I'm also not good at flirting. It's a lost art on this girl. You can throw hints at me all you want but most of the time I will answer your little comments and not know what was going on until a friend later says something like "that guy was totally hitting on you". Woops. Whatever must not have been my soul mate, didn't see him playing my favorite song out my window. 
19. I'm not graceful. Ever since childhood, I can fall on flat surfaces. Constant bad things just happen upon me. I will also sometimes randomly just let go of an object I'm holding and it will fall out of my hands. Just yeah, I don't know. 
20. I would make the worst housewife. Literally the worst. I can't cook for crap, I hate cleaning and I'm so unorganized, and I never know how to work a washer and dryer (not my fault, every single one is different I swear). My room is always cluttered and I don't really care all that much to clean it up until it starts to tick me off. I don't organize anything and generally get mad at myself for this, but still never do anything about it. I mean I would love to learn to cook, but I mean he would have to deal with eating crappy experiment food for like five years. 

So there we have it, 20 reasons as to why I am pretty much always single and just some random unappealing crap about me. Hope you at least found my sorrows entertaining. 

Laugh on Angels and stay classy.

How to Draw a Simple Feather

Hello Angels,

So I know that some people think that they can't draw for crap and you have to be born with the talent, but I think it's possible to be taught to draw, at least some simple things. Drawing is fun and it really helps get away from things that are stressful (unless you are going to art school than it could be the cause of stress). But at any rate, it never hurts to try unless you stab yourself with the pencil or get a paper cut. So here's a little how-to on drawing simple feathers. And hey if you mess it up, just say it's abstract.

I draw in a mostly trial and error kind of way. So there's a lot of doing and redoing and sometimes I do the whole gestural placement thing if I'm feeling it. But today it's just a simple feather we are going to try to make. You can then do so much more with a simple feather once you get it down. All you need is a pencil and paper, as well as your finger for blending. 

Step One:

The easiest step that anyone can do, drawing the little squiggly line. It can look as straight or curvy as you want, just keep in mind that the more curvy you make it the harder the next steps may be for you. 

Step Two: 

This step is also simple, just add to little curved lines at the bottom. Two little arms so the line is basically like "hey bro what's up?". Lines got some sass now. 

Step Three:

Basically just do step two again but branch it off the other one. So it has double arms like a monster or a bug or something. (note the eraser marks behind it because I was gonna escalate this much quicker but decided against it-you're welcome).

Step Four: (You are doing good little angel)

Now this part is a bit tricky. Using the two arms you just made in step three, follow your base line to make the outline of the feather. Every once in a while just add a little dip that ends in a point. Keep following the shape of the base line and you should be just fine. Curve the feather in the same manor that the base line curves.

Now if this escalated too quickly for you try doing this: Just draw two curved lines that start at the two "arms" and follow the curve of the base almost exactly, starting to kind of curve it to meet at the top, like one of these bad boys. 

Quick note: if you mess up, don't erase the whole thing, just erase parts until you make it how you want it. Otherwise you might just end up repeating your errors over and over again. You can always redraw the base line to match the two outer ones.

Now let's do a little zoom zoom to get a closer look at this bad boy to make the little cuts. First off just erase a tiny portion of it like so. 

Next just draw a little line going down toward the base curve like this. 

Okay now draw a line going back up to make a little triangle like shape. You will kind of be able to see where you erased so make sure you pick the line back up there because otherwise it might end up looking a bit disproportionate.  

Now just connect it back to the original curve you had going. Like I said, attach it where the faded eraser mark was and it should reconnect perfectly. 

Ta-da! Just keep on doing that as many times as you want to create that jagged look to your feather. 

Now if you really wanted to, you could stop at this step and just color it in or leave it. This is like the simple simple feather. Which could be enough for you, but if you want to take it a little further than stay with me. 

Step Five: 

Fill this guy in a little. You don't have to be too precise with it. Just go from the base line outward, or you can go outward toward the base line, whatever is the most comfortable for you. Just make sure that your little lines follow the direction of the feather itself as shown below. 

Step Six:

Time to get a little messy. Use your finger to smudge the whole thing. It doesn't really matter how you do it, but try to at least follow the direction of your shading. You'll get something like this beautiful mess. Awe yeah, smudging all the hard work you just did. 

Step Seven: 

Now try to use your eraser to gently (I repeat GENTLY) erase the outer edge to get rid of some smudges and soften the outline a little so it wont be showing up under the next couple of steps. You want your eraser to barely touch the paper, you want to approach the line from the outside and make it as thin as you can. It doesn't have to be totally gone, in fact it shouldn't be. If you go a little overboard and end up being eraser happy don't panic, just kind of redraw it and smudge it back to awesomeness. Now start to make lines again kind of like in step five but this time go outside of the outline (but make sure to follow the feather shape and feather outline). Start at the line base and work your way out. Take it one line at a time, make some curve depending on how your feather curves, basically just follow the shape. Use your previous shading as a guide to help you. If you are feeling fancy you can make some lines darker or thicker than others but if you are a truly hopeless newbie that is struggling as it is you can just keep it simple. 

Step eight:

Keep doing step seven until you have done the whole outline and boom, you have a simple feather drawing.

Now rejoice in your awesome because you deserve it. Go stick that sucker in everyone's face and say "look at what I drew!" To which they will either say "great job!" in a sarcastic tone if you sucked, or in a genuine tone if you did awesome. Either way you tried and I think you are awesome just for that. 

Now keep drawing these babies everywhere and come back to me when you think you got it down and we'll talk about a dream catcher or owl. 

Now go forth little angels and spread those feathers, one every piece of paper you come across.

Draw on angels and stay classy.