Debbie's Disco Birthday Party and Karaoke!

It was my double week for Karaoke this week and Friday was going to be a huge blow-out Disco Birthday Party for Debbie, our resident Disco Diva, but I was Hosting Karaoke on Wednesday first!

Wednesday started out a little slow with no complaints from our regulars who got to sing quite a few times before people started showing up.  We did a super-set of "Dirty Dancing" songs with Sean kicking it off with 'Hungry Eyes' which is one of my favorite songs, and currently plays on my iPod when I'm out for my run.  Marcus continued our set with Patrick Swayze's 'She's Like the Wind' which I don't think I've ever heard anyone Karaoke and it was great, and I did 'Be My Baby' to finish off our super-set.  But the night wouldn't be complete without Marcus asking me to do a duet, and since we were already singing "Dirty Dancing" songs, he was going with 'I've Had The Time of my Life,' which is always such a fun song to sing.  

Jamie and Khad came in and while Jamie killed Adele's 'One & Only' Khad and Neil sang a song from "Beauty & The Beast."  My new song of the night was Jewel's 'You Were Meant for Me,' which went over really well.  Debbie came in late to rehearse a couple songs for her Disco Party and then we called it a night!

Now Friday was pure craziness; I've never seen it that busy at Karaoke.  At our busiest there was an hour and a half wait!  Judy who had made me a cake and cupcakes for my Birthday set everything up for Debbie's Birthday as well, and there was all this food, a beautiful cake, and decorations all over the bar.  I baked some cookies before I left and did my make-up and hair 70's style and Debbie was dressed head to toe Disco!  Neil came right away to help me out as well knowing how busy it was going to be and was dressed just like John Travolta from "Saturday Night Fever" in white pants, white shoes and a lavender button-down shirt, along with some bling.

I opened the night with a new song for me, Abba's 'Dancing Queen' starting the party, getting people off their feet, dancing and singing from the get-go and the Disco continued throughout the night!  It wasn't all Disco but it was definitely encouraged!  There were Tina Turner songs, lots of Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, and Prince.  Neil sang 'I Wanna Be Your Lover' which the crowd loved, and everyone loved Debbie singing Donna Summer songs!  There were crowd songs like 'We Are Family' and 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls.  My other new song of night was the "Moulin Rouge" version of 'Lady Marmalade' and I had plenty of back-up dancers for the song and background vocalists with everyone singing along.  Khad and Neil killed Boyz to Men's 'I'll Make Love to You' bringing the ladies to their feet!  And of course, the Birthday girl closed the night with 'On the Radio' and had everyone dancing. 

Singing 'Dancing Queen' for Debbie's Disco Birthday!

Overall, I think Debbie was really happy with all the people that showed up, and thankfully as the night was coming to a close, it slowed down a little bit and all her friends were able to sing at least once!  It was definitely a Disco Party, lots of 70's looks, lots of 70's songs, and more fun than the 70's could handle :)

My Birthday continues...

Monday was a big day for me because it was my final day of Birthday Celebrations!  I was looking forward to Monday but also happy that it was the last day of celebrating because I was exhausted from all the craziness.  I was so thankful to get to see and spend time with a lot of my friends because it's hard to get everyone together all at the same time, but hopefully, that can be a more regular thing!

Neil's Birthday Surprise was a Season Pass to Hurricane Harbor along with tickets for us to see Steel Panther at The House of Blues on Sunset in Hollywood!

The day started off with our usual tradition of Bagel's at Dink's in Valencia.  Oh how I had missed my Bagel Sandwich!!  We got off to a late start so we arrived at Hurricane Harbor around 1 pm and saw there was a long line to get pictures taken for our Hurricane Harbor ID.  Luckily, Neil had purchased the passes on-line so we got to cut the line and go straight to the front!  I'm pretty sure both of us hated our pictures but we had water slides to get to and sun to embrace!

After getting a locker, we headed to the Wave Pool which was freezing (like usual) and then to our favorite slide and waited almost an hour before we made it to the top with our giant raft.  It's like a tornado, there's a big drop and you go up the sides, almost getting vertical, it's crazy!  Since it took so long for our first ride we found some chairs and laid out for a while and then when it got too hot we were off to another slide who's line seemed shorter and fairly quick.  Well, we were wrong, and we waited there almost 40 minutes to ride that one and better for me that Neil didn't try to flip the tube like last time!  We always like to get take a lap or two on the Lazy River, so we swam for a little bit, got some more sun, and then called it a day for the slides.

*I think the main issue for our visit on Monday was that they started this new system with a Fast Pass (for $15 more per visit) where you find out the wait time, and then you get to come back and ride the slide and you can do that for all the rides and time them out so there's no waiting in between.  The problem was, this is still new so I'm not sure if all the employee's have it figured out yet.  On top of that, they were only letting a certain amount of tubes up the staircases, so if 10 people came to the Fast Pass line, that would be all they would allow, so now you had to wait for all of them to get to the top then come down, and then the line would move forward.  Hopefully, things will be much smoother the next time we go.

First timer of Dippin' Dots!

Onto the food...before we left I got some Dippin' Dots because Neil had never tried them before, and they seem hard to come by.  It's amazing what they charge for food and drinks at these water parks ($11 for a large soda, are you crazy)?!  He thought they were strange at first but ended up liking them a lot!  Success :)  After our day in the sun we headed over to Chili's for Happy Hour & Margarita's.  I got a Mango Margarita and then a Strawberry/Raspberry while Neil stuck to The Original.  They have the best chips, thin and crispy, with a small film of oil on them...soooooooo good!  We also ordered some Southwest Egg Rolls and Onion Rings with Jalapeno's.  After filling up on goodies we headed back to the Valley and got ready for Steel Panther!

Finally had an occasion to wear this top
that's been in my closet for 5 years with
the tag still on!!

In our rocker outfits we headed to Hollywood and found a parking spot a few blocks away on Sunset Blvd.  We got there around 10:30 pm thinking that the opening band would almost be done but they played for another almost 45 minutes.  Just before midnight the show started.  I had forgotten that Steel Panther didn't play mostly covers anymore, they played their own music with a few covers here and there.  I love 80's music and they write some great songs that fit that genre so perfectly.  My disappointment is that none of the songs are serious, even their slow songs are all jokes and slightly disgusting.  I think they would sell more records if they took the songs seriously and just played great 80's glam rock with a new twist because people love that stuff.  I wanted to get close to the stage, and I think Neil was surprised because I'm usually pretty claustrophobic and on top of it all we were in the middle of a ton of huge dudes with wigs, ripped jeans, and mesh shirts.  He was very protective of me and was ready to kick someone's butt if they bumped into me (thanks Sweetheart)!  Of course, Steel Panther did their usual chatting in between, bringing girls up, and cracking jokes...more music, please!!  The drummer from Ratt played 'Round & Round' with the band but he might have had one too many cocktails before he got on-stage...oops!   I think my favorite part of the concert was when Matt Sorum of Velvet Revolver and Guns & Roses went up to play drums with them.  He literally killed it up there, playing an Ozzy Osborne song but then ending his set with 'Sweet Child of Mine.'  It was certainly one of the coolest things I've ever seen!  So thank you Neil for making my Birthday very special!

The show ended just after 1 am and we were both exhausted from such a long day but it was so much fun!  I'm glad to start the Hurricane Harbor season off with a bang, get to see some cool live music, and spend the day with someone who makes me laugh.  And of course, it's always great to see the Yankee's win :D 

Sunday Funday!

