Crazy About Harry {A Giveaway!}

I’m not sure how it works in other cities across the United States and other parts of the world, but here in New Orleans we feel a fierce loyalty to our city.  That loyalty, by all means, extends to well-respected local individuals who have found considerable amounts of success in larger markets.  That’s basically a lot of fancy words to say that we adore the celebrities that were born in our city (and even the ones who have adopted us, like Brad Pitt).  We like to claim them all, but we are especially proud of the musicians that are from our city.  What can I say; we’ve got a thing for talent!

Everyone here has a story about how they know a local celebrity.  They sat on a plane next to Robin Roberts, or shopped alongside of Jamie-Lynn Spears in Walmart.  (Please, she counts, ok?)  My story is that my 3rd grade teacher was Harry Connick Jr.’s godmother.  Heck, my best friend Emily from elementary school even dated her son and got to meet him on several occasions, if my 3rd grade memory serves me correctly.

See, the thing is…I don’t really get that excited about Ms. Spears in Walmart, but I’m pretty crazy about Harry.  See how I did that, there?  The whole calling him by his first name thing?  Yeah, that’s how I roll.  I’m sure it wouldn’t creep him out at ALL.

I love him in movies and on TV, but my favorite thing that he does, by far, is make music.  Flat-out incredibly amazing music, if it’s even possible to use that many descriptive thingies in a sentence.

Told ya I was crazy about the guy…I mean, ahem, his music.

Harry (more first name basisness) has just released his newest album, Your Songs, which is a) one of the best collections of familiar songs that I’ve heard in a while and b) really, really good.  I just caught a segment of him on the local news, and he seemed to think this was his 24th album to be released.  TWENTY-FOURTH, PEOPLE.  How many other modern musicians are this prolific?  Not only does the guy sing the most amazing Christmas music that you’ve ever heard (sorry, Bing, it’s nothing personal) but with this album he proves that he sings the classics just as well!

Anyone from New Orleans will immediately hear the influence of the city on the CD, even in these very classic songs.  My favorite track on Your Songs is “Your Song” coincidentally, enough – though “And I Love Her”, “And The Way You Look Tonight” also make me swoon.  Aw heck, the entire album makes me swoon.

If you’re not crazy about Harry, you should be!  Thanks to One 2 One Network I had the opportunity to get a first listen of this album, and now you can too!  One lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader will win a copy of his new album, Your Songs.  To be entered to win, leave a comment below letting me know why you are or want to be crazy about Harry!  You may also tweet about this contest for an additional entry (by clicking the little button at the top of this page!)

PS – Already crazy about Harry?  Then go check out some of the behind the scenes stuff that led up to making this album!

Contest ends October 15th, 2009 at 11:59 pm CST.  Winner will be chosen at random and notified via email.

Mover Music For Your Body And Brain! {Giveaway CLOSED}

We are a family of musicians.  Well, mostly.  My family is largely without the music gene, but we all do enjoy singing at the top of our lungs (and we don’t sound half bad, thankyouverymuch).  However, Little AG has a a mommy who sings, and a daddy who plays drums and bass, a Mimi who plays the piano, a Pops who plays bass, and an Aunt Wel who is such a talented singer that she moved to New York to share her talents with the world.  So when little AG was born, we hoped/figured she might have some tendancy towards music.  We haven’t doubted it since then — at just a few months old she would wave her hands around in time to music — and now at two, she sings along and mimics dance moves.  She naturally gravitates towards musical toys – music is a part of who she is.  When she was about 20 months old, we discovered the Imagination Movers on Playhouse Disney and Little AG was fascinated.  A group of 4 cool guys who solve problems together in their “Idea Warehouse” in order to help others.  Oh, and they sing awesome alternative rock songs for kids while they do it!

