Oh Say Can you See

Lady Liberty and all her glory... simply stunning!

Hard to believe it is almost the forth of July. I for one am very happy that summer is finally in full swing and the warm weather is here to stay. Well, at least for a few more months for those of us in the northeast that is.

After such a long and ridiculous winter I am very much looking forward to taking the holiday time to soak up the heat and breathe in the summer air. I will also be performing The National Anthem at a Baseball game, which is really wonderful. I mean what could be more fun than a baseball game and with my being a singer, the opportunity to perform the National Anthem on the day our country won her Independence? Can anyone say happy Greek girl?

The fourth of July is about a new beginning for our nation. Seeing advertisements everywhere for Fourth of July festivities has got me to thinking about new beginnings. I have the beginning of a new habit that I wanted to share… I am taking off my Fitbit for good, there I said it.

No more... not for me.

Why would you do such a silly thing you may be wondering. Well it’s just personally I think we as a society have become way too obsessed with technology. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the benefits of technology and of course it has its place. I just feel it has become far too front and center in our daily lives. Our phones are practically glued to us, and lets not even get into how over reaching Amazon’s “Alexa”and Google’s “Echo” creepy little units are because that would be a whole blog for another day. At first I thought the fitbit was great, and yes I’ll admit it was pretty neat to see how long I slept, and how many times I got up at night, and just how many steps I got in on a particular day.

  

Where it started to lose it’s luster for me was when I started to catch myself being disappointed if I didn’t get as many steps in throughout the week as I did the week before, and so on. I’d find myself looking at it so often then it hit me; this is getting to be on the silly side. I remember not too long ago putting on an old fashioned watch, take a swatch for instance, and going out for a run. The only reason I had it on was to keep track of “how long” I was running for. I was free to enjoy the fresh air, take in the beautiful images of nature and just enjoy the run and endorphin high. As opposed to exercising to see how many steps or calories I could burn each time.

A few of my favorites...

Never mind the fact that I had an entire watch box full of watches that I loved that hadn’t seen the light of day in over a year.  I really love watches too… they are one of my things, like sneakers and flip-flops. For some girls it’s high heels, but for me, it’s watches, sneakers and flip-flops. So the fact that I was wearing the same watch every single day, a little piece of technology that was literally attached to me at all times got me to thinking it was a bit obsessive.

So I decided to kick my Fitbit to the curb. Yes you heard right, this girl is going old school when it comes to watches. My very favorite watches are Android, which have since changed their name to Aragon, check them out at www.aragonwatch.com. Absolutely gorgeous watches, mostly automatic at surprisingly affordable prices too. Each watch is literally a work of art, and all designed by their creator and founder Wing Liang. The Mr. and I met him years back at a fashion trade show and we have been in love with his creations ever since.

So this year when I sing “Oh say can you see” I’ll be sporting a plain old watch on my wrist, and the only time I’ll be looking at it is to check the time. Hope you enjoy the holiday!

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

Glowosity

Wanna get the Greek Girl Glow? Here's how, I'm spilling all of my secrets.

In the fall of 2014 I launched my own skincare line called "Get Glowing". The feedback has been fantastic so far! People getting real results, which makes me one happy girl!

One thing though that might possibly have caused wrinkles to appear on my greek mug is, some people were not clear that the line is for both Men and Women. So being the kind of girl who wants to get it "100% right"... I went back to the salt mines to come up with a name and logo that would make it clear my skincare line is unisex.

Well... it's finally here "Glowosity". The trademark is submitted, the website is up, and now the official Facebook page is open. www.facebook.com/glowosity

This is your invitation to "like" it and see what can happen when you try medical strength skincare that delivers remarkable visible results without irritation, and reveal healthy glowing skin. The very same products I use on my skin that cause random strangers in public to stop and ask about that "Glow".

Most people know me as an Independent Recording Artist and Actor. What some might not know is that I grew up the daughter of a cosmetologist, and was always around beauty products. As a teenager I learned the importance of proper skincare and it's effects on aging. The rest as they say is history.

I'm a confessed skincare junkie and have tried every product the market has to offer. From drugstore brands, to pharmaceutical products, I've broken the code and found what really works. People joke and ask how I can be "Aging in reverse". Often stopped in public by strangers, people ask about my "glowing skin", some actually whip out a pen and paper to write down what I tell them. My secret, it's just five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night combined with no nonsense high quality medical grade skincare that delivers results, not broken promises.

I'm super excited to offer people the same revolutionary skincare I have been using on my own skin most of my adult life. The majority of people don't have access to products with this level of ingredients without a prescription or a hefty price tag directly from a dermatologist. "Glowosity" will offer everyone access. No gimmicks, no gotcha's, just cutting edge skincare formulations for men and women of all skin types that deliver revolutionary results.

How can YOU Get It? Easy!  www.glowosity.com 

You get what you pay for, but that doesn't mean one must break the bank to get their hands on physician formulated skincare. I'm Greek remember? (which is code for "must buy it on sale", and sale is an old Greek word that means "you must buy it now"). So I'm all about getting a good deal and getting the best value for your money.  "Glowosity"  skincare is medical strength and it's affordable. The best part, no one is going to bother you to join something, start selling something or re-bill your credit card. You order what when you want, when you want - period. No appointment necessary, you get the products without paying a doctor visit fee and hefty markup.

Regardless of your age or gender there are five simple steps to getting and keeping healthy glowing skin. Simple steps that everyone should be doing morning and night. So I recommend everyone start with six products - five steps. We are all different and everyone's skin is not the same, so "Glowosity" is not a one size fits all "pre made kit". You choose what you want, based on your needs. The steps don't change but the specific products can. The five steps and products work synergistically together - that's what makes the change and delivers Revolutionary Results.

Some may think they can order a moisturizer, yet skip the cleanser, toner, serum and eye treatment but still expect to see earth shattering results... think again. In order for the product to get in to do it's job it has to be able to get "to" your skin. Think about it... a lot of people look older than they could or should simply because they have layer, upon layer, upon layer of dead skin sitting on their face. Trust me people, exfoliation is your friend. Finding the right products and being consistent with them is the key.

1. Cleanser
2. Toner
3. Eye Cream *(If you're a woman, eye make up remover first)
4. Serum
5. Moisturizer - One for AM and one for PM *(Why two, because they do different things.)

So that's it! Six products in five steps, the secret to getting and keeping healthy glowing skin! I'm offering a #Facebook Page LAUNCH PROMO!

25% OFF ALL ORDERS - Just enter Code:  6569AA10E9F1  at check out! NOW through July 6th!

"Glowosity" offers Cutting edge skincare formulations for Men and Women of all skin types that delivers results, not broken promises. So what are you waiting for? Try it for yourself, and learn to love your skin again. If you have any questions or need help choosing products, please feel free to message via Facebook or the website - I'm here to help!

Dictionary Definition of "Glowosity"

Have a beautiful blessed day!

Blessings ~
Ava xo
www.glowosity.com
www.avaaston.com

The Mondays

Look Familiar?

It happens to the best of us. You wake up on a Monday excited to tackle the week ahead, jump out of bed and before your feet hit the floor it starts... Muckery.

I don't let days like this get me down, we all have them so I figure what's the point in letting it get me down. In my mind it's better to just plug away and eventually it will pass. Well last week I had one of those days. It was so bad in fact it ended up with one of my furkids at the emergency vet. Although it was quite annoying at the time, eventually it all worked out and looking back I even found some humor in the whole episode. So I thought I'd share it so the next time one of you is having a case of "The Monday's" you might think about Greek Girl and realize we all have them. You're not alone, just breathe and it will pass (a lot faster too if you try to find some humor in the situation).

It was Monday morning, I had a commercial audition in the city so I got ready and drove in like any other day. The audition was in a silly part of town where there is no meter parking for miles. The few meters that are available are either taken or too far away from my destination that by the time I walk to the audition; I will end up having to turn around to go feed the meter again because they are only one hour meters. So after driving around in circles I decided to bite the bullet and park. It would be $50 bucks for one hour. My audition appointment was at 12:10pm.

I think it's funny that casting directors give out appointments and have a cow if anyone shows up late. On the other hand they can make actors wait for hours as if it's no big deal at all. So I walk in and it is like a giant romper room. Toddlers and young kids everywhere literally bouncing off the walls, parents on iPads and cell phones totally oblivious to the fact that their kid are acting like animals. I sign in and ask the assistant who is doing the sign in's if she has any idea if they are running on time. She looks at me like I have six heads and says "Appointment times are out the window today, I can't give you a time just wait". I'm thinking oh gee nice, I'm glad I made it on time and am paying $50 to park.

I sat down and began to take it all in. We have a word in the Greek language for what was going on "χάος" it means Chaos! So after basking in the chaos for almost an hour they had seen a whopping one set of people for the role. It was for a family: a mom and two young kids for a food product. I could not wait any longer due to the $50/hr parking garage, so I asked if I could leave and come back - little miss sunshine aka the assistant said OK.

So I went back to the garage paid the $50 bucks, retrieved my car and drove around for about  half an hour to find some meter parking. Finally after what seemed like forever I found a spot on the corner of 30th street and 3rd avenue. I had to be extra careful to park not touching the white line (or the parking natzis will tow the car) yet far enough from the car behind me so my car would not get hit if they tried to leave. I maneuvered Jillian Jetta in the perfect spot which wasn't easy I might add as she is a 6 speed. I got out, fed the meter, got the receipt and walked back to the car. Put the ticket on the dash and was set to leave to walk back to the audition. No sooner do I lock the door does the guy behind me yell out the window he is leaving that I can have his spot.... UGG now I'm already on the meter clock. See you have to be back to the car by the time on the meter or guess what? You guessed it a ticket. So in cecil the turtle mode he leaves and I back up to his spot. I grab my stuff and run the four blocks back to the casting.

I go back upstairs (runnning four flights of stairs as the elevator is old fashioned and the operator is out to lunch) to find no movement in the casting order.  Apparently the software broke and in all the time I'd been gone they only saw one more group. Ov Vey! So I wait, and since I had to be back to my meter within an hour to avoid a ticket, guess what happened? Yup I had to leave again to go feed the meter. So I ran the four blocks back to the car, fed the meter, and returned. Finally after almost three hours of total Muckery I was able to be seen for the casting. I did a great job and kept my cool despite the circumstances. It didn't hurt that they paired me up with some adorable kids who did a great job.

I left and got over to the West Side Highway just in time to be stuck in afternoon rush hour with all the other people who live outside the city and commute in. I finally got home about five. At this point all I want to do is workout. So instead of feeding the furkids like normal, I decided to give them a treat to hold them over and feed them "after" my workout. I gave them all small pieces of the fruit from the smoothie I was making with my Nutribullet in addition to some doggie cookies.

Right about then the monsoon started complete with thunder and lightening and torrential rain. One of the furkids "Pepe" is horribly afraid of thunder so I had to stop and get his doggie drugs in him fast (all natural no worries a little melatonin and "Rescue Remedy" drops to calm him down). I changed into my workout clothes and was about to go down to the workout room when I heard a bunch of commotion from the doggie room.

I rush in and find "Punkin" turning blue and four piles of throw up. Her eyes are all bugged out and she doesn't even look like herself. I grabbed her put her in the car and rushed to the emergency vet in the pouring rain. It was raining so hard I couldn't see. Thank God I got there in time... she threw up a piece of apple at home but I didn't realize she had stolen one of the other furkids apples because we found out later this is what was stuck in her throat.

They X-Rayed her and found that in addition to swallowing an entire baby carrot whole she had a triangle shaped thing stuck in her throat. They did emergency surgery to push the item down with a tube. They were unable to get it into the stomach, only to the bottom of the esophagus. They had to wait overnight for the specialist to come to do the next step which would have been endoscopic surgery to push the item from the bottom of her esophagus where they got it the night before into her stomach.

Needless to say it was a long night. The 6am X-Ray showed the triangle in the same spot. Then at 11:30am the vet called me to tell me they would try one more thing before doing the endoscopy which would have been another $1,200 or more. They fed her a tiny amount of baby food with some powder dye on it. Then re X-Rayed her, this time they found the little triangle was in her tummy. They called me to tell me I could take her home. With medicine and no hard food for a week, as her little throat was all inflamed from the trauma.

"Punkin" being sprung from the emergency vet!

The moral of the story... Sometimes you can make a bad day worse by putting off something. Although it wasn't intentional and I consider myself to be a very responsible dog owner, I put off feeding them when I got home because I wanted to workout. Which I never got to do anyhow because I had to rush "Punkin" to the vet. I didn't want to wait for them to eat, then take them out in the rain to do their business. I figured it'd be faster to give them a snack and feed them after. Even though they have dry food down all day, they love their special mash I make them every day. Had I just done it when I got home I quite possibility might never had had to spend a long night and a ton of money at the emergency vet.

An expensive lesson, but never give your furkids anything that is not mashed up or soft enough to go down their throats. The vet said they see dogs with apples stuck in their throats a lot. So the next time the Mondays come creeping up on you just sit back, take a breath and smile. The rain will stop eventually and if you find some humor in the situation somewhere, it will make it go a lot faster.  Looking back on it I realized you just can't make this tuff up. Life, it happens to the best of us... enjoy it, it's the only one we have.

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

The Final Countdown

Last Day to PLEDGE to "Operation Mustard Seed"!

The Deadline on “Operation Mustard Seed” is FAST approaching. 

If you're a regular reader of my blog you almost definitely know all about Operation Mustard Seed.  However for anyone new to the Greek Girl blog, let me bring you up to speed.  People have been asking for more music, so after a life-changing event, much prayer and reflection I've decided to turn my dream over to God Focusing on making my 1st Faith-Based Contemporary Christian Music Album!  

So my husband Keith (my hero who makes my website, music videos, and pretty much everything you see of Greek Girl besides the music) and I put together a crowd funding campaign on fundanything.com to raise the funds to do the recording through selling Advanced Copies of the New Album & other creative rewards in return for people pledging. I would be honored to have your involvement & support on this journey!

There are many Pledge Options, and all pledges over $5 come with cool REWARDS including Music, Art & More! I believe with all of my heart that my Music & Message have made a Positive Impact.

So, if you're like me and think the world could use a little less #twerking, Auto-Tune & Shock & Awe in Music and more "Music" in the Music Industry that Means Something…. I'm asking YOU to join in helping to make this NEW Album. 

Time is Running Out! ENDS This FRIDAY DEC. 13th!

Please watch the video, I would be honored to have your support and appreciate your time, resources, and sharing the link with friends, family & social media!  Have a Great Day!

PLEDGE Here:

https://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/operation-mustard-seed?col=-29526

Blessings ~
Ava :D
www.avaaston.com

Facedown vs Planking

Me planking (or so I thought) as a joke to Mr. Bricks ;D

So what is up with the "Planking" rage all of the sudden? What I can not seem to wrap my noggin around is why on earth people are all of the sudden so excited to lay down - on things?  I was working out one afternoon and I get a text from Mr. Bricks....   "Ava, have you heard about planking?"  I'm thinking... hmmm planking, what the heck is he talking about now...   Mr. Bricks have you been drinking?  I text him back "I'm working out, I'll be done in another hour or so, ttyl" He proceeds to continue to text me like something ~ really important is going on...

So I decided the following weekend to take a photo as a joke of me "Planking" (or so I thought I was planking) in front of my dream car the Bubble Bee Camaro.  So come to find out, I was actually not planking at all, I was "Facedown".  How did I learn this you may be asking yourself?  Well wouldn't you know it, old man Bricks has found the clarification to inform me that I was not planking and I was in fact facedown.  He even sent me the link to the video to prove it....

