Birthday

photo taken of the March calendar made by The Indigo Bunting

Saturday was my 29th birthday.  At first I thought, 29... that's not a special number.  Mike had to work all day, so I knew I had to spend the whole day by myself, which also seemed pretty boring.  But I was so wrong about all of that!

I started the morning off with a walk through my neighborhood.  And because it was a Saturday, there were no cars whizzing by, or neighborhood construction banging and clanking going on.  And I, too, was not whizzing.  Usually my walks are brisk.  I only have so much time in a day to get a little exercise in.  This time it felt so nice, and noticeably more satisfying, to simply amble along.

  We had just gotten hail the day before (!!!), and Saturday was supposed to be more rain and clouds.  But it turned out to be one of the most gorgeous days ever!  Not a cloud in the sky.  And because of the rain the day before, the L.A. air was actually clean and fresh.  I could take in long, slow breaths and not feel like I was doing my body more harm than good.  The insects were going crazy!  I made friends with a hummingbird...

Spotted these two lovebirds keeping watch next to, what I'm assuming, was their nest.

   

The bees and butterflies were all over this wild flower that smelled delicious.  

And a cool breeze blew over all the wild nasturtium and yellow flowers and bright green grasses (see photos below).

I came home and planted some green onion, and yellow cala lilly bulbs I got from my mother.  It felt good to get out in the damp earth.  I was so happy to start working on my garden again (it's been a little neglected over the past year).

Then I got the most amazing Hydrafacial ever at Argyle Salon + Spa from Jaclyn.  It's so expensive (mreow), but I was lucky and got a great deal through Gilt City -- woo hoo!

Then I settled down at home with a glowing face and had a glass of white wine and watched Amelie -- a great girl birthday movie!  (And of course a great anytime movie for anyone!)

I ended the magical day with a mellow dinner with my nearest and dearest. I couldn't have thought of a better way to end my birthday....

And about that 29 being a dumb number/age thing?  The receptionist at the spa, who also just turned 29, told me that he plans on making this year "the blast of all blasts".  He pointed out how our 30's are going to be great...we know that already.  But here we are in our last year of our 20's.  Now's a great time to do all the crazy stuff we've been wanting to do, but haven't done yet.  I think I really needed to hear this because I was planning on lying for a year, and telling everyone I was still 28.  But now I'm actually really proud to be 29!  'Why' you ask?  Because I've given myself a goal... or a 'Bucket List', you might say, of things I want to do before I turn 30.

-  Put out my new album at the beginning of Summer

-  Get a webseries going (more on that later!)

-  Go skydiving

-  See the "O" Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas (I really really want to see this!!!)

-  Go snorkeling in Kaua'i again

That's it.  A pretty simple bucket list, but one I'm excited to start checking off.  Are any of you 29, or have been 29, and have/had a special way of looking at it?  Do any of you have bucket lists in general?  

Love,

Priscilla

Voice Project - Home Recordings Vol. 1

I am so proud and honored to be a part of this project, album, charity.  Sharing the artist listing with Peter Gabriel, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Joseph Arthur, Cary Brothers, Brett Dennen, Tom Freund... just to name a handful.  Everyone is doing a cover of a friend's song, and all of the performances are live and pretty intimate.  But I think the most moving song on the album, is Acello Miriam, singing "Come Home" to all the children who have been abducted and forced to commit murder.  These boys are too ashamed to come home to their mothers.  But this woman, along with all the other mothers, sing this song telling them to come home.

This video sort of says it all.



I Am Mother from The Voice Project on Vimeo.

This is a beautiful album, raising awareness for a beautiful mission.  Check it out Here.

You can watch Voice Project videos of artists singing cover songs Here.

If you believe in this project like I do, here is their facebook page.  You know what to do.  ;)

love,
priscilla

We Shall Overcome

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  This is one of my favorite songs from when I was a little girl.




love,
priscilla

Stage It Recap

StageIt
photo by Scott Bennett

This is my first post of the year -- woah!!!  Where have I been?  Oh yea... working in a studio everyday.  Apologies for the silence until now.

