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I’m a tad tardy (as in late, not retarded) on this one. The third studio album from the Norwegian band Kings of Convenience actually came out in late October, but here you are anyway.  :  )
If you find yourself driving over 100 miles, baking with friends,  staying in on a cold day, or snuggling with [...]

Hailing from Portland Oregon, this band toured with the Decemberists in late 2008.
I love love.

Yay for these vocals.  The girls are so prim and proper, take a glance at their posture.

Here is a track from my current obsession Monsters of Folk. This indie all-star group is comprised of Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), M. Ward (She & Him), and Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis.They played at The Greek last night and a ton of my friends went. I couldn't afford it. They said it was spiritual, possibly the best show they've ever seen. Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Freak.Me.

Here it is anyway:

Dear God

And just for kicks I'm going to throw in a performance from last week's show in Portland.

The new video from Grizzly Bear off the "NEW MOON" soundtrack. Don't ask me how this film pulled so many decent artists i.e. Thom Yorke, Bon Iver and St. Vincent. The song is so hauntingly beautiful, freaking love the sound of Ed Droste's voice. It feels like you're getting a group hug from heavenly angels. The claymation in this video is either extremely disturbing or an ingenious work of art. I propose both.
Also, heading out to a Julian Casablancas concert tonight with my buddy Maz. Free Free Free. That's the only way I can hack it. I will tell you alllllll about it this weekend.Oh...you haven't heard much from him? That's because his solo album was just released. Here's a taste. Savor the flavor.

Glass - Julian Casablancas

So like I said, last night was all about Where the Wild Things Are. The evening started off at a local Mexican establishment in Venice, just about five minutes walking distance from my house. I figured it was going to be a long night, so I thought I'd get all primped and cute. I mean, job searching and spending time at the gym isn't the most glamorous lifestyle, so I have to jump on my opportunities when I can. I was feeling good as I was leaving the house. There was a little spring in my step, I had my clutch, was rockin' my grey boots, had a cute little plaid collared dress on with leggings underneath. The only issue is, because the restaurant is so close to my house, I will of course be walking there. Which normally isn't a problem, on the contrary it's rather a treat in Los Angeles just to walk somewhere. Because nobody walks in LA. And if you don't believe me, take it from some kids who really have it together. Yes, of course I'm talking about Missing Persons, who else would I trust with your peace of mind.

There is so much excellence going on in this video, I don't even know where to begin.
Anyway, so I've always had this issue of walking by myself at night, especially in busy areas when I'm dressed up. I think if I were in a bigger city like SF or NY, I wouldn't give a crap at all. But because no one is actually walking on the streets with me, I get really self-conscious that people are staring. I think this stems from when I was 13 years old. I would go on runs in Visalia on this street called Demaree. It wasn't a bad street, but it was pretty busy. Mind you by the time I was 13, I was already 5'9 and probably weighed 125 pounds. I looked like a woman. Yikes. So I would take these jogs on my way to the gym (Visalia Racquet Club woo woo) and everytime, like clockwork, get whistled to, honked at and recieve comments out the windows of hoopty El Caminos that are much too graphic in nature for this tasteful blog.

So, as I'm going to the crosswalk last night, a

There are some traditions during the holidays that I just don't mess with. A few that come to mind are:

1) My mother's Hungarian Coffee Cake every Christmas morning. If things don't get too chaotic on Christmas eve, 1-3 of the Clevenger offspring will even help her roll the dough balls. If you haven't tasted the splendor, come over this year. It will take you to your happy place. It's essentially dough, rolled in butter then rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Yes, I know.

This isn't our cake, but you get the idea:



2) Manneheim Steamroller "Christmas in the Aire" and yes, Aire is spelled with an "e" on the end. No typo. If this cd doesn't get you in the holiday spirit, you may or may not be a dead person. As soon as I hear the first song on this cd, it takes me back to pretty much every Christmas since I was, say four years old (everything before then is blurry splattered with a few random images of things like first day of pre-school, pre-school musical performances and going to pre-school on Halloween when my mom forgot to put a costume on me). So if you don't own this cd, do yourself a favor and burn it, pirate it or just be old fashioned and pick it up from Amazon. Like, yesterday.

Here is a taste of the jubilee:



***Please note that I have never actually watched a Mannheim Steamroller video until this moment and I am well pleased. Well pleased, indeed. I'm seriously considering a swift purchase of the dvd boxed set.

Now, being so far from home during the fall (or as Los Angeles likes to call it, extended summer time with brief moments of 65 degree weather) I was really struggling with making our huge house in Venice more festive for the autumnal season. So what did I do? I did what any other sane person would do. I went to Rite Aid.

I picked up a pumpkin candle for five dollars. I purchased two Thanksgiving-inspired kitchen towels. One that is a burnt orange and one that simply reads' "Hey Pumpkin." I got both of them for 2 bucks. It was a 2 for 1 special.

I have been spending the majority of the last few days navigating the most treacherous and time-intensive job hunt of my life. I have decided to stay in Los Angeles a bit longer and give it one last go for a career. Look, I don't really like the idea of LA, in fact, I pretty much still consider myself a visitor and am not quite sure when I'll accept my resident status. But the honest to God truth is, I have an amazing group of friends here. And not just a group. Groups. I have found myself to be somewhat of a social butterfly and this area is exceptionally conducive to my lifestyle. I love the fact that there is always something going on and going home to Granite Bay, although possibly the more financially responsible thing to do, is a just a cop-out at this point. I want to make this work for the time being, moving home would be a regression in so many areas of my life, I'm not prepared for those repercussions. I don't want to run home because this isn't working. Didn't I move here for a challenge? (the answer is yes) This was the last place in the world I thought I'd end up. I really do believe being here is preordained in some way. It has to be. Because I was always the person that hated LA. I hate the pollution, the LA "vibe" whatever that means, the fact that you can't escape traffic at any point during the day and I really hate the sports teams, minus the Clippers because they get no love from anyone. But being here right now feels, well...right. Sue me. Keep me in your thoughts, prayers and meditations. I am going to need positive vibes for the task at hand. Go me.

In other news:

I have started to take Adderall again. I was diagnosed with A.D.D back in high school. The drug initially makes me feel very odd. It gives me insomnia and I really can't stand that. I was up until 7am on Monday morning. Did.not.sleep.a.wink from Sunday to Monday. I listened to music all night. I was still wide awake when I finally forced myself into a short-lived coma from 7-10am t

This is actually pretty funny. A friend and I were talking about this band coming to LA about a month ago. As much as I wanted to see this band, I really didn't have any desire to shell out the cash to actually make it happen. But low and behold, my friend Maz had two tickets that he was giving away as of a few hours ago. Let's just say that Erin Law and Courtney C will be making their grand entrance at the Troubador tonight. Yay for friends who don't have time for shows because of their grown up responsibilities (I am not a grown up).

Also, the first girl on this video is quite pretty. Yikes.

THE GIRL EFFECT

I am back. Who knows for how long, but I figure if I just plan on inserting small parts of my daily life in here, instead of putting insurmountable pressures on myself to be witty and clever at all times, then we all win. This is an organization that I am in love with. NIKE is actually spearheading it, which I'm quite surprised at. I won't get into the ethics of sweat shops for now, because we all know how depressing that could get. But bravo NIKE, you are doing something to be proud of. I want to be a part of this. I want to work for this organization in a bad way, even if it takes me to rainy (and hip) Oregon. Take me. Until then...enjoy this gem: