May 15th-May 30th - Test Shoot, Birthdays & Volunteering!

Tuesday I took the train back to the city and then from Penn Station I ran right to work. That night Rachel Ray came in again which was nice to see that she really enjoyed dining with us.

The next day I had set up a test shoot with a photographer that I met at work named Philippe Reynaud who was a model for years and is now mainly on the other side of the camera. During the day I got some wardrobe together and blow-dried and straightened my hair to make it easier for the hair stylist. I arrived at the studio and when I walked in I was shocked. The studio was huge and so beautiful and on top of that there was a wardrobe room filled with high fashion clothes and a rack of shoes!

He could not find a makeup artist available for the shoot so I did my own at the makeup station. Afterwards the hair stylist asked if my hair was naturally wavy and curly, which it is, and it turned out that he wanted it wavy so we wet my hair for the first look and diffused it for the next look. While he was working on my hair I got to talk to Philippe's girlfriend Karli Karissa who is gorgeous and has been modeling for years.

In total we did about five to six looks and they varied a lot. I have not seen the images yet but the feel was some were simple yet confident and others were very cool and a bit funkier. That was very nice of Philippe and his crew to do the shoot and he offered to work together again so we will see!

The shoot went until after midnight and I had work at 7:30am the next morning but I did not mind at all. Friday was my mother agent Chantale Nadeau's birthday, yay Happy Birthday! I worked during the day and we had actress Jennifer Tilly whose voice is Bonnie on Family Guy join us as well as actor Christopher Plummer again who is so nice, this time smiled and gave me a nice pat on the shoulder when leaving. The next day when I was working I saw Uma Thurman and her family leaving the restaurant, I did not even know she was dining with us because she arrived before I began working.

  

May 21st was my kitty Cookie Dough's 15th Birthday!! I remember the day my kitty Sasha, who I miss dearly and is always in my heart, gave birth to Cookie Dough and ever since she has been a part of so much of my life and is always there for me. Growing up as an only child Cookie Dough is literally like a sibling to me and my family and I feel so blessed to have her. I wish that she could live with me in the city but I know that she would not be as happy as if she were home so I want to do what is best for her. Happy Birthday to the most beautiful and sweet kitty on this earth, I love you so much!

Tuesday I had off from work so I went around the city shopping to get Dennise presents her birthday as well as look for a dress to wear to attend Miss USA 2012. I found a cute outfit for Dennise at H&M but I went to several stores to find a dress and they either did not have my size or were too pricey. As soon as I got back to the apartment I ordered three dresses online and hoped that they would come before I left the city!

Each month my work, Maialino, sends food to the hospice patients at the Beth Israel Medical Center and they find volunteers to bring and serve the food for an evening. I have been wanting to volunteer but I was working or had conflicts until this time I was free! A co-worker Carrie and I brought food to the center and went to each room and took orders of everyone and their families. There were some rooms that could only have clear liquids and I saw some people in conditions that I have not seen before. In one room there was a woman who was 104 years old which I thought was very cool. Overall it was such a great experience and I was so glad to be able to go and have a smile on my face and show them that people are here who care and want to make their lives better. It was so great to see them enjoying the food and apple pie dessert!

Afterwards Ritz asked if I wanted to meet up so we ate at Angelica Kitchen which is a great vegan restaurant and got to catch up. Then she told me about a place called Veniero's Italian bakery that has great desserts so we went there and got iced cappuccinos with chocolate gelato and we shared a slice of tiramisu. It was so delicious I want to go back and try more sweets! It was very nice talking with Ritz, she is always fun to be around!

The next morning I got an e-mail from my agency in Singapore saying that they wanted to submit me for a very well paying job to be on the packaging for soap. They needed me to send digitals of me posing just like a picture the client provided. I had to run to work but I told them that I would send them as soon as I got home.

That day at work we had Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield come in to have a lunch meeting with someone about The Amazing Spider-Man! I really like Emma Stone she is beautiful and seems nice. I did not know that her and Andrew were dating (not up to date on my celebrity gossip) but I figured it out when I saw them leave holding hands.

 

After work I rushed to the apartment and had Sarah (thanks again roomie!) take pictures on my phone of me just like the example picture and I sent them to the booker. The booker heard back from the client saying that I was shortlisted which was exciting! Even though I was one of two chosen for Phantom I knew that the client was looking at agencies in Thailand, Hong Kong and all over.

