Feels like a Fall Friday!

Hello Friends. Believe it or not, I have a mix for you this Friday. No real theme, just some good tunes that I enjoy and feel right on this crisp, fall(ish) morning.

A few new songs, a few old one, all in all, I think a good mix.

Hopefully this means I'm really back at it and I will continue to post new stuff on here.

But for now, let's start with the mix!

http://mixtape.me/p/18124

1. Changes-Tahiti 80. I first heard of this group back in college. I was obsessed with the song *heartbeat* Just ask my roommate-I played that songs ALL the time. I sort of forgot about them, but then heard this song and thought I should throw it on the mix. 2. Amie-Pure Prairie League. Ive loved this song my whole life. When I was young, I had no idea what the guy was talking about. When I got a little older I was in a band with a girl who's father was also a musician and he used to play his guitar and sing during parties on occasion. This was one of his favorites to play, or so I assume because he ALWAYS played it(and his daughters name is Amy...)

3. Fine Feelings-Spoon. I realized today when putting this song on my mix that I really like Spoon. I put their songs on lots of mixes, and I know more of their material then I ever thought. They are pretty catchy and I just assume that you guys enjoy their stuff too. If that isn't the case, lemme know, and I will stop flooding my mixes with Spoon.

4. Everybody Say-Takka Takka. This is a new band to me. Yes, they have been around for some time, but I had never given them a listen until this last year. And I enjoy it. It is nice and mellow(but not TOO mellow.) I dunno, looking outside on this cloudy day-this song has a nice soothing vibe to it. 5. Hell-Tegan and Sara. Off their newest album that isn't so new anymore. I still love it though. This song rocks. A and I just purchased a box collection set of all of their albums on vinyl and I can not WAIT to get it. I think T&S will sound great coming out of my Grandpa's old Sony speakers.

6. Today-Joshua Radin. bringing it back down. I like his voice. I think it is nice. And after T&S, you need to just rest a second. Again, I know very little about this guy. I DO know that Ryan Adams recorded on one of his albums and that he does more than just play music (like act on TV shows...) 7. Another World-Chemical Brothers. This song is off their new album and is HOT! I love it. I could listen to it on repeat all day. There is just something about their sound that is lovely. I'd really enjoy being in a band/group like this. Maybe someday Ill learn how to make electronic music. Seriously, I just listened to this 4 times in a row....dorky. 8. Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap. I know I know, this song is now all over commercials, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good song. It is haunting and epic and beautiful. I love this guys voice. It makes me want to go out and do something amazing today. What that is, I have no idea. just a moving song, I guess. 9. Lasso-Phoenix. Just another killer Phoenix single. No need to get into it much more. I love this band. full of pop hits!

10. Satellite-Guster. I like Guster. Call me a fool, or a kid stuck in the late 90's early 2000's college radio rock. That is fine with me. I like them. Not a TON, or anything, but enough to put a song on a mix every so often. This particular song fits the mix (i think) because of the weather outside. There are just certain songs that scream cloudy say, or sunshine, or snow storm, or whatever. I just feel like this is a cloudy day/evening song. 11. Hallelujah- The Helio Sequence. These guys pop up on my Pandora a lot. I like their sound and the vocals. And I actually do pretty well paying attention to these lyrics. And you guessed it, they are pretty good. I think I need to get into this band more. 12. Rock and Roll-The Sounds. This is an awesome chick band. I like their catchy-pop sound. I think they would be good live as well. Her vocals compliment the guitar riffs very well. Probably would sound really great at high volumes in a dark sweaty small venue, no?

13. Try a Little Tenderness-Otis Redding. Who doesn't love this song and think of Ducky when you hear it? I may have put this on a mix in the past, but i think that is just fine. In fact, I could jam to this song every Friday.

14. Honky Tonk Women-The Rolling Stones. I had this album on tape during college and listened to it so much the tape was destroyed. I love this song. It is a sort of swanky, which i like. along with the cowbell, and slick guitar riff, this song rocks (and the lyrics are great!) I'd love to drink a cold bud while washing an old car out front my house with my hose in an old worn out soccer t-shirt. *sometimes my imagination impresses me....*

Well, that's that guys. Enjoy my Friday Mix!!

