Miracle on 34th Street

Hi Everyone! So BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! First of all, Christmas music is playing 24/7 on the radio, which makes a happy Jackie! Secondly, and the reason for this post: Miracle on 34th Street (the ORIGINAL, black and white version) is on Netflix Watch Instantly! I watched it last night. Such a great movie. I wanted to share my two favorite scenes. The first one I talked about in a previous post. Its the one where the little dutch girl comes to see Kris and he talks to her in Dutch. It is just the sweetest and makes me tear up. The second scene is in the courtroom when the prosecuting attorney's son is brought to the stand to defend Kris and says, "You wouldn't lie to me, would you Daddy?" Hahaha. Hilarious. Gets me everytime! Unfortunately, I could only find the first clip on youtube. Major bummer, but that gives you another reason to watch to the movie on Netflix or whenever it airs on tv this holiday season!
-Jackie O.

An Upper West Side Sunday :)

Happy Thanksgiving Week Everyone! I am thankful that today I get to spend my entire day in the Upper West Side. Its my favorite neighborhood and I love to be there as much as possible! Thank goodness I work there! So here is the reasons why today is being dubbed my Upper West Side Sunday:

1. Black and White Cookies and Starbucks Cookies- So New York, I can't even handle it.

2. Work in the West 70s- My favorite area of the UWS. So grateful because I love my job and I love the neighborhood.

3. Shopping at a Book Fair in the West 80s- My roommate told me about this book fair and I am so excited to check it out! I love the movie You've Got Mail and I feel like that book fair is something Kathleen Kelly would totally check out. I will let you know how it is! I will be there in about 3 hours!

4. A jazz music mass in the West 100s- Since I'm going to the book fair, I wouldn't make it to my usual mass down the village, so I made a compromise! I'm very excited about it actually. I'm going to a mass with jazz music! It should be very cool and the perfect way to end the church year! Next Sunday is Advent! Ahh I love it!

What do I think of this day? First of all, its amazing and second of all, its so New York. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!
-Jackie O.

PS: Hope you all have a ton of turkey and stuffing! Enjoy the amazing food!

PPS: Here is my youtube video for this post. Its a beautiful montage of New York City. Just watch it. Its amazing. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the book fair closed at 5 and I got out of work at 5, so it was a no-go. I was bummed to miss it. BUT, I decided to walk uptown and see where the wind took me because I had about 45 minutes to kill before mass. I passed by a Hale and Hearty..and they had my favorite soup, CURRIED CHICKEN CHOWDER. And that my friends, was why I wasn't meant to go to the book fair. It was delicious. Mass was wonderful too! The priest was fantastic and the music spectacular!

Gratitude List :)

Today I was sitting on the train, and I was inspired to write a gratitude list. My grandmother and I used to write daily gratitude lists and it was always so nice to reflect on the blessings in my life. So without further ado, here is my gratitude list for November 1o, 2011!

I AM GRATEFUL FOR:
1. My wonderful boyfriend, who I started dating exactly a year ago. :)
2. My supportive family, who have been so supportive of my dreams
3. My hilarious roommates, who have always been there to make me laugh and chat
4. My friends, who have given me so much joy
5. New York City, my home and the most magical place in the world!
6. The fact that I get to work in my favorite neighborhoods in the city!
7. The funny things that I hear on a daily basis
8. My FREE and amazing gym classes! (ask me about them!)
9. Being able to listen to music on youtube and pandora for FREE
10. The amazing acting opportunities that I have been lucky enough to enjoy
11. Being able to watch all of my favorite tv shows for FREE on the internet
12. The way the leaves fall in the city...so pretty and peaceful
13. The beauty in Central Park
14. The Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center-delivered TOMORROW!!
15. Christmas in NYC...just breathtaking.
16. Learning how to make my own cup of coffee. I'm an adult now!
17. Trader Joes...my favorite place. No joke. Its awesome.
18. Finding out an amazing Thai food place delivers in my neighborhood!
19. Nutella being on sale at Duane Reade...its the little things.
20. Anything pumpkin :)

-Those are just 20 things that I am grateful for and the list could easily go on, but I won't bore you. :)

-Jackie O.

