Winter in Wisconsin! Part 1.

I always go back to Wisconsin for Christmas and this time I planned an extended vacation because I hadn't been home since last Christmas.  I'm so lucky and thankful that all of my jobs worked around my schedule and I was able to get shifts covered and people wanted to pick up certain days, so I was able to spend a whole two and a half weeks with my family in Plymouth!

With some of my favorite girls, Dru, Ari, and Olivia!

It was literally go go go the entire time I was home!  Not only was it Christmas and the Holidays, but there were Birthday's, brunches, and dinners to attend.  One of the best parts about being home was that our entire family on my Mom's side was able to get together for the first time in years.  I was able to spend quality time with my cousin's children that I don't get to see very often; we talked about "Frozen," played games, they showed me their Christmas presents, we roared, I cackled, gave lots of hugs, and so much more.

Another one of my favorite things about being home are the dinners I have with my family.  We went to St. Anne for my Uncle's Birthday and had a steak dinner that night, my Mom & Dad had a steak and lobster night for my brother and I one day when we were all home together, and we went to Prime Quarter a different night and grilled our own steaks.  Plus, we tried The Black Pig in Sheboygan, Rupp's where I had amazing Cajun Chicken, Mom had made roast beef one night, we had chili, Dad made his incredible steak sandwiches and more.  The family time really makes the trip worthwhile, and I loved being able to grab lunch one day with my Grandpa and Dad, and spend a lot of time with my Grandpa during my mini-vacation.

Wegner Family Christmas Eve 2014

We always get together with my cousins and aunt's and uncle's to play games like Spades, Loaded Questions, and at home we play Settler's of Catan and Peanuts.  It's always so fun to laugh and have a good time with my family.  Mom and I play Dr. Mario and we even watched a few movies together.  Mom and I watched my favorite Christmas movie one night, 'White Christmas' and I caught 'Love Actually,' another night.  Mom had never seen 'Country Strong' so we watched that while I got 'The Fault in Our Stars' for Christmas so we had family night all together with that wonderful, amazing, heart-wrenching movie.

The Packer's had two games while I was home and won the Division Title.  I would have loved to have gone to a game but getting tickets for them are super hard since it's all Season Ticket holders.  It was nice just to watch them at home while Mom and I were baking Christmas cookies, or we were all playing cards.  I wore my Aaron Rodgers jersey with pride, especially after he left the Detroit game with an injury to his calf/ankle, and then came back and threw that beautiful touchdown pass to Randall Cobb!  There's nothing like watching my home-team while I'm in Wisconsin; it's just a totally different feeling.

Make sure to check out Part 2 of Winter in Wisconsin!

Recapping...A Hooter's Reunion, Maleficent, and more!

I love that for the past three months I've been busy with performances and rehearsal for Creating Arts; it was awesome to get back into theater and be on-stage once again.  Plus, I loved meeting the kids after the show and hearing their stories.  But every once in a while, a little break is necessary, and last weekend was my first weekend off in months!

Kristina & I in matching blue :)

I had Hosted Karaoke on Friday night which was a lot of fun since my Wednesday's are usually pretty laid back, so this brought new life into Gabe's, and was a pleasant surprise.  On Saturday night, Kristina and I had planned a little catch-up since she had just gotten back from Mexico, so we made Dinner together, and then made impromptu plans to check out Ocean Bar on a Saturday night.  It was a spontaneous and fun night and great to spend a little girl time together :)

Then on Sunday I was going to our Santa Monica Hooter's Reunion.  I haven't worked there in over 8 years and people have come and gone, so it was nice that Angel had organized a get-together for all of us who had worked there to meet each other and enjoy some beers and wings as well.  We ended up at the Hooter's in Hollywood where about 10 girls and some of our regulars joined us for reminiscing and fun.  Jen (whom I had worked with, Angel too, all of us were bartenders as well) had a Wing Party from nearly 20 years ago that we were able to use.  A Wing Party lets you order as many wings as you want for an hour, so needless to say, we showed the Hooter's patrons how Hooter Girls eat!  I can't even tell you how many wings we ordered but I can tell you I saw lots of empty plates by the time I was leaving!  I'm really not a huge wing person but for some reason, I love my Hooter's wings!  I wish we could have gotten more girls together, especially for the time that I was working there but everyone is so spread out nowadays and have babies so it was more difficult than expected.  Still it was awesome to see everyone after eight years!  That was my first job here in Los Angeles and I'll never forget it.

