Small girl, big gun…

May 27th, 2010 — OK, you’ve all asked, and I can now answer that YES, I FINALLY got to shoot the MiniGun! My fave guys at Dillon took me out to their private range where they train military personnel (and basically have a blast shooting at a bunch of fun stuff), and they let me loose!

After a brief round of instruction from Trey, our expert trainer, I was strapped into a Huey Helicopter and BOOM! I pressed the red buttons on the minigun and didn’t let go as a hail of ammunition flew out…needless to say, I released a lot of frustration on some very unfortunate vehicles in the desert that day!

Apparently, I was a pretty good shot, and I have to say it was one of the most exhilarating and fun things I’ve ever done in my life, not only shooting the gun, but just riding in an open helicopter with no door! I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Thanks to Veteran Pilot and War Hero, Cass for his expert flying…Here are some fun photos from that day (oh yeah, and we managed to fit in a quick photo shoot, too, those pictures will be posted soon…)

2010 Calendar photos now online

My 2009/10 calendar sold out early this year, but due to popular demand we have now put the pictures online for you to view. If you like those shots, you’ll love the new 2011 calendar, but get yours quickly as we are already getting hundreds of pre-orders…Enjoy!!!

Current National TV Show

2011 Pinup Calendar Launch

November 5, 2010 — My 2010 Pinup Calendar in honor of  the U.S. Troops sold out quickly, and was such a success that we knew we HAD to follow it up with an even better 2011 Calendar! So, we’ve gone FULL VINTAGE WWII PINUP on this one, and the response so far is overwhelming!

Thanks to all of you who have been such a great support! Once again, profits from the calendar will be donated to New England Warrior to help support education and scholarships for our men and women in uniform and their families, as well as other needs.

The calendar is launching on this year’s upcoming Veteran’s Day, with full media and internet blasts. Make sure you get yours before they are gone because we’ve already sold half our inventory to fans who pre-ordered from last year, as well as to new fans whom I’ve met at several event signings this year where I’ve been honored as a special guest, including the NRA show and others.

God Bless our military personnel, and to those who continue to send me letters, emails and mementos from the battlefield, I am truly humbled and grateful…you are my HEROES!!!! Check out the Behind the Scenes Video when it is posted next week!

Thanks to photographers Richard Petrillo and Barry Gossage for the amazing calendar shots!

QVC appearances

November 2, 2010 — In the last few months I was honored to become certified as a host through QVC’s Guest Excellence Program in Philadelphia, PA. I will be featured in 3 upcoming live segments on QVC representing the Video Professor.

While at QVC headquarters, I got a behind the scenes tour and was amazed at the magnitude of their studios and production – the main control room looked like NASA The hosts and personnel at QVC are top notch, and I look forward to my trips back to Philly for the live tapings.

My first appearance is scheduled for November 16th, at 2am in the morning, so if you’re a night owl, check it out! Following appearances will not be as late I will post fun pictures from the set after my first appearance so check back here soon.

A real knockout

October 22 — Well, here’s a shoot that was just nothing but fun! I was cast as “The Knockout Girl” for a commercial for Knockout Energy Drink.

Not only did I get to work with three HOT guys, but I got to act and have fun with a top-notch production team, including Paul DeNegris and Steve Briscoe. I played a frumpy, nerdy girl who has an embarrassing moment with 3 “cool” guys, but redeems herself when she transforms into a total Knockout!

Of course, the transformation takes place when she discovers the Knockout Energy Drink, and a good revenge butt-kicking of the guys ensues…(and by the way, the other two knockout girls in the commercial were not only young, tall and supermodel beautiful, but they were amazingly sweet and kind to work with, too, life just isn’t fair)…I will post the actual commercial video on my site as soon as it is released in the next few weeks!

Let the music play…

October 31, 2010 — After ten years of asking, my good friend (and amazing musician) John Davidson, finally convinced me to join him as lead female vocalist in a new band.

Yes, I know most of you didn’t know I sing, but with a grandfather who was a professional big-band musician (he played piano, sax, clarinet, and flute all by ear!), a grandmother who was an amazing Violinist who played for the Scottsdale Symphony, and a sister who is an amazing drummer for a band called Whiskey Blu, I have always been around and had a passion for music.

It is not something I have shared with many people, because I have been primarily focused on acting and on-camera work for so long, but a couple of years ago I had a singing role in an independent film, and that, coupled with the encouragement I’ve received from my musician friends, got me hooked!

