so, today has been an eventful day! i discovered last night that my next door neighbor, andrew, was filming something this morning in our backyard and needed actors for the scene. he asked lane (my roommate) if she or i could be available to help him out, and conveniently, i didn't have anything until improv class tonight at 7, and i was clearly happy to oblige!!

anyway, i'm getting ahead of myself again...let me back up a bit...we have two sets of neighbors in our little house area. it's a great little community. jim and cece in the back, and andrew and jacquelyn in front. us in the middle. obviously. so jacquelyn is an actress (you may see here in a mcdonalds commercial on yourtube: mcdonalds karen king--she's one of the actresses), and andrew is a filmmaker/director/actor. he recently won a huge contest for a New Zealand beer called steinlager, where he made a short (check it out also on youtube: steinlager escape. it's VERY cool stop animation stuff! and that's him in it, and it's in front of our house, too!).

so, this morning, i got up to see my backyard transformed into a backyard scene fit for the screen. it looked very nice. flags up, a grill out, colorful plates set on a little table...and i went out, and ended up filming all day! the crew was really nice, and andy was directing. come to think of it, i was the only girl working on the project! most crews are all guys here, i've noticed, though. i digress. the main character was an older british actor named david, who was in town for a "holiday" visiting his friend who happened to be the assistant director. he was great fun!! so we filmed all day, and it was a fabulous time. the theme of the vignettes is "life's short. don't miss it." and it's a series of shorts depicting the main character dying (but they are comedies), and my particular one involved a horribly tragic accident where he stabs himself in the forehead! ouch!

i did have a close up reaction shot, so if it doesn't get cut in editing, then i could be featured in a short film showing at the opener of the tribeca film festival! which i am pretty darn excited about!!! below are a couple of pictures from the day. doesn't our yard look so cute?!







so after a whole day of filming (i know, i know, i'm just toooo hollywood, baby. lol jk) no, i went to comedy/improv class, which i LOVE! i really do think improv comes naturally to me. we play such fun improv games, including one called good, bad, and ugly, where three people act as members of an expert panel. they give us a subject, and one has to give good advice, one bad, one ugly. but you get to create this whole persona, which i loOOOOoove! maybe i should look more into improv. i enjoy it, so, hm. a thought.

then, my friend and fellow acting student, kvon, had a comedy show tonight. he does stand up every wednesday at the laugh factory (you've probably seen it at some point or another, it's pretty famous). and i think this was one of his last shows for this run or something. anyway, he got another fellow student, john, and i in for free, so we went after classes to watch him. we actually saw several comics, including kvon, who was hilarious. and, although it was funny, i was ready to come home by the end. we thought we were getting in free, but those little tricksters tell you once you're sitting down (ugh!) that there is a "two drink minimum." what!?! are you joking? so i seriously spent what i would have paid for a ticket for the show on two bottles of water! sigh. oh well, i guess i supported a friend, and got to see a fun show, not to mention, that will probably be my one and only trip to the laugh factory, which is worth doing just to say you saw stand up there. oh, yes, and another thing that made it worth it is that when we were outside at the door waiting to go in, i happened to be standing next to chevy chase! lol very random, i know, but i was like hee hee, super cool! he's extremely tall, and i had the urge to call him sparky (name that movie?). anyway, it was a fun night, and i have another busy day tomorrow, so off to bed for me. alas, another full day. take care and goodnight.

this post should be rich with fun stories; i hope you enjoy it!! i actually had some exciting past couple of days, so i have a lot to talk about. firstly, on thursday, i did background work on the show heroes. it was on location at panorama city high school, and it was outside on a very hot day...so that made it less fun than it could have been, i'm sure. hayden panetierre, the main actress, was really cute in person, very nice, and always liked goofing off to make the extras and crew laugh. it was a refreshing surprise to see that she was actually normal-sized. not anorexic like many actresses when you see them not on screen. then, on friday, i worked background for an allstate commercial (which was nice because commercials pay a bit better). we were outside in the hot sun all day, too, though, which wasn't much fun. it was at the football stadium where usc plays, and we did what is called "tiling," where they use multiple shots digitally pieced together to make it look like there is a huge crowd, when really it's just about 150 people. we had hundreds of inflatable dummies, too, which we carried around to our different spots. they were so creepy looking...there were only four different "people," and i couldn't help but imagine how weird it would be to be a model for the face of the dummy. creepsters!



