Friday Favorites - Chicken Fried, gypsy blankets and Ken.

source: People.com

It's Friday already?

It's these damn short weeks.

I feel like it was just Monday and I was sitting at my computer writing a blog post and reading other blog posts and updating facebook and trying to figure out how to design my own blog labels while ignoring the laundry and closing my eyes when entering the bathrooms in my house so as not to see the filth. Oh, wait. That was Tuesday. No, Wednesday. Was it Thursday?  Whatever. It's Friday and that makes me happy because on Friday nights I allow myself an extra glass of wine and a cookie. 

And by "cookie" I mean Appletini. 

Since the past few weeks I've strayed a little bit, I'm going old school with the Friday Favorites this week. 

Back to the original intention of the list, when it was all about the things I watched, listened to, did or consumed over the previous week that were my favorites. Bet you're pretty excited. 

And Boy George may or may not be part of it. Settle down. 

1.  My cabin driving playlist -

When we go to our happy place (which I'm trying to change the name of on this blog but cannot figure out how to do because unfortunately and idiotically I did not do my own blog design) I have a playlist that I always listen to.  Before I share the amazingness of it you should know that I drive alone 95% of the time. The Things are usually in my car, sure, but before we're even out of our neighborhood they have their noise reduction headphones on and are watching a movie or on the laptop so in essence I'm all alone for the 2+ hours to the cabin.  (Where's Husband, you ask? We don't take him. 

Kidding. If it's winter, he's usually in the car riding shotgun, working or playing on his ipad, and in summer he drives separate and meets us up there so the Things and I can go earlier and avoid Friday afternoon traffic.)

Anyway, I'm usually the only one listening (and singing along LOUDLY) to these songs, so don't worry about the pain and suffering I'm inflicting on my family (although I'm betting there's gonna be some of you who wish it was you riding shotgun...and singing along).

Here's just a small sampling of some of my favorites from "Mama's Cabin Driving Tunes", which is making the Favorites list this week because we spent the three day weekend at the cabin and so I just spent over four hours singing along to these gems, among others.  And no, nobody was hurt - or hurt me - in the process. 

Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms (My favorite of all the Gin Blossoms' songs on my ipod. Second? "Cheatin").

Vacation - The Go-Go's (One of many Go-Go's songs on the list. Takes me back to middle school. Shut up).

I Melt With You - Modern English (Takes me back to high school. Not that I ever melted with anyone in high school...).

Bless the Broken Road - Rascal Flatts (Only RF song I own, and I loooove it. Makes me wish I had a Broken Road to sing about).

Karma Chameleon - Culture Club (This one gets switched to 'repeat' when it comes on and puts my carload of passengers in danger as I bust out my old 80's moves).

Her Diamonds - Rob Thomas (This song breaks my heart because he wrote it for his beautifully, tragically sick wife. She's fine now, but back when he wrote it? Not so much).

I'm Your Man - Wham! (Best.Song.Ever.).

Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band (Zac Brown Band is our go-to music on the lake, but this song is our driving-to-the-cabin anthem - as in "KIDS, TAKE OFF YOUR DAMN HEADPHONES! CHICKEN FRIED IS ON!").

Together Forever - Rick Astley (I challenge you to not sing along to this song).

My Life Would S**k Without You - Kelly Clarkson (I have every KC song on my ipod, but this one's my all time favorite, in the car and on the karaoke mike).

Independence Day - Carrie Underwood (You know Carrie Underwood takes up most of every playlist I have, but this oldie but goodie is one I really let loose on...much to the delight of my passengers).

Viva La Vida - Coldplay (one of my all time favorite songs)

Shake Your Body (Down to the ground) - Michael Jackson (I try to get my passengers involved in this one all the time on the repeats - "Let's dance (dance!) and shout (shout!)..." - but surprisingly they ignore me)

Top Of The World - The Carpenters - (Another vocal favorite in the car and on the karaoke mike. Don't judge. You love it too, and you know it).

Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards (Like Thelma Houston's cover, but better).

Need You Tonight - INXS (I only listen to this song for the first minute when the drums are all boom, boom boom ba-doom boom and he whispers "come over here" and then the guitars start in. Good lord that makes me weak).

I'll Be There for You - The Rembrandts (Oh, yes, it is the theme from Friends. And I know you're singing it in your head right now).

Hard Habit to Break - Chicago (I can really wail on this one).

Just Like Heaven - The Cure (Look up these lyrics. 50 bucks says you've been singing this song incorrectly for years).

Goodbye to You - Scandal (There are no words for how much I love this song).

There. That's enough to make you either take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and go directly to iTunes and spend $20, or make you realize we could never be real friends. 

2.  My old lady hobby -

I know I've told you (and I've shown you) about my never-ending crochet projects. For the new kids, let me fill you in. Last January, before this little blog was even a glimmer in my eye, I taught myself how to crochet. Why? Who the hell knows. I blame Pinterest. Anyway, I've actually completed one really cute pillow and one smallish blanket - a "throw" if you will.  But I have one giant never-ending blanket project that I thought I'd have done last July, but that I now can accept will probably not be done until the year 2015 because guess what I did last weekend? (If you said "slept in until 10 and drank red wine by the snowy bonfire under the winter stars" you'd be correct, but that's not what I'm talkin' 'bout.) 

I started another project! Of course I did!

A gypsy blanket. Like this.

*Disclaimer* This is not mine. But it is what mine will look like in the year 2016.

So far I've made 12 squares. Which means I only have like 138 or so to go.   

3.  The Academy Awards -

If there's one thing you guys have grown to know about me over the past (almost) year, it's that I looove award shows. I wrote about it for the first time HERE, and had fun deconstructing the red carpet  again at the Globes and questioning the overabundance of well, all the globes.

As you know, Sunday night is the creme de la creme of Awards Shows, The Oscars, but it's not my favorite.  Sure, I'm looking forward to the smooth voice and plasticly perfect face of Seth McFarlane,

He looks exactly like a Ken doll.

all the glamour and of, course, seeing my OTP,

One True Pairing

but The Academy Awards doesn't make me tingle like the Golden Globes.  Too stuffy, too reserved, too controlled.

Then why is it making the favorites list, you ask?

Because it's the freakin' OSCARS and it's glamourous and important and I get to spend 6 hours (when you add in red carpet time) with a pass on dinner and dishes and homework help.  In this house, if an award show is on, you don't poke mama. 

You just keep refilling her wine glass and keep yer mouth shut.  

**If you'll be watching, CHECK BACK HERE TOMORROW!! I've made something you can print out that will make your Oscar watching experience loads more interesting.**