Constant Motion

I just try to keep up!

Social Media Housecleaning

Happy Monday! Late Monday at this point, but nonetheless. Another rainy day here, although the rest of the week promises to be pretty and springlike. I hope the meteorologists keep their word, because I'm tired of staying indoors!

The good thing about the unceasing rain the past day or so is that it's enabled me to get a lot of computer work done. I've spent much of the past weekend getting my social media ducks in a row, so to speak. I've been feeling a bit schizophrenic lately because of the multiple identies I have floating around in this world wide web, so I wanted to take the opportunity to clean up and consolidate. My old blog was created under my maiden name, so I've changed that. Mark and I will celebrate our three year anniversary in May, so I guess it's about time.

We also made the big decision over the weekend to approach our music, and particularly our music marketing, from a duo perspective. We've been doing this in "real life" for awhile now, so we thought it was probably time to transfer it to the web as well. We have a new website that we're really excited about, as well as all the other usual suspects: twitter, facebook, reverbnation, and yes, even though I didn't really want to, we have a very basic myspace page. Myspace drives me batty, and I really don't see the point, but as musicians I suppose we should at least have a presence there, however begrudgingly.

Even though there will inevitably be some crossover, this blog really isn't directly related to our music. This is just my way to keep track of interesting books, movies, albums, recipes, photography, and whatever else happens to catch my fancy. And also my way to interact with the vibrant, dynamic community of bloggers out there. So many amazing, inspiring folks!

So, I suppose now that my virtual spring cleaning is done, I'll have to tackle those pesky real world cobwebs lurking in the corners of my house now. Funny how you don't even seen them in the dark days of winter, and then one beam of sunshine, and oh dear, it looks like a haunted house!

Happy Weekend!

That's my boy, George. A bit vain, as you can see, but otherwise a pretty swell fella'. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the nice spring weather, if you're lucky enough to have it! Cheers!

Watching.....Priceless

Last night Mark had a solo gig, so Kate and I spent the evening by ourselves. After she went to bed, I snuggled in to watch a movie. I love my husband dearly, madly even, but I must admit, our tastes in movies are often drastically at odds, and my chances of getting him to watch a movie with subtitles, well, they're just not good. I've had this movie on my Netflix queue for awhile now, but was waiting for just such a night to enjoy it. It did not disappoint. Such a charming film! In a lot of ways the storyline reminds me of Breakfast at Tiffany's, except of course, Priceless is set in the present day and it's in French. I made the mistake of watching this film all grunged out in yoga pants and a hoodie, and felt like quite the frumpy American as Audrey Taotou pranced around in all her gorgeous dresses and lovely tousled hair, but I consoled myself by the fact that she is so the epitome of French chic and elegance she would make even Gwyneth Paltrow look frumpy. Just sayin'. Anyway, it's really an awesome movie. You can watch the trailer here.

Pear Bread

We're no strangers to sweet breads around here. I have more banana bread recipes than I care to count, and while Mark is not a big banana bread fan (weird!) he can scarf down pumpkin bread and zucchini bread with the best of them. But pear bread? I had never heard of such a thing, and frankly, while I've never really disliked pears, my general attitude toward them has been one of apathy. Mark on the other hand, is simply gaga over pears. I've often thought there's probably some dark Freudian symbolism in my fondness for bananas and his obsession with pears, but I digress.

So anyway, I spotted this recipe awhile back, but didn't get around to making it until last week. Gracious me! Pear bread has definitely captured a new spot in my permanent recipe collection, and I anticipate many batches of this being made throughout the years. It's similar to the more cakey banana bread recipes in my repertoire (the recipe is actually adapted from Southern Cakes, which explains a lot), but while I've often accused pears of being bland and boring, in this recipe they take on a sophisticated subtlety that just made me swoon. Deb swears this bread gets better and better with time, peaking at about day five, but seeing as how we had devoured every last crumb by day two, I can't really say much about that.

Listening to......Doug and Telisha Williams

This is the album getting the most air play around my house the past week or so. It was one of those haphazard radio discoveries. Driving home one day I heard these words coming at me, delivered in the rollicking bluesy/honky tonk fusion I love so much:

"I'm stuck between last call and alter call

Save my soul or have a ball

Put a stop to my sinnin' ways or

put it off another day.

