Sunny With a Chance of Sleepy

Fabulous things...Saturday!!! So my whole weekend is fabulous because of filming for my SAG-E and for the big ol' cattle call for Batman 3. And so in that vein...

the showing I'm earning my vouchers on

and

Batman Rises!

Get excited for these fabulous things with me & tell me about your fabulous things for today chickens!! :D

Sunny (again) With a Chance of SAG Vouchers!!!!

Friends I am so excited that this Theatre Thursday gets to be about great news for my acting career!

I have some pals that I worked with on a show here in LA about a year and a half ago. They wrote & produced & starred in this amazing web series Keeping Up With the Downs. Well now I get to work with them on set & earn some SAG vouchers! HOORAY!

So basically to join SAG (or the Screen Actors Guild) you need to earn 3 vouchers (or Taft-Hartley) before you can join SAG. And this project will be putting me one step closer to that (then I'll just have to pay my initiation fee). The scoop on why this is AWESOME is that SAG actors get paid more (it's now a union job when you work) and are eligible for a lot more jobs than non-union actors. You can then also join ANY other acting union-so my AEA eligible can become AEA, I can join AFTRA, etc. which again means more job opportunities that pay more. Plus I guarantee that every single one of your "favorite actors" are part of one of the professional acting unions out there.

This is so very exciting my friends & I could not be happier as I feel like I am getting just that teensy bit closer to doing what I love as my job. One day soon I am hoping to say to the world (and on my taxes) that all I do professionally is ACT!! :)

Hope your Thursday is going just amazingly chickens!!! :D

Hot With a Chance of Sweaty!!

Hello my friends! Another installment of Good For The World Wednesday-HOORAY! Today, as suggested by my sweetie, we're going to talk homemade bread. Mmm, bread...*drool*

So here it is, making your own bread not only tastes DELICIOUS but it is also great for the planet and your wallet! Here's why it's amazing for the wallet:

1) buying the ingredients for bread is literally dirt cheap. It's all bulk items or water. Seriously-a bi ol' bag of flour runs $3-20. We just a bought a HUGE bag at Smart & Final for $.

2) the second most important ingredient is water. I'm pretty sure you all have a tap. And if you're very particular you have a brita (or similar brand) filter. Enjoy that y'all. Yay for water!!!

Here is why baking your own bread is good for the planet:

1) You are not buying useless plastic. You might not think that plastic or paper wrapped-loaf within a plastic bag is a big deal but it really adds up. And plastic bags like that take about 10-20 years to break down. Help mother nature out y'all!

2) You aren't buying something that was probably made many, many miles away that took quite a bit of fuel to ship it to your grocery store. Cut out all that needless waste!

Plus this is one of the easiest things in the world to make-promise!

Here is my honey's recipe for all things bread (including hot dog & hamburger buns!):

For 1 loaf, or 8 hamburger/hot dog buns
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tbsp earth balance buttery spread stick, cubed into 1/2 tbsp sizes.
-2 tsp dry yeast
-1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit)
-2 tsp sugar


Note: 2 tsp dry yeast is less than one package of yeast, which is 2.25 tsp. I doubt it makes any difference.

Combine water & sugar, then add yeast to proof for 5 minutes. A layer of foam should form, indicating the yeast is still active (alive that is!) Mix the remaining ingredients in food processor with dough blade attachment and pulse to incorporate the Earth Balance.

With machine running, slowly add water until the dough forms and peels away from the sides. Continue running to knead for 60 seconds. The dough should be slightly sticky still, but not unworkable.

Form into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and let proof in a warm, draft free spot for 60 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly oiled 9" bread pan and cover again. This is the bench proofing. Let the dough proof for another 45 minutes or so, until the top overtakes the top of the pan and begins to resemble a loaf of bread. Place into a pre-heated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for at least 30 minutes, until the bread is a light golden brown.

Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then it should come out with no problem! Set aside to cool for 30 minutes and enjoy!

Notes: I found the bread begins to be inedible due to staleness after 3 days, despite my best efforts to keep wrapped.

To make buns, simply portion and shape into 8 pieces after the first rise. Hotdog buns are about three times as long as they are wide and hamburger buns are round of course! Bench-proof on a parchment lined baking sheet, covered with a towel as before.

