::: WHAT NOT TO NAME YOUR OLDER ADULT CARE CENTER ::

* Next Stop Heaven

* Purgatory's Paradise

* You Ditch Em - We Pitch Em

* Alzheimer's, Diaper's ... Dimentia - OH MY!

* Fraggle Rock

Thanks for stopping by!

::: From R & R to FULLY CHARDED :::

So I somewhat forgot I had this thing called a blog ... my recent thoughts bring me to

Rest and relaxation and what I know is …

Calm clear blue skies
White sand beaches
Gorgeous waters
Lightly toasted crossed calves
And flanges gripping a nice Corona bottle
(insert commercial here) you can add the occasional birds chirping and hammocks but that’s the jest of it.

And I’m ready. Since my move I have not been able to completely un-wind and enjoy the fruits of my labor, blood, sweat and tears. I laugh, I play, I socialize … I drink but I don’t relax. I do, I’ve done it before and seen it done as well as heard about it thru the many stories of others … However I’ve yet to do it within the last year or so and I’m ready, willing and able. I got my “TO REST” list together, my bags are packed and I’m ready to hit the road running.

(pause... take a deep breath ... exhale ... smile and continue)

SEEEEE WHAT I MEAN???????!?!??!???!

See this below list of

HOW I FEEL TODAY AND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS and I will run the gamut of just about all of them I’m sure. I would like to further add SHYTFACED, TRASHED and HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE to the list. (ex. See Loaded)

I have my reading material that I’m so pumped and jazzed about … one is “The Artist Way”. I will get back into it … Jati I never made it past Chapter One … but in all fairness I DID NOT go back and peek at my assignments. YEAH for that! The next on my list is THE DREAMGIVER which I’m sure I’ll read on the way over since I have no scripts to KNOCK me out for the flight. Boo to those who won’t allow ambient to be sold over the counter ... who cares if it’s for folks like I!

So I have not seen my bedroom floor in about 3 days BUT in all fairness I’ve been shooting and packing and visiting buds. One has to be social RIGHT? I’ve made some tremendous progress and I’m thrilled beyond thrilled (insert big cheesy smart word there). Part of my trip will be spent appreciating ME and all that I do as well. I am EXTREMLY hard on myself so if there is one person reading this that can stand up and say CRYSTAL you need to do so much more to be so much more IT WOULD BE Crystal Maria HANDS DOWN.

No more. I am blessed and I won’t spit out my list of things to be blessed for because I know this and this I know BUT the number one stunna on the list is I am blessed to be ME!

In my ripe ole age of 20 + 11 I've come to know (WOW another blog someday soon THE THINGS I'VE COME TO KNOW!)


* NOT everyone has my best interest at heart...

* That, some who wish me well secretly despise my efforts and tenacity...

* I am fooling no one but myself to believe that in an failed effort to not procrastinate ... I sleep less, think more, make phone calls earlier so my day only seems like lots of hours with naps inbetween....

* Not everyone who makes me laugh is a friend

* I WILLdo the things of leisure on my list one day...

AND
* Broccoli IS a little betta with chedda...

but I digress as I often do. I tell you my head is a spinning with the thought of getting away. Sleeping in … lying around … not rushing to hop in the shower and out the door, and cold drinks out of coconut shells.

DISCLAIMER FOR BAHAMAS:

I am not the Crystal from 1994
I will not be doing everyone’s make-up
Before we walk out the door!

Hope you get the memo!

XOXOX

And I'll leave you with some recent food for thought ... see above blog!
Thanks for stopping by!

:: ESCADA | GO-GO Dancing | MOCHI ... OH MY ::

I’ve been away for a couple of days but I’ve had good reason … I’ve been working and I can NEVER complain about that.

Today I am grateful for lots of things but working in my desired field of choice is at the top of the list.

And so, my exciting news where o’ where do I begin. Fashion week is quickly rolling back around for its Spring/Summer viewing … I recently had the pleasure of working on the collection showing for Escada. The designer was there and had to give the stamp of approval on the models make-up, hair and wardrobe before they pranced down the runway, the jaw clinching moment. Models coming from one show with make-up on … wardrobe needed these 5 girls in 2 minutes for fittings, and the show starts in 3 … Last minute wardrobe changes … wrong fittings … champagne flutes being passed and viewers waiting to see and BUY … oh what a splendid carousel to ride. The look was all about vibrant colors, soft floral’s, textures … what some are calling the “New Bohemian”.

