Somebody To Love by Sarah Afshar

For those of you that do not know, there is an app called Smule that connects you through the greatest in music. It is basically a karaoke social platform that allows you record songs. I have been living for this app and loving it so much. It has become my escapism and I find myself recording on this platform daily. 

Tonight, I decided to take on Queen's Somebody To Love. What do you think?

To listen to my rendition of Somebody To Love simply watch/listen to the video above. If it doesn't play, just click here right now to listen. 

Radio Ga Ga by Sarah Afshar

All we hear is Radio Ga Ga! Radio, what's new? Someone still loves you! Yes, I decided to record this song again on Smule. This time I used the Super Pop filter. I am not sure what I think of the effect.

 

I recorded the song originally back in January with on a light studio filter. You can listen to that recording here.

 

To listen to my recording of Radio Ga Ga by Queen simply watch the video above. If the video doesn't play, just click here to listen. Do you know anyone who doesn't love this song?

Justice for Bill Cosby's victims

How much is a woman’s life worth? What kind of value does a woman’s life hold? When I first read the testimonies of Bill Cosby’s victims, I just knew they were telling the truth. And when the world went against them, I started to lose hope in humanity for doing so. My first question was - why would anyone want to blame the victim while praising the perpetrator?

That was, until today.

Today is a day I will remember for the rest of my life. Not only has this case changed many laws, including the statute of limitations on sex crimes it’s open the eyes of those who are blinded by the façade of a man we all grew to love and laugh at. Yes, I was a fan of Bill Cosby and loved him in the Ghost Dad, a movie I will never ever watch again.

Cosby was a man who hid his dark side from most of the world. From all of us. I just knew his victims were telling the truth and I was right. Which leads me to the question, how much is a woman’s life worth? What kind of value does a woman’s life hold?

If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. The victims stand for something and will never be silenced. Their lives are worth something and so is their voice. Justice has been officially served.

Only Hope by Sarah Afshar

 

 

Only Hope is one of those Christian rock songs that really makes you want to listen to Christian rock music. When I first heard this song, I was a senior in high school. It was originally performed by Switchfoot. I thought the song was beautiful; however, I really loved Mandy Moore's rendition of the song because of her character in "A Walk To Remember" which is a wonderful movie.

 

I had a wonderful time covering this song and putting my own spin and soul to it. I added some rock and some more soul to make it roll. I hope you enjoy.

 

If you cannot listen from the video above, simply click here now to listen to my cover of Only Hope. Make sure to listen with headphones.

I Have Nothing by Lashonda Gibson featuring Sarah Afshar

Lashonda is one of best friends. So, when she invited me to sing "I Have Nothing" with her on Smule, I was honored, as I am a huge fan of the song. I remember being a 11 years old and hearing this song for the first time and thinking how incredible it was. Now, I am 37 years old and singing this on an app with my best friend using my iPhone.

 

I will get into more depth as to why I love this song at another time, until then, enjoy this song. If you cannot hear the video, simply click here to listen to us sing this song. It is always an honor singing with this wonderful and talented woman.

Memory by Sarah Afshar

I decided to go on Smule tonight and record a song for my dear cat Murphy who passed away one year ago today. It was a year ago since she died in my arms, a day I will never forget. 

I will always have the best memories of Murphy, as she was my cat for 14 years. I loved her dearly and deeply and will never forget her in this life. I thought this song was appropriate to honor her memory.

To listen to my rendition of Memory, watch/listen to the video above. If you cannot see the video, just click here right now. 

Rest in Peace Murphy.

Just got home from a long day

I just got home from a very long day. All work and no play. It is Wednesday yet feels like a Thursday and I have to wait two days for it to be Friday. I know I haven't been posting much on this blog, as I have been busy beyond belief with my life, but I promise you will hear from me sporadically until I have more time. So much has happened in my life and although I have so much I want to say, it would probably take forever to cover everything.

As many of you already know, I live in Idaho (Meridian) and have been here for several years now. Not only do I have family that lives nearby, but I felt an immediate connection when I first visited hence why I decided to pack my bags from Bozeman and make the 10+ hour move via drive. Idaho is quite possibly the most underrated state, as it embodies an organic ardor of fields. Some areas are flatter than others, but everywhere you look you see endless fruits and vegetables growing.

What really caught my attention aside from the potato fields were the endless fields of onions and how the scent of onion managed to penetrate through the air, making an entire area within a 30 mile radius smell like fresh onion rings. Needless to say, the smell use to bother me when I first moved here, but now I appreciate it more than ever. And every time you travel through this glorious state you are met with many wonderful Spanish speaking people who sell fresh, organic produce right from their rust fruit stands.

When I first moved here, I felt motivated to grow things. Everything from herbs to vegetables to fruits to flowers to even grass and more. And it is because of living here in Idaho I have garnered a huge love and appreciation for gardening. Time is virtuous and I feel like time is never wasted when growing something. With Earth Day just around the corner, I feel compelled to put some of the wonderful things into the ground. After all, the earth is filled with life.  
Today I am incredibly exhausted and just want to have a nice shower, eat a nice dinner and dive into my bed freely without any thought of anything. I thought about binge watching Breaking Bad reruns, but I am just way too tired this evening and can only think about sleep. Have you ever had a day where all you wanted to do was just sleep? That's how I feel today. And besides, tomorrow is a brand new day.

