Friday, December 30, 2011

artist of the day

today's artist: Skrillex


Dubstep. It's all the rage recently in the US.  But for those of you who didn't know, it actually was popular in the UK 4 years ago, right around the time the tv show 'Skins' aired its first season.  And like usual, the US is behind on the times, and unless you were like me watching UK television as a junior in high school, you wouldn't have heard about Dubstep music until this guy. Skrillex. He's probably one of the best, and he is the first Dubstep artist to become popular in the US. This is his most popular song, and it can be heard being played in all the Frat houses at Westminster. I'm not complaining. Because I'm quite a fan of Dubstep. :)


turn up the bass,
hill

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Desk Diaries... #2

A while a go I posted a picture and description of my desk at home. Lately, I have been observing other's work spaces and I find it fascinating how the desk reflects the owner.  Sometimes the correlation is very suspected, like I would classify my desk, cluttered with a certain order, very decorated and full of objects I have collected.  But, sometimes the desk is the exact opposite of the expected.  With that being said, I have decided to document desks. 


This is a snap shot of my sister, Justine's desk. 




















  1. Cold coffee (peppermint mocha creamer I am guessing; it's her favorite)
  2. Cute, compact laptop (from Grove City, I think it is going to explode soon. Thats what you get for going to GCC....)
  3. Knitting (one of Justine's pastimes, and let me tell you, she is darn good at it)
  4. Papers, filed into sections, all neat and organized (very telling of her personality) also the neat cup of pencils and pens
  5. Random objects (what she would consider as clutter)
  6. New Vera Bradly wallet (Christmas gift from me!) holding all her important cards and such
Correlation: very accurately portraying Justine's personality.

Oh, and Justine doesn't know I took this picture... oops!

Keep on keeping on, 
Rach 

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

artist of the day

today's artist: Kid Cudi

Today's artist is Kid Cudi.  The weird thing about today's artist is I had no idea what happened this Christmas.  When I went to look up this video to put on the blog (because it might possibly be my fav Cudi song), i saw a bunch of comments about some Ben Breedlove person, and how his video led them to Cudi's. I was confused because I'd never heard of this kid, nor did I know why everyone was talking about him and adding "RIP" to almost all the comments. So of course I googled Ben Breedlove to find out that he was just an average, 18 year-old boy with a heart condition who died this Christmas day, but made these 2 videos just the week before, bringing up his favorite rapper Kid Cudi and his favorite song "Mr. Rager"


So I watched the videos, and of course, started crying. Sometimes I struggle with my faith, so when I watch videos like this, it kinda smacks me in the face.  His story is inspiring and really makes me believe that there has to be a God out there, right? I just can't look past stuff like this...

So, yes, it was just a coincidence that I wanted to pick Kid Cudi today since he is my favorite rapper and I bought one of his albums yesterday, but maybe it's not a coincidence that I was led to Ben's videos and newspaper articles about his death.  

Listen to Cudi. Yes, he sings about marijuana a lot, but who cares? his beats are great and the overall message is, too. Cudi is a musical inspiration. 

Saturday, December 24, 2011

artist of the day

today's artist: Bombay Bicycle Club



Bombay Bicycle Club is an English band based out of Crouch End, London.  The band won Channel 4's "Road to V" competition and ever since then, their fame has been rising and spreading across the US.  Their style is similar to Vampire Weekend and Foster the People, with a lot of unusual guitar sequences and vocal harmonies.  "Lights Out, Words Gone" is one of those songs that I literally play on repeat because I can't get it out of my head.  I'm probably gonna purchase their latest CD over break!

happy almost christmas!
Hill

Thursday, December 22, 2011

'Tis the Season for... defecation?

Every family has certain holiday traditions, some cliche, some strange. However, I had yet to encounter such a hilarious and slightly revolting tradition until I stumbled upon (that phrase seems to have lost its poignancy)that of the Catalan custom of Caga Tio. Translation? Oh yes, The Pooping Log. I will share the finer points of this tradition. 

  • Young Spanish children find a hollow log and stand it up on two legs, paint a face, stick on a nose and top with a barretina or a red sock hat. 
  • Starting on December 8th, the log should be "fed" every night until Christmas Day when it is appropriately, thrown in the fireplace.
  • While cute little Caga Tio is being burnt to a crisp, children should beat the log with a stick, demanding it to poop. 
  • Well let me tell you, this poop happens to be candies, nuts, dry figs, and turrones (almond nougat) 
  • When the log is done "producing" candy, it poops out a clove of garlic. 



This tradition sure is something. 

