I'm just saying...

So, I'm not saying Adam Lambert's performance was tasteful (in fact, I didn't care for his performance at all), but if he can get in trouble for his choreography, why didn't Pink get in trouble for her performance at the 2004 Billboard awards?

Seems familiar. Double standard? Looks like it.

Still no job...Pussycat... New York

I went on my shady interview, and haven't heard back from them. Not a bad thing though. The company sells art prints. Ya know, the standards, such as: Klimt's "The Kiss", Van Gogh's "Starry Night", etc. If they'd sell Schiele's "The Red Host," or Aubrey Beardsley's "Lacedomonian Ambassadors" then I'd be impressed. Clutch the pearls!

I did enjoy my Denver trip... got to see grandparents and party with friends. I also (accidentally) saw a performance by one of the Pussycat Dolls. Which one, you ask? Does it matter? Not really. But, just for kicks, here's a pic of her wearing the same trashy outfit she wore when I saw her.

And now, I'm planning a trip to NY to see Tyler (who I haven't seen since July). I've been before in the summer, but this will be my first time to see NY in winter, so I'm excited. Hoping to find a good concert, museum, or maybe I'll stalk Cyndi... who knows.

Wish me luck!

I have a job interview tomorrow morning! May sound shady, but I don't know much about the company, or position, other than they are "hip" and deal in art. The interview is at 11:30, I have to be at the airport by 12:30, and my flight leaves at 1:30 (I'm flying to Denver for the remainder of the week). It's going to be a rush, but hopefully I'll make it through the morning in tact.

And, just because every post should have a picture:

TRAINWRECK (like her though)

The Day After...

Well, my favorite day of the year is over and I'm in a bit of a slump. I don't usually look forward to Christmas as it's fairly hectic what with buying presents, going into debt, scheduling family events, etc. I'm more of a laid-back, no stress, kinda holiday guy. Anyway, I've just taken down my Halloween tree and decided I'd rather be online than do anymore clean up right now. I didn't get very many pics, because, as usual, I forgot. Here's what we ate yesterday:

We started with a black pasta in pesto sauce (I found this photo online since I forgot to take one)

Again, forgot to take a photo, but we got this recipe from Martha Stewart and it was AMAZING! It's a puff pastry with gruyere and parmesan cheeses, and a paprika/butter glaze.

Here are the cupcakes my mom and I made, and the haunted brownies that I made.

Another shot of my haunted brownies.

And, finally, the only person who was dressed up. Casey was dressed as a black eyed pea, and had fun making people guess what she was. Also, the Cheshire Cat pumpkin she carved. Very nice! (and a little glimpse of my Halloween tree) It was a low-key kinda Halloween, but I had a lot of fun with family and friends.

Halloween: Witches, Dancing Werewolves, and a Knocking on the Wall

Well, the big day is almost here. I wanted to share a couple of my fave Halloween party songs with you.

Embedding was disabled on this one, but it's an awesome dancey, horror themed video.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK4SUof_yv8

Eartha Kitt:

Ladyhawke - Dust Till Dawn

New Holiday Card is up/Halloween is almost here!

Here's the new Christmas card:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33177397

One more "naughty" child card and that'll be it. I'm planning on doing a series of holiday cards minus the children theme, but haven't yet figured out what it's going to be.

------------------------------------------------------

Less than a week till Halloween! I have begun watching my traditional Halloween shows, which is exciting. I've watched Hocus Pocus, and need to watch Disney's Halloween Treat (long out of print and only available via eBay on VHS), Ernest Scared Stupid, Garfield's Halloween, Frankenweenie (one of Tim Burton's early ones), and The Witches. There are many, many more, including horror movies, but Halloween always makes me feel like a kid, so the family movies are priority. Then there's the music I listen to to get pumped up for the big day. I've done about all of the decorating I'll do, which is way toned down compared to Halloween's past.

Do other people have Halloween traditions like I do? I'm sure I've gone over the edge with mine.

A Taste of Things to Come...

I'm breaking my own rules. I hate mentioning, or even thinking of, the "C" word before Halloween, but the early bird catches the worm? Here's a (very) rough sketch of my next holiday card...

