Alaina Huffman & Lisa Berry at Afterbuzz TV

I was so excited to be back and Hosting at Afterbuzz TV after the 'Supernatural' Winter Break and even more so when Ruth Connell had introduced me to some of her friends from the show that were able to take some time and chat with me at the studio!  

In late January I had the pleasure of Hosting my 'Supernatural' Aftershow with guests Alaina Huffman (Abbadon) and Lisa Berry (Billie The Reaper)!  Abbadon has been one of my favorite villains in the show; a strong, fiery red-head that's been killed more times than she can count, but was loved by all the fans.  Billie is new to this season and the fans as well as myself are excited to learn more about her character as this season continues.  Reapers always have interesting story-lines and Tessa's was around for a few seasons, hopefully the same will be true for Billie.

Alaina, Lisa, and I at Afterbuzz

We had a really great show, talking about the current week's episode, along with some fun facts about what it's like on-set, how they deal with love scenes, Jensen & Jared, picking out your children's names, what both of them are working on (Lisa is the voice of a new comic for Wonder Woman) and more.  You can see our entire episode right here!

I really look forward to having the ladies back in the studio with me...it's so great to hear their thoughts on the series, stories about their characters, as well as their predictions.  Plus, the fans always enjoy the insider perspective as do I!  Stay tuned!

December & January Karaoke

Since I was home for most of December I only had one week of Karaoke at Gabe's that month and I figured I'd do a quick post and catch up with last month's Karaoke as well!

Pat Benatar "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"

The Fugee's "Killing Me Softly"
Tom Petty "American Girl"

Edwin McCain "I'll Be"

Fuel "Falls On Me"

Colbie Callait & Jason Mraz "Lucky"

The Eurythmics "Here Comes The Rain"

Wilson Phillips "Hold On"

Natalie Merchant "Wonder"

Lionel Richie "Penny Lover"

Pat Benatar "Treat Me Right"

Tracy Chapman "Give Me One Reason"

David Bowie "Rebel Rebel"

Pat Benatar "Love is a Battlefield"

Gretchen Wilson "Redneck Woman"

Journey "Faithfully"

Nickelback "How You Remind Me"

Fleetwood Mac "Gold Dust Woman"

Pat Benatar "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"

Shania Twain "That Don't Impress Me Much"

Counting Crows "Mr. Jones"

Taylor Swift "Blank Space"

Jewel "Don't"

Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta "You're The One That I Want"

As a big fan of Tom Petty, I thought I'd try "American Girl" as my new song that week.  "You Got Lucky" is my personal favorite but "American Girl" is much more upbeat and fun!  When I came back from my time in Wisconsin, it was back to work at Gabe's that next day in January.  In honor of my Mom I closed out the night with my new song, "Penny Lover," which we used to dance to when I was a little girl.  It's one of the first memories I have of her and I together.  Since David Bowie passed on that following week I decided I had to pay homage to him with at least one song so I did "Rebel Rebel" since we didn't have any songs from 'Labyrinth.'  The next week I sang Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" which was actually fun to sing and everyone sang along with it!  I closed out the month with "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift and it was another sing-a-long!  I loved all of my new songs for those weeks but would practice the Taylor Swift song just a little more to be prepped for it!

January was a pretty busy month overall, with lots of people coming in and visiting.  It was nice to be back to work after a long break.  And I'm super thankful for Jamie, since she covered my shifts while I was gone and I heard only great things about her Hosting!  Thanks Seester :)

Dine LA Week

I love checking out new restaurants during Dine LA!  I was able to hit up a few different places at the end of January and look forward to going back to them in the future!

The Roof on Wilshire was my first Dine LA experience this last month and Aimee & Andy came with me.  It was a little bit rainy but the roof had covered tables and heat lamps so it ended up being perfectly fine.  The view was beautiful and we were all excited for Dinner.  I started with the Shells & Cheese while Aimee & Andy got the Brussels Sprouts.  Both appetizers were really big and enough for all three of us to share but I was hungry so I didn't mind.  I ordered the Bowl of Goodness with Shrimp that had Avocado, Quinoa, Siracha, Beans, and more.  It was so much food that I took over half of it home with me.  It was definitely spicy but everything worked really well together!  I finished off the meal with the S'mores Cheesecake which was really yummy and had a marshmallow melted on top.  On top of the three courses for $29 they also offered a cocktail of your choice so I decided on the Vodka Martini with Cucumber & Mint and it was delicious and refreshing!  I had enough leftover food for Dinner the next day!

