In case you didn't know, Mom and Dad got me a purple ukulele a few years ago which I LOVE. So instead of protesting and being grouchy on Valentine's Day (because I really sort of hate it a lot)  I embrace the day and write  cheesy love song.

This is what I came up with yesterday.  (Song is not based on real life events ;))

Hello 2015

Today seemed like a good time to write a blog post since it's new beginnings and all. (My last post was almost a year ago!)

I truly love New Years Day.  It feels so fresh and clean while having this weird feeling of nostalgia while I analyze the past year's accomplishments and failures.  I have plenty of goals for 2015.  I made a list of 15 things that I would like to do or change with number 15 being to stop making so many lists.

But I will make one more list that seems worth while.  Here is a look back at 10 highlights of 2014!




1. Trip to California
I got to see the Rose Parade, some awesome friends, and figured out that I don't particularly love LA.

Hanging with the Fazakerleys

JM gave me a tour of Universal Studios

My favorite float from the parade

2. Weight Loss Challenge.
Dathan and I started a weight loss challenge. He is winning but there are still 2 months left!  I'm pretty sure I'm paying for his trip to Chicago this coming year.  We have people rooting for us! 

Teams

A little motivation

               
3. Micaela's Wedding
Micaela is one of the sweetest and most giving friends I have.  I miss her like WOAH.  I was so glad to be there on her special day and spend time with her on the days leading up to the wedding.

 


4. Spike Heels
Honest Theatre's first production was "Spike Heels" and I got to be in it!  I am so thankful for the opportunity and experience. I played a character that I came to love and worked with my talented friends.

5. 4th of July
You guys!!!!  I really love my family, the Black Hills, and the 4th of July.  This year I got all 3 in one long, amazing weekend!

4th of July treats

A friendly game of Botchy Ball

Cousins

Mama and Me

6. "Clemente"
I can't even find the words to describe this show.  It challenged me as an artist and as a person, I sang in I don't know how long, and I met some truly amazing people!  It was just...I can't even....ahhhh! All the feeeeeeeels!!!

 

7. Pittsburgh
The whole cast traveled to Pittsburgh for Clemente.  And it was just, like, the best week ever!  We performed on a huge stage for a huge audience that LOVED the story we were telling.  It was just a big (and much needed) reminder of why I love acting so much.  Plus, spending a relaxing week (while getting paid) with amazing people is pretty neat.

Pirate fans

Love these talented friends

The whole cast!

8. Changing Nanny Families
My darling Evelyn moved away to Michigan with her family (they still visit Chicago sometimes.  I got to see them before Christmas).  So I started with a new family and baby, Evan!  He was a little older than 2 months when I started, and now is 7 months.  He is such a little lover and cuddler and smiles all day long!  I mean just look at this kid!

              

Evie and I looking at Christmas lights

9. Becky's Wedding
My Becky, whom I lived with all four years of college, laughed with and cried to, drank too much tequila with, and whom I have prayed that she find a man who is deserving of all her goodness...got married!  I made a quick trip to North Dakota for the wedding.  She was stunning, the wedding was beautiful, and I really like her husband!

Side not: They had their first date while she was staying with me in Chicago.  She came home that night after their date glowing and I thought "Yup, this is it."  So, BASICALLY, I'm the reason they are together ;)

10. Christmas
This Christmas the four of us were together for a week!  I think I ate more cookies than I thought possible!  I also got addicted to the Settlers of Catan.  I just enjoyed spending time with my family and relaxing.

         

All that to say that this was an awesome year and I'm excited for the 2015!

Catching up on my Therapy while Standing on my Soap Box

I know. I know.  You don't hear from either of us for over two months and then I basically have a bunch of pent up word vomit that manifests in the five paragraphs below (and three small tangents).  But bear with me, people might actually get something out of this one.  

