what i'm listening to wednesday: Lotte Kestner

oh, why yes, that IS my face in a music video. how kind of you for noticing.

during our family vacation this summer, my sister in law, jessica [i've blogged about her before.], asked harrison and i if we would be in this music video she was making for lotte kestner, aka anna-lynne williams, a seattle folk musician. we were psyched, obviously. also in this video, a cameo appearance by my youngest nephew, everett. he's clearly destined for acting.

please check out lotte kestner's music!! it is very beautiful. melodic, whimsical, folksy. everything i look for in a good female folk singer.

<3 jojy

what i'm listening to wednesday: G R I M E S

my friend zach showed me this video a couple weeks ago because he said some of the dancing reminded him of me. i take it as a complete compliment because i love the dancing in this video. anyways, i hadn't heard of grimes before this video but i am really loving her stuff!! i've seen people describe it around the web as, "electro-pop," "post-internet," and "cyborg-pop." whatever it is, it's super fun and a little dancey. makes my shoulders start moving when i hear it.

she is from montreal and according to wikipedia, we are the same age. and i think i'm in love with her.

if you like this video then check out some of her other music. you can stream some albums on her website.

happy dancing to you all.

<3 jojy

"let your one day affect her everyday"

wowowow. i LOVE this organization.

love gives way is a community of wedding vendors who have set up different wedding packages making it so that a portion of what you are spending will go towards helping those who have been exploited by sex trafficking.

if only i had known about this when i was getting married!

i find all of the hullabaloo that goes into weddings very frustrating. it tends to make people very self-centered. it's YOUR day. YOU YOU YOU. brides are told that this is the one time in their life where they get to pretend like they are a princess and demand that they have everyone's full attention. wedding planning is not typically a time where you think outside yourself. because of this, love gives way is an incredibly unique voice in the current wedding culture.*

"love gives way is a community of brides and grooms who are choosing that their love gives way to the  recovery and restoration of sexually exploited people." -andy brophy, founder of love gives way

if you're recently engaged and looking to plan your wedding in a way that glorifies more than just yourself, this is a meaningful way to do it. you can choose from several different wedding vendors who are all passionate about ending sex trafficking and helping to make your big day beautiful.

cause even on the day when it's supposed to be all about you, it's just not.

<3 jojy

*i am not at all saying that i think you are a bad person if you love weddings and everything that goes into planning them. if you read this and i was at your wedding and now you think that i was judging you the whole time, i was not. i was most likely crying tears of joy and celebrating with you and embarrassing you on the dance floor. these thoughts on weddings are only my personal conviction on wedding culture in general. 

s t r a n g e r s h e r e

[not safe for work or small children...there is some blood]



here is a beautiful short film made my by brilliant sister in law, jessica collins. she is a musician/filmmaker/artist extraordinaire and probably the most captivating person you've ever met. 

"strangers here is a short film based on nightmares, realizations, conversations and the deep sadness that comes from loving."  -jessica collins

i hope you enjoy this beauty film and that it is as meaningful to you as it is to me.

<3 jojy

p.s. check out jessica's vimeo to find more lovely things. and while you're there, watch the gorgeous trailer for another film she is working on.

what i'm listening to wednesday: sufjan stevens

...it was inevitable, i suppose. i know people are all against listening to christmas music before thanksgiving but since thanksgiving is tomorrow, i guess its okay.

so sufjan stevens recently came out with a huge box set full of christmas songs and other surprises. i haven't bought it yet but i've streamed the album online and i like it! i appreciate how sufjan has always had a mixture of more traditional christmas songs and then some that don't "sound like christmas."

i have never really liked christmas music so i get tired of it on all the radio stations reeeeaaal fast. but there is some crazy number of tracks in this sufjan box set and they are all really great so i don't anticipate getting tired of this anytime soon.

harrison and i are going to see sufjan live this coming monday and we are pretty pumped! it will be a nice way to kick off the christmas season.

<3 jojy

[...while i really do enjoy the sufjan christmas music...if i'm being completely honest, i've actually been listening to nicki minaj the whole time i've been working on this post. but in the interest of keeping things G-rated (and if you are reading this from work or in the presence of children or the elderly) i decided i should not post any of her videos.]

what i'm listening to wednesday: first aid kit

i'm super duper digging these ladies right now. i got their album a couple months ago and forgot to to listen to it. i turned it on recently when feeling like i was in a music rut and really enjoyed it! i love to find female artist that are legit and i feel like these girls totally are. also, i think their voices are perfect for cold weather!

this album is one of those that as soon as i heard all of it i immediately started looking up the tabs to all of the songs so that i could take a [humble] stab at them myself. 

anyways, give it a listen!

<3 jojy