Jennie Garth's Dancing With the Stars Blog

NOVEMBER 21

Hey everybody!

I hate to say it, but I knew this was coming. Not that I knew exactly, but I had a feeling because Marie has a lot of really devoted fans. And of course, last season my good friend Ian Ziering also went out at the same position.

But I'm not going to sit here and say there's some kind of 90210 curse! It’s been a blessing to be part of the show and it's now a blessing to go back and be with my family full-time. Being on the show has really made me realize my priorities in life. Actually, I always knew what they were, and this experience has just reinforced the feeling that spending time with my family is the most important thing to me. Really my only regret is that Derek didn't make it to the finals alongside his sister Julianne.

Looking back on the last few weeks, there were days when I was cursing that I made it this far. It was really challenging, but in the end I’m glad that I did it and I persevered. In the face of defeat I feel really good about everything. I've learned that even when I thought I couldn’t do it, I actually can do it. To be able to teach my daughters the lesson that they can do anything, even when the odds are against them, if they just try hard, is great.

As for what's next for me, we'll see. I did this show for the pure journey of it, and I am not really out there actively seeking work. Honestly, I’m only interested in doing a sitcom because that’s the only kind of show that would work with my schedule with the family.

Speaking of family, I feel like I've been saying this a lot, but Peter and I would love to have another child some day, but before the rumors hit the Internet -- we're not working on that just yet!

And to all the fans who voted and supported me, I know so many of you were pulling for me, lifting me up when I fell, just being there for me and going along on this journey with me. I thank you all for that and want you to know it’s okay that I’m out. I’m actually not torn up about it. I’m just happy to be able to be with my family, but thank you all so very much!

-Jennie

NOVEMBER 20

Hey guys!

I got a 30! I’m so excited! Yay! I can’t believe it! Can you? It feels so amazing! The cha-cha-cha was a triumph because we were able to bring that up another level and when we did it the first time it was not so great because I was so incredibly nervous and I didn’t know what I was doing since it was my first dance! And so, to be able to go back and do that with different music with a better costume, it was a little sassier and to just bring it felt really good. I’m glad we switched to the cha-cha-cha because it was a dance we really wanted to improve on and I’m more fit and toned now than in September to take it on. I’ve lost like 10 lbs or so and feel very healthy internally and fit. After that, I feel like I’m a Latin dancer!

I thought my tango went great as well. I thought it was better than our first tango and that’s all I wanted to accomplish – to take it to another level, a step-up. I felt crisp and sharp and clean and I enjoyed it. The choreography was intensely difficult and I was just proud that I was able to keep up with Derek!

I got a 28 for the tango, which I was very happy about, but the 30 for the cha-cha-cha was even better, of course! I was very excited when I saw those 10s! I’m so happy when they’re happy because they’re watching and they know.

Everybody did such a great job last night – I really don’t know who’s going to leave. It’s really anybody’s game! I really want to go to the finals, but I won’t be too disappointed if I’m not able to. I would get to go home to my family! It’s hard rehearsing because I miss them a lot. I was away all day yesterday. Mondays and Tuesdays are really hard, but the rehearsals are grueling too. This week has been the craziest week of my life with all the interviews and appearances. I just have to take them along with me, but at the same time I don’t like to disrupt their lives too much.

If I make it through to next week, you can be sure I won’t be rehearsing on Thanksgiving! Thursday will just be about quietness and complete stillness. I won’t be rehearsing. I will do everything in my power to not rehearse on Thanksgiving! My mom and I will cook and it will be a traditional dinner all the way!

I hope you’ll all watch tonight! Thanks to everyone who voted for us!

-Jennie

NOVEMBER 19

Hey everyone!

I’m sorry for the delay! This has been a crazy week! After being called safe on Tuesday, I headed straight back into rehearsals and began working on our dances for this week. Originally we had planned to do the tango and the rumba, but after looking back over our dances we decided that the choreography in the cha-cha-cha (my first dance of the season!) was more exciting so we switched! I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that we made the right decision!

On Wednesday, I flew to Las Vegas and did a fashion shoot with my husband Peter Facinelli for this week’s issue of OK!. The clothes were amazing and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Everyone should pick up a copy and check it out! It’s on newsstands everywhere Wednesday!

