merry C H R I S T M A S

Please, have yourself a merry little christmas.

thank you everyone in this video, and out.

recording A G A I N

This just in : WE ARE RECORDING AN ALBUM!

Say what, say what? In early/Mid spring, Me & Mr.Cassidy will be flying to the East Coast to do a few shows and Record a new Full length record with Justin Huey { of Seahorses & Steel Train}. Justin and I grew up together in charlotte N.C. and i am so lucky to have him, his smile, and his talent in my life. Justin Produced and Played the majority of the instruments on my first album, and it trust him with my work 100%. We are so happy to be working with him on this project!

Here is why this CD will be TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM MY FIRST:

1) Scott is a bangin ass guitar player, and I am well, mediocore at best. The melodies and instrumentation on this album is so beyond what I could ever hope to be a part of, and basically, its awesome.He has background in Jazz and Bossanova so you will see hints of that, as well as a few guitar parts still written by me, with my old "plucking" style.

2) It is a duo album. Both of us sing so you will have a much stronger male prescense on the album. My voice as well as a much more retro sound and full tone when singing in this style of music.

3) All of my old songs are personal stories and feeling of mine, this new album follows an imaginary story of two loves throughout their life together.

4) this is much more of a album/project than a compilation of pop tunes.

Keep an eye out for more updates.

Wrapping up 2 0 1 0

As I wrap up 2010, I have so many wonderful things to be grateful for { oh look, i learned how to spell grateful} and so many things to look forward to in 2011. For those of you in a time crunch, I bolded the highlights for ease with skim-reading.

2010 was a huge year for me. For one, i released my debut album : "Hey mom, Look what i can do" . Thank you hugely to Justin Huey, Emily Moore, Tim Cossor, Amanda Smith, Rugby Cafe, Ica Diongzon & the lovely folks at Built By Icon. ... It took a village folks.

I was cast in my first professional musical in years, at the H street Playhouse. "All That Glitters" that fought through the snowpocalypse and dominated a 3 week run. I then did my Senior Capstone shows "20-Life" and "Pms- Fulana" which sold out and ran beautifully. Then, I graduated College { I know right ?} without ever reading a book... { i KNOW right} seems like they give anyone a diploma these days, no but really. College was fun and all.

I decided to be "adventurous" I jumped off a cliff into a river in New Orleans. I traveled to europe for pretty much the first time. Italy. Greece. Croatia. the works, and then I moved to HOLLYWOOD... {cue music , probably Miley cyrus or something}.

I was introduced to the wonderfully talented gent you have all now heard of, the charming dork whom I love, Mr.Scott Cassidy. We created a duo project/band called Me & Mr.Cassidy and have just about finished writing an entire album worth of delightfully romantic songs following the story of two imaginary love birds Annabelle and Theodore. Since October 30th, we have had 7 gigs together and 2 seperate) we will be starting off the new year with a boom, Ica of Ica Images ( who shot all of my solo projects) will be flying out to LA to photograph Scott & I the 2nd week of January! And More wonderfullness to come ....so come to a show if you can! ( and bring a date it's totally cute)

January 2nd - Bloombars, Washington DC 8:00

January 6th - Genghis Cohen, West Hollywood 8:30

January 16th- Jitters, San Diego ( W/Bushwalla) 8:00

February 8th- St.Nicks Pub, Los Angeles 9:30

the first N O E L

the 2nd holiday song in the series from Scott & I, please enjoy.

baby it's cold O U T S I D E

Baby, it's cold outside...

{ the winter date rape song. what is in her drink ?}

from myself and mr. scott cassidy.

H O L I D A Y : show

So , The christmas show went well...

{causing a damned rukus }

We were the youngest folks in the cast and possibly the least mature. We goofed off backstage and joked that we sort of felt like highschoolers again backstage for a christmas concert. What a blast! All of the sketch theatre and music was hilarious.

It was produced by Steve Altman of Saturn & Vine and was held at the Theatre Asylum in Hollywood, it was a very intimate theatre space with stadium seating.

I made dozens of holiday snacks, something about Christmas in LA hasn't quite sat right in my stomach, 70 degrees feels strange as I sit across the room from my fake christmas tree. But I made so many christmas cookies that it began to feel like christmas. Mixed between that and the feeling of family and community amongst the performers was the first time it was felt like the holidays for me.

so thank you for that, guys.

we sang "have yourself a merry little christmas", stay tuned for a youtube version!

F A C T S : about {me}

10 things that maybe you did not know about me before reading this blog post:

+ I watch criminal minds every day. If i wasn't who I am, id like to be in the BAU. Sometimes i solve the crimes before they do! I wish i could catch bad guys.

