Gift buying and giving changes with the times and this season is exciting with new products in the electronics industry. No matter what your budget is for this year, even the simplest gifts convey the greatest meaning.
Here are Single 101’s Top 10 Best Gift Ideas for 2010:
1. Bookstore gift card
2. The gift of music
3. Kindle e-reader
3. Bed Bath and Beyond Gift Card
4. Cash
5. Homemade Cookies
6. Gift Basket of wine, cheese, chocolates, misc. goodies
7. Zen gift
8. Day spa gift certificate
9. Charging accessories for electronics
10. Dog or cat from your local animal shelter
http://PetFinder.com
http://TheAnimalRescueSite.com
Blatant self-promotional links:
“Single 101”- music CD from Celeste
http://cdbaby.com/cd/celestef7
“Single 101: 101 Reasons to Celebrate Being Single” by Celeste Friedman
http://www.amazon.com/Single-101-Reasons-Celebrate-Being/dp/1451510519
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Giving Thanks
"Single 101", the music CD is a companion to my book and I'd like to thank ReviewYou.com for their kindness and support! Happy Thanksgiving!
Artist: Celeste Friedman
Album: Single 101
Review by Wildy Haskell
Pure Genius by Design
Celeste Friedman is a highly lauded singer/songwriter/composer whose work has been featured on Live! With Regis And Kelly; The Ghost Hunter; A Prairie Home Companion; National Public Radio; Music Choice and ESPN. A 2005 GRAMMY nominee, Friedman can lay claim to a #1 album, a GrIndie Award, Indie Track Of The Year Award, and a nomination for Artist of the Year in the Netherlands. Friedman is also a prolific author, with her most recent book, Single 101: 101 Reasons To Celebrate Being Single raising the curtain on her own life and the joys of going it alone. Concurrently, Friedman has written a collection of songs, also entitled Single 101, which serve as a musical companion to the book. Friedman digs deep into the emotions of joy and loss, using humor and insight to parse emotions and get to the simple truths that lay underneath.
Single 101 opens with "The Dribble On My Pillow", an amusing little ode to night drool done in a cute, classic pop style complete with hand claps. There's a certain cheese factor, but it's all tongue in cheek and entertaining. "Gotta Get It Right, Gotta Get It Straight" is all about trying to get your bearings, even taking time out from a relationship to find your true north. This is the proverbial foot out the door whose status as a relationship cliché doesn't mitigate its occasional truth. Friedman celebrates reclaiming her bed as her own in the wake of a relationship with "Mattress, Sweet Mattress”, a bit of hokey fun that will hit home with most anyone newly single.
“I Can Change My Mind” underlines the classic line about a woman’s prerogative with a funky bass line and some of the best piano work you’ll hear in one of the best all-around tracks on the album. “My Bra And His Underwear” is a humorous take on the comingling of a couple’s undies in light of their fading shared libido. It’s a cute and funny bit of commentary in song that has the advantage of being informed by truth.
“Batteries Not Included” is an ode to the sort of products that make living on your own more bearable. In this funny little tune, Friedman explores the purchase of one such item from the internet, right down to getting dressed up for the delivery and the knowing grin from the UPS man. Everything comes together for Friedman on this number, from the vaguely nervous, almost Christine-Lavin style sense of humor to the musical arrangement. Friedman tackles such subjects as emotional eating (“I’m Pudding On Weight”) and the unintended side effects of garments from Victoria’s Secret (“Suddenly We’re All French”) before settling into a surprisingly serious love ballad entitled “This Time”. Here Friedman shows a bit of 1980’s pop/R&B pastiche in a tune that sounds like it should have charted twenty-five years ago.
“Three Little Words” is a bluesy number about a partner who just can’t say the right things, and leads into the woeful melancholy of “Taken Away”. It’s hard to discern exactly what Friedman’s intent is with this tune, but the musical approach is a bit off the beaten path and intriguing. Friedman slips her funny shoes back on with “Barbie’s Got The Blues”, projecting relationship troubles onto America’s favorite anatomically unlikely plaything. “Flying Solo” is a song of independence that throws off the shackles of expectation. Stylistically jazzy and fun, Friedman channels her inner Nellie McKay for one of the best turns on the album. Friedman closes with “Every Day Is Independence Day”, a song that touts the opportunities and possibilities made available by being single, delivered in a semi-big band style arrangement. It’s a nice closer that supports Friedman’s sense of celebration of singlehood.
