momentous birthdays

© socake on flickr
That's not my cake, but doesn't it look absolutely scrumptious?
Hi! It's obviously been quite awhile since my last update; I've been incredibly remiss, & I apologize. :)

Today - or, rather, yesterday, considering the time - was my eighteenth birthday. There were a few hiccups along the way, but it was definitely a momentous day. It started out with an obscenely early doctors appointment (for a girl who generally wakes up around 1PM or so, having to wake up at 8AM is a rather difficult transition, as you can imagine) and two shots, a hair appointment in which the stylist got the color all wrong, and petty party-related drama. Thankfully, however, it ended splendidly, with a planned "abduction" by my best friends. It's evenings like this that I truly appreciate; tonight more than made up for the unexpectedly disastrous morning.

That, however, isn't why I've decided to come out of hibernation to post an entry. I've been really fascinated lately by the idea of the future, life in general, & adulthood. I'm really not going to lie, I find the reality of growing older incredibly frightening. It's so peculiar to think that I'm considered a real person now. To some degree, it's a bit frustrating, because I don't feel a bit more mature at eighteen than I did at seventeen, & yet the government now magically regards me as an adult. I can vote! My opinions matter! I could even win the lottery, if I got lucky enough! It's a bit daunting to think about - I don't feel any older; I certainly don't look any older. In fact, that reminds me of one of my favorite movies of all time, Sixteen Candles. (And, honestly, when is it not appropriate to quote? Never.) Says Molly Ringwald's character, Sam on the morning of her sixteenth birthday: "No, I didn't expect to wake up transformed. I just thought that turning sixteen would be so major that I'd wake up with an improved mental state that would show on my face. All it shows is that I don't have any sort of a tan left."

I'm not saying that my eighteenth birthday was a letdown, like Sam's, because it truly was a wonderful day. I'm just remarking on how strange birthdays really are. I feel like it shouldn't be, Poof! You're magically one year older and now can do more cool stuff! I'm probably not even making any sense, as it's late, and I'm rather tired.

I'm curious, though - what are your opinions on birthdays? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Are you just in on it for the cake & presents? Let me know!

xo!
Tyler ♥

Music Monday

Oh, the cheesy names! They slay me. :) Anyway, here is the first in a series of weekly mixes, posted on - oh, you've guessed it! - Mondays. This week's mix doesn't have a particular theme; it's just all really, really good music - things that I've been listening to a lot lately. The .ZIP is at the bottom.


© Paysage du Temps on flickr
1. Bruises / Charlift
This song is fab, really. It's catchy & cute, and I'm marginally addicted to it.

2. Minor Piano Keys / Iron & Wine
This is one of my favorites by him - so melancholy & lovely to listen to.

3. Banana Pancakes / Jack Johnson
His music is always really low-key & easy to chill to. Plus, it reminds me of Hawaii; double bonus! I really hate bananas, but this song is absolutely adorable.

4. Bittersweet Dirt off Your Shoulder / Jay-Z & The Verve
A pretty awesome mash-up! I love both of these songs separately, & they're equally awesome put together.

5. Sukkafish / The Grates
This song is upbeat, but I can't tell whether it's a "happy" song or not. Either way, it has a lovely folksy twang to it that I can't stop listening to.

6. Come Crash / A.C. Newman
This is also really lovely to relax to. Has a nice, driving beat to it, but is floaty enough where you want to close your eyes & rest for a moment.

7. Hell No (Feat. Sondre Lerche) / Regina Spektor
I love both Regina Spektor & Sondre Lerche to bits. They're fabulous! & This duet is even more fabulous.

8. Falling is Like This / Ani DiFranco
I've fallen in love with Ani DiFranco all over again, thanks to this song. She's a genius with words, I think.

9. C'est La Vie / B*Witched
90's Invasion! I always loved this song as a kid, and it's still just as poppy & fun-loving. ...and also a bit innuendo-filled? Awesome!

10. Nothing Else Matters (Metallica Cover) / Apocalyptica
I'm in love with cellos' sound; it's so lovely & rich. The Metallica version is neat, but I think I prefer this one, to be honest. I've always been a sucker for instrumental music.

11. Everything I Have Means Nothing / Billy Harvey
A beautiful song with a poignant message. Really, really lovely.

12. red / Oh Dorian
Besides the fact that she's a really, really awesome girl, her music is phenomenal. It varies from being so emotional that your heart can hardly stand it, to barely there & whispered. So, so wonderful.

13. For Real / Okkervil River
I always come back to this song when I think of Okkervil River. It's just really fabulous.

14. Crazy / Patsy Cline
This was my mom's favorite song, and that love has kind of been passed down to me. I love old music, and Patsy is one of my favorites. Her voice is so incredibly unique.

15. Comfortably Numb / Pink Floyd
My favorite Pink Floyd song, bar none. It lends me memories from summers past & the warmth of the sun on my eyelids.

**Everything in a .ZIP! (71.4mb)


Note: Remember, the RIAA dictates that all music must be deleted after 24 hours; what you do after that is none of my responsibility, lalala. Please go out & support the artists!

hi! & quote of the week.

It's a Monday, and therefore a fantastic day for a fresh start. I've always hated Mondays, really, but I'm trying to look at them in a new & different way. Thus, this Monday is a super-fresh start! The very, very beginning of Affettuosa! Brilliant. :) I'm not sure really how this whole personal blog thing works, but I'm sure excited to try to figure everything out!

I suppose I'll start things out with one of my favorite quotes about beginnings; I think it's quite appropriate, given today's situation. Each Monday, I'll post another of my favorite quotes - a Quote of the Week. Here's this week's:

© G.M.B. on flickr

"Every morning is a fresh beginning. Every day is the world made new. Today is a new day. Today is my world made new. I have lived all my life up to this moment, to come to this day. This moment - this day - is as good as any moment in all eternity. I shall make of this day - each moment of this day - a heaven on earth. This is my day of opportunity." - Dan Custer

Now, I'll be honest - I haven't got even the slightest clue who Dan Custer is, but he's certainly got the right idea. Of all of the quotes on beginnings & fresh starts, lalala, this one has the most resonance with me. I think that it's really, really important to look at each day this way; otherwise we risk getting stuck in a rut! Every day really is special & unique: today is just as momentous a day as the start of the Revolutionary War or the day that the computer was first invented - just in a radically different way. Looking at life like this helps me not to let past problems & troubles affect the way I go about my day - with a fresh mindset and craving new & different ideas. I think it's an adage that we can all afford to live by; we'll be much happier by it, I think.

What are some of your favorite quotes? Let me know!

xo! ♥
Tyler