Sunday Spotlight: Jody Samascott

Happy Sunday all!

Sunday can be a bittersweet day for some. Sweet that it's the weekend, yet bitter it's the end of the weekend.

To bring some joy to the end of the weekend, I decided to start this new blog series called Sunday Spotlight highlighting artists whose talents, skills, and masterpieces I have grown to love and enjoy. 

Covers or originals, talent is talent. And I, for one, am one to recognize talent!

Here is my first Sunday Spotlight Songstress: Jody Samascott

If you know me, you know a huge piece of my heart wishes I was born in Hawaii (but I suppose, who doesn't?). I love Hawaiian island music and Hawaiian reggae. And I also love basically anything sung with a ukelele <3

Years ago, I was looking up Tarrus Riley's song "Superman" on YouTube and Jody Samascott's cover of the song popped up. Seeing "Ukelele" in her title I had to, of course, give it a listen and I was hooked. 

I grew to love her talent more and more as she continued to post videos.  I had often commented that I would love her to sing at my wedding one day.

And my dream came true! 

I started following her on Instagram @JodySamascott and started to interact with her more. 

She was really great with responding to those who enjoyed her music which made her personable and relatable. Always a plus!

Back to my dream coming true, I had told her I was serious about having her sing at my wedding. I jokingly asked if she happened to be in Los Angeles on October 7 and if she was, that I would be delighted to have her sing my first dance with my hubby. She had her own wedding to attend but was happy to provide me with the songs I wanted to dance to.

You can imagine my joy!

I had requested two cover songs: Latch by Sam Smith  (because my husband at one point requested this song for our first dance) and, of course, the most popular wedding song of the season - James Arthur's Say You Won't Let Go.

Enough of me babbling, here is the talent herself:

Tarrus Riley's Superman

First song I ever heard. I was hooked

Sam Smith's Latch

My first dance with my husband <3

James Arthur's Say You Won't Let Go

James Bay's Let It Go

I only added this song because her rendition is so beautiful. Well, they all are <3

But this one reminds me of something sentimental and moves me to tears each time I hear it.

Again, follow her on the different social media streams:
Instagram @JodySamascott
YouTube Jody Samascott
Twitter @JodysMusic 

And please let her know I sent you.

Check her out! You really won't regret it!

OH! And lastly, please share any talents you love! I love finding new artists.

<3<3<3

I'm Terrible At This - Year Recap

WASSUP Y'ALL!!!

I am back...for now. I am not sure who is out there that is still reading, but hello if you are! I love to write. Only problem is is that I am bad at this consistency thing. With a tough 10.5 hour work schedule at a new job, trying to fit in fitness (I've gained  10 lbs in the last year with my new sedentary office new), married life, a little bit of depressive symptoms, and just real life adulting, thie blogging this is hard to keep up with. HELLA KUDOS to those who can juggle life and blogging. I seriously applaud you.

My last post was about my pink and leopard nails. AHH I remember those nails. That was the last time I have actually done done my nails. If you had been following me for a while, you would know that nails were my thang. I was getting pretty good at it and then new job happened, wedding happened, moving happened, work schedule kicks my Lupus ass (I was getting sick so much that my coworker friend was fondly nicknaming me "Sickie") 

Let's take a quick recap stroll in the events of the past year.


FEBRUARY 2017: FALLING IN LOVE WITH FITNESS
This was my last month at my old job. At this point in my life, I was making great strides in the fitness realm. I have had gym memberships in the past, but like many others, would be consistent and motivated in the beginning but soon fall out of it.

I joined the local YMCA in April 2016 and fell more and more in love with the gym. Classes make me feel alive which slowly made the equipment less boring. I'm still more of a class gal though ;)

FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2017: WEDDING VENUE HUNTING!!!

This was both stressful and exciting!!! 

This was me feelin' myself while waiting for my beautiful maid of honor to check out a venue in Monterey Hills. The place was beautiful but a little too small for the number of guests we had in mind.

Rose gold sunnies from Rite Aid: $20

Peplum top: Papaya

Cardigan: Ross

Stuntin' on a budget...always

APRIL 2017: ENGAGEMENT SHOOT

I am not photogenic by any means. I am shy, awkward, and totally uncomfortable when a camera faces me. Anyone else feel this way?!

We did two scenes: traditional and gym to accommodate my nontraditional hubby's love for fitness. He's a personal trainer, has boot camp academies, has three Brazilian jiu jitsu gyms.

You know I had an awkward time/am unphotogenic when my favorite photos do not show my face. Major LOL.

MAY 2017: BIRTHDAY MONTH!

Another year, another year. LOL. My hubby, whose birthday is the day before mine, showered me with Hello Kitty Cafe cake and Quay x Desi Perkins sunnies. YASSSSSS I jumped on that train. 

AUGUST 2017: UNOFFICIALLY MARRIED AND BRIDAL SHOWER

In East Los! Heeeeey!

Bridal shower at the Beautiful Tea Rose Garden. So gorgeous. Thank you to my beautiful and amazing bridal team for putting it together. Thank you to my family and friends for putting me on cloud 9. I was incredibly happy!