That is straight from Joe (I really made him type it-you can tell by his silly side remarks, he prefers me to call them his "witty rejoinders"-NERD!). ;)

Now enjoy this deliciousness out of your own kitchen-just be sure you want to eat it up pretty quick! Have a great Wednesday chickens! :D

Sunny With a Chance of Silent Movies...

So Sunday night I convinced Joe to sit down with me and watch Metropolis. It is a silent flick from 1927 based on the novel by Thea von Harbou (who also wrote the screenplay).



The film is about "a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences".





The theme that is constantly woven throughout the movie is that "There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator". This is played out through Freder, the son of the "brain" of Metropolis Joh Frederson. He experiences love at first sight when he see Maria bring up the children of the workers (the hands) of Metropolis to see their fellow brothers. This kicks Freder into his journey of discovery, not only of himself and love but of his father and the difference between classes. He finds his destiny along with Maria's help & love as the "heart" that joins the head & hands of Metropolis in the end.




Joe thought the movie was "meh" but for me it takes me back to high school where one of my favorite teachers used the film to show how the difference in classes has been portrayed not only through literature (it was an European Lit. class) but through film & art. I love the sets, costumes, use of make-up, the use of body language, everything that makes a Silent Film magic to me. It was a nice way to end my Sunday evening-Metropolis & Quinoa Puttanesca, what more can a vegan cinephile ask for?





Check out this epic classic listed as one of the 1,000 movies you must see before you die!

images courtesy this blog.

Mostly Sunny With a Chance of NAPS!

Colonel Mustard here! My weekend was full of naps and snuggles. Oh and loads of chasing my tennis ball & chewing on ice cubes & empty water bottles...







Well that was pretty much all I did all weekend. We were pretty sleepy around here-it was pretty great! Well have a good week everybody!

-Colonel Mustard


and...

Sunny (again? it's So Cal-get used to it!) With a Chance of FABULOUS!

FABULOUS THINGS FRIDAY!!!

The following is rocking my socks right now:

Colonel Mustard puppy-ness
Getting to work for and earn 3 SAG vouchers-YAY!!!
Joey making dinner & buying me a surprise Mexican coke
Yummy vegan hoison mustard tofu lettuce wraps
chatting with good friends
Frankenstand & their raising money for Benji
talking acting with good friends in the business
making myself let it go so I don't stress as much
LAUGHING!
planning a trip to visit friends in Vegas over Labor Day
snuggling & watching The Simpsons before bed
ceiling fans instead of the A.C.
dogs chewing ice
noon vodka cranberry sneaky cocktails
interviews where people are impressed by my skillzzz
and hanging out at home on a Friday with my boys!

Have a great weekend chickens! Hopefully there'll be LOADS to blog about next week :)

90 Degrees With a Chance of Shrek the Musical!

Y'all there has been some major theatre in my life this week! It has been AMAZING and just what the doctor ordered to relieve this stress from work & finances.

So last Monday (7/11/11) I saw my friend John Roy perform his new routine to be taped for Comedy Central at a local Hollywood bar. There were some HUGE comic peeps there (Maria Bamford & Steve Agee to name a couple). It was free, SO hilarious, and a huge stress reliever. Plus John was amazing (as always) and I was so proud to be there to support him!

Last Tuesday (7/12/11) my dear sister from another mister Heather Olt performed her cabaret show Believe it or Not, It's Just Me at the same local Hollywood bar. It was STUPENDOUS! She looked, sang, and wise-cracked magnificently. It was another fun stress-free night. Joe & I are so lucky to have such wonderful & super talented friends!!

This past Sunday (7/17/11) Joe and I went to an 11AM showing of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2...it. was. so. AWESOME. We had the movie theatre pretty much to ourselves to cuddle and sip root beer (best movie time ever) and the film was epic. Even Joe said it was one of his fave Harry flicks. Just an all around great way to start our sleepy Sunday morning!

Then Sunday night Heather took me to see Shrek! The Musical at the Pantages theater and it was so funny and cute and a wonderful break from life. They had great little shout outs to other big Broadway musicals and cute things from the movie but it had SO MUCH MORE! It was just wonderful and we followed the show up with $3 beers from Dillon's next door on Vine. Who could ask for a better date right?!

