Artistically Me: my obsessions

Showing posts with label my obsessions. Show all posts

Friday, November 14, 2014

musician of the week: Don't Call it a Comeback

To be honest, I'm not super into all of their music, but I do have some favorite songs! I think this is a really down to earth group of guys who want to tell their stories to the world. They are definitely more punk and harder rock than I normally listen to. I think they try to cram too many words into the lines and end up sounding out of beat with the music. But they do have good tracks!

My favorite album by them is A Little Bit Softer. It's an acoustic album and I think it's pretty amazing. They have some good lyrics and this way you can really hear it and appreciate their work. My favorite song on this album is probably Most of the Sex in My Life Wasn't as Personal as that Kiss. It's a little on the 'maybe don't play this around granny or your four year old' but it's so real, raw, and so so good. My second favorite would have to be About Staying. Both are amazing songs and have really true lyrics.

Please check this band out! If you're into punk music, this is definitely a band to check out on bandcamp!

Do you have any favorite underground musicians? Let me know in the comments and I'll check them out! Have a fantastic weekend!

Friday, November 7, 2014

musician of the week: Corey Gray

This is a new series that I'm so excited about! Music is my life and I am so obsessed with finding new artists that are just starting to make their way into the industry. So once a week on Friday's I'll be sharing my favorite, indie musician! Please check them out and give them your support! Most have music for free download or for a couple bucks.

I'm going to be totally honest, I'm just as in love with him as I am his voice. He has that kind of buttery, yet raspy sound that just touches you in your heart. He started off doing covers on youtube (which is where I first found him) but then he began to write and release his own music. I so wish he had more than nine songs, but I'll take what I can get!

His music is definitely pop, but it sort of has a blues feel to it. It's very smooth with gorgeous chord progressions and he adds different elements to each song that gives each song a different mood. He has so much talent and he has really grown a lot since his first album was released two years ago.

My all time favorite song by him is Where We're Going. I cry every time I hear it; the words are so moving and the way he sings makes it even more heart wrenching. In this version, he stripped it down to just simple piano. This gives it a raw, real effect. It's a free download on bandcamp so do yourself a favor and go listen and download and cry on repeat.

He released a four song album, Let Loose, in 2012, my favorite song being You Found My Soul. This album isn't my favorite collection of his work but there's certainly charm.He has some room for growth in his writing but it's still worth the $5! Download here!

His newest album is amazing! Y.O.U features four original new songs. My favorite is Step Away. It's one of his slower, more emotional songs. Those seem to be my favorites by him. He really shows growth not only in his vocals but also in his songwriting. He experiments more with the style of music and the instruments. Download here!

Please support Corey Gray and download his albums! He gets most of the proceeds (I forgot how bandcamp's payment works) and I know it would really mean a lot if he could get new listeners. I hope to see you next week when I introduce another of my favorite, lesser-known bands!

Do you have any favorite underground musicians? Let me know in the comments and I'll check them out! Have a fantastic weekend!

Friday, September 19, 2014

my new favorite fresh food restaurant-ModMarket

I have now found my favorite restaurant of all time. ModMarket is this adorable little fresh food café that my mom took me to this afternoon. They have some great gluten-free and vegan options (yay vegetables!!) I also just learned that there's one very close to my school, guess who's going to become a regular? This vegan!
There's not a huge variety of vegan options, but there is a pretty decent amount and they are phenomenal! I had the Crimini Kale pizza and I ate the entire pizza by myself. Spicy kale, roasted crimini mushrooms, red onions, fresh tomatoes, and whole wheat pizza was served fresh and hot from their stone oven. There was hardly enough time for me to take pictures before my stomach couldn't handle the delicious smell and I devoured it. My last meal will be this pizza. Promise.

Not only is the café super adorable and bright, but their receipts are so cool! Printed on each receipt are nutrition facts and a little fun fact about a vegetable or other item on your order. My mom ordered a salad with sweet potato so they gave us a snippet telling how they contain tons and tons of vitamin A.

ModMarket has ten locations in Colorado, one in Texas, and they're planning four more locations (two in Texas, two in DIA)! Go check out their website and if you're in the area, stop in for a bite to eat. It's so amazing and I promise it's totally worth it!

