In The Zone

To start off with, I ask you this: 

how many of you can honestly call your Mom your best friend?

Because I can! And I do!

Perhaps it was the way I grew up;

Single mother, only child. 

We always had each other, no matter what. 

 And we still do, and I love that!

This past Friday night I had an awesome time with my mom!

We grabbed some coffee, drove to Seattle {while busting moves and singing at the top of our lungs}, tried a new Thai restaurant {which was so good}, and rocked out to an ah-mazing Kings of Leon concert!!! 

This was my third KOL show, while it was her first.

I told her that she was in for nothing less than a treat!

And Heck yes, did they deliver!

It definitely helped that we had fantastic seats...

basically a backstage view from where we sat!

The Local Natives opened for them, and I am honestly not that familiar with their music. 

But geez, were they good!! Then there were the Kings...ahhhh. How I love them so!

They opened their set with 'Charmer', which is a slightly older song {2007}, which I wasn't expecting! And while they obviously played songs from their newest album, Mechanical Bull, they played quit a few older songs from their first albums!

I LOVED IT!!!

As cheesy as this may sound, being at a live concert makes my soul wake up!

It truly is good for my soul!

And it is honestly where I am the most in "my zone". 

All in all, a great night was had by all!

Sunday Social

I am linking up with A Complete Waste of Makeup, for today's Sunday Social!

 This weeks questions are: 

1. What are the top 3 things you cannot go a day without doing?

• Drinking coffee 
• Giving my girls kisses
• Listening to music 

2. What are 3 things that scare you the most?

• Snakes! 
• Losing a loved one 
• Claustrophobia 

3. What are 3 places you want to see before you die?

• Nashville
• Italy
• Greece

4. What are 3 movies you will always love?

• Almost Famous
• The Breakfast Club
• Across the Universe 

5. What are your current 3 favorite songs?

• Ain't It Fun - Paramore
• Cop Car - Keith Urban
• Billie Jean - The Civil Wars

Right Now...

I am sitting here with the sun shining in the window, and jamming out to my favorite tunes.

Spring has officially sprung and the sun is actually shining here in the PNW!

 

 

And when the sun shines, I turn my music up a little bit louder, and enjoy it a little bit more than usual! At this particular moment, I am listening to my favorite band: Kings of Leon.

Speaking of KOL, I have to say that I am beyond stoked to be able to say that I will seeing them live in exactly one week from today!! Yesss!!

 

In fact, I couldn't be happier to say that I will be attending quit a few concerts within the next couple of months! If you know me even a little, you will know that I couldn't live without music, and that experiencing it live is my favorite thing...ever.

After next week, I will be spending three glorious, sun-filled days at the Gorge Amphitheater {hands down the best venue} in August for the Watershed Festival!! And after that, I will be seeing one of my all time favorite musicians, Mr. Keith Urban in September at the Washington State Fair! Did I ever tell you about that time I got to meet him...?!

 

Summer Lovin' Tour, 2010

I will definitely be getting my music fix this summer. And let me tell you, it is long, long overdue! It has been far too long since I was able to feed my music addiction, and this summer I decided to throw caution to the wind, and treat myself. 

 

Because damn it...I'm worth it!

The Sunday Social

Linking up with The Sunday Social, by A Complete Waste of Makeup!

This week's questions:

1. What are your favorite things to do on a lazy day?

Cozying up with a good book, having a Netflix marathon, catching up on DVR recordings, scroll around Pinterest, and lounging in PJ's with no makeup!

2. What is your TV guilty pleasure?

I'm gonna have to say Pretty Little Liars...don't judge!

3. What is your favorite road trip music?

Oh geez! The question for me should be what isn't my favorite! 

But if I have to choose, I suppose a few would be: The Eagles, Keith Urban, Ben Lee, Fleetwood Mac, Incubus, a mix of upbeat country tunes, and so much more! 

{Thank goodness for iPod shuffles, and Pandora!}

4. What are your favorite magazines or books to read by the pool or laying around?

I like to browse People, US Weekly, Real Simple, and Rolling Stone.
Or whatever the current book may be that I am reading at that time...

5. What is your favorite snack?

Again, so many to choose from! I have always been a sucker for Cheez-Its and white cheddar popcorn! If I have a sweet tooth, usually anything sour or involving caramel will do!

