And some more...

Delilah is waiting for the dogs to return the
tennis ball at Newman's Castle.



One film crew, one bike, one family, one castle.

A great shot of Phenix Blacksmith.

Cowboy made this...and I used it to storm the

castle hours later!

A great picture of my family and crew with

Cowboy at Phenix Blacksmith.

Newman's Castle..A dream come true!

Newman's Castle...what an extraordinary place!

Prepping for the right opening.

A man and his helmet and sword.

I like this picture. It shows how impressed I

was at the first site of Newman's Castle...loved

the dogs, too!

Audrey (Production Manager), Skye (DP), and

Yelitza (Hair Stylist)at Newman's Bakery.

More pics a coming...

Interviewing Mike Newman of Newman's
Bakery in Bellville, Texas. He is also the man
that built his own castle!!!


Blacksmith "Cowboy" explaining the how to's
to Amy and Delilah.



Lunch Break at Newman's Bakery.

Cowboy demonstrating his talents!

Phenix Blacksmith...home of Cowboy.

Fun - Fun - Fun

Outside of Newman's Castle in Bellville, Texas.


Preparing sound at Phenix Blacksmith.

Amy's intro outfit which she made in 10

minutes for her opening.

Delilah and Amy posing during takes.

Day 2 pics

Filming my intro...notice the placements of the
chairs?


A I standing up or sitting down? You be the
judge.

A kiss is a kiss is a kiss is a kiss!

Walk through of my introduction.

We each have an opening segment to the show. This shows mine :)

Some Friday night thoughts...

We were able to take tons of pictures on three cameras, but we weren't able to capture every place we went...surprises me, too, since there were three cameras! But we will post any other pics we come by as soon as possible.

As editing begins, we'll also be able to snap stills from video. One place we visited and need snap shots of was a place called Copper Shade Tree in Red Top, Texas. It was an amazing space with important regional work. Amy interviewed some of the artists, too!

Our graphic designer Pamela is currently working on our website. We should be able to present it in a couple of weeks.

We didn't have to travel to Europe to see a castle? In fact, we just drove to Bellville, Texas, and met Mike Newman who built his own castle by himself...and every piece of furniture in it. It was an amazing place to see in person.

We also met a blacksmith named "Cowboy". He made Delilah a wonderful longhorn piece in less than 10 minutes! He was very enjoyable and informative.

I'll post updates as they come in (and back to mind) and keep everyone posted on the details of reaching for the stars.

More Day 1 Pics

Filming at Amy's Unique Boutique in Sealy, Texas.


Delilah found a rainbow inside Phenix Blacksmith.



Smoke set-up at Phenix Blacksmith.

Prepping for my interview which Amy did

most of :).

Cowboy and Director Matt Zettell.

The life and times of a future reality show star.

Food was great at Newman's Bakery.

I have so many pictures to post. I will try and get them done by Monday. The shooting went GREAT!!! The crew were wonderful and very professional. Delilah was a charm and Amy stole the show. Luckily, I made a few people laugh. We expect to have a teaser reel in a few weeks or so, then off to the networks we go!

More Day One PICS!!!

Patrick prepping lights.

That's our cowgirl, Amy at another

Amy's Unique Boutique in Sealy, Texas!

Amy in her opening segment. I love

this picture!!!

Skye Borgman, the Director of Photography with

Directer Matt Zettell and 1st A.D. Patrick Hoy.

Day One PICS!!!

Amy learning her lines for her introduction.

Delilah in her introduction segment.

A little star is being born right at

this very moment.

At Amy's Unique Boutique in Sealy, Texas.

See you next week!

We had our first full staff production telephone conference yesterday. It was exciting to hear each person bring their professional opinions to such a personal project. Along with the specifics of shooting a traveling show, the reality aspect was covered...more precisely, the down time! Hopefully, it will be a fast paced week for all of us.

By the way, Delilah working off a cold, but is very excited. It's great to see her ready to shine for more than just Amy and I to enjoy :)

So plans are official. The Los Angeles crew fly in town on Monday. Shooting with the local crew and talent begins on Tuesday, and by Friday we should have enough material for the next leg of this journey.

In the meantime, I will try and post some pictures from the locations, of the crew, of the hosts, and of the general happenings.

See you next week!

Better days are coming!

Just some quick notes:

We have a new graphic artist designing our website and logo! We should have something up in a few weeks.

One of our producers (Melanie) has been confirming the locations to be visited next week. Once she is done, then I will post them!

The Los Angeles crew fly in on Monday and we start shooting the pilot early Tuesday morning. We will be filming for three days. I will post pictures of the happenings, too!

The weather outlook calls for clear skies and in the mid 60's. Everything is on track, except Delilah and I are getting sick :( But as long as Amy remains healthy and Moto Guzzi remains shiny, then better days are coming! That has a nice ring to it: Better days are coming!

Now we film a pilot!

So how does one get a television show like My Family Goes... going?

Well, first, you must define your concept.

My Family Goes...

...takes viewers on fun short journeys to unique places!

...highlights people, one-of-a-kind stores and attractions to viewers who wouldn't normally come across them where they live!

...offers viewers a different perspective in traveling as a family!

...shows families a different way to have fun while traveling!

Second, you must present your topics with a unique perspective.

My Family Goes...

....co host Amy Bond La Pietra is an award winning Fashion Designer and Fashion Educator. Who better to present arts and fashion to viewers then a fashion designer?

...co host Delilah La Pietra is a young writer, performer and gifted and talented third grade student. Who better to understand and present the reality of traveling as a kid, than an
engaging kid!

...co host Angelo La Pietra is an accomplished writer, producer and entertainer. Who better to present the entertainment, historical and enjoyment perspective of locations, then a dork...I mean, me?

Plus, in today's world most families prefer to take shorter trips closer to home. And these trips often turn out to be educational while being fun. Our family is no different when it comes to this, except for two things: traveling on a motorcycle with a sidecar, and preferring to go to locations that are different and off the beaten path.

So we have our concept and our hosts. Now what? Now we film a pilot! (and not the airplane kind, either) The type of pilot we are about to film will be used to showcase our show as a "teaser" to industry, and provide us with enough material to have our first show. By the way, we start filming February 22, 2010. If you take a quick look on your computer calender, you'll know that's only eight days away. Eight days?!

And then it began.

About a year ago, I came up with an idea for a family travel show. A host family (mine, of course!) would take mini vacations on a budget. We would only visit places that were off the beaten path. Amy would talk to people about fashion and entertainment. Delilah would find fun kid activities to do. She would also meet up with local kids and chat about what makes their community a fun place to visit, even when time is limited. I would spend my time chatting with local "colorful" characters who'd be able to talk about the heritage of their community. We thought it would be fun to try a film the show with a hand held HD camera. This would give a feel of a home movie to viewers. I first named the show Go, Family, Go, then settled with My Family Goes...

Initially, we thought we had something here. Most people who meet us figure out very fast that we aren't your run-of-the-mill family. And that's either a good thing or bad thing for them. The ones who like us, stay close and the ones that don't like us run away screaming flailing their arms. Either way, we thought we would be good hosts, or least try to be to the one who might think we were loonies?

Traveling around would be great for us, too. Amy and I love to travel, but this part of the show would be especially fun for Delilah as she LOVES to take short trips anywhere that has a hotel and pool. And if your a parent traveling with a kid or kids, having them enjoy themselves during the the going to and coming from part of traveling is almost as good as the vacation spots themselves!

Although we felt we had something here, we had two very real stumbling blocks. The first was how Amy and I felt about ourselves, more specifically we had gained some extra weight and it was depressing to us. This fact had started to generally become a topic in our day-to-day lives. We thought it probably would come across on camera, too.

Now, we had been vegetarians for a couples of years, but we never really committed to educating ourselves on how to lose weight in a healthy manner. It's one thing to not eat meat, but what about all of the other foods that are a detriment to the body? A lot of vegetarian food is processed, so are most products we eat today.

The second real reason was the hook. We needed something special. Something that completed the "package." Never would I have thought it would be an Italian motorcycle and sidecar, either!

I reserved a website domain, but shelved the My Family Goes... idea until the time was ready.

One day, Amy decided that we needed to go vegan...or as close to it. After educating herself on the pro's and con's (what con's are there really to eating healthy everyday of your life?), and decided this was the right thing to do. So in early 2009, we became vegans...or as close to it!

When we began, I weighed about 250lbs. This was the maximum weight I had been in life, and it was a heavy mental burden too. I was 39 when we began and would be turning 40 that same year. I knew I could not reach the weight I wanted, so I thought if I got down to 220lbs, I would be satisfied. Amy weighed about 150lbs. She had decided that 130lbs would be her goal.

