Hope Ever

i love my job

2009-11-06T15:19:00.002-05:00

i got this email from a mom today:

*name has been changed for hipaa laws*

Mellie- We have seen such improvements in "Elliot'"s language skills and cannot thank you enough for all your work with him and the recommendations you have made to us to support his growth.

I have been meaning to email you to tell you a sweet story about Elliot. He always asks me on the days that he goes to preschool if "Miss Mellie is coming to see" him. One Wed. night when we were getting ready to say our prayers, Elliot asked me if you were coming to see him the next day at school. I reminded him that you had just seen him that day at school and that you'd see him the next week. When we thanked God for our teachers, Elliot started naming his teachers at preschool and then said, "Miss Mellie!" I said afterward, "You really like Miss Mellie, don't you," and Elliot said, "She's my friend!" You have truly been a special person in Elliot's life.

AWWWWWWWWWWW. made my day <3 <3 <3
Whatever job you have, do it for the glory of God.

now let's catch up

2009-10-17T11:16:00.009-04:00

- I did get approved to buy a house so sometime before my lease runs out in January I'll hopefully be a home owner.

- Got my 1st screen credit from working in the accounting department of the movie Gospel Hill : )

- Went to my Dreher High School reunion & had a blaaast seeing people & catching up. Everyone looked so great & seemed to be doing well. Looking forward to the next one already!

- I'm finally feeling better from the surgery/complications stuff from the summer. Still have a little ways to go before I'm back to 100%, but I'm praying for a full recovery. Things were crazy there for a while- I had 9 tubes of blood drawn to check for coagular disorders, appts. with vascular surgeons, more ultrasounds of my legs done, etc. Blah.

- Went on a cruise to the Bahamas & had the best time ever...so relaxing yet fun & exciting (ate like nobody's business, drank tropical drinks listening to steel drum bands, snorkeled with sting rays, fishies, & jellyfish (um, yikes- imagine me screaming thru my snorkel tube & kicking my fins like a mad woman), karaoke'd (what's new), had dance parties, hung out with pirates, made new friends, won 3rd place in a "scavenger hunt" out of 28 teams, saw comedians, jugglers, & a vegas style show, etc.)

- Work is going awesome. I had a good performance review and went home with a raise.

- Volunteered at the Babcock Center Fall Dance & loved every second of it.

- My LifeGroup is awesome. Period.

- Got free random VIP to the Blink 182 show in Charlotte. Got in the Verizon Wireless for free thru the VIP entrance & then escorted through all the security to the pit. Had an absolute blast.

- Hung out with one of my BFFs Patrick & Needtobreathe in Charlotte.

- Saw giant dinosaurs & lovedddd it at the Colonial Center's Walking With Dinosaurs.

- Made it to a few USC football games

- Celebrated my grandmother's 85th birthday and thanked God for the most incredible family on planet Earth!

Next up:
Hitting up the fair Monday night for craziness
All The Missing Pieces movie premieres in Greer & Columbia
MJ skating party (details coming soon, so get excited)
New headshots delivered to my agent
Watching my girl Katie from HSM2 in Sleepy Hollow
Michael Jackson movie This Is It
Homeless for the Homeless
Brand New
Taking Back Sunday, Anberlin

Life is amazing. Thanks for all of it, God- the good, the bad, the tough, the exciting. You're everything.

All For One

2009-10-17T10:32:00.010-04:00

I also said I'd blog about HSM2 with some pictures, so, again, here we go:

Being a part of the show this summer was truly an experience I'll never forget. I made so many new friends, gained confidence in being on stage (I mean it'd been yeeears), grew as a performer, & had the time of my life.

I want to thank everyone who came out to support me, the show, & local theater. We sold out almost every show & got held over for an extra week. It was wonderful to see my lifegroup, some of my church family, & my blood family out in the audience. It truly meant so much, so thanks : )

Here are some photos from our journey:

Such fun!! I was asked to audition for Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and I said "What you tryin to say!?" haha. I passed on that one, but I would definitely like to do more community theater in the future. HSM3 or Hairspray would be amazing. We'll see what's next...

