Photo-Shoot for Moon Over Manhattan: Behind the Scenes - PART I

CAST LIST

Primary Cast:
Denika - Lauren Steinmeyer
Cash - Orion Talley
Lexie - Angela Scherrah
Phin - Mark Knight
Liam - Richard Mark Jordan
Inari - Amanda Arma
Marlen - Tomer Versano
Zane - Robbie Skadal

Secondary Cast:
Demyan - Jerome Champigny
Shade - Mateo MacDermant
Dmitri - Kevin Jones
Rachel - Rachel Grundy
Brush - Cedric Jones

Make-up by Niki Quinn
Photography by Vince Lingner
Sword Choreography by Mark Rosenthal


WHAT AN AMAZING DAY! I couldn't have asked for much better of weather for this time of year in NYC so, thank you God! It was sunnier than my photographer would've liked but, alas, all in all...it was quite lovely out; sunny and 65 degrees with only a little wind.

Here's how the day went...

I was up at 5:30am on Oct. 17th and let me tell you...I'm used to getting home at 5:30am and going to bed after going to the club...not getting UP at 5:30am so it was a wee bit rough on me. I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt that way though.

Lauren and Robbie showed up at my place at 6:15am and by 6:30am we were off to Dunkin Doughnuts to buy 2 "Box of Joe" and some doughnuts for the cast and we hailed a car and off we went to Central Park.

We arrived at 81st and Central Park West by 7:09am and as we started into the park we got a text from Niki (Make-up Artist) and we collected her and off we went up the hill to Belvedere Castle. We commandeered a corner near the look out point so we'd not be in tourist's way and were set up and doing make-up by 7:30am! Here's a pic of Niki doing Angela's make-up:



As we began to do work on Lauren I hear Niki say "O.M.G." and I'm like, "What?" and then I turn around and say, "O.M.G." I'm so sorry I don't have pics of what I'm about to tell you but we didn't want to encourage them...so to speak.

I turned around to see two men, possibly in their early 40's, both dressed in normal attire but...they each had on a orange and black striped witch hat that had wild looking orange hair sticking out from under them (same orange as the stripes and obviously part of the hat). They were obviously wasted...and it didn't take long for them to spot us (as we were the only other people there at that hour) and they offered us beer. That's right, 8am and they had a mini-keg with them of Heiniken I believe and they were basically still up from the night before...enjoying the sun rise in Central Park...with us. LOL! Oh dear...they were a sight! We were lucky they decided not to "hang" out with us and went on there way to sit on the steps and sing and yell out drunken think like, "Oooh myyyy Gahhhd...I lost my iPod!" over and over...but usually it was just the "Oooh myyyy Gahhhd"...repeated. :)

They left by the time 9am rolled around so it wasn't a problem for the last half of the cast who showed up, but it was funny for those of us who watched the sun rise over the trees at Central Park. :)



Slowly but surely the group started to arrive. I'd scheduled them in broken up intervals so as to not cause actors to sit around with nothing to do as best I could...but know this, there is always downtime for the actors and models for something like this. Why? Because we can only do make-up on one or two people at a time. But I think we did pretty good and getting folks done quickly. We started with wigs, moved to make-up, then tattoos.

Yes, tattoos! Because the characters are supposed to be covered in a lot of urban tribal tats and my actors obviously were not, our Make-up goddess air brushed them from stencils she made prior to the day. Here she is putting some on Lauren:



While getting ready my behind the scenes photo guru, Robbie Skadal, was doing video and photos...as was I...I'll put them on the left or right as I continue to tell about the shoot. A HUGE plug for my friend Jet Berelson's store, VAMPIRE FREAKS for loaning us some of the clothes you see in these pictures! Most are from the store, either bought or lent. So if you like what you see you should visit the site! http://vampirefreaks.com/


Originally I'd not thought about make-up, like a fool, until Vince mentioned it and then I realized that he was right. Niki's work, as you will see from the final pics, is amazing work and I hightly recommend her. Great to work with, on time, professional, great with the actors/models, takes initiative, and comes through 100%. Her site is http://www.wix.com/nikiquinn/niki2 . She's just lovely to work with!