Enjoy that candy, 
Rach


Wednesday, December 21, 2011

artist of the day

Today's artist: Monsters of Folk


You could say this is a folk "supergroup," because it's made up of M. Ward (the Him of She&Him), Jim James from My Morning Jacket, and Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes.  They have the folk-y acoustic feeling of The Decemberists or the Avett Brothers, but the singing is akin to Bon Iver or the Fleet Foxes (yet an octave lower than them).  The lyrics are wonderful, and the songs get stuck in your head easily.  Their sound is different enough from other folk bands to make them stand out.  I suggest listening to "Dear God" and "Map of the World."

happy listening,
Hill

word of wISdom

The words you are about to read are not mine.  I would never claim them to be such.  However, I feel that they must be shared.  I happened into this blog when I was fourteen years old.  Sadly to say I lost the tab on the history of the house computer and could somehow never find it again.  Through many searchings, I tracked it down again, about four years later and successfully saved it into the tab bar on this here laptop.  The protagonist of this blog happens to be the cousin of the kid who sat at my table in 8th grade Art class.  He was a delightful kid, popular, but with a lot of depth to him.  He was terrible at art and erased his grid like there was no tomorrow, scrubbing holes into the watercolor paper and making it hard for his table partner to draw anything resembling a straight line.  Anyway

This man, hIrSch, as he likes to call himself, is an adventurer.  In the current 2006 blog post where I swiped this excerpt, he was biking from northern Canada to the very dregs of Patagonia, Argentina.  To see if he finished the trip, you must finish the blog.  hIrSch is in Colombia during this entry and the words and thoughts really hit home for me.  As a Spanish major, these topics seem to crop up and dominate the conversation when people find out that my dream location to study abroad is in fact Colombia.  Have a taste of this wISdom...

so colombia. yes, how is it? well, allow me to tell you. it is just fine. no, i will not be foolish and call this country perfectly safe or pretend there were and are not serious problems here. there have been more military checkpoints here than in any other country i have cycled through. and yes, at these checkpoints, there are machine gun wielding youths. but let me explain what these checkpoints involve. a slight tapping of the brakes, a smile and a wave and a pleasant phrase, and a continuation of my ride. one time, needing to acquire a colombian flag to add to my collection, i stopped, by choice, and much to the delight of the guarding soldiers, to ask them for one of their flags, which they warmly gave me. only once have i had to stop and show a passport and this was simply a matter of curiosity and boredom on the part of the soldiers. the people here, as they have been in every country i have ridden through thus far, though perhaps even more so here, have overwhelmingly been warm and welcoming and incredibly willing to help and to answer any questions i have. yes, there are dangerous places in colombia. just like yes, there are dangerous places in australia. and just like yes, there are dangerous places in the united states. so if you watch and read the fear-inducing (lock your door! pull the blinds! and by god, jimmy, load your gun!) monopolized media, you have choices. would you say that having your child attend school in the states is dangerous based on the shootings at columbine and other isolated, but highly covered and publicized, events? is that a fair assessment? and so, based on what is fed to us about colombia, you would probably never want to come here. however, if you maintain an educated and level-headed perspective, talk to and heed the advice of locals, and decide to see for yourself rather than through the eyes of cnn, you might just never want to leave.  

things like this happen in colombia. did katie couric tell you about it?

think about it, 
Rach

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

artist of the day


Today's artist is M83. This French band is one that I discovered a few months back and I can't stop listening.  The music is so different from anything I've heard for a while. The style is smooth, electronic, entrancing and dreamy.  The genre is referred to as "shoegazing" because the lead singer's vocals flows so smoothly with the background music. It's wonderful for letting the creative juices flow-the "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming" 2 disc, recently released album got me through my dreaded religion paper.  I suggest giving them a listen.  Their style may not be for everyone, but I think they're worth a shot. :)



get inspired,
Hill

Monday, December 19, 2011


























Jack Johnson put it so poetically in his song Cookie Car,

"I would turn on the TV but it's so embarrassing
To see all the other people I don't know what they mean
It was magic at first when they spoke without sound
Now this world is gonna hurt you better turn that thing down"

If I was to say I was anti television, that would be a lie.  We have a tv in the indie attic, albeit located under my bed, covered in dust, but there nonetheless.  Television can be informative, entertaining and well, addicting. So rather than hypocritically perch myself on my high horse, precariously placed on a soap box, I would like to give my support to choosing your television programs carefully. Look out! Understand the purpose of your program, monitor your time in front of the screen, justify your choice. 

