Picture Time!

Last night I Hosted Karaoke at Gabe's and it was by far one of my busiest shifts in the past year.  Even I have to admit, while I'm normally very accommodating and patient, for some reason, last night, that was being tested.  Apparently, I should have done Yoga before I went to work!  I'm not going to get into details and complain because that does no good; constructively, I'll be more prepared the next time I'm feeling like that, take a deep breath, and smile.  How people treat you is their karma, how you react is yours.  Since it was such a crazy night, and we had a Birthday as well, everyone was singing!  I actually didn't sing very much because I wanted to keep things moving as quickly as possible, so my new song of the night was 'Sweet Dreams' by The Eurythmics, which I realized was extremely repetitive, but one of the few songs I could try since I've had a cold for the past week and my voice was giving out.  I was just happy I could try something new!  When I got home I went straight to bed because I had a Photo Shoot on Saturday in Downtown LA.

I was glad I had started to set out my clothes and options for the shoot on Saturday already on Friday night so I wouldn't be rummaging around last minute trying to figure out what to bring or wear.  We were shooting Headshots and I wanted to shoot some styles I hadn't done before, Business, Business Casual, Country Girl, along with some Commercial and Theatrical shots.  It was super hot, so I packed a pair of shorts as well, along with some jeans and slacks, my heels and wedges.  I was even bringing my glasses so I could do some of the photos with them as well.  I was shooting with my friend, Alex, who I shot a Short Film with years ago, so I knew we would have a lot of fun.  So Saturday morning after I showered, had straightened my hair, and did my make-up, I was on my way to Downtown LA!

When I got to Alex's apartment we went through my wardrobe options and after picking out some choices were on our way to our first location.  It was kind of hipster/artsy with wooden planks that had some graffiti on them and we shot two different outfits there, and 4 different looks.  Then we were off to our 2nd locations which was near an overpass in a more industrial area, where we shot 2 different outfits.  It was more windy but we got some really great shots.  While we're shooting, I'm going through a story in my head, so my eyes don't look blank.  I have ideas, thoughts, (pertaining to the shoot, running through my head) and am making sure that I'm moving or changing with every click of the camera.  So while we were at our first location, I was shooting in a flannel along the graffiti wall, with my glasses and was thinking about how I was an Art Design student, enjoying the afternoon, but was on my way to grab coffee and do some work at an outdoor cafe.  What can I be cast-able in?  When you think it, you become it, you live it; as an actor.  Our third location was the Walt Disney Hall where we shot against the silver building 3 different business attire looks.  With and without glasses, wearing a pony-tail, looking like an angry boss lady, or perky president.  We even got in a few Kim Kardashian style shots in one of my tops.  

The whole shoot lasted just about 2 hours and we got almost 200 photos; so I will have tons of choices and pictures to look through.  Alex put them on a disc for me, and I knew I would be editing all night tonight :)  So I've been working on them for a couple hours and decided to take a little break to write a blog and then it's going to be back to Photoshop for me!  Nothing crazy, I usually like to work with the contrast or levels a little, and fix any make-up flakes or blemishes.  Headshots have to look like you, so you can't do anything more than enhancing an already great picture, hopefully!

From today's shoot with Alex!

Ta ta for now...it's back to work...

What's for Dinner? Part 8.

Sometimes you'll see me using the same ingredients in a couple recipes and there are certain staples that I trust or add to a lot of my recipes because I enjoy the flavor or like specific items.  Balsamic Vinegar is one of the easiest things to cook with, has no fat, low in calories, and adds so much flavor.  Mushrooms are one of my favorite vegetables and I love to add them to sauces, salads, or omelets.  Garlic.  You can pretty much add it to anything for a little kick and it's so healthy for you!

The last time I was at the grocery store I had picked up Zucchini and it came in a package of 5 so I knew I was going to be adding that to a bunch of my meals.  I had also gotten flour tortilla's to make quesadilla's or wraps, so last night's dinner was designed around those ingredients!

Vegetable & Sausage Wraps

1 Apple Sausage

2 Flour Tortilla's

1 Medium Zucchini

1/2 Cup Mushrooms

1/3 Cup Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

One of the wraps!

