Heading back to Russia

I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be heading back to St. Petersburg in August to perform again at the Grand Hotel Europe. The dates aren't solidified yet, but what a great time of year to visit the most beautiful city in the world!! I do however, want to be able to communicate with people this time around, so I've signed up for a beginning Russian language class at the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute. They actually put me in an "advanced beginner" class because apparenty I already know more than I thought I did!
I can't wait to go. I can't wait to see the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Summer Palace (it was closed in December), the endless arches of all the fountains, another trip to the Hermitage, and of course I have to visit the Russian Museum again. Ilya Ripin is my new favorite painter, and I'd like to learn more about him.
And the Grand Hotel Europe is simply beyond words.
I'll keep posting updates as I learn more!

I'm singing on Thursday!

I'll be performing with Stephen Boyd on piano at
Barone's Famous Italian Restaurant!

Thursday, February 28

7:30 pm
Valet parking
Reservations recommended
13726 Oxnard Street (near the corner of Woodman)
Valley Glen, CA 91401

(818) 782-6004
Come by, have some of Barone's incredibly delicious (and famous!) pizza and enjoy some jazz
with vocalist Laura Pursell and pianist Stephen Boyd!

Music City Half-Marathon

Well, I have decided to participate in the Music City Half Marathon in April, along with my dear friend Penny, my brother Bill, and my sister-in-law Helen! I thought this would be a great family thing to do, and all this sewing has kept me from exercising. I have just enough time to whip myself into some kind of shape for this. And since I have nothing to prove, I have nothing to lose! I went out and bought some new shoes today, some ASICS Gel Kavanos, and they're super lightweight with great arch support. I took my camera along on my first run in preparation for this, and I call these my "Rainy Day Shots". Boris didn't mind the rain at all, actually, and we had a great time. It was a beautiful day!

Celebrity Worship

I think I've turned a corner when it comes to this cult of celebrity worship.

I went to an art gallery showing in Beverly Hills last night, but the gallery was actually a collection of celebrity photographs - dead celebrities, live celebrities, musicians, actresses, you name it. The price tags ranged from $1,000 to $15,000. It was all laid out as if this was a collection from Modern Museum of Art.

They had an open bar serving some new kind of vodka, "V2 Vodka", and the bartendress, looking all of 19, said, "This is really cool! This vodka has caffeine in it, so it's kinda like drinking a red bull with your liquor!"

"Red bull?" I asked her.

"Well, almost! Drink up!"

After two sips of this concoction, I determined to let David drive home.

I saw a photograph of Ann-Margret leaning backwards from the top floor balcony of a Las Vegas hotel in the 1960's (supposedly threatening to jump off), lots of signed album covers from The Beatles, Andy Warhol, a photo of John Lennon in Spain, Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta Jones, stills from an Andy Warhol short showing some guy shooting up and then passing out....

Invitees oogled and ahh'd, sipping their V2 Vodkas with grapefruit juice, eyeing everyone who walked in more than they actually looked at the photos. Everyone and everything seemed overly self-aware, poofy and self-conscious.

The gallery employees were talking up the photographs to anyone who would listen, doling out more drinks, trying to assess who in the room really had the big bucks. I'm guessing that might have been the grey-haired crinkly man in the leopard, floor-length fur. He looked liked a very rich dinosaur.

"It's all so fun," said the manager. I must be getting old.

I said to David, "You know what? I'm ready to leave. The 'ick' factor has kicked in. And I need some food in my stomach."

"I've always found this stuff icky," David agreed, and we left.

This whole business, this entire city, was built around the culture of celebrity worship. Something about standing in that gallery, surrounded on all sides by pandering people and the frozen-in-time faces of celebrities long gone made me claustrophobic. These faces were just people, after all, people who have been photographed millions of time, but people all the same.

And I don't find drugs, or mixing Red Bull with alcohol so interesting. I'm not getting on a pulpit here. There are just a thousand other ways I'd rather spend my time.

Why Creativity is Healthy

I found a wonderful website called Artella Land, "an oasis just for writers, artists and creative spirits" (you should really check it out...a woman named Marney Makridakis spearheaded this site, and it's grown into a great forum for all forms of artistic expression). I'm posting an article I was just emailed from her newsletter (the "Artellagram"), and it really speaks to me..it explains why I have an overwhelming urge to create, whether it's singing, writing, performing, or yes...sewing!

