Vintage airline posters

If air travel was as stylish as it appears to have been in decades past, I might not mind the crazy prices and endless inconveniences. Seriously, look at these vintage airline posters. Aren't they gorgeous?

1. allposters.uk.com / 2. simplycirculate.wordpress.com / 3. ptatransitauthority.blogspot.com / 4. galerie123.com / 5. deckss.com 

Music Monday: Piano Appreciation

Part of me wishes I’d been made to take piano lessons as a little kid. I obviously would’ve hated it at the time, because I hate being made to do anything. But to be able to play the piano as an adult would be really nice. Since that probably won’t happen—at least not any time soon—I’m satisfying my piano craving with this mix. Fellow Spotify users can listen here.

1. “How It Should B (Sha Sha)” – Ben Kweller

2. “Battle of Who Could Care Less” – Ben Folds Five

3. “I’m In A Dancing Mood” – Dave Brubeck

4. “Blurry Nights” – Hayden

5. “The Way We Get By” – Spoon

6. “How Many Birds?” – Benji Hughes

7. “I Feel The Eart Move” – Carole King

8. “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” – Jerry Lee Lewsi

9. “Lady Madonna” – The Beatles

10. “Let’s Not and Say We Did” – The Silver Jews

11. “Saturday Nite” – Blitzen Trapper

12. “Shadowboxer” – Fiona Apple

13. “I’m A Loser – Live” – Vince Guaraldi

14. “Honky Cat” – Elton John

15. “Hackensack” – Thelonius Monk

16. “Country Pie” – Bob Dylan

17. “Motel” – Hayden

18. “Since I First Met You” – The Robins

19. “Linus and Lucy” – Vince Guaraldi Trio 

Image: nadjaseale.com

Songs about love

I’ve been seeing a lot of Valentine’s Day playlists around the interwebs these last few days. They’re all very nice. But if I might speak freely for just a minute, most of these lists are pretty one-sided. You know, songs to listen to while you canoodle with your dearest.

But there are SO many love songs out there, and the great majority of them aren’t that happy at all. Love can take all sorts of incarnations. And on this day that’s all about Love, I think we should take some time to recognize it in all its strange, thrilling, and very often painful forms. Here we go.

Love when you’re distraught over a break-up

“Song for the Dumped” – Ben Folds Five

Unrequited love

“Look Around” – Beat Happening

How could you do this to me?! love

“You Can’t Do That” – The Beatles

In love with a manic pixie dream girl

“Nitemare Hippy Girl” - Beck

What's our relationship status? love

“How Can I Be Sure” – The Young Rascals

Rough patch love

“Our Anniversary” – Smog

You're the most amazing person ever love

“I Only Have Eyes for You” – The Flamingos

Music Monday: A little bit of nostalgia

After reading Things the Grandchildren Should Know I got inspired to revisit the Eels albums I used to listen to. And so on down the path once you start diving into old music you haven't listened to in forever. Usually that ends up making me a little sad, but this playlist is pretty cheerful. If 90s stuff makes you happy, you'll probably like this. If you're on Spotify, you can listen here.

1. "Cannonball" - The Breeders
2. "Novocaine for the Soul" - Eels
3. "No Destruction" - Foxygen
4. "The Concept" - Teenage Fanclub
5. "Pretty in Pink" - The Psychadelic Furs
6. "My Descent Into Madness" - Eels
7. "Road to Nowhere" - Talking Heads
8. "Tugboat" - Galaxie 500
9. "So Caroline" - The Posies
10. "Add It Up" - Violent Femmes
11. "Can't Hardly Wait" - The Replacements
12. "Squares" - The Beta Band
13. "Backwater" - The Meat Puppets
14. "Don't Tell Your Mother" - The Sundays
15. "What You Do To Me" - Teenage Fanclub
16. "Did I Tell You" - Yo La Tengo

Image: Painting by Hope Gangloff via vinylespassion.tumblr.com. 

Things kids do

I don't have kids, but when I do, I hope they do and say lots of really weird, funny things. (Judging by all the research I used to do as a parenting magazine editor, I think the odds are in my favor.) Nathan Ripperger is a dad and an artist, and he's made this hilarious series of prints, "Things I've Said to My Children," highlighting the ridiculous stuff he's said in response to the ridiculous things his kids have done. Here's a few of my favorites.

Nathan's prints are available in his Etsy shop. I kind of want the penguin one!  

Music Mondays: A scatterbrained playlist

What have you been listening to lately? Before I made this playlist, I'd been listening to a lot of old jazz piano like Vince Guaraldi and Bill Evans nonstop (it's so classy, right?). But it's starting to feel like the beginning of spring here in Austin and I started wanting something a little livelier. There's still some moodiness here and there, but in general, this playlist is pretty cheery and borrows heavily from Wes Anderson soundtracks. If you're on Spotify, you can listen to it here.