Natalise

Interesting Encounter on an Airplane #1

Natalise — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:32:00 +0000

Flight:
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES - BURBANK TO NEWARK

Sitting Between:
DR. PAT and a WINDOW

Mood:
Not Awesome

I was in a pissy mood. I was feeling a little sick and congested, which irritated me not only because of the cold itself, but also because I knew that our descent would make my ears plug to the point of pain. As a kid, I hated airplanes because I would be holding my head against the front seat every time the plane descended. This problem went away as I got older, but always returned with even slight congestion. Not fun.

Needless to say, I was not in the talking mood. So when Dr. Pat started talking to me midway through our long flight to Newark, I was like OMG. I can’t even hear him, or myself. I feel sick. Stop talking to me. Dr. Pat is in his late 60s, had a copy of the New York Times, and diligently read from cover to cover. He also took a pill at the beginning of the flight, which made me think – Great. He’s sick, too. That’s just what I need… another sick person next to me to get me even more sick (an aside: I’m kind of a b*tch when I’m sick, if you couldn’t already tell).

Like any stranger on a plane, he asked me if I was from Newark or from LA, what I did for a living, if I had siblings, what ethnicity I am, etc. It was a long flight, and I’m sure he was bored. I answered his questions, and like any polite little girl, I asked him the same questions. Now, I have a soft spot for old people… and I also have a soft spot for people who are actually smart. Turns out, the more he talked, the more I found he was actually really cool. A retired doctor who traveled to different countries with Doctors Without Borders, he literally helped save lives.

Dr. Pat started talking to me about his kids, their education, and his struggle and sacrifice to provide for his family. See, I also have a soft spot for people who work really hard. My parents were both immigrants, so I totally admire people with a great work ethic, who’ve had to grind hard to get where they are. He continued on to ask me about my educational background and my parents. I told him that I had gone to Stanford and was now a musician and songwriter in LA. He asked me if I thought about grad school ever. I told him that my parents continually encourage me to go to business school and that I’ve always had sort of an entrepreneurial spirit, but that I am, for now, pursuing what makes me happy. He then went on to tell me that I really should go to business school – why wouldn’t I, he said. “You’re a smart girl. You owe it to your parents.” His words “you owe” really struck a chord with me because in all fairness, I do feel like I owe a lot to my parents. For a minute, he really made my head spin. Maybe I could do both. Maybe I should do both. Maybe…

It was a long flight, and he started asking me what kind of music I write. I told him pop. He asked again, and I said I play piano, but it’s really just pop music. He continued to ask, and so finally, I asked him if he’d like to hear some music. I had my laptop, so I played him “Open Me” (if you haven’t heard it, go to http://on.fb.me/natalise and download it for free!).

I gave him my headphones and he began to listen. Two minutes went by and he was still listening. He listened all the way to the end without barely any movement. With one second left to go on the track, he slowly took the headphones off and turned to me. Dr. Pat then said with the utmost gravity, “I can’t let you go to business school. I won’t allow it. This is amazing.”

He practically made me cry. For the last forty minutes he had been pushing me like a stand-in father, telling me that I had to go to business school, that I needed to think about my future… that I owed it to myself and my parents… and my future kids. He actually made me feel guilty about the whole thing, like I was selfish for choosing to pursue my music. But now, after a mere four minutes, he did a 180. It was funny and kinda sweet. He excitedly spouted, “Who is your agent? Who is your manager? Get him on the phone with me! I need to tell him to push you harder. You have talent. That’s amazing. Some people say they are ‘musicians’ and they are OK. But you – you’re the real deal. You’re a genius!” I started laughing. I assured him I wasn’t.

But I was grateful. The music industry is hard. People are harsh and you have to continue to remind yourself everyday why you’re in it… why you deserve to be in it. It never ceases to try to test you. Every day there are hundreds of reasons why you are reminded that another, more traditional option is probably easier. It can be an emotional roller coaster. Dr. Pat’s turnaround was certainly a pleasant surprise. He asked to hear more, so I played him some unreleased songs ;)

So Dr. Pat, I’m sure you don’t have a FB page. And I’m sure you won’t ever read this, but thank you for that moment. I really do appreciate it, and I’ll remember what you said in the inevitable moments when I may have doubts… and be reminded that you forbid me to go to business school (until I’m willing and ready... on my own terms).

My New Song "Open Me" is Finally Up!

Natalise — Tue, 24 May 2011 09:20:00 +0000

Hey guys...!

