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. :)

be careful what you wish for

So, I am a big fan of Baggus. They are GREAT bags in general, I use them for grocery shopping, since they fold up into tiny little pouches...easy to carry around, and they hold a ton of groceries or whatever else it is you are buying. Plus they come in a million awesome colors. Well, I follow them on Facebook because they are always doing giveaways, and I can always use another bag. Today I was thrilled to see that their status announced a giveaway of 50 pouches to anyone who left a comment & emailed their mailing address. I mean, I was thinking WOO [possibly] a free Baggu! Of course, I immediately sent them my info.

Then I got to thinking.

What exactly IS the pouch they were referring to? They make all different size bags, zipper pouches etc, so I figured it was one of the above. I merely glanced at the announcement before sending my info, so I figured I'd head over to their website to find out exactly what kind of "pouch" I was getting. It makes perfect sense, but they apparently have an overstock of the little pocket pouches that you fold your Baggu INTO. It gets better. They weren't giving them away to the first 50 commenters, they are sending 50 to each person. So within a week, I will be the proud owner of 50 multi colored Baggu pouches. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not complaining. They will serve a good purpose in being cute little pocket things I can put random crap in. But after this, if my purse is not semi organized with 50 Baggu pouches at my disposal, I think I am beyond saving.

back to blogging, and back to the 90's

After another 5 month hiatus, I'm back! Determined to keep hiatuses down to a couple weeks max from now on. I have been doing the tumblr thing as of late, and have found this to be a most excellent source of finding new (or rediscovering old) music. Music, shoes, and everything sparkly and Tori Amos about sums up my daily tumblr feed.

In the world of music, I have recently been on a huge Pearl Jam kick. Not sure I would have considered myself a fan (based on not even owning a full album) until now. I credit "Elderly Woman Behind a Counter in a Small Town" with turning me into one. I'm not gonna lie, at first I didn't even like the original version. I first heard Charlotte Martin's ah-mazing cover of the song, but after a few listens I fell in love with the original as well. The original usually eclipses the cover eventually, because it's, well, the original. Still working on adding to my Pearl Jam collection, but right now I would have to say my two absolute favorites are "Nothingman," and "Jeremy." I know the latter is one of their chart toppers, but I can't get over how crazy the message is and the uncanny-ness of everything that happened in years after. I have watched this live performance of the song about 100 times in the past week. Moving along.

Sidenote: Has anyone ever heard a comparison made between Eddie Vedder and Mac Powell? I seem to recall someone comparing them before. I guess I have to admit I hear a slight similarity in the tone of their voices, but Eddie Vedder > Mac Powell times a thousand. I have never liked Mac Powell's voice, but I would have come to that conclusion either way.

I've decided there are lots of decades I would preferred to have lived in for the sake of the music that was around. Don't know that anything can take the place of spot #1 which would go to the years that Pink Floyd was in its prime. The 90's gets a pretty high spot on the list though (obviously I was already born then, but you know what I mean). I was elementary school age during the early 90's, and might like to revisit it as someone age 18 or 19 ish, or whatever age it is when you start really appreciating music.

As seen on a comment on a youtube video (Pearl Jam performing Jeremy live), the early 90's may have been the "last years that music was considerable." Does that even make sense? I think I know what the guy is trying to say. And frankly, early 90's music is quickly becoming my most favorite genre to listen to. I'm starting to see it as a peak before it all took a turn for the worst. Kind of like a drug habit. Seven years in rehab, you're doing great then you crash. Early 90's would be the "doing great" run. Thoughts?

Whatever the case may be, you can bet that at any given afternoon in the near future, I'll probably be listening to some mix of Pearl Jam, Oasis, The Cranberries, Lisa Loeb, etc. and enjoying every minute of it.

new

Happy May! As routine as everything else is in my life right now, you would think I could make a habit of writing something more than once every two months. Oh well. My creativity & ability to write about anything of interest is obviously lacking, seeing as how the best title I could come up with for this was "new."

But new applies to a lot of things. There is...new music I've been listening to, we will get to that. And it's spring, which means everything is new-ish. Right?

This new music I speak of is mostly Greg Laswell's new album, Take a Bow. (He had me at his slow, meaningful rendition of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." Just a guy and his piano singing that song. It's worth checking out, and it gives the song a whole new meaning.) I absolutely love the new album. I'm not gonna lie, a lot of his songs are quite depressing (depressing in a break-up kind of way). But I appreciate it when people have a take on love that isn't sugary coated cupcakes with three layers of chocolate icing on top and sprinkles. Unfortunately, that's not reality. And I think Greg Laswell has the ability to write raw and simple (but amazing) lyrics that I would think most people could relate to. And the music is so laid back. I'm a sucker for the piano, which also helps. But I love listening to his music in the car with my windows rolled down, or just in my room when I'm trying to wind down. So, I highly recommend you check out his music. Any of it. I think (or, well, I know) I've written about Greg Laswell before, so I'm sorry if you've heard any of this before.

