“I want every girl in the world to pick up a guitar and start screaming.” –Courtney Love
The guitar is a perfect instrument on which to start learning music.
Kids LOVE guitars because they see so many of their favorite musicians
strumming away as they sing. Seems like all the top artists today have a
guitar when they perform–James Durbin, a crowd-favorite finalist on
American Idol this season, for instance. Seems like every musician can
play guitar, from strumming along a few chords as they sing, to jamming
with some major skills.
Guitar gives teens an outlet for creative self-expression.
Kids should learn to play a musical instrument. Learning to play a
musical instrument can be so rewarding for a child. It may start out
awkwardly (and sometimes frustratingly), but playing becomes easier and
more fun over time. Kids develop their fine motor skills and acquire a
better understanding of the structure of music. Developing these skills
helps children gain confidence and self-esteem. Playing guitar offers
kids an outlet for self-expression that is both creative and
therapeutic–they can “sceam,” laugh, rage, cry, process
emotionally–through their six string. Most importantly, learning an
instrument early in life gives a child a huge head start on a skill they
can enjoy for a lifetime. Guitar knowledge is transferrable to any
instrument that one might want to pick up down the road.
Kids aren’t the only ones. Many don’t learn to play guitar until they
are adults. The guitar is a great instrument to pick up as an adult for
its immediate accessibility—you’ll learn chords quickly and can easily
have a repertoire of songs to play in a short time. Then you’ll have a
lifetime to practice, practice, practice and get better and better,
adding to your song repertoire.
And no matter how good someone thinks they are, everyone can benefit
from a few guitar lessons–from learning a new way to transition from
chord to chord or a better way to hold the instrument to make chords
easier to play.
1.7 miles from Abberly at West Ashley Apartments, Clelia’s Guitar Studio and Guitar Shop–locally owned and operated–is located at 856 Dupont Rd Ste B in Charleston. “Our
shop is dedicated to guitars and guitarists. From the student to the
professional, we provide all styles of guitars and lessons. We are fully
staffed with experienced instructors for all ages, levels and styles.”
30-minute “One on One” sessions are by appointment. They offer
private lessons for guitar and bass guitar. For more information and ,
call 843.556.6765. Clelia’s YouTube channel shows many performances by teachers and students and give you a flavor of the offerings at the Studio.
And if you want to get a jumpstart on learning, many online Guitar Lessons for Beginners are available. Start strumming and “screaming” through your six string!
My 83 year old mother is a little miffed she failed to receive her
personal invite to the Royal Wedding on April 29 (incidentally, her
birthday). Of course, she says this with her typical twinkle of the eye
and grin. For those of us who seem to also have been overlooked when the
royals made their VIP guest list, Dunkin Donuts has our back.
Dunkin Donuts
President, Nigel Travis, is a dual U.S. and British citizen, so he has a
sensitivity to the occasion which inspired him to offer a special,
limited edition Royal Wedding Donut. Likewise, Baskin Robbins is celebrating with a Royal Wedding Ice Cream Cake that is truly beautiful.
Stop in your local Dunkin Donuts
through the wedding day, April 29, and pick up a stash of Royal Wedding
Donuts for your Royal Wedding viewing party (ok, it may be only YOU up
at 5 a.m. like a crazy person). The wedding will surely be talked about
for a lifetime, so mark the day with a special treat made just for the
royal occasion!
Visit one of these Dunkin Donuts locations near Abberly at West Ashley Apartments:
Stop in this week for a special "Royal Wedding Donut"!
The Royal Wedding Donut is “a heart-shaped glazed donut
that’s filled with jelly. The heart signifies the love between Prince
William and Catherine, and the donut is filled with jelly to represent
how their lives are to be ever-filled with happiness. In honor of the
traditional white wedding gown, the donut is topped with white frosting,
but adds a modern twist with the chocolate drizzle, in celebration of
William’s love for chocolate.” (from Dunkin Donuts website)
Stop the party with the Royal Ice Cream Cake!
For a truly festive affair, the Baskin Robbins Wedding Ice Cream Cake
will make for a special centerpiece. “The Royal Wedding Ice Cream Cake
features vanilla cake, Baskin-Robbins Chocolate Mousse Royale ice cream
and has more than 30 piped white and blue English roses. The cake was
designed to be reminiscent of an English garden, inspired by the
colorful gardens of the Cotswolds and can be customized with your
favorite ice cream
flavors. The six inch round wedding cake is in one-tiered and
two-tiered (select locations) cake options starting at $29.99. It’s
strongly recommended that guests order this cake in advance at their
local Baskin-Robbins.”
With Mother’s Day coming soon—Sunday May, 8 is about 2 weeks away—you
have just enough time to pull together a beautiful, special gift for
her. Coincidentally, National Scrapbooking Day is on Saturday, May 7!
Make Mom a Mother’s Day mini-scrapbook gift this year that she will love
and cherish for years to come. Here are a couple of quick and easy
mini-scrapbooking ideas.
Add your unique touch to your scrapbook pages!
STEP 1: Find 5-10 photos to use in your scrapbook.
If you have kids, you might want to include both pictures of you and her
(and your siblings, if you have any) AND pictures of her with her
grandchildren. It’s very easy to upload your digital photos from your
computer to a local store’s photo center website like WalMart,
WalGreens, CVS, or some other drug store. And it’s also extremely
inexpensive to use their services—a few cents per photo.
STEP 2: Choose which type of scrapbook album you
would like to use. Since you only have 2 weeks, I suggest completing a
mini-scrapbook. You have a couple of options.
Buy a mini-album from you local craft store. Michael’s offers mini-scrapbooks in the 8×8 size that’s perfect for a photo and a little decoration and writing per page; or,
Make your own quick & easy Paper Bag Mini-Scrapbook. A paper bag album filled with photos, memories is a great gift idea for your special mom on mothers day. Here’s the instructions.
STEP 3: Make it cute and special! Loads of scrapbooking page ideas can be found online at Michael’s or Scrapbooking.com. Some tips to think about:
Include a few scrapbooking mother quotes in your next mini album for you mom. Mother’s Day quotes. Here are some more quotes.
Make a mini book with a page to each of the many wonderful qualities your mother posseses. A mothers love is…
enduring, a blessing, fun, unconditional, precious, silly, kind,
tender, pure, funny, timeless, special, calming, adventurous, real,
timeless, educational, forever, unselfish, amazing, humbling,
inspirational, never ending.
Michael’s Arts & Crafts is located 11 miles north of Abberly at West Ashley Apartments at 7620 Rivers Ave # 130, North Charleston. (843) 574-9233.
A mini-scrapbook will show Mom how much you appreciate her. Whether
choosing a store bought book or crafting a handmade one, your scrapbook
will have your unique special touch of love in it. And it will be
enjoyed, shared, and treasured for a lifetime—and passed down for
generations to come!
Coming up on Earth Day this Friday, April 22, everyone who brings in a reusable mug or tumbler gets a free brewed coffee or tea!
Bring in travel mug for FREE coffee Friday!
If you don’t have a tumbler or travel mug, Starbucks will be
offering some for sale at 20% off on Earth Day. And FYI, ANY time you
bring in your own tumbler or mug, you get 10 cents off your drink EVERY
time!
As part of its Shared Planet initiative, Starbucks has set a goal to serve 25% of beverages sold
in reusable containers by 2015. Last year 1.2 million people
participated! Still, reusable serveware still accounts for only a small
percentage of total beverages served. But the impact we could have if
we carry in our reusable tumblers (and reusable bags into the grocery
store and other stores) is huge when we ALL do it. Starbucks customers
bringing in their own tumblers 32 million times (as they did in 2010)
keeps nearly 1.45 million pounds of paper out of landfills!
The shot on Fort Sumter 150 years ago that began the Civil War was a
go ahead, but its reenactment next Tuesday April 12 may not be.
Reenactors are awaiting word on government shutdown.
Chip Campsen of Fort Sumter Tours Inc. said the shutdown “really couldn’t come at a worse time.” (from Charleston Post and Courier online)
The reenactors are making their travel plans now and were to arrive
this Friday to begin preparations for the week-long events surrounding
the anniversary.
Civil War Reenactors at Fort Sumter
At Fort Sumter, located in Charleston Harbor, re-enactors will
present programs including musket firings and heavy artillery drills.
From April 9–13, Union re-enactors will be on site. On April 14, flag
ceremonies for the first five tour boats of the day will mark the Union
surrender of Fort Sumter to Confederate forces. From April 15–17,
Confederate re-enactors will occupy the fort. For information on tour
boat availability visitors should contact Fort Sumter Tours, Inc. at
(843) 722-2628 or visit their website.
The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center
at Liberty Square, located at 340 Concord Street in Charleston, will
have daily programs focusing on the civilian home front at the beginning
of the Civil War. From April 9–16 the visitor center will be open for
extended hours from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, April 17 from
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There is no charge to visit the site.
Hopefully the show will go on! Bring the kids out to see history come alive at Fort Sumter!
Missionary Mary Proctor's message is "Swim On. Be Encourage(d)"
I met Missionary Mary Proctor,
visionary artist, at the Folk Art Festival in Atlanta last year. Like
many Visionary artists, she shares a clear message through her life and
art. She freely spoke about her art and the powerful message behind it.
“God gives me the message and I paint it. I paint on anything I can
find. Paper, wood, tin. I’ve been through adversity. While grieving for
her beloved grandmother and other close relatives who died in a house
fire in 1995, the Lord told Mary to “paint the door” and that she did!
She is a warm, engaging person who is truly living to do “God’s Work”
through her art.
I bought a fish cut out of a piece of tin and painted. On it, she
painted the words “Keep Swimming.” “Life is tough and you’re gonna
experience hardships and setbacks. But just keep on swimming. Swim
through those times. It gets better.”
We like the word Visionary, because we feel the
artists we work with know where they are going, even if we may not
understand it. They are not lacking for ideas or a message. These are
people who have a compulsion to make art, sometimes without knowing why,
and often after a life-changing experience. They just start creating.
(from Artistic Spirit Gallery website)
Outsider Art, Folk Art, Visionary Art. Whatever you call it, it’s art
produced by folks with a big vision and little or no formal art
training. It’s spontaneous art without boundaries or constraint. It’s at
once fun and whimsical and scary or utterly shocking. Always real and
delightful for its truth.
See (and purchase) Mike Schramer's art at Artistic Spirit Gallery
Enjoy an afternoon browsing the variety of Visionary Art at Artistic Spirit Gallery located at 10 Storehouse Row, Navy Yard at Noisette, Charleston, Call (843) 579-0149 or (317) 694-6085 with questions.
But a warning: You’ll want to break out the paints after your visit and start creating your own visionary art!
Your deck is an extension of your indoor space--uniquely yours.
Your deck has probably gone neglected during the winter months . With
a little time and attention, you can add another wonderful living space
to your apartment and enjoy a breath of fresh air in an inviting place.
And it need not be another chore to add to your already long to do
list. Plants require watering, but there are many products on the market
to take the burden off of you and the constant care and attention to
watering required. Several different watering accessories,
self-watering pots, and self-watering soils are available to make it
easy to keep your outdoor deck space looking green all summer long
without the need for constant care.
Art is a great way to personalize the space to match
your unique sense of style. Consider your indoor living space when
planning your outdoor space. You may desire continuity and flow between
the inside and outside—incorporating the same colors and style. Or you
may want to create an entirely different, unique retreat with its own
look and feel. Whether you like Tuscany-inspired elements, or Asian, or
folk art, adding a couple of pieces—a wall hanging, a particular style
of pots—will ensure your style shines through and will help make the
space feel more like home.
A few elements will add dimension to your outdoor space. Consider the furniture.
A couple of cushioned chairs will lure you outside. If you cook with
herbs, consider purchasing some at your local nursery. Also, adding a
tall plant in the corner or edge of the deck with balance the space
adding height. Wrapping one tall plant with string lights is a festive
way to brighten up the space.
