Down down baby down by the roller coaster

I know what you're thinking. JULES ITZ TOTES NOT SUMMER WTF WITH THE BEACH PICTURE OMG.

Ever since it was made official that Seve and I will be going to Florida for Christmas, it's all I can think about. Rexburg's snowy winter slush is nothing compared to my white sand euphoria. In anticipation for the trip, I've been enjoying surfy beachy trippy music rather than Christmas tunes. The Drums, Heavy Hawaii, and the Cults dominate my playlist. Don't worry, I won't pretentiously name drop and leave you empty handed. Dream with me now:

This helps me write my wolf book

Frump it up

Frumpy is the new sexy, and I'm all for it.

I thoroughly enjoy the Fall and its wardrobe. Cold enough for a sweater, but warm enough to still bare some skin. Too bad I live in Rexburg and this season is mere days away from being over.  I hate ice and snow.

OMG what's this? Is it the Shins? Click:

How nice. Takes ya back, doesn't it?

Lord shake her bones and make her mine

Finally got around to posting this! About a month ago, Seve and I saw Joshua James. This shouldn't seem like such an amazing feat, but it really is. We've been trying to go to a Joshua James show together before we even started dating.

The first time, Seve and I had only just moved on from making eyes at each other in class to openly flirting and getting to know each other. I thought he was cute and invited him to attend the show with me. He said yes, but then ended up having to deal with an unpleasant ex-girlfriend situation. Another time, I was avoiding an ex-boyfriend who I was sure would be at the show, and declined Seve's invitation to avoid an awkward encounter. I regret not being brave and just going with that cute Seve fella. After that, Seve and I missed out on Mr. James several times by simply being out of state (Texas, Missouri, Russia ... yeah) but here we are, a couple years later, and we finally got to see this artist we love so much - he's one of "our" artists, so it was about time.

For you, Seve. I know I can be selfish sometimes, and grumpy and scared and silly and lame. Thanks for loving me anyway. I happen to love you just as much. I'm trying everyday to be the person for you that you are for me.

Little List: Artsy Internet Crap Roundup

Enjoy: via, via, via, and via. And yeah, those are earrings. And that video came out 2 years ago, not 25. Happy Friday!!

Little List: Snapshot

My life at this very moment:

-Listening to Yeasayer's Odd Blood (everyone click here)
-Reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Umbridge . . . Umbridge!)
-Wearing my new coat (remember?)
-Finding this song for Seve (HA! Middle school, right? Maybe elementary for you? Preschool? Am I old?)
-Watched Who's That Girl? last night. So silly.
-Loving Stina Persson, whose lovely art is responsible for my new header.

Oh, and visit Panache if you haven't already for a cool giveaway! Need.

Little List: let the leaves fall

Fall is only the greatest season ever for fashion. This is our first fall to spend in Rexburg, and we're excited to experience an Idaho Autumn! We're hoping it's not a week-long phenomena that quickly transitions into snow. I love seeing the leaves change, love the rain and love the earthy smell. Mm hmm.

 So, images courtesy of UO, here's my Little Fall Fashion Wish List:

1 Surplus Jacket
2 Leather & Canvas Backpack
3 Square Neck Dress
4 Flannel Shirt
5 Khaki Nail Polish
6 Varsity Cardigan
7 Infinity Scarf
8 Tights, tights, tights
9 Wedge/Heel Boots

Also, everyone needs to dig Little Dragon for their fall playlists:

Like if our world was what Jules Verne imagined it to be.

Anyone else a fan of steampunk?

It's this new thing Seve and I are into. Well, new to us, anyway.

H-E-L-P

In the vein of artists I enjoy, here's my other love: Annie Clark of St. Vincent. Natasha and Annie speak such love to my heart; we three could start a little love nest and I'd be content the rest of my days.

Annie's music is quirky (LOVE) and all the more heightened by her multi-instrumental tunes, bringing in woodwinds and brass to accompany her talky-vocals and sometimes pretty, sometimes eat-your-face guitar. She composed the tracks from her recent album, Actor, by pretending they were the backing soundtrack to some of her favorite films, such as Bad Lands and The Wizard of Oz.

In fact, I'm quite convinced her song Marrow is about the Tin Man. The lyrics include references to being in a locked state, but being able to sense your muscle connected to bone, and your ire; and the request that "Honey, can you reach the spot that needs oiling and fixing?"

In the chorus she spells out the letters to "help me," which to me sounds like a frozen man barely whispering a plea through rusted lips, and after years and years, he's only able to mumble letters.

We walked arm in arm

Natasha Khan of Bat For Lashes is one of my favorite artists. Khan writes dark, romantic songs with a gothic quality, sans the Hot Topic variety. She sings about wizards, mystical horses, and knights--and I'm just waiting for a unicorn song to rear its beautiful head. When she performs on stage she really dresses the part, wearing the likes of Indian headdresses, wings, or antlers and projecting the image of a wolf howling at the moon behind her. I eat that stuff up.

