#janphotoaday3

DAY 10: top left - childhood. This is a picture of my cousin Trista and I. Apparently we loved to wear matching dresses. We are still great friends!

DAY 11: top right - where I sleep. I suppose it's also where my dashing husband sleeps :). I love our colorful quilt, c/o Urban. The pillow was handmade by grams...I miss her but I love having reminders of her around my house.

DAY 12: bottom left - close up. I got these earrings from a dear friend a few years back. They are still one of my favorites to wear!

DAY 13: bottom right - in your bag. The past year, I've been carrying small over the shoulder purses, or clutches. I don't know about you, but when I get a new purse, I wear it for a few months straight. My newest one is from Urban. I swear these are the only things in it. Checkbook. Wallet (yes, that is a cigarette case, but I have been using it as a wallet for probably 6 years now). NNU pen. BAGGU bag to carry my lipsticks - c/o Urban. I promise I don't buy everything from Urban.

#janphotoaday2

DAY 6 - top left: something that makes you smile. my husband's best friend and drummer sent me this picture while they were on tour in Texas a few months back. those are m'man's boots...but where is m'man? for some reason, i think this picture is so funny.

DAY 7 - top right: favorite. well, i have a lot of "favorites" in life - but i chose one of my favorite gals on this planet. she is a dear friend and cousin of mine. i can't imagine life without her beautiful face in it.

DAY 8 - bottom (not a picture of mine - HAHAHAHAHAHA): your sky. how beautiful is the Treasure Valley sky?! gorgeous.


DAY 9 - all that is pictured below: a daily routine. i have many daily routines...i'm sure we all do...but one is my job. my wonderful job. have i mentioned i love my job? don't answer that. pictured are a few things i get to do every day: teach music concepts, teach songs, play piano, listen to records. the life of a music teacher.

#janphotoaday

Happy New Year!!! Since it is a new year, I have decided to start using capital letters (sometimes). I also decided to do a photo challenge on Instagram - WOW, right?! But seriously, I love Instagram and this photo challenge has been so fun thus far! I love seeing pictures other people are posting. If you don't have this app...............well, get an iPhone and then GET IT. It's the best.




Here are 4 pictures from the first 5 days of #janphotoaday:



DAY 1 - Top left: a picture of you. (that's me).

DAY 2 - Not pictured: breakfast. It was a LUNA bar and really, that isn't exciting...not even a little bit.

DAY 3 - Top right: something you adore. my '73 Fender Rhodes that was GIVEN to me by a wonderful couple! I still cannot believe she is mine.

DAY 4 - Bottom left: "our" letterbox. I put "our" in quotes because we are renting...so it really isn't ours...you know?

DAY 5 - Bottom right: something you wore. I wore this amazing 1920's inspired wedding dress on my big day. I think we all know it was an easy decision between a picture of real life us or the clay cake topper version.

top ten albums of 2011.

i was just looking at my "top ten albums" posts of the last 3 years. each year i say this is one of my favorite posts to share, so i suppose i'll say it again: "this is one of my favorite posts to share." truth. i love critiquing music. i love analyzing music. the chord structure, the lyrics, the movement of the bass, the harmonies, and so on. i do not claim to be an expert. however, i do claim to know a few things about music...i would sure hope so (insert $$$$ for music degree here).

typically, it is difficult for me to narrow a plethora of adored albums into a "top ten." this year was no different. so, without further rambling of sorts, here are my top ten albums of 2011, in no particular order:

1. Wilco - The Whole Love
2. My Morning Jacket - Ciruital
3. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
4. Feist - Metals
5. Radiohead - King of Limbs
6. Ivan and Aloysha - Fathers Be Kind
7. The Civil Wars
8. Wye Oak - Civilian
9. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
10. Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

honorable mentions to:

--The Waiting Kind (ok, it's my husband's band so i can't put them in my top ten, right? they really are in my top ten...i just didn't want to be that wife)
--Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
--David Bazan - Strange Negotiations (his albums are usually on my top ten - and i love this one)
--St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (that Annie is ridiculously talented)
--James Vincent McMorrow - Early in the Morning (this record was released in 2010, but i didn't start listening until this year - otherwise it would have been in my top ten)
--Adele - 21 (i realize this album should be in my top ten. the truth is, i have only listened to it a few times. it's good. real good. i just didn't have time to fall in love with it, yet)

white and serene.

I would like to live here...



...and frolic here...



...and make a snow angel here.




via: depositphotos.com, brightnepenthe.blogspot.com, and blog.thomaslaupstad.com

from classy to zombie.

well, the last two years of Halloween costumes couldn't be more different. i really do enjoy dressing up for Halloween...the mister, not so much - BUT, i have successfully gotten him to dress up for two years now! good job me!

Halloween 2010, we decided on Mad Men. we absolutely love the show so it just made sense. we were going to go as Don and Betty Draper but it ended up being more like Betty Draper and her beatnik boyfriend. plus, we didn't really have to dress up that much - we wear these clothes anyway....cheating, i know.





...cut to Halloween 2011. what costume can you come up with in a matter of a few hours? why, hipster zombies of course.


here we are in our hipster zombie glory.


some wonderful friends and myself Halloween partyin' on Harrison Boulevard.


got home and realized i should have been Beetle Juice...maybe next year...

what a busy, lovely life.

hellllooooooo. the Henbests have had such a fun month. gosh it's been busy, but i wouldn't change a thing. i thought i would share some of the things we have been up to...pictures via Instagram.




a few weeks back we headed to my family's cabin. love that place more than words, srsly.



we inherited this incredible dining set from our great aunt Rae. it is gorgeous. she has had it since the 1940's. WINNING.



well, you see, m'man and i have this little folk side project we have been working on for the past few months. we were supposed to play a show as A Humble Tumble (our folk side project's name) for the first time - and then something came up for the man. soooooooo, i played by myself. me and guitar. by myself. with a guitar. ok, i've played guitar for about 7 years now - but playing in my classroom and every once in a while in a worship set or a show doesn't really count as being a good "guitarist" - so naturally, i was scared to death. i practiced until my calluses had calluses. thankfully, it went really well! phew. also, it was fun to play a few Humble Tumble songs. can't wait to play out more - WITH MY HUZ (that yelling is for him to read).



keeping my family close as i headed to Flying M to play. grandma's shoes. skirt made by my little sis.



i had my first program! i am SO proud of my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders - they performed so well. i know i've said it a million times but honestly, i love my job.



my husband's band, The Waiting Kind, played at Fall to Worship. they did an amazing job!



our friend Nathan had a birthday! these pretty gals could dance every day all day.



our friend Jeremy Coverdale had a birthday!



Anniversary celebration day! Big City Coffee/Urban/Anthro/Bookstores/Chapala. m'huz bought me some lovely things at Anthropologie. it was a wonderful day.



3 years! i didn't know it was possible to love someone as much as i love him.



neon socks. that's fun.



teaching my 1st graders about this genius.




listening. love these records. Radiohead/Lotus Flower and My Morning Jacket/Circuital.





got my new 70's inspired geometry dress from Red Velvet Shop! can't wait to wear it.



Uncle D and Rhett and some serious Lego time.