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FRIDAY FAVORITES VOL. 1 –
General Awesomeness
Hey yo! Happy Friiiii-yaaaaay! As a new blogger, I’m still learning what articles are best to connect with my readers. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do Friday favorites, but I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my new blogger friends through their “Friday Favorites” and I am really excited to share my little list with you.
These are writing friends that I’ve made in mainly three Facebook Blog Groups: Blog Passion Project, Show Your Blog Love, and The Blogging Elite. If you are looking for a community that will help you grow your blog these have been great for me!
Alix, Stephanie, Indya, Monica, and Annaliese all have given me peeks into their closets/homes/product likes and with each post, I get to know them better.
Annaliese is very lady-like Southern belle and classic with pearls and florals.
Alix is a petite Potterhead and is good at finding sweet deals and gives her readers great items at smile-inducing prices.
Indya loves to bring happiness to her home and those around her since she’s struggled with mental health (like me) and is mindful of it and proactive in maintaining her good health.
Monica is a sexy, nerdy, geeky, domestic goddess. She makes Marvel desserts to Marvel at. If I could shop anyone’s closet it would be hers.
Stephanie writes about fashion, but also shares that she is writing as a ‘mental and chronic-illness sufferer and overcomer’. Her style is edgy, modern, classic, and comfy.
My style is a little bit Audrey Hepburn and a little bit punk rock, but I’ve had two kids and now my style is evolving toward more coverage and more fun accessories as I approach my 40th. One day soon I will share my fav fashion picks with you, BUT(!) today I’m going to share my library and music/movie/tv favs.
You can tell a lot about a person by walking into their home and looking at their bookshelf, movie, and music collection. Since you can’t take a walk in my home here is a virtual peek into mine.
As you take a look let me know if something in my list sparks a smile and a metaphorical soul nod in recognition with my tastes. I hope we click!
BOOKS
- “A man’s bookcase will tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about him.” ― Walter Mosley
- “A bookshelf is as particular to its owner as are his or her clothes; a personality is stamped on a library just as a shoe is shaped by the foot.”
― Alan Bennett - “My books are my brain and my heart made visible.”
― Merilyn Simonds
My pick for books are:
The Four Agreements was a guiding beacon of sense and sensibility for me in my early twenties as I struggled to find out who I was and how I wanted to communicate in the world. I also love his other books and Prayers is a wonderful collection that I like to keep in my bedroom.
“A Lady Must Not Suffer Through Offensive Remarks” is one special part of this book that helped me. This book teaches how to be graceful, how to be a good friend, how to make others around you to be comfortable, yet how to stand up for yourself in a dignified manner. AKA, Be Kind, but take no shit.
Love Warrior brought Glennon into my life. She is a mentor and spiritual teacher to me like Don Migues Ruiz was but in a more relatable way. She is a hostess who can’t cook and a woman who has let her sister, mother, lover, and friends see her completely broken and her vulnerability is BEAUTIFUL.
This classic could be on my favorite book as well as favorite movie list since Atticus and Gregory Peck are synonymous are remind me of my dad. My dad has the most integrity of anyone that I have ever known and this is one book that I was assigned to read in high school that I devoured with pleasure.
Peppermints in the parlor. What fond memories I have of reading this in grade school!!
MUSIC
- “Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.” -Robert Fripp
- “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” -Victor Hugo
- “Music once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies.” -Edward Bulwer-Lytton
My absolute all time favorite albums are:
The Cure’s Disintegration was incorrectly listed on the Amazon website as a four and a half star album. This is erroneous. A simple mistake was made somewhere and their error is that this is actually an album that is a perfect five star rating, as it is perfection form the first song to the end of the last song. It’s the definitive greatest album of all time from one of the most prolific artists of gourgeous love songs.
The Pixies have rocked my world for decades and I have had the pleasure of seeing them live many times. This and Trompe are my favorites of theirs.
We named our dog Otis/Odey after Otis Redding. My mom used to play Otis records when my brother and I were growing up and I kind of fell in love with him. Every note of every song is the kind of note that makes you want to close your eyes as you listen since his voice is so beyond. Passionate, soulful, ethereal. Enjoy! Not only is there not a bad song on this album, but there is also nothing less than amazing on this (as well as the rest of his records)!
Ella is my gal!!! She has been my favorite singer for days and her singing Blue Skies makes my heart SO happy.
Lady Gag has album after album after album of amazingness. She is the greatest singer of our generation and she is an awesome LGBTQA ally, sexual assault victims’ rights advocate, and activist in general. She’s using her influence and fame to make the world a better place and I love her for it.
MOVIES
- “We live in a box of space and time. Movies are windows in its walls. They allow us to enter other minds, not simply in the sense of identifying with the characters, although that is an important part of it, but by seeing the world as another person sees it.” – Roger Ebert
Here are some of the best movies in the whole entire universe.
Amelie is my favorite movie. Read more about the magic of Amelie in my article on Six Foreign Films You’ll Probably Fall in Love With. Also special to me are Midnight in Paris and Paris JeT’aime and Pan’s Labyrinth. They really spoke to me and I highly recommend them.
The Terminator and the T2: Judgement Day are huge favorites in my whole family! When I saw T2 I was in jr. high and had a mad crush on Edward Furlong. Now I’m more of a Michael Biehn fan from the first film which had as my brother says “the greatest love story on film of all time”. I went to the midnight showing for both the following films. They didn’t live up to the original two, but I’m hopeful for the upcoming T6 and already have made a date to go with my bro to go see it in November. Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun! Wah-na-nahhhh
Just the bestest, most funnest movie to watch when I was growing up. My room was top to bottom Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian. I was obsessed My heart still holds a special place for the trio.
