'Skipping Ahead' Short Film Shoot

Earlier in June, Neil and I had gone to see Sean McCracken, in a 10 Minute Play Festival.  We saw about seven different 10 Minute Plays and we were immediately captured by the play that McCracken and another girl performed.  So when Sean came to Neil telling him he wanted to film the play/scene, Neil was in.  When Sean's scene partner fell-through, I jumped into the role with open arms!

We had a couple rehearsals to put together an idea of what we wanted to do for filming, and tightened the script so it would run smoothly.  We discussed costume changes, locations, and any other details that needed to be worked out.  Sean had found a great park to film in, Lacy Park in San Marino/Pasadena, Neil had the camera, we had nine scenes to do, with nine different costume changes, and the script was ready for us to rock.

When we got to the park on that Friday afternoon it was kid central (as any park is going to be) so we finally found a bench that was further away from the play area, that was shaded by a nice big tree, and we prepped everything for our first shot about an hour after arriving.  Little did we realize why Production blocks off a whole street when they're filming something because the people walking into the shot, or talking loudly, the kids running by and playing in the trees were all stuff that would have been avoided.  Unfortunately, we can't stop the planes and helicopters from flying overhead or the wind that rustles the trees for minutes on end.  So we'd have to stop and start but I think we all handled it really well and certainly made us all far more patient that day!

First day of shooting...'Maybe we should skip ahead some more!'

A few hours into the shoot, Neil's camera died, but we were able to work around that by having him charge the battery at an electrical wall while McCracken and I changed wardrobe and rehearsed the next scene.  The only other thing that could stop us was that the light changed after being there for five hours.  It was the end of day one and we had done six of the scenes and we had saved all the emotional stuff for our last day of filming.

From happy to angry in seconds...oops ;)

We shot the last three scenes earlier in the morning a few days later and this was where all of our emotions were coming into play.  We had a huge fight scene, a very sad scene, and the opening scene.  I had to get emotional and teary-eyed which actually came fairly easy for a bunch of the takes but by the end of the day, I was all dried up.  Thank goodness we were done after two hours because I had nothing else to give!

Neil did a great job directing us and giving us ideas to play with and change around.  Not only was he the director but he also was editing the entire video and had hours of footage to go through for this 10 minute short.  It was fun to work with McCracken and joke around on-set.  I was able to play all these different characters and felt like Kate Hudson from How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days.  There was a lot of Method Acting going on for me, which means I pull from personal emotions and memories to live currently in that moment; especially on our second day of shooting.  We also used the Meisner Technique which allows quick responses spontaneously with what you're saying in that present moment.

Now we're just waiting on the final finished product and I'll be really excited to share that with everyone :) 

Casting Workshops in July: Part 1.

This past month I've been kept busy with Acting stuff and that makes me so happy.  As an Actor you go through spurts, or really slow times in your career, and sometimes when it rains it pours.  I love those moments and that's how I've felt this month.

I had three weeks of Casting Workshops that I took this month at Act Now.  My first was with Erica Silverman (Bream) who most recently was working on Revolution and has also cast for Criminal Minds, Workaholics, House of Lies, and Law & Order.  This workshop was an all day intensive with her and the class had received our scenes on Friday for our Sunday workshop.  Mine was from Revolution and I was nervous and excited to perform in class.  After meeting her and answering some questions about the casting process, what she's looking for in a headshot, and on a resume, we got started with One-Liners and then had a Mock Producer Session for each group that was performing.  Basically, there were a couple of us assigned to decide who the role would go to after they had performed the one line they were given.  It was interesting to see each actor make a completely different choice than the other and what was more difficult was deciding who would get the role.  The few of us that were deciding made choices based on certain parts of their performance while other times it was easier and one actor stood out or just fit the role perfectly.  

Erica looks for a headshot that looks like you
(makes sense) and is natural!

Next up, we did Jargon Roles where each of us got cast as a Doctor, Paramedic, Lawyer, or in my case, Pharmacist.  This was also a great opportunity to practice this type of role, even if in typical casting, I might be a little too young-looking to play this type of role.  I had a lot of fun doing these Mock Producer Sessions and thought it was a great addition to the Workshop experience.  Although, it would have been really beneficial to find out why we didn't get cast over someone else so we could improve on something, if that was the case.  