+I make green tea all day at home, but at starbucks, i order cold black tea. { almost daily }

+my gramaw threw me my 21st birthday party at the red lobster

+i have never read a whole book, but sometimes i wish i was a "reader"

+I wear red lipstick every single day. but before this fall, i had never worn it.

+i majord in musical theatre because i love singing, dancing, and acting, but i hate musical theatre.

+if i could be anywhere in the world it would be greece or kiawah. hands down.

+ my family doesn't think im domestic, but im secretly quite the cook.

+on my first album every song { except 'every single time'} is about a person or time in my life 100% true. On the new album, it is all made up stories.

+I love washington D.C. and i loved living there, but im not registered to vote and I really don't know the difference between republicans and democrats.

P H O T O shoot: {atlantic city}

THIS IS ANOTHER CUT AND PASTE FROM www.icaimages.com {check her out!} you can tell by her words that we are very good friends, I feel it takes a good sense of comfort to get work out a photo session- and i love this gal!

Portraits: Hope Makes Music

My dearest Hope is no stranger to this bloggeroo of mine. You might remember her from this or this post or her song from this post and you can follow her own photography adventures here.

This shoot was extra special because my dearest Hope has since moved out to the city of angels, yup LA. She moved a few days after my big sister's wedding and the only other time I saw her was for this wedding I shot in New Jersey in the Fall where she was a guest. And during that weekend's events we squeezed in a fun little shoot for Hope's musical endeavours.

Hope . Makes. Music .

In just a few months my lovely Hope has taken LA by storm and has teamed up with another talentedmusician thus forming: Me and Mr. Cassidy. Their music is amazing and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Not just because I love Hope, but because I love good music. If you are in the LA area please go out to one of their shows, show them some love, and prepare yourselves to be blown away.

No words can express how much my life's been blessed by my dearest Hope.

Over the years our friendship has become well worn in, like a really good vintage dress or two.

Every time we're together we learn something new from each other, or make something new, or try

something new, or go some where new together ... no two get-togethers have ever been the same.

Our friendship has definitely been the furthest thing from boring, because we thrive off of each other's creative juices, each other's success ...

Even each other's silliness.

I need not tell you how gorgeous she is on the outside ...

But what I must say is that she's just as gorgeous the inside.

I'm sure I've said that a million times, but I mean it.

Where ever the road takes you Hope, I'm there. Always a phone call away, a plane ride away, or a thrift store away. I love you and I'm so proud of you and where this road has taken your music, and your career. There's only up from here love.

Up and down the East Coast,

Or out west with the Pacific sunset ... I'm there for you.

In less than a month I'll be flying out to LA to once again shoot images for Hope, her new band, her talented friends and fellow musicans, and to make even more Ica and Hope {a.k.a "Ice and Ope"} memories. I can hardly wait ... and to my West Coast Family just learning the new .... yes I'm headed your way too. So make some room for me, I wanna play!

******* If you're in the L.A. area / Santa Monica area on Jan 5th - 12th and want some pictures please let me know ASAP. I've a handful of shoots to schedule during my week their but If I can squeeze you in I will. Email me at ica.images@gmail.com *************

I love you Hope. And I can't wait to see you baby girl and make some new west coast memories with you!

Happiest Monday to you all!

A L B U M cover :icaimages

This is literally a direct cut & Paste from Ica's Blog! www.icaimages.com about the process it took to make my first album cover/packaging. { check her out! }

In Print: Hope Makes Music - Part 2

After going through my last post featuring little Miss Hope,

I realize I've forgotten to to blog one very important thing...

Hope's album.

Hope released her album Valentine's Day this year and thinking back on the journey it took to get there, and the separate journeys she and I have been on since, have been quite amazing. Looking back, I feel like Hope's album was a labor of love for the both of us and I'm so blessed to have been part of such a wonderful project.

If you can recall the very first shoot I did with Hope, we'll here's where those photos ended up ...

{Left. Front Cover, Right. Back Cover (Back Cover image by the incredible Douglas Sonders}}

For the first time in a few years I was asked to put my graphic design education into good use for someone other than myself. Hope not only asked me to shoot the images for her album, but she also asked me to design her actual cd from cover to cover.

It was a long, but fun filled process that turned out {what I believe} to be beautiful. Not forgetting the beautiful music packaged inside. I wanted to make sure all of Hope's hard work and pretty tunes were displayed in packaging as lovely, and sweet as her music. Together, I think Hope and I make a pretty good team.

This album was released almost a year ago, and since then I've seen and heard Hope's music and sound grow so much and I know that this is the first of many wonderful cd for Hope ... and it just gets better from here. Stick around ... Hope's going to be big, I just know it.

