Two Days in Israel

Hello from Israel!I have a few minutes, before I'm going to go crash. The trip is going so well, and I think it will only get better from here.

This is my I'm-going-to-Israel happy face on the way to the airport.

While the weather is hot here, anytime by the water is lovely. This is the beach of Caesarea, where the whole beach is made of shells. I love shells, so I was bent over most of the time looking for shells that I could take home. Also, here is a small peak of my pasty, white legs. Attractive, isn't it? 

At about every place we go, we stop and reflect on where we are and how it relates to the Bible. It is amazing to actually see the places you read about since you are little. 

We have mostly been going to different churches that are on certain holy sites. Many of them are so beautiful and amazingly old. It is fantastic to walk into a church and, because they ask for silence inside, have a moment to look and be in your own head for awhile. 

One of our fearless leaders, Dr. Swanson talking to us about the Sermon on the Mount on what is believed to be where the Sermon on the Mount happened. 

Last but not least, I found this feature on my camera that turns every picture into an artsy/cartoon picture. I am in love!

Well, I'm yawning, so I am going to go fall asleep and not wake up until tomorrow morning. 

With love and Faery Dust,

Brittany Sims

Spring Link List

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It is finally Spring!

I've been enjoying the flowers and warm weather here in California that this wonderful Spring has carried here. Can you believe that we are more than a third of the way through 2013? It seems like just yesterday I was thinking about making some New Years' resolutions. Well, if the weather isn't so lovely in your area, here is some links to get you through the April Showers.

Gala Darling recently completed the Clean Program and made a video detailing her experience. She also featured an awesome Green Juice guide to go a long with it. Perfect for those of us who are feeling rather sluggish.

I recently did an article about my friend, Zack, about coming out, his art, and his view on the legalization of gay marriage. I may post that later, but here is his coming out story. Check it out!

You, Me & Charlie featured this awesome Spring Playlist. Every time I listen, I have flashbacks of riding my bike down the street without a care in the world. Absolutely perfect for Spring!

Sure, I use to-go coffee cups as much as the next person, but they are actually bad for your health (...as well as the environment). Should To-go coffee cups trump bring our own mugs? This article definitely made me think!

I'm currently working on an article to send out about my self-harm experience and I found this amazing article about how love is louder than Self-Harm. Its so beautiful!

I featured The Vespers awhile back, and they released their second Full-Length Album on Noisetrade. Go check out there new music, and, if you like them, leave a tip to show your appreciation.

I was completely blown away when I saw this video on artist, Sarah Dinardo. Her artwork is amazing, and the video was impeccably filmed.

We all have those days that we feel horrible about our body image, whether you are a size 2 or a size 14. I love this article on How to take care of your body one a bad body image day. 

I love watching Jennifer Lawrence, especially in her answers after the Oscars. It is unbelievable how many times that I have watched this video.

So many of my friends have been raving about this new song for the Great Gatsby by The XX. What do you guys think of it?

With love and Faery Dust,

Brittany Sims

Goals: Be Happy

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I've been committed to taking this to heart. My computer is broken and I am under a large amount of stress, but I am determined to not let it get to me. 

I've started a new and fantastic project! I am working on a non-fiction book. Growing up, I always pictured myself writing fiction. Things have changed ever since I figured out what I am going to do for my final paper next year when I graduate. Thankfully, the book coincides with a current school assignment but it will mainly be a summer project. My European travels provided me with a leather notebook from Florence that I have devoted to book notes and the eventual writing of it.

What are your goals lately? 

Take some time this week to focus on what it means for you to be happy. Need to brainstorm? Email me at bloggerbrittany.sims@gmail.com

With Love and Faery Dust,

Brittany Sims

Jet Lag and Everyday Lovelies

I am finally back in the States after a fantastic adventure though Europe with the boyfriend and my mother. Even though I am still a bit jet-lagged, my desire to get back to the swing of things is reassuringly high and fueled by some new European black tea in new coffee mugs. My current projects are homework and file-transferring from my old computer to my new one. Thank goodness for Google Drive, so I have all my documents in one place. 

Europe posts will be coming soon, but I still have to fully unpack and get at least some of the massive amounts of homework done.

Everyday Lovelies
<3 Walking Down the Streets of Assisi with The Boyfriend <3 The Autumn Film <3 Listening to Gala Darling's Love and Sequins Podcast <3 The Faint Smell of Lemons on the Streets of Sorrento <3 Taco Bell Trips with The Boyfriend <3 Talking Doctor Who with Sarah <3 The Beautiful Sights of Europe <3 Stopping for Coffee About Every Four Hours <3 A (much-needed) New Computer <3 Nubby Twiglet Replying on Twitter (oh the nerdy joys of a blogger) <3 Twirling My Lace Parisol <3 Coming Back to School to See Beautiful Flowers Outside My Window <3 This Website is My Latest Favorite. All Their Articles are Fascinating and Relevant <3 Tiny Street Cleaners <3 Finding a Copy of My Favorite Book in Italian <3 Overlaying Pictures (like the one above) <3 Coming Home to My Fish, Henry <3

Happy Good Friday everyone!

With Love and Faery Dust,

Brittany Sims

Dreaming of SXSW

Despite the fact that I will be leaving for Europe in a few days (eeeep!), I am dreaming of SXSW and being there for all the fantastic concerts. The music part of SXSW is in full swing and goes to the end of this week. I have wanted to attend this festival for years, however it has not been until this year that I have actually known several bands that are performing. 

With all my concert-lust lately, I made a mix tape for you of the bands that I would love to see at SXSW in Texas this year.

This mixtape includes Ivan & Alyosha, Amanda Palmer, Said the Whale, The Lighthouse and the Whaler, Hey Ocean!, The Vespers, A House for Lions, and SHEL (who I featured a couple weeks ago).

SXSW mixtape from bloggerbrit on 8tracks Radio.


Relax, and take a listen to some fabulous bands.


Who do you want to see this year?

With Love and Faery Dust,

Brittany Sims

You, Me & Charlie concert featuring A House for Lions and Dianna Agron

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Monday night, I had the pleasure of attending You, Me & Charlie's first ever concert at the Echoplex in LA. You, Me & Charlie is the website created  by the fabulous Dianna Agron, who you may know as Quinn from Glee. Her websites posts about art, music, and other forms of media. The concert featured four bands in total, but I only stayed for three of them.

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I honestly did not know what to expect from this concert. I received the email about five hours before, convinced my roommate, Danielle, to go, and we drove around a rather sketchy part of town before arriving at the venue. The Echo is a very large and open space with a bar on one side, and a stage on the other. The staff were very considerate, it was clean, and there was plenty of space to hang out. Danielle and I took advantage of the photo booth by making funny faces, showing off my clock purse, and doing the stereotypical Charlie's Angels pose.

The first band was the folk/country band, The Cerny Brothers. These guys were a fantastic opening act with a great sound, and the audience could see how much they enjoyed performing. Danielle and I talked with part of the band towards the end of the night and they were genuine and sweet. They have definite talent and I hope to go see them perform again.

Max and The Moon, the second band, was a complete contrast to the former band. Native to Southern California, they were able to tap into the vibe of the audience and had me singing along to songs I had never heard before. Their song, "Out of My Head", will not stop playing in my head. The surprisingly high (but great) vocals, catchy melodies from the keyboard, and truly epic double drumming sessions created an upbeat and fun atmosphere.

Lastly, A House for Lions, with their exciting lead singer and life of the party attitude, produced an amazing set. The stage was flecked with lights of all kinds, including vintage bulbs and white Christmas lights all over the drum set. Little did we know that their was a surprise for the audience in the middle of their performance. I had predicted and hoped, but thought that I was expecting too much from the surprise that was talked about on the You, Me & Charlie website.

Who should show up to sing two songs with A House for Lions but Dianna Agron!!! Believe me, I was not-so-silently having a fan girl moment. Danielle and I were in the very front row, so we had a great view of the band and Dianna.

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Overall, the night was filled with laughter, uncontrollable smiling, and great music. I hope this is the first of many You, Me & Charlie concerts to come, because I had a blast. A HUGE thank you to everyone involved; especially, the people at You, Me & Charlie, BMI, The Cerny Brothers, Max and The Moon, A House for Lions, and the Echoplex. The night was a success!

With Love and Faery Dust,
Brittany Sims

Music Spotlight: SHEL

Hey everyone, welcome to my Music Spotlight. This is where I introduce you to a new band that I have discovered, probably off of Noisetrade. I am a huge fan of independent artists and helping spread the word about upcoming and talented bands. If you know of any artists that you think I should feature, leave their name and I will give them a listen.

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SHEL

Genre: Folk

Sarah, Hannah, Eva, and Liza Holbrook, who make up the band SHEL, are four classically trained sisters from Fort Collins, Colorado. They are quickly taking the internet by storm, playing at SXSW, International Folk Alliance, Lilith Fair, Four Corners Folk Festival, and Cornerstone. Cumulatively, they play nine instruments not including their amazing voices. "When the Dragon Came Down," their latest album was co-produced by Brent Maher, six-time Grammy award winner, as well as the band.

I found SHEL on Noisetrade, and I was hooked from the minute I heard their live recording of the song, "Try to Scream". It had been about a month of listening to the same six songs that were on Noisetrade when I found out that they were playing a half hour away at The Hemingway's Lounge in Hollywood for free. Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and typewriters, SHEL played an amazing show that made the other bands playing that night pale in comparison. In addition to the songs on Noisetrade, I purchased two of their cds. The girls are also the absolute sweetest when I talked to them after the show.

This is a cover that they did of the "Battle of Evermore" by Led Zepplin, but anything by them is beautiful. Their performance at The Rutledge truly shows their talent not only on their CD, but how truly amazing they are live.

With almost 7000 likes and counting, SHEL has only great things ahead of them. Their "songs meld ethereal harmonies, out-of-the-box melodies and remarkable musicianship" (M Music & Musicians). Martian Leaks wrote in a live review in Nashville, "... a power quartet of femme fatale wunderkind sisters... They don't just play the hell out of their instruments with great passion, they do so flawlessly as if they were born mutated with these instruments attached to their hands."

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If you are interested in finding out more about them, you can check them out on their website or on their Facebook page. To buy CD's and other merchandise, you can go to their store or buy their albums on iTunes and check out their selection on Noisetrade.

With Love and Faery Dust,

Brittany Sims