Last night, Diana and I had the extreme pleasure of watching Timeline's "The How and the Why".  (Tangent one: If you are one of the few people that read this blog AND live in the Chicago area, go see this show.  It is an intelligent script with two strong female leads and the actors bring the story to life beautifully).  Afterwards, Diana and I and a few of her friends went and grabbed a drink with one of the actors (whose performance was nothing short of brilliant).  While we were at the restaurant, we talked briefly about the play and even more briefly about what everyone was up to in the theatre world.  The topics varied but were mostly about girl stuff and every day life things. From the new pizza place on the corner, to husbands and lovers, to how we all are more than sick of the cold weather; we all just chatted for a while and I have to say that it was nice.  Afterwards, Diana said something along the lines of, "I'm so glad you came, I knew we would talk about the play a little, but mostly I knew it would just be a fun night."  And she was right. It was fun.   And I'm learning that "fun" is necessary.  Not every meeting can nor should be a business transaction or a stepping stone.  Though I admit that I had to restrain myself from "interviewing" the actor we were with.  While people are ordering food and talking about the nutritional value of lettuce, I am burning with questions about the staging and her process and what it was like to work with a younger actress and what is the most challenging part of playing that role and does she journal and how collaborative was the process and numerous questions about the director.  I could go on and on.  But I didn't.  I didn't ask one question. Because that wasn't the point of the night.  Sure, this actor was gracious enough that she would have answered anything I asked, but she just got done working.  She doesn't need my intense interrogation immediately after a performance. 

Intense.  That's the word I would use to describe myself when it comes to this art form.  Addicted.  That's an even better word.  I am constantly (not an exaggeration) thinking and living and dreaming actory stuff.  I've always been a person that sits back and observes before jumping into social situations.  But more now than ever, I observe and analyze myself and everyone around me.  ALL. THE. TIME.  I have been told numerous times by professors and friends that an actor that only acts is boring.  One needs hobbies and life experiences...other things to talk about.  Well I'm working on that.  Most of you probably think this sounds exhausting, but really I don't know anything else.  All or nothing I tell ya!  I'm addicted.  

Which is an incredibly lame (and sort of twisted) segway into my next topic: Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

  

I'm not to going to pretend that the news didn't knock the wind out of me this past weekend.  Diana sent me a text with one line, "Did you you hear about Phillip Seymour Hoffman" and without any doubts I knew he had died and I my gut told me it was drugs.  It was similar to the feeling when news of Heath Ledger and Cory Monteith hit me.   (Tangent two: Nothing compares to my shock of Whitney Houston.  That one was TOUGH!  I took it so personally.  Dathan even called that day to check in and make sure I was alright because he knew how much I loved her.  What a brother!) Although I didn't know any of these people outside of my TV screen, I still feel a strange connection with them.  There is passion, talent, and determination all mixed together with an extreme need for success that could make anyone a little crazy.  I can relate a bit. 

There has been so much on the news, blogs, and TV about him.  My newsfeed is still blowing up with opinions and articles.  But what I find most interesting is that the topic of most of these discussions is blame.  Who can we blame?!  Some think him; his addiction, his fault.  Others claim society because we live in a world where drug addiction, or any other addiction for that matter, is taboo and frowned upon;  society judges those people and so it's society's fault for not creating a more accepting world where people can seek the right help.  Others blame the drug dealers.  I watched The View for about 2.5 seconds this morning while they debated whether the drug dealers should be charged for murder.  And I get it...it makes sense.  We blame people to cope, to help us understand, to get some closure.  We need to find the source of the problem so that we can have hope that there will be a solution.  I get that.  But I am still exhausted by it.  

I didn't know this man, and although there are plenty of sources that claim to know his past, how could anyone ever truly know what he was going through.  But the point is we shouldn't need to.  Compassion and love should know no bounds.  My heart aches for the people that struggle with addictions, for people that help them feed that addiction, and for the world that we live in that is so obsessed with blame that we forget to stop and just pray for the tragic lives that have been lost.  

So here is my last little tangent: Blame less.  Pray more.  Judge less.  Pray more.  Think, live, and dream actory stuff less.  Seek God more.  

(That last one is mainly a reminder for me, but you get the picture:) )

Mom's November Trip

This post is super late!!!  I just haven't had a lot of time to download the pictures and get everything organized!  I know, there is all this "smart" technology that makes it quick and easy, but I'm still doing it the old fashioned way. 

My Mom and her friend Sherry came to visit me in Chicago this past November.  It was such a fun trip and came just at the right time in my life.  When I'm getting all sad and sorry for myself and feeling so homesick that I can hardly take it, these two lovely ladies came with all their positivity and energy and love, so I slipped out of my slump pretty quickly.  

They mostly came to watch the musical "Wicked" but we fit in a lot of other stuff during their four days here.  We went to the aquarium, ate some classic deep dish, and of course did a lot of shopping.  Here are a few pics. (A lot are taken with my "old fashioned" I-phone 4, so they aren't the best quality)

Finding them at the airport was the first step.  I went up the stairs, they went down.  So I went down...and they of course would go back up.  We chased each other like that for a while.  Right then I knew this trip was going to be an adventure ;)

We went to the Hershey's factory and they got to fill their own pail with LOTS of chocolate!

