I started wearing makeup at an early age. When I was 13 I asked if I could and my request was granted. I was then taken to the nearest store in search of mascara and eyeliner because I had no idea the various types of makeup to wear. Those were the only two items I bought. It was a start and proof that I had a lot to learn about the cosmetic world.
There are times when I wish I could go back and tell my 14-year old self not to over-pluck my eyebrows. I present to you Exhibit A: my freshman high school picture.
Here I am with my black, heavy-rimmed eyes and tons of black mascara. No foundation, no blush and no lip gloss or lipstick of any kind. It was the mid-90s and I was super gothic so there’s my explanation.
When I was 16 I bought Kevyn Aucoin‘s makeup book, Making Faces. I’m sure I saw it on MTV or some fashion show that featured it. I devoured that book when I got it. I read it cover to cover learning all about cosmetics and the different looks I could achieve. That book was, and still is to this day, like magic to me.
So back to my over-plucked brows. I seriously wish I could tell the teenage girl me to knock it off with the over-tweasing. But since I can’t I time travel, I had to come up with another solution. Luckily, I’ve met some great professional makeup artists over the years that have shown me the way to be a makeup Jedi. I learned that I didn’t have to continue to be ashamed of my lack of eyebrows and I learned how important they are. So much that if it’s a day I’m not going to wear any makeup, I’ll fill in my brows at least. It’s amazing how much your eyebrows define your face.
I was recently given the most lovely gift from my sister from another mister, Johnnie Mae‘s brother, Ryan. He is a professional makeup artist in California. He gave me Too Faced‘s Brow Envy brow shaping & defining kit. I could not wait to try it! Below is some before and after and photos of the product.
The case is so pretty and the kind you can nicely display on a vanity if you wanted to. It’ll also be vintage gold in about 50 years because of it’s timeless look. It came with a fold-out tutorial and three individual eyebrow stencils: So Sweet, Too Pretty and Super Sexy. The tutorial gives great and easy step-by-step instructions to create a classic Hollywood eyebrow. I LOVE the setting wax and highlighter. Makeup tip: the highlighter is a great way to shape up the eyebrow and basically make the lovely eyebrow you just created pop. 🙂
Oh Halloween, how do I love thee, let me count the ways! I felt the need to write a little blog ode to my favorite holiday of the entire calendar year: Halloween. Why it’s my favorite? Hmmm, good question. To quote dear Lydia in the movie Beetlejuice, “I, myself, am strange and unusal.” My affection towards the dark and strange started at an early age. And considering this is my mom’s favorite holiday as well, it’s only natural I developed a love for it too.
I’ve thrown many parties in honor of this spooky holiday. The music, the costumes, the food, drinks, the games and decorations are the best. I think this holiday gives people the opportunity for their creative side to shine. Even if someone doesn’t consider themselves creative, this holiday just drags it out of people.
This month, I’ve been soaking up and taking advantage of watching all the horror movies that are being shown on television. I’ve always loved a good scare. Even though I’m the person that has the covers pulled up to their chin, pillow-clinching and adrenaline pumping because of watching the person being chased by the killer. Or even more nail-biting, when the movie is so silent you can hear a pin drop and the soon-to-be victim is curiously checking out what that “noise” was. Don’t do that, by the way. Simply exit the building and don’t look back.
I also love putting on a good, vintage Halloween mix. I’m on a marketing committee for a local historic organization, Historic Nashville, Inc. and we recently hosted a Spooky Soiree. I took on the task of supplying our haunted mix. There are so many great vintage Halloween songs out there! Nothing like some old-school Halloween songs to listen to while mingling among party guests.
I LOVE seeing what costumes people come up with. I’ve seen some great Halloween attires over the years. Whether it’s a spin on a phrase or pun or a classic monster, I love them all. Halloween is creativity at it’s zenith.
So with the “spook-tacular” holiday right around the corner, I’m going to be counting down. I’ll be flooding my Facebook news feed with lots of wonderful and delightful Halloween images. So join me on my Facebook page to revel in it, if you dare! ☞
In the meantime, here are a few costumes of Halloween past I’ve adorned.
So I know it’s not October yet and that I may be jumping on the Halloween train too soon, but this time of year is my most favorite! Right when the summer and fall season collide and we start preparing for all things that frighten us. That infamous line: “They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” was repeated to me as a child by my oldest brother who loved to hear me scream in fright as he came towards me like a zombie.
