WHO IS YOUR PICK, FOR THE TOP NINE
AMERICAN IDOL!

Gwen Stefani was the Mentor – I’m not really sure that she could be classified as such, but that’s this woman’s opinion….

Lakisha sang “Last Dance” – She has such great vocals and with this selection last night, the definite moves to go along with it. She strutted her stuff to the max and did Donna Summer proud.

Chris Sligh sang “Everything She Does Is Magic” – The upbeat parts of this song were much better orchestrated than the rest of the song. Chris was off tempo with the Orchestra and somehow he just has been slipping….as though he’s not giving 100%. Time will tell.

Gina – Our resident rocker showed her softer side with her version of “Ill Stand By You.” Gina sings with such passion and conviction. Excellent vocal range and performance.

Sanjiya – What the heck was he trying to accomplish last night and what type of competition does he think this is? In the beginning, I said okay….he has his fan base and it will end soon and it was comical, in a sense. What he did last night, he could not have considered a serious and wise move…If he was serious, then I would be even more concerned. .What was his “hair style”????? Mohawk over the edge or what?????, I can’t remember the song he sang, but I definitely remember the outlandish hair……and this is a “what?” competition???? Lol I have no clue what direction he’s headed in, who his hairdresser is(he/she) should be banned from this Earth) for going along with him…..and why he is still on stage, when he clearly does not have the vocal ability even close to the other contestants. Last night I felt he made a mockery of the show and himself. I agreed with Simon when he stated….Sanjya, you’re in your own universe and it doesn’t really matter what I say anymore. If people like you, then good luck!. After last night….I would classify him as American Idol’s joke! Sanjiya…take the hint.

Haley sang “True Colors” – Her tone is “pitch perfect”, but though she sang the song beautifully, it was not as memorable as last week’s performance, She played it way too safe….It was just okay for me.

Phil sang “Every Breath You Take” – He’s a smooth Singer with great vocal ability. He showed his strength, as well as sensitivity in this performance….Very, very nice! I just wonder if he has a strong enough fan base to get him through.

Melinda sang “Heaven Knows” and Melinda could sing anything as far as I’m concerned and still get it right on the money! She’s just a natural, that is meant to be on stage….She shines and is still my #1 choice for American Idol!

Blake sang “I Will Always Love You” – I love his singing style, though his song choice wasn't my favorite…..
As Simon stated……With his charisma(and he does have that!) and cool style….”Ditto Simon…lol”, He’s the strongest of the Guys…..

Jordan sang “Hey Baby” – Jordan showed a different side of her, with a performance loaded with “spunk”, She's cute and sparkles on stage and there’s no doubt that she’s an amazing performer. Randy stated that she’s going to be a great recording artist. Jordan is my #2 favorite…

Chris sang “Don’t Speak” – He gave a smooth, soulful performance…Not the best I’ve heard him sing…..but good none the less. I wish he would lose some of the nasal quality that comes through

You are Milk Chocolate

A total dreamer, you spend most of your time with your head in the clouds. You often think of the future, and you are always working toward your ideal life. Also nostelgic, you rarely forget a meaningful moment... even those from long ago.

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

PROUD TO BE A BOSTONIAN

For those of you who have never been to "Bawstin", this is a good guideline. I hope you will consider coming to "Beantown" in the near future. For those who call New England home, this is just plain great!
Information on Boston and the surrounding area:

There's no school on School Street, no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square, no water on Water Street. Back Bay streets are in alphabetical "oddah": Arlington, Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, etc. So are South Boston streets: A, B, C, D, etc. If the streets are named after trees (e.g. Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you're on Beacon Hill. If they're named after poets, you're in Wellesley.
Massachusetts Ave is Mass Ave;

Commonwealth Ave is Comm Ave.

South Boston is Southie.

The South End is the South End.

East Boston is Eastie.

The North End is east of the former West End.

The West End > and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named Rappaport got rid of them one night.

Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.

How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly:
**Say it wrong, be shunned** Worcester: Wuhsta (or Wistah)

Gloucester: Glawsta

Leicester: Lesta

Woburn: Wooban

Dedham: Dedim (like denim w/ a D in the N pace)

Revere: Re-vee-ah

Quincy: Quinzee

Tewksbury: Tooks berry

Leominster: Lemon-sta

Peabody: Peabuddy

Waltham: Walth-ham

Chatham: Chattum

Definitions: Frappes have ice cream, milkshakes don't.

If it is fizzy and flavored, it's tonic.

Soda is CLUB SODA. "Pop" is Dad.

When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for Tonic WATER.

The smallest beer is a pint.

Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish.

If you paid more than $6/pound, you got scrod.

It's not a water fountain; it's a bubblah.

