Laura's Life

Lessons to Learn

2011-11-27T18:39:00.000-08:00

Hi All and Happy Holidays!

Well, I made it to Las Vegas for Fitness America Nationals and I came in 7th out of 18 beautiful women. As always, I learned many things from my time on stage and to that end I have contacted a new coach to help me go to the next level in 2012. Truly, I had a short time to get ready for Vegas as I returned from PA in July and then began working on my physique. I learned that I needed to really rest from the stresses of that move and the effects stress has on my overall look. I was pleasantly surprised by what I was able to achieve however I want to place higher and really look my best. To that end I have contacted a new coach out of CA and will begin working with him the beginning of the year. Now I am resting and going back to 2 times a week of Hot Yoga (which I love) and 3 days of full body workouts. This will take me through Christmas and by January I will be ready to kick it into gear for competitions in the summer. Right now I am looking to compete in August here in AZ.

My husband and son, Chris are returning tonight from Las Vegas where they have been playing in a baseball tournament. They made it to the semi finals and my son pitched a great game. He threw 98 pitches and had 11 strikeouts. Next weekend is another tournament and we will be going to a Sun Devil catching camp as well. Never a dull moment around here.

Have any of you been setting any goals for 2012? I have! I love the use of the vision board. I think it keeps me focused on the goals that I have for myself. A few of the things for me are: #1 set up a voice home studio, #2 finish setting up home gym, #3 win at least 1 bikini competition the list goes on however you get the idea.

Well I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Peace,
Laura

Designing Spaces

2011-09-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know where the time goes. I always mean to update this blog and the next thing I know it is a month later and it still is not finished. So tonight I said "no going to sleep until you blog" and what is crazy is that I have so much to tell you.

First, I just returned from shooting an episode of Designing Spaces for Lifetime TV. I had a great time representing MAAX Spas and working with the entire crew. Although we were sweating shooting outside in West Palm Beach, we did the whole shoot in about 2 hours. It looks like the show will air for the first time on October 14, 2011 and I will be announcing it on Facebook and Twitter to remind everyone. So please follow me there to get updates because I am really much better at those sites.
What is I love is meeting new people and having new experiences. I can't say enough about my host for the show, John. He is such a pro and so very talented. Collin the producer and my makeup artist Laura were also fantastic and funny. We laughed the entire time and cracked jokes. I hope to work with all of them in the future.

After the shoot I headed to Birmingham, AL to visit my brother and family for a few days. I got to watch my nieces Kaitlin and Jenna play volleyball for the first time. I loved being there and watching them play and just hanging around talking. I got to workout everyday I was there and sometimes twice!

Now that I am home I am teaching for Mesa Community College online, which I love. It gives me freedom to continue to audition and work and more time to be a mom. I am booked for next Tuesday for 3 hours of voice for a new company in the Valley. I am looking forward to that.

Of course the big thing for me is that I am now 10 weeks out for Fitness America Nationals in Las Vegas. It is November 18-19 and I am working towards getting ready. The dieting is the big thing for me and as we all know as we age it gets harder to keep the muscle and lose the fat. Today I headed to the track to run bleachers and jump bleachers, anything to work the butt! For those of you who have never competed you should do it at least once. It is so much fun on stage and the women are great. I have met some fantastic ladies who are now friends. So look for me in Vegas. I also have to drive my son to Vegas for a baseball tournament and that takes a lot of planning to find some place to workout and pack all of my food.

Well I think that is all for today. I hope all of you had an enjoyable summer. I am looking forward to Fall and cooler temperatures.

Peace,
Laura

Getting Older

2011-07-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday my son packed up, all by himself and went to San Diego with a friend for the week. It was such a premonition of what is to come when I watched all 6 feet of him walk out the door without looking back once! I don't remember getting this old and to think he will be 15 in a few short months is frightening.

It really puts all things in perspective for me and how FAST time goes by. Why not enjoy more and worry less? Seems like such an easy and great thing to do but so hard at the same time. I worry he will be okay but he promised to TEXT me. Thanks goodness for the cellphone! And I have already text him and he isn't even there yet. Going to be a long week.

