Monday, January 30, 2012

Chinese New Year in L.A.

This past Sunday, I got to continue my year of firsts by going to Chinatown (located in Downtown L.A) to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Although I missed the parade (boo) I did still have a great time walking around the busy streets and taking in the sights and sounds. There was so much action and I spotted quite a few Dragons which totally made my day. :D If you would like to visit Chinatown in Los Angeles, click HERE they have all kinds of things to enjoy throughout the year. The rest of this post is in pictures. Hope you like them, enjoy!

We're ready!
These students were so festive. I got my Dragon parade after all...

Got Tony this cool hat for only 3 bucks!
The most beautiful Asian flute sound.... she was great.
Celebratory dance with romance and fight scenes!! 



A most elaborate and lovely shrine. Beautiful...
A great day, a fun time. It doesn't matter how much money you have. Chinatown can be done your way at any time of the year. Hope you enjoyed coming with me to some of the Chinese Year of the Dragon New Year festivities. Until the next adventure..... BIG hugs.

Friday, January 27, 2012

DJing For Vestax, NAMM 2012

Hello friends and fellow music lovers!! I recently had the opportunity to DJ for Vestax at the NAMM Show in Anaheim. This was great for two major reasons, I usually use my turntables, so, I had my first foray into DJing digital style since Vestax had wanted me to utilize their new midi controller, the VCI-400.


The second reason this was so great, was because the NAMM Show is the largest musical convention in the United Staes. Music lovers, producers, musicians, DJs, basically everyone that utilizes equipment come to view the new offerings from all suppliers both large and small. It's a place to not only view equipment, but to hear and see major music players demo products and give talks sharing their tips and tricks. The atmosphere is dizzying!! It's very electric, there are all kinds of sights and sounds. I definitely brought you with me every day and took pictures to share the vibe with you. This "convention" happens twice a year, and the only way to visit is via invitation. So you see, we all just got to go to the most exclusive all encompassing musical convention! Hope you enjoy, the Namm Show:

Get your ticket and I.D. out!!
Celeb sightings:
Rapper / Hip Hop Producer Arabian Prince
DJ Icy Ice www.icyicemusic.com
Hulk Hogan's son, Nick Hogan
Music LEGEND Stevie Wonder www.steviewonder.net
Actor / Comedian T.K. Carter www.tkcarter.com

Musical offerings:

Some of the first "rockers"?? LOL





Do I heart this cordless mic? Yes, I do.
The ability to make beats with this device, the "screen" is an iPAD!! 
One of the many new Monster Headphone styles coming out. Thought these were intergalactic.

These guys are "the man" at NAMM. ;)
How we got down at the Vestax booth:


Tony J. getting his mix on. www.tonyjworld.com

Music Producer Nonagon showcasing Ableton on the VCI-400 www.nonagon.net
Getting interviewed for Stacks TV www.stackstv.net


All the demo stations full...

NAMM Style:


Check her out at www.josielovesjvalentine.com


Check him out at www.conquistador.net

And then, four days later, it was a wrap......



Hope you had fun with me at NAMM!! Wishing you lots of peace, love, and beats..... xo


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Do Good For Others, Do Good For Yourself

Hi friends! Hope things are stellar in your world today. No matter what the state of things, I know of something that can usher good in immediately!! Ready for it? Helping someone else. I know it may seem hard to even think of this if you are very busy, have limited resources, or find yourself not feeling very well. If that is the case for you, I'm sending you a BIG digital hug right now! But I assure you, that I have compiled a list of ways you can do good for someone else no matter what your situation may be. So take a look and see if anything here strikes your fancy...


Play multiple choice crossword games online for charity







Doing good for others can bring immediate feelings of joy and can help to bring the blessings you wish for. For what we give, we also receive. Multiplied abundantly. I hope you liked the offerings listed above. 

Here is one more idea for giving back.... 

In a previous post, I mentioned my love for magazines. Then I got a great idea! A couple months ago while driving I noticed a Dialysis Center. I realized that the people that go there do so regularly and for extended periods of time. So I figured, I could go and drop off my magazines once I'd read them and spice up the experience a bit for people with fun and current things to read. I have been doing this once a month for the past two months and have actually compiled a small stack for January. 


I just pop in with my stack of magazines and put them in the magazine rack in the lobby. The reception is always thankful and it only takes a minute to do. 

Let's go get our give on! Cheers to giving and receiving life's treasures. xo xo xo 

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Year of Firsts Baby!

In my last post I briefly mentioned "Year of Firsts" which is my motto for this year. Instead of having a list of resolutions, I like to come up with a motto for my year and this year, "Year of Firsts" is it. Having a motto is easy and fun because unlike a resolution list, this one line can color your whole year! It can influence the choices you make and the attitude you carry. I have found it to be wonderful and this year is no exception! To illustrate how this has already started working, I'd like to tell you about a BIG first for me and that was DJing The Rose Bowl!!

Just a year ago, on New Year's Day, my motto was to be a yes woman. I had just watched Jim Carrey's "Yes Man" movie and was so inspired by it, I decided I would adopt that philosophy for myself and this allowed me to experience 2010's New Year's Eve without having a single drink. I even went to bed early so that I would wake up early (5:30 am) to go see the Rose Parade live for the 1st time.

And now, just a year later, I found myself DJing in The Rose Bowl for the New Year celebration!! This was a first I was proud to be a part of. Another first was who I was DJing for, some of you may have heard of them ;) , the fine folks at Dell! Naturally, they requested I use a Dell and with my motto in mind, even though I have previously only utilized a Mac to DJ, I absolutely agreed to this first. What ensued was a day of sheer magic.....

I met, spoke with, and took photos with Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen


and NBA Champion, Actor, and Talk Show Host, John Salley.


I received many compliments on my DJing and got to meet a lot of wonderful people. I had fun and enjoyed beautiful surroundings, and then, there were the additional blessings..... After DJing, the wonderful Dell representatives, Lisa and Sarah surprised me by giving me the beautiful brand new 15 inch Dell XPS laptop I had used to DJ! They also surprised me with tickets to the Rose Bowl game. I was humbled, grateful, and amazed. I had expected to return the computer I used, and I had never been to a Rose Bowl game before! Wow, Year of Firsts indeed.

Friends, there is magic all around us. I believe that everything we dream for ourselves is possible. Whether you create a resolution list, a motto, a vision board, or hold a secret wish in your heart, believe in it and do all you can to leave every channel open for your blessings to come. Then stand back and let it happen. Goodness will make it's way to you if you let it. Below are some pictures of my Year of Firsts kick off. I hope you like them. Feel free to tell me what you plan for this year. I'd love to send you good vibes towards it ok? Until the next time, peace, love, and happiness. xo

Early morning, let's go!
Credentials.. :)

The Stealth Bomber signaling the start of the game.

Over 90,000 in attendance!

Tony and I happy to be at our seats :D
A Blue Moon toast to a good game and Year of Firsts!

The Oregon Ducks took it!! Confetti and players covered the field.

The Badger's band rocked it way after the end. What spirit!
YAY! That was fun.