Jan 1st-Jan 14th - Celebrations, Song Release & FORD Contract!

A new year has begun! On New Year's night I went to dinner with Mike and a bunch of his family to Sakura Home Japanese restaurant. They ordered a special sushi dish with caviar and flakes of gold on top! 

They know my sweet tooth so afterwards they ordered fried ice cream and it was amazing!

For the rest of the week I spent time at home and visiting with my Grandma while she was staying at our house. It was nice to just relax and spend time together. One thing I did in my free time was make a photo album of pictures of my kitties that I've had. Here is one I found of my kitty Cookie Dough and I sleeping together when she was a kitten!

That weekend we drove to Connecticut to bring my Grandma home and my Dad dropped me off in the city but first we ate at Hane Japanese restaurant! The next day I went to a Proctor & Gamble casting that Abrams Artist Agency sent me on and then I visited with my roommates the next few days.

While I was in the city I got a call from Mike's sister Alex saying that Jon proposed to her!! I got to secretly see the ring (which is incredible) before I left but I didn't know he was going to propose so soon! Then before I left the city I spent some time walking around.

The night before I went home Sarah and I went for dessert to Hane Japanese restaurant which was really nice and then it was so sad saying goodbye to my roommates because I knew I might not see them for a long time! I am so lucky to have such good friends as them and I wish that I didn't have to leave but I also wanted to spend time with my family and take on the great career opportunity I was presented with! 

Thursday my Dad and I drove back home and we stopped at a diner on the way which was actually the worst place we have ever eaten at haha I feel bad but this was unbelievable... I guess it was entertaining and was funny after-the-fact! We should have known from the sign not to go there...

The next couple of days I relaxed at home and one day we went to the park by my house which was very peaceful and pretty.

January 14th was an exciting day, first Mike found out that a song he produced for Akon, The Secret State, and B.o.B. was released and available on iTunes!! A little secret... I'm playing the tambourine in the chorus! Mike played all of the instruments and made everything for the song but he taught me how play the tambourine so that I could do that! The song is incredible and I am so proud of him. Everyone should check it out!

Click the photo to open the song in iTunes!
(If it takes you to iTunes Preview you can click view in iTunes)

Later at night we had a party at Mike's house to celebrate the engagement of Alex and Jon! :) We are all so happy and excited for them and it was so nice to celebrate together! 

During the celebration I got an e-mail from my Mother Agent saying that Ford Models LA wanted me to send some digitals of how I look right now. I got really nervous that I was being resubmitted to FORD and that even though they said that they wanted me that they were going to reevaluate! I erased the negative thoughts from my mind and took some digitals and sent them!

Later that night I got an e-mail saying that they were just making sure that I didn't change and that they would love to have me for the LA market!! Yippeeeee!!! By the next day I had the FORD Models contract in my inbox!! Words cannot express the feeling of joy I have from finally having this opportunity! I am beyond thankful. 

Dec 11th-Dec 31st - Christmas Celebrations & New Year's!

The next couple of days I hung out in Manhattan, went for a run and went shopping. Wednesday was 12/12/12 which was interesting because that was the last repetitive date we will see in our lifetime! Thursday night my roommates and I had a Christmas party at our apartment and it was so much fun! There were decorations, snacks, and some of us decorated ice cream cones like Christmas trees!

(Me, Sarah and Julie!)

It was so nice to celebrate the holiday season with friends. After everyone left my roomies Sarah and I exchanged gifts with Dennise since I wouldn't see her again before Christmas. 

(Love my roomies!)

The next morning Sarah and I flew back home to Rochester for me to stay and her to visit for the holidays. As soon as I got home we went to go look for a Christmas tree since it was a couple of weeks away. We found one and started decorating right away! Later, Sarah and I celebrated Christmas together at my house with dinner and presents and it was a really nice night! 

December 14th was the day that Sandy Hook Elementary School experienced such a shocking tragedy. It makes me so sad to even bring it up but it was one of the most devastating events and I continue to pray for the loved one who were affected. 

On Saturday we had a holiday party at Mike's house with some friends from the salon where we baked cookies and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" which was fun!

(Alex, Olivia and Angela baking cookies with morsels haha)

The 19th was Mike's parents 30 year anniversary! They took a trip to Manhattan and Alex, Jon, Mike and I bought them champagne to be delivered to their room :) <3 That night was the Miss Universe 2012 pageant which was a great show like always! USA's very own Olivia Culpo won! She achieved my dream and I am so happy for her! 

(photo credit: cbsnews.com)

That weekend was Tuba Christmas which is a concert where people who play brass instruments perform Christmas songs while the audience sings along. It is cute to see the instruments decorated and people playing of all ages.

At night we had a holiday party at Mike's house with some friends that was really fun!

The next day was my Grandma's birthday and my Dad brought her to our house from Connecticut to spend the holidays with us! On Christmas Eve my Mom made little candy Christmas mice that we saw on Pinterest! At night I went to Amanda's house to celebrate like we do every Christmas Eve! It's always nice to hang out and catch up. <3

Then my baby Cookie Dough and I went to bed so that Santa could come! :)

I woke up and put a little Christmas sweater on Cookie Dough (that didn't last long) and then to apologize we gave her presents and she loved them! 

(Action shot!)

It was such a great day relaxing, celebrating Christmas with my Grandma, my Parents and Mike's family! 

A couple of days later I started training at Scott Miller Salon & Spa so that I could help out while I am home. I trained the next few days and I enjoyed it so much! That Saturday there was a concert at Water Street Music Hall and Mike was mixing the music for the band Pretty in Pink which went well! 

The other bands Young Blood and Kopps put on a good show too and then the main act The Hoodies was awesome to see because it was a reunion show for them. We are friends with the band but not being biased they are so talented and it was such a cool feeling to be in the crowd with everyone singing the songs together!

The next day I went on some errands with my family for my Grandma and relaxed at home. On New Years Eve I worked during the day and then went to Red Booth Recording studio afterwards because Mike was working with our friend Brian who owns the studio. We left there and headed to downtown Rochester to eat with friends at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on the water.

We were all eating and then the fireworks started so a few of us ran outside and watched the show! It is impressive how many fireworks Rochester lights off! 

At the end we all cheered and then went inside to finish eating while a bluesy jazz band played and it was fun! Then we went to Mike's house where his family was watching all the artists perform for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. 

Then 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1