My favorites of 2011.

10. Loomer - Korey Dane. This album isn't just a favorite of mine. It's my current favorite. Just discovered it the day after Christmas, and it quickly took it's place on my top ten. I love every track and will be getting lots of new year playtime out of this album. Fave tracks: Mother Father, To Mona, Oh Louise, and The New Year [of course.]

9. Fathers Be Kind - Ivan & Alyosha. I'm kicking myself that I haven't seen this band live yet. They've been nearby a few times and I've missed them. This is my new years resolution for 2012: To see Ivan & Alyosha in concert. This is just a five track EP, but I love it so much, and I can't wait for a full length album to be released. Hopefully this year :) Fave tracks: I Was Born To Love Her, Everything is Burning, and Fathers Be Kind.

8. Ashes & Fire - Ryan Adams. This album will forever and always remind me of the month of October 2011 when I was glued to the couch night and day sewing beads onto Madeline's homecoming dress. Funny how music can do that. It can be the most powerful time capsule, keeping a time and place for safe keeping. Fave tracks: Come Home, Ashes & Fire, Save Me, and Kindness.

7. Southerner - Trent Dabbs. A few times throughout the year I've thought that maybe this album wouldn't be on my top ten. It came out clear back in the very beginning of the year and lots of great albums have been released since, but every time I go back to this album, it holds on strong. So many great songs on this album. Dabbs is a serious talent. Fave tracks: Leave to See, Don't Blame Love, Catch Me Up To Speed, and Can I Cross Your Mind.

6. The Waking Sleep - Katie Herzig. I have Lindsay to thank for introducing me to Katie years ago. She's become one of my very favorite artists and it never fails that her music connects with me. Her voice is unique and has a quirkiness that I love. I've seen her live twice and she's just as wonderful on stage. This album is a ton of fun, filled to the brim with gems. My favorites are: Free My Mind, Oh My Darlin', Wasting Time, and Midnight Serenade.

5. We Are The Tide - Blind Pilot. The second I heard the title track from this album I knew it would be on my top ten. It's seriously one of my all time favorite albums now. This band is also on my list of bands to see. I actually had tickets to see them earlier this month in Seattle but the show ended up being when I was in the depths of strep throat and missed the show. SO SAD! I will see them though. Fave tracks: Always, We Are the Tide, The Colored Night, and White Apple.

4. The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart. Another amazing album from a band I'm anxious to see live. My brother saw them open for Death Cab and said they were so awesome. [sigh.] This album is the epitome of awesome indie music. From start to finish, this band delivers. I love every track, but here's the creme de la creme: Cats and Dogs, Coeur d'Alene, Down in the Valley, Honey Come Home, and Winter Song.

3. Chesapeake - Rachael Yamagata. She will always be a favorite of mine, and hopefully I will get the chance to see her live in my lifetime. [I need to move to a cooler town where artists like Rachael desire to visit!] This album is a refreshing delivery from her. Less dark than her last album and at times, even upbeat and happy. Rachael's raspy voice is as perfect and hoarse as always. Fave tracks: Even If I Don't, Saturday Morning, You Won't Let Me, and Full On. [Please listen to these songs, you won't regret it.]

2. 21 - Adele. She is amazing. On the album. In concert. If I could be gifted any voice on the planet, it would be hers. To be able to sing like that! When my mom and I went to her show in Portland this summer I wasn't expecting her to be so funny as well. She was hilarious, and her laugh...I don't think I'll ever forget that. This album has one of the best songs ever written. Someone Like You. I never tire of that song, even if the radio plays it 30 times a day. It's simply amazing.

1. Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars. This album is just hard to beat. Joy and John create magic on these songs and when I saw them in concert in June, I was blown away. That was one of the most special shows I've ever been to, and these songs are meant to be heard in a dark little club with the audience singing along. Such a spectacular album from top to bottom and I can't wait to see what they do next. Best of the best: 20 years, C'est la Mort, Poison & Wine, Barton Hollow, Girl With the Red Balloon, and Forget Me Not.





Wishing you a Happy New Year 
and a blessed 2012!

*Most of these albums are available on AmazonMP3 for $5 or less. Purchasing through these amazon links helps support Passionista Presents. Thank you for your support!
** P.S. The new January playlist will be posted on Monday, and all of these artists will be featured!
***P.P.S. Want to see my list from 2010? Click here.

Christmas Rewind.

Annual gingerbread making was the grandest ever this year. 11 kids, 10 houses, and one gingerbread train. Grammy Tami outdid herself this year, and once again she buffed the table so we could get the beautiful reflection of our gingerbread village.

Wrapping presents has always been a favorite of mine. Even as a little girl, I loved it. This year, I used yarn to make cute pom poms and simple bows for gift toppers. The adorable fox tags are from here.

