The Studio-Beta Lab

Salutations, Todays blog is going to feature "The Studio". We had our friend Alim come in and take some recent shots of the spot. This is where all the magic happens! But the studio has not always been here, it used to be in our garage at home. As I mentioned before Sam & I have always had a passion for music. So our children were exposed to all kinds of music, and they chose their instrument (guitar, and drums) and began practicing. It never seemed like a chore for them, they just loved it. Our circle of friends were also involved in music, no matter where we went we always gravitated towards other musicians and singers. This was great for our kids because they always had awesome mentors, and good solid role models. With our children we always tried to offer them the tools they needed to become successful and then just prayed and hoped they would put it to good use. There's something about being self sufficient that has always appealed to us. So since we knew we were gonna be involved in music Sam decided he wanted to build a studio in our empty garage. He set to it and completed it in about a month. There was always this kind of muffled music outside, where you could hear the vibrations of the bass and drums, but it never bothered us.

From this awesome little studio the Iklectix were born (more on them in tomorrow's blog). As the Iklectix's grew in notoriety they really needed a "professional environment" to work with their clients. So that is where the idea of moving the studio began. It was very natural to build right above Iguanas in downtown since that was a hub for the family. The Iklectix pulled their funds, friends, and family together to start the big move! There was a lot that needed to be done, from the tear down to the build out, electrical, subfloors, tons of insulation (so they wouldn't disturb the neighbors), painting, carpeting and the list goes on and on. The project took about two and a half months to complete before they could start moving their studio equipment in, it took another two weeks to dial in the equipment and the sound room (technical stuff). I am proud of the Iklectix and what they have accomplished to date. I'm posting some before, during, and after pics to show you where we'll be creating, recording, and filming this project. I'm so excited to step into their world!

Next: THE IKLECTIX

This is the studio "Beta Lab".

The web of web design

Web design is pretty foreign to me, even though I'm online a lot, I never put much thought into the design part of it. You either like it or not right? It either grabs your attention and you say cool and browse a bit, or you just move on. Sam made an appointment with Dan the graphic artist/photographer (It's great to know people that can work in different capacities), I didn't really know what to expect since I never thought I would have my own web page. So, like a dip I took a couple of my favorite scrapbook magazines thinking this would give Dan a great visual.

Melissa & I met with Dan who basically said ok explain to me what it is your trying to do, why, and how. I was speechless.......... thankfully Sam was there sitting quietly, mainly for moral support. But I looked at him and he could see I was at a loss for words. I actually thought he had given Dan a brief overview of what we were trying to do. I gave him the "take over" look, which he happily did. Since he's the technical side of the project he quickly explained to Dan the whole process...live streaming, which would weekly be consolidated into You Tube snippets. Cool right? Dan asked is anyone doing this? Well not really, but Sam has done a lot of investigation of how to set up this whole system, not to mention he invested a small chunk of change and he found a simple, affordable way to do it.

So, Dan looks at me and says "well what do you want your page to look like?". Really for Dan he just needed for me to give him some type of visual description. My explanation of a scrapbook/bulletin board sort of type of thing gave him nothing to go on - he's a single guy and he has probably never seen a scrapbook page, or my crazy huge bulletin board loaded with sketches of future scrap pages, photos, ticket stubs, notes, flowers, and bugs...

Oh well he quickly sent us on our way with an assignment, which was to go through and look at sites that have thousands of file pics for me to view until I found the style, pattern, color... For me to do this in the daytime is virtually impossible. Time just doesn't allow it, and neither does Rocky (my grandson)! So this meant late nights on the computer marking the files I liked. The girls were a little critical seeing as "I don't know what's cool", and after spending a substantial amount of time picking out 100's of examples Sam tells me "all's you need is 3 examples" well he could have told me that sooner!

Second meeting with Dan I had a much better idea of how I wanted my page to look. I showed him a couple of examples (from the 100's I chose) and let him do his thing. Funny thing with Dan is you never really know what he is envisioning and if it is what you are envisioning. But this is where you just have to trust the professional and see what he comes up with.

Called Dan to see if we could come by and see his design concept. Very anxious to see what he has come up with. Will it be me? Will it be appealing to others? I guess we'll see........ I think it's amazing, it's fun, it's exciting, and looks like a fun place to visit, maybe even hang out. So here is a snapshot of my page heading which is almost ready.

<3 br="" lizzi="">
Next THE STUDIO - BETA LAB

The "Photo Shoot"

Funny how it looks so glamorous on television, a photo shoot. Not so in real life, well not for me anyways. The photo shoot was scheduled on a Saturday at 5pm, us girls knew that it was gonna be all hands on deck for todays project. But, when you have kids you know that your world revolves around theirs and not visa versa! You see my daughter Felice was a cast member in her schools production of The Wiz. After a 2 week run, of all days the last show was on the same day as my photo shoot. I knew it was going to be tough but this is how my day went.

A little nervous...

The show was at 12:00 noon and it was the only showing that my Mama could attend since her up time is limited. Melissa and I tried to take care of last minute errands for the photo shoot before we picked up Mama. We got to the show after curtain call but we made it. Whew!

Slightly Anxious...

Although this was my fourth time seeing the play, it still captivated me to see my daughter singing, dancing, and having a wonderful time, again it made me smile. Felice and all of her schoolmates did a wonderful job. I thought okay we're still good on time, Not. Felice tells me right after the play that her shift from 4-6 at Iguanas was no longer covered and she had to work. Again anxiety! The program was great and Grandma loved it, she very proudly handed her granddaughter a beautiful bouquet of roses. Melissa & I tried to hurry Felice out so she could get dropped off at work. But there was cast pictures to be taken, a cast party following the show, and trying to sort out all your belongings from 40 other kids takes awhile. Photo shoot at five, feeling anxious and nervous! At this point Melissa was trying to call all her cashiers to try and fill in for Felice, this is the trouble with being the boss and the employee. I knew that I needed Melissa with me because she was gonna help with my hair and make-up. I knew even if I was running late that between all of us we could pull it off.

Anxious...

My poor Yesenia had a terrible case of allergies and was miserable. Melissa dropped me off at home where Senia was waiting for me. Down to a crew of one! I seriously just wanted to go get a pedicure. Seems like at the most critical moments in my life, I run to the salon, escape, relax, regroup, and the world is better, and my nails look great. Needless to say there was no time for that. We turned on the air full blast, iced Senia's head and she got to work putting on my make-up. Senia, having experience working at a major makeup counter was horrified because I committed 2 major infractions: one I ran out of concealer, and two I barely had any face make-up left. Whoops I meant to get it at the store. Did I mention I ran out of time for my errands earlier? She mixed a few colours and came up with a perfect combination (see I told you she's resourceful!).

Very Anxious...

We made it to the studio slightly late. Thank God Dan wasn't charging by the hour. He started shooting pics indoors, using a green screen, which I'm told if you use that he could place me anywhere. I told him to put me on top of the Eiffel Tower. If you knew Dan, you would know that he does most of his laughing inside, or maybe he just thought my jokes were lame-o. The studio was very dark, except for one bright umbrella light. It's hard to be natural when your the only one sitting there, and a camera is about two feet from your FACE! Too bad I already have small eyes - so I have a tendency to squint when I smile or I laugh. So now it's "keep your eyes open and give me a big smile". Then Melissa and Felice arrived around 6:30 and we all went outside for some air. Dan decided that the natural light was perfect, so we took the remainder of the shots outside. The air was fresh and breezy, and we had lots of fun outdoors. Whew, that's that! A Photo Shoot.

Relaxed...

The girls worked so hard, the least I could do is treat them to a nice dinner. We went to a new place called Mezcal. They make delicious mole (mexican gravy), homemade tortillas, black beans (also typical of Oaxaca) and white rice. It was delicious, and the perfect way to top off an incredibly busy day! Thanks to my three beautiful girls, you are the best!

Here is a picture that Dan sent me to share with all my readers.

Tomorrow the WEBSITE...

Here we go

Hello, SO excited and anxious for things to get moving. My husband Sam is taking care of all the technical aspects of the project which means he drummed up some funds to invest in new equipment, he loves a project. I think if he doesn't have a project, he's bored. First things first, he sent the girls and I out on a shopping trip to purchase some new outfits for a photo shoot that he arranged with the photographer/graphic artist. Dan Huenengardt is an incredible artist who we have had a long lasting relationship with and I couldn't see myself working with anybody-else but him! Anyways, Sam also set up the outing with the girls, my daughters Melissa, Felice, and my daughter-in-law Yesenia. These are my girls, the most creative, efficient, and practical ones who are also my best cheerleaders and critics all rolled in to one. I know they will give it to me straight.

Many a times I have dressed for an occasion and they have marched me back into the room only to redo my whole look. Having daughters is great when it's good and horrible when it's bad, those of you who have teenage daughters will understand. Anyways back to our shopping trip. We were limited on time because, by the time everyone got out of work it was late so we thought we would go to my favorite store (Anthropology) in Santana Row. I had hoped it would be a one stop shopping trip and for some odd reason the stars were aligned for shopping heaven!! For you guys this is like you going on a road trip with your best buds to the big game and when you arrive at the stadium your nose bleed seats have been upgraded to BOX SEATS for no reason at all - very cool right (that's what my husband said anyways). We arrived and my daughters went to work picking out items they knew I would like - nothing fancy, this wasn't one of those glamour shots. These are pieces that say who I am, my life is cooking, cleaning, helping my children out at Iguana's, babysitting my grandson, volunteering in the community...the list goes on. I have to say this had to be the most successful shopping trip EVER! And when we went to make our purchases it turns out that the highest ticket item was 80% off! WOW it doesn't get much better than that, we even had enough time to have the girls pick out some items for their Vegas trip.

We ended the shopping trip with a bite to eat at Pizza Antica and topped it off with some delicious yogurt at Pinkberry, yummmmm. We had a great time together and it was nice to take time out and enjoy each others company. Here's a great big spaulley-aulley to my girls!

Tomorrow the PHOTO SHOOT.........

<3 Lizzi


lizzi@lullabiestolovesongs.com

This Is me...

Hi, My name is Lizzi. I am a wife, mother, grandma, and everything else that comes with a family. I simply have had a dream ever since I was a little girl. And that dream is to sing, not just to sing but to inspire and invoke peoples thoughts and to challenge them through the medium of music. I believe that God gives us all talents and gifts, some of us never refine those gifts, and some of us hang on to them for dear life. I was raised in the church and this is where I sang in front of a congregation for the first time. This is where I fell in love with how music can touch and move people.

My life was surrounded with music, from my parents who loved to sing, to my Uncle who played the guitar, even my siblings who also played musical instruments. Although neither of my parents played an instrument they loved to be around music. Some of my fondest memories are of everyone coming over after church on Sunday, having a great meal, socializing, and then the entertainment. Today you see talent shows featured on television but, we had our own talent shows back then. I don't ever remember turning on the t.v. when we had guests over. We would listen to records; Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Andre Crouch, evangelist Leroy Jenkins, and comedians such as Flip Wilson. My brothers used to act out some of the comedy spoofs complete with all the props. We used to entertain ourselves, which I think has become a bygone era. My sister Norma who played the organ would do a selection, my older sisters would sing songs complete with three part harmony. I used to try and join in only to have my sisters say I was "ruining the harmony". This was tough for me because my desire to sing and be a part of the group was so strong. Sometimes I would leave crying but I had lots of faith (childlike faith) and I believed if I asked God, He would give me a voice to sing and I would use it! This was my prayer for a long time.

We of course were very active in the church because my Mama was the Pastor of a small neighborhood church. So being a PK (pastors kid) I helped with teaching a sunday school class, leading worship, we attended church at least 3 times a week. This was my social network and since we spent so much time there we decided to form a band with other church member kids. My brother Abraham played the drums, my other brother the congas, we also had a bass and a piano player, and I was the singer. My Mama would take us along when she was asked to be a guest speaker at other churches and we would perform a few songs. Of course this made my Mama very proud, this was the start of something new and exciting. After that group dissolved I joined another group, then another...