Maybe I'm not livin' right

but sometimes I still see the light

on the crooked path I walk

between Sunday morning and Saturday night. "

Maybe it's just the fact that I spent much of my formative years in a pretty hardcore hellfire and brimstone backwoods church (and then underwent the inevitable rebellion that sort of thing generally entails), but I nearly ran off the road when I heard it. I'd say that's some pretty good songwriting. And the rest of the album is just as impressive. The title track, "Ghost of the Knoxville Girl," gives an old bluegrass murder ballad a new twist by telling the story from the victim's perspective. A few other favorites: "Learning to Drink Whiskey," "Loretta's Ballad" and "I Wonder."

Doug and Telisha Williams hail from Martinsville, Virginia and you can read more about them here. I love their sound: emotive, raw, alternately rowdy and reflective. But even more than that, I'm just floored by their songwriting. Honestly, I can't imagine how I haven't heard about them before now. The English major in me wants to talk about how this album calls to mind "southern gothic" writers like Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner, but that might be overkill. Just take a listen.

A Book for A Rainy Day

Oh dear. What a weekend of ups and downs! Bad news first. Two pretty major unforseen technological problems: Thursday night my laptop crashed and died and then on Friday, when he was ready to leave the office, Mark's car wouldn't start. So in addition to quite a bit of inconvenience this week, we also now we have some pretty hefty repair bills to look forward to. Oh well. I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, if a problem can be easily fixed with money, then it's probably not such a serious problem after all. We're all healthy and happy, so we'll just be thankful for that. :)

Plus, there were some very good things about this weekend too. For one thing, Saturday heralded in the official arrival of spring, and what an absolutely gorgeous day! Bright sunshine, gentle breezes, dandelions and daffodils peeking up to say hello. Just perfect. And even though I didn't get to go to the Asheville Artisan Bread Festival, as originally planned, what with the car fiasco and all, I did get in some quality front porch time. We had our first "wing ding" of the year Saturday night. We invited my parents, grandmother, and sister and brother-in-law over for grilled chipotle glazed chicken wings and (this is the best part) the first batch of homemade ice cream of the year! The ice cream machine hasn't been out of the shed since the maple ice cream extravaganza of October, so it was pretty exciting. We made strawberry, with some of the last frozen strawberries from last year, and each bite tasted like spring!

The weather turned on Sunday, gray and gloomy again, and there are rumors floating around again about snow in the higher elevations, but I'm choosing to ignore them. It's overcast and chilly today too, and what with Mark having to take my car to work, we're sort of stuck at home. But fortunately, I'm completely engrossed in the book I'm reading right now: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. At first I was intimidated by the size of this book. There was a time when big, hefty books were the norm in my world, but ever since Kate was born, my novel reading has taken a back seat. But this book is simply fantastic! If Tolkien and Jane Austen had teamed up to write a book, the result might have been something like this: full of magic and fantasy, but also charged with wry humor and social comedy. I stayed up way past my bedtime last night, reading "just one more chapter" until I could barely keep my eyes open, and reluctantly went to bed.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

I'm an all American mutt, with a very muddied gene pool: Native American, Scottish, Dutch, and yes, rumors of a wee smidgen of Irish down the line somewhere. Enough to justify the fact that I love St. Patrick's Day. I'm not really sure why, because largely it's such a commercialized holiday at this point. But I can't help it. I like all the jolly green revelry. But, and some of you may find this sacrilegious, I just don't care for Guinness. Not at all. I'm not really a big beer drinker period, but Guinness is particularly icky to me. It's too dark, too bitter. BUT, I'm more than happy to eat it, especially in the form of Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake which is absolutely amazing! You can't really taste the Guinness exactly, but it gives an earthy depth and subtle tang to an otherwise pretty standard chocolate cake. The cream cheese icing is lightened up (in texture obviously, not calories) by the addition of cream, and oh my, it's just heavenly. So, I raise my fork in cheers, wishing you and yours a happy St. Patrick's Day!

This cake was super easy to make. Here is the recipe with measurements already converted, if you're like me and too lazy to do the math. Cheers!

Top ephemera image via Suzee Que

Artsy Hijinks

I thought I had seen every Audrey Hepburn movie ever made, but while browsing through the Netflix Instant plays the other day, I stumbled across this film. What with all my years of Audrey idolization, especially during high school and college, I can't believe I missed this! Mark and I watched it last night, and what a treat! Peter O'Toole is dashing and Audrey is lovely as ever (only she can transform a pink nightgown and black rubber rain boots into the epitome of chic). Their zany foray into the world of high brow art collectors (and forgers!) is fabulous, and definitely a film we will watch again and again.

And on a somewhat related note, I came across this book during a lazy afternoon bookstore browsing session the other day, and was intrigued. The art world has always just seemed so glamorous; it would be interesting to read an insider's perspective. I didn't buy it then, but it's definitely on my ever growing list.

