Baby, I'm Coming Home

The New Year is rolling around and despite my resistance to make a resolution for the past few years, I'm trying to decide on a few for 2013. Currently those weighing most on my mind are drawing in my sketchbook more (maybe a 365 challenge) and creating a more organized plan for my posting.

2013 is a big year for me! I'm graduating from The University of Findlay with my first degree. I am applying to MFA programs at The University of Texas, KingstonUniversity, The University of Oregon, Washington State University, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, The University of Colorado, and East Tennessee State University. There are a few more locations I am looking at but am up in the air about applying to a total of 9 masters programs.

There are so many ifs and buts floating around my head right now. What can I do but tackle each day that comes one at a time? I could be bogged down about the shear amount of work I have before me, but I'm excited about what all of that work means for me: new experiences!

In light of all this newness … here are some wonderful tracks to listen to as a reminder of the year on its way as you scroll through my roundup of Crafts I want to try from my Pinterest account.

White Winter Hymnal

Fleet Foxes

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve

EllaFitzgerald

Soon or Never

PunchBrothers

The New Year

DeathCab for Cutie

Here We Go Again

RayCharles featuring Norah Jones

Auld Lang Syne

TheCast

Travel Corkboard, found on Life Blessons

Sequin Wall, found on Oh Happy Day

Sesil Coasters, by The Space Between

Wine Cork rug from Crafty Nest

Organic Art by Paul Schick on Greige

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Summer {Music} Lovin'

I went through a lot of music this summer. A lot more than I can probably recollect. But I guess that's what happens when you constantly look for more music and buy albums. Here are some albums I bought and played the hell out of. There are several more artists I wanted to buy but music's expensive! Not as expensive as art though haha. I know not all of these are the newest, but good music isn't always the most recent (actually, it normally isn't)

Florence + The Machine's Ceremonials

Tegan and Sara's The Con

Maroon 5's Hands All Over

Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues

The Decemberists' The King Is Dead

Norah Jones' Little Broken Hearts

Neko Case's Middle Cyclone

St Vincent's Strange Mercy

Kimbra's Vows

And these are probably my favorite songs from each album:

Trying to pick up the pace, trying to make it so I never see your face again. Time to throw this away want to make sure that you never waste my time again.

Norah Jones – Happy Pills

Refuge Between the Notes

All I have for y'all today is some music. Sometimes music is all I have.

I like to listen to what I call Epic Music . . . and Airy Music . . . my idea is that I want to listen to the stuff that if ever a film was made about my life, THIS would be the soundtrack. I also say that my music is so epic you have to roll the windows down.

Here's a very small sample.

Quote about music: Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. - Maya Angelou

If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On.

Music. It's such an awesome of a concept that it can stand on its own. I have met a lot of people in my life who say they love music, but few actually mean it. I am passionate about my music: I like it to build me up and to break my heart. If I can't feel some real emotion in the voice of the singer, they may as well not open their mouth. If I can't hear real passion in the guitar, they should have never strummed or plucked. Same goes with any other instrument. I also can't stand to go see live music where the whole group just looks bored with themselves. If you're bored with your music, what do you expect me to be? I can go watch a violist in the Toledo Symphony Orchestra with more vigor and passion.

I can honestly say that I listen to all music. Every type. I will admit though that I go through phases of what types I obsess over. I also know music dating back far before my arrival in this world, lost music (and otherwise), most of which could have stayed lost and no one would have cared. I remember several road trips with my mom where we sang The Carpenters songs, and listening to Aerosmith, Sheryl Crow and Jewel when I was little. In high school I went through an Outkast, Kanye, Alicia Keys and Beyonce phase. Currently I listen to Neko Case, Fleet Foxes, MirandaLambert . . just to name a few.

Today, however, I would like to share a few of my favorite jazz/blues songs. I love Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and even though I don't listen to much of the instrumental pieces, I really enjoy the whole experience a jazz work can give you.

Oh, and who doesn't LOVE jazz drums!? Sometimes I like a song just for the drums. Check out these songs and let me know what you think. What kind of music are you listening to these days?