Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

For Auld Lang Syne, My Dear


I have been playing a lot of piano lately. By no means am I good at it, but it's always enjoyable. So much of my life is about trying to convey things through words, so playing music is a relaxing change.

I have also started wearing a watch again. It feels so old-fashioned to do so, but in the best possible way.

I felt like I was channeling Audrey Hepburn a little in this outfit.

Vintage Gap denim shirt, Forever 21 pants and flats, gifted watch

I am not normally the resolution-making type, but here are my two resolutions for the new year: write one poem every day, and learn how to knit. I will be spending New Year's Eve with almost all of my best friends (to the ones who will not be there, you will be dearly missed!), eating and dancing and relaxing and having a generally fantastic night. I hope you all have an amazing New Year's Eve!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Stars Are My Chandelier


The name of the game is...
simple colors, soft fabrics, and choosing comfort over trend.


Steven Alan wool trousers, Tomas Maier cashmere poncho, Vince jersey top, Acne tee, Alexander McQueen cashmere sweater dress, Alexander Wang sweater, Richard Nicoll dress, Miu Miu jersey stirrup leggings

These pieces totally embody the type of clothing I have been craving (and wearing very much of) lately. I cannot imagine anything more delicious than a cashmere poncho. Because of late rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday, then the absence of a camera battery charger this afternoon, I have yet to take any pictures of my purchases from Saturday, but I can assure you that they all fall into this category of simple, comfortable items, and that you will definitely be seeing them soon!

School is finally out for winter break. I could cry with happiness. A lengthy hiatus from schoolwork and alarm clocks is exactly what I need right now, preferably one filled with oversized sweaters and mugs of peppermint tea, snowy afternoons spent writing poetry and playing the piano, and spending as much time as possible with my friends.

My friend Chris and I (a different Chris from the one you met briefly in my last post) swapped mixtapes today, and I am totally in love with the one he gave me. It has lots of odd acousticky music on it, which totally suits my mood right now, and the post title is from one of my favorite songs on the mix, "The Stars Are My Chandelier" by David Dondero.

These pictures of Paris buried under snow are so magical. I want to experience Paris in wintertime so badly. Anyway, we got a significant amount of snow on Saturday night (I believe around eight inches) and it's been cold enough these past few days that basically all the snow is still here! Now it truly feels like winter.

Since I probably will not post again before tomorrow night, I hope all of you who are celebrating Christmas have a fantastic holiday!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Time of No Reply


"Summer was gone and the heat died down, and autumn reached for her golden crown. I looked behind as I heard a sigh, but this was the time of no reply."

The above lyrics are from "Time of No Reply" by Nick Drake, one of my absolute favorite songs and definitely my favorite getting-into-that-perfect-autumnal-mood tune. Please listen to it if you never have, the song really is quite magical.

The heat has definitely died down a little. You can tell that the trees in my backyard have started shedding. The weather has been miraculous lately - in the sixties, crisp and cloudless. I am celebrating this delicious time of year by whipping out my favorite dress again and making it feel a little more seasonal.

I know it looks really blue in the pictures, but I promise it's mint green! These boots have been lazing in the back of my closet for months, and for some reason I felt inspired to put them on.

Have I mentioned how fantastic this blazer is?

The pattern is really amazing up close. I got this last Saturday along with another blazer! My desire for groovy nonblack blazers is gradually being satisfied.

Oh yes, the shed makes another appearance! But how have I managed to take pictures in the middle of the backyard without a living, breathing photographer to help me, you might ask?

Meet my new best friend. He is a recent addition to the family. I have yet to name him, but I can tell that he will be sticking around for a long time and shall be met with completely unadulterated adoration.

Vintage dress from Paris, vintage blazer, Hue tights, gifted belt, vintage Frye boots

Tonight I tried out for yet another play - Arabian Nights, an adaptation of One Thousand and One Nights (Aladdin, Ali Baba, Sinbad the Sailor, you know the stories) for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors at my high school. The audition was quite bizarre, but extremely fun, and the director seems incredibly cool. A callback list goes up tomorrow, so wish me luck!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Bursting


Something, Blackbird, I Will, I've Just Seen a Face, Penny Lane, Norwegian Wood, Michelle, All My Loving - The Beatles.

Thirteen, Rock of Ages, On My Way, Falling - Ben Kweller. The Longest Time, Vienna - Billy Joel. Skinny Love - Bon Iver.

Four Winds, First Day Of My Life - Bright Eyes. Quelqu'un m'a dit - Carla Bruni. Photobooth, Your New Twin Sized Bed, Earth Angel, Title and Registration, Passenger Seat - Death Cab for Cutie.

