Will You Be My....Blue Valentine?

Everyone has their guilty pleasures, and if one's enjoying life, you love to feel, taste, touch, smell, and see such things. They're guilty because you lust after them even when maybe you shouldn't. You desire them. They make you feel better. They inspire you. They might even bring you a sense of spirituality and love for yourself.

And as of lately, I've thrown myself into my own guilty ways. I've consumed myself with music and film and craft. Without these things I'm not sure I would have an outlet, a way of releasing all my stress and energy. These pleasures that I speak of, you know, the art, the film, and the crafts, they are my best friend. They're there for me everyday. They flow through my ear and in front of my eyes. I can run my hands over my handwritten notes and my photos and fall in love with them all over again. They can never hurt me nor do they ever leave. They are there to stay, and I have the power to share them with the world. Sounds like some weird love affair, doesn't it? I guess it is and one of the most passionate nonetheless.

So what, you may ask, am I metaphorically sleeping with? Here's a list just to name a few:

1. Florence and the Machine: Lungs
This album could become dangerously addicting to any woman. It's very difficult to find a true singer who can really make lyrics punch. What I like about songs like "Kiss With a Fist" and "I'm Not Calling You A Liar" is they're just like poetry. They flow and sound beautiful together but if you listen more closely, you find the harsh realities beneath those pretty sounds. The words make you think and exercise your thoughts. Her website is also crazy creepy artsy: http://www.florenceandthemachine.net (Check out the creepy moving eyes on the doll head and the teddy bear. Whoa!)

2. Blue Valentine
I just saw this film a few days ago. I'll admit that one of my guilty pleasures as a teenager was watching Dawson's Creek so I've always enjoyed watching Michelle Williams act. However, I don't recommend watching this indie film over and over again. While the performances from both Williams and Ryan Gosling are well done and the old age makeup, which includes a stellar receding hair line, is fascinating, at times the closeups and camera angles made me a bit nauseous. It's also the story of a dying marriage, which is never something that ends well or makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. Realistic, unfortunately but not very entertaining. I beg you not to see it on your Valentine's date this weekend. It'll kill your romantic buzz. Well, maybe not the intense sex scenes.

3. Candle Holders
This past week I made one of my most sophisticated crafts yet: Candle Holders. Let's just say jars, scrapbook paper, and candles are the new red.

 Since I'm in such a hot and heavy affair with the arts, they might just be considered the ultimate Valentine's gift to myself. But they definitely won't be the blue kind. Red is a better color anyway.