I’m trying oh so hard to get back into the swing of things today after a lovely 3-day weekend but I find myself relaxed and a tiny bit unfocused. =) My good friend, Moshe, sent me a text the other day telling me I needed to check out Xavier Rudd and I am so glad I did. This guy = amazing. And to me, perfect for any mellow, relaxing mood.

After a nice relaxing weekend full of World Cup and trying to catch up on So You Think You Can Dance, I'm ready to swing back into the week!

So, I have a favorite of mine for you this week - Two Door Cinema Club! This fantastic group comes from THE #1 place I want to visit, IRELAND, and they've been on the music scene since about 2007. I find this next tidbit funny so I want to share. Their band name?

Have you ever been to Tijuana Flats for their dessert? My oh my, it is SO GOOD! It's warm cookie dough flautas, lightly dusted with powdered sugar, and chocolate sauce to dip it in. That = a serious dessert and it was much needed last week when I met my lovely sister for a quick chat. We were catching up and shortly after she asked the age old question, "how are you?," I found myself crying over this amazing dessert and really...who cries over dessert?

I had a nice relaxing weekend in a cabin at the springs! Ahh...yes...just what I needed! Laying out in our floats, making shapes out of clouds, laughing way too much, and enjoying lots of yummy food all got me in this mellow, relaxed mood which leads me to my recommendation for you this week - Efterklang!

Efterklang is from Denmark and has been on the map since 2004. Let me just say, their sound is like no other. From vocals to violins, to pianos to flutes, to trombones to guitar, it is such a unique sound!

Last week I had the pleasure of going on a ROAD TRIP with my parents. Yes, my parents. =) We were driving up to Virginia for a good friend of mine's wedding. We haven’t taken a road trip like this in a long, LONG time. When I was younger we would always drive whenever we would go visit our family in Indiana and Boston. There are way too many people in our family so driving was always the more logical choice. And even though these trips were always long and tiring, we always had a fun time. My favorite van that we used to have was this blue

This week's music choice is the Shout Out Louds! I first heard about them from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (I would recommend seeing it if you haven't yet). But with so much music going through my ears day in and day out, sometimes bands get lost in the shuffle (no pun intended ;) ) and I have to say the Shout Out Louds is one of those bands.

Holiday’s are ALWAYS a BIG deal in our family. Not just big because it’s a holiday but big because holy crap, we have a HUGE family - minimum of 20 E-V-E-R-Y single time. And anytime you put that many people in one place it’s an ordeal. About 11-12 years ago, my family and I drove up to Indiana to see our family for Thanksgiving. One of the days there, I decided to offer to help slice up some potatoes! My Aunt and Mom gladly accepted my help and I was on my way – cuttin’ up a storm! I got to a point where…well, I’ll save you from the disgusting details, but I basically almost sliced my thumb off. It was bloody, there were tears, and it was a HUGE ordeal. More details than that is definitely not needed. (You're welcome.)

Another weekend has gone by too fast and Monday has already arrived. =( I’m a dragging a little (and by little, I mean A LOT) today, so I’ve turned to a new favorite of mine to smack some energy in me.

I'd like to introduce you to the unique beats of Jamie Lidell. From soulful, to funky, to beatboxing – it’s surprising and crazy good! You get a little bit of everything all rolled into one.

I do NOT know how people who get migraines on a regular basis deal with that. For the past week, I’ve woken up every day with a headache and then proceed to get approximately 2-3 more throughout the day. =( I went through my normal list of why I could possibly be getting so many (no, Mom, my ponytail isn’t too tight) =) and I really can’t figure it out.

It's been a rather crazy week trying to get everything back in order from vacation. With all the crazy chaos of the week, I definitely am in need of some mellow, heart-felt, relaxing, and comforting music. This week I have in store for you a newbie to my iPod - Rebecca Correia!

She has been on the music scene for quite some time (seriously, how do I NOT know about these people!)