Our last part of the afternoon was performing our assigned scenes, which we did on camera, and then Erica gave each of us a re-direct and we got to perform again.  I really like when we get assigned a scene because then you see what a Casting Director sees when they look at you, and the types of roles you could play.  I played my scene like a typical reporter:  Excited, asking questions, being a little bit of a know it all, but at the end of the day, searching for answers.  She re-directed me saying I was over my job, burnt out, and it was definitely more work than it was fun.  I loved the differences in playing each side, made strong choices for both, and was happy with my re-direct!

I was really happy to meet Erica and spend the day learning about different roles that come up in nearly every Television show and get to perform them in front of such an encouraging CD.  Not only did I have a fun day at this Workshop but I felt like I learned a lot too!

Casting Workshops in July: Part 2.

After my Intensive with Erica I was very excited about my next Workshop which was two weeks with two different Casting Director's from the same Casting Office.  The CD's I had targeted this month were for Drama and I felt it was good for me to change it up and try something different.

The first week was with Marlo Tiede who is currently casting Grimm.  She has also cast Necessary Roughness, Ghost Whisperer, the new Beverly Hills 90210, and Castle.  After doing an initial Q&A she talked about the Casting process for Grimm.  She looks for mostly guys because it is a more men-heavy show and also character actors since most of the roles transition from human to animal throughout the episode.  She paired us with a scene partner and assigned us scenes that we were able to rehearse for about 10 minutes.  I liked my scene but my scene partner proved a little bit difficult because I couldn't connect with her and felt like we were on opposite pages.  The scene was from Grimm and there was some major crazy terminology but my scene partner was trying to memorize and changing the lines every time she did them so I couldn't be off script because she wasn't consistent.  She was playing the mother role and I was the younger daughter-in-law role and as soon as we performed and were finished the CD had said there was no connection or chemistry with us.  I couldn't have agreed with her more!  She also said we weren't listening and made the wrong choices; I needed to play my side more sympathetic and understanding while she needed to come off more over-bearing and bitchy.  I made my adjustments but my partner read almost exactly the same way she read the first time so I just listened and responded as best I could.  I felt defeated when we were finished.  I knew I did the best I could and made the changes she had asked for (which she did notice) but I couldn't help but feel frustrated with the whole situation.  

The face and smile of Determination!

 Last week Monday was my workshop with Kendra Castleberry who currently casts Castle but has also cast for Wildfire, October Road, Life on Mars, and The O.C.  She was very direct and said she was looking for someone who could bring it on the first read or audition.  She treated the Workshop like an audition and we had one opportunity to impress her.  Kendra had sent out scenes to the class a week earlier so I had chosen one from Ghost Whisperer that gave me the opportunity to play a bunch of emotions.  I'm glad I had my scene memorized since she had mentioned it was important to come to auditions prepared and since we were given a week to do so, the class really had no excuse.  We all performed only once but she did give feedback to each of us and mine was that I gave it too much, the scene was more subtle, and didn't need all the emotion.  That surprised me since I had rehearsed the scene with Kristina and Neil, and both had thought the scene was emotionally full and gave me the ability to portray so many emotions.  We could have been completely wrong but I would rather hear I gave too much rather than not enough, because it's that much harder to bring it than to tone it down.  Once again, I felt a little disappointed but proud in my decision to play the role the way I thought it was written and didn't waiver.  I made a choice and even if it was wrong, I stuck to it.

You can't create chemistry, nor can you make someone listen to you (in real life or acting), or even be exactly what the casting director is looking for because you just don't know.  But you can be open to the process, positive and understanding in receiving feedback, and hard-working and determined with the material.  Every Workshop is a lesson and practice for an audition, day on set, or real-life experience and you just need to make strong choices and be optimistic in your life.  If you gave your all just know the only thing you need to be is the best version of yourself :)

'Ghost' at The Pantages and Federal Bar!

It's always fun to do something new in LA and although I saw Jekyll & Hyde at The Pantages last year with my friend, Kristina, I wanted to take Neil to see Ghost at The Pantages a couple weeks ago.  He told me about the show on Broadway years ago so I was excited to surprise him with tickets while it was touring here in LA.  Seeing a musical together was new for us!

