American Idol Season 11: It's Girls Night . . .

It's the girls turn to take center stage and perform a song of their choice for America's votes.  How will they do after some of the strong performances of last night's show with the boys.

Well, here's how it went:

Chelsea Sorrell  starts things off with Carrie Underwood's Cowboy Casanova. I thought she did a good job, but will it be good enough to move on in the competition.

Erika Van Pelt sings Heart's What About Love and I enjoyed it.  She did look very comfortable and confident during her performance.

Jen Hirsh sings Adele's One and Only.  I love Adele and it's hard to live up to her. I think she did pretty good, but it wasn't perfect. She did have some strong moments but it got a little shaky at the end. 

It was interesting that Randy admitted to Ryan that they were a little too lenient on the boys last night.  So tonight, they have been a lot more critical of the girls.  They are doing the right thing by keeping it more real in the competition, but is it really fair to the girls that they are being more critical now when they gave some of the boys a "free pass". Probably not, but when I really think about it, their free passes last night could hurt the boys outcome more.        

Brielle Von Hugel sings Otis Redding's (Sittin' on The) Dock of the Bay and I thought she was really good.  A great song choice for her too.

Hallie Day sings Nina Simone's version of Feeling Good and she did great.  I've been a fan of hers since the auditions and I would love to see more of her in the competition.

Skylar Laine sings Faces' classic Stay With Me. I loved the energy and personality that she brought to the stage. Excellent!

Baylie Brown sings Lonestar's Amazed and I would have to agree with the judges that it wasn't her best performance.

Hollie Cavanagh sings Christina Aguilera's Reflection.  I thought she did a pretty good job.

Hayley Johnsen sings Eurythmics Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Although she had great presence on stage, I didn't really like her interpretation of the song or her singing performance. 

Shannon Magrane, sings Kathy Troccoli's Go Light Your World and I thought she did a really good job.  I hope that it is enough to keep her in the competition.

Jessica Sanchez sings Jennifer Hudson's Love You I Do and all I can say is Wow! She is definitely the whole package.  Great vocals, wonderful stage presence, and a cool personality  . . . and she's only 16 years old.

Elise Testone sings Adele's One and Only.  Now that's how you sing an Adele song.  I loved her performance. 

Overall, I thought the girls did a wonderful job.  I was a little worried at the beginning of the show but they got stronger toward the end.

Here are my favorite girl performances of the night:  Jessica Sanchez, Elise Testone, Brielle Von Hugel, Skylar Laine, Hallie Day, Hollie Cavanagh and Shannon Magrane

And that's my Recap. Keep on Rocking AI . . .

ABC Wednesday: G is for . . .

~ Gelato ~

Was there any doubt?  :)


Vanilla Gelato at Chez Black in Positano, Italy



Coco Gelato in Amalfi. . .

Best Gelato I had was in the town of Amalfi. You can find it on the main drag.

To see more members, see Denise Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY website HERE. 

American Idol Season 11: Top 12 Guys + 1 . . .

Tonight, the guys take the stage to perform a song of their choice to get our votes and earn their chance to move on in the competition.

And here's how the night went:

Reed Grimm sings Maroon5's Moves Like Jagger. It's an interesting jazzy song choice. I'm not sure how it will translate into votes though.

Adam Brock sings Aretha Franklin's Think. I liked Adam from the beginning but I just don't think he did enough with Aretha's song. It was an okay performance.

DeAndre Brackensick sings Earth, Wind Fire's Reasons. He started off a little shakey but that high note was just incredible and that's not a very easy song to sing. He has such amazing range.

Colton Dixon sings Paramore's Decode. It was cool that he did something different and stepped out from behind his piano. I thought it was okay, but not my favorite performance of the night.

Jeremy Rosado sings Sara Bareilles' Gravity and I loved it! I can't believe that I forgot him in my post last week and on my photo collage of the top 24 contestants. Shame on me.

Aaron Marcellus sings Jackson 5's Never Can Say Goodbye and it was okay, not brilliant. I can't believe that performance got a standing O.

Chase Likens sings Hunter Hayes' Storm Warning. I've never heard of the song and I thought he was okay. I'm feeling like either the judges are being really generous with their compliments tonight or I'm just having a Simon Cowell night.

Creighton Fraker sings Cyndi Lauper's True Colors and I loved it. I think that Creighton is definitely a unique and talented artist. He has such soul when he sings and this was a great song choice for him.

Phillip Phillips sings Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight. It was an interesting interpretation of Phil Collins' song. I thought he did a really good job.

Eben Franckewitz sings Adele's Set Fire to the Rain. Yikes!

Heejun Han sings Robbie Williams'Angels. I really like the tone of his voice, but it may not have been his strongest performance.  I think he still made his dancing mom proud.

Joshua Ledet sings Jennifer Hudson's You Pulled Me Through and he knocked it out of the ball park. Great performance.  Now that deserved a standing O.

Whoo Hoo!  Jermaine Jones was selected to receive that "surprise twist" second chance to peform for America's votes tonight and he takes full advantage by singing an amazing and emotional performance of Luther Vandross' Dance With My Father. Another well deserved standing O.  AI did good by this very nice twist. 

