Favorite Things: Music Edition

People....I love music and I love finding new artists and listening to new albums.  Here is a mix of all time favorites and favorites as of late.  True, many of these are established bands with a long list of albums under their belts...but they make my heart skip a beat and therefore have made the list.

Weezer - Raditude
The newest album! 

Gossip - Music for Men
So many songs on this album just make me dance ROCK out!! 

Rilo Kiley - Under the Black Light & The Execution of All Things
...i love them both so much

Athens Boys Choir - Jockstraps & Unicorns & Bar Mitzvah Superhits of the 80's, 90's and Today
I have a HUGE crush on Katz...I would TOTALLY make babies with him!  enough for the editorial - radical Trans Spoken Word Artist that I am (clearly) head over heels for!

Bitch & Animal - Eternally Hard
They aren't together anymore...but their albums are still in circulation!  Animal still tours with Ani and the like and makes me wicked happy!!

God-des & She - Stand Up
I am also head-over-heels for God-des...she's a white, lesbian, Jewish rapper from Wisconsin.  They make me happy.

Company of Thieves - Ordinary Riches
ps...they are wonderful live.  If you have the chance to see them live...you should.

Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
ALSO puts on a kick-ass show.  haven't heard from her in a while...I really hope she is still at it!

Erin McKeown - Sing You Sinners
She just signed with Righteous Babe Records and is, therefore, a notch higher on the cool scale!

KATastroPHE - Let's Fuck, Then Talk About My Problems
Radical Trans Hip-Hop artist!!

Tina Dico - Count to Ten

Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts

Owl City - Ocean Eyes

Debra Arlyn - Tomorrow Another Day
GREAT local artist that I think is going to make a splash soon!

Buchanan - All Understood
A very unknown band...and i am pretty sure they are no longer together, but the lead singers voice makes me SO happy!

Marit Larsen - I found this video a while ago and CAN NOT find her albums anywhere.  If anyone knows how i can get it (especially the song in the video) i would be so grateful!!

I mustn't leave out Ani DiFranco (my favorite live album), Tegan & Sara (newest release - Sainthood), or Lily Allen (It's Not Me, It's You - One of my favorite album titles)...they will make any list ever made by me...everyone should know them.  The end.

PLEASE leave me comments with suggestions.

Favorite Things: SNL Edition

I was watching some one my favorite SNL skits and thought it would be fun to put them in one location so i didnt have to search all over for them.  I hope you enjoy!

Mary Poppins

Latest Celebrity Jeopardy!

Celebrity Blogger....I am SO bummed that Lorne Michaels kicked her off!!

Mom Jeans!!

Lova...I laugh soooo hard every time I watch this.

A New Favorite Thing...on the internet

In class today, my professors introduced the class to the world of Word Clouds.  On this website, wordle.net, users input text and their tool inputs the different words into clusters with the most common words larger and the least used words smaller.  So....in honor of the Ani Show on Friday, I made some with her lyrics.  I am having troubles saving the image.....so I am working on it and will let you know when/if i figure it out.

32 Flavors 
Not a Pretty Girl
Untouchable Face

I think i have found my new waste-of-time!!

A New Favorite Thing

I am in love with my down comforter, feather bed, and feather pillow.  What I am NOT in love with is the shifting and falling and gaps that happen throughout the night leaving my comforter bunched at the bottom of the duvet.  I hate being cold in the middle of the night because all I have is two thin pieces of cotton covering me.  I hate trying to shake the comforter back into position in the wee hours of the morning.  This is where my new favorite things come in wonderfully handy.  I found Duvet Grips at Bed Bath & Beyond and made the $5.39 investment hoping that this silly product I found strewn amongst the "As Seen on TV" products would be worth it. 

Ladies and gentlemen...it was worth it. 

These clips keep my comforter in place, they haven't come loose, and are versatile enough to fit any warmth rating comforter.  I can layer comforters during the winter and have everything stay put.  I am in love with the fact that i have not had to do the comforter de-bunching-dance.    If you have bunched comforters....give these suckers a try.

My Favorite Things

You know that song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music? I love that song and whenever I find new products or restaurants or.....whatever, I think of that scene and hear Julie Andrews in my head as i add this new favorite thing to my running list.  I think it is only fair to share some of these great finds with people and this blog is a perfect medium.

The newest addition: Pangea Organics Facial Toner. This toner comes in three scents/varieties for three different skin types. French Rosemary with Sweet Orange for delicate, thirsty & evolved skin; Italian Green Mandarin with Sweet Lime for balanced & combo skin; and Argentinian Tangerine and Thyme for oil-rich & demanding skin.  If i were picking just based on smell, i think i would have gone with the Italian Green Mandarian and sweet Lime (because I am obsessed with lime lately), but i have demanding skin....so I went with the Argentinian Tangerine Thyme variety.  Let me tell you...it is AWESOME!  It smells delicious, has a spray nozzle so it travels well and i don't have to fuss with cotton balls, and the packaging is plant-able!  I have been using it for about a month and my skin has done a 180!  I don't have red, itchy skin; i don't have to use as much moisturizer; and i don't feel like a grease-ball at the end of the day.  two or three sprays in the morning and I am good to go for the day!

It is a bit spendy (about $23), but SO worth it!  I found it at Zupan's in Portland, but I am sure that you can find it at health food stores, co-ops, and speciality shops.  Like i said, i have been using it for about a month and i feel like i have hardly used any....i hope that meansit's worth it!

Making it work

I re-hydrated a bunch of garbanzo beans last night and was determined to make something delicious and new for dinner tonight.  But, i got tired and lazy and settled on throwing together a hummus.  I have missed being able to grab a quick snack in the middle of the day that is low in points, totally satisfying, delicious, and (most importantly) easy!  I made a roasted garlic and spinach hummus a while ago and LOVED it.  Tonight, however, I had no spinach in my fridge.  On top of that, I am low on oil, out of lemons, didnt feel like roasting garlic, and craving some spice. so i had to make it work.

Enter.....Salsa.

People.....this is one of my best finds of the year (and Weight Watchers journey). I added salt, fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, a fresh red pepper, a little oil, and spoonfuls of salsa into the food processor and let the machine did the work.  It is AWESOME!!!