Picture Time!

Last night I Hosted Karaoke at Gabe's and it was by far one of my busiest shifts in the past year.  Even I have to admit, while I'm normally very accommodating and patient, for some reason, last night, that was being tested.  Apparently, I should have done Yoga before I went to work!  I'm not going to get into details and complain because that does no good; constructively, I'll be more prepared the next time I'm feeling like that, take a deep breath, and smile.  How people treat you is their karma, how you react is yours.  Since it was such a crazy night, and we had a Birthday as well, everyone was singing!  I actually didn't sing very much because I wanted to keep things moving as quickly as possible, so my new song of the night was 'Sweet Dreams' by The Eurythmics, which I realized was extremely repetitive, but one of the few songs I could try since I've had a cold for the past week and my voice was giving out.  I was just happy I could try something new!  When I got home I went straight to bed because I had a Photo Shoot on Saturday in Downtown LA.

I was glad I had started to set out my clothes and options for the shoot on Saturday already on Friday night so I wouldn't be rummaging around last minute trying to figure out what to bring or wear.  We were shooting Headshots and I wanted to shoot some styles I hadn't done before, Business, Business Casual, Country Girl, along with some Commercial and Theatrical shots.  It was super hot, so I packed a pair of shorts as well, along with some jeans and slacks, my heels and wedges.  I was even bringing my glasses so I could do some of the photos with them as well.  I was shooting with my friend, Alex, who I shot a Short Film with years ago, so I knew we would have a lot of fun.  So Saturday morning after I showered, had straightened my hair, and did my make-up, I was on my way to Downtown LA!

When I got to Alex's apartment we went through my wardrobe options and after picking out some choices were on our way to our first location.  It was kind of hipster/artsy with wooden planks that had some graffiti on them and we shot two different outfits there, and 4 different looks.  Then we were off to our 2nd locations which was near an overpass in a more industrial area, where we shot 2 different outfits.  It was more windy but we got some really great shots.  While we're shooting, I'm going through a story in my head, so my eyes don't look blank.  I have ideas, thoughts, (pertaining to the shoot, running through my head) and am making sure that I'm moving or changing with every click of the camera.  So while we were at our first location, I was shooting in a flannel along the graffiti wall, with my glasses and was thinking about how I was an Art Design student, enjoying the afternoon, but was on my way to grab coffee and do some work at an outdoor cafe.  What can I be cast-able in?  When you think it, you become it, you live it; as an actor.  Our third location was the Walt Disney Hall where we shot against the silver building 3 different business attire looks.  With and without glasses, wearing a pony-tail, looking like an angry boss lady, or perky president.  We even got in a few Kim Kardashian style shots in one of my tops.  

The whole shoot lasted just about 2 hours and we got almost 200 photos; so I will have tons of choices and pictures to look through.  Alex put them on a disc for me, and I knew I would be editing all night tonight :)  So I've been working on them for a couple hours and decided to take a little break to write a blog and then it's going to be back to Photoshop for me!  Nothing crazy, I usually like to work with the contrast or levels a little, and fix any make-up flakes or blemishes.  Headshots have to look like you, so you can't do anything more than enhancing an already great picture, hopefully!

From today's shoot with Alex!

Ta ta for now...it's back to work...

What's for Dinner? Part 8.

Sometimes you'll see me using the same ingredients in a couple recipes and there are certain staples that I trust or add to a lot of my recipes because I enjoy the flavor or like specific items.  Balsamic Vinegar is one of the easiest things to cook with, has no fat, low in calories, and adds so much flavor.  Mushrooms are one of my favorite vegetables and I love to add them to sauces, salads, or omelets.  Garlic.  You can pretty much add it to anything for a little kick and it's so healthy for you!

The last time I was at the grocery store I had picked up Zucchini and it came in a package of 5 so I knew I was going to be adding that to a bunch of my meals.  I had also gotten flour tortilla's to make quesadilla's or wraps, so last night's dinner was designed around those ingredients!

Vegetable & Sausage Wraps

1 Apple Sausage

2 Flour Tortilla's

1 Medium Zucchini

1/2 Cup Mushrooms

1/3 Cup Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

One of the wraps!

I started with my pan and olive oil heating up then added in my garlic and then the chopped onions.  After that cooked for a couple minutes I added in the sausage and zucchini.  I sauteed for a couple more minutes and then added in my balsamic and mushrooms.  The whole mixture cooked for a few more minutes and I seasoned it with salt and pepper.  When all the liquids were absorbed I turned the burner onto low to keep it warm and after heating up my tortilla's, spooned the mixture into them.  I had made scalloped potatoes as a side dish.  The wraps were really light and fresh and felt extremely healthy.  It was a very low-fat meal that was big on flavor!  You could add any vegetables you wanted whether it be peppers or tomatoes, but I felt like these veggies all worked together for this meal.  Cooking for 1 :)

Having Fun...Rain or Shine!

I had a very busy and fun weekend last week; got to see friends I haven't seen in a while, enjoyed a Burger & Beer with Jeff from PowerTV at Father's Office, drank Sangria by the beach in Venice for Brunch with Kristina, enjoyed LA being dreary and sunny, and laughed a lot!

