Tea, Frustrations, Life

Hi Everyone. I'm sure I should be doing something else rather than blogging right now....but I figure why not enjoy a moment here and write. So here I am.

I decided to blog today because I am flat broke but still ordered my tea from Mark T. Wendell Tea Company because if there is one thing I cannot live without....is a decent cup of tea to get me going on my job search.

I know we are in a recession, but it is sooooo frustrating and I'll admit, a bit depressing trying to make it all work while paying your dues. I really want to do makeup full-time, but it is so hard to find work. If you apply to something on Craig's List and it is too long after it is posted (say an hour or so), you can guarantee you missed the boat because the poster became inundated with replys to the post. And I understand that there is only so many they can review, but it is frustrating that they don't at least send out a form email of some sort saying something like "Hey thanks for replying to my ad. Unfortunately, we have filled the position you were applying for but will keep you in mind for the future".

Just some kind of acknowledgment so you feel like you are worth something. Is it too much to ask? When I have put ads up and gotten inundated with replys (like when I was looking for a musician to write music with), do you think I wanted to answer everyone that wrote to me? No of course not. But did I? YES I DID, because it is common courtesy to do so.

What has happened to Common Courtesy and Decency in this place we call the United States. Where have these people been brought up? Not in my universe apparently.

I pray the economy turns around and everyone will be in a better place soon, because this life is so sad here right now. Everyone is broke. There are no jobs out there. As with my last post, I can't believe (even when I look online for these types of jobs) how little admin support jobs are being advertised. There are no jobs to get, and if you see one that interests you and you reply too late, you can forget about it, it's already a missed opportunity.

A friend of mine told me that there was an article a few months back in the New York Times where a company had put an ad in "Craig's List" for an admin position. They had to take the post down within something like 45 minutes as they had 800 replies and counting and couldn't handle them all. They had people replying that were qualified, overqualified. Unemployed Lawyers, Bankers, Executives, all because they just wanted to work at anything other than being unemployed. And doesn't that tell you something about how bad it is out there?

Another friend of mine and I were talking (or commiserating is more the word as he is in the same boat as I) the other day about how these companies are getting used to having their executives, etc. answer their own phones, write their own emails, file their own files, etc. If this keeps going on the way it's going, then these companies will never rehire the admin workforce they once had because they will feel they do not need to. They can get extra work out of their excecutives, etc. More bang for their buck so to speak because they save money by cutting support staff and not replacing them.

It just shows that it's also time to learn something new, train for something else, because who knows when secretarial or word processors will find those kind of jobs again. There are too many of us looking.

This is why I felt it would be the perfect time to pay my dues trying to get this full-time makeup thing going. But for now, I think I'll keep doing that, but try and get those ITG Vouchers to get some training in Graphic Arts. At least I can do that anywhere. Every company needs graphic arts in some capacity. And at least it is a creative gig to have. And you can do it freelance or for a company directly.

Well, sign off for now and must get ready to go out in the rain. My dear friend Charlie is taking me to see Darlene Love at B.B. Kings tonight. If she doesn't lift my spirits, I know Charlie will. Happy weekend everyone. And my everyone have a Charlie in their life to keep them smiling more often.

WorkForce1 and Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil

I know neither one has anything to do with the other...but that's news today.

Went to WorkForce1 today (they are who Unemployment will send you to look for work, but hey everyone - you don't have to be unemployed for them to help you find a job, help you train to get a promotion, rewrite your resume, learn to interview or get career training) to see about getting my ITG Vouchers for career training.....I think I would LOVE doing Graphic Arts while I'm doing the makeup thing so I want to be trained. If I can get the money to actually train in something I like, what would be better than that. Makes me feel a little more optimistic about moving forward.

I was surprised yet, not surprised that they said that when they put together their recruitment event calendars that they don't usually put the administrative support on the list because they maybe only get 2 jobs a week (it is so hard to get that kind of work right now) and they don't want to waste everyone's time since those jobs are taken before the recruitment event even happens. I knew my safety job career was in tough times, but I didn't realize just how hard it is to get administrative support jobs...how scarce they really are. Makes me want to do "occupational training" even more. Learned about a bunch of stuff that is available to the unemployed and the employed. So much to think about.

Meanwhile, working at MAC for the first time this Friday and Saturday. Fingers crossed that it goes well. I know I can sell anything to anybody, but nervous all the same.

Now for the Shu Uemura cleansing oil part. I met Gina Brooke recently (Madonna's makeup artist) and she was the coolest. She showed me a lot of great tips and introduced me to the Cleansing Oil. IT IS AWESOME. If you can afford to get a small bottle to try, it's worth it. Yes, it cleans oily skin, too. Believe it or not, oil will clean better than a regular cleanser. I have found it helps immensely to get off my waterproof mascara without fighting with it and makes my skin feel clean yet not dry. Don't get me wrong, I love my Cetaphil, BUT....this stuff really removes your makeup. Get some if you don't already have. Try it, I guarantee you will love it.

Well, that's it for now. Must go watch GLEE (I always wait till DVR is finished so I can cut the commercials.) Anyway, wishing everyone the best and I'll write soon!

Looking for Work in the big city

I know it's been awhile since I blogged, but here we go.

The past few weeks I've spent running around meeting concierges at all the high-end and boutique hotels in New York City to offer my makeup (and grudgingly hair) services to their guests. Everyone has been really nice and it seems that about 95% of these hotels don't have someone on file (and that's probably why they always call MAC Cosmetics).

In fact, my friends from MAC are who gave me the idea to do this. So far, I've gotten one job over Halloween (which was fun, I got to make a guy a ghoul for Halloween night) at one hotel. Another called me last minute and I almost got to do a Saudi Arabian Prince, but his party got canceled. Drat!

I did just do a makeup assist job that was loads of fun and I learned a ton. I did have moments where I was like "Wow, I feel like I don't know anything", but I guess that is what learning is about.....learning to make your craft better.

I hope this all pays off, but I have moments of fear that it won't. I'm behind on a couple of things, and I have to admit, all the bill companies including my building manager have been nice in arranging payment plans.

Now, I just have to take a big breath and keep moving. Next stop, bridal boutiques, I think, but first....I have to get my website up. It's not up yet and I may not be able to do a cool flash site right away, but at least get an html site up for now, (it will be jadeelhaddad.com. ) Hope when it's up you will come and check it out. It's the only way people will take me seriously. Right now I have my work on a modelmayhem account. And I know that probably seems like a joke. So onward and upward and to my website.

Life is rough sometimes, but I guess that's what makes us stronger. At least I hope so.

Garlic and Castles

My friend Scotty is the best. He, our friend Joe and myself did the most fun thing on Saturday. We went to the Garlic Festival up in Saugerties, New York. If you've never been, you must put it on your calendar for next year.

When you first get there, there are lots of booths with homemade items, like pottery, jewelry and soap, etc.. But truth be told, a little pricey and I don't need more crap in my house than I already have.

So onto the food. THE FOOD WAS AMAZING. Everything we ate was garlic, garlic garlic and very well seasoned. Excellent.

The first thing we did was take some beano, knowing what we were in for with all the eating....I don't think I have to detail this fact....you all know.

The first food stop was mushrooms sauteed with garlic, herbs (and very little oil). They were awesome. Then on to the garlic bratwurst. And people were soooo nice there. I'm walking along with my little sandwich and this lovely older black woman stops me and says....You must have fried garlic on that sandwich and plops some of her garlic in my sandwich and some in Scotty's sandwich. DELICIOUS. We decided right then and there....Must get our own fried garlic.

Next was a garlic shooter. Yes, I said garlic shooter. Garlic and lemon. Scotty and I clinked our little plastic glasses and shot it back.

We had garlic and potato soup which was more of a chowder in these GIANT bread bowls. The bread they gave us made Au bon Pain's bread bowls look like a tiny roll. Couldn't eat all the bread, but the soup with a little of the bread scooped up and into our mouths...Awesome.

Of course we did get our roasted fried garlic. It was awesome. We also got some fried pickles. Yep, they were good. They didn't have the sauteed artichokes ready so we missed that. Must do that next year. But this cart had the best sign ever. AND I think all establishments should have this sign up and follow through:

"UNATTENDED CHILDREN WILL BE GIVEN AN ESPRESSO AND A PUPPY"

That will teach parents to parent their child and keep an eye on them.

All in all, the kids at the festival were very well behaved. Maybe it's just NYC parents who don't know how to control their kids. I don't know. But we are not here to chat about that. Back to the food.

The Garlic Pizza was awesome. We had coconut shrimp and crab cakes that were awesome and we topped all this off with....wait for it.....Garlic Gelato. It was delicious. Not overwhelmed with garlic, with a slight carmel taste. Gently sweet. Delicious. Really enjoyed.

Now there was also lots of fresh garlic to buy, too. There was garlic in decorative weaves, and things and just plain garlic. I bought some Roja and some Music garlic. I've already made one thing with some. I mixed the two. I fried them out in some grape leave oil with some spinach and spices and then wrapped that in layers of phyllo dough with some brie cheese inside. Delicious. (I made this when I returned on Sunday)

So we stayed overnight in Hudson, New York so we could go to Olana, which is a state historic site that was designed by Frederic Edwin Church in the 19th century. He was an artist who was with the Hudson River School of Art. Mr. Church apparently was originally going to create a home that was more victorian, but after taking his wife to a trip to the Middle East got reinspired and came back and made this home very middle eastern. You must go see it. It's fabulous and there is so much history. And the views from the castle are incredible. Here is the website if you want to know more: www.olana.org.

Anyway, that's all for now. If I can, later I will try to post some pictures.

Have a great day all!

Attention to Detail

So yesterday I was on my way to a gig in Stamford, Connecticut to do hair and makeup for a corporate company for headshots. And wouldn't you know, my agency was given the WRONG DATE by the recruiter (who will remain unnamed, because....they are known screw ups...yes, this is not the first time they haven't known what they were doing). Looking back on the emails telling us the dates it says the event will be on "Monday, September 28".

Now I ask you, after seeing that date on your email several times as the date of the gig, what would you think the date of the gig is. That's right, Monday, September 28. Not Tuesday, September 29, right? IF the Monday part wasn't there, I'd say, okay....typo. But the Monday part of the date was clearly typed.

So I traveled out to Stamford (which is a 2 hour trek give or take) only to find out, that not only was the gig not on "Monday, September 28", but now, they are rescheduling the date they booked according to the corporate company (who shall remain unnamed) of Tuesday, September 29 and they will have to let me know.

Needless to say, my agency was furious, and quite frankly, I wasn't thrilled either. But they now have to pay me for their folly. 4 hours and my travel. So, I ask you this, HOW does someone who doesn't pay attention to the small details, keep their job? How do they get these jobs? I'm just saying. I wouldn't mind, but it's the same recruiter who screwed me a couple of years ago.

Well, live and learn, right. And get on to other things, I say.

So we'll see what happens. They may reschedule for Thursday. Hmmmm. I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile.....I must go post about the Garlic Festival. Yummmy!

Crazy Life

Well, here we are, a new week. Tuesday and I'm tired already. But sometimes tired is good.

Today I finally went to a couple of hotels on 57th Street and spoke to the concierges and told them I was a makeup artist. Everyone was very open to my offer of my makeup artist services...so fingers crossed.

Now, you will laugh...I'm at The Four Seasons, and some old man decides to follow me out of the hotel and asking me where I was going. Honestly...do I look like a hooker man. I think not.

The rest of the day was crazy, but glad it's over. Now I can just sit relax and get some sleep. But first I have some tv to catch up on. Oh what was life without a DVR. I don't even know anymore.