Natalie Merchant: Leave Your Sleep

My college roommate was a huge Natalie Merchant fan, so that was my first real exposure to her music. I vaguely remember liking the sound, but for whatever reason, it didn't really stay in the forefront of my consciousness, and until this past weekend, I had sort of forgotten about her. But over the course of our studio weekend (which, by the way, was quite a success, more about that later), I spent some of the down time catching up on this month's Paste magazine, which did a feature article about Natalie and her upcoming project, Leave Your Sleep, and I was hooked. Critics are calling this her most ambitious album to date, spanning genres and featuring a vast entourage of collaborators (some 130 artists! wow!), including Wynton Marsalis, Lunasa and the Klezmatics, The Memphis Boys, and Medeski Martin & Wood.

The project began five years ago. Basically, the songs on the record are poems, mostly about childhood, ranging from obscure nursery rhymes and lullabies, to poems by British Victorians, mid 20th century Americans, and a few contemporaries as well. The poets are both well known and obscure, the better known ones including: Odgen Nash, E.E. Cummings, Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Gerard Manley Hopkins. The thing that really intrigued me is the sheer amount of historical research and curation involved in bringing this project about. Merchant hired three research assistants (what a cool gig that must have been!) to track down biographical information about the poets, and a fourth assistant to research photos. It sounds like quite an undertaking, but how inspiring! To not only be creating music, but unearthing obscure gems and preserving important history. The album will come in two versions: a "cheap and cheerful" 16 track CD and a 26 song edition that will include an 80 page book created based on the historical research. Part of the tour in support of this project will include a "library tour" starting at the New York Public Library that will be part performance and part lecture. Release date is April 13th on Nonesuch Records.

Catnaps and Studio Plans

This is what Friday afternoon looks like around these parts. Those two are the best of friends. Hope everyone is gearing up for a nice weekend. We've had an entire week of spring-esque weather, and I'm practically giddy from it. This afternoon turned a bit rainy, forcing us back indoors, but at least it's not snow.

We're staying cabin bound this weekend, but we have big plans. Miss Katie Mae is spending the entire weekend with the grandparents, and Mark and I are locking ourselves into the home studio to finish up some recording projects that have been lingering around for awhile. Because our little cabin is, well, little, we don't have a separate room to keep a studio set up permanently. That means every time we want to record, we have to set up mics and such all over the house, and that gets a bit dicy with a two year old running rampant.

So, we've set aside an entire kid free weekend where we can leave everything set up and pretty much plow through as needed. We have two new songs on the board, and a third waiting in the wings if we get really ambitious.

I'm determined to improve my production chops this weekend. Usually I've just let Mark handle all the computer and equipment stuff, and merely pushed buttons or whatnot, but this weekend I'm breaking out a pen and notebook and what I'm sure will be a slew of annoying questions. But, I am determined to learn. It would really speed up production if I had more than a mere working knowledge of the process. Besides, I'm really shooting for a co-producer credit, rather than production assistant. :) Baby steps.

Wish us luck! I'm almost nervous about it, even though essentially, we're just spending a weekend at home, but the stakes are high and the red light's coming on.

I'll leave you with a few of my favorite links from this week:

This poster pretty much sums up my life philosophy.

I can't wait to make this cake for St. Patrick's day next week.

When I look through my bank statement and realize that the grocery store somehow ends up with most of my money, this great article from Martha Stewart hits home: 12 Ways to Prevent Food Waste

Lilith Fair lineup looks AWESOME! Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, Heart, Sheryl Crow! And so many others! Mark and I are just trying to figure out which concert to go to: probably Raleigh, Charlotte, or Nashville.

And don't forget we spring forward this week folks. Here's to long days again!

Ephemeratopia

I spent more time at this site than I probably should have this morning, browsing through this amazing collection of ephemera: antique trading cards, old advertisements, postcards, etc. I've always been fascinated by these sorts of treasures, and it's nice to see so many quirky, unusual ones all in one place. Lovely blog. A few of my favorites:

Chocolate Bread Pudding or Crazy Good Leftovers!

Ever since I started making my own bread regularly, I'm always trying to find ways to use up the leftover odds and ends. Throwing away half a loaf of store brought bread is wasteful, but throwing away the tiniest piece of homemade bread that you so lovingly kneaded and tended through pretty much the whole Little Red Hen process, well, that's just heartbreaking. So, I keep my nose to the ground for recipes like this. I first spotted this chocolate bread pudding over here, and it is indeed swoon worthy. Last night, we ate it fresh from the oven, drizzled with the butterscotch sauce (which is super easy and a keeper recipe on its own!), warm and gooey and rustic, and just perfect. Since I'm not known for my will power around anything chocolate, this morning I sprinkled powdered sugar over it and called it breakfast, and even cold, it will still make you turn cartwheels!