On Monday I covered for Ian at Irish Times and got to Bartend for the first time in over a month.  It was my first time being solo at the bar and I had to close up shop all on my own.  Lucky for me, it went off without a hitch, and I had a very successful night.  I had a couple friends come in to keep me company and have some cocktails and even got a little late night Jack & The Box snack :)  It was really steady all night!  I'm still trying to find a permanent Bar Home and it's proving more difficult than I thought.  I know I'm being picky but I want to make sure I'm happy and comfortable with the bar I'm working at, and considering I was so unhappy for 6 months at the last bar I worked at, I don't want to put myself into a negative situation like that again!  Something will come along; I'm trusting it will.

Before I went into work I got in a great work-out and run in the park and later that afternoon was able to go to my Yoga Class.  There were only 9 people in the class, including me, so it was a really small and intimate class and she let us decide what we wanted to do.  It ended up being a day of twists and hip openers and the last 20 minutes we were able to concentrate on whatever we wanted to work on.  In fact, I did my first ever Yogi Headstand!  I was so proud of myself.  I knew I was going to be in a calm state of mind for the rest of the night, even if it was going to be crazy busy at Irish Times!

Tonight I Hosted Karaoke at Gabe's!  I'm getting a little bit more creative with trying new songs as I look up artists and songs during the day to see if it's something I could try or experiment with.  Johnny had added over 3000 new songs to our database and updated our computer with a new system that was easier to navigate and was there finishing up when I got to work.  It was really quiet when I got there and since everyone was singing slow music or love songs I decided to try Roxette's 'It Must Have Been Love' and when I was done Johnny told me I needed to learn 'Dangerous' so we could do that as a duet.  Done and done!  We found out we both own the album so we sang that a little later.  It was a great duet and we hit the harmonies perfectly; so I was able to try two new songs in one night!  The night ended up being really busy and the bar was packed (I was worried that the pouring rain was going to deter people but that brought everyone in)!  Jonathan was trying a bunch of new music as well and we even sang 'Need You Now' by Lady Antebellum.  We closed down just before last call and Debbie was my back-up dancer for my first ever solo version of 'Baby One More Time.'  Karaoke is all about having fun, right?!?  I love seeing people smiling and having a good time and last night was certainly one of those nights!  I hope Friday is just as exciting :)

The week is already half-way over but it's not stopping anytime soon for me...I've got a busy week ahead and I'm going out for a run this afternoon to enjoy the effects the rain has on LA...fresh clean and clear air!

Macy's Star Spangled Banner Sing Off!

Hey Everyone!!

Please vote for me on Facebook to sing The National Anthem at the Macy's 4th of July Parade!  You can vote at the link below.  Please 'Like' Macy's, then click 'Go To App' and VOTE for my video :)  You can vote once per day and the voting will close on April 30th so make sure to vote for me and help me become one of the Top 10 Finalists! 

You can click on the link below or copy and paste the web address to VOTE:
Vote for Lyndsey!
https://www.facebook.com/Macys?sk=app_173491372709944&app_data={%22currentvideo%22%3A%2230%22%2C%20%22pageno%22%3A%222%22%2C%20%22eid%22%3A%222162759%22}

I always appreciate everyone's constant support and now your votes :D

A College Goal

My Freshman Year at Orientation to the Theatre Arts Department we were told to write 50 goals we wanted to achieve in our life in accordance with our career and interests in life and I found it fairly easy to come up with my 50.  On that list was Singing the National Anthem at a Pro-Sporting Event or something that would have Nationwide Coverage and I got one step closer to doing that on Friday evening.

I saw last week on one of my Casting Websites they were looking for someone to sing the National Anthem for the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks in New York City.  I've had a cold for the past week, so I've been trying to get healthy so I could submit a clear and great video of me singing.  I'm still not back to normal with this lingering bug but the deadline was on Sunday so I made a video last night before I went into Gabe's to Host Karoake.  I had to start pretty low to make sure I could hit all the notes but was actually surprised that I was able to do it in any capacity and even my performance was something I would be proud of.  

This morning I listened to the couple versions I recorded and settled on the best one, made it a high quality video and submitted it today!  As I was reading through the rules and regulations I saw that it was up to the discretion of Macy's, but that I might be able to attend a Mets Game and then sing the National Anthem at it!  That would be so cool.  The voting will start on Tuesday and everyone is allowed one vote per day and I would love to be one of the Top 10 People!  I'll be sure to post a link so everyone can vote and hopefully you can help make one of my goals happen!  Big smiles here :D

Karaoke started off slow again last night but got pretty busy and before 10 pm we had a full rotation going!  I had a couple friends come in to visit so that was nice and even sang 'Lucky' by Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait for the first time in over a year and a half with Jonathan.  My new song of the night was Reba McEntire's 'Why Haven't I Heard From You' which is such a fun country song, so I was really excited to sing it.  The crowd was really receptive to everyone and very supportive all night which is always awesome to see because some people love to sing and others love to entertain.  Carolyn sang one of my favorite songs, 'Love Will Lead You Back' by Taylor Dayne which was incredible!!  It ended up being a very late night but a good one!

All in all, Friday was a very singing heavy day, and hopefully my Hosting Karaoke will help me get myself out there because I'm consistently keeping up my voice and working and rehearsing on a regular basis.  Fingers crossed!!

