Barefoot Wanderings

Train at the Opera House

On thursday night my eight year old daughter and I saw Train in concert at the Sydney Opera House and they were fantastic!

It was my daughters first concert and also her first time inside the Opera House.

Her highlights:

- seeing some of the Vivid Light Festival (as we arrived in the city early)

- having hot chips and a treat drink

- being inside the Opera House

- Delta Godrem helping them sing Bruises. 

- them singing Hey Soul Sister, Mermaids, and Drive By.

- hearing he wrote Mermaids in Australia (she now refers to it as their Sydney song!)

- mum being pulled over on the way home to be Random Breath Tested (she has never been in the car when this has happened...ohh, and I passed with flying colours, drinking water will do that!).

In summary she said "It was Awesome! the best Thursday night I've ever had!'

We got home at around 11.30pm and after sleeping in until 8am she still made it to school on time!

Train are a great band to see live, full of energy and amazing talent. Pat Monahan (lead singer of Train) interacted with the audience really well. I especially loved hearing the background behind some of the songs. Being in the concert hall of the Opera House Pat said he really wanted to sing without the mic (as he said - isn't that what is was built for) and during their performance of Marry Me he did just that and Wow! I think he got as much enjoyment out of it as we did. They did a really good mix of songs, old and new. I'd certainly see them again live.

Their special guest, Matt Nathanson, was amazing - certainly someone I will look into further. Very talented and he really related to the audience, even though there were a lot of empty chairs he still gave it his all. He, like Train, was honoured to be be playing in such an amazing venue. 

As I don't like posting without some image I thought I'd share one of Matt's songs from youtube, Come on Get Higher.....

BTW - the Sydney Opera House is a pnenominal place to see concerts and shows and an excellent venue to take a young one to their first concert

Listening Pleasure.....

I just got a copy of Train's new album California 37 a few days ago and I have been playing it a lot, and I have even already put it on my iphone! It's a great CD. I hear they may be coming out - would love to see them live!

I haven't picked a fav song yet but am loving Mermaid, Bruises and Drive By as well as others!! Found the video of Drive By on youtube....

 

I'm Yours!

On Saturday the 19th of November I was treated to an amazing show by Jason Mraz accompanied by the very talented Toca Rivera. It was an accoustic concert at the Sydney Opera House, no better venue to truly showcase the talents of these gifted men.

I found this fab video on You Tube from the night of them performing the song that first led me to love the music of Jason Mraz, I'm Yours...

Challenging Myself

I have busy and this time Arting has played a role in my busyness.

Some sketches and new watercolours - very yummy!

I have signed up for another Book Round Robin with the first posting of books going off at the end of this month. So I have been busy making my book covers, creating pages, CD's etc... and am hoping to share these here soon. When I first signed up it was as a commitment to create art regularly and then I started thinking that I could also to use this opportunity to grow & develop myself. I then thought of it as an opportunity to challenge myself, not just by working in other people's books confined to their themes but also to try new things or expand on things I already know. 

This thought has since been prodded along by two things. Firstly by Jan (a friend and fellow participant in the RR) whose book title is "Precipice: Come to The Edge", with the theme that you try a new technique that you have been wanting to try for a while in her book. The second was reading posts on Marie Otero's Blog Lost Aussie on the Loose (a blog I like to regularly check in on) where she discussed Challenging yourself and then asked What's your Style?

If that wasn't challenging enough, on reading another of Marie's post she mentioned the Sketchbook Project and after having thoughts float through my head all that day I decided to 'jump' and have signed up for this challenge as well.

I believe that life gives you little signs and it is important to take notice and, where possible, to follow them. So here I go, I am a little apprehensive but excited!

A new CD I am enjoying at the moment is '21' by Adele, at times I am reminded of the soulful women singers of the 60's. Here is Rolling in the Deep a popular hit.

Zentangle, Copic & Music

Some other little pieces that I have done that are quick, simple and fun.  

Zentangle 

I was given this beautiful box of goodies as a Christmas present from my wonderful friend Megan. 

The little booklet gives some great patterns to choose from, there's a 20-sided dice with a corresponding chart if you don't want to think of what to do next or you can just do you own thing.

It is a lot of fun to do, and the whole family has had a go.

These are some tiles I have completed.

and here are some little gift cards
 

For Mother's Day I was given some Copic Marker, I haven't had much of a play except to do this flower.

 

Listening Pleasure:
Two CD's that have had a fair amount of play time are "Science & Faith" -The Script  and  "Wonders of the Younger" - Plain White T's

"Rhythm of Love" -  Plain White T's

 

WOW!! It has been a year since I have posted on my blog, what has happened...

My sister got married!

and look how gorgeous my kids looked, even my little Tom-boy scrubbed up well!

 
 

After getting over the shock of turning thirty-ten, I decide to pull myself together and get fitter and healthier - I've lost 15 kilos!

Not the best photos to demonstrate but as usual slim pickings!

I don't have any recent photos to show as they are all of me rugged up during winter!

Family breaks at Terrigal, Blue Mountains and Bateman's Bay.

