“Take my hand, we’re almost home…”

Happy November! Today, it was 64 degrees and sunny…almost unheard of for the pacific northwest this time of year. It was a beautiful day! There has been a ton of great new music I’ve discovered/rediscovered over the last month, so I wanted to share my top picks (as per usual on the first Monday of the month…) with you!

1. Holy Ground – Taylor Swift (Red…my current favorite on her new record.)

2. Godspeed – Anberlin (Cities…forgot how much I love this song!)

3. Great Love – Flyleaf (New Horizons…FANTASTIC record!)

4. Saving Grace – Flyleaf (New Horizons…had to throw another one up here.)

5. 22 – Taylor Swift (Red…just plain fun.)

6. Devil’s Been Talkin’ – Needtobreathe (The Reckoning…great song!)

That’s all for now, folks! I’m busy being a studious college student.

{photo via: weheartit}

Crisp Fall Sky…

There’s something wonderful about this time of year…there’s a crispness in the morning that only occurs during these few weeks. I love it! I love pumpkinny (I just created my own word…) things, spices, scarves, boots (just bought some that I can’t wait to wear!), crackling fireplaces, multi-colored leaves…It’s just a beautiful time of year. This has been the NICEST fall to date, here in PDX! I guess Salem is pretty, too…:) Still adjusting to my new town…

These last few weeks have been JAM-PACKED with school, new friends, old friends, change, and excitement! I’m really enjoying my business classes. It continues to amaze me how the Lord has shown me exactly what He wants for me right now…I have such a peace about changing my major (see post below)! I still don’t know what my post-college plans are, but I know He’ll show me when the time is right.

Miss Haley Norton and I have decided that since we’re in our 20s, single, unattached, etc., that we’re going to do spontaneous things now and then! So far, it’s been SO FUN! A couple of weeks ago, we went to 23rd in downtown Portland. Ate at this random (yet delicious) mexican restaurant, looked at all the boutiques and shops, and of course, had some good old Salt and Straw…I had never had it, and it was DELISH! Then this last weekend, we spontaneously decided to go to El Gaucho for some bananas foster…not something I do everyday…the dessert was only like $10! SO worth it…so yummy. Quote of the evening: “who needs prozac when there’s bananas foster?” We’re convinced it ups the serotonin levels. Anyway, we have plenty of ideas up our sleeve…get ready for some pretty random, spontaneous posts. 

Our trip to 23rd…  And our trip to El Gaucho…

It’s also October 1st! And a Monday! Which means…it’s MUSIC MONDAY!!! Here are my top picks for the month:

1. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift (New Single…had to.)
2. You And Me Both – The Classic Crime (Phoenix…still in love with this record.)
3. Be Still My Soul – Page CXVI (I was introduced to this hymn by our chapel band leader…I was able to lead it in chapel a few weeks ago…I love this version!)
4. Love Song – The Ember Days (Your Eyes Light Up…I love the lyrics in this song. Such a great picture of the Lord’s love!)
5. Dementia (feat. Mark Hoppus) – Owl City (The Midsummer Station…I’m always going to secretly be an Owl City fan…just fun music.)
6. Alabaster – Rend Collective Experiment (Homemade Worship by Handmade People…such a simple, yet beautiful song of worship.)

Happy October!!!!!!

 

I Had The Best Day With You Today…

I love my mom so much. In my opinion, every day should be Mother’s Day. They do so much for us little munchkins! My mom puts up with A LOT. I very much appreciate her. 🙂 For mother’s day this year, we went to church, made some rib-eye steak, roasted potatoes, and salad, and then we played scrabble and watched the Survivor Finale…yes, we still watch Survivor (GO KIM!!!). It was a great day. My mom legitimately wanted a toaster for Mother’s Day, so us kids bought her a Williams-Sonoma gift card, and we sang her a song. We sang her “The Best Day” by Taylor Swift…she cried…and I almost cried. I was SO close. But she loved it, and that’s what matters. It was a great day. 🙂    (That was my brother’s word……..)

Happy 100th Post Day!!!

This signifies my blog’s 100th post! That’s pretty exciting! You know what else is exciting? IT’S MUSIC MONDAY!!!! It’s already April…April showers bring May flowers…they better! Last month set the bar for Portland’s raniest March on record….seriously. It’s practically a swampland out there. But I must again remind myself that all of this wetness brings so much green and lush color during the summertime.

Anyways, let’s talk about fun songs! There were so many fun songs that I could not stop listening to last month, so I will share some of them with you:

1. Control – Mutemath (They’re probably one of the best bands live…like ever…and this song is a great cruisin’ down the highway on a sunny day song).
2. Fallin’ For You – Colbie Caillat (So chill…love it.)
3. In Your Atmosphere (Live) – John Mayer (I’m about 65% sure this has been listed before on one of my music posts…but it’s such an exquisite song. Especially the last minute and a half of it.)
4. Hey Stephen – Taylor Swift (My current T.Swift favorite…I go through phases.)
5. Tomorrow Will Be Kinder (from The Hunger Games Soundtrack) – The Secret Sisters (An awesome book…and quite a lovely song…)
6. Jesus Paid It All – Kristian Stanfill (A wonderful cover of a classic hymn…wonderful reminder.)
7. Abraham’s Daughter – Arcade Fire (Just really intense.)