What to do when bored

So today, as yesterday, I'm hanging out while work is being done on the apartment. Thank goodness for the internet, huh? I can watch Netflix instant views, work on finding a stylist for a photoshoot, look for makeup gigs, etc.

What else can one do? Take a nap, eat a snack. Daydream.....

More later.

Tuesday Gone

Another Tuesday is gone. It was a long day. No cooking today. But last night I admittedly watched the season premier of Gossip Girl. I sooooo didn't want to like that show or get hooked on it. But alas, I'm hooked.

I am trying to keep the t.v. to a minimum. Don't want to get hooked into too many new shows. It is exhausting watching so many shows, but I am looking forward to 30 Rock on October 15.

And I am hooked on Glee already. I knew I would be. Yes, crazily enough, my ring tone is "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, but I have to admit that the cast of Glee's rendition is FANTASTIC. Actually inspired me to write a new song....let's see how it goes.

Anyway, not much to share today. Too tired. Let's see what Wednesday brings.

Baked Cucumber, etc.

So I finally have cracked open my Mastering the Art of French Cooking (admittedly, inspired by Julie Powell's book "Julia and Julia") and made two recipes.

Last night I made Foie De Veau A La Moutarde (Calves Liver with Mustard, Herbs and Bread Crumbs). Now don't go yech. I happen to like calves liver and I know my friend Scotty, NEVER thought he would eat anything like liver or Veal Kidneys, but the first time I served him Veal Kidneys and every time thereafter he has LOVED them.

Well, Julie Powell is right. It is a wonderful dish. And very easy to make. Really delicious. I will definitely make it again. And this dish made me a little less afraid of my broiler. Since I don't have a Garland Stove like Julia or a Viking or anything of that stature, I have a sucky broiler at the bottom of my stove that you need to watch so it doesn't catch fire. WHY they ever put the broiler down there with NO room for adjustment between the fire and the food, I will never know. Some day, I dream of a real stove. I bet it would change my cooking life.

Today, I tried my hand at Concombres au Beurre (baked Cucumbers) Persilles (parsley). I loved the Julia's "preliminary sorjourn" in salt, sugar and wine vinegar. They even taste good just after the cucumbers have stood in this mixture for an hour. And the liquid that you get after you drain would make a great vinaigrette if you add a little olive oil and fresh herbs. Yum.

Now, I think I need to definitely get a oven thermometer. And I need to pay attention to more accurate measurements of cutting the cucumbers. I may have made them a little too thin, after looking at a ruler later. Julia tells you to cut then into lengthwise strips of about 3/8 inch wide. Between that and perhaps a too hot oven, they may have cooked a bit too much. She says that they should have "a suggestion of crispness and texture. They will barely color during cooking." Mine browned a bit. Still good, but I think would have been better if I was sure of the oven temp and the size of the strips. Well, next time will be better. AND of course, I will report back.

Hmmm....what will the next recipe be.

Maybe one of David Lebowitz' recipes from My Sweet Life In Paris. I loved that book and he has great recipes in there. I've already made my own creme fraiche. It was a beautiful thing. But I think the trick is to make sure that buttermilk is very fresh. The first time it was PERFECT. The 2nd time, not as perfect. I also find that depending on what the temp in the house is, you have to leave it longer than 12 hours. Well...trial and error.

Life is all about trial and error. I just hope I keep learning from my mistakes.

Well, off to other adventures.

Have a good night!

Don't Stop Believin'

I haven't written in a couple of days as they past couple have been insanely crazy. I look forward to a little quiet over the weekend.

But I got home tonight and my close friend Scotty sent me the loveliest gift. We are both hooked on the show "Glee" already and he sent me the "Glee" version of the Journey song they cover "Don't Stop Believin". I adore Journey, particularly with Steve Perry of course and I think this cover is wonderful. Can't help singing to it. And those of you who know me well....I can sing.

