A Bloody Internship.

I am really proud of myself for posting about once a month.  Although when you live in NYC it feels like five years happen in the span of one month, and this past month is no different.
New York and I have had quite an up and down relationship, but this past month has got me really feeling at home here.  Everyone said the first year is the hardest but I think the first year and a HALF is hardest.  My last post I was ready to count down to leaving, but I just got a year long gym membership so I know I'll be here at least until next March.  Thank goodness for amazing friends, roommates, and good jobs.  Also, I think the warm weather is really helping.  You don't realize how depressing winter is until it's warm and you just feel even happier.  I can hear birds chirping right now and it's the best sound ever.

After my last post I had a friend from Adrian come visit me and Ashley.  Our first night Kevin and I decided to investigate the karaoke that was happening at this tiny bar on my street.  We were the only white people in the place, but as soon as we sang "You're the One that I Want" from Grease we had made a bunch of new friends.  Right after the whole bar sang "Summer Nights" together.  Who would have thought I could have so much fun in QUEENS right?  (For the non-New Yorkers, people don't like Queens.  They want to be in Manhattan or maybe in Brooklyn.  But then they come to my large, cheap [for NYC] apartment and they are amazed.)

Karaoke Time

We spent a few days sightseeing, which is exhausting, had some sushi, and also went to see "Avenue Q."  It was hilarious!  There is a part where the puppets come down into the audience and I was laughing and the main guy hit me in the face.  What a cool show!

The next week I had an interview with a production company to work for them on set in the art department for a reenactment show on Investigation Discovery.  I've done a lot of backstage work but never anything behind the scenes in TV or film.  This was a flexible internship (yes, not paid) that I could get some experience and see if I liked it.  And since I live mostly off of clowning, I have some time during the week to be an intern.  Luckily, I got the job and was super excited when they asked me to help with the casting that week.  I helped set up the camera and got to meet the director and producer, who I would be working closely with during the rest of shooting.  Seeing the audition process from the other side is way awesome and a great learning experience.  But I think the best part was when the director wanted to work the camera so I sat at the casting table and all the actors thought I was someone important.  Haha.  Although I was part of the discussions about who was best and they asked me my opinion so I guess I was part of the process!

Clown Outfit

I spent my St. Patrick's day weekend as a clown, but one of our team members threw a party for all of us who could not participate in the festivities.  I love my job, especially the people I work with.  It has given me some awesome friends AND some friends who live in Queens which is great because I don't have to travel for hours to go see them.  And there is nothing worse than having to travel home late at night cause you want to sleep in your own bed after a party.

Princess Belle

The Little Mermaid!

The week after St. Patrick's Day my internship started.  The show is on Investigation Discovery, it's a reenactment show which means half the show is interviewing the victims and people involved in the crime and the other half is actors portraying what happened by reenacting it.  There is a lot of attacks, beatings, and blood on my show.  For some reason I can't escape it!  And I got real lucky because the haunted house let me take the whole month off to work on this project.  I got hired to assist in the art department which means I'm helping with set dressing, which means I'm part of the team that moves furniture, hangs pictures, and hides any product labels.  We also are in charge of props such as burgers, drinks at bars, and for this show... meat cleavers, guns and knives.

Because the show is small I got assigned to help with wardrobe as well.  My first two days were just prepping for the show by gathering wardrobe together.  Our actors bring their own clothes to work in but we buy three sets of the clothes that attacks happen in because they're going to get covered in blood.  Wardrobe shopping is horrific.  You may think it would be fun to pick out outfits for everyone but in reality it is a nightmare.  There are a lot of rules, no black or white because they're too harsh on camera.  No red because they blood has to show up.  No stripes, weird patterns or logos.  Nothing sheer.  Then you have to try and find something according to what the producer and director want, specific colors and styles.  I hunted all around Manhattan for a dark hooded sweatshirt that wasn't black but wasn't light grey.  And if we have night shoots we try to keep the actors comfortable by not placing them in shorts when it's 30 degrees out.  So after you've taken all this into account (while shopping in the busiest city in the world, full of tourists ugh) and you find something that works, you have to find three of the same shirt/pants/dress in the same size!  You'd be surprised how often this doesn't happen.  Especially since all the actresses are tiny... I'll find one small and the rest are mediums and larges and I have to ask an employee to check in the back or start over.  And this is just ONE outfit.  I can't imagine doing wardrobe on a large show.  Clearly this is not my forte.

