jot em down

Author Gratitude.. Special shout out to Ken Follett.

2011-12-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

Ken Follett is the man. My sister, mama and I went to a radio-show interview he did for his Fall of Giants promotion about a year ago. I had no expectations going in but I felt like a giddy school girl walking out. He is intelligent, charming, funny, and humble. The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End are two of the greatest stories I've ever read. He sparked a love a history inside of me that I never knew existed.

Medieval, Roman, Egyptian, World War I, Neanderthal, Tudor - these are some of the things I've learned about since Follett planted the seed. We all had those posters in our elementary school classes about reading taking us places we've never dreamed of. That is my favorite thing about books. I love seeing a place and thinking "where have I seen this before" and silently thanking an author as I realize. How gifted an individual is that, by putting words on paper, he or she can create a world inside
another person's mind that transports and envelops the reader. Helen of Troy in despair over the battle below her tower or a hobbit wandering through hidden tunnels or to a little girl in the ghetto wondering about a man on a bench, and your whole world, for a time, is there, in that type. I think it's fascinating. JR laughed at me the other day when I told him that I really hope God lets me time-travel in heaven. I've got a lot of questions for Ben Franklin and I intend to be in proper dress in his London flat when I ask them :) I think He'll let me.

But back to my "Ode to Follett".. I've just finished reading The Man from St. Petersburg. It's one of his earlier works and though it had a few flaws along the way, it taught me more about WWI then my 11th grade history class ever did. So though they'll never know it (aside from Follett witnessing my a little too loud, bordering on squeal, voice when I spoke to him at the meet and greet), I send admiration and gratitude to all of the authors out there.

Creepy & Pretty?

2011-08-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

Enigmatic — n; a person, thing, or situation that is mysterious, puzzling, or ambiguous

(make it full screen)

Woodkid - Iron from WOODKID on Vimeo.

Favorite Quotes

2011-08-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

I love a good quote- something short and simple. Here are some of my favorites:

Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy
-Ben Franklin

I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened
-Mark Twain

Drag your thoughts away from your troubles- by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it
-Mark Twain

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite
-C.S. Lewis
(Guilty)

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good
- Samuel Johnson

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience- that is the ideal life
-Mark Twain

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original; whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it
-C.S. Lewis

Admiration is the daughter of ignorance
-Ben Franklin

He who climbs above the cares of the world and turns his face to God has found the sunny side of life
-Spurgeon

Veni, Vedi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered)
-Julius Caesar
(I mean, that's pretty gangster)

And the one which changed my life forever- after reading this, I gave my soul to Jesus Christ:
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash
-Matthew 7:24-27

"Benjamin Franklin" by Walter Isaacson

2011-08-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

Is it weird that I have a slight crush on an unattractive man who was born a little over 300 years ago? Um *sips wine*. My brother, Heath, suggested I read this book. And you know how passionate recommendations can be "oh yeah?! cool! yea, I'll check it out (OMG when is he going to stop talking to me about this old dead politician?). Well then my mom was all obsessed with him too and I didn't have anything to read so I just went with it. Dude was awesome. I have a few memories from childhood of meeting someone who was just everything I ever wanted to be - you know, the self-assured, humble confidence types. Franklin reawakened that feeling for me. He has become one of my idols.

Telling you about his accomplishments would take a novel (oh hey, Walter Isaacson) but at 13 he began writing anonymously to his brother's paper (jealous bro didn't know it was him) under the now famous pseudonym "Silence Dogood", became a fugitive when he ran away at seventeen, left America for London at eighteen, captured electricity, founded the national postal service, built the first library, and won a place in America's heart forever when he beat down the Stamp Act. No wonder he's on the hundred dollar bill. In between all of his breakthroughs, he led a fun-filled life. He was all about balance: humor and fun + practicing his Thirteen Virtues (link: http://artofmanliness.com/2008/06/01/the-virtuous-life-wrap-up/) equaled one helluva life.

