It's My Birthday I Can Come Out if I Want To

Happy Birthday to Me ;D

Well friends, today is my birthday and I decided what better time to come out of the closet and get my big secret off my chest. No it's not that, get your mind out of the gutter... This is the Greek Girl we're talking about. You know, I'm your friendly, squeaky clean, girl next door, remember?  No there are no dead bodies hiding in the trunk of Johnny Jetta.  It's my birthday, and as much as it stings me to say this, today I am turning 40. OUCH, yes that did sting.

WARNING: This may be my longest blog ever, just sayin. So grab a hot beverage, make your self comfortable and continue to read on. This is important stuff coming out my noggin today.

Now, I know a lot of people are going to be surprised about this revelation, because I never ever talk about my age.  I even had to bribe Mr. Bricks with McRibs and Double Quarter Pounders with Cheese not to reveal my deep dark secret. He's such a push over for any food with grease in it. So, why did I never talk about my age until now? Well because in my noggin age is irrelevant to talent. It's not that I have a problem with it. The reason is because I am working and have been working very hard my entire life to make my dreams come true. However, the truth is, the entertainment industry in general has a problem with it.  No one comes out and talks about it, but the truth is there is an age bias within the entertainment and music industries. There I said it. So a long time ago, I decided I would not tell people my age, I just let them think whatever they wanted to think.

I'm also an actor as well as a singer, and actors play a variety of characters.  You can play older or younger, and the best actors have done it their entire career.  You can be young and play old, or old and play young, that is the beauty of acting. Here's a quick Greek Girl lesson in English:  Acting = pretend. 'nuff said. If you are already an "established" artist it is perfectly fine to be anything other than a 'tween sensation. However try and call up a record label and say, Hi, I'm 40. Do you wanna sign me?  (insert cricket sounds here...)

So what, I'm a woman (hear me roar).  I'm not a little girl dressing up vampy to look like a woman.  Why do you think American Idol/So You Think You Can Dance, etc. all have age limits? Almost every time you meet someone in the industry who can open up a door for you, whether it be an A&R rep, producer, casting director, agent, or whoever they all have an issue with age, they just don't openly admit it. Even if they are sitting straight across from you, looking right into your eyeballs... and had just listened to your music or watched your work (and said they liked it) until they asked the million dollar question, "so how old are you?"  Silly,  I know. But sadly it is true, and although it is just a number - once they have heard it, it is a game changer. It changes the entire conversation.

Everyone who reads my blog knows that I eat very healthy, workout like a crazy person, and take a lot of vitamins. I guess you can say, I am the anti-Mr. Bricks.  I'm sure my Greek genes have something to do with it, but I don't feel I look like a "typical 40-year-old".  This leads me to ask the question, what is a "typical 40 year old" supposed to look like anyway?  Why is it that some people want write off anyone over the age of 28, and God forbid they think if you are over 30, you are or should be the mother of 3.2 kids, driving a Caravan, look frumpy, and have abandoned all of your dreams? Who said that is even what a 30, 35, or even 40 or 45 year old should look like? I sure didn't get that memo :D

So, I have decided to stuff my ears full of cotton balls, and walk around going la la la la la la - I can't hear you! I have had people say to me things like, "Why on earth are you still pursuing your dream after all this time?  Don't you think it would have happened by now if it were going to happen?"  My answer is Hell to the NO.  It will happen when God wants it to happen.

OK, so why let go of my secret and come out now? I'm finally releasing it and taking it totally out of my hands.  I know if God wants me to succeed it will happen, whether people know my real age or not.  Besides I'm sure I'm not the only person out there who has a dream that feels that they have to hide their age like they are hiding a triple homicide in their background.  By putting it out there and telling everyone my real age, I hope to encourage others to stand up and say hey - I'm here. I am whatever age I am, and I'm talented, deal with it. 

I can not change the day I was born, none of us can.  We are who God created us to be. We all have unique talents, abilities and gifts he gave to each and every one if us. We are all here for a purpose.  I have zero control over what opportunities I have or have not had yet in my life.  Does that mean I or anyone else for that matter is not talented because we have not achieved our dreams by a certain age? No!  What it does mean is that it is not our time yet. Sadly, many people give up before they ever reach their dreams.  They give up because of pressure from friends, family or people who never went after their own dreams. I'm here to say DO NOT GIVE UP! It is never ever too late, as long as you are breathing, you have an opportunity to achieve your goals.

A lot of my fans have the illusion that there is some little machine making things happen in my career.  That I'm sitting in my mac-mansion counting my zillion downloads. I know people like to eat sausage, but they don't want to know how the sausage is made.  The truth is, there is no machine - it is just me and my sweetheart, and no zillion downloads -yet that is.  He also happens to be an aspiring artist, an actor and filmmaker (and he's 5 yrs. younger than me btw, score one for the Greek Girl. ) ;D.  We have chosen not to have kids until we achieve our goals.  So many people have kids and put aside their dreams and goals then end up with regrets later in life.  So nothing but Fur~kids over here - - 4 spoiled rotten doggies. Honestly, one of my goals is to be able to adopt a few kids from countries where there are so many orphans, little souls who don't have a chance and didn't ask to be born into poverty. To give them a chance and a better life.  That however will be after I have a Grammy, Oscar and an Emmy. Yes I know I have a lot of work to do...

