. [ goodbye week, hello weekend. ]

On a Friday afternoon in February, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals spent time outside of San Diego recording stripped down versions of songs from their new album. "Goodbye Kiss" is the fifth in a series of them.

So in love with this song and this woman! 

Happy Weekend!

xoxo

H

. { relax with a little ripple }

Sometimes Monday mornings are just innately stressful. Ever notice that? 

I am preparing to move (yet again) this coming weekend, and I must say, relocating your entire life is something I find to be extraordinarily stressful. I like things put away, organized, and looking good. That is so not what my apartment looks like right now.  The move is a positive thing for sure, but the process sucks (to give you the long and short of it!). 

So, this morning I was feeling a little harried, so I turned on my go-to destresser song. Now, maybe this sounds a little hippie and "hey man, it's all good"-ish, but the Grateful Dead always mellow me out. Unfailingly, I chill the ... heck out when I listen to the Dead. 

Here's a little Ripple for you ... who knows? Maybe it'll mellow you out too if you're having a crazy Monday. 

xoxo

H

(illustration via Shan Jiang)

. { the shins }

The Shins - New Slang from Samuel Fast on Vimeo.

Something about listening to The Shins on a rainy Thursday seems right. So, I thought I'd share one of my favorite songs. Very chill. Here's a whole hipster-chill playlist for you: 

Gonna Get Along Without You Now - She & Him
Hannah - Ray LaMontagne
Caring is Creepy - The Shins
Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
In the Waiting Line - Zero 7
Such Great Heights - Iron and Wine
Piazza, New York Catcher - Belle & Sebastian

p.s. Driving to work today on windy rainy roads underneath a colorful canopy of fall colors was wonderful. Fall mornings make me happy!

. { music love: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals }

I thought I'd share with you all my latest music obsession ... Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. 
Between the bluesy Southern rock feel and Grace's super sexy voice, I can't turn off the music! I first found pretty 'lil Grace and her gang on iTunes. Her live album in Skowhegan, Maine caught my eye mostly because I saw our (Maine's) little SkowTown on iTunes!


Turn her music on, I dare you. You'll never listen to blues the same way again. I promise.


* photos via by Adrien Broom

[ second day ]

 Today is the second day of my last week at SJC ...

Bittersweet to say the least. After a long sixish months

of waiting to be told my employment status here, the board

finally decided [right before Christmas I might add] to 

end the stringing-along and give me three weeks.

It kind of bums me out, but I'm trying a new approach.
This is my opportunity to leave my comfort zone 
and try something new... maybe even go somewhere new?

It's a new year - a new decade! And I'm still young ...
I've got my whole life ahead of me to get stuck in a rut,
now is the time to mix it up and live my own little 
American dream! OK. I'm done with the sappiness.
(collective sigh of relief)

What's next? A second bachelor's degree by the time
I'm 25, a kickin' new career in Criminal Justice,
and maybe/hopefully a job that has insurance!




p.s.
I dearly love JayMay's soft and sweet voice.
I've been listening to this song quietly this morning in 
my ear buds. Hooray for having long curly hair
to hide ear buds under at work!


~


Happy Tuesday!

12.

It's Saturday, and I'm being lazy and am up to no good in general. 

Isn't that what the weekends are for??

These fur throws are so fabulous and look so cozy. 

(via A Life More Fabulous)

Love, Taza makes great headbands. 

Who will make me one that's affordable? Geesh. 

I've been enjoying looking through 

Pioneer Woman's photos on flickr. 

And, of course, to get in the Christmas spirit, 

I've been listening to one of my favorites! 

Diana Krall's Christmas CD is great. 

Oh yeah, me and the fam saw her live this summer!
~
Oh, and there are 12 days until Christmas!

It's a Family Fourth!

this is how I feel right now... I'm tired of all this stormy weather!

but, I am getting very excited to spend time
with the family over the Fourth!
I love the Fourth of July... makes me glad to be an American.
(aww, cheesy moment)

We're going to see Diana Krall in NH on the 3rd!
I'm so so so excited, and the best part?

It's a family affair.

~
ps. i love the NYTimes blog.

and this picture of Billie Holiday.

I want to see Stormy Weather with Lena Horne.
Perfect for rainy days!

oh baby you, you got what i need...

a little taste of my trip to Fenway:
Yawkey Way in the background

(while waiting for a brew)

some designs from Haute Hippie
(can we say sexy?)

love the bead-work on this top
(from SS09 collection)

more beads and leather

looking at these bed on Living etc is not helping me wake up.
I want to snuggle up in this bed now.

love the wall color in this room.
(also from Living etc)

a little design from Alternative Motivation

he's been stuck in my head for 5 days. this is the song.
(thanks to this commercial)

~
Ruche has cute hippie-ish clothes. I likey them.

playlist for friday.

some hip-hop jams for the weekend:

gents-
brother ali is like no other. dude's got serious abilities.
(listen here)

kanye west is so good it's annoying.
(heartless video)

ladies-

lily allen is the sharpest little british chick out there.
(listen here)


and rihanna is, well, rihanna.
(take a bow)

~

happy long weekend!

friday (finally)

(sigh)

fabulous designs from jaime delaney of kildare, ireland

love it.
(more from the irish designer above)


very cool french movie for CS4

madeleine peyroux is coming to maine - and i'm going for free!
(i'm really not that special, it's an l.l. bean concert)
hear her here.


my new favorite pub (for now)
last night i found my new favorite drink (also for now)


bluepoolroad has amazing 'eco-chic' designs
&
small square design is equally cool

SS09's are out

SS09 is out for Hengst. love the retro-style.

Madewell's SS09 is out, and I'm in love again.
~
Stella McCartney's SS09 collection is amazing.
I wish I could find the soundtrack to the runway show!

hump day.

* * * * * * * it's snowing in Maine today! * * * * * *



More of Sessun's great clothes... love how comfy and classy they look.
Plus, great bags.

Today's weather in Portland, ME. Finally some snow!
Found on WMTW's skycam.

Light and airy rooms for kids and adults at Serena and Lilly.
The pretty fabrics, and comfy looking bedrooms are my favorites!

Great Christmas cards from Cotton. They have such great stationary!
The entire site is awesome... really crazy graphic design work.

My favorite Christmas album of the year... and possibly life?

Diana Krall's Christmas Songs.

Great (but different) Christmas decorations on Nestled In.

* * * *

Check out how bad the flooding in Venice is today here.
*
HK Living - Dronten, The Netherlands has pretty and simple Norwegian furnishings.
Some of it's gorgeous with a pseudo-antique look.
Some of it looks like it needs a little paint... (too rustic for me!).
* * * *

mad monday

I want a pair. They're here on Target. They'd be perfect for playing in puddles!

Cool fashion / photography at ErynBrinie. Really interesting website... maybe I'll steal some ideas for my photography website (coming soon!).


I think I've found another favorite British pop girl... move over Lily Allen, Kate Nash is in town.



The new baby I'm looking at... let's see if I can get a deal somewhere.

bedouin soundclash

love this band. check out some videos here.

The 30th Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival

The Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festivals are going to be starting up soon! The music is great (if you like bluegrass), the area is beautiful. Last year my friend went and had to wear shit-kickers the whole time because it was so muddy... so bring some boots if you go!