Help! Wedding Music Confusion

Ooh! It is the first Wedding Wednesday of 2014!! Woo hoo!!

I am not sure if you remember, but I set a list of smaller goals to accomplish in December...that list now looks like this:

- reach out to our officiant and nail it down
- set up a date to meet with my uncle re: music
- speak with Iman's cousin and set up a date for our meeting with the florist
- go to the bra store!
- make a list of all of the things we need to buy (including things for the DIY)
- go to the Social Security Administration and get a new card
- apply for passport
- when Iman gets his bonus, buy our honeymoon plane ticket!
- finish up wedsite
- look at wedding band designs while in Vegas [our jeweler is in Vegas]

So, I got about halfway done! Which isn't too bad. Plus some of this stuff is in the works, i.e. I tried to contact our officiant but he didn't call us back which means I might be on the hunt for a new officiant (which sucks because I was trying to do this cost-free!). I did not set up a date to meet with my uncle, but it will be in the next few weeks, he said. Today my goal was to have my music ideas nailed down...so that is what we are hashing out!!

And my mom bought these for us :) 

I love a good music post, so let's get to the fun and games!!

I looked up online what songs I should definitely plan for and this is my list:  [oh boy do I love lists today!]

Ceremony

• Prelude: 
• Processional: 
• Bride Entrance: The Light - Sara Bareilles

• Recessional: From This Moment - Shania Twain 
• Postlude:

Reception

• Wedding Party Entrance:
• Bride and Groom Entrance:
• First Dance: "Marry Me" - First Dance Mix - Train [Iman picked this!] 

• Mother/Son and Father/Daughter: We aren't doing this! 
• Money Dance:
• Anniversary Dance:
• Cake Cutting:
• Last Dance: 

Oh boy, I am so behind on this!!

I know we also want to include these songs, but I'm not sure where they fit best:

You're Still the One - Shania Twain
Still into You - Paramore
Memory - Sugarcult [our very, very first song]
Collide - Howie Day [our first slow dance song at Winter Formal]
Umbrella (Cinderella Remix) - Chris Brown [this song is sooo hard to find since they broke up, but Iman loves it]
Thousand Years - Christina Perri
Stereo Heart - Gym Class Hero


But here is another list of songs I love that I am hoping Iman wants to do some.

How Sweet it Is - James Taylor
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
You Are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne

And the rest I can't remember!!

What songs are you playing in your wedding? Do you have any advice for me?

Music Can Save You

Yesterday, as I was driving home I had a concert in my car. Full on sang my heart out, much to the enjoyment of the cars stuck in traffic around me. They kept staring at me like I was some sort of anamoly.

Hellooo, people sing in the car all of the time!!! 

Basically, I found this mix I made in 2011 called "Rainy Day" and it has all of these amazing songs on it. Do you listen to Jack's Mannequin or Owl City? I might be about to change your life...

The beauty in these two bands, is that they have the ability to cheer you up. Seriously, I'm a kid from the emo generation. Our songs were always semi-depressing, but the ones I liked always seemed to take it and make it happier.

So I thought I'd share some Jack's Mannequin lyrics and songs today, in case anyone out there needed a pick me up. Seriously, you're about to see just how amazing these lyrics are. Might I add that Andrew McMahon is AMAZING. He's battled cancer and started the Dear Jack Foundation. But you'll see him on stage rocking the piano with all he's got. So much energy! I need to go to another concert.

Without further ado...my favorite JM songs!

1. Spinning - "I can't remember when the earth turned slowly so I just waited with the lights turned out again. I lost my place but I can't stop this story. I've found my way, but in the end I’m only spinning"

If you know me, you know that I have a lot of anxiety and panic attacks. This one's got that calming reminder.

2. Dark Blue - "Have you ever been alone in a crowded room well I'm here with you. I said the world could be burning 'til there's nothing but dark blue..Just dark blue"

I think these words could be taken a few ways. For me, they always made me think of battling depression and not being alone. 

3. Miss Delaney - "Finally, I'm letting go of all my downer thoughts. In no time there'll be one less sad robot."

This song is more just because I like the tune. 

4. Holiday From Real - "Oh, California in the Summer Ah, and my hair is growing long. Fuck yeah, we can live like this. If you left it up to me everyday would be a holiday from real." 

This one is just plain fun. Plus California summers are my favorite :) 

5. I'm Ready - "I am aware, I've been misled. I disconnect my heart, my head. Don't wanna recognize when things go bad. The things that you'll accept, accept that I am finding the words... to say"

Here's the thing. Unless you go read my archives, you don't know that I used to be heartbroken mess. My ex would go back and forth with me for three years. We had a couple of more years of history before that, too. So to say that it was difficult for me to like someone or to fall for someone is an understatement. I have my running shoes. They're in a box now, but they used to always be with me...This song was my soundtrack to falling in love with Iman as an adult.

