Blog

10/1/11

Greetings from Santa Barbara! I'm on a mini-vacation here to attend my beautiful cousin's wedding reception, so I finally have an hour to spare to catch up on my blogging. Here's a quick post before my next big one. Lately, I've been incredibly busy with college applications, events, modeling, and of course school. I honestly can not believe I am a senior! It feels just like yesterday when I had my first day of high school. The other day I found some old pictures from freshmen year homecoming on my dresser . It's amazing how many things have changed. First of all, I'm no longer a twig like I was back then, and now I'm pretty much obsessed with country music, but the biggest difference has been all of the opportunities I've had throughout high school. Who knew that I'd be on TV, keynote speaking across the country, and working with some of the most influential people in the world? I'm so blessed and humbled for these amazing experiences. It's exciting, overwhelming, and even a little sad to know that I am almost done with it all and will soon be embarking on a new path as an adult.

Since I probably won't be able to blog for another couple weeks, I'd like to start off this blog post with a huge thank you to http://www.pageantdesigns.com/ and http://dimitradesigns.net/dressprom for the amazing article they wrote about me. "Alissa Anderegg: Pageant Winner, Volunteer and Outstanding Role Model for Young Girls" is also posted here on my press page. Be sure to check out more of their blog posts for everything having to do with glamour and pageants! Dimitra Designs' DressProm.Net has so many amazing dresses for prom, pageants, and homecoming. It's a pageant girl's dream! Here's my favorite pick for a homecoming dress, this gorgeous black, one-shouldered Tony Bowls dress. The feathered skirt is fun and flirty, and the detailing on the shoulder strap would make any girl shine on the big night! 


PageantDesigns.com has some gorgeous gowns by some of my favorite designers including Tony Bowls, Sherri Hill, and Mac Duggal. I had the privilege of meeting with Mac Duggal when I was in Las Vegas for Miss America, and he is probably the most talented gown designer I've met. Everything was even more stunning in person than in the photos. So if you're looking for a dress and accesories for that special occasion or want to read up on the latest glamour advice, visit Dimitri Designs' great websites! 


Things to come in the next blog (coming soon! I promise!):
-info on my new benefit concert
-pictures from the B.P. Nordstrom photo shoot (you can find the pics here)
-event updates (Hillsborough Concours D'Elegance, San Francisco Fashion Week, American Legion 80th Anniversary Banquet, Peer Link Crew Freshmen Orientation, San Francisco Walk to End Alzheimer's)
-shooting for Young Icons
-new videos about my Alzheimer's advocacy 
-guest blogging for Leeza Gibbons' Leeza's Place blog

8/4/11

Only a few weeks of summer left which means my senior year is about to start!  My high school journey has flown by, and I am eager and excited to get started with the rest of my life (especially college). I just got back from visiting my Miss America sister titleholder, Miss San Francisco Crystal Lee, at Stanford University where she's an incoming junior. I had an incredible time hanging out with her Stanford friends, road-tripping to Santa Cruz, exploring the campus, going to Ike's Place where I had the tastiest sandwich EVER, and sleeping over in the dorms.  Visiting the various colleges has made me so inspired to learn and apply myself even more. I can't wait until 2012!

Abigail Dreary, the world premiere play I'm in at Boxcar Theatre in San San Francisco, is ending tomorrow! It'll be so weird not going on BART everyday into the city for rehearsals and performances. I've had a great time and wish the rest of the cast luck in their future endeavors. Hopefully I'll be able to work with some of them again before I leave for college. Check out the awesome review from the San Francisco Examiner on my press page. On closing night, my parents, Miss San Francisco family, and my second family the Striblings (recognize Kara? *hint: "Bad news, George...") are all coming to watch. I'm so excited! Today we are filming a promo video for the next company that performs the show, so I'll be sure to post that in my media once I get a copy. Speaking of videos, be sure to watch the webisode I filmed a few months ago called Assassins now on on my media page. I play a cranky sorority girl, and it filmed at my house in Southern California! 

            scene from Abigail Dreary: by Peter Liu

 filming Assassins

I've also been busy with appearances as Miss Golden Gate's Outstanding Teen. In July I attended the Capture the Dream fundraiser with my sister titleholders.  We helped out with the raffle and mingled with the various volunteers involved with the organization. The organization is wonderful. It's motto is "Fostering hope, love, and support to capture dreams." Watching a video montage of all the dreams the volunteers have helped come true was inspirational. They have several programs to help children, and I highly encourage you to visit the website for more information. 

