Sunday, November 27, 2011

Pressure



There is an overwhelming amount of pressure that comes with being 22, and something tells me it will just get worse with age. There is such a push to be something or do something when really I’m still just trying to figure myself out. For most of my life, people in my age range have been at pretty similar parts in their lives. We all went to school at the same time and graduated at roughly the same time and got our licenses at the same time and celebrated turning 21 at the same time. But now things are different. Now some people are continuing on in more schooling and some are getting jobs. Some are taking a year off to move back home, and some are taking a year off to travel. All these different paths and options are so stressful to me. You see, I’m a comparer. I can’t help it. I have a tendency to compare my life to other peoples lives. So it gets stressful hearing about all the different things everyone is doing. But the most stressful part is the relationship pressure. I can name at least 20 people that I know who are engaged, married, or have a child. I don’t even have a boyfriend. Heck, I don’t even have a friend who’s a boy. Plus it doesn’t help that my parents got married at 19 and had me at 26. I can’t help but feel behind. I can’t help but wonder, “will I ever get married?” I’m 22. If I meet a boy this year and all goes well I could be married by the time I’m 24 and maybe start popping out kids by the time I’m 26. But let’s be real, that’s not going to happen. I’m 22 and I’ve never had a serious relationship (yes, I am admitting that on the internet). I really can’t help but think I’m defective in some way. But for heavens sake, I’m 22! I just graduated from college 6 months ago. I’m still in school. I don’t have a career figured out. So, no- I don’t know when I’ll get a boyfriend, or when I’ll get married, or when I’ll give my parents grandchildren. I’m only 22 and half the time I feel like the world is yelling at me to speed up, catch up, and grow up.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

California Dreamin

44 days until I head to LA! I am really starting to get excited as the time grows closer. My roommate and I have a long list of things we want to do while we’re there; we just need to organize that list now and figure out which days we want to do which things. Most of the things on our list are very touristy, like sticking a foot in the Pacific ocean (since we are both East coast girls), seeing the Walk of Fame, and taking a tour of the WB studios. We’ve also talked a lot about celebrity encounters and who we would love to see. For instance, I’m pretty sure my roommate will just drop dead if she sees Jennifer Anniston. I have a fantasy celeb sighting list too for this trip! (I know, I know, it probably won’t happen, but let me do my ‘California dreaming’).
So here’s my top 10 list of people I would be super excited to see (in no particular order):

1. Ellen Pompeo- She plays Meredith Grey, she seems really down to earth, and she has an adorable baby. What’s not to love?
2. Either Olsen twin- I mean, in reality, I’m more obsessed with Mary-Kate, but honestly if I saw either I’d be happy for life.
3. Any Kardashian (except Scott, who's not even technically a Kardashian)- I want them to adopt me. Seriously. Khloe, Kourtney, Kim (I guess), Bruce, Kyli, Kendall, any of them will do. Just not Kris or Scott. or Rob.
4. The Jennifers (Anniston and/or Garner)- Who wouldn’t want to meet them?
5. Ellen DeGeneres- I love her. And I feel like she’d be super friendly and hilarious. I’m still looking into getting tickets to her show!
6. Justin and/or Selena- Yes. Beiber and Gomez. I know that I’m a 22 year old girl. Go ahead and judge.
7. Reese Witherspoon- I think she’s just precious.
8. Taye Diggs- He is the most attractive man in the entire universe. And beyond.
9. Nicole Richie- I love her. And I don’t really know why.
10. A Beckham- David, Victoria, I’m really not too picky.

Who would you love to meet? Any celeb crushes or role models?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Thanksgiving Traditions

“Thanksgiving, oh Thanksgiving, sure is a wonderful treeeeat. Thanksgiving, oh Thanksgiving, sure is a lot to eat! With turkey, gravy, stuffing, pumpkin piiieeeee, string beans, olives, me oh, me oh my!”
I learned this fun Thanksgiving song in school with my best friend in 1st grade and we still sing it at the table every Thanksgiving. (There are even hand motions and a little game that goes along with it!). You see, every Thanksgiving-and Christmas and Easter and 4th of July- my family gets together with my best friend’s family, the Hinrichs. I met Emily in 1st grade and we’ve pretty much grown up together ever since. Even our parents are best friends. I always love doing holidays with the Hinrichs. As an only child, I’m used to the house being very quiet and organized, yet when the holidays roll around and the Toffolons and Hinrichs get together, there is a total of 6 kids and 4 adults and it’s never quiet. Every year there is a ridiculous amount of amazing food like turkey, rolls, cheesy potatoes, olives (which Anna and I devour before they even make it to the table), salads, asparagus, and amazing desserts.  We still usually sit at 2 separate tables, the adults table and the kids table. I’m not really sure if we’ll ever integrate, seeing as how the youngest “kid” at the kids table is 16 and the oldest is 22. Thanks to William, we also seem to have a tradition of burning rolls, beans, or even napkins over a candle. But regardless of the seperate tables, we have a blast and eat until we feel like we might pop. Next comes the the most fun part of the night.We’ve carried on a tradition that started many many many years ago. During any holiday gathering if you fall asleep on the couch or floor, you will get silly stringed. Us “kids” all run and grab cans of silly string (because what family of 7 doesn’t have silly string lying around?) and wake the person from their pleasant sleep. I’m fairly positive my dad has been the victim the past few years; you would think he would have learned his lesson by now, right? Anyways, after dinner the adults usually stay home and drink and clean while the kids go see a movie. With 3 boys and 3 girls and a range of ages, it can be pretty hard to decide on one movie, so sometimes we split into 2 groups. When the movie ends, everyone goes back to their own houses and I end up alone at my house. The quiet is always a surprise right after being with such a large group of people. I love my family, but it's in these moments that I really hate being an only child. These moments make me so thankful for our traditions. I love getting to be part of a bigger family for a day. I love spending time with the people I love. And I love the dependability of it all. I know that I have something to look forward to every year, and for that I am THANKFUL!

What are some of your holiday traditions? What are you thankful for?

The Hinrichs & Toffolons take on Charlotte

The Hinrichs and Toffolons take on Fort Fisher

The "kids table" (plus a few extra)

Some sleeping Hinrichs...

Monday, November 14, 2011

Being An Adult

This.

Go to this website. Look at the page. Understand why I haven't blogged in a while.

This is my life.

Monday, November 7, 2011

and that's a wrap on the Rivercourt...

"Good evening ladies and gentleman and welcome to another historic evening.." And that’s a wrap on the Rivercourt. One Tree Hill ending feels like more than just a TV show ending, it feels like an era ending. Ya know how people said that the end of Harry Potter was like the end of their childhood? I kind of feel the same way. OTH started when I was 13. I was a baby freshman in high school and didn’t really know who I was. 9 years later, I’m 22 years old; I’ve finished high school, graduated from college, moved away from home, and am now in nursing school. 9 years later I have a much better understanding of who I am. It’s amazing how much can change in 9 years. Growing up is not an option, and yet watching old episodes of One Tree Hill where the young cast is hanging out on the Rivercourt truly does bring me back to my high school days. There is something so cool about watching a character transform from a young high school student, to a responsible adult. There’s something about watching the transformation that makes it seem easier and more acceptable. I know it sounds silly, and I know it’s just a TV show. But it’s my town and my friends and my job for the last few years. And something about it ending makes me feel like it’s time to grow up, like a part of my childhood/teenage years are ending too. It’s an amazing TV show with an even more amazing cast and crew. I love walking around my Wilmington and running into filming, or even going to work with a hilarious and hardworking crew. They’ve been here for 9 years. For 9 years the Self Help building has been Clothes Over Bros/Karens CafĂ©. For 9 years the little patch of pavement by the Battleship has been the Rivercourt. For 9 years this show, these people, this cast and crew, these fans, have sucked me in and gotten me so emotionally involved in “the little show that could”.

Just For Today, Call Me Emily

Today was awesome. And here’s why:
I usually do some extra or featured extra work on shows, but today I was called to be a stand in. That probably means nothing to you if you don’t know what that is, so here’s a brief explanation: 


“A stand-in for  film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting. Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of production. Lighting setup can be a slow and tedious process; during this time the actor will often be somewhere else. Stand-ins allow the director of photography to light the set, the camera department to light and focus scenes. The director will often ask stand-ins to deliver the scene dialogue ("lines") and walk through ("blocking") the scenes to be filmed. In this way, a good stand-in can help speed up the day's production and is a necessary and valuable cast member on a film. Stand-ins are distinguished from body doubles, who replace actors on camera from behind, in makeup, or during dangerous stunts. Stand-ins do not appear on camera. However, on some productions the jobs of stand-in and double may be done by the same person. Stand-ins do not necessarily look like the actor, but they must have the same skin tone, hair color, height and build as the actor so that the lighting in a scene will be set up correctly.”
I was called yesterday about being a stand in for a 14 year old boy, Lucas Hedges, for the upcoming movie Arthur Newman: Golf Pro. I showed up to set this morning at 6:15, checked in, ate a delicious breakfast provided by the crafty truck (Praise sweet baby Jesus for the crafty truck), and went to wardrobe. I was then taken to set where I met Lucas and watched them go through a first team rehearsal (First team is the actual actors, second team is the stand ins). After watching a rehearsal or two, second team stepped in and did the blocking and lighting for a second team rehearsal. Unfortunately after a few hours, Lucas was wrapped, which means I was too. However, one of the set PA’s began asking me how tall I was and what size I wore. At first I was a little offended and very confused, but then she informed me that the stand in for Emily (Blunt) was out for the week and they wanted to use me. My response? Um, yes. Obviously. 1. It’s Emily freaking Blunt. 2. I would work with Colin Firth. 3. I’d get paid more. So after going back to wardrobe and changing again I was whisked away to a different part of set. The scene was Colin and Emily in a car, driving through a neighborhood. So me and the stand in for Colin hopped in the car and sat for a while. Then the director started asking me to look this way and that way and all around to test the lighting. I’m not gonna lie, I was just excited that he knew my name. We were dismissed when Colin and Emily came back from their trailers and we got to just sit and just watch filming. It was so nice to be part of the second team because they get treated SO much better than an extra. We got to hang out on set instead of in extras holding; we got to go to lunch first and get all the good desserts (like cranraisin white chocolate cookies). After lunch, I got wigged up with a nice little Emily Blunt style bob cut and went back out to the prop car. At this point I was being used as a photo double for Emily. Basically all that entailed was sitting in the car while the back of my head got filmed. I loved today. I loved being more than just an extra. I loved being on set all day. If I could be on set all day every day I would.  I loved the crew. And I loved Emily and Colin. Colin is so attractive and very sweet! And Emily is honestly one of the most gorgeous people ever. She’s also super hilarious and has a killer British accent (which I heard so well when she offered me some licorice, because, in her words “all serious actors eat licorice.”)
So, for today I was not Brooke, I was Emily Blunt. And it was awesome.
The chairs

Hey, there's me in the grey jacket! Made my debut in the local newspaper!

Colin and Emily. Can you say beautiful?

Colin and Emily. In wardrobe and in action.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Rediscovering Old Music

Ya know what one of the best things ever is? Rediscovering old music that has been hidden away on your iTunes. Like a nerd, I’ve spent my whole Friday night revisiting old songs and falling in love all over again. I can’t keep these gems to myself, so I thought I’d share a few must have songs.

1. The Edge of the Ocean by Ivy (literally one of my favorite songs of all time)
2. Vienna by Billy Joel
3. This Boy by James Morrison
4. Mother We Can’t Get Enough by The New Radicals
5. Wait by Get Set Go
6. Scratch by Kendall Payne
7. Pictures of You by The Cure
8. Jackson by Johnny Cash
9. Aint Nothin Wrong With That by Robert Randolph
10. Unlike Me AND Grace by Kate Havnevik
11. Maybe Tomorrow by Stereophonics
12. Age Six Racer by Dashboard Confessionals
13. Beautiful by India Aire
14. Be Yourself by Audioslave
15. Breathe Me by Sia
16. Find My Way by The Gabe Dixon Band
17. Joey by Concrete Blonde
18. Breakable by Ingrid Michaelson
19. Mountain Man by Crash Kings
20. Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg

What are some of your favorite songs/bands right now?





 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Halloween Through The Years

Happy Halloween, yall! I hope everyone had a great day and checked all the candy for razor blades and poison. Remember when you could dress up like a nerd or a nurse without having to be a slutty nerd or a slutty nurse? Yeah, those were the days. Anyways, I didn't really do anything this year, except bake some Funfetti cookies in the shapes of pumpkins. So rather than bore you with my night, I decided to leave you with some Halloween pictures from past years. Enjoy!

                                                                                                 Snow White

                                                                                                    Cavegirl

                                                                                               Cheerleader

                                                                                             Mary-Kate Olsen

                                                                                               Bumble Bee

                                                                                                       Lion

                                                                                                       Skeleton

                                                                                                  Barbie Bride

                                                                                                    1950's Girl

                          Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup (PowerPuff Girls)

                                                                                               Christmas Elf