Use Your Words.

The Welcoming Committee

The Welcoming Committee

 

When I first moved to Los Angeles, CA in January 2011, I wasn't sure what to expect. The only time I had ever visited the city was the week prior to moving here to find a place to live, and I was very uncertain as to what my new life would be like. I was grateful that a friend from my hometown was vacating her one bedroom in Beverly Hills and I was able to take over her lease on such short notice. Knowing that I had a residence secured, I was anxious to see what my first day on the job in my new city would be like.

Being promoted out of Arizona to Co-General Manage a retail location at The Grove I was eager to establish rapport with my staff and run my store as I had run stores in Boston and Arizona... with enthusiasm that was aspirational and motivating. What I learned about LA on my first night was, in this city, the standard rules "need not apply" to certain residents.  

I was notified minutes into my first shift that we would have a "special shopper" who would need special accommodations and security. Not having been trained in this, I rang the head of security for the center and asked for him to advise me on what I would need to do to ensure the guest had privacy while shopping in my store. We roped off the third floor of the store which is the children's level and I requested my new assistant to pull the most professional, poised and mature members of our staff to assist us with the customer's store experience.

We received the call from his assistant that he and his family had arrived and security of The Grove escorted him and his family through the swarms of paparazzi into our private entrance, up to the third level, where myself and my new staff were waiting to greet them. Being a day old to living and working in LA, I wasn't sure how a celebrity would treat my staff, what the proper greeting was or how to insure they had enough privacy while attending to their needs...so when the elevator opened I had my first real life movie moment of watching the one and only Johnny Depp stroll towards me (in what seemed like slow motion) with two beautiful, eager, excited children leading the way into the store. He had just finished filming one of the Pirates of the Carribean movies and his teeth were capped with gold and black crowns. He grinned warmly exposing his dental work and immediately gave me an open arm hug to express his gratitude like I was a long lost friend.

Half an hour into his precious daughter modeling every article of clothing on the kids level to get our approval, Johnny requested if there was a location "where he may light up a smoke" without being bothered by the papparazzi. I looked at the security guard, who simply said, "only place to go is up." Moments later, I'm standing on the top of The Grove with Johnny Depp as he worked his way through a smoke while repeatedly thanking me for making accommodations for him and his family. The conversation begin with "So Steph, I hear this is your first night in LA, I hope you don't mind that I came to personally welcome you and I hope we haven't been too much trouble." As I'm standing looking out onto the rest of The Grove from the clock tower next to Johnny Depp and security I thought well, I guess this is one way to start my adventure. I responded to Johnny by saying, "You have excellent timing, the day hasn't been a disappointment by any means." After two hours of playing dress up, Johnny's daughter left with armfuls of shopping bags requesting that I employ her when she was of age and gifting hugs to every member of our staff. Johnny followed suit by thanking every staff member with hugs, kisses on the cheek, compliments and countless "Thank you's."

His assistant left us with cash to distribute to each of the staff members who had assisted with the visit and then they disappeared through the back way confusing the papparazzi and maintaining their sense of privacy. On my drive home after a long first night full of excitement, I thought about how rare it was to have the opportunity to spend that sort of intimate time with such a well known celebrity my first night in the City of Angels. I parked, exited my vehicle and began my walk up to the extended stay my company was housing me at.

Worn out, with little to no make up left on my face from the day, hair tied back and "bundled up" to cope with the LA winter, I was not in any form to be seen by anyone I knew. As I walk closer to my building, I see lights, cameras, waredrobe and a crew busily running around the facility. And then there he was, Jay Leno was sitted on the steps to my building and all that came out of my mouth upon locking eyes with him was "Well, what are YOU doing here?" His response was "I just wanted to insure you made it home safe and had a nice night."

As any proud tourist would, that evening I immediately posted my photos with "my new friends" with the caption "It was so nice of Johnny and Jay to welcome me to LA." The next day at church, my parents were approached by our "mutual friends" on Facebook inquiring about my seemingly "close relationship" with Johnny and Jay. You can imagine the confusion on my parents face's as this was the first time they had ever been approached in regards to their daughter's friendship status with A-List celebrities. 

