let's put this to rest.....

ok. ok....you brain-squeezer lovers are right.

they look borderline amazing!

co-conceived and shot by sussy

while i'm off living.....

i thought i'd remind you of one of my favorite dating highlights
(or lowlights....however you look at it).

remember the italian stallion?

i've had many a request to go toe-to-toe with "peter priesthood" @
why mormon girls stay single over a myriad of issues.

while i've thought long and hard about his possible war, i'm not really interested in going tit-for-tat with a cyber geek who is often hilarious, misguided, irreverent,
and sometimes totally correct.
will i be sparking a dungeons and dragons duel?

i will, however, chat with you about a serious cultural issue in the
"mormon dating scene." please understand that i'm not complaining-i'm ok.
this gal is just observing...

why don't mormon men date?

i have had the awesome luxury to go on many dating adventures
(with men of and of not my faith). i'm a lucky one... some of these adventures have been
well-documented distasters but a great many of them
have been amazing (they're just not as funny to write about ;).

i know many LDS girls who aren't as fortunate considering we outnumber the
boys 2 or 3 to 1--
and, lets be honest, most of my dating has been with men who are not of my faith.
upon reflection, i find one key aspect that these suitors have in common:
they ask me to go on proper dates.

see, i'm of the "old-fashioned" idea that men should be the pursuers. when i was 14, i was asked during a young women's organization exercise to write the
characteristics i was looking for in a future husband.
my list looked like this:

1. ambition


and that was it....
while my mom was borderline horrified by this sparse and somewhat terrifying list, i guess felt like ambition was kind of an all-inclusive umbrella which held;
RM, well educated, career-driven, witty, funny, creative, talented, interesting, handsome...someone who pursues.. etc.....
or, i guess you could say, the man i'm attracted to is the man who has the
gumption to pick up a phone and ask.

ladies, we enable these dudes!
by calling first, texting first, planning dessert parties, scheduling group events just to get in the same room with these guys is basically emasculating them.
i'm not suggesting we be totally passive...
(don't freak out, women's libbers... i'm as equal opportunity as they come-
i just like my men strong, and interested in me.)

flirt your brains out, be fun, express your interest subtly, and be a moving object of desire (MOD) then let him make a move... if he doesn't.... he's not the kind of man i'm interested in.
i feel it our duty to re-train this culteral dating epidemic!
have we enabled a group of lazy daters by having too many group church activities?
are they afraid that if they take a gal on a measly single date,
everyone in their fishbowl will assume that they're dating?

to that, i say, "cowboy up!"

i'm not choosy. in fact, the simpler the first date, the better...
nothing is more awkward than a man blowing a wad of cash on a meal
that you're miserable attending...
a simple hot chocolate (ang, that's for you!), a walk around the block, lunch...
you get the idea.

anyway,
that's the man i'm interested in... the one who will court me.

and sorry, "peter priesthood," there aren't many LDS men who know how to do that anymore.

photo by sussy

are you going to san francisco?..... again?

i am.

off to celebrate sussy getting....older.

and to stir a little mischief.
do you have any suggestions?

see you soon, lovies.
thank you so much for the kind, kind, birth-iversary wishes!

pic by sussy

bare bones

i adore madeleine peyroux.

i got hip to her 11+ yrs ago and have been listening to her dreamy jazzy tunes ever since.
buy her newest, bare bones
or her oldest, dreamland.

anybody have any extra tickets to her concert in san francisco this friday?

happy birthday to mim !!

holy moses!

i have blogged an entire year of my life!

i must say, while this has been the most challenging & complicated year of my life,
i have found such unbelievable joy.
i really think by blogging my gratitudes, inspirations, and dreams, i have found happiness beyond compare.
turns out, recognizing the little things really does make you happy...

thank you for supporting, for encouraging, and for lifting me throughout this year.
i didn't expect anyone but sussy to read these ramblings, but have discovered a wealth of beautiful blog people i'm now proud to call friends.

so now that we're having a yearly check-in....

what do you want?
why do you read?
which posts are most interesting to you?
***
happy birthday to us!

&

thank you for being a friend.
(are you hearing the golden girls theme song?)

don't be a stranger, now!

photo by sussy

i'll stitch you in my heart..

or pay for someone else to do it....

miniature rhino custom stitches them for you.
darling & thoughtful

two more classic worthini moments:

motie and worthie @ vera wang for sussy's bridal fitting.
note the double lean.

(yeah.. i KNOW it's out of focus.. and not in the artsy out-of-focus way)
this is one of my most favoritest pictures.

we had only known each other a week.
dad introduced us to balboa.
we had no idea what kind of adventure was in front of us,
but this magical night was an indication of a
wonderful friendship and journey that was yet to come....

meet my besties: worth

(w and me at the opening preview of grease)
worthina and i met on the national tour of hairspray
we were perky.
we were optimistic.
we were fun.
we worked hard....
(needless to say, hairspray was not ready for us.. but we were ready for eachother.)

... and we have laughed and loved and lost and listened and had
wild adventures all over the country.
worthie introduced me to bloomies fro-yo, monogramed silver, delman flats,
southern living and southern love!

of all of my girls, worthini and i have the most photo documentation of our shenanigans--
narrowing the post photos was difficult at best!

(worthie's bday in philly with dd-me holding a mock-tini
that cute men sent over
below: drunk-skunk worthini posing at a store window.
are you proud of my arrow skills???)

(as worthie's mother in the 'spray...
and w beating my puerto rican hooker in jail)

Where do you live?
nyc, upper west side

what is your favorite color?
periwinkle

what is your favorite city?
Amelia island . fl

What is your favorite thing to cook?
pork tenderloin and bundt cakes!

What beauty product can you not live w ithout?
lipstick

what is your favorite nyc restaurant?
Frankie's Sputino

What is one thing you can’t help but splurge on?
clothes!

What is your favorite word?
yall

What movie can you recite by heart?
Everyone Says I Love You

What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?
Pancakes at home with Mike and the paper, explore new neighborhoods

which tv show do you makes you happiest?
30 rock, bachelor, flight of the conchords

what is your favorite beverage?
milkshakes!

What is one trend that totally victimized you?
?
(oh i'll tell you! worthini, always a classic dresser, sought to convince me she's a "carrie" -which she most definitely is not, miss charlotte- so she wore ALL of her edgiest pieces in ONE complete outfit..(the infamous philly bday trip--see pics above-after we toned her down).. we're talking a pop art betsy johnson t-shirt, wild earrings, a short seven mini skirt, a strange printed scarf, delman flats (not edgy), a nanette lepore tailored jacket (not edgy) and a louis vuitton purse (again, not edgy)-it made me laugh till i cried. )

If you could trade lives with anyone for a day who would you chose?
nobody

What is your favorite comfort food?
hamburger and french fries, with friends!

What famous person do you think you most resemble?
Clueless days of Alicia Silverstone

What is your favorite adventure that we've shared?
Oooohhhhh my! So many! Maybe my 26th bday in philly! The bus ride when I had all different styles of clothing on! And our dinner with your daddy in Cali, when we first met! Oh,20and our in-and-out burger runs after hairspray rehearsals! And last, but not least, you and I trying to go to the podiatrist (did i spell that right?) in Houston in our convertible in the pouring rain!

What was the best piece of advice you were ever given? Who gave it to you?
" take on many lovers, darling"
My grandmother, Betty told me at dinner on my 21st birthday. I didn't follow thru too well!
(oooh i love betty! she's so lavish!)

What three possessions do you value most?
My art work, cards from Mikey, all the music i have acquired over the years!

What three non-material things do you value most?
my love,family and friends, and health

When was the last time you told someone you loved them? Who was it?

Mike, this morning

(just a typical monday -bachelor night...above in nyc,
below in memphis
with a giant cake courtesy of john pinette)

(worthini supporting me at an "after party" performance)

i love you worthie!!
xoxo

my reading boyfriend.

so maybe he was rehearsing in the same space
and

maybe she was there too
(did you know her girlfriend is "madame president" on 24?)....

and maybe he's flirty..
and maybe i liked it.

(oh, and david hyde pierce was there too...)

yep. i like to eat.

every proper nyc visit
begins at carnegie deli for cheesecake and besties,

wanders over to bloomies for fro yo,
begins each morning @ the corner deli for egg and cheese on a roll (heaven in a breakfast)
and ends with my favorite sandwich shop,
potbelly
(found in dulles airport---dear potbelly, open outposts in UT and NYC, please?!)
for the chocolate banana milkshake, toasted sandwiches and
ridiculous oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
(the ONLY store bought chocolate chip cookie i enjoy)
for the flight.

don't worry.. i still found time for magnolia.

welcome to WONDERLAND!

many of the wonder-ites on lunch break @ lenny's

where else would
prince eric, louis the chef, ursela's eel (little mermaid),
2 elphabas, dr dillamond (wicked),
wenches from the barricade (les miz),
wenches from another french show (2 cities),
a spelling bee,
brooke wyndham (legally blonde),
the professor (south pacific),
raoul (phantom),
the lady of the lake (spamalot),
bielke (fiddler),
2 very memorable characters from sex and the city
and
yours truly, cha cha digregorio

gather, except in
wonderland?!

lauren kennedy. julia murney. derrick baskin

me with michaela and kevin smith kirkwood

derrick baskin. julia murney. me. anne tolpegin. kristy cates. ryan silverman

above: me. alison cimmet. anne tolpegin . kristy cates.
below: john treacy egan. sean palmer.

kristy cates (who is sort of a HILL--doesn't she look like nina?!) and noah weisberg

had the loveliest time & felt so blessed to create with amazing artists.
man, these people are famous for a reason!

you ask:what is a reading, mim?

well, i'll tell you...
often, before a new show is staged, the creative team will have a reading (or 2, or 3, or more...) of the piece to see what needs work. in the later stages of the reading process, they'll invite potential producers to see if they want
to invest in the show. readings are only allowed to be 29 hrs of work for equity actors which usually amounts to one week to learn the entire show (music included) . we then perform the piece at music stands and read the show in its entiretyfor an invited audience.....actors in readings are notguaranteed roles in the fully staged productions--but a reading is an amazing audition....

look for wonderland in tampa
. fall 2009 .

maybe i'll see you there?
we'll see...

i stop for

samoas!!
(or whatever their pc name is now..)

that little girl was brilliant to set up a roadside stand.....
pretty sure i bankrolled her into a pink cadillac or whatever they give them...

it drives me bananas

when people stand thisclose to the baggage claim conveyor belt.
1. it's impossible to see your bag.
2. once you DO see your bag, you have to try to pull it off
without hitting the idiots whose toes are TOUCHING the conveyor belt.
(i have since given up on this... you in my way? you get a samsonite smack.)

seriously... i have travel rage over this...

in my kingdom,
passengers will be required to stand behind a line
3 ft away from the a fore mentioned belt.
then, you will only be allowed to come near belt once your bag is spotted.

that is the courteous way.

peace be with you.

i'm a twit.

i'm twitting, i'm a twitter, i twit!!

ok.. ok..
i'm still quasi-freaked out by this...

but if you want to follow my random thoughts...

tweet with me {here}

i promise, i'm alive!

just having too much fun and too little time/internet access to tell you about it!

but

  nae-nae chronicled the blog summit hummus fest this eve (told you i'd love meg)

and playbill.com reported what i'm working on

needless to say, 

i'm a lucky lucky girl. 

and meeting the coolest people. ... more to come!

how is your week?

i'm a coming home....

to my city of love and possibilities...

to :
make sure my apt is till intact

sleep on gracious friend's couches (nana & e, you're such a life savers!) cause cute subletter is still sleeping in my bed

see my loveliest besties

force lovely besties to meet fun men

receive my package from shavs

do kundalini at sunset in the apartment btwn derek jeter and beyonce

take taylor's pilates class

see west side story and la-la in south pacific on the big broadway

do the reading of wonderland

be inspired by the talent in a fore mentioned reading

sing my little heart out-wildhorn-style

have tea with tazita and meg

pester e

treat myself with bloomie's fro yo and mag's cupcakes

get a $20 mani/pedi

get threaded and waxed. ouch.

find adventures

gather more stories

remind my agents that i am, indeed, alive

bring my stage makeup back for saigon

flirt

eat amazing food

breathe in possibility and motivation to finish my pilot

tell my accountant that i have been a very procrastinating citizen-taxes to finish

grab my passport

switch my seasons of clothing

because, spring is coming!

i'll report back soon.... though i'm not sure how much internet
i'll have hop hop hopping around couches.... at least i'm not on crutches.

hey, utah!
see you in a week!

heart subway map here

overheard at the grocery store....

while a turquoise-wearing, yosemite sam-mustashing,
cigarette-smelling bagger assembled my purchases in paper (not plastic),
he had the following conversation with
a scooter-banged, brown-lipliner-ed checker:

(please read in a utah accent if you have one...or a cowboy twang if you do not)

bagger: ..... so .... i talked to my ex-wife today--after 7 years!!

checker: wow. did she call you?

bagger: no. i called her.

checker: did you miss her or something?

bagger: YEAH! her and me had some reeeeeaaaaallly great times together!!!
(love incorrect grammar! love it!)

checker: does your new wife know?

bagger: um............... (tentatively) yeah.

***
and with that,
i took my bagged aquaphor, diet coke, popsicles, and midol and went on with my day.

how do you feel ....

about dating younger men?

pic by sussy

have you met meg?

no? you haven't met her?

neither have i.

but i want to.

i imagine m and i would be dear friends. ...the kind of friend who also
loves salty and sweet for brunch.
she'd order the banana macadamia nut flapjacks and
i would order the western omelet and we'd happily split.
salty and sweet.

her blog often brings me to tears.
she paints such exquisite pictures of what's inside her heart-
how does she know the same dreams are inside mine?

you must read this post ...
but until you do...
here's a little treat from
the wild and wily ways of a brunette bombshell.

So my dearest, darling-est, dreamiest husband-to-be, know this...

don't take me to the opera. or the rainbow room. don't make it a carriage ride through central park or a weekend getaway. i'm not even sure i need you to get on one knee. but do it on the door step. on the front stoop. sitting next to me. on the same level. turn to me and ask me to be your best friend, your lover, your absolute equal. so that then we can go inside and begin our life together, as we've always known we would.

That being said, you sure as hell better ask my father first. I believe in chivalry. And I was raised in the South.

amen, sister!
tea with tazita next week?

salt in my severed toe wounds

christian louboutin . spring . 2009 .

oooh la la

something blue??

my wardrobe options are limited.

a word from our sponsors: claire & me

welcome claire & me!
check out their etsy shop
(or their link on the right)
for handmade baby sussies
in fab fabrics (amy butler, what?!)
with even more fab prices !
(see that adorable onesie? $8. hollah!)

would it be wrong to have a baby just for
claire & me sussies?

.burp pad.
(love this pattern)

.roll up changing pad.
(note: handy velcro-roll-up feature)

(and did you notice? nary a brain squeezer...go girls!)

candice stringham

last fall, candice stringham photographed me in
a gay icon/cabaret celebrity's
amazing
crib/giant double townhouse in nyc.

i'm such an awkward model
(years of sussy making fun of me behind the lens)
but she made me feel very comfortable.

c, we need to hang out more.

she's good people.

my saigon husband and his best friend

are two of my favorite people.

turns out,
josh rouah
(my sexy stroll dance partner in grease)
will be playing chris (my onstage husband) in miss saigon.
his voice is insane.
he'll be so good.

caught onstage being totally professional

twilight premier....
yup, he's straight....

and lovely,
rodney hicks
(original cast of RENT on broadway)

will be playing his best friend, john.
we met when we were guest stars for the omaha symphony .
he's fantastic.

i also know 3 other people out of the 18 they're flying out from nyc.

it's a small small world.

i'm really getting excited---rumor has it, i may even be blonde....
this show is going to be great.

calm. calm. calm. everything is a-ok.

i'd like to give this sussy to dd.

the clasp says "a-ok".

isn't it dear?

i love everything in the acts of kindness etsy shop. 

starlight, starbright

via my new (to me) favorite blog, creature comforts

you know,

i think my church is pretty classy.

read {this}

pic by nic

little shop of shavs

how awesome is that painting of my very own stellie?!

when shavs offered to do a painting of my precious nugget, i was apprehensive....

what will the fellas think when they walk into my (very girl) pad

 and see a custom painting of my canine child?! freakshow. 

her answer, telling me not to worry (she promised to avoid making me look like that 6th grade girl with posters of unicorns/dolphins on her wall), 

not only put me at ease, but made me want to be her best friend.

shauna lewis is funny AND talented.

i love it. 

can't wait to hang it on my baby blue walls. 

have one made for your pup, child, friend, husb, self...

whatever floats your boat 

(she won't judge). 

visit her etsy shop.

visit her website.

or click her sponsor link to the right (to the right!)

ok. i've been discovered.......

turns out, i was sort of a mormon rockstar
in my younger days....

you may remember me from such brilliant roles as
the annoying girl in the competition
singing
"the birds in june, they sing their cheery fa-la-la-la-la...."

in the mega-hit rigoletto
(starring my very dear friend, ivey)

when i was 9 years old,
sussy and i starred in
children's video songbook vol. 1 and 2
i got to tour with such mormon luminaries as julie de azevedo, afterglow, kenneth cope, bryce neubert, etc.....

for those of you who actually own one of these relics,
look for the moment when i unabashedly
pick my nose on camera.
i'm so proud.


(we weren't in the volume pictured....but i guess, the original copies are out of print?)
info of the original cast {here}

as "julie" in the
25th anniversary commemorative recording of
saturday's warrior
"why wally kessler, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!!"

and the voice of "the seedling" in
michael mclean & bryce neubert's
the garden
(which is actually a beautiful oratorio-find it on itunes)

and for those of you who are familiar with LDS church seminary videos,
i get in a car accident because i was putting on mascara while driving
and other brilliant moments.....,
i'm on the cast recording for "unspoken song" for promised valley playhouse, and last year's lagoon amusement park commercial.....

oooh boy.
i used to be so famous.