Ferndale is absolutely beautiful. When I say it’s a “vintage” town, we’re talking late 1800’s. There are rows of little Victorian style homes with elaborate trim, spires, multiple chimneys, and a whole array of colors. In short, one rather feels like one has stepped out of The US of A and dropped into an idealistic European fairytale town.

First we stayed at The Victorian Inn, which, besides Hotel Ivanhoe, is the only hotel in the town. Our room was decorated with antiques, hand crocheted doilies, and Victorian era decor and photos. The adjacent eatery, VI Restaurant (where I performed an impromptu concert), serves the most amazing pizza on Tuesdays, and sundry other sublime delectable every other day of the week.

Next we stayed at Shaw House, which is a quaint little B&B set in the founder of Ferndale’s original home. The owners, Paula and her tom-kitty Teddy, were excellent hosts. Our bedroom opened up onto a second story balcony decked with vines and tree boughs. Every morning we woke up to the smell of the sea, the sound of songbirds, and fresh pastries and tea in the ornate dining room downstairs.

And when I say “ornate” I mean ORNATE! Here are some photos of the house and surrounding gardens:

We also hiked through The Redwood Forest, along The Lost Coast, and took a gander at an lovely local beach not five minutes from Ferndale.



Above: A local beach near The Lost Coast. It was nippy & windy!



That tiny person is me ... and that giant tree is likely hundreds, if not thousands of years old.



Jason peering through a hollow trunk.

We also met up with my Aunt Linda and her boyfriend Steve, who took us on a tour of San Francisco. We got to see The Botanical Gardens, we ate at hole-in-the-wall restaurants (including Burmese, Russian, and Italian), saw The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Robin William’s house, John Lennon’s house, and The Painted Ladies.



The Golden Gate Bridge stands like a ghost in the fog that so often sweeps into the bay.



My Aunt Linda, Cricket and I at The Botanical Gardens.



Jason at The Botanical Gardens.

I’ve got to say, San Francisco seems like an artist’s dream-city. Nearly every building is an architectural work of ark, there’s live music everywhere (even impromptu performances in the parks and along the streets), and enough galleries, museums, studios, and festivals to keep one busy for a lifetime.



The Painted Ladies. See the little vintage white bug? That's my Aunt Linda's car!



George Harrison's house ... or one of them anyway. The gate was really unusual!



Jason, Aunt Linda and Cricket at The Botanical Gardens.



Me and Jason at a little diner in Ferndale, California.

Last Sunday we had our first rehearsal.  My sister Kaitlin Grassman (of Penny Electric Studios who is producing the video) and Elisa Haaland taught everyone 1920’s – 40’s dance moves, including The Charleston. 

Tuesday we shot the “Wood Fairy” scene in the woods behind Spring Cypress Church in Spring, Texas.  We got all our beautiful little girls decked out in flowy white dresses (except one girl who was wearing in a lovely slate bubble dress to match another dress I wear in another scene).  They danced in the woods with me as the sun went down through the trees.  It was QUITE magical. Very haunting (o:

Wednesday we had another rehearsal.  We had all our rehearsals over at Spring Fitness Gym off FM 2920, who sponsored the video by letting us use their beautiful big aerobics room for dance practice.  Their support was invaluable! I have no idea how we’d have gotten all those dance moves down (or had so much fun) without that mighty big room, great floor, and wall to wall mirrors. It was awesome!

Thursday we shot The Jazz Band.  Jonathan Castillo did an uncannily realistic performance on a plywood saxophone, and a hysterical performance on a fake drum set (which was in fact a painted cardboard box).  Jason played a GIANT bass guitar … the thing must be 7 feet tall … and he was a total nut! You’ll die laughing when you see it!  Homer Martinez and Raul Aguilar were our horn duo.  And before you ask … no, there are no horns in The Haunting. However, visually it just made sense somehow, and it’s going to look absolutely perfect. Homer and Raul did an amazing job!  It was too much fun (o:

And Friday … Friday was the BIG shoot and we had A BLAST!!!  I’m totally exhausted. Vintage dancing is quite demanding!  LOL.  I’d like to especially thank Kelly Harwick of Vamp Vintage Wear for sponsoring us by doing makeup and hair and bringing some to-die-for costumes (including Jason’s amazing shoes!).  Ms. Hardwick did a fabulous job, and was extremely professional.  I felt like such a diva!  I’d also like to thank Darla Guyton of Guyton Photography who sponsored us by capturing some incredible behind-the-scenes photos and even … a video clip!!  Enjoy:

See all the photos in higher quality at Guyton Photography's Facebook Page.

