I was supposed to work, but it got cancelled last minute. Then I was to go see P's daughter's costume and on to Joey's Halloween bash = but NO. I was exhausted and knew I had a wedding the next day as well as a big party on Sunday at my mom's to help with.
So I stayed in. And I didn't even have 1 trick or treater. Not even one. So instead I will post some pics from other years and costume jobs to commemorate Halloween and what everyone else in America was doing: dressing up and having a silly, fun time :)
Let me preface this with saying I am still undecided about my vote - a blog on that hopefully will follow this week. But my big brother Gabe sent this fun and nostalgic-filled video from actor/director Ron Howard. We grew up on his shows and I really think they should bring back reruns of "Happy Days" :) Good ol' 1950s Americana...
fun and quick to check it out - and god bless him and his toupees, work it out!
My Aunt Peggy called my parents early this morning to tell them, "Elsa fell out of our paper today"...
Indeed, I am proud to know that our local paper the San Diego Union Tribune lasted long enough to be able to publish the gorgeous Fashion pull-out in today's Sunday paper. Hired along with fellow San Diego Model Management model, the pixie-ish Natalie, we were informed that significant importance was being placed on our pull-out as the paper is going under and they are trying to see if a glossy (not messy ink print) fashion section could help revive it. No pressure, hehehe. :P
With a significant budget allowed on this project we had, not 1, but two UT photographers K.C. Alfred and Chrissy Pascual shooting sometimes simultaneously on the project. Also present was our hair and makeup stylist Emily Holiday from Salon Bordeaux, writer Nina Garin, her editor Michele and various production assistants.
Shot just over a month ago on a sweltering day at the popular boutique Ivy Hotel downtown - we shot in various locations including the rooftop pool bar, the restaurant and the downstairs disco club.
Clothes were all pulled from Bloomingdale's and included Prada,Mahnolo Blanik shoes (my first time modeling those, gay snap to that!) and more. The point was to showcase fashion that can be purchased locally and worn here in beautiful San Diego.
I always appreciate any work and was especially pleased to do an editorial spread as San Diego is a 'print modeling' town more than anything. I either mostly do that or runway.
Many thanks to Nina Garin, from the UT, for her hard work, and for hiring me (and this was before the shoot where we discovered we graduated only a year apart with similar friends back at Bonita Vista High School - go Barons!) and also thanks to my agent Linda Comer - for almost 10 years of managing me here in San Diego - bravi, ladies, bravissimi..
++ The top link is a 3 minute video from the UT online page - where they mentioned Natalie by name but NOT yours truly - poor elsamart hehehe. Hopefully I will be able to scan the actual pictures and publish them here on the blog eventually - I need to find a professional scanning place with a large scanning bed as regular ones won't fit our massive cover and ensuing fashion pictorial...
This was from the summer, but I am barely getting it posted. That said, I am tickled that in my ever-evolving part-time career in modeling I added a couple fine jewelry clients to my roster.
This may mean nothing to you - and it shouldn't really as people are starving and dying in the world - but as amusement I post it because if you know me you know I have no use for expensive things and also I do not have exceptionally beautiful hands to model fine rings. In fact, I have the hands of a child - they are that small - in fact about the size of a 10 year old - not a woman of 36! I also can't afford to get my nails done, and I keep them short anyway for playing the piano. So like I said, I do not have exceptionally beautiful hands or an especially elongated neck to model necklaces. I do have great ears, small and delicate, with good lobes, for earrings, I am told heheheh. Phew!
Enough self-deprecation! I must have had something that inspired them to hire me, right? he he he. This particular job was for Tiffany's in Fashion Valley. My gorgeous young accompanying model was Aviva. I must admit that high-end jewelry is the biggest waste of money in the world to me. I do not say it to offend friends and readers who value such things, but I just couldn't spend so much money on baubles when I can help someone through a charity or autistic research.
We had 3 jewelry changes each and I felt nervous wearing things of such monetary value. We also had to have a security guard stand with us the whole time and follow us if we walked around to show the pieces. My last change was a milliondollars in total of jewels - that is a whole lotta pesos and pretty insane to comprehend when you have been poor your whole life. I played the part, though - smiling graciously, posing for the pictures and letting admirers and potential rich Mexican clientle touch and ask questions about each piece.
Truly....it's another world that I could never live in. And to be honest, some of it looks no different to my untrained eye than 'fake' jewelry that I buy for less than 50 bucks at some Hillcrest boutique....sigh.
Again, I am very backlogged - or back-blogged, I should say. Here are some photos from 1.5 weeks ago at my reunited trip to Los Angeles with Patrick.
You may have read we attended an unforgettable and unique concert of the shoe-gazing genre group, "My Bloody Valentine" in Santa Monica on October 1. We had barely enough time to check into our charming (but not cheap) hotel, The Venice Beach Suites, before going to the concert. The hotel was fabulous - right on the famous boardwalk. I imagine during the summer months it must be jumping with noise. We were there on a quiet Wednesday night in the Fall, so we didn't quite have the ambiance that I think P was looking for in order to take pictures - but more on that later.
We simultaneously 'ohh'd and 'awww'd upon entering our room with real brick walls, a cute archway leading to the tiny kitchenette and mini fridge, a free bottle of Chianti wine and a darling old-fashioned heater in the corner next to the bed.
Back from the concert (I already blogged about that) we both scrambled to get pictures of that heater especially hehehe. A swell room, and yes, upon checking out we did take the complimentary bottle with us :)
Bright and early the next morning we arose to walk around and take pictures. If you read my blog at all or know us, you ought to know by now that Patrick is really learning wonderful skills as a photographer. You can click on his Flickr photo link to the right hand side of my blog to check out some of his work.
Patrick has invested in some serious equipment in the past 1.5 years. If you want a laundry list of the several cameras and lenses he has, again, I say go to his Flickr profile where he lists what he has - I guess that is what the pros do on Flickr photosite.
That said, with said equipment and having just finished a 2 month photo class at UCSD, he is even better than before. I know he was hoping to get some great subject material in the interesting people that inhabit the Boardwalk and beach, but it was so early and midweek we didn't quite get what we both wanted. It also was extremely bright - not great for lighting purposes. That said, P finally got to spend time in Venice with the liberals and likes of star Angelica Huston walking her dog right next to us (I had to point it out, of course - because he won't admit it, but he gets a little starstruck - I tease, P, well-kinda).
Afterwards we drove up to and walked around the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica as well as the famous Pier. Back in my days of living in LA and pursuing acting, I used to love the Promenade - always full of life, great shopping, and people-watching, and then a sunset walk at the top of the cliffs overlooking the ocean and pier. Since this is a journal of my life, first and foremost I admit remembering that the Promenade was the location of my first date with my boyfriend of 10 years ago or so - Mark, the writer/publicist - where we shared an umbrella and dashed romantically through the rain to grab our first drink and dinner together. The Promenade was also the sight of a not-too-proud moment of mine where while overlooking the famous ocean view from the cliffs, I broke up with writer/director/producer/actor Rick N. - my Hollywood connection and the reason I learned that even sweet Elsa from Bonita, California could move up to hard LA and try a career in Hollywood. Sadly, I broke up with him when I finally DID move up there - he would have been an amazing contact and relationship for me to have career-wise had I been raised to use people hehehe. So many stories I have to tell of the few that meant something in my life... sigh - one day I will get it all down on here... Come to think of it I have 100s of pages typed and printed out meticuously about Mark and Rick - hahaha such is how I used to do it in the old days... :)
Click on my slideshow below and see my pics using P's expensive real camera, his Canon digital!! And then go on his site and see some real photography :P
I like to tease. My family teases each other a lot. I tease those I love. Let that segue to my Love: P. Republican. Conservative. Possibly brain-washed from his 21 years in the Military. He went to the NCLR Republican convention in San Diego a couple months ago and shook his nominee's hand, shouting, "I'm With YOU, John!" He is a card-holding supporter of the McCain campaign. My guy has taught me mucho about the Party.
