Pick up the Beat

Life has been consumed by music lately. Ellysa finished recording 10 songs in Nashville with producer William Gawley and FaceSpace Music. It was an enlightening experience and one we will never forget. The studio musicians were amazing to work with and being surrounded by such talent was an inspiration.

Recording the album led to shooting a music video. We were blessed to work with Harry Jarvis out of Nashville and lots of talented people from right here in LA. More than 400 actors submitted to work on the project so it was a tough job to cast the video but we chose some amazing people in the end.

Filming began a couple of weeks ago with an afternoon of just Ellysa which segued into the evening concert performance footage. Everyone there had lots of energy and had a great time and some even went home with a custom Ellysa Rose TShirt! The concert was held at Amplyfi...if you haven't checked them out yet, you should. www.amplyfi.com ...they are all about indie artists, especially the younger ones that can't play at other venues. Their venue is all ages and alcohol free so it's a great space to see some up and coming artists. Word of advice...they don't sell tickets at the door. You must buy one online or you won't get in.

After Amplyfi, the week continued with shots at Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier. We spent the morning and afternoon with the "younger versions" of Ellysa and her Male co-star, Matt, filming "back story" shots. It was a very nice day to be at the beach. Once we finished with the littles (as we called them) Matt and Ellysa filmed some shots at the beach and then we headed to the pier for some carnival shots and dinner.

The next few days included shooting Ellysa driving a beautiful blue Jeep Wrangler...which just happened to be a manual transmission. Did I mention Ellysa had never driven a stick before? IT was quite an adventure to say the least but she persevered and got it done! We also had some more fun with the littlest of the littles at the park.

The final big scene shooting day was the party. Again, a very fun day of shooting with some great actors, some of whom we are lucky to call friends, and a great crew. It was an extremely hot day on set but we stayed hydrated and well fed so we braved it well. Our good friend Karen was on hand to take pics (as well as at the concert) so look for an online photo album coming soon.

Filming wrapped last week and the video is now in Post Production. Ellysa and I were able to see a few seconds of the intro and it looks amazing! We are so excited to be able to share it with all of you. Once we have a release date, we will let you know! Meanwhile, we are going to enjoy a few days off and then it's back to the grindstone. Two concerts are upcoming...one at Rusty's at Santa Monica Pier and another at the Burbank Olde Time Country Fair where she is opening the fair so come out and see her!

Fondly,
A Reluctant Stage Mom

Time to GoGo...

Many of you probably know by now that my 11 year old son, Kieran, is running a crowd funding campaign on IndieGoGo to raise funds to make a music video for his sister, Ellysa. I didn't have much knowledge of IndieGoGo before this so I was surprised to find a whole array of fundraising events happening on here.  It is amazing what people are doing to make their dreams a reality.  I have always taught my kids that if you work hard and believe in yourself, you can do anything so I think it is important to support these individuals and groups as they pursue their dreams.  I am pasting some links below for some of the film category projects I came across. They are all unique and what I love is that they are doing them independently like Ellysa. You can view Ellysa's campaign on indiegogo (http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ellysa-s-first-music-video) as well as directly from her website - www.EllysaRose.com . And, if you have a chance, check out these aspiring filmmakers too! (I plan to look at the other categories and give you some other things to check out too so check back tomorrow!)

·        Social Media Stole My Kidney | Indiegogo

·        Changeover | Indiegogo

·        HUMAN SUPPLY - a New Original and Interactive Dramatic Series | Indiegogo

·        Half-Life Live Action Web Series - The Freeman Chronicles | Indiegogo

·        Facing the Mirror | Indiegogo

·        Lights Out Saga | Indiegogo

·        The Hunter's Head | Indiegogo

·        The Other One | Indiegogo

·        Altered | Indiegogo

·        From the Back of the Line | Indiegogo

·        G.B.F. - Gay Best Friend - a new feature-length comedy | Indiegogo

·        TWO DOGS | Indiegogo

·        Citizen Heroes | Indiegogo

·        Operation: Elephant Ears | Indiegogo

·        I Am Not My Body - a documentary | Indiegogo

·        Wild Horses | Indiegogo

·        North Blvd | Indiegogo

·        THIS IS NORMAL - A short film about being Deaf, being hearing, & being human | Indiegogo

·        Under Her Skin | Indiegogo

·        Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me | Indiegogo

·        WHEN MY SORROW DIED: The Legend of Armen Ra & the Theremin | Indiegogo

·       Malcolm Darrell Takes Culture Connection to the UK | Indiegogo

2013...the year of abundant blessings.

I am back...sorry for the lack of posts lately. The end of 2012 was quite busy. Ellysa graduated from high school just before we left for Michigan and Indiana for the Christmas holiday. The holidays came and went without much fanfare. Ellysa and I spent a lot of time to-ing and fro-ing to doctors and hospitals. She with kidney stones and I with a suspicious mammogram. Both have since resolved themselves but not without a lot of worry and concern first. Ellysa spent Christmas to NYE in pain but was able to get through it with just some pain meds and has started the new year off pain & kidney stone free. I, after thousands of dollars of diagnostic testing, have been given the thumbs up and told to just check back in 6 months as a precaution. Having had a dear friend just go through Breast Cancer and having lost one several years ago to the disease, it was a little too close for comfort!

Times like these can make us stronger. The give us pause and help us to reflect upon our lives. I have to say, I am a very lucky person. I have a great family, comfortable life and wonderful friends. God has blessed me in more ways than I can count and one of the biggest blessings he has given me was to lead me along this path, albeit reluctantly, to enjoy the journey with Ellysa.

Since we have been back in LA this January, so many wonderful things have happened that we have to be thankful for. First of all, Ellysa performed 4 concerts in the past two weeks (three of which were this past week!) and met lots of new fans and a few promoters, record producers and even a scout from a record label in the process. She did all of this while also taking an intensive acting class, her regular acting class, workshops, as well as a headshot session and vocal clinics. Oh, and did I mention the countless hours she devotes to volunteering as a leader with the Burbank Wyldlife youth group? She has been one busy girl!

I know some people are superstitious about the number 13 but 2013 has started out with a bang and promises to be a lucky year for us. Since the first of the year, several exciting opportunities have crossed our path which we aren't at liberty to disclose at the moment. All I can say is that God is showing us that when he gives you a gift and you fully embrace it by working hard, devoting yourself fully and having faith, he will reward you in many ways. Sorry to leave you with a bit of a teaser...we will fill you in as soon as we can...I promise. Until then, please pray that, as we come closer to choosing the right direction to take, we can clearly see the way through God's guidance. Meanwhile, here's a sneak peak at one of the photos from Ellysa's recent photo shoot. :)

DETOXED Stage Mom...

Maybe LA is growing on me or maybe I have always been a bit crazy. (Don't answer that...we all know the answer! :) But, I saw an episode of Dr. Oz where they talked about ridding our body of toxins that build up over time and make us feel out of sorts. I identified with a lot of what they were saying and decided to give it a try...post Thanksgiving of course!

So, I have documented here what I did and how it went. If you want to lose a few pounds and make your body healthier and do it in just three days then this plan is for you. I have to warn you, the smoothies aren't all created equal in terms of taste but you can do anything for three days, right?!

Here it is...

Day One -2.4 lbs. loss...pants are a bit looser!

Notes: Breakfast shake is enjoyable. Lunch shake is HORRID and dinner shake is palatable but the pepper makes it burn going down. Dreading tomorrow. Thinking about making slight alterations to make it more palatable.

Day Two 1.4 lbs. more lost… 3.8 total pounds total lost (woo hoo)

Notes: Made changes to lunch smoothy...used a little less Kale and Cucumber (mine are quite large) and half of a fresh pineapple and two Stevia packets. Still not my favorite but these changes made it palatable. The lunch ingredients make a HUGE smoothy...about the quantity of two others so I drank one half later as the snack shake. For the Dinner shake, I cut out the cayenne altogether and that helped. I feel like the cayenne is there to boost metabolism so will add it back tomorrow but not to the whole shake...only to a portion of it so that I can get it down quickly and drink the rest without the burn. Also think I will add a Stevia to the dinner drink. I prefer things sweet.

