Follow Your Dreams!

Hey guys! I have some pretty exciting news! First off let me start by saying my video will be uploaded tonight! I filmed it yesterday then totally slacked when I got home because I had to charge my battery then totally forgot to upload. It is there though, on my camera, waiting for me to upload it! Yesterday was also my sister's birthday so I stopped my my mom's house to say happy birthday to her. She turned 17! It made me feel old because I can still remember when I turned 17 and I feel like she is so much younger than me!

Anyways! On to the exciting news! So I have mentioned in the past how I have always wanted to be an actress, like seriously I have ALWAYS wanted to be an actress. I'd say from when I was born because even as a baby I loved to be in front of a camera. I like came alive when there was a camera around! Then as I got older I got more and more into it. It wasn't so much about the attention it was more that I really enjoyed acting. So I went to a Performing Arts High School and studied drama for 4 years and they mainly focused on the theatre end of it. I was never a huge theatre fan, I was always into the more natural aspect of film/television acting. Then I was somewhat pushed more towards college by my family and my acting took a backseat. Then when college didn't work out I had to get a job so I could afford all these bills that were coming in from school. Unfortunately, acting fell to the waste side and it always really upset me. I knew that was always my dream and I really felt like I was giving up. I wouldn't say I went into a depression but I was really kind of disheartened and I felt more trapped in New Jersey than I ever had.

I had a lot of happiness come into my life when I met JJ, who is now my boyfriend. We always had a great time and he really took my mind of work and how unhappy I really was here. We recently moved in together and I think that extra commitment that we made to each other kind of woke me up. I realized that even in my personal life I was so extremely happy but I wasn't really going after my dreams. When I talked to him about it he said he'd support me no matter what and that he would stick with me and that we were solid. I'm telling you it is much easier to start taking risks when you have someone that has your back 24/7 whether that be a family member, a friend, or your significant other. So I started really doing some research and trying to get back into acting. I am starting to save money for my headshots and some acting classes. I also signed up for a website that a local casting director uses a lot, so I knew it was legit. Unfortunately, a lot of crappy people are out there waiting to take advantage of aspriring actors/ actresses and anyway trying to break their way in the entertainment business. So this website let you submit yourself for as many roles that you fit and you pay $25 a year which isn't bad at all. I have been on there for about a month and not too many things totally fit me or some were just too far away or rush calls, which meant I had to be able to make it to NY in 30 minutes and living in South Jersey makes that impossible.

Last night my boyfriend and I were at home, he was playing a computer game and I was reading a Sookie Stackhouse novel (love them by the way!), when I got a text message saying to please check my e-mail and respond ASAP. So of course, I did and I actually had gotten chosen to be an extra in a movie they are filming in New York! It seems to be a low budget film that they are trying to raise money for but I was so excited because any callback just improves your resume. Also, I'd get to be on a real movie set and get some experience under my belt. Studying theatre gives me tons of theatre knowledge but not too much film knowledge. So I have to be in New York by 9am on Saturday and I'll work until 7pm and leave with an amazing experience!

I know the way I was talking might have built that up a litt bit but I am just so excited. Trust me when you are starting out working as an extra is a really good thing to come by. Most times, you'll do a lot of student films but this is actually a movie that they hope to get into theatres and each extra in my scene gets credit in the film and a close up angle and maybe even a line! I just couldn't wait to share that news with you guys! The film is called Blemished Light and they do have a website everyone can check out!

I'll be uploading tonight so look for my video, a cute pup named Tahmoh is featured!!

xoxo, Christine

The Insanity of Online Shopping and Christmas in July

AHHH!!! I woke up at 7:00 today and didn't move my butt until 7:10! I showered the fastest I ever had put my makeup on, ripped one of my favorite dresses, :( and ran out the door at 7:40. I made it into work fine but I didn't get to film a video!

Anyways, I was shopping around the Internet last night, don't know why it isn't like I have money or anything, and I found something to die for! It is the Juicy Couture Mixed Stripe Pullover and I am pretty sure this is my must have sweater for fall! I love it so much! I just love how the stripes are different all over and the frame of it is just gorgeous. I NEED it! Unfortunately, it holds a hefty price tag of $158 and I'm like $158 short. Hopefully by the time I save the money up it'll still be around. Or maybe it will have eBay by then and it'll be somewhat cheaper. A girl can dream. Speaking of eBay I totally recommend it when you fall in love with a shirt like this and just can't afford it. I got my favorite Wildfox sweatshirt from eBay for $54 and it is regularly like $108. So there is a decent difference. If you are hesitant, only buy from top-rated sellers that have storefronts, meaning they sell hundreds of items, like the one I got my Wildfox shirt from. It might be more pricey than just a random person with just one listing but if you feel more comfortable with it than it is worth it.

And of course when you're shopping on a website you tend to find even more things you want so now I have an extremely long list of things I so desperately want. I have to get a job that pays some tips because if not it is going to be a sad Christmas for my family! Isn't it crazy that I am already worrying about Christmas?! I usually start around now when Christmas in July rears it's nerve wracking head. I'm especially amped up about it because it'll be my first Christmas in my apartment with my boyfriend. That is good and bad. It is bad because I always looked forward to waking up super early and finding the first present of the morning right in my room then I'd wake my sister up and we'd open our "room" presents on my Mom's bed with all the animals staring at us. I'll miss things like that but the idea of being able to surprise my boyfriend with a pile of gifts under our OWN tree is pretty exciting. His family doesn't seem to go all out for Christmas like mine does. They do it more frugal, which is smart nowadays, with a pollyanna and a $50 limit no exceptions rule. My family doesn't know what is good them and just spends their savings away on Christmas gifts! I know you're probably like this chick is crazy talking about Christmas already but I just chalk it up to the Christmas in July insanity. Anyways, waking up early tomorrow, going for a 6am jog, then filming a video after I beautify myself. I promise!

xoxo, Christine

Bang Bang Pizza and Tough Cookies!

Hey everybody! Sorry I have been absent lately. I kind of feel like really sluggish this last week and I can't get over the feeling. It seemed every time I sat to film a video or workout or do anything that might be motivating I just was really not in the mood. So I kind of sat back, went to work, and watched my week pass me by.

 I did manage to cook a very yummy meal one night for dinner that I was proud of. I like to think I am the master of quesadillas. I'm not the best cook but it seems that whenever you put a tortilla in front of me I manage to make something good. Usually I just make chicken quesadillas when my boyfriend is not really in the mood to cook or if we don't want to spend the money and order out. My Poppy had his own sauce company so I learned to cook with that very early on. So I can definitely make a killer chicken quesadilla. However, because of my lack of motivation and laziness my apartment is not really stocked with much food right now. I had shrimp, perogies, and pork chops in my freezer, and I HATE pork chops with a passion! If you have ever had Bonefish Grille's Bang Bang shrimp then you'll get where I got the idea for this meal because I really wanted Bang Bang shrimp. I took the shrimp out and defrosted them, which is crazy fast, I had no idea shrimp defrosted in seconds under cold water.  Then I made my own Bang Bang sauce. I took mayo, dry mustard, hot sauce, soy sauce, red chili pepper sauce, and lime juice and mixed it all together and surprisingly made a very close replica to Bang Bang shrimp sauce! I was so proud of myself and so was my boyfriend. :) Then I just toasted a tortilla in a saucepan put some tomatoes down and smothered the shrimp in my delicious sauce. I loved it! Because the tortilla sat on the stove a bit longer both our Bang Bang quesadillas turned out more like pizzas but they were still amazing. I just wish I wrote down how much of everything I put!

Has anyone been watching the show Tough Cookies on the Food Network? I have and I am in love with it! For one, it takes place in Jersey which makes me somewhat proud to have the best cookies ever in my state, and secondly, it is my Mom's best friend's cousins! They are kind of like family to my mom and apparently I have met them countless times! You can actually see my mom's best friend in some of the episodes though which is really cool! They are getting so bogged down with Internet orders that they really need extra help so I offered my help if they needed me! Maybe you'll see me on the show next season, their first season already wrapped on filming. If you want to try the best cookies ever order from Crazy Susan! My favorite is the Mint Chocolate Chip one. I'd like to try to make a Jr. Mint Cookie. Do you guys find that whatever TV show you watch, it kind of makes you want to take on that profession? Like, I have always wanted to be an actress, that is probably why I got sucked into TV and celebrity stuff so much, but I find then when I watch Tough Cookies, I want to make cookies for a living. Or when I watch Grey's Anatomy, I want to be a surgeon, which wouldn't work I have the shakiest hand ever! How about when you watch Buffy and you want to be a Vampire Slayer? TV can play tricks on your brain!

