a cappella favorites

what started out originally as a post about my love for disney a cappella quickly turned into hours of a cappella stalking on youtube. oops.

naturally i've included some of my favorites below.  and okay, some of them i saw in concert in college, but others are just drool-worthy creations.

i love talented people.  and friends, these people are kickin' it.

happy listening, friends. 

for a darn-tooting good time (warning -- your heart will start to burst. and these guys are just as adorable in person): 

SO FUNNY (and good):

for instant tears (seriously though -- it's like waterworks central in my apartment right now. holy nostalgia):

  

ending on a happier disney note (and yes, i know there's a college group out there that does a medley too. but these kids are in high school. SO WONDERFUL.):

warnings for my future husband - megan edition

earlier today i read an insightful little article (write up? blog post? something ...) from thought catalog called warnings for my future husband.  if you haven't read it yet, you should.  the writing is one part snarky, one part witty, and one thousand parts honest.

not only did i thoroughly enjoy the post, but it started my brain spinning on some warnings for my own future husband.  and yes, contrary to my current boyfriendless state (thanks for the reminder, grandma), i do believe that somewhere out there my future husband is waiting.  obviously waiting very patiently, but nonetheless, waiting.  and possibly in a mail-order form, but we'll cross that terrifying bridge if (not when, but IF) we come to it.

so here, my fine blog readers, are some of my warnings for my future husband:

[disclaimer: i said some because goodness knows i've left things out ... whether it was so i don't appear as quirky as i am, or because i've forgotten about it, i just think we should be clear: these are just a sampling of my warnings]

1.  i'm going to dress my dog up no matter how many times you remind me she's not a doll.  i know she's not a doll.  i'm not that dumb.  however, nothing in the fact that she is a dog dictates without a doubt that she can't be dressed up.  especially if she likes it.  which she does.  but you don't have to like it.  in fact, feel free to tease me about it.  but just know that every holiday (and some non-holidays) will involve an outfit.

2.  when i make a to-do list that includes things like "get dressed" and "go to sleep," don't feel pressure to do the same.  in fact, please don't.  too many to-do lists around the house will surely overwhelm me.  however, i get a certain amount of satisfaction (translation: a tremendous amount) from crossing these menial tasks off my list so please just let me be.

3.  when we go to the beach, you're going to sleep on the couch if you don't brush your feet off before getting in the bed.  sand in my bed makes for a beyond grumpy megan and trust me, you don't want that.  no one does.  so do the world a favor and wipe your feet ... or pack a spare blanket for the couch.

4.  diet pepsi is not (let me repeat: NOT) the same as diet coke no matter how similar they look.  you don't believe me?  let me replace your next beer with some interestingly colored urine and then try to tell me that something that looks the same is equal in pleasure.

5.  i'm going to call my mother every day, sometimes twice a day (sorry mom, but you know it's true). and if we get into a fight (regardless of whose fault it was), i'm probably going to have to call my mom again.  however, rest assured that she knows better than anyone that i am irrational and overly dramatic. these phone calls will only help your case that you married a lunatic.

6.  i'm going to ask dumb questions about most everything you watch, but that's only because i care.  if you put up with my dumb questions (or cease complaining when i'd rather go shopping), i won't complain when you don't want to watch jersey shore, the bachelor, or sex and the city reruns.  i do ask, however, that when you see that i'm crying while watching my romcoms, you sit down and pretend to care.  or at the very least throw me the tissue box.

the end.  now it's your turn -- what warnings do you have for your future (or current) husband?

             

monday funday numero dos!

hello lovelies.  here's a quick snapshot of things i am currently loving about monday funday in hopes that you will become wise and love them too:

1.  KATNISS EVERDEEN BARBIE!  yes, people, it's real.  hallelujah!  santa is clearly coming early to tweens, teens, and 25 year olds everywhere.  check it out for yourself and go ahead and plan to get one for your collection:  http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/04/09/hunger-games-katniss-everdeen-barbie/  and yes, i'll eagerly await the peeta barbie. and get that too.

2.  DOGGIE DRESS UP.  so technically this didn't happen on monday funday, but it's still making me smile.  the bunny came to visit la casa de megan on saturday night in the form of precious little macy dog. pictures such as the one below keep me from blowing my top when she does things like eat my blinds, underwear, and nail files, and escape on our morning walk.  silly little girl.

somebunny loves you!

3.  DISNEY PRINCE-OFF.  it's no secret that i'd rather be doing time in a maximum security prison instead of doing anything where i am sweating.  therefore, organized sports and myself never really meshed.  however, this beautiful blogpost is my idea of march madness.  i love it so much.  and you should too. long live [prince] simba.

4.  4TH OF JULY OUTFITS.  okay, so it's the middle of april.  i get that, trust me.  however, is it really ever too early to begin planning your 4th of july outfit?  it's clearly the most superior of all wonderful holidays and for that an outfit should be contemplated long and hard before it is chosen.  you can't just throw together any old frock and expect to show america how much you love her. a birthday party of this magnitude deserves months worth of planning and plan i will.  

happy birthday america!

that is all, folks. i hope your monday funday was as wonderful as mine.

ps - if you look at the blog labels below, you'll get my life in a nutshell. seriously. add in harry potter, diet coke, and talking to my mother and you have my essence. i'm sure at some level that makes me vapid and simple, but vapid and simple i will be if it means i am blessed with those wonderful things.

monday funday!

most people hate mondays, right?  lucky for us, i am not most people.  do i hate getting up early on monday morning?  certainly.  is it exclusive to mondays?  absolutely not.  i hate getting up early every day so i really don't feel that monday deserves its bad rap.  i also happen to really enjoy my job and while i do love the weekends, it's a different kind of joy.

anyways, while most people were probably simply trying to make it to tuesday, i decided to make it the first weekly megan's monday funday!  granted, i didn't decide this until i got home and checked the mail, but whatever.

despite this being the first monday funday, we were SO VERY CLOSE to having another monday go down in the record books as a bust.  why is that?  well i'm so glad you asked.

 my darling little destroyer with talons that could rival great eagles (known to uninformed strangers as macy) decided to take it upon herself to bite through her BRAND NEW CAGE and frolic about the apartment while i was at work.  she must have had a grand day as the wii remotes were moved into the living room, my nail files were in the floor in the dining room, and my flip flops were strewn throughout the kitchen.  seriously mace, what were you doing?

no matter what she was doing, i most certainly didn't appreciate the macy-sized hole in the side of the new cage.  again, emphasis on the NEW CAGE.  sheesh, woman.  at least let me cut the tags off before you wreak havoc upon it.

the funniest part of the entire situation was the fact that she was back in her cage by the time i got home ... and she was whining as if she couldn't get out.  hun, news flash: if you can bite your way out and crawl back in, you certainly can get out on your own.

BUT DESPITE THIS COMPLICATION, it's monday funday!  so what could possibly turn the tables on this puppy-related headache?

THIS COULD:

it speaks for itself, right?  RIGHT.   props to hot topic in their speedy delivery of my very own mockingjay pin.  power to the rebellion, people!  and for those of you that don't get the mockingjay rebellion reference, google the hunger games.  you're welcome in advance.

and may the odds be ever in your favor on the next monday funday!

spring crafts > spring allergies

it's no surprise to anyone that spring is far from my favorite season.  i'm really most fond of the holiday season and baseball season, but winter and fall come in at a close third and fourth.  despite the warmer weather that some people enjoy and the longer days, spring brings those terrible pieces of yellow, soul-sucking nose poison and i really could do without.

spring wreath

close up of the details. pretty

however, even through the red, puffy eyes that have taken up residence in my face, i can clearly see how wonderful spring crafts are.  they're just cuter, you know?  not that you can't make cute things out of orange and brown and turkeys ... because i'm sure someone somewhere can.  but spring colors just radiate cuteness.

thanks to my wonderful and ridiculously crafty mother, i'm the proud new owner of a festive, spring-like wreath!  i can't figure out how to get it on my front door because i'm inept in the department of normal adult tasks, but i have successfully hung it on my pantry.

now every time i walk past the pantry to go into the bathroom and pop another benadryl, i'll at least be able to think something positive about spring.

spring may not have the wonderful songs that come during the holiday season, and it may not always have the tight-uniform-wearing-baseball-boys (although the games do start then, but it's not a requirement that just because it's spring, all men must wear hot baseball pants), but at least it spreads a little cheer.