Eating a sandwich in Tokyo
photo by Hiroshi Matsushima

It felt so great to get to play an online StageIt show this past Thursday night for so many of you!  Gosh.... it was so much fun.  I totally wore my comfy pj pants, with popcorn and "special tea" in hand (see recipe below).   Everyone couldn't have been sweeter.  Some of your comments were really funny.  I liked seeing what everyone was up to that night.  Some of you were cooking, others studying, some had popcorn, one person had a glass of Moscato (a personal fave of mine).  The only downside was how quickly time flew by!  I feel like I hardly got to play anything!  So many requests that I flubbed.  It was quite overwhelming at times when the requests came flooding in.  And I am the worst at quick decision making --argh!  But here are the songs I would really love to play for next time:

Find My Way Back Home

Nothing

Are We Different

Willow Weeping

Rain

{a cover}

{a new song}

And maybe I could do a short Q&A at the end, or in between?  Some of your questions and thoughts were really great!

Your donations were so generous all around!  One thing I made a HUGE mistake on.. is someone mentioned that they hoped stageit didn't take too much of a cut on the money that was donated that night.  And I quickly replied that they don't take anything, which is why I thought the site was so awesome, etc... But I completely got my facts wrong, and found out, quite shockingly the next day, that they do indeed take a cut of the donations.  I was a bit disheartened by this... especially since so many people were probably under the impression that all the money would be going toward the My Sandy Hook Family Fund and to the making of my record.  :(

But at the end of the day, after many deep breaths and a long walk, Stageit is still a wonderful online venue, and I was still able to come away with an overwhelming sum of money (!!!).  A lot of which will go directly to the Newtown, CT charity, and the rest towards the mixing of my album (which I have been making on my own).  I have to think, without StageIt, I wouldn't have been able to reach out to so many awesome people from all over the world in one night, from the comfort of my very own living room, to theirs.  And so I'm very thankful for that -- and I still had an amazing + memorable night! Anyway... I just wanted to apologize if I misled anyone.  That was completely my bad for not having my facts straight.  But in the end, it's all good, and I hope you'll feel that way too.  

Conan, watching the show.
Photo by Erika Crane Ricketts (+Conan)

I have to say, it was so weird to finish playing a show, and have this nervous after-show jittery feeling, that I usually have at a venue somewhere in the world, in my own home!  And then to put on my coat and shoes and leave my house after the show, instead of the other way around (I walked over to my neighbors' house where my husband and them were watching the show).   

Thank you all again for contributing to the show, for the charity and for my album (which is almost finished!).  Perhaps last night, together, we were able to change the world with our collective positive energy and generosity for healing and art.  I truly believe that, and love you all for it.

In the meantime, I have a few new fun projects under way.... I'm keeping it a secret for now, but hopefully you'll get to see it by next month!  

Until next blog/StageIt/album/tour....

G'nite!
photo by Paul Jun Lee

love,

priscilla

***

Umeshu Oyuwari

aka "Special Tea"

1 part plum wine

2 parts hot water

Put them together in your favorite mug and voila!

(not much of a recipe, huh?)

Thank You 2012

{painting by Camilla Engman}

I am so thankful for everything that 2012 brought my way!  2 new albums for Japan (one of which I produced!), writing a theme song for the Japanese drama "Soko wo nantoka", visiting my family in South Korea, singing with the legendary Shin Joong Hyun, a memorable trip to Kaua'i where 1 not-so-small reef shark was spotted 20 feet below me, and now the start of my 3rd full-length album!  And all of these wonderful experiences would not be possible without the love and support from my friends, family, and beautiful fans.  So if you're reading this, thank you so much for helping me keep my music alive, and giving me these wonderful memories that hopefully I can share with you through my music somehow.

