The day started with a sketchy casting...a yucky building off broadway. We weren't alone, but I'm glad it was quick. I would not be sad to not get a call back for any of their shows.
On a good note, we did discover a REAL grocery store on the way home from there. The Food Emporium. Grabbed some apples, cheese and crackers for lunch. I heard someone on the Today Show broadcast this morning say she wanted to learn to cook because she hadn't had anything but restaurant and take out food for 29 years....In this city, I believe it!! Also discovered that in our apartment..there are NO dinner plates..only a couple small plates and bowls. Cooking was not meant to happen in this place.
After lunch we headed to a couple castings. Cath thought they went well....And, she was right! She already got a call back from one of them. Then we stopped at the big Macy's on 34th St. Ginormous!
Hung out at home for the evening. Were excited when a bunch of castings came in. Tomorrow we have 7! Now that's what we're looking for! I ran across the street for a couple salads which we ate while watching TV. Woo Hoo..crazy night in Gotham City!
If any of you have seen Romeo, let me know how he's doing. Would love pics when you're with him!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Wednesday Night on Broadway
Got Catherine out of her pajamas to head out to dinner. Decided to head one block west, which brought us to BROADWAY! How could we pass up ellen's STARDUST DINER? Where the waiter staff are all singers, hoping to make it BIG on stage. Many Broadway stars started at The Stardust. It was a hoot. What a neighborhood.
Wed., a bit of a slow one
Today we just had two castings on the books. Took the subway a short distance to the first, then stopped at The Cake Boss Cafe after. Apparently Buddy is capitalizing on his fame and has moved into the Manhattan market! After a brief stop at home, we walked to the second casting. Had a bit of a scare when our phones stopped sending or receiving emails, as they are our lifeline to the agency and new castings. Unfortunately (fortunately?) we didn't miss anything important. Did a bit of 5th Ave shopping (read, looking!) then just came home and napped.
Woo Hoo...emails coming in. The castings Catherine had to miss were able to be re-scheduled! I woke her up with the good news. Hope a few more come in tonight...but this has certainly put us in a better mood.
Woo Hoo...emails coming in. The castings Catherine had to miss were able to be re-scheduled! I woke her up with the good news. Hope a few more come in tonight...but this has certainly put us in a better mood.
Tuesday...An All Day Job
Got up early for our subway ride into the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn...home to most all of your favorite hip hop artists....Notorious B.I.G., Mos Def, Lil' Kim, and Jay Z...to name a few. Wish we hadn't left so early. Arrived after a 50 min subway ride (with a change of trains no less!) to completely foreign territory. In spite of the supposed gentrification of the area...there were no Starbucks to be found. We walked for a mile trying to locate a safe place to sit and wait for our 9a.m. appointment. I will say Ms Dehlia's cafe was an oasis. Enjoyed a scone and tea before we trekked the mile back to the photographer's apartment. We were the first to arrive, but the photographer was a nice young guy from Alabama. Soon another model came, as did the hair stylist, make-up artist and the two clothing designers. They graciously allowed me to stay (Thank goodness! Where on earth would I have gone for 9 1/2 hours???)
Catherine spent two hours getting her make up and hair done...two hours to make her look fresh and un made up! (Have to admit I like that better than overdone/extreme make-up) Then she spent the day changing into darling outfits and modeling them in front of a neutral background. Imagine what you see when you go shopping on line at say, J Crew, and view an item of clothing.
Let me just say, as much as I knew it, it WAS interesting to sit there and watch how the clothes are manipulated to look just right for the shot. They are steamed, pinned, and clipped. Then the models are posed "just so" so the clothes wrinkle at just the right place when a knee is bent, and no more. Of course it helps when the clothes are worn on a 5'10", 120 pound frame, vs. mine!
I stayed in the back hair and make-up room for the first half of the day, trying to stay out of the way. But when they decided to take my chair and use it as part of the set, I moved to a bench in the hallway and positioned myself so I could see the shots as they appeared on the computer screen wired to the camera.
By 6:30 Catherine was worn out. Her feet were killing here from wearing various super tall shoes that the designers purchased for the shoot (and then were going to be returned!) And she was just plum tired from getting up early and staying busy all day. They really don't want the models to sit down when they are wearing the clothes, for fear of wrinkles...but by the end of the day, she was sitting when she got the chance. While it was great to get this job, the length of time it took meant she was not able to make it to two castings that she really hoped to get to. Perhaps, that, in the end, is what made the day seem so exhausting. Such is life, always a bit of give and take.
