someone else's list...

I ran across the list below on a blog, which I forgot to bookmark, so I can't remember who posted it originally. oops. Anywho, love the insights. Sometimes it is nice to relearn the obvious.


Here's an extract So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:

1. Ignore everybody.

2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big
shot, your plan will probably fail.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in
kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies
that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this
earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is
where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and
what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant..

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don't worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

31. Remain frugal.

32. Allow your work to age with you.

33. Being Poor Sucks.

34. Beware of turning hobbies into jobs.

35. Savor obscurity while it lasts.

please to enjoy 71

please to enjoy = 50% new + 50% new to me + 50% songs from back in the day + 50% songs that don't quite fit

Link to file:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/640998518/33d8d9887a51971728fd1a8d61eb5cb8

please to enjoy 72:

1. Fucken Awesome - Spiderbait
2. Breathe & Stop (max romeo disco remix) - Q-Tip
3. Pablo Picasso - The Modern Lovers
4. Second Chance - Liam Finn
5. Hey Doll Baby - Vetiver
6. Fan - New Young Pony Club
7. Walk In the Park - Oh No! Oh My!
8. High on a Mountain Top - Loretta Lynn
9. I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen
10. In The Beginning - k'naan
11. Where Next Columbus? - Jeffrey Lewis
12. Skeleton Boy - Friendly Fires
13. U.R.A. Fever - The Kills
14. Acho Um Pouco Bom - Cansei de Ser Sexy
15. Nosebleed - Illinois
16. All Caps - Madvillain
17. Daylight - Matt & Kim
18. Suspended In Gaffa - Ra Ra Riot
19. Don't Bother Me - The Blakes
20. Bang! Bang! - The Knux
21. Parentheses - The Blow
22. Hurricane Jane - Black Kids
23. With Strangers - Little Joy
24. Unknown Legend - Tunde Adebimpe

please to enjoy: me, and me too!

Ok, I think I finally figured out a simple way to share my random "please to enjoy" cds without having to burn 15 copies for the brave souls who want them.

There are going to be 12 themed mixes, one per month, and this set of 2 cds that I made for a friend that are songs that are a part of me, for lotsa reasons, for better or worse. :) I will gladly accept cds about you...and explain some of the weirder ones on mine if you are wondrin.

Link to file:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/640978486/00d3ff8db82031f286a9e24b80a6caa6

Also, I am still going to posting my good ole please to enjoy mixes semi-regularly.

please to enjoy = 50% new + 50% new to me + 50% songs from back in the day + 50% songs that don't quite fit

please to enjoy...me:
1. Drinking Coffee - Rufus Wainwright
2. Expectations - Belle & Sebastian
3. Act Nice And Gentle - The Kinks
4. Good Days Bad Days - Kaiser Chiefs
5. Dirty Mind - Ben Lee
6. Love of the Loveless - Eels
7. I Will - The Beatles
8. Together - The Raconteurs
9. Electric Feel - MGMT
10. Drop it like its Hot - Snoop Dogg
11. Revelry - Kings Of Leon
12. Overpowered - Roisin Murphy
13. Solo Impala - The Fashion
14. Walking On A Dream - Empire Of The Sun
15. Heart It Races - Dr. Dog
16. Oh, Sister (Bob Dylan cover) - Andrew Bird
17. Move (Cut Copy Remix) - CSS
18. Psychotic Girl - The Black Keys
19. Hi-Fi - M. Ward
20. Too Drunk Too Fuck - Nouvelle Vague

please to enjoy...me too:
1. Dancing In The Moonlight - Billy Corgan
2. DARE - Gorillaz
3. Lived In Bars - Cat Power
4. The Warning - Hot Chip
5. Strolling Down the Highway - Nick Drake
6. How Low - Jose Gonzalez
7. Four Leaf Clover - Badly Drawn Boy
8. Lullaby - The Cure
9. Creator - Santogold
10. Through the Roof 'n' Underground - Gogol Bordello
11. Young Forever - Aberfeldy
12. Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare - Matt & Kim
13. Downtown - Peaches
14. Go It Alone - Beck
15. I'm On Fire (Springsteen Cover) - Bat For Lashes
16. I'm Straight - The Modern Lovers
17. Big Jumps - Emiliana Torrini
18. Willow Tree - Chad VanGaalen
19. Top Yourself - The Raconteurs
20. Reasons To Love You - Meiko

