American Music Awards

Let me just start off first by saying...I LOVE AWARD SHOWS! And it is because of my fascination with celebrities, music, TV, red carpets, and award shows that has always driven me to a career in journalism. I'm glad that every time I watch an award show, I'm reminded of that, because right now, that's about all that I'm certain of when it comes to what I want to do with my life. I have a passion for telling stories and letting others shine, as well as their creativity. This is the perfect field for that, and watching the red carpets always brings a smile to my face that that WILL be me someday. Although, I hate it when reporters don't know their facts or interrupt a star to tell their own lame story that no one else cares about. That's not your job!
Here are some of my favorite red carpet looks. As you can see, I'm a bit biased when it comes to the genre of best dressed. I didn't even plan this...

(Pictures from SF Chronicle)

Moving right along. The first hour or so of the award show didn't record, so I missed Taylor Swift's performance and win, but was able to watch them back after (of course it was NOT the same...But what can you do?). The AMA's are always the most interesting, because it seems like they really do just let anyone in, crazy performances and all. Here are a few thoughts I jotted down while watching:

• I can't stand Nicki Minaj, but I love her cotton candy hair and matching mic. Also, why does it sound like she's making up her own words that are not known to the English language?
• I don't quite understand what the heck Pink was doing with her cirque de soleil act, but it was pretty funny when fast forwarding.
• Gotye should have won best new artist.
• YAY!!!!! LADY A! I just love them. Charles has really skinny legs. I also really love his scarf.
• I really question the girls that think Bieber is "sexy" when he looks like a 12 year old boy...Especially when they are quite a bit older than he is.
• Carrie is gorgeous. She kills the vocals on everything she sings. Every time. End of story.
• YAYYYY! So proud of Carrie winning country album...And the fact that every album she has released has won is mind boggling. 
• Aw! Dick Clark....What a guy, what a legend. New Year's Eve seriously won't be the same.
• (afterthought with Taylor, since I didn't see it on the show) WOO HOO TAYLOR for Country artist. The performance was really...different. I loved the setting and the dress, but there were too many dancers all around her. I hope that isn't how it's going to be on tour. I really love that she steps up her game and challenges what she did before, though. 

That's all for now,

Shelby

What were your thoughts on the show? Best dressed? Favorite performance? Let me know :)

Places I'd Still Like To Visit In LA

If you know anything about me, you know much I love the City of Angels. I don't always like what it represents when it comes to the industry, but it's a gorgeous city, and there is so much to see. I'm down there all the time, but it seems that we tend to go to the same places whenever we visit, and the older I get....I want to explore! I thought I'd make a list of some of the things I'd still like to give a try in the very near future:

1. Pinz Bowling Alley- I've been inside several times while eating at Jerry's Deli, but I've never actually bowled there, so that has always been on my list of things to do. It also wouldn't hurt to run into Nick Jonas who used to be there quite frequently. 
2. Huntington Library- I've never been near the Huntington Library, but I've seen pictures of it and I've heard it's gorgeous. Not only is it a library, it's a botanical garden area with beautiful scenery! It's not exactly something you would picture in LA, but sounds like a nice escape.
3. The Getty Museum-My parents and I have been talking about going to the Getty for years, but we've just never made it out there. It would be an incredible view of the city, though.
4. LACMA- The LA Museum of art has been featured in several films, and has a lot of cool interactive exhibits, and just looks like a neat place to lose track of time. I also wouldn't mind running into Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars) who seems to be there quite frequently.
5. Hollywood Bowl- I can't tell you how many times we've been by this establishment on our various trips down to the Hollywood area, but yet we've still never been inside for a show. Mainly because it's SO expensive for concerts or any other shows that take place, but WOW! I can imagine the sound out there, as well as the atmosphere. Perfect for a summer night, that's for sure!
6. Urth Cafe-I've always wanted to try this cafe, because it just seems like one of those chic little places to check out when you're in that neck of the woods.
7. Lemonade- Another restaurant I've wanted to try for the same reason and that they have healthier items on the menu. 
8. Farmer's Market- I've been to the Farmer's Market at The Grove, but it's very different from the street style ones that set up all over town on Sunday's. I've heard about one close to Hollywood Blvd, and I've heard they have a lot of great fruits and veggies to choose from, as well as things like caramel apples and the like. I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday than just browsing around. 

I'm sure there are plenty of other places I could think of, but these are the main focus at the moment. If you have any suggestions or have a list similar to this one, let me know on Twitter or in the comments! I'd love to hear from you :)

That's all for now,

Shelby

Playlist For My Thoughts

Sometimes there are so many thoughts in my mind going on that I can't necessarily put into terms of my own. It's usually in those moments that I start thinking in song lyrics or just using a song in general to describe what I'm going through, because where words fail, music speaks, right? There has been a lot of that lately.

• Everything Has Changed -Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran
• Everybody's Got Somebody But Me- Hunter Hayes
• Somebody's Heartbreak- Hunter Hayes
• Enchanted- Taylor Swift 
• Do You Think About Me?- Carrie Underwood
• Good In Goodbye- Carrie Underwood
• So Small- Carrie Underwood
• 22- Taylor Swift 
• Live While We're Young- One Direction

That's all I can think of at the moment. What are some of your favorite songs that reflect your life right now?

~Shelby

CMA Awards

I've been meaning to get around to writing my review of the CMA Awards, but things were a little busy around my house right after, so I kept forgetting. Now that we're approaching "award season" in Hollywood, I figured now was as good of a time as any.

First off, let's talk about the red carpet! Everyone knows that truly is the most important part of any awards show. It's also usually the most exciting! Everyone looked gorgeous, but I had a few favorites that stood out.

Jana Kramer

Lucy Hale

Taylor Swift 

Carrie Underwood

Lauren Alaina

I still have not watched Carrie and Brad's opening in its entirety, but from what I saw, it was pretty hilarious. I love their comedic timing and just their friendship in general. I think it really shines through when they write their jokes and plan out what they're going to do every year. I'm telling you, they should take their routine on the road or at least do a holiday variety show. I know I'd like to spend the holidays with Carrie and Brad.

As for the rest of the night, I was a little disappointed. Maybe it was just the fact that I was watching from the hospital room that threw things off, but I wasn't happy about most of the winners, and not just because of the fact that no one by the last names of Underwood, Swift or Antebellum didn't win. The last few years, they might as well have just called it the Blake and Miranda show, because they win everything anyway. The one I really don't agree with is Blake Shelton, and not just because I'm not a big fan. I don't think he has deserved it yet. He hasn't been doing much this year, other than The Voice, and he sure hasn't toured like the others have, when you consider all of the touring and promotion that Taylor, Brad, and Kenny have done. I just don't understand what the association is looking for. Apparently, you have to be on a reality show to win now.

Here's the complete list of winners, thanks to USA Today: 

Entertainer of the year

Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
WINNER: Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

Female vocalist

Kelly Clarkson
WINNER: Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Male vocalist

Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
WINNER: Blake Shelton
Keith Urban

New artist

Lee Brice
Brantley Gilbert
WINNER: Hunter Hayes
Love and Theft
Thompson Square

Vocal group

Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
WINNER: Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

Vocal duo

Big & Rich
Love and Theft
Sugarland
The Civil Wars
WINNER: Thompson Square

Single

Dirt Road Anthem, Jason Aldean
God Gave Me You, Blake Shelton
Home, Dierks Bentley
WINNER: Pontoon, Little Big Town
Springsteen, Eric Church

Album

WINNER: Chief, Eric Church
Four the Record, Miranda Lambert
Home, Dierks Bentley
Own the Night, Lady Antebellum,
tailgates & tanlines, Luke Bryan

Song (award goes to songwriters)

Even If It Breaks Your Heart, performed by Eli Young Band
God Gave Me You, performed by Blake Shelton
Home, performed by Dierks Bentley
WINNER: Over You, performed by Miranda Lambert
Springsteen, performed by Eric Church