Angel & I at the Santa Monica Hooter Girl Reunion!

This last Saturday I tried another new restaurant, my first for the month of June.  It was Magnolia Cafe, in North Hollywood, just a nice little cafe where I had some chocolate chip pancakes and Parmesan chips made from scratch.  A new restaurant but typical for breakfast.  I'm sure I'll be back there again!

That Saturday night, I wanted to take Katy out to see a movie for her Birthday, so she and her friend, Keeley, met me at the Century City AMC and we saw Maleficent.  I've been so excited to see this movie since Sleeping Beauty is my absolute favorite Disney movie.  I've never been a huge Angelina Jolie fan, I've always been team Jennifer Aniston, but I do enjoy her movies and think she's a good actress.  In Maleficent she actually blew me away!  I was so impressed by her transformation into the character, and how I felt for her the ENTIRE movie, even when she was being evil.  She looked so beautiful and after seeing the movie, there is no one else I can think of who would have played the part even half as good as she did.  She completely encompassed her role as Maleficent and brought tears to my eyes at certain points.  Not to mention, the visuals and scenery were just gorgeous.  They created a world unlike any other and told the story of Sleeping Beauty from her perspective and it gave new light to one of my favorite movies.  The only thing I didn't like was that it was so perfect, the viewer knew it wasn't real, and I would rather see some gorgeous Mother Earth created beauty than CGI.  And I wasn't really into the actor who was playing King Stephen, he did a good job, just didn't wow me.  Needless to say, I honestly can't wait to go and see the movie again.  I've been waiting for a movie like this to come along and break into my Top 5 favorite movies, and it did just that!  Incredible :)

How Hooter Girls do Wings...and that wasn't even half!

And I'll leave you with that :)

Public School Happy Hour & 'The Other Woman'

I was able to try a few new restaurants in April including Cafe Laurent and Gladstone's in Malibu to continue with my New Year's Resolution of trying out new places.  I wrote blogs for both of them but this one is dedicated to a Buddy Date with Ashley at Public School 310 in Culver City for Happy Hour before going to see the movie, 'The Other Woman.'

Ashley and I decided on Public School because they had some vegetarian choices and plenty of options.  I was excited when I saw the menu because there were so many different things that looked really good.  We decided on the Red Quinoa & Argula Salad, the Pearled Farro & Brussel Salad, as well as the Speck & Eggs, and last but not least, Mac & Cheese.  They made their own tonic in house so we both ordered gin & tonics and I loved the sweetness to the tonic even more than I like my usual gin & Sprite.  

I loved the Quinoa Salad because of the lemon vinaigrette and feta cheese; the portions for the salads were huge, almost enough as an entree for one person.  I wasn't a huge fan of the Farro Salad even though I love farro and curry, but with the squash it just didn't have any kick.  The Speck & Eggs were basically deviled eggs with a little kick to them but we left out the proscuitto, and they were just fine on their own!  My favorite was probably the Mac & Cheese (as if I wouldn't love something with cheese).  It was topped with sea salt and a vinegar crunch and had a really great flavor.  Plus, after all this food, we were totally full.

Eggs without the Speck, Mac & Cheese, and our Gin with house-made Tonic!

Next up, it was movie time so we walked over to the theater, ordered popcorn (because who sees a movie without popcorn) and I added so much butter, that it leaked through three different cardboard holders that I double-lined with napkins.  I might have a butter addiction when I see movies.  But it tasted awesome!  The movie was actually much more different than I expected.  It was super funny, where I laughed out loud multiple times, repeating the joke in my head, and laughing again.  But it wasn't a total revenge movie and you really started to understand the characters and each role they played.  I'm not a big fan of Cameron Diaz but I really fell in love with her in this movie, not to mention, she looked phenomenal and I wanted every outfit she wore!  It was fairly predictable but a fun movie to see with Ash and I haven't been to the movies in a while so it was something different to do.

It was a really good movie and great Buddy Date for Ashley and I.  I'm actually really excited to go back to Public House to try more of their Happy Hour menu as well as their regular menu.  They've got a bunch of beers on draft, as well as wine, and some yummy looking desserts.  I'll be back soon :)

Music Movies

I had some free time a couple weekends ago to catch up on some movies I had DVR'd that I've been waiting to see for years!  I've always been a fan of Christina Aguilera and I caught 'Burlesque' on ABC Family one day and then saw 'Country Strong' was playing on FX all weekend so I decided to check that one out as well.