That's really all I have on the music agenda. Along with this whole new-things-in-spring topic, I have set a new goal for myself (God help me): running a half marathon in October. SCARY. I don't think there is a bigger struggle for me than getting out of bed to run before work. The only part of the day I actually like is after 5pm. I don't really want to add to the earlier half of the day if at all possible. Of course, my mom's response to this is "but eventually, you will love getting up at 6am and running!" ...yeah, um, still not getting that. So this brings me to a question...does anyone reading this do their working out and/or running AFTER work? Is it still enjoyable? Does it work, or is it impossibly hard to muster up the energy? I just don't see the whole waking-up-earlier thing working out for me.

Quick and random change of subject - can't believe I almost completely forgot to mention this - I saw Wicked for the first time this weekend! Love love loved it!!!! In general, actors & actresses in musicals never cease to amaze me. I have never seen a show and not been blown away by the vocal talent of every performer. Wicked, specifically, was so much fun to see - especially since it's tied into The Wizard of Oz. The music was fantastic, it was visually awesome, and I will go see it again in a heartbeat when and if I have the chance.

So, part of this whole running thing means going to bed before midnight. I do have other things floating around in my head that may eventually make it here...hopefully before August.

Robyn resurfacing (part 2)

So, a few years back, I wrote a post about Robyn and how she was resurfacing in the pop world. Or the pop world here, rather. She never really faded out in Europe. Anyway, I have continued to keep up with her as I looooove her music and she is at it again. Her new single is called "Fembot" and can be heard here. Homegirl is leaps and bounds ahead of what the Beyonces and Christina Aguilera's are doing (or trying to do). She's on her own record label, the creativity juices seem to be flowing with no limits, and I could seriously listen to her new single probably ten times a day and not get tired of it...along with "Change of Heart" (also featured on her myspace page).

I still don't understand why she disappeared from the map here in the United States. I guess when her music & style evolved, we couldn't handle the change here. Not surprising. I find it ironic that she did back up vocals for Britney Spears on "Piece of Me," which = the back up singer being ten times better than the main act. Although that probably happens quite often.

Still can't get enough of her self-entitled album with tracks like "Be Mine!" and "Who's That Girl"...can't wait for the new one to come out!!! If she's fallen off your map, I'd say she is worth giving a second listen.

a new hobby.

Second only to my obsession with music would be purses...bags of any kind, really. Cute, reusable shopping bags? Can't resist buying them. Totes? Clutches? Overnight bags? I'm pretty much obsessed with buying any form of bag you can think of. I think my love of purses has surpassed my love of shoes. Maybe.

So this brings me to my new hobby - being a Thirty-One Gifts consultant. In all honesty, I never really saw myself doing something like this. But after going to a Thirty-One party a couple weeks ago, I loved their stuff so much I just felt like it would be something enjoyable for me to do.

So far, I own the skirt purse, large utility tote, boardwalk bag, thermal tote, along with a few other items. The skirt purse is my favorite so far (seen in the picture) - it's really a great size. It's small compared to what I usually carry, but it's bigger than it looks. I still have plenty of room for everything - my (big-sized) wallet, blackberry, ipods (I carry two), small makeup bag, and more. AND, best thing about it is the skirt! I've seen skirt purses before (one purse with interchangeable "skirts" you can buy to change the look), but was never impressed. Most of the ones I had seen were obvious - you could seek all the hooks around the purse and I didn't like that. With the Thirty-One skirt purse, the hooks are completely hidden, so it looks like the skirt is the actual purse. And, of course, they have plenty of really cute different skirts to choose from.

Moving along. You can see the entire catalog here. And then you can make an order directly on my site - www.mythirtyone.com/aubreyb. :) Almost all the items can be embroidered, so they make wonderful gifts for any occasion...birthdays, babies, great for bridesmaids, Christmas, etc. I will say that they have a lot of really great things for mommies. I think one of their bags has enough pockets for six sippy cups or something crazy like that (that could be an exaggeration, but trust me it was a lot). However, not being a mommy, I can say that a lot of the same items are great for just being organized.

As a consultant, I also facilitate parties. They do *not* have to be in-home parties, so realistically I could do a party for you if you lived three states away (a web party or catalog party). There are several benefits to hosting a party...discounts, free stuff, all those good things. And most importantly, it's fun.

I'm hoping this endeavor goes in a good direction, and whatever happens, I can at least say I tried. And it was a wonderful excuse to purchase large quantities of great purses and bags all at once!!! In all seriousness, feel free to leave a comment here with your email address if you have any questions, or email me at a.l.bumgarner@gmail.com. I'll be happy to answer!

recent jamz

Since I really have nothing to say, I shall make a list. Here's what I'm currently listening to:

1. The Fear - Lily Allen. Before hearing this song, I only knew who she was from Perez Hilton (I know, you're probably thinking "really?"). From what I gather, she's pretty messed up, in an Amy Winehouse sort of way. Love this song though. Found it via Pandora (Imogen Heap radio). I have discovered the joy of listening to Pandora more on my blackberry in my car...woo!

