1. A Letter from Fred; A friend posted this on his Facebook, and I decided to listen as I was driving home from work. Well, needless to say, I think everyone driving by me thought someone had just died because I was sobbing in my driver’s seat. This is such a touching and heartfelt story about an old man and his undying love for his recently deceased wife. I think everyone should have the opportunity to experience a love this powerful and, as Frank put it, REAL. Just have your tissues ready.

2. Sherlock; Add another TV obsession to the list. Sherlock is just incredible. I love the beauty shots of my favorite city, the way the show is filmed and the incredible cast. It gives Sherlock Holmes a new modern side that you have never seen before. At a running time of 90 minutes an episode, you really have to commit, but it is so worth it. Seasons are only 3 episodes long, and trust me, they leave you wanting more. Plus, is Benedict Cumberbatch not the cutest? I totally adore him and his Asperger-ness.

3. *Nsync reunion; I have a confession to make: I used to be one helluva Nsync fangirl back in the day. I went to more shows than I can remember, learned all the dance moves and yes, even had a Lance Bass marionette (figures I loved the gay one). So when they reunited (even for a brief 2 minutes) on last weekend’s VMA’s, a little piece of me reverted back to that 18 year old hyper fan. Seriously, I screamed, jumped and possibly shed a few tears. But what a tease! I demand a reunion tour!

4. Jelly boots; These clear ombre-like boots are killing me. Mainly because I don’t know if I should add them to my wardrobe. Sure, they are fun and different, but will they stand the test of time? My vote is probably no, but I am not one to adhere to any of those silly guidelines anyways. Plus, this would give me another reason to buy more fun socks! Good talk, self. Good talk.

5. Black Milk’s Harry Potter line; As my best friend, Elsie, would say: “Just shut up & take my money.” I share that sentiment in regards to Black Milk Clothing’s new Harry Potter line that is slated to debut September 10th. Leggings, dresses and swimsuits decked out in marauder maps, deathly hallows and house crests? Say no more. How much were they again?

So I could have saved him for a hump day hottie (who says I still can’t???), but I had to share my born-again love for Mika. I’m a little delayed with new releases lately (ugh, does this mean I’m getting old?), so I just recently got to hear his new album, The Origin of Love. And, well. It’s just magical. There’s no better word to describe it. My favorite place to blast it is while I’m driving in my car, which is where I spend 80% of my day. I’m pretty sure I’ve provided some great visuals for other motorists on the road as I jam out to it. But the best is that in the Deluxe edition, some of the tracks are provided as acoustics, and…well, they may be even better than the “album tracks.” Don’t believe me? Check out a live acoustic version of The Origin of Love).

& in case you were wondering, my favorites are Stardust, Step With Me and Love You When I’m Drunk (along with the title track). Unfortunately, none of those have been released as singles (yet), but here is a video for Underwater, which was:

If you don’t believe there is something sexy about Matt Bellamy, you definitely have never seen him perform. This small little British Lima Bean (as I affectionately call him) really lights up a stage. He is the true meaning of showmanship. If you have not heard of his band, Muse, please make sure you change that. And soon. Perfect opportunity for local readers? Muse is finally headlining a South Florida show in February and you can buy your tickets on Friday! I can honestly say that attending their concerts are like a religious experience, and I can’t wait to watch them front and center behind that barricade. Who is joining me?

I was pretty surprised that when I put the poll out there on my Facebook page last week for who should be the next hump day hottie, I only had one reply. What? Are all of you sick and tired of hump day hotties? This is a sincere question. Please let me know if you’d like to see something different on a weekly basis! With that said, my lovely friend, Andrea, suggested Sufjan Stevens. I have to say, although I love his music, I had no idea he was such a looker! So a big thank you goes out to Andrea, for enlightening me (& probably some of you readers as well)! And for those of you not familiar with Sufjan and his music, if I could recommend one album, it would be Illinois. I remember listening to it right before my first visit to Chicago and it was just…perfect. He is one in a million.

The other half of my favorite celebrity couple. Once upon a time, when I was 15, I discovered that Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale were dating while listening to the radio. On that day, I decided I hated Gwen Stefani and would make it my life mission to destroy her (but still listen to her music nonstop, duh). Obviously, Gavin was going to marry me – is that so hard to understand??? Last year Eventually, I realized maybe that wasn’t going to happen, so I decided it was easier to love them together. It wasn’t exactly the hardest thing to do – they are so adorable. And let’s face it, during all those anti-Gwen years, I secretly idolized her and her amazing style, energy and confidence. And that really hasn’t changed since. I still admire her for being such a style icon, an entrepreneur & an overall fierce bitch.

Who else is beside themselves about the new No Doubt record coming out next month?
I can barely contain myself!

Am I the only one that prefers her without her signature red lips?
I think she looks so much younger and fresh faced!

All images found via Tumblr

With that said, it has been awhile since I have properly updated you all on fun events in my life (that do not revolve around an outfit post) – although I was wearing a pretty superb one to this one that should have been documented. It seems pretty tedious to have to reiterate my love of the band, Bush, on this blog, so if you are not aware of the love affair you can fill yourself in here, here and even here.

