claudia's blog

Bushman World Ukulele Video Contest 2011

2011-03-26T00:06:00.003-04:00

Bushman Music Works puts on an annual ukulele video contest and I entered this year! I didn't ask any of my friends or "fans" to vote because the website made voting kind of a hassle.. requiring everyone to become members of the forum and such... so I just entered for the fun of it.

Well, results just came in a couple days ago and I placed! I was actually in shock because I wasn't expecting to at all. There were over 100 video entries from ALL OVER the world and Igot 11th place! (#6 Honorable Mention) I even got a prize! haha. It's definitely cool. I posted the video I entered with (a cover of "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here" by She & Him) a couple weeks ago but you can see it by clicking here if you want.

Gotta love the uke!

St. Patty's Day 2011!

2011-03-19T12:53:00.004-04:00

For the past couple years, I've always gone to the huge St. Patrick's Day parade in Cleveland with my best friend Diana, but she's in Florida this week for Spring Break. So, I decided to crash my mom's gig at The Creekside Tavern in Avon and it was so much fun! I got to hang out, eat an awesome corned beef sandwich, drink beer and play music. Great day! Here's some pictures!

WHOA! Long time no blog..

2011-03-02T14:12:00.012-05:00

I've meant to blog... I swear I have. I've actually been doing a lot, so I had a ton of stuff to write about BUT alas... I was so busy, that blogging got pushed aside in the midst of it all. I'm going to attempt to sum up the last few months in the best way I know how.. list form.

Christmas was awesome. I sang at a bunch of Masses and Christmas concerts for my job at St. Colette. Much fun!

I received one of my most favorite presents that I've ever been given - a ukulele! It's my new obsession and I've been having a lot of fun with it. I've also been playing a lot more gigs! You can check out my new uke videos on my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/lifeinacndyswrl Here's one for you if you just want to push play:

I've been using Twitter a lot more lately! Click this link to follow my tweets: http://twitter.com/ClaudiainCLE

I got to see one of my favorite band's of ALL TIME, Eisley, at The Grog Shop. Along with The Nick Zuber Band, The Chapin Sisters and Rooney. It was a really great show. I've been wanting to see Eisley live for YEARS. (P.S. Eisley just released their new album "The Valley" yesterday. It rocks! It's streaming for free here so you can check it out and then you should probably buy it. :)

I went to hand feed some birds with my dad at the Brecksville Nature Center in the Cleveland Metroparks. It's so fun! The little birdies actually come sit right in your hand! Look at this little video I took:

I've been becoming more and more obsessed with social media, advertising and PR. I'm so happy that I picked the right career field back when I declared my major at CSU. The more I learn, the more I realize that I made the right choice and I feel really lucky to be enthusiastic about the classes I'm taking and the job that I'm hopefully going to get when I graduate.

Internships! Before now I never had enough time to apply for any, but now I'm finally going to go for it! I updated my resume yesterday and my cover letter is in progress, but I'm really excited to start applying for some and to get started this summer and gain more experience.

Speaking of school, two of my favorite classes this semester are: Photojournalism and Advertising Copy&Layout. Photojournalism is SO MUCH FUN! I've always loved to take pictures, now I get to do it for a grade and college credit! I also get to borrow the school's fancy digital SLR Olympus. Advertising Copy&Layout is great because I have an awesome professor. She teaches part-time and also works at BrandMuscle Inc., a local marketing company. I love that the class is really teaching me so much about what to expect from the kind of job that I might be getting. She also has had some great guest speakers come in and talk to us, which has been really interesting. You can really tell you're an advertising major when you find yourself unknowingly paying way more attention to commercials, magazine ads and billboards. It's pretty comical.

Last note about school: I'm Secretary of the Cleveland State Advertising Association and we've been working so hard on creating our campaign for JCPenney. We've got to have the book done this month, so we're pressing on through! Then, we'll be going to present our campaign at the National Student Advertising Competition in Kentucky at the end of April. I think I'm going to be a presenter this year so that's really exciting!

I think that's all I've got to say for now. Enjoy this extensive photo dump of pictures from the past couple months.

19th Annual People's Art Show

2010-11-08T15:35:00.009-05:00

Cleveland State University's art gallery has an annual art show open to all people, regardless of experience or artistic training. I decided to enter one of my paintings this year! There are a lot of really cool art pieces and if you live in the area, I highly recommend stopping by to check it out. (Plus, it's free! Can't beat that!) The show remains on display until December 9th, 2010.

Here's my little painting that I entered:

and of course a picture of me posing with it! :)

CoolCleveland.com has a cool article that you can check out by clicking here.

There's also an awesome video of the opening reception!

Here are a couple pictures that I took at the reception too:

Halloween costume 2010!