What's for Breakfast?

I don't know about you, but I've always enjoyed having Breakfast Foods at Dinner Time...maybe it's the fact my Mom would call it a Cereal Night at our house on random occasions, or better yet, Egg or Pancake Night, but sometimes even I love to make Breakfast for Dinner, and that's just what I did last night! 

Breakfast Wraps

3 Eggs

1 Apple Sausage

2 Flour Tortillas

1/4 cup Onions

1 Roma Tomato

Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Cooking Spray

I sprayed my pan with cooking spray then added in my onions and chopped up sausage and let that cook for a few minutes.  I put in all 3 eggs and added my tomato as well, seasoning my ingredients.  Once the eggs were cooked through I spooned them into the flour tortillas, sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top and rolled them up like a burrito.  I could have easily made 3 wraps, but packed the tortillas full and had some leftover. 

Successful Breakfast for Dinner Meal and there's plenty more to come!

Isn't it ironic?

My busy weekend only kick-started this week for me, as it's already been crazy and today is my only day where I don't have plans or work, so I'm excited for a low-key and relaxing day!

On Monday night, Trista was throwing a Birthday Party for Dale at Federal Bar in North Hollywood, where a bunch of our friends were getting together to celebrate, eat, and drink, and have fun!  I was so excited to catch up with Thi because she's been traveling for the past couple of weeks and will be gone at the end of May to work on a show in New York!  There was even a live band playing music for most of the night.  We took plenty of pictures and caught up with everyone...when's the next game night!?  I ended up drinking this Blueberry Beer, it's regular beer but has a blueberry after-taste.  I've found that after not drinking hard alcohol over Lent, I'm actually more apt to choose a beer over a cocktail, which is kind of interesting.  It was a really fun night with good people and even a few rounds of 'Bomb'!

Thi, Lyndsey, and Trista at Federal Bar!

After my incredible run and work-out on Tuesday I met up with a friend from Wisconsin who lives in LA now.  We used to work at the same Golf Course/Restaurant back home!  Renee and I met up at Rocco's for Happy Hour and chatted about the craziness we have both encountered while living here in LA!

Then last night I had Karaoke at Gabe's.  It's been starting late the past couple of weeks because no one has been there to sing, and it stayed slow for most of the night until after 11:30 and then a bunch of people showed up to!  It made the rest of the night fly by and before I knew it, it was 1:15 am and I had to start shutting down.  We haven't gone that late in a while either.  My new song of the night was Alanis Morisette's 'Ironic,' which was fun.  I know that I danced to an Alanis song back in the day for my dance class when I was taking lessons from the age of 7 to 17 but I can't remember which one it was.  We had lots of energy at the end of the night at Karaoke and lots of Duets and Beatles songs, so overall, it was a really good night, that got off to a slow start but ended strong!

After today the rest of the week and weekend is going to fly by, lots of plans with friends, and some work too...but hopefully some fun in the sun as well!

What's for Dinner? Part 7.

Made Dinner last night before Karaoke and needed something quick and easy so I threw a bunch of vegetables together with some pasta and came up with a light, fresh, and simple meal that took just 15 minutes to make!

What you'll need for tonight's 'What's for Dinner?'

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 Roma Tomato

1 handful of Mushrooms

Half an Orange Pepper

1/3 Cup Onion

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 

2 Tbsp Goat Cheese

Sprinkle of Parmesan

1 and 1/4 Cups Farfalle Pasta 

8 Ravioli's

I got started boiling my water and chopping all my vegetables, then threw the pasta into the water, waiting until it was almost all the way cooked before I threw my ravioli's in.  I like to add a filled pasta to regular pasta for a little extra flavor and kick.  While my pasta was cooking I had heated up the oil in a saucepan with garlic and then added in my onions and pepper and let that cook for about 5 minutes, then I put in my tomato and mushrooms along with the balsamic vinegar.  When my pasta was finished I added that into my vegetable sauce mixture along with the goat cheese that melted easily together.  It made a really light cream sauce that was heavy on vegetables and super healthy.  I sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the top and had 2 bowlfuls of pasta to enjoy before work!

Pasta is always one of my favorite dishes to make and I like putting my own ideas together to try new things, and I like to keep it light and healthy but really delicious without skimping on flavor or cheese :)

Bold & Beautiful

I woke up this morning before my alarm clock even went off, so at 8:10 am I was pouring my cereal, heating up my curling iron, and getting dressed to play a 'Soap Star'.  The Soap Opera workshop for 'The Bold and the Beautiful' was at The Complex Theater in Hollywood, and started at 10 am, but I wanted to give myself 45 minutes to get there, and be at least 15 minutes early, so by 9 am, I was out the door!  As I drove to the Workshop I recited my lines in the car, and listened to some Sara Bareilles to keep my emotions at the surface for the scene.  I had also grabbed my iPod and had it set up in case I needed to hear something before I went up for my scene.  