Celeste Friedman mixes funny and serious moments on Single 101. As a stand-alone album Single 101 has enough light and dark to give a full reflection to the ups and downs of relationships and also of choosing to be on your own. As a soundtrack for Friedman’s book of the same name it is a sublime companion. The musical ups and downs on Single 101 are quite comparable to those found in life. If by design this is pure genius. If by accident then it is the sort of socio-musical accident that is the by-product of artistry. Either way, Single 101 is an entertaining farce that pauses to uncover some of the more serious truths that lay beneath its comical face.
Artist: Celeste Friedman
Album: Single 101
Review by Wildy Haskell
Pure Genius by Design
Celeste Friedman is a highly lauded singer/songwriter/composer whose work has been featured on Live! With Regis And Kelly; The Ghost Hunter; A Prairie Home Companion; National Public Radio; Music Choice and ESPN. A 2005 GRAMMY nominee, Friedman can lay claim to a #1 album, a GrIndie Award, Indie Track Of The Year Award, and a nomination for Artist of the Year in the Netherlands. Friedman is also a prolific author, with her most recent book, Single 101: 101 Reasons To Celebrate Being Single raising the curtain on her own life and the joys of going it alone. Concurrently, Friedman has written a collection of songs, also entitled Single 101, which serve as a musical companion to the book. Friedman digs deep into the emotions of joy and loss, using humor and insight to parse emotions and get to the simple truths that lay underneath.
Single 101 opens with "The Dribble On My Pillow", an amusing little ode to night drool done in a cute, classic pop style complete with hand claps. There's a certain cheese factor, but it's all tongue in cheek and entertaining. "Gotta Get It Right, Gotta Get It Straight" is all about trying to get your bearings, even taking time out from a relationship to find your true north. This is the proverbial foot out the door whose status as a relationship cliché doesn't mitigate its occasional truth. Friedman celebrates reclaiming her bed as her own in the wake of a relationship with "Mattress, Sweet Mattress”, a bit of hokey fun that will hit home with most anyone newly single.
“I Can Change My Mind” underlines the classic line about a woman’s prerogative with a funky bass line and some of the best piano work you’ll hear in one of the best all-around tracks on the album. “My Bra And His Underwear” is a humorous take on the comingling of a couple’s undies in light of their fading shared libido. It’s a cute and funny bit of commentary in song that has the advantage of being informed by truth.
“Batteries Not Included” is an ode to the sort of products that make living on your own more bearable. In this funny little tune, Friedman explores the purchase of one such item from the internet, right down to getting dressed up for the delivery and the knowing grin from the UPS man. Everything comes together for Friedman on this number, from the vaguely nervous, almost Christine-Lavin style sense of humor to the musical arrangement. Friedman tackles such subjects as emotional eating (“I’m Pudding On Weight”) and the unintended side effects of garments from Victoria’s Secret (“Suddenly We’re All French”) before settling into a surprisingly serious love ballad entitled “This Time”. Here Friedman shows a bit of 1980’s pop/R&B pastiche in a tune that sounds like it should have charted twenty-five years ago.
“Three Little Words” is a bluesy number about a partner who just can’t say the right things, and leads into the woeful melancholy of “Taken Away”. It’s hard to discern exactly what Friedman’s intent is with this tune, but the musical approach is a bit off the beaten path and intriguing. Friedman slips her funny shoes back on with “Barbie’s Got The Blues”, projecting relationship troubles onto America’s favorite anatomically unlikely plaything. “Flying Solo” is a song of independence that throws off the shackles of expectation. Stylistically jazzy and fun, Friedman channels her inner Nellie McKay for one of the best turns on the album. Friedman closes with “Every Day Is Independence Day”, a song that touts the opportunities and possibilities made available by being single, delivered in a semi-big band style arrangement. It’s a nice closer that supports Friedman’s sense of celebration of singlehood.
