Ah, another day in my life… Costco, guacamole, dog poop* and bikini contests. I got a call from my dear friend G who does the amazing hair in many of my photoshoots, and she was about to die of the plague (read: allergies). She asked if I could fill in for her judging the Ujena Bikini Model search at Platinum Jaxx. If it had been anyone else asking, I may have feigned a cough, and skirted my way out of yet another bikini contest. I’d pretty much do anything for G so I agreed and got myself gussied up fro some Wednesday night boozin’ and whorin’ (and by booze I mean Redbull and by whorin’ I mean looking at girls in bikinis).

It was about as much fun as one can have on Wednesday, and it was cool to get out of the house and hang out with some friends I rarely see outside of the studio.

(Please disregard my orangeyness… the lighting was awkward. This is my friend Matty, who was also the event Photographer for the evening)

It was almost midnight by the time I got home, so I just wanted a quick snack before bed. I had just bought some beautiful organic avocados, so guac it was! I’ve had a standby Guacamole recipe for quite some time, but I didn’t realize that it was *different* until somebody make fun of it! I think it’s DELISH and I’ve never gotten anything but rave reviews, so I’ll share… don’t hate on it until you give it a try!

SuperWife Guacamole

1 Ripe Avocado
Juice of 1 half lime
2 tablespoons of Mango Salsa (or whatever salsa, I just always have this kind on hand… the mangos make a VERY tasty addition, however)
1 Garlic clove, minced (preferably through a garlic press to minimize chunks)
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions: Put everything in a bowl, and mush.

I know, I know, you might be shaking your fist and screaming obscenities as to how I DARE make “garlicamole” and leave out the cilantro, even?! Well, get over it, because this shizz is tasty, and I challenge you to try and and then tell me otherwise!

Oh yeah, I’m hooked on these Kettle Foods tortilla chips that use BLACK BEANS in them! This probably isn’t a new concept, but it’s the first time I’ve had them and they taste like a fiesta of goodness AND are packed with fiber! You know I love me some fiber!

* I thought Roo was doing really well on not having accidents in the house, until I moved a towel that was on my bedroom floor and I found her new favorite potty stash. I swear I am doomed to deal with a superfluous amount of dog turds for the rest of my life. How glamorous.

Okay, so the dust has settled, my jet lag is pretty much leveled out and Ruca is back home nesting in my laundry basket. I’m still not unpacked, but whatev… don’t judge me!

California was amazing. I didn’t expect much less though- it’s hard to have a lousy time at the beach. It’s like, whatever is going wrong can be wrong… but you’re at the beach so it doesn’t really matter. I think this is why people don’t mind paying $1500 a month for a studio apartment there.

Reuniting with B was so wonderful- the anticipation of waiting to see him at the bottom of the stairwell in the airport terminal gave me butterflies. There was much smooching and hand-holding, and that feeling that you can’t stop smiling even if you wanted to. It felt good to have him next to me again- I felt whole. We picked up right where we left off, and within minutes it was like we were never apart.

Thursday morning once we left the airport, we went straight to Huntington since we couldn’t check into the hotel until that afternoon. It wasn’t as busy as I thought it would be and we laid out by the beach, just enjoying each other’s company and listening to the ocean.

We mostly just relaxed on Friday and ate yummy California produce, then when to dinner at a fabulous place in Hollywood called Pure Luck. The lighting was low, the air conditioning was non existent, and it may have been my first encounter with real, authentic hipsters. These were the people that all the other wanna-be hipsters are trying to be like… except they didn’t even have to try. It was surreal. Anyway, the food was mind-blowing… We both had dishes with the famous Jack Fruit Carnitas- B had tacos and I had a burrito. We also had a side of their sweet potato fries, and let me tell you I couldn’t shove those into my gullet fast enough. Their secret sauce (which the waitress happily shared) was a unassuming mix of Veganaise and BBQ sauce. I wanted to roll in it. They looked at me like I was crazy when I asked for two soft drinks, and I later noticed that pretty much everyone was drinking beer. They gave us two Cokes in glass bottles from Mexico. I would guess it’s because they use pure sugar rather than HFC, but they tasted great. We proceeded to stuff ourselves silly, but saved room for a little gelato over at Scoops next door. We sat on the street corner until almost midnight, talking and sharing a cup of watermelon sorbet.

