a list of things

1. We had another uneventful weekend, hanging around the apartment with the exception of Ross's grandmother's birthday party. We go crazy on the weekends, obviously.

2. I HATE GOING TO THE DENTIST. Finally had an appointment today, and let's just say I walked out with a long list of crap-that's-wrong-with-my-teeth and thoughts of "maybe I should sell my car to pay for all of this." Oh happy day!!!

3. On chapter 7 of Mockingjay - love it so far! I now have a library card, so I'm hoping to find some good (and free) post-Hunger Games reads for my Nook. And yes, I'm still reading Wuthering Heights (it kind of got shelved after I started HG).

4. Declared this week to be "healthy eating/cooking week." So far, so good. I've made two meals this week that I found via pinterest, and they both turned out great! Bubble Up Enchiladas and Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers if you're interested.

5. Some thoughts on grocery shopping:
• I could not find anything on my list at Earth Fare. I thought I'd do my entire shopping trip there...either I am severely challenged when it comes to navigating that store, or they sell nothing I need. I only plan on going back for meat & produce, but honestly, who wants to go to two grocery stores??
• I'm done with making grocery lists on my iphone. Somehow, I accidentally check off items without realizing it, and then when I get home I end up in that "I'm so pissed off HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT" kind of mood. so I'm sticking with a paper and pen from now on.

6. (Healthy continued) I downloaded the "My Fitness Pal" app and it's helping in the calorie-counting arena. Eating less calories is important if you are trying to lose weight, but I wonder how much it's actually helping me. I'm an instant-results kind of person, obviously, since I'm asking that question after two days of cutting calories. Back to the app - I'm pretty impressed with how easy it is to find items. Tonight, I easily found the calorie information specifically for the tuna burgers from the exact blog where I got the recipe. Exciting, right?

7. There are two shows I am really liking right now: The Ricky Gervais Show on HBO, and Workaholics.

Current fave song:



Happy May, y'all!

Lately...

I guess I've fallen off the face of the earth a little....well, for three weeks-ish. My journey to "Frugal Living," well, that's another post (or maybe not, because the daily challenges are sitting unread in my inbox). There's not even a reason for my lack of blogging other than I've been readjusting to five day work weeks after the holidays.

The closest thing to exciting that happened recently is a couple weeks ago, I won tickets to see Sarah Jarosz at Neighborhood Theatre here in Charlotte! She is what I would consider bluegrass...but I guess maybe more progressive bluegrass. Probably a couple years ago, I purchased her first album on iTunes after randomly stumbling across it, so I was kind of familiar with her songs (although she had also put out a new album since then). I happened to see that Creative Loafing was giving away a pair of tickets, so I submitted my email address and won! It was a nice surprise since I think I had forgotten I even entered to win in the first place.

Several things hit me that night: (1) Sarah Jarsoz is far more talented than I realized. (2) Going to see live shows of not-so-well-known musicians is something I should do WAY more often. (3) There is a difference in spending time with your husband on the couch watching tv and actually going out and doing something. (4) Someday, I want to learn how to play the banjo.

Items #1 and 4 are pretty self explanatory. Sarah spent most her time on an octave mandolin, which I had never seen before, but she also switched between it and the banjo. She usually performs alongside a cellist and fiddler, but was sans cellist for this one. Sad face. BUT, fiddler Alex Hargreaves was out of this world.

Number two, Charlotte isn't exactly what I'd call a music scene hotspot, but I think it's improving. Not too long ago, Sara Bareilles played at Neighborhood Theatre. Ross and I have seen a couple good smaller shows at Amos' Southend, too.

As for number three, it really was kind of an "a-ha!" moment. My husband and I both thoroughly enjoy being at home, but we realized that it is fun to actually go out and do things together sometimes. Who would have thought? We eat out a lot, but that doesn't count. And to be honest, seeing a movie doesn't really count either. I mean, those are fun things to do, but we both love music...and it was just something different. Had we paid for the tickets, seeing Sarah Jarosz would've cost us the same as seeing a movie, anyway.

Since we live right down the road, we also need to take more advantage of NoDa, and I suggest you visit if you live near Charlotte...it's almost like a mini-Boone, which I love. I really liked Neighborhood Theatre as a venue, and we tried Revolution Pizza for the first time and enjoyed that as well (side note: I tried Four Friends Queen City Red there and would recommend it).

So those are the recent happenings, and hopefully there will be more similar things to discuss in the future now that we have realized there is a world outside our apartment!

a shiny, brand new year!

Happy 2012 to you all! Hope everyone had a very relaxing and stress-free holiday. Ours felt crazy busy...four family get-togethers. Thanks, marriage. I do love every second of it, though. I managed to squeeze in a few days away at my grandparents' mountain home. Definitely needed that, but it wasn't long enough (it never is).

Christmas in the mountains

Those few days away gave me time to enjoy my new Nook, which I actually AM using. Currently reading Wuthering Heights and loving it. It was actually kind of witty here and there in the first few chapters, which was a bit of an unexpected surprise. I'm only on chapter ten, so I have a ways to go. Not sure what book is next...so many choices!

