Let The River Run

Another post on inspiration --

But very random, not as thorough as my last.

First thing.  I got to watch one of my favorite movies the other day, Working Girl.  Not only is it one of my favorites, it's one of my mom's as well.  The Carly Simon song, "Let The River Run" -- featured in Working Girl (it won the Oscar and Golden Globe in 1988 for Best Song) is also a favorite song of mine.  And one of my mom's as well.  It really is a song that always gets me going.  I always belt it out no matter what I'm doing when I hear it.  The best is in the car ... with my mom (on the beach, Daytona, driving, with my best friend Brittany and I sitting on the back of an opened SUV with our toes dragging through the sand ... "We're coming to the edge, running on the water...").

If you haven't seen Working Girl (or heard "Let The River Run"), it's a must.  It's a go-getter movie.  A true inspiration.  And of course has a little bit of love thrown in.  But to be quite frank, the absolute number one reason to see this movie isn't to get inspired, nor is it to laugh, or be swept off your feet with the love story.  The number one reason to see this movie is clearly Joan Cusack's performance (which landed her an Oscar nom).  Oh and her make-up.  Phenomenal-1988-New-York-City.  Could it get any better?  I think not.

Ok I'm joking.  Number one reason is inspiration, but Joan Cusack comes in in a very close second.  

Second thing.  I spent this past weekend, a little four day getaway, just mere blocks away from the beach.  It was completely refreshing.  The breezy air, bright sunshine, and of course my friend sweet pea Aggie.  What a ball of pug love she is.

I needed a break from my normal routine.  I needed a break from my own apartment, which I love and adore.  When I was driving home to West Hollywood on Sunday night around midnight, it felt different.  Not so much in a strange way -- but more in a "something new is happening" way.   When I finally graced my presence (my roommates missed me, but mostly Ag) to apartment 103, my inner jukebox was playing Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" -- specifically the first few lines -- "Welcome to your life ... there's no turning back ... "

I sat down at the kitchen table/production office/writers desk with two of my production family members, Murisa and Bill.  We began concepting (yep at 1am) on an already previously discussed concept.  I took it all in for a brief second, realizing that this is what I'm doing with my life.  My whole life.  Tears for Fears was now on the highest volume blasting in my head ... "It's my own design ... help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure ... "

This is the second time that I've had this powerful energy overcome me.  The first time it happened was back in April (Saturday night, the 10th, well actually the 11th because it was 3am, so that would make it Sunday morning) ... again while I was concepting ... only this particular time with my writing partner Em.  And I was so overcome with emotion I started storming around the kitchen (yes the same one as the production office/writers desk) screaming (in a happy way) "THIS IS WHAT I'M DOING WITH MY LIFE!"

Both of these moments were so intense.  Like my soul was resonating with my dharma.  Major soul growth happened in these small glimpses of time.  I truly hope everyone has had or will have moments like these.  I cannot imagine not having them now that they've happened.  I think to have these moments, one must be inspired -- by anything.  Love.  Creativity.  Passion.  Music.  Movies.  Concepting.  Writing.  Make-up.  These are just some of mine, you can choose your own inspirations, or better yet, choose what resonates with your soul.

"We the great and small stand on a star and blaze a trail of desire through the darkening dawn ... Let the river run, let all the dreamers wake the nation."

Anti-Bridezillas

In June, my best friend Brittany got married. So I got to travel back to my southern roots in Atlanta and play bridesmaid and make-up artist. I've decided that if you're one of my girlfriends, I'm giving you the best wedding day gift ever -- a personal make-up artist. I mean, how many bridesmaids, who are there to be your maids anyways, can be your make-up artist and fix and tweak you for pictures and right before you make the grand entrance down the aisle? It's perfect. And to all my friends, you're welcome in advance. I love what I do and I love why I do it.

