Tis the Season! ...For Pictures of Cute Babies

Album Review: Illuminations by Josh Groban

Well folks, this is my first ever album review. Of course it would be a Josh Groban album. :) We haven't had a new non-holiday cd from Josh since 2006. As a rabid fan, you can imagine how excited I was about Illuminations. Well, the day came......and I wasn't that impressed. I know, I know, this is JOSH freaking GROBAN, he can't do anything wrong. And I'm not saying he DID do something wrong. I'm just not feeling what I felt with Closer and Awake, which was absolute astonishment. There are some seriously great songs on this new album, but there are also a few that just had me thinking: "What the heck is this?" I'll give you a track-by-track rundown.

1. The Wandering Kind (Prelude): This is a pretty great intro. All piano and beautiful. Very John Tesh-ish. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

2. Bells of New York City: I REALLY love this song. His voice is incredible in this song, though sadly he doesn't use any of his divine falsetto. It has a "old-fashioned" feel to it. The more I listen to it the more I think I could place it in my list of Groban Greats. 5 out of 5 stars.

3. Galileo (Someone Like You): I liked this more the second time I listened to it, but I still wasn't too impressed. Some good moments, but all around, a little boring. 3 out of 5 stars.

4. L'Ora Dell'Addio: Eh........not very impressed. Yet gets better the more I listen to it. 3 out of 5 stars.

5. Hidden Away: This was the first song released from the album. It's really good, fantastic lyrics. I actually feel like this song applies to me in many ways. I wish he was singing it TO ME. I'd tell him everything. 5 out of 5 stars.

6. Au jardin des sans-pourquoi: Yeah I had to switch screens like ten times to spell that. This song is OK. I like the melody, but the lyrics bug me.....and I don't even know what they mean. I think it's French. It surprises me that I don't like it because I usually love French. But I don't know....sounds weird. 3 out of 5 stars.

7. Higher Window: Best song on the CD. 'Nuff said. 6 out of 5 stars. :)

8. If I Walk Away: I really like this one. I could have loved it if it weren't for these weirdo background vocals. 4 out of 5 stars.

9. Love Only Knows: I liked this one a lot, but it didn't grab me. 4 out of 5 stars.

10. Voce Existe Em Mim: This is Josh's first attempt at Portuguese lyrics and boy.....I'm a fan. This is a close second after Higher Window. It's fun, and quite a different sound for something of Josh's. Love love it. 5 out of 5 stars.

11. War at Home: Good lyrics. That's about it for this song. 3 out of 5 stars.

12. London Hymn: I don't know what the heck this is. It's SO out of place on this CD. 2 out of 5 stars. (I feel like I've just committed blasphemy.....)

13. Straight to You: I really liked this song......but it just didn't have enough progression. It highlights the vibrato in his voice, which sometimes gets on my nerves......... 3.5 out of 5 stars.

14. Feels Like Home: This Randy Newman cover is such a classic. It's a good choice for Josh's voice. However, I was hoping for some major orchestration somewhere in the song...but it never came which left me a little bored. Therefore, 4 out of 5 stars. (PS- this song is only on the deluxe version of the album.)

And that's that. As a whole, it was a good album, with some great moments. Buy it, if only to support one of the greatest singers of all time.

Peace!

I LOVE this little boy.

Serious. I feel like I might burst with happiness when I see him. :) I don't know how his PARENTS manage to survive!

Yep, Yep. Published......AGAIN!

This time, however, my photographs are being published. Not my prose. Which one is better? I just can't decide. :) Anyway, I submitted 4 photos to be published in the Touchstones publication at UVU. To my delight, I was informed last night that 2 of my photos have been chosen!!! The launch party is November 30 and I can display something if I want. I haven't decided if it's be worth the expense.....but anyway. EXCITING, no? Here are the 2 pics chosen.


Canoes at Legacy Lake

Golden Gate Bridge.


Yeah!! I'm so happy. My goal was to do something awesome, at it was achieved! Peace!

Paper Quilling

For last month's craft, the Crafty McCrafters created paper quilled letters. Lu got the idea from this tutorial. Also, check out her pictures and tutorial here. She has a link to the free hand designs as well, which is what I modeled my first design after.

This is what I did first. I free handed it and I think it turned out pretty well. I haven't framed this one yet, and I don't know if I will. I think I can do another one a lot better....we'll see.






This is my second project. I didn't want to do a letter and I have a thing for peace signs. I traced the outline of the peace sign from clip art. I framed this in a shadow box and it looks incredible! I have it displayed in my room.







This is the latest of my paper quilling adventures. I'm pretty excited about it. I came up with the design myself. It's actually something I draw in my notebooks all the time. I'm really pleased with this one. I'm not sure where I'm gonna hang it yet.







Well, that's all. Peace out.

Happy Vacation in Galveston, TX

Well, I finally got a vacation! It was much needed, and so much fun. Leslee and I went to Galveston, TX. In case you don't know where that is, it's right there....that little island in the Gulf of Mexico. We have family there and they ROCK!

We arrived Thursday afternoon and my Aunt Wilma and Uncle Jim picked us at the airport. We stopped at the Olive Garden where I ate some delish chicken alfredo. We spent the day lounging and visiting with the fam. On Friday I was sick with a migraine (and ended up throwing up in a gross Mexican restaurant's bathroom) and stayed in bed half the day. We went on a ferry boat ride where we saw......

Lots of birds.

And dolphins!! I didn't get the best pictures of them. But they were neat. :D

This is a steak house we went to. It was pretty snazzy. I ate a tasty chicken fried steak with creamy mashed potatoes. And the coolest part?? The kid's menu, which was also an activity book.

Yep, that's right. Camping with Dusty. :) :) :)

Other than eating great food, hanging out with the fam, I spent lots of time at the beach.

I made Leslee run into a group of birds to scare them into flying. :) It was funny.

We found a dead fish. I poked it with a stick, just like a small child would, you know, to make sure it was dead.

JJ is the best.


I didn't even know Seth had gotten in the picture! It worked out nicely. :) He's a cutie. He's a Percy Jackson fan, just like me.


And.....I may have gone a little crazy collecting shells. I have plans for them though. Just you wait.

One of the greatest things about my vaca was that I got lots of awesome ocean scape pictures. They have gorgeous sunrise and sunsets there.





Sunset
Sunrise

Well, that's a short version of the trip, but I didn't want to bore you. Just know, I'm moving to Galveston someday. Peace for now!

Reason #1 to Move to Galveston, TX

The Sunsets.

And that's just one of the many reasons, folks. Stay tuned for a full description of my trip plus lots of fun photos! :D