Tuesday, July 26, 2011

"I'm lickin' ma nose!"


That's what I picture Lewis is thinking in this photo. Also, how big did he get?! Super big, that's how big.

I'm glad I got a photo of him that's not blurry, with ghost eyes, and you can see his tongue in full force.

Day 25 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

Love today's post!

Day 25: A song that makes you laugh

I heard Trey Parker and Matt Stone interviewed on Fresh Air about this musical, and it sounded awesome/hilarious. I also like how it's a wink and nod to both religion and musicals. Definitely check out their Book of Mormon interview, along with their prior one about South Park.

I love how the joke set up is, where it's "meaningful statement about faith, meaningful statement about faith, weird ass fact about the Mormon religion". AND the musical nerd in me loves how the opening is a nod to Sound of Music. When I first heard this song, I was reduced to a giggle fest.

Well done, Parker and Stone. Well. Done.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Day 24 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

No worries. Today has nothing to do with a mix Ricky's ever made me.

Day 24: A song that you want to play at your funeral

I've wanted this song played at my funeral since I saw the Concert For George, which is that PBS concert put together in honor of George Harrison about a year after he died. It's a pretty impressive PBS concert, just for the star power they were able to get together for one concert. It was all very sweet and loving.

The concert ends with Joe Brown playing a cover of the song I'll See You In My Dreams, and I'd want that song played exactly how he played it -- a ukulele and a heartfelt singer, with some mellow backing band -- played at my funeral. It's very beautiful and sad and sweet and also hopeful, all at once.



It's not the best version on youtube, but it was one of the few versions that didn't include the scene prior with Paul McCartney making a joke and Dhani Harrison thanking the crowd. Nice moments, but I just wanted the song.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Day 23 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

Today's day on the 30 Day Song Challenge is so appropriate!

Day 23: A Song that you want to play at your wedding

This summer, Ricky and I have SEVEN weddings to go to. SEVEN. I also realized that at this point, by the end of 2012, I will have gone to 19 weddings, and that's not even counting the ones I haven't been invited to!

I go to so many weddings, so I spend a lot of time thinking about what works and what doesn't. And I always think about the DJ and what he did right or not. So the songlist has played heavily on my mind.

I already know what I want my first song to be, but I won't be posting that, for fear of someone getting inspired and then making it their first song. If I'm at a wedding of a friend of mine, and they play said song, I'm pretty sure I'll cry on the inside. You can have the same style bridesmaid dress, or the same color schemes, or the same venue, but I feel like first song is so personal and unique.

So instead, I'm posting a song that Ricky and I have mentioned that we want to play a part, either on the dance floor or during introductions. It's also made an appearance on a mix for Ricky:

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Day 22 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

I'm happy I have an AC unit today. This makes me think of when I lived in my first Salem apartment on the 3rd floor (which I'll always miss, since it was a dream and pretty much what I compare all other apartments to) in the summertime. So very hot and gross. We had ceiling fans, but after awhile, A ceiling fan just blows hot air around.

Keep cool, everybody, and just get to Monday when it's supposed to cool down and possibly rain.

Today, Ricky and I are attending a wedding in Boston, so we're hoping it won't be too gross in Boston (hint: it will be very hot and gross in Boston, so this is futile).

Day 22: A song that you listen to when you’re sad

Perhaps because today is my anniversary, I'm in a Ricky's Mix CDs frame of mind. This song was near the end of a mix Ricky made me when I went to the Hudson River Valley with my knitting group, and it was waiting for me when I came home. This also has my favorite cover art from a Ricky mix, since it was him, Alva the fish, and my stuffed sheep that I grew up with welcoming me home. (Lewis wasn't in our lives yet, just the fish)

This song also kind of makes me sad, mainly because it's so haunting and beautiful. So when I'm feeling sad, I'll listen to this song because it just brings that sadness to a different, beautiful level.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Day 21 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

Stay inside today, everyone. It's supposed to be miserably hot. My plan is to stay inside my air conditioned work until I need to walk next door to get watermelon to eat for lunch, and then walk back... and that's it. If I'm feeling bold, I may walk to the Pru mall and find a few wedding cards, but that's a lot of walking in 100 degrees.

And yes, we're keeping the AC on all day for Lewis. And he had many new ice cubes this morning when we left. So he's a happy little guy.

Day 21: A song you listen to when you're happy

Much like yesterday, it's not like I feel "I'm so happy, I'm going to play X." It more happens to be happening when I'm happy. I think for this, I'll go an odd route. Tomorrow is a special and important day for me, so I'll try to tie it in. Tomorrow I will have been dating Ricky for two years. Two! Neither of us have ever been in a relationship that long or serious, so it's big. We'll be spending it going to our friend Biz's wedding (I mean it when I say this is the summer of weddings).

