40 | August 2015 // milestones (a collection of favorites from my 40th year)

well, friends… this is it. this is my 12th playlist. my last month. i started last september by creating a playlist to celebrate turning 40 that month, and challenged myself to create a playlist every single month throughout the entire year…

i wanted to create a soundtrack to my 40th year.

and, with this august playlist, my 12 months, my 40th year, is coming to a close. the playlists are done. and i have a year’s worth of music that defines my 40th year. 12 months of playlists that stir up emotions, rekindle memories, pump me up, calm me down, remind me who i am, inspire me, and introduce me to new favorite artists. it has been an incredible, fulfilling journey, one which i will not soon forget. and for those of you who have joined in throughout the past year + sent me messages and words of encouragement, you have inspired me even more. your support has challenged me to keep pushing through, though, i must admit that this has been a challenge that i have excitedly anticipated every single month.

about the final playlist:

for august, i wanted to do a kind of wrap-up playlist. you see, i have discovered that i have unearthed a few new-to-me artists who have become my favorites throughout the year = you may have noticed that they seem to show up on almost every single playlist. sorry ’bout that. but, they are my go-to inspirations at this point in my life.

so, i decided to make this list a summary of my most played tracks.

i went through each month’s playlist and added a few songs from each one to this final august one. it turned out to be 100 different songs. so, yeah. we’ve got over 6 hours of listening pleasure this month. a little something from all of the previous playlists.

now, these are my favorites, mind you. the ones that i just can’t get enough of, or have touched me in some very real + deep way. in fact, as i previewed the playlist today, listening to it all the way through, i found myself feeling quite emotional. i had no idea that it would be such a powerful playlist to listen to. i found myself being transported back to specific times and places and memories. and that feels wonderful and heartbreaking all at the same time. but, even more than that, i found myself feeling how i felt during the month that i listened to a specific song, transporting me back to where i was spiritually or emotionally on any given day. and that reveals to me how things have changed. how i have changed.

a lot has happened since i turned 40 last september. the biggest thing being my move back to sweden. so, many of the songs have a specific asheville, north carolina vibe, while others have a beginning a new life in sweden vibe. but, all of them bring me a sense of peace + calm. they all remind me who i am, where my feel have walked, how far i have come, how life has been transformed through the course of a year.

and so, i decided to name this month’s playlist: milestones. 

celebrating turning 40 was an obvious, big milestone, but there have been many small milestones, each important in their own right, throughout the year. in addition, my dear friend nicole, who was visiting us in june, requested that august’s playlist also be dedicated to her + her baby, who is due in the middle of the month. another beautiful milestone, right?

click on the photo above or right –> here to get to the new playlist!

so, there you go. the story behind my year of playlists. and the story behind this month’s celebration of my top 100 songs. while this journey has come to its close, there are so many more journeys out there. it makes me wonder… what in the world will come about during my 41st year?! i can only keep walking, keep listening, and keep letting the music inspire every step i take.

 find all of the playlists + links to them below:

september 2014

october 2014

november 2014

december 2014

january 2015

february 2015

march 2015

april 2015

may 2015

june 2015

july 2015

august 2015

(behind the scenes belovelive tip: the playlist will continue well on past, just in other forms! stay tuned for a very, special, collaborative, interactive playlist for september. you are gonna love it!)

onwards + upwards! xoxo

August’s playlist:

Breathe – Elephant Revival
The Stable Song – Gregory Alan Isakov
Extraordinary Light – Ben Fields
Drinkin’ – Holly Williams
On My Way – The Melodic
The Nights – Avicii
Violently Wild – Horse Feathers
Just One Day – Mighty Oaks
House By The Sea – Moddi
Don’t Let It Get You Down – Johnnyswim
Woodland – The Paper Kites
Glory (From the Motion Picture Selma) – Common, John Legend
I Will Rise – Cattle & Cane
Full Moon In June – Black Prairie
Without You – Dark Dark Dark
Love Life Now – Paper Bird
Agape – Bear’s Den
Moon Miss Me – The Ragbirds
Old Ties and Companions – Mandolin Orange
The Jewel Of June – The Milk Carton Kids
Summertime – The Head And The Heart
Believe It – The Ragbirds
Lucky – The Honeycutters
Passing Afternoon – Iron & Wine
Silver Light – Trampled By Turtles
Under The Same Sun – Ben Howard
What We Do – Shook Twins
Feathers Rise – Elephant Revival
Sing It All Away – Walk Off the Earth
Settled Down – Mandolin Orange
Never Been Alive – The Avett Brothers
Down to the River – Brown Bird
Honey, Honey – The Milk Carton Kids
Flowers In Your Hair – The Lumineers
Leaf Off / The Cave – Jose Gonzalez
Don’t Let the Sun Steal You Away – Bear’s Den
Live And Die – The Avett Brothers
Wherever Is Your Heart – Brandi Carlile
Bloom – Bonus Track – The Paper Kites
Wild & You – My Bubba
Overcome With Light – Bowerbirds
Morning Song – The Lumineers
Vårens första dag – Laleh
Let’s Be Still – The Head And The Heart
The Universe – Gregory Alan Isakov
Souls Like The Wheels – The Avett Brothers
Springtime – The Head And The Heart
Lay Your Burden Down – Wilhelm Brothers
Take Up Your Spade – Sara Watkins
I And Love And You – The Avett Brothers
Love of Mine – Nickel Creek
Love is All – The Tallest Man On Earth
Love Love Love – Of Monsters And Men
Coffee & Cigarettes – American Aquarium
Open Ended Life – The Avett Brothers
Walk Unafraid – First Aid Kit
Remember Me This Way – Steve Martin, Edie Brickell
Say Goodbye – Beck
Home – Johnnyswim
Winter Song – The Head And The Heart
Winter Coat – Dark Dark Dark
I Thank God – The Avett Brothers
The Song the Season Brings – Beta Radio
Christmas Time Is Here (Intro) – Johnnyswim
Winter Eclipse – Beta Radio
River – Joni Mitchell
The Earth Stood Still – Future Of Forestry
Wildflower Honey – The Stray Birds
Come Out Of The Woods – Matthew And The Atlas
Brave World – Bowerbirds
Caves – Brown Bird
Wild Soul – The Law, Langhorne Slim
Half Moon – Iron & Wine
Magic Arrow – Timber Timbre
Down to the River – Jesse Woods
Sing To The Mountain – Elephant Revival
Ring Around The Moon – Elephant Revival
November – The Wilderness of Manitoba
Pine Ridge – George S. Clinton
Wolf – First Aid Kit
My Own – Tin Sparrow
The River – Samantha Crain
You and Me – Sara Watkins
Wide World – Blessed Feathers
Devil’s Backbone – The Civil Wars
Blue Ridge Mountain – Hurray For The Riff Raff
This American – Joe Purdy
Dark Road – Sarah Jarosz
Ghosts – The Head And The Heart
Hymn #35 – Joe Pug
Emmylou – First Aid Kit
Skin And Bones – The Avett Brothers
My Silver Lining – First Aid Kit
Build Me Up From Bones – Sarah Jarosz
Setting Forth – Eddie Vedder
Mountain Sound – Of Monsters And Men
There Was A Time – Mandolin Orange
Wild Animals – Trampled By Turtles
The Devil Is All Around – Shovels & Rope
Everything – Ben Howard