Beyoncé - Halo

This song is dedicated to my Husband... I never thought I would find someone as wonderful and special as him... but I think GOD everyday for bringing him into my life... and even more for allowing me to see what I had standing in front of me :) I love you baby

Black Eyed Peas - Imma Be

no matter what the haters think/say...

OVER 2 MONTHS?!

Wow... time flies! I couldn't believe it myself when I looked to see when my last entry was... but it really has been over 2 months! I know, I know... BAD blogger... :( Sorry! But I guess this means it's time for a major update... hold on to your hats, cause here we go!

Ok, so the Voices for Haiti Benefit Concert went SUPER well!!! We made a lot of money, and had a pretty big turnout. We packed the Coral Gables Congregational Church, and of course, for a good cause :)

We have been staying in my In-Law's home for a little over 2 months now due to some stuff that needs to be fixed in our home... And I know what man of you are thinking... but It actually hasn't been too bad at all :) Granted, nothing compares to having your own space, but I have had a chance to see our Nephew practically on a daily basis which is great (he is just the most adorable baby in the world, and I have enjoyed spending time with him), and we still have a pretty good amount of privacy. The downside was the fact that we had to come over with our 2 dogs, one of which had to go to my Mom's after she went in heat in a house full of boy dogs. That definitely wasn't going to work. The other was not even 4 months old when we came over, so that has been a bit of a challenge. She is now 6 months old, and graduating from Puppy School at Petsmart (Graduation is May 3rd). She is doing a lot better and is learning more and more every day!

My best friend (who was my Maid of Honor) got engaged! She was in NYC with her BF for Spring Break, and he proposed in Time Square using the big American Eagle Screen... Nice job ;) They are setting a date for Summer 2012. I am so happy for her :)

Going to Disney on Memorial Weekend for my 28th Birthday with the Hubby. His Business Partner and Family are coming too :) I am sooooo looking forward to it :) Can't wait!

Let's see... what else??? Hm... I don't know what else to say for now... so I guess I'll just leave you with this song I've been listening to from the Musical "Wicked" which I went to see ;) It was FANTASTIC!!! I highly recommend it ;)

Voices for Haiti: A Benefit Concert

In case you, or someone you know, is still looking for a way to contribute towards the reliefs for Haiti, here is an idea... why don't you spend the afternoon listening to beautiful music, while you make a difference? Local South Florida Talent UNITE to bring together "Voices for Haiti: A Benefit Concert". Please review the attached Flyer for more info :)

When? 2.21.10

What time? 4pm

Where? Coral Gables Congretational Church (Directly across from the Biltmore).

How much? $15 per person, $25 per couple/family, $10 for seniors/students (with proper I.D.)

"Married Life" Sequence from "Up"

This is what I was talking about... total tear-jerker (and I mean EVERY time)...

The Mother of the Bride

Read this on a Message Board I frequent, and wanted to share... this is a super cute story! Enjoy, and...





Happy Blogging :)





"The perfect dress"
Jennifer's wedding day was fast approaching. Nothing could dampen her excitement - not even her parent's nasty divorce.Her mother had found the PERFECT dress to wear, and would be the best-dressed mother-of-the-bride ever!



A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father's new, young wife had bought the exact same dress as her mother!Jennifer asked her father's new young wife to exchange it, but she refused.. ''Absolutely not! I look like a million bucks in this dress, and I'm wearing it,'' she replied.



Jennifer told her mother who graciously said, ''Never mind sweetheart. I'll get another dress. After all, it's your special day.''A few days later, they went shopping, and did find another gorgeous dress for her mother.



When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, ''Aren't you going to return the other dress? You really don't have another occasion where you could wear it."Her mother just smiled and replied, ''Of course I do, dear.....I'm wearing it to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.''

Up!

We returned home last night, from dinner, around 11pm or so, and decided to buy an OnDemand movie... I had been dying to watch UP for a while now, and Mr. R agreed, so we bought it in HD. It was fantastic! I really, REALLY, loved it... Once again, Disney/Pixar hits it out of the park, in my opinion.

