Christie DuPree

Merriment.

2012-02-26T12:34:00.004-08:00

Hi everyone!

So... some of you might already know that I write music and play in a band with my brother, Collin.

For the past few years we have been playing shows together under the name Christie DuPree - my name - and I guess everyone just considers me a me a solo artist with a backup guitar player but in reality I have never actually thought of myself that way.

As soon as Collin began playing with me I felt playing shows under my name felt sort of weird and unfair. I didn't like the whole – "It's all about me" notion. Collin is just as valid a piece to the puzzle. About the time we were finishing up the EP, it occurred to me that if we didn't change our name now, we never would. But what name?

So, I was sitting in my room a few weeks ago and all of the sudden I thought of the word "Merriment". Something just sort of clicked in my brain; I felt we should use the name for our band. It seemed to fit the feel of our music and… I just liked it.

The next minute I walked into Collin's room (across the hall) and asked him what he thought of the name. He really didn't even have to think. He said, "I like it!"... and the rest is history!

We'll be launching our new site and new EP on March 6th on iTunes and will have hard copies with us at the merch table on the road. COME SEE US ON THIS TOUR!

Also here is a clip from one of the songs on our new EP "Through The Rough"

The song is called "Blessed Soul"

Love,

Christie

The niceness of others!

2012-02-24T14:34:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you guys, but when people do nice things, for no reason, it really just MAKES my day!

I recently bought a dress from Coury of Fancy Treehouse, and for no reason other than being a complete sweetheart, she sent a few extra dresses along with my order for me and my sisters to share.

Seriously so nice of her, and I could not be more grateful!

Also recently a photographer/acquaintance/might as well be friend, heck! sent me a package in the mail of some of her art prints, because she had taken photos of me a few months back and we had kept in touch through instagram, etc.. and I mentioned wanting some of her prints and she emailed me right away asking for my address and sent me this wonderful box of goodies! hair bows, prints, other handmade things.. seriously SO sweet. Her name is Bliss Katherine and you can check out her photography here, seriously just spend a few minutes looking at her stuff.. it's absolutely GORGEOUS. You can see some of the photos she took of me in the instant film section and the music section.

And anyway, enough of my rambling, but I just want to encourage you (you, meaning all two of you reading my blog) to do something nice for someone for absolutely no reason. Send someone a package in the mail with something you made- art, a hair clip, some stickers, anything! Just simple things that will cause someone to smile! It's honestly just as much, if not more rewarding for you than the person receiving the gifts. Try it! and just see how happy it makes you.

Love,

Christie

Outfit Shmoutfit

2012-02-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

So I wore this outfit to church today and then out to get pizza with my brothers and sister in law,

and then pretty much as soon as I got home I put my pajamas back on and took a pretty severe sunday NAP. But I just bought the dress yesterday so I was excited to wear it!

This coat is definitely one of my favorite purchases I made this winter. Icy blue with big black buttons! I stood in the store staring at it for a good 10-15 minutes or so trying to talk myself out of buying it because I already had a coat, but ended up talking myself INTO it because the one I had was old and black and boring. End of story.

I am a sucker for collars and pockets on dresses - like I mentioned in my last post.

And I know collars are like the "IN" thing right now, and following trends is probably unoriginal and uncool, but I seriously LOVE the collar trend and love all the collared dresses everyone is coming out with these days! So cute and I can't seem to get over them. And pockets are simply a necessity! A gal like me in a long distance relationship needs a place to keep her iPhone 24/7 ya hurd??

Plus I love the apple print and colors on this dress :)

Seafoamy mint nails. My favorite color in the world!

(As you can probably tell, because my room is the same color.)

Had to document how perfectly my nail polish matches my purse! haha!

Coat-Wet Seal, Dress-Macy's, Tights-Target, Shoes-F21 <3

Love,

Christie

Fairy Tales Forever!

2012-02-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

So I Just bought this adorrrrrrrrrrable dress from Cory of Fancy Tree House!

I pretty much stalk her blog daily -amongst other online shops- because Tyler, TX has practically the lamest mall in the history of lame malls. Like I'm not kidding, it's worse than a mall that wild armadillo's would create out of cactuses and cow skulls in the desert....... what they would sell at that mall, I have no idea.. probably dried leaves and petrified rocks or something. And the only other place to shop here is Target, which is a serious hit or serious miss most of the time.

It had me at the collar, but what sold me was the pockets! <3

Can't wait to get this lil' baby in the mail.