BACK...FINALLY

Hey All. So I've been out of the loop for the last few weeks. I'm not going to rehash all the whys in regards to me being gone. The five of you who read this are aware that my stepfather (Steve) passed away a week or so ago. It was an emotional few weeks, filled with family and tears and lasagna and sammies. Thank goodness my Mom has some really great friends (and my family is amazing too.)
(to the right is a photo of Steve and I from my Grandmothers 70th birthday party a few summers ago)

Anyhow, I may spend some time at some point talking a little more about Steve, because I miss the guy. Those of you who knew/met him-well you are lucky people. He was a good person. But I won't get into all of that right now.

Instead, I'm just going to throw a few pictures from the last few weeks, and a music video and then I'll be back tomorrow (maybe) for a mix. I haven't made a mix in a few weeks, but have been so distracted, I don't know exactly what this mix will be about.

SO, enjoy some photos, and you will hear from em again soon.

xo,

Cayla

(with this video-scroll down a bit and watch the video for the song ON DIRECTING. this song blows my mind every time, as do T&S, and their hotness.)http://teganandsara.com/page/2/

A and I with baby Jackson (we could totally be Mom's)

We went to a really cool Cider brew house in Michigan, Called Tandem Cider. They even had a Tandem bike we rode around and we were told we were better than most couples that try.

Jody, A , Jackson and I....SO CUTE!!!!!

My Aunt Annette and Uncle Mark made us a killer dinner the first night we went out on the sailboat in MI. fresh corn salad=AMAZING!

The next night my cousins cooked some kabobs for us. again, SO SO GOOD!!!

Elliott, Luke and I (COUSIN LOVE!!!)

I *love* sailing. seriously, my favorite thing to do when in Sutton's Bay.

Oh yeah, My brother and Jessica got engaged! Congrats to them. One comment that was made on Jessica's facebook page (that still makes me laugh) was "congratulations. Not only are you gaining a husband, you are getting a child too. Congrats on motherhood." if you know my brother AT ALL, you can laugh at that one. But on the real, so happy for them!

And one last one of me and baby. so cute. we are totally buddies.

A and I even got to go tubing together! It was very fun, and A did really well. But after about 7 minutes, we both had sore arms and were ready to watch my cousins tear it up.

Happy Thursday, Friends!

Traverse City!

Hi Friends. I'm sorry I missed last weeks mix. I was in a training all day/week. yes, that includes my birthday! Anyhow, This week Amanda, Parker and Scarlett are heading out of town for a little road trip. We are heading to Northern Michigan (not to be confused with Upper Michigan. This is in MI proper, just the northern part...) I have family up there and haven't seen them in a while. It also happens to be my favorite place to vacation EVER! I love it up in Cherry Country. seriously...but this means a 12 hour drive from MPLS. hopefully this goes smoothly :)

Anyhow, we leave tomorrow, so I thought I should get the mix out early, instead of missing it all together. So, here it is-nothing too fancy. Just songs that I like a lot.

ENJOY http://mixtape.me/p/17735

1. In The Mood- Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. Ive been digging on the Jazz a lot lately. It reminds me of my Grandpa, who is a Big Band Drummer (since age 10...now he is in his late 80's and still plays. fucking cool!). It is also featured in the newer (Lindsay Lohan) version of Parent Trap, which you all know I know and Love! I hope you like those horns!

2. Soft Shock-Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The more I hear their music, the more I realize why a lot of people like them. I am sort of over the whole Karen O is so hip and weird and cool thing, but i like the music. This song comes on on my pandora a lot and I usually take a little break at that point to enjoy the music.

3. Lost and Found-The Radio Dept. I just recently heard a song by these guys and enjoyed the mix of organic and electronic music. You know I really like that. I think the airy flow of the vocals highlight what they are doing here. and the simple strums of the guitar give off a retro sort of feel.

