I didn't suck!

After a bit of a driving snafu (big accident on the main highway.... right at the exit ramp I needed) and getting there 30 minutes late (but traffic!) everything went fairly smoothly. There were only 2 other makeup artists there, and a LOT of models and a LOT of photographers, so I was going to be so busy, right?

Not so much. One makeup artist in the back (who was set up where the models were changing) was being a little bitch. I was told to set up in there, and he told me to leave. When I asked if he needed any help with the giant line he had in there, he said No, he can handle it. Fine. So I sat out with the photographers and made friends. When my friend who was running the event asked me why I wasn't in the other room, he pulled people out of there for me to work on (take that! ha!) And then he came out to check out the competition I guess? But he was acting like a total diva. I didn't like him. I was going to introduce myself, but decided it wasn't worth it.

The one girl that I did the most work on looked great. She kept saying "I don't wear a lot of makeup, I don't want a lot" but I had to keep explaining to her that if I don't put makeup on her, she's going to look washed out in the pictures. The photographer loved what I did, so that's really my concern. Yes, I want the model to be comfortable, but I want the pictures to turn out nicely. I haven't received any of the shots (and even if I did, I don't know if I'm legally allowed to post them anyway). But I've made like 4 contacts! I've already started talking to one photographer about a future shoot... one asked me if I do weddings (yes, please--that's what I want to do! I am more than great with brides. especially ones who are freaking out. I'm so good at putting out fires and distraction. I'd make one HELL of a wedding planner).

Note to self: get business cards (whoops.) and set up an online portfolio to send to said new contacts.

I hope I don't suck. Or that I feel like I'm trapped in "Fame."

I'm still a good 6ish hours away from this makeup event this tonight... and for serious I'm still terrified. I heard back from a few of my favorite artists, and I feel LESS terrified, but still terrified. I still have the foundation problem. Still not sure what to do about that. But I'm stopping by a few key places on my lunch break so I can get a few necessities from my kit:

* black gel eye liner (I have green, brown, and blue... no black. Go figure.)
* mascara (still have to get mascara wands...)
* matte bronzer
* this really awesome concealer that is the best: Paula Dorf Special Camouflage Concealer. It's peach & yellow, and you custom mix it. I've actually wanted to get it forever. I lurves it.
* eye makeup remover (BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?)
* Q tips, cotton pads, tissues, and preparation H (works to de-puff. magic secret. don't tell)

That's all the stuff that I don't already have. All my brushes are packed. I have all the lipsticks at my disposal (um. 3. I don't like lipstick. Whoops.) and a bunch of glosses. I might pick up one or two more just to have on hand? Maybe? My kit is mostly all put together... now I just have to wait. My friend Lisa, who is a makeup artist, said to me earlier, "Just act like you know exactly what you're doing...and you'll be just fine." It's nice to know that my friends in the industry are very encouraging and helpful. Ideally, I'll make some future bookings. What I would really love to do is weddings. But everytime I let someone I know who is getting married that I freelance, they say "Oh, well... I'm doing it myself." or "Oh, well... I was going to do to *this place.*" But I'm good! I promise! Hopefully now with a portfolio, I can say, "See? I'm good."

What do you mean I have to "build a kit?"

This amazing opportunity just fell into my lap. I'm one step closer to makeup artistry stardom! Okay, not really. BUT! I have this meeting? tomorrow with photographers, models, and other industry people for a "shoot out." It's all a win-win situation. Photographers get new models, stylists, and makeup artists. Models and stylists and makeup artists get pictures to build their portfolio. Contacts are made.

Problems:

1. I don't have business cards. Not even for the radio station.

2. I don't have a "kit." Not really. I have a crap-ton of makeup, don't get me wrong. But I don't have a kit. I have more eyeshadow than God. I have like four mascaras, a ton of eye liner. Lots of stuff! But. I don't have any foundation (kind of important for photography, don't you think?) or concealer for shades that aren't exactly my shade.

3. I'm SO NERVOUS

OMG. So I need to magically come up with uber amounts of foundation and concealer and stuff.... I don't know what to do. I am really worried that I'll look like a stooge. I think eventually I'm going to order foundation palettes from Cinema Secrets but they won't be here by tomorrow, so I'm not worrying about it at the moment. I've heard great things about Cinema Secrets on the professional level.

