the promised land

I have certainly been neglectful of this little blog, haven't I? I apologize.

This is going to be an uber girly, very shopping filled and hair/makeup-centric post, so don't say I didn't warn you.

I went to Vegas about a week and a half ago for the North American Hair Awards (NAHA). I had a half hour chat with Nicholas French about hair shows, got a few hugs and pics with Phillip Wilson, met Eric Fisher, Daniel Holzberger, Vivienne Mackinder, and many, many more. I came back ecstatic about hair, makeup, photoshoots, and fashion/hair shows. I cannot wait to be finished with school and have at least a little piece of knowledge about this industry. Next year I want to be a beacon student and take classes from some of the bigger hair designers and hair school owners in North America. I'm also going to enter the NAHA student category. Basically, I've been inspired. And I can't wait to do something with that inspiration as my experience grows.

While in Vegas I, of course, hit up Sephora. I wanted to go to the MAC store as well, but I decided to hold off until I have my 20% discount card from the MAC makeup class at school. Anyway, Sephora was glorious, as usual. I finally bought some Tarte EmphasEYES black eyeliner. I've been wanting to try this kind of eyeliner out for over a year now but just couldn't make the switch from my favorite (Forever MakeUp AquaEyes). The only change now was the Sephora was out of AquaEyes in black and it's Urban Decay backup 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and my nub of eyeliner just isn't cutting it anymore. So far, I'm really enjoying my Tarte stand in. The pencil is very very thin, which makes natural looking application easy, but it's also has enough pigment to create dramatic eyes.

Also in my shopping bag was LashFusion XL. Now, I'm pretty picky about my mascaras. I mean, I'm picky about all my makeup, but I've got long, somewhat thick eyelashes, and finding a mascara that truly brings out their potential isn't easy. Givenchy's PhenomenEyes does the trick for length, but I've found it doesn't really make my lashes look fuller. They just get sticky and look a litte clumpy. MAC's PlushLash mascara has been my top choice for natural looking darker eyelashes. It doesn't particularly lengthen them, but my lashes definitely look fuller. Now, though, I've found a combination of the two. LashFusion XL plumps, lifts, and elongates like no one's business. There's protein in the mascara that helps build up stripped down lashes, which means over time my lashes will look fuller and healthier when they're bare anyway (something I've learned in hair school). So far, absolutely no complaints.

A couple of weeks ago (right before Vegas actually), as the only freshman, and thus the only student in school on Monday's usually, I've had the opportunity to model in the Taylor Andrew's MAC makeup class a few times. From my experience there, I've discovered I do, after all, rather like wearing lip color. My lips are naturally very dark pink and finding a blend that has enough pigment to cover and not look weird with my natural shade, but also isn't drying to my sensitive lips isn't easy. So, in my quest to start slow with a bright-but-not-too-gaudy pink, I went to one of my favorite makeup lines for subtlty and beauty: Stila. And I found my match. Their two-in-one blush and lipstick cream in Petunia is bright, fun, non-drying but non-greasy and easy to carry around. It was love at first dab.

My last purchase was a dry shampoo. These are all the rage lately, and I wanted to try one that's highly rated. I don't like the smell of baby powder, so talc was out. And some of the reviews I've read of different brands have made dry shampoo seem less than optimal. Stories of residue, weird smells and left over powder in the hair made me a little wary. But I'd heard excellent things about Oscar Blandi's Pronto Dry Shampoo so I bought some of the spray. It's been interesting. I still definitely prefer shampooing my hair in the shower, but on those days when waking up early just aren't an option, this is a decent stand in. There's no sticky residue, and it smells really nice. My only complaint is the left over powder that can be seen in my hair if I don't spend enough time shaking or brushing it out. I suspect this wouldn't be an issue for lighter colored hair, but mine is so dark that the white powder is fairly visible. If I were Marie Antoinette, this wouldn't be a problem, but I'm not, and it is. Not a huge one, but a mild annoyance at least. Not enough to keep me from using it, but probably not as often as I'd like.

So. Phew. Those are my current makeup reviews.

Up on my list of things to try: Lush Bubble Bars and Bath Melts. Specifically some of the new ones they have coming out soon, like the Casbah Bath Melt ("Powdered ginger, coffee, black pepper and cinnamon leaf essential oil give you a warming, spicy bath, with an opaque milky look"). Sounds great to me! I'd also love to try LaVanila The Healthy Deodorant. A 100% natural, clinical strength deodorant for women. Hopefully I'll get around to these beauties sooner rather than later!

Roundabout Coincidences

Funny little blogging tidbit. So I read {this is glamorous}, which is full of lovely, inspiring photos and blog links. I happened to click on a link to another blog, just randomly, since I don't generally have time to check them all out. And I found Bloom, Grow, Love. I loved the photos the author takes, so I was reading some of her older posts, and saw she had an Etsy store. So I clicked on the link to the store, the first item of which was a set of postcards of Paris in Spring. Beautiful really. They happened to remind me of some postcards I ordered last summer to send to a friend. Some of my favorite postcards of all time! Lovely stormy colors, pearlized paper, enough space to write what I wanted.