It's not a trashcan; it's a barrel.

It's not a spucky it's a sub.

It's not a shopping cart; it's a carriage.

It's not a purse; it's a pockabook.

They're not franks; they're haht dahgs.

Franks are money in France.

Police don't drive patrol units or black and whites they drive a "crooza".

If you take the bus, you're on the "looza crooza".

It's not a rubber band, it's an elastic.

It's not a traffic circle, it's a rotary.

"Going to the islands" means Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket.

If something's good, it's "pissa". If something's really good, it's "wicked pissa".

The Pat's = The Patriots

The Sox = The Red Sox

The C's = The Celtics

The B's = The Bruins

Things not to do: Don't pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd .. they'll tow it to Meffa(Medford) or Slumaville (Somerville). Don't sleep in the Common. (Boston Common) Don't wear Orange in Southie on St. Patrick's Day.
Things you should know: There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, two Hancock buildings (one old, one new for each).

The colored lights on top the old Hancock tell the wetha: "Solid blue, clear view....." "Flashing blue, clouds due...." "Solid red, rain ahead...." "Flashing red, snow instead...." - (except in summer; flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out)

Route 128 is also I-95 south. It's also I-93 north. The underground train is not a subway. It's the "T", and it doesn't run all night (fah chrysakes, this ain't Noo Yawk). Order the "cold tea" in China Town after 2:00 am you'll get a kettle full of beer.

Bostonians... think that it's their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic..

Bostonians...think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R's)

. Bostonians...think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.

Bostonians...refer to six inches of snow as a "dusting."

Bostonians...always "bang a left" as soon as the light turns green and oncoming traffic always expects it. Bostonians..say everything in town is "a five-minute walk." (Pronounced "wok")

Bostonians...believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.

Bostonians...think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.

Bostonians...think Rhode Island accents are annoying.

AMERICAN IDOL – Who Will Be In The Top 10?

What a wonderfully, entertaining night! The guys really brought it up a notch or two and there were some surprises as well! It was a night of the 60's "British Invasion" with LuLu and Peter Noone.

Haley sang "Tell Him" –Haley was vivacious, flirty and showed so much more personality than she has in past performances. The song choice was perfect for her . I thoroughly enjoyed her performance

Chris sang "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" – He really made the song his own and updated it, without taking the beauty of this song away. It was a different side of Chris, singing a ballad and his voice was very soothing, as he maintained total control. His "nasal" quality didn't come in to play as it often does. I really like this side of him, as I did his performance.

Stephanie Edwards sang "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" – I was really disappointed with her performance. She was pitchy, her voice wavered and it was nothing special. She's in her comfort zone when she sings the more edgy, upbeat songs.

Blake sang "Time Of The Season" – Blake had it all in this performance….sexy, smooth voice and the moves to go along with it. He's comfortable on stage and knows how to play to the audience…..He was right on! Great performance!

Lakisha sang "Diamonds Are Forever – Her voice is outstanding…that we all know by now, but this performance left me cold. It definitely wasn't her best performance

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Phil sang "Tobacco Road" – Sorry to have to say this, but I think Phil's days are numbered. He has such a good voice and great vocal range but for some reason, seems to be on a downward swing since the auditions. This was definitely not one of my fav performances.

Jordan sand "I Who Have Nothing" – but my goodness, Jordan has everything! She is totally amazing and I can't even find the words to describe her performance, except to say it was brilliant!!

Sanjiya sang "You've Really Got Me Now" and he may have just a little under an 1/8 of me, which is more than he's had of me since the start of the competition….lol He surprised me tonight by coming out of his shell and performing better than I've seen him. He actually can project his voice above a whisper:) Do I think he should go much farther down the road? Not really...but he does seem to have a fan base….at least for now!

Gina sang "Painted Black" – Our resident rocker was definitely in her element with this performance. She has great range, but will have to show a softer side at some point and carry it off, to go further I think.

Chris Sligh sang "She's Not There" and though he performed the song well and had good vocal, it was definitely not my favorite performance of his. He just didn't seem comfortable. Simon liked it better than I did….go figure…lol

Melinda Doolittle sang "As Long As He Needs Me" and I think everyone needs a little bit of Melinda in their lives:) She is still the "chill factor" for me. She brings every song alive with her emotional renditions. There are maybe one or two singers who can bring me to tears with their performances and Melinda is definitely one of them. She is still my vote for American Idol, with Jordan running a close 2nd.

Stephanie Edwards was sent home tonight and we wish her well....

YANKEE CANDLE OR HOME BAKED?

Candles are this Woman's best friend!

I adore the scent of candles and I love the ambience and cozy feeling it gives to my home. It also helps me to unwind and relax after a busy day at work.