Since my Birthday was on a Tuesday this year I wanted to have at least one weekend to celebrate my Birthday with my friends.  Last year I did a Mimosa Party and it was a blast so I decided to do a Mimosa Party and BBQ starting at noon!

As you may have read in my previous blogs I've been prepping for the party all week long, and Sunday morning was no different.  I cleaned out the cooler, and got it ready, filled with ice and champagne, along with our mixer's (Mango, Orange, and Cran-Cherry Juice) and some dips.  I went down to the pool and made sure there were a couple tables and plenty of chairs along with some of the pool chaise's in case anyone wanted to get some sun.

Everyone started arriving around noon, Neil, Morgan, and Kristina...Jess and I had already started with our first Champagne cocktail while we were getting ready.  As we set up all the food, I realized we had so much and was so excited since everything was so different.  Jess had made this amazing Low-Fat Ranch Dip from scratch, Neil had made his famous Shrimp Dip and a Sweet Mustard Dip, and Morgan had brought some Parmesan, Artichoke, and Jalapeno Dip which was incredible.  I will definitely be excited to make that dip in the near future!  (It's been a while since I've written food blogs, so I'll get to some new recipes soon.)  I also had Chips & Salsa, Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting, a Veggie Tray for Jess' dip, Morgan picked up a giant Chocolate Chip Cookie with 'Happy Birthday Lyndsey' on it (so sweet) and plenty of chips and other snacks to keep everyone satisfied and happy!

Mimosa Birthday Party

We all enjoyed the day, eating good food, having fabulous conversations, getting some sun by the pool, and just hanging out!  Thankfully, Jeff & Danny, along with Brad came by, so Neil wasn't the Lone Ranger and by then, we were getting hungry so Jess & Morgan got to the grill for all the Hot Dogs & Buns I had picked up on Saturday.  Neil had brought some Chicken over as well, and then Carolyn and Matt joined everyone down by the pool too!  Andrea and her friend stopped by as well and since it was getting a little late we talked while sitting in the hot tub.  Neil even brought his guitar and played a little music by the pool for everyone!

It was a great party that went until it was dark outside with awesome people and I was so glad I was able to celebrate with some of my closest friends :)

Now, the night wouldn't be complete without a little Game Night by Travis & Matt's apartment.  So Travis became the liason, with Carolyn & Matt on one team, Neil and I on the other.  We played Trivial Pursuit on the Wii which was super fun!  I've only played Trivial Pursuit a handful of times in my life because it's usually so hard, but this was challenging but fun.  I felt like I learned something but we were all able to laugh and have a good time while we played and no one cared who won or lost!

This was my kind of Sunday Funday!

An Audition & Birthday Preparations

On Friday morning, I found out that I had an Audition for an Internet Company that sells all sorts of electronics at discounted prices that afternoon at 5:50 pm.  When I read the break-down, I was going in for the Intern who would be alongside the main actor whose sides were posted on the Audition Notification.

I wanted to make sure that I got there on time so I left at 4:50 pm, knowing traffic was going to be bad, but I actually ended up making it there at 5:35 pm, putting some money in the meter and walking a couple blocks to the Partizan Offices.  Thank goodness I got there early because when I got up to the Office and signed in, the assistant, who recognized me from my Bud Light Call-Back, gave me the sides.  There were 6 long paragraphs of sides and they wanted everything done, with no board.  I knew there was no way to memorize that in the short amount of time I had so I concentrated on making sure I wasn't doing what every girl was going to walk in the room and do.  I wanted to be different; I wanted to give a fresh perspective; I wanted to be me.  Meggan gave me great advice for an audition a month ago saying, 'keep it conversational.'  So there I sat in the waiting area, reading the info back to Meggan.

At about 6:05 pm (after adding some more time to my meter just in case) I got called into the room.  Karen greeted me and said it was great to see me again.  Then I slated and she said to make my reading unique.  I made sure to keep it positive and upbeat; I didn't want to be a saleswoman, I wanted to be a friend, giving information to another friend.  I made it my own and felt confident as I did the sides.  Something that Joseph Pearlman taught me when I was taking classes with him was to allow the words to come off the page, relax and know you can do it.  You keep the copy at your side and read from it when you need to but make sure to keep eye contact or look into the camera and take your time.  When I was finished they said thank you and I was out the door.  There were at least 10 girls in the room to go after me so I wished them luck and made my way back to my car.

I felt really good about the scene other than wishing I could have gotten the sides that morning so I could have practiced them and actually had them memorized for the audition but I'm sure all the other girls felt the same way.  I guess it keeps it more fair for everyone to be on the same playing field.  I was really glad to have a good audition this week :)

Since it was my Birthday on Tuesday I've made a couple trips to the grocery store, picking things up for the Wine and Game Night and now for the Mimosa Party & BBQ tomorrow.  I picked up some Wine, Champagne and Vodka (the 6 bottle deal at Ralph's is phenomenal, I saved so much money buying six bottles at one time), snacks for the Girl's Night on Tuesday, and now hot dogs, buns, condiments, cupcake stuff, and more Champagne!

I'm really excited for tomorrow!  Last year I did a Mimosa & Pool Party and it was so much fun.  It was very chill but I got to hang out with everyone and enjoy a beautiful day.  That's the plan for tomorrow with the added bonus of a BBQ.  I think I'm going to end up with lots of leftover hot dogs and be BBQ'ing for the next few weeks to go through them all, but I'm sure it's going to be a blast!  One of my favorite things for tomorrow is all the different Mixer's I have for the Mimosa's!  I'm sure I'll write all about it in the blog for my Sunday Birthday Party!

So today, I got everything ready for tomorrow, made cupcakes, frosted them, cleaned out the cooler, and prepped whatever I could get done so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow and just relax with my friends!  It's going to be a sunny and fabulous day!

Birthday Karaoke :D

My Birthday Celebrations continued at Karaoke on Wednesday night at Gabe's!  I was Hosting and was hoping to have friends come in and visit me so we could all celebrate, sing, and have a fun night!

When I walked into Gabe's, there was a huge bottle of water (for later, courtesy of Doodle) along with Lottery Scratcher's, and then some beautiful flowers from Amy & Andy.  Jess gave me flowers and some sparking wine, along with cupcake stuff on Tuesday, so I was a lucky girl with all the flowers I was getting!  Then Judy came in with this heart-shaped cake, covered in candles, strawberries, and then cupcakes!  It was so sweet of her.  She even had a bag filled with goodies for me too.

Karaoke at Gabe's

Right away there were a bunch of people waiting to sign up to sing, Marcus, Johnny, and a huge classroom of people walked in just as we started along with Marty and a bunch of his clients!  My opening song of the night was 'It Will Rain' by Bruno Mars and we ended up with such a long rotation it took over an hour before anyone could sing again.  In fact, I was so busy I nursed the same drink for almost 2 hours!

Since we had such a huge crowd there were a lot of up-tempo songs.  Khad and Sean came in, and of course, there were Double Entendre performances, and they were joined by Marty and Neil, singing Backstreet Boys first, and then N'Sync's 'Bye Bye Bye' after with Carolyn and I as their back-up dancers!  My new song of the night was Stevie Wonder's, 'I Just Called to Say I Love You' and the whole bar sang along with me.  It was definitely a fun song and I can't wait to sing it again.  Neil sang 'Unchained Melody' which was fantastic and then 'Smooth' by Santana to get the crowd dancing.