Day Three: 1.2 lbs. more lost for a grand total of 5 pounds!
Notes: I am glad for this to be the final day. I feel better and am enjoying the quick weight loss but it hasn't been easy. (No such thing as quick AND painless.) Today I repeated what I did in day two except...I added stevia to the lunch and dinner shakes…much better! Also, because I figured the Cayenne was in the dinner shake to help boost metabolism, I still omitted it from the main smoothy and then poured a little bit in a separate glass, added the cayenne and drank that small glass with the cayenne…woo what a kick.  I was glad to have the rest without it though.  I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to really spicy stuff.

I have to say it wasn’t easy but I was determined to stick it out.  I will be interested to see what, if any, lingering affects it has upon my well being.

Post detox plan:
No sense going through all of that to just go back to bad habits! I want to maintain the health benefits of the detox so here is my plan...

I will follow this most days but will allow for the occasional splurge...

Grapefruit/carrot/ginger/flax or banana/spinach/raspberry/flax smoothy for Breakfast

Salad or Protein Shake for lunch (sometimes I just don't want to take the time for lunch!)

Detour bar cut in three portions and spread throughout the day whenever the urge to snack hits.

Sensible dinner.

LOTS of water.

I will also continue taking my supplements...including probiotic, omega 3, Garcinia Cambogia, etc. I hope to continue to lose weight over the holidays but at least I want to maintain where I am today after day three of this detox. I may repeat the detox after the holidays...stay tuned.

If you want more information on the detox diet plan that I followed, here is the link...

http://www.dr-oz.com/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-recipe/

A few tips for you if you decide to try it:

Blender technique is key...you MUST put in the dry ingredients first, pulse them until they start to liquefy  before adding liquid ingredients.  Otherwise, your smoothy won't be very smooth! Use the first day as a trial day...your experience may differ from mine so try them straight from the recipe...use my alterations or come up with your own on day two.  Also, don't skip the detox bath...I only did it one night and that is the night I slept like a baby and woke up refreshed. 

Good luck and let me know if you try it what your experience is!

WAMLAF

(that's Sorority speak for With All My Love and Friendship...)

Home away from Home...

It finally hit me today...our little apartment finally feels like home-minus a few family members. Here are a few photos to give you a glimpse of our little Burbank pad...

Need a Taxi?

It wasn't so long ago that I was driving all three kids to their various events...then it was down to two and then one. Well, I am back to driving two kids around to their various activities but the real taxi driver here is God as I let him take the wheel and show me the way.

Plenty of people think I am crazy for up and moving to LA with Ellysa and Kieran but, I assure you, I feel quite sane.  It wasn't part of any grand plan when we came out here this summer.  Everything kept falling into place making it clear that we needed to be out here.  Most people take months to get an agent to sign them...Ellysa was signed in three weeks with an agent that really believes in her.  Keith's schedule was getting more and more hectic for the upcoming fall and winter and we knew he was going to be working crazy hours. Lots of little things happened that just made us feel that this was the right place and time for us to do this.

I feel so blessed to have this year with Ellysa and feel that we are closer than we ever have been.  We have had our moments of strife in the past as most mothers and teenage daughters do but this is a chance to reconnect and forge a more grown up relationship. I only have 9 months left until she turns 18 and I am going to enjoy every minute of it. For Ellysa, being able to take fantastic acting classes, participate in various workshops and getting auditions are probably her favorite parts of living out here; for me its all about spending the quality time with her and Kieran. 

While Ellysa can drive herself most places locally here in LA, she still has to have a parent at auditions so still needs me to ferry her on these occasions. I am sure she is looking forward to the time when she can just do it all herself but I love getting to spend some one on one time with her. This is a special time that I will cherish for years to come and I feel truly blessed to get this opportunity.

