#29 Sing a Solo

#29 Sing a Solo

I've been singing pretty much my entire life. Be it for a personal concert for my family, at age 2, singing Michael Jackson's "Beat It", singing, humming, and whistling "You Are My Sunshine" during my toddler years, singing in a performing arts choir in high school, and then singing in one of the best choirs ever (Dynamic Praise) in college. It's safe to say that I have never really "liked" my voice. I've always thought that I was a strong section member but not so much a soloist. The last time I sang a solo was in 1999 in my high school choir annual concert.

So as I was writing my list of what I wanted to do this year, I figured that I would add "singing a solo". My thoughts were that I would pretty much be safe singing a solo at the church I currently attend because it's a multi-ethnic church and the simplest singers receive good reception. (They're expectations are not that high.)

So this past Sabbath I had the opportunity to do just that...

Can't upload the video but I did see a solo. I was so nervous, my voice shook the entire song.

Painting With a Twist

#30 again...

So, I got to paint and sip again. Yipee! I was excited and I really liked this picture too.

This is what I started out with... 

Halfway done...

My completed picture...

The girls (Jevon, Kenzie, Lynette, & me) and our portraits...

The Lion King

#3 - See a Broadway Show

I've been to New York City at least five times in the last ten years and for whatever reason I have not had the opportunity to see a Broadway/Off-Broadway show. The Lion King came into Houston and for different reasons I didn't think that I was going to be able to see it. BUT all became well with the world and I was able to get a ticket.

I LOVED IT!!!! My favorite character was Rafiki. The woman who played that part had an A-MAZING voice. I was up high but not too high that I couldn't see the stage perfectly.

Not a great picture but you can see how well I saw the stage.

This is me on my way downtown to see the show.

My ticket.

Volunteer

#19 Volunteer

The church that we a currently attending has a homeless ministry. So I decided that it would be great to go and share some of my time since I have so much of it to share. The program feeds and clothes the homeless and less fortunate in its area, as well as, allow the homeless to come in and take showers and get clean. I helped in the clothing area. First, I brought 5 bags of clothes/shoes to donate.

All I can really say about this experience is that it was just that... an experience. It wasn't bad, it was good. It was definitely eye opening. One man that stood out to me was an older man who worked with a limp and had slurred speech; he was also slightly agitated most of the time. Being in the profession that I am in, speech therapy, my heart broke just watching him. Jackie, church member that I was working with, said that they suspected that he had suffered from a stroke. It broke my heart knowing that was probably true and also because I know that he probably did not receive any speech services to help him at all.

This is what I know... a lot of homeless people don't choose to live on the streets, a succession of bad circumstances normally puts them there. Some homeless people are also are the streets by choice because they don't want to burden family and friends. Some are homeless due to mental status and their families are unable to take care of them. And some are lazy and don't want to work. But what makes them just like the rest of us is that they desire and long for the same things that the rest of us do... Love and Respect. Sometimes we find it hard to look past their dirty bodies and clothes, and even their (sometimes) ugly attitudes, but we have to realize that they are human beings just like the rest of us. I grew up in San Francisco and there are plenty of homeless people that live on the streets there. I'm guilty of walking across the street so I don't have so smell them, walking past and not looking them in the eyes because I don't want to be asked for money. But I know this for sure I have to do a better job of making sure that I show them respect and not make them feel less human because of their current unfortunate situation.

#30 Go to a Sip & Strokes

#30 Go to a Sip & Strokes

So I've been waiting and wanting to go to Sips n Stokes. They go by many different names but the concept is the same... you get to sip your drink of choice (alcohol or not) and you get to paint. So my sister, Alyse, and I drove to Nashville for the weekend to hang out with her friend Jannyse. Jannyse is a Sips n Strokes regular. She has four paintings hanging in her apartment and she did one for Alyse for her house (gave it to her as her house warming gift). Anyway, Alyse told Jannyse that going to Sips n Strokes was on my list and so reservations were made for us to go. (Alyse's other friend, Danisha, joined the party as well.)

You start off with a canvas that has a simple outline for whatever the painting is going to be.













The teacher instructs you on how to paint the entire picture. It's pretty cool. Even the least experienced artist (like my sister Alyse) can end up with an awesome picture in the end... *I suggest going with a friend (or friends). The jokes you will have are endless...* The teacher will answer any questions you have an help  you fix any mistakes.

At this point, all we've done is the background to my angel. 

I've started started giving my angel some color. The teacher had to come and help me a bit because I couldn't figure out how to highlight and shadow the face. *One of the hardest parts to painting people is mixing the right colors to get the color complexion that you want. I had a really hard time mixing.*

My finished angel... I think I'll call her "Expresso Mist".

All of us girls together. It was a fun night!

Random Dessert Post

Have you ever had a cake ball? No? You need to try it!!! I saw a recipe on red velvet cake balls (I think on pinterest) and was too excited to try it.

People say that they are easy to make... and they are; they're just a labor of love for me because of the time it takes to make them.

These beginning and middle pictures were taken by the person who's blog I got the recipe from. The finished product picture is mine.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

• 1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake) 
• 1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.) 
• 1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate) - I used meltable white chocolate (bark or morsels) -
• wax paper

Instructions

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)
I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

My finished product. And it is YUMMY to my TUMMY!!!!

#15 - Baking 3 new desserts from scratch

#15 - Part 2

So I LOVE LOVE LOVE red velvet cake, cupcakes, and cake balls (see next post), so when I saw red velvet brownies on Pinterest, I thought "why not?".

I wasn't so happy with the out come but hubby and my co-workers seemed to love it. Berto even took it to work and his two employees liked it too.

It wasn't moist enough for me. But maybe you'll like it.

Red Velvet Brownies
adapted from Smells like Home

1 cup  unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 oz red food coloring (optional)
4 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour an 9 X 13 baking pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in food coloring and vanilla. Mix flour, cocoa and salt in a separate bowl.  Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed, just until combined.  Do not over mix.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir up the batter with a rubber spatula once or twice just to ensure all of the flour has incorporated from the sides of the bowl and there isn’t anything stuck on the bottom of the bowl.  You’ll want one uniformly colored (red) batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the brownies.  Set aside to cool, cut into bars and serve.