It was a wonderful evening for the guys overall and now I can't wait to hear Jessica Sanchez and the rest of the top 12 girls tomorrow night.  Will there be a second twist?  Stay tuned.

Here are my top favorite performances of the night: Joshua Ledet, Jeremy Rosado, Creighton Fraker,  Jermaine Jones, DeAndre Brackensick, Phillip Phillips,

And that's my Recap. Keep on Rocking AI . . .

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Old . . .

The Grauman's Chinese Theatre is an old Movie Theatre located on the historic Hollywood Walk of fame in Los Angeles, California.  It sits only a few yards away from the Kodak Theatre where the 84th Acadamy Awards will be held this coming Sunday (February 26, 2012). 

This beautiful old Theatre opened in 1927 with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's film The King of Kings.  

 It is also famous for the concrete blocks in the front which bear the names, hand and/or foot prints for famous celebrities.

I always enjoy watching the Acadamy Awards and I am so happy to hear that Billy Crystal will be hosting it this year.  It will be the 9th time for him to host these awards. 

I wonder who will win Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor . . . stay tuned on Sunday for the results. :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 11: Top 24 . . .

Tonight provided both excitement and heart break as the top 24 Contestants for American Idol's Season 12 is revealed.

 

And here they are:  

Deandre Brackensick, Jessica Sanchez, Adam Brock, Heejun Han, Shannon Magrane, Elise Testone, Creighton Fraker, Phil Phillips, Baylie Brown, Chelsea Sorrell, Joshua Ledet, Hollie Cavanaugh, Hallie Day, Reed Grimm, Colton Dixon, Jen Hirsh, Haley Johnsen, Chase Likens, Aaron Marcellus, Erika Van Pelt, Brielle Von Hugel, Skylar Laine and Eben Franckewitz

It's too difficult to pick my top favorites at this point, but I am so happy that Deandre Brackensick, Jessica Sanchez, Adam Brock, Heejun Han and Shannon Magrane made it through.

Sadly, the most heartbreaking cuts were Lauren Gray, Jermaine Jones and David Learner.   If they are bringing back one guy I think it should only be fair that they bring back one girl too. What's up with that AI!

I think this season will be awesome.  There are some very unique and talented contestants here and I can't wait for the live shows. Btw, I think Steven Tyler taking a dive in the water was so awesome! :)

And here is a taste of what you'll see from Deandre Brackensick and Jessica Sanchez!

And that's my Recap. Keep on Rocking AI . . .

ABC WEDNESDAY: F is for . . . .

~ FOUNTAIN ~

"A fountain (from the Latin "fons" or "fontis", a source or spring) is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect." ~ Wikipedia

I love fountains and enjoy taking photos of them where ever I see them.  :)

General Life Gardens-Granada, Spain

Fountain of Neptune in Piazza Navona - Rome, Italy

Trevi Fountain - Rome, Italy

Pegasus Fountain (Where they filmed SOM) - Salzburg, Austria

Fritschi Fountain - Lucerne, Switzerland

Dancing Fountain - Los Angeles, California

To see more members, see Denise Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY website HERE. 

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Circles

If you scored this hand in Las Vegas, you would get lots and lots of these circles. :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

American Idol Season 11: Group Night Cuts & Breakout Performances . . .

The two standout group performances tonight was given by Group Sauce singing "Hold On, I'm Coming" and Hollywood 5 singing Mercy. I especially enjoyed David Leathers, Jr., Reed Grimm, Creighton Fraker, and Aaron Marcellus.

Should I mention the groups that did really poorly? Nah . . .  

Next, the remaining 98 contestants who survived group cuts must now perform solo with the AI band. From the few performances that were featured and aired, I thought the stand out performances came from:

- Joshua Ledet sings "Jar of Hearts" - Awesome!
- Creighton Fraker sings "What a Wonderful World" - He has such a soulful style. I love it.
- Shannon Magrane sings "What a Wonderful World" - A different sound than Creighton but I really liked her performance.
- Reed Grimm, with only 30 minutes to prepare, gets behind the drums and sings an amazing "Georgia on my Mind".
- Adam Brock sings "Georgia on My Mind"

Some of my favorites who are moving on to Las Vegas:  Lauren Gray, Jermaine Jones, Adam Brock, Reed Grimm, Creighton Fraker, Hee Jun Han, Skylar Laine, Jessica Phillips, David Leathers, Phillips Phillips . . . Yay!

Is it me or does everyone else think that Jennifer Lopez looks a lot more comfortable as an Idol Judge this year.  Good for her.  Makes me want to say, Simon who?  And I loved the impromptu jazz session that Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson had with the contestants.

And that's my Recap. Keep on Rocking AI . . .

ABC Wednesday: E is for . . .

~ Eiffel ~ Tower

This week I decided to head to Paris, France and feature the La dame de fer (or Iron Lady) which is a nick name given to the Eiffel tower.  According to Wikipedia, the tower which was built in 1889 is the most visited paid monument in the world.  I, myself, have been very lucky to visit it twice. 

