Music Share | Blake Shelton

What's playing on repeat on my iphone this week.

Just can't get enough of the melody + mood.

Le sigh.

On the Importance of Music

A few months back, our ipod dock stopped working. I haven't replaced it yet (mostly because that would require acknowledging that it doesn't always pay to buy the most expensive gadget out there), and it's had a huge huge effect on me.

See, music has this incredible power to uplift, mellow, inspire and relax - but it just doesn't happen all on its own.

You have to seek out the music that speaks to you from the sea of artists and genres and instruments.

It takes an intent to discover.

...and when our ipod dock stopped working, I started forgetting to discover.

I got used to silence or just listening to the radio (or whatever else was on). And funny thing happened after doing this for so many months - I started to forget what I liked.

Not just artist or song names, but how I wanted music to make me feel.

So I'm intent on discovering again - and listening intentionally (make sense?).

Here's what I've got plugged in so far this month:

1. Kenny Chesney - Somewhere With You
2. Damien Rice - I Remember
3. Blake Shelton - Who Are You When I'm Not Looking
4. Jason Aldean - Don't You Wanna Stay
5. Rachael Yamagata - The Reason Why
   
6. Nick Drake - Place to Be
7. Ray LaMontagne - Shelter
8. Coltrane - So What
9. Rachael Yamagata - I Wish You Love
10. Coltrane - In a Sentimental Mood
11. Regina Spektor - Us
12. Feist - Mushaboom
13. Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
14. Doves - There Goes the Fear
    

This November, give yourself permission to really listen to the music you're turning on. Heck, I even dare you to lay on the floor - because we all know something magical happens when you listen to music while laying on the floor....

... it has that way of sneaking deep into your soul and changing you forever.

Photo Credit

On Playing Pretend

Food for thought... in the form of a song.

Once in a while
I act like a child
To feel like a kid again
It gets like a prison, in the body I'm living in
'Cause everyone's watching
And quick to start talking
I'm losing my innocence
Wish I were a little girl without the weight of the world

It would be nice
To start over again
Before we were men
I'd give, I'd bend
Let's play pretend

Remember the times
We had soda for wine
And we got by on gratitude
The worst they could do, was check your attitude
Yeah, when fights were fun
We had water in guns and a place we could call our own
How we lost hold of home, I guess I'll never know

It would be nice
To start over again
Before we were men
I'd give, I'd bend
Let's play pretend

And when it's the end
Our lives will make sense
We'll love, we'll bend
Let's play pretend

It's not gonna be long
Before we're all gone
With nothing to show for them
Stop taking lives, come one
Let's all grow up again

April Playlist

Allllllrighty folks.

Here's this months playlist! What I'm listening to, whats on repeat, and what's making me cry.

Regina Spektor - Braille (mostly likely making a repeat appearance, but I love love love it)
Sugarland - What I'd Give
Miranda Lambert - The House that Built Me (um yup, this one is a tearer-upper)
Josh Thompson - Beer on the Table (repeat, repeat, repeat)
Siobhan Magnus (A.I.) - Suspicious Minds
anything by Crystal Bowersox
Blake Shelton ft. Trace Adkins - Hillbilly Bone
Joss Stone - Right to be Wrong
Dashboard Confessional - Don't Wait (blast from the past!)
All-American Rejects - Move Along
Linkin Park - My December
St. Vincent - Marry Me
Carrie Underwood - Temporary Home

That's all for now folks, what are you listening to on repeat these days?

sweet music to my ears

So I'm going through my youtube playlist, and realized I have not shared any musical awesomeness in a little while with you folk.

So a special posting today just for you (as if it would be for anybody else!).

Here's what I've been listening to and loving as of late!

old favorite of mine - with a Twilight twist (of course)

she's got my vote. hands down.

new discovery of the month - st. vincent

pretty much listening to this one on repeat style

That's all for today folks, have a happy & musical Wednesday!

Lilith Fair Announcement [!]

