Planning a Trip to Amsterdam....

I have been thinking about traveling abroad for the last few years. I am so busy, it;'s hard to even begin to consider planning a trip... what with work, the kids and all. But, I ran across this site today: http://www.coolcapitals.com and it got me to thinking... what about a trip to Amsterdam?

The site says:

"As the capital of Holland, Amsterdam is famous for its diversity and tolerance as well as its architecture, design and art. Amsterdam is a must-visit destination for art lovers. With museums dedicated to Van Gogh and Rembrandt among other Dutch Masters, there is certainly plenty of art in Amsterdam from which to choose. Architecture buffs will marvel at the 17th-century canal houses in the city center and the modern buildings that dot the man-made peninsulas in the Eastern Docklands. Internationally renowned for innovation, experimentation and sheer beauty in areas such as urban planning, industrial design, and graphic design, Amsterdam is the place to discover Dutch design. Amsterdam restaurants feature a gamut of cuisines; try the Indonesian rice table or delicious Dutch pancakes."

Art, Design, Museums?!? I'm so there. Oh, and I can only imagine the Amsterdam Restaurants are incredible too, and you know I am all about the food.

Everything looks amazing there... look at this page: Amsterdam design The design is fresh and modern... I could get lost in a place like this in just the design galleries... look at this: http://www.coolcapitals.com/content/1551/Wonen+2000.html

I LOVE those chairs!!!


Anyone ever been to Amsterdam? Any tips?

Overland..... My New Favorite Book!

So, lately I’ve been into books like Eat Pray Love. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I heard it was good. I’m hesitant only because it seems like in general if I love the book, the movie is just okay. Have you seen the movie yet? What do you think? Did you read the book first?

Anyways, I think travel novels are a fun read. I also love romance, adventure and suspense, all of which are found in the book Overland. Have you heard of it? It was written by Mark Levy. According to his blog, after he traveled the world and had some adventures and magical experiences, he was inspired to write this book. It’s a novel, but it is loosely based off of some of his experiences as well. I always think the author does better when the inspiration is personal, don’t you?

After I read the book, I was so sad, not because of the ending, but because I loved the characters so much I was sad the story ended! If you are looking for the best romantic novel or just a book that takes you away from reality for a while, I recommend you pick it up! I actually bought it on Author House here: buy Overland where you can get it for cheap electronically or buy the paperback or hardcover, whatever your preference. I also noticed they have it for Kindle, Nook and IPAD… but sadly I have none of those fancy devices…. I have to admit though, I’m still a sucker for a nice looking book I can stick on my shelf… and this book is pretty, just look at it:

 

Anyways, spread the word… a good book is worth sharing! Happy reading!

Oh Conan, How We've Missed You!!

I can't WAIT!!!!

Guide to Romance & Chivalry

 I stumbled across this, thought it might be a good thought provoking piece for those that could use a little romance - male or female....

