Music – Alexis De Weese

I’m excited to be bringing back Friday Favorites! I’m excited to share some sites, products, and worthwhile diversions I think you’ll enjoy.

Something to try: The Skimm

With everything happening in the news in the past year, I found myself getting sucked in and more of my time getting sucked up. And it was soul-sucking.

I needed to set a boundary, but I still wanted to be informed.

Enter The Skimm.

The Skimm is an email that arrives in my inbox every weekday morning. It’s basically SparkNotes for the news. I get all the highlights with links for further reading. I’m able to keep up with the major events in the world, but I don’t have to let it eat up my day.

My favorite Skimm is Friday because they include some great book recommendations.

Subscribe and try it for yourself here!

Something to follow: Grit and Virtue

A friend showed me a killer Instagram account a couple months ago and I have come to love not just Grit and Virtue’s Instagram, but all of their content!

Written to empower young professional women, I have resonated with so much of their articles. If you want a great preview, I recommend you read this or this.

Something to read: Grace is Greater

On my 30-before-30 list, I wrote that I wanted to have a deeper understanding of grace. God’s funny because the next book to cross my desk was Kyle Idleman’s latest, Grace is Greater.

As a follow up to his book Not A Fan, Idleman wanted a chance to explore grace is a way he didn’t get to in the first book. He pulls no punches and his words bring God’s grace into vivid realization.

I found the book to be deeply encouraging and the freedom I found in thinking on it’s themes was so needed.

Pick up your copy here.

Something to watch: Jane the Virgin

While we were both going through Gilmore Girls withdrawl, a coworker recommended Jane the Virgin as a new drug of choice.

The show is a satirical telenovela featuring Jane, a devout catholic young woman who’s grandmother guilted her into maintaining her virginity until marriage. Due to a doctor’s mishap during what was supposed to be a pap smear, Jane finds herself artificially inseminated with her bosses baby…and it only gets crazier from there.

The writing is witty, the acting is spectacular, and the clothes are really fun. Jane the Virgin has become a wonderful guilty pleasure and is the perfect show to start if you’ve found yourself in a rut. The first two seasons are on Netflix!

Something to listen to: Georgica Pond

I had the pleasure of getting to see Johnnyswim live last month. It was a great show and, yes, they are that beautiful in person.

Their sophomore album Georgica Pond released last year. The songs are simultaneously rough and smooth in it’s blend of R&B and Americana. Listening to it this winter has been a burst of summer. If you’re looking for something fresh for your playlist, Georgica Pond is the way to go.

Instagram is the platform I’ve decided to stick with post-hiatus. It’s simple and visual and doesn’t take up too much of my time.

That said, I think our image-driven culture has created a new philosophical dilemma. Namely:

If a girl goes to a thing but doesn’t photograph it, was she really there?

I didn’t really think about it until I was at my first concert while on hiatus. And I enjoyed the whole thing. Including my favorite song.

Usually, attending a concert would be a huge social marketing undertaking in promoting myself and the fact that I would be present and whatever event.

There is the bought-the-“tix”-shot. (Seriously. “Tix.”)

And then the waiting-for-the-event-to-start-selfie…which actually does serve a purpose because what else are you going to do while you’re waiting? Conversing can be difficult in loud venues and selfies take no words!…

And finally the during-the-event photo or video. If you’re at a concert, video is expected, though possibly frowned upon by both copyright and the poor person trying to enjoy the concert behind you. But you have to capture your favorite song because if you don’t, is it really your favorite?!?!?!?!?

This is from a book signing, but same concept at play here... — This is from a book signing, but same concept at play here…

At this first hiatus concert, the artist started playing my favorite song and I got to really take in the moment. There wasn’t the mad grab for my bag during the intro and the struggle to get a good shot around that jerk in front with his selfie stick. No. While everyone around me was doing that, I was enjoying a song I loved with the artist right there playing right then. There was no screen between him and I. Just good music.

Because what is the point of going to a show if you’re going to spend it on your phone? You could see hours of that on YouTube. And are you going to tell me you’re actually going to excitedly sit down to watch that concert back with poor audio on that tiny screen? And I don’t care what improvements Apple makes to video, it’s still not going to be the same.

Don’t miss the moment because you are trying to capture it. Take it in. Savor it. Let it go. I promise, it makes the special moments that much richer.

Tag: Music

Friday Favorites: April 2017