Songs I Wish I Had Written

Hey Y'all, it's Mary!

So, I made the long journey home to visit my family for Christmas today.  (Which, by the way, is very confusing for my students when they ask what I'm doing for Christmas.  I told them I was going home & they asked "But Miss Glennon, don't you go home everyday?"  They crack me up...anyway).  On the way I decided to put my songs that I keep on my phone on shuffle & listen to whatever popped up.  That didn't last long because I realized I had accidentally loaded my students accompaniment tracks to my phone, so I just ended up skipping a lot of music.  BUT, I discovered that there are a bunch of songs that I just LOVE & refuse to skip whenever they come on.  Every time I listen to them I wish I was creative enough (or good enough with words...or paid more attention in my theory classes to put together cool chord progressions) to write these songs myself.  So, I decided to share some of them with you today.  I have an eclectic taste in music so I think there's a little bit of everything in there.  Here goes...

1. "Your Fault" from Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK2FVhr9l3A
Ok, so Sondheim is a GENIUS!!!  He can do NO wrong & this is by FAR my favorite thing he has ever written(Into the Woods is tied for my favorite musical ever).  The music is just so weave-y(I know that's not a word).  You can hear how everyone's stories start to intertwine.  His lyrics are OUT OF CONTROL!  The way he rhymes things...I DIE!  Favorite line from this entire musical is in this song when the Witch says "It's your father's fault that the curse got placed & the place got cursed in the first place."  WHO THINKS LIKE THAT?!?!?!  OBSESSED!

2. "You & Me(But Mostly Me)" from Book of Mormon: The Musical by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, & Robert Lopez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3HpqjheRQo
And here is what is tied with Into the Woods for my favorite musical.  I was so blessed to get to see this show when I was in New York this past March(Thanks Mom & Dad!!!).  I have a ridiculously HUGE slight fascination with the Mormon faith & when I found out they were making a musical about it I HAD to see it!  I think this just sets the tone for how the rest of the musical is going to play out.  It's so cheesy & I LOVE IT!  Why does Andrew Rannells have to like boys?!

3. "Morgen!" by Richard Strauss(Sung by Barbara Bonney)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH6uPmzzzq4
I cannot help but tear up every time I hear this song(when it's done right of course).  I sang it one semester & I will never be able to do it justice.  My all time favorite recording of it is by Barbara Bonney.  She has the most heavenly, floaty soprano voice & the way those high notes just pop up there...AH!!!

4. "Beautiful Things" by Gungor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR7VOKQ0xJY
This song has helped me through my hardest times & it is just a perfect reminder that God can take something terrible and use it to make us better people.

5. "Hey Y'all: My Contribution To Ruining Country Music Country Song! Ha!" by Aaron Watson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpBi5hGqb7c
This song cracks me up & I NEVER skip it...& the title is perfect!  Can't help but love Texas Country music!  Why does he have to be married?!

6. "Only Prettier" by Miranda Lambert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pp66FNd54M
She's just so fearless when she writes & I love that about her!  Plus, this is just so true!

7. "Not Like the Movies" by Katy Perry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ewTkrfaWtA
Jennifer & I watched the Katy Perry movie a couple months ago & I've been listening to this song since.  Yeah, I know, it's super girly, but so am I so whatever.  It's just a nice reminder that us girls deserve that fairy tale romance & that we shouldn't talk ourselves out of wanting that.  I also just really like how deconstructed the piano part is.  I think that's what got me hooked.

8. "Beam Me Up" by Pink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O2nFnHkY4o
I heard this song for the first time last Saturday & lost it when I did.  This is everything I've ever thought/wanted to say/wished for ever since my little sister, Dorothy, passed away almost 5 years ago.  I'm not going to get into that now because there just isn't enough time, but this song has just been such a comfort recently.  The holidays are hard without her & this song makes it a little easier.  I hope it comforts any of you who have lost someone close to you.  Thank you Pink!!!

So yeah, hope you like it!!!
LYLAS,
Mary

I'm Alive!

Oh Hey, Y'all! It's me, Jennifer.

Good news--I'm alive.

And back in Texas.

And 25.

And I have a job.

I've been meaning to update this for a while now, but my elaborate blog post plans always seemed like more than I had time for. But, you know, elaborate blog posts aren't all they're cracked up to be. If you know me/are my Facebook friend, then you know most of what goes on in my daily life--you don't need to read a recap of it on this blog (especially a recap that is 2 months overdue).

