The Gym, my new job

So most of you know that i've taken a Gap year ( or maybe many)and replaced work with the Gym . Do not think i turned crazy and started to love working out ! If it were not the cost and committment of the 2 trainers i've worked with i think many weeks would have gone by without me gracing the door of Crunch Fitness! However i had to share something that makes my slogging on the stairs or elyptical tolerable if not inspiring and its FREE ! Yes read that again FREE ! I used to workout (always) to a Power Mix called Dance mix 2. Its so old i don't even remember how i found it or where i bought it . Its not really anything to brag about either but for me the BPM's do make me move my ass a bit faster. That one worked for when i was going to the gym once or twice a week but this year its approaching mad tired. Try as i might to find an updated one only left me poorer and with a terrible remix of things they play at sporting events ( no kidding, we will rock you, everybody dance now, imagine a cheesy cheesy D list sports arena ). I wondered if i would ever find another playlist to move me. Then i stumbled upon a PODCAST on I tunes called Motion Traxx , the variety is amazing , you can find fast ones , slower BPM's , whatever your looking for its there . So far all i really listen to is Endless Summer 145BPM volume 3. It's 60 minutes long, comes up in your podcast app on the phone , or in itunes, you find it in podcasts and then you can transfer it to your other devices. There really must be over 2 dozen to select from. It's made me way less of a cry baby and the faster BPM really does make me move more than any playlist I've made. Now find yourself inspired, thrify and motivated so please for the public Put Down the Donut !!!!!

The various worlds of Valerie Ottaviano!

Since last year I realized I was more likely to post fast & reach a larger audience if I posted on a Facebook page. That's the primary playground of EyeSpyIBuy now !!! Velocity Design LA is the new business I started that offers freelance textile construction , color & trend presentation services. Velocity Design LA 2222 Nottingham Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027 213 280 6809 Email is Vodznr@ roadrunner.com Velocitydesignla.com (is under construction!)

Primed to Perfection

I'm just saying sometimes you just can't take these Product and Place public reviews to seriously ! If you read the press on Hourglass Mineral Primer you wouldn't go a hundred feet from Sephora . Well im here to tell you whomever developed this deserves a Nobel Prize. If your interested at keeping shine at bay this year, get this product as soon as you can. It has spf ,its totally oil free and it does everything its press says it will. You can get it at Amazon , it goes to other beauty sites, but you can still buy with one click, and you know how much i love the one -click. The wonderful thing about buying it at Amazon is i was able to score a smaller size at less than 20.00. Ok when i said it was fabulous , i didn't say it was cheap ! This little bottle of wonder is in the range of a moderate pair of shoes, but it will keep shine at bay ! The reviews for this product and its sister foundation all rake them over the coals for the pumps, and believe me when you pay 60.00 for a treatment product,you expect the damn pump to work , I get that , but we also need to get a little more inventive and try unscrewing the caps !. This revision for PUMP defects is apparently what is keeping the foundation out of stock at all Sephora's , however i was able to go in and see the colors, and get a sample. Its as good or possibly better than the veil cause its all rolled into one . The funny thing is that from reading the reviews you would think once the pump had problems the bottle would have to be ditched , it was just the silliest thing when the saleswoman just uncapped the bottle ! In my research for tinted SPF 's and mattifier foundations with SPF, Hourglass is coming in first . I did also sample the very highly touted Tarte Amazon clay foundation but im sorry there are no names of the colors on the bottles. I frankly think that's insane , you have to try and select the correct package from the way the foundation looks in the display bottle thru a blank leaf shape. I did like it but i can't recommend it because that is just plain stupid ! What else have i bought ? Well Peter Thomas Roth makeupless 30 SPF ( honestly i think this brand is really for men, i don't know why i get that feeling i just do !) This Spf has color, but almost like " here guys, you'll look better" but we won't say " makeup" . Could just be me ...whatever . NYX stay Matte but not Flat powder foundation , always a huge favorite brand for me. Last weekend in Palm Desert found an Ulta that had the complete line, it was frankly better than Coachella ! I was just looking at my makeup drawer thinking I have to to much makeup and then like my mentor Rev Run says I changed my thinking ..... I don't have to much makeup , I just need a bigger drawer ! Spring is here and Summer is around the corner, so run out and get some new SPF and show the world you can be protected and FABULOUS !!!!!!