The floral scents have never been my cup of tea. I am more of the cocoa cappucino, MacIntosh Apple, Vanilla Cookie - type of woman - the scents that make me think of "home" and anyone walking in to my home might think I have something delicious baking in the oven. If nothing else, they will probably say in talking about my home...."Boy, her house always smells sooooo good!" I couldn''t think of a nicer compliment:)

I remember a long time ago, when I was looking to purchase a home. The first impression I would get upon opening the front door, was not if the house was clean to my liking, or if the rooms were large enough. I would know immediately if I wanted to look further...by the smell. It might seem strange to some, but odors either welcome you in, or push you back out the door....at least to me.

I have purchased various types of candles throughout the years and Yankee Candle has always been by far....my most favorite, that is until a few weeks ago, when I ran across a new line of scented candles called "Home Baked" by Kathy Ireland. They are made in the United States, which is always a plus with me, they are soy based, which I never realized.... contains very important properties. The benefit of soy candles are that they are highly fragranced, environmentally safe, they are clean and long burning and in buying these particular candles, helps support America's Farmers. The always added plus, is that they are far less expensive than Yankee Candle.

However, I never expected a candle to have the aroma of the real thing, that is, until I lit my first "Home Baked" candle. I have the "Oatmeal Raisin Cookie" candle burning right now and the aroma wafts through the entire house within minutes and it's not overpowering. It just smells like you're baking the most delcious home made oatmeal raisin cookies. What a yummy and inviting scent:) No calories absorbed while breathing the air either....lol

I defy a friend or relative...entering your home, not to have the urge to go in to the kitchen and grab a fresh baked cookie:) It's that good! I also purchased the vanilla cream pound cake and once again, the aroma was not overpowering or artificial smelling. It was an extremely natural scent and yet you can also detect the slight vanilla pound cake scent mixed in. I am totally sold on these candles and can't wait to try my other scents of choice:

Banana Pudding: Ripe bananas together with vanilla pudding and crisp vanilla wafers, combine to recreate this delicious summer desert

Lime Coconut Pie: This delicious blend of lime juice and coconut, complement a graham cracker crust baked to a golden brown.

Chocolate Souffle: Decadent chocolate with creamy vanilla

Be still my heart! :)

Now, if they only decide to come out with Hazelnut Coffee or Chocolate Cappucino, I will be all set! What more could this "candle inspired woman" ask for?:)

AMERICAN IDOL & LIVE STAGE PERFORMANCES
03/13/07

Diana Ross was the musical Mentor for this first show.

As Paula stated, peforming in a concert hall, as opposed to a small stage in the round….. and growing from a small band, to orchestra accompaniement, is quite a change and I knew the excitement and “jitters”, would take its toll on this, the first perfrmance for the final 12. I was rooting for them, as were the millions watching.

Brandon sang “You Can’t Hurry Love” and nerves definitely got the better of him. Though he has a pleasant voice, this performance, was by far the worst one to date. He lost the lyrics and was pitchy. He definitely took a beating from Simon.

Melinda sang “Home” – She has so much believability as a Singer, with every word delivered straight from her heart. She sang not just lyrics, but a story and she brought me to tears with her performance. She was the “chill” factor for me and if I had to select right now, without a doubt, she would be my American Idol !
Among other accolades, Simon stated that Melinda reminds him of a young Gladys Knight.

Chris SLigh sang “Endless Love”. You know…I really do love the quality of Chris’ voice, but did not like his unemotional performance at all. He could have been singing a grocery list and it would have affected me the same way. He did give the song a more updated arrangement, which I liked, but the judges were all unanymous in not. Simon remarked that Chris had turned a beautiful song into a complete and utter drone.(That’s Simon for ya) lol

Gina sang “Love Child”. Though I love her “Rock” image, this was not her best performance. I think she did far better last week. Though the song is not one of my favs, Gina pushed way too hard on her vocals and it seems that when she stretches her voice, she is screaming, more than vocalizing. Simon called it a “middle of the pack” performance

Sanjiya sang Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and there isn’t a mountain even low enough that would have me vote for him. He just doesn’t have the strength in his vocals, though it was the best performance to date from him, but personally, that isn’t saying much. His new do seemed to go over big….lol As simon stated….Sanjiya is going to have to explode with his vocals, but can he? I don’t think he has it in him.

Haley sang “Missing You”. Haley has a crystal clear voice with such wonderful tone quality, but she can’t project her voice. Diana Ross stated that Haley has a beautiful studio voice, but not necessarily one for the stage. Haley was nervous and did forget some of the words….Now…. Simon has in the past….called her “forgettable” etc etc…nothing positive, yet this time, he brought Haley to tears because of the opposite reaction. Simon didn’t think the performance was all that bad. He was very impressed with her presence, because now she is memorable to him, as to the audience and he feels that she is a better singer, than he first thought!