A little [unpaid] service announcement regarding the comeback of the Lilith Fair!

If you are like me, you really really enjoy honest to goodness musical talent. However, this honest to goodness talent tends to not make its way to my local cities very often. Sure we get the big hoopla concerts like Black Eyed Peas, Brittany Spears and Madonnas, but what about the Serena Ryder's of the world?

The artists that are quietly doing their thing, sharing their incredible voices and moving lyrics to only a fraction of the population.

Ladies [and possibly gentleman] I am hereby informing you that i've found them.

They have all joined the circus - well the Lilith Circus that is. And... the good news is... this particular circus will be stopping in our very own Vancouver, BC!

For those of you that are reading this, and are unaware of the actual excitement factor of this annoucement [and why i care about it just so much] please let me introduce to you just some of the incredible line up:

- Tegan & Sara
- Colbie Caillat
- Corrine Bailey Rae
- Erykah Badu
- Mary J Blige
- Sugarland
- Miranda Lambert
- Norah Jones
- Sara Bareilles
- Ingrid Michaelson
- Lights
- Serena Ryder

and of course... the lovely Sarah McLachlan.

And, in the unlikely event that you are still confused as to why this is a great great thing, i have provided links. Yes, links. So that you can go, and listen to what your soul has been missing.

So basically I am so very excited that I feel like jumping out of my skin.

The end.

Twilight + Leona Lewis + Update in Pictures

Ok Folks!

Since i've been in a whirrrrrrrlwind lately {i don't even think my head is on straight!} i am giving you an update of.... dun dun dun... pictures.

Are you ready? Because it's going to be quick quick quick.

#1. Music for you to listen to while you are browsing this wonderful post of mine. A combination of my two loves right now (twilight & leona lewis). yikes.




#2. Bingo Bowling with my sister, her SO, and a handful of SEVEN YEAR OLDS

My sis (aka miss made.for{you}cakes) strikes a pose. Too bad she didn't pose any strikes.

Cutie-Patotie Birthday Boy

I think the only picture of me taken all weekend (!)

#3 Family Time with Jess's sister & family

Jess being an Uncle (aka UJ)

Jess's niece, and cutest little girl on the planet

#4 My first (and the best) Robbie Burns Dinner I have ever been too. We even tried Haggis! (but... never trying it again...)

Robbie Burns' Dinner - Presents Jess in a Kilt

#5 Presenting... our party planning services... at you service!

working on putting together made.for{you}cakes & party planning (an exciting, yet tiring task!)

#6 I've beeeeeeen scrapping!! In fact, my whole weekend last weekend consisted of staying up late and getting up early to simply papercraft with a wonderful group of ladies at my very first craft retreat.

Putting together these bad boys... my very own expandable album kits. A steal at $20 (includes all supplies, easy peasy instructions, and pre-co-ordinated papers).

#7 There have been numerous hours spent in my dear ol' kitchen of mine, with the results being less that nutricious. Oh well. My sister and I are submitting applications for the open call for The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp. Who knows, you might see us on Slice TV before long.

making goodies from my HUGE baking cookbook (cheesecake brownies shown above).

And that my friends, concludes my picture posting for now. I'm off to relax for the rest of the evening.

much love.

birthday gathering | mindful list | music share

Good Afternoon (morning/evening/wee hours/what have you).

I've got spaghetti on the stove, cookies in the oven, and laundry in the washer... and yet i've still managed to plop myself in front of the computer for a little 1 on 1 time with my figurative best friend (i.e. my computer) (i should really name her) (i think i'll name her Susy).

Moving forward, January has been a busy busy month on this end of the computer screen (but an exceptionally wonderful one, i might add).

