Music Monday

Every Friday, I post a song from the past (be it a few years or several decades old). In an effort to explore new music and discover emerging talent, I thought it would be nice to do a Music Monday segment.

This week's selection is "Seven Stars" by Air (ft. Victoria Legrand).


Air is an ambient music duo from Versailles, France. The band's name is the acronym for Amour, Imagination, Rêve which translates to Love, Imagination, Dream. I think that is so beautiful. For cinema fans, you might be familiar with one of their most popular hits, "Playground Love", which was featured in the movie The Virgin Suicides. It's definitely one of my favorites. Their new album, Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip To The Moon) is scheduled for release on February 6th, 2012.

Victoria Legrand is a singer-songwriter for the Baltimore native indie-pop band, Beach House. I really love their sound as well. Favorite track: "Walk In the Park".

Quoteworthy

“And so the question is whether all of us – as citizens, and as parents – are willing to do what’s necessary to give every child a chance to succeed. That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It’s family that first instills the love of learning in a child. Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and homework gets done. We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair; that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline.”
-President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, 2011.








Now Playing: "Stars" by The xx

The Year That Was... 2011 Favorites!

Days of the Year: Super Bowl Sunday (even though we lost), 3/19: I was in one of my best friend's wedding, 10/23: Steeler Game in Arizona

TV Shows: Real Housewives (NY, NJ, BH, ATL), Real Time with Bill Maher, Chelsea Lately, After Lately, The Office, Modern Family

Movies (not necessarily released this year): Conversations with Other Women, You and Me and Everyone We Know, Unmade Beds, Bill Cunningham New York, No Strings Attached, Crazy Stupid Love... There's still so many movies that were released in 2011 that I want to see!

Concerts: My Morning Jacket at Stage AE, Portugal. The Man at Mr. Small's, Ray LaMontagne at Stage AE... I didn't go to nearly as many shows as I would have liked this year. Hopefully that will change in 2012.

Songs: "Lotus Flower" by Radiohead, "Sleep Forever" by Portugal. The Man, "Calgary" by Bon Iver

Albums: Bon Iver by Bon Iver, In The Mountain In the Cloud by Portugal. The Man, Wounded Rhymes by Lykke Li

Books: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, No One Belongs Here More Than You Stories by Miranda July, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling, Louis Vuitton Art, Fashion and Architecture, Chanel: Collections and Creations by Daniele Bott

Web Sites: Twitter, YouTube, Google, SongMeanings.net, DListed.com, Temptalia.com, MarioGame.info, HauteLook

Present/Gift: Green Amethyst/Diamond Stud Earrings from my Parents for my 25th Birthday. Vintage Kevin Stevens' Penguins Jersey from my sister (Christmas). I loved him when I was little. 25 was my favorite number back when he played for the Pens. I had a major crush on him for sure.

Biggest Surprise: Finding my cat, Katarina, across the street from my house and adopting her.

Photo of the Year: Kate Middleton on her wedding day. I love how the wind swept her veil in this photo. I've always admired long sleeved lace wedding gowns and I thought Kate looked phenomenal. I admittedly was so excited to watch The Royal Wedding!

Fashion Trends: Infinity scarves, Lace Up Booties, Boho Chic/Vintage Floral Prints for Spring, Leopard Print Shoes (predominantly flats), Blazers, Thick Chain Necklaces, Equipment Style Blouses

Beauty Products: YSL Lipstick Opera Rose, Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, OPI Crown Me Already, Seche Vite Top Coat, Empreinte de Chanel (Highlighter that I've had for eons but still works like a dream), China Glaze Matte Magic, NARS Danmari Blush Palette, Revlon Lip Butter Strawberry Shortcake, Pangea Organics Lip Balm in Italian Red Mandarin with Rose, Crest White Strips, Gucci Guilty Perfume, Chanel Chance Perfume, Birchbox

Moments of Style:

Kate Middleton on her wedding day (as pictured above) and in Jenny Packham at the annual ARK Dinner:

Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive at the Golden Globes:

Selena Gomez in J. Mendel at the Grammys:

Place I Visited:

Sedona, Arizona in October. We checked out all the interesting shops, took a sunset jeep tour through the rocks (with the best tour guide, by the way) and had an amazing dinner.