Keep an eye out for next week's questions:

1. Favorite breakfast food
2. Best way to spend a free day
3. Airline ticket to anywhere in the world….where would you go and why?
4. You can only leave the house with one thing…what is it?
5. How do you take your coffee?

An Ode to Fall

Oh how I love thee so! Let me count the ways!

Well first, let me preface: 

Fall has always been my favorite season. My favorite time of year.

• The colors. The changing of the leaves to orange, red, yellow, browns...oh so beautiful!
• The weather. You can just feel it. You can even smell it sometimes. Ya know? The air gets crisp and clear, it almost has a bite to it. The sun still shines, but you get to dress in your favorite cozies! Which leads me to...
• The fashion. Cardigans, sweaters, scarves, leggings, plaids and flannels, hats, and the best of the best: boots!! Who doesn't love dressing this way?!
• The eats and drinks of the season. Yes, I am talking about pumpkin and spice everything! I have always been a sucker for pumpkin! Add in some apples, some cinnamon...yes please! Coffee, treats and desserts Oh My! 
• Family activities. I absolutely love going to the pumpkin patch, going trick-or-treating, picking out Halloween costumes, and decorating!
• The cozy fires. I love snuggling up on the couch with the family and listening to the fire in the background. Sigh...
• The new TV season. Yup, I'm that person: the one who loves Fall TV shows! Thank goodness for my DVR and modern technology! 
• The new music lineup. This time of the year always brings with it a ton of new music! New albums, new artists, new releases...YEAH! 

But in all honestly, as much as I love all of the above, it is so hard to keep up with it all!

It seems as though, as soon as it begins, it is over. Which makes me sad. Like many other things in life {especially the stuff you look forward to}, it goes by way too fast!

So enjoy it my Friends! 

Soak it all in. 

Because after all, it really only does come once a year!

Identity Theft

We all know how much we love our kiddos. We love them more than we love ourselves {well, most of us}. But I am going to be brutally honest here: having children has somewhat stolen my own identity from myself.

For the past six years, my life has been completed and utterly devoted to my daughter. And now that has become plural. I love them more than anything! But there are times when I will look back and wish that the younger, carefree version of Me could emerge! 

2006

 Now, that is not to say that I enjoyed that version of myself better, it is just to say that those were less stressful times. The days that for me, were filled with what I believe is a permanent fixture of myself: Music.

Me back then, consisted of: good friends, dive bars, live music, and a lot of festivals! And I would be lying to myself if I said that I do not miss some of that. Because I do! 

However, the life I lead now is the path that I was destined to travel. I truly believe that, and would not change any of it! But who doesn't, from time to time, wish they could take a breather to do what they enjoy the most. Guilt free!! 

Because back then, it was guilt free! There were no children to feed. Or tuck in, or read to. In fact, me just writing this already has me feeling guilty for just thinking these thoughts! Let alone admitting them publicly! And why is that? Is it just me?!

Back to the subject at hand: Now this is not to say that I do not get to occasionally partake in some good ol' fun! And granted, the definition of "fun" varies from person to person. But for me, myself and I, fun consists of the following: live music, concerts, music festivals, and yes...the occasional dive bar {from time to time}! As cheesy as this may sound to some, when I am in the moment, I become completely  engrossed in every note, and every lyric, of the music that I am listening to. And in that moment, I am not just listening, but I know that I am meant to be there. In that exact moment in time, to soak it all up. Every last second of auditory excellence!! 

2010...Best. Concert. Ever.

See what I mean? I miss it! Not being able to make my own money to spend on a whim when I see one of my favorite bands or artists are coming into town! Because that is what I used to do. I used to live it up, and now I don't. Instead, I throw myself into my days by being completely submerged into all things Kindergarten. All things baby.

So how do I treat myself these days {well, really the past six years}? Well...I BUY my music, and I really listen to it. I am a total lyric-listener. I really listen to what is being said. The story that is being told. And yes, I play the air drum in my car, and I sing out loud!! And nope, I am not ashamed, and I do not hide it! 

And when I say I BUY my music, I mean it. I do not pirate it, and I do not steal it. Granted, I might burn a CD from someone on occasion, but I always purchase music. And why you might ask? Well, because I am truly a believer that music is an Art, and I want to do everything in my power to support the Artists that I love. I believe in them and their art form, and I want to support it. So yes, I purchase every tune, and I proud to admit it!

