Here's a music video I recently worked on for the Mercy River girls...so of course, they are all wearing completely safe makeup on their faces!!  

My Behind the Scenes Video Footage (or pseudo vlog :)  Cover photo is by Hiya Papaya

And here is the real deal :)  ..  see how it looks all put together!

And now for some behind the scenes photos on this shoot...
 

Whitney Permann, Brooke Stone, and Soni Muller are the Mercy River girls.  Okay, I guess we should call them ladies, since they are all mommies too, with around 13 kiddies between them--yeah, whew!  I don't know how they do it, but they ARE very amazing women...

I love the green wheels on the dolly tracks the camera is on!  Great color, huh?  haha, sorry , that's beside the point!

Tiff and I worked with Mercy River for the first time on the CD cover "Higher" that this song is in.  It was instant love at first sight...they were cute, but very real.  Whitney was pregnant and so was Tiffany, so of course, that made it an even bigger bond--ugh, bigger- did I just say that?!!

Tiff was busy and couldn't make it on this shoot, sniff sniff :(....  so we all missed her alot, but I'm sure there will be more, these girls are always a treat to work with!

 

I'll tell you a little secret.  The girls put together their outfits themselves and they did a great job.  We were shooting in an old abandoned warehouse and the whites and creams blended well with the sets and lighting.  And the little splash of color was great.

Brooke, the blonde, put together a total pinterest outfit that I loved.  She had a drop slip that she picked up from a boutique, for a hint of lace dropping below her skirt....but my favorite part of her outfit was her sweater.  It was a crew neck sweater that she found on sale for a few bucks and she cut it right down the middle, and I loved the way it was unraveling a bit, which it made it look super cute.  Gotta love pinterest!  :)

Here are some random shots, tweaking, adjusting, and rolling....

and here I am (looking a little evil---yikes!)  I'm actually on a teeny tiny 3 legged stool that is about as sturdy as if it were a 2 legged stool :), so yeah, I'm just trying to keep my balance as I rest from my very hectic day, lol!

So that's the shoot, a lot of the pictures are from Hiya Papaya - those girls are adorable! It was a lot of fun, a little cold (okay very cold), and overall a really great shoot.  I'm glad I could take you along, well kinda :)  I mean...you know what I mean.

xo

Laurie

Life happens -- just don't let it rain on your parade :)

This was my motto while running the hair department on the TV series, Leverage -- shot in Portland!  Never a dry day :).... but I think it applies to life, sometimes you just have to go with it and learn to dance in the rain!

xo

Laurie

It was a snowy day last year when I drove to the location where we would shoot this project.  I knew it wouldn't be published in Reader's Digest until February, but sometimes I can be a nerd (just sometimes :)  and I totally forgot to share this story with you.

Actually, I was asked not to until it was published, but then I just got busy and forgot.  So when I stumbled upon the story online today, it kind of startled me :) and I gulped and thought, yikes, I'd better get a post up.

The story itself is a great read and the video is sweet too.  The set became a warm contrast to the snowy weather outside as Stewart and Lauren shared their story.

Head over to Reader's Digest and enjoy it for yourself.  Love is something that fills the soul like nothing else and it's fun to hear stories like this.

Enjoy!

xo

Laurie

Photo: Reader's Digest

My quick trip to the LA Fashion District  :+)

Today I was actually heading down to the St. Regis Resort Hotel in Dana Point to work on a shoot for Franklin Covey.  I don't know a lot about the shoot yet, but I'm sure I will pretty soon!

But 1st, since I had time to kill, I decided to head to the Fashion District.  Have you ever been there?  It's pretty crazy, totally ghetto and of course I love it!  We hit it every now and then...Tiff's not such a big fan of the craziness, but we have fun when we go.