I've written about my love for Bat For Lashes before, but I've got to ask, is anyone else a fan? Seems like I'm the only one among my circle of friends who even really listens to her.

My brother-in-law studying theatre at BYU had to watch this music video for a narrative/storytelling class:

Little List (let's get lost)

As you all know, life is crazy and busy and crazy and busy. Here are some things putting me at ease lately:

via Dawn Tan

1. My new headphones!
2. Bombay Bicycle Club
3. The Hunger Games (who else has read this? SO GOOD. Mockingjay out next month!)
4. Interviews at work end this week - and to accommodate the new hires we'll be moving to the rockin' corner office! You have to see this place. Windows galore. I might actually feel inclined to decorate.
5. Knowing Seve will be done with his play on Saturday and then the rest of the summer will be dedicated to long, beautiful, unadulterated Seve + Jules time. Can you imagine? Longboarding, camping, Netflix, taco vans, Texas . . . caaan't wait!

Eyes caught careless

I've been having the strange experience of receiving resumes from people older than me for a position to be, well, my assistant (not my personal assistant, but to me and my supervisor). Not only am I significantly younger than these applicants, but I'm very small and petite. I hope they don't balk at me when I interview them. We're also looking to hire writers and marketers for a new venture we're experimenting with, and again, all the applicants are older than me. And this particular venture is something I'm in charge of hiring for, so here's to hoping I'll be respected as a "boss" despite my size and age.

If you haven't yet listened to The Decemberists Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then) I highly recommend you do so now. This is my favorite song from their catalog of work, and lately I've been tempted to suggest their album The Hazards of Love as the next venture of the book club I'm a part of. Think they'll go for it?

How to Tame Lions

 

Little List of too much

Inspired by McKenzie's post on 8 albums she'd hang on her wall. I bumped the number up to 9 . . .

Bat for Lashes Fur & Gold
Picked this up after returning from China. I saw the music video for “What’s a Girl To Do?” and fell madly in love with Natasha Khan. Her voice, her style; all of it is pretty whimsical and dark and haunting and other adjectives dealing with moody beauty.

Beirut The Flying Club Cup
So beautiful. Everyone should listen to this album. This is my most recent love.

David Bowie Hunky Dory
Everyone thinks they're the biggest Bowie fan, and I'm no exception. I grew up on him and this album is my personal favorite from his catalog of work. I could listen to this album any time, anywhere.

The Smiths Louder Than Bombs
I've always been a Smiths fan, but Seve gave me this album when we were dating and it only made me fall that much more head-over-heels in love with him. "Is It Really So Strange?" is one of our songs, and it played at our wedding.

Daniel Johnston Hi, How Are You?
Seve introduced me to Mr. Johnston. In fact, he has a shirt with this album cover on it that he wears a lot . . . until I stole it. Now that we're married I guess we both own it. Daniel Johnston was always in rotation early on in our marriage, and his music will always remind me of that first year together.

Grizzly Bear Yellow House
This album was on repeat the whole season I worked in the Grand Teton National Park, and became the soundtrack to my time there. I even listend to this with headphones while hiking alone, which I'll admit isn't the smartest thing to do. Whenever I get in a camping mood, this is the music I reach for.

The Pixies Wave of Mutilation
My gosh I LOVE the Pixies! This album brings me back to high school . . . this is one of the few bands I loved at the time that managed to age well and stick around as my musical tastes developed.

St. Vincent Marry Me
As if I don't talk of my love of St. Vincent on this blog enough. I listened to this and Patrick Wolf's The Magic Position abundantly before leaving for China, which was such a happy time for me. Before entering the country we spent two days in Hong Kong, and I can't listen to "Now, Now" without thinking of the YMCA (the hotel we stayed at . . . yeah, it was really called that).

Tom Waits The Black Rider
It's hard for me to explain my love of Tom Waits to people. Another artist that Seve introduced me to, and his music can almost always be heard drifting out of our apartment. Apparently Scarlett Johansson is a huge fan of him as well.

BTW I should have bumped the number up to 10 and added Animal Collective's Sung Tongs, or 11 and added Man Man's Rabbit Habits, or 12 and added the Talking Heads Stop Making Sense . . . too many TOO MANY to choose from! But for now I'll just leave you with a song. . . I'm a little disappointed because I  wanted to feature individual song samplings after each album description, but I couldn't configure it . . . it ended up just placing the same song as the first widget for every widget. So, instead, I'll simply leave you with some Bowie:

Oh, and Happy Friday!

Two Week Dream

I'm sick. I brought some soup to work for lunch today, but forgot the can opener. Boo. I remembered, though, at a Chinese resturaunt a block from where I work, an old man once had the most delicious looking soup . . . when I asked him what it was, he said "I don't know! I call it oatmeal and when I ask for oatmeal she brings me this stuff everyday!"