I'm going out tomorrow before the event to get the following:
* mascara
* mascara wands (NO IDEA WHERE TO GET THIS.)
* mass amounts of foundation? No idea.
* matte bronzer (I have 4 bronzers. Are any of them matte? Nope.)
* something makeup related that doesn't begin with the letter m
* lipstick palette? Does anyone even have any right now not in holiday season?

AH!! I'm so nervous. Maybe I should bring whiskey...

I'm surrounded.

I know that I'm at "that age" where everyone I know is getting married and having babies, but seriously. Stop. Last year, I had 8 weddings to go to, and half of those weddings either Gene or myself was in. This year? 6 babies. My cousin had a baby in September, one of my friends had a baby in February, my other friend is having a baby at the end of this month, my coworker is having a baby in April, and Gene's cousin is having a baby in... I forget. But her shower is this month, so I think maybe soon? I'm missing a baby. Oh, Gene's other cousin JUST had a baby. TOO MANY BABIES. I don't have enough time to make things for all these babies!!!

The September baby (who is super cute had needs a haircut at 6 months because he was born with a full head of hair and never lost ANY of it) was the receipient of my first baby sweater.



February baby (and I don't have pictures... I don't think.) got my last baby blanket. I'm done with baby blankets. They take TOO LONG. But a friend and I did this one together... it's a patchwork blanket that we made in bold colors (red, gold, brown, kelly green, blue, and purple). March baby is getting the sweater I worked on for Ravelympics (knitting challenge during the Olympics... begin and finish a project in that time)



And it has alphabet soup buttons!



I'm about half-way through another secret project for my coworker (don't know if she reads this, so... that's all I'm saying about that).

I can't keep up with these babies. I actually decided I'm not making anything for Gene's cousin, because I didn't make anything for any of his other cousins and since they're on the same side of the family, I don't want someone to feel hurt. I have so many other things I want to do! I want to make a sweater before I leave for Ireland. I still haven't finished Gene's Christmas sweater. I want do make a shawl, I'm taking a class on socks, and I have three sweaters-worth of yarn that is waiting to be made into something.

Last year I made a resolution to challenge myself in knitting. Do new things. And I did! I did a lot of firsts. My first sock (not pair of socks... sock.), my first cable project, my first sweater, my first non-blanket baby item, my first mittens. This year, I'm making a resolution (I know. It's March. whatever) to FINISH projects I start. I get so excited about other new projects that I get distracted. But if people I know would just stop having babies, then I would get a lot more done!

Also, unrelated. Gene wants me to change his name on my blog. Not that he has a problem with me using his name, but because he's jealous that Fidgeting Gidget has a nickname for her husband, The Grouper. So he wants me to call him Godzilla. Thoughts?

This is what a theatre education feels like.

Most of the time when I tell people that I have a BA in Acting and Directing, they say "And how's that workin' for ya?" Actually, my college education taught me a lot of important things about life thankyouverymuch.

1. Vodka doesn't just get you drunk, it also works like scentless febreeze.

No seriously. Cheap-ass vodka... a little bit of water... stick in in a spray bottle, and you have yourself some home-made scentless febreeze. Theatres use it on the costumes between performances, because hot lights + lots of dancing and moving around = sweaty, smelly actors. And if you're doing a show that has like 10-15 performances and don't treat the costumes? They'll get pit stains and be really smelly. So, vodka!!

2. A little bit of cornstarch goes a long way.

Theatre makeup is cakey and heavy and melts easily. And yet, you never see makeup running down an actors face while they're onstage after a big dance number. Know why? We use this translucent powder over our makeup that keeps it on. It's basically cornstarch. It also works WONDERS on lipstick. Put on lip stick... separate the plys on a tissue... put tissue over the mouth... brush on the powder... put lipstick back on. Works.

3. Condoms: Not just for sex.

Every theatre I've ever done shows at has put the body mic into a jumbo unlubricated condom before it is attached to the actor. Even at my CATHOLIC high school. When we got a new principal my junior year, he wanted to be very involved in the drama club. He reviewed all of our receipts. Including the ones for multiple backs of jumbo unlubricated condoms. He totally lost his shit at our director when the sound guy calmly went up to him with a mic and said, "Excuse me, Father, but we use the condoms to go over the mic packs since they cost $600 each and if they get wet from sweat, they'll break. Unless you want to buy us new mics after every show?"

4. Brandy doesn't just get you drunk.

Brandy is actually excellent for the vocal chords. A shot of brandy before singing is actually great when you have a sore throat. It also calms you down a bit. That's also why you can use brandy in a hot toddy. And if that doesn't work, cortizone shots in the back of the neck will do just fine.