Not only did 'Burlesque' have a lot of famous actors and singers including Cher, Christina Aguilera, Kristen Bell, Julianne Hough, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, and Eric Dane, so there was plenty of eye candy to go around but I really liked the story and didn't feel it was all that predictable.  I LOVED the make-up and costumes!  The make-up was so different for each scene and gave me some ideas that I would clearly scale-down for an every day look, but I saw one of the prettiest dresses I have ever seen on Christina Aguilera when she was singing a slower love song and she was wearing this greenish-yellow satin fitted dress that was just stunning!  The music and songs were great, singers were strong, dancing was fun, and the story was interesting.  I'm so glad I was finally able to see this movie and also get to see Cher rock it as well!  Here's a link to Christina's dress in case you're interested: Burlesque Dress

'Country Strong' really surprised me as well.  I actually found an actor that I have a crush on...Garrett Hedlund, and he's a good Midwestern boy from Minnesota!  I guess I didn't know much about the movie, I just thought it followed a few country singers on the road to stardom but I didn't realize that it was all based on overcoming addiction all the while an affair is happening.  It was very real and honest, hard to watch at times, you really felt for all the characters.  Tim McGraw never ceases to amaze and impress me, and Gwyneth Paltrow had some incredible moments.  I always like to read the info and trivia about movies on IMDB so I was happy to see that Garrett Hedlund studied music and singing to improve his voice and get the role, and was a huge part of why I liked the movie because he has a natural charisma.  Some of the songs were so beautiful and had great lyrics too.  I was pleasantly surprised after watching this movie!

I'm way behind on my Karaoke update so my songs from 2 weeks ago were opened with 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' and then I rocked out 'You Give Love A Bad Name' and had so much fun with that performance, it was one of my favorites.  My new song of the night was 'Sober' by Pink since she's been coming out with a bunch of new songs lately and I'm on a Pink kick because she rocks!  I also did 'Foolish Games' and then sang 'Cruisin' with Marcus and closed out the night with 'Joey,' which I still want to do some work on.  That week clearly ended up being a very musical week with all the Music Movies and Karaoke night!

'Les Mis' & 'The Help'

I have been waiting to see 'Les Miserables' since it came out in theaters on Christmas Day and I finally got to see it last week with Neil!  I'm still sick with a cold and finally had a night off so tonight I watched 'The Help' which was another great Award-Winning movie!

I first saw 'Les Mis' on Broadway when I was a Senior in High School and remember being so moved by the story and performances that I cried throughout the whole show.  It was incredible!  Since then, I saw the movie with Liam Neeson and last week got to see the SAG Awards nominated movie and cried throughout the whole movie was well!  I did get my Screener for it in the mail but Neil and I knew we wanted to see it on the big-screen, unfortunately, the surround-sound was out in the theater so I felt like we were missing a little of the dialogue and really feeling like we were in the action.  For the most part I was completely impressed by the movie; to me, the women blew the men out of the water, with just 15 minutes of Anne Hathaway I wanted to see more because the close-up shot of her singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' was heart-wrenching and so honest.  Not only was her singing fantastic the performance she gave was so beautiful and raw and made me excited to be an Actress!  I loved Samantha Barks as Eponine and she nearly stole the show with her version of 'On My Own' which once again brought me to tears with an inspiring performance.  I was surprised to hear Russell Crowe sing, and do it well, but didn't feel like he was obsessed with finding Hugh Jackman, who's acting was incredible and moving as well.  Aaron Tveit was my favorite for the guys as his singing and acting were strong and I absolutely loved his voice and character!  The music was just beautiful and I'm so glad that my choir in High School did a 'Les Mis' Medley and I was able to sing along with all the songs even though I haven't heard most of them in over 10 years.  I'm already looking forward to seeing the movie again!

Tonight I watched 'The Help' which I had wanted to see last year and had just forgotten about it after Awards Season was over.  I thought it would be a little slow-moving but it was actually really interesting and I found myself really loving the movie.  Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer were my two favorites in the movie with Emma Stone and Viola Davis as other wonderful characters.  I'm a big Emma Stone fan and am looking forward to her Hosting the Academy Awards this year!  I loved the story and was very moved by some of the performances and found myself angry at some of the women, which means the actresses were doing a great job!  