Also, as a female we worry about getting older and the constant battle. I thank my stars that I started working out at a young age. To me although granted it is harder to hold them muscle I workout as a habit and form of sanity and not a "guilt" thing. It is in my DNA for sure and I know that has helped me whether the storms of life. As I have a teenage now, I will need the extra oomph to keep going and exercise and eating a clean diet ( most of the time) has been the prescription to a great quality of life.

I hope all of you take each day as a gift and appreciate all of those in your life. I hope you also appreciate this body that is also a gift. Don't compare it to anyone else's just play in the uniform given. Make the most of what you have and take care of yourself. Take it from me and 25 years of experience it will help you in the years to come.

Have a fantastic day.
peace
Laura

Home and Preparing for the Show

2011-07-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

Wow it is hot! I just returned to AZ where today it is 111 degrees. Wrong time to move home however so glad to be home with the family. QVC was a wonderful and exciting time which I learned so much and worked so hard. It has prepared me for the wonderful world of national television for sure. Live and no scripts and no teleprompters. I learned a whole lot about myself and what I am capable of doing.

I have decided to prepare for the September 10 show in Paradise Valley and then to go to another Fitness America show on Oct. 1 in Chicago with some friends. I love a goad and it is time to get back on stage. Today is day 3 of the new diet and so far so good. Had a great workout this morning and now it is a relaxing day of watching baseball. My Reds won YEAH> Now we are watching the Diamondbacks as that is my husband's team. It is way to hot to be outside and the heat really takes it out of me for sure.

My website is back up today for the first time in a while and I am ready to back to work and hopefully be cast in a movie. TV was great fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat! I also will go back to SunSounds of AZ to volunteer as a reader. It is good practice for my voice and I love helping out.

Well have a great Fourth of JUly!
Peace,
laura

Moving! UGH!

2010-07-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

So we have been home from vacation just a few days and dove head first into packing up our house to move into a rental. The boys and Gene are not at all thrilled about it but I can see it as just "temporary" and I am willing to do that to have time to find the right house. And it just so happens that tonight we did put in a bid on a new home. We found one we both like alot. Of course there is a lot that needs to be done such as landscaping and some window coverings but all in all it is very nice AND brand new. Gotta love a house no one has lived in before. So we will see. Truly I am not getting nervous or anxious about finding a house. I believe the right house for us is out there and God will bring us to the right one. So I just relax and let it go and focus on what I can focus on.

Speaking of that I am heading back to cycle class tomorrow. This should be interesting. I must get myself back on a regimen which shows that anyone can get throw off track and then you simple redefine your goals and get right back to it. I am on the fence if I will compete again this year. Perhaps in November however I am not pushing that as well. My body and mind have been through a lot this last year and it was just a year ago I was in the final stretch for the first of 3 competitions. I must admit the thing drawing me back is the great women I had the pleasure to meet. It is such a wonderful atmosphere of strong and happy women. I encourage anyone remotely interested to try it.

Today was a good day for I was at Cox communications shooting an infomercial with my friend Bob Rue and Dr. Sam Walters. We had a great time together and of course any time in front of the camera is a good day. My goals are to be able to support myself just acting some way whether it is as a voice or on air talent. I would really love to lend my voice to an animated movie or video. That is my focus for my career right now. I want to be a fish or dog or bear or something, maybe a leopard. The other focus is to be in an action movie. Doing physical stuff is the best!

Well it is time to hit the pillows so I can get up for cycle class. Remember get your 8 hours of sleep to keep the weight off!

In health,
Laura

Sold Our House!!

2010-07-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well here it is JULY! Can't believe it. Well I guess I can since it is a bazillion degrees outside. The summer months are always a little depressing for me living in AZ. It is so unbearably hot that nowhere is comfortable. I have been losing all kinds of water weight sitting and watching my son's baseball games. The house is all dark to try and keep it cool. You need gloves to open doors or touch your steering wheel that is about what it is like here right now. The good news about July is that in just under a week we leave for Alabama to visit my brother and his family. I have 2 nieces there Kaitlin and Jenna who I have not seen in forever. So it will be so much fun to get away and have new scenery although the hottness factor will still be in full swing and added to that humidity. I am still looking forward to it immensely.

