Alright, so here’s a compact version of what happened:
I procrastinated too long in March and never ended up posting February 2021 favorites because I then managed to eff up my right (dominant) wrist during a 40-some-odd-day yoga streak (a story for another post).
Since my hand is still healing, I present to you a very short combined February and March 2021 favorites!
During the beginning of the pandemic, I was having so much trouble with anxiety and not getting a full 7-8 hours or sleep. NYC was trigger-happy and bored in lockdown, resorting to loud fireworks at 10pm, and all I could think to do was plug in my headphone and drown out the noise with ASMR.
ASMR has become a popular way to relax and reduce stress in order to fall asleep or just simply decompress after a long day. I’m still learning about all the genres of ASMR that exist, but my current faves include roleplay, spa, whispering, and fuzzy/fluffy microphone scratching.
For 2021’s spring playlist, I thought it would be fun to round up some of my favorite Contemporary Christian songs.
Some of the songs on this playlist are by artists who identify as believers in the Christian faith and/or grew up in a religious household. Other songs on this playlist are purely rooted in holiness based on my personal interpretation of them.
Since it is Holy Week and COVID-19 is still lingering, I’m unable to go to church for Palm Sunday, Good Friday, or Easter for the second year in a row, so I will be blasting this playlist all week!
I chose 13 songs to represent the 12 disciples plus Jesus. I hope this playlist is enjoyable for my fellow Christians and non-Christians alike.
1. Dark Matter (Hushed), Andrew Belle. Let’s get those demons in the form of black bears out of the way first.
2. Constellate, Fleurie. Shine in His light.
3. Holy Ground, Taylor Swift. This is where we stand.
4. Stranger Ways, Anberlin. “A little bit closer for finding the truth.”
5. Come Into This Light, From Indian Lakes. Feel His love.
6. Brand New Day, 21:03, J Moss. Keeping the faith everyday. Even during these unprecedented times.
7. I just need U. – Capital Kings Remix, TobyMac. Truly all you need in life to get by.
8. joy., for KING & COUNTRY. “Let it move you.”
9. Blessed, Hawksburn. A blessed dance party waiting to happen.
10. Be a King, Capital Kings. It only makes sense to treat yourself as royally as your Father treats you.
11. In And Out of Time – PHENOMENON Remix, Colton Dixon, Solomon Olds. What is time these days?
12. Balconies – Jorgen Odegard Remix, Paper Route. “Raise your arms and hold balconies of grace.”
13. Peace Song, Kye Kye. The tranquil end we long for.
Hope you have time to enjoy Holy Week with family!
In the event that you decide to have Valentine’s Day dinner in the safety of your home, I’ve made the perfect playlist to serve as the soundtrack to your lovely quarantine feast.
You can play it while you’re cooking, put it on repeat as you set the table for you and your Valentine, or snuggle up with some wine and crank up the volume while you wait for your food to be delivered.
Whatever the situation may be, enjoy this winter’s flavorful Valentine’s Day Wine & Dine Playlist!
1.Hunger, Rhye. Let’s work up an appetite.
2. Yummy, Justin Bieber. The lyrics speak for themselves.
3.Buy You A Drank (Shawty Snappin’), T-Pain ft. Yung Joc. Good thing you’re already home 😉
4.I Got the Juice, Janelle Monáe ft. Pharrell Williams. 🍋🍑🍒🍓
5. Wasabi, Little Mix. She’s “sweet and salty.”
6. Cake by the Ocean, DNCE. Keep on hoping and maybe it might happen 🤞🏽
7. Chocolate, Maluma. A lil bit of Latin sweetness.
8. Cherry, Lana del Rey. “My cherries and wine, rosemary and thyme…”
9. Moon Sugar, Night Beds. Sweet tooth.
10. Simple & Sweet, Jon Bellion. One final serenade.
Well, now that we’re back to having competent human beings running the US government, news will be boring on the politics side of things (just the way I like it). There is no shortage of exciting pop culture news to recap for the month of January, though, and all of my favorite shows are back on TV, so let’s get to it!
Here are my faves in pop culture and entertainment for the first month of 2021!
