Musical Monday #22

Well, I was going to talk about how spiffy my shower was, but Facebook is being a total skunkbag and not letting me on. (Please don't be another layout change!) So in the meantime, you'll have to be content with just a standard Musical Monday.

One of my FAVORITEST bands ever (besides Bowling for Soup) is the Pipettes. P actually introduced me to them back in 2008ish, since their single "Pull Shapes" was on the American Eagle video loop, and he had to listen to it all the time. In any case, I thought they were the absolute shiz, and I ended up buying the British edition of their album in a music shop in Bath.

The band consists of three gals named Riotbecki, Gwenno, and Rosay (although Riotbecki and Rosay have been replaced by Ani and Ana...sad day...). They also have a group of backup dancer boys called the Casettes.

On a funny side note: once I got my car, I subjected my dad to some of the more annoying selections in my wildly eclectic musical taste. (I'm looking at you, Aqua!) But when I played the Pipettes, my dad liked them so much that he listened to it on his own time. Fail. But hey, it was fun driving him up a wall with "Barbie Girl" and "Roses are Red."

So here's the Pipettes, teaching you some of their dance moves. Because they're so difficult and all. For serious.




Also, I just would like to point out that Rosay, the brunette, is my twin. For serious. If you have ever seen me dance, we are at about the same skill level. And we have a similar vocal range. And...well, she's adorable, and I yearn to be adorable. So we're even.

Also also, the Pipettes are making quite a splash on my wedding music playlist. So learn them steps, y'all. Especially "The Shocker." That's my favorite.

Although, truth be told, my dancing typically looks like Rosay's dance break...just so everyone's forewarned.

Musical Monday #21: "Drumming Song"

I love love LOVE this song.

Wait...lemme explain.

One of my favorite singers is Kate Nash, but she hasn't come out with a new album in FOREVER. And a day.

So in the meantime I've been searching for super-awesome British indie-type singers. And Florence+the Machine is pretty dang epic. She's like Kate Nash's edgy older sister, who hangs out with Lady Gaga.

This song has become my favorite sing-along-while-driving number. I can belt it pretty fiercely now, dontcha know.

So in any case....here's "The Drumming Song" by Florence + the Machine. Brace yourself for the epic that is about to hit you in the face.

Musical Monday #20

I've been a grumpy sort of rut for a while. Because seriously, wedding planning is KILLER. I'm terribly stressed. There's so many decisions to make, and everyone's harping on me to make decisions, and I am NOT looking forward to my only wedding shower...the hot mess has become even hotter and messier.

So I need stuff to cheer me up.

My favoritest band EVER is Bowling for Soup. They're a goofy, naughty punk-pop-rock band, and I just love them to absolute bits and pieces.

(My dream in life is to be the lead singer in a Bowling for Soup cover band. I shall call it Skeeball with Chowder.)

Anyways, one of the songs I love after their newest album is called "No Hablo Ingles," and it's hilarious. Basically it explains that if something happens that you don't want to say or do, just say "No Hablo Ingles."

Awesome.

So...enjoy. Have a good time. Giggle profusely.

I hope they cheer you up as much as they cheer me up!



(aren't they hilarious?)

Musical Monday #19!

In light of the fact that the wedding is coming up faster than a dinosaur in a Jeep's side mirror, I need a song that motivates me. And I've discovered that when I go for a run (which for me translates as "briskly paced walk that might could pass for a jog") the best song to motivate me is:

"Shut Up" by Simple Plan

So do you want to feel motivated? Plunk this in your iTunes, give a listen when you're running, and see if it doesn't ruffle your feathers to the point that you're bolting down the pavement.

Now that I have time to blog! (and Musical Monday)

OH MY GOSH I HAVE NOT BLOGGED IN DECADES.

Seriously.

In all fairness, though, life has been terribly busy. Guys and Dolls wrapped, we went through Wolf Calls and Pig Tails, and oh, yeah, I had to make twelve dresses and four pairs of knee britches in the span of two and a half weeks. I just about exploded.

But I'm back now, happily celebrating the one-year anniversary of my blog! But right now, I'm too sleepy to really talk much. So I leave you with my Musical Monday, which brings back memories of my parents on Christmas. I hope it makes you giggle like a small precocious schoolgirl.

When Musicals Eat Your Life (and a Musical Monday!)