The movie is about an Old Man, Mr. Carl Fredricksen, who during the later years of his life, after living a very long and fulfilling life alongside his childhood sweetheart, Ellie, finds himself alone, and relatively miserable. His home where they shared many of their most lasting memories has been surrounded by high-rise buildings, and the big bad Construction company is trying, in anyway possible, to get his land as well. After an unfortunate accident, Mr. Fredricksen is left with no other choice than to leave his home... but does he? From that moment on, it's nothing but an adventure for him, alongside some unlikely companions.

But that is not what really got me going... the movie begins with Carl, and his interest in a well-known explorer named Charles F. Muntz. Carl LOVES anything "Explorer" and happens upon Ellie, who coincidentially shares the same interests. She tells him about her major plans, and their friendship blossoms into a lifelong romance. Pixar does an excellent job highlighting both the good, and the not so good times throughout their lives together, such as their wedding day, the remodeling of their home, when they decide to have a baby, sitting sadly in the Doctor's Office, realizing that it will not be possible, etc. Watching the movie with my Husband, I couldn't help but cry... it was so sad, and we were not even half way through! Mr. R turned to me to comment on how sad the movie was, and I was bawling... He giggled, and hugged me.

If you haven't had the pleasure of watching this movie for yourself, I URGE you to check it out... it is really a nice movie, even if it is sad, and definitely worth every penny of the rental fee.

Happy Blogging! :)

A year ago today...

A year ago today, we were ending the most Beautiful Day of our lives, up to this point...A year ago today, we were dancing the night away, under the stars at the beautiful Spanish Monastery, at our Beautiful Wedding Reception, surrounded by all the people that mean the most to us, who were there to wish us well...
A year ago today, I was able to spend the day with my Mom, Grandparents and closest friends, getting dolled up, and preparing to marry the man of my dreams...
A year ago today, I was picked up in a shiny vintage car, and driven to the Cathedral, where I would wed my one true love...
A year ago today, I put on a beautiful gown, completed the look with a rhinestone trimmed veil, and met my soulmate at the altar...
A year ago today, we kissed, and walked down the aisle, hand in hand, as everyone watched, and smiled...
A year ago today, we danced under the stars, as if we were the only two people in the world...
A year ago today, my life would never be the same again...
A year ago today, I became HIS...

Happy Blogging :)

My Career Track...

I have been incredibly busy with rehearsals, lessons, auditions, etc... but I wanted to come by and give a brief update of what has been going on. Aside from the Bit-Role I had in FGO's Production of Suor Angelica, I have not had the pleasure of being offered any programs or roles... Everything I have auditioned for lately has been returned with a "No" (Santa Fe, Crested Butte, Chicago Lyric, FGO, MET Council Auditions, Sarasota, and I think there's one I'm forgetting... oh well), but some with encouragement and good feedback :) So, at this point, I am going to press on! There is nothing else to do, right now... I have worked very hard to be where I am today... and I feel like I am so close... so close I can fly :) I know that before long, I too will DEFY GRAVITY!

...Quote...

Even though I have been terribly busy, and haven't had an opportunity to post a full-blown update, I wanted to share a quote from a status update I just read, provided by my friend Ana M. :)

"The way i see it is people are going to hate you, love you, love to hate you, and hate to love you- but the ones that mean the most will always be there- and the ones that are supposed to be in your life- will always find a way back in."

Happy Blogging :)

Happy Holidays!!!!!

Hello, everyone! I wanted to swing by and post a quick update to say hello... I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Happy Kwanzaa!!!!

Things have been a bit busy, of course, with shopping, and parties, and get togethers... so of course I haven't had much time to come around... but this is a pretty exciting time, so I thought I would, for at least a little bit...


So Mr. R and I celebrated our 1st Christmas as Husband and Wife, and I have to say we really enjoyed ourselves. It started a bit early, on the 23rd, when we welcomed a new member to our family, 8-week old Miniature Pinscher, Coco Chanel Ruiz.

