12. Singin' Saturdays.

New series! Music I love, every Saturday. I hope.

This week-Fitz and the Tantrums. I've seen them twice this year, and they were excellent both times.



Who are you listening to this Saturday?

11. I wish.

Today's prompt (make 3 wishes for 11/11/11!) is so perfect. Mainly because I've been listening to the Into the Woods soundtrack lately, and the show is based around wishes.

The show closes Act I with a song called "Ever After" which includes these lyrics:

Though it's fearful
Though it's deep, though it's dark
And though you may lose the path
Though you may encounter wolves
You mustn't stop, you mustn't swerve
You mustn't ponder, you have to act
(In the show, it turns out that what the characters wished for had dire consequences. Ignore that.)

What inspirational words! Going after what you wish is scary. But you mustn't stop, you mustn't swerve! Even if it's dark, and you may lose the path, and you may encounter wolves. You mustn't ponder. You have to act!

Last night, Propelle hosted a Networking Happy Hour at AVA. It was SO inspiring to be in a room with 40-50 women who were all interested in sharing their passions and connecting. I have so many passions (as evidenced here) that it's hard to know what I want to do sometimes. But being in a room filled with so many passionate, kind, effervescent women was so energizing and convinced me that no matter what, if I pursue my dreams, it will be okay. I can't gush enough about the night. Just phenomenal.

Anyway, back to those three wishes! Maybe wishes are supposed to be things you can't achieve on your own but I'm feeling very goal-oriented and so, I'm going to list three attainable wishes.

1. Complete my first ever knitted, adult-sized blanket. I've been working on it on and off for a year, but I keep getting distracted. So I've got to sit down (a lot) and just do it! Knit my heart out. That is, of course, after Christmas and baby showers are out of the way. ;)

2. Join a choir or find an outlet for my musical side. It's not something from which I'll ever make any money, but that's not why I like singing. Any choir recommendations for an alto?

3. Have a signature thing. Whether that's always wearing scarves, or having a "color," or sporting some awesome rings...I want to have a thing that people always expect me to do or have or wear. Because it just seems fun.

And just for good measure, three things I wish for that are less easily attainable:
- The chance to go back to Europe.
- Cutting out all of the states that sit between PA and NC (expressed here).
- An iPad 2. Not easily attainable on a volunteer's salary, thankyouverymuch.

What are your three wishes?

10. Passion.

First things first, I've written for ten days in a row. This is monumental.

Moving on. I really, really like today's prompt. Except there are too many options. My secret or not-so-secret passions? There are plenty. Brief paragraphs on five of them:

Knitting
My sister and I taught ourselves how to knit one Christmas Eve, and I've never looked back. I make knitted Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, random I-love-you gifts. I've made hats, blankets, scarves, sweaters, coasters...even a cell phone cover. My friends Joel and Anna decided that, should they get married and have children, I will be the godmother of all babies. Why, you ask? In the words of Joel: "HAND KNITTED SWEATERS. SCORE!" So there you have it. Make me godmother of your children so they can have handknitted sweaters, people.

Food
Food is delicious and I love it. More importantly, I love making food. Cooking or baking, it's all wonderful. I am learning more about what spices go with which herbs and flavors and how to do more than just sauté some vegetables. Learning more like that, that makes me excited. Then when I get to share it with others, that makes me even happier.

Music
I know. Lots of people like music and it's really cool and oh my gosh fun. But I don't just listen to music. I mean, I don't write it. Which is kind of a shame because I love it. Anyway, I've always sung. And I've played the flute since I was...9? 8? However old you are when you start 4th grade, that's how long I've played. Then I did musicals and show choir in high school. In college, I was a leader for the praise band. Music has always been how I release emotion. I may be a writer but I'm not so good at saying what I feel, so I use songs. Maybe #nablopomo will help!?

Social Media
I don't care what you say, social media is a legitimate source of news. Things spread like wildfire on there. Unfortunately, that can mean that a whole lot of ugly spreads very quickly. But it can also mean that exciting news--like Beyonce's pregnancy announcement, which broke all kinds of Twitter records--spreads quickly, too. Since moving to Pittsburgh, I've been very lucky to be in some great communities. I count Twitter as one of them, highlighted by the experience of PodCamp 6 and meeting all of these wonderful people who like the same stuff I do. And uh, social media is kinda my bread & butter. So there's that, too.

