What I'm Listening To: Mika

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In case you didn't know, I am a massive Mika maniac (yeah for alliterations!!!). He is just a bundle of fun wrapped up in an attractive Brittish shell. Well his new album (The Origin of Love) was just released and so far I am loving it. I'm pretty sure my favorite song of his is still "Grace Kelly," but let me tell you "Elle me dit" (or "Emily" for the English version) is quickly rising to the top of the list. Seriously, how can you be sad when listening to him? His voice sounds like what an angel at a disco would sound like. You can just tell he's having fun and wants to share his experience with the rest of the world. That's not saying that he doesn't have a more subdued sound, and those add a nice respite to a kickin' album ("Underwater" is quite nice). Maybe it's because he brings back such great memories of my sister and I driving around and blaring/singing off key to both Life in Cartoon Motion and The Boy Who Knew Too Much. Such good times, and I'm kinda bummed that she won't be here to experience this new album with me. She'll be up in about a month for a visit so we'll probably have to have our Mika dance time then. I guess I'll wait, but until then, I wanted to share the love that is Mika. Check it out. If you haven't heard of him before, here are a few of my all time favorites. Let me know what you think.

I'm Obsessed!: Vinyl

   

So for the past few days (and months if I'm speaking honestly) I have had this obsession with the idea of owning a turntable and starting my own record collection. Yeah, go on. Say it. "What a hipster..." But I don't really care about such things. I just really love old things, and while I couldn't live without my ipod, I love the idea of listening to something authentic. I know that my family thinks I'm nuts, but it's just something I want. Especially when I was listening to my 60s playlist yesterday, all I could really think about was what Simon and Garfunkel would sound like on a turntable. I've been searching the internet for different options and styles of turntables, but I'm completely at a loss for what I really want. I've never actually handled a record player, but I know I would just love it. Then I could go into those record stores all the kids are talking about and grab me some wonderful old (and new) school records. Frankie Valli, Elvis, The Doors, Florence + the Machine, Michael Jackson, probably some opera. It would just be so great to have that textural relation to music. I was also in Barnes and Noble a few months ago and I came across this gem. Now if you know me at all, you know I'm a huge Jethro Tull fan, and creepy as it may seem, some friends of mine actually tried to nickname me Aqualung. So great. Again, I'm new in this whole foray of vinyl, but if anybody has any suggestions or tips about which make and model of turntables to look out for please help a girl out! I would love to hear anything from what you like listening to, to your first record. I think that's what I love about the idea of vinyl: they're multi-generational. I would love to start a collection of some of my mom's old favorites. It would probably be a lot of Donny and Marie, but I can dig it. Once I'm back from my trip and am actually financially stable again, I think I might definitely have to get one. It would fit so well in my new little apartment for next semester.


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Guess What I Made...

What could these ingredients mean? That's right boys and girls, I baked a cake. From scratch. Yesterday was Casey's 21st birthdays (warning, there are a lot of birthdays this month) and for my gift to her I thought I would try to make her favorite cake: Red Velvet with Cream Cheese frosting. Normally I would just go to the store and pick up a Red Velvet cake mix and that would be it, but apparently Red Velvet is an American construct so I had to find a recipe on line and buy all of the ingredients. I don't think I've ever made a cake from scratch before. It actually went pretty well. The only really hard thing here is that everything's in the metric system, and we didn't have any real measuring cups/spoons. I couldn't find any in the stores either so I did my best. Our kitchen also only has one working light now so it's quite dark which adds for a whole new set of challenges. I think it turned out pretty well. It wasn't quite Red Velvet (I might have put in too much cocoa powder) but it was fluffy and tasty. I think the fluff comes from a little science experiment I was told to put in by combining vinegar with a little bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to get it all bubbly. Melissa was in charge of the icing and I thought she did a great job. I made two cakes and I think they both got eaten. So happy birthday Casey!!

The party was a lot of fun. There were about 30 people in our little flat and it was themed as a typical College Party. And not just any college party, but one where the music was all from the late 90s early 2000s. It was fun to reminisce about some of the stuff that we used to boogie to in 8th grade. "Stacey's Mom?" "Beverly Hills?" "I'm Blue?" "My Heart Will Go On?" It was just a lot of fun. I"m not much of a party-er back home and I think this was the first time I had a genuinely good time at one. Although it was completely Casey's night, it definitely got me excited for the possibilities of what my birthday might hold.

Then I Saw Her Face...

