Chantilly ~

morning coffee

2012-05-28T09:58:00.001-04:00

it's monday again, pretty people! hope your weekend was wonderful.

i'm coming back from block island today. and since i usually plan my posts a week in advance, this set of pictures is actually from... you guessed it... a week ago. we're traveling back in time!! isn't that exciting?

i met up with my sistagirl maeve for some coffee at my favorite cafe. we had a deep conversation and photo session. except she hates pictures of herself. so most of the photos are of me. (how vain, right?)

oh but look! some nice maeve cameos right here...

splainin' camera settings...

part II is coming tomorrow. there was a few more pictures i really liked, but for some reason, i don't like including too many pictures in one post. especially when they are all of me.

have a great day, pretties :) xo

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

sunday songs ~ the national

2012-05-28T01:31:00.003-04:00

this is a super-late version of sunday songs for all you night owls out there. i was just watching the infamous blackwater episode of game of thrones tonight (the wildfire scene was awesome, though nothing can beat the book.)

... and how cool is it that the national wrote and performed the rains of castamere for the show?!

pretty darn cool...

that's all for now. see ya tomorrow :))

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

pinspiration

2012-05-25T10:51:00.002-04:00

another round of pretty pictures from other people's lovely websites :)

this workspace is dreamy.

i just love this compilation of little random things.

i can barely handle how cute this baby bunny is.

sweet little blue eggs in a nest!!

a beautiful cake.

the perfect ice cream cone.

i'll probably never do this hanging jar lanterns diy, but i love looking at it.

i just really want this little wool purse.

seems like the perfect place to just sit in a chair and watch the flowers grow.

this looks so fun! i haven't been to a carnival in forever.

i'm a little obsessed with coffee pictures... but you knew that :)

as i type, i'm listening to ocean waves outside my window. we're on a mini-vacay on block island right now :) i used to come here a lot as a kid, so it feels nice to venture back. it's misty and a little cold, but it's lovely.

that said, i'm sorry if i haven't been completely timely in returning emails and comments! i so appreciate them. but i think i need a few days to enjoy the reality outside of a laptop. you know? things will be back in order soon enough, i promise.

oh and ps, i wanted to do another linkup for you guys :) feel free to post your blog or web address below & visit some of the other links posted.

you must be a follower of chantillysongs on gfc, bloglovin, or twitter to participate.

have a wonderful weekend. xx

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

on power and limitations

2012-05-24T11:55:00.000-04:00

another story about another ring...

once upon a time, i had some piercings, including a navel ring. (yes, i know.) i originally got it when i was 15 (!!), and i took it out some years ago. though i came across it recently while looking through some old junk.

when i saw again, i felt electric. things like piercings and tattoos can be very personal, and mine was. navel rings went out of style years ago, but that wasn't the reason i took it out. i actually wore mine way past the point of fashionability. it was because i decided that it had no meaning for me anymore. but there was a time when it had a lot of meaning.

another life.

it's even still bent, just like it always was. imperfect. just like me.

there was a time when i used to do things simply on gut instincts. it might sound cheesy, but when i found out i could do things simply because i wanted to, i tapped into a great source of power. i loved doing things like dyeing my hair. piercing parts of myself. sleeping with strangers. having TOTAL control of my body and mind, and there wasn't a damn thing anybody could do to stop me.

my biggest wish was for independence. my biggest fear was dependency, and compromising my freedom and choices. i have never been perfectly happy. never perfectly stable. but there was a time when i felt a power within myself to move mountains.

nowadays, i feel like i do a lot of compromising, and most of my thoughts revolve around responsibilities. i notice that most of my time is comprised of doing a LOT of things i don't want to do. even as i'm "freelance" and working for myself. i've felt limited by a lot: past traumas. lack of finances, lack of connections, lack of know-how. even limits i put on myself that aren't even real.

and i can barely remember... but i'm fairly certain... there was a time when i used to scoff in the face of any kind of limitation.

where did that badass go?? what the hell happened to her? maybe it's just part of the natural progression of life, and everyone comes to terms with the fact that they do not, in fact, have limitless power. they never get everything they want. they can't have their cake and eat it too. of course people need limits.

but i can't help but feeling like i need some of this power infused back into my life. sometimes, i can only find solace in letting go of control. right now, i am feeling and craving that power running through my veins. a life force all its own.

when i saw the ring, it reminded me that existed once within me. and i can have it again. if i want it.

if i can be brave enough to find it.

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

homemade body butters

2012-05-23T10:36:00.000-04:00

recently, i've been doing something very indulgent and naughty... buying products from the store lush. i decided to try out something called buffy, an exfoliating body butter. it's $13 for one bar, which lasts about 2 weeks. unfortunately, i sort of loved it.

so i took a look at the ingredients, and decided i could make one of my own. it's mainly cocoa butter, shae butter, ground rice and almonds. i got shae butter from a beauty supply store around the corner, and shelled out for cocoa butter at whole foods.

i did my best at dividing up 1 oz each of the butters...

the shea was easy to portion, but the cocoa butter was very hard. i ended up breaking the tip of the knife that i was using to chop it with... beware! i almost had razorblade surprise butter. i'd suggest heating it slightly first...

after they were divvied, i:

~melted the butters in the microwave
~ cooled them in the fridge/ freezer so they would harden faster.
~ poured in the ground rice and almonds (which i used the magic bullet to chop with.)
~ note- if the mixture is too hot, the exfoliants will sink to the bottom, so you've got to keep a close eye on how fast it's hardening.

i used wild rice instead of regular rice :)

i then poured them into little heart molds.

...but was too impatient to wait for them to harden all the way. so i got one cracked heart, and one with a hole in it. sounds kind of like my life :P

next time i'll use less shae butter in my mixture... it was a little greasier than i'd like. other than that, i love! i i've been using it in the shower on the lower half of my body (ahem, legs & butt), and on my hands. it's sort of magic.

i'll make these again fo sho.

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

life moments

2012-05-22T10:26:00.000-04:00

just a few snaps from here, there, and everywhere...

molly's nails on a pbr bottle.

yummy iced latte on a spring day!

i was giving michelle story prompts for pictures, and they came out pretty funny. like... "imagine you are about to marry this t-rex, but you found out on your wedding night that he cheated on you. with me- your maid of honor. but you still love him. but you are scorned..." etc.

friend dinner. more beer. chopping tomatos for sauce.

i left a comment on a blog recently, and she offered to send me a postcard. unfortunately, i lost the blog address... if you're out there, let me know and i'll add it!

pretty green trees and a blue sky.

i've been wishing for lots more of nature lately. the city feels so binding. i'm dying to go out to some parks and play frisbee, and do cartwheels or something. the good thing is, we're planning a picnic for my birthday, which i think will be pretty great :)

i want friends, summer, laughter, music, and sunshine.

i want love and happiness.

i want to feel sexy and beautiful.

i want my heart to be full of energy and life.

infecting all those around me with joy.

♥♥♥

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

bands

2012-05-21T11:56:00.000-04:00

i'm pretty big into wearing this "headband" lately- which is really just a leather cord that i got at michael's. i'm also big into looking redic in completely mismatched patterns... but that's always :)

a bunch of us went to the "googa mooga" festival this weekend, and i wore this outfit. they didn't allow cameras with detachable lenses, so i didn't get the chance to shoot any photos.... i'm sure you're dying to see hoards of people waiting in long lines for overpriced food, right? because that was basically the gist of it :P i did manage to snag about 6 orbitz packets of gum though, which was the only thing that was free.

it was still a really lovely saturday. the weather was so beautiful. and after we ditched googa mooga, we sipped beer and wine on molly's roof, and played juvenile games. my chest did get a little sunburnt... small price to pay :)

shoes- blowfish
dress- urban
shirt- urban
headband- craft store
necklace- f21

ps, i've got two more giveaways for you this week if you want to try to win my new ep! one at whimsical poppysmic and the other at my girl thursday.