                                         What a great team we make!    

The day after, we had the privilege of attending "I Dream of Barbara Eden" event in the Castro. I had a blast! My dad had always been a fan of I Dream of Jeannie, and I was thrilled for the opportunity to meet its star. After dinner, us girls did a television interview and took press photos. Then Ms. Eden's car arrived, and we greeted her when she came out. Did you know that she is a former Miss San Francisco? We stayed for the show which celebrated Ms. Eden's career, watched her on-stage interview, then presented her with a proclamation from the mayor. She is still as gorgeous as she was during her TV show and so gracious. What a treat!

                                           on stage with Barbara Eden

                                             with the giant genie lamp

A week later, I was informed that I am one of thirteen finalists for a $10,000 college scholarship from Nordstrom. The scholarship is based on leadership, community service, and extra-curricular activities. Apparently around 450 high school juniors applied in my region so to be one of the few chosen is such an honor. Because of the current economy and my parents' professions I really need the scholarship, so wish me luck! I have my interview in a couple weeks at Nordstrom in San Francisco. Let's hope I nail it!

This week, I will be extremely busy. On Monday I'm filming an episode of a nationally- syndicated television show about my involvement in Alzheimer's awareness. When I started my advocacy I never thought I would have all these incredible opportunities to spread my message. From working with Maria Shriver to appearing in television documentaries and radio programs to contributing an essay to a book to speaking at events across the country; every opportunity has been phenomenal, and I am truly blessed. On Wednesday I have a photo shoot then I will be conducting freshman tours of my school the next couple days. Here's to a fabulous last bit of summer!

6/30/11

This past month has been one of enjoyment, stress, disappointment, and excitement and has clearly been very busy. I finally finished the school year, and though I'm not exactly thrilled with my Semester 2 grades, I still ended up with a 4.3 GPA. Shortly before the year was over, I was accepted for my third year into my school's Peer Link Crew where I will be acting as a mentor to about ten students in the incoming freshman class, giving tours of the school, and promoting an ideal campus environment. Last week I got my SAT Subject Test scores back, and although I did not receive a perfect score (How cool would that be!), I am still pleased with the results. Summer is already flying by so quickly! I really should be starting my summer homework for my AP courses and getting ready for my college applications (click here and scroll past my acting resume to view my COLLEGE ADMISSIONS RESUME). YAY SENIORS 2012!!

                                        My Link Crew partner from 2010

This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to appear in the famed San Francisco Pride Parade. I had a blast! Over 300,000 people attended the event. I rode on the Family Builders float supporting gay adoption with Miss Golden Gate, Holly Heiserman, and Miss San Francisco's Outstanding Teen, Jasmine Lee. You can watch the parade at http://sfpridelive.com/pages/how-to-watch.html. I'm in hour 2 after the float with the Golden Gate bridge. I was also shown on TV! SO cool! 

                                                in the official webcast!

                             with my favorites on the float before the parade

Earlier this month, I was privileged to be filmed for a new MTV special called "Pretty Amazing" which follows five girls who have been recognized by Seventeen Magazine as amazing in their unique ways. One of the five will be on the cover of the magazine later this year. A very talented film maker and philanthropist from my school, Lauren Lindberg, was selected as one of the five out of 30,000 applicants. I joined members of her club, Fashion 4 a Cause, in modeling in a fashion show for teen suicide prevention which will be aired in the MTV segment in August. Please vote for Lauren! Also check out a picture from a concept shoot I modeled for called "Disney Unexpected" for J. Lovely Photography!

                                     modeling at The Savvy Shopaholic 

       Tinkerbell!

A new play I'm part of, Abigail Dreary, opens in just two weeks! I play the title role, a psychotic teenager who is found to be a.....well, you'll just have to come to the show to see the ending ;). The show is fun, frightening, and has a phenomenal cast. Here's the synopsis:

The Weylis family has just moved from the big city of Dennison to the small town of Canyon Ridge with the hope of starting a new life. Though Nicholas, the youngest son is nursing a broken heart, he finds himself strangely attracted to a young woman named Abbey. Abbey is the kind of girl who gets what she wants and what she wants is Nicholas. Soon Nicholas and his twin sister Nancy discover that they must get to the bottom of a troubling mystery about who and what Abbey is. Only with the help of their friends, Adam and Monica and an unlikely source do they have any hope of saving Nicholas' life from the clutches of ABIGAIL DREARY!

                                                    the official poster

These past few months, I have been vigorously training for the Miss California's Outstanding Teen pageant, the "little sister" to the Miss America scholarship program. I worked hard perfecting my talent (I sang the classic "Happy Days Are Here Again"), working out at my gym for the fitness competition, studying up on current events and issues  (of which, sadly, there were none) for interview, getting my lovely gown fitted for the evening gown competition (for which I won a preliminary award!) and most importantly, preparing mentally for the exhausting week in Fresno. At the end of the week, I ended up winning Overall Academic Achievement, Preliminary Evening Gown and Onstage Question, and was first runner-up to Miss California's Outstanding Teen 2011. I'm not going to lie, being first runner-up for the third time (2008, 2010, & now 2011) was devastating when I have worked four years for the honor of representing California. Even though I didn't win the title,  I truly believe that I have matured so much these past few years. Whether this was because of my involvement in the Miss America Organization or just from getting older, I'll never know.  I do know, though, that I embody the four points of the crown: Scholarship, Service, Success, and Style, and I don't need a crown on my head to know in my heart that I would have been an awesome Miss California's Outstanding Teen. I would have worked so hard to bring the organization to a new level, especially in the national media by connecting it with the media coverage I get from my work with Alzheimer's awareness. But it is comforting to close this chapter in my life knowing I did my best to accomplish that ultimate goal. I have no regrets. I encourage you to visit my college resume I mentioned above to view all the opportunities I have been so blessed to have over the last few years during my quest to become Miss California's Outstanding Teen (especially those involving Alzheimer's Awareness, my platform for MAOT). A big shout-out and thank you to my Executive Director, Steve Takemura, my sister titleholders (Jasmine, Holly, and Crystal), the Miss San Francisco sponsors (especially Ahn Sushi  who provided us with a phenomenal dinner at our send-off party and Cassandra Caron of Crowns for Causes for help with my beautiful evening gown) and volunteers, Mommy Penny who captured the week's memories, my past committees and Executive Directors, the Miss California volunteers, my ad page sponsors, and most importantly my family. The biggest question I keep getting asked is whether I'll compete for Miss California one day. My answer is simply "I don't know. We'll see where life takes me." 

                       my first MAOT pageant: Miss Fullerton's Outstanding Teen

 My first ED (minus my teen EDs, the Colvard's)and sister titleholder at Miss CA 2008

    the LA County Fair titleholder showcase I coordinated as Miss LA County OT 2009

                               Miss California's Outstanding Teen Top 5 2010

                                                    NO REGRETS 2011

5/21/11

Wow!!! These past few months have flown by so quickly. I've been so busy, but I have enjoyed some absolute incredible experiences! 

I just completed my second year on the Nordstrom BP Fashion Board! I had such an amazing time going to meetings, modeling, heading to SanFran for the Meet the Buyer meeting (and scoring some awesome freebies!), and hanging out with the board members. Currently we are in a contest to win a photo shoot with MODE Bay Area. Please "like" MODE Bay Area on Facebook, go to the album "BP Fashion Board Nordstrom Style Contest", and "like" all 5 photos under the Walnut Creek tab. My group styled this outfit, modeled by the gorgeous Katie Rush. Good luck to the 119 applicants who applied for the 2011-2012 board!

                                         before modeling for a prom style show

                             our goodie bags from the Meet the Buyer meeting

In March, I won the title of Miss Golden Gate's Outstanding Teen 2011! I have had a blast so far and can't wait to continue my journey in hopes of becoming Miss California's Outstanding Teen. I also have had the pleasure of attending  local pageants in Hollywood, Fullerton, and Redwood City. Congrats to the new titleholders! You all were fabulous!

                             the San Francisco and Golden Gate titleholders

                                           with Miss Hawaii, Jalee Fuselier

                      at the Miss Hollywood pageant with local titleholders

 at the Miss Fullerton pageant with the Santa Clara girls & Miss CAOT, Shelby Sinkler

being serenaded by a princess at the Miss Redwood City pageant (She insisted on singing all of "Tomorrow" from Annie to me. Too cute!)

