I don't know where I can trust my heart, but you were my rock never my stepping stone

A Silent Film
{Harbour Lights}

I heard this on the radio the other day and fell in love.
I adore the sound of the lead's voice, & the rhythm of the melody.
The cutesy, romantic music video doesn't hurt, either.

We've got no money, but we've got heart...

I present to you Anna Sun by Walk the Moon.

Folks, I am obsessed with this song. 

No joke, the National Guard guy* commented this morning that he always hears this song playing in my car when I come through the check-in station.

Please hop on the obsession bandwagon.

*Due to the High Park fire's Incident Command Base being located across the street from my office, traffic is currently restricted to Fire and Business personnel only, so I have to say hello to the National Guard on my way into the office.

Kiss Me Slowly

I tend to pass time at work by catching up on my shows on Hulu, but every once in a while the day and/or the task at hand calls for background music over entertaining chatter...today is that kind of day. The Fray's new album Scars & Stories is my current go-to, but I cannot help but throw a little Parachute into the mix:

Safe and Sound

I may be a little late to the game on this one, but I just listened to Taylor Swift's single Safe and Sound, which was written for The Hunger Games movie and features The Civil Wars, whom I love!

Not only does it give me little chills when I listen to it, but it fits the story so well. The lyrics are kind of eerie, with a sad and dark undertone, and yet there is hope in them, too. In my opinion, this combination perfectly encompasses the essence of the story and the characters' relationships.

Of Monsters and Men: Little Talks

Another song for your Wednesday...

I've heard this one before but never knew who the band was, so I am quite excited to finally have a band name and song title!

The Staves: Winter Trees

In my bloggy-browsing this morning I came across Chasing Heartbeats' "Musik fur Mittwoch" post and fell head over heels in love with this week's song: Winter Trees by The Staves.

I'm tired and mellow today, wishing I was curled up with the dogs at Tony's, still in my pjs, finishing off the pot of coffee and reading in front of the fireplace...this song seems to coexist perfectly with my mood.

Enjoy!

(and happy Wednesday, loves) 

Fill in the blank Friday

1. One of my happiest moments ever was coming through customs in Sydney, Australia to find Jamie and Nick waiting with huge smiles on their faces. Those first hugs were the best!

2. Summer is wedding season and weddings are a lovely celebration of a couple's love. I think weddings are gorgeous and can be fabulously lavish affairs, but are sometimes over done. I'm partial to a City Hall ceremony myself and will stand firm on only having the closest family and friends at my wedding (when/if I get married). A wedding is for you and your love, and those people who have helped you to become the couple you are. They aren't for family you hardly know, friends of parents you've never met and other "supposed-to" invites. *in my opinion*

3. This summer has been my busiest one yet, work wise, and has been surprisingly hot and humid. Granted, this is by CO standards, so the heat is to be expected, but the lasting humidity is a surprise.

4. My summer food of choice has been mangoes and caesar salads.

5. My summer uniform has been lots of sundresses, or jean capris, tank/tee, flip flops and a cardi in my purse for the evenings. I spend a lot of time in my running shorts, too, but that's not overly glamorous, although they are super comfy.

6. If I could spend the entire summer in one location I would choose Colorado, actually. I love Colorado summers, and compared with the other summers I've experienced (Midwest, East coast, tropical) I don't think I would trade mine in.

7. My summer anthem is either Young Blood by The Naked and Famous or Just A Little Bit by Kids of 88.

Fill in the blank Friday

1. I am a (morning, evening, middle of the day person) morning person in the sense that I love alone time in the morning. I like getting up on the earlier side in order to enjoy my coffee, have a leisurely start to my day and, if it's the weekend, fit in a walk or run before it gets too hot. I'm one of those people that once I'm awake, I'm awake, and I've never really enjoyed just lounging about in bed. I'd rather take my lounging to the couch or patio. Oh, and brekky is my favorite meal of the day!

2. My favorite Pandora stations are (currently) Arcade Fire, The Naked and Famous, Thompson Square, AWOLNATION and The Temper Trap. This will change as the season's change, but for the height of summer, that little quick mix gets me through the day at work.

3. 3 of my "must-have" songs for a road trip playlist are Don't Stop Believin' by Journey, Alone by Heart and The Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. Jamie and I used to road trip to and from Minnesota several times a year in college and Journey and Heart are perfect for belting your heart out while driving with the windows down through the middle of Iowa, and Phantom is the best for keeping you awake at 2 am.

4. My favorite pattern is probably floral, although I do love a girlified lumberjack plaid in the Fall...what can I say, I'm a Colorado girl.

5. My favorite perfume is Burberry Brit or Body by Victoria, but I've also been wearing Incredible body mist from Victoria's Secret this summer, which I really like.

6. Rules are usually in place for a reason. Sometimes people get a little too carried away with rules, but I tend to lean more towards the things-are-fairly-black-and-white view of the world (not in everything!) so I am a fan of rules.

7. My most overused phrase or punctuation is either "seriously" or "literally", which yes, are words rather than a phrase, but they apply because I definitely use them a lot. I also love ellipses...!

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. I love mangoes because, despite being a serious pain in the butt to cut, they have such incredible flavor! They also make me think of summer time, margaritas and Townsville, Australia...all good things!

2. A time that mama knew best was when she told me it would be better to buy a ticket to Australia than a new couch. I was having one of my usual Eri freak outs about how expensive the trip was going to be and about traveling so far by myself, etc, etc and Mom talked me down from the edge and I'm so glad she did. A life-altering adventure with my bestie was way better than a new couch.

3. My first kiss went a little like this...does being chased around the playground by the same boy every day in 1st grade until he'd catch me, pin me down and then kiss me count? Because if so, that's a little how my first kiss went. Haha...

4. My celebrity crush is Christopher Egan from Letters to Juliet. He reminds me so much of a British Heath Ledger, and Heath stole my heart when I was 11 years old. I have numerous other celebrity crushes (what girl doesn't?), but we'll stick with the Chrises for now...Chris Pine, especially when he wears his glasses, and Chris Hemsworth. Yep, all hotties.

5. My splurge of choice is travel. Sure, I love to splurge a little on dinners with friends, bottles of wine, nonfat lattes and a new book here and there, but travel is my real, true splurge. Travel is extremely important to me, and I always manage to find a way to pay for that plane ticket, or get that day off of work for a long weekend. I swear it's vital to my sanity.
*let it be noted that I would travel far less if it weren't for my incredibly supportive parents...they rock*

6. My biggest accomplishment is finding a grown-up job that I love. I'm lucky, and even though I would kill to make more money, I love what I do 95% of the time. I work for an agency I believe in, with good people and it challenges me.

7. My dance jam of choice is constantly changing, but currently it's Who's That Chick? by David Guetta, featuring Rihanna and Nicki Minaj's Super Bass.

If you want to link up with Lauren, play along here

Fill in the Blank Friday

I feel like it's been a while since I played along with Lauren's Friday blanks, but to be perfectly honest I cannot remember exactly when the last time was...before I left for Australia, maybe? No matter, I'm playing today and encourage you all to link up as well!

Happy Friday!

1. People always tell me I look like my mother, even though I see more of my father in my face. My personality is pretty much all Debby, but I physically look more like my father.
(I've never been told I look like a celebrity, by the way)

2. Friends don't let friends make big decisions without first discussing the pros and cons; they don't let friends walk around with food in their teeth or things in their hair.

3. A sunny day is perfect for drinking coffee on the patio, going for a long walk or hike, reading at the park, grabbing a glass of wine and then wandering around Old Town with the girls.

4. My favorite accessory is a fun pair of earrings. I love earrings, and because I have short hair they are usually visible.