This year, like every year, came with ups and plenty of downs.  I have to be so thankful for those "downs" too, because without them, I'd have no challenges to teach me the much needed lessons and reminders of 2012, that *hopefully* I can carry with me into 2013.

Lessons on how to take better care of this planet that I live on and will share with my children.

Trials to test my patience and compassion.

Reminders that I'm not perfect, and sometimes that's ok {insert deep breath here}.

Reminders that people can and do change.

Reminders that even though we live in a sometimes overwhelming world of war, senseless acts of violence, corrupt politics, and everything else that's depressing on the news... there are still people out there who are, one by one, doing their best to make a difference.  

Here I am in the studio being a dork.  I am having SO MUCH FUN making this new album.  Some of these songs are quite intimate, and some are songs you can dance to (but not Pop!).  Although I was super stoked to see my name come up on the iPhone app SongPop!  Ha!  (A game that I officially suck at since it took me almost 2 seconds to recognize my own song!)



Since I'm in the middle of recording, that means no touring right now.  So instead I'm doing a live online show through Stageit, on Jan. 17th.  Tickets are however much you want to give.  A portion of the proceeds will go to My Sandy Hook Family Fund.  (Dress Code: sweatpants and PJ's appropriate)

And last but not least, I would LOVE to hear from YOU!  Please share with me one thing you're thankful for in 2012, and one new year's resolution/goal for 2013.  I'm always inspired by your thoughts and ideas!

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2013 filled with love love love!

love,
♡priscilla

{photo by Casey Curry}

 p.s. My new year's resolution/goal is to start journaling every day again.  

Gift Guide 2012

This year I decided to do a bulk of my holiday shopping online, and I wanted to share some of my favorite new purchases with you, in case you needed unique and pre-tested (by me) gift ideas!  ;)  

Happy Shopping!

FOR THE CRAFTY

Purl Soho's Learn To Knit Kit

I recently bought one of these, and the yarn is SUPER soft!  I've never knit anything in my life... so this kit is sort of perfect.

Available Online

Hello Sandwich's Gift Wrapping Zine

I'm really not that great at wrapping presents...this downloadable PDF is full of creative and fun ideas that have proved to be quite useful.

Available Online

FOR THE HOME-Y

Bonjour Johanna's Pink Kiwi Porcelain Plates.

I bought two of these and LOVE them.  Each are painted by hand and quite unique.  I also adore her blog.

Available Online

Uguisu: Fog Linen Coasters

I recently ordered these coasters, along with a matching Fog Linen placemat and kitchen towel.  They are extremely high quality and beautiful to boot!  Sold by another one of my fave bloggers, Jollygoo.

Available Online

Cannelle et Vanille's Cookbook

Her photography is stunning, her recipes are easy to follow, and the end result is as delicious as it looks!  My favorite thing about the book?  It's organized by the 4 seasons of the year!  And it's completely Gluten-Free!

Available Online

FOR THE JEWELRY LOVER

Kathleen Whitaker: Earrings

Need to get something for a special someone?  You can't go wrong with any of KHW's earrings.

A very limited selection available online right now.

Check out where you can find a wider selection in stores.

FOR THE MUSIC LOVER

Hoodie Buddies

Plug your mp3 player into your pocket, put ear buds/ hoodie strings in, and you're set to go!  My favorite are the fleece hoodies.  p.s. They're machine washable.

Available Online

Vince Gauraldi Trio:  A Charlie Brown Christmas

My all-time favorite album to listen to during the holidays (and sometimes all year round).  :)

Available Online

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY-Y GIFTS

Juniper Ridge: Douglas Fir Tip Tea

Made purely from Douglas Fir tree tips from the mountains of Northern California (I know this because my friend is going harvesting with them in the Spring), it smells like you're in the middle of a mountainous forest.  The taste is gentle and clean, with a hint of lemon.

