American Idol Top 9 Perform

Tonight the top 9 are singing tunes from I-Tunes Top 100 Downloads. Guess the field is wide open for them tonight. Let's see how they do -

Anoop - Usher song - I hated the song! Randy like the vocals but didn't think it was the right song. Kara thought he played it safe and said she thinks some frat boys dared him to do Usher. Paula thinks he needs to work on stage presence. Simon nailed it when he said "it was a mess!"

Megan Joy - Bob Marley??? Maybe her voice is reggae?? It sure is strange. I think the judges are going to tear her up. And .... I'm right - Kara 's says she's in trouble!! Wrong song choice. Even Paula didn't like it or Simon or Randy. Think she's sang her last on Idol.

Danny - Rascal Flatts - What Hurts the Most - Finally - a good one! He was great. Paula's on her feet - a good sign. Simon says it's his BEST performance. All the judges agree!! Randy wants him to take the mike off the stand and rock it. Kara had goose bumps.

Allison - No Doubt - Don't Speak - Her hair and her outfit are something out of a science fiction movie or as Simon says, The Adams Family. Maybe a little Janis Joplin?? She doesn't need that. Randy agrees with me and wanted to know what in the world she was wearing. The judges thought her outfit was a little distracting and unnecessary. She played the guitar tonight and did a good job with the vocals too.

Scott - Billy Joel - Just the Way You Are - Great song but I wish he'd sing something a little more lively. He always does slow songs. And his hair??? Last week they dressed him up in pink pants and this week they "poufed" his hair up! Poor guy. Kara loved it all - the new look and the performance. Simon thinks it's his best performance - by a "country mile!" Randy says - one of the best of the night too.

Matt - Fray - You Found Me - He's keeping it current. I'm not familiar with the song, but I thought he was good. Paula doesn't agree with me - she thinks it wasn't a great performance. Simon thought it sounded uptight and wasn't a good commercial song. Again, the judges think it was the wrong song for him. Kara does not believe he deserves to go home. I AGREE! He should not have been in the bottom 3 last week.

Lil Rounds - Celine Dione - I Surrender - Wrong song choice - again! The judges don't usually like the contestants to do Celine. In my opinion, she was ok - not great. The song was too old fashioned for her and the judges agree. It didn't show her personality. Ryan interviewed her kids - how cute! The little girl was hugging on Randy!!

Adam - Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music - He's looking more & more like Elvis to me! Well, Paula likes it - she's on her feet and dancing. Too much screaming for me but everyone else seems to like it. True genius is what Paula tells him. Simon thinks it was original. Randy loved it - in the star zone, hands down. Isn't that nice (or kissing up?) - he thanked Ricky Minor and the band!

Kris - Ain't No Sunshine - Kara is clapping during the performance - she must like it! I thought he was great and made the song his own. Randy thinks it's one of the best of the night. Kara's three words - That Is Artistry! Simon said he showed confidence tonight and it was his best performance.

My fav's - Danny, Matt, Kris

Bottom Three? Anoop, Megan, and maybe Lil Rounds - I think it's time for Megan to GO!

Monday Mailer

Here is the Monday Mailer I received when I returned home from my trip.  Isn't it great?  There is no stamping on this card .... makes it so easy!  She used Tea Party designer paper.  (Guess I'm going to add that to my wish list.)  She cut 3 of the flowers out of the paper and adhered them with a blue brad.  Such a spring-y card!

I'm Back!!

Well, I'm back home. Wow! Did we have fun! Everyone should have a daughter that is also a best friend. Over the next few days, I'll be sharing pictures with you of my trip.

When we arrived in DC, we took Mom and Angela downtown DC. We did a few touristy things - Smithsonian's and statues - as I described earlier in THIS post. Here is a picture of the 4 of us with the Capitol in the background. (you have to click on picture to see all 4 of us!)

Here's a picture of Mom and Angela with the Washington Monument behind them.

Here's the Hope Diamond - although this picture does not do it justice. But, you get an idea of how huge it is!

I love beautiful flowers - just not the work that goes into growing them! These are some of the gorgeous orchids that we saw in the Orchid display in the Smithsonian.

Monday Mailer

Here is the last April Monday Mailer I will be sending to Jennifer.  Love this Sock Monkey!!

Baby Card

This card is for Sean and Becca.  They are high school friends of my son's who have just announced they are pregnant!  They are the last of the "gang" to have a baby.

Did You Know?

•  It takes one ton of water to make one pound of refined sugar.
• A honeybee must tap 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey. A bee produces only one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey during her entire lifetime.
• American and Russian space flights have always included chocolate.
• The best selling chocolate bar in Russia is Snickers.
  ~The Amazing Book of Useless Information by Noel Botham &
             The Useless Information Society

American Idol Results - Matt in bottom?????

Well, I missed the results show last night!! After taking Mom & Angela to the airport, Sonny & I met Ashley downtown (at an Irish bar, are you surprised?). About 8:30, Ashley tells me that she taped the Pittsburgh basketball game (Sweet 16 and they won!) for her Dad instead of Idol. (She can only TiVo one thing at a time.) Well .... we were watching the basketball game at the bar anyway!!!

So, when we got home, we had to watch the results show on the internet.

Some elimination are real shockers, like last week's out-of-no where ousting of one-time favorite Alexis Grace. Eliminations like that, you don't see coming. And then there are others that are so obvious, even Scott McIntyre could see 'em coming. Like last night's eliminated singer, Michael Sarver. Not exactly a shock, there. The real surprise was that the judges still forced the poor schlub to sing in vain, in the hopes of getting a Judges' Save. Not gonna happen!

No surprise to see Michael and Scott in the bottom three. But, Matt???? For him to almost get eliminated last night. What the heck? Was America watching the same show as me this week? Did the people in TV Land watch Wed. night with the sound off? With the SCREEN off? Matt was at his best on Motown Night. He sang "Let's Get It On" and made you want to "get in on"! Simon and Randy even declared Matt a serious new threat in the competition after his killer, confident performance. I'm utterly baffled that Matt was in the bottom three. And I'm even more baffled, when I think about it, that he was in the bottom TWO--Scott was sent back to safety first, which means the lowest two vote-getters of the evening were in fact Michael and Matt. This would have made sense if Matt had stumbled through but he deserved to be in the TOP three, not the bottom. I dunno, maybe it was Opposite Day or something...