And, of course, enjoy shopping for colorful flowers and plants that
make you happy. When you’re ready to spruce up your outdoor living
space, visit one of these nurseries near Abberly at West Ashley
Apartments. They’ll answer all your questions and provide advice about
the great watering and fertilizing products available.
Train for 5K alone or with a friend--even a 4-legged one!
Did you maintain your health and fitness over the long winter months? If you’re like me, you let it slip. Bad. The short days, the cold, and the demands of work, kids, home and my waistline is much lumpier than I’d like.
This blogger,
named Brandon, shares his inspirational story of how he started running
and lost over 70 lbs! He shares tips and encouragement in his helpful
blogs, like these 5 tips from his article “Beginning Fitness: 5 Baby Steps”:
1. Create a Food Log. Record every meal and every snack that you eat.
2. Cut 500 calories per day. Over time they really add up. And that much won’t kill you.
3. Begin cardio you can stick with. Save high intensity for later.
Start with 30 minutes daily (or 3-5 times per week) that gets your heart
rate up and let’s you break a sweat.
4. Add strength training. Select a good variety of machines (6-10)
and do 2 sets with 10 repetitions in each set. This accelerates fat
loss.
5. Train for a race. Give your exercise a specific purpose.
If you’re like me, you are tempted to blow off that last step;
however, he states that it’s a powerful motivator and a key step in the
process.
If you’re willing to push yourself that little extra bit and get
serious about your fitness, Charleston is hosting 5Ks and other races
that might help you kick start your fitness goals—giving you that
“deadline” that Brandon says was so beneficial to him. Here are a couple
coming up. And how ironic the first one on the list! That’s exactly how
I became so “lumpy” over the winter—those darned (delicious) Krispy
Kremes!
Prince to "Go Crazy" at North Charleston Coliseum March 30
I didn’t “get” Prince back in 1984 and I still don’t “get” him, but I
love his upbeat rocked out tunes and recognize his musical genius. His
album “Purple Rain” stayed at number one for five weeks when it debuted
in 1984 and took the world by storm. Since then he has changed his name
to “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince” and simply the symbol shown at
the right. (People still call him Prince, though.)
Prince is the artist formerly known as a symbol
You can see Prince (or the symbol at the right) at the North Charleston Coliseum on March 30. See the Post & Courier article for additional information about the show.
North Charleston Coliseum is located at 5001 Coliseum Drive—6 miles from Abberly at West Ashley Apartments. Order tickets online starting Tuesday, March 15.
My favorite Prince song is “When Doves Cry.” What’s your favorite? Share it here!
Remember the laser gun game Laser Tag? You would strap on a sensor
vest, which if shot, would represent that you’d been hit by an opponent.
If you could get a group of friends together to have an all out war, it
was always fun. Nowadays, you can find actual places where you can play
this game, usually with massive teams of 8 or more.
Now imagine lasers replaced by hurtling balls of paint, and you have
an idea of what paint ball is. While definitely not the same thing, when
it comes down to it, the sole goal of the game is the same: shoot an
opponent to win.
Paint ball is usually taken a bit more hard core than laser tag, and
can turn into something out of a Rambo flick, depending on who you’re
playing with. Whether you’re a novice, or hard core fan, paintball is a
fun activity, and if you’re hanging with a great group of friends,
there’s no shortage to great times to be had.
In the area of Abberly At West Ashley
there are a host of places where you pop off a few rounds of
paintballs. The list below is provided courtesy of PBReview.com
(Paintball Review), and includes some nearby paintball facilities. For
more detailed information and reviews of each location, click here. Happy hunting.
1. Paintball Charleston Paintball Field
7100 Cross County Road
North Charleston, South Carolina 29418
(843) 552-1115
2. Psycho Paintball
10573 Hwy 78 East
Summerville, South Carolina 29483
843-821-2337
3. Compass Paintball Field
337 FarmingtonRd.
Summerville, South Carolina 29483
843-209-5031
4. What A Rush Paintball/ Beaufort Park
591 Robert Smalls Pkwy
Beaufort, South Carolina 29906
843-524-2267
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