Shoot - he even has an 8x10 picture of McCain and Palin held up by a magnet on his fridge - right next to a pic of his photogenic daughter and dog.
Well, 2 weeks ago we went to Venice Beach in Los Angeles (you may have read my blog about going to the My Bloody Valentine concert at nearby Santa Monica.)
Venice is uber liberal and I have pics and a blog yet to write about it all - stay tuned.
Until then - enjoy this hilarious pic of P playing the good sport!! :P
It's another big round number for 'Flaka' - the youngest of our college roommies who turned a fabulous 35 yesterday - - Jenn is unavailable for comment as she is a paralegal and has learned that on myspace, facebook, blogs, etc - "What one says CAN and WILL be used in court" hehehe..
Thank you, to my small, but significant international loyal readers of my life journal. You've heard me mention clicking on those silly banners and google ads to the top, right and bottom of my blog before (click here)- I actually earn money from those advertisers - albeit pennies, nickles and dimes at first - it really adds up.
Last week I hit another $100 milemark which is when they cut a check out to you. At this point in 3 years of having my blog I've averaged about $120 a year but considering I'm not really trying to entertain at this point, and just use this as a journal, expression of freedom and photo album of my life - I am tickled that anyone reads it all much less that I earn any advertising dollars from it.
P's daughter, Ciara, turned 10 on Friday. The lucky gal got to celebrate her birthday all weekend with a half-day at school on Friday with movies and fun with her school frends; a party at Coronado Bay on Saturday AND another party all day at her tio's house in Bonita today. Whew! That's a lot of soda and junk food - :P
These pictures are all from Sunday as I couldn't stay long in Coronado due to my work schedule. Besides I mostly wanted to play with the kids on the jungle gym and swing and help my niece, Ariela, show off her new gymnastics moves to Ciara.
The party today was straight out of Ciara's favorite show, "George Lopez Show" - I joked to Patrick. Today consisted of the Mexican side of the family from Ciara's mom, Linda. Complete with Jumpee for the kids, pinata, beer for the adults (I prefer a mixed cocktail or margarita myself), flan and spicy chicken wings (no, thanks, but P loves 'em!) and background boombox playing hip hop and latin oldies - it really was like the George Lopez show hehehe!
Patrick even brought Fred-the-Basset who is very social and loves hanging around people, begging for food, catching any crumbs, barking loudly to demand attention and, overall, getting in everyones business... A special weekend, on a special occasion for a special girl :) I couldn't ask for a more pleasant way to top off the special week I already had with her daddy..
Patrick bought tickets months ago to the My Bloody Valentine concert in Los Angeles that occured October 1 and 2. I will admit that although I had heard a couple of their songs on KCRW 98.9FM National Public Radio in Los Angeles and on late night Big Sonic Chill on 94.9FM here in San Diego - I had never really followed them.
No longer. Once I knew I was going to this concert with the band that has a great punk-sounding name and has been on P's Myspace for a year or so - I began to research them and bought their last 2 cds.
Turns out they are now definitely one of my favorites in my huge, eclectic taste of music - ranging from opera to punk. A little background - they are a Dublin band that formed in 1984 with 2 Irish gents and 2 British gals. Their heyday was the early 90s when they became known as one of the original 'shoegazing' genre - speaks for itself..
