to whom it may concern.

if you are having a hard time being happy {whatever that means or looks like for you} on this holiday--honestly, i am sorry. i know what that feels like. sincerely, i do. miserable. you see the florist's truck drive by and you want to gauge your eyes out. i get it. but take a moment to look past what you perceive to be true, and accept a reality.
you are loved.
it's a little overwhelming. feels a little cheesy and uncomfortable {especially if you are a cynic}. however, every single person is loved here on earth and beyond. regardless of how romantic your holiday is there is someone that loves you. so that's a reason to smile and wear red and eat a ton of chocolate or drink too much wine with your girl friends.
so, my darling, happy valentines day! let yourself be loved. it's all around.

i, for one, have a pretty special little valentine.

eat your heart out. okay, wait, don't... it's valentines day after all. 

where there is LOVE, there is art. 

it just gets better.

i {almost} forgot how much these folks make me laugh.

talkin' jobs and husbands and dreams and babies and dates and boyfriends and memories... it's just real good stuff. so very thankful for a tradition that brings us together. i hope we keep this up... step sing or not.

where there is love, there is art. 

my love is with you all the time.

last night i had the privilege of attending a "house show" {though it actually took place in the studio of the very talented guys of abryanphoto}. my friend, jon black, and micah dalton have started this new tour together. it's a really interesting concept, and i'm thankful i got to reap the benefits of it.

i really can't think of anything better. sitting on comfy cushions, drinking your favorite drink {whether it's coffee or a brew} and listening to sweet, sweet music. oh! and last night out of the very large windows directly behind where the guys played you could see the lights of the city and the vulcan. magical, really! where else can you have this experience?
so if you live in any of the following places you too can experience the magic:
2/12 - Nashville, TN
2/13 - Metropolis, IL
2/16 - St. Louis, MO
2/17 - Jackson, TN
2/18 - Dallas, TX
2/20 - Houston, TX
2/24 - Atlanta, GA
i also want to brag on jon for a moment... this past week on "private practice" you heard a tune from the wrecking ball EP. 
pretty neat, huh? so check him out and tell your friends!

{once again} where there is love, 

there is art.

i remember my first time...

doing step-sing. 
{fyi-- if you did not attend samford, nor live in the birmingham area, you probably have no idea what i am talking about. that's quite alright. step sing is the greatest tradition at samford university. the tradition of this singing and dancing performance dates back to 1951. today, nearly 900 students and 13 groups compete for the coveted prize- the sweepstakes. the wright center, where step sing is held, fits 2,600 people. performances happen for three nights, and the show is sold out every night. you do the math...  so, yes, to this little school step sing is a very big deal. and, yes, if you went to a state school this seems completely lame. just know that i, for one, will always love the weekend around valentine's day. not because of this sacred holiday... but because it's STEP SING WEEKEND!}

2006.

here i am today, 6 years later, and i am still just as excited! i look forward to seeing the shows. but more than that, i look forward to reuniting with most of my best friends from college. while most schools reunite for homecoming during football season, samford's step sing weekend is the time where most alumni "catch up."

2007.

2009.

saturday will be spent with these girls. we once could yell down the hall way of the chi omega house whenever we wanted to talk. unfortunately, those days are long gone as we now span across four states. you can only imagine how excited i am to see them! weekend come quickly...

where there is love {of old friends and traditions},

there is art.

happy? hump day.

this should be a good little pick-me-up, yes?

this is the story of a charming girl
she laughs out loud, sings off key and believes in taking chances
she is quick and curious and playful and strong
she lets her imagination run away with her
she has never been one to stick to convention
she is fond of daydreams that take her places
she can order a cocktail in six different languages
she feels that understated is overrated 


i thank my sweet friend, sarahsmith, for this little treasure. 

where there is love, there is art.

by chandler parker.

story 1:
i have this rad friend named chandler. 
{he would probably not like that i just called him "rad"}. 


story 2:
taste in music-
or really just having taste at all- 
goes a long way with me.
you don't have to have the same taste as i do. 
in fact, i would prefer that you not.
{that bores me}.
but you have to have taste. 


story 3:
chandler is amazingly talented.
his musical talent gives validity of his musical taste.
he knows his stuff. 
i asked him to share with us what he knows. 
despite how unnerving i knew this would be for him 
he obliged me. 
thanks, chandler.

when asked to name my "top 5" of anything, i get a little stressed out. i have no idea how to even begin to process what my favorite 5 bands, songs, albums, etc ever are. i try really hard to take in a lot of music. but contrary to what a lot of my friends believe, i don't like everything i hear. there is a lot of hipster music that i can't stand... likewise there is sometimes nothing like a well-constructed pop song. there are usually three categories that bands/albums fall into for me: 
1) i listen to it once or twice and decide that i don't love it, and that's about all the attention i give to it,  
2) something reels me in on the first listen, causing me to be really into it for a week or two, only to toss it into the huge pile populated by music from #1
3) it hits me the first time and keeps on hitting. a melody, a lyric, a bass line, a drum fill... something sucks me in. and there are albums that i discovered 3 years ago that are still kicking my ass... bringing me to tears or making me shake my head at either the complexity or simple beauty. 

the following bands/albums/songs are just a small sampling of the things that have moved me in one way or another over the last few years...

elbow

essential albums: leaders of the free world and the seldom seen kid. "mirrorball" is about as good as a love song gets. see them live if you ever have a chance.

ben shive

his album the ill-tempered klavier might by my favorite of all time. not kidding. also "out of tune" from that album might be my favorite song of all time. still not kidding.

a.a. bondy is an alabama boy. used to be the lead singer of the band verbena. his album when the devil's loose is really great.

ari hest has my favorite voice of any singer in the world. 

you may have written them off a long time ago, but the album that caedmon's call put out last year (raising up the dead) was amazing.

the damnwells are everything i would ever want to have in a band. 

gang of losers by canadian band, the dears, is an album that came out of nowhere for me a few years ago and i still love it so much. 

drew holcomb & the neighbors are making some of, if not THE best, pop folk music in nashville right now.

they may be broken up now, but jump, little children was an incredible band. period.

madi diaz. people, listen to her. AMAZING voice. 

chris thile (from nickel creek) is in a band called punch brothers now. 5 members. 5 virtuosos. talent wise, it doesn't get any better.

thad cockrell is amazing and should be an alt-country superstar. his song "rosalyn" is one of my favorites in a long time.

where there is love {of music},

 there is art. 

as real as it gets.

while in nashville this weekend 

a darling boy {who knows his stuff} introduced me 

to a voice that reaches 

deep, deep, deep.
good gosh, y'all, listen!

 real soulful stuff, eh? 

lori mckenna-- 

why am i just now hearing your voice?

where there is love {of a voice that sounds a lot like my girl, patty},

there is art.