How much do I love birch box ?

It's like Christmas once a month! Birch box is a service where a surprise package of curated cosmetics arrives in your mailbox for 10.00.
It's just so much fun to come home after a long day and find small treats of lipgloss and perfume!
Go treat yourself and sign up , you can even do it just once , no heavy commitments. If I could do one a week I'd be in ! It beats a combo Meal and helps me look a lot better !

Notorious Nails

You all know how i love the beauty products ! I can honestly say i knew more about Gel nails before at least half of the nail salons on the East Side of Los Angeles and Pasadena for more than a year.Finally they have gotten with the program but the idea of doing it at home is pretty cool. I've been saying for about 2 years now , if the nail polish industry takes this on it will put a big dent in salon visits !
Well friends Nutra Nail Gel Perfect is here ! Its UV light free so that is a huge plus.

Over the summer i figured since i knew so much more and was so critical of the techniques used at various salons around my neighborhood, that i bought an entire set up for myself. I have the full on light, the brushes, several gel kits,etc but it isn't easy and i found dragging the light out and setting up was a drag. I didn't click with it and i didn't really care for my own results.
Also no matter what they say it does weaken and wreck your natural nails, granted nothing like the aching damage of acrylics but its not the innocent product they claim either. No matter ,you have to suffer a bit to be fabulous so deal!

The nail kit relegated to the back of the closet i figured gels at the salon were what i would get when i felt like returning to them, however i read about the Nutra Nail Gel-Color a couple of weeks ago. The online product reviews were mixed, and i had tried there plain gel kit several times to really mixed to disappointing results. The old kit is basically superglue to strengthen, and it does shine but it also chips off in huge chunks. I was not impressed but its been a few years and i figured with new chemical innovations maybe it would be better .

I meant to get it on line but good thing i didn't my local ( and not known for being so well stocked ) CVS has a huge display yesterday, end cap and everything ! Already cleared out of many colors, but they had Flame which is a really great red.

So dear readers I'm typing away 5 minutes after application and i have to say its fabulous ! Don't know if it will last, but it went on super easy, in 2 coats its got great coverage, its shiny and awesome.
You'll have to wait for the update on wear but so far I'd say go out and try it its less trouble than even polishing your nails at home !

manic panic love

There are Hair Dyes and then there's the gold standard Manic Panic. I always start out with the Splat dye kit because it has the bleach pack included plus a great blue dye but for the up keep Manic Panic Rules.

Nothing says summer like packing on the blue , doing some chores and then washing the dye out right over the lawn. I can say this I've been doing that for about 3 years now and no grass has been killed in the process.

Expensive and Stinky

Fresh may have made a mark with great smelling products ( a la' the brown sugar series of scrubs, creams even lip items) but the Soy Face Cleanser must rank as the worst smelling most expensive cleanser in the universe. Not to mention the rank awful weird look of the product. I went in to get the charcoal series was talked out of what i wanted , ended up with this stinky mess !

Don't waste your money on the Soy Face Cleanser, gentle on the face and eyes it maybe but on the nose ........you couldn't find any harsher !

Is there anything worth buying this Spring?

I can't say enough good things about the Makeup For Ever HD foundation ! I know they are pushing it with ads that seem pretty fake " the first foundation ad not using any photo touch ups" but I'm sold.

I went to Sephora to get primarily the almost plastic looking orange lip gloss in their ads ( sephora's ad mind you) and once again met with the blank stares from the clerk that had NO idea what i was talking about. I said to her I knew i should have brought it in, its orange, its the only image in the Sephora ad in Allure/Vogue/ In Style, more blankness. In fact the last blank face read like " an Ad " what's that? You would think that a corporate machine as large as Sephora might just post their ads next to the time clock or staple a tear sheet to the paychecks, i mean come on , i expect that at Macy's but at Sephora,,,,,,,i was disgusted , and once again wondered why i didn't make a career out of my love for cosmetics.

But i digress, go get Make Up For Ever anything and everything. Yes, its expensive but there isn't a powder, foundation or lipstick that isn't worth it. I love the liners , eyeshadow too, but you all know you can replicate those items..(i actually put some crazy liners back and swapped Sephora Brands for some that day) but when it comes to foundation, money does seem to make a difference.