All dressed up for 'Ghost' at The Pantages!

To make the surprise even better we both got dressed up and once we got to the theater, we had a glass of wine at the bar and then took our seats for the show.  I instantly connected with Molly, felt like she was the stronger actor between her and Sam, even though Carl was more of a major character in the musical.  For the most part, the movie and the show were pretty similar but they gave some of the characters more stage-time than they had in the movie.  I actually really liked Oda Mae, even though she was really pushing for comedy but didn't need to, because it was already there.  Of course, as soon as the audience heard 'Unchained Melody' it silenced the entire theater and every time the melody or song played I started tearing up.  I loved the song 'With You' which Neil had played for me years ago when he introduced me to the musical and would love to learn that for Karaoke some time.  I really liked the vibe and music video feel of Oda Mae's song, 'I'm Outta Here.'  They way they transitioned people from living to ghost was incredible and the effects and lighting were phenomenal.  When I read the program, I found out that the girl that played Molly was from Wisconsin (woo hoo) and a bunch of the cast members were from the Midwest!  Overall, I thought the show was good but it didn't come close to Jekyll & Hyde or when I saw Les Miserables on Broadway before I even really knew the whole story behind that show.

Salted Caramel Cake

After Ghost I planned to have Dinner at Federal Bar in North Hollywood because we always talked about eating there but had only ever had drinks when we had stopped by.  I brought a bottle of Wine with me that was similar to a Shiraz or Merlot and we started off with the Ahi Tuna Crudo that was light and had a really yummy cilantro aoili on it.  I picked out the Roasted Beet Salad with arugula, fennel, orange, feta, and a white balsamic that was a huge portion (awesome) and had so many different flavors going on that mixed really well together.  Neil ordered the Grilled Salmon while I went with the Bone-In Short Rib with corn mashed potato and brasing au jus.  I had no idea it was going to be that much food, but it was absolutely delicious!  I tend to avoid fat, especially when it's connected to meat, but for some reason, however they had prepared the Short Rib made it so tender that it didn't have the typical consistency that weirds me out; it almost had more flavor than the actual meat!  Needless to say, I wasn't able to finish even half but was quite excited to take home leftovers for Dinner the next day.  No meal would be complete without dessert, so I decided on the Vanilla Salted Caramel Cake.  It took a while to get to the salted caramel but once you did, it melted in your mouth.  Even Neil liked the dessert and he's not a sweets type of guy.  There was a jazz band playing, and initially I was really excited but it got SUPER loud and we could barely have a conversation for about a half hour while they were doing this lively set.  Thankfully, it got more bluesy after a break when they did a singer/band set and that was much more enjoyable.  We'd definitely go back there again and try more food because everything we had tasted amazing!

Diego was quite excited about the Short Rib Bone...he got to play with it for a couple hours ;)

It was nice to plan a fun night out and do things that were new to us.  I'm still keeping up with my resolutions, new restaurants, something different I haven't done, each and every month, and that resolution is going strong :)

Pictures from Afterbuzz TV's Neon Party & Catalina!

I had so many fun pictures from our Afterbuzz TV Neon Party hosted by Maria Menounos & Keven Undergaro that I had to post just a few more!  And Catalina was so beautiful, I wanted to share a couple more from that trip as well :)

With Joe Gear and some of our Afterbuzz TV Hosts!

With Leslie from 'Masterchef' and cheesin' with Steph in the upper right corner, while Maria looks absolutely amazing!

Boats in Avalon at Catalina Island!

Perfect day in Catalina :)

I'm loving the Summer here in sunny California!

Catalina Island :)

I can't believe it's already been a month since my 31st Birthday!  This past month has flown by and there's been so much going on especially in the past couple weeks.  I've been super busy with Acting stuff and am so excited for new projects coming up and working on my craft.  Back to my Birthday, Neil took me to Catalina Island and it was an amazing trip to cap off my Birthday week :)

Cocktails on the beach...

Neil surprised me with a trip to Catalina as we arrived in Long Beach and got our passes for the Ferry to Avalon.  On the Ferry over to the Island we saw a school of dolphins jumping through the water; it was so beautiful!  Unfortunately, we couldn't check into the Hotel so we got a great work-out in walking around with my bag (we could have left it at the Hotel but there was no security so we decided against it) and exploring the Island.  We walked through some of the shops and checked out some restaurants and bars for later and then decided hitting up the beach would be a good way to spend our morning!