With that being said, here is my justification for marathoning Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. 
  1. Sarcasm. A passage into adulthood, independence and more importantly, my friendship. Yes, I am suggesting that Tony and I would be bosom friends. The sharp wit of this tv host, photographer, world traveler and chef can cut deep into the essence of a country, culture or dish. I can only describe him with one word (and I happened to make it up), snarkitude. 
  2. Honesty. This plays along with the sarcasm but it is refreshing nonetheless. If Tony doesn't like a country or a dish, he will make it apparent. Respect has nothing to do with it and Tony firmly believes that you don't have to like someone to respect them.                                                                                        "If the people are really nice and yet have served me a steaming loaf of crap I will try my best to be gracious but I guess I'm just not going to morph into Rachael Ray any time soon. If the food is crap I'm gonna say so. I hate shows where the host lies to you."- Anthony Bourdain
  3. The concept of the show. No Reservations is the anti-tourist travel show. Live the life of a local
  4. Depth. Apprehending the culture and the experience to the best of his abilities. Asking the questions that people specifically avoid asking. Tony has a good time (like a really good, wake-up and you still can't feel your face good time) but none those experiences are taken for granted. Be socially aware of surface culture but put all your energy into discovering deep culture. 
I will keep my justification to four examples and I think that is enough to express my love for this show. Wonder how I know the capital of Cambodia? The national dish of Puerto Rico? The right of passage for boys in Ethiopia? What year did the Contras attacked the Sandinistas? 

“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful"

(im)perfectly lonely

there's nothing quite like the holiday season becoming a reminder of your singleness.  exhibit A: thanksgiving dinner my cousin asks "hillary, do you finally have a boyfriend yet?" "nope." "what?? why not?" "they're just not that into me. i'm used to it." "well how about we go out over christmas break and find you a man." "uh, yeah i don't know." "i just really think you need a boyfriend to mix things up. you're a pretty girl, i don't understand why you've never had one."

okay, stop. what? i need a boyfriend? why do people feel sorry for you when you're single? is it a curse or something? actually, to respond to your statement, i was fine without a boyfriend until you brought up the fact that i don't have a boyfriend and then i thought about how a boyfriend would be nice to cuddle with. . .yes. i admit a boyfriend would be quite lovely- but ONLY if it's the right guy. unlike some other girls, i wouldn't just date somebody so i have a boyfriend. that's just insane. if i need a cuddle buddy, i'll turn to my cat. that reminds me. . .i posted this about 4 months ago on my Tumblr:


Sometimes I worry I’m going to become a 50-year old unmarried woman, sitting in my own library, smoking hookah because I went through a mid-life crisis and thought buying a hookah bong would be a practical purchase, surrounded by 10 cats, sipping a cup of tea and wondering what to make myself for dinner. These are thing things I think about while I’m staring at the ceiling in my room, trying to fall asleep. I think of the worst things before I go to bed. When I was little I would think about pearson park and twister-That’s why my mom told me I had nightmares about tornadoes and bears. And now i think about being eternally single and then I have dreams about being lonely. I wish there was a button to turn off my brain before I go to sleep. I guess I’ll try to focus on ice cream, amusement parks and John Mayer. Sleep is bound to be pleasant that way.

so yes. this topic comes up often. and by often, i mean it's atleast a 3 times per week occurrence. whether it's my mom nagging me about "the latest boy situation", my friends trying to set me up with someone, or  me randomly worrying about being single the rest of my life, it's just one of those topics that never seem to disappear. relationships are the core of life. we thrive on human interaction. love. it makes the world go round. literally and figuratively.  so how can we NOT think about relationships? to put it simply, we can't. it's human nature. but sometimes i wish i didn't feel victimized for being single. I LIKE BEING SINGLE. for now it is so nice to have one less thing to worry about. i can focus on my schoolwork, my faith, my family and my friendships probably more than all my friends with boyfriends can. sure, it's lonely sometimes, but for the most part it is completely relaxing, peaceful, and reflective. when i think about the times i've attempted relationships where the boy ultimately ended up flaking on me, i wonder why people EXPECT me to push for another relationship to happen again. it hurts. it sucks when you feel like you aren't good enough. it's a self-esteem wrecking ball. reflecting on my history, the single life has proven to be more satisfactory (at least until someone sweeps me off my feet. . . ). eventually i won’t have much time at all to myself, so i'm very grateful for having this alone time. life is good, even if you’re alone some of the time.


so here's to holding out for number one. for the perfect match. it will happen for me eventually, but i can't mope around, acting as if my life is terrible because i'm single. and i can't let anybody make me feel like i'm worthless because i live the life of a full-time single woman.  anybody who makes me feel inferior obviously has insecurities about their self.  you aren't living life to the FULLEST if you're pining over somebody, crying because you're single, planning a wedding without the groom or waiting around for mr. perfect. i promise you it will happen. and it will happen WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. but in order to find somebody you love, you have to BE someone YOU love. make sure you are happy with yourself before you try to make someone else happy with you.