PS: They have a food blog!! They have tons of different posts about running a restaurant, living healthy, and all things food! Go check them out here!

Saturday, August 9, 2014

top 10 favorite books

This was possibly the most difficult post to write ever, simply because narrowing all the books I've read down to 10 of my favorite is a close to impossible feat. I've done it, and hopefully, you'll find a new book to devour! This list is in no particular order, promise.

1) Oy Joy!
I've read this book close to a hundred times, if not more. I've probably owned it for close to five or six years. It's a great little story about a girl who's trying to figure herself out while everyone around her is changing and telling her she needs a boyfriend. Her great-uncle moves in with her family, turning her life upside down. But it's perfect! He teaches her so many things and in the end, she finds what she's looking for and her great-uncle Max falls hopelessly in love.

2) Looking for Alaska
John Green is an amazing writer and my favorite book by him is Looking for Alaska. It's so raw and real. A young boy deals with a new friend's suicide and spends the rest of the book trying to figure life out. He's obsessed with last words, giving a morbid touch to her death. Read it and weep.

3) The Secret Life of Bees
This book will touch your heart and possibly rip it out. You follow an abused young girl travel with her maid (this was back when black people weren't allowed to vote) and find a place where they belong. She goes from having no mother in sight to four. We fall in love with characters and watch as their lives are torn apart. Read about prejudice, abuse, love, suicide, and bees.

4) Wuthering Heights
Settle in for a lengthy but beautiful trip. This book is so full of drama, it's entrancing and captivating. We witness characters meeting again, love, affairs, and so much drama! This is a classic that you must read.

5) Johnny Tremain
I remember my mom reading this to me in fifth grade and I fell hopelessly in love with Johnny. He works as a blacksmith until a terrible accident when his hand is mamed. This story takes place during the revolutionary war and my goodness is it amazing! We are allowed to watch as Johnny grows and changes by the hands of the world. He meets people who give him opportunities he wouldn't have dreamed of. This book has a hearty dose of politics, life, and again, drama. It's not a very hard read, but the depth is amazing.

6) 11/22/63
Stephen King writes a book that describes time travel. It's not scary, if you're concerned about reading his works. This is a very long read, as most of his are, but it is so worth it. Our main character is a teacher who is left with a time-traveling closet and he goes back in time, living life before JFK's assassination. It is up to him to stop his neighbor, Lee Harvey Oswald, from committing the terrible act history knows him for.

7) Any of the Harry Potter books
I highly doubt I need to explain these to anyone, but read them. Read them again. I grew up with these books and I strongly think that they influenced my creativity to this day.

8) The Giver
This book is actually making it to the silver screen! Do yourself a favor and read it before you go watch the movie. We follow a young boy, Jonas, who has decided that the perfect, boring world he lives in is not quite right. He sets out to find the Giver and learn the truth about the world he lives in and the emotions he has never felt.

9) Inkheart
I actually own the UK version and the US version of this book because when I was younger, everyone wanted to buy it for me. That's how much I loved that book (the movie was terrible, the ending made me want to punch a wall, etc). We follow Meggie (oh the irony) and her father as they travel through a world her father read out. She learns that she too can read from books and make things come to life, but there is a price. A price that her mother paid when Meggie was a little girl.

10) Night
Elie Wiesel writes this non-fiction book about his family's lives while imprisoned in a concentration camp. The terrible things he sees and the hardships he and his father face really open readers' eyes to the reality of life for Jews during Hitler's reign. It is very graphic, I wouldn't recommended it to younger readers. But if you can handle it, this book is a must read.

What are your top 10 favorite books?

Sunday, August 3, 2014

celebration Sunday

I'm beginning a new series entitled 'celebration Sunday'. Every week I'll give a list of my favorite, albeit quirky, holidays of the week and ideas for how to celebrate them! Throughout the week I'll be doing themed posts for each holiday; posts like DIYs and recipes! I'm so excited to begin this series and I even planned out my posts all the way until October!

And without further ado, This week's top 5 holidays!

1) National Friend Day-August 3rd

Send your friends handwritten notes and letters decorated with your own love and creativity. Tell your best friend how much they mean to you and do something nice for them.