Waiting for the Beluga Whale show to start!  I should have taken more pics of the whales, but I was too busy clapping!  We spent the whole day at the aquarium, just taking our time.  Supposedly there was a tornado outside.  There are worse places we could have been stuck.

It was football Sunday so the penguins were having some fun.

We saw a 4D underwater adventure show.  It was awesome and freaky at the same time.

WICKED!!!!  I love this show so much.  Although I've seen it before and have all the words memorized, it is still exciting to watch.  Mom and Sherry loved it!  I, once again, cried like a baby.  It was Diana's first time seeing the show too...I think she liked it, although the people singing in the seats next to her were probably just as entertaining as the show itself.

In front of the Chicago Theater

It was Sherry's Birthday so we had some YUMMY cheesecake.  The staff sang Happy Birthday while Sherry turned super red! The best part was when mom "went to the bathroom" and came back not even a minute later.  Sherry knew something was up then.

This is the entrance to Target.  Mom was pretty excited so we took a picture. Sometimes, it's the little things in life :D

Garrett's popcorn is the best...so yummy, fresh, and warm right out of the store.  We stood in line for 30 minutes.  In the cold. AND rain.  But if you go to Chicago, you gotta go to Garrett's.  It's like a rule or something.

We had so much fun and I felt so lucky to get to spend some time with these two lovely ladies!  It's so fun showing my city to people and I LOVE these two people SOOO MUCH!!!!



I'm an actor, a singer, a director, a writer...

I can't decide.  What am I?  There are so many things that I find interest and passion in.  I have been told on multiple occasions that I have to pick something.  I can love all types of art, but need to focus on one.  That's probably true and it's probably time. 

In acting, we are told that we can only have one objective at a time.  We fight for one thing at a time.  In a specific moment, we want one thing.  We might want it so that we can get to the bigger and better things, but we only have one objective. 

The simplest way to explain this is using a fight scene.  Right now I (the character) want to escape from the danger (my super-objective).  But there are all these obstacles; zombies, an army of droids, a fire breathing dragon, dementors...the list could go on and on, but let's keep it simple.  It might seem impossible, but I just have to defeat each thing, one at a time.  First I would probably have to use myself as bait for the dragon, and just when he was about to blow fire at me, jump out of the way, but be close enough to the zombies so that he just sets them all on fire.  Zombies: check. And then I might as well keep running past the droids, pull out my light saber and try to take down as many as I can, while the dragon (accidentally) stomps on all of them and crushes them.  Droids: check.  Then since I have my light saber out, I might as well let the dragon swallow me whole, and then slay him from the inside out because we all know that's the only way to really make sure that a dragon dies.  Dragon: check.  Then I would be so happy about getting this far and full of happy thoughts that I could produce my patronus, which of course is a beluga whale, and take out all the dementors.  Dementors: check.  See?  I could only do one thing at a time.  It's not possible for me to stab the dragon while taking out the droids.  I only have one light saber!!!!!

And I (back to being Whitney) only have one life.  I need to decide what I'm going to do with it.  The whole reason I'm writing this is because I lost focus these past few months.  I forgot what I ultimately want and made some poor decisions.  When I moved to this city, I made a list of professional goals for myself.  But when I had the opportunity to sing with a Chicago band, I forgot about those goals and agreed to a few months of Chicago fame.  Needless to say, that didn't pan out well for me.  Not only did I turn down a well paying role with a theatre company and miss three auditions because of this "opportunity" but I didn't even get to perform with the band for a full month before the singer that I was replacing decided to come back.  I give you permission to dope slap me.

I could dwell on the "what if's" and "if only's" of the whole situation, but basically it was a good lesson.  Why on earth did I turn my back on acting for even a second?   This industry, this art, this career is all or nothing, and for being an all or nothing person (to a fault) I have been fairly wishy-washy about being an actor.  But that stops now.

It doesn't mean that I can't have other passions and hobbies.  It doesn't mean that I put my life on hold until I'm successful.  It just means that I have one focus.  One thing to fight for.  One objective...and that is to act.  On stage, in auditions, scene studies and classes...there are lots of opportunities.  I just have to fight for them.  And from now on, I'm all in.

