A Web & Graphic Designer Inspired through Running & the Great Outdoors

Today’s jam is from Jed & Lucia, who have been around for more than a hot second. The Californians started playing their indie electro-folk-pop together since 2005.  There latest track “Its a Wonder” has that wonderful summer sound. It’s even a free download for you right now on their site.

“This is Why” released in 2011 and “April Showers” released in 2010 are great mellow jams to chill out to.

They remind me of another awesome summer tune I got stuck on back in the summer of 2010, “Brazilian” by Gramophonedzie. (Please, excuse the video, I couldn’t find a better clip of it. might I suggest pressing play and closing your eyes and just enjoy the sounds.) Also, a free download here.

Though both, Jed & Lucia and Gramophonedzie may never make it onto SNL, I think they are fantastic and deserve to be heard. Happy Friday! Summer’s nearly here!

So, it’s official, I am a resident of Marina Del Rey. Gosh this whole moving apartment things really has thrown me for a loop. There’s always so much mor to do than I realize. But Memorial Day weekend was a blast move or no move.

I am so thankful for:

• A wonderfully fun wedding with a truly happy couple and a wonderfully fun first time being a bridesmaid

• An amazing new apartment (pics above) and asome fun decorating to come

• Sunny and mildly hot weather to enjoy the new pool with on the long weekend

More regular posts to come now that we are getting settled. Promise. No, really.

The Heavy has been one of my favorite bands the last few years. Coming from across the pond, in London, they make some great soulful and vintage sounding rock. They are, of course, pretty well known, but I was shocked to see that they had not been booked on Saturday Night Live yet. So, in honour of their new single “What Makes a Good Man?” (below) and their upcoming new album (fingers crossed soon), they are today’s “Friday Night Live – Unbooked” artist.

Enjoy & Happy Friday!

Whew! What a week and there’s still stuff to do. I am thankful for so many things this week.

• For making time to knit

• Meeting exciting new people

• Furniture shopping with the beau for our new apartment (moving this weekend! eeekkk!) We bought this couch in Faux Suede Paprika Herringbone, dining table and my new desk!

• Taking a moment and enjoying living at the beach

• I had some bad dental work done here in LA, so I opted to pay a visit to my childhood dentist back home. It’s always great to visit family while I am home in Palm Springs. And of course make a quick stop at Cheeky’s on the way out (a must go for food)

The Neighbourhood is an LA based, indie pop group lead by lead singer Jesse Rutherford smooth and haunting voice. They have been sprouting up over a few music blogs this month, and with that, it’s about all the detailed information we know on this up-and-coming band. Whether or not they planned it that way, the minimal amount of information surrounding them seems to have sparked intrigue among a quiet few.

One of my favorite songs of late.

The free release of new EP “I’m Sorry” was released on May 7 and they start touring this month as well. The Neighbourhood is definitely on its way up and can’t see them being anything but the Next great LA band and eventually making their way on SNL!

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

It’s been a long couple of weeks burying my face in my own branding stuff. And I have been told I need to take a day and enjoy the weather and the fact that the beach is right outside my front door. So, today, if the clouds allow, I am planning to take a few hours and head out and lay in the sand. Sometimes just getting away for a bit helps solve a lot of questions when you get back.

This week I am so thankful for…

• having the time to knit

• a convertible for this nice sunny warm weather

• Every growing follower on my blog. It’s such an inspiration! Thanks everyone! (let me know what you’d like to see more of)

What are you grateful for this week?

(source)

For Dad’s Day

I know Mom’s day was just last week. But in a short month (June 17th) it will be Dad’s turn. So rather that shop last minute, I thought we’d get a head start. Just a few ideas to get you started… happy shopping.

Soap  //  tape  // flask  //  bag  //  beer  // gift basket  //  chocolate  // ceramic animals

Well, I am off to a not -so-good start, my second post for the Monday Funday column got postponed a day. My apologies friends, that’s what happens when you have way to much fun for your own good over the weekend.

Never fear, it’s here today!

And after all the FUN, we have a non-alcoholic drink on tap today. It’s a little detox for your kidneys and liver, if you need it like i need it, heck even if you don’t, it’s delicious, so why wouldn’t you?

Here’s what you need for your detoxifying green smoothie:

1/2 cup frozen mangos

1/2 frozen banana

handful of fresh spinach

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1/2 scoop whey protein powder

10-20 drops of liquid chlorophyll ( I use one from Whole Foods, similar to this)*

couple ice cubes

Just throw everything into your blender and whirl away. Pour into glass and enjoy the taste of detoxification!

 

And if you aren’t sure about the liquid chlorophyll the smoothie is teh best way to try it, you won’t even know it’s in there. After three days of using it every day, you should see clearer skin! I know I did. Yeah, I’m kinda addicted. I love it so much I just add it to water once a day if I don’t make this smoothie. I like the slight peppermint taste it adds to my water. Try it!

*Studies have shown that Chlorophyll increases our red blood cell count, helps fight infection, treat acne and improve the look of skin, and promote the health of our digestive track and immune system, among much more. You can read more here.

 

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately, and thus have a pile of books that I am reading, want to read and need to read when they come out. Here’s what’s on my list this month.

For the business side:

Since recently starting on the path to (graphic designer) freelance, I have been reading up on a lot of books for business. The first one I ever got when I was thinking about making the jump was, naturally, “Creative Inc.” by Meg Ilasco and Joy Cho. It’s my bible. Highly, highly recommend it to anyone starting out or veteran, there’s stuff in there for everyone.

The next one I want to read, but have not yet is “Design is a Job” by Mike Monteiro. Anyone read it yet? Let me know what you think.

And “Start Something That Matters” by the founder of Toms shoes Blake Mycoskie. What an inspirational story for business.

And of course, we can’t forget summer reading lists are coming out. I mean who doesn’t need a good book for the beach. And since I live at the beach, literally, I have quite the pile starting.

My book club just finished reading “The Fault in our Stars” by John Greene this month. What a great inspirational story about a girl falling in love while being sick with cancer. A tear-jerker in the end, but worth every tear. A definitely must read this year, great for the beach. It’s one of the fastest reads I have read in a while. I went through easy-breezy in a week, though some of the girls in book club said one day and they were done. It’s that great.

“Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion”, while not a light read, it supposed to help with the ego and open us up to the universe and our spiritual being. We all need to work on ourselves, all the time.

And after digesting all those books, light and not so, here’s one you can really consume this summer. Mrs. Lilien is one of my favorite lifestyle blogs around. And it’s only fitting that she came out with her first book, a “Cocktail Swatchbook” with delightful cocktails to flip through and make. It’s not out until the end of May, but worth adding to the list. I know it’s on mine.

What’s on your summer reading list? Recommendations?

Sooner or later to be on Saturday Night Live, today’s artist is a new favorite of mine, Of Monters and Men. They’ve been around since 2010, this Icelandic Indie-pop group recently released their first full album ” My Head Is an Animal” this year. And it’s just brilliant.

This was a No. 1 hit in Iceland last year, oh and this video just happens to be all sorts of amazing! I particularly love the gold lips and butterfly eyes… oh and guys there’s cool sea monsters and a psychedelic flying buffalo to boot! I dare you not to buy the album after a listen. It just makes me want to get outta my seat.

Happy Friday!

A live version of my favorite tune of theirs right now:

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