men and their mixes

[the entry time is up. dan is working on picking the winner. and i had no idea he was going to read all comments. that Dan! back later with a winner!]

What is it with men making their mixes anyway?

Many moons ago, Dan wooed me with mixed tapes. Sigh. Those were the days. When they consisted of a collection of painstakingly chosen songs gathered together on an actual cassette tape. I still remember the first mixed tape  I ever got from him. The third or fourth track in was "Blind Love" by Tom Waits. If I'd had any doubts up until that point that he liked me, well… track 4 pretty much put those fears to rest.

Over the years, he's continued to make mixes for me, although the modern ones now show up on shiny CDs, and usually around special holidays, like Valentine's Day. Or Arbor Day.

One year, my Valentine's mix started with Barry White and ended with Ben Folds' "The Luckiest" and left me in a sobbing heap at my computer, where I sat and listened while toiling away at my job. Although I surely felt loved.

He still makes mixes, but not just for me. I love that he makes mixes for other people, including, but not limited to: himself, his friend, Christopher, and our kids.

His latest mix is called "Alphabet." Yes, as you would guess… song titles covering A to Z. Take a peek:

It's harder than it looks. I thought the only song we had that started with "X" was by Madonner.

I've been promising Dan that I'll listen to it during the day, and I've meant well enough. It seems I'll start it, and about half way through the Roddy Frame contribution, I'll be damned if Neil doesn't win out and I clamor for my Finn fix. So much for the Alphabet mix.

I told him there really were a lot of Finn-related songs he could have chosen that would have added so much to this collection of his. Probably one for each letter. Except X. And possibly Z. Okay, so it might be a stretch to cover the entire alphabet in Finn, but I think I just planned my weekend, people.

I love when that happens so early in the week!

But in the spirit of mixes everywhere, I challenge you to make your own Alphabet mix. Then make a page about it. The blast it through your boom box on the street where you live and drive everyone crazy.

Then, leave your name if you want to win a copy of Dan's…and a few alphabet-related scrapbooking goodies tossed in for good measure. I'll have Dan draw a winner by tomorrow.

Comments

[ShellyJ]

Wow, that is pretty impressive to make a mix from A to Z :) Very Cool!

[Marcie]

Sounds like a challenge I'm up to taking! Of course I'll have to get songs onto my iTunes account first to do it...but I will.
I've never had an ipod but I now have an iPhone and am trying to build a music/video library on it.

[Julie]

Love the alphabet idea, love Dan's picks too! I think you've just planned my Saturday as well, thanks for the challenge :)

[lilith]

great challenge, I'm in!
My significant other once made me a scrapbook page (really, and the only one he ever made, mind you!) for my birthday with the lyrics from 'the luckiest'on it. *crowd goes aaaah*

But hey, I thought it was totally sweet. :)

[Sharon]

I made a mix once with every title I could find (at iTunes, I'm lazy)with the name Sharon. I wasn't impressed. :-p

I'll add this to the list of challenges and pages I want to complete.

[Kelly V]

Hi Cathy,
Oh, I remember the days...I had a high school love who made the best cassette tapes for me. Now, Bruce (my husband) sits at the piano and just plays his own mix for me which is sweetness itself. Anyway, I think I might give your challenge a go. Thanks.
Kelly

[angie]

OOOHHH sounds like fun! I've got a list going all ready. I use to love to make mixed CD's for friend's parties and then try and be way cool and design the cases and labels. Ahhh so many silly memories.
Thanks!
angie

[Stacy]

Totally giving this challenge a go - I've already got it halfway planned out in my head! I've been working on a "me" album and this is exactly what I needed for a kickstart to keep going with it...hmmm I'm thinking "K" Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue...
Stacy in Alberta, Canada

[karlalala]

LOVE LOVE LOVE mix tapes!! i have boxes of them and a bunch in my car!! great challenge and even better scrap idear!!
Karla in Kalifornia

[LauraP]

Excellent idea! What about a page on your favorite things from A to Z? I think I may have a project for tonight...
Laura P

[crazydarla]

I love this idea! Men are weird indeed but at least YOUR man is clever AND a bit weird, good "mix" if you ask me! :) LOL
I'd love to have a copy of that cd - there are some fab songs on there! I am working on my list TODAY as this is just so cool!
Feeling very inspired ! Thanks!
DarlaLOU

[Melissa O.]