Other Christmas gifts I'm enjoying include

my Minnetonka Moccasins/slippers, and my new pink Snuggie, for starters. The pink was a welcomed replacement for my camo one. Somehow I always manage to wind up with Snuggies after Chinese Christmas/Dirty Santa/whatever-you-want-to-call-it games.

Now for my Minnetonka mini-advertisement (can I get paid for this?). The moccasins have lived on my feet for the past four-ish days because they are amazing. They are toasty warm, soft enough to be bedroom slippers but durable enough to wear out, and they molded to the shape of my feet after a few wears. Five stars.

And...I jumped on the Keurig bandwagon! Didn't feel like that warranted a picture. It really just made sense, especially since my husband is not a coffee drinker. Best part...I don't have to wash the darn thing out everyday. I know, how lazy is that? But for real.

As for New Year's resolutions, I'm still thinking about those. Really, if I had any, they'd mostly be things I've been trying to do all along. Come up with a cleaning routine, wake up earlier, go to bed earlier (obviously I'm trying real hard), eat healthier, the norm. Maybe it would help if I set goals. Well, resolutions or no resolutions, last year was wonderful and I hope this year is even better. 

Home.

Well, second home. Boone and ASU definitely have a special place in my heart - I graduated from App, and so did my parents and grandparents. I grew up spending fall weekends in Boone for football games, and (obviously) I spent four crazy but wonderful years there.

My senior year of college, I was so blessed to become a part of a group of great friends, and every year we get together and rent a cabin for a fall weekend. I LOVE that we are continuing this tradition and it is something I look forward to every October (or November). We had a great weekend that involved King Street, Macado's, Dan'l Boone Inn, downtown Blowing Rock, and of course the game vs. Western Carolina (that I, admittedly, was quickly bored with).

There is just something amazing about Boone. I love that beauty is everywhere, and you don't have to look hard to find it. It's hard to be unhappy when the awesomeness of God's creation is so in your face. Sorry, I couldn't think of a more eloquent way to say that. I would move back in a heartbeat. And yes, I love snow. My husband hates snow and the cold, but we're going to work on that.

Speaking of snow, we saw a few snowflakes this past weekend! Somehow, that led me to the decision that it is not too early for Christmas decorations. With a few hours to spare on Sunday afternoon, Halloween was packed up and a few Christmas decorations were put out! I have a pretty good beginning collection, but it needs to be improved upon. This weekend I am (a) deep cleaning our apartment and (b) buying and putting up the Christmas tree! Hooray! I know some people think it's too early, and that's fine. I just decided it wasn't too early for me. Maybe, instead of a fake tree, I can convince Ross that another trip to Boone is necessary to get a real one...

Ten on Tuesday

1. What are your pantry staples?
Umm...haha. Right now, my pantry is an abyss. On my to-do list is inventory everything.

2. What are your refrigerator staples?
See above. Just kidding, my fridge isn't quite as bad. Orange juice, milk, Pepsi and cheese.

3. You already look like Heidi Klum (or your favorite supermodel). Now, what are the top three non-physical things you would change about yourself?
That's tough. And I mean that in a completely non-cocky way, it's just hard to pinpoint exactly what I would choose to change. I could stand to be more assertive, I wish I was more organized, and more motivated.

4. What's holding you back from your dream job? (If you already have your dream job, how did you get there?)
The short answer: money.
The long answer: Well, what I think would be my dream job (still a little uncertainty there) would involve more money and schooling. The tough part is that it's completely non-related to anything I've studied before. That would mean the schooling wouldn't be improving upon what I already have (i.e. getting a Masters degree), but starting completely over. And it isn't like law school, so in other words, it would basically be a completely new Bachelor's degree. Not to mention it would be in a field where I think there is a lot of uncertainty, and getting a job would be quite a feat (but that's almost every field right now, I suppose). It would probably also involve me not being able to work full-time while going back to school. Kind of a perfect storm for financial disaster. Just call me Debbie Downer.

5. You have $500 to spend but it has to be on one item only. Go.
If we are speaking in terms of frivolity, I'd say a new Kate Spade bag. Reality - my car is in need of some body work, so I'd probably do that.

6. What is something you are embarrassed to admit you buy on a regular basis?
Starbucks. The item isn't embarrassing - but I'm embarrassed to admit that my habit has become out of control lately. Like seriously, I don't even want to know how much I spent on coffee the past month. My excuse is that I can't get coffee I make at home to taste right.

7. What's in/on your bed every night?
Pillows, sheets, blanket, and my super soft green blanket that I got from Target.

8. What is a non-necessity item that, no matter how expensive it gets or how tight your budget is, you will always find room for?
Nail polish. I've always found it to be a good way to buy something new and fun even if you are having to clamp down on the rest of your spending.

