Sunday, May 31, 2009

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo

If you had the kind of week I had, I been feeling the need for some Biddidi Bobbidi Boo myself. While I rummage around in my closet for my lovely blue cape and wand , enjoy the video. Go on and make a nice juicy wish for yourself while your at it. You never know when a wish will be granted.



Sweet Dreams.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Aretha

I'm in the mood for vintage Aretha. I loved when Aretha was young. She was so pretty to me. Here is The Queen of Soul from 1967. (The video volume is not a high as the next one, so crank the sound up.)


Aretha Franklin - Baby I Love You


I couldn't resist adding another one. This is Chain of Fools from 1968.



Have a fab Friday. Sweet Dreams to you all.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Persuasion

I am half way through my Jane Austen reading campaign. I still have Emma and Mansfield Park yet to read. I have a feeling Persuasion will be my favorite. I do so love Anne Elliot, who makes the best of her life, with dignity and compassion for those around her. Her family, oh my. They are just the worst, I so bad wanted Anne to just tell them off. I know, this is not done in JA's world. When the dashing Captain Frederick Wentworth comes in, I held my breath too. I know a book has captured my heart when I feel like I’m the main character. I’m sure you all have that sensation before. That the book and your life is becoming one. The characters in the book fuse with people in your own life. When Anne finally realizes: His feelings as to first, strong attachment, sentences begun which he could not finish, his half-averted eyes and more than half-expressive glance, all, resentment, avoidance, were no more and that they were succeeded, not merely, by friendship and regard, but by tenderness of the past. Yes, some share of the tenderness of the past! She could not contemplate the change as implying less. He must love her.” I was as happy for Anne as it was my own self. My cheeks brightened and my eyes came alive as hers. I finished Persuasion sad to see Anne, Captain Wentworth along with the happy Musgroves, Lady Russell and Mrs. Smith to go. As with all good books, they are only waiting for us to come again and dive into their world. I do encourage all of you who haven't read it, to do so. Here is part of my favorite passage from Captain Wentworth. I did watch the most recent 2008 PBS version of Persuasion which I enjoyed except when they had Anne running all over to find Captain Wentworth to answer his letter. I do want to watch the 1995 version. I'm currently immersed in the whimsical, magical and sometimes trippy world of Alice in Wonderland. I have seen the Disney and other versions but never read the actual book. I am enjoying it. I was inspired to actually read the story since I'm taking part in the 2nd annual Mad Tea Party being hosted by Vanessa. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go click on the link. Or the first button of the right sidebar. Once I'm finished with Alice, it's off to either Emma or Mansfield Park. Haven't decided which one yet. So this is quite a long post. Let me end it now, I must share I do adore the Chesire Cat. He is quite a character. Have a wonderful Wednesday. As always, Sweet Dreams to you all.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Star Wars



I was 8 years old. My mom, my two aunts and three cousins were standing on this long line on Times Square to see this movie. We went in and got our seats. It was crowded with people. The lights dims then this music came blaring out of the screen with the this title:

I was transfixed. My love of Star Wars began then and I have continued to this day. Star Wars came out May 25, 1977. No one had a clue how this movie would revolutionize movies, the film business and attract legions of dedicated fans.

At 8, I no idea of all that. All I knew is that Luke, Leia, Han, Obi Wan, Artoo, Threepio, Chewbacca and Vader became like extended family to me. Everyone has their favorite character. The one who they really connected to.

My favorite was Luke Skywalker. First, I felt Luke echoed a part of me. Like Luke, I had father issues. As the sequels came after, Luke's journey especially with Vader would mirror my own with my father. Second, Mark Hamill was just dreamy to me. Sorry, Harrison..you just wasn't the man for me back in the day.

The whole idea of The Force captured me. As Obi Wan says about The Force: It's a mystical energy field created by all living things;That binds the galaxy together. It can guide you and obey your commands. I wanted some of that! To be a Jedi and go on adventures with Luke was my dream. My love of the Force completely made sense to me because my mom always drummed into me to always follow my instincts. To me at 8, that sounded like I was using The Force.

Star Wars had five movies that followed it. Each movie brought new beloved characters and new adventures. My favorite of the whole series is The Empire Strikes Back. Which happens to be my favorite movie of all time. I have to do a post dedicated to Empire in the future.