Now Playing: "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
*Their album was my biggest disappointment of the year but I still love 'em!

20 of My Favorite Songs from 2011!

Here's an end of the year playlist featuring some of the songs I enjoyed listening to the most in 2011. This by no means is any sort of ranking (some of my favorites weren't even available to add). One thing that irks me about ranking "best of" or "top songs" is when people get upset if you include mainstream music. While I agree that the majority of things played on standard radio is awful, there are some good songs in the mix. Just because someone gets popular (Adele, Bon Iver, etc.), doesn't mean you can't give credit where credit is due. So many of my memories are attached to songs that are overplayed. While in many ways it can kill its likability at the time, down the road, it keeps memories alive when you randomly hear it inside a store, at a party, etc. Popular music isn't all evil. I'm really grateful that I listened to the radio a lot when I was growing up, attending high school and even into college. I consider it a bridge that can take you to memory lane.

My Top 11 Albums of 2011!

I had a somewhat difficult time narrowing down my favorite albums of the year but I'm happy with the final list. Of course, I haven't had the pleasure of listening to every record that was released this year but I have listened to quite a few. As with most rankings, this is purely an opinion.


MY TOP 11 ALBUMS OF 2011!

11. Tha Carter IV by Lil Wayne

Tracks:
6. She Will (ft. Drake)
12. How to Love

10. 21 by Adele

Tracks:
1. Someone Like You
4. Rumour Has It

9. El Camino by The Black Keys

Tracks:
3. Gold on the Ceiling
6. Run Right Back

8. Kaputt by Destroyer

Tracks:
3. Savage Night at the Opera
4. Suicide Demo for Kara Walker
5. Kaputt

7. Nine Types of Light by TV on the Radio

Tracks:
1. Second Song
3. You
6. Will Do

6. Cults by Cults

Tracks:
1. Abducted
2. Go Outside
3. You Know What I Mean

5. Ceremonials by Florence + the Machine

Tracks:
4. Never Let Me Go
5. Breaking Down
7. No Light, No Light
8. Seven Devils
12. Leave My Body

4. Circuital by My Morning Jacket

Tracks:
1. Victory Dance
2. Circuital
5. Outta My System
6. Holdin On to Black Metal
10. Movin' Away

3. Wounded Rhymes by Lykke Li

Tracks:
All of them are gorgeous! I love each one more than the next.
*2. I Follow Rivers
*8. I Know Places

2. In The Mountain In The Cloud by Portugal. The Man

Tracks:
Every single song on this album is fantastic! My favorite band of the year and most-listened to record!
*4. Senseless
*11. Sleep Forever (It's a masterpiece)

1. Bon Iver by Bon Iver

Tracks:
The entire album is perfection!!!
*3. Holocene
*8. Calgary

Imagine

Black Friday Breakdowns

I don't do Black Friday (at least not the traditional way). Throughout the year, I get the majority of things I need/want at majorly discounted prices (thrift stores, flash designer sale sites, eBay, etc.). While I'm fully nocturnal and love to shop, the idea of losing my life in a Black Friday twilight stampede at the local mall is nightmare-inducing. While you won't catch me being interviewed for the 4 am news about how I just have to grab that last 60" television, I do partake in cyber shopping. All the sales and none of the crowds, you say? Yes, please. But one thing the crazed Black Friday brick and mortar shoppers have over the digital divas is that the mall can actually accommodate "heavy traffic" (if you don't mind a splitting headache and the risk of being smothered to death).