A few things: (1) Like Amy suggested, I doubled the chocolate and added 1 tsp. cinnamon. No espresso powder for me though, I'm not big on coffee flavored desserts (which is strange since I'm such a coffee hound!) (2) The original recipe calls for cinnamon raisin bread, but since I was using up old bread, I used a combination of a few days' old Who Bread and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Jill Andrews: These Words

Mark and I went to see Jill Andrews a few weeks ago, at the Gray Eagle, and I was completely blown away. Her voice is mesmerizing. Smooth and ethereal, but still twangy and powerful. You can hear East Tennessee in every syllable, and in my book that's a good thing. This video is not from that show, but it features one of her songs that has been nominated for the International Songwriting Competition. I confess, I don't normally participate in these kind of things, but I was so floored by this song, that I hopped myself right over here and cast my vote. Whether or not you vote, please take a moment and listen to this song. Jill also showcases one cover song a month on her website, plus has a new EP out, so if you like what you hear, there's more.

Glimpses of Spring

I realize that March is a fickle month. Some might call her an all out flirt. A tease. Well, despite all that, and despite the fact that the forecast calls for a return to rain and cold weather later in the week, I'm reveling in these glimpses of spring. Days like these are a call to action. It's time to:

Skip down the driveway.

Gaze at Carolina blue skies.

Laugh at the antics of silly dogs who are just as enraptured with a bright sunny day as we are.

Dig in the mud, and come home with dirt caked under your fingernails.

Hitch a ride back up the hill after a jaunt to the mailbox. In fact, today marked the very first ride in the back of a pick-up truck of 2010. All in all, the makings of a lovely, spring day. So, to quote my hat, life is good!

Last Days of Winter

More snow this week. I suppose you could say that March came in like a lion, which leaves me hopeful for the whole easing out like a lamb at the end of the month. We'll see. In any event, snow in March is not so bad. In fact, it's much easier to enjoy it because there is a definite light at the end of the tunnel, which is not the case in January or February when winter seems dark and endless. Plus, this weekend is supposed to be gorgeous, in the 50s and 60s.

Today is Kate's Kindermusik class, and after that she is having a little friend, Molly, spend the day with her. I'm looking forward to it, because Molly is a real sweetheart. Her mom and I went to both high school and college together, and I used to work with Molly's dad. I'm a wee bit nervous though, because, well, two toddlers!

This weekend, we're headed down to stay with some friends in Lenoir, NC. Patrick and Kay put on the yearly Caldwell County Traditional Music Showcase (a consistently amazing show!), and after the show they always host a big soiree at their lovely home. It's one of those pickin' parties that last until the wee hours of the morning, if you can make it that long (which I rarely do).

I'll leave you with a few things catching my fancy lately:

• Kate and I made these granola bars yesterday and oh my! They're rather homely there on the plate, but they taste delicious! I've made my own homemade granola for ages now, but until yesterday had never tried to make actual bars. Well, they were quite a success, albeit more squares than bars. Still, yummy and portable. For the three cups of fruit/nut mixture, I used: 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup of coconut.

• I read this book, Girls Like Us, a few weeks ago, and never got around to posting about it, but it was exceptional. It's a bit hefty, but reads quickly, much like a novel, and the lives of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon certainly provide a wealth of fascinating material. Besides being a simple biography of these three women, the book is really a sort of social history of feminism and what it meant to be a woman during the tumultuous years of the 60s and 70s. I found Joni Mitchell the most intriguing, although not always the most likeable, and watched this documentary after reading the book. It's available on Netflix instant play, if you're interested.

• We've been led (okay, pushed might be more like it, by a very strong willed two year old) into the realm of kid's music lately, and to save our sanity, have been seeking out adult friendly kid's music. I'm sorry, but I do not allow obnoxious purple dinosaurs into my home. We just wanted music all of us could enjoy. Elizabeth Mitchell is one of the first such artist's I discovered, and both Kate and I love her! The whole sound is mellow, folky, and acoustic, but very kid (and adult!) friendly. I've spent a lot of time perusing her website, and that of her adult indie band, Ida. I LOVE her independent record label's manifesto. A great NPR interview can be heard here.

Homeschool Preview

Studying the greats with Daddy.