So we started shooting and I got to do what I signed up to do, which was work in art.  Although I was doing a million other things as well because I was extra hands on set.  I was also making coffee, pulling wardrobe, loading the G&E truck (grip and electric) and evening holding the boom once, which was terrifying.  (Boom is essentially a stick with a mic on it that you have to point at the actors to pick up their sound).  So far we've turned a gutted fast food place into a "working" restaurant.  We've also taken everything out of an apartment and stuck our stuff back in, then proceeded to get blood all over the walls, floor, and couch.  I really love being on set and it's so fun to work in a place that uses all my skills from acting, theater, and interior design.  I'm also meeting a ton of people including directors and producers so it's a way to get into the business from the other side.  I make sure they all know I'm an actress as well as an art girl.  The people on the crew are great as well and I feel very lucky to have such a great team to work with for my first time behind the scenes.  It's not often that you meet a main production assistant or director that hugs you every time you wrap!  Sometimes there is a lot more ego going around.

Most of this month has been taken over by the internship.  Days of prep are about 10 hours and days of filming are usually 12-14 hours long.  I'm gaining so much great experience and get free food so it's not too bad, although I am looking forward to my vacation to Washington DC when this is all over.

At home, Ashley and I have been doing some spring cleaning and trying to get into a routine.  We joined a gym that is a few blocks down from our apartment and are loving it so far.  It's only $20 a month and is surprisingly clean.  We even have a workout calendar on our wall outside the front door as motivation.  We went to Costco to get groceries thanks to Ashley's new membership and it was amazing.  Why doesn't everyone shop there?!?!  Maybe it's only a huge difference in New York City but the amount you get for how cheap it is is mind blowing.  When we go to our local grocery store it's about $5 for a 12 oz thing of peanut butter.  At Costco it's $9 for two 24 oz jars.  I mean, it's a no brainer.  We just hop on the train a few stops and are in the land of cheap and bulk.  That Costco tripped changed my life hahaha.

I also got to go see the Game of Thrones exhibit.  New York City was one of five locations around the world they brought it!  Sometimes I forget I live in such a major city.  It was super cool, had a spotlight on each of the major families including costumes and props from the show.  There was also a simulated archery game where you got to shoot arrows in the Battle of the Blackwater and a place where you could sit on the iron throne and get your picture taken complete with a crown!

Dany's dragon

Bow down!

Afterward, I participated in a play reading from someone I had met last year when I worked in the New Media Repertory Theatre.  He had met me and gave me the part, which is my favorite kind.  Not having to audition cuts so much hassle from acting.  I had a really great time with the reading and ended up reuniting with a fellow actor so we decided to go have drinks and sing karaoke.  Somehow we stumbled into the same karaoke place that Sarah and I went to sooooo long ago, over a year ago when I first moved here.  New York is really... so freaking small.

So that's it!  The weather has been gorgeous here.  Ashley and I did some chores in sundresses yesterday.  We went to Michael's which is always a bad idea because there's so much amazing craft stuff there.  Then we went to Chelsea for margaritas and tacos because it's WARM YAY!  And now I'm spending the day relaxing and getting ready for another weekend of filming and clowning.  So far nothing is planned for the month ahead, although I am working on my acting reel and hoping that will get me some more auditions and maybe an agent.  Also, I'm going to Washington DC because tickets are cheap and I only work on the weekends and two of my favorite people live there!

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day!  :D

We Got More Bounce in California

Wow have I had a crazy month.  I feel like I have been going, going, going since I started my new job.  Right after my last post I jetted off to Portland, Oregon where I visited the amazing family of Ella, Abby and Ben.  I was a nanny for Ella since she was 2 years old and they flew me in as a surprise for her 7th birthday!  I was so excited to see her and nothing compares to her face when I walked in the door.  I spent the week hanging with that awesome family and seeing some of Oregon, which is a gorgeous and green state.  We had Ella's birthday party at an art studio and got to paint and play with clay.  We went out to dinner and Ella and I danced a lot, and also got in the Jacuzzi overlooking the foothills of Portland.  She tried to teach me how to whistle (I still can't!) and it was so fun to visit her.  She's getting so big!  And I feel amazingly lucky to have such a wonderful second family to hang out with.

I can't believe she is 7!

Two Princesses on party day

Amazing view from the deck and jacuzzi

BFF's for LIFE

I just had such a wonderful time and I feel so blessed to have such a great connection with the Rogoway's and their daughter.  I can't WAIT to go on another trip and visit, although I wish Ella would stop growing up so fast!

After a nice long week in Oregon I flew back and went to training and worked my first day as a clown and LOVED it.  Don't get me wrong, the job is pretty exhausting because you spend your whole day trying to herd children and be super energetic but it's a thousand times better than any job I've had before.  Waitressing is exhausting and makes you want to die.  Never.  Again.

I spent a low key night on Sunday, had some dinner and watched the Superbowl.  The rest of the week was consumed by an intense sinus infection that caused me to call out of work twice and eventually drove me to the doctor.  That week I tried to get better but the weekend was miserable anyway.  I didn't want to call out on my second weekend of working and being happy, bubbly, and energetic when you're swimming in a head cold is ridiculously not fun.

That next week, although I was still feeling kinda gross, I made it out to book club with the Chi Omega's.  Our host was arriving late so I ended up opening the champagne which made me smile because no matter where you go, you're always at home in a Chi O's house.  The book we read (The Paris Wife) was a historical fiction based on Ernest Hemingway's first wife and was totally amazing.  After way too many chocolate brownies I headed home and passed out.

The biggest news from that week was that I took a professional organizer out to lunch.  Some of you may not know that I've always had a passion for organizing other people's stuff, which is part of the reason I loved earning my interior design degree.  While I LOVE acting, part of me really hates the grind that is required if you live in NYC.  Or maybe I just hate NYC.  Still working on that part.  But what I'm saying is I'm also interested in organizing and even have some experience here in the city.  I took Lilli out to lunch and picked her brain for how she got up and running.  Basically, she said to just start doing it, which was awesome advice.  So if any of you in the NYC area need something organized, let me know!

I spent the rest of the weekend working and attempting to get better because on Monday morning I flew to California!

California was AMAZING.  Our only complaint was that we somehow managed to get a coldish, rainy week squeezed between two gorgeous weeks, but whatever it was warmer than the east coast.

I got on the Hertz bus to go to the rental place and magically ended up on the same one as Amy.  We  had an amazing reunion on the bus which I'm sure freaked out some other patrons and then picked up our Mustang convertible, which we drove with the top down even though it was overcast and 60 degrees.

California Girls

We were crashing in Long Beach with a guy I met through Couch Surfing which is a website for traveler's to host and surf around the world.  Now, at this point I was totally exhausted from working all weekend, being sick, and flying.  I managed to convince Amy that I was on the brink of dying and she left me to take a nap while she explored the beach.  I woke up three hours later with no more headache and totally pumped for the movie premiere that night.

We got dressed and headed to West Hollywood to Grauman's Chinese Theater.  Before we went in the theater we met up with a bunch of cast mates and the director.  Our director had a camera and was taking footage and interviews to put on the extras on the DVD.  You can see the video here.  Notice what special actress gets to talk ;) Haha.  Amy walked the red carpet and also was the BEST boyfriend, holding coats, purses, and taking pictures.

My name on the poster!

BFF's in front of the poster

Cast and the director

We went in to see the movie and the theater was HUGE.  The movie was hilarious and very good.  Amy and I were dying every time I came on screen.  I am ridiculously mean in the movie and a totally cliche cheerleading bitch.  It's awesome.

After the movie Amy and I headed out to Santa Monica to meet up with Eric, one of my friends I met while living in Europe.  It was so good to see him again especially since it has been about four years!  Travel buddy bonds don't break though and Amy and I enjoyed having a chill bar night with him and shooting the shit.  We got home late and woke up early because our schedules were so messed up from the time change.  We got dressed in hiking clothes and headed out to Runyon Canyon.

We parked the car and ended up at a little cafe where we got a breakfast sandwich.  We drove around looking for a tourist trappy store to buy junky hats in because it was going to rain and were surprised how hard it was to find one!  We finally did and bought some awesome, tacky, rhinestone L.A. hats.

Sometimes it's hard to be this cool

We walked around Runyon Canyon and it was beautiful even if it was a bit overcast.  There was some awesome bird watching and great views.  It did end up raining on us a bit but we didn't care.

Runyon Canyon

After hiking all morning we were starving so we decided to head to Roscoe's Chicken n Waffles because EVERYONE said we had too!  We decided to split the traditional chicken n waffles and some mac n cheese.  It was super delicious and just what we needed after hiking out in the overcast, chilly weather.  Then we went to the observatory to check out the Hollywood sign.  It was far away, and getting colder, so we took a picture and headed back to our room and then passed out for about 3 hours.  We were going to get ready and go out except it was rainy and cold and we were tired so we just decided to go to bed.

Tiny Hollywood sign in the background

The next morning we got up super early and went to Starbucks for Amy's birthday.  After coffee we drove to Palos Verdes and went hiking along the Pacific Ocean up on a trail about 50 feet above the coastline.  It was really beautiful and we could see a ton of hawks and pelicans flying all over.

After our hike we drove to Venice and Amy dropped me at the beach while she got her hair cut.  I waded in to the water because I'm obsessed with swimming and wished I had a wet suit and a surfboard.  When I got bored of watching surfers I headed to the boardwalk and when I got bored of homeless people I walked to In 'n Out burger.  Yes, the burger was good.  The fries were terrible though.

Venice Beach

Amy picked me up and we got back to the house where we got dressed up, packed up our stuff, and headed out to West Hollywood.  We met up with her friends Hillary and Castro for sushi.  We sat at our table for awhile and the waiter gave us free birthday shots and we had some delicious food and conversation.  Afterward we headed to the club where we met up with our hosts Ken and Robert and danced to this weird European DJ.

Birthday girl!