To sum this all up: while I couldn't imagine my life without my children, and I would not change a thing, I miss a few certain aspects of my old Self. Which in a way, feels as if a minor case of Identity Theft has indeed taken place. 

These words may be a little..."extreme". But if the shoe fits and all that...The best part of my absolute LOVE for all things music, is that I have already passed it on to Emma! And now I am "working" on Haylee! Not that it was intentional, but it happened, and I couldn't be more Proud of my child's admiration for the Artistry of Music! If I do not do anything else right in this whole parenting gig, I will at least know that I did this one thing right!

*ROCK ON*

Current Fixations

Whether you prefer to call them "fixations", "fetishes" or "obsessions", you know you have some! Come on, admit it - it's OK! In fact, to prove that it's OK, I will share some of my most current obsessions with you all!
Believe it or not, my children are not the only things I have to talk about!


* First off, my very good friend {you know who you are!} introduced me to this amazingly addictive show called 'Friday Night Lights.' It is no longer on t.v., so thank goodness for Netflix and sleepless nights!

I can't exactly pinpoint why it's so addicting, but what I can tell you is this: it is based off of a book, which is based off of a true story. A small Texas town and it's high school football team. Not to mention, quit a few of the characters are extremely good looking!
The story line is really good, and the music is pretty awesome too. You should check it out!

* Next in my lineup, my new favorite band Imagine Dragons.

Something about their sound has officially captivated me. Well, they actually captivated me before their album was released, but that's besides the point...I have always had this knack for liking loving bands, musicians, artists, etc., before they make it big. I am still not sure how, but it's something I have always managed to do. Maybe I should  be a talent scout! Ha! But seriously, this band is so good. The beat, the lyrics. You should listen.
I don't think you'll be disappointed.

* While this store is not the newest thing around, I just recently was able to check it out for the first time. And now I know why people love it so much: Hobby Lobby is pretty amazing!

In fact, I am pretty darn excited for the new location to open in Federal Way this month!! I have this feeling I will be frequenting them quit often. :) I am not crafty at all, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate those who are, or all of their amazing home decor! And every once in awhile I get a wild hair to do something...a little Inspiration never hurt no one!

*And have you heard of Groopdealz?!

I have this little problem with checking their site on a daily basis for the newest deal! They sell a little bit of everything, at amazing prices! Super cute jewelry and accessories, all the way to home decor. Plus sometimes they offer FREE shipping!

* This has easily become my favorite movie. Ever. Hands down, no question:
Les Miserables.

I have honestly never felt such emotion, or felt so connected to a movie in my life. I can't even find the words to describe it! All I can tell you is to watch it. Feel it, and believe it. Because trust me. It is very powerful.

* This is compulsion at it's best: Scentsy.

I am not a compulsive shopper. In fact, I am quit the opposite! But recently I have bought a few things from this company, after mulling it over for a long time! But I finally decided to say Why Not! And I am enjoying my purchases! They smell SO good!

* This t.v. show my friends, is all the hype right now. And no, I do not like it because it is popular. I like it because, well, I just do! And I can't even figure out why! I hate zombies, and all things apocalyptic. But this has totally sucked me in!
Yup, I am talking about The Walking Dead!

 

I know a ton of people who watch this, and talk about it ALL. THE. TIME. And why not? I guess zombies are the new best thing?! For those of you who watch, I actually liked Lori! She was one of my favorites!! :) 

* Now last but certainly not least, I have to do a shameless plug for Thirty-One! 

 I know that there are a lot of you out there who could care a less about this, but it has become my way of earning extra money for my family. For those of you who have helped me and supported me in this venture: I Thank You so, so much!! And for those of you who still do not know what I am talking about, check out my website HERE! 

These are my most current obsessions! What are yours?!

Forever Young

 Some of you may recognize this, since it is the opening song to the great show 'Parenthood'. But the words that are in this are exactly what I want for my daughter. And while I am not the biggest Bob Dylan fan, I believe that he wrote these words perfectly...

 "Forever Young" 

written and sung by, Bob Dylan

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young

 May you stay forever young
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

GooseBumps

As most of you know, I have been blabbing on & on about the fabulous time I had on Monday night! And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, let me explain...

