Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

10 iPhone Apps That I Love

A while back I made the bold statement that an iPhone is the new must-have item for mommies. I also made a wishy-washy statement about maybe one day writing a post about my favorite apps. And now, six weeks later, here it is. My sense of urgency is clearly alive and well.

I'll come out of the closet and say that an iPhone is a dream come true for a Star Trek lover. It's like my own personal communicator device. Sometimes, when I'm standing in line at a store or wherever I experience five seconds of boredom, I whip out my iPhone and start poking at the screen with the same urgency as Captain Picard on an away mission. Except it's quite probable that I'm just doing a crossword puzzle and not trying to detect how many life forms there are in a twenty-mile radius.

(And by the way, raise your hand if you loved the latest Star Trek movie. And raise your other hand if you never before picked up on the chemistry between Uhura and Spock. Yeah, that's what I thought.)

But even if you’re not a ~~nerd~~ Star Trek lover, iPhones probably hold some appeal to you. So feel free to chime in if you’ve submitted to its siren song and have your own favorite apps that I haven’t mentioned.

Baby Brain

Icon_BabyBrain

I’ll start off with a baby-related app since new-mommy stress was the inspiration for this post. Baby Brain (and similar apps) provides the ability to track nursings, bottles, and diapers. I remember my first couple of months as a mom as a sleep-deprived haze of diapers and feedings. I was focused on my baby and usually couldn’t remember the last time I took a shower, much less which side to start on during the next nursing. It was such a relief to me to be able to track feedings without writing it down or trying to remember anything. I tried out several of these types of apps and concluded that the “perfect” app is really a matter of personal taste. If you’re interested in this type of functionality, search for “baby” in the app store and find something that you like.

Awesome Note

Icon_AwesomeNote

I would like to crown the inventor of the sticky note as King (or Queen?) of Great Ideas. How did anyone ever survive without them? But you can’t take them everywhere. That’s where the Awesome Note app comes in. It provides the ability to organize notes into folders, with each folder containing multiple notes or a to-do sort of checklist. It also provides the ability to jot a quick note to yourself. I use it to keep a to-do list, grocery list, blog post ideas, recording Michael’s milestones…the list goes on and on. You can also customize the font and backgrounds for each note. It is truly a note-taker’s delight.

All Recipes

Icon_AllRecipes

I have a friend that reads cookbooks like they’re novels. I’ve given her at least two cookbooks as gifts, and I’m sure there will be more in the future. I also have several cookbooks, but for some reason I totally forget about them when trying to come up with something to make for dinner. Maybe it’s because getting on my computer and searching allrecipes.com is so much easier. So I was super excited when I came across their app. One morning I wanted to make sausage gravy, which I’d never made before, so I did a quick search using this app. And voila, there at my finger tips was the perfect recipe. I’m hungry just thinking about it.

Crosswords

Remember all those nights during the first couple of months of parenthood when you joyfully rose at all hours with your newborn baby and stared into that precious face while nursing or giving a bottle? Yeah, neither do I. I was just trying to stay awake. I read somewhere about a dad that fell asleep in a rocking chair while holding his baby, and the baby ended up with a broken arm. So I was terrified of falling asleep holding my little one. The Crosswords app was my saving grace during those late night and early morning hours. It’s hard to fall asleep while trying to think of a four-letter word for boot, with ‘s’ as the third letter. Garrett has laughed that he often woke up to see my face in the glow of my iPhone. And I laughed when we started giving Michael a bottle and my dear husband could participate in those nighttime feedings. Muahahahaha!

YouVersion Bible

I love me some Scripture. This app is handy-dandy for those times that you’re trying to think of a verse but have only a couple of words to work with. And it could also be great in church if you forget your Bible. Just be prepared for some dirty looks since people will probably think that you’re checking your email and not reading a Bible in the coolest way possible.

Praying God’s Word Prayer Cards

I just found this app today and already love it. It’s based on Beth Moore's prayer cards, which I have at home but hardly ever look at because the big box of cards intimidates me by their shear number. One of the great things about this app is that you pay for only as much as you want. So, instead of buying the big box of cards, it’s like buying only the subset of cards that you need. The app allows you to mark “cards” as favorites for easy access. Perfect.

Facebook

Everybody’s favorite stalking website has one of the best apps out there. Since becoming a mom, I don’t get to play around on my computer as much as I used to. So I’m thrilled that I can ~~stalk~~ catch up on my family and friends’ lives whenever I have a few spare minutes. This app also has the ability to sync with the contacts on your iPhone and download profile pictures. And that just makes me happy.

