You can call me Madame Thenardier...

It's been nearly a year since I auditioned to be in 'Thenardier's Inn - A Les Miserables Cabaret' and little did we know our fabulous show would still be running a year later!  From extensions at CAC Studios, where it all began, to being a part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, WINNING the 'Best Cabaret & Variety' at the Festival, having another extension at 3 Clubs, to bringing in a mostly new cast to our sixth extension, once again, back at 3 Clubs!

We are opening this Saturday and running for four weeks on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th at 8 pm!  Doors open at 7 pm and trust me, you don't want to be late to this one ;)

If you want to laugh, cry, drink heavily, and anything in-between, this is the show for you!  I'll be playing Madame Thenardier, and you'll want to watch your purses and wallets around me, and I can't promise to keep my hands to myself, but you can bet that I'll be making fun of my husband, making you drink more, and having a grand old time!

Tickets are available at: www.cacstudios.com and go ahead and use the promo code NOTLESMIS for up to 50% off tickets.  Tickets are going fast so jump on it and check out our wonderful story that will be sure to melt your heart <3

Wisconsin Wedding (Part 1)

I had a really wonderful trip back to Wisconsin a couple weeks ago!  Just a few days before I headed back home, it was hotter in Wisconsin than it was in California but the weather decided to change as soon as I landed and it was definitely Fall back home!  I was able to spend a week with my family, celebrating my cousin Matty and his wife, Becky's Wedding, and just relaxing for a few days. 

The adventure started at LAX on my way back to Wisconsin.  I'm deathly afraid of birds and sure enough a bird got into the airport and flew right onto my arm and scared me pretty good.  Thankfully, as soon as I got on the airplane, I ordered a glass of Chardonnay, listened to some 80's rock, and started looking over my script for 'Thenardier's Inn' since I'm now playing Madame Thenardier in the show!  I started working on my Cockney accent as well as memorizing my lines and songs during the flight; what a perfect way to spend the four hours on the plae.

Congrats Becky & Matty!

Once I landed in Milwaukee, Mom and Dad picked me up and we drove to Elkhart Lake to celebrate with my cousins, aunts and uncles, and Becky's family.  We went out to the Brown Bear, marveled at the expensive Elkhart Lake prices (compared to Plymouth) and all caught up and even got every one to try Hula Hooping!  It's been years since I've done it and I was really happy to see my Mom was really good at it too!  On Thursday it was the Rehearsal at the Church and then we all had a nice Dinner at Becky's family's house complete with a fabulous Italian meal!

Bobby got into Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon with his girlfriend, Melissa, and we all went to the Church in St. Cloud for the Wedding.  Becky's dress was so pretty and the back was beautiful.  Matty looked sharp, dressed in his Naval uniform and obviously so excited to see Becky coming down the aisle.  I loved the Bridesmaid dresses; they were a gorgeous shade of purple.  Monica did one of the readings and I did the petitions and we both felt very fortunate to be a part of Wedding ceremony.  The Reception took place in Elkhart Lake and I was finally able to have my first Old-Fashion of the trip.  Wisconsin is one of the few places I have my Old-Fashions because they are made the best back home :)  The best part of the Wedding (aside from my cousin Tyler's Best Man speech which was heart-warming, special, and hilarious) was all the dancing; even my little second cousins stayed and danced the night away.  Everyone was dancing and having a blast, it was so much fun!

Schamberger's, Wittkopp's, and Wegner's on the Dance Floor with the Groom!

Sunday started out a little slow for me after a night of family and whiskey but we did get to watch the first Packer game of the season which was nice to see at home.  A trip back home isn't complete without a Steak Dinner at St. Anne so we had to go there that night!  Later, we had a game night with my cousins and aunt and uncle and Monica, Tyler's fiance, asked me to be in her Wedding!  I gladly said yes and their Wedding and am thrilled to be a part of the festivities in July 2016.

Check out Part 2 below this!

Wisconsin Wedding (Part 2)

Back home in Wisconsin... 

Mom and Dad took off of work on Monday so we decided to spend the day in Green Bay.  Mom and I went to the Casino and I actually ended up winning a nice chunk of change.  After playing for a little while longer, I decided to walk away with my $180.  I don't have a problem, unlike someone I know :p Then we headed to the Packer's Hall of Fame right next to Lambeau Field.  It was really interesting to see footage from years ago with the coaches and players, and how the uniforms, shoes, and pads have changed throughout the years.  I've been a fan of the Packers since the mid 80's and it was great to see the improvements and hear the stories told by key players, important coaches, and staff over the years.  I did my best to try to find Aaron Rodgers but unfortunately, I was unsuccessful on this trip.  Alas, nothing can stop me...I'll find him soon!

