Marching: 7 Simple Shares

Playground in February. Pretending it is spring.

A few random things:

1. We recently painted the kitchen, dining room, and hallway. The entire house was a variety of tan and I needed to break it up a little. I am so happy with how it turned out! The kitchen and hallway are this color and the dining room accent wall is this.

After. Don't mind the phone charger and the few items missing from the sideboard.

2. Have you seen Home? It is Emaline's new favorite movie. I feel like I did not hear much about it when it came out. When I look it up, the reviews are mixed but my toddler loves it and so do I! It is funny and sweet with a positive message and a great soundtrack. You can find it on Netflix.

Nick and I went to a concert last weekend.
3. My favorite song from the opening act is this.

4. And my favorite song from the headliner is this.

5. The show was at House of Blues Boston. We have had friends complain about the venue before and we never understood. It turns out that the floor is great and the balcony is awful. If you ever find yourself looking at tickets to a show there, make sure your tickets are for the floor. Do NOT buy tickets for the balcony. Trust me on this.

6. If you are not yet watching Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, you need to check it out. It is informative, sharp, and seriously funny. It airs Sunday nights on HBO. Nick and I watch on HBOGO through our AppleTV and if you don't have access to that, you can find some of his best segments on YouTube like this, this, and now this.

7. Today starts a new month. If you are looking for some inspiration to start decluttering your house, check out this.

Guest Week: Talent to Share

This week, Write to Simplicity is being taken over by talented women. People I know, who have something to offer, an art that needs to be shared. You can book them or order from them. They have business cards or etsy shops. But mostly they have tremendous talent and expertise.

I am inspired by people who are brave enough to share their creativity with the world. Sometimes that means pursuing a dream full time, for others it is something that exists in the moments between work. Either way, it is recognizing a passion and chasing that spark until it catches.

For that I applaud: Jessica, Theresa, Ashley, Rachel, and Elise.

Day one: instead of a guest post, I have something else.

When I met Jessica, only a few weeks ago, she told me that she was a professional singer. Still, I was amazed when I got a chance to hear what she can do. Although I have tried, I must admit that I lack the words to express what she is able to accomplish with her voice. She sings the way writers want to write and painters want to paint. It is an expression of art that is incredible to witness. Instead of her written word, I have this!!!!

Teaser: Baby Name

Kaia practicing her ballet moves.

I probably shouldn't write this. I know I am asking for it, but it's too fun not to share.

As you probably know, we are keeping hush on the baby name until she is born. People judge easily when there isn't a little face attached to the moniker. I have asked our friends and family to not make guesses. Some are better at following this request than others (ahem, Steve and Tracey).

The other night, Nick and I were driving home after date night at this restaurant, when the song I know, that has her name in the title, started playing. Nick had typed her name into Spotify to see what we would find. I was surprised by the results.

I have always thought that her name has a musicality to it, a sing-song sound. My thoughts were confirmed when more than half a dozen songs came up in the search. And maybe I am biased, but I loved each one. The first was pop/rock, then country, and the rest were much older. It makes me happy to hear her name put to music.

Being somebody with a unique name, I know I am setting her up for a lifetime of not finding her name written on combs and bracelets, but at least she will have the music.

Reaarange: Beds and Characters

First, thank you for all of the kind words that came from my last post. It helps tremendously to know that I am not alone in how I feel.

On the night I published that post, Nick and I stayed in and rearranged furniture. We moved our bed to a different room to make space for a nursery. I love our rented house but it has a very strange layout. The upstairs is somewhat of a master suite with a large main area, a smaller room set apart by french doors and another room on the side that has a traditional door. Our closet is off of the room with the french doors so we moved our bed in there so that the baby can be in a room that can shut off entirely.

The steep stairs up. I hear that I will hate these when the baby first comes.

New bed space. Needs a little color but I love the coziness.

I have wanted our bed in the french door room forever because of this picture. Now to find that light fixture. :)

I will take pictures of the other rooms upstairs as progress is made. I am currently working on a new system to store clothes. I am really bad at keeping clothes neat. My family makes fun of me for it constantly. And the baby room is not much to look at yet. I will keep you posted.

My goal today is to work on my novel as much as possible. I started the morning by reading through all of it out loud for editing purposes. Toby is now the only one who has heard the whole story. I think he liked it but he's not hard to please.

 The story does not make sense as is. There are still huge sections that only live in my mind. So after I read through all of it, I pick individual sections that need to be flushed out and begin typing as fast as I can. I try not to edit myself too much in the initial phase. The story already exists in my head so I am attempting a translation of something that I know but have not yet seen. Often, the main points remain but the longer I type, the more the story takes on life and I just try to keep up.

