Mojitos, Vegas (baby!), & Barry Manilow
Life’s been happening—I have not had time to document. So here’s what’s been going on…
A week ago, I threw a Makeovers & Mojitos Shindig at my place. I would do makeovers on everyone who came, and take pictures to document it (I’m seriously considering doing makeup for weddings and other special occasions as a sideline), while they enjoyed mojitos and hors d’oeuvres. Entertaining is something I historically have done only rarely since I’ve been an adult, even though I enjoy it immensely whenever I do it, so I was wanting to make it a cool experience for everyone. I invited my sister, TL, and my friends Torie, Genine, Toni, and Beth (only Beth couldn’t make it—missed ya, girli-o!!).
Since the drink of the evening was to be mojitos, I matched the Cuban theme with the food and with the music. I made a Pollo Asada al Ajillo chicken wrap that knocked ‘em dead. Also included a lotta limes and mangoes and plaintain chips and salsa in the lineup. The mojitos, which TL and I fixed, were killer! After we gorged ourselves, I did the makeovers, taking before and after pictures. The only problem was that the lighting in my apartment is not the greatest, so I dragged my bedroom floor lamp in and used it. Consequently, some of the eyeliner I MAY have done too dark…but overall, I think they came out rather well. The makeup AND the pictures, if I may be so bold…
This weekend, we went to Vegas to celebrate Mom’s 60th birthday, Dad’s birthday, their anniversary, Father’s Day, Flag Day, and whatever other occasion we could think of that came along in June/July. It was me, TL, Tim, & Q, and dear friend of the family/our second mom, Ellie. We drove up Friday day, and stayed till Monday morning. I tried, oh I tried, to eat relatively healthy, and I think for the most part I succeeded. Normally, being around my parents involves the traditional “let’s go grocery shopping and get all kinds of culinary treats in order to celebrate being together!”, usually within moments of arriving at the house. I was feeling too much like crap after over-indulging so much at every visit, so after I realized that I didn’t HAVE TO do what everyone else was doing, I decided to just quit doing it and eat mostly meat, veggies, healthy grains and drink water and green tea, with the occasional foray into birthday cake, should the situation come up. And only eating when I was hungry, not necessarily when everyone else was. So I stuck to it this time, and my veins don’t feel clogged with fats and sugar today. Halle-fucking-lujah! Later that night, after dinner, Mom and Dad opened their prizes: I made all of the cards in Illustrator and PhotoShop, and also the certificate I gave to Mom which said she was entitled to any number of paintings for her house that she chose, with all materials and labor included. She’s been wanting to have me do a few paintings ever since they moved in 4 years ago, but wanted to pay me, and then didn’t know what she wanted, etc. Well, now she knows what she wants, and I figure, she’s my mother, she shouldn’t have to pay me for paintings. So that was her big gift from me. I got Dad some DVDs: “Spanglish” and “The Elvis Collection” (he’s a huge Elvis fan…not sure why, but he is). TL gave them playing cards with Q’s picture on the back, a framed scrapbooked collage of photos of their two dogs from over the years that she’d made, and a pedometer for Dad (he walks 3 miles a day for his heart). They loved their prizes, and afterwards we had Mud Pie ice cream cake for Mom’s birthday. Which I partook of. Gladly.
Saturday night, we had a Girls’ Night Out (during the getting-ready process, I broke my purse zipper—which will feature somewhat prominently later on in the weekend story). The big surprise for Mom was that Ellie had bought us girls tickets to see Barry Manilow at the Hilton. Now. Traditionally, I have not been a huge Fanilow. In fact, I was rather indifferent regarding his music. You guys. The show was fantastic! The pre-show music was all disco hits, getting you so in the mood to dance. Then Barry hit the stage doing “It’s a Miracle”, and he medley-ed a lot of his hits, to fit many of them in the show, and even then, he didn’t get to all of them. His backup singers doubled as dancers, doing various skits to some of the songs. Barry himself was a crackup in his between song commentary—with his great Brooklyn Jewish sense of humor shining through with his accent. “Copacabana” was a celebration with which he closed out the show—okay, okay, I admit, I’m a closet Copa fan, dammit! And I’m also becoming a closet Fanilow! Although I guess this officially serves as my coming out entry…Torie, I admit it, you were right to love Barry all these years, even when it wasn’t popular anymore! You were soooo right…Uncle!!! After the show, I soooo wanted to go to a club and go dancing—preferably a gay bar. But I was with my mother, so I didn’t voice that desire. But I was in a bubbly mood the rest of the night and much of the next day!
Sunday, we went to the Silverton Casino, to see the ocean-sized aquarium in the Bass Pro Shop. Q had seen it on his last visit and TL wants to make it a thing they do with him on every visit. Weirdly enough, a few days before, I’d seen the Las Vegas episode of Queer Eye that was partially filmed there. They have a scuba diver that interacts with the fish and also have girls playing mermaids—all in the ocean-sized aquarium with the fish! Q wanted to see the mermaids, but hell, so did Aunt Gina! I have loved mermaids since I was a kid and wanted to BE one. There were no mermaids that day, sadly—turns out they had an issue with the eels earlier, and the mermaids were not fond of the idea of getting back in the pool with them. They had mermaid art on the walls, though, and I perused that instead. The manta rays in the tank were also fascinating! Soon after, Mom and Ellie and I left—we dropped Ellie off at a new casino by the house to play poker and slots, and Mom and I headed off to the Antique Mall of America that I had seen on our great grocery shopping jaunt the day before. I walked in, and I was home…Finally, at long last, after 4 years of my folks living there, I found something in Vegas that I like to do! I hate gambling with a white hot heat, so there’s nothing much for me to do out of the house while everyone else goes to the casinos. To find an antique mall is just…well, it’s damn heaven, is what it is! We perused the booths, just browsing, seeing if there was anything of interest. I found a purple bucket-like hat, with a flower sewn to the upturned brim, for only $15. I snagged it with a vise-like grip. And then…and THEN, I saw it. A sleeveless, burgundy velvet dress, with a burgundy lace overlay around the front and back of the neckline. MINT CONDITION! Size 16, so it would definitely fit me (I’m not quite a 16, but not a 6, either). And it was $45! Now, vintage clothing is hard to get A) in great condition, B) in a size that will fit me currently, and C) for a good price. This dress was all three, folks. This dress had my name written all over it. This dress belonged to me. Even though I hadn’t paid for it yet, it was MINE. I was so ecstatic at my incredible find that I bought Mom a vase that she had her eye on. Then it turned out at the register that everything was on sale! Snake eyes! I spent $25 less than I had thought I would! YES!! THIS was MY jackpot, baby!!
Today, we left in the late morning, with me riding back with Ellie, while TL, Tim & Q drove back in their car. Ellie and I stopped in Barstow to have lunch at a restaurant called Quigley’s. I kept calling it Quigley’s Down Under, in my head…Then we walked around the outlet mall behind it—again, just browsing. But I ended up finding a leather backpack purse to replace mine with the broken zipper—regularly $80, but on sale for $40 (I have this uncanny knack for finding incredible deals on things that I need to buy. When I have a need or a want for something, and I go shopping for said something, I usually find exactly what I want for a tremendous price. It’s kinda scary.). The purse is soooo soft to the touch. I got a small wallet to go with it, to replace the behemoth wallet I had inherited by default from someone who didn’t want it. The new purse weighs about 4 pounds less, without the Chernobyl Wallet in it. Not to mention all the shit I cleaned out. “How come you carry so much shit in your purse?” “You never know when you have to jam…” I’m not seeing a great need for me to jam in my future, so I jettisoned over half of it.
It was a highly profitable, enjoyable weekend. But it’s lovely to be home…and updating at long last! Tomorrow I’m off for Independence Day, and I plan to paint my little heart out; I’ve done so little of it in June. June was a time of traveling and working and planning and hosting, and July will be a time for completing art projects. Swear to god. No, really. Business cards, website, new painting. Nothing else to get between us, from now on.