2010-11-02T12:17:00.002-04:00

I went as Eve. :)

Land of Happily Ever After

2010-10-29T13:13:00.010-04:00

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”

Hello everyone! Happy Halloween weekend! :)

A couple weeks ago, the church that I work at created a "Land of Happily Ever After." Itwas SO much fun. A bunch of the youth group kids, and a few of the adults who work there, dressed up as storybook characters and set up along the trail in the woods so the little kids of the parish could walk through and meet everyone. I was so excited because I got to be one of my favorites, Alice in Wonderland! (Now you all can see how I'd lookas a blonde! lol) The local newspaper of that area even did a story on us! You can read it by clicking here.

And now for the pictures!

Light the Night Walk

2010-10-12T11:29:00.016-04:00

I am extremely behind on blogging, it's getting out of control! And I have SO many things to blog about.. but that's my problem. I've been way too busy. I don't know why but this Fall, I've been running around nonstop, plus school has been getting kind of crazy too.. but I guess that's expected. Anyway.. on to the blogging!

On October 2nd, I participated in the "Light the Night " walk for Leukemia & Lymphoma, walking in honor of my friend, Jessica, who passed away at the age of 20 from Lymphoma in December of 2009.

I knew Jessica since we were in grade school together and then we went on to go to the same high school and college.

I was honored to be able to walk in her honor, along with a group of her friends and family.

The walk took place at Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland. It started off a little rainy, but luckily it pretty much cleared up in time for the actual walk to start. We walked a mile around the streets of downtown, everyone with an illuminated balloon. It was really inspiring and I'm really glad that I took part in it.

With the help of my family and friends, I was able to raise $193 alone, and all together, our team raised a total of $1,210. The money will help fund lifesaving cancer research and services for patients, bringing help and hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers.

September Wedding at Mike's Barn

2010-10-04T19:57:00.011-04:00

Last month, my parents and I attended the beautiful autumn wedding of our friends, Jack and Suzy. The wedding took place at Mike's Barn, a huge old barn near Cleveland, which serves as a private music venue and hangout for many local blues and jazz musicians. It's filled with lots of art, oddities and musical instruments.

The barn was a perfect setting for this wedding because Jack is a singer and harmonica player and most of the guests that attended were either musicians themselves or friends and family of musicians. The ceremony took place outside, and then there was a giant jam session inside later on. It was so much fun and there was plenty of great music, food and photo ops. One really cool part of the night was when we launched a bunch of Chinese sky lanterns. Here are some photos from the day!

I'm vowing right now to blog more often...

2010-09-10T20:07:00.007-04:00

We'll see how that goes... haha.

Well, hello everyone who reads this (probably no one.. ha),

I've been neglecting this blog lately, because I've been a combination of busy and also lazy, but I've been posting a bunch of pictures I like and things on my tumblr.. but that is no excuse! (Plus that's mostly pictures that I come across that inspire me, not so much a personal blog like this one is..) So I am going to try and start blogging here again as well!

I've started my fourth year of college and so far it's going pretty well. I have one night class and one online class (plus two normal day classes) which makes my schedule way different than I'm used to. Kinda weird, but I'm slowly but surely starting to adapt.

They just opened up the new student center which has been under construction for the past 2 or 3 years. They had a big all-day event for the grand opening called "The Big Reveal." I played for an hour up on the 3rd floor terrace where there was free food being served and it was pretty cool. Lots of people showed up and really seemed to be getting into my music. After my set was over, a couple foreign exchange students even asked to get their picture taken with me. It made me feel all cool and famous.. hahaha. Fun times though. Here are some pictures from the day:

Blog Feature!

2010-07-22T11:19:00.003-04:00

Hey everybody! Michael Creations has featured my etsy shop on their blog! Check out their latest "I Heart Etsy Wednesday" feature by clicking HERE to see the article!

2 years :)

2010-07-14T10:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was my boyfriend and my 2 year anniversary! :) We are waiting to celebrate until the weekend, but he surprised me on his lunch break yesterday by showing up at my house with 2 dozen beautiful roses! They are so beautiful and really made my day so I thought I would share! :)

Paper Bag - Fiona Apple (cover)

2010-07-01T13:01:00.000-04:00

Here There & Everywhere Video

2010-06-30T13:15:00.002-04:00

Hey again! I've posted a new video on YouTube and I thought I'd share it with you! I covered "Here There & Everywhere" by The Beatles. I hope you like it :)

I got it!

