HGTV Anonymous

Silence is Golden… I was shocked at first, I couldn’t believe that for the first time the entire award show season that there was going to be an award show without any nasty jokes made about Trump. That was until about three and a-half minutes into it when they started, and sadly it never ended.

To be honest, I did not watch the entire show. I did however flip back and fourth several times to see what was going on. Hey, I'm an actor and being that the Oscars used to be the equivalent of what the Superbowl is to football… it is only natural to want to see what films and performances take the top honors. (BTW Hacksaw Ridge was robbed!)

I say, “used to be” because over the past several years Hollywood or shall I say Hollyweird seems to have forgotten that they are supposed to be in the business of entertainment and not politics. 

It's just not as fun as it used to be to keep up with it all. Honestly the only things we watch in our house are HGTV, Animal Planet, and sometimes Fox News. Most of the time I have Classical or CCM Music on the Music Choice channel going on the TV in the background. Why? Because Classical Music makes you smart, and in my opinion it is just more fun to watch than a bunch of junk set to program my noggin with boatloads of gobbledygook.

This my friends is how it all started… My decision to tune out the junk, and tune into other things. I’m seriously starting to wonder if I need to check myself into “HGTV Anonymous”. You see I wanted a new bedroom suit. I had fallen in love with a set at Restoration Hardware called the St. James collection in antique white. The catch, I didn’t particularly care for the almost six thousand dollar price tag it came with. Ov vey!

So I did what any thrifty person in this situation would do. You guessed it, I hit Craigslist. After a few weeks I found a set just a few miles away from our house. It was perfect! Solid wood, unlike most of the furniture on the market today, which is, manufactured wood and pressed board. I made an appointment to see it, got the Mr. and boom we were off. It was just as perfect in person as in the ad. So we made arrangements to pick it up the following day.

Then, it was off to the Home Depot for Chalk Paint. What is chalk paint you might wonder? It is a fantastic way to make furniture look antique. It can be used to do so many crafts and it looks amazing! There are lots of colors to choose from as well. The best part you don’t have to strip the previous finish. Just paint right over it, then do the topcoat.

It took about three weeks to get two coats on everything, and then let it dry and do the top coat matte clear. I found amazing knobs on lowes.com and viola’ our new bedroom set was complete.

However, after getting it into the bedroom and set up was when I started to notice every little knick and scratch on every bit of paint it seems in the entire house. Could it have something to do with watching too much, Flip or Flop, Love it or List it, or House Hunters? Probably…

I then told the Mr. we needed to finally finish painting the ceiling that we never finished a few years ago. Then it was the hallway, it was too dark and too tan, that we needed to brighten it up. Then it was the entryway by the front door. Now it has moved onto the woodwork. Yes all the white woodwork in the entire main level of the house “needs” to be painted.

So after several trips to Home Depot, Lowes (and to Dunkins for fuel to do the job) we have the house upside down and covered under plastic. Blue tape everywhere and I’m thinking that I might think twice before I tune into HGTV again… because after all this is how it all starts (no wonder I’m behind on getting my new music out).

Add to the chaos the fact that not only are my own four dogs and one cat in the house while this is going on, we are currently pet sitting my moms two dogs as well. This makes for a whole barrel of monkeys or shall I say fur babies who want to see what their fur and paws look like with paint on them.

Here are some signs you might be watching too much HGTV:

- The employees at Home Depot know you by name.

- The employees at Lowes know you by name.

- The employees at both stores know what projects you are working on.

- The employees at both stores ask to see photos of the finished projects. 

If this sounds familiar, it may be a good idea to reduce ones HGTV viewing. Oh who am I kidding? I’ll never stop watching and why should I? There’s nothing wrong with Spring-cleaning any time of the year. Hey it’s a surefire way to keep oneself from ending up like another TV show that no one in the world ever wants to find themselves on… hoarders. ;o) Happy HGTV-ing!

Blessings, Love & Music!
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Pull the Plug

The Christmas season is in full bloom. Seems like everywhere you go there are signs of the season. Lights, decorations, "holiday" themed beverages at your favorite coffee joint. Yes I had to use "coffee" as an example. Why because I love it, and in case you're wondering my favorite is Dunkins. No matter where you go from the big box retailer down to the local diner it appears everyone is all dressed up ready to make merry.

This is a good thing right? I beg to differ. I was out and about the other day and it hit me, not that it hasn't before, but this time it really stuck out like a sore thumb. Ironic I would use that analogy given what I'm about to type... but all I could see were not the pretty lights, decorations, or signs of the season. All I could see were a bunch of people with their faces glued to a glowing machine and it bothered me. It really bothered me.

The holidays are a time for celebration. Connecting with loved ones, taking time to reflect on the year past and look forward to the year ahead. I know that this time of year can mean different things to different people. Some people deal with incredible sadness or depression this time of year as well, which is terrible. I wonder though, can we as a society for the love of all that is good and right in the world just put down the flipping phones?

