day 30: my favorite song at this time last year

[can you believe it's day thirty already?? i just have to say, i loved this thirtydaychallenge! it was so fun and i actually learned a little more about myself. thanks for reading.]

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last year i downloaded a music sampler from amazon.

usually, when i download one of those, i listen to one song once and forget about the rest.

this song was the only one i listened to.

but after i listened to it once, i listened to it again.

and again.

and again.

it got to the point where i had to ration how many times i listened to it because i didn't want to get sick of it.

i still love it to this day.

the hymnlike harmonies in the chorus hook me every single time.

what a great song to end this challenge on!

day 29: a song from my childhood

[this video is deliciously 90s.]

back when we lived in maryland, i had a bus driver who listened to an r&b station.

i remember hearing this song, some tlc, and kriss kross on that station and i think that's why i love hip hop and r&b so much now.

anyway.

we had a boyz ii men tape at the time and i would rollerblade up and down my driveway playing this song over and over again.

every time i hear it, i'm back in pg county, dancing like a maniac in the living room and making up dance routines with my sister, kari.

those were the days.

day 28: a song i wish i could play

i love love love the accordion.

and in my wildest dreams, i can play this song with my eyes closed.

we used to wait.

i was first introduced to arcade fire in 2006 by my sister, kirsten.

she was showing me a slideshow she had made on her new computer and had "neighborhood #1 (tunnels)" playing in the background.

it was love at first note.

in 2007 they came to thanksgiving point in utah.

on a weekday.

the third week of fall semester.

i was stuck in stupid rexburg and i cried in my room while listening to an npr podcast of an arcade fire concert wishing i could be there.

kirsten, the good sister that she is, called me a few times so i could be there by phone and i thought that was the closest i would ever get to see them live.

and now, 3.5ish years later, i will get closer.

so close, in fact, that i will actually be in the same venue as them,

breathing the same air,

singing the same words.

on april 11th, 2011 magic will happen.

thanks to that same sweet sister who introduced me to the band, i will be seeing them LIVE right down the street from my parents' house and

I

CAN'T

WAIT

!

i can guarantee you that i will be the girl crying in the stands when they play this song.

FOURHUNDRED!

so, guess what!

this is my 400th post!

400 POSTS!

can you believe it?? i can hardly believe it myself!

it feels like i just posted my 300th post yesterday.

in honor of this post, i will now do 400 cartwheels in a row.

....

done!

[i don't think people in this library ever learned from their mothers that staring is rude...]

thanks for reading, dear friends and family.

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in other news...

i've noticed a change in myself lately.

i haven't gotten a dramatic haircut or a nosejob or anything.

it's more of a feeling than an alteration in my appearance.

i realized the other day that i am perfectly content and happy with this phase of my life.

although there are some things i would love to change [my current location comes to mind], i am, for the most part, overjoyed to be a student/single/almost 24 years old.

i know now and realize how vital it is to learn to be happy in whatever stage of life you're in, no matter what you're going through or where you are.

i have a friend who constantly complains that she's still single. she's my age, yet she feels like she's an old maid already.

i can't count how many times i've told her to just forget about that and learn to be content with her life at this point because she'll never get another chance to relive her life.

i've told her time and time again that being married or having a boyfriend won't magically make her happy.

after all, how can you be happy if you're always pining away for the future?

i know that graduation and leaving rexburg FOREVER won't magically make me an infinitely happier person [although it will help].

i will always hate this place.

BUT, that doesn't mean i can't be happy while i'm here.

if you're unhappy right now, may i suggest that you

write down things you're grateful for!

do one thing each day that makes you happy!

do some service for someone else!

hug a tree!

hold a baby!

cook a delicious meal!

watch singin in the rain!

and be happy now.

day 27: a song i can play

this is one of two songs i have memorized [the other one is fur elise (i think everyone on earth has that song memorized)].

over christmas break, my sister and i played it and sang it and it was one of the funniest moments of my life.

just because.

day 26: a song that makes me laugh

this song, "loving you" by minnie riperton cracks me up every. single. time.

and it's not the lyrics,

or even the vocal stylings,

it's the fact that it was featured in the following hilarious scene of the movie megamind [which i highy recommend!].

tooooooo funny.

day 25: a song i want played at my funeral

i remember the first time i ever heard this hymn.

i was in high school in my old ward in spokane, and i was overcome with emotion.

i related to the lyrics and was filled with the love of my Savior.

i've heard it many times since then, the last time being at the dedication of the byui center. the combined choirs and orchestra performed this rendition and i held back the waterworks until the last verse. when the orchestra builds up and the strings kick in, something amazing happens. i can't quite put my finger on it, but a feeling of pure love enters my heart every single time i hear it.

ideally, i'd want the grand and glorious edition at my funeral, but i think it's more fitting to have a version like sufjan's simple and humble rendition.

[watch sufjan peform this song live by clicking here!]

highlights!

last week was pretty awesome.

-i was completely spoiled and received a beautiful print done by my sister-in-law, a valentine and mix cd from talia, a valentine and polaroid photo from my niece and nephews, and another valentine from my parents in the mail.

-me and my friend matt sang "roses" by outkast at karaoke night in front of about six people. near the end of the song, after singing the chorus for the third time, we cried out "everybody!" and pointed our mics toward the crowd only to hear complete silence on their end. it reminded me of this snl skit:

-after karaoke, matt and i reminisced with my old roommate, becca, who just got engaged. i miss winter of 2010. what a great semester! the people i met that semester have remained great friends and i'm so grateful i have them in my life.

-spicy pork burrito from the taco bus. INCREDIBLE.

-me and my friend katie try to hang out every thursday. this thursday was so fun! we didn't even really do anything super special. we just hung out at her house and talked. but it was so much fun and i love seeing her [and her cute little girl, madysen] every week!