2010-06-30T13:09:00.003-04:00

Hey all! (If anyone actually reads this.. lol) I haven't blogged in awhile but I need to start again I think! Anyway, first off.. remember my etsy spotlight blog I wrote a little while ago about the "Claudia and her pet cloud" print that I ordered? (If not you can view it here.) Well, I received the print! It looks even better in person! Here's a picture:

I still need to find a frame and a place to hang it up, but I'm so happy that I bought it :)

formspring.me

2010-03-13T13:51:00.001-05:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/clawdiamarie

Etsy Spotlight

2010-03-03T11:23:00.011-05:00

Hey all! I've decided to start doing some etsy features/spotlights on my blog! I'm always browsing around on etsy.com and there are SO many talented people creating great things. So why not share my finds?

Yesterday, I was browsing the art section for "clouds and rain" and came across this cute little illustration by The Paperboat, located in Spain. I clicked on it to get a better view and to my surprise the title was "Claudia and her pet cloud." Well.. needless to say it was meant to be. My name's Claudia, I have green eyes and brown hair AND my mom calls me "Cloudia" from time to time. So I purchased the print and can't wait to hang it in my room. :)

Click here to view it on etsy.

And make sure you check out Thepaperboat.

2 new paintings listed on my etsy shop!

2010-02-27T11:58:00.004-05:00

"love worms"

acrylics done on 8x10 stretched canvas.

view it on etsy by clicking here

and then this owl done with acrylics on cardboard

view it on etsy by clicking here

Featured on Etsy's Front Page!!

2010-02-25T12:39:00.003-05:00

Hey all! I was just told that my first treasury was featured on Etsy's front page! How exciting! I wasn't home hardly at all yesterday evening, so I wasn't able to see it happen, but thankfully botodesigns commented my blog to let me know! How exciting. :) Thanks etsy!

Here's what my treasury looked like, in case you missed it!

New Owl Painting!!

2010-02-24T11:55:00.001-05:00

I listed a new painting in my etsy shop last night!

It's called "Technicolor Owl"
View it on etsy by clicking here.

I'm thinking of making a series of owls like this with different color schemes.
My question for you is: What color scheme would you like to see?

My First Etsy Treasury!

2010-02-22T11:26:00.005-05:00

I've made my first Etsy Treasury! It's called "robot love."

For those of you who aren't "etsiers," treasuries are a themed list of items, usually nice to look at and inspiring. They're fun to make, but it's pretty difficult to land a spot on the treasury list. They only allow to many at a time, so you have to wait for a spot to open up, and it's really tricky to time it right!

*EDIT*

The treasury has since expired because they only last 2-3 days, but thanks to craftcult.com, you can still view it! here it is:

New Video! - Cover of Paparazzi by Lady Gaga

2010-02-22T00:45:00.004-05:00

New Video -Cover of "Invasion" by Eisley

2010-02-20T12:29:00.001-05:00

Tumblr

2010-02-19T11:41:00.003-05:00

I've finally done it! I've created a tumblr. I'm still going to be blogging here, but on tumblr, I plan on posting random things from the internet I like. Probably most likely pictures, quotes and music. Perhaps some stuff I make and pictures I take as well. :) But my blog-writing will remain here! So if anybody who reads this has a tumblr, follow me!! Here's my link: http://claudiasings.tumblr.com/

Sold!

2010-02-18T14:47:00.009-05:00

I sold my second painting on etsy! :)

I'm excited.. especially because it was my first time doing a custom painting for someone! The customer saw my small owl painting and requested a larger one, which I was happy to do. I think custom paintings are fun to do and special to the buyer because they know that it's being created just for them!

Now that I know how easy it is to post a reserved painting on my etsy shop, I'm all for it! So if anyone would like something special painted for them, let me know and I'll see what I can do!

And for all you artist out there, how do you feel about doing custom work?

Valentines Day!

2010-02-16T14:21:00.013-05:00

This is the obligatory post where I brag to you about

how great my Valentines Day was this year. I'm warning you ahead of time that this blog entry will be quite mushy and lovey-dovey, so don't comment to me about how I'm making you vomit or something like that. haha. Stop reading now if you're easily disturbed by that kind of thing!

We started off the day by going to see In The Heights at Playhouse Square. My aunt had tickets

that she wasn't going to use, so she gave them to us.

The show was great. The music, the dancing, the acting... loved it!

Then, we went back to the boyfriend's place and he cooked me a delicious dinner, complete with candlelight. :)

For dessert, we ate some of the V-day cupcakes I brought.

Then, he revealed to me that he bought Grease for us to watch.. which might not sound special to you, but he hates most musicals and Grease.. However, he knows that I love that movie and he wanted me to be happy. How sweet is that??

Oh and last but not least, I want to show

off one of the sweetest Valentines gifts ever.

He painted it for me and framed it :) So sweet!