One way I get in the Halloween mood is by watching some good ‘ole horror flicks. When I was younger my cousin and I completely rotted our brains out watching scary movies ranging from total classics like Frankenstein to the most D-rated ones such as Slumber Party Massacre. There was no scary stone left unturned when we raided the local video store renting every movie they had in their horror film stock.
So this post is dedicated to my top ten horror films that definitely give me goosebumps. I’ll count down from ten and lead to my number one favorite of all time. Note: there are more than ten favorites I have but these make the top of the list. Here we go:
10. Sleepaway Camp – If you haven’t checked out the Sleepaway Camp movies (there are more than one), go ahead and do so. The first one is my favorite though. It’s your typical early 1980s scary movie and it’s based at – yep, you guessed it, a summer camp. The ending is twisted so it makes up for some of the cheesy parts. Go ahead and sign yourself up for this one.
9. Scream – Okay, before you roll your eyes at me, let me explain. This movie came out my freshman year of high school and I saw it in the theater. So it has a nostalgic factor for me. It may not be the absolute scariest movie I’ve ever seen but it’s “jump factor” (what I like to describe as what gives me the jitters and makes me jump out of my seat) is still a solid 6. Plus, one of the characters gives the ultimate advice: Don’t say “I’ll be back” because you won’t!
8. Psycho – Alfred Hitchcock was the man. He knew how to crank out the thrillers and give us all a good fright. Plus, I love a psychological thriller. I watched a lot of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and films when I was younger so I’d say he helped plant the seed in my scary movie heart. I saw the 1998 re-make in high school too. But I’m still a bigger fan of the 1960s version.
7. Bram Stoker’s Dracula – There are many versions that have graced the horror film genre. Really, it’s a tie between the 1992 and the original 1931 film with Bela Lugosi. So number 7 has to play nice and share the spotlight. I saw the 1992 version at a young age and it definitely solidified my love for the dark and scary.
6. Pet Sematary – This one comes with a bonus fact: I love Stephen King books and Pet Sematary is by far one of my favorite chillers to read. I’ll always proclaim the book is way scarier than the film. Like, sleep-with-the-light-on-and-bed-sheets-up-to-your-chin, scary. But the film does a great job and still creeps me out. Still, to this day, I have nightmares about Zelda (*shivers*).
5. Freaks – This one definitely has to be in the top five. If you haven’t seen it, go ahead and do yourself a favor and become “one of us” and watch it. In my opinion, this one has to be seen by any scary movie fan. It’s pretty much expected. This movie proves that the 1930s could be just as creepy as any modern day flick.
4. Texas Chainsaw Massacre – Okay, here’s another one that has to share the number list spotlight. I saw the 1974 version first during those years my cousin and I were rotting out our brains. It was one of those that was definitely on our must-see list. Then, I saw the 2003 version in college with a roommate. We were so terrified when we came out of the theater that we ran to our car in the parking lot, hearts racing from what we just saw. And then (lucky us) we lived in a house surrounded by woods and it was at night. Needless to say we ran into the house when we got home and turned on every light possible and probably kept it that way the rest of the night. Ah, memories 🙂
3. Alien – This film never gets old to watch to me. It’s a classic. I’ve always had a fascination with creepy things and space. And this one is the mother of all the sci-fi/horror films. Plus, Ripley is just my hero. Period.
2. Identity – This one is very close to number one for me but didn’t quite steal my heart. But this is a great film. It may not have a scary monster like some of the rest but it certainly messes with your mind. I love a good mystery and this one has tons of twists and turns. I was quite surprised by the ending and those are my kind of movies.
1. *Drumroll please!* Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you my number one favorite…The Shining! The first time I ever saw this film I was about 13 and I’ve been a fan ever since. It’s so weird and it haunted me! Such a simple concept of a small family and a large hotel but the ultimate nail-biter flick. Jack Nicholson did a great job going, well, basically crazy. I even taped (yes, VHS taped) the 1997 mini-series but it didn’t carry the torch. And of course I read the book; which I devoured after watching the film.
So there you have it folks, my top ten get-me-in-the-mood for the spooky season flicks. Now, excuse me while I go check out that noise I just heard in the kitchen….