And for those of you who don't believe in make-up making something amazingly different, let me share these photos with you...this is Robbie, who plays Zane. We did a before and after Pics of him.

Also should mention our amazing photographer, Vince Lingner. Vince is a man of many talents; from acting to photography to set design/construction and the man can sew!
I should also state, that since my Stage Manager for the project ended up getting ill and her replacement bailed on me I had to really focus on timeline and technical things so my "creative side" was having a lot of trouble coming to the surface. Vince would ask "What do you want?" and my mind would go blank. It was wildly frustrating and upsetting to say the least, but Vince was my hero...as he often has been...and when I said "help" he jumped in with both feet and was just fantastic with getting shots we'd discussed before. Many thanks and hugs to that man are due in abundance! :) xoxo

So, on to the shoot itself, yes?

We started with group photos at the castle and it took everyone a bit to feel comfortable and fall into the groove but by the time we were done with the second pose they started to really get into it and have fun. We did pictures of not only the group but also of some singular shots so that the website can have a photo for each character description.

Here's a great one of Phin and then Cash:



Here is a candid of Jerome and Mark (Rosenthal)...enjoying the sun as they wait to be needed as well as pics of Tomer, Cash & Denika at the top of the castle, Richard getting his war paint on, a close of of Lauren (Denika), Angela as Lexie and Amanda as Inari!







When the shoot started we really were some of the only people at the Castle but once we hit around 10am, when the Castle opened, tourists started to flood in and it didn't take long for them to start asking what we were doing. I forsaw this so I brought some of my business cards and told the cast if they were asked just to tell them the truth and give them a card. A few people asked to have their picture taken with some of the girls (no big suprise there, they looked hot!) and by the time we were doing the tattoos for the 2nd half of the shoot and the actors/models were getting changed and ready to move to our other location we had a group of really wonderful ladies talking to us and taking some great photos. In fact, one lady got an amazing shot of Lauren I secretly hope she emails me. :) I asked her but alas, if she lost my card I'll never see it. *sigh* Oh well.

We changed clothes and up and moved to our second location...which will be PART II of my Behind the Scenes blog...but before I go I shall give you one of my fave group shots from Belvedere Castle:

NYC Comic Con

Yes...its that time...hold on to your britches and lets do this!

Time to tell you all about my first ever trip to the almighty NYC Comic Con!

What a crazy weekend it was and by the end of it, I'd lost my voice!

So, for those of you who don't know what Comic Con is (and I don't know who you people would be unless you've been under a rock for years), it is a yearly Comic Convention held in cities all over the world, San Diego being the biggest one and NYC the second biggest. It includes not just regular American comics but also Manga, Anime, video games, and anything Sci-Fi/Fantasy as well...including clothing, books, accesories, jewelry, actors of the genre...and so on.

How did I get to go to NYC Comic Con for free for THREE days? I got lucky enough to be picked to work for my friend Jet's store who had a booth there. (Hey, those years of retail and cashiering--5 years each--came in handy mom!) Jet is the owner of Vampire Freaks and my pal Annabel is the store manager...so I went in on Friday to help set up and then work selling things all day. It was really fun! I miss retail every now and again.

Anyhoo...best if we break down my excitement in days...

FRIDAY

I arrived at just after 9am to help Annabel set up all the merchandise...which included pulling stockings, gloves, fuzzy bunny scarves, and the like out of packages, putting a price on them and then putting them up for people to see (to consider to buy). I never left until the shopping area closed at 7pm. I then raced downstairs to a Fantasy Book Writers Talk with Jim Butcher and other writers whose names escape me, sorry. (Jim Butcher writes the Dresden Files btw...think Lord of the Rings meets Sherlock Holmes). Here are a few pics from that...Jim is on the far left in each shot.





While at the panel discussion we got to ask a few questions...and I got picked to ask. My question was basically this; "I'm a writer and I've written a few books, and have a few agents who have shown interest and they are reading my stuff as we speak but they're taking their sweet time. Is there anything I can do to help move it along? What would you suggest I do in this position?" The primary answer I got was one that made me feel really good. Why? Cause its exactly what I'm doing.

They said to keep writing, work on a project you are excited about, and keep sending out query letters. Woot! Its good to hear you're doing the right stuff, ya know?

Another cool thing was that someone asked about "process"; outlining etc. You see, I don't outline. It's all in my head. I mentally can stand in the middle of the circle and can turn this way and that to see my book in my head. When I go to write an outline my mind goes blank and the creative juices DIE a horrible and painful death. I come up with much cooler concepts and plots by just writing and seeing where my characters take me. And to be honest, I thought I was a wee bit broken. But guess what?! The two ladies on the panel admitted they too don't outline every single thing. One of them said she puts some basic stuff down so she knows where she's going but that she rarely stays on that path 100%. The second lady says she doesn't do any outline at all!

So, if you're a writer out there like me...and you're more creative and organized by keeping track of it in your head...its okay. You're not alone! Isn't that GREAT to hear?

Voice Level by end of day one of Comic Con = Rough
Voice Level by end of night at club = Super Rough

SATURDAY

Voice Level at start of day = Resembles a phone sex operator.

OMG is it CRAZY at Comic Con on Saturday! So many people you can barely walk around!!! But, you do see cool shit like this as you walk in:



I got to the Con by 12-ish (I'd planned to get there sooner but I was out seeing my friend Cage23 DJ at Absolution on Friday night so I overslept). I got to the con and set to seek out Melinda, who was waiting for a Manga Panel (because she was there as Press because she write a well known Manga Blog). We got to hang out for about 30 minutes and then we both had things to be at. But before I go further, let me tell you who this lovely lady is...

The Melinda Story: When I was in 4th grade I met this nice little girl on the playground (on the merry-go-round to be exact) at recess and we became fast friends, as girls tend to do. We started hanging out, playing Barbies and so on at each other's houses...and she introduced me to the world of theatre, as her parents were both very involved in it. Her mom taught voice privately and her dad taught theatre at our local high school. They introduced me to musicals...the first two I ever heard being Sweeny Todd and The Fantastics. This exposure made me want to know more and more and before I knew it my parents took me to my first play, The Miracle Worker...my second play, The Fantastics...my third play, Midsummer Nights Dream. Thinking back on that...I think it says a lot about me, and my writing, my favorite stories, etc.

Anyhoo, what I suppose I'm getting at here is that, if it wasn't for meeting Melinda back then I am pretty sure my life wouldn't have gone down the road it did so...she's pretty important in my history. So to reconnect with her as an adult was honestly and truly fantastic. :)

Back to the Con...

After talking to Melinda I headed off to find one of my favorite actors (one of the main reasons I wanted to be at the con), James Marsters. For those of you who are saying, "Name sounds familiar but..."; He played Spike in the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. He also has been in many other TV shows like Torchwood, Smallville, Caprica and now Hawaii Five-O. I got in line and got a chance to meet him and have him sign something to me. :) Here's a pic I took of him as he was chatting to one of the ladies who was ahead of me in line AND a pic of my autograph (its not a great pic but you get the idea):



When he was signing my pic I of course professed my undying love....JOKING...I didn't say that at all. I did tell him I was a fan of his things from Buffy to H5O and appologize for my voice being utter shite. He then said it sounded sultry and sexy. **swoon**

From here I wandered...correction...I floated over to Artists Alley. I was determined to find the man who draws the Buffy comic. (I had destroyed my room that morning to find my comics for him to sign; I'd ordered the first two of the entire series waaaay long ago). His name is Georges Jeanty. Now, unlike the map you get for the vendors, the map for the artists shows you the list of the artists in attendance...and then a map of the tables with numbers on tables...buuuuut nothing to connect the two. I detect a flaw in NYCC plan here, do you?