I love the fall colors in the leaves and the little guy sitting against the trunk of the tree (I jokingly asked him if it was him sitting there thinking about how much he loves me.. lol. He said "sure" haha. So we're gonna stay with that idea.) Oh and of course the "I <3>

I think he liked the gifts I got him too. :)

Safe to say it was possibly the best Valentines Day ever. :)

my latest youtube video

2010-02-15T17:42:00.002-05:00

It's a song called "Arlington", by The Wailin Jennys.I enjoy covering this song live, but when playing it out by myself, I really miss the beautiful harmonies The Wailin Jennys do on this song. So it was really fun to record this in garageband and do all the harmonies. :)

Blogging again! and my new Etsy shop!

2010-02-10T11:03:00.004-05:00

Hey people! I haven't blogged in quite some time! But I figured I would give it a go again!! :) I've kind of missed it to be honest! So expect to be seeing more of me on the internet again. I may even start making some YouTube videos again. I'll keep ya posted!!

And before I go, I'd like to fill you in on a new project I'm giving a try..

ETSY! For those of you who don't know etsy.com is a website devoted to the buying and selling of handmade and vintage things. I could spend hours pouring over the many shops on Etsy. You can find everything from jewelry to art, to clothes, knitting, purses, toys, glass, pottery, books.. and much more. It's worth checking out!

Anyway, I've been browsing and buying from Etsy for awhile, and finally decided to open my own shop. Right now I have about 8 paintings up for sale. I plan to keep adding more! And maybe put up some other kinds of things eventually.. We shall see!

If you'd like to check out my shop, here's the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/claudiamarie

And here's a little mini-widgety thingy :)

Enjoy! Browse! Buy! Share with friends! Whatever you like :)

1 year

2009-07-13T12:29:00.001-04:00

One year ago today, Juan and I became a couple. :)

Go see Up!

2009-06-02T14:36:00.004-04:00

I just saw the new Disney-Pixar movie, Up, with my boyfriend and his niece on Sunday and it was really really great!! One of the best movies I've seen in awhile. You should definitely go see it if you haven't already!

UP: Movie Trailer - Funny home videos are a click away

Just finished reading...

2009-05-21T11:02:00.002-04:00

My boyfriend recommended I read this so we could go see the movie together. I just finished it last night and it was great. Now I can't wait to go see the film!

love birds

2009-05-09T18:35:00.005-04:00

I meant to post this painting I did awhile ago, but I forgot. I finished it a couple months ago. I used acrylics on a 12x12 canvas board.

( ↑ close up view ↑ )

CABstock 2009!

2009-04-30T10:26:00.010-04:00

Yesterday, April 29th, 2009, I played at CABstock! CABstock was Cleveland State's Woodstock-themed Springfest this year. There was music, food and games. I played a 20 minute set and it was a lot of fun. Here are some pictures and a couple video clips!

On April 6th, 2009, I turned 20!

2009-04-28T11:28:00.004-04:00

(but these pictures were taken on April 5th, because that's when we celebrated)

We had a wonderful dinner at Olive Garden and then some of the best ice cream cake ever!

Andrew Bird!!

2009-04-04T20:32:00.005-04:00

Juan and I went to see Andrew Bird at The Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square on Thursday. It was SUCH a good show. A Hawk and a Hacksaw opened and they were pretty cool.

St. Patty's Day 2009!

2009-03-18T13:31:00.007-04:00

Gotta love Downtown Cleveland's St. Patrick's Day Parade!

Currently Reading

2009-03-12T00:24:00.001-04:00

Woo

2009-02-27T15:33:00.000-05:00

Created by Train Horns

Valentines Day 2009!

2009-02-16T14:51:00.005-05:00

I baked Juan a heart-shaped Valentines Day cake! There was strawberry favored pink cake and the frosting was vanilla. Yummy!

& those are the Valentines Day bananas I decorated! hehe.

Photos taken January 30th, 2009

2009-02-10T21:22:00.003-05:00

^^^That would be my Dad. He rocks.

Currently Reading

2009-01-27T10:41:00.002-05:00

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

by David Sedaris

Coolest Stop-Motion Music Video!

2009-01-27T10:36:00.001-05:00

Chad & Jeremy

2009-01-25T23:12:00.005-05:00

On Friday night, my mom opened for Chad & Jeremy at The Winchester. I sang two songs with her and we got to meet them and take pictures. If their name doesn't ring a bell, their hit song probably will. Check out this video:

Chad & Jeremy-Summer Song
Uploaded by ZICARLOS

Juan came with us and we had a fun photo shoot afterward. So here are some photos from the night!

some photos

2009-01-19T22:58:00.003-05:00

Juan drew me a picture!

2009-01-11T13:05:00.003-05:00

My wonderful boyfriend drew this for me using soft pastels. It's us!
Isn't it wonderful? I love it so much.
(Ignore the reflection in the glass. haha)

It snowed.. a lot.