I'm so glad I got to see both movies...now I just need to catch up on the other SAG Award Nominee's so I can cast my votes for this year's 2013 Awards!

Since I was talking about 'Les Miserables' in this entry it's the perfect time to talk about my Karaoke songs from last week which were: 'Hungry Eyes' by Eric Carmen, 'Love You Like a Love Song' because we had a lively crowd, a couple Adele songs starting with 'Rumour Has It' and then my new song of the week which was Adele's version of 'To Make You Feel My Love'.  I sang 'One of Us' by Joan Osbourne for Judy's Birthday and then closed with 'Heartbreaker' in case I needed to sing something rock & roll at my Myspace Interview last Friday!

Lunch at Franco and "The Hunger Games"

I bought a Bloomspot Gift for Lunch at Franco on Melrose and it was expiring this week so I made a stop on Saturday to check it out and have my 3-course Lunch.  I love getting all these Daily Deals in my e-mail and have tried a bunch of new restaurants this way as well as bought gifts for people because there's such a variety of things to buy!

The Caprese Salad at Franco on Melrose

From the outside, Franco didn't look all that spectacular but when you walk inside, the Kitchen is at the front of the restaurant and as you walk into the Dining Area at the back of the resturant my breath was taken away by how beautiful it was.  It was quaint with pretty lighting, heat lamps, decorations, and beautifully set tables; it would be perfect for a small party or reception!  I started off with my favorite, a Caprese Salad, which was good.  It needed more of a balsamic reduction and the tomatoes were just plain tomatoes so this was something I could easily create at home and charging $12 for it seemed a little steep.  The mozzarella was amazing and there was a small roasted pepper salad in the middle that was good too.  My entree was the Chicken Ravioli in a Mushroom Cream sauce and while the cream sauce and vegetables were amazing, the Ravioli was rustic and tasted like chicken.  Yes, I know, I ordered Chicken Ravioli but I guess I was expecting something more.  Obviously they make everything in house to be fresh but perhaps I should have gone with my gut and ordered the Corn Ravioli with Truffle Oil, but did the Chicken Ravioli on the Waiter's suggestion.  Lastly, there were only a couple choices for dessert so my only choice was Tiramisu which I normally find just ok.  This was by far the best Tiramisu I have ever had; it was light and fluffy, not too sweet, had the perfect amount of espresso and cream.  It definitely made me re-think my average idea of Tiramisu!

Overall, the meal was ok, while the ambience was pretty, and the service was good, I wasn't all that impressed by the food.  I will definitely go back and give it another chance and order something that I think looks good and hopefully can come back with a better overall impression.

Last night, I had Neighbor Night with Sean and Julie from Karaoke who live just down the street from me, to watch "The Hunger Games" on Blu-Ray.  As I had left a very long day at the Irish Times around 8:30 I had called my Mom to let her know how my day was and told her I was going to watch "The Hunger Games" with my neighbors and she said it was a really good movie and she liked it a lot.  I'm thinking, what?  You watched "The Hunger Games?"  She said yes, she saw it at the rental place, thought it looked good, rented it, and said she actually stayed awake for the whole thing and really liked it, even with the story-line that they're killing children.  Impressive, Mom :)

I've read the first two books in the series and have been waiting to rent the third book from the library but it's been taken out for the past 6 months so I haven't been able to finish the series yet.  That was the one thing I was missing from the movie; clearly a movie can't go as in-depth as a book can but I felt like there were pieces missing from the movie and that there were holes.  It almost needed to be 2 parts like the 'Twilight' series.  The first part explaining Katniss and Gale's relationship, the Reaping, backstory for everyone, and then training for the games.  Part two would be the actual games and everything that happens during that.  The best parts of the movie were Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson's performances, very strong, and Woody was hilarious and perfect for the role of Haymitch.  I kept going back and forth on Jennifer Lawrence; I've seen some of her more indie movies and really liked her but there was something that made me dislike her in this role even though I thought it was great that they cast an athletic and pretty girl, and not some rail-thin stunning actress, because that wouldn't make sense.  Casting did a good job for Elizabeth Banks as well and the world of the districts was incredible to see with all the colors, costumes and make-up applied to so many extras.  It's crazy to think of how many people had to be cast in this movie to fill it out!

Overall, I liked the movie and am looking forward to the second one and I'm hoping there will be more of a story and that it won't feel so rushed.  I don't mind watching a long movie and having an additional hour for this first movie would have given the actors and crew involved a better chance to tell more of a story and give the viewer a better understanding of "The Hunger Games."