A week ago, I threw a Makeovers & Mojitos Shindig at my place. I would do makeovers on everyone who came, and take pictures to document it (I’m seriously considering doing makeup for weddings and other special occasions as a sideline), while they enjoyed mojitos and hors d’oeuvres. Entertaining is something I historically have done only rarely since I’ve been an adult, even though I enjoy it immensely whenever I do it, so I was wanting to make it a cool experience for everyone. I invited my sister, TL, and my friends Torie, Genine, Toni, and Beth (only Beth couldn’t make it—missed ya, girli-o!!).
Since the drink of the evening was to be mojitos, I matched the Cuban theme with the food and with the music. I made a Pollo Asada al Ajillo chicken wrap that knocked ‘em dead. Also included a lotta limes and mangoes and plaintain chips and salsa in the lineup. The mojitos, which TL and I fixed, were killer! After we gorged ourselves, I did the makeovers, taking before and after pictures. The only problem was that the lighting in my apartment is not the greatest, so I dragged my bedroom floor lamp in and used it. Consequently, some of the eyeliner I MAY have done too dark…but overall, I think they came out rather well. The makeup AND the pictures, if I may be so bold…
This weekend, we went to Vegas to celebrate Mom’s 60th birthday, Dad’s birthday, their anniversary, Father’s Day, Flag Day, and whatever other occasion we could think of that came along in June/July. It was me, TL, Tim, & Q, and dear friend of the family/our second mom, Ellie. We drove up Friday day, and stayed till Monday morning. I tried, oh I tried, to eat relatively healthy, and I think for the most part I succeeded. Normally, being around my parents involves the traditional “let’s go grocery shopping and get all kinds of culinary treats in order to celebrate being together!”, usually within moments of arriving at the house. I was feeling too much like crap after over-indulging so much at every visit, so after I realized that I didn’t HAVE TO do what everyone else was doing, I decided to just quit doing it and eat mostly meat, veggies, healthy grains and drink water and green tea, with the occasional foray into birthday cake, should the situation come up. And only eating when I was hungry, not necessarily when everyone else was. So I stuck to it this time, and my veins don’t feel clogged with fats and sugar today. Halle-fucking-lujah! Later that night, after dinner, Mom and Dad opened their prizes: I made all of the cards in Illustrator and PhotoShop, and also the certificate I gave to Mom which said she was entitled to any number of paintings for her house that she chose, with all materials and labor included. She’s been wanting to have me do a few paintings ever since they moved in 4 years ago, but wanted to pay me, and then didn’t know what she wanted, etc. Well, now she knows what she wants, and I figure, she’s my mother, she shouldn’t have to pay me for paintings. So that was her big gift from me. I got Dad some DVDs: “Spanglish” and “The Elvis Collection” (he’s a huge Elvis fan…not sure why, but he is). TL gave them playing cards with Q’s picture on the back, a framed scrapbooked collage of photos of their two dogs from over the years that she’d made, and a pedometer for Dad (he walks 3 miles a day for his heart). They loved their prizes, and afterwards we had Mud Pie ice cream cake for Mom’s birthday. Which I partook of. Gladly.
Saturday night, we had a Girls’ Night Out (during the getting-ready process, I broke my purse zipper—which will feature somewhat prominently later on in the weekend story). The big surprise for Mom was that Ellie had bought us girls tickets to see Barry Manilow at the Hilton. Now. Traditionally, I have not been a huge Fanilow. In fact, I was rather indifferent regarding his music. You guys. The show was fantastic! The pre-show music was all disco hits, getting you so in the mood to dance. Then Barry hit the stage doing “It’s a Miracle”, and he medley-ed a lot of his hits, to fit many of them in the show, and even then, he didn’t get to all of them. His backup singers doubled as dancers, doing various skits to some of the songs. Barry himself was a crackup in his between song commentary—with his great Brooklyn Jewish sense of humor shining through with his accent. “Copacabana” was a celebration with which he closed out the show—okay, okay, I admit, I’m a closet Copa fan, dammit! And I’m also becoming a closet Fanilow! Although I guess this officially serves as my coming out entry…Torie, I admit it, you were right to love Barry all these years, even when it wasn’t popular anymore! You were soooo right…Uncle!!! After the show, I soooo wanted to go to a club and go dancing—preferably a gay bar. But I was with my mother, so I didn’t voice that desire. But I was in a bubbly mood the rest of the night and much of the next day!
