Re-eee-ed, Re-eee-ed Tour 2013

Yesterday feels like a very strange dream; complete with a little drama, theatricality, good music, the city of Angels, and Taylor Swift. Let me explain how it all went down!

I woke up around 7:30, got ready, talked with my dad for a few minutes, and my mom and I were ready to go by 8:30, which is when we had originally planned to leave. Well, there is a bit of construction going on around our neighborhood, so it took us a little longer to get to the freeway. Then, I was reminded that I forgot something, so we had to turn around and go back. I was not in a good mood...But, I tried to perk up a little. Finally, we were back on the road, so I set the tunes to Taylor, of course, since that's who we were on our way to see. I always like to get pumped up to the artist we're going to see. It just helps me feel festive, that's all.

Shirt//Forever 21, Shorts//Forever 21, Shoes//Target

We made it down to LA in really good timing! The traffic wasn't bad at all, so we ended up in town around 10:30, so that gave us plenty of time. I was trying to think of somewhere different to eat, but just decided with Paty's, since it was close and I know they have good food. I had a chicken wrap that was good, but I was too excited to eat really, so I just sort of ended up picking around and eating the chicken! Too much avocado isn't always a good thing! LOL. We finished lunch and would've had time to do some other things, but not knowing how the system at Taylor's concert worked for the pit, we wanted to make sure we got over there to check it all out.

My mom and I drove into downtown, parked the car, then walked to Staples Center to see if we could pick up our tickets at will call. Well, because the confirmation e-mail never said what time you could do that, we assumed you could just do it whenever. As it turns out, we couldn't pick them up until 4:30, so we had a ton of time to kill and absolutely nothing to do. There's not much else to do around L.A Live, unless you're there for a concert or to eat...So, that sort of narrowed it down. And we had just been to the Grammy museum again a couple months ago. We mainly just wandered around, then I suggested going to FIDM (Fashion Institute). They have a really awesome student scholarship store that has a lot of discounted clothes and jewelry that some of the students have either made or used for projects! I found a lot of great items last time, and thought it'd be something to do! I didn't buy anything, because I wanted to save what money I had for Taylor...that girl always knows how to find a way to empty my wallet!
On the FIDM campus, they usually have an exhibit of costumes from motion pictures that were nominated for the academy awards and it's free (you can donate if you want to on the way out), so my mom and I wondered if they had switched it out with something else. Indeed they had, so we gave that a little looksie... it had costumes from several hit shows like, Nashville, Downton Abbey, Two Broke Girls, Parks and Recreation, Girls, Scandal, and several others that I hadn't really heard of. It's amazing to see how tall or small the actors are who wear them, compared to the idea you have while you watch them on the small screen. There was also a room full of one of the largest collections of 1920s outfits inspired by "Gatsby's women", which was fascinating. So many incredible flapper dresses; the beading and detailing were mesmerizing. I would love to time travel back to that era.
After that, we had killed an hour, with several more to go and no idea what to do next. It was a little warm and I was not in the happiest of moods, which unfortunately seems to be the theme lately, and something I bring on myself. I stress myself out over absolutely nothing most of the time or worry myself to death about the future, causing everyone around me to be miserable. My mom and I had a bit of a...moment...and had to talk some things out.
The fashion around downtown LA as we walked around is definitely something else...Everyone has their own flavor, which is exciting! After that, we walked back to the Staples/Nokia area. I was able to pick up some goodies from the merch table, then we wandered a little more. We were both getting pretty tired of "wandering", so we took a bit of a break, grabbed something to drink and ended up sitting behind Staples near the buses, because we had absolutely nothing else to do, as people gave us strange looks, like what are you waiting around for? No, we weren't even waiting or expecting Taylor to come out, so there was absolutely nothing going on. The sun moved its way over to us, so we decided to walk back to the car and came back to sit by the box office, so we were ready to go when pit was released.
While we were waiting, a younger girl came over to us and handed out cards, explaining she's a singer/songwriter, that if you like Taylor, you'd love her music too. I thought it was such a bold move, which I admired. She asked to take a picture with me for her fan site, and explained that she has a headlining show coming up at The House of Blues on sunset soon, which is a pretty big deal around here! She was really sweet, so I looked her up on Twitter and Instagram; definitely going to check out her music! Ellysa Rose was her name, in case any of you are interested :)