I am totally in love with this line, so go to Sephora and play in its section, but don't ask about the orange gloss, not even when i returned with the Ad could anyone say for sure which it was. So if you get anyone's ear, tell them they should have little signs that say , this one , this one right here,,,,yes this is the one in the Ad !

why did that link not work

I hope this works if not google coolhunting.com/culture/papergirl.php
or papergirl berlin, because that is actually where the idea began !

Papergirl Inspires Me to do Good

So in looking for something on line i came across this website and am thrilled to say i got me thinking of something that i could do that didn't just mimic Papergirl but had a charity angle to it as well.

Papergirl operates in a growing number of cities and gives away artwork.

Around Valentine's day i was in a Goodwill looking for ( yes still looking for the ABC murder books, see previous posts ) and i ended up in the T shirt aisle thinking look at all these hundreds of t shirts, so many logo's , so many " work related" give aways. In Los Angeles it seems like the number of t shirts made for any given movie must be exponential to the profit margin. Long story short it just stayed with me, so many people need free shirts but they can't actually get in the stores to get them.
That was when the Papergirl idea and the Brand You project came together !
I'm pledging to buy at least 100 t shirts in May, wash them, Tag them ( Nick o's coming up with the logo for our project)

We are going to make the act of giving the art ! ( and we want the emphasis to be on the person not the Logo's )

Our manifesto is " Not the Logo, You !)

so stay tuned for more Visuals as i get ready for my first May delivery !

The Hunt for letter C proves to difficult.....

I'm thinking that this hunt for Letter C in the Susan Grafton series, see previous post, is to hard.........Would the blog followers be mad if i said i would start collecting them out of order?
please advise, i wouldn't want the blog followers to think i cheated !

Does the world need another mineral makeup ?

The answer yes!
Go buy Almay's wake-up mineral makeup right now !
First off , remember when you were a kid and some novelty toys were more about texture than actual fun. Like silly putty,and that weird jelly that was all about the squeakiness.....well this makeup is like that.

Its a powder, looks like a powder, goes on the brush like a powder, touches your face and damn if it isn't liquid !
It is the coolest thing !

They have a brush tucked neatly into the top that is not only cool looking, it is fully functional ! This is a highly and well engineered product launch !
Using the Almay brush makes the product go on with a bit more precision, its neater,and you waste less.

Seriously i didn't know anything about the product when i popped into beloved CVS yesterday morning but I know everything i need to know now !
Go get some , for under 10.00 you get a very nice look,and have fun doing it !
If that isn't what make up is about then what is !

Hunt for the letter C

You know how it is , the minute you say I've noticed this ,,,damn if that won't break the pattern.

It seemed like a fairly cute and fast idea based on how many Sue Grafton books I'd seen in the " thrifts", until i posted it that is and then apparently everyone ran out and scooped them up. Three thrift stores into it , Arlene, friend and doyenne of thrift stores, finally spotted a small ( i think they call them trade paperbacks)version of letter B ! I didn't make it a rule to rule out those cheesy rack paperback versions,only because i didn't even think she was published in that format, i really hate that size, but since i was in no position to choose to just get letter b , I'm allowing it in the rules !

We did a lovely job of tidying and organizing several shelves over there at the Glendale Goodwill and although letters much further down were there, no C, was present, so the hunt continues.

Well dear readers, you can expect this one to go on for a while, Ms Grafton is on letter U and at this speed she will be well through any numerical series before i complete this challenge ! If it continues this slow, i may have to go upstairs and route through the stacks of books i have at home and possibly allow any i have into said challenge !

Will keep you updated, I am pleased to say that i did beat my previous 81 books read in 2009 ( audio and in print )so the 2011 number to beat is now 83 ! What am i doing on the laptop , i better get in the car and start that audio !

Here is to an amazing 2011 for all of us, and letter C , I'm looking for you baby !

Book Hunt 2010-2011

It's impossible to ever go into a thrift store and not see at least 2 or 3 Sue Grafton books. I started thinking she must be one of the most beloved authors in the country ( and prolific !), so i made an invisible challenge in Sept that i am going to try and buy the entire series but with certain conditions.

