Monday, August 26, 2013

Unsolicited Advice: Travel Edition

Wowzers! I just drove in from Birmingham, and boy are my arms tired! Wakka Wakka!!

Wait...that doesn't really work...(my apologies)

Really, though, I'm exhausted. This past weekend, Thomas and I went up to Birmingham, AL, to see C.U.P.I.D. screen at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. Just the weekend prior, we were over in Pensacola as guests at the Pensacola Paracon. In between, we've both been working, so we've basically had two full weeks with no break, and are working on a third. We've hit the wall, but aren't complaining in the slightest. We were honored to be invited to both events, so it's completely worth it to be this tired.

And we are tired. Flat-out tired.

Up until now, we've averaged about two out-of-town trips per year, and almost none that were for any real length of time. These are weekend trips to Disney or New Orleans, and tend to be planned within an inch of their lives. Aside from my little stint on tour, where I spent a few months traveling from hotel to hotel on a nearly daily basis, I've never been a spontaneous traveler. So, during the past couple of weekends, I've learned a few things that I thought I'd share with you.

Difference between our GPS and a TARDIS? When the TARDIS doesn't take you where you want, at least you know it was on purpose.
Know where you're going, and how to get back, and eat first. (Points for the reference):
Our GPS is a lying liar who lies. He also slurs his words and mispronounces things to the point that some actually sound offensive. On top of that, he's sent us to the wrong place (and I mean really wrong...like another city wrong) on more than one occasion. We've decided that he's drunk, and named him Jack, after Captain Jack Sparrow. Because we don't want to end up in Montgomery instead of Mobile again (no joke), we now carry two spares GPS systems (our phones) and a printout with directions. It's helped. Also, make sure that you do some research after you select your hotel, to locate all of the nearby restaurants and fast food joints. We did not do this, and ended up subsisting on Chick-Fil-A all weekend, because we had no idea that five minutes in a direction that we never had to drive for any other reason, there was a plethora of nice, sit-down places, as well as a Dunkin Donuts. (I love Dunkin Donuts coffee. The caramel iced latte is my kryptonite.) We found this out after we'd eaten dinner the night before we headed home.

Portable chargers are the shizz:
About two or three weeks before the Con, I found a deal at nomorerack.com (which I cannot link to because Blogger hates me, but you can google it fairly easily) for two portable chargers for twenty bucks. I snapped up that sucker. Now, they're both identical, and both hot pink, but Thomas and I each have one so that we can recharge our phones on the go. You have no idea how much that came in handy. During the Con, we used our phones for everything. We needed the phone for the Square Reader, to check on the puppy (webcam at the boarder's is awesome), to take pictures, to post videos, for social media...basically, our phones became extensions of our arms, and those little chargers were lifesavers. I have no idea what the brand is, but just having a charger of the brand of your choice is highly recommended.

The puppy is a really good sport:
Yeah...we're not doing this again. We boarded the little guy when we went to Paracon, but figured that the trip to Birmingham was so short, and that we'd be back and forth to the hotel a lot to check on him and take him for walks, we should just take him with us. Besides, we were already planning on taking him with us to Disney World in the Fall, so this would be a great test run. He hated it. The poor guy was incredibly well-behaved, and never fussed or cried or anything like that, but you could just tell that he would have much rather been at "puppy school" than cooped up in a hotel room--even for such short periods of time. So, this Fall, instead of sitting in the hotel bed, watching tv and playing with his toys, he'll be at "puppy school"...sitting in a hotel bed, watching tv and playing with his toys...(it's a ridiculously nice boarding place. I want to stay there.)

Yup...I'm still a mess, but at least I'm not in shorts.
Pack heavy:
I can not believe I'm saying this, but for a spontaneous trip, you're probably going to have to overpack. I've found that when I decide what to bring, I throw in an extra outfit that is completely opposite to whatever else I've chosen. For instance: for the Con, I brought a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for Day One, and a Dalek-inspired dress for Day Two. Then, for good measure, tossed in another pair of jeans and another t-shirt. After the first day, I knew that wearing a dress and heels ('cause they matched) all day was a horrible idea, and was thrilled to have an alternative. Then, for Sidewalk, I had originally planned on wearing shorts and a nice shirt for the screening, since a lot of stuff is outdoors. At the very last second (literally, as we were walking out the door), I tossed a sundress in my bag, and that's what I ended up wearing. Turns out, it was actually much cooler than the shorts, and we ended up taking pictures that day, as well. I was really glad to have that dress.

