#reverbbroads11 Day 20 -- After the Storm

Today's Reverb Broads prompt could not be more perfect and necessary for me after the day I had yesterday.  Because of some personal (some private and some of which will be blogged about later) issues, yesterday was just a shitty day.  I was on the verge of tears (and succumbed to them more than once) all day long and just in a craptastic frame of mind. 

This morning brought with it not only some much needed sunshine, but also a much better mood and a determination to do the things in my power (because those things are always there) to change the course of my week. 

So without further ado, here's today's prompt:

Life is a work of art, or so they say.  What beauty do you regularly appreciate/revere in your life? from Neha

For me, it's the sky.

I love sunsets, sunrises, beautiful cloud formations, light rays peeking through the clouds after a storm, or even just a perfectly clear, blue sky on a sunny day. 

Every time I see the beauty of the sky, I feel small compared to the magnitude of the sky, the universe, and the God who created it all. 

Small...but not insignificant.

I feel peaceful and grateful that we have such beauty around us at all times if we would just open our eyes and look up from our phones (which, admittedly, I used to snap the next two photos...) for a moment to see it.


A storm brewing.  No editing was done to this photo.



An absolutely magnificent sunset after yesterday's thunderstorms.

Thank you, Neha, for today's prompt.  It further reminded me that some of the most perfect beauty can come after a storm.

I’m taking part in a blogging group called Reverb Broads that will be suggesting daily blogging prompts this December. If you want to join in, feel free! Go here or here to learn more!

Perfectly Marvelous

The news of Natasha Richardson's tragic and unnecessary death had really been on my heart and mind today. What a beautiful and talented woman she was, and one of the few in Hollywood who had a marriage people could look up to. Below is a clip of Natasha as Sally Bowles in the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret.

Rest in peace, Natasha.

Alternate Endings

I know how excited you all get when I blog about "Company," but hey...it's consuming my life right now, so dem's da berries. :)

Last night a bunch of us went out after rehearsal for one of our Group Therapy (read: going out and complaining/worrying/stressing) sessions and we were talking about the different scenes and how the characters relate to one another. We were discussing how the two scenes that sort of bookend Act I are some of our favorites, and probably because they are so extreme in content. The Harry/Sarah scene is hilarious, while the Amy/Paul scene is much more serious and emotional.

Someone mentioned that at one point, Sondheim had written a song called "Multitudes of Amys" to end Act I while still fleshing out the show and how he wanted Bobby to develop. The current song, "Marry Me a Little," is BEAUTIFUL, and our Bobby sings it so freaking well, but of course my curiosity got the best of me this morning, so off to YouTube I went to see what I could find.

I found a clip of John Lloyd Young (of "Jersey Boys" fame) singing "Multitudes of Amys" in a cabaret-style setting.

It is absolutely beautiful, which isn't a big shocker. It's this blogger's opinion that anything Sondheim writes is pure genius.

I still prefer "Marry Me a Little" in context of the show, because I simply prefer the direction that it takes the characters of Paul and Amy. But, I like knowing what might have been. :)

See for yourself!

John Lloyd Young singing "Multitudes of Amys:"


Raúl Esparza singing "Marry Me a Little:"

Pick me, pick me!

I am truly honored!

My wedding photographer, whom I have already mentioned is the best photographer ever (in my opinion anyway, I think mine is the only one that counts, so therefore...), has entered some of her favorite 2008 images into a "Best of 2008 Image Competition" contest by Modern Photographers.

I think ALL of the images she chose to enter are pretty amazing...

She has entered one of MY BRIDAL PORTRAITS into the category of "Bride-Alone." Are you curious as to which one???

This photo was taken behind the lobby doors of the Campus Theatre, which is where Operaboy and I met (oh so many years ago).

Unfortunately I can't ask you all to go and pad the votes for this image, because the winners will be chosen by other photographers...

But, if it wins, I get, to quote Lynn, a "huge stinkin' canvas of it." EXCITING!

Thanks so much, Lynn!! I'm truly honored that you love this picture enough to enter it into a competition!

Etsy!

WHY am I just now discovering the greatness that is Etsy?!

I've just found a MAJOR distraction, and a possible venue to find LOTS of cool stuff for the Operahaus, all while supporting local sellers!

I think I love THIS, if anyone is thinking of any last minute Christmas ideas for me:

Hominahominahomina....

Just found this gem courtesy of PerezHilton and YouTube:



This is a heart-throbbing duet between X-Factor winner Leon Jackson and my future extramarital affair (I kid, I kid) Michael Bublé.

You're welcome. It's Ear Candy AND Eye Candy!!

If Operaboy loves me, he'll take me to see Michael Bublé in concert the next time he's in our area.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Okay I was introduced to THIS greatness over Thanksgiving weekend:



I LOVE Neil Patrick Harris, and I am a little bit in love with him after seeing this short movie (the above is just one of the songs).

I hope to own this DVD in the near future. Love love love.

Completely Gratuitous

Yum.

You're welcome.

I give up.

I want to read the book.

I've seriously been avoiding this craze like the plague, just as I did the Harry Potter craze years and years ago. I'm nothing if not going against what is trendy or popular, so when everyone started into the Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen craze, I backed off and said "No, thanks." I'll catch up later, right?

Well the only thing is, I have some friends, whose opinions and intelligence I greatly respect, who swear by the addictiveness (is that a word) of these books and the entertainment value of them. And now, there's a movie coming out in a few weeks based on Book 1, and as I'm ALWAYS one to read the book first (both because I hate spoilers and because the book is almost always better anyway), I must get my hands on a copy.

So hear I am, less than 2 weeks from the opening of the movie, begging my friends for a copy.

I never wanted it to be this way. Because you see, there is another problem....

It frightens me how easily the dormant screaming 13-year-old girl inside me rears her ugly head about pretty little things such as these:

Yum, right?