9. What is the weirdest sandwich you've ever made?
I haven't, really. But my husband always eats cheetos ON his sandwiches (like if he has a turkey and cheese sandwich or something). I think that's pretty weird.

10. Would you rather: Be banned from Pinterest forever, but gain a million captive Twitter followers; or, never get on Facebook again but gain five thousand blog readers?
Tough question. I think I would go with the Pinterest scenario. Of all those things, Pinterest is what I use the least. I don't really care about Twitter, but I think I'd rather keep Facebook and live with the fact that probably only 5 people read my blog. :)

Questions found here.

On being a homebody.

Before starting this, I pulled out the trusty ol' webster.com and looked up "homebody." The definition is this: one whose life centers on home. That's a really good definition, in my opinion. I actually expected to see something more along the lines of "introvert who has no life." I guess I just think that is what everybody else thinks.

Although the two aren't really connected, what started me on this topic was when I realized that this blog is picture-less (I'm not counting the pictures of random things and wish list items, etc.). The obvious explanation for this is that I'm not a picture taker. I wish I was, but I'm not.

But that led me to my next point - I don't do much. And I'm lucky to have a husband who loves being home just as much as I do. Maybe I'm normal in that I spend 40 hours a week at work, and can't find time to do much more than just hang out on the weekends. But I have always, even in my teenage years, "not done much," and I enjoy it. "Not doing much" isn't really an accurate way to describe it, though. There is still a lot I don't know about myself, and things I'm still figuring out. One thing I do know is that I have always loved home. There is absolutely nothing I love more than to be at home with my family, or spending an hour (or several) chatting with a good friend. Those times are especially precious now, when it seems like no one knows how to press the slow down button (or does that even exist). Spending time with the people I care about is something I never get tired of, and something that I will never not have time for. Not sure how many of you listen to Sara Groves, but her song "Every Minute" might be a perfect description of what I'm trying to convey. You can listen to it, too. :)




I am long on staying, I am slow to leave
especially when it comes to you, my friend
You have taught me to slow down, and to prop up my feet
It's the fine art of being who I am
And I can't figure out why you want me around
I'm not the smartest person I have ever met
But somehow that doesn't matter
No, it never really mattered to you at all

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome
At the risk of self-discovery
I'll take every moment, and every minute that you'll give me

And I can think of a time when families all lived together,
four generations in one house
And the table was full of good food, and friends and neighbors
That's not how we like it now
Cause if you sit at home, you're a loser
Couldn't you find anything better to do
Well no, I couldn't think of one thing I would rather waste my time on
than sitting here with you

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome
At the risk of self-discovery
I'll take every moment, and every minute that you'll give me

And I wish all the people I love the most could gather in one place
and know each other, and love each other well
And I wish we could all go camping and lay beneath the stars, 
and have nothing to do and stories to tell
And we'd sit around the campfire
and we'd make each other laugh, remembering when
And you're the first one I'm inviting, always know that you're invited, my friend

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome
At the risk of self-discovery
I'll take every moment, and every minute that you'll give me

things to be excited about.

I feel like all my posts revolve around lists, but that's ok I guess.

Leather Baggus



I'm pretty stoked about this. Well, let's say 50% stoked, 50% not sure what to think. I absolutely love regular Baggus - nylon reusable shopping bags that come in all the happy, neon, and fun colors you could ever want. And I've thought before that they should come out with something a little more purse-like. Not to say that you couldn't use their nylon bags for that, but you know. Here is the answer, I suppose. Part of the appeal of Baggus is that they are effortlessly cute. Mostly because of the colors, but also because of the simplicity. And I think I love this. The ultimate question is...is simplicity (even the 100% leather kind), worth $130.00?

New Blood



The new album from Peter Gabriel (orchestral remakes of older songs). Not many songs give me goosebumps these days, but every song (especially "In Your Eyes") off this album does. Some people might get tired of artists reinventing things all the time, but I love it. If songs are so good that they can be reinvented multiple times and be amazing in different ways, then why not?

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops
Found at Real Mom Kitchen

No picture, but this recipe turned out great! I love it when recipes turn out well. :) This was super easy, and the flavor was really good. The recipe called for one can of cream of chicken soup, and one packet of ranch seasoning, but next time I'm going to do two of each. I also made mashed potatoes for the first time, and they turned out pretty well. Kind of bland, and I think everyone has their own take on the perfect mashed potatoes, so I'm open to input. On days like this (I was off work), I say to my husband: "See, don't you like me better when I don't have to work??" Seriously.

Some Additional New Music 
Obviously. Aside from Peter Gabriel, I have a new playlist this week. Hooray! Tracks include:
1. "If I Had a Gun" -Noel Gallagher.
My math goes a little something like this: Noel Gallagher - Liam Gallagher still = Oasis.
2. "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)" -The White Stripes
Not sure how I missed this one until now. Thank you, satellite radio.
3. "Sail" -AWOLNATION
If you haven't listened to this song, do it now.
4. "Mistakes" -Mates of State
We've been through this already.
5. "Mother" -Pink Floyd
I've become a little re-obsessed with this one after listening to Pearl Jam's cover.