One of our favorite traditions is placing the star atop Grandma Shirley's tree. This year her tree was the B-I-G-G-E-S-T ever. An insanely fat tree. The only way to place a star on a tree so big is to use a pulley system and a child. Every year, we harness up one of the vulnerable small children and send them flying in the air to set the vintage star on top. It is the BEST tradition.

Once the star is placed, we get serious and dress the children in robes, head wraps and shawls and we act out the nativity, complete with angels on the staircase and songs for all to sing along with. This year, Lily was Mary and she did a fine job being great with child.

There were some themes this year throughout our gift giving. Scarves, sweaters, and things with an electric motor. Ethan and Lily love their new red electric scooters and Madeline is happy to now have her first car. Santa was good to us.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did. This year was one of my favorites in recent memory. I've concluded that it was because:

a: I decided to just let a few projects sit and wait for Christmas to be over. [like our annual Christmas card, which will now be New Years cards :]
b: We were able to attend church on Sunday morning and listen to beautiful music. This made the day perfect.


Now, we are just enjoying the last few days of Winter break. We've seen two excellent movies: War Horse and The Adventures of Tin Tin. We are also making plans for New Years and setting goals for 2012.

I'm hoping to get back here tomorrow to share my favorite albums of 2011. Stay tuned!

 

Mindy Gledhill, a Holiday Concert.

Well friends, that was a fun weekend! The show turned out great and I'm pretty sure everyone who came enjoyed the show. If you were there, THANK YOU for coming! If you weren't able to make it but helped spread the word, THANK YOU for supporting the show!

Mindy was magical and gorgeous and sounded as amazing as ever. She really is a special person. She is always positive, kind, and she is so good at designing a set. That was ALL her. I am grateful that she trekked all the way up here to give us such a great show.

Spencer Harrison [go 'like' his fan page!] opened for her and he was charming and so so talented. I am looking forward to hearing more from the projects he's working on. I'll definitely be sharing more about him in the future!

It was also so fun to have Mallary's Bakery there at the concert selling her cupcakes. They were flying off the table like crazy. I'm telling you, best. cupcakes. ever.

Thanks again for all the love and support.

I am really focusing on getting ready for Christmas now, so posting may be light this week.

If I don't make it back here before Christmas, 

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

*image via Mindy

five gratefuls.

Today my heart is full and I am grateful:

+ for this family picture. This photo showed up in my inbox last night from my brother in law and I am calling this our Christmas miracle. This holiday season has been the weirdest, most stressful, frustrating one yet. This photo was taken the day after Thanksgiving and I remember having a really bad attitude about it because Brandon was busy that day setting up our Christmas tree lot and it just wasn't the ideal day. We didn't really coordinate what we were wearing and it was cold and we were all just kind of grumpy. But, it was one of the rare moments when we have all been together in the daylight and is the ONLY picture we will have available to send in our Christmas cards. Trust me, I am learning a big lesson right now. Be grateful for the NOW.

+ for the kindest, most honest, generous, intelligent, wise and thoughtful friends a girl could ask for. As I have stated above, I've been in a bit of a funk. Getting sick, feeling stretched too thin, being stressed and behind in Christmas preparations means that I've been negative. But, I'm telling you that I have the most amazing friends. Women who give me wise advice, make me feel special, and remind me what this beautiful season is all about. I am so blessed to know such amazing women. And thinking of them brings tears to my eyes.

+ for the support that has been shown to me throughout this journey of concert promoting. Having people believe in what you are doing is huge. And I am grateful.

+ for my husband. Our relationship has never been perfect [whose is?], but he is perfect for ME. He tells me I'm beautiful when I feel crummy, he brings me treats when I'm feeling down, he offers to help even when he has so much responsibility of his own, he works harder than anyone I know, he never complains about how hard he has to work, and he loves me unconditionally. Even when I'm grumpy. He is my hero.

+ for my children and for Pauline. I don't talk a lot about my children here because they desire some privacy and they read my blog occasionally. But, I want you and them to know, how much they mean to me. They make me laugh when I need it most, they forgive me when I snap at them, they give me hugs when I look like I could use one, and they teach me so very much. Pauline has been one of the greatest blessings in our lives. She is a good to the core person, who cares about others and who is so kind, thoughtful and polite. Her manners make us look like heathens. And I love her. She will always be a part of our family even when she goes back to Belgium. I hope to visit there someday and hug her mother, who I adore without even speaking with [she doesn't speak English.] I am just so grateful to share my life and home with these six people. I am the luckiest.

Please share what YOU are grateful for today!

Please, join us!

Hello all! Have you seen this Mindy Gledhill video for her song "Winter Moon"? You should gather your children around and watch it. I promise they'll love it. My kids do.

Have you seen the countdown on my sidebar? The concert is TOMORROW! Mindy will be here in the Tri-Cities to share her new Christmas music with us, and I suspect a few of the favorites from her Anchor album.