Celeste Friedman mixes funny and serious moments on Single 101. As a stand-alone album Single 101 has enough light and dark to give a full reflection to the ups and downs of relationships and also of choosing to be on your own. As a soundtrack for Friedman’s book of the same name it is a sublime companion. The musical ups and downs on Single 101 are quite comparable to those found in life. If by design this is pure genius. If by accident then it is the sort of socio-musical accident that is the by-product of artistry. Either way, Single 101 is an entertaining farce that pauses to uncover some of the more serious truths that lay beneath its comical face.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
For the Love of Marriage
Do you agree that marriage is obsolete or have you fallen in love with marriage all over again at the announcement of the royal engagement? The results of a survey released in October of 2010 revealed that 39-40% of Americans believe that marriage is becoming obsolete.
We’re Saying that Marriage is Obsolete, but Still in Love with Marriage
Chatting by the water coolers, we’ve been sharing our reasons for choosing the single lifestyle vs. marriage, but find ourselves still mesmerized by the news reports of royal wedding plans. We wonder if Westminster Abbey will be the location to exchange the royal vows as we are blinded by the flashes from photographers, capturing the raven beauty Kate on the arm of Princess Diana’s first born. It is now being said that the college educated and financially secure may be the only classes that will plan for marriage in the future. Ironically, Wills and the woman who will be the future queen of England will be such role models in the spring of 2011, exploiting their treasure and global position on their wedding day.
On November 18, 2010 Julie Snider of USA Today reported that those aged 18 to 29, mostly single, made up 44% of the study compared to the 32% aged 65 and older. Studies such as this have arisen in the past after examining the decreasing numbers, when almost 95% of Americans were married in the 1950’s down to 54% in 2010. It’s also interesting to note that statistics have shown younger women who married in the fifties were more likely to divorce. The general consensus of the recent marriage study revealed that even though what makes a marriage may be changing rapidly, it is still family that is most important to all.
Half of the Population of London is Single
In the United Kingdom, half of the population of London proper is made up of singletons aged 20 to 59, with the widest difference between London and elsewhere in the UK among 45 to 60 year olds. British historians state that 350 years have passed since a blue blood married a commoner. The whimsy will captivate and you can bet that throngs of Brits will be lining up along the parade route to get a glimpse of the royal bride and her groom, cheering them on and waving their flags of the monarchy.
Believe Half of what You See and Nothing of what You Hear
It should be noted that only 2,691 Americans took the survey on the obsolescence of marriage, given by the Pew Research Center which is located in Washington, D.C. Their researchers, who usually conduct monthly studies on politics and evolving ideas are part of a nonpartisan, walking, talking encyclopedia of facts on the latest issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and our world. Just keep in mind that it’s only an opinion of talking heads and not literally 40% of 310,750,000 Americans. Will the naysayers lead us to believe their findings are true and will we follow suit?
However, studies like these are certainly not a waste of time and worth pondering as our world is constantly evolving. More single men and women are taking advantage of new opportunities to garner wealth and develop a career before getting married, hoping they choose wisely in all areas of their lives. It may become fashionable to stay single in Europe, where more of the focus is on wealth and status, but there’s a royal wedding to plan. You’d better buy your hat.
We’re Saying that Marriage is Obsolete, but Still in Love with Marriage
Chatting by the water coolers, we’ve been sharing our reasons for choosing the single lifestyle vs. marriage, but find ourselves still mesmerized by the news reports of royal wedding plans. We wonder if Westminster Abbey will be the location to exchange the royal vows as we are blinded by the flashes from photographers, capturing the raven beauty Kate on the arm of Princess Diana’s first born. It is now being said that the college educated and financially secure may be the only classes that will plan for marriage in the future. Ironically, Wills and the woman who will be the future queen of England will be such role models in the spring of 2011, exploiting their treasure and global position on their wedding day.