After we finished the photo shoot we headed over to The Paris Hotel where we met Derek and rode in a horse-drawn carriage to a celebration for the release of Beaujolais Nouveau. Celebrations take place all over the world and in honor of its release, I got to flip a huge switch and light the Vegas Eiffel Tower red!

I’ve been working really hard on my routines for tonight so you all better tune in and watch our performances! Oh, and don’t forget to vote! You’ve kept us in this long and now we’re heading for the finals! See you tonight!

-Jennie

NOVEMBER 14

Hey guys!

I’m in the semis! Thank you to everyone who voted! Holy moly! I can’t believe it! For the second week, they didn’t tell us the bottom two last night, so we didn’t have a clue yet again!

I know a lot of you are surprised that I’m more nervous for performance night than I am for elimination night when it’s the other way around for most people. But I love the suspense of it! And you know what, I love my life so much that going home wouldn't be the worst thing for me. I'm honored to be here and to continue on and to have the opportunity to fight for it. But in the end, it's not losing to me if I get to go home to my kids and to my husband, I'll be honest!

As you know, Cameron was voted off last night and I will miss him dearly. I’m so sad he's leaving! He’s so charismatic and so able and athletic – he's got the whole package! Seeing Cameron go was shocking and sad, but every week somebody's got to go – that's the name of the game!

I think some people were surprised Marie was safe with the lowest score from Monday night, but I’m not surprised at all. I know how many fans she has with her dolls and QVC and the Osmonds – it’s just out of control! And she was on Oprah this week! I mean, hello! It doesn't get any bigger than Oprah! I'm thrilled that she's still here. She is such a great lady and I'm happy to still have her. She's kind of motherly and I like that.

So next week we get to choose our favorite ballroom and Latin dances. We have decided to go with the tango and the rumba. Derek picked those because he thinks those are my strongest. There have been one or two weeks where the judges weren't completely "dazzled," so he wants me to come out and really be able to "dazzle" them! I say “okay” to whatever Derek says – he picks our costumes, our dances, our music. I'm just along for the ride! I trust the expert!

I’ve got absolutely no strategy for next week other than to work my butt off! I'm kind of crazy over these next couple days (including a fashion shoot for OK! in Las Vegas!) so I'm just going to drag my kids along with me wherever I go and squeeze them when I can!

Time for rehearsal! I’ll talk to you all later!

-Jennie

NOVEMBER 13

Hey everyone!

I hope you watched last night! I made it through another night with two dances! Let me tell you, it doesn’t get any easier doing more than one dance even though I already did it last week. It is hard because you do the first dance and then you have to really quickly change your hair, your makeup, your mindset altogether and get out there and do it again completely differently. So it is tricky! But luckily the choreography was so great and easy to remember for me. I felt like I did a great job with both of my dances and I was really proud!

Bruno said he didn’t feel “dazzled” by me last night, but I honestly am not really bothered by it. I’m doing the best that I can. I can't take that home with me, if you know what I mean. I'm doing my best and just to be able to come out here and do this — to perform for people — I don't care what the judges say. I'm sorry you're not dazzled but I'm having a great time!

I think the judges’ comments didn't really bother me this week because I was able to feel so proud about the job I had done myself after my pep talk with Richard Simmons. I know what you’re thinking! But I think he helped me tremendously. I was scared when he walked in the door actually! I had no idea he was coming. I was kind of in a serious mood because we were really trying to get these moves down and had such a short amount of rehearsal time that day and he came in and it really scared me! And then I turned to excitement because I'm such a big Richard Simmons fan. Really! He helps so many people and he's such an amazing soul. Any time I ever see Richard Simmons on TV I just cry — whatever he's doing. He always gets people to cry — he just pulls it out of you! And he really did that with me too.

I was also feeling good thanks to my costumes. I loved them this week! The little green one I wore for the jive was definitely the smallest costume I've ever worn! Wow! But I loved it! They pulled out these little green fringes in the wardrobe fitting and I said, ‘Great! Let's try them!’ The second one was so gorgeous with the sequins and the low back — it took three people three days to sew!

