The wheels in the sky keep on turning

Love her style.

more sophistication please, less Jersey Shore...

In my eyes the world needs more Gregory Pecks. Image taken from here

No one remembers your name

this was good, and having Johnny Depp as the narrator is a much appreciated added bonus.

Newport

Getting excited for our yearly trek south to the Newport Folk Festival in a few weeks, and am getting even more excited to see Sarah Jarosz perform, at a friend's suggestion. She will be the next Emmylou, if she isn't already. Give a listen, you will not be disappointed. (image taken from http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/)

On to something

Well the baby finally came, and she had quite an arrival; let's just say the last thing I was expecting to have was an 8 and 1/2 lb tank. But of course, I'm so glad she's here, healthy and happy and such a good baby thus far...she is about 3 days old now, wow, time flies. It has been a while since I've talked to myself on this blog, but I wanted to record that I may be on to something. My first daughter, now 3 and the best sleeper ever, listened to Nick Drake on repeat for the first 2 years of her life. She's now moved on to other music, mostly because we were starting to feel guilty about the fact that someone so innocent is transfixed by a man who died tragically-as big of fans of ND as we are. So tonight, while my husband and my 3 yr old get their bbq on with friends and I stay home to get my nipple ripped apart, I put in Edith Frost's "Calling Over Time", a sad album, but no notes of pain or chronic depression, and sure enough, she instantly fell asleep. My theory is that babies like soft, sad, melodies. Toddlers like fast, happy melodies, and teenagers like moody, loud, melodies. This will be my new formula for raising content, and well rested, children.

Finally getting it right

Alex Carleton has done for L.L. Bean what Jenna Lyons has done for J.Crew, and what Patrick Robinson has also done for The Gap. These three companies, facing lagging profits and stagnant markets, let creativity lead their growth rather than let market trends weaken their products. If only more companies outside of retail would follow their lead, and thus be leaders, we wouldn't all be so economically worried about "what comes next", we would just enjoy the innovation and not unlike Jenna Lyons, look good doing it! btw, all three links above are great reads. As for the L.L. Bean Signature Line, I am in love. I have been wearing this look for years, only now I don't have the time to comb thrift stores for the quality Bean used to produce. I will say that I enjoy the men's stuff a lot more than the women's, it is absolutely what men ought to be wearing, especially up here in New England. As for Jenna, I can't remember the last time I actually liked someone's personal style and vision as much as I do her's.

an eye for style. and character.

God I love this blog.

"r-e-s-p-e-c-t"

We didn't get hit nearly as bad as some folks but were nonetheless startled by the amount of rain that accumulated....mother nature has a certain way of telling everyone to stop the nonsense, and to just be grateful for our basic needs. Been listening to Patterson Hood's darker album, but since the sun has just began to show its face, I'm thinking maybe some old school motown is needed.

Proud to be American again

The GOP (Grand Obstructionist Party) can suck it> it's a great day when we look after our most vulnerable: children, the elderly and the poor.

Sort of

I just remembered that I have a blog. Sort of. Solveig has sort of given up her naps so free time is scarce, and I sort of have been working on some projects. Sort of not. I have found some bands that I sort of like, and some others that sort of suck. I have read a couple new books that sort of grabbed my attention, and watched a couple videos that sort of captured my interest. But mostly, I have been sort of trying to wrap my head around the fact that I will have a new baby in two months. I guess I'm late in my assessment. At any rate, one thing that I want to definitely do, is go to SXSW. The unrelentless creativity behind just about every band has nothing short of inspiring to follow online, and March in New England could always use some fresh inspiration.

A girl can dream

I'm trying hard to ignore some of the gorgeous and wearable items in the new Sundance and Anthropologie catalogs, but it's hard. Luckily, I have a few months to go before giving birth, and then more than a few months after that to get my body back. However, shoes will always fit, and for me are beyond tempting, so above are a few of my new wear-with-everything favorites from asos and other sources. I'm sure, however, I will no doubt be in my trusty chuck taylors after the snow melts, and on through summer, but I need something other than pickles to get me on my toes.

A true champion

I just have to say, Drew Brees is the man.

Pretty Pictures

As I spend this month buckled down - writing, recording, learning - I hope to also be able to save some disposable income. Recently I was reminded of how amazing my husband is at photography, and how much he enjoys it; he won a competition his brother in CA entered him in. I know he wants a new camera, his old manual one is losing its edge, and our digital one is just too basic. Sadly, the ones he is interested in are pretty damn expensive. Still, I am hopeful that a month or two of creativity-inspired discipline, home-cooked meals, and lots of free lovin' will help me save enough to get him the camera of his dreams. Above are some pics I pulled from our iphoto library, before I began to wrestle with garage band. You can click on them for larger images. Of course his best are not in digital format. This wknd we will be setting up some mics and recorders, and I probably won't be blogging for a while. Just a reminder to celebrate your own creative selves as much as you can!

True Love

I no longer eat meat, barely eat dairy, and have been staying away from wheat and gluten for the most part. This may sound boring, but I am actually a pretty adventurous eater, and if someone cooks for me I will always graciously eat whatever was made. But of more significance, especially for my husband, is the fact that I actually don't mind cooking meat. It all started when I broke out the crockpot to cook 4 lbs of boneless butt pork roast for our new year's eve party; it was a huge hit, and so was the gross yet somehow utilitarian pleasure I derived from handling and cooking the meat. I've since tracked down a local farm to purchase meat, pick my cuts, and go to town. Do I want my daughter to eat meat? No. Never. But I realized what was happening: I was reminded that I absolutely love to make my husband happy, so I've tried to keep the momentum going. Every night this week he came home to amazing meals, and with each night I witnessed a softening (not of his belly, as it's impossible for him to gain weight), but of his heart, and of his thoughts even. Good, tasty food made with love equals good tasty thoughts and feelings in my book. Jeff actually eats on average less than a pound of meat a week, and he loves my meatfree dishes just the same, but I will admit that I still feel guilty when I'm trimming fat off some poor forsaken chicken. At any rate, I wonder if he gets the same rewarding feeling when he cleans the toilet or takes out the trash, tasks that definitely don't smell as nice, but are much appreciated nonetheless.

A fun escape

Came across this blog lately, it has been a nice whimsical escape. And speaking of escape, what a beautiful afternoon we have here in good old Kittery, Maine. I am heading out for a walk with the kid and dog, although I'd love to go for a nice run along the coast. Will have to wait about 6 months for that one...

Perfection

The coolest woman alive, period. I'm enjoying her new music, although I'll always be most impressed by her fashion sense.

The Golden Globes

Some dresses from the red carpet that I liked. I wasn't really feeling most of the looks but these work, and work well. It helps that all of these women seem pretty real. The rest of the batch appeared overdone, too inspired, and just plain "off". You can click on the pics for larger images.

Looking ahead

I'm ok with the storm that's currently moving in while I type this, the snow is beautifully stuck to everything in sight, and our little town looks like a charming arctic fish bowl. Actually looking forward to piling on some layers and walking to the store for some milk and bread - a New England luxury. But, these images get me excited for spring, dreaming of waves and long days, and for doing nothing that really needs to get done. The first image is from Rag and Bone, the others from RVCA, two mainstream labels that can do no wrong in my eyes.

Tis always the season for cranberries

Although I am feeling the kicks and strokes of the little girl growing inside of me, I still like to keep a pulse on one of my favorite things - cocktails. This one sounds endearing, and easy to make for a crowd. I think I will try it on some friends at our annual ski wknd. Next year I"ll plan on drinking a glass while eating fondue, and sitting by a fire. But for now, it's all about the fetus.