Entertainers who are "older" & Look Gorgeous:
Jennifer Lopez 42, Johnny Depp 48, Angelina Jolie 36, Sandra Bullock 47, Mark Whalberg 40, Charlize Theron 36, Elle Macpherson 48, John Rzeznik 45 (lead singer of my fav band the Goo Goo Dolls, hubba hubba) Nicole Kidman 44, LL Cool J 43, Jennifer Aniston 42, Brooke Burke 40, Cameron Diaz 39, Halle Berry 45, Faith Hill 43, Matt Damon 40, Jennifer Garner 39, P Diddy 41, Reese Witherspoon 35, Keanu Reeves 47, Mary J. Blige 40, Gwyneth Paltrow 38, Julia Roberts 43, Jason Statham 43, The Rock Dwayne Johnson 39, James Marsden 37, Cindy Crawford 45, Shania Twain 47... Brad Pitt 47, Tony Horton 53... Hello ~ Shall I go on?...

My point today is, age is just a number.  Everyone is going to get to a certain age, even Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and yes even my little buddy Rebecca Black.  As one of my hero's Tony Horton (the creator of P90X) says "Aging Schmaging, you can get all old and crothchety or you can be in shape." The choice is up to us as to how we age.  It's never too late for your dreams to come true.  As for me, I'm going to continue to press forward toward my goal.  I have an iron will just like one of my very favorite movie characters of all time Rocky Balboa and I for one am not giving up until the fat lady sings. Well make that until the Greek Blonde Girl sings that is.

Blow out your candles & make a wish ;D xox

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com

Secret Secret I've Got A Secret

Shhhhhhhh, It's a secret

By nature Greek girls like myself are not very good secret keepers because we like to talk too much.  I never really mastered the art of not revealing a secret. My mom would warn me to "keep my trap shut." That would only last about 10 minutes. Then out of the blue my trap would fly open and I would blurt out what ever I wasn't suppose to blab about.

So imagine now when I have a big fat Greek secret that I don't want others to know about, I have a hard time trusting others because I know how hard it is for me to keep my own trap shut. Most of the times I can't even tell my sisters my secrets because they are Greek and I might as well just rent a billboard and let the whole world know about my secret. Keep in mind my sisters aren't bad girls, they are just Greek girls.

When my manager Mr. Bricks called me last night and asked me what my blog was going to be about today it turned into total muckery:

Mr. Bricks:  So what is the topic of your blog tomorrow?

Me: It's a secret

Mr. Bricks: Why can't you tell me?

Me: Why can't I tell you what?

Mr. Bricks: What your blog is about tomorrow

Me: I just told you Mr. Bricks

Mr. Bricks: No, you said it was a secret

Me: That's right. It's a secret

Mr. Bricks: So you won't tell tell me?

Me:  I just did.

Mr. Bricks: No, you keep telling me it's a secret

Me:  Yes, that's because my blog topic is a secret

Mr. Bricks:  What don't you trust me? I'm not Greek. I'll keep my trap shut

Me: Mr. Bricks I told you it's a secret

Mr. Bricks: That's messed up Ava. You should just tell me

Me: (Frustrated) So Mr. Bricks, what do you think my Blog is about today?

Mr. Bricks: I don't know it's a secret

Me: That's what I have been trying to tell you

Mr. Bricks: Huh? What?  Oh never mind, I will never understand you Greek girl

Me: Shut your pie hole Mr. Bricks

Well my secret is still safe for now!

Blessings,

Ava

xox

You Can't Say That

So yesterday my blog post was one of my Saturday Morning Cartoons about myself and my manager Mr. Bricks. I finally revealed on my blog a big fat Greek secret I had been keeping for almost 6 months. The secret is that my manager is a former clown.  This morning Mr. Bricks called me super early and said, "You can't say that."

So apparently I am not allowed to talk about the days Mr. Bricks put on grease paint and a wig to make people laugh. Even if I think it is super cool, I can't let on. I had just found out something I can now hold over Mr. Bricks' head to get my way on things.  We all do that to some degree.

It is a trait we all learn from our parents. I remember one hot summer day when I was little and with my mom running errands. She stopped at a local ice cream store so we both could get a cone with a mixed swirl of 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 vanilla soft serve ice cream. I was licking away at the melty frozen treat - probably getting more on my little Greek face than in my pie hole - when my Mom dropped a bombshell. "Ava, you can't say anything about this to your sisters."

Exsqueeze me?  I just had a chocolate and vanilla swirl soft serve ice cream cone and my sisters did not and now you tell me I can't say anything about that? No way. That's not in my little kid deal memo. But I towed the line like any little girl wanting to please their Mom would do, and when I got home my face had been wiped clean and I didn't let on to anyone.

A few days later I wanted to have my friend Patty come over and write a song with me. Patty was a class mate of mine and we both were into writing songs, singing and boys. My mom wasn't to keen on me having Patty come over on a school night and quickly put the kaboosh on our impromptu get together. That's when a mischievous idea popped into my little Greek noggin. I didn't know that mischievous idea had a name until years later. They say the name of my idea was called Blackmail.

Yep, I told my mom that if she did not let Patty come over I was going to tell my sisters that Mom liked me best and that she even took me out for ice cream without them. My mom was smart and knew she had been had. She knew it was not a good idea to get the 5 Aston girls all riled up before bed time. So needless to say Patty and I had a great time writing songs (about boys) that night.

So, ok Mr. Bricks I will play your silly reindeer games. My lips are sealed (for now) about you being a former clown with Ringling Bros. Sometimes silence is not only golden, but also very valuable.

What's the biggest secret you have ever kept for a friend only to use it later for your gain? Please, do not make any serial murder confessions here because I won't keep your secret.

Blessings,

Ava

xox

Why I might end up on Dateline NBC

Happy Saturday Friends!

My manager Mr. Bricks is trying to grab the headlines away from Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan with what he reveals in todays cartoon. This is the animated video the whole internet is talking about. Watch it and find out what is Mr. Bricks' deep dark secret really is.

Blessings,

Ava

xox