A day off is like putting your brain on co-pilot. Not having to be anywhere for any particular reason is quite wonderful. So I decided it would be a nice day to visit my Mama. We drove over and my sister Norma was there, she was happy to have a full house.The kids played happily out in the yard, running around, picking peaches, and basically just causing a ruckus. While the kids played we visited with Mom, I invited her to Melissa's birthday dinner and hoped she would say yes.
You know...... I myself have seen my Mama put on her rollers a million times but somehow these become the moments I know I will cherish. Ever since I was a little girl I remember those funny rollers - they caused me much embarrassment in grade school. She would come to the school with her colorful plastic rollers and a brightly colored scarf tied around her head (this kept the rollers in place), it's funny how when your a kid you don't really appreciate those things. But I also remember how proud I would be when she dressed up with her hair beautifully curled.
Oh those rollers brought back so many memories and made it fun while we helped Mama pick out an outfit to wear to dinner. We will be celebrating my daughters 22nd birthday this evening, and I'm really excited to have the family together. I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating LIFE!
<3 Lizzi
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Day Off
Hello, today was a good day! Sometimes it's nice to change it up a bit, and believe me my house and laundry needed me! Started my day dropping Felice off at school, then went and filled up my gas tank and then escorted my truck to a much needed car wash. Oh things are looking good right, until I turned the ignition key on and it wavered, not completely failed, but not strong either. My truck needs help, so I took it to our neighborhood Steve's Repair shop. Steve said he'd look at it after lunch, so back home I go to play the waiting game. Sammy called me and asked if I wanted a couple of days off, since they had an unexpected project to work on. Day Off... All of a sudden I came up with a zillion places I could go, oh but wait I don't have a car. I had enough to keep me busy here at home, and the kids and I had fun in the sprinklers.
I had run into a friend that I hadn't seen in about 20 years at the hair salon about a month ago and of course we became Face Book friends. She mentioned that she was feeling poorly so I told her I was gonna bring her and her hubby dinner. Kinda tough without a vehicle right? Well it worked out okay and although a little late I did make it by with dinner. We had such a lovely visit, seems with old friends it's so natural to be out of touch and than you see each other and it's as if not even a week has passed, Absolutely seamless! So refreshing to see her, she's chock full of positivity. These are the kind of people that I like to surround myself with.
The girls were waiting for me at home to do the dreaded Insanity, but as it turns out not a one of the discs seemed to play. There was some evil preventing us from from the torture of it all ; ) oh well, there's always tomorrow....but of course we don't worry about that because tomorrow has it's own challenges. Have a great day!
<3 Lizzi
I had run into a friend that I hadn't seen in about 20 years at the hair salon about a month ago and of course we became Face Book friends. She mentioned that she was feeling poorly so I told her I was gonna bring her and her hubby dinner. Kinda tough without a vehicle right? Well it worked out okay and although a little late I did make it by with dinner. We had such a lovely visit, seems with old friends it's so natural to be out of touch and than you see each other and it's as if not even a week has passed, Absolutely seamless! So refreshing to see her, she's chock full of positivity. These are the kind of people that I like to surround myself with.
The girls were waiting for me at home to do the dreaded Insanity, but as it turns out not a one of the discs seemed to play. There was some evil preventing us from from the torture of it all ; ) oh well, there's always tomorrow....but of course we don't worry about that because tomorrow has it's own challenges. Have a great day!
<3 Lizzi
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Day 17 in the Studio
I should have known by the title Good Times that this song was going to give me a time. What was supposed to be the funnest song so far was certainly the toughest. We were even talking about doing a video of this song with all of the familia dancing and having a good time. This song sounds super fun, but for some reason has been the most challenging. Remember this is the song that the key was too high and we changed it a few times. I suppose the easy, lighthearted songs are tough, I ask you am I not these things, than why is it so difficult for me to sing as such? Yeah, this song has had it in for me since the beginning.
I knew I was gonna need some moral support so I begged Sissy to come to the studio with me. She had to work so she wasn't available to come in until after two. No problem, I'll take it, two it is. I figured she knew how I wanted the vocal to sound and maybe she could help guide me in the right direction. I am amazed at how much security there is in having your children near brings. I went into the vocal booth, very well rehearsed, but I still held onto my tablet with the words. I sang the first verse, and it seems like the guys looked at me in amazement only NOT because it sounded great, but because it was weird. I wanted to sound like an Australian singer Lenka, but I didn't even accomplish that. As Sammy put it I sounded like I was dumbing down my own vocal. I was so frustrated, I was sweating, I was having trouble differentiating simple notes. Oh I was a mess, and pretty close to tears, I looked through the glass door at Sammy, John, and Melissa for some sort of approval or direction. I knew they were concerned when Sammy asked me if my voice was tired, or if I needed a break. I know he saw that I was becoming more and more frustrated, I felt like I was so out of my element. I came out and sat for awhile and we showed Sissy the three songs we had recorded so far. Wow, she loved them, it was like a shot of adrenaline. Here I have my own voice, unique to me and I was trying to replicate someone else, if that isn't a slap in the God's face, I don't know what is. I went back in the booth with a new perspective and sang my version of Good Times. It was good, I am so thankful for an awesome crew to help steer me, and be sensitive enough to know how to do it. As John said "no pressure, your supposed to be having fun! Well I tried something new, it didn't work out, never let it be said of Lizzi that I am afraid to take chances. It's part of my character, I am always willing to take chances for the greater good.
So today was a bitter sweet day, but my kids (Sammy & Sissy) and John reminded me to be me! With that I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, or hearing from you.
Take Care, <3 Lizzi
I knew I was gonna need some moral support so I begged Sissy to come to the studio with me. She had to work so she wasn't available to come in until after two. No problem, I'll take it, two it is. I figured she knew how I wanted the vocal to sound and maybe she could help guide me in the right direction. I am amazed at how much security there is in having your children near brings. I went into the vocal booth, very well rehearsed, but I still held onto my tablet with the words. I sang the first verse, and it seems like the guys looked at me in amazement only NOT because it sounded great, but because it was weird. I wanted to sound like an Australian singer Lenka, but I didn't even accomplish that. As Sammy put it I sounded like I was dumbing down my own vocal. I was so frustrated, I was sweating, I was having trouble differentiating simple notes. Oh I was a mess, and pretty close to tears, I looked through the glass door at Sammy, John, and Melissa for some sort of approval or direction. I knew they were concerned when Sammy asked me if my voice was tired, or if I needed a break. I know he saw that I was becoming more and more frustrated, I felt like I was so out of my element. I came out and sat for awhile and we showed Sissy the three songs we had recorded so far. Wow, she loved them, it was like a shot of adrenaline. Here I have my own voice, unique to me and I was trying to replicate someone else, if that isn't a slap in the God's face, I don't know what is. I went back in the booth with a new perspective and sang my version of Good Times. It was good, I am so thankful for an awesome crew to help steer me, and be sensitive enough to know how to do it. As John said "no pressure, your supposed to be having fun! Well I tried something new, it didn't work out, never let it be said of Lizzi that I am afraid to take chances. It's part of my character, I am always willing to take chances for the greater good.
So today was a bitter sweet day, but my kids (Sammy & Sissy) and John reminded me to be me! With that I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, or hearing from you.
Take Care, <3 Lizzi
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Day 16 in the Studio
My Monday was crazy, mishap after mishap. This is actually the first day my blog was not ready to shoot out by midnight. The day started with two loads of laundry waiting to be folded and put away, so I happily sipped my coffee while folding clothes. It was my nieces 27th birthday so I thought I would bake her a most delicious chocolate cake with decadent chocolate frosting. I set to work measuring out the ingredients for a Devil's Food cake, pretty simple right? I followed the same process I have followed for years, measuring, mixing, prepping the pan, preheating the oven. I was so happy as I put my cake in the oven, I thought okay I can put on my makeup and get ready for the studio while it bakes. I turned on my timer for 25 minutes. My cake came out beautiful and smelled delicious, after cooling I prepped my platter with wax paper strips for frosting. Then turned the cake, but wouldn't you know it Rocky came and started tugging at my leg for his baba (bottle). Crying ba ba ba ba I turned and my cake pretty much broke in two, not even salvagable. I thought okay I made double for a two layer cake, so I went through the process again of prepping the pan, back to the oven. This one was gonna redeem me, you see I had also made the mistake of posting on FB what I was up to. I really needed to deliver a cake! The second cake I was sure would be perfect, the trouble was my husband stopped in unexpectedly for lunch, my timer went off and since I always under time I knew I had about five more minutes to take my cake out. Distracted yes, I began doing other things completely forgot about my cake whoops there went cake number two. By now I needed to leave for the studio
Today was a perfect follow up to yesterdays mishap. The guys had an idea for a new song. John had me do a chant at the end of song three. Good Times still needs a lead vocal. But John felt inspired to start on a new song, as usual he asked if it was okay with that. I thought it's better than ok, I love to just listen and watch them create a new song. They interact so well that they don't need anyone but themselves. John and Sammy are both excellent singers, so again I feel privileged that these songs are for me. The beat for new song is disco all the way, I love it, this is so my era. Woohoo I love it, this songs gonna be my favorite! So sad I had to cut things short because I had to get Felice to work by four. So again until tomorrow, have a great day!
<3 Lizzi
Today was a perfect follow up to yesterdays mishap. The guys had an idea for a new song. John had me do a chant at the end of song three. Good Times still needs a lead vocal. But John felt inspired to start on a new song, as usual he asked if it was okay with that. I thought it's better than ok, I love to just listen and watch them create a new song. They interact so well that they don't need anyone but themselves. John and Sammy are both excellent singers, so again I feel privileged that these songs are for me. The beat for new song is disco all the way, I love it, this is so my era. Woohoo I love it, this songs gonna be my favorite! So sad I had to cut things short because I had to get Felice to work by four. So again until tomorrow, have a great day!
<3 Lizzi
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Day 15 in the Studio
Today was a tough day! I had to come to grips with the fact that song number four Good Times! was just too high for me to sing. When the guys were creating the song they asked me is this key ok? I said oh yeah, it's perfect, only to find that the more I practiced it the more I realized that I sounded mousy. This is not the way I wanted my vocal to sound, so I knew that although the song was ready for me to put a lead vocal on it, I needed to tell the guys before we went any further. This put my third week summary to the test, I know I say that the guys are super encouraging, patient, and considerate, so the question was were they gonna be mad at me. I told Sam well I guess they'll want to kill me or fire me! So needless to say I went in with a heavy heart and knew I had to walk the walk of shame. I even wondered if I should tell them off the camera. But oh well I decided that I just had to bite the bullet and do it.
I had posted a comment on Twitter "Nervous to go into the studio, have to tell the guys something important. I hope they won't be mad" so John being the dedicated tweep that he is had read it by the time I arrived. So no sooner did I say hello, hug, hug, kiss, kiss I set up my Ipad and Sammy looked over and read my comment and asked "what's this all about" this was it ,I had to tell them the truth..."well, I've been practicing Good Times and I think it's too high". I searched their faces for any sign of anger, or frustration, but they simply said okay what key feels comfortable? John got on the keyboard and started playing the song, I sang along "oh yeah, that's good" so first the keyboard changes were made, then Sammy laid down the base, wow we're good to go. I started practicing to the new version when I got to the chorus uh-ho still seems a little high. I can't believe I did it again! The guys looked at me as I practiced and said it's still too high isn't it? Uh yeah, John got on the keyboard and started playing the song...sound familiar? Keyboard changes were made, Sammy re-laid down the bass, and yes we're good to go..again. You see the Iklectix are great, not one look, one complaint, business as usual. I was the one who felt bad, like a naughty child who got caught doing something wrong. Well that won't happen again (I hope) I finally did add a scratch lead vocal, Sammy burned me a cd so I could practice and get used to the new key. We'll see what Tuesday brings. Thanks for reading and please feel free to post a comment, I'd love to know what you think.
<3 Lizzi
I had posted a comment on Twitter "Nervous to go into the studio, have to tell the guys something important. I hope they won't be mad" so John being the dedicated tweep that he is had read it by the time I arrived. So no sooner did I say hello, hug, hug, kiss, kiss I set up my Ipad and Sammy looked over and read my comment and asked "what's this all about" this was it ,I had to tell them the truth..."well, I've been practicing Good Times and I think it's too high". I searched their faces for any sign of anger, or frustration, but they simply said okay what key feels comfortable? John got on the keyboard and started playing the song, I sang along "oh yeah, that's good" so first the keyboard changes were made, then Sammy laid down the base, wow we're good to go. I started practicing to the new version when I got to the chorus uh-ho still seems a little high. I can't believe I did it again! The guys looked at me as I practiced and said it's still too high isn't it? Uh yeah, John got on the keyboard and started playing the song...sound familiar? Keyboard changes were made, Sammy re-laid down the bass, and yes we're good to go..again. You see the Iklectix are great, not one look, one complaint, business as usual. I was the one who felt bad, like a naughty child who got caught doing something wrong. Well that won't happen again (I hope) I finally did add a scratch lead vocal, Sammy burned me a cd so I could practice and get used to the new key. We'll see what Tuesday brings. Thanks for reading and please feel free to post a comment, I'd love to know what you think.
<3 Lizzi
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday July 24, 2010
If I haven't said it before I will say it now I LOVE SATURDAYS!
I got so much accomplished today, started out with a nice hot cup of coffee, checked my sites while I listened to Etta James...I want a Sunday kind of love, ooh I love this song. Pretty much everyone I know was going to the Garlic Festival but I, who don't really like crowds totally shy away from these types of events. I used to love it when Sam and I were dating, and even into the first years of our marriage. The turning point for me was when our boys were still young at the Tapestry n' Talent Festival in Downtown San Jose, we were sitting on the lawn watching a Raggae band and a fight broke out just a few people behind us. I felt so trapped, first of all I worried about the safety of my children, then I thought about how difficult it would be to escape a situation like this. I felt unsafe to say the least, so from then on I'm a little weird with crowds. Funny how your perspective of the world changes once you have children. I am not a paranoid worry wart, but I have always taught my kids to be aware of their surroundings, and trust their instincts. You ask what does this have to do with recording music...nothing, sorry.
So, today was a thorough cleaning day. I love to see my kitchen sparkling clean. So Sam got up before I did, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have my coffee first thing in the morning. He started cleaning the stove, the hood, the walls, the refrigerator (even on top), amazing right? My husband is great about trying to keep me happy. While he worked on, I swept, mopped, dusted, changed the bedding, did a couple of loads of laundry...
Sam took the day off from the Studio so after cleaning he decided to repair a few leaky pipes, of course this meant the water had to be off for about 8 hours. I ran over to my son Jeremys' to wash my hands and face. Got ready and went to Cathedral of Faith to hear an excellent author and teacher Bruce Wilkinson. His latest book You Were Born For This, to this iI say you better believe it and a whole lot more. God gives us dreams, and our circumstances either force us to fulfill them, or discourage us completely. I know this firsthand because my dream sat on the shelf for about 20 years, it goes by quickly and then you think well that was a long time ago...booyah it can happen. Look at me I am proof of that, I've still got a song to sing! Speaking of singing, I better practice my song, on Monday I will be singing the Lead Vocal. Please stop in and see us, it's fun!
Great Sunday to you, <3 Lizzi
I got so much accomplished today, started out with a nice hot cup of coffee, checked my sites while I listened to Etta James...I want a Sunday kind of love, ooh I love this song. Pretty much everyone I know was going to the Garlic Festival but I, who don't really like crowds totally shy away from these types of events. I used to love it when Sam and I were dating, and even into the first years of our marriage. The turning point for me was when our boys were still young at the Tapestry n' Talent Festival in Downtown San Jose, we were sitting on the lawn watching a Raggae band and a fight broke out just a few people behind us. I felt so trapped, first of all I worried about the safety of my children, then I thought about how difficult it would be to escape a situation like this. I felt unsafe to say the least, so from then on I'm a little weird with crowds. Funny how your perspective of the world changes once you have children. I am not a paranoid worry wart, but I have always taught my kids to be aware of their surroundings, and trust their instincts. You ask what does this have to do with recording music...nothing, sorry.
So, today was a thorough cleaning day. I love to see my kitchen sparkling clean. So Sam got up before I did, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have my coffee first thing in the morning. He started cleaning the stove, the hood, the walls, the refrigerator (even on top), amazing right? My husband is great about trying to keep me happy. While he worked on, I swept, mopped, dusted, changed the bedding, did a couple of loads of laundry...
Sam took the day off from the Studio so after cleaning he decided to repair a few leaky pipes, of course this meant the water had to be off for about 8 hours. I ran over to my son Jeremys' to wash my hands and face. Got ready and went to Cathedral of Faith to hear an excellent author and teacher Bruce Wilkinson. His latest book You Were Born For This, to this iI say you better believe it and a whole lot more. God gives us dreams, and our circumstances either force us to fulfill them, or discourage us completely. I know this firsthand because my dream sat on the shelf for about 20 years, it goes by quickly and then you think well that was a long time ago...booyah it can happen. Look at me I am proof of that, I've still got a song to sing! Speaking of singing, I better practice my song, on Monday I will be singing the Lead Vocal. Please stop in and see us, it's fun!
Great Sunday to you, <3 Lizzi
Friday, July 23, 2010
Day 14 in the Studio
Everyday has just been an incredible experience, and the only thing missing was my Sammy. He text me early this morning to let me know that he still wasn't feeling up to coming in. Well the show must go on, we committed to this project so unless something critical happens we will continue forward. Even when we were having technical difficulties we still continued to create. I think by Monday we'll all be together again. So although it was just John & I, we had a very productive day. John was in an especially fun mood today. But I guess anytime you roll up in a Mercedes (well excuuse me) everyone better look out!
We still needed words for our fourth song. So we set to work on our second verse and a piece of the bridge. John is the incredible lyricist so I just kind of let him go and we bounced ideas off each other - this helps so we keep perspective of where we want the song to go. We always want to convey a complete thought and so the song is appropriately called Good Times!
I am so anxious to let everyone hear the songs, so far they are all my favorites. Really you'll understand when you hear them. So for now we'll just keep doing what we're doing and soon the music will be ready for you to download. But in the meantime I hope you will continue being faithful in your reading, listening, viewing and just being a great encouragement to us.
<3 Lizzi
We still needed words for our fourth song. So we set to work on our second verse and a piece of the bridge. John is the incredible lyricist so I just kind of let him go and we bounced ideas off each other - this helps so we keep perspective of where we want the song to go. We always want to convey a complete thought and so the song is appropriately called Good Times!
I am so anxious to let everyone hear the songs, so far they are all my favorites. Really you'll understand when you hear them. So for now we'll just keep doing what we're doing and soon the music will be ready for you to download. But in the meantime I hope you will continue being faithful in your reading, listening, viewing and just being a great encouragement to us.
<3 Lizzi
Day 13 in the Studio
Now the tables turned around
Feels right just being me
I've given all I can,
There's something left for me
Youth escapes me, but wisdom is on my side
I am who I am, but not who you want me to be
The time has come, to let the dream of me be free
Dreams delayed as seasons change
Still keeps calling me
There's so much left to do
Ain't got nothin' to lose
Youth escapes me, but wisdom is on my side
Lyrics to my song 'I am who I am", it's getting so exciting in the studio. Sammy wasn't with us today, he was laid out with the stomach flu : /. Talked to him this evening and he seems to be on the upswing. So hopefully he'll join us tomorrow. We still accomplished quite a bit, today we attacked the lead and background vocals on song #2, I am who I am (I have to get used to calling these songs by their names) I had a great time in the booth. John always manages to challenge and stretch my boundaries. For instance he had me kinda sorta rap bits of the song. I thought I might have to call in Yung Rizzo for a quick lesson, but I thought of Teena Marie and how she used to attack songs. She was one of my favorite singers when I was about 20 years old. I used to play her album over and over, and I was happy to find her on Itunes. So I completed the lead and background vocals. Very proud of myself. Big Sam came in for a bit and said I sounded better than ever, I think with time I have found simpler is best, don't need all the trills and spills. Seems like I am so comfortable that it shows in my vocals.
Can't wait to see what we will be working on tomorrow. I know I need to work on lyrics for song #4 (this one doesn't have a name yet) But sometimes it's hard for me to even hear myself think. When I left the studio this evening, I came home popped a DiGiorno pizza in the oven, Senia picked up Rocky around 6:30, we loaded ourselves into the truck along with a couple of Felice's friends and went to watch a soccer game. While the kids watched I got some walking/jogging in, about 2 miles. Not bad, I'm gonna try and discipline myself to exercise a bit more, maybe not the Insanity way, but steady and consistent. Oh I almost forgot I promised Dusty when we got home we would play the game "LIFE" the 7 year old beat me. Well I know I should get to sleep (12 o clock) but my Felice just invited me to watch "Gone with the Wind" one of my all time favorite movies. Here's to almost TGIF!
<3 Lizzi
Feels right just being me
I've given all I can,
There's something left for me
Youth escapes me, but wisdom is on my side
I am who I am, but not who you want me to be
The time has come, to let the dream of me be free
Dreams delayed as seasons change
Still keeps calling me
There's so much left to do
Ain't got nothin' to lose
Youth escapes me, but wisdom is on my side
Lyrics to my song 'I am who I am", it's getting so exciting in the studio. Sammy wasn't with us today, he was laid out with the stomach flu : /. Talked to him this evening and he seems to be on the upswing. So hopefully he'll join us tomorrow. We still accomplished quite a bit, today we attacked the lead and background vocals on song #2, I am who I am (I have to get used to calling these songs by their names) I had a great time in the booth. John always manages to challenge and stretch my boundaries. For instance he had me kinda sorta rap bits of the song. I thought I might have to call in Yung Rizzo for a quick lesson, but I thought of Teena Marie and how she used to attack songs. She was one of my favorite singers when I was about 20 years old. I used to play her album over and over, and I was happy to find her on Itunes. So I completed the lead and background vocals. Very proud of myself. Big Sam came in for a bit and said I sounded better than ever, I think with time I have found simpler is best, don't need all the trills and spills. Seems like I am so comfortable that it shows in my vocals.