2009-01-11T12:43:00.003-05:00

Currently Reading

2009-01-11T12:37:00.003-05:00

Holidays on Ice by David SedarisI know it's a little late in the season to be reading holiday themed stories, but I ordered it from my local library before Christmas and it didn't come in until now. haha.

2nd painting!

2009-01-09T02:43:00.002-05:00

I finished my second painting! :)

I cannot stop listening to this song!!

2009-01-05T03:02:00.005-05:00

I've liked Sia for awhile. She has a fantastic voice and some really great songs, and I think it's really cool how she incorporates sign in this performance. I believe she does in the music video as well as this live performance. I've been taking an American Sign Language class in college, so I found this really interesting, plus the song is amazing.
Also, I love how excited she is when Dave compliments her at the end. :)

Soon We'll Be Found by Sia

Have No Fear

2009-01-03T14:40:00.001-05:00

Good Movie

2009-01-03T12:50:00.003-05:00

Juan and I saw this last night & it was so good! I recommend it.

Goodbye 2008, hello 2009!

2009-01-01T21:13:00.004-05:00

Goodbye 2008 and hello 2009!
It surely has been an interesting year!
Not in any particular order, in 2008 I...
Met the sweetest, most wonderful gorgeous boy I've ever seen, who still continues to give me that roller coaster feeling.
Starred as Shelby in one of my favorite shows, Steel Magnolias, at a local community theatre.
Played some acoustic gigs with mom and by myself as well.
Met my new little baby cousin, Avalon Rayne.
Painted my first acrylic painting.
Got to spend some fun times with my best friend, Diana.
Turned 19.
Finally got my drivers license!
Got a really bad sunburn.
Voted for the first time and saw Obama win the election.
Met the Cleveland Indian's mascot, Slider.
Got dunked countless times in a dunk tank for St. Jude's Children's Hospital
Finished the first semester of my Sophomore year of college.
Said a sad goodbye to my Grandpa and also my doggie, Scooby.
Experienced the snowiest spring break ever.
"Learned" to dance salsa, merengue and bachata for a summer wedding.
Had one of the best Christmases ever.
And I got to ring in the new year alongside my favorite person in the whole world. :)

Some of my favorite Christmas presents of 2008

2009-01-01T20:47:00.005-05:00

Here are some of my favorites that I could find pictures of. :)

From my wonderful boyfriend:

All three Sufjan Stevens shirts! If you aren't familiar with Sufie, the "Ride the hatch!" one is from one of his songs, and the other two are names of his albums. :)

And the 1st season of my favorite TV show of all-time, I Love Lucy. :)

From my parents:

The softest, comfiest robe ever.

Nightmare Before Christmas PJs3 pairs of extremely soft pants from Old Navy.A really cool lamp.

December 28th 2008

2008-12-30T16:38:00.003-05:00

Some 2008 Christmas Pictures!

2008-12-26T16:17:00.005-05:00

I really did have a wonderful Christmas!
I'm sad to see it go.
But there's still one more dinner at my aunt and uncle's house on Sunday to look forward to, and then New Years!

Juan is 22!

2008-12-21T13:57:00.004-05:00

It just needed a little love.

2008-12-10T11:16:00.002-05:00

Juan & I decorated his little tree using only pipe cleaners, beads & some little snow flakes I made out of paper. It turned out so cute! We are crafty. :)
& I am so proud of this little tree.

Mixtape Monday

2008-12-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

SO MUCH FUN

2008-12-08T15:58:00.005-05:00

Oh... my goodness. This website is SO much fun.

Oh, and by the way, my cat's name is Mario... which might help to explain the last one.

Mixtape Monday

2008-12-01T18:07:00.001-05:00

Jojo In The Stars

2008-11-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T20:56:00.003-05:00

Juan & Claudia's First Ever Photobooth Photoshoot!

2008-11-27T14:51:00.006-05:00

November 26, 2008

(Believe it or not, this isn't even half of the pictures.

We had over 120 pictures by the time we were through!)

Mixtape Monday

2008-11-24T19:15:00.000-05:00

CUPCAKES!

2008-11-22T14:12:00.004-05:00

I made Juan some cupcakes. :)
I think he really liked them very much.
Here are some pictures:

11/11/08

2008-11-13T14:25:00.000-05:00

15 reasons Mr. Rogers was best neighbor ever

2008-11-13T11:59:00.001-05:00

1. Even Koko the Gorilla loved him. Most people have heard of Koko, the Stanford-educated gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in American Sign Language, and understand about 2000 in English.

What most people don’t know, however, is that Koko was an avid Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fan. As Esquire reported, when Fred Rogers took a trip out to meet Koko for his show, not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him, she did what she’d always seen him do onscreen: she proceeded to take his shoes off!