Mix tapes... love them! I still have some from my ex in the 80s. Great challenge! Got my mind all geared up already :)

[Leah]

That mix looks so awesome. I am pumped about making my own!

[Merideth]

oo! me! i've never heard of some of dan's a-z songs.

plus, my husband's never made me a mixed tape b/c he had a "stalker" in high school who always left mixed tapes (cassettes! ah, the good old days) under his windshield, taped to his locker, etc. so now he's forever spoiled on the idea.

i believe i am going to take up the challenge, but with 80s music, for my kids. i wonder how many i can get from billy idol (giggles out loud)

[Joanne]

Count me in! I'm a babe when it comes to mixes...so maybe I'll win and learn something in the process!

[Jen K]

"until the end of the World" one of the best U2 songs!!!
i love the taste in music your home has!!!
my hubby also does the mixed tape/cd thang..he has such a good ear for making them mix and sound like our fave. k-tel compilations. (remember those?)

i must admit though, i haven't heard some of these songs..it would be cool to hear these all together..

[Leasa]

So, this will possibly be the most pathetic post you get, but I recognize ONE song on that list. I may have heard many of those songs, but I would never be able to put a group, song title, and the sound together in my head. I'm challenged that way. On the other hand, my husband will totally love this and know all the songs and look at me like I must have no brain matter since this type of recognition eludes me. And I could totally relate to the movie sequences/lines as conversations in the house. My husband also has the keen ability to remember hundreds (thousands?) of movie lines and use them seamlessly in his conversations. Amazing. And fun. So should I happen to win this fine metallic disc, it will be for my husband, and he will totally enjoy. And how shameful am I if I take credit for creating it? Well, obviously I can't do that because he will be on to me! So I won't - but it's tempting. Thanks for sharing.

[Elizabeth R]

What a clever idea! In all the time I manage to spend in front of good old iTunes making playlists, I never considered an alphabet one! I'm off to try my hand at it :)

[robin Corman]

I am at the airport with 2 hours to kill before my flight to Minneapolis and I think this is something I can do before I board. What a fun way to kill time and have something to show for it. Thanks for the challenge.

[Rachel]

Love the challenge! I am off to make my own A-Z mix-such an awesome idea!

[Judy Cotner]

Well NOW you've done it. My family will not have dinner tonight or Thursday night or Friday night because I'll be doing more important things like surfing on itunes for an alphabet mix. Hmmmm. Should H be for Hotel California or Hey There Delilah? Inquiring minds wanna know. I may even have to import a child for my son to play with this weekend if I can't get it done this week.

[Christy Pair]

While my hubby and I were dating I traveled for a couple of weeks. In true dramatic form I missed him so much and cried and cried. The friends I stayed with helped me make his a mixed tape. Low and behold he was at home making a tape for me. So sweet-several years and a baby later the cd reminds me of very different times. Very creative a-z idea!

[melly]

my man likes his mixes too. "Playlists" he calls them. He has one for the gym, one for the lawnmower...
I like most of the music on my iPod A LOT so I'm happy with a good shuffle and the surprise of the next song.
Look at that! It's like journaling only better, cause there's a chance I could win a PRIZE!

[Amber]

Such a cool idea!! My suitemate in college had the best mix 'eva!!! And a few years later, my husband accidentally threw it away - I didn't let that one go for a long time (obviously I'm still bitter if I am bringing it up here). I will have to try this - have a scrapbook weekend coming up in a few weeks, and would love to take one there!
Thanks!

[Ginger]

What a fun challenge! I'm in! My hubby made one playlist/mix for me in itunes for me when I have parties or friends over. I love it! I can't wait to get started on the alphabet playlist!

[MNScrapbookmom]

Love mixes... My hubby makes mine for me though, our A-Z Library is amazing and a bit over whelming... Beginning my page now, great idea. Thanks...¥

[patti]

ok then-the gauntlet has been thrown...off to look at my iTunes library...i so love a good mix!

[Kim Holmes]

Sounds like fun! I'm musically challenged but my husband would love this!!! Thanks for the inspiration. Kim H. in WA

[Patricia]

Cathy I love reading your blog. It brings that extra bit of something I need everyday. Thanks for making my day a little bit brighter.

[Dawn]

What a fun idea! PICK ME DAN!!!