Buy Hope's album HERE.

a new G U I T A R

2 1/2 years ago, I bought my first guitar. It is an exotic wood Acoustic/Electric by laguna. if you were to " rank " this guitar, it would be considered a middle guitar. It isn't quite a cheap beginer but John Mayer is certainly not itching to borrow it from me anytime soon. I wanted to put in a decent amount of money and pratice on a good guitar, but I didn't go all out incase I totally sucked and or gave up or both....

Well, I didn't give up & I've gotten much better over the last year and a half. It took me a while to get started on it after i bought it, partly out of intimidation (partly because i refused to stop having girly long nails that were manicured every other week. )...lame, i know.

lately, I've been wanting to get a new guitar, although i love mine, and she is very pretty, i'm ready for something even-more-better. Especially because my laguna has been having some issues. My saddle was oversized and causing extra string tension which then caused my bridge to crack ( OUCH!) - it sucked getting that fixed. Luckily the guys at Sam Ash here in LA took good care of me and my guitar.

The other day i strolled into Guitar Center. Totally unplanned. Anyone who knows me knows that i go shopping on Fridays. The twins I nanny are in their learning center for 2 hours and I just have all the time in the world to wander around the Redondo beach area... so I shop. Usually just thrift shops, etc. and hey, it's payday! but yesterday, I made the mistake of wandering into a shop where everything costs a few hundred dollars....

I've been debating what kind of guitar to get next. I've considered trying out Electric, but the songs I have are of a much warmer sound than that. And lord knows i dont play lead. Ive thought about a traveling guitar, a martin, an old school Gibson, even a kids sized....

I went into the acoustic room and picked up a kids sized Martin which is what i thought i would want. didn't love it. I picked up a Taylor GsMini 3/4 and BOY DID I FALL IN LOVE. it has the WARMEST most resonant sound! When i strum the sound carries for 15 seconds. Its unreal. So welcome to the family... TAYLOR.

all of my babies.

the new GS

already hope-i-fied.

making P E A C E

So my good buddies the makepeace brothers are so close to me now it's lovely. When i moved to Marina del Rey - they became neighbors rather than friends across the country!

Same with the LOVELY Miss.Jessie Payo. Both of these peoples are amazing singers and are in the little round of mraz-feedingthesoul-making the world a better place type people. They had an event last week at Aviatior Nation on Abbot Kinney in Santa Monica. ( It is a swanky little place where people pay $100's for recycled sweatshirts in vibrant colors. I'm saving up.....)

Aside from it being a fantastical retail location it has a gorgeous and romantic little spot out back with a stage and yes my favoritte- christmas lights. It was lovely dancing with friends, and of course the MakePeace brothers mom Emily was in town, which is always a joy! makes me excited for the day when my parents make it out here to see me play a show!

Anywho, MPB is pretty well known for group sing alongs and collaborations live - and they asked my lucky little self to get onstage alongside them, jon marron, the livingstons, and Jessie Payo for a little rendition of their song " Thank you" with a gospel flair. I will be sure to post the video once mr.chelko posts it!

lovely nights in LA.

Another night in H O L L Y W O O D

This week ( on Thursday) Me and Mr.Cassidy hit the town for another night of acoustic delight. We played during an artist showcase at Genghis Cohen in West Hollywood.

Tuning up Backstage

I had heard mixed things about this venue. Although, mainly wonderful things. A range of people in my LA life had been to the venue before and complimented the atmosphere and the food.

----> awesome side note: genghis cohen is a chinese restauraunt and you can order food into the music room. sesame seed chicken and live music? super sweet.

The only down fall i had heard was from another artist who just said he felt a lot of pressure from the promoters there. to be honest though its sad as an artist when you realize that venues need you for business just as much as you need there space, so when your draw or pull ( the amount of people who come to see you) isn't what they need - you aren't good for business. Grrr I hate the business side of things.

End Result, it is hard to get people to come out, especially on a week night, etc. but the people from Shout It Out Promotions were incredibly nice and accomidating to Scott and I.

We played 4th on a list of 5 and were lucky that so many people stuck around to see is, it was just about packed. In front of the stage are rows of church-like-pews with little tables attatched for your chinese food, obvi.

Our set went pretty well, I opened with a cover of Janis Joplin's Me and My Bobby Mcgee. I usually screw this song up. The song progresses up so the chords are not repetative, and I get really into it ( because come on it's janis joplin)... anyways i didn't mess up! for the first time ever! ( go me!)

We premiered some of our new songs that are part of the "story album" and explained a little of the concept so people could follow along which was great fun! We were able to get some more feedback on that.

Some of our new friends from St.Nicks Naked Angels came out too! so thanks for that ya'll! <3

if you missed it- SORRY! we are going on again there Dec.9th at 8:00 p.m. $10 at the door 8$ in advance, and a few more slots in january/february.

hope playing C A R D S ?

so, i got this little picture in my inbox today. and that it was just the coolest thing ever. ica, who does all of my photography as you've heard me say a million times just had new business cards made, there is a whole variety and GUESS WHOSE FACE IS ON SOME OF EM! thats right! mine! like little hope playing cards! or little ica playing cards however you look at it!

oh love. love . love. so exciting.

in other news, Scott and I are playing at Genghis Cohen this Thursday in Los Angeles, California ( West Hollywood) at 9:00 so be there, k?

a new O R I G I N A L song

I forget that not everyone is as dedicated to You tube as I .

So i figured i would re post this here: This is an original song of mine called " Never saw it comin" to be honest, this is not a very solid version of it, but i was very anxious to post it and my little sister has been begging me to, and who can say no to this face?

Also the timing in the video is off, haha whoops.

First week of Shows in H O L L Y W O O D

Oh, H o l l y w o o d . The land of dreams.

When I came to california, I can't honestly say I had a "plan" . I knew I was in the right place, and I knew I had a great circle of friends, but I suppose it is like anything else new you do in life, you sort of just close your eyes and jump, and hope that you end up in the right place... and I did.

Very soon after unpacking my boxes, My friend Jessie Payo gave my name to the board of the Hear NoHo festival, for the november 4th date. There it was my first Hollywood gig... crazy.

But even before that, I was also introduced to Scott Cassidy. He had booked a show October 30th at the Room 5 Lounge, and asked me to come on board. We started practicing on the weekends and even began writing together.

I was also asked last minute to play at St.Nicks Pub. Which is an amazing Writers Workshop here in LA. It was started by the Naked Angels in 1986 in NYC and has locations all over the globe. An audience of 80-100 people cram into a theatre space above a bar and listen to cold readings of a few scripts and half way through a singer songwiter of the night tries out new material to spice things up!

So let's start with Show 1: Room 5 Lounge. (Oct.30th)

Well, first of all, it was Halloween Saturday so that alone made it fabulous. I suppose it's a good thing we didn't do any sad songs because everytime i looked up from the stage I saw a drunk marilyn Monroe, a Reno 911 cop, and the bartender dressed in S&M handcuffs.

It felt good to be on stage with Scott. I am not the best guitarist and i feel like we compliment each other beautifully. I am finally singing the type of music that I not only want to sing, but also, that i would love to listen to myself and that has always been a goal of mine. It was a great first show, as good as it could have gone I imagine.

And then there was Show 2: St.Nicks. (nov. 2nd)

What i love about this spot is that everyone there is an actor, or a writer, a director, a musician, etc. so they really care about the material. Scott and I suited in a retro look ( him in a bow tie and chucks, me in a vintage country dress) shared with them some of the new songs we've been working on. Afterwards, there is a cocktail hour, and the feedback was so wonderful. Not just because it was positive ( although it felt great to know we were on the right track) but because it was specific.

And the final show of the week: Hear NoHo Festival (Nov.4th)

There are countless things I could say about how wonderful Hear NoHo is. First of all, they have PR down to a T! Fliers and radio annoucements, even driving into North Hollywood a giant banner spanned the street announcing the music. Secondly, everyone who is involved does it for the love of music and art. and they are some of the kindest people I have ever met. And finally, everyone who I shared the stage with that night were so remarkably talented. Jessie Payo and Parker Ainsworth and Scott Cassidy are gems, so if you are still reading this blog, take a break ( its a long one) and check them out... This was Scott and I's longest set together. It was so beautiful to look out and see friends of ours watching. And again, o getting feedback from other artists that I love and trust means the world to me.

So that's it. That's what I ( we) have been doing. and its been going so well- I appreciate all of the support from the East Coast, and of course, every new person I meet on the West Coast.

Also Check us out November 18th or December 9th at Genghis Cohen!

My summer...

PhotoShoot with Ica Images

I have said it once if I've said it a million times on this blog, i am so lucky to have such talented friends.

I have had so much help in producing my album, maintaining my internet prescense, and live shows, because I am surrounded by such amazing friends.

one of those friends, who has been so magical and helpful along the way is ica. of ica images.

This past weekend, I was at Bailey's wedding in Atlantic City, where Ica was the wedding photographer ( after Bailey had seen ica's work on my album cover).... and i got very lucky.

we had a free afternoon... and ica had her camera equipment..... and one thing led to another wonderful thing.

we stumbled into Salvation Army, found this vintage dress for $3.... found a grass field and BAM. Zoolander time.

The suitcase as well.... Salvation Army. We love you AC thrifting.

What do you all think?