2. He made thieves think twice. According to a TV Guide piece on him, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town.

Amazingly, within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it.”

3. He watched his figure to the pound. In covering Rogers’ daily routine (waking up at 5 a.m.; praying for a few hours for all of his friends and family; studying; writing, making calls and reaching out to every fan who took the time to write him; going for a morning swim; getting on a scale; then really starting his day), writer Tom Junod explained that Mr. Rogers weighed in at exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life.

He didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, didn’t eat the flesh of any animals, and was extremely disciplined in his daily routine. And while I’m not sure if any of that was because he’d mostly grown up a chubby, single child, Junod points out that Rogers found beauty in the number 143.

According to the piece, Rogers came “to see that number as a gift… because, as he says, “the number 143 means ‘I love you.’ It takes one letter to say ‘I’ and four letters to say ‘love’ and three letters to say ‘you.’ One hundred and forty-three.”

4. He saved both public television and the VCR. Strange but true. When the government wanted to cut public television funds in 1969, the relatively unknown Mister Rogers went to Washington.

Almost straight out of a Frank Capra film, his 5-6 minute testimony on how TV had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed. While the budget should have been cut, the funding instead jumped from $9 to $22 million.

Rogers also spoke to Congress, and swayed senators into voting to allow VCR’s to record television shows from the home. It was a cantankerous debate at the time, but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family.

5. He might have been the most tolerant American ever. Mister Rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen. As an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a man of tremendous faith, Mister Rogers preached tolerance first.

Whenever he was asked to castigate non-Christians or gays for their differing beliefs, he would instead face them and say, with sincerity, “God loves you just the way you are.” Often this provoked ire from fundamentalists.

6. He was genuinely curious about others. Mister Rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he’d often befriend reporters, asking them tons of questions, taking pictures of them, compiling an album for them at the end of their time together, and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families. He wasn’t concerned with himself, and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others.

And it wasn’t just with reporters. Once, on a fancy trip up to a PBS exec’s house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them (which flustered the host).

On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver’s home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life.

7. He was color-blind. Literally. He couldn’t see the color blue. Of course, he was also figuratively color-blind, as you probably guessed. As were his parents, who took in a black foster child when Rogers was growing up.

8. He could make a subway car full of strangers sing. Once while rushing to a New York meeting, there were no cabs available, so Rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway. Esquire reported that the car was filled with people, and they assumed they wouldn’t be noticed.

But when the crowd spotted Rogers, they all simultaneously burst into song, chanting “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” The result made Rogers smile wide.

9. He got into TV because he hated TV. The first time he turned one on, he saw people angrily throwing pies in each other’s faces. He immediately vowed to use the medium for better than that. Over the years he covered topics as varied as why kids shouldn’t be scared of a haircut, or the bathroom drain (because you won’t fit!), to divorce and war.

10. He was an Ivy League dropout. Rogers moved from Dartmouth to Rollins College to pursue his studies in music.

11. He composed all the songs on the show, and over 200 tunes.

12. He was a perfectionist, and disliked ad libbing. He felt he owed it to children to make sure every word on his show was thought out.

13. Michael Keaton got his start on the show as an assistant. He helped puppeteer and operate the trolley.

14. Several characters on the show are named for his family. Queen Sara is named after Rogers’ wife, and the postman Mr. McFeely is named for his maternal grandfather who always talked to him like an adult, and reminded young Fred that he made every day special just by being himself. Sound familiar? It was the same way Mister Rogers closed every show.

15. The sweaters. Every one of the cardigans he wore on the show had been hand-knit by his mother.

found here.

HOLY SUBSCRIBERS BATMAN!

2008-11-10T20:29:00.006-05:00

Something kinda crazy happened yesterday. YouTube celebrity, Michael Buckley of WHATTHEBUCKSHOW on YouTube recommended my YouTube channel on his live show and posted one of my videos on his channel also. For those of you who might not be familiar with Buck, he's hilarious! I love watching his celebrity commentaries. He was one of the first people You should definitely check him out. Anyway, he has a huge following (284,409 subscribers to be exact) and just from him mentioning me, I have gotten TONS of subscribers. I think I've gained about 100 people in not even a day. I think I'm now up to about 750 or something like that. Amazing. I've been taking an unplanned hiatus from making YouTube videos for the last couple months. I just kind of got busy and honestly kind of bored with it. But maybe I'll start uploading again now that I've got all these new viewers.

Here are some screenshots of awesomeness.

Mixtape Monday

2008-11-10T19:58:00.001-05:00

Yes We Did!

2008-11-07T14:54:00.001-05:00

:)

2008-11-05T23:56:00.001-05:00

http://www.isobamapresident.com/

YESSSSS!!!

2008-11-05T08:12:00.001-05:00

I am SO excited today.