SEPTEMBER 2017: BACHELORETTE PARTAYYYY!!

I was/am 31 at the time of my bridal shower. My crew were older, married and just foodies. I wanted a more chill vibe with lots of eating and my team definitely made it happen.

OCTOBER 2017: THE BIG MONTH! WEDDING!! AND NEW HAIR

I shall dedicate a whole post for this with some of my favorite pictures.

Thank you Friendly Hills for your hospitality ;) 

It was the best day ever and I totally felt like a princess.

I have always wanted to try red hair but was always scared of the maintenance. But this time, I was like SCREW IT. Just do it. Life is short. If it doesn't work out, I can fix it. Let's just enjoy it while it lasts. 

I chopped my hair off and had it colored. Apparently, this is pretty typical: grow hair for wedding. Chop hair after wedding. 

DECEMBER 2017: FIRST CHRISTMAS AS A MARRIED COUPLE AND A NYE WEDDING

Our cozy little fireplace

MARCH 2018: GETTING MY WEIGHT BACK ON TRACK

As mentioned above, I've gained quite a bit of weight. Last Spring 2017, I was getting into running and it was awesome (I hate running). I stopped for a year and am starting to get back into it when I am not sick or injured. LOL. My health has definitely gotten in the way of me being active. I am determined to make it happen though!

And that is what happened since my last post! 

I hope you enjoyed my post and will continue to follow.

Comment below your blog. I would love to get to know you as well.

<3<3<3

Nails of the Week: Almond + Leopard

Aloha everyone!

I hope this post finds you well! I hope that you're happy, healthy, and doing mighty mighty fine!

I wanted to share my nails of the week with you. 

I haven't done done my nails in a long time. I used to do almost weekly creative designs but I got busy. And then last summer and fall, I had events and celebratory moments that had me getting my nails done in the salon.

Recently, I've been into almond shaped nails. I've always gotten them shaped when I got my nails done for an extra $5 (*insert eye roll*) at the salon. Once the special occasions stopped, my nails went back to normal square.

I decided to grow them out and shape them myself. How hard could it be?? Not that hard until I made one nail too sharp and nail stabbed my chin. No worries though, the raised bump went away in like 2-3 days. LOL.

Since I shaped my nails, I decided to do something more than just a normal single color polish. I wanted a design and decided to go with something sassy - leopard print.

Excuse the little black nail polish smudge there. LOL. I just let it be. I let it wash away in the shower or when I wash my hands.

But check out my nails on day 9. They're clearly outgrown but barely a sign of chip. This top coat by China Glaze is now my holy grail. It's way more expensive than I would normally pay - $10 - for a nail polish. It really does last though. This is will now make my money vanish...HOWEVER, since my polish lasts longer, I won't need to use my top coat on a weekly basis like I was doing before. BOOM. WIN! Money saved?

Oh the way we justify our purchases. Oh my, oh my.

;]

Til next time.

Xoxox

One of the Happiest Weekends

Aloha everyone!

2017 has already kicked off to a great start. I am so blessed to be surrounded by love, laughter, and support. Sometimes it is easy to overlook the little things in life. I am really  hoping that this year, I can cherish the small moments as well as the big and to remember to always be grateful.

The first weekend of January, I had an opportunity for a whirlwind of social events that kept be busy, exhausting, yet all worth it. I was smiling from ear to ear the whole weekend. 

Here's how my weekend went down...in pictures...and of course, almost entirely food:

A chirashi bowl for me. Yes oh yes, please.

And my friend and her newborn <3

Uni

Ice cream flavors from all over the world - even the Philippines <3

Of course, I chose coffee. Country? I forgot :(

A reunion with my graduate school girls in a living room just talking.

Girl talk, pregnancies, engagements, marriages

Love, life, challenges

We talked about ERRRRRYTHANG

Sadly, I didn't get a chance to save my photos from Sunday. I Snapped the day, but did not save them. BOO! It was a lot of fun too.

I went to a Mexican bakery and purchased guava rolls. I love my Porto's Bakery, but the Mexican bakery totally beat Porto's because it was waaaayyyy less sweet.

I also went shoe shopping and bought Bobs. They were on sale. BOO YEAH. I bought a black pair with a leopard print lining. Fabulous <3

And you know what's awesome for my old lady feet? It has memory foam! It's like walking on pillows. Love. Love. Love. 

[ credit : www.zappos.com ]

[ credit : www.zappos.com ]

That was my weekend. And it was beautiful in all regards. I am so thankful for weekends like this. No major event. Just people who love each other, catching up, making memories.

<3<3<3

Product Got Me Confused? Maybelline Push Up Angel

In late December, I purchased a new mascara.

As recommended, I switch out my mascara every 3 months for hygiene purposes. I love trying new mascaras and Maybelline has always been my go-to brand for mascara. I don't think, if my memory serves me right, that I have been disappointed with a Maybelline mascara...

...until NOW!! Though, I'm not 100% sure. I am confused!

