Diary of a Manhattan Actress

Kayaking the St. John's River, Blue Springs, and Snake Creek

2012-01-06T14:11:00.000-05:00

Wanna see a picture of the manatee who nuzzled my hand yesterday?

Yep, that's my new manatee friend checking out my kayak...can you spot my shadow taking the picture? :)

This alligator and I, however? Not really friends. He lunged at my boat shortly after this picture to escape back into the river.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, if a bit chilly. I was able to snap this beautiful shot of my Mom in her kayak:

And a friend we were kayaking with took the first ever picture of the two of us in our kayaks together!

We're exhausted today after kayaking 15 miles (AKA 6 hours pretty much without stopping!). Yeah, I can barely move. Have been very much enjoying my extended vacay, though. I really needed a breather from work!

WEverb11: Day Fifteen!

2011-12-16T10:53:00.000-05:00

Today's prompt is: What event of 2011 affected you in an unexpected way?

My answer for this one is easy: Dan's new casting job.

I know I've mentioned his new job here before, but I can't really stress enough how much Dan getting this job was a major life event for us. It has changed our lives in so many ways, both expected and unexpected.

When he got the call that he had been hired, we both started jumping up and down and teared up. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. This was such a victory for him. And it continues to be so.

He no longer has to work at demeaning jobs, like serving ungrateful tourists at T.G.I. Friday's. He no longer has to juggle more than one job all the time. We no longer have to fret about what god-awful things would happen if one of us were to become ill with no health insurance. He no longer dreads going to work, now that he loves his job and feels like he's accomplishing something meaningful. He no longer feels constantly disrespected by his superiors or like he's going to get fired at any minute, and he no longer comes home from work in a shitty mood because of what's going on with his job (or lack thereof).

For all of these reasons and more, I'm so proud of him and what he's accomplished this year. But these were the expected "side effects."

What we (or at least I) didn't really know to expect were the extraordinarily long hours he would be putting in there. Or how different it would be to have him working a normal weekday schedule. Or how much adjustment there would be in our marriage from this career shift of his. It's been a really bumpy road the past few months, but I'm happy to say that I think we've finally got most of it worked out and things are getting much smoother 'round these parts.

And while I wouldn't say that I've loved the rocky journey of the past few months, I am still so proud of him and of our marriage for weathering this little storm.

WEverb11: Day Four!

2011-12-04T22:07:00.000-05:00

Today's challenge was to sum up 2011 with a haiku. Now, as an amateur haiku enthusiast, I could write haikus about 2011 all day. But the one I chose to best sum up the year is:

Central Casting and

Betty's Summer Vacation.

What an epic year.

How would you sum up 2011 in a haiku?

P.S. Yes, I've decided to pick and choose which prompts to write along with. Because...I'm lazy. And I just took a five-hour workshop on Saturday all about reflecting on 2011 and gearing up for 2012, so I'm only going to get invested in the prompts that really intrigue me. Sooooo sue me.

Beginning WEverb 2011: Words for 2011 & 2012

2011-12-01T17:21:00.002-05:00

Although I didn't participate in the month-long Reverb10 daily writing prompts, I loved reading everyone else's posts reflecting on their lives and hoping for their futures. My friend Kim has organized this year's "WEverb11" and since my blogging has been a little...umm...stagnant...over on my little ol' personal blog as of late, I thought this would be just the push I need to do a little writing! And I'm always a sucker for personal reflection and goal setting :)

So today's prompt is:

Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why. Imagine it's one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?

My word for 2011 is PROGRESS.

This year has been an absolutely astounding one in our professional lives. Both Dan and I have made enormous steps towards our career aspirations, and after how hard we've busted our asses in this city since we've been here, that's no small thing to say.

Dan landed his first full-time casting gig four months ago, complete with awesome benefits and paid time off (which we will soon be taking advantage of for our New Years cruise to the Bahamas!). I worked on my first Equity show, which made me eligible to join the union; launched my showbiz blog called The Green Room Blog; and went on the first audition that my agent got for me. Suffice it to say, this year was huge for us.

I'm hoping that as 2012 draws to a close, my word will be BALANCE.

Although this year has been amazing for us in many ways, it's also been a bit of a struggle in some ways, too. We've spent a lot of time apart because we've been enjoying such career success, and we've transitioned from having weird, sporadic, any-hours survival jobs to Dan being a regular 9-5'er (okay, 9-9'er...) and me running my own businesses. Like...we get weekends together? What are we supposed to do on Friday nights that isn't work? You mean, we have to be up at the same time every day?

The latter half of this year has been a little tough on things like the general cleanliness of the corner behind the couch and, oh, our relationship. We still love each other like mad, of course. And the dishes usually don't pile up too high. But next year, I'd like to place more emphasis on being successful in our careers AND working our way back to the relationship/household/general life contentedness that we felt in 2010.

Overall, 2011 was a fantastic year. Really, 2011, you've been swell. But there's always room to tweak things here and there :)

If you'd like to join in on the daily writing prompts, click on over to WEverb11 and join us! Or follow along on twitter using the #WEverb11 hashtag!

Holiday Cards 2011 Style

2011-11-02T15:51:00.001-04:00

Just like last year, we ordered our holiday cards from Shutterfly. I love how many different options they have, and how easy it is to find a card that suits every family's personality. I also love how affordable they are!

This is the design we chose this year, because it's both festive and simple, allowing our slightly complex photo to really shine:

I also ordered an 8x10 print of our chosen Christmas picture for my father-in-law, who specifically requested a large photograph of us for his office this year. I hear Shutterfly also does a mean photo book, too, but I can't speak to that myself, as I have yet to try theirs. Maybe next year?

I'm super excited to get our Christmas cards in the mail so I can get them out to family and friends. I might be even more excited for all of the 'Bee cards that will be trickling in this month, too! :)

*Disclaimer: Shutterfly is currently offering 50 free holiday cards to bloggers who write a post about their holiday products, so I am being compensated for this little dose of holiday stationery cheer.*

Merde Il Pleut

2011-10-14T17:47:00.001-04:00

Inspired both by today's disgustingly wet weather and by a hilarious umbrella that I can neither afford, nor fold small enough to fit inside my purse, I decided to try my hand at a new skill this afternoon -- umbrella painting!

For those of you who don't speak French, the translation is: "Shit it's raining!"

I think it came out pretty great, considering how difficult it was to freehand paint nice, even block letters without being able to rest my wrist on anything solid. And the whole project cost me all of ten bucks. And now I have an umbrella with way more personality than the boring black one I bought on the corner one day when I was caught outside in a downpour completely unprepared.

This project can be completed in six simple steps:

1. Buy an umbrella in a fun color and scour your neighborhood for a complementary shade of fabric paint.

2. Dig out a paintbrush and chalk from your unnecessarily vast supply of crafting tools.

3. Use the chalk to draw guide lines for your design.

4. VERY slowly and carefully paint over the chalk.

5. The next day when the paint is completely dry, flip the umbrella over and cover the reverse side of your design with a towel. Iron over the towel on a low heat setting, being careful not to singe your umbrella. This sets your design!

6. Show off your profanity-covered rain gear :)

What rainy day crafts have you been inspired to do lately?

Catching You All Up

2011-10-12T10:16:00.001-04:00

So it's been an awkwardly long time since I posted here on my little ol' personal blog. I continue to attribute that to the joy I'm finding in being both Editor-In-Chief and a Blogger over at The Green Room Blog. If you ever want to read some really inspiring posts by artists trying to make their way in the showbiz industry, you have to check it out.

But enough about that, over here it's all about me. Hah! Things have been going really well lately. I'm just coming off of working on a fabulous show this summer, where I got my Equity card (a big deal for you non-actor civilians); Dan just got hired as an assistant at a busy NYC casting office (can I get a "woo hoo" for health insurance?!?), and we celebrated our second wedding anniversary just last night. So yeah, other than the super long hours that Dan is working, I have no complaints. I mean, I'd love to book another acting job ASAP, but that will come. I'm not worried.

And although I'm always sad about summer ending (god, I hate winter), I am excited about heading into the holiday season, which really begins for us with our October anniversary, I suppose. Next up: pumpkin picking and choosing a Halloween costume :)

So now you're caught up on all the big changes in our lives of late. I hope you forgive my absence. I do want to leave you with a gem of a picture from my show this summer, just because the costume is so out of character for me:

Yes, those were actual S.W.A.T. team uniforms. The costume shop had to take mine in from every possible direction. I guess they're not used to small people being on S.W.A.T teams, huh? :)

It's Never Too Late To Get Where You're Going

2011-05-03T06:39:00.000-04:00

Saw this sign in the subway a few days ago and was totally inspired:

Totally believe it. Take one step, however small, confidently in the direction of your dreams today, folks.

You Might Be A Manhattanite If... [Part III]

2011-04-27T08:43:00.001-04:00

Check out Part I and Part II of this series :)

(photo credit)

1. You think getting some fresh air means going to Central Park.

2. Your definition of a large dog includes cocker spaniels.

3. Being able to easily wash your laundry is never something to be taken for granted.

4. You scoff at the tourists who flock to see spots like The Empire State Building, but yet you always crane your neck to catch a glimpse of what color the lights are tonight.

5. If you don't hear a fire engine or police siren for too long, you start to worry that something's happened.

P.S. Thank you all so much for clicking on over to check out The Green Room Blog this week! We've broken traffic records -- who knew you guys loved me so much? :)

The Highline NYC

2011-04-21T15:46:00.001-04:00

Hello, dear readers! It's been awhile, I know. And I sincerely apologize for neglecting you. I've just been so busy being both a blogger and Editor-in-Chief over at The Green Room Blog, that all of my blog energy has been used up there. But though it's hard work launching and nurturing a new blog, we have such incredible bloggers and readers that it's already growing into a very special community. If you haven't already, go check it out! I'll wait here, don't worry.

Dan and I have both been so busy over the past few weeks, that we haven't had much time to do anything together. I've been auditioning and rehearsing like crazy (plus spent the past long weekend at Disney World with my family!), and he's been working one job while training for another and casting a movie -- hooray!

We did find some time together last week to enjoy a lovely little spurt of spring weather and check out The Highline park for the first time. It was just as fun as I'd imagined, and the perfect place to enjoy some sunshine and a light breeze. We loved all of the art installations that they had to check out, too. I can't wait until the food carts are added this summer -- the only thing missing was some fro yo to devour while strolling!

I was also so inspired by the power of a few friends with a dream and a great work ethic. It's hard to believe such a cool park could come from nothing within a few short years. Way to go, guys. The Highline is definitely one of my new favorite NYC spots.

The Union Square Greenmarket

2011-03-26T13:05:00.002-04:00

Question: What is the best way to cure the ohmygodwhythehellisn'titspringyet blues?

Answer: Pretty things at the Union Square Greenmarket!

Shopping at this outdoor farmers' market has become one of my new favorite mornings out in the past year or so. There is everything your heart could desire -- fresh breads, pastries, vegetables with the dirt still on 'em, cheeses, plants, cut flowers, fresh meat -- you name it!

I've always been a sucker for the produce (hello, spaghetti squash that they don't sell in my grocery store!) and pastries (I think you all know about my pastry obsession by now), but today my name was called by none other than my favorite flower: ranunculus.

You see, last year was our first summer with a balcony, and I made a plan to try my hand at container gardening. But I only really followed through half-heartedly with some pretty generic potted flowers and a bit of climbing ivy (which is doing very well, I might add). It wasn't all that motivating to shop for gardening supplies at our local teeny tiny home depot gardening section, and I was a little too insecure in my gardening knowledge to attempt shopping in the flower district.

But ohhhhh, was I lured in by the table overflowing with ruffly ranunculus goodness today. I bought two pots of them to start with, because I'm terrified of killing them. Plus, I was inspired to buy two little potted herbs -- basil and thyme, my most frequently used in the kitchen -- to nurture indoors until it gets just a little warmer and I can move them outside. I'm looking forward to buying some lavender, too, at some point, to see if I can overwhelm the city smell and make our balcony's scent a relaxing one!

Then, of course, we had to wrap things up by buying some pastries...Dan couldn't resist a "breakfast" cookie, and I got an enormous apple turnover. We enjoyed ourselves so much and were so tempted by so many delicious and healthy-looking foods, that I resolved to try spending our entire bi-weekly grocery budget at the market at least once this summer, just to see how well I can feed us with all fresh goods on the same money we usually spend at the grocery store. Because I cook so much from scratch, I think we spend a remarkably small amount on food as it is, so it'll be a challenge. But I think we're up to it.

At any rate, wandering around the market together is something we really love to do as a couple. And that's worth a lot by itself.

Do you shop at farmers' markets? What is your favorite buy there?

The Bejeweled Penis

2011-03-03T15:56:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, as I was in one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall Garment District trim stores, pawing through piles of beaded embellishments to find the perfect piece to use for my latest Redheaded Actress Etsy Shop custom order, I stumbled across what can only be described as a bejeweled penis:

I mean, I'm not just being dirty, right? That can't be anything other than a penis shape, can it? And if it can't be anything else, then what possible use could one have for a bejeweled penis embellishment?? Wait...don't answer that.

I'm all about taking groceries home on the subway, but...

2011-02-22T15:37:00.000-05:00

Call me a germophobe, but I wouldn't eat that broccoli sitting sans protective bag inside the granny cart caked in grime...

Eww.

Have you ever seen a dog with a faux hawk?

2011-02-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

...you have now!!

What is the strangest hairstyle you've ever seen on a dog before? Or is this another "only in New York" kinda thing??

Following the Yellow Brick Road...

2011-01-26T08:40:00.000-05:00

...has brought me from being this girl at 12 years old:

To being this woman at 24:

This weekend, I get to perform at the Gershwin theatre for 1600 girl scouts and get another teeny tiny taste of what it's like to work on Broadway. I've found that every time I do the Wicked workshop that I'm a part of, it gets harder and harder to walk away from that world and go back to being on the other side of a Broadway stage. It's wonderful, though, to get a little kick in the ass and remind me what I'm working so hard for.

This is my dream and I will get there.

2010 Twitter Retrospective

2011-01-05T18:25:00.010-05:00

So it's a new year, huh, folks? Funny how fast that happened, isn't it?

I get very contemplative and analytical around this time every year, much like many people do. And I've always thought that keeping one of those "one line a day, every day of the year" kind of journals would be so cool and manageable (and perfect to read on December 31st!), yet I've never been able to get one going.

But then I realized, "hey, I do kinda keep a one or two line a day public journal -- Twitter!" So I spent some time combing through the good ol' archives from 2010 and picked a few of the tweets from each month that best encapsulated my experiences to bring to you: The 2010 Twitter Retrospective!

January:

14 - Gah, I cry every time I write a wedding recap, watch the wedding video, or listen to music from our ceremony. I am suuuch a sap.

27 - Very proud that my little fledgling businesses have inspired one of my friends to create his own -- stick it to the man, my friends!

30 - Just rocked The Gershwin. Hope it's not the last time The Gershwin and I meet.

February:

15 - Spending the afternoon crafting up a storm and re-vamping monologues, while surrounded by snoozing puppies. This is the good life.

17 - Hey fellow actors -- it does absolutely NO good to be cold, snarky, or standoffish in the waiting room. We're all in this together, yo.

24 - Welcoming my husband's fledgling NYC casting agency, @HatsOffCasting, to Twitter!

March:

22 - So touched that some of my @weddingbee readers noticed me in my TLC promo! Becoming a Bee means getting a built-in fan club!

25 - Think my husband's biological clock is ticking...cute and terrifying all at the same time ;)

28 - Think my best friend in the whole entire world may be driving up to visit this week! Eeeeek! Look out, NYC!

April:

10 - Heading up to Central Park South to see the St. Pucchi bridal gown show! So excited to see some fab dresses! #bridalmarket

12 - As of this morning, we are officially Mr. and Mrs. O'Phalen!!

25 - Will be marching proud in the @marchforbabies today, despite the nasty nasty weather. My sister looks adorable in her little matching shirt.

May:

3 - Rocked those webisode sides. Just discovering that I can be really funny, and it sure is a whole lot of fun to do!

15 - One thing I'm not good at? Allowing myself to take a break and relax. It's hard when you run your own businesses!

30 - Baked garlic french fries, burgers grilled on the balcony, homegrown lettuce, homemade bread...quite the lovely "cookout" for two :)

June:

1 - Even if it is a slightly dirty NYC beach, I still think it's pretty incredible that we started in Midtown and took the subway to relaxation!

17 - Just had a new dog boarding client over who asked if I was an @weddingbee blogger. She works for Martha Stewart! Cool! :)

23 - Iced coffee date with Kelly in @bryantparknyc!

July:

9 - Just got recognized at JFK for being in that film that screened Wednesday -- coolest thing ever!!

15 - Intermission of @NightMusicBway and I'm in love...with Sondheim, with Bernadette, with the cast, & with my husband who got me the bday tix!

28 - My father-in-law called me tonight just to say that he had seen my new headshots on facebook and that they were gorgeous. I have the best family

August:

1 - The only thing that could make being in Burlington more perfect right now is if my husband and puppies were here

14 - Opening night of Spring Awakening! Are you ready for this, Vermont?

28 - The Mister and 2 of my bridesmaids are almost to Burlington! Cliff jumping today, show tonight, then home tomorrow!!!

September:

6 - I know that, come next Labor Day, I will be a #Unionmember :)

10 - Have had a great couple of days and taken several big steps forward in my career -- I'm exhausted by it all, though!

20 - Just booked a campground site to go tent camping with our BFF couple friends, @the_littleelf and her hubs and all of our dogs next week!!

October:

9 - Heading out to the Greek festival in Queens to relive our honeymoon that began one year ago this week!

24 - Out soon to go play pool in Koreatown with some of the mister's work friends -- here's to fun with new friends!

31 - #Halloween: the holiday where the rest of the country has fun doing what we #actors do every day :)

November:

12 - About to go take Michael's by storm. Greta and I are making about five different kinds of Christmas ornaments today!

25 - Getting ready to watch the @macysinc parade from our balcony with 8 of our friends feasting on delicious homemade baked goods! Heaven!

26 - I'm so thrilled beyond belief to have landed representation this week. Just goes to show that focused hard work will pay off eventually!

December:

3 - Just back from serving 300+ people dinner at Gay Men's Health Crisis. Feel tired, & good about helping, but mostly like I have to do more.

7 - WOAH. Got an #audition notification from NYCastings & a Cmail from @ActorsAccess at the exact same time. The universe has circled around.

18 - Wrapping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, packing, washing my yorkie...all in preparation to leave tomorrow for the holidays!

From reading through all of these tweets, we sure sound like we were busy this year! I'm tired just reading all of it.

What tweets would best sum up your year?

Just another dose of producer crazy ;)

2010-12-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter, then you may have seen my tweets last week about the silliness I encountered when dealing with producers and auditions:

1. The guy who wouldn't give me an audition slot until I told him how many people I would bring to see the show, then when I politely declined an audition, wrote me back a terse email completely devoid of capitalization or punctuation informing me that 300+ other actors would be attending his call (**implication: you snotty actress, you**).

2. The very kind and accommodating producers who were otherwise nothing but wonderful, minus the fact that they sent me my audition slot in military time. Nothing wrong with that, just a first that caught me off guard!

Today I got a casting notice that actually made me laugh out loud. These guys want actors to do background work on a music video for them for the following compensation:

"No pay but Free Brunch and Four Loko"

That's the kind of favor you ask a friend to do you, not a group of professional actors looking to work and advance their careers. At any rate, I may start asking for my checks to be made out in increments of Four Loko.

One (very over-sized) dose of holiday cheer, coming up!

2010-12-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

We were in Jack's 99 cent store last night looking for cheap ornaments to fill up the cheap vase I bought from TJMaxx. We did find those and create this (I think) decidedly non-cheap-looking Christmas centerpiece:

But what this post is really about would be this lovely holiday decoration:

The LARGEST CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT KNOWN TO MAN! Dan and I kept trying to figure out what this could possibly be used for. The only thing that comes to me would be something like decorating the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, but come on...you know they don't use dollar store ornaments at Rockefeller Center.

Any ideas?

Thanksgiving Brunch -- Realized!

2010-12-03T12:33:00.000-05:00

I know we're all starting to get into the Christmas spirit (at least I know I seriously am!), but I just wanted to share with you how our little Thanksgiving Brunch turned out, since I teased you with a little inspiration board already.

Here was the spread, pre-devouring (also, no one had shown up yet, so a fruit salad and some more muffins were added after this picture was taken):

I loved the tablecloth and how cute Martha's pumpkins looked. Also, there's something so fun and fancy about whatever you've cooked/baked when it's served from either a footed cake plate or on a cool platter. Thank you, wedding gifts!

A close-up of the Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins, the Blueberry Cheesecake muffins, and the Coffee Cake. Plus, the little orange tented signs I made the night before so everyone would know what they were eating!

Please do yourself a serious favor (and your waistline a serious disservice) and run, don't walk, to your nearest grocery store to get the ingredients to make these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. They may be the best thing I've ever baked, and I bake a LOT.

Yummy from-scratch Cinnamon Buns that taste so much better than store-bought. And they're on the pretty platter my Mom bought me for my bridal shower! :)

Dan insisted of getting a picture of me in front of my masterpiece after watching me work so hard to get it all together. It took me the entire day before Thanksgiving to bake everything and almost three hours that morning to do last-minute prep and assembly! Totally worth it, though!

We had some seriously yummy things to munch on while loving that view.

And just in case you wondered if everyone else enjoyed themselves, too...

After the parade, we went to a friend of a friend's house and had a delicious and entertaining Thanksgiving dinner with new friends. All in all, an absolutely lovely Thanksgiving, if a bit a-typical!

How was your Thanksgiving? What did YOU make (or eat?!)?

File this fashion statement under, "Thanks, But No Thanks"

2010-12-01T14:01:00.000-05:00

The only possible use I can think of for this hat would be if your occupational hazards including "freezing to death" and your work address is "#1 North Pole":

Just thought you could use a laugh on this dreary weather day :)

First NYC Snowfall of the Season?

2010-11-22T10:27:00.000-05:00

Last night, while walking home from "Fuerza Bruta" (go see it!!), we came across Madison Square Park blanketed in the first snowfall of the year:

Or was it?

Not really, since the rest of the city is decidedly NOT covered in snow. Actually, it seems like they must be filming something set during the winter, since they put a whole lot of effort into trucking in snow machines and blanketing four whole blocks in man-made snow, then proceeding to rope it all off with caution tape.

It was just a funny thing to all of a sudden step into a winter wonderland and then right out of it again. Only in New York, huh?

Has your area had its first snowfall yet?

Holiday Cards 2010 Style

2010-11-20T05:53:00.000-05:00

We had a very talented photographer friend come over and take some cute pictures of our little two-person, two-canine family last week for the express purpose of sending holiday photo cards! I don't want to show you the photo we chose to use (because some of you may be getting our cards in the mail!), but I can show you one of the silly outtakes:

(photo credit)

So I started looking for places to get holiday photo cards printed (since I am way too lazy to go the DIY route this year), and I fell in love with the adorable charm of the Shutterfly cards.

These are a few of my favorites:

(photo credit)

I love the simplicity of the message: "joy." How lovely, right?

(photo credit)

I think the charm of these fun fonts just won me over for this card. I love a good word montage.

And finally, this one, which is the card we'll be getting, minus the adorable child, of course:

(photo credit)

Again, I think the fun fonts and the cheerful colors won me over. And I think the swirls are sweet, too. I can't wait to see how our cards turn out, as this is the first year we've ever done photo cards! I always write a little family newsletter to include in our cards, too, so hopefully everyone enjoys opening our little paper holiday greetings! :)

*Disclaimer: Shutterfly is currently offering 50 free holiday cards to bloggers who write a post about their holiday products, so I am being compensated for this little dose of holiday stationery cheer.*

Thanksgiving Brunch Buffet Inspiration Board

2010-11-19T06:47:00.001-05:00

So what do you do when you love to craft/plan/organize and you've already gotten married? Create an inspiration board for your home parties, of course!

Next week is Thanksgiving, of course. Which on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan means birds-eye Macy's Parade views. You might remember from last year that I posted a picture or two of the awesome view we have of the parade from our balcony.

Well, this year, I wanted to take advantage of our view and the fact that we don't have time to travel and be with family for Thanksgiving, so we are hosting a Thanksgiving breakfast/brunch for friends who would like to come over and share in the parade and some yummy food with us. I can't wait! I'm so excited that I bought a new tablecloth (we only owned one before...bad wife, bad wife...) and have spent time imagining how I want our little brunch spread to look:

(Photo credit, from L->R: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,10&12 are personal)

The serving ware we already have from wedding gifts, I bought that pretty tablecloth at TJ Maxx, the flowers are mums from the corner deli, I want to craft those paper pumpkins a la Martha, and the foods are all ones I'm considering making.

