Same Page Monday

Another Monday, and another Same Page Monday…

1.  LA got a little bit sweeter last week with the arrival of my little Sweet Caroline!!  She is back for her junior year at Pepperdine.

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Seeing this girl and her car on my street is… THE BEST THING EVER!!

I can’t wait to have more dates like these with my little sissy….

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(Naturally, our first stop was Lemonade in Brentwood!)

2.  We have been busy bees running around trying to get Caroline all set up in her apartment!  Patty came along for the adventure too! Us three girls have been all over LA… Ikea trips, Living Spaces, Ashley Furniture, Home Goods trips, mattress shopping, multiple Target runs, DIY projects that involve trips to Home Depot and Michaels, two flea market runs… and much, much…. much more!!

We were going to keep count of how many Target runs we did but there were so many that we already lost count!!

This is how we rooollllllll at Target…….

3.  This was my Target FAIL.  Wore my Target Skirt to Target… that’s the worst!

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4. No surprise here but we are obsessed with the new Taylor Swift song, Shake it off!  We are even more obsessed with her music video for it!  I really hope it has made it onto the Cardio playlist at Tracy today! I just want to get up and dance when I hear it… and I’m not the only one…

5.  Last week, Emily and I had some mind shifting moments.  At the root of both of those moments was the reminder of the importance of compassion from everyone, everyday.  The entertainment industry, when used in the right way, can be so powerful.  It could influence a mind shift in the world towards compassion.  We LOVE Ellen Degeneres because she is an amazing example of this…  love, kindness, compassion and happiness.  The CEO and co-chairman of Dreamworks, Stacey Snider, has taken on the Kind Campaign (started by Pepperdine Alum Lauren Paul.. Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad’s wife) and with her influence in the industry she has helped to raise money and awareness for this cause.  The Kind Campaign is an anti-bullying campaign… they started the “You CAN sit with us!” movement.

Last night, I saw this video from Britians Got Talent (it aired earlier this summer and they were already on the Ellen Show).  I just loved everything about this.  These boys used their gifts/passion to connect with and spread an important message to the world.  It is something the world needs and craves!  Watch…

6. Ivy got a haircut.  She hates it.

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7.  I didn’t watch the VMA’s last night.  What did I miss?

8.  The Emmys are tonight! Yay!  We will be posting our favorite red carpet looks tomorrow!

9.  Ok, that’s it!  Peace out.

Another Mind Shift…

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Oh boy.  I haven’t really been in the blogging mood these last two weeks since the news about Robin Williams.  I normally keep my opinions to myself (and don’t go blasting things on social media) when it comes to matters like these that are so personal and so private that we can’t possibly try to understand or comprehend what exactly the person was going through.  I believe matters like these deserve the utmost respect and especially… a restraint from judgement from everybody.

I kept seeing things on Facebook and Twitter that I don’t even want to repeat…

I really just wanted the whole world to stop… and go and hug someone.  I wanted the whole world to stop… and not judge or criticize or make an example out of this particular situation or a topic of discussion that was anything other than… a positive reflection and celebration of his life.

I have been thinking a lot this past week about the industry that I have longed to be a part of since I was 4 years old.  The same feelings came up months ago when Phillip Seymour Hoffman passed away too.

I think the one thing people don’t truly understand about this crazy industry is that we (actors, artists, creatives) are human beings.  We give our souls, our bodies, our minds, our talents and our fate to the industry and to the world.  As a result, (naturally) we become vulnerable to everything and often fragile.  This industry can be deceiving with all the Hollywood magic, and the spotlights and the fame.  It is easy to see actors and celebrities as objects because that’s how they are presented to you!  Sometimes I sit and wonder what the hell I am doing trying to be a part of something that can be so damaging to the spirit.

A dear family friend, who was an Australian TV star, who had wonderful experiences in the industry, as well as horrible experiences, sat me down and pleaded with me to not go into this crazy world.  I have had people tell me that I am too sweet for this industry and will never make it because of it.

I am 5 years into it and I know it’s only just the beginning for me. I spent the last 5 years grounding myself and building a foundation of support, belief, clarity and love… there were points in those 5 years where I could have gone down a dark path.  It’s so easy to in this town.  Now, you don’t have to suffer to be successful as an artist, but it is understandable why suffering is present in this industry.

What keeps me here is, well many things, but one thing that I know for sure is how powerful this industry is.  It can have such a positive influence on the world if it is used in the right way and in the right hands… so I keep trenching forward.  As my old school motto said… Per Aspera Ad Astra… Through Struggles to the Stars.

When I was in Year 7 in Australia, I had to perform a monologue in my drama class.  Everyone could choose whatever monologue they wanted to perform.  I (12 year old Allison) chose Robin Williams’ final speech in Patch Adams.

I still remember every word.  I could perform it right now.

Here are a few lines from the speech that stand out in my mind…

“What’s wrong with death, sir?  What are we so mortally afraid of?  Why can’t we treat death with the same amount of humanity, dignity, decency and, God forbid, maybe even humor.”

“If you treat a disease you win, you lose.  But if you treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win no matter what the outcome is. ”

What I can’t get out of my head, though, is the following quote…

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  (Plato got it right all those years ago.)

Let us not forget.

 

Photo Credit: 1

Movie Monday*: The Hundred Foot Journey

I am back in LA and this LA girl is here to bring you a movie review!  So LA… I know.  I love going to the movies, catching all the trailers, eating a big thing of popcorn and watching a movie on the big screen!  Except I can’t eat popcorn anymore because I am not allowed to have corn (according to this blood type diet that I am kinda on)… So LA… I know.

Anyways, I have been looking forward to seeing The Hundred Foot Journey ever since I saw the trailer for it last month.  I am a sucker for gorgeous films about culture and food… The Exotic Marigold Hotel, Julie & Julia, Eat, Pray, Love and of course, Chocolat (I watch it every year around Easter).  And the director who brought you Chocolat is now bringing you… The Hundred Foot Journey.  And he did not disappoint!

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The Hundred Foot Journey is about family, bravery, love, passion, acceptance, understanding, taking a risk, overcoming obstacles, following your bliss, thinking outside of the box and opening your heart and mind to things that are different and when things don’t turn out how you planned them to go.

I loved this movie.  I laughed.  I cried.  It made me think about life.  It made me feel hopeful.  And it made me hungry.

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Here’s the trailer…

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This movie made me think about the story of the Fisherman and the Businessman.  The first time I heard this story was in Tom Shadyac’s class at Pepperdine and then I heard again last week from my Uber driver.  (His was a little bit different… I got the Russian version from him. Something about a guy sitting under a tree smoking and drinking vodka.)  Anyways, go see the movie and then watch this. Or watch this and then go see the movie.  (Click here to watch!)  And I am sharing this story as a reminder to stay mindful of your life and to make sure you check in with yourself to make sure that you are happy!  If I took this quite literally, I would be moving to Nantucket right now… but I have some dreams I have to chase first.

There are soooooo many good movies coming out in the next few months and towards the end of the year!  Expect a lot more of these Movie Mondays!

XOXO

* Sometimes I don’t have that much to bring you up to date on, so instead of sharing a lame Same Page Monday, I have decided to come up with all these different Monday things.  Movie Mondays, Memory Mondays (like Throwback Thursday but on Monday) and well those are the only two I have come up with… Get excited.

Photo Credit: IMDB – Photo by Francois Duhamel – © DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC.