Okay, it's Tuesday. Yesterday was a wash, but I didn't want to wait another week before sharing this post with you guys.

I haven't written a Music Monday in about ten billion years, I know. I suppose I'm not writing this one either as I'm about to turn things over to Ryan, but don't be surprised if this feature becomes a bit more regular in the coming weeks. (Lots of upcoming summer jams to discuss!)

Thanks for covering for me, Ryan! And thanks for having excellent taste in music!

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Today, I’m Ryan.

I’m very excited to share a recent discovery of mine with you. I’m excited, not only because they’re fantastic, but as well as being partially based in London, they are also partially based in...BRISTOL! YEAH! (Bobbi here, for those who don't know, Ryan lives in Bristol, I live in London.)

Downtown City Gardens are five guys who released "Crying For Another Time", their debut EP, in 2012, and I’m sure they will be moving onto huge things in the next couple of years.

Their sound is a fairly familiar one–think Kings of Leon...but a version where you’re able to actually understand what they are saying.

"Show Me Your Worst" was the first song I heard by DCG, and in the first 5 seconds, I was filled with dread. I sounded like a less poppy version of The Killers "Bones" (in my opinion, the time when The Killers started producing awful music), but as soon as the singing started, my fears were allayed, as I realized that Downtown City Gardens were NOT going to be as bad as the post-2010 Killers.

There are two tracks of the six track release that are vying for title of 'Most Awesome Song'. "Any Other Way" and "December Dream". Be careful though, the opening two lines of "Any Other Way" have been stuck in my head for the last two weeks, and I can’t shake them. It’s really odd to go around singing 'Laaately, I’ve been acting sooooo strange', over and over, so my suggestion to you is to learn some of the other words before you start singing out loud.

The album has a British sunshine-y day feel to it. The guitars, coupled with some warmth and a little glorious sunshine, take me back to growing up in the summertime with bands like Oasis and RHCP playing. It’s perfect for putting on, going out into the sunshine and taking a beer, kicking back and relaxing, and at only six tracks, you may just get to the end before it starts raining again.*

Have a listen, let me know what you think about it, and thanks for reading!

*UK readers know what I mean.


Happy Monday Tuesday!

It's nearly 2pm and I'm still in my jammies, about to chug another cup of coffee while I chug along through some emails and client proofs before the weekend starts! I think I'm still in a little bit of a food coma from last night's dinner (I made this for the boys and it was a hit!) and there will be a little housewarming party on Sunday at which I've volunteered to make a giant turkey leg (like the ones you can get at Disney World) with absolutely no clue where to start, so I'm basically going to have spent 36 hours straight in the kitchen by the time the weekend is out! I don't mind, but I think my skinny jeans will if I'm not careful.

..and that was the longest sentence in the history of man, so I'll get to the links before I butcher the English language any further.

+ Ben Mathis-Lilly has a point. But he forgot to drop the mic and burn the house down when he was finished.
+ Ellie Kemper wants to know if men can be funny. I want to know if she and I can be BFFs and braid each others' hair.
+ Men on Twitter: go home, you're drunk.
+ Pat Robertson's advice, annotated. I threw my bra at the computer screen at, "9. And it's angry women that got us into this mess in the first place."
+ My cat is sad because he wants to convert this box into a home office annexe with wi-fi but doesn’t know how. (Thanks, Ryan!)
+ Because everyone needs to be following a Pinterest board about shit made from mason jars.
+ This video on the history of typography from Ben Barrett-Forrest is everything and you need to stop what you're doing right now and watch it.
+ A guide to accounting for the creative freelancer, and why you should give a shit.
+ Okay, I am no fan of John Mayer – probably because his penis wouldn't find me attractive – but this is very cool. (Thanks, Gesci!)
+ What do you get for the mom or dad who has everything? Tech lessons, of course!
+ Don't know if I agree with everything here, but it's an interesting discussion!
+ Why the hell is everyone falling in love with strangers at Walmart?
+ I giggled so hard at this. Science!
+ :O (J.K. Rowling, your brain is a beautiful thing.)
+ Have we already spoken about a bunch of bloggers doing the Harlem Shake in Cabo?
+ Someone just threw a wrench into the Blogger vs. WordPress battle.
+ Food! Cut in half!
+ I want these pencils!

I can't do my favorite Instagram of the week right now because Ryan has my phone and I can't scroll through my 'likes', but I'd love to see what everyone has been Instagramming or liking lately! Leave me the links to your feeds or some of your favorites in the comments so I can photo stalk you! And, if you're not following a long already, here's mine! There's a good chance you'll see a photo of an exploded turkey leg and me crying in a corner covered in marinade at some point this weekend!

Happy Friday!

I need to be out the door and on my way to the coach station in about an hour and have yet to shower or pack, so naturally this is the perfect time to set myself down and write a blog post! This week has gone by really quickly, but I've been in an empty house for most of it so I've maintained a really nice sense of calm (and gotten a lot done, to boot).

So here's what's currently happening...

Listening to: I love Songza. Maybe too much! It's one of the main reasons I'm clinging to my US iTunes store with fury. Lately I'm loving this playlist, and this one for when I'm working, and this one for when I'm daydreaming about James Van Der Beek. (Those playlists will only work in the US. Sob.)

Inspired by: This Pinterest board. I'm not so inspired that most of the images link to Tumblrs. But! I'm also inspired to clean up my own boards to make sure that the attribution in in order for everything I've pinned. So, there's that!

Working on: I had my ah-ha! business idea a few months back and now we're starting to lay the groundwork to make it a reality. Sure, juggling visas and applications and on top of that launching another business is intense, but I'm thrilled! Ready to Blog has taught me a lot and whet my appetite to take bigger risks and set bigger goals. So, woo!

Watching: I'm rewatching Alias. The show is absolutely ridiculous in a way that only J.J. Abrams shows can be (okay, and Aaron Sorkin shows) and I think it's freaking wonderful. Plus: Michael Vartan. Yum. (Sorry, Ryan.)

Thinking about: I was thinking about blogging and writing and maximizing my time and efforts with regards to my side projects, but then I took a look at my last currently. post to see what sections I usually use and realized that I haven't worn those damn leather pants since that post. So, the verdict is in on those being a bad idea!

Using: Some great apps! Not really new, but new to me. Clear was (is?) the Starbucks app of the week, so I scored that bad boy for free and really like it. Might have to say goodbye to CARROT. I'm also liking Everest which is a goal ("dream") setting app that helps you break your goals into steps and track your progress. I know. People have been getting things done for eons without little helpers like these, but I figure if my iPhone is going to be glued to my face, I might as well be doing something useful on it!

Reading: The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad. Loving it so far!

Looking forward to: Summmmmmmmmmmmmmmmer. And some trips we're thinking about taking. But mostly, sun. Sun! How wonderful it will be!

Okay. What are you up to? Who's done a "currently" post lately that I can read on my very long coach journey?

Happy Thursday!
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Thanks to Danielle for providing the inspiration for these posts!