Singing is what brought me to New York in the first place. Funny how I got distracted by working in Record Companies (Private Music and Geffen Record....Geffen when we had the cool bands, like Aerosmith, GNR, Peter Gabriel, The Sundays, Nirvana, Tesla....the list goes on). Now, along with trying to make a real go at this makeup artist thing, I'm getting back to music.

I've been writing lyrics for the past few years and have FINALLY found a composer to work with and two songs are almost done. Music AND Lyrics. Very exciting.

Anyway, another friend got me into this cool class on Film Noir that I'm really excited about. It has already been an eye opener. I am already seeing those Film Noir films a little differently then I did before. And tonight at Chelsea Cinema's Chelsea Classics I saw Joan Crawford in "Johnny Guitar". What a fun movie, but I wanted to slap the actress who played Emma....she was such an OVER ACTOR.

So that's all for now.....Still looking at my "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" Books and finding recipes I want to try. I promise I will keep you updated. Should be fun and I hope delicious.

Good Night All!

Learn something new everyday

So as some of you may know, I am working for the first time as an Associate Producer on a short independent film. It's a new and exciting experience which of course, I am learning by the seat of my pants. I do my best learning that way. I also get to do a little special FX makeup on this film. Can't wait. This will be a great credit for me. Who knows what will happen going forward.

The next thing I want to do is get my own website so I am not directing people to modelmayhem anymore. If I'm going to make a go of being a makeup artist full-time, I have to get it all up and running. But boy, the start up is costing money. I guess it is true what they say....to make money, you have to spend money. Fingers crossed, it all pays off. It's exhausting but if it all works out, it will be worth it.

Now for the fun of the day. I didn't do much yet got a lot accomplished. So I feel good about that. But more than that, Scotty and I had a little late lunch today and then we went to Prettyville....aka "Forest Hills Gardens". It is the wildest thing. Here we live in Forest Hills and it's nice and all, but it's apartment living with the "Boulevard of Death" right up the block.

But if you walk a little bit on Continental Avenue towards the Long Island Railroad....go under the bridge, you are suddenly in another world. As if you are in an alternate universe. As you have probably ascertained, we like to call it "Prettyville". It's amazing to walk around. Many of the homes make you feel like you are in a little European town in France or England or sometime or Switzerland.....I can't explain. You have to see it to believe it.

Many of the homes have our favorite thing.....turrets. They are like dream homes. My favorite one is on Ascan Avenue and it looks like you could stage Romeo and Juliet there. Down another street, we swear there is a haunted mansion in England. And ironically enough...it's next to a church. Almost good versus evil right next to each other. See what I mean....a totally different world there.

As always, we got a little lost in our favorite pretty world but finally after walking around for an hour or so, it was time to get back to reality. So here I am, back at home, dealing with reality. Applying for makeup gigs, doing stuff for the film, and thinking about my next fun recipe to try.

Well, that's it for now. Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend.

See you back in blogland tomorrow.

Aftermath on a Saturday Night

I saw my friend Amir in a fantastic play tonight entitled "Aftermath". It is a play/true story written by written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen and directed by Jessica Blank. The play is about 9 Iraqi refugees that are interviewed in Jordan. It was moving, emotional and gut-wrenching. Yes, there was some humor at times, but the stories were....well, you must go see this play if you can.

It is playing at the New York Theater Workshop on East 4th Street between Bowery and 2nd Avenue.

The description of this story listed on the New York Theater Workshop website is as follows:

"March 20, 2003. A date that the ordinary people of Iraq will never forget. A day that changed their lives forever. The day the Americans arrived in their country.

New York Theatre Workshop sent Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, the award-winning creators of The Exonerated, to Jordan in June 2008 to find out firsthand what happened to the Iraqi civilians as a result of the events that began on that fateful day.

They interviewed some 35 people—a cross-section of lives interrupted—who fled the chaos and violence that befell Iraqi society for the relative safety of Jordan. Following the visit to Amman, Jessica and Erik crafted their conversations with the Iraqis and have turned them into an unforgettable theatrical event"

Yes, the piece is as compelling as it sounds. I hope you will consider seeing it. It is wonderful and the whole cast is GREAT!

The rest of my night was great, too. Went to eat with Amir, Scotty and Linda and then Scotty and I headed off to the Metropolitan Room at 34 West 22nd Street between 5th & 6th Avenue where they have a Piano Bar which was great fun. Maybe next time I'll pull something together to get up and sing. We'll have to wait and see.

Anyway, that's it for tonight. Must sleep as it's 4:30 in the morning. Busy busy day.

Sweet dreams to all.

Concombres Au Beurre

So today I am reading the part of Julie & Julia where she makes Concombres Au Beurre (Baked Cucumbers). I must admit, I was at first a little grossed out by the thought of baked cucumbers but as I read on, I was surprised to find, that Julie (who was also originally, hesitant about this idea) was pleasantly surprised as was her friend and husband.

SO, with my feet killing me from walking around all day, I soaked my feet in Dead Sea Salts (it's almost like I'm a lady of leisure here with the salts) and I couldn't resist looking up the recipe. And I must admit....I am intrigued. I think I must try it. Maybe this weekend. So Julie has not only inspired me to blog, but she has inspired me to actually try a recipe or two from my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking which I am proud to say is a first edition. And here is where we will add a bit of shopping to our blog post today. I was lucky enough to get a used 1st edition copy of Julia's book.

And I got it for cheap. Yes, I think I paid $20 a book (I got both). For those of you who don't know, there is a great little used cookbook store called Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks. I just double-checked online and yes, she is still there at 163 West 10th Street in the West Village. Be sure to call ahead to make sure she is open as sometimes her hours vary. The phone number is 212-989-8102.

Great little store. Owner is very nice, and talkative and is very knowledgeable about cookbooks new and old.

Well, for now, that's all. Off to see what else I am prepared to try from Mastering the Art of French Cooking and who I will enlist to help me....JB maybe? Will keep you posted.

Have a good night everyone.

Another Day Finished

Well, another day is finished. Got a lot of that Data Entry done, but a ways to go. Lot of research left to do. Well, I am good at research.

Looking forward to the long weekend. Hope for some extra sleep. One would be surprised when you are unemployed just how busy one can be looking for work and running errands, etc. Thank goodness for subway time where I can get some reading done and no one can reach me via phone or email....till I get off.

Anyway, will try to blog on the weekend, but if not, here is hoping everyone has a great weekend but remember, after Monday....no more wearing white. Unless it's winter white, but lets not draw any fine lines on that.

Happy Labor Day!

Data Entry on a beautiful day

About 6 years ago I put an ad in Craig's list for freelance work doing word processing/presentation/data entry work from home. Surprisingly, I got a call rather quickly for a data entry job for a financial person.

I love the extra work, but sometimes it is sooooo hard to get started. It's always daunting and so much more than it originally appears to be.

Now those of you who know me, know I am a researchaholic (which is probably why I am a walking encyclopedia, or really, I'm a walking 411). Which of course means whenever I get these kinds of jobs, they take longer than anticipated because inevitably.....information is missing. OR...the spreadsheet has been started and is half-ass backwards and I have to straighten it out before I can actually get started.

Luckily this time, I was able to start this one from scratch, but typically, I am entering stuff from printouts from the web....and you know what I'm about to say.....info is missing....like full email addresses or web addresses. What does that mean for me....research. What is the website, do I see the contact.

I guess this post is really a tiny rant about how long these things take. But hey, what can you do, right?

Well, nothing...but get the job done, so onwards I go.

Will try to write something more interesting later, like the fact that this guy Rick at my new fave coffee spot, with free WiFi of course, wants to do a iPod Touch/iPhone video blog with me about Apps. Yes, I'm addicted to the Apps. Especially the cool free ones. And again, those of you who know me, know I can find things at good prices and know a good bargain when I see one. So maybe this will be a fun venture. Will let you know.

Later folks.

Reading Julie and Julia

So a friend of mine recently told me I was a walking encyclopedia. What do you mean I said? Well, here's what she meant. She called me one day from the street and told me where she was and said...."I need to find a free WiFi spot". Well, apparently, I had the answer for her. I forgot about this until she suggested me for a possible gig.

And then....today...I'm reading Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and there is this part about when she is making steaks with beef bone marrow sauce or something like that (have to get out my 1st edition Julia Child "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" to check out the recipe) and she was writing about how herself, her friend, her husband and her brother all went on an out and out search for the beef bone to extract this marrow from. They searched in Astoria, LIC, the West Village.....and as I'm reading this (keep in mind that this is back in the year 2002), I found myseof screaming in my head "GO TO JEFFERSON MARKET, GO TO JEFFERSON MARKET" on 6th Avenue and 11th Street.

Well, a few paragraphs down, where do you think they found said bone. Yep, you got it...Jefferson Market.

Oh how I miss the real Jefferson Market. For those of you who are not aware, Jefferson Market was a supermarket in the West Village that was terrific. Incredible meat department. Cheeses, prepared foods. Cheaper than Balduccis or Citarella (which I now love...more on that later). But alas, the original owner sold the market I think to Gristedes. And honestly....I can't be bothered going in. I checked it out, and it's not the same. A moment of silence for the old Jefferson Market.

Now I admit I go to Citarella down the street at 6th Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets. I love all my market people there. Devin and Irv in Cheese are AWESOME (and they are the only ones I trust for my Brie de Mieux). I've followed Devin from Jefferson Market. Lost him when he went to that Balduccis on 14th Street which wasn't really Balduccis. He knows his cheese. And Mario, is the best with the fruit. But his associate Jose won't steer you wrong either. Great fish and meat. Yes, I am really a foody. Love to cook, love to eat.

Anyway....I have talked enough for now.

Later.

My first blog

I never thought I would have a blog, but then again, why not?

I was partially inspired to start a blog by Julie Powell and her Julie and Julia Project and by my friend Charlie, who has just started his own blog. And I'm so proud of him. He is blossoming into a successful DJ and soon neither one of us will ever have to work in a law office again. At least that's the plan for now.

I'm a makeup artist who for the longest time worked in a law office by day either as a "ugh" legal secretary or Document Specialist and obviously by the initial caps in the words "Document Specialist" listing, you know which one I preferred doing.

But 2 months ago, I got laid off from my job, aka "the safety job"...I mean one has to pay their bills... and I started to think....if I really want to be a makeup artist full-time instead of only on the weekends and at night, now is the time to do it. There will be no more saying no to makeup gigs or any kind of creative gig (I'm kind of good at graphic arts, too) because I have to go to my day job and feel too guilty call in sick. I can really pursue this thing.

I'll admit, trying to do this full-time is hard work. I have had to hustle for the jobs I do get. And still some of them are unpaid. But it's okay as I am working to build my reputation and I look forward to working more and more at a job I really like for once in my life. One that I can be happy at. So many people are unhappy at what they do every day for work. I no longer want to be one of those unhappy people.

So upwards and onwards we go. So far, I've had a couple of Indian Weddings (I still don't think I want to learn to tie a Sari on my own), I've assisted on a music video for an Italian pop star, photo shoots and I've gone to every department store and every makeup counter pursuing this dream. Next stop, all the major hotels and talking to the concierge of said hotels. Hey, why not. Offer them a little kickback and maybe I'll get more and more work, more and more clients and who knows.

Meanwhile, I'm also a singer and a lyric writer. Need to get back to that, too.

And now, I'm doing what I think is associate producing for a small independent film. As soon as I find out if that is what my role is, then, I let you know. Should be fun.

Well, I think for a first blog, that's all for now. Must get to sleep as tomorrow is an early day.

Good night all.