Well, it’s another Tuesday! Let's see how this one goes! Thanks to everyone who voted! Derek and I really appreciate it. I'll talk to you later!

-Jennie

NOVEMBER 12

Hey guys!

Wow, I can’t believe how busy I have been lately! The weekend just flew by! Derek and I have been rehearsing non-stop for tonight, but I was able to find some time to take a break this weekend to go to my daughter’s soccer game. It was fun to spend the afternoon with my family and be my soccer mom self again!

Tonight, as I've mentioned, we'll be doing the jive and the foxtrot. I am really excited about the jive. Derek was impressed because I picked it up quickly (or at least quicker than the other dances we've done so far), so that's a good sign, right? I feel pretty confident about that one. It’s a really fun dance with an upbeat tempo and a lot of action. I didn’t pick up the foxtrot as quickly as the jive, but I think it will be a good one!

I hope everyone can watch tonight. It's really crunch time now. There are only five couples left with three going to the finale and I definitely want to be one of those three! I am grateful to my fans for keeping me on the show this long and I am already looking forward to next week, so don’t forget to vote! Thanks in advance! I'll give an update tomorrow!

-Jennie

NOVEMBER 7

Hey everyone!

I’m sorry for the late update again! I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but I am really sorry! I know I haven’t been updating as quickly as I used to, but with the time boiling down I am really feeling the pressure to rehearse, especially since we have to do two dances now.

If you watched last night you know that Derek and I were the last couple to be declared safe. The funny part is we don’t even know if we were in the bottom two! They never told us who the other couple was. I hope it wasn’t us though! You’re all voting for us, right? I hope so! It’s always exciting when we have to wait until the end of the show to find out if we’re going home. I really had no idea if it was my time to go and as we saw last week it could be anyone. I like to think positive when I’m in that situation and I am going to keep thinking that until I hear our names called. I believe it’s important to think I’m staying and to keep my focus on how I can improve for the next week.

Now that there are only five couples left, the competition is especially intense and the judges are really looking for us to step it up. It’s really down to the wire now. Tuesdays always bring mixed emotions as even though I’m safe – and happy about that – inevitably someone has to go home. It’s amazing how close we have all become over the season. I’ve made some great friends here and I was sad to see Jane go last night. She was a great performer and I was always impressed by how well she moved and how great she looked, especially given that she was the oldest performer on the show! I hope I can look and move like that when I’m that age!

We are going to perform the jive and the foxtrot on Monday. I’ll have to update you on how those are going later because Derek wants to get back to rehearsal. He’s all business today!

-Jennie

NOVEMBER 6

Hey everyone!

I hope you watched last night. I performed the Viennese Waltz and the Rumba and got a total of 53 out of 60. Not bad, right? I’m very proud of that. I was really worried initially about doing two, but it was easy to learn for some reason. You just do it and you have no choice so it’s as hard as you make it — and we just make it easy. It’s all Derek though. I walk into that rehearsal studio on Wednesday and I know nothing. And he literally teaches me everything. Without him, what would I be? Not only that, he designs all my outfits too! Yes, he creates all those amazing dresses. I’m not very picky. I just say, “Great!”

I thought the waltz went all right. I had moments of goodness in there. I had a few little bobbles because I was nervous. I was okay with Carrie Ann’s criticism. It pushed me that much harder to do better. Bruno called me a water nymph! I don’t know what to make of that. Maybe it was the blue dress. He liked it!

The Rumba was much better! It felt great to end the night on a high note. It was about holding with the music and feeling the music. I felt like I just put the other dance behind me and moved forward to the Rumba, a dance that I loved doing. I enjoyed it. The music was very motivational for me — just a great song, very meaningful, powerful and just connecting with Derek, being in the moment of the dance.

And the judges loved it too! Bruno called me a sexy housewife! I can be called a housewife. I do some housework! I’m a soccer mom and housewife and proud of it. Len said I’m the only one who doesn’t think I’m a good dancer and I think he’s right. That totally touched a nerve for me. I feel out of my element when I’m dancing because it’s not what I do. It’s something I’m working on!

We got a 28 for the Rumba, which was awesome! That was our highest so far. We got 27 one time, now we got a 28, so we keep climbing the ladder.

