The Dog Days are Over (Almost)

The final group of kids are gone and summer is slowly drawing to an end. In a few short days I will be heading home to San Diego to soak up some sun at the beach and eat as many burritos as I can. Then its back to the Big Apple. This summer has been extraordinary even though I was a bit skeptical at first. Being dropped off in the middle of no where with no cell service did scare me; I have never been so cut off from the rest of the world for such a long period of time. But after spending two months up in the mountains of Idyllwild I know that this was exactly what I needed. As much as I love Manhattan it can become overwhelming at times. It's stifling being surrounded by concrete 24/7. This past spring I got in such a rut and could not find my creative drive. I spent a lot of time feeling down and doubting myself. When you live in a city where you are just another person trying to "make it" its hard not to get discouraged and lose sight of who you are. Being home and at camp helped me rediscover myself and remember why I love performing.


First of all I have to thank Steve Grey Romande, my vocal coach, mentor, and friend. Without him it would not be possible for me to go out and pursue my dreams. There is nothing I love more than going to his studio and having a lesson. I have learned so many vital things from him not just about singing but about life as well. Every person and voice is unique and you have to believe in and trust yourself. Only you can make it happen. If you are looking for a kick ass vocal coach in San Diego I urge you to check him out.


Secondly I want to thank all of the campers that I got the privilege to work with this summer. How could someone not be inspired by children who can take trash bags and create such masterpieces.

Many of these children are exactly how I was when I was their age. This past session I was talking to one of my girls about recess. She believed that recess was a complete waste of time and would always spend it reading a book. Yep, I definitely did that in elementary school. The talent and passion that these kids have for art will never cease to amaze me. They never once complained when they had to rehearse and could not have free time. In fact during second session many of them said that there was too much free time! My favorite days up here are without a doubt the culmination days when I get to see all of the kids perform. Two performances in particular stick out in my mind. The first one was during the dance performance during first session. For one of the dances the children used the trees as inspiration for their movements. It would be almost impossible to do something like that in a dance class in Manhattan but here the classrooms are outside and surrounded by nature. People travel far and wide and sometimes do crazy things in order to get inspired but none of this is necessary. If we open our eyes and look outside there is enough inspiration to last a lifetime. I love this Roger Rees' quote that I stumbled across a few years ago:

"Now I believe that you can do the best work in the world on a street corner. People always tell you 'you need this and that...' All you need is you. The process is you."

-Roger Rees

The other memorable performance for me was the "Behind the Mask" performance during the second session. I have seen quite a few professional musicals and plays where after two and a half hours I had absolutely no idea what had just happened on the stage. And the actors were speaking and singing!! So of course when I sat down to watch "Behind the Mask" I immediately thought that I would have no idea what would be happening on stage since there would be no dialogue. Instead I was blown away as I watched three girls in masks tell a variety of stories using only their bodies and for one scene their voices. And I completely understood everything that went on in each scene. Watch out New York you have some crazily talented actresses coming your way in 10 years.

Its been a fun summer but I am ready to go home and see my family and friends. But more than anything I am ready to get back to New York and work my butt off (and see Deane of course!) Idyllwild, its been fun. You have given me new friends, memories that I will cherish forever, and a new love of tofu. I will miss you but who knows one day I just may be back.

Friends for Life: Books

"Let books be your dining table, and you shall be full of delights. Let them be your mattress and you shall sleep restful nights."

-Author Unknown


I have always been an avid reader. In elementary school I was the kid who would sit on the playground at recess and read a book instead of playing wall ball with my friends. I would lay under my covers with a flashlight and read into the wee hours of the morning hoping that my parents would not notice. I never lost my passion for reading but as I grew up theatre, horseback riding, and school began to consume all of my free time. Gone were the times when I would finish a book every week; I became lucky if I could finish a book a month. It took me all of this past semester to reread Gone With the Wind. Granted it is 1000 pages but when I read it in eighth grade I finished it in a month. Luckily my job this summer has given me the opportunity to reawaken the avid reader with in me. Since the beginning of July I have read The Thirteenth Tale, Cold Mountain, Knit Two, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and have just started The Girl Who Played with Fire. While this isn't anywhere near a book a week it is quite an improvement from a book a semester. My goal this fall is to finish a book every three weeks (though I am aiming for every other week). I thought I would include a list of books that I want to read and a list of my top five favorite books.


