You know one unfortunate thing about being a blogger is that when your internet sucks, it becomes very hard to do what you want. Unfortunately, it is not an uncommon occurrence for me, right around the same time many nights my internet gets a bit sketchy, then comes back without a problem. This gets very old very fast. I don't usually loose the connection completely, but the speed starts reminding me of dial up...remember that stuff? Geeze...look how far we have come! I mean seriously! It's a bit crazy if you think about it. When I look at how much we rely on the internet, it's kind of shocking don't you think? I'm not sure what you think, but we really use the internet for just about everything in the modern days, everything from talking to one another to reading to doing homework or giving homework, I even sign in online for work. It's almost like we would rather interact with computers rather than actual people, sure we interact with other people through the internet, but it's not the same is it? Now I sound like my grandmother, talk to people rather than text...I won't deny that I am a victim of this technology, and I will admit to sometimes preferring interaction with other humans via interwebs rather than face-to-face. What does this say about how we feel about each other? Do we dislike each other or do we simply not want to have to get dressed in order to appear decent around others (since we realize many of us are not in college, therefore can no longer pull this look off)? I think it might be something worth thinking about.
Listen to this song and let me know what you think! I wanted to share with you a song today by a band that I've enjoyed for years. I first heard them on Pandora probably six years ago or so. I hope you enjoy "Magnetic North" by Jess Than Jake.
I had a really shitty day. I mean I just feel like a boatload of crap and don't even want to go to bed because it means I will have to get up and try to do things right in the morning. But this is the adult life, so it's about time to get used to it and instead of complaining, try and do something to change it.
One of my favorite things to do when I feel this way is to read or watch a movie and there is one movie right now that I would really like to watch but don't have :( That movie is Treasure Planet. If any of you have not seen it then you need to go watch it....now. Seriously....go...it's awesome! It's one of my favorite movies and just to add to it, has a magnificent soundtrack, composed by the amazing James Newton Howard.
For those of you who haven't heard of James Newton Howard, you actually probably have. He is the composer for the soundtracks for other movies such as I Am Legend, The Hunger Games, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, King Kong, and, most recently, Maleficent. I have to say that Treasure Planet is still probably one of my favorite soundtracks of all time and can always put me in a better mood when I listen to it. So, today I will be featuring this wonderful soundtrack and I hope that you enjoy it!
The following is my favorite instrumental and my favorite lyric pieces from the soundtrack, enjoy!
Today I am going to bring up a music video that I feel is very interesting. It is rather unusual when I take hours looking into a music video, but this special gem has captured my attention. It is called La La La by Naughty Boy. Before discussing this song/video, I urge you to watch it if you haven't already - as first impressions will carve out your initial thoughts. If you are ahead of the gang and have seen this already, skip down after the video :P
So I am going to break this down into what I feel are the 3 easiest ways to do so.
Number 1:
This seems the be the straightforward approach to interpret this song, and that is by the lyrics themselves. I can see applying this to perhaps a relationship, a rocky one at best. A relationship that is very damaged and resulting in one of the members not being able to stand the other at all. But even if you change the lyrics or see them a bit differently, it only seems to tell part of the story.
Number 2:
The wizard of Oz. Yup - you probably guessed it by the heart. But starting from the beginning, the kid leaves his home as Dorthy did, heading into the unknown with his dog. He meets the tin man, who seems to have false happiness in the gym. So the child buys him a heart and shows true love, adventuring forward. Next the scarecrow joins the team to find oz. They travel long and far and eventually find the spot with oz - the tin man leaving knowing love and the scarecrow leaving with calmness in his mind. This leads to the boy talking with oz and going home. Alright -It is a stretch. But it has some resemblance, but still is rather shaky in the comparison at best. Leaving us with option 3.
Number 3:
This is the actual basis for the song, and lines up easily the best with both the lyrics and the video. A Bolivian legend from the from the 19th century. It is about a deaf boy who fled from his abusive household (as seen in the beginning of the video) and finds a stray dog. He lives on the streets and discovers he has a special talent of perceiving people's troubles. These troubles can be healed by screaming.(la la la in the song) His screaming is said to be as loud as an earthquake and a tornado.
Eventually the boy finds a man who is being stoned by villagers while being taunted and ridiculed.(the radio man) By screaming, the boy resolves the situation and revives the old man's heart (the boy buys a new heart for him).
Together, they meet a disfigured man who was abused, and is considered a leper by society. The disfigured man reveals that he is a prophet who was cursed by the demon El Tio - because he didn't worship him. So he left like any sane person would :P
El Tio is considered as the lord of the underworld, to whom mortal people offer gifts to him in order to be protected by him or to ease his anger. The prophet says anybody who could hear the demon will fall under his control. The disfigured man explained that the demon could be found in desert remains.
This place was once a town in which people worshiped the El Tio - he cursed them to kill themselves. So they trudge through the desert to find a mine where the demon is located. The trick is anybody who enters and could be cursed after hearing the demon speak. So the boy alone goes into the mine to meet the demon and over voice him with his scream to stop him from cursing others. WHEW!
Interesting Right??? So in all, I don't think there is a right or wrong way to interpret this song or music in general. The legend certainly made the most sense to me, but that may not be the same for you. But I do find it fun trying to figure out the meaning behind some of these interesting artistic pieces and if you stuck through all the way til here - I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!!
As always, thanks for reading!
Have a wonderful day!!!
Summer is always a hectic time, and no matter what it is you do during these few months, there always seems to be a million and one things that need to get done. My summer has been no different, filled with adventures, cooking, eating, good music, and wonderful memories. This past weekend, I attended the wedding of one of my cousins. It was a short but beautiful service followed by a fun and upbeat reception hosted by a BBQ grill (translation: delicious food that even a mostly-vegetarian like me can enjoy!)! The place settings were beautiful and I attempted to take pictures with my phone but was eventually unhappy with nearly all except the following.
There was great food, music, and lots of dancing as is expected at any wedding reception. The couple was quite a fan of country music and it made me laugh at how many country songs I now know. Before moving in with my current apartment mate, I was not a big country fan. Sure I knew Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and such artists, however, at this wedding several other songs were played and Matt was shocked at how many I knew the lyrics too. Honestly, this shocked me as well, so I thank my apartment mate for expanding my experience and knowledge of music in a completely different direction. If any of you have any interest in country music or listen to country music, this song was one that I remember being a big hit at the wedding. This is 'American Kids' by Kenny Chesney.
Ok, things have been a little crazy lately, and not so much in the real world sense, but more in my head. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about what I want from this world and what I should do with my life. My boss has actually asked me several times where my head is at during work, and she's right, because my head is somewhere else. But thing is that I spend quite a bit of time with my thoughts in my head, and it's really one of my ways of coping with what I'm feeling and what is going on around me. So, maybe that's what is actually up. I think I'm getting tired of people asking what's wrong with me because this is who I am and frankly I like it, if you don't, that's your problem not mine. I want to share this song with you today because it is really a great way of getting across how I have been feeling, I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this same way! This is "Fade Away" by Matthias (check out his YouTube channel too!), enjoy!!
In honor of the beloved Robin Williams who has left this earth today, I just wanted to share my favorite song of his from one of my favorite childhood movies, Aladdin. I hope you all enjoy the music and remember this amazing man and what he has done for us.
It is officially musical h-e-double-hockey-sticks week for many people, myself included. Why? It's dress rehearsal for the musical!! Opening night is Thursday and we have yet to get through the entire musical without stopping or getting confused! Yay!! 0.0 Why do I put myself through this year after year? Honestly, it's goofy. But musical people live for it, we are just crazy like that. So, yea, that's what's going on for me this week...
In other news, I signed up for a half marathon (yes, 13.1 miles) in September and I am super excited to run it, plus kinda scared too. I'm still trying to run more than 6 or 7 miles without my body being done, so we shall see how this goes! :P
Today's music is brought to you by the lovely YouTube (as usual) and by my roomie. She was the one who showed this to me and now I am sharing with you! I hope you enjoy "I'm Ready" by AJR, who are a YouTube sensation who have captured the interest of so many people worldwide!
Changes are good...right? I mean there's a lot to be said for changing little things in our lives like exercising and eating well, and I do not mean to belittle these things at all, but what about changes so big that they require a complete lifestyle change? The problem with being in my head is that I keep thinking about how much things can change and what would happen if things were to change, I'm that annoying student who asks 'what if' in the middle of a class discussion where there should not be a 'what if' asked. Yea, especially in college, I was not much of a talker in high school.