Sarah from the Casting Department at B&B was very energetic and smiley and excited to answer our questions.  She was really informative as to how they cast for the roles on the show, and what they're looking for on our resumes.  She also gave some great feedback about certain teachers and classes that are really beneficial.  After the Q&A we got started with our scenes.  A couple of the guys in our class did the same scene as me, but no other girls did, so I was glad, that no one would be compared to what I did or vice versa.  The reader was another actor, that worked for Industry LA, so it was nice reading with someone that gave you some emotion and a good reading!  I started my scene, and a couple lines in, Sarah stopped me, and gave me a back story for the scene, and told me, Steffy was really mean to Liam, and even though they were married, she had put him through the ringer, and now that they're going through a divorce, she's still playful with him, but she understands how they've fallen apart, even though she still has feelings for him.  It definitely took the scene a different way, but that was good, because then she could see that I would take direction.  After we did the scene once through, we made a couple more tweaks and did it again, she said I did a great job, and had great emotion, without taking it over the edge.  It was so nice to get feedback from her, and really work on the scene, that's what these Workshops are for.  When the Workshop was over, I thanked Sarah and I asked her about my Theatrical headshot and for a role like Steffy, would she prefer something more serious, she said she liked my Theatrical more than my Commercial, so she kept both, and I was happy :)

After my Workshop was done I drove just down the street to my Audition for the Feature Film.  There were a few people in the room when I got there, and they had a lot of assistants helping people, signing us in, getting sides, etc.  They had two separate rooms for the auditions, because when I had spoke to the CD yesterday, he said it was a huge call of almost 400 people.  They were casting 2 main characters, and I was going in for a Supporting role.  When I got the sides, I was told to do a Proper Southern accent, so I was thankful for my Dialects class in College, and went into a corner and just read through the scene a few times.  After a couple minutes, I was called into the room, and they asked me if I was like The Bionic Woman in any way, since I had the same name as Lindsay Wagner.  I told them I had a 6th sense at times, and could see things; I recalled a dream I had earlier this week, where I think it was me, auditioning and it went terribly!  I told them the Workshop I had just been at went well, so I was hoping this wasn't the audition and everyone laughed.  After getting some direction and more back story that I was the Mistress of General Grant (before he was President Grant), that I was an over-achiever, and very sexy, we got into the reading.  We did the scene once through, and the CD loved it, said my accent was perfect, and asked if I would be available for a call-back!  I said of course, and the woman reading with me joked and said, guess it wasn't you in your dream, and smiled.

On the way I home, I grabbed some Yogurtland as a little treat to myself, and was so happy to have had 2 great auditions today!  Keep them coming :)

Soap Rehearsals and more...

I found out on Friday evening I got into 'The Bold & The Beautiful' Workshop on Sunday, and got 17 sets of sides that I had to choose a scene from.  After narrowing it down to just 4 scenes, I had some time before Hosting Karaoke at Gabe's to go over them with Jessica, my roommate.  Each scene I was reading as a different character so I could get some variety, and we had our favorites after reading through each one.  The short and sweet scene was a favorite, and Jess liked the scene between 2 females.  I liked a different scene between two gals because I noticed they were casting the character in the scene, so I thought it might be a good idea to read for that, but I also noticed the scene was one-note throughout, but this was just my first read-through of all of them!

 

After my mini-rehearsal, I was off to Gabe's to Host Karaoke for Friday the 13th!  The last Friday the 13th at Gabe's was definitely an off night, so I was hoping tonight would run smoother.  I waited for the Laker game to end because it was really slow in there, so we didn't start until after 10 pm, and it was rather slow all night, but steady.  We had some new singers and some last minute before the night ended singers, but everyone seemed to be having a really good time, so hopefully, they'll be back!  My new song of the night was The Bangles 'Manic Monday' which was another fun song to sing, but I had totally forgotten how the bridge went, so that was a fun surprise when it got to that part.  Definitely a song I'll try again.  The Bangles version of 'Hazy Shade of Winter' is actually one of my favorite songs, and I love the guitar part in the song, and who doesn't love singing along to 'Eternal Flame!'  Perhaps I'll have to try that song, sometime soon.  It was by far my least lucrative night at Gabe's, but everything went smoothly so I was a happy camper.

 

On Saturday morning I met up with Neil to read through all the scenes again to figure out which one I would do for the Workshop on Sunday.  I had sent him my four choices the night before so he had his favorites before we even ran through them.  One of the scenes was really long, but could have a lot of variety and emotions throughout, but I know the Casting Director's like the scenes to be at or under 2 minutes and while this scene would move quickly, it was almost double that.  The scene between the girls seemed boring as I read through it with Neil, and he hated it too, said we could work to find parts that we could pick up, but why try when I only have one day.  The other double female scene was fun to do, because I got to play the mean girl role, but as I noticed on the first read through, was one-note throughout, and could get boring, even though it was fun, and Neil had said was a very different role for me.  I also have to make sure that whatever I'm reading as, that I can be cast as that.  I don't know if I look like a B*tchy soap star, I'm more of the girl next door, so I need to keep that in mind as I'm picking parts and going through roles.  As we read through the male and female scene that was short and sweet, I knew that was it, and so did Neil.  Jessica had also liked that one, so I decided that would be the best to learn and perform.