I learned a good bit about American history too. He was, afterall, a Founding Father and very instrumental in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. He was able to do all of these things because he followed the cardinal rule of successful people: he made goals and he achieved them. He was crafty but not devious, confident but not smug, and intelligent with an eagerness to always learn more. So my brother and mom were right. This book deserves the eager, pushy recommendation. It's so very nice to learn about something in a pleasant, entertaining method. Way to go, Isaacson, for writing a book about a Colonial American hero that a 26 year old girl who loves nail polish and Facebook can enjoy.

Romanophile

2011-08-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

I read that term in an Amazon book review. It's a nickname Roman history lovers gave themselves. Turns out, I'm now one of 'em. Weird. It all started with a book titled Cleopatra's Daughter (easy, light read) which led me to The Memoirs of Cleopatra (she married Julius Caesar) which led me to I, Claudius and now I'm on book two of Robert Harris' trilogy on the Roman Senate.

I consider myself "apolitcal". To me, the current political world is so overwhelming and corrupt, I see no point in engaging myself. I have to admit I'm not a very serious-minded girl. I'm drawn to the happy and pretty things in life - which is why I'm surprised I love Roman History. Many pages I've read include speeches and trials that took place in the Roman Senate and it's fascinating me.

I guess part of it is my constant need to be passionate about something. My interests change compulsively and often. But even with that, I think that this 200 year span of history cornering on the birth of Christ deserves attention. The men during this time were MEN. And I mean to convey that with both the positive and negative connotation. With the luxury of no media, they'd cuss and spit in each others' face, threatened one another and even murdered all right in the middle of the Forum. And there were great innovative minds too: Cicero, Caesar, Augustus, Pompey. They were brave. They changed the world and the way it operated. Add to that, Caesar's Egyptian love affair with Cleopatra, Marc Antony's suicide, the corrupt priests pronouncing false omens to sway the vote.. it's titillating stuff (always wanted to use that word).

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus

Looking in to the past teaches me so much about the human condition. I love to read speeches that were given 2,000 years ago that echo today. I remember as a kid thinking people must have been stupid thousands of years ago compared to us. Reading history has turned my opinion completely. Turns out, not only were they not, but maybe we've grown more stupid. Of course, I don't really think I'm stupid or you're stupid. I just think we're like children, pitter-pattering back and forth aiming to become the antithesis to the generation before us, so that politically, emotionally, and culturally we're on a seesaw.

If you're interested, go to Amazon and research Margaret George and Robert Harris' books. For lighter reading, Michelle Moran (I've like all of her books except Madame Tussuad). Hope you're all well and happy. Happy reading :)

Home Office Inspiration

2010-10-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, you probably know by now that I love books. I love the way they smell, flipping the pages (no Kindles for me man!), spending hours in Barnes & Nobles - you get the idea. That's why I've always wanted my own mini-library to be surrounded by them! I am working on my home office & my wonderful husband, JR (I love you!), agreed on the bookcases I've been worshiping for the past three months!

This was my original inspiration from Restoration Hardware:

We just ordered these bookcases to go along with the flat iron desk! Love love love..

I want it to be just a tad funkier though w/ this chair (Great suggestion to mix it up, Haleybug!):

I think it would look great next to our wall color (Meditative by Sherwin Williams):

My sister and I found a daybed similar to this one in an antique store for $150! I want to load it with huge pillows and put it in the corner opposite the desk.

And look at this chandelier from Pottery Barn!

Add a couple of details like these and I think I've gone to heaven :)

Pottery Barn's Mint Julep Cups:

RH's Faux Plants:

PB's Lavendar Pillows & Mercury Globes:

I think I see a trend here!

Ode to Aurgasm

2010-10-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

http://aurgasm.us is one of my favorite sites to find great music. I visit it every couple weeks hoping it's been updated (once I get sick of whatever album I've been obsessively repeating in my car). They have some great scouters but they feature quite a few folksy female singers - which are great - but in order for me to dig a song, it's got to catch me in the first... say 5 beats. What can I say? One of my nicknames is "the music nazi".

