a milestone.

listening to: beach house, specifically, the devotion album from 2008, which is probably my favorite. beach house has got to top the list of my favorite things to listen to on an overcast, rainy spring/summer day. you should try it sometime.

yesterday was my very last day of class. my last time to walk the halls of the allied health building as a classroom-only student. my last time to congregate with my classmates in that setting. true, in december, we will all be together again for graduation, but, you know, yesterday was kind of a turning point, a big deal, a milestone. 

and then, there's the fact that justin and i have a son coming into this world at the end of august. 

there is so much to celebrate right here in this moment. so that is what i am going to do.

photo: hydrangeas | lowe's home improvement | greenville, nc | may 2016

music & mornings.

[Editor's Note: the following post was scribbled in a statistics notebook in between learning about p values & matched pairs.]

This morning, I would have classified myself as particularly slow-moving. Then, I slowly sipped coffees (eventually totaling to four cups) & slowly came to life.

I took Tahoe outside, & on the way down the sidewalk, I listened to Ours, by Taylor Swift. 

Halfway down the sidewalk, I changed the song over to Peaches, by In The Valley Below, & I remembered a couple of semesters ago & realized how far I have come, but I also felt a weird sort of kinship with myself that comforted me greatly. 

Almost back to the house & time for a new song. I chose Get It by Matt & Kim, because it always pumps me up. And after walking in the misty, soul-sucking rain, I just needed to be pumped up. 

Into the kitchen, making the second pot of coffee, & I chose San Francisco, by the Mowgli's. A song that never fails to make me feel warm & remind me that the world is inherently good, all in one swoop. 

i've been in love with love

and the idea of something

binding us together

you know that love is strong enough

And then, I was dancing in the kitchen while putting away the water pitcher. Thinking of the day ahead, filled with a friend's birthday, & lunch together, & presents, & the holiday season.

The world is inherently good.

sidda listens | fall 2015 playlist.

HOME | edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros

40 DAY DREAM | edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros

SKINNY LOVE | bon iver

FOR EMMA | bon iver

FLUME | bon iver

MOUNTAIN SOUND | of monsters and men

TONGUE TIED | grouplove

T-SHIRT WEATHER | circa waves

AUSTRALIA | the shins

TROUBLE | coldplay

THE GREAT SALT LAKE | band of horses

YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE | new radicals

LINGER | the cranberries

I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER | donna lewis

DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) | simple minds

TOES | glass animals 

COFFEE | sylvan esso

DRAG | day wave

MY TYPE | saint motel

COLD COLD MAN | saint motel

SEDONA | houndmouth

GET IT | matt and kim

PEACHES | in the valley below

Another season, another playlist. Listen here on Spotify. 

Also: what are you listening to this fall? I'd love to know.

--

siddathornton through the years:

2012 | 2011

songs from greenville, volume 1.

One week ago, I set myself to the task of creating a playlist that I hoped to listen to while putting the finishing touches on unpacking & arranging & organizing our house. I wanted it to be the kind of playlist that, whenever listened to in the future, would create feelings of happy nostalgia for the time when we first moved into our place in Greenville. After seven days of listening, I am happy to say that this string of 51 songs is going to be exactly that. 

listen to it here

the world at large.

a late spring, downtown wilmington scene

The other day, as I was walking through Hugh MacRae Park, listening to the Band of Horses Pandora station, a song came on that I hadn't listened to in a while.

It was The World at Large, by Modest Mouse, & as its notes poured over me, I was transported. Suddenly, it was twilight on an achingly late summer day. All the windows were down, the music up, the jarring smell of air freshener mingling with cigarettes. We were speeding along i49, the wind air-drying my damp, curly hair. I had that overly-tired feeling you get after you swim all day, & my skin had probably seen more sun than it should have that day. There was an almost tangible feeling of change in the air: we were about to close the door on high school forever, & the incalculable experience of college was on its way in.

And years later, I'm able to realize that that moment had more to do with myself singularly than it ever had to do with who I shared it with [a distinction it isn't easy to make from close up]. It had to do with the energy within myself, with my summer soul, with the promise that lie ahead. It had to do with the fluidity of space & time, with the transformative power of music. 