 

We read through the scene a few times finding different beats and moments, changes in emotion, finding places to bring frustration and anger, and even tears at some point.  When I got home, I actually recorded my voice doing the male part, so I could rehearse 'with a partner'.  That actually helped me a lot, and made sure I had my pacing down.  After doing that with emotion and feeling, I worked on memorizing the lines, walking around my apartment, and noticing if I was pausing anywhere, and noting I didn't have that line memorized.  Since the scenes had only been given to us on Friday, I knew the CD wouldn't mind if you looked to your script, and didn't have it memorized, but I like to be completely prepared when coming into these workshops because it is my career and I want to put my best foot forward and be as professional as possible.  I worked on rehearsing and memorizing throughout the evening and by the time I was in bed, I was completely comfortable with the scene and ready for anything!

I had found out that afternoon before I left to rehearse with Neil that I had an audition on Sunday afternoon as well, for a Feature Film.  It's based on true events, and I would be playing a Mistress of a General, which would be a very different role for me.  I spoke to the Casting Director on the phone because I needed to make sure I could come in at 1 pm after my Workshop and found out he was from Wisconsin as well, so I felt like our first conversation was a great interview as well!

 

I made sure to get to bed early this time so I could get plenty of sleep, had my bag packed with headshots and resumes, my sides, any directions and notes, and my laptop, in case we got the sides for my audition that needed to be printed.  Then it was off to dream land for me...

What's for Lunch?

Since Jess, Colin, and I had Colored Easter Eggs last week, I had a few hard-boiled eggs left so I decided to make my own Egg Salad.  I had no idea what was supposed to be in it, aside from Mayo so I put my own little spin on it making it simple and delicious!

The Easiest Egg Salad

2 Hard Boiled Eggs

2 Tbsp Mayo with Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Honey Goat Cheese

Pepper

Lunch & The Jersey Shore Reunion

After I had peeled the shells off the eggs I broke them apart and started mashing them, then added in the Mayo with Olive Oil (lower in fat and calories than regular mayo) and mixed that up.  Then I added in some Goat Cheese because when I make a sandwich, I always want cheese on it, so I figured it would be fun to add cheese into the Egg Salad, then I seasoned it with pepper.  This recipe would make one really huge sandwich, or two regular sandwiches.  I spread it onto some bread and put some fresh roma tomatoes and arugula on top.  The sandwich felt really light, and the egg salad was creamy and just the right consistency!  I'll definitely make this again :)

*Don't mind the blue in the egg salad, when I'm dyeing my eggs, I like to make mine really bright, so those babies were neon blue and green!

The 5 Year Spectacled Beatle

Two weeks in a row of being early to Karaoke...yay!  Although, my preparedness didn't really matter because we didn't have enough people to sing for a half hour, but once we got started we had a really steady night!  Lots of great singers, lots of dancing, and even some country!  I spent part of the afternoon trying to find some new songs and material to sing, especially stuff that's out of my comfort zone, like Nirvana or Joe Cocker.  I've been wanting to try The Beatles, 'Oh Darling,' for literally, years, and while finding different covers of it, came across a version done by Sara Bareilles, and I loved some of the changes she made to the song, so I knew I could try something different, and hopefully, could pull it off.  I tried it and felt like it was very successful, a strong song, something the American Idol judges would be proud of, because I made it my own, but still respected the original.  It was a very complimentary night for everyone, Debbie was trying new music and dance moves, and I was trying to put more emotion into the songs, did 'Don't' by Jewel again, and would love to record that song, it's always been one of my favorites, and also did 'Listen to your Heart' by Roxette and 'I'm the Only One' by Melissa Etheridge, both by request!  Most of the crowd that wasn't even singing stayed all night long, so that's always a good sign that we're not turning away, or annoying anyone with the music.  I'm working Friday this week as well, so hopefully, it'll be a busy night and as successful as last night was!

My new specs B)

When I was home at Christmas time I had gone to see the Eye Doctor because I really needed new contacts.  I wear Gas Permeable's and have had mine for as long as I've been living in LA, and perhaps, even longer than that (so at least 6 years), and it was time for a new pair.  I do not have vision insurance so $250, my eyes majorly dilated, and new contacts ordered, prescription in hand, I was out the door.  Eventually I was going to have to pick out new glasses, and those were even older than my contacts!!  So this week I went to Lenscrafters to look for new glasses, and apparently in LA, it's designer or nothing.  After about a half hour, I had looked through all the glasses and had picked out a few pairs, and then a sales associate came to help me with the process, which actually meant, I was buying them that day.  Did she not know I like to browse, think about it, come back with a second opinion, and then buy after a week?  I let go of the control and about an hour later had picked out just the right pair, and an hour after that they were ready and waiting for me...another $250 later, and that was with a 30% discount!  I wonder how much insurance would actually cover and if it would even be worth it.  At the end of the day, I really like my new glasses, they're still classic but updated, and hopefully will last for the next few years!

Tonight, Morgan and I headed over to The Landmark Theater on Pico to see a Pre-Screening of 'The Five Year Engagement' with Jason Segal and Emily Blunt.  Lucky for us we were a half hour so we were able to grab a glass of wine at The Lounge beforehand and catch up.  The movie was just over 2 hours long, and could probably be cut down another 10 or 15 minutes, but was actually really funny!  There were laughs through the whole movie and the supporting actors were also really great.  I think the title of the movie is a little deceiving, because it turns the movie into a negative, one person continually putting off the engagement because he or she doesn't want to get married, but it's actually the opposite.  They both love each other and do want to go through with the wedding, but things keep popping up, and it just keeps getting put off, due to marriages, deaths, job changes, and babies.  There was no gross humor, just good honest comedy, and I'm a huge fan of Jason because of 'How I Met Your Mother' and this gave me even more reason to like Emily Blunt, she's quite funny, and I think her character seemed very much like herself in real life.  I really liked it and would have paid money to see it!