One could think it hypocritical of a Greek Girl who uses technology to connect her music with the world to be complaining about people having their faces stuck in their phones, but hear me out. See that's just it. I "use" technology for a purpose, to accomplish a task. To connect, and that's it. For some it has become a very unhealthy addiction and if you ask me it is tearing apart the fabric of our society.

I've written about this before, but the truth is social media is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing to be able to connect with people whom you never could before. So for a business, or independent recording artist such as myself it is an incredible tool. For people in their personal lives though it can be very destructive. We've all seen it, a family out to eat all sitting around with their faces glued to the phones, including the parents. Some you can even see scrolling their Facebook feeds.

Many people today are not happy. In my humble Greek opinion they are not happy with their own lives because they are so busy scrolling to see what others are doing and how great everyone else's life is, that they are missing out the life that is right there in front of them... sad.

Everyone wants to be famous. Again, something I have blogged about on many an occasion. It's not enough for a kid to just play the piano and be good at it; we have to broadcast it all over social media. Moms blasting pics of their kids dancing, singing, baking, you name it. Video after video, and the younger the better. Um hello parents... hate to be the one to break the bad news but there is a creepy word lurking and trolling the internet and I'm just saying something to keep in mind before you post, pedophile.

Why can't it be enough to just live our moments and see where life takes us. Life is a journey... well these days it seems less and less of a journey and more like a race that some people are running fifty miles and hour trying to catch up to the person on instagram who has the most perfect talent, or thing, or life, or beat out the next internet celebrity who pops up.

I'm not saying not to share your moments and be proud of your kids, that is not at all what I am saying. I'm saying everything in moderation. It's like with the commercialism of retail. Stores are promoting the next holiday before the current one in many instances is even over yet. Why? Because of social media. People are far too busy these days. Kids, and even adults have to be involved in multiple activities after school and work. People are so busy running here and there that there is hardly any time left to just "be". To just enjoy life and enjoy some quiet time. Quiet time what's that?  You mean we don't have ten places to run today after work or school? My goodness what on earth will we do with ourselves? See what I mean.

Much of this stems from social media. There has been study after study about the dangerous effects of social media on people’s emotional well-being. At the end of the day there is a very wise saying... "Comparison is the joy thief" and it is. 

So this Christmas my wish is that people will pull the plug. Realize like the wise old Grinch did: “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”

I wish for people to take time out from social media to live life and enjoy the life that they have whatever that may be. No not everyone has a perfect life, and that's OK because there is always time to change it. Perfection is an illusion. There are no perfect people, and there are no perfect lives. Christmas does't come from a store, and life is not lived in a little glowing box.

Take some time to reflect on the year that was 2016 and look forward to 2017 with joy and anticipation that it is going to be the best year yet.

Blessings, Love & Music.
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Am I Alone

Please tell me I am not the only person in America who has this look this week. You know, that desk is piled so high in papers and receipts you can hardly make out the person who is sitting there look. I hate to admit it but I let it happen again, and I swore I wouldn't, I waited until the bitter end to do our taxes.

Normally I am the kind of person who gets the jump on things early, and has the taxes done by February. However this year it just seemed like other things took priority. Family visiting from out of the country, medical maladies with some of the furkids, auditions, working on music, life, stuff, and then all of the sudden it was spring break and tax time was just around the corner. Yikes!

The Mr. and I had a trip planned to visit family in Florida for Easter and as much as I wanted to get them done before we left, it just didn't happen. Why is it that sometimes as good as your intentions are when you set aside time to do something, it just seems like something always comes up last minute to interrupt the best laid plans? So here I am, the week they are due and now it's crunch time.

It wouldn't be so bad except that it's not just personal taxes for us; it's for an LLC, which can be a bit more complicated. Especially for those of us who are not you know rocket scientists by nature. So I'll be sitting here with a hot cup of happiness in my hands for the next few days organizing and adding up all the activities of the last year. Thank goodness for Dunkins' because I know one Greek Girl who will surely be "running on Dunkins'" for the next few days.

I will say it is always interesting for me to see where and how money was earned and spent. One thing I especially like to do is add up what we gave away. Some people don't necessarily give often or a lot because they think they can't make a difference. When you add it all up though, it does. I find that for me anyway, one of the best parts of the yearly taxes chore is seeing how we were able to impact the lives of others by giving in the previous year.

Back to reality, back to the job at hand. Makes me hope one of the candidates for President actually will eliminate the IRS and make it so we can file our taxes on a postcard. That would leave more time for other things we all would like to be doing instead of burning up the calculators. Oh well, one can only hope. In the meantime, if you have this crazed last minute doing your taxes look about you like I do, here's to all of us finishing on time. Happy Filing.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Joy

It's finally here! In fact I'm so happy about it I've been humming a little tune all around the house for weeks now. "I've got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart..." Joy about what Greek Girl you may be wondering?

The new movie Joy starring cutie patootie Jennifer Lawrence? No, but it was a fantastic movie that I highly recommend! The characters were all very well developed, and it's a super feel good film that gets a big fat thumbs up and five stars from this film critic. 