The beautiful venue is the elegant and very vintage Prohibition speakeasy inspired cocktail bar in the Houston Galleria off Westheimer by Saks Fifth Avenue.  Thanks Lain, Anh, Dennis, Shay, Justin, Jon, Thian, and everyone at Prohibition for your continued support of my music and this video project.  Y’all are amazing!

To all the cast and crew – Thank you so very, very much!  I’ll post the full list of credits soon! (o:

Love,

Jennifer

RIGHT: Prohibition bartender, Justin.

So no.  It’s not your average bar where strange men who’ve had about 8 too many Bud Lights request Black Sabbath songs and then challenge your husband to a duel so they can take you home with them (yes … that actually happened to me once in a hotel bar … LOL ... thankfully Jason wasn't actually there and the guy's wife intervened and made him leave me alone!). 

But seriously.  Prohibition is very classy, relaxing, elegant, and artsy.  Everyone there was really kind, considerate, and truly enjoying the vintage ambiance and flavorful artistry of the drinks.  It was such a cool experience being there, and performing.

And I have to tell you:  You’ve never had a cocktail until you’ve had one at Prohibition!

They use all organic fruit, fresh squeeze their own juices, and hand-make all their own flavorings.  There are no prefab syrups, or drink concoctions you’d be able to duplicate yourself at home.  Each drink is quite literally a work of art with a very involved recipe (and history) behind it. 

A few of the fruits and herbs I was able to identify at the bar were mint, rosemary, thyme, bananas, tomatoes, cherries, pears, pineapple, pomegranate, and various citrus. There were also a number of mysterious edibles that looked quite exotic.  And of course, CHOCOLATE!!!

The cocktail I got to try was the “Prohibited Mule.”  I only had the one, since it’s rather hard to sing and play piano on too many cocktails (o:  The Prohibited Mule has a zesty white wine zip, with a light pear flavor, and something rather fresh and herbal about it.  Instead of leaving me feeling like I’d been baked (like other place's cocktails have), I actually felt refreshed after drinking it.  And there was a cherry tomato perched on the edge of the glass!  It was shockingly delicious.

Everything in Prohibition, from the drinks to the décor, is inspired by 1930’s era speakeasies, fashion, art, and culture.  With a modern twist!  There’s art deco paintings, 1920’s – 40’s photography lining the walls, Steampunk lamps, really unusual and vintage looking furniture, and gorgeous wood floors that give the place absolutely stunning acoustics (perfect for live music!).

Anyway, I shall be playing at Prohibition again very soon.  Keep an eye out on the “Tour” page for gig dates, and subscribe to my email list for monthly updates.  I’ll be making a BIG announcement soon (o:

Love,

Jennifer

In the afternoon, I drove to the new Prohibition Bar, located in The Galleria, which is a brand new luxury bar modeled after a 1930’s speak easy.  They have a beautiful Kawai grand piano, prohibition era photography, vintage decor, and approximately 36 exotic cocktails, many of which sound like something a posh Agatha Christie character might have enjoyed.

As you probably already know, the 1930's is my favorite era ... I love the fashion, the culture, and I find the history to be facinating.  I usually dress 1930's style for my concerts anyway, but for this audition, I made a particular effort (mostly with the hairstyle ... Women in the 1930's had exceptional updos! ... This style was really hard to finagle, but I think it came off 1930's-esk ...).

The audition went great (I played As Time Goes By, The Haunting, Avuncular, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and The Mad Mad March Hare Acoustic Exposition).

Thursday, July 7, 10PM, will be my debut performance!  I’ll be the chanteuse behind the grand piano while you enjoy Prohibition’s vast selection of vintage styled “cocktails with a modern twist, made with the freshest organic ingredients and top shelf liquors created by a renowned mixologist, Nick Tether from London,” and artistic 1930’s atmosphere.

Here are some photos courtesy of The Houston Press:

Photos by Adrienne Byard of The Houston Press.

Your CD cases melt to the seat of your car and the pens in your dash explode.

RIGHT: My Streams of Passion CD case melted in my car last week.

• You light your scented candle and the first aroma that hits you is the smell of burning pet hair.  Yep. They’re shedding that seriously. And it’s everywhere. Even in your candles.
  

• You’re washing your hands and mistakenly think you’ve turned on the hot tap … but no … that’s the cold tap.  In fact, the water in your pipes is so warm, that you can’t leave the toilet lid down, or it will start raining inside the bowl and get water all over the seat and floor.
  