So even today, when I hear the melody, the rhythmic drum beats, the ebb & flow of those familiar notes, I recognize my old self in my new self. I feel at home within myself. I am happy & whole & at peace.

listen to The World at Large here

see a little more of HMP here

/////

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Want to join me in blogging every day in June? The more the merrier. I even made a button to celebrate the occasion. Feel free to use it in your blog sidebar or in the body of your posts. Let's encourage one another to get back to our blogging roots. Happy blogging!

songs from wilmington: let's be happy.

Hello everyone. Thanks for your patience as I re-figure out my blogging rhythm. It seems to be a constant battle for me, doesn't it? I've been thinking very hard about blogging lately, & I have begun formulating some new goals, as well as a new mindset & approach toward this hobby of mine. I've also been working on a new design, which I'm excited about, & which I think will help on the motivation-to-post front. 

You may also have read via social media about my career news: I am going to OT school! I plan to share more about this, as well as our upcoming move, here on the blog soon. As expected, I am so excited! Not being able to share this news - I think - contributed in a large part toward the veritable silence in this space. Now that everything can be out in the open, I feel like I'll be posting a lot more frequently, which I feel will make me a whole lot happier.

As for today, I'm back with another playlist post! I love seeing other people's playlists - hopefully you do, too! These are a few of the songs I've really been loving this Spring. Enjoy.

WORK IT OUT | knox hamilton

ELEVATE | st. lucia

BRIDGES | broods

FROM NOWHERE | dan croll

I FEEL IT ALL | feist

FLOAT ON | modest mouse

HAPPY | pharrell williams

SLEEPYHEAD | passion pit

TONGUE TIED | grouplove

PARIS | magic man

MAGIC | coldplay

YOU GOT IT | roy orbison

BE STILL MY HEART | the postal service

NOTHING BETTER | the postal service

PORK AND BEANS | weezer

1234 | feist

WAYS TO GO | grouplove

FLAMES | cider sky

TWELVE THIRTY | the mamas & the papas

ALL OF THE PEOPLE | panama wedding

IT'S ALRIGHT | matt and kim

STEP | vampire weekend

SHEILA PUT THE KNIFE DOWN | junior prom

I WANNA GET BETTER | bleachers

LET ME IN | grouplove

Some old, some new, some overplayed. But all ones that I love. There are quite a few other songs I've been loving recently, but I guess I'll save those for the next playlist. What have you been listening to recently? I'm always up for suggestions!

Want to listen to this playlist on Spotify? It can be found here.

songs from wilmington: playlist I.

exploring music city in december

As per my resolutions post, today I am sharing with you my very first playlist of two thousand fourteen. I hope these songs serve to brighten up your day & cause you to feel inspired. 

THUNDER CLATTER | wild cub

A DUSTLAND FAIRYTALE | the killers

RUBY BABY | dion

HELP I'M ALIVE | metric

THE POWER OF LOVE | huey lewis and the news

NORTHERN LIGHTS | cider sky

LINGER | the cranberries

SPARKLERS | gemini club

THE BIG THREE KILLED MY BABY | the white stripes

CHANGING OF THE SEASONS | two door cinema club

THIS IS YOUR LIFE | the killers

NEW SOUL | yael naim

OPEN YOUR HEART | madonna

DON'T GO AWAY | oasis

YOU GOTTA MOVE | heatmiser

E-PRO | beck

FLUME | bon iver

TEAM | lorde

Care to share some inspiration for Playlist II? Share your current favorite song below.

Also, want to listen to Playlist I? It can be found here.

songs from wilmington: christmas edition.

Nothing compares to a newly-minted playlist. I repeat, nothing. I haven't been the best at posting my playlists around here lately, but that's set to change, starting right now. Because there's no time like the present. And there's no present greater than music [see what I did there?]. But, in all honesty, music - and more specifically, the intentional arranging of specific songs meant for a specific mood and/or memory - is like a warm cozy blanket I like to wrap myself up in, every time a new season comes around. So today, I am sharing with you my Christmas playlist. Rather than list out all 214 tracks [that's 12 hours worth of music, folks], I decided I'd simply share my favorites out of all the albums that appear on the list.

FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO | bon iver

WOODLAND | the paper kites

YOUNG NORTH | the paper kites

FIGURE 8 | elliott smith

A VERY SHE & HIM CHRISTMAS | she & him

CHRISTMAS | michael buble

SNOWED IN | hanson

MOUNTAINTOPS | mates of state

CHRISTMAS IN THE AIRE | mannheim steamroller

CHRISTMAS WITH WEEZER | weezer

RED | taylor swift

What are you listening to for the season?

Listen to my Christmas 2013 playlist here.

photo taken in Nashville, Tennessee in December 2013 at the Omni Hotel

a song, a book, a quote, a look.

song | Breezeblocks, by alt-J

book | And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini

quote | A true classic & a great reminder

look | Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me, as seen here

share your SBQL list with everyone via jenna, here

first playlist of the summer.

I LOVE YOU | said the whale

LITTLE TALKS | of monsters & men

RISE TO THE SUN | alabama shakes

CRUEL | st. vincent

PRAISE YOU | fatboy slim 

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD | tears for fears

22 | taylor swift

MAKE IT TO ME | manchester orchestra ft. grouplove

THAT'S WHAT'S UP | edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros

LET'S GO | matt & kim

OUT OF MY LEAGUE | fitz & the tantrums

ROYALS | lorde

BREEZEBLOCKS | alt-j

SAN FRANCISCO | the mowgli's

ON TOP OF THE WORLD | imagine dragons

STARLIGHT | muse

PURPLE YELLOW RED AND BLUE | portugal. the man

DIPLOMAT'S SON | vampire weekend

the meaning of music.

Today is a day for sharing music that means something to us. In the spirit of the day, I've put together a little Grooveshark playlist for you. But before we launch into discussions about these songs, I have to say that I love this prompt for Blog Every Day In May. Music means so much to me; like I said here, it takes me to a different place. It really does quiet & soothe my soul. There are so many songs that should be on this list - including the first dance song from our wedding - but I decided to go with the first five songs that popped into my head. Thus, I give you...

Buddy Holly, Weezer | My cousin took me to my first-ever concert when I was fifteen - Weezer, in Dallas. And when reunited with my parents afterwards, they told me this was the one song they could hear & recognize from miles away. I think about that every time I hear this song. 

Angeles, Elliott Smith | Elliott Smith is one of my favorite artists. Has been since 2002, & always will be. Angeles is the first song of his that I ever heard, & I still remember exactly where I was sitting, exactly how I was feeling, when those first few notes poured over me. Back on my old blog, I wrote a little bit about Elliott - along with another artist that had a big impact on me - here.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love, The Darkness | 2004. Senior year of high school. Three girls are piled into a red mustang convertible, with the top down. They are picking up one of the underclassmen girls from their school, headed toward lunch or coffee or something in-between. They are eating root beer Dum-Dums, & singing this song at the top of their lungs. 

Home, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros | When Lindsey & I worked together, I like to think we built a bit of a musical mecca in our little office-closet. I have always loved alternative music, but Linz had a way of making it seem like it was the best sounds our ears had even been met with [probably because it was]. This song, along with tunes by Grizzly Bears, OK go,  & some other select artists, will always remind me of my time working in the Neurosurgery office with someone who would become one of my Best Friends. 

Silvery Sleds, Army Navy | Somewhat similar to the passage above, this song reminds me of the Neurosurgery office. This memory, however, comes a little bit before the comfort of Edward Sharpe - this song was the soundtrack to the very beginning of my time on the third floor of LSU. It was the week I started my job as Editorial Consultant - the night prior to my first day, I ate an entire pint of Americone Dream, watched True Blood until very late into the night with Kara, then woke up after way too little sleep to amble into my brand new office.

What songs hold special meaning for you? Go share on Jenni's blog. And check out my other Grooveshark playlists here.

experience music.

This past weekend, I was in New Orleans at Jazzfest for Lindsey's bachelorette party.

And when Phoenix came out on stage, I was overcome with emotion, excitement.

I turned to Lindsey & said, They are here, all the way from Paris, France, to play for us.

And as they played, & we swayed back & forth, sang the words we knew, I was able to just experience it all, bottle it up, & bring it home with me.

And that is a very valuable experience.

Today, Jenni prompts us to give a piece of advice to someone, as part of Blog Every Day in May. My advice to you all is this: experience music. Really, truly experience it. Let it wash over you, let it take you somewhere else. It's worth it.

photos: jazzfest day \ Instagram

friday's fancies #68: a southern bachelorette weekend.

Today we shove off for my dear friend Lindsey's bachelorette party! While we won't be spending time in the French Quarter pictured above - we'll be celebrating in its Louisiana namesake - I know there are lots of laughs & adventure in store for us. Below is what I'd be rocking, budgets aside. And even though my dream outfit isn't in the cards for this weekend's festivities, I have a little black dress in my suitcase that I know won't disappoint.

top | skirt | earrings | clutch | heels

Here's to a weekend full of laughs, drinks, friends, food, & music. Happy Bachelorette Party, Lindsey!

link-up: friday's fancies \ {long distance loving}

photo: taken in charleston, south carolina \ nikon

to listen to.

WHY AM I THE ONE | fun.

LAST YEAR | best coast

THIN LINE | honeyhoney

HO HEY | the lumineers

STARS (HOLD ON) | youngblood hawke

RUNAWAYS | the killers

THE KING AND ALL OF HIS MEN | wolf gang

DON'T SAY OH WELL | grouplove

GOLD | wake owl

AT HOME | crystal fighters

LET'S GO | matt & kim

LLOYD, I'M READY TO BE HEARTBROKEN | camera obscura

WHERE THE KIDS ARE | blondfire

FOREST WHITAKER | bad books

MICHICANT | bon iver

FEARLESS | taylor swift

COME OUT, COME OUT | i was totally destroying it

PUT THE GUN DOWN | zz ward

what are you listening to? i'm about to add some christmas tunes to this list...

photo: wrightsville beach \ instagram

a little piece of elliott smith.

justin & i were watching the texas a&m/alabama game while i was making this graphic. justin said, 'doesn't blue mean sad? why would you want to paint tomorrow sad?' it's funny, because i've always thought of 'paint tomorrow blue' as signifying hope, or beauty. kind of like painting a fresh canvas for the next day. but i can't ignore justin's question, because it makes sense. elliott smith is one of my all-time favorite artists, & he had a very tumultuous life. maybe he was painting tomorrow sad. are you an elliott fan? what do you think he meant?

photo: cross lake in shreveport, louisiana \ iphone

quote: from in the lost & found [honky bach] \ elliott smith

songs i can't resist while working out.

i'm definitely one of those people who has to have music while working out. it's my driving force. that song comes on, & suddenly i'm elliptical-ing as fast as my legs can go. suddenly, i'm adding an extra five pounds to that weight machine. suddenly, i've decided another thirty minutes of cardio won't hurt.

like i said, i'm a music-at-the-gym person, for sure.

today i want to share with you a little playlist of tunes that i haven't been able to skip - even on my worst-music-ADD-ever days. perhaps you'd like to add them to your ipod's workout playlist. perhaps you'd like to click on the spotify or grooveshark playlists below & get your groove on as you clean the house. either way, i hope you enjoy these tunes as much as i do.

one thing - one direction

lines in wax - flux pavillion

come together - the beatles

infinity guitars - sleigh bells

i got - three 6 mafia

comeback kid - sleigh bells

pork and beans - weezer

let's go - trick daddy

crown on the ground - sleigh bells

mr. brightside - the killers

good - better than ezra

what you gon' do - lil jon and the eastside boyz

california dreamin' - the mamas and the papas

more than a feeling - boston

listen on spotify here.

listen on grooveshark here.

what i'm listening to.

back in my old office, lindsey & i almost always had music playing. and it was always what i thought of as cutting edge music. how i miss that! currently, i share my temporary new office with numerous other people, so blasting the 'today's college indie' station on pandora is a little uncalled for. when i'm moved into my new office, though, i can't wait to break out some of the tuesday with L & L playlists of yesteryear, as well as create some new ones to send over to the other L. we are kind of musical penpals.