Photoshop Mobile

This is the perfect app for impressing your friends with your mad camera-phone photo-taking skillz. I can take a picture of my little one being cute, crop it to perfection, and text it out to anyone that cares, and even some that don’t care much at all. They can all think that I have an extremely steady hand and never know that my hands shake like Jell-O in a bumper car. I’m shady that way.

My Love

I was thinking about saying “I heart this app,” but that’s lame even for me. So I’ll just say that I like it, I like it a lot. Why? Because this little app is speed-dial to my husband. Sure, I can just go to the Favorites menu in my Phone app, but who has time for all those extra taps? I like it that I can put this app on my home screen without having to open the Phone app. They also have apps for My Mom and My Dad and My Sister and My Pet Rock…ok, I made up that last one, but you get the idea. Very handy. Very handy indeed.

MercyMe

This app is just a whole lot of FUN and proves that even a group that comes out with awesome songs like “I Can Only Imagine” and “Word of God Speak” can have a sense of humor. The app provides access to useful stuff like concert dates and their blog, but it’s totally worth downloading just for their “Cover Tune Grab Bag” videos. Do yourself a favor and watch the “Stayin’ Alive” and “Eye of the Tiger” videos. And then wish that you could be their new best friend and participate in all the Silliness and Shenanigans.

Now it’s time to hear from you – what are your favorite apps? What app deliciousness am I missing?

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Links Worth Following 12/22/09

My husband is in the running to sing the National Anthem at a Houston Texans game! Garrett is Finalist #12. I was so proud of him that he was able to pull this off after being sick. His voice got pretty messed up (a lot of hacking involved) and I was afraid for a while that he wouldn’t be able to go to the audition, but he did it and sounded great!
Antique Mommy shares 10.2 Ways To Be A Gracious Guest. I thought this was brilliant. I thought numbers 2 and 9 were especially helpful.
Caring for Your Introvert. I LOVED THIS. It’s tongue-in-cheek but hits on a lot of truth. I can’t tell you how many times strangers have said to me, “Smile, it can’t be that bad!” I always want to say, “Nothing is wrong, I was just thinking.” But I’m an introvert and don’t want my response to be misconstrued as an interest in getting into conversation.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Baby Michael may wish he was deaf

My husband totally stole my thunder as a lullaby singer.

I used to daydream about singing to my baby, knowing that my child would be too young to judge my voice. But, proving that “the best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew”, I married a professional singer (AKA The Singing Financial Advisor). I promise you, even a two-month-old can tell the difference between Garrett’s trained voice and my out-of-tune croaks.

But I got over it. In part because the dream wouldn’t die, but mostly because the older I get, the less I care about looking ridiculous (and it’s a good thing, let me tell you, or I’d never leave the house). Please allow me to share with you my repertoire.

“Jesus Loves You”
This would be the ever popular “Jesus loves me, this I know…”, but I replace the “me” with “you”. I was inspired by that great piece of television history, “Touched By an Angel”. I always get shivers at the end when Monica lights up like a Christmas tree and tells some wayward soul “God loves you!” I watched a lot of “Touched By an Angel” on my maternity leave and realized that Michael needed to hear that God loves him, and often. Adapting “Jesus Loves Me” seemed like the most child-friendly way to do that.
“Baby Mine”
I cried the first time I sang this to Michael. I dare you to watch this video without tearing up.
“I’ll Love You Forever”
One of my best friends gave me the book I’ll Love You Forever as a baby shower gift. I cried the first time I read it to Michael. (Yes, again. I’m such a mess.) In the book, the mother sings the following to her son: “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.” I made up a little melody to go with the words and sing it to Michael when I’m feeling sweet. It makes for a tender moment between mother and son, even though Michael doesn’t know what the heck I’m saying.
“Swinging on a Star”
Garrett used to sing this song to my belly when I was pregnant. He had some of his choirs sing it when he was a choir director, and it remains one of his faves. Garrett sang it to Michael right after he was born while he was getting checked out by the nurses, and I promise you that Michael recognized it! He quieted down right away. Since it worked such wonders right after birth, I’ve insisted that Garrett sing it to the baby many times since then. So maybe it isn’t so much one of his favorites anymore, after all. Anyway, I don’t sing this one because Garrett does it soooo much better than me. And I can’t be bothered to learn the words. I get so confused and mix up the mule and fish and whatever other critters are in the song. It’s just too much for my brain to handle.