The Crane Wife 3, Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then), Sons & Daughters - The Decemberists. Insomnia - Electric President. Somebody That I Used to Know - Elliott Smith. London Town - Emily Loizeau and Andrew Bird.

Valley Winter Song - Fountains of Wayne. Philosophia - The Guggenheim Grotto. One Man Wrecking Machine - Guster. Collide (Acoustic Version) - Howie Day. Jardin d'hiver - Keren Ann.

Sunday Morning - Maroon 5. Float On, Paper Thin Walls - Modest Mouse. Time of No Reply, Man in a Shed, Fly - Nick Drake.

Fireflies - Owl City. Nightswimming - R.E.M. California - Rogue Wave. Complainte de la Butte - Rufus Wainwright. Young Pilgrims, New Slang - The Shins.

The Only Living Boy in New York, I Am a Rock, The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel. The Boy With the Thorn In His Side, There is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths. All That I Want - The Weepies.

Fashion Toast, La Douleur Exquise, For Stars Will Rise Again

I know I just did a photography post, but I have come across so many beautiful pictures in the past few days that I cannot help but share them. La Douleur Exquise has the most gorgeous collection of photographs I have ever seen, in all seriousness.

And the songs. I tend to make playlists for each season, so here is my autumn music. Some new things, some old things, a little more serious than my summer tracks, a little more painfully lovely. I hope you know or listen to at least a bit of it, and if not, then I hope you have your own music that makes you feel as comforted and inspired as all this music makes me feel.

I am just bursting right now. There are so many beautiful things in the world. Photographs, music, seasons, books, stars, poetry, people... it all makes me happy to be alive.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Summer



... watching sunsets, staying up all night, smelling the salt on my skin, cuffed shorts, slouchy tees, simple sundresses, going barefoot, walking through my favorite museums like they belong to just me, lying in sweet grass, pointing out the stars, iced coffee on the dock, speaking French, perfect light, trying on clothes, writing poems, reading every Kurt Vonnegut book I can get my hands on, quiet twilights, ice cream on the Left Bank, flea markets, the smell of flowers at dusk, getting dressed up, wearing no makeup, Bastille Day fireworks, attempting to play guitar, taking photos, waking up happy every day.

*

Season of Love - Shiny Toy Guns
Journey of the Featherless - Cloud Cult
Photobooth - Death Cab for Cutie
Rains in Asia - Jump Little Children
Shine On - The Kooks
We Will Become Silhouettes - The Shins
Kurt Vonnegut - Born Ruffians
On Love, In Sadness - Jason Mraz
No Sunlight - Death Cab for Cutie
Homecoming King - Guster
The Midnight Choir - The Thrills
5 Years Time - Noah and the Whale
Piazza, New York Catcher - Belle & Sebastian
Measuring Cups - Andrew Bird
Sons & Daughters - The Decemberists
Restaurant - The Thrills
Daylight - Matt & Kim
Kids - MGMT
Why Georgia - John Mayer
First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes

*

(photos from weheartit, alexander wang, sessun and wildfox couture)

Friday, May 8, 2009

Sticky Hands, Sticky Hips, Stubble On My Sticky Lips


OH. MY. LORD. YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
IT WAS TOO AMAZING FOR WORDS.
THEREFORE, PICTURES MUST SUFFICE.


Dude in front of me and Jess in line was wearing the most delicious skinnies. I had to snap some stalker photos.

Everyone was wearing Converse. And I mean everyone. Literally. We fit right in.

Sign on the merchandise table. I thought it was hilarious.

I had zero expectations for the opening act, Born Ruffians, but they were actually phenomenal. The songs were catchy and interesting, and the lead singer was fantastically talented.

AND THEN... IT BEGAN. Sorry my camera is such crap.


Alex Kapranos is literally the most beautiful person I have ever seen in real life.
You think I am exaggerating, but no.


He was wearing these blue trousers with a short sleeved polka dot button down tucked into them, and a black belt.

AND FANTASTIC BRIGHT RED BROGUES. THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL.


Absolute best were Lucid Dreams, Michael, 40', Ulysses, and This Fire, which was the closing number and just a total shitshow. It was amazing.

Take Me Out, No You Girls, Do You Want To, Outsiders, What She Came For, and Turn It On were equally stellar.

What an absolutely perfect way to relax before my AP test tomorrow.
By the time I post again, I'll be done! Wahoo! Something to cheer about!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The Flash Of A Neon Light That Split The Night



(Camilla Åkrans for Numeró)

Have you ever just felt like there was so much rushing around inside of you, and that no amount of shouting or singing or crying or writing could possibly begin to empty it all out? That you could talk for ten years and write a hundred poems and everything you felt would still be trapped in the little corners of your brain and your heart?

I feel that way now. A little stuck.