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So I've already written about my love for Shrek (you can find that here), but I have a whole new obsession with it now. Last week, Amanda scored four tickets to see Shrek: The Musical. I was obviously excited about the prospect of seeing one of my favorite films to song. Amanda, I, Missy and her boy Jack all went as a double date, and we had a wonderful time. It's been around on Broadway for some time now, but I was amazed to discover that it's considered a flop. I thought it was popular. Apparently it was spending more money than it was making in ticket sales. I really don't understand it. I had a wonderful time. It's been quite some time since I've had such an enjoyable and laugh-filled time at a musical. Were there the occasional potty humor jokes? Of course, but there were some real comedical gems thrown in there. And the music was catchy and upbeat the entire time.

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Everything just seemed to flow perfectly. The set changes were divine. Even when we had to wait 45 minutes (they reopened the bar so we were good) in the middle before the dragon appeared due to "technical difficulties" it just flowed and was a genuinely good time. Lord Farquaad was so well done! The actor wore the top and on the bottom, he wore black with the legs overlayed. He walked/danced/ran/exercised all on his knees. Every time he came on stage, I really wanted to stop laughing, but I just couldn't! The things he was able to do with his top half while getting his bottom half to work in a way that was believable was just outstanding. 

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Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey were all great, but what really sold the show for me was the ensemble. Instead of thinking that a few individuals were good, they all brought something to the table. Their songs were witty and their comedic timing was almost always on the money. The pipes on the woman who played Gingy (as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy) really blew me off guard. Then there was the ugly duckling who could belt like no one's business. And the three little pigs, and the... You get the picture. They could all sing and all dance, and I was thoroughly impressed.

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I don't care how old you are. This was a funny, good, and heartwarming show. When we left, I was still giddy from excitement from what I just saw. I felt like one of those commercials where they record people's reactions after seeing Hairspray or something. "Oh my god! I loved it! So wonderful! The perfect show!" That kind of thing. I really want to get a 5 year-old perspective on the show so maybe I'll see if Lily and Zoe will go see it with me. They love Shrek as much as I do and I think we would have a super fun time. Viva la Shrek!

I'm Stressed and I'm Coping with it

So I know I'm supposed to be in London and enjoying the finest things life has to offer since I'm in my early 20s and I might only be here once in my life. BUT. I can't help but stress about my future. I've been looking for summer internships these past few weeks and have been trying to get all my ducks in a row. Last week I applied to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (fingers crossed) and I just sent in an application to the Baltimore Museum of Art. I have a few more lined up that I'll finish within the week and then I have to play the waiting game. That's really the part I hate the most. Why can't they just tell me right away whether or not they want me or not?! It's like applying to college all over again. I just want this constant struggle for summer internships to stop, but then I remember that for that to happen I have to start getting a job in the "real world" and that concept just really freaks me out.

Then there's the question  about going to Grad School and what would be the best grad school for me. As much as I've always wanted to grow up and not be a kid, it's terrifying to leave that security. A few months ago, I was talking to a friend of mine about what our greatest fears were and his was the unknown. I could not agree more. I just hate the uncertainty of the future. Can't we just speed up time when I already have an awesome job in the curatorial department of an awesome art museum? But time doesn't work like that does it. I've decided just to breathe and do what I can in the present to ensure that my future will be everything I want it to be. I'm just going to be more positive about the whole situation. I don't think a song better shows this positive move like the one above. I've been listening a lot to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was playing just as I sent my BMA application in and I couldn't help but dance. Miss Amanda said that was the happiest I had ever been, and I think she's right. I believe I can enjoy the present while anticipating the future. It's just important to balance the two out. Has anyone felt this way before? How do you cope with it?

Happy Birthday Austin!

This is the cornerstone of our friendship

I just wanted to give a little shout out to my bestest friend in the whole wide world: Austin. It's her birthday today and this little lady is turning 21 today. I'm super bummed I can't be there to celebrate with her since I'm hundreds of miles away. I take comfort knowing that she's surrounded herself with friends who will make sure she has the greatest day in existence!

She knows this, but I'm extremely jealous that her birthday is on the 5th. For you history buffs out there, you'll recognize this date as the anniversary of the Boston Massacre which is pretty cool. And, this is the bigger event, it is the anniversary of the day John Belushi died. I'm such a huge Belushi fan and that she has this connection and I don't kind of upsets me. So now you know a bit more about today's history.

I hope you had a good day girl. When I get back, and we're both 21 of course, we will have to go out and properly celebrate. It's going to be the best reunion ever! And Katherine is invited in on all of these shenanigans! It's so nice to have such good friends waiting for you back home...even if we did start such friendships under unconventional means. Austin, this song's for you.