I started with my pan and olive oil heating up then added in my garlic and then the chopped onions.  After that cooked for a couple minutes I added in the sausage and zucchini.  I sauteed for a couple more minutes and then added in my balsamic and mushrooms.  The whole mixture cooked for a few more minutes and I seasoned it with salt and pepper.  When all the liquids were absorbed I turned the burner onto low to keep it warm and after heating up my tortilla's, spooned the mixture into them.  I had made scalloped potatoes as a side dish.  The wraps were really light and fresh and felt extremely healthy.  It was a very low-fat meal that was big on flavor!  You could add any vegetables you wanted whether it be peppers or tomatoes, but I felt like these veggies all worked together for this meal.  Cooking for 1 :)

Having Fun...Rain or Shine!

I had a very busy and fun weekend last week; got to see friends I haven't seen in a while, enjoyed a Burger & Beer with Jeff from PowerTV at Father's Office, drank Sangria by the beach in Venice for Brunch with Kristina, enjoyed LA being dreary and sunny, and laughed a lot!

On Monday I covered for Ian at Irish Times and got to Bartend for the first time in over a month.  It was my first time being solo at the bar and I had to close up shop all on my own.  Lucky for me, it went off without a hitch, and I had a very successful night.  I had a couple friends come in to keep me company and have some cocktails and even got a little late night Jack & The Box snack :)  It was really steady all night!  I'm still trying to find a permanent Bar Home and it's proving more difficult than I thought.  I know I'm being picky but I want to make sure I'm happy and comfortable with the bar I'm working at, and considering I was so unhappy for 6 months at the last bar I worked at, I don't want to put myself into a negative situation like that again!  Something will come along; I'm trusting it will.

Before I went into work I got in a great work-out and run in the park and later that afternoon was able to go to my Yoga Class.  There were only 9 people in the class, including me, so it was a really small and intimate class and she let us decide what we wanted to do.  It ended up being a day of twists and hip openers and the last 20 minutes we were able to concentrate on whatever we wanted to work on.  In fact, I did my first ever Yogi Headstand!  I was so proud of myself.  I knew I was going to be in a calm state of mind for the rest of the night, even if it was going to be crazy busy at Irish Times!

Tonight I Hosted Karaoke at Gabe's!  I'm getting a little bit more creative with trying new songs as I look up artists and songs during the day to see if it's something I could try or experiment with.  Johnny had added over 3000 new songs to our database and updated our computer with a new system that was easier to navigate and was there finishing up when I got to work.  It was really quiet when I got there and since everyone was singing slow music or love songs I decided to try Roxette's 'It Must Have Been Love' and when I was done Johnny told me I needed to learn 'Dangerous' so we could do that as a duet.  Done and done!  We found out we both own the album so we sang that a little later.  It was a great duet and we hit the harmonies perfectly; so I was able to try two new songs in one night!  The night ended up being really busy and the bar was packed (I was worried that the pouring rain was going to deter people but that brought everyone in)!  Jonathan was trying a bunch of new music as well and we even sang 'Need You Now' by Lady Antebellum.  We closed down just before last call and Debbie was my back-up dancer for my first ever solo version of 'Baby One More Time.'  Karaoke is all about having fun, right?!?  I love seeing people smiling and having a good time and last night was certainly one of those nights!  I hope Friday is just as exciting :)

The week is already half-way over but it's not stopping anytime soon for me...I've got a busy week ahead and I'm going out for a run this afternoon to enjoy the effects the rain has on LA...fresh clean and clear air!

Macy's Star Spangled Banner Sing Off!

Hey Everyone!!

Please vote for me on Facebook to sing The National Anthem at the Macy's 4th of July Parade!  You can vote at the link below.  Please 'Like' Macy's, then click 'Go To App' and VOTE for my video :)  You can vote once per day and the voting will close on April 30th so make sure to vote for me and help me become one of the Top 10 Finalists! 

You can click on the link below or copy and paste the web address to VOTE:
Vote for Lyndsey!
https://www.facebook.com/Macys?sk=app_173491372709944&app_data={%22currentvideo%22%3A%2230%22%2C%20%22pageno%22%3A%222%22%2C%20%22eid%22%3A%222162759%22}

I always appreciate everyone's constant support and now your votes :D

A College Goal

My Freshman Year at Orientation to the Theatre Arts Department we were told to write 50 goals we wanted to achieve in our life in accordance with our career and interests in life and I found it fairly easy to come up with my 50.  On that list was Singing the National Anthem at a Pro-Sporting Event or something that would have Nationwide Coverage and I got one step closer to doing that on Friday evening.

