Wednesday, April 27, 2016

April Playlist

Can you believe we're just a couple days away from May? It seems like the months are flying by, but I don't mind--I love a fresh new set of music to listen to (and pass along!). Here's a playlist of songs that have been filling my ears lately.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Creative Chat: Jon Daniels

It's time for another creative chat! This month's focus is sketching and drawing, and Jon Daniels has graciously agreed to let me throw a ton of questions at him. Jon is a very talented artist, as well as an art teacher, husband, pug daddy, and vegan, who just so happened to graduate from the same tiny high school I did--he just graduated with way more artistic talent!
1// First, can you introduce yourself?
I’ve been married to my wife and fellow art teacher for 6 years.  I’ve been teaching for 5.  I’m a pug daddy of two, Garth (7), Gertie (2).  I enjoy all things art related.  I love traveling to different places.  I’m a big fan of food.  Eating is probably what keeps me sane most nights after exhausting days at school!  A while back I happened upon a quote from the Dalai Lama.  Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.”  Since reading that quote, I have really tried to live my life that way.  I fail many times of course, but most importantly I keep trying.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Spring Vinyl Wishlist

My record collection is decent, but not huge--my wishlist, on the other hand, is out of control. Music and books are two of the main reasons that minimalism will never be for me. There's just so much good music out there, and as much as I love the accessibility of digital music, there's something about holding a record in your hand that is a totally different experience. Spotify is great for a casual listen, and finding new artists, but vinyl takes music out of the background, and makes it the focal point--oh, and it also actually helps artists make a living. Here are a few records that are at the top of my wishlist lately:

1// Daughter, Not to Disappear: Daughter is perfect mood music. I listen to their first album at least weekly.   

2// EL VY, Return to the Moon: Can you really go wrong with Matt Berninger? I think not.

3// Father John Misty, I  Love You, Honeybear: This one has been on my wishlist for what seems like forever, but for some reason, it keeps getting pushed back for other buys. It's your time, Father John Misty.

4// Francoise Hardy, Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour: Oh man, I have been on such a Francoise Hardy kick lately. French music and spring just go together so perfectly.

5// Lucius, Good Grief: This is one I will definitely end up buying, because I've listened to it so much on Spotify that it's actually making me feel a little bit guilty. SO GOOD.

6// The Lumineers, Cleopatra: For some reason, the Lumineers are more of a summer/fall sound to me, so this one may be one I wait one....but then again, I really love the Lumineers, so I may not be able to resist!

7// Misterwives, Our Own House: This is going to be my warm-summer-day-windows-open record, I can just feel it. The neighbors are going to love me.

8// Phil Collins, Take a Look at Me Now, Collector's Edition Box Set: Stop judging me. I love Phil Collins so much.

9// St. Lucia, Matter: "Dancing on Glass" is my jam right now. The whole album is just 80s pop goodness.

Anything I should add to my music must-haves? I'm always on the lookout for new tunes!

Monday, April 11, 2016

Making Plans & Drinking Tea

Fall will forever be my favorite season, but spring is a close second. The new blooms and warmer days are so invigorating--they make me want to clean, organize, travel, and make plans--but the rainy days slow me down again, and I spend a lot of Sunday mornings curled up with tea and a good book. It's really the perfect balance. This past weekend we did a little bit of all of those things, and it was a little bit wonderful. 










Outfit details// hat: Target // cardigan: Marshall's // shirt, jeans, boots: F21// necklace: Moorea Seal

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Vinyl Love: Crybaby



Crybaby by Melanie Martinez

In three words: quirky, theatrical, unsettling (but in a good way)

Favorite tracks: Soap, Pity Party, Dollhouse

The weirdest, yet most fascinating aspect of this album is how seemingly contradictory it is. The sound is saccharine, almost infantile, but the lyrics can be dark, at times even bordering on disturbing.  As a result, you have something rare--pop music that's interesting. I mean, hey, I enjoy a good, mindless pop song as much as the next person, but pop isn't generally my go-to if I'm looking for a good story. But Crybaby provides one anyway, and I love every second.  

Monday, April 4, 2016

Book Club: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius



**May contain some spoilers**
Well, I failed, you guys.  I actually started reading a Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius early, back in February, but to be honest, I’m still not even halfway through. Even worse, I don’t think it’s the book’s fault….at least not entirely. I tend to easily emotionally invest in fictional characters, for one, and the parts of this that I’ve read so far have been so damn depressing. And not in a “wow, that was a sad story” kind of way, but in a visceral sort of “this book is literally continuing to affect my mood for days after I put it down” kind of way. (I guess the word “heartbreaking” is in the title, so I should have been prepared…..but I was not prepared.) Knowing it was a true story made it even that much harder. So I did what I tend to do with hard emotional things—I avoid them. I started avoiding the book. “I’m too busy today.” “I just need a break from it; maybe I’ll read something else for a while.”  “I’ll just skip ahead to the next month’s book and come back to it.”

Friday, April 1, 2016

Favorite March Posts

One of my favorite things about the world of blogging is that it's given so many people a voice and an audience (it's also one of my least favorite things, but that's another post for another day). It's strange to think of how many of my favorite reads wouldn't be accessible to me without this medium. Here are a few posts from March that make me extra thankful for the good ol' internets.

1. "Risotto Lorraine" at A Beautiful Mess. Quiche Lorraine is one of my all-time favorite breakfast foods, and one of the things that my stepdad first taught me to cook. I would have never thought to combine those flavors with risotto, but I think it's a fabulous idea. Adding this one to my list of recipes to try.


2. "A Riff on Losing my Sweetness & Becoming Real" at Madison Hedlund. Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen. I want to print this off and post it somewhere.


3. "Old Books that Rock in Art Journaling" at Caylee Grey. Even though I joined the Get Messy crew quite a while back, I haven't gotten up the nerve to dive into art journaling. It's on my list of creative habits, though, so I'll officially be giving it a go in July. I've been working on compiling inspiration and resources, and this post speaks my language. There are few things I love more than old books, so this will definitely be something I incorporate in July.


4. "To Write// No. 1 Permissions" at Deer Circus. I truly truly hope Bridget publishes a book someday, because she writes so beautifully. I write, too--though nowhere near her level--but it rarely sees daylight. Like most things I do, I tend to put too much pressure on it. And sometimes I start, struggle, and throw the whole thing aside for another day--one much further in the future. And I stop writing in the in-between, which is quite the opposite of what I need to do. I love this post because it reminds me to take the pressure off myself, and just write, honestly.


5. "Finding Community Through Blogging" at The Blog Market  The Blog Market is a recent addition to my blogroll, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it, because I've found it to be such a great resource. The community has been one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable parts of blogging, and I love that this is a focus.


6. "My DIY: Light Box Message Board" at I Spy DIY. Okay, I'm recently obsessed with finding a light box, so was a particularly timely post. I may have to give this a go!


Do you have any favorite posts from last month? Or did you write a post you're particularly proud of? Leave it in the comments so I can take a peek!


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