Day 67- A Smile is Contagious

So today I had to run to the grocery store and as I was walking out, there was a man walking in with the BIGGEST smile on his face. Like, Black Hole Sun big. He was all alone and he wasn't talking on the phone or anything. He was just smiling at something happening in his very own head. And don't get me wrong... this wasn't a crazy person smile. He was just genuinely happy about something.
This smile was so big and beautiful that for a second I pondered asking him what he was smiling about so I could be in on his happiness. Did he win the lottery? He was in scrubs, did he just save someones life? Did he just get proposed to? Did he just find out he is going to be a dad? Did he just eat an amazing sandwich?? Did he find a triple decker girl scout cookie??? I really wanted to know!
But then I realized that his smile was his business and I should let him keep it. But I have to say, that darn smile was contagious. I smiled on my whole drive home.

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Day 60- The Most Perfect Cookie

I am under a mountain of work today... trying to get all of my best vintage listed on etsy before viva...
So I took a snack break (as I often do) and decided I needed something sweet. I fished around in my husbands cookie jar (not that cookie jar, gross) and came up with my favorite girl scout cookie. And when I looked closer, I realized that it was a production error cookie and it is a triple decker!! Oh man. OH MAN!! This is my favorite monday. Thank you girl scouts. Thank you.

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Day 57- Ode To Snacks

Oh snacks. How I love thee. I love the way I can fill a bowl with you and just munch away while I am working. I love how you can be sweet and salty. I love that I can alternate 3 bites of each of you in mathematical succession to quell my inner OCD demon. I love that I can literally eat you all day long and never be full. I love that you can be both healthy and junk. I love that you can be crunchy, crispy, creamy, chewy, or just melt in my mouth. I love that I can sneak you into movies. I love that I can smuggle you basically everywhere I go, in my purse. I love that I can keep you in the side pockets of my car for hangry traffic emergencies. I love that I can carry a full bag of you on my tours and refill with local snacks as I see fit. I love that you leave crumbs in my bed even though my husband hates it. I love that you also leave crumbs in my bra, making me chuckle at the end of the day as I sift you off of my underboobs. I will never stop loving you. I will never stop consuming you. Thank you snacks. You never let me down.

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Day 56- TOP 10: RomCom Movies!

I am going to start another little blog subcategory... My favorite top 10's! I love top 10 lists. So today my top 10 will be romantic comedy movies. I went and saw "How To Be Single" last night with my girlfriends, so it inspired this one. These are in no particular order.

1)
Clueless.
Ok, I know that technically this would just be a plain old comedy. But it is funny, and Paul Rudd is in it. And Paul Rudd is my secret boyfriend. So I consider it a romcom. This came out when I was in Jr. High and I remember thinking how cool everyone was going to be once I got to high school, just like in the movie. This movie stands the test of time too-- The Bosstones and knee socks will never get old. As if.

2)
Sixteen Candles.
My 18th birthday was the day after I graduated high school and pretty much everyone forgot it. So I can totally relate to Molly Ringwald. The only bummer is the rampantly racist portrayal of Long Duck Dong... But you can't go wrong with a movie where the under dog gets the hot popular guy. And the hot popular guy is actually really nice. And the cunty girl gets all of her hair cut off. This was also maybe the first romantic comedy I ever remember watching, so it will always have a place in my heart.

3)
Crazy Stupid Love.
Ryan Gosling. I don't REALLY need to say more but I will. This movie is so good in so many ways. It is a more realistic romcom with really smart and funny dialog. And I absolutely love Steve Carrell. Like, in an unhealthy way. And the fight scene in the end is second only to Mr. Big and Aiden in the mud at the country cabin in Sex and the City. Plus the Dirty Dancing lift. Ummm, duh.

4)
Stranger Than Fiction.
Will Ferrel singing "Whole Wide World." I just can't. This movie is such a good mix of hilarity and touching moments. Maggie Gyllenhal's fake tattoos are laughable, but she is still lovable so I forgive her stylist. I love when he brings her "flowers." So cute. And Emma Roberts + Queen Latifa is pretty much the most random duo ever, but surprisingly hilarious.

5)
P.S. I Love You
I read this book long before the movie and it killed me. Like-- serious ugly sobbing. The movie was a very close second. A few details were changed, but in general they got it right. And Gerard Butler, Harry Conick Jr. and Jeffery Dean Morgan (Denny from Grey's Anatomy.... Ughhhh.... c'mon!!) all in one movie? Yes please!! This movie is borderline straight drama, but there are a lot of funny, touching little moments. Ok, I am thinking about it and starting to tear up, so let's move on...

