Visit her etsy shop here, or digital products here for more kitschy and kawaii kute kute kute!

Awww, right?! Now, the kitty version is made out of corrugated cardboard, which is perfect for exercising those claws. The Jackie version might need to be more along these lines:

A cocoon TUB — YES! The bikini really sells it.

Or how about the cocoon SPA?!

This Gharieni “dream cocoon” spa includes: infrared sauna, aromatherapy, Vichy shower, Vibro massage, colour therapy, hydromassage, face ventilation, and many other things. I can only imagine what the “other things” might be! But I don’t know — all those knobs and gizmos intimidate me. So let’s keep it simple, like this:

Ahhhh!

But somehow along the way of clicking around, I came across the blogs at Catster and Dogster, who were doing their own contests in honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day yesterday. So may I present to you the winner in the Cat Division:

Now, I don’t know about y’all’s kitty cats, but mine would not stand for that, NO WAY!

Things were a bit more unruly over at Dogster, with a little too much “yo ho ho-ing” going on:

That’s the way my dearest husband might have looked if the Longhorns would not have pulled out a victory last night!

The only catch was that I had to promise not to give Stace a hard time about being a Katherine McPhee fan. That would be difficult, I would try to restrain myself. Besides, S had redeemed herself by reporting back from the Grease! musical last week that Taylor was “Awesome!” Billy is still a Daughtry fan, first and foremost, but is cool enough to appreciate all types of music, especially that of the LIVE variety. Is any of this important? No!

You couldn’t have picked a better venue for the type of acoustic show Taylor and his band were going to play. It was the smaller “studio” side of Warehouse Live. Tiny stage, a few couches and chairs, one bar, and standing room for about 300+. If I’d been so inclined, I could have stood close enough to catch drops of Taylor’s sweat; however, there were twenty or so diehard Soul Patrol ladies who beat me to the punch.

We arrived in time to mix and mingle with the crowd a bit. Stacia, that chatterbox, learned that there were fans in attendance from New Orleans and Mississippi. Several had seen Taylor’s sold-out show at Biloxi’s Beau Rivage a few days prior. One woman was seeing Taylor for her 50th time! The age range of fans was quite large, and if the show wouldn’t have been on a Monday night, I bet some kids would have been there. My niece (8) has adored Taylor since American Idol and wanted desperately to come along!

Stacia and I had been forewarned that Taylor was devastatingly handsome in person. I was intrigued. I certainly thought he was nice looking on TV. How much hotter could he have been “in the flesh?” Well, I am here to report that the man has something going on in His Eyes. Taylor possesses a very penetrating gaze, which definitely adds to the intensity of the songs he performs. Not that this has any effect on the music, you understand. But worth mentioning.

Since this was a stripped down set, Taylor would remain seated with his guitar for the duration. He was joined on the stage by Brian Less on keyboards (formerly of Taylor Hicks Band and Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, and the mastermind behind the “Shadow Tour” song selections), John Kulinich on lead guitar, and Jason Parker on bass. The guys sounded great together, and it was clear they enjoyed playing these songs. They seem like they would enjoy playing anywhere.

The mix included songs from Taylor’s March release The Distance, his post-Idol, self-titled release, and covers. Funny story: Until becoming a fan of Taylor’s through the Idol competition, I had never heard of most of the bands he covers. A shame! The only song I knew by Van Morrison was “Brown-Eyed Girl,” and only because Mitch used to dedicate Jimmy Buffett’s version to me at the bars! Billy will probably chime in about his role in my musical education (he is still trying to get me into The Beatles, but I swear he only loves them so much because he’s a hipster wanna-be).

Here is the setlist to the best of my memory, along with a few video clips and highlights:

The Distance
Battlefield
Don’t Let Me Down (Now this is how I like The Beatles– with some SOUL!)

Taylor done SANG this one!

Runaround (My favorite from first album!)
What’s Right Is Right
The Deal (from Taylor’s pre-Idol record, Under the Radar– really worth checking out)
Hey Pocky A-Way (The Meters cover)
Will It Go Round In Circles (Billy Preston cover)

Woo baby! I’d love to see Taylor with horns someday! But who needs horns when you have HARMONICA??

Maybe You Should

This is just a gorgeous ballad. After singing, Taylor mentioned, smiling, that “Someone wants to cut it.” A Nashville star (who? WHO?!) wants to record Tay’s song. Way to go!

Once Upon A Lover
Saint Dominic’s Preview (Van Morrison cover with absolutely phenomenal, mindblowing harp solo. Taylor’s is better than the original, I wish I had a video)
Use Me (Bill Withers cover. Brian Less’ shining moment on keys. Nice guitar solo, too. Taylor wailed. Old dudes next to us were knocked out by the talent)

Nineteen
ENCORE
Gonna Move (Paul Pena cover)

It was an electrifying live music experience. I feel lucky that I was able to see Taylor and Co. in such close quarters. Thank you soooo much Billy and Stacia!! I love you guys.

Paolo released his first album, These Streets, in 2006. He had minor hits with the songs “These Streets” and “Last Request” and played the festival circuit in Europe. His career gained momentum through 2007, as his songs were featured on programs like “Scrubs,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “CSI”. When his third single, “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty,” caught my attention on the radio one day, I became an instant fan.

Critics were quick to lump him in with other lite soul-pop heartthrobs like James Blunt, Jamie Lidell and Adam Levine. However, there is more than his model looks to set him apart from the pack (not that he doesn’t have the magazine spreads to support the teen idol image).

From Teen Vogue

No, Paolo has the IT Factor. Star power exudes from the heartfelt delivery of his lyrics, which reveal a wisdom beyond his young age, to the way he combines influences from Sam Cooke to Bob Marley, and caresses the syllables with a brogue (imagine Paolo as a modern day, musical version of James Bond, where he pacifies dangerous women by crooning– Brigad007n?):

His 2009 release, Sunny Side Up, should quiet some of those comparisons to his peers. On this album, you’ll hear plenty of old school soul, but also a broad range of styles from ska to celtic folk. With every song, Nutini sings with conviction and a voice that is uniquely Paolo. Read this glowing review, which pretty much sums up my feelings about the album.

His set last Saturday night in Houston contained songs from both records (but mostly Sunny Side Up), and a couple of covers:

• Alloway Grove (TS)
• High Hopes (SSU)
• Pencil Full of Lead (SSU)
• Loving You (SSU)
• Growing Up Beside You (SSU)

• Candy(SSU)
• Chamber Music (SSU)
• Funky Cigarette (SSU bonus track)
• Coming Up Easy (SSU)
• Down In Mexico (The Coasters Cover)
• 10/10 (SSU)
• No Other Way (SSU)
• New Shoes (TS)


Anyone remember Terence Trent D’Arby?

Encore:

• These Streets (TS) (Crowd favorite, everyone knew the words and sang along)
• Jenny Don’t Be Hasty (TS) (Highlight of the show for me, and was performed like a trippy remix with extended intro and reverb effects):

• Forget It (Sixto Rodriguez Cover)

A bit of constructive criticism: Paolo gets very into his singing, and does not interact with the crowd very much at all. One might attribute this to shyness, or perhaps too many “funky cigarettes.” Afer watching the giggling interplay between the band members during that song, and reading a couple of quotes from Paolo on the Net, I would probably go with the latter, but who knows?

Also, they did not play “Last Request” !!! C’mon Paolo, our hubbies and boyfriends took us to drool over see you, now close out the show with that sexy ballad that makes us want to go home and show our appreciation!

Other than that, I absolutely adored the man and the show. Go see him if you can!

It was immediately apparent after chasing a few links that this girl’s star is on the rise. On the outside, she appears to be a charming, blonde Californian waif, with a hint of the exotic from her Russian heritage. Early 30s, perhaps? Her vocal style has been compared to such artists as Feist, Corinne Bailey Rae, Tegan and Sara, Sia, and Macy Gray. So in other words, it’s quirky, scratchy, and a little kewpie-esque. Luckily, her sophisticated lyrics and themes keep her from being cloyingly cute. Oh, and then there’s her stage banter, which can go from wry to naughty, depending on the crowd.

Anya was having a successful career as a radio DJ in San Diego, while casually writing songs and performing at open mic nights on the side. Finally, she gave in to the call to become a full-time musician. Marina released her first album, Miss Halfway, in 2005. The record is full of well-crafted acoustic pop gems, but ultimately a little sleepy for my tastes. Still, fans of ’90s female artists like Liz Phair, Veruca Salt, and Juliana Hatfield will probably find something to connect with in Anya’s music. Like these women, Anya uses gritty language and dark humor as she spins introspective tales about herself and her relationships with men.

Anya got her big break when the title track of Miss Halfway was featured on Grey’s Anatomy, and included on the 2006 TV soundtrack.

In 2009, she released her sophomore effort, Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II. This album has much more energy and individuality than the first, which is due in part to being partially produced (and with beats supplied by) Britt Daniel, of Austin, TX indie band, Spoon, fame. (Sample Drop Dead Blues for a taste)

It is obvious that the material inspired her to infuse her vocal delivery with a little more soul. There is also a nice helping of Brazilian flavor in some of the tracks (including a cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Waters of March,” which she sings in both English and Portuguese as originally written). Now she’s touring with successful guys like Chris Isaak, Eric Hutchinson, Jason Mraz, and of course, Paolo.

Last Saturday night, Anya took the stage with only her guitar and her iPod Nano. She held up the electronic device and thanked her “drummer” for being with her on tour. She also apologized for the fact that he was a little small, “Mano-rexic.” LOL. Highlights from the set:

• Vertigo (One of my favorites from her soph. album, sooo catchy!)
• Not A Through Street (Introduced with a story about her mother and “missing someone”)
• Move You

• Whatever You Like (T.I. Cover)

• All the Same to Me

Overall, she put on an entertaining show. The mixed crowd wasn’t completely into her, but she did her best to win us over. She invited us to whistle along, taught us to say “I Love You” in Russian, and informed us that rainbows come from “unicorn pee.” This was news to me.

My impression is that she’s like a stripped down Gwen Stefani: All of the Moxie, but less focus on the Makeup and Materialism and more on Music and the Mind.In summary: I like her. I think you should give her a try.

PS… She also has the Gift of Gab. If no one will interview you, just interview your own damn self… LOL

For an introduction, you may click my About Me here.

You will soon discover that I don’t believe in posting without a bit of eye or ear candy:

Kawaii Cupcakes

Speaking of cute and sweet and Candy… My dear husband Mitchie is taking me to see Paolo Nutini on Saturday night. We don't have Date Nite often enough, but he and Granny know that I get very grumpy if I don't get out to a concert now and again. So I will leave you with this little preview of Mr. Paolo, and his song, Candy:

Doing the Happy Dance with anticipation already!!