Turn It Up Tuesday, Listen to This: “Follow Your Arrow”

So guys, I have a new favorite singer/song writer/artist. If and when I ever grow up, I would like to be like this person because hello! full of awesomeness. Kacey Musgraves. She was born in 1988, making her a year younger than me, but you would never guess when you hear her poetic lyrics and talented guitar playing, and soulful voice. She is wise beyond her years, an old soul. Kacey is beautiful and gifted, intelligent and confident. Ohmygoodness. Blown Away. Basically I’d love to just feature every song on the Same Trailer Different Park album for twelve Tuesdays. The first time I heard “Follow Your Arrow” I was like YES! because it’s so refreshing to hear someone sing the truth. This could be my new anthem, y’all. When you live your life trying to please everyone around you, no one winds up happy because that’s just not possible. Everyone is so darn worried about what everyone else thinks about them and really? it just doesn’t matter. Thank goodness someone’s being real about it all.

“You’re damned if you do
And you’re damned if you don’t
So you might as well just do
Whatever you want”

 

My mom told me about this segment she’d seen on CBS featuring Kacey, so I looked it up over the weekend and my gosh! Be prepared because I definitely teared up. It was very cool to get a peek into her life in Texas, with her family, her guitar teacher (who also mentored Miranda Lambert!,) her earnest determination that brought her to where she is now, and the gratitude she has for all of it! If you can’t get enough of Kacey Musgraves either, watch this:

So, who’s gonna teach me how to play guitar?

Throwback Thursday – Listen to This: “A Song for You”

Nothing like returning to “normal” posts with a bit of Throwback Thursday huh? This wasn’t the song I originally had in mind to share with y’all this week, but then a link showed up on my Tumblr dashboard this morning from Tyler Knott and I couldn’t resist.

I first heard Alexi Murdoch on one of my all-time favorite television series, The OC. His song “Orange Sky” was featured on an episode. I became a fan of his music, immediately. (Have you listened to him? How do you not?!) Then when Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski’s amazing movie, Away We Go came out, Murdoch did almost all of the music. How awesome is that? Seriously! (If you haven’t seen Away We Go, I recommend you watch it soon. It’s just wonderful.)

All of Murdoch’s music is lyrically beautiful, but there’s also something special about the sound. I feel connected to each chord while I experience an array of emotions each time I give him a listen. Nostalgia, inspiration, sadness, appreciation, graditude longing, love, – they run the whole gamut.

“Song for You” is just one of the incredible tracks on the Time Without Consequence album.

Tina Tuesday, Read This: Bossypants

Happy Tuesday everyone! (I always like them a little because you’ve made it through the first hiccup of the week, which for me included a work phone call with a lovely stranger who after an out of control rant, ended with “you’re disgusting” and hung up.) That’s besides the point though because today is a new day and we’ll make it a little Tina Fey, Tuesday. I finished reading Bossypants yesterday. I’ll tell you, like other somewhat humorous memoirs I’ve read lately this one had me chuckle a loud at different points. Amazon included the book in its “Best Books of 2011” list (I know, I’m behind the times as I’m reading it with only a few months left in 2012!)

If I’m perfectly honest, this wasn’t my favorite. (This one has been in the same category as Ellen and Mindy’s books on some lists, and I’m still partial to Mindy’s, but I can’t decide if it’s fair for me to admit such things.) BUT I have to say: it’s a good read, it’s quick and Fey brings up insightful points on… well, I would say gender inequality in the work place, but more so the fact that gender is even brought up at all.

I did enjoy getting a peek into Tina Fey’s life before SNL and reading about her childhood in Pennsylvania, and anecdotes about her family. Like her scar. I wasn’t aware of it until she described how it happened, and I flipped the book over and saw a school photo of her on the back jacket. Or learning about Tina’s dad, who sounds awesome but also like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with! Her high school life with local theater, and her early days with Chicago improv were definitely entertaining. I also enjoyed her sharing about the holiday road trips to visit her husband’s family. Her appreciation for her colleagues shines through her words with praise of Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Alec Baldwin, Lorne Michaels etc. Fey definitely loves her job, and loves the people she works with and sounds so supportive and encouraging of those around her. (Definitely the opposite of being a snob and putting yourself on a pedestal.)

If you haven’t read it yet, I say it’s worth checking out. Did you read it already? What were your thoughts? Feel free to share with me in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!