Hometown Kid DeAndre Stuns with Voice

Looks like our hometown kid is coming up strong on Idol.  I went to high school with DeAndre's parents so everyday I see posts on Facebook from friends of them saying, "Vote for DeAndre!"

A couple of years ago, when Idol revamped the whole show by ousting some judges, watching Simon Cowell leave to produce his own show and hiring new, more updated judges such as J Lo and Steven Tyler, I stopped watching.  Only in the last two weeks have I watched a couple of episodes - only to see DeAndre perform and to see what all the ruckus was about.  I discovered that, "The boy can sing!!!!"

The episode I watched pitted guys against girls, with the judges making the final decision as to who in the bottom two would be eliminated.  After a session with Mary J. Blige and Interscope Records exec Jimmy Iovine, DeAndre performed Stevie Wonder's Master Blaster with such fervor.  I had no idea the kid was so good.  He's got a great vibe, a sultry voice and model looks (can't forget those gorgeous blue eyes).

America (and especially the Bay Area) must keep DeAndre in the running for 2012's American Idol.  Don't forget to vote each week.  DeAndre needs your votes!

DeAndre's American Idol Page



Become a fan of DeAndre on his Facebook fan page at https://www.facebook.com/BrackensickAI11.

Coming Soon... Just A Girl Looking for Love

New Blog - Just A Girl Looking for Love

X Factor Auditions in San Francisco

Season 2 X Factor auditions are coming to San Francisco! If you live in the Bay Area, you've got that special talent and you want to audition for the X Factor, you must register April 18 - 19.  Looks like open call auditions will be taking place in SF on April 20 or elsewhere in the country.  See the list of locations and dates below or you can submit an online audition by going to the X Factor website.  Good luck to all!   DO YOU HAVE THE X FACTOR? Dear Patricia Passaretti, THE WORLD’S ONLY $5 MILLION AUDITION IS BACK! THE X FACTOR is searching for America's best undiscovered talent. If you are a solo artist or vocal group and are ages 12 and up, you can audition for THE X FACTOR Season 2 as follows: *Open Call Auditions in: Kansas City, MO – Registration: March 12-13 Audition: March 14 Austin, TX – Registration: March 20-21 Audition: March 22 San Francisco, CA – Registration: April 18-19 Audition: April 20 Greensboro, NC – Registration: April 29-30 Audition: May 1 Providence, RI – Registration: May 9 Audition: May 10 *Online Auditions *MyStudio HD Recording Studios across America This year we have opened THE X FACTOR auditions up to artists who already have representation. If you, or any of your friends have THE X FACTOR go to www.thexfactorusa.com to sign-up and get audition details and eligibility requirements NOW! THE X FACTOR Season 1 discovered such diverse recording artists as winner Melanie Amaro, and finalists Astro, Chris Rene, Josh Krajcik, Marcus Canty and Rachel Crow, who have all signed major deals with Sony Music. GOOD LUCK!

Quotes to Live By

Following are some of my favorite quotes and stories:

• You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough. ~ Frank Crane

• Life isn’t about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself. ~ Unknown

• When the pain of where you are becomes greater than the fear of where you’re going, you’ll move.

• When people show you who they are, believe them. ~ Maya Angelou

Don't give up.....

One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.

I gave them light.

I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth.

Its brilliant green covered the floor.

Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit.
In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would
not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared
to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6
months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".

"I would not quit on the bamboo.

I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others."

He said.

"The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.

Yet they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come", God said to me.

"You will rise high"
"How high should I rise?"

I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.
Never, Never, Never Give up.
For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

• Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts.  It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.

• Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are. ~ Malcolm S. Forbes

• Don't talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave. ~ Wilson Mizner

• It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.  ~ Unknown

• Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity. ~ Frank Leahy, Look, 10 January 1955

•  In all that surrounds him the egotist sees only the frame of his own portrait. ~ J. Petit-Senn

• None are so empty as those who are full of themselves. ~ Benjamin Whichcote

• Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

• The man who thinks he can live without others is mistaken; the one who thinks others can't live without him is even more deluded. ~ Hasidic Saying

• Modesty:  The art of encouraging people to find out for themselves how wonderful you are.  ~Source Unknown

• Conveying truth in your actions is never a mistake.

• Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be any different.

• “Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution." ~ Deepak Chopra

• "You can accept or reject the way you are treated by other people, but until you heal the wounds of your past, you will continue to bleed. You can bandage the bleeding with food, with alcohol, with drugs, with work, with cigarettes, with sex, but eventually, it will all ooze through and stain your life. You must find the strength to open the wounds, stick your hands inside, pull out the core of the pain that is holding you in your past, the memories, and make peace with them." ~ Iyanla Vanzant                                                                                                                             

• It is worth remembering that the time of greatest gain in terms of wisdom and inner strength is often that of greatest difficulty. ~Dalai Lama

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Muzikgirl

My Dream Engagement Ring

A few weeks ago, while shopping with a friend for a birthday gift for her daughter, I found my dream engagement ring.  Now I just need the dream man to go with it.  Joe King, where are you????  LOL

Scars on 45 & The Fray in the Bay

Another amazing show with The Fray!  I feel so blessed every time I see the band perform live.  These guys have so much talent.  Isaac's voice, the piano playing, the guitars, bass, drums... all of it touches my soul deeply.  And most of all, it's the meaning of the lyrics and how "stand up" these guys truly are.

Our (me and Kavita) adventure started out arriving in Oakland at 4:30 pm.  The city looked deserted, like a movie where a war has happened, dark and gray with nobody around.  The only activity was the line already formed in front of The Fox Theater.  The show wouldn't start for another 3 1/2 hours and there was already a line!!!  We had to eat so we pulled out our trusty phones and did some quick research on Yelp to find a Mediterranean cafe just a couple of blocks away from the Fox.  We shuffled our food into our mouths quickly and then drove the two blocks to the venue where we easily found metered parking on the street - lucky for us it was free thanks to it being President's Day.

We found ourselves a spot in line with about 30 people in front of us.  Soon our friend Bari arrived and hopped in line with us.  We chatted, laughed, took photos and goofed off until the doors were ready to open.  

Moments before the doors opened, Bari's friend rolled up on a little scooter she was using due to a foot injury.  There happened to be a designated employee at the Fox wearing a blue jacket with a "handicapped" symbol on the back of it who walked over to us and asked if she needed assistance inside and a seat.  Of course we jumped on the bandwagon and followed them up to the front of the line where the ticket takers were just starting to let people inside.  As the guy began scanning tickets, people were pushing and shoving.  Kavita gave him her ticket, he scanned it and allowed her past.  Then he took my ticket but was being a complete jerk and deliberately taking his sweet time.  Once he finally scanned it, he put his left arm and leg out to the side to block me from going past him.  WTF?  I yelled over his shoulder to Kavita, "Run!"  I jumped to the left of the guy and ran past him, moving with such haste.  Somehow Kavita ended up behind me and stepped on my Converse.  I was doing whatever I could to keep moving forward with my shoe hanging off my foot.  I was now running with my shoe dangling, stopping momentarily to get it back on (unsuccessfully) but continuing to move toward the front of the stage.  I watched as Kavita ran down the steps and across the floor landing a spot to the left side of the stage right in front.  I caught up and claimed my space, turning around to look for Bari who was sauntering behind in her dress and heels.  

Bari had told us weeks ago about this British band "Scars on 45", whom I'd never heard of, that would be opening for The Fray.  I usually don't love opening bands.  Sometimes I like a song or two but it's not often that an opener blows me away so I was pleasantly surprised to be tapping my feet and drumming my hands to song after song.  The third song in, my ears really perked up as singer Aimee began belting out "Promises and Empty Words."  What a stunning voice.  The song was beautiful, brought me back to my childhood when I listened to a music group, PC Quest, whose female vocalist had a similar tone.  Just gorgeous!  Scars played eight songs and when their set was over I was actually disappointed that they were finished.  Normally I would be thrilled because I'd be that much closer to seeing my boys but this band's music was life-changing for me.