But as I think about it, it's kinda silly to keep asking what if when it is what it is and it's the changes that really make us who we are and make us think. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm doing quite a bit of changing lately and they will only continue to happen as long as I stay on the path I'm going. I hope that you all are willing to take some risks and try something new! This song has been in my head all day, it's called "Change Your Life" by Little Mix. Btw I love her purple hair! Enjoy!
I had a rough day. Well, more accurately a rough hour and a half at work. It shook me up pretty bad and I'm all ready to hand in the towel and quit. No looking back or anything. I've only been in this situation once before and luckily that was solved and everyone moved on. I'm not sure what it is about this, but I was legitimately terrified for a while and ended up calling my supervisor, who talked to me for a good 5-10 minutes in order to calm me down enough to talk explain what happened. There are certain things I will share here, and there are certain things I will not. All I can really say is that I am super glad that tomorrow is not an early day. I've been considering leaving this job for a while anyways, I'm feeling like now might be a good time.
Have you ever had one of those days? Or one of those times where you just get so scared that you wish you could pause your life and just leave it? It's probably one of the most terrifying things I've ever felt. You can think I'm over reacting and maybe I am, but right now it's feeling pretty real. They say that having no reason to stay is a good reason to go, maybe it's getting close to that time... I'm not sure but I've been thinking that a lot more lately...
The song for today, I'm not exactly sure where it came from, it's just what has been playing in my head the entire time I've been writing this post. It's actually written by one of the bands that got me into alternative music, The Killers, but I feel like this is one of their lesser known, called 'Dustland Fairytale'. Enjoy, dear readers. I hope that your days are much better than mine was :)
Ever had one of those days/nights where no matter what you know nothing is going to get done? Well, I've been having a few of those lately, and it has lead me to watching a bunch of cheezy romantic movies and finding music and shows and books that appeal to me at such a late hour. I should preface this by stating that this usually happens around 9pm, and the not being able to get anything done encompasses going to sleep. Lately, I've been writing while watching these cheezy romantic movies, and one of my favorites has become 'Slightly Single in L.A.' which is definitely a movie that I would recommend for anyone looking for a romantic comedy to watch. This movie follows a young woman who moves to L.A. after her past three relationships ended in cheating (sad sounding I know, but it's quite amusing none the less), anyways she heads out to L.A., lives with her best friend (who is awesome) and hangs out with her crazy friends. There is a new love interest again (well a few...) and while this movie portrays personal trainers as self-centered and pompous, the musician she knows is quite sweet. This is where my music for today's Musica Monday comes from. This song is by the 'Aaron Hendra Project' called 'Walk With Angels'. Listen and enjoy, my friends.
The CD that includes this song, Octobersong, was just released a month ago on iTunes and includes other songs such as 'Alive', 'U', and 'One Man's War (feat. Children of Shekinah Children's Village, Nimule, South Sedan', which is an amazing song with the voices of actual children from South Sedan who have been rescued that gives me chills, but is such an inspiring and brilliant song! I don't think I can give a good enough summary of this song without having you watch this video and listen to the words he sings.
Hey friends, I'm back. These past few weeks have been absolutely nuts for me and I have been beyond stressed! I owe Matt for bringing a post last week...even though it was the only one. I've been struggling with whether I want to continue with my current jobs a lot lately simply because I end many of my days looking to my dear Matt for a reason to continue working these jobs. However, this is only every so often because for the majority of the time I find my jobs rewarding, draining (physically, emotionally, and mentally) to the point where I am almost not coherent some nights when I'm home, but rewarding in knowing that I am making a difference in peoples' lives.
I don't mean to complain, but I guess I just wanted to give a quick explanation (I prefer not to think of it as an excuse) as to where I am personally since this blog is a bit about me personally as well.
I've been listening to some new music lately and a few weeks ago I was on Pandora listening to music while reading and I heard this song. Now, I'm a fan of the singer/songwriter genre as you may know if you've read this blog before. The artist I'm sharing today is called Jaymay. Made up of a woman in her early thirties, Jamie Kristine Seerman is originally from New York. Her music to me encompasses the essence of singer/songwriter with a bit of folk tossed in. This is 'Sea Green, See Blue' by Jaymay. Enjoy!
Also, I'd like to just put in here that this song is beautiful and is honestly the quintessential break-up song, however, I personally am not going through a break-up, I just happen to like the song.
