Fabulous Find For A Friday-------Brimfield......Er.....Ah.....Blogger Bash, Part Deux

The reason that I am stumbling over the title of this post, well.....its because.......I have to admit that I didn't have even one blogger at my Brimfield Blogger Bash. Well, I guess you can count ME as one.

Thats it.

First, there was the beautiful and amazing Alyson that wanted to come. And then the terrific and sweet Rhonda was going to try and come. And last, but not least, the funky and fun Pink Monkey.

But in the end, NONE of them were able to make it out that glorious sunny Saturday. So, I invited a friend from my church, Kim, who is also the fantastic Mom of one of my voice students. She is gorgeous, sweet and it was a blast to hang with her!

Kim and I before we started out----when we were fresh! Isn't she beautiful?

Now.....I always go to Brimfield with something in mind. If you don't, it can be overwhelming. Trust me. It CAN be overwhelming-----over 3000 vendors of Antiques and some Flea Market type stalls.

But I had a mission. I was looking for something for my daughter, Haileys, birthday. And I was also looking for something for my sister's birthday. My daughter is pretty picky, but I knew that she would like some vintage jewelry, or a hat, or I thought that I might be able to find a vintage dress, as she does Improv. shows and they are always looking for costumes.

And then I always keep my eye open for good deals for MY theatre, THE CANNON THEATRE.

First, some images of the Fair:

Here is the way we roll (literally).....with a wagon for purchases, as well as a tired Aydan,
just in case he doesn't want to walk anymore. And thats my hubby, Bret, taking a breather.

Of course, every once in a while, the doggies need a rest too, so Aydan decides to give
them a ride. It doesn't usually last long, though!

And then.....after 6 hours and covering about one half of the place, I found the following amazing treasures-----and I spent under $100.00 for everything!

Hard to see these, but they are a great vintage skirt---aka late 1800's and
a silk nightgown for a little girl---both for the theatre....

....and then this amazing orange velvet dress from the 1960's----so gorgeous!

This was a great find----another 1960's full length gown. (I don't know how the heck I
managed to get all those cords in the background----annoying)

And of course, I HAD to have these yellow hoop earrings, for that yellow dress, remember?

A vintage hat from the 1940's----great, huh?

More for my theatre----mugs for Pirates of Penzance.....

....and an amazing medal for the Modern Major General.

These were the vintage jewelry pieces that I found for my daughter.....a necklace and
two bracelets.....

....and here is the closeup of one of the bracelets-----here's one side.....

....and here is the other----don't you love it?

And last, but not least......I knew that this was the perfect gift for my sister, who fills
her house with antiques mixed with contemporary---this exquisite
porcelain doll from the early 1900's (Very tiny, by the way.)

Well, what do you think? Is anyone up for the one in September?

Come on. Come out to New England and take back a truck full.


You know you want to.

You Say Its My Birthday---Gonna Have A Good Time

Well, have you VOTED yet? Do I sound like a broken record or what? No, seriously, even though I can never even come close to the terrific and amazing Tiburon at Shark Bait, (who is leaps and bounds ahead of us in first place) I figure that sloppy seconds would make my week!
So do it now----for my birthday----if you haven't yet....go to MMB, scroll down on the right side, and click on SWANEESINGER!

Now.....since it is my birthday today, and I am a wise and old......ahem......you really think that I will tell?

Right.

They don't call me a vain Diva for nothin'.

But, since I am older than most of you, I decided to tell everyone what I would like for my birthday. If you are considering giving me a present, that is.

First of all, let me explain that I love birthdays. I love to give presents, and I love to have different and fun parties. I always made a big deal out of my kids birthdays, and always tried to make the day (or week) as special as possible.

But every once in a while, I like to let everyone know what is on MY wish list for my birthday.

So, here goes..... Oh, do you need to get a pencil and paper to write it down? Ok, I'll wait.






1. A trip to London. I absolutely LOVED London when we went there for two days last year before we went to Ireland. I would really love to go again. At least by next year, OK?

Aydan and I doing the "Monkee" walk.

2. A house. I really like old houses----no, not the 1940's, silly. More like the 1740's or the 1840's. A lot like THIS house, which, by the way, sold to someone else.

I don't want to talk about it.

3. Liposuction. Yes, you can give me a gift certificate. Or a VISA card should do it, but as I am gaining 4 lbs a year around my midsection, since I started going through the big "M", then perhaps you should do it as soon as possible, as the price will be going up every year. (You know, more fat, more to suck out.)