Whaddya think? This will be my first time hosting more than four people for a meal -- any suggestions?

What are your interesting/a-typical Thanksgiving plans?

Our Actors Day...I mean, Halloween Costumes!

2010-11-01T11:49:00.000-04:00

Of course Halloween is one of our favorite holidays -- it's no secret that one of the most fun parts of an actor's job is the dressing up part, so why wouldn't we love a holiday where everyone gets in on the fun of our profession? :)

I was looking through old Halloween pictures to try to write a blog post taking you through my costumes in recent years, but came across a problem when I realized 1. Most of my Halloween costumes in college aren't really appropriate for general internet posting (haha), and 2. I had FOUR separate costumes for Halloween my senior year alone. Woah. In my defense, we had many, many Halloween events to go to that year, but I'm not sure why I needed a separate costume for each event. My Mom says it's because I'm a diva. Whatevs.

I guess I'll just share one from that year because it's one of our best couple costumes ever. Not because it was such an original idea, or because it was perfectly executed or anything, but just because it was so appropriate for us as a couple: Roger and Jessica Rabbit.

And now for this year...

If you haven't seen the "Double Rainbow Guy" video on YouTube, please check it out. It's hilarious, although the audio prooobably isn't safe for work, but you won't understand my costume without watching it:

This year I went as a double rainbow:

And we went to the Village Halloween Parade and saw two other double rainbows while we were there, although both were very differently executed.

Dan went as YouTube, making us quite the pair:

And our lovely friends went as a flapper and a dead, Mexican gunslinger, both very well done:

It was absolutely freezing last night, and by the end of the night, both of us ladies were wishing we had that Mexican blanket as a part of our costumes!

What did you dress up as this year?

Have a Frighteningly Fun Halloween!

2010-10-31T05:48:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to take a second to say "Happy Halloween, All!" We're particularly excited about Halloween this year because we missed it last year, given that we spent the whole day flying back from our honeymoon in Greece. Not that we were complaining or anything, but we did miss celebrating one of our favorite holidays!

This year, we carved some really fun pumpkins. Mine was an "Elphaba" pumpkin:

And Dan carved a ghoulish "Rock On" pumpkin:

Not to mention, we're dressing up and attending the Village Halloween Parade with some of our new and old besties tonight. I'll be sure to post costume pictures when we get them, but for now...it's a surprise!

Hope you all have a fun, costume-and-friend-and-candy-filled Halloween!

A Crime Against Actors

2010-10-26T15:45:00.039-04:00

Every weekday, producers and casting directors are looking for actors to fill roles in their projects, which happily results in me getting dozens and dozens of similar casting notices in my inbox each day:

NYCastings is just one of the sites I use to find auditions. Many of the roles on there are for paid positions, but more often than not, the work is unpaid. Which is fine. I've done LOTS of unpaid work for resume and reel building purposes.

And when the producer isn't paying the actors it's almost always for a good reason -- you're working for a fledgling off-off-broadway theatre company that couldn't keep its doors open if it paid its staff, or for a production company doing fundraising short films to raise money for a bigger, more exciting project.

This notice, however, is for "Mystery Diagnosis." A nationally syndicated tv show. On TLC. There is absolutely no reason why the TLC producers can't afford to pay their actors, and it is a crime to ask them to work for free just because you're cheap. Even a flat rate of a couple of hundred dollars a day, which is still pennies to a production company and isn't even much to pay someone who spent weeks of auditioning to land this one gig, would make this less insulting.

To my fellow actors, doesn't this just make your blood boil? Please let's respect ourselves enough to not work for free for producers who can afford to pay us. The only way production companies get away with doing something like this is because they WILL find actors who are willing to work for free, even when it's unfair.

Ugh.

Promo Shots with 60b Photography!

2010-10-18T08:17:00.001-04:00

So a few months back, I spied one of my actor friends' little sister posting some absolutely AMAZING photographs on her facebook, and I clicked over to find out who she was and how she had such gorgeous photographs. As it turns out, I accidentally stumbled across what turned out to be the incredibly talented Jillian from 60b Photography.

I immediately fell in love with her shots, and emailed her to ask if she would be interested in doing a promo shoot so I could have some more shots for my websites, mainly my acting site, but also a few great shots for my dog boarding site, as well. She quickly wrote back that she would love to, and she started following my blog and suggested that it might be fun to do a shoot that was "a day in the life of Kate" themed, and I thought that sounded like a cool idea!

So here goes nothing!

Every morning, I wake up to at least two sets of similarly pouty puppy eyes staring into my face:

Coffee is a first-thing type of deal in our household, although I promise you that I don't look nearly this put together while I'm still on my first cup, haha...

Once I get myself together, it's time to hit the subway for auditions/rehearsals/work work work!

Don't try to keep up ;)

This picture perfectly captures how I feel when I'm out and about in the city on a beautiful day, getting work done, sipping on coffee, and just generally loving living here:

I also spend a lot of time at the library, borrowing scores, reading scripts, watching tv shows (strictly as research, of course...).

Doesn't everybody have tea parties in the park?

It's the best place to learn lines, work on audition sides, update my websites -- Bryant Park and I spend a lot of quality time together in the warmer weather!

But then it's time to get back to the doggies who depend on me for snuggles. I meet with prospective clients, exercise the pups I currently have, and send out emails in response to queries I receive, all while in the company of these two cuties:

And I'm sure to end each day with a doggy snuggle, as well :)

Jillian took beautiful photos, and I'm so happy to have them for my sites! If you'd like to see some more of my pictures, head on over to my actor website here.

Also, if you're in the New York/Connecticut area and engaged, getting married, or wanting anniversary shots, Jillian is a great bet. Head on over here to see what she's done with other couples. And you know she comes highly recommended by me!

Thanks so much, Jillian!

My New Life Motto

2010-10-15T09:56:00.000-04:00

I've decided that this is my new life motto:

Haha. Just kidding. Mostly.

The Top Ten Ways to Relax in New York City (On a Budget!)

2010-10-13T08:40:00.000-04:00

Anyone who reads this blog must know how much I love New York City. I mean, why else would I write a whole blog about living here, right? New York is a vibrant, eclectic, exciting, and intensely interesting place to live.

Which also means that it can be hectic, frazzled, stifling, and overwhelming, too. There's a reason those high-priced, $400 facial type spas exist (and it's not just because The Real Housewives need something else to do).

While Dan and I were at the beach a few weeks ago and I was thinking about how relaxing I find it there, I realized there was one "top ten in New York" list that I had never seen. And so, without further ado, I bring you:

The Top Ten Ways To Relax in New York City Without Prostituting Yourself to Pay For It:

1. Enjoy a (plastic) bottle of wine while watching Shakespeare in the Park. Seeing Shakespeare performed in Central Park for free has been a New York tradition for fifty or so years now, but the recent advent of the online ticket lottery has taken all the stress out of snagging some tickets. Head over here to enter yourself into the lotto any time before 1 PM on show day, and with a moderately flexible schedule, you're sure to get tickets. There's nothing more relaxing than seeing great theatre at sunset with a breeze blowing and the city muted around you, in my opinion. Bonus relaxation points: bring a bottle of wine with you to enjoy during the show. Food and drink are totally allowed in the theater, the only rule is no glass.

(Photo Credit)

2. Walk home after midnight. The city is ever so much more peaceful then.

3. Ride the Staten Island Ferry. This is another freebie steal. Get out on the water, take in the stunning skyline views, and get up close and personal with Lady Liberty herself. Sit outside on the top level for the best views and zen. Get off at Staten Island and grab the next ferry right back and you've got a full 90 minutes of tranquility lined up. Just avoid commuting hours (7-10 AM and 4-7 PM).

(Photo Credit)

4. Have drinks at a rooftop bar.

5. Get a pedicure. Unlike everything else in New York, pedicures are cheap. Cheaper than they are elsewhere. And there's nothing so relaxing as being forced to sit still for a few minutes in the middle of the day, plus there's no better way to feel fresh, groomed, and pampered than to have a cute, new coat of nail polish on.

6. Sip on an over-priced and calorie-laden latte at Starbucks, cuddled up in an armchair and watching snowflakes fall through the windowpanes.

7. Lay in the middle of the lawn in Bryant Park after dark.

8. Eat dinner at a sidewalk cafe.

9. Take the B train to Brighton Beach. Sure, it's not the cleanest or nicest beach, but it IS pretty incredible that you can hop on the train in the concrete jungle of Midtown and hop off an hour later at the beach.

10. And I know this isn't actually in the city, buuuut if all else fails, get out of the city! There are so many great places to escape to overnight or for the weekend without even having a car! Take the metro north railroad to a quiet inn in Connecticut or to a cabin in the Hudson Valley. Take NJ Transit and stay at the Jersey Shore (I promise, it's not all like that TV show...). Take Amtrak to a weekend getaway in Philly. It doesn't have to break the bank, but just getting away from the hustle for a couple of days can really do wonders for your sanity.

What are your best relaxation tips in New York City?

The Weirdest Thing of All

2010-10-07T12:46:00.000-04:00

I've always thought that it must be seriously be the weirdest thing ever to see yourself plastered up on a huge billboard at ten times your actual size. But after walking by this the other morning:

I now know that the weirdest thing ever HAS to be seeing your face torn off the side of a building in sheets. What a strange world we live in, haha.

The Adventure in Vermont Concludes -- Reasons Why I Still Want to Live in NYC

2010-10-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

After reading all of these posts about how lovely Burlington and its surrounding areas are, you might be worrying that I'm about to pack up and move my little family to Vermont, leaving my poor Manhattan-centric blog to wither and die a lonely death.

I assure you, however, that this is not the case. Although I adored Burlington and would jump at the chance to spend a few weeks there again (this time, with husband in tow!), there's nothing to worry about. I'm still a New Yorker at heart :)

I thought I'd put together a little post with just a couple of the reasons why I couldn't live in Vermont as a permanent kind of thing. For one, the culture and energy in New York is impossible to beat. Everything happens here, and I love that. For instance, there are whole rooms here in libraries filled with works by New York authors. Here's what I found in a giant bookstore in Burlington:

12 whole books by Vermont natives. That's right.

Also, although I'm surely generalizing, New York tends to be just a tad more liberal-minded:

Yes, that does read, "Satan's ploys are no match for Christ's power" in the window of the laundromat. I mean, I'm all for exercising your religion, but at the laundromat? I really just want to wash my clothes, thanks.

And although we were fabulously lucky because August was the perfect time to be in Burlington and this was about the worst weather we saw:

Vermont looks a whole lot more like this for many, many months out of every year:

(Photo Credit)

And let me tell ya, New York is about as cold a place as I EVER want to live!

But most of all, in coming home to the city, I was just so thrilled to be back with this:

The people that I love, of course. I so so so missed my family and friends while I was away, and am very happy to be home!

Have you ever been away from home for many weeks or months at a time? Did it make you consider moving? Why or why not?

The Adventure in Vermont Continues -- Daytrip to Montreal!

2010-10-04T05:13:00.000-04:00

One of the last parts about my stay in Vermont that I'd like to share with you was one of my favorite parts of the whole month -- my solo daytrip to Canada!

Being in Burlington, we were only about a 90 minute drive from Montreal, and though I've been to Canada many times, I'd never seen Montreal and I'd never been to Canada period as an adult, so I knew I had to go! I couldn't get my fellow castmates to commit to a date and time, which bummed me out at first, but then I decided what the hell? I'm a big girl and I don't want to miss out on this opportunity, I'm going solo! Then I remembered that Kelly (AKA Mrs. Flamingo) and her brand new baby lived near Montreal, and I was sold!

Although I've been out of the country dozens of times in my life, this was the first time I'd ever left by myself and, I'll admit, I was a little nervous! I made it through customs fine, though, and I was into Canada!

After a relatively short drive and a little bit of a frazzled time trying to find parking in downtown Montreal, I met up with Kelly and adorable baby Mavi, who slept through most of the time we were together!

Sadly, Kelly and I didn't think to get someone to take our picture together, so you'll just have to take my word for it that she looked beautiful and stylish, and that I was so excited to finally meet her.

She took me to this cute cafe where their specialty is all different kinds of pie. This whole case was filled with different pies:

I settled on some sort of divine chocolate pie, of course. I don't remember what it was called, but it was heavenly:

After lunch, we wandered around the streets of Montreal doing some shopping. Kelly took me into several fabulous stores, one of which was this great vintage store where I wanted to buy everything, but ended up buying this awesome robin's egg blue vintage Italian leather jacket for $35:

I wish I had a better picture of it, but don't worry, you'll be seeing a lot of it around these parts, I'm sure, since I wear it allll the time.

Then after a couple of hours, Kelly and Mavi had to go (sad face!), but I still wanted to see a little bit more of Montreal before I headed back, so I drove over to the vieux port and did some wandering.

I ran across this adorable little street fair with wonderful art vendors in a small alley:

Admired the quaint cobblestone streets...

And found my way into the Notre Dame cathedral, which was absolutely breathtaking. My sad picture doesn't do it justice, I assure you:

At that point, I grabbed a postcard as a souvenir and packed myself back up into the car to head home, as I was getting a little worried about how well my little yorkie was behaving for my host family, who graciously offered to babysit her for the day.

On the way back, the gray skies cleared and I was treated to the most stunning farmland scenery to drive back through:

All in all, I had a fabulous day, and I'm so glad I went, even if it did have to be by myself. I adored Montreal, and I'd love to go back for a weekend someday with Dan because I know there's a ton more to see!

Have you ever taken a trip by yourself?

The Adventure in Vermont Continues -- Cliff Jumping!

2010-09-21T11:09:00.000-04:00

Many of you may remember from my celebratory facebook and twitter posts that I jumped off of a cliff while I was in Vermont. No, not just while I was in Vermont. On the VERY first day I was in Vermont. It was quite the way to start off the month.

One of the cast members is a Burlington local, so he knows a lot of the great spots to hang out, and he took us to Bristol Falls, a 35 minute drive south from Burlington. It was idyllic, with lush green woods, babbling waters, and...a huge freaking waterfall!

(Photo credit to Walter Rodriguez, a fellow castmate and professional photographer)

Do you see the verrrry small dude wearing red trunks all the way up there in the top left of that photograph? That's the rock we jumped off of. And yeah, we landed at the bottom of that waterfall. A jump of probably 25 feet.

When we first got there, I was like, Hell no, I'm not jumping! I was pretty comfy just sitting on this rock in the sun.

(Photo credit to W.R.)

But then everyone else jumped and said it was so fun and I thought, Well, what a great way to start off a month of adventure...

(Photo credit to W.R.)

So I spent way too long standing on that rock and looking down. WAY too long. If you're ever faced with an opportunity to cliff jump, my friends, do not overanalyze. I promise, it does not get any easier by standing and staring at the fall for a long period of time.

Finally, I thought to myself, If I can go to terrifying auditions all the time and not let that get me down, then a little jump off a rock is not going to paralyze me either. And I went for it.

(Photo credit to W.R.)

It was scary. It was fun. It was the most exhilarating thing I've done in a long time, maybe ever. What a rush, man. I'm not a huge adrenaline junkie, but for a few moments, I understood why people are.

But sheesh, that water was cold at the bottom! Catch-your-breath cold. And it was a long swim back to the spot where I could climb up again.

(Photo credit to W.R.)

So when Dan and my friends came up the last weekend of performances to see the show and hang out, they had heard about my adventure and wanted to head to Bristol Falls, too!

We are all a little goofy, no lie.

Laura proved what a bad ass she is by walking right up to the edge of the rock and just jumping right off. You go, girl!

Dan took a long time to get warmed up to the idea, but eventually he loved it, too.

And this is my friend Lynde's reaction to the idea of cliff jumping once she saw how high up the rock was:

And she goes skydiving! That gives you an idea of how intimidating this jump looked (and was!).

Have you ever been cliff jumping? What's the most adventurous outdoorsy thing you've ever done?

The Adventure in Vermont Continues -- The Vermont Teddy Bear Factory!

2010-09-20T11:31:00.000-04:00

Next up in the Vermont Adventures series -- The Vermont Teddy Bear Factory! My wonderful in-laws (and brother-in-law!) drove all the way from southern Massachusetts one weekend to see a performance of mine and to hang out. My Mother-in-Law, Michelle, is a huge fan of Vermont Teddy Bears (for you non-New Englanders, they're like Build-a-Bears) and the factory is only about ten minutes outside of Burlington, so we decided to take a trip Sunday morning.

We started off by getting to squeeze some of the adorable teddy bears that have been made throughout the history of the company. I don't know what's going on with my face in this picture, my only excuse is that it was early the morning after I had a performance:

We got to hear all about how they make the bears, and see the workshop where the magic happens. It was like one giant Disney-fied sewing room:

My favorite part of the tour was the end where we saw the Teddy Bear Hospital. Please note how adorable it is that the IV bag is a honey jar :)

The "hospital" really functions, though. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company has a lifetime guarantee on all of its bears, and will fix and/or replace your bear, no matter what happens to it. Even if you run it over with a lawnmower, they will fix your frankenbear and send it back to you. I thought that was pretty cool. Customer service at its best, right?

Outside the factory, there was a big food truck with a giant hotdog on the side that Stella and I wanted to get a picture with. Yes, we're goofy. Yes, she cooperated for this. Thank you, dear.

And one of my favorite pictures from my whole month is this one that I convinced everyone to pose for with me. It's cheesy, and I had to do a little begging to get the boys to agree, but isn't it cute?

After the factory, we stopped at a souvenir shop in town and I picked up one of the most fun souvenirs ever: chapstick called Moose Smooch! With this picture on the side:

A big, huge thank you to my wonderful new family who made the long drive up to Burlington to see my show and keep me company. I love you guys!

What's the silliest souvenir you've ever picked up?

The Adventure in Vermont Continues -- Ben & Jerry's!

2010-09-08T06:55:00.002-04:00

So I've been a very, very bad blogger this past month. There's no denying it. I have a couple of excuses:

1. The internet access I had at my host family's was spotty, at best, and whenever I was able to grab a moment of internet, either at their house or by going to a coffee shop, I had about five million things to attend to that didn't include blogging. Running three businesses while you're out of town takes work, yo!

2. August was tough on me, my friends. Yes, Vermont was a very great adventure. Probably the biggest adventure I've had since our Greek honeymoon. I saw incredible sights, met some friends for life in the form of my host family, lunched with some Bees, explored the countryside on my own, and performed in an incredible play. But it was also quite the challenge. I missed my husband and doggies and home A LOT, and the working atmosphere at the theater was quite stressful for me.

I'd still like to go back in time, though, and share some of the wonderful things I saw and experienced while I was in Vermont! First up -- the Ben & Jerry's Factory! My incredible godmother, Jana, who lives in Maine, made the trip over to Vermont for the first weekend of performances and brought along her granddaughter, Alex. The three of us spent the weekend having all sorts of fun! This is the view we saw of the factory from the parking lot:

Only in Vermont would a factory be surrounded by trees and greenery, right? I convinced Alex to pose with a cow sculpture, although I'm sure she would want me to tell you that it was only reluctantly:

As a huge Ben & Jerry's devotee, walking up to these doors made me feel like a little girl meeting Cinderella at Disney World. I'm not even kidding.

Once inside, I was giddy to be greeted by a whole wall of all of the Ben & Jerry's flavors in existence!

We soon started the tour, which was a bargain at only $3 a person. It was a short tour, though, so a trip here won't take all day, just in case you're thinking about making plans to visit. We learned about which flavors are the most popular:

I was surprised to learn that Cherry Garcia beats out Cookie Dough...I guess not everyone is as big of a Cookie Dough fiend as I am! Then we got to see the giant room where the ice cream actually gets made. Although it was big, it wasn't as big as I would have expected a room where 300k pints of ice cream gets made every day. Think: the size of a small black box theater. Sadly, you're not allowed to take pictures in that room, so I don't have any. But I did snap a picture of the place where I want to work someday:

I mean, right?? Then we got to dig into some samples and hear about all the flavors that have been discontinued, like one that incorporated kahlua...until the production of that ice cream single-handedly drove up the price of kahlua so high that it wasn't cost effective to make the ice cream anymore! Oops!

We also saw some cool relics from the very first Ben & Jerry's stand, which was run out of a remodeled gas station in Burlington. These are some of the original signs from that stand in the 60's:

And, of course, because it's me and I'm a huge dork/ham, I had to get a cheesy picture with the human-sized faux pint of ice cream!

Overall, I had a lot of fun, but the tour wasn't anything fancy. For all you Ben & Jerry's lovers out there, it's definitely worth the trip if you're in the area. Plus, I got some super cute souvenirs in the gift shop, including an actual combination lock that fits their ice cream pints. No more ice cream thieves in this house ;)

What's your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor?

The Adventure in Vermont Begins

2010-08-07T08:39:00.002-04:00

So, I know this is a blog all about New York City, but...this month I'm in Vermont! So you get to hear about Vermont. And how different Vermont is from New York City. And how I'm performing in Vermont. And you'll LIKE it, haha.

At least I hope you will.

So we've been here for just about a week now and I adore it. I could never live here as a permanent thing, both because it is still so rural for my tastes and also because it's freaking freezing here for like 8 months a year, but I would love to start a yearly summer pilgrimmage to Burlington to just get out of the city and relax and regain some perspective.

There is so much to love about Burlington. The downtown area is so artsy and hip and adorable, filled with outdoor cafes and live music and this gorgeous pedestrian mall on Church street:

Just outside of Burlington is Bristol Falls, where we went cliff jumping off of this ledge and 25 feet into the freezing cold water. It was one of the bravest things I've done this year and definitely the biggest rush I've had in awhile!

And how fabulous is this building? This is the outside of the theater where we're performing this month. You can see Lake Champlain from the theater, and it's surrounded by a crepe shop, a bike path, and the harbor where dozens of sailboats are docked. Gorgeous.

Yeah, this is me right by the theater with Lake Champlain in the background. The weather has been absolutely amazing the whole time we've been here, and the scenery is picturesque.

And the artsy vibe here makes a New Yorker feel right at home. Check out this awesome vintage clothing shop on Church street:

The awesomely unique street performers put New York street performers to shame, I'm sad to say. Every time we've walked down Church street, I've seen a different street performer with a totally different talent. Take a look at this crazy Ricola-style-horn-playing, moose-mask-wearing dude:

And on top of the city itself being so beautiful, the people are incredibly kind, too. Like the bus drivers who yield to pedestrians (crazy talk, right?). And my wonderful host family who left post-it notes all over their house so that I would know how everything worked, who has fed me better than I feed myself at home and saved me a ton of money on eating out for 3 meals a day, and who loaned me their car all weekend so that I can take daytrips to see some Vermont sights. It's almost worth moving here just for the kindness of Vermonters.

...But then I remember why I'm a New Yorker when I'm driving down a straight road behind a station wagon going 15 MPH and I just want to honk and bust out some aggressive driving skillz while yelling out the window, "This isn't how we drive in New York!" Yeah, I don't think I'm cut out to live here.

I'll leave you with one more reason why Vermont is magical...Ben & Jerry's!! We haven't made it to the factory yet, but isn't this wall hanging in the Burlington store that's made out of the lids from all of the different flavors awesome?

Keep checking in for more tales of my Vermont Adventures. We have three whole weeks left, and I already have more pictures to share with you in upcoming posts. Great ones, I promise.

Although I dearly, dearly miss my husband, my doggies, and my city, packing up and taking this job for a month is definitely one of the most adventurous things I've done in a long time, and I'm very proud of myself for doing it.

Now accepting virtual hugs, in lieu of the real ones I usually get every day from my little family at home! :)

Sue Me on Wheels

2010-07-23T10:42:00.001-04:00

I saw a great many interesting things while wandering the streets of middle-of-nowhere Brooklyn with my best friend, Clare, trying to help her find a teaching position here. None of them were more amusing than this:

...A lawyer's office on wheels! It reminds me of the temple on wheels, which I wrote about way back when I first started this blog.

It just proves my thesis that you can get ANYTHING delivered to you in New York. Boo yah.

Need to Whack Somebody?

2010-07-16T08:43:00.001-04:00

Couch for sale -- cheap! Need a babysitter for Friday nights? Housekeeper for hire! No? Well, do you need to whack somebody?? We can help!

I found this rather amusing and simultaneously disturbing flyer posted in my neighborhood the other night. I had to check it out, if only to see if it was a serious ad and I'm here to report that it did not seem to be tongue-in-cheek. Sorry the contact info is a bit fuzzy ;)

What's the strangest flyer you've ever seen?

