i couldn't see past me 'til I saw you.

I couldn't see past me 'til I saw you. I first fell in love with Josh Kelley when he did a residency at hotel cafe and Katherine, Carly + I went to every one of his shows four Wednesdays in a row. His crossover to country last year made me fall in love with him a little bit more... but seriously, Josh... this video might have just stolen my heart.  

mixed emotions + a mixed tape.

I was able to escape to Knoxville the last two days to visit Kara and Reese. Reese + I have spent countless moments snuggling, have gone on bear hunts walks, read 34563 books, taken a few photo shoots, played dress-up and talked about boys. Kara + I have played yahtzee/cribbage/skip-bo/repeat, drank gallons of sweet tea and watched hours of March Madness (Gators > Volunteers!). My car is loaded with every article of clothing I own and everything on my weekend-away to-do list is complete... but I'm not ready to leave.

It's beginning to feel like home around here and I quite love it. While floating-like-a-feather-in-the-wind is more congruent with my on-the-go {life}style, there's something incredibly appeasing about the comforts of coming home. 

When you walk in the door and the waft of fresh baked cookies hits you as you enter (a staple around here). When you gather in front of the TV to watch Jeopardy! and enjoy the roast that has been stewing in the crock pot all day (with the paper still on... Kara!) When the baby's bedtime routine -bath/books/bottle - allows her to fall instantly asleep + those long eyelashes begin to flutter. When you slip in to your crisp linens at the end of the day and sink in to a sea of pillows.

Being home is that feeling when the rest of the world has dozed off + you lay awake in the affable still of the darkness... accompanied solely by the light of the moon... right before you begin to dream... when your mind quiets too and says, "ahh, I'm home."

Its the simple things, the small things that make it impossible for me to leave... without shedding a few tears first. And staring in my rearview mirror until Georgia. And questioning my intentions. And counting my blessings. And reminding me to be ever-thankful for the super-soon opportunity to do it all again. The weekend-after-next. =)

My Mixed Tape: Mixed Emotions

SiDeA:
1. Britney Spears - Till the World Ends.
2. Chris Brown - Yeah 3X.
3. Billy Currington - Let Me Down Easy.
4. Adele - Rolling In the Deep.
5. Flo Rida ft. Akon - Who Dat Girl.
6. Airborne Toxic Event - Changing.
7. Mumford & Sons - The Cave.
8. Rihanna - S &M.
9. The Band Perry - You Lie.
10. Young the Giant - My Body.

SiDe B:
1. Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F).
2. Black Eyed Peas - Gettin' Over You.
3. Esmee Denters ft. Justin Timberlake - Love Dealer.
4. Miranda Lambert - Heart Like Mine.
5. Neon Trees - Animal.
6. Diplo & Tiesto ft. Busta Rhymes - C'mon (Catch 'Em by Surprise)
7. K.T. Tunstall - Suddenly I See.
8. Young the Giant - My Body.
9. Snoop Dogg - Sweat.
10. Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream **the song I currently cannot stop listening to!**

Only thirteen more days til I see you again, baby girl! =)

mixed tape: Cupid's shuffle edition.

In honour of the "V word", I have compiled a mixed tape exclusively of love songs... or more true to my {love}life this February, fourteen tracks filled of hopelessness, heartaches + letting go... shuffled amongst a few tracks with lines so adorable, they make even the broken hearts burst! =)

Side A:
1. Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts.
2. Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You.
3. Blow - Parantheses.
4. Little Big Town - Kiss Goodbye.
5. Brendan James - The Lucky Ones.
6. Kate Nash- Foundations.
7. Little & Ashley - Stole My Heart.

Side B.
1. Jerrod Niemann - What Do You Want.
2. Avett Brothers - I and Love and You.
3. Matt Nathanson - Car Crash.  ***The acoustic version is heartstring-tugging-magic!***
4. Bruno Mars - Marry You.
5. Adele - Chasing Pavements.
6. James Morrison - Love is Hard.
7. Miranda Lambert - I Just Really Miss You.

I'll be spending the day trying not to secretly hope that all the lovebirds in the world choke on their conversation hearts as they expand + blow up in their stomachs... oh wait! That's rice at weddings. and real birds. Whatev.

