4-5-6 come on and get your kicks

Effing Carrots.

About a week ago I decided that for Easter I would be in charge of the veggies (Brussels sprouts with leeks and bacon...yum!!!...and mashed yams with garlic, coconut milk and cilantro...Ahh!) a simple salad and dadadaada! A Carrot Cheesecake made with Splenda and low fat cream cheese.

Simple. Easy. No problem...

This morning I decided to get up and get myself put together early to get Easter errands run BEFORE guitar. I dumped out the change bucket, cashed it in at the Coinstar in Albertson's (cause Sunflower doesn't have one...) and got the cream cheese, because they were 10 for $10. On sale cream cheese! Yay! I made the decision to go to Sunflower-not only because they are my FAVORITE grocery store (it smells WONDERFUL in Sunflower!) but because they have the best prices on the best produce in the valley-but by the time I was done dodging the oldsters in the aisles and the pissies in the parking lot it was time for my lesson. So...I went up the hill.

Lessons today were positive, productive and happy! B's new studio has a window (blessed sunlight!) which gave me something to focus on while thinking through the various strumming patterns I was working on (and still get to...) I'm still working on Love and Some Verses, Look What You've Done and Alloway Grove, and today I threw Loving You by Paolo Nutini into the mix.

Afterwards, I flew to Ikea (for the 5th time in less than two weeks...) to pick up the random bits we forgot the last couple of times, check sizes on poster frames and to pick up a chair for my space in the Starchild Studios. Best part of THIS trip to Ikea??? I spent the entire time singing JET's Are You Gonna Be My Girl and while picking out the chair, it came on the huge speakers in the self serve furniture area! FABULOUS!

After Ikea (and a particularly enjoyable trip to Zuppa's), I ran to Sunflower to get the stuff for tomorrow's dinner. TONS of yams, 3 lbs of Brussels Sprouts (I loved Brussels...), the pecans and graham crackers, an itty bitty piece of fresh ginger, some sushi (for tonight...I was hungry) and was THRILLED to walk out with EVERYTHING I needed plus a magazine for less than $40.

I get home, put everything away, make a phone call or two, sit down and Mom says...did ya get the carrots? I literally sat there and said,

"No...but why would I need carrots???"

Certainly NOT for the Carrot Cheesecake. Nope, not for that. Honestly. So, I got to go BACK to Sunflower (thank Heavens they are just up the street!) to get the effing carrots. Beautiful, baby, organic carrots with the greens still attached...they smell and taste just like Grandpas... Until I drop the freaking bag on the floor and break ALL the tips off.

This trip to sunflower cost me MORE than the first. Somehow...

So HAPPY FREAKING EASTER my loves. I'm going to go brush my teeth.

j

M.U.S.E.

I've FINALLY finished my new business card for Starchild! I've decided to name both the Silver jewelry AND Starchild's "newsletter"*,

M.U.S.E.

M=music

U=unique

S=stars

E=eclectic

I've begun to build upon my ideas for the jewelry and can't wait to get started! We've decided that I'm gonna be the girl in Flashdance running around the backyard with my butane torch... ;)

*..."Newsletter" isn't quite the word or idea that I'm after though. Right now I don't have the resources, time or energy to make a full blown MAGAZINE but I'm so not thinking that I want to create a "church bulletin" style half sheet of paper either.

It's going to take some serious thinking time to put onto paper (and silver)what's forming in Starchild's collective minds...

j

Look What You've Done...

My love affair with JET continues.

Ever since Back Door Santa I've been hooked...happy and in love...mmmmm... I stumbled upon THIS little gem the other night and decided that it got to be my newest project for Guitar:

Look What You've Done

Mmmm...I love his voice...


Fabulous news! My lessons are now officially being held in the Starchild Music Productions Guitar Studios in Union Square! The guys-Jon, Floyd and Brandon are getting their rooms and work stations set up and ready while myself and Mom have been running to Ikea, printing pics, building and decorating for a week straight. Life is good...

So, today was my first lesson in the new building. While I was there, B was having a student of his sit in on his lessons because SHE will be teaching her own version of "Guitar Fundamentals" in the third Studio off and on throughout the week. She was taking notes on teaching techniques and answering questions B threw at her-to make sure she was ready to begin in a week or so. Sweet girl-but still intimidating. (I'm not a huge fan of playing in front of people, you know...) AND, the man from our alarm co. was in laying wire and drilling holes. I got to get up and move halfway through my lesson so he could do B's room and when I had about 10 minutes left, I got to have a quickie lesson in HOW to make the alarm not go off when I get to the Studios alone. (Scary-I need another lesson...)

It's also been decided that while I'm not at Liberty or at school, I get to hang out at Starchild to do a couple of things. I'd like to start a mag of sorts talking about the services and products we offer (SWEET deals are occurring left and right for Starchild!) as well as doing write-ups on locals bands that also take lessons from the guys, doing a bit of advertising, etc. Not sure all it will include, what it will be called or what it will end up looking like, but a vision has started to form! ALSO, I am in the works of getting things ready to have my own line of sterling silver jewelry for the rockers. I will be able to do custom orders, one of a kind pieces as wells as limited editions of amazing pieces.

More to come on jonnajonna for Starchild!

j

*Back to my audacious adventures...I've taken some pics of my practice time. These were taken while working on Iron and Wine's Love and Some Verses...

Yes...they hurt...

Little Lucy

This is what I did during my "All Alone" day! It took me about 4 hours with dish washing, "ugly dancing", fruit salad making and dog chasing in between the creative process! What do you think? (Sorry about the glare of the sunlight...It was MUCH better than the bad overhead light!)

