What's worse than spraining your ankle?

How 'bout... spraining your ankle in NYC? The place where your main transportation is your legs, which are connected to your ankles... and feet.

Or how 'bout... spraining your ankle... in NYC... at an audition that you really care about?

Yeah, that happened. 

It's okay, though. It was a week ago now and the emotional trauma has somewhat subsided. :) And the physical trauma is gettin' better everyday! So... yeah. I sprained my ankle (and foot actually) at a dance callback last week. And it was probably the audition that I've been looking forward to most this season. But! What can ya do? I'm convinced that I'm just supposed to be here in the citay. Because if I booked this particular job, I would've been out of the city for 6 months. 

It was a silly thing, really. Not a difficult dance combination at all, but I slipped in my character shoes and hit the floor in front of everyone. It.was.amazing.I'm.sure. Then I hopped back up and pretended not to notice that the muscles in my leg and foot were spasming... And that I couldn't put weight on my left foot. Cuz that's what you do in an audition. You smile no matter what! So I went on to finish the audish and hated my life because it was stuff I can actually do! There was a whole tap combination that I would have nailed if I... ya know... didn't have a broken left foot. 

But again, let me reiterate: everything happens for a reason, right? ... Riiiight?!?! 

Now do you all feel bad for me? Cuz that was the purpose of this photo. 

Thank goodness for frozen veggies, advil, taxis, buses, trains and really nice friends and loved ones!

And the foot really is doing much better now. :) I can put weight on it and I'm almost back to my normal city speed-walking pace! ...Much to the chagrin of the spunky little girl I nanny. She was diggin' the fact that she could out-run me wherever we went. 

But nuttin' keeps this girl down for long! Bring on the rain, yo!

Out west... and back east

The other day when I told Brendan about the 'back-east' trip I went on with my family several years ago, he couldn't get over the fact that I called it that. A back-east trip. What of it? It's normal talk, right? Not for eastcoasters, apparently. And then I asked Brendan if he ever went on an 'out-west' trip. Apparently that's not a thing.

Well, as promised... here is a little re-cap of my 'out-west' trip that I took back in November. It was wonderful. Friends and family galore. 

I was lucky enough to be a soloist in the Zion's Youth Chorus & Symphony in the Smith Center in Vegas! It was an incredible experience. Definitely one of the most beautiful venues I have ever performed in. I am so glad they asked me to join them and I can't wait to go back next month to perform with them again! And also with the very talented Dallyn Bayles. Should be a good time!

Can you find me? Where's Debdo?

It was gorgeous backstage and I was especially lovin' my shwanky dressing room!

Action shot...

A little sneak peek of what my view was from the stage. I'm tellin' ya... this theater is incredible. It's where they put the Broadway tours that come through town.

And here's the ma and pa and I with Jeffrey, my voice teacher from the time I was just a wee 16 year old. I sure do owe a lot to that man!

Mommy dearest and I at home after the concert. I love going home to my parent's house. Definitely one of my favorite places. It's a toss up between that and... Harlem, of course. ;)

And would you just look at these 2 people with me? They are incredible. I love them so much and am so grateful for everything they have done and continue to do for me. They have always been my biggest fans on and off the stage... as they are for all of their kiddos... and I will forever be in their debt. 

My parents have been very exemplary eaters as of late and here's the proof... homemade pun'kin soup with a little salad and a temple roll. Delish! And totes healthy.

So after the Vegas performance, I hopped in one of my parent's cars and headed up to Provo! And here is a little re-cap of some of my adventures up there...

I got to see this little guy and his 3 brothers and 1 sister! Darren and Melissa have beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed chilluns. I loved living so close to them during my Utah days!

And here we have 2 of my friendly Provo neighbors, Seth and Steve. (Not pictured: Philip, who was ironically in NYC during most of my visit. Switcharoo!) Nothin' like a nightly chat and late night snack with the neighbs. Except for the times when Seth dumped a whole half gallon of ice cream down the sink just to prove that we could combat our sugar cravings. (True story. Still haven't forgiven him.)

Stacia... one of my besties. We had lunch together at Malawi's and caught up on the latest and greatest. She is one of those amazing friends who you can pick up with right where you left off. Love her to bitsies.

I enjoyed a Vocal Point concert with some of the fam! It was really fun to see Cousin Chase and Amberlyn and it's always a good time with Amanda and her cute boyf, Skylar. 