Debbie came in with beautiful purple flowers for me but was laying low due to a rib injury :(  Dan is also a regular, always changing up what he sings, brought me a bunch of Packer's trading cards from the 80's & 90's which was very thoughtful!  Of course, Johnny and I had to do 'Dangerous' since it went so well last time and Carolyn and I did 'Gravity' as a duet as well.  I was glad because around midnight the crowd started to thin out and that gave me a chance to hang out with all my friends that came in, Danny & Jeff with Frank, my big brother, Mike and Charlie.  And at this point, there was an ever-flowing supply of shots.  Thankfully, I stuck to vodka all night and can remember everything because I started off slow.  

S&S Reunion

Overall, even though it was a really busy night and I was hoping it would be slower so I could spend more time with my friends it seems as though everyone had a great time.  And what made it awesome was that everyone sang me Happy Birthday and I got to blow out my candles.  It's usually me leading the Birthday song so it was a nice return favor from the Karaoke crew :)

Thank you so much to those of you who could come and hang out to celebrate my Birthday!  You sure know how to make a girl feel special!

My Birthday Week!

This past weekend kicked off my Birthday Festivities with a Gemini Birthday Party up in Porter Ranch!  Amy, Jeremy, Kenzo, and I all have Birthday's less than 2 weeks apart from each other so we figured we would have a party with a bunch of our friends at Mike's House because he's got a beautiful view, pool, grill, ping pong table, and more.

Mike, Me, Kenzo, & Amy at Mike's House for our Gemini Birthday Party

The party was certainly a success as there were at least 40 people in and out throughout the day and night, there was so much food, wraps and sandwiches, chips and salsa, vegetables, and I made Funfetti Cupcakes with Lavendar frosting and Espresso Brownies!  At night we grilled out Burgers and had a cake-fight by the pool!  I was so glad I wasn't in my swimsuit anymore because it got crazy and there was blue frosting everywhere.

Everyone just chilled by the pool, got some sun, listened to music, watched Golf, and just hung out.  At one point, Neil and I went into Mike's music room and we started a mini-concert with Mike joining us, and Kenzo harmonizing.  That was probably one of my favorite parts of the night!  It was definitely a great way to kick off my Birthday Week :)

Tuesday the 19th was my actual Birthday.  I was having a little crisis on Monday, worrying about being a year older, if friends would be able to hang out, what I was going to do, etc.  Lucky for me, I got to spend the evening with 6 of my closest girlfriends! 

Birthday Treats

Ashley picked me up around 6 pm and we went to Freddy Small's for Happy Hour!  We ordered the Brussel Sprouts which are incredible in an Apple Cider Glaze served with Goat Cheese and Blue Cheese and Buffalo style Deviled Eggs.  Both were so good!  We started off with a Vodka Cocktail that had Coconut Water in it, and it was the perfect refreshing Summer drink.  Then Ash and I switched it up to a Tequila drink that had jalapeno in it, and boy, was that spicy!  Carolyn had met up with us and ordered this Rocky Road dessert thing with Chocolate Mousse and Toasted Meringue and that was fabulous as well.  It definitely makes me want to try more items on the menu!  Of course, before we left, there were tequila shots!

After Happy Hour, it was on to Game Night!  Bree, Kristina, Jess, Amy, Ashley, and Carolyn, all met at my apartment, and we got started on our night.  The girls all brought wine so we could have a little Tasting while playing some Games.  I threw a Pizza in the over, had Chips & Salsa, and also baked some fresh Chocolate Chip Cookies.  The first game of the night was Scattergories.  I think one of the best things about the night was that no one cared whether they won or lost, it was about catching up and having a good time!  We all just goofed around with our crazy answers and laughed.  The second game of the night was Apples to Apples which is always a good game because it's about personalities and getting to know people and guessing what they would be thinking.  Everyone did really well, but by then it was after 11 and most of the girls had work the next day so everyone parted ways.

I chose Romeo & Juliet :)

But for Carolyn, Ash, and I, we were prepared for a long night, so Carolyn picked up two more players (Matt, her boyfriend, and Travis, who live down the hall) and Ash had to go home to get Ben, her pig because he had been home alone all day and he was a fun little companion to have roaming around the apartment.  The last game of the night was a Movie based game called Pass the Popcorn.  Travis started off with an early lead but from that point on, everyone was in the lead at some point.  It's actually a fun game because even if you're not a movie buff, the clues you get really help so it was a lot of fun too!  Around 2:30 am we were all crashing and my Birthday was over (for now) so everyone went home.

But like the title of this blog, it's my Birthday Week...there's a lot more coming up :)

My Dentist Update & Yoga

On Friday I had to go back to the Dentist to take some X-rays to see if I had a cavity that the hygienist noticed.  I went back to the X-ray room and Victor got me started as we chatted about him teaching his son to drive, hockey and acting.  After my X-rays the Dentist came in and at first glance said, yes, I had a small cavity.  He suggested we take care of it that day and get it done right away.  This was my first cavity in over 15 years so I was already nervous and the more I thought about it, the more upset and disappointed I became.  I'm always brushing my teeth and flossing; how could this happen?  Was it going to hurt?  

I remember the last cavity I had years ago and how painful it was, including the shot and drilling and the after-math.  Next thing ya know, I'm in tears in the chair my German Dentist is apologizing for making jokes.  I told him it wasn't him, I was just being a girl and let's go through with this filling right then and there.  That didn't stop me from asking Victor to hold my hand for the shot (which I did feel) and had them turn the music up really loud so it would drown out the sound of the drilling.  As 'Unchained Melody' came on over the radio and I'm realizing 'time really does go by so slowly' my Dentist was actually singing along to the song, and Victor who was assisting said, 'Can you hurry up, already!'  It made me smile to know that he was concerned about me.  It turned out the cavity was far worse than they expected and I'm thinking my Sour Patch Kids are probably to blame.  That won't stop me from eating them but it has forced me to be more aware of my teeth brushing and making sure to get all the way in the back shortly after I eat them.

Overall, the whole cavity experience wasn't that bad, and much better than years ago since they have numbing stuff that goes on before the shot, and it's a much quicker process.  My mouth was sensitive and sore for the next 24 hours but this was just a lesson to make sure I'm really taking care of my teeth so I won't have another cavity for the next 15 or more years!

Onto my Yoga class, I've been talking about Jo from Yogaglo for months now.  She's by far my favorite teacher there and while she's been out of the country for the past couple of months I've been forced to take a different teacher because I really do enjoy going and I've seen a change in my patience, mind control, and body.  I feel like a stronger person inside and out.  The past few weeks I've been taking classes with Sean.  Her class is definitely more challenging than Jo's as about 20 minutes into class I'm dripping with sweat and looking at the clock going, '40 more minutes?!?'

Today the class was 90 minutes and I thought I was up for the challenge.  Once again, 20 minutes in, and I was already wondering why on earth I was putting myself through this.  Her normal class is a Level 2/3 and today's was a Level 3.  There were tons of balancing poses which I was proud that I was even attempting and succeeding at a few.  There were also extended holding of plank and low plank (where you're just a couple inches off the ground at the bottom of a push-up) and doing that back and forth 3 times before going through a Vinyasa.  Everyone in class was letting out sighs of relief at the end and we went through that at least 8 times.  I think one of the more difficult things was doing Warrior 1 for an extended period of time and holding the pose for a minute, flowing through a Vinyasa and doing it on the other side, and then back to the first side, and doing that through another time, and then yet again for the 3rd time, eventually closing our eyes in the pose.  I thought my legs would be tired but it was actually my arms giving up on me trying to hold them up for a minute at a time all after the planks and push-ups.  