KitchenAid Retweeted Me
Yes folks, you read that right. Do you even care? Probably not. But I'm kind of a big deal. You can view said tweet here. They didn't respond to my follow-up tweet regarding the free mixer I get for giving them such great advertising. #lame

Happy Thursday!

wine and crazy thoughts I probably shouldn't be blogging about

This post...I'm not really sure where I'm going with it. But it's something that might be a little interesting, so here we go.

Sister Wives. You're probably already laughing. I LOVE the show, and have absolutely no idea why. I guess I've always found people interesting. Who they associate with, why they behave the way they do, different cultures, etc. My minor in college was Sociology, and I would've majored in it if my advisor hadn't told me it was a waste of time. That's another story.

One of the first places that forced me to semi-seriously contemplate the subject of polygamy was in class for a Human Rights course I took at App. I think what we discussed could be summed up with this: is it wrong for us to pull people out of their norms, because their "norm" isn't the same as ours? And who defines norms? Something to that extent. It's been four+ years, so that's a sloppy recollection. It really does ring true, though. I do want to make it clear that I draw a line somewhere - this is all in regards to consenting adults. In no way, shape or form do I think forced marriage, sex, etc involving minors is acceptable. That's my personal conviction anyway.

My conclusion here is that I have no problem with polygamists. And I've gotten some shocked looks from people when it comes up (I know you're probably wondering how often does that randomly come up in conversation?). I originally thought that Kody (the husband on Sister Wives) was a self-centered jerk who manipulated four women into worshipping him, but I've changed my tone after watching multiple episodes. I'm going to take it a step beyond that. I can see a few pros to their situation. They have a major support system, and God knows it isn't easy being a wife and mom these days (I speak from experience only regarding the former half of that statement). I'm not going to sign up for the show anytime soon (hah!), but In simple terms, they aren't hurting me or affecting how I live my life. And I'm gonna be honest, I think they value family and marriage way more than a lot of monogamous families do. I do laugh when the jealousy issues arise on Sister Wives because...um, when you're married to someone who you know is sleeping on a regular basis with three other women, that MIGHT be an issue. But also, I'm not here to tell people what they can and cannot do, right? This spills over into a lot of issues. Gay marriage, even. Maybe it boils down to my take on government, and that they should in no way, shape or form be dictating who an adult can or can't "marry." Who defines marriage, anyway? I think marriage is VERY important. But at the same time, a piece of paper defines your lifetime commitment to another person?

And this is what happens when I drink half a bottle of wine and watch Sister Wives on a Sunday night. I welcome your thoughts!

so much to do, so little weekend

To be honest, this isn't entirely the case anymore. Yes, I cut back to a four-day work week, but the fifth day is reserved for job hunting. This summer, there have been SO many things I've wanted to do on the weekends. The good news is there have been lots of get-togethers and weekends spent out of town. The bad news is that means I've had zero time to do anything normal. Normal as in - go to the local farmer's market., or visit the Goodwills and thrift stores in my area (I've heard they are good). This weekend, we have absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to go, so I plan to do both! #superexcited

Speaking of things to do, our apartment got a random semi-deep cleaning the other night at around 10:00pm because we had company coming (psh, why else would you clean?). I had been putting it off for a while thinking that (and I debated admitting to this) I was going to pay someone to clean our apartment. Yes, you heard that right. Child-free couple in their mid-twenties, with no real responsibilities outside of work, paying to have their two bedroom apartment cleaned. I said "couple" in that sentence, but it was really me pushing for this. In my defense, there's the whole I-have-to-drive-an-hour-to-and-from-work-every-day thing. Still, I'm willing to admit that's not a really good excuse. Which brings me to this point - I HATE TO CLEAN.

I chalk it up to perfectionism. My honest thought process when I start to clean is this: "I'm not mopping this floor correctly. WHY won't this dirt come off??? In order to do it right, I'd need to get on my hands and knees and scrub every last inch with a toothbrush. Wait, every last inch?! I don't have time for that! I spend ten hours a day at work and in my car! Now I just wasted thirty minutes and it still looks like crap! I hate this!" *runs off to bedroom sobbing* (<--not really, that was just for dramatic effect) I feel like I don't know how to clean, and I feel like I'm not good at it, and it's all a little discouraging.

In my search for people who sympathized with my views on cleaning, I stumbled upon FlyLady.net. I like what I've seen so far, and I plan on following the "Beginner BabySteps" program to a new cleaning routine...and just routine in general. I'm not very good at keeping them, but I know I feel better when I have one. Less stress, for one thing. I'll keep you updated on how it goes.

