Two weekends ago, I visited some historical homes for a fun and local(ish) holiday. I visited the Winterthur Museum & Gardens in Delaware and the Physick Estate in Cape May, NJ. Both of the homes were beautiful and full of fascinating little details, and it was a very fun and full weekend!
All of this rummaging around in the past got me in the mood for some old-timey tunes! Here is a selection of the my favorites I've come across lately:
1. "Too Young" - Nat King Cole
I've always loved Nat King Cole's smooth voice. And this sweeping, romantic song is just the thing.
2. "Let Us Be Sweethearts" - Guy Mitchell
Yes, let's.
3. Love Letters In the Sand - Bert Ambrose
This song is actually sad but deceptively jolly-sounding. You just want to get up and dance (unfortunately on this grave of the singer's fickle romance). This one was on repeat a lot!
Bonus:
4. Cosmic - The Special Ks
Ok, I also stumbled across this pop (electronic?) band and enjoyed their tunes. My favorites were Cosmic and Crystal Fields.
Here is the final card from my weekend crafting exploits. Like the cards from the previous post, I'd started this card a while ago but only got around to finishing it recently.
If I remember correctly, I cut this picture from a NY Times article about a desert homestead. The man being featured in the article basically made this awesome living place from repurposed shipping containers in the Texas desert. It sounds like such a fascinated place, and his story of developing the off-grid back-to-the-land home was so creative and inspiring.
I wanted the card to reflect the cheerfulness and positivity I felt from the story and in the photographs, and the somewhat whimsical elements of the homestead's design. I liked the colors of the green and blue, keeping the image fresh and relaxing, countered with the more desert-y colors of the butterflies (also in keeping with the whimsy), but the solid colors made it too stark. The little house looked too alone and got too intense a stare.
It took me a while to come up with the pattern for the background, but I think I found a good balance keeping with the natural theme and the cheerfulness (although I think my hand-drawn butterflies are a little sloppy).
I've been getting really jazzed up about some upcoming movies:
1) The Hobbit
Why? because, like, it's The Hobbit. with Peter Jackson & Co. and Martin Freeman. and everyone else. and I no longer need to be depressed because that phenomenon called LOTR is over.
2) Anna Karenina
Why? Although I haven't in the past been a fan of Joe Wright's work, one thing you can say for his repertoire is that his movies are GORGEOUS. I have already watched this trailer 10 times because it is so pretty. Also I like Keira Knightley, and a LOT of the supporting cast. I got about halfway through the book a couple years ago, so now I've got to hurry up and finish it before the movie comes out and gets me all confused.
3) On the Road
Why? It is so exciting: someone adapting On the Road. Sam Riley is pretty intense, so I'm really eager to see what he comes up with. And whoa! check out the rest of the cast! It's kinda scary!
I'm also trying to finish this one before the movie comes out, and it's proving remarkably difficult! Although there are beautiful parts of it that I love so much, there are other parts that seem to drag on--- so it's a weird rollercoaster of love and despondency with me. I've had to return it to the library twice now to avoid fines!
4) Cloud Atlas
Why? Ben Wishaw. That, and check out the trailer. I don't know what is going on there, but man, I want to be there to witness it!
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Only problem is that none of the movies is coming out for what feels like AGES!!! October, November, December, unknown . . . (sigh). . .
So I'm getting myself psyched for something a little more imminent: the OLYMPICS! Or more specifically the opening ceremonies, which I always find really fascinating. It's pretty special that every two years we get a chance to see what happens when a country pulls out all the stops to present it's cultural and national identity. And since I love the Brits and Danny Boyle is directing the whole show, I'm pretty psyched. (Rumors of a 40 ft Lord Voldemort? JK Rowling, I freaking hate you. You freaking got one of your fictional characters into the Olympics, that's how iconic your creations are.)
Also, there is the music they are putting out for this thing. It's the perfect dose of epicness to get you pumped for the big day!
Survival by Muse
Theme for Velodrome by The Chemical Brothers
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In other news, Lana Del Rey has been my concentration music of the week for some reason. Here is her new video for 'Summertime Sadness' featuring the beautiful cryer Jamie King. Warning: it's a mesmerizing very SAD video, in case you couldn't guess.
I got a lot of cards off my plate this weekend. I started these two eons ago and finally vowed to finish them!
First, an experiment in blue (and testing out an old set of stamps that I never used):
Second, for some reason the icebergs and the skin tone in Cate Blanchett
seemed to match, so more experiments with blue, and with some green,
some white, and some polka dots too!:
I've been getting really excited about all the concerts I'm going to be going to this summer. I'm going to see my idol (goddess?) Florence Welch perform with Florence + the Machine at the end of the month in Cleveland. She just posted on her Facebook page that she has sustained a vocal injury; let's pray that she heals beautifully and speedily!
I was going to see Mumford & Sons in Hoboken, but the tickets sold out. I've been wanting to see them live ever since I heard their album, but it's probably just as well. Their show was in the middle of the week, and the tickets were a bit steep. I also almost went to see fun. in June, but I had a change of plans and couldn't make it. Good thing I'd already seen them live before!
But next, I'm going to see Marina and the Diamonds in mid-August in NYC with some groovy friends. I'm psyched; it will probably be a pretty spirited and fun event!
Then in September I'm going to see Florence again! Woo! She was coming to Camden (only 45 min from me), so I had no excuse not to get tickets!
Anyways, with all of this music excitement--- plus the news about Greenday's new albums and Pink's new song & album announcement--- I've been in a real musicy frame of mind lately.
So what have I been listening to?
1. Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What (the whole album)
My disappointment with not getting Mumford & Sons tickets sent me off on a wild Paul Simon binge for some reason. I'd recently bought my dad the new album for Father's Day; so I stole it from him and it's been my work soundtrack for the past several days.
My favorites are Dazzling Blue, Rewrite, and Love is an Eternal Sacred Light.
Dazzling Blue
Favorite line: "roses red, fine white linen, to make a marriage bed." I don't know why, but I always seem to tune in especially for that line.
Rewrite
Favorite line: "when I said help me help me help me help me, woah, thank you, for list'nin' to my prayer"
Love is an Eternal Sacred Light
Favorite line: "Big Bang/ That's a joke that I made up/ Once when I had eons to kill"
2. Jerry Hall feat. Mumford & Sons - The Boxer (by Paul Simon)
And given my Mumford & Sons-inspired Paul Simon binge, I was ecstatic to discover this gem:
In the same folky, Americana genre, I found out that The Lumineers now have an album. It includes their popular song Hey Ho, and I've only listened to a couple of the tracks, but so far I'm digging Submarines:
Favorite line: "I did spy periscopes" --- how often do you get to sing that?
4. Girls Aloud - Theme from St. Trinian's
One the COMPLETELY OPPOSITE end of the spectrum, my iTunes shuffled me to one of my favorite loud, raucous, girl power songs: the theme song from St.Trinian's. And I promptly listened to it over and over and over again, just as I did when I first saw St. Trinian's--- a campy, teen pop British movie that is really hard to explain, it's about a private school for crazy, mischievous girls and their hilarious hijinks (involving Colin Firth). But this song can be sung, screamed and unceremoniously howled by girls everywhere (and includes some less-known british slang, for those interested).
Favorite lines: "Feel the fear, we're MANIACS, saaaaaaiiint Trinians" and basically the whole chorus, especially, "Check out our BATTLE CRY/ a song to TERRIFY/ no one can stand in our waaaaayyy."
5. Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart (new album)
I've been pumped about this album for two months now. It is finally here. Or almost here. Mine probably won't arrive until next week, but I've been listening to a lot of the songs online.
My current selection is Power & Control (so radio-worthy! I hope to hear it on the dials soon!)
Favorite line: "Yeah, you may be good-looking but you're not a piece of art."
The more embarrassing tunes:
Give Your Heart a Break by Demi Lovato (yes, i know . . . dangerously close to me liking a Taylor Swift song)
Payphone by Maroon 5
Wild One by Flo Rida
One Thing by One Direction (or is it just prep-school NSYNC? hahaha)
Scream by Usher (so much dance dance energy!)
Stuff I keep forgetting to check out:
First Aid Kit (I've got one of their songs, but never investigated further)
the new (well, 2011) Blondie album
Coldplay's 2011 album (I know people seem to hate Coldplay, but I think I've heard some of their stuff recently and liked it.)
Fiona Apple??? Is she good? All of a sudden everyone seems to be worshipping her.