6)
Love, Actually
This is my favorite Chistmas movie, second only to White Christmas (perhaps I will do a top 10 Christmas movies!). I know it has undergone a lot of criticism, but guess what? I DONT CARE!! I will always love this movie. It will always make me cry. And I will always want to marry Bill Nighy no matter how old he is. And the scene where Walking Dead Rick holds up his cue cards gets me. Oh, and Hugh Grant dancing. Classic. Also, Alan Rickman. RIP Snape.

7)
He's Just Not That Into You
I am a sucker for ensamble casts. And this movie is one of the few that is actually really smart and funny. I love the relationship between Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin. Not much more to say about this one. Just a good mindless romcom.

8)
Sex and the City
Oh come on. Did you really think I wasn't going to include SITC in any way I could? I am a die hard fan and when I found out they were making a movie, I peed. Like, seriously. This is another movie that gets me every time. When she jumps out of the limo and hits Big with her flowers and cries and screams. Oh man. All of the feels. I loved the show and this movie did not disappoint. The second one, however, was another story. Perhaps I will do a top 10 WORST movies...

9)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This movie really stuck with me. It was such a unique concept-- going to an agency to have memories of heartbreak erased. I LOVE Kate Winslet and I loved even more how weird and quirky she was in this movie when everyone only knew her from Titanic. This is definitely an unconventional love story and not a typical romcom either, but I am all for the weird and wonderful and this movie definitely fits that bill!

10)
Dirty Dancing
First of all, when Patrick Swayze died, a piece of my childhood died with him. On the houseboat I grew up on, we had barstools to sit and eat meals on... So of course I used them as my stand in Swayze to hold me as I did the run-and-jump into his arms scene. Obviously. It wasn't until my early 20s that I actually realized this movie was supposed to take place in the 60s. Good old 80s-does-vintage hair. Maybe one of the best soundtracks to any movie ever made. And an abortion scene! They really covered all of their bases. RIP Swayze.

So that's it! My top 10! I am sure I forgot lots of good ones. And I am sure you guys are going to tell me all of your favorites and I am going to slap my forehead for missing the obvious. But please do share your favorites just in case there are any I haven't seen! The sappier, the better!

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Day 51- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Yesterday, Trev and I decided we would take a day off of life and finally use our year pass to Universal Studios. It was a beautiful day with perfect weather and little crowds. We rode all of the rides and had a good lunch and were just generally happy and ready to go home when we walked by the new section of Universal dedicated to Harry Potter (that isn't supposed to open until April 7-- but is why we got a season pass) and it was OPEN!!! Apparently, unbeknownst to us, they have been opening for random blocks of hours for the last few weeks just to test how the park works. 

As soon as we walked in the gates, there was a stand selling butterbeer, so of course we got one-- in a commemorative Butterbeer mug. They had two types... The soda type (which I had when I was at the London tour) is kind of like a butterscotch-y cream soda. The frozen type was basically like a butterbeer slurpee. Both kinds had a foam on top that tastes like butterscotch marshmallow cream. The frozen variety is definitely my favorite. Tastes like a milkshake!! I also got a bottle of pumpkin juice, which tastes like really good pumpkin flavored apple cider. It would be really good hot!

