Tear Jerker Alert!!

I rented this movie last weekend, and LOVED it!  I didn't know what I was expecting, but the actors that were in the movie are awesome, so I said Hello Redbox give me:  Mother and Child.  


This movie was written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia in 2009.  The cast consists of Annette Bening, Samuel L Jackson, Naomi Watts, and Kerry Washington.

Annette plays a 50 year old woman traumatized by the loss of her only child.  Naomi plays a driven lawyer, who doesn't attach any of her feelings to any human being, to keep her from connecting from her past trauma, and Kerry plays a woman who cannot conceive, and is planning to adopt.

Not too happy about the ending, but let's just say I cried for about 20 minutes!

*****5 stars baby! 

Mother and Child Trailer

Crafty with Christmas cards!!

I know it has been a while since I have been blogging, and I truly miss it!  Unfortunately, I have been working, and just tired by the time I get home to even put my full attention into something. 


So here is something I have been working on for the holiday, and the cards have been sent to family and friends, and I have heard some great feedback too!  


I went to Michael's craft store, and stocked up on a bunch of goodies to create these masterpieces! lol


I purchased a book of paper that had multiple prints, ribbons, and extra trimmings.  Bought a 50 pack of ivory cards that came with envelopes and used them as the base of the card.  Than glued the printed paper to it, and decorated.


Quite easy, and it was nice to get my crafty side going again!


Enjoy the pics!  This is only the beginning.  Next year I have to get even better! ha!  

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

1st Full Styling Photo Shoot: Hair, Makeup, Clothing, Photography!

My niece Alexandria was delighted to hear that her favorite Aunt, "Aunty J",  suggested we spend one day doing a photo shoot during her visit.  She is off to college very soon, and what better way than to kick it off with some great photos!  Alex jokingly mentioned that she will hang up a collage of self portraits on her dorm wall! 
 
I think they turned out beautiful!  I did have to work with her a bit, giving her some direction on facial expressions, but this will be a good starting point for her to learn and to get her ready for the next round.  I look forward to doing many more styling/photo sessions, as I already planned one with one of my best friends, as she shockingly said, "What?!  I think I'll photograph you instead!"








All the clothing is from Forever 21. 

How to get my look

For this look I used the following items:

• Fake eyelashes glued into place
• Bare Escentuals Well Rested eye cover on the base of my lid, under eye, nose creases
• Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals foundation in Light
• Avon's Satin Gel eye liner in Black/Brown, patted all over eye lid, blending upward to get a soft smoky effect on the upper lid, also smudged some under the eye along lashline
• Stila eye shadow in Storm is dusted over the eyelid blending upward and along bottom lashline
• Apt. 5 has a 4quad of highlighting shadows that have four different bases, red, blue, green, and yellow, and this time I used the red base from the inner corner of my eye, along brow, and to the edge
• Can't forget, I lined the inside bottom lash line with Almays eyeliner crayon in Black
• Brushed on some Bare Escentuals Faux Tan for a contouring effect
• Brushed along cheekbones the Bare Escentuals Warm Radiance, and Bare Radiance on the T-zone areas for highlighting
• Coat eyelashes with your favorite mascara, I just got my first Avon order in years and tried Super Full, and I will never buy it again.  Flaky, and does not go on smoothly. 
• Finished it all off with my lips, which is my first gloss I just tried from Avon which they will probably no longer carry, but it was the orange effect I was looking for, Glazewear in Coral Beat

Links to some of the cosmetics posted:

Bare Escentuals 1990's - Sephora / Stila eyeshadow Storm - DERMSTORE                                     Almay eyeliner - Amazon / Satin Gel Eyeliner - Avon / All Over Face minerals - Bare Escentuals
Bare Escentuals Foundation - Sephora

Let's Makeup!

I am posting some of the makeup essentials that I love.  If I were to ever have my own makeup company, I wanted to name it "Let's Makeup"!  Enter:  Perfect Blog Title.  Most of these pics were listed from Sephora.  I love a one stop shop, and if you order online with them, you can get many perks!  Like free samples of cleanser, perfumes, bags, all with purchase.  You can't forget the birthday club, which is an extra treat to look forward to on your birthday!  This year they gave out a 3pack of Sephora brand cosmetics, which was a Silver Green eyeliner, a common staple eyeshadow that brightens the eye in Aspen Summit No23, and a black mascara.  I actually like some of their products, and the price is reasonable.

I have pretty good skin, a bit dry at times, and a little sensitive, but I do not need a heavy cover for my everyday face.  Most makeup artist would gasp if they knew I wore Bare Minerals foundation, but everyone's skin takes differently to various brand's of cosmetics.  I personally feel that MAC's pressed powder compacts tend to crease, needing to be reapplied every hour.  But I do love their eyeshadows and lip glosses!  So every company has an advantage as well as a disadvantage.  Nobody is perfect!  If you are going to try Bare Escentuals, go for the gusto and buy the kits.  You will end up saving money in the long run for what you get inside the boxed kits.  They provide you with the tools (brushes & application CD), as well as a few varieties of product.  My first kit with them was the basic foundation kit.  The kit pictured is $60, and you get all of that!  Bronzer, primer, 3 brushes, mineral veil, and your basic foundation.  This can last you a few months, as some of the items you don't use as much of, or in heavy amounts.  It's a great kit!


Another purchase from BE is there Complexion Enhancer kit.  This $34 kit includes:

Well-Rested - which is great to hide dark circles, red capillaries, veins inside your nose creases, and even any discoloration throughout your face or pimples.  Faux Tan - which is to be used along the cheekbones, temples, and a bit along the hairline to create a contour effect.  You can also only just lightly dust onto your cheekbone area for a warm blush effect.  Pure Radiance is for highlighting areas, like under your eyes above the cheekbone, the mid forehead and middle of your nose, and a pat on the top of your chin, brushing upon the T-zone area of your face, which are all the areas that light naturally hits.  I loved it so much that I bought another kit they have which supplied me with three other colors, like:

Bare Radiance which is one I use always, that has a natural nude shine effect.  I dust this over my blush like Rose Radiance or other blushes, as well as the T-zone.

Warm Radiance which is a coppery color, and is great when you are wanting a bit of a sun effect or to warm up your face if you are doing say a smokey green eye.  Just a good natural color.

Rose Radiance is a soft pink, and it just sits pretty on the apples of your cheeks.



For a dewy look, I like Stila's Color Push Ups in Nude Flash AC5.  This is actually for the whole face, as I used it on the cheeks and under the bone, as well as on my eyelids.  This is great for a classic summer face, with a nice nude or hint of peach lip gloss.  This color would be pretty on most skin tones.  Now for their Lip Glaze lip glosses, a coworker and I would skip, as they leave your lips dry and flaky. 

The bronzer's I have loved are Benefit's Hoola and Sephora's Bronzer Disk, which is a nice copper/gold color.




I have received a few gifts with purchase from Clinique, as I like their skin care products, and I came upon a new found love!  Aside from their great mascara, I just love their Blushing Blush in Cupid No8.  It's well pigmented, and gives you that natural rosy effect to the apples of your cheeks, giving you that touch of femininity.  Use with a paler face, no bronzer, and maybe a glide of lilac eyeshadow and mascara. 

I can't leave out one of my favorite mascara's, which is Lancome's Definicils High Definition in black of course!    One more thing, for your skin:  DERMAdoctor Wrinkle Revenge.  I love it!  It's an anti-oxidant glycolic acid facial cleanser which exfoliates cell buildup and residue of everyday pollutions to your skin.  I rub this on a dry face, and let it sit for a couple minutes, until I can't take the burning  sensation.  Yes I said it, but it is a burn well worth taking!   Gently rinse off with warm water, and your skin ends up feeling supple, appearing even toned and bright!

