That Voice Sounds Familiar: Dawn as the New Voice on Pandora Radio!

Hey guys!

Remember that big announcement I was gonna make on Instagram? Well, here ya go.

Look Ma! Er, I mean, listen! I'm on the radio!!!

Look Ma! Er, I mean, listen! I’m on the radio!!!

I’m thrilled to announce that, as of yesterday, I’m the new voice that you’ll be hearing on Pandora, in between your songs.

It’s funny – life.

I started out as an actor out here in LA, then became more of a singer with my band, Hawkeye and my Nashville album, Sweet Time (which was on Pandora), and now life comes full circle, combining all of my careers on Pandora – a place where the folks have always been awfully good to me as an artist.

This is one of those times when I have to point out that that I just can’t believe in coincidences.

Life is too sweet and synchronistic, and I’ve got too much gratitude to call it a coincidence.
Special thanks, to my agents at AVO Talent for making this happen!

High-Low 17: New Year, New Opportunities

Well, now, it has been A WHILE since I’ve done a High-Low. My apologies for that, beauties. There have been a lot of changes – for the better – but I didn’t know that at the time.

So what all has happened since December? Well, I left my day job, gained 2 new writing clients, learned some hard lessons about boundaries and betrayal (ouch!), traveled to Dallas for Christmas and back, got the flu and recovered, finished 2 more books in The Cupcake Kid series, had 2 of my commercials air during The Grammys, had a super memorable show at The Hotel Cafe and more! Whew.

HIGHS

Christmas in Dallas was punctuated with breakfasts, dinners, drinks, shows and parties with friends, a myriad of Mi Cocina (my favorite restaurant visits) and LOTS of delicious food!! People often ask where I got the bug for baking and I always tell them from my Mom and her mother, my Nanny. Just look at the deliciousness I get spoiled with when I go home!

 

When I returned to L.A., I knew New Years was going to be a doozy. I had invitations to 3 parties all over the city. I went to the first one, at my friend Vanessa’s house and in the midst of it, realized I was sick. The flu hit me and I was out for almost 2 weeks!

When I healed, there were lots of events and meetings to attend so I was busy! But not too busy to bust out 2 more books in The Cupake Kid series!

My show at The Hotel Cafe, where I sing my signature bluesy country, was so much fun! I got to play with some of my favorite musicians, see tons of friends, bake Strawberry Milkshake cupcakes to share and top off the night with a dance party with friends at The Room. Goooood times!

Then, I was delighted to be called in to do 2 more Target voiceover commercial spots for Taylor Swift & Pink that aired during The Grammys! 12-year-old me was over the moon!

So far, I am a big fan of 2013!

LOW

If you’d asked me a month ago, I could have told you a low point.  I learned the powerful lesson that things really do happen for a reason and that while I might like for everyone to be my close friend, it’s better to keep work relationships separate sometimes.

But now, I realize that the perceived low point was a beautiful opportunity. It opened so many doors. I was amazed, once again, that life truly turns lemons into lemonade sometimes and that lemonade is sweeter than anything you could have imagined.

 

High-Low 11: GRATEFUL

You know when you have a great day – how that reasoning, logical little voice in your head reminds you that this luck/happiness/love/success, etc. won’t last forever?

That mean little voice that might remind us of a bully in school, a negative parent or dream-crushing teacher? Well, this is what I like to say to that little voice when it talks to me meanly in moments of Bliss: “Get on out Devil, I’m not listenin’ to ya.” (I like to say it in a Loretta Lynn – In the Pines – kind of way).

Last week, I said that a few times to myself. And, know what? It worked. When the negative comes in, I always try to counter it with a little positive. You see, as a friend of mine once told me, “The only time you fail is when you stop moving.” And, y’all, this is sooooooo true.

So, after an amazing, affirming week last week, I kept moving this past one. I worked from 7am – midnight doing the best I could. And I was rewarded with an even better week than the last!

This was a week filled with highs and a scarcity of lows. Thank goodness! So the one word that comes to mind this week: GRATEFUL.

HIGHS

1) New Life: Welcome, little Isla

My precious friends, Jay and Hope, gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl, yesterday. They named her Isla. After being a week-and-a-half late and a challenging labor (30 hours!!!), already, this baby is so loved. It’s like the world was waiting for her. And we were! Babies are amazing reminders of how beautiful life is. How precious time is. And how important it is to have family and friends that make this journey so sweet.

I couldn’t stop snapping pics!!!

Love at First Sight: Hope & Isla

Love at First Sight: Hope & Isla

Isla

Isla

Love sweet moments like these

Love sweet moments like these

Grandmas & aunties galore!

Grandmas & aunties galore!

I cannot wait to see what a wonderful life this beautiful little biscuit, Miss Isla, is going to have with these two sweet, loving, talented people as her parents. What a lucky girl!

2) Another, please! I booked another voiceover

So with all of my celebrating last week after booking my first SAG-AFTRA voiceover job for UPS, I did not expect this.

I booked a national voiceover for Target! WHAAAAAAAAT?!! So thrilled. So grateful. I can’t stop smiling.

And, of course, I had to have my good friend, Jenn, capture my childlike excitement again. As always, when I get good news, I did herkies, high kicks and cheerleading jumps from my high school days. I think this is becoming a tradition: book a big job, take embarrassingly ridiculous pictures. I mean there were even spirit fingers involved.

Excited as a 5-year-old!

Excited as a 5-year-old!

 

3) Surprise! Flowers at the door

To top off the amazing news that I had just gotten in the car from my agent, I came home to find a lovely bouquet of flowers from my stylist friend, Laura S. She left them for me as a thank you but they couldn’t have been left on a more perfect day!

