CMF: Country music is good for your health.

That’s a little lesson I learned while recovering from an annoying cold this week by having country on in the background while I was sleeping or zoning out on my couch. It really kept me from going stir crazy while cooped up at home. Sick days are the worst.

The First: Dime Store Cowgirl by Kacey Musgraves

I like this song because it’s an easy song to listen to without being too slow or too loud. It’s the little bear bowl of porridge to my goldilocks, if you will. It also has a really lovely melody that keeps you on your toes. My favourite line from this chanson is “maybe for a minute I got too big for my britches, but…” mostly just because I really like the way she sings it. Finally, I think it reminds me a little bit of Mississippi Girl by Faith Hill, which was one of my favourites when I was younger. Those are all of my thoughts.

The Second: Yup by Easton Corbin

I don’t think I ever realized what a nice face Easton Corbin has. Interesting.
Please ignore the awful syncing job they did when editing the beginning of this video… Easton really deserves better. Also, let’s talk about the name “Easton”. Who came up with that? I kind of like it. Is he the only Easton on earth?
After a quick google search, I just answered my own question (kind of). Easton is a widely known sports equipment company and sometimes a last name. I appreciate that his parents got a little creative when naming their born-to-be-country-crooner son. Or maybe they were just big into the sportsing.

The Third and Final: Lay It On Me by Dylan Scott

I thought I had shared this months ago, and then realized I didn’t. Immense apologies!! I hope that you blare this at least once this weekend. Do it for me. Better yet, do it for yourself. My favourite part is when he kind of raps the bridge. I can’t say I’m always a fan of rapping in country music, but once in a while it works and for me this is one of those times. Well done, Mr. Scott. P.S. It’s a little weird that you won’t let us see your eyes in this video…

Thanks for listening!

Karla

CMF: You thought I forgot but GUESS WHAT? I didn’t.

I was just super tired, that’s all. Hence this post being a tad bit late. Who knew I could sleep for 13 hours straight? I sure didn’t. But now I’m perfectly poised to fully enjoy this long weekend before we all get back into the August rush* to get things ready for back to school. So let’s make the most of it, okay?

The First: Here Goes Everything by Petric

Let me tell you how many times I’ve had to explain this band name as “Metric but with a ‘P’” in this last week. I think four times. So not actually that many now that I think about it… Moving along, I think these Canadian boys are trying to be the next High Valley before High Valley even really has their day in the sun. Looking forward to how this Canadian battle plays out. Please note that I chose the acoustic version here because I just love a good acoustic performance.

The Second: Gonna by Blake Shelton

I can’t tell you how happy I am to usher in another Blake Shelton song right now. I was not a fan of his last single, Sangria, and so I’m really looking forward to hearing something different on the radio for a while. And this one is so good! Well done, Blake. Well done.

The Third and Final: Buy Me A Boat by Chris Janson

Okay. So this is the fifth song I’ve chosen for this last selection. Apparently I become very indecisive after an extended nap. But I’m going with Chris Janson and that’s the end of it! (< that statement was more for me than anyone else.) To me, Chris Janson is one of the funniest guys in country music. This is based purely on the fact that I find his dance moves wonderfully goofy paired with the fact that his guitar always looks too big for him and he doesn’t seem to care about any of it. Many CMFs ago I selected this song by Chris, which I think it supports my argument pretty well.

Have a fantastic long weekend! Mine will be filled with friends (including my close personal friend, TSwift), some beach time, and hopefully a patio or two.

  

Thanks for listening and I promise to be back in your inbox next Friday morning!

Karla

*August Rush is an excellent film.

Find me and the CMF playlist on Spotify @karcarr8.

CMF: Love, circa 1999

In honour of the upcoming nuptials of my incredible friends, Tiffany and Kanaiya, I would like to dedicate this week’s CMF to them and how gosh darn adorable they are together. All the time.

SO. In order to do so, I thought I’d take you back to my 11-year-old self and the country love songs I was listening to back when I stilled hoped to become a country music star. This was, of course, before my dad let me use his audio recording devices and I fatefully learned what I actually sounded like. We can all give a big thank you to my father for saving us all years of torture and instead speeding up that dream’s inevitable demise. Regardless, these were the years that young Karla-Christina couldn’t get enough of Jessica Andrews, Shania Twain, and their contemporaries.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane together, shall we?

The First: I Love You by Martina McBride

Classic. Even if you weren’t (this is me assuming that by now I’ve converted all the non-country lovers who receive CMF) a country music lover in the very late 90s, I am still confident that you have heard this song. This is because it is great. Also, who doesn’t love a green screen in music videos?

Awkward moment alert: I just realized that Martina’s first outfit is eerily similar to the one I have chosen for the wedding next week... I don’t know if this makes me happy or very, very upset.

The Second: This Kiss by Faith Hill

We’ve all also heard this song. But have we all watched the James and the Giant Peach/Thumbelina-inspired music video? I assume not. So for all those out there desperately waiting for someone to give you permission to do so, please take this as your official invitation to allow it to permeate your life. I bet you a dollar that this video is what swept Mr. Tim McGraw off his feet all those years ago.

