HOW ALMOST FAINTING TURNED INTO MEETING MAT KEARNEY

So, I know what you're thinking. The fainting is supposed to come after an encounter with one of the coolest people on the planet, isn't it? However, almost passing out had nothing to do with being starstruck.

Here, I'll set the scene:

It's our fourth year of going to Basilica Block Party hosted by Cities 97, and we are beyond pumped. Per usual, the July heat leads us straight to the food ticket booth so that we can stay hydrated. We get a piece of pizza and some drinks, run into some old high school friends, and walk around to check out the different stages. We're looking at the schedule deciding who we want to see most and when. Ultimately, we decide on first seeing Mat Kearney, staying a bit for O.A.R., and then heading to catch the tail end of Weezer.

Lauren, Shelby, and Me

So we end up getting pretty decent spots for Mat Kearney. We get there a little bit early and listen to whoever was on before him, while more and more people pile in around us. Before we know it, we are belting out songs like "She's Got the Honey" and "Ships in the Night." Mat is absolutely killing it. And it has already made the books as one of the best nights as Basilica.  

Eventually, Mat sings his final song and crowd shows their approval with an appropriate amount of whoops and hollers. And then it's over. The temperature is hovering somewhere around uncomfortably hot, and being in a massive crowd of people is not making it any better. We gaze longingly at blue guitar shaped fans that the people next to us were using to cool themselves off. Meanwhile, the people on the other side of us decided it would be a good idea to start elbowing people around them to box them out and have plenty of space (this is a game plan they decided to make out loud as we gave them dirty side glances for being rude concert go-ers*). But you have to make sacrifices. As people ran off in sight of food and hydration after Mat Kearney, we moved even closer, so that there was only a few people between us and the stage. 

Finally, O.A.R. takes the stage with "Love and Memories" and a few other opening songs that I don't really recognize. My friends decide that they want to hear "Peace" and "Heaven." Everything is going great. Again, we are singing and dancing, enjoying a view we rarely get close enough for. A few songs in "Heaven" came on, and we were all excited to hear it. Then out of nowhere, I feel like I am going to see my pizza again. I turned to my friend Shelby, and I was like "I have to get of here, but you guys stay. I'll be just fine." Clearly, they could see on my face that I was not going to be fine, and they followed my out of the crowd like the awesome friends they are. 

As I am pushing through this massive hoard of people, I can barely see where I am going. I'm seeing spots, and I can't figure out how I am actually still standing. Just when I think I am at the edge of the crowd, I feel a fence, and I look up to see I had reached a fenced in grass area surrounded my people. At this point, standing is barely an option, and I drop to the ground gripping the poles of the fence. I vaguely recall some women standing above me saying (read in snotty voice), "If she's going to throw up, will you please move her?" to my friends. 

I know that I have to make it out of the crowd, and continue to push to edge of the crowd. I sat with my head in my knees right next to the fence that marks the boundaries of the concert area, as one of my friends went to get my water. And this is when it happened: I don't remember exactly what Lauren said, but it was something like "Is that Mat Kearney? Yeah, that's totally him right there." So we all look over, and sure enough he's standing only yards away from us on the other side of the fence. We watched as he talked to Cities 97 people, until some girl manages to get his attention and was taking a picture with him. I quickly assure my friends that I am good enough to get up and that we have to get a picture. 

First Lauren managed to get a quick selfie with him, and when Shelby and I caught up, I asked him if it would be okay if we got one with him, too. I SAID WORDS TO MAT KEARNEY (I know that is the least eloquent way to put that, but that describes my mental state at this point). And then we snapped this awesome picture, which I am still a little disappointed isn't the best quality, but still. I have a picture with Mat Kearney now. Shelby kept saying that she was really sorry I had to get sick, but she was really glad that I did, because otherwise we would have never met him. And I agreed. 

In reality, this probably occurred from being super dehydrated since it was so hot out, and I had barely had anything to eat or drink that day, since I took a 5 hour bus ride back into town that day. However, I would still like to think that it was meant to be so we could meet Mat. 

Cheers to more years of Basilica Block Party ahead!

Have you had any unexpectedly amazing concert experiences?

*It was at this time that I decided my blog post about Basilica would be on concert etiquette. But meeting Mat Kearney was way cooler. So the date on that blog post is TBD.
(Also, shout out to Becky. We wish you could have been there to experience this one with with us. But I still plan on photoshopping you in on this pictures.)

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A BIG AGE GAP BETWEEN SIBLINGS

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore my little sister. Of course I love my other siblings and the rest of my family. But not much compares to the special bond that I have formed with this sweet little girl, and I think our 15-year age difference has made us even closer. 

We are less likely to fight. 

First of all there are a lot of things that we don't have to worry about fighting over. We can't steal each other's clothes, friends, or boyfriends. She has pretended to steal one of my shirts before, though. I almost let her keep it, because it was so adorable for her to even try to pull that. Every once in a while she will try to pick a fight, but it usually just consists of her telling Mom that I am a "meanie" because I would do something like get her ice cream at that very second. 

I get a mini-me. 

Today I pulled out my computer to work on blog stuff while we were watching TV. Before I knew it, she was plopped down next to me with her toy computer. She put her tiny hand on my knee, and even said, "I'm copying you." They say mimicry is the highest form of flattery, don't they? She kept stealing glances at me to see how I had changed my posture, and she would laugh every time I did--even if what I was laughing about when right over her head. It's a pretty incredible thing influencing a kid this way. It makes you feel pretty special. 

Childhood basically never ends.

So maybe playing toys isn't exactly my idea of a good time. But seeing the light in her eyes when we do play is definitely worth it. My favorite is when she starts to imitate things that she has obviously heard an adult say before. Even when she was two-years-old she would say things playing with dolls that I had heard my mom say to her before. It's so cute to see what really sticks with them and how they re-use it in their own way. Plus, having a little sister means I have an excuse to watch the movies and TV shows that I grew up on again. Someone at work once pointed out that every time we were talking about Spongebob I would always say, "I was watching this one with my little sister, and ..." So what if that little yellow sponge still cracks me up? It's great bonding time with sister. 

It makes me realize I don't want my own children for a very long time. 

I don't understand how people my age have babies--I mean I get how it happens. Obviously the stork got lost on his way to a nice older married couples house. But really, I am so far from being ready to take care of a baby, and having a little sister at this age has been so eye-opening to really how much of a responsibility a child is. As much fun as my little sister is, she whines, cries, and pleads for constant attention--and toys! I could not handle a child right now. I have a hard enough time stressing over things like study abroad and what color I should paint my nails next. Thank God for my little sister. 

She made my dreams come true. 

B.S. (Before Sydney), I prayed for a little sister for years. I cried both times my parents told me that I was going to have a brother. I spent countless hours trying to persuade them to try again or adopt me a sister. Once I even asked my mom if she was lying to me all these years, hoping that I had a twin that they had to give away for mysterious reasons. I would dream about what my little sister would be like, resenting my brothers for their gender, because I so hopelessly wanted a little sister.  I even tried to dress them up as a girls a few times. When my mom first found out she was having another baby, I was furious. I was fourteen, and I knew our lives would change forever. I told her that if it was another boy, I was moving out*. But finding out she was a girl was one of the best days of my life. Since then, some of my best memories of her include the first time she told me that she loved me, and the time she told me that I was her best friend. 

1 year ago!

I love this little girl more than words can express. It has been such a privilege to watch her grow up, and change so much. I can't believe she is already 5-years-old--or that I have a sister that is 5-years-old. Happy birthday, little sis! (Even though she won't be able to read this for a few more years...) 

*Admittedly, that was a bit melodramatic. 

**The two in the picture above are not my only siblings! But that was one of the best recent pictures I could find demonstrating the age gaps. 

What kind of relationship do you have with your siblings? 

11 THOUGHTS WE ALL HAVE WHILE ON PINTEREST

Anyone else lose time on Pinterest? I know I can't be the only one. It is so easy to hop on there and just keep scrolling.

1. DIY? I could do that. Easy.

2. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to look like that. Maybe I should try again.

3. How does anyone's home look like that?


4. I want to eat that.

>
5. And that. Who has time to make all of these recipe posts?


6. I need to stop pinning so many desserts.


7. That dress is so cute. Could I pull that off?

8. I want to pin everything! Will my followers be annoyed at me if I pin just one more thing?


9. Are people going to think I wrote that caption? Really, I'm just too lazy to change it.


10. Maybe I should get off Pinterest and do something productive.


11. Or maybe I could pin just one more thing...

Pinterest is pretty great though, right?

What else do you think about on Pinterest? 

TREATS TO STAY COOL IN THE SUMMER

It's like one day it was fine, and the next day it was unbearably hot. Welcome to July. Now is the time to keep the ovens off and crank the AC. But that doesn't mean your only option for a little treat has to be ice cream.

One of my favorite summer treats is popsicles. So today, I decided to make my own!

I always see Pinterest posts on making homemade popsicles, which I love, because you have so many options! It gives your more flexibility, especially if you are looking for a healthier treat. Today I made mine out of SLIMQUICK Pure Extra Strength Drink Mix. Unlike using something like Crystal Light, it is designed to address reasons we might have losing weight:

• It increases metabolism
• It reduces appetite
• It boosts energy
• It reduces excess water
• It supports hormones
• It reduces stress

The great thing is that it is made with natural ingredients, such antioxidants and BioPure Green Tea, and it is designed to help women lose weight three times faster than dieting alone.

Since this was my first time using the popsicle molds, some of the popsicle flooded out, as you might be able to tell in the picture. It also didn't help that our freezer is stuffed to the max. But it was such an easy to treat to make. 

It took about five minutes of preparation. The hard part can be waiting for it to freeze, so I did it the night before, and now they are ready to enjoy whenever I feel like it today. 

This is a great snack if you want something that tastes great and has health benefits, like boosting your metabolism. I think I might go eat one right now!

What are your favorite cold treats to make in the summer?

Use this coupon to save $5 off your own drink mix!

*This is a sponsored post, powered by BrandBacker, but all of the opinions in this post are my own.

A BAD CASE OF WANDERLUST

I love traveling. In an ideal world I would be able to spend a year just exploring. There are so many places I want to see and things that I want to do abroad. 

My freshman year the first project we had in my production class was making a TV poster with an idea of what your show would be about. I decided mine would be an ABC Family show about friends that went on a summer road trip before college that turned into so much more than they ever expected.

As someone who has a passion for television and telling stories, this was the perfect project for me. I won't go into specifics about the show--who knows, maybe one day I could be in a position to pitch this idea. It could happen!

Sometimes I wish it was more common to take a gap year between high school and college. One of my good friends visited Australia last winter break, and she said that a ton of people did that there. I think it would be such an amazing opportunity to learn more about the world. Perhaps, you might even learn something about yourself along the way. 

Now, the idea of traveling for an extended period of time in my life seems impossible, other than through study abroad, because right after college I'll have to find a job and start paying off student loans. But if you did it before college, you wouldn't have to worry about paying anything off. 

That list that I am holding in the top left corner is an actual list that I have been working on for years of all of the places that I want to visit in the world. I started it a couple of years ago with the hopes that one day I would find the time/resources to be able to visit these places. Since then, I have already been able to cross a couple of places off the list.

But it's not enough! Next spring I intend to study abroad in Europe, which may be just the cure I need for my wanderlust. I know it will never truly go away, but a girl needs to try to ease it, doesn't she?

Where do you want to travel?

Related: Why Spring Break in DC is Better than in PCB

14 THINGS TO THANK YOUR ROOMMATES FOR

One of the fun things about getting out of the dorms is that you have the opportunity to live with more of your friends. At first it seems like one big sleepover. Then, slowly you realize that having roommates is so much more than that. And there are so many things to thank your college roommates for.

Thank them for:

1. Listening to you vent.

2. Putting up with your weird habits.

3. Watching trashy reality shows with you.



4. Helping you decode/craft texts.

5. Staying up with you when you need some girl time.

6. Looking for your stuff when you are positive it is gone forever.


7. Telling you the truth whether or not something looks good.


8. Being genuinely excited for you when something good happens.



9. Ordering pizza with you, because sometimes you just need pizza.


10. Taking care of you when you've had a long night. 

11. Helping you move on from a relationship.

12. Understanding you when you have been at the library for 10 hours straight and can't think like a normal person.


13. Reminiscing on all the great times you have had together at any given time.


14. Not judging you when you make questionable decisions.

What would we do with out our roomies?

Why are you thankful for your roommates?

THE TIME IS NOW

As a college student, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future. All the somedays and the maybes. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am a dreamer. I probably daydreamed more than the average kid. When I would walk to the bus I would write stories in my head. I would spend hours and hours at home behind the computer writing stories--remember back when Word had that little paperclip dude? We were best buds. 

I was certain that I could write a book by the time I was 18. In 7th grade when we read The Outsiders, my English teacher told us that the author was only 17 when she wrote it. If she could dream up Ponyboy and the Greasers at 17, I could write a book by 18, right? A few months shy of my 18th birthday I realized that this ambition had come and gone. And sometimes I wonder if all of these dreams I have will turn out the same way. 

People throw around phrases like "there's no time like the present" and "carpe diem" without having any real meaning behind them. I want to change that. When I am looking back at my life, I want stories to tell about the times that I actually listened to that advice, and the times that I truly believed in myself and made my dreams reality. 

Today I realized maybe I spend too much time dreaming and not enough time doing. Maybe it's too late to be the girl that published a book by 18. But I refuse to give up on the rest. 

When is the last time you did something remarkable? When is the last time that you had a day you will never forget? 

So often we talk about the somedays and maybes. We make "bucket lists" and speak in ambiguous terms about things that may or may not happen in our future. But what about today? If you treat every day like it's just another day, then someday you will wake up and realize that you had a lot of unremarkable days. 

THE TIME IS NOW.

What are you putting off? Is there something you have really always wanted to try but haven't for some reason yet? Ask yourself why you want to do it. Whether you want to learn calligraphy or go on a wild road trip, you should know what you want to get out of it. 

Related: Always Move On To The Next Thing 

What is holding you back? Your answer might be life, which is valid--up to a point. Life happens. Jobs get in the way. Money becomes a factor. And sometimes our goals and expectations seem too big or unrealistic. But sometimes you have to think about what you would do if there were no limitations? Put reality aside, and think about what would make you happiest. 

What steps are getting you towards making it happen? Let's say you want to go camping. Everyone knows that you can't just roll up your sleeping bag and go wandering off into the woods with your bag and a granola bar. That would be foolish. So find out what your equivalent of packing for a camping trip is and start preparing. 

Related: How to Actively Pursue Your Passions

Why NOT?! Remember when I said to get rid of all of the limitations and think about what you really want. When I was in high school, my creative writing teacher went around the circle and had us share what we want to do after high school. I shared my ideas about what I thought I would actually do, and then I said but if I could really do anything, I would work in film. And she asked me if that was what I really wanted to do, then why wouldn't I try to go after that? So, I told her what I really truly believed, which was that I didn't think it was possible. And she countered me with "Why not?" It was the first time anyone had really done that. Now, I don't know if anyone has ever done that for you, but I am asking you now. It doesn't have to be as big as what you want to do with the rest of your life. Maybe you want to go skydiving or try unicycling. The time is now. 

I believe in you. The real question now, is do you believe in yourself?

Today's post is inspired by Helene In Between's #31PhotosInBetween Instagram challenge for July. Join now! Check out @HeleneInBetween for the full list of prompts.

ARE YOU UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA?

Remember when Pinterest was that thing that you had to get an invitation to join? We were all hearing things about this new platform to find recipes and DIY crafts. It sounded pretty fun. Then one day, like most other social media platforms, it became so much more. Now it is widely recognized as one of the best blogging resources on the web. 

So what's all the buzz about using social media to grow your blog? You may have read posts about how you can "double your traffic by doing x" or why you "should be using y". But are you really getting the most of your social media accounts? 

Here are some ways you could be more effective in using social media to grow your blog:

Hootsuite

A while back I read a post about scheduling Tweets, and why you should be doing it on on Life Could Be a Dream. It's useful, because you can still have a social media presence without being glued to your phone. We have busy lives! So must of us can't be sharing posts or quotes all day long. When I heard about Hootsuite, I realized that I could connect it to more than just Twitter.  I linked mine with my Twitter, my personal Facebook, and the Facebook page for my blog. That way I don't have to be by my computer once my post goes live--Hootsuite will share it for me. It's also helpful for those times that you find something that you want to share right after you just Tweeted. Instead of wondering if it's socially acceptable to share two things in a row, use Hootsuite and schedule the second thing for later on!

Related: Blogging With Purpose

Pinterest

Up until about a year ago, I was definitely underutilizing Pinterest. I had no idea how powerful Pinterest was, and I never imagined how much it would help grow my blog. Last year I found out you could create "Pin-it" icons to help users Pin posts directly from your blog. It makes it a lot more likely that people will pin your content, rather than just re-pinning it if they come across it on Pinterest. In November I wrote a post that got more attention Pinterest than I had ever experienced before. My post "7 Things I Never Want My Little Sister to Feel" has received around 15,000 views to date, and Pinterest seems to be the primary way that readers find it. Do not underestimate the power of Pinterest!

TIP: I recently learned from The Nectar Collective that Pinterest uses a "Smart Feed" which means pins are not shared chronologically, but rather "best pins" are shared first. One of the things that Pinterest looks at is the quality of the user, so if you go through and delete pins that have not been re-pinned, you will improve your user quality!

Twitter

I don't know about you, but I love Twitter. I would even go as far as to say that I love Twitter more than Facebook. Twitter is a great way to connect with other bloggers. If I come across a blogger that I like, the first thing that I do is follow them on Twitter, because it is a great way to get your content out there. It's also a way that I have gotten to know some of the bloggers I follow better. I have engaged in Twitter conversations and Twitter chats, shared other bloggers' posts, and increased my blog following through Twitter. Many people spend a great deal of time on Twitter, especially since it is so easily accessible to scroll through on your phone. So take advantage of that!

TIP: Schedule to share content around lunch time, because a lot of people are looking through social media while they are eating or waiting for lunch!

Facebook

For a while I questioned whether or not Facebook was really helping me increase my views. But when I looked into where my traffic was coming from, I realized a good portion of it is still coming from Facebook. It also came as a surprise to me how many people that I knew in real life were actually reading my blog. I have had people Facebook message me or come up to me and tell me how much they enjoy reading my blog (some of these people I haven't seen or talked to in years). And you have no idea how much that means to me! Seriously, this thing is my baby, and it still shocks me when people tell me that they are actually reading it. I actually had someone message me THANKING ME for inviting them to like the Facebook page that I created for my blog. Can you believe that?! That was back when I was just figuring out what the heck I was actually doing in the blogosphere, and it was one of the best compliments I have ever received. Thank YOU for reading my blog! So if you have questioned whether or not Facebook is really worth your time, I urge you to keep posting. You never know who is actually reading and who you could be having an impact on through your words. 

TIP: Share other relevant articles, pictures or quotes on the page for your blog. It will help you keep an active social media presence even when you don't have a post to share. 

Bloglovin'

Here's what I like about Bloglovin': you can have all of the blogs you follow right in front of you. Most serious bloggers have a Bloglovin' account, so it's likely you can follow them this way. It is a feed of all of the recently published content of the bloggers you follow. Additionally, you can go to anyone's account and scroll through their posts. It is a quick and easy way to find content that you are interested in! You can also save posts to refer back to later, and now you can even put them in certain categories--kind of like Pinterest. Also, once you connect your blog with Bloglovin', it automatically publishes your new posts to your account. So it saves you that extra step of having to post it yourself!

Related: DIY: How to Make Pinterest Worthy Photos. Or Not...

Instagram

I love Instagram almost as much as I love Twitter. I am in no way an insta-expert. But I highly envy those who are, and if you could share your ways (or maybe just take pictures for me), that would be stellar. Regardless, it is such a fun way to share photos and even promote your blog! I have noticed a lot of my favorite bloggers rock at Instagram, which is no surprise, because they already have amazing photos on their blogs. I like to think of it this way: what does my Instagram say about me? Since I have a public profile with a link to it on my blog, I want everything I post to fit with my brand and best represent me. (P.S. Whitney Blake, if you ever see this, you are an Instagram Goddess, and I love all of your Instas!)

TIP: Use the Location feature to share the URL to your blog if the pic is related to content you are sharing that day!

Notes about other social media 

A lot of bloggers have a Google+, but honestly I don't use mine that much. I feel like my time is best spent on the aforementioned social media. Also, I have noticed that bloggers like, Helene from Helene In Between, are now using Snapchat to promote their blogs as well! And I think that is a really neat idea. Snapchat has definitely evolved in the last few years, and a lot of celebrities are even beginning to use it as a way to share more intimate moments with fans. However, you probably won't see me making my Snapchat public anytime soon. It was a little difficult for me to make Twitter into a space to promote my blog at first, because it was originally just a fun place to share my thoughts with friends. So for now I plan to keep Snapchat as something fun I do with friends, but who knows, maybe one day I will join the Snapchat-Promotion bandwagon, too. 

Happy Fourth of July weekend! I can't wait to see what you are all up to via social media! Do you have big plans for the weekend?

Related: On Being That Blogger Friend (Can't believe this was a year ago!)