Avenue Q

Last night, David and I saw Avenue Q at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.  It was HILARIOUS!!  We had amazing seats front and center, and we laughed until our bellies hurt.  First of all, the venue is amazing.  The design and vibe are fantastic.  I am thrilled to have a beautiful cultural access point right in my back yard.  The center reminds me of a more modern version of the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.  I felt like I was on vacation in my own city.

I had heard the show was very entertaining, but I had no idea how much fun it was going to be.  It provides such a great commentary on relationships, dating, marriage, life, finding yourself and love.  The characters were well developed and intriguing - it was amazing to watch the human and puppet characters become enmeshed.  The actors were skilled - becoming one with their puppets and playing more than one puppet during the story line.  My favorite character had a hilarious song about the Internet, and I also found myself fond of the Bad Idea Bears.  It was like an adult version of Sesame Street.

David and I continued to reminisce about the show after it ended - we found ourselves quoting it incessantly and singing the songs!  We even downloaded some from iTunes to remain entertained.

Avenue Q is a great date show, and the AT&T Performing Arts Center is an awe-inspiring venue for a date.  We also had a fantastic dinner before the show at Tei-An, which is walking distance from the theater.  YUM!  I would repeat this date anytime.....dinner and a show....perfection!

Sugar-free Red Bull

I think I need sponsorship from Sugar-free Red Bull - I've had one each day for the last week....because I've been at events or on dates each day for the last week....I've also taken afternoon naps the past couple days, in order to rally!  I was going to take a night off last Thursday, but Chris invited me to the the Five for Fighting show at the Granada that night, and how could I say no to a cute boy and a fun concert?!

Last night, David crashed my girls night viewing of Sex and the City, and he was fun as one of the girls.  Tonight, we are heading to Avenue Q.  He called the Director of Marketing for the show and hooked us up with 2nd row orchestra seats.  We are heading to dinner first, and I am starving!

I had to do Turbo Jam this afternoon (even though I usually take Sundays off from working out)....because of all of the fun dining and drinking out....I needed some major calorie burning.  Tonight, I'm thinking I should pass on the alcohol, because the last several nights have involved drinks and yummy food....and I don't want to indulge too much.  I have to look good in my wedding dress ;)

Dating is challenging for a number of reasons - it's challenging to the sleep schedule, it means lots of events and food/alcohol, some dates are better than others (I had a painful one recently; really wanted to leave but was polite and endured it)....

All is well, however.  I'm having fun and working on my own career goals - especially in music.  Seriously, though, I need to contact Red Bull for sponsorship.  Anyone have a contact within the company??

In "Train"-ing

Wow - I feel like I'm in training to be a wife.  Friday night, I worked with the amazing Craig Alderson, personal chef and drummer for Britnee Belt, to create the perfect meal for my date, David.  I found out David's favorite foods, and Craig helped me create a meal fit for a king.  We had mushroom and gorgonzola risotto to begin, field greens with Craig's special vinaigrette and sea bass as the entree and chocolate mousse for dessert.  We paired it with Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.  Craig retrieved all the ingredients from his favorite market, Market Street.  Craig was AWESOME in coaching me to make this incredible meal!  And David seemed to enjoy the meal prep....he wore a tux for the occasion, which was adorable.  Zoe was thrilled, as she caught whatever fell on the floor.  Dora, my stylist, found me the perfect feminine dress from Melanie Gayle, and I felt absolutely beautiful.  Thank you, Dora and Melanie!!  Finally, Casey Romanski filmed the entire date and was integral in setting up the coaching with Craig.  Casey rocks. 

Yesterday, I took David to the Train concert at Taste Addison, and it was a surreal experience.  We had backstage passes, and it was an incredible live show.  Live music makes the best date EVER!  It was romantic and fun, and the time flew.

Thursday night's mixer at House of Blues Foundation Room was a success - we raised money for Be The Match and registered new donors for the organization.  We had a great turnout, and everyone seemed to have a good time....

Time continues to fly, and I continue to have a ton of fun.  Whom will I marry next February?!  My mom encourages me to be extra choosy.....I think she has a good point!!!    

Will You Marry Me?

Time is flying....the wedding occurs in fewer than nine months!!  Things are progressing nicely, however.  I was set up with a friend of a friend last night, and we had a lunch date today....we have future plans, as well, so that's a good thing....