So that's the story of a Girl with Spectacles, seeing 'The Five Year Engagement', after singing some Beatles...The End :p

What did you do for Easter?

My Easter started out like every other Easter, getting ready for Church, picking out just the right outfit, and Sunday's choice was a floral dress perfect Spring the Sunny weather we have been having here in Los Angeles.  It was a fairly long Mass, but nothing compared to Good Friday where I spent almost 2 hours in Church, waiting to Venerate the one cross for the entire congregation, and sitting through a Sung Passion (which was actually very interesting and different, but extremely long).  I had walked into a packed Church, and luckily, a nice couple made space for me at the end of the pew.  I couldn't complain, beautiful music, smiles on faces, and happy kids!

My own Secret Recipe at Gabe's!

When I got back to the apartment I did some light cleaning and for the second time in a weekend got some Sun by the Pool...very rare for me since I get so bored just sitting in the sun doing nothing.  Since Lent was now over, it was back to Soda, Candy, Junk Food, Fast Food, and Hard Alcohol for me...although, not in that particular order.  I made a tropical cocktail whilst I sat by the pool: Passion Fruit Vodka, muddled Strawberries, Raspberry Green Tea, and a splash of Fresca.  Light and refreshing!

Then it was off to Gabe's to get my first Bloody Mary in a month and a half.  It was perfection and that's all I have to say about that.

Mmmm...junk food!

After that it was off to Rocco's in Culver City.  I hadn't been there since it opened (only to the one in Studio City) and was excited to check it out.  Made it just in time for Happy Hour and the Gin Cocktail and Mojito sounded amazing, so 2-4-1 it was and delicious they were.  Along with that, Neil and I ordered a White Pizza and some French Fries that came with Garlic Aioli.  Talk about amazing!?!  I had been craving Pizza and French Fries for so long, especially when Carolyn would order them at Gabe's when she came in to hang out, and I'd sit there, staring longingly at them.  Now was my time...and the perfect food for watching sports on a Sunday evening!

Happy Hour at Rocco's!

Since Titanic had come out in 3D on Wednesday, it was time to check it out.  It was already Sunday, and I needed to see it ASAP!  That was my 8th time seeing the movie in the theater, and what movie isn't complete without a Bucket of Popcorn, a Large Root Beer, and Sour Patch Kids.  Now, I love the movie, and was so happy to see it, but kind of disappointed with the 3D.  There were some blurry parts which made it seem unfinished, and the color was completely off when you were wearing the glasses, which you had to, because nothing was in focus without them.  I guess the 3D was more distracting than enhancing to me.  I wish they would have just re-released the movie, because I would have seen it that way!  Overall, it was an experience, but it was perfect the way it originally was, and didn't need all the bells and whistles added to it.

I had pretty much gotten everything I needed to eat out of my system...although a trip to Taco Bell, In & Out, and Jack in the Box are next on my list...I can wait a few days!  And surprisingly, I wasn't at all sick on Monday!  Everything in moderation :)

What's For Dinner? Part 6.

After an awesome Yoga session today at Yogaglo (I'm so happy that Jo is back and felt like I was walking on a cloud after class, so refreshed and relaxed) I wanted to make a really great dinner from scratch.  Originally I had thought about getting some fresh veggies and doing a light sauce with pasta, but then changed my mind to one of the first recipes I ever learned from my friend, Erik, who is an Italian Chef.  I could barely remember it, so I tweaked it a little and have made it my own.

Here are the ingredients for tonight's 'What's for Dinner?'

Summer Salad

1 Cup packed Arugula

2 Strawberries

1 Small Roma Tomato

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Pepper

Tortellini & Gnocchi in a Garlic Cream Sauce with Vegetables

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Cup Gnocchi

1 Cup Tortellini

1/2 an Onion

1 Cup Mushrooms

1 Zucchini

1 Apple Sausage

2 Cloves of Garlic

3/4 Cup Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp Goat Cheese with Honey

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper

This recipe cooks really easily and in less than 30 minutes.  I started with the olive oil in the pan added the garlic and sauteed until fragrant, then put in my chopped onion, and let that saute for a couple minutes while I chopped the zucchini and sausage.  Then I added in the mushrooms, zucchini, sausage, and salt and pepper to taste.  After letting that cook for a couple minutes I added in the heavy cream and let the whole mixture simmer until the sauce thickened.  Once it had thickened I added a quarter cup water along with the goat cheese and Parmesan cheese until it was melted and mixed together.  While I was making my base I had boiled water and cooked the tortellini and gnocchi till it was ready to be added to the cream sauce and vegetables.  Because it was a simple recipe I was able to throw together my Summer Salad easily, cut up the strawberries and tomatoes, and tossed them with the arugula and balsamic vinegar and topped it with some pepper.

