You Start to Feel Cool When:

You start to feel cool when:

1.) You are at a show and you know the band.

2.) You are at a show and you know the band and they are killin it.  (Musician talk for "awesome")

3.) You are at a show and you know the band and they are killin it, but you have to rush outside before you can congratulate them for killin it because your producer friend calls you to pitch a new idea.

4.) Your producer friend has a british accent.

5.) Your producer friend has a british accent and is Austin Powers reincarnate.

6.) Your producer friend has a british accent and pitches a new idea that has to do with wild animals.

7.) Your lawyer is calling on the other line while your producer friend with a british accent pitches a new idea that has to do with while animals.

8.) This happens at least once a week.

9.) You and your lawyer like to get frozen yogurt sometimes.

As much as I feel like your normal, average, run-of-the-mill girl... I have come to realize that my life isn't quite normal.

Exhibit A:

FRIDAY

Bannerhill played our first show with the new linuep.  We chose to play a secret show because we wanted to take time to polish our set before we start playing for... well... you!

Now, follow me with this....  Imagine playing for thousands of screaming folks a night.  As the bassist and backup singer, your job is to not mess up and look like you're having a blast.  Realistically, no one is there to see you, so the pressure is relatively low.   Now imagine playing to a room just small enough to see the face of every kid... and they don't know a single word.  As the lead singer, it's my job to carry the show, to make us memorable, to give every single person in the room a reason to care about our music.  It was the first time I've had butterflies in years.

So, if that weren't abnormal enough, what happened afterwards just put the night over the edge.  As I walk to the sound board... my former band mate walks up.

...

That's right.  The one I wrote about before.  Now, I'm sure you can imagine that it was a tense interaction.  After all, we hadn't spoken in months, and there are some high emotions running on both sides of our conflict.  As we are in the process of working everything out, I will refrain this time from going into detail.  But still.

Verdict: Abnormal

Exhibit B:

SATURDAY

Yellowcard played their first show in three years.  Valerie was onstage during the whole set, drum teching for LP, and I got to rock out from the crowd with Joan, LP's fiancee.

A little bit of back story, I remember being 14 and waiting outside in the rain to see Yellowcard play.  And since that show, I had seen them play at least another half a dozen times. I know every song by heart.  I am that girl.  So imagine the suppressed freak out when i learned 1) I would be touring with LP, 2) we would be sharing a bus, and 3) my bunk was directly over LP's.  Yep.  Silent freak out.  Fastforward back to the show, what a beautiful memory for both Val and myself (she loves them just as much as I do haha).  I couldn't tell you if I was more proud to see Val onstage or more excited to be dancing and singing in the crowd with Joan.  (She also knew all the words and we had quite a blast singing them to one another).

Verdict: Abnormal, but freeking awesome.

Exhibit C:

THURSDAY

I saw my friends' band, The New Limb.  All four of them live in a house together in Costa Mesa, and they are in my opinion, the best indie band locally.

They killed it.  From antics like jumping into the middle of the crowd and singing a cappella, to covering Cindy Lauper's "time after time" to the crazy instruments they used, they killed it through and through.  And then... My dear producer friend called.  :)  Haha see the top of entry for the rest of the night.

Verdict: Ridiculously Abnormal

There are more flavorful episodes that happened this week, but I fear that I fell rather behind in blogging with the house guest i've had for the past six days. More to come, and thank you for reading.

Always,

Liz Anne

First Day Back

<3

Today is Valerie, Logan, Carter and my first show back.  We kept it a secret because... well... we had to!  (Grrr) Either way, we're excited to be playing.  The lucky folks at ____ ______ will be the first to hear our new tunes live... and they don't even know it yet.  Haha, it definitely hasn't been the first time I've played to a crowd who had no idea who we were.  Keeps ya humble, right?

Regardless... for any occasion such as this, (and considering that I am a girl), one necessary question is "what the crap am I going to wear?"  I mentioned this a few times on twitter before, but here are the rules that guide my style choices:

Rule 1: Liz is a cheapskate. 
             a. Liz likes to shop at thrift stores, Forever 21, Marshalls, and her mom's closet.

             b. Liz likes to use the free gift with purchase makeup they give away at dept. stores
Therefore, make do with what is affordable.  Fashion does not have to make you broke!

Rule 2: Liz needs help getting dressed.
             a. Liz shamelessly consults www.lookbook.nu to snag trends.
             b. Liz always takes Carter when she goes to shop because he has better taste of the two.
Therefore, there is no shame in stealing tips from others!  That's how trends start.
 
Rule 3: Comfort and modesty are necessity
             a. Liz is a clutz and shoes are therefore a high-risk safety hazard.
             b. Liz is a clutz and wardrobe malfunctions must be preemptively avoided at all times.
 Therefore, you don't hafta let it hang out to feel flirty.  Being comfortable in your own skin = WIN!

While I'm still not sure what I'm going to wear (...and i have to leave in 20 minutes.  crap) I did take the liberty of documenting how I did my makeup today... especially because I have been promising a makeup tutorial for MONTHS.  Soooo here ya go!



And by the way, that snazzy shirt I'm wearing is from our dear friend's company LETGOdwork.   We all love their apparel, please take a minute to check out their store.  http://shop.letgodwork.com/


Thank you again for checking back!
More love tomorrow.

Always,
Liz Anne Hill

These are all the products i use :)

Nakey Face!  I start with a moisturizer w/ spf 15

A little eyebrow shaping

My secret weapon, chap stick helps keep eyebrow hairs in place

I used a flat brush and dark brown eyeshadow to fill in my (formerly nonexistent) eyebrows. 

This is the eyeshadow pallet I used, dark brown, bronze, and cream works well w/ blue eyes

I put a base of cream shadow all over the lid up to the brow, and then added bronze around most of the lid

I then put dark brown in the crease of my eyelid and underneath the eye as well

er... sometimes spit helps the pigment stay.

I first lined my eyes with a brown pencil, this looks less harsh than just black liner

Then i lined the lashline and inner eye with black pencil, and swept the line out to make a wing 

I skipped a step here, first I put on foundation (clinique acne solutions... i LOVE it) and then pressed powder

Bronzer under my cheekbones to help contour my face

Then some mascara to finish

And VIOLA.