Happy Valentine's Day, my loves!

mixed {i}tape.

In preparation for my road trip this Friday, I have been preparing another awesome mixed {i}tape.

Side A
1. Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love.
2. The Script - For the First Time. 2a. Exit Wounds.
3. Britney Spears - Hold it Against Me.
4. Beirut - Postcards from Italy.
5. Alicia Keys - Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready).
6. Blake Shelton - Who You are When I'm Not Lookin'
7. The Shins- New Slang.
8. Taylor Swift- Back to December.
9. The Black Keys - Tighten Up.
10. Yael Naim - New Soul.

Side B
1. James Blunt - Save the Night.
2. Sara Evans- A Little Bit Stronger.
3. Black Eyed Peas - The Time (Dirty Bit).
4. Sufjan Stevens - That Dress Looks Nice on You.
5. DJ Khaled - All I Do is Win.
6. Amos Lee- Windows are Rolled Down.
7. Lifehouse - Broken.
8. Florence + the Machine - Cosmic Love.
9. Miike Snow - Silvia.
10. Ingrid Michaelson- Be OK.

Bonus Track: Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance

road list for a play trip.

I'm embarking on another road trip today to ring in the new years with my besties... Before I leave, I uploaded this playlist on to my IPod so I can rock out the whole way to sunshine and coastlines where I intend to play a lot!

Title: Road List for a Play Trip.

1. Orianthi feat Lacey of Flyleaf - Courage
2. Mumford & Sons - Awake My Soul
3. Frou Frou - Let Go
4. The Band Perry - If I Die Young
5. Train - Marry Me
6. Katy Perry - Firework
7. Ray LaMontagne - You Are the Best Thing
8. Akon - Angel
9. Ingrid Michaelson- Maybe
10. Miranda Lambert - House That Built Me
11. Kesha - We R Who We R
12. The Weepies- World Spins Madly On
13. Lady Antebellum - If I Knew Then
14. Taylor Swift - Last Kiss
15. Michael Buble - Crazy Love
16. Joshua Radin - Brand New Day
17. Sugarland - Little Miss
18. Nelly- Just A Dream
19. Mat Kearney - Closer to Love
20. Cee Lo Green- F You

I hope I have lost my voice by the time I reach the Florida/Georgia border.

playlist.

I noticed that there seems to be a semi-schizophrenia in my writing recently. By day, I am a fearless, resilient twenty-something ready to independently take on the world + by night, I'm a heartbroken mess of tears questioning everything from my strength (My heart hurts so much, I'm afraid it may burst.) to my judgment (Could I really have been that jaded? that blind? that insert-cliche-about-love-here.) ... + then somewhere in between the 2, I get angry (I'm better off. He's better off. He would just throw it all away. Grrrrr).

Seriously, my mind drives me crazy when I'm trying to fall asleep in the presence of only one heartbeat, an off-beat one at that. I assure you that this is only temporary as "time heals all," even heart-in-a-blender induced insomnia, right?

I laughed when I noticed the playlist I made for my ass-kicking work-out at the gym reflected the same observation:

1. Cake - I Will Survive.
2. Sugarland - Every Girl Like Me.
3. James Blunt- Goodbye My Lover
4. Lily Allen - F*ck You
5. Coldplay - The Scientist
6. Lady Antebellum - Long Gone
7. Taylor Swift- You're Not Sorry
8, Colbie Caillat- Fearless.
9. John Mayer- Comfortable
10. Avril Lavigne- Why
11. Parachute- She is Love.
12. Rob Thomas - Mockingbird.
13. Keith Urban - Stupid Boy.
14. Joshua James - Lovers Without Love
15. Blue October - 18th Floor Balcony
16. Marc Cohn- True Companion
17. Rod Stewart - Broken Arrow
18. Coldplay- Fix You.
19. Kelly Clarkson- Walk Away.
20. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

I've put track #11 on repeat in hopes that falling asleep to it tonight will lessen the swollen redness surrounding my eyes each morning. I'm naming this revised single-song playlist: cucumber ... + hoping that somehow, just like the tangible veggie, the lyrics possess anti-inflammatory properties to alleviate the puffiness.