Before I can vigorously type, I have to get my mind to the right space. Getting to that place can be one of the most challenging parts of the process. Sometimes I do not feel inspired and the words seem forced. When this happens, there are a number of tools that I try.

Music is my most powerful tool. It can instantly change my mood and transport my thoughts. Often a single song is played on repeat while writing an entire scene. Today I was working a lot on the romantic relationship between two characters and music alone was not enough. That is when I pulled up this amazing video and then found this one.

How much better would music videos be if they were more like that? Love. 

Sums it up perfectly.

And now back to work I go.

What do you use for inspiration?
 

 

Fall Friday: Short Day

If these walls came crumbling down

Fell so hard, to make us lose our faith

From what's left you'd figure it out

Still make lemonade taste like a sunny day

                       

  -Dave Matthews. American Baby

Listening to Grooveshark on a Friday afternoon. I can't get enough of this song right now. I keep pulling the arrow back to the start just to hear the opening lyrics again. I think Dave Matthews is an absolute poet in addition to being an incredible musician. My friend Julie introduced me to DMB in 9th grade and they are one of the few bands that I have always been proud to share as a favorite. The music is as relatable to me now as it was when I was fifteen and that's saying something.

I was just wondering if you'd come along

Hold up my head when my head won't hold on

I'll do the same if the same's what you want

-Dave matthews The Stone

I am leaving work a few hours early today and driving to North Dakota for the weekend. I am really excited for a roadtrip and to get out of the city for a few days.

Also, I have finally caved in and allowed myself to become addicted to pinterest. For awhile I did not see the point but now I am having so much fun with it as seen above and below.

Enjoy your weekend!!



Music: A Simple List

I have been to a lot of concerts. My parents started bringing me to shows when I was very little. Roy Orbison was my first. I was five or six. I slept the whole way to the show and my parents started wondering if they should have left me at home. When the show started though, I climbed on my seat and pumped my chubby little arms until it was time to go. My memory of it is vague. I remember he had a pony tail and that the stage rotated. But mostly I remember how much I loved being there.

My father's list of concerts attended could put me to shame. He has seen a million shows and his list is still growing. The funny thing about my inherited love for music is that when I was in high school my Dad would tell me I was spending too much time/ money/ interest on shows and that I should spend more time studying/ doing homework. Today as I was working on the list, I called my parents to ask if they could help me remember some of the oldies shows and my Dad was so excited that I was putting this together.

Note the variety of acts. Oldies to HipHop to Alternative to Pop. There is a funny balance of one hit wonders and music legends. I listed them by performer and not neccesarily individual concerts. I know I am forgetting some names and I will be attending a few more this fall so the list will grow but here goes....

1. Roy Orbison
2. Belinda Carlisle
3. New Kids on the Block
4. Beach Boys (x3)
5. Dion (x2)
6. Lou Christie
7. Chubby Checker
8. Backstreet Boys (x3)
9. Nsync
10. Britney Spears
11. Christina Aguilera
12. Justin Timberlake
13. John Mayer (x2)
14. Third Eye Blind (x7)
15. Counting Crows (x2)
16. GooGoo Dolls (x3)
17. Nine Days
18. Tonic
19. Maroon5
20. Wyclef Jean
21. Lifehouse
22. Matchbox20
23. Five for Fighting
24. David Gray
25. JaRule
26. Ashanti
27. Aerosmith
28. Lillix
29. Jason Mraz
30. Bowling for Soup
31. Frankie J
32. Lisa Marie Presley
33. Stacie Oricco
34. Jewel
35. Jennifer Love Hewitt
36. Uncle Kracker
37. Simple Plan
38. Amanda Perez
39. Dream
40. Michelle Branch (x2)
41. Wayne Wonder
42. TLC
43. Daniel Bedingfield
44. Celine Dion
45. Joey McIntyre
46. Jordan Knight
47. Mary J. Blige
48. Alicia Keys
49. Avril Lavigne (x2)
50. Pink
51. No Doubt
52. Shakira
53. Alanis Morisette
54. Marc Anthony
55. The Fray
56. Vanessa Carlton
57. Ben Folds (x3)
58. Aaron Carter
59. Barenaked Ladies
60. Edwin McCain
61. Jason Mraz (x2)
62. Dido
63. DuranDuran
64. Vertical Horizon (x2)
65. Def Leppard
66. Guster
67. MXPX
68. Cyprus Hill
69. Offspring
70. Ben Harper
71. Jack Black
72. Beastie Boys
73. The Corrs
74. Savage Garden
75. Tristan Prettyman
76. Billy Joel
77. Jimmy Eat World
78. Blink182
79. The Cat Empire
80. Three Doors Down
81. Dave Matthews (x4)
82. Incubus
83. John Butler Trio
84. Mike Doughty
85.Jessica Simpson
86. No Authority
87. 98 Degrees
88. LFO
89. Boyz N Girlz United
90. Rilo Kiley
91. Coldplay
92. Howie Day 
93. Holdsteady
94. Cloud Cult
95. Mars Volta
96. Semisonic
97. Gene Pitney
98. Johnny Rivers
99. DeeDee Sharp
100. Shaggy
101. Spoon
102. Rural Albert Advantage
103. The Head and the Heart (x2)
104. Imagine Dragons

