Stole Me Away

Summer is my favorite season. It conjures up memories of lime popsicles, tennis lessons, fireworks, and lately, Dave Matthews concerts. In honor of summer and my love (or obsession, you decide), with DMB, here are some of my favorite songs and lyrics:

#41 – Why won’t you ever be glad? It melts into wonder. I came in praying for you. Why won’t you run in the rain and play? Let the tears splash all over you.

This is my all-time favorite Dave Matthews song, and the instrumentals are gorgeous. I love the way that he urges us to take a look at our lives and find contentment and fulfillment from deep within.

Lie in Our Graves – I can’t believe that we would lie in our graves, wondering if we had spent our days living well. I can’t believe we would lie in our graves, wondering what we might have been.

This is another song that reminds me to find joy in each moment, and seek an abundant life.

Seek Up – Forget about the reasons and the treasons we are seeking. Forget about the notion that our emotions can be swept away, kept at bay. Forget about being guilty, we are innocent instead. For soon we will find our lives swept away.

This song encourages me to cling to my faith, hold onto my feelings, and relinquish the expectations I place upon myself since life is short.

Sister – Passing time with you in mind, it’s another quiet night. Feel the ground against my back, counting stars against the black. Think about another day, wishing I was far away. Wherever I dreamed I was, you were there with me. Sister, I hear you laugh, my heart fills up, keep me please. Sister, when you cry, I feel your tears running down my face. Sister, sister, keep me. I hope you always know it’s true. I would never make it through. You could make the sun go dark just by walking away.

I’ve seen this song performed live twice, and it’s absolutely breathtaking…it often brings me to tears. I can only hope and pray that if my brother heard this song, he’d think of me.

I can’t wait until August!

Oxford Comma

I discovered Vampire Weekend last night. I absolutely adore the band’s debut album, which was released earlier this year. The album’s sound is reminiscent of Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” mixed with reggae, Afro-pop and chamber orchestra. Listen and love…

Amazing music like this reminds me of my desire to play the violin. I think it’s time for me to pursue that goal. L.A. must have plenty of violin instructors, right?

I shopped at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market this morning. It is within walking distance of my apartment, so I headed there around 8:30 AM to beat the heat and the crowds. I believe I spent $12, and purchased:

-Tomatoes
-Basil
-Green beans
-Cherries
-Strawberries
-Nectarines

The strawberries made a nice post-shopping snack, and the cherries were perfectly ripe with lunch today. Tomatoes and basil will top pasta for tomorrow night’s dinner, and I made a salad with the green beans. The nectarines will be perfectly ripe tomorrow or the next day…perhaps I will slice them up with a drizzle of honey and a dash of cinnamon!

I really, really, really wish I could shop at the farmer’s market daily.

Hot Hot

Maybe if I sit completely still, I’ll trick myself into forgetting that I don’t have, and desperately need, air conditioning.

Not likely.

My iceless glass of water is sweating. Heck, I’m sweating. I have phone calls to make, but the last thing I want to do is hold a phone to my cheek. I have stories to write, but my MacBook is quite adept at heating up my wrists and making me even hotter, if such a thing is possible.

Maybe I’ll go run. Although I’ll be hot from exercising, I’ll at least have the benefit of some air flow.

This Is Your Life

I love my new job, and I’m almost surprised. The experience didn’t exactly start off on the right foot…my interview was incredibly unorganized, and I think I went into the position expecting to be disappointed.

However, I have more responsibilities and decision making power than ever, and there are still plenty of people available to answer any questions I may have. I’m finding that the balance suits me well. I’m even looking forward to going back to work tomorrow, on a Friday! “Love what you do” couldn’t be more fitting at the moment.

(Bonus: When boutiques, fashion houses, and publicists instantly recognize your magazine’s name, and you are helped instantly.)

Made it Close

I left L.A. for the weekend, and spent time in a far quieter, smog-free place with non-existent traffic and endless amounts of free parking. It was nice to spend time floating on an air mattress in a sparkling aqua pool, and run on evenly paved streets. I may have even relaxed a little, which isn’t an easy thing for me.

Much of what I thought about during my mini-vacation is appropriately summed up by the title of Coldplay’s new album: Viva la Vida, which is Spanish for “long live life.” I take life for granted every single day; I waste time on unimportant things, and I worry about insignificant things. I live more cautiously than I’d like to, and my life is not as full of passion or energy as I’d like. I want to live richly, find pleasure in simple things, and take delight in bringing joy to other people.

Time is so short and I’m sure there must be something more.-42, Coldplay

“The Quiet World”

In an effort to get people
to look into each other’s eyes more,
and also to appease the mutes,
the government has decided
to allot each person exactly
one hundred and sixty-seven words,
per day.

When the phone rings, I put it
to my ear without saying hello.
In the restaurant I point at chicken noodle soup.
I am adjusting well to this new way.

Late at night, I call my long distance lover,
proudly say I only used fifty-nine today.
I saved the rest for you.

When she doesn’t respond,
I know she’s used up all her words,
so I slowly whisper I love you
thirty-two and a third times.
After that, we just sit on the line
and listen to each other breathe. -Jeffrey McDaniel

(My new favorite poem.)

Fashion Forward

The new Alexander McQueen store in L.A. on Melrose is 3,100 square feet and features an all-white interior.

Those are the kind of useless (or useful, whichever you prefer) facts that I pick up and inadvertently memorize while fact-checking. Today I started my new position working in the fashion department, and packed a week’s worth of training into an incredibly long 10-hour day.

As exhausted as I am right now, I’m excited for the opportunity to break into the fashion world and make contacts in the industry. I can’t wait to help with my first photo shoot, visit showrooms, and score amazing clothes at sample sales.

Speaking of fashion, I now subscribe to or receive In Style, Vogue, Nylon, Elle and W. Is it possible to read too many magazines?

Purple and Gold

I’ve loved the Lakers for years—long before that whole Kobe and Colorado incident went down. It’s sweet to now live in L.A. and have a legitimate team to root for (especially since I hate the Dodgers—Giants fan for life). The only downside to loving the Lakers is on a night like tonight, when they lose after such an intense final quarter, and a cloud seems to dampen the hopes of the city. Here’s hoping Game 3 at Staples Center on Tuesday will end up differently…I know I’ll be tuning in.

Everyday

I had a weird job interview the other day. I arrived on time and waited for 27 minutes (yes, I obsessively looked at my watch) to speak with anyone. As I sat in the foyer, I had plenty of time to think.

I thought about my career, and what I really, really, really want. I thought about walking out of the office, but decided not to burn a bridge with the editor. I thought about the myriad of other things I could have been doing in those moments, but ultimately decided to stay and give the interview a shot.

The interview went surprisingly well, and I even passed the edit test. (When I expressed shock about this to my friend, he told me that an edit test is to me what a math problem is to an engineer: An innate ability and skill that requires no study or preparation).

I start next Tuesday. I finally get to work in the fashion department, and my commute is less than one mile…aka, a miracle in L.A. I’ll miss those four-day work weeks though…