Hope these few tidbits gave you some new insight into products that you may have not used yet!  I enjoy them all and you should check them out!

 xoxo J

2 Days In Paris

I thought this film was great!  Yes it has been out since 2007, but thanks to Netflix, I was lucky to find it!   A Julie Delpy film, she stars alongside Adam Goldberg who plays Jack, in this sexually charged comedy, where they have two days left to kill before they go back to there everyday life in NYC.  Jack was clueless to what his next two days were going to entail, as he spent it with Marion's (Julie Delpy), family and friends in her hometown of Paris.  Jack was able to get a glance into what her life really entailed. 

This was truly a great flick!  I laughed my butt off quite a few times, and was engaged as I listened to the beautiful language of the French!


  



C'était un magnifique film! Allez sans doute le loyer cela!

p.s. I just read that In Feb 2010 it was announced a sequel was to be made titled 2 Days In New York. Julie will direct the sequel in Manhattan in October and I will only give you this tid-bit:
"It's about the difficulty of relationships but also about the main character's evolution in general. It's a very modern story about the complexities of being a woman and not being completely consumed by your partner," Delpy explained. Julie is aiming to have this sequel finished and ready by Cannes 2011.

Shop It To Me

This is one of the best websites that I have come across. Not only do you have the luxury of not having to leave your home, but you can alter the settings to fit your size and brands that you prefer, and have it emailed right to you, while saving you time!

I joined Shop It To Me. You should too!  Better than any sample sale! 

San Francisco 4th of July Celebration

I can actually now say I have been there, and done that!  The San Francisco 4th of July celebration was a pretty laid back affair.  I was accompanied by one of my best friends, Michele, and it was both our first time attending.  Well the band's that we were intending on viewing really seemed like they didn't exist.  Pier 39 was to host a band from 3-5, which they were still either setting up, or had technical difficulties.  The Cannery performances were null in void!  The only band we danced along amongst a big crowd was the band called "The Cheeseballs"!  They were a 70's, 80's, 90's and today's hits kind of group, and were actually a crowd pleaser.  They played up until the fireworks started, which was at 9:30, and it was a good fireworks show.  I can say it wasn't as great as the New York Macy's celebration, but they did have a smiley face explosion!

Jamie's Trendy Finds

Being that my blog is fairly new, I have finally posted my first fashion article.  I am letting you in on what I see as a hot trend, or a great item that will mix and match, and linger in your closet for years.  I love vintage, especially vintage coats, purses, belts, and jewelry.   I am not a label whore by any means, as I believe it's about the execution, however, my first write up is  based from one great website that houses some of the hottest labels, ShopBop @ www.shopbop.com.  Although I currently cannot afford most of the items that are on their website, and trust me, I'd buy all the clothes listed below, I must say, I do have expensive taste.  Hey, I was born with a great eye for fashion, and usually when I am out shopping, I have a tendency to pick the priciest item hanging.  Don't get me wrong, "bargain hunter" is in my blood, and in the near future, I will be posting cheap steals that I find so you can all get in on the action!

This was a blast for me, and I hope you enjoy some of my choices, and head over to ShopBop to do a little shopping. 

Right below each collage I have a brief write up on what I would mix and match.  Click on each photo collage twice to get the Designer, Price, and a better look!

This is my ode to femininity!  With pinks, reds, polka dots, and ruffles!  Wrap the Red Marc Jacob belt around your waist while wearing the Mason Polka Dot dress or the Ever Colty dress, and go on and sling the yellow Rebecca Minkoff over your shoulder!  The double stranded pearl necklace would lay nicely on top of the pale pink Elizabeth & James blouse with the Alice + Olivia trouser.   

The tomato BB Dakota top is the star of this vixen series.  This wide-neck top features an envelope hem at the split back, and a ruching at the softly structured, short shoulder, sleeves.  I pair this hot tamale with the awesome Nina African Stripe skirt by Torn, and the 7 for All Mankind platforms.  The 2nd option with the top is to pair it with the Rag & Bone leather shorts, and your feet covered in Giuseppe Zanotti's leopard platform shoe.  The Alice Bag is to die for, as it is a shape that isn't too common, and can be dressed up or down.  

