Frank Turner Friday: The Sleeping Souls

I decided to use this week's Frank Turner Friday to give a shout out to the Sleeping Souls. They are Frank's awesome backing band. Just watch the following two videos from the Frank Turner's YouTube channel to see for yourself just how great they are and how much fun they all must have together.

(photo from According2G.com)

Mix Tape Monday: When I'm Alone

So, thanks toYouTube, I've developed a major girl-crush on Lissie. I heard "Bright Side" a few years ago and liked it enough to buy it on iTunes but not enough, apparently, to buy any other songs. However, YouTube has recently exposed me to more songs of hers. I envy her voice. So much. So here is one of my favorites, "When I'm Alone," followed by a video of her covering Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness," just because. Also, please note, this first video is done by Sideshow Alley, which is a crew that travels around filming awesome-quality live performances. I've subscribed to them on YouTube. You should too. (And this isn't a marketing ruse. They don't know me.)



"When I'm Alone" by Lissie
I turned my back
You were gone in a flash
Like you always do
You've always gone off somewhere else
And when the phone rang
And I thought it was you
And I sprung like a kid who's just got out of school
But it's almost always never you
Never you

I screamed like a child
My insides went wild

When I'm alone with you
You make me feel, you make me feel
When I'm alone with you
You are the one, you are the one
When I'm alone with you
You make me feel, you make me feel
When I'm alone with you
You are the one, you are the one

And when I reach out and I only grab air
And it kills me to think that you never did care
And it's hopeless
You've always run off somewhere else
I'm throwing a tantrum
Why are you such a phantom?

When I'm alone with you
You make me feel, you make me feel
When I'm alone with you
You are the one, you are the one
When I'm alone with you
You make me feel, you make me feel
When I'm alone with you
You are the one, you are the one

Reminds me of home
When you're around me
Next time you leave, don't go without me
No oh no
When I'm alone with you
You make me feel, you make me feel
When I'm alone with you
You are the one, you are the one

And here's "Pursuit of Happiness" for fun. Enjoy. Or don't. I don't care.

Frank Turner Friday: Ladies of London Town

This song came on my iPod as I was driving to work the other day and it surprised me that I hadn't heard it before. Alas, this happens sometimes. I have all of the Frank Turner albums in one playlist and I usually just put it on shuffle.

Anyway, I really liked this song. I thought it was incredibly sweet, and it made me wish I was a lady of London, myself. I think we get so used to men describing women as hot, sexy, etc. which are all well and good, but there's something refreshing about hearing a man describe a woman as simply beautiful.

I think I was also captured by the self-deprecating tone Frank takes, as well as the fact that in spite of the makeup and skin, it's the smile that takes his breath away.

Frank Turner - The Ladies Of London Town Found at abmp3 search engine

"Ladies of London Town" by Frank Turner
There's so many beautiful girls in here tonight, 
I can hardly stand it.
Where do they go during the day?
Who the hell do they go home with at the end of the night?
I don't understand it.
They never go home with me.

You dance as if you're hours away from death, 
You're wearing too much make-up and showing too much flesh, 
And you smile a smile to take away my breath, 
Because tonight, and only tonight, you know you're the best.

The ladies of London town
Go flowing through these streets like water
Running little streams down to the river.
They wash the dirty ground, they sweep me off my feet, 
But like an English summer, they'll soon be gone forever.

I've seen you trawling Camden at 4am, 
Outside of the clubnight, 
Deciding whose house will hold a free-for-all.
I've followed you back to mansions and I've met all your friends
Under the streetlights
But I can never recall what you're called.

You dance, you sweat, 
Your glance is met, 
And you hold my gaze a bit, 
And pretend you never did, 
And I'm left standing on my own.

The ladies of London town throw one last glance over their shoulders, 
Blow a kiss, and then they're gone forever.

Mix Tape Monday: When My Time Comes

So, I got to go to the Gentlemen of the Road Stopover in Dixon this past weekend. You may or may not have heard of it, but it was pretty packed for Mumford & Sons (who were spectacular, by the way). Anyway, one of their opening bands was Dawes. I really enjoyed what I managed to hear as we hung out before Mumford. Here's one of their songs, "When My Time Comes." Enjoy.