Since this night, I have met, dined and shared venues with more celebrities than I can count for and the "Magic of Hollywood," celebrities and stardom, have lost its glimmer. However, I will always remember that night and laugh at the fact that the people of my parents church thought I had a "Welcoming Committee" of Johnny Depp and Jay Leno, where I am simply an Arizona girl who was running a retail store at The Grove in Los Angeles.   

"Shopper to the Stars,"

OoXx,

Steph.

How to find the right Drug Dealer in Los Angeles.

                                       ...DRUG DEALER?!  

Yeah... I'm actually completely useless in that department. However, something us CAL-EE-FORR-NI-YANS are addicted to is YOGA.

I started practicing yoga when I lived in Venice, CA (shock) at EXHALE but didn't catch the yoga bug to the extreme I have now until I moved to Miracle Mile and started practicing at Moksha Yoga on La Brea. Upon my move to the area, a $40 first month special caught my eye and then ....captured my heart. (awww) 

At the time, I was coming out of my first serious relationship in LA needing to quickly adjust to my new area of town and craving an outlet for anger I was harboring from the failed relationship.

I walked into my first Moksha class, a frail and strunken version of my normal self. After coping with months of stress; grasping onto a relationship that died due to "my inability to handle dating a celebrity," I needed something substantial to get me back to my core self and to a state of happiness.

Rather than drinking my weight in booze to numb the pain, I turned to rebuilding my strength-- emotionally, mentally, and physically. Almost immediately when I laid down in the heated environment, I felt slightly more at peace. Somehow every thing the Yoga Teacher said resonated with me and I realized I had found the next best thing to therapy. Anytime that I felt like I was harboring anger, wanted to soak my pillow in tears or drown myself in wine, I went to yoga. Sometimes two, even three times a day.

I can't express how grateful I am to the family I feel I have at Moksha Yoga. I am a happier, more confident, stronger version of the Steph I was walking into class in September 2012. Moksha practice has not only become my favorite activity but I am focused, centered and have more self respect through my practice and mediation than I have in years.

I highly encourage anyone who is having a difficult time managing stress, conflict and/or depression to attend a Moksha Yoga class. There's only one in LA on La Brea but there's locations all over and worth doing the research. Honestly, any type of yoga encourages daily self practice, promotes core strength and mediatation.

I close with this: "Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment."

Until we meet again, may you achieve inner peace and a great set of buns.

OoXx.

Steph

Let's GET NAKED!

 

As a woman in my late (ugh) twenties, I can say that I'm totally comfortable being naked. Frankly, I'm most comfortable being over-exposed.

With social media being such a large part of our lives, some would say we're over-saturated with information about each other. Frankly, I adore it, #cantstopwontstop and I want to share, learn, laugh and love more with all of you and at myself. Life is too short to do otherwise.

Perhaps "Stephie-TV" (72 hours of home footage of me from womb to 6th grade) is to blame or the fact that I'm a shamelessly extroverted only child. (Go ahead and "booo", I find myself obnoxious at times too.) 

      

 

I'm not an actor, a reality star or any sort of celebrity... although I've dated all three. Feel free to add con-artists; male models and trust-fund babies to my list of specialities. And I wonder how on EARTH I haven't found the right guy.   

I'm a girl who was raised in Tucson, AZ; went to University in Fort Worth, Texas (GO FROGS!!); followed a boy to Boston; launched my career in Mesa/Tempe/Scottsdale; finally landing in LA. I like to be candid with my feelings and experiences. We're all in this world together and even though we are considered "over exposed" I think finding people who are honest and real with themselves and others is a rarity.

Sooooo Welcome to My Blog!!

I hope you are able to get a little something out of my past and present experiences with dating (let the horror stories begin), the comedy in my encounters or generally how completely ridiculous I am and find it relateable.

I'm sorry, there won't be any recipes for organic ketchup or glamourous photos of my perfect children and dashing husband on swings... and I promise to have less images of me in photo booths.

Until we meet again,

OoXx,

Big Hug, Little Hug, Big Kiss, Little Kiss.

Steph.