5. If I could afford it I would quit my job, pay off whatever officials I needed to in order to get the residency required to live in Australia, move into a killer flat with Jamie, call it my home base and then travel the world. Yep, sounds like an awesome life plan to me.

6. The cure for boredom is to go for a long drive or walk, and to get just a little lost, both in direction and in your thoughts. A good book works, too. As does spontaneous wine nights with friends.

7. I am currently "in like" with If I Die Young by The Band Perry because it references my favorite Tennyson poem, with the idea of a pixie-ish cut (I may chop off my hair this arvo!), Twinings Lady Grey tea, long walks when it's sprinkling outside, avocado and tomatoes on toasted sourdough, etc, etc...

Music for the Soul

As you all know, I am the kind of gal who becomes obsessed with a song, plays it on repeat for a week or two, sings my little heart out and then, like a magpie and a shiny object, I move on to a new song. It works for me...probably drives my coworkers crazy, but they have all grown accustomed to my semi-eccentric ways (thank goodness!).

This week's song obsession is Love Lost by The Temper Trap. It's true love. Seriously. And, I have Miss Jamie Lynn, that favorite eccentric bestie of mine, to thank for this song. She turned me onto The Temper Trap several months ago, and I liked them right away, but it wasn't until we were listening to them in Townsville that I really felt a strong pull.

So, without further ado, give 'em a listen!



Our love was lost
But now we've found it
Our love was lost
And hope was gone

Our love was lost
But now we've found it
And if you flash your heart
I won't deny it
I promise

I promise

Your walls are up
Too cold to touch it
Your walls are up
Too high to climb

I know it's hard
But I can still hear it beating
So if you flash your heart
I won't mistreat it
I promise

I promise

Our love was lost
In the rubble are all the things
That you've, you've been dreaming of
Keep me in mind
When you're ready
I am here
To take you every time

Oh our love was lost
Lost, lost, lost, lost....
Our love was lost
But now its found

Today's song obsession

I think in the grand scheme of things I'm actually a little late in loving Mumford & Sons, but that's ok. To be honest, when I first heard them a few months ago, they didn't really strike a chord with me, but I heard The Cave on the radio last week and I fell in love.

So, without further ado, please become as obsessed as I am:

Rolling in the Deep

While blog-hopping this morning I came across this music video over at A Blonde Ambition and I just had to pass it along. I love Adele. I love her soulful voice and emotion-packed lyrics, and this music video is gorgeous...the glasses of water that are perfectly still until the beat picks up, the pile of broken china at the base of the stairs and the dancer. Love. You've all heard me talk about how I get completely obsessed with a song for a while, and I think it's safe to say that this is my new "on repeat" song. It's snowing and cold, and even though I can't be curled up in my pjs at home, at least I can blast this song in between meetings today.

All the Same

Do you ever get caught up in a song and then listen to it repeatedly until you, and everyone else around you, is sick of it? Confession: I do. My car stereo has a "repeat" button and I'm addicted to it. Yes, I frequently listen to the same song over and over again on my 25 minute drive to work. And then I keep listening to it on the way home. I've always been a repeat girl.

My current obsession is All the Same by Sick Puppies. I am ob-freaking-sessed! (I never thought I'd throw "freaking" into the middle of a word here on my blog...). I've liked Sick Puppies for a while now, but I hadn't discovered this song until Jamie sent it to me the other day...I love it! Sick Puppies are one of my favorite groups to listen to when I'm at the gym, and now it has found its way to the coveted "repeat" song in my car. There's something about the line: "And I'll take you for who you are/ if you take me for everything..." that I just love.

