I love music.  I feel like its in me.  Flowing through my veins.  I'm a crappy singer but music for me is the ultimate way to feel.  It moves me, shakes me, inspires me.  Here's a few of my favorites right now.

Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri
I realize that this song is kind of depressing to some people but I LOVE it.  I don't see it that way.  I think it is empowering.  Every time it comes on my IPod I play it over and over.  Her voice haunts me.  Christina Perri just came out with a CD on Tuesday and I'm getting it ASAP.  Also, can have her amazingly awesome hair?  Think I could rock it?



Firework by Katy Perry
When I first heard this song I cried.  I needed it at the exact moment I heard it.  And it has stuck with me.  It's on my workout playlist, it is the ringtone on my phone.  Even the Boy knows it now.  Everytime he hears this song he runs to my phone.  BOOM! BOOM! EVEN BRIGHTER THAN THE MOON!  It's always been inside of you!  Just listening to now makes me want to get up and dance and scream it out at the top of my lungs.



Perfect by Pink
Okay so there is a curse word in that one, but I'm ignoring it.  You're so mean when you talk about yourself, you are wrong.  Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead.  AGH!  How can you NOT love a song that says that?  I think about the Boy too and I think, PLEASE, PLEASE know how special and amazing you are!  LOVE this song.



Coming Home by Diddy featuring Skylar Gray
Oh COME ON.  You know you've got a little Diddy in your rotation.  Look, I have no excuse.  I just like it.



Rolling in the Deep by Adele
This girl can wail.  She sings with such force it amazes me.  I fell in love with her back with Chasing Pavements and the love affair just continues.  Her new album is UH-MAZ-ING.  You need it now.  I'm not kidding.  Her voice is so raspy and has such an old quality to it.  Love, love, love.



So there's a few of my current favorites!  What are you listening to these days?

Have you heard Taylor Swift's new song Mean?  You haven't?  Take a gander at the video.  I'll wait.


Okay, back?  I love this song.  Adore it.  I mean who hasn't had someone in their life that is just MEAN.  "Pointing out my flaws like I don't already see them."  Someone who wants to go on and on and on about the bad parts of your personality but never willing to acknowledge they might just be little off too.  And aren't there some people you just want to say this to?

The last few months I've become very clear on a few things.  I'm trying very hard to look inward this year and make myself better.  I've found myself in a few situations that have had me questioning myself, the way I present myself and the way I treat others.  I've definitely been to blame in part or whole in some of the situations.  In others, I have not.  And I'm learning to stand up for myself in a much different way.

I've come to realize that being me and standing up for who I am doesn't need to be a huge production.  It doesn't need to be a loud demonstration.  Well, sometimes it does, but most of the time it doesn't.  Sometimes it is very simply removing yourself from a situation or changing the way you deal with the situation.  Sometimes it is be honest and frank about how the person has hurt you.  And sometimes it is just being quiet and walking away.

But I've also found that sometimes that mean person just needs a little grace.  I don't know their day.  Maybe I came along at just the wrong time.  So learning to stretch myself and forgive a hurt might help us both.  That's the hard lesson.  Learning to forgive the one's you expect to treat you the best.  Because don't we all do it?  Go after our nearest and dearest with our worst behavior sometimes?  If I'm not the perfect friend how can I expect others to be?  I've been forgiven my bad behaviors and sharp tongue, so shouldn't I extend the same?

The lesson for me is learning to apply this all.  Learning to stand up for myself without teaching others that it is okay to treat me badly.  Without being a bully about it.  I think this is so important because I want my son to grow up and see me lead by example.  I want him to see me deal with the mean in a way that inspires him.  I want him to stand up for himself, but know that sometimes that mean person might just need a little grace.



Mean
You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me,
You, have knocked me off my feet again,
Got me feeling like I’m nothing.
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I’m wounded.
You, pickin’ on the weaker man.

Well you can take me down,
With just one single blow.
But you don’t know, what you don’t know,

Someday, I’ll be living in a big old city,
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me,
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides,
And your walk by lies and your humiliation
You, have pointed out my flaws again,
As if I don’t already see them.
I walk with my head down,
Trying to block you out cause I’ll never impress you
I just wanna feel okay again.