In the past 14 days I have completed the following:
- 1 celebrated my 24th birthday (at least, my birthday dinner with friends). It was so very nice to spend time with those friends that we don't get to see very often.
- baked 3 things from my massive baking cookbook i received for Christmas
- read wayyyy too many blogs [current blogroll Northern Belle, Gwen Bell, Cleavage (not what you think!), & wholly jeanne ]
- made a christmas 2009 fold out album (pictures will be taken & added.. well.. as soon as i officially finish!)
- finished my 24 before 25 goal list
- started my 5 year plan
- given up on giving up coffee (giving up coffee wasn't a new years thing either, i've basically given it up for the past year or so, and have recently decided that i function much much better with a daily intake of caffeine).
- mentally taken part in the the mindful list. If you haven't scoped out this site yet, i highly recommend you do, as it is awesome. Ok. To clarify, it basically forces you to stop, if only for a few minutes, and reflect on a new topic every day. It's a prompt to remind you to become more human and strengthen your character just a little bit at a time.

And so, with that, i will share today's prompt and my quickie response:

MINDFUL LIST #14

Breath Quality

How are you breathing right now? If the quality of your life depends on the quality of your breath, how’s yours?

As previously mentioned, i currently have a lot on the go. That being said, my breathing is currently quick and shallow [read: not exactly in line with my word of 2010][which is relax by the way]. Regardless, I am currently working on improving my breath quality. Which is difficult (i admit) when i get in one of my particular ambitious moods. Meaning I get excited easily about all the things i can/want/wish/hope to do in my present/near future/distant future. It's seriously ridiculous. Regardless, thousands of other people are equally, if not more, ambitious, so i know it is not impossible. Right?

Seriously though, my quality of life (i.e. breath) is about 100 times better than it was last year - and that makes me feel pretty darn good. I'm even... proud.... of that dang nabbit.

And with that! I leave you with a beautiful composition that i discovered through youtube & twilight.



one love

Bright Eyed and Stupid

....relax it's a song [and i don't think i'm stupid].

Now that i have THAT out of the way, i have a few things that i am simply dying to share with you.

The first being simply the best discovery i have made on youtube this year [and no, this is actually not from the #best09 challenge i just felt like sharing!].

His name is Sam Tsui and he's incredible. In his own little way of course. So, here's what i've got:



and....



that's all i have for now. again relax, they'll be more actual meaningful words and sentences coming your way in the near future

Shan

don't wake me i plan on sleeping in

Holy toleedo it's been forever since i've posted one of these thingamagigs.

I apologize for being a bad blogger - life gets busy!

If i have learned anything from this challenge that i have been embarking on lately, is that people should shorten their "i should" lists!!

For the longest time, i felt guilty for not doing the things that i felt i should be doing. I thought, that if i just did all of those things that i thought i should do, the weight on my shoulders would be a little less, and that i would feel better about myself and how i spent my time. The truth is, i've learned that i just cannot do all those things that i think i should do. I think it is actually impossible. and i realize that this is one of those things that people already understand, and that some of you may be rolling your eyes at me right now because it is such a common sense thing, but it's kind of like a breakthrough for me (hey, we all have our demons right?!).

I realized that no matter how many of those things i was doing, and completing, i didn't feel any better about myself. and, to make matters worse, i wasn't really enjoying any of the things i WAS doing because i kept thinking about what i had to do next. and then it hit me. If i keep thinking i need to do the things that i've been meaning to do to be happy - i would never be happy. because my list would never end! Again, insert "that's common sense" comment here.

So now, instead of worrying about getting everything done, or feeling guilty for not doing something, i'm working on accepting that it is what it is. And that i will simply have to prioritize to accommodate what time i do have to do certain things. and Dr. Laura told me today (relax, she's a radio show) is that people shouldn't feel guilty about things unless they are illegal, immoral, or fattening. And well, not making & finishing Christmas cards by December 5th is certainly not any of those.

So, yes, my moral of the story is to not worry so much about what i'm not doing. Because i don't have to be super woman, i am enough just as i am. even if i spend all day in my pjs watching Lost and Criminal Minds. i am enough.

And with that - i leave you with some lovely tunage to remind you to sleep in.



PS. our Christmas tree is up sparkling, and Rolo has never acted more like a cat. It's lovely.

beathe

I've been on this "finding new music" frenzy lately, and found this song by Anna Nalick which i love love love, and is extremely fitting to my life right now. Well. the breathe part anyways. So without further ado, i will share.



i realize that this song has probably been around for quite a while, as i see that its been on grey's anatomy, but i haven't heard it in its entirety before. making it new to me. I often wonder what it would be like being an artist for a living. whether it be a musician, or a painter, or a writer. i wonder if they always feel pressure to create something create, or if making beautiful things come that naturally to them that they don't even really have to think about it.

my life is settling down now enough to start creating again. i'm clearing my desk off tonight, and just thinking about it feels real good. like deep in the soul good. This whole living life right challenge has been awesome so far. My energy level alone has been so much better than usual. And, i'm rediscovering how powerful it is to have great friends in your life. I talked to this chica ricka on the phone the other day for quite a while, and it was awesome. I had forgotten how much of a difference a simple conversation can make.

and new moon comes out this week. need i say more?

today is always the first day of the rest of your life

one love

mountains open + i'm alive + phone update

goodie goodie goodie goodie!

Opening dates have been released for the vancouver mountains... some of them have opened today, with the remaining opening up tomorrow for the first runs of the season. Although no winter wonderlands yet, this picture of cypress makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Because i am a lover of all things winter and snow (with the exception of clearing snow from my car before going to work) i have compiled this lovely collage of winteresque pictures that have been taken in the past few days around the lower mainland (it's coming folks, its coming!)

Also, i'm sharing with you one of my favorite duets of the year (can you still call it a duet if it's two men??) Anyways, here is I'm Alive by Kenny Chesney & Dave Matthews. mixtures of genres are good people. very good.



Also. my phone is broken. If you have called me or texted me, and i have not answered/called back/or acknowledged your phone call - i am not ignoring you. I am not getting phone calls or text messages, or as i've recently discovered, voicemails. I've also learned that the text messages i've been sending people have not ended up getting to the recipients. Oh except a few, and when they go through apparently they go through like 5 times. I did purchase a phone yesterday. The samsung T459 i think, but i really don't like it. It is one of those nifty full keyboard ones, but it reminds me of the dinosaur age. I'm contemplating returning it, but then i don't know what kind of phone to get. I really just want a good phone, with a good calender application, possibly a smart phone, but not a blackberry. Is that too much to ask?!?!

Anyways, i will be up and running with a functioning phone by the end of the weekend so i can end this social exilation madness.

Start Living Life Right Challenge & November Play List

Today is day one of my own personal challenge. I have decided to start living life right!

What is a start living life right challenge you say? It is about actually doing all of those things we always tell ourself we should be doing. I'm pretty sure i'm not the only one out there who thinks

"i should go to the gym today"
"i should really take few minutes and go for a bath"
"i should really make my lunch before i leave for work instead of eating fast food"
or one of the most important...
"i should really make more time to spend on relationships with my family and friends"

So, as a result - in the next 30 days i am going to make it my sole commitment to actually do all those things i know i really should do [within reason of course - it's not like i've recently come into a small fortune or anything!].

So today, i slept till noon. Now, it might not seem like it falls into the category of things i should be doing - but if you've talked to me anytime in the past few weeks, you'll know i've pretty much been on a consistent emotional roller coaster. I've been in need of rest - but really haven't taken the time to take it. Today i did. And it felt great.

I prescribed myself a day of bedrest and i've spent most of the day since waking up, watching criminal minds (my new favortite show), reading the new Lush Times i got in the mail, and playing with my puppa-lup.

Tomorrow i start the actual good stuff - working out and all that. I promise!

In the mean time, i have created my november playlist and thought i would share.

