Roll Me Away

Stood alone on a mountain top,

Starin' out at the great divide

I could go east, I could go west,

It was all up to me to decide

Just then I saw a young hawk flyin'

And my soul began to rise

And pretty soon

My heart was singin'

Roll, roll me away,

I'm gonna roll me away tonight

Gotta keep rollin, gotta keep ridin',

Keep searchin' till I find what's right

And as the sunset faded

I spoke to the faintest first starlight

And I said next time

Next time

We'll get it right

Read more: Bob Seger - Roll Me Away Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Chairs for Charity

My designer Chris recently invited Lauren and I to attend a charity event she was participating in at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach where  interior designers displayed custom themed chairs to be auctioned off.  All proceeds benefitted the Ronald McDonald House.

Lemon drop martinis, gourmet appetizers, live music, interior design and the opportunity for both of us to get dressed up and spend quality time together?  Of course we were in.

 Lauren wore a dress I had bought for her late last year but had not yet had the chance to wear.  Glowing from within, all she wanted to do was prance and pose the entire evening.

 The youngest attendee by at least 25 years, she was absolutely in her element, so polite, social, energetic and honestly, the life of the party.  Here she is sitting in the vanity chair designed by Chris, which matched her outfit perfectly.

So many of the chairs were stunning, but with a move to a smaller house, alas, we didn't have space for any of the creations.  We still got to watch the fun, however, as philanthropic guests bid heartily on the items (well, actually, we only saw the first two, after which I had to lead a very sulky and somewhat teary 9-year-old away from the festivities as it was a school night and we needed to get home).

All in all, a huge success and a virtual guarantee that I will continue to have the perfect date in the future for similar occasions.

Bold Girlz Birthday

For Lauren's 9th birthday, she wanted to combine all her favorite things into one event - hair, makeup, fashion, singing, and strutting it on the catwalk.

Where to find somewhere to host such a soiree?

Bold Girlz.  April 19, 2015, 11:00 a.m.

First, the girls got to roam the retail store and could pick out anything they wanted to wear.  Their outfits were then tucked away until the runway show at the end of the party.

They then split themselves up amongst various primping stations, including hair, makeup, nails, and glitter tattoos.

Glitter in their hair was optional, but of course they all wanted it.  We were still trying to get it off her scalp 5 weeks later….

Once they were finished, 3 live microphones were shared, with a bevy of pop tunes blaring over the sound system.  A sampling of selections:  Katy Perry's Roar, Bruno Mars' Count on Me, and Christina Perry's Jar of Hears.  Thus the karaoke battles began.

Following lunch, the divas changed into their chosen outfits for the grand finale - the runway show.

The party concluded with lighting of the candles and consumption of plenty o' chocolate cake (designed to look like the party invite).

Think our girl had the time of her life?  You be the judge…...

Ease on Down the Road

The June recital for Academy of Dance has come and gone.  As in 2 months ago, I know.  For the first time, Lauren was in more than one number (given her involvement over the past year in ballet, junior musical theatre, and jazz), which meant 3 costumes, lots more rehearsal, and lots more fun for our girl.  Add to that my role as the head of concessions for the second year, and our summer kicked off with quite a bang.

The studio always puts on incredibly creative shows.  This year we saw their take on The Wizard of Oz.

Saturday night prior to the recital was the dress rehearsal, and Kristen came to enjoy the performance followed by dinner.  Always a treat to spend time with her.



The afternoon of the recital was sunny and hot.



Perfect for selling tons of cold drinks at the concessions stand (manned by Joe for the second year running).



The first role for Lauren was that of a Munchkin (her ballet class):








(With Gigi, in her last recital)


(With Harley)














Next we saw a portrayal of the Tin Man with her jazz class compadres.







Her final role - a Jitterbug with her musical theatre class, singing and dancing to "If I Only Had a Heart".








Another year, another incredible production.

So proud.




[With studio owner Merle]

Next up?  Rehearsals and costume fittings (not to mention concessions) for The Nutcracker, on tap for 2 shows in November.  Deep breaths.