I feel I haven't even scratched the surface on how much I love Star Wars. It would take too long in one post. Hopefully, I shared a sense of it. If there is one message from the original Star Wars, it's this: Belief in yourself and your abilities can take you farther than you can imagine. You may be the person the world is waiting for.

Here are two great scenes for you.

The lyrical and moving Sunset scene.



The famous Trench run. Where Luke finally begins to trust himself and use The Force. You have no idea how many times as a kid from to even now. I say to myself, "Use The Force, Shell. Let go, Shell." You know what, it works every time for me.





To everyone out there and all the vets on Memorial Day: The Force will be with you always.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Beautiful Saturday

It is a sunshiny day in New York. I'm feeling in a happy mood today. I wanted to share more scans from my one of my favorite childhood books from Richard Scarry. I love the vibrant colors and painting style of these pictures.

Look at this beautiful Yellow..


The dreamy pink..


This brilliant blue sky..


A lovely Nature scene...


This sweet Chocolate brown pony..


How about writing a handwritten letter to a far away friend..


Hope you all enjoyed these scans. I will be sharing some more in June. Have a fab weekend. I'll be back on Monday commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the release of Star Wars. (That's Episode IV for those who are keeping track. It's the one that started it all.)

Sweet Dreams to you all.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Pretty

One of my favorite magazines, Victoria, had a Jane Austen inspired wedding from the February 2002 issue that always has stayed me. I wanted to share some of their pictures with you. I like to have a regency feel to my wedding dress whenever I get married.

Here are the dresses laid out for the bride and bridesmaids.


Here is the detailed view of the wedding dress:





Here are two other pretty dresses, I found online. Have a romantic feel to them.



Came across Bara Luxe who have simply gorgeous wedding dresses for all sizes. There is no sound on the video. You can still enjoy the show of their wedding dresses.


One of my best friends, Lady K., is getting married this summer. Of course, I am a bridesmaid. This dress is a stunner from Nordstorm. Something I can wear again. Alas, the dress is sold out. I'm sure I can find the style somewhere else. I can so see myself in this.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Love

There is one emotion that has been bane of my existence. For some it can be Envy, anger, guilt, shame, etc. You can put in whatever emotion you want in this list. For me: Frustration.
Frustrate (from Merriam-Webster dictionary)

Middle English, from Latin frustratus, past participle of frustrare to deceive, frustrate, from frustra in error, in vain
Date: 15th Century

1 a: to balk or defeat in an endeavor b: to induce feelings of discouragement in2 a (1): to make ineffectual : bring to nothing (2): impede, obstruct b: to make invalid or of no effect


Since I was little, I have a tendency at the worst times to allow myself to get frustrated. For me it leads me to do stupid things: say and do things I regret, not listen to my intuition and take steps backwards.

There are things in my life that are frustrating to me. It annoys me to no end. Whatever I do I can't seem to get shake these feelings. This weekend I made a decision. I have to show love to what frustrates me. You all know we feed what we put our attention on. If these areas in my life, I continue to shower with my frustration. Guess what I'll get? More Frustration! I don't need that anymore.

Yes, I know it sound trite. Sometimes the best answer is the simplest. The decision I made this weekend lifted a lot of my frustration. I was able to feel my jaw relax, my mind open and my heart get clear.

So if you're reading this feeling frustrated, angry, upset, scared, hurting,etc, Feed all these unsettled parts of your life with your kindness, compassion, hope and love. I don't mean you have to love the whole situation or the person who may be causing these feelings. I say love yourself and lovingly change your thoughts that is allowing you to go down this path.

If you give love, you'll get love back. That is a truth as old as time. I'm sending love to everyone today. I hope you'll send that love out to others.


Sweet Dreams and Love to all of you.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Monday Fun



I got tagged from Tammy to do a Four Things List.

Here is mine:

4 things I am looking forward to:
1) Having my SAG card
2) Spending time with my Mr. Rochester
3) Getting Mystical Mahjong
4) Summer

4 things I did yesterday:
1) Reading my new Victoria magazine
2) Having fun with my Twin and her daughter
3) Enjoying a delicious Klondike bar
4) Being able to fall asleep early

4 things I wish I could do
1) Buy a whole new wardrobe
2) See Lenny Kravitz in concert and meet him backstage
3) Travel to Paris
4) See my friend, Sean, one last time.

4 things/shows I like to watch
1) Supernatural
2) Medium
3) Bones
4) Fringe (There are more shows, but could only fit four!)

