I'm with the band.

80/35, Des Moines' burgeoning indie-rock music festival, fell upon us this past weekend. Since Parlours were on the bill this year, we had access to all the stage areas with these nifty little passes.

The last time my husband's band performed at 80/35, I was at the hospital down the street giving birth to Ruby! Of all seven years of the festival, that one was the only time we ever missed (but for good reason, I must say).

We brought the kids along on Day 2, mainly to see Daddy play the drums. Ruby felt pretty special getting to wear the band lanyard, as anyone would.

Watching our friends in the Envy Corps perform on the main stage. 

I love that the kids can splash around in these water features while the whole family can listen to some jams.

Here, Sterling is wearing the same Threadless dinosaur onesie that Ruby wore two 80/35's ago. There's just something about it that screams "music festival". The adorable space-themed bibdanna was lovingly sewn by our friend at Graystitch. Keep an eye out for more of where that came from in the coming weeks!

Parlours doing their thang. 

Ruby, so sweetly, remarked that her Daddy was doing a good job while watching him play. Heart melt.

We enjoyed performances from Dawes, Maids, Max Jury, Surfer Blood, Envy Corps, & Dr. Dog this year. The best part of the fest though is the community surrounding it. I could always find of group of friends at every show to hang out with or get some help with the kids. We love 80/35!!

3 Things

In preparation for the Influence Conference, some of the attendees are doing a blog link up to get to know each other a bit before meeting in real life. This post is for that purpose.

Some of my friends & followers will already know these things. And if you didn't before, now you do:)

1. I'm a Full-Time Working Mama - This is important to know because my free time for extracurriculars is pretty limited (i.e. blogging, crafting, going to events, etc). It's not exactly what I envisioned for my life, but it's what we have to do for now. And I have been blessed with a good job working with non-profits. Half of the time, I feel like I am operating in survival mode. But I am always trying to find a balance.

2. I'm a Band Wife - If you weren't already aware via my blog or Twitter stream, my husband is in a band. And when your husband is in a band, it's kind of like you are an honorary member. I get to do stuff like curating/ running the merch table to tearing down after shows to providing background handclaps on their Daytrotter session. The band is called PARLOURS and you should check them out! I may be slightly biased, but I actually think they're super good.

3. I'm a Traveler at Heart - Though my journeys have slowed down significantly since getting married/ becoming a Mama, there is something about being in an unfamiliar place that makes me feel SO alive. I've been to 14 different countries as well as lived in London & New Zealand (each for an entire year). If you would like tips for traveling or transcontinental relocation, I may be able to assist:)

Well, there it is. Three random things. And this is just tapping the surface...xx

If you are visiting this blog for the first time and/or will be attending the Influence Conference next week, please say 'Hello'!!

On the Radio...

In promotion of All is Here, the new album from Parlours, Wayde & Dana represented the band for an interview at Iowa Public Radio the other week. Ruby & I even had the privilege of joining them in the studio! As an avid listener, it was pretty rad to see where all the magic happens.

Ruby likes to make herself known, so we didn't last long for the actual taping. The interview was conducted John Pemble, who is not only one of our favorite presenters, but a friend as well;)

The interview has yet to air, but when it does, I will try to post the link here. There are lots of fun things in store for Parlours, including a tour next week taking the band down to Texas. And if you haven't already seen the new music video for "Stay With You", here it is!! Enjoy...

Parlours CD Release Party!

Parlours celebrated the release of their first full length album, All is Here, with a packed out CD release party at Wooly's Friday night. Fresh from their West Coast tour, the band finally got to share the new tunes with family & friends in their hometown.

The good news is you don't have to wait until their next show to buy the album either - All is Here is now available on iTunes HERE.

Thanks for bearing with me on the Parlours postings. I share these updates about the band because it is a big part of our lives.

I don't know what the future holds for Parlours, but it's an exciting time for the band and I truly think they put out a great album. It's been on repeat in my car since I opened it and I am only falling more in love with the songs. Seriously, go buy it and tell me what you think of it...xx

It's Always Sunny in California Pt.2

So the big reason for our trip to California was to see Parlours perform at THE VIPER ROOM!! You may have heard of it...Actor River Phoenix died at the venue; Johnny Depp co-owned it until 2004. It is still known to entertain the rich & famous, and if I watched more television, I might have recognized a few familiar faces in the crowd (or so I was told).

The drive into Los Angeles took much longer than we anticipated, so we grabbed some hot dogs at a coney place across the street and scarfed them down just minutes before the show. Thankfully, we got Wayde "to the Greek" on time;)

The set was FANTASTIC. It was great to see the band so well-received and to see all their hard work paying off.. I'm just so proud of them. *sniff*

We hit up Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles after the show. I wasn't even that hungry, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to indulge myself at another Hollywood hotspot. SO DELICIOUS.

The rest of the night played out like a movie...we drove along the Sunset Strip and around Hollywood seeing many well known spots while listening to Es talk about her old celebrity "hunting" days. So many laughs ensued.

Through some random connections through Dana, we ended up at a club in West Hollywood (Eleven) for a private birthday party for one of Britney Spears' former back-up dancers. Apparently, Jojo was there (I can't confirmed), but Derek Hough from Dancing with the Stars was and he touched my shoulder while walking past me. Pretty unusual night for this Midwest housewife. 

The band shacked up at the posh Le Montrose boutique hotel, courtesy of Dana's Mom. We hung out for a little while before calling it a (very late) night. I said goodbye to Wayde for the rest of his tour and replayed the night's events as we returned to Costa Mesa.

So grateful to Chris & Es for their willingness to stay out crazy late & make memories with the responsibilities of work & baby tending on the horizon. It was just one of those nights I'll never forget.

I've got a couple more Cali posts in store...next stop, DISNEYLAND!! xx

Parlours West Coast Tour!

Parlours hit the road this morning for their West Coast tour in support of their new album, All is Here. If you're in the vicinity of one of their shows, you should check 'em out!

8/16 – Denver, CO @ The Hi Dive w/ Red Fox Run
8/17 – Provo, UT @ Velour Music Gallery w/ Timmy the Teeth
8/18 – Nampa, ID @ Flying M Garage w/ Uinitah
8/19 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile w/ Elk & Boar, Whitney Ballent & The Intimates
8/20 – Portland, OR @ Mount Tabor House
8/21 – Sacramento, CA @ Bows and Arrows
8/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Viper Room w/ Kingsley
8/24 – Scottsdale, AZ @ The Rogue Bar
8/25 – Grand Junction, CO @ The Mesa Theatre Lounge

I may be slightly biased, but I have been listening to the new album on repeat and it is so SO good!! Also, I am so proud of my Hubby for the excellent job he did on the CD package and poster design. The man has got skills to pay the bills (literally)! Also, he's a pretty good drummer;)

This week with him away is going to be pretty crazy, but we are so looking forward to catching up with the band in CALIFORNIA next week!! Any prayers for me travelling alone with a 1 year old would be appreciated...xx

Parlours Weekend Pt. 2

Parlours headlined the first set of Ankeny Unplugged shows this past weekend with a stellar performance, as usual. The series features four different local musical acts every Saturday night throughout the month of June.  

Ruby finally made it out to her first Parlours show to see Daddy on drums. I'm pretty sure she loved it.

This event comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This year's line up is SOLID and the offerings are as well--food, drinks, vendors, etc. Plus, it's family friendly.

Make it to one of these shows if you're in the area! xx