Busy Fun Mom's Day

Of course we still had some business to take care of from Saturday so Mother's Day started with that.  We stopped at the new house to measure the great room area so we could determine if the sectional we ordered the day before was going to fit.  Good thing we did because apparently the 12' long sectional that Mj wanted was just a little ambitious.  We have room along the wall  to do it but we want it to extend from the wall and face where the TV is going to go and 12' extends too far into the walkway.  So, after stopping at a store to check out appliances we headed back to the furniture store to make an adjustment on our sectional order.  Less couch equals less money so we are actually spending a little less then we planned which is always fine by me.

We headed up to meet my mom at Paradise Grill for brunch.  The weather was not as warm and sunny as I had hoped but we did OK sitting outside.  Mj bought mom flowers and I gave her the Spa gift certificate that my sister and I went in on together.  She gets to pamper herself at the spa and she so deserves it.  It was a 3 course meal.  We each had a drink of our choosing, a starter, an entree and a dessert.  We were all stuffed by the end but the dessert was part of the package otherwise I would have never eaten it and who can resist Chocolate Molten Lava Cake? I never seem to be able to.  It's the same dessert I wanted demanded when we came here for my B Day a month ago.
All three of us chose it and it was DElicious.  I couldn't help but notice the way the fudge just oozed out so perfectly after I took my first bite.  We were all stuffed by the end of the meal and no one was hungry again for the rest of the day!  My mom really enjoyed it and was so appreciative that I picked out a nice spot.  I wish I could do so much more for my mom.  She is so kind, generous and just overall amazing.  We have always been close and I am so lucky to have her.

My mom showed me the three dresses she picked out for my wedding.  The black one was so cute but it's a July wedding so it won't work.  She's going to keep it anyways because it is so cute.  There was a maroon one in typical mother of the bride style with a little jacket to go with it.  I felt the color would compliment Pink nicely and it was OK but it had nothing on the Pink strapless one.  First of all it's a lovely pastel Pink.  Second of all it is stylish and hip and my mom is going to look just gorgeous in it.  She had a few reservations.  "Yes mom, I know you are fifty but you look great and can so pull this off."  And she will. 

Mom and I went and got pedicures after brunch.  It's been a ridiculously long time since I had a pedicure and it felt nice.  Unfortunately due to the gloomy weather I am still wearing closed toed shoes today but at least I know I have pretty toes under there.  We stopped at my aunt's house to say hi on the way back to the house and before we knew it it was about time to go home.  I finished up the laundry.  Yes, I still bring laundry to mom's house from time to time because she doesn't require $2.25 in hard to round up quarters like our ridiculous laundry room does.  I collapsed into bed around 10:30 pm.

Sunday was also my big sister's B day.  Poor thing is alone and in the middle of a very difficult pregnancy.  Her hubby is actually out here on the West Coast for training.  I wished her a Happy B Day and sent her some Mac items she wanted.  Yes, I'm about broke.  I have Mj's B day, Mom's day and Big Sis B day all within one week of each other.  Oh, and car registration too.  It's so worth it though when I find just the right thing and can make them happy.

Cake Tasting Part Dos

The weekend came and went in the blink of an eye for me.  Every day was filled from beginning to end with non stop activity.  Sometimes it's nice to be busy, but normally, that is not my thing.  I like to enjoy at least half a day or even more doing nothing on the weekends so I can feel rested but it was not in the cards.  Friday night after work we drove about 1 1/2 hours to visit Mj's friend who just bought a new house.  We didn't get home until about midnight.
Saturday we started off with our 3rd tasting at Bakery #3.  Still trying to nail down that cake.  This place offered us 3 huge full size pieces of cake of our choosing.  We chose Tiramisu, Red Velvet and White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse.  We both liked Tiramisu the best.  It was moist and had a really nice flavor.  The Red Velvet wasn't very red and it was just OK.  The White Chocolate was pretty good but I'm not all that crazy about berry fillings.
I am Peanut Butter nut so the baker is going to make us a special sample.  Mj requested Chocolate cake, with a layer of fudge and Peanut Butter Mousse filling.  He'll call us when it's ready and if we love it then we will probably choose that along with the Tiramisu.  The prices here run $375 for 75 and then $42 for a sheet cake if we need to feed more people.   We still have left over cake to eat today!
We found a cake design that we both love.  I'm so glad I picked my favorite color for our wedding.  Oh, how I love Pink!!!  It's so pretty and elegant with the black ribbons around it.  Mj is still kind of stuck on Flour Power, the very first place we went to so we'll see.  I was trying to fit in a tasting at one more place but I think there is too much going on to fit it in next weekend and their appointments fill up fast so I don't know when we'd be able to go back.  We REALLY need to make a decision soon.  My plan was to have this done last month so I am lagging and we STILL need to pick out tuxedo's for Mj and his groomsmen.  There simply aren't enough hours in the weekend.

The rest of the day was spent furniture and appliance shopping.  Yep, it's fun and exciting but it can take so long.  We found a great bedroom set, mattress, and sectional that we like at some random store that I kept getting flyer's for in the mail. They gave us a few discounts and I think we got a pretty good deal for all of it.  The refrigerator, washer and dryer are still pending.

We went home to change real quick and then went straight back out to meet Mj's friends for dinner at 7:30pm.  It was about 10 of us in honor of Mj and another guy's Birthday.  The food at this place is always really good and it did not disappoint that night.  I had filet mignon kabobs and Mj had crab stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon.  All the wine by the bottle was half off too.  We all sat around the fire pit they have outside while the guys smoked cigars and a good time was had by all.  Needless to say that I was exhausted after getting home at around 11:00am and still had a full Mother's Day planned for the next day.

That Model Chick

It’s been about 3 months since I told my OC agency to put me on indefinite hold status and way longer since I last did any work.  It stirred up of this odd mixture of desire, sadness and stress every time they'd call and ask if I could go to a casting and I'd have to say no. I could tell they were irritated but it was simply too difficult to make myself available. I’d have to get out of work for the casting which is typically 1-2 hours away and then if by some miracle I somehow managed to book the job then I’d have to figure out how to get out of work again. Logistically, it was next to impossible to juggle it so getting those calls and saying no every time was just a source of stress. Although I was a little sad at the same time it’s been a relief to put an end to the phone calls. The nail was already sitting in the coffin of my acting and modeling but this basically drove it in with a resounding thud. I still have a local agent but there isn't much work to be had down here.  I am OK with it though because it's time to move on.   I prefer to GO for it or not go at all and with a full time job I had to shift my priorities.

When I look through my modeling portfolio it’s almost like a different girl staring back at me. She had long hair streaked with brownish red and stars in her eyes.
From my first portfolio shoot
She loved the fun and the challenge of acting classes. As reserved as she was in her real life she thrived on memorizing lines and getting in front of the camera to perform or pose.  She got paid work doing random industrial video's. She really enjoyed the fun of hanging out on sets for hours getting to know new people all the time and checking out the craft services junk food table that was a fixture on every set. 

She had three agents and spent many a days running off to auditions where she saw the same familiar faces all doing the same thing.  She'd spend 5 hours on the road there and back in traffic for print castings where all the girls there look like her and someone snaps a pic with a digital camera in 2 minutes.  She went to LA for commercial and film auditions too.  She walked in fashion shows. That girl was not afraid of walking into a room full of people to be stared at and judged or to strip down to a bikini for a fashion show or photo shoot.

Fashion show

Beyonce Concert Promo 2007
Submitting for work and checking her inbox for responses was a daily part of her routine. She was brave enough to finally quit her much hated 9-5 job of 8 years and work part time for a while. She did all kinds of promo model work too. They were sometimes fun, and sometimes long and exhausting but the money was good and it helped her keep the bills paid.

Promo Job
She was passionate about what she was doing and kept hustling in the face of rejection. She didn’t let her age or height stop her from giving it a shot which is really all she ever really wanted. The awkward nerdy girl she once was was gone and in her place was a woman confident enough to put herself out there and try something she never in a million years though she could ever do.

I will always associate that time in my life with the joy and freedom of getting to work just 24 hours a week. For 1 1/2 years my schedule was flexible and I felt like my own boss.  Getting to LIVE and enjoy life again without being chained to a desk for 40 hours a week was liberating. It was ultimately what allowed me the opportunity to be available for auditions and shoots. I was recently divorced, I was on my own and It was scary to leave the security of full time work but it felt so good that I was finally putting my myself and my dreams first. 

It was so much fun to be a part of that world in even the small way that I was. Rejection was never fun but there are a lot of great moments that stand out.  I was so happy when I finally booked my first job and got my very first paycheck from my agency for a Babies R Us catalog. I couldn't believe that I was actually getting paid to have someone take my picture. I didn't believe it for a long time but it meant that I was actually a real model and it was pretty cool to be able to say that.

1st agency booked gig.  Babies R Us Catalog.
I got booked as an "Under 5" for a short lived soap opera that was broadcast around the world and got to actually see myself on network TV. Under 5 is basically a nice way of saying you have no lines but I was happy just to be involved and got paid more for 2 days then I probably ever will again in my life for the same amount of work!

I LOVED photo shoots. Believe it or not modeling is hard work. Sometimes the shoots are physically demanding. I've been freezing my butt off, forced to hold awkward positions that hurt, ride a bike, or go up and down stairs for hours among other things. Outdoor shoots could be particularly draining.  Either too hot, too cold or dirty but you always have to make it look effortless and natural.  No matter what it was, I just loved being in front of the camera and felt lucky to be able to do it at all.


I was a Commercial model. Not being 5'8" or taller and over the hill in my late 20's I couldn't really expect to be a high fashion model or travel to exotic locations for shoots. You couldn’t find me in fashion magazines or billboards but it was still pretty exciting that my face was on a book cover in Wal-Mart’s and other book stores across the U.S. When I went to the store to buy it myself it was bizarre and so awesome.
Book Cover
It was fun how friends and family got such a kick out of it when they randomly saw me in an add. I was spotted in a Hilton add at a Florida airport and of all places in a little bit piece in The National Enquirer.


Hilton Add


Me in the National Enquirer

Black Singles Add
I was even spotted canoodling with my "boyfriend" on an internet dating website.

I remember how excited I was when I FINALLY managed to get an L.A. Agent. I got to do commercial and print auditions for Old Navy, Target and other such big name brands. Had I been able to keep going who knows, maybe I eventually would have booked a really big one!  Among the catalog shoots I got to do one of my absolute favorites was for a cheerleading company. As a former cheerleader I had a ball playing dress up in these adorable uniforms all day. I did the shoot alongside a bunch of teenagers and thought it was hilarious that no one even knew that I was so much older then the other girls.


Broadway Cheerleading Catalog
Best of all is that I will always have that beautiful moment when I found out that I was a top five finalist in the Joe’s Next Model Contest. It is a feeling I will never ever forget as long as I live and I will always have the fondest memories of that entire experience.  It was just a contest but for me it was my last chance to do anything like that.  What a thrill it was to find out after each cut that I was still in the running.  It was a dream come true to make it so far out of so many people.  It was a HUGE deal for me and I had such an amazing time in LA.  They treated us so well and I got all of that great Joe's Jeans merchandise.  It is so fitting that it was to be my last photo shoot.

Joe's Next Model Shoot
I must say it was fun while it lasted.  I may not have made it to the pot at the proverbial end of the rainbow but most important is the wonderful experience that I had reaching for it.

Babies


The movie Babies will be released in theatres on Mother's Day.  It is a documentary that follows 4 babies from different parts of the world doing what babies do.  Ponijao from Namibia is my favorite.

Creating a human being has got to be an amazing experience.  I mean, to carry a life inside of you that turns into this person that shares the genetic make up of you and your significant other.  This person that relies on you completely and  for which you are solely responsible for.  What an amazing bond a parent must feel for their child as they nurture them and watch them grow into adulthood.  I love the idea of seeing Mj with OUR child and wonder...what would he or she look like?  Having a child really makes you a family.   I don't know if Mj and I are going to have kids or not.  I have been on the fence about babies pretty much my whole life.  I always felt that I could go either way and would most likely lean towards my partner's preference.  Well, as of now my partner is saying NO WAY so unless that changes within the next 3 years or so my mom won't be getting any grand kids from us.  On the one hand I don't want to miss out on something so huge and on the other hand I kind of like my life the way it is.  Parents love to talk about their kids and despite the pain and discomfort of child birth women keep on doing it.  They say it's all worth it.  There has to be something to this whole having kids thing...I just don't yet know if it's for us.

Even though I am not sure how I feel about the day to day responsibility and expense of having a child of my own I can't help but notice just how precious and adorable little ones are.  When I was in the jacuzzi on Sunday there was this adorable little girl still in diapers wearing a yellow and white stripped bathing suit.  I could not stop smiling at her and just wanted to hold her and pinch her round cheeks.  In that moment I felt like I wanted a little person of my own.  And the minute I saw this "Babies" movie trailer I could not stop oohing and aahing over it.  The opening scene is the best. 

Warning:  If you have any untimely baby cravings do not watch this trailer.  It's gonna make you want one NOW and you might find yourself knocked up with child sooner then you planned!!

