Leather & Lace

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

Jonathan & I at Gabe's

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

  

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

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

My First Beer Commercial Audition!

Two auditions in one day?  Yes, please!

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Screen Test & Maxim Event

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

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

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

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

Maxim E3 Party at Skybar in Hollywood

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

Organizing my closet!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mom's Visit to LA

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mom & I at The Redwood for Bobby's Show

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

A Live Music Weekend

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

Mom & I at Redwood Bar with The Hussy

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

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

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

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

Gemini's Pool Party ;)

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

Fitness Muppets

On Wednesday I had a Fitness Audition!  I worked with Chako on the Barry's Bootcamp Fitness videos I did years ago and she called to see if I was available for the Wednesday Audition for Body By Jake.  I was really excited to be going to a Fitness Audition and even more happy that Mom was going to be able to come with me since she was visiting this past week.

The Audition was in Brentwood and as we were walking to the building I ran into Anne, whom I worked with on past Barry's Bootcamp videos.  It would be awesome if we could work together again.  She's got great energy is such a positive person.  It was great to see her if even for a few minutes!  When Mom and I got up to the suite I signed in and filled out my paperwork.  There were a few other girls in the waiting area and more walked in as I was filling out my paperwork.  After about 15 minutes Chako came to get 3 of us for the next group and gave me a hug and we were off to the audition room.

Jake was actually sitting in on auditions so we all got to meet him and he was very friendly!  He definitely had a charisma about him.  Then we met the trainer whom I recognized from doing Exercise TV work-outs in the past.  The Audition was performing 3 different exercises, starting with marching in place, then a step bicep curl, squats, and finally a triceps extension using a resistance band that gets clipped through a shoelace hole on your sneakers.  Chako told me earlier in the week that this video was going to be a breeze compared to our Barry videos so I was looking forward to that as well!  There were a few other people in the room watching us as we did the exercises.  We only did them once through with music and were told to show personality and keep the energy high.  After the exercises we took photos and that was it.  I thanked everyone in the room and met Mom out in the lobby.

I definitely felt like the audition went well!  I knew I had a lot of energy, was very smiley and out-going.  Hopefully I'll hear from them this week :)  And if I'm not in this video, something else in the future.  Chako told me they had lots coming up this Summer so finger's crossed!

That evening I hosted Karaoke at Gabe's and Mom accompanied me there as well.  The night got started right away and it ended up being a busy night, lots of friends coming in to visit and meet me my Mom or hang out with us.  There was finally a Double Entendre performance of 'Man or Muppet' which was quite exciting.  There were a few duets, lots of great singers and songs, and even some requests from Mom.  My new song of the night was Linda Ronstadt's 'When Will I Be Loved' which always reminds me of Elisabeth Shue singing that in "Cocktail."  I've actually never heard the verses to it, just the chorus, so it made it entertaining and fun.  I was more excited to sing 'Don't' by Jewel because I know Mom likes that song and I dedicated it to her.  By the time I finished the song she had tears in her eyes, gave me a big hug, and said it was really pretty.  YAY!  Debbie even tried to get my Mom dancing while she sang!  I was glad I had some friends come and visit and we all had a really great night!