Holiday Road

Chris and I are leaving Statesboro tonight for his parents' house in North Georgia.

Here's hoping you have safe journeys on the "holiday road" this weekend.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.

xoxo

The Joys of Retail

I received this phone call at work yesterday:

Me: "Bellies & Babies, this is Katie."
Lady: (very quietly) "Ummm.... I was just wondering.... I was in there last week......."
Me: "Mmm Hmm?"
Lady: "And I was just wondering..... do you still have that dress?"
Me: "Um... was it children's or maternity?"
Lady: "It was real pretty and it had blue flowers on it."
Me: "Do you know what brand it was?"
Lady: "It was blue."

xoxo

PS... More adventures in retail here.

Cover Me Mondays: Pink Moon

What a lovely, lovely song. I could listen to Nick Drake's voice forever.

Nick Drake, 1972:

Beck, 2005:

xoxo

Snow, weddings, football and weird dreams.

Yesterday, on our way home from Chris' parents' house (which is in the North Georgia mountains) we got SNOWED ON. It was so pretty. And COLD! It didn't stick to anything, but it was snowing just the same. I wish I'd thought to snap a picture.

Also, I thought I'd share that my Sister-in-law Emily (but I like to just call her my Sister) got engaged on Thanksgiving to a great guy named Tyler. Here's a picture I'm stealing from facebook:

That's the actual proposal! Aren't they precious? I love them. AND I'm going to be a bridesmaid! And Chris is going to be a groomsman! I couldn't be more excited about this wedding! Emily was there every single step of the way for our wedding. I mean, I wouldn't have found a dress without her! So we're really looking forward to returning the favor.

In other really exciting news, Georgia Southern won yet another playoff game on Saturday (my Birthday). We beat Wofford 23-20! This means the team will go to Delaware next Saturday and if we win there, it's off to the National Championship for us! It's very exciting. We take our football very seriously here in Statesboro.

And now I thought I'd share my really weird dream from last night. Let's start with some background info:
1. On the Georgia Southern campus, there is a central grassy area called "Sweetheart Circle."
2. When I lived in a house on Marvin Ave., the five of us girls used to pack up some food and blankets and have picnics out in the grass. We called them "Sweetheart Circle Picnics."
3. Emily made a Red Velvet Cake for this weekend, from my Grandmother's recipe. It was delicious.
4. I've been re-listening to my Coconut Records albums alot lately, wishing for a new one soon.
5. I watch Doctor Who. And I'm kind of obsessed with it. I just re-watched series 1 & 2, and I'm halfway through 3.
6. There is a new UK version of Law & Order that comes on BBC America... starring Freema Agyeman, who played Martha Jones in series 3 of Doctor Who.

So, last night I dreamed that I was having a Sweetheart Circle Picnic with Jason Schwartzman. There was a basket and quilt and everything. We were eating the Red Velvet cake Emily made for Christmas. And he was performing the new (non-existent) Coconut Records album for me while I ate. And then I heard the TARDIS noise and after it had appeared, out popped the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith's version), who asked me if I'd seen Martha Jones. I told him, "She's not Martha now. She's on Law & Order." Jason Schwartzman says, "That's a pretty good show." Then I woke up. Talk about a surreal dream. I think it was the cough medicine I took just before I went to bed.

What's the weirdest dream you've ever had?

xoxo

26 Before 27

Here are my goals this year:

1. Redesign my blog.
2. Go on a spontaneous roadtrip.
3. Grow out my hair. Only trims this year!
4. Get a new job!
5. Date night with Chris once a month. (This means a movie/show/dinner. Not fast food at the apartment!)
6. Find a new livingroom chair!
7. Do a better job of remembering Birthdays and sending great gifts.
8. Go down at least two dress sizes.
9. Take at least one picture every single day. Document it.

(Cell pic rom yesterday. We were packing to go to the in-laws' house and Lemon wanted to make sure we didn't forget to pack her.)

10. Get back to blogging each day.
11. Call a friend at least once a week.
12. Mixtape every month! I did it last year, I can do it again!
13. Go to a concert.
14. Legally change my name.
I was born Stephanie Kathryn. But I've always been called 'Katie.' When we got married, I assumed I could drop my first name on my Social Security card, keep my maiden name and add my new last name. I was wrong. I have to appear before a judge and pay an exorbitant fee and legally have my name changed. The notice even has to run in the local paper for four weeks. I find this whole thing to be ridiculous.
15. Make homemade jam.
16. Get tipsy more often. (I tend to be a little tightly wound sometimes. I should let go more often.)
17. Write at least 10 letters. On paper. And send them!
18. Put together a recipe book of family recipes.
19. Sleep in a tent under the stars.
20. Read a classic novel. Or three.
21. Give up something for Lent.
22. Finish my Long Distance Quilt. It needs to be done.
23. Enter something crafty in the Fair.
24. Stand on top of a mountain. Take a picture.
25. Start collecting t-shirts from St. Simons for a t-shirt quilt.
26. Purchase a piece of vintage furniture.

