Eat, Drink, and Be Mary!

The Value of Things

2009-10-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

I forgot how valuable I am. I forgot how important my time is to me. I let myself forget that life is precious and that it is mine. I am remembering today that I have a lot of things that I want to do. I am remembering that I am talented and creative. I can't live my life making other people happy. And I can't be afraid of being confident and bold.

Is there something you forgot?

Oh how I have been absent.

2009-08-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

I fully intend to catch you all up, but not today! Just remember I had this blog and that I had neglected it. Now I have much in my life to share and be happy about. So why not start blogging again?

I filmed my first short film this year! We started shooting in June and are in the final stages of editing now. Yeah Pivot!

Interested?

I am in a show in Sept called Sidework. An original artistic experiment written, produced and starring 7 artists: Nikki Klecha, Jamey Schrick, Todd Kreisman, John Oropalls, Harry Mattull & Andrea Fasano & Me!

You can read more about that at: www.sideworkonline.blogspot.com

Okay, that's enough for now.

Where's My Reset Button?

2006-04-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Considering I usually work everyday and have no time for myself, I shouldn't complain about the recent onslaught of activity in my life. My friend Bridgetta and I went to Miami March 23-27th. It was a lot of fun. I had never really been. (besides the night before the cruise last year.) That city is crazy. Guys were hootin' and hollarin' at us the whole time. Granted Bridgetta is a beautiful girl and looks like a model. It just amazes me the audacity that some people have. Does it ever really work to yell at a girl when you are driving pass her in a car at 25 mph? Is she just going to shout out her number so she can meet up with you later for a sexual redevous? Highlights of the trip: Went to a club(Space) at 6am til 9am and danced our butts off. Rode on a boat so fast, I think my laugh lines are smoothed out. Ate at an Indian restaurant, Guru, that made me want to worship Vishnu. Saw inside the Versace mansion. Got a tan.(If you know how white I am, then you know how much this means to me, however little.) Oh, and we had at least one mojito a day!

So just as I return from Miami, the following weekend was the 2nd Annual Chad Hall Birthday Retreat! Just like last year, my boss gave us free lift passes to Snow Summit, so Erin, Chad, Brain and I went up to Big Bear for his birthday April 1-3rd. This year was even better than last for two reasons: Sunscreen, we remembered it and prevented what was last year a helluva burn. Soreness, apparently we were all more in shape that last year and weren't quite as wiped out. Our dinner at Paoli's was delicious, although it was much more crowded this year because of the better ski conditions. We tried to make it to Chad's Bar, but the heck with paying a $5 cover. Please, we from LA!

I think I am ready to just do nothing for a while. Well, except work of course!

My Business Adventure

2006-03-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm off and running! Well, not really running. More like waiting. I decided a while back that I wanted to start taking headshots as a way to make money and be creative at the same time. So, I bought a great (but expensive) camera, shot all my friends for free, and charmed my talented sister into putting together a beautiful website for me. I have my business cards all printed up, my prices set affordably, and my hopes high. So far, nothing. Apparently people don't just show up at your door, money in hand ready to give it to you. So lesson learned: marketing. I have started putting ads up on craigslist and handing cards out whenever I can. Now I am complaining to you! (That's your cue to take pity and recommend me to a friend who needs headshots or just tell me how talented I am. Your choice.) I am sure things will happen at some point. Lets just keep our fingers crossed.

www.maryharrisphoto.com

I've been busy.

2006-03-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

This is a bit belated, but....
We had an 80s Party! IT was awaesome. We decorated the house with posters and all things 80s. We bought Bartles & James and Tab. Erin made a backdrop so we could take school dance pictures of everyone. And the costumes were great. I went for more of the Kelly Kapowski look while Erin was a bit more rockin' and Nikki was so Molly Ringwald. Everyone that came had a great time. We played an 80s trivia drinking game, which went over better than I expected. We set up a camera in my room so people could record a message or whatever. Let's just say the footage was interesting. And besides the red kool-aid stains on my carpet, the night was a total sucess. (Brian- sorry about your ticket.) but it will be awhile before we take on another party like that. It was a lot of work.

Sightings!

2005-10-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have had my fill of celebrity sightings lately so I must pour them out to you.

The Environmental Media Awards:
This was a doosey. There were so many randoms. Sole Moonfry (Punky Brewster), Cameron Diaz, Al Gore (that's right!), Amy Smart, Hank Azaria (one of my favorite people), Dan Castillano (voice of Homer Simpson), Bo Brady from Days of Our lives (so handsome in person), Blythe Danner. It was pretty cool. There were even more, but who wants to bore you.

The Sherman Oaks Street Fair:
Erin, Nikki, and I went to the street fair on saturday. It was great. The main reason was to get a funnelcake. (yum) But it was great seeing all the venders. We saw Rena Sofer, David Krumholtz (The Santa Clause), Kerr Smith (Dawson's Creek), and Maxwell Caulfield (Grease 2). It was nice to see a hot hollywood actress eating a hotdog and wearing no make-up.

When You Least Expect it...

2005-09-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

So, I have been in LA for two years now. And ever since I've been here I have been doing extra work in hopes of somehow getting into SAG. Either by getting a line(not real hopeful about that one, but hey it happens) or by getting 3 SAG vouchers. In the time I've been doing this I have had 4 featured roles that did not get me a voucher. When I started nannying in Feb, I practically stopped doing extra work. There hadn't been all that much progress and with the catering I was getting plenty of work. Well, my 2 year registration with the extras casting was up in August. I decided to sign back up, just in case I needed extra money sometime. I took a new picture and re-enlisted. Within 2 weeks I started getting called by the company. (they had never called me in the previous 2 years). On monday I went on a interview or a lookey loo as I call it, to be a photo double for an actress on the new show E-ring, Kelsy Oldershaw.

Didn't get it. But I did get my first SAG voucher! Yeah! And I didn't even do anything, but let the director look at me. Score! Isn't Hollywood strange.

A little extra news: I had an audition today for a horror film and it went great! Whether I get it or not, at least I felt good about the audition. Also auditioning for the same role as me: Cindy Brady (Olivia Hack) from A Very Brady Sequel!

Labor of Love Day

2005-09-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

I love time spent doing nothing productive at all. It gives you time to think and appreciate what is going on around you. My roomates and I had a BBQ on Sunday (since no one had to go to work on Monday). It was great. We had some friends over, met some new people, drank some beer and champagne. And we ate a whole lot of food. We also played Catch Phrase. I noticed that Thelma and I yell really loudly when we are excited about a game.

This weekend also made me think about the lack of male attention in my life. Now, don't go thinking I'm one of those girls who always has to be fond on by men, because that is quite the opposite. But lately, I've been thinking how nice it is to kiss someone who you have a connection with. I DO NOT want a boyfriend or anything. It is just that it has been a while since I've been kissed by someone who really meant it. Sometimes I think I just love being in love. Or maybe I just need to go on a date. Then it will be back to "I don't need a man" Mary.

Photos and Friends

2005-08-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

Nothing much going on now. Thank God! Oh, wait, that's a lie. Me, Thelma and Sofia are moved into our new place. And we love it. Sometimes I just sit there and think "I live here". Now that that is settled I can concetrate on the rest of my life. I have decided to put my good photographic eye to use and start a photography business. I am very excited about it and I just plopped down a bunch of money for a fancy new digital camera so I better be damn excited. Luckily I have a sister who is an amazing graphic designer so I will have a killer website. People might actually take me seriously. Probably not. So that's a good thing that is happening.

Side note: My friend Jarrod (the one I moved to LA with) is on a new show on Pax (now called i network). Please check it out. August 28th at 8pm. I can't promise it will be good because, hey, I haven't seen it either people! But it is filming in South Carolina, so I gots to give some props. Plus, my boy is in it. Here's the website: http://www.palmettopointetvshow.com/cast.htm

Food, Glorious Food!

2005-07-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

I finished my cleanse yesterday and today I had my first food in 10 days! An olive. It was the best tasting olive I've ever had. Obviously I can't immediately chow down on a big meal. My stomach and system have gotten used to liquids only. Want to know the results? I lost 10 pounds. I haven't looked or felt this good since high school. And now that I have proved to myself that it can be done I feel like the work is worth it. Today I get to snack on things all day to introduce food back to my stomach. I bought trail mix, cheese & crackers, and of course, olives. Sounds weird for someone with a sweet tooth like me, but cutting sugar out of your diet like that helped me break the addition. I am so proud of myself. It was very hard to resist when I was at my catering jobs with access to delicious food for free, but I stayed strong. Yeah, for me!

Eat, Drink, well maybe just Drink!

2005-07-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

I decided to try a thing called The Master Cleanse. Basically for 10 days (min) you eat nothing and you drink a mixture of fresh squeezed lemon juice, organic grade B (i'm told this is important) maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Sound gross huh? Well, it's not that bad. It tastes like spicy lemonade. The reason for this is two fold, (hee, hee, who uses that phrase?) 1: To lose weight. 2: It really cleanses your whole body. The pepper actually helps with your respitory and circulatory systems. The lemon juice breaks up mucuse in your body that is store everywhere, like my aching knees. I'm not going to lie, Day 1 was hard. All day, all I thought about was food. And for those who know me well, you know I value eating above most things. (yes, even that!) But I decided to do this and I wanted to stay committed. I did have 3 baby carrots for dinner. That's okay for the first few days. Day 2 was the worst. All I thought about was food and I was hungry all day. I just kept myself busy thinking of Jennifer Garner in a bikini and then myself in that same bikini. Day 3 was bad because I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) You see, you are supposed to drink this "special tea" at bedtime to help your body flush all the toxins and stuff out. Apparently it works really well for me. Day 4 still a little hungry but so much more barable. Its now Day 5 and I feel like I will be coasting to Day 10. I always knew how mentally and emotionally attached to food I was, but this has really opened up my eyes to it. I'm pretty dang addicted to eating. Oh, the good news is I've lost about 6 pounds. I have to guess because I forgot to weight myself Day 1. Did I mention I can't wait to go to the Olive Garden and pig out when I'm done?

Emery

2005-07-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

I love these guys. We went to college together and now they are rock stars. Checkout their music on their webpage! www.emerymusic.com

Homeless

2005-07-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

It is very frustrating to have money for a house, but not be able to find the right one to live in. That's right. We have to be out of our apartment in a few weeks, and we don't have a new place to call home. Thelma and I have being looking for a place to accomedate us, Sofia, and Bonnie & Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde are moving out from Wilmington. And Sofia joined the gang after a break up from her long time boyfriend. We had a great place, but they screwed us over after 3 weeks and went with the other applicant. I haven't slept well in 2 weeks. I've had a cold for 11 days now. I am still driving a rental because my car is in the shop from the rear-ending. And I got a ticket for going right on red. (there was a sign) Did I mention that my face looks like a 13 year-olds!?!? That's right. I decided to have terrible skin now at 25, rather than as a teenager. Doesn't sound like much fun, huh? Well, it isn't. I can't even be excited about working at Lionel Richie's house! Well, maybe a little.