30 Days: Song Challenge

My friend Nikki told me I should participate in the 30 day song challenge on facebook. I went and checked it out, got bored, and filled it all out right then and there.

I feel like I could have endless answers for some of these. What song DOESN'T remind me of somone?? In case you want to play, here it is:

day 01 - your favorite song: Motorcycle Drive By: Third Eye Blind

day 02 - your least favorite song: This is hard but for now I choose Jam by Kim Kardashian

day 03 - a song that makes you happy: Mr Jones by Counting Crows

day 04 - a song that makes you sad: Danny Boy by Frank Patterson

day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone: She Will Be Loved by Maroon Five

day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere: Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond

day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event: For Me This is Heaven by Jimmy Eat World

day 08 - a song that you know all the words to: Shoop by Salt N Peppa

day 09 - a song that you can dance to: Hey ya! By OutKast

day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep: What you want by the John Butler Trio

day 11 - a song from your favorite band: The Song that Jane Likes by the Dave Matthews Band

day 12 - a song from a band you hate: Rockstar by Nickelback

day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure: I want it that way by the Backstreet Boys

day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love: Dixieland Delight by Alabama

day 15 - a song that describes you: Short Skirt, Long Jacket by Cake

day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate: macarena by Los Del Rios

day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio: Grenade by Bruno Mars

day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio: English by Ashtray Hearts

day 19 - a song from your favorite album: #41 by Dave Matthews Band

day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry: Born This Way by Lady Gaga

day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy: Mushaboom by Feist

day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad: Ave Maria by Beyonce

day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding: To Make You Feel My Love by My Dad (Garth Brooks, Adele, Trisha Yearwood, Billy Joel)

day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral: In My Life by the Beetles

day 25 - a song that makes you laugh: The Wine Song by Cat Empire

day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument: Hot Crossed Buns- Haha! Used to be able to play In my life and stand by me

day 27 - a song that you wish you could play: Taylor by Jack Johnson. The intro is awesome!

day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty: Come Back Down by Lifehouse
day 29 - a song from your childhood: Only the Lonely by Roy Orbison or Roy the Boy as my family calls him

day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year: Here Comes the Sun by the Beetles

Visions of You: Motorcycle Drive By

I know I don't write on here enough. I know that. I know it because my head is swimming. Writing is what gives me peace. When elements of my life are not shared, it is like they are floating wildly in my head and the only way to calm myself is to pin them down with words. I lay in bed at night and think, I should write about this... but I fall asleep before I can coax myself out of bed and to a computer. While I sleep the thoughts that I have carefully collected escape into the night. And I have to start chasing them around all over again.

It is Friday. My boss left early today. That is always nice. The office is quiet and everyone is content. I am listening to music as I work. Usually music allows me to move quickly through my tasks and serves as more of a beat to type to than a distraction. There are songs though that are serious exceptions to that rule. There are songs that are so paralyzing that work, or really anything other than a complete stop, is impossible.

Summer time and the wind is blowing outside
in lower Chelsea
And I don't know what I'm doing
in this city
The sun is always in my eyes
It crashes through the windows
Motorcycle Drive By is one of those songs. If you do not know that song, you should. But it may not mean as much to you as it does me. And that is okay. If you are a music person in any sense of the word, you probably have a song like that as well.

No matter where you are when you here it, you stop and it takes you in. I actually get butterflies when I hear it. The kind of butterflies that move about not only in my stomach but on the right day spread to my chest, my throat, and even cause my hands to shake.

Today is one of those days.

This song connects me to my memories, my friends, my adventures, and possibly my future. Music in a way that nothing else can, draws me closer to those places. Music brings up memories that you forgot to remember. Music shakes up your soul. And knowing all of that, how could I possibly do anything else when a songs like that is playing in my ears.

And I never been so alone
And I've never been so alive
(*The italics are lyrics from Motorcycle Drive By by Third Eye Blind. It was written by Stephan Jenkins and appears on the bands first album. I had the amazing fortune to meet him a few months ago. Please ignore my weird expression. I was beyond happy in this moment.)