Let's see how I do this year.

xoxo

Last Year

It's that time. Time to review my 25 before 26 list one last time.
Let's see how much of my list from last year I got accomplished before I post this year's.....

1. Buy a sofa. YES!
   
2. Make a headboard. No, but we did paint the bedroom and hang my embroidered heart above it.
   
3. Open an Etsy shop. No..... it's going to happen, but I'm not going to put it on a list. It'll happen when it happens.
   
4. Start a record collection (and buy a record player). Oh yeah! We have tons of records now!
   
5. Finish LDQ & Arrows quilts (and make another!) No.... I'm putting this on list for next year again.
   
6. Find a great rug for the living room. Well, no... but right now, our livingroom doesn't really need it.
   
7. Camping on Cumberland. Take a picture of a wild horse. Sigh.... another no.
   
8. Make health a priority. Yes. Did this.... and I'm pretty proud of my progress.
   
9. Bake a Red Velvet cake. I never did this. I did, however, get a copy of my Grandmother's recipe.
   
10. Make a 17 song mixtape playlist for every month. YES! Well, every month but October, but I'm calling it a win anyway!
    
11. Write a letter every week. Ha. No.
    
12. Read 20 books that aren't Twilight or Harry Potter. I read 10 Sookie Stackhouse novels... and one or two others. Does that count?
    
13. Sew something wearable. I did... I'm not crazy about the dress I made, but I made it anyway.
    
14. Fill the pages of a sketchbook. Aaaaaalmost.
    
15. Mail 5 care packages for no reason. Yep.
    
16. Go to a state I've never been to. I'd never been to Virginia. Now I have.
    
17. Make a painting and hang it in our apartment. Yes. Although it's not up right now due to Christmas decorations.
    
18. Design a website. No.... redesigned my blog a few times, but no website as such.
    
19. Watch 5 movies in theaters. Yes. I even went to a movie by myself once.
    
20. Get a really great haircut. I did, and I loved my bob. But now it's time for another change.
    
21. Drink a bottle of wine worth more than $20. Yep. Well.... we spent $75 at the wine store.... I say that counts.
    
22. give at least 1 trash bag of clothes to Goodwill. I think I gave 3 or 4.
    
23. Buy Chris something he'd never buy for himself. I did. But it's his Christmas present, so shhhhhhh!!
    
24. Eat a whole lobster. No.... had a few claws about a month back, though.
    
25. Make business cards for myself. Yes, but I'm thinking of making new ones.
    

New list will be up soon!
xoxo

This Antelope Is Yours

In my defense, I had the mix ready last night at 11:00. Then I found out that 8tracks has gotten rid of their "network tracks" which meant I had to upload ALL of them. Took forever! But nonetheless, it's here now! May I present.....


...This Antelope Is Yours! Hopefully this will get you (and me) through the holidays.

DOWNLOAD HERE!

Tracklist:

1. Rilo Kiley / The Frug
2. Darwin Deez / Radar Detector
3. Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas / Bad to Me
4. Paul Simon / Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
5. Coconut Records / Nighttiming
6. Feist / I Feel It All
7. Bombay Bicycle Club / Always Like This
8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! / Satan Said Dance
9. Hey Marseilles / Rio
10. Neutral Milk Hotel / Holland, 1945
11. The Shins / So Says I
12. Beck / Gamma Ray
13. Okkervil River / Unless It's Kicks
14. The Flaming Lips / Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Part 1
15. Chris Merritt / Sugar
16. The Head and the Heart / Ghosts
17. Sufjan Stevens / Decatur, Or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!

As for the image on the cover (and the title, for that matter) it was a shot I found going through our pictures from Washington D.C. from the summer. It was taken at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum... hence, the antelopes being "yours." Really, I just thought it was a nice image with pretty colors, so I used it.


Listen on 8Tracks:

Enjoy the music!
xoxo

PS to Citymouse: I just couldn't make Morcheeba fit. I tried and tried. :( Next month?

