new year, new life

I'm getting really excited about new year's eve and the year 2012!! I love new years eve because it's THE specific night that literally starts your year off. I think of new years as a re-birth, a time of renewal and a fresh start.  It's always been important to me to do something fun on new years eve and be with people you care about. Now, that hasn't always happened exactly.... I def have some bad new years eve memories. lol! specifically some bad new years kiss memories! ackkk!!! But anyways, I'm super excited for this year, not because of the parties or anything like that but because it will be my last big night in NC! I'm really starting this year off with huge changes... like moving to LA finally! woohooo!!!

I get really into new years resolutions as well and take them pretty seriously. I think resolutions are super important because they give you a time frame to work under and push you to achieve certain things in life. I'm still trying to decide what mine will be this year, last year they were very specific goals but this year I'm feeling more general about it. I have to be honest in saying that I'm pretty pleased with myself for what I achieved in 2011.  I got myself ready for LA, committed to a workout plan, started acting classes & started promo modeling. I also went back to school and got my esthetician's license and now I am a legit makeup artist and skin care specialist! Basically I redefined my goals and started the process of living the life I had wanted to. I also delved further into my spiritual journey in 2011 and learned a ton about myself with the help of my friends who pushed me to grow.  I feel like the universe really responded to me in 2011 and blessed me with some of my hearts desires while still challenging me.  And I wish you the same things!! make 2012 count dolls! :)

cheers! ;D

love it! dean martin & frank sinatra's version of auld lang syne!

"live life in a state of possibility." 

bookworm

Being that I have my bachelor's in English, I love to read. For me reading is an escape and language, speaking and words are just a passion for me in general. So I thought I'd share with y'all some of my favorite books. Sure, I love the classics and I love fiction every now and again but more than that I truly love autobiographies and confessional styled books and poetry. I love to hear about what a real person goes through, their journey and how to find inspiration to apply to my own life. I have certain celebrities that I just adore and relate to so reading their books is especially exciting for me. And no, I don't use tablets or e-readers. And even though I know I'll have heavy boxes when I move, I still like to have the real physical book in my hands, there's nothing better :)

books I love...

-"Gunn's Golden Rules" by Tim Gunn. this book was so inspiring to me, I can relate a whole lot to Tim Gunn and I learned a lot from him in reading this book. I even teared up a few times.

-"Hollywood Babylon" by Kenneth Anger. Since I'm so obsessed with old hollywood, this book is an essential for me. so interesting, scandalous, tragic and fun at the same time. loveeee it!

- "High noon and the body" by Kyla Pasha. This Indian book of poetry is beautifully feminist, real, confessional and deep. the self opens to the world, and the world to the self in Pasha's poems. I could read it over for days.

-"Being Kendra" by Kendra Wilkinson. I just read this book and I thought it was great. Kendra has a lot to say about herself, love, life and pain in the pages of this book. she gives me hope and teaches me about today's hollywood and maintaining who you are.

of course I have many more favorite books but these mean the most to me at this point in my life. If books interest you, let me know and I can post more book reviews and suggestions :)

happy reading dolls!!!

Katy: an inspiration

 Another Katy Perry post, sorry y'all I can't help my fangirl-ness! When I feel like I need motivation to stay the course and fight for myself and my dreams I think about Katy Perry and her journey to career success. Her story is awesome because she never gave up even after a lot of setbacks. She worked her ass off for several years, running around LA making connections and networking before she even got a legitimate offer. Katy recorded a lot of music that was never released, and what was released didn't sell very well. She was dropped from labels and she had several contracts that fell through, but she kept fighting for herself even when that meant she was going to have work a little harder.  She had to change up her image, lose weight, really go the extra mile. She knew what she needed to do and she did it. I have so much respect and admiration for women that just go out there and make their lives happen. And for those trying to get into the entertainment industry, it is an uphill battle and one that requires a whole lot of strength, determination, passion and also wit. And I always remind myself, half of luck is simply being prepared. So always be ready to take that chance and map out a plan.

I never knew someone could look so perfect.

amazing fan painting <3

beauty and strength. 