in fact, here's my dummy boyfriend for the day--i named him larry. lol.

allright...so the next exciting story is that yesterday (saturday), i attended my first "hollywood party." yeah yeah, i know. it wasn't lindsey lohan-style, don't worry, but it was a lot of fun, and yes, there were even a few celebs! let me back up. i got connected with the actor michael rosenbaum (most noted for his role as lex luthor on "smallville") because he's from evansville, too, where my parents live. we'd been emailing, and he invited me to his big birthday bash at a piano bar, howl at the moon. it was 80s themed, and i was SO excited! so, i decided to take my friend, scott, who is a big 80s fan, and is a part of the mizzou church plant here in santa monica. anyway, so i went thrifting for some stuff to wear, and found enough to make a great outfit. also, we knew in advance that a few celebs were invited, based on looking at the email invitation, and that there would be two guest performers: debbie gibson and young mc, both big 80s artists. so, we were psyched!

it turned out to be SO MUCH FUN! seriously, scott and i both want to have all 80s themed parties from now on! everyone was dressed up (i almost didn't even recognize mike in his blonde wig, because he's normally bald!), there was yummy food, and the music was awesome!! mike was very nice, and having a great time, and you could definitely tell that he liked to be the center of attention.

ok, now for the pictures...



please excuse the stupid pose, but this is me showing off my entire outfit. i was going for kelly kapowski, what do ya think? :) (i borrowed a ton of vintage 80s jewelry from my friend beth--it made the outfit for sure!)



this is a picture of scott and me. notice his amazing outfit--a tux t-shirt and hideous white leather vest. seriously, he got so many compliments on it!!



i really liked this shot. michael is in the right side of the picture, singing along with debbie gibson, who is the girl playing the piano.



here's one celeb we saw (clearly i had no shame in asking for photographs!) the figure skater, tara lipinski! who is, apparently, trying to make a comeback as an actress...



ok, so scott and i were very excited to get this photo--tom arnold, who is randomly friends with michael, was there. he was actually really nice.



and, finally, our photo with the birthday boy. i know, he looks funny with his 80s getup. he was wearing his evansville hockey jacket from back in the day. pretty funny!

so that's that on the hollywood party scene, lol. just kidding. but, also, i had my first real audition today!! i am signed up with a service that has my resume, photos, and profile, and they send me emails of acting jobs that fit me. so i submit myself to tons of them everyday, and this was just the first one to respond and give me an audition. they are usually just for small parts or student stuff. but yes, it was as a jogger for a coca cola commercial. i went this morning, dressed in my running clothes, and i had to run in place in front of the camera! lol. it was pretty funny, but not intimidating, so i feel good that i'm over the mental hurdle of "my first audition." anyway, hopefully i'll have something exciting to write about again soon, until then...take care!

hey guys! well, the past couple of days have been good and bad. i actually found out yesterday that my doodah (dad's dad) passed away. he's been sick for a few years, and mainly lost all his recognition of people, so i feel like i'd already grieved his loss a few years ago. so, i'm ok, but it's still sad. mainly knowing how hard it is for my dad, uncle, and memaw. i can't imagine losing a parent or a spouse. man. but anyway, so i'm in limbo trying to decide whether or not to go home for a service on friday. it's a weird situation since he's been sick for so long, like i said, and it seems weird to consider not going to my own grandfather's funeral, but it's such a unique situation, too. i really think he'd honestly want me to stay here and keep doing what i'm doing, and not break momentum. that's what all my family is saying, too. but will i regret not going? i don't know. it's almost a relief that he's gone, too, because he had deteriorated so, that i know if he had been in his right mind, he would have been sad to know that he had gotten so bad... anyway... there will be a small service, probably just with family, this friday, so please pray for my family to really celebrate his life, and thank God for taking him. in his last few months, actually, the nurse where he lived said that she would wake up in the night and hear him calling to Jesus, "take me home, please take me home." i never thought of him as a very spiritual person, but i thought this was a really touching illustration of our last days on earth. i also hope that, if i dont go back for friday, that my family understands that my spirit is with them.

