In April I was hired at Vera Wang as the full time Guest Coordinator for the bridal house. Yeah, NEVER thought that I would EVER be working in fashion, yet here I am. It was a rough few months at the start, and is still tough at times (especially when I am looking at casting breakdowns for auditions I would rock but can't attend because I have to work that day) but it is a steady paycheck with benefits and a clothing allotment (mhmm, I own designer things... WHAT?!). The job is incredibly demanding and stressful (I never thought I would ever know as much about wedding gowns as I do now - not to mention scheduling appointments.... oy!) but I think I'm doing an alright job. They haven't fired me yet so hey-o! We've been going through some big changes at the store and I'm being given more responsibilities, which is great but also keeping me from doing what I came here to do. That, hands down, is the most frustrating part. But I've made some good friends and think I can hold out and save up for another 6 months before moving on to the next thing. We shall see....
In June I had my New York City acting debut!!! I had so much fun working on Haberdasher Theatre Company's production of The Wizard of Oz. I had the pleasure of working with AMAZING people who have turned into a great group of friends. I got to play the snotty Tristilda (Wicked Witch of the East), the Pissed off Tree, and a hot mess Gate Keeper. Here are some pictures (taken by the AMAZING Katie Grammes, our brilliant costume designer) of the show/costumes:
Tree.
Tin Man (Brian Ogston) and Tree.
Wizard (Matt Giroveanu) and Gate Keeper.
Gate Keeper.
A shot from the show (photo credit needed). From left: Citizens of Oz (Melody Chang, Nick Panagakos, Joseph Harris), Dorothy (Tami Soligan), Scarecrow (Jeff Foley), Gate Keeper, Lion (Nicole Lippey), and Tin Man (Brian Ogston).
In July, Mama Michaels and Spencer flew out to New York to see closing weekend of the show :) That was probably my favorite part of the summer. They stayed for a week and it was glorious! We saw shows (War Horse, Ghost, Peter and the Starcatcher), ate so much delicious food, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, went to Ground Zero, went apartment hunting in Astoria, walked through Central Park, saw the Met, visited work and played dress up, saw the fireworks along the Hudson River, raged at the Oz cast party (that's right, Mama Michaels included on that one too), and just had a wonderful week exploring. I was not ready to send them back to the west coast.... Here are some pictures of those adventures:
Spencer and the Brooklyn Bridge.
In line for Shake Shack at Madison Square Park.
Ground Zero.
At the Lincoln Center before War Horse.
Mom and Kelsey. If you like it, put a ring on it.
The Met.
Ground Zero.
Yay!
Empire State.
Lincoln Center.
Ground Zero.
Times Square.
Mama Michaels on the Brooklyn Bridge.
During the second weekend of shows I injured my knee during the tornado scene. My doctors thought for a while that I had torn my meniscus or my ACL, but thankfully nothing was torn! I've been wearing a pretty intense knee brace for the last 3 months (which I don't have to wear anymore!!) and been doing lots of physical therapy to get my knee cap back in the correct place and get my muscles stronger so this doesn't happen again! It's been a long, drawn out process but thankfully I am finally seeing a light at the end of this tunnel!
In August I moved to Astoria (which is a very nice neighborhood in Queens that is only 20 minutes on the subway to Midtown). I am currently living in a HUGE duplex apartment with Brian and Nico (who are fellow graduates of the BFA). Brian is working on his MFA at NYU and Nico is doing what I'm doing- chasing the dream!! We have a giant basement that the boys share, huge living room, full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, more closets than I've ever seen in any New York apartment, and I get my own room (which is the size of the studio that I shared with Kelsey for 10 months). I think my only complaint is that we are a little far from the nearest subway (half a mile), but I know that I am walking at least a mile every day haha. I think it's going to suck more when the snow comes, but for now I can deal with it. I do love living in Astoria though. We live in a neighborhood, on a tree lined street, and the rent is actually affordable :) What more can you really ask for?!
I celebrated my 24th birthday with a bunch of great friends at a chill bar called No Idea in Manhattan. It was probably one of the best birthdays I have ever had. I was surrounded by old friends and new friends and I had the best time. Thank you to all who helped me celebrate!
August also marked my TV debut! The episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories aired on August 11th on the Biography Channel. I must say, it was very weird watching myself on TV knowing that it was being played nationwide. I had SO much fun filming the episode. The cast was awesome and I am really stoked about the way the episode turned out. I really hope I get the chance to work with them again! Oh! And I now have an IMDB page! Check it! I need to add a picture and all that, but it's me! Here are some shots from the day we filmed and shots of the TV that my grandfather took while the episode aired:
Costume!
TV husband, played by Tim O'Malley.
Credits.
Close up.
That's my face. On TV.
Being a mom.
In September I went home for a week for the wedding of one of my oldest friends. Mahealani and I have been friends since we were 9 years old, and while we didn't hang out in high school we reconnected when we were both at SBCC. She and her husband recently moved from Boston to New York and we have fallen right back in step :)
I spent most of the week hanging out with my parents and Spencer, enjoying the beach, playing with my puppies, loving the sunshine. I got to see my friend Michaela and meet her ADORABLE baby girl Camilla. She is seriously the cutest baby I think I have ever seen. As a welcome to the world present I made her some onesies. Here's a picture of the finished product:
Miss Camilla :)
I also made a quick trip up to Sacramento to see my aunt, uncle, and cousin and to surprise my grandfather. I wish I had a picture of his face when I walked up to his car window!! It was priceless and totally worth all the driving. The last time I had seen my grandfather was right before I came to New York to apartment hunt, and one of the last things he said to me was "Well Jen, am I ever going to see you again?" Well, yes gramps, you will and you did! It was perfect. And of course it was awesome to see my Aunt Katy, Uncle Joe, and cousin Ian.
I brought Mama Michaels as my date to Mahea and Carter's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful. A true celebration of their love. I am so happy that I was able to be there :)
Yay!!!
Well, that's about it folks. I have no idea what's in store for me next. I need to get some new headshots, figure out a way to start auditioning again, decide what adventure I want to take next....
It's been quite a roller coaster year for New York and I. We've had our ups and our downs. We've hated each other and loved each other... So, here's to us and the adventures you have in store for me over the next few years. Cheers!
love,
your green-eyed girl
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