Last weekend was amazing! Not only was I blessed enough to experience my first Emmy nomination this year for my work as the Face of MyINDY-TV… I won! The regional Emmys awards ceremony took place in Cleveland on June 11th. I took home the Emmy in the “Outstanding Talent – Host” category and I’m still in shock… the ceremony was a new experience for me and it was inspirational to be around so many talented media professionals. I also had the pleasure of meeting legendary meteorologist Dick Goddard. MyINDY-TV took home trophies in all three categories we were nominated in… I love working for such a great station!

Sooooo… I’m super excited because a really cool event is happening in Indy this Sunday!

Students from all over the city are coming together, partnered with industry professionals, for a cultural explosion of music, dance, fashion and art.

The event is going to showcase our community’s cultural diversity and the talents of area young people as they pursue their dreams against all odds.

Fight the Wackness and the COLORS program are putting on the event and I will definitely be in the house!

If you’d like to buy tickets to support and hang out, here’s some info:

COLOR THE RUNWAY
SUN, FEB 20
IUPUI CAMPUS CENTER ROOM 450
317-401-9225

Happy new year y’all! I’m so excited to kick off 2011… 2010 flew by and was full of blessings for me–including landing my gig as the new Face of MyINDY-TV. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store.

As far as resolutions… I have a ton (don’t we all?) but I’ll let you in on one that everyone will get to follow along with as I (if all goes as planned!) progress: GUITAR!

I started lessons with Fishers Guitar this past autumn and love it. I can be a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to practicing (anything, lol) but I’ll keep you updated and maybe even get some behind-the-scenes footage of my lessons… practice sessions… and dare I say, performance? I’ll have to work my way up to that one! (Way up…)

Well, anyhoo, hope your new year celebration was as awesome as mine–can’t wait to mix and mingle with even more of Indy in 2011!

Over and out!
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.

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/

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!