Instant happy - just add music.

I wasn't blessed with even a semblance of musical talent. I briefly attempted to play the piano when I was in 4th grade and mastered three half-songs on the recorder as part of our 6th grade choir requirement. I was in choir in junior high and stuck with it until sophomore year of high school. (Incidentally - I left to start taking a Journalism class, changing the course of my education plan.) And I, of course, will belt out the occasional show tune and break down the dopest rap beats you've ever heard in the comforts of my car. But that's it.

So - why is this important? Well, the point of this exposition is really just to admit that I have no more reason to love music than anyone else. It hasn't acted as any sort of life-changing force for me or helped me come to some epic revelation of sorts. But I do live my life by a soundtrack. It's not the simple background music behind a scene. It's the use of "Momentary Thing" by Something Happens during Veronica and Logan's first kiss. It sticks with you and makes an impact.

It's the ability of music to turn everything around that I'm really wanting to explore. It takes a sad day, and makes it better. The right song can do anything, really. But, what song is the right song? So, to find this out, I conducted an impromptu survey of the members of my phone book to figure out the right song. 

Simply put, I asked "What's your numero uno pick me up song?" and the results were pretty varied. Some people claimed they were too manly to need something so trivial as a pick me up song (I've mentally assigned this person with the pick me up song of "Porcelain Doll" by A.B.C.) and some people were greatly concerned with my mood. But most people had their right song.

It seemed only fitting to share the responses, as well as my own collection of pick me up songs. I made a play list, and it's called "Instant Happy" and I can only hope all you need is to add your own songs to the mix.

Theirs:

• Don't Stop Believing - Journey
• High - RyanDan
• Wannabe - Spice Girls
• Just Dance - Lady GaGa
• Funny Little Frog - Belle and Sebastian
• I Wanna Dance with Somebody - Whitney Houston
• TiK Tok - Ke$ha (this came from my little brother, FYI)
• Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
• Feeling Good - Michael Buble
• Beverly Hills - Weezer
• Get Back - The Beatles
• Grace Kelly - Mika
• Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks
• Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance
• Shots - LMAFO
• Sexy Bith - Akon/David Guetta
• Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham
• Everyday - Dave Matthews Band
• Dog and His Master - Marcy Playground
• Already Gone - The Eagles
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
• Don't Rain on My Parade - Lea Michele
• What's Up - 4 Non Blondes

Mine:

• Obe-La-Di, Obe-La-Da - The Beatles
• Hey Jude - The Beatles
• Paperback Writer - The Beatles
• Happy - N.E.R.D.
• Poison - Bell Biv DeVoe
• Sweet Sophia - Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers
• Cecilia - Simon and Garfunkel
• September - Earth Wind and Fire
• Do Somethin' - Britney Spears
• Party in the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus (I beg forgiveness, but I start doing the dance, and I just get happy!
• I'm on a Boat - The Lonely Island w/ T-Pain
• Breaker Down Like a Shotgun - Felt
• Male Prima Donna - Subtle Sexuality
• Faster - Third Eye Blind
• Volvo Driving Soccer Mom - Everclear

As I sit here writing this, I'm watching the Grammys - fitting, yes? - and life is just better. It's happier already with a little T-Pain, some Beyonce and a whole lot of Gaga. And, yes, I am totally breaking it down in the middle of my room. Blame it on the music.

 

"I just, just — I gotta change my pants. Jeans have no give!"

Sometimes I feel like I missed out on a quintessential part of college. It was the ability to roll out of bed ten minutes before class started, grab my books and bolt there. 

Truth be told, I did get this experience once during my four years at DePauw. It was the morning of my last final - ever. I woke up thirty minutes after the final started, slipped into my flip flops and ran with one pen to Julian to suffer through the final. A fitting end to my collegiate career.

But also one of the few times that I was able to wear sweat pants to class. You see DePauw is one of those places where you rock your Sunday best to class. It's just fancy. Now, not everyone subscribes to this concept, of course. I know plenty of people who strolled into class and lounged through the lecture in some comfy attire. But I wasn't one of those people. I was pretty bent on fitting in and trying to impress the rest of campus. I see now that this was a little ridiculous and probably not worth the time. Really, it was just a result of a complete lack of self-confidence along with a little bit of trouble breaking the habit of dressing up. I really should have dressed down more often at DePauw and said screw this attempt to be impressive. 

But no matter because I can assure you that I am more than making up for it now!

Sadly, it wasn't until after college that I really started to embrace the beauty of the sweat pants. It happened as soon as I settled into my apartment. It was early September and I had just gotten home from a long day at work. I kicked off my heels and felt the burning desire to cut loose - foot loose. But I knew I could not do it in my pencil skirt and blouse. Nay, I needed to don something designed for movement and comfort. I searched through my drawers, the high and the low and finally found the perfect attire. So simple, really: sweat pants. 

Now, I don't want you to think that I was not familiar with sweatpants before becoming an adult. I was. However, they had not become such a staple of my "in public" wardrobe before. You see, after I put on the sweats, cut loose - foot loose - and ate dinner. I realized I needed to go to the grocery. I grabbed for my flip flops and then turned to my closet. I paused and debated - to jean or not to jean? 

Not to jean. Not to effing jean. 

Sweat pants are the answer, my friends. From that day on, I became a dichotomy of fashion. Yes, I'll slip into heels, a dress and pearls for work. But the instant I step into my apartment, I shed the business and dive into casual. There is no greater feeling than the freedom of sweat pants. They work with any casual shoe - flip flop, boot or tennis shoe. I can rock any of those looks, and do with a growing frequency. I've also found that sweat pants are even MORE endearing and wonderful when paired with a dress. There's something almost mullet like about it. It almost says "Yes I'm professional, but I like to sleep." Not quite a full-blown mullet. But sleepier one. A rolled out of bed mullet? No partying, just napping.


In a more...introspective...way I think the sweat pants are a sign of growing up. It's a stamp of confidence, a giant shoulder shrug to what anyone else could think about the way I rock my black and pink DePauw sweat pants. Yes, they are loud and kind of obnoxious and represent a school most people haven't heard about, but it doesn't much matter because they are comfortable - and they are hot pink, which you can't help but love!

Without a doubt, the comfort of sweat pants is an ingredient to what adds up to my world of small, ridiculous wonders. So since this is a blog about the little things in life that provide that COURTNEY, ray of sunshine, bottled happiness kind of attitude, it seems appropriate that you should know that my attire for life comprises the corporate and the comfortable, the business and the baggy, the bold and the beautiful, the sassy and sweaty - wait...sweat pantsy?