It'll be a little late, but I'm working on December's mixtape now. Tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a preview:

Deez is the man. Word.
xoxo

Free Font Friday

Who loves free fonts? ME! And hopefully, YOU! Here are 5 free ones from MyFonts.com.

Budmo

Arca Dash

Duality

Lesser Concern

Home Sweet Home

And here's a little bonus on account of it being Harry Potter day and all:

Harry P, from Dafont.com

xoxo

Harry Potter and the Extremely Tired Katie

Okay, so it's been over a week. Oops.

Last night, Jessica and I did this:

I laughed. I cried. I yawned a lot.... but that had nothing to do with the movie. I was just really sleepy at 3am.
I'm going to be super tired today for our trip to Furman (our biggest football rival, in Greenville, SC). Chris says I can sleep in the car.
But you should know: Harry Potter is always worth it.
If you weren't one of the crazies at the theater last night at midnight, you should go see it ASAP. Like now. Seriously... go.

xoxo

PS... I think there may be some free fonts coming up in a bit (since it's Friday and all). We'll see.

Whose house? Our house.

This is what we did with our Saturday afternoon:

I don't usually post about football games (or any kind of sports at all), but we are Georgia Southern Eagles to the core. Every home game, we're in the stands, yelling and clapping and cheering with our group of friends. We've had an up-and-down season this year, but this week's game made it seem like none of that mattered. And it felt damn good knock #1 ranked Appalachian State down a peg or two.

Way to go, Eagles!

I got a brand new pair of rollerskates....

Damn HP commercial got this song stuck in my head last night. I thought I'd share.

Happy Friday.

Cover Me Mondays: True Love Will Find You In The End

I used this one on this month's mixtape (see previous post), so I thought I'd use it for 'Cover Me Monday' too.
Just a warning, there are a million covers of this song out there. Really, really a lot. These are just a few....

Original, Daniel Johnston, 1984

Wilco, 1999

Beck, 2004

Matthew Good, 2007

Richard Walters, 2009

Mates of State, 2010

Mates of State: True Love Will Find You In The End from Amplified on Vimeo.

xoxo

This Is The Day

Happy Monday, how was your Halloween? Are you ready for a new mix? Good. 'Cause November's mix is heeeeeeeeere!


Tracklist:

1. Lykke Li / Get Some
2. Belle and Sebastian / White Collar Boy
3. Miniature Tigers / Cannibal Queen
4. Voxtrot / Raised By Wolves
   
5. Asobi Seksu / Thursday
6. Viva Voce / Believer
7. Atlas Sound / Walkabout (w/ Noah Lennox)
8. Beck / Volcano
9. Pains of Being Pure at Heat / Young Adult Friction
10. Wild Beasts / All The Kings Men
11. Band of Horses / Dilly
12. The The / This Is The Day
13. Tokyo Police Club / Bambi
14. Telekinesis! / Coast of Carolina
15. Sleeping At Last / Next To Me
16. Coldplay / Green Eyes
17. Daniel Johnston / True Love Will Find You In The End
    

DOWNLOAD IT!

Or, if you so choose, stream it from 8tracks:

xoxo

Re: October Mixtape

Sadly, I just could get myself together enough for a mixtape this month. So, there will be no October tape.

HOWEVER! I'm already working on November's and it's shaping up to be pretty damn great. It'll be out on Monday, November 1, and I'm going to try my hardest to keep up a regular mixtape schedule (First of every month).

Thank you for your patience (or indifference)
xoxo,
K

Cover Me Mondays: Statesboro Blues

If you're a fan of Blues music or the Allman Brothers, you know this song. Well, I happen to live in Statesboro, GA. I can see the William McTell walking trail from my back door. I live in the birthplace of Statesboro Blues. Some days, I have the Statesboro Blues. So as a tribute to our fair town, here's the original version, plus the Allman Brothers version you're bound to know, along with a few others. Enjoy.


Blind Willie McTell, 1928

Taj Mahal, 1968

The Allman Brothers Band, 1971

Bonus Bluegrass Version!

xoxo

Free Font Friday: Halloween Edition

It has been quite a while since I've done a 'Font Friday' and with Halloween only a little more than a week away, I thought I'd do a spooky-themed version! Here are 6 completely free and spooky fonts!

FrankenDork

Skeleton Sketched

Jack Lantern

Dirty Ames


Dead Secretary

And because it's by favorite show, and quite a good font for Halloween, I give you......

Buffied

All of the above fonts are from DaFont.com.
Have a happy Friday!
xoxo

Humpday Listday: Excited For Fall

Here are 9 things that make me excited for fall. This list may seem like it's a bit late, but the first item on the list should clarify why it doesn't feel like fall here yet.