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/06/15/dnt.facedown.craze.king?eref=igoogledmn_mpvideo

So here I am about a month or so later sitting here asking myself, why on earth does my manager Mr. Bricks know so much about "planking" & "facedown", yet I still do not have a record deal? So now I know what he spends his time doing, that is besides eating McRib sandwiches all dang day long...  He spends his time reading up on things like planking when he is supposed to be getting me a record deal (just sayin). I think I am going to tell Mr. Bricks that I think planking is really cool and that I would love to get a picture of him planking in between my two tour buses when they are parked side by side loading up for my US Tour.  Yeah, that's a good idea. ;D

All joking aside here because we all know I'm all about laughing and having a fun time, but really I do not condone ~ anything ~ that can possibly cause harm to yourself or others.  Life is precious, I do not feel it wise to risk life and limb just to get a "funny" or outrageous photo.  I heard on the news a few weeks ago that someone was even killed falling off of a balcony trying to get a photo of themselves "planking".  So of course have fun, take risks, live your life to the fullest - but do not do anything just for the "shock" value of it.  In this humble Greek Girl's opinion, it is simply not worth it.  (in full disclosure, my "planking/facedown" photo was taken in a parking lot away from any space any car could drive on) :D Be smart blog friends!

Have a beautiful blessed day!

Ava :D xox

Whistle While You Work

My producer Damien & I in the studio, he sure is one funny guy...

Do you have one of the jobs where you sit a cubicle all day and listen to the person next to you whistle all day? That would make my coconut explode. Then there are those Cubicle A-Type  Personality Dwellers (CADS) that you can hear their every perfect phone conversation  with every girl with a heart beat who this CAD has buffaloed into thinking she was special.  Makes you want to sprint into his cubicle when he takes one of his frequent breaks to visit the bathroom so he can check himself out in the mirror and hit redial on his phone and tell the unsuspecting lady just what a jerk this guy is.

I am lucky, the only cubicle at my job is the recording booth....  The only thing I have to listen to is the sound of my own melodies & my producer Damien saying "That's Hot". Which is actually quite funny, because he is a big guy with a wicked sense of humor which makes for lots of goofing around at times.  But hey, like they say "if you can't laugh... you might as well be 6 ft under".  I know I don't want to be there anytime soon, so I plan to keep on laughing.  So I hope you enjoy the little clip of Damien & I doing just that, goofing around while working on a new song.  Looking to have this song finished mid July and God willing a whole new project done by my B~day in September.

Have a beautiful blessed day my blog buddies!

Ava xox

Cap'n Crunch Walks the Plank

A breakfast with this is not Greek Girl approved

Have you ever noticed how guys can not just eat one bowl of breakfast cereal? Well, I am going to appoint myself as the Czar of  Breakfast Stuff (BS) and let you know that you should not be listening to those BS commercials.  Otherwise you will have to Leggo the Greek Girl's Eggo, just sayin'.

I know I know I am always harping about "you are what you eat", but really I can not say it enough. It's OK to have a bit of "bad foods" once in a while but really.... Capt'n Crunch for breakfast? Not so much, it is more like a dessert... and like a handful, not a bowl.  Sorry to burst anyone's sugar coated cereal bubble.

You only have one body and it really is a miracle.  What you put into it is really important, that's why for breakfast I'm all about egg whites.  Almost every day I have egg whites and a Thomas Light whole grain English Muffin with smart balance & peanut butter on it (peanut butter is a super food btw).  If I don't have egg whites, I usually have a 0% Fage Greek Yogurt (we talked about this in a blog last week).  Of course I wash it down with a coffee....  BTW are you following my coffee every day on twitter? hmmmmwww.twitter.com/avaaston  @avaaston ;D

I get that kids & even grown ups too like cartoons and all, but I have spent time in the cereal isle, and honestly it is really hard to find even one cereal that is balanced and "good" for you.  It's either too high in sugar, or not enough fiber & protein.... Also the serving size is generally 1/3 of a cup.  We all know that most people do not measure out their cereal before they eat it. So most people are actually eating like 3-4 servings of cereal... this makes for a lot of muckery.  Mood swings, and irritability from not having a balanced breakfast.

So take it from this Rock Chick ~ cereal.... not such a great choice for breakfast.  For me it's all bout being healthy, feeling good and being in shape for performances for my music & acting.  No matter what you do in life, it's important to be the best you can be, and eating a sugary cereal for breakfast is not for champions.  ;D just sayin.  If you absolutely have to have a cereal, best to read the label and make sure it has whole grains & a proper balance of protein, fiber, low sugar, and make sure to measure it.  I use lactose free skim milk, however there are lots of healthy choices for your cereal: almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, whatever floats your cereal boat.  A better choice for a breakfast cereal is steel cut oatmeal, Yummo!

After a Greek Girl approved breakfast you should be all ready to put on your sneakers for a kick butt workout! Go out & have a super spectacular day!

Love & Blessings ~

Ava :D xox

Bright Star

Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish star as John Keats and Fanny Whishaw in Jane Campions s "Bright Star." (Image courtesy Apparition)

According to the FreeDictionary.Org., which is where I started today's blog because I'm Greek and too cheap to go to ExpensiveDictionary.Org. to look up the various meanings to the words bright and star.

I did this because, well I'm bored and I'm on a road trip to Florida. I'm traveling with my aunt and her cat and she's making me all itchy.  The cat, not my aunt is making me itchy. I'm allergic to cats. And my manager Mr. Bricks texted me that he got an email from some hot shot TV executive in Hollywood who said that he thought I was a "bright star."  My blonde must be showing, because I really have no idea if that was good or bad.

So as we drove down the East Coast in bumper-to-bumper traffic I was googling the words bright and star to see if it was compliment or an insult. It sounds very positive, but then again so does the term, short bus - and I know better on that one. I give as much of my spare time to any and all people who have ever been teased about riding to school on a short bus. In support of my special friends, I recently told Mr. Bricks that my next tour bus is going to be a short bus.

So here is what discovery my iPhone google search yielded:

Bright

ADJECTIVE (10)

1. emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts;
- Example: "the sun was bright and hot"
- Example: "a bright sunlit room"

2. having striking color;
- Example: "bright dress"
- Example: "brilliant tapestries"
- Example: "a bird with vivid plumage"
[syn: bright, brilliant, vivid]

3. characterized by quickness and ease in learning;
- Example: "some children are brighter in one subject than another"
- Example: "smart children talk earlier than the average"
[syn: bright, smart]

4. having lots of light either natural or artificial;
- Example: "the room was bright and airy"
- Example: "a stage bright with spotlights"

5. made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow;
- Example: "bright silver candlesticks"
- Example: "a burnished brass knocker"
- Example: "she brushed her hair until it fell in lustrous auburn waves"
- Example: "rows of shining glasses"
- Example: "shiny black patents"
[syn: bright, burnished, lustrous, shining, shiny]

6. splendid;
- Example: "the bright stars of stage and screen"
- Example: "a bright moment in history"
- Example: "the bright pageantry of court"

7. not made dim or less bright;
- Example: "undimmed headlights"
- Example: "surprisingly the curtain started to rise while the houselights were still undimmed"
[syn: undimmed, bright]

8. clear and sharp and ringing;
- Example: "the bright sound of the trumpet section"
- Example: "the brilliant sound of the trumpets"
[syn: bright, brilliant]

9. characterized by happiness or gladness;
- Example: "bright faces"
- Example: "all the world seems bright and gay"

10. full or promise;
- Example: "had a bright future in publishing"
- Example: "the scandal threatened an abrupt end to a promising political career"
- Example: "a hopeful new singer on Broadway"
[syn: bright, hopeful, promising]

STAR

1.

a. A self-luminous celestial body consisting of a mass of gas held together by its own gravity in which the energy generated by nuclear reactions in the interior is balanced by the outflow of energy to the surface, and the inward-directed gravitational forces are balanced by the outward-directed gas and radiation pressures.

b. Any of the celestial bodies visible at night from Earth as relatively stationary, usually twinkling points of light.

c. Something regarded as resembling such a celestial body.

2. A graphic design having five or more radiating points, often used as a symbol of rank or merit.

3.

a. An artistic performer or athlete whose leading role or superior performance is acknowledged.

b. One who is highly celebrated in a field or profession.

4.

a. An asterisk (*).

b. The star key on a telephone: For customer service, press star.

5. A white spot on the forehead of a horse.

6. A planet or constellation of the zodiac believed in astrology to influence personal destiny.

7. stars The future; destiny. Often used with the.

adj.

1. Outstanding or famous, especially in performing something: a star researcher; a star figure skater.

2. Of or relating to a star or stars.

So over all I think it was a compliment, unless of course you used and the #8 definition of Bright and combined it with the #5 definition of Star, then I would be A Bright white spot in the shape of a trumpet on the forehead of a horse. Then that would not be a compliment.

or  #9 definition of Bright combined with #1a definition of Star - I would have a nice bright face, but be full of gas. Then I would be Mr. Bricks.

Blessings,

Ava

xox

A Beacon of Light

I have often thought about lighthouses, not as often as I think about sneakers, but from time to time the concept of the light house is rolling around my Greek noggin.

It is that little beacon of bright light that keeps disaster from happening to ships and crews out in turbulent waters. In your life have you ever felt like you were in turbulent waters and thought to yourself how nice it would be to have seen a beacon of light from a light house to keep you safe and on track? I know I have. Well, hello, I am in the fickle entertainment business. I once read a quote, "This isn’t exactly a stable business. It’s like trying to stand up in a canoe with your pants down."– Cliff Robertson. Oh that Cliff, he was such a nut.

I imagine that is how Ted Williams must feel. I am not talking baseball Ted Williams, I am talking the Ted Williams who was homeless and who has captured the world's attention this past week with his incredible voice and even more incredible feel good story of triumph over adversity. I'm a sucker for a comeback story. That's why I like Rocky, remember?

For those who believe in God, or a higher power of their choice we do have that beacon. But for those people who have fallen onto hard times and away from their faith, or never had it to begin with, without that they are still seeking something to help them navigate the rough waters of their life. Most times they just keep crashing. Ted was just such a man.

Ted is an ex-radio announcer who had fallen on very hard times.  As he would panhandle for spare change from drivers he would use his amazing voice as a way of repaying the generosity of strangers. Williams said he was fired from a job and then had his fair share of struggles, with "alcohol and drugs and a few other things." He says he's two years clean now.

"I have a God given gift of voice. I'm an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. Please! Any help will be gratefully appreciated. Thank you and God bless. Happy holidays," read Williams' roadside sign for help. That was then, this is now.

Like Williams, the radio industry has fallen on hard times in the past decade, but given the viral power of his video, (13 million views before YouTube took it down for copyright infringement)  Williams was quickly approached with all sorts of offers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers offered Williams a full-time job and a house. The Cavaliers will reportedly have to compete against MTV, the NFL and likely countless more suitors who have lined up for Williams' services.

I was certainly brought to tears when I first watched the viral video.  And once again I was brought to tears as I watched an interview with him getting choked up when he was discussing how an invitation to do a bunch of TV shows in New York has opened the door for him to visit his 92-year-old mother in Brooklyn for the first time in 10 years. "One of my biggest prayers that I sent out was that she would live long enough to see me rebound," Williams said. "There's so many words. I've already been compared to Susan Boyle... I'm just so happy."

Truly there was a beacon of light out there for Ted Williams. It is just such a wonderful story. I hope he goes on to make a bajillion dollars, and someday I would love to hear his golden voice say, "and up next I have the newest hit single from that Greek blonde Girl and Grammy Award winning Platinum recording artist Ava Aston."

Blessings,

Ava

xox