My old Provo roomies were kind enough to let me stay with them for the week. We had a blast. I only lived with them for about 3 months over the summer, but I LOVED my time with them. Such amazing girls. And always entertaining... here's the proof! Lori woke up with puffy eyes on Sunday morning and she said that someone had told her if you freeze spoons and then cover your eyes with them, then the puffiness goes away. Didn't work, in case you were wondering. 

The timing of my trip was perfect and I was able to be there for Lori's master recital! It was amazing and so fun to see her do her thang. Here we are after the recital... Lori, Katherine and Mariah. We were missing Ruth!

Again, missing Ruth, but we just had to do a photo shoot with all of us in red dresses! Yes, it was planned. Cuz we coo' like dat.

And of course we needed a pic with Lori's recital flowers! Duh.

I'm so glad I was able to spend the summer with these lovely ladies in South Provo. It was just what the doctor ordered for that specific time in my life. I loved my ward there and everyone around me... which made it pretty hard to move to NYC, believe it or not! But I love that I can go back and visit and still feel at home. It's amazing how things work out, right? Heavenly Father sure does watch out for us. 

And one last girl pic for your viewing pleasure. This time we added Jamie to the mix, who I love dearly!

I also have a lot of special friends in Pleasant Grove, of all places! I lived in a beautiful condo with Janae and Ashley for 2 years and it was a heaven send. It was the perfect thing for me as I got back on my feet after the crazy happenings of 2010. So... of course we had to have a reunion with all of our old friends out there! We all got together for a homemade Cafe Rio Sunday dinner and it was a hoot. All of our old neighbs were there, some of which were with their new wives, and it was so good to see everyone. These people will always be near and dear. Here I am with Natalie and Aly... I miss our girl chats! These two together are a riot. I love them!

And here I am with Janae and Ashley... aka... my sisters from other misters. But seriously. They are sisters to me. They both got married last Spring/Summer, which is why I made the move to Provo, but I probably would have lived with them forever if the hubsies would have allowed it. :) We have so much history together. Starting all the way back in our Freshman and Sophomore years at BYU. Oh, the mems...

I also spent a lot of time visiting my friends at Imagine Learning (my workplace for 2 1/2 years!) as well. Some of my closest friends now are people that I worked with there. I LOVED my time with them and it was definitely hard to leave that job, but alas... the citay was callin' my name. 

I got to see Nate and some of my Hale Centre Theatre friends as well! I even saw both casts of 'Oliver'. I love going back to the Hale. 

Okay, so after I party hardied it up in Utah, I drove back down to Vegas with Amanda for Thanksgiving! 

We laughed...

We cried...

Yes, that's what you think it is. Totes got pulled over just 30 minutes away from home. Ugh. And I wasn't even speeding! Got a ticket for "tailgating"... whaaaaat?? Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not much of a tailgater... much more of a speeder (Cover your ears, mom and dad), but what can ya do? It made for a good story. :)

And here are a few pics from the rest of the trip! Whew! You gettin' tired of reading this yet? This is a long post. Feel free to stand up and stretch yer legs now if you'd like.

We skyped Darla and her cute kids one morning. SO stinkin cute. I loved seeing their faces up there on the big screen.

Amanda and I accompanied our amazing momiondo to her exercise class one morning. It is a class specifically for senior citizens and we just HAD to snap a pic. Not to show off our own hot bods, but to capture Roger in action. (Roger is behind us in... yes... the purple button-up) He was the star student and was so ready to go. At 9 am sharp he yelled, "Jerry, it's 9 o'clock!" So amazing. And yes, you guessed it... my mom put us all to shame. She's a rockstar!

And here is her rockstar hubbie! Rockin that plastic eye wear. My dad is the ultimate handy man and is always working on some sort of project around the house. A man of many talents.

Thai food with Grandma May! Does life get any better???

Grandma May and I in her adorable condo. I love my visits with her. She is a whoppin' 95 years old and is still the sharpest crayon in the box. I'm lucky to have her home in Henderson now. She and my Grandpa May lived in Denver for all my childhood. But we went on some amazing trips as little girls and got to spend time with them every summer. 

Turkey time! We were joined by grandma, Aunt Susan, friends from the ward, Cousin Jeff and his roomie. Such a fun bunch!

Oh ya know... just Vanna White-ing it with the pies. 

This is the view of the strip from my parent's neighborhood. Beautiful, eh?  

And what's Thanksgiving Day without a good movie and a good game of black jack?? We saw Wreck-It Ralph togeths and actually decided to forego the gambling this time around. 

All in all, it was an amazing trip back home and I can't believe I get to go back for another 2 weeks in just one month! Woooooeeee! 

And if you read this whole thing... props to you. :)

Brrrrrr... it's cold out heeeeeeere!

Still just pluggin' along, folks. The weather was SUPES cold last week. I thought I was going to die. I mean, Utah was cold, but I didn't have to walk everywhere outside. So... winter in the citay is a little bit more difficult, I'd say. BUT thanks to my moms and pops, I got me a nice warm coat for Christmas! I absolutely love it. And it has a built-in seatbelt, which is so convenient on the train...

In other news, Peter and the Star Catcher and Evita are both now closed! They went out with style and I was lucky enough to attend the Evita closing night party with my coworkers. It was divine. All the fried mac 'n cheese, pigs in a blanket and shirley temples a mormon girl could want. 

The merchandise company that I work for won't have new shows opening until March... so... I got me another job! I am now officially a nanny for a cute little miss thang. She is 6 years old and full of spunk! I babysit her most the time, but we occasionally get to have her cute friend tag along as well. I've been experiencing a little bit of what moms in the city do during the day. And all I have to say is... cray to the cray. I pick the girls up from school and then we drive all around town. Piano lessons, library trips, dance class... you name it! It's been a lot of fun and it hasn't conflicted with auditions too much yet. Knock on wood. 

Speaking of auditions... woof. It is rough! But I did have an awesome experience in a master class last week. I signed up for my friend Rance's class and I am SO glad I did it. I got one-on-one time with 3 different casting directors and it was just what the doctor ordered. It was amazing to perform again and get feedback. It definitely gave me the little boost that I was needing to get through this audition season. It became even more clear to me how much of this business is all about who ya know. Seriously, people. Network, network, network...

Anyway - it was a great group of people in the class. Here is a pic of Rance and 4 of his top notch students... :). Me, Nicole, Liz and Chelsea.

So... life is still good! I still have more I need to catch up on. SO much happens around here, I tell you! Carolyn and I had fun on Saturday. We performed at our stake relief society program/talent show. We did a scene and song from Guys and Dolls called 'Marry the Man Today'. It was the perfect song choice for the singles ward representatives. :) Also... I went ice skating in central park with my ward on Friday night. It was a rip-roarin time. And here we is... Chelsea, Carolyn and me.

Alright, peace out, yo. There are more uppy-dates comin' yer way! And that's a promise!!!

And... we're back!

So... it's been awhile. I 'pologize. There's been a lot that's been goin on here in the citay. Christmas, New Year's, auditions, work, dancin' in da club... you name it. And I still need to post about my amazing trip home back in November! Woooeeee! 

But for now, I just want to check in and say that I'm still alive. Alive and well. I mean... sure, I may have had a few post-holiday blues lately, but I am still a happy girl. I maybe went to 3 different auditions a week ago and didn't get in to any (due to my non-equity status and the millions of actors here who are trying to be rich and famous--- well, maybe just the famous part)... but guess what... it is a toasty 50 degrees outside right now and that makes me a happy girl. I was walking back to work with Brendan after a Shmackary's break last night and it felt like a warm day in July! Yessssss. By the way, ever heard of a maple bacon cookie? Well that's what Shmackary's has to offer. That and a million other delish cookie flavoriondos. That also makes me a happy girl. 

There are lots of things to be happy about. Never in a million years would I have thought that I'd be doin what I'm doin right now. Never. Yes, there are hard moments, but I definitely have no regrets about moving to the big NYC. I know that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now. I remember coming to Manhattan with my colleagues back in April of 2009 for our senior showcase performance, and at the time I had no intention of moving to New York to pursue an acting career. I was in a very different place with a very different future in mind, but life doesn't always turn out the way we expect it to, does it? :) So here I am! And I am just baffled by all the blessings and good people I have around me. 

HAPPY GIRL!!!

Oh, and then there's this guy who I get to live with. His name is Rafael and he is very good at breast stroke, rock climbing, diving and yoga. When not swimming laps in his pool, Raffey (as I like to call him) will climb up his rock and demonstrate a myriad of yoga positions. Then, when he needs a little cool down, he'll just swan dive off his rock (Pocahontas style, of course) with hardly a splash. Man, I love this guy.

