2011: Things to do this year

So, as you may have already heard, it's

2011!!!

I've been online this afternoon after saying goodbye to friends who spent the night after our little New Years gathering, and I've been reading a lot of New Years tweets, blog posts, facebook status', etc.

One blog post that I found through facebook was Michelle Branch's list of things to do in the New Year. It's not a huge list, but the things on it are wonderfully exciting. So wonderfully exciting that I wanted to write such a list of my own.

So here we go,

My list of things to do in the New Year:

-Drink more water.

-Go outside for the sake of going outside.

-Get better at piano.

-Finish my album.

-PLAY GIGS (busking, festivals, open mics, schools, etc..)

-Go on more spontaneous adventures.

*BONUS- Renovate my room

:) I think I'm satisfied with that.

What are your plans for the new year?

All the best,

K

Tea, iPhone, peace and music ♥

This Christmas has treated me exceptionally well. I feel spoiled.

I was going to write a big post, but my mind is scattered today.

So I'll leave you with things in this picture that make me happy.

Tea, iPhone, peace and music ♥

Hope your holiday celebrations were splendid as well :)

Love always, K

Full on double venting all the way across my blog.

Seasons greetings!

It's 6:25 PM, Christmas Eve Eve, and mouses are very much stirring.

Everyone in my house is busy with something. My mum's making dinner. My dad's watching the news while talking with my brother, who's most likely on his iPhone. And my cousin is probably on his laptop... looking up something. I'm guessing all of these things, well just the last two, because I'm in a separate room. I'm hidden away in my bedroom with my cats, typing up this new blog post.

What do I have to say for myself? Well, I really want to get my album done. Above all else, it's what I REALLY want to accomplish.

Now I know what you're saying, "Then why don't you?" Well, because... I'm weird?

lol.

Because I've hit a tough spot. I'm having difficulty with the last three songs I want to produce for it. I know. ONLY THREE. I've completed eight already, and then there are two more that are acoustic.

I'm almost there ._.

While that's a very inspiring thought, it's also pretty discouraging at the same time. I just can't seem to get past these three songs. I've started a couple, and I haven't even thought of the third one...

It's mildly overwhelming. Which sounds silly, but it's true. Well, I think it is.

The reason I'm bringing this up is, well, because it's the thing that's always on my mind. Has been for years, really. And especially because right now is a very good time for me to really work on it. It's Winter break, we get a few weeks off from school. It's the 4th day of the break today, and what have I done?

I wrapped presents.

That's about the most productive thing I did. Actually, that's not true. I did completely revamp my blog (nice, isn't it? :]) and my Myspace page. (Check it!) So now I can feel like a bit less of a loser. But still no very important progress. I keep just banging my head against the wall.

I'm waiting for a breakthrough.

I'm working with Garageband to produce my album, and so far it's gone great. But lately, as you know- RUT.

I HATE WORKING WITH DIFFERENT TEMPOS. In fact, I can't seem to get any tempos right for any of these songs, even if there's no change in them!

>.<>

That's right. Full on venting. Full on double venting all the way across my blog.

-_-

Well, tomorrow's Christmas Eve. Doubt I'll get anything done then. I'll be helping my mum cook Christmas dinner for our annual Christmas Eve family dinner. Everyone's coming in.

...You know, two years ago during the Christmas break is when I produced You'll Never Know. Everyone in our house was sick except for me and my dad. I basically hid away in my room for a week. That's when I produced the first song to go on my album two years later... I did it just for fun. Maybe that's the difference now. I'm forcing myself...

Well, that doesn't help much.

If I don't post before Christmas than MERRY CHRISTMAS! Or Happy Hanukkah or Kwanza!

Ha, "Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza. Share it with your loved ones. But don't forget that I'm still here. I'll write you letters every year. Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and maybe even Festivus too. I don't know about you. But I know we never get too old. So happy Christanukkza!"

That's the chorus to a holiday song I wrote three years ago. The only holiday song I've written.

Anyway, signing off,

K

"Old" song inspiration

These aren't new lyrics. I wrote this song about two years ago. After listening to John Mayer's "In Your Atmosphere" I was immensely inspired. This is the product of that inspiration mixed with my feelings at the time- feelings that I relate to right now.

....

One Day

I've been, I've been wondering

if all I'll, all I'll ever have

is already here waiting to surpass

Am I over thinking it?