If not that, what pray tell could be causing all that "joy" I am talking about? Why The Biggest Loser premiere of course! Why on earth am I so excited about a TV show one may wonder? Well hello... it has many of my favorite elements: sneakers (my number one favorite shoe to wear), people doing things they thought they couldn't, inspiration, drama. Sure in my opinion the show will never be the same without Jillian, but it's still incredibly inspiring, and never fails to have me in tears at some point during an episode.

I have been so inspired by some episodes in the past that I have even written lyrics to songs from watching. So for me it's a win-win. 

New year, a new chance to get up to bat and swing for one's goals and dreams in life. We all have them, many start out strong at the beginning of the year and for a multitude of reasons peter out and end up quitting. For me it is magical to watch people who have tried time after time, after time to achieve a goal who have never been able to do it, finally break through and get it done. It's just my happy place. 

Society today has so many tools to be healthy and live longer, yet it seems is getting more and more unhealthy by the second. Your body is a miracle. When you treat it right by feeding it the right things and making fitness a part of everyday (just like brushing your teeth) the results are remarkable. That's why I love the show so much, it demonstrates this principle in such a dramatic way on such a large scale, literally. 

I think everyone has the ability inside them to blast through barriers... it's just a matter of will. Not a matter of "can", but a matter of "if". Excuses can be made for everything, everyone has something. Not everyone has the "physical capability" to be an olympic athlete, this I know very well. Accidents, disabilities, many things can make a person think they "can't" be physically fit. The truth of the matter is though that there is a modification for almost everything. There is some kind of physical activity that everyone can do, and once one changes their mentality from can't to can... the entire world can change. 

So you can be your bottom dollar I'll be parked in front of the TV watching. With a hot cup of happiness a la Dunkin's in my hands (with Truvea instead of sugar of course). Will you? If not my hope is that 2016 is a year for everyone to reach beyond their limits and break though barriers to reach goals and dreams they have buried on the inside. Remember, everything is possible... you just have to believe. Happy 2016!

Blessings, Love & Music!
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Irrelevant

It's never too late to do anything.

One of my very favorite quotes in the whole wide word (besides "The world runs on Dunkins") is "Never, ever give up." by one of history's greatest heroes Sir Winston Churchill. Boy could we could sure use him in the times we're living in today couldn't we? But that's a blog for another day.

What brings this quote to my mind? Recently, I read about an eighty three year old supermodel who just scored a Special Edition cover of New You Magazine. Gracing the cover of a magazine is nothing earth shattering for a supermodel to do. However because pop culture as a whole generally practices age bias on a regular basis and pushes the subliminal message that youth equals everything; to be eighty three and get the cover, that my friends in my humble Greek opinion is something to not only notice, but to stand up and cheer about. 

Age bias is a subject not many people want to talk about, but it goes on every day in all walks of life. It's prevalent in entertainment, pop culture, TV, film, music, news, and even in the job market. What it boils down to is there are people out there (the so called experts) who determine other peoples value by their age, when in fact it's irrelevant. No one can avoid growing older, we're all going to get to be a particular age at some point in our lives, yes even Justin Bieber. We have a choice, buy into the "youth is everything fairytale" or stand up for age like Carmen Dell'Orefice has done.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with taking care of your health or striving to stay young at heart, body and mind. I believe your body is a miracle and you should definitely take care of it. What I am saying is that to allow someone to tell you that you're either "too old or even too young" to do or achieve something is just ridiculous. If you're still breathing you have every opportunity to achieve your dreams and goals.

There are people who have overcome insurmountable obstacles to go onto to achieve tremendous success in their fields. People who had they listened to the nay sayers, might never have. There are plenty, but I'll just name a few.

When Susan Boyle was born she went without oxygen during the delivery. The Dr's told her parents not to expect much from her. That she was born at a disadvantage and that she would never amount to much. She spent much of her life pursuing her dream and even when people discounted her, she didn't let others determine her value. One day at the age of forty eight years old she got on a bus to audition for a singing competition in another city. She had never traveled that far alone, accidentally got on the wrong bus, and ended up taking six busses to get to the venue. She walked out onto the stage in stark contrast to most of the young hip contestants, stood firm in who she was, boldly told lead judge Simon Cowell her dream, and then showed the world her beautiful gift.

Dr. Ben Carson is another. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan his parents divorced when he was eight. Raised in what many could call not the greatest of situations by a single mom. He went from a boy with a violent temper (in the ninth grade he nearly stabbed a friend in a fight over a radio station) to what some would call one of the world's most intelligent people. How did he do this? At some point as a youth, he made a choice to not let his circumstances determine his value and where he would end up in life. He could have listened to the experts, not enough money to go to college, too hard, too this, too that. Instead he focused on what he had on the inside, his faith, worked hard and went onto to pioneer a brain surgery procedure and to be one of the most gifted neurosurgeons in the country if not the world.

The key is to know that your value does not come from superficial things like your looks or age. It's refreshing to see things like music artist Annie Lenox still going strong. Her performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards brought down the house, and she showed beyond any shadow of a doubt that age just doesn't matter. What matters is if you are good at what you do. So whatever you're working towards, whether it's to be a mom, a teacher, a Dr., a nurse, lawyer, mechanic, rocket scientist, or even a rocker... own it. Hone your skills and be the best one you can be. Don't let anyone tell you you're "too anything".

Stand up and be you, because at the end of the day there will only ever be one you. In the words of one of my favorite acting teachers in NYC Eric Loeb: "Students want to know what casting directors want, and how to book a job. Stop acting, there is only one you. Being you is the only thing that makes you different from the fifty other people who read for the role before you walked in, so stop "acting" and just "be you."  

I would add be you wherever you are in your life right now. Then own it, like Fashion Icon Carmen Dell'Orefice does. Beauty is subjective, and real beauty comes from within.

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he..." Proverbs 23:7 (NLV) 

I leave you with a song I wrote about this very thing called "I Don't Even Care". Written about stuffing your ears full of cotton balls when the Debbie Downers of the world try to rain on your parade.

Blessings, Love & Music ~

Ava xo

www.avaaston.com

He's Back

I was kinda hoping he wasn't going to visit this year...

Just when I thought we might get to skate through the winter without any major snow events, it looks as if my fantasy winter forecast may just have a rude awakening. In case you missed it, the weather experts are saying Old Man Winter is about to rear his ugly head and dump what's touted as "historic" amounts of snow on the North East in the next few days. This in and of itself enough to make me want to grab the Mister., the furkids, and flip flops and head south for the winter. Add this onto the muckery of late and you have a full blown chaos factory. What kind of chaos?...

Well it all started like this. My Yaya went to be with the Lord recently. So we traveled a few hours north to attend the memorial service and visit family. Sad yes because she will be missed by everyone, but also happy because she was such an inspiring and kind woman who touched so many people in her ninety years on this earth. She immigrated from Greece as a young girl of twenty two years of age and lived what really was the American Dream. She waited in line, went to school and learned to read and write English and then passed her exam to become an American citizen. She married her true love, raised three wonderful children, worked hard, never demanded anything from this country, and never took a penny she did not earn. As my uncle Chris so eloquently stated... a sharp contrast to whats going on in our country today.

Spending time with family to reflect and honor such a wonderful woman was enough. Grief as many have experienced can be hard. I found happiness though the day of the memorial, the morning was cold and snowy. When we came out of the luncheon at the church the skies we bright blue with blazing sunshine. The neatest part of this was my Papoo had passed just over a year earlier and he was obsessed with the weather. He was always talking about the weather and it was almost like they were giving everyone the sign that they were together and happy with Jesus.

So Saturday rolls around and it's time to pack up the car and go home. We stopped for a hot cup of magic a la Dunkins for the road and off we went. We get not thirty miles from town when all of the sudden while driving down the highway the cruise control shuts off and this yellow coil looking do-dad light comes on in the dash. The car starts to slow down and acts as if it is not getting any power from the accelerator. I'm thinking "What in the heck in the world is happening on with our 2013 German tank aka VW Passat TDI"? Normally I'm gushing to everyone about the 40+ mpg we get, how we just love love love our TDI, and how we can get from NY to FL on two tanks of diesel. Saturday night however, I was singing a different song.

After much sputtering, shaking, the coil light going off never to go back on, then the  engine light coming on, and a terrible wind whistle noise coming from the engine which eventually led to a burning smell, and three calls to roadside assistance, turning the car off and doing everything they told us... We found ourselves stranded in the middle of rural upstate NY on a cold dark side road with not one, not two, but five furkids in the car with us. Thankfully we were only thirty miles from family who came to rescue us and our belongings while the tow truck took Paul Passat off to the nearest VW dealer. Where it will sit until Monday morning when the dealer opens. After getting to safety lo and behold we discovered we are not the only ones this has happened to. The internet is full of people who had the exact same thing happen. The cruise control turns off while driving and end up just like we did. It turns out, in many of these cases it is the turbo blown and engine as well.

You can bet your bottom dollar that this Greek girl is going to be on the phone with VW ASAP. Especially since our car has only 25,000 miles on it, is under warranty, is also a certified preowned, and worst of all it has been into several service departments for a "hesitation issue" with the acellerator. Where we described to them that it felt like it was not getting power when pushing gas pedal and a sputtering at times. Only to be told it was "nothing to worry about", that they did a computer update on the transmission that should take care of it. According to what we found on the internet there has been a known issue going on with the TDI's in this model year and we were never made aware.

So on top of sorting out trying to get our car fixed we will be trying to get home just in time to get a wallop from old man winter as he makes his 2015 debut. Frustrating yes, but at the same time all fixable. At the end of the day it's all a matter of perspective. I can complain because we got stuck on the highway at night, or I can be happy that we have a newer car that actually is under a warranty. I can be annoyed that there is a major snowstorm on it's way or I can be happy I'm still here to complain about it... No matter what is going on, the most important thing is that we live every day to it's fullest. Something that my Yaya did.

Times might not always be perfect, and yes they may even be hard. Every day there is something to learn and a new chance to plant seeds in the lives of those around us. So grab that shovel and get ready to welcome Old Man Winter back for what hopefully is a short stay.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Naughty or Nice

Christmas is almost here. I love Christmas, it's one of my favorite Holidays. The Christmas music, special winter time hot beverages a la Dunkin Donuts, and yes even the snow. Now normally I hate the snow, but this is the one time of year I actually like it.

