the good stuff.

dinner and a concert.

home cooked meal after a long day of work.

visits with family.

perfectly acceptable silence.

teamwork.

dance parties.

splitting wine bottles.

kickball with friends.

laughing at awful tv.

cross country slumber party

i cheated.

the band was added to an east coast tour for a few weeks this month. when i heard about the dates i jokingly suggested to my mom that we go to new york for her birthday festivities. surprisingly, she agreed. so we flew across the states last week. (and how i cheated: i spent 4 bonus nights in close radius of my love.)

i hadn't travelled very far in a while, just a few road trips and hour flights home. so prior to, this trip seemed huge, and new york had almost become fictional. but now i know! it's there. i saw it with my own 2 eyes. mom and i ventured the streets, morning and night; it was a long 3 day visit in the big apple.

the guys played amazingly well too. i'm so proud of them.

the second half of our trip was spent in washington dc. 6 hour drive in the band van. another great show sans soundcheck. then a slumber party on my cousin's studio floor. i passed out quick. the night before that was a long one, dancing in brooklyn.

the last day of our trip we got to see all of the sites. i'd been to DC for a week in 8th grade, but it was very exciting to return knowing i was now on Obama territory. i suppose the whole country is Obama territory, but seeing the big black suburbans leaving the White House surrounded by cop cars -- it could have been him! -- that's DC. it's such a beautiful city, especially at night. and luckily, all of the satisfaction of seeing history and beauty together was topped off by one last snuggle sesh. ahh.. mushy mushy mush mush. i can't help it. night night.

when the dust settles.

last year when a group of friends was packing up to go to coachella, i remember sitting on E's bed watching and listening and wondering how i might like a 3 day festival in the desert heat. i've always loved going to live shows, so in that respect, it sounded amazing. on the flip side, the 105 degree weather and stories of exhaustion were really, very intimidating.

self proclaimed coachella experts had all forewarned me about the weekend. the necessity of having a good, strong group of friends, and a place with a shower and a comfy bed. they were right, and i guess this time around i'm thankful that i started planning so far in advance. i locked down a 2 bedroom condo just a short drive from the festival in october, and it was definitely helpful in the recuperation each night. at the end of every day i could feel the layer of dirt on my face, and i can't imagine trying to fall asleep that way. (people actually camp out there. crazy.) i like my bed and shower. that, and sunscreen. i drove back to los angeles on monday without a sunburn... or having lost anything (or anyone), and i'm pretty pleased about that.

so how was it?

it's one of those words can't describe things... day one i was very overwhelmed with the masses of people and huge stages and tents. the heat wasn't terrible. actually, we were too cold friday night to make it all the way through paul mccartney's set. (amazing, of course. yet, i didn't feel it until the beatles came on the radio early this week. my heart fluttered then at that moment -- holy crap. i've seen him. -- sometimes it just takes time.)

i think for a lot of people, coachella is an event of a weekend, or a party weekend, just something to do with music around. that's the vibe i got from a lot of people anyway. but for me, it was about the music. i didn't want to drink - partly because it was too hot - and partly because i thought i might get lost in a sea of people if i was drunk - but mostly because i just wanted to remember it all. i think party weekends are probably best saved for vegas. (also, i guess the only good drinks are in the VIP section, so until then.. i'll be sober. those fake margaritas were not good.)

so the highlights... for me, fleet foxes sang their way straight into my heart. i couldn't get enough of that set... i filled up my memory card with video... and even though i was watching it alone (we all got separated just prior to), i was so very happy and content. i'm listening to their album now actually. i'm kind of hooked.

jenny lewis was amazing. i've been a rilo kiley fan for about 5 years, so when she started singing silver lining, i almost had to hold back the tears. she's so good, and her music has been there through it all it seems.

other notes... i really enjoyed blitzen trapper. and beruit. i need to buy both of their stuff next. (there's really so much i need to get now). okkervil river made me smile. the yeah yeah yeahs were great as always. (i was annoyed, however, by the loud people next to me screaming at a my little pony toy. ugh.) lykke li... i was very excited to see her... and she put on a show.. in the hottest weather of the weekend. devendra was probably my biggest disappointment. sad face. i was expecting something more acoustic and hippie'd out. what i got was a bit of a loud rock show, with people waving their arms. i was confused too.