Anyway! You should check out her blog if you haven't seen it yet cause it's awesome and always super cute.

Gonna go snack hard on some parmesan crusted tilapia for dinner, then off to see some unknowable Denzel Washington movie with my parents and a few of my siblings because my mom has a crush on him! (hehe)

-Christie

Post Valentine Post

2012-02-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one who just can't seem to get over Valentines day??

I just love everything about it and I want it to last for way longer than a day.

My valentine lives in Florida, and being apart is not in the least bit fun, but we made the best of it by sending each other delicious treats! I baked him snickerdoodles and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, (as per his request) and wrote him a cheesy song.

I was so happy when I opened the box from him and found this:

Amazing Godiva chocolates that are continually blowing my mind every time I eat one.

(I told him to feel free to send me Godiva chocolates anytime he feels like it from now on)

And I love that he included the rose in my package, even knowing that it's chances of survival were slim to none. So sweet. I am a lucky lady.

I quickly put it in some water, although it probably won't last long.

Still pretty though :)

This thing was heavenly.

Even though Valentines day is over now, I am pretty sure I will continue to wear a lot of pinks and reds and hearts and stripes until I've had my fill -which may never happen.

I can only hope anyone reading this is as happy and lucky as I am!

-Christie

2012-02-11T12:22:00.000-08:00

So a couple of years ago I bought a pretty Holga camera and we were hot and heavy for a couple of weeks and then the only place in Tyler that would develop the 120 film stopped doing it! Ah! So I had a roll of film sitting in my camera just waiting on my shelf collecting dust for about 2 years.
And then a few months back I met a photographer girl at one of our shows, (She took some promo photos for us like a sweet little lady!) her name is Vicky, and you can check out her photography here. And I mentioned to her about my sad Holga story, and she offered to let me send her the film and get them developed for me because she knew someone who did it! Thank you, Vicky :)

Only a few photos actually turned out but I just love the black and white film with the old movie-esque dreamy vibe that the Holga produces. These just made me so happy that I had to share them!

My sister Sherri, smiling a bit like a deer in the headlights, but still beautiful!

And again, only this time smiling a little more like a creep with a nasty secret. (hehe)

Our front yard during spring!

All of the lovely ladies during Sherri's wedding! So happy this one turned out as well as it did :)

A mysterious mess that I believe was a photo of me and my niece, Kayla.

That's all for now.. I need to invest in one of the Holga's that actually takes 35mm film, because Lord knows I'm not smart enough to rig it so that it'll take the 35! haha!

Love,

Christie

Daily Outfit

2012-02-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

So what's the fun in having a blog if there are no outfit posts?! Exactly. I don't know either.

Striped sweater and starry shorts from Wet Seal - of all places! I never shop there. But they had a lot of cute stuff on sale, so I got the shorts, the sweater, and a cute polka dot dress all for super cheap!

I am a sucker for a good deal and definitely a sucker for a comfy sweater! This thing is softer than angel's fluff, you guys. I'm serious.

Still want to dye my hair red...... some.. day.. SOON! I'm just waiting for the brown to fade enough so I can dye it.

Shoes from Amazon, tights from Target <3

Welp I gotta go practice (for the second time today) because we have a show tomorrow night, and I am rustier than an old tin man!

-Christie

Dork Salad

2012-02-08T16:02:00.000-08:00

So this past week my boyfriend was in town (from Florida, where he so far away from me lives)

and as small and seemingly boring as Tyler, Tx is, we always have fun drinking coffee every day and taking dumb pictures together :)

Taken with iphone4.

We went for a walk in the cold the other day and sat at the park for a while. Taken with my Diana Mini

I look weird and slightly drugged here! haha

All these square ones were taken with my Diana Mini..

Climbing trees while I stand on the ground scared that he's gonna fall and begging him to come back down.

As much as winter is cold and uncomfortable and I love the color green, I can really appreciate the occasional leafless tree.

Dork salad comin' up:

One thing I like about my boyfriend is that he doesn't protest my excessive picture taking, and will even pose with me if I ask nicely. Taken with my Nikon D50, that I wish I used more often than I do. It's just so much easier to carry around a little film camera than it is to lug around a big heavy expensive camera.. but I am going to try and use it more often! Perhaps finally using my blog will inspire me to take more digital pictures <3

He just left a little while ago to go back to Florida, so I am sitting here blogging trying to distract myself from being a sad whiney baby about it. Going to watch Mad Men and try not to think about how I wont see him until March when we tour together.