2) Green Peppers Day-August 5th

I love green peppers almost as much as I love broccoli! Today, eat some green peppers! I'll be posting some tasty recipes and toppings for your peppers on Tuesday!

3) Wiggle Your Toes Day-August 6th

Take off your shoes and take a nice, long stroll outside. Feel the different textures under your skin. Walking barefoot brings so many benefits (read my post about barefoot walking here) and tickles our senses.

4) Root Beer Float Day-August 6th

Whip up a vegan root beer float to savor as you take part in your own barefoot parade! I'll be posting a recipe on Wednesday for a scrumptious vegan root beer float!

5) Book Lover's Day!-August 9th

This day was made for all you book worms out there! On Saturday, I'll be posting my top 10 favorite books list and a few other book resources!

There's the preview of a week full of holidays! I'm also kicking off my back to school series this week, so stay tuned for lots of new and exciting content!

Pictures:

http://blog.freepeople.com/2011/02/you-know-i-dreamed-about-you-29-years-before-i-saw-you/

http://www.ehow.com/how_7280801_do-grow-green-pepper-plants_.html

http://blogthismoment.com/

http://weheartit.com/entry/112677298

http://ysvoice.tumblr.com/

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

crazy comes out when no one's home

I used to be homeschooled so I got used to being alone. Though it sometimes it can get depressing, there is quite a list of things I have a tendency to do when no one's looking.

I honestly was thinking about if other people do the stupid things I do. So here's my list of what I do when no one's looking...let me know what you do!

01;; Sing. Really loudly.

02;; Watch tv. Really loudly (I do everything loudly when I'm home alone)

03;; Dance around to my loud music in my underwear.

04;; I bake. A lot.

05;; Write songs. A lot of songs. And I scream them. A lot.

06;; Shave my legs...don't ask me why.

07;; Tan

It's a short list, but it gives you a little peek into my life when I'm alone.

There's something about being alone with yourself that changes the way you think. I seem to be much nicer after a few hours, or days, alone. It's cleansing and satisfying.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

walk in the footsteps of a stranger

In the past couple of years I've come to a very real, and very unsettling, realization.
I abhor clothing. Shoes in particular.

Maybe its the feeling of being restricted and trapped, maybe I just hate the feeling of fabrics on my skin. Either way, I've always been that kid who kicks off her shoes under the table at restaurants or refuses to wear shoes outside.

I decided today to do some research and see what the research is on walking barefoot.
My mother has always told me that walking barefoot exposes you to germs that are bad for you, etc.

She was right to some extent.

You are exposed to germs when you run around barefoot, but your body builds up an immunity to them. Also, your shoes are breeding grounds for bacteria. You sweat up to a pint everyday from both of your feet. And guess where that all goes? To soak into your shoes. That is naaasty. If you just ditch the shoes, there is no funky smell and the sweat just evaporates instantly (unless you sweat a lot) without causing the bacteria stink.

Barefoot walkers (barefooters? barefeeters? barefeets?) are less likely to develop fungus, ingrown toenails, and athlete's foot because, guess what? We have gotten rid of the breeding ground for all of these issues. My friend recently had to have two toenails removed due to a fungus and ingrown problem. She probably could have avoided those medical bills and painful nights by walking around without shoes.

When I was a little kid, I used to hide my shoes from my mom so I didn't have to wear them because they hurt my feet so badly. My mom always said it was because the shoes had arch support and I have feet flatter than the Greeks thought the earth was back in the day. There wasn't much I could do but suffer my way through life in restricting shoes.

Shoes mold and restrict our feet from letting them move the way they are supposed to. Our feet were created to support our bodies and protect us from the terrain the generations before us had to endure. Our feet do not need support! Even on concrete! There are thousands, maybe even millions of people in India and China (and other parts of the world!) who have never worn shoes and they have no complaints about feet pain, but yet there are probably two hundred podiatrists in the state of Colorado alone.

So what are the benefits to walking au natural? Increased balance, joint swelling is reduced, can cause up to 62% decrease in anxiety and depression, aids in sleep, improved posture, and your feet and ankles become so much stronger!

