Tuesday

I had a meeting with an acting career counselor yesterday. He's a director/choreographer who has been in theatre for thirty years. He came very highly recommended from my Aunt Yoli. So I met him at his home in Queens yesterday... it took about an hour to get there by train because the train got stuck for half an hour. But that's ok. I got there and he was really kind and seemed to really know what he was talking about. I showed him my headshots and resume and he told me everything I needed to adjust on my resume. Then he said he liked my headshots, but that I need some that are a bit more commercial and marketable to the musical theatre crowd. I don't have a smiling headshot and he said that at least a friendly looking one was necessary (all of mine are fairly serious). So I'm looking at getting some new headshots.

And I will need them to start doing the mailings that he recommends. He says that there is a lot of extra work to be found in New York and the best way to get involved is to mail headshots/resumes to the casting directors with very specific cover letters addressing the directors personally. But I need the headshots before I can do these mailings...it's one big giant holding pattern.

Anyway - here's my new hair!















I took the photos myself... so don't make fun. And you'll notice the shelving system behind me, the one that I assembled myself, thank you very much.

p.s. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

I think I might be going to see a play tonight. Not the spookiest way to celebrate Halloween, but I'll force myself to watch a scary movie when I get home. And someone eat some candy for me - though Scott says he's gonng buy some just in case kids stop by the apartment.

Fun Weekend

The past three days have been really fun. Let me tell you all about it....

So on Thursday my furniture came from Ikea - it was six boxes of... let's just call it...materials... that I then have to assemble (somehow) and out of all of these materials, create a large wall-length shelving system and a full sized bed frame and headboard. Ha ha ha. But seriously. That same day, a desk and file cabinet that I ordered from Staples arrived - also to be assembled by moi. So... I was a little overwhelmed. But I had no time to concern myself - because I was off to get my free haircut at bumble & bumble salon!

Turns out - everyone who trains at bumble & bumble - at least those that practice their technique on hair models - are already trained stylists. They just go to bumble & bumble to learn new cutting edge techniques... cutting edge... get it? ha ha ha... So bumble & bumble is more like haircutting graduate school than a beauty school. So I was relieved that an experienced stylist would be cutting my hair and not a student as I originally thought. I was getting the "long layered razor-technique" - which means they splice layers into my hair and trim it using only a razor to do so. It was pretty cool. And I love the result! It's very cute. I have very cute side-swept bangs. I'll post a picture soon! But that's enough about that.

So then I went back home and assembled my desk and filing cabinet - because those were the smaller of the four daunting tasks I had ahead of me. And I did it pretty quickly - so I was proud.

Friday morning I got up early and assembled my shelving unit. It's fairly giant and it took awhile... but I did it all myself! And it looks great. Then I unpacked the rest of my boxes and loaded all of my books, etc. onto the shelves. So, finally, all of my boxes are unpacked. Yay!! Then my friend adam was supposed to come over and help me assemble the bed, but he was running late, so I started to do it myself... and I got the entire bed frame set up on my own! But then came the complicated inner working support that holds the mattress up... so I waited for Adam for that. And he was very kind and we got it together in about an hour. So now I have a room! Yay!

That night was wonderful too! I met my Uncle Dan & Aunt Barb at this great little italian restaurant in the theatre district - it was really good. And then we went and saw the broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone (it won the Tony for best musical this year!) and it was wonderful! Did I mention the tickets Uncle Dan got were in the SECOND row?!?! They were AWESOME seats and it was so cool to be that close and to see all of the little things the actors do. It was wonderful - and the show was sooo funny and good. I loved it. I am very appreciative to them for it.

Saturday I spent cleaning up the apartment and putting away the rest of my stuff. And then that afternoon I met Dan & Barb at an alumni reception for the performing arts high school that Aunt Barb is artistic director for. It was neat - I met some people who have been very successful here in the city and it was fun to hang out with them. Then Dan & Barb came over to my apartment to meet my roommate and see the place that I live! I think they really liked it a lot (both the apartment and my roommate...) so that's good. Now they can report back to my Mom & Dad and assure them that I am safe here in the big city....

