Posts filed under Fabulousness

Mantis Message

A praying mantis appeared in my doorway yesterday. Five stars! 

This is a sign of good luck for yours truly, dahling. It's also a reminder to mediate and contemplate. 

Here's the message of the mantis, according to symbolism guru, Avia Venefica: 

The mantis comes to us when we need peace, quiet and calm in our lives. Usually the mantis makes an appearance when we've flooded our lives with so much business, activity, or chaos that we can no longer hear the still small voice within us because of the external din we've created.

After observing this creature for any length of time you can see why the symbolism of the praying mantis deals with stillness and patience. The mantis takes her time, and lives her life at her own silent pace.

These traits have lead the mantis to be a symbol of meditation and contemplation. In fact, in China, the mantis has long been honored for her mindful movements.

The mantis never makes a move unless she is 100% positive it is the right thing for her to do. This is a message to us to contemplate and be sure our minds and souls all agree together about the choices we are making in our lives.

Overwhelmingly in most cultures the mantis is a symbol of stillness. As such, she is an ambassador from the animal kingdom giving testimony to the benefits of meditation, and calming our minds.

An appearance from the mantis is a message to be still, go within, meditate, get quiet and reach a place of calm. It may also a sign for you to be more mindful of the choices you are making and confirm that these choices are congruent.

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Fabulousness.

700!

This is our 700th blog post, dahling. Cheers! 

I'd like to dedicate this momentous post to Golden Dream Barbie, my fave childhood Barbie.

Oh, those golden highlights! The styling tools! Lamé, lamé, lamé! Glamour deluxe! 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9lke1f5hI8&feature=related]

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Announcements, Fabulousness, Videos.

Super Ella Bros!

My nephew, Brennan Gilpatrick, has a penchant for filmmaking. Here's his latest: Super Ella Bros., featuring his sister/my niece, the fabulous Ella. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef4jVhNeLms&feature=digest_wed]

Here are some of my favorite works by Brennan. Both feature several members of my Indiana fam. Haaaay, Indy fam! 

First, The Dinner Guest, a zombie-lover's delight! Fans of my awesome brother, Zach, will enjoy his cameo at the 09:05 mark. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJdEA-B15kg&feature=related]

This one is lovely: The Crescendo Kid, winner of the 2010 Indy Teen Film Festival. You might recognize the piano teacher; it's my high-collar-ruffle-stripe-blouse-loving sister, Kelly. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6_-0khGFRE&feature=related]

The family that acts together, stays together. Keep up the fabulousness, Brennan. Bright future!

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Fabulousness, Movies, Videos.

This is the cutest dog I've EVER seen.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the adorable and charming Ricky Minkus-Holmes, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. You'll learn more about him in the future. 

He is seriously the cutest dog I've ever laid eyes on. Yes, Mary's incredibly cute and I love her to pieces, but when it comes to so-cute-it-looks-like-a-stuffed-animal type of cuteness, Ricky wins. 

Congratulations, Ricky! Man, you're CUTE!!!

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Fabulousness.

Santa Fe Wedding Fabulousness: The Main Event

The wedding was breathtakingly gorgeous. See for yourself.

The bride, Bonnie Minkus, and groom, Jayme Holmes, are standing under a chuppah made by mother-of-the-bride, Sabra Minkus. It symbolizes the home they'll create together. The sides are left open to signify that all friends and family are welcome into their new life and home. The roof above the chuppah is embroidered with the traditional phrase, Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li (I Am My Beloved's and My Beloved is Mine), from the Song of Solomon. 

Reception: incredible. Posh as can be, yet it retained the warmth of a far more intimate scenario... well done, everyone. 

Guest-list? Fabulous, of course. Here's my table roster, alone. 

Not pictured: Aaron Gottlieb. 

And, of course, mister man and yours truly.  

No, I didn't attend the event topless; it's a strapless maxi dress, dahling! Add maxi bangs + maxi bracelet, and the result is easy, breezy, but not sleazy... in short, a good summer wedding guest dress. 

Here's DJB with the happy, gorgeous couple. 

Michele Meade and I nearly missed the whole Hava Nagila experience because we were chatting it up outside. Fortunately, we caught the tail end.

One of the evening's highlights: the children's impromptu cover of Lady Gaga's Born This Way. Beyond fabulous. I cried a little; that's how cool it was. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoO7xoFx79w]

Such a lovely weekend. Hearty thanks and congratulations, Bonnie and Jayme! 

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Events, Fabulousness, Travel, Videos.

Santa Fe Wedding Fabulousness: The Teaser

The wedding and reception were absolutely lovely. Five stars, unquestionably. No detail overlooked. Perfection in every way. 

However, since it's brunch, then check-out, then a stop by Cochiti Lake en route home, it'll be a while before the grand extravaganza post hits the blog.

Sorry, dahling... lots of fab pics and videos later. Mimosas are beckoning. Cheers! 

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Events, Fabulousness, Travel.

Little Girl in an Enormous Chair Pic of the Day

Behold! My dear friend Addison at the Children's Museum of Virginia.  I was at a gay bar when her mother, Sheli, sent this pic. We all gasped in awe. 

"Ohmygawwwd!" gasped my friend, Jason, clutching his imaginary pearls. "Is this real? She looks like a tiny little doll! I loooove it!"