We’ve been rehearsing vocals and finalizing set lists for several months now, with full band rehearsals beginning in the next couple of months. Check back for some more updates on this project coming soon…

“An American Pin-Up Tribute” 2011 Calendar Now Available

Cathy Rankin’s “An American Pin-Up Tribute” calendar is a patriotic tribute honoring our United States Armed Forces and all proud Americans. This is a full-sized, color wall calendar that is good through December, 2011. It measures 13.5″ x 23″ (perfect for hanging!) and includes 14 unique, World War II-era inspired shots featuring Cathy in exact re-creations of the most famous vintage pinup photos from the 1930s, 40′s and 50′s. In the calendar, she portrays Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and more. Also included in the calendar are famous inspirational quotes from military and political figures for each month of the year.

Profits from calendar sales are being donated to New England Warrior (newenglandwarrior.org) in partnership with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (mcsf.org). These 501(c)(3) charities provide much needed supplies to our troops, as well as scholarship and educational funds for military families, memorial funds and more.

The Calendar makes a great gift, décor item for a room, or simply a patriotic statement of support for our troops! BE SURE TO READ THE FULL STORY THAT INSPIRED THE CALENDAR, and God Bless America! Thanks to all the fans who have supported the project – together we are making a difference!

Visit the Store page to order!!

June, 2010 – Out of the mouths of babes!

I recently received an email from a lovely mom who was so kind to share this hilarious, but sweet story! Apparently, her son, Jacob, (who is already quite the ladies man at the age of 3 1/2) got a hold of a picture of me from the cover of his Dad’s Blue Press Magazine. Well, after that, he wouldn’t let go of it even when it was time to go to bed!

The boys at Dillon forwarded me the picture because when they saw it, because it was so cute that it actually brought a tear to their eyes (don’t tell them I told you that ) …in any case, like my Dillon pals, I was quite touched at the innocence of the picture and how adorable little Jacob is – let’s face it, kids are the most honest of characters, and they will let you know in no uncertain terms if you get a thumbs up or thumbs down, so I was quite flattered and relieved that I passed the test of Jacob’s keen eye for cover girls

Below is the original email and photo that his mom, Sheri, sent – thanks to her and Mike (her husband), for sharing such a great story! And I can’t end the story without telling you they have another son named Matthew, and I can tell you from the looks of these two tykes they are going to have no problem getting girlfriends in the future! (But not until they are at least 20, right Sheri and Mike?????)

My 3 1/2 yr old and Blue Press!

Yesterday the new Blue Press came and my 3 1/2 yr old grabbed it and stared at the cover with a grin on his face.  I thought it was funny…but when it was time for bed and for him to pick out a toy to bring to bed to sleep with…he choose Dad’s Blue Press.  He fell asleep looking at the cover.  See attached photo.  We took the book, so it wouldn’t get wrinkled overnight.  Upon waking he started screaming..”Where is my new book, where is my new book?…new book mama!”

Thought I’d share.  Have a great day.

Sheri & Mike

May 13-16, 2010 – NRA Part Two!

What a blast (no pun intended ) I had at my second NRA National Convention in North Carolina this year! My new 2011 calendars were hot off the press just in time to launch at the show, and it was a good thing because there were people standing in line for them and we ended up going through more than 8 boxes in one weekend! Special thanks to all the Dillon fans who are so loyal and enthusiastic in their support, as well as all the other fans of last year’s calendar (Tom and Patsy, you are by far my greatest fans!), and of course the new friends and fans I met! Like last year, I was impressed with the heartwarming sincerity, generosity and patriotism of the attendees, and once again a few tears were shed when I had the honor of listening to certain people share their personal stories. I met some incredible veterans, some were retired heroes, others were currently serving heroes! As always, all were humble, open, kind, intelligent and fun! I am always so moved and inspired by the people I meet at shows like this, and we all agree on one thing – our men and women in uniform deserve nothing less than our full support and gratitude.

On a lighter note, the final night gala was a great time, with Charlie Daniels playing a killer live version of “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and there were great speeches given by Newt Gingrich, Oliver North, Glenn Beck and so many more over the weekend. There were some fun celebs walking around, including Ted Nugent, Chuck Norris and a few others, so it was great fun and fascinating to observe! Special Thanks to Walker, Elias and Matt at Arsenal for all their help and generosity – you know these guys are special gentlemen when they are willing to haul a 20-pound, ridiclously oversized purse for a girl who’s feet hurt too much to walk Needless to say, there were plenty of hilarious moments throughout the show…

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