The Great Pumpkin is going to be pissed! But, even he can understand that I'll do whatever it takes to get those coins, even if it means promoting *gulp* Christmas before Halloween! Anyway, the illustration... a little boy is eating Santa's cookies and drinking Santa's milk.... that's Santa's shadow on the while in the back.

Better to be Paranormal than just Normal

So, I just returned from my weekly outing (well, that's what it seems like these days). This week, it was the low-budge indie horror flick, "Paranormal Activity." It wasn't particularly original - if you've seen an episode of Discovery's "A Haunting" you'll be familiar (or any other tv documentary-style ghostie show), but perhaps that's what makes it seem so real. I think the scariest part came once the movie had ended and I had to drive back out to the sticks to a dark, empty house. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I love to be scared so I'm going to end the evening with an episode of "A Haunting". Whispering in the dark, shadows moving across an empty room, warm breaths on the back your neck from a mouth that isn't there... goodnight!

Eye am in pain

So, I went to the fair with the girls last night and had a good time (even though the "smallest woman in the world" gave me the evils), ate lots of unhealthy food, and saw some interesting art work. I came home, decided I'd get to bed at a decent hour, read for a few minutes and went to sleep... with my contacts still in. I woke up thinking, "gee, I sure can see clearly this morning." My eyes now feel like someone rubbed them with hot coals wrapped in sandpaper.

I can't believe it... I'm... I'm... I'm on Twitter

I signed up about an hour ago... made a few quick "Tweets" and had instant hits on my Etsy shop! I don't know why I hesitated to sign up for Twitter!

If you Twitter, watch me Tweet!

http://twitter.com/PaintedPeepShow

New Etsy Items! Canine Note Cards and more

I've been working feverishly all week trying to get a new batch of cards up for the weekend. I've also been taking care of my sisters French Bulldogs and my brothers Dachshund... so, it hasn't been a very relaxing week. Anyway, I finished my dog cards, one Christmas card (more after Halloween), and some pumpkin note cards.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade thePaintedPeepShow.etsy.com

Pumpkins!

I went, with my mom, to a pumpkin patch (for lack of a better word) and bought pumpkins today. Minutes before we arrived they had just finished unloading the trucks, so we got first dibs and found some really beautiful pumpkins and gourds. Here are pics: !

I'm not sure what the big red one is called, but the Red Worty Thing is called just that. The green and yellow striated gourd is italian in origin, but can't recall the name. The dusty, gray orange pumpkins are, I think, called Fairytale Pumpkins. The two dusty gray/blue/green pumpkins are, I believe, Jarrahdale Blue... or Australian Blue. The other two green things are gourds.
We got these in Bixby. If you're looking for less traditional pumpkins this year, now is the time to buy, because they will be picked over soon!

Classy, but get nasty at the same time...

"all about the paper, certified banker, call me Betty Crocker cause they always got to cake her"

Picture it... a Saturday night, Tulsa, 2009. A young-ish man sitting in his parents house with nothing to do. No one to dance with, have a drink with, and his parents have already gone to sleep.

Since I've been back in Tulsa, I've been missing the dance floor. My iTunes playlist lately has consisted of mostly dance-y type tracks. One of my favorites, always a flashback to Savannah, is Rasheeda... I know, it's ghetto, but she has that slow, sexy, southern drawl that reminds me of my post-college years (and all those slow steppin' savannah women). I don't much care for hip-hop, but I have a thing for nasty ghetto girls. It's fun to see how creative they can be with lyrics based on the same subjects in every song. Whether it's about money, like the quote above. Or, about clothes... "I got my red Gucci dress, red Gucci pumps, supa dupa fly, I give'em what they want". Or, just nasty... "all my flavas is juic-ay, down to the last drop, good and fruit-ay, you won't catch me on the youtube mov-ay, can't let just anybody play with the boot-ay"

It makes me laugh every time, and I just had to share Rasheeda:

Bernie Fuchs (1932 - 2009)

I don't follow contemporary art as well as I probably should, but when I find an artist I like I do my best keep up. Bernie Fuchs was, hands down, my favorite illustrator/painter. I'm really awful at trying to describe things, so here are a few of his pieces.