Top 5 Favorite Books
1. Gone With the Wind By: Margaret Mitchell

Margaret Mitchell's iconic novel is the story of the Old South's demise during the Civil War and later its attempt to rebuild. The story is centered around Scarlett O'Hara, one of the last Southern Belles. In some ways it could be considered a great love story which is one of the reasons why I love it. Yes Scarlett is a protagonist with no redeeming qualities but more importantly she is a strong women who fights for what she believes in. I admire her courage and her will to save the thing most important to her, Tara. Gone With the Wind will always remain my favorite novel.
2. Lord of the Rings By: J.R.R. Tolkien

After I saw the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring I decided that I was going to read all of Tolkien's trilogy. My mom had already read The Hobbit aloud to me, which was quite a feat, so I was all ready to go. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres and so I was instantly attracted to the fantastical world of Middle Earth. I find Tolkien's use of language so beautiful and it is one of the things I miss when watching the films.
3. Little Women By: Louisa May Alcott

When my sister and I were in elementary school my grandma used to come watch us during the summer. One summer she showed us the movie version of Little Women with Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, and Christian Bale. I instantly fell in love with the story. When I was 16 I got the chance to play Amy in the musical version of Little Women. It was not until this past June that I finally sat down and read Louisa May Alcott's novel. Reading Little Women brought me back to my childhood when my sister and I could spend five hours a day dressing up and pretending we were someone else. It also reminded me of how important my sister is to me and how truly heartbroken I would be if anything ever happened to her.
4. Harry Potter Series By: J.K. Rowling

While Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite of the series I have to include all seven books because they are all amazing. Each book holds so many memories for me: my mom reading aloud, waiting in line until midnight, staying up all night to read, just to name a few.
5. The Fairy Godmother By: Mercedes Lackey

I love this fantasy novel because it combines lots of different fairytales and weaves them into one single story. Once again it features a strong female protagonist who stands up for what she believes in even if that means turning a handsome prince into a donkey. I love escaping into another world when I read and with fantasy that is truly possible. This book really helped spur my love of fantasy as a teenager and led me to many other wonderful fantastical novels.
If you have not read any of these books I recommend you go to the library and check them out. All of them are truly amazing and will not let you down.


Reading List
-The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest By: Stieg Larsson
-Room By: Emma Donoghue
-The Hunger Games By: Suzanne Collins
-The Magicians By: Lev Grossman
-Bel Canto By: Ann Patchett
-Pride and Prejudice By: Jane Austen
-Jane Eyre By: Charlotte Bronte
-My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands By: Chelsea Handler
-Bossypants By: Tina Fey
-Wheel of Time Series By: Robert Jordan
-Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini
-A Game of Thrones By: George R. R. Martin
-Les Miserables By: Victor Hugo
-Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms Series By: Mercedes Lackey
Please let me know if you have any other suggestions!!

A Day in the Life of a CC Counselor

6:10 am: Wake-Up

6:20-6:50 am: Go for a Run

6:55 am: Wake the Munchkins Up!!!!

7:00-7:40 am: Get Ready for the Day/Make sure the kids get ready and do their chores

      Chores Include:

• Vacuuming
• Cleaning the sinks, mirrors, counters, and showers
• Making their beds and tidying up their things

7:45-8:15 am: Breakfast!!!

8:30 or 8:45 am: Morning Sing

      Monday, Wednesday, Friday:

• Counselors perform a recurring skit and then everyone sings camp songs.
• This session the skit is called "Tree" and is a knock off of Glee.
• So far someone has gone into a coma and woken up with no voice and there is a love triangle.

      Tuesday and Thursday:

• Everyone sings camp songs!

9:00 am: Kids Go to Class/Counselors Have Morning Meeting

9:15 am: Counselors Sit on Children's Center Porch

      Popular Porch Activities Include:

• Sporcle (If you do not know what Sporcle is then you are missing out on life.)
• Watching TV Shows/Movies (Must be pre-downloaded or you will be yelled at for slowing down the internet!)
• Reading
• Surfing the Internet
• Online Shopping
• Drawing on the Table
• Friendship Bracelets
• Visiting a Class

10:15 am: Snack Break (Kids typically get apple or orange slices)

10:30-11:20 am: Continue to Sit on the Porch

11:30 am-12:00 pm: Lunch! 

      (For some reason CC counselors have to serve the kids lunch, no one knows why...)

12:30 pm: Children Return to Class/Counselors Do Some More Porch Sitting

1:45 pm: Second Snack ("Dry Snack")

2:00 pm: Continue Sitting

3:00 pm: Share!!