hope you had a great weekend xoxo

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

chantillysongs sponsorship

2012-05-19T16:28:00.000-04:00

know what month june is? my birthday month. raging gemini here, and proud of it ;) if you want a reason to come celebrate with me:

book an ad with me by the 23rd, and get a 20% discount.

go on ahead to my sponsor page for more info on stats, as well as who's been talking about me/ my blog/ my music. email me if you have any questions! i would be honored to have you.

by the way... winner of the shabby apple giveaway was cindy of hellcat vintage... congrats girl, i've emailed you! xoxo

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

coffee talk ~ marry yourself

2012-05-17T13:18:00.005-04:00

people often see this ring and assume i'm married... even though it's on my right hand.

i bought it for myself when i got my first "real" job out of high school. my mother was working at the local casino, so she helped me score a front desk position at their newly constructed five-star hotel.

it was my first taste of "big money" ($8 an hour!!) and even though it was only three days a week, i had no rent or bills except for a car payment. so i did what any dysfunctional girl with a surplus of cash would: i compulsively shopped.

i bought cd's, ugly sweaters, novelty t-shirts, and girly lingerie.

i was very depressed and lonely.

on one trip to the mall, i ended up happening by the macy's counter and purchasing this white gold ring for $59. it is the one item from that time period that actually ended up lasting.

since then, i've had a lot of experiences, and gone through great self-transformations. the sadness isn't completely behind me, but i've always gotten through it and will continue to do so. unconsciously, i feel like i've kept this ring for so long as sort of a marriage pact to myself. a promise to never leave me.

it's not that romantic relationships aren't and shouldn't be important to us. of course they are. but i could never understand people's obsession with them. all those souls out there scurrying and worrying over finding the one to "complete them..." but that will never happen because they are already complete.

some perspective on you: you lack nothing. you are not broken. you are not a puzzle. you are simply an imperfect, amazing human. and you can't have a healthy relationship with another imperfect, amazing human without knowing this first.

so make a pact... never leave you. don't push yourself down so that someone else can feel better. don't sacrifice your feelings to make someone else more comfortable. don't tell yourself those negative garbage lies.

show yourself the love and kindness that you would a child.

don't get me wrong, some people are the type to flourish under harsh criticism and scrutiny.

i have never been one of those people.

it's kindness.

support.

love.

♥

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

bike polo

2012-05-16T12:23:00.001-04:00

on saturday, i went to watch matt and some friends practice bike polo.

now anything with "polo" in it usually calls to mind the wimpy, preppy white guy stereotype. but this is anything but that- it's actually pretty hardcore. you've got to ride around and maneuver your bike around 5 other bikes holding a mallet, and hit a ball. it's a lot harder than it sounds. people were crashing into each other and falling off their bikes all over the place!

i feel like these are just slightly different than the normal "biking" pictures you see on blogs (vintage dresses, no helmets, lipstick...)

by the pictures i took, you'd think the entire polo team consisted of hot girls :) it was actually 99% dudes, and these ladies are my friends.

it was a fun afternoon, and i was the only one there just to watch! i felt like a total cheerleader in my flouncy dress, holding my iced coffee, snapping pictures. but i had a beautiful time.

a rare picture of me with my bangs pulled back...

by the way, if any out there are interested in playing bike polo in nyc, email nycbikepolo666@gmail.com, and they will hook you up!

xx

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

up to the moon ~ making the cd cover

2012-05-15T11:35:00.000-04:00

good morning!

it is special day folks, as i've been planning this post for a long time... i wanted to show you guys how i made the little hanging stars and moons for my cd cover :)

when i came up with the title "up to the moon," i knew i wanted a strong visual aspect. thinking about the concept and playing around with ideas was a lot of fun!

i thought a lot about symbolism, and how the moon can be a symbol for people's wishes and dreams. having the moon on a string gave me the feeling that all your wishes could come true if you could just have that...

anyway, here are some of the supplies i used:

yarn, paper, mod podge, and glitter.

