Category Archives: Travel

Nov21

Akeelah and the Bee Comes to Life At Arena Stage!

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Michelle Lynn Thompson

(L to R) Johannah Easley, Sean Phinney, Leo James, Molly Yeselson and Ana Christine Evans in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater November 13-December 27, 2015. Photo by Dan Norman.

If you are in the Washington, DC area this holiday season, you must take a trip to the south side Chicago neighborhood recreated on Arena Stage to see AKEELAH AND THE BEE – now playing through December 27, 2015! Doug Atchison’s 2006 original screenplay was adapted for the stage by Cheryl L. West and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright. West and Randolph-Wright recreate a modern version of the beloved film that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. We had so much FUN – laughing, cheering, hoping and falling in love all over again with our favorite characters. The live performance puts you right on their block, in their homes, their school and at the National Spelling Bee itself! The stage and theater create a sense of intimacy that really makes Akeelah and the Bee come alive! It’s an experience you don’t want to miss.

Zaria Graham as Georgia, Nathan Barlow as Reggie, Aimee K. Bryant as Gail and James A. Williams as Dr. Larabee in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater November 13-December 27, 2015. Photo by Dan Norman.

We all go through life aspiring to dreams and passions that people around us don’t understand. However, Akeelah shows us that sometimes you have to do what is necessary to make those dreams come true for yourself. If you have at least one person in your life that you can find to inspire you, the others in your life will be inspired by your ardent pursuit of your dreams and will be come your biggest fans!

(L to R) Leo James, Johannah Easley and Shavunda Horsley in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater November 13-December 27, 2015. Photo by Dan Norman.

(L to R) Greta Oglesby as Batty Ruth and Milton Craig Nealy as Drunk Willie in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater November 13-December 27, 2015. Photo by Cameron Whitman.

The talent in this production is BRILLIANT and EXCEPTIONAL! Each character is flawlessly portrayed and fully developed. I look forward to following many of the actors in future performances. They each have an amazing gift and I thank them for wanting to share it with the world.

Treat you and your family to the gift of a live performance of AKEELAH AND THE BEE this holiday season! I promise, you will not be disappointed. ~ @Lifeisanexquisitejourney

Nov18

Embracing My 50th Season of My Exquisite Journey

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Michelle Lynn Thompson

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I had a chance to spend a couple of days in South Beach, Miami to celebrate my 50th birthday! I loved every moment of it!

Aug11

Tips to Avoid Blurry iPhone Photos

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Michelle Lynn Thompson

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If you are like me and probably most anyone with a cell phone these days, you are snapping photos left and right! Over the past couple of years, I have been intentionally taking photos of our everyday activities. The reason I named my blog Life is an Exquisite Journey was to be able to capture some of the exquisite moments that me and my children experience on our collective and individual journeys.

It is amazing to me how much more attentive I have become to the details of life and the beauty around me while viewing my world through my iPhone camera lens. My iPhone cameras has been the gateway to my actively engaging in my love for photography. I’ve always admired the work of other photographers and now I am developing an eye for my own personal artistic perspective. I devour every new piece of information that I receive to be able to incorporate a new technique or strategy for the next photo opportunity.

Today, I ran across this article, How to Never Take A Blurry iPhone Photo Again, by Emil Pakarklis. Emil shares several key points to remember when taking your photos:

1. Don’t Rely on Auto-Focus

2. Keep Your iPhone Steady

3. Reduce the Effects of Movement

As I was leaving the Salamander Resort & Spa early this morning, I tried to grab of photo of this piece of art. It is a map of Virginia framed in metal and filled in with corkscrews! It represents the myriad of Virginia wineries that are sprinkled throughout the state. The detail and variant colors of the corkscrews is what really attracted me to the piece. However, I tried to take the photo while I was walking through the room. Instead, I should have “reduced the effects of movement” as Emil suggests and stopped to manually focus the image in my camera lens, while keeping my iPhone steady. I would have gotten the desired result – a photo capturing the detail that I could see with my naked eye.

Emil provides great visual images of the PROBLEM PHOTO and the PHOTO with the SOLUTION applied. Great tips as I try to work towards perfecting my craft. I thought you might be interested in Emil’s suggestions as well!

Meanwhile, I need to make plans for my next visit to Salamander Resort & Spa to retake this photo and many other exquisite captures!

Hugs and Blessings!

Life is an Exquisite Journey

Jul23

The MOST Exquisite Moment: Seeing My Billboard Ad in New York City!

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Michelle Lynn Thompson

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From the first Facebook post from my college friend to the 2:44 a.m. text on Sunday morning from a high school friend telling me that they saw my face on a billboard in NYC, I knew I would go completely BONKERS if I did not have a chance to see the billboard for myself! I mean it is not every day that a mom of five meets a photographer, poses for some shots for an ad campaign and then ends up in the featured photo of a New York Times article that highlights the campaign and the billboard with her image on it! WHEW! Talk about a series of EXQUISITE MOMENTS!

In comes the most generous and thoughtful exquisite gesture – an offer to fund my trip to NYC so that I can see the billboard for myself! I have tears in my eyes just thinking about the magnitude of this gesture in my heart. So off I go – on a day trip to see myself on 42nd Street in NYC! I was so excited I couldn’t sleep. I got three hours of sleep before I had to ride to the bus station which thankfully was only 10 minutes away. I thought I would get some sleep on the bus – but NO! I was just to exited about the whole entire trip because this was my first time going to New York City and I was so looking forward to the adventure!

The bus arrived in the city at 12 noon. It was the perfect day to walk the city! With so much to see but first things first, I have to make my way to the Pfizer Building. GPS in hand in Walking Mode of Transport here I go. I will confess I got turned around for a minute but I finally found my footing and was on my way!

As I was taking in all of the sights I realized I was almost there! The address f the Pfizer Building is 235 E. 42nd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues!

Then there it was!!! It is REALLY BIG!!! LOL! But I was so happy to finally be able to see it in real life! As Exquisite Moments would have it, an employee recognized me as I was getting my photo taken in front of the billboard. She was so excited to see one of the models live, that she rushed me into the lobby and ran upstairs to grab one of the executives in charge of the campaign. Lo and behold, it was one of the executives that was there at the photo shoot!

As you can see I am quite happy that I finally had a chance to see the billboard live and in person!

Jul2

Reflections – Lake Accotink at Sunset

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Michelle Lynn Thompson

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Jun30

The Bridges of The Mount Vernon Trail, Alexandria, VA

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Michelle Lynn Thompson

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