So there you have it. Three songs sung by Mommy and one by Daddy. Go to Missy’s blog for more lullaby ideas!

Friday, December 5, 2008

He Just Can't Keep From Singing

I've owed the two or three of you that read this blog (hi mom!) some music for a while now. In a previous post, I bragged on my super-talented husband and his beautiful voice. He had just given a vocal recital and blew us all away with some beautiful music. If I'd had a bit of forethought, I would have found a video camera and recorded it. But, due to some stuff going on in my life right now that I'll talk about later, I've been a bit scatter-brained. And sickly. But that's another post for another day.

A couple of wonderful readers rightly pointed out that I should post him singing. I envisioned a video of him singing "Bring Him Home" since it brought tears to our eyes. But we would need someone playing the piano. And I'm afraid that my piano skills don't extend much past making the same mistakes in "Fur Elise" over and over again. Considering that's a song easily mastered by twelve-year-old girls the world over, I'm not the person for the job.

And let's not forget the minor issue of not having a video camera. I thought about taking the video with my regular digital camera, but realized that it just would not do. We plan to gift ourselves with a video camera for Christmas, but that doesn't help me right now.

(By the way, if you have thoughts on a good video camera, or even a video camera not worth purchasing, I'd love to hear them.)

Now back to our story...

Garrett remembered that he had an old recording of him singing with the choir at First United Methodist in Austin, Texas. I listened to it and thought that it was real purty, so I'm offering it up to you for your listening pleasure. There's no accompanying video, but this will just have to do for now. It starts out with Garrett singing a capella, then the piano and choir come in. He comes in again later with another solo.

You can listen to the song here. Some lyrics are below, but they're not exactly the same as the version in the recording (there's a verse missing). Enjoy!

How Can I Keep From Singing
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the real, though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It sounds an echo in my soul —
How can I keep from singing?

What through the tempest loudly roars,
I know the truth, it liveth.
What through the darkness round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of Heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway clears
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of God restores my soul,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am loved —
How can I keep from singing?

Monday, November 3, 2008

In Which I Brag About My Super-Talented Husband

In one of my favorite YouTube videos, we see Paul Potts audition for Britain's Got Talent and blow away the judges and audience with his talent. When he walked on stage, no one expected what they were about to hear. But in the end he ended up winning the entire competition.

We had a similar experience this weekend.

This past Saturday, we had a new advisor party for Garrett. My sweet husband recently changed careers and became a financial planner for Waddell & Reed. He spent the entire summer studying for his various licensing exams, passed them all with flying colors, and has been in training the last couple of months as he works to build up his business. One of the things that Waddell & Reed encourages its advisors to do is to have a party to announce the career change and to encourage friends and family to refer his services to others.

Because we need to pay the bills, y'all.

As a thank you for those that attended the party, Garrett decided to hire a piano accompanist and give a little vocal recital of some of his favorite songs.

Because the man can SING.

And I don't mean the "he has a really nice voice" kind of singing. These days anyone with a guitar and a decent voice considers himself a musician. No, my Garrett is a bonafide college-trained professional singer. He has a degree in Music Education from the University of Texas and was a choir director for 12 years. (He was encouraged by his professors to change his major to Vocal Performance, but he wanted to make a living, you know?) Besides his musical training, Garrett also helped start a muscial theatre company when he lived in Austin. He directed and acted in many productions and got great reviews. So his great voice is backed up with great showmanship.

Let me put it another way: I love Chris Tomlin, buy his CD's, and have high respect for his talent and giftedness. But I think we would all agree that Chris Tomlin is no Josh Groban. Right?

Garrett is my own personal Josh Groban. Except Garrett is a tenor and not a baritone. And Garrett's hair is short and straight and not long and curly. And come to think of it there are many more differences than I could possibly communicate, but since this paragraph is already way longer than I'd originally intended, let's just move on, shall we?

Anyhoo...

I've told my friends and family about how talented Garrett is, but they've never had the opportunity to hear for themselves. We've been married for almost a year and were together for a year before that, but funny thing is that life doesn't typically give you an opportunity to break out into show tunes. So they were all a little curious. I think that they may have expected the "he has a really nice voice" type of musician, but boy, were they in for a surprise.

He sang seven songs, starting out with "Love Is Here to Stay" and "In the Still of the Night". One of my favorites was "Bring Him Home" from the Broadway play "Les Miserables". Take a look at Colm Wilkinson's rendition of it.

By the time Garrett finished, everyone was in tears. Such a beautiful song.