Big Sister, Madison, wasn't too happy about the new addition at first... but little by little she is warming up to her :) I am sure it is hard since she's been our one and only for so long, but they are beginning to play a little more every day, which is a good sign :)

The 24th was spent surrounded by family partying it up at my Mom's house. My Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law swung by our house to see our Home and our Tree, decorated very festively, and then we all made it over to my Mom's house. My Great-Uncle roasted a pig in "La Caja China", we had white rice, black beans, yuka, avocados, and plenty of liquor! We all had a GREAT time! I was so happy to see our 2 families hanging out, and chatting, and just enjoying the time we spent there. We ended the night gathering in the living room and playing some Beatle's Rockband... definitely a fun night :)

The following day, we started off opening our gifts :) Mr. R got a new 5th Generation iPod Nano, some shirts from Express and a bunch of socks. I got a new Coach purse :) I LOVE IT! I have the best Hubby ever! I was definitely a happy Mrs. that day.

When we were done, we got ready, packed up the dogs and the gifts, and headed over to his Mom's house. His Mom planned a brunch beginning at Noon, making it easy for family members to swing by whenever they could. We exchanged gifts, and spent some time with them there, before heading off to our next stop, which was to go see Mr. R's Business Partner at his In-Law's house.

They gave us a really cool gift, a Popcorn Machine, a bottle of wine a T-Shirt from the movie, "The Hangover" for the hubby. Mr. R played dominos, while I chatted with the girls... I gave he doggies some time to run around in the large backyard, and play with the kids :) It was really nice spending time over there as well...

By the time we left, it was time to run home and feed the puppy, since she's still so tiny, and is on a specific feeding schedule... so we went home, fed the dogs, packed up the rest of the gifts, and swung by my Dad's house. We couldn't stay there long, because we still had one more stop for the day, which was my Mom's house... we ate leftovers, played Rockband, and exchanged gifts... it was a nice end to a pretty nice day. :) I definitely can't complain... Mr. R and I are lucky to have such wonderful parents :)

This was definitely an awesome Christmas... this time last year, we were finishing up with the planning of our Wedding, and we didn't really put too much effort into the Holidays... so this time, things were different... And honestly, after reaching our 11 month mark on Christmas Eve, we can hardly believe that in less than a month, we'll be celebrating our 1st Wedding Anniversary :)

Happy Blogging! ;)

My first time in NOLA

This past Friday, December 11th, was my Mom's Birthday :) She wanted to do something fun this weekend, and decided that a road-trip to New Orleans, LA would be the best fit... and yes, you heard right... ROAD TRIP! My Grandparents, Hubby and I agreed to go along on the adventure with her... and boy, was it an Adventure!

On Thursday afternoon, we hopped in the Van my Mother had rented, and started on the 13 hour drive. Many stops later, we finally made it to Madison County around Midnight, and decided to stop and rest for the night, after a little over 6 hours of driving. We stopped at a Days Inn, and checked in for the night...

The next morning, we went to the Denny's next door for our free breakfast (included with our stay), and then headed off to NOLA... around 3:30-ish, we FINALLY arrived... this, of course, after many stops, etc...

Unfortunately, when we arrived on Friday, we found crappy weather, to say the least. It was cool, in the 50s or so, and rainy, which is not a good combination. After our LONG commute, we were kind of tired, so we decided to rest up a bit, and have some Dinner. My voice teacher recommended this place in the French Quarter called "Gumbo Shop", so we thought we'd check it out... it was DELICIOUS!!! The food was absolutely fantastic, to say the least... Everything that each of us had was wonderful. Of course, after sharing a cup of Gumbo with the Hubs, I had some Crawfish with pasta. Mr. R had some Crawfish Etouffee, my Mom had some Jambalaya, my Grandfather had Red Beans and Rice (a creole FAVORITE) and my Grandmother had Catfish Florentine. It was definitely a great place to visit!