I continue to meet new guys consistently - and I'm cultivating new friendships, which is awesome.  I'm enjoying the liberation of Project Husband.  I feel more bold and honest than ever.  I know one "horrified" viewer recently commented negatively about this project on the projecthusband.com site.  But, I don't think he fully understands me.  And, that's okay.  I've been through some extreme experiences, and I had a prompting to do something extreme in my own love life.  And, you know what?  It's paying off in spades.....the honesty in dating is awesome.  I am developing real feelings for one of my guys in particular....but I'm finding that I'm attracted to new guys, as well.  I shared with the girls at Facelogic today (before my spray tan) that I dated 25 guys in L.A. from match.com before I found one that I wanted to date.  I've been out with about 30 guys in the last three months, and I have found about three that are keepers.  It's sort of a numbers game, people.  Dating is a bit of a crap shoot.

Tonight I'm going to see Letters to Juliet with a date.....should be fun to see who cries first.

Tomorrow, I'm hosting a singles mixer at the House of Blues Dallas Foundation Room - it's also a fundraiser for Be The Match.  Come on out - 6-9PM.  We'll have door prizes, and we are offering free tickets to Steel Panther in the music hall after the mixer.  If you want tickets, email me at lisa@lisalinehan.com before Thursday (tomorrow) at 4pm.

I'm off to get ready for my movie date.  I just came from an awesome meeting with my music producer, Casey Dilorio, at Valve Studios...we're working on the song I wrote called "Will You Marry Me?" or should we call it "I Wanna Get Married" - or should we call it "I Wanna Get Married, Will You Marry Me?"

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Bachy auction | dates and backup groom!

I just had my hair and makeup done by the lovely Mona and Roger at Saks Fifth Avenue.  I do love Dior makeup and just like having someone touch my face and head - it's so relaxing, and it's even more relaxing not to have to do it myself.

I really hope my winning bidder tonight is cool.  What if he ends up being my husband?!  Either way, all the proceeds from the auction aid breast cancer research, so I will feel good about that! My grandmother died of breast cancer, so the cause is near and dear to me.

Since my last blog entry, I've had a first date with Phil, lunch and massages with Chris, a last-minute date with Henry, coffee date with Chris and date with David.  Phil is promising - he's from Indiana, is in his forties and ready to be married (again).  But I'm not sure he really appreciates city life in the way that I do.  Chris is very cool - I just like spending time with him.  We met randomly on a plane and both graduated from UCLA.  He is punctual and considerate.  After knowing Henry for months, he just expressed some real interest, after seeming only to be interested in a casual hookup.  He came to my singer/songwriter show at LaGrange last night and was a great companion for the evening.  David continues to be full of surprises and fun...but is often late when meeting me, which I don't like.  His presence makes up for it, but I get impatient when waiting.  However, his presence does make me happy.

Last night, an amazing local artist, D Anson Brody, came to my show at LaGrange.  I invited him to perform because he is incredible.  His talent is so intense that it touches my very soul.  His songs are well crafted, and his delivery is impeccably filled with emotion and connection. He does not lose sight of his musical responsibility for one moment.  He has an incredible natural ability to express himself in song.  His vocals are dynamic, strong, solid and raw, yet beautiful.  Anyhow, I like his stuff.  He told me that he would be my backup groom!!  I said that my cut off is one month before the wedding - that I would not choose a groom after that point, and I hope to know clearly before that point in time.  D Anson said he'd marry me if I got to that point without having a clear other choice.  This I think is very cool.  He's offering to be my Plan B!  I know our kids would come out singing!!!

The fun part of last night (besides everything) was that I had Henry next to me, D Anson across from me and Blake to my right (my previous karaoke date).  Blake was as adorable and talented as ever....

Blake is too young to want to be married in February, in my opinion - plus he needs to focus on his music career.  But I like hanging out with him.  D Anson is a plausible back up groom!  I'm going with it.  Also, Henry might get his act together and ask me on a proper date!

All in all, things seem to be on track.

Now, I must finish dinner and get to the date auction.....wish me luck and bids!!!!  I gathered some fun prizes to increase my bids and raise more money for the cause - Nokia Theatre (now called Verizon Theatre) tickets (4 of them) and Rangers Tickets (4 season tickets)....so my date will be fun if he likes those prizes, and he better take me :) !!!

I'm feeling optimistic about Project Husband.  Mainly, it opens the door for communication and honesty in intent.  HOORAY!

Dating update | whoa nelly!

Whoa nelly!  This past week was a whirlwind....I feel like I'm in a time warp.  Seriously.

So, after the Kentucky Derby, I had a very fun lunch date on Tuesday of last week.  It was with a guy I had met over two years ago through a dinner dating service.  He looked me up after all that time and asked me to go out with him.  We went to S&D Oyster Company in Uptown, and it was delicious....totally heavy for lunch, but I suppose it's better to eat more at lunch vs. at dinner.  Anyhow, I digress.....but dining, drinking and dating can be stressful.  I want to maintain the weight I've worked hard to achieve.  And, eating out is challenging for the diet.  But, the scale tells me I'm doing fine, and the pants I've purchased lately tell me I'm in good shape, based on the size.