God Bless The USA by Jon featuring Sarah Afshar

I love joining jnbrdgs on Smule. There is something so amazing about his simple country voice. It's authentic and beautiful. So, when he invited me to join his duet of God Bless The USA this evening, I guess you could say I wasn't reluctant to join him. After all, I love this song and I am proud to be an American.

To listen my duet with Jon, simply watch the video above. If it doesn't play, just click here to listen now. I definitely want to re-record this one again. 

Julep Nail Polish in Oscar

 

I have a confession to make, I am absolutely in love with Julep's Nail Polish in Oscar. I am not sure if it is because it is a gorgeous gold color (as you can see from my swatch) or the fact that the nail polish itself is long-lasting and truly lives up to it's marketed promise. It is fast drying and the color pay-off is one of the best I have discovered in a nail polish product which is a great thing as you don't need to reapply relentlessly. It is also easy to remove.

 

Either way, if you are looking for a vibrant yet intense gold glitter, the Julep Nail Polish in Oscar "It Girl" is one you will not only love, but appreciate. Julep does not test on animals (confirmed several years ago) as it is cruelty-free and possesses vegan-friendly ingredients.

 

Would I recommend this nail polish? Absolutely. Oscar "It Girl" is available right now at Julep for $14. My search for a vibrant glitter glam yellow gold nail polish has officially ended.



Just a quick selfie before I go out tonight

Just a quick selfie before I go to the local wine tasting event this evening. A good friend of mine invited me and insisted that I attend. I haven't seen her in a year, so I am looking forward to going. Did I mention that I am so happy it is Friday? #TGIF I don't usually drink (or at least a lot), but I could really use a glass of Moscato d'Asti right now with a wedge of formage brie.

It has been a while since I have been to any wine tasting event and to be quite frank, I do miss it as they can be fun. Kind of a more refined rendition of a traditional tap takeover with a twist. Anyways, in terms of wine, I'm usually a fan of sweeter wines such as Moscato d'Asti, Tokaji Azsú, Sauternes, Lambrusco, Ice Wine, etc. but can appreciate some of the bitter ones too such as Bordeaux and Burgundy once in a while. Sparkling wines seems to be my choice of port, but sometimes the smoother wines really bring an acquired taste to the palate. Especially when paired with the right food.

I can appreciate dry wines such as Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc and even a fine Burgundy, but to be honest, they are not my first choice. Of course I am not a connoisseur (like I use to be, that is), so more than likely I just haven't tried the right one. My least favorite is Pinot Grigio if I were to choose the one I would unlikely consume tonight.

Now if you ask me to choose between red and white, I honestly cannot choose as some of my favorite wines have been both. Red wine (in moderation, that is) seems to be the healthiest and loaded with an array of antioxidants which is always a plus and a good thing. Rose wine can also be good. Did I mention that I love pink moscato?

But the question remains, what are my favorite wines? To be honest, I love quite a few right now. They include:

-Mascota Vineyards Unanime (the 2013 bottle is the best I have tried)
-Chanteau D'Yquem Sauternes (the 2010 bottle is my favorite)
-Foss Marai Moscato Dolce Reale
-Caposaldo Sweet Peach Sparkling Moscato
-Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial
-Neige Apple Ice Wine
-Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato
-Riunite Lambrusco

Tonight I decided to wear a simple blue, v-neck shirt with a belt and matching pencil skirt. It's starting to get warm, so I don't think I will need a jacket. I may take a shawl or even a light hoodie in case it gets cold. My makeup is dramatic yet wearable (as you can see from today's selfie), as my hair is pulled back in light headband. Most of my makeup today is Giorgio Armani Beauty, but if you have any questions on specifics you can ask me in the comments.

If you are filled with knowledge about wine, please do not hesitate to share in the comments. I do read about wine from time-to-time, but I feel like some of the content I read is one dimensional and really doesn't provide me with universal knowledge and accuracy of wines. I think that is a reason to both love and hate non-fiction content on the internet. Everyone is different as everyone has a different point-of-view, so therefore the commentary is different too.

Anyways, I hope you are having an amazing day, afternoon, evening or night depending on where you are in this crazy world, as I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I hope you will enjoy your Friday as I plan to enjoy mine.

Thank you so much Farshid

Thank you so much, Farshid. I am honored to call you family. You are an amazing soul to think of me when you went to Turkey this. My wonderful uncle Farshid took a trip to Turkey to visit family, friends and his beautiful girlfriend. 

He bought some great gifts for me which consists of Koska Pasha Turkish Delight and Kurukahveci Nuri Toplar Coffee. Farshid knows how much I love and appreciate Turkish food, especially the sweet stuff. I really love Turkish Delight and Turkish coffee is fantastic, especially the amazing Kurukahveci Nuri Toplar Coffee. 

Farshid is a world traveler and has probably been everywhere in the world. Currently, he resides in Calabasas (California) with my great aunt. Mamnoon baraaye hedyeh. با تشکر از شما برای هدایای ترکیه. Türk hediyeler için teşekkür ederim. Mersi.

Thank you so much Farshid joon for the great gifts.