May 23, 2011

Music: Jeremy Larson

Obviously I have already shared that I love Jeremy Larson's music (Elsie Flannigan's...(now Larson!) husband).  He makes BEAUTIFUL music.  The instrumentals of this album are absolutely incredible.  While the theme seems a bit nostalgic and melancholy, the melodies and harmonies of each song are riveting. So inspiring. Upon talking to him, he mentioned that he put this entire album together in a matter of 2 or 3 months... while planning a wedding.  That's insane.  And it's beautiful.  Please listen to its entirety.  If it won't work for some reason, try this.  Amazing.  I will forever love this album, as it is on the top of my list. 

May 22, 2011

A Lovely Thing: Bead4Life

I am a member of MADA (Merchandising and Apparel Design Association) at OSU.  This year our officers chose to help out an organization called Bead4Life.  Basically, there are women in Uganda who are trying to fight their poverty situation by creating beautiful bracelets and selling them for a low price in America. They use recycled paper to make the beads for each bracelet, which also helps with environmental sustainability issues. They also collect shea nuts to make amazing shea butter soaps and lip balms.  Bead4Life provides training for these women to begin their own entrepreneurship endeavors.  Hopefully within 18 months of working with Bead4Life, they can enter the Ugandan economy on their own to support themselves with their business. The women are paid fair trade prices while working with Bead4Life.  I purchased a couple of the bracelets. I chose a turquoise and a red one! They are really unique! Check out their website here and help support these women and their families! 


May 19, 2011

Embracing Who Everyone Thinks I Am: Zooey Deschanel

The last time I did this, I told you that people said I look like Shelley Duvall, but I also am told that I resemble Zooey Deschanel.  Who wouldn’t love her? She’s fun, outgoing, gorgeous, and an extremely talented actress.  Aside from the bangs, style of dress, type of music she sings, and the love of acting; I don’t really think we look all that similar.  She is quite petite, and has blue eyes.  Okay so maybe that's more alike than not... Nonetheless, I am still told that I remind people of her all the time.  Here are some lovely pictures of her…

May 15, 2011

Simply Music


So some of this is going to sound absolutely crazy to some people, but I suppose these are my personal thoughts so it makes perfect sense to me. Music is something that is extremely important to me. It is who I am. It is innate. I feel as though music is the way I speak and emote.  I have never been good with words, unless I memorize and speak them to an audience.  I am not great at verbally asking questions or answering them on cue.  The words just do not come to me as they so eloquently flow out of others’ mouths. If only I could play someone a clip of music to express what I am trying so desperately to say at moments in time. I also understand better through music.  I’m often explained a concept verbally, but when you put it into music terms it just makes so much more sense. That sounds absurd, but it’s the truth!

Music is real and so utterly vulnerable. That’s the best way I can think to describe it. It shows all the inner emotions we so fear to express at times. Music is often the only thing that makes sense. It can take my mind off of things and yet throw me into such vivid memories. Then there are times when I choose not to feel at all.  The numbness is articulated through melodies.  The lyrics don’t always matter. It’s just the sound of the piano, the strings, the horns, and the bass thumping in your heart. Instrumentals can speak volumes if you let them. If someone asked me to describe my life at the moment, I believe I’d be better off just sitting them down and playing a piece of music. Most people don’t understand this longing for depth in music.  For more than words. It’s not just a lyric or a rhyme.  It’s a feeling, a movement, a story, an emotion. Something not feasible. I hate the moment that a song comes to an end.

I drift into another world when I put my earbuds in, or play a song loudly in my car. When I am alone, I outstretch my arms through the car window and just sing loudly. Sometimes it serves as a form of praise, other times it’s just a moment to myself to speak what I cannot utter with words. Something inside of me changes. It enraptures me. Sometimes I simply just lay on the floor and let the music overtake my soul. That sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. It can speak volumes. It’s as if the music understands me. Breathes me. I firmly believe that music is one of the many ways God speaks to me and through me.  It is my instrument. I hear His voice loudest when I hear the sound of music.  I think this is because I can simply shut off my thoughts and just listen.  Listening is a beautiful concept. 

I often wonder what the world would be like without music. Other times I wonder how interesting life could be if I had a soundtrack constantly playing to my life. What bands would play? At what moments would the music chime in? If only for a day I could have this happen… It would be so cool! What would my theme song be? Music is a need for me. After listening to a song, I feel as though I must play the piano, dance, or sing.  Immediately.  It is a great desire. Sometimes I feel dumb because I’m not in the appropriate place to do so and it just eats at me.

Music is so important to  me in a sense of movement as well. I envision dances from my past and how the subtle motions were turned into an emotion screaming at the audience.  I wish to dance for those who’ve forgotten how to feel. For freedom. For sadness. For joy. For pain. To free inhibitions.  For art and love and feeling. Sometimes I visualize dances and songs that would play as I reach for my dreams, hopes, and desires.  Again, this may not make sense to you, but in my head I see beautiful motions of many dancers pouring their hearts out with choreography to the most melodious of songs.

Music is raw. It is beauty. It is pain. It is truth. It is love. It is art. It is transparent. It is a feeling, an emotion. It is inviting, enticing. It teaches. It listens. It plays on when you cannot.
I often wonder if anyone else out there feels the same way I do about music. 