So it’s another Tuesday and another elimination day. After last week, we know any one of us can go at any moment, so I’m nervous! I’ll talk to you all later!

-Jennie

NOVEMBER 5

Hey guys!

I’m going to make this brief since I only have a few hours left until rehearsal and tonight’s performance! If you’ve been following along, Derek and I are doing the Rumba and Viennese Waltz tonight. This is my first week performing two dances! Last week we had a group dance, but it’s not the same as performing two dances on my own (with Derek, of course)!

Both of these dances are such beautiful dances and brought new challenges in learning them. The Viennese Waltz is probably one of the most graceful dances I’ve performed and the Rumba is by far one of my favorites. I love the routine Derek choreographed and I’m so excited to share it with the judges, viewers and my family!

Derek has done an amazing job as my partner, coach and teacher. He really takes into consideration what would work best for us and choreographs dances that really show off our skills. He’s been great through all of this and I hope I do his dances justice this week!

I’m going to stop gushing about him now and get back to work! I hope you will all be watching tonight!

- Jennie

NOVEMBER 1

Hi everyone!

I know, I know, I’m late! I’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to catch up on my blogging, but after Tuesday’s elimination I’ve been spending all my time rehearsing! I have two dances to do next week! But first, I want to talk about Tuesday night.

I was in total shock when they announced that Sabrina Bryan was eliminated. I had felt from the beginning that she was going to win or at least finish somewhere at the top, so it’s odd to think about the competition without her. She always had such an intensity and charisma when she danced that I couldn’t help but be excited to see what she would do next. Sabrina really impressed me these past few weeks and is someone I will definitely remain friends with once this is all over. There is no doubt that she will be greatly missed!

After the show, we were all devastated and couldn’t believe that she had just been eliminated. But it reminded us that anything can happen on this show and we all have to keep looking forward and continue working and improving to perform at our highest level.

So looking ahead, my dance partner, Leo, (ahem, I mean, Derek) and I will be performing two different dances this week, which means I have to learn two new routines! On Monday you’ll see us perform the Rumba and the Viennese Waltz. Both of these are different from my recent dances – they are mature, period dances that require a different mindset, so I’m looking forward to performing them.

It’s been crazy trying to juggle everything and I should probably be living in the studio these days! It seems like the only possible way to learn both dances and get them to the level we are aiming for would be to rehearse 24 hours a day. I’m lucky to have an understanding husband and three amazing daughters who provide me with so much love and support. I always look forward to spending any free time I have with them.

And now it’s back to more dancing! It never stops! But I’m not complaining! I’ll talk to you all on Monday! Have a great weekend!

-Jennie

OCTOBER 30

Hey guys!

So what did you think of last night? It was pretty crazy with our individual performances and the group dance, but I think we all handled everything very well!

I’m thrilled with my mambo. I love that dance. It’s so far my favorite dance that I’ve done. The choreography was fun and young and sassy, and I just really enjoyed it. I’ve really been trying to work on my nerves. I have stage fright, plain and simple, because I’m not nervous during rehearsals. But when I come out on stage and the audience is here and the lights are on and the music starts, I’m so nervous. This is something I’m working on and I hope to conquer it. That would be something that I get out of this whole experience — to really know that I can work through it. I had a great time doing the dance. It’s just right before I start that’s the problem — when I lose my breath and I can’t feel my body. It freaks me out a little. But I am working on it!

I got a 27 from the judges and I’m just really happy that they liked it. For me, I have achieved my 10 — that was my goal. Honestly, more than anything, what I wanted to accomplish when I started doing this was that people would have a good time watching it. Carrie Ann did say that everyone had a good time watching it. She said I “let it all hang out,” which is true! I definitely wanted to have a good time doing the dance. With that choreography, that music, that outfit and Derek as a partner, I couldn’t not have a good time!

I know there’s been some controversy as of late about the judging and lifts, which is unfortunate since we’re all working very hard. I think that if they’re going to have a rule, it needs to be the same across the board for not just the female competitors but for the female professionals. I think that sometimes they don’t notice and other times they don’t see it, so it needs to be consistent. That’s my only complaint.