6. Swim - "I found a tidal wave begging to tear down the dawn. Memories like bullets they fired at me from a gun - A crack in the armor. I swim to brighter days Despite the absence of sun. Choking on salt water, I'm not giving in. I swim."

This is another one, reminding you to just go on. I just highlighted the chorus, but seriously...so good. 

7. American Love - "Big hearts, big hearts. Big hearts are for breaking"

    This is sort of my favorite heartbreak song. I always say I have a big heart, so it was perfect when I was        heartbroken

8. Release Me - "release me take another piece of me And there won't be another left unless you let go"

     Another great heartbreak song....but once you're ready to get over it :) 

9. You Can Breathe - "You can breathe, you can breathe now. You can breathe, but the air is running out on you"

Another reminder about breathing ;) 

Aaaand because I have OCD, I needed to include a 10th song...so here's my favorite Owl City song. I am actually getting some of these lyrics tattooed onto me :)

10. Plant Life - "I'd rather waltz than just walk through the forest,The trees keep the tempo and they sway in time, Quartet of crickets chime in for the chorus, If I were to pluck on your heartstrings would you strum on mine?"

The bold is what I'm getting tattooed :) But seriously, so much motivation! 

What's your go-to cheer you up music? 

Check out one of our featured Warrior Queens:

Friday Letters + Backthatazzup

Dear Nissan, Why you gotta do me like that? I've worked in the automotive industry for the past year including the service department of a dealership and a bodyshop..I know that you're supposed to replace the part on warranty work - not just "fix" it. So you'll be getting a phone call for me reimbursement for this part failure twice in less than a year on a 2012 model. Oh, and I got the part at cost price, but you're going to think I paid list.

Dear Co-Workers, Thank you for being so good to me and taking care of my beloved car when it breaks. Thanks for giving me the part at cost bossman!

Dear Bee, It's time you get a blog again so I can read about your life. El Toro Journalism Cult 4 Life.

Dear Hobby Lobby, thank you for finally opening one up near me! Now I can know what the buzz is all about...see you tomorrow!

Dear best friends, I am so excited about all of your excited things! Babies and careers and engagements OH MY!

Dear Fiance, you're the best best for bringing me coffee and taking care of me on your day off, and for making sure my car is okay, oh and  every other little thing you do!

And, because this is a completely unproductive post since I've written a post every day this week (CONGRATULATE ME!), I will do my very first #backthatazzup


  Freaking obsessed and I am not usually a country girl.

Warrior Queen Playlist

Happy Monday!!

It's been awhile since I've done a Warrior Queen Playlist (see this post for the last playlist).

I recently bought Spotify's paid account. I usually don't do that type of thing, but it is super cool because I  can download playlists to my phone...aka I can listen to all of the music that I haven't been able to buy without running my phone's data up a storm.

This list has some newer songs and some older ones, but all in all, I think they inspire me to be stronger and love being a girl so much more!

1. Mama's Broken Heart - Miranda Lambert

2. Brave - Sarah Bareilles

3. Catch My Breath - Kelly Clarkson

4. 32 Flavors - Ani Difranco

5. Keep Your Head Up - Andy Grammar

6. Who Am I Living For? - Katy Perry

7. Girl on Fire - Alicia Keys

8. Who Says - Selena Gomez

9. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato

10. Nobody Ever Told you - Carry Underwood

11. Shake Them Haters Off - Kelly Rowland


What songs would you add?

Happy

I'm the type of person who music speaks to. If I can't think of the words to say, odds are someone's written a song that says it for me. I also like to pick out songs that are awesome for Warrior Queens. So this blog isn't so much a blog where I write a bunch of stuff, but more like here's some song lyrics for you =]

Happy by Leona Lewis
Someone once told me that you have to choose
What you win or lose
You can't have everything
Don't you take chances
Might feel the pain
Don't you love in vain
Cause love won't set you free
I can't stand by the side
And watch this life pass me by
So unhappy
But safe as could be

Chorus:
So what if it hurts me?
So what if i break down?
So what if this world just throws me off the edge
My feet run out of ground
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
Cause i'm just trying to be happy, yeah
Just wanna be happy, yeah

Verse 2:
Holding on tightly
Just can't let it go
Just trying to play my role
Slowly disappear, ohh
But all these days, they feel like they're the same
Just different faces, different names
Get me out of here
I can't stand by your side, ohh no
And watch this life pass me by, pass me by

Chorus:
So what if it hurts me?
So what if i break down?
So what if this world just throws me off the edge
My feet run out of ground
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
Cause i'm just trying to be happy, ohh, happy, ohh

Bridge:
So any turns that i can't see,
like I'm a stranger on this road
But don't say victim
Don't say anything

Chorus:
So what if it hurts me?
So what if i break down?
So what if this world just throws me off the edge
My feet run out of ground
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me

Outro:
I just wanna be happy
Ohh, yeah, happy, ohh, happy
I just wanna be, ohh
I just wanna be happy
Ohh, happy