"It's kinda creepy," declared Bradd. "I love it, too." he added quite staunchly. 

Judgment sealed. Verdict: fabulous. 

We knew what I had to do: post the darn thing... and post it quickly. 

Five stars, Addison. 

(Thanks, Sheli!)

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Fabulousness.

Five Stars!

This. Is. So. Cool.  Thirty years ago, father-son duo Chris and Kenneth Bray attended the first-ever space shuttle launch: Columbia's STS-1 mission. Last week, they recreated the photo of themselves for NASA's final shuttle launch of Atlantis on July 8. 

Outstanding job, Brays. Thanks for putting a smile on our faces today. 

If you're into the Young Me/Now Me meme, click here for more cool then/now pics.

 

 

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Fabulousness.

Dead Sexy!

This takes drop-dead gorgeous to a whole new level...

Cult british beauty brand Illamasqua (whose co-managing director is Agent Provocateur founder Joe Corre, the son of fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren) has teamed up with London funeral directors Leverton & Sons to offer professional makeovers to those who wish to make a statement after they're gone. 

I'll just let the press release do the talking.

Illamasqua and family funeral directors of 220 years, Leverton & Sons, have collabortated to launch an innovative service bringing ritual beauty to the final act for those who love to self-express.

Offering professional funeral make-up transformations applied by a specially trained Illamasqua make-up artist, the Final Act of Self-Expression encourages people for whom making-up is an intimate part of their identity to plan their final transformation - one that pays tribute to who they were in life and how they want to enter the afterlife.

Here's the catch: you've gotta be across the pond to look this dead sexy. The service is available  in the London area only starting this month. 

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Beauty, Fabulousness, R-I-P-.

Get Yer Bitch On!

Michael Musto, Village Voice columnist extraordinaire and esteemed member of the Fabü Hall of Fame, has released The 10 Best Bitchy Comments of All Time. In my oh-so-humble opinion, anything La Musto writes is gospel, so you'll definitely want to check out his homage to acidic quips.  Still feeling bitchy? Click here to check out Ian Tindell's The 10 Greatest Bitch Slaps in Movie History. 

Not feeling bitchy enough? Learn a thing or two from Smiletone's instructional video, How to Be Bitchy Enough, below. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP3bFpBxxEs]

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Fabulousness.

Indy Trip Notes: Foot Fitness

There's a fab little place in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood called Foot Fitness. It's a little slice of heaven in the form of a cool, dimly-lit single room chock full o' Vietnamese masseuses. 

The treatment begins with a foot soak. While soaking, your hands and arms are massaged. Next, your feet are dried with a fluffy towel, then you receive a vigorous leg massage and foot acupressure/reflexology treatment. Your chair is then fully reclined, and it's time for the... ahhhhh... scalp massage. Then you flip over and enjoy a vigorous neck, shoulder and back massage. And by vigorous, I mean not for wimps; these dudes put the pressure on ---- in a good way. However, if you prefer a light touch, go somewhere else, tenderoni; Foot Fitness is not for sissies.

The hour-long treatment runs... get ready to fall over... $25. Yep. Not a typo. Twenny-fi dolla, my friends. How's THAT for fabulous? 

I love you, Foot Fitness. I shall return each and every time I'm in town. Promise. 

 

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Beauty, Fabulousness, Travel.

Bad-Ass Mayor of the Day

Cheers to Sara Z. Duterte, mayor of Davao City, Philippines, for fighting for the poverty-stricken members of her community by telling the local sheriff "aw, hellll naw" with her fist... repeatedly.  Duterte said she had asked court sheriff Abe Andres to wait for two hours before serving a demolition order that would destroy shanties of 220 families in the area. The well-respected mayor requested the two-hour extension so that she could hold a peaceful dialogue with the residents before their homes were demolished. 

The sheriff, however ignored the order and demolition teams pushed through with their operation, causing the residents to panic and nearly riot. Duterte rushed to the scene and confronted the sheriff. Fortunately, somebody had a camera. Wheeeee! I live for this sh*t! 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJzSHm30Cc]

 

Yeah, yeah... I know... violence is never the answer... but his betch is so bad-ass that I can't help but adore her. Four stars. 

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Fabulousness, News.

Pitch of the Day

A Cirque du Soleil performer delivered this incredible first pitch in San Diego at Monday's game between the Padres and Kansas City Royals. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwGvcAxxydk]

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Fabulousness, Videos.

Weekend Round-Up

Topic: Santa Fe fabulousness with DJB. 

Dined with friends, then headed to Santa Fe Brewing Company for the Yo La Tengo show. Al fresco, intimate, awesome. The weather, the venue, the sound, the people... the whole package receives five stars. 

After a good night's rest, we kicked around town for a while. If you've not been there recently, fair warning: they're all calling it Fanta Se now. Vendors and residents alike. My vote: thumbs-down. It's Santa Fe. Stop it. Love your city, but knock it off. Thanks in advance. 

Naturally, we had to visit Cos Bar for a high-end, luxury cosmetics fix. 

Lunch and cockies on the Coyote Cafe rooftop = yum. 

DJB = cute. 

There's more to be had, but we'll dive deeper into all that in an upcoming Fabü dedicated to Santa Fe fabulousness. 

Hope the weekend's been good to you, dahling. 

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Lisa Brown and filed under Events, Fabulousness, Music, Shopping, Travel.