I recorded a new song called "Open Me", and I'm so excited about it. :) But before it goes "out" into the world of iTunes and all that craziness, I wanted to first share it with you on Facebook.

If you go to http://on.fb.me/natalise you'll be able to listen, download, & share it. Let me know what you think! And if you like it, please post/forward it on to your friends!

Thank you so much!

xoxo, Natalise

OPEN ME Music Video - Thoughts // Behind the Scenes

Natalise — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Shooting "Open Me" was a very different experience than that of other videos I've shot. With other videos, I had dancers/choreography, characters, etc. But this was just me... out in the open.

The song is true (like almost all of my other slow songs), but just very, very personal. Every relationship I've had (good and most definitely bad) have led me to this song. The feelings of and in this song are real, and so I knew the music video had to reflect this notion. No walls. No guard. Just me. Ahhhh! (That's my brain talking in fear and anxiety). It was different.

On the fourth take of one of the set ups, I got a bit emotional. Started crying... which was actually quite embarrassing. There is a line in the song that I have a great deal of conviction for, but also mixed emotions, and that's where it came from. I don't know if we'll be using anything from that take... but it is a moment I won't forget.

The directors of the shoot are people very dear to me, one of them being my cousin Wayne. (Alex, I heart you, too). They are a directing team based in the UK, and you will be hearing about them in no time. (They've just finished directing the last season of "Secret Diary of a Call Girl," which airs on Showtime in the US starting in April). Anyway, the shoot came together in a matter of days and they were wonderful enough to make it happen...! I saw some of the playback and it's lovely. The lighting was just magical. They are brilliant. I'm excited to see how it comes out!! And of course, I'm excited to share it with you when it does!

I'll have more thoughts, pics, and whatnot as the release comes closer, but I thought I'd share some now while they are fresh in my mind. :)

xo, Natalise

P.S. Below is a video I shot as I was getting ready... if you have problems viewing on here, you can also check it out on my facebook page!

The Vegan Challenge - Day #6 and #7

Natalise — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Being vegan is a piece of cake when you're sick... because you aren't eating anything anyway. So Day #6 was a breeze. I had a lot of fruit, some more saltines, and drank a lot of liquid...

Today is technically my "last" day of the Vegan Challenge, and I'm currently eating this: "beef" stir-fry over quinoa (keeN-wa). And... it's pretty good, actually. Yayyyyy! The texture is not like beef, but you gotta get over texture. Beef is hard to chew, anyway. Overrated. ;)

Vegan food is good. I mean, I know it is because here in LA there are restaurants like Sunpower Natural Cafe and Real Food Daily that are really amazing. I would eat at those places all the time. Plus, I love vegetables (LOVE kale!) and fruit (my favorite fruit is strawberries and watermelon- SO good).

I think if you are not a vegan, you should give it a fair chance. Go to a highly rated vegan restaurant or to whole foods... I think you'll be pleasant surprised. All vegan food, like "regular" food, is not created equal. So don't go to any old place and think you'll get something spectacular. There are certainly vegan products I've tried that are not so great. (See Day #2 or #3). But, overall there are some fantastic restaurants and companies out there that make vegan-friendly food.

I don't know if I will transition over to becoming a vegan for good. But I'm certainly not opposed to it. I think eating at least more vegan will be in my future. After all, it is scientifically healthier, more eco-friendly, and (honestly) more socially responsible. Just check out this article, issued by a medical community. Also, I remember going on a date with a surgical oncologist (the date was not a success, but that's a whole other story-boooo). Anyway, he said that the healthiest diet to prevent cancer is to eat vegetables and fruit... and that's it, basically. But he said that he knew most people would never subscribe to that. But what if we did? Maybe as a whole, the world's cancer rate would go down. How amazing would that be...

In any case, I still have lots of vegan food in my fridge left over from my GobbleGreen order... so I guess I'll be having those as quick, easy meals... I'm sure some will be misses, but I have faith some will be hits, as well. The key to eating vegan is this: don't think that fake chicken or beef will be like the real thing. Vegan doesn't do substitutions well. Vegan is good at REAL food... like vegetables, fruit, tofu... That being said, many restaurants are super creative with their vegan dishes. For example, the Kale Colossus salad at Sunpower Natural is amazing... it's my favorite salad in all of LA. Seriously. I highly recommend it.

