Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Sick and Tired

At the beginning of the month, Hubby and I participated in an amazing Dr. Seuss event at our library.  I got to dress as the Cat in the Hat, and interact with all the kids who attended.  All 94 of them.  So, you can imagine, after being in a room with 94 kids, it was no big surprise that both Hubby and I got sick.

For Hubby, the worst of it came and went with the weekend.  I seem to be 2-3 days behind him, so just as the week is starting, the full force of the cold is hitting me.  This means nights of little sleep due to coughing, and just generally feeling poopy (that is legitimate medical terminology).

So, it stands as no real surprise that this week's playlists reflects my current state of ill health.  Take two listens and call me in the morning.

Birthday Project for 2014

Last year, in celebration of turning 35, I created the 35 Day Project, where I performed acts of kindness for the 35 days leading up to my birthday.  Many of my friends, family, and readers joined in.  It was so awesome.

This year, I want to take on another project for my birthday, and I am once again asking for help. I have decided that, in celebration of my 36th birthday on April 20 (Easter Sunday), I would like to get donations to create a Children's Literacy Activity Center for the Ford City Public Library. This would be a center filled with structured educational activities for children and families to utilize when they visit the library. Obviously, this is something that the entire community would benefit from.

 This is the link to the list of items we would like for the activity center. The items ordered from this list would be shipped directly to the library.

Birthday Project Wish List

 I would absolutely love if some of my friends would like to help me build this tremendous resource for my community. The best birthday gift you could give me would be help on this project. Thank you so much for helping make my birthday special!

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Q is for Quirky

I am, well, unusual.  I have very nerdy interests, like Doctor Who and geocaching.  I read (a lot) while most people are watching things like the Oscars and Superbowl.  I think cemeteries and abandoned buildings are beautiful.  I am most content at home with my hubby and dogs.  I love my job more than words can express, to the point where I am willing to make a fool of myself for it.  To put it nicely, I am quirky.

It used to be that quirky was not a word one would want used to describe him or herself.  But in the age of the hipster, quirkiness is not only cool, it is almost required.  Which is fine by me.  I take a look at the interests I hold, and the people I surround myself, the kinds of things I spend my time doing, and I cannot help but smile.  I am exactly the kind of person I would want to be friends with.  I know I am not everyone's taste, and that is ok, that keeps life interesting.  But I make no attempts to change who I am to make someone else more comfortable.

My advice to you?  Find your quirks, embrace them, flaunt them, love them.  Here is your soundtrack.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Unsung Musicals

I have talked in the past about how much I love musical theater.  In the past few years, many musicals have had movie versions produced, and become quite mainstream.  On the other hand, many modern musicals are merely reimaginings of popular movies (Legally Blonde: The Musical, I am looking at you).  As a musical theater lover, it saddens me that so-so movies get made into so-so musicals, while there are tons of high quality musicals out there that no one notices.

Over the weekend, Hubby and I went to see a production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.  We went into the show with no knowledge of it.  We had not heard to score, we did not read the synopsis, we we blank slates.  I absolutely fell in love with the show.  It was one of the most innovative shows I ever saw.  And I feel pretty sure that about 90% of the audience did not get the show at all.  They did not appreciate the clever subtle nature of the music and acting.  It got me to thinking about all the fantastic, little known (or little respected) musicals that I love.

So this week's playlist is snippits of some of those musicals.  Give them a try, you just might fall in love.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: P is for Positivity

Sometimes, we take for granted how good life can be.  We forget about people who struggle daily, we get caught up in minor annoyances, we choose to wallow in our problems.

Sometimes, it takes life handing you a steaming pile of dookie for you to see how precious life really can be.  Sometimes, a thing that seems life shattering can actually be life saving.

Why is it that the same exact situation can happen to 2 people, with one falling apart, and one completely flourishing?  I think the difference is positivity.  Some people are hell bent on making the best of life.  That is not to say that the process does not absolutely suck; it most definitely does.  That is not to say that a positive person is happy all the time, with an unrealistic view of the world; everyone has down moments.  But some people were just born to be survivors.

So today, I choose positivity.  I am determined to make the most of this life, with all its struggles and all its joys.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes:1945

Last week, I was playing around with some vintage inspired hair and makeup.  I did my hair up in victory rolls, and did a toned down version of pin-up girl make-up.  I actually wore the hair and makeup to work Thursday night, but before I left for work, I shared some photos of the style on my social media sites.  The next day, I was talking to my mom, who had seen the photos.  She commented how much I had reminded her of a very specific photo of her mother, my grandma.

After we got off of the phone, my mom spent several hours looking through old photos, and she found the photo she said I reminded her of.  She also found a photo of herself as a young girl.  When I was younger, a lot of people said I looked like my mom, but as I got older, people started saying I favored my dad's side of the family.  But looking at these photos, I think it is clear that I also favor my mom's side.  My grandma is on the left, mom in the middle, and I am on the right.  I personally think I am the perfect blend of both parents.

Along mom's trip down memory lane, she found a love letter that my grandfather had written to my grandmother while he was stationed in Belgium in 1945.  He calls her Sweetheart, and writes of how sad he is that he cannot be with her on her birthday.  It was kind of a remarkable piece of family nostalgia.  In today's fast paced, instant gratification communication, we tend to get a little impersonal.  As we are heading into Valentine's Day, I thought that this little romantic letter from a soldier to his girl would be great inspiration for a playlist that recalls the romance of 1945.

 

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: O is for Ocean

I know, I know, just one short week ago, I was singing the praises of the beauty of winter.  And I still stand by that 100%.  However, sometimes, you just need to daydream about the ocean.  Today is one of those times.


It has been a rough winter.  The snow started early (Novemberish) and we have had very few reprieves.  We have heard the words polar vortex way too many times for comfort.  There have been as many school cancellations attributed to sub-zero temperatures as there have been for actual snow.  Last week, Pennsylvania was colder than Alaska.  So, yeah, it has been a rough winter.  But as Hubby's new favorite song says, you "only miss the light when it starts to snow".  And I miss the light.

But beyond missing the sunshine, I miss the ocean.  I cannot believe it has been almost two years since we went to the Outer Banks and sat seaside.  While I am not one to spend much time lounging on the beach itself, there is something so soothing about being near the ocean.  The air is crisp and tingly, the breezes ruffle your hair, time moves slower, life seems sweeter.  Everything is better when you are sea side.

So, in an attempt to bolster my spirits for the 6 additional weeks of winter (thanks stupid groundhog), I came up with an ocean themed playlist.  It may not be exactly what you would expect (sorry, no Beach Boys) but to me this captures the richness and magic of time spent on the shore.