Phil sang “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”. I love, love, love his voice. He gave a strong powerful performance and listened to Diana Ross, when she told him to “connect” with the audience. He did a great job….Now, can someone do something about his lack of hair? I usually could care less about outward appearances, but there are some guys that just don’t look good bald. I really thinks it distracts from his appearance. Okay…..just my opinion and after all, this is a singing competition…..I got it! Lol:)

Lakisha sang “God Bless The Child”. Kiki delivered another outstanding performance and as always, her vocal was right on! Simon said….you’ve either got it, or you don’t and you’ve got it.

Blake sang “You Keep Me Hanging On”. Hip Hop Blake, made this song his own ….However, he didn’t seem to be as comfortable performing, as he has previously. Okay performance

Stephanie sang “Love Hangover”. I hate to admit that I really don’t know this song and that amazed me. I thought I knew all Diana Ross songs. Stephanie was strong vocally and seemed very confortable on stage, but she did lose some words and I’ve enjoyed past performances more. The judges felt they had been teased, bcause Stephanie chose not to make the chorus, part of her arrangment.

Chris sang “The Boss”. I don’t know what it is about Chris. I want to like him….I really do, but each time I hear him…..it just doesn’t happen for me. He has such a nasal quality to his voice and to me, it isn’t pleasant, Was not a good vocal performance in my opinion.

Jordan sang “{If We Hold on Together” – Jordan is a breath of fresh air! She’s 17 and comes across as though she has been performing since exiting the womb. In other words, she has a natural gift…. There is such clarity in her young voice and she gave a brilliant performance. Jordan can illuminate the stage with her smile. She was my “Chill factor” tonight.

As it stands right now, (this woman’s opinion),….there are only 3 serious contenders, in the running for the American Idol……
Melinda, Lakisha(KiKi) and Jordan.

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

Who Will Be The Final 12 – Guys & Girls – American Idol

I’m throwing myself out there by saying this…but if there is a male American Idol, I will be extremely surprised, as it stand right now. The performances have been mediocre at best. Not to say the guys don’t have talent and there are a few that really stand out and should be recognized, such as……Blake Lewis, Sundance, Phil Stacey and Chris Sligh, but are they going that extra mile and taking risks – making themselves memorable – stretching their vocal abilities? How many are actually making the song they sing,…their own?…..There are 1 or 2 right now.

As for the girls? Some are playing it safe and won’t go the distance….not because they don’t have the vocal ability, but to me…..the likes of Lakisha(chill factor for me), Gina GLocksen(resident Rocker) and Melinda Doolittle(consummate pro), are definitely in a league by themselves

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As for Antonella and this has nothing to do with the publicity she has been receiving lately, she just doesn’t hold a candle to the other girls. She has a pleasing voice…at times, but is not American Idol “star quality.” It must be very difficult for all the contestants to hear negative feedback, especially when they believe they did a good performance and I applaud them, for holding their emotions in check, when they would probably like to “deck” a few judges from time to time. But and this is a big BUT…….Antonella is just plain disrespectful during her critique. I firmly believe that it’s not what you say….it’s how you say it and Antonella could get her point across in a “nicer” way than she has been doing. Her way, is not the way to win friends and influence people. Let’s see what happens, but I hope she’s voted off.

I may become surprised yet with some of the contestants as the weeks unfold….. because as they learn and grow and are groomed and molded into what the “professionals” feel is how the next American Idol should look and dress etc, anything is possible. The final 12 can at least, breathe a sigh of relief for a moment….because as one of the final 12, they will go on tour…regardless if they are eliminated…from this point on. The longer they can hold on and sustain…..the more the show will provide much wanted exposure, which is great when wanting to get someone to notice and possibly cut them a record deal Also, sometimes, those who start as the strongest in the beginning, become the weak link as the competition goes on….Tension, tiredness and being thrown into the limelight, singing different genres of songs, which may not work well….Combined elements take their toll over time. Some can handle it, while others break under the pressure.

The decisions have been made and I have to say I’m surprised on 2 that were asked to leave.

Between Sundance and Sajia, there should have been no contest! I don’t know what people are thinking….except it seems in all the past American Idol shows, there always seems to be a mascot, who stays longer than he or she should. Sajia has been designated that mascot. It’s just too bad that it was at the expense of losing Sundance. The 2nd surprise was Sabrina Sloan. I could think of one other girl that definitely should have left before her. Sabrina has excellent vocal ability.
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The others voted off were:
Jared Cotter & Antonella – Yahhhhh – Antonella was a “no brainer” decision.

Now let….what I consider to be the real show…..begin!