Sunday, we went to the Silverton Casino, to see the ocean-sized aquarium in the Bass Pro Shop. Q had seen it on his last visit and TL wants to make it a thing they do with him on every visit. Weirdly enough, a few days before, I’d seen the Las Vegas episode of Queer Eye that was partially filmed there. They have a scuba diver that interacts with the fish and also have girls playing mermaids—all in the ocean-sized aquarium with the fish! Q wanted to see the mermaids, but hell, so did Aunt Gina! I have loved mermaids since I was a kid and wanted to BE one. There were no mermaids that day, sadly—turns out they had an issue with the eels earlier, and the mermaids were not fond of the idea of getting back in the pool with them. They had mermaid art on the walls, though, and I perused that instead. The manta rays in the tank were also fascinating! Soon after, Mom and Ellie and I left—we dropped Ellie off at a new casino by the house to play poker and slots, and Mom and I headed off to the Antique Mall of America that I had seen on our great grocery shopping jaunt the day before. I walked in, and I was home…Finally, at long last, after 4 years of my folks living there, I found something in Vegas that I like to do! I hate gambling with a white hot heat, so there’s nothing much for me to do out of the house while everyone else goes to the casinos. To find an antique mall is just…well, it’s damn heaven, is what it is! We perused the booths, just browsing, seeing if there was anything of interest. I found a purple bucket-like hat, with a flower sewn to the upturned brim, for only $15. I snagged it with a vise-like grip. And then…and THEN, I saw it. A sleeveless, burgundy velvet dress, with a burgundy lace overlay around the front and back of the neckline. MINT CONDITION! Size 16, so it would definitely fit me (I’m not quite a 16, but not a 6, either). And it was $45! Now, vintage clothing is hard to get A) in great condition, B) in a size that will fit me currently, and C) for a good price. This dress was all three, folks. This dress had my name written all over it. This dress belonged to me. Even though I hadn’t paid for it yet, it was MINE. I was so ecstatic at my incredible find that I bought Mom a vase that she had her eye on. Then it turned out at the register that everything was on sale! Snake eyes! I spent $25 less than I had thought I would! YES!! THIS was MY jackpot, baby!!
Today, we left in the late morning, with me riding back with Ellie, while TL, Tim & Q drove back in their car. Ellie and I stopped in Barstow to have lunch at a restaurant called Quigley’s. I kept calling it Quigley’s Down Under, in my head…Then we walked around the outlet mall behind it—again, just browsing. But I ended up finding a leather backpack purse to replace mine with the broken zipper—regularly $80, but on sale for $40 (I have this uncanny knack for finding incredible deals on things that I need to buy. When I have a need or a want for something, and I go shopping for said something, I usually find exactly what I want for a tremendous price. It’s kinda scary.). The purse is soooo soft to the touch. I got a small wallet to go with it, to replace the behemoth wallet I had inherited by default from someone who didn’t want it. The new purse weighs about 4 pounds less, without the Chernobyl Wallet in it. Not to mention all the shit I cleaned out. “How come you carry so much shit in your purse?” “You never know when you have to jam…” I’m not seeing a great need for me to jam in my future, so I jettisoned over half of it.
It was a highly profitable, enjoyable weekend. But it’s lovely to be home…and updating at long last! Tomorrow I’m off for Independence Day, and I plan to paint my little heart out; I’ve done so little of it in June. June was a time of traveling and working and planning and hosting, and July will be a time for completing art projects. Swear to god. No, really. Business cards, website, new painting. Nothing else to get between us, from now on.
Comments
i'm really happy you enjoyed your time in vegas, too. =)
how'd painting on the 4th go??
Oooh, makeovers--that's a future activity we could do! (:
Yeah, Vegas: it's not just for gambling anymore! What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...you secret, dark-hearted antiquers, you...
I DID paint on the 4th--it was a little slice o'heaven! I worked on Business Card Me, and got most of it done. I just have to do some tweaking on the hair highlights and dress shadows, and I'm scan-ready! Yeah!!