"i'm not running, and i'm not scared. i am waiting and well-prepared." -john mayer


words of wisdom from the chicas at hellogiggles.com (which is perfect for this blog post):


http://hellogiggles.com/single-girls-guide-20


and some of my favorite The Holiday quotes (because they're relevant and because it's the holiday season)


"He's a schmuck. He let you go. This is not a hard one to figure out. Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend."-Miles


“I understand feeling as small and insignificant as humanly possible, and how it can actually ache in places you didn’t know you had inside you. And it doesn’t matter how many new haircuts you get, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends.You still go to bed every night going over every detail and wondering what you did wrong or how you could’ve misunderstood - and how in the hell, for that brief moment, you could think you were that happy. And sometimes you can even convince yourself that he’ll see the light and show up at your door. But after all that - however long all that may be - you’ll go somewhere new. And you’ll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again, and little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff - those years of your life that you wasted - that will eventually begin to fade.”-Iris


be the leading lady, not the best friend.
fondly,
hill

Sunday, December 18, 2011

From Junk to Java

Seeing that this blog is heavily permeated with the scent of coffee, it is only right and just that I use my cultured barista palate to rate the cups of coffee I consumed today. They will be rated on a scale of 1-10, but we must take into consideration that my joe will be untainted with, "that greasy kids stuff," commonly known as creamer. Black is the way to go.

1. Folgers- brewed by my momma. consumed two cups. brew was light (on the fence of being too weak) but was a nice wake up breakfast blend. (7)

2. Arby's Blend- first of all, who thought this was a good idea? purchased at a gas station connected to an Arby's. brewed by some grubby high school student. burn and weak with hints of sorrow and despair.  (2)

3. Beaumont Fair Trade- brewed by my sister. brew was very even with a light roast. fair trade always makes me want to like it more. was reheated which always seems to mellow the flavors. (6)

4. Starbucks Frappuccino: Mint Mocha- this doesn't count because it is not drip coffee. and it is Starbucks so how can it be good (yes, that was for you Kelcey) however, I must say I was truly surprised (for I dislike mint and chocolate as a pairing) and enjoyed the drink. (6.5)



This is a picture of Beauty and the Beast... drinking Arby's coffee.

Needless to say, I felt like the one on the left after drinking it.




Drink up,
Rach

artist of the day

gillian welch. check it. she sang back-up vocals on the decemberists newest album. :) her latest album is quite enjoyable.

http://www.gillianwelch.com/


snowy thoughts,
hill

a desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world... maybe

Ahh, but the ingredients to a well balanced desk.













  1. Cold cup of coffee
  2. Old art splatter board, mainly for when I spill my coffee
  3. Globe from the Salvation Army (yes, the capital of India was Bombay, Germany was divided, and Palestine was... oh never mind) 
  4. Popol Vuh, the Mayan Bible (light reading, clearly)
  5. Vintage necklace I scored for $2 while antiquing with my sister
  6. An old pocket watch, broken. Its only purpose is to look cool. 
  7. My laptop (this fun-sized little gadget was the momma to this here blog)
  8. Candles. One can never have too many candles
The rest, well, circulates depending on the task-at-hand; however, do not underestimate the power of the desk.  Your work space should reflect who you are when you are not there. A blank desk is like a blank mind, boring. Declutter, decorate, discover.

Peacefully,
Rach

home is whenever i'm with you

hola! welcome to the indie attic blog. rachael, kelcey and i collaboratively decided to make a blog for your (and our) own enjoyment.  it will be filled with day dreams, music finds, art inspirations, creative writing and some other fun surprises along the way.  for all of you who know i have a tumblr, rachael and i thought blogspot would be a bit classier and simpler for our purposes (sorry tumblr! i love you!)

anyway, this is an outlet for creative thoughts and an update for you about our lives separately, and together :)  we hope you gain something from reading this-whether it's a new song on your itunes, a new insight on a worldly event, or a new book in your library. at the same time we want to give you a little taste of what goes on up in the indie attic-from late night conversation to weekend jam sessions. enjoy!

love,
hill :D