We went to Descanso Beach Club which was a little bit out of the way and quieter with tropical beach music playing.  We ordered some fruity cocktails and enjoyed the sun and gorgeous weather.  The water was a little too cold for me and after an hour or two we decided to make our way back towards the hotel where we watched one of the World Cup games at a fun bar.  We explored a little more for options later that night and then picked up some groceries and were finally able to check into our Hotel at The Glenmore Plaza.

Magic Hour at Avalon Grille :)

Next on the agenda was Dinner at Avalon Grille.  We had scouted it earlier and found out they didn't have a corkage fee so we had picked up a bottle of wine and after catching the final moments of magic hour for a photo we were ready for our yummy meal!  We started with raw scallops in a citrus ponzu, and then I ordered the parmesan crusted mahi mahi with scalloped potatoes and vegetables while Neil got the sea bass.  Both of our fish was impeccably cooked and I absolutely loved the potatoes.  Of course, no Birthday Dinner is complete without dessert, and we got this ice cream cake with caramel and chocolate that was a perfect end to the meal.

Last moments in Catalina!

Neil had talked about Chi Chi Club since it was right across the street from our Hotel and so we decided to go there for some after-Dinner drinks and perhaps dancing.  We stayed for about hours and had an absolute blast and for the majority of the time we were there the club was empty.  It was a Monday night, in Avalon, so we knew it wasn't going to be bumpin' but we figured there'd still be people out.  So we set up on one of benches and then discovered free Pac Man & Frogger!  After playing video games, it was dancing time to burn off some of our Dinner, and then we set out to find some locals at a different bar.  Marlin Club was packed, with all the bar stools full minus two, and people playing pool, dancing, and drinking.  It was a divey bar but once again, we had so much fun :)

The next day we had Brunch at Avocado Cafe where I had an incredible BLT and then Neil said we had to go to Big Olaf's for ice cream before we left.  When we first got to the Island we had walked by Big Olaf's when they were making fresh waffle cones and wow did they smell delicious!  So after some ice cream and last minute shopping it was time to head back to LA after a wonderful trip.  On the ferry back to LA I even saw a shark!

We had such a great time and since it was my first time to Catalina Island, we really took in the full experience.  I can't wait to go back and check out more activities like kayaking, hiking, or zip-lining!  Thank you, Neil, for such a memorable 31st Birthday <3

Afterbuzz TV's Neon Party!

Afterbuzz TV has it's annual Neon Summer Party held at our Founder's, Maria Menounos & Keven Undergaro's house in July.  Now that I've been working at Afterbuzz since September and I'd been hearing about how epic last year's party was, I was really looking forward to it!

It was the perfect day, the sun was out, and as soon as I parked I could hear the music from down the street.  One of our Hosts, DJ Jesse Janedy was playing the tunes all day long.  He played perfect Summer Pool Party music that everyone was singing and dancing to; I was super impressed by his choice in music!  There were songs I hadn't heard since college but everyone remembered!  Love it.  The pool was filled by party-goers, there were Hot Dogs and Hamburgers coming off the grill, plenty of snacks, and two separate bars for cocktails and refreshments.

With Cortez & Ashida!

I was so happy to see Cortez and get to hang out with him and meet some of his fellow co-hosts and also English, since we had all worked on the 'Shahs Of Sunset' After Show together.  It was great to get to spend some time with Ashley and Stephanie from our 'Real Housewives of New York' After Show outside of Afterbuzz.  It's also nice to cut loose since we try to be as professional as possible when we're at the studio, and even though we have fun, we can all be ourselves and just enjoy a great party!

After saying hello to a few of my friends I made my way to get a drink and some food and saw Costas, Maria's Dad, whom I recognized from her book, 'The Every Girl's Guide to Diet and Fitness,' as well as her show, 'Chasing Maria.'  We had the cutest conversation about family and how important it is to be a good role model, and make sure that your children are happy.  He obviously wants grand kids and I could completely relate in knowing that my parents say the same thing to me all the time!