Did you know she's bringing a band with her? She'll be backed by bass, guitar, and drums. So don't miss this show!

Tickets are still available online at the advanced rate of $15/seat, but only until noon tomorrow! After that,  tickets will be available at the door as well, for $20/seat. This show will be a wonderful family friendly event, so grab the kids and come to the show. OR, if you are feeling frazzled, then get a babysitter and grab your significant other and make it a dinner and a show kind of date. Mindy has a special gift of encouraging romance, and this will be a great way to spend some fun time together. Get your tickets!

Finally, I want to thank all of you who have supported my shows and have purchased tickets. It really means so much to me and has been a fun journey. This will be my last show. I think it's appropriate. I started with Mindy, and I'm ending with Mindy. Mindy has become a friend and she is absolutely one of the most kind, genuine and lovely women I've ever had the chance to meet. I adore her, and can't wait to see her tomorrow.

Thank you for all your love and support!

Lots of love,
Marilyn

five gratefuls.

Today I'm grateful:

+ for all the Christmas music I've been practicing. Playing the piano is truly therapy for me and I've had a lot of practicing to do. Some of the music has been duets with a friend who plays cello, and that feels like heaven to me.

+ for the snow that is predicted to fall tonight. I hope it's a white winter wonderland when we wake up tomorrow morning.

+ for kind and thoughtful friends who support me and encourage me.

+ for teenage girls who make me laugh and who are [mostly :] enjoyable to be around.

+ for the modern conveniences that make my life so easy and wonderful. a warm home, a working car, antibiotics, delicious food. the things that we may take for granted on a daily basis, but that so many throughout the world are without.

What are YOU grateful for today?

2012 Calendar.

Back in October, I signed up for a homemade Holiday Gift Swap. I was excited and had tons of ideas running through my brain. Embroidered pillows, yarn wreaths, re-purposed wool sweaters, etc. Lots of fun ideas I probably discovered on Pinterest. But I procrastinated the creating process. And then I got sick. For 9 days. So there was no embroidered pillows, or wool sweater anythings being made.

Plus, my deadline for when the gifts were expected to ship was past. Then, a little tender mercy. An idea to turn my favorite Instagram shots into a cute calendar. So, I spent a day designing it, and converting the files to be sent to the printer. In the end, I was really happy with the results. All my swap friends should have received their packages, and so I'm sharing the results with you.

This is a 5x7 calendar, unbound, so that individual pages can be displayed. They can be framed, or hung all in a row from twine, or hung on the wall with a silver binder clip.

Guess what, friends?
It's even available to purchase in my Etsy shop.
The shop that has been sitting empty for over 4 years.
It's empty no longer.
There's one item available to purchase.
A 5x7 Instagram calendar.

Need a fun gift idea?
How about a 2012 Instagram calendar!

Mallary's Bakery.

Friends, when I find something I love very much I have to share it with you. This discovery may only benefit the locals, but it's worth sharing regardless.

Mallary's Bakery.

At the Kennewick Ranch & Home, where we have our Christmas tree lot, there is a kiosk that sells flavored popcorn, homemade fudge, and other delicious treats made by Killian Korn [another local favorite!] and right now, you can also purchase the most scrumptious cupcakes from Mallary. These are the best cupcakes I've ever eaten. Ever. I dream about her cream cheese frosting.

Last week, Brandon brought me one of Mallary's egg nog cupcakes with egg nog buttercream frosting. So yummy. And then he brought me three more flavors on Friday night: triple chocolate [which I didn't get to taste because one of the children got to it first, but they said it was so good], chocolate peppermint, and chocolate with brown sugar cream cheese frosting. Again, that cream cheese frosting stole the show!

Then, last night, we were all watching White Christmas when Brandon came home with a Pumpkin Spice Cupcake with Clove Cream Cheese Frosting. That was the most delicious combination yet.

I'm bound and determined to try every one of her flavors, despite the effects on my waistline. I love supporting someone local who is obviously talented and passioniate about what she does. I've yet to meet Mallary, but I hope to catch her at the kiosk some time this week and tell her thanks for making such delicious cupcakes!

Please go get some cupcakes from Mallary.
And "like" her on Facebook.
You can also order online!


P.S. Did you see that countdown on the sidebar? Only 5 days left until the Mindy Gledhill concert. Get your tickets TODAY!

five gratefuls.

Today I am grateful:

+ to be a mother. during those 9 days where I was sick, I mostly stayed in my room, trying to keep away from the children so that I didn't infect them, and frankly because I just felt too awful to do anything. I missed giving them hugs and kisses, and cooking them dinner. Our Christmas tree needed decorations and when I was too sick to do it, Ethan and Lily excitedly volunteered. They did the whole thing, start to finish. When I walk by the tree and see the slightly uneven decorations, and imperfectness, it reminds me of how grateful I am to be back amongst them, and resuming my role as mother.