1. Cooler weather. It's still getting into the mid 80's here in good ol' Statesboro. I'd like for that to stop soon.
2. Going to the Fair and eating pancakes 'n' sausage, deep fried Twinkies, and cotton candy 'till I barf. (Heads up, the fair is in town this week, so this is probably happening tonight.)
3. Making a new wreath for our front door that borrows heavily from this very pretty one.
4. Young Frankenstein and Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween. It's a tradition.
5. V For Vendetta on November 5th. It's also a tradition. But this one has "V" cookies.
6. PUMPKIN PIE!
7. Breaking out the scarves that have been imprisoned in my closet and/or bottom dresser drawer for 9 months.
8. Thanksgiving with the fam. Mostly for my grandma's famously delicious Pumpkin Roll.
9. *whispering in a bad English accent* Harrrrry Potterrrrrrrrr! Is there a geek alive that isn't excited about Deathly Hallows?? Probably not.

Is it fall yet where you live?
xoxo

Cover Me Mondays: You Can Call Me Al

I must confess: I heart Paul Simon. I heart You Can Call Me Al even harder. It's in my top 10 favorite songs of all time. (Maybe that's a list I should put to paper sometime...)

Original, Paul Simon, 1986
The video also features a highly amusing Chevy Chase.

Jens Lekman, live, 2007

Noah and the Whale, 2008

Which is your favorite?
xoxo

Cover Me Mondays: Almost Grown

I'm still having trouble blogging regularly. Please be patient.

Here's another Cover Me Monday... on Tuesday. It would seem that I'm all about the 50's music lately.....

Original, Chuck Berry, 1959:

Chuck Berry with Keith Richards, 1986:

Cover, David Bowie, 1979:

xoxo
PS... Do you know how many people have covered Johnny B. Goode? Wow.

Cover Me Monday: Earth Angel

The Hubs and I got back late last night from St. Simons for our first anniversary, so I'm still trying to get myself together from being out of town. I have a few pictures of stuff from the weekend that I'll share tonight or tomorrow.... including the best ever anniversary gift from Chris' parents.

For now, I'm just going to jump right back into blogging, starting with what I missed yesterday....

Cover Me Monday....on Tuesday!

I've been obsessed with Death Cab For Cutie's version of Earth Angel since I heard it a few weeks ago. It just makes me happy. It also makes me think of Back to the Future, but that's neither here nor there....

Original, The Penguins, 1954:

Death Cab for Cutie, 2005

BONUS COVER: From Back to the Future, featuring Marty McFly, 1985/1955

Happy Tuesday.
xoxo

Look what paint can do!

Well, paint, ink, water, and vibration....

Symbion Project - "Exploited & Exposed"

Very cool video.
xoxo

Cover Me Mondays: Addicted to Love

Original, Robert Palmer, 1986:

Cover: Florence + The Machine, 2009:

**Note: Just so you know, this was not the song I originally picked for today's cover. But after careful consideration, I decided that MGMT's cover of NIN's Closer wasn't exactly rated PG. Oh well.

Humpday Listday: While I Was Gone

10 things I did while on my little blog-break:

1. Read all the Sookie Stackhouse books.
2. Bought a new pair of boots.
3. Got really sick and ended up in the emergency room twice in 24 hours.
4. Got better.
5. Started eating a banana every morning... because I was tired of yogurt.
6. Had satellite installed at the apartment... with DVR! Happy!
7. Went to a funeral in North Carolina. Sad.
8. Realized that organizing the toys at the shop where I work is a fruitless effort.
9. Watched the Bourne Trilogy for the first time.
10. Played The Black Keys' album Brothers approximately 1 thousand times.

xoxo

This is a story about sausage.... and rolls.

What kind of people go to FOUR grocery stores looking for Sister Schubert Sausage rolls?

Apparently, Chris and I are that kind of people. Four grocery stores just so I could have sausage rolls and Cheerwine for dinner.

Crazy? Maybe.
Healthy? Absolutely not.
Delicious? Definitely.

xoxo

Not Punctual: Better Late Than Never!

Nothing for a month, then two posts in one day?! Cover your head Chicken Little, the sky is falling!
But look! New mix! Woot!

Yeah, I thought I'd use my punctuality fail for the title. Clever, huh? I'm a clever girl.

TRACKLIST!