All The Same

I dont mind where you come from
As long as you come to me
But I dont like illusions I cant see
Them clearly
I dont care, no I wouldn't dare
To fix the twist in you
You've shown me eventually what you'll do
I dont mind
I dont care
As long as you're here

[Chorus]

Go ahead and tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
And do it all over again
It's all the same

Hours slide and days go by
Till you decide to come
But in-between it always seems too long
Suddenly
But I have the skill, yeah
I have the will, to breath you in while I can
However long you stay is all that I am

I dont mind, I dont care
As long as you're here

Go ahead and tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
And do it all over again
It's always the same

Wrong or Right
Black or White
If I close my eyes
Its all the same

In my life
The compromise
I'll close my eyes
Its all the same

Go ahead say it
You're leaving
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are now
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same

Like a punch to the gut

My student hourly has his Pandora playing and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" just came on, and my stomach and throat instantly clenched. I had to remind myself to breathe. To take a few deep breaths. To not let those tears that quickly welled up spill over...because I'm at work and there are lots of prying eyes.

In 2 days it will be 2 years since Rebecca died. This song was played at the tail end of her funeral and it makes me think of sobbing in my parents' arms, completely overwhelmed by the grief of her loss, my inability to understand why she was gone and my awe at the outpouring of love from friends and strangers who came to pay their respects.

I wasn't prepared for that song to hit me like a punch to the gut today, but it did.

Wow.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Hooray! It's Friday!! I'm currently finishing up my final accrual and already making plans to head out early for some family and friends time...aka, I'm going to see Eclipse with my Mom and one of my dearest friends, Chelsae. :-)

In honor of the Holiday Weekend, Lauren at the little things we do... has chosen July 4th themed blanks; how very festive!

1. This weekend for The 4th of July I'll be going to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival to sweat my little heart out from booth to booth, eating at The Cherry Cricket (amazing, wishing Jamie was joining), sleeping-in, hopefully reading by the pool, maybe taking in some fireworks and BBQing with my parents and my favorite cousin who is in town for the week.

2. Fireworks are, like Lauren said, a bit overrated. They're fun, but my world doesn't feel incomplete if I go a year or two without seeing them.

3. Nothing says summer like freezer pops, laying out by the pool, BBQs, reading outside until the sun finally sets at 8:30 or 9:00, roadtrips, mojitos, driving with the music blasting the windows down, fun sunglasses, playing at the park with friends and heading to the mountains on the weekends.

4. My favorite summer memory is when my parents and I roadtripped back to Michigan when I was 11 or 12. We stopped at my Dad's childhood haunts, visited family, got along for the entire trip and spent an amazing day on Mackinac Island. Roadtrips with Jamie to and from Minnesota and Colorado also tops my favorite summer memories list.

5. My favorite thing about summer is being able to go for a walk after dinner and having the sun still shining.

6. Summer in a word is nostalgic.

7. If I could choose to have summer or winter year round I'd pick neither. I love the Summer sun, but I get waaay too hot; and as much as I truly do like Winter, I couldn't live in it year round. I'm a Fall kind of girl.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Lauren is back from her little blog break just in time for another edition of Fill in the Blank Friday. As always, I just love playing along with this, and think you all should, too!

1. My dream vacation would be to travel all over Europe. I want to see it all, stay in classy, fabulous places, explore to my heart's content and meet fascinating people.

2. The best trip I've ever taken was my first trip abroad to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It instilled in me a love for Europe (especially Germany), a desire to travel and introduced me to myself and my own abilities. I was only in 8th grade, but I've always felt like it's a defining part of my life.

3. The most important items to take on a road trip are cell phones, money, incredible music, snacks, a sense of adventure and your best friend(s)!

4. The next trip I'm looking forward to is visiting my bestie in Australia next year.

5. If I had to pick one CD to listen to for a long road trip it would be a mix of some sort with a little bit of everything...I really just care about being able to sing at the top of my lungs with the windows down.

6. The biggest disaster I've ever encountered while traveling was a kid losing his passport on an international school trip. Nothing really bad has happened to me (knock on wood) other than flight delays and crappy weather. Although, I did leave a bunch of my traveler's checks in a store in Switzerland once, but I was able to retrieve them quickly.

7. My favorite traveling memory is standing on one of the balconies at Heidelberg Schloss (Heidelberg, Germany) and looking down at the Neckar River and all of the old, red-tile roofs of the city. It was my first day in Germany, heck my first day in Europe, and it couldn't have been more picture perfect!

