Thursday Art & Dinner Date ... Keys

 Keys

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records. After disputes with the label, she signed with Arista Records and soon released her debut album, Songs in A Minor with J Records in 2001. The album became a critical and commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. It contained the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Fallin'", and earned Keys an unprecedented five Grammy Awards in 2002. Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), was also a critical and commercial success, selling eight million copies worldwide and spawning the singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary".^[8] The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards.^[9]

Keys has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. She was named by Billboard as the R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Decade (2000s);^[10] and placed tenth on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. She has received numerous accolades in her career, including 15 Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and an award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and National Music Publishers Association. VH1 included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Women in Music lists, while Time has named her in their 100 list of most influential people in 2005 and 2017. Keys is also acclaimed for her humanitarian work, philanthropy, and activism, e.g. being awarded Ambassador of Conscience by Amnesty International; she co-founded and serves as the Global Ambassador of the nonprofit HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Child Alive.

I have always loved her music and admired her talent.  She sets an example for all of us to reach within and give of our time, hearts and talent to make a better world.  I believe her when she says she is a "Superwoman and I also believe that we all have the ability to be Superwomen in our own ways.  (Sorry Guys ... it's Girls Night Out :)

Andrea @ From the Sol

Friday Face Off ...

 

    Cooper's Hawk on the hunt ...

   Andrea @ From the Sol

Thursday Art & Dinner Date ... Smoke

 

These last few weeks have been crazy ... not in a good way.  Several weeks ago, I caught a bug that landed me in the hospital for several days.  It was not pleasant, but at least I can say the the care I received at the hospital was excellent.  But then shortly after I returned home, my computer caught a bug of some sort and ended up at the Geek Squad for over a week.  It is finally home and I am back to normal so AT LAST, I can return to doing what I enjoy most ... blogging with my friends :) 

SMOKE

Hope all is well with all of you ...

Andrea @ From the Sol

Thursday Art & Dinner Date ... The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz

Original sketch

Original sketch 

News paper clipping of The University of Illinois Faculty Players in the 1950's ... Dorothy was played by my Mother :)  I know I have told this story before, but after my Mother starred in this play, she received boxes of fan mail and people would stop her on the street and praise her performance.  It was a fun experience for a grade schooler (me).  

Before I go I want to apologize for missing two weeks ... and the worst part is I still haven't finished my project.  Try as I may, it just doesn't seem to want to get done.  So, I am back because I miss you all (and, if I am honest, it wasn't hard to skip the "furniture" prompts  😁)  So we are into fall, but it is still hot and sticky ... I await the fall colors and the wonderful 70 degree weather :) Be well ...

Andrea @ From the Sol