Seriously, there is no life but Guys and Dolls. I'm in rehearsals every night- last week it was three hours a night, now it's bumped to four. Gah.

Trunk or Treat was tons of fun. The Swiper costume was a hit!


P made a fabulous nerd. No one was surprised.

Kat and Emma and I also ventured forth to find their bridesmaids dresses, and yea and verily, we were victorious! My five lovely ladies shall be clad accordingly:

Kat:

Lindsay:

Rebecca:
Rose:

Emma:

So now no one will be naked! Huzzah!

And now I am at Guys and Dolls rehearsal. Where I shall be for the next three hours. Please, someone come to Alumni Auditorium and shoot. me. now.

But on the other hand, I've been listening to this song a lot while driving, and I thought I would share the joy. So here is my Musical Monday contribution!



And that concludes today's sporadic and spazzy blog entry. Carry on.

Musical Monday #17

I ALMOST FORGOT IT WAS MUSICAL MONDAY! AUGH!

But don't worry. I remembered. At the last second. For yea and verily, that is how I roll.

With the exhilaration of the past weekend, there is only one song that can sum up my joy.

Glee - Don't Stop Believe
Uploaded by Bugabookas. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

(And if you haven't watched Glee yet, you should. It's awesome. Be a Gleek.)

Musical Monday #16! (I'm baaaack!)

With my summer lapse in blogging, I missed out on Musical Monday goodness. :( But now I'm back, chock full of new songs and sadness that I missed a fantastic theme series! Oh, well.

So. The theme is "my first concert."

Rewind to the late '90s. I was a seventh grader, and my absolute all time most favoritest band was Five Iron Frenzy. They were a Christian ska group that balanced super silly pop culture songs with really deep stuff- pretty much the precursor to Reliant K. (They also did the occasional Tom Jones or ELO cover).

Well, I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, mere minutes from the tiny college town of Wilmore. Wilmore has been the home of the Christian edition of Woodstock, the Ichthus music festival, pretty much since the beginning of Woodstock. And Five Iron Frenzy played opening night there every year. And I finally got to go!

They were amazing and fantastic and hilarious. I screamed out all the lyrics to "Suckerpunch" and "Dandelions" and "RIOT Gear" with all the power in my little middle schooler body. And then I got their autographs afterwards! They signed this super dorky denim hat that I decorated with stripes of gold fabric paint. Even Jeff the Girl! (She was my favorite. Her real name is Lenore, but she's the only girl in the band. She played the saxophone.)

My favorite silly song by them was "Pants: The Rock Opera." It's hilarious. It never fails to make me giggle in the (gasp!) ten years I've loved FIF. And these goofy college guys apparently love them as much as I do, because they made this video, reenacting the tale of the pants.



Ah. Classic middle school humor. Love it.

What I did over summer vacation...er, the past couple of weeks (plus Musical Monday #15!)

So...things have been crazy. Incredibly crazy. Now I'll catch up!

I had one week after school ended to get ready for Disney. My little sister graduated on the 16th (of May) and we left early early early the next day for Orlando. And it was a long drive, to say the least. We stopped that night at a hotel in Gainesville, then drove the rest of the way the next morning.

The first day of orientation for the Disney College Program is a maze. Seriously. You start at a certain point and then weave your way through all these different stations to get your housing ID, fill out paperwork, etc. The part that made me the most nervous was picking the apartment. They ask what size apartment you want, and then randomly assign you one. I knew this part was coming, and it made me anxious. I even briefly considered asking for a wellness apartment (one where alcohol wasn't allowed) just to lessen my chances of rooming with partiers, but all I came out was a timid "could I get a three-bedroom?".

I ended up in building #1, on the third floor. I moved in as quickly as possible, hoping to be unobtrusive. But it turned out it was all okay. My roommate, Michelle, and I are incredibly compatible as roommates. No problems whatsoever. I also found out that none of the girls in my apartment are partiers, so yay! They're all like me: they enjoy the occasional beverage, but they neither get drunk on a regular basis nor plan to host parties in our apartment. Thank goodness.

The apartment goes like this:

Michelle is from Wisconsin and works at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom.

Kim is from New York and works at the American Adventure quick service food location at Epcot.

Carissa is from New York and works merchandice down Sunset Boulevard in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Shana is from South Carolina and works at the Great Movie Ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Sam is from South Carolina and works at Toy Story Midway Mania in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

And me? I'm getting to that. (Lawlz, making you wait.)

