Sunday, January 25, 2015

Thursday, May 8, 2014

"We workout!"







What a better way to start a week than in Central Park. One thing I have been so thankful for recently is this park. I now understand the sole reason why it was built in the first place. It may be the busiest park I've ever been to, but there's just something about the surroundings that, although still busy and full of the city life, you're able to escape it all as if in any other park. It reminds me of home and I like getting out of the apartment to just read or sit in the park. I'm hoping to find some other great hidden gems of a park soon!

Anyways, this week was a good one and flew by! I feel like I've already been here forever though, weird enough. Monday I wasn't very busy, although in the evening some of the girls and agents from the agency went to a Kettlebell Kickboxing class, the same one I went to last week. It was fun working out as a group, and not to mention it's great motivation!
Tuesday I had a test shoot! Tuesday was also the start of a lovely trend of rain and wind that was super fun to get around in. I love the rain, but have a whole different appreciation for it when I'm back at home and have a car to get around in. Later in the day the DNA gang got together again to take a Ballet Beautiful class! This was by far one of my favorites because it's similar to what I do when I'm at home, so it was fun to get a class from someone who is very well known for teaching it and training many other models and celebrities. I was definitely sore the next day.
Wednesday was pretty slow, but Thursday was a day full of a test shoot! The crew was so great, I got to spend time in someone's beautiful house and the best part was getting to hang out with this puppy all day.
Friday I had a job WOO! It was nice to start working, and I got to be around other DNA girls, including my roommates, so overall it was a cool night. And the view from the venue was AWESOME! Saturday started off right with a morning rooftop workout sponsored by Under Armour! There's a free workout every Saturday hosted by some great trainers, so once again the DNA gang got together to work out! I love trying out all these new workout classes with other models. I had two castings the rest of the day, but after that Brittni, Alyssa and I decided to be friends and watch Friends! We also explored FAO Schwarz because who doesn't like going in a toy store.
And then comes Sunday. We went to church at Hillsong and it was good to go back there! The head pastor from the Australia church was in town and gave a message, so now I have seen him in both NYC and London which is pretty cool I think. I do love that church though, and I'm glad I found a place to go to every week. Brittni and I also got caught in another rain/wind storm. It's quite amusing watching your friend get pulled around by her umbrella while you are getting soaked all just trying to go to the grocery store. Other than that, I spent a long time making myself dinner and doing laundry but I'm not going to write about that. I'll try to be more entertaining next week.
This past week has been relaxing and full of work outs for the most of it, but I need to start exploring the city more. I do enjoy my days at the park but I want to take advantage of being here in the middle of everything! Sometimes I just get so caught up in what to do. Any suggestions...?

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

I'M BACK! "#justkeepknitting"

NYC I'M BACK AND I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE IN THE SPRING!
 New York City, it's so good to be back in your beautiful spring weather! Its also so good to get back to work and get this thing rolling again. I left on Easter morning, got settled in that evening, and then was back to the agency and castings in the morning! It's amazing how different it feels when coming back into familiar territory. Knowing what to expect, how things generally run around here, even the little things like where to get groceries and the closest subway station is such a good feeling to have and I was so excited and confident and just plain ready for everything.
Monday was pretty easy for me. I stopped by the agency to say hello to my DNA family and pick up my book, then I had one casting. After fashion week it feels so different going to castings. I recognize so many faces now, and I've grown so much with the help of my crazy experience of doing all the shows. I took a walk on the Highline and then did some much needed grocery shopping. And oh my goodness I am starting to understand why getting groceries every week can be so difficult sometimes. Pretty sure I walked all the aisles about three or four times, most of the time just standing and staring. I'm learning! I have learned that I love cooking though. Anyways, in the evening I did a Kettlebell Kickboxing class with one of my agents Richie and another model! To be honest, taking a gym class in the city is so intimidating because I feel like the trainers are crazy intense like the ones from TV and movies (at least compared to what I'm used to at home), but I'm glad I took the class and it was awesome! Definitely looking forward to taking it again.
Tuesday wasn't very busy at all, all that was on my schedule was for updated digitals. I did, though, try out a free day pass at the YMCA as well as meet up with my friend Brittni who just got in town! She's also from the same agency back home and it's cool we get to be roommates here! It's nice to have a friend here who I already know. Wednesday I got back into the test shoot groove and this one was very fun! I also got to experience trying sushi for the first time while I was there, so that was interesting... Maybe it will grow on me? (Haha sorry dad!)
Thursday I had the day off and just did things around the apartment mostly, but did have a gym class later in the evening called Barry's Bootcamp with two of my roommates and an agent. That class definitely makes you sweat. So therefore it was a good class!