i started thinking of what other shapes i could also utilize. moons naturally go with stars, so that was a no brainer. i also thought hearts would be appropriate, since most of the songs on the ep have to do with love/ unrequitedness. i drew some paper cutouts...

next, i painted one side each with mod podge and glittered them. this was hard, because the glitter wouldn't stick in certain places, and some of them didn't come out perfect.

after i did this, i found out that there is such a thing as paper that is pre-glittered. it's used for scrapbooking. i wish i knew about it sooner- i would've just used that.

oh well! doesn't this look pretty?

i then glued the two sides of each shape together, with a piece of yarn in the middle.

after that, i had my moons, stars, and hearts all on strings!

if only we could do this in real life...

my original idea was to make them into a mobile, so i strung them all up on one. however, it wasn't photographing the way that i wanted. then i came up with the idea to just pin them against the white wall.

and that is how my cover idea evolved :) we still have them hung up in our apartment this way! they're too cute to take down.

xoxo!!

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

seeing stars

2012-05-14T12:46:00.000-04:00

look familiar??

we took this week's style photos next to the "cd cover" wall!

i guess it's timely, since i've got a post coming up this week focusing on how i made the cd cover. i've been planning it for months, and am really excited to show you guys my process!

oh look, here's a thelonious...

also, a very small reminder that my shabby apple giveaway closes tomorrow night. if you haven't entered, get on that!!

dress- tulle
cardigan- ebay
belt- anthropologie
scarf- thrifted
c/o we love colors
moccasins- minnetonka

love you guys. hope your weekend was magic.

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

pinspiration saturday...

2012-05-12T12:07:00.000-04:00

some more cute picy pics from the week :)

flowers and book on strawberry koi

this is such a cute around-the-home decoration.

i stumbled upon the deer circus blog the other day, and i've been loving it. i thought this cookie dough face was hilarious...

another photo from deer circus... nutella pops!!

some cute wall stuffs.

this photo is breathtaking...

i love the idea of customizing your moccasins! you can buy kits to make your own, and then pretty them up any way you like.

so good news! i not feeling as melancholy as i was the other day. i basically had a 4am life epiphany... if i feel like life is unraveling, so be it. i've been spending a good amount of energy trying to "hold it all together." and well... i am NO good at that. sometimes, radical acceptance is the only answer. there's comfort in it.

i had a longer entry planned, further explaining some of the amazing experiences i've had this week as a result of "letting go." but i actually need to be somewhere right now. but i did want to try something new today :) ... a linkup!

i've seen these on a few blogs, and i think it's a super fun way to introduce each other. link up your blog & click around to the ones featured to discover some new friends! i know there are a ton of interesting people that read chantillysongs, so come on out and say hi!

you must be a follower of chantillysongs on gfc, bloglovin, or twitter to participate.

have fun & hope you meet some new friends!! xoxo

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

life moments

2012-05-10T11:58:00.000-04:00

hey gang. i've just got a few little snaps from around the way lately...

some people made paint blobs on buildings nearby that looked like jellyfish.

secret cold remedy.

lunch/ coffee at cafe orwell with damon.

more food... a little snack of bread and cheese at home :) (whole foods seaside cheddar rulez.)

my bear feet.

going out to eat w/ my parents... a pic of me & my mom that i really love <3

i have to say- for the past few days i've been feeling a little poopy. maybe it's the weather... it's been grey and rainy here for the past week. i don't know. i've been longing for the past and not living in the present. some deadlines are coming up, and i basically need a gig for the summer... like now.

casey's posts on living by faith have been inspiring me. i think of myself as an overall "spiritual" person... i probably have more in common with new age philosophies than christianity. but her words have been helping me remember that sometimes things are not in our hands. things do not come in our time, or in the ways that we want them to. it's okay, because other amazing things will manifest in ways we never would've thought of. that's some powerful magic stuff.