PS: Today's Youtube clip is one of my current obsessions: Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. Its such a perfect song. So romantic.

A Fun To-Do List

So, I live in New York City. Its the most wonderful place in the world filled with amazing museums, parks, restaurants, cafes, theatre, art, music, dance and the occasional surprise. I have been living here for 3 years and I still haven't even scratched the surface of things to do. One of my favorite movies, and recent obsession, is You've Got Mail. One of my favorite things about that movie is how they make New York City seem almost like a small town. Yes, its a HUGE city with millions of people, and yet everyone manages to have their own "places." For instance, I'm sure the people at the Barnes and Noble near my work recognize me since I go in almost everyday to browse the latest gossip magazines. I always shop at the Upper West Side Trader Joes and I recognize some of the employees. I could go on, but the point is, that even though New York can be very impersonal, in some ways, it is one of the most personal and romantic places. You can easily run into old friends or spot some beautiful moment between a parent and a child or a pair of lovers. You also have your own "places." I love that about this city. Now, with that said, I have a bunch of places that I need to go and explore. So without further ado, here is my list of New York City Places:

1. The Brooklyn Bridge

2. Grimaldi's pizza (after I walk across the bridge)

3. Tea Lounge in Park Slope (totally happening this weekend, I've decided)

4. Metropolitan Museum of Art (I can't get enough...still so much more to see)

5. Museum of Natural History

6. Metropolitan Opera (I've been to Broadway and the NYC Ballet...must conquer Opera!)

7. Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building

8. A NYC sporting event (shocking I know)

I know that there is more that I need to add, but I'll leave it at that. I also need to find my pizza place in my neighborhood...so pizza gods, I am putting that in your hands. :) I love New York.

-Jackie O.

PS: This post's youtube video is courtesy of the movie You've Got Mail. God I love that movie. Hahaha. Such a perfect movie. You must watch it!!!

A White....Halloween?

Hello Dear Readers,
I'M BAAAACCCKKK!!! After reading my friend Olivia's HILARIOUS blog, I have been inspired to write again. Yay! It has been way too long and its nice to do this again.
So, first of all, Happy Halloweeen! The craziest thing about this Halloween? It SNOWED on Saturday. In fact, this was so crazy, that it felt like December, and I was compelled to watch Miracle on 34th Street on Netflix. I know, I know, its terrible, but the snow was so inspiring! Also, it is no secret that the holiday season is my absolute favorite time of the year. That movie got me even more excited! But its done, and I am back in the Halloween spirit! And now...I hereby pledge to not listen to any Christmas music or watch any holiday movies until Thanksgiving! The minute Santa passes by Macy's in Herald Square during the parade is when I am allowed to listen and watch all I want. Done and done.
Ok...one more Christmas thing. I know, I lied, but this is really cute! I would just like to say that the greatest moment in Miracle on 34th Street is when Santa talks to the little Dutch girl. Abhhh! Its so cute and makes me tear up. Ok, now I'm done. Back to pumpkins and Halloween.
Today is October 31st, so the famous Greenwich Village Halloween parade is tonight! I'm so excited! I have been to it for the past two years. The first year, it was pouring rain and miserable, but still a cool experience. Last year, Halloween fell on a Sunday, so after mass at my church, we had a rooftop party and watched the parade from up there! Yes, its true, my church sits directly on the parade route. Its pretty amazing and we throw a kickass party! Be jealous! This year, we are doing the same thing!!! I'm pumped! Its also a costume party, which will be fun. My boyfriend and I are dressing up as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story! We are ready to win this costume contest! Bring it on!
In true JUST JACKIE fashion, I will leave you with a youtube video. I know, you are probably thinking, "Geez, she better not post that Miracle on 34th Street clip with the Dutch girl! Its too early for that!" Well, to be honest, I thought about it, but no. Instead, I am going to leave you with one of the greatest moments in Halloween movie history! The famous "flames on the side of my face" moment from Clue! The best part about this clip is the faces of the other actors. You can tell that she totally forgot her lines and everyone else is like "what are you doing?" Haha! I love it! Enjoy and Happy Halloween!!!