On top of over 200 of our Afterbuzz TV Hosts that were invited, all the guests that have been into our Studios were invited as well.  I talked to Leslie from 'Masterchef' as it's one of my favorite Cooking Shows currently on TV, and he's been known as the villain.  There was no villain present on that Saturday afternoon, as we were dressed in matching shades of orange and talked a little about cooking and also about his competitors.  I'm rooting for you, Leslie! 

Speaking of orange, Maria and I also matched, and she called me her Tangerine Twin.  It never ceases to amaze me at how generous and kind, she, Keven, her whole family, as well as our Afterbuzz Team are.  I love that I feel like I have support behind me, and while I know that my friends and family show that, hearing how Keven wants me to succeed, just makes me work even hard for it!  Thank you to Keven and Maria for creating an outlet for all of us to get a chance to do what we love, and know that not only do we believe we can achieve our dreams, but that you both do as well :)

With Afterbuzz TV Founder, Keven and Matt D'Andria from Motorator & CarCast :)

It was an awesome day and I'm lucky to know such incredible people and be able to work at a job I absolutely love!

Summer Karaoke!

It's been a little bit more busy at Karaoke lately which has been a pleasant surprise since that makes the night go by much faster and it's more fun to hear new people sing!

Last week I ended up having a mini-theme by singing songs with one word in the title.  I started with 'Joey' by Concrete Blonde and then did 'Wonder' by Natalie Merchant.  Both were songs I hadn't sang in a little while and I really love doing 'Joey' because it's very low and I really like the melody and changes throughout the song.  Next up was Fiona Apple's 'Criminal' and then my new song of the night was 'What's Up' by 4-Non Blondes.  That was my only two word title but I guess I tied it in considering I sang songs by artists that had Blonde in their name!  I've heard people sing that song at Karaoke before and although I'm not a huge fan of the song, people have asked me to sing it quite a few times.  I give those ladies credit because it's a difficult song and you need a lot of power behind your voice for all the 'Hey yeah, yeah yeah's...'  I closed out the night with Journey's 'Lights' since it had been several months since I sang that one and it's always a good closer!

 

With Neil at Gabe's!

This past week was really busy because there was a Movie Wrap Party going on and later we had McCracken's Going Away Karaoke Party.  I got the night going with Tracy Chapman's 'Give Me One Reason' and then there was a Bon Jovi Super-Set so I jumped in with 'Shot Through The Heart' and the crowd was happy to hear it and sing along!  In fact, the crowd was really lively and very supportive since a lot of the Wrap Party people were singing and encouraging people to do songs.  I got a little old school with 'Baby Love' by The Supremes and then it was time for the Duets & Trio's.  I sang 'Light My Candle' from "Rent" with Neil and later on McCracken and I sang the final song of the night, doing 'Another Day' from "Rent" as well.  There was even a Double Entendre performance of The Backstreet Boys 'I Want It That Way.'  Marisa and Stephen from Afterbuzz made it all the way down to Gabe's from Encino so they had to sing before the night was over!  My new song of the night since someone sang Ludacris was 'What's Your Fantasy' and McCracken and his friend, Chris backed me up.  It's my favorite Ludacris song and although it's your typical rap song, I just find it really fun and have all the verses memorized from college some random reason ;)

I've enjoyed the busy weeks and hope the Summer keeps bringing in new Karaoke singers to Gabe's!

What's for Dinner? Part 17.

Both of my Grandma's could always be counted on for their incredible skills in the kitchen.  Grandma Jacoby actually worked at a BBQ Restaurant and was working there on the day I was born.  My Grandma Wegner was always helping out with the cooking and baking at Church and on most Thursday's we spent our time together working through a Children's A-Z Cookbook.  They each had their own Meatloaf recipe and I have never attempted it because you can't mess with perfection.  Unfortunately, both my Grandma's have passed but I continue to try new recipes and think I got my cooking spirit from them!  I know I got the baking from my Mom, and that sincerely is an art form.  So for a Saturday night at home I made my first ever Meatloaf!

