Spring....

Ahh...I feel like I'm being teased.

Case 1: Last night we had friends over and received a beautiful pink tulip plant in full bloom. I want to plant a garden in the back yard so bad but it's the northeast and we are expecting more snow this week. Growing up in Southern California our yard was full of flowers, fruits, and vegetables: oranges, peaches, plums, strawberries, grapes, mint, apples, tomatoes, avocado, lemon, lime, blackberries, roses, etc. Whenever I was hungry, I just walked around the yard picking and eating! My Grandfather has an amazing garden and wins many awards, especially for his onions, at the local fairs and has even had his onions featured in print magazines. Yep he's famous ;)

Case 2: I'm going to an "I'm Over Winter Summer Brunch Bash" where the dress is Bikini, Summer Dresses, and Shorts. Since it is still only 35 degrees outside I will be covering up with my big winter coat but still....all this is messing with my head! haha

Tip of The Day
This spring pick one fruit or vegetable to grow in your yard or apartment (They have those hanging tomato plants that are great indoors). It is much healthier to grow your own food and at least you will have one you can enjoy. Yum!!

Vices Nominated for 8 Carbonell Awards

I'm so proud of Vices: A Love Story. Eight Carbonell Nominations! That is basically the Tonys of Florida!! I was part of the cast for the world premiere of this new musical at the Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton, FL. The show had actually started 10 years earlier with only singers and there were mixed reviews. There were many rewrites and new songs were added. With this production, we added the concept of following a dancer couple. No words were spoken only dance and song. Any fans of "Dancing with the Stars" loved it! It was an incredible concept and one that garnered fantastic reviews, standing ovations, and sold out crowds. I think Broadway has a place for this musical :)


THOUGHT OF THE DAY
If you have an idea you feel passionately about, stick with it. Look at Vices. The writers believed in this show and felt there were so many strong parts to it. They continually worked on it, tweeked it, added songs, subtracted songs, added a dancer couple...now look what they have! A Broadway ready show! They never gave up and neither should any of us!

Daytona 500

I had the unique experience of attending the Daytona 500 this past Sunday. I must admit I did not know much about NASCAR but feel very confident I can now have an educated conversation about the drivers, 'drafting', and techniques involved in winning the race :) The speed is insane! I walked down to the track and stood next to the fence as the cars raced by. I was knocked back by the wind, blasted with pieces of rubber and if I was wearing a hat, most definitely would have lost it! haha

Tim Mcgraw performed 4 numbers and Harry Connick Jr sang the national anthem. They are both amazing entertainers with great voices and a string of hit songs. It reminded me of my time in Nashville when I was writing and recording with Dean Sams (of the group Lonestar). He is a good friend of Nascar driver, Jeff Gordon, so I knew of him going into the race. We had some trouble with a pothole on the track but once that was fixed McMurray took the 1st place spot. It was a very exciting race and so much fun to be there in person!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Try something new every week. Whether it be a new food, a new experience, a new vacation spot, a new restaurant, a new book, a new tv show, a different type of music....Any ideas? Post them here so others can learn from you!

Olympics!

The Olympic Games! Tradition. History. The lighting of the flame. What an amazing accomplishment. These athletes have trained their entire lives to fulfill this dream. They come from all over the world to share in this experience. Wow. "Let the Games Begin!"


THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” --Gail Devers

Superbowl Sunday

Colts vs Saints. I am very sad that the Jets did not make it into the Superbowl this year. Three reasons they have become my pro favorite: 1) Mark Sanchez and I both went to USC 2) I have been spending a lot more time in New York 3) They are my boyfriend's favorite team since he was pretty much born haha

Football is definitely one of my favorite sports. I grew up playing football at recess, on Thanksgiving with family, and with the 4 boys across the street in gradeschool. I went to every Atascadero Greyhound game with my Grandfather ("Papa") and my family when we lived up there, sang the national anthem at my high school football games, attended every USC game, and now have my USC season tickets. I even made a video of the USC vs Notre Dame game to my song "Just Like That" which you can view here:

USC vs Notre Dame

By default, I'll be rooting for the Saints today. They have another USC alum Reggie Bush, and have yet to win a Superbowl...Time to get my numbers from my football pool and watch the pregame! Any other football fans out there?