And then it began. The weight started to go. Taking out any processed foods, starting our day with a smoothie made up of spinach or other lettuce and fruits, getting rid of all types of breads and bread related products, no cheese or dairy products, and finally, no more snacking. Oh, and limited any alcohol to the bear minimum, too.

For me, it went like this: 30 days = 10 lbs. 60 days = 25lbs. 120 days = 40 lbs. 9 months = 55lbs. 1 year = 70lbs!

For Amy, it went like this: 30 days = 6lbs. 60 days = 14lbs. 120 days = 22lbs. 9 months = 28lbs. 1 year =31lbs!

If you are keeping score, I now weigh 180lbs and Amy weighs 119lbs! Not that shabby for two crumbums, eh? People always ask us if Delilah misses meat. I say why, she eats it whenever she wants. We have taken cheese and other processed items out of her diet, but she enjoys bacon with grampa too much to give up meat 100%. But even the small change in her diet, help her slim down about 10lbs :) Rumour has it, that an occasional daddy sized-bite of her steak or bacon goes missing from time to time. I know nothing about this...so don't ask. And stop looking at me like that! As Sgt. Schultz would say, "I know nothing: Nothing!"

Back to about a month ago. I had paid for the bike. It was being shipped to us. We were all happy about it. But there was still a little part of me that thought, "Why am I doing this? Do we really have the money?" I'm going to drive the bike everywhere I can, but will my family go?"

Those last three words brought everything together. The weight loss, the happiness in our family, the Moto Guzzi motorcycle, the turning 40 and wanting to live and not just survive.

We lost all of the weight and were feeling great! Plus, it made us feel more social now, too. We love and respect each other so much that it sometimes confuses people who know us. Because we live, work, play, do everything together as a family...and still want more time together.

The reality of the Moto Guzzi motorcycle coming to us completed the package for My Family Goes... Because of course my family would go with me everywhere on the bike!

How do I look baby?

Sorry for the delay in blogging, but so many exciting things are happening for the TV SHOW right now. But before I can write about that, this story continues...

As we waited for the Moto Guzzi to arrive, we began planning new adventures. And although the thought of the bike was extremely exciting, not having it actually with us did in fact diminish some of the excitement. But that changed when to made a visit to a local Cycle Gear shop. There, we all tried on as much motorcycle gear we could: gloves, jackets, helmets. By doing this, it helped us understand what we would need once the bike arrived. Safety First! Because having the right body clothing and head protection is paramount to enjoying motorcycling.

It took about a month for the our newest family addition to arrive. Amy and I went to the freight company to pick it up; probably within minutes of its arrival, too! The very first picture of having the motorcycle with us is of Amy sitting on it...looking as perfect as can be:)

"I didn't expect it to be so cool," Amy then asked with a curled lip and lowered eyes, "How do I look, baby?" I reminded her of how cute she looked in leather. Our Moto Guzzi seemed pretty happy, too. "Amy: Una bella ragazza!"

I was even more excited that the motorcycle had arrived, as it had been about one week since I realized why this was all happening. To do that, though, I need to go back almost a full year when Moto Guzzi wasn't even part of my lexicon or letting me get a motorcycle had even a 1% chance of happening with Amy or Delilah. Because the real My Family Goes... journey had begun at that time.

We would see each other soon.

I stared at the bike as the garage door lowered. "Arrivedercaro amico. A presto!" I agreed: We would see each other soon.

There where no snotty kids on the return flight. If there where, I might have compared my own boogers with them, seeing I was feeling like a kid myself! All I could think about was driving the Moto Guzzi with Amy and Delilah.: Long trips in the country or short trips to the grocery store. It wouldn't matter because we'd be together doing something unique together! And even though buying the motorcycle was exciting, it was very scary to me. Because I hadn't really purchased a big item for myself in many years, especially something so radically different; even more so, something I WANTED SO MUCH!

When I arrived home, we decided to go out for a quick bite. During dinner, I talked about every minute detail of the bike: how clean it looked, stylish it was, unique it was, and how special it made me feel just knowing that in a couple of months, it would be with us. Amy and Delilah were very excited about the journeys to come, too. She and Delilah also talked about what they thought would be fun places for our family to visit. At the end of dinner, we all agreed: Our family was about to embark on a new and exciting journey!