Winter Playlist
It’s been awhile since I’ve made a playlist of my favorite songs at the moment, and I’ve been playing a lot of the same songs on a continuous loop in these past few weeks. I discovered Aloe Blacc ‘s “I Need a Dollar” after a non-stop How to Make It In America (R.I.P.) marathon a couple of weeks ago; and I finally found out who in the hell The Weeknd is. Etta James has been in rotation since her passing and Amy Winehouse’s posthumous Lioness: Hidden Treasures is wonderful for a chill afternoon.
I’m still using Spotify as my main mode of listening to music. I’ve added the link to the playlist below. If you decide to download, then happy listening!
2012 So Far
My sincere apologies for disappearing again for the last few weeks. Once the new year began, school and work kicked into full gear again and I haven’t really had the the chance to breathe since.
So please excuse the fact that this is long overdue, but I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season! And happy new year (yeah, I know).
In the midst of all of the hoopla, I have been taking pictures on Instagram whenever the mood strikes. All of these pictures were taken this month and pretty much sum up what I’ve been up to so far: food, self-reflection and planning listening to great music and more food.
While this year has gotten off to more of a slow start, I do have a great feeling about 2012 and I’m looking forward to the rest of this year. And while I know that I say this often and I sometimes can’t keep this promise, I really do hope to blog much more this year. And that is the truth.
So how has the start of the year been so far for you?
Lately
Things that I’ve been into lately:
-Fall leaves
-Listening to the new Feist album and the latest Little Dragon album on my walks to work.
-At-home facials (minus extractions).
- This Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Ipad app. The app is interactive with sound effects, cool little animations and surprises at almost every page turn. When you have a limited attention span for leisurely reading, sometimes you have to inject some fun.
- Sally Hansen Salon Effects. These should have been invented years ago.
-This gorgeous skirt that I ordered after Chandra at More Modern Modesty pinned it on Pinterest. Can’t wait for this to arrive!
-Exploring this local popular apothecary in Chicago. Merz’s has been around for nearly 135 years and if you are a beauty fanatic, you will love this store. It’s not very big, but it’s packed to the brim with all types of natural beauty, hair and health products. It’s so crowded that you mainly want to get in and out, but go on a weekday and you can peruse (relatively) uninterrupted. I usually go for different hair oils like these:
-Reading everything I can from welikewelove magazine.
-Finding new home decor tips and tricks.
What have you been up to lately?
Summer Playlist
Call me crazy, but this unbearable heat really makes me miss Chicago’s snowy winters. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying the short summer season, but the heat can be a bit too much. In any event, I do love a good summer playlist. A few days ago I signed up for Spotify, whose US launch I have been anxiously awaiting, and began working on an ideal summer playlist.
While I’m still getting used to the service and the features, I am loving the ease and availability of my favorite artists and songs right at my finger tips. I call this my summer playlist, but I love these songs during any season. A good mix of genres and a couple of dance tunes, I tried to keep it as light as possible. If you download, I hope you enjoy!
Track List:
- Paradise Circus–Massive Attack
- Little Bit–Lykke Li
- Why–Donna Regina
- Elephant Woman–Blonde Redhead
- 20 Dollar–M.I.A.
- I Wanna Be Your Lover–Prince
- Dark Fantasy–Kanye West
- Electric Feel–MGMT
- Since I Left You–The Avalanches
- Satin Chic–Goldfrapp
- Karma Police–Rockabye Baby!
- I Don’t Know Why–Stevie Wonder
- Sinnerman–Nina Simone
- How I Got Over–The Roots
- Oh Yeah–Daft Punk
- Summertime–Nina Simone
- Teachers–Daft Punk
- MoneyGrabber–Fitz and the Tantrums
- Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix)–Sia
Download my 2011 Summer Playlist
Still looking for a Spotify invite? I still have three invitations left! Send me an email or comment and let me know if you would like one!
Music Makes the World Go Round
There are a lot of outside influences that can affect the way we dress. I’d say one of the biggest things is music. love, no really, I love music and in many ways, music is always intertwined with my life. Music and fashion for me, can easily go together as a confluence of style and self-expression as in my opinion.The type of music that I listen to influences my style choices and my style choices impact the type of music that I’m in the mood for, respectively.
Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of soft, soulful music, with a bit of “offbeat” thrown in: Aretha Franklin, Sia, Janelle Monae, Feist and old Lauryn Hill come to mind. Some of the songs are heavy and dark; which is kind of how I imagine a fall mood would be. Here are three songs that have influenced my style and three Polyvore sets that I think pairs perfectly with them:
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Nina Simone “Sinnerman” is one of my favorite songs of all time. Ms. Simone’s deep voice is so highly emotional and brings me into a trance whenever I hear it.
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Heads Will Roll”. This song always makes me want to get out of my seat and dance. It’s perfect to listen to if you’re getting ready to go out for a night of clubbing or drinks with the friends. Pure fun.
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Colleagues introduced me to this song last year and I haven’t stopped playing it since.The bittersweet nature of this torch song gets to me every time. I love listening to this song with a glass of wine and while I’m putting on my makeup or getting ready to put on my most dressy outfits. I always feel like there is a romantic element to my outfits whenever I listen to this song while getting dressed.
Sunday Musings
It’s a lazy day for me and I’m on my way to a ball game, so I thought I’d leave with some musings:
What I’m Reading: In the Woods by Tana French. It’s our current book club selection and I have until Monday to read all 400 something pages. I started on Friday evening and now I’m on page 155.
Listening To: Lots of “fun” music. M.I.A., Santigold, and “Bitches–Hood Internet Remix” by My Gold Mask, a band from Chicago.
What I Want: Every summer I go through the pain of looking at the other cool girls riding their bikes through the city. Unfortunately, my apartment space barely has room for me, let alone a bike, so I just keep on dreaming of what it seems never will be: riding my bike while wearing Vivienne Westwood+Melissa heels:
What I Do Have: I don’t think any summer is complete without a nice, cold cup of gelato:
Happy lazy Sunday!
Image Source: The Sartorialist, Foodista’s Blog
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