I picked up The Falsies Push Up Angel without even really reading in the detail the titles. To be honest, I picked this up because it was purple and had the word "angel" on it. I've tried 3 - 4 different Maybelline mascaras and have never been disappointed. I figured Maybelline could do no wrong and whatever I picked would be amazing.

When I opened the mascara tube for the first time and saw the wand, I was thinking "what the heck?"
In the store, I did not even check out the how the wand looks like because I did not care. This wand is just weird. The wand is designed for you to be able to get right at the root of the lashes and wiggle your way up to "push up" your lashes.

It just made my lashes look like a mess. The formula was also too wet for my taste and ended up clumping my lashes. I like a little clumping but not to the point where I look like a have chunks of lashes. Yeek. Maybe as the mascara gets a little older the formula will dry up more and it will work better? AHHH.

Sigh.

I was so upset that I bought a different mascara the following week.

Then my softy self wanted to give the Push Up Angel another try and so I did. And just as I had expected, the mascara dried up a little bit and I actually liked it. I felt totally bad because the first time I used this mascara I sent a mass texts of "WORST MASCARA EVER"  to my fellow beauty junkies.

The next day, it was all clumpy again. I continued to use this mascara continuously for the rest of the week. It was either a hit or a miss. I am not sure if it was me or the mascara but I don't know why I couldn't get a good day every day.

On a good day, it didn't give me the voluminous va va voom lashes I strive for. Instead, my lashes were slightly lifted and natural looking.

I am just not sure how I feel about this product. Still totally stumped on whether I like it or not. However, I do know for certain that I will not be buying this product again.

Have any of you tried this product??  Is it just me? Or am I the only undecided or the only one who does not know how to use this product to its fabulosity?


<3<3<3

Monday Sayings: No Such Thing As Forever?

Aloha everyone,

Back in November, my cousin from the Philippines came to stay with us for two weeks. I took him out to a mostly seafood restaurant in Hollywood where they cook seafood in a bag that sits in boiling water. 

Customers can write on the wall. On my way out, my cousin spotted this phrase that I was actually facing the whole night but never noticed.

"Walang forever" which translates into "there is no forever."

And it hurt my heart. 

I've gotten my heart broken so bad but I still believe in love.

Whomever wrote that must've had his or her heart broken, cut into pieces, and ran over by a hundred semi-trucks or something.

Whatever the case, it just broke my heart that someone out there didn't believe in forever. I know shit happens and things end and the trauma from the experience stays with you. That is life. But to not have hope for a forever I guess is what really makes me sad. 

Maybe I do live in a fairy tale land as my former classmate had told me. It was in my heath class our instructor asked us to partner up and tell our partner how we would want to die. I told my classmate, "In bed next to my spouse and hopefully at the same time like in The Notebook." Ok, yeah. I guess I live in a fairy tale.

But I do believe in love.

And to whomever wrote that, I wish you love, health, happiness and an opportunity to believe and hope in forever.

Xoxox

Saying I Do: First Venue Tour Complete

Aloha everyone! 

Last Monday, I completed my first venue tour! :D

I was supposed to go with a girlfriend who couldn't make it last minute due to her two sick babies. Both are under three so she had her hands full.

I thought about cancelling out of nervousness and laziness. Los Angeles has been experiencing heavy rain a few days a week each week since the year began. The rain and cold make me want to stay under my covers.

I put my big girl panties on and braved the rain, and went to the venue solo. I felt so independent!! 

However, when I did arrive, I did feel overwhelmed. My mind blanked. I was unsure if I asked the right questions. I don't think I asked enough questions. 

One obvious thing I knew about weddings is that they are expensive. One thing I learned today is that if you want to have the wedding pictured in your head to be manifested into real life, it's way more expensive than what you actually thought it would be. The cost just kept adding up and the more overwhelmed I became. My fiance is not the wedding type. He's more of a "let's go to court." He hates big parties and he hates being the center of attention. He also freaks out about the money to be spent. As the dollars went up, I imagined his jaw dropping. And that's just with the basics plus "cheaper" yet simple additions.

I got my print out that detailed my expenses. Eight pages worth that included fine print, yet no hidden fees. The representative handed me the paperwork and told me to "take your time, but not take your time." He said prices will go up about $10/person some time in February. He told me that he cannot hold the date (which was not my ideal date) for me. If someone puts a deposit in, of course that individual will get the venue. He told me that if I call him within 48 hours and decide to go with his venue, he can give me discounts. WHAT A SALESMAN.

I took my printout. Sat in my car. Called my friend to process my feelings of feeling overwhelmed, confused, scared, nervous.

I really wish I went with someone. This is something major to process.

As I write this, I am still processing everything going on so hopefully it makes sense. If not, my brain is still in TENSE mode but I suppose that makes my post more authentic? LOL.

Most venues look pretty much the same. And at the end of the day, it's going to be my experience and memories that will count not one venue over another. Though each venue has different things to offer which come with different personalities/hospitality manners. UGH. CONFUSING.

Don't listen to me right now. I am a big puddle of OMG WHAT DO I DO.

Anyways, I sneaked in some pictures on my dying phone. Enjoy. Tell me what you think :D

Xoxoxo