the talk :: currents.

image via weheartit

Making: a playlist for my good friend's due date (any day now!)
Cooking: tacos & all kinds of grilled things.
Drinking: water with lime left over from squeezing into guacamole.
Reading: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.
Wanting: good job prospects.
Playing: Aerosmith in the car, Stevie Nicks on my record player.
Wasting Time: watching old episodes of Laguna Beach.
Wishing: that there were more hours in the day.
Enjoying: nights at home with my roommate.
Liking: these warmer mornings with no chill in the air.
Wondering: is it time to finally get a credit card?
Loving: having a place to call home.
Hoping: that my best friends stay in my life forever.
Needing: to go grocery shopping. desperately.
Smelling: tulips for days!
Wearing: my daily uniform -- black pants, nice shirt, cardigan.
Following: a beautiful mess -- the black bean burger recipe!!
Noticing: that a little goodness goes a long way.
Knowing: my future will be fine no matter what. (must remember that.)
Thinking: i'm really lucky that i don't have to work nights.
Bookmarking: buzzfeed articles to send to my roommate later. 
Giggling: over Jimmy Fallon and his dancing panda.
Feeling: excited for my friend's baby to be born so soon!!

music monday :: alt-j

Today someone at the office asked me if I was all right, and when I said yes, proceeded to seriously ask me if I had a black eye. No, I just look that tired, I guess. A reminder to use my under eye concealer tomorrow. Happy Monday!

Anyway. Alt-J is an English indie band who I like for several reasons. 

1) They remind me of my "little sister" Jude, who is not my biological sister at all, but a sister in spirit nonetheless. She loves them.
2) Their name is actually a symbol, "∆", which can be typed on a Mac using the Alt + J keys together. Guitarist/bassist Gwil Sainsbury notes, “in mathematical equations it’s used to show change." (Clever.)
3) One member of the band, Gus, was an English Lit major like me!

They have an interesting sound. I'll admit they sound weird, and some people may not enjoy them. But I like what I hear most of the time... piano mixed with grit and half speaking, half singing. I think that's the beauty of them. They don't sound like anyone else, and they do have talent under the strange "not the norm" music. I'll let you be the judge, how about that?

friday favorites :: TGIF!

It's a mystery to me why we have stopped using the phrase TGIF... because really, I am so happy it's Friday.

Today has turned into an unexpectedly perfect day. The weather is typical spring, sunny but breezy jacket weather. I get to work from home today so I spent some time spinning a Fleetwood Mac record and sending out weekly reports in sweatpants. Then  I got a glorious phone call from my good friend Cait, who just bought a house in DC with her husband. We talked for a while and then decided I should just come over since I can work from anywhere and I have been dying to see her new place. So into DC I drove, and saw her gorgeous 1920's house with a porch swing and old school spiral staircase and a great big tree in the front yard. I am so happy they get to live here and raise their future children in such an awesome house. She is in the middle of painting all the walls and I am happily typing away. :)

Some favorites of this week:

- Potbelly coffee milkshakes
- Best friends reuniting
- Laughing to tears with my roommate
- Bad Lip Reading - the new Twilight one kills me! And the first Twilight.
- Beach Boys tunes ("Kokomo" always reminds me of my elementary school ballet class)
- Dashboard Confessional while driving with the windows down and screaming lyrics at the top of my lungs (perfect for a bad day haha)
- Open windows and tulips in my garden
- Messages from old friends
- A water main break that shut off our water for a night so we have tons of water bottles in our house, yay hydration!
- I got a surprise $10 off from my massage place because I referred a friend. Best piece of mail ever! Massage immediately scheduled for Sunday! Can't wait.
- Pedicures with my best friend. I always pick pinks... she convinced me to do a dark purple and I loooooove it.

Have a great weekend you guys!

journal day 10 :: what are you good at?

This week's Sometimes Sweet journal prompt got me thinking. Usually I have a quick answer to the below question... but I wanted to dig deeper. 

Quite simply, what are you good at? All of us have particular strengths- what are yours? This week, talk about these talents, big or small. Ideas: discuss how you use these things in your daily life or job, how you discovered a knack for this or that, perhaps even touch on whether or not you are passionate about the things you're good at.