Pittsburgh
C'mon, you had to know this was coming. I've written love notes to Pittsburgh here, here, here and here. If you're a frequent reader (if you are, kudos to you for making it 15 months with me), you know that my heart beats for this city, and that I want to dedicate my professional life to it. I certainly don't want to count any chickens before they've hatched or put the horse before the cart or whatever, but I really don't see myself leaving this city. I want to be here forever. And some day, my husband will act like this:



I love it.

3. Tunes.

I love music. I have since I was a little girl. I've always been that girl who is singing--in the office, in the shower (even in the freshman dorms), humming along to her iPod while walking down Penn Ave. That's me.

So I'm really excited that today's topic is music. Today as I was walking back to the office, a song came on my iPod that I haven't heard for awhile. Remember this?




I love this song, for so many reasons. First, even though it wasn't intended for the movie, it reminds me of The Devil Wears Prada. Like the book, like the movie, like the song. Done.

But more importantly, this is a girl power song. According to Wikipedia (clearly the legitimate source for everything), the song describes KT Tunstall's realization that she wanted to be a musician: by looking at Patti Smith.

Okay so looking at a photograph of Patti Smith doesn't inspire me (it's okay if it inspires you; I won't judge!). But this song totally does! I kind of imagine the song to be about realizing that "this" is me.

Suddenly I see...this is what I want to be.

Because I know you're curious.

Four of my favorite things, all wrapped up in a big ol' bow just for you.

1. Pictory.
As a former photography student in London....okay, well as someone who one time took a 3-week photography class in London, I love photos of the place. Even though I haven't been back for quite some time and haven't kept up with what's happening in the City as much as I'd like, I'm still in love.

So when I discovered Pictory, I was excited--to say the least. The photos aren't necessarily the big landmarks, but little things about London that make it London. (Click there to see the stories)

Aside from London, Pictory has lots of other great stories--each story told as a compilation from many photogs. There's something so cool about a group of people coming together to share their stories, literally from their point of view, that are very different but still, in some ways, the same.

2. Sunday mornings.
I've mentioned this here before, but Sunday mornings are one of my favorite times of the week. I go to church on Sunday evenings, which means that I have all of Sunday to just relax. In the wintertime--don't make fun of me for this--I watched the PBS Create channel and knitted. I even watched the Knit & Crochet show. Please stop laughing at me.

I spent this morning on my parents' couch in Greensburg, reading back issues of Entertainment Weekly in sweatpants and a hoodie. What could be better than that?

3. Searching for an apartment.
Okay so this is sort of untrue. Looking for a place to live kind of sucks.

I find a place, it gets taken. "This place is $50 over budget." "That place is a too far away." "That carpet is ugly." "This place smells like cats." "I don't like the layout." You get the idea.

But it's also kind of exciting. This is the REAL adulthood business I haven't experienced yet. I'm making calls (seriously, still a hurdle I'm overcoming), going on visits and figuring out budgets. "It's $100 over but includes water...think it will work?"

It's overwhelming, and we still don't have a place to live, but it's kind of fun. I'm apartment hunting. Visiting places.

I feel so grown up.

4. Amos Lee.
Supply and Demand....great song, great lyrics.



Four weeks down! Next week's post will be this Saturday morning, because I'll be in North Carolina for my niece's birthday/vacation starting Saturday afternoon. AMEN.

This week's favorite things.

Let's be honest--if I had my way, my favorite things would be the same every week. Pittsburgh, knitting, baking, and a mix of Adele/Sara Bareilles.
But that just can't happen. I have to love more than that. Right? I do. But just always know that I'm fighting back the urge to put "Pittsburgh" as my favorite things.

1. Preschool Gems.
I feel like all of my friends who work with kids have these hilarious stories of what happens to them at work. My office is a pretty lively place and we have a fun time, but the things that come from the mouths of children are just too cute.

That's why I love Preschool Gems. I follow it on Twitter, but you can "like" it on Facebook as well. When I'm having a bad day or just need a little pick-me-up, it makes me giggle. Some of my favorites:
-"I glow in the dark and I am now a bobcat."
-"I'm going to the jungle of bees and dogs with my whole family!"
-"I can't stop thinking about mermaids."

I can't stop thinking about mermaids either, friend.

2. My front porch.

I've tried to spend time on my porch almost every day. It's huge, we have a porch swing, and I like to read. Perfect combination. I'm blogging from the porch right now! Photo courtesy of PhotoBooth.

3. Rhubarb.
Who wouldn't love rhubarb after eating this delicious cake? Via On Food and Baking, a delicious blog by my friend Emily.

(Confession: this photo is from On Food and Baking. My cake didn't look nearly as delicious, and also got eaten before I had a chance to snap a good photo!)

