La cucaracha

so i met this guy...

or rather, he met me by buying a drink for me at HIS restaurant (which is another story entirely-entitled "what to do when a boy buys a mormon girl a drink"--more on that later).

anyway, he's adorable and owns several other restaurants....

the other night, i decided i'd pop in for din with a gal pal and to hopefully have a bit more QT with aforementioned drink-buyer at a different restaurant.

disappointment: he wasn't there.

disappointment #2:

as i was mid-way thru my salad, my biggest nightmare (aka. a cockroach) scurried out from my salad plate and down the side of the table till he met his demise by my pinched fingers around a napkin (to use as evidence and achieve my comped meal, natch)....

.....maybe it's an omen?.....

i'm gonna keep it moving on that one....

help!

anybody know where i can find the eucalyptus candle from henri bendel??

it was sold at bath and body works and my family became highly addicted but it's been discontinued-it doesn't really smell anything like eucalyptus, but it smells a whole lot like awesome....

anybody know anybody who knows how to hook me up?

i have hope- inside is not a heart, but a kaleidoscope

sara bareilles has been singing the soundtrack to my year.

have you memorized her new album, kaleidoscope heart, yet?

because you should.

we've now taken to addressing the phases of your heart by using song titles....

i'm proud to say, i'm out of the

"basket case" / "breathe again" zone

and am happily onto

"king of anything" / "gonna get over you " land

re: breakup #2 of 2010

(which, for the record, was/is small peanuts compared to the mister linger-longer heartbreak)

nina and i saw her in concert in SLC.

the girl is brilliant.

a poet who is a genuinely fantastic singer and musician.

rare these days.

what a treat. see her.

download her.

and let her get you thru it.....

i love a parade!

this thanksgiving, i attended celeste holm & frank basile's parade party!

see pics from last year { here }

old friends in front of celeste's THE KING AND I billboard-note: she's above the line and well above yul brenner's name... so cool

... and me looking like the newscaster/pageant girl fairies did my hair as i slept-- you KNOW i rolled out of bed for this one.....

i can't wait to see spidey on the broadway!!

happy happy turkey day!

hope you were able to celebrate and give thanks with people you adore!

man, i love a parade!

true colors shining....

my sweet friend decided that you should always break up with someone you love---even if there is nothing wrong.....

because only within a breakup, can you really see his true colors....

then, if he's not narcissistic, terrible, and horrible, you should get back together and marry him.

sound. very sound ;)

image via le love

thankful

i have exactly ONE fan.

her name is bella.

(and no, we're not related) ...

turns out, i made #24 on her list of 50 things she's thankful for....

noticeably above disposal, ironing machine, doritos, and peaches, i might add.

i'm pretty major...

and thankful for her because this totally made my day.

sadly, i am orphaned this thanksgiving.

our rehearsal schedule is so tight, there is no room for flying and unfortunately, my old plans went down the drain along with my relationship.......oooomph.....

but i'm grateful for the separate (but very famous) hosts who are having me for parade brunch & turkey dinner.

also (in no particular order and generally with very random relevance), i'm thankful for....

• dad's health
• a Heavenly Father who listens to me & loves me enough to let me struggle & hurt even when i kick and scream and hate it.
• baby evie and her safe arrival
• the rest of my insanely awesome family
• a new shiny BROADWAY show
• new friends
• old friends
• new york city during the holidays
• a healthy body
• stella tee-tee nani maraschino nuggetron hill
• music
• a gorgeous and perfectly situated apartment
• heartbreak- cause i CERTAINLY know what happy feels like now....
• makeup- cause there's no such thing as natural beauty
• diet coke + crushy ice
• amazing agents both theatrically & commercially. great people. every one.
• my loving doormen & neighbors
• pandora radio
• yoga + the physique workout
• DVR
• book of mormon
• the opportunity to work in the NYC LDS temple
• melatonin & midol.... m&m

and YOU.

thanks for reading & sharing this crazy life of mine....

what are you most thankful for?

welcome to wonderland!