I get lost, get lost and thrown away

with my own opportunity

Can't waste another minute stuck inside this room

I'll get out of here soon

One day I'll get out of here

in one piece, I need my peace

And I'll say that I loved you, dear

But I need, I need my space

There are, there are many times

where I feel I could have rolled the dice

I'm just so indecisive, it kills me inside

I've got to get out of this life

One day I'll get out of here

in one piece, I need my peace

And I'll say that I loved you, dear

But I need, I need my space

Give me my space

I've decided that it's time for me to go

And you're compliant so I will let you know that

I've thought about it many times

And I decided that I'd roll that dice

It landed on a two, that's why I'm here with you

You should know that you should have known

One day I'll get out of here

in one piece, I need my peace

And I'll say that I loved you, baby

But I need, I need my space

Give me my space

I'll pack my bags and go

I will, I will

I'll pack my bags and go

I said I'll pack my bags and go

....

Subtle Progress

Hey guys,

It's been a long time since I posted last. I know I should get out of the habit of starting every blog entry with that, but it's only the truth.

You may have noticed the slight layout change my blog has undergone since then. I can't decide if I want to convert to a new templet, so for now, I can't change anything but pictures and text (this means I can't change things like my blog's background colour, text colour, some basic layout changes, etc..).

ANYWAY, moving on.

Since this past November 17th, I've been keeping a journal and writing in it every single day. My plan was (and still is) to write in said Journal for a year of my life. After only a month of this I've realized I'm going to need multiple journals. Pretty much a new one for every couple of months. I haven't slipped up yet. Think I can do it?

I've already beaten my record. Usually I stop after two weeks. I've been going strong for OVER A MONTH, YEAH.

:)

However, I do miss blogging. I still want to keep that it. I won't be posting as often as I used to (when I didn't have a life in grade 10), but it'll be more of a healthy... balance. :] lol

It's winter break. YES. YES. YES.

HALLELUJAH.

^ I say that quite often in my blog.

It's officially day two of the time off. It's going very well so far. Having said that, I haven't made any progress on my album like I wanted (ideally) to, but yesterday I began, believe it or not, learning how to read music.

Shocker, I know.

For pretty much all of my musical.. life... I've been against, well not against, I just didn't feel it was necessary to read music in order to be a good musician. And actually, I still believe this. There are plenty of people who learn by ear- these tend to be the writers v.s. the players. But I've come to a point, specifically in my piano learnings, where I wasn't learning anything. I was not progressing. I've been playing piano for three years, and I'm still completely amateur. I want to better this craft. I would LOVE to play classical pieces like "Clair de Lune." After picking up the Adult Piano Learning book I threw into a random pile of books and magazines I've kept in my room for (apparently) three years, beginning at square one seemed to encourage this newfound notion.

I actually don't hate it. I feel quite juvenile, playing one note at a time, but I feel excited again. Happy. I like progressing, learning. It brings me joy. =)

So, along with this "goal" or just weird thing I've created for myself to write in a book every day for year, I now have another. And that is learn the piano- properly this time.

I've even thought about taking lessons again. But again, the proper way this time.

Let's see how far I get with the first book... it says 'Book 1'... I wonder how many there are.

lol. I'm guessing A LOT.

Well, here's to learning something new, documenting my thoughts, and just doing things in general. Because if life isn't about experiences, then what is it about?

Singing off,

K

You only get what you put into it

and you only see what you see through

Times like this I wish I knew it

Oh and times like this I wish I knew you.

xx K

Time runs, really fast.

Time runs, really fast.

I feel like it's sprinting away from me.

I'm turning seventeen in six days. I know that's not a huge milestone, but it certainly holds importance to me. A lot has changed in the past two years of my life, and I can only imagine what changes are still to come.

It's my grad year. That alone is a HUGE change.

So far, grade 12's been good. Busy, but still good I'd say.

Everyday I make films with my friends, study English literature with some really cool and interesting people, and write.

Currently, I'm writing a play. I've never written a play before, so it's a very new experience. To be honest, my first playwriting experience has been REALLY rushed, and that's a part of school I am not so fond of. I'm a slow person, with many things. I'm also a bit of a perfectionist, so time limits are not cool beans with me.

My play is supposed to be finished by tomorrow. I'm at 28 pages (it has to be 30), so I'm almost there, but I still haven't wrapped my brain around how I'm concluding it.

Between this play, a webseries I'm editing, and my first English LIT midterm coming up (on my birthday I might add), I'm pretty swamped.

In other words, songwriting and producing my album have been neglected.

I am still, however, driven to finish my record. Especially since the Garageband upgrade with iLife '11 provides exactly what I need in order to complete it on my own.

Tempo changes!

HALLELUJAH!! ^^ THANK YOU MAC!

:)

Today is Thursday, remembrance day, so I have the day off.

I will wear my poppy, finish my play, finish editing the webseries and while I'm studying for my upcoming English LIT midterm I shall update my computer, and hopefully have time to start playing around with some of my music.

^^ ahh.

Ready.. set... GO!

xx Karly

Vancouver Island's Got Talent - Round 3!

Facebook status: You know what? I'm super happy right now. =)