Boo.

But at least there is that to look forward to.

-Christie

Thursday.

2012-01-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

I really like Thursday.

Mostly because this particular Thursday is getting me one day closer to my boyfriend being here this coming Wednesday.

Also what is it about water that is just so boring you never want to drink it? Right up until the point when your brain feels like it's dying and then you realize "Wow, the last sip of water I had was...? " and then you run downstairs and drink as much water as you can as fast as you can so you don't die of dehydration and then you feel sick from having an ocean in your belly. What, that doesn't happen to you guys?.. Me neither, I was just joking. I drink plenty of water.

I am a heart monster.

I once was a unicorn.

2012-01-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

I just am so excited about everything:

1.The release of mine and my brother Collin's first official EP (we have another one but as it was comprised of just scratch tracks that we hastily mixed to sound semi-decent before our first tour we went on, I have a hard time considering it an official EP. It's more like a baby dino that never got to fully grow into a real dinosaur.)
This new EP is so special to me because although we only had one week to record it, we put our heart and soul into it and thankfully had the right help from friends and generous people (i.e Andy Freeman, the guy who recorded Eisley's soon to be released EP, and also our brother Weston and friend Wesley who helped with drums on our EP) to help us make it sound decent.

2. And today our dear friend Danny Roberts finished and sent to us the awesome artwork which will be the cover for our new EP. He is such a talented artist and we feel so lucky that he agreed to help us with the cover! I can't wait to share it with you guys.

3.Also me and Collin have some news to share with you guys soon.. in the grand scheme of things it's really small news, but it's news all the same and we are excited to share it with anyone who might care.

4.Touring with my sibling's band Eisley and Tallhart (formerly Marksmen) again in March! If you follow me on twitter or facebook or anything then you know I tend to gush about this a lot, but I honestly can't express ENOUGH how much I love my family and how thankful I am that I DO love them. I know there are so many families out there that just don't get along and don't want to be around each other and that truly breaks my heart. My sisters are my best friends, I hang out with them every day and I miss them if I don't see them for even a few days. My brothers are hilarious and can make me laugh harder than anyone else and my parents are honestly the two most amazing people on earth. Like I hate to say this, but I am sorry that my parents are not your parents....JK. But I feel like me and my siblings really lucked out.

5.Why is this blog post so long? and so picture-less. Bor-ING.

Here is me as a mama unicorn for Halloween last year:

Bye.

The Strawberry Window GIVEAWAY

2012-01-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Posting this giveaway thing. GO HERE or HERE for information.

Also I should add that her beautiful hair really just fuels my already pretty strong conviction that I need to dye my hair red someday soon. SO pretty!

Repost to enter, and then post a link to your post on her blog.

-Christie

A short story I wrote when I was a kid.

2012-01-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

All these babies were born to be pirates, they set out to sea as men and women, lost for several years. The dragonfly lady found them, and said her name was Smorgus, and that she's the queen of Dancing Oaks. They said "Your Majesty, we've got a sundried captain, could you please, please help us? Because we're wrapped up in skeletons and all our mirrors are broken and we've thrown the treasure overboard to keep from sinking. So could you please bring us some new mirrors so we can reflect the wind again? Without them the wind blows us back. We haven't any other sail. We just have "Mom" tattoos and bandannas and little sword kaniggits. Before we set out to sea the captain put some TNT barrels on board. When we asked him why, he just said that he "needed to fly his kite". Then Smorgus said "Your captain sounds like the echo of a story tale." She knew the pirates were the R.D (the real deal) and said she'd gladly get them mirrors any day. She was gone and back with the mirrors before they could say "Knife Chandaleap". So they sailed on with Smorgus, and finally they reached the verrry fat island called "Etsaa" and found what they needed to cure their sundried captain. It was a mushroom with the shape of a four leaf clover on it. They cured the captain and sailed back home, and they all lived happily, after their naps.

-Me, age 9

Not sure how old I was in this picture.. probably 4 or 5.

Some photos from Christmas

2012-01-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

My beautiful sister-in-law, Jessie.

Collin, Me, Sherri and Max

Dummy on the phone

Awkward family photo (Minus Chauntelle, Todd and Kayla who were out of town for Christmas)

I love my family!

Haha I particularly love Weston, Collin, and Max's faces in that last one.

All these photos I believe were shot by Josh Sultan.

Lamely edited by me, without photoshop.. I have yet to install it on my new computer.