Bottle service from the ceiling

We crashed at Hillary's house that night and in the morning got up and went to the Griddle House and had an amazing breakfast.  Amy got a red velvet pancake and I got Nutella french toast.  It was to die for.  I also got the number of a cute waiter who was from Michigan, he had a Detroit hat on... now I have a great excuse to go back to L.A. ;)

We took the rest of the day to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway and go to Malibu where we went hiking at Point Dume.  The point overlooks the ocean and was super gorgeous.  I hiked back down to the beach and went climbing through tide pools like a child, poking starfish and sticking my nose almost in the water.  The best part was when I saw two sea lions swimming in the surf right off the beach!  So amazing.

We drove back to Santa Monica and met up with my friend Sig.  He was nice enough to let us take showers and then pass out in his living room with the lights on for two hours.  We woke up, got some Red Bull, and went out for our last  night.  We bar hopped, drank tequila, met up with some more of Sig's friends, and had a great time.  Except when the photo booth wouldn't print us pictures, what a bummer!  After passing out we  woke up at 7am to get the car back to the rental place.  It was super sad to leave California, but I loved it and I'll definitely go back and visit.  Maybe this summer?

The rest of the time I've been home I've been watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch and clowning and working in the haunt.  I got moved to a new position in the haunted house which I love!  I'm working in the lobby which means I take tickets and give the rules to the guests before they enter the haunt.  I like it because it's more of a show and has a lot more customer interaction.  Also, people think I'm totally creepy and it's awesome.  Maybe because I stare at them, and don't answer their questions, and have blood running down my face.

Boo.

On Friday it was Ashley's birthday!  I got her some sweet balloons and her mom got her an edible arrangement which was surprisingly delicious.  Maybe we should eat more fruit here.  We went to 16 Handles for birthday FroYo and when we told the cashier it was Ashley's birthday he gave us both of ours for free!  How awesome!  We headed back to our apartment and were super excited when our friends from Adrian Rob and Mike came over to celebrate with us.  It was an awesome reunion and we drank some beers and just hung out.

The rest of the weekend I worked and have been just laying around.  I decided to be a person today and maybe actually do my dishes.  We'll see.

So overall life in New York is pretty good.  I really enjoy both my jobs, I love my good friends, and having Ashley as a roommate.  But I definitely do not see myself living here forever.  New York is a great city but not the right place for me.  So I've decided to start my countdown by doing all my adventure cards.  Adventure cards are this pack of 52 cards I got from Sarah before she left.  Originally, I started doing them with Amy but she moved away, wah.  I figured this will get me out seeing the city and that way I'll feel like I've really seen it all before I go.  Now, I've thought a bit about when I'm leaving and I don't think it will be for awhile but knowing that it's happening already makes me feel better.

So here are the adventure cards I've already done.  The Upper East Side, Meatpacking, Staten Island, Taking the Tram, the East Village, South Street Seaport, Rockefeller Center, 34th Street, Greenwich Village, Brooklyn Culture (Botanical Gardens) and Brooklyn Bridge.  Throughout the rest of my writing I will keep you updated on where the cards take me and the adventures I have along the way!

And I'm taking ideas on where to go... Michigan?  L.A?  Nashville?  Asia?  The possibilities are endless...

Princess in Training

 Happy new year!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season.  I know I did!

Before I left I had a great headshot session with Lee Kazimir who is a friend of a friend.  He was really awesome to work with, which makes such a difference in a photoshoot.  Having a photographer who you're comfortable with and who can bring out your personality really shows in the pictures.  We spend the day at his apartment shooting inside, outside, and on the roof.  I changed outfits a couple of times and got some great pictures of me not smiling which doesn't happen often.  After the main headshot session I put on a dress and we took some shots just for fun.  They're not all edited yet, but I do have some to show you, and will post more as soon as I have them!

Photo by Lee Kazimir

Photo by Lee Kazimir

Photo by Lee Kazimir
With the infamous Spiderman hat!

Afterward I was totally exhausted.  People think modeling is an easy job but I promise you it is not!  I don't  think I'd ever want to model professionally, there is so much to think about.  I came home after a 7 hour shoot and fell asleep by 8pm.  Then Ashley and I sat in her bed and watched the Katy Perry documentary and worked on my resume which looks awesome now thanks to her!  It is so great having a roommate who is in the 'biz' we can motivate and support each other.

The rest of the week before I left I volunteered at my favorite charity project, Granny Squares, cleaned the apartment, worked on decorating with Ashley, did a ton of laundry, and on the last night headed to Jordan and Dylan's to trade Christmas presents and hang out before I left for Michigan. I gave them a cookbook with recipes for sriracha because they love that shit.  And I got the most delicious cookies ever and an awesome picture for my apartment.