But the wonderfulness about this time doesn't end with Ellysa. I have three wonderful children and they are growing up way too quickly. I feel like God has opened up this path to connect and grow with all of them in ways we couldn't before. With Zac, he is getting to connect with his Grandparents in a way he never could and I am learning how to let go a little bit more. With Kieran, I am his primary teacher using an online system as our foundation.  I have found holes in his education that I am glad to find now, before he gets to high school. Hopefully, this will make his future educational endeavors a bit easier. I have seen amazing progress in just the past few weeks and am more sure than ever that this was the best decision for him. He is loving his new digs, making new friends and being a city kid that can walk to nearby shops. He never knew that kind of freedom like Zac and Ellysa did having lived in urban areas overseas.  It is having a maturing effect on him and is wonderful to watch!

So while I get to be a taxi driver for Ellysa for a few more months, and Kieran for a few more years, I am enjoying it...even in LA traffic! Taxi driver, teacher, mentor, mother. What a beautiful opportunity to nourish my childrens' futures and watch them become the people God has meant for them to be. I can't see the future but I know that God is guiding us along this path and will happily follow!

Endings bring new Beginnings

So today is the last day of Summer. Many of you are watching the leaves change and feeling the cooler winds and rains move in. We usually are too but, this year, we are marking the end of Summer with 96 degrees and sunshine. Yep, LA is going to be different and full of lots of new beginnings.

One of our first new beginnings was starting Kieran in an online school program.  I am happy to report that he is adjusting well to it and I am impressed with his dedication to completing his work and doing well on the assignments.  I was a bit worried that he would think it was a prolonged vacation but that reality hasn't surfaced!

Ellysa's new school didn't start until yesterday.  Boy oh Boy did I get an introduction into why CA is in such a mess! First of all, by all accounts, Ellysa should only need World History to graduate.  She is far ahead of most other Seniors having taken two english courses last year on top of doing independent study for the AP Language course which she received a 4! But, she has to take yet another year of English because her tenth grade course was based upon American Literature and they base theirs on WORLD literature! Also, they didn't want to do the analysis of her classes from Interlochen so they pretty much discounted her ENTIRE year there! So she gets to take an additional PE course and Elective course in order to graduate...when they even said she has WAY MORE credits than "fit into" their check boxes.  So, why then does she need an ELECTIVE? So, that will be something that Ellysa will try to fix...mom is going to take a step back (Yes...I really am...otherwise I don't know if I could handle the illogical nature of this whole thing!) Or, she will just have to "buck up" and take the extra classes! (It's not that it would be difficult for her...just sets her back a month from graduation.  She is eager to enroll at the community college for winter semester and get a head start on her Bachelor's degree!

We aren't the only ones with new beginnings...Keith and Zac are on their way to new adventures as well! Zac started at UofM Dearborn this fall and seems to really be enjoying it. (Not sure he is loving the commute from Sterling Heights twice a week but that will end eventually when he gets a place closer to school this winter.) He will start practicing with the soccer team in the winter as well, which will require him to be on campus five days a week, but for that reason, he won't mind! He also intends to apply for a co-op position so that will be another new thing for him to tackle but all of these things are great new beginnings!

Keith is still in limbo as the company sale hasn't finalized yet so his schedule is a bit up in the air.  He has to do a lot of travelling this fall but some of it is local and some of it includes China and Australia. In October, he will be attending the Darden School for Emerging Leaders as he was selected as the one person from his division to attend...quite an honor! We are hoping that some of his travels will allow him to stop over in LA so we can spend a day or two with him.

I am finally feeling like things are getting settled...the kids' bunk bed arrived yesterday so I will be assembling that later today and getting their room organized. Once that is done, I plan to start my new website...EXSTATETRIATES.com   This is a website geared to the growing nomadic lifestyle of those of us in the USA.  The current economic climate has us moving all around the US to find jobs and while there are lots of resources for Expatriates, there aren't many for the local American who may be very unfamiliar with their new location as well.  The only advantage they may have over an Expat is that they speak the language! So, with chapters formed in Indiana, Michigan and California, we will be well on our way to helping struggling newcomers find things a bit easier.  We hope to set up monthly coffee mornings, outings and a local help section on the website where people can go to to get their questions answered.  All this moving around will finally pay off!

So, while we say good-bye to Summer, we are saying hello to all these new experiences! It's going to be a fun journey and we hope you enjoy coming along on it with us!