I first heard about the Imagination Movers many years before I had a child.  I sang in church with Smitty’s (one of the IMs) mom, so I got to hear all about their road to their success.  In our days owning a live sound production company, we even did sound for them once at a local event.  These guys even took the main stage at JazzFest 2 weeks ago — no small feat!  There is a local pride in New Orleans that you won’t find just anywhere, and I think my fellow NOLA peeps and I always feel a sense of pride and obligation to support our own.  The Imagination Movers are no exception!  We don’t watch them just because they are local though.  We are HUGE fans simply because, well, they’re GOOD. Seriously, most kiddo music makes me want to pull my hair out, but I actually ENJOY the music by the Imagination Movers.  I dance and sing along to all of the songs, though we have our favorites like “Clean My Room”, “Shakeable You”, and “Puppy Dog”.  And yes, I do know all of the words — heck, I even find myself singing harmony!

Their first Disney-released DVD “Imagination Movers – Warehouse Mouse Edition” hit stores on May 5th, and if you haven’t heard of these guys yet, you should definitely check them out!  They encourage creative problem-solving and have such a fun rock and roll sound.  You can check out clips from Bucket of Trouble and The Tooth Hurts!  From the press release:  “The quartet has won multiple national music awards and were named a Parenting Pick by Parenting Magazine. Most recently, the Movers and the TV series were honored with an award for Outstanding Kids Entertainment by the Common Sense Media Awards, which honors nationally recognized individuals and organization that have made a profound impact in the world of kids and family media. The Movers’ Walt Disney Records release, “Juice Box Heroes,” was selected by iTunes as a 2008 Top 10 pick in the children’s music genre.”

Win It! I have a copy of “The Imagination Movers: Warehouse Mouse Edition” to give away to a lucky CSC reader!  As a bonus, 10 other readers will win autographed postcards from the Movers themselves!  To be entered to win one of these great prizes, leave a comment on this post.  After your initial comment, every other (pertinent) comment left on this site on other posts from now through May 18th will count as an extra entry each.  You don’t need to come back to this post and tell me you commented on another post, I can stalk track you via your email/IP address.   As usual, extra entries are also available for blogging this contest with a link back here, stumbling Chic Shopper Chick (leave your stumble name), subscribing to my site, or following me on Twitter.  That’s a ton of ways to win, so good luck!

US  entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 5:00 pm CST on May 18th, 2009.

Chic Tunes Tuesday

Panic mode has settled in.  I’m leaving in 48 hours for SxSWi and um, I’m SO not ready.  I’ve been slowly gathering and planning a reasonable wardrobe for warmish weather for around 3 weeks now, and yesterday my friend Arianne casually says to me “You know it’s going to be chilly and rainy, right?”

Um, no.  Cause that’s just fab.  Really.

I live in Louisiana, people.  I laid out in my backyard to get a tan yesterday.  I don’t have chilly weather clothing.  It’s TEXAS for crying out loud, it’s not supposed to be cool in March.  So my relaxing 3 weeks of gathering exactly what I want/need has come down to two very hectic days trying to figure out what in the world I’m gonna do.  And apparently I need an umbrella, heh.

Aside from my clothing dilemma (ok, with me it’s always a clothing dilemma) I had to do one other very important thing…update my playlist on my iPhone!  Here are the songs making the cut this week…enjoy!

1.  The Climb – Miley Cyrus  — Ok, I’m TOTALLY not a Miley Cyrus fan, not for any other reason but that I’m not generally a fan of her voice.  This song is my new favorite for the week though – love the lyrics, the sound, all of it.  It makes me happy, stick it on your “motivation and inspiration” playlist and let it make you happy too. 

2.  Green Light (feat. Andre 3000) – John Legend — Love this song, when it comes on I’m usually groovin’ around my house in a mellow mood.  It makes me smile!

3.  Candle (Sick and Tired) – The White Tie Affair — I heard this song the other day and it was one of those songs that had me bouncing around singing it for the rest of the night.  It is rock/pop and lots of fun, I’m a fan.

4. Here Comes Goodbye – Rascal Flatts  — So I’m on a bit of a Rascal Flatts kick since I saw their rockin’ show last Friday night.  Seriously, these guys are way talented, seem down-to-earth, and put on a truly awesome show for their fans.  This is their newest single from their album which drops April 7th.

5.  Kiss A Girl – Keith Urban  — If you keep up with Chic Tunes Tuesday, you already know I’m a huge Keith Urban fan.  Today marks the release of the second song from his yet-to-be-released album “Defying Gravity”.  I downloaded it about 30 minutes after it hit iTunes this morning and I’m already smitten.  He’s good, what can I say.

