Marathon Pumpkin Carving Template

I haven't blogged on this blog in over a year because I've been so busy being an actor and blogging all about it over on GreenRoomBlog.com. I also got a blogging job for a teen site the requires me to blog every day (though pays me well for it, so I'm not complaining!), so that's been keeping me occupied with my writing, as well. I learned while planning my wedding that it's extraordinarily difficult for me to maintain blogging on more than one blog at a time, so I won't be too hard on myself for it.

BUT! There are occasional things that I'd like to share that don't fall into either the teen interest category or the showbiz industry category, so here we are :)

As you may probably already have heard if you're reading this because you follow me on social media and I'm obsessed with talking about it, I'm running the 2013 NYC Marathon in just nine days.

We carved pumpkins last night, as we do almost every year, and I decided that I had to honor my marathon running with my pumpkin carving. I couldn't find a pattern that I loved online, so I made one myself. And I thought there might be other marathoners who might also like a marathon pumpkin carving pattern, so I wanted to share. Here are our finished pumpkins:

And here is the pattern, in case you'd like to create a marathon pumpkin carving of your own:

In case you're planning on being a NYC Marathon spectator, my bib number is 68-509 and I'll be starting in the last green wave at 10:55.

I'm excited and really nervous for my first marathon.

Happy Halloween!

Kayaking the St. John's River, Blue Springs, and Snake Creek

Wanna see a picture of the manatee who nuzzled my hand yesterday?

Yep, that's my new manatee friend checking out my kayak...can you spot my shadow taking the picture? :)

This alligator and I, however? Not really friends. He lunged at my boat shortly after this picture to escape back into the river.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, if a bit chilly. I was able to snap this beautiful shot of my Mom in her kayak:

And a friend we were kayaking with took the first ever picture of the two of us in our kayaks together!

We're exhausted today after kayaking 15 miles (AKA 6 hours pretty much without stopping!). Yeah, I can barely move. Have been very much enjoying my extended vacay, though. I really needed a breather from work!

WEverb11: Day Fifteen!

Today's prompt is: What event of 2011 affected you in an unexpected way?

My answer for this one is easy: Dan's new casting job.

I know I've mentioned his new job here before, but I can't really stress enough how much Dan getting this job was a major life event for us. It has changed our lives in so many ways, both expected and unexpected.

When he got the call that he had been hired, we both started jumping up and down and teared up. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. This was such a victory for him. And it continues to be so.

He no longer has to work at demeaning jobs, like serving ungrateful tourists at T.G.I. Friday's. He no longer has to juggle more than one job all the time. We no longer have to fret about what god-awful things would happen if one of us were to become ill with no health insurance. He no longer dreads going to work, now that he loves his job and feels like he's accomplishing something meaningful. He no longer feels constantly disrespected by his superiors or like he's going to get fired at any minute, and he no longer comes home from work in a shitty mood because of what's going on with his job (or lack thereof).

For all of these reasons and more, I'm so proud of him and what he's accomplished this year. But these were the expected "side effects."

What we (or at least I) didn't really know to expect were the extraordinarily long hours he would be putting in there. Or how different it would be to have him working a normal weekday schedule. Or how much adjustment there would be in our marriage from this career shift of his. It's been a really bumpy road the past few months, but I'm happy to say that I think we've finally got most of it worked out and things are getting much smoother 'round these parts.

And while I wouldn't say that I've loved the rocky journey of the past few months, I am still so proud of him and of our marriage for weathering this little storm.

WEverb11: Day Four!

Today's challenge was to sum up 2011 with a haiku. Now, as an amateur haiku enthusiast, I could write haikus about 2011 all day. But the one I chose to best sum up the year is:

Central Casting and

Betty's Summer Vacation.

What an epic year.

How would you sum up 2011 in a haiku?

P.S. Yes, I've decided to pick and choose which prompts to write along with. Because...I'm lazy. And I just took a five-hour workshop on Saturday all about reflecting on 2011 and gearing up for 2012, so I'm only going to get invested in the prompts that really intrigue me. Sooooo sue me.

Beginning WEverb 2011: Words for 2011 & 2012

Although I didn't participate in the month-long Reverb10 daily writing prompts, I loved reading everyone else's posts reflecting on their lives and hoping for their futures. My friend Kim has organized this year's "WEverb11" and since my blogging has been a little...umm...stagnant...over on my little ol' personal blog as of late, I thought this would be just the push I need to do a little writing! And I'm always a sucker for personal reflection and goal setting :)

So today's prompt is:

Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why. Imagine it's one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?

My word for 2011 is PROGRESS. 

This year has been an absolutely astounding one in our professional lives. Both Dan and I have made enormous steps towards our career aspirations, and after how hard we've busted our asses in this city since we've been here, that's no small thing to say.

Dan landed his first full-time casting gig four months ago, complete with awesome benefits and paid time off (which we will soon be taking advantage of for our New Years cruise to the Bahamas!). I worked on my first Equity show, which made me eligible to join the union; launched my showbiz blog called The Green Room Blog; and went on the first audition that my agent got for me. Suffice it to say, this year was huge for us.

I'm hoping that as 2012 draws to a close, my word will be BALANCE.