Instead, let me tell you something that I've yet to post on Facebook:

Mindy Kaling's book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), is possibly the funniest book I've ever read. Why? Because Mindy and I are the same person. Well, not really the same person--more like I agree with every word that comes out of her mouth...I mean, the words she's written in this book...what I've read so far. She is my new role model. She is joining the ranks of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Emma Stone, and Zooey Deschanel. So, congratulations, Mindy!!

Seriously. I love her.

Also, this is a quote from the book that sounds like something I could have said, only she's funnier:

"I'm the kind of person who would rather get my hopes up really high and watch them get dashed to pieces than wisely keep my expectations at bay and hope they are exceeded. This quality has made me a needy and theatrical friend, but has given me a spectacularly dramatic emotional life."

Back to School, Back to School...

...to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing.

Name that movie...jk, but seriously.

So I (Mary) started my job today!  I was SO excited to finally do what I came up here for. Don't get me wrong, 3 weeks of lounging around was great, but it gets really boring after a while. Anyway, for those who don't know, I work as a voice teacher for two middle schools in Plano I.S.D. Once a week, each child gets to miss 25 minutes of their choir class to come have a one-on-one lesson with me.  Technically, I started last Tuesday, but I actually started teaching today.  Last Tuesday all the voice teachers came in to talk to the choirs & encourage kids to sign up for voice lessons.  Here's my outfit(sorry it's blurry):

 

Dress: Antonio Melani

Cardigan: Gap

Leopard Belt: Forever 21

Shoes: Antonio Melani

When I got to school, they had a folder for me to collect money from my kids:

I met my Tuesday kids today & I'm OBSESSED!!!  They are so precious & eager to learn!  Were we that little when we were in the 6th grade?  The girls were all super excited, but I could tell the boys were nervous.  It was still a great day though!  We just talked over how lessons will work & then talked about ourselves to get to know each other better...& then they sang!  They were all SO talented!  The 6th graders were adorable!  They all turned bright red when I asked them to sing, & giggled their way through lip trills, roller coasters, & Owl ooooh's (those are warm ups fyi).  My 7th & 8th graders had taken lessons before so they were used to singing in front of people.  I was just so impressed with the talent in these kids!  It will be so fun to encourage them & help build their confidence!  I feel so blessed to be able to get to know these kids one-on-one & help them develop their natural talents!

 

My lunch for the day:

Turkey, Provolone, roma tomato, spring mix, & mustard sandwich.

Baby carrots

Clementines

String cheese

Blue corn chips & guacamole

 

& my outfit:

Pants: J. Crew

Shirt, Cardigan, Belt: Forever 21

Loafers: Steve Madden

CAN'T WAIT FOR DAY 2!!!  Off to the gym now!
p.s. the movie was Billy Madison

Plano or Bust!

HELLO!  So it has been QUITE some time since our blog was last updated, but I've been waiting for just the right time...& that time is now! 

I started a new chapter of my life last week: I MOVED TO PLANO, TX!!!  I got a job teaching private voice lessons for Plano ISD earlier this summer and finally moved up last Friday.  It was definitely an emotional endeavor.  All summer I felt so ready to move, and then the night before the move, the reality of it all hit me.  I was finally an adult.  I now had to take care of myself.  That was a scary thought, but after talking to my parents I felt MUCH better about this new chapter in my life. 

The next morning my family & I hit the road to Waco to get all of my stuff from storage, then made the trek up to Plano!  Two sorority sisters of mine (Rebecca & Maddie) helped us unload my life into my new apartment.  It was SO great to catch up with them(& I found out that Maddie lives just down the street from me)!  After some rest, my family & I went out to dinner & my little brothers(Matt, 13 & Sean, 12) gave me lots of wonderful advice on living on my own.  I was getting all emotional again knowing that I'd be so far away from them but they knew EXACTLY what to say to make me feel good about the move!  I can't wait for them to visit!!!

The next day my dad & brothers went to an Eagle Scout event in Irving & my mom & I went shopping to stock me up on the essentials.  Then my family left to go back home & the unpacking began.  It took me less than a week to get everything unpacked & looking home-y!

View from the front door

MY HUGE PANTRY!

Kitchen

Dining Room

View from the back door

 

                                

Hallway: Straight ahead is my bathroom, left door is a coat closet, right doors are my laundry room, & around the corner is my room

                                    
 I LOVE my new place! It's a work in progress(I'll paint once I start making money & I have some furniture to replace). I can't wait to have people over!  I am so excited to explore DFW, find a church, start work(& meet my kiddos!!!), make new friends, & catch up with old ones!!!  I just feel so blessed & am ready to take on grown up life!!!

Wedding Bells & Summer Sounds

Hello! It has been too long since I've posted on our wonderful blog. Seriously, I have the best intentions...I think "hey, I should write a post today!" But of course, things start happening during the day and the post continues not to happen. So, today is the day! A new post!!

A few weeks ago, my little sister got married! I had a great trip back to Texas and loved getting to be a part of such a special day!

Flat Mary and I had many adventures in the airport, on the plane, and then *gasp* Flat Mary met Mary!! (Also, at the Starbucks in the airport, I learned a new spelling of my name: Jeniffer...but with two backwards f's. You might be able to read this on the cup in the top left picture.)

My favorite parts of the week (besides the actual wedding) were probably the bachelorette party and getting ready for the wedding. I loved getting to spend time with my sister and all the other bridesmaids! We had a great time eating in downtown dallas and then an interesting night at a comedy club. Before the wedding, we just listened to music and had girl time--put on our make-up, admired our cute robes, and took pictures of ourselves. Congratulations, Rebecca and Justin! I'm so happy y'all are married!!

In other news, my lease in Atlanta is up in about 2 months. So, yay! I'm going to be making the move back to Texas very shortly! The only thing is, I need to find a job in the DFW area first (any help on that front would be greatly appreciated).

Lastly, I decided to share a little musical treat with you today. There's a playlist in the side bar with some of my current fave songs. Now, I know my musical tastes are a little diverse so I won't be offended if you think I'm insane. Take a listen if you want and hopefully you'll find a few gems to add to your own playlist for the summer. 

Take Care,

Jennifer

Show Me State

Hey y'all it's Mary!

I had a very eventful past few days & decided to fill you in on what all went on.  This past weekend was the bi-annual Snyder Family Reunion in Carthage, MO(The Snyder's are my maternal grandmother's side of the family).  My family tries to go when we can, but there's usually something going on & we have to miss it.  This year, however, we got to go!  I was really excited to catch up with family that I hadn't seen in years!  My mom thought it would be fun to keep us coming to the reunion a surprise, so for weeks leading up to it she would tell my grandparents that we couldn't make it.  We packed up the car Saturday morning & hit the road!

Side story:
My 24th birthday was a couple of weeks ago.  Jennifer & I usually celebrate our birthdays together, but with Jennifer in Atlanta & me in Texas that was not possible this year.  We were talking the night before I headed to Dallas to celebrate & we decided I would make a "Flat Jennifer" to take with me & take pictures with so she could feel like she was there...so I made one & EVERYONE loved it!  I'll post about my birthday later, but I just wanted to fill you in on Flat Jennifer.

Original Story cont.:
I drove the whole way to & from Missouri(because mom is a scary driver).  Our first stop was at the TX/OK border.  I couldn't resist taking this picture with Flat Jennifer:

We look great EVERYWHERE we go!

After LOTS of driving, we made it to the reunion dinner & surprised everyone!  One of my distant cousins prepared a family history & it was interesting to find out a little about us.  The Snyder's originally came from Kentucky.  I was excited to hear this because I was born in Kentucky.  We also found out that much of our family fought in the civil war.  After the presentation I caught up with family.  I met a lot of my cousins' children which was weird but exciting at the same time.  It was crazy to see these kids that you used to play with now chasing after kids of their own!  I met a lot of my Mom's cousins that I hadn't met before.  Two of her cousin's actually live in North Texas, & one of them works in McKinney!  It is great to have family so close!  We ended up staying in a hotel the first night because my grandparents weren't expecting us & their house was full of family. 

Sunday, we woke up & went to church at Centerpoint Christian Church(my mom's childhood church).  A lot of the church is family so it felt just like a continuation of the night before.  I was excited to meet my cousin Ben's fiancee Lacie.  They've been engaged for a while now, but we've never met.  It was great to finally put a face to the name.  I surprised my grandparents by singing.  When I got up to sing I almost started laughing, because everyone in the congregation whispered "She looks just like Judy!(my mom)".  After a wonderful sermon from Pastor Bob Teegarden, we all went down to the river for a picnic & swimming.  There were so many people there & it was just nice to relax & catch up. 

