Monday, June 28, 2010

Daily Style 6-21-10


This was for a commercial audition that requested "hot and sexy" attire. Since blue is good on camera, I went with this old Forever 21 frock. I paired it with another old braided gold belt from God knows where, and Nine West gold sandals. Got put on avail for the commercial, but didn't book. Maybe I should have tried another dress. Bummer!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

My Night with Justin Timberlake!

When I submitted myself to be an extra on a job titled "Justin Timberlake commercial project", I included a note to casting saying "Pick me! Pick me!". I thought it would either be obnoxious or funny/cute. Turns out casting loved it, and they told me so when they called me on Wednesday to say I booked! I don't normally submit myself to do extra/background work (because it SUCKS), but as I told my agent, "There isn't much I wouldn't do for JT". This was my chance to meet my #1 on "the list". Yes, he's above Pitt, Clooney, and all the others. Granted, if he weren't so talented, the sex appeal would be much lower. But that's NOT the case, since he sings, dances, writes, acts, and most importantly to me, is a comedic ham!

I arrived at my 5:30 call time on Thursday evening at the Standard hotel in downtown LA. There were about 100 extras (male and female) who were all very attractive. We go through our wardrobe options with the stylists, and I had to choose my 2nd or 3rd fave since they nixed the color red (I had a cute French Connection dress I still haven't worn months after purchasing). I did, however, get to wear my new BCBG straw fedora, which I thought may catch JT's eye. He's into those fedoras and hats, you know. After we were all dressed and ready to go, the assistant directors told us to line up in a huge semi-circle so the director could come down and approve final wardrobe selections. At this point, my friend Susanna and I had already gathered from word on set that JT would be directing this commercial, which was for his new 901 Tequila brand. So immediately, I started to get butterflies and told Susanna to catch me if I passed out when he arrived. A few minutes later, I spotted him, although he was very incognito and most of the extras had no clue he was even there. My eagle eye immediately zoned in on his signature thick black "nerd" frames, nappy beard, black Lakers hat, black t-shirt and baggy jeans, and white sneakers. He was NOT looking sexy on this particular day. I quickly got over that issue, though.

A few of his people then started plucking certain girls out of the group, and I was one of them. JT was standing a bit away from the group, behind some hotel foliage. They told us to get our belongings because we would be going upstairs to hair/makeup, and that we would be featured extras. It's always good to be bumped up to "featured" because it could mean extra money and camera time. When we got to our holding room, I heard JT's voice in the next room talking. I'm telling you, I was a hawk when it came to him! Then, he peeks his head into our room (I died!) and says "Hi, how are you all doing?" to our group of approx. 8 girls. We each mumbled our replies, and then he was gone again. I was beside myself. I wanted to run over and hug him and tell him how exciting this was for me, but of course I refrained.

The night took a slight downward turn when the Assistant directors (AD) asked who was SAG versus non-union. They couldn't use the non-union girls because of SAG rules, so I was quickly demoted. :( Bummer. I tried to shake it off and enjoy myself anyway. A few minutes later, all the other extras came to the holding room and we were on our way to the rooftop, which was the shooting location for the night. We did feel pretty special being ushered through the Standard lobby and upstairs, because none of the hotel guests were allowed beyond the lobby (they probably heard through the grapevine that JT was in the building).

We started shooting around 8:30 or 9PM, and I started out really excited and with high energy. As the night went on, it became very cold on the roof with the winds blowing, and everyone started losing energy quickly. I was always aware of where JT was on set, and a few times was within a foot of him. It was exciting, but the longer you sit around on a set, the colder it becomes, the hungrier you get, these things lose their luster. About halfway through the night, I was over it. Especially when Jessica Biel arrived on set around 2AM and stayed about an hour. She didn't have much interaction with my boy (ha) while there, because he was in "director" mode. He was very serious, focused, and intense. Not the JT I love, but I still respected him in this more powerful/serious role. I preferred to think he just didn't want JBiel there, but that's probably just my wishful thinking. She seemed very nice, and very naturally pretty despite no makeup and boring attire. She hugged the principle actors (a group of handsome guys in dapper suits who were the main focus of the the shoot) before leaving, which made me start to wonder who they were. Yesterday I did a bit of research and discovered that one of the guys is her brother. So, perhaps the other guys were her friends or her brother's friends? When she left, I was happier again. ha.