This is how you remind me that we're soulmates, Dunkin' Donuts

2010-07-09T13:46:00.000-04:00

It's things like this that make me and Dunkin' Donuts soulmates:

How does DD know that my favorite bad mood killer is a fabulous medium iced coffee with cream and sugar? How?!?

Blue Balls

2010-07-06T08:21:00.001-04:00

New York City is, perhaps, the only place on earth where you can spot a pair of blue balls as big as...well, as big as my first car (don't believe me? here's a picture of my first car):

Yes, those are, in fact, enormous blueberries just sitting in Greeley Square Park. Why, you ask? Oh, just to promote the MONSTROUS blueberry juice bottle across the street:

This, my friends, is a prime example of EXACTLY why I started this blog in the first place -- pretty much every day, I'm walking around, minding my own business, running to the train station or the post office or some other mundane task, and BAM! Some weird shit pops up in a totally unexpected place like the park across from our apartment.

I knew I needed to find a place to share all the weird shit that I come across every day, or my husband would go totally bonkers with all the pictures I texted him. So...voila! A blog! And that's how my little blogger self was born, two short years ago. Hard to believe that in two years, I've gone from my little startup "I'm not sure I can pull this off" blog to writing for the huge audience that is Weddingbee and now running several smaller blogs myself!

That's how it is in New York, though...you always have to expect the unexpected here. That's kinda how my life in general is, too. Maybe that's why New York and I get along so well -- we both have a fair share of drama in our lives.

Okay, I have to sign off now because I'm feeling awkwardly like Carrie Bradshaw typing away with my metaphors and attempts at being deep about New York and life. And to think, I started off this post just trying to make a dirty joke about blue balls.

Play Me, I'm Yours!

2010-07-05T16:04:00.001-04:00

Has anyone noticed that around the city for the past couple of weeks there have been random pianos just sitting out in the middle of parks and plazas with big signs on them reading, "Play me, I'm yours!"?

That one above is one of the pianos nearest to us, just a few blocks away in Greeley Square. As it turns out, the pianos are an art installation by Luke Jerram called (betcha can't guess!) Play Me, I'm Yours.

The idea is that there are 60 pianos spread throughout the city, open to anyone who wants to play them. Performers I've seen range from the amateur teenage tourist tickled at the idea of performing for an impromptu crowd to my professional accompianist friend who has made it her mission to play on as many of these pianos as she can (so far, she's at 21 pianos!).

I guess the artwork's intent is to play with the concept of ownership of public space and engage strangers in an artistic interaction that they might otherwise miss out on. Personally, I just think it's a blast to be walking through my neighborhood and come across strains of ragtime, pop music, or some Bach, depending on what fancy strikes and which random performer takes the stage.

Today is the last day to see the pianos and the performers, so make sure to stop and say hi if you see one. I could totally get behind these pianos being a permanent thing, I've really enjoyed them being here. Though I've never been the biggest art buff, I love all of the large-scale art installations that New York has to offer -- I just wrote about the subway station instrument, for one, not to mention the famous Gates project, the New York City waterfalls, and so many more.

What art installation has come into your life and did you like the experience?

Happy Birthday, America!

2010-07-04T14:41:00.001-04:00

Just for you, I did this:

A big shout-out goes to the Founding Fathers, who all risked their own lives, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness so that we might have those rights today. Thanks, dudes.

"New York Style" Belts

2010-07-03T13:36:00.002-04:00

Ever wondered what a "New York Style" belt would look like?

Me, too. They just look like normal, everyday belts to me! I ran across this sign at a street fair last week and had to share. I guess the price must be what's New York Style ;)

Overheard in New York: Garment District Style

2010-06-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, as I was walking home through my neighborhood, I heard two tourists loudly wondering where they should stand to wait for the bus.

"We can't wait here!" one of them exclaimed, "The sign says 'no standing'!"

One of my new favorite "overheard in New York" moments. Have you ever heard tourists say something silly in your town?

How Apt, My Dear...

2010-06-06T18:41:00.000-04:00

I came across this sign while on my way to a rehearsal in the Equity building the other day:

What does it say that on one floor there are two talent agencies, two psychologists, and the National Eating Disorder Association?

Just a little dose of a sad showbiz reality with a touch of irony added in.

A Manhattan-Style Memorial Day "Cookout" for Two

2010-05-31T12:34:00.000-04:00

You'll have to pardon the photo overload that this post is going to be, but the absolutely incredible food we ate yesterday caused my camera to start snap snap snapping away!

Besides bragging about how good my Food Network recipe-finding skills are, I wanted this post to be another one of those "this is how different it is to live in Manhattan than anywhere else" posts. It seems like nearly everyone else in the entire country was either at a family picnic or the beach yesterday, which makes our little "cookout" that much more of an oddity, I guess.

You see, we grilled...

Granted, it was on a 14-inch-wide hibachi grill with easy-lite charcoal and on a balcony 23 stories above 6th Avenue, but we grilled. And, as always, my husband made goofy faces.

But he did grill our burgers to perfection the very first time he ever grilled anything! He was like a man discovering fire for the first time. I think I may have created a grilling monster ;)

Meanwhile, I was inside baking our garlic french fries (check out this super easy recipe here for a side dish that is next to godliness), slicing up my homemade bread, and picking lettuce leaves from my AeroGarden. When everything combined on our gorgeous new black (wedding gift) dishes, it looked incredible, if I do say so myself:

I'm not usually really a foodie, but damn, I couldn't resist snapping some up-close shots of those fries.

And the burger...ugh, I'm getting hungry again just writing this...

Dan paired his meal with some high-class fruit punch and a smile:

I paired mine with some sun tea I had brewed earlier and could barely restrain myself from digging in long enough to let Dan take this picture.

So that, my friends, is how us New Yorkers (or at least, my little New Yorker family!) celebrate what seems to be National Cookout Weekend.

On a more sombre note, a big, heartfelt thank you to all of the men and women and their families who have sacrificed their lives, their health, or their security to defend us and our right to grill on our balcony, if we so desire. This year, I have a brother in the Marines and it always hits a little closer to home when your own family is involved, right?

How did you celebrate Memorial Day?

New York Secrets

2010-05-29T17:04:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things about living in New York is that, no matter how many times you walk down the same city block, take the same subway train from the same subway station, or buy your milk from the same corner deli, there's always something new to see.

The 34th Street/Herald Square subway station is the closest to our apartment, so naturally, it's one of the stations that I visit most frequently. It wasn't until we'd been living here for about a year, though, that I noticed the big green rectangular racks hanging between the signs that say which way the train is headed.

(Photo Credit)

Anyone who thinks to reach a hand way up above his or her head (okay, maybe it's just me, I'm short!) and set off the motion sensors will be rewarded with a loud musical note that sings in the hustle and bustle of the station. And every time I reach my hand up there and "play" a note, people turn and stare because they had no idea that the green "instrument" was even there. And there's another one on the opposite side of the station, too!

(Photo Credit)

It's apparently all an art installation by Christopher Janney called, "REACH: New York, An Urban Musical Instrument" and has been there since 1996, largely unnoticed from what I can see. Its creator intended for it to be an interaction among strangers on the platform who would play the notes together.

But no one ever plays with me! So all you readers out there have to help me spread the word, okay? :)

Getting Nostalgic for My Alma Mater

2010-05-02T16:26:00.001-04:00

A fellow friend posted the link to this music video on his facebook this afternoon, and watching it made me all nostalgic for my Hofstra days.

Even though my Hofstra experience was almost completely different from the one he sings about, I definitely know exactly what he's talking about and for the first time in a long while, I want to take a trip out there and visit the place where I grew up, so to speak. I just need an excuse to go. My friend Whitney is getting paid to choreograph for them in the fall, so that show should be just the excuse I need!

Even though I only lived there for four years, that part of my life will always be so special to me as the place where I found the training and confidence I needed to be successful in this crazy showbiz and as the place where I found my husband and many lifelong friends.

Here's to Hofstra U!

My First Runway Show -- St. Pucchi!

2010-04-13T11:19:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I had the honor of representing Weddingbee at the NY Bridal Market (along with the fabulous Mrs. D'Orsay!). I attended the St. Pucchi runway show, which was held in a posh hotel on Central Park South, so I already felt out of place as soon as I walked in.

The gowns were incredible, though, as was feeling like someone actually important when I met some of the beautiful ladies from Project Wedding who seemed to genuinely care who I was. I wrote a whole long post about the trends I noticed that went up on Weddingbee, so I won't rehash the whole thing here, just give you a quick 'n dirty summary:

1. Lace or ruffles and bling on the same dress
2. Tulle used in unexpected ways
3. Corsets, corsets, corsets!
4. Highly detailed gowns
5. Lots of dropped waists
6. Floral detailing
7. The influence of bygone eras
8. The fairytale motif
9. Very dramatic trumpets
10. Accessory trend: headband bling!

I adored the collection because it was right up my alley, fabulous beading and trumpet silhouettes and all. I'll share pictures of a couple of my favorites:

(Scanned this photo from the press kit)

Love the incredibly fit and flare shape and the fabulous beaded bodice of that one. Definitely my favorite of the day.

(Photo credit to Aisle Dash)

I wasn't really a lace kinda gal in my planning, but I adore it on other brides. And I think it's really unique to incorporate bling on these dresses, too.

(Photo credit to John Ryan Photography)

And this just is just to-die-for in its romanticism.

I was also super excited to note that blingy bridal headbands are definitely still in again for 2010, since I've really gotten into making them for the Etsy shop lately. See?

(Photo by me)

I don't think this piece would have looked at all out of place at the St. Pucchi show:

Maybe that's why I loved the show so much? Or maybe it's because it just felt awesome to be doing one of those I-would-never-get-to-do-something-like-this-if-I-didn't-live-in-New-York things? Either way, I was tickled.

This probably makes me immature, but I don't care

2010-04-09T20:05:00.001-04:00

So my best friend in the entire world was in town this week! Yay! She drove all the way up from Alabama to hang out for the week, which meant 1. I got to hang out in the city with one of my favorite people ever, and 2. I had easy access to...a CAR! What a luxury, right?

Well, I took advantage of our car situation by making a long-procrastinated trip to IKEA in Brooklyn. I've been wanting to find a cheap sofa table to use as a replacement keyboard cabinet for the one that my Dad lost while he was storing it for me in college. He claims he never had it, which is a convenient story for him and inconvenient for me, since it means I was on my own as far as replacing it. You see, this is similar to how my keyboard is supposed to look:

(photo credit)

Only, because the replacement stand is $250, ever since we moved into the city it's been sitting on our livingroom floor getting dusty, which doesn't exactly make for a conducive environment for practicing or playing along while I sing.

So we headed out to IKEA and found the perfect sofa table for $89, the Markor sofa table, threw some green boxes for storage and flair on the bottom and voila:

A pretty good substitute, no? Please excuse the crappy iPhone picture.

I could end this post on that note and sound all "responsible and well-adjusted newlywed" and such, but that isn't really the reason I set out to write this post. In fact, the real reason is that I wanted to share this chuckle-inducing display from the kids' section at IKEA:

Some guy had apparently spent some time collecting half a dozen stuffed animals in order of size and putting them into this rather uncouth position. I'm not gonna lie, though, I laughed. And that, my friends, is why I am not your typical "responsible and well-adjusted newlywed." Oh well. At least I'm not boring.

MTA Service Advisory:

2010-03-29T09:14:00.002-04:00

I found this rather amusing fake MTA service advisory hanging 'round the interwebs a few months back:

(photo credit)

It never fails to make me chuckle because even though we have one of the best mass transit systems in the world, it is still such a deeply flawed system. And it's better to laugh about it than get angry :)

What makes you laugh at its absurdity, rather than get angry?

Holy Tights

2010-03-22T11:27:00.000-04:00

There are bright, summery tights, and then there are these:

And yet, despite the fact that most would probably consider these a venti-sized fashion faux pas, I love that you can get away with wearing whatever the hell you want in New York. It's part of the charm.

P.S. Like the new signature?

Pool Hall Birthday

2010-03-10T16:10:00.001-05:00

Things that make me happy:

How well my husband and my brother get along!

This picture was taken at a pool hall where I organized a surprise party for my husband's 25th birthday this past weekend. We had a great time and it was cheap by Manhattan standards -- $17 an hour per table to play -- not to mention, had kick-ass Empire State Building views and wasn't crowded, another luxury in Manhattan.