After I successfully ordered a few discounted candles from Bath and Body Works online, I electronically tiptoed over to Sephora but was greeted with the lovely little messages that I captured above and below. The site crashed. While others were probably having panic attacks as to whether or not they would be able to snatch that perfect shade of lipstick for the holiday season, I was cool with it. I already ordered a few packages this month from the beauty mecca (the early shopaholic gets the UPS man first). I needed absolutely nothing from Sephora but am always tempted to buy something new.

While the websites are crashing and you're thinking of putting the keys in the ignition and taking it back to the '90s to shop the old fashioned way- reconsider. Maybe the universe is doing you (and your wallet) a favor!

Now Playing: "Collect Call" by Metric

SNEAK PEEK: 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!

This year's show looks beautiful! Can't wait to watch :)

XX

Under the Weather

I'm feeling a bit sick this morning but at least I have a gorgeous view from my living room couch. The sun is hitting the large tree in our yard, illuminating the fall foliage quite beautifully. The yellows, oranges and greens look stunning against the clear blue sky. This is by far my favorite time of the year! I feel sorry for people who live in parts of the world that don't get to experience the joy of Autumn!











Now Playing: "Warwick Avenue" by Duffy

November Workout Playlist!

I'm trying to get in shape before my birthday in February (and continue on through the new year), so I updated my workout playlist to help me along with my goals! Good music always gets me going :)





1. "Black and Blue" by Miike Snow (George Mathews Remix)
2. "Heads Will Roll" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Tiesto Remix)
3. "Call On Me" by Eric Prydz
4. "Haterz Everywhere We Go" by B.o.B. (Remix)
5. "Rich & Black" by Raekwon ft. Nas
6. "Next Girl" by The Black Keys
7. "Love Lost" by The Temper Trap (Keljet Remix)
8. "Guns and Dogs" by Portugal. The Man
9. "Hang You From The Heavens" by The Dead Weather
10. "Crown on the Ground" by Sleigh Bells
11. "Heartbeats" by The Knife (Rune Lindbaek Remix)
12. "Leavin'" by Jesse McCartney (Bimbo Jones Remix)
13. "Once Again" by Girl Talk
14. "Drop The World" by Lil Wayne ft. Eminem
15. "Black & Yellow" by Wiz Khalifa
16. "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G.
17. "Kids" by MGMT (Datsik Remix)
18. "I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li (Tyler the Creator Remix)
19. "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO (David Guetta Remix)
20. "We Can't Stop" by jj ft. Ne-Yo
21. "She Wolf" by Shakira (Kaiori Breathe Remix)

Date An Illiterate Girl

Date a girl who doesn’t read. Find her in the weary squalor of a Midwestern bar. Find her in the smoke, drunken sweat, and varicolored light of an upscale nightclub. Wherever you find her, find her smiling. Make sure that it lingers when the people that are talking to her look away. Engage her with unsentimental trivialities. Use pick-up lines and laugh inwardly. Take her outside when the night overstays its welcome. Ignore the palpable weight of fatigue. Kiss her in the rain under the weak glow of a streetlamp because you’ve seen it in film. Remark at its lack of significance. Take her to your apartment.  Dispatch with making love. Fuck her. 

Let the anxious contract you’ve unwittingly written evolve slowly and uncomfortably into a relationship. Find shared interests and common ground like sushi, and folk music. Build an impenetrable bastion upon that ground. Make it sacred. Retreat into it every time the air gets stale, or the evenings get long. Talk about nothing of significance. Do little thinking. Let the months pass unnoticed. Ask her to move in. Let her decorate. Get into fights about inconsequential things like how the fucking shower curtain needs to be closed so that it doesn’t fucking collect mold. Let a year pass unnoticed. Begin to notice.

Figure that you should probably get married because you will have wasted a lot of time otherwise. Take her to dinner on the forty-fifth floor at a restaurant far beyond your means. Make sure there is a beautiful view of the city. Sheepishly ask a waiter to bring her a glass of champagne with a modest ring in it. When she notices, propose to her with all of the enthusiasm and sincerity you can muster. Do not be overly concerned if you feel your heart leap through a pane of sheet glass. For that matter, do not be overly concerned if you cannot feel it at all. If there is applause, let it stagnate. If she cries, smile as if you’ve never been happier. If she doesn’t, smile all the same.

Let the years pass unnoticed. Get a career, not a job. Buy a house. Have two striking children. Try to raise them well. Fail, frequently. Lapse into a bored indifference. Lapse into an indifferent sadness. Have a mid-life crisis. Grow old. Wonder at your lack of achievement. Feel sometimes contented, but mostly vacant and ethereal. Feel, during walks, as if you might never return, or as if you might blow away on the wind. Contract a terminal illness. Die, but only after you observe that the girl who didn’t read never made your heart oscillate with any significant passion, that no one will write the story of your lives, and that she will die, too, with only a mild and tempered regret that nothing ever came of her capacity to love. 

Do those things, god damnit, because nothing sucks worse than a girl who reads. Do it, I say, because a life in purgatory is better than a life in hell. Do it, because a girl who reads possesses a vocabulary that can describe that amorphous discontent as a life unfulfilled—a vocabulary that parses the innate beauty of the world and makes it an accessible necessity instead of an alien wonder. A girl who reads lays claim to a vocabulary that distinguishes between the specious and soulless rhetoric of someone who cannot love her, and the inarticulate desperation of someone who loves her too much. A vocabulary, god damnit, that makes my vacuous sophistry a cheap trick.

Do it, because a girl who reads understands syntax. Literature has taught her that moments of tenderness come in sporadic but knowable intervals. A girl who reads knows that life is not planar; she knows, and rightly demands, that the ebb comes along with the flow of disappointment. A girl who has read up on her syntax senses the irregular pauses—the hesitation of breath—endemic to a lie. A girl who reads perceives the difference between a parenthetical moment of anger and the entrenched habits of someone whose bitter cynicism will run on, run on well past any point of reason, or purpose, run on far after she has packed a suitcase and said a reluctant goodbye and she has decided that I am an ellipsis and not a period and run on and run on. Syntax that knows the rhythm and cadence of a life well lived.

Date a girl who doesn’t read because the girl who reads knows the importance of plot. She can trace out the demarcations of a prologue and the sharp ridges of a climax. She feels them in her skin. The girl who reads will be patient with an intermission and expedite a denouement. But of all things, the girl who reads knows most the ineluctable significance of an end. She is comfortable with them. She has bid farewell to a thousand heroes with only a twinge of sadness.

Don’t date a girl who reads because girls who read are the storytellers. You with the Joyce, you with the Nabokov, you with the Woolf. You there in the library, on the platform of the metro, you in the corner of the café, you in the window of your room. You, who make my life so god damned difficult. The girl who reads has spun out the account of her life and it is bursting with meaning. She insists that her narratives are rich, her supporting cast colorful, and her typeface bold. You, the girl who reads, make me want to be everything that I am not. But I am weak and I will fail you, because you have dreamed, properly, of someone who is better than I am. You will not accept the life that I told of at the beginning of this piece. You will accept nothing less than passion, and perfection, and a life worthy of being storied. So out with you, girl who reads. Take the next southbound train and take your Hemingway with you. I hate you. I really, really, really hate you.

-Charles Warnke
Thought Catalog, January 2011

50 Years of Breakfast at Tiffany's

In homage to Breakfast at Tiffany's 50th commemoration, Oliver Goldsmith created an exact replica of the sunglasses Audrey Hepburn wore in the iconic film. To say that I want these shades would be quite the understatement. Love!

The Manhattan.

Now Playing: "Glory Box" by Portishead

Style Spotlight: Beyonce. 2011 MTV VMAs.

I tried to stay away. I really did. But boredom got the best of me. I turned on MTV around 10 pm and was surprised to see how beautiful the VMA stage was. I really loved the way it looked- very futuristic and sleek. I didn't pay much attention to the show itself but the buzz on twitter was Beyonce's pregnancy. I missed the red carpet coverage but thanks to the magic and instant gratification that is the internet, I was able to see the infamous pictures. I'm not a particularly big fan of Beyonce but I have to say, she looked STUNNING tonight. I adored her orange Lanvin gown (I want, I want!). The hair and makeup also looked flawless. She's got that pregnancy glow and it's working for her! Sadly, there wasn't an ounce of sartorial competition (aside from Wiz Khalifa's Steelers hat) that I noticed. Beyonce easily gets my golden hanger award- BEST DRESSED by a long shot!

Now Playing: "Snow On the Sahara" by Anggun

Quoteworthy

"Fashion and the way we look are a part of our human condition. It's tribal and social and personal. I don't think it's superficial; it's quite profound."
-Helen Mirren







Now Playing: "Have Love Will Travel" by The Black Keys

NASA Video Captures Possible UFO Above Hurricane Irene

via Coast to Coast AM

I saw this video posted on Coast to Coast AM's site. I can't guarantee its authenticity or even if the object is a UFO... but it looks pretty legitimate to me.

National Dog Day!

Today happens to be National Dog Day. You can always count on twitter to inform you of everything. Here are some pictures of my 1-year-old shih-tzu, Ireland, enjoying our neighbor's garden. I love all types of animals- dogs, cats, squirrels, birds, elephants, deer... you name it. But I have a special place in my heart for shih-tzus. They are such a sweet breed. I've always had one in my life. Ireland reminds me of a teddy bear. She's a small dog that can sit on your lap but she's not so teeny tiny that she resembles a rodent. She's full of energy and loves to be outside. I love her so much! She'll be 2 in November- a little Scorpio. Roof, roof. haha :)

Now Playing: "I Feel It All" by Feist

OCTOBER 2011 WRITER'S DIGEST!

It's funny how things have a way of appearing when you need it the most. After a not so great day (it's only noon), I received a new copy of Writer's Digest in my mailbox. I was hoping that this would be the issue that my winning entry for one of its writing contests would appear. I wrote the opening sentence on a whim while paging through the magazine. I submitted it with a laugh and didn't think of it again. I discovered that I was selected as one of the winners by accident. Thanks for the email notification, Writer's Digest!

I randomly and vainly did a Google images search of my name and was met with a Writer's Digest link in the search results. Out of 1,400 submissions, my little sentence came in 7th... pretty respectable for an amateur like myself! Someday, I'll get more than a brief mention in this publication, but for now, this is exactly what I needed to brighten my day! :)









Now Playing: "Victory Dance" by My Morning Jacket

Word of the Week: XYSTUS

The word of the week for July 25th - 31st is...

XYSTUS n.

Definition:
1. A long, covered corridor in a gymnasium; used by the ancient Greeks and Romans during inclimate weather
2. The Greek architectural term for the covered portico of the gymnasium, in which the exercises took place during the winter or in rainy weather
3. In ancient Rome, a garden walk or terrace

Example:
During the storm, the cross country team used the xystus for training.

Origin: Latin from Greek




Now Playing: "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" by Dusty Springfield

Almost Heaven...

"Country Roads" by John Denver is so special to me. It's my alma mater's theme song- played during every tailgate party, after each home football game, house party, last call... etc. You can be anywhere in the country and when this song comes on, there's typically a few Mountaineers raising their glasses and belting out the words. I've witnessed it. It's a beautiful thing. Hell, Hoda Kotb even whipped out her iPod during my commencement speech and played it through the podium microphone. "Teardrops in my eye"... you know it. Add in a slick Pretty Lights remix and I have been transported into a state of nirvana. October 4th can't come soon enough. I can't wait to experience the live show.

Take me home...