Monday, November 9, 2015

Mondays Music Moves Me: Movie Soundtracks

Mondays Music Moves Me is something I stumbled upon last month. How cool that Xmas Dolly hosts this twice a month! Today's theme is Movie Soundtracks. This is such a great theme with so many possibilities!

As you can see, I had trouble narrowing songs down for this theme.

First is "A View to A Kill" by Duran Duran from the James Bond movie soundtrack of the same name. Did you know that when that movie came out, I went to it fully expecting to see Duran Duran somewhere in it? Yup. Spoiler alert: they weren't in it. But this cool song was!



Speaking of the 80's,  I listened to the movie soundtrack Purple Rain quite a bit. All are great tunes, but my fave from the movie is "Let's Go Crazy." I couldn't find a youtube video though to embed!

Next is "American Girl" by Tom Petty from Silence of the Lambs. I cannot hear that song without picturing the girl in her car singing it before becoming a victim!



We rarely take a road trip without blasting this song from Vacation at least once!




And lastly, who can't listen to this Queen song without banging their head like Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World! :)





I'm noticing my picks are all from the way past! I guess I need to see more current movies!
Though I did love the rockin' Avengers Assemble soundtrack. It had some of my fave bands like Papa Roach and Buckcherry plus Bush and Evanescence!





Visit Xmas Dolly for move links of songs from the movies! What's your favorite song from the movies?

Monday, October 26, 2015

The Listing Hop!


Welcome to the Listing Hop! Looking forward to seeing everyone's lists!

If you've been here before, you know I love music.
So my list is a list of all (probably most, I may have forgotten a few) of the bands I've seen and how many times!

Here goes! In ABC order even! I told you I love music! Papa Roach is at the top of the list with 13 times live!

30 Seconds to Mars (5), 3 Doors Down, 5 Seconds of Summer, Aerosmith, Christina Aguilera, Alice Cooper (2), Alter Bridge, Anberlin, Apocalyptica, Avenged Sevenfold (4), Sebastian Bach (2), Bad Company, Pat Benatar (2), Big Time Rush, Black Eyed Peas, Blondie (2), Bon Jovi, Brides of Destruction, Buckcherry (10), Bush, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chevelle (3), Chicago, Coheed and Cambria, The Connells, Crash Kings, Creed, Sheryl Crowe, Daughtry (5), Def Leppard, Disturbed (2), Dokken (2), The Donnas, Dovetail Joint, Duran Duran (4), Eve 6, Foo Fighters (2), Lita Ford, Goo Goo Dolls (2), Great White (2), Guns n Roses, Halestorm, Hollywood Undead, Hoobastank, Billy Idol, In This Moment, INXS, Jet, Billy Joel, Elton John, Juke Kartel, The Killers, Kiss (2), LA Guns, Lovehammers (2), Maroon 5, Bret Michaels Band, The Monkees, Motley Crue (8), My Chemical Romance (2), Vince Neil solo (4), Nelson, Neon Trees (3), New Medicine (3), New Politics, Otherwise (2), Our Lady Peace, One Direction, Owl City, Ozzy Osbourne, Panic Channel, Papa Roach (13), P!NK,  P.O.D., Poison (3), Pop Evil (2), Prince, Puddle of Mudd (2), Queensryche (2),Ratt, RED, REO Speedwagon (2),  Rockstar Supernova, Gavin Rossdale, Safety Suit, Saliva (2), Mike Sanchez, Saving Abel, Scorpions, Seether (3), Seven Mary Three, Shinedown (2), Silvertide, Cody Simpson, Sixx AM (2), Skid Row (2), Slash, Slaughter (2), Smashing Pumpkins, Rick Springfield, Billy Squier, Stone Sour (2), Styx (3), Sum 41, Survivor (2), Taylor Swift, System of a Down, Tantric (2), Third Eye Blind (2), Three Days Grace (3), Justin Timberlake, The Plain White T’s, Toadies, Trapt, Tremonti, The Tubes, Van Halen (2), Velvet Revolver, Warrant, Weezer, Weird Al Yankovic,  Whitesnake (3), Kip Winger (3), Winger (2)

I told you I love music! Here's a song  for  Xmas Dolly's Monday's Music Moves Me Halloween edition! Love MCR and this creepy song!