So I found a man with a clip-board and he told me to go to J3. I headed over there and introduced myself and said, "You're the only reason I came over here" (meaning Artist Alley). I asked him about the different covers I had for my multiple issues of Issue's 1 & 2. He told me that one was a first print of the 1st book ever released with an alternate cover. OF COURSE I had him sign that one! Actually, he was cool enough to sign them all...and then tell me how cute I was. :) --made my day even better-----I've been told my voice is sexy/sultry and now that I'm cute and have great legs. Its a winning sorta day here people!

Here's a pic of the charming Georges and I:



I had to get moving because I had purchased a photo-op at 3pm so I promised him I'd come back to visit later and ran off to pick up my ticket to get Jim Butcher's autograph later and then...got in line for the highlight of the con; a picture with James Marsters!!!

I came into the booth and said "I'm back" (cause I'd just seen him at the autograph spot) and he gave a hug (yeah, that was effin' awesome!). He told me how much he loved my shirt...and I said to him how much I enjoyed his work, how honest his work was, and how I loved how diverse his work could be. His jaw dropped a bit (guess he's used to people going "I'm like, this huge fan and in love with you). He then thanked me with this utter look of great appreciation (or shock) on his face and instead of me pulling him in for the picture he pulled me into him, rested his head on mine and POOF, pic taken. Here it is:



Very happy with it. Georges said I looked nervous in it...he's right...I do a bit. But you get ONE shot to get your picture & you've paid $60 for it...and photos of me are 50/50. Half the time they're great, half the time they're FAR from great and I was nervous it would be the latter of the two. Luckily for me, it was the former.

I then headed to get in line to talk to Jim Butcher and then have him sign a book and then I fought my way through the masses to find Melinda again. We hung out, had some sandwiches (yes, us older folk bring our lunch to save money kids!) and by now my voice is something I'm fighting for.

I'm having such a great time with her that I agree to go into this Manga panel (which was really interesting actually...even though I know nothing of Manga). One of the cutest things was this story about a cat: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9234 A book about a adorable cat called Chi. The Manga series is called Chi's Sweet Home. They even had a tiny stuffed Chi at the panel table. Super sweet (pun intended)!

As this panel ended I realized the time and that Georges Jeanty would be gone. :( I hate breaking promises. I even went upstairs and went in to see if per chance he was still there (even though most everyone was out). But he was gone. So, I went home.

Voice at end of Saturday = Mostly gone...pushing for sound.

SUNDAY

Voice at top of Sunday = Whispering so as to not hurt my throat. Could push for sound but it hurt and was difficult.

I wasn't planning to go to the convention on Sunday. I had an afternoon meeting with my web designer to add Moon Over Manhattan to the site and talk about the pictures that were going to be available soon due to the photo-shoot. BUT, I'd made a promise to the nice artist and I really enjoyed his company so...I got up, dressed, and headed BACK to Comic Con for a third day.

Sunday wasn't as crazy as Saturday by far and I honestly just headed straight for Artists Alley and to Georges' table. I got there around 10am and got to hang with him (eventually just sitting behind the table with him) until almost 2pm. Hanging out with Georges is like hanging out with someone I've known for years even when I've known him such a short time. He's not only talented but also wickedly charming. I'm hoping to get to hang out with him the next time he's in NYC...for alas, he lives in Atlanta, Georgia. :(

While sitting with him chatting I got to meet some of his artist friends in the biz, which was really cool, and I got to meet this GREAT gal, Ana. She is from Wales and works for Harper-Collins...and she's Pagen...and she write YA Fantasy! We totally hit it off and talked for at least a half hour and exchanged info. I've been in need of a Wiccan/Pagen to review my stuff in Living Dead Girl and wanted it desperately to be someone English because I have so many English characters...PLUS she's really cool and has a lot of the same great love in Fantasy writing that I do. And, she draws! She had her first book come out two weeks ago about Susan Boyle's cat! :) Here's a Costume Pic of her from Saturday I believe...isn't it awesome?



So as I walked aut of Comic Con I thought about how amazing it was, not just for all the cool things to see, but all the cool people you get to meet. I love nothing more than networking and it was a great place to do that.

I leave you with a pic of my FAVE Star Wars character. This little dude was a working robot that played music, made all the R2D2 noises and rolled along the aisles. LOVE HIM!



If this was my first Comic Con ever...what will my 2nd hold?

xo

Tamsin :)

P.S. Voice on Monday morning = NOTHING LEFT....by Tuesday I was home sick...and didn't make it back to work till Friday. It was worth it. ;)

California Vacation: Part IV - 3D Party, Hangin' at Henry's Hat, the cook out & closing thoughts on LA.

The vaction blogging is coming to a close with this entry...but have no fear...the two weekends that followed my vacation were even MORE exciting than my vacation!

Coming up next time will be my blog on my three days at NYC COMIC CON!

After that...my blog will be about the almighty photo-shoot for Moon Over Manhattan!

So, stay tuned after this for sure!

Anyhoo...on to THIS blog first, yes? Here we go.

It was my last weekend in LA and my friend Anna and I had discussed going to a club. I really wanted to check out the local Goth/Industrial/EBM scene but just like most people, the name scares people off and hence it was not what anyone wanted to do. BUT, it just so happened that there was a 3D Movie Festival going on in LA and Anna was able to get us into this exclusive party at Avalon (sp?) over on Hollywood and Vine on the guest list of the man producing it. SWEET huh?

So, we got all dressed up, which gave me a chance to wear my dress from the rehearsal dinner again (double bonus!). Here are Anna and I before we headed out:



So we get to the party...walk past this huge line of people, give our name to the man with the list...and walk in. As we go in we're handed 3D glasses (the black ones like you got in NYC when you went to see Avatar)...and even before I get my glasses on, I'm blown away! This building is amazing!

We go through a side room as we enter with a small dance floor, two DJ's, and well, it reminds me of home and my clubs with the size...but remember, this is just ONE ROOM of the club so we walk into the place's lobby/foyer. It has some 3D art up on the walls and then there is this cool projection on the floor to the right at the base of the stairs. There were 4 scenes and it would alternate. Each picture would change if you stepped on it. For example(s)...

This one; the gems would move around if you stepped on the picture.


This one; the reflection of the moon would shimmer in the water.


This one; the pink flowers would float about the black and white city scape.


This one; the leaves would move around the forrest.


So, after we played with the floor art we went up the stairs...these wide red carpeted stairs that reminded me of the stairs from Phantom of the Opera EXCEPT at the top they split and you could go right or left. They both led to the same floor. If you turned one direction there was a room with couches and smoking and a bar. We got drinks and went back the way we came, going in the other direction. Here we found this balcony with seats to watch the screens hanging over and around the primary dance floor. You can see some pics of the main floor to the left here as I talk about the bar. (Also can see it was put on by REAL 3D...see the logo!)

After we saw this we definitely wanted to head down to the primary floor. Down the Phantom of the Opera stairs we went, curved around to our left and entered the main floor. We got lucky enough to get a spot near the back center just as the DJ started to play some really cool graphics to go with his music. All this Halloween type stuff....

So there we stood, dancing as best we could (it was packed) and watching pumpkins and skeletons float above the crowd. It was totally wicked!!! :) We were just getting into the groove of the place (which, I'll admit, was hard for me music wise as it wasn't great music but it was passable)when it went down hill. :(

Some jackass DJ from Chicago took over and his music was HANUS! No words. The same beat over and over...if you could call it a beat! The "beat" was never steady and the video he switched to was just of some hot Asian girl dressed in club attire dancing. NOTHING 3D about it at all.

Needless to say we decided that was our sign to take a few pics and get the hell out. We stopped briefly to dance in the small side room for a few songs and then...we headed out into the evening...where we walked up and down Hollywood and Vine looking at the star plaques on the sidewalk...I put an icon of film, Bette Davis, at the top of this entry...and here, I will put the lady who I wanted to be as a child...mainly because she was the star of my favorite movie growing up. Gee, I bet you can't guess what it was! ;)



So, though the building was tramendous...and the 3D started out cool...and the music was passable...it all didn't last long. The music went down hill FAST and overall the night was soooorta a bust. BUT, the 3D stuff that was good was super cool AND I did get to hang with Anna, which is always fun...no matter where we are so...it was still a good night.

Anyways...we headed home to curl up on the couch with some munchies and Anna finally agreed...after two years in a row of bad bar choices...that I get to pick the club next time I'm there! YES! Have no fear Anna...I'll find a good Goth/Industrial/EBM club that plays 80's too if I can! :)

The next day was Anna and Zach's 1 year wedding anniversary so I had to make myself scarce! They dropped me and my luggage off at Lauren's work (Henry's Hat) and I took a seat to watch football and wait for my NYC pal, James Huffman, to bring his lovely fiance out for football and a drink to say hi. I've not seen Jim in a few years so I was super excited to see him. Here he and Kristen, his fiance, are:



Isn't she lovely? She works in pharmaceuticals so we had stuff to chat about (which shocked her cause usually people just not when she says what she does...LOL! I know how she feels! ) Then we had her take a pic of me and James...and we got the usual Jim pic where he did something crazy...which we made him correct...here's the "good" pic...LOL!:



Anyhoo, they left and I hung out with Lauren until Josh and Sarah came to pick me up to stop by a cook-out a friend of there's was throwing to go along with some more football! Their house was beautiful! A center fireplace open on all sides so the living room and the dining room can enjoy it! Krista's room was to die for...a large bedroom where both the walls to the outside were large windows wrapping the room and then, a bathroom/changing room with more storage than my whole apartment! I was green with envy for sure!

But what was really great was meeting more of Josh and Sarah's friends. Terrance and Krista especially! They are best friends and I clicked with them both quite quickly. Krista writes Poetry so I plan to hit her up with some help on the books, to be honest. I suck at poetry so hence, the spells and such...NOT my forte!

Here's a pick, L to R, of Erick, me, Terrance, Alicia and Krista.



As I was leaving Alicia, Terrance and Krista were saying "move to LA!". Which brings me to my last note of my trip.......

I don't hate LA like I used to.

I know, no one is more shocked than me.

I honestly think the difference is like I mentioned in the previous blog (Part III). To enjoy LA, you need to know people in LA and you need to go do things people who live in LA do. Its not like NYC where the fun of being there stems from "city life" and all the things that entails. It comes from having a love of GREAT weather (which they have an abundance of), great scenery (again, on the plenty!), and hanging out doing normal things with people you enjoy. Which, I got the complete honor and priveledge to do.

To be honest...I've talked of eventually moving to San Diego (some day, not soon, but some day--no one freak out)...which is still a possiblity as I honestly HATE the traffic in LA. But...if I end up in LA someday...somewhere near all these amazing people I knew before and now know after...I don't think I'd be too bent outta shape.

I leave you with two fun pics I failed to put into Part III's entry...of when Lauren and I went into the Halloween store and tried on hats (her pizza hat is cute, no? The question is, what costume does THAT go to?) . I miss this girl terribly and hate that she lives all the way on the other side of the USA, but, I suppose I'll just have to get out to LA more than once a year from now on...cause I love my Anna, Lauren, and Josh too much to stay away.

Oh, and the weather isn't half bad. ;)

Much love,

Tamsin :) xo

Tell me, do you think my hat's a bit too big on me? I think its rather fetching! ;)

California Vacation: Part III - A hike, some sun, a rainbow and Harry Potter!

Aaaaand....I'm back.

So...more on the vacation shall we?

After the zoo and seeing Josh I crashed at Lauren's pad for the night. The next day we went on this amazing hike around Lake Hollywood! It's created by a dam. Here are a few pics!







As you can see, all around the lake are woods. As we hiked around the lake we got lucky enough to see a pair of deer...which sadly I didn't get a picture of. It's this quiet, beautiful, nature filled place surrounded by mountains...in the middle of LA. Just amazing!

After this day/evening I moved into Anna and Zach's guest room in Burbank, CA (a subdivision of LA) and we girls went out for dinner down at Burbank outdoor mall. On Wednesday Lauren picked me up and we headed to the beach! We packed a lunch and ate on the beach between Santa Monica and Venice. Just a beautiful day!


(psst...that's Lauren laying in her little black bikini on the beach!)



We laid out in the sun for a few hours, perused Venice Beach (bought a new ring), and then headed home. On the way home, just as we were nearing Burbank it started to rain just a bit (which is unusual for LA, btw) and low and behold we saw a rainbow form right in front of us! See:





Thursday EVERY-ONE had to work during the day so I slept in (not that my skin should've been seeing sun, to be honest), did some writing and downloaded pictures. Once everyone was home I'd orchestrated dinner with all my "NY to LA" friends. Josh picked Anna and I up and then Lauren...and we headed to The Cat & The Fiddle where we took these lovely pics of us all:

LAUREN AND ANNA


LAUREN AND ME


JOSH AND ME


AND FINALLY...ALL 4 OF US


Josh was such a sweetie to drive us around that night. Unlike NYC, there is NO drinking of even ONE beer or glass of wine if you're going to drive in LA. The legal limit is .08 there and one beer can sometimes do that to you...and there are check-points everywhere!

Friday held a special surprise. Lauren and I decided to go shopping. We went to the Burbank Mall (and I bought a kick ass pair of combat boots!) and then went to Universal Studio City and low and behold...my pal David (who unbeknownst to me had moved to LA from NYC the month previous) got in touch and was in the area. He met us for lunch. Here is is with Lauren and then with me:





That night Lauren had to work so Anna and I headed over to Josh and Sarah's for....HARRY POTTER NIGHT! Yep. Since the new HP movie is coming out in November Josh and Sarah (and friends of theirs) are doing one movie a week (watching movie #1-#6) until the new one comes out. This was the premier party...for movie #1. What was really cool was that his friend Debbie had just gotten back from going to the brand new Harry Potter Theme Park! (SO JEALOUS!) where she'd gotten this!!!!





While we were all still talking, waiting to start the movie, a friend of Sarah's (Josh's fiance) arrived and I was like, "I just saw your show for the first time". If you've never seen Pit Boss on Animal Planet you'd not recognize him...and I'd never seen the show until I was on the plane to be honest. But Sebastian was a cool dude.



After the movie we all wanted a pic with our "wands a-ready!"...but we only had one wand so...we...improvised...LOL! See for yourself (and yes I'm holding a curling iron...and no, I have NO idea WHAT Josh is holding!LOL!):



It was fun to do things that those who live in LA do...vs. touristy stuff! FYI. So if you're gonna go to LA...have someone you know show you around to the things THEY love about LA. It makes all the difference!

Anyhoo...I bring this entry to a close with a pic of Anna and I (and my new boots!) as we headed to Josh's HP shin-dig. More later...

Tamsin :) xo

Dear LGBT teens, heterosexual teens, parents and teachers:

I'll be honest, I don't normally talk about things going on in the media, but I want to take a short break here from my "Vacation Highway" of blogging to do so...primarily because this issue of bullying hits home for me.

As a kid in both Jr. High and High School I was picked on incessantly. If it wasn't for my weight (which is funny as I was actually tiny then...like, 105 lbs!) it was for my faith. If it wasn't that it was for being different or having a dad who was their teacher and disciplined them (obviously because they bloody well needed it!).

I got picked on for being STRAIGHT and not having a boyfriend. (There is no limit to what kids will select as their ammunition).

I was followed home from school by kids who threatened to kick my ass.

I was blamed for things I didn't do...being others scapegoat.

It didn't matter the class...or the year I was in...or if I was even IN the classroom! I had a stint where a girl used to give me utter hell everytime I had to go to my locker. I would try and carry as much as I could so as to not have to go back to it during the day...but "lunch time" happens and there she'd be.