Gran & I at the picnic...I love her sunnies!!!

Probably the funnest part of the day was when my cousins pulled out the potato guns!  It was a blast!  We ended up calling my dad(who was away at a camp) & convinced him to make us some of our own!  I can't wait to have one!  I'm gonna sit on my back porch & launch potatoes onto the golf course...well, maybe not, but it sounds fun!
 

Shooting the potato guns!

Flat Jennifer & I at the river

Flat Jennifer & I at Silver Dollar City!

Monday, we hit the road to Branson, MO to spend the day at Silver Dollar City!  I was so excited for this because I hadn't been in over 14 years!  We were worried when we got there though because the weather wasn't supposed to be good.  We ended up getting rained on for most of the morning, but it was actually a blessing because most people ended up leaving the park, so when the rain finally stopped, there were no lines for any of the rides & it wasn't too hot!  My brothers & I rode most of the roller coasters...I chickened out on one.  I'm still not too sure about the ones that go upside down.  Anyway, the day ended up being really fun! 

We love crayons!!! (ignore the typo)

Reckless Kelly in Springfield!

As we were leaving, I checked facebook on my phone(My grandparents have no signal because they live in the middle of no where so I was excited to be able to check my phone for once!) and one of my favorite bands, Reckless Kelly, posted about a show they were having in Springfield that night.  I was SO upset because we were currently 20 minutes from the concert, but my grandparents lived an hour away.  I talked to my mom about it & she let me borrow the car for the night so I could go!!!  SO EXCITED!  We booked it home so I could change & get back on the road to get to the concert.  It was AMAZING!!!  Even though I was by myself it was TOTALLY worth it!  Tuesday was just a lazy day.  We went to the local Memnnonite store to stock up on some yummy food & headed back down to the river for another picnic with just my grandparents.  It was great to lay by the river & relax!  My brothers taught me how to skip stones & my grandma fished.  I ended up getting a HORRIBLE sunburn & the worst places but it was worth it!  I'm definitley a country girl at heart!

Wednesday we hit the road back to Texas...nothing exciting...just driving.  I'm glad to be back, but it was SO wonderful to spend so much time with family!!!

God Bless Texas!

"I Can't Wait To See You Again!"

Hey people!

It’s me, Jennifer (or Jenn if you’d prefer). I’m writing from all the way out here in Atlanta, GA. I moved here for design school in September, but through a series of eye-opening events; I’ve realized my life needs to go in a different direction. I’ll always love art and design, but my main passion all my life has been people. I love meeting new people and figuring out how to connect with them. I’m looking to find a new career path that centers on human interaction and allows me to serve them in some way.  I’m definitely a chatterbox—that’s probably why Mary and I hit it off so well, neither of us has ever been called quiet or reserved. Ha!

Besides all things art related (painting, photography, design, crafts) I also enjoy:

Magazines/Pinterest

Music/Singing (another thing that brought Mary and I together)

Rifle Paper Co. (beautiful cards and stationery. http://riflepaperco.com/)

Walks on the gorgeous Beltline Trail behind my apartment complex

Texas! (I’m ready to come home!)

My wonderful church here in ATL—http://buckheadchurch.org/

Museums

My current job—http://www.paper-source.com/

My Family (seriously…the best!)

Miranda Sings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWt2YJCJleY&feature=plcp

Kittens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtX8nswnUKU

All-University Sing…this act in particular :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAgSdpmYaz0

Parks and Recreation, The Office, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Dance Moms, Dawson’s Creek (now on Netflix, yes!)

Hot Rod, Mean Girls, Waiting for Guffman, Stranger than Fiction

Betty White, Tina Fey, Emma Stone, Ellen

Ingrid Michaelson, John Mayer, fun.

Diet Coke, Frozen Yogurt, Popcorn

Making Lists

How We Became #1 Friends (According to Jennifer)

Well, Mary pretty much hit the nail on the head with the story. But I do have one thing to add. Yes, Mary and I being #1 friends started out as kind of a joke just to prove we were more awesome than 2 of our sorority sisters, but fortunately for me, Mary is so good at taking little jokes and fun ideas and making them a reality. Every time I have some sort of funny plan, she makes it happen—from brownie sundaes for Sunday dinner, to spending her 21^st at a fancy hotel, to even starting this blog. I appreciate her fun-loving, motivated, and determined attitude toward life so much! She is a constant reminder to me to live life to the fullest. Her enthusiasm is contagious and we make a great team! I’m also glad that I found my “personality twin”—hopefully we will live in the same state again soon! 

Here is the friendship photo/story I would like to share:

I'm not really sure exactly how this happened, I mean I don't remember the first time this was decided, but Mary and I have a friendship song, "I Can't Wait To See You Again" by Miley Cyrus. We have choreography/poses and everything! We request it every chance we get at a dance/event! We are so obsessed with the song that we got Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana friendship necklaces. This photo was taken at the ADPi Crawfish Boil Crush our junior year. The crush was so much fun...flying kites, blowing bubbles, hanging out at the Suspension Bridge...and it gave us a great chance to show off our jewelry. Just another reason why everyone is jealous of us. :)

xoxo,

Jennifer

It's The Jenn & Mary SHOOOOOOOOW!!!

Hello world!

This is Mary, the 2nd half of "The Jenn & Mary Show".  I am BEYOND excited to finally start this joint blog with my #1 friend, Jennifer!  This is something that we've been talking about doing for a while and we're FINALLY making it happen!  We will be documenting all of our CRAZY adventures & experiences(both together & apart), so we'll have something to relive them by when we become golden girls!

A little about me:
I just graduated with my Master's degree in Vocal Performance from Baylor University.
I live at home with my parents(who I will refer to as my roommates...sounds cooler) & my brothers.
This is temporary until I move to Plano in August to teach.
I'm going to teach voice lessons for McKinney ISD (At Jenn's Alma Mater!).
Crafting.
Yellow & mint.
"SNL", "Toddlers & Tiaras" & "Real Housewives of Anywhere".
Mormons.
Singing...duh!
Dancing.
Country music.
Boy crazy.
Spontaneous.
Single & mingling!
Redecorating.
All-University Sing.
Shopping.
J. Crew.
Rangers.
Baylor.
Diet Coke.
Leopard.

How we became #1 friends(according to Mary):
This journey starts WAAAAY back in January 2007, when I went through sorority recruitment at Baylor University.  I was incredibly excited to be meeting so many wonderful women and to get to know each sorority better.  I tried to keep an open mind going into recruitment, but deep down I knew which group I wanted to join: Alpha Delta Pi.  I was rushed REALLY hard by them and fell in love with everything they stood for.  For most girls, recruitment is really stressful & upsetting.  A lot of girls get cut from their first choice group & don't know what to do.  I, however, was one of those few lucky ones who ended up where I wanted to be & couldn't have been happier.  All I could do was talk about how excited I was to keep getting invited back to ADPi! I am so blessed to have ended up in my first choice...but back to the story. 
I ended up meeting Jennifer early on in the pledging (or Alpha) process & we became fast friends.  That bond of sisterhood instantly connected us!  fast forward about a year to All-University Sing(or Sing! for short).  Sing! is one of the biggest traditions at Baylor.  Fraternities & Sororities put on 7-minute long Broadway style acts, complete with singing, dancing, costumes, elaborate sets, & fun themes.  That year, Alpha Delta Pi's Sing act was...well, I can't actually remember the name of it, but we were clockmakers in a clock shop & all of our songs revolved around clocks or time. Jennifer & I were really close to 2 other girls, Shelley & Catherine, & would goof off with them in the chapter room after each sing performance.  One night, we got into a friendly dispute over which of us were the better friends.  After much debate, Jennifer & I came up with THE most indisputable reason as to why we had the better friendship...because we had the universe's #1 friendship!  Shelley & Catherine didn't want to buy it, but they had no choice, because, well, it's a fact! 

(Our first picture as #1 Friends!)

We really do have the universe's #1 friendship!!!  From that moment on, we were #1's...a kind of friendship that goes FAR beyond that of best friends.  We are basically the exact same person...Joey, from "Friends", may have found his hand twin, but I have found my personality twin!  Ever since then we've been as inseperable as possible, and shared in so many wonderful, crazy, scary, exciting, and hilarious adventures.  Jennifer has been there for me through the absolute best and absolute worst times in my life and I am SO blessed to be able to call this inspiring woman of God, my NUMBER ONE FRIEND!!!

I hope that you enjoy reading this blog, but I'm just excited to have something else to share with Jennifer!
Happy reading!
Mary

p.s. Jenn, I challenge you to upload a picture from our past(& tell the story behind it no matter how short) with each post...I'll do the same!