I'm such a LUSH

It is unfair that night owls like me lose an hour of our precious evening during daylight savings time. I depend on that extra hour of daylight to make me feel like I'm still being productive during the DAY, instead of waiting to do anything until sunset. Meanwhile, the sun is rising before 7 AM, filling our bedroom with light and making me panic that LP has overslept. Moving on. Just saying. Stupid Daylight Savings Time... grumble grumble...

On a lighter note, I just wanted to say how much I adore LUSH. No, I'm not talking about ladies who drink too much. I'm talking about the most amazing body/cosmetics shop in existence. Everything is handmade and fresh, with natural ingredients. A majority of their products are vegan and they NEVER test on animals. They also try to use environmentally friendly ingredients and reduce excess packaging. Plus they smell awesome and work great.

I discovered them waaaaaay back in high school when my family went on vacation to Toronto and bought mail order products from them whenever I felt like spoiling myself. So imagine my delight when I moved out to California and discovered that they were setting up shop all over the place! Less than 10 years ago, they didn't even have stores in America, but now they're all over southern California. Since a lot of the products they make are solid, they're really good for taking on vacation if you don't want to check luggage. I used my recent trip home as an excuse to buy some Lush goodies.

Now, these have been used, so they don't look as pretty as when I first purchased them... But you can tell what a fanatic I am because I have the reusable tins. This past trip I got the seasonal facial cleanser/scrub called Buche de Noel. It has cranberry bits, almond, and brandy. It smells AMAZING and is really good on my very dry, sensitive skin. I also picked up a solid shampoo called Trichomania. You just rub the bar into your hair and it gets super sudsy. This one smells AMAZING, but then, I'm a sucker for anything coconut. I wish it was just a little more conditioning, because I still need a conditioner after it to de-tangle. But it can't work miracles!

Clockwise from top left: Porridge, Buche de Noel, Trichomania

Finally, I got one of my favorite soaps, Porridge. It smells like breakfast: vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice, oats... Yum. It lathers really well, exfoliates, and is sort of toning. Makes my skin look really good. The only downfall of porridge is that the little exfoliating bits get EVERYWHERE and it doesn't last as long as I'd like (but that's almost everything that's a Lush solid). I also wish it were a bit more moisturizing. This bar is perfect for me in the summer, but my skin gets SO dry in winter, I probably will try something else when this runs out.

I promise that LUSH did not send me these products... I just love them that much. Adore.

Trip to Iowa!!! Weddings and Family

My cousin got married in Iowa this weekend, and since I can't go home for Thanksgiving or Christmas (and probably won't be able to visit again until MAY), it was the perfect opportunity to see family I haven't seen in ages. Highs of 98 in LA, Lows of 22 in Iowa. I had to borrow a coat.  BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

On Thursday, I flew to Cedar Rapids, where my friend Keri picked me up. We've been friends since Kindergarten-- great to see her. We went out for drinks in Iowa City that night with her boyfriend (also known since high school) and I spent the night at her place. We got incredibly trashed on cheap booze ($3.50 martinis, WHAT?!) and watched a horrible movie at her house called "The Room"... a long standing tradition of ours. When we were broke in high school, we would rent bad movies for 50 cents at Family Video and make fun of them in classic MST3K style (before we even knew what that was). The next morning she drove me to Davenport.

Friday night, my parents, Keri, and I went to my old high school to see a performance of "Seussical." It wasn't as horrific as it could have been...it's a pretty easy show to put on. And the girl they had playing the Kangaroo was actually better than the girl who played that part at my University! So props to that young lady, she had an incredible voice and lots of sass. Mostly, I was glad to say hi to my old band, drama, and choir teachers!

Saturday was the wedding in Indianola (near Des Moines) at 4 PM. They had it at the local nature center, and even though it was breezy and bit chilly, the ceremony was outside. But the view was really gorgeous and they kept it short, so we all survived. Super cute was when my other cousin's 4 year started shouting "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!" when the couple was pronounced husband and wife.

 One my favorite elements of the wedding was the couple's personal logo. The husband is a graphic designer and he created this cute little cartoon of them. They had it on everything! It was on their invitations, the RSVP, the couple's wine glasses... but my favorite was their boxy wedding cake topper and their Yahtzee score card! Apparently, my cousin is obsessed with Yahtzee, so she had these and a bunch of dice at every table. My family played (mom won), and since there wasn't dancing, I thought this was good alternate entertainment.

