hit & run

Rosie & Sufjan?  Be still my indie-lovin' heart. 

(source)

Hit & Run Vol. 1

Joy

Need some inspiration?  Take the next 13 minutes and watch this segment on an incredible orchestra from the Congo.  Even in the poorest country in the world, beauty exists.  

(found via marvelous kiddo)

Currently Playing...

....for our after-dinner/pre-bedtime dance parties:




(thanks to my brother for giving us this album!)

The Printed Word

source: flickr

I was in Barnes and Noble this last week and was struck by an ad I saw there.  I normally visit my local, independent bookstore for all my book needs, but I was waiting to meet with my advisor at school.  I had both of the girls and B & N happens to be next to the school.  Anyways, the ad I saw showed a young child sitting in a window seat.  Sunlight is streaming through the large window and the child looks thoroughly engrossed in whatever it is he is reading.  But he wasn't holding a large picture book or a well-worn paperback novel....he was holding a Nook.

This picture stopped me in my tracks.  I honestly felt that this ad looked like it could be a scene from a science-fiction movie.  The story would be set in a world where physical books no longer exist.  Everything you read is on a portable mini-computer.  Then, a deadly virus destroys these mini-computers and the world is left without the written word in any form.  All the classics, Tolstoy, Austen, Shakespeare, all vanish.  The world then slowly declines until mankind is extinct.

Dramatic?  Maybe.

Then I began to think about what the world will look like when my daughters are my age.  Are books going to become like records, collected by a few, die-hard fans?  Will the printed word even exist?  Will they have a physical connection to books like I do?  Will they enjoy the weight of a book in their hands?  Will they see the way a paperback's spine shows its wear?  Will they feel the softness of a book's pages as they turn?  Will they be able to open a used book and inhale its sweet, musty scent?

There is something about the connection with a physical, printed book that makes reading that much more enjoyable.  Will this same connection exist with an electronic version of a book?  I have my doubts. I just can't see how the experience of reading a physical book can be matched by reading a book with the newest piece of digital technology. 

So, from this point on, I am making a commitment to read the printed word.  Hopefully, this love for the printed word will be passed on to my daughters, and they can help books and other writings remain a physical part of their world. 

Do you own a Nook or a Kindle?  Do you read books on your phone?

Are book an endangered species? 

...makes me smile

photo by Z

*these simple yet beautiful baby announcements (via You are My Fave)
*these garden tools which would be perfect for my Z
*spending so much time outside
*how the house breathes with the windows open
*these paper dolls 
*this piece of advice followed by this.  it's all about balance :)
*this yummy homespun wool
*garden planning
*this song
*how this book is gently helping my baby sleep longer at night

...makes me smile...

On Mondays I'm going to be posting about things that make me smile.  They could be moments from my week or books or things I see on other blogs.  Hopefully they will make you smile too :)

*these wooden sorting bowls from The Enchanted Cupboard & all the little things that go with them

*this book which is a novelization of an old favorite

*hints of spring all around

*the fact that this was attempted

*these lovely paper covered books from Paislee Press (via Twig & Thistle)

*this series which we read or listen to here practically everyday

*receiving flowers from my love

*early morning snuggles with my Lu after a long stretch of sleep

*yummy treats in jars 

*this woodsy party (which I'm inclined to steal for the girls' party in the fall!)

Little Bird Fly Through My Window

We love music in this house.  Z has some favorite's, which are luckily some of my favorites too.  Those include mewithoutYou, Danielson, She & Him and Rosie Thomas.  Most of the time the music we listen to is appropriate for her to listen to as well.  But lately, we've been more aware of the words of some of our favorite bands and realizing that maybe we need to have some good kid's music around too.  However, I've found that it's difficult to find kid's music that doesn't want to make me gouge my eyes out.  (Too dramatic?)

Raffi gets played a lot, but I can only take him for so long.  Seriously, listen to "Bananaphone" on repeat for 3 days in a row.  Then you will know what I mean.  The other day we were listening to Raffi on Pandora when I re-discovered another children's artist that is quickly becoming a favorite. 

