Billie Holiday

My current music pick is Billie Holiday {what a beautiful woman!} Another legend with style and a voice like no other. Her music breathes pure romance and class. I never tire of the female jazz vocalists...

From Wikipedia:

Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed Lady Day[1] by her loyal friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday was a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. Above all, she was admired for her deeply personal and intimate approach to singing. Critic John Bush wrote that she "changed the art of American pop vocals forever."[2] She co-wrote only a few songs, but several of them have become jazz standards, notably "God Bless the Child", "Don't Explain", and "Lady Sings the Blues". She also became famous for singing jazz standards written by others, including "Easy Living" and "Strange Fruit."

Yes, I know I'm a flake... I tweak the colors and format constantly. Right now, I'm craving fall so I want a place to escape that will give me a little of that feeling. My mom always used burnt rust, dark plums and deep blues around Autumn, the color scheme kind of reminds me of her. With all of that being said, it's only a matter of time before I change it again. :) Is anyone else ready for September???



Here are some very cute and very affordable finds that are great for the upcoming season. They can be purchased at your local Target {you have to pronounce it "Tar-shay"... Not sure why... You just do. :P

So it's not Kate spade or Manolo Blahnik... And the pic of the Hobo bag does not do it justice -BUT- both of these are cute & under $20.00. {Obviously they should not be paired together, lol}. I especially love the flats. I think these would look good with jeans and a black sweater! I expect you'll see a lot of them come fall/winter.

My Hero

Today, as I was driving home during rush hour traffic {think very busy / several lanes} I saw a turtle trying to cross the road...

Crazy turtle.

The semi in front of me managed to pass over him {going to call it a "him" because a female turtle would have the brains to wait until the traffic died down} with out doing damage but when it came my turn I knew I had to stop or else he would end up smooshed.

I refuse to smoosh a turtle.

So, like I said I stopped and in doing so held up all of the traffic behind me {it was a longggg line} Just as I got out of my car, a tall, handsome {no, I'm not fabricating to make the story more interesting, this guy was hot} young man whistled from the other side of the busy road and motioned for me to get back in my car. He proceeded to dodge on coming traffic, grab the turtle and bring him to safe land.

"Your awesome!" I shouted out my car window to which he replied with a big smile.
And then I headed home.

The turtle was safe

I felt relieved

And the hot guy knew he was appreciated.

It was a very pleasant way to end the work day

Today By The Pool

I had just got done applying a bit of Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil when my 7 year old proceeded to tell me that I looked like a burnt french frie... "all greasy and brown".

Kids...

Music Pick: Nina Simone

I feel like listening to a little Nina tonight. I think she goes well with the Fonseca... {Next I'll be pimping Nietzsche. Joking... Kinda :P}

Know what the best thing is about Nina Simone? It's that nobody and I mean -nobody- sounds like her. You might be able to sing jazz and bang on the ivory with the best of them but you will never, ever be able to emulate her voice. If I had to make a top ten favorites list, you can bet Nina Simone would be somewhere in there between 1 and 5.

Here is more about the woman behind the talent:

From Wikipedia

Eunice Kathleen Waymon, better known by her stage name Nina Simone /ˈniːnə sɨˈmoʊn/ (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and civil rights activist.

Although she disliked being categorized, Simone is generally classified as a jazz musician. Simone originally aspired to become a classical pianist, but her work covers an eclectic variety of musical styles besides her classical basis, such as jazz, soul, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop music. Her vocal style is characterized by intense passion, a loose vibrato, and a slightly androgynous timbre, in part due to her unusually low vocal range which veered between the alto and tenor ranges (occasionally even reaching baritone lows). Also known as The High Priestess of Soul, she paid great attention to the musical expression of emotions. Within one album or concert she could fluctuate between exuberant happiness and tragic melancholy. These fluctuations also characterized her own personality and personal life, worsened by bipolar disorder with which she was diagnosed during the mid-1960s, but was kept secret until 2004 after her death.[1]

Simone recorded over 40 live and studio albums, the greatest body of her work being released between 1958 (when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue) and 1974. Songs she is best known for include "My Baby Just Cares for Me", "I Put a Spell on You", "Four Women", "I Loves You Porgy", "Feeling Good", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Sinnerman", "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", "Ain't Got No/I Got Life" and "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl".

Her music and message made a strong and lasting impact on culture[2], illustrated by the numerous contemporary artists who cite her as an important influence (among them Eric Burdon, Amy Winehouse, Mary J. Blige, Elkie Brooks, Alicia Keys, Jeff Buckley, John Legend, Lauryn Hill and Peter Gabriel). Many hip hop and other modern artists sample and remix Simone's rhythms and beats on their tracks. In particular, Talib Kweli and Mos Def routinely pay tribute to her outstanding and soulful musical style. Many of her songs are featured motion picture soundtracks as well, including but not limited to, the The Big Lebowski (1998), Point of No Return (AKA The Assassin, 1993) Notting Hill (1999), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Before Sunset (2004), Inland Empire (2006), Sex and the City (2008), Revolutionary Road (2008), and Watchmen (2009).

What I'm Sipping On

At the moment, it's Fonseca Port Wine, non vintage and it's, for lack of a better description, -really- yummy. It's just sweet enough with a mild after taste. Great to sip on by it self or with a good cigar in hand.

The average price for NV {non vintage} runs between $20.00 & $30.00. Not to bad price wise. Vintage bottles range anywhere from $17.00 for a 1990 bottle {must not have been a good year?} to $1700 for a 1948 bottle. There are 47 vintages ranging from the year 1919 to 2007.

You can read more about Fonseca Port here: http://www.fonseca.pt/index_.htm

Artist Of The Week: Judith Heartsong

I came across Judith years ago when I first started journaling. Although we've never met face to face, I, proudly, consider Judi a friend. She is a strong, independent woman. She's also a survivor and {my favorite part} a gypsy. First and foremost, she is a wildly talented artist. Her paintings tell a story that will pull you in and leave you wanting to know more...

You can find out more about Judith here: https://www.judithheartsong.com/home.html