Learn Guitar Basics for Free

If you could have only one talent, what would it be? To sing beautifully? To play the piano or guitar? Chances are, at some point in your life, you wished you were great musically in some form or another.

For thousands of years, musical talents have been revered in societies all around the world. If you're familiar with Jane Austen and the world of "Pride and Prejudice," then you know, along with painting, sewing and other arts, musical ability is seen as an important quality in an eligible woman.

Personally I have always struggled with music. I can't hear pitch and my only try at playing any instrument was the clarinet in middle school band. The music we played, mainly Christmas songs and oldies, never suited me, and I always found my eyes drifting to the back of the room where the percussionists played drums or the xylophone. 

Guitar and piano was never an option as I didn't have access to either one, and I never thought to ask for lessons. Thanks to Youtube and the concept of learning through watching, however, more people than ever have access to music and music lessons. 

"Guitar Adventures," a beginner and intermediate level guitar instruction book, not only includes the book itself but supplementary videos to stream as well. You can read through the step-by-step lessons and then watch the videos. 

Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 27, Steeplechase Arts, the music performance and publishing company behind the book, is holding a special promotion for the book. Anyone can download it as a Free Amazon ebook ALL DAY.

If you've never learned how to play the guitar but always wanted to now's your chance! Don't know how to read music? No worries. Music professor Damon Ferrante will guide you every step of the way, from the names of the guitar parts to your first song.

This is the link to the promotion: "Guitar Adventures."

Check it out and let me know what you think with your comments! :)

Street Style

Street Style by grecbarn featuring a straw hat

H M t shirt, $12 / J.Crew wide leg jeans, $130 / High heel shoes / ALDO handbag / ASOS straw hat, $21 / H M scarve, $12

Redbox Reviews: Focus and American Sniper

Focus and American Sniper are two completely different films. I had high hopes for each of them (though one was a critical and box office hit while the other was not), and for the most part I though they both delivered.

Focus is a sexy, thriller, con film starring bona fide movie star Will Smith and relative newcomer Margot Robbie. Smith plays experienced con man Nicky who meets Jess, a beautiful young con artist who is new to the scene but has lots of potential. She joins Nicky in New Orleans for the 2013 Super Bowl. For a good half of the movie we see Nicky and Jess fall in love as they pull off this major con. It's all fine and good and Smith and Robbie have great chemistry, but the look into the past seems rather long. I would have preferred about a third of the movie to be dedicated to the flashback rather than 50%. 

Flash forward three years and Nicky and Jess been separated since the big job. Nicky has seemingly been out of the game since New Orleans and is doing one last job for a rich businessman in Buenos Aires. Nicky is shocked to learn, however, that his apprentice and former fling Jess is now the businessman's girlfriend. What is she after? Can he trust her advances? Can she trust his?

Focus is fairly predictable and nothing new but it is nicely directed and the saturated cinematography and lush costuming adds to the richness and fantasy of the film. While Smith is charming as ever, Margot Robbie is a definite scene-stealer. I'm excited to see what she does next. I give Focus a 7 out of 10.

American Sniper dominated the box office for several weeks after its cinema premiere last year and for good reason. While "inspirational" movies are common and often popular, it's not often that a story is as emotional and heart-wrenching as American Sniper. Bradley Cooper is terrific as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in American military history. We see a little bit of Kyle's childhood, his short time as a bull rider/cowboy, and his beginnings as SEAL and eventually his career as "The Legend" sniper. Despite his success as a sniper, Kyle has trouble coping with the consequences of his chosen path, leaving his fellow soldiers in a war zone, and connecting with his wife children. The best scenes of the movies are of Kyle overseas acting as a sniper. These are definitely the most compelling and best-directed scenes. The weakest scenes are those of Kyle with his family. Sienna Miller who plays Kyle's wife is good but her character is not very developed, though she is based on Kyle's actual wife Taya. 

Like most movies based on memoirs or autobiographies, American Sniper is a very broad version of actual events. American Sniper is perhaps Clint Eastwood's best film since Gran Torino; it's shot beautifully, has a solid script, and is lead by a good actor who makes the most unconvincing scenes believable. I give American Sniper an 8 out of 10.

What movies have you been renting from Redbox? Any ideas for what I should review next? Let me know with your comments below or email me at greer.daisykeats@hotmail.com. 

How I Feel About My June Birchbox...3 Weeks Later

It's hard to believe June has come and gone and we're halfway through the year already. I've had by Birchbox subscription for a little over six months now, but I still really enjoy getting my box each month. It's like opening a little Christmas each month. 

Here's the breakdown on what I received in my June Birchbox...

The theme is "Say Yes" so basically it's about being open to adventure, the unknown, etc. which is appropriate since summer is the time typically people let go and do something outside their comfort zone. The bottom of the box is a light orange color and the top goes from that same orange color into a reddish pink using an ombré effect. It's nice, very much like the colors in a sunset. I'm still trying to come with some clever ways to reuse my Birchbox boxes...any ideas are greatly appreciated. ;)

• The first item in my Birchbox is the Marcelle Mini Waterproof Eyeliner (Travel Kit $18). The sample came in four different colors, but for the life of me I can't find my eyeliner, so I'm not sure of the name of the color. It's a little lighter than navy but not as light as a bright blue. I really liked the formula; it stayed put for a long time. Lately I've been pairing the eyeliner with the new They're Real! mascara in Beyond Blue. 
• I have yet to try the Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid SPF 15 (Full size $49). It seems like I receive a million face creams, lotions, primers, and sunscreens from Birchbox, so I'm getting a little tired of trying new ones. I even changed my profile so maybe they'll cut back on giving me skin products in the next few months. The perfecting fluid is free of parabens and it supposed to give a "radiantly fresh faced" look according to the Birchbox website. It's part primer, sunscreen, and moisturizer.
• My third sample is actually one that I chose, the Dr. Jart+ Dermaclear Micro Water (Full size $32). I have heard about cleansing waters for a while now, so I thought I would try this one out, especially since the brand is well known. I used this baby as both a make up remover and cleanser. I liked that the formula didn't dry out my skin like a lot of cleansers do. My skin felt refreshed after applying it. As far as its make up removing powers are concerned, I'm not totally impressed. While it did remove most of my eye makeup, I found that I had to use quite a bit of the product to do so. A little bit didn't go a long way.
• My last sample is a Klorane Shampoo with Mango Butter (Full size $20). I have yet to try this product since, like the skin products, it seems like I get a lot of them. The size is perfect for travel and it does smell good, so I'm excited to try it. The shampoo also came with a foil packet of the corresponding Klorane Conditioning Balm with Mango Butter (Full size $16).

If you've taken a look at the picture above you'll notice there's a sample of a Clean fragrance and a ponytail holder from L. Erickson. The ponytail holder is the best I've ever used. It keeps my thick hair in place, but when I take it out it doesn't tangle. The fabric is black with flecks of gold so it blends nicely with my brown hair. I think that every Birchbox subscriber received one of these ponytail holders (Correct me if I'm wrong.) It was easily my favorite sample in my June Birchbox. I have heard a lot about Clean fragrances, so I was excited to give this sample out as well.

What did you think of your June Birchbox? Do you have a Birchbox subscription and/or another beauty box subscription? Let me know with your comments below.

-Greer

Beach Beauty

Beach Beauty by grecbarn featuring a bronzing powder

Supergoop tinted moisturizer / Benefit bronzing powder / Matte lipstick / Maybelline black mascara / Essie nail polish

Beauty Review: Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Eyeliner - New Colors!

Last Friday, June 26th, Benefit launched new colors for their signature They're Real! Push-Up Eyeliner and Mascara. I have yet to try the new mascara shades (Though I'm dying to get my hands on the blue one!), but I did get two of the eyeliners in Beyond Blue and Beyond Purple. If you've tried the original They're Real! Eyeliner and didn't care for it then the new colors probably won't do too much for you. The formula appears to be the same in every way. If you haven't tried They're Real! you should give it a shot. Some people swear by it and find the felt-tip applicator and gel formula to be the best out there. Others, like me, are a little challenged when it comes to using this thing. The first time I ever tried They're Real! I couldn't get any product to come out of the top. Come to find out you have to turn the bottom of the pen many times when first using it before the gel come to the top. And when the gel does come out, it looks a little funky. Am I supposed to wipe this off before using it? Is there too much product? Is there too little? Apparently a lot of people feel this way when first using They're Real!

All of that being said, the gel that comes in the pen has a lot of staying power. And the new colors are really beautiful. I particularly like the purple because it enhances my hazel eyes without looking clownish. 

Only on close inspection can you tell that the purple eyeliner is in fact purple, making this a fun but functional product for every age.

I am still getting the hang of the eyeliner so my cat eye tail is a little wonky in this photo, but I could've easily cleaned it up a little with some eye makeup remover. The most difficult part for me when applying eyeliner is getting the the product close to my lash line. It sometimes feels like my eyelashes are rebelling against the eyeliner, making it possible to create a smooth line. 

Overall, I think the new colors are awesome, perfect for summer and accessible for people who aren't used to a lot of color or want to try something new.

Have you tried any of the new Benefit They're Real! eyeliners or mascaras? Why do you like/dislike them? Let me know with your comments! :)

-Greer