5. Push-ups: Not just for working out.

I had an acting teacher who is one of my favorite people in the world. And she used to use push-ups as a technique for getting people energized. Getting them pumped. Jumping jacks does the same thing. Have a job interview? Feel like shit? Do 10 jumping jacks... you'll wake up, have energy, and your voice will be more clear because you're awake now. I've actually made a client do jumping jacks in the voice studio because A. he was pissing me off and B. he sounded DEPRESSED. DE-PRESSED. I don't want to invest with you if you sound depressed, guy.

But the one thing that I learned with my theatre degree that you really can't apply anywhere else...

Crying in acting class ALWAYS guarantees an A. Always.

So much LOST hatred...

I feel like there are two kinds of people. Those who love LOST, and those who HATE. IT. Most of my friends? Hate it. I think it's brilliant. It makes you think... it's very well written and incredibly well acted... and you really get invested in these characters. At least I do. I've said before that I'm not just a LOST watcher. I theorize... I watch episodes multiple times... I post about it on the internets (LOST boards, facebook, etc.) and I discuss LOST with a small handful of coworkers.

But I've found that while there is a large amount of my IRL friends who hate LOST, there is also another sub-set of LOST fans. Those who hate Jack. You know. The main character? I love Jack. Yes, he's whiny... and yes, he's mostly wrong. Why people didn't figure out in season 1 to never listen to Jack and always listen to Sayid, I'll never know. Jack is never EVER right. And he can be kind of a dick. But I love him. Maybe it's because I LURVED Party of Five and the rest of the Salinger gang. Maybe it's because I have faith in Darlton that they'll bring back S1 Jack in a redeeming way. He isn't my favorite character, but I don't despise him the way that a lot of fans do. And a lot of fans hate Kate, too! All of this surprises me. The only characters I hated were Nikki and Paolo, and Shannon. And look where they are now.

One of my friends promised me yesterday that he found spoilers for the end of LOST (yeah right) and he's just waiting until he can spoil it for me like the day of LOST's final episode. What an ass, right? I don't look up spoilers. I used to, but I don't anymore. And even when I did look up spoilers, Darlton is REALLY good about keeping big stuff very tight-lipped.

I really hate it when things are spoiled for me. The day I saw The Sixth Sense (with the whole family... including my 8 yr old sister who thought horror films were hilarious) I was on the phone with a friend. She asked what movie we were going see, and then she says "The Sixth Sense. Isn't that the movie where Bruce Willis is dead the whole time?" WHAT. THE. HELL. Why would you even say that?

And speaking of movies that are good that you need to watch before someone opens their big mouth about it... go see Shutter Island. Holy crap was that movie good. And despite what the trailer looks like, not even remotely a horror film. Not even close.

Ticead amhain go dti an Baile Atha Cliath, le do thoil

I have reached a milestone. I applied for my passport... and I am traveling overseas for the first time. No longer can I say that the only foreign country I've been to is Canada, and it was so long ago that you didn't even need a passport.

For two years, my best friend has lived in Ireland, and I haven't been to see her once. Because it's expensive. Because anytime it might be possible, some expense comes up (like my water heater breaking). Because Gene wants to come with me, and sending two people to Europe is considerably more expensive than just sending one. Especially when just one person goes, you don't have to worry about lodging but two people can't stay at a friend's apartment.

It was actually Gene's idea. He decided that it was silly that he was the only reason I wasn't seeing my best friend while she's living in another country. Opporunities like this don't come up often, and I don't know when else I'll be able to see another country without having to worry about a hotel AND get to spend it with one of my favorite people. Plus all of the stuff that we'd want to do is NOT exactly stuff that he'd want to do. And he gets severely motion sick, so he'd be no good most of the trip.

OMG I'm so excited. I need to get a larger memory card for my camera. I need to get rain boots. I need to knit myself a sweater. I'm thinking of the Vine Yoke Cardigan by Ysolda Teague. I have the pattern, and I had started it in a different yarn but wasn't crazy about it (non superwash, yuck) and I messed up the first sleeve. And then I got super yummy Lorna's Laces for Christmas in Dusk. SO PRETTY.

So... I need travel tips! I haven't flown on a plane since 2003. I've never had a flight more than 1 hour before, and this one is almost 7 hours. What's your best travel experience?? I don't want the worst... I live in a land where your luggage always gets there, there is never turbulence, and airplanes fueled by magic and rainbows.

(oh, by the way, my title means "One ticket to Dublin, please.")