The last part of class for about 20 minutes we stretched and I'm hoping that will prevent the soreness that I fear might be coming since my legs feel a little bit like jello.  It's definitely a great challenge to take her class but I love my class with Jo and look forward to her return next week!

Karaoke, Music, and Reviews

After a very busy week last week, I was excited for a night or two off, especially since I've been sick with a cold!  My problem is, unless I can't move, I have to work-out, and I know it's probably best not to go on a 3 mile run and do 30 minutes of the stairs all in the same day when I'm run down, but I can't help it, it makes me feel better inside :)

I thought Gabe's was going to be slow since there were no big games on TV and that usually brings a crowd to Gabe's to watch the games, but when I got there it wasn't too bad.  We actually got to get started right away and the mood of the evening was a slower ballad kind of night.  There was a Beatles super-set, started by Sean, and that's where my first new song of the evening came in, I did 'Imagine', yes, I know, not a Beatles song, but it's Lennon, and he was in The Beatles.  That was my High School Graduation song that the choir sang and the first time I've sang it since then; it certainly brought back memories, and I got a little choked up on the last verse.  It was around this time 11 years ago that I graduated from High School...wow, how time flies!

It stayed steady all night with performances of Air Supply's 'All Out of Love' and 'Making Love Out of Nothing At All' a ton of Spanish songs, by Silvia, singing Shakira and Selena, and my other new song of the night was 'Addicted' by Kelly Clarkson.  It's been one of my favorite songs for a long time and has such amazing lyrics.  When I'm not sick with a cold, I'll be singing that again because she hits some really fun high notes!  Debbie came in and practiced her songs for the crowd because she had an audition later this week, so she'll be singing 'Conga' at that, shaking her maracas!  Everyone had a fun night and next week will be my Birthday so we'll be celebrating on Wednesday with the Karaoke Crew!

On Thursday night, Neil was playing a show at Universal Bar & Grill in North Hollywood so I went to see that!  I've seen Neil play almost every show he's had since he started back in November and this one had so many fun and new surprises, not to mention, over 20 people showed up to hear him play!  Neil plays mostly originals but I loved how he had played a couple of his songs starting with a well-known cover like 'Unchained Melody' or 'Little Red Corvette.'  The final song of the night was a medley of Britney Spears' 'Baby One More Time' and Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' which had the whole crowd singing along!  He called this Show his Redemption Tour because of a Music Review in Music Connection Magazine from his show at Trip in Santa Monica a couple months ago (we also sang a song together).  This article helped him play one of his best shows to date proving that he is a fantastic songwriter and the rest is up to you...and guess what, the crowd loved him :)

To see the review, (it's the first time I've been reviewed in the music world as well) check it out here: Neil & Lyndsey's Review in Music Connection Magazine 

Lyndsey & Neil singing at Trip for the Music Connection Magazine Review

I dread few things. This is one of them...

I've been wanting to write a blog about the Dentist for a long time now.  I'm pretty sure no one really enjoys going to the Dentist, although, when I was little, I loved the fluoride thing so much I used to try to suck it all up because it tasted so good...fast forward a few years, and all of a sudden, the smell of the office would make me sick, and I stopped those fluoride treatments a couple years early because the smell alone would make me gag.

Since I moved to LA, I knew at some point I was going to need to find a Dentist out here and I was not looking forward to it.  Lucky me, I found a provider that worked with my insurance in Marina Del Rey with a beautiful office and good reviews.  Of course, when I went to the actual office, it was tiny and didn't look like anything on the website and after a year of going there, they closed that office, and are now working out of one of those bad looking buildings that say 'Dentist' on the front.  At the end of the day, the office is 4 blocks form my apartment, clean and the people are fairly nice, so I'm not going to complain.

Until now...every time I go, I get the same hygienist, and while he's very nice, and is constantly asking if I'm ok, it is downright painful and annoying.  I always take some Tylenol before I go to alleviate some of the pain but it doesn't really help.  I go twice a year and every time I go, he tells me I need a deep cleaning, (which insurance doesn't cover and is a huge charge, and more than likely a scam) because I've never heard that in all my 28 years until I started going to this Dentist just 3 years ago.  I understand as we get older our bodies change but I'm so much more aware of my dental hygiene now than I've ever been.  I actually floss multiple times a week, maybe not every day, but at least every other or more and I love brushing my teeth so I could do that more than 4 times a day on some days!  If my teeth need a deep cleaning with all the care I take with them, what do normal people do?!?

The worst part is when he's cleaning my teeth with that stupid little poking device that has a sharp point to it and says, 'wow, you really need to floss better because your gums are bleeding.'  Well, duh!  You're poking me with a sharp object, why don't I poke you with that thing and see what happens!  

Today's visit actually got worse when after my initial cleaning and relief that it was almost over, time for the toothpaste cleaning and I would be out, I was deeply mistaken.  He then came back with this water pick thing and started going at it on my teeth again.  I sat there ankles crossed, hands clasped, digging my nails into the palms of my hands, closing my eyes at points, quoting "Titantic" 'it'll all be over soon!'  Finally, 45 minutes later I was out of the chair and making my next deathly appointment.

At this point, I think I'm going to find a Dentist in Beverly Hills...it can't hurt...or can it?

Massages & Beer

Today was going to be a busy day with 2 auditions on the opposite end of town from each other but I knew I had plenty of time in between even if they went longer than I planned.  I prepared with an extra bag that had my laptop, original clothes I wore to the Bud Light Commercial audition (you should always wear the same clothes to call-backs unless specified so they remember who you are), and my make-up bag.  

My first Audition was for the Plaza Spa in Sherman Oaks.  It was a quick drive to Sherman Oaks this morning and from leaving my garage to parking in the Valley, I made it in 20 minutes.  I walked over to the Sherman Oaks Plaza, took the elevator to the 2nd floor and signed in.  There were 3 other girls waiting, so I took a seat and pulled out my book to read.  Apparently, the girl who walked in right behind me was nervous because she wanted to chat, talking about her Facebook profile, showing me pictures she's recently taken, and talking about stunt work.  Certainly interesting but I'm on the last 40 pages of 'Hunger Games' so I really wanted to read my book.

After about 20 minutes D* came down to get the first set of girls, and 20 minutes after that 3 of us went upstairs to do our auditions.  Basically, they were looking for 4 models, one older woman, 2 younger women, and a masseuse.  We had on 'spa clothes' swim suits underneath so we did a couple poses for them, laying on our back, laying on our stomach and relaxing, and then sitting in seated position, legs crossed, in a zen moment.  They had me in my swim suit for the last pose, complimenting my tan and muscle tone, and saying I have beautiful skin, (so very nice of them to say)!  When D* asked what else I had going on today, I mentioned my Bud Light Call-back later, and he said congratulations!  Always a good thing to have another audition later and for something well known, even better.  

When I left the audition I headed home and made it home just around 12:15 pm.  Lucky for me, I had enough time to do my arm strength training work-out and abs.  I made myself some lunch, freshened up, and then just before 2 pm I was on my way to Hollywood for my Call-back.