Pride

2009-10-17T10:22:00.002-04:00

I said I'd blog some of the notes from the Pride study and I'm a woman of my word, so even though it's months later, here it is:

CULTIVATING HUMILITY

PRIDE is: contending with God for supremacy. With pride, there’s no room for God to be everything.

Pride is
1) Satanic (it’s the root of every sin & flaw that we have)
2) Competitive (at its core, it’s rivalry because it wants ME to be central & have the attention, not you)
3) Atheistic (you act like there’s not a God infinitely superior to you)

God’s view of pride: Job 25:2-6
Proverbs 6:16-17
Proverbs 16:5
1 Peter 5:5-6
Daniel 4:28-33, 37

****************** EXAMPLES OF PRIDE******************

1. If you’re caught up in a secret sin & concerned with how people would view you

2. Marriage conflicts (thinking “there’s no way my spouse is right in this”)

3. Unresolved conflict (you don’t want to humble yourself to whom the conflict is with)

4. Can you deeply rejoice when God provides & blesses someone when your needs are far greater?

5. Do you have to bring conversation back to you all the time? Have a story for everything? One up everyone?

6. Your 1st reaction to being corrected is to defend yourself or correct the person speaking/ Can you take correction with no resentment in your heart?

7. Complaining (you’re saying “that’s not good enough for me”)

8. At work do more of your thoughts go to how frustrating or stressful your job is or how blessed you are to have it?

9. If you’re prayerless (you believe you’re self-sufficient)

10. If you’re bitter (you’ve put your pain ahead of God’s command to forgive)

11. If you have low self-esteem (you’ve squeezed out God’s voice & you’re listening to YOUR opinion over GOD’S opinion)

12. You have an anger/temper problem (how dare you do that to ME? mentality)

13. Are you easily annoyed? (I’m better than this)

14. You’re angry at God (Who are you, God, to have arranged my life like this?)

15. You’re a quick crier (you like sympathy, hugs, attention- very needy- me me me)

16. If you need help & won’t admit it

17. Pride wearing “humility camo” (saying “I hate my hair” just so someone will say “No, it’s beautiful” – seeking complements)

18. Comparison pride (you think you’re prettier, smarter, etc.

19. Spiritual pride (holier than thou attitude)

HOW JESUS DEALT WITH PRIDE:

Mark 9:33-35
Mark 10:35-27, 41-45

INTENTIONAL PURSUIT OF HUMILITY

Phil 2:1-10
Humility: emptying myself so that God may be all/ Having a high view of who Jesus is so that it puts you in your place.

“The truth is this, Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you…” Andrew Murray, Humility

The Daily Battle of Purposefully Applying Truth (Morning Practices)

1)Reflect on the wonder of the cross of Christ
“How can anyone be arrogant when he stands beside the cross?” C.J. Mahaney
Col. 1:13-22
Col. 2:13-14
2 Cor. 5:21
1 John 4:9-10

2)Begin the day by acknowledging your need for God
Rom. 14:23
Rom. 8:5-13
Gal. 2:20

3)Express gratitude to God
James 1:17
1 Cor. 10:10

4)Practice Spiritual Disciplines
(ex. serving, fasting, worship, reading Bible, prayer)
1 Tim. 4:7

5)Cast your cares upon Him
Matt. 6:25-33
Phil 4:6
1 Peter 5:5-7

PRIDE IS THE ROOT OF ANXIETY:
Pride is self-sufficiency and self-reliance (Deut. 8:11-17)
Pride takes credit for what God alone does (Daniel 4:28-35)
Pride refuses to trust in God or is just anxious about the future (Prov. 28:25)

Times of Special Focus:
1)Study the attributes of God (Isaiah 40:9-33)

2)Study the gospel (Eph. 2:1-10, 1 Cor. 1:29)

3)Study the doctrine of sin…sin kills, steals, & destroys…
(Heb. 3:13, John 10:10, 1 Peter 2:11)

The Ladd's

2009-09-28T21:14:00.003-04:00

Some of my very best friends, Gray & Leigh Ladd are adopting a precious baby girl from Africa. Be a part of bringing her home by participating in their giveaway.