One of the first things that tipped me off that Mr. Ricky would be a keeper is that on our second date he gave me a mix CD. I had mentioned that I felt soul-crushed at my current job, and since he had also worked at that company (at the same time as me, since we'd see each other at the gym but be too nervous to talk to the other) he related. So for our second date, he nervously gave me a mix called "Anti-Soul Crushing Mix" which had hand drawn pictures of me on the front listening to his CD and being happy. The drawings were terrible, but the mix was awesome.

It was all songs that he loved and made him feel happy. And it was a good clue into his personality and tastes, and I definitely liked what I heard. This was the second song on the track, but really the first, since the first track was a quick instrumental and more to set tone.





Sorry, that was a long explanation to get to this song.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Why buy flowers...

Jacqui modeling her Harry Potter bouquet and her Harry Potter bracelet. Each bubble is a book of Harry Potter. The bracelet is from etsy. Awesome!


...when you can be amazingly creative like my friend Patti?

Patti and Bob got married last weekend, and Patti DIYed as much as humanly possibly. Down to the flowers. She made flowers out of paper. Not only was this cheaper, but it was more beautiful and heartfelt.

Patti picked a book for each member of her bridal party that made her think of them. Christine was an art book, Jacqui was Harry Potter, etc. And then, because the colors of her wedding were yellow and purple, she painted each flower purple. Enough that it was clearly purple, but not so much so that you couldn't tell it was originally a book.

Jacqui modeled for me above, because I was so impressed by it. How cool and creative is Patti? How much better is this than spending hundreds on arranged flowers?

Day 20 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

It's so hot outside this week! We've been tending to Lewis a lot, as he lives in a fur coat and is a little thing. We've been keeping the AC on all day for him (I dread to think what my electric bill will be next month) and have been giving him ice cubes. He's more interested in playing with the ice cubes, though. I tried to take a video of it, since it was very cute.

Also, my friend Patti got married last weekend, and I may be posting some photos of all the amazing crafts she did. It was proof that weddings don't have to be cookie cutter and boring. To people getting married: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND BE CREATIVE.

Now I need to get on this. Only ten more posts! I've said this before, but I'm going to try and bang some of them out.

Day 20: A song that you listen to when you’re angry

This one was kind of hard to think of, which may be why it took so long for me to post it. It's not like I'm angry and think "time to queue up Ace of Base!" It kind of just depends on what happens to be on.

I decided that some Polyphonic Spree might be my "angry" music, so I chose Mental Cabaret, since I like the beat and dance-iness of it.



I apologize that this is a half-ass post.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Day 19 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

Where is July going?! It's already almost Bastille Day, which for me marks the middle of Summer. Also, the month of July is pretty much over for me and Ricky, since it'll just be a big blur. The next three weekends Ricky and I are attending weddings (sweet Jesus, people) so I know it'll be a crazy few weeks. I wanted to take a moment to continue on this meme, so it wouldn't languish as long as it has been.

Side note, I bought myself new black patent flats which I am loving, but they smell. Silly patent!

Day 19: A Song From Your Favorite Album

This was so hard, because I'm not sure what would be considered my favorite Album. Do I go classic (Rubber Soul)? Do I go newer (Funeral)? Do I go to an old standby (Innervisions)? Radiohead (The Bends or OK Computer)?

I think or this, I'll go all-time classic, with The Beatles' Rubber Soul. When you read the songs that are on this album, so many awesome songs are there. I think for this, I'll go with my favorite from side one, You Won't See Me. I think it's a catchy, pithy little song.



Or, if you're feeling more George-ish right now, here's my favorite from side two:

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Breaking news from Garden 2011

My Garden (aka Garden 2011) has produced it's first veggies! Three beautiful, photogenic, hopefully tasty radishes.






Oh and in other news, there's a sweet banana pepper growing as well.

Day 18 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

Today is such a perfect summer long holiday weekend day! I have exciting garden news, but I wanted to post this one first.

Day 18: A Song You Wish You Heard On The Radio

This one is kind of cheating, but mostly not. If I'm ever in my boss' car, she has WERS on (which I love, BTW). And they have an ad that has the instrumental beginning to The National's Karen, and I always get so excited since I love that song... but then some undergrad starts talking about their station, and I realize it's just an ad. Play the full song one day, WERS!!! Or if you do, play it when I happen to be in my boss' car driving to a storage facility across town!

Friday, July 1, 2011

A brief pause from the 30 Day Song Challenge

I have an idea of what I'll post for the following day, but I wanted to post a cute picture of Lewis trying to knit with his mitten paws.


This photo may or may not have been slightly staged by moving my knitting needles closer to his paws.



I mean, what?