A Karaca Gray kind of Christmas

Spent my first xmas in Chicago with my bro and Chip, Gray also making a first time xmas appearance, and it was an awesome time. Feel so lucky to have cool new family traditions, like champagne at every meal, caviar, gourmet meals by Chip, live piano music from a mostly in tune piano, scrabble, baby drool, new friends and family, catching up on shows, and chicago snow slop! (granted, there were af few parts I could have done without...what exactly does it mean to be called a liberal communist by a crazy person?!?!)

Here is a snippet of the annual xmas eve tree lighting....with real fire...




And here is our perfect little grinch.

1st Annual THXgivin in October!!!

Highlights:
• No water at my house, party moved to Sir Bretly of Brooksideshire's house.
(Muchos Thank Yous Bret!!!)
• Turkey started at my house, finished at Bret's
• "Baby Come Back" was the soundtrack to turkey carving.
• Argyle!!!
• Joshy wins for Most Effort....Adam wins Least Effort (seriously, you could have at least worn matching socks)
• Rachel - Turkey and cranberry salad
• Aaron - Sweet potato bake
• Bret - Cheesy potatoes
• Adam - Stuffing
• Joshy - Rice Krispie turkey
• Amanda - Creamed corn and green bean casserole
• Albert - Bread and berry shortcakes
• Casey and Lori - assorted breads
• Nina - mashed pumpkin pie
• Lindsay - Pumpkin custard
• Kristy - Mac and Cheese
• Mandy - Her sweet self :)


Man oh man, we are so thankful....

tuesday's with joshy!

Place: Skillet Licker Cafe, 6th Street, KC, Kansas

Rating: 5 outta 5 Joshys!!!!!

Highlights:

• Fresh donuts! Before your food comes out! Fresh frickin donuts!
• Joshy's tenderloin sammich was bigger than his face.

• Super nice waitress / owner?

• Old school juke box with fancy tunes

• Bandages held on by rubber bands (someone has been watching MacGyver)

• B.J. and Top Gun are tied in our 13 Tournament of Champions
• Bootsie pulled a crazy fast win out her ass. Probably will never happen again.

My Sweet Sweet Dream.

Here are the things my dreams are made of....

1. Abandoned school + just the right amount of drama + alpacas =  new home

2. Commune living + short taxi bus to and fro to hallmark + film crew = bazillions of $

3. Cash money from bank of LaWanda + covers from disco parties = mortgage

4. Sam Rockwell + Justin Theroux + me = good times INDEED :)

5. Good friends + green living + talent shows + potluck dinners + fully stocked bar + a gymnasium + boiler rooms with semi-legal activities = paradise

Pardon my blogstapation....

Ok, it has been a ridiculous month...hence the need for this flush of updates.

Tuesdays with Joshy: (where we've lunched...just the facts, none of the details)

• Blanco in Westport

• McCoys in Westport

• Jerusalem Bakery in Westport (this was a Tuesday with JUST Joshy...no amanda)

• 2020 in the Crossroads (this was a Tuesday WITHOUT Joshy)

• Sol Azteca on Southwest Blvd.

• Gates on Main

• Succotash in the River market

Misc. Happenings:

• Aaron turned a year older while bowling

• Bretly is a sexy sexy dancer....and i might be a liar...if you believe everything you hear on video. (couldn't figure out how to rotate the video. whateves.)

• Amanda and I went on a Burlesque Extravaganza

• Tailgating + Whiskey + 100 degrees + more Whiskey = trashy-ness

btw, dr. pepper plus whiskey is a magical combo. 

• I learned that Caterpillers each pizza (see below)

• Got a new, fantastic, beautiful, perfect, highly advanced for her age, tiny, cuddly NIECE!!!!

• Saw the world's worst movie at the east side of kcmo's best Drive-in.

• Played some Ewok Magic trivia.

• Saw some free movies.

• Became a design prof at KU. I am rocking the chalk again and they are paying me. crazy.

• Maybe I am the daughter of a spy...but maybe not....but maybe. hmm.

• Farmed in the rain...for 4 hours...at the butt crack of dawn...in the mud...voluntarily.

• Met 3 super duper awesome artists!!!!! 

• Totally got promoted! crazy.

Bands, bands and more bands:

• It's Over

• Bacon Shoes

• ACB's a few times

• Restavrant 

• Vampire Weekend

• White Williams

• Aaron Hale minus the boy detectives

• Wye Oak

• Albert's high school reunion

• Cut Copy (SO AMAZING!!!)

• The Presets

• A few more that I can't remember

whew! caught up just in time to get behind again. ;)

just in case: kinda cool but sorta lame super hero powers

1. Making change for a $20

2. Roller skate feet

3. Making people moist (non-sexually)

4. 2 left wings

5. Clapping really super fast

6. Making people itch (again, non-sexually) 

7. Spraying honeydew smells, skunk style

8. Xray vision, but only through shoes

9. Retractable cape

10. Swiss army toes

11. Giving people spontaneous Dyslexia

12. Being impervious to large amounts of caffiene

tuesdays with joshy!

Place: Dagwoods Diner, 1117 Southwest Boulevard

Rating: 3 outta 5 Joshys*

Highlights:

• Lotsa coke memorabilia

• Super faux wood formica

• Lotsa men, just a few teeth

• Bandages held on by rubber bands (someone has been watching MacGyver)

• B.J. has first win in our 13 Tournament of Champions(es)

• Bootsie is bringing up the rear with the least wins

• Parking lot full of ice cream trucks, draw your own conclusion

*Food was grease-tacular, but the atomosphere was a little...rough. Bring a buddy, just in cases.

minutes from potluck: 7.23.08

Host: Chateau Du Lamoreux

Meal: Turkey Beef Oatmeal Burgers and some fixins

Game: Lotsa random talking

Highlights:

• PBR and Sunny D!!!

• Cupcakes con fungi
• Ants on a log, leads to the Great Raisin Debate of 08

• Cat highway

• Adam's wild-n-wacky imperialistic mayhem dream (see above)

please to enjoy: videos i heart right now

She & Him - Why do you let me stay here

Solange - I decided

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

minutes from potluck: 7.9.08

Host: Westport Flea Market

Meal: Burgers and contraband burritos

Game: Trivia

Highlights:

• Woodstone Principles pulled in at 4th place

• Won some smallish t-shirts (almost as cool as the cold hard cash)

• Joshy gave up magna-doodle duty

• Aaron mentally blocked his whole Australia trip  :)

• None of us foreigners know ANYTHING about the Royals! Or space. Or Southpark. 

things my dad hates pt. 3 (submitted by LaWanda, my mom)

In no particular order: 

32. LaWanda's cooking 

33. LaWanda's cooking smells

34. LaWanda's cooking sounds

35. LaWanda's driving

36. LaWanda's parking

37. LaWanda's parking spot choices

38. LaWanda's movie choices (all Canadian)

39. LaWanda's reasoning

40. LaWanda's gardening

41. LaWanda's sewing

42. LaWanda's  favorite TV shows (all Canadian)

43. LaWanda watching Jay Leno (Jay Leno is a "communist")

44. LaWanda's vacuum cleaner

45. LaWanda's dishwasher sounds

46. LaWanda moving his stuff around

47. LaWanda's stinky cat food

let's get to know: raymundo

Assorted Facts and Figures

1. California - Ray Ban - Top Gun

2. Super Secret Special Spot

3. Gin!!

d. Brazilian Wax Dance

5. "Why can't I have pineapple?"

6. Bears-n-Boots-n-Underpants

7. Nice tots

8. Trampy Psychos

9. Number 1 Softee Fan

10. Rides dirty (see above)

11. Sharpie on skin action

12. Keeper of the butterscotches

13. Flusterbated

14. Fellow lover of Rob and Big

15. Teal-ish nail polish