THE LADD'S GIVEAWAY

preach

2009-08-15T10:01:00.002-04:00

"You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." John 19:11

Nothing that is part of God's will is allowed to come into the life of someone who trusts & obeys Him. This truth should be enough to make our life one of ceaseless thanksgiving & joy, because God's will is the most hopeful, pleasant, and glorious thing in the world. It is the continuous working of His omnipotent power for our benefit, with nothing to prevent it, if we remain surrenered and believing.

Someone who was passing through the deep water of affliction wrote a friend:
Isn't it glorious to know that no matter how unjust something may be, even when it seems to have come from satan himself, by the time it reaches us it is God's will for us and will ultimately work to our good?

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Rom. 8:28). Think of what Christ said even as He was betrayed: "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" (John 18:11).

We live fascinating lives if we are living in the center of God's will. All the attacks that satan hurls at us through the sins of others are not only powerless to harm us, but are transformed into blessings along the way.

-Hannah Whitall Smith

I'm such a racist...and randommmm

2009-08-14T11:44:00.007-04:00

1. How could I dislike white milk so much, but love me some chocolate milk like nobody's business?
Am I a racist? ha.

2. I think I'm getting approved this weeked to buy a house. Um, that's crazy talk!

3. Does anyone else laugh when you hear Drake's song "Best I Ever Had" because all you can think about is him being the wheelchair kid on Degrassi? lol.

4. I love the show Criminal Minds so much!

5. I learned beaucoups about pride & humility last weekend & I can't wait to write a blog about it soon!

OK, that's all the randomness I have time for right now because I'm off to lunch with the Sharpettes!!

Don't worry I'm still gonna blog about HSM2 and stuff soon. Til then...Happy Friday! Be blessed today! Much love <3

just for now...

2009-08-06T09:08:00.004-04:00

i have so much to reminisce about, but only time to post a few videos now...

Wrap party talent show videos:

"Crank Dat Bobby Craft"
Bobby Craft was our awesome bedazzling dew rag wearing stage manager for HSM2 who loved to attack us for using cell phones, not getting the set changes right, being late, not prepping our costume changes, etc. He was really a softie at heart, though. The guys created a song for good ole Bobby & boy was it a hit.

"MJ Tribute"
Some random girl named Mellie Boozer decided to sing a tribute to Michael Jackson. This pitchy struggle of a song was rough, but after 21 shows in a row of singing as loud as possible for 2 hours a night, I'm ok with that.

"Fabulous...Like You've Never Seen it Before"
Some of the guys decided it would be fun to put on our Sharpay & Sharpette outfits & do Fabulous. Holy Moley is all I have to say about that. Raime & I were peeing our pants.

Getcha Head In The GAme
The girls decided to learn the dance from last year's HSM1. I learned this junk in 2 hours. I think we pulled it off for the most part. Go girls!

GETCHA HEAD IN THE GAME _______________________________________________________________________________

Not from the wrap party, but yet another video-
"All The Missing Pieces Teaser Trailer"
Matt Aughtry's latest short film looks SOOOOOOO good <3

All The Missing Pieces-Teaser Trailer from William Aughtry on Vimeo.

after the show...

2009-07-20T18:06:00.003-04:00

6 year old little boy: can i have your autograph?

me: sure!! did you like the show?

him: yeah, it was great.

[runs off. 5 minutes later...]

same 6 year old little boy: can i have your autograph?

me: i think i already signed your program? yep, there's my name.

him: will you sign another page?

me: oh sure, show me where.

[runs off. 3 minutes later...]

same 6 year old little boy: can i get your autograph?

me: again?? i already signed it 2 times, but ok.

his older sister "jess": YOU WERE HIS FAVORITE, BLOSSOM!

him: JESSSS!!!!! i'm gonna kill you!!!!

[growls at his sister & chases her off. don't see him again]

me: bahahahaha

castmate: you cougar

one less

2009-07-13T21:36:00.002-04:00

My dear friends Gray & Leigh Ladd were married a little over a year ago. God has put it on their hearts to adopt a baby girl from Ethiopia & I've been praying for them in this process. Every day they get a little closer & I couldn't be more thrilled to see them living out the Word.

Here is a video Leigh posted on her blog today- I know seeing this family bring their baby home got them so excited about what's to come. Check it out:

the music in me

2009-07-08T23:19:00.003-04:00

tonight a precious little girl with cancer came to watch our dress rehearsal of high school musical 2. she has a tumor pressing on her optic nerve so she can't see well and sat in the very front row. wearing a pink shirt & sporting only a few hairs on her little head she literally had the time of her life. i tried to look down & watch her when i could and saw her singing along with every song, taking pictures with her hot pink camera every 2 seconds, and laughing & bopping in her seat throughout the night.

THAT is why i did this musical...for her & for all the kids that get so much joy out of something that seems so cheesy to us. in the last number a bunch of us run out into the crowd & sing & dance for a minute. of course i went right over to her & she jumped out of her seat so fast to dance with us it wasn't even funny. i literally almost started crying- i had to stop singing & just mouth the words bc i couldn't handle it. what a great gift for me.

here's to doing anything & everything possible to bring joy to all we meet <3 thanks, Jesus, for the gift of love.

bat for lashes

2009-07-05T17:03:00.001-04:00

favorite cover of the moment...

longing

2009-06-27T12:55:00.002-04:00

tears, physical pain, emotional pain, loss, let-downs, death, greed, adulturery, suffering, heartbreak, SIN. i don't know about you, but i'm not a fan of any of those.

thank God this place is not our permanent home! this has been a tough week for me. there has been a lot of physical pain from surgery complications, emotional pain with the calendar reminder of the loss of my grandfather as well as friends' sicknesses, not to mention the talk of death everytime i turned around. yes, i'm aware that people die every single day, but when every tv station & everyone i know is talking about death at the same time, somehow it's tough to not think about.

how exciting is it that as christians, this isn't where it ends for us. we have such a hope & i truly long for the day to be with my Savior in a place where there are no tears, suffering, death, etc etc. i’m so excited to be in heaven one day where i won’t experience any of that ever again- what hope!

until then, though, we have to remember just how fleeting this life is and get to work reaching who we can. no, it's not the end of the world because michael jackson died or my grandfather died or a child in Africa who I will never hear of died, but boy does it make me want to reach who i can and long for the day of no more tears. thank you Jesus for that wonderful promise. so when is the rapture? i don't know, but i'm sure excited.

under the knife

2009-06-22T16:06:00.003-04:00

i've always been pretty healthy. i mean, i'll get a cold occasionally when seasons change too fast, but for the most part i rarely see the doctor. i've had my wisdom teeth taken out, but that's the extent of my surgeries. you can imagine when i started having random pain in my lower right abdomen i chalked it up to a pulled muscle from working out or dance rehearsal.

when the pain worstened & spread all the way up under my ribcage on the right side i thought i should maybe head to the doctor. one thing you probably know about me - i HATE doctor's visits, needles, shots, etc etc. i mean, hate. the fact that i decided i needed to go to the doctor was a big deal in itself. my mom was like, dang, it must be bad pain for you to actually want to make an appointment.

i finally got worked in to see the GYN bc my regular doctor couldn't see me til 4 days later. they took my blood pressure, said it was low, & then did an ultrasound. the lady said all chipper "no wonder you're in pain, sweetie. you're little tummy is tiny & you have a 7cm ovarian cyst taking over in there." um, gross/yikes/whattheheck/etc.

after asking a billion questions, i was told that those are actually pretty normal/frequent for women & lots of times run in the family. (thanks, mom) haha. my mom & aunts have all had them, so that's probably what happened to me. it happens to women of various ages- lots of times if you take birth control that helps keep them from forming, but since i've never had a reason to take that stuff, well, yep. here i am.

surgery was scheduled for 4 days later. fastforward: surgery went super well. i forced the anesthesiologist to numb my hand with lidocane before giving me my iv. haha. they totally did so it wasn't too bad. i didn't get any nausea or anything. mom took a HILARIOUS video of me coming out of surgery. i have crazy eyes, but i'm totally smiling & saying hey like nothing happened. it's great. i headed home & began the recovery process.

things were going well until about wednesday. i noticed some swelling & pain near my belly button (incision site). the doctor worked me in & said that i may have a hernia. she sent me over for an emergency catscan. that junk is not fun. you have to drink a bunch of this NASTY "lemonade" yeah right radioactive doo doo juice & THEN they told me i had to get another iv. there was no one to give me lidocane this time so i literally almost cried in the ladies face. ok, i did. i cried. i can't help it!! it's my worst fear & my vagal nerve goes crazy & makes me panic & pass out.

miraculously i survived & we got a call that evening that the catscan was normal. i didn't have a hernia, but i did have a hematoma (aka pretty bad blood clot) by the incision site. i'm still in pain, not working this week, on pain meds, etc. they want me under a heating pad & are hoping that my body will naturally reabsorb the blood. if not, i may have a giant needle stuck in there to drain it (nooooooooo) or possibly another surgery. please please pray for the natural dissolving of the hematoma.

the good news is that i'm feeling better today. i still can't drive or do much, but i'm finally feeling a little bit more like myself. and i have the most incredible friends & family on planet earth!! my parents & sister have taken care of me like you wouldn't imagine. i've had calls & texts & messages from a zillion friends, family members, coworkers & even some of the families i work with! friends have brought me meals, i've received 2 edible fruit flower baskets, flowers, cards, etc. geez, could i be any more blessed? it's redic. God is good & even though this hasn't been the best 2 weeks, it's taught me that He is in control & that I have to trust Him through everything.

just praying for continued healing, no more doctor's visits or surprise surgeries, & my strength back. i'd love to get back to work next week & be ok to start getting back to rehearsals for hsm2 asap. feeling a little better every day. thank you, God!

and just for giggles & because i love you...
you're welcome:

rockin that thang

2009-06-05T14:32:00.003-04:00

i only have a minute, but i just wanted to say life is soooo busy, but soooo good!!

hsm2 is going well- we open july 10th. i've met so many new friends & just love the cast! my character, blossom, is totally rediculous...all 3 of the sharpettes are. here's an example of a direction for us: "as fulton exits, the sharpettes (3 debutantes of Lava Springs/Sharpay's pals) rush over screaming their gushy greetings & air-kissing their leader." haha. can you imagine me doing that? that's why they call it acting. all we do is prance & sass around the stage & be annoying. it's awesome.

i went to see The Dream, Keri Hilson, Keyshia Cole, & Bobby Valentino the other nite-um, so good & fun. they were all really great live. i went buck wild of course. honestly i'm not sure what my real ethnicity is for serious. i want to be a back-up dancer for The Dream. they made me laugh. i also kinda wanna be keri hilson when i grow up.

here are a few vid clips from the concert- bad quality, but you can get the drift. loved it!

The Dream- Rockin That Thang

Keyshia Cole- Last Night

and while i was uploading the videos i found one of brandt & i singing at the video cafe. the sound quality is the worst thing i've ever heard (i'm talkin horrid), but oh well. it gets a TAD better 1/2way thru to the end. well not really, but i miss it!

God is doing work- just keep praising! much love, y'all.

cherrycase

2009-05-09T16:47:00.004-04:00

1st of all, the read thru today was amazing. everyone is SO nice & hilarious & this truly is going to be the time of my life. i can't wait to work with everyone, learn it all & do work on stage with these talented folks. love them already!!! oh & just for laughs, my name is BLOSSOM. what the heck? haaaaaa!