Within a few weeks of winning my title, I had a few appearances with my new "sisters" which were a lot of fun. First, we volunteered at BASH for Augie's Quest, which was incredibly rewarding and inspirational. I greeted the attendees and then quickly went to work with the silent auction. Natalie Morales from The Today Show hosted and the band Sugar Ray performed. They even had a live model who was painted to show all the muscle groups who would pose like a statue! It was an incredibly successful event, and I was so grateful to be a part of it. Thanks Tina!

                               the red carpet entrance (notice the dumbbell?)

Next, we were off to the annual Cherry Blossom festival in Japantown. First off, can I say how there were so many paparazzi?! It was absolutely insane, but in a good way. :) All of us felt like celebrities! Jasmine, Miss San Francisco OT, and I sat with the princesses in the parade. By the end of the parade route, all of our arms were sore from all the waving, but it was well worth it! It was such a fun event. I had the opportunity to meet the mayor, other pageant queens, and even Hello Kitty and Choco Cat! 

In the end of April, I met all the other girls vying for the titles of Miss California and Miss California's Outstanding Teen. They are all incredibly beautiful, intelligent, and talented. It will be such a great show. The SF group won several dresses in the raffle, and we all ate some amazing cupcakes for Miss California's Outstanding Teen Shelby Sinkler's 18th birthday. I can't believe I only have one month left until the state competition in Fresno. Unfortunately this will be my last year in the teen program (and it's likely that this will be my last year in the California system as well because there's a good possibility I'll be going to college in another state), so wish me luck! 

                                    with some of my new friends at dinner

The day that orientation ended, I was whisked off to the Fresno airport to head to Michigan. I was fortunate to be a keynote speaker at the 2nd Heart and Spirit of Caregiving Conference in Grand Rapids. I was interviewed on stage by the lovely Anne Robinson about my experiences and lessons I have learned while being a teen caregiver and advocate. I had visited my grandmother a few weeks earlier to shoot footage for my session to give the audience a first-hand look in  to how I interact with her. I hope that I helped the hundreds of professional caregivers find different techniques they could implement to help bring forth memories and connections with the individuals with dementia that they work with.  After my session, I was taken to an interview with Sue Thoms of The Grand Rapids Press who wrote an article about me for the paper. You can read it here. Then I enjoyed an afternoon session led by Joyce Simard where I learned new ideas on how to interact with my grandmother. After her presentation she gifted me with her children's book, The Magic Tape Recorder, which I definitely recommend to all young children who have loved ones with Alzheimer's. Unfortunately I was only in Michigan for a day and half because I had to fly back to California to take my AP United States History test. It was a crazy and busy week, to say the least. A huge thank you to Clark Retirement Community for having me and for all the gifts, Anne for being a fabulous on stage companion, and to my Dad for my introduction. Here is some information about my session: 

                                              the picture in the newspaper

About a month earlier, I had another fantastic speaking engagement. My dad and I were flown to Chicago, Illinois. I spoke at the Alzheimer's Association Greater Illinois Chapter's Family Forum, which provided resources to family caregivers. It was my first time I ever did a whole presentation by myself so I was really nervous. I wrote down three quotes which I used to divide up my presentation. Rather than writing a speech, I spoke from the heart, and I hope it showed. Things were a little hectic because of my father's and my lack of technology expertise, thus a video I made to accompany my presentation couldn't be shown. Instead here it is for you all to see! Thanks SO much to Sue Sklar for helping me experience this wonderful opportunity and for setting up my visit at the Alzheimer's Association headquarters (where I was the day's special guest!). After, my dad and I stayed at a family friend's house for a few days and we  went in to Chicago each day. I toured some college campuses, visited the national office of the Alzheimer's Association, and took in the sites of the city! Thank you to Sue, our drivers, and all the committee members.

                                                    my speaker's table

                                                          presenting

                                               my wonderful goodie bag!

                         at the Alzheimer's Association's National Headquarters

the beautiful skyline! My dad and I decided to do an impromptu photo session while we were walking throughout Chicago. I'd post the pics I shot of him, but I think he'd be embarrassed! lol. He's quite the model ;)

Also, I am very excited to have won my school district's Outstanding Vocal (2nd year in the row!) and Community Service Awards. I was so honored to be recognized from the dozens of students that applied and auditioned. At the recognition breakfast, I saw in the program that I was set to perform. Unfortunately, though, nobody had contacted me beforehand so my mom drove home, got my CD, and I sang my winning song "Happy Days Are Here Again" soon after! Thanks Mom! My performance has been playing for the last month on the local television station which has been exciting. Thanks to all the sponsors and judges for this incredible honor!

School gets over in less than three weeks. I can't believe I'll be a senior! Time has really flown by. Currently I'm in preparation for the SAT Subject Tests and finals, and I just took my AP tests a couple weeks ago. Recently, I found out I was in the 99th percentile for my ACT scores and that out of 3.5 million students who took the PSAT last year, I made it to the top 50,000. I hear in the fall if I made it to the next round to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. I'm beyond thrilled!

Oh yeah! And I turned 17! What a wonderful start to my last year as a kid :)

1/30/11

What an awesome start of the new year! I ended 2010 by decorating the "Boomer Express" float for the Alzheimer Association's entry in the 2011 Rose Parade! "'Alzheimer's is a national crisis,' says Angela Geiger, chief strategy officer for the Alzheimer's Association. 'As the first wave of Baby Boomers turns 65 this January, the devastating impact of this disease is only going to skyrocket unless we can change the path'" (USA Today). It was so much fun to decorate it with some of my closest friends. Then I was able to watch my work as it passed by Old Town Pasadena!

                          putting seeds on the wheels of the Boomer Express

Yesterday, I had the privilege of modeling in the BP Re-Opening Fashion Show at Nordstrom Walnut Creek. It was great to see all the fashion board members again, and everybody did a great job. I chose a Denial Denim cargo twill pant along with the Frenchi buttoned racer-back top layered with a BP cami. 

                                      models of the 2010-2011 Fashion Board

Later that night, I attended the Miss Sacramento County pageant. It was so much fun to spend time with my titleholder friends and meet the newly crowned teens as well. All the girls looked gorgeous, and the Sacramento committee did an exceptional job. Earlier this month I also attended the Miss Santa Clara's Outstanding Teen pageant where my first runner-up from San Jose, Molly Crawford, won! Congratulations to Molly, Tiffany Flossman, and Jillian Smith on your new titles!

                 local titleholders with the Master of Ceremonies, Tony Moises

                                 with the new Sacramento's Outstanding Teen

                         with the new local teen titleholders (They are so sweet!)           

By far, my favorite experience this month was going to Miss America in Las Vegas. Although I have watched the pageant on TV every year since I was born, it was my first time attending it in person. I was a "seat-filler" which is someone who sits in someone else's seat when they're not there so that there are no empty seats shown on camera. I ended up with a great seat right in the middle which I sat in all night! How lucky! The show itself was awesome. I was blown away that a 17 year-old won the title. It's amazing to think that in one year I would be the same age as Miss America was when she was crowned! Miss California, Arianna Afsar, did a phenomenal job. I couldn't help jumping to my feet every time she advanced to the next round of competition. I also enjoyed touring the city of Las Vegas, taking in the sites, shopping, and especially the food (yum!). 

                                with Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2011

                                         Miss America 1971 Phyllis George  

                                     Miss America 2000 Heather French Henry

Also, I have the clip of my interview with WRHU radio station in New York about my involvement with Alzheimer's!                                                        

12/24/10

Merry Christmas Eve everybody! I have certainly been feeling the holiday spirit, and I'm so excited for tomorrow. This December hasn't been too busy compared to the last few months, perfect for winter activities! The beginning of the month kicked off with an interview for the New York radio station, WRHU 88.7 FM! I'll be sure to post it soon in the media section of my site. After reading the AOL article about my involvement with Alzheimer's, WRHU contacted me to talk about Alzheimer's on their morning radio program! I was so thrilled to reach an east coast audience with my story. This AOL article has been amazing at increasing awareness for Alzheimer's. I have been so touched by the more than 80 emails I have received from caregivers sharing their stories and especially the ones from teens looking for advice on how to help their grandparent with Alzheimer's. 

After the three jam-packed weeks of school, I was able to relax and have fun! The Friday I got off school, I organized a group of friends together to Christmas carol for Alzheimer's patients and senior residents of the local Sunrise Assisted Living. It was so nice to meet the residents and see their smiling faces when we sang them songs. With only one little mishap (One of our carolers, being such the gentleman, held the door for the rest of us when we were leaving the Alzheimer's unit. Unfortunately, one of the patients, Maria, slipped out too! She was such a fast walker that by the time we finally caught up with her she was on the other side of the building and almost out the door! Uh-oh!) the evening was very successful! It was so nice to spread some holiday cheer. 


caroling in the dining area

The next morning, I got up bright an early for a Dirtee Hollywood Christmas-themed photo shoot! It was so much fun and our photographer, Jen Miyako of J. Lovely Photography was awesome! Later I went outdoor ice skating (my first time!) with one of my best friends. Here are some of my favorite shots from the shoot:

                                                      

11/18/2010

Wow! It's been two months since my last post already! I have been so busy with school and events so I am excited to share what I have been up to since. Today, an article from AOL Health about my experiences with Alzheimer's is featured on AOL's home page. It can be found here: http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/11/10/alzheimers-disease-alissa-anderegg/?icid=maing|main5|3|link1|26503. After attending the Women's Conference and hearing about my story, writer Amy Capetta emailed me to set up a phone interview to talk about how Alzheimer's affects me as a young caregiver. The article is phenomenal, and I am truly touched by how many people have read and shared it on Facebook and other social networking sites. Since the article has been added to AOL, I have had several posts on Alz4Kidz & Alz4Teenz: Resources for Kids about Alzheimer's from caregivers. Please visit and join the group no matter your age to share your stories and advice.

Speaking of the March on Alzheimer's, I also had the opportunity to attend the Project360/Threads 4 Thought Think Purple Now event at Bloomingdale's before the March. It was a great event, and Maria Shriver was so nice, introducing me to her kids and asking about my grandparents. Pink's Hot Dogs, Arizona Iced Tea, and NailEZEE (with the "Polish with a Purpose" collection for Alzheimer's which I love) helped make the event very special.  The best part was that over $20,000 was donated to the Alzheimer's Association!

                                             the poster outside Bloomingdale's

Also be sure to check out my essay published in the Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's. My essay is the last in the book called "Advocating the Next Generation" and is about the importance of teen advocacy. The compilation of essays creates an amazing, must-have Christmas present whether Alzheimer's is apart of your family or not. The stories of hope, courage, and love are truly universal and absolutely amazing. Please pick up a copy in your local bookstore today!

Last month, the Alzheimer's Awareness Club which I founded at my school had our first meeting! It was successful, and the stories shared were so inspiring. New members are always welcome! Note to members: Check your email soon for information about the December meeting, officer elections, and club shirts. Thanks to Mrs. Harris, our faculty advisor, the officers, and all the members who are showing their support for Alzheimer's. I have a special surprise for the next meeting so please come!

                                 promoting the club at the school's Club Fair

In September I had the pleasure of singing and speaking at the Silicon Valley Memory Walk in San Jose. The local Alzheimer's Association chapter far surpassed their fundraising goal, and the event was fantastic. I enjoyed promoting my platform as Miss San Jose's Outstanding Teen and sharing my story.

                                                       speaking at the walk

Now on to my other events: In October I sang in a benefit concert for LifeLine for Pets, a no-kill rescue, in Pasadena. It was a "USO"-style show and was so amazing. Please visit their site: http://www.lifelineforpets.org/Lifeline_for_Pets.html. It is such a great place to adopt: their animals are just precious!

This past weekend I attended the Miss San Fernando Valley pageant, part of the Miss America Organization, in Southern California. It was great to see all my  titleholder and committee friends in the program who I have missed so much. A huge congratulations to the Miss San Fernando Valley 2011, Chrisy Alcaraz, and Miss San Fernando Valley's Outstanding Teen 2011, Shannen Roberts!

                       with local teen titleholders Jasmine Haffar and Taylor Mooers

Also I'm pleased to announce my jewelry sponsor for events I attend, Claudia Castillo of Silpada!

And last but not least, I am sad to say that my grandfather Papa Bart Anderegg recently passed away. He was an amazing man and role model.

9/18/2010

Well, just when I thought these next couple months would be pretty mellow, my schedule is filling up! Wow! Last weekend I volunteered and sang at the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk in San Francisco. I started off the morning with my new obsession, hot chocolate from Philz Coffee (I never had it before but they were so generous and gave all the volunteers complimentary beverages. Needless to say, I can add their hot chocolate to my list of to-die-for sweets. Then I checked in walkers, walked the route, and came back to Mission Creek Park to sing. It was such an amazing, powerful event, and I took my video camera to upload a video diary of my experience. Here's a preview:

                                      singing at the Remembrance Ceremony

The next day I performed in Kabaret for Kids to benefit the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano at the Lesher Center for the Arts and had a blast! This was my first time co-hosting a show while performing in it, and I must say that everyone was wonderful. The kids in the audience looked like they were having a great time, and I hope we can do this again very soon! No pictures now, but hopefully a video will be posted in a few weeks. 

Then today, I helped out all day at the Miss Santa Clara Auxiliary Strawberry Shortcake booth at the Santa Clara Art and Wine Festival to help raise money for the scholarships they award. In the middle of the day I took a break to sing on the stage in the Miss Santa Clara Variety Show and sang "Gimme Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie. I was joined by some awesome contestants and titleholders including the fabulous Miss California's Outstanding Teen Shelby Sinkler. I loved hearing about her stories from the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant in Florida and especially loved how she introduced me to deep-fried Oreos! Yum! 

                                                                                                                                               

                                                 

I have a whole bunch of events in the works as well. I just got word that I will be singing and speaking at the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk of Silicon Valley next Saturday, September 25th. I am so honored to be a part of this event and am looking forward to it. After I might be flying back to Los Angeles that night to compete at a vocal contest then attend a red carpet event the next day as well. I'll post more information once I have it. Then in October, I will of course still perform at the concert benefiting the Lifeline for Pets' Cat Pad and will be speaking at Maria Shriver's Women's Conference the next day (information is on my previous blog posts and on my schedule). Then on that Monday, I will be attending a dessert reception for the conference speakers. I just got my invitation and am beyond excited. Hopefully I'll be able to take pictures there to show all the extraordinary women I'll meet!

9/3/2010

I have some very exciting announcements to make! First, I recently just performed at Family Fest at Heather Farms park in Walnut Creek promoting my new show, Kabaret for Kids. I had a blast! I sang three songs including Hey-Yippy-I-Hi-Hoedown backed by dancers from D'Anns Academy of Dance out of Concord and another called Add a Little Smile which I sang with recording artist Charlie Williams. I even saw my second grade teacher there! The show is going to be awesome so please stop by! Go to http://www.lesherartscenter.org/onstagenow/esses for tickets for the September 12th variety show by kids for kids. The original music of Kabaret for Kids  is absolutely adorable, and children of all ages will love it. Also my segment of Conversations with Robin Fahr is airing on TV 30 and online right now. It's posted on the media section of my site.

In October, I will be speaking at The Women's Conference in Long Beach, CA during Maria Shriver's March on Alzheimer's. I am thrilled for the opportunity to speak among the world's most powerful women including Maria Shriver, Leeza Gibbons, Oprah Winfrey, and Diane Sawyer, plus many more. Because of my involvement in HBO's Emmy-award-winning documentary, The Alzheimer's Project: Grandpa Do You Know Who I Am? with Maria Shriver, I was asked to be involved in the conference and contribute to The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Take on Alzheimer's, both very unique and exciting opportunities. And don't forget to also come support the USO show I'll be in on October 23rd benefiting LifeLine for Pets' Cat Pad of Foothill Blvd in Pasadena. It will be a fun concert full of oldies songs for a great cause! More information on all my upcoming activities can be found on my schedule.

8/18/2010

Time for some updates on what I've been up to lately! I just finished watching my segment of Conversations with Robin Fahr. Just a reminder: it's going to be on TV 30 and live-streaming online at http://www.tri-valleytv.org/live-tv30.html. It's a fun segment about my acting, my involvement in the Miss America Organization, and of course about how I'll be performing in the Sing For Your Supper series at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek in Kabaret for Kids. Some cast members and I will also be performing to promote the show at Family Fest at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek on August 28-29 so please stop by!

                                                

Last Sunday I had the honor of performing at Miss California's Outstanding Teen 2010, Shelby Sinkler's send-off celebration for Miss America's Outstanding Teen. I know she'll do great and represent California so well. I sang Not for the Life of Me from Thoroughly Modern Millie and Someone to Watch Over Me. They were a fun change, since I have never performed Not for the Life of Me before, and I rarely get to perform the other. It was a fantastic event right by my house and was a lot of fun. A few days before I had the opportunity to sign autographs and participate at the Miracle Treat Day at the Dairy Queen in Campbell. Everyone was so welcoming and I was able to raise almost $100 for Children's Miracle Network in addition to the $2 ($1 from Dairy Queen and another $1 from the store manager) for each Blizzard bought. I had a chocolate one with cookie dough in it! Mmm!

           
with Miss CA OT, Shelby Sinkler, Miss CA OT Princess Haley Bullen, and Miss Oakland OT 2009 and maker of this awesome cake, Courtney Strysko

After Shelby's party I drove down with three of my closest friends to my home in Southern California. We had a great time hanging out and spending time at the beach and in the city. One of the highlights was definitely going to the Dirtee Hollywood t-shirt design studio to meet with the designer, David Long. It was such a treat getting to preview the 2011 collection and even snag a few freebies! Thanks so much for the great experience! We also were able to attend a private event at LF, but unfortunately I have no pics from that.

at the Dirtee Hollywood design studio with owner/designer David Long, fashion blogger Rachel, the Stylish  Wanderer, and our friend Parissa.

I also just got word that I'm booked to perform again at the Remembrance Ceremony at the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk in San Francisco. The event will be held on September 11th. I had such a great time last year, and I'm looking forward to helping spread awareness for such a great cause. More information is listed on my schedule. If you have a loved one with Alzheimer's, please contact me directly at Andereggmgr@aol.com so I can add their name to the list of those I'm singing and walking for.

8/4/2010

Well, this week has been off to a great start! Yesterday I flew up to the Bay Area to begin this crazy week full of appearances and performances! I got in just in time for a quick workout at the gym before hurrying home to change for my first event of the week. It was the National Night Out at Hayes Mansion is San Jose, and I had a blast. I had never been to Hayes Mansion before, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The Miss America Organization had a booth set up where the titleholders, Miss Santa Clara Melissa Bowling, Miss South Bay Marissa Santana, Miss California's Outstanding Teen Shelby Sinkler and I signed autographs and took pictures with fans young and old. I was fortunate enough to also have the opportunity to sing the National Anthem to start off the celebrations and Someone to Watch Over Me during the band's break. There was a great crowd full of children and adults (and even a few dogs!) to watch, which was fun. Then we all walked over to get some dinner (Thanks Mary!) at the barbecue. The food was very good, and I especially liked indulging on the desserts and lemonade to satisfy my sweet tooth! Thanks to Stephanie and Mary for inviting me! I had an awesome time with the other girls; waiting anxiously as the raffle prizes were announced, taking pictures with a kicking Great Dane, talking with police and firemen, and so much more. Then after, my dad and I went to a new burger place in San Jose, called Five Guys. SO good! Anyway, here are a few pics from the event from Miss California's Outstanding Teen, Shelby Sinkler:

                      
Singing in front of Hayes Mansion

       
That dog was having so much fun; it kept rolling around smiling, also managing to whack me a few times with its tail and paws! Shelby and I were trying to get him to sit still. So cute!

Today was a lot of fun as well! I met this afternoon with Samantha Samuels who is co-hosting Kabaret for Kids with me at the Lesher Center for the Arts on September 12th. Proceeds go to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, so bring your kids & tots because it's a great show for a great cause. It'll be so fun meeting all the other performers; there are kid magicians, a pianist, singers, and dancers! Anyway, Sam and I went over the songs, all written by the fabulous Steven Shore for the show. I LOVE the song Add a Little Smile that I'll be singing with 15-year-old recording artist Charlie Williams (aka Charlie Baggett), and all the others are absolutely adorable! I can't wait to get to work learning them all. I'll be singing a couple on August 28-29 at Family Fest. Come stop by! 

So speaking of Kabaret for Kids, after my meeting with Sam, I went with her and Steven to film a guest spot on Conversations with Robin Fahr along with ML Parr who has her own concert in the Sing For Your Supper series. It was so much fun. Robin is an amazing host. I had a chance to talk about the show, my career, and my involvement in the Miss America program. My segment will air the end of this month (showtimes are on my schedule page) on TV 30 and online at http://www.tri-valleytv.org/live-tv30.html. I'll be sure to post the segment once it airs. 

And don't forget to stop by tomorrow at Dairy Queen in Campbell to pick up a Blizzard treat. It's Miracle Treat Day so for every blizzard bought, money will be donated to Children's Miracle Network. I'll be stopping by around 2:30 until 4:30, so come down, take your kids to meet titleholders, get an autograph, and buy a blizzard!