In other news, an EarthFare opened up right across the street from me this week! Anyone shop there on a regular basis? I've only been in one a couple times before (the one in Boone). I know it's on the pricey side, but I definitely want to try shopping for a few things there. It's been waaaaay to crowded to visit so far, so I'm waiting until it dies down a bit. Perhaps I'll add that to my list of things to do this weekend! :)

slowing down...and the madness ahead

This time next week, I will be married. CRAZINESS. I'm happy to report there have been no meltdowns...yet. I have come very close, but luckily avoided them thus far. Tonight, it kind of clicked in my head why I've gotten close several times. With the exception of late night moments like this, my schedule seems to have been planned down to the minute every day. It's a constant feeling that I was unsuccessful at getting everything done for that day that I should have done. And really, by all accounts, it still doesn't add up. I still can't figure out exactly what it is about weddings that takes up so much damn time. I guess it's just the thinking and the planning, which is a very broad description of what I've been doing since January. There are a lot of things that have to be done at just the right time. For example, you can't tally up your response cards til you've sent out invitations. You can't write thank you cards until you get gifts. So I had much more free time from January to April because I couldn't do those things yet. That goes for a lot of other tasks also.

This brings me to my other point. Tonight I realized that I am a slow moving person. I like to enjoy life, and I am admittedly a homebody. I'm not a go-getter by any stretch of the imagination, which probably relates to the fact that I'm not a planner. I feel like all this planning and organizing has been quite difficult for me, and I have a mother AND a sister who I'm pretty sure have done 70% of the work compared to the 30% I put in.

The bottom line is that I want to eventually find the perfect balance. The perfect balance between being myself, but still being an organized and put-together person who gets things done. Completely random, but I caught an interview on the radio the other night with Demetri Martin (who I love). He talked about how he had devised this points system every week where he gave himself points for getting things done and for spending time working on things he wanted to accomplish. It sounded like a good idea, but the guy graduated with straight A's from Yale, and I didn't understand anything he said about it other than that points were involved. Either way, I hope that after everything settles down post-wedding, I'll be able to find the balance I'm looking for. I'm open to suggestions on how you keep yourself organized and motivated.

weekend musings

This weekend I was reminded of how thankful and blessed I am to have such wonderful friends. It was my bachelorette weekend (spent in Charlotte), and SUCH a great one! Three of my friends from college were there, and two from high school, and my sister of course (who planned the whole thing). I'm so very glad to have friends from different stages of my life who I can still call my best friends. I'll end my sappy I-love-my-friends story now. But I think we all had a great time. Dinner at Rí Rá Irish Pub followed by Howl at the Moon and The Breakfast Club = awesome. As for The Breakfast Club, what could be better than dancing all night to some of the best 80's music while the actual movie is playing on a big screen on the wall?? So I was dancing to "Don't You (Forget About Me)" while simultaneously watching the scene where Claire gives Bender her diamond earring. Side note: "P.Y.T." is currently my favorite Michael Jackson song. Anyway, I made it to the next morning with only a horrible headache, and I considered that a relatively good outcome.

On my music radar right now is a band called Grouplove. I am loving the song "Colours" off their self-titled EP, which I bought. XM radio has made finding new music SO MUCH EASIER. And somehow, while browsing Frank Sinatra playlists on iTunes this weekend, I discovered a beautiful song called "Poses" by Rufus Wainwright. Pretty sure it's my favorite song right now. I love randomly stumbling upon great music.

Well, I'm really ready for this week to be over. I'm not going to lie and say I don't say that every Monday. But there is much wedding-related planning to be done, and I am ready to have it behind me so I can just make it to the big day! I feel like things have come together far better than they should have in such a small timeframe, and for that I am grateful. I'm just stuck in that completely in-between stage. Not married, some of my things are moved but some aren't, new apartment is filled with unpacked bags and boxes, furniture is mostly taken care of but not completely, all this halfway business is driving me crazy! Not much longer, though.

Oh, the waiting...

The next three weeks are going to be cah-razy! Moving+wedding=insanity. But good insanity. I visited my new apartment for the first time on Saturday...so exciting! Ross and I had visited probably ten different places, and finally, I told him to check out a place near where he works (an hour away from where I am). We had actually started our search there, but left when we got there early and didn't want to wait for the main office to open. The rent was decently priced in comparison to other places, it was in a great location, and I knew it was fairly new as far as age goes. So, I went from being terribly picky to "just do it, I don't care if I haven't even seen it." And it worked out PERFECT! So glad.

I was told by several people that I was a little on the crazy side for trying to plan a wedding in four months, but I can't imagine it any other way. The time between now and the wedding seems to be creeping by - I can't imagine waiting any longer. I'm sure it all depends on what your situation is and how much you have going on in your life, but I feel like a shorter time frame forced me to get things done. If I had half a year or more, seems like it would have been planned and I would've been sitting around waiting on the next three or four months just to go by. Whatever floats your boat, but that's how it worked out for me.

Moving has been relatively painless, but that could be because I haven't moved much at all yet. So, it's probably going to suck. I'm considering just opening my room up to a bunch of people and saying, "come in and take whatever you want!" I have a feeling I'm going to have about an eighteen-wheeler's worth of stuff to take to Goodwill after it's all said and done.