That weekend on Sunday the 27th Dennise and I decided to go out to eat and it turned out being an early birthday celebration since our birthdays are both on June 2nd! Dennise came home with Happy Birthday balloons and she curled my hair for fun. We walked down through East Village and found a cute place to eat outside. It was a Mexican restaurant and we ordered a few small dishes which were great. One of Dennise's friends joined us and he surprised us by telling the waiter it was our birthdays and when our desserts came out they had candles in them! We had such a good time together :)

Monday was Memorial Day which is a great day to remind us to be thankful for the people who sacrificed their lives to serve and protect our country even though we are thankful every day. It was a beautiful day outside so I laid on the lawn in the sun and was nice to relax.

On the 30th I had a volunteer orientation for Gilda's Club that I had been waiting a couple of months to attend. The meeting went very well, it was great to learn even more about how Gilda's Club helps people living with cancer by providing so many great programs and activities! It is such a great community of people with all different reasons for being there but with the same purpose of having social and emotional support. I am excited to be able to volunteer for them in any way that they need me to.

Later that night I stayed up to watch the Miss USA 2012 Preliminary Competition! I was so excited to be going to Las Vegas to see the Miss USA 2012 live telecast but I could not make it there earlier for the preliminaries so I was glad that I could watch the show online! The contestants were all beautiful and I loved seeing the different gowns. It was exciting to see a preview of what was in-store for the final show! 

June 22nd - Thank You Viewers! One-Year Anniversary of Candace's Journey!

One year ago today I published my first blog post ever!

It started out being a blog about my adventures modeling abroad in Singapore since it was difficult to talk to my family and friends on a daily basis. When I returned from Singapore at the beginning of September I was busy spending time with my loved ones and was not sure if I should continue blogging.

I thought about starting my blog back up in a few months at the beginning of the new year but some people were asking if I was going to be blogging any time soon. In particular, my friend Miranda's cousin Kayla and her Grandma wrote to me saying that they missed reading my blog together and that meant a lot to me.

Blogging is a good way to share my experiences with others but I also enjoy going back and thinking about the things I have been doing, as well as going through pictures of the great people in my life and the places I have been.

When I began to blog of course I had hoped that some people would enjoy reading my posts but I never guessed that I would have thousands of views from all over the world! I am so grateful for each and every view from each country that has visited my page. Here is a shout-out to the countries that my blog has had views from! I hope I have them all, please let me know if I missed any!

      
United States of America!             Canada!                          Singapore!

   
           
            Philippines!                       Australia!                    United Kingdom!

    

              Germany!                          Russia!                           Malaysia!

    

               Bahrain!                      Saudia Arabia!                       Oman!

    

               Taiwan!                            Finland!                          Thailand!

     

               Austria!                          Indonesia!                     South Korea!
                   
    

                 Chile!                           Hong Kong!                         Macau!

   

                                                      Colombia!

It is an honor to have so many great countries viewing my blog! 

The past year went by fast but it was also filled with so many great experiences and memories. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey during the past 23 years. If I did not have such strong love and support in my life this journey I am experiencing would have never happened.

I know I am getting emotional but we have so much in this life to be thankful for and if you encounter an obstacle or a tough time, keep in mind that time is still moving and each moment is a new moment where you have the power to create your journey. Remember, it is all about the road of getting where you want to be.

Thank you for taking this journey with me, stay onboard!

May 1st-May 14th - Senior Ball, Mother's Day, Photo Shoots & More!

Tuesday morning Tony, Mike and I got up and got ready to check out of the hotel. I thought it would be good to get something to eat before the long drive back to Rochester, New York so I called Maialino where I work and asked them to get the three of us in for lunch. Of course they were so nice and said yes so we headed over and each ordered delicious pasta dishes. The chefs were generous and brought us out a complementary plate of cheese and vegetables! We had a great time and enjoyed the amazing food!

We had a fun road trip home and then Wednesday I had a very busy day! During the day I had a photo shoot for Next Step Magazine. I had modeled for the magazine about six years ago so it was nice to work with them again and the team was so nice! It was a beautiful day outside and we shot on the Pittsford, New York canal which was fun! 

Later at night was my best friend Elizabeth's senior ball that she invited me to go with her! We went to Scott Miller to get makeovers and they did an amazing job like always! Afterwards we met Mike at Plum Garden and had dinner before getting ready to go to the ball! We went back to Liz's dorm and got our dresses on and headed downtown to the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. 

When we got there we had some h'orderves and talked with friends. Then Liz was eager to hit the dance floor and we danced all night long! We had a such a good time and I am so happy that I got to celebrate with her for almost being done with college!