-Jackie O.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92IkddsjtAA

Seeing the Sites

Hello My Dear Readers,

I told you I wouldn't let you down!! I'm writing another entry and its only been a little over a week since my last entry! Hooray! I'm being consistent...this is good. Let's keep it up? Yes, blog, I will.

I am writing from a hotel in beautiful California. It was rainy today, but we have had beautiful weather here since we arrived last Thursday. One of my tour mates said it best: "California reminds me of what Europe must look like." I must say that I agree. We have been driving throughout this massive state and it seems to be true. It is just beautiful.

This touring experience has just been incredible. I have gotten to see so many wonderful sites. I have also gotten to see some family! Last Thursday, when we arrived in California, we were in Los Angeles and my new extended family lives there! I am the last one in my immediate family to visit LA, so it was a really exciting visit. I finally got to see all of the places that my family members had told me about and it was wonderful! I had so much fun! What was the best part? Well......I GOT TO STAND ON THE RED CARPET AT THE OSCARS!!!!!!!!!!!! When I got into town, my sister-in-law's mother took me to Hollywood to see the Kodak Theatre, which was being prepped for the Oscars. The red carpet was set up, but it was covered in plastic. I still got to walk on it and it was thrilling! There are plenty of pictures and videos too! I had so much fun! I am so blessed! We had three shows in the LA area and I had someone there to support me at every show. I am so grateful! What a gift!

I have one more month of being on the road. In the beginning of April, we return to NYC and then just perform locally, give or take a few nights away. I must say, I am very excited to get back home. I miss the city. Still, I am very excited to see what else this adventure has in store for me. On Saturday, we leave CA and head to Las Vegas!!! I can't wait to see all the hotels! I'm also looking forward to Utah and Wyoming. By the end of this tour, I will have been to 31 states! I am on my way to achieving my goal of visiting all 50 states! I can do this!! Yay!!

Thanks for reading! I will be back soon!!!

-Jackie O.

PS: I promised you a picture from my visit to the Four Corners. It was a surreal experience. I was so excited to be there! Here is the money shot! I'm hoping it will end up in a social studies textbook one day so that someone can be as inspired as I was! Start the campaigning, people!

HELLO FROM TOUR

Hello My Dear Readers,

Greetings from New Mexico! I'm so sorry that it has been so long since my last entry. I really need to do a better job of updating. I keep saying to myself that I am not a great writer. I'm sure that this would change with practice. What better way to practice then on here? So I promise from this moment on, I will update more. That's a promise!

So here is an update on what I have been up to: I'm on tour! I am playing Mrs. Rachel Lynde in a touring production of Anne of Green Gables. It is with the same company that I worked for last year. I started this blog on that tour! Things have certainly come full-circle! This year's tour is great because we are going all over the country. I have never been to most of these states, so I am very excited. It has always been a goal of mine to go to all 50 states. With this tour, I am that much closer to my goal!

I am really looking forward to tomorrow because.......I am going to the Four Corners!!! Let me explain why this is a big deal for me. When I was in the third grade, in our social studies book there was a picture of a kid laying down at the Four Corners with each of his limbs in a different state. I thought that that was the coolest thing ever and I have always wanted to do that. Well, I am finally going to get the opportunity to go and I couldn't be more excited!! This is a life-long dream of mine!! I am going to e-mail my teacher the picture! I will be sure to post it on my next entry!

The show is also going really well. Anne of Green Gables is such a beautiful story and I am enjoying telling it everyday. We have been performing in some beautiful theatres and the audiences have been incredible! The cast is wonderful as well and we are having a blast seeing the country together! We bought authentic Texas cowboy boots in Terrell, TX and got to go to the Center of the Universe in Tulsa, OK and Harry Potter World in Orlando, FL. We also went to the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX. That was a really neat experience! You all need to go to these places!

In honor of my special experience tomorrow at the Four Corners, I am posting a youtube video of this incredible place!! Enjoy!!!!

-Jackie