No Regrets, Just Love: Katy Perry Concert & Meet and Greet 8.19.11

      Hello, hello.

   I’ve been blogging my excitement for the Katy Perry concert since forever. The California Dreams tour is supposed to be nothing less that spectacular. It wasn’t.

                       
                           By the way, nobody likes a picture thief. (:
   
   My  mom and I got our Ultimate V.I.P. passes and then were led straight to the Candyfornia pre-show party. It was neat– I watched people sing karoke, ate some food, and dug through my gift bag(inside: towel, sunglasses, and lollipop). After we bought our merch(I got a tour shirt and program), we waited in the party room for about an hour before being led to a really long line (we skipped to the front–I guess that’s a benefit of being Ultimate:)  at 7 o’clock. Eventually, we were led into the meet and greet room.
     I was about to have a panic attack when I saw her, I just stood there watching her for a minute. I got in line, and finally, it was my turn. She introduced herself, and then signed my Rolling Stone and poster we brought. I told her I brought her a present, but it was on the other table for security to check. I’m so glad I wrote a letter and put it in there, I barely said anything at all. She signed my things, then we got a picture. I gave her a hug, and we left. 
     
   
     Then, we were led to our seats. I was really jittery because I heard that the  General Admission pit was a thousand times better than seats. Well, at this show, Janelle Monae had already started–meaning, the arena was totally full already. Sorry, GA! We found our seats to be front row, seats 4 & 5– seats RIGHT in front of the “T” of the stage. Looking back, if I could’ve picked any other seats in the entire arena,  I wouldn’t. That’s how perfect they were.
   After DJ Skeet Skeet’s set, it was Katy’s turn. I don’t think I need to go in detail about how phenomenal she was. By the end, we were hardcore sprayed with “whip cream” (soapy water), then feathered in confetti! I thought it was the icing (..or whip cream) on the cake, but my mom was, naturally, not too happy. 
                      
  

   All in all? It was probably the best night of my entire life.

   xoxo & cotton candy,
                Zoe

 

                         

My Birthday (with KeraStraight details) + End-of-the-Month Haul: July

   Hello.

                          

   So, yesterday was my birthday. Hooray! With that birthday came festivities, and with those came presents.
 What did I get? Well, aside from Katy Perry concert tickets + meet and greet passes(you’ve read about it here), I got a ukulele(with maracas!), a “World’s Greatest Sister” trophy(hehe), and a gorgeous little ruby ring. My cake was made out of cookie, I saw Crazy, Stupid Love, ate a Mexican dinner, and had a great time.

 
     Also got my all-time favorite Sabriel and cheap shoes at Target (:
 
    The day before my birthday, I went to Ulta. Not to buy any products, but to get a KeraStraight Smoothing Treatment. What is a smoothing treatment? It’s where your hairdresser basically paints your hair with special product. This product is supposed to make your hair smoother, shinier, and straighter for the next 3-5 months, as well as make it easier to straighten(which is part of my daily routine when school kicks in). My mother had a coupon, and offered it to be part of my birthday. Anyway, WARNING! This is not for the tender-headed! This pulls, yanks, and tears your hair when being brushed at the salon. It’s incredibly painful and time-consuming(THREE AND A HALF HOURS! Of  just sitting there! My hair isn’t even damaged or color-treated, too). I’ll document the wins and fails of this treatment for the next 3-5 months.
    So, maybe I should’ve made a post exclusively for my birthday, but it would’ve been awfully small. So here’s my End-of-the-Month haul for July, made of various little groups of things.
 

     Sephora
   
      
    
   
     What you see here: a StarterKit Brush Set by Sephora(sale: $10 originally: $25); Happy Birthday: Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath by Philosophy (free: Beauty Insiders birthday gift), a MiniMergency Kit for Her(no sale: $13); CLEAN Perfume 3-pc set (no sale: $10) 
        I was originally excited about the idea of a TokiDoki sale in the Sephora store. Sadly, it’s online-only, apparently. Figures. However, I did do some major scoring in sale with the Starter Kit Brush Set–I’ve been needing a new eyeshadow brush, and I’ve wanted to try a foundation brush, too (definitely sick of sponges). After more browsing, I found the CLEAN brand of perfume. Oh my gosh, it smells like it sounds. To my surprise, there was a $10 three-piece set. Just what I was looking for!! I can try it without the splurge. Oh, happy happy happy. As we(my mother and myself) were looking through the Beauty-on-the-Go items in checkout, I picked up the MiniMergency kit. It had sixteen little items in it! Whaaaa?! I stared at it blankly for a few moments (trying to decide if I was going to buy it or not), when my mom volunteered to pay for it, stating it was a back-to-school item. It was quite the “Awwww! MOM!” moment. I got my free birthday gift at the cashiers’ desk before we left.

    Ulta

   
    What you see here: Almay Blemish-Heal foundation, Revlon Siren lipstick, Ulta charcoal automatic eyeliner, Ulta camel eyeshadow.
     So I’ve been dying for new foundation, but since I just started using it, I’ll have  to review it later. I got the Ulta-brand eyeshadow in Camel, because I needed a highlighter. I had a coupon, so the Revlon Siren (orange) lipstick was a must. The eyeliner was on sale for $1, so I got it in charcoal. Using it for the first time: It’s the best eyeliner I’ve used to date. No kidding. 

     Other little things I’ve purchased recently:

• Seventeen’s Guide to Style
• Rimmel 084 Amythst Shimmer (purple) Lipstick
                     
• U by Kotex wristlet + tin (on sale at Target); the tin is ideal for my iPod.
                      
• Forever 21 Online -Clothes & Accessories, has yet to arrive
• Target shoes on clearance (in birthday picture with ring & trophy)

  That concludes this glorious post.

   xoxo,
       Zoe
 

 Products mentioned were bought by myself, my family, or gifted from my family.  I am not getting paid by any companies mentioned for this post, nor am I affiliated with them. Any opinions are honest, as always.

Happy 4th of July & My Week-Long Goodbye!

    Hey hey!

 To all my American readers: Happy Independence Day! I wish I had more tutorials that could be dug up for this post, but I don’t. So just go and enjoy the fireworks, okay?

   Tomorrow morning begins my adventures in Orlando! A road trip down there, with my entire family…that’s me, my parents, my brother, and my cat and dog. Yeah. Although I’m ecstatic, I’m nervous about a couple things–like will I be able to finally eat? I got my braces on Thursday, and I’ve been living on mashed potatoes. When I chew, it’s like my teeth are splitting apart. I also look like I have a beak. Anyway, we also have a problem with where we’re staying: the company that gave us the “deal” or whatever made us wait an entire month so we could get a suite at our hotel (for the pets), then they’re saying we’ll be staying at a condo? WTF? I’m so angry: if it were my choice,we would’ve gone in June; therefore, we waited FOR NOTHING. GAH!
      Thinking positively, I’ll finally be able to hit up an H&M. Score! And then the Harry Potter theme park? I’m going to geek out like crazy. The day after = snorkeling with the manatees. I’ll take lots of pictures.

      Now that I’ve mentioned the future, let’s talk about the past.
 The most important thing to mention:
  

                          

       HOORAY!  I can take real, legit pictures again! All it took was a card reader.

      In other news, I got my braces. I got all this clean-teeth swag. (:
                                
   Finally picked up the Katy Perry magazine I’ve been DYING for! Also grabbed some of those Sally Hanson nail strips? I love butterflies. These had butterflies on them. Butterflies.
                  
                                                                       Sorry it sucks so bad. ^

 Oh, can’t forget to check in on the ol’ marigolds.
         