After the morning orientation and starting to unpack, it was time for afternoon orientation at Disney casting. That was a huge pain in the you-know-what. Seriously. Exhausting. That was also when I found out that while I was returning to Studios, I was not returning to the Great Movie Ride. I was placed in Sunset Attractions: Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Beauty and the Beast (the stage show), and Fantasmic!.

I didn't find out until the end of the week that I was placed at Beauty and the Beast (also known as Theater of the Stars, also known as ToTS) and Fantasmic!. And I didn't know until I was in training that working Fantasmic! also meant I was trained for the Pixar Block Party Bash parade and the High School Musical 3: School's Out! pep rally.

So yeah. Lots of training. I've got some interesting stories about that, but I don't want to get into it at the moment. It would take too long.

But now I'm fully trained at all four work locations, plus I'm in line for recertification training at the Great Movie Ride, so I can work there too...maybe even transfer there.

And now you're all caught up! Now you know what I'm up to, and where I'm working, and all that good stuff. I'll post some pictures...once I take them. I'm so bad about that.

And until I post again (which shall be soon, I promise!), here's my Musical Monday entry. What better music than the show that I work at?!


Yeah, guess who gets to see this three nights a week. ME!

Musical Monday #14: Movie Music (and Audition Purgatory: Day #8)

My parents were super super super strict when I was a kid, so I didn't see The Little Mermaid until I was fifteen (although I promptly became obsessed). But there's one part of the movie that ALWAYS gives me chills...the last part of the reprise of "Part of Your World" with the waves crashing on the rocks. So here it is!



In other news, still nothing on the cast list. We've been told the list will be posted by Thursday or Friday...but really, this suffering has gone on long enough!

Musical Monday #13: Back to school! (it's a three-song-bonanza!)

I have to preface this by saying I went to three different high schools. I went to the same school from first grade until ninth grade, but we moved over Christmas break from Lexington, Kentucky, to Independence, Kentucky (right outside Florence). So I went from a tiny school with about fifteen people in my grade to a larger school with fifty-three people in my grade. Then we moved again, two weeks before senior year started, from Independence, Kentucky, to Nashville, Tennessee. And then that school had about 128 people in my grade, which is still comparatively small, but for me, it was massive. Crazy. And I did not enjoy any of the transfers, but it all worked out in the end.

In any case, there are two songs that remind me of high school. This first one should make Kat giggle. (You know, you really should comment. Just sayin'. :) ) I was the Farmer's Wife and an ensemble member in The Music Man- the Litttlest Pick-A-Little, to be precise. And every day, the director made us work out. And I mean work out- running, pushups, crunches...everything. It was hardcore, man. And every day, we would dance. One of the crucial numbers is the Shipoopi, which I display for you now:



We did pratically the same dance, but the Fehrmanator (the director) focused on two steps in particular: the step-slide, step-slide, step-step-step; and the hop-touch. So she found another song that used the same rhythms, and we danced to it at least once a day (usually 2 or 3 times) for several months.



I can't hear this song now without breaking into dance!!

And now for the THIRD song of this bonanza!

After going to three schools, I got over striving to "be popular" real quick. I mean, you can be popular...and then the carpet gets ripped out from under you and before you know it you're at a new school where no one knows you and you're at the bottom of the ladder again. It's just not worth. The most valuable thing I learned in high school is to relax, to be my own lively and friendly self, to not take things too seriously, and care more about making a handful of solid friends rather than being popular. And do you know what? In my own circles, I did feel popular.

So when I think of the craziness of all that is high school popularity and how I happily avoided it, I turn to this song.

(Also, I love Bowling for Soup. I wanted to find the original video, but embedding was disabled. So this is from Ouran High School Host Club, one of my FAVORITEST animes of all time, and I highly recommend it. Also also, I most definitely did not make this video. The person who did is fantastically more talented!)

Musical Monday #12: Embarrassing

I'm halfway embarrassed about this. It's a little less embarrassing because I'm not alone...my mother is a fangirl too!

It's hard not to fangirl over the JoBros.

That's right.

The Jonas Brothers.

I just want to pinch their cheeks and keep them in my pocket. So cute. Kevin's my favorite, most definitely. Although I'm still hoping for my sister to meet Joe Jonas and marry him so I can finally have cute, talented brothers of my very own.

I love this song. It's so cool and rockin', and it's nice to see that the boys don't take themselves that seriously- they can have a lot of fun and be all doofusy. I appreciate that.