If we’re still here next week, we will do the rumba, which is a sexy, serious dance and the Viennese waltz. These dances don’t call for flashy costumes like my previous dances, so I’m going to tone it down! I know my outfits have gotten skimpier, but we’ll go back to a different style next week.

And now the group dance! That was so much fun to do with everyone and I think we all did a stellar job. It was a riot and so scary because of the aerials. I had no idea how to do them, but I just went for it and did it! We had such a blast doing it and before I knew it, it was over!

And now onto tonight’s results show. It’s getting scarier since the group is getting smaller and smaller. I’m nervous, of course, and I just hope I make it through! Thanks for all your votes!

-Jennie

OCTOBER 29

Hey everyone!

Tonight’s the big night! We’re doing our first group dance! I hope you are all as excited as I am! As I’m sure you can imagine rehearsals this week have been really intense. While trying to focus my energy on my Mambo I’ve also had to learn another dance! In my last entry I was talking about how good it feels to know that we have been able to learn a dance a week. I think the audience and the judges are really going to be impressed by our group dance. The competition is really stepping it up and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out. All the remaining celebrities really bring something different and exciting to the table.

That said, I do think it’s a little bit harder for the female celebrities on the show to deliver. I’ve realized over the past few weeks that when you’re watching, your eye just goes to the flashy costumes and the female dancers have the flashiest costumes. There’s a little bit more demand on the female contestants to do the big moves and to do more difficult sort of things. Generally speaking, a lot of times the guys are there to anchor the women and showcase the women. So I think the women celebrities might have it a little harder as far just the level of the difficulties of the moves.

With all this in mind, it makes me even more proud to be one of the five female contestants remaining! I think this has only served as motivation for me to improve and do my best.

Okay, time to get back to dancing. It’s going to be a hectic night tonight! I hope you’ll be watching! I’ll update you tomorrow!

-Jennie

OCTOBER 25

Hey guys!

Sorry I’m late with my update, but I’ve been so busy! As you all know by now, I’m safe again! I really don’t know what’s more nerve-wracking – Mondays or Tuesdays. On performance nights I’m always nervous that I won’t perform as well as I had practiced. It’s always frustrating when you know you’ve done it better! And Tuesdays are always intense – especially if you aren’t called safe first – with that daunting red light and since it may be the last evening we’re on the show. It sucks having to go through nearly an hour not knowing! Even when I’m safe, Tuesday is sad because inevitably someone has to go home. It’s hard to say goodbye every week! We’ve all become so close and have come so far!

This week as you know it was Mark Cuban and Kym Johnson. Mark brought such an interesting quality to the show and I always looked forward to watching his performances. He was getting better and better every week! And he had such determination and an incredible work ethic, which I really admired. I was also really fond of Kym and am sad that she is no longer part of the competition.

After this week’s elimination the cast is now down to two men and FIVE women! I knew that the women were going to be strong competitors this season, but I had no idea we would be this rockin’! Besides, it’s time for a female winner for a change, don’t you think? I feel so proud to be one of the remaining women and I hope I will continue to impress the judges and fans...with my Mambo. That’s right! I’m doing the Mambo this week. I’m in the middle of learning it and I’m really enjoying it. It’s a campy dance that’s a lot of fun to watch so I think Monday’s performances will be exciting!

We’re winding down now – this week is Round 6 and I can’t believe we’ve all come this far. It’s hard to fathom even the thought of learning six dances in six weeks, but I am so proud of myself that I was able to do it and keep it up! And I’m also excited that I can implement all that I’ve learned over the past weeks into each new dance. It’s such an wonderful feeling knowing you're learning and improving every week.

I have to say my favorite dance so far has been the Tango. I was really comfortable with performing it and it was a fun dramatic dance. Not to mention, I got to perform it as the encore dance! I hope that I will make it to the end so I will have a whole repertoire of dances!

Don’t forget to tune in on Monday to see my Mambo! It’s a performance you won’t want to miss!

- Jennie

OCTOBER 23

Hey everyone!

Last night was a crazy night, wasn’t it? If you were watching, then I’m sure you saw Marie Osmond faint after her performance, but you should know that she is doing just fine, which we’re all very happy about.