But anyways, Passover festivities commenced tonight. Relatively (actually, completely) uneventful. Wine makes family gatherings so much more lovely.


This bag is hilarious and perfect. Thoroughly cheeky, wonderfully unexpected from a brand like Longchamp, and basically the thing that has been missing from my wardrobe all my life.


I really, really want a bright pair of Converse for the spring. These are pretty much my favorite footwear ever created. As much as I love to salivate over exquisite heels and delicate flats, and even wear them often enough, Converse end up on my feet most of the time. They're just so wonderfully dependable.

In the car on the way home tonight, I was listening to my iPod and right then and there compiled a very important list.

My Top Ten Favorite Lyricists Of All Time, In No Specific Order
John Lennon
Ben Gibbard

Sufjan Stevens
Conor Oberst
Ben Kweller
Colin Meloy
Paul Simon
James Mercer
Elliott Smith
Billy Joel

In close contest for number eleven: Sam Beam, Andrew Bird, Justin Vernon.

Tell me your favorites! I like to learn about you all.


from ansel olson on flickr

About a year ago, I started writing a lot of poems about nature and how it felt around me. Just looking in my backyard at dusk brought all these ideas gushing out. Here are two I wrote last spring; I think of them like two halves of the same poem.

a kind of renaissance

the enormous forsythia plant is
in bloom again below my window, a
sinuous tangle of yellow tails like
a crisp greek wreath. above it
the slick orange ball of sun glows
against charred trees, a watercolor of
fire and branches about to burst to life.

a monet twilight

by now the sky has paled to mauve
and lavender, traces of celestial lipstick
wiped across the atmosphere. above
the purple melting pot, a sheet
of milky blue bedecks the heavens
like a cool basin turned upside down,
emptying its viscera in a current of
stars and air scented with honeysuckle.

Posting will be spotty for the next week or so, as I'm going away until next Thursday and have no idea what my internet availability will be like. I'll try desperately to post before then!

"Forsythia is pure joy. There is not an ounce, not a glimmer of sadness or even knowledge in forsythia. Pure, undiluted, untouched joy."
~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

P.S. Post title from one of the most beautiful songs ever written, "The Sound Of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

April, Come She Will


The primary thing making me happy right now: setting the clocks forward. Yes, we lost an hour of sleep last night, but not having the sun go down at five o' clock makes it totally worth it.

The accessories I want to wear all season: Anything from Alice Pleasance. My darling Emmy posted a few of her rings and I was instantly smitten. My favorite pieces: the hair clips. And everything is totally affordable.



The person I want to dress like this spring: If you want to get technical, I actually want to dress like her year round, but somehow Rachel Bilson looks amazing all the time. I want to go shopping with her! She always looks chic, but not disgustingly trendy. Great bags, great shoes, and everything fits well. And I love her scarves.



The thing I promised you a while ago: My perfect spring playlist. Finally got around to making it after listening to some newly posted spring tracks from Jeffro. My spring tunes this year are plucky and exciting. They should make you want to dance around! Because I do.

1. Restaurant - The Thrills (Somehow The Thrills manage to provide the perfect tunes for winter or spring. I adore them to no end.)
2. No Sunlight - Death Cab for Cutie
3. Sleep the Clock Around - Belle & Sebastian
4. Heavy Metal Drummer - Wilco
(Makes me want to be in Martha's Vineyard, sitting on the dock watching the ferries come in.)
5. Paris - Yael Naïm
6. Wantin' Her Again - Ben Kweller
(Ben Kweller is country! Ah! But this song is cute.)
7. No Such Thing - John Mayer
8. Daylight - Matt & Kim
9. Measuring Cups - Andrew Bird
10. Earth Angel - Death Cab for Cutie
(Cover of a fifties song. Adorable.)
11. Fitz and the Dizzyspells - Andrew Bird
(From Noble Beast. Insanely happy sounding.)
12. Be Born - Tally Hall
13. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
(I first heard this in Los Angeles, so it reminds me of being there.)
14. Magic - Ben Kweller
(This makes me think of summer camp. Or jumping into a lake. For some reason.)
15. Homecoming King - Guster
16. Les Champs-Élysées - Joe Dassin
17. Island in the Sun - Weezer
(I think I first heard this in a Disney Channel Original Movie and have loved it ever since.)
18. Young Pilgrims - The Shins
19. April Come She Will - Simon & Garfunkel
20. The Midnight Choir - The Thrills
(MY FAVORITE SONG EVER.)
21. What Would Jay-Z Do? - Ben Lee
22. World Spins Madly On - The Weepies

Only thirteen days until spring! Get excited! You know I am.

(Thanks to etsy, fenciana club, looks, daily mail, & denimology for the pictures!)