No subway for us on the way home. We called a cab and relaxed for 30 minutes back to the apartment.
Couldn't get Cath to move once we got home, so I brought home a little pizza from Duke's and we ate it, then went to bed at 8:30.
Photos below: Ms Dehlia's , Eating lunch while in make up, Photographer in action
m
Catherine spent two hours getting her make up and hair done...two hours to make her look fresh and un made up! (Have to admit I like that better than overdone/extreme make-up) Then she spent the day changing into darling outfits and modeling them in front of a neutral background. Imagine what you see when you go shopping on line at say, J Crew, and view an item of clothing.
Let me just say, as much as I knew it, it WAS interesting to sit there and watch how the clothes are manipulated to look just right for the shot. They are steamed, pinned, and clipped. Then the models are posed "just so" so the clothes wrinkle at just the right place when a knee is bent, and no more. Of course it helps when the clothes are worn on a 5'10", 120 pound frame, vs. mine!
I stayed in the back hair and make-up room for the first half of the day, trying to stay out of the way. But when they decided to take my chair and use it as part of the set, I moved to a bench in the hallway and positioned myself so I could see the shots as they appeared on the computer screen wired to the camera.
By 6:30 Catherine was worn out. Her feet were killing here from wearing various super tall shoes that the designers purchased for the shoot (and then were going to be returned!) And she was just plum tired from getting up early and staying busy all day. They really don't want the models to sit down when they are wearing the clothes, for fear of wrinkles...but by the end of the day, she was sitting when she got the chance. While it was great to get this job, the length of time it took meant she was not able to make it to two castings that she really hoped to get to. Perhaps, that, in the end, is what made the day seem so exhausting. Such is life, always a bit of give and take.
No subway for us on the way home. We called a cab and relaxed for 30 minutes back to the apartment.
Couldn't get Cath to move once we got home, so I brought home a little pizza from Duke's and we ate it, then went to bed at 8:30.
Photos below: Ms Dehlia's , Eating lunch while in make up, Photographer in action
m
Monday, January 28, 2013
What an Up and Down business! Bought our 7 day subway pass today and headed to Catherine's agency (BMG) to pick up her Show Cards. ( They are basically two sided cards with a couple photos and her stats. They are used when she goes to castings..like a business card. ) The plan today was for a casting in the afternoon, and a meeting at the agency (again) with Catherine's agent. As soon as we got home from the morning meeting we got an email for a booking for later in the afternoon. That meant no casting and no agency meeting. We were kinda bummed, cuz the casting opportunity sounded cool. Oh Well. Cath rallied, put on the required clothes and makeup, grabbed a bite to eat and was ready to walk out the door, when another email came in....job cancelled..stick to original plan for casting and agency meeting! Take off the make - up and change the clothes... Honestly, we were both kinda happy to be back on track.
Took the subway down to the casting and said goodbye at the door...surrounded by other lovely 6' models all hoping to get the job as well. Cath said there were 20 (?) others in line with her...and that was at the beginning of a 3 hour call window!
While I waited, I looked around for a coffee shop to warm up and get my bearings. SoHo Cafe...I guess we were in SoHo!!! Took a gander up and down the streets..Top Shop, J Crew, Bloomingdales, American Apparel...and many others! What a fun place! Didn't have time to shop with Cath, as soon as she was finished we took the subway 30 min. back to the agency. Had a good meeting, got many questions answered and a better idea of what to expect. Then we decided to take the subway back to SoHo to check it out and do some shopping. Tired legs (and the cold rainy weather) kept us from lingering too long, and we soon were back on the subway heading for home.
Relaxed, then headed up 7th Ave to 58th street for a light dinner at Le Pain Quotidien. During dinner got an exciting email about an appointment for a book cover photo shoot. Lots of fun speculating about what it would entail, and how fun it would be to be on a cover. Only to get the next email that said an originally scheduled shoot would take precedence and not allow enough time to do the cover appt. Arghhh.