 

These are some accessories that fall into the warm neutral zone.  I threw in a few pieces of clothing for the trend and style factor!  I would definitely pair the cream boot by Boutique 9 with the Roxanne Grace dress, and the Elizabeth & James clog pump with the Joie outfit which is a cool pair of silk, just above the ankle, cargo pants that has a fitted adjustable hem. 

 In this glitzy, earth color mixture, I would throw together the olive silk jumpsuit by Alice + Olivia with the muted gold sequined and beaded dolman sleeve shrug, and the leather chocolate heeled sandal by Pelle Moda.  The charcoal high waist skirt topped with the double-breasted silk jacket-style blouse that has ruffle trim at the shoulders by Wink.  This outfit is a bit sexy from the backside, with the top having a wrap detail and keyhole at split back.  I would wear the gold pumps to add a bit of a warm vs. cool element to the outfit. 
 

Muted grey and black mixed with a pop of citron.  These outfits were made for a more casual day, as I paired the Ever Tank/Dress with the Sauce ruched biker shorts, or the french terry ankle pants and the jersey black structured shoulder top, both by Torn.  The Pelle Moda bootie will work well with all the outfits.

 More accessories for the cool side of things.  I dig the Alexander Wang zippered sunglasses!  Peep of the Bandeau tops are coming back too!

Mod yellow, where I mixed the sweetheart mesh top by Twelfth with the Rachel Pally floral cargo short, and Joie lace up bootie.  The trend of wearing your undergarments as outer garments is back, and this Carrie Romper by Jill Stuart is dressed with feminine touches of scalloped lace along the hem line.  Add a little rocker chic by wrapping the metal studded Temperley London belt around the waist, double up on the two bangle bracelets, gold button earrings, and the yellow sandals by Twelfth.

Last is my creamy brown casual mix.  In this mix, I would pair the JBrand Inez skinny chinos with the Jamison Lucas tank, or the Joie Rizzo tank with the Colbie oxfords by Pour La Victoire.  The second outfit, I would pair the Genetic slouch cigarette jean with the C&C brown long sleeve tee, adding a touch of vintage femininity with the lace vest by Foley + Corrina.  Put on your rhinestone studs, the Jeffrey Campbell wrap boot, grab your tote, and enjoy your day!

Everything can be found on www.shopbop.com, and hurry as quantities are limited.  If you are in dire need, Amazon or Google it!

Summer Kids

    (click on photo to enlarge)

Either my biological clock is really ticking or I am longing to be a kid again!  Oh the day's which I remember not ever having to think about a job, having my birthday money go to a bill, or my check to rent, and to just simply ride my bike 'til the street light's were lit.  The free time to think, let alone do art's and craft's projects, and how our creative minds were aloud to meander through the years.  As we became adult's, the spare room in our minds for our creative outlets may be hindered by our 40+ hour a week job if it does not include any creative relevance at all!  I remember sitting on my driveway when I was 7, drawing, not having a care in the world!  If I were to do that now, I would be plagued with guilt, as I have a laundry list, (literally), of household chores to do, let alone, thinking about work.   

Yes, my biological clock as well is ticking!  I am at an age where women are probably finished with  having kids, but these days women are driven for success, and with fewer marriage minded men out their, it make's it difficult for women to think about a family.  No, I shouldn't blame men for this problem, as we have all been caught up in this world of go, go, go, and what's new, now, now, now.  It has left people wondering if I marry this one, am I going to miss out on that one?

Can you tell I want a daughter? Ha Ha!  There is one picture of a boy drumming, (ironically he has long hair), but of course I would love to have both a boy and a girl! 

Just wanted to share these cute little kiddo's...oh, and bottom line, use your creative mind!  Don't lose your artistic side! Give yourself some free time to explore it, and you will find how it can bring a bit of joy into your life!