Playing...

Recently I've been utilizing the tremendous amount of natural light that fills my sister's home... And, I've been playing in Photoshop- trying to figure out if I like manipulating the images, or just leaving them as is...

The experimenting continues:







(Tried to give these images a "vintage-y" feel.)

Easter Portraits

I have the cutest nieces and nephews...!

Birds Waiting

Girls Who Sing Mix 1

I've collected a lot of the suggested girl singers mentioned yesterday.... and, I have to say, I have a new favorite mix. Preview below. Beautiful!



SeeqPod - Playable Search

"Mary"

Per Spencer's suggestion on the previous post, I googled Liz Fraser, as I wasn't familiar with her solo work... and, I found this video. She's paired with Yann Tiersen, and it's a beautiful song and video. (Thanks, Spencer.)

(Also, I received sooo many great music suggestions! Thank you. Thank you. I'm currently compiling a playlist of my faves.)

Girls Who Sing

Recently, it's seems as if a lot of women vocalists are shining in the music world. And, for a girl (me) who is a sucker for a beautiful soprano/alto voice, accompanied by piano or strings, especially, there’s nothing better.

Yesterday, I was listening to Bell. Another lovely female vocalist, and definitely an experimentalist. Her sound is different… in a very refreshing way. In fact, she has her very own cover of Radiohead’s Videotape- and it is so good. Listen here. (She often slips into a Bjorkian singing style.)

Who are some of your favorite female vocalists? Mine include:

+Tori Amos
+Beth Orton
+Camera Obscura (Okay, technically they’re a band, but I love Tracyanne Campbell's vocals.)
+Cat Power
+Jenny Lewis (Especially her solo work.)
+Feist
+Emily Haines
+The Innocence Mission’s Karen Peris
+Neko Case
+Patty Griffin

Do share if you feel so inclined!

A Tree Grows...

I took this picture a couple of weekends ago, and it reminds me of the book "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," which I've recently finished. It's, hands down, a new favorite. I absolutely loved it.

Easter

The Easter Bunny brought me the cutest, brightest, Springy-est shirt for Easter... I sure like that Easter Bunny.

happy:blissful! mix one

Thanks everyone for your music suggestions! I previewed every suggested band, and put together some of my faves (in no particular order, besides an aesthetically pleasing-mix order):

1. Melpo Mene: Holes (Thanks, Ali.)
2. Jaymay: Blue Skies
3. The High Llamas: The Old Spring Town (Thanks, Spencer.)
4. Elizabeth and the Catapult: My Goodbye (Thanks, Claire.)
5. Willoughby: Story
6. Bell X1: Rocky Took a Lover (Thanks,Ellen. )
7. Angus & Julia Stone: All of Me (Thanks,Catherine.)
8. Josh Pyke: Middle of the Hill (Thanks, Robin.)
9. Little Wings: Light Green Leaves (Thanks, Aimee.)
10. Sera Cahoone: Baker Lake
11. Coconut Records: West Coast (Thanks, Jo.)
12. Explosions In The Sky: Remember Me As a Time of Day (Thanks, Krista.)
    

To preview, I've published it on iTunes... click here.

Do Look!

If you're looking for a wonderful place to call your own, look at this condo. Our friends (who we are so sad to see moving) have recently put their place up on the market. Everything's been carefully handpicked, and it's an amazing condo:




Again, for more info, click on over here.

Antique

(Thanks for all the great music suggestions! I'm going to be busy today listening to them all... Planning on making a playlist of my faves, if any of you are interested, hoping to post it on the 'morrow.)

Here's another collage from our photo exploration this weekend. This is from downtown SLC; we found some great antique shops that were closed. But, I attempted to get inside. Looked wonderful.

Lala Listen: Please do tell

So... I really wanna know what music you're listening to. And, if you're listening to something right this minute... what is it?

In my cubicle at work, I always have my earphone in my right ear... It's currently being filled with the sounds of The Arrogant. (I recommend the song "I Want You.")

Please share- what are you listening to? I need some new music suggestions, reminders, and/or inspiration.

Exploring

More exploring from this weekend... Annelise and I were secretly scared that while crossing the train tracks our feet would get stuck, and then, an oncoming train would be heading straight for us!

But, I'm happy to report, that this did not happen.

Elizabeth

Meet Elizabeth... She's my newest niece who I finally got to (quickly) take pictures of on Saturday. She is so sweet and so little. She's already been through a lot in her life. But, her parents are such troopers. I love this reference they have posted above her bed:

It reads:

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." -Doctrine and Covenants 88:119

Elizabeth is so lucky to have a house just as this.