1. Vampire Weekend - Jonathan Low
2. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Sink/ Let it Sway
3. Zeus - Marching Through Your Head
4. Best Coast - Goodbye
5. Bishop Allen - Dimmer
6. The Unicorns - I Was Born (A Unicorn)
7. Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes
8. Brandon Flowers - Magdalena
9. The Black Keys - Never Give You Up **Note: I totally RickRolled myself a few times trying to find this one on 8Tracks. Not awesome.
10. Wavves - King of the Beach
11. The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
12. Pepper Rabbit - Older Brother
13. Band of Horses - On My Way Back Home
14. Delta Spirit - Devil Knows You're Dead
15. Sonny & The Sunsets - Too Young To Burn
16. Ra Ra Riot - Keep it Quiet
17. The Working Title - Can't Sleep 'Til Sunup

DOWNLOAD IT HERE! (direct link via dropbox)

And as always, you can preview before downloading below via 8tracks. And look! A new flash player with album artwork as the background! Fancyyyyyyyy.

Enjoy your new music and have a lovely, lovely day.
xoxo

Cover Me Mondays: Dancing In The Dark

No apologies for being gone, I needed the time. Now, if you don't mind, I'll jump right in with one of my all-time favorite covers.
Now, I've never really been a huge fan of The Boss, but this song has always been one that I love.

The original:
Bruce Springsteen, 1984

Pete Yorn, 2001 (Bonus track on his album, Musicforthemorningafter)

In other news, I am very very close to being done with September's mixtape. Today or tomorrow. Better late than never.
xoxo

PS... I'm not making any promises, but I think I'll be back to a regular blogging schedule soon. Thanks for stickin' around.

Phone Calls

Working at a little local shop is sometimes boring. Sometimes it's redundant. Sometimes it's frustrating. Sometimes it's just plain hilarious. Here are two phone calls I've gotten in the last few weeks:

Phone call #1, 10 minutes ago:

*ring*
Me: Bellies and Babies, this is Katie.
Lady on the other end: Is this Martha?
Me: No, Ma'am. I think you have the wrong number.
Lady: Are you sure?
Me: Yes, Ma'am. I'm sure.
Lady: Okay, thank you.
Me: Bye.

This conversation leads me to believe one of these two conclusions must be accurate:
1. The lady just didn't listen when I answered, completely ignoring the "This is Katie" part.
OR
2. Her friend Martha likes to pretend she's other people when she answers the phone. Maybe Martha always answers the phone a different way.... "Hello this is Greg, thank you for calling Pizza-Hut."
Either way, the "Are you sure?" was my favorite part.

Phone Call #2, about three weeks ago (keep in mind we're a maternity and children's clothing store):

*ring*
Me: Bellies and Babies, this is Katie.
Lady: Could you please tell me what your hours are?
Me: From 10-5:30 on weekdays and 10-4 on Saturdays.
Lady: Okay, great. Now, where exactly are you located?
Me: South Main Street, right across the street from the bank.
Lady: Okay, I know where that is. Now, do ya'll sell the live chickens and ducks or what?
Me: .............
Lady: ...........
Me: Ma'am, we sell maternity and children's clothing.
Lady: Oh.
*click*

There are absolutely no conclusions I can draw from this one, folks. But I think this is the best phone call I've ever gotten.

Happy Saturday.

Baby Preacher

I know. I haven't been around for a week now. I'm taking a little mini-break. But this is seriously the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Enjoy.

Cover Me Mondays: Hey Ya!

It isn't Monday, but "Cover Me Tuesdays" just doesn't sound as catchy.

If I had posted yesterday, here's what I would have posted:

Original, OutKast, 2003:


Cover, Obediah Parker, 2008:


You may have seen this one before. It's pretty popular, but I think it still deserves a nod.
xoxo

Break

It would seem that I took a break from blogging for a little while. I've been a bit burned out. And kinda in a funk. It's hard to blog when you feel like that. It's hard to do anything but necessary things when you feel like that. I'm going to try to be better about blogging. It really is my favorite outlet. It's where I can take thing that make me smile and share them... even if nobody else is looking.

Now, so that you don't think this was a totally pointless self-pitying post, here's a video. A really weird video. I love Kristen Bell, and I love Yeasayer, but I still can't get over the weirdness of this video.

Humpday Listday: Reasons I Shouldn't Have Gone Outside to Help Chris Clean The Grill.

1. mosquito bites on my arm.
2. mosquito bites on my leg.
3. mosquito bites on my other leg.
4. ant bite on my finger.
5. mosquito bites on the back of my knee.

Next time, I'm staying inside.

I Love My Dad.