Friday I had a few castings before a test in the evening. In between that Brittni and I walked around Times Square a drink! Walking around is the best thing when the weather is nice.
Saturday was beautiful! I had a fitting for a job down in China Town, and then I spent much needed time in Central Park reading. It can be so crowded and typical NYC busy, but the park never fails to make me happy and relaxed. I'm so happy it's just walking distance away, and also happy that I'm finally almost finished with my book WOO! I can't wait to start a new one. Brittni and I also spent some good old time with The Notebook and just cried a little. It just gets us every time..


The week ended nice on Sunday going to church with Brittni at Times Square Church, and then (after a last minute casting in Brooklyn) meeting up with some of the other Revolution girls who are in town for some dinner. We basically sat in the restaurant for four hours and just talked, but sometimes it's surprising how fun that could be. I just feel bad for letting them know just how weird I can be sometimes.... #justkeepknitting/motivational comments by Mckenna (They will understand.) I've realized friend time is important while being gone, and that there is no better feeling than just laughing with good people around you!
It's been a good first week back, and especially thanks to the wonderful weather I look forward to every day more and more now. If the weather and my schedule permits, I would probably spend every day at Central Park
Hoping for awesome opportunities to come for next week! God is good, and I know I will see that happening every day, both in big and mysterious ways.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

SUPERBOWL!




This week was SO EXCITING! So much Super Bowl jitters around me and I basically was right in the middle of the pre-celebrations. I went to the Super Bowl Boulevard the first day it popped up to just check it out. I knew I would be back a few times since I live right around the corner from Times Square. I did not know that after the first day it would feel like a place of no return.. This week wasn't busy at all for work, which initially was nice because I was excited to explore Super Bowl things, but when you wake up and it's below freezing or there's a blizzard, being outside isn't too intriguing. The days that I did go out and venture the crowds were quite interesting though! They had so many cool tents and events going on. Free pizza, free snacks, make your own music video, meet the players, and so much more! I was honestly quite impressed and wish that I had enjoyed more of the activities!







I had an interesting experience at the Macy's where they dedicated a whole floor to Super Bowl gear. I went to get some shirts for the family and it took me just about 45 minutes to just try and walk the whole floor. Not because it was big but because it was PACKED. Of course that's expected! Lots of cool designs for this year's shirts! I also got lucky and found a checkout line hidden away that was not nearly as long as the other checkout lines. Overall, I went four times to Broadway where the event was, and the last three never completely accomplished what I wanted for various reasons. I am still sad I didn't get a picture in front of the Roman numerals, oh well. My attempt consisted of standing in a crowd that didn't move anywhere for about 15 minutes.

My other cool Super Bowl experience was at my gym that is at a hotel near Times Square. The hotel was the media sponsored hotel and every time I went in I was convinced that I was seeing some famous sportscaster that I didn't know about. Lots of people taking pictures with other people, but I had no idea who I was looking at! Secretly I'm sure I saw someone cool.
I met up for dinner with Alyssa and Emory who are both from Colorado and the same Mother Agency. It was fun to catch up and have some friends to talk to in the same city! We ate at Chelsea Market as well, so no complaining about the food. It's good to have friends who experience the same thing as me, we all can talk about everything and understand where we're coming from.








On Saturday and Sunday I had test shoots that were both very fun! We did many different looks which is good and I'm starting to build up my New York portfolio. I also came to realize this weekend that I feel like I'm in the top group when it comes to people knowing about football in this industry. Which, to give you an idea, I know the basics but no way am I on a level of my boyfriend or my brother and dad. I feel quite alone when it comes to celebrating football... I did get to take some cool football pictures with my Manning jersey at one of my shoots!


And now that game day is said and done, we really don't need to talk about it... I still love my Broncos! I was very excited about the Seahawks as well because being from Washington, that was the first team I ever got to know! I can't wait until next season, GO BRONCOS!

Saturday, February 8, 2014

"sNOw more"






 After a weekend spending time with family and staying at a hotel, I knew I was being spoiled. I was looking forward to getting back into the groove though, and was ready to stay busy with castings and shoots! The week started out quite slow though with not much to do, just a few castings here and there. Even with just a few castings a day it can give me ideas of what to do for the day because I always end up in a new place to explore! Especially when I’m so indecisive all the time, being given a different place to go to is a good start to deciding where to venture out to. The weather in the beginning of the week was not the best walking around weather, so I spent a lot of time relaxing and going to the gym that I recently got a membership to. It’s only a couple of blocks away, which is nice and makes me feel like home! But really, this NYC weather needs to get it's act together. I read this in a newspaper somewhere, but 'sNOw more' please. And this is only the beginning...





On my way to a casting Wednesday I happened to run into Roxanne, one of my friends I met in London. We crossed paths in the subway and just happened to be headed to the same casting! I kept thinking how funny it was to run into her, but I’ve seen so many models around this time of Fashion Week everywhere I go that I’m almost not surprised. It was nice to catch up and see a familiar face!  On Friday I was sent to a casting that ended up being right around the corner of the Chelsea Market, which at the time I didn’t know what it was.
I decided to stop in and check it out and it was probably the worst thing a hungry girl who hasn’t had lunch yet could do. So many cool shops and food places! Plenty of places offering food samples as well, and it was fun to see the bakeries with their Super Bowl decorated pastries so it was a perfect place to stop by. I learned that it also used to be the National Biscuit Company factory where the Oreo was invented. Pretty cool.
I will return and have a proper meal there soon! Probably more than once…

Over the weekend I finally decided to go to B&H Photo because I had heard that it’s huge and if you like cameras and such than its pretty much like a day out at the mall. I couldn’t wait to go since the day I landed in NY and I finally made time and it was AMAZING. Would have been more exciting if I was actually walking in with the intent to buy some really cool camera or anything, but that’s okay. I can always imagine. Probably the coolest thing about the store for me was the way they deliver the orders to the customers. They have a conveyer belt like machine that runs across the ceiling of the entire store so workers in different departments just get notice of the order and send it on it’s way on the belt. It was pretty cool if you ask me. 

Anyways, slowly but surely fashion week is arriving. I am so excited, and would like these next few weeks to hurry up already!

Benton Sampson Photography
Matthew Priestley Photography

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Welcome to New Yawk!

I have officially started a new adventure in New York City!
I arrived in the city on Sunday and had a pretty relaxed week ahead of me. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday flew by, I was busy doing test shoots and meeting with my new agency for various things. I ventured out and saw some new sights as well as some that I hadn't seen since the last time I was here sophomore year of high school. Highline Park was really cool, and probably even more gorgeous in the summertime! It's a park built on old rail tracks, which are above the ground so basically it's a park where you can see everything below you (and above you). Whoever thought of this: you are cool. Why didn't someone think of this earlier? Anyways, my first week was very easy and I had a great weekend to look forward to! 



My dad planned to come visit me for the weekend since he was working in Washington D.C. the week before and I was excited to spend some time with him! Little did I know I had something (or someone) else in store for me… My wonderful boyfriend flew in for the long weekend to surprise me! I had no idea, at all, and from the moment I saw him in the hotel I was so excited to show him the city and to simply just spend time with two of my favorite men. We did so much in a short amount of time, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, Times Square, China Town, Little Italy, The Book of Mormon, and more. 
It was Alex's first time here, so we of course also included eating pizza, getting a hot dog, and anything else we could fit in that a proper visit to NYC should include. Alex even got to experience my life as a model and see some behind the scenes of a photo shoot I had on Sunday, which was cool for me to be able to show that to him! I wanted it to last forever but like all good things it had to end and it came too quick. I had an incredible time seeing the city with the people I love and it was a great break to have before the chaos of Fashion Week! Come around again soon please.
I am so thankful and blessed and everything above and beyond that when it comes to what I get to do right now for life, and although sometimes my hope gets fogged up, thank you to everyone who is always there to pick me back up. Just like anyone, adjusting can be difficult and overwhelming, but I become stronger through every moment and experience and prayer. I grow and I learn something new every day, and I hope to someday use that to not only benefit myself, but to benefit others. That's my goal here. I may feel blinded by everything that hits me, and it may hit me hard, but obstacles are only temporary and never impossible with a good spirit, God, and family and friends. Like my grandpa says, "When you find that something, grab ahold of that brass ring and run with it." So. Here I go!