  

I won't settle noooo ;)

have a wonderful day dolls and never give up the fight!!

jersey shore makeovers

okay so it's time to come clean. I've seen every single episode of jersey shore since the very first day it premiered. Whatevs it's totally funny and tradge at the same time. plus I love snooki. Anyway, the casts looks are morphing as the days go by.  The first thing I noticed when watching the new season were the plastic surgery makeovers. Hollywood got its hands on them, I knew it was only a matter of time. All of the girls have gotten some kind of lip enhancement, most likely fillers and lost a bunch of weight. I'm not sure they look better but I mean anything is an improvement. lol. there isn't really anything to say about the guys, they look just as awful as they did on day one. ok so here's my wrap up!

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

lost lots of weight, major lip injections or implants. still has the wonky bad fake boobs though.

she looks good here. not a bombshell but big improvement. 

snooki looks great. her body is rockin. no detectable surgeries as of yet. 

 BEFORE:

AFTER:

deena definitely had her nose done. before her profile was over projected.

yikes! lol!

coconut water: healthy do or don't?

Coconut water seems to be really popular these days with so many celebrities talking about it and it's awesome health benefits. Which left me wondering how great is it really for the skin and what specifically are the benefits to drinking it? So I did a little research for myself. I found a few websites citing Dr. Perricone, who is basically the god of skincare. According to Perricone, "It's rich in mineral salts and is the ideal antidote to parched, stressed skin. Coconut water rehydrates while normalizing combination skin and is anti-microbial and anti-fungal, which will give you a radiant, clean, and clear complexion." Apparently coconut water is also great for workouts. It's rich in minerals and electrolytes that may be lost during a workout. It's basically like the best possible replacement for a regular sports drink. So I say drink up, but be sure not replace your regular water intake with coconut water. Regular water is very essential to a healthy functioning body.  So do you love coconut water as much as the celebs?? I remember having it in the Dominican Republic after a long horseback ride. It was yummy and very refreshing and replenishing! Thumbs up!

riri loves some coconut water! 

Have a wonderful healthy day dolls!! 

what should I be??

I love halloween! I mean costumes and candy, what's not to love! Those are two of my favorite things ever in the world. Being a makeup artist makes halloween extra fun for me too because it gives me the chance to really go crazy with a fun look. I am having a hard time figuring out what to be this year though. I have narrowed it down to a few choices so far. I love a sexy costume and I think you can find some pretty good ones online but I also like to give it my own touch with accessories and altering for the perfect fit. Or I can always make my own. I actually do sew, I started college as a fashion major (little fun fact).  Anyway, here are some of my ideas. I'll pick one, make it my own and post pics around halloween with the one I picked! So cast a vote ;)

I was a flight attendant for halloween of 2006. loved it so much I'd be that again. so fun, and I got some hilarious commentary on it...lol!

convict... need I say more ;D

I have the perfect jessica rabbit wig already! perfect!

My Oscar Faves

Wow is all I can say about the styles at the Academy Awards last night!  I almost feel like this was one of the best looking red carpets that I've seen in a while. There were gorgeous jewel tones, shimmer & sparkles galore and beautiful fresh makeup and hair looks. My favorite part of an awards show is always the red carpet, I love seeing the celebrities awkwardly mix with one another and just parade around. It's a sight to see for sure.

So now I'm going to break down my favorite looks from last night in no particular order. Mind you, I definitely do not always agree with the critics and the press about who was best dressed ect.

Love the purple! Looks amaze!

ScarJo's might be my favorite dress of the night. so on trend and sexy! love!

You can't go wrong with Jennifer Lawrence in this simple red stunner!

wow! Jennifer Hudson looks sensational! her body is rockin!

I love this clean, almost futuristic look it's so Cate Blanchet.

awesome press shot of america's sweetheart, the gorgeous Sandy Bullock!

Charlize Theron's dress is different and yet simple.

I'm not a Gweneth fan, I find her unrelatable...But this dress is awesome! super classy! oh yeah, & body by tracy anderson..*wink wink!

This was just incredible, I love the soft layers of fabric and beautiful beading. Halle always gets it right!

I loved this look! It's so julia Roberts! But Reese really rocks it well. pretty pretty princess!

some of my not so favorite gowns were:

(not posting pics for these b/c I'd rather focus on what i did like)

-Nicole Kidman: it looked kinda david's bridal-ish

-Zooey Deschanel: too 60's not so cute for this show.

-Emma Stone: huh? I'm wondering if she has a stylist? not good.

-Amy Adams: too las vegas for this awards show.

thanks for reading dolls!! xoxox