Wednesday, December 15, 2010

too good not to share...

I love Iron & Wine. My first introduction to them was "Love and Some Verses," and I absolutely love the simplicity of their sound, but their lyrics are amazing. Recently downloaded the Walking Far from Home EP and I'm loving it. The title track was my first favorite, but I finally got around to listening to "Biting Your Tail," and it's officially my second favorite Iron & Wine song ever. I think. A close second behind "The Trapeze Swinger." So anyway, here are the lyrics:

may your eyes be wide and seeing
may you learn from the view where you're kneeling
know the fear of the world that you're feeling
is the fear of a slave

may you know how the fight was started
and want as much for the snake as the garden
wear them both like a glove
that you can wave

may your mouth betray your wisdom
and may you get what they fail to mention
may your love be your only religion
and preach it to us all

may you lose what you offer gladly
may you worship the time and its passing
the stars won't ever wait for you
to watch them fall

we're the smoke on a burnt horizon
we're the boat on a tide that's rising
both the post and the pig you're untying
butcher gone for the blade

someday we may all be happy
someday all make a face worth slapping
someday we may be shocked to be laughing
at the way we behave

may your hands be strong and willing
may you know when to speak and to listen
may you find every friend that you're missing
there's no check in the mail

may you end there bruised and purple
and know the pieces the shape of a circle
round and round you'll go
biting your tail

we're the journey and the wind is whipping
the short hand's on the clock still ticking
both the egg and the red fox grinning
his belly full for the day

someday we may all want nothing
and all forget that we'll get whats coming
someday all say the world was something
that we just couldn't change

may your tongue be something wicked
and know your part in the calf and the killing
see straight through the captain you're kissing
the helm lose in his hand

may your words be well worth stealing
and put your hand on your heart when you're singing
the choir's sick of the song
but they still gotta stand

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Just say no...to aspartame. (+Ten on Tuesday)

I'm at day 10 of my no-more-diet-drinks experiment (don't think I even mentioned that I was doing it, so there, now you know)...so far, so good. I've heard from multiple sources that artificial sweeteners are pretty awful, and my Diet Dr. Pepper habit was just getting out of control. Horribly dangerous or not, we can all agree that tea is a much better option than any soft drink. In light of this, however, when I absolutely must have a soft drink, I've gone back to normal rather than diet. Probably not the best choice. And I can't make the switch to unsweetened tea, for now it's half and half. Either way, I've managed successfully put a dent in my soft drink consumption which is progress.

And for the sake of randomness...Ten on Tuesday (found here)
1. What do you order at Starbucks?
Tough one. Depends on the season. Last purchase there was a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I believe.

2. Where is your favorite place to eat breakfast?
My options are limited since I live in such a small town, but there's a local joint called Ken & Mary's that's pretty good. I also LOVED Corner Bakery (specifically their Swiss Oatmeal) when I spent a summer in DC...but haven't been to one since.

3. Are you on Twitter? Why or why not?
Of course. All the cool kids are doing it.

4. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Way too hard to choose. Ones that come to mind are Christmas Vacation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Santa Clause.

5. Are you a gift giver?
I'm going to have to go with no on that one. :/ I try...but unfortunately, I'm lacking in the creativity department.

6. Do you like your handwriting? Bonus for posting a picture.
I do! And, yes, I also have too much time on my hands.

7. Is your signature legible? Bonus points for posting a picture.
Gonna skip out on the picture for this...but I don't think it's legible. My name is fairly long, so making it legible would take too much time.

8. Have you ever been to New York during Christmas season?
No! but close. I was there towards the beginning of November...there were a few signs of Christmas around, but I would love to go in December someday.

9. Are there any items that you are completely brand loyal?
Not really. Although I tend to stick with the same face wash for long periods of time. And I mostly stick to the "Simply" line of juice (Simply Orange, Simply Apple, etc).

10. Who is your favorite public speaker?
No clue.

Next on the agenda...my Christmas wishlist (a must-read)!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

It's Christmas time, y'all...

and it's finally cold outside! Hooray! Yesterday it was 65 degrees, raining, and there was a tornado watch. Not what I would call ideal for the month of (or eve of) December. Living in Boone spoiled me though. Cold weather was frequently accompanied by snow there, and that rarely happens here. BUT I'm still happy that the Christmas season has arrived, and we've dipped below the 50 degree mark. :)

As far as gifts go this year...I intend on buying myself a semi-completely new wardrobe, since hardly anything I own fits. I thought I would try doing everything online, since it seems like that would be 100x easier than venturing into a mall this time of year. But I don't think it's going to work out. After spending an hour or so browsing around, I'm just hesitant to buy any piece of clothing that I can't actually pick up and feel. Plus, I'm never the same size in anything...it always just depends on the material/etc of whatever it is I'm buying. I know there are sizing charts, but I'm still leery. So I guess I'm stuck having to go out and shop for clothes, which honestly I think I'll be o.k. with.

I'm a last minute person when it comes to life in general, so I will be ahead of schedule if I have anything purchased for other people before December 15. Seems like it gets increasingly hard to buy gifts for people every year. I think it's because I look around, and it's like, no one I know is really in *need* of anything. And then you're just buying people random crap that they (a) didn't need and (b) probably didn't even really want. I go in circles with this every year.

Christmas music...I'm already tired of it I think. Which sucks. But you would be tired of it too if you had to listen to it eight hours a day. And for whatever reason, this particular station plays the SAME SONGS every day, eight hours a day. Not even a weekly variety. So I've about had my fill. However, I'm not tired of the movies on tv. I could watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Christmas Vacation every night until Christmas and be happy. And for whatever reason, Juno has been on tv the past five weekends in a row which = awesome.

I'll end with a playlist for the week, one that definitely does not have any Christmas songs on it.
1. Come Talk to Me -Bon Iver
2. I Grieve -Peter Gabirel
3. Solsbury Hill -Peter Gabriel
4. Bizarre Love Triangle -Charlotte Martin
5. Cloudbusting -Kate Bush
6. Keep Me In Your Pocket -Charlotte Martin
7. Walking Far from Home -Iron & Wine
8. Cosmic Love -Florence + The Machine
9. Unison -Bjork
10. Dog Days Are Over -Florence + The Machine

I've mostly been on a Peter Gabriel kick this week. He is hands down one of my most favorite artists of all time, and if you like Bon Iver, I'm very sure you'll love their cover of "Come Talk to Me."