There is this thing called reflexology (I'll do a post on this later) that says if you massage certain areas on your feet, you can help relieve tension and pain in another area. When you walk barefoot, you are giving yourself a free reflexology session.

I'm going to go barefoot (24/7) for the next month. The last week in July is Soles4Souls week when you go barefoot all week. Let me know if you would try this! A day, maybe a week, or even a whole month like me!

I'll write a few more posts on things like reflexology and ways to help those who need shoes (though maybe we don't!) and other charities.

I hope you partake in this challange, one way or another!

Picture

Saturday, April 5, 2014

life's soundtrack

Music is my entire world.
If you cut my arm, you could hear music bleed from every pumping vein in my body.
When I sleep
When I cry
When I shower
When I read
When I study
When I hurt

I am always listening to the marvelous, wonderful, ever-changing thing called music.

I've never had a favorite song.
But I've always had a life soundtrack.
A soundtrack that grew as I grew.
A soundtrack that changed as I changed.
A soundtrack that hurt
That bled
That cried
As I did.
I could never compile a list of every single song that I've listened to in my life. But I have always had a soundtrack of my life. A list of songs that was continuously added too. Every minute, hour, day, month, of my life.
Here is mine.

Soundtrack of My Life from thatcrazyviolinist on 8tracks Radio.

Now show me yours.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

living my life-2014

I hate New Year's resolutions.

Resolutions(noun): 1) the action of solving a problem, dispute, or continuous matter, 2) the deciding to do or not do something

We can't decide right now that we'll lose 50 pounds, or run everyday, or be nicer. We will have bad days and we will mess up and not make our resolutions.

So I'm making strides. I will stride this year.

This year, I will be striving to not self-hate. If I begin to hate on myself or say negative things, I will replace them with positive, true sayings. I will do a light, five minute workout in the mornings. I will do 15 minutes or more of yoga a day; and every day, I will tell myself constantly that I am beautiful. Especially if I don't feel it.

This lovely lady has put together Don't Break The Chain calendars for helping with our resolutions or Strivings. With a very simplistic design, they allow you to write one thing you will attempt to do every day for the next year and how long you want to spend on it per day. You then cross off the date you do it. These calandars really motivate you to keep with what you plan on doing because they are always there, staring you down. (I have four on my wall right now...in all four colors)

I'm trying to live my life this year.

The past two years have been a discovery/recovery/getting my crap together time. I was able to stop cutting, get out of my depression (for the most part), and get a handle on my anxiety and anorexia. So now, now I live.

My 2014 bucket list isn't going to be long; it's going to be filled with the fun I never had because I was too busy worrying about what other people thought and trying not to throw myself in front of a bus.

So here's my 2014 bucket list:
1) Stand up for myself. I will no longer be a doormat.
2) Get the tattoo I've always wanted
3) Write. Write all the time. Write anything. Write.
4) Read more. Read as much as you used to when you were younger. Read the whole library. Read the world.
5) Take more pictures. Pictures will one day be your only remembrance of this life.
6) Love more. Love everyone.
7) Smile all the time. Smile at everyone. Smile when you don't want to. Smile when you're happy. Smile when you're sad.
8) Wear whatever you want, whenever you want. Red lipstick to school? Check. Want to wear mismatching clothes? Hells yeah!
9) Laugh more. Watch funny videos. Say funny things. Surround yourself with funny people.
10) Expand your vocabulary. Learn a new word everyday. Use big words and sound too intelligent.
11) Live like everyday is your last.

I truely hope you all have decided to make 2014 YOUR year. This is MY year and I will kick its butt. This year, live. Live your life. Do crazy things, stay safe, and smile.

I love you. Everyone of you. Even if you don't.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

only you can stop world hunger

Go to your cupboard.

What's in it?

Cereal and bread, some cans and beans.

What about rice?

Rice is a cheap, easy to obtain staple food. But many, many children and adults are suffering from malnutrition. Little kids are dying from a lack of food.

Y'know how to solve world hunger? With food (I'm inserting the video I heard this from).

This is the time for new years resolutions and making changes in our lives. One of my resolutions this year is to feed at least 365 people. What? Meghan, you've lost it. You're a highschool junior with no income.