To end on a random sidenote - I am loving the song "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes right now. They are new to me, but conveniently, their new album (entitled Helplessness Blues) came out yesterday...can't wait to give the whole thing a listen!

I was raised up believing I was somehow unique

like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes,

unique in each way you can see

And now after some thinking

I'd say I'd rather be a functioning cog

in some great machinery

serving something beyond me

But I don't, I don't know what that will be

I'll get back to you someday soon, you will see

-Fleet Foxes

comfortable...a valentine's day story

So, I've heard that things kind of go down hill after marriage. Haha. Not in a bad way, though. Actually, let me rephrase that -- marriage may be the ultimate level of comfort. I'm thinking we are well on our way, and engagement is certainly a step in that direction. Hence, this conversation:

Ross: What do you want to do for Valentine's Day?

Me: Eh, let's just do lunch on Sunday or something. (in an effort to avoid any large crowds)

...after said meal...

Ross: So, want to do anything else?
Me: Nah, I'm kind of tired. (note: it was 5:30pm at that point)

Ross: Yeah, me too.

And we proceed to hang out/watch an episode of The Office then call it a night.

Funny how things get real when you've been dating two and a half years and are engaged. Not to say that we still don't go out from time to time and do fun stuff, but it's a lot easier now to just be chill and not really care. I think that's good, as long as you can keep a good balance. And really, the larger part of this is that I'm slowly realizing how precious weekends are where you don't have anything to do. They are few and far between, it seems. And when I don't have much on the agenda for Saturday or Sunday, I like to maintain a high level of nothingness if at all possible. For the record, I had mentioned to Ross that on the way home from Sunday's early dinner that we may need to "stop by the Coach store" on the way home for a potential Valentine's Day gift/purchase, and he was willing. I was tired and had no intention of actually doing that, so it was more of a test. He passed.

In other news...didn't watch the Grammys. I did catch Gaga's performance, though (which was actually pretty lackluster compared to some other ones). I think, after the past couple years, nothing she does is really shocking anymore. We've seen the kermit outfit, the bubble one, the meat one, yada yada yada. So she shows up in an egg? *yawn* I also caught the last part of The Avett Brothers performance...LOVE them. (So I lied. I watched a tiny bit.)

I'm getting bored, and I need some new music. Tomorrow = new PJ Harvey. Can't wait!

visit to NYC & randomness

Finally getting settled after my first week back to work (always so much fun). Spent the week before that visiting NYC for the first time! LOVED it. Not somewhere I'd want to live, but I definitely want to go back - specifically closer to Christmas. Likes about the city: so much culture, so many different people, so many options. Dislikes: dirtiness, too many people, no sweet tea. And I take back my earlier statement. I think I could live there, but not for more than three years ish.

I have been watching a Grease 1 & 2 marathon for the better half of the day (while doing other things, so it wasn't completely unproductive). Of all movies that would get old fast, you'd think it would be those two.

New favorite: Florence + The Machine. I feel like they are old news (well, not old but not new), but I downloaded their album, Lungs, because it was $3.99 on amazon. Hellz yeah! "Cosmic Love" is my new favorite song, with "Unison" by Björk coming in at a close second. Florence Welch has one heck of a voice...saw her not too long ago on tv, and she was amazing. Considering that it's not unusual for singers to suck on tv/live, it says a lot to not be in that category of performers.

Really really excited that the Christmas season is here. Trying to find some good new xmas music to invest in, although I think I would be happy with just having Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong. And to all you I-want-to-celebrate-Thanksgiving-first haters out there, I have nothing to say to you. I bought a new small Christmas tree for my room today. :)

one more read to add to the list

for a smaller, redundant, in-between version of this and twitter...find me on tumblr!

http://aubsmiles.tumblr.com

I'll still post on here when I feel the need to be extra wordy, so I'm not leaving.

next on the agenda: Kid Cudi - I am excited about this.

updates

It's been over a month since I have posted anything...yikes! I obviously am not so good at consistency with this. This will be a very random compilation of what I've been listening to recently.

I decided that I LOVE the new(est) Yeah Yeah Yeah's album. Really, the best part about following an artist/band is getting to see how they branch out and what new sounds they come up with. I think It's Blitz! is fantastic in that it's something totally different, but still has that spunky off-the-wall vibe (most of which Karen O is responsible for) that makes the Yeah Yeah Yeah's so great. LOVE IT. track I can't stop listening to: "Soft Shock"

Yesterday and today, I have been finding lots of new great music via Paste Magazine's Best Music of 2009 (So Far). I felt pretty inadequate about the fact that I wasn't familiar with 70% of the bands on their lists...but it's ok. I really can't believe I didn't give Animal Collective a chance prior to now. I had listened to clips of songs from Merriweather Post Pavillion, but never really gave any of it a second listen. Now I can't stop playing "My Girls," and probably won't for a few months. I haven't bought the entire album yet, but I have plans to do so. I am also loving "Blood Bank" by Bon Iver. I went to their website and saw that they will be playing in Cali with the Indigo Girls soon. I LIVE IN THE WRONG STATE. Also discovered via Paste: Passion Pit. Haven't listened to much of their stuff yet, but I like what I've heard so far.

