It's A Wrap!

I just wrapped my first movie working in casting and let me just say, incredible, exhausting, frustrating, exciting, and ultimately so proud to be part of this film and the team at Forcier Casting. 

I've been in the business since 1996 when I turned 30 and decided that I was going to chase my dream of working in commercials. I took classes, got headshots, auditioned, worked a little here and there, and then got my big break - I booked a job for WalMart that made me union eligible. At the time SAG and AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) were separate unions and I was AFTRA eligible so I joined. Lucky for me, a few years later the two unions merged and today I am a proud SAG/AFTRA member. All of that eduction did not do much for me at the time in terms of making me the next Julia Roberts, as I married and moved away from the business, but it seems the business stayed with me. I got an email from a friend who was suggesting I audition for a local commercial, again with WalMart but this was for "real people" not actors. I auditioned and got the part. Long story short, Sally Forcier who cast me in the commercial started following me and Mason on social media and watched Mason bloom on You Tube and in the culinary world. Here we are years later and Sally is working with Mason in front of the camera and I am working with Sally behind the scenes casting and hopefully producing one day, too. Stay tuned, Mason has APParition coming out this year and it's possible Notorius Nick may be out for the holidays as well. 

Another successful “Saturday Thanksgiving” is in the books. I think I look forward to this holiday more than any other during the year. We visited, ate amazing food, drank great wine, and played “The Singing Bee.” I love these people so very much. Diana and Jennifer were missed, next year ladies!

Finally, tonight at 6 PM, StoveTots is on. This is Mason's episode. Let's all say a prayer to the editing gods that we don't come off any crazier than we really are. 

For those of you who may not know. Mason and I shot the pilot for this series that the creators used to pitch and sell the show. That was in Chicago January 2016. A tip if you ever decide you want to do reality tv, whatever you decide to wear, buy 3 of them so you don't have to film for 2-3 days in the same clothes. This is especially important when the show is a cooking competition.#MasonMade

He Holds My Hand

I am completely exhausted, but I must share my story of how I know I am wealthy beyond measure. Some things in my life have been a bit emotionally challenging lately. I've been up and down and when I was asked today how I was, I immediately recalled waking up and I smiled and said, "I must be the luckiest woman in the world. I've been married for 16 years and my husband holds my hand at night. Sometimes he puts his arm around me, and other times, he gets tangled up with me with our feet. But this morning I woke up and he was holding my hand, and I love that. How can I feel anything but loved when I get to wake up with him?" 

I Want Success For You!

Has it really been a year?

It's hard to believe that it was a year ago this week that Mason made his national television debut on The Steve Harvey Show. It was a fun excursion for Dave and Mason as I was on my own adventure with Lisa Anderson in NYC. It's amazing to me that we get to live this life, yes, I work hard for it, I earn it to be sure, but I also know that I have people on my team who root for me, help me when I need a hand, and encourage me to go for it when I'm not so sure of myself. I look around and see bullies in the world, not just middle school kids, but full grown adults, and I think to myself, how awful do you have to feel about yourself to pick on others, and even worse, adults who bully children? When Mason is struggling with middle school drama, I remind him that it doesn't end with middle school, or high school, or college, or the workplace, or, or, or... The fact of the matter is that there always will be people in this world that not only find joy in hurting others but thrive on chaos and pain. It's sad but true. I advise him to do his best to eliminate these kinds of people from his life and when he can't, he's best off to not engage in the drama. Be forthright, honest, & practice the golden rule and things should work out just fine. Who was I talking to, him or me?

With that said, let me tell you I want to see you succeed. Not just reach the goal, reach far beyond what you can even imagine is possible. You see, it's not you OR me, it's you AND me, there is more than enough for all of us.

Enough of what you ask? Enough jobs, enough opportunities, enough open doors, enough leading roles, enough first places, enough abundance, enough prosperity, enough money, enough friends, enough party invites, enough love. It is not necessary to tear down those around you who are seeing success, stand up and cheer for them! Maybe if you stand up for them, you can stay on your feet and take the action you need to see what you want to come to fruition. If you do, I'm already standing and taking action, but I will cheer for you, I will cheer as loud as I can and say, "I'm so glad you are making this happen for yourself, how can I help you?" I will be there for you, lifting you up so you can do the same for someone else. What a wonderful world this would be if more people could see the good. I see the good, I see you. 

Happy Anniversary Month to Us!

2001 and 2016

Happy anniversary month to us! Who could have predicted that for all the fun things and experiences I've won on the radio through the years, the most meaningful would be my sweet Flower Dave (in 1996)? As we approach 16 years married (16 years?!), we were in Florida Halloween morning and hosting Trick-or-Treaters in Auburn that night. We met for drinks, and laughed when we should have been so exhausted and in bed. But that's what we do, we laugh. We laugh a lot, about silly stuff, like Mason playing "Frogger" on a busy street in Orlando - and that was SO not funny! After a night of laughing, the next morning we will often still be giggling through sleepy eyes - yes, we really do wake up laughing sometimes. There have been a few bumps in the road, but nothing worth talking about. Our union has been easy as far as the marriage gauges go, I know you agree. Way more laughter than tears, and even some of those tears have come with belly laughs. I am grateful every day for you, our marriage, our family, our life, and I'm the first one to say, "I won the lottery when I won this guys heart." November 9th is our day, our super special fall day.