-i got to see my friend aaron's band, corsair wolves, perform at sammys on friday night. it was such a great show. it's always more fun to go to shows when you know the people who are playing.

-i have the best friends in the world. i'm so grateful for justin and lyndee and nikki and katie. if they weren't here in rexburg with me, i would go crazy. i love how we can talk for hours and not run out of things to say. i love laughing with them [and at them--haha] and swapping funny stories. in short, i just love them. so much.

-true grit is at the cheap seats! i had to cover my eyes a few times, but MAN that movie was good! and the donuts me and lyndee snuck into the theater were DELICIOUS [got integrity, lyndee? haha].

-broulim's is selling the most delicious oranges for 38cents a pound. i bought five on friday and three of them are gone already.

-i have officially applied for graduation! the end is near!

-i had to read this talk for one of my classes and it was just what i needed.

here's hoping this week is as good [or better]!

day 24: two songs i want to play at my wedding

because i couldn't pick just one.

day 23: a song that i work out to

when it comes to working out, daft punk is the basically the only thing i listen to.

what's on your workout playlist?

day 22: a song i listen to whilst driving

hands down the BEST driving song ever [and not just because it has the word "car" in the title]!

i always have to keep an eye on the speedometer while listening, though, because i tend to speed a little...

if i'm not in the mood for arcade fire [hahahahaha that's funny], i usually just listen to a song i like to sing along with. i'm totally that person drumming on the steering wheel and singing at the top of my lungs in the car.

i fear for my future children.

what songs do you like to listen to in the car?

on a road trip?

do you prefer music or talk radio?

a dream come true and a guilty pleasure

remember this post?

well, i no longer have to pine for a true oldies station, because blessed pandora has bestowed on me the beautiful gift of the supremes/temptations station.

lots and lots of motown [with some beach boys, rascals, beatles and ritchie valens added in for good measure]!!

i almost feel like i'm back in that big gray van we had back in the day listening to the oldies station and being quizzed on the different bands by my dad.

if you're looking for a good oldies station, i HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one!

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i saw a show called "genuine ken: the search for the great american boyfriend" advertised on hulu and, needing a good laugh, decided to check it out.

it.

is.

HILARIOUS!

it's a competition-based reality show featuring eight different guys vying for the title of "genuine ken".

it's probably the worst reality show i've ever seen.

the things those guys say...

one of them said that a guy was having "an outer-body experience."

another said his outfit for a style challenge was "fly" and then ended his interview by saying "RESPECT."

yet another guy didn't know what spinach looked like during a cooking challenge. SPINACH!

during a surfing challenge, a guy was "terrified of the ocean" and wouldn't even go into the water until "compassionate ken" came and coaxed him into the water like a mother coaxes her child to eat his vegetables. in any other reality show competition, if someone doesn't participate in the challenge, he/she is penalized. but this guy was praised for "facing his fears".

here's a little video featuring the contestants:

see? it's a show about a bunch of lunkheads ["i've got a mohawk and a star shaved in my hair!" "i believe i'm goodlooking... and i'm grateful for that."].

yet, i can't stop watching it.

[it's like "dating in the dark" all over again.]

the best part about the show is the fact that there isn't a single advantage or incentive to win the competition other than to be given the title of "genuine ken". so, while watching it, you keep asking yourself/yelling at the screen "WHAT IS THE POINT OF IT ALL??"

in conclusion, i would never in a billion years even consider going on a date with any of these guys. but that doesn't mean i won't watch them say/do really stupid things every single week.

day 21: a song i listen to when i'm angry

muse: the perfect soundtrack for all your frustrations and bouts of anger.

i only listen to muse when i'm angry.

or working out.

which makes me angry.

what is your go-to anger/frustration song?

day 20: a song from my favorite album

my all-time favorite album in the history of music is none other than pet sounds by the beach boys. if you haven't heard it from start to finish, that should probably change.

one of my favorite tracks is "you still believe in me". the vocals are incredible and almost hymn-like and the lyrics are sensitive and describe how incredible it is to have someone believe in you even when you're at your lowest.

give it a listen.

[i also really like m. ward's interpretation of this gorgeous song.]

what about you?

what is your favorite album?

day 19: a song i wish i heard on the radio

oldies stations just aren't the same anymore.

they used to feature the supremes and elvis and buddy holly.

and now it's all chicago and journey and the rolling stones.

maybe one day i'll start my own real oldies station!

valentines day part deux

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY [again]!

day 18: my favorite love song

so, i'm cheating on my thirty day challenge.

today's post was supposed to feature a song i wish i heard on the radio, but since it's valentines day and day twenty-eight's question is really stupid [a song that makes me feel guilty? i don't remember the song that was playing when i robbed that bank...], i'm going to talk about my favorite love song today and a song i wish i heard on the radio tomorrow and do away with day twenty-eight.

whew!

alright, let's light this candle!

here is my all-time favorite love song, "i'm glad there is you" as performed by ella fitzgerald.

as usual, ella kills it [in a good way].

i love the lyrics and hope that someday i fully understand and experience a love like this.

in other words, i want a love like cliff and clair huxtable.

[click that link! you won't be disappointed! it makes me cry every. single. time.]

happy valentines day, everybody!

have i told you lately that i love you?

if i haven't, i am very sorry.

let me tell you now in three languages:

i love you.

te amo.

je t'aime.

day 17: a song i hear on the radio often

i don't really listen to the radio here in rexburg [too many country stations], but i listened to the radio a lot last summer with hannah banana in the car, and i feel like this song was on the radio ALL. THE. TIME.

i'm now completely and one hundred percent sick of it.