Secret Cousins...That's What We Are {musical stylings of Cousin Hannah}

 

It's Secret Cousin Hannah's Birthday! {we're finally both 28!}

No need to say it's my 3/4 birthday...only 3 months until 29...booooooo.

I love {Secret} Cousin Hannah.

I could go into a long spill about how we've really gotten closer since I moved to Knoxville, and that we always seem to know what the other one is thinking, and we usually spend our time together laughing until we cry. Maybe  I could also say that sometimes she's oftentimes been my saving grace on days when I feel like no one gets me or when I just need a lemon-berry slush {extra berry} from Sonic to dry my tears. We make lists and dream of better days together, all while watching sunsets and driving on country roads or watching Jon McLaughlin videos to get us through the day. The memories we've made will last us for forever and that brings me joy deep down. 

So Happy Birthday Secret Cousin.

You often speak of how strong you think I am because I moved to Knoxville, 

but truth be told, I don't know if I could have made it in Knoxville without you.

Love you long time.

Happy 28th!

Music Monday: Adele style {bringin' it back yo!}

Lately I've felt the need to end everything I say with a YO! It's getting rather excessive. These are the little annoyances that I can blame on my Memphis upbringing.

You have to keep it real gangsta in Memphis, yo! {see what I did there?}

Ok, I'm done...yo.

So I have been in love with Adele's new album, probably like many of you. Leave it to the Brits to give us some amazing music. Another vote for wanting to eventually move to England. I wonder if they use YO as frequently as Memphians. Maybe I could start a trend, but I digress.

This is my favorite song from Adele's new CD {as if I could pick just one favorite, but it's pretty close}.

Enjoy! Adele's even better live...which most people are, well, except for Taylor Swift-yikes!  {I do love live music, but you already knew that.}

we should always know that we can do everything {jonsi}

From here

Today would be the perfect day to relax outside under the deep blue sky (maybe in Shakespeare Park if I was in Montgomery) with friends or a good book, on a soft quilt (preferably the one I tend to favor from J. Crowe's house) drinking nothing but iced lattes with extra caramel (made by the always creative Bridget with her espresso maker) and soaking up some sun on my extremely pale shoulders and chest (like I do with Lacey by the pool in the summer) and spending the hours leisurely without any pressing obligations, just relishing the often-fleeting feeling of being young, free, and optimistic (like I felt that night when J. Phil, J. Fred, Mattie Poo and I listened to the Black Suits play a cover of Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy" in the back of a pickup truck at sunset on a warm spring evening in Olive Branch outside of a coffehouse) before spending the late night hours on country backroads with windows down and a radio up and the wind blowing through my hair (like I did with Cousin Hannah last spring and we sang a duet of Dolly and Kenny, with Hannah carrying most of it due to my lack of lyrical knowledge). Then I would fall into bed, exhausted with sun-kissed skin and hair that smells of the outdoors, and sleep for hours. That's what I wish my Wednesday entailed. 

This is not the part where I tell you I have no time to dwell on these wishes because I have an all-nighter ahead of me...or maybe it is.

I hope you had a gloriously relaxed and joyful Wednesday.

p.s. I heard there's new Beastie Boys out today...I haven't searched it out yet, but it brings a small seed of joy to my heart. I love them.

Friday! Friday! Gotta get down on Friday! {in the musical stylings of Stephen Colbert/Jimmy Fallon}

If you watch this, and don't smile the entire time and get goosebumps on your arms from their exciting performance, then you're not human. 

Maybe I'm biased because I absolutely adore Stephen Colbert and I've always liked Jimmy Fallon. 

Maybe it's because I like it when rappers are fake-driving and holding an imaginary steering wheel behind just a car door. 

Maybe it's because there's an abominable snowman involved. 

Maybe it's Stephen Colbert's funky {yet insanely attractive} dancing. 

Maybe it's the auto-tune. 

Or possibly it could be the fact that they raised $50,000+ for a charitable organization, Donors Choose, which helps classrooms in need, solely based on the fact that Stephen Colbert promised to sing this song if people raised money.

If these aren't enough reasons to watch this repeatedly {as I have} then I don't know what it would take to get you to watch it.

It's fun! fun! fun! fun! fun!