Atlanta Adventures: Shoot the Hooch

Summer may be over, but the warm weather is not. One of the best ways to cool off on a sunny weekend is floating down the Chattahoochee River with some of your best friends.

It's BYOF (bring your own float) and the floats can get pretty elaborate. You'll see inner tubes, rafts and even air mattresses. Anything goes. I think they do have float rentals at specific places, but it's way more fun (and cheaper) to just buy your own float on Amazon and take your time with a group of friends.

So grab some snacks (you'll be out there for a while) and your drinks. There's an island half way where people tie up and hang out. There's even a rock you can jump off if you're feelings adventurous.

This is a great group activity and relatively cheap way to spend a Saturday. Make sure you have cars parked at the end point too so everyone can get back to their cars. We dropped in at Johnson Ferry and got out at Paces Mill (I think). We were probably on the water about 4 hours? But you can take as along as you want to. Final note, don't forget the life vests, they're serious about everyone having one and they do patrol. 

What's the most elaborate set up you've seen on the river? I'd love to hear below! 

xx Kristen

Weezer and Panic! At The Disco Summer Tour







June 16, 2016

Lakewood Amphitheater

 

Did you dream of Beverly Hills in middle school? Did you write sins not tragedies?  I know I did and that's why seeing Panic! At the Disco and Weezer was a dream come true.

Full disclosure, this wasn't just a nostalgia thing for me. I bought Panic!'s new CD when it came out and it's freaking amazing. I saw them at Music Midtown last year and knew they were going to bring the house down at Lakewood. 

I like both bands, but you could definitely see a divide among the people there were there to see Panic! At the Disco and those that were there to see Weezer. Even in the group of people I went with, some were more excited for one than the other. If I had to chose what side I was on, it would be Panic. 

Y'all, Brendon Urie's voice is actually insane. The sound of his voice and the notes he can hit just blow my mind. He's the only person left of the original band but because he's the lead singer you would probably never guess that. 

I knew all of their old hits and their new songs (again they're amazing, buy Death of a Bachelor) so I had the time of my life jumping up and down and belting out every word. 

They also always sing Bohemian Rhapsody and just absolutely kill it. So that at least got all the non believers up on their feet singing. When they finally played I Write Sins Not Tragedies the entire place went nuts. You couldn't escape that song in middle school, not even the Weezer fans. 

If you ever get a chance to see Panic! at the Disco, do it. Watch Brendon in all his glory doing a backflip shirtless while hitting a beautifully high note. 

The other half I enjoyed way more than I had originally planned to. Yeah I like Weezer, yeah I knew their hits and had bought a few new song of theirs (their new stuff is great too, buy it). But I didn't think I would get as into it as I did. They have been around for sooo long and they are still crushing it. Their presence, their voices and their energy were at an all time high. I loved watching them preform, I loved singing along with them and I loved just dancing to any of the songs I didn't know.

These bands clearly had a special place in our hearts from middle and high school, but how impressive is it that they can still do this to a crowd? That they can still put out new music and tour and people are still losing their minds. I love that they both stood the test of time. That their fans never stopped loving them, that they never stopped loving their own music.

It was, in a word, electrifying. I hope they keep doing what they're doing, singing music they love and playing to fans that love them back.

xx Kristen

This is Gospel - Panic! At The Disco
I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! At The Disco
Hallelujah - Panic! At The Disco
Victorious - Panic! At The Disco
Miss Jackson - Panic! At The Disco
The Ballad of Mona Lisa - Panic! At The Disco

Beverly Hills - Weezer
Say It Ain't So - Weezer
Island In The Sun - Weezer
Perfect Situation - Weezer
California Kids - Weezer

Lightning Literature: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I love books, I love reading, I love getting lost in a good story. Looking for a new book to read? Grab your wine, get in your reading chair and get lost for a few minutes. Enjoy the first installment of Lightning Literature, where I share recent reads and recommendations.

I feel like I enjoy a wide variety of books, mystery, classics, romance, fantasy and mortivational. However, my favorite books to read have always been YA novels. Give me a dystopian world and a love triangle and I'm hooked. Throw in some magic and an royalty and I can't put it down. That's exactly what drew me to Red Queen.

Dystopian World? Check.

Love Triangle? Check.

Magic & Royalty? Check.

The Characters

Mare Barrow

The leading lady of this story, Mare is tough and poor and her blood is red. She's 17 and living in the Stilts, stealing to feed her family. One night, she tries to steal from right guy (or wrong if you've think about what all has happened since that night).

Cal Calore

The crowned prince. He saves Mare from a life of poverty when he meets her on the streets and offers her a job at the palace. He seems kind, but he is still destined to rule as a silver king. Cal inherited his father's power to control fire and his a keen military mind.

Maven Calore

Cal's younger half brother, Maven also can control fire like his father. To keep Mare around under the watchful eye of the crown they promise her to Maven. Although Maven seems to be kind and understanding, we soon learn that he is not quite the man we all think he is.

Kilorn Warren

Mare's best friend in the Stilts, they've always been there for each other. When Mare heads off to the castle, Kilhorn joins the Scarlet Guard.

Farley

A captain for the Scarlet Guard, she is as determined as she is stubborn. She's also not super forthcoming with any details on what the Scarlet Guard wants or what they're willing to do to get it.

The Plot 

In this dystopic world there are the Reds and the Silvers. The reds are human, normal and super poor because of the color of their blood. The silvers are rich and posses superpowers that keep the reds in check. This is the way the world is, divided by silver and red, rich and poor, the powerful and the powerless. 

Except Mare has red blood and can create lightning at will. Could there be other anomalies like her in the world? 

Now the little lightning girl has been thrown into a role she never wanted, future princess. She is bethrothed to Maven to keep her secret hidden and under the control of the crown. The king hopes to use her to stop an uprising from the Scarlet Guard, a princess of the people plucked from poverty. The Scarlet Guard hopes to use her to take the monarchy down from the inside.

Never sure of anyone's true intentions, Mare can trust no one. Too bad she doesn't listen to this warning and pays the price.

What's Up Next

The second installment was recently released, Glass Sword, and a companion book with some short stories, Cruel Crown. The second book was a little hard to get through, I'm not going to lie, but the end left me hanging just enough to want to finish the series when the third book comes out.

If you've read Red Queen I would love to hear what you thought! Let me know below!

xx Kristen

Buy Red Queen here
Learn more about the author here