Turkey Meatloaf

1 Package (20 oz) Lean Ground Turkey

1 & 1/2 Cup Onions

3 Garlic Cloves

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Margarine

1 Tsp Rosemary

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Cup Breadcrumbs

1 Egg

1/3 Cup Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 Cup Ketchup

1 & 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire

6 Dashes Tabasco 

Salt & Pepper

The Topping/Sauce

1/2 Cup Ketchup

1 & 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Tsp Worcestershire

4 Dashes Tabasco

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  Start by heating the oil and butter in a skillet and then adding in the onions and garlic until the onions are cooked through, just a few minutes.  While they are cooking add all other ingredients to a bowl, Turkey, Rosemary, Garlic Powder, Breadcrumbs (I used the crust from really high quality bread and didn't pack the cupful), Egg, Ketchup, Cheese, Worcestershire, Tabasco, plus Salt & Pepper to taste.  Once the onions have cooled add them in as well and mix together using your best tool, your hands.  When it's all mixed together put the mixture into a greased bread pan or form a loaf and place on a baking tray.  Then you can start work on the Topping or Sauce.  Mix all the ingredients together, Ketchup, Brown Sugar, Worcestershire, and Tabasco and then spread over the top of the Meatloaf.  I covered my Meatloaf with foil but it's really just personal preference.  Place the bread pan on the middle rack in your oven for 50-60 minutes or until the Meatloaf is cooked all the way through.  Once the Meatloaf is done let it sit for five minutes before serving.

My FIRST Turkey Meatloaf...had to go for seconds!!

It was a little challenging to get it out of the bread pan but the Meatloaf was so tender and moist, it was practically falling apart.  Once I got the first couple pieces out, it made it easier to get a couple more and there was no more falling apart.  I served it with Mashed Potatoes and my Lemon Asparagus.  The Meatloaf was delicious; it was really flavorful, you got a hint of heat with the Tabasco and I loved the taste of the rosemary.  The sauce on top was probably my favorite part; tangy and sweet, once again with a little kick from the Tabasco.  I wanted more sauce with every bite!

Cooking is experimenting and it just takes practice.  I had talked to my Mom earlier to make sure I had the basic ingredients and proper cooking temperature and time.  Everything else was just added as I went, and what I had available in my kitchen.  Since I'm a cheese lover I thought I would add that in for some extra gooey-ness and it was a fun addition.  I'm looking forward to making this the next time my family is in town and hopefully I'll make them proud :)

Tropical Summer Jam Recipe

A couple weeks ago I had helped my friend, Kristina, make a Fruit Pizza for a Barbeque and since we had made it at my place, she let me keep the leftover fruit she didn't use on the Pizza.  I don't really use Jelly or Jam on a regular basis as I'm happy with buttered toast but every once in a while, a piece of toast with Jelly just hits the spot.  So with the leftover fruit I decided to make a Summer Jam!

This is all you need for this recipe :)

Tropical Summer Jam

1 & 3/4 Cups Strawberries

1 & 1/4 Cups Blueberries

1/3 Cup Mandarin Oranges

1 Kiwi

1 Lemon (juiced)

1/2 Cup Sugar
Optional: 1/2 Tsp Ginger (powder or fresh)

After rinsing the blueberries and strawberries I quartered the strawberries and peeled the kiwi, cutting it into half moons.  Then I threw all the fruit into a pot, added in my sugar, and used the juice of one lemon to combat the sweetness and bring everything together.  I decided to add the extra 1/4 cup of blueberries to make the consistency just a little bit thicker as well as a 1/2 Tsp Ginger (powder) since I'm a Ginger fantatic.  I let it cook on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 to 20 minutes until everything cooked down.  You could let this mixture cool and use it as is if you like your Jam more chunky but I like mine smooth, more like thick Jelly, so I put it into the blender and blended until it was smooth.  I then transferred it into a jar and put it in the refrigerator to get chilled.

All the fruit and their beautiful colors!

Cooking down and once cooled ready to be blended...

Blended till smooth and ready to eat!

Using nearly three cups of fruit yielded just about 10 ounces of Jam which means it's going to go fast but I will probably double the recipe next time considering it would still only require one cup of sugar!  The Jam will also thicken as it sits and cools and will also sweeten up after about 24 hours.