Classic Movies

I can't believe it's already December!  It feels like it was just Halloween and before that, that it was still Summer and Hurricane Harbor season, and before that Springtime in LA, but alas, the Holiday's are upon us, and that means Christmas shopping, Hot Chocolate, time with Family and plenty of traveling.  I've been busy with work lately and on my nights off I've been watching classic movies!

Classic Birthday Princess on my 26th Birthday

A couple weeks ago I saw 'The Princess Bride' for the first time ever!  I have to admit Cary Elwes was very handsome at that time and perfect to play the Prince.  I read the book a long time ago and wasn't all that into it and as I watched the movie, I kind of felt the same way.  Perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood for it, but it reminded me of 'Labyrinth' which is also a classic Fantasy movie and one I watched so many times as a child and that I fell in love with.  I loved it so much as a kid that I recorded the music onto a tape so I could listen to it when I didn't have the VHS Tape rented from the Library.  My cousin, Katie, and I used to joke about who was going to marry David Bowie, because he was so good-looking.  Apparently, I l still like my guys wearing make-up and tight pants ;)  Just kidding!  But I still enjoy watching that movie even today, and consider it one of my favorite's!  I'll give 'The Princess Bride' another shot, and maybe this year with Katie's kids because they're just about the age when I first saw 'Labyrinth!'

Last week, I watched 'Gone With the Wind' for the first time in about 10 years since I saw it when I was recovering from getting my tonsils taken out.  I was on Percocet at the time so I don't remember it all that much, just that there was a lot about the war, but I didn't realize how brilliant the story was.  The movie was on AMC over the Thanksgiving weekend and as I watched the movie this time around I actually really enjoyed it; everything from the beautiful costumes and dresses that Scarlett wore (especially the famous and gorgeous red dress she wore to the Birthday Party), to the relationships between everyone in the movie, and the storyline.  It killed me to see Scarlett in love with Ashley when he never loved anyone but Melanie and Rhett loved her the entire time.  Of course, I was sad to see the movie end without the love story, but happy to see a strong female character.  I love watching movies like this and then reading the Trivia Facts on IMDB and finding out interesting facts...yes, I'm a nerd.  I am actually looking forward to watching this movie again in the near future to pick up more of it the next time around!

Tonight I watched 'Lady and the Tramp' and didn't realize this movie was released in 1955 and had some of the same voices from 'Sleeping Beauty' which is my favorite Disney movie.  I haven't seen this movie in a long time but I remembered thinking how cute Lady was as a puppy and was reminded of that in the opening 10 minutes of the movie.  It actually makes me really sad to think about how animals feel when someone's not around, or when a couple has a baby, do dogs really notice it and feel left out?  And I hate those darn Siamese cats...perhaps that's why cats are still not my cup of tea, even today.  My whole life growing up, my family has had Cocker Spaniel's and they're such pretty dogs.  This is definitely a classic Disney movie worth seeing again!

Now, if only there was snow outside on the ground and I was snuggled up in a blanket with a fire going, this would be the perfect December day :)

The 5 Year Spectacled Beatle

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

My new specs B)

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

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

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

Reunions, Rehearsal & Running

This week has been so busy and creative for me!  I started last weekend off by performing a couple songs with Neil at Universal Bar & Grill, rehearsing a Shakespeare piece all weekend and auditioning with it on Monday and attending a Movie Screening that night.  The week continued with Karaoke and rehearsal for my Casting Workshop on Saturday.  The life of an actress and entertainer, and I wouldn't change one bit of it!

Yesterday afternoon, Neil invited me to see a Press Screening of 'American Reunion.'  'American Pie' came out over 10 years ago, and they continued with sequels, and now 13 years later, have a Reunion.  Dale and a couple of his friends were at the screening because one of them was in the movie, so we all sat together, yay!  It's crazy to see how much these actors have grown throughout the years; some still look almost exactly the same and others have completely changed.  I have to say I really love Alyson Hannigan, ever since I started watching her on 'How I Met Your Mother,' she's just fantastic!  I thought Chris Klein looked awesome, he must have gotten in crazy shape, because he looks great.  Even Tara Reid looked really pretty and put together and I loved her style throughout the movie.  Overall, I laughed out loud a couple times, there was some gross humor, but also some great moments for each actor, so it was nice to see some range from them, rather than just comedy the whole movie.  