i started rehearsals for wonderland yesterday.... oh man, i'm tired.

we rehearse 6 days/week from 10-6.

once we hit technical rehearsals, our schedule will change to work 10 out of 12 hr days.

yesterday, we met our new family and saw the incredible vision for the show from the set/costume designers then learned a MAJOR number in the show in warp speed....

it was pretty cool and this cast is brilliant AND insanely gorgeous.

today, i learned so many crazy tight harmonies that i'm pretty sure my brain will explode.... if it does, nina can have my prada heels.

the ny times did a cool article about choosing the artwork for the wonderland poster.

read it { here }

i kinda dig the deck of cards artwork...

excited for you to see this show!

purgery

the fabulous miss subsy planned a brilliant purge party.

all of her glamorous girlfriends cleaned out their closets and we made a makeshift boutique in one of our friends insane apartments (if you look up & out that window, you may just see leonardo dicaprio in his apartment and he may just see you in your unmentionables). then we played fashion show and pranced around in our skivvies scoring amazing items our friends had outworn over brunch & mimosas (or stiff orange juice, if you're me...).

cause really, who can part with designer clothes- much better that they have a second life on one of your girlfriends! all of the discarded clothes went to young women's groups, housekeepers, and goodwill.

the shoe rack....

there were some near knock down drag out fights over some killer heels--not to worry, we flipped a coin to prevent serious injury.

tops & sweaters
the 'cessories corner
and.... my loot..... ok, honestly, i walked away with more than i brought (surprise to no one)....

but who can resist brand new corso como boots, steven lux fringy suede heels, never worn moschino heels, sigerson morrison red holiday round toes, vintage grey suede boots, new steve madden flats, and killer prada stiletto....

then the clothes....

honestly, i probably walked away with $10,000 worth of new (to me) clothes.

you should do this... it was so fun.

this is my tee-tee

and while she technically belongs to sussy and bil,

i think she's mine-probably cause i'd whisper at her when she was in the belly and she'd always kick my face.....

her name is evie (eh-vee... like evian) which totally suits her.

she is precious, looks just like a hill baby, and i miss her desperately.

welcome to our wonderful world, sweet evie tee-tee mini!

this month, i smell like this:

and the fellas are digging it.

i go thru perfume phases, you know... and it's hard to find scents i'm not allergic to/aren't obnoxious/overplayed...

i guess i shouldn't tell you my secret, but i love it.

really fresh, really clean, really conditioner-ey smelling & totally cheap!

find it { here }

you've changed.

there is a moment in most failed relationships when the person who knows you better than you know yourself, who you love beyond anything believable looks at you as if you are a stranger....

and not an interesting stranger, like someone you may see on the street for the first time, but a stranger who doesn't care to know you...with eyes full of apathy...

apathy hurts more than anger, doesn't it?

and in that moment, nothing you could do or say could change anything.

you wish you could climb inside his heart and brain and put those little grey's anatomy resuscitating paddles on them and jolt them back to life or shake some sense into him and show him pictures of his happy-in-love face and remind him that you're still you and he's still him and you're really good together...

but he's standing in front of you and he's gone all at the same time....

and your body knows before your brain thinks it.

your heart drops thru your stomach and your skin gets so sensitive you're afraid if he touches you, you may just bruise, or bleed, or crumble.

i've probably been on the giving end of that dynamic but i can't shut off instantaneously.

if i love you, i will always love you-even if i can't keep you.

but men (and some women, sure), have a special ability to switch it off and walk away-tra-la-la... washing their hands of you and already on to the next...

i often wish i could do that too... wouldn't life be so much easier?

i hate that part.

pic via le love

we be singing.

i'm back in nyc &

i'm singing in church this sunday for a special 1 hour meeting designed for our friends who are not of our faith--no worries, no kool-aid...

all are invited- mormon or not...

would love to have your support

(for some reason singing in small settings faREAKS me out-thankfully, i've enlisted my pal, jenna (who is a fancy daily show comedy writer) to sing with me).

please come!