He then sang "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", which really is a very cute song, followed by "Embraceable You". For the second half of the song, Garrett knelt down in front of me and sang it to me. And I teared up. And he teared up. Then I started crying. Then he started crying and could barely finish the song. When I was praying for a husband, I asked for a man that loved music. God answered that prayer in such a big way by bringing me a musician husband that can serenade me. God is truly "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).

Garrett also sang "It Had To Be You". Here's Harry Connick, Jr. singing it, although the version Garrett sang was less jazzy.

Garrett's final song was "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" from "Guys and Dolls".

Garrett's musical theatre experience was obvious in this song as it displayed his showmanship. I actually think he did a better job than the guy in the movie. But I'm a little biased.

I was so proud as I watched him singing. He was in his element, and as I was watching him I had the distinct impression that I was watching a man do what he was made to do. If I had my way, Garrett would have many more opportunities to share his voice and entertain others. Maybe in the future. Right now we're just doing what we have to do to build a foundation for our family.

As for the reactions of those that had never heard him sing before - they just couldn't believe it. My mother informed Garrett that he would be singing at family weddings from now on, my father wants him to sing "Bring Him Home" at a Veteran's Day event, and one of my sisters wants us to get a karaoke machine so that Garrett can sing for us whenever we feel like it.

And my brother was going to request that he sing that song "Do It For Your Country" from Grease 2, but we weren't putting on that type of show, yo. Children were present.

One of my friends was surprised that Garrett is good enough to sing on Broadway, and yes he is. He could sing on any stage in the country, and that's not the exaggeration of a woman in love with her husband. He's just that talented.

Maybe one day he'll sing for the masses. For now, I'm honored to be an audience of one, enjoying all his funny little made up songs. I look forward to the days that he'll sit at the piano with our children, teaching them their scales and hand signs. And to evenings of family talent shows where I'll serve as the adoring public.

But it was nice that, for a little while, others could see him as the super-talented special guy that I've known him to be all along.

Friday, August 1, 2008

"Hot Date" or "How to Analyze All the Fun Out Of Something"

Tonight I have a hot date with my husband. "Hot" as in we're going to an outdoor concert...in Texas...during the month of August. Sizzling.

Seriously, I'm totally excited about this. It's a MercyMe / Natalie Grant concert, so good times are expected. Garrett surprised me with the tickets as a way to celebrate my birthday. Isn't that sweet? Alright everybody, say it with me now..."Awwwwwwwwww!"

We've never been to a concert together, so don't really know what to expect from each other. What is appropriate concert behavior? I suppose it depends on the artists involved. So a MercyMe concert, whose concert-goers will be 99% Christian, will have a different atmosphere than, say, a Bon Jovi concert. Not that Bon Jovi fans can't love Jesus. I love Jesus and "Livin' On A Prayer" holds a special place in my heart simply for being the catalyst of many a daydream during my high school years.

Anyway, I digress. Tonight we're expecting to hear songs like "I Can Only Imagine," "Word of God Speak," and "Held." So as far as behavior goes, I foresee much swaying and closing of eyes. Singing when I remember the words. Maybe even the appearance of a couple of tears. *sniff*

What can I say, I feel deeply. Truly. I am a deep well of boiling emotion. It's gotta come out sometime, whether it be pretty or ugly. Since tonight is a "date," let's hope that it's the former and not the latter.

Wait a minute, what am I saying? I've got the ring on my finger, so he can't escape no matter how ugly I get! I OWN him! HUWAHAHAHAHA!

Not that I don't appreciate him and all his cuteness. Being on a date with my husband always reminds me of the first time we met. As I sat looking at him on that sweltering November day (it's cold in Houston for all of 5 minutes), I thought to myself, "Could I kiss those lips?" I'm happy to say that I have kissed them many, many, many......MANY times. And I plan to get kissed again tonight. *wink*

So, being a list person (aka NERD), I've composed a list of the behavior I expect to experience this evening:

Sweating in the sweltering Houston heat.
Singing off key.
Swaying.
Closing of eyes.
Tearing up.
And a whole lot of kissing.

Good times.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

The Lord's Prayer

So cute!!!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Oh Say, Can You See...

Last week Garrett took a choir to sing the national anthem at an Aeros game. They sounded wonderful. Check it out! Doesn't my man look fantastic as he directs? :-)

Sunday, December 16, 2007

The Twelve Days Like You've Never Heard Before

Awesome!

The Late Bloomers

Please visit the new blog...