The next morning, I hauled my butt out of bed at 7am and headed North to Pasadena for day one of the convention. I managed to make it there without getting lost, and even got decent parking since I got there so early. I stood in line at will-call and got my wristband showing I was paid for the whole weekend. I found the entrance and swung open the door to the convention center…

The sky parted, sun shone on my shoulders and a heavenly choir sang as I took my first steps into makeup artist nirvana.

Rows and rows of vendors stretched out as far as my wide-eyes could see. Everything makeup related, things I knew about, things I had only heard about and things that I didn’t even know existed. I was in paradise (my credit card, however, was not nearly as excited as I was).

I made a stroll around, checked things out and bought to my heart’s delight. I am happy to say that I am pretty much stocked up, and I shouldn’t really need to buy much else for quite some time.

I attended several classes, and even got to talk with two very famous makeup artists, who were wonderfully sweet and encouraging. Kevin James Bennett and Eve Pearl- highly regarded in the industry, and both decorated with numerous awards for their work.

You could practically cut the creativity in the air with a knife- displays of artistry and talent were everywhere you looked, and sometimes even walking along side you!

In short, the convention was AMAZING. I learned a lot, got some wonderful new tools, met fantastic people and really gave myself a healthy dose of motivation.

Naturally I got lost getting home both days… someone please remind me to write down separate directions to get home next time, because apparently in California you can’t just take your directions there and reverse them. I ended up calling B crying because I somehow wound up going NORTH on the 5 instead of South, and ended up in the San Fernando Valley instead of Huntington Beach. Note to self: $13 a day for the navigation system is a SOUND INVESTMENT.

Because of said extra driving, we decided to stay close to the hotel for dinner and went to a little place called Native Foods for dinner. It was in Costa Mesa, and the area was so adorable. Totally a place I’d love to live (provided I hit the lottery as planned). The place was cute, but the service was pretty non-existent. Nobody told us most of the stuff was self serve, so we sat with no silverware or beverages for like half an hour. They also didn’t tell me they were out of the iced tea I paid for, but I was annoyed at that point didn’t bother asking for my money back. The food had definite potential, and I’m sure if we had a better experience all around I would have enjoyed it more. We were there an hour before closing which we figured was enough time, but the employees made it really clear they were ready to go home. I did love the atmosphere though, there was abundant animal rights literature and fliers for rallies and fundraisers.

Monday rolled around and I really wasn’t ready for my vacay to end. We drove to Newport Beach because we had several hours to kill between when we checked out of the hotel and when we had to return the rental car and catch our flights. Newport was like a different world… all the girls honest to goodness looked like the cast of The Hills, and EVERYONE was riding a beach cruiser or a long board. EVERYONE. It was like trying to drive through a swarm of flies. Tanned, blonde flies wearing bikinis and big sunglasses, of course. As it got later, we had something to eat and headed back to the airport.

All through the day I caught myself choking up randomly, because I had gotten so used to having B around and I really didn’t want to be apart again. You take little things for granted when you’re with someone every day. Being able to just turn around and say something insignificant, crack a stupid joke you know they’ll find hilarious, or just being able to tuck yourself under their arm and feel comforted by the fact that you know you aren’t alone. I know our time apart isn’t going to be forever, but being together again was a double edged sword- on the positive, it reminded me what I was holding on for. My perfect companion who gets me, who shares perspective, and not just accepts my quirks and flaws, but loves them unconditionally. The sad part is that it took me quite awhile to be used to being alone, and now I feel like I’m back at square one. Goodbyes are never easy, and this one was no exception.

Anyway, probably for the better our ‘goodbye’ was sort of like ripping a bandaid off, because his original flight was canceled, and they shoved him onto a flight that was taking off about 20 minutes later. He got scooted towards security, and we kissed and hugged and I went on my way to my own terminal. The flight was non-eventful. My travel companion Brenna and I rented a digiplayer and watched ‘The Bucket List‘ and ‘27 dresses‘, and before I knew it I was back home in the icebox.

Overall, the trip was exactly what I needed in so many ways. My head is reeling with plans, inspiration and motivation.