Whistle while you worky work...

Some of you have asked about my job out here in the cit-tay. So... here you go! A blog dedicated to my jobby job! 

It's really quite glamorous. I get to sell T-shirts, mugs, hats and anything else your little heart desires at 2 broadway shows! Evita and Peter and the Star Catcher. It's just a little part-time gig that I do at nights and during an occasional matinee, but it really has been such a blessing. An old BYU friend of mine works for this merchandise company and he reached out to me before I even got to the city and offered me the job! I am even more amazed by that now that I've been here and I see how coveted my job really is. The waiting list is a mile long... no joke. It's just the ideal dealio if you are looking for something consistent and easy. Oh... yeah... and if you like to make loads and loads of money... it's really good for that too... joke.

Another perk to the job is the people I get to work with! Top notch. I have made some really good friends and have reconnected with old ones. Such a blessin'.

Don't cry for me, Argentina. Here I am showin' a little leg at the Marquis theater. Did you know that Ricky Martin is starring in Evita?! You better believe it. And you better believe that the shirt I'm wearing says 'Livin' EVITA loca'. Get it? ... Get it? Oh - so clever. I love that I get to watch fans swoon over Ricky shakin' his bon bon every night. 

And here I am workin' it at Peter and the Star Catcher. Never heard of it? I'm SO sorry. This show is incredible. Whenever someone asks me what they should see on Broadway, I always tell them about this little ditty. It is brilliant and witty and oh, so charming.

Here's the small booth at Peter. Good lookin' merchandise, eh?

My big brotha, Darren, came into town a couple weeks ago for a work trip and he visited me at my work! He even got to see Evita for FREE. That's what happens when you know big deals like me.  It was so fun to have him in NYC for a couple days. We enjoyed some yummy Thai food, the Shake Shack, Crumbs bakery and a little visit to Uncle Paul and Aunt Jan's house. He is my favorite brother by far... and... also my only brother. :)

A few favorite work memories so far:

1) The handstand contest between Brendan and Max

2) Hunting for "the tranny" in the audience with Nicole

3) The time the 2 patrons asked me to tell them what "the milkshake" line was in the show because they somehow missed it. To which I recited: 'your milkshake brings all the boys to the yard'. Great moment.

4) Out-selling Brendan as often as I can. He doesn't stand a chance.

5) Playing skipbo.

6) Grabbin some grub all together in between the matinee and evening shows.

7) The time the 2 gay men were gawking at my hair and asking if it was a weave.

8) The times that people ask me if I'm in the show or if I'm an actress. Love it. Just means I still got it, folks. :)

I'm so grateful for the tiny little things that seem to fall into place as long as I move my feet forward. This little job has been an awesome starting place that has allowed me to audition during the day. We'll see what the future brings! One of the ushers at Evita told me that Jennifer Lopez got her start selling merchandise for Phantom of the Opera. So... I'm basically the next J-Lo. Look out, world!

I have also signed on with a temp agency and am currently interviewing for a potential nanny job starting in January, so other glamorous jobs are in the works! What up. 

Ya know... I was talkin' with Abby and Nicole today about our crazy lives and I told them about a mini discovery I had the other day: I was thinkin about the future and starting to get all anxious and worried, but then I just thought, "Calm down, honey child (cuz that's what I call myself). This experience is not going to last forever. Someday you will have stability in one way or another and you will wish you were back in Harlem taking risks and following your dreams." And it's true. I need to be better about living in the here and now and enjoying it every step of the way. 

Peace out, yo. I love you all!

October. It's already over? ...Whoopsie.

And soon November will be over as well. Whaaaaaat?! Where has the time gone? So, I've got about 50 million pictures to show you all. Most of these pictures are from October and are long overdue, but better late than never. Hold on to your hats, folks... here we go!

Nate came into town from Utah for a  visit and we got to do quite a few fun things while he was here. Here we are with Nikki, a friend from BYU, after she performed in Bring It On the Musical! It was a really fun show... If you are a teeny bopper at heart (like me), you would totes love it. The lead in the show, also Nikki's roomie, is in the picture as well and Liliya, another friend from Utah, is on the far right.

Nikki gave us a backstage tour after the show! It was really fun to see what behind-the-scenes Broadway is all about... not too different from non-Broadway behind-the-scenes, but still. :) Nikki was great in the show. It was so fun to see one of my friends on a Broadway stage!

Liliya was only in town for a day, so we made the most of it! The 3 musketeers ventured out in the pouring rain cuz nothin' was gonna stop us from crossin' that Brooklyn Bridge!

Just waitin' fer the subway... enjoying the dry ground!

Liliya took Nate and I out to Brighton Beach where Little Russia is! It was awesome. Liliya is originally from Ukraine, so she gave us a little rundown on what her country is all about.

Lunch at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn! Yummy yum yummers!

Liliya showed us all the cool things in Little Russia... including this store with anything and everything Russian! It was so fun to watch her browse around... she was in heaven. :)

And then she took us to a food market where I found this. Do you know what that is??? Cow tongue, ladies and gentleman.  Woof.

And since we're on the topic of other countries and weirdee foods, here are a few pics from China town in Brooklyn. My BYU friend Kevin was in town for a few days, so Nate, Nicole and I joined him on a little adventure where we saw lots of Chinese people...

Did some window shopping...

And ate some yummy soup! 

Nate and I went to the 9/11 memorial one afternoon. It was a beautiful exhibit and so surreal to be there. 

A group of us walked the Highline one afternoon. Marty, Nate, Brendan, Jeff and Nicole.

This is us watching Troll 2. Please tell me you have seen it. But on second thought, you're better off if you haven't. Best worst Halloween movie of all time. Like fur rillsies. Ryan, Nicole, Abby, Jeff, Stephan, Rachel, Brendan and Carolyn.

Meet Nick. This is us taking a stroll through Central Park one afternoon. It's fun spending time with Nick cuz people always stop and ask if he's Tom Cruise or Christian Bale. He gets both on a regular basis.

This was after our Highline walk. Some other friendsies joined us for lunch at Max Brenner. DELISH! Brendan, Nate, Marty, Carolyn, Kevin, Jeff, Nicole and Abby.

Brendan and I went on a sushi adventure togeths! Have you ever tried to bite a piece of sushi in half instead of just putting the whole thing in your mouth? Epic fail. But very entertaining!

Mmmmm... look at them fishies! 

Nate and I saw our friends Becca and Autumn one night! Becca and I went to BYU together. She's a rockstar. We ate thai food (my fave) and good times were had by all.

Here is a group of us NYC kids just chillin' at a party. Steve, Kristy, Ryan, Abby and Nick!

Nothin' like a little late night Indian food. Ryan, Abby and Darold!

Here's Ryan, a fellow Las Vegas native, and I.  Just enjoyin' some Chipotle! A little taste of somethin' from home is always nice. Meaning the burrito... not the boy.

Here's Stephan just chillin' before we watched Bernie. Ever seen that movie? So interesting. But you get to see Jack Black do a rendition of '76 Trombones' from The Music Man that is just to die for! Right, Shelly? :)

It ain't Fall without some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Here's Vanna White-- I mean, Abby! 

And here we have the old me. The me before I joined the gym and vowed to never eat sweets past 10 pm again. 

But can you blame me? Pretzels with nutella and cookie butter (It's a Trader Joe's thing) is the next best thing next to mac & cheese.

The view from my roof in Harlem! 

I've had a couple little opportunities to perform here in the city over the past couple months. Nikki, the one in Bring It On, asked Shayla (another BYU friend) and I to be her backup singers in a little concert that she did. We rocked 'I Need a Hero' from Footloose. It was a fun experience and Laura Osnes, my Broadway idol, was in the audience! Big deal right here.

And here I am singin' in a little cabaret show a while ago. Funny story: when I threw my heels in my bag to go to the show, I accidentally put only one heel in and didn't realize it 'till I got to the theater! Luckily, my homegirl Nicole had me covered. She let me wear her bootsies. Lifesaver! 

And lastly, just a couple Harlem gems for you:

So, I asked our super named Perry to come over and fix our cabinet because the front of it completely fell off the other day. And... this is how he fixed it. 

Upside down. Really?! ... whatevs. That's how we do in Hawlum.

And this little vid was taken a few weeks ago on my way home from an audition. It was just too good not to share...

Favorite parts of the vid: 

1) It takes me 30 minutes to get the camera in focus

2) Homeboy is jammin' away and then BAM! He looks straight at me. Awksies...

3) The other people on the subway are obviously very enthralled with his performance.

I love what I get to see and experience every day here. Never a dull moment in the city... never. Well... and with that... I bid you farewell. Peace and Blessings!!!