Love,

Christie

I can't sleep.

2012-01-12T00:36:00.001-08:00

I can't sleep.

And lets just put it this way:

Those white-trash-leave-your-christmas-decorations-up-all-year-long ghosts are making sure that SOMEONE pays for it. And unfortunately this year it's me.

Apparently we are the sort of household that neglects to take down ALL of our Christmas decorations before a good few months of the new year have gone by, although it's not for lack of trying.

We have a two story house and the wreaths on the two bottom front windows of our house got taken down promptly and within a respectable amount of time after Christmas had passed. But the two wreaths on the second story windows... they are a little harder to reach and therefor are still hanging up on our house.

The wind is absolutely crazy tonight. I mean seriously it's going nuts out there. I can hear the howl and the trees moving from way down the street and can hear it coming closer and getting louder and closer and louder until it reaches our street and with it the wreath that hangs outside my bedroom window clangs and smashes and the tiny little light bulbs scratch and squeal against the glass and it's both terrifying and annoying all in one. Thus robbing me of any chance of sleep my stupid insomniac self MIGHT have gotten tonight.

I would almost be tempted to go get our 18 foot ladder and risk stabilizing it against the crazy wind storm just to get the darn thing down myself, but even if I were brave enough to do that it wouldn't be possible because a friend of ours borrowed our ladder just yesterday. Convenient.

So I'm writing this blog post to plead with you all:

Does anyone have a pair of stilts lying around, or perhaps a really bouncy, strategically placed trampoline?

Actually, wait.. never mind. If you actually have one or both of those items you are most likely some form of clown and I either don't know you, or don't want to know you.

Thank God for my boyfriend though, although he is a hopeless parsh-narc. (Partially narcoleptic. I diagnosed him myself.) When I told him on the phone that I was scared of the wreath and the stupid heavy, dead, dry, easily crackable tree limbs surrounding the roof around my bedroom because the wind was so crazy and they might fall on me, he told me -at least I think this is what he said, through the mumbly sleep words he was barely getting out- "It's okay,.. I know you're safe where you are."

Hopefully he's right.

And hopefully the W.T.L.Y.C.D.U.A.Y.L ghosts will give it a rest and forgive us. We really meant to take them down sooner. Honest.

Love,

Christie

Tim Walker

2012-01-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

If only there were more Tim Walker's in the world.

Such amazing photographs.

If anyone were to ever buy me a really expensive present, I would like this, please.

Love,

Christie

Photos found here:

http://www.timwalkerphotography.com/

We finished or EP.

2011-11-21T22:24:00.000-08:00

And I really could not be more excited about it.

I am so happy about it I could swaddle it like a little tiny new born baby! only it probably wouldn't be as fun cradling a CD.. they are sorta flat and round and.. could get scratched too easily.

I don't know yet when we will release it.. But at least it's DONE and in our hands and it's something we're proud of and actually want to share with people.

I hope everyone is have a nice thanksgiving and is being adequately thankful for everything necessary.

Love,

Christie

Wounded Rhymes

2011-10-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

My favorite record right now.

"Wounded Rhymes" - Lykke Li

Just saying. You should check it out.

In other, less obscure news

I love autumn, and I decorated my table.

Bye.

-Christie

Day 4.

2011-08-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Listening to Collin track guitars for a new song called "Through the Rough" right now..

I think of all the songs on the EP I am most excited about this one!

Ahhhhh. I can't wait to share it with you all (You all being anyone who will listen).

In other words, I ate a slice of cold pizza for lunch.

It was awesome.

In even OTHER news, here is a sneak peak at our new shirt for this tour!

It makes me happy.

And so do you.

Love,

Christie

EP 2 in progress

2011-08-24T12:03:00.001-07:00

Hello!

I've decided to start using this blog a little more than the NONE that I was using it!

So to jump right into it:

Collin and I are recording our second EP currently (And I mean literally... they are tracking drums right now and my ears hurt a tad.)

It's going good so far and I am absolutely stoked for you guys to hear everything when it's all finished! It will probably be a good long while before it's released unfortunately.. we want to try and find a way to get them printed with fancy shmancy art and all that jazz if possible.. and by that I mean if we can scrounge up the bazillion dollars it will cost to actually DO that.

Lord beer us a million dollars. Amen.

Love,

Christie

AM

2010-08-16T02:42:00.001-07:00

4:32 AM

It's not that Im not tired.. I am extremely so.

