Catwoman for a 'SuperSHEro Show' and Party!

This past Sunday I got to be Catwoman for Creating Arts Company.  It was Lielle's 7th Birthday so Shannon wrote a show just for her, including all the characters she wanted, songs and more!  A SuperSHEro is a female Superhero and we were all very excited to celebrate with Lielle and her friends!

With the beautiful gold mask!

The SuperSHEroes were Batgirl, Bumblebee, Wonder Woman, Super Girl, and Hawk Girl, while the Villian's were myself as Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn!  We got the kids up and dancing like we usually do and I sang 'Stressed Out' by 21 Pilots for my entrance into the party.  Of course, by the time we get to the end of the show, it's all about the dancing, so we sang 'Celebration,' 'Uptown Funk' and 'Happy.'

After we finished the show we played games with the party guests.  Then it was time for the real party so the parents had a Pizza Party going for Lielle and her friends upstairs.  We all sang Happy Birthday (got to partake in the yummy food as well) and then said Goodbye to Lielle and her friends.  

One little girl told me a joke and said I was 'Cat-Tastic' and that is probably my favorite part of these shows.  It's the interaction with the kids after and getting to talk to them that's so awesome  Some of the kids are far more talkative than others but it's the ones you bring out of their shells that make my heart melt.  Especially when you make them change their mind about you!  As a villain, it's easy to scare off the kids, so when you can bring them back to your side, you've won them over :)

Catwoman for a day...meow!

As always, I look forward to my next Children's Show with Creating Arts and hopefully it'll be soon!

Easter Sunday :D

It was a long-awaited Easter as I noticed I was eating far more cookies this year since I couldn't eat candy, and although giving up soda was fairly easy and I enjoyed drinking more water and my skin reaped the benefits (Jennifer Aniston knows what she's talking about), I was stoked when I finished up my shift at Bar Lubitsch on late Saturday night/Sunday morning and ate a piece of Ginger Candy.  Sigh.  I missed those little pieces of goodness!

Bungalow Shenanigans with Ash & Raph

I got up early on Sunday morning to go to Church on Easter with Samantha (so glad she came with me), I got in a quick work-out and then got ready to meet Ashley and her friend, Raph, in Santa Monica at The Misfit for Brunch.  After having our first cocktail we decided to get the Punch Bowl of Pimm's Cup since we were making a day of the festivities.  For Lunch, I ordered the Asparagus Soup along with the Prime Rib Sandwich, while Ashley got the Chicken Tortilla Soup and Crispy Chicken Sandwich (lettuce-wrapped to Raph's dismay) and Raph go the Burger.  I have to agree with Raph and our Bartender, Dave, that the Crispy Chicken was absolutely amazing and what I'll be ordering next time.  I did love my sandwich too, but my soup even more!  They also had these Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies that were to die for and paired perfectly with my Double Espresso.  I'm pretty sure that we all had at least 3 or 4...or 5...

The Sunset on a sensational Easter <3

We then headed over to Bungalow (a special thanks to Alana for hooking us up with some drinks throughout the day) and we actually had a really great time!  I'm usually pretty anti-Bungalow because it's normally packed to the max, the drinks are ridiculously over-priced, and the people (for the most part) are pretty douchey.  We had a good crew meeting up with us and found a secluded spot on the patio with a table and few chairs and all of us had a blast!  The rest of the night we bar-hopped in Santa Monica, hitting up The Basement, Rick's Tavern where Dave, Garet, and I did some Karaoke, and closed off the night at JP's.

It was a day full of new places and food.  I had never been to The Misfit and always wanted to go ever since Creating Arts Company had been putting on shows in Santa Monica and I'd walk by and see the busy bar and patio.  All the bars on Main Street in Santa Monica were new to me too, so I've already gotten a great start on my New Year's Resolution for April!  It was truly a great Easter with friends and one of the best I've had since moving to LA <3

Wifey's Birthday!!

I've known Meggan since college at Winona State University.  She was also involved in Theater and we got cast as a lesbian couple in "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told."  It was one of the best acting experiences of my life and our friendship is a result of that wonderful show that brought our entire cast together.

Stout Burger.  Need it now.

Meggan lives in Portland with her boyfriend, Nick, who is from Los Angeles.  Meggan lived here in LA for a few years, we caused some trouble and had a lot of fun together and a couple years ago they picked up and moved to Portland.  They do come down for visits and decided her Birthday weekend would be one of them.  I missed her the last time she was in town so there was no way I was going to miss this opportunity!

Meggan & I at her Birthday Party!