but anyway! on to other things. i worked on the set of a new show (coming out for the first time this fall) called samantha who? it looks pretty cute, i guess. a comedy about a girl who wakes up from a coma and has to relearn her life. the main star is christina applegate, and she's really hysterical and very cute in person. let's see, there's also an actress from the movie "crash" in it, and jean smart (the mom from sweet home alabama), too. jean was actually very sweet on set. she talked to me quite a bit, and made sure that her hair lady didn't spray me with hairspray, lol.

today i'm doing some errands. ordering some business cards and headshot copies, and then hopefully going to a commercial class tonight at VC (vincent chase, from now on). i've been submitting myself for a lot of auditions on this site called lacasting, and i'm hoping to at least get called to one or two, just to do them! i learned from some other VC students how to "slate" properly, which is what you do initially going into an on-camera audition. i think that going on auditions would be good practice, if nothing else, and i would love to be able to at least get a few non-extra jobs to start off.

ok, maybe i'll have exciting news to write soon...we'll see. talk to you all soon, and thanks for your continued support and prayers. :)

so...the past few days have been incredibly busy, in a good way, of course!

for two days, i did background on csi: miami. it was on location in long beach, near their big convention center. it was so cool, because there was a crash scene with a big tour bus and a truck, and i had to do a LOT of running outside in the scorching heat, but i think the scene will turn out to look pretty cool! they used a fog machine and fired guns with blanks, which made for some cool special effects. needless to say, i got a nice tan, and some exercise in there, too, from all the avoiding of the "bullets."

also, their food was amazing! i was used to the non-catered set of las vegas, but csi:miami had full catering. in the morning, there was an omelet chef, a whole breakfast buffet, fresh fruit, and a window where you could get food made-to-order. i had a delicious bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich one morning, in fact. then for lunch, they set up gigantic grills, and then made chicken, pork tenderloin, beef, fish, pastas, potatoes, steamed veggies, an entire fruit and salad bar, and dessert. YUM!

other than that, i've really been trying to think about how to prioritize my time, this week. i got referred to a really reputable acting coach named vincent chase (yes, the entourage character is named after him). so i audited one of his classes on wednesday night, and it was so much fun!! i've really been missing actual acting. all the class sizes at his studio are below about 6 people, so it's really intensive, personal training. i'm so excited about it. i actually need to start memorizing a monologue for next week...the improv class was taught by a guy who's done second city and the groundlings, two really big comedy/improv troupes. it was a lot of fun, and (kelly lewis) it reigniting my love for improv and sketch comedy! snl, here i come! lol

yesterday, i hung out some at the beach with my new extra friend, greg, and his roommates, who are moving back to NJ on saturday, which is too bad since i know we would have been great friends...but his friend, tom, is writing a show called proton girl, and it's like the perfect part for me, so i'm hoping i'll been seeing these people all soon!! you should check out clickflixs.com for tom's production company...

in other exciting news, chris started optometry school this week. he's had some orientation stuff, and has gotten settled into his new apartment in st. louis. can't wait to hear about how his classes go! i don't have real bill-paying job yet, so that's a big prayer request...other than that, keep in touch!

to answer the lovely kelly and jonathan's questions from my previous post:

when will the episodes air? will i be in them?
-well...i'm not sure of the exact air date, but the episode of las vegas that i was on is called "it's not easy being green." i think they usually air about 2 months after their taping, but i don't know the exact date. from what i've heard, the show may be trashy, though, so watch at your own risk. and, i think there is definitely a possibility to see me in the background. you'll have to keep a lookout, but i had several moments in direct shot of the camera...so hopefully i make it on! hopefully my parents can tape it, too, because we don't have cable.

how long did it take me to the studio? how'd i get there?
-well, this was actually the closest studio to my house. it's in culver city, which is only 6 miles away. however, 6 miles in la time is a lot longer than you'd think! it has been taking me about 30 minutes to get there, which isn't awful. i have been driving, but i found out from another extra that taking a 75 cent bus is really just as fine, depending on safety of the area and such, so i'll look into it. that's definitely cheaper than gas!