Eventually, 4:30 rolled around and we got in line for the passes. We started talking to a couple moms with daughters about Taylor...What else, right?! And I actually met the sister of a girl who had contacted me on Twitter...Small world! I was explaining how I'd been able to meet Taylor a few times and the story rang a bell with her! HA! Totally random! After we picked up our tickets, we went to the door and waited for an hour, talking with a mom and her 12 year old daughter. We were telling them about some of our trips to Nashville, as well as winning T-Party and pit. They told us all about their "Taylor Trip" to Nashville, hitting all of the places she goes...Needless to say, we got along real well. They were so sweet, and we thought we would be in the pit together...But, we ended up being on opposite sides, realizing we were in the wrong line. We should have been in the front row of the pit, but the guy wouldn't let us go down the same way, even though it didn't matter, so we had to go around to find another entrance that would allow us floor access. Such a crazy thing! We finally ended up in line, pretty far back, but we still made it against the other side, touching the stage, which was all I cared about.  I thought, "She'll use all of the stage at some point, so we'll be fine here." The waiting took forever, because we still had an hour to go before the show even started...But, it wasn't too bad. I think it's great that Taylor always makes every show of hers feel like an experience. Complete with booths, picture taking and lots of videos and music to keep you occupied.

                                        

At last, the lights went out and stage lights went up for Casey James! He's really talented, can jam on the guitar, and is a great songwriter. I enjoyed his set, which was only about four songs, and he seemed to have the crowd going..I just think he seems to be better with playing small bars/venues for the style he does, but you just never know. Ed Sheeran was up next and I was really excited to see him live, because everyone has said he's great! I've only listened to a little bit of his music on Spotify, but fell in love with "Lego House," so I was glad that was his last single and also that he played it live. What I loved most about him is that he's so hilarious and witty, and I just think he should make YouTube videos of all of his adventures around the world (if he doesn't already?) because he's so endearing. I can see why him and Taylor get along so well. Not all of his music is my style, but I think he's an incredible artist and knows how to draw an audience in. Can't wait to see what he does after the Red tour!

There was a bit of an intermission, and we had started talking to the security guard standing next to us. He said he would tell them he had two people for Club Red if they were looking for people..I didn't actually think he had any pull, but it was a nice gesture. And finally, "American Woman" started playing over the loud speaker... I knew exactly what that meant. Taylor was heading to the stage.

The lights went out for the last time, and the screams went to another level. I had my hand on the stage,  looking out to the sea of people all screaming for Taylor, waving their glow sticks and signs in the air just hoping that she'd even glimpse their way. It's the most unreal thing I've ever experienced. I can see how she says something like that never gets old. As a little girl, that was all I'd ever dreamed of...Standing on a stage, hearing people shout and sing along with me. Some dreams change, and I realize that might not be where I end up, but living it out from the pit of a Taylor Swift concert is pretty darn close. She represents girls everywhere who dream of that someday or just want to have that little fantasy of it happening to them.

A shadow of Taylor appeared behind the large red curtain, as the band began to play "State of Grace," and the roar of the crowd erupted. I always tell myself I won't cry...and then I do. And I did last night. Several times. I'm just SO SO proud of her. To have literally been there from the beginning, watching her grow into this worldwide phenomenon is just mind boggling. I mean, we all knew she was capable of it She walked down the grand staircase, strutting down the catwalk, and pretty soon, she was off and running. Towards the end of the song, she even gave away the hat she was wearing, placing it on the girl's head, and I just about freaked out! I can't even imagine being that girl. 