Available Online

Thymes: Frasier Fir Candle

My favorite holiday candle for the past 3 years.  Most Christmas Tree candles smell too strong and synthetic, which is why I've avoided them for so long.  This candle is an exception to that theory.  It smells just like a real Christmas tree in your house.  

Available Online

At the end of this long list, I'd also like to remind us that this holiday season is not solely about the giving of physical objects wrapped in shiny paper and multi-colored MT tapes (as pretty as that is!).  With religions aside, it's a season of love, to each other and ourselves.  A time to slow down from another year that flew by and take a much needed break to spend with friends and loved ones, and remember how truly lucky we are to have each other.  (And thank goodness -- that's one gift that doesn't require a paypal login!)

Happy Giving

love,

p • a

My Personal December Reminders!

Things I need to remind myself of daily in December:

IN THE CAR

• Traffic is going to get a little nutty.  Just expect it.  Be prepared for it's inevitability, and aim to leave 15 minutes earlier than normal so that you're not stressed about time.  (If you live in L.A., add 30+ minutes!!! *sob*)
• If you find yourself in mind-numbing traffic or long commutes, be sure to have your ipod or favorite cds.  I like listening to my 2 favorite podcasts, "This American Life" and "Radio Lab". 

PARKING LOTS

• They are going to be more congested!  I spent 20 minutes on the roof of a parking structure looking for a space (and it wasn't even December yet!).  When that anxious, claustrophobic feeling starts to come on, try to take long, slow, deep breaths. 
• If possible, avoid the parking lots altogether!  Find a space on the street and enjoy the extra exercise.  

AT THE POST OFFICE

• Everyone's trying to mail packages and gifts out to people this month, so lines are going to be longer.  Be prepared!  
• Waiting in line is the perfect time to catch up on Instagram, Facebook, or blogs.  
• Try to mail presents and cards early if you can.

ONLINE SHOPPING

• I've decided to do most of my Holiday shopping online this year.  For one, I was sick for 2 weeks and had nothing better to do.  And secondly, I just didn't have the time to drive around searching for the perfect gifts this year.  (Some of my fave online gifts will be in my next blog post!)
• But don't do what I do, and buy gifts for someone...then forget that I ordered it and it's on it's way in the mail, and then buy them another gift.  
• Also, the earlier you place your order the better, so you don't have to pay extra shipping costs to get things delivered faster.  
• Personally, I'm on the lookout for gifts all year round.  If I see something that makes me think of a friend, I snatch it up and stash it away for when Holidays or Birthdays come around.  (Just don't forget that the gift is ready and waiting!)

HOLIDAY PARTIES

• Tis the season...  If you know you're going to throw a party, find a day the week before to do a big clean of your place, so you're not up til 2am the night before mopping and scrubbing.  If the majority of the bulk work is done, there won't be much to tidy up last minute.
• Prepare the menu in advance and buy food, drinks and decorations (I love fresh flowers around the house) the day before, so you're not running around the day of the party.  
• I found the last goop newsletter to have some useful tips for entertaining.  You can read it here. 

MY MANTRA FOR DECEMBER

Breathe...and avoid The Grove*.  ;)

Love,

p • a

* For those of you who don't know what The Grove is... it's an outdoor promenade in Los Angeles with lots of stores... sort of like an outdoor mall.  A lot of tourists, families with little kids, and young people on dates like to come here to have fun and shop.  

Many holidays ago... I decided to quick drop by a few days before Christmas to buy a few last minute gifts.  On this particular night, they had a stage set up in the middle of the Grove for a band that was about to perform.  I could care less about seeing a show that night.  I wanted to get in and get out.  But the security guards practically herded us together in front of this stage, and wouldn't let anyone leave!  I was smothered on all sides with other peoples' bodies and their bags of purchases.  In a moment of panic, I stepped up onto a wall and looked for a way out.  A security guard told me to get down.  I yelled, "You can't keep me here!" and I leapt off the wall and ran away.  

me + Grove + December = no thank you