Change Gonna Come

As the one year blog anniversary approaches, so does my 25th birthday. It's been a long time coming, but the mid quarter life crisis came into full effect these past few weeks. I bid farewell to my old car, Felecia (byeeeeee Feleciaaaaaa), I chopped off 8 inches of my hair, I got tatted up by my long time friend Brooke, and I moved back home for the next 3 months. Ups and downs and merry-go-rounds would probably be my album title if I was producing a record right now. But I am embracing the change. I am embracing the little windowless room I am occupying- it helps me to think. As 2014 ends and 2015 is soon to begin, more change is to come. I will say goodbye to the Free People world and hello to the college world for once and for all. I am taking my discount to full advantage, and stocking up on all the goodies. 

I am thankful for change. I am thankful for my family and friends. And I am thankful for all the past, present, and future opportunities.

Happy Turkey Day!

Madeline

Are You Leaving For The Country?

Here is a sneak peek of my latest photo shoot! I got to collab with some seriously talented and amazing people, and the results are pretty epic. These are just my simple iPhone snapshots, but Shawn and Michelle will be sending me the edited photos soon. Thanks again to Mother Nature for cooperating, Chiara for being a gorgeous gal both inside and out, and for the lovely Olivia for shining light and giving face <3

Check out the links below to see all of these amazing artist doing their thang:

Michelle

Shawn

Chiara

Olivia

Avy E

Love and light,

~Madeline~

Listen To The Wind Blow, Watch The Sun Rise

We texan gals get a little too excited when our weather drops a few degrees. (78 degrees literally turns 60% of girls into basic bitch status of Lulu Lemon yoga pants, Ugg boots, and pumpkin spice lattes galore) But I will say that our latest cool front makes for a pretty glorious photo shoot. I have met some amazing and beautiful people in the past 5 years, and I was thrilled to get them altogether to see what magic would happen in front of the camera. They make it all look so easy.

Thanks again to the babest of babes Chiara, Veronica, Gigi, and Thuy!

Country Roads, Take Me Home

Nurture kinship. A term I can finally use to describe my family life. For those that know my family life, it involves a mixture of some related and unrelated human beings (which include 3 sets of parents and 13 siblings). Family getaways can become more stressful than our actual daily lives.

But the farm is the exception.

I extracted myself from the city for the Labor day weekend, and ventured on out to Homer City, PA. You may think that you have been to the country, but you haven't unless you have been to Homer City. You don't know country until you have seen a horse and buggy crossing (yes, you read that correctly). I ate my weight in fresh and homegrown ingridients, I filled my lungs with sweet summer air, I spent more time on our front porch than an actual bed, and set my feet free under the fresh cut grass.
I felt home. And it wasn't just because my country girl soul was back in its natural habitat, but it was because of the people I call family. Sure we may not all be blood related, but my family in PA have made me feel a part of something that I don't think I have ever felt before. Our nuture kinship was rooted from a family love and bond that I will always be grateful for.

A bonus for the farm getaway? I FINALLY met my long lost Aquarian twin, Jessica, whom I discovered through the magical world of Tumblr. Sure I may bash on technology every now and then, but when a social media site leads you to a beautiful soul like Jess, you make an exception. She is the vintage queen, and everyone needs to buy a piece or 2 from her etsy shop- and add a gorg crystal wrapped necklace to complete your life.

Possibly thinking of returning to school, being near family, and becoming a hippie. Idk. I just want it all.

Toodles,
Mads

Hypnotize With Her Mojo Hair

FACT: I have been to 30+ Grace Potter and The Nocturnals show

FACT: 3 of those shows were in a 24hr span.

FACT: I gave myself (bad) fringe bangs after seeing her concert for the first time

FACT: I am ready for 30+ shows, hopping on buses and trains and planes, and....... I'll leave the fringe bangs to her.