We made plans to have Lunch at Stout in Santa Monica.  It was so exciting to see my 'Wife' and just catch up with her and Nick.  He's got his own bar in Portland, The Richmond Bar, that's causing quite a stir with it's awesomeness!  The Burger was amazing but the company was better.  We all walked around Santa Monica for a little bit but Nick went to run some errands so she could get a manicure and we could have girl time.  Since I was reading in Church and then had work so I didn't think I was going to be able to make her actual Birthday Party and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

Lucky for me, I swapped things around and was able to surprise her at the party.  The party had a Mariachi Band, two bars, were serving food that was catered from Gjelina, and was at this beautiful home in Venice.  I think the kids at this party were wearing clothes that cost more than my rent ;)  I even talked to Emmanuelle Chriqui for a minute!  All the boys in college had a huge crush on her during her "Entourage" days so I was even having a moment.  Meggan's cousin also lives in LA and brought his guitar so later on we all gathered in a Tee-Pee (yes, there was a Tee Pee at this party) and he played some acoustic music for us.  It was so cool!

I was glad to be able to catch up and spend the day with her while she was here in LA for a short amount of time.  Even if we don't talk all that often, we never miss a beat and are right on track with each other.  She will always be my 'Wifey' and I'll always love her <3  Miss you already!!

Thenardier's Inn Extension :)

Showtime!

I've been a part of Creating Arts Studio's production 'Thenardier's Inn: A Les Miserables Cabaret' which is an immersive theater experience.  We opened back in November for a weekend, sold-out, so it got extended for two more weeks.  We sold out the show again and found out in December we would be re-opening for a second extension that would run for four weeks in January and end on Valentine's weekend.  Needless to say, all of us were so excited to be doing the show again as it's an absolute blast!  In fact, we had sold out before we even opened!

Although the cast has gotten a little smaller, the sound of our voices has grown, and we've made the show tighter, and also added more comedy and humor throughout.  We had a change of actors for some of the roles, created new cocktails for audience members to sip on during the show, and just really honed in on the story.

I just wanted to share some more photos from this run of the show and thank all of my friends who made it out to Santa Monica to see the magic we're creating!  Thanks to Nick, Sam, Scottie & Nicole, Michael & Jordan, Neil, and Khad & Heike for supporting the show and laughing with all of us during our second run :)

Jean Valjean, a Lovely Lady, and Fantine before the show!

I said it at intermission during our first show and I'll say it again now, I really hope we can do this for forever and right now we are! #notlesmisforever

Lovely Ladies!

To read more about the show check out my original blog from November right here: Thenardier's Inn - A Les Miserables Cabaret

Sunsets in Los Angeles

I can't believe I don't take advantage of watching the sunsets when I'm just 15 minutes from the ocean.  Maybe it's because I'm afraid of the birds, and not a huge fan of the sand either.  It's probably also because finding parking takes at least 15 minutes and then you're walking an additional mile or two just to get to the beach.  Wah wah, am I really complaining about that?  Needless to say, when I do get to see a sunset, I'm completely awestruck by the beauty and colors in the sky.  I need to do it more often!

A little over a week ago I went to the first pool party I had been to in a long time.  It was definitely more low-key than the typical pool parties I went to in Hollywood years ago and I was really happy about that.  I asked Courtney from Afterbuzz if she wanted to come along with me since we had never hung out aside from Hosting and was also meeting up with a friend, Mark, that I gone to school with for 13 years back in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and it was our first time catching up since High School.  It was a celebration for his friends who had just wrapped a movie, and the party was in the Hollywood Hills just off of Laurel Canyon.  Of course, the house was stunning, and there was plenty of food to eat, BBQ, all the fixings and sides, with awesome people but the best part was the sunset we got to watch.  Then later on, we saw the Valley light up, as it got dark outside and it was just gorgeous!

Yesterday I helped Neil film a scene for his music video that's coming out next week. We had to shoot in Santa Monica on the beach, with the Ferris Wheel in the background, and nice natural light.  After he scared all the pigeons away from the car so I could get out (who throws pretzels around in the parking lot), we did our scene in four short takes and then it was on to his.  It was a quick shoot, and I helped Neil film one of the verses for his song using the camera dolly as we walked down the strand.  I couldn't leave without getting a picture on the beach, so I grabbed my phone and had Neil snap a shot.  Little did I know that I'd get my silhouette with the rays of light coming off the sun, hitting the lens, and creating a really amazing picture.  It required no filter and brought magic to the beach :) 

I just wanted to share these photos with everyone; check out more on my Instagram, so give me a follow.  Find me on Instagram here! 