"When My Time Comes" by Dawes
There were moments of dreams I was offered to save
I live less like a workhorse, more like a slave
I thought that one quick moment that was noble or brace
Would be worth the most of my life.

So I pointed my fingers, and shout a few quotes I knew
As if something that's written should be taken as true
But every path I have taken and conclusion I drew
Would put truth back under the knife.

And now the only piece of advice that continues to help:
Is anyone that's making anything new only breaks something else.

When my time comes,
Ohhhhh, oh oh oh.
When my times comes,
Ohhhhh, oh oh oh.

So I took what I wanted and put it out of my reach
I wanted to pay for my successes with all my defeats,
And if heaven was all that was promised to me
Why don't I pray for death?
And now it seems like the unraveling has started too soon,
Now I'm sleeping in hallways and I'm drinking perfume
And I'm speaking to mirrors and I'm howling at moons
While the worst and the worst that it gets.

Oh you can judge all the world on the sparkle that you think it lacks.
Yes you can stare into the abyss, but it's staring right back.

When my time comes,
Ohhhhh, oh oh oh.
When my time comes,
Ohhhhh, oh oh oh.

Oh you can judge all the world on the sparkle that you think it lacks.
Yes you can stare into the abyss, but it's staring right back.

When my time comes,
Ohhhhh, oh oh oh.
When my time comes,
Ohhhhh, oh oh oh.

Mix Tape Monday: Acts of a Man

If you're wondering where I've been with the music updates...well, let's just say vacation, even though that was weeks ago.

Ok, so, I wen't a little crazy on YouTube using the "Watch Later" function. I ended up with a playlist of 200+ songs. Still trying to listen to them all. But anyway, this was one that really stuck out to me, and it might be a new favorite band. I give you, Midlake's "Acts of a Man."



"Acts of a Man" by Midlake
If all that grows starts to fade, starts to falter
Oh, let me inside, let me inside, not to wait
Let all that run through the fields through the quiet,
Go on with their, own with their own hidden ways

When all newness of gold travels far from
Where it had once been,
Born like the earth over years
And when the acts of man
'Cause the ground to break open
Oh, let me inside, let me inside, not to wait

Great are the sounds of all that live
And all that man can hold

If all that grows starts to fade, starts to falter
Oh, let me inside, let me inside, not to wait
Great are the sounds of all that live
And all that man can hold

Great are the sounds of all that live
That live

The Time I Decided to Make My Own Planner

So, I decided that the planners I buy in stores just don't really suit my needs. For one, I never use the day schedules, so it's just a waste of paper. Secondly, I like to write To-Do lists every week and cross stuff off when I get it done. Thus, I decided to create my own planner with the month, followed by blank pages for To-Do lists.

The trouble started when I decided I wanted to make it in a ring-binder so I could replace the inserts and use it over again. Why such trouble? Well, finding the right size binder (or a small binder in general) proved to be a hefty task, at least in searching for an affordable one that I wouldn't feel guilty about destroying (always a possibility when I try to get crafty).

Anyway, I started by tracing the calendar portion from my existing planner, then copying it to card stock.


Next, I cut the pages down to the "right size" (I had to redo this.)


Here's the "right size."


I spent an entire day looking for a 1/8" hole puncher, and of course every store was out. Apparently everyone and their mother needed an 1/8" hold punch on this particular day. I bought a random hole punch and it was EXACTLY the same size as the rings, which means that the paper is a little tight in the binder. Then, I covered the binder with this awesome scrapbook paper I bought at the craft store. I attached it on the spine and covers using double-sided tape. (Best. Invention. Ever.)

Here's the finished product. (Outside view)


(Inside view).


So there you have it. Now you know how to make your own planner. You also know that I have a Gyno appointment on the 31st, which I'm sure is information you couldn't do without.

I have to say, though, the best part of my planner is that now I get to try on these sweet mustaches everyday.

(Disclaimer: I'm neither related to Hitler nor Charlie Chaplin, so don't even ask.)