#47 - I Touch Myself

Song - I Touch Myself
Artist - Divinyls

Today features the vocal styling of Emily (also known as Lark). It was a blast to do a song with someone new, though difficult to keep the giggling to a minimum. Sorry about the camera angle and also that I look super dumpy, just got off work!

#46 - Marvelous Toy

Song - Marvelous Toy
Artist - Tom Paxton

This is a song for my dad on his birthday! I remember him singing this song to us as kids, but I don't remember it being this hard to play! Sorry for the flubs on the chords, this was like the 4th time I recorded it!

Happy birthday pop! I love you!

#45 - Annalee

Song - Annalee
Artist - Nerf Herder

While this isn't my favorite Nerf Herder song, it was one of the few that had chords I could find. Tabs make me crazy now that I play the ukulele, they do me no good!

#44 - Major Tom (Coming Home)

Song - Major Tom (Coming Home)
Artist - Peter Schilling

Busted! This is pre-recorded, you can tell because I'm not in a hoodie or sweater.
Is it really confusing to anyone else that there are 2 really epic songs called Major Tom? Apparently the first version of this was recorded in German, so maybe that makes it ok?

#43 - Manic Monday

Song - Manic Monday
Artist - The Bangles

What an appropriate song for today! It was Monday and I was also quite manic! I am nearing the end of my education at Portland State University, so a lot of my classes involve instructors telling us how to set ourselves apart of professional individuals. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I look weird. Not in the "meh, my nose is funny and my butt isn't small way" just that I accept that with or without my tattoos, stretched ears and dreads I'm just kind of a funny looking gal. I like myself that way! When I am at my internship I cover all of my tattoos, dress as conservatively as I am able and wear small things in my ears. But my dreads, oh my dreads, I feel that they are the one thing that is going to push my "look" a little too far for people. In the middle of class I started to panic that my dreads were going to hold me back from getting the job of my dreams. So I'm left with the decision to take them out or leave them in, wondering if they are holding me back all the time. This is no small decision. I have taken them out before and it was HORRIBLE. Hours and hours of raking through 2 year old knots put in there with love by my friend Emily. I know my buddy Sean over at Entrust can do amazing things with my hair if I go through with it, but oh boy do I not want to.

So these thoughts led to a downward spiral about how unprepared I am for our wedding in May (make those two things connect however you need to). We will have been engaged for a year next month and I really haven't done all that much to prepare. I need to get on it.

Oh boy, so manic. I felt like Mr. Peepers today.
Hello Monday

#42 - You Know I'm No Good

Song - You Know I'm No Good
Artist - Amy Winehouse

Say what you will about Amy Winehouse, I thought she was a pretty amazing musician. She had a powerful strong voice that seemed to big for her body. So sad that she had to go and die and all....

I think it's annoying when people don't sing in their own voice. When American singers put on a British accent or the other way around, for example. When people do Amy Winehouse songs at karaoke they often try to take on her "sound" really soulful and bluesy, but you can totally tell it's not their normal voice. This always bugs me, but I found it really hard not to do it when I did this song. I tried really hard to tone it down because it honestly sounded pretty awful when I had my Winehouse voice going.

Oof, I have feeling this video will make cringe when I go back and watch it in a few months.

#41 - Ukulele Lady

Song - Ukulele Lady
Artist - Gus Kahn

Lots of ukulele playin' today! My dad joined me in a ukulele class at artichoke music this morning. It was so much fun and we learned a lot about strumming patterns and finger placement. These are the kind of bad habits I should break sooner than later!

Then this evening we went out to our good friend John's birthday. Lots of beer drinking, eating, music playing, drinking and more music playing. It's so great and humbling to play with these established and seasoned musicians. They pick things up so easily and then are able to run with a tune and solo after only hearing a little bit of it. Playing with them is always an amazing experience and I am lucky to have the opportunity to do it.

Happy birthday John!