Count your blessings

2005-07-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

The bomb attacks in London today, were almost more of an eye opener for me than 911. I think its because, it proves: It can happen to anyone at anytime. Although 911 was startling and here on our own soil, I can understand why people hate America. We are the big guy. Considered one of(if not THE) biggest and most powerful nations in the world and we let everybody know that. We also tend to spread ourselves out amongst the world "helping" everyone to be more like us. In some ways, we do a lot of good for the world. Yeah, US! But in other's eyes, we are seen as meddlers, conquerors who plan to squash the prexisting religions and government of the countries we "help". But, what about England? Or even Spain? They were the victim of bombing attacks recently too. Also, it reminds us that terrorist attacks will never over for good. When its us against them, things seem more control. Like when the world was fighting Hitler. We all knew who the bad guy was and we all got together and got him. But today it seems like, they hate us, we hate them, they also hate them, but not really those guys and those guys don't hate them, but they do hate that other guy. That to me is scary. I suddenly feel like I might know just a little how our grandfathers and grandmothers must have felt during the cold war. Why can't we all just get along?

Happy 4th to You!

2005-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

If you can't be grillin' out with your friends and family on the fourth of July, you might as well be working at Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell's house. So that's what I did. They had a little family and friends get together for the 4th and for their son's birthday (Wyatt). It was cool to see Kate Hudson (so pretty), hubby Chris Robinson and child Ryder (not so cute). Even better was seeing Oliver Hudson (hottie). They were all pretty laid back. The best part was when I left their lovely beach home in Malibu and right outside their house, a male prositute tried to pick me up. The man was wearing a full lenth vinyl jacket and plaid pants. He might have been the ugliest man I have seen in quite some time. I suppose I look just that deserate.

Young Grasshopper

2005-06-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I had my first belt testing for Taekwondo. I am proud to say that I am now a yellow belt! It only took me four months. Watch out Jennifer Garner! On a crappier note, yesterday I was in my first accident. I was stopped on an exit ramp off the 405 and a man rear-ended me. He was very nice. (well, it was his fault.) My bumper was the only thing damaged, and never of us were hurt. I cried for about 30 minutes straight. The weird things were:
a) we both had insurance and it was the same carrier(strange for california)
b) I had just left the Honda place because I had a minor thing fixed on my car.
c) the guy lives on the same street that we applied for a house on. I hope that's a sign that we are going to get it.

Liquid courage

2005-06-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

I have this ability to talk to anyone, no matter who they are despite the fact that I don't know them. That is if I have had a couple of drinks. That being said.

I was at an event for Playboy(don't ask) and I saw Jared Padelecki (house of wax, New York Minute) and so I decided to say hello and tell him that i worked his press thingy for house of wax. He was polite and introduced himself, even though I know he thought I was crazy and uninteresting (little does he know). Then I turn around and see Jenson Ackles (eric brady from Day of our lives, Dawson's Creek) and remind him of the time we played fusbol in Wilmington, NC. He pretended to remember although I doubt he does. And the other week, I chatted with Jason Statham (the Transporter, Lock Stock) about how much I love my taekwondo classes. So, kudos to celebrites for humoring me when I strike up conversations they probably don't want to have.

Pretty Pictures

2005-06-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

I love to take pictures. And sometimes, I even do a good job. I got some friends of mine to let me dress them up and even do a little fun make-up last weekend and snap a few pictures. We went to Leo Carillo, a beach just north of Malibu. Despite the families and couples starring at us during the shoot, we had a really good time. I am glad to say I was happy with the results. And I am pretty sure the models were too. You can see some of the pictures on my webpage. But here's one of my favorites.

Family Values

2005-06-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

I always believed in love at first sight, but it has never really happened to me. Until I met my nephew Ryan. When I flew home to me the little bugger, he was 4 weeks old. The minute I held him, I loved him. It's odd how a complete stranger could make me feel that way. Yes, I know he's a cute little baby and everyone loves a cute little baby, but it was different. I felt the same way the instant I held my niece Camden as well. (Did I just write "as well"?) The weird thing was, unlike most women, it DID NOT make me want kids of my own. I just love them unconditionally. Having a close relationship with my sisters has an affect on how I feel about their children. I wish everyone could be an Aunt. So the moral of the story is: Have more than one kid. A. Its great to have siblings. They team up with you against your parents. B. Siblings = nieces and nephews = happiness.