It's just that things keep waking me up.. like bugs smacking themselves against my window, or the song I wrote tonight repeating itself obnoxiously over and over again in my head, or the thought of 'Old Greg' being in my closet..

he's not in there.. I checked. (I wish I were joking about having ACTUALLY checked)

But I still can't sleep.

It's like as soon as life gets sleepy and quiet and everyone else falls asleep, my brain realizes that there is a lack of activity happening and tries to pick up the slack of everyone in town, tries to think as many thoughts as it can while it has the open space.

I don't really know what Im saying anymore.

4:42 AM

Love,

Christie

2010-06-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

-Proverbs 3:5-6

Love, Christie

No matter how I feel inside, I come off cold to you.

2010-05-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

There are rarely words to describe impossible feelings.

Sometimes we wake up with thoughts we've never had before, and there is no explaining why.

Beginning to understand them only leads to losing them,

but yet a hope of understanding them often times will keep us going.

We must learn to keep our mysteries, mysteries and our truths, truths.

Love,

Christie

Following the trail the Bee's left..

2010-04-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard to imagine anything different than what we see or think or feel on a daily basis.

But usually right before I go to bed I start thinking and feeling differently than I have felt all day,.. and I wish that I had more time to ponder and develop my thoughts, but I never do, so I get out some paper and a pen and write down random things, leaving myself a trail of thoughts to follow the next day,.. but only, the next day I look at the page and it seems to say something different to me in the daylight.

I look forward to those few nights a week when I am free to let my mind wander, and not have to think about what things I've got to do tomorrow.

-Christie

Codswick Bickerstaff

2010-04-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Climbed a tree the other day, i think it's healthy to climb trees every once in a while..

I cut up my arms a little getting down.. but even that seemed somewhat healthy.

I think it's important to do things for no reason sometimes,.. otherwise we just become stiff, and lose sight of how something so simple can actually be very important.

Love,

Christie

The Regretal of Bug Squashery.

2010-04-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight a bug came from my lamp and threatened to bite me on the leg, so I brushed him off and had no choice but to squash him on my bed sheets. It was some Man Vs Wild type of s***. But then I realized I now had bug guts on my sheets, and It was time for bed, and I had no idea where any clean sheets were in our house.. so after much distress and confusion and bug squashing regret, I decided to just turn my sheets over for tonight, and wash them tomorrow.

-Christie

Changing Of The Seasons

2010-02-27T00:09:00.000-08:00

I am in love with this song:

I smashed my fingers in the front door to our house, tonight.

Went and ate Sushi with my siblings/siblings-in-laws.

And wrote a letter to my friend, Kate.

Time.

2010-01-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

I wish there was more time in the day to do what I want to do..

I also wish there were such things as inspiration pills.. so many things I want to do, but never have the time to get them all done, or even begin on some of them.. it's frustrating to say the least.

Nobody reads my blog..hahaha.. this is awesome. I am talking to no one.

BLah blah blahh!!

-Christie

Cleaning My Room

2010-01-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

A stop motion picture video I made yesterday, out of pure, rageful boredom, and a desperate need to clean my room.

Love,

Christie

December.

2009-12-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since i've posted on here, I almost forgot I had this thing.

December is one of my favorite months..

I wish I had kept an account of every single cup of Hot Chocolate I've had this winter,.. because it would be nice to know.. Im guessing it's been around 5 or 6..

-Christie

2009-03-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

My mom got me that necklace at Cornerstone festival in 2002.. I have no IDEA why I never took it off,.. up until about two years ago, my friend and I decided I should wait to take it off until I was 18.. and for some reason today was the day we decided it was time to take it off.. even though I've been eighteen for almost a whole year.. hahaha.

(sorry if the video is really weird and crappy quality)

Love,

Christie

2009-03-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

But Happy St. Patricks Day anyways!

Love,

Christie

2009-03-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've been having a major lack of Inspiration lately..

Can't write songs,.. can't draw.. can't take photos.. it's really frustrating.

but Im sure it'll pass soon.. hopefully.

but, even though i can't take cool pictures.. ..here is a picture of a really neat green bottle i bought the otherday for 99 cents.

-tank

Apologies

2009-02-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

A new song..

It's sort of about relationships gone bad.. and knowing you should try and mend them, or apologize, but not being able to because of hurt/bitterness.

-Christie

Blog #1.

2009-02-19T00:14:00.000-08:00

I figured I could use one of these little guys... for something or another.

We'll see what happens!

-Christie