Gold Dust Woman

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Stevie Nicks (actually, I still do).

Birthdays would come around, and Christmas, and always, the answer to "What do you want this year?" was a tambourine. Just like Stevie's.

A few years ago, after nearly two decades of requesting, I finally got my wish.

My mom and I had been out flea marketing together, and I spotted a wooden tambourine laying on a table, inconspicuous amongst old purses and creepy clown figurines. I looked at my mom, and I looked at the tambourine. Longingly.

On Christmas morning, I opened a jingling box, and pulled out the tambourine. My mom had tied long lengths of ribbon to the edge. Just like Stevie's.

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A few days ago, while being dazzled by shiny internet distractions, I spied this little rhythm keeper.

A ticket stub, a backstage pass, and a lyric from "Sara" in Stevie's own hand.

Can you imagine???

I wouldn't trade my be-ribboned treasure for anything in the world.

But I wouldn't mind adding another, either.

xo

Mix Tape Monday, Volume Video Killed The Radio Star

A rain-soaked hello and a late day welcome to August, Dear Readers!

It is indeed the first day of a new month, and a Monday to boot, making today Mix Tape Monday. We're changing things up a bit this time around, because today marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of MTV. And though I was but a wee small girl on that long-ago day, I still have hazy memories of watching those first few videos with my dad and my mom's brother (who was living with us at the time).

Which begs the question-what was I still doing up at midnight? Who was in charge there?

I came out of the womb loving music. So it's no wonder that actually seeing the songs that I loved so much made such a huge impact on my formative years. So, friends, today I invite you to take a little trip down memory lane with me, and watch some of the songs that shaped who I am today.

Enjoy.

The Pretenders, Brass In Pocket. There was really nothing special about this video. At all.

But my tiny self loved it. And has had a love/hate affair with bangs ever since.

Fleetwood Mac, Gypsy. I was obsessed with Stevie Nicks. I saw this, and my whole world changed.

To this day, I still answer the question "What do you want

to be when you grow up?" with these two words:

Stevie Nicks.

We didn't have cable for very long while I was growing up, so I missed a lot of videos. Jump ahead to 8th grade.

The Cure releases Disintegration, along with oddly colorful videos for a large number of the songs. Sunday nights are spent sleeping at friends' houses so I can see them all on 120 Minutes.

A new obsession has been born.

The Stone Roses, I Wanna Be Adored. A lifelong love affair with dreamy britpop began here.

And a good many hours were spent laying on the living room floor, listening to this album on the big headphones.

So there it is, a tiny slice of my life in music videos. I could probably have filled an entire day with little snippets of song, but these left the biggest mark.

What about you, Dear Readers?

On this MTV-aversary, what videos have made an impact on you?