Small Joys

Not much explanation needed to share these little nuggets of joy!

Please listen to Ray LaMontagne's new album, "God Willin' And The Creek Don't Rise". .."New York City, you're killin me..." while I politely disagree, it's classic Ray and I can't be anything but thrilled!

Also, as a former Beyonce impersonator, I feel a personal obligation to post this. Sara B's new album is coming out (and she's touring with Greg Laswell!) in September so she's doing some fun things to help promote it. Check out her cover of Single Ladies for Billboard. She has a style that is much more fitting to me that the original beat's heels and leotards.

Wedding Crashers

3. Weddings

My summer countdown would not be complete if it didn't include weddings. This weekend marked the end of wedding season for me this year. My whole Texas summer social calendar has been dictated by my blonde buddies’ wedding schedules. We’ve had parties and showers galore, but nothing compares to the thrill of the big day…even if you’re not the one taking the leap!

Mrs. Ali Schmid

Mrs. Stephanie Chapman

We kicked off the big events with a joint bachelorette party with a surprise spin...a spin around a pole that is! A great bonding experience for a group of innocent and out of shape friends. Let's just say that it's much harder than it looks and we left with an equal amount of bruises and laughs.

As usual, Robbie let the DJ know early on in the night that he would be the one calling the shots. From when to play "Disturbia" to the right time to dim the lights, Robbie always brings his A-game to make sure his friends have the most fun and memorable wedding ever.

The Wedding Troops

Family Portrait

The Send-Off

The Aftermath at Sunday Brunch

Strange Conditions

Wow...so it's been a month since I last blogged. It's not that I haven't thought about it. Truth is, I make mental notes all the time with every intention of finishing out the thought and blogging about it later, but it just hasn't happened. My time has been consumed with applications, interviews and thinking and talking more about what I want to do with my life than is probably healthy.

Amidst my job search, Kristen loaned me her copy of Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado and mentioned it was a necessary read in our current state. He very eloquently encourages you to stop and take inventory of the gifts you've been blessed with; find your uniqueness. What gets you excited? What things do you enjoy that seem to come easy to you?

So now I find myself stressed that I don't have all the answers, much less a clear career path, and I'm concerned with how today's decisions are going to affect my overall "big picture". Oh how I wish I had a very distinct talent or passion that was unmistakable. A talented athlete who has worked hard all his life and set his sights on the big leagues. A talented singer/songwriter with a passion for music who has never dreamed of doing anything else.

I recently read an article in American Way magazine on composer Michael Giacchino who is responsible for the music you heard in The Incredibles, WALL-E, Up, Star Trek, the Lost TV series and this year's Academy Awards. He worked in publicity for Universal Studios and Disney, but he wrote and performed music in his spare time. He took evening composition classes at Juilliard and then took a seemingly irrelevant position as an Assistant Producer in California. As his talent and reputation grew, it wasn't long before Steven Speilberg and JJ Abrams were asking for him by name and he was in high demand in Hollywood.

This month's Elle magazine is dedicated to women in the music industry. There are short profiles on several well known artists and Gwen Stefani is on the cover, so of course I set aside some specific time to devour it cover to cover. But, the most interesting article was on Atlantic Records COO, Julie Greenwald. The writer positions her as the one who is attempting to save the record industry from itself, but I couldn't help but be fascinated by her past. She's a Tulane graduate with a degree in Political Science who started out working with Teach for America...and then (assumed by divine intervention) landed a job as an assistant to a music guru who ended up partnering with Russell Simmons at Def Jam Recordings. And just like that, her career path changed and now she's on the top, leading people like Diddy to say "She's probably the coolest white Jewish girl in history".

So I'm learning that there are lots of different paths to get you where you're ultimately supposed to go. I wish I was let in on those divine plans, but I guess God doesn't really need my opinion - considering that it changes daily.

Do not despise these small beginnings.
- Zechariah 4:10

Weekly Shuffle

Confession: I paid a lot of money to go see the Jonas Brothers concert in 3D this weekend. You might be judging me, but I loved every minute of it. Sure, their voices may not have changed yet and they all wear really tiny pants, but I think they’re sweet. Plus, we encountered a little bit of the madness while they were filming in Central Park this summer, so we had to check it out. The 3D twist was kind of like doing Disneyland on drugs, but here are my observations:



1) Nick clearly has all the musical talent – drums, guitar, piano and vocals all in the bag.
2) Looks are deceiving; Joe actually does have curly hair like the others, which also confirms suspicions that he has his own personal Chi.
3) Kevin’s role is really more like a band manager; they just give him a guitar and use him as a stage prop.

So let’s talk a little bit about Taylor Swift. I’m not usually the hugest country music fan…but that is completely irrelevant when it comes to her Fearless cd. If you went to high school, you will be able to relate to her. Not to mention she was dumped by the androgynous Jonas Brother and then publicly dissed him on Ellen. I like her. Check out You Belong With Me and be confident that guys don’t know what’s good for them. And I miss having a car because of songs like this – belt it out with Forever & Always, also known as the angry anthem written for Joe. Honestly, the whole cd is amazing…but of course my personal favorite is the slowest on the album, Breathe.

Kristen and I were in Old Navy this weekend (you know, making our usual high-end purchases) and we heard a song that made us both hum along. It was Love Save the Empty by Erin McCarley and it kind of makes me feel like I’m walking in a movie (maybe because it was also featured in He’s Just Not That Into You…?). I had previously downloaded her song Pony (It’s OK) and her album also received Robbie’s stamp of approval. It’s only $7.99 on itunes so take advantage of this recession and get it while it’s cheap!

I can’t stop listening to Gabriella Cilmi’s Sweet About Me! Apparently her cd came out about a year ago, but it’s just now getting some popularity. And if you missed the Grammy’s, you missed a really great performance by Chris Martin and Jay-Z mixing up my favorite Viva La Vida song, Lost+. It reminds me of Central Park in the summer and that makes me happy because it’s still snowing in NYC.

“In your life you’ll do things greater than dating a boy on the football team…I didn’t know that at fifteen.” - Taylor Swift
(It reeks of cheerleading skirts and teen drama, sign me up.)