Later that afternoon (after lunch), I had a coffee date.  Mind you, I also taught 4 private students that day - piano and singing.  The coffee date was fun - at the Pearl Cup.  I felt like I was cheating on Urban Dog Coffee, but my date suggested Pearl Cup, so I went with it.  This was a cool date because I met him on the plane, returning from the Kentucky Derby.  He and I met because we missed our connection (weather delays coming from Louisville caused us to miss our connecting flight in Chicago by 5 minutes)!!  He and I sat and waited for the later flight at Wolfgang Puck Cafe, and we were joined by his dad, who also had a connecting flight.  His dad was a total sweetheart - bought me pizza and wine (which made the delay fun vs. annoying).  And I got a glimpse into the guy's relationship with his father, and we found out that we travel well together.... :)  It was ironic that we lived in Dallas but met on the way home from Louisville.  Our coffee date was good....we're having lunch tomorrow, and I have a surprise in store for him if everything comes together as it should.

Tuesday night last week, I had a meeting for Love Cures All (the bachelor/bachelorette auction, occurring this Wednesday at Lemon Bar).  I met the other bachys, and it was fun!!  Afterwards, I had dinner with a date - he cooked for me, and it was really sweet.  We watched American Idol together, as well as a horrible Val Kilmer movie on DVD.  But, it was nice relaxing with a fun companion.  All in all, last Tuesday was a marathon day, with teaching and three dates!!

Wednesday last week, I registered at Williams-Sonoma.  It was an out-of-body experience.  The ladies at the store (whom I met at the Unveiled bridal event) encouraged me to register, saying that most women register on their own at first anyhow....and the guys like to add things like knives and BBQ tools.  HA!  I didn't pick out too much, but I picked out some staple items.  It got me dreaming about a home with a husband, cooking together, dining together, shopping together, adding some kids to the picture....my head was spinning.  And I kept picturing one guy in particular....it's too early in the dating picture to tell, but it was interesting that his head kept popping into mine.

Wednesday night was Cinco de Mayo at House of Blues and Havana Social Club with a double date.  I was setup with a music producer (hottie) - 28 years old.  He was a great date! We had pre-drinks at Victory Tavern and Havana before heading to HOB for Gipsy Kings.  My date and I got along well.  The foursome was fun.  Double dates can be very cool.  My date and I played Words With Friends later in the night (so dorky), and he kicked my butt.  Currently, I am beating him, and the loser of this game will buy lunch for the winner - that's our bet.

Thursday, I had a meeting with Casey (Atlas Video Productions) and Dora (Style Advisor/Producer), and we came up killer ideas for new Project Husband videos.  Dora also found me two amazing skirts at Buffalo Exchange for $7 each!  They were free for me since I traded in some clothes.

Friday night, I wore one of the new skirts (short and lacy and very Sex in the City).  And, I took a date with me to my girlfriend's birthday party.  She is my maid-of-honor!  We've only known each other for about 3 years, but she is an awesome friend, she's a planner, her job gives her some flexibility to plan, and she's local in Dallas.  I feel it's practical to choose a maid-of-honor who lives in town.  It's a tough job to do remotely.  So, for her birthday, we had dinner at Palomino followed by drinks and music at Poor David's Pub and Lee Harvey's.  My date was awesome - everyone loved him.  He brought an extend-a-fork, which was a hit for reaching calamari at the other end of the table.  It also helped me get some awesome penne pasta bites.  Another bridesmaid, Joanie, attended the celebration, as well.  She approved of my date wholeheartedly, and Monica (maid-of-honor) approved, as well....big points for my date!!!

Saturday, I was set up with a patent attorney who is also a budding fashion designer.  He's a total hottie - 30 years old....we had dinner at The Fish in West Village.  It was an early night for me with church and Chick Singer Night the next day.  But, I felt he and I had a lot in common - corporate background with creative goals.  We'll see.....!!  He said he'd come to the bachelorette auction this Wednesday at Lemon Bar to get my bids up :)

Yesterday, I began the day with church in Frisco.  It was Mother's Day, of course.  So I shared a new song with the congregation - my song, One Little Star, which I wrote for my mom.  My church is the best, because it is small and mighty, the people care, and I get paid to sing uplifting music!