The cake was cute, too. My uncle (her dad) made it for her. I guess it was a childhood tradition for my uncle to make them angel food cake each year with his special "7 Minute Icing," which the girls could have in whatever color they wanted on their birthday. It was tasty! They also had angel food in cupcake form, as well. I think I ate five. It's my favorite!

I was also extremely pleased to discover that my cousin is now a vegetarian, and while everyone else got pulled pork sandwiches (it's Iowa, this is very common at weddings), we ate black bean, sweet potato, and barley patties that were very tasty. They also had veggie meatballs. YUM! One of the first weddings I've ever been to where I got something besides vegetables and salad! She also made sure all of the table runners were reusable (muslin, for the groom's canvas art projects) with bio-degradable plates and napkins and silverware! The centerpieces featured bamboo (that people could take home) and Christmas lights (obviously reusable). Some people had gripes, as will always happen at weddings, but I thought it was lovely and personal and very thoughtful. At least it reflected the couple! I'm really happy for them!

After the wedding, the younger part of the crowd went out to a German Beer Bar in Des Moines and I stayed the night at my other cousin's apartment... Thanks Chelsea! We're 51 weeks apart in age (she's older, I'm the baby on both sides of the family) and we were shocked to see each other sporting the exact same haircut/color! We look so much alike, it's freaky. Except that I'm practically a foot taller...but other than that. Super short blond hair. Is it genetic to have a hairstyle preference? :-)

We drove home this afternoon and I was surprised by a big family dinner at Grandma's! I didn't know that my grandma and grandpa were hosting dinner at their house and had invited my cousins and aunts and uncles! I was so glad because I don't get to see them all very often.

Random thought: does everyone else refer to their uncles and aunts' spouses as their uncles and aunts? I always say "my aunt Jackie" because that's what I called her growing up. She's not blood related, but of course she's my aunt! I didn't really think about it until my one uncle got divorced and re-married. His wife Pam is lovely and so thoughtful and friendly. I like her a lot. In fact, I like her much better than my cousins' mother, the ex-wife. But that's who I grew up calling Aunt. And I don't automatically refer to Pam as my aunt. I would say, "my uncle's wife." But that's not fair when I would introduce my other uncle's wife as "Aunt." Confusing? Yes.

I've only got Monday left, and then I fly back home to L.A. on Tuesday. Short, but sweet!

Cooking and Voting and LACMA-- oh my! EPIC POST

Okay. So I'm a slacker. It's Saturday and I'm going to write about Monday through Wednesday. It's been a busy week. So sue me. But it's been a great week and I feel like I've had the perfect blend of productive and fun. I've also been submitting for roles on LA Casting and Actors Access every day. I even booked an audition, but the director changed her dates and I couldn't go at the new time. C'est la vie... but it's nice to be considered, at least.

Monday was spent cleaning the apartment and researching for the Tuesday election. I posted to my other blog, as I wrote about last time, and got tons of hits. It was really a shock. But I felt good about making a conscientious effort towards my voting and made myself a tasty veggie medley to nibble on while I researched. Look at the color! Roasted potatoes, carrots, and red onion with just a little EVOO, fresh thyme and basil, salt, pepper, and fresh sauteed spinach. It was soooo tasty and satisfying! I also made a homemade vegetable stock (LP helped, thanks!) to use for a soup recipe the next day. I hadn't been able to cook as much lately, so I felt great about this. I did all this and worked the dinner shift!

Tuesday was just fantastic. I slept in a little, made myself a healthy berry-banana smoothie and an egg on a bed of spinach, then walked to our polling place with my current and former roommate. Yay for voting! I felt really informed and prepared with my little sample ballot filled out and ready to go.

After voting, I took our five full bins of recycling to the center--a herculean task, I assure you! Turns out we actually had $17 worth of stuff! WOW! There was about 72 lbs of glass alone. And I hauled that around by myself! It makes me glad that we don't throw all of that away. (Random side note: when driving back I was listening to Market Place on NPR and even that reporter commented that on Project Runway, MONDO was robbed. Completely unrelated to the topic at hand, and I totally agree. It just had to be said.)