Item of the Day

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I thought that this might be just a way of sharing the various things on the internet that I've seen and subsequently want immediately. I'm trying to justify this as something different than an I'm Obsessed! post, and I think I've got it. When I'm obsessed with something, I constantly go back to it daily. This is more for something that I see and fancy. What better way to start than with this adorable tea infuser? I've been in tea heaven while living in London. Even the teabag tea tastes better than the stuff at home. Ideally this would be used in my beautiful future town house in the throws of Hackney. How could you have this and not smile? I love the Beatles, I love tea, and I love this. We all live in a...

Portobello Road!

It's just so nice to get a moment to breathe! Phew. These past couple of days have been pretty busy from schoolwork to work work and everything in between. Amanda and I decided to actually do something this weekend since our time in London is slowly winding down. Yikes. I don't think I'll ever be ready to leave this place. We decided to go down to the ever famous Portobello Road Market on Saturday. Now it's really no secret that I love Disney films. Not just the cartoons either. I was brought up on such gems as Mary Poppins, Blackbeard's Ghost, That Darn Cat, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks just to name a few. Seriously the entire time I kept singing the Portobello Road song from Bedknobs and Broomsticks. It's been going through my head since this weekend so I even figured out how to put music up in my post so everyone can sing along.

That's Casey with the pink dress and green/grey coat on the right

So much fun. I went with Amanda and Casey and we just sort of walked around. I absolutely loved the market and I could have stayed there all day. A few weekends ago we went down to Camden Market which was fun, but I just felt like there were too many people and too many stalls selling the same generic stuff. It was just too overwhelming and I still haven't grown a backbone to haggle correctly. Portobello was much more my speed. Things might have been more expensive, but I'm willing to pay more for good quality things with history than less money on something that will break in a week. The shops smelled of history and I almost died. All of the sellers were really nice and I just kept thinking that it would so great if I had my own little London home that I could furnish with all the wonderful candlesticks and tchotchkes that were around there. I also saw a lot of Wedgewood (some of it was fake but whatever). And I love Wedgewood pottery, I think it's so pretty and delicate while still being interesting and regal. I might have been in Carly heaven. I had to reign in my spending so I only got a few things (some for me some for others).

I picked up this Cadbury chocolate tin from Queen Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation that I'm using as an earring holder while I'm here since I've been living out of plastic bags for the past multiple weeks. I just loved how kitschy it was. I also like thinking of The Queen as a younger person at beginning of her reign. It's so nice to leave with a bit of English history to take with me. I also found this fish necklace which is completely up my alley. It moves like a real fish and I just can't get enough of his fishy lips. I've yet to wear it out because it doesn't lay quite as I would like, but maybe I'll go more for the three dimensional accessory look. We'll see how that goes and hopefully soon.

I really hope I'll be able to go back and just take my sweet time looking at all the antiques. On Sunday we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum which was a lot of fun. Fun fact: Did you know that they have a central hallway dedicated to sculpture and a large majority of these sculptures were Rodin's? 'Cause I didn't and I was so excited to see them all and appreciate just what an amazing man he really was. Hope everyone's weekend was great!

What I'm Listening To: Princess Chelsea

How great is this album cover?

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If you haven't guessed by now, I have a pretty obsessive personality. So when I love something, I really love something. Music usually goes into this category. There's very few genres that I don't like (Country, you are the blaring exception to this rule). I'm always on the look out for a new band to listen to. Although a lot of the time, I'm not very "hip" on what the cool kids are listening too. I try my best not to care what other people think and just like what I like. This past week at work, I was talking to my colleague who happens to be from Estonia. She was playing a bunch of music, that was pretty chill, but still had that Rock/Pop feel that I usually gravitate towards. She then ended on a music video by  the band Princess Chelsea. She said that her boyfriend sent it to her after a fight with the message that they could be like that. The fight wasn't about smoking, but this little ditty is so catchy. I've been listening to it on a constant loop. There's something about the haunting tones mixed with the singing dialogue that I just really connect with. Some of my favorite songs are what I like to call "story songs." You know, the ones that tell a definitive story including dialogue. I was basically destined to love this New Zealand band and bought their debut album today. A lot of Chelsea's lyrics are done in a cannon style which I've liked since I was a kid (Kookaburra anyone?). One of her songs is even titled "Caution Repetitive." She reminds me almost of a female version of Fleet Foxes and their song "White Winter Hymnal"I also really liked the simplicity of this music video, even if the beginning drags on a bit (you could probably start at 45 seconds and be fine). So watch it and tell me what you think. If you don't get "and it harms your pretty lungs" stuck in your head then congratulations, you are stronger than me.