also, i happened to check in on how my giveaway was going over on elizabeth's blog, and oh my word. i was blown away at some of the kind things that people were saying. i was sure no one would even enter it. if you're a new follower by way of that giveaway, thank you so much. your comments honestly made me cry tears of joy and turned my whole night around.

love and kisses to everyone 4-eva.

what's been going on in your world lately? hope it's great things :)

xoxo

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

doll house

2012-05-09T10:37:00.002-04:00

just another quick post about some prettyness i encountered while browsing through my parent's store last weekend... i noticed they had acquired this doll house. i couldn't not photograph it.

let's take a tour...

my mom made me a (more modest) doll house when i was little, and a jealous friend threw it in my grandparent's pool. i hope that doesn't happen to whoever picks up this beauty :)

on a side note, it's been a busy few days in terms of cd giveaways! i have a few going on this week at delightfully tacky, this enchanted pixie, and mary rebecca! hop on over to each and enter if you want to win.

xoxo!

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

shabby apple giveaway

2012-05-08T10:37:00.000-04:00

who wouldn't like the chance to own an item from the beautiful online boutique shabby apple? i for one, have been eying their pretty dresses for a long while... and now's your chance to win $50 towards whatever item you want!!

not only that, but i've got a discount code right here for anyone who simply can't wait. if you need to have one of shabby apple's pretty dresses RIGHT NOW, just enter chantillysongs10off at checkout for 10% off!!

HOW TO ENTER

~ be follower chantillysongs on google friend connect or bloglovin.
~ browse through shabby apple's website and leave a comment letting me know what item you'd pick if you won!

make sure to leave your email address.
(you will be added to my totally non-annoying email list, from which you can unsubscribe at any time.)

that's it!!

then, once you fulfill your mandadory entry you may also do... bonus entries!

♥ like shabby apple on facebook.
♥ follow chantillysongs on twitter
♥ tweet about the giveaway, utilizing my username, shabby apple's username, and the link. example: "Win a $50 gift certificate to @ShabbyApple on @chantillysongs! (then the link) #giveaway"
♥ post a facebook update about it
♥ blog about it
♥ add one of my buttons to your sidebar

please leave a comment for *each* bonus entry.

the giveaway is open only to those with a US shipping address and ends on Tuesday, May 15th at midnight EST. the winner will be picked at random and announced a few days later.

good luck!!

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

greenpoint

2012-05-07T10:32:00.003-04:00

so here i stand with freshly chopped bangs.

photos by matthew j. panton

i think an outfit like this is really my everyday uniform. i know it's not very exciting, or vintage, or cutsey, but it's mine. there was a time when i would wear dresses and skirts every single day. but for just walking around the city (which is all the time), i usually find myself falling into the arms of casualness with a bit of quirk: skinny jeans, a cardigan, a scarf, a hat.

the necklace i'm wearing was swiped from my parent's store. it's bright fake-gold tone that's not usually my style, but my mom practically pushed it on me...

((chantilly: "it's too gold!" mom: "sometimes you need something in your life that's too gold."))

ahh, words of wisdom. i figured it would be nice to try something different, so i took it and ran with it :)

hat- thrifted
cardigan- uniqlo
shirt- urban outfitters
scarf- forever 21
gloves- urban outfitters
necklace- waryck family furniture and finds
jeans- uniqlo
shoes- blowfish
bag- beacon's closet

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

sunday songs ~ april smith and the great picture show

2012-05-06T13:01:00.000-04:00

this week i was doing some work, listening to some music in itunes, when april smith and the great picture show came on. have you heard of her? her album's been around for awhile, but she's pretty great. i'll never forget the first time i saw her live. this song pretty much bowled me over:

(it is really, really worth a listen.)

i love that it's the total opposite of the typical "oooh, baby i want you/ i need you/ i'll do anything for you" type of song... even though she's trying so hard to convince us, you don't quite believe she's not thinking about him.

here's another gem. i don't like this song particularly as much, but the video is awesomesauce. i think it has to do with the fact that i prefer her live show to her recordings. but anyway, the video is very dexter-esque... you must see!

hope you like! xx

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

bangs hack

2012-05-05T19:17:00.002-04:00

kids, don't try this at home...

my bangs were totally outta control. something had to be done. now they are totally hacked off, but at least i can postpone my haircut a little longer ;P

it's an overcast, cozy day here in the city. i'll probably require some popcorn and a cheesy movie. on days like these i wish we had cable, so that i could just flip on the lifetime channel and guilty-pleasure myself through the rest of the night.

hope everyone is having a nice weekend ♥

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

friday pinspiration

2012-05-04T13:11:00.000-04:00

happy friday, kids. here's just a few quick picy-pics for you that i've found browsing the internets this week :)

these knitted elephants are the mostest adorbs.

kitty cat refusing to move, spoiling her owner's plans to make a skirt.

i really loved this one- stencil your own glasses. this might be a good option, because there are no good thrift stores in nyc, and these type of vintage glasses cost like $12 each.

ladybug headphones.

a bathtub filled with lovely roses. looks so inviting :)

the perfect, simple workspace.

does anyone have plans for the weekend?

xoxo

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

salted rum limeade

2012-05-03T10:14:00.002-04:00

moving away from some of the earlier frustrations in the week... i made some yummy drinks for you :) (too bad you can't sip through the screen...)

i showed the pictures to matt, and he said it looked like they were "taken in heaven." i can't lie, they kinda taste like heaven too. my old roommate made these at a bbq, and i've been in love ever since. at the time, she used "simply limeade," which actually worked great. but i wanted to try and make the juice from scratch.

i'm definitely a rum girl, and this is my favorite kind- gosling's black seal. (and no, it has nothing to do with ryan gosling.)

you'll need:

~ 15 limes
~ 1 1/2 cups sugar
~ 3 cups water
~ 1 1/2 cups ice (as needed)
~ 4 shots of rum
~ 1/4 tsp salt

i peeled the limes and ran them through the juicer, but you can hand-juice them...

next, i took the the juice, sugar, water, salt, and ice- and poured them back and forth between two different containers.

then, all you do is put a shot of rum each into four 8 or 10-ounce glasses, and pour the mixture over that. bam! delicious.

oh, and i recently got some of those super-cute paper straws to give my drinks a little more pizazz!!

the color of the cocktail is amber, because i used dark rum. you could use a lighter rum, and it would probably turn out the light green color.

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

the gambler

2012-05-02T11:33:00.001-04:00

first of all, thank you everyone for your supportive comments on yesterday's post. i'm not sure how it came across, but if i at all gave the impression of being ungrateful, i sincerely apologize. i know i'm in a position of privilege to even be able to record songs, and feel so incredibly lucky to continue to be involved in music. and extremely lucky to have so many amazing helpers who have supported financially, or through your emails, comments, promotion etc.

i just wanted to address some common fears artists face, and i face as well. it's tough out there, you know? but the fears don't kill me. i get back up and keep going, as i hope most of you do as well :)

anyway... this weekend, i got that distinct feeling that it was time for me to split from the city for a few days. so i decided spur-of-the moment to head home to rhode island. i always take a bus that goes to foxwoods casino, where my parents pick me up. after getting off the bus, coupons for free food and free slot play are handed out.

this time, my dad promptly took me over to this machine:

it is a kenny rogers "the gambler" slot machine.

i gambled away my $15 slot play, drank my free drink, and went home to a cozy feather bed.

while i was there, i also had an opportunity to check out my parent's new store, which contained soooo much good stuff:

i actually ended up taking home that vintage hand towel! upon closer inspection, i noticed that the little dutch couple was actually frowning, which i thought was unusual. "they're realists," commented my mother.

xoxoox!