Can't wait to see what we will be working on tomorrow. I know I need to work on lyrics for song #4 (this one doesn't have a name yet) But sometimes it's hard for me to even hear myself think. When I left the studio this evening, I came home popped a DiGiorno pizza in the oven, Senia picked up Rocky around 6:30, we loaded ourselves into the truck along with a couple of Felice's friends and went to watch a soccer game. While the kids watched I got some walking/jogging in, about 2 miles. Not bad, I'm gonna try and discipline myself to exercise a bit more, maybe not the Insanity way, but steady and consistent. Oh I almost forgot I promised Dusty when we got home we would play the game "LIFE" the 7 year old beat me. Well I know I should get to sleep (12 o clock) but my Felice just invited me to watch "Gone with the Wind" one of my all time favorite movies. Here's to almost TGIF!
<3 Lizzi
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Day 12 in the Studio
Incredible, amazing day in the studio and we accomplished so much. I had been practicing with the cd's that the guys had made for me. Of course they had my scratch vocal, some parts John even sang so I could learn the melody. This made it very convenient for me to practice whenever I had time at home. I felt very confident with the lead, but I knew John would have me do background, harmonies, and add libs. This made me slightly nervous because I knew it would be on the spot (something I hadn't practiced), and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to sing the parts. As usual the guys put me at ease, they set me up in the sound booth, had me sing along with the scratch vocal I had laid down - I couldn't believe how the words just flowed out. I wasn't at all worried about remembering the lyrics, since I had practiced them thoroughly. We got a great lead vocal, then moved on to background vocals.
If I didn't have to leave to get Felice to work at 4 o'clock we would have finished the song. Oh well, tomorrow we will complete this song. And if time allows we will move on to the other song. This was a monumental moment for me, it feels like we have all put our heart and soul into this project, but I'm sure every artist feels like that. I am giving this project my all, so I celebrated this evening by eating my delicious Rocky Road candy bar. Gonna try and get a good night sleep, so I can be fresh, and ready to go tomorrow. Thank you all again for all the encouraging messages and for coming along on my amazing journey.
<3 Lizzi
If I didn't have to leave to get Felice to work at 4 o'clock we would have finished the song. Oh well, tomorrow we will complete this song. And if time allows we will move on to the other song. This was a monumental moment for me, it feels like we have all put our heart and soul into this project, but I'm sure every artist feels like that. I am giving this project my all, so I celebrated this evening by eating my delicious Rocky Road candy bar. Gonna try and get a good night sleep, so I can be fresh, and ready to go tomorrow. Thank you all again for all the encouraging messages and for coming along on my amazing journey.
<3 Lizzi
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Day 11 in the Studio
My but the days are flying by, hard to believe so much has been created in such a short time. It's always amazing when you see something come from nothing, and that is exactly how we started no lyrics, no music, no ideas for music. Just turned these guys loose, let them do what they do and as the late Ray Charles said "It's gonna do what it's gonna do baby" indeed it does! Samuel had worked on guitar parts for the song Get Away. We took the time to officially name the songs so instead of song 1 2 ... we have real names. Sam posted a couple of new you tube clips, feel free to scope them out and by all means rate and leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you, and if you want to get updates on our project you can follow L2L project or the Iklectics, on Twitter. John is really good about posting and updating his status, he's gonna give me official Twitter lessons. This is all so new to me but I am jumping into the whole technology social thing and I must say I like it! What an amazing way to connect and reconnect with friends, and family. I was trying to explain it to my Mama and I must say although she didn't really get it, she loved seeing all the pics.
Samuel wanted to redo some of his guitar parts today, so it was a light day for me. Mostly I just listened, and played on my iPad. I am just content to be there right in the midst of all that creativity. Well today I'm pretty pooped since I've decided to start doing a little bit of activity, so Dusty & I walked to the park, does anyone know how many calories you burn on the swings : ). It was about a mile walk and when we got home the girls came in very excited about a new exercise DVD called Insanity, boy was I in for it. I should have known just by the name right? Their lucky I didn't have a heart attack, I was breathing so hard. I think I'm gonna stick to walking and the swings. So until tomorrow....
<3 Lizzi
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Day 10 in the Studio, really?
My how quickly things are moving along, our goal was to record one song a week and we are on our fourth song. Amazing right? Well it's those Iklectix, they are amazing. I can't wait to start putting the music out there so you can truly be a part of the project. Today Samuel and John continued with the musical aspect of the songs, adding, layering sounds that create an honest to goodness song. We actually had a few visitors during our session, which the guys very graciously took time to stop and chat. I am using this time to really learn the lyrics so I won't have to depend on a sheet of paper when I do my leads. If you've seen any of the live stream then you know that I'm blind as a bat without my glasses. The kids think it's a hoot that all my glasses are either broken or crooked beyond help. That's okay I'm a practical gal and I can't see spending hundreds of dollars when these still work.
I hadn't had a chance to see a couple of the YouTube videos that were posted last week, so I took some time this evening to watch, now I had heard from others that Samuel said something off color during the session. So I made it a point to listen very carefully, and there it was right during our lullaby session tsk, tsk, tsk. Let me tell you where the line originated from. My son Jeremy actually said this line to his Grandpa, when he was around 4 and G-pa around 80, so thankfully his hearing wasn't so great. We were sitting around the table just having a nice visit when Jeremy comes and taps Grandpa on the arm and says "Grandpa, Grandpa, yes Mijo...I like to make love with my boots on" What's that Mijo...again Jeremy proudly repeats the line. Grandpa couldn't hear exactly what he had said and looks at us and says "what did he say" we replied oh he said he likes to play with his boots on. Oh that's nice Mijo. The funny thing is that Jeremy has always been very quiet, and for him to be so insistent on saying that was really funny, and kind of disturbing, where did he get that from, we to this day have no idea. Kids do say the darndest things don't they? I really believe God gave us children to keep us humble, because they always say it like it is, bless their little hearts. So when you watch the YouTube video you'll hear Sammy say the line to Rudy.
Tuesday we'll see what happens, maybe I'll sing lead vocals or maybe I'll sit quietly on my iPad while they work on the music. Whatever happens, it's all good, and one thing is for sure, we have a great time. Hope to see you tomorrow, or shall I say you see us tomorrow.
Until then, <3 Lizzi
I hadn't had a chance to see a couple of the YouTube videos that were posted last week, so I took some time this evening to watch, now I had heard from others that Samuel said something off color during the session. So I made it a point to listen very carefully, and there it was right during our lullaby session tsk, tsk, tsk. Let me tell you where the line originated from. My son Jeremy actually said this line to his Grandpa, when he was around 4 and G-pa around 80, so thankfully his hearing wasn't so great. We were sitting around the table just having a nice visit when Jeremy comes and taps Grandpa on the arm and says "Grandpa, Grandpa, yes Mijo...I like to make love with my boots on" What's that Mijo...again Jeremy proudly repeats the line. Grandpa couldn't hear exactly what he had said and looks at us and says "what did he say" we replied oh he said he likes to play with his boots on. Oh that's nice Mijo. The funny thing is that Jeremy has always been very quiet, and for him to be so insistent on saying that was really funny, and kind of disturbing, where did he get that from, we to this day have no idea. Kids do say the darndest things don't they? I really believe God gave us children to keep us humble, because they always say it like it is, bless their little hearts. So when you watch the YouTube video you'll hear Sammy say the line to Rudy.
Tuesday we'll see what happens, maybe I'll sing lead vocals or maybe I'll sit quietly on my iPad while they work on the music. Whatever happens, it's all good, and one thing is for sure, we have a great time. Hope to see you tomorrow, or shall I say you see us tomorrow.
Until then, <3 Lizzi
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saturday
I love Saturdays, it's a catch up day, a fun day, and really an anything you want it to be day. I had a couple of things that I knew I absolutely had to do. Started the day with my coffee and toast in bed. My Hubby is really good about making sure I get my caffeine fix, since he's seen me suffer severe headaches if I wait too long to have my coffee. He came and sat with me while I shopped on ITunes for some new music. Today Michael Buble really caught my attention and I bought about eight of his songs. I also tried to revisit the past and listened to some Teena Marie, yes she was my favorite. Portugese love, I used to have her record and would play it over and over. I'm gonna hip you to the T, what's the T, now you know that's me! We had fun with that for awhile, then it was time to get up and atom. I cleaned out the refrigerator, made some delicious spaghetti for lunch. Rode my bike around the gazebo a few times, I'm still a little shaky turning, stopping, and starting, so I figure if I can do it in the backyard, then on a straight path it would be a cinch. I dropped Felice off at work, and from there met Sam at the studio to do a summary interview of this past week. I've gotta say I was pretty disappointed when I saw how big I looked on camera, turns out Sam had a wide angle lens on the cameras...rude! Hopefully I'll look way slimmer from now on. Last week I had sent a text to Rudy (the audio/video tech) "Do you think there's a way besides a diet that could make me look thinner?Seriously". Anyway, now that that's taken care of : ) I went in, put on my make- up, was mic'd up, planted in the chair, bright lights, asked a few questions, and again totally out of my comfort zone. Did it, then made it to Cathedral of Faith for their guest speaker Bruce Wilkinson. Fabulous teaching, very practical, applicable lessons.
My must do today, visit my Mama. My week was so busy that I had missed spending time with her. So I picked up some tacos, and enchiladas (her favorites) so we could visit and chat. I showed her my Ipad, which she was totally amazed by. We enjoyed going through the family profile photos. She saw most her grandchildren without even leaving the house. We had a very nice time, and of course like all Mom's do, sent me home with a bag of peaches, freshly picked from her tree. I love that about my Mama, she never let's me leave empty handed.
Well look out for the summary clip of Week 2 and there's quite a few other clips on YouTube. My incredibly intelligent husband found a way to increase our viewer capacity, so hopefully that will all come together this week so we can all be in the same place at the same time. Isn't technology great - I love technology! I think so, me and Napoleon Dynamite or was it his brother? Anyway, have a great Sunday, and I'll see you again on Monday.
<3 Lizzi
My must do today, visit my Mama. My week was so busy that I had missed spending time with her. So I picked up some tacos, and enchiladas (her favorites) so we could visit and chat. I showed her my Ipad, which she was totally amazed by. We enjoyed going through the family profile photos. She saw most her grandchildren without even leaving the house. We had a very nice time, and of course like all Mom's do, sent me home with a bag of peaches, freshly picked from her tree. I love that about my Mama, she never let's me leave empty handed.
Well look out for the summary clip of Week 2 and there's quite a few other clips on YouTube. My incredibly intelligent husband found a way to increase our viewer capacity, so hopefully that will all come together this week so we can all be in the same place at the same time. Isn't technology great - I love technology! I think so, me and Napoleon Dynamite or was it his brother? Anyway, have a great Sunday, and I'll see you again on Monday.
<3 Lizzi
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Day 9 in the Studio
Day 9, wow it's hard to believe so much has happened in this short time frame. I am overwhelmed with pride and joy at how the project is going. To see Sammy and John work is truly incredible, I feel so blessed to be working with them. Things are progressing smoothly and quickly, but really there is no reason to rush. The flow just comes natural and as the guys are inspired with even a melody they are able to act on it immediately. I had told you yesterday that our new song was a fun lil' ditty, it has become so much more than that. We were going in a completely different direction yesterday with the lyrics. But today the song took on a whole new meaning, oh it's still a happy song, but it's a bit sentimental too. John asked me to write down the things I liked to do when I was little, my favorite color...It's amazing how these thoughts can take you right back. Our favorite thing to do was to get our skates and play roller derby. It just so happened that we were the corner house, so we had a nice long curvy sidewalk that we could ride on, it was quite a procession seeing us all in a row. As you know summer for a kid is the best, we played outside from morning till night. Making mud pies, climbing trees, playing hide n' seek, kick the can, eating sweet juicy watermelon. I think that kids now a days don't even know what it's like to have a watermelon with seeds. Although we were many (11) we always entertained ourselves and tried to stay out of our Mom's hair, but mostly we knew that if we went inside there were plenty of chores to do.
I had a nice surprise today. While writing a song about my childhood and friends I received an FB message that an old friend (actually he's younger than me) was gonna come by the Taqueria. He and his wife are Pastoring a church and are really all about outreach within the community. I told Pastor Dan that when he arrived to come on up to the studio so I could introduce him to Sammy and John. It was so nice to see him, his wife Angie, her parents, and their family. Upon seeing old friends I always get so sentimental thinking of those days. So it was the perfect way to close our day in the studio.
Sam and I spent the evening watching the movie Despicable Me with our Dusty. This is how it is, as the older children become more independent it's just us three hanging out. Riding along in the truck together we always listen to music and I gauge the music by young kids response. Dusty loved the practice cd I brought home and we heard the song about 20 times just singing along, Another great day, I hope it spills right into the weekend and throughout the coming week.
<3 and Blessings, Lizzi
I had a nice surprise today. While writing a song about my childhood and friends I received an FB message that an old friend (actually he's younger than me) was gonna come by the Taqueria. He and his wife are Pastoring a church and are really all about outreach within the community. I told Pastor Dan that when he arrived to come on up to the studio so I could introduce him to Sammy and John. It was so nice to see him, his wife Angie, her parents, and their family. Upon seeing old friends I always get so sentimental thinking of those days. So it was the perfect way to close our day in the studio.
Sam and I spent the evening watching the movie Despicable Me with our Dusty. This is how it is, as the older children become more independent it's just us three hanging out. Riding along in the truck together we always listen to music and I gauge the music by young kids response. Dusty loved the practice cd I brought home and we heard the song about 20 times just singing along, Another great day, I hope it spills right into the weekend and throughout the coming week.
<3 and Blessings, Lizzi
Friday, July 16, 2010
Day 8 in the Studio
Today was a catch up day. Sammy and John were going to complete the music to the two songs on the mix table. I was going to start singing the lead vocal, and background. But today took a turn in another direction. Turns out as I drove up to the Taqueria the Health Inspector had just arrived. So just to be sure someone was there to do the walk through with the inspector I followed her in. Turns out the newest cashier was working. The head Cook was at the Fremont store, he's the one that usually does the walk through with the inspector if Jeremy is not available. So I called Jeremy and he said he was working at the Evergreen location. So I stayed and did the walk through with the inspector. I was already running late to begin with so this put me back about an hour and a half. The inspection went well, I signed the report on behalf of my son, thanked her for coming by, than ran upstairs. It didn't seem to phase the guys at all that I was late, they do what they do no matter what. They were just completing some parts on the songs. Sounds great, it's amazing how layering different sounds adds so much dimension to a song.
Today I will start recording my vocals - NOT in a whirlwind of creativity - John had an idea. They went out for a break to discuss, I am amazed how they didn't even need the keyboard, right there on the back steps of the studio they begin creating a new song. They came back in and asked me to listen to this new idea for a song. Of course being courteous as always John said "well unless you want to continue with the other songs". Oh no I'm totally into listening to what they were humming come to fruition. Amaze me again why don't you, is exactly what they did! A new happy lil' ditty was born. I am all about upbeat, positive message type songs. Well when the guys said they were creating this specifically for me, this song couldn't have been more perfect because it's about FOOD! Not literally food but metaphorically throwing together a lil' something ...a bit of this, a dollop of that, makes it all good, Fun right? So Sam who had been watching from his computer (while at work shhh...) texted me some lyrics. He's so funny, and what a great start, I have a feeling he's gonna get involved with helping us write this song.
Sometimes I think, if we do this recording only for our own family it is totally worth it. Think about it, my children will have something creative, personal, and lasting that they can hand down to their children. I don't mean to be morbid, but reality is, we won't live forever. And even if I did, I'm sure it wouldn't be a pretty sight. I'd rather have my new heavenly body, hopefully it's the one when I was twenty years old - lol. So tomorrow we'll see what we actually work on. I love the fact that the guys have the freedom to create as inspiration leads, rather than getting an idea only to find that you completely forgot the melody the next day.
I talk too much, I hope you'll tune in tomorrow and watch the footage so you can see how it all unfolds. And if you do, let us know, we're all on Face Book. We also uploaded some You tube clips of our first days in the studio, anyways we'd love to hear from you. Take Care
<3 Lizzi
Today I will start recording my vocals - NOT in a whirlwind of creativity - John had an idea. They went out for a break to discuss, I am amazed how they didn't even need the keyboard, right there on the back steps of the studio they begin creating a new song. They came back in and asked me to listen to this new idea for a song. Of course being courteous as always John said "well unless you want to continue with the other songs". Oh no I'm totally into listening to what they were humming come to fruition. Amaze me again why don't you, is exactly what they did! A new happy lil' ditty was born. I am all about upbeat, positive message type songs. Well when the guys said they were creating this specifically for me, this song couldn't have been more perfect because it's about FOOD! Not literally food but metaphorically throwing together a lil' something ...a bit of this, a dollop of that, makes it all good, Fun right? So Sam who had been watching from his computer (while at work shhh...) texted me some lyrics. He's so funny, and what a great start, I have a feeling he's gonna get involved with helping us write this song.
Sometimes I think, if we do this recording only for our own family it is totally worth it. Think about it, my children will have something creative, personal, and lasting that they can hand down to their children. I don't mean to be morbid, but reality is, we won't live forever. And even if I did, I'm sure it wouldn't be a pretty sight. I'd rather have my new heavenly body, hopefully it's the one when I was twenty years old - lol. So tomorrow we'll see what we actually work on. I love the fact that the guys have the freedom to create as inspiration leads, rather than getting an idea only to find that you completely forgot the melody the next day.
I talk too much, I hope you'll tune in tomorrow and watch the footage so you can see how it all unfolds. And if you do, let us know, we're all on Face Book. We also uploaded some You tube clips of our first days in the studio, anyways we'd love to hear from you. Take Care
<3 Lizzi
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Day 7 in the Studio
Another great day in the studio, I am so pleased with the speed and fluidity of the project. I can't express how amazing it is to work with John and Sammy. When we were beginning this project I mentioned how I felt like I was stepping into their world. Honestly it was a little intimidating, but now it feels like we are a cohesive team and I know we are all working towards the same thing: an amazing album.
As the videos are uploaded it seems like so much has happened since each one. Even hearing the lullaby completed, I forgot how sweet and pure the song is, and it makes me so proud to be a Grandma who can express her love in this way. No matter what Rocky will always know he is special to me.
Today we completed the third song. This song speaks of a relationship and how after time we tend to loose touch with one another. It really is a conscious effort to stay connected, Sam & I have been married for almost 29 years and believe me our lives are jam packed with stuff we are doing, things to do, plans, and hopes... Our children have taken up so much of our one on one time, that it's easy to get lost in their lives and what they are doing. It's great to support your kids interests, needs, and everything else, but it will keep you busy. Sometimes you can loose touch as a couple, but as I see my children getting older I am reminded that this is the man I fell in love with, and this is the person I chose to spend the rest of my life with. I don't want to get to the point where it's just us and we've forgotten who "us" is. And that was the inspiration for this song. When Sam got his new truck with a bench seat, he was so happy that I could sit right next to him (his babe) just like when we were dating, arm around my shoulder, and singing as we drove along. No one had to remind us to enjoy each others company, we would make a way to be together, or we'd talk on the phone for hours. We had no concept of time when we were together, now we have to go so far as to make a date just to get away. I think anyone in a relationship for an extended period of time can relate to this song.
Before I close I just wanted to thank everyone who's been watching the live stream, and also apologize to those who haven't been able to log on. We are maxing out our capacity for viewers, so when one person logs out another can log on. Sam is working with Mike of Ctek Media to see how we can increase viewer capacity. So it's good that people are watching and it's bad that only a limited number of people can watch at a time. So please be patient with us while we try and correct this. I am happy to say that we have come a long way in a very short time! I hope you will keep watching, and supporting us with all your positive comments, and please tell others about it. The Iklectix & I love sharing the gift of music with you. Hope you'll see us tomorrow.
<3 Lizzi
As the videos are uploaded it seems like so much has happened since each one. Even hearing the lullaby completed, I forgot how sweet and pure the song is, and it makes me so proud to be a Grandma who can express her love in this way. No matter what Rocky will always know he is special to me.
Today we completed the third song. This song speaks of a relationship and how after time we tend to loose touch with one another. It really is a conscious effort to stay connected, Sam & I have been married for almost 29 years and believe me our lives are jam packed with stuff we are doing, things to do, plans, and hopes... Our children have taken up so much of our one on one time, that it's easy to get lost in their lives and what they are doing. It's great to support your kids interests, needs, and everything else, but it will keep you busy. Sometimes you can loose touch as a couple, but as I see my children getting older I am reminded that this is the man I fell in love with, and this is the person I chose to spend the rest of my life with. I don't want to get to the point where it's just us and we've forgotten who "us" is. And that was the inspiration for this song. When Sam got his new truck with a bench seat, he was so happy that I could sit right next to him (his babe) just like when we were dating, arm around my shoulder, and singing as we drove along. No one had to remind us to enjoy each others company, we would make a way to be together, or we'd talk on the phone for hours. We had no concept of time when we were together, now we have to go so far as to make a date just to get away. I think anyone in a relationship for an extended period of time can relate to this song.
Before I close I just wanted to thank everyone who's been watching the live stream, and also apologize to those who haven't been able to log on. We are maxing out our capacity for viewers, so when one person logs out another can log on. Sam is working with Mike of Ctek Media to see how we can increase viewer capacity. So it's good that people are watching and it's bad that only a limited number of people can watch at a time. So please be patient with us while we try and correct this. I am happy to say that we have come a long way in a very short time! I hope you will keep watching, and supporting us with all your positive comments, and please tell others about it. The Iklectix & I love sharing the gift of music with you. Hope you'll see us tomorrow.
<3 Lizzi
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Day 6 in the Studio
I am beginning to like the Studio more and more. John has challenged me to write a different way than what I am accustomed to. I usually just write my thoughts as if I'm writing a poem, pretty straightforwward right? Well John had asked me to listen to song three from yesterday and just let the music guide me as to where to place a line. He also suggested I write in a more conversational format, as if I'm talking to someone. I was nervous as I started writing and I began to second guess my words. So I started and re-started many times, I thought is this the best way to help the listener understand where I'm coming from? After all I want you to be able to relate to the song, I've got to make it clear, like a real live situation. I was surprised when I finally settled on two verses that I felt were strong. I thought well if the guys don't like it, then I could scrap it and start again at the studio.
There are many areas where this project is stretching me. It's totally out of my comfort zone to be filmed the whole time, also adjusting my writing style, and being interviewed randomly is certainly not one of my strong points. I was incredibly nervous, the lights were hot, and there's usually no warning of what I will be doing. But I signed up for this and although it is tough, I am having the time of my life!
Today I arrived at the studio around 1:30 pm, ready to work because I knew I had to leave around 3:30 to get Felice to work by 4:00. I showed the guys the two verses I had written and they liked them. We tweaked them a bit to make the words and melody flow. John sang along with me in the sound booth until I felt comfortable with the timing of the melody, and we recorded the scratch vocal. The guys are so positive and encouraging, I do my best not to disappoint them. I still need to write another verse and a bridge. so that's my homework for tonight. If you haven't seen the live stream, I would like to invite you to tune in, and feel free to communicate with us. You can ask us questions, make comments (only nice ones lol). We'd love you to step into the studio with us. We begin around 1:00 and go till whenever. A lot is happening each and everyday, definitely an adventure.
We posted another video on YouTube, check it out I think you will like it.
<3 Lizzi
There are many areas where this project is stretching me. It's totally out of my comfort zone to be filmed the whole time, also adjusting my writing style, and being interviewed randomly is certainly not one of my strong points. I was incredibly nervous, the lights were hot, and there's usually no warning of what I will be doing. But I signed up for this and although it is tough, I am having the time of my life!
Today I arrived at the studio around 1:30 pm, ready to work because I knew I had to leave around 3:30 to get Felice to work by 4:00. I showed the guys the two verses I had written and they liked them. We tweaked them a bit to make the words and melody flow. John sang along with me in the sound booth until I felt comfortable with the timing of the melody, and we recorded the scratch vocal. The guys are so positive and encouraging, I do my best not to disappoint them. I still need to write another verse and a bridge. so that's my homework for tonight. If you haven't seen the live stream, I would like to invite you to tune in, and feel free to communicate with us. You can ask us questions, make comments (only nice ones lol). We'd love you to step into the studio with us. We begin around 1:00 and go till whenever. A lot is happening each and everyday, definitely an adventure.
We posted another video on YouTube, check it out I think you will like it.
<3 Lizzi
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Day 5 in the Studio
I have to start my blog with a great big WOW! We are officially onto song three. So many incredible things are happening all at once. First of all we posted a YouTube clip of my first week in the studio. We also officially started live streaming today. Working with the Iklectics is so amazing, I worked on some more words for our second song, which I thought was gonna be a "let your hair down, roll down the windows and sang kind of song" but it turned out to be more of a proclamation type song. One of my favorite lines in the song is "Youth escapes me, but wisdom is on my side". I wanted the song to tell where I am in my life, and I think everyone gets to that age where they realize hey I'm not that young whippersnapper I used to be. Although I don't feel old, and I don't consider myself old, I know I'm not getting any younger. I still have a hard time believing that three of my five children are adults. It goes by quickly, and I find myself valuing the time with my familia even more so.
Anyways we completed song two, now keep in mind these are still incomplete in the sense that Sam and John will still add additional instrumentation, I need to sing lead vocals, and background vocals. Then the song will be mixed by Big Sam (my husband) and viola we're ready to master the song. So the vocal track that was recorded is called a scratch vocal, which will be replaced with a permanent vocal. As I explained in the YouTube clip "it's all a process". Now I know we are zipping right along, and it may seem unconventional to many but, again Sam & I have never been anything but unconventional. And this project is no exception to our music centric family lifestyle.
We began a new song, and if you were watching the live stream, you were able to see how it just starts with an idea for a melody. Then John suggested a direction for the lyrics, which we just kind of mulled over for a bit. I didn't really want it to be a sad song, because that's like a different time and place, and I didn't really wanna go there YET. We may have a sad song, but we'll see, this one isn't it. It has such a fun lighthearted beat, it couldn't be sad! We got as far as the chorus, and tonight or tomorrow I will try and come up with some words for the verse. Not sure how much time I will have this evening since we have dinner plans.
Today was a special day not just in the studio, but we were also celebrating my Brother-in-Laws birthday. We always let the b-day boy or girl pick their meal, homemade or restaurant. Paul chose Mosaics Restaurant in downtown San Jose which I think most of us had never tried. We are all pretty picky eaters, as far as flavors, textures, and seasonings. My son Sam can pick out the spices in foods before he even takes a bite. Yes we are all sniffers, because if it doesn't appeal to your sense of smell than your chances of it appealing to your taste buds is pretty slim. But I think we were all pleased with our choice of entree. Really the appetizers were so good I would have been content to just eat that, and that's exactly what our friends Brian and David Skarbek did. They ordered an extra side of sliders, which are delicious lil' hamburgers yum. I myself had the Poached Atlantic Salmon with Marinated Grapes, Fennel, Tomatoes with a Lemongrass infusion. Sam played a trick on me before dessert arrived. I had left the table to take Rocky for a little walk so he could get his sillies out. When I came back Sam offered me a sample of sorbet which I happily took a nice big scoop of. I should have noticed by the mischievous look in his eye that he was up to something. That delicious spoonful turned out to be a big blob of butter, lucky for him I like butter but still it was a naughty trick. Anyway we topped off our meal with a delicious and refreshing pomegranate gelato sorbet. The meal was wonderful, and company was divine. We have such wonderful friends and family, I enjoyed every minute of it. Perfect way to end an amazing day.
Hope to see you tomorrow in the studio - just go to my website lullabiestolovesongs.com and press on the QuickTime link for the instructions.
<3 Lizzi
Anyways we completed song two, now keep in mind these are still incomplete in the sense that Sam and John will still add additional instrumentation, I need to sing lead vocals, and background vocals. Then the song will be mixed by Big Sam (my husband) and viola we're ready to master the song. So the vocal track that was recorded is called a scratch vocal, which will be replaced with a permanent vocal. As I explained in the YouTube clip "it's all a process". Now I know we are zipping right along, and it may seem unconventional to many but, again Sam & I have never been anything but unconventional. And this project is no exception to our music centric family lifestyle.
We began a new song, and if you were watching the live stream, you were able to see how it just starts with an idea for a melody. Then John suggested a direction for the lyrics, which we just kind of mulled over for a bit. I didn't really want it to be a sad song, because that's like a different time and place, and I didn't really wanna go there YET. We may have a sad song, but we'll see, this one isn't it. It has such a fun lighthearted beat, it couldn't be sad! We got as far as the chorus, and tonight or tomorrow I will try and come up with some words for the verse. Not sure how much time I will have this evening since we have dinner plans.
Today was a special day not just in the studio, but we were also celebrating my Brother-in-Laws birthday. We always let the b-day boy or girl pick their meal, homemade or restaurant. Paul chose Mosaics Restaurant in downtown San Jose which I think most of us had never tried. We are all pretty picky eaters, as far as flavors, textures, and seasonings. My son Sam can pick out the spices in foods before he even takes a bite. Yes we are all sniffers, because if it doesn't appeal to your sense of smell than your chances of it appealing to your taste buds is pretty slim. But I think we were all pleased with our choice of entree. Really the appetizers were so good I would have been content to just eat that, and that's exactly what our friends Brian and David Skarbek did. They ordered an extra side of sliders, which are delicious lil' hamburgers yum. I myself had the Poached Atlantic Salmon with Marinated Grapes, Fennel, Tomatoes with a Lemongrass infusion. Sam played a trick on me before dessert arrived. I had left the table to take Rocky for a little walk so he could get his sillies out. When I came back Sam offered me a sample of sorbet which I happily took a nice big scoop of. I should have noticed by the mischievous look in his eye that he was up to something. That delicious spoonful turned out to be a big blob of butter, lucky for him I like butter but still it was a naughty trick. Anyway we topped off our meal with a delicious and refreshing pomegranate gelato sorbet. The meal was wonderful, and company was divine. We have such wonderful friends and family, I enjoyed every minute of it. Perfect way to end an amazing day.
Hope to see you tomorrow in the studio - just go to my website lullabiestolovesongs.com and press on the QuickTime link for the instructions.
<3 Lizzi
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Relax and Rejuvenate
Weekends are the best! I love the opportunity to catch up on housework, laundry, craft projects, and simply relaxing. Today my day started with a trip to the salon with my daughters. We really enjoy this time of pampering, it's great to spend time with my girls. And the salon was virtually empty so we had the place to ourselves. I sipped on my coffee while the massage chair hummed and vibrated on my back, not so relaxing but, then again I'm kind of weird with anyone touching my feet. We laughed and giggled as the ladies tickled our feet with the pumice stone. We're pretty much all very ticklish. In the end it's totally worth the discomfort of the whole scrub thing.
After the spa, we drove to the fabric store. I have been working on some fabric books for Rocky, one for his numbers and one for the alphabet. So I had cut out all these little animals, numbers, letters, and dots. This is gonna be cute! So I needed some more fusible webbing. I was able to complete the counting book today, maybe I'll get a chance to work on the alphabet book tomorrow. I love the feeling that I get when I have completed something. I always have these to-do lists going, and I love crossing things off - I'm seriously thinking of starting a bucket list.
We live very close to Japan Town so one of our annual traditions is to go to the Obon Festival. Since I have known Sam he has taken me to this festival, it is rich with culture and traditions. And the food...Oh my let me tell you about the food, my must have's at the Obon are: corn on the cob, teriyaki kabob, chicken salad, tempura, and the grand finale is always the strawberry shortcake. Although our children are grown they still enjoy the festival and food, plus it's just a block away. It's wonderful to now see our grandson going to the Obon, Samuel and Senia stopped by on their way home and there was Rocky in his stroller eating his own corn-on-the cob too cute! It's always the simple things in life that I value the most. Just to be here to enjoy my kids passing by our house is a blessing. They will never know how much joy they bring me.
Well I hope you have a blessed weekend, enjoy your family and friends and all the other blessings God has given you. Talk to you again on Monday because on Sunday...We Rest!
<3 Lizzi
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
After the spa, we drove to the fabric store. I have been working on some fabric books for Rocky, one for his numbers and one for the alphabet. So I had cut out all these little animals, numbers, letters, and dots. This is gonna be cute! So I needed some more fusible webbing. I was able to complete the counting book today, maybe I'll get a chance to work on the alphabet book tomorrow. I love the feeling that I get when I have completed something. I always have these to-do lists going, and I love crossing things off - I'm seriously thinking of starting a bucket list.
