13You Know You Want to Get High Off Of This Stuff
Life is too short to lie. Telling the truth is a great risk, and if you’re an adrenaline junkie like me, it’s a quick and easy way to get the blood pumping.
Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.
Love Always,
Hannah
Did you ever think you would live to see the day when elephant ultrasounds looked like this? To see more stunning photographs, click here http://www.thisblogrules.com/2009/12/stunning-photographs-of-animals-inside.html
Beats
If you have yet to hear the musical genius that is Dr. Dog, do yourself a gigantic life-changing favor and pick up their album “Fate.” All of their albums are great, I just happen to be partial to this particular one. Listen to the first track off of that album here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PO_-E4_BO8&feature=related
I had the pleasure of seeing them live a few weeks ago in Providence, RI. Their stage was set up like some acid-trip jungle boogie. There were stuffed animal heads of tigers and lions propped on sticks around the stage. There was also an insane amount of fake flowers and greenery all over the place. It seemed a little out of place during the two opening acts, but really came to life when the technical operator shined a green light on stage. That is when it all made sense.
You will probably find me listening to Dr. Dog at least once a day. Try and catch them on tour if you can. They are definitely one of the best live bands I have ever seen. They truly live up to their recorded sound, while bringing an entirely new energy to the music while on stage.
To me, there is nothing better than experiencing live music. Try and go see something special.
Love,
Hannah
Away We Go
Okay, so this might be way overdue, but here it is. My favorite movie and soundtrack from 2009 has to be Away We Go, hands down. I tend to have a thing for soundtracks that are entirely one artist (another great example: Dan In Real Life soundtrack, all Sondre Lerche music). The Away We Go soundtrack falls into my category of perfect albums, because you can put it on and listen to it the whole way through. The last CD I can remember saying that about was John Mayer’s Continuum. You do not need to skip any songs, you can just the album as a whole. I think this is incredibly powerful when it comes to movie soundtracks, because the music helps illustrate the visual pictures, and also tells a story on its own through the listener’s ears, regardless of whether or not they had seen the movie. I have to be honest though, and tell you that there are four tracks on the soundtrack that are not Alexia Murdoch, but considering that those four tracks belong to George Harrison, The Stranglers, Bob Dylan, and The Velvet Underground, it is a pretty incredible album. Do yourself a favor and watch the movie. Or, you can just buy the soundtrack. But did I mention that John Krasinski is in the film? And we all know he makes everything better.
Love,
Hannah
Post.Avatar.Happiness
I saw Avatar last weeekend, and while I had a hard time sitting through three hours of 3-D from the front row of the theater, the more and more I thought about the film afterwards made me realize how incredibly beautiful it was. I am eager to see it again. I have to admit that this Post Avatar Depression makes me feel very confused and even sadder for the human race. Yes, the way the Navi people live on the planet Pandora is an absolute uphoria, but there is no reason to only focus on how human beings are not like them. Glass half full, people. I have found that since I have seen the movie, I feel a lot more motivated to appreciate my surroundings, and definitely long to be in a place that is greener, but have been able to work on my spiritual connection to nature. While we will never live on Pandora or attach our ponytails to those of our horses, we can definitely adjust our perceptions of nature by taking tips and tricks from the Navi people. We can be more grateful when the sun in shining and when the leaves are changing. There are people who have felt Navi-esque connections to the Earth forever, and there is no reason to only focus on the negative perceptions of humans in the film and assume that is the destiny we have made for ourselves.
Think more positively. Take a moment to look up while you are walking. If the sun in shining, go outside and enjoy it! Be thankful for our beautiful Earth and treat it with the respect. We are all connected, and it is such a beautiful thing.
It Has Been Three Whole Days Since My Last Post
….and that is just unacceptable. Life seems to be getting in the way of blogging. However, I can promise a SUPER AWESOME MEGA POST this weekend. I already have four topics in mind, and it is only Thursday. Stay tuned Maybe the Sunners, and as my homestate’s governer once said, “I’ll Be Bahhhck.”
Love,
Hannah
Red…Velvet…Cake…mmmmm
My wonderful friend Katherine received The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook for Christmas, so naturally, she started by baking the three layer red velvet cake, and she was nice enough to send me the recipe and a picture of the final result! If you love cake as much as I do, you will try this recipe at home! And if you have a great recipe worth posting, send it along to Maybe the Sun!!!
Red Velvet Cake with Creamy Vanilla FrostingCake Ingredients3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising) 1/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 2 1/4 cups sugar 3 large eggs, at room temperature 6 tablespoons red food coloring 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Cake Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour three 9x2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes our clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. When cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting.
Creamy Vanilla Frosting Ingredients 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting Directions In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat well.
Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer—set a timer!). Use immediately.
Does your cake look as amazing as Katherine’s?
Music and Meditation
Current Music Obsession:
Pomplamoose means “grapefruit” in French. It also happens to be my vote for best couple/singing group since The Weepies. My friend Dan turned me onto them a couple of months ago, and I cannot stop listening! They are a relatively new dynamic duo that only formed two years ago. The instruments, the arrangements, the lyrics, and Nataly’s voice combine to form a beautiful and unique sound. They have original songs as well as querky arrangements of hits from today and yesteryear. You can listen and watch at http://www.youtube.com/pomplamoosemusic.
Current Meditation Practice:
If you have never tried meditating before, you are definitely missing out. It gives me the same wonderful calming sensation that I get after a great yoga class. Sometimes people prefer meditation in silence, but I prefer some sort of instrumental music in the background, especially nature sounds. With any type of meditation, you want to get into a comfortable position with your eyes closed, and like in yoga practice, focus on your breathing. One visualization that I learned was to choose one color, any color you want. When you inhale, imagine inhaling a dark shade of that color, and exhaling a light, pastel, perhaps glittery (if you are into glitter) version of that same color. I almost always choose purple since it is my favorite color. When I first start meditation I try to visualize some place that I feel calm, usually in the woods or at the beach. Then, I will incorporate the color visualization to enhance the experience.
Remember to stay in the moment, take some time out for yourself every day, and just breathe…Namaste.
So, about this whole blog thing…
Maybe the Sun is a place to go to share beautiful things. If you have a great song, post it. Trying out a new recipe? Send it. Took an amazing picture? Show me! Let’s make this thing great!
You may be asking yourself, what does Maybe the Sun even mean? Well, Maybe the Sun is a name that Matt and I came up with a couple of years ago for our theatre company/yoga studio/artist community/performance space/whatever else creative we could fit in. Matt was all about creating safe spaces to share beautiful things, so this is my way of continuing that legacy.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy your time at Maybe the Sun…