Ever feel like you're just not good enough? Like what people are expecting of you and what you are capable of doing are two very different things? It's not fun and tends to cause a lot of stress and panic or general dissatisfaction. I've had several problems like that lately and it frustrates me that I can't do what I need to on my own and I need help from outside sources. Last week was a long week and this week promises to be just as busy, however, an important step I've learned from past experience is something that teachers try to teach us at a young age and most of us just kinda ignore. We can't all be perfect all the time, and I mean what's so great about being perfect anyways? If we were all perfect, there would be no variety in this world and we wouldn't each have our own little quirks. Instead take those quirks that bother you or someone else so much and accept them. They are a part of you and they really aren't going anywhere if you want to stay as yourself, an individual. As much as I advocate exercise to help your mood (endorphins are awesome!), the hardest part of doing something is the part between where you think you can't and where you do it, when you start thinking in a positive manner, you'd be amazed what you can do.
Alright, I'll get off my little soapbox here. I just needed a mini rant for a bit :P
Today's song is one I think about when I get down because it really makes me want to get up and smile and keep going! Enjoy 'On Top of the World' by Imagine Dragons.
It's a great feeling to know when someone has faith in you. I'm not just talking about letting you come to work and take on more responsibility, I'm looking at more the whole boss leaving you in charge for a while....or a week. Yea, I'm the only one at the studio for the next week! It's a bit crazy and I won't lie to being nervous, but I'm excited and super proud that she has that much faith in me that she's willing to leave the studio in my hands for one week. Never would have thought that they would be willing to do this before my one year of working here came up much less four months into actually training! Anyways, most of us experience this at one point or another in our lives, whether it is the first time we are allowed to drive that car by ourselves or the first time our parents don't call us for an eta of being home that night or even when the boss asks us to mind the shop for an hour or two, no matter how small it might seem to onlookers, it really is a big deal! It's moments like that that we treasure deep in our consciousness and look back on whenever we are feeling unhappy to turn around our mood.
I have an old friend whom I haven't seen in years who has been struggling with a lot of stuff lately. I remember her being one who was always able to help me with things when I was in trouble emotionally. We used to run track together and she was the one who could always get me revved up and excited before one of my races, by giving me this feeling, she was able to help me through more than just my races. I wish I could say thank you to her in person but New York is a long ways away and I'm broke...stupid college loans.... Every one of us needs a person who we can turn to for help and someone who is willing to give our egos a bit of a stroke just because that's what we need at the time. If you don't have a friend like that, look at yourself. Are you that friend? Who can you turn to when you are in need of just someone to tell you that you are awesome and to keep trucking through?
This song is by Krewella, and I'm not the biggest on putting up songs that are super popular but I really think that this helps to emphasize what I'm trying to say in this post. So enjoy 'Alive' and remember to keep looking ahead, the world continues and it doesn't do to dwell on dreams and forget to live :P
Some days just have an upbeat feeling to them. For me, today was one of those days. I went running outside for the first time without a coat today, which was quite exciting. Also, I tried a new app starting this past weekend called 'happiness' which is supposed to help you see the happy parts of your day. I think it is a cute idea, I mean it isn't exactly what I need or anything, but I wanted to give it a shot anyways. All I can say is that this morning I woke up in a very good mood. I mean I was tired, which is why I stopped at Starbucks and got a grande vanilla soy latte (I'd love to someday be able to make my own version....*daydream here*), maybe it's more because of the fact that my mind thinks coffee and therefore thinks "now you're awake!", but I was pretty awake all day. Not only that, but I managed to get my taxes filed (finally) this evening, which is quite helpful!
I'm going to go back to the 90s for today's Musica Monday because there was a lot of more upbeat music that really just seemed very random (at least to me at the time) but to this day, whenever I listen to these songs I still smile or at least have the desire to dance along a little to the beat. Let me know what you guys think :) This song is "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" by Counting Crows.
Moving is officially complete!! Well, minus the random three boxes sitting out my the washing machine...I should get rid of those in the morning... We have been settling in quite nicely, had the boys over to visit Sunday for spaghetti and to watch The Lorax (my first time, and it was so sad but soooo good!!! I love that book and the movie too!) and the girls came over Saturday night for a wine night, both nights were super fun! However, it has become a bit more apparent that we are out in the real world now and once you move out of your parents' basement, it is plain to see how much they do for you. Everything from laundry to food to shopping to locking the door at night, it's the little things that we find we miss the parentals for every so often. Now, don't get me wrong, I've been aching to move out ever since I moved back in, just because that's how I am, but it is nice to not ever be home alone or to know what is going around in the rooms surrounding you (I have no idea what the neighbors are doing for instance and they are just on the other side of my bedroom wall, kinda weird now that I think about it....), or to know how loud you can blast your music before someone complains :P Then again, maybe it's just me. I understand that I am not the center of the world, but sometimes it's nice to pretend?
