Hi Everyone - Sorry for the lack of posts, I have been out sick :( Here is the delayed June Music Mix to hold you over till I can post :) Hope you all having an amazing 4th of July!!
Music
07/03/2012
06/27/2012
The Frosting Of Life
Yesterday, despite Seattle's ominous clouds, turned out to be a lovely day. In honor of my birthday Elisa and my mom brought me an incredible bouquet of flowers. The flowers transported me from what had begun to feel like a nominal day straight into the most magical of stories. I just kept staring at the peonies wondering how they could have known... For the last couple of weeks I had been looking at peonies on blogs, pinterest, and instagram wishing to have some of my own...
As the day went on, I received phone calls from Germany, Indiana, and Oklahoma (homes to some very amazing women in my life!). I kept thinking how much those women had invested into my life, and how I would not be the same person without their love.
After work Anna whisked me off to dinner at Poquitos. Ahh.. their smothered torta makes my mouth water just remembering it. Next, we made our way over to Arabica Lounge.. it was closed but Stephen and Jojo graciously re-opened and snuck our little party in to celebrate. How often is it that the owners of a cafe re-open just for you on your birthday? The entire experience made me feel like I was in Europe.
Jojo surprised me with an incredible cake!! It had a typewriter on top which completely made me freak out (yes, I am pretty sure there was some squealing involved). He said the typewriter was because I am a blogger, boy!, he sure does know how to make a person feel special.
You may be wondering why would I end up at Arabica Lounge on my birthday, especially since I seem to be there every other day of the week. There is no doubt it's because Arabica Lounge has become a sort of second home for me. The ambience, food, and community never cease to inspire me!
"You cannot be fully yourself until you are deeply connected with other brilliant people." - Scoutie Girl
My family presented me with a fantastic Daphne Guinness style fool's gold ring for my birthday. In the accompanying card my mom wrote about how the ring will serve as a reminder for me in New York to seek true gold and not be distracted by fool's gold. Those words are now indelibly written on my heart.
Jojo played some of the fantastic Moonrise Kingdom soundtrack for us (with Jacob singing along) and I was appalled to realize that somehow I had managed to become one of the last people to the movie! That was a situation that had to be remedied.
Moonrise Kingdom upon review is hard to put into words. It was hilarious, beautiful, and sweetly nostalgic. My sisters had never seen a Wes Anderson movie before, so watching and listening to them was almost as entertaining as seeing the movie itself. They were completely caught off guard by Wes Anderson's style and humor. Just imagine Anna busting out in complete belly laughter at all of the wrong times....
Seeing the movie I was filled with memories of my own childhood adventures...Have you seen it? If so, what were some of your favorite scenes?
top photo by: OLIVER SCHWARZWALD
moonrise kingdom photos: unknown
all other photos: me
06/26/2012
06/14/2012
06/12/2012
06/07/2012
06/06/2012
05/31/2012
Music: Jamestown Revival
Last week, I had the privilege of seeing Jamestown Revival not once but twice! And wow what a treat! I find that I am still quite tongue tied. How can I articulate what incredible artists and genuine nice guys they are? Well, let me set the scene.. yes, as I was informed last week, I am such a girl when it comes to telling stories - what can I say, I like details..
Prior to seeing Jamestown Revival live Thursday evening at a Seattle Living Room Show, I had only seen this video and a few others.. I was intrigued but did not know exactly what to expect. I went out on a bit of a limb and invited two friends - Braden and Katrina to the Seattle Living Room Show.
We arrived (not even that late!) and the show was already starting to fill up..with beautiful people because I am pretty sure those are the only kind who attend the Seattle Living Room Shows (like that Katrina? I gave us a round-a-bout compliment). Everyone took their seats and Edmund Wayne kicked the evening off. He had us laughing in no time! Then, Jamestown Revival took their places on stage...You know that moment of expectation where your holding your breath and have your fingers crossed hoping that a band is going to be good? I admit that is precisely what I was doing...
As the first note was struck I knew, deep down that this was going to be a good evening, not just a good evening, it was going to be a great one! One to remember. The kind of record worthy night that stories are written about - Jamestown Revival belonged in Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine... it was a moment when summer was distilled to it's very essence...
Jamestown Revival somehow manages to bottle up the special moments you want to "remember for always" in their lyrics.. and when you listen to their songs, the music infuses the place you are in at the present moment with a nostalgic mix of happy memories of the past and ancipation for what the future holds..
More than just the incredible music, what was so refreshing was how sincere Jonathan and Zach were. They spoke about sleeping overnight at Pilot stations, and the challenging transition from growing up in Austin, Texas to moving to LA...How taking risks for a dream is not always an easy path. When was the last time you heard a musician share with that kind of vulnerability? Their honest stories seemed to instill hope in the audience... dreams are worth fighting for.
At every Seattle Living Room Show I have been to up till now I have noticed that The Watt Sisters not only introduce talented artists, but also musicians who don't take the audience for granted. Part of what caused me to go to the Jamestown Revival show at High Dive the very next evening was that these guys were true southern gentlemen and stood by the door as guests were leaving, to shake hands and thank them for attending the show. I was completely caught off guard by this and I found myself literally speechless..
Friday evening, at the High Dive, with a larger group of friends and family in tow..I once again soaked up every amazing moment of the concert. As I surveyed the room prior to the show I noticed that Jonathan and Zach were making their way around greeting people and exchanging hugs. They were intentional in recognizing from the stage those in the audience who had come from the show the night before to show their support. Their appreciation definitely made an impact on me.
All in all, I want to encourage you if Jamestown Revival comes to your town, go support these guys - I know that you will leave their show inspired and with great memories!
Ps- Oh my gosh! I almost neglected to mention that I had the privilege of meeting the lovely Amber Lykins of Music is My First Language in person. If you have not visited her blog you definitely must! She is always discovering amazing music and is such an encouraging person to be around :)