PENTATONIX & US THE DUO!!!

This is definitely back dated, and I am definitely still geeked out. #notsorry

& 

When I found out that PTX was coming to Cincinnati, I lost all impulse control and immediately knew I was going to this show. I didn't care if I went alone; I WAS GOING. Fortunately, I didn't have to go alone, because Rob is awesome and knows full-well that they've been on my bucket list for years now. 

And then I found out that Us the Duo was opening for them... and if there'd been any doubt before [let's be clear, there wasn't], this was the surefire confirmation that I would be in that crowd. 

And so we bought tickets. And so we went... and this is the totally amateur photo+video [because no I will not be that person out there with an L lens resting on your-head-in-the-row-in-front-of-me's head to get the picture. 

I wrote an instructional, if you need it. Lalallaalalala, GO: 

First things first, you obviously go out and buy an item of clothing that you didn't see yourself ever wearing before. You do that impulsively, because you're impulsive, but in your defense just staying consistent. ;) And then, you take a bathroom selfie because you've also curled your hair, donned the fancy septum ring and in your head you've absofreakinlutely nailed the cut-in on that smirky right eyebrow [but did you? nobody knows, or cares]: 

ready! :) 

^ For the record, it's the floral jacket that I never thought I'd like, let alone own. But hey.. when in Rome Cincinnati... sure, whatever.

STEP TWO:
Get there, and get a head-to-toe capture of this outfit that still has you questioning which VH1 commercial dropped you off into it. You don't care, because you're at the PTX show. 

and the empty corbett pavilion.. whoa! 

♥ embrace that front facing camera... embrace it ♥

Drink boxed wine. You've never done that before, so do it at the show you've waited 9 years to see.
And eat the weird chip things, too. They're actually.. not bad? 

try. the. new. things.

See how long it takes you to run into someone you know. It didn't take me long at all this time around; Tim & Chris were just a couple rows behind us! 

hey guys! ♥

Next: After you're done with the preliminary formalities of concert-going [see aforementioned 'boxed wine' & 'friends,' also merch table perusing and consumption of overpriced event food], you get to take a bajillion photos and videos of the actual show. It'll look like you're having legitimate seizures through all the shaky video footage, because maybe you are or are not happy crying and barely keeping that phone focused. It's a steep price to both enjoy the show and capture your own footage to review later. 

PICTURES: 

us the duo!
michael & carissa 

ptx!
avi. kirstin. scott. mitch. kevin

♥♥♥♥♥

I realized mid-way through PTX opening that my regular camera has a lighting adjustment that worked far better than the IG camera.. womp womp. Better late than never, yeah?

pentatonix & us the duo | jolene

avi is leaving ptx and we literally all hate it. 

Recap: It's been a long, awesome day. 

a thorough progression of this day:
am, pre-show, showtime, post-show

Back to work tomorrow! I hope it's a wonderful week for all of you! 

xo | cms

Finding the Christmas Music Spirit

It's almost that time of the year!

Well, actually.. it is that time of the year, and has been for almost 3ish weeks already; I've simply chosen to avoid it until after my birthday, as I resolve to do every year.

IT'S CHRISTMAS MUSIC TIME!

Am I the only one who just.... can't... get into the traditional radiocast Christmas playlist[s]? I really try some years, but I just can't. It seems so .... repetitive to me, as it usually is with radio, but that's really just hypocritical of me to say, given that I have a list of a whopping what, like... 6 songs that I actually really enjoy?

Maybe it's the fact that there are endless renditions of every Christmasy song out there. I think that's what makes it the best for me: finding artists and groups who conceptualize a song while still keeping its integrity.

Pentatonix & Tori Kelly are just a couple of those entities that accomplish just that... instead of directly post every single video of theirs that moves me, I'll share the two I saw today, which absolutely put me in quite a jolly Christmas spirit. ♥

& this one....

I'm starting to get excited about Christmas preparation! The knitting needles have started flying, and won't stop until the last second I'm sure, and we're scheduled to get the Christmas tree to the house and decorated next weekend. Our shopping is almost done, too, which means plenty of time for Christmas baking, decorating..... and of course, music! 
For now, it's a date out with the mister: sushi it is! 
See ya soon, blogbots! 
xo | cmd

Road Trip Video Blog

Rob is most incredible for a few different reasons, but the most immediate today being his complaint-free undertaking of the drive home from Norris, complete with boat-in-tow and two restless pups bouncing around the backseat.

farewell for now, lafollette! 

Between conversation, I was tasked with controlling the playlist for the drive, which isn't always a strong suggestion, since I'm easily sidetracked when something catches my ear... or eye.

Here's a couple of the gems I found en route from TN > OH.


^ Lindsey Stirling, you need to stop with all that talent. ;) Although I don't understand a lick of this [French], I love it, and judging from the brief overview of user comments, it seems as though PTX did their duty of applying just accent and annunciation to the French language. Another 5-star PTX performance!

On the coattails of that PTX+Stirling collaboration, here's Lindsey adapting one of my favorite musicals.

*Sigh. Music, friends. Music does it all (:

It wouldn't be a scattered list of videos if I didn't include one of my favorites:
Yeah, this is a disconnected little post, but the good news is, we're home, we're settled and we are NOT getting back in the daggone car until we absolutely have to. ;)  G'Nite, e-world!  xo | cmd

Say Something..