I have always said I am good at two things: English (I was a Lit major at college) and music (I've been a musician since third grade). The rest of those school subjects can go right out the window ;) I am horrible at math, science is interesting but I could never pass chemistry class, history is cool but can be boring. I have always been excellent at spelling, grammar, and writing. I love it so much that I used to type pages of stories on my dad's typewriter before we had a computer. I also used to get in trouble for reading books in class in elementary school. The library was my favorite place. And I played flute for 10 years starting in third grade, ending with my senior year of high school before going to college and picking up guitar, singing, and recording. Today, I am happy to say that I use those two skills daily. I am the worship director at my church along with writing my own music. My professional job deals with publications, so that English degree didn't go to waste, dad! ;)

This question made me think about what I'm good at internally. I have been told by my roommate and others that I am a super loyal person. I think that's true... I care so much about my friends. I would do anything for them. I have always been a good listener. I enjoy hearing someone talk about life and if they need help, offering advice. If not, I like just being there for them. Everyone needs someone to trust, you know? 

The other side of the coin is this: what can I be better at? This is something I've been thinking about this week. I will never claim to be a perfect person, but in my head, I can be pretty hard on people when they make mistakes. (I know I do, too.) I'm one of those people who is just wired to be everywhere on time, to carefully plan, to never lose my keys or wallet or lock myself out of the house, etc. Real talk: It's hard for me to understand people who are more scatterbrained or don't think things through. My dear friend Sarah made me a piece of art for Christmas that says "You don't have to have it all together." I love it because it's such a good reminder for me, and a reminder to have more grace toward people who are my opposites.

What are you good at? Write a response and post the link on Sometimes Sweet in the comments of today's post!

what they wore :: atlantic pacific

For today's What They Wore, I wanted to share one of my favorite fashion blogs! I've been following this chick's fashion for a long while. She has amazing style and I find myself trying to find cheaper options of what she's wearing so I can be a copycat ;)

Introducing Blair Eadie of Atlantic Pacific (@blaireadiebee). Here are some of my favorites from her (all photos via the atlantic pacific blog):

My favorite Kate Spade dress worn as a top with a neon skirt thrown over the whole thing?! Bliss.

It's been a dream of mine to be able to wear a leather skirt and pull it off. She has given me some good ideas...

She does colorblocking so well. And it makes me want summer to get here immediately.

The classy casual! The ripped jeans! I can't even.

All of this. Every bit. 

Now go read her entire blog, all of you!

music monday :: new vinyl

In case you missed it, Record Store Day was this past Saturday! I had some very fortunate friends who were in Music City (the Nash) on that day, and I was jealous. But I went down to my local record shop and spent an hour or so combing the racks. Everyone was there fighting for new releases, but I went straight for the classics. Here's a recap of what I got & some fun facts:

U2 - War. Released in 1983, this album was the band's first number 1 album in the UK (it knocked out MJ's "Thriller"!)

The Clash - Combat Rock. Released in 1982, Kurt Cobain listed it in his top 50 albums of all time.

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits. I have a thing for Greatest Hits albums. There's just something about hearing all the goodness in one straight shot. My favorites are "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Mr. Tambourine Man."

The Doors - Greatest Hits. Give me all the Jim Morrison. They released this album in 1980 when the movie "Apocalypse Now" came out, which got a brand new age group hooked on their music. Smart move.

The Best of Blondie. The album cover was shot on a rooftop in Manhattan in 1978.

The Beatles - "In Abbey Road." This was one of my more expensive purchases, but I couldn't leave it. It has 14 previously unreleased tracks (as of 1983) and it says this on the back: "The record you're holding is the edited soundtrack of "The Beatles In Abbey Road" show that took place in London Abbey Road Studios from July 18th to September 11th 1983. This is a limited edition of 1,500 numbered copies for Beatles fan club members."

Elvis - As Recorded at Madison Square Garden. Oh, I am such a sucker for a live album. I loved being transported back in time to a place where people lived for this music. It's magic to me to hear the clapping and cheering of a different era. The record is Elvis' June 10th 1972 performance.