So I clicked on this one little tune and heard a sweet little tune and thought "ehhhh.. wait, hold on... okkaaayyy!" And I heard this wonderfully melodic beat that instantly took me back to sitting in my bunk bed and listening to Sheryl Crow's "Tuesday Night Music Club" - which blew my ten year old little mind.

Isn't it lovely to find something and feel like you've discovered some secret jewel that no one else knows about? Like a little villian- "it's all mine!" Oh, you don't get like that? Me either.

So back to aurgasm - please go visit them. If you like an easy beat with a soulful voice, I urge you to take a little trip with this song.

And for kicks, I'll go ahead and throw this song/video (from aurgasm) :) in here as it deserves to be enjoyed too (make it fullscreen). Love to all and a Happy Fall to yas!

Gone With The Wind

2010-08-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

I've just finished crying. I turned the last page, turned over on my back and to my embarrassment, tears starting streaming down my face. I began reading it a little over a week ago; throughout my days at work, I'd think of how I'd handle something if my name were Scarlett O'Hara. As a patient rambled on, I thought how I'd love to respond, "oh, how you do run on!" and laugh to myself. I recalled my childhood home and how my mom chose it and the land because it resembled Tara. I fell in love with Rhett. This book possessed me.

Up until this book, I can't say that I've ever identified myself as a true Southerner. Though I've always appreciated Southern manners, huge oaks, and my Granny's cornbread, I've always thought I would have fit more appropriately in a small Italian town - always romanticizing these thoughts in my head. Poor J.R. right?! But now, I feel so proud. As I sat on my front porch with the fans blowing overhead, engrossed in this novel, I felt like this book was a part of me somehow, making me proud to be an Atlanta-born lady with good manners and huge oak trees in my back yard. I know I'm romanticizing it but it's nice to discover small parts of your identity.

And Scarlett.. I think in her character resonates because, within it, lies the deep insecurities women feel. And when I turned angry towards her, I think in some way, it was a personal anger - of the times I have been stupid and said mean things I shouldn't have.. The times I knew I was being selfish but told myself I'd worry about that later.. And the fawning over things I don't have and wouldn't even want if I attained them - always dreaming, always searching for that Something.. it felt like someone was sending an electric jolt through me. The history, the glamour of the old South, the tearing down of something never to be rebuilt, and Rhett! I became giddy every time he entered the story. And when the book was nearing the end, I was so, so nervous as to how it would end (I was probably the only Georgian who hadn't seen the movie) and on the last page I thought "surely, surely!" And I was shocked, dumb-founded. But as I laid there, it dawned on me, "it was perfect". If that had been someone's actual life, that's how it would and should end. Margarett Mitchell was nothing short of a genius. I believe that women was born to write that novel.

I hope so badly one day I have a little girl to read this book to. I want her to experience the emotional highs and lows and learn the lessons I did from this book - to develop that linking bond of all Southerners. Perhaps I am too swept up and am over-glamourizing it, but this was life-changing for me. I think I will always hold it close to me as long as I live.

Can someone hand me a glass of La Crema, please?

2010-08-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

Songs that bring you back and take you elsewhere

2010-08-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

I imagine everyone has a few songs that transport them somewhere else entirely. As soon as you hear those first three beats you're back in your car in highschool with your best friends, remembering that old boyfriend/girlfriend who broke your heart, or maybe just sitting and listening to it for the first time thinking it was the most amazing thing you've ever heard.

And then there are the songs that let you forget the day, all of your responsibilities, and let you kind of play a part, forgetting yourself entirely.
That's what I love about music - Bob Marley makes me feel like the most carefree person in the world. The Postal Service makes me feel a little emo. The Dave Matthews Band makes me want to make the world a better place. Usher makes me think up dance routines that I think in another life would've made me the #1 choreographer in the world :)

Music allows me to transport to whatever feeling I want to have and sometimes it surprises me and gives me a feeling I've never yet had. So please, tell me what songs do this for you. I love talking music so any comments are appreciated!

"Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

God bless!

My favorite author responded to an e-mail I wrote him!

2010-05-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

From me:

Hello Mr. Follett,

Since I finished Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, I have been on a hunt! These two novels introduced me to a new found love of historical fiction and I cannot find anything that even remotely compares. I tried Wolf Hall Manor and anxiously awaited for its arrival, only to find it confusing and ultimately just down right frustrating. Can you recommend a wonderful book or series that both entertains and teaches as yours do?

Thank you!,

Veronica Wells
___

Ken's response to me:

Thanks for your e-mail. I'm delighted that you enjoy my books so much.

You may enjoy "Sarum" by Edward Rutherfurd.

Thanks again for getting in touch.

Ken Follett.

Ok so maybe it's only a few sentences.. but I was thrilled!!! And I'm totally going to pick this book up!

Ode to my best friends!

2010-04-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was one for the books! Friday night, Ashley, Haley, Erica and I went to dinner followed by Ash and I unexpectedly getting a text from Heather to meet her at The Ridge, that wonderful little trashy bar that I LOVE! Ash and I wound up dancing our little butts off and scream-yelling Beyonce and Rihanna on the ride home. Nice little start. Saturday, Ash and I frantically dashed to Theresa's house to find the most serene and beautiful setting beautifully graced with the smiling faces that I hold most dear in my heart.
My sister surprised me with a beautiful huge southern white hat that made me feel like a true Southern Belle - the theme of the party! I was crying before I even hit the front door, I was so happy. My sister, bridesmaids and wonderful Theresa spent so much effort; it just made me feel like an absolute princess. If there is ever a moment in my life that I feel sorry for myself, I vow to quickly shuffle through my memory bank and pluck that beautiful afternoon and meditate on all the love that surrounded me.
The details were beautiful, my friends and family were beautiful, the gifts were beautiful (couldn'ta picked 'em better myself ba domp domp sshhh), it was perfect.
The bachelorette party was definitely one of the best nights of my life. For whatever reason, I found myself so anxious right before we went out. I think once I put on the sash and my tiara with my veil (made with love by Erickie!), it hit me "woah this is YOUR bachelorette party". As soon as we got there, all of the wonderful boys at Blakes in Atlanta prompty told us we were the most beautiful and fabulous bachelorette party they've seen - and yea, they may say that to all the girls but I'm just going to go ahead and believe that they meant it with all their heart :) It was truly fabulous.
We danced to our hearts' content, laughed hysterically, the drag queens were amazing, the boys were so sweet and it wasn't because they were hitting on us!
In closing, I'd just like to thank my girls again for everything. All of you put so much thought into my day, I know you worked your butts off to make this day perfect and it indeed was. And to those of you who had to truck it hours in the car to get home after that long night, thank you a million times over! And here's a song Ash sent me a while back that makes me smile and think of you girls. It's perfect!

My Spring Time Jams

2010-04-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

JR found this band, "The Devil Makes Three" and put it on Pandora while we were cooking the other night and I was just boppin' up and down all over the kitchen

The Devil Makes Three - All Hail

Another band we found through Pandora and then my brother sent me a text the next week tell me I had to listen to this. I straight away bought their album on ITunes and with the dogwoods in bloom... woooooo boy! :)

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You (my brother's ode to his daughter.. tear)

The Avett Brothers - One Line Wonder (Do me a favor and listen to this with your windows down on a pretty day. Guarantee you'll be smilin like a fool)

Margaret Irwin's Young Bess

2010-03-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while because I had tried reading 4 different books and none of them were doing it for me! I called my girlfriend, Erica, last week at Barnes and Noble and told her to give me a recommendation for something awesome and lucky for my she did!