What kind of Christmas music would one find in my Pandora or iTunes?... Well that would be the Classics artists such as: The Rat Pack, Gene Autry, Nat King Cole, The Ronettes,  1940's Christmas, a Very Special Christmas (all of them), you get my drift. I can sit and listen to Christmas music for hours.

One thing I'm just not really all about is shopping. I mean I like shopping as much as the next person, but I think Christmas has become far too commercialized over the years. It seems to get worse with each passing year. I was a-gasp when I learned that one of my favorite places to shop Kohl's was going to stay open 24hrs a day until Christmas. I'm all for capitalism but that is just silly. I mean how much shopping does one have to do for crying out loud? Not to mention how it affects the employees who have to work the overnight shifts.

For me Christmas is about the birth of my Lord and Savior Jesus. I do buy a few small gifts for my immediate family, husband, and furkids, literally a handful of people. Gifts are great but I love going after Christmas and scoring some great finds, so buying gifts for me is super easy... can anyone say gift card?

So since the big day is almost upon us, why not take a break from the hustle and bustle for a little laugh? Check out this episode of "Ava The Diva" and see what happens to Greek Girls who are mean to Santa. Make that mean to Santa or Mr. Bricks her manager, one may never know.

Maybe a big ol lump of coal in the stocking... Here's my little disclaimer: "Ava The Diva" is my alter ego to the sarcastic tenth power. Wishing you and yours a great big smile, time spent with friends family and loved ones, and a beautiful blessed Christmas!

Blessings,
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

National Coffee Day

A little taste of my coffee brewing collection.

National Coffee Day... what exactly does that mean? Well for coffee addicts like me that means once a year we get to show up at coffee joints around the country and get a free cup of joe. Seriously though if you didn't know about it, yes there is such a thing as a "National Coffee Day", and yes some chains and local coffee houses are offering a free cup of coffee to celebrate.

Most people who read my blog if they know anything about me (besides the fact that I'm Greek) they know this one thing, I love love love love love coffee. This makes perfect sense of course because we Greek's perfected the art of coffee drinking, along with inventing  drama (acting), politics, and the windex. I laughed out loud when I visited Greece one time and on a tour of a park near the Acropolis the guide told our little group that Greek's invented drama and politics. I was thinking to myself "so that explains why I'm an actor (besides a recording artist) and highly opinionated about politics." 

The art of coffee drinking masterfully blended with drama can be wittnessed at any Greek Diner. I can almost guarantee you that somewhere in there is a table full of Greek's chatting away full of passionate talking and hand gestures. So I guess the genes carried on in Greek Girl because ever since I can remember I have loved coffee. I love the smell of it brewing, I love the taste of it, and the feel of a cup in my hands. No it doesn't help me to write better songs, or remember my lines, I just like it. What can I say? Everyone has something. Besides there have even been studies that suggest it is good for your bones/health so that's a thumbs up in my book.

Now I do have my favorites and it really depends on the day, time or situation as to what kind of coffee I'm in the mood for. My absolute favorite hot coffee ever is Dunkin Donuts. Second is McDonald's, yes they have very good coffee, and the best part is a large is only $1.08 - can't beat that!  My favorite iced coffee is Starbucks. At home I have all kinds of ways to enjoy a good cup of joe, I have a Keurig, where I can brew my Dunkins. There's also a regular drip coffee pot, a french press and one of my personal favorites my Nespresso Espresso Machine. If you've never had a Nespresso I highly suggest finding a store near you and going to get a sample cup. It brews the espresso at the optimun tempature so the taste is always perfect, and they are known for the creme on the top, it's just perfect! Nothing else to be said. Another little treat I got turned onto while visiting  Greece was Nescafe'. Yes I did just say that I like instant coffee. See in Greece it is very popular (so much so that they even sell these at McDonald's there), iced Nescafe'. It's Nescafe' in a large cup, milk, half and half, or both and sweeten to liking. Then you have a Yummoliscious iced cup of happiness!

No matter what your favorite cup of happiness is, today is the day to think about how something so simple can bring a little happiness and smile to your face. Stop by your favorite place to get one and think of all the other coffee lovers out there who love it just as much as you do. I know that participating Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's are offering a free cup, for any other places that are just check online. So raise your cup and happy sipping!

Here's to celebrating hot cups of happiness all day long!

Blessings, Love, and Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Summer Fun

Okay so since Ferris Bueller, I mean Obama is out playing golf while Iraq is burning, and since I don't want to get audited by the IRS, and my Veteran husband can't get a doctor's appointment at the VA for another 6 months I figured I would focus on what I can do to "enjoy" this summer.

Now if you are like me and the rest of those living up here in the Northeast, you may have not noticed that summer has officially kicked off.  I literally didn't even realize it until I heard it on the news.  Well, I obviously didn't get the memo and since my flip-flops have barely seen the light of day since my trip to see family in Florida for Christmas, it was a bit of a shocker.  So I'm finally getting geared up for my Top-10 things I am looking forward to doing this summer.