I VOTED TODAY!

2008-11-04T12:38:00.006-05:00

Today I voted for the first time EVER in what I believe to be one of the most important elections in the history of our country. Here are some pictures I took to commemorate my experience.

GOBAMA!

mixtape monday (10 minutes late)

2008-11-04T00:10:00.002-05:00

I had an extremely weird weekend, hence the strange variety of these songs.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T17:00:00.001-04:00

I'm a zombie!

2008-10-27T22:36:00.005-04:00

Rawr... need to eat.. brains.I used Picnik to make myself a zombie. How fun! Just in time for Halloween. :)

I'm the only one!

2008-10-22T18:56:00.000-04:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
1
or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

U + Me = Us (Calculus)

2008-10-15T18:29:00.003-04:00

My boyfriend posted this video on my facebook wall the other day with this message attached:
"I just want you to know how much i care. U+Me=Us ha."

Too funny!

Chicks With Picks & Sticks

2008-10-13T21:12:00.010-04:00

I played at another benefit this weekend. This one was called "Chicks With Picks and Sticks" and proceeds went to benefit the Genesis House which is a shelter for battered women. It was held at the Savannah Bar & Grille. Some of the other acts who performed are: The Swamp Boogie Band, Becky Boyd, Telling Point, Robin Stone, Maura Rogers, Tracy Marie, Judy Wimmer, Alexis Antes, and G-Force.

While I was waiting to play my set, Juan and I had a little photoshoot. hehe. :)

"I would never erase you."

2008-10-13T01:43:00.003-04:00

The three amigos

2008-10-12T12:51:00.004-04:00

On Friday night I went out with my two best friends from elementary school, Sarah and Diana. :)
It was a good time.

Breastfest8

2008-10-08T20:53:00.010-04:00

This past Saturday night was the 8th annual Breastfest. Breastfest is an annual concert and arts event which features local and regional female musicians and artists who contribute their talents to raise funds and help in the fight against breast cancer and those affected by this disease. This year, the event was held on October 4th at Brother's Lounge. Both my mom and I have been performing at Breastfest for a few years. This year, my mom did a blues set with The Bad Boys of Blues and I did a Songwriter in the Round with Robin Stone and Alexis Antes. It was a good time. In addition to those already mentioned, Tracy Marie, Kristine Jackson, Ki Allen, Cherylann Hawk, Brittany Davidson, Jackie Warren, Rachel Roberts, and Heidi Longhauer also performed this year.

Here are some pictures and a video clip.

Rest in peace, my Scooby dog.

2008-09-23T16:54:00.000-04:00

You were a good friend.

spoiler alert

2008-09-22T21:18:00.002-04:00

This is beautiful.
(*WARNING* If you haven't seen American Beauty yet, I recommend you go watch the movie in its entirety before you watch this clip of the ending, posted below.)

LEGO Olympics!

2008-09-02T10:50:00.003-04:00

Click here for more.

Song Title Game - Sufjan Stevens

2008-09-02T10:49:00.000-04:00

The rules are:
Choose a singer/band/group.
Answer using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group.

Band I chose: Sufjan Stevens

1 Are you male or female?
"Super Sexy Woman"

2 Describe yourself.
"We Are What You Say"

3 What do people feel when they're around you?
"They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!"

4 How would you describe your previous relationship?
"The Black Hawk War, Or, How To Demolish An Entire Civilization And Still Feel Good About Yourself In The Morning, Or, We Apologize For The Inconvenience But You're Going To Have To Leave Now, Or I Have Fought The Big Knives And Will Continue To Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!"

5 Describe your current relationship.
"Joy! Joy! Joy!"

6 Where would you want to be now?
"Chicago"

7 How do you feel about love?
"Prairie Fire That Wanders About"

8 What's your life like?
"Year of The Asthmatic Cat"

9 What would you ask for if you had only one wish?
"To Be Alone With You"

10 Say something wise.
"Enjoy Your Rabbit"

... I love Sufjan's song titles. lol.

Song Title Game - White Stripes

2008-09-01T22:34:00.002-04:00

The rules are:
Choose a singer/band/group.
Answer using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group.

Band I chose: The White Stripes

1. Are you male or female?
You're Pretty Good Looking For a Girl.

2. Describe yourself.
I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

3. What do people feel when they're around you?
We're Going To Be Friends

4. How would you describe your previous relationship?
Who's To Say

5. Describe your current relationship.
It's True That We Love One Another

6. Where would you want to be now?
Party of Special Things To Do

7. How do you feel about love?
Sugar Never Tasted So Good

8. What's your life like?
Good To Me

9. What would you ask for if you had only one wish?
One More Cup of Coffee

10. Say something wise.
Truth Doesn't Make A Noise

Roses

2008-09-01T22:31:00.002-04:00

Originally uploaded by ClaudiaMarie

Today Juan brought me a dozen beautiful red roses! For no particular reason other than that he loves me and I make him happy. :D They are gorgeous and I love them. He's so incredibly sweet and I'm so lucky to have him in my life.