Young Bess is the story of King Henry VIII's bastardized daughter and her unexpected rise to Queendom. It reads like fiction because it's so entertaining which makes it that much better. Another thing Erica turned me onto is the Tudors http://www.sho.com/site/tudors/home.do which has been really cool to watch because this book (written in 1944) follows it so closely. If you like history, here is a great little recap of King Henry VIII's life http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon41.html He was a fascinatingly evil man. The same man who was famous for beheading wives was also named "The Defender of Faith" by the pope. In terms of straight up drama, there are probably few historical accounts that could top this.

But I've gone and left my original topic.. I'm about 80 pages into Young Bess and I am totally diggin' it. Her name is Elizabeth but Young Bess is the nickname the king gives her. She is the daughter of Anne Boelyn whom he beheaded. The king legally bastardized her but still allows her to come to court. Because he is completely whacked, he at times is kind to her and others she feels as though he wants her to have the same fate as her mother. As I've read, I can feel the tension everyone has around him. He'll joke about sending someone to the gallows and his subjects don't know whether to laugh or apologize for whatever they may or may not have done. Young Bess is the bystander in all of this and her perspective is intriguing. She's only twelve but she is adept at reading body language and understanding the interworkings of politics and religion. It's really a fascinating read and, of course, I highly recommend it to you!

That's my spiel! Thank you for reading and I hope you have a beautifully blessed week :)

Sergio Mendes ft. Black Eyed Peas - Mas Que Nada

2010-02-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

JR will totally laugh and say "of course" when he sees I posted this (love ya, babe!). Many a time has he come home to me dancing around the house blasting this as loud as it will go. May it inspire you to get that booty shakin'! :)

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth

2010-02-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

I figure if you're going to have a blog about books you'd better include one about your favorite hmm? Pillars in a word, entertaining. It begins in the 12th century in Kingsbridge, England with a man called Tom Builder. His goal in life is to build the world's greatest cathedral. What follows is a journey beginning with Tom's family and the next two generations in which raging battles are fought, lovers are lost and won again, monks are murdered, towns are rampaged, and so much more. At times the book is sexy, sometimes calculating, and I became so involved I wanted to kill the antagonist myself! Part of what makes Follett such an amazing writer is ability to allow the reader into the mind of the character when they are deliberating. I do not understand how he has the foresight to to be able to do it. He will begin with a common goal between between two characters and from there it will branch into these little vines in which other characters get involved and each have their own motives. From there, the reader is able to see the manipulative reasoning in each one's mind. It made me feel like I was literally in the story.

Pillars also teaches the reader about 12th century politics, religion and architecture. One of the best things I acquired was the desire to travel to England and other parts of Europe to see these beautiful buildings! Though the book is fiction, it gives the reader a glimpse into the architectural design and the time-consuming labor involved in medieval structures. It makes me just want to go stand in the middle of a cathedral and be awe-inspired by the hard work and dedication that went into its creation.

I read somewhere an interesting notion Follett has about Europe's cathedrals. Because some of them would take more than one lifetime to build, he says nothing will ever be built to remotely compare to their grandeur; this is because no one in our time will be as selfless to work on something in which they may never see the end result. I love reading about the work-ethic and the devotion in his characters. And not just the builders either. Even the young people in the story are so involved with the political and religious dealings because they were so affected by it all. They would not eat if the wrong people were in power. It reminds me of a discussion I had with my Dad where he got on to me for saying, "what's the point in getting involved in politics.. they're all a bunch of asses anyway." But again, I'm not worrying about when I'm going to have my next meal. This book, for me, was a reminder that America and our way of living is so fortunate and it's nice to take a look and learn about history and the way people before us lived and to be grateful for that. If there were one drawback to this book, it would be that I am scared I will never come close to finding another that captivated me like it did.