Condition # 1: I can only buy them in thrift stores .

Condition #2: I have to buy them only in alphabetical order.

Condition #3: If i have any at home or have read any , that won't count. Still need to search for them and then read them in alphabetical order. Gifts of any of these would also NOT count.

Condition #4: Must log where they were bought.

So dear readers, its now November 27th and it has taken that long to find the first.
Written in 1982 "A is for Alibi" begins the treasure hunt for all of Ms Grafton's books in this series. Letter T book is due to drop on November 30th , but of course by the time i get to T it will be in all the thrift stores I'm sure !

Stay tuned for the treasure hunt as we head into 2011 !

A is for Alibi: 11/27/10 Discovery Thrift Shop Burbank

Divinity in a Donut

To say I wish i had thought of the Maple Bacon Donut idea is putting it mildly !
Having been a lover of all things Maple since being a kid i did start to get discouraged when my co workers actually had to tell me that my yearly " gift" of maple sugar candies were not only not liked they dreaded me bringing them back to them every summer. Sold only in a small amount of north east gift shops, they are in fact sugar drenched in maple flavor and then pressed like bricks into tooth breaking
replica's of mini maple leaves. Apparently another one of those things maybe you had to be raised on.

I am pretty sure i am the only household in Los Feliz that has not one but two bottles of Mapeline in my pantry. If there was every a retro product its Mapeline, as dark as the black hole and I'm pretty sure its deep maple essence has absolutely nothing to do with the real thing. I wouldn't be surprised to find out its totally a byproduct of an oil spill, its that black in its tiny bottle, but nothing will kick up that packet oatmeal like a single drop !

But back to heaven on earth ! Last week Nick and i went for the newly famous Maple Bacon donut at the Nickel Diner and we were beyond ecstatic. Its just like the best thing in the world and worth every calorie !
I would even venture to say, and idea that could be replicated at home with a 6 pack from Dunkin donuts and a pack of that pre cooked Oscar Myer its that good of an idea to steal ! I mean don't get me wrong the Nickel one is HUGE, the donut itself is already above any donut standard set , and there was no whiff of fake Mapeline in their product, however they open at 8:00 and i was up at 6:00 today, so a girl has to make due. The only thing is donut shops /LA /Maple, its totally not the same. Dunkin ( when they have them in stock , and by the way corporate guys at Dunkin, when the hell did not having maple donuts in your bins 24/7 start? Move those lousy white bagels out and get back to your namesake ! ) If i lived next to a Dunkin, I can tell you i would wear them out about that, they are just so lucky I'm a visitor because that's just wrong !) but i digress...

So not only did we try the Maple Bacon donuts, the Nickle diner has amazing other flavors as well. Nick said the Nutella which did look like a small fist, was even better the next day. That should tell you we didn't just " try" them, we basically stole the stock they would let us have that morning ! Ricky's grandmother used to serve him leftover stale donuts squished flat in a pan grilled in butter. I'm telling you don't turn your nose up until you have tried that ! It can turn a supermarket plain carton into something dinner party worthy !

Its so fantastic to see such creativity on an item we would consider so mundane, so thank you to all the creative chefs out there ( and all the frugal grandmothers !)
So lets take our inspiration from unlikely places and go get crackin in the kitchen !

i Love all things High Def !

There maybe something to this movement of calling things High Def.
When i was given a sample of Cargo's High Def blush a year ago, i was like really even blush is high def now, and its one of the only times i used the sample in the morning and bought the product by the end of the day. It really is that unique.

The entire product line is finely milled or highly pigmented specifically for photoshoots. What took me over a year to get the powder is the big question.
Last Saturday i was in Miami( and if there was ever a reason for powder that climate is it !) and i strolled into the local South Beach Ulta. There a lovely young lady told me that if i bought the High Def powder i got the really nifty very specialized powder brush for like 2.00 more. Didn't have to twist my arm, and this brush is really amazing ! Its not a kabuki brush its more flat sleek and dense but im telling you im not sure if its the brush the powder or both, but if your looking for flawless
you have to pick this up !

In fact i have tried the brush with just NY and company ( CVS end aisle) mineral powder and really it did work as well. However i do think the finer high def powders are worth the money !