The band disbanded for about 10 years and then reunited last year with the announcement of a small North American tour - of course we were going to go see them - even driving to smelly LA - was worth it as the fact that they reunited after so long prompted fans coming out of the woodwork with lamentations posted on their myspace page akin to, "I wish you were coming to Vegas (Connecticut, Des Moines, etc), I've waited my whole life to see you.."What made this concert extremely interesting and memorable for me as we listened, captivated, by the sound display was just that: the sound. These are musicians, creators, artist and writers. They are NOT performers. Think about what I am saying. Anyone with a recording label contract nowadays (especially in the USA), are prepped, pimped and made-over to be extremely photogenicperformers- - Even if they only churn out one #1 hit and a heavily-played video on MTV and VH1. Don't get me wrong - I can appreciate a really good performer, and usually most lead vocalists of a band have the ego and hunger for it. But this show, at the Santa Monica Civic Theater, was unlike anything I'd seen before.
I had even remarked to P on our drive up about how interested I was in seeing what they pull off, because they are a recording studio artist band - their "sound" consists of multi-layered guitars, warped, dreamlike synthesizer chords all bent-pitches and distorted. How on earth were they going to pull that off in a live concert?? Well, I will admit that listening to them live doesn't do their music justice. And the band knows it, from some of the quotes we've heard them say on tour. They evidently hate going on tour because they know that their recording sound is almost impossible to reproduce live.
That said, it was amazing and otherworldly-like. I'd never gone to a 'shoegazing' band before - they literally stare down the whole time at the floor, barely acknowledge each other much less the audience. They are not showy or performers, talkative or selling their personality, good looks, dance skills, or even their singing skills - as they treat the vocal line secondary to the music. Even on the cds it is very difficult to pick out the words they are singing about - pity, because they are poetic and moody (just how I like them) but you would need to really follow along with the printed lyrics to make them out.
The vocals are switched back and forth or sometimes dueted by Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher (evidently an item for some time who broke up DURING the recording of the appropriately named last album in 1992, "Loveless" --- ahh nothing like your heart completely trashed to bring out the best in an artist of any genre - sigh :P ).
Back to the concert, the light show was amazing, blinding, again - it wasn't about putting spotlights on the 4 members - they wanted to be incognito, hidden behind the sound of music they created. Most artists are such ego maniacs that it was amazing to see the band literally shrouded in dark, moody lighting with heads turned down.
Another notable concert fact is that this band evidently broke the Guinness Book of World Records for 'Loudest Band' live. Amazing, because although they really rock on some of their songs, they all tend to be moody and dreamlike. You'd think a screaming heavy metal band would win top honors, but what it is, is that MBV uses a lot of reverberated, crunch chords with the warped tones that swing momentarily out of pitch - creating an amazing dreamlike, spiritual and ethereal sound that you can physically feel resonate on inside on on your persona.
They are loud because you actually FEEL their music and the dissonance created at times made our hair stand up on our arms - I am not kidding! The last 22 minutes (yes - 22!!) of the concert was a "Wall of Sound" - they essentially just played 'white noise' - toneless and full of vibrations so loudly that they actually pass out earplugs (a concert staple for me in any case) at the door because they can really mess up one's hearing doing that. It went on so long that I honestly felt like I was 'tripping' out over the music and going to a different place. (There were some puffs of marijuana clouds coming from the alternative crowd - so I KNOW some people were literally: tripping.)
Patrick held onto me from behind - we were standing about 10 rows back - and it was as if we were traveling to another dimension. I cannot do it justice - cannot put words to it - it was something one cannot imagine unless being there.No encore, no other songs - just that last Wall of Sound. Those who thought they were too cool, and didn't wear their earplugs were witnessed leaving painfully holding their ears and looking miserable. But if you could stand it - it was well worth it. I will most likely never experience a concert like this again in my life.
Ahh yet another pretty unqiue and memorable experience to share with my own 'bloody valentine', eh ??? :P
Yesterday I took a deep breath and really breathed for the first time in 5 weeks. There is Power in Prayer, ya'll... plus a little determination, awareness, faith, forgiveness and self=responsibility thrown in there doesn't hurt :)
