I grew up in Manhattan, New York City and Princeton, New Jersey. I moved here when I was 13 years old when my mom came here to start a business and reunite with family (she’s a fifth generation Houstonian!) I went to Boston when I was 18 for college and returned at 23.

1. Trish McEvoy Instant Eye Lift – that stuff makes you look awake no matter what.
2.  Bronzer.
3.  Any YSL mascara. Right now I’m using “Shocking.”

My husband, without a doubt. Before we met, I had maybe ONE item in my closet that wasn’t black. Not only that, everything I wore was too big for me and I didn’t realize it. Two-and-a-half-years after meeting him, my closet is a rainbow. I loved dressing up like a 60+ year old business-woman, but he definitely helped me understand I can look sophisticated without wearing all-black all the time. Colors are so much fun… who knew?!

Hmmm. I love Marzipan. It’s probably the only thing I can’t imagine not eating the whole box of – I’ve loved it since I was a kid. That said, I don’t think of too many things as “indulgences.” This is life: enjoy it all, everything and every bite. I think if we lived a little bit more like Italians and let ourselves “indulge” in the simple pleasures everyday, we might not feel like we need to eat a whole bag of whatever we’ve been depriving ourselves of every time we get the chance. Pleasure doesn’t have to be so scarce.

Wow. Too many things I could list here, but lately I’ve been living by “Keep it Simple” and “Only Love is Real.” I get overwhelmed very easily, so “Keep it Simple” helps me to break up my day into little bits of time so I can see exactly what’s in front of me. I like “Only Love is Real” because I think there’s a lot of fear in our world right now, and fear is so easy to get wrapped up in. Love is the only way to light up the darkness. One last one: Oprah always says “Whatever you are, that is your platform.” I’ve always liked that. I think she’s saying that every life has meaning, and everyone you talk to is equally important. You don’t have to be “famous” to make an impact. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.

I already mentioned Oishi, but I also love Riva’s, Uchi, Lucile’s, Brennan’s and tons of others. Those restaurants aside, most nights you can find me hunching over a lamb gyro Greek salad from Niko Nikos. We also have so many great stores here, it’s hard to list all my favorites. Miles David Atelier is way up there for me, and I’m also not one of those people who loathes The Galleria. My Gramma loves taking me shopping there – she used to take me there all the time when I was little and visiting from the East coast. Whenever I walk in the doors, it smells just like her. Speaking of my Gramma, she also used to love taking me out for a burger at The Post Oak Pharmacy. I think I’m still grieving the fact that it’s not there anymore. Call me “old at heart…”

My husband, Ben Rose, is running for Texas State Representative of District 134 here in Houston in the upcoming November 2016 election. I couldn’t be prouder. I’m not technically his “campaign manager” as I joked above, but it’s hard not to spend every extra minute I have helping him out. We have less than a year to get him to Austin where he can make a real difference for our great state. It’s definitely a family effort, and I’m all-in. As for travel, we just came off of a 3,000 mile road-trip through Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. We’ve got a lot on our plates this year but travel is our favorite thing to do together – I’m sure more adventures await!

I love movies, and I have no qualms about going by myself. If I have a break in the day, seeing a movie is my favorite way to spend some “me-time”, decompress and stir my creativity. Aside from that, I’m the proud fur-mama to our wonderful dog, Hampton. He makes it difficult to leave him, so we know all the dog-friendly restaurants and other spots in town so I never have to.

I eat at Oishi, a super-tiny sushi restaurant in Greenway, almost every day. Not only is their sushi the best in Houston, but it’s also about half the price of anywhere else. It can be hard to get in depending on what time of the day you go (it’s a very small space), but it’s always worth the wait. Ben and I have no problem sitting outside for an hour just for a few bites of heaven.

Last year I went through my closet to pull things I don’t wear anymore and donate them… almost everything I pulled was something I’d purchased online. I made a vow to stop shopping on the internet then and there, but every once in awhile I give in to temptation. Of the three you mentioned, I’m definitely more likely to visit a “lifestyle website” these days. One that comes to mind is my friend Esther Freedman’s blog on her children’s clothing website, www.cuteheads.com – she is SO real and refreshing. You don’t have to have a baby at home to relate. I also find great steals on Asos.com, and lately I can’t keep off of my friend David Peck’s new clothing store website, www.shopmilesdavid.com. I get so inspired by the looks he creates.

I only have one: Beauty is an inside job.

Besides God, Family and Friends, I could probably live without almost everything, besides maybe a shower, heater (I’m always cold) and a good place to get my eyebrows waxed so they stay eyebrows, plural. I also need information, education, and a place I can write everything down. My mind always needs something to do, and somewhere to put itself.

Yes. Our dog Hampton sleeps next to me on the floor, and I probably wake up between 1 and 5 times per night to make sure he’s still breathing. If I can’t hear him or see his tummy going up and down, I’ll wake him up. Poor baby finds me terribly annoying.

We went to Bali on our honeymoon. That was pretty impossible to beat, but it’s all about who you’re traveling with. We took a no-frills road trip through Germany a few months later and that might have been my favorite trip of all time, even though Bali is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I also love being in Israel. Jerusalem holds something very special for me.

I’ve never even thought this or said it out loud before, but this is what came to mind when I read your question: I would star in or be part of making movies that were about things I really care about. I just saw the movie Spotlight, which is about the investigative reporting team at The Boston Globe when they uncovered the sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. One of the real-life reporters on that investigative team, Walter Robinson, was one of my college professors. I would love to be able to tell stories like his in a way everyone can be a part of them. Not only that, but I think being an actor gives you a chance to live out multiple incredible stories in one lifetime. Movies are like magic to me.

Like I just said, Spotlight was incredible. I also loved Brooklyn, Trumbo, and The Danish Girl. Joy and The Big Short are next on my list.

Director of Programming and Communication, Congregation Shma Koleinu. Blogger, TheLightFlies.com, Wife/Honorary Campaign Manager: Ben Rose For State Rep. District 134.

I’m 27 🙂

I weighed 27 pounds when I was 1. There’s a photo of me stuffing an Almond Joy into my mouth while dressed as a pumpkin for my first halloween and that pretty much sums it all up. I no longer have three chins and five rolls on each thigh, but I definitely still have some of the gusto of that big one-year-old I once was. I was a super-hairy, big, loud child, kind of like the woman in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” when she was little. I always wanted to be like one of my dainty blonde friends, but no matter how you cut it, I just wasn’t. I still feel like that big hairy kid sometimes, and while I used to lament it, I now think of it as part of what makes me relatable.