{photo via weheartit}

‘Cause for a moment a band of thieves in ripped up jeans got to rule the world…

I love my family. I love my friends. I feel so blessed to know the people I do. Over the last few days, I’ve been super nervous about going to Corban for one reason in particular: I have to meet new people. The thing is, I know that the Lord is totally going to cover it, and this is only going to give me an opportunity to make even more wonderful friends who will stick with me no matter what. But I haven’t been able to get over the idea that I’m going to go (by myself) and meet a TON of new people…Psalm 84:11 says, “…no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly”. If I rely on the Lord, I can know that He’ll be there with me…and I won’t be there by myself. 🙂 The funny thing is that come September, I’m going to remember this nervousness in the pit of my stomach and laugh, because there was no need. The bottom line is that I’m super excited to see what the Lord has for me in the next chapter of my life. I’m looking forward to the memories I’ll make, the relationships I’ll establish, and the knowledge I’ll gain. Exciting times!

“You held your head like a hero on a history book page…It was the end of a decade but the start of an age…” – “Long Live” by Taylor Swift

{photo via weheartit}

Paradise…

I know, I know…long time, no post…the last couple of weeks have been C-R-A-Z-Y-T-O-W-N. But amazing, nonetheless. I got the opportunity to go to Hawaii with my family! Because of that, I had to get two weeks of school done in like three days…but it was totally worth it…I missed music Monday this month, so I wanted to share a few photos from our trip and give you a few new tunes to check out!

This might be one of the greatest photos of Casey ever…

 The gorgeous view from our hotel in Oahu…that’s the Gilligan’s Island marina, by the way!

 It’s not every day you see a real life flamingo…

 Absolutely gorgeous.

 Exploring the North Shore on Oahu…

 Gorgeous Waikiki sunset #2…no filter.

 Good morning, Ford Island! We got to visit the USS Arizona memorial, the USS Oklahoma memorial, and the USS Missouri…every time I visit a US memorial, it ends up being one of the more moving experiences of my life. I am so incredibly grateful for men and women like those who were killed in the attacks at Pearl Harbor. I’m thankful that there are still men and women serving our country with such valor today.

 I didn’t realize until I went to the memorial that one can still see the USS Arizona in the water…quite incredible.

 The massive gun turrets of the USS Missouri, or the “Mighty Mo”. The USS Missouri is a symbol of the beginning and the end of WWII. It began construction in 1941, and finished in 1945. It was on this battleship that the treaty that ended WWII was signed. She was decommissioned after Desert Storm, but is ready to be recommissioned at any time the US needs her.

 Even battleships need wiper blades…I don’t know why I found that funny.

 USS Oklahoma memorial…

 This is amazing to me…aerial shot of the USS Arizona and memorial…

(via Google Earth)

 This is an aerial shot of the USS Utah where it lies today…this memorial is only available to Naval personnel, as it is on a military base…but this ship is also very visible from the surface.

 Then there was the Dole plantation…mmmmmmm…

 Then it was on to Maui! Hello, Lahaina…

 Exploring the road to Hana…

 Visiting my first black sand beach!

 While the boys went scuba diving, us girls got to horseback ride through the mountains of Maui! My horse’s name was Frieda…she was part Clydesdale and Pinto…SO FUN!!!!!!

 These ducks let us get SO close to them! I’m literally inches away from them, here. That doesn’t happen in Oregon…haha!

 We were there during a pretty intense storm, and there were many, many boats that ran aground, like this one…

 I loved every second of my time over there…and someday, I want to go back. But for now, I’ll simply say, “Aloha”.

Looking for some music??

1. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston (Rest in peace…)

2. Desert Soul – Rend Collective Experiment (GREAT ALBUM!!)

3. Bette Davis Eyes (Live) – Taylor Swift (I really loved her Speak Now World Tour CD/DVD)

4. Hurt – Johnny Cash (So good.)

5. Thinking of You – Dierks Bentley (Such a cute song!)

New Year, New Music!

HAPPY 2012!!!!!!! I can’t believe 2011 is over…but do you know what that means?? Summer Olympics!! They are so awesome…my favorite events were always the swimming and the gymnastics…but I love anything and everything I can watch! The new year also means new beginnings for a lot of people…but I’m so thankful that the Lord’s mercies are new EVERY morning, and not just once a year! Lamentations 3:21-24 says, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.” Good word from Jeremiah.