4. When I'm with You-Best Coast. So this is some awesome chick(mainly) rock. I like the lo-fi, surf pop sound. The chick drummer (HELL YEAH!) was actually in Vivian girls before this band. and she is rad. I hope you feel the summer time, as I do, with this one.

5. I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor-Arctic Monkeys. I first heard this song after a friend of mine drove down to Texas several years back for South by Southwest. She saw these guys live, before they had a name for themselves and came back ranting and raving. About 6 months later, they were huge. But she put this song on a mix for me that summer and it sort of became my anthem. I still love it today!

6. Young Bride-Midlake. This is one of those songs that I seriously looked for for years. I had heard it on the radio some time ago and really liked it. But like any song that you don't know the name, it sort of slipped away from me. I heard it again for the first time in a while the other day and decided to include it. I like the strings a lot and the harmonies.

7.Camera Talk-Local Natives. These guys are perfect for road trips. I recently discovered that. They are coming back to town this fall...get tickets now!.

8. Poker Face-Lady Gaga. this is my favorite Lady Gaga song. I really enjoy it. It makes me want to dance. and in fact, it came on at a wedding we were attending this weekend and I lost my shit and was dancing like crazy. think what you may, I like the Lady. I think if she frustrates you, then either you don't get it, or you do and she is winning.

9. Danger! High Voltage.-Electric Six. I know nothing about this band. But back in the day one of my friends (my favorite gay boy!) Nick used to do some crazy dancing and singing whenever this song came on and we were dancing. I think it is a pretty fun upbeat little ditty.

10. Wake up-the Walkmen. I really like the Walkmen. Another band that I only know a little bit of, but really enjoy what I know. I love this guys voice, I like their sound. And this song is RAD. I love the upbeat drumming-very Cayla. throw in some piano, the claves and jingle bells and I'm sold!

11. Don't Take My Shadow-Kings Go Forth. This is Milwaukee Band that I just recently heard about. I think it is a great Milwaukee sound. You have the hipster shit going on with afro-cuban stuff as well. This Rhythm section is hot. Along with the horns. I just like that it is a new/different sound than what we are all used to hearing (or maybe that is just me...)

12. Are You Gonna Go My Way-Lenny Kravitz. Besides thinking Lenny is hot as hell, I LOVE CINDY BLACKMAN. I think she may have been one of the big influences when I was young to become a drummer. I remember seeing this video as a kid and thinking A. is that a girl drummer....who ROCKS? and B. man, she is pretty :) Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this THURSDAY throw back to 92, or whenever it came out.

13. Tuxedo Junction-Gene Krupa. This is the first song I ever played in 7th grade Jazz Band. I have really liked it since then. And to mention another drummer....Gene Krupa is a killer Jazz drummer. He and Buddy Rich top the charts!

Alright folks, that is that! I am currently packing the car and getting the dogs prepped for the big road trip. A is at work, waiting for me to pick her up so we can hit the rock! I hope y'all have a nice weekend. And yes, the picture below IS lake Michigan....looks pretty different than in MKE or the CHI, huh? *can't wait!*

Been Busy

In case all of you haven't noticed, I have had an insanely busy summer. See, summer is not my favorite season. I often have a hard time in summer (i know, I know...crazy) so each summer I take a different approach to conquer the beast of heat and sometimes my sadness. This summer, my attempt to "keep busy" sort of exploded in my face and I have been out of town for the last 5 weekends in a row. Excuse me, 4 weeks-last Friday I slept in my own bed, but was gone again Saturday night. But it has been okay.

Something about the heat and nostalgia makes me a little crazy. I typically move through my life looking forward to certain events-maybe we all do this, or at least some of you. When Memorial Day comes, I set my eye on 4th of July. Then that passes and the next big thing is my birthday(August 4th). As I look forward to Labor Day, the sound of the end of summer (you know, those buzzing bugs that scream into the humid thick blue sky that looks down on our city) gets louder and more present. I start to think back to lifetimes ago, when I was ten-covered in mosquito bites, so scratched and clawed at, the blood from the scabs dried down my leg and onto my new school sneakers-red converse high tops. I'd ride my busted up bmx bike through the neighborhood, wanting to understand the life I was living, but aware that that didn't mean unlocking some magical door. It just wanted to know what exactly it meant to be someone in my shoes. But more importantly, there was that feeling like it would never end. Not just summer, not just being 10, but everything that I knew to be my life.

I spent the first several years of my life trying to figure myself out (who am I kidding, that is STILL what I spend my time doing.) I explored a lot as a child. I was the youngest, and I was a girl, but I sure thought I could be just like my older brother. He felt differently. I started riding my bike all the time (just like him) and often took his clothes without him knowing and wore them to school. I also spent a lot of time climbing in trees, picking scabs and (believe it or not) trying to be cool. I stole smokes from my parents, who "secretly" smoked. I started skateboarding and even had a tag name (first Winston, because those are the smokes I stole from my Ma, and then Ask, because I was constantly talking-mainly asking questions around that age.) And while I have aged a lot, most of those ideas, those little parts of me that make me me, still shine bright. I like to think of these things are the gifts I bring to the world. Like I said, I'm still figuring out all the little things that make me the way I am. Of course I'm pretty sure of the main things that make me tick. Of course there are little things that not many people know about me. But there are still times when I do stuff and after the fact wonder, "what the hell am I doing?" While this happens throughout the year, it definitely happens more in the summer, and again, it is one of those things I'm still trying to figure out. But this summer, this summer has been pretty great. Yes, I have been crazy busy, but I think all the things I did were pretty awesome. I think this summer was slightly different in that I was so busy, i didn't have a chance to get all in my head and start looking back and getting emotional and wondering where I am going and so on and so forth. I feel like the direction I am going makes sense and is what I want it to be. I have found people(and pugs, if you will ) I want to spend my time with. I feel like I'm on a path I'm not only comfortable with, I'm proud of and want to share to everyone I meet. Many of you people are a big part of that, so thank you. Seriously, I am here because of you.

okay, enough sap, how about some reflection? Let's just recap on the summer so far, shall we? I went to a few different lakes and swam, went camping (just once, but that's okay) visited MKE twice, hit up Chicago, spent a weekend at a cabin, celebrated my gayness, saw a few great shows(including HEART-a life long dream), rode my bike...A LOT, got 2 tattoos, saw 2 sets of friends celebrate their love (via wedding and ring tattoo ceremony/dinner) went to the dog park, farmers market, and a few movies, watched fireworks, set off fireworks, enjoyed more than one tornado warning/crazy storm, met a few new friends, enjoyed time with old ones, turned 27 and am about to go to my favorite vacation spot of all times and spend time with my family. This summer really has been great. And we still have a few weeks left! Enjoy those last weeks, folks!

Chicago....FINALLY

Hey Guys. Tonight I plan on spending some time recapping the Riverwest 24, which was an unbelievably amazing experience. But for now, Enjoy some photos and fun from our CRAZY Friday night in Chicago a few weeks ago.

A and I were staying with Brittany and Joel. JK told us about a Pitchfork after party being held by the VenusZine(his friend works there). So the three of us were to meet JK at the Beauty Bar (http://www.beautybar.com/chicago/home.php)
Well, when we got to Chicago, my dear old friend, Tracy, just so happened to be in town, staying with another old friend, Danielle. So our large group headed to the Beauty Bar to meet JK and dance. And DANCE we did!
We enjoyed PBR tall boys, shots of Whiskey and some girlie shots too! It got to be a pretty fun and wild time.

Tracy and I haven't seen each other in about 3 years. WAAAAY too long. He now lives in Boston, but comes back to the Midwest to visit us every so often.

hell, PBR practically sponsored our night. See in Chicago, everything is a little more expensive. Except PBR tallboys, which were like 3 bucks.

