you're all right

Happy Valentine's Day! This holiday isn't particularly important, but I love it in a very not-taking-it-seriously way. I've always been a fan of going overboard and wearing a ridiculous amount of red and pink clothing and giving my friends silly cards or cookies (or senior year of high school when I made the craziest heart-shaped pink layer cake surrounded by chocolate-covered strawberries). To be fair though, many days in my life look like a Valentine's Day costume because I have red jeans (which I wore yesterday) and two red coats.

This year I launched a shop on Society6 of drawings/cards (one of which you can see above). And of course, I also made you this mix of things I've been listening to lately. because I love puns, and I love these songs/bands/artists.

resolve to resolve

Oh hey, 2013. 2012 went out like a lion, with 15+ people shoved into my apartment dancing up a storm and drinking a crazy amount of (mainly cheapo) champagne. So far I've made no resolutions, and am not sure that I ever will. My birthday is right before the New Year, and I make candle-blowing wishes which seem as about as effective as declaring that I'm going to completely change my life this year month. With the freedom of living resolution-free this past week I have managed to "accomplish" all sorts of things...like already messing up my sleep schedule, possibly having an ear infection (also haven't managed to drag myself to the doctor), and watching/streaming "Thrift Shop" so.many.times.

Sure, there are things I'd like to do this year, which are basically the same things I wanted to do last year and failed to do (like visiting my friends in DC or writing in this blog like, ever).  Plus, this year is 5 year college reunion -- how did that happen?? errr, maybe I do need resolutions... I'll get back to you on that.

we made it in America

To wish America a happy 236th birthday, I made it a mix. It's full of newish and oldish songs and everything in between. Tributes to various states and places. Songs celebrating freedom, summer, capitalism, youth, and all those other 'merican sorts of things. I'm just hoping to not melt like I have the last two years.

4th of July from thewarehousedream on 8tracks.

Track Listing:
Hot As Day - Wye Oak
National Anthem - Lana del Ray
Rise To The Sun - Alabama Shakes
Coney Island - Death Cab for Cutie
The Great Salt Lake - Band of Horses
Summer Days - Bob Dylan
Brand New Colony - The Postal Service
Niagra Falls - Harlem Shakes
Young Americans - David Bowie
Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution - Cut Copy
Your English Is Good - Tokyo Police Club
Decatur, or, Round of Applause For Your Stepmother! - Sufjan Stevens
Freedom at 21 - Jack White
The First Single - The Format
Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
We Almost Lost Detroit - Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr
California Waiting - Kings of Leon
1000 Julys - Third Eye Blind
I'm Free (Hot Chip Remix) - The Rolling Stones
Mississippi - The Griswolds
Made in America - Jay Z/Kanye
Bonfire - Childish Gambino
Americano - Lady Gaga
Firework - Katy Perry

what it means to be a firework

Happy (belated) Independence Day! No, not the movie, though that potential for alien invasion has come up multiple times over the course of the weekend. For the 2nd year, my friends and I took to Brooklyn Bridge Park for some picnic-ing. While cooler out than last year (pathetic but true), it was still sweltering and by the end of the picnic the icing on my cake had given out to the point where the layers were sliding around freely. Our celebration of America included a discussion of the popularity of the song "Firework" (what does it mean to be a firework? Baby, you're sparkly and only last a few seconds? Baby, you're a huge civic expense? Baby, you played a large role in the movie Mulan?), a few rounds of Bananagrams (difficult to play on a blanket, and when you feel that your brain might be melting), many types of (spiked and regular) lemonade, and at the end: a bucket of fried chicken. It was a hot, sweaty mess, but my sunburned back and I still call it a success.

EDIT: my magical flag cake was taken from this genius blog post. It's not as hard as you'd think!