After the screening Neil came over to help me rehearse for my Workshop.  We had rehearsed on Tuesday, but last night was much more in depth.  We really got into my character and gave her some different intentions.  I love doing Meisner, so Neil had me do a couple different techniques and it just brought me in Carrie to life. There's so many different ways I can play the role, completely comedic, angry, flirty, and I think we found the perfect blend of everything to keep her interesting.  Now I just have to hope that the Casting Director thinks so!  I'm a firm believer in making sure you don't over-rehearse, but since we've been changing the style of it, it doesn't feel boring or over-done, it feels like we're perfecting it.  Aside from going over my lines for the next day, I feel very prepared for the best I can be on Saturday.

Today I had an Audition for a Sporting Company Commercial.  Of course, I found this out after eating 3 pieces of roast beef and mushroom ravioli.  Normally, I would have made sure to stay away from salt and anything heavy or fatty.  Oh well, at least it gave me something to burn off!  The audition was in a park in Hollywood, because we were told to be dressed as a serious runner, short shorts, midriff top, serious tennis shoes, with whatever gear we use when we run.  This morning when I got up, it was completely overcast and grey outside; I was actually worried they were going to cancel the audition, so needless to say, running around in Summer clothes in 55 degree dark weather, was definitely chilly!  I wasn't necessarily looking forward to it, but I had to follow the instructions, which is why when I got to the audition and saw 3 girls already there, in long shorts and full tank tops, I had to wonder if they read the instructions and just didn't care, or weren't paying attention at all?  Once I filled out my paperwork, I stretched for a little bit, and then it was my turn, all alone.  I slated and told them about my running and athletic experience, and then I ran a couple laps around the park, that were all filmed.  I couldn't help but smiling as I was running (which is probably also the cheerleader in me, smile through it all) and in less than 5 minutes we were done.  Short and painless.  And I didn't even notice the cold!!

It's going to be a weekend of madness ahead of me, but I can't wait!  

To see my previously mentioned performance with Neil, here's a video of 'Living On A Prayer' from last Friday Night's Show at Universal Bar & Grill!  Enjoy :)

Dragons, Jersey Shore, Downward Dog, and Music...OH MY!

Oh Monday, the start of the week, and it's going to be busy.  I couldn't be happier!

I headed off to my Audition in Burbank on Monday morning prepared, as a snobby girlfriend, who paraded herself in front of the boys, with a good back-story and everything I needed to rock my audition.  This audition was for '1000 Ways to Die' which I had worked on in 2010, but currently, my episode has yet to air.  I was hoping this time I would be cast, and finally have my Spike TV debut.  After about 10 minutes in the waiting area, I was called in for my audition, which was going to be all improv, and it definitely was!  I looked a little more 'Jersey Shore' than the Casting Director had expected and a quick change was made to my audition, and all my original thoughts and ideas were thrown out the window to be a Reality Star who owned her own Tanning Salon, a-la Snookie.  I think it's weird for my family to think that I could be ethnic looking, as they see me as their 'Little Lyndsey,' who is Irish and German (technically Luxembourg,) while in Hollywood, I could be Middle Eastern like Kim Kardashian, Italian/Spanish looking like Penelope Cruz, the cast of Jersey Shore, or Michelle Rodriguez, and even Jewish, like Mila Kunis or Lizzy Caplan, in which I've heard a reference before.  Needless to say, the quick change flustered me, and I felt like I didn't audition at my best ability.  I am glad to say, it's been a long time since I've felt that way, but frustrated that I was unable to rock the audition like I had planned.

Instead of letting the audition eat away at me all day, I'm lucky it was my day for Yoga.  I went in with a heavy mind and was able to leave a little more at ease with the days events.  After Yoga, I was starving so I went home and cooked up a nice pasta dish and decided on watching 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.'  First off...it took almost an hour to get into the movie for me, which at that point, hit a very graphic turn, and would cause most to turn it off at that point, but sucked me in to find out what was going to happen.  Thank goodness for IMDB, because I was able to follow along on the Plot Analysis, because I felt like the dialogue was very quiet, a little muffled, and hard to understand with the accents, not to mention, all the Swedish names made it confusing as to figure out whom the actors were talking about.  I actually look forward to watching the original movie with the subtitled Swedish.  Overall, I feel it's one of those movies you'll understand and like more as you watch it and more than once, although I think the average person will quickly move on past the graphic scenes as they are terrifying.  I definitely want to see it again, and look forward to the original movie.