We live very close to Japan Town so one of our annual traditions is to go to the Obon Festival. Since I have known Sam he has taken me to this festival, it is rich with culture and traditions. And the food...Oh my let me tell you about the food, my must have's at the Obon are: corn on the cob, teriyaki kabob, chicken salad, tempura, and the grand finale is always the strawberry shortcake. Although our children are grown they still enjoy the festival and food, plus it's just a block away. It's wonderful to now see our grandson going to the Obon, Samuel and Senia stopped by on their way home and there was Rocky in his stroller eating his own corn-on-the cob too cute! It's always the simple things in life that I value the most. Just to be here to enjoy my kids passing by our house is a blessing. They will never know how much joy they bring me.
Well I hope you have a blessed weekend, enjoy your family and friends and all the other blessings God has given you. Talk to you again on Monday because on Sunday...We Rest!
<3 Lizzi
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Day 4 in the Studio
What an incredible week, but I must say "thank God it's Friday". I think everyone is adjusting to "mom's" new schedule. Of course anything great requires hard work and diligence. I had a wonderful surprise last night. It started with my daughter Melissa and her boyfriend Fernando going for a bike ride. They passed by a victorian house that was being restored, only I guess it's considered a remodel if the house is not being restored to it's original time period. Anyways, this home had a nice big dumpster out front where they were tossing everything from inside the house. Melissa and Fernando spotted a beautiful vintage door, they couldn't believe someone would be throwing it out. So when they arrived here they mentioned the door and said "if we had a truck we could transfer it" so I said " I have a truck why don't you go see if it's still there". Hard to believe someone didn't snap that door up, but to their surprise the door was still there. They loaded it up and brought it home to me. It was seriously the most beautiful door I have ever seen. It's like a piece of artwork., original rolled glass, ornate trim, and such a lovely pale blue vintage color with some ivory colored trim. It reminds me of the ocean. Seriously if you don't think God knows the desires of your heart, this is proof that He does. I have been wanting a beautiful front door for our Victorian home for 24 years, and here it was with just some stripping, sanding, framing, and a nice coat of paint we will have an amazing door.
Whoops, almost forgot where I was going with this blog. Music, ah yes music, music is what soothes the soul. I know this personally because music can sometimes touch where words fail you, it can speak to your heart and soul and minister where man can't see. Everyone has their own style of writing songs. I hope through this project to stretch and challenge myself, as I write of the known, and the unknown. But there a lot of hurting people out there that I hope will be touched by these "lullabies to love songs".
I usually help out at the Fremont Iguanas on Fridays, so off I went to see that the store was opened. I think this gives my son Jimmy peace of mind to know that Mom is looking out for the store since our standards are quite high for the appearance of the store, to the all important flavor, and freshness of the food. I like being there, because I meet lots of great people and get to keep in touch with the people that work there. I left there around 1:00 p.m. and had to stop at home to check on the kiddies before going to the studio. Looks like Felice had everything under control, Dusty was happy watching t.v. and Rocky was entertained with our lil' neighbor Ella who was visiting. So I picked up a few things that I had forgotten in my morning rush out the door (like my ipad, and my phone charger). I made it to the studio around 2:00 and the guys were finishing up some parts on the song we were working on yesterday. It sounds amazing, I can hear the layers being added, each one complimenting the other. I can see their approach to music is completely different, my mind is so one dimensional compared to theirs. I needed to write the words for a pre-chorus, and second verse. We recorded the words I had so far, and John added some scratch background vocals as a guide for me. This is no longer a "girl power song" but more like a proclamation of where I am in my life. I couldn't help tears from welling up in my eyes as I heard the song played back for me. I am so pleased with the flow, and energy of the project. I will talk to you soon.
<3 Lizzi
Whoops, almost forgot where I was going with this blog. Music, ah yes music, music is what soothes the soul. I know this personally because music can sometimes touch where words fail you, it can speak to your heart and soul and minister where man can't see. Everyone has their own style of writing songs. I hope through this project to stretch and challenge myself, as I write of the known, and the unknown. But there a lot of hurting people out there that I hope will be touched by these "lullabies to love songs".
I usually help out at the Fremont Iguanas on Fridays, so off I went to see that the store was opened. I think this gives my son Jimmy peace of mind to know that Mom is looking out for the store since our standards are quite high for the appearance of the store, to the all important flavor, and freshness of the food. I like being there, because I meet lots of great people and get to keep in touch with the people that work there. I left there around 1:00 p.m. and had to stop at home to check on the kiddies before going to the studio. Looks like Felice had everything under control, Dusty was happy watching t.v. and Rocky was entertained with our lil' neighbor Ella who was visiting. So I picked up a few things that I had forgotten in my morning rush out the door (like my ipad, and my phone charger). I made it to the studio around 2:00 and the guys were finishing up some parts on the song we were working on yesterday. It sounds amazing, I can hear the layers being added, each one complimenting the other. I can see their approach to music is completely different, my mind is so one dimensional compared to theirs. I needed to write the words for a pre-chorus, and second verse. We recorded the words I had so far, and John added some scratch background vocals as a guide for me. This is no longer a "girl power song" but more like a proclamation of where I am in my life. I couldn't help tears from welling up in my eyes as I heard the song played back for me. I am so pleased with the flow, and energy of the project. I will talk to you soon.
<3 Lizzi
Friday, July 9, 2010
Day 3 in the Studio
Hey there, what a wonderfully long day! I say wonderful because we were able to go live! And you know how difficult of a time we've had with the equipment. Unfortunately my day began at 5:30 am when Sam got in. He had the computer technician come in at 12:00 midnight to check what was going wrong with the system and why we couldn't get audio. They worked until early morning until it was finally up and running (thanks Mike). I will never understand how Sam can function on only 3 hours of sleep, but he does. By 8:30 am he was up and running to drop off Felice at school and get to work. Dusty came and climbed in bed with me and began sketching on the iPad. It was a beautiful castle complete with the king, then he played his snowboard game. I am still amazed at how kids today are so computer savvy. I didn't even show him how to work the device and he just found his way around and is able to maneuver around just fine.
While he did that I worked on some lyrics for the song we would be working on today. I couldn't exactly remember the melody, so I just wrote little snippets of thoughts in the direction I wanted the song to go in. I figured I could fine tune things in the studio. I also wanted to see if the guys had any ideas as well. I picked up Rocky at around 12:15, then went to pick up Felice at school. I treated the kids (really myself) to McDonalds. I was supposed to be in the studio at 1:00 so I was in a rush. I knew Sam was going to be there to make sure everything was functioning properly, but he only had an hour lunch. I worry about him spreading himself too thin, and becoming exhausted. But as I said he loves a project, and he is so excited to see it all come together.
John's parents were in town from Southern California for a couple of days so John took the day off to hang out with them. Samuel & I figured we could work on the song started yesterday, or work on a whole new song. Samuel was still not able to use his hand completely because of his sprained wrist but, we figured we'd just play it by ear(no pun intended). We arrived and for some reason the visual streaming was working perfectly, but you couldn't hear the audio part of the streaming. Here we go again, more problems, Sam put in a call to Mike to give him tech support over the phone and he walked him through the process of logging onto the system. Sounded like Greek to me.
Luckily John called to say he was bringing his parents by so they could see the studio. Everyone else had met them but me, John has been such a big part of our family I felt like I already knew them when I finally got to meet them! John's Dad is on FB so I had seen pictures of them and I knew that if they had such a great son than they also must be great people too. Sam thought it would be good to interview them and see what they thought of their son's profession. Talk about nice people! John's parents were talkative, witty and downright delightful. They had no problem answering questions about John as a child, young man, and as an adult. It was a memorable interview and a real pleasure to meet them.
After John and his family left Samuel and I began working on one of the old songs my Mama used to sing. We decided on a couple of oldies but goodies. Then moved onto the song we started working on yesterday. I showed him the phrases I had written earlier and we settled on one for the chorus. He went through and formatted the song with the intro, verse, chorus...added bass guitar. I added some lyrics. Considering we didn't have a set schedule we were getting alot accomplished, but then I received a call from Sam at his work. He asked me what we were doing then proceeded to tell me what we were doing, how we were seated, our every move, he even asked Samuel to dance. I swung around to see if he was watching us, and he was WE WERE LIVE! Amazing right? Amazing and exciting, it all works beautifully, finally Sam's vision come to life. This was cut short by a call from Felice that I needed to come home because Rocky was crying and she was at her wits end. I said my goodbye's, Grandma duty, very important!
What a great day, I came home and had a wonderful nap with the baby. Now to work on my lyrics for tomorrow. So excited to see you then, I'll send out a notice when I will be in the studio along with the live stream address. <3 Lizzi
While he did that I worked on some lyrics for the song we would be working on today. I couldn't exactly remember the melody, so I just wrote little snippets of thoughts in the direction I wanted the song to go in. I figured I could fine tune things in the studio. I also wanted to see if the guys had any ideas as well. I picked up Rocky at around 12:15, then went to pick up Felice at school. I treated the kids (really myself) to McDonalds. I was supposed to be in the studio at 1:00 so I was in a rush. I knew Sam was going to be there to make sure everything was functioning properly, but he only had an hour lunch. I worry about him spreading himself too thin, and becoming exhausted. But as I said he loves a project, and he is so excited to see it all come together.
John's parents were in town from Southern California for a couple of days so John took the day off to hang out with them. Samuel & I figured we could work on the song started yesterday, or work on a whole new song. Samuel was still not able to use his hand completely because of his sprained wrist but, we figured we'd just play it by ear(no pun intended). We arrived and for some reason the visual streaming was working perfectly, but you couldn't hear the audio part of the streaming. Here we go again, more problems, Sam put in a call to Mike to give him tech support over the phone and he walked him through the process of logging onto the system. Sounded like Greek to me.
Luckily John called to say he was bringing his parents by so they could see the studio. Everyone else had met them but me, John has been such a big part of our family I felt like I already knew them when I finally got to meet them! John's Dad is on FB so I had seen pictures of them and I knew that if they had such a great son than they also must be great people too. Sam thought it would be good to interview them and see what they thought of their son's profession. Talk about nice people! John's parents were talkative, witty and downright delightful. They had no problem answering questions about John as a child, young man, and as an adult. It was a memorable interview and a real pleasure to meet them.
After John and his family left Samuel and I began working on one of the old songs my Mama used to sing. We decided on a couple of oldies but goodies. Then moved onto the song we started working on yesterday. I showed him the phrases I had written earlier and we settled on one for the chorus. He went through and formatted the song with the intro, verse, chorus...added bass guitar. I added some lyrics. Considering we didn't have a set schedule we were getting alot accomplished, but then I received a call from Sam at his work. He asked me what we were doing then proceeded to tell me what we were doing, how we were seated, our every move, he even asked Samuel to dance. I swung around to see if he was watching us, and he was WE WERE LIVE! Amazing right? Amazing and exciting, it all works beautifully, finally Sam's vision come to life. This was cut short by a call from Felice that I needed to come home because Rocky was crying and she was at her wits end. I said my goodbye's, Grandma duty, very important!
