Along Lake Michigan there’s a magical place where Victorian cottages line a sugar sand beach. Buffering a shipping harbor and historic lighthouse is Mother Nature’s version of Disneyland called Macatawa. From climbing sand dunes to watching thunder storms cross the lake, there’s no need for rides and pools in such a special place. Generations of families have returned every summer to sail and sunbathe or swim in warm water. Here’s a peek at one of my favorite spots on the planet, my beloved Macatawa.

From an intimate concert at Tree House Point listening to folk duo The Barn Birds  to my band, Curb Appeal performing classic rock hits in a biker bar, I noticed various types of songs would always get the crowds moving. It didn’t matter if a loud thumping bass was playing or a sweet harmony was sung, certain songs have a way of stirring the soul with their sound. It was hard to sit still to The Barn Birds new song, “Close enough to touch” or not sing along to a sassy ditty called “Sundays loving you“.  The next night, we turned it up a notch with classics from Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally“ to “Long Cool Woman” by the Hollies. No matter what style of music you favor, not every song will move a crowd but the ones that do? Well, those tunes we save for making memories. Rock on, Rap on, dance on and sing on to the music that moves crowds.

What makes for a perfect beach house besides a great location?  Room for guests and a sandy beach for starters.  Add a couple of Adirondack chairs and a fire Pit by the beach and you’ve got the makings of a swell home by the sea.  With sunsets over seashores to beach-combing and clam bakes, a beach house has special needs to fill with its design. Inspired by various styles and layouts, here are a few of my must haves when designing a beach house.

Covered Porch

Of course – a hot tub and lap pool!

Guest Quarters

Outdoor Fireplace

Bunk Room

Like Janis Joplin, Amy Lee and Joan Jett, Lzzy Hale has entered the ring of top female rockers adding her incredible vocal range, power and emotion to the list. She can hold her own in this arena and has a Grammy to prove it. Her band, Halestorm recently won for best hard rock/metal performance with their single “Love Bites (so do I)“. On their most recent single “I Miss the Misery“, Lzzy screams out a massive hook with her vocal range. Exuding a sultry confidence onstage, Lzzy explores an emotional lyrical breadth alongside band members and Brother Arejay Hale, Joe Hottinger, Josh Smith. Raising the bar for female vocalists, Lzzy is my new vocal muse, inspiring me to explore the art of screaming and build a powerhouse vocal belt of my own. Check out Halestorm for yourself with “Familiar Taste of Poison” and take note of Lzzy Hale.

Art can make for a memorable experience – such is the case of artist Jack Dollhausen’s work. Walking into Seattle’s Center of Contemporary Art Gallery back in 1990, my husband and I noticed peculiar flashing lights and mumbling sounds coming from a framed art piece on the wall. As we walked closer the mumbling became louder and the lights more animated until we stood in front of it. Greeted with a loud, mechanical sounding voice stating “You are too close”, both of us burst out laughing by our surprise greeting from an art piece. Playing with the piece, we moved all over the gallery, listening for different sounds and seeing light patterns change with our proximity. The art was sensing our motions and became a mesmerizing and entertaining piece. Regretfully, the timing was wrong to purchase this playful piece of art but one day I hope to have a Jack Dollhausen original on my wall. Check out more of Jack Dollhausen’s work at www.jackdollhausen.com or view a video of Jack in his studio on NW Profiles: Living Machines.

The Oscar’s Red Carpet of 40 million viewers offers a gold mine of fashion hits and misses. Stars trying to score on the 500 foot long catwalk have made their mark in the fashion history books. Many notables include Bjork’s bizarre 2001 Swan dress, Heidi Klum’s  2008 John Galliano gown to Marilyn Monroe’s only Oscar appearance in a 1951 black tulle gown. IF I were a celebrity stylist for this year’s Academy Awards, I’d throw a few of these “players” (shown below) into the glamorous lineup. With my game card in hand, I’m looking forward to this year’s fashion show of Super Bowl proportions – the Academy Awards Red Carpet on Sunday, February 24.

*See Picture below for Oscars 2013 outcome

Hmmm… maybe  a dream job as a Celeb stylist is possible?!

Here are the winning results – take a look!

Do we really understand what the World Wide Web looks like beyond our screens? Filling the web with our personal information, we plug in to an unimaginable virtual world. Google gave us a peek in their labyrinth showing millions of servers like a scene from the Matrix.  To me, the art of Chiharu Shiota comes close to visualizing the layered depth of the internet. Here are some brilliant works from Chiharu Shiota, a Japanese performance and installation artist along with a few images from Google showing us the web we weave.

While the sun is rising and the water is warm, what better way to start the day with a jump in a pool.  Roll out of bed and make a cannon ball splash, float around for awhile in a pool by your bed. Plunge pool, lap pool or infinity edged, any style will do when creating a pool oasis all your own. Sharing a few designs from pillow to pool – prepping for a wake up call in my own pool.

Like many, I just saw the movie, Les Miserables.  I have seen the live musical on stage many times and thought I knew the story well enough. What surprised me about this movie were the raw emotional performances of Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Samantha Bricks. All three of their final scenes left me sobbing; something a live theater performance has not drawn out of me before. I felt their struggles as I looked into their eyes and realized that film is a perfect format for getting to the heart of this story. On stage, the sets and singing have made Les Miserable a 25 year stand out but on film the true emotion of the story is captured through editing, close ups and fine performances.  Here are a few of my favorite scenes from Les Miserables and wondering what were yours?  (Click on the images for the performances.)

This New Year is starting on a good note despite the ups and downs 2012 has brought. While some resolutions failed, others came up with glorious returns and a few important lessons were re-learned like listening to your gut, being patient and having faith that things will work out. I’m armed and ready for the New Year and have gathered a few phrases that sum up my focus. Let’s see where I end up in 2013 by putting action to these words. Wishing you all a blessed New Year in 2013!