The Third and Final: When I Think About Angels by Jamie O’Neal

Up until my very intense research for this week’s CMF (as per usual, research = copious amounts of browsing the Youtube), I always thought this song was titled “When I Think About Rain.” I’m actually quite upset that it’s not. I don’t want to talk about it.

Instead, I’ll talk about her glorious GOLD lipstick. Because… what? That was allowed? I tell you, they had way more fun with their makeup 15 years ago. Tiff – any interest in trying out this look on your wedding day? No? You want me to stop making jokes that freak you out? Sorry, can’t do that; it’s part of my charm.

  

Thanks for listening!

Karla

Find me and the CMF playlist on Spotify @karcarr8.

CMF: Say hello to these annoyingly talented people

Last night, my friend Tiffany told me that she likes it when there is some sort of theme to my CMFs and so that’s kind of what I’m doing this week. I say “kind of” because the ‘theme’ of this week’s selections is in highlighting the artists who contributed to the BEAUTY that is…

The First: Life In A Northern Town by Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen 

Okay. My goodness. I love this performance. Definitely in my top 3. Part of me is disappointed that they never recorded this for real, and the other part of me knows that I’ve listened to it so many times that it just wouldn’t sound as good without the screams and the inflections and all of what happened on stage that night. So for this week’s selections I would like to highlight the outrageously talented Little Big Town and Sugarland because CMF has not yet done them justice…

The Second: Sober by Little Big Town

Oh these wonderful human beings. They are just so technically gifted with those vocals that they really do blow my mind. Those harmonies. Oh my. I recently got tickets for their concert in Vancouver (it’s actually in Abbotsford, but we’re trying to downplay the long drive after work to get there) in November. I’m already trying hard to mentally prepare. Sober is probably my favourite song of theirs because it just hits my heart real hard. I hope you enjoy it too. (Also they play at Red Rocks in this video which I just think is the world’s coolest venue and I hope to see a concert there one day).

The Third and Final: Want To by Sugarland

Pretty sure this song was my first introduction to Sugarland. The summer after our first year of university one of my best friends from high school and I took to driving around little ol’ Squamish for hours late in the evening because she had just gotten a car. We loved this song and would listen to it on repeat for hours while entertaining each other with stories from our year apart (we had gone to different schools). So when I hear this song I just think of my lovely friend Melissa and I BELTING out the lyrics on the quiet road up to Quest University or down the highway and getting lost in the conversation. We would also always stop at Tim Hortons for French Vanillas, even after swearing that we weren’t going to. Thank you for listening to that story from my wild youth. Great song, great memories.

Sadly for Jake I’ve run out of formal selections for this week. I will share an oldie Keepin’ It Country because I haven’t yet decided if I’m a fan of his current single, Real Life.

PS If you are like me and can’t get over this collaboration, I’ll do you a favour and leave this nugget of gold here. Song starts at 2:45. You can thank me later.

  

Thanks for listening!

Karla

Find me and the CMF playlist on Spotify @karcarr8.

A Guide to Note Writing

I love writing notes and cards to my friends. Just ask one of them - they will probably tell you they have a small stack of cards from me from over the years.

With the exception of the adorable box of hedgehog cards from Mara-Mi, all of the cards featured above are from various Happy Mail deliveries that I've received. Happy Mail is a stationary subscription service that I am a part of, created by the lovely ladies over at A Beautiful Mess and I highly recommend it. What could be more fun than a delivery of beautiful, high-quality stationary items to your mailbox every month?

Having just shared my favourite stationary, here are a few of my favourite tips on how to write a heartfelt note, no matter the occasion:

• Be specific: Is it a thank you note for a gift? Make reference to the gift and how you've put it to use since receiving it. Is it a thank you for an act of kindness someone showed you? Explain why you appreciated it so much and the impact it had.
• Remember: I love sharing a specific memory and what it meant to me when writing birthday cards to my friends or family. It not only lets me reflect back on our relationship, but it also shows that those memories are cherished and remembered. If it is someone I don't see often, I like to express how much I am looking forward to the next time we will see one another.
• Use your own voice: I prefer to write my cards in a voice that sounds like me. I don't become overly formal in my notes but ensure that the recipient can hear my words in a way that would be natural. I sometimes add in a joke where appropriate and use the same language they would be used to hearing from me.
• Be timely: Although it is never too late to say thank you, aim to send thank you cards out within a week or two of the occasion {unless they are for your wedding, in which case you have some more time}. Give birthday cards on the date or at the time of celebration.
• Be thoughtful in your stationary: I will admit that I have an obsession with collecting stationary. But I will also share that the reason for this is because I love the process of choosing a particular card for a particular person and occasion. I consider past cards they may have already received from me and ensure that they aren't getting a similar one. I consider their taste in colours and humour {where appropriate} and am very selective to match my stationary to the recipient because I feel it shows that much more consideration.

Hope that inspired you to write more notes to those special people in your life!

Karla