What a great day, I came home and had a wonderful nap with the baby. Now to work on my lyrics for tomorrow. So excited to see you then, I'll send out a notice when I will be in the studio along with the live stream address. <3 Lizzi
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Day 2 in the Studio
Day 2 was amazing! We worked on our song that we had begun yesterday. I thought I would have time last night to practice a bit but, when I left the studio I picked up Rocky and Dusty so Samuel and Senny could go to their movie nite with friends. Having two rambunctious boys doesn't leave time for much else. Getting to the studio is usually a challenge but yesterday worked out nice because Senia had the day off from work and she was able to watch the boys. But today it was back to our regular schedule. Felice had school from 10:00-11:30 so I dropped her off and picked her up, swung by and picked Rocky up around 11:45. Samuel left to the studio so he and John could finish formatting the music track for me. And I went in around 12:30 while Felice watched the boys. Then I had to leave for home about 3:45 because Felice started work at four and I needed to pick her and the boys up then drop her off at work - whew! Finally back at home the boys and I went out and watered the yard, picked our first batch of tomatoes yum. I have to say, "there's no place like home".
Our song today was a short, sweet, lullaby which will be just Samuel playing guitar accompanying me, and well of course John will be adding a lil' something, something to round out the song.
We had to delay recording the guitar because Samuel injured his left wrist on Monday when we went to go pick up my bicycle. My daughter Felice was trying the bike out, and she didn't know it had gears and a hand brake. So to stop her from crashing into a parked truck Samuel stood in front of her and stopped her by the handlebars. We didn't think much of it that day, but by Tuesday Samuel's wrist was pretty swollen so he iced it, if you notice in the footage from day 1 it looks like he has a bunny on his arm. I brought him some Motrin for the swelling and the pain (we knew it wasn't broken), he just had to let it rest a bit. So maybe tomorrow or Friday he'll be 100% ready to record the guitar for the lullaby song. At any rate I was able to complete the vocal, and the guys were inspired right into the next song. Upbeat, fun, a girl power song (that's what I call it) I love it when the guys get in touch with their sensitive side lol.
Unfortunately the hosting system is still having problems, so we were not able to live stream but, maybe tomorrow (Sam has his friend Mike who owns a media company coming in to fix the internet problem - we are keeping our fingers crossed!). We knew we were the test case for this new method of recording a project so we are just going along with the flow.
It's great being in the studio with the guys.... Maybe tomorrow if all works out we'll introduce Rudy our creative technician. He's the fly on the wall operating the cameras and filming. Well we'll talk more tomorrow and hopefully we'll have some video clips up for you.
As always <3 Lizzi
Our song today was a short, sweet, lullaby which will be just Samuel playing guitar accompanying me, and well of course John will be adding a lil' something, something to round out the song.
We had to delay recording the guitar because Samuel injured his left wrist on Monday when we went to go pick up my bicycle. My daughter Felice was trying the bike out, and she didn't know it had gears and a hand brake. So to stop her from crashing into a parked truck Samuel stood in front of her and stopped her by the handlebars. We didn't think much of it that day, but by Tuesday Samuel's wrist was pretty swollen so he iced it, if you notice in the footage from day 1 it looks like he has a bunny on his arm. I brought him some Motrin for the swelling and the pain (we knew it wasn't broken), he just had to let it rest a bit. So maybe tomorrow or Friday he'll be 100% ready to record the guitar for the lullaby song. At any rate I was able to complete the vocal, and the guys were inspired right into the next song. Upbeat, fun, a girl power song (that's what I call it) I love it when the guys get in touch with their sensitive side lol.
Unfortunately the hosting system is still having problems, so we were not able to live stream but, maybe tomorrow (Sam has his friend Mike who owns a media company coming in to fix the internet problem - we are keeping our fingers crossed!). We knew we were the test case for this new method of recording a project so we are just going along with the flow.
It's great being in the studio with the guys.... Maybe tomorrow if all works out we'll introduce Rudy our creative technician. He's the fly on the wall operating the cameras and filming. Well we'll talk more tomorrow and hopefully we'll have some video clips up for you.
As always <3 Lizzi
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Lullaby 2day
Hi there, today went a little differently than I thought it would. First of all if you read yesterday's blog than you know there was an electrical problem that needed to be repaired. So Sam told me he would call me and let me know when he was ready for me. He called around 10:00 am to tell me come in at 1pm, I became so nervous. You see I'm a very structured type of person, which means I like a formatted plan and schedule. So to be on call was nerve-racking for me. Then at around 11:30 he said come at 1:30, I hadn't seen the studio conversion and quickly realized this is gonna be televised. Do I need extra makeup, hair up or down, what will I look the slimmest in, I know silly right. I did the best I could, called Senny to watch Dusty and I was out the door.
Well talk about amazing. Now I know technology is amazing when it works and a pain when it doesn't! We were somewhere in the middle, because all the video portion of the streaming worked but the audio did not. The studio looked amazing, real pro with the added lights, and cameras. I arrived around 1:30 ready to work. But as it turns out the equipment was not participating.
While they worked on the settings, Samuel, John, and I had a good time chatting. It's funny because sometimes you look around the room and everyones on some kind of mobile device. Had we known, I wonder what we would have thought of ourselves 15 or 20 years ago. I don't even think I would have believed it (very Star Trekky) but here we are. Sam decided we would go ahead with handheld mics. instead of headsets. We all thought sure why not, we're here, we can wing it.
We basically just sat like a talk show format, passed the mic around and discussed the project. Then John had an idea for a song, went to the keyboard, Samuel picked up his guitar, I grabbed a tablet and pen, and we were on our way to creating our first song. Seemed so natural. After laying down a track, we took a short break and when we came back in we wrapped up the format of the song. This way if I needed to add more words I could work on that at home. We were finished by around five. John and Rudy were off to see Toy Story 3, Samuel and Senia had a movie party to attend, I was watching Rocky, and Sam and Alim were going to work on the system. It was something new and different but, I had a great time!
Although we couldn't stream it live today all the magic was captured on hard drive and we will be posting it soon so you can view it! You will be able to see a special moment when I read the lyrics of the song to Samuel and he got all choked up when I told him Rocky was my inspiration.
These are the words: Hush Lil' Darlin'
Don't you cry
Sing you a song
It's a lullaby
Precious moments
We hold dear
Don't cry baby
Mama's near
Your in my <3
Your in my soul....
Talk to you tomorrow <3 Lizzi
Well talk about amazing. Now I know technology is amazing when it works and a pain when it doesn't! We were somewhere in the middle, because all the video portion of the streaming worked but the audio did not. The studio looked amazing, real pro with the added lights, and cameras. I arrived around 1:30 ready to work. But as it turns out the equipment was not participating.
While they worked on the settings, Samuel, John, and I had a good time chatting. It's funny because sometimes you look around the room and everyones on some kind of mobile device. Had we known, I wonder what we would have thought of ourselves 15 or 20 years ago. I don't even think I would have believed it (very Star Trekky) but here we are. Sam decided we would go ahead with handheld mics. instead of headsets. We all thought sure why not, we're here, we can wing it.
We basically just sat like a talk show format, passed the mic around and discussed the project. Then John had an idea for a song, went to the keyboard, Samuel picked up his guitar, I grabbed a tablet and pen, and we were on our way to creating our first song. Seemed so natural. After laying down a track, we took a short break and when we came back in we wrapped up the format of the song. This way if I needed to add more words I could work on that at home. We were finished by around five. John and Rudy were off to see Toy Story 3, Samuel and Senia had a movie party to attend, I was watching Rocky, and Sam and Alim were going to work on the system. It was something new and different but, I had a great time!
Although we couldn't stream it live today all the magic was captured on hard drive and we will be posting it soon so you can view it! You will be able to see a special moment when I read the lyrics of the song to Samuel and he got all choked up when I told him Rocky was my inspiration.
These are the words: Hush Lil' Darlin'
Don't you cry
Sing you a song
It's a lullaby
Precious moments
We hold dear
Don't cry baby
Mama's near
Your in my <3
Your in my soul....
Talk to you tomorrow <3 Lizzi
Oops!
Hi there, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I think this fourth of July topped them all. It has been our tradition to take some time together as a family, rent a hotel, load up on the snacks, fill the tub with ice and soft drinks, swim, eat, and finally watch the fireworks from our balcony. This has been a great tradition for us. This year things were a bit different, my brother-in-law was celebrating his 50th b-day. Wow, what an accomplishment right? The kids were invited to a friends b-day in Sacramento, so I thought well I guess they have to do their own thing. So I kept my pouting to myself and thought well, I'm just gonna have to suck it up.
As it turns out I had more than a couple of nice surprises this weekend. First of all a friend that I hadn't seen for quite awhile gave me a call at Iguanas to see if she could come and visit. We met at my sister Sandra's house and had a nice visit reminiscing and looking at old photos. I went home and completed a baby quilt I was making for our neighbor who just had a baby boy.
Then on Sunday we went to my brother in law's party and who shows up but my son Samuel, his wife Yesenia, and our sweet grand baby Rocky. Oh My heart just melted with joy. But you know us Moms we're only happy when the whole brood is together, so than to complete the family my other son Jeremy shows up too. I thought they were in Sacramento at the other B-day so imagine my joy in seeing them all present. I know it's crazy but to us moms the sun practically rises and sets when we see our children. We had a wonderful time and as the evening wore on we sat around the fire pit sipping coffee, and watching the fireworks. I know, I know their illegal, but we had a stash of our own, and the kids loved seeing the beautiful colors! What would the fourth be without sparklers for the kids right?
Monday was another great day, my husband Sam made pancakes, bacon, and eggs, the kids came over, we sat out in the gazebo and had breakfast. Perfect weather inspired me to set the table outside, it was lovely. After breakfast the kids started looking at bikes on Craigs list. And what does my son find but a beautiful pink girls Schwin bicycle for me. Pretty much everyone has a bike in my family and I know they want us to go riding together. But the truth is I never rode a bike as a child and although Sam and I had cruisers my bike was too tall so I was afraid to ride it. This bike looked perfect! So Yesenia sent an email, and to our surprise they responded immediately. Some of you know that Craigs list can be really hit and miss. Well today it was a hit, my son Samuel took me over to try it out and it was indeed perfect. So today I became the proud owner of a shiny new bike! How exciting! Senia gave me a few lessons, Samuel adjusted my seat, then we were off for a bike ride, we traveled maybe a couple of miles it was exhilarating. I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow but, it was great! We topped off the evening with a simple b.b.q of chicken marinated in olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, fresh garlic, salt and pepper hmm delish (try it) and grilled to perfection. We served it with a fresh chunky salsa of chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, fresh jalapenos, garlic, salt, with just a squeeze of lime, it goes beautiful with the chicken, and my daughter Melissa made some spanish rice. Very simple, delicious, and it's healthy. It was a great end to a 3- day weekend. So you see those were my three wonderful surprises! I am blessed with an incredible family. And it's a privilege to celebrate this great Country of ours!