Bonnie Tyler - Faster Than the Speed of Night. Don't judge me ;) I had to get Bonnie because I go around the house singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" alllll the time. Just ask my roommate. I have a thing for the 80's, in case you couldn't tell.

Simon and Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence. Because... "The Sound of Silence." Forever obsessed with that track. Did you know that without the knowledge of Simon and Garfunkel, electric instruments and drums were overdubbed by Columbia Records staff producer Tom Wilson on June 15, 1965? I would have punched him in the face haha This new version was released as a single in September 1965. 

Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna. Stevie's my girl. I bet she never thought this album would blow up like it did. And I think it's cool that this record is also the first recording featuring her backing vocalists, Sharon Celani and Lori Perry, who still record and tour with Nicks today. That's an incredible gig.

Queen - A Night At The Opera. Gotta have Queen. With a title from a Marx brother's film and the most expensive record to be made at the time, it's always been something special. And Freddie Mercury wrote "Bohemian Rhapsody" on a phonebook.

The Lone Bellow - Self Titled. I treated myself to a new release with this one. I saw The Lone Bellow at an outdoor concert last summer when they were just getting popular. They have some awesome harmonies and I enjoy all of their tracks. Bluegrass-ish to a new level.

Death Cab for Cutie - The Open Door EP. I was excited to find a Death Cab album in the stacks! It was recorded during the "Narrow Stairs" times and released in 2009.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours. I like an album with a story, and this one was made during some band tension. There's bound to be some tension when you're on your 11th album. Note to self: divorce will not end well if you're both in the band. Somehow they surpassed all of the drama and Rumours won a Grammy.

And there you have it! I'm excited for some windows-open, record-spinning spring days.

friday favorites :: glass half full

Is anyone else so ready for the weekend? I know I am. Today I got up at 6, drove to work, paid for parking, got into my building (which was deserted), logged in to my computer, and got a phone call from my boss saying, "Oops, I should have called you yesterday, but I forgot. Our team is working from home." Which is why this post is titled "glass half full." My original reaction was to be pissed that I had paid for parking and gotten dressed and drove to work this morning. Then I realized I could just go home and work on my couch and that is a nice feeling. I'll take it. 

PS, here are two songs that woke me up as I was driving.

Opposite ends of the spectrum, but sometimes that's what it takes to stay awake! On to favorites!

1. This lunch with Brooke yesterday. After Chick-fil-A breakfast (a rare treat), we had nothing in her house for lunch. So we made cheddar omelets with avocado and split a Mike's Hard Peach Lemonade. PEACH! It was so amazing. And we watched Pitch Perfect while eating, so that was even better. (Ignore the weird lighting, the sun was being crazy.)

2. Black/floral dress, leather jacket, boots combo as talked about in Wednesday's post. I'm dying for the warm weather to come back so I can wear this again!

3. My new army jacket from H&M. I just got it in the mail yesterday... it must have sold out after I bought it because it's no longer available (similar image above via google). It was $30 instead of $70... I'm proud of that deal!

image via google

4. This stuff is great. I layer it on over lip primer or Burt's Bees lip balm (my current favorites are grapefruit and pomegranate). If you put on a lot at first it wears off, but leaves you with a light layer of pink. It's a nice burst of color for a weekend night out!

5. Marylanders - this CSA is awesome. You can customize what you get, and they have amounts that are just right for single people, not just families! They have a lot of different places to pick up, which is convenient. If you're looking for a CSA, see if this one fits the bill.

6. If you're in the Columbia, MD area... I bought this Living Social deal and I am so excited to relax! There are lots of others to choose from, too. Thank God for deals like these; they keep me sane!

7. Feel + Flourish's blog post on TEMPER rings was awesome. Check out this jewelry and their story!

8. White Oak Tavern in Ellicott City is delicious. Go check it out if you haven't already! It's good for so many things... date night, girl's night out, happy hour, friend or family gatherings. I miss Jilly's sometimes, but this is a good replacement :)

9. My right eye has been red and irritated lately, so I've been taking a break from my contacts and wearing my glasses. People rarely see me with them on so they've been getting a nice, nerdy surprise this week ;) Mine are from Bonlook... such a good company, and my glasses arrived in a box with confetti and a Dum Dum lollipop! Happiness.