Well, another thing about the new year is that we can all expect more music from artists we love, and artists we…well…don’t really love. In 2011, iTunes sold its 16 billionth download…that is a lot of music. My goal with this monthly post is to try to separate the gems from the pebbles. And by “gems”, I mean music that is happy, uplifting, nostalgic, lacking in inappropriate language, etc.  So I hope you continue to enjoy it and find it somewhat helpful! Here are my picks for my very first post of 2012!

1. Second Chance – Rend Collective Experiment (See two posts below…from their upcoming project, “Homemade Worship by Handmade People”…I’m SO EXCITED for this album to be released!! All of their music is very worshipful, and very different, which is something I greatly appreciate.)
2. Safe & Sound (From “The Hunger Games” Soundtrack) [Featuring The Civil Wars] – Taylor Swift (Don’t know how I feel about all of the hype surrounding the movie, but the song is great!)
3. Hello (feat. Suzy Rock) – KB (I love this song because the chorus is catchy, but it has a wonderful, beautiful message as well. It fits in with my verse I referenced, earlier, too!)
4. A Place Only You Can Go – NEEDTOBREATHE (LOVING the bagpipes…quite lovely.)
5. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – Brandon Musser (His whole album, “Piano Meets Hymn”, is excellent for studying!)
6. You Remain – Tim Timmons (This guy was one of the people that came to Athey for “A Christmas Together”…he is an awesome guy, and this song is very encouraging!)
7. Make Me Whole – PawnShop Kings (Scott and Joel Owen’s harmonies are perfect…SUCH an awesome song.)

Enjoy, friends! HAPPY JANUARY!!!!

Good Day, November…Music Saturday!

Hi friends! So I won’t be able to do music Monday this month…because I’ll be visiting Corban University this Monday! I’m super excited to visit…they have a really cool Social Studies Education major that would be perfect for what I want to do…which is teach high schoolers all about history and government! Eventually, it would be awesome to get my masters degree in history, too, so then I could teach at PCC…anyways, because I’ll be gone, I won’t be able to post my typical first Monday of the month music picks. So here they are…and HAPPY NOVEMBER!!!! Which is one month away from DECEMBER!!!!! And that means CHRISTMAS!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

1. Souvenirs – Switchfoot (Vice Verses…I’m loving this album right now…)

2. U.F.O. – Coldplay (Mylo Xyloto…I have no idea what their album title is, but this is a beautiful record…)

3. Should’ve Said No – Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift…I’ve been really into the banjo lately…it must be the hick inside of me. But the banjo at the beginning of this song is awesome.)

4. Sun and Moon – Phil Wickham (Response [Acoustic]…I highly recommend this album…very worshipful and easy to sing along to. I particularly enjoy the acoustic versions of his songs.)

5. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Michael Buble (Christmas…reminiscent of good ol’ Bing…)

That’s all for now, folks!

(Photo via weheartit.com)

Happy (belated) music Monday!

So the last couple of weeks have been so crazy (in the best sense)! The last few days have involved old friends, new friends, family, ocean, camping, swimming, biking (or in my case, sag-wagon driving), beautiful views, hippies, good food, great fellowship, and the ever present smell of campfire. I have been in the San Juan Islands up in northwest Washington for the last week! Those islands are absolutely beautiful. Some of the most beautiful views in the United States are in those islands. We camped at Lopez Island. The  funny thing about Lopez is that while you’re driving, everyone that drives past you waves hello. I tried that earlier today as we were pressure washing our camp equipment, and about half of the drivers waved, and the other half looked at me like I was a creep. It’s kind of fun…:-) Anyways, I was driving up there last Monday, which is why I missed Music Monday this week! So, without further ado, here are my August picks…hope you enjoy this beautiful day!

1. Waking Up – OneRepublic (Waking Up)
2. All My Fountains – Chris Tomlin (Passion – Here for You)
3. Ours – Taylor Swift (Speak Now [Deluxe Target Edition])
4. Honey and the Bee – Owl City (All Things Bright and Beautiful)
5. Riot – Tedashii (Blacklight)
6. Our God is Love (Live) – Hillsong Live (A Beautiful Exchange)
7. Clipping – Mutemath (Armistice)
8. Drive My Soul – Lights (The Listening)
9. Awakening – Casey Darnell (Coming Alive)
10. Holy – Matt Redman (10,000 Reasons)

Also, here are some pictures from my trip (yes…I’m a huge fan of instagram…) 

Jump Around in a Pink Tutu…and Rainboots.

Happy Saturday, everyone! The other day, my friend Haley and I were at Target, and she showed me this birthday card. It’s from Taylor Swift’s new collection of greeting cards…I was already a huge T – Swift fan, but this put the icing on the cake for me…what girl hasn’t walked and danced and jumped around in an awesome tutu??? If I ever have a girl, or at least a niece, I WILL be getting her a hugely fantastically pink tutu to run around in. Anyways, enjoy this sunny, brisk day, and maybe do something spontaneous…like jump around in a pink tutu…and rainboots.