Anyways, I was just checking in and apologizing for being a zombie lately. I hopefully will film a video tomorrow and get it up by tomorrow night. Thanks for sticking around!

xoxo, Christine

What's Your Dream Room?

Hey everybody! So I filmed a video at my mom's the other day and I propped it a little bit different than usual so when I went to watch it back it cut off half my chin! So unfortunately I won't be posting a video today but I do have a great one planned for the weekend. I might film like a teaser of it tomorrow but the whole thing probably won't go up until later. It is super fun though so make sure to look out for that!

Being in an apartment has made me think of getting a house one day and how I would like to design that house. Shopping for apartment stuff was sooo much fun! it really got me more into interior design and things like that. Unfortunately, I didn't have an endless amount of money so most of the furniture we have in our apartment is hand me downs that were in really good shape. I got to pick out a ton of odds and ends and my favorite shop to do that at was Anthropologie. I love that kind of rustic, colorful look. If you haven't checked out their home section definitely check into it. While doing all that shopping and decorating I started dreaming of some of my dream rooms and I got really into it. Now I do live with my boyfriend so I couldn't completely do it my way. Now I wouldn't give up living with my boyfriend just to make our apartment more my style but I thought it would be fun to kind of fantasize about my dream house. I've included some of my favorite ideas for all different rooms all over the house. Most can be found at sites like House Beautiful, Elle Decor, and Country Living. Some are just pictures I have came across and all rights belong to the people that took them. Unfortunately these aren't from my home.

The first I'll mention is the bathroom. I love taking baths! So that is why I fell in love with this picture. Obviously you can't see everything and this specific bathroom probably wouldn't be my ideal bathroom but I love how the tub overlooks a view. I could picture it being a view of a beautiful lush garden that I worked hard on all day and now I am relaxing in my dream tub! It also has a very romantic feel to it which I do love. I always promised my boyfriend that when we did get a house we could do kind of an ocean/sailing theme in the bathroom. Hmm, maybe we'll have separate bathrooms. :) This bathroom does look extremely feminine so I know that wouldn't work for us but a girl can dream. That is the point of this post after all it would be what is ideal for me! And you guys! I want responses with pictures! I love getting inspiration!

The next had to be my favorite to pick out which surprised me since I'm not that great of a chef. Maybe it is because I found the absolute perfect picture in the whole world and this is my (and my boyfriend's) dream kitchen! It looks to have an unlimited about of space and just looks like a professional kitchen. I think if I had this kitchen I'd take it upon myself to learn how to make the most yummy dishes ever. I mean, I'd have to because people would just look at my kitchen and expect amazing food coming out of it.

The next is my closet. Oh boy, did I have so many pictures to pick from. I narrowed to down to two and I just can't pick because one cover the clothes and the other is shoes. I always told JJ, my boyfriend, that if the house we chose didn't have a walk in closet, or the ability for us to add one in, it probably wouldn't work for me. Only because I do have a good amount of clothes, mainly because I have changed sizes since I was 11, and without decent closet space I tend to get very messy. When it doesn't have a place or it is hard for me to get it in its place I get frustrated and just end up throwing everything all over the place.Unfortunately I need that extra room to stay tidy. We have already outgrown ALL the closets in our apartment because just like me my boyfriend has a lot of clothes! My ideal closet would be attached to the master bathroom that is attached to the master bedroom. Kind of like a master suite. Remember we are thinking dream house here!

The next room is the living room. I had some difficulty choosing this one because I wanted it to be cozy and welcoming but also have a little but of a rustic feel to it. Then I stumbled across this picture and fell in love. I am all about having a view, growing up and never having one makes me yearn for one, and this seemed to be looking outside! I could just imagine sitting there on a Sunday morning watching the sun get brighter. I know what you're thinking, this girl is going to be so picky when she chooses her house! And of course in New Jersey we don't really have much that could become a beautiful view unless you live right off the beach. Anyways, this room just kind of spoke to me and I know you can really only see the furniture but I liked everything about this picture. The furniture looks plush and cozy and the walls seem to give it the rustic look I love so much.

And last but not least, my bedroom. I can't say this is my absolute hands down dream bedroom but it is pretty close. Mainly because of the bed. I love like a canopy bed. I think they are extremely romantic and beautiful. I feel like I could really get a good nights sleep in this bed. I also always wanted to have a couch in my bedroom. Which might be weird, but I just want one. I want a spacious bedroom. My mom's house was over 100 years old so naturally in a house that old you have a lot of charm but you also have much smaller rooms. And even though the house was a decent size, its bedrooms, more specifically,were very small. I'm not used to a larger room so I would really like to have one in my future house.

I hope you enjoyed this post. It was really fun for me to write and it also lets you guys see the kind of style I go for in home decor. Leave pictures of your ideal rooms in the comments! Until next time!

xoxo, Christine

ABC-All About You from ElleandBlair.com

A - AVAILABLE: No
B - BIRTHDAY: February 20, 1990
C- CRUSHING ON: My Boyfriend :)
D - DRINK YOU LAST HAD: Water Water Water!
E - EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: My Boyfriend and Family
F - FAVORITE SONG AT THE MOMENT: Hmm, has to be I Was Here by Beyonce
H - HOMETOWN: Small Town in South Jersey
I - IN LOVE WITH: Clothes, Makeup, Shoes!
J - JUGGLE: I've tried it before but wasn't successful.
K - KILLED SOMEONE: I'm hoping everyone answered no to this unless you mean like video game stuff, which I only really played Buffy games so yes I've killed vampires. LOL!
L - LONGEST CAR RIDE: 7 Hours.
M - MILKSHAKE FLAVOUR: Chocolate!
N - NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 1 Younger Sister
O - ONE WISH: If I only could have one it would be to be able to make it as an actress. I love to act and I could do a lot of good and healthy body image motivating if I was known by more people. 
P - PERSON YOU CALLED LAST: My Mom! Just got off the phone with her!
R - REASON TO SMILE: Smiling is contagious.
S - SONG YOU LAST HEARD: If You're Not The One by Daniel Beddingfield. I know it is crazy old.
T - TIME YOU WOKE UP: 6am but my lazy butt didn't move til 7:15!
U - UNDERWEAR COLOR: Pink!
V - VEGETABLE(S): Radish and Lettuce!
W - WORST HABIT: Shopping Addiction
X - X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD MOST RECENTLY: My ribs. I cracked them a while ago.
Y - YOU ARE: very sleepy today.
Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Pisces but technically I'm on the cusp so I have been Aquarius before.

Sick at the shore :(

I am not having the vacation I planned! I got so sick two days in. For one, on the first day I got hit in my nose with a football. I was sitting in my beach chair minding my own business reading my Allure magazine and BAM! Football to the face. I'm not sure if I mentioned it before but I am oddly fond of my nose. I'd have to say it is my favorite feature. I just love my nose. So that swelled up a tiny bit and got a cut on it. I also took a swift kick to the gut in the water when someone pushed me into my kicking boyfriend. I've still had a good time though. I went to the boardwalk and got fried oreos and chocolate covered bacon. Chocolate covered bacon is extremely delicious I must say. I highly recommend it. I'm being sun safe using my sunscreen and moisturizer as extra protection for my face. My gelish manicure is also holding up extremely well. Besides my nails growing faster than ever before but that seems to be my luck this vacation. Oh well, I'm hoping to plan a nice February vacation for just me and my boyfriend to celebrate both of our birthdays and valentines day on a 5 day vacation. :) I know this was short but I am going to get back to my trashy celebrity magazines and soak in the sun. Hope everyones week is turning out great! Video up either on Sunday or Monday :) love to all!


Xoxo, Christine

Shore Vacation and Video Up Tonight!

Hey everyone! I filmed a video very early this morning once again and I will have it up for you guys sometime tonight. Sadly, I didn't pack early like I was supposed to, so I will be scrambling tonight to get everything packed and finished in time. I am the biggest procrastinator of all time! I leave tomorrow morning for a week at the shore and I am just not ready! And of course, when you rush it is extremely easy to forget things which makes me nervous. I am bringing my camera and I hope to take pictures but I always usually forget to but I am going to try this time and post some up here. :) I'm also hoping I just won't disappear for the whole week and I am able to write some blog posts or something but it isn't just me and my boyfriend it is a whole group of people so it kind of depends on what they have planned for the days and nights too. I just know my days are going to be filled with a lot of relaxing on the beach with sand in between my toes!