Headed home in the rain and stopped in Fluffy's bakery for a canolli. Nice to be back in our warm, dry, quiet apartment and settle in for the night. (See, I told you we'd come to like it here!) Tomorrow morning it's off to Brooklyn via the subway...Yikes!
Check out the photo of the cool cakes in the window of the International Culinary Institute L'Ecole in SoHo
Took the subway down to the casting and said goodbye at the door...surrounded by other lovely 6' models all hoping to get the job as well. Cath said there were 20 (?) others in line with her...and that was at the beginning of a 3 hour call window!
While I waited, I looked around for a coffee shop to warm up and get my bearings. SoHo Cafe...I guess we were in SoHo!!! Took a gander up and down the streets..Top Shop, J Crew, Bloomingdales, American Apparel...and many others! What a fun place! Didn't have time to shop with Cath, as soon as she was finished we took the subway 30 min. back to the agency. Had a good meeting, got many questions answered and a better idea of what to expect. Then we decided to take the subway back to SoHo to check it out and do some shopping. Tired legs (and the cold rainy weather) kept us from lingering too long, and we soon were back on the subway heading for home.
Relaxed, then headed up 7th Ave to 58th street for a light dinner at Le Pain Quotidien. During dinner got an exciting email about an appointment for a book cover photo shoot. Lots of fun speculating about what it would entail, and how fun it would be to be on a cover. Only to get the next email that said an originally scheduled shoot would take precedence and not allow enough time to do the cover appt. Arghhh.
Headed home in the rain and stopped in Fluffy's bakery for a canolli. Nice to be back in our warm, dry, quiet apartment and settle in for the night. (See, I told you we'd come to like it here!) Tomorrow morning it's off to Brooklyn via the subway...Yikes!
Check out the photo of the cool cakes in the window of the International Culinary Institute L'Ecole in SoHo
Sunday, January 27, 2013
I Love You Kim Jennings! Thanks so much for the Le Pain Quotidien suggestion. Walked up to their Central Park location at noon and had a wonderful lunch. That is the New York I was looking for!!! Really enjoyed walking around The Plaza, FAO Schwarz, 5th Ave. Beginning to realize what a fun area we're living in. So close to Rockefeller Center (watch for me on the Today Show this week!), Radio City Music Hall, 5th Ave shopping etc.
Worked out in the facility just one floor above ours this morning...hoping to create a habit in the three weeks we're here... Very quiet in the apartment...that's the positive side to it nor having a street facing window! We both slept great.
Picked up some cupcakes to have with our afternoon tea back in the apartment, and will relax until Catherine's "Go See" at 5:30. A "Go See" means the client has seen her photos, and asked to see her. There will be lots of other girls there, too...but we'll see what happens!!!
Not sure I mentioned that one of the windows in our apartment wouldn't close all the way. But this morning I was able to muscle it shut and practically get it locked!
Worked out in the facility just one floor above ours this morning...hoping to create a habit in the three weeks we're here... Very quiet in the apartment...that's the positive side to it nor having a street facing window! We both slept great.
Picked up some cupcakes to have with our afternoon tea back in the apartment, and will relax until Catherine's "Go See" at 5:30. A "Go See" means the client has seen her photos, and asked to see her. There will be lots of other girls there, too...but we'll see what happens!!!
Not sure I mentioned that one of the windows in our apartment wouldn't close all the way. But this morning I was able to muscle it shut and practically get it locked!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Well, we have arrived! Have had a whole day to explore New York. Let me entice you to read further by mentioning just a few things we've encountered..a car crash (ours!), rats, and an apartment bedroom that is unusable.
Left home at 5:30 a.m. with 3 HUGE duffle bags, 2 carry-on rollers, and our big black "purses". The flight to LaGuardia is amazingly short...1 1/2 hours. We landed about 10:15 a.m. and had no trouble securing our luggage and meeting our pre-arranged car/driver. Made great time into Manhattan until we got to Queens (?) bridge when we came to a sudden stop. Just seconds in front of us 6 cars smashed into each other. As we managed to get around them, the passengers were just escaping their vehicles. We could see the airbags that had deployed. As we headed into the tunnel the emergency vehicles and news media passed us heading to the accident. Minutes later when were about 6 blocks from our apartment our driver looked down to reach his phone to take my credit card and crashed into the taxi in front of us. Not much damage to the taxi, but smashed in our front grill and headlights. Because we had so much luggage we couldn't exactly get out and walk. So Cath and I waited in the back seat while the two drivers worked it out amicably--aided with running commentary form a streetperson who
immersed himself into the situation!!
15-20 minutes later we arrived at our apartment building near 51st and 7th ave. Small but nice lobby, very nice doorman and bellman who helped us get to our apartment. Apartment itself leaves a lot to be desired. Think old college dorm room, or old college boyfriend's apartment. The old adage "you get what you pay for" certainly applies. I was so excited that I had found a cheap two bedroom place. Unfortunately one of the bedrooms smells so badly of cigarette smoke, it can't be used. We've opened the windows, placed an open bottle of Pine-Sol on the dresser, and shut the door. What a waste.
A few tears at first over the icky apartment, but fortunately God gave me a trooper of a daughter and we've adjusted. The bathroom has plenty of space and three large vanity cabinets for all of our cosmetics and toiletries.
I envisioned going to the grocery store and cooking meals each night, so I brought some things from home,...spices, aluminum foil, salad dressing. After seeing the apartment, and exploring the neighborhood, I quickly realized THAT won't be happening! Looks like 2-3 meals out every day. Who knows, perhaps I'll adjust and change my mind in a couple days.
We took a test subway run to Catherine's agency and first appointment. There really are rats in the subway. Saw 'em. Spent some time walking around Times Square which is just a few blocks from our apartment.Tonight we chose our restaurant based solely on how close it was to the apartment. Turned out to be surprisingly good..the Heartland Brewery. Hoping for warmer weather tomorrow. Not sure how coherent this post is..after typing it the first time, my computer froze and I lost it. Ugh! Hope to be able to post some pics..then heading to bed.
Left home at 5:30 a.m. with 3 HUGE duffle bags, 2 carry-on rollers, and our big black "purses". The flight to LaGuardia is amazingly short...1 1/2 hours. We landed about 10:15 a.m. and had no trouble securing our luggage and meeting our pre-arranged car/driver. Made great time into Manhattan until we got to Queens (?) bridge when we came to a sudden stop. Just seconds in front of us 6 cars smashed into each other. As we managed to get around them, the passengers were just escaping their vehicles. We could see the airbags that had deployed. As we headed into the tunnel the emergency vehicles and news media passed us heading to the accident. Minutes later when were about 6 blocks from our apartment our driver looked down to reach his phone to take my credit card and crashed into the taxi in front of us. Not much damage to the taxi, but smashed in our front grill and headlights. Because we had so much luggage we couldn't exactly get out and walk. So Cath and I waited in the back seat while the two drivers worked it out amicably--aided with running commentary form a streetperson who
immersed himself into the situation!!
15-20 minutes later we arrived at our apartment building near 51st and 7th ave. Small but nice lobby, very nice doorman and bellman who helped us get to our apartment. Apartment itself leaves a lot to be desired. Think old college dorm room, or old college boyfriend's apartment. The old adage "you get what you pay for" certainly applies. I was so excited that I had found a cheap two bedroom place. Unfortunately one of the bedrooms smells so badly of cigarette smoke, it can't be used. We've opened the windows, placed an open bottle of Pine-Sol on the dresser, and shut the door. What a waste.
A few tears at first over the icky apartment, but fortunately God gave me a trooper of a daughter and we've adjusted. The bathroom has plenty of space and three large vanity cabinets for all of our cosmetics and toiletries.
I envisioned going to the grocery store and cooking meals each night, so I brought some things from home,...spices, aluminum foil, salad dressing. After seeing the apartment, and exploring the neighborhood, I quickly realized THAT won't be happening! Looks like 2-3 meals out every day. Who knows, perhaps I'll adjust and change my mind in a couple days.
We took a test subway run to Catherine's agency and first appointment. There really are rats in the subway. Saw 'em. Spent some time walking around Times Square which is just a few blocks from our apartment.Tonight we chose our restaurant based solely on how close it was to the apartment. Turned out to be surprisingly good..the Heartland Brewery. Hoping for warmer weather tomorrow. Not sure how coherent this post is..after typing it the first time, my computer froze and I lost it. Ugh! Hope to be able to post some pics..then heading to bed.
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