Now onto the Studio, well we were doing great, everything was on schedule but, today well today put a little snafoo into our recording schedule. Sam left right after breakfast to finish up a few things at the studio. I'm not quite sure why he needed to do some drilling. Well what does he do but, drill right through some electrical wires and he blew out the power. I am surprised and thankful he didn't get electrocuted but, the power was blown. He had to call in an electrician which can't happen until tomorrow so...that puts us slightly behind. But Lord willing tomorrow everything will be resolved and we can start filming and recording as scheduled. So here's to it all working out, I will let you know how and if it goes tomorrow.
Much <3 Lizzi
As it turns out I had more than a couple of nice surprises this weekend. First of all a friend that I hadn't seen for quite awhile gave me a call at Iguanas to see if she could come and visit. We met at my sister Sandra's house and had a nice visit reminiscing and looking at old photos. I went home and completed a baby quilt I was making for our neighbor who just had a baby boy.
Then on Sunday we went to my brother in law's party and who shows up but my son Samuel, his wife Yesenia, and our sweet grand baby Rocky. Oh My heart just melted with joy. But you know us Moms we're only happy when the whole brood is together, so than to complete the family my other son Jeremy shows up too. I thought they were in Sacramento at the other B-day so imagine my joy in seeing them all present. I know it's crazy but to us moms the sun practically rises and sets when we see our children. We had a wonderful time and as the evening wore on we sat around the fire pit sipping coffee, and watching the fireworks. I know, I know their illegal, but we had a stash of our own, and the kids loved seeing the beautiful colors! What would the fourth be without sparklers for the kids right?
Monday was another great day, my husband Sam made pancakes, bacon, and eggs, the kids came over, we sat out in the gazebo and had breakfast. Perfect weather inspired me to set the table outside, it was lovely. After breakfast the kids started looking at bikes on Craigs list. And what does my son find but a beautiful pink girls Schwin bicycle for me. Pretty much everyone has a bike in my family and I know they want us to go riding together. But the truth is I never rode a bike as a child and although Sam and I had cruisers my bike was too tall so I was afraid to ride it. This bike looked perfect! So Yesenia sent an email, and to our surprise they responded immediately. Some of you know that Craigs list can be really hit and miss. Well today it was a hit, my son Samuel took me over to try it out and it was indeed perfect. So today I became the proud owner of a shiny new bike! How exciting! Senia gave me a few lessons, Samuel adjusted my seat, then we were off for a bike ride, we traveled maybe a couple of miles it was exhilarating. I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow but, it was great! We topped off the evening with a simple b.b.q of chicken marinated in olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, fresh garlic, salt and pepper hmm delish (try it) and grilled to perfection. We served it with a fresh chunky salsa of chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, fresh jalapenos, garlic, salt, with just a squeeze of lime, it goes beautiful with the chicken, and my daughter Melissa made some spanish rice. Very simple, delicious, and it's healthy. It was a great end to a 3- day weekend. So you see those were my three wonderful surprises! I am blessed with an incredible family. And it's a privilege to celebrate this great Country of ours!
Now onto the Studio, well we were doing great, everything was on schedule but, today well today put a little snafoo into our recording schedule. Sam left right after breakfast to finish up a few things at the studio. I'm not quite sure why he needed to do some drilling. Well what does he do but, drill right through some electrical wires and he blew out the power. I am surprised and thankful he didn't get electrocuted but, the power was blown. He had to call in an electrician which can't happen until tomorrow so...that puts us slightly behind. But Lord willing tomorrow everything will be resolved and we can start filming and recording as scheduled. So here's to it all working out, I will let you know how and if it goes tomorrow.
Much <3 Lizzi
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Everything Is In Place
Well everything is in place, and I must say I love everyones excitement and enthusiasm for the project. As a result of modern technology (which is amazing) I have been able to let others know about the project from the comfort of my own home. My amazing family made it really convenient for me by purchasing me an ipad. What a convenient and useful tool! You see when we all rally around one another it really makes a difference.
Now i't's time to reorganize mine and my children"s schedule, my grandsons schedule... It's somewhat of a domino effect and It's hard for me to inconvenience others. That's the practical side of me. When you do something of value there usually has to be some sacrifice. As a Mom you always put the needs of others first, but now everyone is flexing their schedule for me. Wow, I feel special! So although we are very close, there is some maneuvering of lives that has to occur.
I like many of you will be taking some family time this weekend to celebrate this great Country of ours. I still get a lump in my throat every time I sing the Star Spangled Banner and I am humbled as I am reminded of how many have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. May God continue to bless America and those in it. I will be back on Monday with my blog and ready to get to work.
Have a wonderful, and delicious weekend!
<3 Lizzi
Now i't's time to reorganize mine and my children"s schedule, my grandsons schedule... It's somewhat of a domino effect and It's hard for me to inconvenience others. That's the practical side of me. When you do something of value there usually has to be some sacrifice. As a Mom you always put the needs of others first, but now everyone is flexing their schedule for me. Wow, I feel special! So although we are very close, there is some maneuvering of lives that has to occur.
I like many of you will be taking some family time this weekend to celebrate this great Country of ours. I still get a lump in my throat every time I sing the Star Spangled Banner and I am humbled as I am reminded of how many have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. May God continue to bless America and those in it. I will be back on Monday with my blog and ready to get to work.
Have a wonderful, and delicious weekend!
<3 Lizzi
Friday, July 2, 2010
Down to the Wire
We are down to the wire. The guys have been working tirelessly to complete and fit the studio for filming. I hope they bring back some pics. Sam told me they literally had to take everything out to rewire and fit everything. The studio itself is a little on the dim, ambient side, it looks great (as seen in the photos) but filming requires light. So extra lights needed to be installed in addition to all the other equipment. I felt a little guilty because I went to see Eclipse with a big group while Sam worked till early morning in the studio. I knew he wouldn't really have appreciated the movie and since we had all seen the previous movies, it's one of those films that you can watch with your daughters, sisters, girlfriends, well even a couple of guys tagged along. We had a great time, ate way too much popcorn, soda, candy. I always do it, I'm a popcorn junkie. My daughter teased me after the movie because she saw me eat a whole large bag of popcorn by myself (I was slightly embarrassed) Oh well, I Love POPCORN! Funny how it seems so much more adventurous and wicked when you sneak away to the movies on a weekday, even more so if you go to a matinee. I usually don't stay out late so my wonderful daughter Yesenia offered to watch Dusty so us girls could go out. Imagine my horror when they text to say they were going to bed, what time would we be home? Yikes, I was telling my sister at the movies "why would Bella want to marry either of those guys since it seems like neither of them work" here I forgot that my poor kids had to get up early the next morning, shame on me : ( .
We made it home around 1:00 a.m. no sight of Sam. No sooner did I get settled in when my son Samuel calls me with an amazing song idea. My Mama always used to sing to my babies, I loved hearing her raspy voice singing Munequita Linda and Amorcito Corazon. These are songs I believe are from the 1940"s with beautiful orchestration and a smooth velvety vocal to carry the melody. Absolutely beautiful and timeless songs. One of the things I loved when the girls and I vacationed in Mexico was waking up on Saturday mornings to those old standards on the radio. It's as if we were listening to the record player, you can hear the vinyl turning as the needle gently rests on it, piping out the beautiful songs. I can imagine people gracefully dancing across the floor and when my son told me he wanted to record some of Gramsy's songs I was so touched it brought a lump to my throat. My Mama would love it!
Well it's getting late, I was hoping to get some photos of the studio's progress. Tonight they will do a test run, can't wait to see it all in motion. My husbands vision coming to fruition, the Iklectics new recording format, and my recording project, this is exciting!
Talk to you tomorrow <3 Lizzi
We made it home around 1:00 a.m. no sight of Sam. No sooner did I get settled in when my son Samuel calls me with an amazing song idea. My Mama always used to sing to my babies, I loved hearing her raspy voice singing Munequita Linda and Amorcito Corazon. These are songs I believe are from the 1940"s with beautiful orchestration and a smooth velvety vocal to carry the melody. Absolutely beautiful and timeless songs. One of the things I loved when the girls and I vacationed in Mexico was waking up on Saturday mornings to those old standards on the radio. It's as if we were listening to the record player, you can hear the vinyl turning as the needle gently rests on it, piping out the beautiful songs. I can imagine people gracefully dancing across the floor and when my son told me he wanted to record some of Gramsy's songs I was so touched it brought a lump to my throat. My Mama would love it!
Well it's getting late, I was hoping to get some photos of the studio's progress. Tonight they will do a test run, can't wait to see it all in motion. My husbands vision coming to fruition, the Iklectics new recording format, and my recording project, this is exciting!
Talk to you tomorrow <3 Lizzi
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Almost Ready
I can't even begin tell you how excited I am about the project. We are really getting close. Did I ever tell you why the site is called Lullabies to love Songs? If you were to place my music in a genre it has always been Christian. But when you place your music in a box you automatically eliminate those who don't consider themselves "Christians". But Christianity to me is not so much professing that you are, but living your life in such a way that people gravitate towards you because of your encouraging, and hopeful nature (in spite of the circumstance). It's easy to let life suck all your joy - I mean look at us, we are busy people, we encounter many things everyday, we are making decisions for ourselves, our families, our careers, our relationships and the list goes on...
My life (I hope) is a reflection of what I believe. I know that every tough circumstance has challenged me in a different way. And I always say if there is a lesson to be learned let me learn it the first time around so I don't experience it again! I'm gonna say there is one lesson I've repeated a zillion times, not just me but my whole family, and that is in helping people. I am a sucker and a pushover for a down and outer. And I can't tell you how many times our family has helped only to be crushed and burned! But still something will not let me lose hope in people. I know there will be that one that gets it, that takes hold of what is being offered and will be a better man/woman because of it. We're supposed to help one another right? That's what separates us from the animals, the ability to think, to reason, to place value on those we love. Anyways I want my life to meaningful and I know I can share a bit of who I am through music.
Lullabies are the sweet gentle songs we croon to our little ones, they soothe, and comfort. Love songs speak of those in love and those we love. Love is probably the most celebrated event, heck one day a year is set aside just for it. I mean where would we be without love? Lullabies to love Songs will be just that with a little something in between.
Love life and live it to the fullest, <3 Lizzi
My life (I hope) is a reflection of what I believe. I know that every tough circumstance has challenged me in a different way. And I always say if there is a lesson to be learned let me learn it the first time around so I don't experience it again! I'm gonna say there is one lesson I've repeated a zillion times, not just me but my whole family, and that is in helping people. I am a sucker and a pushover for a down and outer. And I can't tell you how many times our family has helped only to be crushed and burned! But still something will not let me lose hope in people. I know there will be that one that gets it, that takes hold of what is being offered and will be a better man/woman because of it. We're supposed to help one another right? That's what separates us from the animals, the ability to think, to reason, to place value on those we love. Anyways I want my life to meaningful and I know I can share a bit of who I am through music.
Lullabies are the sweet gentle songs we croon to our little ones, they soothe, and comfort. Love songs speak of those in love and those we love. Love is probably the most celebrated event, heck one day a year is set aside just for it. I mean where would we be without love? Lullabies to love Songs will be just that with a little something in between.
Love life and live it to the fullest, <3 Lizzi
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