During the show I told Bari to ask the band for their setlist because I knew how much she loved these guys.  She questioned this as if it was an impossible request.  Having worked with and travelled the country with a band, I knew that they are willing to share with their fans.  Bari asked Aimee and she handed it over kindly.  She walked away from the front of the stage for a moment and came back with another setlist, handing to a girl nearby.  Aimee heard me say, "Awww" and came back a third time to give me my own setlist.  It was such a heartfelt moment.  I knew these guys would become one of my favorite bands!

Following all the excitement of Scars, we eagerly awaited the arrival of Isaac and company as the roadies moved equipment on and off stage.  Girls were on all sides of us pushing and shoving to get to the front but I was not about to allow someone to inhibit me from seeing my boys up close!


Isaac finally came out on stage with the rest of the band in tow.  They started with some older songs and then quickly began with songs off the new album, Scars & Stories.  Isaac sings with such passion that you can't help but to sing along.  

My favorite moment of the show:

Early into the show, Isaac made his first foray into the audience.  He stood up against the gate that separates the audience from the stage and sang his heart out while us girls reached over to touch him.  This was a magical moment indeed.

Some time in the middle of the show, we decided to get Joe's attention and ask for his guitar pick.  I could see the recognition in his eyes when he saw us waving at him.  He had this smirk on his face like he was teasing us.  We kept catching his eyes and yelling, "Joe, give me your pick!" or "Can I have your pick, Joe?"  After a while I said to Bari, "You know Joe can't hear us, right?  He's probably reading our lips and thinking we're saying, 'Joe, can I have your d (rhymes with pick)?'"  LOL

Besides my original favorite song off the album, The Fighter, I am now thoroughly in love with Joe's song, Rainy Zurich.  The song's lyrics are romantic and sexy.  His voice reaches parts of my soul that haven't been accessed in a long time.  What a beautiful voice, handsome man, and sexy musician.

When the band came back for an encore, Isaac surprised us with his accordion playing skills.  Who knew?  I was also pleasantly surprised by their cover of Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's Maps.  What a fantastic song!!!  I purchased their album directly from them so I had no idea that they had covered this song on the iTunes extended version.

As the band finished and took a bow, I once again asked Joe for his guitar pick.  He finally bent down to hand it to me.  All these girls reached out to try to take it and clumsy me dropped it.  It fell to the ground behind the gate so I immediately looked over to the security guy and motioned for him to get it for me, which he did.  Thank you, Joe!

When the show was over we immediately went out to the lobby to purchase Scars on 45's two EPs from the merch counter.  All of the band members were there chatting it up with so many of their new fans.  I introduced myself and chatted with each of them individually.  They were all so sweet and humble, especially Aimee.  I let her know how much their music touched me.  She responded, "Oh bless your soul.  That is so sweet.  Thank you so much."  Bari asked her about their sold-out show with The Fray the next night in Redding and she offered to put us on the guest list.  Unfortunately, I ended up not being able to go but I've kept in touch with them via Twitter (@scarson45) and hope to see them again soon, hopefully in Austin at the end of April where they'll be opening for Ingrid Michaelson at Stubb's.  Ooooh, yeah!


I took photos with each of them and had them autograph their setlist.  What a fabulous night!


If you haven't heard of Scars on 45 before, I highly, HIGHLY recommend that you check them out.  You can purchase their EPs on iTunes.  Their self-titled debut album will be out on April 10.  You can preorder it here: http://www.scarson45.com/blog/album-pre-order. 

Kavita, Bari, Matthew and Me

Me, Aimee and Kavita

Me, Chris and Kavita

Me with Nova and Danny