With views like this, if I were to travel to Paris again, I wouldn't mind a 3-peat visit to the top of La dame de fer !

To see more members, see Denise Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY website HERE. 

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Vintage

Ruby's Diner is a really cool vintage themed restaurant.

Love the vintage style signs and decor they have ....

The restaurant is located next to Redondo Beach which is why Ruby sez "Shoes & Shirts Required" and "No Roller Blades".  Can you see Ruby through the window. :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

American Idol Season 11: My first impressions . . . .

Wow, I can't believe that this is my first post for American Idol's Season 11.  I've been watching the auditions but somehow haven't been inspired to blog about it. Has the flame been extinguished?  With shows like the X-Factor and the Voice, has my loyalty wavered and interests gone elsewhere? 

Well, I can definitely tell you that it's not because of the X-Factor. Sadly, I don't have any positive things to say about the show and I predict that it will not last as long as AI.  The Voice on the other hand is a really good show. I like the judges, I like the format, and the talent is top notch. 

But after watching Hollywood Group Night last night, I somehow found my inspiration.  So what gave me the spark?  Was it the high drama of the pressure, was it the famous one liners of judge, Steven Tyler?  No, I finally found my spark to write because of the great new talent that has been discovered for American Idol Season 11. Yay!

Audition Standouts for me:  Lauren Gray, Rachelle Lamb, Reis Kloeckener, John Keyser, Jermaine Jones (aka Gentle Giant), Romeo Diahn, Phillip Phillips, Creighton (really different soulful voice), Reed Grimm, Skylar Laine, Hee Jun Han, David Leathers,Eben Franckewitz, Jessica Phillips, Adam Brock.

I love last years American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery's tweets about last night's episode:

"I honestly don't know how I survived! That was a crazy night!  You gotta work thru the stress and be prepared for an all nighter!" 

"I'm feeling these peoples pain on American Idol tonight!  Last year, I was the lost puppy dog that no one wanted in their group!  Hahah"

And that's my Recap. Keep on Rocking AI . . .

ABC WEDNESDAY: D is for . . . .

~ Dance ~

Dance (Wikipedia) is an art form, it is a wonderful way that our bodies move to the rhythm of music.  We use dance as a way to express ourselves and we do it for many different reasons.

And here is a fun photo collection of some of my favorite reasons to dance!


EXERCISE:  Runners dancing the Cha Cha Slide . . .



 Photo was taken at Pt. Fermin Park in San Pedro, California.



FUN:  A man dances to music being played by street musicians.

Photo was taken in Old Town Square in Prague. 

NAUGHTY FUN:  A co-worker doing a bit of pole dancing . . .

Photo taken at a Las Vegas night club.

ENTERTAINMENT:  Tribute Band for "The Time" and their audience dancing to the song "The Bird". 



 Photo taken at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

AND COOLNESS:  Dancing either in the audience or on stage with his Purpleness is Dance at its absolute "Coolness". :)  

 

Photo taken at the Los Angeles Forum Welcome2America Concert Tour with the Cool One himself, Prince.

To see more posts that start with the letter "D", dance on over to Denise Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY website HERE. 

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Twigs

While visiting the Isle of Sky in Scotland back in 2009, I explored this walking path next to my hotel in the town of Portree (Wikipedia).  There are quite a bit of twigs surrounding the sign . . .

I keep going along the path where I find lots of twigs which is blocking my view of Portree Bay on the right.

On the left of the walking path I find yet more twigs, some trees and a pretty little stream.

Next I arrive here in this open area where there are a few more twigs below and this stunning view.  

And just when I thought I've seen enough beauty here in the Highlands of Scotland, I turn back and behind the twigs and trees, I see the top of this beautiful rainbow.  

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

 

ABC WEDNESDAY: C is for . . .

~ Cactus ~

Before this post I didn't know much about the cactus (Wikipedia) plant other than being poked by them on a couple of occasions while hiking.   And here's a  photo of one of the culprits. 

But the more I read about the cactus, the more I find them to be interesting. For example, there are some species that bear edible fruit such as the prickly pear and in places like Mexico it's cultivation by farmers are quite profitable raking in as much as $150 million each year.  I also read that in some places like Kenya, it is  used to construct a cactus fence to help protect an owner's property and ward off wandering animals.  

But what I find most interesting is how the cactus is able to use their natural make-up to adapt to their hot and dry environments with very little rainfall.    

Yes, what I have grown to really like most about the cactus is that they are a "Survivor".  So the next time I walk by them I intend to show them a little respect . . . plus walk a little further away from them. :) 

Going through my photo library, I remembered these really cool cactus photos that I took, while visiting the famous Bloemenmarkt (Wikipedia) in Amsterdam and so I wanted to feature them for my ABC Wednesday contribution this week.  

They caught my attention because they have these colorful flowers growing out of them which I have never seen in a cactus before. 

Aren't they pretty . . .

Upon closer inspection, they still appear to have those pokey thorns, so be careful. :)

To see more members, see Denise Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY website HERE.