Mj's B Day In Long Beach



Saturday evening we walked around the harbor a bit looking for a restaurant where we wanted to eat.  He decided on a little soul food restaurant where the food was actually pretty disappointing but we got to sit and watch the Mosely/Mayweather fight, listen to a few jazz numbers and get our drink on.  He wanted dessert so we went to Rock Bottom next where we each did a tequila shot in honor of his B Day.  He got a giant carrot cake (and could only eat half) and I got a mini peanut butter mousse dessert which was just the right size.


It was a quick smooch and a groggy "Happy Birthday Baby" Sunday morning and Mj was off to work again out the door before 8am.  I felt so guilty for enjoying myself SO much while he had to work and it was HIS birthday.  At first I wasn't sure if I would be able to do another walk because my legs were so sore from the day before but it was so pretty out.  My legs felt better in the morning and it didn't make sense not to enjoy the weather and get some exercise.  Initially I planned on NOT going doing the whole 6 miles again but once I got started I wanted to go the distance and finish thought about the Mac & Cheese with French Fries I had for dinner last night and figured I'd better go ahead and handle that.  The hotel allowed a late check out so I had plenty of time to finish the walk and get into the jacuzzi before checking out.  I was only homeless roomless for a couple hours and I spent part of that time at Borders.  Oh why can't this be my life?  Why must I have to have pesky little job waiting for me on Monday? Oh yeah.  Our brand new house...our wedding.  Bills.  Sigh.
                                

He picked me up from the hotel after work and we headed home.  We stopped by our new house on the way back.  It was locked but we peeked through the windows like robbers casing the joint and could see that the carpet, the kitchen sink, and our window blinds were in. It's looking so good!!

First thing I did when we walked in the door is give him his B Day present.  Hmmm.....I think he liked it!!!  He is soooo CUTE and oh how I LOVE making that man happy!

He just started laughing as soon as he saw this box.  He left his toothbrush on an airplane on his way home from Kosovo last year.  Not just any toothbrush.  A $150 Philips Sonicare toothbrush.  So, I bought him another one.  He bought one for both of us last year and it felt a little unfair having one when he didn't considering the only reason I had one at all was because of him.  We both LOVE it.  Once you go Sonicare it's really hard to go back to regular manual tooth brushing and I know he's been missing it.  I want him to keep up his pearly whites too.  I also got him a spa gift certificate so he can get a nice relaxing massage.

I had a wonderful little mini vaca and despite having to work all weekend I hope that Mj enjoyed his Birthday. The only thing that would've made it all sweeter was getting to spend more time with him.   I might have to tag along to drill more often!  It's got me longing for our honeymoon when we will have a nice LONG faraway vacation TOGETHER.  Can't wait.

His Drill Is My Mini Vaca

Mj's B-day is on Sunday and the poor guy has drill all weekend so we decided it would be nice for me to tag along.  He did book a room at the Renaissance Hotel after all and it would be a shame to let all of those amenities go to waste seeing as how he won't really be able to take advantage of them.

Friday night we drove up and checked into the hotel.  It's on Pine Street right across from the Long Beach Convention Center and in the middle of everything.  We met a few of his Army friends at Cafe Sevilla which was within walking distance.  They were doing a lot of shop talk but it was cool to finally meet these people that he was deployed with for all of last year.

Saturday morning I woke up to a spectacular harbor side view outside my hotel room and by 10:15 am hit the road for my walk along the marina.


The view was nothing short of spectacular.  I read on the Internet that if you walk to the pier and back it would be a total of 6 MILES so that's what I did.  The sun was reflecting off of of the water brilliantly.  As I walked along the pedestrian path I was struck by just how beautiful my surroundings were.  It was a bright sunny day but the air was crisp and cool, just the way I like it for walking.  I don't have to feel like the sun is beating me down or get all super hot and sweaty.




This pier I was supposedly walking towards was not visible as far as the eye could see but I kept my pace up and eventually I could see it lurking there in the distance.

On the way back I was rewarded with yet another spectacular view of the city skyline.  My pace slowed considerably and my legs were fatigued but I was still enjoying the walk.






All together it took me about two hours to get from the hotel to the pier and back again.  I changed into my bikini and headed straight for the jacuzzi which felt great.

There are a bunch of weddings going here.  I saw a few different bridal parties all dressed up which got me all excited thinking about my own coming up so soon!  Now I am sitting in Borders using their free Wi Fi, drinking a Vanilla Latte, and eating a whole wheat pretzel.  Normally I don't want to spend any money on snacks because it's always overpriced but for some reason I just didn't care and I liked that.  It just goes to show you don't really have to go too far to feel like you are on vacation.

Mj should be off pretty soon and we plan to go to dinner or a bar later to celebrate his Birthday.  There is so much to do down here we won't have any problem finding some place fun.