The Bud Light Call-back was in Hollywood and it took just a half hour to get there and I was early.  I signed in noticing there were actually a lot of people there for a call-back.  I got put into my group right away (just two out of four of us were there) and he felt the same way, saying it seemed as though more people were hear now versus when he came to the original audition.  I knew there were only 10 girls coming in for call-backs which meant there were 30 to 40 guys.  It took a while, and about an hour later they had us lined up right outside the room.  J* took our headshots and gave us some pointers before going in the room, don't drink from the bottles, keep the energy high, and play our expressions to the camera.  J* also loved my shoes...ah, they are my favorites (silver platform peep-toes) and super comfortable.

When we got into the room there were about 5 people, plus Karen the CD, and the camera guy.  Everyone was eating lunch and had their laptops in front of them.  They had us line up and then slate and do profiles for the camera.  Then they put us into position at a table.  Our Hero guy was prompted by his Buddy about the Bud Light Cruise he just went on, and the Hero tells us all these amazing stories that are supposed to make us jealous.  So, the other 2 guys and I are supposed to be bummed that we missed out on something so cool, and I'm sure the guys I was with could have felt like that, considering the Hero was talking about all the hot naked girls, champagne fights, and licking going on.  No joke.  Now, he was prompted by one of the casting people to really go with it, and get raunchy, but I found it difficult to really be jealous of this, so I played it off like this was my brother, and typical him to have this wild and crazy story.  Once again, I 'flirted' with another bar patron off camera, had some good expressions and frustration for 'missing out' on such an awesome time.  After running it through twice we were done and out the door.

I'm sure I'm probably being hard on myself feeling like I could have done better and should have tried harder, but I have to think I did the best I could and it's in their hands now.  I made a great impression that they wanted to see me a second time so hopefully they see how well I worked with the guys and can mix and match all the actors to make the perfect set of 4 friends, and fingers crossed, that includes me!

Since I usually go to Yoga on Monday's at 4:30 pm, I really wanted to go today, especially after this long and busy day.  It was 3:50 pm when I left, and as soon as I got home, I changed and ran back out the door, making it to Yoga just a couple minutes late.  Thank goodness, Sean, is always late!  It felt good to concentrate on my breathing and nothing external and by the end of the hour long class I felt strong and rejuvenated.

Tonight I am looking forward to just relaxing, hanging out with my roommate, watching some 'Housewives' action and finishing off my book!  But first, I must go through all of my castings...let's get some more auditions this week!

Still sore from my Audition Yesterday!

I knew it was coming, I felt it all week long, and then it hit, yesterday morning.  I was sick.  I had a cold, sore throat, felt achy, and it wasn't from drinking the night before, it's been brewing for a week and has finally caught up with me.  I certainly cannot complain about my busy week, as I was going to be going on Audition #5 yesterday afternoon on top of all the craziness throughout the week!  

So I took some medicine in the morning and then after my audition, which totally knocked me on my butt, practically making me fall asleep during Church, and certainly wasn't helping me get out the door to go to Jonathan's going away party in West Hollywood...but I had things to do, and nothing was going to stop me!

The Audition was for a Yoga Fusion Fitness series, basically filming in a classroom setting, for 3 weeks.  I got to the Dance Studio in Culver City and signed in right away.  The second set of girls were already in and I wanted to get in the next group.  As one of the girls walked out after the audition she commented on how hard it was and that her legs were like jello.  It made me a little nervous but I walked into the room with a smile on my face!

There were 4 of us auditioning at a time, and they wanted to see abs, so we got ready and took spaces in front of the mirror.  She started us out in Yogi Squat, then had us raise up about 3 inches so we were squatting but our thighs were parallel to the floor.  That position alone was difficult, then for 2 minutes straight we did different exercises not moving out of the Squat.  My legs were literally burning, the girl next to me unfortunately didn't even make it through that part, and I just smiled through the pain, because it felt like excruciating pain.  We all collapsed to the floor after the exercise and I immediately started stretching because I had no idea what else the audition would bring.  I was relieved to find the next part was a yoga section, showing different poses and our flexibility but with an added dance twist.  That was really fun and I felt great after that section.  The last part of the audition was a dance and strength training part showing off our rhythm.  

When we were done she asked all of us about our availability and brought up sample clothes putting them up to me to see if they looked good with my skin tone and eyes, and then did the same to each of the girls.  There would also be a photo shoot on Monday so that would be fun and exciting too!

That evening was Jonathan's going away party in West Hollywood.  He had told me on Wednesday night that it was Gay Pride Weekend so it was going to be busy.  I had no idea the magnitude of the weekend, as I was driving down Santa Monica Blvd there were thousands of people everywhere.  I've never seen it that busy, even when it's Halloween.  Parking was $20 anywhere, if there were even spaces available, then there was a long line to go through once you parked, and a $20 cover just to get in.  After spending 25 minutes trying to find a place to park, I couldn't do it anymore.  I pulled up to Mickey's, turned on my flashers, and Jonathan came out to say goodbye and give me a hug!  I felt bad because I wanted to hang out but there was no way I would have made it through the crowd even if I did find a parking spot a mile away.  It was great to at least say goodbye :)

I was so excited to get home and relax for the rest of the evening!  Ramen for dinner, some cooking shows, and reading a little 'Hunger Games' before bed...perfection :)

*By the way...I woke up this morning and my legs were sore from the audition yesterday and got worse throughout the day and I work out on a regular basis.  Booking this job would work different muscles and hopefully get me in even better shape!

Rocker Chick

When I got home from my double auditions on Thursday I saw that I had an Audition on Friday for a Feature Film!  I was really excited because it would be a different role for me and challenging.  I'd be playing a girl who wants to win a contest to shoot a rock music video in Hawaii.  She's an alluring rocker girl with underlying girl next door qualities but throughout the film starts to develop delusions and becomes manic.  I was stoked!

After confirming the Audition for Friday afternoon, I checked for sides and saw there were 15 pages, so I knew I needed to get started on them.  There were a bunch of different scenes with a different tone to each of them, so I knew I would be able to show range with it.  I started right away with my back story and intentions.  Then throughout the night I looked them over, preparing and working through each scene.  By Friday morning I felt pretty comfortable with them and put them aside until my Audition in the afternoon.

I got to Catz Studios and signed in right on time.  There were 2 people before me so I took the time to just re-read the scenes and relax until I was called in.  Because 'Kiva' was a rockstar, they preferred someone with singing ability and wanted everyone to sing a rock song.  I decided on Toto's 'Hold The Line' because it's got great range and it's a fun rock song.  When she called me in, she said she loved my look, I had the whole rocker thing going (black shiny 'leather' pants, black rocker tank top, silver heels, and big jewelry).  It's always a sigh of relief if they like what you're wearing because that's half the battle to be the right look for the part.  We did the singing part outside and filmed it music video style.  I sang one verse and the chorus, and she loved it, saying I was the only one to sing a rock song, and she loved that I had the husky raspy rocker voice.  We also talked about my Hosting Karaoke which was a plus!