That night a couple of friends came over because they hadn't seen my place yet. That was fun - we just kinda sat around and talked. I love that my college friends are here, because otherwise it would have been a bit lonely adjusting to the city. I also can't wait to meet new people. I am going to start taking more classes and hopefully once I have a job I will start meeting new people.

And I am very thankful to have gained an hour today. Hooray for fall! I hope everyone is doing well and sorry for the ultra long post....oh! Tomorrow I am meeting with a career counselor who is also a theatre director/choreographer who has had a pretty remarkable career. He's going to help me with audition material and my headshot/resume and just kind of guide me in the right direction as I'm starting out here in the biz. Hopefully he will be very helpful. I'll keep you posted...

All my love.

Restless

I am officially a hair model at Bumble & Bumble salon. The salon gives free haircuts in exchange for having real people instead of dummy heads for their stylists-in-training to practice on. So, yes, I am a glorified dummy head... but I get a free haircut by an up-an-coming stylist who is training at the top salon in New York... so I think it's a pretty good trade. My appointment is at 12:00pm - I'm just getting a trim and getting my bangs cut.

Today is also the day that Ikea delivers my stuff! Luckily Scott is working from home today - so if my furniture hasn't come by the time I need to get my hair cut, he'll be here to sign for it. And then I get to assemble it. Awesome. Although, I do consider myself fairly handy. But I think Scott is going to help me - and possibly Adam (my friend Sarah's boyfriend).

So last night was fun. I went to Greg's improv class again - and I feel like I might actually getting worse at improv - but Greg insists I'm a natural. (He's family and he has to say that....) But after that I met up with my Uncle Dan & Aunt Barb! And Greg got to meet them - Greg is actually Uncle Dan's 2nd cousin - and I'm Greg's Third cousin - or something like that. Anyway - Dan is closer in relation to Greg than I am - so that was neat for them to meet. And it was soooo wonderful to see them. I am, of course, missing close family here in the big city - and to see them was almost as good as seeing my Texas family. (I still miss you, please please come visit me...).

Anyway - it was kind of loud at the bar we were at - but it's always loud at bars here so I don't know why we thought this one would be any different. It was kinda weird because we were all having this weird sort of family reunion - but a lot of the people from the improv class were there too - so it was a weird mix. But it was fun. And Dan, Barb and I are all going out on Friday night - and I think Uncle Dan is trying to get tickets to a show! Hooray! I am excited to hang out with them. And Mema, I'll be sure and give Aunt Barb a birthday hug for you!

Sammy and Me

Hi all,

I thought I would post another video, so check that out below. Also - here is a photo of my Uncle Tom and Aunt Yoli and me at The Cloisters. A desciption of what the Cloisters is follows, pulled from the museum's website:

The Cloisters—described by Germain Bazin, former director of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, as "the crowning achievement of American museology"—is the branch of the Metropolitan Museum devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. Located on four acres overlooking the Hudson River in northern Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park, the building incorporates elements from five medieval French cloisters—quadrangles enclosed by a roofed or vaulted passageway, or arcade—and from other monastic sites in southern France. Three of the cloisters reconstructed at the branch museum feature gardens planted according to horticultural information found in medieval treatises and poetry, garden documents and herbals, and medieval works of art, such as tapestries, stained-glass windows, and column capitals. Approximately five thousand works of art from medieval Europe, dating from about A.D. 800 with particular emphasis on the twelfth through fifteenth century, are exhibited in this unique and sympathetic context.


Now you know. They took me there while I was staying with them a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty cool.

Anyway - I will post again soon. Check out the video link below.

All my love,
Krystal





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwgZme8TR1k

The View

I found my digital camera today whilst unpacking and decided it would be a fun idea to take a video of the view from my apartment. I thought you might like it - so I hope it works. I had to join 'you tube' - even though I still don't quite understand what all the hype is about. But, it did allow me to publish a video online for free - so I'm a fan. Just click on the link below - it should take you to the video~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhfqLpgG3ro

Photo

Photo of Alex and His wife, Marcy on their wedding day!

Hi all,

Last night I went out with Alex and his wife, Marcy, and as I said before, I wasn't sure what it was going to be like. I hadn't actually hung out with Alex in about 5 years - so I didn't know what to expect from him and his wife. Well let me tell you, I had an AWESOME time. They were just wonderful and I really, really enjoyed myself. I really like Marcy - she's very cool and down to earth and Alex and I had a lot of fun catching up. We went to a karaoke bar and sang "Time after Time" by cyndi lauper as a duet. It was awesome. I am hoarse today.

Needless to say, the evening involved drinking and staying up late, which normally would be fine on a Saturday night- except that this morning (Sunday) I had to wake up at 8:15 AM to get to Tom & Yoli's apartment by 9:30 to go to IKEA. So... I was a little crazy and a little dehydrated....

However, my Ikea shopping adventure was definitely time and money well-spent. I went with my Aunt Yoli, Uncle Tom and their friend Frida. We spent about 2 1/2 hours in the store... and I got just about everything I needed.



<----- My new duvet











THEN we went to a store called B.J.'s (very similar to Cosco or Sam's) - and I got a few things that I had been avoiding buying in the city due to the exorbitant cost. Still... it was a long long day and I am pretty sleepy now. Scott and I went out for Sushi and I'm about to go and meet up with Jana and Sarah - two of my old Evansville pals and an old teacher of ours, Julie Dubiner, who is in town for the weekend. It should be fun.

For now, my room is a mess with lots of stuff that I have no where to put...and lots of Ikea bags. My furniture is being delivered Thursday and I should be able to get my act together after that. I just feel very messy and disorganized right now - but I suppose that's to be expected.

Hope everyone is well... and I'm enjoying the comments people are leaving (that goes mostly to my mom. and beth. ) :-) And don't cry for me Mom - I actually enjoyed the good long cry I had during Mr. Holland's Opus... it was refreshing. All my love....

I cried today

Sorry for the depressing title... but this morning I woke up early because Sammy was barking incessantly... it really doesn't bother me. But it woke me up. So anyway... I was up at 8am and I turned on the T.V. and the movie Mr. Holland's Opus was on. Just a note - spoiler coming up. So if you haven't seen the film - resist the burning urge to read on. But back to the movie. I am a big fan of this movie - and I was excited. Well... I was getting really into it and then came the part when they find out their son Cole is deaf - and I started bawling. We're not talking a little teary eyed... oh no... BAWLING (I know Sarah is feeling my pain right now.... j/k... ha ha ha) But seriously - I couldn't STOP! It was ridiculous. Finally I stopped. But then the part came where the principal retires and tells Mr. Holland that he was her favorite teacher. Krystal=Bawling. Then came the part where the drummer dies in the war. Krystal=Bawling. Then it just became ridiculous. I couldn't stop. And I decided that I have to do something with my life that can impact people the way Mr. Holland impacted all of those around him.

Anyhoo. I'm going out for drinks with Alex Adams and his wife tonight. For those who don't know, Alex was my very first boyfriend in high school and I haven't really seen him since high school. So, it should be fun. We both agreed it might be a little awkward... but we're both here in New York and we're both actors and we're old friends - so why not hang out? We're going to a Karaoke bar - so it should be a fun time.

I also did nothing productive today. But tomorrow I am going to Ikea with my aunt & uncle - Tom & Yoli - they live in the city and have kindly offered to take me. I'm excited because then I will finally have my furniture and can unpack my boxes. I did unpack all of my clothes - and I, of course, brought too many. And yet I still have nothing to wear. Ha ha ha....

More later.

Just so you know

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have changed the settings on my blog to allow everyone to comment. It was previously (and automatically) set at "members of blog only are allowed to comment." So - feel free to comment!

P.S. Blythe Danner was AWESOME. She played a role very much like the role I played in "A Little Night Music" - though she was much better in a wheelchair than I was. I learned a lot watching her. More later....

It's Warm Here

It has been surprisingly warm the past two days here... which is really nice because I thought New York had a winter that turned freezing in October and didn't let up until April... so I'm relieved. I went jogging outside yesterday in shorts and a t-shirt and it was really nice.