I had to dig very deep into my camera roll vault to find the pics above. I have about 608 photos that are both blurry and magical, but these were my top due to the fact that Grace Potter either jumped off the stage to give me a hug, or threw me a handful of guitar pics that I now keep treasured onto my very own guitars.

With the high anticpation of their newest record being recorded as we speak, I thought it best to travel down memory lane and remember why I love these guys so much. The main thing that drew me in was the music, obvi. I shamelessly discovered this band thanks to the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack and MySpace. Once I turned 18, I trecked on down to good ole New Orleans to see them at the House of Blues. From then on, I was more or less addicted to the music, their performances (which is a religious experience. If you haven't been to one of their shows, please let me know so that I can take you. I'm SERIOUS.), their style (both musically and fashionably. These guys are HAWT), and to the high you get from sharing a musical experience with friends and strangers.

I am frequently asked from both friends/family and newer fans: "What do I listen to first?'

Oh boy. The toughest question.

I wanted to start giving the right answer instead of the normal "Start from the beginning and work your way down" answer. So, I sat myself down, researched their entire discography, read personal interviews and reviews, and even watched live footage I had taken from the 6 years of concert experiences. And what a shocker: I couldn't pick just one. Honestly, you start with what you feel. Personally, my go-to albums for whenever I am happy, sad, wanting inspiration, crying from a breakup, or just enjoying life are their self-titled album Grace Potter and The Nocturnals and their Live at the Fillmore album. (Fun fact: After a few beers one night, a friend and I shamelessly recited the entire LAF album that included all of the speeches that Grace gave throughout the performance. Proud moment.) But if you are going on a road trip, start with their first album Nothing But The Water or her latest album The Lion The Beast The Beat . If kitchy songwriting and southern rock roots is more your style, listen to This Is Somewhere. All in all, you can't go wrong. But definitely listen to their lyrics and see a live performance before you die. Put it on your bucket list NOW. BONUS: if you tweet GP your dream setlist, then there is a good chance they will put your fave songs onto the setlist! (5 out of the 6 times I requested have been played).

To end this post, I will leave a simple quote that GP told me the first time I met her, "Write what you feel. Feel what you write. Love and Light."

Love and Light,

Madeline

We're All In A Dance

Life is a dance we all have to do.  I reached a breaking point with the work tango I was doing for the past 9 days straight. So, I took my bestest gal pal, Hayley, and ventured to our favorite city of Austin, TX (this was our 3rd trek in the past 4 months. To say we are obsessed is an understatement.) Although this was a shorter trip, we made the most of it. We ate whatever we wanted, made no plans, and alughed until we cried. Today, we spent our Sunday Funday exploring art and music.The Graffiti Park was such an inspirational spot filled with art on top of art on top of art. It is a hidden spot that gives the artistic community freedom to express themselves. Then, we went to Friends of Sound and found a Stevie Nicks poster, and cheap Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, and The Beatles records- which,if you know me well, was the perfect ending to our trip. 

Until next time, Austin.

~Cheers~

Feels Like Home

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. 

-Maya Angelou

Life is too short to skip out on the scenic routes. I rolled down the windows, I turned my music off, and I just cleared my head. The sticky heat seeped in to my skin and the sweet scent of summer honeysuckles filled my lungs. I was home. 

And Venus Was Her Name

"She's got it. Yeah, baby. she's got it. Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire and your desire."

Let's face it: musicians are sexy. The blood, sweat, and tears mixed with the fringe, denim, and leather makes an orgasmic mixture for an audience. There is a certain spark that really gets me when the worlds of fashion and music collide.

I knew when I started this blog that I wanted it to revolve around music, but thanks to some eventful turns, I can now mix both fashion, music, and all the other things I love in this world. Now that I have a few styling jobs under my belt, I do face some inspirational blocks from time to time. To jump those hurdles, I find the best way to be inspired is to put on tunes and drool over musician babes and their smashing wardrobe. Opening my patio doors and sipping on a glass of wine also helps those hurdles too.

Cheers,

Madeline