Dinner at BOA in Santa Monica

If you know me, you know I love steak; I am definitely a Wisconsin girl through and through.  Lucky for me, over the course of a month after my Birthday I got to have steak dinner's at three different restaurants with wonderful friends.  On my Birthday I had my first Mastro's experience thanks to my friend, Kristina!  A couple weeks after that Aimee, Andy, and I were able to hit up Ruth's Chris (my previous blog post) for Dine LA, and then a week later, it was catch-up time and Dinner at BOA in Santa Monica with Jamie!

We got seated at a table outside, literally steps from the beach and ocean at BOA in Santa Monica.  Jamie picked out a wine for us and we started our meal with the Tuna Tartare and Jamie had their table-side Caesar Salad which I tasted and was delicious.  We split the Center Cut Filet Mignon and got a side of Bamboo-Steamed Vegetables which had lemongrass (LOVE that flavor) as well as the Truffle & Parmesan Cauliflower.  I think the Cauliflower could have used more Truffle and Parmesan, but I always want more cheese.  The steak was perfectly-cooked at medium rare and I picked out Creamy Horseradish sauce on the side which just amped the steak up and was awesome!  There was no shortage of food and Dinner wouldn't have been complete without dessert.  We decided on the S'mores which was one of the hi-lights of the meal.  It was a dense fudge cake with a chocolate ice cream, graham cookies, and vanilla fluff.  I really miss vanilla fluff!!

It was so nice to catch up with a good friend and enjoy a great meal together.  We've had some fun food adventures together and this was another new restaurant to add to my list :)

*Just in case you missed it, you can read about my amazing experience at Mastro's here:  Mastro's Birthday Dinner!*

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 :)

Dine LA starts at La Vecchia!

One of my resolutions was to eat at new restaurants or try new Happy Hours at least once a month.  In trying new things, I hit up La Vecchia in Santa Monica last night for one of my favorite times of the year, Dine LA.  Restaurant Week comes twice a year for a week or two and I joke with friends that this is what I save money for; I don't need a new purse, or pair of heels, I want an incredible dining experience.  La Vecchia proved to be just right.

Dine LA is offered at restaurants throughout Los Angeles and it's a three-course prix fixe menu.  At lunch, and depending on the price of food and location, prices are $15, $20, or $25 and at dinner, they're $25, $35, or $45.  La Vecchia was $35 per person without tax and gratuity, and was a steal considering my entree alone was valued at $49!

Let's get to the food!  I started with the Insalta Di Burrata which was heirloom tomatoes, fresh burrata cheese, proscuitto, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and basil.  I've tried proscuitto in the past and I'm not really a big fan and after trying it again last night, I'm still not into it.  But the burrata, tomatoes, and basil were so fresh and delicious, that was all I wanted and it was very satisfying.

Look at that burrata!

For my second course I was debating on getting the Filet with a leek and mushroom port wine sauce but decided on a traditional Italian meal getting the Gnocchi Ai Funghi Porcini E Vitello Con Tartuffo.  Breaking that down, it was the fluffiest, tiny little delicious pillows of gnocchi which was house-made, porcini mushrooms and a cream sauce, with sauteed veal and fresh shaved Italian black winter truffles.  The Chef, Mark Mollica, came over to the table to check on the meal and said he didn't want to waste the truffle and would I mind if he shaved the rest onto my plate.  I know how valuable a truffle is so I certainly didn't want it to go to waste and appreciated every little bit of it.  I'm not totally sure but I believe this was my first time eating veal and while the pieces were pretty small, I thought it tasted similar to chicken.  Overall, the entree was absolutely fabulous.

So many truffles covering the perfect gnocchi...

Next up it was time for dessert.  I knew as soon as I had scoped out the place on-line I was ordering the Molten Chocolate Cake which really needs no description.  It was as incredible as you could dream it to be.  As soon as I spooned out my first piece, the chocolatey goodness melted out and it was the perfect way to end the meal!

Perfection.

My overall thoughts about the meal, ambiance, and staff, are good.  The food was excellent and the server was sweet and attentive.  She was from Wisconsin so I always have an instant connection with my Midwestern peeps.  I thought it was great that the Chef came out to check on the meal and topped off my plate with extra truffles.  Plus, his presentation was impeccable.  Because it was extremely busy as this was the first day for Dine LA, the restaurant was packed, and you were sitting pretty close to the neighboring tables.  When I go again, I'll request the table right next to the front window.  Initially, there was no Host, but I believe it was the Manager who came over, and said he'd be back in five minutes.  I had made a reservation so I wish he would have asked right away versus brushing us off, and I watched the two women who had come in after me, stand waiting at the front door for at least five minutes more before they were seated.  Later on I had another conversation with him after the restaurant had almost emptied out and he was a little abrupt and not very friendly which was slightly disappointing but that wouldn't stop me from coming back.

This sets the bar for the rest of my Dine LA experiences this week and it's going to be tough to match :)