Me with my presents

The next day it was time to go HOME!  I was on the plane and started tearing up as we descended to land.  When I saw my Mom I just started crying in her arms.  It was so ridiculously comforting being back with my family after all the emotional ups and downs I had gone through during the months before, and wondering if I was going to be with them or not over Christmas.

Being home was amazing, as I thought it would be.  It was exactly what I needed... getting a break from the city, having the comforts of home, a vacation, and finally seeing my family.

At Darcy's band concert with Dad

Getting some puppy love

Christmas Cookies

I saw seven movies in theaters with my Dad (and sometimes the rest of the family) Monsters Inc 3D (amazing), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (amazing), Skyfall (great), Looper (great), The Hobbit (completely boring), Silver Linings Playbook (amazing), and Life of Pi (amazing and a beautiful movie).  I spent some time with Andy and his family, they took me to a Griffin's game on dollar beer night which was really fun and then I saw some of my GR friends after.  On Saturday Andy took me to Beauty and the Beast for my Christmas present and it was amazing!  I'm always a sucker for when they shoot confetti into the audience, what can I say.

Trying to find Dad's present at the hardware store

Roxy in her Christmas shirt

Griffin's Game

Program!

Most of the time I was at home I hung out with my family.  Even going on basic chores made me happy because it was just so great to be with them.  On New Years Eve I got to go to Ann Arbor and see some of my friends from college.  And on my last weekend in Michigan I shot a music video with my good friend Kris Hitchcock.

My BFF Marcus

We shot a video for his song "Roll Storm Roll" at a farmhouse in Cedar Springs.  I got on set around noon and was given a great bathroom upstairs for my dressing room that had a vanity with a big mirror for makeup.  The house was beautiful and I was shooting with a director I had worked with before (and hand picked for this project) Dennis.  He is great and also had his wife helping him and his son was there as well as our Nerf gun handler.  I had my Mom with me as a PA and assistant and to check my makeup of course! Since the video was just me, Kris, and his dog Fender the shoot went pretty quickly.  We had a great time on set and it was fun to hang out and shoot with Kris, even during our down time he just played guitar and I sang along.  I'm super excited to see the final product and add it to another awesome video with Kris!  After we wrapped we all headed to a terrible bar for a few drinks and chatting.  The video was a great reminder of why I act in the first place, to make great pieces with people that I love.  It was so fun and I can't wait to shoot another one!  Haha.

Unfortunately, after three weeks of vacation I had to head back to the city.  I was pretty sad the night before because I had to say goodbye to my Dad and sister, but by the time I was on the plane I was happy to be heading back.  And I ended up sitting next to a doctor who knew my old boss and now close friend Ben.  I was his nanny for years and am actually flying out for his daughter's birthday in Portland on Saturday.  What a small world.

Family

Going to Michigan was just what I needed and I feel like I have been back with energy and drive since I got back.  The weekend I got back I had a meeting with a management company that lets you intern for them for 6 months and in turn they represent you for 6 months.  They manage one of my great friends here in the city and the meeting went great, so I'm hoping to work for them as soon as they have an opening.  I also met up with my friend Bill and helped him set up a blog for his journalism and writing.  Luckily, I have a lot of experience with Blogger!  And it is fairly easy to use.  I also went back to Granny Squares that weekend and caught up with everyone there.  That night I worked at the haunted house and was pretty happy to be there after not seeing everyone for almost a month.

The next week I went to Ashley's first gig, a cabaret.  Let me just say this... my roommate is fucking amazing.  She was hands down the best singer in the group (okay I am biased but she WAS!) and I literally cried when she sang "I'm a Star."  Afterward we went and sang Broadway songs at Marie's Crisis, a piano bar where people sit around the piano and request songs and sing along, courtesy of my great friend DGR.

The next day I had an interview in Long Island with an children's entertainment company.  They do parties for kids.  I was hired on the spot!  I celebrated by eating a ton of McDonald's with Jordan and Dylan while we watched Zero Dark Thirty (boring, not good, don't understand the fuss).

The next day I hung out with a guy that I met on set of my commercial.  We had a chill day since he was shooting til 8am and went out for margaritas and Mexican that evening.  It was fun and I like him and that's all I'm gonna say :)

On Friday I headed out for my first day of training (paid, oh ya) and had a great time.  There were two other new girls and two that were brushing up on their skills.  We started out with facepainting and I was happy to find that I was a total natural, probably from my extensive art experience drawing and painting throughout school.  Afterward we went though singalongs.  The next day I had my first day of training, I was picked up by Jose, another entertainer and carpooled to work.  I shadowed with Amanda and did four parties with her and Kyle.  We wear bright colored dresses, striped socks, and pigtails.  Technically I'm a clown by we don't have wigs or makeup.  I had SUCH a great time and it is clear I finally found a job perfect for me.  You can get a different length of party and we do activities like facepainting, balloons, cotton candy, popcorn, bubbles, singalongs and dancing, and at the end there is a magic show.  I have another day of training tomorrow and next weekend I'm going out to do parties with my teammate.  It is so fun and also it is great money.  Most of the clowns live off what they make on Saturdays and Sundays!  So that is great, it means we can all audition and work on acting during the week.  NO MORE WAITRESSING HALLELUJAH!

