Monday Mailers for May 2011

Sorry there was no post yesterday.  Blogger was down last night so I wasn't able to post anything.  It's gotten pretty warm here .... well warm for us anyway - in the 80's.  I finally couldn't stand it any more and switched on our A/C yesterday - mainly because of the humidity.  We've had some rain this week and the air is really thick outside now.  I know my Texas friends wouldn't consider our temps as hot nor would Ashley where it is already in the 90's in Mosul.  Luckily, Ashley has been able to get a vehicle so she is not having to walk everywhere she goes.  They will be moving her clinic in the next few weeks and she tells me it will be about 1 1/2 miles from her living quarters so the vehicle will definitely come in handy!  Her attitude has not been the greatest since she returned from her R&R and I think she is marking off the days with a vengence!  August can not get here quick enough for her.  Most of the people she has been working with in the clinic have left by now and she has a new staff.  She is the only one of the medical staff that ended up having to stay for a year - the rest only had a 6-month rotation so that is not sitting well with her ... coupled by some respect issues she is running into.

Just a quick comment about American Idol before I share my cards.  I was quite shocked last night when James was voted off!!  When they announced it, Lauren and Scotty were upset, and Haley almost had a smirk on her face.  James sang one last song for us and kissed his wife in the crowd.  I thought James' performance on Wednesday night was the best of the night.  I put a lot of the blame on the 3 judges.  These judges have done a huge misjustice to the contestants by not being truthful in their comments. They seem to be afraid to step on anyones toes by giving them a bad review. All they can do it seems, is praise them, even though at times, some of the performances were horrid!!!..... Then the voters vote accordingly it seems to me.  I think the voting procedure needs to be restructured. The title is Scotty's to lose now.  I thought  it would be between Scotty and James for the final two.  Both were true to themselves and stood out each week. Biggest shock to me since Chris Daughtry went out in week 4 several years ago.  But, Durbin is better off not winning ... just like with Daughtry, the people who will buy his music are more likely to accept him now.

One more thing - Last night they showed a Steven Tyler video...so this year has been odd, videos by J-Lo, video by Steven, a book by Steven, makes ya wonder who they were marketing, the Idols or the judges? Just sayin' that's all.

OK - stepping off my Idol soapbox!



Here are the Monday Mailers so far this month:

Paper Pieced Sock Monkey - The first card I mailed to Tina.

Supplies:

• Paper:   Whisper White, Pacific Point, Real Red; Celebrations DSP 


• Ink:   Black


• Stamps:  Loads of Love; Sock Monkey, Sock Monkey Accessories


• Punches:   Circle Punch - 1 3/8" and 1 3/4"


• Accessories:  Buttons, Red Grosgrain Ribbon; Celebrations Accents; Stampin' Dimensionals

Printed Petals - Card #2 to Tina

Supplies:

• Paper:   Whisper White, Real Red; Sahara Sand; Daffodil Delight; Pear Pizazz


• Ink:    Real Red


• Stamps:  Printed Petals; Oval All


• Punches:   Ovals; Bird Punch


• Accessories:  Scallop Square Sizzix Die, Antique Brad; Finial Press Emb. Folder

Card being opened

Card completely opened.

Card #1 received from Becky

 Isn't this card the greatest?!!  I just love it.  She cut the boat out separately and popped it up with dimensionals.  This is the single stamp in the Summer Mini on page 11 - Sail Away

Card #2 from Becky

This DSP speaks for itself!  This is the paper on page 23 of Summer Mini - Beyond the Garden.

Becky sent me 2 cards this week - she didn't think the 1st card (Beyond the Garden DSP) was good enough!

This is a great card also.  I wasn't going to argue with Becky - I loved receiving both cards but it wasn't necessary!!  Don't you love how she punched the bird using the DSP (sneak peek - Paisley Prints).