+ for my husband. December is always a crazy month for us because Brandon is so busy with our Christmas tree lot. He works so hard, in the cold. It's tough physical labor and he spends many hours away from home. I miss him during this month, but am so grateful to have such a hard working provider as my companion.

+ for beautiful videos like this one that remind us of why we celebrate Christmas. The Spirit of Christ.

+ for checking things off my to-do list. I've got a busy day and lots to do and I'm just grateful to feel well enough to do it.

+ that tonight all four of the girls will join me and my mom to go see Beauty & The Beast at a local high school. We are replacing our traditional Nutcracker with this performance and I am excited for the change. Sometimes it's nice to switch up the traditions. [Plus, the girls have had a hard time the last couple of years not giggling a little too loudly when the male dancers take to the stage in their...ahem...revealing tights. Yes, a change will do us good :]

P.S. Have you purchased your tickets to the Mindy Gledhill show? Only 9 days!!

Get your tickets!

Friends, there are just 10 days left until the Mindy Gledhill show. Be sure to get your tickets!
With every show, I hear afterwards someone tell me, "Oh, I wish I would have known about that show!"

Please, help spread the word so NO ONE misses out on this holiday cheer!

Buy your tickets HERE!

December Mix Winner.

Friends, I've had a rough week and a half. I've been pretty sick with a nasty case of strep throat. Today though, I think I can finally see a light at the end of this dark tunnel. I've been on the antibiotics for three days solid now and this morning I didn't feel like death, so that means I must be getting better. Today the trick will be trying not to do TOO much. I have to remember to rest and take it easy or tomorrow may find me back in bed all day.

Luckily, I have an amazing husband and wonderful children who have mostly fended for themselves. And I have a couple of good friends who brought in dinner, and my wonderful mother  and mother-in-law helped me out as well. I am grateful for such special people in my life.

Throughout this sickness, I've been lucky enough to read your kind comments on the December mix and they helped cheer me up along the way. Thank you!!

I used random.org to help me pick this month's mix winner...

#4 - Rae, who said "what an incredible mix. my husband used to work retail, so I have to find Christmas music that wasn't played on a 45 minute repeat at the mall. you've totally helped me out!"

I hear ya Rae. I've been listening to our local Christmas radio station here and there, and it is pretty sad actually. Not only do they play the same 14 songs over and over, they also play this ridiculous song that mimics The 12 Days of Christmas but instead sings about the 12 pains of Christmas. Pathetic! Aren't we supposed to be celebrating Christmas and all that is wonderful about it? This is my favorite time of year and I wish everyone, everywhere could feel the Joy of the Season and remember the Reason.

As a special gift to you, my readers, I am also adding my favorite Vintage Christmas Music playlist to the sidebar. It's called Christmas Cheer and it always cheers me up. 

I hope that you enjoy it!

December Mix

How about a new holiday mix? Sounds good.
This mix starts out a bit unconventional with a Fleet Foxes cover by Kina Grannis. But 'White Winter Hymnal' fits nicely here, I think. There's an abundance of good Christmas music out there that feels very indie singer/songwriter. I've gathered some of my favorites and mixed em up for you. I hope you enjoy it!

P.S. If you want to re-visit any of my previous 2011 mixes, you can listen to them here. Or, if you want to check out last year's Christmas mix, click here.

1. White Winter Hymnal - Kina Grannis
2. The Christmas Waltz - She & Him
3. I Saw Three Ships - The Lower Lights
4. Headed Home - Folk Angel
5. Love Is Christmas - Sara Bareilles
6. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Schuyler Fisk
7. Holy, Holy, Holy - Sufjan Stevens
8. Frosty the Snowman - Zee Avi
9. Winter Moon - Mindy Gledhill
10. In The Morning - Jack Johnson
11. Christmas After All - Maria Taylor
12. More Than I Asked For - Joy Williams
13. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Tift Merritt
14. That Spirit of Christmas - Dustin Christensen [free download from Dustin!]
15. Jingle Bell Rock - Rogue Wave
16. O Come O Come Emmanuel - The Civil Wars [free on iTunes this week!]
17. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Matt Wertz
18. Winter Storm - Joshua James
19. In The Bleak Midwinter - The Lower Lights
20. Joy To The World - Sarah Sample
21. The Heart of Christmas - Matthew West
22. With Wondering Awe - Debra Fotheringham
23. Silent Night - Meaghan Smith
24. My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) - Regina Spektor [free on Amazon!]

Want to win this mix?
Comment once on this post by 9am Monday, December 5th.
A winner will be announced on Monday.

* This month's cover art is a picture I took recently of my favorite vintage ornament. It's a keepsake that was my grandmothers and I love it. It's very fragile and someday it might break, but I will always have this picture.

Good Luck and Enjoy!