I wanted to make you a 90s mixtape, but you can’t even imagine how much more complicated that is in 2020, lol. So…a Spotify playlist it is!
I handpicked each one of these songs because of their lyrics and how well they express my feelings for you. You are an amazing man that deserves an amazing day!! Continue to live your life BIG!!
love, Angela
So I decided I wanted to start a section on my blog for all of the music I love and want to share with everyone. Now some of it may be new to you and some of it may not be…it is just the songs or artists that have kept me motivated, inspired me, or stayed on repeat in my iPod for the week.
Those of you who know me well know that my favorite musical group is The Isley Brothers and those of you who don’t, will soon find out. You can only imagine my surprise when I discovered that Ernie Isley has a daughter by the name of Alex Isley who is a singer. This young lady is BEYOND talented!!!! She writes and produces all of her music and to my complete and utter shock her music is not for sale! Since I discovered her, thanks to Spotify Radio, I have had her EPs, The Love/Art Memoirs & DreamsinAnalog, on repeat in my iPod. She’s truly a hidden gem and the more her name and music spread, the more popular she will quickly become. Now, If I can just get her to tour on the East Coast 🙂
Check out Alex Isley’s EP, The Love/Art Memoirs below.
        
So I’m finally back!!! I don’t mean back to this blog because it has definitely been a Sunshine Anderson situation with that…you guys have “Heard it All Before,” but this “Stella Feeling” is all about getting back to self….my creative self. The truth is we’ve been unacquainted for QUITE some time now. This week I started to get an old familiar feeling…you know…my groove: the desire to try out a new recipe, a thought I had to write down in my journal, a knitting pattern I wanted to find online, discovering a new artist..all of the fun things I use to do that fed my creative soul and inspired me. Who exactly knows what the trigger has been –it wasn’t my Winston, this time 😉 — the move to a new state… my new job…less distractions…all I know is that I am starting to have the artistic clarity that sparked some of my best ideas to date! So, look out world…cause Angie’s Back!!!
Tonight I was given a harsh slap of reality and reminded of the significance of life. By life I mean the moments when we are able to walk to the subway, run on a treadmill, have a disagreement with a friend, look in someone’s eyes and say, “IÂ love you,” touch the freshly fallen snow, smell the food carts on the street as we walk by, witness the birth of a child…all of the moments when we are fully aware and present of the things that are happening to us and around us. I realized that I’ve taken A LOT for granted and the truth is that it could all change in a single moment. It’s just confirmation of my year goal to leave nothing left unsaid, including words of love and encouragement. Because the truth is, you just never know what could happen.
So, I’ve been in this really great, inspired, focused, and SUPER clear place for the past couple weeks. I have had a few major AHA! moments that led to some HUGE points of clarity and are now manifesting into action.
So, I was reminded of this song that I love by Mos Def called “Casa Bey” from his more recent “The Ecstatic” album (FANTASTIC album, if you don’t have it you should). This song gets me pumped about life and is such a present reminder that I MUST accomplish the things I was placed on this earth to do and only be me while doing it, no matter what obstacles, in people, places, or things, that I may face.
“You can’t stop my go
Been born to be who I am
A bright light from a distant star
Miracles and  answered prayers…”
-Mos Def
I’m off to a bit of a shaky start with my blog as I have already missed one day of posting….boooooo!!!!! I don’t believe in giving excuses, but I was recovering from completing a 13.1 mile race so hopefully I will be forgiven :-p
Tomorrow is another day…
So my mom and I finished the 2011 Walt Disney World Half Marathon in 3:41. After a number of trying experiences this week, I am more than proud to have crossed that finish line today! Now to recover :-p
Well, the time is finally nearing till I’ll be participating in my first half marathon. This week has been a rough road filled with many sleeplessness nights and my most traumatizing plane rides yet, but I made it! Though I’m still battling with a stomach virus, I’m pushing forward regardless. I’m learning first hand lessons in perseverance and determination. I will finish and bring home my medal!
This quote has set the tone for my new year and I just wanted to share:
“If you can’t be yourself, what’s the point in being anything at all.”
-Tennessee Williams
I had a great conversation with a friend of mine today and the concept of uncertainty came up. It had me deep in thought all evening. I started asking myself, what in our lives is REALLY certain??? We aren’t certain that we’ll keep our jobs or that we will remain in good health. In fact, we aren’t even guaranteed to wake up tomorrow! The interesting thing is that we often don’t think much about this concept of uncertainty in our everyday lives. When I lay my head on the pillow at night and rise the next morning, I don’t think that something could possibly happen to me that could change the course of my life. I simply go on with the mechanics of my life and unless I have a close call or an eye-opener, I really don’t think about it.
The same bit of uncertainty lies within our relationships with people. The most stable of marriages, friendships, and relationships all possess this piece of unknown. But why is it that we don’t take the same approach to those as we do our everyday lives? I mean, if the same bit of uncertainty lies in whether I will be able to take my next breath and I don’t spend countless hours analyzing and weighing all the possibilities of that happening or not, then why do I do this in my relationships? Why would I hold my breath in fear of the next breath coming or not? In this new year, I hope to embrace a more carefree approach to my relationships – romantic, familial, and friendly. Less analyzing, arguing, and discussing and more living, loving, and enjoying. The fear of uncertainty will always be around to rear its ugly head, I just can’t let it run my life!
The Random Ramblings of Rubianna 