girl talk was one of the most fun moments of the weekend. we all got really hyper and started dancing around like we just didn't care. amazing.

i wasn't really into the main stage much. the cure sounded flawless, but they're really just too emo to watch. and the killers are just too big. too perfect. i was bored.

i'm sure i'm forgetting some others, but it was a really fun weekend overall. now it's back to the grind which always just leaves me daydreaming and listening to tunes in my ipod. and writing things here. and not getting anything else done. bad girl. more later.

on the road again.

so the boys will be on their way up the coast to canada and back next week through the end of the month. tours are great for the band, but for me, that means two weeks without his kisses. i make the most of the time to myself, and i've already got a few shows on my own calendar for checking out, but i also can't help wanting to countdown the days.

but i've gotta take it day by day... or week by week.. who knows what kind of huge tour they'll end up on in the near future. eep. it is so bittersweet. but i'm proud. and happy for them. they deserve it.

next monday lykke li is going to be dj-ing at the standard in hollywood. as much as i dislike the standard, i'm looking forward to checking out her set. djs in general fascinate me, with their cool lean and presumably elite music taste. [if only that were true with them all]. i have a feeling lykke li will entertain my inner foot loose.

1 week til coachella take off... :)

these boots were made for dancing.

the boys have a show tonight! i'm so excited. also, it's been over a month since i've seen a fellow band play, and i'm looking forward to dancing up front with the rest. it should be a good one. two bands i've never seen before will be playing as well, and i've heard a lot of good things.

i'm wishing i had more time off of work so i could just lounge and listen to tunes. next week is coachella - my first time. i've got a condo reserved and a good group to experience it all with. now i just have to get rid of this cough that won't stop attacking me in the middle of the night. go away, cough. go away.

je veux te voir

i've switched to green tea. two years ago, i was finishing up my english & philosophy classes, and i was still pushing myself to meet deadlines. that's when the ice-blended obsession started. coffee bean is far superior to starbucks, in my opinion, and they make a mean mint / mocha combo. so its safe to say i was completely hooked once finding this drink. especially after a late night of writing / not writing / deciding to go to sleep and wake up early to really wait until the last minute.

after i graduated, i didn't have much of a reason to wake myself up. for a couple [then, aimless] months, i was without job and forced to enjoy the sunshine; a coffee drink became my guilty pleasure. now... i've found my pleasures elsewhere. now i've switched to green tea. less calories and more refreshing, i find something satisfying about tasting the green.

i think that the acceptance of a switch like this probably comes with age. the fluffy / mocha drinks can become too luxurious, and leave you only craving more and more. hollywood does the same thing. it's fun and addicting at first, but it becomes empty and tiresome, a realization discovered usually not as quickly as you'd like.

at this point in los angeles, i think i've found my green tea: in genuine laughter and honest questions and answers. hikes and music with a heart on its sleeve. home cooked meals. cuddles under blankets. conversations that matter. smiles worth waiting for. ah. i can't wait for the boys to get back from south by. i had a very productive week, but i'm ready for the whirlwind to start again. the past 2 years has been a dizzy rush rush of searching... but this spin is my dance floor happiness brought to life.

mm. sipping my green tea, not wishing it would last longer. no addiction. just pure goodness. yes.

it's blitz

i am loving the new yeah yeah yeahs album. i purchased the deluxe edition on itunes this week, which incluces a bunch of acoustic tracks. "soft shock" is lying on the grass in the shade on a warm summer day. slight breeze. in love. moving into pensive, content smiles. and kisses.

the rest of the album, non-acoustic is still karen o, but a more fun, dance freak out. i like.

this week the action's in austin

it has arrived! sxsw is this week, a big showcase type event in austin for all of the bands and industry people to mingle and schmooze one another. my man's band is on their way there now... off to tire themselves out with lots of music, lots of people who like music, sun and undoubtedly a lot of alcohol. they're playing a bunch of shows and showcases and it should be a really great week for them. i'm really excited to hear all about it.

on the flip side, i so wish i could be in that van right now, road tripping across the states. but i've started a long list of things i will do while they are gone: drinks with friends. yoga. wine night with the girls. spa massage. i've been needing to catch up on some things.