Pillars of the Earth is on the International Best-Seller List, Oprah's Book Club (I know, kind of a turn off), and is now being made into a film. It's sequel, World Without End, is a great read as well!

Here's a great summary/review:
“The Pillars of the Earth” tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known; of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect – a man divided in his soul; of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame; and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece. ‘Enormous and brilliant …this mammoth tale seems to touch all human emotion – love and hate, loyalty and treachery, hope and despair. This is truly a novel to get lost in’ – “Cosmopolitan”. ‘A historical saga of such breadth and density …Follett succeeds brilliantly in combining hugeness and detail to create a novel imbued with the rawness, violence and blind faith of the era’ – “Sunday Express”.

Ethan Goldhammer - In the Pocket (Rhodes and Moog Light Paint)

2010-02-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

You know how they make Baby Einstein cds to help create new nerve pathways for infants? I imagine that must have just happened in my head when I watched and listened to this. Haha, maybe a stretch but this tune is funnkkyy and I like it! Find it at http://aurgasm.us

In the Pocket (Rhodes and Moog Light Paint) from Ethan Goldhammer on Vimeo.

Rodrigo y Gabriela

2010-02-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

One of my all-time favorites. Pop this in on a roadtrip and you will find yourself drumming like a madman on your steering wheel for as long your fingers can take it! The coolest part is it's just a couple playing acoustic guitar with a badass chick drumming away on the guitar to make the beats. Enjoy!

My favorite songs of theirs. Gabriella around the 3:30 mark just blows my mind.

From the newest album 11:11

C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity

2010-02-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

I became interested in Lewis after reading some of his quotes in other books and websites. This guy was so cool. He was born in 1898 and became a respected scholar at Oxford University. He was an adamant atheist from the age of 15 up until he met J.R.R. Tolkien (author of Lord of the Rings). Through discussions, readings, and what he described as Christian friends suddenly becoming so present in his life (something I can relate to as I found that happening in my "conversion" process too), he became one of the leading Christian Apologetics. I googled Apologetics and it means "someone in defense of".
So, Lewis wrote this amazing book called Mere Christianity and I literally said the word "brilliant" (not sure if I've ever used that word before!)out loud as I read it. I always have a hard time summing a book up because I tend to compartmentalize it into themes so here's a section of the back cover:

"Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity's many denominations, Lewis provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith. It is a collection of scintillating brilliance that remains strikingly fresh for the modern reader and at the same time confirms C.S. Lewis' reputation as one of the leading writers and thinkers of our age."

On the subject of faith, one thing he says that I found interesting was this:

"...now that I'm a Christian I do have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable. This rebellion of your moods against your real self is going to come anyway. That is why Faith is such a necessary virtue: unless you teach your moods 'where they get off', you can never be a sound Christian or even a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering to and fro, with its beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of its digestion. Consequently, one must train the habit of Faith."

Lewis addresses questions, arguments, and claims very truthfully, never dancing around the subject, while remaining admirably non-confrontational in his tone. This is one of the very best qualities of the book. His examples are relatable and he addresses questions that my small mind has wondered about but never has the sense/ability to completely think through.

Lewis went on to write Chronicles of Narnia and other timeless classics. If you get a chance google him and see what you think. Obviously, I think he's pretty awesome :)

While I'm on this subject, do any of you have any books that have brought you clarity about a subject you've wondered about? I love good reads that teach and entertain.

I am having a wonderfully lazy day on the couch with my man and my pup and I hope you are all relaxing as well. I'll sign off with one of my favorite quotes by guess who..

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

Happy weekend to you and God bless ya!

Shawn McDonald - Captivated

2010-01-04T05:15:00.000-08:00

This song is just perfect. My wonderful friend and faith mentor, Megan Joyner, uploaded two of his albums "Roots" and "Simply Nothing" and I just cannot say enough good things about this artist. He is Christian music for people who find it hard to connect with God through Christian music. I hope this song blesses you as it does me!

