Truth #1

Truth: I envy my mom's ability to say whatever is on her mind without concern of judgment.  For example, cute boy at church is named Michael so she goes "I love the name Michael. When I was little I used to name all my Ken dolls Michael."

<3 Lyssa

Spotify = Musical Bliss

In honor of Twitter's #MusicMonday and because I just signed up for the Premium version, thought I'd give a quick shout out to the genius that is Spotify. For those of you that don't know, it's an online music database that contains practically any song your heart could desire. You sign up for a free account and can search and listen to all the music you want. You star your favorites and build playlists, and Spotify syncs with Facebook so you can see what your friends are listening to and message them songs.

Musicians partner with Spotify and are paid a set amount every time their songs are played, so it's a win-win! The Premium version ($10/month) gives you access to the entire Spotify library on your mobile devices and takes away the 30 second ads that play every 30 minutes or so on the free version. And the iPhone app is awesome to boot.

To me, music is happiness, so Spotify is magical. And talk about a great business model! Look out iTunes... Big shout out to my friend Luce who introduced me to Spotify back in June before it even came to the States. For those of you that don't have an account, get one! (watch the "Story About Spotify" video here if you need more convincing)

Happy Listening.

2012

There are some years when all the holidays seem to happen right on time and other years when you wake up on New Year's Eve thinking, "It cannot possibly be New Years already." This year was definitely the latter for me. 2011 seemed to fly by in a blur of memories. It was a big year for me--college graduation, moving into my own apartment, starting my "grown-up" career. Lots of change and transition, which I guess explains the sense of unease as the year comes to a close. 

Nevertheless 2011 wrapped up wonderfully with a holiday spent visiting family and catching up with great friends--lots of laughter and merriment. And now the New Year is here! The day began with me successfully opening a bottle of champagne, something I've never done before. Simple, yes, but it got me thinking about how many things I haven't done because I've been scared or nervous or just let someone else do it instead. I also had the opportunity to reconnect with a lifelong friend after she returned from living abroad today. I've always admired how she seizes new opportunities and pursues her passions. While I find comfort in stability, I find inspiration and fulfillment in adventure and taking chances. So I think that 2012 is a great time to start stepping outside my comfort zone. 

On that note and because it wouldn't be New Years without resolutions, here it goes: 1. Live in the moment. 2. Be consistently who I want to be. 3. Find happiness in helping others. 4. Prioritize friendships and relationships with those that bring out the best in me. 5. Smile as much as possible. 

Cheers! 

<3 Lyssa