I bet you got pushed around,
Somebody made you cold,
But the cycle ends right now,
You can’t lead me down that road,
You don’t know, what you don’t know

Someday, I’ll be, living in a big old city,
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me,
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar,
Talking over a football game,
With that same big loud opinion but,
Nobody’s listening,
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things,
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can’t sing.

But all you are is mean,
All you are is mean.
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life,
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean

But someday, I’ll be, living in a big old city,
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean. Yeah,
Someday, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me,
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so ?
Someday, I’ll be, living in a big old city,
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean. Yeah,
Someday, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me,
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

I saw this video on Dooce today and I just loved it so much I had to share it with you!

There are lots of things I want to do before I grow up.  Some of things I'm pretty sure will never happen but its fun to dream.  One of the things that I would absolutely not turn down the opportunity to do is to be a part of a Flash Mob.  I swear every time I watch these videos I cry because of the pure joy.  This one especially makes me happy because HELLO!  GLEEEEEEEE!  So if you hear of a Flash Mob coming  your way let me know and I can cross it off my bucket list.

Glee is back.  And if you missed I mourn for you.

Okay, so if you are friends with me on FB or follow me on Twitter than you know I HEART GLEE.  No seriously.  It is my newest, greatest love and I can't get enough.  And if you aren't watching it I feel very, very sad for you.  I might even shed a tear or two.  Because you are missing the awesomeness.  The kids are awesome, the singing is SO cool, the teachers are dorky in the coolest way and did I mention the COOL songs?  Look here, don't take my word for it.  Check out these clips and then tell me you aren't interested.






Seriously, how can you not LOVE the singing.  I wish I could have found the full clips of some of the other songs but you can catch up on on all the episodes on Fox.  And you MUST watch it next Wednesday.  It's not to be missed.  And then you can come back here and thank me profusely.

My friends and I have been discussing old movies on Facebook in the last few days and its gotten me all nostalgic.  I love old movies.  Old movies were all we watched growing up.  The musicals, the black and whites.  Love, love, love them!

Here's a couple clips from my favorite oldies but goodies.

The Court Jester with Danny Kaye.  I LOVE Danny Kaye.  He was the Jim Carrey of that era. 



Here's Doris Day in Calamity Jane.  Have you seen this movie?  You should!  When I first say this movie all I wanted to be when I grew up was Calamity Jane.


This is "Sisters" from White Christmas.  My sister and I used to sing this to each other all the time.  Here's Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen doing the original.


And finally one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES, Gene Kelly, Singin' in the Rain.  There is NOTHING better than this movie and this particular scene. 


I actually found a clip of Usher doing Gene Kelly's Singin' in the Rain and I thought he did awesome!  He's no Gene but pretty good imitation!


Not bad huh?  These movies just make me so happy.  Even just watching the clips themselves makes me smile.  Do you have a favorite movie like that?  One you can watch again and again and just smile?

I heard this song for the first time when the Dixie Chicks released their last album. When I heard it I just knew that I would be very special to me one day. I ran across it about 2 weeks after I found out I was pregnant and I bawled like a baby. And then last week I was driving to work and heard it again and the same thing.

I was there when my oldest niece was born. I remember watching her being born and seeing her face for the first time and I was just overwhelmed. When I held her later I told my sister I couldn't even imagine how much she must love her because I was already so madly in love with her, ready to die for her and she wasn't even mine. I couldn't imagine what it must feel like to feel even more love for a child. Until I got pregnant. There are times that I think of my munchkin and my heart could just burst. My arms ache to hold him or her. The smell of babies makes my heart pound.

My world is about to be rocked in ways I can't even fathom and I can't wait. Forever ISN'T enough.

Everyone and their grandmother has posted this. Even my pals. But I had to put it up too. This moved me to tears. Here is this woman, who by the world's standards was unimportant. She was over 40, unmarried and never been kissed. I'm betting no one ever paid much attention to her. And what they were missing! If they had bothered to look past the exterior they would have been privileged to hear that beautiful gift she has.

This woman, this child-like woman had a dream. She said she had always wanted to sing but had never been given the chance. They all laughed at her and rolled her eyes, and then she opened her mouth. They stopped laughing. She didn't given up on her dream. She wanted it and she went for it. I wish I was that brave. Just goes to show you, never, ever give up on your dreams.

Susan Boyle's Dream

How in the world can I get thighs and a butt like this? And I'de take some of those legs too.

I HEART this. It makes me laugh out loud everytime.