Merry and Bright Playlist 2013

Since 2006, I've made a new Christmas playlist every year. I wrote about how I got started and what songs have been featured in a post last year. You can see it here.

So, for now, I'll leave you with this year's playlist. May your days be merry and bright!

The Liebster Award

Paulette of Rorschach, Coffee, and 1963 has nominated me for a Liebster award. Thanks, Paulette! The Liebster Award is given to up-and-coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

Apparentely, "liebster" is German and can translate to "dearest" or "beloved."

The rules of the award:
1. Link back to those who nominate you.
2. Answer the 10 questions the nominator has for you.
3. Nominate 5-11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.
4. Create 10 questions for your nominees.
5. Be sure to notify your nominees.

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THE QUESTIONS PAULETTE ASKED ME:

1. What, or who, inspires you to blog?

My blog is 100% the product of my life, so life is my biggest inspiration. That said, my life and blog are definitely inspired and influenced by other bloggers and artists. Listing all my inspiration sources would be impossible, though, because I'm inspired by about 100 different things every day.

2. Which three songs are at the top of your playlist?

My top three most-played songs are all ones that comfort me when I've had a bad day or am really stressed out: "The Dress Looks Nice On You" by Sufjan Stevens, "Baobabs" by Regina Spektor, and "Gotta Have You" by The Weepies. I think all three of them achieved their most-played status during one particularly stressful quarter of my sophomore year of college. It's been six years since then, but nothing else can touch them in terms of play counts, possibly because nowadays I change up what I'm listening to more often and don't get so stuck on a few songs. 

3. If you could go back in time and be someone else, who would it be, and why?

I'd only do it as a temporary experiment; I definitely wouldn't want to leave my life. But the first thing that comes to mind is that I'd like to live for a week as Marie Antoinette to experience what life at Versailles was really like. Of course, that life would get really tiresome after more than a week, and I'd definitely want to skip out on the whole guillotine thing.

4. Which era of fashion do you feel most inspired by?

Definitely the 1920s, followed closely by the 1960s. They were both periods of breakout feminism and sexual revolution, which was very influential to the fashions of the time. I've written more extensively about it here.

5. What was your most awkward moment?

I honestly can't think of a great moment for this. It's not that I don't get embarrassed, but I usually don't dwell on embarrassing moments, so I end up forgetting them. 

6. What is your favorite movie, and why?

My all-time favorite movie is Amélie, because it is inspiring in every way that a movie can be inspiring. It's visually incredible, and it makes you want to be more open to serendipity and connections with the people all around you. Also, Amélie is a total fictional fashion icon. I wrote about her style here.

7. If you could have the vacation of your dreams, where would you go, and who would you take with you?

Ryan and I would vacation to Paris and it would be like a five-year long vacation. And we'd stay in an apartment, not a hotel. So, basically, we would just live in Paris for five years. 

8. What are the three beauty products you can't live without?

Moisturizer, perfume, and lip balm 

9. What is your favorite day of the week, and why? 

Saturday. I like to wake up a little later than I do on weekdays (but still pretty early) and walk down to the coffee shop. I love my neighborhood on Saturday mornings. Then, I usually either have a lazy afternoon or a productive afternoon (depending on what I'm more in need of that week) and I spend the evening socializing with family or friends over a delicious meal and a few drinks.

10. What was your favorite subject in school?

I loved school, and I had a lot of favorite subjects including fiction writing, biological anthropologie, U.S. womens history, and Shakespeare. 

MY NOMINEES:

THE QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES:

1. Which super power would you choose between flying and invisibility? Why?

2. What's the most memorable outfit you've ever worn?

3. Who are your favorite fictional characters?

4. What's one food that's always best homemade and one food that's always best from the store?

5. If you could only wear one pair of shoes for the rest of your life, which would they be?

6. What is your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate?

7. What's the best theme party you've ever been to, and what theme party would you like to throw?

8. If you opened a food truck, what kind of food would you serve and what would your menu look like?

9. What's the best vacation you've even gone on?

10. What magazines would you subscribe to if money was no object?

Be Mine Playlist

In case your day needs a playlist, you can stream mine below. And if you think included three Magnetic Fields songs is excessive, you should know that I used an incredible amount of restraint to narrow it down to three. 

Let it be known, I will not have so much restraint when picking songs for my wedding next year.

What can I say? They wrote the book on love. Or, at least, "The Book of Love"

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Merry & Bright Playlists

Since 2006, I've made a new Christmas playlist every year. Technically, it's more of a "Holiday playlist," as every one since 2008 has ended with a singular New Year's song. (There are a few general winter songs and a Hanukkah song mixed in there as well. )

These playlist mean a lot to me and all bring up memories from Christmases past. I listed all of the playlists and talked a bit about specific memories in this post last year. 