If you're looking for places in Midtown with a chill vibe where you can play pool, check out Space Billiard Cafe in Koreatown at 34 W 32nd, 12th Floor.

You Might Be a Manhattanite If... [Part II]

2010-03-01T07:05:00.000-05:00

(photo credit)

1. You can plan and time your walk between any two points in Manhattan without ever having to stop and wait at a light. Ever.

2. You think a $6 cocktail is a steal.

3. You can't remember the last time you rode around in a car without having to pay for the privilege.

4. You believe that people who use golf-sized umbrellas are selfish, sidewalk-hogging human beings.

5. Spotting a celebrity does not make your day. In fact, it probably just slowed you down.

Drunken Parsley Games

2010-02-28T06:49:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, I was trudging my way along the wide sidewalks of the Upper East Side early on a Saturday morning to get to an audition (I know, Saturday morning? An actor's life is rough sometimes!), when I stumbled upon this scene:

Yes, that is, in fact, a picture of some garbage on the side of the road. Archaeologists study ancient Roman garbage to learn about people they never met. Why can't I, right?

Anyways, what made me giggle was contemplating the kind of wild Friday night that would have led to both broken beer bottles and an empty bottle of parsley flakes finding their way into the gutter together:

"Duuuude, I bet I can chug more parsley than you can!"
"No way, man, let's pour the parsley out the window...."
"If I do it, you have to have another beer riiiiiiiiight nowwwww. Promise?"

Or maybe you have another idea? :)

You Might Be a Manhattanite If...

2010-02-17T11:09:00.000-05:00

(photo credit)

1. You know how to instantly triangulate the nearest location of at least four Starbucks and which one is the closest on the way to where you're going

2. You hate Starbucks, and yet you go there anyway

3. The MTA bus map no longer frightens you

4. You have had at least three of the following things delivered directly to your apartment -- groceries, dog food, alcohol, a notary, Tibetan takeout, or a pediatrician

5. Your out-of-state friends won't watch Cash Cab with you anymore because you can't shut up about how you know exactly which corner they're on or how fake the contestants (actors) are

Thinking about making this a regular feature...more Manhattanite spotting tips to come!

Holy Snowflakes!

2010-02-16T10:41:00.001-05:00

It's hard to capture with my iPhone, but these are the largest snowflakes I've seen in some time.

Love New York City in a snowstorm -- it's somehow quieter and more peaceful, even though life hustles and bustles along as usual.

My First Valentine's Day As A Married Lady

2010-02-14T17:07:00.001-05:00

I figured my first married Valentine's Day deserved commemeration, as did the absolutely excellent job my lovely husband did with spoiling me for it!

He woke me up this morning with what may have been the sweetest gift ever, this gorgeous vintage locket from Etsy seller nouveaumotley:

It opens, of course (like all of the most romantic lockets do):

And inside of it, the Mister had printed his wedding vows to me in teeny tiny little font and folded up the paper so that it would fit. So now I always have a way to literally carry his vows with me. I love it! We are both such saps.

Later on, he came home with a bouquet of a half a dozen red roses. Gentlemen who aren't already experts at this stuff, are you listening up?

(photo credit)

And tonight we're getting to splurge on a very expensive Italian dinner out, courtesy of a gift card we received as a present from my parents a few weeks back, as part of their "thank you" for watching my sisters for ten days.

Add that to the audition I rocked this morning (thank you again, Ilona Pierce, for teaching me how to nail that Irish dialect!), and the decent weather outside, and this is shaping up to be quite the marvelous first married Valentine's Day. Hope all of you lovelies are having a beautiful day, as well.

Umbrella Graveyard

2010-02-09T20:44:00.000-05:00

Came across this poetic tribute to rainy days here in the city on the way home from rehearsal the other night:

New York -- where even umbrellas get eaten alive.

My "Broadway Debut"

2010-02-04T13:17:00.003-05:00

Well, I wish I could say I had performed "on Broadway" this past weekend, but that isn't entirely accurate.

You see, I wasn't actually in a Broadway show, but I performed ON A BROADWAY STAGE (!), which was totally and completely awesome. I was in a children's workshop version of Wicked and had the chance to portray the iconic Elphaba for an audience of about 1400 girl scouts at the Gershwin Theatre.

Green's a good color for me, right? Hah.

It was an intense experience to get outfitted for body mics by the actual Wicked sound techs, get cues from the actual Wicked stage manager, and step out onto the actual stage where so many Wicked greats have gone before.

I was surprised that it didn't feel like there were 1400 people in the audience -- I expected the house to feel much larger, but it didn't feel as obscenely large as I had expected.

Overall, it was a wonderful day (one short day in the Emerald city...anyone?) and I certainly hope that it won't be my last time singing on a Broadway stage. No, scratch that. It WON'T be. Until we meet again, Broadway!

How To Have Happy Puppies...

2010-02-04T00:13:00.001-05:00

...Or, What To Bake When You're Trying To Lose the Weight You Gained On Your Honeymoon?

The answer: homemade dog cookies!

I had the itch to bake something the other night and the free time and supplies to do it, but have been very carefully watching what I eat for the past couple of weeks in an effort to lose the Newlywed Five (Six? Eight?) that I gained in Greece. My answer to this dilemma was to bake something for my doggies to enjoy!

I used a simple recipe and made cut-out cookies from most of the dough with whatever dog-themed cookie cutters I had on hand -- a dog bone, a sock, and a tree, I think. Random, I know. With the rest of the batter, I cut little tiny squares up and baked them into Yorkie puppy-sized treats. I don't have any pictures of those because they're not nearly as appetizing to look at, but my little Stella has a pretty little tummy because she clocks in at just about 4 pounds, so the bigger treats weren't an option for her.

My dogs have been totally digging them (as have our overnight boarders!), plus it's way most cost-effective to make your own treats. This recipe made a huuuuge jar full of dog cookies and hardly cost anything to make, plus it really didn't take a whole lot of time. Next time, I might try to find some teeny tiny cookie cutters so I can make cute treats for the little doggies, too.

Would you ever consider making homemade treats for your pups? Have any recipes to share?

Playing Tourist : With My Babies

2010-01-12T11:40:00.001-05:00

So as many of you may have already heard via my many status updates, I have been playing Mommy this week to my two darling sisters while my Mom and Stepdad celebrate their five year wedding anniversary on a transatlantic cruise (or while they're away on a rocket ship, as Greta keeps telling people).

This was very exciting for me because I adore my sisters, but also quite the challenge, as I've never taken care of any children by myself for more than 24 hours at a time before. Adding to that, New York City has more closely resembled the Arctic tundra this week than the land chock-full of playgrounds to romp on that it is in the summertime.

With a toddler and a preschooler staying at our (small) place for ten days in the middle of a deep freeze, we've had to be creative with ways to keep them entertained and get them exercise. Besides filling our apartment with tons of fun toys, the three of us girls have been playing kiddie tourists around NYC all week. Here are a few of our adventures:

Just getting these Florida girls bundled up on the first day was quite the ride, since they aren't used to wearing so much clothing! Phoebe was pulling pieces of outerwear off almost as quickly as I was putting them on here. I was proud just to make it on the elevator!

Greta and I rode the Ferris Wheel at Toys 'R Us in Times Square, and Dan-Dan and Phoebe roamed the store. Visiting the moving dinosaur and playing with the giant train tracks were also highlights.

We also had a few meals out at our local diner. It's practically a requirement when you visit NYC!

Visiting the Manhattan Children's Museum is always a winner in the cold weather. My tip? If you're visiting in the morning (like most families do), start at the top floor and work down because everyone else is doing the opposite.

The Museum of Natural History is also another good choice for kids in the cold. Between the dinosaurs that were a hit with Greta, the dozens of animal displays that were a hit with Phoebe, and the big hallways that are great for exercising kids of all ages indoors, this place was a good choice for us.

You also can't visit NYC without stopping for a bite at a divey Chinese place...I love that my little sisters both adore Chinese food just like I do!

Another good (but maybe unconventional) choice for a place to take kids in the cold is Grand Central Station. There's lots of room to run around and it's not too crowded on the weekends or during non-peak weekday times. Greta loved the constellations on the ceiling of the Great Hall, and we all loved the yummy cheeseburger we ate downstairs.

One of our favorite things we did all week was go to tea at Alice's Tea Cup. Phoebe stayed at home with Dan because she's still a bit too young for this experience, but Greta always loves the fairy wings and pixie dust they give little girls, not to mention all the "hot chocolate tea" she consumed.

These may not be the exact same touristy choices I would make if I weren't trying to entertain two little girls in the cold (although many of them would be!), but I think I did a decent job of keeping them having fun and warm!

What are your suggestions for NYC places to have fun with kids in the cold?

Ice Skating in the B to the ryant Park

2010-01-01T16:20:00.003-05:00

For someone who loves Bryant Park as much as I do (and who lives so ridiculously close by), I can't believe it took me until nearly the end of the second winter season of us living here to get my butt on that ice skating rink.

I guess part of it was the long line to get in, which looks daunting, but actually moved pretty quickly, and the fact that I was terrified that I would fall on my face. That fear isn't exactly unfounded, since I'm pretty sure I fell the last time I was on ice. I look slightly concerned in this picture:

But in the end, I had nothing to fear! I didn't fall down once and was actually one of the better skaters on the Pond, besides the few superb skaters who were there. I have no idea how this happened, but apparently my five-year skating hiatus made me better. Mysterious, indeed. The mister is actually a pretty good skater, which isn't all that surprising, since he is always to be very athletic whenever we do anything remotely sporty, despite his distinctly non-athletic looks. Don't worry, honey, I don't look athletic and I'm also NOT actually athletic, so you have me beat :)

At any rate, I highly recommend skating in Bryant Park. If you have your own skates like the mister, it's free. I had to rent a pair for $12, but anyone who lives here knows that any fun date you can go on for $12 in Manhattan is definitely a win. Oh, and a tip for going? Bring your own locker lock because it's free to use the lockers, but they gouge you $9 for a lock. We didn't have anything of value, so we just gambled and won (our own stuff back, I guess!).

It was a perfect way for us to spend the first day of a new decade! Happy skating, all!

A New Year in New York

2009-12-31T19:02:00.004-05:00

At the changing of each year, I put my own little spin on tradition and instead of making resolutions, I set goals. To me, a resolution is rarely successful. It's too vague. It's too over-reaching. And at this point, I think a lot of people don't take them seriously because of their high failure rate.

Now that's not saying that there's no value to be had in reflection and trying to improve in a new year, I just prefer goals as a means to that end because they seem, well, more accomplishable.

I just dug out my goals for 2009 and was a little disappointed in myself, though. I had about a 50% success rate, which is okay, but I don't usually strive for 50%. I guess goals can be a bit unmanageable sometimes, too, but I will say that I made at least some progress towards almost all of my goals, so I think that my time spent making them wasn't wasted. I also didn't really appreciate how much time the wedding was going to eat up to the point that it made me have to cut back in how much time I spent working on my acting career, but the wedding fun is all over now, so that excuse is eliminated for next year :)

In 2009, I succeeded at many of my goals like creating more showbiz industry relationships, spending at least one morning/afternoon/or evening out of the apartment on a date with the mister, getting a new pet (we got two!), and making sure to visit with at least two friends a week, to name a few.

I also failed at some like joining one of the acting unions, getting onto a soap set, and putting more money into savings (uh, I blame the wedding for this one, too).

Although I am a very ambitious and goal-oriented person, I also think it's important not to get too wrapped up in where you didn't quite meet your own expectations, because sometimes, things change. I could never have predicted a year ago that I would be a Weddingbee blogger, would have started my own dog boarding company, or would be celebrating the opening of my own Etsy shop. None of these things were on my list of goals for 2009, but I wouldn't take them back for anything.

That said, I will be sharing with you a partial list of my goals for 2010 (you'd be bored by the whole thing, I promise) :

Acting -- Join AFTRA, put together a reel, perform in another musical, use up my Network credits

Family and Friends -- Continue once-a-week date night with Hubby, make 3 new friends to hang out with, teach my sisters something new

Home -- Finish decorating to-do list, start gardening on the balcony, finish wedding recaps, blog at least 3x a week on my personal blog (that's here!), start acting blog and recruit other bloggers for it

Businesses -- Build up to making at least two Etsy sales a week, Board a dog at least three times a month, replace at least 50% of babysitting income

Photo Credit

Maybe sharing my 2010 goals will help keep me even more accountable in the new year.