2nd, can i tell you how excited i am that the guy playing troy bolton likes good music and is in a band that is actually pretty sick? it's good to have a troy who isn't cheeseball disney lame. (no offense zac, i love you). can't wait to go see them sometime. go troy aka jake. do your thing. check them out CHERRYCASE my favorite=Lethal Lies.

i just bawled over this letter

2009-05-06T20:34:00.002-04:00

i got a letter from my sponsored child in Guatemala today and it made my heart so happy. he's too young to write a lot by himself, so his teacher asked him questions & wrote down what he said:

Dear Mellie:
Josue hopes you are trusting in God and that you & your family are enjoying blessings. Josue thanks you for the Christmas present- he got some trousers, a t-shirt, hair gel and a comb. He says God bless you. His favorite sport is soccer and he likes playing it with his brothers & friends. He has a dog called Peluso and he says he would like to chop firewood one day. He thanks you for the letter and photo, he really liked them. He wants you to pray for his father that he can accept Jesus in his heart. What is your favorite food? He says that mangos are his. He says goodbye and he sends you a tight hug and lots of kisses.

Oh my gosh, I love him. Give me a kleenex.

boys & theater

2009-05-05T11:38:00.002-04:00

* i was thinking again about the man that fell down yesterday and the guys that stood around watching, doing nothing & it actually made me really thankful for all the gentlemen at midtown. i know without a doubt that any of them would have practically pulled muscles running over to him as fast as they could. it's good to have guys in my life that i can call on if i need to. thanks, midtown men.

* we have our 1st read through of the HSM2 musical saturday with the whole cast. i can't wait to meet everyone & get all excited about it. i wrote that i'm a sharpette & that i thought there would be 10-12 of us behind sharpay during her songs, but apparently there are only THREE!! looks like no hiding behind the group for me. we're actually her 3 best friends so it's a bigger deal than i even realized. i'm so proud of myself!!!!!!!

* there are going to literally be 13 performances & if it gets heldover, 24. GOOD GRIEF!!! July 10th-beginning of Aug. get excited- it's gonna be hilarious & awesome! i truly can't wait.

i need to vent

2009-05-04T17:28:00.002-04:00

one of my kids canceled today because of a doctor's appt. so i thought- sweet, i'm doing my grocery shopping early! i head over to the store and la di da i'm walking towards the door & i see an elderly man with a cane lose his balance & literally fall pretty bad off the curb.

i immediately run over to him and look around to see if anyone else is coming to help. there are several people all around looking, but NO ONE comes over. not a single person. what the hell are you doing that's too important to take a minute to help an old man off the ground? my gosh. i tried to help him up & walk him to his car & literally almost fell down 3 times bc all of his weight was on me. he was all disoriented & stuff. FINALLY another WOMAN comes over & helps me with him on the other side. we get him to his car & i go in to buy him a water. i'm thinking surely when i come back out other people will be over there making sure he's ok. um, nope. he's all alone. people disappoint me. the males in that parking lot dissapoint me. i can't believe what i witnessed today. makes me want to pray even more for people to know Christ and learn to love their neighbors as themselves.

good reminder

2009-05-04T09:03:00.002-04:00

"Today I accept my calling,
not to perfection or performance
My calling is to faith.
I have been chosen for this generation.
What Your Word says is mine.
I will believe and therefore speak,
For You, my God, are huge.
Nothing is too hard for you.
Our world needs Your wonders.
Rise up, oh Lord.
Renew Your works in our day.
I confess the unbelief of my generation
And ask You to begin Your revival of faith
in my own heart.
For you are who You say You are.
You can do what You say You can do.
I am who You say I am.
I can do all things through Christ.
Your Word is alive and active in me.
I'm believing God."

faith

2009-05-03T01:23:00.002-04:00

Faith does not say, "I see this is good for me; therefore God must have sent it." Instead, faith declares, "God sent it; therefore it must be good for me."