Gorgeous colors!

Delicious :)

The recipe was just as good as I remembered it but better.  (This dish can also be cooked casserole style in a glass baking dish in the oven; my Mom has done it that way, and it's just as good)!  The sausage gave it a little sweetness along with the goat cheese which was INCREDIBLE!  I can't believe I hadn't tried the Honey kind before.  The whole dish was really savory and had great flavor.  I love when you can get a lot of vegetables in a sauce and everything just works together really well and has a ton of variety.  Heavy Cream does have quite a bit of fat, but I had one medium size bowl of the Pasta Dish and was full, and every once in a while, you need to splurge and enjoy a home-cooked meal, and I enjoyed mine with a glass of Chateau St. Michelle's Sauvignon Blanc :)

Can't wait to enjoy my leftovers tomorrow!!

 

Benjamin Banks!!

What an absolutely gorgeous week here in LA.  I went on a run on Thursday afternoon and even picked some Jasmine on my way back and it's been filling our apartment with a beautiful scent!

Today was in the 80's and as soon as I realized that, I was on my way down to the pool to get some sun.  It was actually so hot I was only able to bask in the sunlight for an hour.  I'm definitely not a laying out person, I get bored so easily.  I would much rather be swimming or playing a sport and just being outside in the beautiful weather, but just laying there or reading a magazine makes the minutes feel like hours to me.  Perhaps that is odd...but can you blame a girl whose parents took her to Wisconsin Dells every Summer and had a mini pool outside our house, a sprinkler, and a swing set, and would take outdoor swimming lessons, and I had a killer tan because I was playing the whole time!  Thanks Mom & Dad!

Benjamin and I getting to know each other!

This afternoon I went over to Ashley's to see her new pet Piggy, Benjamin Banks!  He just got to LA yesterday, all the way from Texas!  He was very active, playing with some of his toys, and smelling everything.  Once Ash gave me some Oats he came right over and eventually even nuzzled my face...that's when I fell in love.  He's basically already potty-trained, (Yay Ash) and just plays, sleeps, and eats all day long.  He's definitely going to put on his 3 pounds quickly ;)  He's just so tiny and cute, and makes cute noises, and yawns!  I can't wait to see him again soon.

Tonight I went into Gabe's to visit Johnny at Karaoke because he'll come in every once in a while to sing on my nights.  It was kind of a weird vibe in the bar, and as I talked to Debbie, she said it's always like that, I just don't notice it when I'm working.  Well, that's absolutely true.  I opened with Shania Twain and then sang Fontella Bass' 'Rescue Me,' which I haven't sang in forever!  Hopefully, some people that were in on Saturday will stop by on a Wednesday.   I did stay until just after Midnight so Andy bought me a shot since I can now drink Hard Alcohol again...yay for 47 days of Lent!  That Strawberry Lemonade shot tasted so delicious, I had to sip it, just to enjoy it :)

As I predicted, I don't think I'm going to feel so good on Monday...can't wait to eat all sorts of fun stuff on Sunday!

Anniversaries & Eggs

Wednesday was my 1 Year Anniversary of Hosting Karaoke at Gabe's!  On St. Patrick's Day 2011 I went into Gabe's with Carolyn and Matt and while hanging out, Amy, the Bartender, asked Carolyn if she knew anyone that could host Karaoke, and Carolyn said I should do it.  I laughed, because I had never Hosted Karaoke and had no idea what I was doing.  Even if I go to Karaoke, this would be totally different.  Amy said the other Karaoke Host would train me, and I would just fill in and work on occasion, and the rest is History!

We had a good night at Gabe's as I walked into a very busy bar.  The rotation was pretty short, but everyone was very excited to sing and everyone was a really good singer so that was refreshing as well.  One of the girls that was singing even offered to buy me a drink, which was very sweet of her.  I opened with a Pat Benatar song because I know I opened my first show with Benatar song because I always felt comfortable with her music, and I'm so proud of how much I've grown in the past year, spanning genre's and trying new artists that fit me even better.  My new song of the night was Jewel's 'Don't' which is one of my favorite song's of hers.  It was a great night of Karaoke and a perfect way to celebrate my 1 Year Anniversary!

Since I had the afternoon off after a busy week I got caught up on some e-mails and Castings and also watched some 'Celebrity Apprentice' which I actually really enjoy.  I like that they're showing all the aspects of the show, not just the business end, but the creative parts like graphic design, product development and advertising.  Of course, there's always drama in reality tv, and this show is no different since this season is all reality tv stars.  I'm not going to lie, I've been getting choked up every time the contestants present a check to their charity; it's just such a feel good moment!  I never thought I would like the show, but I'm certainly getting sucked in to it!

One of my little guys :)

Later, when I was hanging out at home tonight, I heard Colin come in to the apartment and Jess get very excited, and she told me I had to come out and see why.  Colin had gotten all the fixings to Dye Easter Eggs!  While Jess made dinner, we got everything ready, and after a very yummy meal got started on our eggs.  I haven't dyed eggs in a few years, but used to do it with my Mom every year on Good Friday after Church and it was always so much fun.  The longer you let the eggs sit in the dye, the deeper the color you got.  My Mom always made the prettiest ones :)  So here the 3 of us adults sat with dye and eggs surrounding us, glitter, stickers, egg holders, and the wax pencil.  We got started one by one and before we knew it, our dozen eggs were chilling and drying, an array of colors, with Colin mixing the dye to make the perfect color for his last egg.  (Which resembled more of an acorn, right Jess?)  After the eggs were dried we put some stickers on them along with glitter.  I believe Jess is going to make Deviled Eggs this weekend after we've enjoyed them!