If you find other restaurants or dishes you'd like to recommend, let me know!
xoxo, Natalise

The Vegan Challenge - Day #4 and #5

Natalise — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:46:00 +0000

Ok, so this whole vegan week has been an upset since I've been sick for most of it. So I don't have any crazy pictures or videos for you.

I've been in bed for the majority of the time I've been awake. Yesterday I couldn't even get out of bed because I was so dizzy and still had super yucky chills... and then a blazing hot fever.

I did go to the doc yesterday, though, and got some antiobiotics. Turns out I have strep! Ew. Boo. Fail. Negative. Yuck.

So... today I'm feeling a little bit better.

I did, for the first time in however many days (I'm losing track of what has happened in the last couple of days), look in my freezer of vegan "treats." I pulled out a banana-nut muffin. I heated it and ate it. Honestly, they shouldn't label things if they don't really taste like what they say they are. It would have been better had they called it a "banana nut starchless mochi cake." See, at that point, I would have been utterly confused and not known what to expect. And by that mere lack of expectation, I would have ate it and been like "hmmm... that's interesting... weird texture, but not bad." But since they labeled it a "muffin," I expected a buttery, moist, muffin. But alas, it was not. Now, to be honest, I actually was OK with it since I like mochi and other such chewy delites... but it didn't meet my expectation of a muffin. Hence, why I've dedicated a blog to this subject.

So here's the lesson for today, if I ever want to make something vegan and have someone like it... don't tell them what it's supposed to be... just tell them what it really is... e.g. "It's not 'chicken,' it's spruced-up tofu," or "it's not a 'pancake,' it's... 'panbread' - a chewy, bread-like substance, flavored with cinnamon... which you may or may not like and should not be confused with a pancake in any way shape or form" (Can you tell I'm still bitter about the disgusting pancake I ate the other day?). Honesty is the best policy.

Life is all about expectations. It sucks to be disappointed.

The Vegan Challenge - Day #3

Natalise — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:12:00 +0000

Today's challenge was sort of non-existent. I've been sick all day... in bed. I've been going back and forth between shivery chills and a high fever. Needless to say, it sucks.

Good news is... I'm still a vegan this week. (yayyyy....)

I had some saltines, aloe water, some strawberries, and some honeydew.

I'd really like some soup right about now... in a bread bowl...

The Vegan Challenge - Day #2

Natalise — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:56:00 +0000

Breakfast. Vegan Apple Cinnamon Pancakes. Umm... I hate to say this because there are many wonderful vegan restaurants I've been to in LA and SF... but these pancakes did not do vegan food justice. They were gross. They fell apart, texture was weird... and it had this unwanted aftertaste of saffron. It was almost savory or something. Not a fan. The hard sausage/cheese biscuit yesterday was better. I think I may have to veer off from this GobbleGreen meal plan and just go vegan this week on my own.

Clearly, I don't have any qualms veering off the road, as I went to a restaurant last night. BTW - last night, when we told the waiter at Bottega Louie we were going vegan this week, he laughed... and gave us the look like... "and why did you come here?"

Oh well.

Ok, I'll perhaps give this frozen food thing another chance later today or tomorrow... but for now, I'm going to get some fruit.

Lunch/Dinner. Ok... never made it this far. I was in bed with ridiculous, shivering chills... and now I'm in bed with a full blown fever. I need a doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor...!

In terms of meals? I've had five saltines and some aloe juice. Hey, it's still vegan!
xo, N

Dinner. I changed my mind. It's 9:30pm and I was hungry even though I still feel sick and feverish. Looked in my freezer and pulled out the sweet potato croquettes with spinach (first thing I grabbed... didn't want to look around in the freezer too long as it was cold). I didn't have high hopes about my chosen treat... but low and behold... it was actually not bad! Added some sriracha, and it was the best meal from GobbleGreen yet.

The Vegan Challenge - Day #1

Natalise — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:09:00 +0000

For a week, I've decided to go vegan... starting today. It's Wednesday, February 23rd. I've ordered a bunch of food from GobbleGreen. I'll be uploading updates as I go...!

Day #1: Brunch. Vegan "Sausage/Cheese" Sandwich. Bread is a bit "bagely," but I like chewy-texture-y things... so for me, it's not a big deal. "Meat" is not bad. And it's bite-sized. Again, good for me. I'm using sriracha. That's not cheating, right?

Okay... I've waited 5 minutes to take another bite... and the bread has gotten increasingly hard. It doesn't taste bad... based on taste, I'd eat this again. But, perhaps this wouldn't be good for people who don't eat fast...!

Off to yoga... will share more later...!

Snack. A small bag of raisins. I forgot how much I like raisins. But truth be told, aren't raisins high in calories... and shouldn't I be eating grapes instead?

Dinner. Veered off from the GobbleGreen meal plan (already!) and went to Bottega Louie. If you’ve never been to this gem of a restaurant, you should…! The décor is grand and fun, at the same time. The bakery section alone is worth the trip. It’s kind of fab, actually. The desserts are beautiful… and they have rosewater macaroons (I love anything rose flavored!).

Of course, I didn’t have any because I’m a good girl… and stuck to my vegan plan.

So I ordered… vegetables! In the defense of vegetables, the pumpkin squash was amazing… and who knew broccolini was so good?

BUT… I will, however, be seeking out a vegan bakery this week to compensate for my good behavior. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share!! xoxo

Today's Photoshoot! :)

Natalise — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:08:00 +0000

Was in Downtown LA all day today shooting.

Here I am on the left with Fitz and Gianni (Fitz is the photographer on the ladder). They are funny... and talented... and fun. :)

I love this dress, btw. You can't really see it in the picture, but it has wires on the bottom. It's kind of sick in person, actually.

Also, you will notice my hair is in a ponytail...

I never put my hair in a ponytail unless I'm working out, but it was Lafe's idea (Lafe is a friend who I recruited to come help me. He used to be a stylist at Fred Segal... and he's a boy-diva. <3 it). Shoots always make people closer, and I think we certainly are. After all, once someone has seen you in your undies (or less than), there's not much else, is there?

In any case, we were shooting from about 10am-5:30pm. So many interesting locations and shots... I am excited to go through them soon :)

All the looks were different in their own way, but I just tried to stay true to my personality and lifestyle. But as a taste, I'll post one here.... let me know what you think!

Excited to show you more later...!
xoxoxox

It's F*cking Freeeeeeeezing but... Awesome

Natalise — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:48:00 +0000

Hi all of you beautiful people! Utah has been SO cold. lol. I've been a California girl wussy. Good thing my mom sent me some "Hot Hand" Warmers. If you don't know what they are, they are amazing hot packets that you hold in your hands to warm you up. I actually had argued with my mom on the phone saying that I didn't need it. It went something like, "Nooooooo, Mom. I don't neeeeeeed them. I'm fine!!!! I'm not five years old." She mailed them anyway. She's insistent, clearly. But, I guess moms always know best... because they are like magic in a bag.

Anyway, it's f*cking cold. There is snow everywhere. Check it out in my video:

So, like I said, I performed the other day... and since then, I've gotten to hang out and be an adventurer. Today, I walked on Main St. and got a whole bunch of cool swag. And THEN, I went to the ASCAP Cafe. It was awesome. I am a fan of Matt Nathanson, and he killed it today performing some new songs off of his next album. I loved every minute. Music. Is. Awesome. :)

Tomorrow is my last day here, and I'll be catching some buzzworthy films...

Even though it has been fun meeting filmmakers and music people, I'm looking forward to returning to LA. I just got the latest mix of my song "Open Me," and I'm so excited to share it with you. So look out for that soon on my FB & YouTube pages! xoxoxoxoxo

I'm a Sundance Virgin ;)

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:17:00 +0000

I am so excited to go to Sundance this year. It will be my first time, and I hear it's a blast!! (And that it's beautiful, too). My only fear is that it will be freeeeeezing. Seriously. I'm a Cali girl all the way, so any number of degrees below 70 is really cold for me. Ask my friends. I'm a wuss, decked out in a huge jacket, scarf, and mittens (well gloves... but I just love the word "mittens" - it's so cute).

Anyway, I'll be performing on Sunday, the 23rd at a private music showcase hosted by Koffeehouse. I'll be doing my new song "Open Me," which I hope to preview on YouTube soon. The song describes a personal moment I had in a new relationship (after a string of really yucky-how-could-you-do-this-to-me-or-anyone-don't-you-have-a-soul kind of relationships). lol. I can laugh about it now because it seems so silly. But we all go through that, right? In any case, I think you'll get the idea when you hear it.

So back to Sundance -- I'm psyched about performing this song in Park City! It should be fun... AND, the evening's showcase will be recorded and aired on Park City TV, so that's an added bonus. YAY! :)

I will write you when I'm out there... and tell if you if anything crazy happens.
xoxo,
Natalise
P.S. If you have any suggestions for where to eat or what to do, write me a note on www.facebook.com/natalise