Final Four Idols

Lots of drama last night as the final four perform hoping to be the TOP THREE next week!  The big prize - the hometown visit - is at stake this week.  They are all headed home, but only three will return to perform next week.  This theme week is a double bonus.  Phase #1 is Songs That Inspire You.  Phase #2 is songs by Leiber and Stoller mentored by Lady GaGa. 

James starts out singing "Don't Stop Believing"  He did a good job and as usual, all the judges ate it up and loved it.

Haley sang an unknown song written by Michael Jackson - The Earth Song.  Wow, did she get the judges stirred up!!  Randy pretty much hated it; J-Lo thought it was not a good song choice; and Steven loved it!  Haley pretty much gave them a major dose of attitude.  I can’t see Haley surviving, and she would be wrong to put all the blame on the judges. Haley has shown in flashes that she is an amazing vocalist and her duets with Casey were highlights of the show. Very much at risk this week.

Scotty sang the 9/11 song, "Where Were You"   He did a good job and got a little emotional.  Scotty gets points for smart song choice. Scotty is only 17 and will be a country legend at some point. Cheryl Crow said it best when she said she can't wait for him to get to Nashville. This young man is the whole package and I can hardly wait for his CD’s and concerts.

Lauren sang "Anyway"  She started out rough but her vocals got much better.  I didn't care for her outfit but of course, Steven did!  The judges loved her.

At the break, Ryan asked JLo who won Round One.  As has happened all year, she wouldn't commit.  But Randy speaks up and picked James, Scotty and Lauren and told Haley she needed to step up her game.  Another attitude moment for Haley!

The second round is mentored by Lady GaGa.  OMG!!  Can't wait to see what advice she gives Scotty!!

First up is Haley singing "I Who Have Nothing"  I love her dress!!  She pulled out the stops on this one .... good for her!!  She got a standing ovation!!  It was one of the best performances of the year.  Like they say, she is in it to win it!!  I’m glad that she finally got the props she deserves.  However, it all feels a little “day late dollar short” from this judging panel.

Scotty sings "Young Blood"  by The Coasters.  His performance was great but I sure wouldn't have picked that song!  But he was very comfortable on stage and you got to see two sides of him.  The thing I noticed in this performance is Scotty appears to be perfecting his stage presence.  The vocal was just another Scotty status quo, but I see growth in his performance.  I think Lady GaGa was a little too way out for Scotty!! 

Lauren sings "Trouble"  After Lauren’s appearance in the bottom 2 last week, she needed to pull out the big guns, and neither of her performances really did it for me tonight.

James sings The Clovers, "Love Potion."  

He gets the props for best stage performance, I will give him that. But he has to be careful because there are always bum notes from him when he gets too excited and jumping around the stage.  And he never gets called on this.  But I will give him credit for the entertainment factor. 

This is a tough week to predict. There’s no clear loser or winner this week. The judges were terribly hard on Haley, so that could send her home. I mean they’re clearly trying to achieve that, especially Randy. But she’s picked up so many fans during the past couple weeks. Lauren was in the bottom 2 last week, so she may be the most obvious person to go home. BUT her fans could’ve been scared into voting after her bottom finish last week. So maybe Haley will actually go home. Or maybe something crazy will happen and James will leave. Nah. It’ll be Lauren or Haley.

Idol - Top 5 - 2011

Only five left! We’re getting down to the wire. I’m always a little bit sad when a season of American Idol draws to a close, how about you? I was excited that they each got to perform twice last night. There were some surprises, and I found myself disagreeing with the judges a few times. 



Sheryl Crow was the guest mentor and the theme was “Now and Then” — they each sang a current song and one from the 1960s.   I really didn't think Sheryl Crow added much to the night!



James sang Closer to the Edge.   His voice got lost in the background music or something.   The other singers didn’t sound like that. It was weird, but the judges loved it so I have to assume it sounded better live. He was good and I'm starting to think he has a good shot at winning this thing.



Jacob sang No Air. I love this song, but not on Jacob, and the judges felt the same way. They kept telling him it’s about finding the right song.  Jacob is getting a little old for me.  Let's see what he does with his second song.



Lauren sang Flat On the Floor.  I think she could have taken it further, but it was a great fit for her voice and she did a respectable job with it.



Scotty was in his element last night singing Gone.  He reminded me why we all fell in love with him to begin with. It was playful, he was working the stage like an old pro, and it showed his vocal range. I thought he really took his performance power up a notch last night.



Haley sang an unreleased Lady Gaga song, You and I. The judges thought she was taking a risk by doing an unknown song and criticized her but I actually thought it was pretty impressive. I particularly enjoyed the first half.   I thought it really showcased her voice. Haley’s come a long way and I thought the judges were a bit harsh.   And maybe they were right on, but if so, then they were too easy on a lot of the other performances. Sometimes I think the judges are deliberately trying to sway the audience to vote for the ones they want to see make it to the end.



Round Two kicked off with James’ emotional performance of Without You.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, or in my chair!   Despite that, the vocals weren’t his best and I can’t help but remember former Idol hopefuls who went home before their time because of one unfortunate performance. I hope James isn’t in danger tonight.



Jacob sang Love Hurts, and while the judges loved it, I thought it was way too… Jacob. The beginning was lovely but by the end I was hoping that Jacob goes home tonight.   I think his time has come.



Lauren sang Unchained Melody, and I’m surprised the mentors let her get away with that. It is just way over used and while parts of it were beautiful, she brought nothing new to it despite the judges saying “there’s nothing to judge.” WHAAA??? Cop out. I think they just didn’t want to be negative. Simon would have been all over that.



Scotty sang Always On My Mind.  Another solid performance and a wise song choice for him. It was totally different from his first song, and like the judges said, it gave us a taste of what a Scotty concert might be like.  I think he secured himself a place in the final four.



Haley closed the show with House of the Rising Sun, which I thought was fantastic. She’s been growing on me in recent weeks, and this clinched it.  She made the song her own.



Best Performer of the Night: Scotty

Bottom Two: Jacob and Haley or James

Going Home: Jacob

Idol Top 6 2011

Just realized I forgot to post this yesterday!!  I haven't watched the Results show yet so I am going to post this and then go watch it.



The Idol contestants celebrated the songs of Carol King .... songs I know this week!!



First up - Jacob - what an outfit!  He sang "Oh No, Not My Baby" and it was all right for me.  He started out rough but brought it home in the end.  Stephen told him "We all knew you could sing, it's just about time you shook your tailfeathers!"  I don't know about that!!



Lauren sang "Where You Lead"  They told her she needed to stop being safe and GO FOR IT!!  I give her credit - she did give it an E for effort.  She's just so young - it's hard to imagine doing this at 16.  Just don't know if she's ready to be America's next Idol.



To fill up the time, the contestants sang duets in addition to their solos.  I enjoyed them.  Haley and Casey sang "I Feel the Earth Move."  I love their pairing.  Their voices compliment each other.  Nice job!



Next up is Scotty singing "You've Got a Friend."  He did ok ... it just wasn't my favorite of his performances.  I wish he'd done just a little bit of his signature bass in the song somewhere.  But he should be safe this week.



James was next singing "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow."  He is starting to become my favorite.  He just does his own thing.  The mentors tell the other contestants what to do, but James tells them what he's going to do!  He is a true artist.  I think the judges are seeing that too since they predicted him to win the whole thing after his performance!   Loved it!!



Scotty and Lauren sang "Up On the Roof."  I just love this song by the Drifters!! 



Next was Casey doing his typical Casey style with "Hi De Ho."  Lots of growling.  He is beginning to grate on me.  The performance was entertaining but he's not showing anything new.



Haley was the last single and sang "Beautiful."  She nailed it!  She has really come a long way.   She will probably end up in the top 3.



Jacob and James finished off the night with a rendition of "I'm Into Something Good."  Steven summed it up when he said  “I’m not sure if that was the award-winning performance it should have been, but you guys were having fun and you can both sing great. But, man, where were you going with all that?!”



