Star Spangled Shortcake

So for the 4th of July weekend. my husband and I packed up and headed to my folks house in Temecula, CA. They also had some friends in town from Las Vegas, NV, so we did our big barbeque on Sunday since they would be driving back Monday. I, of course, offered to make dessert! I love to bake...and it is usually pretty good.

Years ago I had made Martha Stewart's Shortcake and decided it would be fun to do again for the holiday.

How I love to cut in butter...note serious sarcasm here. However I prefer to do it by hand then food processor.

Oh so close to being tasty shortcake!

Starting to look patriotic.

The perfect blend of red, white and blue...and very tasty too!

A few more photos from the weekend:
We spent Sunday afternoon doing beer tasting from a craft brewery that our friend brought from Las Vegas.

Monday we spent a couple hours at the wineries in Temecula. We got a little summer desert rain at one point while we were out. I tried to get my husband to take a good picture of me in front of the flag...not too bad but he's got to find a better place to put his finger. Silly.

Scrub-a-dub-dub

I am slightly sensitive to skincare products, especially soaps, lotions, scrubs and masks that use chemicals. So I turned to natural, homemade beauty remedies. Plus I like the idea that I can just use what I already have on hand to make what would normally be some outrageously priced beauty product. One of my favorite is an exfoliating scrub that I try to use once a week on my face to get rid of makeup build-up and dead skin.

I use enough honey to coat the bottom of my Pyrex container, about a teaspoon. I sometimes microwave it for about 10 seconds so its not so viscous. Then I add about a teaspoon of brown sugar, stir. Using about half of what I just made, I apply it to my face and use a little bit of water so that it moves over my face a little easier. Once I get a good scrub, I rinse. Since I use my Pyrex container I can put the lid on and use what is left the following week. How easy is that?

Do you have any favorite home remedies that you enjoy? I always love to try out new stuff that I can whip together in my kitchen!

In the Warm California Sun

It is absolutely beautiful weather here in California! I have today through Monday off for our national holiday before I start working EVERY night through the months of July and August. So we decided to go out and enjoy the weather with the top down.

Drivin' down Pacific Coast Highway through Huntington Beach, CA.

The crowds enjoying the warm weather and the beach.

Our little dog enjoying the ride.

Enjoying the wind in my face on this warm, sunny day.

And this is how I look enjoying it.

With some fun vintage earrings and a great vintage necklace to match.

Some comfy shoes in case we get out and do some walkin'.

This is the top I made and posted about here.

The whole thing...the shorts I made as well from Simplicty 3879.

Now to relax of the couch and dream more about days out in the California sun...

Fish out of water...an outfit post.

Well its hot here in Southern California and I felt the need for something bright and to keep cool in. I'm wearing the earrings that I posted about earlier.

And my fishy bracelet to match.

Here is the fun tropical print of my halter style dress (its from the '80s).

Comfy wedges that oh so many people I know have (from Target a few seasons back).

A little better view of the whole dress and the fun pattern. Plus you can see all my dry cleaning I need to put away...hehe.

One of my favorite light coverup sweaters. Its contemporary but has a vintage feel with its texture and rhinestones around the neckline.

Talked my husband into taking a full shot...although I was in the midst of giving him instruction so I'm not smiling in this one but it was the best one he got.

The details...an outfit post.

With summer here it means I get to pull out all my vintage and finally wear it to work! Most of the year I have to wear stuff that I don't mind if I get paint, clay, latex, glue, etc on but during the summer I am a supervisor so its not as much of a worry. So here is to the beginning of my outfit posts...hopefully soon to be full body shots when I get my tripod out of storage. For now shots taken with my iphone using Hipstamatic.

My probably absolute favorite vintage earrings.

My soaring bird brooch.

Comfy shoes to run around in since we are still in dress rehearsal

Matching belt! With its fun angled buckle.

My dress is a black eyelet shirt waist dress with built in crinoline. Its very comfy and great for an errand day or when I'll be running around at work. I'm sure I'll get a better, full body shot of it for you at some point.

The fun winged cuff sleeve.

And happily off to work I go!

Never work a day in my life

I'm pretty lucky...I have an amazing job!
I create the headpieces and crafts for the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California.
Every summer we put on a show that recreates classic and contemporary pieces of art using real people to look like their counterpart in the original piece of work. We take half a year to build the show. Our show runs the entire months of July and August using lovely, dedicated volunteers as cast members, makeup artist, dressers, and in many other areas to help for a successful show.  Then we spend the rest of the year tearing down the show and prepping for the next year. Please check out our website for more information.

We start with a theme and go from there...this year's theme:

The following are images from our press night and other press related events that have occurred throughout this past year. I linked the title of the prints to its original piece if you want to see what they look like.

Headpiece for "Dragon from the Grotto"

Foam sculptor in workshop

Cast member getting makeup done

"The Fairy Wood"

Cast members waiting to be loaded

"Arabian Nights"

Alice in Wonderland members being loaded

Cast members in piece

"Confabulation of Dragons"

The following images were taken from OCinsite.com who did a fashion spread based on tableaus for this season and using our sets: (there are more on the site)

 The adorable knight on the horse for the "St. George and the Dragon" piece is volunteer Katie Moore.

The following images were taken back stage for a Newport magazine. Basically, I wanted to show off me at work. The first two are taken in my workspace:

Then an image I took from the Laguna Beach Independent of Bette Davis talking to a previous director of the Pageant in 1957, where she was volunteering her time to paint the numbers on the back of seats:

So I just wanted to give a little insight as to what I do for a living; and why I might not be blogging so much right now since we are scrambling to get the show ready for our opening on July 7. Hopefully if you live in the area you can make it down to see this fascinating show. If you live out of the area you should put this on your list of future summer vacation spots.

Sources:
OC Register
OC Insite.com
Coastline Pilot
OC Now
John Schreiber Blog