But can he do "Franklin Shepard, Inc."?

Singer Jubilant Sykes has a lower register that can be rumbling, husky, or as wide-open as a resonant well. Then he jumps up the keyboard and shows his clarion-clear higher tones. You could hate him, if you were a fellow vocalist trying to keep up. (I was hoping for some voice tips when I interviewed him last week, but he just said to drink a lot of water.)

Or you could take a minute-forty out of your day and listen to these clips of him singing Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind" and the gospel-blues piece "John the Revelator." Beautiful.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

Today is my son's 13th birthday....He's my budding Einstein. Even if his grades don't always reflect his inner genius...it's there...a lover of art, music and scientific, experiments. This room is great for any boy that loves math and science. He can dream formulas, theories and algorithms all night.....Happy Birthday Nii.

Gardens Galore

I like to think that I've made it to mid-winter. I know global warming seems to have kicked in because we've had very minimal snow and January temperatures have been mild for the past few winters. All this mildness takes my mind to gardening. If I can't yet work outside in the garden I can dream....be inspired, plan what I want this spring, and wait.... These gardens are unique, beautiful and not too serious. They're creative and offer a place of escape....

Up on the Roof

California Cottage Garden

Ancient Indian Garden

Sky Garden

Sanctuary Garden

images: House Beautiful, L.A. Times

Wallpaper Talks !

Walls do talk and ABC's Extreme Home Makeover knows it. This Sunday's program(1/27) will highlight the "Regal" pattern from wallpaper designer Anna French's new "Glamour Collection". I'm not sure which color they will feature but I'm sure it will speak to the room it's in. Ann's designs are bold, dramatic and have the ability to present a fresh and contemporary feel to any room they're in.
Ann's company really took off with wallpaper designs for children's room.

Itsy Bitsy & Fairies in Pink

Set It Up

(images: Red River Interiors)

Since moving from California I still haven't grown accustom to the winters in northern Virginia (although they're getting warmer) so I hibernate most of the winter. I can appreciate winter's first heavy snow fall.... then that's it! A yearning for spring takes over and I look for indoor stimulation until mid March. One thing I like to do is set the table for charming dinners, teas, and even Chinese take out. Collecting cloth table napkins, candles and vases can all be done year round. When winter strikes and we have a DC metro snow day (where nothing moves if we get 2" or more) I'm ready to pull out my favorite color pallets and experiment... it's loads of fun!!

Elegant dining can be done while at a Florida beach house. Bring in natural elements such as shells and banana leaves for the table scape.
The outdoor light fixture sets a casually romantic mood to the space at sunset.....How lovely a dinner party would feel.. here in January.





(images: HGTV)

A personalized performance

Everyone knows that iconic photo from the ‘50s, the one of the crowd in 3-D glasses watching a movie. I’m picturing something just as vivid in Memorial Auditorium this Friday night. Only this time audience members will be wearing iPod earphones.

As part of the 8 p.m. Stanford Lively Arts program, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company is integrating interactivity into its 2006 work "eyeSpace." Audience members get to choose what they listen to while the dancers are on stage: either the ambient sounds in the theater, or a score by Mikel Rouse on their iPods. They can jump from track to track while the performance is going on, which means the person sitting next to you could be experiencing a very different show indeed.

As the dancers move in blue unitards, you could be listening to the urgent “America’s Secrets,” hearing a pulsing beat and singers chanting, “We must protect America’s secrets.” Meanwhile, your neighbor is hearing the strumming guitars of “My Love’s Gone Remix” or the minor-key intro of “How I Stayed Blind.” What an intriguing way to put your own stamp on your arts experience.

The dance company is also performing a different version of "eyeSpace" as part of Saturday night's program. It’s a 2007 iteration with music by Annea Lockwood (no iPods this time). The score includes “improvised instrumentals and electronics over immersive recordings of bowed metal instruments and underwater insects,” as the company’s Web site describes it. Ticket info is here.

Pictured: Dancers from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company; photo from www.merce.org.

Richmond Walking Tour

On this particular day in October I had one of those uninspiring mornings and had nothing on my agenda...at least nothing I wanted to do. So, I took myself on a walking tour of Richmond, Virginia. It's a 90 min. drive from where we live. My husband had business in the city that day so I and my camera tagged along. We arrived very early in the morning...once I dropped him at his destination I hit the street...here are a few shots in some neighborhoods I love...