This is why having your parents as friends on Facebook can be rewarding:


This made me laugh so hard. I'm not sure exactly why. It just did. And since I know he's reading this, I love you Daddy!
xoxo

Cover Me Mondays: Respect

Everybody knows this song. Everybody. Really, your grandma knows this song. Everybody. People sing it in the shower, while cooking, alone in their cars, and of course, doing karaoke.

Aretha Franklin, recorded 1967 (Not sure the date of this video):

But what you may not know, is that Aretha's oh-so-famous version of this song is NOT the original. Whaaaaaaattt????

Yep, it's true. Aretha recorded the anthem in 1967. Otis Redding wrote and recorded the song in 1965, two years before Aretha's version. Now, I don't know about you, but that fact pretty much blew my mind. I had no idea! Did you?

Otis Redding,



So there you go, a little education with this week's edition of "Cover Me Mondays."

And truth be told, I think I like Mr. Redding's version just a little bit better.
(no offense, Aretha...)

xoxo

Best Coast

I've been drooling over this album (specifically this song) for like two weeks now. I have a husband, but I go around singing "I wish he was my boyfriend....." in my head all day. Give it a listen:

PS... I got a facebook message from my friend Anna this morning saying she was listening to one of my mixtapes. I have no way of seeing if or how many copies of my tapes get downloaded unless someone tells me they got it, so the message was a real treat. It's good to know somebody out there liked it. It made my morning! So, if you've downloaded a mixtape, let me know! Leave a comment!

xoxo

Free Font Friday

Happy, Happy Friday!

Here's 5 more sweet fonts for your growing font collection. All of these can be found on dafont.com.

All Hail Julia

Budmo Jiggler

Airstream

Frida

Ballpark Weiner

xoxo

Delta Spirit/ Bushwick Blues

The new Delta Spirit album is killing me with how awesome it is.
Today I love.......

xoxo

Humpday Listday: Someday House

Chris and I often talk about our "Someday House." You know, the house you aspire to live in someday. The house where you'll raise your kids and friends will come to stay for long weekends. Where your most treasured possessions will all have places of their own. The house you'll always think of as home.

Right now, we live in the very small, very old, very cheap 2 bedroom apartment that Chris has lived in since before we got married. We decided that as long as we live in Statesboro, we'll stay in this apartment and save money for when we have a "real" place. We're always trying to make our current place better, though. We've painted the kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom and bathroom. Those little touches make it not-so-bad for right now. But we're constantly dreaming of our "someday house."

Here is my "Someday House" wishlist. I realize that it would have to be a pretty spectacular house to have all of these things, but can't a girl dream?

1. Big, glorious, floor-to-ceiling windows in at least one room.
2. Beautiful hardwood floors throughout, with soft, luxurious rugs strategically placed for preventing cold tootsies.
3. A kitchen with a big farmhouse-style table. Big enough for at least 10 people.
   
4. Speaking of the kitchen, I'd like tons of storage, and more counter space than anyone could possibly ever need.
5. A turret with a roof that looks like an upside down ice cream cone.
6. A secret room or hidden passageway. I've always wanted one of those.
7. A backyard with grass as soft as carpet where you'd never need shoes.
   
8. A little outbuilding in the backyard (with the soft grass) that looks like a tiny house that I would use as a studio. Must have hanging baskets of colorful flowers.
   
9. An antique claw-foot tub.
10. Hummingbird feeders outside. With hummingbirds.
11. A big, strong oak tree with a tire swing and tree house for the someday-kids.
12. A Weasley-sized fireplace. (You know, one big enough for the whole Weasley family to fit in to travel on the Floo Network.)
13. A wraparound front porch. With rocking chairs.
    
14. A red front door.
    

What's on the list for your perfect house?
xoxo

Camp Meeting

This year was my first year going to Camp Meeting with Chris' family. It's a Hucks tradition passed down through Chris' Mom's family. I'll admit I was very nervous before we got there, because I didn't really understand what exactly it was. I'll try to describe it for you.....

