I am currently working on a pretty difficult post to write and it is taking me time to work out what I want to say. So I decided to do a list of some of my favorite artists, songs, books, TV shows, movies and products for a change of pace. Here they are in no particular order or coherence.
1. Songza - www.songza.com How have I lived without this awesome free website my whole life? As a huge maker of mix tapes as a youngster, this is the Holy Grail of music awesomeness. I can listen to great mixtapes in a huge variety of genres or make my own. Samples include Your Own John Hughes Movie, Cocktail Party Jazz and Ballroom Blitz - Essential Glam Rock. You can search by genre or your mood and you can save your favorites in folders you name. I am an addict and I couldn't be happier to be on this drug.
2. Sandi Calistro - http://www.etsy.com/shop/SandiCalistroArt This woman is so talented and I was so happy to receive a framed print of hers for Christmas. She is also an amazing tattoo artist and I can't wait to see what she does on my husband's arm in a few months. I am rocking her stickers on the bumper of my car and she now has iPhone cases. Sandi also painted a beautiful mural on the side of my husband's workplace, City O' City, in Denver. If I was ever to get a tattoo, it would be from this wonderful artist.
3. Chai Tea Lattes - I am truly addicted to these now. The best one I have found so far is at the coffee shop in the Central Library in Denver, which is conveniently located across the street from my place of employment. I even bought myself a milk frother so I can attempt these at home. Heavenly.
4. Ellie Goulding's Halcyon - My favorite is "Anything Can Happen", which reminds me of the best Kate Bush songs. It just makes me happy to listen to this music. It is majestic and it feels like a perfect soundtrack to my life right now.
5. "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars - OBSESSED with this song. It is almost constantly going around and around in my head. I am a fan of Bruno, but this song? Oh, man. Gets me dancing and singing along every time I hear it.
6. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl - This book is brilliant, but so are her other two books, Sharp Objects and Dark Places. Dark subject matter in all three, but they are written so well, I flew through them. I enjoyed her writing in Entertainment Weekly and, when I heard she had released her first book, I grabbed it. I have loved every one since. Gone Girl is about a marital relationship from hell. It's so twisted and amazing and I loved every second of the ride.
7. The Following - Kevin Bacon + serial killers + cool music + Edgar Allan Poe = must watch TV. That simple.
8. HTC One X phone - I just dumped my iPhone for this one and I am thrilled so far. Everything is intuitive, the camera rocks, the screen is bigger, the graphics are better and I am a happy girl. I should have done this a long time ago. I am as giddy as a schoolgirl using this phone. I know this is heresy, but iPhone's don't have nothing on my phone.
9. Celeste and Jesse Forever - I just watched this movie as a rental on Amazon streaming video. All I can say is wow. Funny and irreverant and gut punching and thought provoking. A meditation on marriage, what it means to be in love, the work involved in keeping it going and growing together or apart. Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg are amazing as the titular couple. Highly recommend.
10. Widowspeak's Almanac - New music discovery. Male/female duo that sound a little like Buckingham/Nicks combined with Mazzy Star. It's just good music, folks.
So those are a few of my favorite things. Maybe check them out and discover something new and awesome. Or don't. It's all up to you. Expand those horizons, people.