4. A big screen TV. Yeah, we are probably the only people that I know that still have our little 32 inch TV. Or maybe it is 26 inch. Its small, and its getting harder to read the subtitles on my foreign films.

5. These real cool earrings from a site that is having a giveaway. It is at Bon Bon Rose, a fantastic blog about great deals you can buy----things for the home----things to make you look beautiful. I love it! The earrings are from Scarlet Duchess, an Etsy shop. Go on over and see this great blog.

Aren't these gorgeous? And you should see the others on this site....check it out!

6. A gift certificate from H & M, one of my favorite clothing stores. I usually get one from Santa Claus. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.) Santa has good taste, oh, yeah. But I need to get a new one for my Fall/ Winter clothes.

7. A Tempur-pedic bed. Oh, yes. I love my Tempur-pedic pillow. I used to have "cricks" in my neck all the time. Not any more. No, no. Not since I got this pillow.
So, I am ready to move on to the next step. A full queen sized Tempur-pedic bed-----ahhhhh, it sounds divine. Oh, and if you want to just send me the one from Costco, that would be fine. I don't need the brand. I'm not picky like that.

Ok, so this is a knock-off, but I've heard that this brand is amazing!

8. A CD contract. Could I perhaps sing with Sting or something? Yeah, that would be cool. Is this a bit too out of anyone's abilities to "make it happen"? Well, a girl can dream, can't she?


Speaking of dreaming. The cool part about this birthday game is that you get to send me these presents through your positive mind energy. Just leave a comment about which one you will be sending me. Or if you want to pick something else that you think that I will like, that would be cool also.

Just let me know. Because I will be sure and capture that image and use it in my dreams.
I will enjoy it. I will luxuriate in it. I will be happy to use it.


Of course, I will be sure and return the favor. Just let me know when your birthday is and what you want. I will get it right to you. Isn't it a great way to give each other what we REALLY want?

Fabulous Find For A Friday-----Me, Me, Me----Its All About Me

"I walked into a party, like I was walking into a yacht,
My hat strategically dipped below one eye,
My scarf, it was apricot.
I had one eye in the MIRROR, as
I watched myself gavotte.

And all the guys dreamed that they'd be my
partner, they'd be my partner, and
I'm so vain...."

(Humming..................)



OH! Sorry! I didn't see you reading there.

I was......ah........just.......ah........you know..........singing to myself......

Not that I AM vain or anything.

"Yeah, right", You quickly, (much TOO quickly) reply.



Well, these past few weeks a few things have happened that positively can "turn" a girls head, even if I do say so myself. So, I am here in celebration of MYSELF, because,........well........my 15 minutes of fame..........er............my 15 years of fame...............has come to an end, and I need some boosting of the old self esteem, as it were!

So, on with my fun time awards! I have been graciously granted an award from some amazing bloggers extraordinaire-----from Carma at CarmaSez , I got this great award:


She is an amazing and fun blogger that blogs everyday and keeps readers very entertained-----especially when she is juggling with her son------fun-tastic!

Then from two other bloggers, Dapper Kid , who is a phenomenal writer and fashionista-----(I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy)-----and Scholastic Scribe, who is a teacher and a super writer also----(Again, I'm not worthy)-------I got this sublime award:


Then, there is this other site that I frequent, Underdogs Unite, that is overseen by the super-de-duper Kate, that gives losers like me a place to post nominations that we have done for ourselves for those HUGE blogger awards, i.e. The Hottest Blogger, Most Humorous Blog, etc., etc.
Well, she encouraged me to nominate myself for something, and I went on over and COULDN'T FIND ANY CATEGORY THAT I COULD FIT INTO! So, I complained to her and sure enough-----being the most fantastic and funny person that she is, she made up an award for moi!

It is hilarious! And I only have it for a year, so if you want to go up for it next year, just keep it in mind and take me on for this award:

BEST EX-MODEL WHO WEARS LOTS OF EYE SHADOW
AND SINGS LIKE A ROCK STAR AWARD!

So go on over and take a look at it! She is so talented, that girl----and then vote for some of the super-amazing bloggers that are up for real awards!!!

Now......last but not least. I belong to a group of bloggers, MMB, which stands for Mormon Mommy Bloggers----they are a great group of women that are pretty down to earth, but encompass even some stranger type Mormon women like me..... So, I hope you don't hold it against me, as I actually do have a spiritual and serious side----it just doesn't rear its head very much.