So my friends, do yourself (and your elevated stress levels if you're like me right now) and go take yourself to a good show (comedy, cabaret, movie, musical, play, whatever) with a friend or you boo and have a fantastical night (or morning) off from life! You deserve it! ;)

Take care chickens!

Sunny With a Chance of Pasta Salad

Good for the world Wednesday is here and I want to encourage all of you to eat locally and seasonally so I though I would share one of my favorite summer staples to eat in hot weather so that I am full but not over-heated by hot food. I give you my pasta salad recipe!

-1 lb. your favorite type & shape of pasta (I like rotini or farfalle wheat pasta for this)
-1-1 cucumbers peeled, sliced length wise, seeds scooped out, then cut into thin half moons.
-1 small red onion diced
-black olives sliced
-sliced green chilis
-1-3 carrots peeled & thinly sliced
-artichoke hearts
-handful of shredded green & purple cabbage
-salt & freshly ground pepper
-crushed red pepper flake
-basil, parsley, parika
-italian dressing (you can cheat and get store bought or make your own!)

cook the pasta in salted water, drain, let cool, toss into large mixing bowl. slice veggies up. toss all ingredients in the large bowl. allow to refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. EAT THAT UP!!!

It's so super quick and easy. You add whatever veggies you like that are local (we get ours from our local Hollywood Farmers Market) and in season for the summer. Bonus is that it is cold and filling. Plus it stores well and tastes great as left overs! Go and eat some "picnic" dinner as I like to call it! :D

Hot With a Chance of Sun!

I am a red-head not made for hot weather and boy is the temperature creeping up there in So Cal lately. Yikes! So in that train of thought I bring you TCM Tuesday starring:

SOME LIKE IT HOT



I love, Love, LOVE this movie. Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, and Billy Wilder-what more could you ask for in a comedy?!





The film is about two struggling male musicians (Curtis and Lemmon) who witness some gangsters pull off a hit at a garage and try to hide out from mob boss Spats Colombo to avoid the same fate in an all female band. Of course love and fun ensue along with a few cross-dressing classic scenes! All around just an amazing cast under the fantastic directorship of Billy Wilder.





This is one of the classics that I like to ease non-classic movie buffs in with because it has fun stuff for everyone. Comedy, sex, music, just all around the film is fantastic and one that I give 5 stars to. Check out a little preview:

The trailer!

Go grab some popcorn, curl up with your puppy or bf and enjoy!

Sunny With A Chance of Panting!

Colonel Mustard here! It is too hot in LA-I hate it! All I do is chew ice & pant. Just look what I did all last week & weekend:







Mom says she is sorry we didn't blog last week but it was a ruff week for her-I can't see why with all the walks and naps I took. Did you see me eating Snoopy up there?! I love tearing apart stuffies. Well I need to go chase my tennis ball. Have a good week!

-Colonel Mustard!

Sunny With a Chance of STRESS!!!!

So it is all sunshine here weather wise but I must confess I am STRESSED out right now. Money. We don't really like talk about it as people do we? It's kind of personal and really touchy. Well let me confess I am broke right now. Like uber broke. Eating beans & lentils cuz they're cheap-broke. Now I know we've all been there-I know I will get through it but it is just so damn tough right now & work is crazy stressful. My co-worker is leaving & there is a lot that needs to be done in our office (thus 2 people doing it) and I just feel like I cannot get it done by myself. So I am stressing about all the money & work stuff and still trying to audition & have a life and it is all just a lot on my plate as of right now.

But Alex it's supposed to be Fabulous Things Friday! Well here is what is making me feel a bit more light-hearted about all this stress:

Tighten Up by The Black Keys

Next Girl by The Black Keys

Howlin' For You by The Black Keys

Carnival Town by Norah Jones

F**k You by Cee Lo Green

No One's Gonna Love You by Band of Horses

Level by The Raconteurs

Old Enough by The Raconteurs feat. Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe

My Doorbell by The White Stripes

Conquest by The White Stripes

SNL Short: D**k In a Box

SNL Short: Motherlover

SNL Short: 3-Way (The Golden Rule)

Also season 4 of Dexter and Season 6 of Sex & the City. Basically anything that is amazing music or amazing tv = FABULOUS THINGS!!! :D

So take care chickens & try to de-stress too! ;) Have a great weekend!