Guide to Romance & Chivalry

1. Treat your love like royalty.
2. Whisk her away from responsibilities and surprise her with clandestine, romantic destinations.
3. At the first shiver, wrap her up in your coat.
4. Compliment her in front of her mother, sisters, friends and co-workers.
5. Craft and mail a handwritten love letter for her to discover amongst the bills.
6. Spend at least the first fifteen minutes of your morning holding her in your arms.
7. Carry her picture in your wallet.
8. Sacrifice a little.
9. Confess your affections on paper - Send them to her office marked "personal and confidential".
10. Take a moment to place "your song" in the CD player of her car.
11. Conspire to have the pianist play her favorite song when she enters the restaurant.
12. Take things slowly; true intimacy develops over time.
13. Allow yourself to be a servant.
14. Always look for ways to make her smile.
15. Learn how she takes her coffee - Have it ready when she wakes in the morning.
16. Never stop flirting with her.
17. Never give her reason to believe you are flirting with someone else.
18. Take time along the way to reminisce about your love story together.
19. Lean into to her and gently whisper in her ear.
20. Give her only the most sincere and genuine of compliments.
21. Take her in your arms and dance with her - in the kitchen, the parking lot - anywhere.
22. Never wait for a holiday to shower her with affection - Love her today.
23. Listen.
24. Use the element of fire (candlelight, roaring fireplaces) to ignite a mood of passion.
25. Draw her a warm and fragrant bubble bath drenched with rose petals.
26. Always keep your promises to her.
27. Deliver the flowers yourself.
28. Caress her hand, her shoulder, her cheek to remind her how lovely she is.
29. Tell her how much you desperately need her.
30. Give for the sake of giving - Do not expect anything in return.
31. Stargaze with her.
32. Be sentimental - Return to places together where special moments and fond memories linger.
33. Present her with an heirloom as rich in its pricelessness as her beauty.
34. Live in the moment - Spontaneity is the breath of romance.
35. Propose a toast to her every time you drink champagne together.
36. Introduce her to others with undeniable pride.
37. Learn the passions of her life - Then be a part of them.
38. Ask what she desires.
39. Touch and delight all of her passionate senses - enhance the romance of what she sees, hears, smells, tastes and touches.
40. Plant her a garden of her favorite flowers - Care for it with the same tenderness you feel for her.
41. Never wait for nightfall - Romance should live at all hours.
42. Create moments that will live in both of your memories for a lifetime.
43. Seek ways to add excitement to her normal routine.
44. Take care of dinner tonight.
45. Memorize her face before you part company.
46. Tell others why she is so beautiful.
47. Celebrate her victories, successes and accomplishments.
48. Never hold back - True romance cannot be rationed.
49. Celebrate the girl within her - Push her in a swing - Fly a kite with her.
50. Create your own personal romantic traditions.
51. Love her with your eyes.
52. Lead with her best interest in your heart.
53. Stand when she enters the room - The love of your life just walked in.
54. Smile across the room at her - Let her know you cannot wait to be at her side.
55. Never rush the moment - Savor every second with her.
56. Apologize - Pride has no place in matters of the heart.
57. Always open the door for her.
58. When she travels, send flowers to her destination to greet her when you cannot.
59. Never overlook the obvious - Do not hesitate to give her life's smallest pleasures.
60. Kiss her good-bye - Always.
61. Greet her with a kiss - Without fail.
62. Help your beloved on and off with her coat.
63. Tell her you want to be alone with her - Let nothing stand in your way of making it happen.
64. Learn some of her fantasies - Then make them realities.
65. Dare to take big risks.
66. Plan a rendezvous with her to take place a year from now - Let her know this romance is here to stay.
67. Know what she finds irresistible - Then indulge her.
68. Let yourself miss her - Then tell her.
69. Remember every reason why you fell in love with her.
70. Put your watch, cell phone and the remote control in a drawer before spending time with her - Then lock the drawer.
71. Ask her to fly away with you - Let her know you have already bought the tickets.
72. Swallow your pride - Settle all your arguments before bedtime.
73. Take photographs to treasure someday when your memory begins to fail.
74. Sincerity, selflessness, tenderness, passion and compassion are the five senses of romance.
75. Remember that all great love stories do not have endings.

Quote of the Day

Would you rather be right or free? ~Byron Katie

Guess which one I chose? 

New American Idol Judges?

So, if you know me personally, you probably know my boyfriend Giovanni Amato is a singer – and you probably know he tried out for American Idol. For those of you who don't already know the story, its kinda sad… Not to rehash it here, but he made it past several rounds and we really thought he had a chance to take it all of the way. But, turns out the show is just that, a show – and a reality show at that. So, although it may appear to be a process of elimination to ultimately get only the very best talent on the show – it is far from that. In a nutshell, they already had someone a lot like him for the show, so they didn't need him. It clearly had nothing to do with his talent and abilities, but moreover his personality and looks (which, BTW, are just as qualified as his voice – but that's a whole other blog post – love ya baby). Sure, you'd expect some amount of politics in any reality TV show casting, but it was really unfortunately to have to personally go through that and it really left a lot of us with a bad taste in our mouth and a certain loss in the enchantment we once had for the show.


That said, many family and friends have already stopped watching the show. We thought about skipping it this last year, but we are both singers and reality TV addicts (love Hell's Kitchen, So You Think You Can Dance, The Next Food Network Star, Design Star, etc) so, we found ourselves watching it again…. And, we love Ellen DeGeneres and I think she added a realness and, of course, humor, to the show… that's why I was SHOCKED to see this pop up on my MSN news yesterday:


Kara DioGuardi Reportedly Fired From 'Idol'

Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez said to be replacements
 

Kara DioGuardi has been fired from "American Idol" — and is set to be replaced by Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler, according to a new report.


The revolving door of judges on the TV talent show is spinning once again — DioGuardi is said to have been booted from the judging panel as part of the producers' ongoing cast shake-up.

TMZ.com reports that TV bosses have finalized deals to recruit both Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, who will join Randy Jackson for a three-judge format on the upcoming 10th season, due to premiere in January.


The news follows Ellen DeGeneres' shock announcement on Thursday that she is stepping down from her judging role after just one series on the show, replacing Paula Abdul.


Simon Cowell, who has been with the show since its 2002 inception, quit to concentrate on launching a new series, "The X Factor."
 
So, Kara is fired, Ellen is quitting and we already knew, but Simon is gone!


WHOA!


Now it's said that it'll be Randy and Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez! Wow… I kinda like the new line up. What do you think?

Incredible Video

This kind of movement and dance is so amazing to me! Imagine how much strength and practice it would take to be able to do this:



I respect anyone who has the dedication to show how incredible and beautiful the human body can be! Brilliant!