Nearly a couple of weeks ago, I went on yet another Bushtastic adventure with some of my girlfriends to Tampa. I saw it as a birthday extension (I can never have too many of those), and a much needed escape from reality. I had found out a few days earlier that Bush would be playing a Shush show the afternoon of their official show, which is a short, bare and acoustic set, usually reserved for radio appearances and the like. Needless to say, after seeing so many other fans’ footage from these events, I wanted in and the only way in, was unfortunately to win. Well, boo hiss to that. A quick fast forward, and the lovely guitarist from the band (and superior human), Chris Traynor, caught wind that I wanted to go and granted me and my friends access. I was in disbelief. Who the hell does that for their fans? Oh yeah, this band.

It was ridiculous. It is one thing to see Bush live and rocking out, and quite another to see them so stripped down and vulnerable. I don’t know if it was the several Solo cups full of wine I ingested (don’t judge me) or just pure emotion, but my eyes welled up pretty bad during their cover of Landslide (specifically after the line, “…& I’m getting older too“). But what I didn’t expect the most was the meet & greet being held afterwards! It was fantastic to be able to chat a little with my boys and get our photo taken as a group (FIRST!) before the madness of the night show. It was also nice to get so much birthday love – got quite an epic hug and kiss combo from Gavin, which basically translated to me looking like a small child being smothered in the photo.

After a short drive to Tampa, a check-in into our apparently haunted hotel and a quick bite to eat at a local spot (NOT gluten free friendly as advertised online…::grumbles::), we were off to the show! Despite a disastrous disaster with the venue that I will not go into, delaying our entrance and consequentially, the show itself, it was wonderful! And that was an understatement. I know I have been to a lot of Bush shows in my time, but this one took the cake by far. The energy was just at an all-time high and even though I had only 2 hours of sleep and was basically running on Cape Cod chips, mixed nuts and wine, I felt so alive and pumped and energized. Basically, the way you are supposed to feel at a rock concert. I sang, screamed and sweat my little heart out for almost 2 hours and it felt cathartic and wonderful. I liken it to people’s adrenaline rushes with getting tattoos and extreme sports – live music is my drug.

And after all that, Gavin was sweet enough to sign more autographs, take more pictures and appease what seemed to be the entire audience by his tour bus. All with a big smile on his face. I haven’t been touring the US nonstop and I could barely function at that point. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. This band makes it very hard for any other to top. They are so good to their fans and are just genuinely salt of the earth kind of people. They don’t have to do any of this. Lord knows a lot of my other favorite bands do not. This is all them and it does not go unappreciated.

So thanks for making my birthday that much more special, boys.
Till the next time (which better be soon)!

ps; was anyone else as ENRAGED as I was at the Closing Ceremonies last night? NBC cut out Muse’s performance of Survival, which was just the official theme of the 2012 Olympics. No big deal. Let’s not even go into the fact that they chose to air boy band, One Direction, over THIS. Yeah, ok.

As editor of Where South Florida magazine, I find myself playing with copy and on deadline constantly. Time flies as I quietly close the door to my office and read on. During the summer, I find it hard to concentrate without a good summer anthem. Looking out the window, I see the sunshine beating down and imagine myself on the beach with a cool drink. Lately, my tune has been Maroon 5’s “Payphone”. Matched up with an electric video and Adam Levine’s sultry vocals, it’s hard not to sing along to this quirky anthem. What is your summer song? Feel free to share. I could always use a good mix to plug into my iTunes. And check out my summer jam right here. Feel free to sing along. xo, Aurora

x. Oceania day was last Tuesday – did you pick up a copy? You should!
x. Snail mail goodies from friends.
x. Getting an awesome Klout perk – a new Essie shade from the summer collection!
x. Being a part of Emily’s Whoa Wednesdays!
x. Giving Riverside Market a try (& loving it).
x. Meeting Michelle Bernstein & eating her delicious food!
x. Starting the first vlog for The Blogalicious Babes!
x. Playing Cards Against Humanity with some pretty awesome people.
x. BUTTER WINE.
x. Planning girl dates and/or girl trips!

Have a great week, lovely readers!!!

x. The Pumpkins’ new album, Oceania, streaming free in its entirety on iTunes.
x. Said album being mind blowing & amazing.
x. Gluten free beers and cuddles.
x. Deciding to visit Chicago again (I’m persuasive).
x. Drinks with some very amazing ladies.
x. Hitting the one-month mark until Comic Con!
x. An impromptu trip to The Florida Keys after some hard days.
x. LOBSTER TAIL IN MY BEH-LEH.
x. Stocking up on colorful shorts for the summer.
x. Officially using our pool for this first time this summer!
x. Time with some special dads. <3

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Are we entering into repeat offender territory??
Probably, but I don’t think any of you will complain. I also find it funny that the only two guys I have featured twice on hump day are British. Anglophile to the core.

For more Gavin love, check out my first hump.

WHY ARE THEY SO CUTE?!?