Category Archives: Asides

Aug21
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Aside

It’s so close to that perfect time of year again I can hardly stand it.  You know… throw down a blanket in the grass, stare up at the sky and do nothing but listen to music and waste time?

WELL, in anticipation of that time to come I have started my go to playlist.  Sit, stare, do nothing.  Cleanse the soul.

Yep.  Here it is (work in progress, obviously). (please send suggestions!)

See the Sun – The Kooks – Konk

Flightless Bird, American Mouth – Iron&Wine – Twilight

You Could Be Happy – Snow Patrol – Eyes Open

Detlef Schrempf – Band of Horses – Cease To Begin

Love Affair – Copeland – Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Better Man – Pearl Jam – Vitalogy

I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab for Cutie – Plans

Home – Dierks Bentley – Home

No One’s Gunna Love You – Band of Horses – Cease To Begin

Holocene – Bon Iver – Bon Iver

And It Spread – The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You

Possibility – Lykke Li – Twilight

Getting Into You – Relient K  - Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right.. But Three Lefts Do

Casimir Pulaski Day – Sufjan Stevens – Illinois

Shake Me Down – Cage The Elephant – Thank You Happy Birthday

Someone Like You – Adele – 21

Paradise – Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto

Coffee – Copeland – Beneath Medicine Tree

That Home – The Cinematic Orchestra – Ma Fleur

Colors – Amos Lee – Amos Lee

Eat, Sleep, Repeat – Copeland – Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Eyes On Fire – Blue Foundation – Eyes On Fire

Skinny Love – Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

What Sarah Said – Death Cab For Cutie – Plans

Our July In The Rain – He Is We – Skip To The Good Part

Signaling Through The Flames – The American Dollar – The Best of The America Dollar

Hey Ya – Obadiah Parker – Obadiah Parker Live

Last Request – Paolo Nutini – These Streets

What If You – Jashua Radin – We Were Here

Dance Like Nobody’s Watching - Donavon Frankenreiter – Glow

Whatever It Takes – Lifehouse – Who We Are

The World At Large – Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Sad News

Sleepin In – The Postal Service – Give Up

Open Your Eyes – Snow Patrol – Up To Now

Walking For You – The Avett Brothers – Carolina Jubilee

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight – The Postal Service – Give Up

Blackbird – The Beatles (Giacomo Bondi & The Apple Pies Tribute) – The Double White

A Movie Script Ending – Death Cab For Cutie – The Photo Album

The Sounds Of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits

Here Comes Your Man – Meaghan Smith – [500] Days of Summer

Wait and See [Acoustic Version] – Brandon Heath – Give Me Your Eyes

Meadowlarks – Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

When I’m With You – JJ Heller – Deeper

Eyes – Rouge Wave – Just Friends

Take Care – Copeland – Beneath Medicine Tree

Better Together – Jack Johnson – In Between Dreams

Daughter – As Cities Burn – Hell Or High Water

Ghosting – Freelance Whales – Weathervanes

The Girl – City and Colour – Bring Me Your Love

Something Left To Give – The Starting Line – Direction

Seaside – The Kooks – Inside In / Outside Out

Oliver James – Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Finch On Saturday – Horse Feathers – Words Are Dead

Come With Me – Donavon Frankenreiter – Pass It Around

I Want You – Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night

California Breezes – David Vandervelde – Waiting For The Sunshine

Fight Test – The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Give It A Day – Pavement – For Stars

That’s All It Took – Gram Parsons – The Complete Reprise Sessions

Southern Girl – Amos Lee – Supply And Demand

Love Like The Movies – The Avett Brothers – Carolina Jubilee

I hope you like it as much as I do.

xox

J-

Stay With Me, Lay With Me, Play With Me

Apr23

Set The World on Fire

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So just a quickie – because we all know they are great.  I don’t know when it started – the bad habits, fear, living irrationally.  However I am pledging to make this quarter more successful than the last.

25-125-9-5 & ‘Tine free.  Maybe I should play the lotto?  I’m so close yet so far – but never so far that I know I won’t get there.

Now for the meat and potatoes…

After a quick yet meaningful talk with an old friend not too long ago – I feel that things were not only put back into perspective, but that I got a the little push that I needed (some friendly motivation).  We spoke about our history, our favorite moments that will “bond” us for life, and the reasons that I truly love and admire him as a person.  It was interesting to talk about our favorite times because they were different for each of us.  My friend’s favorite moment really pointed out to me how important it is to reach out.  There have been many times in my life that I have thought about my friends and family but kept it to myself – how much I loved them and missed them.  If you’re thinking about someone, just tell them.  It seems so simple – so why sometimes is it SO hard?  And it may make a difference in someone’s life; you never know.  I know that there have been times that I really wished someone had reached out to me and hadn’t; and conversely people have surprised me with their kindness.  I wish to be the latter.

Be thoughtful.

Be kind.

Reach out.

As for my favorite moment – a bit more lighthearted, and from way back when we were crazy kids.  A true test of friendship, something that was embarrassing in the moment but that you move past and laugh at when you get older.  I love him for that.  I will also take it to the grave (this is because I actually do love you).

Finally, we talked about living without regrets.  I don’t want to look back at my life and say I never did “XXX” because I was too scared.  I told him that I was envious and so proud of him for his cross country move.  This is something that I always wanted to do (still want to do) – but continue to chicken out of.  How will I finance it?  I will need to find a job first.  How will I move my things?  I won’t know anyone… how will I manage?  There are a million reasons not to but a million a one that are pushing me forward.  I don’t want any regrets.

So, putting this new motivation into action, I have decided that I can no longer take certain parts of my life for granted.  I must push forward with full force.  And finally, once again – make this quarter the best of all… absolutely no regrets.

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.”  Philippians 3:13-15 (ESV)

Mar28

Carrying the load

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Carrying the load

So after approximately 8 years of relying on someone else to do my heavy lifting – I found myself for the first time in a long time, on my own to juggle a dog, and a 15 lb bag of dog food back to my apartment. Now this may sound like nothing to you, but let’s be clear… 15 lbs, 16 street blocks and 3 avenue blocks is nothing to laugh at.

My arms still hurt; and for my dog – sympathy pains. I guess I could afford to hit the gym now and again.

Mar27
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Aside

When I first moved to the city I was pretty much beat over the head with the idea that I would need to change.  I would need tougher skin.  I couldn’t take anything personally.  Smarten up.  Toughen up.

After nearly 8 years in NYC (which counts as about 20 years of life experience) I’ve come to the following conclusion:

 Sometimes taking things personally is important.  

Over the last decade my heart was ripped off my sleeve and thrown into a high security vault.  This may not even be true – my emotional vacation may have started long before moving to NY.  I seem to dwell on this subject for the sake of my own personal improvement – though it seems many other people suffer from the same trials and tribulations (or at least I can only imagine as so many people I meet may be best described using Vanilla Ice lyrics).  Nobody, and I mean nobody, is breaking into the safe place I like to think I put my feelings.  Or aren’t they?

It has come to the point where my lines are indistinguishable.  When am I in the vault?  When is my combo written on the wall for everyone to see?  Do I pass out my personal information because I’m ready for a fight, or am I just ready to let you in?  Sometimes I can’t even tell myself.  Maybe I’ll never know.

A few kind words really touched me today – more of a two-step-backwards shove really.  This really made me think.  I want to make other people feel the way I am feeling right now.  How do I do it?  Crack the vault, be honest, be present, and always be the very best version of myself that I can be in every moment.  Believe it or not – you and I, we are enough.

Don’t be yourself, Be someone a little nicer. M.McLaughlin

Jan30

Honey Won’t You Lemme(on) Scrub You

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So anyone who knows me also knows that I LOVE lemons.  I put lemon in my drinks, things I cook, and I may or may not have snagged some lemons off a tree on the side of the road in Southern Cali and declared it one of the best days of my life (I know so lame – but fresh fruit and CA, you can’t beat that combo).

Anyway – when I need a pick-me-up, I love to throw together this quick and easy scrub.  It smells AMAZING and you can use it on your face and body.

Honey & Lemon Scrub

The goods:

  • 1/2 cup of sea salt. (The sea salt will exfoliate dead skin cells and aid the lemon zest in brightening the skin.)
  • 3 tablespoons of honey. (The honey will help to refine your pores while reducing inflammation.  Also a great moisturizer!)
  • 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest.  (Mmm – LEMON!  The lemon zest is naturally high in vitamin C which will help to even out skin tone.)
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.  (This really gives the skin an extra brightening boost.)

Now make it happen:

  • Stir all the ingredients until well-blended.
  • Rub the mixture over any dull or dry areas.
  • Rinse the mixture with lukewarm water.

***Bonus Tip – Try this scrub on your dry lips to make them soft, supple and oh, so kissable.

Jan27

Show You Mine, Show Me Yours

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Now I have floated around the blogosphere and been bombarded with tips and lists on how to be a better person and live my life to the fullest.  I suppose if everyone lived up to these lists the world would be a better place.  However some of the requests such as “Be like Jesus, not like his followers. (This applies to all of them.)” are a little lofty.  I have no problem trying to make myself and the world better one checklist at a time so–

This is my list.  What does yours look like?

1. Fight for what you believe in.  Your voice always matters.

2. Join a movement… better yet, lead one.

3. Coffee for LIFE!

4. Examine your jealousy, you’ll learn a lot about yourself.

5. It’s easy for people to talk big game – so watch what they do instead.  This is how you learn something new from and about every single person.

6.  Look people in the eye.

7. Commit to things that are far beyond your ability.  Why not push yourself?

8. Read often, including the things you disagree with.  Let’s face it, your ego is big enough already.

9. Apologize.

10. Find out if there will be food there.

11. Manners are more important than money.

12. Date someone out of your league (at least once!)

13. Bring a bottle of wine.

14. Write a bucket list.  Then actually do something on it.  You’ll feel amazing.

15. Travel, it’s worth it - trust me.

16. If you’ve never felt like a fool, you’ve never really lived.

17. Appreciate flaws as beauty – because they are.

18. If you find someone who makes you laugh until you cry, NEVER lose them.  Do this as much as possible.

19. Enjoy good music.  Rinse and repeat.

20. Be the person that will always be there.  Show up.

Jan26
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Aside

Close your eyes and imagine it with me?  Wait – don’t close your eye because you won’t be able to read this.  Okay, just picture it.

Sometimes, especially in the autumn, I like to go outside alone and find a place where it is absolutely quiet.  I close my eyes and let my senses wander.

I feel the sun on my skin.

I smell the leaves that have fallen to the ground.

I can hear the air moving.

This movement is different to me than wind.  It is just the circulation of the atmosphere and it becomes like a soothing melody.  You want to sway with it, as if to its melodic tones.  It wraps itself around you.  The longer you close your eyes, the farther you drift away – and it becomes nearly difficult to pull yourself back.  Your body must tear your eyelids apart allowing the bright sunshine to force its way into your retinas.

Back in my office,  I try to surrender to the inescapable isolation my desk in midtown Manhattan has to offer.  Try as I may I can never find solitude in air screaming out of the vents and the fluorescent lights.

I’ll always choose writing in a notebook in the grass over typing on my laptop  and my manicure never seems to last for more than one day.   Simply put — though I do love stilettos I will never be a city girl.

The Wind Beneath My Wings