Taylor popped out a few more catchy, upbeat songs, like "Holy Ground" and "Red." She even thanked everyone in the audience for being the reason that she broke records as having the most sellouts for a solo artist, beating out Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, with 11 shows. CRAZY! She went into several more songs, and most of the time, I was just thinking how insane it was to have watched her at 17 years old, opening for Brad Paisley, and the only thing she had to sell to a crowd was the blue backdrop with her name on it, her guitar and her songs. Now, she has her own trucks with her face painted on every one of them carrying all kinds of equipment, an entire production team with big screens and graphics, dancers, backup singers, and all kinds of surprises up her sleeve. Just when I think she can't get any better, she does. 

The concert was going incredible! She had just finished up the set at the back of the auditorium and made her way to the main stage for "22"--SO FUN! Everyone was rocking out. And then came another moment I had been waiting for all night...she started talking about the surprise guest, which was Tegan and Sara. I know some people were freaking out about that, I'm just not that familiar with their music, so it wasn't a big deal to me. About that time, my mom leaned over to me and just said, "I don't feel good." I kept asking her if we needed to leave, because I didn't want her to start feeling worse before we left, and she said no. She went rummaging through her purse and said, "I can't find my...I can't find my..." I kept asking her what, because I was going to find it for her if she didn't feel like looking for it. She put her purse down and lay her head down on the stage, I was trying to comfort her as best as I could, but I didn't know what to do. The next thing I know she's falling down on the ground. I didn't know what was happening. Probably the scariest moment ever, not knowing what to do, with a million different thoughts running through my head. I mean, we're in the pit in the middle of a Taylor Swift concert...what do you do?? The security guard next to us stepped in and we tried to get her up, but she couldn't. So, she tried to stay there for a few seconds, until another security came up and said, "We need to get her out of here." Uh, yeah, no kidding! That's what we're trying to do, but she doesn't have the strength yet. So, after one of the nice bystanders helped out and others just stared awkwardly not knowing what was going on and turning their direction back to the concert, we were escorted by several security members up the stairs. I glanced at the stage one last time as we walked out of the pit, and could've sworn Amos was making eye contact, probably wondering what was going on...And then we were out. 

We went up to the lobby area to sit down for a little while, while first aid came to make sure my mom was okay. They asked us several questions, also telling us it wasn't the first passing out stint they've had at a Taylor show, just the first of the night. They got her some water and continued asking for information and what actually happened in there, if she had passed out or fell. She didn't really remember that much at the moment, but I clarified that she went down. It turns out it was just dehydration, we hadn't really drank much or eaten since 10:30 or 11 a.m, and we had been in the sun just about all day...Which is something we aren't totally used to, so that means drinking a lot of water and resting up now to make up for it.

She kept joking with the guy that we should get Club Red...But, of course, that didn't happen! Haha! Trust me, that was not an intentional plan. After mom started feeling a little better and was just trying to take it easy, she said I could go back in to watch the last few songs. All Too Well had already started up when I was out in the lobby, but I was able to make it back inside for the last half. The security guard talked to one of the ushers and she said it was okay if I just stood at the top. To be honest, I actually liked that view much better. It was easier to see all of the dancers and detail on the stage, instead of glancing every which way to keep up from the pit, but was still a lot of fun down there...There's a different energy that you just can't get anywhere else in the venue.  

Taylor closed out the show with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" with confetti flying through the air. It was pretty magical, I must say. I left a few seconds early to beat the rush and met up with my mom. Luckily, we got out of there pretty quickly and made it out before the crowd hit and our parking lot was just across the street when we took the back exit. We hurried to the car and headed to the freeway. What a night, is all I can say. 