happy spring, folks!  

there's something special about going to the movies

on the way to the hunger games midnight showing last night, i kept rambling on about not having a passion.  it tripped me up so badly in interviews when i was asked, 'what can you tell me about yourself?' because i'm pretty much what you see on my resume.  besides some awkward and/or inappropriate stories to share with prospective bosses (which for the record, i have no prospective bosses now as i'm loving my new job to a ridiculous degree), i've got nothing.

zilch. a goose egg. love. ... however you say it, i essentially don't have anything that i really enjoy in the way you are supposed to love something when asked what you do for fun.

and okay, i do love reality television. and i do love gossip magazines (and gossiping for that matter). and don't even get me started on how much i love painting my nails.  but none of those do anything for making me appear like a self-sufficient, mature adult.  which i am ... for the most part.

i semi-started my passion quest last summer when i took a photography class and bought one of those snazzy (aka expensive) cameras, but that fizzled out as i got busy.  i'm hoping time presents itself to enjoy that again, but it wasn't something that stuck.  i also started sewing and enjoyed that for quite a while, but i have yet to complete a skirt i started last july because i can't figure out the darned elastic.

but there's got to be something i enjoy.  there just has to be.  i've got to be able to say something other than sleep when people ask what i do for fun.  which if we're honest, sleep truly is my favorite thing, but since i'm not a hibernating bear that's not seen as a socially acceptable hobbie past those late night college days.

which brings me to my real point for this post (which we all know i never get to until the end anyways):  i really enjoy going to the movies.

not just watching movies (although i do love that), but going there.  i'm a sucker for the whole experience from the big screen, semi-sticky floors, and tearing of the tickets (and the inevitable 'WHERE IS MY STUB?!' panic when i have to go to the bathroom), to the delicious popcorn smells and crunching that waft down from the end of the aisle when someone brings back an [overpriced] enjoyable treat.

and seeing the hunger games premiere at midnight (in imax ... HOLY OVERWHELMING SCREEN SIZE) was quite the treat.  all of those movie loving elements were there, but add to that the costumes and squeals from the expectant and giddy crowd and you've got yourself an event.

i'm not saying that going to the movies will be the next thing on my passion quest list because after all, movies are expensive.  but let's just say that regardless of the price, there is truly something special about going to the movies.  it's more than just a visual story you subject yourself to for a couple of hours ... it's an experience.  and a beautiful one at that.

seeing stars is underrated.

hello lovely blog readers!  it seems as though i have a terrible time of blogging during life transition times.  and as many of you already know, the past year has been full of life transitions in the world of megan.

if you know me [which you should ... otherwise, why are you reading my blog?], you know that even during non-transition periods in my life, my world is often like a small hurricane ... calm (okay, calm might be a stretch) in the center with lots of gusts and craziness before that point actually comes.  i actually think that's one reason i have such an obsession with lists.  when life hurricanes on me, i compartmentalize everything and tackle it one to-do list at a time.

anyways, if you've ever been writing a thesis, graduating from college, looking for jobs, moving, or doing all of those at the same time, you'll begin to understand some of the transitions that have been happening in my life.  while my situation is far from unique, adding these potentially life-changing events into an already gusty world only further fuels the fire.

while i of course find comfort in the art of list-making during these times, another thing i've come to look forward to in the past few weeks is the simple joy of looking at the stars.  not the jersey shore - kardashian - bieber type stars (although maybe that would be comforting too), but those twinkling little balls of fire so many miles away.

i never could quite see the stars during college (even during my semester of astronomy ... although that is most likely because i didn't listen in class and i refused to read my textbook), but i've found myself looking forward to my nightly walks with macy as we look for orion's belt or one of the dippers (and okay, macy's really just looking for a place to pee, but it's nice to think i have an astronomy-loving dog).

maybe i'm just catching up on my well-passed-due astronomy homework. or maybe i'm just associating stargazing with the many joyous summer nights at camp cheerio.  but regardless of the real reason why, being able to see the stars is completely underrated, yet it comes highly recommended ... especially for those of you like myself that often forget to look up because you're so consumed by the gusts around you.

so go stargazing. and enjoy!