Happy Early Easter!

DJ Elle Dubbs

Last night was Round 2 of the Canadian and Saint's & Sinner's Reunion at Irish Times!  I got to the bar and it was packed.  Our whole crew was taking up half the bar, and as I walked in, Truck aka Becky said I saw you on TV today!  What?!?  Apparently, my Kaplan College Commercial is now airing (my first Nationwide Commercial)!  She said she recognized my voice, and then saw me, all grown up and professional.  I'm so excited and when I called to tell my Mom she said she'll be really excited when someone tells her they saw me on TV.   There was lots to celebrate but still no shots for me until this weekend...Carrie was out and we had the whole S&S crew out!  It was great to catch up and see some people I haven't seen in months or even a year!

While I was out earlier at Bru Haus, Troy, the bartender, asked if I knew any Female DJ's, and I had one particular girl in mind that used to DJ at Saint's and was awesome!  He said if we couldn't get her, that he was going to hire some other girl to just push buttons on a laptop.  I said I could do that, and I would love to put together a Rock & Roll/Rockabilly Playlist for Hillybilly Bingo on Tuesday night!  And I was hired :)

It was kind of fun to pull out my old Saint's & Sinner's gear...I grabbed an S&S tank top, my red bandanna, leather boots, jean skirt, white studded belt, and metal cuff.  I was told to dress 80's Trash/Rocker, and while I would never wear all of this together in any other circumstance, I almost feel too old to, it was perfect for tonight!  I got to Bru Haus and it was slower than usual according to the promoter but there a bunch of tables full of people so I was hoping for a fun night.  Once I hooked my laptop up I got started going through some fun and rocking music!  As this was my first time every DJing (I KJ at Gabe's but it's different) because I'm only up here to play music and if it blows, it's my fault!  As I got started and eased into my choices, I found that people were singing along, tapping their toes, and as the night went on, dancing and having a good time!  As Simon would say, it's all about song choice.  But it was actually a lot of fun too!  I'm glad I had taken some time during the day to prep and get a playlist together so I had some ideas and I wasn't coming into the job blind.  Bingo went on for over 2 hours, everyone having more fun as the night went on; there were prizes to win, even a money round where you had to pay $2 to play, and if you got a Bingo X then you won the whole pot so someone took home $84!  Not too bad for hanging out in a bar and having a couple cocktails!

Perhaps my Karaoke Career will turn into a DJ Career as well...hmmm...I might have to think about that one...

April Fools & Blues

Sunday started the month of April and what a gorgeous day it was!  It had rained on Saturday night so it was a beautiful, clear, but breezy day, so of course, I took a nice long walk around the neighborhood, once again, heading up a major hill on Palms Blvd that takes me to an amazing view of all of LA and even the Hollywood sign.  The sky was such a beautiful shade of blue with just two big clouds over parts of the city.  Along with enjoying the view I chatted with my Wolfdog, Andrea, about her upcoming Housewarming Party next weekend.  Exciting!

My Mom had called me earlier giving me this story about Facebook and accidentally adding someone and not realizing it, and I started to get frustrated as to why she would add this random person when she yelled out April Fool's and started laughing. I didn't think it was funny but had to give her props for actually fooling me.  I tried to play a little joke later and mine didn't go over so well.  Well, ya win some, ya lose some.  I remember a couple years ago I told my Mom they had fired me from my job because of something ridiculous and I had her going for a while, so I suppose this was probably payback.

That evening I met up with a couple friends at Mom's Bar in West LA where Nick, my old Manager from Saint's & Sinner's works.  We had a mini S&S reunion including Canadian Carrie!  We all went in for Karaoke but apparently that quit a couple weeks ago, and has been replaced with Ping Pong.  Really?  I've got one more week until Easter, so less than 7 days till I can drink shots with my friends or have some french fries and I feel like I've really been tested this past week!  So soon...

On Monday I kicked off the week with a crazy Yoga Work-out with an emphasis on opening and stretching your hips to improve flexibility and flow.  Over 75 minutes later my legs felt like jelly but it was such a great breathing exercise and vinyasa.  I just hope I won't be too sore tomorrow for my run!

Of course, the March Madness Championship game was on Monday night as well.  University of Kentucky vs Kansas.  Both blue teams but I was cheering on Big Blue as I had picked them to win my bracket and I have been a fan of Cheerleading Team for the past 10 years as they were always the best and performed amazing!  I got together with some friends at Bru Haus and got to see some of the old Cabo Crew so that was nice.   My crew was cheering on Kansas so I was the Lone Ranger being a Kentucky fun and happy I was because Kentucky won.  The game wasn't all that exciting, until the end when Kansas started coming back, but couldn't overtake the powerful Wildcats!  And my Kansas boys were definitely feeling the blues after that game.  Sorry Boys...there's always next year ;)