10. Trader Joe's dark chocolate edamame is one of my favorite post-dinner snacks these days. Just enough to satisfy my need for chocolate, but not a full-blown dessert that will ruin my good eating habits! The only challenge is not eating the whole container at once!

Enjoy your weekend my loves! Until next week...

journal day 9 :: beauty

Today's journal is about the one thing women are constantly questioning. Anybody who says they have never had a thought on this subject is lying. :) 

How would you say your upbringing or background has shaped your idea of beauty? Were you taught to apply makeup or do you hair by your mother or friends? If not, where did you observe what is now your norm as far as beauty practices? And although most of us have been inundated by different cultural beauty "norms" via the media, would you say that television and magazines have had a strong impact on shaping what you think of as beautiful? This week, write about your idea of beauty- how your background has shaped it and what that means for you today.

Growing up, I remember I loved my mom's nails. She had this container of pink and red nail polishes in her bathroom closet, and I loved to raid it. I am a nail biter, so that's probably why... I knew I would never have her nice, long nails. And someone told me once that red nail polish makes short nails look even shorter, so there goes that dream. But other than that, I would say magazines shaped my idea of beauty at a young age. Not in a bad way, and not concerning weight or anything like that. I enjoyed teen magazines like any girl and the makeup was always my favorite thing to look at. Nobody taught me how to do my makeup that I can remember, but my mom's favorite brand was MAC, so she bought me that a lot. I wasn't obsessed with makeup or hair, but I admired a job well done in Teen People. 

Today, that background means that I go with the times, but I don't overdo anything. I am my own person. I follow trends, but not every single crazy thing. I enjoy makeup and finding the right ones for me is always fun. Simplicity is key. I don't believe in spending hours upon hours doing your hair and makeup, but I do believe in putting your best foot forward. After all, the world usually sees your face before they know anything about you. Beauty has so much to do with confidence, and not just a face full of makeup. I think if you present yourself confidently, makeup just enhances that. And I think that's the real meaning of "natural beauty."

what they wore :: my new spring favorite

Some of you read that I went to Florida in February. It was a glorious escape from this hellish East Coast winter (PS - it snowed again last night. Kill me). I had thrown some randoms in my suitcase like the miraculous packer that I am, and here's an outfit that emerged. I instantly fell in love, I can't wait to wear it again!

STEP 1: BLACK & FLORAL DRESS.

all above via forever21

STEP 2: LEATHER JACKET.

all above via H&M

STEP 3: ANKLE BOOTS.

above via nordstrom (1) and H&M (rest)

Put it all together and it's feminine-meets-edgy. Perfect for the spring season!

the talk :: dream set

If I could magically transport myself to a show with some of my favorite musicians and their brilliance, oh what a night that would be. And here's what they would play.

Perfect for a rainy day.

Also, new Needtobreathe today! Check that out for sure! I'll do a review later.

music monday :: the honey trees

Guys! So sorry I missed Friday's post. I really did have some favorites lined up for you! But the weekend was super busy... as you probably know by now, you will rarely find me sitting at home. Which means you also will not find me sitting at home blogging :) I try to get my blogging done right after work or super early in the morning, but things just got away from me last week. Forgiven? Okay, thanks. ♡

So, today I was at work. The harsh florescent lights were off because the people that usually flip them on obnoxiously when they come in were let go from the company (sorry about that, but I won't miss my eyes being burned every day without warning). It was dark (relatively, we have windows) and peaceful. Everyone was just quietly working and it was lovely. I thought to myself, "I need some music." I looked for my headphones and couldn't find them... I usually keep them in the back pocket of my purse but I had taken them out recently. I assumed I left them at home and was really sad. Then I decided to check again, and there they were! Headphones! Buried in the corner of the back pocket. Sad to happy in .5 seconds.

All of this leads to The Honey Trees.

image via google.

Here's the first thing I thought of when I was listening to this guy + girl duo. I was reminded of the sweet Priscilla Ahn (it's a good thing, listen to her too). It was dreamy, significant, and transported me even further into the calm zone of my dim-lit office without any of the stress. Their new album, Bright Fire, was just released last week and is the perfect relaxation record. Quiet tones, beautiful voices, no distractions. And a lot of obvious talent.

You can buy their album here! 

Also, my iPhone just told me I had an update for my Afterlight app. You know what it says the update is for? "Our good friends The Honey Trees have created a new Guest Filter called Bright Fire, named after their brand new album." I kid you not, THAT JUST HAPPENED. Timing is everything!

journal day 8

Do you ever have those nights where you stay up too late talking to your roommate and are exhausted the next day but don't regret it? Yeah, that's where I'm at right now. Thank you for existing, Dunkin iced coffee. (I took a break from my usual blueberry and it's coconut today!)

On to the journaling! This is #8 from Danielle for the week. And it's a good one.

Would you consider yourself a religious person? Quite simply- what do you believe happens when you die? Have you always believed this? Do your current beliefs align with what you were taught as a child? And if not, what was the turning point? This week, talk about your religion or spiritual beliefs (or perhaps your lack of), and try to sum up, if you can, what you believe happens "next."

This is a question I'm excited to write about. First, let me preface by saying that this blog is a space that does not focus primarily on my beliefs, but my beliefs are a very big part of me.  All opinions are my own and are not intended to offend anyone. Let's keep an open mind, friends... I do the same for you!

I do consider myself to be a "religious person"; however, I hate the term "religious person." ;) I think that there is a very negative connotation associated with the word "religious." I am a Christian, and Lord knows that people have labeled themselves as such and ruined things for the rest of us. People like Westboro Baptist Church, people who are mentally disturbed and commit crimes in the name of Jesus, people who just make huge mistakes. But before I go further, let me explain exactly what I believe.

▲ I am a non-denominational Christian.
▲ I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior who died on the cross for my sins and is the way, truth, and life, and the only way we get into heaven is by following Him.
▲ I believe in the Bible.
▲ I believe in faith and prayer.
▲ I believe in tolerance for all people. I do not believe in treating people badly if they don't think the same way I do or do not share my beliefs. I believe in keeping an open mind.
▲ I believe that Jesus wants us to help make this world better, not worse.

Technically, I have always been part of the Christian faith. I was raised in a Presbyterian church by my parents. I spent 19 years going to the same church before I went off to college. What was different about those years of my life was that I hated it. I absolutely hated getting up every Sunday morning to be dragged to church, to listen to a boring pastor and being forced to hang out with the kids in my church classes. I didn't like going at all. I didn't get anything out of it except knowing what I was expected to believe. 

I turned into an angry teenager regarding some stuff going on in my home life; my parents got divorced, my mom had anger issues, my dad wasn't super outwardly loving. To top it off, my family was part of a "scandal" (for lack of a better word) within my church, and I still had to keep going there. Basically, I wasn't the happiest kid. I had a good group of friends, though, and am still thankful to this day that I never got into drinking or drugs at a young age. I think I totally could have, but I was shielded from that. Instead, I was just angry. I had a mouth like a sailor and my parents were constantly threatening to take privileges away from me because of it. 

Fast forward to going away to college. I was so happy I didn't have to get up for church every morning, for one thing. That was great. :) I was rooming with a friend from high school, and instead of getting placed in the usual freshman dorms, we were placed in two open slots in the upper classmen housing, the on-campus apartments. This was pretty unheard of, but we came in during the spring semester and two girls had moved out to transfer. So we were living with some junior and senior girls, one of which was Tif. She was a Christian (the only one in the apartment). After we became friends, she started taking me to the on-campus ministry Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru). At first I didn't want to go because I felt that being raised in church did nothing for me. But this place was different. It had better music and better people speaking. They made it fun. It was nothing like the dry, boring church environment I'd grown up with. I found myself actually paying attention for the first time in years, and I wanted to go back. I started meeting more people there and eventually they became my best friends. I had a lot of deep conversations (thanks, Lauren!) and searched my heart for what I really believed, and I knew that God had a place in my life and I couldn't run from that. From the first time I went to Cru until I graduated, I didn't miss a meeting. I ended up joining the worship team, first to run sound and later to sing. I am now the worship director at my church and the only reason I got to where I am is because of that experience.

This was another way I believe God worked: Tif also had a guitar that she let me mess around with. I had wanted a guitar when I was fifteen but my dad wouldn't get me one. I started teaching myself how to play on her's, then bought my own for $100 on eBay. After that, I was hooked. I taught myself everything I know today and I can't even begin to credit that to my own doing. I do believe it was God looking out for me and saying, "Hey, I know you had to grow up in the middle of something you didn't get. But I'm giving you a way to get it now. And you are going to be blessed by it." Cru changed my life in that it gave me the best friends I still have today, I developed new music skills that are everything to me, and I found the real meaning of Jesus in my life.

Like I said in the beginning of this post, there are people who call themselves Christians and make complete fools out of the rest of us. I am the first to say I totally understand why people are atheists or questioning. Honestly, if I hadn't grown up in church, I don't know that I would understand anything about God. But I know this now: God loves us all; we are all sinners and hypocrites because we are human; Christians are not "better" than anyone else; and there is no better example of Jesus than kindness and tolerance in today's world. I am all about standing up for what I believe in, but I will not look down on you if you don't agree. I think more Christians need to take on this mentality. Faith is a choice. You have to wake up every day wanting to give it a chance, to learn and grow, to accept and love those around you. And when it comes to putting your faith in God, I really don't think there is anything to lose. I think there is only something to gain.

I posted about the issue of tolerance here a couple of weeks ago if you have any interest in reading about that. :) Have a great Thursday, you guys!

the talk :: eisley weekend

Something very exciting happened last weekend. I took my "sisters" Amanda and Larissa to the Eisley show in DC for Amanda's birthday. The first time we saw them was all together three or four years ago, so it was really special to do it again. (Not to mention we had Ben's Chili Bowl for dinner... and milkshakes after. Mmm.)

There are so many reasons why this was one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. For one thing, it was in a small venue (U Street Music Hall) but it wasn't overcrowded. Eisley has a pretty big following and they haven't toured in a long while, so I thought for sure it would be super packed. We got there after the opener (I'll get to that in a second), and we found ourselves up front without a fight. I felt like the crowd was just kind of... hanging out. That's pretty rare for a show. Anyway, everyone had a great view no matter where they were.

It was amazing to see the girls play again, especially being moms and touring with all their babies! One of my favorite parts of the show was Chauntelle singing lead on a song, and her husband brought their baby out to watch her right next to us. Their little girl kept pointing to her mom on stage and smiling. What an amazing way to grow up! Not to mention they all have their own side projects (Sucré, Perma, Rising Fawn). That's a huge responsibility... props to them. They really have the coolest dynamic going on. They grew up playing music together as sisters with their brother and cousin, the girls all married musicians, they all had babies around the same time, and they continue to stick together, write, sing, and leave a legacy.

I promised I would talk about the opener: The youngest brother and sister of the DuPree family, Christie and Collin, are Merriment. I had heard they were working on some music and their debut album, "Sway," came out today! There is no lack of talent in this family, let me tell you. It just keeps getting better and better. There is never any disappointment where their albums are concerned. They all have an incredible talent for writing, unique vocals, and passion for what they do.

It was a very good night. And you can stream "Sway" here... and then buy it because you'll love it so much.

music monday :: the war on drugs

photo via google

Happy rainy Monday, friends. Rain like this calls for some good music (while inside and warm and not at work), am I right? 

The dudes of The War on Drugs hail from Philly. Not so far away that I can't call them my own :) They have a hazy, dreamy, sound that makes me fall in love with them every time. Exhibit A:

They go back and forth between upbeat rock and slower, contemplative songs. Something for everyone, I say! Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to a band from the 80's when I hear them, too...

And they have some lovely Bob Dylan-esque things going on:

At least, I think so. But you can be the judge! My friend Emily saw them in San Fran this past weekend, and I was jealous. They're coming to me later this month, but it's sold out. Next time around!

Hope you had a lovely weekend!