Musical event

Dixie Highway, Alan Jackson featuring Zac Brown Band
WINNER: Feel Like a Rock Star, Kenny Chesney (duet with Tim McGraw)
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die, Willie Nelson with Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson and Jamey Johnson
Safe & Sound, Taylor Swift featuring the Civil Wars
Stuck on You, Lionel Richie (with Darius Rucker)

Music video

Come Over, Kenny Chesney
Over You, Miranda Lambert
Pontoon, Little Big Town
WINNER: Red Solo Cup, Toby Keith
Springsteen, Eric Church

Musician

Sam Bush
Paul Franklin
Dann Huff
Brent Mason
WINNER: Mac McAnally

Another highlight for me was waiting to see what Carrie Underwood wore. She had twelve wardrobe changes! There were a few I wasn't too crazy about, but it's always fun to see what she chooses, since it's such a flashy night! My top two were the second and the last dresses in the picture below. 

I really did enjoy Taylor Swift's performance of Begin Again, though. I loved that it was more toned down, and the setting was adorable; fitting perfectly with the song, which I love about Taylor's set designs and the way she strategically plans for these award shows. 

I had so much hope for these awards, especially because they're my favorite. To me, the CMA's have always gone a different route than the others, and have truly honored the people that deserved it, whether it was who I wanted to win or not. They proved me wrong this year. So, hopefully the next few award shows, won't be quite as disappointing, and here's to the CMA's next year...May they be better than they were this time. At least Carrie and Brad made for an entertaining time. 

That's all for now,

Shelby

The Weekly Review

It seems that as soon as winter starts to come around, the week's pass off a bit more slowly, not that I'm necessarily complaining; merely an observation. This week was good. I was able to get quite a bit of work accomplished, as well as spend time with family and see a play with a great friend.

Monday:
My mom and I were looking after my aunt's house while she was away, so we stopped by to feed her cat, ran a few errands, grabbed some holiday Starbucks drinks, and picked my aunt up at the airport. It was quite a day of waiting, and it was just one of those days where I was feeling feisty.

Taylor Swift's Storytellers.

Perfect fall outfit!!

Tuesday:
It was the same old routine; went to school, hung out in the library, creative writing class, and came home. I really do enjoy my class for the two friends I hang out with...We always have a lot of interesting moments together, and our professor always makes fun of us because we usually go on the same critique days and just that we're always so in sync. He probably thinks we've been friends before the class started up.

Wednesday:
I was lazy for most of the day doing nothing, yet thinking I should probably do homework...But, didn't. Later on, we went to the Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt and uncle's church, which was a lot of fun.

Thursday:

My friend was later picking me up for school, so I didn't hang out in the library (which I was a little disappointed about, because there was someone I was hoping to see), I just went straight to creative writing. That was a really fun class period, because we weren't doing critiques. Instead, we all shared what we did our book/poem imitations or analyzations on and talked about some of the end of the year projects coming up. We also set up a date for this coffehouse reading we're going to do as our final project, which sounds like a lot of fun, I'm just not sure how I'm going to get there, since I don't have my license. So, things are a bit overwhelming, but it's all a matter of how you look at it.
When Amanda and I walked out of class, we ran into our friend, Toni and talked with her a few minutes. She was telling us how her boyfriend is going to Afghanistan...None of us really knew what to say after that. What can you say that will change it? We gave her a hug, and let her know we were there if she needed to vent and talked a few more minutes, then parted ways.