The day after I spent time at home and my Dad finished painting our kitchen. Then we went for a walk at Turning Point park by my house and I took a nap with my kitty Cookie Dough!

The next morning Mike and I went to IHop because we had not been there in a while and of course we got pancakes. Later I listened to Mike work on a new cool song in the studio and then spent more time at home at night.

May 5th was Cinco de Mayo but it was also Liz's Graduation day!! I went downtown to the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial and met Liz's family there. The ceremony was very nice and I was so proud of Liz as she walked across the stage and accepted her diploma! 

It was weird to think that was me graduating a year ago and that Liz is already done with college! Afterwards we went to her house and had a party with her family and it was very nice. There was great food and yummy cupcakes! I felt bad when I had to leave but I had to pack to head back to the city. When I got home my Mom who owns a dojo was making karate cookies which is actually an idea I told her about that I saw on Pinterest. 

The next morning my Dad and I left for Nyack, New York where some of Mike's family lives. Mike was visiting them and I wanted to be there to visit too. When we first got there we met them at the Chuang Yen Buddhist Monastery. It was such a beautiful site and I was not expecting the monastery to be that breathtaking. 

My Dad stayed at the Monastery for a while longer before heading to Connecticut to help my Grandma around the house. Mike and I spent time with his family and some friends and it was very nice! I felt bad but the next morning I had to be at work so we woke up early and they drove me to my apartment and then to work. 

The next day when I was working actor Ed Begley Jr and his family dined with us again and actor Dominic West stopped in to say hi to his wife Catherine who was having coffee at our bar. On Thursday Lauren  "Lo" Bosworth from MTV's Laguna Beach and The Hills came in for lunch with some girlfriends. ESPN's SportsCenter anchor and sportscaster Stuart Scott also came in that day.

Also that week Ritz invited me to go to Philippine entertainer Sam Milby's send-off party since he was going back to the Philippines and her husband was going to attend so she wanted me to meet him. I met her husband who works for Gucci and he was very nice, as well as many other friends of theirs including Anna Maria Perez de Tagle. She was an actress on Hannah Montana, Camp Rock and Fame, had toured with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato and is now in Godspell on Broadway. They were celebrating at Qi and I just stopped by for a few minutes but it was a cool restaurant. In the bathroom there was a hologram on the  mirror that I had never seen something like that before. 

Sunday was Mother's Day and I worked at Maialino in the morning. It was a little hectic but I loved watching all of the families having a great time together and I love the feeling of helping guests have a great experience just like each time that I work. During the day Josh Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner who is married to Ivanka Trump (one of my role models), came in and we were fully reserved but luckily a party in our front bar area canceled and so I told him that we had a table available for him and he was very nice. 

I was very excited that after work I was going to be flying home to see my Mom for Mother's Day! The next day I was hired for a photo shoot for Scott Miller Salon and Spa and so it worked out perfectly to be able to see my Mom as well! I flew home and my Mom picked me up and it was so nice to go home and have dinner and play board games together! I have the best Mother in the whole Universe and I love her so much!

The next morning the crew and I got together early in the morning for the Scott Miller shoot and I was so excited! 

Carin Lilja the stylist came with racks of clothes and the makeup and hair was all set up so after a quick breakfast we began! Silvana Gulino is Scott Miller's head makeup artist and she is incredible. First she started with a more natural look and while she was doing my makeup the photographer was setting up lighting. I have worked with the photographer Carrie Mateosian before and it is always an honor, she is so sweet and her work is top-notch! 

After makeup, Scott and his assistant Alysse blow-dried and styled my hair for the first look! He makes my hair look magnificent and I wish that he could style my hair everyday! Alex Miller's boyfriend Jon McLean was the videographer and he took videos of me getting hair and makeup done.

I won't say details yet but the different outfits for the shoot were so cool and consisted of pieces by Prada, Chanel, and Burberry. Also during the shoot the stylist took out the exact dress that Kate Moss wore on the cover of W Magazine! Carin used to be a buyer for Chanel and she had friends who had worked on the shoot with Kate. Putting on the dress was so exciting and I was in shock that Kate had modeled in it! We didn't end up using it for the shoot because it was tight on top so I can show you which dress it was!

Throughout the shoot Helen and Alex helped direct it and Mike held the light reflector sometimes as well as cheered me on :) After the shoot we went to P.F. Changs with my Mom to have dinner with her which was nice. Later even though I did not want to leave, I had to pack to head back to the city the next day.