Kris Allen's New CD!!!!!!!!!

If you don't remember, Kris Allen is the season 8 American Idol winner. He's probably my favorite winner (other than Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, of course). I absolutely adore his voice and music; I thought his first album was fantastic. When I heard he was finally coming out with a new CD, I was ecstatic. I had been waiting for two years for new music from Allen, His sophomore album "Thank You Camellia" was released yesterday, and I purchased it today. This album EXCEEDS his debut one, something I didn't think could be possible. It's got everything- fun, catchy songs with well written lyrics. This CD is definitely full of summer songs- Better With You, My Weakness, Rooftops, and Loves Me Not (his duet with Meiko) are definitely the driving with the rooftop down on your way to the beach kind of songs. And then of course, there's his debut single "Vision of Love" which calls people to take a stand against bullying and loneliness. My personal favorites are "Monster" and "Blindfolded." The chorus' are so catchy, and the guitar in Monster is awesome. I love the message in Blindfolded, "If I was blindfolded, if my memory was erased, if every sign pointed to another place, I would still find you." Ahh, its so romantic! And, of course, Kris Allen wouldn't be Kris Allen with out adding a powerful ballad "You've Got A Way." Overall this album is fantastic, and Kris Allen needs to be recognized for just how talented he is as a singer and songwriter  (by the way, if anyone's a Glee fan, Allen penned Matthew Morrison's song "Still Got Tonight"). I would highly recommend everyone to go and purchase this CD.

90's Music

Hey everyone! So recently I've been a little obsessed with listening to 90's music...I'm a little addicted. Not just any kind of 90's music, but pop/rock. The lyrics have so much meaning and the voices and  instruments are real, not like some of the fake synthesized stuff you here on the radio. Some of my favorites are "Closing Time" by Semisonic, "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls, "If You Could Only See" by Tonic, and "Everything you Want" by Vertical Horizon. I'd never even heard of any of these artists until I heard these songs on the radio. If your in the mood to listen to something different or want a takeback to the 90's, listen to these songs, I guarantee you'll fall in love with at least one of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAS-pvQ06s4 closing time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8UeeIAJ0a0 Iris

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_YsN8AlfEU If You Could Only See

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKW0uelA6Dw Everything you Want




I'm a sucker for well written, meaningful lyrics. I think that's what especially draws me to a song. I feel like a lot (not all) of songs these days don't have as much meaning to them than they used to. I hope you can take the time to listen! Maybe you'll even find a new favorite song!

Happy reading!
-Ashley

How to deal with Bad Days and Negativity

Every one has a bad day every once in a while. They're inevitable. Whether your bummed because April vacations over and it seems like the rain will never stop falling (that's my case), you've gotten into a fight with someone your close to, or you just feel like nothings going right, bad days happen. But they don't last forever. As much as I want my day to end as soon as possible, I find a way to get through it. Here are some of my tips of getting over a bad day:

1. Listen to music. Most of the time I like to listen to upbeat, happy songs when I'm down in the dump (Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield and Selena Gomez's Who Says are some of my favorites), but I also like to listen to songs that correspond with my mood (I don't know why, sometimes it makes me feel better when I listen to a song that describes exactly how I feel). 

2. Look at something colorful. Brightness can lift your mood, whether its looking through a flashy magazine or wearing a pair of neon flip flops, you'll feel better having a little color in your day.

3. Write! Get your feelings out on a piece of paper, write a poem, song, or even just make a list of everything that went wrong in your day. Sorting out how you feel will make you feel less stressed or overwhelmed. It's a good way to vent.

4. Talk to someone about your day. Talk to a pet, your mom, friend, boyfriend, whoever will encourage you and help you get through your bad day. Do not yell at someone your mad at or whoever may have contributed to your sadness. It'll probably end up making you feel worse. 

I hope your bad day ends and that you'll find joy in the next day! 

Happy reading!

-Ashley 

Introductory!

Hey everyone! My name is Ashley and I'd like to welcome everyone to my little blog. I figured before I started my posts you should know a little about me. I'm a teen from New England who loves to write. I write for my school newspaper and I enjoy writing creative stories. I dream of publishing a novel someday and working for a magazine.Music is a passion of mine. I listen to everything, country, pop, rap, you name it. I play sing, play piano, write songs, and I even recently learned how to play the guitar. Over the past few years I've also started to take an interest in makeup and hair styling ever since I've discovered YouTube gurus Kandee Johnson and the Fowler sisters. My sisters and I have our own YouTube channels: Dracutgrls12 (Music) and Dracutgrls12Beauty (Makeup). I would not call myself a professional in anything-I just like to learn and share what I know with people! It'd mean so much if you followed me or subscribed to my channel. Happy reading!
-Ashley