Definitely Taylor's best concert so far, I think. As special as each tour has been for me, I feel like this one was just really fun and heartfelt. She seemed the most natural again, while still making it feel like you're at a real live stage show, complete with costume changes and all. My favorite part of the entire show was "The Lucky One." Taylor always goes into so much detail with everything that she does; making videos, her monologues, her hidden messages in songs. Whatever she does, she makes sure that it is well thought out and planned, and that definitely shows! I will ALWAYS be a fan of hers...I don't care what genre she is. She makes fantastic music and puts on one heck of a show, to think otherwise...You obviously haven't seen her live.

We got out of LA with no problem and made it to Valencia, grabbing In-N-Out, then hitting the road again that would lead us home. We were even starting to chuckle at mom's little tumble LOL...I told her, "We are never ever ever going to another concert together." I was obviously just kidding, but thought it was fitting with the Taylor Swift theme, and then we laughed a little more at all of the stupid things that we'd say or come up with on the way home. We made it home around 12:30, and talked to my dad for a few minutes about the night and the concert, then hit the hay. Going to concerts is quite the exhausting process...Some people don't even understand! HA! 

That's all for now,

Shelby

Oh, and stay tuned for a vlog of pictures and video of the night's festivities! :)

Goodbye Speak Now, Hello Red!

Taylor Swift's brand new CD, Red was released yesterday, and this is just the beginning of "Release Week." With Taylor, nothing is ever done just halfway. She goes all out for every occasion, and makes the fans feel as if they are part of something just as special with her. She makes plenty of appearances around New York (mainly) and LA, saying thank you to the fans and launching a new era and time in her life.

I love that each of her CD's really does become a theme in its own way. We were introduced to "Taylor Swift" with her first CD; a girl who believed in the beauty of dreams and made us fall in love with love again, as well as country music. Then, she taught us to be "Fearless"; go for those opportunities that seem a little terrifying, because they're usually the most rewarding. Next up, was "Speak Now"; If you know what you need to say, then you should say it, because you don't know when you'll ever get another chance. And that brings us to "Red"; love is a lot of shades of red, and each one causes a different emotion for us, and that's how powerful it is on us. I also believe it's such a classy color, and Taylor wears it so well. As she gets older, she becomes even more elegant. I think this "Red" era not only reflects in her music, but her personal style evolution over the years, as well.

A couple years ago, in 2010, my mom and I went to the Ellen show taping for the album release party of Speak Now. There were no available tickets in the audience, but because my mom had been writing in to Ellen, they invited us into the Riff Raff Room, which is basically show overflow. We watched the show from the back room, and when Taylor sang "Back To December," they let all of us sit on the steps to the stage to watch her perform. She came over after to shake some hands, and to sign autographs for a few people, and I got a little bit closer to her. It was a fun experience to be part of. We were going to attend another taping for her Speak Now special on Hollywood Blvd., but it didn't work out. In the end, it was totally fine.

This years release week, we should have been attending the Ellen taping once again for a mini concert (which airs tomorrow), but we weren't able to, due to the Carrie Underwood concert being the same night. Obviously, there is a reason for all of these missed moments, so we shall see what the future holds. A majority of her events took place in New York, and she truly turned it into one big party. A ton of my Taylor friends were able to attend whether it was from winning a contest or being a "Taylor Follower" giving official updates and keeping everyone in the loop. Seeing everyone's pictures at David Letterman, The Katie Show, Good Morning America, and others made me wish I was there. One of these days, I'll be there!

Even if you weren't able to attend release week tapings or any special events, you can catch them on TV when they air (like I am) or catch up on a fan site dedicated to all things Taylor. You can catch her performances from The View, The Late Show with David Letterman, and Good Morning America, as well as a few other surprises in between. Be sure to catch her on:

• The Ellen Degeneres Show (Check your local listings for times)
• The Katie Show on Friday (Again, check local listings) 

What an exciting launch to a big change for Taylor! I'm excited to be on this new journey with her.