Oh, yeah! There were also banners in the box.
You wouldn't believe how much stuff a Rubbermaid box will hold:
I fit in: a smaller Rubbermaid box of stationary and pencils, a tablecloth, a runner, two rolls of creepy cloth, two empty Sephora boxes, a skull candle from Target (seriously, they have the cutest Halloween decorations), a picture frame, a treasure chest (not kidding), two headstones, a coffee mug, antique keys, part of an ancient tablet, the plaque off an old crypt, some business cards and a money bag. The DVDs came in another box. That's insane. Also, we take strange things with us when we travel. I'm just glad we left the skeleton at home.

Don't be a hotel snob, and Hotwire is da bomb:
(See, I'm cool. I'm hip. I know the lingo, yo. Can ya dig it? Yeah...gonna go crawl into a hole now...)
Thomas was awesome and made all the hotel arrangements for both trips, since I had my hands full with putting together a booth and fun stuff like that. He used Hotwire to book both hotels, and got really great prices on them. Crazy good prices, actually. Scarily good prices. One was, like, thirty bucks a night, or something ridiculous like that. The other was more, but not by much. You don't find out the hotels until after you book. The cheap-cheap place turned out to be an Extended Stay in a great area. When we got there, the front desk was waiting for us, knew our names, and had little goodies in a basket, in case we needed anything. We grabbed a microwave popcorn (why not?) and headed up to our extremely clean, nicely decorated room--complete with kitchenette and full-sized refrigerator. We could have properly cooked in that room. It was absolutely lovely, and I would happily stay there again. The slightly pricier hotel was revealed to be a Hyatt...suite. Living room, wet bar, huge tv...the works. The puppy had plenty of room to run around and play, too. The safety sign in the room had the usual price on it, which was about four times what we paid. This is not the first time we've used Hotwire, and won't be the last.

And because this is, technically, a beauty blog:
Walgreen's has an awesome Aloe Vera face mask. It comes in a single-sized packet (though, you can get two uses out of it) and is for calming redness and easing swelling. I think it was about a buck, and is fantastic for post-travel dryness and puffiness.

Urban Decay's new Revolution lipstick really does last for-freaking-ever. You might want to touch up for moisture, but the color isn't going anywhere. If you're going to be out and about with no mirror, this is your lippie.

Suave dry shampoo smells like pineapple, and really does work. It also cut down on my getting ready time considerably, and kept me from having to use my awful travel shampoo and conditioner. It runs about two dollars, and I got mine at Target.

Friday, August 23, 2013

In Defense of Ben Affleck: a Rant

Last night brought us the post heard 'round the world: Ben Affleck is the new Batman. Thomas saw it before I did, and had to double-check to make sure he wasn't reading The Onion. I was a little taken aback at first, but then I thought about it for a second...and was okay with it. While Affleck wouldn't have been my first choice (I have no idea who would have, to be honest), the casting actually makes sense. It's odd, but I questioned the heck out of Heath Ledger as The Joker, and look what that got us.

Now, before we go any further, I want to be absolutely clear that I am not looking forward to this movie. You don't want to get me started on Man of Steel, but, suffice it to say, I didn't see it twice. However, I'm going to try to keep an open mind and hope that the things I questioned are addressed and/or fixed in the sequel. I'm telling you this so that you understand that I'm not just fangirl-ing it up here, and would be happy with whomever was chosen. That's most definitely not the case, but I do agree with this particular casting decision, and here's why:

This Is Not the Dark Knight
True, Christopher Nolan's name is on the production, but this is not his Batman. Nolan is not writing/directing this movie (nor did he Man of Steel). This is Zach Snyder's baby, however you want to take that. The Nolan universe has nothing to do with this particular movie, so Affleck isn't "replacing" Christian Bale anymore than Christian Bale replaced Michael Keaton or Adam West. These are completely separate entities, with the only difference being that the movies are spaced extremely close together. Whoever ended up playing Bruce Wayne/Batman would not need to be a carbon copy of Christian Bale, because that particular version of the character might not even work in this movie. The actor would simply need to be someone capable of playing this incarnation. Now, I haven't seen the script (obviously), but if you need someone to play a mature, charming, attractive, trust-fund-type, and also happen to look decent in spandex, you could do a lot worse than Affleck.  