This was my first attempt at Jam and it turned out delicious!  You can taste all the fruits in it, it's not overly sweet, and the color is this gorgeous burgundy.  I definitely want to try different fruits like peaches, mango, adding grapes, or even tomatoes.  This was really easy to make and filled my apartment with this beautiful fruity aroma!  Lucky for me, I'm still enjoying my Tropical Summer Jam :)

*Last week I used my Tropical Jam for a yummy take on a Grilled Cheese by using two pieces of Havarti Cheese with the Jam for a sweet treat.  You could even do Honey Goat Cheese or Brie depending on what you like.  It really elevates a simple snack and makes it fun!  Or serve it over ice cream for a blast of flavor as a berry compote...can't wait to try that next!

Birthday Dinner at Mastro's!

I love food and trying new places and even have a list of my Top 5 Favorite Steaks so I was stoked when Kristina said she was going to take me to Mastro's in Beverly Hills for my Birthday Dinner.  I've been wanting to try Mastro's for a long time but I was also a little nervous, knowing how fancy it was.  Kristina assured me it was a special occasion since we weren't able to celebrate my 30th in style last year like we had planned so we were going all out!

Wine & Martini's

We enjoyed some Rosé before Dinner while we got ready at my place and then took an Uber to Mastro's.  Our table was quaint and close enough to the piano player to hear him singing Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, and The Beatle's songs during Dinner.  Kristina had brought a really nice bottle of red wine so we got that started along with two martini's that had Stoli Blueberry and St. Germaine which were called Fleur de Blu and absolutely delicious.  Kristina suggested we start with Oysters and even though I was a little apprehensive, I was up for the adventure.  They were kumumoto Oysters and served with a healthy side of Horseradish.  I topped all of mine with it and that certainly did the trick as they went down easy with a little clearing of my sinuses.  So yummy!  

It was time for our salad and we got an Heirloom Tomato and Burrata and from here on out they split everything for us.  There was so much food I'm surprised they were halved because the portions were huge!  The salad was amazing and I loved how the timing of all of our courses was literally perfect.  We were never waiting and getting hungry but able to enjoy the food, let it settle, and then the next course would show up.  Before we knew it, it was time for the main entree; a beautiful 12 ounce Filet cooked an impeccable medium rare.  We decided on sides of Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas.  The snap peas were the best I have ever had as they popped in your mouth with a sweet but savory flavor and the mashed potatoes were so fluffy and had the perfect amount of garlic and butter.  The steak.  Let me just say, after I took that first bite, I sat back in my chair and sighed...out loud.  It was that incredible!  We savored every last bite and then they packed the leftover snap peas for me to take home.  No Birthday is complete at Mastro's without Birthday Cake so they brought Chocolate Cake with home-made whipped cream.  The whipped cream was so impressive and I loved that there was plenty for each bite of cake.

Dinner at Mastro's...being fancy with Kristina!

After Dinner we went to the bar so I could get us some Dessert Wine to finish off the fabulous dining experience and as some gentlemen allowed me to get to the bar, they overheard Kristina saying it was my Birthday and in typical gentlemanly fashion, ordered us a round, which was very sweet.  I appreciated the gesture and bought them their next round only to have that countered with another Birthday Cake and some Espresso for me.  They all sang Happy Birthday and this time it was an Olive Oil Cake and more whipped cream!  I could not have felt more special being treated by Kristina and being blown away by such an amazing meal :)

Thank you Kristina for introducing me to Mastro's; this is definitely going to be trouble because now I'm already planning my next visit, and next paycheck!  And thanks for making me feel fancy!

Karaoke in the 90's & some Girl Power...

I figured yesterday at Karaoke would have been slow because 4th of July landed on a Friday this year and every other year I've Hosted Karaoke it's been really slow during the week of the 4th.  I think people are usually just saving themselves for the 4th Festivities but that wasn't the case yesterday.  In fact, the past two weeks swapped and two weeks ago was really slow with just a few people in the rotation and everyone getting a chance to sing a bunch!