JT came out. He was showing the guys how crazy/nerdy he wanted them to dance, and it was a pretty funny moment. At one point, I kicked off  my heels and didn't realize they were in the way of the moving camera. JT says "Whose shoes are these?" and I very timidly raised my hand and said "Mine, I'm sorry!" He picked them up and gave them to me, and said "That's ok, just hold them." I should've told him to spank me. ;)

 Everyone had gathered around us to watch this scene, so I felt like I got my moment to shine on set. :) The other girl was gorgeous, but not an actress, so I felt my comedic chops helped give me an edge over her hot body (ha!). And most importantly, I laughed and danced a LOT during these takes and it helped to wake me up and WARM me up on this cold late night! When it was over, I felt I had done more than my share of work, and got NO credit since the camera was focused on the dudes and we were only there to help them act. So my tired, cold, bitter ass went to relax in one of the amazing water beds by the pool (see red round beds in photo). These beds were great. I managed to hide out here for a couple of hours, and then the entire set moved to where I was for the last scenes of the night. As I quietly lay there, everyone worked around me and JT ended up RIGHT beside my bed. I could watch him work as I lay there, under a blanket given to me by the President of 901 Tequila. It was interesting watching JT pace around in deep thought, constantly rubbing his head and beard. He tugged at that nappy beard ALL night long. In fact, it was his single most obvious character trait.  I wish I had made more of an effort at this point to meet the important guys, since they were all around me. I think Trace, JT's best friend, may have been there but still can't figure out if it was him. If so, he looked completely different in person. But he sat right beside me, and had I known, I would have totally bonded with JT's "bestie".

This is the point in the evening where I wish I had had more energy and wasn't freezing to my bones, because they were using featured extras and I probably could have gotten my butt in the final scene. However, I continued to lie there until they released all the non-union extras. So I got to go home at 5AM, woo hoo! However, JT was still shooting final scenes and I had no opportunity to introduce myself and claim my love. If I had butted myself into that last scene, I would have been there when they wrapped and chances would have been much better to talk to him. Ah well, maybe we shall meet again. Plus, he was so serious and focused (and likely stressed) that it wouldn't have been the best circumstances to meet. I want to meet again when he's happy and light and free!

I do believe I made an impression on set, which is all I could do as an extra. I was the upbeat, smiley, "dancy" girl in the short shorts, high heels, and fedora. As he watches us a million times during the editing of the final commercial, I hope he says "That blonde in the hat was really cute and can DANCE! Let's call her up and hit the town!" Hey, a girl can dream...

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Daily Style 6-18-10

Florals are "in" right now, and I've had a hard time getting in on that trend. I am very picky about what patterns and colors I like, because a lot of them remind me of grandmotherly prints or tacky wallpaper. I would not say this shirt is a favorite in my closet, but it was 1) inexpensive and 2) springy. Therefore, it allowed me to experiment with florals this spring without spending too much dinero.

Forever 21 floral top, white tank, belt, flower ring, and earrings; Chip and Pepper jeans; Nine West platform sandals. The ring on my left hand was a gift from my friend Amy E.

PS. I've been loving the braided hair trend, whether it's one single side braid, two piggy braids, or tiny accessory braids within long hair. It's very youthful and fresh for summer!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Daily Style 6-16-10


My favorite look of the summer will definitely be a fedora hat paired with almost everything! I had been looking around for the perfect straw fedora and found it at BCBG. You can still find it online here. It's perfect for all those bad and/or dirty hair days! This particular hat in the photo is NOT the BCBG, but rather one I found at the Melrose market last year. I'm also carrying the Nine West purse I found during my mad purse hunt, which I posted last week.

UBI hat, Francesca scarf (recently purchased during my Chicago girls' trip), H&M top and jeans, Forever 21 belt, Nine West purse, Target sandals.

Court Yard Hounds

You may recognize the two women on this CD cover if you are a fan of the Dixie Chicks. The sisters in that famous trio have started making their own music under the name Court Yard Hounds. Emily Robison (right) is taking lead vocals and most songwriting credits on this debut album with her sister Martie Maguire. The interesting choice of band name came from a novel Emily was reading called "City of Thieves" by David Benioff. Robison was going through a divorce from Texas singer/songwriter Charlie Robison, which provided most of the material for her songs on this album. Maguire contributed one song to the album called "Gracefully" and she takes the lead vocals on it. This is not the end of the Dixie Chicks, but rather a new venture for the sister duo, who have always fallen into the shadow of lead singer Natalie Maines. The songs on "Courtyard" have a softer sound than what we were used to with the Chicks, mainly due to the softer edge of Robison's voice compared to Maines. Maguire compares Emily's sound to Shawn Colvin, while the LA Times compared her voice to Sheryl Crow.

I was lucky enough to receive the "Courtyard Hounds" CD from my boyfriend Rob as a parting gift when he left for Africa, and I've been listening to it constantly. The songs are heartfelt and applicable to all of life's typical struggles with love, heartache, children, career, etc. I find Robison's voice to be very soothing, and the harmonies with her sister are just beautiful. I'm OK with the long wait for a new Chicks album as long as the Hounds continue making lovely music like this! Go out and buy the album. You won't regret it...

My summer purse hunt!

I was recently featured in my friend Nadine Jolie's very popular beauty blog! Check out my mission to find a cute and affordable summer purse...

Robin deal-hunts for quality purses under $100

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Daily Style 6-15-10


Although the dress is a couple of years old now (hard to remember the price), it's safe to say this entire outfit was less than $60. I had almost given up on the dress because I hadn't worn it in over a year, but decided to give it another shot. Paired with this scarf (which also hasn't seen a lot of use), the dress had a whole new feel. Also, it's a very cool/comfy outfit for this hot valley weather!


Dress, scarf and belt by Forever 21, Express sandals.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Betty White is "Hot in Cleveland"!

Everyone must watch this new sitcom when it premieres next week on TV Land! I had the pleasure of being a part of the live studio audience tonight, and it was SO much fun. I knew I would love Betty White (the LEGEND) who plays the kooky neighbor, but I ended up falling in love with the entire cast. Valerie Bertinelli (One Day at a Time), Jane Leeves (Frasier), and Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me) are 3 best friends from LA who find themselves stranded in Cleveland, Ohio when their plane en route to Paris has to make an emergency landing. They quickly discover that their cougar sex appeal is more attractive to the men in Ohio than Los Angeles, and decide to stay and explore a bit longer. The writing is brilliant, the actresses are spot-on, and Betty White is the perfect cherry on top! Also, the cast seems to genuinely like each other, which isn't always the case when you bring four experienced and talented actors together for a new show. Women and gay men will LOVE this show. During a break, Betty did some impromptu dancing and shook what her momma gave her. You would never know by her attitude and agility that she's nearing 90 years old! What a sassy lady, AND the last living Golden Girl. I'm so happy I had the chance to see her brilliance in action.

This is the type of show I dream of booking one day, and tonight was so inspiring for me. It gave me hope that one day I can have that much fun doing something I love, and making people LAUGH in the process! What an amazing gift to be able to share with the world.

Check it out, on TV Land June 16th (Wednesday) 10PM/9PM central. You won't regret it!

Daily Style 6-11-10


Friday night in Hollywood with the girls, but didn't feel like killing my feet with heels. The older I get, the less often I wear heels. I'll be in granny shoes before I know it!


Stephanie B tshirt from Loehmann's, Target Limited vest, Chip & Pepper jeans, Steve Madden sandals, Stella & Dot lariat necklace, Forever 21 flower ring.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Daily style 6-9-10


I was reading one of my fashion mags recently (can't remember which one), and they were saying red and khaki is a hot color combination for the spring/summer. The khaki dials down the spiciness of the red to create a very crisp look. Surely most of you can gather some red and khaki from your closets to experiment? Send me the photos if you do...


Gap blazer, Forever 21 red tank, JBrand skinny jeans, Montego Bay Club espadrilles from Payless.

Gazpacho es muy delicioso!

I spent a couple of weeks in Spain last fall, and one of my favorite dishes was their traditional gazpacho soup, along with a glass of rioja (Spanish red wine). I've longed for the cold tomato soup many times since, but can rarely find a decent version in restaurants. Well, yesterday I was reading my weekly email from "Food & Wine" magazine when I spotted a headline for gazpacho recipes! I picked the easiest one, went to the grocery, and made my first batch last night. And I must say, it was a success! I simplified the recipe and didn't use exact measurements. I really don't think you can mess this up since it's a bunch of veggies blended together. I used more tomato/veggie soup than they suggested, and guesstimated the other ingredients. Just throw in the veggies, oil, lemon juice, and herbs as you wish. Or follow the exact measurements if you like to follow the rules. :) I didn't use all of their suggested toppings either, and instead used a mixture of chopped cucumber, red onion, basil, and cilantro for my toppings. The goat cheese made the dish even more delish, but if you aren't a fan of it just skip. I highly recommend it. You could also try sour cream, or some other type of cheese. Or just be healthy and skip the cheese fat altogether!

I hope you try it, like it, and don't forget the red wine! Buen provecho!

Gazpacho recipe from Food & Wine

Daily Style is back in full effect!

Some of you may have followed my "daily style" facebook updates last year. I was putting forth so much effort creating outfits from my closet that I figured, "why not share my creations with friends?". The process of trying on, taking off, belting, unbelting, accessorizing, de-accessorizing was often so time-consuming that I felt I should turn it into something more to help other women. It took awhile, but now I have "Robin's Nest". Here I can continue the "daily style" updates as needed, and perhaps inspire YOUR daily style in the process...

This particular look: Gap tshirt, Aqua skirt (sold at Bloomingdale's), Arden B necklace, Soda flats.