Meeting The Decemberists!

Did I really get arms-length away from my favorite band of all time? Did I have a conversation with the member of the Decemberists? Pinch me, I'm dreaming! This amazing occurrence was a few weeks back, but I still struggle to believe it happened! I have been IN LOVE with this band since I was 15, so much so that I once e-mailed their manager to ask how much it would cost for them to perform at my hypothetical wedding. Still awaiting a response. That was maybe 10 years ago, long before I even had a serious boyfriend.

One of the major perks of moving to Portland is that The Decemberists are from here. So not only will I have more opportunities to see them in concert, but I'll have access to more intimate events like this signing. Many bands, including The Decemberists, don't even extend their tours into Florida anymore, which is one of the many reasons why we had to get out of there. I haven't seen them live since 2007!

But in January, I got to chat them up! Or rather, they chatted & I responded in short answers, while Burton carried on most of the conversation. I was completely starstruck! We talked about when Laika would finally turn Wildwood into a stop-motion movie & a stolen crane sculpture from their Hazards of Love tour. They signed some merch for us & then I burst into tears as soon as we left.

I love this band. I'm so grateful they're still together, still churning out amazing songs. Check out their newest album when you've got the time :]

enjoying january

 

New year, new calendar! I love this silly calendar & look forward to making these scrumptious meals with Burton each month :] We're actually kind of going through an inspired cooking Renaissance right now & I've got a feeling 2015 is going to be a delicious year.

 

 

This month, Burton & I celebrated the fourth anniversary of our first date! In some ways, I can't believe we've been together for only a mere four years. We've done so much & know each other so incredibly well. Then you think of couples who've been together for decades & four years just seems like a drop in the bucket. The passage of time throughout our lives is such a fascinating concept. That must be why I like Linklater films so much ;]

 

Despite the winter weather, my friends & I have been hiking up a storm. We did a 5 mile hike near Mt. Hood, where I saw my first frozen lake! Kids were sledding, the puppies were prancing, snow was falling, and it was magical.

 

 

 

I GOT TO MEET MY FAVORITE BAND OF ALL TIME, THE DECEMBERISTS!!! It was only a few weeks into the new year, but I can tell this is probably going to be one of the top moments of 2015. WOW. You know what? I'll just have to dedicate an entire post to this experience later on :]

Last weekend, there was uncommonly great weather in Portland for this time of year. It got into the 60s & the sky was crystal clear. A group of six of us checked out the Hoyt Arboretum and Latourell Falls in the Columbia Gorge. Then we treated ourselves to some fancy coffee at Case Study while the dogs looked on :] Have I mentioned how much I love living in Oregon? Wherever you may live, I hope you're having a lovely January so far!

The Skeleton Twins

If you're in the mood for a fantastic movie, then look no further! "The Skeleton Twins" is definitely one of the best movies I've seen this past year. It's funny, sad, & endearing, yet does a great job of balancing out all the emotions. And let me just say that Bill Hader & Kristen Wiig absolutely KILLED IT. They're chemistry was phenomenal & just reaffirms my theory that comedians can really kick butt in more serious roles. Seriously, do yourself a favor & check it out :]

Just for good measure, here are some other recent movies that I'd wholeheartedly recommend: Laggies, Gone Girl, Boyhood, Interstellar, The Boxtrolls, St. Vincent, The Theory of Everything, and Nightcrawler.

How about you? Seen anything good lately?

hitrecord, episode #1

If you haven't heard of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's project HitRecord yet, you should check out the first episode. I love the creativity & collaboration behind each project. Watching strangers work together to make something beautiful is, well, beautiful! I can't wait for more episodes to come out!

PS; if you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy Soul Pancake's feel-good videos :]

stephen colbert painting

 

A couple years back, I painted a bluish-gray background on a canvas, thinking I'd make a funny high school-esque portrait, but I wasn't sure who to paint. I quickly settled on Stephen Colbert because he's hilarious, everyone loves him, & he has this regal look about him.

Well, two years later, the painting is finally finished! I hate that it sometimes takes me so long to finish a painting, but I had so much fun completing this one that I'm revved up & ready to paint some more! I'm even thinking of a series of pop culture portraits, who knows? I've got a bunch of lovely ideas floating through my head :]

PS; here's the painting when it was still half-complete, just for funsies.

human again

 

Fun fact about me: I love Ingrid Michaelson. She also just released another album called "Human Again", which I love as well. Before I got a hold of the album, I was going through a bit of a music slump. I'd put my ipod on shuffle because I wasn't sure which band I wanted to listen to, but still wind up skipping through almost every song. You know. We've all been there. But hearing a fresh new batch of Ingrid Michaelson songs has brought on a musical Renaissance. You ought to check out my favorite song from her new CD, even if you're not going through a slump. But because it's beautiful. Thank you, Ingrid. Thank you.

oh, scarlett

These are photos from Scarlett Johansson's most recent ad campaign. Seriously, screw her. She makes everyone else on the planet, male or female, look like a cave man. Ugh.

james franco kisses

I always thought James Franco was a cutie.
Check out this awkward/adorable video of him kissing James Franco.

new celebrity crush!

Colin Hanks has been making my heart flutter :] Swoon!
& how insanely cool would it be to have Tom Hanks as your father-in-law??

lucky in love wedding

Speaking of weddings, I thought I'd share photos from Glenn Howerton's wedding. I'm a huge fan of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" so a peek into his own wedding was pretty neat :] You can see more photos from their Lucky in Love wedding here.

oh, emma

I recently stumbled across this photo, the most perfect photo ever, of Emma Watson. Not that she doesn't already take completely gorgeous photos. But this one makes me want to either go shopping for cute new hats, or knock all of my neatly arranged books off the bookshelf & tower them around me. Sigh, amazing.

oh, gwen

"Such a cute girl; I'm so jealous
I wish I looked exactly like her
What's it like to have that body?
I'm gawking while I wonder"

When I was in elementary school, I admired the heck out of Gwen Stefani. I tried to mimic her make-up & fashion choices from her music videos & album covers. Her tomboyish beauty & spunky attitude made her my idol. It's been a long time since I've looked to celebrities for inspiration, but it seems I've come full circle. I recently stumbled upon this beautiful photo of her & thought how awesome it must be to have a body like that. Sigh, I think I need a gym membership.

celebrities with braces

Emma Watson



Dakota Fanning



Drew Berrymore



Gwen Stefani

I recently stumbled upon this collection of celebrity metal mouths & it was kind of refreshing to remember that even the beautiful people aren't perfect all the time. Click here for more :]

perfection

Zooey Deschanel in vintage swimsuits?? I die.

how perfect!

Adblock

I absolutely cannot wait :D

wants

Mom & Dad,

Why didn't you give me:
-- Zooey Deschanel's hair & fashion sense?
-- Scarlett Johansson's body & complexion?
-- Jenny Lewis's singing voice?
-- Julie Delpy's adorable French accent?