TUESDAY TUNES | MOUNTAINS

Photograph + Design (c) Melissa

The mountains have a special place in my heart. So far, they have been the place where I experienced the most changes in my life - the good, the bad, the ugly, but mostly the learning. The photo above is one of my favorite views off of 421 on the drive up to Boone. This weekend I am taking a short trip up there for business, and of course for pleasure. It will forever be one of those places that means the world to me. It's my little haven. Remember that letter I wrote to Boone? It's amazing how much one place can change you.

Here are a collection of songs that remind me of Appalachian + Boone.
I can't wait to be reunited this weekend! Even if only for a weekend.

PLAYLIST //
1 | 1904 - The Tallest Man on Earth
2 | The Avalanche - Sufjan Stevens
3 | Mountain Sound - Of Monsters And Men
4 | The Cave - Mumford & Sons
5 | Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
6 | Die Die Die - The Avett Brothers
7 | Learning To Fly - Tom Petty
8 | Sodom, South Georgia - Iron & Wine
9 | Meet Me In The Morning - Bob Dylan
10 | Crossroads - Tracy Chapman
11 | Rooster - Toubab Krewe
12 | Rivers And Roads - The Head And The Heart
13 | Take Me Home, Country Road - John Denver
14 | Tin Man - The Avett Brothers
15 | Falling Away - Benjamin Pacheco
16 | Stubborn Love - The Lumineers
17 | Towers - Bon Iver
18 | When I Go - Brett Dennen
19 | Four Winds - Bright Eyes
20 | Pink Moon - Nick Drake
21 | All The Trees Of The Fields Will Clap Their Hands - Sufjan Stevens
22 | Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
23 | Mixtape - Tift Merritt
24 | Sing - Travis
25 | Suzanna - The Wildbirds
26 | Dance, Dance, Dance - Steven Miller Band
27 | Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
28 | Down In The Valley - The Head And The Heart
29 | Winter - Joshua Radin
30 | Mountain And The Sea - Ingrid Michaelson
31 | Flowers In Your Hair - The Lumineers

Happy Listening!

Listen on 8tracks | Spotify*

*Click on the link and choose Spotify as the application. It will automatically take you to the playlist! Be sure to subscribe to keep the playlist on your queue :)

I have an obsession, and it's called Mumford & Sons.
I will probably write an obsessed series post on them in the near future.
Today I wanted to share a video series they have on YouTube called "Acoustic Bookshop Sessions" where they played an acoustic set at a bookshop in London called Treadwell's. Although their studio recordings are as epic as epic can get, acoustically you can really feel the raw talent they all possess.

I actually saw them in concert this past June in Asheville. Hands down, the best live show I have ever been to and I did not anticipate the headache I got trying to get my hands on their tickets! I thought Mumford & Sons was my little secret a while ago, but I can't help but be overwhelmed with happiness with their current success.

Enjoy the wonderful acoustic songs of Mumford & Sons. I assure you, you will hear more about them in future posts :]

So happy Monday everyone! Here's some music to start your week off right.

With bangs and a bow

bows, bows, bows.
What can I say? I'm obsessed!
I've recently bought this lavender bow from Benny Peacock on Etsy. Considering I've recently decided to quit my part-time job to focus on my internships, I need to step away from the paypal account linked to etsy...seriously. I had good intentions for this bow though. Hopefully (if it goes well with my outfit), I will wear it for my Aunt's wedding coming up in a couple of weeks!

Aside from bows, things have been going really well!
My internships have been such a great experience thus far. Just on the first day I was able to write two press releases for the Summer Dance Series and Appalachian's Actors Series. (I've linked the stories!) They are short, simple press releases but I can't believe they've been published on the web! Other than that, I've been able to work with everyone in the department shadowing photo shoots, editing/proofing, writing and doing what public relations people do. I'm excited for the weeks to come! I recently went home for a couple days and nothing can explain the feeling of being home. There is just so much love.

Since I won't be waiting tables anymore (at least this summer) I need to find some creative ways of saving money in order for all these plans for the upcoming year can happen! Any ideas? I'll just eat ramen...but that still doesn't leave enough money for my plans! I'm not too worried. What's the point of making money when you can't even spend it?

I have much to look forward to this summer, and hopefully I can do it all within a budget!
COUNTDOWN!

7 days til Mumford and Sons (and Asheville)
17 days til my Aunt's wedding
20 days til my roadtrip to FL with my cousin (this includes Harry Potter world and adventures!)
37 days til MusicFest 'N Sugar Grove music festival
43 days til Harry Potter!
69 days til the Philippines
93 days til my 21st birthday

Hopefully in between those days I can get my life back to being organized and leave time for the things that I love doing - friends, family, travel, art and some r&r.

I vow to not take this long for another blog post.

Oh, did I mention I cut my bangs?

Designated Designer

I realize I haven't blogged in awhile.
Since there is always a scapegoat, I blame my studies, work and the infamous InDesign program.
Many exciting things have been happening, and not so exciting things in my past couple weeks.

1. Got an internship! Summer internship with the Department of Communications at AppState. I'm very excited. I get six credit hours and have to complete 120 hours (which isn't so bad after spreading it over a 10 week period)
2. Found the Mumford & Sons vinyl along with tickets to see them in Asheville! Ex-CITING.
3. This evening is taco + margarita night!
4. I've had some wonderful entertainment opportunities (which I will blog about later)

Anyway -
I decided to showcase some of the design work I've had to do for my Media Publishing class. I have recently realized how much I enjoy designing things like magazine spreads, business cards or logos. I am merely an amateur but as a public relations major, it's good to have different design skills.

Here's some examples of my work:

Business card idea - designed the logo along with the layout of the card.

  

This was a magazine spread I had to create to represent myself. If you click on the photos, they should enlarge and you will be able to read the text.

Those are just a few things that I've been working on in InDesign.
I hope to learn more and eventually create more things with it!

Off to a Ben Folds Acoustic Concert on campus.
A blog about that later ;)

- melissa

December, Be Kind

 

taken 12.8.10 (c) m.vega

"be better than you were yesterday."

It's been a while since I've
blogged,

taken photos,

or had any kind of artistic outlet.
Now that school is going to settle down [just for a few weeks], I've been trying to do some art projects that I've been thinking about for a while. I've started taking pictures again - that's a start. I can't say I'll have one for every blog post, but that's the goal. I've recently become attached and intrigued by bows. It started when I had to work at Ruby Tuesday and all I could wear was black, which for me is a little bleh, so I started wearing things for my hair, and boom - this fascination for bows, flowers, ruffles, & hair clips began. Luckily it hasn't done much damage to my wallet.

Quick recap of important events -

• Decided on a major/minor! Public Relations Major, Sociology Minor
• New job. Same responsibilities. [New restaurant, same positions]
• I have kept my personal pact of growing my hair out
• Boone never surprises me with its ridiculous weather
• I've started playing Bookworm again (Click to play!) It's addictive but stimulating
• I've (recently fallen) in love with: Netflix, my townhouse, my roommates, my loft of a room, the excitement of my future plans, Mumford & Sons, my boots, and the people/person in my life.
• I'm excited for: the holiday season, my trip up North, my trip home next week, giving Christmas gifts, 2011, for my last final on Monday, my art projects, my new Toms/Typewriter/Snow shoes, and to wear my mustard yellow trench coat around.

best wishes,

Ps. Forgive me for the lack of development with this blog. I promise to update, make it more "cool" as soon I find the inspiration, motivation, and that so called "time".