 At this point we had no idea if the park was even functioning or if it was just sort of a looking preview, so we just kept walking and looking at things. When we got to Hogwarts, we saw there was an entrance to the ride open and no line, so we ran in! As you enter and move through the line, you see all of the sets from the movie. You start in the greenhouse, then you walk down the main hall (that has the phoenix entry to Dumbeldore's office at the end), you see the house score jars with the colored beads, you see the fat lady painting, you see Dumbledore's office and there is a hologram of Dumbeldore that talks to you, you also see the care for magical creatures classroom. Then you enter this room (lower right) with all of the portraits and you hear people talking and as you look up, you realize the portraits are moving and talking to each other. And they look so real!! The technology is amazing.
 The actual ride inside of Hogwarts blew my mind. I have never been on a ride like it. You sit in a seat with your legs dangling and a harness over your shoulders and you enter into the ride sideways instead of straight on. It is a mix of 3D broom flying through Hogwarts and actual sets built, like the whomping willow and the dementors. I get motion sick really easily and it made me kind of want to barf. I had to close my eyes through the last 1/3 of it. But it was still really cool!
After that ride we walked around a bit and saw Hagrid's cabin and walked through Hogsmead. They had the Hogs Head Tavern that actually served alcohol and a restaurant that served delicious smelling food. They also had a lot of the little shops from the movie and most of them you could go inside. They were selling SO much merch-- but a lot of it was really cool (if not crazy expensive).
The last activity we did was watching a wand sorting-- which sounded cooler than it was. It was cool seeing Olivander's wand shop (right)-- but the actual sorting felt more like they were trying to get us to buy wands than an actual activity. The wand shop after the sorting was absolutely packed. Panic attack city.
The last shop we went into was Honeydukes and it was so cool! So bright and colorful and they had ALL of the candies from the books! Bertie Bott's Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Jelly Slugs... They even had a whole case of fudge (including butterbeer fudge, which I got... of course) and cauldron cakes. The back end of Honeydukes was the joke shop that the Weasley twins opened. I didn't get a close look at what exactly they were selling... but I assume they were muggle versions of the magical gags!
The funny part was that all of the staff talks to you like they are wizards and witches. If you tell them you are a muggle, they ask you questions about muggle stuff. It was really cute.
 I have to say, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have been able to spend 3 hours in Potter World with basically no lines and hardly any crowd. Trevor and I were giggling and running around like little kids. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day. I would definitely recommend all Potter fans check this place out. It is like a dream come to life!!
And definitely try the frozen butterbeer.

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Day 47- The Dread of Filming

I love what I do. I love reaching hot babes all over the world. I love making women feel confident and unique and beautiful. I love putting fun and positive products out into the world. I don't even mind editing. But man, I really don't like filming!
I can't quite say why, exactly. Maybe it is because I am not a "makeup everyday" kind of girl. Maybe it is because when I work from home, and film beautiful hair and makeup, I then sit at home doing other work in full hair and makeup that no one else will appreciate. I definitely feel like it is such a waste of effort and product when I wash my face down the drain at the end of a filming day.
Maybe because the set up and tear down takes more time than the filming. Making sure my camera is at the right angle/distance and focused. Making sure my lights hit me right so they don't create any shadow mustaches. Making sure I have a mirror off camera at the right angle so I can actually see what the heck I am doing without burning my head off. Making sure all of my products are in front of me and in order to I can be efficient.
No matter how organized I am-- without fail-- almost every time I film, I will be wedged into my little filming corner with everything ready to go, only to realize I have forgotten something. And this invariably happens at least 3-4 times in a filming day. What also makes me mad enough to kill is when I think I have hit record and I get halfway through a tutorial before I realize that I am performing for an audience of 1-- me. When this happens I have to brush out my hair/wash my face and start over again. And depending on where in the process it happens, brushes and/or hairspray cans go flying in my rage. It is also super fun when my battery dies or my memory card runs out and it has been several minutes since I have noticed. I should make a gag reel of all of the times I yell "God dammit!!" Or "Fuuuuuuck!!" while I am filming. I generally have a pretty clean mouth, but filming can bring the inner sailor out of me.
Maybe it is because we live on a through street in Burbank where a sundry of vehicles bomb down at any given time. Garbage man? Yep! Gas man? Yep! Recycling? You bet! Moving vans? Of course! And do they go slow? Nope. How is it that the garbage man/recycling man somehow comes down my street and empties something almost every day of the week??? Now for a normal person with a normal job, this wouldn't really matter. And I sleep like I am dead, so it doesn't bother me there. But I have a pretty good camera, and it just LOVES to pick up outside noise. Don't even get me started on the produce truck that comes twice a day and honks its "La Cucaracha" horn at 135 decibels. Or the ice cream man that comes year round, which ordinarily would be delightful, but the combination of the noise and the fact that I can't eat ice cream is like a double gut punch. Or the elote man that walks back and forth ALL day on the weekends honking his little horn. I mean, I love corn, frozen treats and veggies, but COME ON!
My favorite (not really) is when it is 800 degrees outside and I have to film, but I can't have my AC or a fan on because they are too loud. So I have to film while my body is dying and I am trying to mask my sweat mustache under two glaring lights. Man, fighting mustaches seem to be the hardest variable in my filming life.
I know I am just being
a giant baby and that my life isn't really that bad. And that my job pretty much rules. But I just want everyone to know that the "behind the scenes" are not quite as glamorous as y'all would like to think.
Oh, and I am 100% never wearing pants in any of my videos.

