july music obsessions.

all month i've been hoarding some of my all time favorite listens. none of them are really even that new or obscure, they're just songs i know and love. but if you ask me, those make for the best playlists.so, here's what i've been listening to this  month:
song: all we ask
artist: grizzly bear
album: veckatimest

song: mercy
artist: duffy
album: rockferry

song: somebody that i used to know
aritist: gotye
album: making mirrors

song: jesus the mexican boy
artist: iron & wine
album: the sea & the rhythm

song: the ballad of love and hate
artist: the avett brothers
album: emotionalism

song: shape we made
artist: peggy sue
album: fossils and other phantoms

song: the luckiest, and annie waits
artist: ben folds
album: rockin' the suburbs

song: merry happy (listener's discretion is advised), mariella (listener's discretion is advised), and birds (listener's discretion is advised)
artist: kate nash
album: made of bricks

song: i and love and you
artist: the avett brothers
album: i and love and you

song: somewhere only we know
artist: keane
album: hopes and fears

song: animal
artist: neon trees
album: habits

song: glass
artist: ingrid michaelson
album: girls and boys

song: friends of friends
artist: hospitality
album: friends of friends-indie spotlight free download from iTunes

song: foundations (listener's discretion is advised)
artist: kate nash
album: foundations

song: fire
artist: jesse thomas
album: fire-indie spotlight free download from iTunes

song: falling in love at a coffee shop
artist: landon pigg
album: falling in love at a coffee shop-single

song: horchata
artist: vampire weekend
album: contra

song: love
artist: matt white
album: best days

song: harvest moon
artist: pepper rabbit
album: beauregard

song: i've just seen a face, and hey jude
artist: jim sturgess^, and joe anderson^
album: across the universe sound track

song: fall for you
artist: secondhand serenade
album: a twist in my story

song: someone like you
artist: adele
album: 21

i love summer playlists! what have you been listening to? please, i love sharing new music.

xx

here's to the future.

coming next week:

photo of the week (squee!)

tips on blog design (i do it enough, thought i'd share some freebie tips with you! if you have any specific questions about blogger, please leave them in this comment section. if not then i'll just tell you what i think is important.)

a book review-ew-ew

annnnnd some other stuff (like perhaps a sometimes rant).

so be excited. okay?

okay, thanks.

now have a great weekend cause i love your faces!!!

(true story^)

 



a random playlist which consists of:

led zeppelin

mika

the clash

rooney

and the across the universe soundtrack

(again, with the british love.)

my week has consisted of: wonderful.

this week in review:

valentine's day cupcakes!

(made by cc.)

so, i worked on v-day but i actually didn't mind. we were super busy and so i was constantly on the go (i quite like it that way). it was so amazing seeing so many different walks of life coming in to celebrate the same thing: love. there were couples in love, parents with their children, single friends, and best friends.

it really warmed my heart right up seeing so many people who love each other.

amaze.

a-maze.

oh. and i also got froyo on this day. who in the world could forget that?! i mean, come on.

i've also been getting really into my book:

so, i've been trying to branch out from the middle grade reading rut that i've gotten quite cozy in (just like gregward recommended) and have been dabbling a little in a different genre of literature.

i'm pretty sure this book ^ is considered YA but... i'm not 100% sure. (how do i tell? it wasn't in a MG or YA section at the lib*.)

anyway, its a fictional story about non-fictional people who were involved in the salem witch trials. while i had a hard time getting addicted to the story, its the truth behind the story that gets me. seeing what those who were accused went through (and their families) is absolutely heart wrenching. i never realized how difficult it was for them and how poorly they were treated until i began reading this book.

i'm almost done with it and i'm pretty sure i'll be reading up more on the salem witch trials because now, i'm kinda hooked.

(you can read the first chapter here.)

i also went to a friend of mines show the other night. it was muy fun-o. (i'm speaking spanglish here, peeps.)

i'm slightly addicted to live music. it, in my opinion, is one of the most wonderful things IN. THE. WORLD. gah. and while i didn't drag the rebel** along, i did get a vid of a very drunk lady/girl/woman/person showing her love for the band:

(i apologize in advance if there isn't sound. i also apologize if its hard to see. i was filming with my blackberry, guys. not much room for a steven spielburgesque film.)

so, before she was sitting at the bassists' feet, she was over with her face all up in the guitarists grill. srsly. and when asked if she had any requests for songs, "just keep it fresh" she said.