  Also, my room recently had a nat infestation. After a few fly strips, they were out of there. The damage, however, was not. My dinosaur window decal was destroyed by seven thousand suicidal nats. Therefore, it’s time to pick a new one. The first one is just an extra of the original. 
                            
 I can’t decide! The lower right of the top first window can’t go bare!

         Anyway, remember earlier, when I was talking about my vacation? Yeah, those were the days. Well, that means I won’t be posting at all, until AT LEAST next Wednesday (not this Wednesday, but next). Yeah, I know. I’m sorry! But I’ll try to make it a massive post; maybe it’ll be so big it’ll have to be split into two! (Remind you of anything?;)

     I guess this wraps up my final post for some days. Farewell!

    xoxo,
           Zoe

 

Products mentioned were bought by myself.  I am not getting paid by any companies mentioned for this post, nor am I affiliated with them. Any opinions are honest, as always.            

I’m Baaaaaaaaack: Catching Up on Music, Movies and More

      Howdy.

  I know I can’t just waltz in here like I haven’t not posted in a while. I know. But I feel like it’s like a Band-Aid you just have to rip off, you know? I’m not going to detail all that happened while I was away. I will, however, detail all the important/surprising/new things that I discovered or realized or whatever.
      Starting off, I’ll let you know what music I’ve been listening to. It’s mostly the same old stuff, but in all the sucky newness, two non-sucky gems were found. One’s somewhat new, one’s a classic. I bet you five dollars that you can’t tell. 😉

        All Day & All of the Night    — The Kinks
        Big Jet Plane                      — Angus & Julia Stone
  
     There’s your music. Now, movies? Yes, of course. As far as the ones I’ve seen recently, I won’t lie: they’re innumerable. Seriously, I’m a film addict. However, two stand-outs? Interview with a Vampire and The Shining. Both classics, both marvelous.
   As for unseen, I’m totally obsessing over the trailer for Horrible Bosses. I simply adore Jason Bateman in everything he’s in. I’ve watched It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for years now, and the adorable Charlie Day is in the movie? Score! And I’ve been an SNL geek for as long as I can remember, so Jason Sudekis is the icing on the cake. Check out the trailer, and we can split the price of the popcorn.

    
   So now that we’ve gotten the entertainment things out of the way, let’s move on to…stuff I’ve been doing? Stuff I’ve bought? Stuff?
     I love quotes. Recently, upon renovating my room, I removed the very many Post-It quotes off my wall. I didn’t want to lose all these, so I made a book. Yes, a quote book. It’s pictured below alongside some incense. I like incense better than candles because, all though it’s smoking, it’s not “burning”. I don’t know. I’ve also enjoyed Asian foods lately…the sweet kind. And finally, I got a 12-pack of Sharpies for $5 at Office Depot, so I thought I’d share that, too, because I love to color. (;
   
 These pictures have such potential… if only my camera would work.:(
  

     As for stuff I’ve bought(besides the Sharpies), well…there was that globe at Target. It was 50% off, and I love globes(I’m going to travel far one day:). I really like it.
                                                

    I also bought some Sephora goods that I arrived in the mail today. I got a ($10) Benefit: To-Go Stay Don’t Stray set, which included my much sought-after Erase Paste, in a very small(though expected) size, along with equally miniature Stay Don’t Stray Primer and R.S.V.P. Cream Shadow/Liner. Along with these, I received a free Stay Don’t Stray traincase! YAY! FREE! Anyway, it was with any Benefit purchase, and it being Stay Don’t Stray-themed was a lucky concidence. I’ve been wanting Erase Paste for a long time, though I wasn’t about to pay $26 for it! I paid less than half of that for a less-than-half size, but I got two other things to try, so it’s a win-win.  Maybe I’ll review them later? 
   

   That concludes the shopping portion of this post. Moving on…So I’m quite, quite excited for Orlando! And a little over a month later? KATY PERRY! I’ve been at the KP forum, trying to curb my excitement. Or, at least, have something to expect in the terms of…well, everything. Before then, though, I have another event to look forward to: the Andy Warhol exhibit opening! It sounds outrageously nerdy, but Mr. Warhol is an idol of mine.
    One more thing to look forward to? My dad recently returned from Chicago, and there, he hit it off with a long-lost Irish relative. Yes, Irish.  He lives in San Francisco? AND WANTS US TO VISIT? It’s every kid’s dream! My parents want to visit this fall break, since, due to private(sorry, I know private sounds snobby) matters, we won’t be able to vacation after that. But the whole deal is still in limbo, my parents aren’t sure on anything yet. Plus, it’s summer. Why look toward something so far in the future?
   In my summer free time, so far, I’ve re-discovered Tumblr, Mario Kart, classic movies, and scrapbooking(only in the summer, but I LOVE stickers:). What have you rediscovered?
   

   This rounds out my catch-up post, I hope you enjoyed.

   xoxo,
       Zoe

Let’s Launch Summer

    Howdy.

 So, it’s officially summer break. Not summer, but summer break. And I couldn’t possibly be more excited.
   This year, I have several events and projects I’m taking on. My projects list is absolutely overflowing, due to the lack of events(oh, Journey’s Backyard BBQ, where art thou?) that’ll be storming through. Mostly, though, I wont be going to any concerts, besides a freebie one at Universal in July. Why? Because I’m going to a super epic concert in August, and since it’s my birthday present(July 30th is the big day:), I got backstage passes. It was the most expensive gift ever, since my mom is tagging along, too. The cost? Censored. The artist? KATY PERRY. ❤  Annnnnnnnnnyway, I’ve listed my summer outline below.
  Annnnnnnnnnnnd away we go…

         ***Projects

    Learn to crochet.
    Learn the ukulele.
    Become better at the trombone.
   Bake macaroons properly.
   Bake properly, in general.
   Renovate my room.
   Get a “look”, as far as make-up is concerned.
   Be more “daring” with clothes and hair.
   Get a legit tan. No farmers’ allowed.
   Re-do eating habits.
   Turn my movie shelf into an 80’s classics archive.
   Appreciate what I have, not what I don’t have.
   That one above? Consider it my passageway into becoming a better Buddhist.
   Enjoy all types of music. Even that crappy crap.

   Um…yeah. Pretty hefty list, but I think I’ll survive. I’ll try to do blog posts updating my success and failures with all that.

         ***Events

    National Donut Day – June 3rd
            Free Krispy Kreme donut. You’re welcome.

    Andy Warhol Exhibit Opening – June 24th
         He’s absolutely, without-a-doubt my idol.

    Orlando Vacation – July 5th to July 12th
           Harry Potter theme park! Free BoysLikeGirls concert! Manatee snorkeling! First trip to an H&M! YAY!!

    Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – July 15th

    Brother’s Birthday – July 18th

   My Birthday – July 30th

   Summer Break Ends – August 3rd

   Katy Perry Concert(MEET and GREET?!? Holla!) – Late August

  So, not very many big-deal events, aye? Good enough, though. (:

~~~

 So, so. That’s it for now. Yesterday, I saw Hangover 2. Best sequel ever, obviously. Tomorrow, I’ll see Kung Fu Panda 2. Can’t wait. Today, I didn’t see a movie. However, I did finally get a Streekers and a TokiDoki Unicorno (blindboxed). Yes, yes.

                   
                       
                    Oh my god, I’m so SICK of these low res pictures! 

   I’ll keep you updated. As always. (;

     xoxo,
      Zoe

   ….And please excuse the mess of a layout we’ve got going on here. It’s a total, pukey-color mess. I’m totally wigging out about it, but never fear, it’ll all be over soon. (Points for that ’90s terminology. You know it.)

 

 

Products mentioned were bought by myself.  I am not getting paid by any companies mentioned for this post, nor am I affiliated with them. Any opinions are honest, as always.