I'm not even sure the photographer and I even exchanged names. He just called me "make-up artist" -- which is basically my second name anyway, actually -- more like "MAKE-UP!" It was way hot. It was Atlanta, in June, at 2pm. And as my mother keeps telling me, this years June was the hottest it's been in a zillion years. Thank goodness for my Hollywood make-up artist sweat tip ... Viva Kleenex paper towels. I called my dad a few days before coming home kindly requesting he pick up a roll. Between the bride and her three bridesmaids, we devoured the roll.

I've only done a few weddings as a make-up artist. But I've decided I really enjoy them -- I mean who doesn't like being around a day of love? I might have enjoyed them because the brides I've worked with have been the extreme opposite of Bridezillas. So calm, so chill. Which I can only hope I will be that way, but I want to have my wedding in Malibu with 300+ guest (What? I have BIG dreams. And as we've learned, I clearly don't dismiss my dreams, I turn them into reality) ... so we'll see how chill that day will be (apologies to my future husband ... really, I promise my mom and I will deal with all the details).

I've decided to update my website to market to weddings. I think it will be a perfect way to expand my creativity as a make-up artist, as well as participate in love energy. <3

BFF

A Little Doll

Typical B & H moment

What's Your Favorite Color?

Like I mentioned in the first blog, Murisa and I often have fancy dinner parties. For one our more recent dinners (which was lovely because I had been on-set all day and came home to an amazing dinner already prepared and on the table thanks to Tiny and Miney, aka Murisa and her mom :), our guest was Bill's college roommate, Keith (Bill is Murisa's boyfriend).

Before

This picture to the left is our Cookie Monster dresser. It's a solid wood piece that an old neighbor was throwing out that I rescued. My West Coast Mom (WCM) Em and I, along with two other friendly Sherman Oaks neighbors, moved this huge piece from the back of the parking lot into my apartment by literally flipping and laying it side by side. A very Ross Geller "pivot" moment, if you will. This is when the four of us decided that this is how the pyramids were built, and of course by women. Then a month later, the Cookie Monster got moved again from Sherman Oaks to West Hollywood, thanks to my dear friend Daniel's help and my WCM. The original plan was to have it in my bedroom as my dresser, but it didn't fit through the narrow hall leading into my room, so it ended up in our kitchen and one of our most visual pieces. Murisa and I decided to paint it this beautiful, bright teal color. Bill, our very own comedy screenwriter, nicknamed it the Cookie Monster. It also stores our wine fridge, which let's face it, makes it that much cooler.

The reason I'm writing about this piece is because it had an extra addition on it the night we dined with Keith (and I also might be proud of this piece and want to show it off ... especially to my mom and dad :). Murisa's mother was in town and on a grocery shopping trip, they found me the most perfect little treat -- a wine bag with a Star of David on it. If you know me, you know my love of the Jewish culture. I tend to have many Jewish friends, date Jewish men, and am continually fascinated by Judaism. But we'll get to the reason why in a minute. So naturally, this wine bag is a conversational piece just as much as the Cookie Monster is.

Keith asked "why the Jewish bag?" Bill, Murisa and her mom chuckled.

Murisa said "Keith...what's your favorite color?"

Keith looked at Murisa like 'what does this have to do with a Jewish bag?'

Murisa continued ...

After

"Heather's favorite color is Jew."

There could not be a truer statement.

I love Jews and the idea of being Jewish ... which brings me to past lives ... I believe in past lives ... I have dreams where I'm speaking Hebrew ... I clearly don't speak Hebrew in this current life, which brings me to believe many of my lives have been spent in a Jewish culture (except for the lifetime when Murisa and I were nuns together, but we were rabble-rousing against whatever we were nunning -- but that's a whole other blog entry and astrology reading).

So the point of this post is to clarify that I am proud of my love for the Jewish culture and I am proud of my piece of furniture. Not only do I paint faces, but also large pieces of solid wood furniture. Not surprising since my dad is such a craftsmen.