Anyhoo, America ultimately made the right decision and sent Michael, not Matt, packing. I have a feeling if it had been Matt in last place, the judges might have deliberated a little more seriously over whether to exercise their Judges' Save veto power (I don't for a moment think they ever considered using it on Michael, since Simon had emphatically declared last night that Sarver had "no chance of winning").

American Idol Recap

Motown tonight! Yay .... I can relate. We watched the taped version of Idol when we got home last night from NY. Here's my recap:

Matt Giraud — Let’s Get It On: My initial impression from the rehearsal is that this will be a perfect song choice for him. Oooh, nice touch, moving away from the piano halfway through. Great job! Randy thought he "set the tone" and Simon thought it was a cool performance!! Kudos to him. Don't think being first to perform will hurt his great performance.

Kris Allen — How Sweet It Is: Smokey seems impressed, so we shall see. Well, he IS putting his own little spin on it. I think I like it. Another nice job. Paula was up and dancing. Simond thought he was smart to do his own version of the song but he needs to believe in himself. Not to sure about his shirt.

Scott MacIntyre — You Can’t Hurry Love: Yeah… I’m not so crazy about this. Hold on a sec. Is he wearing pink pants? Okay, now tht’s funny. They told him 10 minutes before the show started that his pants are pink. That’s classic. Simon thought it was "honky tonk piano" and Randy agrees.

Megan Joy — For Once In My Life: Why is she suddenly Megan Joy? Did she give up her last name? Everyone says she’s so original, but I just think her voice is odd. I don’t know why the judges fawn over her every week. Ahhh, okay, the judges DO have some sense. Randy calls it a train wreck. I quite agree. Simon says she’s in danger. . Let’s hope so! They all agree that she looks incredible. This is a strange season — it’s going to be all men by the final five at this rate!

Anoop — Ooooh, Baby Baby: He was good in my opinion. I am a huge fan of Smokey Robinson and this song is just one of the greatest, so sometimes that sways me. Kara thought overall he did a pretty good job. Simon thought it was a great vocal but he looked like he was half asleep. He needs to show some showmanship and turn it up next week.

Michael Sarver — Ain’t Too Proud To Beg: He was sick last week and didn't get to go to Detroit with the others. He got good advice from Smokey, and it looks like Michael took his words to heart, but maybe not far enough. It was a few steps above a karaoke performance. The judges weren't nice to him - even Paula!! He might be going home this week and it's probably time.

Lil Rounds — Heat Wave: Lil is ON FIRE tonight. I hope she sticks around another week. Again, Kara nails it. This should have been Lil’s week, and it… wasn’t. Disappointing. They pretty much all agreed .... except Paula .... that it was the wrong song choice for her.

Adam Lambert — Tracks of My Tears: I’m loving this side of Adam tonight. Okay, the ending was a bit overdone, but SMOKEY ROBINSON IS GIVING HIM A STANDING O. And so is Kara. Classic American Idol moment. Like him or not, Adam is in his own league. And yes, that is Paula’s line. Simon said it was THE BEST of the night - it was original, the right song and he emerged as a star. Didn't he look like Elvis???? Scary!

Danny Gokey — Get Ready: Okay, I still love Danny. He put just enough of his own spin on this to make it fresh. It was fun — quintesential Danny Gokey. It wasn’t a masterful performance, but it was good. He’s really going to have to turn it up a notch to compete with Adam, though. Only Paul thought it was great though. The other judges thought it was good, just not great.

Allison Iraheta — Papa Was A Rolling Stone: Okay, Allison. It’s all on you to represent the ladies tonight. Oh girl. The crowd is on their feet. Kara and Paula are on their feet. Okay, Paula is always on her feet. Kara says, “That is from God. You can’t teach that.” So true. That about sums it up. None of them could believe she had been in the bottom 3 last week. She's definitely one they would have used their "saving power" on.

Best of the night: Adam -Allison - Matt
Bottom three: Michael, Scott and Megan.

Sharon .... from North Carolina!

This is Sharon from NC - live from THE VIEW

OK ... I am in the bus now headed back to DC .... pretty tired!! We had a great time in New York and I'll be sharing lots of pictures and stories in the coming days. We were able to cram a lot into a few days.

The biggest news I want to share with your now is that I will be on THE VIEW on Friday!! Ashley got us tickets for the taping of Friday's show. We were VIP's of one of the producers. I was actually pulled from the audience before the taping started and asked to do the commercial break where they say "this is Sharon from North Carolina" and then I read the tele-prompter to tell what was coming up next. It was pretty cool! So ..... set your DVR's for Friday's showing of The View. (It comes on at my house at 11 am).

We had been told in advance that since we were VIP guests if they did any give-aways, we would not be eligible for anything over $75. Wouldn't you know it!! They had Mr Gadget on and he demonstrated a lot of new electronical gadgets totalling $1,300+ and everyone in the audience got one of each item!! Just our luck! Oh well, guess you can't win them all. Just think of the taxes I saved!

I'll be in DC until the weekend helping Ashley spruce up her condo to put it on the market. Sonny & I will be heading home Sunday or Monday.

Dreams Come True One Step At A Time

Dreams Come True One Step At a Time

When going through life
and traveling in the direction
of your dreams, the best way
to get ahead is the simplest way:
Take it one step at a time.
Don't look over your shoulder; if you do,
you'll feel the weight of all your
yesterdays upon you.
And don't worry about what lies ahead.
By the time you get to
the bend in the road
or the crest of the hill,
you're going to be better and stronger
than you ever were before.
Just go a step at a time,
one day at a time.
And you'll find a rich, thankful life
you never thought you could afford.

~A. Rogers

Activity in your life

I started bowling a couple of weeks ago and man, was I sore the first time!  But I figure it's a fun way to get in my exercise.  Here's an excerpt from a newsletter that I receive.  Thought it was good advice!

By Dotti

Getting some kind of activity in your life is probably one of the most important things you can do for your health and well-being. In fact, a lot of experts are recommending you focus on getting more activity in your life before you make any dietary changes. Why? Moving more will give you a jump-start by revving up your metabolism, helping your body to be more responsive to losing body fat. You will see results when you become more active.
Let’s talk about some strategies to help you stay on your course of activity. Why not see if you can come up with a few of your own too.