Michael Keaton
And while we're on the subject of former Bruce Waynes, let's look at Keaton. Prior to Batman, he had been mostly associated with straight-up comedies like The Dream Team, Johnny Dangerously, Mr. Mom, Night Shift, and Beetlejuice. Sure, he was cute, but not debonaire, and nothing about him screamed "action star"...and people loved him. For many, he was the quintessential Batman. Keaton was a funny guy with a winning smile who came out of nowhere and surprised us all. Affleck has that winning smile and charm, and, believe it or not, a resume that qualifies him to play Batman (ignoring Daredevil, because everyone else already has--ba dum bum!). In Hollywoodland, he played the first Superman, while also headlining a truly disturbing drama. In Bounce, he played a man wracked with guilt over his tragic past. More recently, The Town demonstrated his physicality and range. True, not every title on his IMDb page is a winner (or even a contender), but we tend to forget that the guy who starred in Gigli is the same guy that brought us Argo.

Kevin Smith
The Comic Book Man himself has given Affleck a ringing endorsement. Yes, they're friends, but seriously, if anyone was going to have a problem with this, it would be Kevin Smith. Also, because they're friends, and because Smith is such an ardant fan of the character, Affleck will have access to all of the research material he could ever hope for. Plus, if he sucks, he'll have to endure a lifetime of being picked on by a guy who gets paid to joke about Batman. Heck, Smith rags on his own movies!

In summation, I'm not yelling from the rooftops that Ben Affleck is going to be the greatest Batman ever. I don't know that the movie is going to be any good, or if he'll be good in it. All I'm asking is that people stop focusing on the fact that this guy has a bromance with Matt Damon, and starred in a few bad movies with J-Lo, and try to remember that he's also the guy who wrote, directed, and starred in last year's Oscar winner for Best Motion Picture. I'm not excited for the movie, but I'm going to give him a shot.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

'Ip, 'Ip, 'Ooray! August Ipsy Unbagging

I can't believe it's already time for the August ipsy unbagging! This Summer has flown by. Before too long, it'll be time for pumpkins and ghosts. Heck, the Hobby Lobby near me already has Christmas decorations out. Maybe next month I should go pick out my Valentines...

Anyhoo, here's what I got in my "Glamour Academy" bag:


You know, I saw spoilers before I received the bag, and I thought I was going to HATE the "cheesy" gold crests. I even had a DIY project all planned out to fix it up. Surprisingly, I kind of love this bag in person. The eggplant and gold look beautiful together, and the whole design gives off a Harry Potter-like vibe. I'm digging it; not going to lie.

Inside the bag I found Pacifica BB Cream, Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Scrub, City Color Cheek Stain in Pink, Noya Lip Balm in Vanilla, and Pixi Lash Booster Mascara in Blackest Black. I received my bag on Friday, right before I left to go out of town for the weekend, and took them all with me. I've used these items for a few days now, so I think I can give you some real, honest-to-God reviews on them. We'll go in order of favorite to least.

Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Scrub: Wowzers! This is one that I might actually buy. It left my skin feeling clean, soft, smooth, and refreshed. Thomas used it too, and really enjoyed it. It's a black scrub that you can really feel working, but doesn't hurt. It also wiped away with no residue, which is always a plus. My skin had been ravaged by a weekend of road-tripping and pop culture convention-ing, so this scrub was really put to the test, and passed with flying colors.

Noya Lip Balm in Vanilla: It's a lip balm. I wish I could say that it was life-changing, but I can't. It smells good (like cupcakes) and moisturizes my lips, but I don't think it's any better than my Fresh Sugar Treatment, Burt's Bees, or Blistex. It is all-natural, though, so that might be a deal maker for some folks.

City Color Cheek Stain in Pink: This is a pretty decent cream blush stick. I don't know about staining, per se, but I didn't notice any fading. The color appears downright scary in the stick, but sheers out to a lovely pink flush. I can't see myself reaching for it all the time, personally (I'm more of a peachy-pink or dusty rose kind of girl), but it would be great for travel.

Pacifica BB Cream: This...kind of sucks. I really hate that, too, because I love Pacifica and was excited to try this product. It provides zero coverage, and doesn't do that great of a job evening out my skin tone. On top of that, it's super shimmery. Yes, the shine does lessen with powder. Yes, it does look more even after concealer. No, I will not be buying this. It's fine in a pinch, but that's about it. The color "adjusts" to your skin tone, supposedly. It looks too dark to me, but ended up blending in well, so maybe it does adjust. I don't know. It would probably work well on legs, if nothing else. Save yourself some money and get the Garnier BB Cream if you're in the market for a good drugstore find with a radiant finish.

Pixie Lash Booster Mascara in Blackest Black: No. Just...no. It did nothing for my lashes. After two coats, they were slightly tinted. Also, the mascara went everywhere during application. The brush is okay, but the formula is terrible. I'm a Buxom fan, and this did nothing to sway me. If you want a more natural look, give Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes a try. It's less in-your-face than the Buxom, but a much better formula than the Pixie.

This was not a great month for ipsy--for me, anyway. I definitely got more than my ten bucks' worth, but I'm really only going to use two, maybe three of the items on a regular basis. That said, this was my first "dud" month out of five, so that's not too shabby. I'm already excited to see what September brings!

P.S. If you're interested in ipsy, here's my referral code. Yes, there are rewards for referring people, but they're not great enough for me to blindly shill for them. I genuinely like the program. :)   http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hckwnapypcnq7c4

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Random Observations: Does This Count As a Vacation?

Okay, I've officially given up on the post I was attempting to write. The gist of it was: Essie Naughty Nautical nail polish is really, really pretty, and it lasts a long time. Just make sure you use a base coat, or it will stain your nails the color of mold, which is not a good look. I had photos, and they were actually halfway decent. Unfortunately, Blogger has decided that I am not to publish that post (at least, not in its entirety), so this is the best I can give you guys. I'm extraordinarily sorry.

But it is a darn nice polish.

It's teal.

I like teal.

Anyhoo, Thomas and I are getting ready to take Fighting Owl to the Pensacola Para Con next Saturday. C.U.P.I.D. is screening in the Birmingham Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival the next Saturday, and then we begin filming two microshorts in September. On top of that, my grandfather has been ill (but is doing much better, thank God!), so I've been a little busy trying to help my mom with him. I haven't been as much help as I would have liked, but, not to put too fine a point on it, I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Through my haze of chaos and general confusion, I've noticed some things, and I thought I'd share them with you. Mind you, they're completely random, and I'm running on caffeine and adrenaline. Consider yourself warned.



I've, quite literally, eaten Taco Bell for lunch every day this week. When did I go back to college?

Fish Eye Pinot Grigio is not half bad. I only felt slightly trashy dropping a couple of ice cubes in it. (It's hot down here, y'all. You do what you have to do.)

Wet 'N' Wild has come out with an eye shadow collection that contains a red--A RED!!!--and only costs $2.99 for a trio. The baby blue, peach, and matte brown trio is surprisingly wearable, and quite lovely.

Halloween decorations are already out. School hasn't even started yet. WTYouKnowWhat, man?

Staples wants seventeen bucks for a brochure holder that can also display DVDs. Big Lots had a desk organizer for six dollars, and it looks nicer and holds more. All it needs is a coat of spray paint to cover up the pink lining. DIY, baby!

Wearing jeans in August in Alabama is a stupid fashion choice. On the upside, I may have lost a couple of pounds of water weight.

If you start up a parked vehicle, put it in gear, and then immediately put it back in park--never taking your foot off the brake--the vehicle will still move. If you do all that and you're my brother, you will also come this close to running over your mother's foot.

This week, I've lost a hair clip, a pen, and the will to get off of my couch after 6pm. I really only miss the hair clip.

Until Monday night, I had not hemmed anything since 1998.

If you put something flat on the conveyor belt at Target and it gets sucked up into the counter, they can not get it back. Lord knows what you'd find inside if you cracked one open. You would, at least, find a pack of Goody hair barrettes.  



I think I need to go home and unscrew the cap on that bottle of Pinot Grigio. 'Night, everybody!

Friday, August 2, 2013

I'm Still Here...And Still Trying...

I had a post. It was nice. It had pictures and a review that I put a lot of thought and effort into. It was funny and intelligent, and you were going to love it. I was proud of it.

It's gone.

I was told it was saving. I hit publish...and nothing. I hit save again...and nothing. I hit preview, and half of it was missing. I went to check the edit, and it was still missing. I'm trying, folks. Thanks for hanging with me.

I hope this post publishes. *head desk*
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...