2. Glittering Clouds (Locusts) - Imogen Heap. Again, thank you Pandora! I love Imogen and I'm surprised I hadn't heard this one. It was featured on a compilation called Plague Songs. Very interesting concept. The album is made up of 10 songs, each representing a Biblical plague from the book of Exodus. Kind of cool, but also very weird. Imogen never disappoints though.

3. Who Is It (Carry My Joy On the Left, Carry My Pain On the Right) - Björk. Although I proclaim to be a huge fan of Björk, I'm mostly just a fan of her old stuff. This song is from her album entitled Medúlla which was released in 2004. Not really "new," but newer than say Debut. Anyway. I'm loving this song, specifically the beat box rhythm she uses in the background for the whole track. And it's quite upbeat - similar in mood to "Alarm Call," another great track of her's that is worth listening to.

4. I Can't Love You Now - Sarah Jarosz. This girl is the missing link I have been searching for since Nickel Creek stopped recording. Only seventeen years old, plays the mandolin, and writes great songs. I can't stop listening to this one in particular. Along with the rest of the album (Song Up In Her Head).

5. Edge of a Dream - Sarah Jarosz. See above.

6. In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel. I love a lot of Peter Gabriel's music, and I could probably always list this song as being "currently played." In my book, it's one of the best songs ever. My love for this song was recently rekindled after watching the movie "Say Anything...". OMG. I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I always figured it had to be good if it featured this song, but I hadn't seen the movie until a few months ago. The first time I watched it, I kind of felt like, meh. I'm not a huge fan of Ione Sky (who plays the lead female role of Diane), but John Cusack is wonderful. And it's such a great story. Simple, but great. And after visiting Best Buy yesterday, I now own the dvd. yay! I'm watching the Olympics right now, and seriously, someone should ice skate to this if they haven't already.

7. Live in Las Vegas - Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds. So, I probably have five different live versions of most songs on this album, but you can't go wrong with this combination. And the $15 iTunes gift card I had was burning a hole in my pocket.

On an unrelated note, I hope you all had a fantastic Valentine's Day. Ross & I were completely cheesy and saw the movie - "Valentine's Day," in case you are missing that - ON Valentine's Day (yes, we were one of those people). There were a couple endings that I didn't see coming and I thought were kind of awkward, but overall it was pretty good. Taylor Swift's character was actually pretty funny and she did a good job, as did the rest of the cast. I really just had a hard time picturing Bradley Cooper in the role he ended with...? I will end this now and say no more in case any of you are dying of suspense and don't want me to ruin the ending. HAH.

And I guess I had more to say than I originally thought.

All is Full of Love

In honor of Valentine's Day, and in honor of the fact that I love Björk & this is one of her best live performances, I give you:



I consider Björk to be one of the most innovative artists of my lifetime. And this is probably one of her best songs, for the message if anything. Her music is definitely an acquired taste, but there's no denying that she is out of this world on the creativity charts.

Mindy Smith

Well, here lately I've gone from a Björk kick to a Mindy Smith kick...I know. That's like going from orange juice to supreme pizza with pickles. What can I say? I like to keep the variety going. I may return to Björk later.

I first heard Mindy Smith when she opened for Nickel Creek at ASU. Such a great show. Mindy Smith is fantastic. She has a tone for country/bluegrass that can't be learned. Kind of like Alison Krauss in the sense that there's no way you could ever practice for getting that vocal sound. You either have it or you don't.

She combines the themes of religion, love, and self-discovery in her songs and it's all really heartfelt. A straight-from-the-heart-to-the-page kind of thing. Love it. I wouldn't classify her as country or bluegrass. Somewhere inbetween, but more on the country side. Worth listening to however you choose to look at it though. Also, her cover of "Jolene" (featuring Dolly Parton) is really good if you like that song.

Recently I discovered this song of her's called "Peace of Mind" - a new favorite for sure. Favorite enough for me to post the lyrics...but you don't get half the meaning out of them compared to when you hear the actual song. It's one of the prettiest songs I've heard in a while I think. So I'll leave you with that.

I need peace of mind and a hopeful heart

to lose this rage and move out of the dark

I ain't lookin for rainbows or shooting stars,

just some peace of mind and a hopeful heart

I need peace of mind and a lullaby

cause there's an angry voice in my head tonight

telling me to do things that can't be right

I need peace of mind and a lullaby

And a miracle for this broken soul,

a little miracle for this broken soul

I need peace of mind and a gentle hand

as I try to change the way I am

and hope God forgives me when I can't

I need peace of mind and a gentle hand

or a miracle for this broken soul,

a little miracle for this broken soul

I need peace of mind and a hopeful heart

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.