My latest music project “Life is the Party” is now out on CDbaby and itunes! The music production is “off the charts” amazing and I’ve never been happier with how CC Thomas Jr. captured my voice. Still, I keep getting requests for just me and the piano. That is where my songs start, at least most of them. And the proof of a good song is in its “NAKED” form. So here it is. No studio sound. No cool production. No killer background vocals(my favorite thing to create), no wall of sound. Just me, my muse (Yamaha C7 Grand) and my soul mate daughter.

This song (track 4) was the first song I wrote on this project. It is my core message to the world and my healing song for myself. I am the child on the hill who was hiding her light. I joke that I have been under a rock for 20 years. This was the beginning of my emerging from that place.

My daughter, Elizabeth, is a huge part of my healing process. In my quest to assure that she will never find herself under that rock, I made a decision to show her what it looks like to shine in the full glory of my brilliance. Somewhere along the way, I stopped doing it for her and allowed myself to BE who I really am.

I am not there yet. But I am right where I need to be. I am a work in progress and loving the journey now more than ever. We get to design our lives. We create our world. My world is filled with love, light, laughter and beauty. I designed it that way.

LIFE is the Party. That party doesn’t start later, or happen after death. (Although there is much partying on the spirit side of life;-) The Party IS LIFE! I hope you will let me inspire you with my gifts to BE who you want to be in this world!

“You Know My Heart” is a song I wrote about my husband AND about God. It is from my Album “Speak the Word”. This music video was directed, shot and produced in 2003 by Kimberley Clayton Blaine. I didn’t know it at the time, but she showed me a whole new passion for creativity with a video camera. As I begin to create and produce music videos for my new music project, “Life is the Party”, I thought it would be appropriate to honor my first music video which was a GIFT from an amazing woman I am blessed to call my friend.

Our friend Heidi was whisked away to Canada by her boyfriend for Christmas.  He confided in all of her closest friends that he was going to ask her to marry him and asked if we could video tape a fun message for Heidi that he would play for her as part of the surprise.  We were happy to oblige.

So I just let the camera roll with no rehearsal ahead of time.  All of Elizabeth’s answers are “off the cuff”.  I know that she is describing her dad who has the bar raised so high in the husband department, I don’t think we need to worry about her finding a candidate any time soon.  Funny, my husband and I fell in love at first sight and although he does possess all the physical qualities Elizabeth described in this video, he is also the kindest, sweetest most generous person I have ever met.  And we share a faith that is the rock of our marriage.

How do YOU know your husband is YOUR TRUE LOVE?  Please share! We want to know.

I love being married to my “Extreme Husband”! He is the “Cruise Director” at our house. And I know that means I will be going out of my comfort zone quite a bit. That is one of the reasons I married him. He brings the adventure and he brings it on very well. While on Catalina Island for one of his Triathlons, he booked the Catalina Zip Line! Fun for the whole family and no refunds if it rains. It rained hard and then stopped an hour before we zipped! LOL! My daughter and I are two peas in a pod. I always joke that she wouldn’t leave the womb. So it was “too right” that she had to zip with MAMA! All of this was shot on my Sony WX9 Cybershot. I wasn’t expecting much from the footage since my husband had never used my camera before. But I was pleasantly surprised at the keepsake we got from that day.

I was given the camera by SONY ELECTRONICS. I am a HUGE fan. The opinions are my own. That is just the way I roll.

I am in AWE of anyone who makes Christmas cookies. In another lifetime, I used to make gingerbread men every year. It took days and when it came time to decorate them I was pretty much over the whole thing.

Of course there was the reality that of my many gifts, cookie decorating really wasn’t one of them. And the fact that I only “bake to lick the batter” has been made well known in a lyric in my song “Just Breathe”.

So when SONY gave me a cookie kit and a gorgeous SONY Handycam Projector PJ10 as a gift and asked me to shoot a fun video with my daughter… well… I was thrilled and skeptical at the same time. I will be out-ed as a non-interested baker! But then it occurred to me that “it is all material”.

In our defense, we were exhausted from the Los Angeles 100 mile per hour windstorm that took out our power for three days.

So this is us unscripted. Keeping it real as always. Reveling in the flaws of our own humanity. We’d love to read your comments about what you do for the holidays to have fun together and if you have ever had to “call it” on account of lack of interest, insanity or the need to go get Sushi which is “code” for raw fish and Chardonnay.

Thank you Sony Electronics! You have a fan for life. I was given the camera. Which by the way as of this post is on sale for $499.00! But the opinions are my own. Special thanks for Kimberley Blaine TheGoToMom.TV and producer of MommyToMommy.tv for sharing your love for Sony Electronics.

I have to be madly in love with a product to create a Vlog about it. When I first realized I was turning into a “film maker” I went to Kimberley Blaine for advice about buying a video camera. Not only is she is one of the most influencial moms in America, she taught me everything I know about shooting and editing film. She told me to buy the Sony CX150. I did just that and have been shooting great HD videos ever since!

Kimberley Blaine and Sony Electronics hosted a small, private event in San Diego to teach mom bloggers how to use the new Cyber-Shot WX-9. With advanced features like the low-light performance and Background Defocus mode for DSLR-like, blurred-background results, this compact camera amazes with incredible sophisticated photos that just beg to be framed or posted to a mom’s profile. Moms will be attracted to this pocket camera because it can even shoot HD video clips and 3D photos.

The best part is that Kimberley and Sony took a group of hard working amazing moms and gave us a much needed getaway. And they gave us a great camera to make our online blogs and vlogs really POP! Not only that, they took the time to get to know us. They wanted to know who we are and how they can make our lives easier and more beautiful. I was in love with their quality products and now I know why. It is the people behind the cameras. My first rockin’ video camera? SONY. Now I am shooting great pics with a pocket camera from SONY.

We had another TOTALLY WICKED Girls Night Out! We got a new “toy” called the Kubotan. You can google it for more information. I personally found some great videos on how to use one on YouTube. Of course I already learned how from my Sensei. I LOVE my new key chain! Seriously, if you have been a fan of my videos and you haven’t found a self defense class yet…. tisk tisk tisk. Do it for your daughter. She is watching your every move. Now GO KICK SOME BUTT! And please share this with the women you love. A big thank you to Sensei Barry and the amazing Black Belts at Kaizen Martial Arts in Pasadena! And a shout out to Japon Bistro for the always amazing food and service!

Laundry happens every day in our house. There are only 3 of us so I can’t imagine anyone with multiple children. I try to focus on gratitude, mindfulness and being present in the moment of mundane household tasks. Strangely, I can’t seem to keep up with it all of the time. I know that the novelty will wear off, but my daughter is very thrilled to work the washer and the dryer. At 10 years old it is a powerful feeling to work those buttons and hear the roar of that final spin and the anticipation of diving into a warm pile of clean smelling clothes fresh from the dryer. This video is a re-inactment of a true story. The last stunt scene was performed on a “closed course” and should not be tried at home. My husband was extremely happy to get out his power tools to help and man the camera when needed. The screaming and drama in this video has been scaled back for your protection. Please watch at your own risk. I would write more, but apparently the hampers are filled up again and the thrill of helping mom has worn off. Wow that was fast.

As a woman and a mom on my journey to black belt, it is my passion to share my new found empowerment and skills with my gal pals. Karate & Kocktails creates a fun and safe environment to tackle some serious topics that include how predators behave and how we can decode their “act” and defend ourselves from a worst case scenario. We cover way more in the Dojo than I can put in a video. My hope is that all who see this video are inspired to find a self defense class and take charge of their lives. Please pass it on!

My mom would always tell me to be extra aware on days when I was frazzled. That observation and advice saved my life. Self-defense begins with Awareness. Women are perfect targets because we are soooo nurturing and trusting. We want to help any poor soul who comes along. Predators KNOW this and look for signs of vulnerability. As Moms and Women, we want to do the right and helpful thing. BUT if we are aware of a predator’s keen observations of our behavior, we could instantly decode his dramatic script and make the life saving choice. This is not a fun topic. But it is what it is. So let’s get powered up to STOP him dead in his tracks! Take time each day before you leave the house to get centered and grounded. If you are frazzled and can’t pull it together, it may be a day best spent in the privacy and safety of your own home. And please don’t drive your car in that frazzled state of mind. Awareness. Pass it on.