So, every month they pick five blogs that are nominated for the blog of the month. And,.......dear readers,.......they HAVE PICKED ME to be nominated FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE!! Wow! Is this karma or what? Cause June is one of my favorite months, and its my birthday next week and all, and well-----this was the icing on the cake! (Love cake!......ah.....focus, focus...)

What has this got to do with you? Well, I NEED you to go on over to the MMB site, and vote for me!! Yep----its that easy breezy color girl. Just go to the column on the right and vote for me----Swaneesinger!

Now, don't even be TEMPTED to go somewhere else and vote for them----uh uh-----no, not that. You may be tempted, because I am up against a woozy of terrific bloggers----I mean, they are fun and entertaining and write every day-----Sigh.
(Yeah, and I mean you, Tiburon!)

But just try to focus.

And if you are still wondering if I deserve it, check out these past posts-----where I have written lyrics to BOOB SQUISHING, given you a test to take to determine if you are A DIVA, told the world about the time that I TOOK VIAGRA IN BRAZIL
and how I took down the BIGGEST MOUSE THAT YOU HAVE EVER WITNESSED!

Yeah, I'm that good.

And, last but not least----in all humility, may I say that I have the most AWESOME readers in the kingdom of the blogging world. I really mean that! You guys entertain me, give me advice, make me laugh, make me cry, make me jealous, and yes, even send me blogging love!

Thank you, thank you for that.

NOW GO VOTE!


***Oh, and I almost forgot,
I am giving the Sushi Grade Award on to several mah-ve-lous bloggers out there! Pass it on, girls, pass it on!
*Yummy Mommy
*What Is She Thinking?
*Just So
*Zelzee
*Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life

And for those bloggers which keep on putting out amazing posts----and have such lovely blogs----I pass on the Lovely Blog Award to:
*Blonde Canary
*The Bakers
*Audrey Eclectic
*Our Life In Perfect Cadence
*An Inch Of Gray

Congrats ladies----you are all worthy of MANY awards!

Memory Monday-----The First Time I Thought That I Was Going To Die

The summer after I turned five was a big one for me. I was excited to be going to Kindergarten in the fall, and feeling like a really big girl. I hadn't been to preschool, as back then no one really went to preschool----in fact I'm not sure that they even had preschools. We were just doing good to go to Kindergarten. I think that some kids didn't even start until first grade. Yeah, go figure, and we all managed to get this far in life without that early schooling.

But that summer was a huge deal, as I got sick. I guess that I probably got a sore throat first. I don't remember the particulars, but apparently my parents didn't think that I was sick enough for the doctor, so they didn't take me.

I eventually got a fever----a really high one, and they couldn't get it to go down.

So, they finally took me to the doctor. I do remember a bit about this time of my life. I never got sick, and we didn't go to the doctor hardly ever, so this was a big thing for us. I was scared, but I felt so bad, was tired all the time and my head and throat hurt.

At the doctors office, they checked me out, poked, prodded me and then they took blood. And they took more blood. Then we went home.

The next day, the doctor called my Mom and told her to bring me in. I still felt horrible, and it was an effort to get me ready to go, but we went back in. They talked to my Mom, took more blood, and then gave me a shot.

I didn't really understand at the time what I had. My parents told me that I had rheumatic fever, and that it was very dangerous, and that I had to get shots and take medicine or I could die. They told me that I HAD to stay in bed and sleep a lot and don't try to play, as I HAD to get better.

It was a very scary time for me. All I could think of was that I really wanted to be able to go to school in the fall, but maybe I would die and not be able to go to school! I was also supposed to be a flower girl for my Aunts wedding. My Mom had made a beautiful lavender dress, with a chiffon type material overlay----with lace on all the edges. It was an amazing dress and I remember crying when I was told that I couldn't be in the wedding. It just didn't seem fair.

I didn't understand how I could be so sick, and why wouldn't I get better by then?

I don't know if you know very much about rheumatic fever. It is basically a disease that starts when you have strep throat and you don't go on antibiotics----and after about two weeks, the bacteria starts to affect your heart, joints and muscles. The result is scarring of the heart valves, leaving you with a heart murmur.

But this all takes a while to go through. It isn't over in a week. It isn't over in a month. It isn't over in two months.