And then, as I was scrolling through her other items, lo and behold, there were the postcards I ordered over a year ago! What a small blogging world... wait, what am I saying? There are millions of blogs in the world, many many many of which are photo blogs. Not to mention millions of etsy accounts. So what are the chances of me clicking in a roundabout, non-intentional sort of way, back to a site I visited a year ago? I should think slim to none.

And yet Mr. Beebe's voice from A Room With A View can't help but come into my head. If I'm interested in a particular thing (beautiful things, photography, postcards) is it any wonder I should happen upon already found beauties from people interested in things similar? I don't know. I just don't know. What a happy coincidence though! Thank you, Alicia Block, for taking such wonderful photographs!

On Decorating

So, Elisa and I have been talking a lot about decorating the house. Our landlord is very chill, happy to let us change the flooring and walls to our delight. We're putting in the cheapest fake wood floor we can find at Ikea and then covering it up with area rugs. That's pretty much decided. But what I've been going back and forth on for ages is the color scheme I want. And I think I've finally - FINALLY - decided.

To begin, I'm using this photo to sort of focus my palette. I love bright colors. Especially these shades of bright colors.
















With that photo in mind, I've chosen this as the color for my walls. I haven't decided on a trim yet, though I'm considering a darker shade or a brown, but I really love this color. I've wanted to paint something this colors probably my entire adult life. Why it wasn't the first thing I thought of is actually rather surprising.

Magically, well... ok... not magically, because this is the exact reason I started thinking about these colors together... I've found a beautiful pink couch for only $150. I love it so much! I'm shocked it hasn't been scooped up already by hipster kids in the Salt Lake area. See what I mean?

And to top it off, there are two other couches on ksl that miiiight go perfectly. I want to check them out first because it says they're rocker loveseats?? And I'm not a fan of tippy stuff generally. I'll probably never in my life own a swivel recliner (one because they're cheesy and gross, and two because, well, see above). But the fabric on these couches are perfect. And the colors fit right in with my overall scheme.

If forced to choose, I'd much prefer the orange couch, but our living room is definitely large enough for all three to fit. If I think they match well enough at least.


As for lighting, Greg Nichols gave me the best idea ever! Our ceiling lights are 1) way way way too high to change (the ceiling is about 12-13 feet high) and 2) not very good at lighting the living room. We of course have the option of floor lamps. Which have worked ok in the past. But I find them annoying to move around and not great at filling the whole room with light.

So instead, I want to string bulbs back and forth, hung from the thick trim that sits about 3 feet below the ceiling (I'm too lazy to take a photo or else I'd just show you). It would be something akin to this but strung closer together. We'd do it in the main part of the living room, possibly in the back part as well (by the entry). I'd probably add some floor lamps too, but at least we'd have some light coming from the ceiling. And fun lights at that.

And the dining room. Well. That I'm still working on. I'm not sure if I'll paint the walls the same color throughout or change the color scheme a bit. Elisa and I have talked about possibly doing Japanese or Indian style seating. I've been mulling it over. On the one hand, it means I only need to buy a table, no chairs. And I think it could look very nice. On the other, we have a dog. And I don't like the idea of Sego being so close to the area we eat. If that makes any sense. Fur and everything considered. So that's still up in the air. Mainly it will come down to what I can afford I suppose.

Oh, and art! I'd love to cover the walls as much as possible in art drawn/painted/photographed etc. by our friends. I'm really really excited about that!

And that's all I've got so far. I wanted to write all this down though before I forget about it or lose my vision :) Let me know what you think, if anyone's reading this.

8 things thing

Well, I've been tagged (there's a first for everything I suppose). And unlike the 25-things-about-me facebook phenom that I vehemently refused to participate in, I'm actually going to fill this one out. Mainly because I'm waiting for my laundry to be done, and, well, Jillian-Anne's blog is one of the few I look forward to reading :)

8 things I look forward to:

* starting cosmetology school in June

* going back to Aus some day

* owning a charger for my Macbook again so I can stop mooching off Elisa (I yub you Eesa)

* not being dirt poor for a little while (yessss! to student loan money)

* going home to visit my fam sometime this summer

* furniture! and paint! and wood floors! (June June June June June)

* Harry Potter 6

* watching O'Grady with John-Ross

8 things I did yesterday:

* played with Sego

* watched Ryan, Olivia, and Joe weed the garden (because I'm a slacker)

* listened to some Craig David (bahaha. but seriously.)

* cleaned out my cupboard in the kitchen

* got some soul shaking hiccups that took ages to get rid of

* interviewed for a job I don't really want but definitely need

* facebook stalked (i know) <- Me too, J. Me too.

* watched some 30 Rock

8 things I wish I could do:

* clean anything and everything with the snap of a finger

* apparate

* travel the world in a year

* be done with school (cosmetology and my BA)

* play an instrument well enough to be in a band

* be completely self sufficient in a house far away from the rest of civilization

* own a puppy

* grow my hair out faster

8 shows I watch:

* Gossip Girl

* 30 Rock

* Dexter

* It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

* Arrested Development (well, the DVDs anyway)

* O'Grady (also no longer on the air, but one of the best cartoons ever)

* The Simpsons (only the old seasons now and then though)

* uuuuuuh... I can't think of anything else. Soooo.... my life. I watch my life.