all of that to say, with a drive-time of approximately one song length (give or take thirty seconds) to work, i've been doing most of my music-listening while in the shower.

and lately, the pandora station has been set to none other than one, john mayer. 

but seriously, not only does john mayer remind me of long afternoon naps in my freshman year dorm room (or watching photo slideshows with jenny on our computers - complete with full commentary, or working out constantly in the lambright center), but the musicians accompanying mr. mayer on his station recall nothing but memories of pure high school, pre-responsibility bliss. 

which has inspired the theme of my next mixed tape cd, which has been requested by a couple of folks who are music masters themselves, back home. i hope they know: they're in for quite a treat. as well as a guaranteed trip down memory lane. 

photo: iphone

fall's first playlist.

here is a little mish-mash of songs* i threw together &
will mail out to a few lucky someones tomorrow morning.

give it a listen, if you know what's good for you.

and if you want a copy, let me know & it will be snail-mailed your way.

and finally - finally - grooveshark has returned to normal functionality, which means my playlist actually has all the songs on it, & it will actually work if you try to play them... yay.

*playlist:

1. don't dream it's over - crowded house

2. we could be friends - freelance whales

3. it will rain - bruno mars

4. sail - awolnation

5. you and i - lady gaga

6. how to love - lil wayne

7. our deal - best coast

8. magdalena - brandon flowers

9. lorelai - fleet foxes

10. birds - the naked and famous

11. i wanna go - britney spears

12. lake michigan - rogue wave

13. what the water gave me - florence + the machine

14. every teardrop is a waterfall - coldplay

15. mean - taylor swift

16. where the fence is low - lights

17. you know what i mean - cults

18. sleep forever - portugal. the man

yes, the rumors are true: i am the biggest twenty-five-year-old dork in america (t swift recap).

we stood there, cameras at the ready.

i swayed back & forth in my feather dress & cowboy ankle boots.

we took a million pictures, while we meshed with the anxiously waiting crowd.

and then, it began.

and i barely took any pictures, because i just wanted to focus on enjoying everything & taking it all in - on really being present. i did manage to tear my eyes away from the stage long enough to send a few frantic text messages (for example: taylor grabbed my hand. i'm not kidding.)* but they required repeated effort, being blocked by the massive onslaught of social media crammed into one small place.

i'll be the first to admit, i get star-struck pretty easily (hi, luke wilson). so, of course, the simple fact that i am in the same room with taylor swift, & i am watching her sing songs & talk in real life, really got the best of me.

the music was reverberating all around us, & - in true concert fashion - i could feel the excitement of the music coursing through my body. i couldn't believe the power, energy, & emotion being emitted from & for this tiny person onstage, with blonde, curly hair & perfect red lips.

and as she sang 'enchanted' - with the talented dancers colorfully twirling all around her onstage - i had a moment of clarity: i was reassured that i belong in the artistic world. it was like the moment spoke to me & said, 'you can't not be a part of things like this.'

and i am grateful for that reassurance, because it's something i need pretty much constantly.

another performance that was especially striking was that of 'dear john.' 

it was intense. sarah leaned over to me at the end & said,

'you just  know that's about someone.'

and even though pretty much all of taylor swift's song are about someone,

i knew what she meant. the raw emotion was evident.

there was just a general, overpowering sense of this being genuine for her - something that she really loves. her passion. and when she told us that this passion of hers had only just started out as a hobby - that she had never dreamed that she would be here, putting on a concert for a packed arena of fans - & thanked us for letting it be her career, i was just amazed. i felt like that was a statement many people could relate to.

those words made it impossible for me not to realize & accept what i know i have been yearning for - to make my own hobby into my passion & hopefully - eventually - my career.

so, you can call me dorky, corny, sentimental, etc., all you want - but this concert was an experience for me.

dare i say, an enchanting one.

*yes, that really did happen. and i'm pretty sure i almost fainted.

thoughts to come later.

(photo: iphone)