(if you're that lady/girl/woman/person, you are my hero. thank you so much for the laughs)

i also took some pictures.

did some more design work for a friend (i'll link up soon, once her site is up and running!).

and obsessed over my museek.

and now it is le weekend. (now i'm speaking frenchish)

and i am oh-so-grateful.

it is now time, to relax.

*sigh*

*lib = lie-brayer-ee. library.

**the rebel is my camera. its a canon rebel. hence, "the rebel".

a random playlist which consists of:

led zeppelin

mika

the clash

rooney

and the across the universe soundtrack

(i was getting my british love on. go figure.)

all you need is love.

its valentines day, lovelies!

{kudos to here found via.}

(i just love this picture!!)

in past years, i've usually been depressed on this day, feeling sorry for myself, moping around and wallowing in my self pity. (i don't have the best v-day track record, to be honest. any time i've been with someone on valentines day, its resulted in a fight at the end of the night. not my cup of tea. - i digress.)

but this year, i decided "NO!" i will not feel sorry for myself. i don't have anything to feel sorry about. sure, i don't have a significant other at this moment in time but who said valentines day was strictly for those who are in love? there are many people in my life that, although i'm not in love with them, i do love them. and that counts, right?

so i've decided to make today about them.

observe, if you will, some of the people i love most in life:

 {cousins}

i love all my cousins, but these two girls specifically have such special places in my heart. they are the cousins i have the closest relationship with. i love them because they make me feel like a rock star and are always so much fun to be around. i absolutely cannot imagine my family without them.

{friends}

these are my very best friends in the whole world. we've been a group since we were seniors in high school and there isn't much we don't do together. i love them because they know the real me and they are still friends with me anyway! we always have a blast together and i know we will remain close for the rest of our lives. (we better! or i'll hunt them all down and tell them what's what.)

{family}

i love my family. each and every one of them, all in their own little ways. i know i have the family i do for a reason and i'm so grateful for them. yes, we have our rough patches. sometimes we fight or disagree on things, but at the end of the day, i know that these 7 people, above anyone else, will always be there for me no. matter. what.

again, i love my family.

(no, my dad does not going tanning. i have no idea why he looks so orange. bad lighting i guess.)

{my girls}

these 3 girls are my very best girl friends ever. i've been friends with them for so long i don't even remember what its like to NOT be friends with them.

i love them because i can trust them. i can be myself around them.

they are some of the most amazing people i know.

of course there are many more people in my life that i love, but not a day goes by that i don't express gratitude for each and every one of those aforementioned people.

that being said, valentines day is more than flowers and chocolates, paper valentines and candle lit dinners (do people even do that anymore?) its about taking the time to express your love for someone and to ponder on the many reasons why you may love that particular person. you could love them because of the way they smile at you or how they make you feel. it could be how they say "i love you" back or the way they get up a little early to make you a special breakfast. whatever it is, its something that makes you happy which makes them happy in return.

in addition to that, valentine's day is about loving probably the most important person in your life.

yourself.

so along with all the others i mentioned, today i'm also loving:

{myself}

(even when i look like this^ *shudders*)

its been a long time coming, learning to love myself, and i think it will always be something i'm working at, but i can't express how important it is to love yourself. if you can't properly love yourself, flaws and all, you will never properly love anyone else.

so, if today you've got no one else to love (which i highly doubt) go ahead and love yourself.

who do you love this valentines day?

need some more lovin'?

check out these valentine's day posts:

love around the world by busy bee lauren

because revolutions are SEXY by chelsea talks smack

happy valentines day (my valentines post from last year).

link up YOUR valentines day posts so we can all share the love!!

nerd boyfriend.

does anyone watch ugly betty? (i guess i should say did anyone watch ugly betty because the show was canceled not too long ago and recently aired its last season. boo.) i, as of late, have been re-watching seasons 1 & 2 (i still need to watch 3 & 4!) and just love, love, loving the adorable henry grubstick.

he could be my nerd boyfriend any day.

tell me he's not adorable!

i love his sweaters (especially the argyle!) and ties and the semi buddy holly-esqe glasses. (and for those of you who've seen it, yes that is elder groberg from the other side of heaven.)

who'd be your nerd boyfriend?

across the universe soundtrack

*all pics found via google.