10. Have dinner at the 76 house in Tappan NY with a couple of good friends.  Legend claims it is the oldest tavern in the US.  Just for those who are wondering... it is one of the places George Washington met and planned his strategy during the Revolutionary War.

9. Find a Jersey Beach to actually go to.  Yes I have lived here most my entire life and no I have never been to the Jersey Shore.  So this summer that too will change.  Oh and I will of course have a iced-cup-o-happinss a-la Dunkin Donut's in my clutches.

8. Now, this one is a stretch considering when I go outside I break out from poison ivy.  But I would love to actually go for a proper hike through Harriman State Park here in NY. Don't worry, I will make sure to bring some Twinkies just in case I run into a bear on the trail.

7. Then I want to take a guided tour of the Bannerman Castle aka "the Crumbling Castle on the Hudson River".  It is something I have wanted to do for a long time.  I love to explore and this just seems to be such a cool thing to see before it is completely gone.

6. Take a day-trip with my favorite person in the whole world and visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  No, I have never been.  Since I am the daughter of an immigrant this is a very important trip to me.  Then finish the day off off at the Southstreet Seaport or Little Italy in NYC eating junk food.  (Hey Stan Appling, I can hear you snickering).

5.  Jingle-Jingle-Jingle!  That's the sound of the slot machines I love to play.  Now, I don't do it often and I only do it for fun.  But when I do it I make sure to play it safe.  So, I will be headed to either Yonker's Raceway, Monticello or maybe even Foxwoods.  I am not sure but it will be fun... I guarantee it.

4. Finish my book. No... not summer reading, but summer writing.  What?  You didn't know I am writing a book?  That's right.  I am working on a 40 Day Inspirational Devotional that will go along with "Operation Mustard Seed" the crowdfunding campaign done for my new music, which I am currently working on.

3.  That brings me to the next thing.  Get in the studio.  Yep, this Greek Girl has been working on a whole bunch of songs.  Now, it's getting close to that time.  Time to make some tracks.  So that is one main thing to do... Get back in the studio ASAP.

2. I fully support the 2nd Amendment.  So that means I want to finally go to Gander Mountain and buy me that 12-gauage Mossberg 500A Tactical shotgun and lay down some lead.  No, not at animals of course, but I am not opposed to a little target practice (just in case I ever have to defend myself or my furkids).

1. Take a special road trip.  I love road trips and nothing beats going to a city or town you haven't been to in a long time or someplace new.  In the past I've gone to Niagara, DC, Philly, Outer Banks and others.  This year it will be either Boston or Historic Williamsburg. Of course if time permits we might make it to both...  We shall see.

Either way, no matter what I do this summer I am going to make sure to have fun, lots of it.  Oh and of course I will be wearing my flip-flops and keeping cool with my Iced Cups of Happiness a la Dunkins.  So what are you doing this summer?  Hope you have fun and keep it safe and stay cool!

Blessings, Love & Music~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Stand Up

Three words... Happy Greek Girl.

It's no secret that Greek Girl rolls to the right. So I'm sure you can imagine when I learned I was invited to an event where Senator Ted Cruz would be speaking I was excited to say the least. In fact I was so excited I almost spilled my hot cup of Dunkin's all over my lap as I was reading the email announcing the event. No it wasn't a "thrill up my leg" but I'll leave that to Chris Matthews for when he's watching Obama.

Thanks to some good friends who arrived a smidge early we were able to get a table in the front and what an evening. First I have to say how down to earth he was. No entourage, no handlers, just him and a small staff. I'm not sure many people know this but he is actually very funny. Not only was he giving a rousing passionate talk about the madness that has taken over our great nation, but the entire time he was doing it with a smile and making everyone laugh. If ever there were a person who embodies the phrase "The Happy Warrior" it is Senator Ted Cruz.

Not only was he gracious enough to be there, and to stay for a log time, but he also took question after question after question. As I sat there listening I have to say something was happening. No it wasn't a thrill up my leg, but I began to see something very special. I'm not sure if other people watching him on TV can see it. I've caught glimpses of it before watching on TV myself, but as I sat there it began to grow in my noggin from a whisper to a scream... this guy is so much like Reagan.

Right there in midst of all the chaos, confusion and madness that has taken over Washington there is someone there who is speaking the truth, understands and respects the constitution and founding documents, but also most importantly has the backbone to stand up for his convictions. As the world saw when he did the filibuster against Obamacare regardless if the left wing media demonized and labeled him a loon for doing so. Why?... because he gets it. He gets a fundamentally simple thing that almost all of Washington has either forgotten or has been ignoring for years. The United States is a Constitutional Republic, the Congress and Senate are elected officials who are elected to do what? To vote the "will of their constituents". Too many elected officials get elected and then it's almost as if they get sucked into some sort of vortex where they do not vote the will of the people who elected them, but rather vote down party lines or whomever is lining their pockets.

So as I sat there listening, I began to have hope again. There has been so much fighting and tearing down in politics for the last several years, I like many have wondered will America survive? In that event listening to him speak I saw hope that not all politicians are bad and not everyone is a slick talker just trying to win votes. There right in front of me was a man who spoke so honestly and passionately about common sense solutions and ideals. I began to see that there is really something very special about Ted Cruz, and if the people in this nation get a glimpse of what we all saw at that event last night, there may very well be another revolution coming. No it won't be a Reagan Revolution like we had in the 1980's, I think it will be bigger, much bigger.

Back then we didn't have the internet, (Thank you Al Gore) bloggers, alternative news, and there were only three news channels. Now we have cable news and a plethra of technology to get information out in the blink of an eye. When the people in this country see what we all saw it may not be a revolution that is coming, it may look more like a Tidal Wave.

By the way my husband ran out to put his suit jacket in the car that was parked on the street out front later in the evening. The Senator had just left with his staff, and they were standing in front of the venue on the street just waiting. My husband said "hi" and asked them if they needed a ride jokingly. They said "no were all set." Were they waiting for a town car, limo, a driver?... Nope they were waiting on a cab. Senator Ted Cruz with his staff of three hailed a cab and were all going together in a cab to their hotel. So when he talks about living within your means, and common sense principals know that he doesn't just talk the talk, he has the courage to stand up and walk the walk.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xo
www.avaaston.com

Second Chances

Unconditional love... requires so little yet gives so much.

I'm an animal nut, I admit it. This has already been throughly established in my over two years of blogging. Currently we have four fur kids in the Aston abode (it was five until our ten and a half year old Maltese "Itty Bitty" died of congestive heart failure back in September). I do not hesitate to rescue, rehome and have been angrily referred to as a "Doggie Rescue Ambulance" by "Punkin" our talking fur kid, the one with her own channel on my your tube page. (see Punkin videos here)  She can be a jealous little Pekingese and does not like to share her momma with other fur kids.

She gets especially mad when she sees her momma cheating on her looking at homless doggies on the internet. I try to explain to her that sharing these little faces helps to get them jail broke from the kill shelter where they may end up being put to sleep, but she doesn't care. Like I said she is jealous. She has her warm bed, toys, organic food, and has her momma trained so well that she gets brocccli mixed into her little food mash every day. That along with plain kefir, glucosamine & chondroitin, and even a little wet food. I tell her she has no idea how good she has it, or what kind of horrors happen to doggies in the world every day. She super especially does not like her brother "Pepe" who was pulled from a kill shelter whom she thinks steals all of momma's attention.

So over the weekend I was enjoying a hot cup of happiness a la Dunkin's looking at one of the pages of the amazing rescue's that I subscribe to and I learned about a fundraiser were doing to raise emergency medical funds. When the shelter calls with an emergency case that they are unable to care for, this rescue steps up (as much as it can afford to and even beyond that many times) and gets that animal to an emergency vet to make sure they get the advanced care they need. Otherwise they would be euthanized at the shelter. I know, sad but true. It amazes me what human beings do to animals on a daily basis. Honestly I don't know how some people sleep at night.

Having just had our four furkids at the vet on Saturday and having spent a pretty penny for their yearly shots. It got me to thinking... I know vets have to make money and don't get me wrong, but I think they have gotten just a bit out of control. In the long run it ends up leading to animal neglect. The funny thing is this year we even did their rabies shots at the county clinic which was only a $5.00 donation per dog... total of $20 bucks. At the vet that would have added another $80 to our already near $500 total.

It's great that places like Petco do shot clinics, however to get advanced vaccines like Lyme if you live in an area where you need it like we do, the shot clinic vets charge $40 each just for that vaccine. So no matter how you slice it, it ends up being about $120 per dog to do the shots. Which if you have more than one dog, starts adding up very fast. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. I have four fur kids and pay for what they need no matter what. It just makes you think when a vet charges anywhere from $50-100 and up just for the office visit. Then anywhere from $20-40 for a vaccine that costs less than $3.00. I'm all for capitalism and profit, but doesn't a vet get into medicine because they love animals? Or did I miss something along the way?

Shelters all over the country are full of dogs and cats that are dumped because people can no longer afford to care for them. Or even worse people keep them and just let them go with no shots, and leaving medical conditions untreated for years on end. Then for one reason or another the animal ends up at the shelter with an advanced condition that in many cases ends up taking their little lives. This is so stupid and so preventable. I understand that a vet goes to medical school, they are a Dr. and just like Dr.'s they should be rewarded for their hard work. However there should be a line somewhere. A line between making a profit and being obscene to the point where people can not afford to care for their pets. A vet I love and used to go to in this area for example used to charge $40 for an office visit. It is now over $100 for a regular office call, and an emergency visit is $150.

I don't know it just seems to me that if you care for animals and love them so much that you go to school to be able to care for them for a living... when you get out and open a practice, that you will not become so greedy that you forget that the animals are the ones who suffer when you decide to start raising prices, and raising, and raising, and raising. Making it harder and harder for people with multiple dogs to have multiple dogs. Which leads to less dogs being adopted from shelters. Just my two cents.