After the singing part we went in to do the scenes.  The first one is where Kiva is daydreaming about playing her music to all of her fans, signing autographs, hearing the crowd cheer for her, and then realizes she's in her room, all alone, and still a nobody.  So I bounced around the room, thanking my audience, blowing kisses, etc, and then let the fact that I was all alone settle in and showed my disappointment and fear that I might not make it (the fear of every performer).  The second scene was a one-sided phone conversation I was having trying to get the guy who was running the contest on the phone because I truly believed I had already won, I was waiting for someone to pick me up to shoot the video, and I was already a star.  As the scene goes on she gets more and more impatient, frustrated, flustered, and eventually starts getting upset, tearing up and crying.  I did the scene pacing the room, the excitement in my voice, slowly disappearing building to frustration and anger for wanting to speak to the contest director and not his assistants, then to tears for the fact that I can't get through, and the next thing I knew I was shaking, tears streaming down my cheeks and I just went with it, and had a full-blown meltdown in the middle of the room.

She called scene and I stood up, wiping the tears from my eyes, trying to pull myself together.  It's always that awkward moment after because you're hoping the director liked what she saw.  I apologized because I was still wiping away tears and she said no, I did exactly what she wanted, I got there, and it worked.  It felt very organic to me because I can't even remember what I did, just that I felt this immense hurt for wanting something so badly, and not knowing if I'll ever get the chance.  She then asked if my contact number was up to date, mentioning that call-backs were in June, and they were shooting in August, and was I available.  I said yes, and she mentioned yet again how much she liked my outfit, that I looked perfect for the role, said my singing was great, and I was what they were looking for in the scene.  I thanked them and then left, feeling really good about everything.

I had so much adrenaline running through me after the audition I had called my Mom and don't even remember my conversation with her because I think the whole thing just ran together but was bits and pieces of what happened.  At this point I can be happy that it all felt very natural and real and hope that I'm what they could be looking for, and will hopefully get a call-back.  Other than that, I need to let it go and not think about it, as hard as that is.  And I think I want to tape the audition scene myself to use for my reel because it was a very fun scene to do...even through tears.

Leather & Lace

On Wednesday Night I hosted Karaoke at Gabe's and I walked into a packed bar.  There was a group that was celebrating a Birthday as well as finishing up with their semester so I knew we were going to have a busy night.  Almost everyone in the group (at least 15 people) signed up to sing!  There were performances of 'Don't Speak,' 'Hold The Line,' and 'Toxicity.'  It was a very cheerful and crazy night!

Jonathan & I at Gabe's

It was one of the those nights where I was feeling sappy and wanted to sing slow love songs but this was not the crowd for that so I opened with a fun Fleetwood Mac song and sang 'Oh Darling' later on.  The crowd was very supportive and the singers were very energetic.  Most of them were dancing around, involving the crowd, and it felt like a sing-along all night long which was really cool.  It's the first time I've seen that here at Gabe's, where it literally went on all night long!  I didn't want to disappoint the crowd with a slow song so my new song of the night was 'Just A Girl' by No Doubt, and clearly all of us have had it up to here as everyone sang along ;)

  

We were also celebrating Jonathan's last night of Karaoke in LA as he's moving next week.  He came in pretty early and got started singing some Elvis and getting the crowd 'All Shook Up.'  He did a couple duets as well, including 'I Got You, Babe' with Judy, and 'Summer Nights' with me.  Apparently, one of the girls in the bar was not happy that we were singing that (she was very drunk and acting obnoxious) and decided to call me a not nice word.  I didn't let it phase me because I knew she was just drunk, but after she said that I ruined the end of 'Fallin' by Alicia Keyes, which I sang specifically for Jonathan because it was his last night, he had had enough and let her have it.  I didn't even hear her comment but it was very sweet that Jonathan didn't want anyone to disrespect me and was being protective.  Aww, I'm going to miss you Little One!  Thank you for being awesome, making me laugh, cheering me up, giving great advice, and just being you!

I also Hosted Karaoke on Friday this week!  It was a busy night from the start with lots of singers and a long rotation.  A bunch of my friends came in to see me and sing, Khad, Jamie, Sean, Julie, Carolyn, Marty, Matt, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.  Finally we had time to do a couple Double Entendre performances, another 'Man or Muppet' for Julie, and even some Backstreet Boys which the crowd loved!  Jamie did an awesome version of Radiohead's 'Creep' which is a super difficut song to sing.  It was a really neat night because everyone would stick to the same mood and feel of a song for the whole rotation, so if there were 12 people singing, they were all singing some slow, emotional, deep song, and then the next round everyone would sing something upbeat and energetic.  Marty did a great rendition of Jason Mraz's 'I Won't Give Up On You,' and I was excited to sing 'It Will Rain' by Bruno Mars as my new song.  I really love that song, and Boyce Avenue does an absolutely incredible cover of it, so I was really excited to sing it.  Marcus and I also sang Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know,' which will be much better the next time we sing it.  Of course, Khad's 'I'll Make a Man out of You' from "Mulan" is always a crowd favorite!  I would have to say my favorite part of the night was closing Karaoke with Carolyn and I doing a duet of 'Gravity.'  Our voices blended really well together, the harmonies were pretty, and she hit the high notes perfectly!  It was a really fun night with lots of cocktails flowing and great friends!  Oh and apparently, my 'leather' pants (which I had to wear for an audition today) were a hit ;)

My First Beer Commercial Audition!

Two auditions in one day?  Yes, please!

I submitted for a Beer Commercial a couple days ago after I saw that I knew the Casting Director.  After my submission I e-mailed K* as well because I wanted to let her know I would love to come in and Audition!  She e-mailed me back right away saying I would be perfect for the role, gave me some wardrobe ideas and the details, scheduling me for Thursday afternoon.

Today I got ready for my audition, knowing my role was to play one of the boys, a tomboy, who hangs out with the guys, but cleans up well.  I knew I was wearing a blank tank top and jeans on the suggestion of K* but I figured I would put on Chucks to really fit in.  After talking to my 'Manager' he reminded me that in order to do Alcohol Commercials you have to be over 25 because the Corporations don't want anyone to look underage or appeal to an under 21 crowd, so he suggested heels or wedges.  I chose my silver heels and also put on my rocker cuff and was out the door, resume and headshot in hand.  

When I got to the Casting Office in Hollywood I signed in and the girl at the desk said I would be in the next group because they weren't bringing in that many girls.  I should have figured because as I looked around I noticed about 10 guys in the waiting area, one of whom was at my Soap Opera Workshop a few weeks ago.  Ten guys and me...well, well, well ;)  Three other gentlemen and myself were called in the room (only after checking our ID's) and K* hugged me right away and said I was dressed perfectly.  YAY!  Then we were given a run-down of the scene.  A guy was telling us an amazing story and we were all jealous or disinterested, because we missed out on the Beer Cruise.  After we all slated we got put into position at a table with our beers and the guy started telling his story.  After the first time through they gave some changes, K* saying she loved that I had rolled my eyes and was adding depth to the scene by checking out what was going on around us, and then we did the scene again.  This time I 'flirted' with a cute guy 2 tables away after all of us cheersed.  It seemed like we all worked well together and the scene was fun to do as well as comedic but not over the top.  Call-backs would be next week, so that would be awesome!

I realized that I could go to another audition because I was less than 15 minutes from it if I left from Hollywood and getting back to my apartment would be just as quick, if not faster, from the second location.  So I had my Mom check my e-mail to get the details and I was off to North Hollywood for Audition #2.  Thank goodness I always have back-up resume's and headshots, even if I didn't have my commercial shot, I was glad to have something!

