Moonlight serenade for one

I just bought myself tickets to go see Ray LaMontagne.

Sing his amazing songs.

To me. That's right.

Never mind those 19,999 other people that are going to be there.

Me. Lil' ole me. Private show for one.

Yup. Serenaded by moonlight. Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains.

Just thinking about it makes me excited.

Man it sounds corny but... it's gonna be a dream come true.

Things to be Thankful for

Right now in my life I am thankful for:

1. My awesome & amazing husband who manages to make me laugh everyday despite whatever mood I might be in and remains cute while doing so.

2. Books. No matter how stressed or bummed out I am,

reading always allows me to relax for awhile.

3. Our cute puppy Gus that has a foot fetish.

He has to constantly be touching a foot.

It's best to just let him have his way. You get used to it after awhile.

Just so you know.... that is my hubby's hairy leg. :)

4. Beautiful bird necklaces I found at a local arts festival.

5. Music. I love love love this song right now.

That is all.

once more with FEELING!

When I heard that Green Day was making

a rock opera/play on Broadway

I questioned how that was going to go down.

But if the entire play/rock opera is anything like this:

AMAZEBALLS!

I love this version of the song more than the original.

You wouldn't think something like Green Day could translate to a

Broadway style musical but BRAVO! & I salute you!

It makes the original material way more powerful.

I can't wait to hear 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'

and 'Last Night on Earth'.

Go on with your bad selves Green Day!

If Books where money, I'd be SWIMMING IN IT.

My 'to read' stack keeps growing:

I should just take myself a long needed vacation and

devour each & every one of these babies.

The most AWESOME ARTIST on the PLANET!

Ray LaMontagne is my favorite artist. Hands down. The man is AH-mazing. I fell in love with him back in 2004 when I picked up his album "Trouble" on a whim. In my downtime, I scour the internets to find any rarities or covers that he has performed at a show. I have amassed myself a collection of over 100 songs and I'm still looking! (He performed a cover of 'That spirit of Christmas' at The White House Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 2009 that I can't find audio of and it KILLS me!) He sings with such conviction and emotion, I often get 'chills'.

From what I've read, he is a notoriously private man, rarely giving interviews. When he tours he hits only the major U.S. cities. This year is my year! I'm going to find a way to see Ray in concert! Ray's fall 2010 tour was just announced a few days ago. I'm hoping to plan vacation time to see one of his concerts. I know that when I finally do get see Ray 'live', I will be so overwhelmed with joy that tears will be streaming down my face. That's how much his music and voice 'moves' me.

Some of my favorites:




A cover song that I think is better than the original:


A beautiful rarity:


And finally:

I like the smell of leather.

Growing up in a small town has allowed me to gain an appreciation for many things that other people will never get exposed to. Leather craft is one of those things. During my daily Etsy search, I found Moxie And Oliver. Take a look at some of the pieces they have.

Beautiful leather bound journal.

If I played guitar, I would want this strap.

Birds, birds, birds!

If I played mandolin, I would want this strap.

I'm going to light my leather-scented candle and peruse the store.

Necklaces That Rock

Because they are made of CONCRETE!

I found Lulubugjewerly on Etsy not long ago.

Most of lulubug's work is made of concrete and silver.

Which is what makes them the bomb-dot-com.

Some cool designs with just enough color to make them POP!

I heart them.

Check it:

The apple that started this love affair.

No concrete here but this silver doodad is now on my wish list.

Pretty leaf.

♬ I'm just a little black rain cloud.

Pay no attention to little me ♫

Instead of wearing your heart on your sleeve...