Oscar week...new is habit forming

Yippee!!!!!  Another week of 'new'.  I am really getting into this 'new' stuff.  Seriously, I have been finding myself saying yes to things that I before would have said 'no' to or 'maybe later' or 'next time'.  It is like I am on auto pilot.  When I hear that voice in my head say, 'no, not now'....I stop and turn around and say, 'hell yes, I'm going to do that right now'.  It's been an eye opening experience.  I don't have to go out looking for new things to do.  New things, new opportunities, new experiences, new ways of thinking, new people are falling out of the sky all day long.  I just simply needed to make the choice to see the 'new'.  AND...walk into the 'new' instead of run away from it.  Choosing to try something new can take you out of your comfort zone.  Fear can pop its ugly little head up.  A couple weeks ago, I treated myself to a 'new' bottle of body oil.  Holy cow, just going up to the register and paying for that body oil put me right into my crap.  "You can't afford that, Melinda". "Why are you buying that, Melinda"?  "You don't need that".  "Who do you think you are anyways buying a bottle of lavender body oil"?  "You have real bills to pay".  SHUT UP, EGO!!!!!!   Really?!!  I don't feel like I deserve to treat myself to a $4 bottle of lavender body oil?  Heck, I could scrap together $4 worth of coins from the floor of my car.  It has been two weeks since I bought that body oil.  I don't miss the silly $4.  I have been using the body oil everyday.  Guess what?  It makes me feel pretty.  Doesn't every woman deserve to feel pretty everyday?  I say 'hell yes' to that!!

New Things Feb 20 - 26


- Last year I started working out with Richard Simmons at his exercise studio in Beverly Hills.  I am having a BLAST.  I don't know if I burn more calories working out with Richard or laughing with Richard.  A few weeks ago, I asked Richard how many days a week I should do sit ups.  Richard looked at me and said, "You need to do sit ups everyday that you eat".  I said, "That's everyday".  Richard said, "Ding-ding-ding...your correct!".  So, this week, I decided to take his advice and do my sit ups every blessed day.  Holy Cow, I already feel a difference.  It only takes 5 minutes a day.  In those five minutes, I have done something good for myself and now I can bounce a quarter off my abs....not really.  But, my ab muscles do sincerely feel stronger.  Thanks Uncle Richard.  xoxo

                                                 Me, Richard Simmons, and my Mom

-Over the last couple years, I have found myself a bit embarrassed by something.  Several times I have been in a group of people who are talking about a current event that is happening in the world or in America and I have no clue what they are talking about.  So, I just sit there and smile.  Well, it's time to try something new.  I have decided to read two news articles everyday.  I get some from Newsweek, some from AOL, some from newspapers I find in coffee shops.  Wow...who knew there was so much going on outside of my little bubble. Just like the sit ups, it only takes a few minutes a day.  I already feel so much more informed and aware of the world around me.  I also don't feel like such a ding-bat when people begin to discuss current affairs.  As Maya Angelou once said, 'When you know better, you do better'.

-This week is Pre-Oscar week.  Hollywood is getting ready for its biggest night....The Academy Awards.  In honor of Oscar, I decided to do something new that was Oscar related.  So, I went to the FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) in Los Angeles.  Through April they are displaying all of the Oscar nominated costumes.  The display is incredible with all the nominated costumes from this year and the winner from last year.  The detail in each costume is brilliantly beautiful.  The thought and creativity that goes into each stitch is undeniable.  I realized that costume designers put a lot of thought into each piece.  What era is the piece from?  What social class wore it?  Is this the first time the character wore this outfit or has the character worn this outfit many many times.  The costumes play a big part in bringing a story to life.  The teenage girl in me got all giddy when I saw the Mad Hatter costumer that Johnny Depp wore in 'Alice in Wonderland'.  I also saw the costumes from the 'King's Speech', 'The Tempest', and 'True Grit'.  Of course, no photography was allowed inside of the exhibit.  I can't wait to see which talented designer goes home with that little gold statue.

- This week I stumbled upon one of those things that I normally would have considered passing on.  One afternoon, while trying to find a nice cafe latte, I ran across a Leonardo Da Vinci display.  I really had to drag my butt into this 'new' one.  WOW...was I in for a shock!!  I knew Da Vinci was an artist, but I didn't know he was also an inventor.  The exhibit had over 20 different machines that Da Vinci had invented.  Many of his inventions are still used today.  It was actually very interesting.  Then...it happened.  I ran smack-dab straight into the Mona Lisa herself.  I laughed as I realized that I had forgotten that Leonardo Da Vinci was the artist that brought this master piece to life.  Of course, this wasn't the original painting.  However, I realized that every time that I have seen the Mona Lisa, it has been in a book or on a greeting card. This was the first time I have ever seen a print of the Mona Lisa framed and hanging on a wall.  She truly is breathtaking.

                                                   "Oh, Mona Lisa.  How I adore you"

- This week, I had my first experience, as an actress, doing voice over work.  'Voice over' is the off-camera voice you hear in a commercial, TV show, or film.  There was no camera, just me and the microphone.  It was pretty neat.  I really had to 'feel' each emotion and allow my voice to express what I was feeling.  My voice will be used in the opening of a short film, called 'Glow'.  It will premiere next month.  I can't wait to go to the screening and hear my voice.  I wonder if I'll be in surround sound.

-I have been to many screenings of many films.  This week I had a first in the 'screening of a film' department. I am originally from a small farm town called Durand, IL.  Just outside of Durand is another great midwest town called Rockford.  Much to my wonderful surprise, there are film makers in Rockford.  Who knew?!  A team of Rockford film makers just produced their first feature film.  It is a horror film called, "Raymond Did It".  This Rockford, IL produced film screened in Hollywood a couple nights ago.  Seeing hometown peeps come all the way to California and screen their film in Hollywood was an exciting first.  Go Rockford!! Just
another example of someone living their dream.  BRAVO!!



Well, that is another summary of another great new week.  Tomorrow is Oscar Sunday.  My friends and I celebrate the Oscars every year.   I can't wait to see what new things I find while celebrating this old tradition.