So here, for all to enjoy, is "Burnin' Up" by the Jonas Brothers.

Musical Monday #11: Chicks That Rock!!

So I'm going a liiiittle different with this one. Why?

I actually made this video.

I'm a big fan of the group Groove Coverage, and especially their song "God is a Girl". (although I do not personally hold their theology. It's just a cool song.)

And I'm a huge fan of the show Avatar: The Last Airbender. Like, seriously. Fangirl. Right here.

So I combined the two, way back in 2007, and made this video. It's a little clunky, since it was my first one, but it's got some great moments in it.

And seriously, the Avatar girls rock. Especially Toph. See the little kid with the dark hair and the white dress in the video? She's blind. Totally. But she's AWESOME.

Enjoy!

ATLA: God is a Girl (a tribute to the Avatar girls) @ Yahoo! Video

(Also, I HIGHLY recommend the Avatar series. Seriously. There is not a dull or poorly written episode in the entire three seasons. And actually, it's more popular with older teens and adults than with little kids! So...watch it! I'd lend you my seasons, but they're all being borrowed. :) )

Musical Monday #10!

Hurray for #10!!

Right now I am in a jolly mood. The sun is shining, my hair is curling, my cardigan is yellow. Life is lovely.

(Also, I tied a rainbow-striped ribbon in my hair).

And in order to further this jolly mood and spread jolliness to all who stumble upon my blog, I present the absolute happiest-sounding song you have ever heard in all of your life.



I dare you to not smile. That's right. I DARE YOU.

Musical Monday #...eh...9? We'll go with 9

(I accidentally hit enter after typing the title and it posted. Whoops. Now I'll fix it. Once I've picked a decent song...)

I have a confession to make.

I...am a Speed Racer fangirl.

I don't know how it started. I just know that I am. I mean, seriously. Look at him.

That doesn't work for you? How about THIS:

Seriously.

Sure, the movie didn't do that well in theaters, and when you watch it, your eyeballs might possibly burn a little. But it's fun. It's so much fun. The original show is silly and campy and over-the-top, and the movie pulled that off, while still making it seem serious. If that makes any sense.

(Also, as soon as I get a car, I have a Speed Racer clinging figure that is going up in the window the second I get it.)

Also, my car will be called the Mach 5.

(Also, my ultimate car is a white PT Cruiser, so I can stick a big ol' red 5 on the door.)

(Also, I'm a geek.)

But one of the best parts of the movie is the updated theme. And it gets STUCK IN MY HEAD on a disturbingly regular basis.

So, in order for you to enjoy the same awesomeness, here is the Speed Racer Theme, by Ali Dee and the Deekompressors.

(and please don't hold me liable if it gets stuck in your head!)

Musical Monday #8!

Today's song is rather random, but it's a good time.

I've always been a...well, let's just say quirky girl. When I was in high school, I discovered the joys of Japanese pop music. I quickly became a fangirl of Puffy AmiYumi, Morning Musume, and Megumi Hayashibara, much to the confusion of my Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys-loving friends. (Wait, were they still in back then? I can't even remember.) In any case, I listened to my beloved J-pop all the time, until I was in college and P started introducing me to more rockish kind of stuff.

But P played this song for me, and it brought back all kinds of fun memories. Plus, you've got to give kudos to any three-person band where everyone sings, including the drummer. How does she do that?

So this is Stereo Pony (Japanese band names are fantastic!) with a song title I can't pronounce.



And in other news...

P and I have discovered a small snag in our wedding planning. We're set on getting married in the great hall of our church, then flipping the space to make it our reception. The thing is, since we're getting married on a Saturday night, there's a fee to change the space from the usual church layout. How much of a fee? About $1,000 worth!

That's $1,000 we'd rather not spend. P is going to talk to the guy in charge about it and see if we can work something out. If not, we'll just suck it up and find the money. It would be cheaper to go ahead and pay that than try to find somewhere else that can accommodate us.

(Also, spell check just informed me I can't spell "accommodate" on my own. I feel dumb...)

We also drove past the apartments we're looking at. They're literally two minutes from his campus, so he can still ride his bike to classes. And they look like they're decent, which makes me happy.