♥ listen to my new record on bandcamp ♥

cd release ~ the hangover

2012-05-01T11:34:00.001-04:00

i love projects. and i guess you could say music was always my ultimate "project." nothing feels better than having a dedicated purpose. and making this ep was a reason to wake up in the morning on many mornings...

when i was in high school, i never had a concrete idea of "what i wanted to do" with my life. i knew i was continually annoyed by society's insistence that i should know. and by my guidance counselor, who would always call me to her office, pressuring me to make life-altering decisions about the next 40 years.

i eventually went to community college, and started taking music classes. i found it was the only thing that intrigued me, and that i had the slightest inclination towards. so i made the decision to move forward to 4-year college, pursuing a degree in songrwriting and composition. at the time, the economy hadn't collapsed yet, and it was a perfectly okay thing to "follow your heart" and "reach for your dreams," without being chastised for not choosing a "viable career option." just as long as you were getting an education for SOMETHING, you were good.

my generation had the impression that so long as you work hard and kept your eye on the prize, ANYTHING was possible...

and well... i'm not going to say it's not true... it certainly has been for some. for me- it's been a long haul, but i've hung in there. i've gone from being an big fish in a small pond, to being a small fish in a big pond, to being an even SMALLER FISH in an even BIGGER POND, to basically feeling like an amoeba floating in the atlantic ocean.

but i've always vowed to get better, and i have. i've met almost all of my goals. the problem is, after ten years of meeting (and exceeding) my goals in music, they still don't pay the bills. and it's frustrating.

making this cd, and seeing and hearing the finished product feels so much more wonderful than i can describe. immediately, i start thinking "what about the next one!" but i don't know when and if that's going to happen. you can spend sooooo much time, energy, and money creating and nurturing a project. but when all is said and done, there are no guarantees of success.

fortunately, i've had a lot of help with both of my previous albums... the costs weren't NEARLY as much as they could've been. it's actually been a huge blessing to have these people in my life who have been such a help. but i can't call on friends for favors forever, nor do i want to.

what i'm trying to say is, i really, really hope that i can continue to record more of my songs someday. but i just look around, i crunch the numbers, factor in the effort put in by myself and everyone else, and i say "how?"

knowing myself, i'll find a way to make it happen again. but i think the key is not worrying whether or not it will.

the funny thing is, i feel like i've been affecting more people than ever. people i've never met have been regularly emailing me, telling me how much they love my music. i just received a message from an acquaintance, telling me how much of an inspiration i've been to her, and it brought tears to my eyes.

i think i've been measuring "success" in the wrong way- financial. making money is society's only idea of success. but it's not true.

as i keep trudging on, i keep learning to enjoy the successes that matter- lovely comments, emails, and messages i get from people who care. and the love you give and receive to people- possibly the most important thing.

live another day. maybe see another project to completion. maybe sit with a glass of wine, thinking "thank god there are no more damn projects to complete." who knows...

beer street

2012-04-30T10:12:00.000-04:00

hello, hello!

some of you were asking about the "beer street" bottle in one of my posts last week. what if i told you that beer street is a real and tangible place, not just in your imagination??

it's a shop where you can get fresh beer straight out of the tap to take home!

the deal is, you put down a deposit for a glass bottle to keep. then you can come back and fill it with any of these cool beers and micro brews. you get a fresher-tasting drink that way, and it's how they did it in the old days, before the mass-production of beer. good enough for the old days, good enough for me, that's what i say!

i'm not a beer snob, by any means... but i do think this is a cool idea.

the taps

xoxo

: listen to my new record on bandcamp :

sunday songs ~ cat martino

2012-04-29T13:45:00.003-04:00

i haven't had a sunday songs post in awhile :) just wanted to pop by & talk music for a sec...

a few weeks ago, i went to union pool with a friend to see a show. i saw cat martino perform, and thought she was just the coolest. she uses one of those loop pedals live onstage to build up her songs. let me just say, i'm always enamored and kinda jealous of people who can do this. it's a skill i always wanted to learn, but never got around to.

ALSO. she plays and tours with sufjan stevens. they worked on this song together recently:

my girl crush meter just went up like, a bajillion percent.

i also talked to her after her set, and she's a total sweetheart. which also helps in the girl crush department ;)

have a lovely day :)

xoxo

: listen to my new record on bandcamp :