i spent the weekend in a beachside hotel in santa barbara. my favorite moment: wine tasting on the pier while the pigeons danced to live jazz music.

one two three four

tonight is the last show at the silverlake lounge residency. the month went by extremely fast, but i suppose it was really only 4 weeks of fun. i'm excited to embrace what's left of it as soon as i get off work! i'm thinking, spandex pants, heels, and something fun and flowy on top. lots of drinks. lots of people. and lots of spinning in circles at the end of the night. penny lane style. dancing on confetti.

the weekend was a happy one. we went to a party on friday night -- a surprise birthday party which at first we thought might be awkward since no one knew anyone at the party -- but it was surprisingly (for us too! ha) super fun and laid back. good music. the apartment was decorated really well... cute and girly.. and the people were all very nice. plus, there was a full coffee table of snacks. that always wins me over.

saturday night was spent with friends and more friends crowded in and around a booth at cha cha lounge in silverlake. new friends. old friends. complete contentment.

the gatekeeper wears feathers

"no pictures allowed, ladies. that's our only rule."

oh, hollywood.

we went to bardot last night because bret from flight of the conchords was dj-ing :: spinning. yes. i was spinning in circles, attempting to feel a buzz from my 2 (too) expensive drinks. actually in comparison to some places i've been before, this bar wasn't the most outrageous. i'd never been to this spot before, and i suppose i would go back just to see how i liked it the second time around. i didn't hate it. i didn't love it. something weird about the wanna-be-glam hollywood club mixed with the hipster scene. i mean, it was definitely a step above the 18+ moscow bunch, but i don't know.. maybe i'm just not impressed by the pink lighting anymore.

i do like the dancing, however, and the best moment of the night, by far was when "Shout" came on and everyone was jumping around, up, up, and then down, down, down, so low to the ground... "a little softer now"... everyone literally sitting on the dance floor, scrambling for each other's support to get back up. i love moments that bring strangers together.

to recap my valentine's day weekend... we cooked. there was wine. we walked in the cold. chocolates with funny phrases on them. i wore a heart on my shirt. home sewn. there were kisses. and that makes me smile.

rain on my parade

the weekend we've all been waiting for has finally arrived! i'm picking up R from the airport in 4 hours... then it's off to find a dance floor or 2.! R suggested we choose our evening's adventure based on what we choose to wear... which is brilliant. personally, when i choose my outfits everyday, what i put on has everything to do with my mood... what's inspiring me.. and what's on my mind. we reflect the swirlings of our inner thoughts in a combination of colors and patterns and shapes. high heels or flats. so why wouldn't we take our day to where (wear) our outfit wants to be seen. it's brilliant. i love it.

it is raining, however, and as much as i hate the gloomy, icky cold weather, i'm going to embrace it. my car was clean, now it's not, but whatever, at least there's fun to be had!

vegas.......... i'll be seeing you real soon. :)

today i'll wear flats.

i love living in l.a. because there really is so much to do and see here. and although the go go go can be tiring, it's completely worth it.

friday night was the night at the museum relived. A and i checked out first fridays at the natural history museum which is basically a night of music in a museum full of stuffed animals and vaquero costumes. we cruised through the history lessons first, and then watched the little ones for a bit.

last night little J and her friends wanted to go out so we went to foxtail, which used to be half restaurant and half club, but now, i suppose in it's decline of popularity, it is all club. there used to be an exclusive feeling about that place, as you'd walk through the restaurant, up the dark staircase, and into the disco-reminiscent dance floor. and they used to, with care, i think, serve drinks that could be found no where else. (i loved the poisoned rose -- a sweet martini with a rose petal in it -- but it is no more.) the girls enjoyed themselves at first, but by midnight had decided (realized) it wasn't their crowd. i can agree with them there. the foxtail bunch is probably the ones wanting to feel like they've made it in l.a. -- these girls weren't trying to be l.a. at all.. which is completely acceptable in my book.

i left there, not feeling at all tipsy from my rose petal substitute, and headed east on fountain to a small room of a bar called temp spaces. it's not at all beautiful inside like an sbe joint, but the less overwhelming appearance felt right. a slow-turning disco ball, and a vintage chandelier, i was totally into it. plus james friedman was dj-ing -- apparently he's a big deal -- and for reason. i was loving it all. thx to P & S for leading me there.