Surprise! Flowers at my door!

Surprise! Flowers at my door!

 

4) Fashion’s Night Out on Robertson

After the excellent news I received that day, I had the perfect place to celebrate – Fashion’s Night Out on Robertson!

My friends, Sharzad Kiadeh of LuxLyfe and Erin Michelle of Well in LA were co-hosting a fabulous event at Hale Bob with stylist supreme, Laurie Graham.

(From L to R): Me, Erin, Samantha, Nicole Myden, Sharzad and Laurie Graham

(From L to R): Me, Erin, Samantha, Nicole Myden, Sharzad and Laurie Graham

 

There, I saw some of my favorite, fabulous, fashionable LA-blogging friends and indulged in a glass – or 2 – of champagne.

 

Me & a few of my favorite LA bloggers!

Me & a few of my favorite LA bloggers!

 

I met 2 fellow Texan-turned-LA-girls! Besides the fabulous stylist extraordinaire, Laurie Graham, I also met Lisa H. Los Angeles is a lucky city with those lovely ladies living here!

 

My new friend (& fellow Texan), Lisa H

My new friend (& fellow Texan), Lisa H

 

5) Having a super-fun session for Target

I had an amazing session doing the spots for Target. And I was a total nerd in that I wore red. Not to mention, I baked cookies. But I do that for all my sessions.

I’ll let y’all know as soon as they start airing! Keep an eye out for me telling you to go grab Taylor Swift’s, Pink’s and No Doubt’s new albums at Target. That’ll be me!

 

In the booth for Target

6) Celebration

At the end of a long, busy, productive, exciting & blessing-filled week, I was thrilled when my good friend (and power agent), Gloria H called me.

She wanted to catch up and see my kids’ books, too!

So off to Three Twenty Wine Lounge we went. We love that place!

Celebration with Moscato

 

It was a delightful and delicious way to celebrate! And the perfect end to a perfect day!
And guess what? She’s also a fellow Texan. You know what they say… you can take the girl out of Texas…

 

LOWS
Honestly, yet again, there weren’t any real lows. But…

Texan girls are made for tornadoes not ‘quakes.

Eeeek. Earthquake. Side to side kind. Never felt that kind before. And I don’t like that we’ve felt 3 so close together in the past 2 months! Miss Ellie and I both couldn’t stop shaking.
Hope that’ll be the end of that for a while. But it’s a little disconcerting when there are so many small ones so close together.

Agh! There that voice is. “Get on out Devil, I’m not listenin’ to ya.”

 

xoxo,

BF

 

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week? Do tell.

 

High-Low 10

I have been swamped and my High-Low has become the victim of my busy schedule.

But it has been such an exciting, productive time that I just had to share.

Here is my High-Low 10.

 

HIGHS

1) I was thrilled to get the call that everyone wants from their agent! A booking call! I booked a national voiceover radio spot for UPS. I am beyond thrilled! So much so that my friend, Kristin, captured my excitement of receiving the news in this collage!

When I'm excited, I resort embarrassingly back to my high school cheerleading days doing herkies and high kicks.

 

2) Baking a successful new recipe: Sour Cream Apple Pie in a Buttermilk Maple Crust. Yum. Everyone at the BBQ said it was delish!!! I’ll feature the recipe soon! Stay tuned!

 

Sour Cream Apple Pie with Buttermilk Maple Crust

Sour Cream Apple Pie with Buttermilk Maple Crust

 

 

3) Seeing my favorite band, the Old 97s 2 (!!) nights in a row at the El Rey here in Los Angeles. They were here on the 15th anniversary tour of their album, Too Far To Care. Rhett Miller, the lead singer, grew up in the same Dallas world where I did. He was a coffeehouse darling who became a prodigy and now an alt-country star. I love them so much. My favorite band. Period.

 

Rhett Miller

 

 

Murry Hammond

Murry Hammond

 

Rhett Miller of the Old 97s

 

 

The first night I went with my super fun friends, Jennifer, April and Sari.

 

 

 

The next with my friend, Jolie, whom I’ve known since I was a kiddo at the Episcopal School of Dallas. Jolie was in my big brother’s class and I always thought she was the coolest!

 

Me, Murry Hammond and Jolie

 

 

But there was nothing cool about us dancing like schoolgirls to Rhett and Murry and the boys… but do we look like we cared?

Dancing like schoolgirls!

Dancing like schoolgirls!

 

4) I also had an AMAAAAAZING time with my fellow LA bloggers and PR friends this week.

Melrose PR’s First BloggywoodLA event at BruHaus. What an awesome place and amazing people!

 

Nicole Myden & Gina Wade Creative’s “A Dinner To Blog About” at Rosa Mexicano where I met MORE amazing bloggers and had the most delicious food a Tex-Mex addict could enjoy.

 

The Angeleno Magazine Poolside Beauty Event – A luxurious evening of glammer & glitz on the rooftop of the London West Hollywood. The perfect farewell to summer! Check out our complete Angeleno event post here!

 

 

5) And lastly, finishing the first draft of BOTH of my children’s books. I’ve never written a book before and I couldn’t be more excited about these stories! It’s almost as good a feeling as being in love! p.s. I had a verrrry good assistant! She sits in my lap every morning when I work. I’m a lucky kid!

 

The best assistant a writer could ask for!

 

LOWS

Hmmm…I don’t have any this week! Wait. That’s not true. It was very hot and I don’t have air conditioning. Then again, being from Texas originally, 90 degrees is not hot. On second thought, Nope, no lows this week. Just gratitude and happiness!!!!

 

BF Asks: What was your HIGH-LOW this week?

xoxo,
BF