Face Paint Practice Arrr!

On Sunday I went to church!  It had been so long that I had actually gone to service and I was so glad to see everyone.  The sermon was okay (ugh it was Martin Luther King Jr. weekend) and after I chatted with everyone at the Young Adults bagel brunch.  We're hoping to plan another prom (yay) and I made a new friend named Becca.  We went shopping at Victoria's Secret after and then I headed home and made stir fry dinner for myself and Ashley and we ended the night playing some Super Nintendo Mariokart.

The next night I went to a magic show with one of my friends Noah who was ushering and got me a free ticket.  The show was great even though I was annoyed that I couldn't find anyone to go with me!  NYC is such a pain sometimes.  After I went out with all the magicians to a diner and had even more fun while they joked around with me and tried all their tricks out.

The past couple of day Ashley and I have been working on the apartment.  We finally took our Christmas tree down (on January 23rd) and it was ridiculously dead.  We decided the best thing to do was drag it through the sliding glass doors and drop it off the balcony.  It still made a gigantic mess but was much easier to clean up than if we had taken it down the stairs.

Aftermath

We put up our curtains, I painted our chairs, we hung pictures, took all our junk to the thrift store and put together a picture frame.  I did the dishes and made chicken and rice which was so good we ate the entire dish before the night was over.  Last night Ashley made chicken, chickpeas, and quinoa.  It is so clean in her and starting to look so nice I hardly ever want to leave!

Chicken and Rice YUM

Today I went to a meeting for Central Casting, a company that places background actors in TV, film, and commercials.  It is usually a good way to make some extra money while being on set and maybe make a connection or two (or meet a guy! Hah.)  And now I'm killing time until I go to the haunt tonight.

And I almost forgot my BIG news... All You Can Dream is FINALLY premiering next month at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood!  Amazing!  So the first time I go to LA will be to see my movie :) and I can't wait.

Thanks for reading!  Hope you're all having a fabulous day!  Check again next month for pictures of Portland, and Hollywood!

<3

My First "Big Break"

Hey kids.  Wow a LOT has gone down since my last post.  Lots and lots... I hope you're ready!

I changed up my layout a bit here, hope you're enjoying it.  I was hoping to make it a bit more simple.  Also, go check out my website and make sure to go "Like" my fan page!

So let's start in November...

First of all, I helped Jordan and Dylan move into their new apartment!!!!  Congratulations guys!  I'm so happy for them, they are one of my all time favorite couples and hands down my bestest friends in New York City.
It was so exciting to official have "our" own place.  And I say our because I have a little bag of stuff over there so I can sleep over whenever.  And because I spent the entire weekend with them moving, unpacking, organizing, and having a damn drink after all that work.

Guess if this happens or not

Nope.

A few of you know that I had been having some problems with work and trying to go home for Christmas.  Due to the nature of the job the staff had been told we "weren't allowed" to go out of town for the holidays.  I had been aware of this since the beginning of November and was trying to figure out a way that I could see my family, considering I am very close to them and have always been home on Christmas day... and with the holidays coming up it is hard not to get a little homesick.
After another day of hearing that I wasn't allowed to see my family I attempted to attend book club with the Chi Omegas and I just couldn't do it.  I was sick of not knowing when I'd be going home, sick of New York City, and sick of people telling me what I could and couldn't do.  I actually ended up getting very upset because my family was pressuring me for answers that I couldn't give them because my bosses weren't answering me.  I thought going to see my sisters would help, but all I wanted to do was crawl in my bed and go to sleep.
So I decided to leave book club early, explaining to our amazing host what was happening with tears in my eyes.  The next day she called me and offered to let me spend the holidays with her and her husband.  This is the millionth reason I am grateful that I joined such an amazing sisterhood!  The support system I have here in the city is so huge, including my fellow alumni sisters and my awesome Big.
I went to a work meeting the next day and was told I could take off the first week in January if no one else did, so I put in my vacation request right away and settled with the fact that I'd be able to see the family even if it wasn't right when I wanted.

That weekend I received some terrible news.  One of my great friends had passed away suddenly at the age of 22.  Vince was a bright, energetic, outgoing, amazing man and I am going to miss him a lot.  But instead of crying I'm going to play Rihanna's "S&M" on repeat because I know he'd rather have me dancing to one of his favorite songs than being sad!  RIP love.  So on top of the emotions I was already dealing with, I was now more homesick than ever.  All I wanted to do was be with my family and friends and celebrate the amazing life that Vince had.  Ugh.

<3

That weekend was also the last weekend my roommate was going to be in town so he had a HUGE party.  I had tried to find something to do, but it seemed like everyone was busy, as is the case in NYC sometimes.  So I figured if you can't beat 'em join 'em.  I went out to the living room where our entire table was covered in booze and had a few drinks.  Just me and ten Mexican men in the living room.  Eventually, my work buddy Michael came over and by then the party really escalated.  I ended up going to bed around five.  When I got up at 10am my roommate was still awake and our apartment looked like this:

And this is just the kitchen

 I just left it because it was NOT my mess and I was definitely not responsible for cleaning it up.  The apartment smelled awful though.

To get out I met up with Neil and went shopping with him for some new clothes, then I took him to lunch at a 1970's style diner which had some great burgers.  It was such an amazing afternoon and just what I needed after the stress I was dealing with the previous week.  I just have such a great time when I'm around him, even though I don't see him nearly as much as I want too.

The next week the bad news just kept coming... just a few days after our great afternoon Neil broke up with me.  Although when we were together we had an amazing time, there were some bigger issues such as him being a bit older than me and having children.  We were at completely different places in our lives.  When I found out I went it was over I ran to my haven, Jordan and Dylan's.  Like the amazing best friend that she is, Jordan stuck me in her shower, gave me a spray tan, did my hair and make-up, gave me a drink and took me out on the town.

I can always count on this amazing woman

Friend time!

I ended up spending the entire weekend there.  I got to their place on Tuesday and didn't leave until Sunday.

Wednesday morning, Jordan had chocolate chip pancakes delivered to me while she was at work because she is THE BEST.  Seriously, nothing better than waking up to breakfast at the door.

And THEN I found out that my vacation request had been denied.

I cried to Jordan and Dylan and when they left to go back to Maryland that day I stayed cooped up in the apartment grieving the loss of my friends, man and the fact that I was all alone on Thanksgiving while my family and friends were together in Michigan.  At this point I didn't think I was going to get to see them at all anytime near the holidays.  It was definitely a pity party.  New York City is NOT an easy place to live and everything had been dragging me down, so by the time I found out about Vince and Neil and I wasn't going home I was having some real trouble.  As many New Yorkers will tell you, this was another time that I was honestly considering packing up and going home.  Being away from everyone was getting to be too much.  I got pep talked from many people.. Amber, Marcus, Amy and my parents and I just didn't care.  I wanted to whine and I wanted a hug and I wanted to cry and just be super depressed.

I went to my work Thanksgiving party Thursday night and tried to be cheerful, but I had signed up with a plus one and felt blatantly aware of the fact that I was totally alone.  I even went out for a drink afterward but all I wanted to do was mope.

At the "Motor City" Bar in the Lower East Side... Not quite home

Spending a few hours with real people took all my energy so I spent the whole weekend just licking my wounds and eventually on Sunday I got up and cleaned up and came back to my now roommateless apartment.  By that time I was all depressed out and thought maybe it was time to stop being so emo.  I was also super excited that SOMETHING good was going to happen during all the crap I was dealing with.

He left me a mini skateboard

He  left me Bieber!

He left me... this thing!

He left me BOOZE!

At this point I was starting to feel a little better, but I have to be honest when I say that not being able to go home was causing me a LOT of anxiety.  I couldn't imagine being stuck in the city, alone.  Or trying to go to friends apartments and pretend that that was were I wanted to be.  And I felt that I wasn't getting any straight answers or cooperation from my managers at work.  I was just counting down the days until December 1st because Ashley was moving in and I was hoping that having her around would cheer me up, but I was also looking for jobs in Michigan, or the south, or anywhere.  I was OVER New York and over my job and over the struggle.

On Wednesday I got up and went outside and cleared me head and got ready for work.  I was tired of being sad and I figured I should just put a smile on my face and tough through everything.  Luckily, everything was figured out when I went in for my shift and was informed that I was no longer needed at work.  To put it bluntly, I was fired.

I happily grabbed my belongings and went outside, totally free!  I don't think I've felt relief like that in a long time.  What a weight lifted off my shoulders.  I called my Dad and the first thing I said was "Daddy, I'm coming home for Christmas."  The vacation drama wasn't the only thing that caused me to be let go, it was clear that I wasn't experienced enough for the environment I was in.  And I'll be damned if  you see me working another restaurant job again.  I KNOW it is good money but I really hate it.  Haha.

So I walked up to Union Square and spent my evening in the Christmas Village looking for presents for my friends and family.  I was so relieved that I didn't have to deal with work anymore, especially since I have a nice fat chunk of savings and already had my rent ready for December and January.

I went home and paid $100 to change my ticket, I'm going home for THREE WHOLE WEEKS!  Yay!  I can't wait.  And let me say this... if I could go back I would do exactly the same thing.

From Daddy

Since I didn't work the next day I volunteered at Sunnyside Senior Center.  It is close enough that I can walk, and helped in a meditation class.  I spent the rest of the day cleaning the apartment getting ready for Ashley to move in!