4 creative things I did this month {new category}
1) Placing my tutoring ads for Acting and Writing
2) Finding my style statement
3) Inventive ways to wear my hair
4) Being more free with my Mystical Journal

This is the part I'm supposed to tag others; I know not everyone loves being tagged. If you want to join in on the fun with this list, you are more than welcome to do it on your own blog.

Here's to having a wonderful Monday. Hope you all had a creative and fun weekend.

Sweet Dreams to you all.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Bliss

I had all these ideas on what to post. My brain is a bit fried today. When I feel like this, I have to keep things simple.

I'm going to share this video called Beautiful by the group Late Night Alumni. A dreamy song perfect for a Friday. As you listen to the song think on this.



Just imagine your on a gorgeous beach somewhere...
Your have your bathing suit on: one piece, two piece or swimming trunks. I have on a beautiful blue one piece and a bright colored sarong. Your lying on the beach with your special someone. Or he/she is coming out the water to be with you. This person can be someone your with now or someone from your past. Or even someone famous or imaginary. Your there on this beach together and everything is perfect.

Bliss.

Have a beautiful Friday everyone. As always, Sweet Dreams to you all.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Thursday and Book love


It is my favorite day: Thursday! Happy Thursday to all of you. I wanted to give a big hug to all who came to join in on the Haiku festival on Monday and all the love on my Haiku poems. I am most grateful.

As you can see I've changed the some things on my blog. It was only after posting the banner of me Then and Now ,did I realize in both pictures I am wearing pink and have a pink flower. Kind of cool how things just flow together without you realizing it.I do have to say a special thank you to Poetic Dreams. Her redoing my original banner sparked my imagination to be able to try my own hand at it. The picture of me is from coming back home from this Mother's Day. My mom and I went up to Harlem to Mobay's celebrate. The place is beautifully decorated in warm colors. They had a live singer singing jazz and gospel. The food was delicious.

I have been branching out doing more private Tutoring in Drama and English. It has been rewarding and hoping to create more tutoring opportunities for myself. If there isn't a job for you out there, make your own!! You will find people who need your particular talent and pay well for it.

Now, on to my book love. Let me first say, I hate acting books! They are boring and too formulaic for me. I discovered this gem of a book from the library. (A big cheer for libraries!) How not to act by Harold Guskin. I found a lot of what he wrote about illuminating and on point about the craft of acting. I highly recommend it to any actors out there or anyone interested in the process of acting. He has interviews with James Gandolfini, Bridget and Peter Fonda, Kevin Kline and my beloved Christopher Reeve about acting. This book along with Michael Caine's Acting on Film are my favorites.

The second book is Style Statement: Live by Your Own Design by Danielle LaPorte and Carrie McCarthy. This book took me about two weeks to go through it since you are given questions to think about and answer. The theme of the book is this: "This powerful two-word compass guides you to a life that reflects what’s true to you in every way, from your wisdom to your wardrobe, from your longings to your living room. A Style Statement fully expresses your soul."

Me, being an typical Aquarius, my Style Statement came from words different from the book. They encourage individuality, so I embraced it with my style Statement. Now if I went in alignment with the book I would be called Cherish Creative. I like these words but it didn't resonate with me enough. I picked two other words more attuned to me to be my Style Statement. At a later date, I'll share what those words are. I can feel the changes already beginning.

Wow, now that sure was a long post wasn't it? Hey I gave you two good books to read; and, wonderful place to eat at up in Harlem. I'll be back tomorrow with I'm sure a shorter post.

As always, Sweet Dreams to you all.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Dreamthought #11



Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream. - Lao Tzu

Monday, May 11, 2009

Haiku Festival

I'm joining in on the magic, beauty and power of Haiku with the Haiku Festival hosted by Tracy and Elizabeth. Please go on and visit all my fellow Haiku lovers. Maybe you'll try some Haiku yourself. Just remember the simple 5-7-5 syllable rule.

I jump in Ocean
Dolphins ride the waves with me
We swim till sunset


I wait for Midnight
When I dive into dreams
He is there waiting


We race to sea’s edge
Watch and count the stars in sky
Hold hands till dawn


Moon hangs low in sky
Wind kisses my bare shoulders
I wish you were here


I Haiku. Hope you all enjoyed. Have a wonderful Monday.