Her collapse did freak me out. We were watching backstage and all of a sudden she just fell down. I knew right away that something bad was happening. A lot of people thought that she was joking and she was just doing something silly, but I knew because she wasn’t moving and it freaked me out so bad because I love her. She’s such a fun, wonderful and positive person. We were all scared because we didn’t know what it was. Luckily, her family knew that was something that happens to her — she faints. It wasn’t shocking to them because they knew what was happening, which was reassuring. They didn’t panic at all and that made me feel like everything was going to be okay.

After that, I had to get back in the zone for my samba since I wasn’t performing until later in the show. It was such a fun dance to do – with an even more fun outfit to wear! I would have never dreamt I’d be wearing something like that. Ever. But I loved it. It’s probably my favorite outfit so far, just because it’s shaky and lively. And it’s yellow, which is a happy color.

Even with the flirty dress, I’ll admit it wasn’t my best performance here. I could have done a lot better. The dance had its moments. I watch myself from the outside when I’m dancing sometimes and I’m not really in the moment. I had a couple of missteps and every time I misstep, I seem to check out mentally and think, “How do I fix what’s happening?” From that point forward, I’m just sort of bad for the rest of the dance.

But I’ve also learned that faking it goes a long way! Usually when I mess up I would be just be like, “Oh, stop! I can’t go on!” But Derek has taught me to keep going and just smile and nobody will know – and that is definitely true! So now I just have to be more comfortable and confident in covering up my mistakes!

I’m pretty content with my score – 25, my third highest of the competition so far, so it’s nothing to complain about. I just hope I continue to improve from here on out. I really don’t remember what the judges said about the dance because it’s such a blur afterwards. I think they’re always accurate, though, and I think that Len Goodman likes me, which I’m really happy about! It’s always good to have one on your side!

Did you all see Tori Spelling in the audience? I was ecstatic that she could make it. Tori and I are very close. Even though we don’t get to see each other a lot, we’re like sisters. I would do anything for Tori and she would do anything for me in a heartbeat. You don’t have that bond with people very often. I have that with Tori and Luke Perry and Ian Ziering. Those are the people that I grew up with – they’re my soul siblings. Ian came last week so I’m hoping Luke can come soon.

I’m also trying to convince Tori to do Dancing with the Stars. She looks amazing already. I don’t think there’s any reason why she shouldn’t do it! Do you?

Get ready for the results tonight! I’ll catch up with you later!

- Jennie

OCTOBER 22

Hey guys!

I hope you had a great weekend! Mine was very exciting! My husband Peter Facinelli and I hosted the “Poker with the Stars” party Saturday night benefiting the Red Cross and it was so much fun! Some people from Dancing with the Stars took time out of rehearsals to come, including Derek, Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas, and Helio Castroneves and Julianne, which I really appreciated.

I was really excited to host the party. I just joined the 2008 American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet for Red Cross – it’s a group of celebrities who are lending their support and commitment to the Red Cross and its mission. I'm really excited that I am able to contribute my part!

The event went very well and I was psyched to not be in a dance studio for once! All I do these days is dance and dance, so to come out and let off some steam felt incredible. I feel like I’ve been in a bubble. I haven’t seen my husband hardly at all, so it was good to see him Saturday night! Another plus was that the party was sponsored by Kahlua and

my husband loves it and they made for some special tasty drinks for the evening.

I also played a few hands of poker. Now I know you’re all wondering how good I am and if you’ll ever have a chance to take my money! Well I’ll tell you that I do play poker, just not very well – but don’t tell anyone! I do have a poker face, so be warned!

As much fun as it was to get out and chill with everyone, I’m not going to lie, it was also tiring! I haven’t been out in so long that I wasn’t used it. It was already past my bedtime at 7 p.m.! I’m not joking! I was falling asleep!

But all in all, it was a great time and very successful. I want you guys to be in on the fun too, so I’m going to give away a gift bag from the event with lots of goodies. Stay tuned for more details!

Well, back to rehearsing. I’ll give you an update soon! I am doing the samba tonight and it’s going great so far!

- Jennie

OCTOBER 17

Hey Everyone!

