music for your Monday

I originally heard this a while back on Meg's blog, The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell, and I was hooked. I've watched this video dozens of times by now, this song is just so beautiful.

This is Bryan John Appleby singing Cliffs Along The Sea.

my next project

This photo reminded me that I've been wanting a red bicycle for a few years. Now that I've got all this time on my hands I'm thinking it might be appropriate to get a few cans of red spray paint and spray away! We'll see how far I get once I start taking my bike apart and realizing that I might never get all the parts back in their rightful places...


Image found here.

My friend and I went for a walk around her little neighborhood the other day. Walks are my favorite. Especially when the setting sun casts a warm glow on everything it hits.

I am always hesitant to say goodbye to summer. The long days. The warm nights. The beautiful light.

You know, I just realized that with every changing season I always claim the one we are leaving is my favorite (well, except winter. Winter is not my jam). I don't think I will ever have a favorite anything. There are to many good things, too many little aspects that create the whole, each one special in it's own way. If I were to super categorize my life then I'm sure I would be able to find some favorites, but really, who wants to spend the time categorizing and picking favorites when they could spend that time enjoying the very things they're picking apart.

Oh look at that. Pretty sure I just wrote some incoherent ramblings. Don't think I'm going to take the time to proof-read it, though.

Nope. Don't think I will.

music for your Monday

One of my greatest friends, Lia, left yesterday morning for her two year commitment with the Peace Corps in Ukraine. I've had a hard time expressing how excited I am for her because, being a selfish person, I am very sad that I won't be able to call her up to come over, or go split a bottle of wine with her, or have an impromptu dance party wherever we may be (I may have been crying most of the two hour drive home from our goodbye's the other day, it went something like this- "I have no job, I'm back at my parent's house, AND now my best friend is going to be on the other side of the world" Insert pathetic tears here). I'm going to miss her in ridiculous amounts; two years is a very long time to not see someone that you've gone on some of your most memorable adventures with.

I am so glad to have gotten to have her as my closest confidant and friend for the past two years, I can't wait to see where these next two years take her and to hear all about the crazy adventures she's going on.

And I hope that when she gets the occasional onslaught of homesickness that she'll remember that things will be all be fine, that these next two years will be incredible and wonderful and sometimes lonely but oh so worth it, and that the folks she digs here in California will be here waiting for her when she gets back in time for New Years 2015.

It is time.

Now that I'm done with school, jobless, and living back at my parent's house, I feel that it is time to return to the blogging world that I once loved so much. Life got a little crazy for a few years, causing me to pick and choose between aspects of my life and this blog here was one of the first things to get dropped.

But I'm back, with more free time than ever! There's going to be a lot of randomness and catching up thrown your way. I hope you're ready for this.

music for your Monday

music for your Monday

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down

music for your Monday

When my friend Lia and I were in Nashville two months ago, we went to the Ryman to watch Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This band, He's My Brother, She's My Sister, opened for Edward Sharpe. I became an instant fan. Lucky for me a few weeks after I got back home to San Francisco, they were playing at a local bar. This, my friends, is a big deal. I hardly ever go to shows.

This time instead of being up on a balcony I was right in front. They're a great band to see live, especially to see the drummer, Lauren. Watch the videos closely. She stands on the drum and tap dances the beat while banging away with her arms. I mean, really, how much more badass can a girl be while still being completely adorable? She's my new hero.

Also, my mom randomly picked up a beautiful old tambourine for me at some garage sale the same day I saw this show in Nashville. Don't you think for one second that I won't be wearing long flowing dresses and pretending to be Rachel when all the blinds are closed.

music for your Monday

bits of summer

he said she said

"To do anything well, you must first care. Passionately. And be enthusiastic. Be hungry. Stay hungry. Be proactive. Do more than your job description. In fact, create your own job. Understand that receiving criticism is the quickest way to improve. And that sometimes being fired, or not getting what you want, is absolutely the best thing that could happen. Be a team player. Give credit where credit is due; ‘we’ is always stronger than ‘I’. But if something goes wrong, take responsibility, stand up and be counted. Love your life outside work – it’s the only way to stay sane, and that’s more important the higher up you go. Know your physical limits, but never stop dreaming. Never mock another person’s dreams. Don’t be a quitter. If you believe you can do something, you’ve already done the hard part. Be curious. Stay curious. Rules are overrated but respect is everything. Play for win/win scenarios. Don’t ask permission to succeed, just get on with it. If something hasn’t been done before, it doesn’t mean it’s not possible. In short, dream, believe, do! But be prepared to work bloody hard, over and above expectations. Never cheat. Don’t gossip. Have a moral code. Enjoy the ride. The aim is to screech to a halt when you finally get to those pearly gates and say wow, what a blast! Not oops, I forgot something."

-Michelle Ogundehin

music for your Monday

My graduation treat to myself (among many, it seems to be where I place all of my indulgent purchase blame recently, like for my two week vacation to the South, my beautiful serving utensils from Anthro, and my new oven mitts) was a a ticket to Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park, my backyard for a few more weeks. It was such a beautiful setting for such great music, and if it wasn't for the 9 dollar beers and mass amounts of people stepping on each other, I think I might just live in Outside Lands forever.

Although it is nothing new, this song has not left my mind since his show. It was lovely.