"She" is one of the super sweet owners, and oatmeal turns out to be Burmese Noodle Soup . . . which saved my lunch today. So delicious . . . and so big! The serving size is enough to feed me for three lunches. No really, I was only able to handle a third of it today before I was quite full. It had just the right amount spicy kick to clear my sinuses (if only for a moment) and just the right balance on liquid/noodles/veggies so as not to make me wanna vomit.

I'm also a little on the depressed side (if my tweets haven't already tipped you off) seeing as I go home to an empty apartment each night while Seve stage manages Children of Eden. I saw it last night and it was wonderful . . . but I just can't wait to have my Seve back. Nights without him feel like lonely dreams, even when I'm out and about with friends. Two more weeks.

image via. and  . . .

Little List and We Are Animals

Friday again! But a sad, gray one. Here’s a little list of five chill, gray Friday songs:

Has anyone seen Wrangler’s new ad campaign We Are Animals? From an advertising perspective, it’s a brilliant way to reposition the brand from old, pokey cowboys to hip youth. The ads come in a red series and a night/swamp series, and there’s like a bajillion of them, plus videos. Before you click on these links I should warn you some of the ads are pretty racy: red & night.

I can’t decide where I stand on it. When I first saw the campaign I was so impressed with the emotion and instinct behind it; the word “raw” comes to mind. And I liked the nitty gritty messy models. But then again, is that a bloody butt crack I see? Ew.

The Bowl

Hey guyz! So I went in requesting style #3 and, bless her heart, the stylist somehow ended up giving me style #1. Which I thought I could never pull off, yet here I am . . . rocking the BOWL.

That's right, I MySpaced it up and took some sexy photos of the BOWL. With NO SHAME in my bathroom (thus the towel) as I waited for Seve to come home and experience the BOWL firsthand. I realize it's more of a heavy bang than it is a bowl, but . . . it's only the greatest cut of my lifetime, that's what.

I know I already posted a Camera Obscura song, but . . .

Today is a good day.

A Little List (and Pearl)

Friday Friday Friday! My favorite day.

Aside from being an American Mormon graduated 20-something copywriting female, who am I? Here’s a little list of some things you may not know about me:
1. I love dogs.
2. I don’t like pancakes.
3. I’ve met George W. Bush.
4. I support gay marriage (a post on that later).
5. I lived in Tagu, South Korea as a little girl.
6. I’ve been to six proms – for one I made a prom dress out of duct tape.
7. I wish I had majored in Geology.
8. I weigh 90 lbs.
9. I don’t like swimming, and I’m terrified of fish.
10. I’m a closet Tamagotchi fan.

In this music video one of my female crushes, Natasha Khan, describes her feelings of being torn between two versions of herself: the free-spirited, wild, free, childlike, fantasy-loving self; and the serious, business-oriented, worldly, self-absorbed femme fatale--in short, kind of a country mouse vs. city mouse feel since Khan grew up in the Hertfordshire countryside and now records in New York. In her music she calls this city-persona “Pearl” and feels as though she’s always in battle with her, but loves her at the same time.

Anyone else have a Pearl? Mine powered my ambitions and got me where I am today career-wise, but I sometimes feels like she gets first say in anything I do, and that my childlike self is dissolving. Some may call this growing up, but I just fear I'm getting boring, or simply losing sight of the things I used to love.

Little List (and a song)

I get so excited on Fridays. Embarking on a fresh, new weekend feels so nice since my week is dominated by an 8-5, know what I mean? Seve and I will be seeing the 11:30 showing of the Blind Side tonight at the cheap theatre. I'm so excited. I love me some sassy Sandra Bullock.

In fact, here is a little list of movies. Sandra Bullock's on it!

Movies I love shamelessly and are pretty much my favorites:

Heartbreakers, Whip It, Practical Magic

Movies I’m usually too embarrassed to admit I love and are pretty much my favorites:

Hot Rod, Anchorman

Movies I can totally admit outloud at a party that I love and are pretty much my favorites:

Lars and the Real Girl, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Movies a lot of people love but I don’t like:

Donnie Darko, 500 Days of Summer, Juno

Movies a lot of people don’t like but I love:

The Village, V for Vendetta, Heathers

Movies I was so pumped to see but were disappointing when they finally came out but now that some time has passed I’ve grown to really like them:

Nacho Libre, Marie Antoinette

Movies I grew up on but probably wouldn’t have liked had I seen them for the first time as an adult:

Labyrinth, The Last Unicorn

Movies other people like because they grew up on them but having seen them for the first time as an adult I don’t like them:

The Dark Crystal, Beatles’ Yellow Submarine

Movies I grew up on and would have still probably loved had I first seen them as an adult:
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Edward Scissorhands, Pretty in Pink

Movie I can’t believe no one’s ever heard of or seen:

To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar

Movie that I grew up watching and never thought was very scary but I showed it to one of my volunteers in Russia and she ended up crying:

Lady in White

On that note . . . have a Happy Valentine's Day with this little love song!

Anala by King Khan & BBQ Show

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