Unfortunately, I found out that I am not going to have access to the gym in my apartment. Apparently, since I am not on the official lease, Scott (my roommate) would have to go with me every time I want to go to the gym. And he is gone all day long - which is when I planned on working out. So... I decided to sign up with "Crunch" - a gym that is really popular in the city. I got a good deal and I'm really excited because it's a really cool gym and I will want to go and workout just to be in such a cool facility.

I also went to an Improv class last night that my cousin, Greg, teaches. He runs a studio called GS Improv and even has his own improv troop. The class was really fun - I was the youngest person there which I was surprised to find. But it was actually really cool to work with a bunch of adults who all have their own lives and don't consider themselves actors - but who just really love to do improv on the side. It was neat. And Greg is so wonderful. He wants to take me out to dinner to meet his wife, Sally, and he's just been nothing but helpful. He gave me the names of a bunch of acting and voice coaches and also the name of a really great studio that offers classes in the city. He's just great - I'm very glad my grandma sought him out and connected us because it's so helpful to know someone who has experience acting in the city.

I am still trying to get settled into my apartment and the city. The cable guy came today to move the internet and all of scott's computer screens out of my bedroom. Scott is a daytrader, so he has a kind of intense computer system set up - i.e. he has this four screen computer that is all on one hardrive.... it's crazy. Anyway - he doesn't even use it that often - but he is moving it to his room so that my room will actually be mine now. Once he gets home from work today we're moving all the rest of his stuff out - and this Saturday I am taking a free bus shuttle from Manhattan to the Ikea in Elizabeth, New Jersey to buy my furniture! Hooray! I was just going to order my furniture online - but I found out that when you do that, everything is shipped from the IKEA warehouse in Sweden, so the shipping is ridiculously expensive. If I go to the actual store, pick out my stuff, buy it there, then have it delivered - it's just a flat rate of $99 to have it delivered to my apartment. So, once I get my furniture and can actually set up my room I will be very relieved.

I am going to see a play tonight with my friend Jana who lives here in the city. We were roommates in college and I'm really glad she's here. Not only because she's a great friend - but because she works at this theatre marketing firm that often has free theatre tickets for their employees. Ergo.... I get free tickets when Jana gets two and is so kind to invite me along! Anyway, we're seeing Suddenly Last Summer starring Blythe Danner (Gwenyth Paltrow's mom!). The show hasn't even opened yet - tonight is the final dress rehearsal. But in New York, critics, corporations, sponsors, etc. all get invites to the final dress rehearsals of big broadway shows before they even open. I'm very excited.

I'll let you know how it is! All my love!

Photo of Me

Rainy Day

I am spending my first full day as a resident of New York City. It is rainy... but that's ok. I've decided I must get used to/enjoy rain instead of letting it affect my mood.

Anyway - about the apartment - it is lovely. It is in a luxury high rise building on the East side of Manhattan in the neighborhood Murray Hill. I'm on the 54th floor in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. My roommate

is named Scott - he is a daytrader who goes to New Jersey to work 10 hour days and then comes back to Manhattan every night.

That being said, the reason I am living in this beautiful apartment is because Scott wanted a roommate who would be home during the day (more so than he is, anyway) in order to keep his adorable dog company.

Enter Sammy....

Sammy is a 1 yr old pomeranian. He is extremely well-loved by Scott and I am doing my best to get him to be comfortable with me as well.

Scroll down for more pics of Sammy...

Isn't he cute?

Anyway... back to me. I really like the area I am living in. It is very safe and I feel very comfortable in the apartment. The problem right now is that I am still feeling like a guest in Scott's apartment instead of feeling like I am an equal in the space. I know that will come with time... but still.

I am thrilled to be here though. I know it will take some getting used to - the pace and rhythm of life is so much different here than in Texas or anywhere else that I've lived. I am already missing my car... but buses and subways aren't bad either. If nothing else, they at least expose you to the diverse population of people living in this city.

I'll write more later. Please, feel free to comment on my awesome blog. I love and miss all of my friends and family!

~Krystal

I'm checking

I'm checking to see how this works....