Etsy - The Painted Peep Show!

Hey All! I haven't been online in a looong minute! But, I have a new computer, and internet connection again. I also have my own Etsy.com store, where I've just began selling Halloween greeting cards. Take a look and tell your friends! Also, check back because I'll be adding more items later on.

thePaintedPeepShow.etsy.com

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade thePaintedPeepShow.etsy.com

Idol... results

So, Adam didn't win. It probably doesn't matter because they're both going to have huge oppurtunities and I expect we'll be seeing Mr. Lambert again very soon. The finale show was pretty good. I was hoping Cyndi would sing a newer song (Rain On Me would have been a beautiful alternative to her standard ballads), but I'm glad she sang Time After Time instead of Girls Just Want To Have Fun. Allison did a good job as well. I was actually hoping Allison would've stuck around longer in the competition as I felt she was one of the stronger vocalists, but she's still really young and I think she's going to have a lot of oppurtunity still. What was up with the Black Eyed Peas mini-concert? Boom Boom Pow? Yeah... uh... that's fantastic.

Idol

So, tonight is the finale. I'm hoping Adam wins because I think he has a more unique voice and he's more of a performer than Kris. However, I wouldn't be totally disappointed if Kris wins because he has a good voice and he's fairly attractive (color me shallow). BUT, the most important part of the finale show is Cyndi Lauper's performance. Her bit is fairly brief... she's singing a duet with Allyson...Allison...whats-her-face. They will be singing Time After Time together. Unfortunately, I'll catch it after everyone else because it airs later on the west coast.

Disney Fun!!!

My brother and his wife are visiting this weekend and I'm taking them to Disneyland tomorrow (his wife has never been to a Disney park before). So, I thought I'd post a couple of ride photos from previous Disney adventures:

Splash Mountain, obviously...
Tower of Terror... I love these pics because it's fun to see other people's reactions. You can always tell who has ridden before and knows when to pose...

Easter, La Roux, and Denver

So, it's been a while since I've blogged. I've been preoccupied with my job situation. I found out today that I'm going to be laid off at the end of the month, which came as no surprise since the company's been downsizing over the past couple of months. Anyway, here are a couple of pics from my visit to Denver...

This first pic is from Estes Park (in the mountains). This is the Stanley Hotel, where Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining

This elk slowed down traffic as we were leaving Estes Park. There were elk everywhere... even on the city streets!
This was a hotel bar in downtown Denver. I think it was called Lattitude, or something clever like that. With Tyler, and our friends Michael and James.

Here I am in the mountains. It was so beautiful and the weather was perfect for climbing on rocks.

Fast forward a couple of weeks to Easter... I've been obsessed with a new band called La Roux (the red-haired one). They're very 80's inspired electro-pop artists. Think Yaz, Eurythmics, Prince all rolled into one band. They haven't even released their first album yet, and have only released singles in the UK so far. I was able to get us tickets for a show last night at the Roxy, and it was fantastic. Tyler says her hair reminds him of how I used to wear mine. Although mine was more vertical and less in my face. But, I digress. Here's a photo, followed by her most recent video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ1Mi77nogQ

Spring Break!

Yay! Four day vacation! This weekend, Tyler and I are flying to Denver to visit some friends. Actually, they live in Boulder...actually, they live in Lafayette, which is between Boulder and Denver. Whatevs, I get 4 days off work and that's most important. It's supposed to be in the 70's this weekend, so I don't have to worry about snow. We're going to do some sight-seeing, bar hopping, hot tubbing, sleep... er... sleeping. Hope everyone else has as good of a weekend as I'm planning on having!

Last House on the Left

Last night, I was invited to a pre-screening of the new movie, Last House on the Left, which is actually a remake of one of Wes Craven's (A Nightmare On Elm Street, Scream) early films. Although I enjoyed the premise of the first movie, I wasn't crazy about it, so I had low expectations for the remake. However, I was surprised at how well it was done. There were a few changes to the plot, but the integrity of the original story was in tact. And, the last 20 minutes or so had the entire theater cheering and applauding! If you're unaware of the story, here it is in a nutshell. Family goes to lake house for summer, daughter goes off with friend and they are abducted. Girls come to harm, villains have a coincidental meeting with victims parents, parents realize what has happened, and an ending you won't want to miss. There are some extremely violent scenes, but the ending completely makes up for it. If you enjoy horror movies, you should go see it on this Friday the 13th!

The Bumpers Have Spoken

While driving to work yesterday (during rush hour traffic, on Sunset Blvd, in the pouring rain) the moron in front of me decided she would come to a complete stop at an intersection during a green light. So, I slammed on my brakes and hydroplaned right into her bumper. I jumped out of the car to assess the damage, and she stepped out of her car crying. I assured her everything was okay. She had no damage to her SUV, but unfortunately, my bumper was dislocated and my front license plate was bent. Not to mention various scuffs and cracks. She immediately apologized for stopping during a green light (I should mention, she stepped out of her car fiddling with her cell phone). I was very warm and friendly with her, so we decided we didn't need to call the police and we could be on our way. So, I asked her if she was alright and she said, "Yeah, just a little whiplash"! Folks, I couldn't have been going more than 5 or 6 mph, and she has whiplash!?! On top of that, I called my insurance company and they said since there's not physical evidence of her stopping in a green light, she can't be held negligible. But, because my bumper took damage I am being held negligible for running into her.

Relax and have a Mental Margherita

This weekend, I received "Earth Girls Are Easy" via Netflix. I didn't have good expectations for this movie since the friend who recommended it to me told me it was a cheesey 80's flick. Oh, man! I loved it so much, I think I'm going to buy it! It's a campy, comedy/musical with a large cast of well-knowns (Gina Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, and the incomparable Julie Brown). Here's a clip of my favorite song in the movie, "Cause I'm a Blond"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rNfZxgkH7k

Also, I actually didn't hate the Oscar's this weekend. I enjoyed the format for presentations, and most importantly, the red carpet! Since Mrs. Pam already posted the pics, I won't bother (thanks for saving me the trouble!)... I'm ready for Jack Black to go away. Ben Stiller wasn't that funny. Tina Fey looks amazing. Sophia Loren looks like Valentino. Brangelina, and Jen, need to disappear. Slumdog was excellent, but won more awards than it deserved. AND, I need to see that movie with Penelope Cruz.

Elvira made my face all blurry!

I said I was going to post these pics about a month ago, but my friend just emailed them to me. These are the pics from Elvira's anniversary show at the Vista theater. The first one... well, I blurred my face out, because I wasn't expecting three flashes and started to pull back after the first. Same with Elvira...not the most flattering pic of her either.


Here's a pic from inside the theater. It's a beautiful old theater, and the seats had TONS of leg room, which was really nice. The guy walking with her won the contest to be the next Elvira. Obviously, he's not in costume here. Apparently, the contest was filled with drag queens.

Chocolate Cakes and Nightmares

I posted last week about my anniversary. Here's a picture of the chocolate cake Tyler bought me. My stomach just about died when I saw this. It's the most beautiful thing to ever go into my stomach.



Sunday, I drove through West Hollywood with some friends. We went on a mission to find the "Nightmare On Elm Street" houses. Here is the house where it all started:

And here's the house where Johnny Depp's character lived. Yes, for those of you who don't know it, "Nightmare" was Johnny's first feature film.

Jason Takes Valentine's Day

I'm super excited about this weekend! Every Friday the 13th, I have my Friday-the-13th-a-thon... a-n-y-w-a-y ...and this year, there's a new Jason movie coming out! It's sure to disappoint, but I'm seeing it anyway. I have friends at Paramount Pictures and they've invited me to see the movie on the studio lot! For free!!! So, in honor of the holiday, I'm doing a quick little mini-bio on Jason:

Remember that time when Jason tried to go swimming. He always loved summer camp!

Maybe you remember when Jason hit puberty. He had to beat the girls off with a stick! ...or a machete!

And then this was this one time when Jason went on vacation to Manhattan. We stopped caring after he went to hell. Ugh! He even joined the space program and went into outer space one time.

Anniversary

Tomorrow is mine and Tyler's 4-year anniversary and since he decided to go to Las Vegas this weekend without me (long story) we're not getting a V-Day dinner. Actually, that's fine by me because it's kind of a silly holiday anyway (but I'm still going to make him feel bad). So, I made reservations at a restaurant called Cliff's Edge. It's not too far from my apt and it's supposed to be really great. They have an outdoor patio with a large tree growing in the center (see pic below) and lots of heat lamps during the cold weather. They serve Mediterranean/Italian/Greek food and have an extensive wine list. We don't eat out at really nice places very often, so this is a treat.

Griffith Park & Observatory.

About a mile up the street from my apartment sits the Griffith Observatory. Many films have been shot at the Observatory and the surrounding park - such as: Rebel Without A Cause, Back To The Future, The Rocketeer, and so on. When I first moved here, almost a year ago now, I often went up to the park and explored the trails.

The weather is nice today and I'm sitting in the office wishing I were outside.

These pics are from last year. Here you can see the trails winding around the hills.

This pic is from the back side of Griffith Park and shows The Valley (Glendale) and, I believe, the San Gabriel Mountains.

This one doesn't really need an explanation. Well, maybe a little. The Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park run together. They form a spine that seperates L.A. from The Valley.

Here is a pic looking down from the trails. The building is the Griffith Observatory.

This last pic is from one of the dead end trails and has some amazing views of L.A. (right side) and the Valley (left side)

New Video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV1GBx93cec&eurl=http://cyndilaupernews.com/forums/index.php/topic,1298.0/topicseen.html&feature=player_embedded

Here's the new video from Cyndi Lauper! It's a Japanese only release for a mashup of Girls Just Want To Have Fun / Set Your Heart. I don't care much for the song at all, but the video is kind of fun. Very simple, but the production is slick.

P.S. I can't figure out how to embed the video because I can't seem to copy the entire embed code.

I Love New York

A little game for those of you with iTunes!

1. Put Your iTunes on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag at least 10 friends--------------------------

What do your friends think of you?
"Gypsies, Tramps, & Thieves" – Really? All three? I'm a dirty, thieving, gypsy!

If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say...
"Clown" – See, this would've worked better for the first question.

How would you describe yourself?
"Shattered Glass" – What can I say... I have issues ;)

What do you like in a guy/girl?
"Belladonna" – Isn't this a plant? Okay, this might work. I like someone who can set down roots and still grow as a person. Wait. It's also known as Deadly Night Shade. That can't be good.

How do you feel today?
"Handle Me” I guess that means I'm feeling submissive.

What is your life’s purpose?
"Wake Up" – Hopefully it's more than that!

What is your motto?
"4 In The Morning" – Because that's when I'm asleep. Maybe this corresponds with the previous response?!?

What do you think about very often?
"Dynamite" - Well, I do have road rage issues.

What is 2+2?
"Porchlight" – I was hoping for 8-6-7-5-3-0-9

What do you think of your best friend?
"Show Me Love" – Hey, that's not bad.

What do you think of the person you like?
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" – that's ominous!

What is your life story?
"Neva Wanna Leave" – Hmmm. Wrong! Because I keep moving!

What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Pussycat Meow" – Oh, Deee-lite! Thank you for that!

What do you think of when you see injustice?
"Time After Time" – "If you fall I will catch you..."

What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Mood To Burn Bridges" – Another ominous answer about my relationship. Or, perhaps that song is dedicated to Prop 8?

What will they play at your funeral?
"Birthday" – That hardly seems appropriate!

What is your hobby/interest?
"Up To The Mountains" - I like the mountains, but I'd hardly call that a hobby.

What is your biggest fear?
"Ave Maria" – riiiiiight.

What is your biggest secret?
"What I Can Not Change" – Oooh, cryptic! Still didn't give away my secret!

What do you think of your friends?
"You Make Loving Fun" – Not that kind of lovin' though!

What will you post this as?
"I Love New York" – Oh Madonna, quite possible one of the WORST songs you've ever put out.

My Least Favorites List

[Disclaimer - this is not to be taken personally by anyone. Especially since I don't know most of you personally anways! If you're offended by anything on my list...whatever. Though you are free to rant in the comments]

Looks like I've been tagged!

MOUTHBREATHERS
Okay, so this may sound a bit insensitive, but people who never close their mouths really get under my skin. I suppose, on the up side, they can't ever sneak up behind you because you'd be able to hear their heavy breathing and feel their stank breath on the back of your neck. The worst, when you have to eat dinner with one! They always chew with their mouths open. I understand that some people have difficult breathing, but there is a difference between those with difficulties and those who are just completely unaware.

HOTEL BATHROOMS
I think my mother really did a number on me, because I have many issues with cleanliness in public places. I hate using hotel bathrooms because so many people have used it before me. It's also impossible to say whether the cleaning crew is doing a decent job of cleaning. I never step barefoot into the bathtub or on the tile. Towels go down on the floor and in the tub and work as a shield against the filth. Hotel beds are gross too (the comforter...UGH), as are the carpets, etc.

DRIVING WHILE TALKING ON THE CELL
I don't think I need to go into detail on this one.

DRIVING AFTER DRINKING
Come on... You know you're going to be drinking. Just take a cab, bus, subway, etc. This is not okay!

NAIL PICKING, FOOD CRUNCHING, AND OTHER UNCOUTH MANNERISMS
These may seem strange, but they really grate on my nerves. Why do people pick at their nails? Some sort of nasty skin condition? Is there food stuck in there? OCD? Practicing for that Scratch & Win ticket? I'm not sure why these things are being picked at, and it sort of grosses me out. Sloppy eaters also gross me out. Luckily, most everyone I know has table manners. BUT, I don't like to hear you crunching on your Ranch flavored Dorito's, so please chew with your mouth closed!

UNCLEAN DISHES
Just because the sponge has soap on it, doesn't mean it automatically cleans the dishes! Muscle power! SCRUB!

All of this being said. I know I'm probably host to many other people's pet peeves. Again, no offense to anyone. These are just some of my little hang ups. ;)

Quiet weekend

This weekend was verrry quiet. Tyler's aunt passed away last week so he flew home to Tennessee. I didn't do too much... it was pretty rainy and cool at the start of the weekend, so I stayed in and watched movies. Fortunately, the sky cleared up and I went for a couple of walks up into the Franklin Hills (a very pretty neighborhood near my apt) and I also spent quite a bit of time on my Wii Fit. My hips and butt are very sore today from all of the exercising... I've been told this is a good thing. Exercise, other than early morning pushups, is relatively new to me and Wii Fit is a great way to do it! Saturday night was fun because some friends of mine had a viewing party for Lifetime's, "Prayers For Bobby", which was better than I expected. I've always been a HUGE fan of Sigourney Weaver, and she did an amazing job. It was sad, and some of the direction was a bit odd, but the story was excellent. It had a message without being heavy handed.

And now, I'm back at work.

My Favorite Things...

Okay, I've been tagged to post some of my favorite things...so here they are:

My Halloween decorations and homemade costumes! I plan for Halloween all year round and typically start decorating in July/August. It makes me feel like a kid. Also, I love that most of my decorations are homemade or pieced together. It makes it feel so much more personal.

My furniture. Most of which I bought for my condo in Savannah, which is sort of a sore subject. After working on the unit for well over a year it was finally completed and ready to move in to... one week before I was supposed to move to California! But, I spent a lot of time picking out furniture and will enjoy no matter what state it's in!

My Disneyland Premium Annual Pass! When I'm alone and life is making me lonely, I can always go... to Disneyland! I don't think I really need to explain this one. It is the most magical place on Earth!

All of my Cyndi Lauper memorabelia! From my Cyndi cardboard standee, to everything inside my box of Cyn! I have spent waaay too much time buying things on eBay, but don't regret any of it!

I love scurry movies! I'm a collector (though my Mom has another word for it...packrat), and I have a library of horror movies. My favorites are: Return of the Living Dead, Poltergeist, Friday the 13th, Black Christmas (original, not the remake), and so on...

Other items are: my arsenal of hair products, hats (tribly's, to be specific), children's books, art books, etc.