Although this year has been amazing for us in many ways, it's also been a bit of a struggle in some ways, too. We've spent a lot of time apart because we've been enjoying such career success, and we've transitioned from having weird, sporadic, any-hours survival jobs to Dan being a regular 9-5'er (okay, 9-9'er...) and me running my own businesses. Like...we get weekends together? What are we supposed to do on Friday nights that isn't work? You mean, we have to be up at the same time every day? 

The latter half of this year has been a little tough on things like the general cleanliness of the corner behind the couch and, oh, our relationship. We still love each other like mad, of course. And the dishes usually don't pile up too high. But next year, I'd like to place more emphasis on being successful in our careers AND working our way back to the relationship/household/general life contentedness that we felt in 2010.

Overall, 2011 was a fantastic year. Really, 2011, you've been swell. But there's always room to tweak things here and there :)

If you'd like to join in on the daily writing prompts, click on over to WEverb11 and join us! Or follow along on twitter using the #WEverb11 hashtag!

Holiday Cards 2011 Style

Just like last year, we ordered our holiday cards from Shutterfly. I love how many different options they have, and how easy it is to find a card that suits every family's personality. I also love how affordable they are!

This is the design we chose this year, because it's both festive and simple, allowing our slightly complex photo to really shine:

I also ordered an 8x10 print of our chosen Christmas picture for my father-in-law, who specifically requested a large photograph of us for his office this year. I hear Shutterfly also does a mean photo book, too, but I can't speak to that myself, as I have yet to try theirs. Maybe next year?

I'm super excited to get our Christmas cards in the mail so I can get them out to family and friends. I might be even more excited for all of the 'Bee cards that will be trickling in this month, too! :)

*Disclaimer: Shutterfly is currently offering 50 free holiday cards to bloggers who write a post about their holiday products, so I am being compensated for this little dose of holiday stationery cheer.*

Merde Il Pleut

Inspired both by today's disgustingly wet weather and by a hilarious umbrella that I can neither afford, nor fold small enough to fit inside my purse, I decided to try my hand at a new skill this afternoon -- umbrella painting!

For those of you who don't speak French, the translation is: "Shit it's raining!"

I think it came out pretty great, considering how difficult it was to freehand paint nice, even block letters without being able to rest my wrist on anything solid. And the whole project cost me all of ten bucks. And now I have an umbrella with way more personality than the boring black one I bought on the corner one day when I was caught outside in a downpour completely unprepared.

This project can be completed in six simple steps:

1.  Buy an umbrella in a fun color and scour your neighborhood for a complementary shade of fabric paint.

2. Dig out a paintbrush and chalk from your unnecessarily vast supply of crafting tools.

3. Use the chalk to draw guide lines for your design.

4. VERY slowly and carefully paint over the chalk.

5. The next day when the paint is completely dry, flip the umbrella over and cover the reverse side of your design with a towel. Iron over the towel on a low heat setting, being careful not to singe your umbrella. This sets your design!

6. Show off your profanity-covered rain gear :)

What rainy day crafts have you been inspired to do lately?

Catching You All Up

So it's been an awkwardly long time since I posted here on my little ol' personal blog. I continue to attribute that to the joy I'm finding in being both Editor-In-Chief and a Blogger over at The Green Room Blog. If you ever want to read some really inspiring posts by artists trying to make their way in the showbiz industry, you have to check it out.

But enough about that, over here it's all about me. Hah! Things have been going really well lately. I'm just coming off of working on a fabulous show this summer, where I got my Equity card (a big deal for you non-actor civilians); Dan just got hired as an assistant at a busy NYC casting office (can I get a "woo hoo" for health insurance?!?), and we celebrated our second wedding anniversary just last night. So yeah, other than the super long hours that Dan is working, I have no complaints. I mean, I'd love to book another acting job ASAP, but that will come. I'm not worried.

And although I'm always sad about summer ending (god, I hate winter), I am excited about heading into the holiday season, which really begins for us with our October anniversary, I suppose. Next up: pumpkin picking and choosing a Halloween costume :)

So now you're caught up on all the big changes in our lives of late. I hope you forgive my absence. I do want to leave you with a gem of a picture from my show this summer, just because the costume is so out of character for me:

Yes, those were actual S.W.A.T. team uniforms. The costume shop had to take mine in from every possible direction. I guess they're not used to small people being on S.W.A.T teams, huh? :)

It's Never Too Late To Get Where You're Going

Saw this sign in the subway a few days ago and was totally inspired:

Totally believe it. Take one step, however small, confidently in the direction of your dreams today, folks.

You Might Be A Manhattanite If... [Part III]

Check out Part I and Part II of this series :)

(photo credit)

1. You think getting some fresh air means going to Central Park.

2. Your definition of a large dog includes cocker spaniels.

3. Being able to easily wash your laundry is never something to be taken for granted.

4. You scoff at the tourists who flock to see spots like The Empire State Building, but yet you always crane your neck to catch a glimpse of what color the lights are tonight.

5. If you don't hear a fire engine or police siren for too long, you start to worry that something's happened.


P.S. Thank you all so much for clicking on over to check out The Green Room Blog this week! We've broken traffic records -- who knew you guys loved me so much? :)