This past Monday night I went to a show with my mom. Yes, my mom! She and I have the same {great!} taste in music, and we truly appreciate that art that comes along with it. So yes, my mom and I went together! We saw The Civil Wars, with opening act Milo Greene. Both of which were absolutely incredibly amazing! In fact, those adjectives are quit the understatement! I know that you have heard me spew about how great The Civil Wars are, in previous posts, but to truly understand their level of talent, one must see for themselves! Not to mention, Mr. White {the leading man} is not hard on the eyes...in fact, I believe he holds a slight resemblance to my all time favorite, Mr. Johnny Depp!

The Civil Wars

 

Milo Greene

 But before I get ahead of myself, let me begin by saying that the planets were definitely in alignment for us that night! We had no traffic getting there, found a great parking spot right next to the theater, then got in fairly quickly and proceeded to snag some pretty incredible seats up on the mezzanine level! The venue was awesome, in itself! It was The Neptune Theater, which used to be an old movie theater back in the early 1900's. It has {very} recently been remodeled into a concert venue. Very cool, and totally my style! In fact, I cannot figure out why I have never been there before...Shame on me!

 

{Not The Civil Wars...}

 The opening act, Milo Greene, is an up-and-coming band from L.A. And OH-MY-GAWD, are they impressive! They started out with a tribal beat, which automatically caught my attention, and kept me moving in my seat! Song after song was so good, I never lost interest. Check out this performance from Monday night, and I promise you won't be disappointed:

 

{Milo Greene, '1957'}

Then came the main course: The Civil Wars. I could literally go on and on about them, but I won't bore you with my opinions. In fact, I think you should come up with your own! Watch these following videos from their performance Monday, and you will see for yourself! That day just happened to be Joy Williams' birthday {the leading lady}, so us {the audience} sang her Happy Birthday, which is something I had never done before at a concert. She is so graceful with her movements and her voice. And John Paul White {the leading man} can seriously belt it out! They have such a chemistry on stage, that is so alluring. It hypnotizes you. And before you know it, a song has ended, and they are joking with each other like brother and sister. This description probably sounds like every other band/duo you have seen live, right? Well I disagree1 They have a sultry, melancholy sound and feel. But you can't help but to smile and give a standing ovation at the end! So without further adieu, here are two videos from Monday that I truly believe you NEED to witness! 

 

{The Civil Wars, 'Falling'}

{The Civil Wars, 'Dance Me To The End of Love'}

Defying Gravity

A few things for today::

Number one - today marks my tenth year with the same Man, who I am PROUD to call my husband! Happy "Decade Day", Babe! Love you! XoXo



My high school Graduation



Number two - after listening to my Glee soundtrack, I found a song that hits home {as of late}. It is a show tune, and I am not afraid to admit that I LOVE the theatre and Broadway! And it is from 'Wicked'. Which I have yet to see, but really want to...I am getting off track! The song hits home, because at this moment in time I can relate to the lyrics whole-hardily. So without further adieu, here it is, "Defying Gravity"

{at least an excerpt from it, as performed on Glee}:

"Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!

I'm through accepting limits
'cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!
I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity..."

 

Bright Idea!

I am sitting here perusing other blogs, feeling inspired and somewhat creative. So I came up with an idea! Actually, I found a blog titled The Flowerchild Dwelling and it gave me an idea! I have been wanting to do something like this for awhile, and after browsing this blogs posts, I figured I could do it too! Why not? Everyone has such different tastes and styles, that I am sure there might be a little something for everyone!

Starting next week I am going to make a theme out of my Monday and Friday posts ~ Music Monday and Photo Friday. I will start and end my weeks writing about my two passions!

Music Mondays will include {a new song, artist, video, lyrics, etc...} anything of the sort related to music. And on Photo Fridays I will post a favorite photo from that week. Whether it being one that I took, or one that I found and fell in love with!

At least this way I can share two of my favorite things {and findings of them} with you!

*Keep an eye out for next weeks posts*

Dear Prudence

My" Adult Time" this weekend consisted of going to my mom and her roommates place to watch a movie and drink some wine. The movie that we watched is one of my all time favorites:: 'Across The Universe'. I had not watched it in awhile, and forgot how truly amazing it is! So artistic and musical! Granted, it IS a musical (based off of all Beatles songs), but I had begun to forget how incredible the songs were composed and sung (and I can't forget to mention some of the choreography is amazing)! So this morning, I popped in the soundtrack!

If you have not seen this movie, you really should! There are scenes that still get me all teary-eyed, and others that give me goose bumps. Yes, it is that good. Not to mention, you cannot help but to SING ALONG!

