SO, it's the end of summer...beginning of school, band, hurricanes and such

Hi guys!

Today is the last day of August so I can't put this off any longer.

Sorry I have not posted in what seems like FOREVER...I went to Florida and on the same day I came back I headed straight to band camp. From then, it has been nothing but madness. To put it into scope for you, the only reason why I have been able to update my blog is because school got cancelled due to this hurricane Harvey that is passing over Texas. How crazy is it that I have to wait for a tropical storm to hit to have the chance to breathe a little??

So, in short, this is going to be a sort of mega-post. Hopefully this one post will address a little bit of everything that is going on in my life right now.

Family, friends, & fun in the "sunshine" state:)
I only stayed about a week in Florida, but I had some of the most fun and catching up with our family friends. It was my first time visiting Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, and let me tell you, 9 times out of 10 it was raining or super cloudy over there. Nevertheless, it was still a blast. Here are a couple of pics!

Heading to the Keys;)

Everglades Holiday Park

Wynwood Art District in Miami

Summer band bam

Yes, it was hard for me to go back into the swing of band (those 8 hour-long rehearsals reminded me of none other but school), and yes, I knew that my summer was basically over by July 26th, the first day of camp. But summer was far from over. 

Summer band has been surprisingly more fun this year than I imagined...maybe it's because I've forgotten about marching season after a year of concert band...

We were invited to perform the Star Spangled Banner at Minute Maid Park at a Houston Astros baseball game, and that was a nice break from marching -- even if it was on a weekend!

Our show is coming along and I am SO EXCITED to be a part of DRACULA.

Here are a few highlights from summer band...

Getting to perform the Star Spangled Banner at the Houston Astros game!

Two peas in a pod:)

FLUTE LOOPS 

Fluting

The region music was posted on the TMEA website on July 19. I have been practicing it and I plan on uploading videos of my playing on my youtube as soon as I get a recording I am happy with. 

Eclipses on Monday, Hurricane on Friday

Texas suffered some major losses during Harvey, a tropical storm that unexpectedly turned into a hurricane last Thursday. It was the first week of school. On the first day, August 21, we all went outside to view the solar eclipse. Thursday afternoon, people during band practice started saying we didn't have school on Friday because of "Harvey". My question was, who's Harvey? As it turns out, school was really cancelled, and there was really a hurricane -- a disastrous one. We were lucky because our neighborhood didn't flood, but other neighborhoods nearby flooded badly. The current count of deaths is 30. My prayers go out to the entire state of Texas as we recover!

August Quote

It's not exactly the beginning of August, but better late than never!

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts"
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Here is to a new school year.

July Quote

"Well done is better than well said."
~Benjamin Franklin

In June I effectively got my membership at the Y and I began working out. It's going well I think. I only have like a month left of summer (before summer band camp starts) so I'll have to plan my time remaining wisely to do all of the things I want to do this summer!

DIY Mirror Frame Renovation!

When I asked my friend what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted artwork (I've given her a few of my pieces in the past), but I also noticed she did not have a big mirror in her room! I know I can't live without my mirror in my room, how else am I supposed to approve to myself of my daily outfits? So I decided to combine art and a mirror into a present...
All I needed to use for this project was an ugly mirror, some wooden letters to match the name, some brushes, some paint (I used chalky acrylic and metallic), a hot glue gun (with the glue, of course), some fabric flowers, and a little bit of creativity!

BEFORE -- just an old, ugly mirror.

 I had a little help from Ginger!

 

After 2 coats of the blue chalky acrylic paint.

AFTER -- the finished product with it's owner!

ICCC Annual Gala Night

Last night I attended the Italian Cultural Community Center's Gala honoring the Houston-Galveston Cardinal, Daniel DiNardo. Although it was an event intended for a very important religious figure, there was some dancing and fun (along with wine-tasting and silent auctions). This night made me realize how important Italian Culture is to those that have the responsibility in maintaining it. There are lots of people of Italian descent that live in the Houston area and across the nation, yet the culture is increasingly diminishing. The ICCC of Houston is a non-profit organization that has the goal to conserve the Italian culture present in our fellow Italians. Here are some pictures of this extravagant night (as you can tell, I enjoyed dressing up for this event)! 

My brother thinks he's so cool.

I cringe I look so awkward yikes

The food was delicious! 

Here the Cardinal is giving his speech.

Bathroom pictures are the best pictures