Here are some other favorites that didn’t make the list but definitely give me the chills and thrills: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? – Joan Crawford, the ultimate villain! House of Wax – Paris Hilton or not, this movie scared me! The Strangers – Two thumbs up to this modern day thriller. Jump factor is WAY up there. It – Um, one word: clowns *also a great book. Resident Evil – Jovanovich does a great job in her role and the zombies are pretty frightening. Silent Hill – Creepy. Just creepy. House of 1000 Corpses – A film I watched by myself. In that same house surrounded by woods. Big mistake. Puppetmaster – This is a old favorite. And yes it’s as cheesy as the title. Angel Heart – I didn’t realize Robert DeNiro had tapped into the horror genre until I saw this film. Se7en – My number one favorite psychological thriller. Poltergeist – That old man was scary! Friday the 13th – An old favorite indeed. Donnie Darko – Not scary but weird. And I like weird.
There’s something magical about a photo booth. The small box that in a flash, snaps your photo and then delivers you the result. In one instant, your moment of fun is captured.
In a photo booth you can be serious, silly, sophisticated or sassy. Showcase your style or just show off. In a photo booth it’s your time to shine. When I see a photo booth, I cannot help but want to shove my money into the slot, jump in with a friend, or two, or three, and let the fun begin. Am I right or am I right?? 🙂
The history of the photo booth goes back to the late 1800s with it’s debut at the World Fair in Paris in 1889. Apparently these self-service machines were not too reliable. It wasn’t until the Jazz Age came along that the more modern-version of the photo booth was invented. With the curtain it made it’s grand appearance in New York City on Broadway. It was Anatol Josepho that brought us the photo booth that bursted onto the scene and stuck with us through the decades. Below is a picture of the inventor inside his box-o-fun.
Scouring the internet for photos from photo booths was fun all in itself. So many great vintage photos out there that document those moments in time. There are photos of people by themselves, with friends, lovers, family members, man’s best friend, service members, or perhaps even strangers. Everyone piled into a tiny box posing for the camera. People getting dressed up in their finest or maybe wearing their work attire. It’s a time people show the world their style, smile or personality. When I look at the photos I found, I can’t help but wonder what the story is behind each person in front of the camera. What were they doing that day, where they were at, who they were with. It’ll forever be a mystery and intrigue me. Perhaps this was their only means to take a professional photo or family photo. And my mind wanders to where this photo was going. In a photo album or maybe it was sent across the world to a friend or lover.
While I’m pondering these things, why don’t you check out these super awesome vintage photo booth photos ☞
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love photography. I admire it and truly think it’s one of the best inventions. We’ve spent over a century documenting moments in our lives and photographs have preserved those moments long after they have passed.
I have to say, I’m a lucky gal to have some really talented photographer friends. I love coming up with concepts and different looks for a photo shoot and it’s super swell when these talented friends bring these ideas to life. I recently did a photo shoot with my good pals of And How! Imaging. My husband and I worked with them before and you can view the photos here. They are the sweetest people you’ll ever meet and their work is fantastic. They are a wife and husband team, Amy and Chuck Rouyer, and live right outside the Music City capital of the world, Nashville, Tenn. Amy is the photographer and her husband assists her on the photo shoots. Although their work doesn’t stop there, they put a lot of time and care into each photo shoot and the post-production. Then Amy delivers the photos to you like a perfectly wrapped birthday present. And when you open it, your eyes fill with delight. The photos just instantly invoke happiness!
I had the concept of a 1940s look and talked to Amy about this. They had tons of terrific props for the setting; as they did for the first shoot I did with them. They gave lots of creative direction with poses and the different looks for each picture. They took time to make sure the lighting was just right. I appreciate when someone takes time to study these things each time they get ready to capture the photo. You can tell they have done their homework because they always pass the test flawlessly when you’re working with them.
I always think we should pamper ourselves and when we think about this, our minds go to a massage, pedicure/manicure or some other spa-type treatment. But I truly think a timeless way to pamper yourself is a photo shoot. Hire a professional and let them do their work. And once they’re done, you have a spectacular product (your photos) that you can cherish for decades. So I HIGHLY recommend you contact them and book a photo shoot. What are you waiting for?? Jump on over to their website and check out their work! ☞ And How! Imaging. You can also like them on Facebook or Instagram. 🙂
Now, feast your eyes on these fabulous photos from our forties-inspired shoot!
crashing nightingale 