No, it takes about three months until one gets over rheumatic fever. And the effect that it has on your body is terrible during this time. The first few weeks aren't too bad, except you have a fever for quite a while and your joints feel a bit achy. But as the disease starts to affect your muscles, you are no longer able to use them. My parents used to carry me into their bed every morning for the day. This was where the TV was, so I could watch some TV shows during the day. I think that I watched a lot of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

And I had to go to the doctor every day. Well, I am not sure if it was every day, but it felt like it. So I would go get my shot each morning, but they had to get me dressed, and get me ready, as I eventually couldn't sit up or walk or anything----then for some reason----I don't know why---but I remember laying on the floor of the living room as I waited for everyone to get ready and out the door. And I remember crying. Crying because I couldn't move, and because I didn't understand what was happening to me and I didn't like to get the shots. I hated the shots. And the blood work. I hated the blood work. They would take blood each time and then give me a shot in the other arm. Then, in the afternoon, a nurse that lived across the street would come over and give me a shot in my bottom.

I still remember thinking that they were taking all of my blood out. I thought that this was the reason that I couldn't move, because they took too much blood out. It was traumatic, to say the least. And I also kept wondering if I was going to die. I don't believe that they explained it very well to me, as it was probably a bit of an unknown then, and......well,.....one just didn't talk about those things to young children. (To this day, I can't watch when someone takes my blood or gives me a shot, it really bothers me.)

So......you probably guessed what they were giving me, ladies and gentlemen------it was penicillin. It was the new wonder drug and they gave me a lot, as I feel that they weren't sure how much would get rid of this terrible disease. So, I basically got two shots of penicillin a day.


Now, one of the other traumatic things that have to do with not being able to move or walk is that I wasn't able to even go to the bathroom by myself. I remember being so embarrassed because my Dad would have to take me to the bathroom in the morning before he left, and then when he got home. I don't remember my Mom carrying me. I also don't remember having to be bathed, but I think that my Mom just gave me "sponge" baths.

I do remember my Mom having to wait on me, bringing me every meal, and trying to keep me entertained. My little brother, Jeff, was about two years old, so this couldn't have been easy for her----watching a toddler and taking care of me, as well as my older sister, Janene----who was only seven.

I know that I wasn't very happy at this time in my life. I cried quite a bit, (well, that's understandable) as I slowly began to heal. And by the third month, I was able to start moving my limbs, and slowly but surely, I got better. I did end up having to start school late, so I wasn't very happy about that.

Of course, I eventually returned to my normal self----and went back to having my usual adventures----of which I will continue to share with you. I had to take penicillin, two times a day, until I was about 16.

Here I am, getting my hair done for church, several months after I got better (yes, that is the old-fashioned way to dry your hair!)----note my parents bed behind me----
I spent a lot of time there.

Here I am at 5 years old, the Christmas after my illness. Don't you love the dress?

Now you can see how this incident was the first time that I thought that I was going to die.


You'll have to wait until the next installment to read about the second one.....

Fabulous Find For A Friday-------A Fantastic Photographer

When I met my soon to be hubby, Bret, he was working in Hollywood.

As an actor? You might ask.


No, he was a propmaker/set builder. He was a member of the union there and made sets for many of the huge movies. Some of the Batman ones, a Jim Carrey one, a few action thrillers,---well, you get the idea----they were all big name movies. One time we even had to sign a release form so that we could see the set that he was working on. We had to promise not to spill the beans about the way the movie was going to look. It was pretty cool, I must admit.


But, enough about the movies.

Before he was a propmaker, he was a professional photographer.

Yes, a REAL one. He actually graduated in Photography from the Art Institute in Denver, Colo.
He then went to LA to make it big, shooting mostly commercial photography, and sometimes people. You should see his portfolio. He has done ads for lots of products, as well as some music stars, such as Marky Mark. What? You don't remember him? Yeah, that was BEFORE he became a movie star. You know, Mark Wahlberg.

But he became disenchanted with the business. The photography business is pretty cut-throat in LA, as you can imagine, and he wasn't enjoying himself anymore. So, he decided to do the second thing that he loved best. Woodworking and building sets.

There now---it all makes sense now, right?

But..........when we met, it was a bit like a marriage made in heaven, as I was an actress/model/singer, and he photographed me. You might say that I became his muse, and his friend, and then his wife. Then we moved to New England.

He started working as a cabinetmaker and a woodworker, but still never stopped shooting photos. He just turned his camera on his family and a few friends. He kept using his 35 millimeter camera, and when others were changing over to digital, he was pretty stubborn about staying with his old camera. He even owned an old Hasselblad, and collected various really old cameras to shoot with.