I made it through another week! I’m so happy! Unlike last week, I wasn’t declared safe first and had to wait through more than half of the show to learn my fate. Oh, the things they put us through and that music they play! It’s so stressful. Everyone’s really tense backstage and trying to be lively, but at the same time, everyone is stressed out because it really could be you going home. Luckily I was off the hook! And then you think you know who it’s going to be, but are proven to be wrong!

Case in point: Last night, I was shocked Mel B was in the bottom two. She’s such a great performer. I don’t get it. I mean, that’s what she does for a living. I feel like she’s in a different league as a performer.

I really honestly thought it would be Mark Cuban in the bottom two with Floyd Mayweather, just based on scores. And then when they said Mark was safe, I was like, “Oh, whoa.” Just goes to show no one is ever completely safe!

I’m sad to see Floyd leave, but I think it’s probably the best thing that could have happened to him because he’s going to go focus on his training now and what he does is so dangerous as a fighter — to go step into that ring and risk his life potentially. It’s important that he focuses on just his fight since training for Dancing is all-consuming. The funny thing is that he’s adorable and such a sweet, little cutie thing that I can’t even imagine him fighting!

Next week is Latin week! I think I’m doing the samba, which is a fun and happy Brazilian rhythmic dance, which means I have absolutely no idea how to do it! Check in with me later in a few days!

- Jennie

OCTOBER 16

Hey guys!

I am still on a high from last night! I hoped you all watched! I got a 10 from Len! Yay!

It felt incredible. I was not expecting that at all. I got the "8" and I thought I’m going to get 8s and 7s — not a big deal. I was going to be happy with that. I’ve gotten those and it’s good to stay consistent. And then he held up the "10" and I almost passed out! I’m sure my reaction looked funny on television! It was really, really surprising and I’m so happy because Len is the hardest judge to please technically. He’s never been pleased with my frame and I’ve worked so hard on my frame this week and tried to stay in the right shape. It felt bizarre and uncomfortable, but all the hard work paid off!

As for the dance, I was really nervous because I had to wait until the end and everybody before me received such high marks. Everyone was doing such an amazing job and was definitely setting the standard! As I sat backstage, I just got more and more nervous watching them. When I get nervous, my nerves completely take over, so I had to keep talking myself out of my nerves and telling myself to focus on the Paso Doble. And the dance just went really well! I was very determined and in character and forceful and powerful — like a bull or a cape! Like I said in the interview footage, I was dancing for my husband, so I was even more proud of myself for doing such a good job!

If you have a good eye, then you may have spotted Ian Ziering sitting front row and center in the audience! I’m so happy he could come! He was so excited for me tonight, just beside himself and supportive and jumping out of his skin. That’s how I felt for him last season. I know that he’s right there with me!

I’ll catch up with you guys tomorrow after tonight’s show! Thanks to everyone who voted for Derek and me! Have a great day!

- Jennie

OCTOBER 15

Hey Everyone!

Hope you had a great weekend! I spent it perfecting my Paso Doble for tonight. Yes, that’s what I’m performing! I’m really excited because it’s another strong, dramatic dance. What’s really interesting about it is that it was traditionally based on bullfighting, so you can imagine how intense it is. The first two days were pretty rough, but by day three I was really getting the hang of it! You’ll have to watch to see how I do!

I really hope I can keep up the momentum I had from last week. It felt so great to impress the judges. Len called our tango sharp and tangy like a pickle. Carrie Ann gave me a high-five and Bruno said it was the comeback of the season. Hearing the positive feedback made me want to work harder and continue on the upward climb!

What made the week even better were getting asked to do the encore and being the first ones declared safe! It was a relief to hear that and we were able to enjoy the rest of the show. I thought Seal, Billy and Miley Cyrus were amazing. It was nice to sit back and watch someone else perform without worrying about whether or not we’re on the chopping block.

I was sad to see Wayne Newton go last week. He was so much fun and always has a smile no matter what. It’s always hard to see someone go, especially when you know firsthand all that goes into it and since we've become like a family it makes it that much harder to lose someone.

Now I know what you’ve all been wondering since the season started – when someone from Beverly Hills 90210 will stop by! Well I’m happy to report that Ian Ziering is coming tonight! He is the one who convinced me to be on Dancing with the Stars so I’m excited for him to see me perform live! I’m working on having more of my friends from 90210 attend the show. They’ve all been texting and sending me lots of words of encouragement. I’m so lucky to have so many people who support me and of course I can’t forget how lucky I am to have such amazing fans who are keeping me on the show!

That’s all for now! Wish me luck tonight! I’ll talk to you later!

- Jennie

OCTOBER 11

Hey everyone!

Hope you’re all doing well! Now that I'm well-rested from my encore Tuesday night, I figured it's time to write a make-up entry for you! First of all, I have to say it was amazing to get the encore slot. To fall last week and to have an encore this week was just incredible! After that, it was straight back to rehearsals. I know all I talk about is rehearsing, so how about I take you through a day of my Dancing with the Stars life? Which day? The most important one, of course – performance day!

Performance day is different from rehearsal days in the studio because I’m just mentally in the game and ready to go from the moment I get up. You know that feeling – go to work, get it done, make it happen! My day starts early – like they always do with three kids! I’ll wake up with my kids around 6 or 7 and get them off to school. Then I take a shower and head over to the studio, where we get our hair and makeup done for hours it seems like. After that, we do a dress rehearsal so we get in our costumes and when everyone’s 100 percent ready, we do a full rehearsal. When that’s through, we come back to the makeup trailer and get ready some more. There’s lots of hair and makeup going on!

We only have one full rehearsal the day of and it is closed off to the public. Only the producers, cameramen and people who are part of the crew are there. Everyone does everything. It’s the only chance that the dance works with the wardrobe and the hair. You don’t take that into consideration when you’re rehearsing because your focus is on mastering the dance. And also since you’re rehearsing all week in sweats! But if your hair is poofy or is a different weight element on your head, everything changes. We also have to test the lights and the music. There are a lot of changes and we only have this one chance to adjust to it and then you just have to wing it for the real performance. We don’t dance in our costumes until maybe three hours before the live performance.

I think that’s what happened to me last week with the quickstep. I had no idea that my long dress would become such a factor in the dance and the final move we had planned. It was very slippery and there were lots of layers to the chiffon I was wearing. It just slipped right under Derek’s shoe and I think that’s what created that big disastrous fall. But it’s awesome because I was talking about it with someone last night and I learned a lesson from that – I learned that the wardrobe is definitely something to take into consideration! The lengths, the layers and the fluidity of it are some things I never really thought about, but now I know better!

So there you go! That’s what I go through every Monday. It’s pretty hectic, but it’s totally worth it in the end to put on a live performance for you guys!

I’m going to get back on the floor now. I’ll catch up with you on Monday!

- Jennie

OCTOBER 10 — After the Show

I'm so happy.... I'm through to next week!

But I'm also completely exhausted. Between the tango and still getting over my illness, I need to get some rest. Promise that I'll make it up to you all in a little bit.

Going into tonight's dance, I was really nervous. I was trying so hard to psych myself out and say I wasn’t nervous at all about falling again. And to be honest with you, this tango is Argentinian and it’s very steppy and technical and if you miss steps, you fall down and I did that numerous times in rehearsal this week. Derek and I would just be dancing along and all of a sudden — bam! — I was on the ground. But I kept thinking, "Okay, I’m not going to dwell on that. I’m going to keep moving forward," but it was something that was definitely in the back of my mind, thinking, "Please don’t let me fall!”

And then after we finished, the standing ovation from Carrie Ann was so awesome! I know they are over there rooting for me, sitting and hoping and praying that I do well. I feel that support from them and I was like, "Did I do well?" And then, she gave me a standing ovation. I was so excited—even Glen was nice. He called me a tangy pickle... or something like that! I think that means he liked it?

As for what happens Tuesday night? I hope I get to stay, but you never know. Scores are only half of it.

I’ve been dancing for a while now and I have definitely seen a lot of improvement, but I can’t say that dancing each week is getting easier. I’ll admit I naively thought that at the beginning, but now I’m finding that each dance comes with its own set of obstacles, which Derek and I work together to overcome. I think we make a great team! Really in the end of it all it’s about having fun, right?!

As I’ve mentioned before, all this dancing has made my muscles pretty sore and to remedy that I take hot baths with muscle stuff, but all the soreness does have its upsides — I have on occasion received a foot massage!