Friday:
My mom and I ran a couple errands and had lunch at Chic-Fil-A, then came home for the rest of the afternoon. Later that night, my friend called me up to see if I wanted to go to a play, since I have to see one for my theater class. I was all for it, so I got ready and she picked me up to go.
It never occurred to me when she said the play was Edgar Allen Poe's "Once Upon A Midnight Dreary," that it could be a bit freaky, until we got in the car, and I was a tad nervous. The theater isn't in the best area, so we were a little weirded out when we first arrived; we bought our tickets and made our way inside, and there was only a few other people. It was a tiny place, and they were playing some haunted sounding music, which was making my heart pound a bit fast. As we sat down, I glanced around the theater, and it felt like an episode of Pretty Little Liars. I was expecting A to sneak in while we were watching and pulling off some sneaky task.
The play started, and I was tense, not knowing what to expect, but after awhile into it...I realized it wasn't going to be that bad. Let's just say the play was...Interesting. I guess you really have to be a big fan of Poe's work; I think he's a fantastic writer, but he is a bit dark for what I'm normally into. The play was really confusing; it was bits and pieces of Poe's most famous works, but it ended up being mainly monologue's, and if there hadn't been a narrator, the audience would have been completely lost. Towards the end, I was really starting to lose interest, but I still found it interesting, being able to put my critiquing/review skills to the test, in case I have to do that as a journalist in the future, and get an assignment out of the way. Mandy and I decided that we should do things like that more often, because she likes doing things like that as well, and since there's not much to do around here, there are quite a few theaters to check things out at.
When the play was over, we decided to get some ice cream at a local shop, Dewar's. I decided to get something a bit festive, and had peppermint stick ice cream. It was seriously good! Mandy dropped me off at home, and I got to thinking...I love spontaneous nights like that. It's a lot better to have no expectations than to get your heart set on something that usually ends up not happening.

Apparently I made "fetch happen" ;)

SO EXCITING! 

It was a great week, and I'm learning to just soak up these moments of just being a college girl, struggling. When I finally "make it", these are the nights I want to look back and remember. Instead of trying to rush through everything just to get to the next chapter, I'm just going to take it as it comes...I'll get there eventually. It was a nice way to end the week doing something out of the blue with an awesome friend!

That's all for now,
Shelby

The Vampire Diaries Commentary 4x06

The last episode of The Vampire Diaries was just too good not to comment on, so I decided to make a short commentary to mess around with some of iMovie's features. Hope you enjoy!

That's all for now,
Shelby

Thanksgiving Dinner Tradition

Every year, for the past five or so years, we go to a Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt and uncle's church! It's a time to eat, play some games, and just get to fellowship with others. This year was no different. My grandparents picked us up, since my mom wasn't up for driving and we headed to the church. It was also my old jr. hi, so it always brings back a flood of memories for me, because I'm sentimental like that.
We sat with family and a couple others that we knew and waited for dinner to start. We stood in line for the food, which went extremely quick since they had a new system this year, and sat back down. I really like Thanksgiving food, but I don't really eat that much when it comes to Thanksgiving day. I think I usually eat about the same amount that I would any other day. After we cleaned the table off, it was time for a couple games. We made our own turkey's, which I was proud of my mom for attempting, because there were a bunch of interesting pieces to make a turkey out of. One of the pastor's came around and told her it looked like road kill...RUDE! HAHA. It was all in good fun, and turned out to not look too bad in a photo. We played Old Turkey (otherwise known as Old Maid), which turned out to be quite an interesting one for our group. We all kept passing cards around and hardly anyone was getting matches or disappointed about having the turkey card. Well, I think my aunt had it the entire time, but she was waiting for a matching card! LOL. We played one more game called, "Hot 'sweet' Potato" in honor of the occasion. They played music and when it stopped, if you had the brown bag, then you were out. Last year, it came down to me and my aunt, and it did once again this year too, which we thought was hilarious. Because the table behind us had left earlier, they gave us the items that were on their table, which meant both of us won! I ended up getting a Starbucks gift card out of it.
There was a speaker that came up after all the fun and games, aimed more towards the kids with a couple of puppets, but I thought it was hilarious. She was so captivating with the voices she had for the puppets and the themes that she was going for while teaching the lessons. We shouldn't get so busy with the hustle and bustle of the season, that we forget about Jesus. We have to get our priorities lined up, much like the story of Mary and Martha. It's easy to forget about what's most important when there's so much to do. But, I'm learning that in the midst of our busy schedules, Jesus is the peace we need that holds it all together.
When the dinner ended, we said goodbye to everyone and a few people on the way out, then headed home. It's a nice little tradition we have going. And even though the table gets a bit smaller every year as far as the family that comes, I still treasure the memories with those who do come. Plus, this way, it's like I get to celebrate Thanksgiving even longer :) No complaints there!