The second audition was for a Home Shopping Network type show with very high-end products.  I met L* and he asked me a lot of questions about myself and how I got my start.  He was an interesting fellow but I just went along with it all.   Then he had me present a Roy Rogers 8 VHS Set.  I know nothing about Roy Rogers other than that there's a drink, that I would assume is named after him (coke with cherry juice in it).  When he was telling me a little about him, I remembered Trigger, and figured I would just do my best.  As I studied the set for a few minutes I came up with what I wanted to say.  Unfortunately, L* had something else in mind because every time I tried to start he would give me a different suggestion.  Finally, I made it through the 1 minute presentation and felt a sigh of relief.  He thanked me and said I was one of the best he saw; so perhaps he was just giving me a tough time to challenge me to see what I can do.  I don't mind that, because I'll work hard to do well in any situation!  

After finishing up at that audition I decided to treat myself to Panera Bread for a late lunch...it's been a long morning and afternoon and the day has just started :)

A Screen Test & Maxim Event

After reading some articles in a Casting Newsletter I found a very interesting tip when you've got an audition.  Don't let it be the hi-light of your day.  Why?  Because then you place all the emphasis on that one audition and that adds extra stress to an already stressful situation.  So I was very excited when on Tuesday I had an audition and I had fun plans for later that evening!

My audition on Tuesday was actually a Screen Test for a YouTube sponsored website that films educational video content.  I was meeting with J* at their offices in Culver City and I was auditioning for a Fitness Video series that would be filming for the next year, a couple times a month.  I was stoked because it would be an on-going job which would be awesome and keep me busy!  There were a couple people that went before me, both guys, one body builder type, and the other a cross-country runner type, so different from each other, and then me.  J* and I bonded over my firm handshake and the fact that I'm from Wisconsin and his best friends are all from Wisconsin and love drinking beer.  I had to laugh out loud at that one!  When we got into the room, J* explained what he wanted me to talk about and then we were going to be putting me doing an exercise on film.  So I introduced myself, talked about my work-outs, what I enjoy doing to stay fit, my fitness experience, including working on Fitness Videos for Barry's Bootcamp, and Hosting as well.  Then he asked me to do an exercise, suggesting push-ups or sit-ups; I wanted to be different so I said I was going to show him some lunges.  He said great so then I walked 'the audience' through lunges talking about the proper technique, telling them to smile and staying energetic.  After that we discussed more details about the shoot and that was it.  J* thanked me for coming in and said we would be in touch soon.  

I felt really good about the audition; I knew I had a lot of energy, stayed positive, and was very out-going.  I wouldn't be hosting the video, I would just be one of the people demonstrating the exercises, but I think it would be so great to have a steady job filming for the company!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this one :)

With my new-found advice, making sure my audition was just a bright and exciting part of my day but not the be-all-end-all, I had plans to attend a Maxim Event in Hollywood at the Mondrian Hotel at Skybar.  It was for the E3 Convention that's going on in Downtown LA for the next couple of days.  I pulled up to the Valet and got my entrance bracelet from a beautiful model and found Andrea's friend, Annette, (we coordinated our arrivals since Andrea wasn't going to be getting their til later, and I figured Annette and I could get to know each other).  On my way to the bar I ran into Sandra who invited me to the party and Annie, whom I worked with at Cabo!  It was so great to see her and catch up with her quickly.  I'm only bummed that we didn't get to get a picture together.  I found Annette after parting ways from Annie and got a Raspberry Mojito at the bar, it was Open Bar and complimentary Hors d'oeuvres for the whole night which was awesome!  Annette had some friends with her so I met them and we all mingled throughout the party.  We got pictures on the Red Carpet, took photos by the pool and met a bunch of people.  Later on Andrea came and we caught up because we haven't seen each other since her Birthday!  Then I saw my friend, Ali, across the pool the pool from me, I met his friends, and we caught up about work and what's been going on for both of us.  I haven't seen him since November of 2010!  After hanging out at the party for a few hours it was time to head home, so I waited about a half hour for the Valet to bring my car back and was on my way home.  What a fun night...I certainly miss doing events like that even though I felt like I was surrounded by plastics it was great to catch up with friends and be out and social!

Maxim E3 Party at Skybar in Hollywood

On a side note...I found out about my Fitness Audition last week.  I made it to the Final Round of choices but they ended up choosing a Latina girl for the Brunette.  Unfortunately, I'm not going to win them all, but all I can do is do the best I can and hope for my break :)

Organizing my closet!

A few months ago I wrote a blog and included in it that I had clothes from when I first moved to LA over 6 and a half years ago.  I really wanted to get organized and knew I needed a second opinion when going through my clothes because I would rationalize keeping things rather than giving them away and then there would be no point in taking the time to go through everything in the first place.

So when Mom was out here this past week I enlisted her help.  We started with my shoes because my favorite pair of wedges broke on Sunday afternoon.  After going through both my closets and going through all the shoes under my bed we threw away 12 pairs of shoes and saved 3 for Good Will.  The best part of it was the new space I had in my closet and how much better my closet already looked!  What made it even better was coming home from Karaoke on Wednesday night and seeing a standing wood and cloth shelving unit that was perfectly clean and almost brand new.  After vacumming it I put that into my closet and took all the shoes and boots that were on the floor in my closet and put them into the separate shelves.  I put all my belts on the top part for easy access (considering they were stuffed into a drawer and I always had to pull clothes out to get to them).

My closets and drawers were next.  I do color-coordinate my closets which makes it easier to find things.  One time at my house back in Wisconsin my Mom had borrowed a sweater of mine.  Now she never asked or told me but when I went into the closet, I noticed a hanger without clothes on it, in the purple section.  I immediately knew what was missing and asked her about it.  Sure enough she said she had borrowed it.  Yes, I am that organized and know my closet that well.  So starting in the white section of my short sleeve shirts, tank tops, and flannels, we went through each shirt one by one until the last black shirt in that closet; keeping certain things that had sentimental value, putting stuff that doesn't fit, is out of date, or stuff I won't wear again and even are unsure of into a pile.  There are things in my closet that still have tags on them!  There are shirts that I've had since I moved to LA that I wear on occasion and certain items that I never wore and dragged all the way from Wisconsin, to my first apartment in LA, and then to my current apartment.  Why?

After going through my sweaters and jackets, getting rid of anything that was a duplicate, I made it through my dresses too.  The closets were getting thinned out and I had tons of hangers without homes.  I kept buying more and more hangers every couple of months when I could have just looked through my clothes to free up some space!  I won't be buying hangers for a long time.  My closets were done and it was onto my drawers.  I had already gone through my t-shirt drawer months ago so at least I had a head start on that.  Now I can open all my drawers without a struggle, without having to push clothes down, or losing something to the under part of my dresser.  My laundry closet was the last thing to go through as I found 4 purses that I know I won't ever use or miss.  In fact, under my bed, I have a clothing bin that I had put clothes into years ago and realized I didn't miss any of them either!

Soon to be gone but not forgotten...the memories will last forever!