Speaking of the living situation...since I can't have my old room on campus, my sister's going to take it. (She'll be eighteen in May. Scary!!) And my parents and I are talking about taking the money we would have used for a meal plan and my private room and using it to get a car, so I can be a day student for my last semester. Honestly, I'm okay with living at home. I've done my dorm time. Besides, I think my parents will like seeing more of me before I get married and leave home for good.

And I really want a PT Cruiser!!

Musical Monday #7!

I must preface this with a warning. This song, while hilarious, is about 90% profanity. Now, while I am not one to drop cusswords, I do think this is hysterical. So...watch at your own risk!

The reason I picked this song is...well, I'm not sure. Ashley, the girl I directed Enchanted Attic with, played this for us during rehearsal one day and it became the unofficial theme song. We would wander around singing "Oh my effing s, it's a dinosaur..." under our breaths, because it got stuck in our heads.

And it's funny. And right now, I felt like picking a funny song. Why? Because I'm getting evicted.

The powers-that-be have declared new rules about what areas of the dorms are going to be freshman-only. One of them is my floor, so I'm getting kicked out. I've lived in the same dorm building since I was a freshman, and I've had the same room for the past three years. I only have one semester left, and I have to spend it in a strange dorm.

So I'm going to cheer myself up and listen to the dinosaur song.

*ppbt*

(that's the noise of me sticking my tongue out at The Man, by the way)

Musical Monday #6!

It's taken me a little while to pick this song. I debated long and hard. And then...inspiration struck!

Actually, inspiration came in the form of a large white envelope from Disney. Guess who was accepted to the summer 2009 alumni program as an attractions cast member?!

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seeing as how I'm headed to Disney, I quickly realized what was in order for today's Musical Monday. THE THEME FROM FANTASMIC!



It's so epic. And it's the fireworks show from my park, the Disney-MGM Studios.

All right, the Disney-Hollywood Studios. *bleck*

But doesn't that music just fill you with Disney joy?

(Also, now you can expect a TON of blogging about what it's like to work for the mouse. Hopefully it'll be exciting!)

Musical Monday #5!

I had to look up last week's MM to rememeber what number this was...

This week's Musical Monday is very, very special, in that it has a great deal of different music and even more sentimental value. This is the pirate chase scene that I put together for Enchanted Attic, the show I just directed.

This was honestly the hardest part for me. I had throw out the script and come up with something funny and imaginative that allowed the actors show off how awesome they were, and that used our set. It took an entire 2 1/2-hour rehearsal to block this, and they were always so tired afterwards, but they did a fantastic job and the audience thought it was hysterical.

So here it is! The pirate chase scene from Enchanted Attic. Now you can see what I was agonizing over for the past month and a half...



(it wouldn't let me embed. Let me go cry now...)

But anyways, here's the music I used for the scene (which makes it qualify for a Musical Monday! Yes!...yes? Maybe? If I beg hard?"

"Hide and Go Sneak (score)" from Peter Pan

"Two Hornpipes (score)" from Pirates of the Caribbean

"To the Rescue (score)" from Nightmare Before Christmas

"Sootballs (score)" from Spirited Away

"Tsugaru" from DDR: Max 2

"Theme from Jaws" from...well, I'm going to have to say Jaws

"Jack Sparrow (score) from Pirates of the Caribbean

Musical Monday #4!

I love this song. Love, love, love. Love it to the point that P and I are using it as our first dance at our wedding. ^_^

Disney's a big deal to me. So when a lot of their recent films turned into stupid effing trainwrecks that were made only to make money but failed anyway (Home on the Range, The Wild, etc.) I was pretty broken up about it.

Then I saw Meet the Robinsons. It was supposed to be released six months earlier than its final release date, but John Lasseter said he wanted the film pushed back so they could work on it. It was worth it. It's the first movie in a long time that felt like an actual Disney movie. Sure, it's got its rough spots, but it's a clever, emotionally charged story.

The last part made me bawl. Throughout the whole film (I'll try not to make these into big spoilers) twelve-year-old orphan Lewis is looking to the past for answers, but everyone keeps telling him to "keep moving forward." The movie closes with a quote from Walt Disney that says..."Keep moving forward."

Not only do I love this film, but this song's lyrics are perfect for a wedding song, especially for me and P, who have been engaged for nearly two years...it'll be three years by the time we finally get married. And we've been through a lot in our fairly short lives- a fifteen year history of depression for me, and a year-long illness for him. The words of this song are just perfect.

So here it is. "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas, from the movie Meet the Robinsons.