I had decided to spend an extra day back home since I didn't have to Host at Afterbuzz so my Mom, aunt and I all went to the Exchange Bank Coffee House and sat in the vault, drinking our coffee, and eating the biggest piece of home-made Carrot Cake I've ever seen!  We all had Dinner that night with my Grandpa and then Mom, Dad, and I went to Pourvino to do a little Wine Tasting and play Spades.  Mom and I love the Little Black Dress Moscato and at this point it's tradition.  It was really nice to get spend an extra day with my Mom and Dad and do something special with them.

Of course, the time went by so quickly, and I'm glad I had that extra day which gave us a chance to go to Green Bay.  I was pretty busy with Wedding stuff when I got into town and it was nice to be able to spend a lot of time with my family during the trip.  Every time I go home, it makes me want to visit again!  Just less than a week flew by before I knew it and now I just have to wait a little over a month for my family to come out and visit me for a week in LA.

Miss everyone already!

Matty and Becky, your Wedding was beautiful; thanks to the Pollard's & Wittkopps for a wonderful Wedding week.  I'm so glad that I was able to relax with my family playing cards, having a game night, going out to Dinner, experiencing the Hall of Fame, seeing the first Packer game of the season, and just getting a break from everything in LA.  There's no place like home <3

LA Food & Wine Festival

I watch a lot of Cooking Shows and Culinary Competitions on TV, and I subscribe to Food & Wine, and Cooking Light, as I love Food, being in the kitchen, going out for Happy Hour and Dinners to try new restaurants around LA.  Watching my shows and reading my magazines, the LA Food & Wine Festival is always one of the topics of conversation.  So one of my dreams came true when Jamie took me as her guest to the Festival a couple Fridays ago!

Downtown LA at Sunset

The LA Food & Wine Fest took place in Downtown LA at the Walt Disney Hall with over 100 celebrity chefs, 250 wineries, DJ's and entertainment, and more!  There were so many different stops that there was no way we were even able to come close to hitting half of them.  It was literally food and wine overload.  I noticed a lot of the restaurants and tastings we did were pork heavy, and perhaps, that's just the places we stopped at, but it was everything from tacos, to pork belly, to sliders, and more.  My favorite bite we tried was the Shrimp Coconut Cake from Phorage.  I burned my mouth because I couldn't wait for it to cool down but it was so worth it!  In fact, this last week I went in search of that appetizer at Phorage here in Culver City but unfortunately it was just a specialty item for the Food & Wine Festival.  I'm hoping they make it a special one of these days at their restaurant and I can stop in for a little bite of heaven!  

Jamie & I at the LA Food & Wine Festival

Now onto the wine, these weren't your typical wines.  These were wines that had flavors I'd never tried before, more exotic, more exciting, different profiles, and everything was delicious.  Navigating the event with food in one hand and a glass in the other we had to stop at the Stella booth to get our plate that had a holder for your wine glass.  They were also handing out full glasses of Stella and I actually got a few new wine and beer glasses to add to my bar at home!   Jamie and I did a mini-vodka tasting at Infuse Vodka before we left the event and I was excited because we sell that brand of Vodka at Bar Lubitsch.  We covered as much ground as we could in the two hours we were there but I can totally understand why some people get an all-weekend pass so they can leisurely make their way around the whole Festival.

Overall, it was quite the experience, and something I'm so lucky to have been able to attend.  This was one of my dreams come true and now that I've been to my first Food & Wine Festival, I can't wait to go again.  And this time, I'll have a complete game plan so I can find my favorite restaurants and try more incredible food :)  Thank you Jamie! 

*I wish I had taken more photos of the food, but because our hands were full, it was hard to take pictures along the way.  Photos from the event can be seen on LA Food & Wine's Instagram profile at: https://instagram.com/lafoodwine/* 

August Karaoke

It was a really busy month of Karaoke at Gabe's in August!  I had lots of visitors from out of town, and friends who have been away for a few weeks, so it was nice to see everyone, hear their voices, and get to spend time with them!