If you know anything about me you probably know how much I ADORE the color yellow, so when I found out that Pantone’s 2021 Colors of the Year included a shade of yellow I was ecstatic!
Pantone’s 2021 Colors of the Year compliment each other so well. Illuminating and Ultimate Gray are a nice balance of sunshine and stormy, making it the perfect color combo to express the mix of emotions 2021 is making us all feel thus far.
I’ve compiled a few fun items worth acquiring for your quarantine/work from home situation. From DIY projects to activewear and computer accessories, there’s just about something to make anyone’s day a bit more bearable in this collection:
You might remember that back in 2017 I reviewed a canvas print sent to me by Photowall. They reached out to me again this month to review another one of their products, so instead of choosing a canvas that was already on their site, I decided to have one of my own DSLR photos blown up in a custom print!
The photo I chose to have blown up is one that I took in the summer of 2020 in Dorchester County, Maryland. It was taken on a farm while my boyfriend’s family’s Border Collie, Ajax, was running around.
I had the choice of having the canvas print with no border, a black border, or a white border. If I chose no border, the top of the tall tree in the top left was cropped out, so I went with a black border.
Just as with last time, one of the screws didn’t want to line up with the hole. I didn’t have a drill or another screw I could put in it, so I just left it out.
Delinquent hole
I love the way it turned out! It’s super fun seeing one of my own photos blown up like this.
The print was light enough to hang up with Command strips, as I did with my first canvas print.
Photowall also has wallpaper and wall murals available for purchase. Be sure to check out their selection at photowall.com and use the code thewhisperbox25 for 25% off your order (expires 2/14/21). Their products would make great Valentine’s Day gifts ❤️
I really have no words to describe what went down at the US Capitol this past week but boy am I glad the election results are certified and we can move forward to Emperor Spray Tan being dragged out of the White House kicking and screaming Inauguration Day on January 20th.
On that note, let’s journey back to December 2020 for a lil’ bit for my faves in pop culture and entertainment.
Of course my neck would hurt and my head would start to pound on the last day of this God-forsaken year when I’m scheduled to recap the songs, artists and albums that kept us all sane in 2020.
OF COURSE.
Anyway, I’m powering through this with the help of Tylenol and eggnog.
Truly, music is the MVP this year. I’m amazed at how many artists followed through on their releases and then some (looking at you, T-Swizzle).
So without further ado, I present 2020’s Best in Music:
1. “Nydia,” Buscabulla, Regresa. Started out the year with these enchantingly addicting vocals.
2. “Sinner,” Galimatias, Renaissance Boy. This boy better get his behind on tour as soon as its safe to do so again.
3. “Pure / Santiago,” Lido, Peder. This year’s pleasant surprise for sure.
4. “Is It True,” Tame Impala, The Slow Rush. I feel like Tame Impala knew how 2020 was gonna go before it even started.
5. “Midnight Sky,” Miley Cyrus, Plastic Hearts. I can get used to this rock and roll phase.
6. invisible string, Taylor Swift, folklore. Back on that Taylor Swift train.
Since 2020 didn’t end up being what anyone thought it would be, photo opportunities were very scarce this year. At the start of the pandemic, I was stuck out on Long Island for about three months (all of spring) without my camera, and once reunited with it in NYC I barely went out due to social distancing rules.
My dream of taking more photos of actual humans in nature went downhill really fast, and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get back to trying in the future now that the COVID-19 vaccine is being administered.
However, looking back at some of the photos I was able to take after the lockdown, I realized my 2020 could have been a lot worse. I still went on a few road trips (the safest way to vacation during a pandemic IMO), so I was able to capture some amazing shots. I also managed to take a few photos around Manhattan.
Here are some of the photos I wanted to highlight from this year:
Summer 2020
Cloudy skies in Dorchester County, MD
June 2020’s Sahara Dust in Manhattan, NY overlooking NJ
Layton’s Chance Vineyard & Winery in Vienna, MD
Summer berries in Highbridge Park, NYC
Ocean City, MD
Wild horses on Assateague Island
Behind Snappers Waterfront Cafe in Cambridge, MD
Fall 2020
Found a flower while pumpkin picking at Emily’s Produce in MD (plus a ladybug)!
