Official 2014 Prep Season Begins Today!

I did it! I managed to score two tickets in pre-sale again this year. Now that that stress is over with I can move on to official prepping!

Last year I didn't really upgrade much of my gear and I sort of just packed the same things I had in 2012. I did bring a better tent that I found in a winter clearance at Target and it was a really great improvement from 2012 but this year I'm looking to score some really neat gear at great prices. Here are some things I've been looking at for 'Roo 2014. Tell me what you think and give me tips if you've used any of these products for fests in the past.

1. A new propane camp grill
Here are the few that I'm looking at. I know I could go with the basic Coleman camp grill but these just seem so much more sleek...and pretty.

Coleman® Party Grill with carry bag $59.99 @ Target

              Possible Fest Splurge: Coleman® RoadTrip® LXE Propane Grill $129.99 @ Target

2. Personal Hygiene Products

I've pretty much stuck to baby wipes and tea tree oil (read: antibacterial) soap in the past but I really want to make some improvements this year. I am an admitted clean freak and I'm totally the girl who pays $7 for a shower by Saturday but I think good prep can keep you clean and fresh through Bonnaroo weekend until you're home (or in a hotel) to freshen up with a hot shower. Here's what I'll probably be picking up to keep it so fresh and so clean in 2014.

GoGirl Single $12.99 (or 3 for $34.97) from www.go-girl.com

Klenz XXL Shower in A Towel $1.49 from Amazon

3. Sanuk Shoes

I know, these are the gold standard for shoes at Bonnaroo but I still don't have a pair. I like the yoga mat flip flops but I'm not paying $30+ for them and I like to protect my feet from all the dust and...other stuff on the ground.

Sanuk Shorty $55.00 at Sanuk.com

The Centeroo Bag

Most people use a backpack or CamelBack that has storage space. I use my daughter's backpack from kindergarten. Here's what goes into it:

• SUNSCREEN. Just wear it. Be smart.
• Sunnies, shades...you know, some form of eye protection from that searing Tennessee sun.
• Camera (hopefully you remembered fresh batteries and a memory chip).
• Water Bottle (to refill throughout the day).
• Small snacks like trail mix, dried fruit and protein bars are good options.
• Purell keychain attached to a zipper for quick/easy access.
• Anti-bacterial wet wipes (when a quick squirt of Purell doesn't feel like enough).
• Roll of toilet paper or Cottonelle flushable wipes.
• Bandana (for wiping or wearing over your mouth cowboy style if it's dusty).
• Small notepad and pen (you never know what you'll want to write down or whose contact info you'll want to get).
• Earplugs
• Bug spray
• Travel versions of Goldbond powder or body glide. Stop the chafe!
• Small blanket or sarong for sitting.
• Headlamp and/or flashlight for proper (and most sanitary) port-o-John navigation at night.
• Charged cell phone. Not everyone wants to bring their phone into Centeroo and that's fine but it sure is handy if you have the Bonnaroo App on your phone and can instantly view schedules, maps and food and retail listings! Plus, when your friend is at the Which stage and you're near the arch it might be good to figure out how to meet in the middle.

Did I forget something? Let me know in the comments!

Pinterest DIY gone right!

Pinterest projects do not always end up as planned but this one was pretty simple and turned out better than expected. You can find the original project from The Art Girl Jackie and other related pins on my Bonnaroo pin board.

Tie-dye T-Shirts with Sharpie Markers

What you'll need:
-Pre-washed white or light colored shirt (cotton on color the best).
-Cardboard or t-shirt form from the craft store.
-Rubbing alcohol (a high concentrate, I used 90%).
-A dropper (I used a rubber dropper from an old bottle of liquid vitamins).
-Plastic cup (think Solo cup).
-Rubber bands
-Variety of brightly colored Sharpie markers (I used the brights pack with pinks, orange and purple).
-Optional: glow-in-the-dark fabric paint or other embellishments to add later.

What to do:
First, place some cardboard or your t-shirt form into your shirt so that the color doesn't soak through to the back. Then you will prepare your shirt by placing the cup inside, under the desired spot for the design and placing a rubber band around the t-shirt stretched over the cup. Then you can start making your sharpie designs. For a design like mine draw star burst designs (or long random lines) out from the center of the cup to the edges where the rubber band is placed.

Next, use your dropper to drop alcohol all over the design so that the colors start to run and blend.  At this point you can either blow on the spots to start drying or just move on to another spot with a new cup and rubber band if you don't want the designs to overlap.

When you are finished with your designs let them air dry then heat set in the dryer. Once the designs are heat set you may choose to add glow paint to the center of the design for a galaxy-star burst look or maybe add some glitter embellishments...or just leave it as is like I did!

Looks like flowers or jellyfish!

2013 Prepping, commence!

Welcome! This is my first post and I'm excited to get prepping for 'Roo 2013. To get yourself acquainted with the blog check out the navigation at right and the post tags just below that. You can search relevant posts by the category headings in The List.

Now, let's get started...

If you read the info section of the page you know that the prepping cycle is in full swing. The lineup was announced last week and tickets went on sale this past Saturday. Now for those of you who haven't gotten your tickets (and I hope you have) you can still head over to Bonnaroo.com and pick some up at the fourth tier price of $269.50 a piece.

So this week is when it gets serious for me. My list is printed and I'm ready to sort through my Bonnaroo bins to see what needs to be replenished and what needs a good cleaning (since we packed up in a light rain on Sunday night last year). This week I took out my EZ up and gave it a good wipe down as it was covered in a light layer of mud from all the dust mixed with some showers during last year's festival.

I also started my clothing hunt for fun items to wear this year. I found some great deals on tube dresses at Ross and I DIY'd a sweet tye-dye V-neck tee to wear when the inevitable shoulder burn sets in.

**See my post on the Pinterest DIY gone right!**