Stop Eating so much Got-Damned bread

The title of this post is the last item on the to-do list I just typed out for myself. I added it unconsciously, and then agreed with myself after I read it back. Recently, I finished a 21-day-raw-food-only detox (that means no starches of any kind, no sugar, no caffeine, no meat, no dairy, no cooked ANYTHING) during which I lost about 12 pounds. I didn't need to lose that much weight; when I glanced in the mirror, I saw someone who looked alarmingly like Gollum.

Since I had been so disciplined for 3 whole weeks, I began to reward myself in the form of wonderful, deliciously decadent and starchy dishes... which are great, but now that I don't look like a cave creature anymore, I'm trying to find some form of balance.
Ah yes, Balance.
Maybe it is the fact that I am a creative type, surrounded by creative types, but I'm finding that things are extremely one way or exactly the opposite these days. One week I am incredibly focused on music, and all the lovely, careful, fleeting nuances that go along with crafting something beautiful/terrible/insightful/sarcastic/insistent-upon-itself. The next 7 days I spend glued to my computer, answering the emails I neglected, promoting shows coming up all too soon, trying to wrangle band members for rehearsals, and generally stressing out. And that's just the career side of life... I feel a bit guilty that I haven't spent enough time with my family lately, and there are definitely several good friends that I've been "meaning to call," and haven't because I can't find a solid hour to catch up and I know that's how long we'll need.
I'm not complaining, Lord knows I'd rather be running around like a chicken with my head cut off than bored, but I need a little organization, and while I'm at it, maybe I could squeeze a little quality time with myself in there too. (giggity) ;)

Six Down, One To Go

I just realized that, after my recent trip to South America, I have stood and sung on every continent in the world, except for Antarctica. Jeez Louise.
We went first to Santiago, Chile, and next to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both were lovely and beautiful and SUNNY (It's summertime there...ya know, Southern Hemisphere, or So-He, as I like to call it)! The seafood and red wine in Chile are worth the trip alone.





I have heard it said that Buenos Aires is like the Paris of South America, and indeed it is true. The city is old and beautiful and romantic, with asphalt hardly covering miles upon miles of cobblestone streets. They are famous for all things slightly naughty and delicious - red meat, art and tango. Lindsey and I walked around San Telmo, the oldest barrio (neighborhood) in the city. It is home to antique shops, tango parlors, cafes and a semi-permanent open air market in the Plaza Dorrego.

Videos, Vices, and Shifting Vistas...

Okay, not really vices, I just wanted another "V" word. Unless you consider procrastination a vice, in which case I, indeed, am afflicted. I have been trying to write a new post for a while now...I don't know whether or not you are expecting one, or wanting one, or care either way, for that matter. The fact is, that I care. I have been needing to write, wanting to write, intending to write, but life keeps getting in the way - or rather, I haven't been making creativity a priority lately. There has been so much planning, negotiating, organizing, promoting, booking, recording, etc. happening, that I have been seriously lacking a quality creative outlet. In an effort to make right with the universe, here I am again.
There have been many ch-ch-changes and many big decisions being made in my life as of late. The biggest, and the one most responsible for a quickly widening ripple effect on the rest of it, is that I quit my job as a backup singer for a certain pop star who's name begins with a "Rih" and rhymes with "we wanna." Disclaimer: I loved that job. Obviously it was pretty much the coolest thing in which a girl could dream of being involved. I was able to sing my way around the world several times over, AND they paid me for it. At times, I felt a little guilty, like a reluctant thief...don't they know I would pay for this experience??? So, why quit, you ask? I'll tell you, it was not an easy decision. What it comes down to is this: I am not a backup singer. I write songs. People like them sometimes. I sing, and when I do, people smile and clap. I started to believe that I belonged in the shadows, supporting someone else's voice/dream/passion. I realized that, as much fun as I was having out on the road, there was a void that could not be filled by bright lights, ancient cities and tour buses. A huge part of my soul was missing, and that hole was growing smaller by the day due to neglect. I was forgetting.
So I made a music video, and I put out a single on itunes. It is a small step, but if you could see the effort behind the shifting of direction, you wouldn't discount it. Here's the video, if you'd like to see it, and below that is a link to BUY the song on the inter web. Hint, hint. :)


Rainbow Killer on itunes

I can't wait to show you what else I have been working on! There are some very exciting things that I'm not quite allowed to tell yet, but soon soon.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for reading, for sharing, and for stopping by to say hello. My hope for you this week is that you finish everything you set out to accomplish, because damn, it feels good to be a gangsta.