[Kelly Jo]

Cathy~ You are Too Funny (now I'm wondering, can someone be too funny?) Anywho, I love this challenge idea. Definitely going on my weekend list. =)

[Louise]

Ahhh, those were the days. Do you think that guys making mix tapes all belong to a cretain era ?? ie: those of us that have just entered our 40's. My husband did mix tapes for me when we were students, now its itunes play lists. I did one once and only once. I heard it was good for your unborn child to hear music so I used to come home from work, chnage into sweats and lie on my bed with little walkman headphones taped to my stomach, playing my "baby mix" to my unborn child. Ee gads, the things we do in our first pregnancies, by the time pregnancy no: two comes around all the concientious stuff has gone out the window ... know what I mean ..

[Kelli Kemmerer]

What a fun idea!! I'm going to work on that right now...

[Julie]

I still have one of my mixed tapes but the only tape player is in my car :)
I love creating playlists and the A to Z idea sounds like a fun challenge. Thanks for sharing.

[Sue]

This is great!

Sue in Alexandria VA
(former vacationer to Pequot Lakes and Nisswa - still have turtle races?)

[Lindsey Cord]

Life without music I cant go!

[kelly]

I'm in! Not only do you crack me up on a daily basis, I relate to a lot of what you are writing about. My husband used to make me mixed tapes starating over 28 years ago! I can't even imagine that amount of time frame. Anyway, my fix is Dan Fogelberg. When my husband is really showing me the love, he'll surprise me and put on some Dan!
Now that is love! A-Z, cool idea Dan.
Cathy, thanks for making me laugh with every post.

[~beth~]

wow - great idea - it certainly will take a bit of thought and digging around - but love the challenge!

[Faith]

That's a great idea that could be used in so many other ways besides music. I did a "Mom's Alphabet" book once that did a mom's meaning to actual words.
Hey, pick me! I have never won anything in 6 years of scrapbooking! But that has not extinguished my passion!!

[shelleymay]

omg! i made a mixed tape just last month for my BFF from highschool of some rockin roller skating tunes - you know the ones... hotel motel.. hollllliday iiiin!!! i am SO taking you up on this challenge....

would love to hear Dan's tunes, too!

Rock on CZ!

[Katrina]

Off to make my mix tape :) DH wooed me with them too...my favorite is titled "driving music" all songs with naughty words only to be sung loudly while alone in the car!

[susan]

drats! wish I had brought my iPod to work today. what a PERFECT thing to be doing during my conference call! lol!!
I have to admit I am amazed by all the many mixes you guys have. I am thinking we aren't utilizing our iTunes as well as you are. my favorite mix is still: Party Shuffle! lol!
but I did go all nostalgic when you talked about mixes. I had two beaus that did those for me.......I still have one....can't imagine parting with it. in fact I have made copies of the tape for fear of wearing it out. I will admit I listened to it looking for hidden meanings....and yes they were there! lol! I have recently started to track down the songs from that tape through iTunes and Limewire. some I still can't find digitally. but when I do.....oh yeah my own "Beat Un Punch Your Love" iPod mix! Cathy I think you might even enjoy it! (though no Finn)I swear I can smell clove cigarettes when I listen to it.
(and tee hee hee at Shelley's roller skating tunes!!)

[Beth O'Dell]

The first "x" song that popped into my head was "Xanadu". Maybe I'll make my alpha list all 80's tunes and break out the roller skates this weekend:)

[LaurenH]

I simply adore mixes, though I haven't made one in ages! I always thought it was fun to entertain my friends by putting White Zombie followed by Christina Agulera followed by Tori Amos followed by Garth Brooks. It just confused them, but I have always loved all genres of music - just might be time to do it again.

Hello, weekend project. ;-)

[Elizabeth B]

sure, why not, I'm always up for a good mix

[claire]

ooooh I WANT that mix tape!!

[Susan Keuter]

oh damn! and to think I was going to scrub baseboards this weekend. this should pretty much take up all of Saturday AND Sunday - so I'm off the hook.

My old boyfriend used to make me mixed tapes - but I don't think dear husband ever has. Hmmm - maybe I should mention that to him. Love the A-Z idea - good one Dan. GO DAN!

[Lisa]

I am definitely up for the challenge, I can't wait to get home and look at some music for this, thanks for the inspirations. I am super impressed with Dan's mix, awesome!

[Stephanie]

What a fun challenge! Thanks for the inspiration!

[Janet]

OOohhh sounds good

Janet