The following day, Saturday, it was raining a lot, and we were stuck in the hotel. We decided to book a tour that would pick us up in the Hotel, which was better for my Grandmother since she cannot walk far enough to catch the Gray Line, and less in the rain. After booking the tour, we decided to kill a little time before we got picked up by heading over to Canal Place - It's kind of like a mini version of Bal Harbor or Merrick Park, with nice stores, and it is connected to a really nice hotel with a glass elevator, and a nice view of the river, and French Quarter.

We returned to the Hotel, and got ready for our Tour. It was in a smaller bus, so it took us all over the place! We really got to see New Orleans, despite the circumstances, with the rain and all. We even got a chance to stop for a snack mid-way. Mr. R wanted to try "alligator sausage". It was delicious!

We drove through the Garden District, which is gorgeous, and through the areas devasted by Hurricane Katrina. It's a shame to hear about how the walls that were meant to keep back the storm surge where not properly reinforced, but it's good to know that they are continuing to work towards strengthening the city's defenses against this type of natural disaster for the future.

After the Tour, we had some Wings, Crawfish Pies and Pizza at the Hotel, and called it a night. It was raining so bad that parts of New Orleans were flooded! There was a flash flood advisory in place until 1 in the morning, so that was it for that day...

Sunday came, and it was time to start making our way back home... but not until we swung by Cafe du Monde and picked up some Beignets and Coffee/Hot Chocolate. Those things were DELICIOUS!!! The rumors are true... and boy, was that place packed!!!!! I bought a few Voodoo Dolls at the New Orleans Doll Company, and we headed home, through lots of fog which seemed to follow us all the way through Northern and even Central Florida... I had never seen so much fog before... it was very eerie.

We spent the night in Kissimmee, ate breakfast on Monday morning at Cracker Barrel, and started on our final stretch home...

It was a long trip, but in the end, we had a good time... and finally, I had a small taste of New Orleans... I will SURELY be back soon :)

Happy Blogging! :)

::Bad Blogger!::

Ok, so after another period of me being MIA... here I am, once again :)

It's been a crazy month, to say the least, what with the Holidays coming around, finishing up the Opera, and my other NYC audition... But, I am back to tell you about all of it, and update you a bit :)

So, I did not get into the Santa Fe Young Artist Summer Program (the one I went to NYC with the hubby to Audition for). I kinda had a feeling too... they weren't too into what I was doing, overall, and I definitely sensed it... so as they say, I'm "moving right along..."

We ended our running of Pagliacci/Suor Angelica swimingly... it went fantastically, and I was so proud to be part of such a stellar production! Everyone did such a wonderful job. Tonight, we begin work on our next production, which opens January 23rd - the day before our 1 year Anniversary - Lucia di Lammermoor. I am partial to this Opera, especiallly since I am studying the role of Lucia. In my opinion, it has some beautiful tunes, and is the epitame of Bel Canto style... but I digress. :) I am happy to get back to work after a few days off... since we closed Pagliacci on the 5th, I've had a little break... but it's time to get back to work :)

My 2nd trip to NYC on the 6th was nothing short of a whirlwind! Since I had the final performance of Pag/Suor, I didn't have the luxury of flying up the day before (my audition was on the 6th - the next day), so I flew up that morning, with a 7 AM flight, landed in JFK at about 10 in the morning, and had an audition at 2:40. Did I mention that my flight back was scheduled for the same day at 5:15 PM? Yea. Now you understand what I meant by whirlwind. Fly up, sing, fly back. Fun. Being that I was going to be so flustered, I decided to schedule some time in a practice room a bit before my audition... I called up Shetler studios and booked a room from 1 - 2PM, right next door to my audition. I took my time, sang through my rep, warmed-up, changed into my audition attire, did my makeup, and headed over to the audition. I actually believe that I sang very well. Contrary to my Santa Fe audition, the people I sang for (Crested Butte Music Festival) seemed to really enjoy my Audition, so here's hoping! If I am chosen, it means I'll be spending a Month (July 1st - August 5th) in Crested Butte, Colorado. Here's a little more information about the program:

http://crestedbuttemusicfestival.com/

So, now we wait, and prepare for my next audition... January 3rd at 1:15pm with Florida Grand Opera for their Young Artist Program. I already sing for their Chorus, but am hoping that I get a shot to fill a Young Artist slot for next year as their Lyric Soprano :) They haven't had many local singers make it in, in the past, so we shall see how that goes. One thing is for sure, I'm really hopeful :) Here is some info on that program, as well:

http://www.fgo.org/young-artists/


After that, I have an Audition for Opera North taking place on February 15th in Sarasota. The Haitian Diva ( www.thehaitiandiva.blogspot.com ) and I were both granted Auditions with them, and will be heading up there the day before, on the 14th. I am looking forward to it! This is another wonderful company to sing for, and I can't wait :) Here is a link to their website:

http://www.operanorth.org/

So, other than my news on current happenings in my Opera World, things have been going well... it's the Holiday Season, once again, and I couldn't be happier. I love this time of year more and more as the years go by... and more so because I have truly begun learning about treasuring all these special moments :) Instead of wanting to rush these days by, wanting it to be Christmas Day, I am taking my time each day, enjoying the season and the spirit of the Holidays. I am DVRing all the Christmas Movies I can, sipping Egg Nog as I watch them sitting on the couch with Mr. R and our Pooch (Madison), admiring our Christmas Tree and Decorations. I love this time of year! And every chance I get to spend time with Family... I take it! After all, that's what this time is about... sure, the presents and all that other stuff are great... but the biggest present ever is the present, as in the present moment!

This Holiday Season is extra special for me, because it's the first one in which my Husband and I spend it together as a Married Couple. I am so blessed to have someone like him by my side. He is a wonderful person, with a wonderful family. I am so lucky! :) And exactly one month from Christmas Eve we will be Celebrating our 1st Wedding Anniversary! I honestly can't believe it's been almost a year, already... no one can! The time really has flown this year...

Well, time to go catch up on my Blog Reads!

Happy Blogging :)

I want to be a Prima Donna, Donna, Donna...

Well, someday, anyway :)

Since I have been such a bad blogger lately, I don't remember if I even wrote about getting the role of the "First Lay Sister (Una Conversa)" in Florida Grand Opera's 69th Season production of Puccini's Suor Angelica. Sure, it's not a huge role... but it's definitely a start, and I am VERY greatful for the opportunity :) God is blessing me!

After a few weeks of many rehearsals, we finally opened on Saturday, November 14th. When I arrived at my dressing area, I found this small token from Bob Heuer, the General Director of the Company...Needless to say, it made my day :) It was a great Opening Night, in my opinion... but I didn't have much time to celebrate because the next morning, bright and early, Mr. R and I were headed to NYC for an audition... I had been granted an Audition with Santa Fe Opera's Summer Program, and it was taking place on Monday, the 16th.

That night, we didn't even get a wink of sleep... especially after having electrical problems at our house, which delayed our packing... but still, we finished up all of our packing, got dressed and headed to the airport at around 3:45 in the morning... I was so lucky to have the Hubs come along with me, and we definitely took advantage and turned the trip into a little mini-vacation...

We stayed with a friend of mine named Raymond, who lives in Brooklyn with his Girlfriend Liz. We went to lunch at Brooklyn Flipsters, which is a delicious Diner, and had a burger and some wings... Then, they took us to this famous bakery, Cake Man Raven, home of the "The Harlem Cake Man" and his Souther Red-Velvet Cake... walking into the bakery, this is what we saw...

An OCEAN of Red-Velvet CAKE!!! And not only did it look good... it tasted AWESOME!! Just check out our faces....