Here's whats on repeat on my ipod this week:

1. Eric Church - Love your love the most
2. City & Colour - The Girl
3. Jessie Ferrell - Nobody Says No
4. Tracy Lawrance - Find out who your friends are
5. Taylor Swift - 15
6. Alanis - That I would be good
7. CCR - Have you ever seen the rain?
8. Feist - Brandy Alexander
9. Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
10. Amos Lee - Sweet Pea
11. Emmy Rossum - Slow me down
12. Frou Frou - Let Go
13. Imogen Heap - Speeding Cars
14. Anna Nalick - 2AM
15. Aqualung - Brighter than Sunshine
16. Joss Stone - Son of Preacher Man (cover)
17. Leona Lewis - Happy

Short list this month - but i'm seriously lacking some inspiring new tunes right now.

Next month should. no wait. will be better.

one love

i have found love [don't tell jess]

i have finally broken down and purchased the rocket stick from rogers. and it's love love love.
i finally get to use internet somewhere other than on the middle cushion on my couch.

being able to browse facebook, and read blogs in bed is pretty awesome. like really awesome. and comfortable! i have blankets and pillows and a cuddly dog, and tv to also listen to, if i so choose. although usually i've got good ol' you tube on in the background.

speaking of youtube, i will now be sharing with you one of the best covers of the year, hands down.



Someone i know (who has awesome taste in music) recently posted this on her facebook. And i pretty much keep it on repeat. I actually heard this version before hearing the Kings of Leon version, and i like this one so much better.

Probably because i'm partial towards paramore anyways.

On a more wintery and festive side of things. I am almost done my Christmas shopping and golly gee does it ever feel good. I purchased a few things online this year, and used ebay for the first time ever! (go me!). You can seriously find anything on there. Clearly i have been missing out on something very very big.

I've also gotten lost in the whole etsy thing too. There are SO MANY talented people out there, who make incredibly awesome things such as the following:

[1. sparrownestknits 2. halpal28 3. gsakowskidesigns 4. mickieandbetty]

i really can't get over the pure awesomeness that this community has and how unbelievably affordable most of it is. Someday i will knit awesome things and list them here for others to buy. But for now, i will just stick to multi coloured scarves [they make me happy].

I'm thinking about offering a scrapbooking class to teach this project -->


Class would be about 2 hours, and would be about $20 per person, possibly less if i can get a better deal on the materials. I'm thinking about running it mid-january - and it doesn't have to be for a dad. It can easily be altered for a "family" or "just the two of us" or "best friends" layout.
Let me know if any of you are interested, and if there is enough interest i will start working out the details.

I hope you are all enjoying the fall colours as must as I am.

keep on smiling & be cheerful :)

J’adore Fall

Fall means new playlists, leaf walks, cool crisp air, and apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks (when the budget allows).

Just a quick update to share an uber cute picture, and my current fall playlist.

What my ipod is singing it's little heart out to

1. Serena Ryder – Every Single Day
2. Miranda Lambert – Mama I’m Alright
3. Lady Antebellum – I Run To You
4. Serena Ryder – Melancholy Blue
5. Billy Currington – People Are Crazy
6. Paramore – Use Somebody (Kings of Leon Cover)
7. Serena Ryder – Just Another Day
8. Miranda Lambert – More Like Her
9. Serena Ryder – Brand New Love
10. Kenny Chesney – I’m Alive (with Dave Matthews)
11. Serena Ryder – Weak in the Knees
12. Julie Roberts – Break Down Here
13. Serena Ryder – Good Morning Starshine
14. Miranda Lambert – What About Georgia
15. Brad Paisley – Welcome to the Future
16. The Road Hammers – I’ve Got the Scars to Prove It
17. Darryl Worley – Sounds Like Life
18. Regina Spektor – Braille
19. Miranda Lambert – Gunpowder & Lead
20. Cranberries – Linger
21. Serena Ryder – All for Love
22. Johnny Reid – Dance With Me
23. Serena Ryder – Little Bit of Red

Much Love