After church, I flew back downtown, ate lunch, showered and got ready for Chick Singer Night at House of Blues.  My awesome Style Advisor, Dora Chu, found me an incredible dress to wear - from a shop called Cabana on Lovers.  I arrived at HOB for rehearsals in my Juicy sweat outfit (feeling so comfy) and later changed into the navy sequin dress with hot pink accents.  The dress was a hit - because guys and girls alike commented!  I even received a text today from a cute boy that I looked gorgeous and he loved the dress....

Tonight, I have been set up with a Management Analyst - by my friends at No Excuses (which is a dating service) - we shall see how it goes!!!!

Kentucky Derby

I had a fantastic time this past weekend at the Kentucky Derby.  It was a last minute trip since my dad's date had cancelled on him....and I had said - why not take me as your date, Dad?!  There's power in asking the simple questions!!  Next thing I knew, I was en route to Louisville.

When I arrived at the airport, I was greeted by a cute girl in a hat with a basket of bourbon balls. That bourbon ball tasted great since I hadn't eaten breakfast.  Then, I saw some girls at a Red Bull booth, and they hooked me up with a Sugar Free Red Bull.  What a great way to start the day.

I arrived at the hotel near the airport and found that my dad was ready to go - he grabbed us some champagne, and I changed into my pink dress and pink hat (chosen for me by Dora Chu). She is amazing - she found my Friday outfit for under $100 (with the hat), and I loved my ensemble!  My dad and I coordinated colors, and we made a great pair.

We headed off to the races, and it was a lovely day....full sunshine, lots of mint juleps and lots of hotties!  The Bacardi Lounge offered great people watching and mingling.  I met a new friend, Katie, who loved helping me pass out Project Husband business cards and interact with new men, including gorgeous men in uniform.  We got some great pics and had many laughs.

The next day, I wore an amazing dress by Nha Khanh with a black hat, which my dad chose for me.  I felt like a princess.....and I lost count of the number of people who loved my dress. It is fun to be a girl....I met tons of cute boys during the day, and I ended up meeting one who joined my group for dinner.  He lives in Austin, so we'll see.....he has my number.

All in all, it was a super fun weekend - neither my dad nor I won on our bets, but we won in fun!  It was the first time he and I had a trip alone together, and it was awesome.  I think it's important for a girl to connect with her father.  The security of the father/daughter relationship surely affects other relationships.  I can see that my dad is only human - and the same goes for guys I'm dating...no one is perfect, but they can be lovable in their strengths and imperfections.  My dad is single, too, so it's kind of fun to witness his dating scenarios and see that he struggles with some of the same dating issues.  Dating woes are not gender specific - in fact, dating and woes go together....it's all about knowing what you want and persisting until you find it.

So many good things....

Wow - life is a whirlwind right now.  I'm meeting so many amazing people as a result of launching Project Husband.  I'm truly seeing the power of intention.  Today, I went to the Bishop Arts District to pick up a vintage hat for my Kentucky Derby dress - again, my stylist, Dora Chu, delivered.  She found me an amazing bright pink dress (designer) for $50 and a sweet pink hat for $40.  We decorated the hat today with lace and flowers, and I can't wait to wear it.  I will be my dad's date this weekend in Louisville for the races.  We plan on helping each other meet single people!!  As I entered Bishop Arts District, I saw stores called alchemy and epiphany - two important elements of my life, and I felt I was exactly where I needed to be.  It gave me chills.

I have a follow up date tonight with the marathon date guy....we saw each other last night and picked up where we left off - even there had been some space and time between us.  Another great guy I met on match is calling and remaining very cool - so I can't wait to see him when I get back from Kentucky.

I am about to jump on a radio interview and get picked up by my date.  I wasn't going to go out tonight since I have an early flight tomorrow, but Robert Kelly (one of my all-time favorite comedians) is performing at the Improv in Addison, and I have to see him.  He opened for Dane Cook recently, and Robert Kelly had me belly laughing to the point of sweet pain.  I can't wait to see him in a small venue.

So far, so good......I had an amazing photo shoot thanks to Premiere Photography yesterday - we shot at Piazza in the Village (the wedding venue), and I think the photos will be incredible.  I got a glimpse, and I am very impressed.  I am so happy and blessed to have encountered competent, kind and compassionate people as a result of Project Husband.  I have been blessed with many great friends in my life, and now, I feel the Project Husband "village" will lead me to my soulmate.

Also today, I worked with Shana Stein - she delivers the most incredible private yoga lessons.  I so needed her today - and I needed the yoga to get centered.  I also taught her voice and songwriting, and we started our first composition today.  It's called Wanderlust.  I am so excited and inspired.

Gotta run for my date and interview!!!