Anybody got an good book suggestions? I already have one in mind but I would definitely take suggestions even just for an any day read. Let me know!

What are your beach essentials? It might help me not forget all of mine!! I am definitely going to rely on my Magically Cool Liquid Powder by MAC. I think that will feel so nice in the hot summer heat and give me a nice glow. Also might feel good on any sunburn, which I am hoping I don't get.

Check out my channel for the new video tonight. I am one person away from 50 subscribers! That is super exciting! Thank you guys for all the love and support!

xoxo, Christine

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Hey everybody! I hope everybody had a great 4th of July! I always get a little depressed when the holiday is over but I am going to the shore for a week so I am super excited about that. I am planning on doing a video on like "the ultimate beach bag," which would be everything I think is crucial for a great beach experience. It'll be a fun video and I will definitely get to it as long as I don't wait til the last minute to pack!

So I am writing this after the devastating news from the Casey Anthony trial and I don't really want to get into it too much I just wanted to quick get my feelings out and hopefully get rid of the sick feeling in my stomach. I think now since she was found not guilty on all counts of murder and aggravated child abuse all we can all hope for now is that Caylee is resting in peace and her mother will have to pay for her crimes when her time is up. Obviously with that statement you all know where I stand but I just felt that since I just watched the verdict on TV it would literally drive me insane to not mention it.

Anyways on to other things, I have decided to go Buffy blonde, you can see what I am talking about in the post below. It isn't going to be right away. I am probably going to wait until August just because I have other expenses this month and I also have to save up for my new iPhone which I am able to get August 4th!! I am so excited about both of those things I can't tell you.

Also this Thursday I am getting my nails done and it is actually a different kind of manicure I have never had done before. It is called a gel manicure where you can get any color you want, I am thinking more of a coral color, and it doesn't add any length to your nail but I think it might kind of be like an acrylic nail but much better for your nails. I am not sure yet but I will definitely let you guys know! I think I have mentioned before how bad I am at doing my own nails and I tend to bite mine and they are so weak that I am hoping I have found something to make them be nice.  I will let you all know how it turns out soon!

I am also very close to putting up some items on Etsy. I am thinking I am going to start adding my scrubs first them move on to soap later but I'm not going to do it until I get back from the shore so if anything is purchased there won't be a delay in shipping. Let me know what you guys think and what you would like to see the most on there first?!

Keep in touch guys! Let me know how you spent your 4th of July or even just leave a comment saying hi!!

xoxo, Christine

Special Announcement and Happy 4th!!

Hey everybody!

Anyone have fun plans for the 4th of July?! I'm pretty excited, I love the parades and the food and the fireworks! It is a great holiday! I always feel bad for my dogs because they go so scared with the fireworks but this year my town isn't doing any so the noise shouldn't bother them too much. I'll be posting a quick video later on today, I did a fun little tag. It isn't the one I really wanted to do because I didn't have that much time so I will just be saving that one for a little while. I hope to be filming my June favorites soon but I might not get to that for about a week or so, so it will be a late June favorites. Also, I was going to wait to film a video to make a quick exciting announcement but I don't want to wait until I have the time so I'm just going to do it now.

To start funding for my line Embrace Couture, I decided to start a small beauty/soap line recently. I have to been working on getting all of my stuff together and playing with some recipes and everything is coming along very well. When I do start selling it, I am probably going to use Etsy so I will have a link for that soon. I'd like to know what kind of scents you guys like in your soaps and how you feel about facial scrubs and all that so please let me know so I can work on making things you guys would enjoy! I'm really trying to make my clothing line happen I just definitely need some money to really get it up and moving so this is just a fun thing I'm doing on the side to kind of get everything started. I hope you guys like this idea and will give me your feedback so I can really please all different preferences. :)

Now this is a question for my blog people? Do you guys have adsense because I had a heck of a time setting mine up and I want it on my channel too. Let me know!

Got some great blog posts ideas and I might just sit and write some tonight so when I am at the shore I can just post them so I'm not gone for a whole week. Thanks for all the ongoing support and don't forget to check out my channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/EmbraceCouture :)

xoxo, Christine