4. Big Hurry.
My friend Kelly (check her out on Yinzpiration!) is an excellent band called Big Hurry. If you don't know about them yet, you should.

Check them out Friday at WYEP's Summer Music Festival at Schenley Plaza. Also playing is last week's favorite, Fitz and the Tantrums. Good, free Friday.

What else do I love?

Here it is...my second "Favorite Things" post. Two weeks in a row. I'm already impressed by my dedication.

On with the post:

1. Banana bread.

We at the PULSE house recently bought waaaaay too many almost-ripe bananas, resulting in many a brown banana in our freezer. Solution? Banana bread. Chocolate chocolate chip banana bread, to be exact. I have a classic recipe of my mom's that is usually my go-to, but today I ventured onto the Interwebz and found this gem, with sour cream, from Savory Sweet Life. Didn't alter the main recipe, but did add brown sugar and cinnamon to the top. The bread is delish. Consider yourself informed.

2. Dear Photograph.

A creative new(ish) tumblr with pictures of a picture from the past in the present. Confusing when put succinctly, but really all it is is people taking pictures of themselves, holding up pictures of what used to be in the same spot. So that photo of you walking down the stairs at your parents' house? Go to the same spot where it was taken. Hold the photo so it lines up with the current scene. Take a photo.

Nostalgic genius.

3. 'Burghers being 'Burghers.

Monday, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the silent auction table for Pittsburgh Magazine's Best Restaurants party. What a fun time--such good food! I could rant & rave about it forever, but really that's not the point of this favorite thing. 

My coworker and I had some time to eat before we worked the auction table, and we noticed that Notion had these little packets of...crumbs? That's what it looked like, anyway. Later while working the auction table, I saw someone with the packet. So I asked him what was in it. What did he do? Told me to stick out my hand, and shook the crumbs (actually little bits of popcorn) into my hand. Then offered me the whole thing. So Pittsburgh.

A few days later, I went with Anna to try on Maid of Honor dresses for her sister Molly's wedding. While Anna was trying things on, I was making small talk with the consultant (owner? Manager? Sales associate? I don't know). She told me all about going dahntahn and how it only took her six minutes from Swissvale, but now with all the cars it could take an ahr. She wrote down all of Anna's styles, even though we weren't getting a dress there. Offered to let me try things on, too. Showed me the wasp building a nest outside the winduh--he was sticking his little head in 'air to make the holes. She was Pittsburgh through and through--lovely.

4. Fitz and the Tantrums

I might always make number four music. Because it's always one of my favorite things. This week? Fitz and the Tantrums...coming to Schenley Park for free on June 24!

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.

Confession.

I really love raindrops on roses. Whiskers on kittens, too. Ever seen a brown paper package, tied up with string? It's one of my favorite things.

Har har har, I know. But really. I've been thinking lately about things that I love, thanks to an activity I'm doing about thankfulness (that I'll post in a few days, when the first month is up). I've decided that I want to write, weekly, about my favorite things. Then maybe some day when I'm old and grey and I regale my grandchildren with the stories of these things called blogs (who knows where we'll be by then), maybe I'll look back and remember some of those things. At the very least, it will serve as a reminder in two years.

So here it is...my favorite things. Edition one.

1. Chaco tan lines.

Those aren't my feet (I'm not that tan yet...), but they reflect my summer goal: get as ridiculous a tan as possible on my feet from my favorite shoes, my Chacos ZX 2s. To me, these tan lines signify a summer well spent in the sunshine, having adventures. Who doesn't love a summer like that?

2. Jam sessions on the front porch.

This weekend Joel, dear friend of Anna and a future PULSEr, came to visit us. Beatle (as he is affectionately called by a few Blufftonites) plays the guitar. 

After running to the grocery store to "just pick up a few things" and coming home with a full trunk of fresh produce and ice cream, we took to the porch for some singing. Joel played and we all sang and it was lovely. Occasionally we heard a crack of thunder, and a gentle breeze blew over us. Sounds like a cheesy book but that was my real life tonight. How awesome is that?

3. Reading.

Something I've loved forever. I don't think reading will ever NOT be a hobby of mine. But I've particularly appreciated it this week, spending most of Memorial Day on the front porch (noticing a theme here, perhaps?), as well as the days afterward. Who doesn't love curling up with a good book on a cold day, or escaping the heat with an intriguing storyline? Fools, that's who. 

4. This song.

Just in love with this song. No real reason. It's just catchy.

So...first "favorite things" post down. Only.....an infinite number to go. If I don't keep this up, punch me, okay?