Our crew was pretty close back in the day. Both Brittany and Danielle live in Chicago now. But at one point, we were all in Minneapolis. Another one of our dear friends, Mike, was the first to move away. Shortly after that, everyone sort of went their own way. Mike passed away a few summers ago, and it was a pretty hard thing for all of us to deal with. I don't think we have all been together since then. Anyhow, not to get all downer-the truth is I kinda felt like he was with us this night (in a really great way.)

A and I don't always get out dancing together, but on the real, it may be one of my top three things to do with her. I think because we don't do it that often, it makes it even more fun (but every time we go dancing I say I want to dance EVERY weekend....ha)

During the breaks from dancing, we caught up on whats going on in life and whatnot.

And it was the second weekend in a row that we got to spend time with JK. I was starting to get used to the feeling of seeing him all the time. I wish that were the case. It is nice to have a solid boy around.

JK encourages a lot of the dancing. Luckily (for me) he also really likes dancing, so we drag A out, who doesn't always want to come, because she thinks she is a bad dancer, which just in not the case.

Tracy and I had a blast together.

Like I said, lots of dancing. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. We went to a different bar after the beauty bar (Evil Olive http://www.evil-olive.com/) and that is when stuff got fuzzy. But I know I had a good time! I think this may have been one of my favorite nights of summer. And I thanks everyone who was involved.

RW24!

Hey All. So I am heading to MKE in about 30 minutes. This weekend is the Riverwest24. I will explain more when I get home and it is all said and done. The basics: a 24 bike race through the Riverwest neighborhood in MKE, Wi. This is where my brother and his girlfriend live. I heard about it last year, so this year they invited me (Kat is coming too!) to come down and race. I am looking forward to it, but it is also a little crazy. We will see how it goes :)

This mix is some songs about bikes, some songs that get me pumped up. But for whatever reason, the last time i checked, the mix player wasn't working real well. Hopefully by the time you try it, it is working again. But, because I'm leaving real quick like, I don't have much time to write about the songs I picked for this mix. my apologies.

You can still listen, and i hope you enjoy it!

http://mixtape.me/p/17500

smooches,

C.

just a little recap

Hooray for Fish Lake! We had a blast last weekend, just relaxing and being care free. Enjoy just a few of the highlights.

Highlight 1. Not being on 94E the whole drive-we got to take a different WI Hwy. This made the drive FAST.

Highlight 2. dozens of kittens. Amanda's grandpa still lives on the lake in a house behind the cabin. He enjoys the company of cats, and these kitty's have gone wild! There are tons of them (mainly inbred.... :( ) but some to most are cute. a few (like rat-face, fuck-face and ginger) have funny eyes/faces. entertaining.

Highlight 3. the boat house porch-so nice to just relax and read or whatever while having a nice view down of the lake.

Highlight 4 (and maybe my favorite thing) Ray's Closeout! Imagine a surplus type store filled with crap you might find in your grandma's basement. That is Ray's closeout. Combs, batteries, fishing lines, ugly,pink,fluffy toilet seat covers, chap stick from 1993, fake flowers, Mexican flags, john deer tshirts, ridiculous perfume that smells like a Lutheran church potty and so much more. Below are pictures of Amanda and I in Ray's.

Highlight 5. El Jefe. We found a GIANT can of energy drink/malt liquor called El Jefe. It was graped flavor death and we used it in our version of "drinking Yahtzee!"

Highlight 6. fishing-Cayla-Amanda-Sara style...fish try hooking the worms, but them giving up and straight up dropping them in the lake and beating on which worm survives the longest.

Highlight 7. Ree's Taco Dip....need I say moreHighlight 8. Wearing bright yellow basketball shorts, a kelly green tshirt, my dad's old flannel, a fedora and some argyle socks and feeling legit.

Highlight 9. the 4 o'clock bell when the wave runners can no longer create waves

Highlight 10. spending the weekend with best friends. It is nice to have a little summer ritual that involves just reading, laying, cooking and eating. And lots of chit chat, of course. Thanks for a fun weekend, ladies!