If you're in the mood to just durrrr out :)

2009-12-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

Ólafur Arnalds - Ljósið (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.

Funky Little Tune

2009-12-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

Chances are if a song has an up-beat tempo with a banjo or violin, I'ma like it! This song makes me want to have some friends over and serve them mint-mojitos in a mason jar out on the back porch (lantern lamps overhead would be a nice touch)! :)Doesn't hurt that the singer has the same first name of one of my favorite people in the universe!

Click to hear music file
Gavin Glass - The Jukebox Rag

Come Thirsty, Traveling Light, Next Door Savior Max Lucado's 3-in-1 series

2009-12-06T19:47:00.001-08:00

One of my very sweet friends, Megan Joyner, gave me this for 24th birthday. It was very soon after I had become a Christian. As someone starting from scratch, searching for answers and trying to find my way, I cannot thank Max Lucado enough for fulfilling so many of these needs. His writing is based on scripture and he gives us stories we can relate to and then apply to our own relationship with Christ. If ever you feel you need something to give you a boost in your spiritual journey, I strongly recommend this. It is very relatable, well-written, and made me laugh out loud at times. I read it in a linear way but it is also very easy to pick up and read right in the middle. The chapters are mostly devoted to certain topics. I find myself picking up again and again for guidance and comfort.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

2009-12-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful book! My friend, Amy Agramonte, recommended it to me and I could not be more grateful. This book is so beautifully written that the second time I read it I had to carry a pen with me everywhere I went with it and mark down my favorite passages. I guess if I had to describe it briefly I would call it a coming-of-age story about a young girl growing up in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. But it's so much more than that! Francie Nolan is a young poor girl growing up in Brooklyn in a family with a strong, pretty, tell it like it is, mother who absolutely adores her husband, Johnny. Johny, Francie's father is a lovable, kind, entertaining father who struggles with bouts of alcoholism. Her little brother, Neely, is a fun-loving easy going kid that Francie adores. So what makes it so much different than the million other stories that resemble this one? I think it's that Francie has a way of observing things around her in a way that many of us do but can't put into words, don't thoroughly think through, and/or feel embarrassed to say. Because she is young in the beginning of the story, she doesn't totally understand a lot of what goes on around her but that doesn't stop her from feeling it. She is a lonely girl and has a lot to be sad about but she sees kindness all around her. Even in being lonely, poor, sad and plain-looking, you see her as this beautiful little girl you just want to hug so tight! Here are a couple of my favorite passages from the story:

"Francie stood on tiptoe and stretched her arms wide. 'Oh, I want to hold it all!' she cried. 'I want to hold the way the night is - cold without wind. And the way the stars are so near and shiny. I want to hold all of it tight until it hollers out, 'Let me go! Let me go!'"

"Let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be happy; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere-be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost."

This book will strike a cord on some level in everyone who reads it. Of course that's why it's a classic and it very well deserves to be!

Dorky Little Book Worm

2009-12-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

I guess the first time it hit me that I wanted to create a blog or do something of this kind was when I read "Memoirs of a Geisha". You know when you love something so much you want to just share it with someone? I was so moved after I read that book that I got on MySpace and made an entry about how wonderful it was. Well my BFF teased me and I felt dumb and took it down (how ya like them apples, Peek?). No, she really is the sweetest and now I'll just tell her to shut it and know that she secretly loves it. :) So yeah, it started with that one and I find myself often nearing the end of a book and trying so hard to slow down because I never want it to end and then having this "feel" of the book with me for a few days after I finish it. What stinks though (well it can be cool at times when you want to re-read it), is that I have a terrible memory and months after I read a book cannot remember what even happened to the characters. I remember the feel I had while reading it but the storyline, nope.
I want to use this as a way to remember, share and express those feelings I get from books, music, movies, whatever sings to my little heart :) Cute right? Sooo you know I'm going to get totally excited if you like something I write about so like comments are cool :)