TO SEE THE LOOK CLICK HERE

The music starts, my adrenalin is pumping … you try to duck and hide and find that perfect place to pop back out when the model comes darting off stage to change into her next outfit so you can touch up anything … and as soon as it starts it’s over. Time to pack it up a go!

Three cheers for the team and I look forward to “ROCK THE MIC” again … and I will. My next show is on the 5th and I’m actually going to KEY this one!! WHOOO HOOO!

So F A S T F O R W A R D past the rest of my shoots to my LAST NIGHT!

So after my last shoot … I get a text from Migz to come thru to his class that evening … I’m shooting in Los Feliz so I’m CLOSE and excited. This is the FIRST time I’ve actually been able to make it on time. I was pumped. I had been shooting on location and the weather was beautiful and I wasn’t ready to come down yet.

I see all my lovely buds (insert hugs and kisses here) and we go to warm up … Migz choreographed this HOT number to Amy Whinehouse’s – No, No, No and I was ready to play. Go figure, the only move I could execute without a flaw was crawling on the ground then dry-humping the air. No worries when all else fails, I know how to make a crowd laugh and that I did.

So afterwards I got dumped by a crazy-crypt-ta-kron-a-like old man via text … He served up more laughs for us as we tried to map out what was next … We split two to a car with a plan, libations and fiddles and meet in the middle.

Back a Migz we had a smorgasbord of things to devour while we watched the 3 hour reality line-up … with each of us playing the part of SIMON, PAULA and RANDY! Keeping it 100% or nothing else … my favorite part of the evening was the Strawberry MOCHI!

THANKS MIGZ!!! LOVE YA JAMESEE!!

XOXOXO

And all my fab-boo friends and family back home

supadupa kisses and hugs!

Thanks for stopping by!

:: The Rewind Moment # 1(Waffles, Wellies & Working OH MY) ::

I didn’t have the weekend that I planned, but I had the weekend I never knew I wanted to say the least.

Oh what a wonderful one it was. Where should I begin? I'll just grab and jab at the first thought that comes to mind and right now that would be THE UNIVERSE.

WOW! What a beauty to marvel ...

So my Friday started with me about to call it a night after having the most satisfying conversation with Mum-zz, until "Squirt" made me get up and out and I loved it. He just got added to my cool-cat drop down menu. Late night movies that were watching US, talking about the "What if's" and "What would you do with" was as beautiful as watching the sunset over Manhattan Beach.

This leads me to my Saturday!

My day started fueled by a cinnamon infused waffle, goo gobs of butter and syrup and an egg omelet dripping with red rooster and oozing with cheese (that I keep forgetting to give up). Shout out to Roscoe's on Pico - but your waffles have NOTHING on The Pink Hotel's at 4am ... I ate this meal of champions while "Squirt" dodged in and out of traffic on LaBrea. I was so into my munch that I forgot to window shop at my favorite eye-gasmic spots. This weekend was GRAMMY weekend in Hollyweird so naturally he asked what I'd be doing later. I couldn’t think. I was so focused on tearing off that perfect piece of waffle to dunk into my syrup and maneuver getting it into my mouth without any syrup dropping onto his favorite hoodie that I nestled into that morn. He laughed at me eating my waffles with my fingers then a proud look crept upon his face at me sharing that not so dainty moment with him.

Almost, like we had a secret ... I was his shot-gun messy eater and he, a proud chauffer - our little secret moment.

Fairytale moment ends there and now its work-day number 1 ... shoot on the beach.

The weather I forgot to notice until we arrived at the beach was about 85 to 90 degrees.

I never knew palm trees were so beautiful ... I was literally in AWE of the beach and the great weather we had been blessed with. This is a picture I found on Google of Manhattan beach ... If I could project an image from my mind as I saw it that day you could feel what I felt.


Occupational Hazard & Priceless moments:

• Leaving kit un-attended - Seagulls get curious (!&*^%$*&%)


• Shooting on the beach - Tides come in and my fav leather elf shooting shoes get soaked along with 11 inches of my jeans ...


• Dumping - sand out of my shoes on Sunday - Priceless!


• Tank on E - Rodney (the photog) saying I was going to give you $40.00 but here's $50.00 for gas! OWW


• Finding - 20 buck Wellies for my next beach shoot - SCORE

THANKS UNIVERSE!

I head home throw down my kit, fall into my bed, kick off my clumpy clothes and dwell in the day.

The Rewind Moment
(Pt.2 Saturday night coming soon!)