“tunes”day: ‘a sunday kind of love’

i started thinking about this week’s song on sunday. i was in the weekend mentality and took my cue from there.

thus, here we are, with ‘a sunday kind of love’ by etta james. this is my favorite etta song and i think it’s the perfect song for those of you getting hitched on that very day. frankly you could get married on a tuesday and still dance to this song because it’s that good. the grand strings, the piano that is almost frolicking, and of course that remarkable voice. it’s a classic and rightfully so.

“tunes”day: ‘you are the best thing’

i was thinking it’s time to show ray lamontagne a little love. and i was all set to post a different tune song today, but in chatting with a new reader, decided to honor one of her favorites. and now one of mine.

i must confess that i’m more of an old-school ray fan, but i’m now listening to his newer albums and making up for lost time.

without further ado…play ‘you are the best thing’. are you tapping your feet? thought so. are you going to play the song again? yep.

i tried to select a few of my favorite lines to quote here, but couldn’t do it. read the lyrics for yourself and you’ll understand.

in the spotlight

the darling and divine calder clark, whose talent i admire, and whose friendship i am lucky to have, asked if she could feature me in her “in the spotlight” blog series. seriously? what an honor!

she sent along some questions that had me thinking, and hopefully my answers are entertaining enough that you forgive me for the size of that headshot [note to self: get new headshot].

working with calder is a pleasure, and it was just as delightful to be a part of this project. you can check out the whole post here. and be sure to read through her entire blog (and her lookbook too) for lots of other great scoop and inspiring work.

“tunes”day: ‘that’s how strong my love is’

oh otis redding. i could do an entire month of ‘tunes’ day posts just for you. i could even listen to you for a month over and over and never complain. but for today, i’m just gonna share one song: ‘that’s how strong my love is.’

the song really speaks for itself… i don’t have to convince you that it’s good.

so grab your honey, hold him tight, and dance to this masterpiece at the start of the night.

vrbo so cool

what to do when you’re planning a bachelorette party and need a place to house all them bachelorettes? hotels can get expensive and you can’t fit much bubbly in those mini fridges? much less your oj for the morning mimosas.

and while room service and a concierge desk is certainly a luxury…a house all to your own can be just as swanky. that’s where vrbo (vacation rentals by owner) comes in. you plug in the area you’re looking to stay, and it shows you what’s available, when, and for how much. and sometimes you can even negotiate with the owners.

i recently stayed at a house upstate in the hudson valley for my friend’s bachelorette. and the guys rented it the following weekend for the bachelor party–so we swung a deal to make it cheaper across the board.

i’ve also rented houses when i’m a wedding guest. it’s fun to wake up in a house with your friends and make breakfast, get ready, and hang out. a view of martha’s vineyard or the catskill mountains doesn’t hurt either i must say. and just like when you stay in the lap of luxury, these houses are furnished and come with linens, so it’s not like you have to pack your towels or pillows. just your dancing shoes and party dress.