"did i get any looks?" what did i wear?
-i'm assuming you mean did people look at me because i was in wardrobe? well it is funny being all dressed up at 7 in the morning. for this show, i wore my own clothes (they tell you on a taped recording what to wear specifically) so i wore a dress and then had to take two extra in case they didn't like what i had on. but they did like what i was wearing both days, thankfully, or i'd of had to wait in line forever at the end of the day to take my stuff back to wardrobe) and yes, when you get to the studio, and that area, people are always checking to see if you are a celebrity, so it's pretty funny. and then, another funny thing--we had a walk away lunch break, so all the extras walk to nearby lunch places, and we pass others from the studio, so i passed a guy dressed in a kilt and full scottish outfit on my way back from trader joes. i bet they see some crazy looking people right around the studio...

do these gigs count for union credit?
-i am definitely putting these on my resume, but i am non-union, which means if i want to become a member of SAG, there are a couple ways to do it. everyday, you get a voucher, which is your paystub, essentially. ours are blue, union members are yellow. there are some lucky rare times when you can get a union voucher like if there aren't enough union people there, if you do additional stuff, or if you finagle it from the ADs (assitant directors). they are very hard to get. just for fun the other day, i decided to press my luck and just off hand told the AD that my favorite color was yellow (haha, like the voucher? yeah i'm cool, i know). i didn't get one, but at least they know who i am :) lol the other way to get one is to be hired for a union role, and they just kind of grandfather you into SAG.

what did i do on the show?
-mainly i was just walking around with a martini glass, lol. with other people, or standing or sitting and chatting. they really didn't have me sitting and gambling, which is good, because since i was walking around, i was nearer the camera most of the time. i think they liked my dresses.

and finally, was tom selleck clean shaven? lol
-he was very handsome in a distinguished older man sort of way, and no, he had a mustache and goatee. :)

good questions, good questions... hope to have some more excited stuff to blog soon!

p.s. i will probably be in lots of shows as a background actor in the near future. as of right now, i'm doing this as my full time job, so, unless something else comes along, i'll do this for awhile. i'll definitely keep you all updated on here about what shows i do, and what interesting people i meet!

well...as most of you may already know, my big acting career has already started! well, ok, i'm a "background actor," (fancy for "extra) now. so soon, you might ask? why yes. lane and i went to central casting, a large background actor agency, on wednesday to register as a background actor. first of all, there were a ton of people there, just waiting in a line to turn in paperwork. i guess i didn't expect it to be that busy, but hey. so, once we dropped off our papers, we moved to another line, the line to have your picture taken for the agency database. we ended up chatting with one girl, who had been working as an extra for awhile, and learned a lot about background work. she told us some good and bad shows to work, how the food and pay is, etc. she did mention the show las vegas as being cold and mean. so...as we were waiting in line, madeleine, one of the casting directors came over to a couple other girls, and then to me and asked "do you want to work tomorrow?" and i'm thinking "of course i do!" so...i ended up booking myself for thursday and friday to work background. when i called the casting line that night...i discovered it was for las vegas, which made me a little uneasy, but still excited nonetheless.

so... the past two days have turned out to be awesome. it's by far my favorite job so far in my life! i mean, we've had two 12.5 hour days, but time actually passes so quickly because you meet (or, i've been fortunate enough to have met) some amazing people, who are creative, stimulating, artsty, hilarious, etc. that you literally hang around with ALL DAY, except for the times when you're filming scenes over and over again. i've been a casino patron both days, so i leave my house super early all dressed up in fancy going-out clothes and full hair and makeup! i bet i look so silly! then i feel so cool going to culver studios to work, go to wardrobe, and learning so much from just watching everything behind the scenes. :) i can't wait to do more work, and then to be a principle actor, eventually. speaking of principles, i work on set with tom selleck, josh duhamel, molly sims, etc. they actually kind of keep to themselves, and don't really talk to us. the women, besides molly, seem very eh catty, tom is very serious, and josh seems nice. but they're hardly ever on set until right when they're filming. we have to stand a lot longer, and they have stand-ins. the set is incredible. it's literally like being in a full-size casino. i think i heard it's a two million dollar set!! craziness! it has a full bar, coffee shop, casino area, hallway of stores, front lobby, etc. it's so cool, i wish you could all come see it! if i took pictures, i'd get fired, though!