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Day 36- I Dream of Real Housewives

You guys. I have an addiction. It is a sickness, really. I have watched every last episode of every season of the Real Housewives franchise in existence. I have even watched Australia. I am just finishing up Atlanta right now... and I feel that once this show is done, my life will be empty. Or maybe I will just have a lot more time to watch more intellectual programming or read books. But I really just put it one while I am working from home! I swear! Don't judge me!
I don't know what it is about trashy reality TV that calls to me. Am I envious of their money and giant houses? Maybe. Do I love when they scream at each other? Actually, no...It's annoying. Does watching them make me feel a little better about what I have going on? Yeah, sometimes. I can't pinpoint what it is that makes me keep watching, but I just can't stop. Maybe it is like a crackhead that knows that crack is whack, but keeps hitting the pipe for one last high.
The good news is that there are always new seasons springing up. So even when I finish Atlanta... I just have to hold out until the next horrible season is unleashed on me.
In other news... Even I won't stoop to Kardashian level. So I guess there is still hope for me.

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Day 35- Why Do I Smell Like a Condom?

Today I did my first photoshoot in AGES! I shot with my old pal Travis Haight. We wanted to do something dark and weird so I slapped on some latex and a giant head piece and we went to a park and found some shade and made some magic. Today my blog will be short. I just want you all to know that I smell like a condom. Wearing latex is not all that it is cracked up to be.
Hasta Mañana.

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Day 25- The Things We Do When Our Men (and Women) Are Gone

As you guys know, Trevor and I travel a lot throughout the year. Which means that I am home alone a lot. Trevor was gone this weekend so it made me think of all of the things I do in secret when he is gone. I laugh at myself constantly.

First-- I watch ALL of the bad TV. Like, the worst. Marathons of Real Housewives and Bad Girls Club and any other terrible reality show about bitchy women I can find.

I also don't do the dishes. At all. And sometimes I don't even rinse them when I put them in the sink. Which when Trevor is home, makes him mad enough to kill.

I also leave my dirty underwear in a pile on the bathroom floor. Along with assorted tops, shorts, and gym clothes.

I also pile clothes on the foot of the bed. If I am getting dressed and discarding options, they always go in that pile. I also put clothes that I take off but aren't dirty there too. And they just lay on my feet while I sleep. 

Apart from being a total slob, I also have weird habits.

I am afraid of a dark house alone and we have an old house so it creaks. This means that I have a very precise way of turning the lights off when I go to bed. I turn the furthest lights from our room off first. I keep the hall light on until the very last second so that I do not have to withstand any kind of darkness for any length of time.

I also keep the bed made when I am sleeping. Trevor sleeps like a savage and the sheets are always a mess in the morning. But I sleep like a lady and rarely move at night so I just get out of bed and pull my side of the covers up and voila! The bed is made still!

Oddly enough I still sleep on my side of the bed. I don't know why I do this when I have a full bed to spread out in. I think it is 7 years of routine.

I also don't wear pants. A lot. If I go sans pants when Trevor is home, I will get zero work done because he will be fondling me like a 15 year old boy all day. But when he is gone, all of my bits are free to roam and I can still get my business done.

My favorite thing to do when Trevor is gone is NEVER closing the bathroom door. I am a very private bathroom person. So when he is home and I need to do anything in there, the door closes behind me. But when he is gone, oh man... That door is permanently open and holy moses, it is liberating!

I am sure there are all kinds of other weird little things that I do, but these are the ones I can think of now. 

I miss my husband when he leaves, I really, really do. But man, it is fun to have single lady rituals.

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Day 23- Girls Night

So I spent all day doing hair for pinup photoshoots and in about an hour all of my girls will be here for drag movie night (watching Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Too Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar)
. So no long philosophical blogs today. Sometimes it is more important to live life than to talk about it. But I made a promise to myself that I would blog every day. Sooo...

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Day 22- Ode To My Bed

I love my bed. It isn't the fanciest. Or the most ergonomic. Or the latest model. But it is my safe haven and I love it. I have extra soft sheets. And an extra fluffy down comforter. I also have two perfectly firm pillows with head dents in just the right places
.
Because of all of this, getting out of bed is SO hard. Working for yourself means you need an extra dose of self discipline and motivation. I set my alarm for 7:30am every single day. And it is rare that I am out of bed before 9. I just can't leave the warm embrace of my loving bed! If Trevor is also in the bed? FORGET ABOUT IT.
That's not to say that I am wasting my time in the morning. I usually just lay there and answer my emails and check my various media. But still. I feel like a hobo.
Yesterday I didn't leave the confines of my room until 11am. 11AM!! I know. Don't judge. Please. If you knew my struggle, you would understand. If you slept a mile in my bed, it would all make sense. Speaking of which... I think it's time for a nap...

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