• Get an activity buddy to help keep you accountable
• Set goals and give yourself rewards to help keep you motivated
• Always look for new ways to get more activity into your life
• Hire a personal trainer
• Try something different from what you are doing; mix it up
• Get your activity where others are active
• Keep a log of your activity; review it often
• Put your activity time in your appointment book; make it a priority

Why is it that activity is the last thing we seem to fit into our busy schedule? I’ll bet if you planned a fun activity like maybe bowling, water skiing or swimming at the lake you’d fit it into your schedule. So, why not start out by planning some activity that is fun, playful. As you become more active you will be able to start focusing on the frequency of your activity, along with increasing the time and intensity.
One of the most important things to remember when planning your activity is to pick activities that you will enjoy and be able to do over the long run; not just to lose the weight you want to lose. Physical activity not only helps you lose the weight but it also helps you to keep the weight off for good.
Hands down, walking is the most convenient activity for most people. I personally like walking because it is something I can do anywhere, any time. I can also fit walking into any time frame. If I only have 15 minutes out of my day to get some activity in then a walk will work. You don’t have to do all your walking at the same time. You can string together a couple of walks during the day, maybe during your two fifteen minute breaks at work. Walking is relaxing too!
Walking is aerobic and works the large muscle groups, so it’s great for burning calories. You can burn anywhere from 100 to 200 calories during a moderately-paced walk. Do you know how many calories you’d burn in a year if you did this every day? 36,500 calories or 10 lbs! Amazing, huh?
The experts say that you are better off walking a longer distance for 25 minutes at a slower pace than trying to jog, getting tired, and quitting after only 10 minutes. Did you know that you burn almost the same number of calories walking a mile as running it? It just takes longer to walk it. (You get about 90% of the same benefit from walking as you do from jogging, with a lot smaller risk of injury!)
The same goes for your other activities also. When you work harder or faster for a given activity it will increase the calories spent, but not as much as lengthening the time spent on your activity.
Here are a few ways to get some extra activity into your life without even realizing it. You can add to the benefits by putting some extra movement into them like swaying your arms as you walk the dog or doing a little dance around the car as you wash it.

• Vacuum briskly – 5 minutes
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator – 3 minutes
• Walk the dog – 10 minutes
• Walk to lunch instead of getting it delivered – 7 minutes
• Wash your car instead of going through a car wash – 15 minutes
• Make extra trips carrying in groceries – 5 minutes
• Rake leaves – 15 minutes

Total Time – 60 minutes
Look how fast those minutes of activity added up! WOW! You may be sitting there thinking you are getting no activity but in reality you are!
If you are one of those people who have problems regularly setting aside time for activity why not try adding short segments of activity (short walks or the examples above)? The goal is to try and get in a total of 30 minutes, but you can accumulate that amount over the course of the day. The separate bits of time spent do not have to happen back to back in order to reap the benefits.
A total of 20 minutes of activity a day is recommended but for weight loss results, 30 minutes is best. Of course, doing a longer stint of activity daily (40, 50 or 60 minutes a day) will burn even more body fat. Your heart will also reap more benefits from the added activity. Please remember that, if you’ve been inactive for some time, be sure to start with shorter activities and increase the time gradually.
I have started adding a regular exercise program back into my life recently and I can tell you I’m reaping the benefits. I have decided to make my elliptical trainer time fun. I watch an episode of Sopranos (HBO) every time I get on the elliptical. I don’t get off until the episode is over (usually 47-55 minutes). It’s a long workout but goes by quickly because I’m enjoying my show. I’ve also added in a 2-mile walk at lunchtime with Al, which gives us time to hold hands, talk, get out in the fresh air and just be together with no interruptions. Priceless. I’m losing weight again and feeling much better physically and mentally.
It doesn’t matter how you get your activity into your life. I’ve used walking as an example of one of the easiest ways, in my opinion, to accomplish this. Joining a gym, bowling league, or hiking club are a few other ways. Make sure if you can’t schedule your activity into your life, then do the short stints of activity during the day. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s something you enjoy and will be able to continue throughout your lifelong Journey.
Let’s all plan to move more in the upcoming months as spring approaches bringing the warm weather, beautiful flowers and birds singing.

Copyright © DWLZ, Inc. - 2009, all rights reserved

A recipe for you

Washington Apple Turkey Gyros
Serves: 8
Ingredients:

• 1 cup vertically sliced onion
• 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ pound cooked turkey breast, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium Washington Golden Delicious or Winesap apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 8 pita rounds, lightly toasted
• ½ cup plain low fat yogurt

Preparation:
Cook and stir onion, bell peppers and lemon juice in oil in nonstick skillet until crisp-tender; stir in turkey and cook until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in apple.
Fold pita in half and fill with apple mixture; drizzle with yogurt.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Serve warm.
Nutritional Info Per Serving (1 filled pita):
[268 Cal, 4g Fat, 3g Fiber, 40g Carbs, 322mg Sodium, 19g Protein] *5.5
~Recipe from Washington Apple Commission

5-Minute Heat and Go Soup

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 can, 16 oz, low-sodium navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 can, 14½ oz, diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions
1 cup water
1½ tsp dried basil leaves
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp low-sodium chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp olive oil

Preparation: Place all ingredients, except oil, in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat, stir in oil; serve.

Nutritional Info Per Serving (3½ cups):[198 Cal, 3g Fat, 9g Fiber, 34g Carbs, 252mg Sodium, 11g Protein] *2.5 (3.5)

~The Weight Loss Bible, Publications International LTD

Good Morning America

LOOK FOR ME TODAY ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA!!

On the Road ..... and a little blog candy

Well, would you believe I am on the bus about an hour away from New York City????!! Yep Ashley is sleeping in the seat beside me and I am trying to figure out how to use her laptop so
excuse any "typos." We arrived in DC yesterday a.m (having to get up at 5:30 am to catch the 8 am flight!). We had to hang around Ashley's for a bit for her realtor to come by with her handy man. She is putting her condo up for sale (she's moving to Texas Sept 1) and needs a little painting, etc. done first. Would you believe the handyman wanted to charge her $600 to paint 2 bedrooms (and not even the ceilings) and she was going to provide the paint?? A shyster, in my opinion. So she will be looking for another painter or be doing it herself. Her dad is coming up on Thursday to do some of the minor repairs (and to provide a ride back home for me!) So, after they left, we headed over to a Burrito place and had lunch .... yummy! Then on to the metro for downtown DC. We went to a couple of museums - American History and Natural History. We were involved in a very interesting presentation at the Amer. History of a re-enactment of the Greensboro lunch counter "sit in" in 1960. Actually, Angela and I were two of the "sit in" actors!! They had the actual lunch counter and stools there and picked 4 people to sit on the counters and had all the rest of the people crowd around us. Then they asked us how it made us feel ... it was quite thought provoking.

We actually went to the Natural History Museum by mistake, but it was pretty neat. That's where the Hope Diamond is displayed!! Wow, it's hard to even describe how beautiful it is. We wandered around looking at displays of animals .... giraffes, hippos, monkeys ... al hard to believe they weren't real. Mom's favorite was the Orchid display. They were just gorgeous and I took a lot of pictures that I'll be sharing when I return.

Well .... gotta run - bus is making a pit stop!!

Here's the link to BLOG CANDY!!

Gym Terms

•  “I'm getting pumped up” - I'm standing in front of the mirror and flexing because I'm enamored with the way I look
• Getting ripped - eating miniature meals in an attempt to remove all of the healthy fat from my body
• Supplements - products with all of the calories and nutrients contained in food but which have no resemblance in taste, texture, or appearance to food
• 'roids - illegal drugs taken by people who don't mind the inconvenience of having to walk through a door sideways
• Aerobics - masochism with an instructor
• Stairmaster - masochism without an instructor
• Reps - the number of times you torture yourself by lifting a heavy weight off your chest
• Free weights are better than machines - I'm too stupid to figure out how to work the machines
• Machines are better than free weights - I dropped a dumbbell on my foot one too many times
• Bench press - a strength training exercise in which you lie on a bench and try to prevent a weight-laden bar from plummeting down to crush your chest
• Treadmill - a device which allows you to walk or run, much like can be done outdoors, but this way you get to pay $25 a month and a large up front fee for the privilege of doing it indoors

Monday Mailers

Here are a couple of Monday Mailers to share with you.

I received this great card this week from Nancy Carr.

And this is the card I will be sending to Jennifer next week.  I am using the new set, Scene from a Garden and the white circle grommets from the Occasions Mini (available April 1).  I watercolored the scene and used my cloud template to make clouds.   

blog candy alert

check HERE for blog candy!

and HERE

Card Shares

Here a couple of cards I haven't shared with you that I made last week.

The first one used Thoughts and Prayers - a great stamp set! I used a non-SU corner punch in one corner and put the Baja Breeze ribbon with a Filigree Brad in the other corner. This was a sympathy card for a friend who lost her neice in an automobile accident.

This card was for a friend who had some minor surgery. I used Flight of the Butterfly and Pocket Silouettes with the Simply Scallops stamp. I just love this orange and green!!

New York ... New York

I am getting excited!  I am flying to DC Saturday with my mom and one of my sisters.  After spending the day with Ashley and getting my mom and Angela acclimated to the metro in DC, Ashley and I are taking the bus to New York!!  Mom and Angela will be staying in DC at Ashley's place and touring around DC.

This trip is my birthday present from Ashley(from last October).  We have tickets to be in the audience of Good Morning America on Monday morning.  I don't usually watch the show so not sure about it.  They did tell us to wear comfortable shoes because there is no seating and to wear bright colors and bring bright signs .... still working on that! 

We have tickets to a Broadway show, In the Heights, for Tuesday night.  We are going to try to get tickets to see Chicago on Sunday or Monday. 

But the best is .... we have tickets to the taping of Friday's The View.  The View tapes live every day except for Friday which they tape earlier in the week.  So, we will be in the studio Tuesday at 11:00 for the Friday taping.  We are actually going to be guests of one of the producers!    Ashley met someone on her cruise in January that had a friend who is a producer (and won an Emmy) for The View and she was able to get tickets for us.  The only drawback is ... if they have a give-away that day, we do not qualify IF the prize is over $75.  So, let's hope it's a good give-away and is worth $74.99!!  I am ubber-excited!  I have watched The View for years - through the Star Jones years, endured Rosie (I was hit or miss then) and now with Whoopie (whom I think is great).  So, set your VCR's and see if you can pick me out of the crowd!!

If any of you have recommendations for restaurants, etc. in New York, please let me know!! 

Idol Results

Well, the bottom three this week are Alexis, Allison and Michael. I thought it would be Michael for sure. I was surprised Allison was there - thought it would be Adam or Megan. Adam is a real good singer but he is definitely NOT a country singer! I think he basically desecrated a Johnny Cash classic! Megan probably got a pass since she was performing with the flu last night. After about a million commercials and performances by Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis (what was that in her hair?), Allison was declared safe and sat down. And then there were two. The judges announced that they had discussed it and they would save one of the two maybe. Drum roll .... Michael takes a seat and the one on the chopping block is Alexis! I am really surprised. She sings for her life, but .....Simon tells her it was good but not good enough, and they send her on their way. Did anyone really think they were going to use their veto this early in the season? Seems like a ploy for drama to me. But I don’t know what I expect. This IS American Idol, after all.

Occasions Swaps

I entered another one of Jami's swaps - this time we are using stamp sets from the Occasions Mini Catalog which comes out April 1. You can view it HERE. Right now (until the end of March) you can order these stamps to get started with your Easter cards from the new mini:

An Egg-cellent Easter $21.95

Wagon Full of Fun $34.95

Eight Great Greetings $27.95

Egg Hunt Stampin' Around wheel - $6.50

I started working on my swaps as soon as my order arrived last Thursday and finished both sets this weekend (I only had to do 8 cards for each). I had to get them done since I am going to DC and New York next week!!

I am really loving this cute Golden Oldies set and can see myself using it a lot! Most of the gals who participate in these swaps and young (at least, younger than me!). So, when I told Jami I would do Golden Oldies, she was glad 'cause she might have a hard time getting someone to do that one!

I paper pieced the old man's outfit with Manchester DSP and used my white gel pen for his hair. He's just a hoot. Actually, this is how I remember my grandfather dressing .... but not flip flops!!

This one is from Scene in a Garden. It has lots of things you can put on the table - gourds, pots, bird, plant, birdhouse. And, I love the galoshes under the table. Reminds me of my gardening days in Gig Harbor (Washington).

I watercolored this one with my watercolor crayons. The DSP is from Good Morning Sunshine. Isn't this bright and springy?? I also used the My Way Punch to stamp "thank you" (from Upsy Daisy).

American Idol .... week 2

So the judges make another grand entrance and Paula hugged all the judges before they sat down. I love that necklace Kara has on .... wonder if it's Paula's design? So, tonight is Classic Country. I love country music so it'll be a good night for me .... IF they do well! Randy Travis is the mentor tonight.

• Michael Sarver - Texas boy - Ain't Going Down Till the Sun Comes Up: Well, it's hard to be another Garth and Garth, he's not. He had the energy and country is definitely his genre.
• Allison Iraheta - She hit this one out of the park! Great job on the song - even Simon thought it was good! Simon thought it was verging on "precocious" and Randy thought it was "dope" .... whatever all that means!
• Kris Allen - another Garth song, a ballad this time. Singing without his guitar tonight. Randy said he is a ballad singer and I think he is right. I'm not familiar with the song but I like it a lot. Wow!! Simon said he thought it was terrific (Simon hates country!). I'll be voting for Kris tonight.
• Lil Rounds - Independence Day (by Martina McBride) - she's a R&B singer ... not country - should be interesting. It was ok. She's got too good a voice not to do justice to any song, but this just wasn't her forte. I thought it was kind of boring. The judges thought she could have picked a better song for her voice and I agree.
• Adam Lambert - Ring of Fire: Randy Travis was definitely taken aback by Adam and his nail polish. His version of this song was indescribable... think mid-Eastern style with sitars playing. I hated it! Doesn't his hair remind you of Liza Minnelli???? Simon was right - it was "indulgent rubbish!"
• Scott MacIntyre - Wild Angels (Martina McBride) - He surprised Randy Travis. He's one of my favorites and he didn't disappoint me tonight. His voice is just so pure. Paula thinks he should mix up his performances and connect more with the audience without his piano. The judges think he needs to "up" his game and pick better songs for his voice. Since he is blind, he is going to have a hard time moving around on stage.
• Alexis Grace doing a Dolly Parton song, Jolene: I think she did great with the song and hit the notes even if Randy didn't think so. The judges didn't agree with me (except Paula). They want her to be "down and dirty" every time. Simon thought she was forgettable and sounded too much like Dolly .... that ain't so bad!
• Danny Gokey doing Carrie Underwood, Jesus Take the Wheel. Danny is one of my favorites. He started out pretty slow but then got going and did great. Kara and Randy agree. I can see him winning this competition .... or have I said that before? The judges liked him. I do agree with Simon with his outfit - looked a little 80's.
• Anoop Desai - You're Always On My Mind (Willie Nelson) I thought Anoop would have a difficult time with country. But his version of Willie's classic was super!! As Paula said, "Anoop is back!" This song "fit him like a glove." As Simon said, he went from Zero to Hero and this was one of his favorites of the whole night. Simon actually ate his words from last week that Anoop didn't deserve to be in the competition. Randy thought the arrangement was "dope" - guess that's the new word this year.
• Megan Joy - I Go Walking After Midnight: Randy wasn't too sure about her choice at first but after hearing her, said her rendition was great. Well, she didn't do anything for me. She needs to quit doing her little twisty "Rockin Robin" moves. I think she's sick or has been sick. Her eyes look a little weird. Yep - Kara says she has the flu and has been to the hospital. Judges think she was fantastic. Simon wants her quirky dressing to come back.
• Matt Giraud - Love Is All That Matters - another Carrie Underwood song - I thought he did good. Kara says he is a true artist and is amazing. He pierced Paula's heart. Simon thought he out sang Danny!! Wow ... that's a great compliment. Randy & Simon both thought it was the best performance of the night.

I think Michael Sarver will get the boot tonight.

My votes are: Kris; Scott; Danny; Anoop and Matt!

Every year, one artist gets to benefit from the contestants demise. This year it is Carrie Underwood who gets to benefit from American Idol all over again. The name of the new song being used to say goodbye to the eliminated contestants on American Idol in 2009 is called Home Sweet Home by American Idol winner Carrie Underwood

American Idol .... week 2

Color Throwdown

I made this card this weekend for a "Color Throwdown Challenge!" Not exactly colors I would have picked, but there are some cute cards HERE.

• Recipe:
  Paper & Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, and Elegant Eggplant
  Stamps: Itty Bitty Buds and Great Friend
  Accessories: Dew Drops, Anna Griffin Butterfly Punch; Decorative Corner Punch;
  Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
  
  The Great Friend stamp set is actually a sneak peek of the new Occasions Mini Catalog. Isn't it great?
  
  

Happy St Patrick's Day

Happy St Patrick's Day to You!

Here's the card I sent to my Monday Mailer partner:

And here's a few Irish recipes you might want to fix today!

Corned-Beef Dinner, Irish Style
Ingredients :
3-4 lbs corned beef brisket
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
6 medium potatoes, pared
5 small carrots, pared
1 medium head of cabbage, cut in 6 wedges
Preparation :
Place corned beef in dutch oven, and barely cover with hot water; add onion, garlic, cloves, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer (do not let boil) 1 hour per pound of meat, or till fork tender. Remove meat from liquid; add potatoes and carrots. Cover; bring to boiling and cook 10 minutes. Then add cabbage wedges; continue cooking 20 minutes longer or till vegetables are done.

Spice Glaze:If you like, glaze the corned beef while vegetables cook. Spread fat side of meat lightly with prepared mustard. Then sprinkle with mixture of 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Place in shallow pan. Bake in moderate oven 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or till nicely glazed.

Reuben Casserole

Ingredients :
3/4 cup cubed rye bread
2 (10 1/2 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
3/4 lb deli sliced corned beef, chopped or leftover corned beef brisket, sliced and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
32 ounces sauerkraut, drained
2 medium baking potatoes, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation :

Heat oven to 250⁰. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until dry. Crush or process cubes in a food processor until you have medium crumbs; set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 350⁰. In large bowl, mix together cream of mushroom soup, milk, onion, corned beef, dry mustard and sugar. Set aside. Spread sauerkraut evenly in bottom of a lightly greased 9x13" baking dish. Place potatoes in single layer, slightly overlapping, over 'kraut. Spoon soup mixture over potatoes and top with cheese. In small bowl, combine melted butter with rye bread crumbs, and sprinkle mixture over cheese. Cover and bake 50 minutes. Remove cover and bake 10 minutes more.

Chocolate Potato Candy

Ingredients :
4 cups powdered sugar
4 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup cold mashed potatoes (without added milk or butter)
1/2 salt
1 pound chocolate or candy coating

Preparation :

Combine sugar, potatoes, coconut, vanilla, and salt and mix well. Line a 9-inch pan with foil covered with a non-stick spray (or use butter or shortening on the foil). Spread the mixture evenly into the pan, cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into rectangles. Cover and freeze. Melt the chocolate and dip the bars into the coating. Place on waxed paper to harden. Store in an airtight container.

Diva Challenge - Big Shot

I made this card for a swap and for the challenge HERE . I used the Big Shot with the Loopy Flowers die and the Little Leaves die. The flower is the Scallop Punch that I slit and rolled up with a bamboo stick.

Rainy Weekend Projects

What a dreary rainy weekend we had .... cold and rainy!  We took met some friends Friday night at a local fish camp.  Fish camps are big here in the south and our friends are .... Yankees who live here now.  It was their first trip to a fish camp and they loved it!!  Plus, the food was delicious - probably not on my Weight Watchers diet (fried and fried!), but oh so yummy!!

I took a class on Saturday at Stamper's Alley which was really fun.  Debbie taught the class and she is really talented and oh so organized!!  She is doing a series every couple of months of sketches and colors.  This month the colors were Turquoise; Kiwi and Yellow and the cards were very simple but so pretty.

Today is my sister, Marianne's birthday (Happy Birthday, sis!).  We went out to eat with her and her family on Saturday and I gave her some stamping goodies for her birthday.  It was also my nephew's girlfriends birthday.  Here is the little gift I made for Kelly:

 

This is a little Gift Card Folder that we did at convention last year.  It unties and opens to hold all the little gift cards seen below.  Here are the dimensions if you are interested:

Very Vanilla card stock (9 3/4" x 6") scored at 4 3/4" and 5".  Rotate 90 degrees & score at 2 1/2".  Fold on score lines to create card folder.  Wrap ribbon around folder and adhere to front of folder using Sticky Strip.  Decorate front of folder.

These are the little gift cards and envelopes I put inside the folder.  I used SU's Scallop Notes.  I put designer paper inside the envelope and stamped the outside of the envelope.  The stamp set I used was Pun Fun and the little birdie is from Best Wishes & More.

Last night, I cut apart a couple of my wheels.  I had never done this before (I know, a lot people do it!!) and was a little scared.  But, I had bought the Friendly Words wheel for $8.50 and ended up with 13 stamps from it!!  Then I took a retired wheel of baby clothes on a clothesline (don't remember the name) and cut it apart in one long piece.  I backed the stamps with Easy Mount and now, all I have to do is put them on one of my clear stamp holders.  Get brave and give it a try!!  Now, to find a use for the empty wheel!!  Any ideas?

Fifth Ave Floral

Well, I resisted for a while, but finally broke down and bought this stamp.  I love it!!!  It is just gorgeous.  I made a birthday card for Judy with it last week but forgot to take a picture of it!!  But, I did this card this week for a friend.  I found this floral paper that I have had for ages and the stamp matched it really well ... don't you think?

I watercolored the flower and cut it out.  Then, I used a gel pen to go around the edges.  I just love how it turned out!  Here's the flower close-up.

Thank You

As a parent of children who served their country in the US Army ... my daughter is still in the Army .... I found this to be wonderful.

Recently, a gentleman from Seattle created a gesture using an ASL (American Sign Language) sign of “Thank You” (which is then being gestured from the heart rather than from the mouth), and has started a movement to get the word out. A Thank You from the Heart.

Please everybody take just a moment to watch.... The Gratitude Campaign; .... and then forward it to your friends!

THEN START USING THE SIGN.

More Swaps

Here are a few more of those swaps.

The first card is by Maria Richie.  It uses Dream a Little; Gallery; and Sincere Salutations with vellum paper over the flowers softening the look.

The second card is by Beth Weinstein.  She used Hope Happens stamp; the Top Note Die and Sixxiz Flower Layers #3 die.  She used Crystal Effects in the center of the flowers.

The third card is mine!!  I used the stamp set from Garden Greeting and embossed the vellum.

The first card is by Mary Haugen.  She used Simple Friendship with the Simple Flower Embosslit.  I love this pink and gray!!

The second card is by Sabrina Beinlich.  She used Le Jardin Botanique,

The third card is by Maggie Haas.  She used the popular set, Cheep Talk with Good Morning Sunshine DSP.  She also used a sewing machine on the bottom .... something you won't see me doing!!

The first card is by Amber Hight.  She used Quilt Quips and the Eyelet Punch.

The second card is by Toni Sizemore.  She used Three Little Words stamp set with designer paper and ribbon from Saleabration.

Never Give Up .... Plus a little humor!

How do you find the motivation to ‘keep on keeping on’? Abraham Lincoln is an awesome example of NEVER GIVING UP. If you never thought you could succeed on this journey, ponder this:

Abraham Lincoln...

• Failed in business at age 21.
• Was defeated in a legislative race at age 22.
• Failed again in business at age 24.
• Overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26.
• Had a nervous breakdown at age 27.
• Lost a congressional race at age 34.
• Lost a congressional race at age 36.
• Lost a senatorial race at age 45.
• Failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47.
• Lost a senatorial race at age 47.
• Was elected PRESIDENT of the US at age 52!

NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!

***********************************************

And here is a little humor for you today -

A very weird thing has happened. A strange old lady has moved into my house. I have no idea who she is, where she came from, or how she got in. I certainly didn't invite her. All I know is that one day she wasn't there and the next day she was. She's very clever. She manages to keep out of sight for the most part, but whenever I pass a mirror, I catch a glimpse of her there; and when I look into a mirror directly to check my appearance suddenly she's hogging the whole thing, completely obliterating my gorgeous face and body. It's very disconcerting. I've tried screaming at her to leave but she just screams back, grimacing horribly. She's really rather frightening. If she's going to hang around, the least she could do is offer to pay rent. But no. Every once in a while I do find a couple of dollar bills on the kitchen counter, or some loose change on my bureau or on the floor, but that certainly isn't enough. In fact, though I don't like to jump to conclusions, I think she steals money from me regularly. I go to the ATM and withdraw a hundred dollars, and a few days later, it's gone. I certainly don't go through it that fast, so I can only conclude that the old lady pilfers it. You'd think she'd spend some of it on wrinkle cream. God knows, she needs it.

And, the money isn't the only thing she's taking. Food seems to disappear at an alarming rate. Especially the good stuff - ice cream, cookies, candy - I just can't keep them in the house. She really has a sweet tooth. She should watch it; she's really putting on the pounds. I think she realizes that, and to make herself feel better I know she is tampering with my scale, so I'll think that I'm gaining weight, too. For an old lady she's really quite childish.

She also gets into my closets when I'm not home and alters all my clothes. They're getting tighter every day.

Another thing: I wish she'd stop messing with my files and papers on my desk. I can't find a thing any more. This is particularly hard to deal with because I'm extremely neat and organized; but she manages to jumble everything up so nothing is where it is supposed to be. Furthermore, when I program my VCR to tape something important, she fiddles with it after I leave the room so it records the wrong channel or shuts off completely. She finds innumerable imaginative ways to irritate me. She gets to my newspapers, magazines and mail before me—and blurs all the print; and she's done something sinister with the volume controls on my TV, radio and phone. Now all I hear are mumbles and whispers. She's also made my stairs steeper, my vacuum cleaner heavier, all my knobs and faucets hard to turn and my bed higher and a real challenge to climb into and out of. Furthermore, she gets to my groceries as soon as I shelve them and applies super glue to the tops of every jar and bottle so they're just about impossible to open. Is this any way to repay my hospitality?

I don't even get any respite at night. More than once her snoring has awakened me. I don't know why she can't do something about that. It's very unattractive.

As if all this isn't bad enough, she is no longer confining her malevolence to the house. She's now found a way to sneak into my car with me and follow me wherever I go. I see her reflection in store windows as I pass, and she's taken all the fun out of clothes shopping because her penchant for monopolizing mirrors has extended to dressing rooms. When I try something on, she dons an identical outfit, which looks ridiculous on her and then stands directly in front of me so I can't see how great it looks on me.

I thought she couldn't get any meaner than that, but yesterday, she proved me wrong. She had the nerve to come with me when I went to have some passport pictures taken.....

Don't you love it?? Rose Mula wrote this wonderful piece. Her page is at: http://www.seniorwomen.com/rosestranger.htm

(borrowed from Copyright © DWLZ, Inc. - 2009, all rights reserved.)

Results - American Idol

Well, my predictions were wrong. It was between Megan and Jasmine and cute little Jasmine was the first to go. Then it was between Anoop and Jorge and Jorge was the second one to go. The judges opted not to use their new "sudden death save" and both were sent home. Not too surprised about Jorge, but I thought the public got it wrong in sending Jasmine packing and not Megan based on last night's performances.

New Ruling on American Idol

Guess we'll find out in a few hours .... BUT speculation is running amuck!! This a.m. on The View (stay tuned in - I may be in the audience in a couple of weeks if all works out!!) Elizabeth told about going to see Idol last night and speaking with the judges about the new rule which will be announced tonight. Here is the speculation:

1) Public gets 1, judges get 1Crack TV critic Verne Gay believes that with two people getting kicked off tonight, one of the bottom three vote-getters will go because they got the fewest votes from the public. But the second person will get booted based on what the judges think....

2) Sing to stay on Idol- "the judges will go all "So You Think You Can Dance" and have the bottom three sing for their lives. Once the singoff is done, the judges will then decide their fates and send two of the three home."

3) Judges get veto power - This is what Reality TV World is reporting:
"American Idol producer Ken Warwick seems to have let the cat out of the bag about tonight's announcement of the "big surprise" that may "alter the face of" the show's eighth season.
It's because of a problem, actually, that's been around since Season 1," Warwick told Idol host Ryan Seacrest during a Tuesday morning appearance on Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show. "And we've talked about doing something about it -- in fact we tried it in another country to see if it would work first, we tried it in France -- and it does work so we're going to put that into work tonight." Last year, Nouvelle Star introduced a new twist in which the judges were given a one-time veto power right which allowed them to save a contestant that had been eliminated based on home viewer voting at any point during the season. The French judges ended up using it during the season's very first finals round, resulting in no one going home that week.

Hmmmm .... wonder if they will use it tonight????

Idol - Top 13 Perform Tonight

Well, Simon announced that 2 will be going home this week. Wow - getting to the nitty gritty right away. Michael Jackson night .... I like his music as long as I don't have to look at him and determine if he's white or black .... ebony or ivory????

My top 2 favorites are up first!!

• Lil Rounds - The Way You Make Me Feel: Bluesy Michael Jackson!! All loved him .... but of course, Simon!! She's a force to be reckoned with in my opinion as well as one of the judges.
• Scott Macintyre - Keep The Faith: Standing ovation!! He got to play to play the piano which is his forte and he is great at it. As usual, Simon "dissed" him ... hated the song even. I have to agree, it wasn't the most dynamic performance; it was safe, but he should be ok this week.
• Danny Gokey - PYT: His dad reminds me of Kenny Rogers - he had a room full of family!! Fantasia has picked Danny to be the winner of Idol this year ....we'll see. He had Paula on her feet which is always a good sign. Kara & Paula were his backup singers! He can really groove and move. I loved him. I think he could be one of the finalists!! MY VOTE! Simon liked the vocalists but hated the dancing.

What is Kara wearing???? That top should be choking her!! I just don't like her.

• Michael Sarver from Jasper Texas - You're Not Alone: Showing his sensitive side according to Ryan. He's not the best singer, but makes up for it with his passion. I didn't think the judges would like his performance but they proved me wrong. They did like him.
• Jasmine Murray - I'll Be There: She's the baby of her family and is from Mississippi. She's just so darn cute! A tough song but she did great. She looked comfortable on stage for being so young.
• Kris Allen - Remember the Time: An Arkansas boy. He's playing the guitar and I'm not sure that it helps his performance. Kara said he helped out the other contestants all week. Paula thinks he's "adorable sexy." What's with the wife comments from Simon????
• Allison Iraheta - Give In To Me: 16 years old but sure doesn't look or act it! What's with the red hair color???? She's really rocking tonight and giving a solid performance. As Randy says, she was born with it .... rocking the vocals. She's another one to contend with.
• Anoop Desi - Beat It - Chapel Hill boy!! He was the lucky 13th contestant that the judges decided on. Finally, a Michael song that I could relate to!! I don't think he was as bad as the judges said. If they don't want the contestants to pick Michael Jackson's big hits, why do they choose the artist. I have liked him, but it was a safe choice and didn't show his range. Oh well .... they can't all win.
• Jorge Nunoz - Never Can Say Goodbye: from Puerto Ricdo - another room full of family and I think the whole island of Puerto Rico is cheering him on. I didn't know this was a Jackson song. His vocals are great but needs more challenging song. It was too old fashion.
• Megan Corkey - Rockin' Robin: What is she wearing???? The big flower at the waist, the crocheted sleeves, the boobs falling out of the top ..... oh my .... she is such a cute girl (except for all the tattoes) and this outfit is just hideous! Song choice is not what I expected from her. She was one of my favorites, but she is blowing it tonight for me. I think the judges agree - especially Simon!
• Adam Lambert - Black or White: Paula is on her feet!! That's a good sign. He's definitely a contender!! Wow!! That was awesome. He's got a career ahead of him.
• Matt Giraud - Human Nature: I love this song. The piano is his thing! He's a dueling piano player and is certainly at home at the piano. Hope he make it through to next week. Paula thinks he talented and sexy also. Even Simon gave him kudos!! Wow!
• Alexis Grace - Dirty Diana: Another cutey! I don't know this song, but she is nailing it. Bet Simon will be drooling over her! Naughty girl!! Simon .... surprised me - thought she was too over the top.

Favorites & vote getters from me: Lil Rounds, Scott McIntyre; Danny Gokey; Adam Lambert

My picks to leave: 2 of these: Kris; Anoop; Mega

Everyone wants ... Blog Candy

There -away is a great giveaway ..... HERE!!

More Swap Pictures

I've gotten some comments on these swaps.  Yes, I agree .... they are super!!  If you are a SU demonstrator and are interested in joining the swaps, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the "Swap Nazi" as we like to call her!!  It is actually Jami Sibley, who is an alumni of the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen!!

Remember ... if you can't see all of the cards, click on them to open them in a larger window.

The first card is MINE!!  I had to use Rub-On's and these are from Many Occasions.  The stamp set is Crazy for Cupcakes.

Next is from Donna Baker using the felt fusion flower with a flower brad.  The stamp sets are Baroque Motifs and Sincere Salutations.

Card #3 is by Debra Daam using the eyelet punch and Parisian Breeze DSP (love it!).  The stamp set is Le Jardin Botanique.

The first card is by Crystal Spencer using Thoughts & Prayers and the Sanded Background.  She also used a button from Button Latte and the Top Note Die and faux stitching.

Card #2 is by Lorien Clark and uses Cheep Talk stamp set.  She used Good Morning Sunshine DSP with the Top Note Die and a Corduroy Button.

These cards are from a swap with another group (No More Bad Swaps).

Card #1 is from Ann Clemmer and uses Trendy Trees & Good Friend.  She used the Top Note Die and a Texturz Plate.

Card #2 does not have a name or a recipe.

Card #3 .... isn't it gorgeous!  It is by Barbara Welch and uses Fifth Avenue Floral.  The flower is cut in two pieces and the top part is mounted on the bottom half with a dimensional.

more blog candy

More Blog Candy!!

HERE

Swap Cards (part 1)

I just got back some swap cards. I was in 3 swaps and I really got some great cards.

Here's a few of them (you'll need to click on them to see all 3):

1st card by Leann Yoho. She used Wonderful Watercolors and En Francais. Love the little button (from SU's Button Bouquet)

2nd card by Tandra Boyer. She used 5th Avenue Floral with the Top Note die, Urban Oasis DSP and the Sweet Stem Embosslit.

3rd card by Crystal Spencer. She is one of my favorite swappers. Her work is always excellent! She used Three Little Words with the Bella Rose DSP and the new eyelet punch.

1st card is by Michelle Fischer. She used Bird on a Branch with the Urban Oasis paper and the Top Note Die.

The next card is MINE!! I had to use the color combo from page 10-11 (Retro Fresh) ... not my favorite combo!! I used Garden Greetings and the Embosslit leaves. I used the texture plate on the background.

The 3rd card is by Amy Sings. She used Cheep Talk with the Good Morning Sunshine DSP and some Fine Supernova Glitter.

blog candy

Blog Candy HERE!

and HERE!

Final Three for American Idol

• Jessie - Tell Me Something Good: I love this song! Judges comments: Randy didn't think she was great but the other judges thought she had a lot of soul and tenacity.
• Matt Giraud - Who's Loving You: Who's Loving You: Judges thought he was amazing and picked the perfect song. So, I think he'll make it
• Megan - Cherry Tree: Simon thinks she's quicky and current which is what they are looking for. Think she'll get the nod from the judges.
• Von Smith - Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Thing: Nope - don't think he'll make it. He was a little boring this time.
• Jasmine - Reflections: Randy - song too big, but great bright spots; Kara - Voice came out of nowhere; Paula - look lovely & picked beautiful song - wonderful job; Simon - not giving her enough credit; very brave song choice but huge improvement of what she did before - put herself back in the competition. Think she'll make it.
• Ricky from Elizabeth City - Superstition: Can sing his butt off ... or so says Kara. He loosened up and sounded great! Simon and Randy weren't impressed.
• Tatiana from Puerto Rico - Saving All My Love for You: She is just crazy!! If she laughs one more time, I'm going to scream!! She has a powerful voice and can definitely sing. She sang this song 3 times before which did not impress the judges. Think she dug her own grave on this one. The judges think this should be called "The Adventures of Tatiana." Maybe they won't vote her through.
• Anoop - My Perogitive: Not the best singer, but popular with the people and he has personality. The audience went wild over him. I wasn't really impressed and he was one of my favorites before. Well, now I'm perplexed! I think he's a judge favorite also!

OK - here are the judges choices:

• Megan
• Jasmine

OH NO .... the show must have gone over a few minutes and my DVR did not catch the end!! This is the pits! I have to go to another site now and find out the last winner.

Well looks like it'll be a Lucky 13!!! They picked Matt and Anoop!!!