Just some rambling

So our house looks lovely. Well. Clean anyway. Thanks to a lot of help from a lot of people. Next up is wood floors and new paint, but I suspect that'll be waiting until June.

Todays Figure Drawing Session went pretty well. Smaller than I'd hoped, but I think it'll grow as we get the word out. I got some great ideas about where to advertise, so I'm going to work on making a nice, permanent poster and flyers to put out all over Utah County. Wish me luck! 

In other aesthetic news, I've been having Sephora withdrawals lately. Something about the approach of summer, and feeling the need to change makeup styles and processes. I'm in need of some non-irritating, non-sticky, hydrating spf 30-50 sunblock. I'm also in need of some new perfume. And I'm to the butts of my favorite eyeliner. I haven't had money for that kind of thing in what feels like years. 

I'm also craving Aritzia lately. Their stock changes so rapidly that they never put lines up on their website. So going to the store is the only way to get my fix. And unfortunately that would entail going to Washington. Which thing I'd like to do, but am not doing.  

I think its a good thing I've finally made the decision to go to hair school and follow through with it. I think I'm going to feel more at home with all the "hair school girls" than I ever expected. Hopefully. And I'm going to one of the best schools in Utah as far as I'm concerned. 

That's all the babbling about nonsense I've got for today. Till next time, kids.

It's time, can you feel it? I'm making a change.

So, first of all, the way things are falling into place is uncanny. Elisa and I decided to stay in our house despite the odds against us, and so far we've managed to overcome most of them. I've got a meeting with the landlord tomorrow, which will decide things for sure, but I'm not worried. If the furniture, and roommate and basement apartment situations are any indicator, I'm positive it will go well. Particularly with my parents' help.

There have been an inordinate amount of ups and downs these past few weeks. But I have to say, the ups have been astronomical. Life works out. Life is good. I have a lot of wonderful, loving people in my little Provo world and beyond, and the list just keeps growing. I'm so appreciative of them all.

Our house is in a disarray right now, and I'm leaving Sunday for Washington. I won't be back for a month. But I suspect when I do come back, and when we get to work and fix this place up, it's going to feel more like home than any place I've lived since moving, post high school graduation. I'm excited. Incredibly excited.

I'm deliriously tired and deliriously happy. It's bed time and what better way to fall asleep than drifting through the list of my blessings? Thank you, life.

ginger ale cough drops make my sick life ok

Mariee Sioux
Marissa Nadler
Diane Cluck
Vashti Bunyan

A yes and a yes and a yes.

Music in headphones is so much better. I'd forgotten.

Tomorrow:
Clean off my bed so I have a full bed to sleep on, not just half of one
Listen to loads of music
Sort laundry
Color in my coloring book
Read a bit from A Room With A View. Just because.
Finish something or other

iesntfpj

So the whole personality type thing has gotten a bit out of control. That being said, I really like ISTP's. That being said, I'm ridiculously happy (Kristi said glowing. But that's subjective).

I've been awake most of the night (morning) coughing, but even so, it's been a lovely past ten hours.

I love a lot of people in Utah (you most of all, C). I love a lot of people all over the world. Being able to take care of a few of them makes my heart soar. Every time I say or text the L word to one of my girlies I get a little giddy and light. It's good to have people to count on, people to love, people who expect good from me. It keeps life worth living.

So there you have it. Just a little bit of fluffy goodness. Now back to bed. Good night (morning).

What in the woooorld?

I've had a surge of anonymous comments on blogs I posted over a year ago. And a lot of them range from mildly to moderately critical. Who is taking a random girl on the internet so SERIOUSLY? Blogs are for rambling about junk no one actually cares about. MIRite?

I guess I should be glad people are reading though... hmmm.

I'll love you on your birthday, I'll love you better than them.

Alright. So. I slept from 2 to 7 this afternoon/evening. Ridiculous. And my real problem is that it's now 11:46 and I'd rather be sleeping than sitting up alone in my house, but I'm just not tired.

I've been on another kick of listening to all female artists. Laura Veirs, St. Vincent, El Perro Del Mar, The Bird and the Bee, Inara George, The Blow, Eisley, Psapp (mostly female), etc.

I also have to admit, I fiiiinally got around to listening to She & Him. And I wasn't all that impressed. I guess I was hoping for something closer to M. Ward. I like Zooey's voice I guess, it just... wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe I'll change my mind. I don't know.

The new Bird and the Bee album, Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future, however, is lovely! I've had songs from the album stuck in my head every day for a week (today was mainly Diamond Dave). Love Letter to Japan reminds me a lot of a Spice Girls song. But mellower. And thus, I love it. I liked Polite Dance Song on the ep, and hearing it on the album hasn't lessened my love. There's a good chance I'll get tired of the poppiness of this album just like I did on Inara's past albums, but for now, I'm happy obsessing.