Another soccer season just finished - with not just the kids but Hubby playing too!!!
The usual Homework, Housework, Workwork, errands etc.... and another year older.

Some creating, art and otherwise - cooking, sewing. 

Masterchef has been a big hit in this household with both kids interested in cooking.
For my daughters birthday she got cooking utensils and had a mini Masterchef sleep over party.

I made these aprons for the kids (and an extra two for my son and his friend).

I made pizza dough and the kids rolled them out and topped them.

Then the next day, I had made pre-made vanilla cupcakes (from scratch not a packet mix) and the kids had heaps of fun decorating them, and filling their mouths. They had vanilla icing they could colour with food colouring and then top with mini marshmellows, sprinkles, mini choc buds, and choc icing in a can with various nozzles!

My son joined cubs.

Lots of reading - will have some recommendations in another post.

Music
I have been playing some of my 'oldies' but a newish one to recommend would be Save Me San Francisco by Train. Really love the words to some of the songs on this album. 

'Hey, Soul Sister'

Concerts 
Reliving my youth with Spandau Ballet - what a BLAST!!! If you loved them in the 80's you would have loved this concert. Was amazed at myself at the recall of the song lyrics. What I loved was the enjoyment on the bands faces, they certainly looked as though they were enjoying the moment.

and

the soulful, fabulous voice -  Paulo Nutini
'These Streets' - Acoustic              

He has so many great songs - Highly recommend you check him out if you haven't already. 

Playing Around....

...in my journal with an image a friend was about to throw out

 

...with a new technique using a different brand of paint to the ones I use....

I loved the new technique but did not like the paint.

Also, currently playing around is The Script on my CD player at home & in the car. These guys are great, a truly fab CD. Great listening pleasure. Here is a sample I found on YouTube..... 'Breakeven'

Also musically - I was lucky enough to see two of P!nks Sydney concert. The first one and then the last show in Sydney. For the first concert Faker supported and I have to say they weren't that great, but the for the last show Evernore supported and they truly rocked! I'd go and see them on their own!
P!nk put on an AMAZING show, both times. I was truly in awe of her fab vocals and would definately see her again.

Sting and Lute

Last night I was amoung the privileged few to see Sting at the Sydney Opera House.
This was no ordinary Sting concert. He sang and read from letters from a famous 17th century Elizabethan composer and Lutenist John Dowland, and he himself played the Lute.

Accompanying him was a phenomenal Lutenist Edin Karamazov, so consumed and passionate in his delicate playing of the instrument.
At times he was also accompanied by a group he affectionately referred to as 'the children', an eight piece vocal group from London - Stile Antico - Heavenly voices.

Stings' voice was wonderful to listen to, and well suited this style. His talent as a singer truly shone as times it was just his voice filling the hall. The lute is an amazing instrument to hear. The intimate setting certainly added to the magic.

He ended with a few modern songs, including one of my favourites Fields of Gold, all adapted to the Lute of course.

It was truly wonderful, a once in a lifetime experience that I am grateful to have experienced, and it was made even more magical because I shared it with a very dear friend - thank you for the invite.
... and a very Happy Birthday for Wednesday.

Here is a video I found on youtube for a little taste of what it was like......

This Month's Listening Pleasure.....

.....and probably for the next few months as I bought TWO great CDs this month that have had continuous play in my Car and home.

From the first time I heard I'm Yours by Jason Mraz I loved it.

I checked out the other snippets on iTunes before going and purchasing the CD We sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. and I have not been disappointed - it is truly amazing.

Upbeat, feel good, great in the background too but be warned your body will start to move.

Whilst looking up this CD I came across the fact Plain White T's had realeased a new album.

Whenever I listen to Plain White T's part of me gets transported back to my teens (which is good and bad).

It has a modern day sixties feel to it.
Catchy tunes, clever lyrics, great voice, wonderful harmonies.
My fav song at the moment is Rainy Day and That Girl (reminds me of The Monkees). 1,2,3,4 is cute and clever.
My least fav is Natural Disaster - which I think is their first single from the album.

I think Tom Higgenson is a truly talented singer songwriter. If he has got the stamina to ride the ups and downs I think he will be around for a long time..... like good wine he'll get better with age.

and yes, the kids love both these CDs too.

The song that started it all: .........warning - may be addictive.....

This Month's Listening Pleasure

.....is Life in Cartoon Motion by MIKA.
This CD has been getting lots of play time in the car whilst I drive the kids around, we all love it and the songs are quite varied. Any trip with music, singing and joy is a good one.

Our collective favourite song is Happy Ending, with Lollipop coming a close  second. My Son also likes Any Other World, my Daughter likes Billy Brown, and I like My Interpretation.

As both of my kids are learning the piano it is also a great CD to listen to to learn about music...we listen to what instruments are playing, when they come in (such as the bass guitar or violins) and playing Great Big Whole Notes.

We also have a bit of action with playing instruments (just like the horn section when we listen to The Cat Empire) and doing the hand actions tht appear at the end of the video clip for Happy Ending.......