I saw last week on one of my Casting Websites they were looking for someone to sing the National Anthem for the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks in New York City.  I've had a cold for the past week, so I've been trying to get healthy so I could submit a clear and great video of me singing.  I'm still not back to normal with this lingering bug but the deadline was on Sunday so I made a video last night before I went into Gabe's to Host Karoake.  I had to start pretty low to make sure I could hit all the notes but was actually surprised that I was able to do it in any capacity and even my performance was something I would be proud of.  

This morning I listened to the couple versions I recorded and settled on the best one, made it a high quality video and submitted it today!  As I was reading through the rules and regulations I saw that it was up to the discretion of Macy's, but that I might be able to attend a Mets Game and then sing the National Anthem at it!  That would be so cool.  The voting will start on Tuesday and everyone is allowed one vote per day and I would love to be one of the Top 10 People!  I'll be sure to post a link so everyone can vote and hopefully you can help make one of my goals happen!  Big smiles here :D

Karaoke started off slow again last night but got pretty busy and before 10 pm we had a full rotation going!  I had a couple friends come in to visit so that was nice and even sang 'Lucky' by Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait for the first time in over a year and a half with Jonathan.  My new song of the night was Reba McEntire's 'Why Haven't I Heard From You' which is such a fun country song, so I was really excited to sing it.  The crowd was really receptive to everyone and very supportive all night which is always awesome to see because some people love to sing and others love to entertain.  Carolyn sang one of my favorite songs, 'Love Will Lead You Back' by Taylor Dayne which was incredible!!  It ended up being a very late night but a good one!

All in all, Friday was a very singing heavy day, and hopefully my Hosting Karaoke will help me get myself out there because I'm consistently keeping up my voice and working and rehearsing on a regular basis.  Fingers crossed!!

What's for Breakfast?

I don't know about you, but I've always enjoyed having Breakfast Foods at Dinner Time...maybe it's the fact my Mom would call it a Cereal Night at our house on random occasions, or better yet, Egg or Pancake Night, but sometimes even I love to make Breakfast for Dinner, and that's just what I did last night! 

Breakfast Wraps

3 Eggs

1 Apple Sausage

2 Flour Tortillas

1/4 cup Onions

1 Roma Tomato

Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Cooking Spray

I sprayed my pan with cooking spray then added in my onions and chopped up sausage and let that cook for a few minutes.  I put in all 3 eggs and added my tomato as well, seasoning my ingredients.  Once the eggs were cooked through I spooned them into the flour tortillas, sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top and rolled them up like a burrito.  I could have easily made 3 wraps, but packed the tortillas full and had some leftover. 

Successful Breakfast for Dinner Meal and there's plenty more to come!

Isn't it ironic?

My busy weekend only kick-started this week for me, as it's already been crazy and today is my only day where I don't have plans or work, so I'm excited for a low-key and relaxing day!

On Monday night, Trista was throwing a Birthday Party for Dale at Federal Bar in North Hollywood, where a bunch of our friends were getting together to celebrate, eat, and drink, and have fun!  I was so excited to catch up with Thi because she's been traveling for the past couple of weeks and will be gone at the end of May to work on a show in New York!  There was even a live band playing music for most of the night.  We took plenty of pictures and caught up with everyone...when's the next game night!?  I ended up drinking this Blueberry Beer, it's regular beer but has a blueberry after-taste.  I've found that after not drinking hard alcohol over Lent, I'm actually more apt to choose a beer over a cocktail, which is kind of interesting.  It was a really fun night with good people and even a few rounds of 'Bomb'!

Thi, Lyndsey, and Trista at Federal Bar!

After my incredible run and work-out on Tuesday I met up with a friend from Wisconsin who lives in LA now.  We used to work at the same Golf Course/Restaurant back home!  Renee and I met up at Rocco's for Happy Hour and chatted about the craziness we have both encountered while living here in LA!

Then last night I had Karaoke at Gabe's.  It's been starting late the past couple of weeks because no one has been there to sing, and it stayed slow for most of the night until after 11:30 and then a bunch of people showed up to!  It made the rest of the night fly by and before I knew it, it was 1:15 am and I had to start shutting down.  We haven't gone that late in a while either.  My new song of the night was Alanis Morisette's 'Ironic,' which was fun.  I know that I danced to an Alanis song back in the day for my dance class when I was taking lessons from the age of 7 to 17 but I can't remember which one it was.  We had lots of energy at the end of the night at Karaoke and lots of Duets and Beatles songs, so overall, it was a really good night, that got off to a slow start but ended strong!

After today the rest of the week and weekend is going to fly by, lots of plans with friends, and some work too...but hopefully some fun in the sun as well!