Artist In Focus: Tom Petty

The second in a series of posts about some of my favourite musicians and their music. Tom Petty is from Florida and has been a musician since 1970. I saw him in concert in Dublin five years ago (2012) and he was stunning live. It has been tricky narrowing this down to six songs – I could have easily chosen a different set; he has so so many terrific songs. Some of these songs also prevented me from going crazy while writing my thesis! Okay, here we go:

1. Free Fallin’ (from Full Moon Fever, 1989) This was my introduction to Tom Petty and his catalogue. Still sounds amazing.
2. A Thing About You (from Hard Promises, 1981) Love this track, great upbeat number.
3. The Waiting (also from Hard Promises, 1981) I first heard this one on a greatest hits album which I have. I decided to track down the album in the library – and in true Tom Petty style, it blew me away. Every song on the album is a smash.
4. Shadow Of A Doubt (A Complex Kid) (from Damn The Torpedoes, 1979) Apart from the greatest hits, this album is the only Tom Petty album I own. I fell in love with this song instantly. Perfect summer music.
5. You Wreck Me (from Wildflowers, 1994) I came across this one when I was cataloguing all the music on my dad’s computer. I love this, I put it on my iPod straight away. The punchy beat just makes me want to dance. It’s a fantastic one to put on at a party.
6. Runnin’ Down A Dream (also from Full Moon Fever, 1989) Probably his best-known song after Free Fallin’. An awesome driving song!

 

Stay tuned for more music soon! #ArtistInFocus #TomPetty #MyLifeInMusic

Book Hunt! #10

It’s been a while since I did one of these posts! Last week I went to Tallaght and Ballyroan libraries in Dublin, and here is what I came home with:

This photo is a tiny bit blurry so here’s the rundown – from top:

The Book Of Hygge by Louisa Thomsen Brits

French Women Don’t Get Facelifts by Mireille Guiliano

Adrenalized: Life, Def Leppard & Beyond by Phil Collen

A Fast Ride Out Of Here: Confessions Of Rock’s Most Dangerous Man by Pete Way

True Whit by Whitney Port

The Vintage Tea Party Book by Angel Adoree

How To Bewitch: A Manual Of Modern Witchcraft by Raven Tempest

B Is For Ballroom by Anton du Beke

The Complete Idiot’s Guide To The Paranormal by Nathan Brown

Understanding Social Media by Damian Ryan

Style A To Zoe: The Art Of Fashion, Beauty & Everything Glamour by Rachel Zoe

The Encyclopedia Of The Paranormal by Rupert Matthews

Style Inspiration: Marc Bolan

I am a huge fan of Marc Bolan. I love his songs (20th Century Boy and Cadillac are two of my favourites) and his style was flat-out awesome!

I have a couple of photos of Marc Bolan and Sweet-inspired pieces to share today. Rock music in general and glam rock (also known as glitter rock) does inspire my fashion and style choices.

I have had these leggings for a couple of years now. They are very comfortable and with the gold and silver studs on the sides, they’re perfect for a party look. Definitely have that glam rock edge. For a complete look try this top:

This silver top is lightweight and perfect for a special occasion. I bought this last year; I wear it every few months or so. No outfit is complete without footwear of some description. This look can be worn with Converse trainers (and I have done so), but to up the glam factor, how about these shoes:

 

These gold shoes are fabulous! A unique find from Clarks a few years ago (I have not seen a similar pair since!)

Gold or silver jewellery (natch) to finish the look and you’re good to go!

The leggings were from Penneys (AKA Primark), top was from Villa and shoes from Clarks. This look would be the only glam rock look in my wardrobe for now, but I plan to look for more pieces in the same vein.

My Rock & Roll Accessories

Following on from my previous post about my rock and roll style, today this post is all about accessories! I believe every aspiring rock princess should have some of these things! NB – everything is a matter of personal preference.

1. Earrings – I have earrings ranging from skeletons and skulls to hearts, fairies and dollar signs. I have both lots of stud earrings and long pairs that slide through the holes. My preference is for the pairs which slide through – less fiddly. I would love a pair like this!
2. Bracelets – I love bracelets and I always look for ways to stack them up, I have various colours and designs – gold, silver, blue, red, purple, charm bracelets, skulls, turquoise etc. Choose your favourites and stack ’em! This charm bracelet is pure rock and roll!
3. Leather tribal style bracelets always look good – I don’t have many of these but would like to get some like this.
4. Rings – another area where I want to get a few more pieces, I like the look of this one. I am also on the lookout for a ring like this and also a necklace like it. This is the logo of the Finnish metal band HIM. Awesome 😉
5. Necklaces – I have a few of these – gold and silver chains and also a guitar on a chain; hearts and a dragonfly. I love the look of this one!

So there you have it – my rock and roll accessories in a nutshell. Oh, and one more thing – rock princesses CAN have fun with colour! Pink, red, purple, turquoise, orange……rock doesn’t just have to be about black y’know!  #MyRock&RollAccessories

Artist In Focus: Black Stone Cherry

This is the first in a series of posts about the music I enjoy listening to. Today I am covering Black Stone Cherry, a quartet from Kentucky in the States. They are a modern rock band with a classic rock edge. Their sound is a mix of classic rock and southern rock, with a pinch of grunge thrown in for good measure. They have released five albums, the latest of which is 2016’s Kentucky.

My top songs by Black Stone Cherry:

1. White Trash Millionaire (from their third long-player, 2011’s Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea)
2. In My Blood (also from Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea)
3. Cheaper To Drink Alone (from their fifth and latest, 2016’s Kentucky)
4. Soul Machine (also from Kentucky)
5. Bad Luck & Hard Love (from their fourth LP, 2014’s Magic Mountain)
6. Dance Girl (also from Magic Mountain)

I love these songs because all six are quite upbeat and you can move to them. Another post in this series on the way very soon!! #ArtistInFocus #BlackStoneCherry #MyLifeInMusic

My Rock & Roll Style

My initial idea for this post was to take pictures of myself wearing some of my rock-inspired pieces. However, I will have to do that at a later stage, as I am in the middle of clearing out my wardrobe, and can’t quite get my hands on the clothing I require…….oh well…….on to Plan B!

Here is one of my style inspirations – Chrissie Hynde:

Rock & roll or what? I have compiled a list of clothes which I think no rock chick should be without (I still have to get some of these!)

• Doc Martens – I currently have a lilac pair, but this pair are on my want list! There is a Doc Martens shop in Belfast, so I might get lucky…..here’s hoping…..
• Fingerless gloves – I love the fishnet ones and I bought a similar pair to these ones today
• Faux leather skirt – I have one similar to this minus the studs
• Quirky rock dresses – really anything goes here, I have a couple of funky dresses which I can toughen up with accessories. I haven’t bought a rock-inspired dress yet, I will keep looking – though I love this one !
• Biker jacket – now this is a must-have for any rock chick! I have a couple of them similar in shape to this one, plus I don’t have just black, I have three other colours – dusky blue, red and white.
• Studded boots – I would love a pair like this
• Faux leather trousers – I have a couple pairs of these – wax-style ones are great too. My wax-style ones are purple.
• Band T-shirts – I have a range of these, from Thin Lizzy and Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones and T.Rex, plus these can be any colour and they can also be vest tops or hoodies.
• Denim shorts – I have one pair of these and I have yet to find them after wearing them during the summer. Probably in the back of the wardrobe……gives me an excuse to buy another pair soon!
• Converse – simply the comfiest shoes ever! I have six pairs, I love these!

So there you have it. I would probably add more things to this list. I will do a rock and roll accessories post soon – stay tuned! #mystyleinspiration

Life’s Little Indulgences

We all deserve little indulgences every now and then. Perhaps after you’ve had a stressful week at work or maybe the family are pushing your buttons once too often.  Or maybe you feel very down and need something to perk you up.  These items are my little indulgences!

• Quirky jewellery  (like this and this)
• Perfume (my current ones are Glow by JLo, Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy and Jo Malone’s English Pear and Freesia)
• Chocolate
• Hot chocolate (extra creamy)
• Cupcakes!
• Flavoured coffees and teas (at home I have ginger tea, spicy chai tea, Earl Grey tea – original and orange, chocolate tea, gingerbread lattes and honey and ginger lattes). Depending on what I fancy, I currently drink either ordinary tea, spicy chai tea or ginger and lemon tea. I am also partial to hazelnut coffee 🙂
• Taking photos for my Instagram page

These little treats are great for giving me a little boost, what are yours?

My Blogging Goals

I have been planning my future blog posts for the past month. So a quick update on what I plan to blog about:

• My three favourite genres of music – Rock, Metal and Country. These posts will show my music personality. I will split these over several posts. I will have an artist in focus for each post, and I am currently drafting these in longhand before typing.
• I will continue my quote packages – my current status on these centres on finding themes to slot these into.
• I plan also to write about my spiritual life. I don’t particularly follow conventional religion, preferring instead to focus on New Age things such as crystals, angels and spells. I also find Wicca very healing. I am currently researching more about these areas, with a view to drafting these in longhand before typing.
• Finally I will continue my book posts, as they are proving quite popular.

Hope to start on one of these ideas very soon!

Book Hunt! #9

First library trip to Dublin of 2017. These books are from Tallaght and Ballyroan libraries:

Die For Me – Amy Plum

Crystal Therapy – Doreen Virtue

Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol

The Happy Closet – Annmarie O’Connor

Feminist Fight Club – Jessica Bennett

Pandemonium – Lauren Oliver

The Luxe Life – Fleur de Force

Last Of The Giants: The True Story Of Guns N Roses – Mick Wall

The Great British Bake Off: How To Turn Everyday Bakes Into Showstoppers

The Secret Ways Of Perfume – Cristina Caboni

The Vintage Sweets Book – Angel Adoree

A Night In With Audrey Hepburn – Lucy Holliday

The Goddess Test – Aimee Carter

Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater

Numbers – Rachel Ward

Delirium – Lauren Oliver

The Tale Of The Body Thief – Anne Rice

It’s Your World – Chelsea Clinton

Your Best You – Sonya Lennon & Brendan Courtney

Baked In America – David Lesniak & David Muniz

New Year 2017

Happy New Year! This is my first post in about three months. I went through some tough shit at the tail end of 2016, and as a result I didn’t feel like blogging too much. However, this is a new year and therefore a new start for me and this blog.

My resolution for 2017 is to be rebellious, to be strong and to be feisty. The following quotes will help me on my journey. I am a biker chick at heart (though I cannot ride one, but what the hell!)

If you’re going to rebel, do it with purpose.

Exist on your own damn terms.

My energy comes from freedom and a rebellious spirit.

Real spirituality is the greatest rebellion there is. It is risky, it is adventurous, it is dangerous – Osho