Eric Clapton "Layla"

Roxette "The Look"

Jewel "Don't"

30 Seconds to Mars "The Kill"

Ozzy Osbourne & Lita Ford "If I Close My Eyes Forever"

Gnarles Barkley "Crazy"

Jason Mraz & Colbie Callait "Lucky"

Celine Dion "Because You Loved Me"

Les Miserables "I Dreamed A Dream"

Madonna "Like A Prayer"

The Carpenters "Superstar"

LeAnn Rimes "Right Kind Of Wrong"

En Vogue "Don't Let Go"

Heart "Secret"

Alannah Myles "Black Velvet"

Bryan Adams "Everything I Do, I Do It For You"

Carrie Underwood "Before He Cheats"

No Doubt "Sunday Morning"

Savage Garden "I Want You"

Dolly Parton "Jolene"

Since my friend, Paul, was in town from Minnesota that first Wednesday in August, it was a night of rock music and big voices, so I opened with "Layla" and then had to show my softer side with "Don't" by Jewel.  My new song of the night was 30 Seconds to Mars "The Kill" which went surprisingly well since I fully committed to it and I also had a very supportive audience!  Paul and I had sang "If I Close My Eyes Forever" at Boardwalk 11 the last time he was in town but it was new for me at Gabe's and I was a little more prepared this time around.  It was great to see him, along with McCracken, who was in LA for a minute, all the way from North Carolina!  I opened the second week with my new song of the night, "Crazy" by Gnarles Barkley, another choice I was very happy with, since it worked for my range.  There was even a 'Les Miserables' super-set with Rachel and Adam!  Since Jamie and I were going to see Heart at the Hollywood Bowl that next weekend, my new song of the night was "Secret."  It's one of my favorite Heart songs!  I also sang some songs that night I hadn't sang in a really long time, 'Superstar,' 'Don't Let Go,' and 'Black Velvet.'  We were incredibly busy the last Wednesday in August so I opened with some country, got the 90's pop/punk going, went straight pop with some fast talking for my new song, Savage Garden's "I Want You."  You definitely know it!  Then back to country to close out the night.

Lovelies with me at Gabe's for Karaoke :)

It was a really fun month of Karaoke and I got to add some music to my History and bring in a lot of new people to Karaoke!  Also, for the past month at Karaoke, I took a little break from drinking and have noticed a major change in my voice.  It's such an obvious thing, but in practicing it, I actually noticed how much easier it is to hit higher notes, and how my tone is clearer.  I love having a glass of wine at Dinner or while my girlfriends and I are watching 'The Bachelorette' so I don't want to stop doing that forever, but it's been nice to majorly cut down the drinking, and entirely during Karaoke.  Although, I'm sure the Chardonnay, Sambuca, and Gin really miss me ;)

School's back in session now that it's September so that means we'll be getting some newbies into Gabe's, and we've got shows opening for CAC Studios, so we'll be protecting our voices a little bit more.  That doesn't mean the fun stops though, so join us every Wednesday for exciting Karaoke and a grand time!

'After Paradise' Live Taping

As a fan of 'The Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' on ABC, it's pretty impossible to not get sucked into their spin-off shows like 'Bachelor in Paradise' which is airing currently.  Thankfully, I have a group of girlfriends who are as excited as I am when a new episode airs and we all try to get together and discuss the show!  ABC created an Aftershow called 'After Paradise' which comes on right after the show and they usually bring guests of the show as well as celebrity super-fans.  Sound familiar?  We do the same thing at Afterbuzz TV so it's really cool that we are a part of this growing interest in the behind the scenes and insider information from all your favorite TV Shows and movies!

My friend, Thi, is a producer and she got us VIP Tickets for 'After Paradise' this past Monday.  We knew the new Bachelor was going to be announced and everyone had their favorite picked out but what we didn't know is that he would be in the studio!  After we screened the episode we were taken into the studio and got seats right across from the main area when Chris Harrison and his co-host, Jenny Mollen, sat with the guests.  Michelle Collins, one of the hosts from 'The View' was the super-fan and comedic relief, Joe Bailey, Dan Cox, and Juelia Kinney from 'Bachelor in Paradise' were the other guests.  There was a good teaser with Chris saying he was bringing the Bachelor in and the next thing we knew, Nick Viall, one of 'The Bachelorette's' favorite villains was sitting on the couch.  I couldn't believe it; I was shocked because we all thought Ben Higgins was going to be the new Bachelor.  Sure enough, it was a fake-out and after a quick interview with Nick, they introduced Ben to everyone's elated cheers!