Then, last year, he decided to purchase his first professional digital camera. And after getting excited about shooting with it, he started to purchase his lights and more equipment again.

Meanwhile, the world was creating self-made photographer after photographer. Everyone had a digital camera and it seemed that if you had one and knew how to work with Photo shop, you could now be a "photographer", and you could charge exhorbant prices to shoot people.


Ok, so I know that there are some out there that are truly great at what they do. But it is rare to find a photographer that actually went TO SCHOOL to learn about lighting and shutter speeds and F stops.

That is what you get with Bret.

He is the real deal.


He doesn't know how to use Photo shop.


But he doesn't need to.

So, if you are in the New England area and want some amazing shots of your kids, or teens---and he does do families once in a while----well...get in touch with him and get some amazing shots done. He loves doing the kids the most. He is so good with them and can help them feel comfortable and.......well......


.....real.

He can even manage to make this ex-model look good....

Check out his website: www.BBSNAPS.net

Bun-Buns

I am a walking testament to how time flies! It was a bit over....well....30 years ago that I was having my first child on this day.

It was a rough labor. I was in labor about 22 hours, give or take an hour. They had 32 women in labor that night, so they didn't have a room for me, as I was going so slow. So, they put me in the hall. Yep, you heard it. In the hall.

And to make matters worse, since I was 20 and pretty naive, the doctors decided to use me for every one's training example, and proceeded to bring every intern in the hospital, or so it seemed, to put their hand......well......you know where.....to check to see how far I had dilated.

"Oh, I think that she is about a six"
"Are you sure? Let me check again."
"Dr., would you like to check?"
"Yes.......hmmmm.....I think she might be at a seven."

And on and on.

After that long day and the pain and "the audience"........little Hailey finally came out and then I promptly fell asleep.

Yes, I was that exhausted.

Hailey was a wonderful baby. She was my little "Bun-Buns". She slept through the night by the time she was four weeks old. She was happy and cried little---ate every 4 hours, and was a joy. When she was about two, we had a mattress on the floor for her to sleep on, and she would get up in the morning, and then take some books and toys to play with on the floor by my bed. I can still remember her whispering softly as she played by the side of my bed, so she didn't wake me.

Then, when she was in preschool at the age of four, we would set her little alarm at night, lay out her clothes, and she would get up to her alarm in the morning, turn it off, get dressed, make her bed and then come and get me up to get breakfast for her, before school. (You do remember that I am NOT a morning person, right-----well, she is)

You think that I am exaggerating! I'm not.

She remained a joy as she was growing up. She was always so curious about the world and had an agenda----so she didn't have much time for hugging and such. In fact, she made the sound of the hug, (Ugh) as she would touch you on the arm or somewhere, because she just wasn't interested in taking the time to snuggle!

She was also very helpful with her little sister, then her brother. She started babysitting at the age of nine, because she could handle it. Now, don't send me nasty comments about letting such a youngster babysit----it was only for short times, and she was more attentive than I was. In fact, most of my friends would always ask me, "Ok, who's the Mom and who's the child?"

Yes, as I was a bit wild----singing in rock bands and doing modeling, she would lecture me on my choice of clothing sometimes. She was always a bit more conservative than I was.

She did well in school. Are you surprised? She was so anal about getting her school work done. She was hard on herself, freaking out if she didn't get straight "A"s----and she cared so much what her teachers thought of her. She was tested and put into Gifted classes, and still made straight "A"s.

She also has a huge amount of talent using her right brain. She sang her first solo in church when she was four years old, acted in musicals, sang with her sister, worked in a recording studio singing for recordings for schools and sang with the family. She loved to be on stage and she just sparkles when on stage!

What can I say? Hailey is a very social person, and loves people. She was always so concerned that everyone liked her and that she fit in. She really lucked out as she had great friends, and STILL has great friends!

She ended up getting an academic scholarship to Brigham Young University, and graduated in...............well,.........you guessed it.........theatre! She maintained her GPA throughout her college years, even as she met and married her husband, Ben.

She got pregnant several years later and had a child, Mila, 5 months after I had my little guy. (Yes, we were pregnant at the same time! Awww, isn't that sweet, you are thinking---its like Mother of the Bride, part two)

She now has four children. Mila, Ethan, and the twins, Lucy and Lane. She is a terrific Mom and only gets pushed over the edge every so often----well, what do you expect----she gets that from me----and she needs to use her loud voice once in a while---she's an actress!