And speaking of Halloween, my newest picture book, I'M A LITTLE GREEN WITCH is available at amazon, barnesandnoble.com and select bookstores!

Have you seen any of these bands live? What was your last concert?

Check out more links for lists here and here! Congrats on eight years of blogging, Bish!
 

Friday, October 23, 2015

Poetry Friday



Today I have my own poem to share from my new Halloween picture book, I'M A LITTLE GREEN WITCH! Halloween is big in our house, so I really wanted to write a book that my kids would enjoy. I'M A LITTLE GREEN WITCH is a collection of Halloween inspired nursery rhymes and songs. I recently was a guest author at a local school, and the kids loved guessing which nursery rhyme each poem was based upon.



Here's I'M A LITTLE GREEN WITCH, the first in the collection.




Here's me reading another poem from the collection.



Can you guess which nursery rhymes or songs I based those two on?

You can purchase I'M A LITTLE GREEN WITCH on amazon, barnesandnoble.com and select bookstores!

Poetry Friday is being hosted by Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup this week. Stop by for more wonderful poetry!

Enjoy the tricks and treats of this Halloween season!

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Demon's Ink




Do you want a paranormal YA for Halloween? How about DEMON'S INK by my blogger friend, Kimbra Kasch!

Here's the spooky premise:

There are lots of dangerous things hanging (or, maybe I should say, dangling) around Portland lately but, when a Demonic tattoo artist comes to town, everything goes to Hell, in DEMON’S INK.

 This young adult novel set in Portland, Oregon is available on Amazon now and with Halloween coming, you'll want to have a story to share...

DEMON'S INK: It's about art, that's more than anyone bargained for.

 Drake and Bartos come to the Pacific Northwest, where they open yet another tattoo shop but Bartos has no trouble dealing with the competition because there’s nothing normal about his art. And he’s stealing more than clients from the local skin artists. He's stealing their souls.

Customers fall in love with Bartos Slinderman’s tats but end up paying the ultimate price for their purchase because unlike Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray, they can’t walk away from this art and it’s beautiful until the artwork takes on a life of its own...
 
Tattoos are cool, but YIKES! I stayed up Friday night reading this book! There's a bit of a love triangle as well as the mysterious happenings. You can purchase Kim's book on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com!


Go visit Kim at her blog, too!  Speaking of tattoos, do you have one? I have one tiny heart tattoo. Hope to get another someday. But NOT from anyone named Bartos!

 

Friday, October 16, 2015

Poetry Friday


Charles Ghigna is such an amazing author and poet, and I enjoy his poetry posts as well as the gorgeous paintings he shares of his son, Chip. Ghigna's poetry is featured frequently in children's magazines from the Cricket group and you can see his wonderful books including his newest release, A CARNIVAL OF CATS, available here.

Below is an original poem that writers, artists, and all creative souls can certainly relate to.




















THE SPARK OF DIVINITY

Inspired thoughts climb toward the light
As new ideas begin;
Creation comes from inside out,...
Not from the outside in.


©Charles Ghigna

Painting: “Golden Moon”
-Chip Ghigna


Visit Charles at Father Goose Books. See more beautiful art at ChipGhigna.com. I hope one day to own an original!

Poetry Friday is being hosted by Amy at The Poem Farm today. Stop by to click on more wonderful poetry links!

Enjoy this fabulous fall Friday!

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

I'm A Little Green Witch is here for Halloween!

It's October, and it's the perfect time for a Halloween book! We love Halloween in our household, and that is the reason why I wanted to write a book for this fun holiday.

My newest picture book, I'M A LITTLE GREEN WITCH, is a spooktacular collection of 14 Halloween themed nursery rhymes or songs for your little ghoul or boy!

Here's the amazing cover! The vibrant illustrations are by Kelli Ann Little!


And here's a sneak peek! I recently was guest author at a local school, and the kids loved guessing which nursery rhyme each poem was based on.



If you do have the book and you can't figure out which nursery rhyme or song a poem is based on, here's a list!