And that is how I met my husband of almost 29 years whew! I went to audition for a band and there he was this incredibly tall, dark, and handsome guy who played the trombone. The band was a Latin Salsa Christian music group complete with a full horn section. There off to the side I saw this handsome, confident, easy going, polite, and talented horn playa. I can honestly say that it was love at first sight. It was as if God said this is it, this is a peek into your future, this young man will be your companion for life. For me usually when things appear too good to be true, well they usually are! But not Sam, with his confident approach to everything he quickly became my best friend at a time when that was exactly what I needed. It didn't take long for him to propose to me at the age of 16 and soon after we were married at the tender age 18 and 19! Young, crazy (everyone said so) that didn't matter to us, we were incredibly happy, it was as if we were playing house (we nearly burned it down a couple of times with a few baking catastrophes).

The children came next, seemed like the natural thing to do since we both loved the idea of a large family. Sam's idea (12) and my idea (4) was a little different. We comfortably settled into five children. To date our children range in age from 27 down to 7 years old. We have one incredibly, adorable grandson who is one year old. I could talk about him all day, but that would be a different blog. It's easy to place your dreams on hold, and although we tried a few musical endeavors, the business of life was the main focus. Raising kids is a full time job, and I made it my priority to do the best I could to guide, teach, and nurture them. My husband has always been the main provider and I the homemaker. We always tried to create the least amount of disruption in our kids lives so me working part time here and there worked well for us. When our kids were school age we began homeschooling them, to many people this seemed like a crazy radical decision. But for us it was an opportunity to help mold, shape, and prepare our children to make a difference in the world. We did this until our eldest son began high school. Then I was presented with an incredible business opportunity!

My brother in law who owned four restaurants decided to downsize and ultimately begin a new business. I used to help out in the office with filing, accounts payable, payroll... To my surprise one day after the three other stores were sold he asked me, ME if I wanted the downtown store. I was shocked mainly because I had no clue how to run a restaurant. Well I knew how it all looked on paper (vendors, distributors, scheduling) I knew the numbers and I knew it was a great business concept Something new, exciting, but again we had to consider how this would affect our children. My husband who already had a full time job said "you can do it Lizzi!". I will help you and we can do it together This is how amazingly supportive my Sam is. He knew that although it would take a lot of time and effort it would be good for the family so needless to say this is how we became the proud owners of Iguanas Taqueria. That lil' store has been a blessing to us all. Iguanas is now owned and operated by our kids and we love the direction they are taking it!

It's hard to consolidate ones' history in to few paragraphs so for this reason I was thinking what is the best way to attack this blog. I know that nobody has time to read someones life story in one sitting so maybe I can break this up into segments such as before, then, and now. I've got to say that my "NOW" is amazing. My life is rich with love, joy, excitement, and adventure (everyday should be an adventure right?) This is the place where I would like to linger. I love to make mental pictures of special moments, I make it a point to lock in certain moments, little gestures, smiles, frowns, events, whatever. Of course I also scrapbook so I can pass along those memories to others. Now that half of the kids are grown and out of the house, the younger ones a bit more independent, I can take a little time for myself and do some of the things I love. Such as quilting, scrapbooking, and of course singing! Part of my dream was to have children who would also have a love and inclination towards music. It is an amazing feeling to be able to sing, with my boys accompanying me. Which brings me to WHY I am writing this blog.

My husband, children, and family have made it possible for me to begin recording again. I will blog, tweet, and film the whole process, from how music is created, recorded, mixed, and mastered, to the end project. I have been blessed with an amazing production team, the "Iklectix" and I would love to have you come along and see what modern technology affords us. This is a summer adventure to see if we can complete this recording while the kids are on summer break and as we go along this creative journey together I will introduce you to the team. I am very excited about sharing this with others and I think it will be an enlightening and entertaining project and I would like to invite you to be a part of "my dream" of recording an album.

Lullabies to love songs, this represents who I am because us moms wear many different hats. And although this is a huge commitment of time and energy I am certain that it will be worth it! Join my blog, tell a friend, and check out my new post tomorrow.

<3 Lizzi




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