It takes 1,000 grains of rice to feed one person for one meal. 7,000 will feed a grown adult for a day. My goal is to make 1,000 grains of rice a day every day of the week for the rest of 2014.

There is an organization called Free Rice. You can go to their website and learn vocabulary, SAT words, or another language and for every answer you get correctly, they will donate 10 grains of rice.
You only have to answer 100 questions correctly to feed someone a meal that they desperatly need.

It's a life-saving trivia game.

I challenge you to join this site (you can play without an account and still donate rice!) and track your progress. I want to see how many people you can feed this coming year. We may not be able to visit and feed these needy people ourselves, nor may we be able to donate hundreds of dollars but we can answer some simple english questions or refresh our spanish vocabulary. Speaking of, if one of your resolutions was to learn a language, work on vocab with Free Rice. You'll be speaking fluently (they have some crazy words!) and keeping little kid's bellies full.

We all have a computer and a vocabulary, so let's get down to buisness...to feed the world.

Let's add another New Year's resolution to those of reading more books or losing a couple pounds. Let's feed the world's bellies.

Comment your user name below and I'll add you as a friend to keep us motivated!

Will you accept this challenge?

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

netflixing

I become obsessed with tv shows. Like to the point of I lock myself in my room for days on end watching every episode on netflix while crying in my pajamas and holding a bowl of popcorn.

You think I'm kidding? Try again.

I was really glad that Netflix only has the first 24 episodes of New Girl (Season 1!!) because I really would've been stuck in my room again. This time, it was only a day.

Why do I become so obsessed with shows? Who knows. I don't even care, but at least I'm not in my room smoking pot or something (side note: I don't want to offend those of you who do sit in your room and smoke pot, but that's just not my thing. Like I'm a total hippy girl at heart, which is a completely different person than a hippIE but more on that some other time, or never.)

So yeah, I'm totally digging New Girl. I feel like it's because I totally get Jess. Seriously though, I'm that ditzy girl who's really innocent and loves polka dots. She can't say the P word (you know what I'm talkin' about. Oh, you don't?), I can't say the P word....so yes. I'm trying to pull myself out of the world of high waisted shorts and Shmidt.

I'm the kind of girl who loves getting lost in a fantasy world (so did that on purpose). This probably explains why I've always wanted to go into acting, but most likely won't. There's just some pull about a world with romance, different people, and crazy situations. You get a whole new experience without actually having to be in that moment. Like I now know what it's like to share a bathroom with three guys. And I never had to even live with one of them!

I'm pretty sure my mom thinks I'm super antisocial thanks to the gift she gave me of supplying me with a netflix playing television. It's seriously the best thing ever. So yes, I'm currently stuck in the wonderful world of New Girl, but it'll be over as soon as I find the next show I'm dying over.

Oh and Netflixing is a word. And if it wasn't before, it is now. It describes what I do: Sit in my room alone, crying and eating popcorn, while watching entire seasons of tv shows without a break. Netflixing. It's the new planking.

And while I choose to sit here and tell you all about how antisocial I am, I'm really supposed to be putting on makeup so I can actually go see other people. My priorities need some serious re-evaluating.

Happy netflixing!

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdr9moSmnH1rjdp66o1_500.gif

Saturday, June 9, 2012

my life in pictures (or videos...)

I finally edited the first ever vlog!!! I had so much fun doing it and I'll try to do one every week (key word: try).

And for some fun exciting news!!

I'm done with school so I have some extra time on my hands. With this extra time, I will be making a facebook page and (hopefully) a Twitter page for my blog!! I'm super excited and I'll definitely share them with y'all as soon as possible.

Here's the video! Enjoy!

Friday, April 27, 2012

goodbye lullaby

All I need is change

I'm sick of looking at the same things, eating the same food, reading the same books, watching the same tv shows and movies, wearing the same clothes, putting on the same makeup, doing my hair the same way, and routines.

I am so tired of routines and having everything be the same.

All I want is change. If I can change, so many things would get better.

I've done the same things, looked at the same things, and been the same thing since I was a kid. My routines hold memories that I hate. Memories I want to forget.

I'm changing. I'm changing everything. I will not continue on with my normal life anymore. It's so annoying and boring. I want to be interesting.

So here goes my changes for this year.

1. Dye my hair red