The initial idea behind making these playlist was to give myself a way to listen to Christmas music (which I love) without having to listen to the Christmas songs that play on the radio (most of which I hate). It's sort of a holiday-specific filtration system put in place to shelter myself from unwanted pop culture; a smaller version my large scale system of owning all the music I want to hear so I never have to listen to the radio. 

What happened, though, was a bit unexpected. As I made yearly Christmas playlists (and near monthly playlists of my current favorite songs, each of which is dated), I left behind a trail documenting exactly what I was listening to when. It's a journal and personal history of sorts. 

It reminds me a bit of Rob's decision in High Fideity to organize his records not alphabetically or  chronologically, but rather autobiographically. 

"If I want to find the song 'Landslide' by Fleetwood Mac, I have to remember that I bought it for someone in the fall of 1983 pile but didn't give it to them for personal reasons."

It's a code only he can break, and somehow that's comforting.

When I shared my 2006-2010 playlists last year, I had not yet made 2011's. In fact, I wasn't quite sure I'd be able to. Each year, I feel a bit afraid that I've run out of songs, that my quest for new Christmas music will be in vain. But, every year, I find some. 

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My 24th birthday (in Instagrams)

As I am want to do, I will summarize the story of my birthday celebrations through Instagrams. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make it special!

 

 

 

 

 

 

01. Ryan surprised me with Regina Spektor's new CD; 02. At 24, I still like to twirl when I wear pretty dresses; 03. A spike-studded headband is my new idea of a birthday tiara; 04. Lychee champagne cocktail at Orchid's; 05. Foie gras at Orchid's; 06. Salad with blue cheese beignets at Orchid's; 07. Rabbit and ravioli at Orchid's; 08. Goat cheese with pesto and lemon curd at Orchid's; 09. After-dinner espresso at Orchid's; 10. Bye bye, espresso; 11. Birthday shoes: jellies; 12. This gorgeous pavé chain bracelet was a gift from Mum; 13. Birthday goals to-do list; 14. Birthday breakfast: cappuccino and pain au chocolat + catching up on blogs I follow' 15: I made a new bunny friend in my coffee shop's courtyard; 16. Brunch with Mum at Taste of Belgium; 17. Anther birthday gift: a Diana lens and adapter; 18. We saw these pretty fallen flowers on our walk; 19. Auggie wanted to play with the flower Ryan put in my hair; 20. We ended the night at the drive-in. 

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My Yearly Christmas Playlists

Source: abeautifulmess.typepad.com via Célèste on Pinterest

I love this piece of artwork by Elsie of A Beautiful Mess. When I first saw it, I thought, me too! I LOVE Christmas music. That said, I'm not a big fan of some of the cheesier songs or some of the crappier poppy ones. I like fun, original stuff (like Sufjan Stevens or punk) as well as really classic, good stuff (like Elvis and Judy Garland).

Back in December of 2006, when I was 18, I decided to make a Christmas playlist of the music I wanted to hear. I ended up being quite pleased with the result. Since then, I've made a new one every year. I now have five playlists, which together form quite a big collection of Christmas music that I really like.

In fact, listening to my Christmas playlists is one of my favorite things to do at the beginning of the holiday season to get myself in the mood. Having a peppermint mocha is, of course, another great way.

My first peppermint mocha of the year:

One of the great things about making a new one every year is that I can remember specific Christmas memories based on which year I added certain songs. For example, 2009 was my first year with Ryan, so it has some songs he gave me like "Christmass" by The Chinkees and "Hey, Mr. Grinch" by The Blue Meanies; whereas "Stars" by The Weepies makes me think of falling asleep in the top bunk of my cousin's bed while visiting family in Austin back in 2007.

Anyway, here are the playlists . . .

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Please tell me your suggestions of songs for this year's Christmas playlist!

What I wore today 08/15/2011 (Pinstripes) and my summer playlist

I made this skirt from the shirt sleeves of a men's shirt I got at the thrift store. I have a couple more like it, including those seen here, here, and here. It's really easy. You basically just cut off the sleeves of two men's shirts. Cut them up the side, sew them all together and sew a hem. The cuff bottoms become the skirt's fasteners.

Sleeveless eyelet button-up - thrifted from a Goodwill in Austin

DIY skirt - made from the sleeves of two thrifted mens shirts

Pink leather belt - Anthropologie

Pinstripe canvas lace-ups - Big Buddha, some department store in Louisville (bought on this fun outing)

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I am always compiling playlists of songs that I find myself listening to a lot during a certain timeframe. Here's the one for this summer so far...

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