On November 18, 2010 Julie Snider of USA Today reported that those aged 18 to 29, mostly single, made up 44% of the study compared to the 32% aged 65 and older. Studies such as this have arisen in the past after examining the decreasing numbers, when almost 95% of Americans were married in the 1950’s down to 54% in 2010. It’s also interesting to note that statistics have shown younger women who married in the fifties were more likely to divorce. The general consensus of the recent marriage study revealed that even though what makes a marriage may be changing rapidly, it is still family that is most important to all.
Half of the Population of London is Single
In the United Kingdom, half of the population of London proper is made up of singletons aged 20 to 59, with the widest difference between London and elsewhere in the UK among 45 to 60 year olds. British historians state that 350 years have passed since a blue blood married a commoner. The whimsy will captivate and you can bet that throngs of Brits will be lining up along the parade route to get a glimpse of the royal bride and her groom, cheering them on and waving their flags of the monarchy.
Believe Half of what You See and Nothing of what You Hear
It should be noted that only 2,691 Americans took the survey on the obsolescence of marriage, given by the Pew Research Center which is located in Washington, D.C. Their researchers, who usually conduct monthly studies on politics and evolving ideas are part of a nonpartisan, walking, talking encyclopedia of facts on the latest issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and our world. Just keep in mind that it’s only an opinion of talking heads and not literally 40% of 310,750,000 Americans. Will the naysayers lead us to believe their findings are true and will we follow suit?
However, studies like these are certainly not a waste of time and worth pondering as our world is constantly evolving. More single men and women are taking advantage of new opportunities to garner wealth and develop a career before getting married, hoping they choose wisely in all areas of their lives. It may become fashionable to stay single in Europe, where more of the focus is on wealth and status, but there’s a royal wedding to plan. You’d better buy your hat.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Honoring Our Heroes
In honor of Veteran's Day, I'm so proud to announce the release of my single, "The Son of A Soldier", now available for digital download on CDBaby.
Dedicated to my father Leo Reichert, a Korean War Veteran, the inspiration for this song came from the discovery of a story in London's Daily Mail. When I read about the death of Sjt. Paul McAleese and saw the photo of his widow and baby son Charley, it broke my heart. I composed "The Son of A Soldier" for Charley and every son and daughter of our fallen heroes. Sjt. McAleese, serving with the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, was killed trying to save a fellow comrade while on foot patrol in the Sanjin District of Afghanistan in 2009.
"I think your recording of The Son of a Soldier is quite outstanding. It certainly pulls at all the heart strings." . . . John Poole-Warren, Regimental Secretary, The Rifles
Join me this evening for inspirational conversation and music on BlogTalkRadio with author and host Andrea Garrison beginning at 7:30pm EST:
www.BlogTalkRadio.com/OnlinewithAndrea
Saying a prayer for the world today.
Blessings,
Celeste
http://cdbaby.com/cd/celestefriedman
Friday, November 5, 2010
Celebrate with Celeste!
We are very excited to be celebrating the 2010 launch of Celeste's book, "Single 101: 101 Reasons to Celebrate Being Single" on Saturday, November 6th. Owners Tom and Laura Noonan welcome all for an evening of music, fun and laughter at Vino Where You Live in Mount Vernon, Ohio, one of the coolest wine bars ever!
Opening the musical portion of the evening is local singer-songwriter Sarah Goslee Reed at 7:00pm. Celeste will take the stage at 7:30 and feature a one hour concert from her one-woman show, "Single 101".
Following the show, Celeste will be on hand to sign books and share the evening with our special guests. Both books and CD's will be available for purchase and signing.
For a sampling of Celeste's music, visit her CDBaby Single 101 page and listen to samples- http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/celestef7 The book and CD can also be purchased on Amazon.com.
Hope you can join us!
"Singles Night Out with Celeste Friedman"
Vino Where You Live- wine and coffee bar
6400 Newark Rd. (just 4 miles south of downtown Mount Vernon)
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Call to make your reservation at 740.397.VINO
Hope to see you there!
http://www.songsforcharliemusic.com/
http://single-101.webs.com/
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