i was definitely pleasantly surprised by working vegas. the crew was a lot friendlier than a few others had mentioned, and really having just fruits and snack foods for craft services (aka catering) was fine. we got a one hour walk away break for lunch, so that was nice. i think it was good to be on this set first, because i won't be used to being spoiled and then get let down. apparently other shows have three fully catered meals sometimes, with stuff like customized omelet chefs and steak and lobster entree choices! bring it on! i hear disney channel shows are the best, actually. so maybe this next week, i'll do a new show and have even more to write about.

holland, the third roomie, is coming to visit us this weekend, so i'm verrry excited! i haven't seen her since about eight grade (we went to elementary school together in KY), so we're due. i can't wait to show her around santa monica-i already feel like it's home to me. our house is still great, and we're getting the final piece, a fridge, tomorrow, too, i think.

please post comments of any questions you have about all the extra stuff...i'd love to make a post answering questions. there's much more to say, but it's hard to think of it all unless you ask! ok, well i will talk to you all soon! good night :)

so, i'm sorry these past couple of posts haven't been very wordy...i've just had more requests for pictures, and really more to show visually than to talk about anyway. so, to disclaimer these, i really don't think the pictures do the place justice. lane and i have had so much fun the past few days setting up and decorating our new place. it definitely already feels like home! all we need now is a refrigerator, which we will hopefully be getting in the next couple of days...shortly followed by a massive grocery store run, i'm sure.

today lane and i went to ikea, and then tomorrow the plan is to register with an extra casting agency! yay, my first small step towards starting the acting out here! i've been searching/applying for jobs, too, but nothing quite yet. please keep that in your prayers, as, especially out here, money is kind of a big deal!

ok, for the long awaited house pictures:

and here is a trash can that lane bought from a thrift store and covered with cute butterfly paper. you would not believe it was the same hiddeously ugly thing that she brought home!

here is a picture of our bathroom. very girly with pink tile, etc. but i thought mom especially would like to see it actually with a shower curtain...

and here is our bedroom. we're still ghetto with our beds on the floor, but eventually, there will be a bunk bed for two of us, and the other will just be a twin. also, we don't have curtains up, or really any decorations in here. it's functional!!

oo, exciting! our dining room/area. this is the table i found at a yard sale, and the blue chairs were from craigslist. i love them! and i got those stars at a yard sale, too. they really do have better yard sales and thrift stores out here--not that i have money to be spending, so don't worry! (that's for you mom and dad :))

here is a wall in our kitchen. lane had all these little art pieces, and so we made a collage...she's a collector of vintage thrift items, so you'll see a lot of those in the next few pictures...

here is a view in the living room of our big red couch, and you can see the hutch in the corner and a bit of our decorating...

this is our front door/entry area. notice all the hooks; lane had a lot of hooks collected!!! so we'll never be out of someplace to hang our jackets!

and, finally for now, here is another view in the living room, where you can see our bedroom door. it's a small place, but it's 7 blocks from the beach, and we love it already! if you look at the right side of this picture, too, you can see fabric (lane also collects vintage linens and textiles) that we nailed to the wall, which gives a really cool wallpaper look without having to paint or paper.


you'd be proud; we've been very thrifty, efficient, and manly, i might add--nailing up all our stuff ourselves! no, but it's been fun, and it makes it a lot less echo-y :) and much homier in the house.

also, a random tidbit from the day today: if anyone ever watched disney channel movies (i'm a nerd, ok, i know), but as we were leaving ikea today, we passed the guy who was the lead kid actor on the movie "smart house." anyone anyone? well, i was excited anyway! lol

ok, as always thanks for reading, keep in touch, and keep me in your prayers. goodnight!