I drove in from another direction than usual and parked somewhere I hadn't parked before.  I learned really fast that it's best to take the elevator as often the stairwells are actually just open urinals.  Yeah and yuck :(  So that was the case where I parked today, ugh.  Needless to say, I took the elevator up afterward :+)

I bought a few cute t-shirts for $3 each, a couple pair of jeans for $15 each.  Most of the shops don't have dressing rooms, so if you're lucky, they may let you try things on discretely in the back of the shop.  So I got lucky and landed one that let me do that, so since it was a boiling hot day, I found a cute pair of shorts and tried them on, dodging customers that walked closeby.  They were really cute, cheap and a good fit, so I just kept them on and bought them then and there.

I found some False Lashes from Human hair.  They were only $2 each, so I bought 20 pairs.  I'm a little leary of them, but I'll let you know how well they work out once I get working with them.

I have mixed feelings about eating there, but found a shop selling freshly cut fruit.  It looked SO good, and refreshing, especially for such a hot day.  So yeah, I tried to not think about they cleanliness of the guy's hands that cut up the fruit, and bought a huge cup full of cut mango and grapes.  I have to admit, they were heavenly.  =)

I was missing my buddy, Tiffany, besides, it's never as much fun shopping by yourself.  But when that's all you've got, sometimes you just have to make the best of it still!

So anyway, that's my day!  So far, so good, can't wait to see what's next!  i think--lol!

xox

Laurie

You never know how easily you can change a life...

 ..

I had a conversation yesterday (with someone very close) that touched my heart......

I'll share as much as I can:

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This young man is someone I've known for a long time and is one of the most

compassionate, kind hearted people i know who just has to help others

in need.  He is also a chef and loves to share what he makes and put

smiles on other's faces.  He never put much thought into it, but

that's just the way he's lived his life.  That is, until...

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Yesterday, he was asked by a counselor if he ever had a moment in his life

when he had gone hungry or something.  He thought for a moment and the

realization came to him.  He remembered as a child, being poor and on

food stamps --

but no unhappy memories came.

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Then he remembered answering the door to find boxes of food left

on their doorstep.

He and his family never knew who those people were, but each of their

lives were blessed.... but that's not where this story ends...

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The really neat thing was that their lives were not just changed

momentarily--but those feelings of love would live on.

And even though he was just a child, those random acts of

kindness touched and changed the course of this young man's life.

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You never know how powerful those little acts of kindness can be!

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Just had to share--have a wonderful day! 

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xox

Laurie

Enjoy the video and...

If ya like it, PIN IT :)  thx!

I actually LOVE cloth diapering, especially knowing that what's going next to my baby's skin is totally safe!

Some people think they are too much hassel, but not having blow-outs and not dealing with many diaper rashes makes it a lot easier to me--but best of all, I'm not exposing my baby to dangerous chemicals either! :)

So watch the video and please let me know if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions--let's discuss!

xo

Tiffany

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Just signing in....

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Hahaha--look at the scarf (on the manniquin below), doesn't it look like a massive hair "boof", lol!

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Awwwwwe baaaby :)  

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Super cute food decorating ideas below--have to remember these--

Pinning them for sure!  

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Topiary PIN

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Cabbage Bowl PIN

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YAY!!  Here are some pics we took at the blogger meetup at the Soel Boutique, which was a lot of fun!  

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We didn't get many pics, too busy (okay, yeah, talking :) but we're happy to share the few that we did get, which include our little mascot :) awwww so cute!

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We met a lot of cute bloggers--sorry we only got a few pictures :(  booo!  There was great shopping, swag, healthy food and great company... can't wait til the next one! =)  But they had the cutest decorations and food displays that we thought you might like too...so anyway, please enjoy!

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xoxo

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laurie & tiffany

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.If you like it, PIN IT

No, not drunk--I don't even drink, lol!  Just being silly, having a little fun and doing what girls do :)

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Channing tatum was a stripper !?! shhh its our little secret!
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QUESTIONS!

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?
2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with?
3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?
4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?
5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?
6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?
7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift?

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