May 8, 2011

Word of the Day: "Dulcet"

I happened upon this list of the "most beautiful words in the English language".  There are 100 words on this list.  So, I thought I would try to eventually share them all with you through a word of the day.  Not necessarily every single day, but when I have the time.  Maybe this while help enhance your vocabulary! Some of them have rather strange meanings, but I can see how people thought these words were eloquent.  Today's word is "dulcet", which means sweet or sugary. However dictionary.com defines it as "pleasant to the ear; melodious".  

May 5, 2011

Music: An Artist Spotlight

So, when I was growing up I used to do musical theatre productions throughout the year.  In doing so, I had the opportunity to meet a very talented guy, Adam Oliver.  Who knew he would end up moving to LA and making awesome music with his band, Lovers Drugs.  I think it's interesting to see where people you remember from your childhood end up, and see how they become successful.  I believe that the band is launching a new album in the near future.  Take a peek at some of their music videos.  You can listen to their music and find out where they're playing if you're in the LA area here. Or check out their Facebook page. For more videos... click
Enjoy!

May 4, 2011

Darling Dolls: No Rhyme or Reason

I really don't have a specific category for these photos I've chosen this time. I just happen to like a different aspect from them all. Which one is your favorite?
I really love oversized dressed and shirts on small girls.
Splashes of bright color and mixed neons are very in for spring. 
I always love a good all black outfit. 
LOVE the handbag she's carrying. Also, the shoes and pants are lovely!
The pattern play in this outfit with bright colored tights and belt are adorable and chic. 
I happen to like her hair a lot, plus the pleated midi skirt is fantastic with a skinny belt.
This patterned dress is quite lovely, and the wrapped fabric on the heels is interesting too. 

That is all for these lovely ladies! Have a wonderful day!






May 2, 2011

People People People.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about people in general.  I haven't really blogged about my thoughts lately, so I'll see where this takes me.  Some people would like to argue with the comment that people are interesting.  They seem to think that we are all alike in so many ways that we really cannot be true individuals.  I, however, think people are absolutely interesting, unique, and curious in their own ways.  I've already claimed that people watching is a past time of mine. Sometimes I just wonder what is really going on in their brains.  Some of us are so good at hiding the inner emotions of our hearts with an outward display of happiness, when the core of our souls feel a longing, a desperation, and is crying out with anger or sadness. (Or just the opposite.) However, no one realizes because we are masters of disguise.  On the other hand, there are those of us who wear every emotion we feel on our sleeve for any stranger to pass by and recognize the desires of our heart or the hatred, joy, or dullness we feel.  

Mannerisms are absolutely intriguing to me.  I love watching the way people express themselves whether that be verbally or with their body language.  I have a few friends who can literally guess my mood or what I'm thinking about by what my hands are doing or the way I wear my hair. Finals and dead week has given me the perfect people watching opportunity.  I've watched many people smile at the screen of their computers or phones.  It makes me laugh inside to see this. I'm glad they're enjoying whatever it is they are reading or looking at, but from the outside looking in, it can be quite humorous.  I've also noticed lately that when I'm taking a picture of someone and they are smiling, I smile with them. The things we do without realizing them can be interesting, and telling of our personalities I believe. 

Some things I observe about human nature at times are just absolutely beautiful to me. Not long ago I watched a couple come into Aspen (the coffee shop).  The girl walked up to order her drink, and the guy just sat there gazing at her as though he would never see something more breathtaking for the rest of his life.  He sort of looked down and smiled to himself as if he had some sacred secret to hold that was all his own. If only the girl saw what I saw.  
Another scene I observed was a guy sitting alone, studying quietly, when a man and his son walked in.  You can just tell those people that love and adore children.  He looked so longingly at the small child and you could tell that one of the desires of his heart is to one day have kids of his own or just to be able to be around them in his lifetime. I don't know why this struck me as so intriguing, but it made me smile to myself. (Which probably also looked rather strange to you other people watchers out there.)

I've also thought lately about smiling at strangers.  Sometimes I smile at people when I pass by, when I'm not keeping to my own little world, and often times they do not respond at all.  Rather, they look at me as if I've just offended them in some way.  But alas, there are days when someone will smile back.  It makes me happy, not only to know that I've made someone smile, but that it's lifted my spirits just a little bit more than I started out my day with.  It's my personal opinion that God sees himself in all of us, and to be able to share that with someone else, even just through a smile or simply an acknowledgment, makes me feel that much closer to my Creator as I strive to daily become more like Him. 

I'll end with this as I realize this is getting a bit lengthy. It's funny to realize your own mannerisms.  Especially when people point them out to you. There are certain things that I know I do, and I've done them for years, but when you are around people more often and begin to acquire and adopt tid bits of their mannerisms, and then you become that much more of an interesting person!  Don't pretend you don't do it! We all do.  I have become "that person" that dances to music in their head or that's playing on their iPod in public places.  I find myself moving strangely to the melodies I hear; (well strangely to other people), actually I'm probably just choreographing movement in my head from my years of dance. If it weren't inappropriate to get up and dance whenever you feel like it in public scenes... I totally would. I've been tempted many a time. I also actively recognize the things I do in uncomfortable situations, or with people that I'm just meeting for the first time.  I'm sure I look quite awkward.  I won't reveal my mannerisms to you now, I think you should observe and watch for yourself.  What's the most interesting mannerism you've noticed in someone of late?  

Thanks for taking a peek into a few of my many recent thoughts.  Sorry if it was all over the place. :)