It started in 1st Grade and it continued until my senior year...slowing down in 9th grade when I finally stopped "taking it" and stood up verbally to one of my bullies. Obviously Jr. High was worse...but though it let up by high school it was still there...and by then let's be honest; the damage was done. I had low self esteem, thought I was ugly, always kept an eye out for trouble coming my way, said very little in school so as to not give them any amunition, and basically retreated into myself when I wasn't in theatre class or on stage.

Did I want to kill myself? No. I suppose I figured that would mean those assholes had "won" if I did that. But was I miserable? Yes. My mom would always know when I was dealing with the worst of it because, as she says, "You'd come home from school and sleep. You'd be awake just long enough for dinner and homework and then you'd be asleep again." I still sleep when stressed to be honest. But as weird as it sounds, its a much better option than sleeping permanently.

The fact that bullying has now jumped to ridicule LGBT teens...on top of all the other teasing...it breaks my heart and makes me quite angry. A person's sexual preference is something they're born with; like your nose or ears. To be teased for it is absolutely uncalled for!

I'm a certified Secondary Education Teacher and have taught both middle school and high school. As a teacher I watched kids go through this and I stepped in every chance I could. If you're a teacher don't sit by idly...pay attention...listen to the kids around you...watch their behavior. It can take one teacher who cares to make a difference.

I say the same to parents/adults. We all push through our lives often focused on ourselves and our issues...and the "teen problems" seem trite in comparison. Remember...they're not trite to those going through them for the first time. Take time to listen to your teen. It will make all the difference for them now...and later in life. My parent's were super supportive...and I knew I could always tell them things. I have no doubt that had a lot to do with my state of mind.

To fellow students I say this; these years are NOT the years to attack, but to bond...to help each other grow into the amazing adults you can be. To see kids pick on each other to make themselves feel better is wrong. Whether they do it to get attention or because they're lashing out to ease their own pain OR just because they're a ruthless, self-obsorbed, mean & bitter excuse for a human being does NOT give you the right to watch it happen and do nothing. Help your fellow students. If you all do that, the bullies will lose their power...giving it back to you, the one who deserves it.

I had a friend in college who was having problems at home. His family life was super rough. He was a extremely talented artist and had just gotten a full scholarship to a huge university for the following year...yet...he shot himself in the head one night. I have no idea how this made sense to him or how long I cried. What an unbelievable waste. He would've been out of that situation in six months! Or, better yet, he could've gone to live with a friend. But that wasn't his choice...and I desperately wish it hadn't been.

And though he wasn't gay, many of my friends are gay or lesbian. They are some of the most powerful, talented, giving, accepting and loving individuals I know. If you are LGBT and feel like you're flailing let me tell you something...you're not the only one...and it's not just LGBT's who are getting treated like this...its almost everyone in school. So hang on, remember that there is a rainbow called "college" that is waiting for you where you'll get to be yourself without ridicule and you'll know many people who've gone through the same things. Suicide isn't an answer, it's a cop out...it's giving in to the bullies and giving up...and you're better than that. You're better than them who pick on you, too.

Now, if you are a LGBT teen and need someone to talk to...and you can't talk to your parents or you don't have a friend who understands....you can call the Trevor Project. They are a 24/7 hotline for LGBT teens who need someone to talk to. The Trevor Lifeline number is 866-4-U-TREVOR.

For more information on them go here: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

And remember...no one needs to love you but you! And if you can see the good in yourself and love yourself for your differences...others will too. Trust me, you're not alone. Plus, there are people who can help...just take a moment before you do something you can't take back. Most everyone, including that so called "in crowd", gets picked on. I know you don't believe that, but they all have someone who razzes the hell outta them too. Maybe it's not at school...maybe its at home...but trust me, they have it also.

So please, LGBT teens, let these string of suicides give you the courage to NOT follow in their footsteps...but to reach out to someone who accepts and loves you for who you are. With a world this size, trust me, there's many out there who do.

With much love, understanding, acceptance and support,

Tamsin xo :)