11:30 am

the church of jesus christ of latter day saints

144 west 15th street | 4th floor chapel
ooh and i may be wearing this sassy number from shabby apple....

maybe we all should watch the apprentice tonight (thursday)...

to see me make an absolute fool out of myself...

look for me overacting and hand modeling for team fortitude...

oy....

{ winners } jylare photography

congrats!!

just email jylare@gmail.com to schedule your session

and to the rest of you........

jylare is offering 20% off to mim readers until thanksgiving day!

gobble gobble!

...anybody need christmas card pix??

maybe this worked.....

either way, i've spent the last two days in the hospital with my new favorite nugget....

i'll let sussy tell you the details....when she's ready...

but i am very very excited!

freak accident of 2010 #willthishellishyeareverend?!

now scaredy nugget prefers to be held... cue: circle scarf turned into a puppy bjorn

miss stella was viciously attacked by a dog we know...

in order to save her from the jaws of death, i sacrificed my pinky finger.

lots of blood + deep puncture wounds (both of us),

3 min of a fainting episode (me),

rounds of antibiotics, pain killers, & muscle relaxers later (again, both of us).....

needless to say, stellie is ready to go home to the safe streets of NYC.

found her sleeping in my luggage.....

after all, it wouldn't be a trip to utah without a freak accident { remember the great shower door incident of 2009? }

{ giveaway } jylare photography

jylare is a photographer in orange county, ca who also shoots in utah

who has offered a free session to 2 mim readers- plus you can keep all of your images ($250 value)!

check out her gorgeous images { here } where you can become a follower!

leave a comment telling me what you'd love for her to shoot by MONDAY for a chance to win!

i am in utah for some

fall leaves and 5 points lemon ricotta pancakes + special syrup

dad smudges for me and stellie (she looks like a pelt! but that's her favorite place to be held, strangely..)
mom's big birthday!

homemade bread + peach jam after cruising with mom and her walking buddies...

and...

attempts to induce sussy's labor...

this photo was taken yesterday-her due date- after drinking raspberry leaf tea, suffering thru a physique workout, eating pineapple + spicy foods, galloping around gutters, etc......

i wish that baby would just get here!

i need a diversion!

my happy place

me- makeup free and totally blissed out.

so canyon ranch....

ooh my.

it really is heaven.

turns out, i spent the most glorious 3 days doing nothing but eating amazing food (for zero calories), lounging by the pool/ beach, doing yoga 2x/day, attending rock climbing bootcamps, doing pilates, prancing thru dance classes, receiving the most amazing acupuncture and massage sessions i've ever had, cleansing in their aquavena baths (igloo, swedish sauna, herbal laconium, steam rooms, whirlpool, waterfalls) and sleeping my nights away in my glorious suite.

it was perfect- and i needed it.

my body and spirit felt like a deflated balloon when i arrived and i left feeling robust and vital.

so grateful...

anyway, i have to tell you about my massage:

always up for anything strange/new, i agreed to an ashiatsu massage (i've done everything else, rolfing, you name it..remember my korean massage date?).

ashiatsu is when the practitioner stands on your body and works you out with his feet...

awesome.

i readily agreed assuming the masseuse would be a diminutive woman or man, naturally- i'm a fairly little person 5'3"....

nope.

i got a 6'2" GORGEOUS man to massage me- awesome, right?

wait...

he has to STAND on me...

i got nervous- but not nervous enough to cancel. and let me tell you, when you flip on your back side...holy moly... it's slightly sexual.. and awesome..... i digress...

so he jumps on top of me and starts on my "seat" (as we call it in physique).

immediately, he started laughing.

me: everything ok up there?

him: yeah ... ha ha.... i just have to tell you, i've never had this happen before!

me: had what happen?!

him: well, usually when i stand on somebody's butt, it flattens- just like walking on the floor... your muscles are holding shape (yeah.. i've heard i'm a tight a)...i have to curl my toes around your curves. this is a challenge to me.

me: um.. this is miami- cuban land- i'm pretty sure you've dealt with curves before...

him: i've dealt with curves but you are ROUND! this is a real challenge....

um... thank you physique?

post massage, he went on and on about what a challenge it was to massage someone with so much muscle.. which led me to the obvious conclusion that he's only ever massaged people over 70 yrs old...

but it was amazing. seriously....

my grand plan is to

1. become incredibly rich

2. find a man who is emotionally mature and marry him.

