Lessons to Learn

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

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

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

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!

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!!

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~

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