The bestest, most funniest movie to see if you are a fan of Adam Sandler’s gang. There are so many parts that make me smile and make me realize David Spade, Kevin Nealon, and the rest of the SNL cast members are always funny.
Gosh I loved this movie so much. They are talking about mutants, but the movie brings up ethical questions relating to all parts of our society, how we can be divided, how to do the right thing, and how to decide what is right.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing into my heart Cheek to Cheek! I don’t rember what the plot is. They like each other or something, but the DANCING! 😀
Luke and Owen Wilson I adore you! “Here are just a few of the key ingredients: dynamite, pole vaulting, laughing gas, choppers – can you see how incredible this is going to be? – hang gliding, come on!” -Dignan
TELEVISION
“Sometimes it seems like we’re all living in some kind of prison, and the crime is how much we hate ourselves.” -Angela Chase
My So-Called Life the most beautiful show about a teenager Angela Chase and family. If you are a teenager or have ever been a teenager you will love it! Oh and Jordan Catalano!! And Ricky! Oh I love them all.
The Walking Dead is my favorite show. I wait for it and eat it up the second it airs. Most shows I can wait to see, but The Walking Dead (like LOST) must be experienced as it is aired. TWD is the reason I can’t cut ties with the cable company. I love, love, love, Carol, Daryl, Maggie and all of the rest way to must to ever consider it.
The best show that my mom, dad, brother, my husband and I quote back to each other all the time. These pretzels are making me thirsty t shirts, “She’s hungry Jerry” coffee mugs, and can you spare a square questions fill our lives with knowing giggles.
Oh Chris, gone to soon! El Nino, “Remember that one time you were in the Beatles” interviewer guys, and man down by the river, I love you.
This. Show. Is. So. Good. I think I was Bill, but not as cool in high school. Well, and a little bit of Lindsay.
Thanks for the shout-out! I am totally GAGA for Lady Gaga haha-my friend and I tried to recreate her ‘Bad Romance’ dance once lol…it wasn’t pretty.
that is adorable. i am jealous of you guys!
You have quite the eclectic set of tastes. Interesting.
🙂 thank you alyssa
So glad that you’re a part of the BPP community, Clare! Community is so important in blogging. 🙂
thank you, summer. i’m so happy to be included.
It was so sweet of you to include me in this! So happy to have found your blog and can’t wait to continue reading along 🙂
thank you Stephanie. happy valentines to you and Brandon!
Totally agree with Freaks & Geeks! It’s so underrated and just a great all-around show. My brother keeps telling me I need to watch Amelie & now I’m thinking he’s right!
yeah, sarah! and if you liked freaks and geeks undeclared carries on to the early college years. it’s pretty fun. watch amelie and let your bro know how you liked it.
I’m in complete agreement with you about the bookshelves. If someone doesn’t have books, that sends an important message too. (Of course, it is possible to have lots of books on a Kindle.) I might have a few copies of To Kill A Mockingbird on my shelves…
awww, when i was in high school i dreamed of having kids and naming them jem and scout!
Amelie is one of my all-time favorite movies! I was actually lucky enough to go to the cafe where it was filmed in Paris – such a bucket list experience. As for the rest of your post, I’ve found a bunch of things to add to my “to do” list in terms of entertainment. Thanks for sharing!
ohhh how lovely to be able to go to paris AND to that sweet little cafe!! does listening to the amelie soundtrack just take you back? it does for me!
Oh my, thank you so much for the mention! You have no idea how much it means to me that you “get” what I’m about so easily! The point of my blog IS to help others incorporate more happiness into their lives, because I really do understand what it’s like to hate life, as we all have at some point. This really made my day, thank you again ☺️?
awww shoot. i accidentally posted the wrong version of this article. this was the first draft and more of a placeholder. i wrote more about you guys. i will update it and let you know, but thank you. i like your style so much and you really inspire me.
There are some great suggestions here, and I love that you gave shout outs to your fellow bloggers!
thank you kait. i look forward to getting to know you. xx, clare
Wow – thank you so much for the kind words! I’m flattered!! 🙂 And after taking a virtual look into your closet, I totally agree on some of your picks. I love To Kill a Mockingbird, Joanne is always on my playlist, and I have a soft spot in my heart for the Terminator and X-Men movies… I hope the new ones this year are good!
yes me too! did you see glass? dave told me it was in the theaters and i was like what?! how did i miss that? my daughters and i have been listening to joanne in the car a lot on the way to school and now my six year old can sing along and it makes me so giddy.
I adore this post not only because the cure & pixies are my top but not only that you picked my favorite albums by them. I play lullaby almost everyday. I adored your movie likes and wow we have similar taste there as well. I can’t wait for your next post!
wow D! now i am going to think of you when i hear lullaby. when i was in high school i was super into robert smith and would play lulabye and pause if and stand by him on the tv and have my friend take my picture! haha i LOVE your site. see you on your blog /insta/fb to follow your amazing globetrotting ways! xx
Going to check out the Art & Power of Being a Lady! Looks like a bomb read!
thanks, ashley. i like how they say that you can be tattooed and wear leather and still be a lady because being a lady is about how you treat others and something that makes someone special.