Open Your Soul to Seal! {Giveaway Closed}

I’ve readily admitted to being a music lover.  I’m also a car-dancer, and sing-at-the-top-of-my-lungs kinda girl.  Little AG and I frequently turn our TV to the Satellite radio channels and groove to music in our living room.  She recently has learned to try to sing along with music, which basically just sounds like “ahhh, daaaa laaaaaaaa” no matter what the song is, but it’s still cool.  It comes as no surprise really, seeing as how I’ve always been a (loud and usually off-key) singer myself!

One of my favorite memories from my teenage years is driving to New Orleans with my mom, singing Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose” at the top of our lungs.  Seriously, it probably bordered on shouting, but we sang and laughed and then hit repeat on the CD player so that we could do it all over again.  (And yes, mom, I’m positive that you still sing some of the wrong words.) We love that song, and that was the first Seal CD I ever owned.

Seal just recently teamed up with PBS for an amazing concert that originally premiered on February 12th, and you can check your local listings for air dates.  Check it out as it airs for the rest of the month!  I know you won’t be disappointed because his music is really so awesome!  Wanna taste of the music for yourself?  Check out the widgets below!

Thanks to the One2One Network, I have a Seal CD to giveaway to one lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader!  The best part is that it’s actually autographed by Seal himself!  To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me why you want to win! (Something more than “I wanna win” would be great!)  After that, every other (pertinent) comment left on this site on other posts from now through March 3rd will count as an extra entry each.  You don’t need to come back to this post and tell me you commented on another post, I can stalk track you via your email/IP address.   As usual, extra entries are also available for stumbling Chic Shopper Chick (leave your stumble name), subscribing to my site, following me on Twitter, and blogging about this giveaway with a link back here.  That’s it, so good luck!

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 11:59 pm CST on March 3rd, 2009.

Chic Tunes Tuesday

You know the worst part about traveling?  Hands down, it’s the unpacking and putting stuff away.  Why in the WORLD did I pack THIS MUCH STUFF?  I’m all — oh yeah, stick that in there in case we need it! – that is until I find myself (literally) sprinting across the Houston airport with something like 5 carry-ons AND a kid in a stroller.   All this trying to make it to my connecting flight in a “terminal” that is nothing more than a converted trailer.  For reals – Gate 84E?  Wouldn’t that be easier as Gate 89? Anyway, yeah, it’s at that point I regret throwing the roll of blue painters tape in the suitcase, as well as trying to shove in the last 3 issues of Vogue and In Style.  And did I really need to bring her mini-piano?  REALLY?!

How about some music?  I’ve been bopping around the house all day, and I’ve declared these my favorites of the week.  Check ‘em out on iTunes.

1.  Thinking of You – Katy Perry — Her first single was catchy but not something I’d add to my iPod, but her last two singles – this one being her newest — have really captured my attention.  I love this song, and I’m impressed that she can do a ballad equally as well as snarky pop.

2.  Broken – Lifehouse — This song came on the radio yesterday on our way home from Florida and I loved it so much that I googled the only lyrics I could remember.  When I discovered it was Lifehouse and realized what the song was called I couldnt’ help but giggle — I had already downloaded it a week ago because I really liked it.  So yeah, at the least I can say that my taste in music is consistent.

3.  1, 2, 3, 4 – Plain White T’s – Great lyrics, really sweet, reminds me of why I love “Hey There Delilah” so much.

4.  Love Remains the Same – Gavin Rossdale — I’ve been hearing this song for a couple of weeks and today when it came on Sirius I came flying into the living room to see who sings it.  I am totally impressed with Gavin Rossdale – I love the sound of this song, as well as the lyrics.  What a difference 10 years made for this guy, eh?

5. Waitin’ on a Woman – Brad Paisley – Ok, ok, I’ll admit it.  This song made me cry.  Like, tears streaming down my cheeks cry.  Such a beautiful song about what it’s like to spend life waitin’ on a woman.   I won’t ruin the surprise, but I’ll just say that the end of the song is what made me cry. If you hate country music, google the lyrics, at the very least.