As always, Sweet Dreams to you all.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Dancing in the Moonlight



the moon so pure
a wandering monk carries it
across the sand- Basho


It is The Full Moon in Scorpio. There are so many names for this beautiful Moon, I like the name Flower Moon. The flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. New life is hatching and birthing all around us. Did you get a chance to dance this Full Moon night? I did. Being serenaded by Loreena McKennit, George Michael and Tina Turner. I danced for freedom, hope, love and letting go. I can't see the Moon right now, though I can feel her. She'll be peeking out about 2am. I'll wake up in the middle of the night, seeing her bright face glowing into my bedroom.

If you don't feel like dancing, play with the Moon tonight by writing, drawing, painting or whatever catches your fancy. Follow your impulses and see where they take you.

As always, Sweet Dreams to you all.

P.S. Happy Mother's Day.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Open



On Sunday, I worked as a reader for a feature film. I read lines for the actor to respond to as they auditioned for their callbacks. I had a great time doing this. Even got a small part for myself in the film. (Score one for Shell!)

What I noticed so clearly, the actors who got the parts were the ones who were in flow. They listened to the lines. They responded naturally while being connected to the material and themselves. The less out of touch with themselves, the more unconvincing their audition was. The director pronounced some of them truly horrible actors. I didn't think so. Yes, their audition was bad. I don't feel they were bad actors, just not connected with their emotions.

I've been experimenting on how be more open and in touch with my own feelings. I am expressive with my feelings by nature, I know I can go further. Like everyone when things get rough, I have a tendency to shut down. My life since my birthday has been a whirlwind. It's been a challenge to keep truthful with my own emotions and thoughts. I've noticed the more honest I am in my own life, it reverberates in my work. I wondered what things were the actors not doing in their personal lives that made their work stilted or uninspired?

My acting teacher, Hope, use to say acting problems are human problems. She is so right. I leave this with all of you. In your creative life, if things aren't flowing, look to what is out of sync in your personal life. By solving a issue or challenge in your personal life, your creative life will flourish. Our lives feed our creativity.

As always, Sweet Dreams to you all.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Are you a Blueberry Girl?

I found this weeks ago on another blogger's site. I fell in love with the video and play it all the time. Here is something sweet for your Wednesday.



As always, Sweet Dreams to you all.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Capturing my Fancy

I had a fantastic weekend. Right now, I'm feeling a bit under the weather. So this is going to be a simple post. So what is catching your fancy so far? Here is what's capturing mine.

1)Mahjong. I'm addicted to playing my Mahjong on my computer. It's a great way to let my "Monkey Mind" go and tap into The Force. (No offense to my monkeys out there.)

2) Loving Solange Knowles' cd: Sol-Angel and The Hadley St. Dreams. I heard raves about her CD on her other blogs. It's really good and she experiments with all kind of musical themes. I applaud her for that. I will get her next one CD when it comes out. My favorite tract is the mind altering "Cosmic Journey."

3)One of my favorite authors, Judith Orloff, who is a MD and an intutive, has a brand spanking new book called Emotional Freedom. An insightful book. She has written three other books which I loved. She is my go to person when I need a refresh on how to keep balanced and in flow.

To give you something to groove on this Monday. One of my new favorite songs and videos Jamie Foxx's Blame it on the Alcohol.

Jamie foxx featuring T-pain - Blame it from VergoMedia on Vimeo.

What I love it's chock full of stars including: Samuel L. Jackson, Forrest Whitaker, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ron Howard and Quincy Jones. If you get into something naughty this month, just blame it on the Alcohol as Jamie says.

As always, Sweet Dreams to you all.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Happy May

Faerie

May is one of my favorite months of the year. I have fond memories of my elementary school days having a May Festival at May's end. It was full of celebration, song, dance, art. Even now as an adult, I still get excited when May comes. It is the month of dandelions, roses, trees being full, bare skin kissed by sun and blue sky days.

Today is May 1st. Magical lore says if you wash your face with May Day dew in the early morning, you'll have beauty, luck and good health all year long. Finally, you'll see the fruits of all the April showers with Mama Earth's explosion of flowers, plants, and new animals life. It is reminder to me that life does continue on.

If you've had a particularly hard winter like I did, do your best to embrace the life you have now. Whatever you don't like, you can change it. This is your life, so make it count and have fun! Every day is a fresh start to be whoever you want to me.

Now, I must go out and dance with the faeries a bit. Thought it's a bit of an overcast sky, I'm sure I can find Rainy day faerie or two who will enjoy the weather with me.

As always, Sweet Dreams to you All.

Wordless Wednesday: Spring