Sunny With a Chance of Zombie Shakespeare!

I just watched that Simpsons with Zombie Shakespeare-too funny!

So for this Theatre Thursday I just had an audition to be a plus size model in a runway show!! It's pretty exciting-all proceeds go to building houses in Haiti which is amazing, it also is sponsored by apple-bottom jeans, forever 21, and a few other smaller designers. The down side is I don't get paid. Thus I'm torn.

I love doing anything for good causes but as a performer I am a professional and believe in our unions and get paid for the hard work we do. Plus things are really tight in the ol' bank account and mama needs some money!

I'm talking with some dear friends who are in the 'biz to get their opinions as well as my physical therapist as this would affect my back (high heels are NOT my back's friend). I'll keep you posted. The audition was fun & staying for the rehearsal after was fun & really informative. We'll see what I decide.

Still haven't heard about the VW 1920's commercial-this usually means you can assume you didn't get it. It's a bummer but I did have fun getting all gussied up so I', keeping positive on it all. I'll just keep on submitting until it happens. No fear friends! You'll be seeing me soon on your small screen (or maybe the nearest big screen)! ;)

Til then I'm going to keep up with writing my script & with submissions & audition! :D

Take care chickens!

Sunny With a Chance of Good for The World Wednesdays!!

Happy Hump Day Chickens! Here is to making the world a better place one day at a time. This first Wednesday I am going to start of easy by just saying ladies do yourself a favor and check out the following two books:

1) Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano.



It's a one stop shop for starting to green up your life while remaining the gorgeous gal that you are. It covers beauty products, cleaning products, food items, exercise, everything! Ms. Uliano not only lists all the bad non-green products you own but also the great green products to try & use. PLUS she lists a few tried and true home remedies you can make yourself with little muss or fuss. One of my fave beginner books to start greening up your life!

2) Clean Food by Terry Walters.



This book is perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike! It is all about keeping your food as close to the source (a.k.a. the place it grows) as possible. Stop consuming all that processed junk and start eating healthy, fresh, local, and organic foods! Eat plentifully but healthily. The recipes are super easy and super tasty-and a hit with every person I've tried them on. From my vegan tummy, to my boyfriend's 80% vegan & 20% omnivore tummy, to my parents' Midwest meat & potatoes & milk tummy's. The food is delightful, usually not that hard to find, divided into seasons (so you can eat locally people!), and usually is just what your tummy was craving! I definitely recommend this for anyone. :)

So get out there, get your read on, and start greening up your life & household! Your body, mind, and soul will thank you-and bonus points is that so will the planet!!! Enjoy your Wednesday! :D

Sunny with a Chance of hot hot hot!

It is a SCORCHER here in LA!! Summer has arrived and the weather is here to prove it! DAY-UM!

So in the spirit of the 4th our very 1st TCM Tuesday shall be featuring a little gem known as Yankee Doodle starring that old song and dance man...Jimmy Cagney! *insert sound of record skipping here* Jimmy Cagney a song and dance man? Yes folks! You heard it here first (maybe), our little gangster was indeed first a song and dance man!



It is an adorable musical about "composer/singer/dancer George M. Cohan". It stars a favorite of mine (Jimmy Cagney) as George. It's a delight to see him as a singing and dancing man rather than the usual gangster-he is so much more and I personally enjoy seeing him stretch his actor chops! The story follows George "From his early days as a child-star in his family's vaudeville show up to the time of his comeback at which he received a medal from the president for his special contributions to the US, this is the life- story of George M. Cohan, who produced, directed, wrote and starred in his own musical shows for which he composed his famous songs" and personally I love the heck out of it!



Plus Joan Leslie is adorable as Mary (his lady love). I just love everything about classic musicals and this movie has it all-big show stopper numbers, Jimmy talk singing the hell outta some great patriotic tunes, and lovely ladies in gorgeous classic clothes! Get yourself out there and start your trip into the classics with this little gem and let it help you keep that patriotic punch in week a little longer! :D



Have a fabulous day chickens!

Sunny With A Chance of Colonel Mustard Mondays!!!

Sorry for the delay-here is what Colonel Mustard was up to this weekend while Mom was sick in bed:































and here's my bf before his home haircut!




and after:



Have a happy (belated) Monday chickens!!!