Working hard

She came that Saturday.  Her brother and his friend came first so we actually ended up moving all her stuff in without her while she was loading out her show in Pennsylvania... nice planning on that Ashley haha.

THIS COUCH IS SUPER STINKY AND GROSS

We spent the weekend in the apartment unpacking and hanging out.  Ashley's boyfriend James came over so we had a full house!  It was so nice to have an apartment full of friends!

Clearly an Adrian College, Mu Zeta, Chi Omega apartment

  

Work in progress!

So we've been spending this time getting the apartment together, and watching VHS videos on Ashley's tiny TV and playing Super Nintendo.  Last Thursday our other roommate Doug texted me saying that he had an extra ticket to "The Heiress" on Broadway.  It was a GREAT show with wonderful acting.  It was super fun to see a show on Broadway especially since the first one I went to was really boring.

Night at the theatre

Seeing a show and having Ashley here is such a great motivator.  After losing my job I decided that was a great time to pick up my acting again.  People don't really realize how much work it is to be in this business.  So much of it is self motivated.  Until you get an agent and manager (and even then) it is all self promotion.  You are the only one who can get you a job.  And it is easy to spend five + hours just applying for auditions.

So I got back into the routine of applying for auditions and somehow stumbled onto a Craigslist ad looking for people with mascot experience.  I thought I might as well apply because I was the Pizza Pizza man in high school and why the hell not?  The next day I got an email from the producer saying he had submitted me to the ad agency for the role and that it was for a national AT&T commercial.  I was excited and nervous considering I hadn't been in a mascot in years but I wasn't about to say that.  After a few hours he told me I had the role and sent over information for me.

Trying to break the news to my Mom

I got call sheets and more information about the commercial so I started doing my homework and researching my directors, one of which was Jorma Taccone, who is kind of a big deal.  He is one of the three members of The Lonely Island along with Andy Samberg and wrote and acted in a bunch of well known SNL digital shorts.  At this point I started to get really excited and really nervous.

My call time on set was 9am downtown so I packed up everything I needed and headed out from my apartment around 7:45am.  I had some butterflies in my stomach that were totally smashed when I saw Neil waiting for the train.  Seeing him jarred me so much that I wasn't nearly as nervous.

I got into the studio and was led into the dressing room where they were steaming a bunch of mascot costumes, including a mouse that I recognized but I didn't know how.  Then they told us that it was the same costume Bruno Mars had worn a month earlier in the "Sad Mouse" skit on SNL!  So cool.  I met my fellow mascot, Alex, and we chatted for a bit.  He is a musical theater actor and used to do mascot work in children's show.  This is his second national commercial and when he told me how much he made in residuals for his first I was... amazed.  So pray that they play ours all over so I can get a new laptop!  Ha.

The studio was amazing.  We had a full green screen and a huge crew.  There was a catered breakfast with an omelet station, they would cook you an omelet made to order.  And one of the employees was super cute, nothing like some flirting and a yogurt parfait for breakfast.

By this time my nerves were pretty much gone.  Usually the anticipation is the worst part and once I get on set I'm fine.  We tried on our costumes and they wrapped us in bubble wrap so our outfits would have nice, round bellies.

      

After we were dressed we went out and shot footage of just the two of us.  We danced around to a song about sharing.  We hugged, we jammed out, we played with balls of yarn and bones, we had pin wheels and bouncy balls and airplanes.  Jorma and Oz were great directors and we had a lot of fun.  It was sweaty and awkward in the costumes but it was still a ton of fun.  They were very open to whatever we wanted to try, at one point Alex was doing cartwheels and we were doing the running man.

The set

 Soon the kids were ready and we continued to dance around with them.  It wasn't too hard to work with the kids, although they were SUPER energetic.  And they kept asking me to meow when the director was trying to tell us what to do.  They were super cute though.

Me on set!

Director

Me with director Oz Rodriguez

Hugs from the kids

We wrapped around 4:30.  I went around and thanked our crew members and made sure to hand out a ton of business cards.  (It's all about who you know!!!)  Then I came home, took a shower, and passed out by 6pm because I was totally exhausted.

The best part of this story is if I was never let go I wouldn't have been online looking for auditions and wouldn't have gotten cast.  Everything happens for a reason and the universe pushes you toward where you should go!!!

The next day I went to book club and our annual cookie exchange!  It was so great to see everyone and update them on my work situation.  I came home and spent the night with Ashley working, watching TV, and chatting with a cute boy :)

So that's it!  So much has happened!  And hopefully a lot more good is coming my way.

ONE WEEK TIL I GET TO GO HOME YAY!

Here's some extra pictures for you.  Thanks for reading!

Present from Amy

Present from James

My beautiful Christmas tree!  Merry Christmas!!!