From watching Caitlyn's season, Ben seems like a nice down-to-earth guy, hard-working, and ready to find love.  He said he's tried to maintain the same lifestyle he had before the show, working, going to Church on Sundays and spending time with family and friends.  After the confetti pop, the guests came back on-stage to congratulate Ben, and one of the executive producers waved us to go up as well.  There was no possible way he could really be motioning to us, but he was.  I jumped to my feet, and patiently waited my turn to congratulate Ben and give him a hug.  Just as he thanked Joe, he turned, genuinely looked at me and thanked me as he gave me a huge hug.  Thi also got to meet Ben and moments later we were all ushered out of the studio and back to reality.  

'After Paradise' Live Taping Guests, hugging the new Bachelor, Ben, and us gals at a commercial break!

It all happened so quickly but thanks to DVR, the gals and I watched the episode later that night, and the whole thing made it on the Aftershow!  You can even hear me say, 'I know you don't know me, but congratulations...oh my goodness.'  I think the last part was due to sheer shock.  The things we get to do living in LA, and this is one certainly thanks to Thi!  That's a day I'll never forget :)

'Hard Knocks' is back!

'Hard Knocks' is back and that means I'm Hosting at Afterbuzz TV with our Football fans, Christina, Stef, and new Host, Frank this season while we talk all about the Houston Texans!  J.J. Watt, originally from Wisconsin, went to school at UW-Madison is clearly the stand-out on the team but it's exciting to see new additions and other big players continuing to make plays during the pre-season and I think under the Coaching of Bill O'Brien, it's a strong team to contend with!

Hosting at Afterbuzz TV with Christina, Stef, and Frank for Week 1 of 'Hard Knocks'

The fact that we get to talk about Football for nearly an hour already excites me but when you add that insider perspective behind the scenes at training camp, you really reel me in!  With the addition of some awesome players and a very New England heavy team, including Coaches. I believe the Texans will make it to the play-offs this season.  Their schedule this season looks good and if their wide receivers and running backs come in confident, Hoyer will make contact, and lead his offensive team well.  He's got Cecil Shorts coming from Jacksonville, DeAndre Hopkins who is currently listed as their number one receiver while Freddy Blue is listed as their number one running back.  With the plays that Chris Polk was making during last week's pre-season game, I think he'll be coming in and potentially start depending on how well Blue does.  Jaelon Strong also showed promise as a Rookie wide receiver so we'll just have to see what happens in the upcoming weeks.  J.J. is always such a leader, and there's no doubt that their defense with Vince Wilfork, Brian Cushing, and Rahim Moore, their line is going to be massive, and I'm really liking Charles James at cornerback and jumping in at running back as well.  During the show we haven't seen too much of special teams so I'll be interested in seeing who will be taking that starting position returning punts!

I was able to Lead Host during Week Two of 'Hard Knocks' so that was very exciting since we just started doing a 'Hard Knocks' show at Afterbuzz last year.  I started watching Football with my Mom at a very young age, always cheering the Packers on, and my Mom put me on the Packers Season Ticket Waiting List when I was nine years old.  I'm still waiting and it seems like it's going to be quite some time before I even see an opportunity for those tickets.  I started Cheerleading and took camps in Middle School and was on our High School and then Winona State's Cheerleading Team all throughout college.  When you're a Cheerleader, you're literally right in the action so I got used to knowing what was going on and what each of the positions had to do in order to win or lose a game.  I miss being right on the sidelines when I go and see Football games nowadays.  

Week Two of 'Hard Knocks' coming to ya from Afterbuzz TV

Needless to say, I've been interested in Football ever since I was a little girl and getting to Host our 'Hard Knocks' Aftershow at Afterbuzz TV is a dream come true!  The perks of doing this show are the insights we get into the team as well as other teams.  Finding out who will be starting or playing back-up is very beneficial when I get ready to draft for my Fantasy Football Team.  I'll start doing Mock Drafts next week and figuring out where and when I can draft certain players and more than likely I'll pick up a Texan or two since I'm on the Houston train...or should I say, Wisconsinite Watt Train!

I'm looking forward to an exciting Football Season and all I can say is, Go Pack Go!  And Aaron Rodgers...you'll always be my favorite <3