The one where I play catch-up in bullet form...

I've been a bad blogger...again. This seems to be a new pattern for me, which I should probably work on. But for now, I'll just thank you all in advance for sticking with me.

- My parents recently returned from the family condo in Florida and they brought back an old, hand-colored photograph of my grandfather that I have always loved. He's very young and crouched over a pond, exploring something. I think it's beautiful and I love getting to look at it every time I go into my bedroom.

- I saw The Back-up Plan this past weekend and thought it was great! It was funny and entertaining, J. Lo played her role beautifully and Alex O'Loughlin certainly isn't hard on the eyes. If you love a good chick-flick, I suggest making a girls night out of this one.

- I'm currently obssessed with Airplanes by B.o.B and Hayley Williams.

- I've been making an appearance back into the world of dating recently...I know, let's all have a collective GASP, it truly is the most appropriate reaction.

- I recently finished the book Jane Austen Ruined My Life and now I'm in a book slump. I just don't feel like reading any of the books I have from the Library or any that are on my bookshelves. But, on the plus side, I did receive my gorgeous copy of Persuasion in the mail, so I have been reading bits and pieces of that when I get the urge.

- I have a stack of packages that I desperately need to get in the mail (some are quite late!), but I keep forgetting until after the Post Office is closed. I hate when I do this.

- My mom and I went to a local dance production called Ripple this past weekend. It was very unique and I truly enjoyed it. The best part: the space that was used was incredible!! I mean, incredible enough that I want to have an excuse to throw a party in this space...or have a wedding reception there. Yep, that cool!

- I also saw How to Train Your Dragon...amazing! I seriously want a pet dragon now.

- I'm officially down another pant size and it feels soooo good! I'm pretty sure the last time I was this size was in high school. I love food and will never deny myself good food, but I've been eating healthier and have become a bit of a gym rat. I think I'll stick with this new me.

Fill in the Blank Friday

(via)

It's time for Lauren's friday feature once again. Please, feel free to join in: just head on over to the little things we do..., grab the blanks and link up your post.

1. One song that always takes me back to my youth is Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las. The was my song when I was little and I would sing it like crazy. I still get nostalgic when it comes up on my iPod.

2. My first concert ever was Matchbox Twenty. I was in highschool, super close to the stage and nearly lost my voice from singing so loudly. It was a great first experience.

3. If I could create my dream music festival I'd want these bands to be there: O.A.R., Augustana, Rod Stewart, Elton John, The Fray, Taylor Swift, Mayday Parade, Poets of the Fall, Linkin Park, Rise Against, La Roux, Jason Mraz, Lady Antebellum, The Goo Goo Dolls, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, Dashboard Confessional, Paramore, Silversun Pickups, Eric Clapton, The Roots, etc...I'm pretty sure this list could go on forever.

4. The best make-out/ "boot knocking" song ever is I'm not really sure...I'm not usually paying close enough attention to the background noise.

5. The best concert I've ever been to was Jason Mraz. He was insanely awesome live, and interacted with the crowd like nobody's business! I'm not sure if it's technically a concert, but Flight of the Conchords were also fabulous live.

6. A memorable music moment for me was the first time I remember hearing Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton. I grew up listening to him, both as part of Cream and on his own, but I will always remember when I fell in love with that song. I was only about 7 (total guess, but I was young for sure) and my parents and I were road-tripping to New Mexico. It was nighttime, Mom was dozing up front, Dad was driving and I was supposed to be sleeping in the back seat, but I was hunting for constellations through the back window instead. Tears in Heaven came on and I was determined to learn the lyrics, so I listened to that song like I never had before and to this day I think about lying in the backseat and staring up at the stars whenever I hear it.

7. The song on my iPod that's getting the most play these days is Madly by Tristan Prettyman and Into Your Arms by The Maine.