TIP OF THE DAY
Have an amazing Superbowl Sunday! And if you aren't into football, enjoy the commercials ;)

#1 out of almost 4 million songs!

Wow! My song "Sextape" (actually about NOT doing a sextape haha) has reached #1 out of almost 4 million songs on Soundclick! This is amazing! It all started with a beat that Naydee and Julian provided, and a title. Melody and I wrote the melody and lyrics over video chat (since she is in LA and I am in NY). The song was so much fun to write and record and came so naturally. I can't wait to write another with this team of people! YAY!


TIP OF THE DAY
The first song I ever wrote was with my sister. She had written some poetry so we sat at the piano, reworked the lines to create verses and a chorus and sang a melody using very simple chords. We recorded the song at our high school music teacher's home studio. I played piano and sang lead, while Joanne did background vocals and our teacher put a drum beat down. It was called "Broken Promise". If you have ever thought about writing a song but didn't know where to start, try taking a piece of poetry and putting music to it. Or if words come easier, take a song already done and change the lyrics. It's a fun exercise and gets the creative juices flowing :) Happy writing!

The Grammys

The Grammy Awards. Music's biggest night and highest honor. I loved the show this year- the big productions numbers, the fashion, the Michael Jackson tribute, the number of amazing artists all under one roof. I've grown up watching the Grammys believing that one day... :) Did you watch the Grammys this year? What were your favorite parts? What would you like changed about the award show?

TIP OF THE WEEK
As I watched the Grammys, my producer text me "U better be watching the Grammys right now :) Visualize!!" You better believe it! "See yourself where you want to be before you are even there." It is such a powerful tool! It has been said in so many ways and written about in so many books: Think and Grow Rich, Ask and it is Given, The Secret. Visualization techniques have been used by some of the most successful athletes, businessmen, you name it. Try it for yourself and see what happens!!

Visualization Exercise by Susan Pilgrim, Ph.D.
Here's the basic visualization process. You'll want to make whatever adjustments necessary to maximize the effectiveness of this technique. It will get easier each time you do it.

* First, find a quiet place away from distractions. Get into a comfortable position and relax your body. Take a number of slow, deep breaths. Release tension, concerns, and anxieties as you exhale. (They'll be waiting for you when you've completed the exercise -- if you still want them.) Clear the screen of your mind's eye. See the number one (or any other non-emotive symbol) on your mind's screen. Focus your attention on the number one. Allow other thoughts and feelings to dissipate.

* Next, allow the number one to fade out as you begin to visually create what it is you want to accomplish with this exercise. [The point-of-view you'll use will depend on the purpose of your visualization. We'll explore the specifics later in this article.] Visually create each figure, the scenery, the setting, filling your picture with the minutest details. Add vivid colors to your picture. Make the colors bright and dramatic. Once your picture is in technicolor, add the sounds that are associated with your picture. You might hear yourself saying words, others talking, birds singing, waves crashing, or balls bouncing. Once the volume is turned up, fill your picture with the aromas and tastes that are associated with it, such as the fragrance of flowers, salt in the ocean air. Add the sensation of touch. What does the picture feel like in the sense of textures and temperature? Is the hand you're shaking warm and soft or rough and calloused? Now, enjoy the full picture you've created.

* Add the critical element to your visualization -- your emotions. It's the emotional element that expertly transfers your picture into your brain's memory cells. With your picture in full array, add to it the emotions you want to feel when you find yourself in this situation. Whatever the emotions -- pride, confidence, patience, gratitude, love -- feel them fully. Allow your body to actually respond to the feelings associated with your picture. Smile, beam, gesture, whatever way you express your emotions. Hold your feelings in concert with your picture. Fully be in the picture you've created for yourself.

* Once you've held your picture strongly on your mind's screen for a few minutes, let it fade gradually until you return to your focus symbol -- the number one. Then commend yourself for using this tool for affecting change in your life.

FULL ARTICLE