Yanni Voices {Giveaway Closed}

Ok, ok ok…admit it – what do you think of when you hear “Yanni”?  Right.  I’m sure it’s the same reaction that my husband gave me when I said something about writing this post.  But um, Yanni Voices is SOOO different, seriously.  Yanni has discovered these 4, incredible, powerhouse singers who are young and fresh and will make your jaw drop – especially if you are a music afficionado (though you may say snob if you prefer) like me.  The songs are powerful and moving – the type of music that has the ability to fill you with emotion.  I know I sound all sappy and girly (probably because I am both of those things, and glad to be that way, actually) but the new Yanni Voices CD has become a favorite of mine during Little AG’s naptime or anytime I’m feeling mellow, really.

PBS is airing a special of this talented group of singers which was a process 2 years in the making.  Think of it as a sort of Making the Band, but um, with some serious talent and no emphasis on dancing.  You can check out the airdate for the special in your city, check out a short promo video, or find out if Yanni Voices will be on tour in a city near you.

Thanks to the One2One Network, I had the opportunity to preview the Yanni Voices CD and DVD – and as I said above I was really very impressed.  If this sounds like something you would like then it’s your lucky day, because I also have a copy of the CD and DVD to givaway to you, as well as some Godiva Chocolate Truffles to sweeten the deal.  Talk about your ultimate de-stress package!

Win it! To enter just leave me a comment below telling me why you would like to win this for yourself or someone else!  It’s that simple!  After that, every other (pertinent) comment left on this site on other posts from now through February 23rd will count as an extra entry each.  You don’t need to come back to this post and tell me you commented on another post, I can stalk track you via your email/ip address.   As usual, extra entries are also available for stumbling Chic Shopper Chick (leave your stumble name), subscribing to my site, following me on Twitter, and blogging about this giveaway with a link back here.  That’s it, so good luck!

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 11:59 pm CST on February 23rd, 2009.

Chic Tunes Tuesday

It is SO me to start a new column one week and then um, forget to do it the next week!  See, you come back to CSC to read my stuff not only because you think I’m cool (you DO!?  Wow!  Thank you!  I’m flattered!) but because you can always expect the unexpected.  Yup, that’s right, spread the word, tell your friends – it’s not a newsflash to my friends, but your friends?  They might enjoy watching the craziness unfold before their eyes.

This Chic Tunes Tuesday is coming to you from the Westin in Alexandria, VA – where I am tempted to take their dual-showerhead “heavenly shower” home with me in my suitcase.  We’re here with hubby while he’s at a conference, and so far the most I’ve done is drive around town a bit.  Tomorrow I have high hopes for lunch with my friend Lindsay and her son, some shopping at Nordstrom Rack (I’ve heard so much about it yet have never been!), and then taking Little AG to see Disney On Ice at the Verizon Center tomorrow night.

Oh, and I got to try Iceberry today, which for the record, tastes JUST like Pinkberry.  (Picture me doing a happy dance in your head, because I definitely did it at least twice!)  I was beyond pleased and it was delish, though I was a bit perturbed that they wouldn’t let you sample the flavors first.  The taste is so unique that I wasn’t sure if I was willing to branch out and try something besides the original, so I didn’t.  Yes, I’m pseudo-obsessed with Fro-Yo.  It’s a charming quirk of mine, m’kay?

Moving along to the reason you clicked over to read – the music!  Last week a couple of people asked WHY I chose the songs I did, so this week I’m including commentary.  Here are 5 songs I’m lovin’ on this week, in no particular order.  (Suddenly I feel like I’m announcing the finals of the Miss America Pagent!)

1.  “You Found Me” by The Fray — Heard it on the radio yesterday, whipped out my phone and wrote a note to myself to download it ASAP.  Haven’t regretted it yet.

2.  “Angels on the Moon” by Thriving Ivory  — Sort of alternative/pop, not sure what to think of the lyrics but she song makes me want to sing along as loudly as I can, so it scores points in my book.

3.  “I Will Be” by Leona Lewis  — Her new single – it’s strong and soulful.  I’m thinking I should download more of her stuff.

4.  “Sweet Thing” by Keith Urban  — It’s Keith Urban, it’s new, he rocks.  Need I say more?