Pictures from the reception

2008-08-16T02:04:00.003-04:00

We had a great time at the wedding tonight.

Here's two pictures!

Funny metaphors used in high school essays

2008-08-08T11:16:00.003-04:00

I got a kick out of these!! (taken from here.)

Just in case you need some writing inspiration. Every year, English teachers from across the USA can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year’s winner

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli, and he was room temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another
city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

I woke up with this song stuck in my head..

2008-08-05T12:04:00.001-04:00

and I don't know why.

<3

2008-07-31T17:19:00.003-04:00

I'm smitten.

2008-07-24T16:14:00.001-04:00

I really am.

I have a really cute boyfriend, huh?

2008-07-17T02:25:00.005-04:00

These were taken at my gig at the Barking Spider Tavern, on July 16th, 2008.

I neeeed this dress... like omg for real. haha.

2008-07-15T12:42:00.008-04:00

So, I'm going to a wedding with Juan in August.

I need to learn how to salsa, merengue and bachata.
He's going to give me dance lessons!
I'm excited! :D

& I've decided that I NEEEEEED this dress...
I found the dress on the Forever21 website and I better be able to find them in the store or have them shipped or something. They're perfect!

*EDIT*
I just bought the dress today!! Yay! and I ended up getting these shoes from Payless.

Why am I so happy lately?

2008-07-14T13:01:00.006-04:00

I have the sweetest, cutest boyfriend EVER!

Whenever I think about him, I get that roller coaster feeling in the pit of my stomach and I want to listen to Sarah Vaughan love songs on repeat.

WALL-E

2008-07-09T20:23:00.002-04:00

I saw WALL-E last night and loved it!

I forgot how much I like this song.. especially the lyrics.

2008-07-07T18:53:00.002-04:00

Video - India.Arie

Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't
Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won't
Depend on how the wind blows I might even paint my toes
It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul

I'm not the average girl from your video
and I ain't built like a supermodel
But, I learned to love myself unconditionally
Because I am a queen
I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be India Arie

When I look in the mirror and the only one there is me
Every freckle on my face is where it's supposed to be
And I know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me
My feet, my thighs, my lips, my eyes; I'm lovin' what I see

I'm not the average girl from your video
and I ain't built like a supermodel
But, I learned to love myself unconditionally
Because I am a queen
I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be India Arie

Am I less of a lady if I don't wear pantyhose?
My mama said a lady ain't what she wears but, what she knows
But, I've drawn a conclusion, it's all an illusion, confusion's the name of the
game
A misconception, a vast deception
Something's gotta change
Don't be offended this is all my opinion
ain't nothing that I'm sayin law
This is a true confession of a life learned lesson I was sent here to share with
y'all
So get in where you fit in go on and shine
Clear your mind, now's the time
Put your salt on the shelf
Go on and love yourself
'Cuz everything's gonna be all right

I'm not the average girl from your video
and I ain't built like a supermodel
But, I Learned to love myself unconditionally
Because I am a queen
I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be India Arie

Keep your fancy drinks and your expensive minks
I don't need that to have a good time
Keep your expensive car and your caviar
All I need is my guitar
Keep your Kristal and your pistol
I'd rather have a pretty piece of crystal
Don't need your silicon I prefer my own
What God gave me is just fine

I'm not the average girl from your video
and I ain't built like a supermodel
But, I learned to love myself unconditionally
Because I am a queen
I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be India Arie

I've decided I like painting.

2008-07-05T20:26:00.005-04:00

My first acrylic painting!

I now own these and I'm happy about it.

2008-07-05T03:11:00.003-04:00

What have I been doing lately?

2008-07-01T15:46:00.014-04:00

Cosmic Bowling with my best friend, Diana.

Sitting in a dunk tank at the Middleburgh Hts. homedays to benefit the St. Jude Children's Hospital. My Aunt Bonnie (seen in pictures below) helps to put the fundraisers for St. Jude's together. While I was there, I got to meet Slider, the mascot for the Cleveland Indians baseball team. He took a try at dunking me, but failed. He had a good arm on him though. *EDIT* The St. Jude booth raised a total of $2,018.66 that weekend!

& Going to see Jersey Boys at the State Theatre in Playhouse Square, with Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Larry. For those of you who don't know, Jersey Boys is a musical which tells the story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. It was fantastic. I knew it would be good, but it was even better than I had expected. We went out for Mexican afterwards where I devoured 3 taquitos. Yum.