Title page...

Detail from above picture

Detail from above again...

The left page says, "little"...

Detail from the above picture

Back

I had a BLAST making this one!!! I'm not sure if it was because I didn't have to choose the pics for it or do the journaling... It also helped that things fell together quickly!

I hope that Christy and Little Lucy know how much they are loved!

HEART,

j

Angels...

Today for guitar lessons, B came to me...

The store he was teaching out of, The Acoustic Musician moved to a larger store in Union Square. (Same complex, MUCH more space...) Around the same time as their move, B and my dad, found ANOTHER space in Union Square that they are looking at to be the new home of Starchild Music Productions Guitar Instruction and Luthier Work. So, in the meantime, while papers are being signed and so forth, the guys are tweeking their schedules and being fabulous enough to make house calls.

We worked on Natural Minor Scales, Major Scales, and Minor Pentatonic Scale patterns as well as the three songs I'm currently smashing into one:

Alloway Grove by Paolo Nutini
Don't Panic by Coldplay
& Love and Some Versus by Iron and Wine

B said that I'm doing MUCH better than last week, (Really? YOU THINK?? Remember last week???) and that my transitions are getting smoother. I was pleased to hear that. Then came the, "Gee, Sis, remember to pull your wrist out and down...keep your thumb out and flat while fingerpicking...and...ease up on the pick..." (These are the SAME things he tells me every week, the same things that I remember for about 3 seconds the next time I pick up the Ovation and promptly forget, thus needing the weekly reminder. Yep.)

B also shared a Watermakers, a CD by the Dutch band Bløf. I've had the CD on while typing and have quickly found a favorite song: Engel Voor Een Dag. Best part? I could actually READ and UNDERSTAND the name!!! (Yes, I did Bablefish it to double check...) I did some digging and found the lyrics to the song on http://www.lyricsdownload.com/. Hope they don't mind me sharing...

Engel Voor Een Dag

Denk je dat het anders wordt
Als mijn engel van me weggaat
Mij in stilte weer verlaat
Zoals ze is gekomen
Als

zilver in mijn zwak
Met maar één ding op haar hart
Dat ze gek werd van verlangen
Om een tijdje rond te hangen
In het dal van mij geloof
Ze cirkelt lieflijk om mijn hoofd
Maar ze laat zich nergens vangen
Zij is mijn engel voor één dag

Denk je dat ze lang zal blijven
Haar geduld zal overdrijven
Dat het haar wel schikt
Dat ze opwiekt van mijn schouder
Niet te laat maar wel wat ouder
Als een vogel die verschrikt
Of gewoon zomaar zonder reden
Zonder toekomst of verleden
Weer gaat vliegen naar de zon
Waar het einde ooit begon
Zij noemt dat altijd heden
Zij is mijn engel voor één dag

Ze is er nog maar net
En ik ben nu al bang
Voor de ruimte in mijn bed
Want een engel blijft nooit lang
Alsof het altijd zo geweest is
Ligt ze naast me als een kat
En als ze weggaat zal het zijn
Alsof ik nooit iets anders had
Dan een engel voor één dag

'k Denk wel dat het anders wordt
Want een dag is veel te kort
Voor een engel om te sterven
En het stof is het bewijs
Het zilver wordt al langzaam grijs
Ook al heeft ze net staan verven

Maar ik kan er wel mee leven
Want wat mooi is duurt maar even
Dat is lang genoeg voor mij
Al ben ik stiekem toch wel blij
Dat ik haar snel heb opgeschreven
Mijn engel voor één dag

Zij is mijn engel voor één dag

Mijn engel voor één dag

Zij is mijn engel voor één dag

Na na na na na na na na

Na na na na na na na na

Zij is mij engel voor één dag

Fun, right!?!

Here's a rough translation provided by http://www.altavista.com/ (a FANTASTIC online translator!)

Angel For A Day

You think that it becomes differently

If my angel of me leaves

Me in silence leaves Such as them has come

As silver in my weakness

With but one thing on its heart

That them crazy person became of desire

To hang around a spell In the valley of me belief

She circles melodious my head but she can be caught nowhere

They is my angel for one day

You think that she will remain long

Its patience will exaggerate That it arranges her, however,

That them opwiekt of my shoulder

Not late but what parent As a bird which frightens

Or simply zomaar without reason

Executed without future or

Will fly to the sun

Where end started ever

She always calls that present

They is my angel for one day

She is there still but exactly

And I am now already frightened

For the space in my bed

Because an angel remains never long

As if it is always this way is

She lies beside me as a cat

And if she leaves it will be

As if I had never something else

Then an angel for one day ' k thinks, however,

that it becomes differently

because a day is much too short

For an angel to die

And the substance is the proof

Silver becomes already slowly grey

also already has them net stands paint

But I can live

Because what is beautiful but lasts just as

That is long enough for me Already

I am secretly nevertheless glad

That I its fast my angel have written down for one day

They is my angel for one day

My angel for one day

They is my angel for one day

After after after after

After after after after

She is me angel for one day

x,

j

Jack Black

*My Glorious, Happy, Sneaky, Angel*

He had been mine for just hours...

Sometimes he can look so small...

(Really, he's close to 125 lbs)

Jack LOVES the water...he stole the hose from me.

THIS is what Jack chooses to play with...

This is my FAVORITE picture of Jack.

I love my baby...

Darts of Pleasure

"...Feel your fingers tingle, tense anticipation..."