How successful were you in 2009 by your pre-2009 self's standards? What are your goals or resolutions moving forward?

The WINNER of the Redheaded Actress Etsy Shop Giveaway is...

2009-12-19T14:56:00.002-05:00

...Katie, from The Indecisive Bride (or Latte Love, from Weddingbee) !

She has selected the MANHATTAN from the Redheaded Etsy Shop as her prize.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered and helped spread the word about my new Etsy shop. It was so much fun that I will definitely be doing another giveaway at some point, so please come by and enter again!

And if you really can't wait that long, feel free to head on over to our shop and make your own luck ;)

Redheaded Actress Etsy Shop Giveaway - ENTER NOW!

2009-12-14T05:12:00.004-05:00

To celebrate the opening of my new Etsy shop, the Redheaded Actress, I've decided to give away one free item* from the shop of the winner's choosing!

Entries will be accepted all this week until midnight on Friday, December 18. The winner will be announced by Monday, December 21 and will get a one-of-a-kind hairpiece as a Holiday gift from me!

Ways to Enter:

1. Go check out the shop here and then come back and comment about which piece is your favorite

2. Add the Redheaded Actress Etsy shop to your Etsy favorites by "hearting" it and then comment here to tell me that you did

3. Become a fan of the Redheaded Actress Etsy shop on Facebook by going here, then come back and comment to tell me that you've done so. Already a fan? Convince one of your other facebook friends to become a fan!

4. Retweet on Twitter the following text -- "The Redheaded Actress Etsy shop (@beeingmissstar) is giving away a beautiful hairpiece! Check out the giveaway at: http://bit.ly/6sTcjr" and then come back and comment to tell me that you've done so

5. Write a blog entry about the giveaway that includes a link to the Redheaded Actress Etsy shop and come back here and comment with a link to the blog.

6. Make any purchase at the Redheaded Actress Etsy shop and comment here that you've done so. You'll get two entries for this one!

--Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry that you complete! Winner will be chosen randomly from eligible comments.--

Thank you for competing and good luck to all of you!

*All non-wedding pieces are eligible to be won

If Harrison Says So...

2009-12-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

As I was wandering the VIP Section of the Midtown Public Library -- most of you probably know it as the "reserved/holds section" -- I noticed a particularly compelling poster:

I mean, I already love to read, but now that I know that Harrison wants me to? I will definitely be sure to keep reading :)

Am I the only one with a special place in my heart for Harrison Ford? Who on a poster would compel you to spend a little more time at your neighborhood public library?

Human Balcony

2009-12-12T12:12:00.005-05:00

Lucky for all of you (or unlucky?), my whole family just upgraded the iPhones (eeee!) and so capturing and sharing the wackiness I come across in the city has never been easier.

Just the other night, I was running to an interview on the Upper West Side and looked at this sign at least three times, wondering what a human balcony could possibly be...

So I guess you could say this picture isn't so much a picture of the wackiness of NYC, as it is evidence of the wackiness inside my head. Hunan Balcony makes a LOT more sense...

The Death of My Favorite Eye Candy

2009-12-10T17:09:00.005-05:00

As I walked to the gym yesterday, I noticed a very sad sign in the window of one of my favorite Garment District wholesale dress stores:

Not that I've ever actually bought anything in there because they don't have any small sizes for some strange reason, but the dress displays in the windows are always the most ostenatious and fun to look at on the block. I'm definitely sad to see my favorite eye candy dress store close.

But also excited to see what could possibly open down there...something more useful in my life, perhaps?

P.S. We do not need another bank or a Duane Reade, New York!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

2009-12-06T18:33:00.001-05:00

As I was working on adding new items to my Etsy shop and writing wedding recaps for Weddingbee, I heard strains of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" seeping in under my door and realized that there were, in fact, Christmas carolers making the rounds in my apartment building! How festive! I was especially in need of such a surprise, since I've been finding it particularly hard to get into the spirit of the season this year, inexplicably.

I smiled to myself and thought, "Only in New York would there be Christmas carolers in an apartment building." Just another reason to love New York.

The Redheaded Actress Etsy Shop Launched!

2009-12-02T18:39:00.002-05:00

Hi All!

Sorry posting has been light lately. I'm still so burnt out on blogging from the wedding and have been keeping myself very busy with auditions, shoots, and...starting my own Etsy shop!

I knew I needed a crafty creative outlet post-wedding and have been tossing around the idea of opening a shop on Etsy for awhile now, and I finally got the nerve up to do it! It was surprisingly time-consuming, from writing my shop policies to creating a shop banner to learning how to use Etsy from a seller's perspective -- not to mention, actually hunting down all the supplies in the Garment District and making the pieces!

I've had a lot of fun doing it, though, and have already made a few sales, which I'm VERY excited about! Please take a second to check it out. I hear the headbands and rings make great Christmas gifts ;)

Oh, and comment to tell me what your favorite piece is, if you don't mind! I'd appreciate the feedback.

The Redheaded Actress Etsy Shop

Happy Mashed Potato Day!

2009-11-27T18:38:00.000-05:00

To celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, we were able to watch the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade right from our balcony. It was quite the sight and we were thrilled to have such awesome seats without fighting the crowds!

Seeing such a famous and impressive parade from the perfect bird's-eye-view spot was truly one of those "you may never get to do this again!" New York experiences. We hope that we get the same thrill next year, but who knows if Mayor Bloomberg's new pedestrian malls will stay in place so that the parade can't go down Broadway again? Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Realistic Determent

2009-11-21T16:58:00.001-05:00

I saw this sign posted in the window of a big commercial van yesterday:

I had to laugh because

1. It's so true and

2. Is that a threat??

Only in New York...

Craving Crafting

2009-11-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned here before, one of the hardest things about living and crafting in Manhattan is that you can't just go into a big box store and find what you need. You have to seek out a specialty store for just about everything. Specialty stores are fabulous and full of gorgeous eye candy, but often the prices make shopping for my everyday crafting needs inaccessible.

(Source )

There has long been a Michael's in Queens that is reachable by subway, but the selection there is very poor and the shelves are often half empty, which is disappointing after a 30 minute subway ride to get there.

Good news, though, my Manhattan friends! A new Michael's has just opened on the Upper West Side in Manhattan!!

The store is much larger than the one in Queens and certainly closer to Midtown, especially with cruddy weekend subway service. It's clean, brightly lit, spacious, and full of fabulous crafty goodness! I can't say the high-school-aged staff is particularly helpful or that the selection rivals suburban Michael's stores, but it certainly is a welcome Manhattan addition to me.

New York purists may say that makes me a traitor, but c'est la vie. I certainly don't wish the specialty stores gone by any stretch. They have their purpose and are a wonderful strength of the city. But I don't mind them sharing the city with Michael's, either ;)

Weird Ass Audition Notices: Volume I

2009-11-09T19:13:00.002-05:00

From time to time, we all see the strange audition notice. "Seeking women 25-35 with bald patches" or "Looking for men with partial erectile dysfunction." Yeah, they're out there. So when an audition notice actually makes me stop in my tracks and think oh, man, I have to share this with my friends and blog readers, you know it's gotta be weird.

I occasionally scour good old Craigslist looking for auditions, despite the fact that there are a lot of scams on there and people looking to waste gullible actors' time. Sometimes there are actually legitimate auditions or background calls on there, though, so I look when I have the time. Today, though, I came across this audition notice that actually made me squirm in my seat:

Casting call for two female leads. Color 16mm thesis film

Asking for 18-25 yr old females to act in a Pratt student’s senior thesis film.
The film will contain on screen sexual intercourse and the actress must be willing to perform sexual acts on camera with male actors.

The shoot will consist of two weekends in February. Shot on color negative 16mm (sync sound)
Compensation: non-paid, copy for reel, on set food and transportation to Brooklyn will be provided.

Actors must be comfortable improvising, as this experimental narrative will be driven by intuition and actors cannot rely on script. It’s a creative nonfiction piece about two 21 yr old males writing science fiction stories and their two muses. The film will be about the creative process and show how they obtain the ideas in their stories as well as fever dreams of their stories coming to life. The film will contain new approaches to filmmaking and try to define a new space in the world of narrative. This will be a rewarding experience with unlimited creative potential. Think of it as a collaborative making of a 'Pink' science fiction film.

No experience necessary, disease free mandatory.
This film will be submitted to festivals.
If you are interested please send a headshot and resume

I feel dirty just reading that. Sure, I'll have sex on camera for no pay because it's *creative* and I'll get festival exposure! Umm...no, thanks.

We Promise: No Lost Underwear!

2009-11-07T17:07:00.001-05:00

First off, let me apologize profusely for my extended blog absence. I have been a very bad blogger. Well, that's not exactly accurate. I have actually been a very good blogger as Miss-turned-Mrs. Star over at Weddingbee. Blogging 3-4 times a week for a site with such a large readership has been an amazing experience, but it's also a lot of pressure and very time-consuming. Hence, my big, gaping absence way over here at my modest little New York blog :)

We're married now, though (hooray!) and the wedding planning void is begging to be filled. I have time to get back to exploring this amazing city that I am so lucky to live in, and to look for funny, interesting, or random things in shop windows or stores that don't sell big, white dresses.

On my way home from an interview on the Upper East Side the other night, I couldn't help but giggle when I saw this cleaner's sign outside:

I've gotta be honest, the chuckle it gave me would be enough to get me in there if I lived in the neighborhood and needed some washing done! I'm all for advertisement that brightens my day.

I promise to stop neglecting my New York City blog from here on out, so stick with me, ladies and gents. I haven't shown you our new digs yet (yes, we are crazy and decided to move a month before the wedding!), and I'm getting up the nerve to blog about why we left our old place.

For now, I'll sign off, as one recent bride who really does love New York:

To My Reubie Kitty

2009-09-19T22:57:00.000-04:00

This past week, I had to make one of the most difficult and emotional decision that a pet owner will ever make: the decision to put my 20-year-old family kitty to sleep.

He had overcome health issue after health issue in his long life, including kidney trouble, biting a poisonous lizard, and hyperthyroidism, but when faced with a possibly cancerous abdominal tumor, Reuben decided he had lived the life he wanted.

I have been wanting to tell him a few things, so humor me while I write him a letter and do my best to heal.

Dear Reuben,

I am so glad that I was able to hold you in your last hours and hopefully bring some comfort to your fuzzy, gray self. I know you were suffering immensely, which is why I made the decision I did. Believe me, if my own selfishness had won out, you might still be here with me right now. I'm pretty sure I made the right choice, but I suppose one can never be altogether certain.

In those final emotional moments, I said everything kind that I could possibly think of to try to remind you of how loved you were and still are. I told you how much we all admire you, how Mom loves you so much too, and what an amazingly good kitty you are -- the best I've ever known.

I wanted to be strong for you, but somehow the tears kept falling. I did the best I could to be your rock, Reuben, and I truly hope it helped. But there were things in those crazy last moments that I was feeling, yet couldn't put words to. I want you to know all of them, which is the point of this letter:

When I say you were the most amazing cat I've ever know, I'm not exaggerating one bit. After fostering kittens for almost a year, I was only more certain that you were oh-so-special. None of the other cats in this world can hold a candle to you, buddy. You had so many qualities to admire, and were so many things that many people can only aspire to. You loved everyone. Instantly. You were seemingly always wise. You were steadfast. You were firm, but kind. You were regal, but still humble enough to have silly fun. You were simply amazing.

You have been my rock for nearly my entire life, sometimes the only thing I felt to be a constant, and it's hard to imagine that the world has gone on turning since you left it. True, there are some things that are easier since you left: I have all the cream to myself and I don't have to worry about your stealthy door escape tactics. I feel a twinge of guilt when I realize that these parts of life are now simpler. But I tell you this quite honestly: I would never drink cream again if you could still be here. You know how much I hate milk in my coffee, but if I could always have your warm, gray, fuzziness in my life, I would never resent the cream of mine that you were slurping.

I also want to apologize for all of the times when I didn't treat you as well as you deserved. For the times when I accidentally stepped on your begging-for-food-in-the-kitchen self, for the times when I yelled at you for incessantly meowing in my face, and for every single time that I left and didn't hug and kiss you goodbye -- because I would give just about anything for a Reuben cuddle in this moment.

I'm so glad that Dan was lucky enough to get to know and love you in your last few months. I believe that you trusted him with me enough to let go. He keeps telling me that you'll always be around as long as I remember you and hold you in my heart, so now I just need to heal enough to be able to do that. They say that the more you loved, the stronger the grief. I definitely believe that after this weekend.

Mom suggested we get a potted evergreen tree and put it out on our balcony in your honor, so Dan and I did just that. It's a wonderful little tree, very strong and loveable, just like you. I put your collar out there on it so that a little piece of you can enjoy the "fresh" New York City air without having to be tied up for safety ;)

I placed it in a spot of honor and where I can see it from the couch. I will always think of you whenever I see the Reuben Tree.

In case you can't tell from this letter, I miss you ever so much, Reuben. I tell Dan that several times a day when I can't hold it in anymore. We both love you so much and promise that you will always be a part of our little family, as well as part of the family that is me, Mom, and Theo.

Visit me in my dreams every once in awhile, okay? Sometimes it gets scary in there and you never know when you're going to need a kitty to chase away the dinosaurs. To the moon and back, Reubie Kitty.

-Your Katie

Intolerance on the Megabus

2009-08-31T01:50:00.004-04:00

Every discount bus line seems to have its horror stories. The Fung Wah is plagued by bus breakdowns and drivers being pulled over for traffic violations, Greyhound has creepers cutting off random people's heads, and Megabus, well, Megabus has passengers blithely reading pro-racial segregation and anti-caucasion faux-textbooks with such gems of wisdom as, "negroids should not mate with caucasians because the caucasian race is only trying to infect others with their leprosy." WHAT? What does that even mean?!?

I was able to snap a picture of the book he was reading after catching a few horrifying sentences. I guess the (caucasian) woman next to him didn't notice what he was reading because I saw them animatedly chatting later on. My only hope is that he was reading along in that book out of some morbid curiosity and was just as disgusted as I was.

In more pleasant news, I was recognized on the bus by two girls who read my blog! Hooray for random internet connection encounters :)

We Won Because You All Rock!

2009-08-25T10:14:00.003-04:00

So the results of the New York Love Story film contest are in -- and we WON! We couldn't be more thrilled or more thankful to all of you for helping us win something so special. Your voting, tweeting, re-posting, and comments of support meant so much to us.

We can't wait to get started filming and share our hard work with you! It really is a dream come true for two actors getting married :)

Thanks also to Kat for hosting the contest and to Todd (whom we can't wait to meet!) for this incredible opportunity. Oh, and of course I can't forget the amazing Jenna of That Wife Blog, for finding the contest and pushing me to write our story for it!

Vote For Us To Win a Free Love Story!

2009-08-17T20:45:00.004-04:00

Hi All!

We're one of the top three finalists in a contest at Rock 'n Roll Bride to win a free love story film about us and I'd love if you could swing on by there and help us out by voting for Kate and Dan!

VOTE FOR US!

Hope all is well with you NY'ers :)

There's a 10-foot tall chicken at my subway stop...

2009-08-07T14:55:00.002-04:00

Nothing gets noticed like a man in an inflatable 10-foot tall chicken suit. Not only was he dressed like a chicken that was practically the size of the stay-puffed marshmallow man, but he was clucking and dive-bombing people as they walked by. Look at the fear in this lady's eyes as he went in for the kill:

It was pretty hysterical, actually. Either that, or I'm easily amused, because I sat there on a bench outside the subway station for a good ten minutes watching him chase people. I think he was advertising a fried chicken place, but I couldn't even tell you where.

The things you see in NYC :)

What $70 buys you in NYC

2009-07-24T11:43:00.003-04:00

Got my groceries the other morning and as I unpacked all the bags onto my kitchen table, I was suddenly very sad. THIS is how much food $70 can buy you in Manhattan:

Not much, right? Pretty much just the bare essentials to get us through about 8-9 days at a time. It's a good thing we're both small people and light eaters!

Just in case you were wondering, there's a fruit and veggie stand on our corner, so that's why my grocery store purchases are light on the fresh stuff :)

Peek-a-boo

2009-07-19T09:27:00.002-04:00

This just tickled my funny bone today:

I guess that makes me immature ;)

The Wonders of Wo Hop

2009-07-09T21:51:00.007-04:00

I have to take a few minutes to share with all of you the magic of my favorite Chinese food: Wo Hop.

Located at 17 Mott Street, two blocks downtown of Canal, this is simply the best Chinese food imaginable. The place is tiny, usually crowded, and the service is hurried (although that means you get your food FAST!), but it's worth every inconvenience. They're open 24 hours, and although I've never done it because it's too far from our place, I hear it's great 3 AM post-bar food. I personally want to be sober enough to remember every meal I have at Wo Hop. You can get a huge serving of delicious food for easily less than $10, which is practically a miracle in Manhattan. Make sure you go to the downstairs dining room for the true authentic experience. Cheesy headshots line the walls and make for great conversation starters. Truly, if you haven't been here, you haven't experienced New York yet, but that's just my opinion.

I always smile like this at Wo Hop. That's how good it is.

Check it out. Expect a skeevy diner-like ambiance and amazing, fast, cheap food.

Us New York Girls, We Stick Together

2009-07-02T20:19:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, while riding the 6 home from work, I thwarted a crime. Yes, you read that right. I am a real-life crime fighter. Okay, so it wasn't that big of a deal, but it did shake me up a bit.

I was sitting on a crowded train heading back to Midtown when I noticed that the man next to me was taking pictures with his camera phone. Since I am often one to take camera phone pics of outlandish fashion or strange happenings, I nosily looked over to see what he was noticing.

Little did I expect to find that he was trying to get a crotch shot of the girl sitting across from us wearing a short skirt! I stared for a second, flabbergasted and not knowing what to do, before saying as loudly as I could, "Woah, THAT's inappropriate."

He got really mad at me and started yelling that he wasn't doing anything and I could check his phone. I just looked straight ahead until he stormed off at the next stop.

The woman started getting teary and thanked me profusely. I was honestly a little shaken because I wasn't sure how he would react to a little redhead calling him out, but I wasn't about to let him get away with that nastiness.

Once I calmed down, I was really proud. To paraphrase a man wiser than I, Evil is allowed to take hold when good people stand by and do nothing.

You mess with one of us New York ladies, and you mess with us all!

Jumpin' Jiminy!

2009-06-30T19:21:00.002-04:00

Today, while my sweet fiance was walking me to the subway stop, we had quite the bizarre experience.

We had brought out little dog along for the walk and he's the sweetest, most gentle dog ever. He weighs 15 pounds and is all furry. How threatening is that?

This woman walking in the opposite direction of us on a crowded sidewalk jumped so far to get out of the dog's way that she ended up grabbing my arm tightly enough to scratch me with her fingernails. After babbling something in another language that I couldn't understand, she kind of scurried away as fast as she could.

This has happened a couple of times before to us when walking our dog (although I've never been injured from it before!) and I always wonder why these people are scared enough to visibly jump. Maybe it's a cultural thing to not be used to dogs? I don't get it.

Bryant Park is Movin' On Up!

2009-06-29T11:48:00.006-04:00

Has anyone seen the new Southwest porch in Bryant Park?

It's gorgeous! It's got porch swings, rocking chairs, cushioned benches, white lights overhead and outlets!

I've been watching them do construction for weeks and it was totally worth it. This is my new fave Bryant Park hangout.

It's perfect for a lazy afternoon blogging (yay!) or for an evening glass of wine with your honey (imbibed from an unmarked water bottle, of course).

Props to Bryant Park and Southwest for making this happen. Just one more reason why Bryant Park is the best park!

Dirty Baby

2009-06-25T18:43:00.002-04:00

Today I saw a saw a young woman let the baby she was taking care of (it didn't seem like her daughter) sit on the floor of the subway car and roll around. Umm...gross, anyone?

I get all paranoid when I touch the pole in the subway, nevermind wanting my child to roll around on the floor!

What happened to NYC?

2009-06-24T10:28:00.001-04:00

Did I move to Seattle without knowing it? Where is sunny June??

Fresh versus...stale?

2009-06-17T10:15:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, while riding on the Q train downtown to Canal, there was a stereotypical empty vomit-covered seat in the corner. No one was sitting there until we stopped at 14th Street and a young couple walked on and made a beeline for the seat. The woman sitting across from it politely volunteered, "Oh, I wouldn't sit there. Look..." and pointed out the dirty trail of what could be anything covering the seat and surrounding floor. The young woman about to sit down then asked, "Is it fresh?"

None of us knew how to answer this question.

But more importantly, does it matter? It's still vomit. Only in New York.

An Authentic NYC Experience

2009-06-13T01:17:00.003-04:00

I walk by this billboard in Times Square quite frequently, and it never fails to surprise me that a ubiquitous chain restaurant (which was founded in Atlanta, in case you were wondering) could in any way be a true representation of the "New York Experience".

I just. Don't. Get it.

Reason #38,601 why I love New York

2009-05-27T11:09:00.003-04:00

Because even though there are 8 million people living here, I still manage to run into at least one friend on the subway every week :)

No, I won't come visit you in the purple part of Queens!

2009-05-26T11:19:00.001-04:00

I discovered this really cool "heat" map for the subway system today. You enter in your address in New York, and it tells you by color how long it will take you to get anywhere else in the city. Very neat!

http://www.triptropnyc.com/?f=37th+st,+new+york,+ny&t=&z=13&lat=40.74257499754292&lng=-73.90485763549804

Reason #45,892 why I love New York:

2009-05-23T22:58:00.002-04:00

Even the subway rats are ambitious :)

Wedding Reception Location!

2009-05-19T14:29:00.004-04:00

Well, first off I should probably apologize to all of you for being so absent lately. Wedding planning has been eating up any and all of my spare time!

I have a few seconds (very few!), so I thought I'd share with you where the reception will be held:

We just put down the deposit and signed the contract on the Midtown Loft and Terrace yesterday! This gorgeous loft is located on 5th avenue and was originally waaay out of our budget, but after the fall of the economy and with some artful wheeling and dealing, we've been able to afford it!

Now everytime I walk down 5th avenue around there I get chills. I can't wait for October.

Signs of the Recession Part 3

2009-05-08T19:19:00.002-04:00

I give to you: one photograph taken right near Grand Central of a line that extended out the door and nearly to the next corner for free KFC grilled chicken.

For starters, a normal KFC meal is only about $5. I'm not saying that's nothing, but still (in my humble and empty-pocketed opinion) not enough to wait in a 45-minute line for. Not to mention, they were offering their gnarly-looking grilled chicken. This from a place called Kentucky FRIED Chicken.

I think this shows just how bad the economy is affecting people.

Preemie Walk recap

2009-04-27T10:38:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that the 2009 March of Dimes Preemie Walk was a big success!

It was beautiful weather for a walk through NYC with baby-lovers. We were lucky enough to have friends and family (and our puppy!) walking with us for support.

There's nothing like walking through Manhattan with no cars trying to run you over and the sun shining brightly. Nothing.

It sure as hell beat last year's walk, when it was in the 50's and raining all morning. Either way, we raised lots of money for babies and had a great time!

Playing Tourist : Love Sign

2009-04-25T10:42:00.001-04:00

The mister and I had his parents in town this weekend, and so begins our excuse to run around NYC behaving like tourists.

We've always wanted to take a picture in front of Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture that stands on 6th avenue at 55th street, just a few blocks from the park. Well, we got our chance.

Even though it's such a stereotypical place to take a picture and it's such a touristy thing to do, we had fun sitting amidst the big, red block letters and posing, as if merely the fact that we were taking a picture underneath the word "love" could prove that we were in love. No, it takes a lot more than that.

But it can't hurt, right?

Wedding planning in NYC

2009-04-20T22:06:00.002-04:00

For those of you who are at all interested, I thought I'd share this wedding inspiration board I dreamed up. We're deep in the throes of wedding planning on what would be a lavish budget in any city but this one, and I plan to start sharing a bit more of how we're accomplishing an affordable and yet still elegant evening wedding in Manhattan. Stay tuned for more!

Preemie Walk: Year Three

2009-04-16T22:15:00.003-04:00

As most of you probably don't know, my sister was born at 32 weeks (two whole months premature) and as a result, she spent over a month in the NICU fighting for her life. She's now three and a half years old and perfectly healthy and I participate in the March of Dimes Preemie Walk every year to honor both her fighting spirit and my Mom's bravery. This is my third year doing the walk and I have raised over $2000 in total so far! Please help support me and all of the world's tiniest babies.