The following week Jamie and I checked out Terrine which was just outside of West Hollywood and their outdoor patio where we sat was beautiful.  We stuck with the Dine LA menu but also added The Beef Tartare which was my first raw beef adventure and that was good.  I started with the Lobster Bisque which was nice but I loved the Truffle Agnolotti that Jamie ordered, perfect pillows, in a beautiful sauce that I wanted seconds and thirds!  We both decided on the Wagyu Beef Short Rib and that was incredible and tender; it was served with a Brown Butter Pomme Puree that was one of my favorite parts of the meal!  You can't go wrong with Brown Butter!  I decided on the Sticky Toffee Pudding for Dessert and it was a perfect end to the meal.  Their three courses were $39 and well worth it!

The Dine LA Menu at Terrine...Beef Tartare & Sticky Toffee Pudding

Jamie and I also had plans to check out one more place but decided to do some Happy Hour hopping around Beverly Hills instead and ended up spending $30 on a three-course meal with tax and tip!  We did good.  We started off at Crustacean and had to order the Garlic Noodles as these are noodles that dreams are made of!  I also got a no-carb burger which was served with cut green beans.  That was ok but the noodles always raise the bar!  We then walked over to Wolfgang Steakhouse and while Jamie got the Ribs I got the Steak Sliders which came with French Fries.  The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and served with a horseradish sauce that was awesome.  I was really proud of our Beverly Hills Happy Hour dinner on a budget :)

I can't wait to go back to The Roof on Wilshire, especially when the sun is setting; it'll have a stunning view.  I'd like to go back to Terrine as well and try some other things off the menu.  Jamie really encourages me to try things that scare me, so she's the perfect date in situations like that!  I've already been back to Wolfgang since going with Jamie and had more delicious food there so that was fantastic!  Three new places for the win! 

To see more photos from Dine LA or if you want to check out my Food Adventures follow me on Instagram: Lyndsey Wegner on IG 

Resolutions and Goals for 2016

This year has already been life-changing, difficult, and positive, all wrapped into one.  I'm hoping the drive that I started 2016 with to make progressions in my career continues, that my new philosophy on life takes exciting direction, that my family and I continue to grow closer together as we've already built stronger bonds of love, that I experiment in the Kitchen and make at least one new dish a month, and that I make my Mom proud in my decisions and choices.

Last year I wanted to do something every day that scared me; I like to think that I did that but I'm sure there were days that I felt fearful about something and let that fear take over.  It's natural and as long as I know that from fear comes growth, I just have to challenge myself and be daring.

'You had the power all along, my Dear.' ~ Glinda

I also wanted to be more patient and polite with Customer Service Representatives and Bar Patrons.  I definitely feel like I kept true to that and I will certainly continue to maintain a positive outlook and try to be patient in moments of frustration.  In November I actually started a 'No Complaints' Challenge that was supposed to be seven days...it went on much longer and I was able to keep up with it.  I plan on starting that again since I was really happy doing it and it seemed to positively affect the people around me and inspire them to get involved :)  In addition to that, I also spent some time Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and would like to find some opportunities to volunteer throughout LA!

For the past few years I've made sure to try new restaurants and Happy Hours all over at least once a month.  Dine LA makes that easy since there's so many restaurants throughout Los Angeles and many of them offer a three-course menu for a discounted price.  Plus, there's always a new Happy Hour spot popping up somewhere!  I also wanted to get out of town more often and was able to get back to Wisconsin in September, Palm Springs in July, Arizona in April, and Solvang a couple times as well.

I advanced my career at Afterbuzz TV now taking on Segment Producer for our 'Supernatural' Aftershow.  I took over the role of Madame Thenardier in August for the rest of the run of 'Thenardier's Inn - A Les Miserables Cabaret,' where I'd been playing a Lovely Lady since November of 2014, started doing Improv again with our Theater Company, CAC, and also did a few other projects throughout the year.  When you look back on the past year, it's interesting to see all the strides you've made in the right direction and know they are milestones now.

Cheers to another exciting year of adventure, career challenges, love and fun surrounded by positive influences!

Bake My Day!