More to come soon :)

I can’t help but play the theme song to ‘The OC’ over and over in my head as I print my hotel and rental car confirmations. Those of you not into the original snotty So-Cal drama it’s California by Phantom Planet. I so had the biggest crush on Ryan, but that show totally jumped the shark after Marissa died in Season three. ANYWAY…

If you couldn’t tell, I’m really excited for this trip for several reasons:

1) HUBS! I get to see B! He’s meeting me at LAX and spending the whole trip with me and I couldn’t be happier! Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
2) The beach! I am so excited to just lay on the beach and listen to the ocean. Not much centers you more than hearing the sounds of the water hitting the shore.
3) IMATS! The main point of the trip is to attend the International Makeup Artist Trade Show in Pasadena on Saturday and Sunday. Two full days chock full of education, vendors, samples, demos and other artists. I’ve been wanting to go to this for years, but it’s never worked out. This year I have my tickets in hand!
4) Vegan Restaurants! The sheer bliss of being able to walk into an eatery, sit down, casually peruse the menu and order ANYTHING I WANT is the most liberating thing imaginable. The first time I went to an all vegan establishment was the legendary Soul Vegetarian in Atlanta, Georgia. The people looked at me like I was crazy because I practically ordered one of everything and hoarded it back to my hotel like a chipmunk.

We’re staying in Westminster which is just a few miles north of Huntington Beach. It’s is probably one of my favorite places in the whole world, and I have so many fun vacation memories there. B and I have went lots of times… it was our favorite long weekend destination when we lived in Arizona. We always tried to visit Bradley Nowell’s grave to pay our respects at least once a year as he was such an influential musician to B.

Anyway, I may or may not be blogging while I’m away, but keep an eye on the flickr for pictures, as I’m sure there will be tons coming across my photo stream over the next week!

Dad and me, circa 2006

I signed back up for Full Circle Farm’s CSA… I got my first box on Thursday and ever since my fridge has looked like an organic produce orgy. One of the highlights of my box was a bunch of beautiful carrots, so I searched for a simple recipe that would let their flavor shine through. You know me and my lust for soups, so when I found one on the PPK you know I was excited- Isa has yet to steer me wrong!

I played with the recipe, so I’ll post my version, but the original is available at the PPK website, and Vegan With a Vengeance.

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 head green garlic, minced (or substitute 2 cloves regular garlic)
1 tbsp curry powder
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1 13 oz can coconut milk
fresh black pepper to taste

Add oil, carrots, sweet potato, onion and garlic to a large soup pot. Cover, cook on medium for about 7-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add spices, and cook uncovered for another minute or two. Add broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil, then simmer for another 10-12 minutes. Blend about 75% of the way through with an immersion blender.

I garnished with some roasted pumpkin seeds, and Italian Parsley (also from the CSA!) Doesn’t it look glorious?! It sure tasted that way. I was afraid of using the curry powder, thinking it would be overpowering but it wasn’t at all.

PS- it also helps to have a little kitchen helper. She can hear a scrap hit the floor from a mile away!

op·ti·mism [op-tuh-miz-uhm] –noun
1.    a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.
2.    the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world.
3.    the belief that goodness pervades reality.
4.    the doctrine that the existing world is the best of all possible worlds.

I think one of the hardest things I’m having to deal with in my life right now is having a positive outlook. It’s even harder knowing it’s also one of the most important. I’ve become so accustomed to highs and lows, I don’t appreciate the highs and just automatically start bracing myself for the lows. The lows hurt- and it’s only natural to want to protect yourself. Rollercoasters are fun when they’re in a theme park, not when they’re a metaphor for your emotional wellbeing.

I don’t want to think that I’m some Debbie Downer but I find myself having to be face to face with a harsh reality; getting my hopes up has all too many times resulted in getting hurt and disappointed. Why put myself through that yet another time? Didn’t I learn the first 100 times? Well, quite simply because I know if I want things to work, I’m going to have to let this calloused guard down, and give optimism one last shot. I know that if B needs anything from me right now, it’s being a positive and encouraging influence. It’s only natural that I have fears and reservations, but I’m going to do my best to address those in other avenues than my few daily phone conversations with the person who needs me the most.

His victories (no matter how small) deserve praise, not ways he could have done them better.

I only hope for the strength to relinquish the control I’ve always had- thought I never wanted- and now find it so hard to be without.