Last week at Karaoke I had my own little 90's theme going and started the night with Jewel's 'Who Will Save Your Soul' one of my favorites that I hadn't sang in a while as I like her slower songs more but this is still a good one.  Next up it was 'Bitch' by Meredith Brooks that I followed up with 'Heart-Shaped Box' by Nirvana.  It's a lot of fun to change up the artists and genres and I hope it inspires people to try new songs and music because it just makes the Karaoke experience more exciting and challenging.  Another couple songs I hadn't sang in a while were Joan Osborne's 'One Of Us' and The Beatles 'Oh Darlin' which wasn't a 90's but I gave it that rock/alternative feel.  It was time for my new song of the night so I did 'Crush' by Jennifer Paige since Gail sang it a couple weeks ago and I remembered how much I loved the song.  It's not my favorite Karaoke song but it was new and nice to try!  It was a little duet of Justin Timberlake and Ciara with their song 'Love+Sex+Magic' which I sang back at Halloween this past year and was reminded why I haven't sang it since.  It's really hard!  I closed out the night with 'Try Again' by Aaliyah since I had worn some old school Adidas kicks :)  

One would think by coming into Gabe's this week for Karaoke I was going through a horrible break-up, I hated men, or something worse, but that wasn't the case at all.  This week was all about singing songs I hadn't sang in a while, new songs added to my History and of course, my new song of the night.  I opened with 'I Hate Myself For Loving You' by Joan Jett which I actually recorded in a studio years ago when a friend of mine and I were working on creating a new rock female group.  I actually have one of our songs up on my Myspace Page, and to be honest, I really liked the song, along with the others we recorded but unfortunately, that venture ended rather abruptly.  I'd love to do something like that again!  Continuing on for Karaoke, my next song was 'Missing You' by John Waite, and my new song of the night was Destiny's Child 'Survivor.'  Wow is that song wordy and difficult; I can see why they need all three females singing that song because it's so quick and if you don't know all the lyrics, you're going to miss it.  Lucky for me, I had practiced this one a couple weeks ago so I was prepped for it, and had a lot of fun with it.  Even if I was exhausted at the end ;)  It was a Heart super-set and my song was 'If Looks Could Kill' and Diana had me sing 'What About Love' with her so she could harmonize on the high parts in that song.  To close out the night I sang 'Keep Me Hanging On' by Kim Wilde, another strong female song! 

There were lots of songs last week and I was glad to take a little break from singing this week by just doing a few songs.  It's good to mix things up, and my acting even comes to play at Karaoke when I have a week like I did, just this past Wednesday.  We always have a good time!  Things will be back to normal next week and hopefully everyone has a safe and wonderful 4th of July!

*This brings back memories: 'Hurt Ya Just A Little' Song on Myspace

My Brick+Mortar Birthday Party!

I had my 31st Birthday Party at Brick+Mortar on Thursday June 19th!  I woke up on the morning of my Birthday feeling pretty good considering the previous night's festivities and went to work at Irish Times like normal.  I definitely had a little delayed hangover later that afternoon but after a Bloody Mary, I felt prepared for a fun night out in Santa Monica!

I had expected lots of people, perhaps a line, but it ended up being more chill, which was nice.  The DJ was really good, playing a mix of music, and the Hostess I had spoken to throughout the week had an area all set up for me.  She was amazing, organized, and very helpful throughout the whole process of planning.  One of my friends had gone up to the bar to grab me a drink, ordering from two different Bartenders, not knowing the one had heard her earlier, so 10 minutes later she walked back with two drinks for me.  Thanks Stephanie!  They both looked different, had different garnishes, and tasted different, yet were the same drink, just from two different Bartenders.  After that I stuck to one specific Bartender who happened to the the Bar Manager and his cocktails were delicious!  

With Stephanie, the girls and I playing around (Jamie & Ashley), McCracken and I,
Mikey & Dubb, and Tyler at Brick+Mortar for my Birthday!

My friends filtered in and out throughout the night, and it was great because Brick+Mortar had Happy Hour going on from 10 pm to close, on both food and drinks.  It was great to catch up with Mike and Jason and hear about Buki, Mike's new companion, until Riley Boy makes his way back home.  I was glad to have some girlfriends stop by, Ashley and Jamie made appearances, and of course, shots were in order!  Thanks to Jay Smith for holding the fort down till I arrived, since I was late which always seems to happen on my Birthday!  

Overall, it was nice to relax and listen to great music, and just enjoy a night with friends.  Thanks to who came by to say hello, have a drink or shot with me, hang out, and celebrate; you made my Birthday so special :)