After that, my friend Amy and I got fancy coffee and shared a crepe at Solar de Cahuenga in Hollywood. Nutella and Strawberries....mmm. Amy swears that she saw Josh Radnor of "How I Met Your Mother" out on the patio where we were sitting. I was completely oblivious, but she was probably right.

We waited until 5 PM, which is the magic hour for me in LA, because after that the LACMA is free to local residents. That leaves 3 whole hours for leisurely browsing before they close. The museum has a great collection for being as small as it is and I've been there quite a bit. And I always have to take a peek at my favorite painting of all. I geeked out the first time I realized it was there!

But we especially wanted to see their newest building and the latest exhibit on the History of Fashion. The clothes were GUH-OR-geous. Amy and I had an interesting conversation about feminism and fashion. She regrets not getting to dress so outstandingly today, but I feel like you can dress however you want... hoop skirts and corset? SURE! But if I felt restricted in my clothing options, you can sure as hell bet that I would rebel against whatever it was I was expected to wear. Even as recently as my mother's generation, girls could get sent home from school for wearing pants. PANTS, ladies! I can't imagine not getting to wear jeans, and I love that I have the option of wearing a skirt if I feel like it, men's clothes if I feel like it. Punk one day and feminine the next. Isn't it FANTASTIC that we have choices? I feel privileged.

I love the outside "sculpture" at the LACMA... its iconic light posts. One of my favorite LA image.

After a couple hours at the museum, I took Amy home and then went home to cook! I used my homemade stock in a Butternut Squash, Green Apple, and Leek soup! I took the recipe from the November/December issue of Vegetarian Times. My brother got me a subscription for Christmas and I definitely want to renew. They have a lot of great ideas and are a major source of inspiration for me. I wanted to test-drive the soup before Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite holidays and I asked off for it this year so I can really make a feast! My oldest brother hosts, but I always bring something vegetarian. The soup was definitely a winner!

Tuesday was a great day, and I was so eager to make Wednesday great, too. LP got me up early when he forgot his keys, but I thanked him for it because that gave me the time to make Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast! From a technical and taste standpoint, these were the best pancakes I've ever made. I even had leftovers that I ate the next morning for breakfast, spread with a little peanut butter (to go!). I spent the rest of Wednesday running errands before going to work at night.

And the rest of this week? Well, I doubt I'll have much time to update, but right now I'm in IOWA for my cousin's wedding! I'm so excited to see family that I haven't seen in two years or more, but I'm not so excited about the chilly weather. Going from 98 to 27 degrees is freaking brutal. But more on that to come!

Election Day! And other news

It helps if you fill this out before you go!

It's Election Day in America and I hope everyone is going out to vote. My other blog has been getting a lot more attention than usual because I did a post on Judicial Elections in California and it had 300 hits in one day! I wish I had gotten around to it sooner! Voters are starved for information and there's so little out there for them! This also led to my first experience with negative comments. Oh, well. You can't please everybody! It was really just for us, but if other people find it helpful, I'm very pleased about that. By the way, if you read this blog, but happen to be a religious conservative, you won't like my other one. Fair warning!

In other news, I've been making good strides towards furthering my career. I've joined both L.A. Casting and Actors Access and have my photos and resume uploaded. I've been submitting every day as long as there's something appropriate for me and I've already had an audition! It was for a student film at Chapman, and I read for the role of a cancer survivor. See, I knew the short hair would come in handy! It was just a cold read, but I was stupidly a little nervous, so I don't know that it went that well. I think they might have been looking for someone a little more emotional, but I just don't believe in forcing anything. You can only go with what you've got. Otherwise, it will just read as a lie.

Thank goodness for online profiles, though, because the day before my audition is when my computer died! Like an idiot, I didn't have anything backed up, so I had to re-write my resume. Luckily, all that info was right on my profile! All I had to do was copy and paste. It didn't look as good as what I had saved on my computer, but it got the job done.

My next step is getting my IMDb Pro account set up, build/edit my reel, get a website started, get business cards, print about 5 million headshots/resumes, and then submit like crazy to agents! Hopefully, I can work on a few more projects during that plan's execution. I also need some new headshots, because I keep my hair shorter now than I did when I got the last ones taken. *sigh* It's not drastic, so I'm not in a rush to do it. LP has a fantastic camera, so I just might have him take a few shots for me.

Tomorrow/Today is looking like it's going to be a great day! So much planned, I hope I can get everything done!