Our new adventure has reminded me of a song by a band that I really enjoy. They are a more well known band than some of the ones I've featured here before, but that doesn't really mean much now that I'm thinking on it :) Anyways, here is "Ain't It Fun" by Paramore.
What were some of your move-out experiences, when you were left without the help of your Mom and/or Dad for the first time?
Ever had one of those days when you just want to break into song and dance? Life should be a musical, several of my friends and I have shared this thought since we were in middle school! Last year, Pharrell Williams released his song "Happy". Not long after a website was released called 24 Hours of Happy. It is exactly what it sounds like, that song being played for 24 hours. While this may be too much of this happy song for some (most) people, it's awesome to find that people are that determined to make us smile and dance throughout the day!
So, today both Matt and I want to share with you this song by Pharrell Williams in hopes that it makes you want to get up and dance!
Ever had one of those days when you realize that your entire lifestyle/well-being is being held up by the thin string of your job? I'm not sure if this makes sense, but to explain I work for a very small personal training company and we've been hitting some rough spots lately and it has become apparent to us that a small independent company is really always at some sort of risk for losing everything. In one moment that string that holds me up, this job and the fact that I make nearly my entire living at this job (which I am not complaining about, because it is fun and so rewarding) and would be in serious trouble without it, could be cut so simply. I guess it is a bit of a reality check. But I can't bring myself to want to leave this company. While sometimes we don't all get along, we all rely on each other to get everyday things done at the office.
The song I am sharing with you reminds me of all the different groups of people who work together and that it is how we treat each other that makes the biggest impact on our lives and defines us. We are how we treat each other, and nothing more.
Enjoy this song, "Nothing More" by The Alternate Routes
I really wanted to find a song that represented my life lately, but instead I found this version of The Ready Set's song Best Song Ever! I can't stop watching it! :P Enjoy friends!
Some days are not spectacular, but they aren't bad either. Some days are just what they are and not much more. They come and they go, but you find yourself simply exhausted by the end of the day. Has anyone ever felt that before? I came home today thinking that I had a good day, nothing extraordinary, but I was exhausted by the end of the day. I texted Matt saying that all "I want to curl up, watch TV, and maybe have a glass of wine :P". The only issue with that was that I still had to go to bell choir practice and I prefer to not drink wine alone. So, I went to bells with my mom, then came home, hung out with the sister, then proceeded downstairs to my room where I opened a bottle of Clear American Kiwi Strawberry naturally flavored sparkling water beverage which proceeded to explode all over me and my desk. Sigh. C'est la vie.
Anyways, I had no ideas for music for today and asked Matt for a suggestion, and he suggested this song which I absolutely love! Not only do I love the Lord of the Rings both book and movie series, but this man's voice is freaking amazing! I will also say that they lyrics really are quite amazing and can speak to each one of us as we try and find our places in the universe, what do we see on the horizon? Where do we see ourselves going? These are questions that many of us will never fully be able to answer, because we follow wherever life takes us and each day is a surprise, whether we look at it like that or not. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do!
Love,
Sara :)
ps. Also, we confirmed the date for moving to be March 29th!!
This past weekend, I was able to sleep in and relax Sunday morning and Saturday afternoon. I had some reading to do for the newsletters I'm writing for my personal training job but other than that I was relaxing. It was a very nice feeling. I did work on reupholstering the dinning room chairs that Morgan and I will (maybe) be taking with us when we move, but that was actually quite a bit of fun.
It's nice on the weekends when I don't work because I get to dress just how I want. I'm not complaining about wearing exercise cloths everyday to work, but I never thought I'd miss the way jeans feel! Anyways, Sunday was my relaxing day and relaxing is exactly what I did! I turned the music up and I did some reading and crafting :) One of my favorite songs for this relaxing time is by the well-known Regina Spektor. Her debut album was 11:11 released in 2001 by herself (I could have worded that better but I'm too lazy to change it). The song I'm picking for you all to listen to today is from her 2009 album Far. Her song "The Calculation" just makes me want to put on a pretty dress (even in the middle of Wisconsin winter) and spin around with a smile on my face! What do you guys think?