Ashley and I work together at Bar Lubitsch.  I've known her for over three years and not only is she a wonderful Bartender and Friend she's an incredibly talented Host who is very well-known in the On-line Cooking Community as she's had multiple shows airing on YouTube, Snapchat, and also Verizon.  Ashley invited her other friend, Nicole (who also works at Lubitsch with us) and I to be a part of her 'Bake My Day' show presented on YouTube and sponsored by Nestle Tollhouse.

We filmed at the end of Summer for a Thanksgiving-themed episode where Ashley was baking White Chocolate Pumpkin Macadamia Nut Cookies.  We talked about 'Friendsgiving' which I've become quite familiar with out here in LA since I usually go home for Christmas, so getting back to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving was out of the question.  I certainly wish I would have gone home for it this past year...I'm sorry I couldn't surprise you like you wanted me to, Mom, but I'm really glad I was able to talk to you and tell you how thankful I was for you.  'Friendsgiving' is where your friends get together and celebrate the Holiday with some of the traditional fixings while bringing new treats into the mix as well.

It was such a fun day on-set, joking around with the girls, eating some tasty cookies, and celebrating Thanksgiving just a couple months early.  Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday because it's about being thankful, spending time with family and friends, and is one Holiday that is pretty much all about the food!  And you all know how much I love to eat :D

Check out our episode posted above and I hope that you decide to try some White Chocolate Pumpkin Macadamia Nut Cookies on your own...but don't eat all the chips like I do!

Heaven Gained an Angel

I apologize for my sudden disappearance here on my blog...my life completely changed over a month ago.  Early Saturday morning on December 5th, my Mom was hit by a car in which the driver lost control on the icy road, and she killed about 50 feet from our driveway in Wisconsin as she was nearly home from her twice daily walk.  She was young, she was healthy, she had plenty of life to live, and she was my best friend.  I obviously wasn't in a place to write here or be creative partially because I was so busy helping my family, spending time with all of them, taking on the daily tasks that my Mom did, and trying to understand why this could happen to someone so wonderful.  I know that everything happens for a reason, our life is predestined for us, and that God must have needed her in Heaven more than we needed her here on Earth.  But that certainly doesn't make the days, hours, or minutes go by any easier.  I miss her more than I ever thought was imaginable.  I talked to her nearly every day on the phone and sometimes twice a day or more.  I'd call to tell her what my plans were for the day, if I was going out, when I was heading to work and had some time to talk, when I was waiting between auditions, to find out what she and Dad had planned for the night, how her job was going, excited about when we'd get to see each other next, about guys and going on dates, and pretty much everything else.  I could tell her almost anything, gave far too many details at times, but I know she always appreciated that honesty, and that was important.  I've been trying to take things one day at a time, while some are easier than others, that last month while I was back in Wisconsin was really just a blur of emotions and emptiness.  The last two weeks here in LA have been jam-packed, which has really been great.  My friends have kept me so busy and booked all my time between all of my jobs so that I have something to do.  The support from everyone has been unwavering and appreciated beyond any words that I could say.  Thank you everyone for your patience, support, love, and kind words; they have helped me through this time and will continue to do so as the days, months, and years go by.  Thank you to my readers for allowing me a safe space to share my life and moments with all of you. 

My Mom meant so much to so many people and I'm grateful to be her forever little girl.  I pray for strength every day...I love and miss you, Mommy <3

Life Changes...

If I hadn't already realized it on the day that I got my new tattoo in November, I definitely know that life changes in the blink of an eye.  I tend to get a new tattoo after a major realization and I love the ink that I got at Black Diamond Tattoo!

It's got the three Heavenly Virtues, Faith, Hope & Love, and is concentrated on Hope as an Anchor.  Hebrews 6:19 (also my Birthday, June 19th) talks about Hope anchoring the Soul and I refuse to sink.  Justin Jakus did the tattoo in under an hour from design to execution and it turned out beautifully.  I'm so glad he was able to bring my dream to life.  

I did write a Yelp review for Black Diamond Tattoo in Venice if you're interested in checking out the Shop or seeing more of Justin's work!  He gets raving reviews for a reason :)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/black-diamond-tattoo-venice-3?hrid=Gxpbj1ARoWB8uosJDyPXdg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Special thanks to my roommate for coming with me to hold my hand in case I got nervous.  Justin had the lightest touch, so I barely felt a thing!  I'll definitely go back to Black Diamond for my next tattoo but I know my family hopes that's not for quite some time...I still haven't completely convinced them on my little moments of rebellion and freedom ;)