I'm A Little Green Witch - to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"
Willa's Wild Ride - to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"
Willa Had a Stinky Cat - to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
Trick or Treating - to the tune of "London Bridges"
Flutter, Flutter, Little Bat - to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
I've Been Digging in the Graveyard - to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad"
Batty Cake - based on "Patty Cake"
The Bats Go Flying One by One - to the tune of "The Ants Go Marching"
Little Jack Mummy - based on "Little Jack Horner"
Hiss! Hiss! Black Cat! - to the tune of "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep"
Hairy, Scary Spider - to the tune of "Itsy Bitsy Spider"
Willa the Witch - based on "Humpty Dumpty"
Little Girl Green - based on "Little Boy Blue"
The Boogeyman - to the tune of "Muffin Man"



Also, I'm giving a signed copy away on Goodreads! Enter here! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26248184-i-m-a-little-green-witch

You can also purchase I'M A LITTLE GREEN WITCH on amazon, barnesandnoble.com and select bookstores! Check out my Facebook page for more book updates!

Enjoy fall, y'all!

Friday, June 12, 2015

Poetry Friday



Hello, fellow poet lovers and hello, summer! Today is the first Friday I have at home since school was dismissed last week. I taught kindergarten for the first time and absolutely loved it! I was also able to attend my cousin's wedding in Arizona last weekend and read PAPER TOWNS by John Green on the plane ride home (and finished in bed later that night). One thing I loved about the book is Green uses excerpts of Walt Whitman poems throughout the book, and I love that young readers will now know the poetry of Whitman because of this book (which is also a movie coming out next month).

So today for Poetry Friday, I give you a Walt Whitman poem. Not one from the book above, but one that caught my eye when I was perusing his poetry this morn.

A NOISELESS, PATIENT SPIDER
by: Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
      NOISELESS, patient spider,
      I mark'd, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;
      Mark'd how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
      It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;
      Ever unreeling them--ever tirelessly speeding them.
       
      And you, O my Soul, where you stand,
      Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space,
      Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,--seeking the spheres, to connect them;
      Till the bridge you will need, be form'd--till the ductile anchor hold;
      Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.

Have you ever read a more beautiful poem comparing one's soul to an arachnid?

You can find links to other posts of poetry at the Poetry Roundup at Jama's place where you can always find something yummy! Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

What I read, watched and rocked out to in 2014





2014 in Review!
Happy New Year to you all! I am starting the new year with a wonderful new job as kindergarten teacher in my own children's school district. In the past I've been a third grade teacher, stay-at-home mom for 11 years, a teacher's aide for kindergarten and Early Childhood, and a preschool teacher, too (all that I truly loved-I'm pretty lucky). But I have wanted to be a kindergarten teacher since I was 20 years old and my junior practicum assignment was kindergarten with an amazing teacher! I wanted to be her so badly! And now I am! Cheers to you all in this new year!


This post lists the books, movies, and concerts of 2014. Surprisingly it's the first year in a while that I watched more movies than read books!



BOOKS!
Read some amazing books by blogger buddies this year!!
Anansi and Company by Bish Denham
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Control by Lydia Kang
Wish You Weren’t by Sherrie Petersen
Before You Break by Christina Lee
Watercolor by LTM
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Wishing for Washington by Shelly Sly
Timepiece by Myra McEntire
Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater
Seven Letters From Paris by Samantha Verant
 
MOVIES!
I saw ten movies in the theater which is probably a record! Also, saw more movies than read books this year. Sorry, brain!
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug
Anchorman 2
Gravity
The Lego Movie
Muppets 2 Most Wanted
Mean Girls
Divergent
Dallas Buyers Club
Pearl Harbor
Bad Grandpa
The Wolf of Wall Street
Airplane!
European Vacation
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Giver
Neighbors
Mockingjay Part 1
Dumb and Dumber To
Elf (gotta see that every year)
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

CONCERTS!
Saw some faves (saw Buckcherry for 9th time and Motley Crue for 7th and final time) and finally saw The Toadies and Alter Bridge for the first time!
Buckcherry
The Toadies
Alter Bridge
Daughtry/Goo Goo Dolls/Plain White T’s
One Direction/Five Seconds of Summer
Buckcherry
Motley Crue/Alice Cooper  (two nights in a row- Crue’s final tour!)

What were your fave books/movies/music of 2014?