P.S. I'm not as violent as this post suggests. 
P.P.S I'm also not as nerdy as this post suggests, so any corrections on how zombies or other non-existent creatures die aren't welcome.  I'm just proving a point here people.

List 20 Random Facts About Yourself (Diana)

Well, I think below pretty much sums me up...RANDOM:) 


1) I don't like the dark or more to the point I'm afraid of it. It's not about the lack of light at all but more to do with the unknown. Also, I may have watched too many scary movies growing up and mom would hide and jump out of random places when I was younger...so yeah that pretty much explains that fear. Thanks mom.

2) I love cottage cheese. I don't mean oh that would make a nice snack sometime this week. I mean I crave it and could eat it every single day. When I was little I hated it and really never gave it another thought until I moved here. It's like I turned 25 and started craving things that I didn't think I would until much much later in life. Oh come on you know those snacks that are stereotypically set aside for the more mature...fig newtons, prunes, etc. Well, I love it all but particularly cottage cheese...large curd, 4% milk fat goodness!

3) I love earthy smells - a lawn freshly mowed, mulch, moss, basically anything that would make a person with allergies' head explode. My coworkers at Michaels get a kick out of me standing in the floral section opening the boxes of spanish moss with a big grin on my face.

4) When I go for walks and no one is looking, I try and whistle to the birds as if they can understand me. When they stop and look, it only fuels my ridiculous notions!

5) I have had more than seven pairs of glasses in the last 15 years...and it's not because my eyesight is changing:(   

6) I'm kind of obsessed with the martial arts. No matter how bad the story is, if someone is involved in some sort of combat on film, I'm usually glued. 

7) I am the definition of a foodie. Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Cajun, Thai, African, Indian - it does not matter. I will try ANYTHING once. (Always excepting dinner invites, please and thank you.)

 8) I wasn't the kid who practiced her oscar speech in the mirror with a hairbrush (although I do have one of those prepared;). I was the kid who sat on the couch and had pretend interviews about my work with Barbara, Whoopi, Sherri, and Elizabeth. Oprah on special occasions.

9) My first and last involvement in the crime world took place on the kids aisle of what I think was a dollar store. I left the store with a small clump of play-dough nestled within my balled up fist. We got in the car, mom saw it, and well let's just say that a life of crime was not in the cards for me. I thought for sure I was going to jail. Can a three year old get arrested?

10) I have never had any sort of surgery and never had stitches. Knocking on wood as I type.

11) The Lion King is my favorite Disney movie. Now for those of you who know me, the fact that the previous statement is not in a size 40 font, bold, and italicized with pretty doodles of Nala and Simba running off of the page is a major testament to my self-control!!! 

12) I have watched every episode of What's My Line. If you're scratching your head because you've never heard of the show, 1. Shame on you and 2. Make your way to YouTube immediately! When you get there and notice that your screen is in black and white, PLEASE whatever you do, do not adjust your computer screens. (It's so embarrassing when my generation does that.)    

13) I think Shark Tank is pure fun.

14) I want to be Olivia Pope's half sister. Half, only because it was stated on the season premiere that she was an only child. So you see Olivia THINKS she's an only child. Come on Shonda Rhimes if anyone can write that story, you can!!!!!

15) Michael Jordan winked at me. Well, I wouldn't necessarily swear to that in a court of law but my cousins and I went to see him when he was playing with the Washington Wizards at the MCI center. At the end of the game before he exited the arena, a large group of rambunctious crazy young people ran to the side where we knew he was going to exit. He looked up, smiled, waved, and tossed an adorable little wink in my direction! My cousin also likes to claim the wink but MJ and I know the truth.

16) I have two half brothers one of which I've never met. 

17) In my next show, I will be playing a reporter who sings, dances, and just happens to be a pig. (Questions or concerns, message me:)

18) I've always wanted identical twin boys. But I've never wanted to dress them alike. Complimentary colors, patterns, fabrics, etc. but never alike. I may or may not have thought about this in great detail. 

19) I have had two bikes stolen since living in the city of Chicago. I've seen the first one on more than one occasion in my neighborhood. I know I know my bike wasn't the only one of its kind created but it doesn't make me wonder any less. 

20) My favorite place in the world to sing is and always will be in church.

THIRTY THINGS

1. List 20 random facts about yourself. (whit) (diana) 
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears. (whit)
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 5 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could. (whit)
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.