Yes, she is a brilliant actress and singer. She usually does at least one play or musical a year, and now is doing "As You Like It" at the Hale Center Theatre in Orem. She does Improv., too, and after being in Comedy Sportz for several years, joined with several other actors to form their own Improv. company, The Thrillionaires. So, if you live in the Provo, SLC area, go SEE THEM----at the Covey Center for the Arts on Saturday nights---hint, hint. (And don't stalk them---they are all card carrying black belts!)

They are mah-velous----and I promise that you will laugh your guts out.

Yes, I guess that you have surmised that she is one funny gal, also. You can check out her blog HERE. She tells of her experiences raising her kids and about her juggling her life choices and its really funny. (She gets that from her Mum, you know----right?----you were thinking that, right?)

All in all, Hailey will always be one of my best friends. When she was growing up, and I was going through a lot in my marriage and life in general, she was always the one that came and comforted me and made sure that I was all right.

My friends were right about their observation. I didn't raise her.


She raised me.

Hailey, at 3 months---wow! Look at that mouth----singing already.

My little girls, Brinna and Hailey---they were beautiful, huh?

This photo makes me smile---well, chuckle---every time. I told you she was perfect about
getting her clothes right----even her glasses match!

When she was in "Bye, Bye Birdie"....

....and in "Music Man".

A beautiful picture of her Senior Year in high school.

And her engagement picture to Ben----don't they look like the model couple?

Acting at Sundance doing a Thrillionaires show.

This is her movie star picture....

...and her real look, when she came to visit us here in New England----with me, Brinna, Clayton and his girlfriend, Meg.

All her kids----this past February----each doing what they like to do---running around,
climbing trees and just enjoying the weather. (Don't you adore those little twins and their small
leg warmers?)

This is one of my favorite shots----a four generation one with my Mom, the twins
and Mila---yep, and Hailey is now a red-head!

Happy Birthday-----I love you so much, my wonderful Hailey. (bun-buns)

Fabulous Find For A Friday-----Rachael Yamagata

I have been trying to be very diverse in my features and finds on my Fridays. Have you noticed?

I have gotten a bit of organizing, reading, fashion, makeup, movies, antiques fair, amazing hubby, shoes all in there, but I realized that I hadn't really touched on music, which is the center of my life.

Now.........I am asked all the time what my favorite music is.

I can't EVER answer that. NEVER.

Why? You ask. Well, because it all depends on my mood, the weather, what I'm wearing, what I ate, do I feel like dancing, if I am walking, or am I in a beautiful place of nature, etc.

You get it, right?

Now, If you have read my blog for very long or know me, you know that I am obsessed with Sting. I was even able to hang out with him once-----oh, yes, you can read about it HERE.


But I am always on the look out for new artists or songs that move me.

Another passion of mine are movies-----and if you haven't read about that, I have blogged about that sickness......er.......passion HERE.

Luckily these two mediums sometimes work together to create deep feelings. Emotions that I love having, as they create something that can take me from my sometimes stressful and/or mundane life. Movies and music can transport you away.

And, well, its one of my favorite things to do.

This said, a few months ago----maybe about five months, I was watching an independent film. I usually watch these movies while I am exercising----they are usually foreign films or independent ones, as those are the ones that I enjoy the most. If you are curious, you can read more about my day HERE. It sometimes takes me several days to watch a film, as I only walk or do my Bowflex for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.


Well, this day, as the film was ending-----and no, I don't remember what the film was----but I know that it was good. The film was ending and this haunting song started playing. I had to sit down and listen to it. It was so beautiful and the music just went so well with the end of the movie.

I had to find out who did the song. I waited for all the credits to roll through and there it was:
"Meet Me By The Water", by Rachael Yamagata.


The song is actually on her CD, Happenstance, which came out in 2004,

but she just released a new CD this year, Elephants----Teeth Sinking Into Heart. Check it out!

I was really impressed with her voice as it has a smoky quality to it, reminiscent of an old French cabaret singer in the 30's. She, at first, comes across as having a rather----what I would call----wispy voice, (you know, a bit breathy) but after a bit more of a listen, you realize that she has a strength about her, that she can really let go and get a gutsy sound.

Apparently she has opened for such bands as Coldplay and Liz Phair, and just this week she was on the TV show 30 Rock---along with many other recording artists. She has had a lot of setbacks, but has tried to overcome them and continue producing her music. This article gives a bit of her background also.

So, take a listen to her music----its on my playlist-----and see what you think.

I think that you will be impressed.....