Acting and voice work have been exciting for me this month which is unusual. I have many jobs scheduled for this month before and after my trip. That is a tremendous blessing. Usually work tanks in the summer as no one wants to film here during the hot months.

And as I mentioned in the title we sold our house. We never imagined it would go that quickly. Now the search is on for a new home. We look today so here's hoping we find the right one. Packing is not my favorite thing but for more space I will do it.

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful Fourth of July. Be safe.

peace,
Laura

Back at it~

2010-05-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well where has the time gone? I wrapped up the competing last November with Nationals. I took 5th in the Bikini Division and I was thrilled to come away with a trophy as I didn't feel I looked that good. I think it was too many competitions in a row. The good news was that I reached my personal goal of competing at 45 years and doing well even nationally. I am considering competing again in OCB here in AZ on August 28th. I say considering because we are going to visit my brother in Birmingham in July for a week. So obviously there is not dieting or working out on a regular schedule that I can do so how far back will that put me? I don't think I will try for Figure any more just Bikini and Fitness Model. So that is still up in the air however I do want to go to Las Vegas in November.

Other areas of my life have flown by such as my youngest son Chris just graduated from elementary school and is headed to Williamsfield for high school. He starts with the baseball team June 1 and he is so excited. It is unbelievable how fast the time has gone and now he is in high school and I have to look up to talk to him as he is pushing 5'10" at 13!! My older son Justin is doing so well in college and moving toward his degree in 3D Animation. Now to find a job!!

Acting and voice continue to be a thrill for me and this last year was consistently busy. That is such a blessing as I was able to do my first audio book. The book is entitled "The Power of 4" written by my dear friend Paula Owens. It is a wonderful and scientific look into the multi headed beast that is weight loss and health. I encourage all of you to check it out on iTunes!!! I am working on getting a link to it on my site.
Of course the NEW hair color was a big change for me but I really love it now. I was offered the role of a psycho killer (yeah) and they needed a dark hair female. That combined with my need for a change pushed me to go for it. My hairdresser, Shauna was scared to take me directly to brown but she did as requested. She is sooooo talented with color. What do you think?

Also a new blessing is that I am a grandma AGAIN of 2 beautiful twin babies, Ryan and Emma. I visited in October and now they are coming this July to visit us. I am so excited. Ryan already has some teeth.

That is all for now. Off to do some painting. Enjoy your weekend. Let's remember those who fought for our freedom!

Peace,
Laura

5 days until I leave for Vegas!

2009-11-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

Well I am down to the last week before I step on stage. Honestly it feels like it is dragging however I still have a lot to do before I go so I am sure I will feel differently soon. Did a leg workout this morning and charlie horsed my hamstring. I think it is a combination of a tired body and mind. It wasn't poor form just a body that has had enough! I am very excited for Vegas, don't get me wrong. I know once I get there it will fly by and it will be a great event. I bought a new suit for the bikini competition. Berns at Passion Fruits Design is awesome and her suits are works of art. Check out her website!

At home things are crazy busy as usual with my son Chris now playing 2 sports, baseball and football. Tomorrow is our first tournament for the Blaze. Of course it is supposed to rain also for the first time in ages. Go figure.

Had a busy week working with HiDef Productions and Premiere Media doing another dental commercial, interviewed an author and did 2 voice jobs. I love it when that work comes in. Between that and teaching it has kept me very busy, which I feel very blessed to say.

Well, going to glue more rhinestones on my figure suit. Have a great day.

Wrapping a movie and planning for Vegas!

2009-11-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have written as my life became very busy out of the blue! I was cast in a new movie which shot well into the wee hours for about one week. It was a great experience just very tiring one. I had long drives home from Troon which is about 1 hour from my house in good driving conditions. I enjoyed the crew and cast very much. My good friend Bob Rue was in the movie as my husband so that made the set even better. I encourage you to check out his site at RobertRueVoice.com he is a very talented actor and voice talent. Sarah Wilson is a lovely young actor that will do big things so be on the lookout for her and Jose Rosette also played a predominant role which was great to watch.

When the movie finished I felt like you do when vacation is over. Kind of out of sorts for a few days. I was shooting and then working out, going to baseball practices and of course teaching at the college and online. My house fell apart and I had so many clothes and bags in my car it looked like I was running away from home. Now everything is back to normal pretty much. I have my attention fully on nationals coming up in a few weeks. It is so hard finding a balance with working out, proper diet and rest. I am looking good and hope to tweak a few things before show time. I have begun 2 a day workouts now and I am afraid other things will take a back seat until Vegas is over. I leave on Oct. 18 and come home the 21st. Besides competing I have scheduled with a few photographers to shoot with them to expand my website.

Good news today was that I was cast to play a dentist in a commercial and that shoots on Tuesday. Always good to have bookings coming up!
Well that is all for now! have a great week.

Competition Number 2

2009-09-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well Saturday was OCB. I did very well and I was so happy with the whole experience. Luckily Tiffani Bachhus was competing with me and could help me stay on track. We practiced posing and walking and she helped me with my makeup, etc.

I ended up getting 5th in Fitness Model which was an OPEN. So there were girls there 15 years younger than me and I actually beat them. No one was more surprised than me. It was a great feeling. Than I was chosen 3rd in Figure in my age class (Masters). So all and all it was a great time.

Definitely there are big things to work on and so I am stepping it up to the next level. I have to get ready for Fitness America in Las Vegas Nov 18-21. I want to be at the next level for that show. My friend and colleague Paula Owens is going to give me her advice this week and order some new supplements for me. My abs are a real source of problems for me. No matter how lean I get they always hold me back and refuse to cooperate. So that is my goal for this competition.

Honestly I have given myself a few days off as my body is tired. I am really having trouble these last few days to jump back on the dieting bandwagon. I will get my butt in gear but boy is it hard. Once you get a taste of some choc. chip cookies and brownies (all gluten free) it is hard to back off. I feel that I have been dieting forever and mentally it gets hard. Once you get on stage and have the experience it is all worth it but you do have to remember your goals.

Today I had a meeting with some people from Gannet which is the owner of The Arizona Republic and some TV channels here. I am going to be the cover model for a new health and fitness magazine! I am so excited and today I went down there to choose wardrobe and get to know everyone. So next week is the shoot and I am looking forward to see myself on the cover!

Well that is all from me. I am going to listen to a teleconference with Cathy Savage and try to learn more stuff.
Have a great night.

Show number 2

2009-09-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

It has been a few days since I have written and this is because by the time I get everything around the house cleaned up for the night I head straight to bed. Also, I won't have to fight off hunger pains as well and I can look forward to breakfast.

Well tomorrow is OCB. I am happy to report there are 6 other women in my category so this will be better than last time. I am feeling a little better now, however a few hours ago I was in a deep hole. I just sat here feeling terrible. But it passed and I got up ate a little dinner and now I am having a green tea before I head to bed.

I took my first polygraph test this afternoon which was interesting. You start to feel warm the longer you sit there and that starts to make you feel uneasy so I was nervous my test would come off bad. Luckily I made it through with flying colors. After that I drove to get more tanned. I can't believe how dark you have to be to do this and I have decided that tanning is the worst part of this. You stick to everything and leave brown stains everywhere. I am sitting on towels as I write this and I will sleep on towels as well. Just the thought of being in this stuff all day with no shower is gross.

Soon I will get up and pack my bag for tomorrow. I have to be there by 8:30 a.m. to check in and the meeting for the competitors is at 9 am. Prejudging is at 10 a.m. and then we will see. It will be a long day however it will help me get better on stage which is what I need. I would really like to do well in Las Vegas in November and make a good showing so this is leading me to that goal.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Show number 2

2009-08-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I got out there and competed in my first show on August 22nd. It was a thrill and a great experience for me. I had the the strength and courage to walk out there and do the best I could do. Oh yes, there is a lot for me to work on to grow as a competitor and I have started late however I think I can do a few more before I chuck it in. I am competing again in 9 days at OCB on Sept. 5th. It is a little different format and I hope the experience will help me as I have plans to go to Nationals in Las Vegas in November. The plane tickets and hotel room is purchased and I will see what happens.

I was contacted to do a shoot for a new health magazine and they want me to be the December cover, so I am very excited. My husband has been a tremendous support and I could not have done any of this without him.

On a different note I am back teaching at school and loving it. Next semester I will take on many classes as a colleague will be taking her maternity leave and I will fill in with her classes. I know it will be daunting to have that many however I can deal for one semester. Obviously I don't have plans at this time to compete, but I will leave my options open to see how I feel.

Well off to bed as I have to get up early and hit the gym!

Goodnight.

Last Week before Show

2009-08-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

I have been negligent the last few days in keeping up with this blog. Once again the saying "when it rains it pours" has come to visit me BIG time. I am in the process of getting my classes ready that I will be teaching online and on campus at MCC and SCC, keeping up with the kids, auditions, memorizing scripts and all the work of the competition. I am tanning, working out most times 2X/day and dieting like a fiend. I work very hard to get to sleep at a decent time most nights by 9 p.m. I try to calm things down and have a cup of tea to encourage restful sleep. I can tell you that there is NO substitute for sleep, you cannot make it up later. Sleep is needed for at least 8 hours/night. Many clients and students say "Oh I only get 5 hours and that is enough for me" I tell you NO! It has been proven scientifically that we as humans require at least 8 hours for optimum performance. Hormones, etc. are regulated by the sleep cycle. So, for people like myself who need to keep the muscle and build more muscle sleep is a key factor for the release of GH. Also, alcohol kills GH and TEST production!

Well this is it the final push. Saturday is the big day! I am very excited and ready for it to be here. That being said I will take these next few days and try to tighten up the ABS. I really am happy with how my body is responding (especially at 45 :) !!) However my one trouble area is the abs and I am taking the CHO's to 100 gms and all from veggies! We will see how it works and of course how it feels. I already warned the family of my potential freakouts!

I think if I just keep myself busy everything should be great. There is a lot going on this week. Tuesday an audition, tanning, nails, workouts and department meeting at MCC. Wednesday I have a video to shoot, workouts and posing class and so it goes all week. I am happy to have so much new potential work coming from acting and voice as the summer is always a tough time in Phoenix. Also it keeps me going and less time to remember how hungry I am! Well it is past nine o'clock I had better hit the hay.

Good night.

Today is Sunday and as usual I spent the whole day in the kitchen preparing meals for the week. Meals for me and meals for the family. It is just part of my routine so it is not a big deal anymore. I am trying to find and learn new recipes. The magazine Clean Eating is one of my favorites although I do check in with other fitness ladies and get their recipes. Jamie Eason has a great website and good recipes with videos to help you make them correctly. She is awesome. Her carrot protein bars are my favorite.

Tough day

2009-08-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Wow today was busy and tough. I started early out the door and heading to Sun Sounds to read the Arizona Republic. I love volunteering there and the people are wonderful. After my show I headed to the gym to get in my workout and as I drove I threw down 5 egg whites and an apple. I am not used to doing this much cardio (every day for 60 min) and I am feeling it. I made it through and hurried to make my protein shake while sitting in the lockerroom. Feeling better I headed to my car, covered in sweat and drove home still feeling very hungry. I had a very nice lunch of chicken, sweet pot and green beans and then jumped into the shower and zoomed over to the Orthodontist so my son Chris could get his braces on, after that it was directly to meet the teacher and then shopping for school supplies! I drank another shake in the car and finally got home to sit down for a minute.

I immediately found my taped So You Think You Can Dance finale! I love that show and wish I could dance some of the dances actually made me cry. Everyone is coming home one by one and requesting food. I thought by 8:30 p.m. my family had eaten but now they require more food! That is what you get with a house full of men, even my dog is looking at me for a treat!

My husband and I are now arguing with the E TV channel as to the order of sexiest covergirls. We don't agree that Angeline Jolie should be rated higher than Adriannia Lima! Angelina is a beautiful woman and very talented but come on Andriannia Lima is SUPER HOT.

Okay off to bed tomorrow is another big day! Good night.

Got the nails on!

2009-08-04T21:01:00.001-07:00

Today I tried out the spray tanning and also had my nails put on and they look very nice. I like the tan I just hate the smell! Tomorrow is posing class so I wanted to have Tiffani see me with a tan to tell me what she thinks and if I should be darker or is this a good color? We will see what she thinks tomorrow.

I also worked on theme wear today. As part of the Bikini division you must also come out in a themed costume something that shows more about you. I am doing baseball. I went to American Apparel today and got red booty shorts and a white half top tshirt. I plan on putting rhinestones on the shirt to give it some "pop". American Apparel has some very cute things and I also bought a very cute tank dress. I rationalized that as helping the economy and for all my hard work!!

After that I went to a sports wear shop and bought stirrups and sanitaries for socks to wear with my heels. So I think I am in a good place and add to that my red wrist bands and bat/hat I should be good to go. Just 18 days out now so I must have everything wrapped up.

The exercise is getting intense as I am up to 60 minutes a day cardio plus weight lifting. I am keeping up and I plan on staying strong to the end. I just had my second cup of tea to help fill my stomach and relieve the hunger cravings. Tonight is not so bad and soon I will turn in and look forward to a nice breakfast tomorrow.

Off to bed!

Back Home!

2009-08-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

We made it safely back from CA today. The trip was wonderful and the boys on the baseball team had a great time swimming and running around the hotel in and out of each other's rooms. My son is exhausted and I am sure we will all sleep well tonight. My husband didn't put sunscreen on the top of his head so he is suffering from sun burn and Justin is also burned on his legs. Chris and I managed to stay covered in sunscreen and we are feeling great.

I did get a workout in this morning before I left the beautiful weather. Wow the temp was 73 degrees and made running the trails effortless. It was very hard to leave. Tomorrow back to Gold's Gym and my workout regime continues. The day is quickly approaching to get on stage and see if all the work will pay off. The battle is just showing up and walking out there on that stage and for me that is my "win".

I must get to bed myself soon as I have to hit the gym early tomorrow as now the cardio is 60 minutes 6 days/week so I need to keep the body rested. Also I don't have the foods I need in the fridge so shopping is on the agenda for tomorrow as well. I managed to defrost some salmon for tonights dinner with green beans and green tea for dessert. So far so good.

Okay off to bed tomorrow is a busy day.

3 Weeks Out!

2009-08-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well it is getting closer! The day when I will get up on stage in front of everyone in a very tiny bikini. Tonight is 3 weeks away and the dieting and workouts are kicked up a notch. Sometimes I can't believe at age 45 I decided to jump into the competition arena. I am scheduled to be in the bikini and figure divisions so on top of everything else I am doing 2 divisions and learning 2 different ways to pose. Well no guts no glory! Oh and recently it has been non stop traveling which only makes the nutrition end harder. I am happy to report that I have not been sidelined by the airports and hotels and with some scouring of the local areas and careful packing I have kept to the diet. This week I am in Whittier CA and I found a great gym just around the corner from the Radission hotel called Uptown Gym. I was able to get a weeks pass for $15 (versus $15/day and $10/day that some bigger gyms were charging LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness) which allowed me to stay on track and I also found great hills to run around the college. Also as I was running I found a wonderful little organic restaurant called Fenix 5-4. There I got a shot of wheatgrass and amazing vegetarian chili with a mixed green and cucumber salad. My husband even loved it and stole 1/2 my chili!. I am going to drop by there tomorrow to grab a different salad for the drive home right after my workout. Today we were at Hermosa Beach with my son's baseball team and I found a great restaurant called Scotty's who made a spinach salad with salmon on top. I was thrilled with my find and of course the beautiful ocean.

I must admit I am happy with the progress so far and also I know that it is going to get harder these final weeks. However I know I am up for the challenge and I am looking forward to the experience which is now 21 days away. Now it is off to bed so I can get up early and hit the gym before I have to drive back to Phoenix.