That's all for now,
Shelby

The Weekly Review

Wow! What a week it has been. It has been filled with a lot of homework, getting things ready for South Carolina, hanging out with one of my best friends, errands, still trying to survive this California heat and just taking it all day by day. This was my week:

Monday:
I tried to get things together, in order to get some school assignments out of the way. I was pretty lazy and didn't do much other than that...But, I was really excited for the new fall season of The Ellen Show and Dr. Phil. Yup, that's what I'm doing with my life. Nothing else to report.

Tuesday:
I had my very first critique for the creative writing class I'm taking, and I was extremely nervous, not gonna lie! But, it ended up going really smoothly. We didn't have to go up to the front of the classroom, we just stayed at the desks, behind the computers and talked about it from there. Apparently my poem was the only one without errors, and we're talking out of several people that have been in our professor's class and have had other writing gigs before. I was really happy about that! Plus, a lot of people really liked my poem...so it's making me not feel quite as nervous about the next one, or putting my work out there in general. Not everyone is always going to love everything you do...And it's a tough thing to wrap your mind around, but once you accept it, you can just be yourself and do what makes you happy.

I got my Keith Scott Auto Body shop sweatshirt in the mail, directly from Tree Hill (Wilmington)...SO EXCITED TO WEAR IT IN A WEEK!

It's true! 

That afternoon, one of my best friends came over and we took crazy pictures of ourselves. It was one of the best days I've had in awhile of just being at home. We caught each other up on all the drama and juicy details of things in our lives, continued to laugh at the pictures we took later on, watched Friends, ate dinner with my parents, and ate some ice cream while watching more Friends. Life really doesn't get much better than those simple moments like that! Marissa and I also agreed to start getting together at least once a week, since her schedule isn't quite as hectic as last semester, so we're both free to do it. October 2nd looks like it will be our first official date.

Wednesday: The day was spent doing homework, basically all day. Then, I helped out with getting some details together for the women's conference at church. From the sounds of it...It's going to be amazing!! I need to get my ticket this weekend. I helped out with some craft decorations for a little while, then headed home. It was great being part of the team if only for a little while. There are so many wonderful ladies at our church, and I love getting to know them. They are all such incredible women of God, and are so creative. I'm inspired just being around them.

Watching the Ustream with Colton Dixon and his friends-premiering his very first single, "YOU ARE"

Thursday: I went to school in the morning (only having one class isn't bad), and the rest of the afternoon was spent brainstorming and finishing up homework. I ran a couple errands with my mom to pick up a new skirt, exchange something at Radio Shack, and we had lunch at Panda Express. I didn't feel too great when we got home, so I tried to relax. We made marshmallow rice krispy treats, then watched Nights in Rodanthe. I put in A Walk To Remember after that, but the disc kept skipping and wouldn't play. I guess I've watched it too many times. :/ SAD! A little while later, I skyped with my friend Rebecca, where we bounced ideas off of one another about our rotating novel concept, and she was trying to come up with ideas for a project at school. It was a lot of fun! I felt more creative just by talking it out.

Maybe I really will meet the love of my life in South Carolina?? 

Carrie's tour! It's going to be EPIC! Hope you've got your tickets :)

Friday: I got to sleep in today which was great! My haircut appointment was canceled, so I really felt like being lazy, but there were some errands to be run. We went to the bank, ran to Target (where I looked at the Halloween section and had a little too much fun. In a bit I'll explain why), and went downtown to have lunch. We had planned on trying out this new noodle restaurant, but we found out it was more Chinese food, so we ended up going to a sandwich place, Sub Station, because we were familiar with it. It was alright, but a little expensive. Downtown is so cool to me! I can't wait until the cooler months to go exploring down there in the antique shops and all those things. So many neat places to check out. We got the car washed, then headed home! I spent the afternoon working on a little project in hopes of seeing Taylor Swift at The Ellen Degeneres show in October, when she releases her next album! If any of you can help me out by spreading the word to Ellen on Twitter or through her website, I would love you FOREVER! :D

Here's the link to my video! PLEASE check it out. It's embarrassing, I know. But, desperate times call for desperate measures. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wy10D-X5iU&feature=plcp

That's all for now,

Shelby

Hope you had a great week and that you have an even more fabulous weekend. 

My Motto..pretty much always!

'Speak now or forever hold your peace', the words said by preachers at the end of wedding ceremonies all over the world, right before the vows. It's a last chance for protest, a moment that makes everyone's heart race, and a moment I've always been strangely fascinated by. So many fantasize about bursting into a church, saying what they'd kept inside for years like in the movies. In real life, it rarely happens.

Real life is a funny thing, you know. In real life, saying the right thing at the right moment is beyond crucial. So crucial, in fact, that most of us start to hesitate, for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But lately what I've began to fear more than that is letting the moment pass without saying anything.

I think most of us fear reaching the end of our life, and looking back regretting the moments we didn't speak up. When we didn't say 'I love you'. When we should've said 'I'm sorry'. When we didn't stand up for ourselves or someone who needed help.

These songs are made up of words I didn't say when the moment was right is front of me. These songs are open letters. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person. To the beautiful boy whose heart I broke in December. To my first love who I never thought would be my first heartbreak. To my band. To a mean man I used to be afraid of. To someone who made my world very dark for a while. To a girl who stole something of mine. To someone I forgive for what he said in front of the whole world.

Words can break someone into a million pieces, but they can also put them back together. I hope you use yours for good, because the only words you'll regret more than the ones left unsaid are the ones you use to intentionally hurt someone.

What you say might be too much for some people. Maybe it will come out all wrong and you'll stutter and you'll walk away embarrased, wincing as you play it all back in your head. But I think the words you stop yourself from saying are the ones that will haunt you the longest.

So say it to them. Or say it to yourself in the mirror. Say it in a letter you'll never send or in a book millions might read someday. I think you deserve to look back on your life without a chorus of resounding voices saying 'I could've, but it's too late now.'

There is a time for silence. There is a time waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you'll know it.

I don't think you should wait. I think you should speak now

Love,
Taylor 

Taylor Swift concert!

From top left to the bottom: (Grant Mickelson-guitar player, Liz Huett-backup singer, Al Wilson-Drummer, and Paul Sidoti-guitar player)

Last Tuesday, I went to the Staples Center to see Taylor Swift with my mom! It was one of the best days of my life. I missed only my second day of class, but it was so worth it, because I didn't miss anything except for notes. Anyway, we got down to LA, ate at our usual place, Paty's, then hung out by the arena basically all afternoon waiting for Taylor's band, because they're all totally amazing too! We got to see everyone walk in, I met a few of them, saw her parents, and even Taylor herself drive in!

We got into Staples basically as soon as the doors opened, and they had this contest to text in a message on the screen for a chance to win Pit Passes! So, I sent in a couple, and the rest ended up not going through, so I was like eh, oh well, these seats are totally fine and didn't think much about it again. I figured my mom had been texting enough for the both of us, so that was cool. The two opening acts came on, and about 15-20 minutes later, I got a text saying I had won pit passes to the show!! I could not believe it. I had five minutes to call the number they gave me and claim the passes! So, immediately I called them, they told me where to go and we headed up there. When we got to the area they'd designated, I wasn't sure that was it. There was no one else around really, and I was thinking there would be a group. A few minutes later, a guy with a Taylor Swift shirt walked up, asked to see my text message, and gave us the passes...It was OFFICIAL.

We got down there, and I'm not gonna lie, I totally teared up. It was so incredibly surreal. I looked out at the same view Taylor sees every night of her tour; the crowd. I could touch the stage from where I was standing...no words can completely describe what I was feeling or what was going through my mind at that moment, other than I had the time of my life. The energy is so much more vibrant at the pit, because you feel like you're part of the show.

Here's a video of my night! :)