Once I was finished with going through everything with Mom's help, I had 4 piles of clothes that were each almost 2 feet high!  I ended up with pairs of jeans, jean shorts, jean skirts, belts, shoes, and over 80 shirts that are going to Good Will.  Not only do I feel more organized and efficient, it's going to be great to donate these clothes to people that will appreciate them like I did!  My last plan of attack is to put up my floral pictures that I finally have frames for along with getting rid of everything along the back wall of my room that just doesn't have a place.  Once I move the 300 old magazines out of my closet, I'll have room for all that other stuff.  It's literally a sigh of relief and weight lifted off my shoulders seeing my neat and tidy closets...and it's also made room for new shoes and shirts.  Time to go shopping ;)

Mom's Visit to LA

Mom always says when she comes out to visit that it's a true vacation.  While we like to have stuff to do, we never make any big plans or have a set schedule to follow which always makes for a nice visit.  Even without plans we always keep busy and have plenty to do.

She flew in on last Sunday and we went to Maxwell's for Lunch (I had food envy of her Burger with Goat Cheese).  It's one of our favorite places to go and a must when she's in town.  That afternoon we went grocery shopping and then took a long walk outside.  Another must do when she visit's is Yogurtland.  I took her there 2 years ago and while she wasn't very excited on her first visit she became a huge fan after getting to choose from so many different flavor choices and toppings!  Her new favorite topping is Boba Balls and there were plenty of Boba Balls to go around this time...I had to ask if she was going to have some Yogurt with them ;)

Monday and Tuesday were beautiful days so we got to lay by the pool and get some sun as well as get in good work-outs outside (Mom walks, and runs when I force her to, while I do sprints or the stairs).  Monday was busy because of Memorial Day but it's a nice perk to have a pool when it's gorgeous outside.  On Monday night I made Dinner for her and Jess, and did my Gnocchi Mac & Cheese with Maple Apple Sausage along with fresh steamed Green Beans and a Salad filled with veggies.  Two glasses of wine later and Mom said she had to take a walk to burn off the wine and woozy feeling!  Tuesday was exciting because we were going to The Melting Pot for Dinner.  It's a fondue restaurant and even though we sat in traffic for almost an hour and 45 minutes (it took 25 minutes to get home without traffic) the food was well worth it.  We started with Spinach & Artichoke Fondue (probably my favorite cheese fondue I've had), then a California Salad which was really good, the entree portion was Mahi Mahi, Sirloin, Shrimp, Chicken, Mushroom Ravioli's and vegetables, and we chose the Chocolate and Crunchy Peanut Butter as our dessert fondue.  We were both very full after and very satisfied!

Wednesday was a busy day because I had my Audition in the afternoon and then Mom was getting her hair cut at the Aveda salon after that.  We had Soup Plantation for a late lunch/early dinner because Mom had never been and I felt like we could have a healthy meal after such a big dinner the previous night.  Of course, there was a stop at Diddy Reise in the afternoon because we were in Westwood (another must do).  That night I had to Host Karaoke and Mom came with me to that as well and even stayed all night until close!

Thursday was another beautiful day so we got some more sun by the pool and then got ready to head to Downtown to see the The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, one of the largest Cathedrals in the US.  It was huge but so beautiful; I certainly understand why people have their weddings there.  Outside there were angels etched on the glass walls overlooking LA and the freeways.  There were some gardens and a Mausoleum below the Church as well.  We picked up some Yogurtland in Hollywood on the way home and then that night I made some Veggie & Sausage Wraps for Dinner.  After that Mom helped me go through clothes and shoes that I could give to Good Will.  There will be another blog on that!

On Friday we walked around the neighborhood and picked flowers for my kitchen.  I love that I live in a residential area with some beautiful homes.  We also went shopping that day and played cards, just the two of us.  Bobby's show was that night in Downtown so we were able to see Downtown during the day yesterday and then all lit up that night.  Bobby and his band mate, Heather, and their Roadie, Chris stayed at the apartment on Friday night so we all went out Maxwell's for breakfast before I had to take Mom to the airport on Saturday morning.  I liked my meal that day (California Omelet) much more than Saturday's lunch!  

Mom & I at The Redwood for Bobby's Show

Overall, Mom and I kept really busy all week long but had so much fun and maintained our vacation attitudes.  I think sometimes she worries that she's staying too long and I get sick of her, but that's not the case.  I love spending time with her, and while we're very much alike, that's why we can get on each others nerves.  But I always look forward to having her here and being a part of my life while I'm living in LA <3

A Live Music Weekend

Bobby, my brother, has been on tour with his band, The Hussy, for almost 2 months now.  On Friday, he was making his way down into southern California, to play at The Redwood Bar & Grill in Downtown Los Angeles.  I was so excited to be seeing him while he was on tour and even more excited to be surprising him with Mom.  He didn't know she was coming out to visit me for the week, and certainly didn't know she would be at his show.  We've been hiding this for months and considering I post tons of stuff on Facebook, I had to be extra careful.  Of course, the first thing Bobby says to Mom is, 'What are you doing here?'  Nice greeting, Bob.  I'm sure it was more out of surprise than being mad and he hugged us both.

Mom & I at Redwood Bar with The Hussy

It was a really important show for him and his band, and they needed to get the car unloaded and everything into the bar for when they played.  They had the 11:30 pm slot and were headlining the show.  The bar was Pirate themed and I really wish I would have been able to try some of the food but Mom and I had Yogurtland before we left for the show so neither of us was hungry.  We caught the end of the first band who was really loud.  The next band didn't start until 10:30 pm so they were running a half hour behind.  They were also a 2 piece band, like The Hussy.  I liked the music, and it was a lot easier on my ears than the first band.  We all got to catch up as we waited for Bobby to get warmed up on-stage.

Khad and Jamie, along with Neil, all showed up to support Bobby and listen to the other bands.  The band right before Bobby reminded me of the Jonas brothers because they all looked alike.  There were 5 people in the band and they didn't even fit on the stage but had tons of energy and some catchy music as well.  The Hussy was up next and we were all very excited.  Bobby's energy on-stage is amazing.  He even did push-ups at one point while Heather was playing her drum solo.  She's an incredible drummer and very funny!  They played a short set, just over 20 minutes, as almost all their songs are under 2 minutes.  They played songs off the new album as well as songs that were on their first.  I was bouncing around and dancing because it's such fun music.  Although, when their set was finished my ears were ringing; it didn't even occur to me how loud they were until after.  

Everyone really liked the music and said it was catchy.  The band after them were a little green and only played a few songs.  After they excited the stage and as the bar was getting ready to close they played some Frank Sinatra which was a nice change of pace from all the loud crazy music for the past 4 hours.  It's definitely a neat thing to say I got to see my brother's band, while they toured the US in my LA home.

Yesterday, was a super fun day with good friends at my friend, Mike's house in Porter Ranch.  There was fun in the sun, water guns, swimming, Beer Pong, great music and lots of dogs running around!  After the party, Neil and I were starving so we decided to go to D'Cache' in Toluca Lake/North Hollywood.  It's a tapas place that Neil has been talking about for almost 2 years now so I was very excited to go.  We drank mojito's while we waited for a table and even when one was ready, Neil declined it.  I didn't know why until 20 minutes later when we were actually sat in a big room with a live band just 10 feet in front of us.  They were playing flamenco style music and there was also a singer.  I let Neil decide on all the tapas, and we ended up having Short Rib Sliders, Shrimp Ceviche, a Mushroom and Cheese dish, Empanada's, and something else that I can't remember.  Oops.  Everything was so good!  During Dinner we got up and danced, clapped along, and watched the band play.  It was such a neat experience and I can't wait to go back again :)

Gemini's Pool Party ;)

So all weekend long I got to listen to awesome live music in great company!  Now that's fun!