Friday, February 24, 2012

A Week Away from L.A.

A little over a week now...I'm dreaming of sunshine, beaches, the walk of fame, the Hollywood sign...doing a film with James Cameron...ahhhh...about to live the dream, right?

But what if I get there and never get any work? My mom keeps saying "When you're famous"...there's a good chance that'll never happen, I'm aware. I think I'd be happy just acting regularly...maybe? I don't know. Some people need the fame...do I?

I've had a shitty week, which started with a tooth problem that was apparently caused by my toothpaste (Burn in hell Crest Pro Health!), then a cold I caught from the kids, then a really bad migraine yesterday. I was curled up on the couch like a baby, with no one to baby me because hubby was at work and the kids wanted juice and Goldfish crackers. Sucky week. On the plus, we're a week away from L.A.! Oh yeah! Come on, do a dance with me! Are you dancing?! Dance dammit! I would dance for you! That's better. Thanks!

Yeah, so that makes me feel better. That, and my bestie Jontynise Smith passed her exam to get her California cosmetology license (she already had her Illinois one), and that apartment now out there is so good and ours! Oh, and the new Eisley EP "Deep Space"! It moves my heart and my soul. It's romantic and beautiful and haunting and it's so amazing I feel lucky to know Sherri Dupree. Never did I think I could know someone who I thought so fondly of as a musician. It's like knowing Jeff Buckley to me...minus the whole been-dead-for-years-part.

It's after midnight. I should probably jump on the sleepy train while I still can. My aunt and I were having conversations about family secrets and earthquakes, then she ate one of my protein bars and I almost threatened to slap her eyes.

Laters lovelies!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Stressful Week



Well, I've had a stressful week. From waiting to hear from the building manager at the new apartment building in California, to realizing I have a small crack in my tooth and my dentist's assistant saying she doesn't have an appointment until March 8th (I'll be in L.A. by then!), to trying to figure when we're going to buy a new refrigerator for the place...it's just been a tough, stressful, sleepless week.

Last night, Bry was snoring and I just couldn't go back to sleep, so I went into the living room, taking my pillow and laying down on the couch. I put the red throw from Ikea over me and ended up falling asleep. Bry came in there perhaps 2 1/2 hours later and told me to come get back into bed. I know I must have slept a decent amount, but I was awake for a little while. Nevertheless, I feel sleepless. It's probably the stress. And I'm not looking forward to starting from scratch with this new city, not knowing where everything else and getting lost a lot. Hell, I would still get lost in Chicago sometimes!

I know it's the start of something big and something I've been obsessing over since I was a kid. The dream of moving to L.A. and actually working in the business, as opposed to the little bit of acting I've done here. It's time to get on top of things. Start going over my monologues, both comedic and dramatic ones, redoing my resume, blah blah blah...who has time for that right now?! I still need to make a list of crap we aren't taking with us then calling my mom and aunts and asking them what they want, then dropping stuff off.

Meanwhile, I've been watching a shitload of "Entourage". I've loved Adrian Grenier since "The Adventures of Sebastian Cole". I adored him in that movie. Hell, I might buy it on Amazon or get it through Netflix. He's so beautiful.


But on the plus side, I heard from the building manager, she got the copy of the lease and the deposit. I sent it via the post office and paid extra so she would have to sign for it. I also bought the plane tickets. We're on track. We're so on track. Next week will probably be even more stressful.

Laters.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

So it's Valentine's Day..

So it's Valentine's Day, and I'm supposed to be super lovey and excited, but I can't help but feel stressed about this move. We paid the deposit, signed the lease, arranged to have our stuff and car shipped, and last night...I bought the plane tickets. It seems like it's been a long time coming, but it also feels like everything is moving so incredibly fast. In about 2 weeks, we'll be in Los Angeles, to stay, not to visit. I honestly feel like it's going to be a whole new world out there. There are so many more opportunities out there for all of us.

But also, this is my 11 year anniversary with Bry. By anniversary, I mean, of when we first met. We didn't actually technically get together until March of 2001, but we celebrate this as our anniversary. We've been together 11 years, married for 7...and no, I'm not counting around the times we broke up, lol. We've been through a lot together, including being there for each other through tough times. And even though I got him some really cool anniversary/Valentine's Day presents, I'm feeling bad that he got me this really nice thoughtful and beautiful card, and I didn't remember to get him one! I got cards for the girls (Hello Kitty ones that came with magnets and stickers) but I forgot to get him one! And he got me TWO! He got me one that said anniversary, and one that said Valentine's! Yes, I'm terrible. But I did buy him the Kinect for the XBox 360, so he can't complain too much, right? Besides, I blog and tweet all the time about how much I love him, so there. (excuses to make myself feel better)

We're going to take the girls to the Olive Garden for Valentine's. They love LOVE LOVE that restaurant. They mostly like the macaroni and cheese, breadsticks and the salad. We're going to dress them in pretty dresses, and I'm going to wear my new dress from ModCloth! Perhaps I'll post pics later.

Enjoy the rest of your Valentine's, Party People!


Monday, February 13, 2012

"Going Hollywood"...reality web series

Okay, so I decided to make a reality web series out of footage I took on my way to Los Angeles, and being there. I got some really good stuff...why should it go to waste on my lap top and external drive? Either way, here it is, episodes 1-6, which is all I've edited so far...here is "Going Hollywood"...

Part 1:


Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:



Part 5:



Part 6:





Saturday, February 11, 2012

RIP Whitney Houston

I grew up on her music, I know lyrics to almost every song. Here are some of my favorite songs by the incomparable Whitney Houston...


"You Give Good Love"



"I Have Nothing"



"Run to You"

and 



"The Greatest Love of All"

Friday, February 10, 2012

Just a few of my favorite things...

Found it at Kohl's on a rack with a bunch of Valentine's Day clearance stuff. Love it. 
It's hanging on the back of our front door for now.

Found this cupcake cookie jar at Kohl's on that same rack. It's awesome.

My Eisley poster collage, that I collectively share with Bry. Yes, they've signed them. The Who's Next one is from years ago, when we first met them at the Double Door in Chicago.

My notebook, by Gwen Stefani. I keep all of my important stuff in here.

A painting Anneka did when she was 3, almost 4 at daycare. She's 5 now.

One of my favorite movies of all time. The writer/director Tiffanie Debartolo is a sweetheart. I've talked to her in the past. She also wrote this amazing book called "God-Shaped Hole".

My absolute favorite movie of all time. It never gets old to me.

These perfect little twin girls that God gave me and I feel so blessed to have in my life. 
Mia Grace and Laila Raine! This is from their 1st birthday. They're 2 1/2 now.

The gorgeous Anneka Lucia. What an amazingly talented, sweet, intelligent little person. 
So happy to have her as my daughter.

The bestest best friend a girl can have. Me and Jontynise at a diner in Glendale, CA. Love her to pieces. Couldn't imagine life without her.

Bry and Anneka. He's an amazing father. He reads her a story every night. He's a great man...destined to do great things. Well, he has already. My Hubby. <3



Thursday, February 9, 2012

Birthday in Chicago

Yesterday was my birthday...yes, it was fantastic! I woke up to the dining room garnished with movie-style decorations from Party City, and 3 little girls and hubby who had a bunch of presents, including the new Kindle Fire and some snazzy Betsey Johnson heels! Quite exciting for me, as you can see. Then, on top of that, I got my mom and aunt to watch the girls so Bry and me can go out and have a fun time in the city, alone. Not as mom and dad, but as Angie and Bry! Not that I didn't miss them...to be perfectly honest, I spent most of the day hugging and kissing at them like I'd been away from them for days!

We went to this Vegan restaurant on the city's north side called the Chicago Diner. I had vegan country fried steak, which was made of this stuff called Seitan, which tasted really a lot like chicken! It was interesting and delicious! I'm really enjoying being a vegetarian this time. I'm five seconds from veganism, but I still drink cow's milk. But I don't eat any meat, no eggs, no fish. And I'm perfectly fine with it this time, and I feel better than I've felt in a long time! Then on top of that, I've been going back to the gym, trying to get California Slim! And by that, I mean my idea of what I should be, which is not skinny. I like having hips and boobs. Hubby likes me having hips and boobs! LOL

But nonetheless, today I spent kissing toddlers, cleaning up, signing the lease, and paying the deposit on our new Los Angeles apartment! Shyeah! It feels good to think that in 20 days we shall be there. There's still a few things that need to be figured out, logistically...like, if we're having our things shipped, and they're saying give it 4 business days to get there, where are we going to stay for 4 days? In our empty apartment here, the empty apartment there, or take another couple of hundred dollars and stay in a hotel? Yeah, that's what we're figuring out. The hotel thing sounds better, considering we're travelling with a 5 year old and 2- 2 year olds!


Hanging our around Chicago, going to the Betsey Johnson store in the Water Tower, going over the downtown bridge, eating at a restaurant on the north side...I think I'm already getting a little homesick. And I had the nerve to be out there in 30 degree weather with a short dress on with see-through lace sleeves (see pic above) and some flats, a coat, a hat, a scarf, no gloves...and I'm the one who's always complaining about the weather! No worries, though, because Bry found a parking spot a block away from the Water Tower, and right in front of the restaurant when we went up north. Yes, my nose is a little runny today! Who asked you?! It's all for the greater good though. I looked cute on my birthday! Haha!

Laters.





P.S. What also made yesterday pretty cool was Jontynise and me got several celebs to tweet Happy Birthday to me, including Kelsey Chavarria and Saj Golde from "The Real L Word", Layzie Bone from my favorite rap group of all time, Bone Thugs N Harmony, and Wesley Jonathan, who I've had a crush on since I was a kid! And the adorable, wonderful Sherri Dupree-Bemis, from Eisley! She told me too! Even though I just talked to her like, 3 times last week, it still made me happy!



Tuesday, February 7, 2012

So it's almost my birthday...

So, it's about to be my birthday in a matter of hours, yes, Happy Birthday to me! I'll be 31, which is cool and all, I mean, it's not some huge milestone, but I'm glad to have lived another year, absolutely. On top of that, I'm about to start the adventure of for the first time in my life, living in a completely different state, in a totally different part of the country! Yes, it's a really big deal to me, as most of my family lives here in Chicago and I'll be so far away from them.

On the plus, I spoke with my mom and she and my Auntie Carol are going to watch the girls while  hubby and I go have a rip-roaring time for my birthday! We went to the mall today and had a great day. I had the twins with me, going to the Disney store, them in their stroller, then stopping to eat a cookie with them. It was really a lot of fun just being out of the house and they were in such good moods.

So now we're about to watch "Crazy Stupid Love" with Steve Carrell and I'm doing okay with being old and everything. I'll probably update with pictures tomorrow or the next day from my semi-adventurous birthday!
Later gators!

P.S. If anyone asks, I'll lie and say I'm turning 23! LOL


Friday, February 3, 2012

What I'll Miss About Chicago, Part 2



One of the main things I'll miss about Chicago is the CTA El trains. I spent so much time on the el. As a kid, my mother didn't drive, so anytime we needed to go downtown, we hopped the green line or red line to get downtown. As a teenager, I used to take the buses more, as I went to Dunbar Vocational High School, which was still technically on the south side where I lived, but much further, and was near downtown. I had to take two long bus rides to get to high school everyday. And then, sometimes, I would ditch school entirely to go downtown to the Borders bookstore on State Street (shhhh...don't tell my mom!)

The thing I think I will miss most about the el was taking it up to the north side just to explore. I spent a lot of time on the red line, going up to the Clark/Belmont area to go to all of the used record stores to sell CDs and buy some for less than $5. A lot of the stores aren't there anymore, unfortunately, but The Alley is. The Alley is this gothy store where you can find the coolest things. I was going there years before I knew what a "Hot Topic" was in the mall. This place has been there since I can remember! It's also the first place I learned about different types of people. I saw different races, gays, straight people, families, all co-existing in the same neighborhood. And I never saw any ignorance or intolerance or anything like that. These were back in the days where I would be out in the city, by myself, sometimes late at night, and I was too worried about getting robbed or stabbed or shot...though perhaps I should have been to some extent.

Then, in my early 20s, I met Brayman, who would later become my husband, and we would meet up north and hang out around Depaul University, where there was a Crow's Nest Record store, which was bigger than the one I used to work at downtown. I was at Columbia College at the time, and sometimes after class, I would take the red line to meet him up on the Clark and Belmont stop, and we would literally walk from Boys Town on Halsted to Lincoln Park. Those were the days when we would walk everywhere, perhaps hop a bus, and then go home to our individual houses on the south side, just to call each other and stay on the phone all night. Ahhh, to youth!

After I got married and had a baby, I moved to the suburbs, got my license, had a car, etc. and I've barely gotten on public transportation since. But sometimes, I miss those days where I would just ride, not caring too much about what time I would arrive at my destination, listening to my Discman, blasting Anathema's "A Fine Day to Exit" and pulling out a pad of paper when hit with inspiration to write a song, or a film idea. I miss the feeling of being scared to ride on the brown line and the orange line because they seemed way too high up and would go around those curves way too fast!

But I guess that's a metaphor for youth. When you were on a train, with no particular destination. I would just go with no time in mind, not caring when I would arrive or get back home. I guess that changed over the years, now that I have children and a husband and a career, it feels like everything is about rushing. Everything is about time. When will I arrive at my ultimate destination? And I don't necessarily mean death, I just mean the things that I dreamed about while riding the trains and buses, praying to become something more and doing more than what people expect of me. Now, I'm counting down the days until I arrive.

Followers