Afterwards, we were literally running on fumes, and definitely needed a nap... so we headed back to the apartment, and rested a bit... we also stayed in the rest of the night, since the next day would start early for me, with warm-ups, hair, makeup, etc... so we ordered some awesome Sushi from "Ten". Actually, we ended up ordering take-out from 3 different places... Ten, another Asian place, and a Peruvian place... Gotta love New York. :)

After my audition, we headed over the Shetler Studios to hear Raymond's lesson, and grab some lunch... but on the way in the taxi, I was able to snap a photo of Central Park, with it's beautiful changing leaves :) Definitely one of the most beautiful times of year in NYC!

While at Shetler Studios, after Raymond's lesson, deciding where to have lunch... a big bald guy walks by us with 2 girls... one of them turned out to be Ashley Simpson, who was there to rehearse for her upcoming debut in the Broadway Musical "Chicago".

We decided on this Pizza Place called "John's Pizzeria"... but don't let the name fool you, it is nothing like the regular NYC Pizzerias you've been to or heard of... this place doesn't sell by the slice, but their pizza's are AWESOME!!! If you are from Miami and have ever had Andiamo Pizza (on Biscayne, next to Soyka), it's very similar... it was awesome! And their sicilian wings were great too :)

Even though we had planned to visit NYC during Valentine's Weekend for our Anniversary, and see Avenue Q then... we couldn't resist the temptation to see it while we were there... especially since it looks like we may have to reschedule our trip, due to an audition I have scheduled for the 15th of February in Sarasota... So we visited the TKTS booth in Time Square and purchased our tickets 40% off for that evening to see the show...

We sat in the theater, at New World Stages, in our 4th Row Seats and waited for the show to begin...

I honestly have to say that the show was FANTASTIC!!! We loved every minute of it, and I am so glad we went to see it. We especially liked these characters I didn't know about called the "Bad Idea Bears". If you ever have a chance to see this show... DEFINITELY check it out :) But remember, don't bring your little brother/sister, cousins, nephews/nieces, etc... It's an Adult Oriented Show, with Full Puppet Nudity ;)

And as if all of this was enough... it looks like I'll be back in NYC on Sunday the 6th thru the 7th for another audition with Crested Butte's Music Festival... I can't wait!!!

Happy Blogging!

I know... I'm such a bad blogger :( But I have a CUPCAKE update :)

I can explain why I have been MIA for so long... things have been a major whirlwind for me lately... but I plan on doing my best to update you on everything that has been going on lately :)

I have definitely been busy baking up a storm in my Lil' Kitchen... and I have a few photos of my creations, starting with the Halloween Cupcakes that were commissioned by Janet, my Mom's friend, and my Un-Official Wedding Planner :) She wanted cupcakes for her Class (she is a 4th Grade Teacher) for their Halloween Celebration on October 28th. Since I was using the Duncan Hine's Boxes for the Batter, I let her know that each box only makes 24, and she needed about 28... so I asked her if there was anyone else she wanted to share with to that I can make 2 boxes instead of one, so there would be enough for her class and another class. Well, 2 boxes turned into 3, and I found myself making 68 cupcakes (yes, I know 3 boxes would've made more, but the chocolate ones made less that 24 since I poured more in each cup)!

I wanted to make something relatively easy and cute... I thought of spiderwebs, and then my Mother suggested spider rings as the actual spiders. This is what I ended up with...

And this is what one box of them looks like, with green and orange frosting too :)

I can safely say that after piping 68 spider webs on these cup-cakes, my hand was killing me!!!!

Apparently, regardless of the pains in my hand, the next day I was inspired to try out a recipe for Buttercream from Scratch...

It turned out AWESOME!!! Definitely had that home-made taste, and was smooth and even... so of course, I just had to make some cupcakes to go with it... and what a better time to try out my new mini's pan from Crate & Barrel than with some Orange cupcakes from scratch :)

They were a hit at rehearsal :) The ladies of Suor Angelica loved them!!!!

Since then, I have also tried out a Pumpkin Cupcake recipe with the same Buttercream frosting which was also a hit :) Sorry no photos of that one, but I will try to take some of the next batch I make... I would like to make some for Thanksgiving :)

Next up, a few more updates...

Happy Blogging!