Jesus Christ, Superstar

2009-05-01T17:49:00.001-04:00

you know how freaked out & excited people get over seeing celebrities? can you even imagine how it's going to be when we see Jesus face to face? HOLY CAMOLY. blows my mind to the bajillionth power.

let's play in L.A.

2009-05-01T14:18:00.008-04:00

Just so I’ll remember my trip to Cali…

* smooth & on-time flights

* greeted at LAX by Emily!

* lunch at the Blue Plate with Tricia

* freaked out when I found out Trish was a stand-in for 17 Again, a dancer in the new Fame, worked on Greek, etc. go girl!

* Santa Monica Beach/ Pier, ferris wheel

* 3rd Street Promenade- shopping, street performers, Justin Bobby look-a-like

* Cabo Cantina for margaritas & food (Em works here & hooked us up)

* Derek’s bday party in Malibu- incredible beach house, food, fun people

* Halle Berry's house was a few down- never saw her, but def. sang this all day:

* Laughed at the guys leaving early to go to Heidi & Spencer’s wedding in Pasadena. They went to high school with Spencer & said, “Yes, he really is that big of a douche. He slashed his ex-girlfriend’s tires & everything.” Wow. Sad.

* Hung out in the hot tub with the guy from The Cutting Edge 2 (ha!!) he’s about to be in Dance Flick as the Channing Tatum character. Ross Thomas- check him out!-prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen. Also met Jack, a grip on Extreme Home Makeover & asked how the heck they get those houses up in a mere few days. haha.

* Got a tour of James’ house in the hills- beautiful!!! I want him to decorate mine one day. His dog is the cutest.

* Dinner at Mandarette Chinese Restaurant- delicious

* Hiked Runyon Canyon

* Mimosas, brunch & rode the freaking bull at SaddleRanch – screamed like a fool the entire time

* Drove up to the Hollywood sign to take some pics

* Explored the Sunset Strip including The Roxy, The Viper Room, The Laugh Factory, etc.

* Appetizers at The Rainbow (a classic Rock’n’Roll bar)

* Watched a friend get a tattoo at Shamrock by the same artist that did Megan Fox’s

* Visited Tony at Central Casting- saw his desk & got a tour. Registered & got a photo done for my next visit so I can work on a show!

* Lunch at The Grove

* Went to the Jay Leno show- got there late & ended up with the best seats. How does that work? Sat on the floor & got to run up & shake Jay’s hand at the beginning of the show- mom & dad taped it & said they saw us on TV. Too funny! Eric Bana is charming.

* Drove by Ghosts of Girlfriends Past premiere on Hollywood & saw Lacy Chabert’s backside on the red carpet. Jeff wasn’t complaining.

* Ate with James, Jeff, Dana, & James’ friend Kristin from Australia at the Stinking Rose- garlic yumminess. SO good.

* Lunch at Tricia’s work, Babalu – desserts to flip for

* Walked around Rodeo Drive & laughed at all the price tags

* Drove down Robertson, saw a paparazzi frenzy at Kitson & parked to go see who all the fuss was about.

* Oh just Paris & Nikki Hilton doing some shopping. Those paparazzi dudes are dicks & talk so much trash- no wonder everyone hates them. Nikki is really pretty up close. I was a nice paparazzo : ) haha.

* Tried to find a spot to see the red carpet for the Wolverine premiere, succeeded, & freaked my butt off at Ryan Reynolds (um, I did say Just Friends was one of my favorite movies). “I grabbed his bicep & it felt awesome.” Tori laughed for 10 minutes when I said that after he walked off.

* Then who did I see but HUGH MOTHER FREAKING JACKMAN, sexiest man alive 09. He really is great looking in person & just oozes confidence & friendliness. WOLVERINE!!!!! Love him! Just wow.