       Share Schedule:

• Monday: Counselors Share!!!
• Tuesday: Student Share
• Wednesday: Staff Share
• Thursday: Student Share
• Friday: Multi-Arts Culmination (Very little Munchkins perform, cutest thing ever!!)

3:30-5:00 pm: Free-Time (For the Kids of Course)

      Counselor Duties:

• Pool Duty
• Afternoon Activity (This past week I taught kids to make lanyards.)
• Bank
• Dorm Duty

5:30 pm: Dinner!!

7:30-8:45 pm: Evening Activity

      Last Week's Activities:

• Orientation aka Hipster "Family Feud" (None of the kids knew what Hipsters were and I am pretty sure they have never seen "Family Feud" either.)
• Getting to Know You Games
• Trashy Fashion Show
• Pool Party
• Karaoke

9:30 pm: Lights Out for the Munchkins!!!

11:30 pm: Go to Bed

The Magic of the Mountain

I must admit that these past few weeks I have been a bit homesick for the big apple. It may be that I miss a certain Deane Davis but I also miss the hustle and bustle of the big city. But I could not just hop on a plane and go back to Manhattan because I had been hired to work at Idyllwild Arts as a counselor in the Children's Center. Obviously I was a bit skeptical of going to the middle of no where when I was craving the havoc of a city. But after spending a week here I must say that there is no place I would rather be at the moment. Living in the middle of a forrest, meeting some truly amazing people, and just having fun, who could ask for a more perfect summer! And there is no cell service here. I rely on my cell phone way too much and it is nice to have a break from it. The kids have not even arrived yet and I'm already having an amazing time!! I thought I would share some of my favorite experiences from the last week.


-Hiking to the Point
After getting done with duties early Sarah, Richard, Georgie, and I decided to hike up to the Point one afternoon. The view from up there is spectacular, not only can you see the surrounding mountains but also the city of Hemet. A view like that really takes your breath away and puts everything in proportion.

-Walk to Town
On our first day off a bunch of us decided to walk to the town of Idyllwild and get lunch and look at some of the shops. There and back is a grand total of 5 miles!! The town is adorable and kind of reminds me of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. On the "Welcome to Idyllwild" sign it says "home of adventure, music, arts, and harmony." I am in the right place! The town is incredibly artsy and it makes sense that it is the home of one of the only arts boarding schools in the country. Dolly Parton has (or used to have) a house here as did Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston when they were still married. My favorite place in town is Candy Cupboard where I bought a vanilla ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and rolled in peanut brittle. Yes, I do have a bit of an ice cream addiction but I can't help it!!

-Morning Runs
My roommate Josie and I have been running these past few mornings before breakfast. I am one of those people who loves to workout before they start their day, it always leaves me feeling so energized! Unlike many musical theatre students at Marymount Manhattan I love having dance in the morning because it leaves me feeling awake and ready to go. I wish I could go running through the woods every morning. I love smelling the trees and seeing squirrels and bunny rabbits as I work my butt off. There is always something to see and yet it is incredibly peaceful at the same time. And of course I have to work off that ice cream bar somehow!!

-Singing in the Troys
At college and sometimes at home it is often hard to find some alone time to just sit and sing. There are always people around and so it never works out. The other day I decided to head down to the Troys (which are practice rooms here at Idyllwild) and practice my song for the talent show and just spend some time singing for fun. It was so refreshing to just stand in a room for an hour and sing with no one there to judge. It gave me time to remember why I love to sing. I also came up with some goals that I would like to achieve this summer. These goals include learning two Italian songs ("Time to Say Goodbye" and "Nella Fantasia"), as well as conquering the "Queen of the Night" aria, and possibly "Glitter and Be Gay." Hopefully I will still have time to spend in the Troys this summer because an hour of just singing here and there is just what I need this summer!

The Happiest Place on Earth

Disneyland will always hold a special place in my heart, my family's visits there are one of the many highlights of my childhood. While I may not be old enough to remember the original Captain EO I do remember the short lived Rocket Rods (which I always believed were called the High Speed PeopleMover), the submarines that were not Finding Nemo related, the Lion King Parade, The Festival of Fools, and a time when there was no Disney California Adventure or FASTPASS. I have a very love/hate relationship with California Adventure but that is a whole other story. In my opinion FASTPASS has completely screwed up the lines at Disneyland but again that is another story. Disneyland truly is one of the happiest places on Earth, nothing can beat Mickey Ice Cream Bars, seeing Belle in real life, or riding Space Mountain. I learned the other day that Space Mountain only achieves a maximum speed of 28 mph, the fastest roller coaster in the world, Furius Baco, achieves a maximum speed of 84 mph! The illusion of speed is created in Space Mountain by keeping the track barely visible. My sister and I recently visited Disneyland which prompted me to think of my fondest Disneyland memories.

Top 5 Disneyland Experiences:
(In Chronological Order)
1. A Rainy Day at Disneyland
When Becca and I were kids my family had season passes to Disneyland. Becca and I would wake up at 7 am on a Saturday morning and decide that we should go to Disneyland that day. This would lead us to go jump in bed with our parents and tell them our grand idea. On one Saturday we decided to go to Disneyland even though it was pouring rain when we left. Apparently no one goes to Disneyland when it rains because the place was empty! Almost all the rides were open even though it had been raining though Becca's favorite, Dumbo, was closed for part of the day. This trip began my dad and my tradition of line hopping in the Indiana Jones Ride when coming out of the exit. A rainy day at Disneyland is the ultimate fast pass!

2. Backstage at Disneyland
Somewhere between the age of 10 and 13 my family went to Disneyland with my friend Lilly and her sister and mom. The day was like any other day at Disneyland until we rode the Matterhorn Bobsleds at 11 at night. My mom, Lilly, and I got in the bobsleds, went up the hill, raced past Harold (yes the Abominable Snowman is officially named Harold), when all of a sudden our bobsled stopped. After sitting there for about 15 minutes we saw two crew members walking up the track towards us. They informed us that the ride was broken and that we were going to have to walk the rest of the way. Not only did we get to walk down the mountain but we got to go INSIDE of it too. Ever wonder what is inside the Matterhorn? Well from what I saw there are some control rooms, what looks like some offices, and a break room for cast members. I later learned that at the top of the mountain, above where the ride goes, there used to be half basketball court where the climbers would hang out. Since I am a complete Disney buff getting to go inside of the Matterhorn was extremely exciting even though in reality the stuff in there is not actually that spectacular.

3. Madrigals Go to Disneyland
During my senior year of high school the choir that I was a part of went to Disneyland to compete in a singing competition. There is no better way to experience Disneyland then with your friends and a handicap pass to skip lines. Unlike the FASTPASS system, which is good and bad, a handicap pass allows you to skip almost any line in the park. As a result we were able to ride way more rides then one typically could on a Saturday. I also got the opportunity to show just how much of a Disney nerd I am. The judges of the competition as well as some Disney performers put on a show for us in what used to be The Festival of Fools space. After they sang they asked the audience to identify all of the Disney songs they performed and of course I was the only one who knew the song "Out There" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Yep I am a bit of a Disney nerd.

4. Grad Nite 2010
Grad Nite at Disneyland will always be one of my favorite experiences at the Happiest Place on Earth. Yes it is frustrating that it takes an hour and a half just to get in the park because of the intense bag checks that security does but it is complete worth it. Dance floors all over Disneyland, cutting the line for Space Mountain (how did we not get kicked out?), bumping into friends from other schools, and the thrill of knowing that in a few short days I would not be a high school student anymore. Rides like Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, and Space Mountain still had extremely long lines but other rides like the Matterhorn and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad were relatively short. My favorite moment of the night happened when some friends and I rode Pirates of the Caribbean. First we got yelled out for taking a picture right before we went down the first hill. Who knew that there was a crew member standing in the dark right before the drop? It freaked me out! Halfway through the ride one of my friends proclaimed that this was a boring ride. The Snow White ride is boring, how can someone call Pirates of the Caribbean boring??!! I love the pirate with the pigs especially the pig who's leg twitches and the scene at the end with the pirates shooting each other. When I was younger I was always scared that I was going to accidentally get shot by one of the pirates. While that night was exhausting it gave me with some incredible memories that I will probably never forget.

5. Becca's Birthday Celebration
This past week Becca and I went to Disneyland to celebrate her 17th birthday. Some memorable moments include: rediscovering the single rider line for the Indiana Jones ride (how could I forget about this?!), riding the Peter Pan ride for the first time in years (I forgot how amazing the effect is when you fly over London and then Neverland), and explaining to Becca why FASTPASS creates longer lines while we waited in line for almost 2 hours for Space Mountain. My favorite part of the visit was when Becca and I rode Its a Small World. I was a little mad that Becca did not want to watch Fantasmic! I love the nighttime spectacle on the Rivers of America especially the dancing monkey's on the rafts. But Becca wanted to ride It's a Small World and since it was her birthday celebration of course I complied. I love riding It's a Small World, if people in this world could get along like the dolls in that ride then our planet would be a much better place. As we came to the end of the ride we heard loud booming noises which turned out to be fireworks. The fireworks show was amazing as always but the neatest part was the projection of Disney movies on the facade of the ride during the fireworks. It was the perfect end to a fun day!

The Magic of Baking

Baking has always been a cathartic experience for me. When I am having a bad day or need time to think there is nothing I would rather do than mix a bunch of ingredients together in a big mixing bowl while listening to Rascal Flatts. And of course licking the wooden spoon after everything is in the oven makes all my problems better. Baking is not for everyone but if one day you find yourself having a bad day then grab the largest mixing bowl you can find and try one of my three favorite recipes!

Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies:

My earliest memories of baked goods always involve my mom's chocolate chip cookies. They were always a big hit at the Torrey Pines Elementary School Bake Sales and even at class parties at La Jolla High School. When I was little I used to always sneak a chunk of the cookie dough from the freezer and eat it. I always thought I was being pretty discreet but I think my mom knew what I was up to. To this day I still have friends who request that my mom bake her cookies and of course she still does. This is one of my favorite recipes to bake and trust me even the dough tastes amazing!!

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter, softened (typically 2 sticks)

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup of packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (a pinch more for a little extra flavor)

2 1/4 cup of flour

1 package (12 ounces) of semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Directions:

1. Soften butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

2. Mix butter, both sugars, and eggs in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, and flour. Stir in the flour a bit at a time, do not attempt to stir it in all at once. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Freeze dough 2-3 hours so the cookies will stay together better.

4. Preheat oven to 375°F.

5.  Roll dough into balls about the same size of a half dollar. Put balls about 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown (the centers will be slightly soft still). Remove cookies from cookie sheet and set them on wax paper to cool. Enjoy!!

Banana Bread:

I have absolutely no idea when I started baking banana bread but before I knew it, it became my signature dish. I gave Deane half a loaf of my banana bread after our first date and I am pretty sure that is the reason he fell in love with me. One time when I was a on a mass banana bread baking spree I forgot to put eggs in 2 of the loaves. Thankfully they still came out okay and tasted just fine! Banana bread makes the perfect gift if you are short on cash. Wrap it up in some tin foil and stick a big bow on it and voila instant gift!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

3/4 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 cups of flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Mix bananas, sugar, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients. 

3. Grease a loaf pan, either 9x5x3 or 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2, with vegetable oil or PAM cookie spray.

4. Pour mix into pan.

5. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes our clean, around 60 minutes.

6. Let cool for 30 minutes and then remove loaf from pan.

Paula's Cake Balls:

My mom sent me this Paula Deen recipe a few months ago while I was still in Manhattan. We made them for the first time last weekend and they were delicious!! So far we have tried two different combinations: red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting dipped in milk chocolate or dark chocolate and strawberry cake with strawberry frosting dipped in milk chocolate. Next time we are planning on trying lemon cake and lemon frosting dipped in yellow candy melts. These bite size treats are perfect when you have a sweet tooth but do not want to consume an insane amount of calories.

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix

1 (16 ounce) container of prepared cake frosting

6 ounces of chocolate flavored confectioners coating disks or bar (milk, dark, or white chocolate)*

*Confectioners coating disks can be found at Michaels' stores and are called Candy Melts

Directions:

1. Bake cake according to the directions on the box. When the cake is finished baking let it cool for 30 minutes.

2. Crumble the cake into a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Add frosting and mix until well combined. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

3. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Use a melon baller as a scooper to form balls with the cake mixture. You will want to use your hands as well to form the balls. Place balls on wax paper. Once you have used all of the cake mixture, place the baking tray in the freezer for at least 1 hour (the longer the better).

4. Melt the chocolate in a glass cup in the microwave, stirring every 5-10 seconds until smooth. If you're using white chocolate you can add food coloring.

5. Remove the balls from the freezer. Put each one on a candy stick and dip them into the chocolate one at a time.

6. Once you have covered all the balls in chocolate coating remove the sticks (if you want) and place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate coating is set. At this point you can drizzle other chocolate on the balls for decoration.