So, best of the night in my opinion was James.



Bottom 3 ....probably Jacob, Casey and maybe Scotty or Lauren.  I wouldn't be sad to see Casey go home but who knows???

American Idol Top 7 2011

Down to 7 tonight.  The contestants were singing songs from the 21st Century .... interesting theme!

SCOTTY - Scotty really sang a 1983 song by John Anderson but was able to pass it off as a 21st Century song because Leann Rimes sang  it. Was that a clever move or a deceptive way to dodge the theme?  I hope he is not in trouble this week.  I love Scotty and I guess since my favorite, Paul got voted off last week, I'm pulling for Scotty.  But I hate the song he sang - "Swinging" and maybe that's why I didn't like his performance tonight.  I think he is being too safe especially this late in the game.  Not that it wasn’t fun, and I like how he showcased the range of his voice, but it’s time to take it up a notch. The competition is getting heavy, and I think Scotty is getting too comfy in his spot on the couch. I hope he’s not in the bottom 3 tonight.   He needs to take more risks and go out on a limb with his vocals.

JAMES - He sang "Uprising" by Muse.  Not only have I never heard of the song but I also have never heard of the group!  Am I showing my age?  Probably so!  I hated it but according to the judges, I am in the minority!  They LOVED it!!  Underneath all the screaming and crazy heavy metal stuff he does, he has a beautiful voice. We really got a glimpse of that during the first half of the song.  I just wish he'd do another type of song.  I enjoy rock and roll but the heavy metal stuff grates on my ears.  Whereas Scotty only seems to do country, can James only do screaming metal?

HALEY - "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele ....

I have to confess my ignorance again, so I went to Google to find out who ADELE is and why I should know this song. Evidently (for the rest of you who live under my rock) she’s an English singer/songwriter who won two Grammys in 2009. It’s a great fit for her voice, and I have to admit that I actually really enjoyed it.  Haley's growing on me.  She's getting better every week.

JACOB - "Dance with my Father" by Luther Vandross    Jacob has the chops for this song.  He actually brought tears to my eyes with his rendition.  I lost my step-father and my father and I still miss them both so I know how he feels.  There was a glitch at the beginning but he did a good job of recovering.  Luther Vandross passed away in 2005, and this song was on his last album which was released in 2003.  It’s hard to separate the emotion of the song from the performance, but I thought he did a good job although he struggled for composure in parts.

CASEY - "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5  OK - I like Maroon 5 but this was WEIRD .... again!  How many times is he going to get away with singing these weird-o songs??  The faces he makes along with his movements ... I just don't get it!  Well, the audience loved it and of course, the judges or maybe it was just the kiss he gave Jo-Lo at the end.  He definitely gets more than his share of time with the judges each week.  No matter what Casey sings, he ALWAYS makes it his own. 

STEFANO - "Closer" by Ne-Yo   Another song I didn't know.  I’m just going to put on my grannie panties and call it a day. Well, there weren't too many words to that song so it gave him plenty of time to dance around the stage.  Even though I don’t know the song, I actually kind of enjoyed this performance. If nothing else, he showed his vocal range and sang a song with a modern vibe to it.  Not bad.

LAUREN - "Born to Fly" by Sara Evans  I like this song and she did a pretty good job with it - not great but good.  Jimmie told her she needed to quit holding back and give it her all. She is intimidated by the competition and admits as much.  She has SO much potential, but I can’t help but think that she’d have been better off waiting a year or two for her American Idol debut. She’s just so young. 

As usual, the judges didn't give much constructive criticism.  In their opinion, everyone was great!  They beat up on Lauren a bit but it was good constructive criticism and they were trying to pump her up.

It's hard to predict who will be in the bottom 3 this week.  My guess is:  Stefano, Casey and Lauren but it could be Haley just because she always is!   Probably going home:  Stefano just because it's his turn