5.  “Rain King” by Counting Crows — I’ve always been a CC fan, but I heard this one the other day and was reminded of how much I really, really like it!  Added it to my On-The-Go playlist, now it’s on perpetual shuffle.

He’s Just Not That Into You – The Soundtrack {Giveaway Closed}

So, since I was JUST talking about music in my last post, I thought today would be a good time to gush over the new soundtrack that I have been listening to non-stop since late last week.  One2One Network sent me a copy of the “He’s Just Not That Into You” Soundtrack (and yes, I’m DYING to see the film too – the book was hilarious and oh-so-true) and I think this is one soundtrack that really just hits it out of the park.  Really, the book was great, the cast of the movie is phenomenal, so there could be no less than an amazing soundtrack to accompany it.

Don’t believe me? It’s got a great mix of going-out-with-my-girlfriends and rockin’ in the car tunes, mixed in with others that just make you want to sway a bit and sing along, mushed together with ones that make you want to bust out the hairbrush-microphone and pretend like you’re the opening act at the VMA’s.

What?!  Ok, well, maybe that last one is just me.  (But I would totally rock the VMA’s.  Totally.)

The song I keep hitting repeat on is Erin McCarley’s “Love Save the Empty”, though I’m also totally lovin’ Lily Allen’s “Smile”, as well as the great stuff by The Cure, Wilco, R.E.M, and Maroon 5.  Oh, and as an added treat – you can hear Scarlett Johansson sing “Last Goodbye”.  For the record, I am totally impressed with her deep soulful voice – I am a sound believer that actresses do not automatically equal singers/musicians – but in this case it was a good call.

Be sure to grab a copy of the He’s Just Not That Into You Soundtrack – it was just released this past Tuesday, Feb. 3rd and the movie will make it’s premiere tomorrow, February 6th!  (And give me a call if you’re going – I’m willing to bet this is one that hubby won’t want to go see with me!)

Win it! I have a copy of the soundtrack plus this super awesome hoodie to give away to one lucky CSC reader!  (And wow, I don’t think it will look like that on me…)  For your initial entry, leave a comment here on this post.   Something more than “I want to win” would be great!  After that, every other (pertinent) comment left on this site on other posts from now through February 13th will count as an extra entry each. As usual, extra entries are also available for stumbling Chic Shopper Chick (leave your stumble name), subscribing to my site, following me on Twitter, and blogging about this giveaway with a link back here.  Good luck!

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 11:59 pm CST on February 15th, 2009.

Chic Tunes Tuesday

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but music is a huge part of my life.  The right song can make or break my mood and I really enjoy creating different “soundtracks” for my life (I believe now we call those “playlists”, right?).  Back before I had Little AG some of the best days were spent with the convertible top down and good songs blaring on the radio.  Just remembering those days makes me smile – it was such a natural high.  As you may have guessed, I’m a rather expressive person so I was often drumming on the steering wheel, singing loudly along, and, yes, dancing.  (People love being next to me at stop lights – I’m endlessly entertaining!)

I don’t listen to just one type of music, and I don’t have a specific sound, so I feel that makes my choice of music rather eclectic.  Rock, Pop, Alternative, Techno, Country, Rap, Folk, Bluegrass, Jazz, Hip Hop — I like bits of almost everything.  Since I believe the music someone listens to can really tell you a lot about their personality, I decided it was time to start Chic Tunes Tuesday, a weekly column where I share 5 songs that I’m really loving that week.

So, here are this week’s Chic Tunes – straight from my iPhone!  Maybe you’ll find some new music to add to your library, maybe you’ll expand your musical tastes a bit, or maybe you’ll leave me a comment telling me that I have awful taste in music!    Feel free to let me know what you’re listening to – I’m always looking for some great new music.

Looking back over this I’ve realized that it is a rather mellow list.  Perhaps I’m feeling zen today?

1.  Mercy – Duffy

2.  Love Story (Pop Mix) – Taylor Swift

3.  Hollywood’s Not America – Ferras

4.  Lucky – Jason Mraz (feat. Colbie Calliat)

5.  Love, Save the Empty – Erin McCarley