Finally acquired Taylor Swift's Fearless album. Love love love. My favorite song by far is "You're Not Sorry." Honorable mention goes to "You Belong With Me" - which, I might add, made of one of the staff's (Paste) lists for Best of 2009 (So Far). And the music video for "You Belong With Me" is soooo cute. I was a band geek, so I can relate. I watched a video on youtube the other day of a live performance of "You're Not Sorry"/"What Goes Around" (Justin Timberlake)...it was really good, minus Taylor throwing around her head the whole time. That kind of got on my nerves. But you can check it out here.

Other things:

Downloaded Moby's new album the other day. Am I a big fan? No. Was it $3.99? Yes. So I bought it. I haven't gotten into yet...there seems to be a lot of repetitiveness, but I feel like I should have known that going into the purchase.

"Running Down" by Michelle Featherstone is quite possibly one of THE BEST sad songs ever. Very comparable to Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U." Comparable in the simplicity of what they are saying (although Featherstone's lyrics are simpler), and in that they somehow make you want to curl up in a ball and cry even if you're not going through a breakup at the moment.

other random song I can't stop listening to: "Spaceship" by Angie Aparo, heard on 106.5's 90's lunch hour (always one of the highlights of my workdays).

Maybe next time will come sooner rather than almost two months later and we can avoid all this randomness.

randomness for this week

Ben Folds new album entitled Way to Normal was released today and I'm sure it's great. Ben Folds doesn't put out music that isn't awesome. AND one of the songs features Regina Spektor. Such a great combination. Can't wait to listen to more of it. Anberlin also released an album, I'm not sure what to expect there- I don't really understand why "Feel Good Drag" was re-released on the album. I liked Cities a lot...so I don't know if this new one will be quite as impressive.

Ok so, the Kings of Leon album...just keeps getting better. It came out last week and I've had more time to listen to all the songs and they are ALL great. It is so rare for me to find an album that I actually like every song from. My favorites right now are "I Want You," and "Manhattan," and "Notion." I would LOVE to see them in Atlanta in November, but I doubt I will pull that off. Why can't they just come to Charlotte?

I've also been listening to some older favorites recently, a couple of them being songs by Milla Jovovich. You probably know her better as a model and/or actress. I've always seen her mostly do modeling for L'Oreal, but she's done a lot of acting too. If you've seen The Fifth Element, she plays Leeloo. Anyway. She also has a good voice, which is surprising because usually I would say that models/actresses need to stick with their respective careers and stay away from attempts at making albums. But I think Milla's attempt turned out semi-successful. She obviously didn't have much mainstream success, and most of you probably still have no idea who she is. Her sound is kind of quirky, but I definitely think she has a pretty voice. The songs I like are "Gentleman Who Fell," and "It's Your Life"...you can check them out on itunes. In an interview, she described the album as "a mix between Kate Bush, Sinead O'Connor, This Mortal Coil, and the Cocteau Twins." I love Kate Bush and the Cocteau Twins, and like Sinead O'Connor a lot...so I suppose that explains why I like her sound.

Anyone remember the song "Kiss the Rain" by Billie Myers? It came out in 1997-ish I think and was on the radio quite a bit...a pretty typical cheesy pop song. It popped up on my ipod a couple weeks ago and I've been listening to it fairly frequently since then. I don't really like her voice, but somehow it sounds good for the song. I liked it in the seventh grade for whatever reason and I still like it!

In other randomness, Halloween is getting closer and I am so excited! I love decorating for the fall season. :) yay pumpkins!

blogs, weddings, etc.

Just a note- everyone should take a look at the new blog I listed under my "frequented blogs and sites" list to your right...well, actually I'll just give you the link: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/waltrumfelt. Walt Rumfelt's story is pretty amazing, so I encourage you to take a look at his journal. He also spoke at The Foundation last week, and if you go to their blog (that link is also on my list) you can download the testimony that he gave. A short summary- Walt went on a mission trip to Nepal with my church here in Shelby and came back fine, but two weeks later fell ill to some unknown disease (doctors to this day have no idea what it was) and came close to losing his life. It's an amazing story of how God works in our lives and through us even in the most difficult times. I can't really do justice to the story here so I'll let you look into it.

In other news, my best friend got married this past weekend! I don't even know if she reads this but I am so happy for her and her new husband! (: yaaaay weddings! I have to mention something I just read in one of Walt Rumfelt's journal entries. He was thanking his wife for all she had done and talking about marriage in general and this is the excerpt I really liked:
"God doesn't see marriage as a contract but a covenant. Tommy Nelson says that when you marry that person, you make them the right person at that moment. In God's economy, there is no turning back once you say I do."
Wow...what would our society be like if people really honored that covenant? It's kind of scary to think about how casually marriage is looked upon now. Really scary, actually. But I especially like the part about "when you marry that person, you make them the right person." It seems like so many times people abandon marriages because they feel they just aren't right for each other anymore, or they don't love each other the way they used to. Commitment is a choice, and I hate how people act like it's something they have no control over. I am thankful that I have two parents to look up to in this department. Are there times my parents didn't think they loved each other anymore? I'm sure. Are there times they felt like the romance was gone? Most definitely. But they make a choice everyday to put in 100% and make things work...and they've come out on the better side. I just pray that my friends who are making that step will find the courage and the strength to stick things out. Anyway, didn't think I'd go off on that tangent but I did.

Onto other things. (: I have liked The Weepies for a while now but their new album was released today, I've downloaded and so far it's great. They have such a good simple sound and I always love their lyrics. um...what else...Alanis Morissette's new single "Underneath" is not too bad either. I'm listening to Lifehouse as we speak and I'm loving the songs they have on their myspace. I've always liked Lifehouse and I definitely love their new stuff. ok that was all really random but that's it for now!

So new on the music-to-discuss list is Jose (pronounced "josie") Vanders. I originally discovered her music via perezhilton.com (that's kind of embarassing and I promise I don't visit that site on a regular basis). Then, I started to see these little clips on MTV of a singer followed by the name "Kate Nash" flashing on the screen. I'm pretty sure Kate Nash is Jose Vanders. Actually not, but they sound so alike it isn't even funny. I first thought maybe "Kate Nash" was a show on MTV that Jose Vanders was doing the music for or something, but I looked it up and it turns out Kate Nash is a singer. They both have this ridiculously thick British accent...which might have a lot to do with why I thought they were the same person.

I haven't really heard any of Kate Nash's music other than the MTV clips. However, I do like Jose Vanders. The accent gets annoying after a while, but she has some good songs. I can't say that I like all of the songs I've heard on her myspace, but I really like a couple. The song called "Faces Going Places" is cute, and I very much like "Alberto Morrocco." Her songs are kind of abstract, kind of. You might could say she's a tiny bit Regina Spektor-ish. You can actually listen to "Faces Going Places" here:


Anyway. On the list of things that made my Friday (yesterday): I was at Harris-Teeter on Fri morning, and I was in a ridiculously long line to check out and I only had a couple bottles of water. A cashier opened another register and told *me* that she could ring me up. Well another lady walking up behind me with a cart full of groceries hears the cashier tell ME this, but proceeds to push her cart up to the newly-opened register! I, of course, back down and kind of gesture to the cashier to let the other woman go ahead (even though it was clearly my turn). But the cashier said to the lady "no, I'm sorry ma'am, I told her I would ring her up first so I can't let you cut in...sorry." HAHA! I snickered at her on the inside. It's the little victories in life! Hope you enjoyed that story.

Goodnight!

Foo, Sia, and more.

So I am immensely enjoying the most recent release by a little band known as the Foo Fighters. It came out in September I think...so I'm a little late, but it happens. I heard one song I liked on it and immediately knew the entire album was worth buying. I probably should've known that even without hearing any of the tracks. I don't think they ever disappoint. Anyway, I highly recommend you check it out. You can listen to one of my favorites, "The Pretender," on their myspace. The song I initially loved from the album was "But, Honestly" and so far it is still my favorite. I haven't listened to the album the whole way through yet, so yeah. David Grohl is freakin awesome and so is the band. It's such a relief to buy an album that is completely and totally worth my $9.99. Such a rare delight.

In other randomness, Five Guys (the restaurant) seems to have a decent music playlist. I guess it's a cd or something that's constantly on rotation, but it's good. Today, the song called "Without Love" by Donna Lewis was playing. I'm sure you remember her and her hit song entitled "I Love You Always Forever" circa the sixth grade. "Without Love" is a really good track as well. I mean, who knew she had more than one good song?

On my myspace page, I have a song called "Numb" by Sia playing. Sia is yet another unique sound that has managed to emerge among the commonplace and mundane. You can listen to her music on iTunes, of course, or on her myspace. I don't really know any of the songs on her myspace, but "Breathe Me" is a good one and I think the video is somewhere on there.

So much good music, so little time! Right now I have a queue of songs to buy as I wait for my laptop to be back in commission. The stupid power cord broke. It's my second cord in like sixth months! Toshiba makes a good laptop, but not a good power cord to go with it. I've been listening to Pandora Radio a lot since I'm without iTunes (on my laptop), so I've found plenty of fabulous new songs there. I have a link to Pandora over to the right of this blog, but I'll explain it to you. You go to pandora.com, and enter the name of an artist you really like. Pandora finds songs that (are supposed to) sound very similar to the one you like. I've found that Pandora usually does a really good job. It's a good way to discover new music in the way of what genres/sounds you enjoy. And of course since it isn't music by that same artist, you get a little variation which can lead to new favorites, which can lead to more variations, and so on and so on. Obviously I am entirely too familiar with the process, but I love discovering music.