Mandii's Muse

I figured I'd let you in on the Celtic Thunder tour dates if any one was interested. I just learned of the dates tonight. I know which one I am going to! This definitely makes me excited, and I can't wait until they go on sale. So if you are in the U.S. and want to go to a show, here is where you can find out when they will be in your area. Hope you get to go to a show near you! P.S. I know you are astonished about 2 posts in one day.  :)

So after going to my first Celtic Thunder concert last year, I became obsessed with all things Irish. During the concert, Ryan Kelly plays the tin whistle, so I thought "I can do that!" I've played both piano and clarinet, I have musical knowledge, so I ordered mine from the Celtic Thunder website. It arrived and appeared fairly simple to learn. There are only 6 holes to cover and it's in the key of D, meaning there are 2 sharps. Basically, to get the lower notes you breathe lightly and the higher notes you breathe harder. It came with a song book with some Celtic Thunder songs to practice. Initially, I started learning the notes by the fingering, but then I got the hang of it and learned the scale and the notes without looking at the fingering chart. One tip that I can share is it is much easier to cover the notes with the pads of your fingers, instead of the tips. It's been a work in progress, but I run through the songs everyday and am sounding better eac

Is this tag even still going around?! I enjoyed watching this tag on YouTube, and thought I'd do one for this blog. Enjoy! Question 1: Do you have any pets ? I have 2 Golden Retievers Cashew and Sunshine. Question 2: Name three things that are physically close to you: My laptop, a fleece shirt, and Andes candies. Question 3: What's the weather like right now? It's rainy, cold, damp, and 39 degrees. Questions 4: Do you drive ? If so, have you crashed? Yes I drive, and no I have never crashed. Question 5: What time did you wake up this morning?  I set my alarm for 8:00 and got out of bed at 9:30.  Question 6: When was the last time you showered? I showered yesterday, butI didn't wash my hair. (Trying to train my hair to go every other day...) I will shower again today and wash my hair. Question 7: What was the last movie that you saw? The last movie I was was The Lucky One. It was on On Demand, and well Zac Efron is a cutie pie. Questio

Sorry this post is late today! I had an impromptu shopping trip with my Grandma today. It was a good time. I thought today deserved to be a quote day. Here are a few of my favorites: "Lift up your eyes. Your Heavenly Father awaits to bless you in inconcievable ways to make your life what you never dreamed it could be."  Ann Ortlund "Never leave the house in sweats. A girl must be prepared to meet a dashing stranger or an old enemy." Unknown "God grand me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Serenity prayer "Each of you has something no one else has, or has ever had; your fingrprints, your brain, your heart. Be an individual. Be unique. Stand out. Make Noise. Make someone notice. That's the power of individuals." Jon Bon Jovi "Never let a person's weakness get in the way of his strength." Coach K "It takes courage, not

I'm a lover of all things sports. 75% of the time my TV is set to ESPN. I'll watch anything, however my heart lies with basketball. Here's a list of my favorite sports teams.  The Mecca of college basketball! Duke University Men's Basketball-What do I say? I am 100% obsessed with them. I've been blessed to be able to attend 2 games and Countdown to Craziness. I'm not going to lie, the first time I left Duke after an incredible weekend, I cried. (Tears of happiness people!) I never miss a game, never get up when a game is going on, and have more Duke gear then that of my own college. I am going to do a separate post on my love of Duke and throw a lot of pictures up on here. Stick around for that post!  This was my first time in the Pens new "rink." Pittsburgh Penguins-Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal. Need I say more? The Pens are such a classy organization and one of the most popular in the NHL. Boston Celtics-My dad has been

On Thursday I went to the Bon Jovi "Because We Can" tour. This was my 5th Bon Jovi concert. In my honest opinion, I think that this was one of the best concerts I've been to. The whole concert lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes. And by 2 hours and 45 minutes, I mean they did not stop except for a brief 5 minute costume change. They sprinkled in some new songs in with the classics. Jon's down there!! They played a lot of songs from their "Lost Highway" and "The Circle" albums, as well as "Blood on Blood," and "Someday I'll be Saturday Night." They didn't forget about the classics that got them to where they are now either. Jon really knows how to work the crowd. Flash the mega watt smile, do the hip shake, stare into the crowd and watch us scream type thing. Let's face it, when he does that, we're basically putty in his hands. A few thoughts: Watching Jon shake maracas is a religious experience. Goodness can

I thought I knew what I was going to wear to the Bon Jovi concert.   Then I went to Ross Dress 4 Less. It was there I spied it. The.Perfect.Concert.Shirt. Neon pink, cross detailing, cut up back. It was exactly what I wanted, but didn't know I wanted it. Plus, it was only $8.99! I paired it with my favorite Lane Bryant skinny jeans in black, with jewel detailing on the back pockets. For accessories, I kept it simple with a black bracelet, rose gold watch, and some funky chain earrings. Below I listed where I bought the clothes and accessories. I don't know the prices on some items because they were gifts.   Top: Occasion (Ross Dress 4 Less $8.99) Jeans: Lane Bryant Tighter Tummy Technology Black skinny jeans (Lane Bryant) Earrings: Carole (JC Penney $3.00 on clearance a year or 2 ago) Bracelet: Bauble Bar (Free gift from Birchbox) Watch: Merona watch in Rose Gold ($15.00) As far as makeup was concerned, I wanted a smokey eye so I used my Naked 2 palette. Because

Bon Jovi can still rock out. Plus, for being almost 51, Jon looks better now, then when he did in the Runaway years. (Think permed long hair, tight pants, and unruly chest hair days) I haven't missed a concert since 2006. You know the classics, "Wanted Dead or Alive," "Livin' on a Prayer", and "It's my Life" to name a few. I'm going to their concert today and I thought I would share with you some of my favorite songs that you may not know of. Miss Fourth of July : This is one of those melodic, relaxing songs that if you listen close enough, you know you can relate to. Young summer love that only lasted a few short months. This is our House  : Classic Bon Jovi. Heavy drums and a rocking guitar part. Let me tell you, if I owned a sports team, THIS is the song I would play before every game. Defend the home court if you will. I'm listening to it now and I'm getting pumped up! Hallelujah : I first heard this song on Bon Jovi:

Hi! I'm Mandii and I'm obsessed with lip products. Berry, Red, Coral, Pink. You name it, I love it. The good news about following all of the wonderful beauty blogs is they introduce me to new lip products. The bad news: I end up buying them. The thing about lipstick is that, even if I don't have a full face of makeup on, throw on some lipstick my face has color and I look made up. Here's a few I am loving right now! L-R: Crush, Romantic, Smitten, Honey Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain: My collection of these is almost complete! I have Smitten, Crush, Honey, and Romantic.  I want to add Rendezvous for the summer, and I seriously can't buy any more of these. I love these! They are just slick enough when you put them on, but after about 4 hours or so, the slickness wears off and you are left with a beautiful stain. *Romantic is coming off more orange than red, but it is a tomato red.* Cocoa Butter swivel stick: I put this on at night. It is super emollient a

Celtic music, you can either take it or leave it. I've chosen to take it. Last March I was channel surfing, and happened along a young man singing a song called "Isle of Hope" on my local PBS Station. Initially, his attractive appearance caught my eye, (hey, I'm single, I can window shop!) but the song and stage presence drew me in. Turns out, that he was only one of a group of six individuals called Celtic Thunder.     Declan O' Donoghue and I Well, the obsession began! I can't even begin to tell you how many times I watched that PBS special. Thank goodness for tape recorders! I downloaded the songs, went on their website, ( www.celticthunder.ie ) and became hopelessly devoted to Ryan, Neil, Emmet, Keith, George, and now Colm. Fast forward to September when I went to my very first Celtic Thunder concert. In a word, it was FABULOUS! Their stage presence captivates you from the moment they step foot on the stage. Afterwards, I went to the stage door and