The Top 5 Ways Creativity Is Good For Your Heart
Creativity is relaxing. When we engage both our mind and body in something that we enjoy, our bodies release powerful hormones that relax us, undoing all kinds of damage caused by stress in day -to-day life.


Creativity is a healthy distraction. There is no better way to forget our troubles, challenges, and pain than to get involved in meaningful creative projects. A creative project is a great way to focus on what IS working in your life, rather than what isn't.


Creativity gets our heart pumping. From the adrenaline that gets going when we're happily engaged, to the often quite physical nature of art, creativity gets our insides moving and shaking. Painting, sculpting, writing (especially via longhand), and running around town looking for "art junk" at flea markets is GREAT exercise. :-)



Creativity gives our self-esteem a boost. Endless studies have been done on the effects of positive self esteem on general health. When we create something that we're proud of, we get a huge psychological boost that has endless rewards. Think of the small child who shows off a drawing and says "Look what I did!" We all need a healthy dose of that kind of pride!


Creativity offers great opportunities for connection with others. You share your art or writing with someone else and it sparks a meaningful conversation . . . you post your work in an online contest and others comment on it . . . you collaborate on a creative project to create something from two heads instead of one . . . you donate your work for a charitable cause that makes a difference to others. These are just a few examples of many the kinds of connections that creativity can provide. They all remind us that we are not alone on this planet, or in our pursuits of creativity. Connection with others makes us healthier and happier, and truly part of the fabric of the world.

My newest creation

Here is a burgundy colored jacket made from Butterick Pattern #4865..I know it looks big, but I think that's that way it's cut..it's really comfortable, and this is my first attempt at a "notched collar"...what do you think?

Featured Artist for February on Indie-Music.com!

This is really exciting...I was selected as a Featured Artist for the month of February on Indie-Music.com!
Click on the link below to read the review:

Review of "Somewhere in this Room"

Another creative outlet

Well, since I've had a break in between gigs, I decided to put my sewing skills to work. Yes, sewing!! I've been taking classes on the fly since last summer, so I thought I'd post a few of my creations. These were all done on a 1961 "Slanto-matic" Singer, and I've been thoroughly enjoying myself. Take a look:


This is a dress I made to sing in when I went to Russia; but by the time I finished it, I realized it was too cold in Russia to really get away with it. (I was wrong, of course; they overheat all the buildings, so this would have been fine). It's actually two separate pieces which I altered from the riginal patterns. This was my first project out of the gate, and it encouraged me!



This is project #2...This is a crushed velvet/nylon fabric, with a silk gold lining on the inside. This was a beast to create! The pattern said "easy", but let me tell you...I ended up sewing it together backward on the top...what a nightmare. But it worked out!! I did wear it on New Year's Eve in Nashville...


This is a cashmere sweater I made for David...He hates modeling, but you can kind of see what it looks like. I got this fabric in LA's downtown garment district - it's a fabulous cashmere!



With the yard of cashmere I had left over, I made this little sweater for myself...it's got bell-sleeves and a soft, wide boat-neck. You know how I got this? I took a pattern for a yoga top and altered it!


This is the pattern I used to make the above top - I altered the length and added a band around the neck. Several women at my office want me to make one for them!



Here's a yellow shirt I made for David, made out of Lyocel (a wonderfully soft knit). I made this in preparation for the cashmere sweater (same pattern). It's really comfortable and I think I'm going to make some more of these, in different fabrics.

Obama '08!!!

So I got up this morning, voted before work, and called every member of my family to make sure they are (a) voting and (b) voting for Barack!
We really have a chance to really make a difference right now. I don't know about you, but I don't remember the last time I felt proud of our country. I know, just from my recent travels, that a TOTAL CHANGE of this administration is imperative, if we are ever to re-gain the respect we once had around the world. Barack Obama is a visionary and in MY lifetime, I've never witnessed anything like it in an election and just imagine the possibilities, imagine the road we could be on - finally - if Barack Obama becomes the next President of this country. This is going to be a tight race, and every single vote counts. This can actually happen! He has the momentum!

If you are a Democrat or an in Independent, you can vote tomorrow for Barack Obama....so please PLEASE get out there and do it!!!