I want to see more dogs who are sitting in shelters get a second chance at life, and vets continuing to charge into the stratosphere for care is not helping the situation at all. So when you see a rescue posting on Facebook or somewhere asking for donations, know they are the only chance for these creatures. Your taking a minute to share and give $1, $5, $10 or whatever you can afford to do can and will make a difference. If everyone who sees these posts takes the time to do it, the rescues can save more innocent animals.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xo
www.avaaston.com

Wonderland

I think I hear choirs of Angels singing... do you?

This week I felt like I was transported smack dab into my very own version of "Alice In Wonderland". However in this new and improved version it's not about a girl named Alice who eats some magic mushrooms and goes into a hole in the ground. In this version it's about a Greek Blonde Girl who is obsessed with sneakers who gets to take trip to see behind the curtain to see the Wizard in the wide world of sneakers.

Most people who know me know a few things about me. I love fitness and working out, therefore I love sneakers. So anyone who knows anything about me knows these few things, I love sneakers, coffee (Dunkin Donuts my favorite), chocolate, animals, and Vitamin Water Zero ("Go Go" flavor thank you very much). Where most women collect high heels, this girl collects sneakers. Honestly in my humble Greek opinion a girl (or guy) can just never have too many. They keep your feet happy, like flip flops. I mean really.... who wants to walk around in a pointy hard to walk in, hard high shoe all dang day long? Not me!

So in my closet at any given moment you will find a vast array of sneakers. Yes they are called sneakers (even though my former manager Mr. Bricks likes to call them "tennis shoes") I bet he likes to wear his "tennis shoes" with his white skinny jeans from the 80's, gosh that's a scary thought. OK so back to Wonderland... Besides being a recording artist, I'm also an actor. Which has led to doing some pretty cool promotions, product launches and events. Sometimes when companies are launching a new product line they like to hire people to go out and talk to people about the product. People who are outgoing, friendly and are comfortable talking to people (or who have the gift to gab per say). In this case Greek Girl was hired to be a "Sneaker Ambassador" for Merrell. Just saying that makes me giddy. Who better to go around yapping my big Fat Greek Yap trap about a new line than yours truly?.. I know, perfect right!

Can you pic the Greek Girl out of this lineup?

So before they let us lose to go out and make the clients aware of the new line, it's benefits, and what it's all about, they flew all of us "Sneaker Ambassadors" to Minneapolis MN to learn about Merrell's New "All Out" line. Merrell is a fantastic company with a history of quality shoes that outlast and out perform for decades. One of their tag lines is: "Performance + Innovation - It's in our History... and our Future." Knowing what I know now after seeing behind the curtain, I think it's perfect.

"Barefoot Running" became very popular after the book "Born to Run" written by Christopher McDougall was published back in May of 2009. In 2011 Merrell had a huge launch of it's Barefoot Running shoe. Barefoot simply means zero angle. Most Traditional running shoes have an 12-15 mm drop. Drop meaning the angle of the heel above the forefoot. Although it allows for lots of cushioning it can end up causing improper heel strike (meaning your heel is not hitting the ground under your hips where it is supposed to). The idea behind Merrell's Barefoot Running sneaker was to let your feet follow their natural instincts. Connect your feet to the terrain (protected by a Vibram sole), realign your gait, improve posture, and strengthen the muscles in your feet and legs. In other words let your body do what comes naturally. Merrell's Barefoot Collection also includes a thin EVA cushion to protect, and two impact zones. As Barefoot Running grew and people did it for longer, Barefoot become less important to consumers. They wanted a little more cushion, but still wanted a connection to the earth...

Thus the NEW "All Out" line was born. The "All Out" is a blend between a Barefoot and a Traditional Running shoe. The "All Out" line of sneakers all have a 6mm drop. Which allows for a little more cushion than the Barefoot running shoe with a Zero drop. The idea of the line is: Activate, Impact Protection, and Animal Like Agility. Activate your body's most efficient natural form with Merrell's flexible underfoot wrap shaped around the arch to create a continuous, flexible contact for increased mobility, flexibility and efficiency. Impact Protection made of their ultra flexible "UniFly" impact absorption system to provide a soft landing, disperse impact and allow for a stable take off. The perfect balance of feel and protection so you can go further, faster and longer. The Animal Like Agility comes from the "MSelect Grip" outsole. It's circular design allows for each lug to move independetly providing muti-directional control and surface area. Add to this Merrell's unique Fit Features in this line of a stitched in footbed and "Omni fit Lacing System" which provide a precise glove like fit.... and you might just have a miracle.

Seriously though if all that is not technical enough for you, well you might just belong at Nasa. If you're like me and you just love to run, and or you love sneakers... you really should check out the new "All Out" line of kicks! They come in three versions, one for road the "All Out Fuse", one for road and trail the "All Out Rush", and a hiker called the "All Out Blaze" which comes in low, mid and high ankle heights. They all come in super fun colors and trust me your feet will thank you. I have been wearing mine and I can definitely say it's been like a walk in wonderland. Keeping my tootsies happy while I'm in the process of working on NEW Music that I can't wait to share!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D
www.avaaston.com