I first discovered Elizabeth Mitchell through my cousin Melissa's blog.  I remember hearing her music and thinking, "I would listen to this even if I didn't have kids".  However, that thought got lost in my pregnancy fog and I didn't think of her again.  Then "Little Bird" came on Padora and I remembered how much I like Elizabeth Mitchell.  We've listened to the album through and through and I am in love.  This is kid's music that you AND your little ones will enjoy together.

P.S. The artwork on that album is done by one of my favorites...Ida Pearle!

The Beard

Love this.   My 3 year old refers to Sam Beam as "the beard".  I think it's fitting.

What are you listening to?

We have a lot of Christmas favorites in this house. Along with the classic Nat King Cole and others, there are a few other Christmas albums that are getting heavy rotation in the Heider home this year.

A Very Rosie Christmas

Rosie Thomas is one of my absolute favorite artists. This album is a little sappy and sad at times, but also full of joy. Rosie loves Christmas.

Songs for Christmas

Sufjan Stevens can do no wrong in my opinion. His Songs for Christmas collection has some original, traditional and lesser known songs. It also includes of my favorite Christmas songs Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming.

Snow Angels and The Darkest Night of the Year

Over the Rhine is so amazing. Karin's voice alone could keep you warm during the cold Midwest winter.

What are you listening to in your homes? What songs get you in the Christmas spirit?

Kronos Quartet

Here's my first experiment with the new grooveshark widget. Kronos Quartet's Kronos Caravan. The mood is akin to Sketches of Spain and Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire. I hope you like it.

Books, Books

I'm a pretty big fan of reading. Ever since I can remember one of my most favorite things to do is to cuddle up with a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of wine and read and read and read. Read until you realize you've been reading for 4 hours straight, though it feels like it's only been an hour. Read until you are so connected, so intertwined with the characters of a book that you feel as if you've known them your whole life. Read until your husband tells you you need to get some more sleep.

I have a habit. Some may call it nasty, others may call it awesome. I need to read before I can go to sleep. It can be for an hour or just 10 minutes. This usually means that I am up much later than my husband. I am naturally a night owl, but this reading habit only exaggerates that. We learned early on in our marriage that the beside lamp needed to be placed on my side of the bed because I would be the one turning it off every night. Now, this habit isn't 100% 7 nights a week. There are times when I am so exhausted that I just fall straight into bed. There are other situations too...but I won't talk about those. Anyways...most of the time, I need to read before I can sleep.

But reading doesn't happen only at bedtime. Joe and I used to have "reading" dates when we were dating. We'd go to a coffee shop or bookstore and spend our time reading. Wait, we still do this for some dates. Mostly because it's cheap and enjoyable for both of us. When I was nursing Azalia I would read to help pass the time (this girl was a s.l.o.w. eater).

I'm positive I get this love, this voracity for reading from my mother (Among other things I inherited from my mother, such as late-night Law and Order and a strong dislike for cleaning). I remember watching her read these long, epic stories and wanting to read them too. My mother had me reading The Client when I was in 4th grade because other books were too easy. Every book she would recommend I would devour. This continues to this day. She and I like to exchange books we've just finished and I frequently will purchase books with her in mind. Almost every time she comes to visit she will tell me about a new book she heard about and wants to read. I love this aspect of our relationship.

All of this leads me to this: Joe and I have made books a permanent category in our budget. We've been really disciplined (well...Joe more than me) about setting a budget each month. One category in that budget is "blow money". So I guess you could say that "books" is a subcategory in the "blow money" category. Either way, we have decided that part our spending money will be spent on books. There are many reasons for this. I'm a collector and one of the things I collect is books. We want our daughter (and future children) to be surrounded with good literature. And we have some pretty awesome built-in bookcases in our living room that need more books to display.

So this is where you come in. Recommend a book to me. Recommend a few. Help us build our library please! I am a fan of fiction, though Joe really loves non-fiction. But I will read just about anything as long as it is quality. Quality, people.

Here is a sampling of our library:


These are some of my favorites....


Some more...


And we can't forget this guy...