It's really quite difficult to tell somebody else what exactly Camp Meeting is. We talked all weekend about how to describe it to other people. This particular Camp Meeting is in Denver, North Carolina at Rock Springs Campgrounds. There are 3 rings of tents all around the central arbor and the 'thing to do' is to walk around the circle holding hands with your sweetheart. There are worship services held several times a day at the arbor and people are free to come and go as they please. The tents are not movable canvas type things, but permanent structures made of wood. You share walls with the tent next door, like rows of townhouses. Most tents have been owned by families for a long time. The Hucks' tent (Chris' mother's family) has been in the family for 50 years. They're two stories, like townhouse-type shacks. There is power and water, but of course no air conditioning or hot water. Ours has a teeny-tiny bathroom under the stairs. It's really a sink and toilet under the stairs separated from the downstairs bedroom by a sheet. All the rooms are separated by sheets. Upstairs is one large bedroom area with a little shower room that was added a few years ago. It has a tin roof that makes it difficult to sleep when it's raining really hard like it did on Saturday night. Camp Meeting lasts for 3 weeks and some people leave their houses and move into their tents for that time. Some live locally and don't sleep there are all, they just come for the festivities at night. I'm not sure Camp Meeting is something that can really be described without seeing it for yourself. Here are some pictures:

Tent 135. It's been in the Hucks family for 50 years. I felt incredibly lucky to be a part of such a long and strong tradition. I had a blast and can't wait to do it again next year!Our tent. No air conditioning, but we have a toilet and a shower. And an awesome swing built by Chris' uncle Jimmy.

This is the kitchen..... ham biscuits are apparently a Camp Meeting tradition. Emily approves!

Chris' mom is the undisputed Queen of paddleball in the Hucks/Wilson family.

The entire family. We were only missing cousin Jenny, who was out of town for work.

We made chocolate ice cream.

This is Heck (yes, Heck.) and Mary. They were friends of Chris' grandparents and still have the tent across from the Hucks. They're like part of the family, too.

Having a little fun down by the arbor.

Emily and I had a little impromptu photo shoot. It's so much fun having a sister!

This is the silliness I married into. I'm a lucky girl.

Aren't Chris' parents the cutest ever?!

Total Christmas card material. Amazing.

So that's Camp Meeting. If you ever get an opportunity to go to one, wherever it may be, you should go. It's like summer camp for whole families. And it's so so so much fun!
xoxo

Cover Me Mondays: Handle With Care

Oh goodness! Chris and I got back less than an hour ago from North Carolina! We left at 2, but got a call around 3 that my grandmother's in the hospital with pneumonia or bronchitis (we'll know more tomorrow), so we made a detour and went through to see her on the way back. She's getting much better now, though. We're pretty tired, hot (we turned the A/C waaay up before we left), and missing our kitty- she's still at the boarder's until tomorrow. So this will be short. I'll try to get pictures from the weekend up tomorrow. But for now....

In the late 80's George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan formed the supergroup Traveling Wilburys.

Here's their original version of Handle With Care, from 1988 (see it on YT here, with better quality):

Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care
Uploaded by manon42. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Here's the version I heard first, by Jenny Lewis, with the Watson Twins, Connor Oberst, M. Ward, and Ben Gibbard, from Jenny's album with the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat (my faaaaaavorite album ever!):

And here's a video of Jenny with Connor Oberst and Johnathan Rice doing the song live (the sound quality isn't great):

Now, I'm going to go watch this week's True Blood and try to relax.
xoxo

Some Other Sky

Hello August!

As promised, here's a brand new mix for you! I wasn't really going for a "theme" but it turned out that it's the perfect mix for lat summer anyway. So, download, listen, and enjoy!

DOWNLOAD HERE!

Or listen below:

Have a happy Sunday!
xoxo

Chris and I are leaving for North Carolina in the morning to spend the weekend at Camp Meeting with his family. It's a tradition in his family and this will be my first time. I'm really excited for all of it except the part where there's no air conditioning.... that part I'm a little worried about. But it's supposed to be much cooler there than it's been here. We made a big batch of trail mix last night and have all our board games ready to go. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures of all the fun!

We'll be back on Monday night, but I have a few posts scheduled while I'm gone, like August's mixtape! It's already done and scheduled and should be up Sunday morning.

Aaaaand here' s where I apologize for not being around very much this week. I'm sorry! I had every intention of making several posts that never happened. They will happen soon. I went to see both sides of my family last weekend and got a few goodies from each (Granny sent me home with an entire box of homemade preserves!). I also got a ton of my Mom's old records and a box of old stuff from when I was a kid out of storage. That'll make a fun post sometime soon.

So, enjoy your weekend and I'll see you Monday!
xoxo

Cake in a Cup!

I eat yogurt for breakfast almost every day. My brand of preference is Yoplait- usually Yoplait Light. The problem is that for so long, there were only so many flavors. I can only eat harvest peach so many times before I get tired of it. So when I sent the Hubs to the grocery store to pick up more yogurt, I said "PLEEEEASE get me some different flavors!" So he did. He picked up flavors like Lemon Meringue, Raspberry Cheesecake and.....

Red Velvet Cake! It's not quite my Granny's recipe, but fro 110 calories in a cup, it's pretty darn good! The fact that I made an entire blog post about it should tell you how much I like it. You really should try it.

xoxo

Humpday Listday: TV Shows I've Seen

Here's a list of TV shows I've seen every episode of. I went a few years without cable, so I downloaded and Netflix'd a bunch of TV and watched it while crafting. Most of these are shows that have ended (some long ago), but a few are still going. Also, please keep in mind that not all of these have tons of episodes. Some had very few. And it's not like I watched these in one sitting. It has taken quite a few years to compile this list of geekery.

(* denotes that the show is still airing)

Drama

1. The West Wing
   
2. My So-Called Life
3. The L Word
4. Gilmore Girls
5. Dawson's Creek
6. Ally McBeal
7. House*
8. Grey's Anatomy*
9. Dexter*
10. Bones*
11. Rome
    

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Angel
3. Firefly
4. Dollhouse
5. Battlestar Galactica
6. Dead Like Me
7. Stargate SG-1
8. Stargate: Atlantis
9. La Femme Nikita
   
10. The Sarah Connor Chronicles
11. Farscape
12. True Blood*
13. Supernatural*

BBC shows (because they really are in a category all their own)

1. Doctor Who*
2. Torchwood*
3. Secret Diary of a Call Girl*
4. Robin Hood
5. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Comedy

1. Freaks & Geeks
2. Pusing Daisies
3. Sex and the City
4. Big Bang Theory*
   
5. Weeds*
6. Wonderfalls
7. The Office*
8. 30 Rock*
9. How I Met Your Mother*
10. Community*

Notice which category I've watched the most. Yeeeahhh. I'm a huge nerd.
xoxo

Cover Me Mondays: Love Vigilantes

I decided to give you a double dose of Cover Me Mondays today. To make up for the lack of communication this weekend. Enjoy your present. :)

Love Vigilantes

Original, New Order

Iron & Wine (I posted the live version so you'd have something to look at):

looooove.
xoxo

Cover Me Mondays: Wonderwall

I've loved this song since the first time I heard it.

Original, Oasis, 1995

Ryan Adams

Cat Power

Sorry there wasn't more thought put into this one. I'm pretty tired today. Maybe next time.
xoxo

I know, I know! I haven't posted since Wednesday! I've got "Cover Me Mondays" coming up a little later today and a two-part "Stuff From When I Was A Kid" series later this week (in addition to Humpday Listday on Wednesday).

Also coming up this week, Sunday is August 1, so you know what that means! A brand-spankin'-new mixtape! And this one's gonna be a good one! The perfect mix for late summer. I really can't wait!

So, really... it's not as if I forgot about you. I didn't. I've been thinking about you all weekend. Pinky swear.
xoxo

Humpday Listday: I Want...

It's Wednesday and I owe you a list.

Here are 10 things I want right now:

1. a nap
2. a pair of TOMS wrap boots.
3. an iPad. I just can't help it. They look so cool. Maybe when the second gen comes out....
4. for it to be fall already! We've had a heat advisory every day this week.
5. to miraculously not have to work this Saturday. All the girls on my Mom's side of the fam are getting together and I can't go! No fair!
6. better cuticles. I bite mine and they look horrid right now.
7. a shower. I got my hair trimmed yesterday afternoon and didn't wash it this morning. My stylist loads me up with gunk every time!
8. my to-do list to take care of itself.
9. to go watch old episodes of Daria in bed.
10. my cat to curl up next to me while I watch Daria in bed.

Oh well. All my lists can't be winners.

xoxo

Blue Wall!

Chris and I painted one wall in our living room blue this weekend. I thought you might like to take a peek.

The formerly very ugly wall. It had so many nail holes! We used tons of Spackle to fill in.

If you couldn't already tell, the wall used to be ugly.

Bluuuuuuueeee!

Lemon approves.

The paint sample said "Atlas Blue," but now that I'm really thinking about it, I think it's pretty close to TARDIS blue and that makes me soooo happy in a very nerdy way.

xoxo

Dopp Kit

Ooooh... I just saw this Zippered Dopp Kit on the Purl Bee. It makes me want to give zippers another chance (I'm notoriously bad at zippers) and make one for myself!
It's not like I really need another toiletry bag, this one's just so pretty!
xoxo

Su Blackwell

I came across Su Blackwell's work yesterday on The Jealous Curator. I was instantly enamored with her book sculptures!

Today, I love Su Blackwell's amazingly beautiful book sculptures!

There are lots more at her website! Go check 'em out!

xoxo