 Welcome to the first day of a[nother] blustery winter day here in the midwest..

that's about right.

I believe I'm speaking on behalf of at least three quarters of Cincinnati when I say that I'm over this whole driving-in-snow-in-MARCH-now thing. Don't get me wrong, I love powdery snow, but I like to keep it under my board and not under my tires. //rant.... Be SAFE out there today, friends.

Good news, though - PTX has impressed again with this number. I missed them when they were on their first US tour, but I will see them. Eventually. (: And a sidenote, Avi has got to stop singing like that.. I'm developing a celebrity crush. Haha.

^ While I wish Kirsti would've done less grimacing and more smiling in the video, I am still a loyal lover of all things PTX.

What I also love is the generosity of my bosses; the day was moving at molasses speed, so they cut us loose an hour early. What I don't love is the sinus infection/head cold that's taking over my ... well.. head. I headed straight home and crawled in bed, where I have basically stayed all night. I do not handle being sick very well.

Blah. At least the sun was out today, and from what I hear, it's supposed to be on the up-and-up from here on out. Maybe we'll see some Spring after all (:

xo | cmd

So We'll Celebrate All Week, Mmkay?

Hello, MONDAY!
I received this as a present from my staff today. Looks like this might be a birthday week of sorts.. hah..



yiiiieeeeeeee!

Oh man. There is decadence, and then there is this thing: mousse, chocolate flakes, magic all the way around pretty much. We devoured our helpings of this in an embarrassingly short amount of time, and I am not sorry.

Sydni's back, too!!! It was just minutes in the door before she spotted the new Veggie Tales movie that Rob bought me as part of my birthday present ♥, so while I got moving on dinner, they got moving on It's a Meaningful Life, starring none other than Larry the Cucumber & Co. It doesn't get much better than all that.

veggie tales + lapcats dogs!
{don't mind sasha's flashy eyes...}

Oh, and since it is December and I have a yearly commitment to ban all Christmas music from my presence until after my birthday, I was happy to be reminded that December is finally upon us. That doesn't mean I love all Christmas music, let alone any Christmas music ALL the time, but there are definitely a few. At the top of my list this year is Pentatonix [duh] with their rendition of one of my favorite classics. I'll leave today at that... enjoy!


I... love.. them.

Happy Monday!

xo | cmd

Volleyball & a Video

There's a song out that is apparently very popular right now.
I of course just heard about it, because I'm nowhere near being the first person to be in-the-know with new trends like this.

Anway, it's a song by an Australian teenager that has made it huge here in the states. It's catchy as all get out, but better than that, my favorite acapella group picked it up and smashed a home RUN with it. I haaaaaaave to share:

^ STOP IT, PENTATONIX... I can't even handle how incredible you are.... haha. That is a killer cover!!

Anyway, today was a good day. The cut on my finger that I sustained Monday night [forgot to mention that] does not need stitches I decided.. and it's healing on its own despite the divet I took from the edge of it. Woops.

good job, self.

Good thing.. because tonight was volleyball! Paul even made an appearance to help us out; we are apparently on a 6's league now so it's going to be the four of us sans Paul for the rest of this season. Oooh well.

hahana!

We managed to close the daggone place down, just about. FIVE hours later, we stopped playing and I was back home, and hankering for some fried rice. Don't ask why. Luckily for me, I'm Asian so this was a cinch, and in no time I was inhaling the stuff at both an alarming and embarrassing rate.

Whatev.

carb loading... haha...

So uhhh yeeeeup! Not a bad little Wednesday.. but I'm definitely spent.

Seeee ya tomorrow (:

xo | cmd

VIDEO POST

So it's the middle of the week, and in typical form, it was a wild day at the office. I don't know what it was about the day, but I was determined to make it a good one. It really was, too; I am especially thankful today for the friends I have, for the boyfriend I have, and above all for my incredible daughter, who each day reminds me what it really means to love something more than I ever thought I could.

[[ //end sentimental rant... haha]]

Ali & Marianne came over for dinner tonight; combined with Stella, that made for a house full of female energy. Rob stopped through for a little while and quickly made the choice to leave the estrogen party and find his inner dude out with Kyle. Haha. We didn't mind; that just meant more pasta for us! :P

Ali and I ended up on a YouTube attack, finding all sorts of videos to entertain us for the evening. [We went this route to avoid doing anymore actual thinking; we do enough of that during the day, and so] here are a few of the gems I watched tonight. Fine, I'm a YT junkie sometimes.


ENJOY!


PAINT | "After Ever After: A Disney Parody explaining the truth behind princess life after the movie ends. Hilarious. Political, but hilarious.


Pentatonix | Who loves acapella? I DO. I happen to love these guys, and to add to it, Lindsey Stirling is an aaaaamazing addition to this lineup.


Lindsey Stirling | I just said she's amazing. She's super talented; I especially appreciate artistic cross-overs by people who can walk and chew gum simultaneously. In Lindsey's case, it's dancing while playing violin. Yeah,... I'm jealous.


Cirque du Soleil contortionists from Kooza [Natasha, Julia & Dasha] | Always one of my favorites. I love Cirque productions [which reminds me, I need to drag Rob with me to one], and whenever I get into a Cirque video mode, it might as well just be a marathon. I'm addicted.

*Sigh. The girls just left and I am calling this one a night. Yay for a mindless videolog (:

See. You. Blogbots. TOMORROW!

xo | cmd