Freckled Italian: Music

Music for the Holidays

Monday, December 23, 2013

I have a guest post for you today from sweet Kate of Thoroughly Modern. She's put together a Christmas playlist for you to enjoy this week, so I hope you love it!

Hello, Freckled Italian readers! My name is Kate and I blog over at Thoroughly Modern. I refer to it as a "lifestyle" blog because it really doesn't fit neatly into any other category. I write about pop culture, our sweet goldendoodle, how to act like a Power Couple, and the occasional recipe vlog, just to name a few!

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Sometimes, I even pretend to be fashionable.

Out of all of the topics I write about, my favorite is music--it is one of very few things in this world that can make my heart fill with emotion. Sometimes I like to pretend I'm a music snob, but I love Katy Perry, Tay Tay, and other fun music just as much as the next girl.

Christmas music is incredibly special to me, as dorky as that sounds. You know how it's said that scent ties strongly to memory? While I believe that to be true, I also believe that a certain song can trigger memories just as easily as any old smell, and for me, that holds especially true for Christmas music.

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Can you spot me? I'm OBVI the one in the all pink, Little Mermaid outfit. Even at a young age, I was a style icon.

Just a few notes, and I'm instantly transported back to childhood, the soft glow of the Christmas lights in the background, cookies baking in the oven, and the pleasant smell of fires burning in chimneys all over the countryside. I'm reminded of running wild all over my grandparents' house with my cousins, putting on my prettiest dress for Christmas Eve mass, and sipping sparkling cider in wine glasses so we could feel like adults. Christmas music brings me back to seasons past, times of warmth and love, and the belief in magic and miracles, even in the shortest, darkest days of the year.

You won't hear too much from me on my blog this week, as I'm taking a few days off to spend time with my family (like Megan, I'm also spending Christmas in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of SWVA). But, you can probably find me on Instagram and Twitter, and I will be back to blogging when I return to Nova. For now, I leave you with a playlist of my very favorite holiday songs for you on this Christmas week--I hope it warms your heart and overwhelms you with the happiest of memories.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

All Love,

Kate

Music for Home

Friday, November 29, 2013

Today I have a guest post for you from Nicole of Treasure Tromp. Because I haven't made one in a while, and because they're awesome, she's sharing a special playlist with you. (See others here, here, and here.) Enjoy!

Hi there Freckled Italian readers! I'm Nicole, the lady behind the blog Treasure Tromp.

When I'm not working on my PhD program, I pretend that I am a world traveler, like to hike and camp, obsess over hedgehogs, and make a mess in the kitchen. Latest adventure? I'm living in South Africa with my fiancé!

Before I moved to South Africa I shared a playlist that describes my love-hate relationship with the Golden State. And since our time in South Africa is coming to an end in the middle of December, I wanted to share some songs that remind me of / get me excited about home in sunny California.

While it is pretty straight-forward why some of these songs remind me of home, others remind me of special times and experiences I had at home in California. What songs do you listen to when you're missing home? Thanks for having me, Megan!

Music for Autumn Days

Friday, September 13, 2013

We're a little over a week away from the Autumnal Equinox, so I thought I'd share a playlist I made of songs I especially love to listen to every year around this time. There's a lot of my favorite music from college on here because autumn often reminds me of my college days, and those were the days I used to listen to Dashboard Confessional like it was my job. This is what fall sounds like to me.

Play it in the widget below or right here.

What are some of your favorite fall songs?

Music for the Distance

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A few months ago I created a running playlist and I had a lot of fun with it. Unlike the running one, no one actually asked me to do this one, but I thought since it's the week of Valentine's Day, it might be nice to share some songs I've always kept together to play whenever I'm missing Rob more than usual. I'll be in Minneapolis this weekend, but my flight doesn't get in until very late on the night of Valentine's Day, so I'll probably be missing it this year.

Play it in the widget below or right here.

What songs do you listen to when you're missing someone?

Not With Haste

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

[Image designed for Freckled Italian by signed, xoxohannah]

Hannah has begun posting really pretty and inspiring downloadable backgrounds on her blog each month, and at the beginning of January I asked her if she'd make one for me and my readers in February. She sent this to me a few days ago and I can't imagine it coming at a better time. Now with Rob physically further from me than ever, I can have a daily reminder that it's possible to put out as much love as possible, even when the future seems uncertain.

We will run and scream

You will dance with me

They'll fulfill our dreams

And we'll be free

And we will be who we are

And they'll heal our scars

Sadness will be far away

Do not let my fickle flesh go to waste

As it keeps my heart and soul in its place

And I will love with urgency

But not with haste

--Mumford & Sons, Not With Haste

Visit Hannah's blog here to download the image for your own screen, phone, or iPad. (Or all three!)

Want to Hang Out with Me in January?

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Attention, all friends and readers within driving distance of Richmond, Virginia! My brother's band, She's a Legend, is headlining a show in Richmond on January 11th. Rob and I are going to be there and I'd love it if you could come and say hi!

Tickets are $8, unless you order them on The Canal Club's online ticket center, and then for some reason they're $11, so just send me an email if you'd like to purchase some and we can set you up!

You can also get them at the door on the night of the show for $10.

Take a listen and learn more about She's a Legend here.

And let me know if you plan to come in January!

Music for Your Next Run

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The other day, someone emailed me and asked what music I like to listen to while I run. So I made a playlist!

You can play it in the widget below or check it out right here. Enjoy!

I like to start with slower music and move to faster beats later, as I get tired. What about you?

Thanks for the question, Lisa!

I Was Still, But I Was Under Your Spell

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

There is something about these words that makes me want to paint the walls with them, or get them tattooed across my body, or write them in the corners of every piece of paper that I come across. It is something deep, something that makes me close my eyes when I hear them, something that is just too good to leave after only one listen.

Photo via Instagram @megan_flynn. Words and music by Mumford & Sons.

Where Soul Meets Body

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

--Friedrich Nietzsche

She was seventeen years old when she put headphones on and let a song change her.

It happened that winter of her senior year of high school as she sat on the couch, unsuccessfully trying to knit a scarf. She manipulated the needles through dark blue yarn, but there were knots and holes and she was getting frustrated. She was never very crafty, but she was trying to learn. She stopped to take a break and decided to play a song from an album she hadn't listened to yet.

She wasn't someone who knew how to knit. She wasn't sure yet, didn't know exactly what kind of person she was, but as she sat there in the dark, just listening, she could finally hear the kind of person that she had always wanted to be.

--

Less than two weeks until I finally get to see my favorite band play live.