3. before i marry him, take all of the women i love to canyon ranch and do a glorious weekend of bacheloretting pre-wedding.

that is my plan.

if YOU go to canyon ranch, you must see jim for acupuncture, and adolpho for ashiatsu.

both are healers.

namaste*

{ giveaway } the lower lights | winners!

congrats, friends!

email your info to mormoninmanhattan@gmail.com and i'll have it shipped to you!

if you didn't win, you should still get a copy-- it's really amazing.

more info { here }

think we all agree that "come thou fount of every blessing" is a universal fav.... anybody know why it isn't in the hymnbook anymore?

this is my favorite arrangement- ever... but close your eyes, the horrible 80's hair may blind you...

i would have so loved to have heard it live.

my gals and i were discussing awesome break-up lines we've received (no exaggeration) at dinner/therapy (dinerapy?) tonight- enjoy:

1. if you don't marry me, i'm moving to africa to become a nomad.

2. anybody who wears a t-shirt under a sundress does not see the world in the same way.

3. my mom and i decided we should never have been together.

4. i hope you'll be ok without me.

5. people just don't break up with me!

6. it's a real shame we didn't get to bang. (how did i let this poet go!)

7. you're smart, but you're no different from anyone else.

8. i'm looking for someone a little more like my ex-wife... more "east bench." [ the east bench is an area of salt lake city where the money is old and the women are generally conservative ]

9. i hope this gave you confidence. [ in what?! ]

10. i was gonna say that tonight anyway.

11. your religion is retardo!

12. you like watching la boheme, i like watching turkey shooting.

13. it's not you, it's me... actually, it's probably me... but it could be you.

14. get excited! you have so much to look forward to!

ridiculous.

can you add to this list?

these are the people in my neighborhood...

my adorable doorman, ali, is from pakistan.

he took a month off this summer to go back to the motherland and i missed him terribly.

thankfully, he brought back this beautiful dress which is also incredibly comfortable.

he is so dear.

i love him.

how lucky am i?!

*pay no attention to the giant garbage bags of clothes ready to make their way to goodwill---i'm purging.

down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass i go

it's officially official!

i'll be in the ensemble and

covering the queen of hearts in

wonderland

on broadway!

we're tech-ing the show in tampa, florida if you wanna see it before we open at the Marquis theatre.

needless to say, being a part of my 3rd original broadway cast feels incredible and it couldn't have come at a better time.

what a blessing!

remember when i did the second wonderland reading? see { here }

from what i hear, the show has changed a lot.

God is so GOOD!

come see me this spring!

xo n

ladybug nugget

when nugget first donned her ladybug costume, she had a very very bad attitude.

then her NEW boyfriend (who can keep up?!) harrison showed up as superman and she quickly changed her tune.

stellie as a ladybug, harrison as superman, and mim as a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown ;)

mom always said the quickest way to change a girls bad attitude is to bring a boy around ...

turns out, it works for women of all species!

hope you had a happy halloween!

{ giveaway } the lower lights

i really like to listen to inspiring music on sundays.

i love me some gospel but i'm tired of my same old jams,

i've worn out my patti griffin, india.arie, brook fraser, etc collections,

"christian pop" doesn't do it for me,

and sometimes, i'm just not in the mood for my beloved Mo Tab....

you can imagine my joy when i heard the lower lights: a hymn revival.

a collections of hymns- part hootenanny and part vigil... all really amazing.

i'd kill to jam with them. i have big ideas for "lead kindly light."

you can buy your copy { here }

or leave a comment telling me your favorite inspiring song/hymn for a chance to win your very own copy.

i'll pick 3 winners on friday!