In fact Makeup Forever makes an almost white high def powder , which was at the register at Sephora in a bin, looked like a 2.00 pot of gloss----NOT. It was over 30.00, but i was in Vegas i think so i just figured well its got to be really good and it is ! The crazy thing is , i've put it in this holy grail of its to good to use which is mental! This is almost white , as finely milled as anything you've ever seen, but it sets and mattifies like nothing i have ever used !

If you ever see it get it, especially for anytime you might encounter any paparatzzi ! You can ever be to High Def !

Girlfriends do give the best suggestions !

I've been looking for surf spray for my unnaturally straight hair for about 3 weeks now and i don't know why i haven't hit the Internet but i just haven't. Last summer seemed like every major brand had a seasonal version, including in my opinion the best one by my favorite brand Mark , by Avon. This year product can't be found, i swear Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray was on the end of a little visited aisle at CVS for a year until i went looking for it ! And I'm sure at half the price of whatever it is at a salon.

Anyway , last week i run into Extraordinary PR ladies from Starfish, and i commented how great their hair looked and good true friends they are they told me the secret product !

Go get Garnier Surf Hair right now, it's fantastic ! It's in an acid green tub and with the gels, not necessarily in the larger Garnier section of conditioner items. When i hit the Hollywood Rite Aid ( and it seemed like it was the most dangerous place in the world at 6:30 on Thursday night, but that's another story) it was even on sale for 2.99 ! Regularly 4.99, i hadn't even tried it and i bought 3 !

It's the greatest product, adds just enough texture and it smells wonderful !

I am glad I complimented my girls, and so glad they shared the secret !
See it always pays to be nice ! Thanks again to Alison and Angela !

I love this movie !

I know I'm usually the one pushing one book or another but I am in love with this movie. I'm not sure how i found out about it but I'm seriously thinking of telling Netflix it got lost in the mail.

It's a french film called The Crimson Rivers. Apparently it was a huge french book which this is a " version" of. The liner notes say its an atmospheric thriller . That is putting it mildly. The Scenery,and the school that its shot in are really almost as interesting as the story. I've watched it twice, and i have to say, i saw some Netflicks comments that said don't watch it dubbed in English, and boy were they right. If you watch it in English it sounds like a bad cop flick, and its just to weird, but in French its sublime.

I watched the " extras " and i have never ever seen such bitchiness from an Actor before on any extra material. I'm kind of surprised they even included it ! What a cry baby, the movie is fantastic, but i guess actors are actors,,,,,but it was really kind of funny to see what they thought about the production. If you think the movie is a bit confusing apparently the book is about twice as complex. I doubt in America you would ever find such honest comments about the work. The director starts out by saying the second day it snowed wrecking any continuity of the shoot and how they were writing the script somewhat around the weather. You have to love that, even thought I'm sure that does happen here in the US, no one would ever say that. I just though it was really funny to see the director, the producer and the B character kind of go at it in the clips . They could have been an ethnic family For god sake, and of the actor i would say pretty accepting of his comments! More like " yeah our whiny kid brother ! "

Then there is Jean Reno, who I am totally in love with. I can't really remember the names of the other things I've seen him in, but i love those deep tortured detectives ! I may say this way to much, but it would be great if he could be my neighbor. Wouldn't that be great to have a fabulous french actor next door, go out there and get your paper , say " hey good morning Jean, come have coffee, tell me what it was like filming in the Alps ". OK most likely not going to happen, but just in case I'm going to brush up on all his work.

So do put this on your list of movies to rent , I'm for sure buying a copy. When the mood strikes for a dark , architectural mystery in an absolute frigid climate, this is the one I'm going for !

Just what you need when you want a little bit of winter in August !

Regional Food Nostalga

Call me crazy,( but i know at least one other person in the Northeast who feels this way..).......there is nothing like Poland Spring Water !
When i get to an airport that has that familiar green label i know I'm on my way to the homeland.

That made me start to wonder is it a regional thing? Do you tend to get nostalgic and love the things you can not have? At least once on a trip home I will try to get to a Stop and Shop and just walk the Portuguese Food aisle with the reverence i usually reserve for the cosmetic dept at Barney's.

A few weeks ago i went to a Gallery show where the photographers' comments said his inspiration was "GOYA ". My first thought was the Portuguese Food brand? Turns out it stands for Get Off Your Ass ( and do something) in the art world.

That's very different from the packets of " seasoning" that my mother put in everything from scrambled eggs to pork dishes. It wasn't until i was in my 40's and begging for someone to ship them to me that i started to think, what's really in there ?
They are small packets filled with obviously paprika and turmeric, because no matter what you make its all the same shade of " Portuguese orange ". I think really its nothing but colored MSG, but damn if it does not add magic to whatever you put it in ! In my middle years i kind of scorned it but in recent years as I've gotten less snobby and actually started to miss the ethnic foods they tried to push on me as a kid, I've hauled out the old GOYA and been very happy to have them.
The strange thing is GOYA is actually pretty strong in all Ethnic markets, but i think there must be some very selective demographic research going on there because although they may own an aisle in the markets around town they don't waste any shelf space with the one or two Portuguese people in the area !

So today's Eye Spy I Buy moral is don't skip those unknown food aisles in your market, the several dollars you spend could be just the excitement your menu needs
and you can get a basket of stuff for the price of a few " real saffron" buds.
Course you may be begging for water because of all the salt, but what the hell, if it was good enough for my momma, then its good enough for me !

The Shadow of the Wind, how a book can make a mark on you

I've had lots of books come into my life but none quite as specific as this one.

Two summers ago we went to Chebeague Island, Maine to celebrate the islanders revolt at Nabisco for not making the historic large Chowder Bisquits anymore. We read about it in the New York Times, and thought if there was ever a reason to stage a vacation revolt this was the one. We ditched the Caribbean, and went to Maine instead ! We weren't successful in getting huge bakery Nabisco to continue making something many New Englanders grew up on, but we did get to enjoy the menu at Chebeague Island Inn made exclusively with these " Milk Crackers". Yep, the chef devoted the entire summer menu as an ode to these large crackers, from the stuffing in the lobster, to the berry tarts ! Needless to say the trip would have been a success had the food been the only thing that was amazing, but little did i know what else would be coming into my life !

You get to Chebeague Island by boat,its vintage Maine at its best. Limited cars, no TV, it was fantastic. Its so small you can walk it in about an hour, and that is where on one of my walks i found the public library . Naturally i had to go in, and after walking around, i found the Library Sale shelf . I mean this shelf was in the last aisle way down practically on the floor. Now we have all been to library sales or yard sales, you always have the assortment of books that are basically orphans. They are only going home as a sympathy purchase . I have a rule i buy any dictionary i see, it just seems tragic to me to let them languish.

BUT

there on that bottom shelf i find this tattered copy of a book called " The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Cover of the book itself looks vintage, but even more spooky i can't find this exact cover in any of the searches ive tried to attach here today! Set in Barcelona in 1945 its about a mysterious book by an even more mysterious author. The opening chapter is called The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and basically it opens with everyone gets to pick one book that they will champion and protect from destruction! This could define Literary Gothic !

The way this book came to me, its just surreal ! From the minute i started it i felt like it was Real, as if ,this was my book to protect!

Needless to say i spent the next few days with my nose in it, which at a real old fashioned Maine lodge, no phones, knotty pine everywhere,great fireplaces, and porches, is the best place to dive into a really good book .

I came back raving about this book to everyone,,,,,,,,however, its the only book i own that i will not lend out. I just feel it came to me in such a special spooky way that it would be folly to lend.

However, i found an equally used copy at a thrift shop in the Valley and it was my great pleasure to buy it and pass it right into the hands of Arlene who was with me.

If you are looking to be intrigued, engaged , to lose yourself completely to a book, get this one now.

There is even a followup called The Angel's Game, its sitting here on my table and I've had it since it came out , but its so new, so crisp, hardcover, its almost like it lacks soul. Maybe i can find a used copy, that will draw me into the deep recess of moody Barcelona again. It is just about the same time of year and I am headed to that beach shack in RI soon,,,,,,

So don't turn away at book sales, we may all have that single volume to protect in the cemetery of books one day,,,,,,,you never know when that one perfect book will find you !