WOW. I volunteered at the Salvation Army’s Toy Shop today… I helped those less fortunate shop for free gifts to give to their children on Christmas day. In addition to the awesome feeling of giving to others I learned a little (unexpected) lesson on love!

While I was there, I came across an older gentleman who was also volunteering. The man, who looked to be in his 60s smiled brightly & said, “There goes my bride!” pointing to an older woman.

I said, “Newlyweds? Congrats!”

The man replied, “Nope–been married 15 years!”

“Geez, that gives me hope for a quintessential love.”, I responded.

“It exists! As long as there’s life, there’s hope..”, he said.

I can’t wait to have a husband who looks at me after years of marriage and still sees the bride he stood before on his wedding day. ♥

-Z

Last Thursday was the 10th annual Santa Slam concert put on by Radio Now 100.9–they were kind enough to hook me up with a backstage pass!

Carly, an intern, and I hung out backstage to watch the show and got some really cool interviews with 5-time Grammy nominee B.o.B. (aka Bobby Ray) (“Nothin’ On You”, “Airplanes”, “Don’t Let Me Fall”), Mike Posner (“Cooler Than Me”), Marianas Trench and teen heartthrob Cody Simpson!

Check out some of our pics from the concert, and be sure to check out the actual interviews here: Santa Slam 2010.

Nothing says the holidays like Jimmy Stewart in the 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life! Bring your friends and family Downtown to view this classic movie on the big screen. In the spirit of giving, you’ll definitely earn your “angel wings” Dec. 2! All proceeds will benefit Downtown Beautification, helping to keep your city clean, green and vibrant!

United Artists Circle Centre 9 Theatre presents “It’s A Wonderful Life”
Benefiting Indianapolis Downtown Beautification!

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010

5 – 6:30 p.m. – silent auction & free appetizers
6:30 p.m. – It’s a Wonderful Life screening

$5 – includes movie ticket & all festivities
United Artists Theatre – Circle Centre – 49 W. Maryland St.
Purchase tickets at the theatre or online at www.fandango.com.

Grab some great deals and holiday gifts at the silent auction. Items include gift certificates to some of Downtown’s best restaurants, hotels, attractions and more! And know your contributions are going to a great cause: Indianapolis Downtown Beautification. We’ll see you there Dec. 2!

OMG! Had an awesome time last night at Dunaway’s… it’s an amazing restaurant in downtown Indy on S. East St. They have a real cool rooftop area for eating in warm weather and their tailgating food was amazing… tiny little burgers fresh off the grill, topped with a Parmesan garlic butter spread were my faves of the night!

I held a paper-football-flicking contest and the winner walked away with a one-of-a-kind Colts prize pack that included an autographed football, $50 gift certificate to Dunaway’s, and official Colts’ and MyINDY-TV gear!!

Executive Chef Jason Alexander showed us an awesome time and we’ll definitely be back soon! Be sure to “Like” my Facebook fan page for your chance to win in the future and follow me at Twitter.com/FaceofMyINDY!

So when I found out I’d be visiting haunted houses all month long, I wasn’t too geeked up about it. I still double check my closets, shut all doors tightly, flip off the lights and dive quickly into the bed every night (because every knows that fresh linen sheets are like kryptonite to ghosts and goblins).

Our first stop was Fright Manor and I was none too pleased when I discovered that you actually get a free t-shirt for making it through the entire haunted house. Huh? A reward for survival? I offered my position as The Face for the evening to any one of the interns willing to shoot the segment for me while I cowered in the back of the station van. No such luck.

Surprisingly… I had a good time! I was absolutely terrified, horrified, and traumatized–especially considering the fact that a dead body on the floor was the first thing to great us upon entering the house, but I made it through and gosh darnit, I got my t-shirt!

Hanna Haunted Acres was just as awesome… they offer six different attractions, including a haunted hay ride, corn maze and four haunted houses. The hay ride was just my style–creepy enough to make you wanna cuddle up if you happen to be on a hot date… or… even if you’re just sitting next to a random, but understanding stranger with a free shoulder to hide your face on.

The corn maze was surprisingly fun also–better in a small group for that “how the heck are we gonna get out of here?” feel. It was fun pretending to be in your own scary movie. After that first ghoul jumped out to scare us though it was clear: every man (woman, Face of MyINDY-TV, and intern) for him or herself. The haunted houses were exciting too–crazy detailed visuals and friendly greeters who were more than willing to take you through if you were too afraid to go at it alone (ahem… ::raises hand::).

The clock is ticking, and why not take advantage of this awesomely random warm weather by getting a good scare before it gets cooler? Check out the haunted houses’ sites for pricing and hours of operation! I’m going to go get some garlic, rosaries, and Ghostbuster backpack thingys before our next stop… Necropolis!

http://www.frightmanor.com/

http://www.hannahauntedacres.com/

Definitely had THEE most delicious lunch today at Saffron Cafe with contest winner, Jade Howard. Turns out Jade is a pretty awesome photographer! You can check out his work at www.jadefoxpictures.com.

We hung out with a couple of my co-workers and had a really good time. I had the chicken kabobs w/yellow rice & roasted potatoes. The spicy sauce on the side? Something. Serious. Ingest with caution!! We topped off lunch with some delicious (and rich!) Baklava… I got served Moroccan green tea w/mint leaves–my little Moroccan cup was even accompanied by my own personal tea pot!

The vibe was super mellow, colorful, and definitely Moroccan–just like the food they serve. It’s in the heart of downtown Indy and I’m gonna go ahead and recommend you check it out: www.saffroncafe-indy.com!

Sooo… I’m pretty excited! I started private guitar lessons out in Fishers a couple weeks ago and so far so good. They always say it’s harder to pick up these sorts of things once you’re older, but it’s not so bad and I’m loving it. Except after practicing for more than 15 minutes… we’re talking serious fingertip issues.

I’m obsessed (in a totally non-creepy way) with neo-soul/r&b artists like India.Arie, Corrine Bailey Rae and most recently Laura Izibor (check ‘em out!). Being able to play their music would be fun and if I was a guy I bet it would totally help me pull the ladies. I’m not sure if it works the other way around though. Does it??

Hmmm… maybe I’ll walk around downtown with a guitar and see what happens.

Fishers Guitar Lessons! (tell Lee I sent you!)

–Zuri, out!

So I’m finally getting the hang of the blog… mentally prepare yourself for a (potential) barrage of posts in the coming weeks. Here are some more of the photos from my first shoot as the Face of MyINDY-TV! Hopefully there are many more to come!

So, I hung out with some of the lovely ladies auditioning for a spot on the Pacemates roster for this upcoming season! Make sure you check out the interviews online at IndyTV.com!

Check out one of the photos from my first photo shoot.

This is my first blog…woohoo! Be sure to come back and check out more posts in the near future to stay updated on what I’ve got going on!

-Z