 "Across The Universe is a fictional love story set in the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, the struggle for free speech and civil rights, mind exploration and rock and roll. At once gritty, whimsical and highly theatrical, the story moves from high schools and universities in Massachusetts, Princeton and Ohio to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Detroit riots, Vietnam and the dockyards of Liverpool. A combination of live action and animation, the film is paired with many songs by The Beatles that defined the time."

In my humble opinion, it totally went under the radar the year it came out (2007). It was nominated for an Oscar, but did not win! However, in a way I am glad that it has remained under the radar, because the hype could have possibly ruined it for me...

Even if you don't like musicals, you will love the soundtrack (if you like/love The Beatles)!

SO CHECK IT OUT!

The Civil Wars

I recently heard a fantastic duo, named The Civil Wars. They are now one of my favorites!Their voices are beautiful together, and their music is slightly haunting. I love how they do not have a back up band, or put on a huge production. They are all about their music and their art.
Their song "Poison and Wine" was featured on one of my favorite shows, 'Grey's Anatomy', and after that they basically took off! This song is gorgeous and I can't seem to get enough of it:

'Poison and Wine'



Another song that I absolutely LOVE is "Barton Hollow". It takes me back to the 1920's, down in the dirty south...

                                 'Barton Hollow'

Anywho, I just though I'd share my new, recent favorite! Hope you enjoy!

The Evolution of Music

A quote from my favorite movie:: "I always tell the girls, never take it seriously. If ya never take it seriously, ya never get hurt. If ya never get hurt, ya always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends." - Kate Hudson (Penny Lane) - Almost Famous

It all started with the radio:: story telling and talking. Then it evolved into radio stations that played music. Not too incredibly long after that, vinyl records and album art came along and changed music forever...

It seems like not so long ago, that I was sitting on my bedroom floor as a teenager making mixed tapes on cassette. I remember listening to my favorite radio stations and waiting for that perfect song to come on, just so I could record it. The, I would press the 'Record' button as fast as I could, so that I wouldn't miss it. I didn't care if I caught a piece of a commercial, or a person talking - I just wanted that song! Then I would rewind the tape, push play, and write down all the lyrics inside of a notebook. I had to know exactly what they said, and what they meant. This was my version of teenage angst.

Not too long after the cassette tape, my friends and I moved on to burning each others CD's. After we had swapped all of each other's music, we then moved onto Napster. Which seemed so cool at the time! We would then sit at the computer and make the equivalent of mixed tapes - mixed CD's.

You may be asking yourself, why am I bringing this all up? Well my friends, it is because I have recently found all of this music! I vowed to myself then, and will keep that promise to myself, to NEVER get rid of ANY of my music! No matter how bad it was, or how "cheesy" it may have been. And it is for this very reason that I choose to do so - so that one day, I will find it all, press play, and go back in time! And my, oh my! How far back your memories can take you still amazes me, and always will! I have kept every mixed tape, and every burned CD from my past, as a memory for myself, and a laugh for Em in the future!

I have now fallen into the endless abyss of downloading my music. For me, it is only for the cheaper price. I so much enjoyed enjoy unwrapping a new CD, looking at the album art (and sometimes if you were lucky, the lyrics would already be printed), popping it into my CD player, and hitting the road! But that got so expensive, and we all now why: materials. Supply and demand, etc...The MP3 is just so much more cost effective for me! It is at least two or three dollars cheaper to download an album, than if you were to purchase it in the store. It is a total bummer for me! Granted, MP3's also make it so that you do not have find storage for all your music, which is also a plus.

And now that there are iPods, iPhones and MP3 players, I can play my ULTIMATE mix tape anytime, anywhere! The whole reason I have dove into this subject, is because I recently

read an article in 'Rolling Stone' about the record industry, and how badly it is hurting. Truthfully, it saddens me because I am a part of the reason it is in trouble.

I mean, the record industry is the MAIN reason we have music to begin with! Artists will never stop recording music, but the physical, hard copies of albums, will most likely continue to sky rocket in price, which means that albums & album art may some day become obsolete. Some people may not care, but I always will. Technology changes too quickly, and it is so hard to keep up with it...so instead of keeping up, we seem to evolve right along with it.

The good thing about all of this, is:: Music will never cease to exist! Rock On!