* Others at the premiere I remember: Fergie & the Black Eyed Peas (hate all their music except Glamorous- ha), Amanda Peet, Daniel Henney, Taylor Kitsch, Dominique Monaghan, etc.

* After calming down & taking some pics of the Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater & our complimentary Wolverine claws, we headed to Cabo for taco Tuesday!

That was pretty much it in a nutshell. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more exciting and at the same time relaxing trip. Probably heading back in the fall for round 2. So glad to have met some amazing new friends & shared a small piece of life with them. Can’t wait to do it again. Thanks God for so many opportunities to live & love & share.

4/18

2009-04-19T10:10:00.002-04:00

i have the most incredible friends ever. yesterday was my birthday & my best friend offered to throw me a bday cook-out at her house. not only did she take the time to make the invitation & invite friends, but she opened her house to us, spent time cleaning, decorating beautifully, entertaining, etc. she's the best!

the party consisted of some of my close friends from all areas of my life- high school, college, masters program, real estate, movie sets, life group, concert buddies, etc. it was so cool to see my bffs all come together & celebrate & enjoy each other's company.

i made kristie have everyone go around & introduce themselves & tell how they met me. i love that patrick said "i met mellie at an r. kelly concert." ha! then we all told funny stories & embarrassing moments and literally laughed & bonded under the beautiful night sky for hours. it was the best birthday ever! we grilled & laughed & did sparklers & had cupcakes.

thanks to all the friends that took time to come out & celebrate. it means the world to me. God has blessed me more than i can even grasp or understand. He's surrounded me with people that love me & He loves me most of all. thanks for my life, God- i pray i use it to love & glorify you, love others & do Your will at all times. <3

Annnnd, Curtain!

2009-04-10T17:19:00.004-04:00

I grew up enjoying the stage.

I made up shows at my grandparents’ house on every visit, even if we were only there for 5 minutes. I’d grab my sister & we’d run upstairs to rehearse.

I did plays, musicals, piano recitals, choir, dance performances, etc.- absolutely loved it. In elementary school I was a “royal child” in Workshop Theatre’s “The King & I” and had the time of my life.

These days I still love the arts, but haven’t been on a stage in quite some time.

Over the last few years, musicals have gotten to be huge again- Hairspray, High School Musical 1, 2 & 3, Rent, Mamma Mia, Chicago, Sweeny Todd, Enchanted, etc. They’ve really made me miss musical theater and made me want to go see some & kinda be in them, too.

A couple of weeks ago on a whim I decided to audition to be in the chorus in High School Musical 2 at Workshop Theatre. I knew I didn’t have the time to learn a bunch of lines, but I could at least try to learn some moves and a song and shoot, you know I love HSM!

The audition was scerrry! I had to walk in the theater, give my music to the pianist & walk up on the stage by myself. The director, choreographer, producer, & a few other people were staring at me and had me say my name into the camera & perform my song. Then they gave me a monologue & had me do a cold read. Finally, all 50 of us there got numbers pinned on our clothes & came in together for a dance audition. They had 2 nights of auditions, so I’m not sure how many people ended up trying out, but everyone was soooo talented. Great day!

Fast forward to today. Well, guess who got the phone call? Who got a part as a “Sharpette?” MEEEEEEEE. What does that even mean? I have no idea. I think we’ll probably do something behind Sharpay, which is exactly what I wanted!!! I am seriously so stinkin excited about this. It’s going to be amazing to be back on stage. I don’t know if we’ll have to dance, sing, both, or neither, but the fact that I was chosen & get to be a part of this fun musical makes me SO happy.

You’re only as young as you feel (and look- ha), but it’s good to know I still got it! I’ll keep you posted on things & dates it’ll be running, etc. I know it’s this summer. AHHHHHHH. HSM2, here I come. Thanks, God, for fun opportunities : ) You’ll have to come out & support local theater (Workshop), giggle at me, & bring flowers! jk. I’m sure it’ll be super cute. I saw HSM1 when they did it last summer & really enjoyed it. Bet on it.