On my bookshelf these days

I just finished reading the classic Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre for the first time. I loved it. It's not my typical book of choice, but I've been wanting to read it for years (It's one of my mom's favorites). The thing that always stopped me was that it is a massive 552 page novel. And it's definitely "a journey" as my mom puts it... not a crazy page turner at first and not one you want to read in 3 days. But alas I made it through and enjoyed the journey. If you haven't read it, you should.

My reward for finishing Jane Eyre is moving on to my latest purchase, Patti LuPone A Memoir. If you're not familiar with Ms. LuPone's work, she's most known for her Tony Award winning performances in Evita (1979) and the revival of Gypsy as Rose (2008).


I've already read the first three chapters and I'm hooked. The very first quote at the beginning of the memoir got me:

"It's a curious thing. I suppose most people think of artists as impatient, but I don't know of any first-rate artist who hasn't manifested in his career an appalling patience, a willingness to wait, and to do his best now in the expectation that next year he will do it better."

-Mark Van Doren
(from The Dialogues of Archibald MacLeish and Mark Van Doren)

The very fact that Ms. LuPone chose this quote to start her book gives me a hint that this is going to be a good one. I'll tell you more as I keep reading! But so far, I can relate to a lot to her life... falling in love with music very early in life, being involved in school choirs, studying music in college and having a problem with judgement and not fitting the "mold" the school put on her. So far so good.

More to come :)

Performers and Competition

It's weird. Sometimes I feel like I picked the wrong profession. Don't get me wrong - I love music. I can't help but want to sing all the time. (Seriously... all the time. It's probably annoying). But being in music means being around musicians (or those aspiring to be in the music business) all the time.

I have to tell you. I love performing. I would be holding a microphone, standing on a stage all the time if I could. But sometimes I really dislike performers. It's more the arrogance and pride that bothers me. This is not to say that all performers are arrogant and prideful. But so many times in my life I've been paired with other artists to put some sort of show on and there is this weird vibe between us because the other person feels like we're in competition. Whether they think they're a better singer, choreographer, teacher, organizer, whatever. And I'm not saying they are not better - but when you are teamed up, you are working towards the same goal - putting on a great show!

SO. Where was I going with this? I feel like there are so many amazing performers out there. We don't need to compete with everyone we meet in this business. I don't care if you can sing a High C. So can I. If you are a great singer, I will respect you for it. Let your skill win me over, not your talking yourself up (because that won't win my respect). Let's just be encouraged and inspired by great performers! Don't knock other people down and compare yourself to them. Learn from them and get excited about getting better yourself!

Okay, my rant is over. :)

If you want to hear some great music and see some awesome performances, check these videos out. I've been totally obsessed with watching the old Kennedy Center Honors tributes on youtube lately. The links are below. Enjoy! And be inspired!

A tribute to Jerry Herman

A tribute to Barbara Cook

And if you need a good laugh, no one can compare to the comedy of Victor Borge :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx4n9P4bLEo

Happy Tuesday!

Hello Kitty Cake Pops

This weekend was Kamryn's 6th birthday so I made her Hello Kitty cake pops! They were yellow cake with white frosting. They're pretty cute, right?? :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Oreo Pops

Last night Katie and I made oreo pops :) They are so easy and delicious!! We dipped mint and original oreos in dark chocolate mint and white chocolate candy melts. The dark chocolate mint/mint oreo pops were the best in my opinion. How can you go wrong with chocolate and mint?

Here is what you'll need to make these cuties:
A box of oreos
Lollipop sticks
A couple bags of Candy Melts
Sprinkles
Styrofoam blocks

The supply amounts will vary depending on how many cookies you decide to dip. The good thing about these are you can make as many or as few as you want! We wanted 2 different kinds so we dipped almost 2 boxes, and used about 3 bags of Candy Melts.

1. First melt your Candy Melts as directed on the bag (heat a cup full for about 25 seconds at a time until melted. And add shortening to thin it - this will make it easier to dip).

2. Dip your lollipop stick into the melted chocolate about 3/4 of an inch.

3. Stick your lollipop stick halfway into the cookie.
*One thing we noticed was that the mint oreos had more cream filling, so it was easier to insert the stick. For the original oreos: open the oreo, insert your stick in the middle of the cookie. Put a small dab of melted chocolate in the middle and seal with the other half of the oreo. Leave in the freezer for a few minutes to really seal the stick inside the before you dip*

4. Dip your pop into the Candy Melts and tap off any excess chocolate.

5. Pour on your sprinkles and place in a styrofoam block to dry.

6. Let dry and voila! Cute and easy treat or party favor!

What else can I put on a stick and dip in chocolate??

Photo Shoot Fun

I few months back I posted this blog on Ballerina Inspiration. Yesterday I took 3 girls out and we did a similar shoot. Now this was just for fun and I'm not a professional, but I think we got some great shots! Here are just a few...

Pretty fun right? :)

Hallween Cake Pops

It's just barely the weekend but I've already accomplished my goal of making these cute pops! I had some of the high school girls over and taught them how to make cake pops. We had a great time and they were quite a success!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy baking :)

Weekend baking

I think I'm going to make these this weekend! The little Frankenstein is my fav :)