Last Thursday my modeling job for Target had me working in Tustin (Orange County!) at 3:30 am.
The good news:
1)I LOVE working.
2)There’s no traffic at 2am.
3)I’m a night owl, just not a morning person.
4)Super nice client & crew.
5)I don’t have to show up at this Target every day at 3am, like the poor restocking & floor buffing crew.
6)They only shot me for one hour.

The bad news:
1) They shot everyone else early but shot me from 7am-8am.
2) I had to be in Santa Monica for a commercial callback, which meant driving from Orange County rush hour into LA rush hour.
3) My bloodshot eyes only got one hour of sleep (due to JCLA handbag obligations & the 3:30 am start)

To my rescue:
The makeup artist who…
1)Dropped some “illegal” (FDA unapproved) French blue eyedrops into my eyes, turning them as white as snow.
2) Gave me a fat burner pill that made it impossible for me to fall asleep!
3) Made me look human with her magic!

At 8:15 am. I’m wrapped from the shoot. I manage to stay awake through rush hour traffic.

I salivate over the hour nap I’m about to take in my car, as I park at my Santa Monica audition. Just then I get a call from my agent.
Agent: “Just making sure you know they changed the shoot dates. You must be available from the 27th-29th.”

This is a problem because… for the next 2 weeks a certain telecommunications company has had me on hold as a model.

A “hold” means that they are very interested in booking you, but they reserve the right not to to hire you, yet they want YOU to guarantee you’ll drop everything at a moments notice (while turning down more lucrative job opportunities) to be 100% available for all of tentative shoot dates- though you’re only guaranteed to work ONE of those days.
That’s the standard dictionary term anyways. ;P

My commercial agent tells me I can’t go to the callback if there is a chance I won’t be available for the shoot. What? There is no way I just suffered through 2 hours in traffic, and took a heart palpitating pill… NOT to go to my callback.

I call my modeling agent with the dilemma. She tells me she’ll get back to me. So I wait on pins and needles as the clock ticks closer to my callback time.

I console myself with the thought that even if I lose both job opportunities… I can at least get some sleep! My agent calls my cell phone as I’m lying half conscious in my car.

Modeling agent: “I spoke to the producer. You’ve been released.”

I’ve never been so happy to lose a job in my life!

I change clothes in the bathroom and rush in to my callback. I’m the first one in my category to go in. They ask me to portray the following emotions directly into the camera:

Making Plan. Anticipation. A Challenge. Confidence. Pride. Success.
No problemo!

Then they ask me to hold on my last emotion: Prideful confidence with a big smile. Hold, hold, hold… (for what feels like an eternity) as I start to feel…oh no…my face quivering. My body is not used to the fat burner pill the makeup artist gave me.

Quivering is NOT confident. Jittery- up all night- face is not happy or confident.

Grrrr, I blew it! Much ado about nothing. The session runner dismisses me with a perfunctory, “Thank you.” I exit into a room full of well rested women ready to book this job.

Fine I’m going home. I’m going to melt into bed. At least I made it all the way from OC without crashing…and I tried my best.
Just say no to drugs!

Fast forward: Me in my bed. Full on REM kicking in, when my cell phone blows up with that obnoxious “cha-ching” pinball machine ring which IDs an agent is calling.
Three voicemail messages, though this is the first time I’ve heard my phone ring at all.

Voicemail:
Casting Office: “The client needs you to email the casting director a photo of yourself with your hair pulled back ASAP.”

The next 2 messages were from my commercial agents reiterating the same command. One suggested I take a cell phone photo of myself right now. Uh, you don’t want a photo of me right now….

Yawn, ok I’m probably too late. The rest of the world is awake and working right now. Why would they need photos of me? I sucked.
I email the photos and eventually make it back to sleep. “Cha-ching, Cha-ching!!!” My cell phone rings.

Agent: Ok honey, you’re on avail.

“On avail” is pretty much like a “hold.” It’s the equivalent of that person you haven’t booted out of your life…yet, who makes plans with you but always cancels (via text) at the last minute. You might get lucky but don’t hold your breath.

Lo and behold, they book me the following day?!

I’ll be shooting a bank commercial next week! I’m a real business owner so I’m perfect for this spot, and the best part….my face will NOT be quivering the day of the shoot. No more fat burner pills for me! Ha ha.

Mission accomplished.

This bizarre booking is only to be rivaled by the time my agent called me on Xmas day to tell me I booked a JCPenney commercial that I never even auditioned for!

Expect the unexpected.

Hello world!
What’s new? Everything!
I’m a new woman!

The 4th of July sparked more than just fireworks for me. That day presented me with a life changing experience that made me reevaluate the things I do to please others.

It’s not appropriate to tell the story. So, looong story short, I found myself in a situation where martial arts would not save me. Well, physical martial arts could not save me. But Bruce’s words, “Be like water,” ran through my mind during the ordeal. Having run out of tactics and options, my only saving grace was that I had remained calm and focused. I closed my eyes and prayed to be spared. I vowed that if I could be released from this situation, I would always stand up for my needs, 100% firm.

Miraculously, my prayer was answered -big time! So here I am, Miss 100%. I’ve always thought of myself as a strong person…but I had an overactive empathy gland. Empathy is an invaluable asset to have as an actor and a philanthropist. However, as a human being with needs, too much empathy can allow unsavory situations, and people, to infiltrate.

With my new resolve to be true to myself, I feel so much lighter and energetic. I’ve been able to forgive and release infiltrators in a firm, but loving way. Since I’ve made these changes I’ve booked 2 jobs and been on hold for another in the last week. Equally as thrilling, the progress with my JCLA handbags has been unbelievable!

I am receiving (& giving) an abundance of love and support from friends, family…and even strangers. Life is truly beautiful! I wish I could bottle this feeling I have right now and share it with all of you.

This is me serving you a cocktail of strength, hope, passion, miracles, humor, creativity, power, and embracing your true self (shaken, not stirred!)

Cheers!

Hope everyone had a happy Father’s Day! I ordered my father’s day gift fourteen days in advance this year just to be on the safe side. The company decided to ship the assortment of trees and shrubs to ME instead. I spoke to customer service telling them they had sent the gift to the billing address instead of the shipping address. They confirmed my Dad’s correct address then proceeded to send the second shipment to my house again!?! Sigh.

Thank you everyone for the sweet birthday messages. Two of my Gemini girlfriends and I went to Vegas for a triple birthday celebration. Lots of Beach Bunny bikinis, dancing, limo rides, and all around questionable behavior- not by me of course. I’m a big nerd. My girlfriends are absolutely crazy, and I love them for it!

I returned to LA where my sweet friend Andrea threw a surprise party. Balloons, red velvet cupcakes, tons of laughter, and generous hearts. On the 17th, I started the day seeing some of my favorite people. I enjoyed an early hike and arrived home to find clues leading me to gifts hidden in my favorite spots in the garden. The day was rounded off with a go see (my godfather likes to call it a modeling “look see”) and a nice dinner. My friends & family went above and beyond in the creativity, generosity, and personal touch department. I’m truly blessed.

The day after my birthday I took my good friend (the present hider) to meet Amma for the first time. We received her blessing and had a great time meeting a variety of interesting people.

Today I had a callback for an acting job. We were asked to ad lib throughout the script which made it even more fun. I was given a new scene just before I walked in, but was told to focus on the original scene. When we got in the room, the director decided to concentrate on the new scene. In the past, this would have thrown me. But I trust myself more as an actor these days and don’t waste time worrying about how I’m going to do. In general I’ve realized how much easier it is to be like water (as Bruce Lee would say) and go with the flow.

And now….the deep thought of the day:

Like attracts like. By being courageous, loving, and forgiving you bring love, courage and forgiveness into your own life.

What do you need to attract into your life today? Be it.