tunes tuesday (special edition).

this week is a special edition of tunes tuesday. i was fortunate enough to be guest blogging on the flowerchild dwelling last friday and as such created a special mix just for the occasion. you can visit the link here to read more on my inspiration for this mix and to listen to it (thanks Kelly Ann!)

it also so happens to be perfect for this week since this mix features one of my favorite bands, Sigur Rós, whom i will be seeing perform live this sunday night. I CANNOT WAIT.

happy tuesday!

something better.

today is my first official day off in weeks. i spent most of it drinking coffee and watching movies on tv, something i haven't done in a loooong time, as well as just lounged around in my pajamas, blog surfed and enjoyed Kelly Ann's music monday post. we also visited with Dave's mom on her birthday, grabbed some dinner and rode our bikes around the neighborhood, catching the enormous sun setting just in time. we'll be finishing it off by watching the olympics (actually Dave will be watching the olympics and drinking a beer while i read a book and sip hot tea).

it's been lovely.

i've actually been thinking on something a lot lately. it's been percolating in my brain for the past few weeks and even though i don't want to go way in depth with it just yet i will say that i think it's time for me to begin to allow myself to loosen my grip on some things i've been holding very tightly on to for most of my life. i've had a love and a desire for something so strong, and yet never tried hard enough to get it (for many reasons). i'm finally starting to realize that if i want it bad enough i need to either go for it or let it go and find out if it's worth chasing again in the future.

there are a few things i can see in my horizon that are keeping me upbeat and giving me hope that loosening my grip will only take me to new and amazing things and places. only time, patience, and faith will tell, but i'm willing to be open to new clarity than stay stuck in a comfortable fog.

here's to better things on the horizon.

photo : original

inspiring.

i really want to share with you all this beautiful and touching post that i read yesterday by the lovely, talented, & oh-so-kind, Kelly Ann over at The Flowerchild Dwelling. ever since i've known Kelly since coming across her amazing and inspiring blog, i have been continually blessed by her kindness, generosity, & understanding. she's always been encouraging & uplifting and has never looked down on me because i'm just a little blogger in my tiny corner of blogland, which unfortunately happens much too often in this weird subculture of ours. Kelly & i both went to the same college at around the same time, but never knew each other then. as it seems to happen a lot with my favorite blog friends, we had significant connections in the past, but never formally met until blogging brought us together. that is something i find so interesting & crazy about the blog world...

but i digress.

i can't say enough wonderful things about this lovely lady. she is a talented artist (her graphic designs blow me away with their simplicity, beauty, & elegance), she has killer taste in music (you must follow her on 8tracks & listen to her music monday series), and she's just downright precious. you know what? just follow her blog now, you won't be sorry. one of these days i'm gonna hire her to design my blog. it's just bound to happen.

please take a gander over at her post here. her message makes my heart sing.

photo by Kelly Ann (i told you she was crazy talented!)

featured at the flowerchild dwelling

Good morning!

I have exciting news. Kelly Ann over at The Flowerchild Dwelling asked me to be a guest blogger and my post is up today! I was so thrilled when Kelly Ann asked me to participate since she is one of my favorite bloggers. Her blog is so beautiful, inspiring and creative, just like Kelly Ann herself. Some of the other guest posts are by a few of my other favorite bloggers as well, so you should definitely take a look see.

If you haven't checked out her blog, you should do so now and follow. I promise you won't regret it. And please take a peek at my post here. I would love the support!

And if you're visiting my blog for the first time, thanks for stopping by!
Have a lovely Thursday.
xoxo,
Andrea

tunes tuesday

Yes, you guessed it. I'm starting another weekly post.

I've actually been thinking a long time about starting a weekly post about the music I love, but I never did. Almost as long as I've had my blog I've toyed with the thought, but it wasn't until I started following Kelly Ann over at The Flowerchild Dwelling that I was convinced this was something I might want to share (fun fact: Kelly Ann and I actually went to the same small college around the same time and never met. She studied Film and I studied Theatre. Small world, right?)

I've always been protective of the music I listen to. If you read my latest films friday post, you might already understand why. When I find a musician or band that I love, I try to cherish it and keep it all to myself. Good for me, bad for the musician/band, right? Well I never thought of it that way. I guess I thought that if I kept it a secret, then no one could destroy or kill it for me, and it would continue to be special.

But now I realize that that's silly thought... right?

Anyway, I thought I'd start this week's tunes tuesday off with something a little unexpected. I'm not going to start off with my favorite band or musician, instead I'm going to introduce my readers to a band I discovered only a few days ago. Well, to be honest, David did the discovering and passed it on to me.

See, we have a friend named Kyle Zantos who moved up to Seattle a year or two ago. I'm guessing because the music scene in Long Beach wasn't what he had needed anymore. He joined a band after moving up there and very recently came back around LB on tour with his bandmates to do a show which David attended. I couldn't go because I had a commitment that I couldn't get out of (we'll probably discuss that in a future post).

Dave came home the night of the show so excited to share this band with me. We sampled their latest album and immediately purchased it via iTunes. David and I both agree that it's one of the best albums we've heard in a while... and it's not just because Kyle plays the banjo and slide guitar, but because they really are that great.

Dave told me over and over again how the whole time he was watching their show he was just in complete awe and kept thinking how much I would LOVE this band. I am so sorry that I missed the show and the opportunity to see Kyle again and meet his bandmates, but I thought I'd share with you all this fantastic band and I hope you not only love them also, but support them by purchasing an album and/or seeing one of their future shows if you get the chance.

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Kyle is second to the left in the plaid shirt and glasses.

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The music on this playlist is from their first album which I'm sure I'll be purchasing in the near future

bryanjohnappleby.bandcamp.com
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Obsessed

I found this gorgeous video via Cassie over at The Veda House, who found it via Kelly Ann over at The Flowerchild Dwelling (who co-incedentally happened to go to Vanguard as well as myself. She studied film, I studied theatre at around the same time and we never met! Crazy right?)

Anyway, both of their blogs are among my favorites so if you haven't already you should check them out. This video is just beautiful. I wish this is what it was like when I baked at home in my little kitchen!

Enjoy!

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.