Reflecting

So happy one of my best cousins, Annelise, was in town this past weekend. We were able to explore, yet again, but this time in Salt Lake. We found some good locations and snapped away.

Here are some of the "Puddle Pictures" I took:

-Annelise-

-Me and my crazy bed-head-

Still amazes me how sharp the reflections are.

Mellow Morning

It's a rainy, dark morning with snow and rain. I really wish I was playing with my cousins, sister and brother-in-law today... they're going snowboarding, and I can't go. Jealous.

So, the sounds of Robert Francis have been a bit comforting. It's perfectly mellow for a morning as this.

Listen.

StoryCorps

If my timing is just right on Friday morning, I can usually catch NPR's StoryCorps on my way to work.

So happy I tuned in this morning... If you need a little inspiration, definitely listen.
.

Following Him

I took this picture before we moved... Because Jeffrey's been so busy with school and work, I feel like I follow him around, no matter what he's doing, when he's home. I love to spend any extra moment with him when he's home, which is rare.

However, hope is on the horizon... he has Spring break next week... yip-eee!

SXSW Highlights

I've always wanted to be in Austin, Texas this time of year... Close to 1,700 bands come to play and showcase their sounds to labels, and the press.

I've been following NPR's All Songs Considered and NPR Bloggers, as they're doing a fabulous in-depth coverage of the festival.

They clued me in to two bands I'm enjoying:

Bon Iver

If you like M. Ward, you'll enjoy his style, he's a bit more passionate...

And, on an entirely different note, I also really enjoy Sera Cahoone who's an acoustic/country singer. She's on Sub Pop records, and her voice is beautiful.

For more highlights and music suggestions, NPR's Music Blog is a great resource.

Me

The view from my sister's home is so beautiful.



Lots of beautiful reflections.

Also, as I was quickly running out the door this morning, the sun rising was so pretty. I'll try and capture that this week.

Where's Home to You?

home
Pronunciation: \ˈhōm\
Function: noun
one's place of residence : a familiar or usual setting : congenial environment; also : the focus of one's domestic attention

So... to make a long (stressful, sleepless nights, anxiety-ridden) story short. The home Jeff and I thought we wanted, we decided we no longer wanted. So, we're homeless. (Okay, not at all. We're currently living with my sister and husband in their beautiful home. Feels more like a retreat, really.)

But, we're literally all over the map when it comes to deciding where we should plant our roots for the next couple of years (could be 5-10 years, really).

And, I've been thinking, isn't the blogging community such a wonderful place to reach out to? Absolutely.

So, with that said, I'd love to hear (if you dare tell):

• Do you like/love/hate your neighborhood?
• Where do you live?
• Would you want me to be your neighbor? (I bake good cookies!)
• Are there any homes for sale in your neighborhood?

Granted, this is all relative to so many different elements. But, I am curious where people call home and love to live.

If you dare share any of these thoughts, please either leave a comment or email me at,

laceyjpappas (at) gmail (dot) com.

I'd truly appreciate it! It may just help make this never-ending, house-hunting a bit easier to navigate.

Thanks.

I miss

Doing this...

It's been far too long.

March Music

So... I'm thrilled with the number of fun bands coming through SLC this month. To learn more, click here .

I'm definitely going to catch Beach House and Papercuts... I just can't get enough of those cuts .

Lala Listen: Jaymay

Do you ever have days where you're constantly rubbing your eyes because they feel so heavy?

Jeff and I had yet another late night moving (we really moved out this time) last night. And, we had to wake up early, so it was a rough-go making it into work this morning.

Luckily, I remembered the singer Jaymay that
Jess featured on her Love Songs mix, and I haven't been able to stop listening. This music is a perfect accompaniment to a long, tired, restless, need comforting day.

Favorite track? There's just too many but try: Snow White and Gray or Blue

Phew.

Remember when I was looking forward to the weekend ? Well, little did I know how painful moving really can be. Filling boxes, lifting boxes, pushing boxes, tossing boxes can get really old... fast. And, I just about had a heart attack watching my precious piano being lifted on its side and rolled on the gravel! Ouch. It was heart breaking.

However, my husband is such a trooper. I can't believe the amount of work he got done, even with a cold.

We're just looking forward to living in our new home... in the meantime, I'm staying with my sister and husband in their beautiful new home. It's going to be a treat. I just know it.

So happy the weekend's over.