So as the day started off rocky, and moved into a peaceful state, and yet again back to a hyper-sensitive state, I went into Venice to see Neil at Trip Bar on Lincoln Blvd.  We got there around 9:30 pm and literally, doubled the amount of people in the only Wine and Beer Bar.  Neil was able to play a full hour set, and while he was overcoming a case of Bronchitis, he rocked it out for a bunch of people that showed up to see him play!  The sound quality in the bar and his vocals were incredible as he played new songs and old, along with a great version of 'More Than a Woman' by the Bee Gee's, and yet finally, my 'Everlong' by the Foo Fighters.  Trip is definitely a great bar to check out local musicians as well as sporting events and new beers!

This weekend literally knocked me out, and I was so glad to crawl into my comfy bed and get a good night's sleep that night...finally :)

3D Mermaids in Bathtubs

Wow...the end of last week and weekend just flew by, so much in fact I'm going to post multiple blogs today because not only was it a busy weekend but a very creative one at that!

Thursday night I was pleasantly surprised with tickets to see 'Beauty and the Beast' in 3D.  I have never seen a 3D movie so it was something new and exciting for me to experience.  I haven't seen this Disney movie in years, but still remembered most of the lines and all of the songs throughout the show.  It's interesting to think how the designers work on a movie that's been on DVD for almost 20 years and how they make it 3D.  Clearly, it's the new 'it' thing as 'Titanic' will be done later this year, (I'm definitely seeing that) as well as 'Star Wars' being worked on as well.  I think the most obvious 3D effects were the weather conditions as there's a ton of rain throughout the movie, which was really neat to see, and of course I loved the snow.  I didn't feel like it was overly done but had some great touches that enhanced an already great Disney movie!  The only negative aspect of the 3D experience was the 3D butter and white cheddar topping I put on my popcorn...I over-did it, and that's hard for me to say!

Friday was an incredibly busy day because I had 2 auditions, errands, and Karaoke later at night.  My first audition was in Sherman Oaks and was for a bank.  Auditioning for the role of a know-it-all wife, I had to sit in a bathtub while blow-drying my hair, and then was allowed to improv on my last line.  I read 3 times and had a great one-liner, where even the Casting Director said, 'Wisconsin, you're funny.'  Even if I don't get the role, that's compliment enough for me!

Then I was off to Santa Monica for my "Little Mermaid" callback.  I got there early and was able to sing two songs, my original audition song, 'Baby Love' was first.  Then I did a scene from the Disney Movie and felt like I was able to show my range because it was a longer scene so I could show different emotions.  When my audition was done, I asked if there was anything else they wanted to see, and could I sing a different song, perhaps one from "Little Mermaid" and they said yes, so I sang 'Part of Your World.'  I felt my call-back was stronger than my audition!

I ran a couple errands and then met up with my friend Khad for a late lunch/early dinner.  He's Vegan, and always introduces me to new places to check out.  I've become a huge fan of Green Peas thanks to him, and haven't been there in months so I was looking forward to it.  Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations, bummer at the time, but exciting for future visits, so we decided on Vegan LA, for which I had never been.  I had an amazing Thai Curry with Vegetables and Grilled Tofu, which was huge and awesome; I was able to take half of it home with me.  I finished my dinner off with Vegan Carrot Cake.  It was a little dense and not as flavorful as I was hoping, but was still good.

After an incredibly busy day I made my way to Gabe's to Host Karaoke.  At Karaoke, Marcus and I decided to play a little game in which we use a word from our previous song to direct us to our next song.  He chose the word 'Dust' so all his songs had 'Dust' in the title.  My original song was 'Don't Stop' by Fleetwood Mac, so I sang 'Nothing's Gonna Stop us Now' by Jefferson Starship which also kept up with my New Year's Resolution, and then chose 'Never Gonna Give You Up,' by Rick Astley, which is one of my favorite 80's songs, and another new song for me.  Overall, it was a busy and very fun night with visits from good friends!

Even after a long day, I missed one of my favorite girls and talked to her till almost 5 am and headed to bed shortly after.  Good thing her boyfriend lives in my building, and it's just a walk down the hallway to bed for me!

I wouldn't change a day like this for the world.  This is what I am in LA for, to pursue my career in Acting and I couldn't be happier.