Best laid plans.

'Like the warming of a room or the coming of daylight. When you first notice them they have already been going on for sometime.' CS Lewis


That's how I feel this change in me has happened. It started slowly and now it just is. Let me tell you about my friend Katharine. She is a delight. She is the one saying Y'all, that's my favorite song! always. She is the one dancing when her favorite song (which is every single one of them) comes on. She is the one who is down for anything, and when you're around her you find yourself loving all kinds of music, dancing on the sidewalk or in line at the coffeeshop, and jumping at the chance for anything. 

Last night I met Katharine with every intention to go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for some deep thought and probably some wine. On the walk there she mentioned that The Temper Trap was playing at the House of Blues and next thing we were walking by the Gardner on our way to HOB. A Tasty Burger later, we stood in the smoky light waiting for the show. I would never have gone to see this band if it wasn't for Katharine, and I'm so glad I did. The best part, aside from the band's dance moves and serious belting capabilities, was a five minute solo where the singer poured water on his snare drum and played like he was in the Blue Man Group. I was giddy for the rest of the night. 

Today I've already made biscuits and wondered, "Is it really only [insert time here]?" several times. Mike and I have an agreement to nap later. Katharine and I are going to the Gardner next Thursday. 

It's Saturday somewhere.

So Mike told me what the Pina Coladas song by Jimmy Buffett was really about, and I didn't believe him. Turns out it also has an amazing music video. You're welcome.

When you love somebody it's hard to think about anything but to breathe.

Another lazy weekend day. Scratch that. Another productive weekend day. I'm listening to this song while chicken soup simmers on the stove, oatmeal raisin cookies bake, and this bread rises on my kitchen table. I've started making a dress out of fabric I bought last weekend. I feel like it's been the perfect combination of time out with friends and time at home getting refreshed for the week ahead.

Can't get enough of this song.

Something about her voice and the simple mix of instruments in the background. Perfect for a Saturday!

You have got no body, so why do you insist on wearing clothes?

Busy Mondays easily become busy Tuesdays. I'm still on track with my goal to hang out with Jim every other day, even though this morning it was especially hard to part with my bed. I remember the thought, This is how it starts going through my head, and I was up, getting dressed, making oatmeal, and picking out an outfit for the day to stuff into my makeshift gym (ahem, Jim) bag. I'm wearing my second Goodwill find, munching on banana bread, and listening to Kate Nash on Pandora. She makes me laugh, and frankly that's what I need right now, swimming in image edits and emails telling me everything is wrong.

Something about Nash's lyrics make me want to sit down and write a story. Her commitment to each storyline is so complete and such a joy to listen to.

I can't get enough of this song.

Happy weekend!

New music.

I get pretty stuck in my ways, especially when it comes to music. I'm private about it, mostly because people don't tend to enjoy the music I love. Whether it's too slow for them, too repetitive, too similar, I usually get mixed reviews, and so music has become a very personal experience for me. This past year, when Mike took me to the Ray LaMontagne concert for my birthday, was the first time I felt like I shared my love for music with someone else.

It was a pleasant surprise to discover a whole new palette of music in the blogging world. I especially love suggestions from Meg, and thanks to her I discovered my newest love, Noah & the Whale. He has the perfect voice for a rainy day like today spent working from home under colorful Christmas lights and sipping a latte.

Happy almost weekend!

I'll ask you in advance.

Am I the only one who didn't know Joseph Gordon Levitt was musically inclined? He's come so far since 3rd Rock From the Sun. Haven't we all, though?

(Video found over at The Bloggess.)

This is how I will know (if he really loves me)

Mike and I are sitting in the glow of our computer screens on our respective couches, depressed at the thought of dropping almost half a grand for plane tickets to Georgia for Christmas. So, not only does he have to venture south of the Mason-Dixon to meet my tobacco chewing, y'all saying, Southern Baptist brood, but he has to dig a little hole of debt to do so.

I think I finally found the answer to Whitney's question.

before the day begins.

I love early mornings. The intimate feeling of meeting with the sun before the rest of the world. The flirty, slight bits of light that precede the boom and majesty of the day. There is a tree outside my window, and most mornings I lay staring through my window, through my screen at it. I watch its leaves and its branches move, giving shape to the breeze. I love coffee and bike rides and really really good books, but early mornings, those I love the most because no matter how many others may feel it is theirs, I know that it is my own.

This particular morning, I am listening to this:

Summer Tunes.

My roommates used to tease me for listening to mellow music (think Jack Johnson and Ingrid Michaelson) when we'd get ready to go out dancing. Does that amp you up? It sounds depressing, I'd hear mixed in with Talking Heads or Jay Z in the background. But the truth is, mellower music clears my head, puts me in the mood that I associate with the time in my life I first heard it, and gets me ready to be around 150 other sweaty, drunk people. Well, you know what I mean. But this summer, especially this past week, has been so hot I can't help but listen to music that was recorded before air conditioners were in every commercial building and a little sweat didn't embarrass anybody. So sit outside, grab an ice cube to rub on your face, and listen to this summertime playlist.

Tunes for Tuesday.

Today is my hump day, and it's perfect. It's rainy and gray, which is great for what I plan to do after work: Go to 1369 Coffeehouse and read for my writing group. After that's done, I'm going to dive back into my for-pleasure reading right now: My So-Called Freelance Life by Michelle Goodman. I have a few freelancing opportunities on the docket right now that I'm pretty excited about, and this book has been such an encouragement. I am no authority on the subject, but I would say that if you're even considering the option or want to know what's in store, this book presents the must-dos and can-waits without overwhelming the novice. That said, here's my early morning playlist to get me over the mountain to the end of my short week.

Tunes for Tuesday.

Found this player with Bon Iver's new album via a tweet from Today's Letters. During our trip to Northhampton, we stopped to see what bands were coming NoHo this summer. This Friday is The Blow (fingers crossed we can go!), then in July it's the decemberists and August is Bon Iver. I so look forward to exploring and gallivanting with Mike and co. this summer. I don't have much money, but it seems that things are just so much more possible when the weather's warm.

Who's with me?

(Picture via)

Look, there's honey in the trees.

I simply can't stop listening to this song. The Honey Trees, "Moon River":

For Emma, forever ago.

Today I'm crazy about Bon Iver; the sunshine; water; Oreo cakesters; my boyfriend; Nabokov; reading on the train; organization; writing everything down; daydreaming; countdowns; the way Inman looks like the model of a perfect town in the early morning.