• Not even birds will hop on the asphalt … which is gummy … because the tar is liquefying in the heat.
  

• Your potted cactus shrivels and dies.
  

• You see mirages of large pools of water in the street after being outside for less than 5 minutes.
  

• You suddenly develop and affinity for cold coffee in the morning.
  

• You get in the habit of going outside and opening all the car doors 10 minutes before you drive anywhere.
  

• The digital billboards along the freeway scroll the words “Extreme Wild Fire Hazard” and the local news anchors keep nagging you to drink more and more water.
  

• The cow pond across the street looks like a dry gorge.
  

• The kids down the street play “Sprinkler Basket Ball” in their driveway. Directions: 1) Put on your bathing suit, 2) Set up your hoop, 3) Turn on the sprinkler, 4) Enjoy!

Mr. Bingley (my booking agent - pictured right) recently received the following felicitations via email.  I am so excited for Mr. Bingley, and I want to congratulate him on all his professional achievements. Working alongside him has been so fruitful and enjoyable, and I am honored to call him my colleague and friend.

You have been selected for inclusion in the upcoming 2011 Edition of Strathmore's Who's Who for Executives and Professionals, which is scheduled for publication in mid-late 2011.

Despite our efforts to contact you, we have still not received your contact information.

Strathmore's Who's Who, publisher of over 350,000 biographies, continues to uphold its reputation as the world's foremost source for biographical reference, with an unmatched dedication to accurate biographical reporting …

You have been selected based on your current professional standing …

I congratulate you on the achievements that have brought your name to the attention of our editorial committee. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

J.M. Blakely

Vice President, Research Division

View Mr. Bingley's professional profile on the Contact page.

Amidst all this newness, I’ve also been having some aberrant health issues.  I’ve been experiencing pain in my joints (knees, angles, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists …).  This has been going on for … well, since late last year … but recently it’s gotten much worse.  I was originally assuming it was from a new exercise routine, but as time went on, and the pain got more severe, it began waking me up 3-5 times at night and keeping me from doing normal life activities which I used to be able to do in a snap.  I’m scared to squat down too far, or walk up or down stairs, because my knees literally feel like they’re going to pop and give out.

In addition, I’ve developed this weird dip in my right thigh muscle.  I first noticed it a couple months ago just by feeling it with my hand.  Now it’s much bigger … about 3 cm deep and the size of my fist.

So, I went to the doctor.  It turns out that the dip in my thigh is due to muscular atrophy (muscles shrinking due to lack of use), which (considering the fact that I’m a very active 26 year old) is most likely due to some kind of nerve damage.  The nerve damage could be caused by an injury (like that concussion I got by banging my head on a hotel lamp during my Florida tour late last year), or it could be an early-onset symptom of an auto-immune disorder, like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Multiple Sclerosis (MS),etc..

Of course, nobody likes to consider the possibility that they may have a debilitating illness for the rest of their lives.  I’m hoping I’ve still got a good 50+ years on me, so the idea of spending half a century taking expensive medical treatments and being physically constrained by disease, does NOT sound appealing.

Some people have tried to comfort me by saying, “Don’t worry! Auto-immune disorders are very manageable and will hardly affect your lifestyle at all.”  Thanks, but … well ...  My mom has RA, and sometimes her episodes are so painful she can’t move or barely breath.  My friend Aimee has MS, and I’ve seen how scary and painful her suffering has been.  So, I don’t think auto-immune disorders are a piece of cake.  They are, in fact, quite horrid and potentially debilitating.  I sincerely pity anyone who has one, and I am terrified by the thought that I might have early onset symptoms.

The doctor ran tons of lab tests (they took an outlandish quantity of blood … Thankfully the nurse at Herman Memorial Hospital was the best EVER though. I barely felt a prick, and she gave me cheese, crackers, and apple juice to ward off the woozies), and they took about 10 x-rays of my joints.  I’m going back on Monday to find out my results.  Hopefully, it’s just nerve damage from that stupid Floridian lamp.

Your thoughts, prayers, and hopes are extremely appreciated.  I can’t help feeling anxious and discouraged.  I’ve had so many nice phone calls, emails, and comments on Facebook.  I’ll update you ASAP whenever I know anything conclusive.

Thanks again for all your love and support.

Jennifer

PS: Tomorrow we record vocal harmonies. YAY!!!!

PPS: Yeah, I know the pics of the kitties are totally random and unrelated ... but they make me so happy (o: