I forgot to add.....

Something happened recently at a show-- actually after a show -- that kind of upset me, and I thought I would share, since this is a blog about being the wife of a performer, and what happened is very much about being the wife of a performer.

I'm often asked if I mind other women paying attention to Kenny, getting their pics taken with him, or even the odd attempt at flirting with him--- and the answer is, no, I don't mind.  It's just a fact of life for a performer, especially a good one, who happens to be pretty cute.  I have an amazing marriage, and a husband who makes sure I know how much he loves me, so I don't have a reason to be bothered by it.  After most shows, Kenny likes to come out to say "hi" to people, and let them know that he appreciates them coming to see him perform.  I'm happy to wait off to the side, or jump in and take a picture for someone if they want-- again, it's part of this life we live, and it is actually fun and something we look forward to -- I love seeing people value what Kenny does; I think he is amazing, and like it when other people feel the same.  Which is why I was so surprised by my reaction to what happened one recent evening after the show. 

At a certain point you just get tired, and you have to wait around while the band tears down and loads up their gear.  On a good night, we are all going to grab a bite to eat afterwards (and I say good, because I LOVE when we get to hang out with the band peeps after a show) before heading home.  On this particular night, it was going to be a really long drive home, during which I would be doing the driving.  So we get to the restaurant but aren't seated yet, and there are several different groups of people leaving the restaurant who saw the show, and stopped to say how much they enjoyed it -- super nice of them, and I know the guys love hearing it -- but you also can maybe see that at this point they have had time to eat and are on their way home, and we aren't even seated yet (and the gear isn't completely torn down and loaded into cars yet, so we still have a long night ahead of us).  Again, it was really nice of them to extend their appreciation, and I encourage anyone reading this that it means a lot to the guys when you voice your enjoyment of the show, even if it's late, so feel free to say hello and that you thought it was a great show -- I in no way want to discourage you from coming over to chat for a bit.  But please, don't do what the last group did -- come to our table as soon as we sit down, go around to each person in our group (including the other wife that they apparently had met before) and voice your appreciation, and then step around the other wife, without even a "hello" or acknowledgement that the wife is sitting there, and move on to the person on the other side of her (aka the husband) and then continue on to the rest of the band members, chatting with each of them.  This is guaranteed to make the ONE person you treated as invisible feel horrible.  Trust me, we get enough of feeling invisible as it is and although we are happy to be on the sidelines for the most part---we do NOT enjoy it when we are sitting down to eat and are finally at that point in the evening when we get to just enjoy each others company.  If the show was that awesome, and you really want to express that to the band while they are about to dine, please do, but don't be rude to those in the band's life -- we are the ones usually at home taking care of the kids while the guys are out shining on stage, and if we get to go out for a show, we want to enjoy our time with them too.  We don't need you to gush over us, but at least give us the courtesy of a "hello" and treat us like we are people too.

OK, off my soap box now.  And to the many, many people who have been so gracious to me and the other wives over the years -- you are the bomb!! 

I wish I was better at posting, lol

Wow -- where has the summer gone??  It has been crazy busy for me, between putting in 14 hour days for about 6 weeks prepping for a convention I sell at in July, and then going to loads of shows with Kenny and stuff with the girls.

When I started this blog, I initially planned on making it more fashion/makeup oriented, but have realized that it gets too hectic to take pics before the show, especially if I want to take a pic of myself, lol.  Getting pictures of Kenny during the show, no problem; a fully ready shot of myself before the show, never happens.  So I will just go with it and post whatever seems relevant in the moment.

The kids are starting school again, as of today, and two are off to college in the upcoming weeks, so I hope to do better at posting.  Kenny and I will be going on a trip to the Philippines for a couple of weeks in October, and I hope to post regularly during that trip -- although the show schedule is pretty intense.  Really looking forward to visiting this beautiful country.

So where have we been lately, and what fun have we had??  Let's see. A few weeks back we were at the Mission San Juan Capistrano and then this past weekend we were at Pala Casino with the amazing band, The Long Run.  These guys always put on a great show, and the turnout was fantastic.  I was super happy that some friends of mine made it out and got to see Kenny perform for the first time!!  Because I had friends there, I opted not to take pictures during the show, except for a couple I snagged from my seat -- wouldn't you know it that I got a few of the best concert pics I've ever taken??!!  These are unaltered (ie, not enhanced via Photoshop) other than the addition of a watermark

 

This Saturday, we will be back at the Mission for a performance by Kenny's Chicago Experience band -- really looking forward to that one, as the Mission is such a beautiful venue.  Tickets are sold out, and there isn't even a seat for me, so I will be taking loads of pictures.  The week after that, The Long Run will be at the Canyon Club in Calabasas, where I will also be snapping away with the camera.

Argghh

It has been a while since I have posted  -- and I don't even have a proper post ready today, but hope to get one together soon, mostly about my opinions on the IMATS products, now that I've used them regularly.

I have been super busy with college stuff for my oldest daughter, and have missed the last few shows Kenny  has done due to being out of town on campus visits.  It also dawned on me, during the last show I attended, that many times it is just too hectic to take photos before the show, and sometimes too late to do it after.  When I started this blog, I had thought it would feature a little more about what outfits or makeup I wore to a show, but I think maybe it won't be so much!  I'm thinking about doing a post that is a "day in the life" to show what a show day is like from our perspective.  So next time there is a venue that allows me to be present for the soundcheck, and pre-show stuff, maybe I will do that kind of post.

February Slow Down and Josie Maran

It is looking to be a quiet month for me in terms of going to shows, so I will be focusing on getting some product reviews done instead.  Not that I really have any ready for you right now, lol.

At a recent gathering, I did get to try a fabulous sunscreen from the Josie Maran line: the 40 spf Moisturizer.  Of course, it's not currently available, as Josie tells me with a smile that it is being revamped.  I'm already a huge fan of her Whipped Argon Oil in Vanilla Apricot, so am anxious to try the new sunscreen when it is released.  It smelled heavenly, and absorbed beautifully with no greasy residue.  I hate how most sunscreens feel on my skin, so really loved how this one felt, and honestly, the scent was intoxicating.  I wanted to eat it, lol.  And, it kept my skin from burning after being out in the sun for several hours with only one application

I used the Whipped Argon Oil before my boudoir shoot last year (and again this year!) after every shower for about a month so that my skin would be well hydrated in the photos.  (Yeah, dry patchy skin does not look so great in sexy photos, imagine that.)  The scent is a bit stronger than the sunscreen, has a bit of a sharper quality, but I still like it.  It also absorbs beautifully, and leaves your skin feeling supple and luscious.  Unfortunately, Kenny has now discovered it, so my stash is rapidly depleting. 

There are numerous other products in her line that I'm interested in trying soon.  I know that Josie is passionate about the quality and sustainability of the ingredients she uses in her products, which just makes me even more interested in using them, as I am also trying to live a more green lifestyle.

Do you have a favorite JM product?  I would love to hear about your experiences with the line.

Busy Week Recap

The last week absolutely flew by -- last post I was just getting ready to leave for the Whisky A Go Go, and now it is 2 shows and a Super Bowl party later, lol. I wish I had more photos to share, but sometimes photo ops are a little hard to come by, or maybe it's suitable light that is hard to come by?
First up is the show at the Whisky -- happily I was able to get dressed in the bathroom at the venue (strangely, neither of the band dressing rooms have doors) and put my makeup on in the dressing room. That was a challenge. The walls are painted black, there are only a couple narrow mirrors not set up for makeup application, and very little light (and what there is has a strong yellow cast). I imagine most guys in a band don't notice these things, but all of us ladies certainly did, lol.
Soundcheck was a bit different for this show, because the guys also had to do a rehearsal for the taping, with a much more structured set up than a regular concert would have. It was interesting to watch, and I was really glad that I didn't have to try and remember all the little details that go into making a smooth televised concert. I managed to sneak in a few shots of the guys before the show -- loved catching Kenny getting spruced up -- they had a makeup artist to do some stage makeup for the guys, which helps when you're going to be on HD tv.

The performance was great-- and the floor was jam-packed with people. I was very glad I had a table in the upstairs loft area that they had set up for VIPs. (In this case, that means friends and family of the band, as well as other musicians who have been on the show, and I imagine some production people as well. David Spade and Amy Adams were even in attendance that night!) Visibility from up there isn't great, but not having to stand in a crush of people and still be able to enjoy the music was a huge perk to me. I was bummed that my friends were not on the VIP list, so they were downstairs for the show, but, after the show Kenny sweet talked the bouncer at the VIP entrance to let them come upstairs to celebrate my birthday -- he even arranged with one of the other band wives to get me birthday cake!! It was embarrassing and wonderful to be the center of all that attention, lol. Definitely made me feel special.  A few of the TLR ladies decided to try the photobooth before we left -- wish I'd remember that sooner and gotten one with Kenny!

All the guys and wives decided to go out for food afterwards (none of them ate much of the pizza that was provided before the show --- I think Kenny had been served pizza 5 out of 6 nights that week, because every venue seems to just order pizza. I guess it hasn't dawned on them that singers tend not to eat dairy before a show, and that pizza gets old, very old, when that's all there ever is). We went to the Rainbow, which was a block or two away and easy walking distance. Won't be in a big hurry to go back there again, lol. They win the award for worst service EVER. Took 20 minutes for a waitress to come give us menus, then it seemed she would never bring the food. Once the food did arrive, it came for one person. Seriously. About 15-20 minutes later, our food came (with a coffee we didn't order but that did show up on the bill, and no salad dressing on my salad), but the last guys food did not come. He had to ask for them to bring it. I had to ask for salad dressing, two or three times. Some of our peeps at the next table were having the same experience. The water I asked for at the beginning of the meal came at the end. Thank heavens this is such a fun group of people to hang with, because we didn't need good service to have a good time! And, at least the food was good when it finally did show up. We didn't get home until about 3:15 and we were all wiped out the next day.

Here are some videos on Youtube promoting the show, and fan reaction afterwards:

This last weekend Kenny had another show with The Long Run at Pala Casino near San Diego. I had a baby shower to go to that afternoon, so Kenny drove down with one of the guys and I came later after sitting in massive traffic for three hours. Sigh. Sometimes LA sucks. One of my girlfriends who lives in SD came up and met me for dinner, which was so great. The show was very energetic -- the crowd was huge, and I heard they had about 100 people who couldn't get into the venue, so they had to watch from the casino bar that is at the edge of the showroom. Nice! There is a real connection between the energy of the band, and the energy of the audience. If the audience comes ready to have a good time, the band draws from that, and the show is even better. It's like a continuous loop of positive momentum between them that just makes for an incredible show.

We had some delish Mexican food with the band afterwards -- Pala has a small Mexican eatery called Amigos with decent food -- not gourmet, but reasonably priced and tasty, with good wait staff. Works for me, and the margarita I got there was better than the one from the bar inside the showroom. I was doing the happy dance that Kenny had decided to book a room in Fallbrook that night, rather than doing the 3 hour drive home. You can not imagine how much it sucks to make a long drive like that after a full day. Literally, we left the house at 11, it's a three hour drive, then you unpack the gear, set it up, do soundcheck, grab a bite, get dressed, do the show, visit with some fans, tear down the gear and pack up. If you're lucky, you're ready to leave the venue by 11:30-midnight. It's the worst part of being a musician or one of the wives, and is a big reason why I go along to as many shows as I do-- want to help keep him awake and get home safe. A motel room is a much nicer way to end the evening!

Posted with Blogsy

So excited -- tonight Kenny is performing live on AXS tv's "World's Greatest Tribute Bands" with The Long Run. We are hitting the road in a few minutes, and I have no idea if I'll be dressing in our car, or get a chance to horn in on the dressing room while the guys are sound checking -- obviously hoping for the second option, lol.

I made a top to wear tonight, of deep navy blue heavy weight silk charmeuse. It looks better on the hanger I think, :-/ but oh well, it's what I'm wearing, because the color looks fantastic with the crearm and silver GbyGuess pants I'm wearing -- super cool skinny jeans with a tapestry style metallic silver print. Can't see it in the pic very well, but don't have time to adjust the pic now. Also wearing a great crystal necklace and my Aldo sandals that I got for a steal in Vegas --$10!!! After tax, lol. Love it when I find a great deal like that.

If you get AXS tv, be sure to tune in at 8pm PST and watch the show!! As always, comments welcome!

IMATS Sigma and NYX

One booth I hadn't planned specifically on visiting was Sigma -- and it had a crazy long line, so I'm still not sure why I decided to get in the line, other than it's one of those companies that doesn't sell locally (in fact, they pretty much just sell online -- there are a few retail stores that carry them, but they are few and far between). 

I really don't like ordering a product I've never tried before online.  I mean really, who wants to pay shipping for something that you have no idea whether you will be happy with it in a general sense?  If it's a company you have other products from that you love, then that's a bit different -- but a company that you've never, ever even laid eyes on an actual product?  I'm not so inclined to spend that extra money.  For kicks I checked shipping on a $9 eyeliner -- the cheapest option was $6.35 -- that's coming close to doubling the price of that eyeliner, which means I hit the back button and don't buy online.  And if I'm trying a company for the first time, I don't order oodles of stuff so no free shipping for spending over a certain amount.  This is not to say that I have any reason to doubt the quality of Sigma -- I've heard consistently good things about the line, so I actually did want to try it.  I think that is why I got in that crazy long line.  It went along the wall from one end of the booth all they way down past about 4, maybe 5 more booths, then out into the lobby and down towards the door leading outside (this is where we got in line) and then right after we got in line, it went outside and started snaking along out there.  Never looked to see how bad it got. 

A very cool thing Sigma did was have big shopping bags you could grab, and inside was a free travel size E25 blending brush, a sample card with 10 eyeshadows, and a sample card with 2 quad brow samples.  Nice!  Actually the only freebie I got at IMATS.  There was also a brochure detailing all the products that were available in the booth, with regular and show pricing.  So while waiting in line, chatting with other attendees, we got to do a little "shopping".  I did have my daughter stay in line, while I went up to the back side of the booth where they had actual product laid out for swatching.  Also while waiting in line, as we got closer to the actual booth, we could see TiffanyD taking pics with fans in a little meet and greet they had set up. She looked fantastic, and just seemed super nice and friendly.

I ended up selecting two cream shadow bases (not primers -- you use them over primer and they help your shadow pop more, as well as last a bit longer, at least they do on my eyes) and a blush.  I got Persuade (a nude) and Pose (bronzy brown color) in the shadow bases, and Serene in the blush, which is a brick color with pink tones.  I was not able to get really accurate shots of the colors, even with post-editing tweaks.  The Pose color is the closest to looking like the actual product, which is just a bit more shimmery in hand.  I have used everything at least twice this week, and I'm really pleased with the cream bases.  I don't have oily lids, so my experience will be more relevant to those that have similar skin type.  The base gave better stick to my eyeshadows, and also the shadow looked great all day.  I had no creasing whatsoever.  I used the same shadow yesterday without the base, and it actually didn't last as long, so definitely happy with the base. 

Persuade -- less pink, leans more pale brown in hand. 

Pose

Persuade is completely nude on my skin, and creates a nice canvas on my lids, completely covering any red or blue tones in my skin.  Pose could actually be worn alone in a pinch, a very flattering color on me.  Application is smooth, and the product is very light weight.  I've had problems with other bases I've tried (especially NYX) looking cakey or unflattering due to my aging skin.  The Sigma bases work beautifully without any unattractive effect  - better even than the one MAC Paint Pot I have (Vintage Selection -- gorgeous color).  A word on packaging.  Hmmmm.  It looks really cool -- sort of futuristic and artsy.  But for a person who travels, and wants to fit a fair amount of stuff in a small bag, I hate the extra large size of the jar.  The actual amount of product is quite small for the size of the container.  This is not a complaint on how much product there is -- it's a standard amount comparable to other brands, the large container is just a waste of my limited space, both in my makeup drawer and in my suitcase.  I do like the little extra interior cap to help keep it from drying out.  We will see if it works.

 Serene: more brown-tones in person

The blush is nice.  It's a bit more orangy-brown than I thought at the show -- but it looks good on me, and a little bit goes a long way.  Blends well and is a matte product.  I'm not one to go on and on about blush -- it's an after thought product for me.  Maybe someday I will find the blush that sparks a vivid response.

I have not tried any of the free sample products other than the E25 brush, which I love.  Makes me wish I had grabbed an extra bag, but I was good and only took my fair share so that others had a chance to get one as well.  It was very tempting though, lol.

I didn't get much at NYX, mostly because it's not a favored brand for me.  I like some of their products, like the Jumbo eyeshadow pencils, so I grabbed two of those  - one in gold and one in black for a look I want to try.  I also grabbed a sharpener, since I don't have one for the jumbo pencils.  They actually had a very large booth, with loads of product displayed.  I would have spent more time looking, since it was a lot of product that would certainly not be available to me at home, but I was really sticking to my list, and in order to not go over budget, it was better to just not look. 

Have you ever tried Sigma?  I would love to hear your thoughts on what you do and do not like in the line.  How about NYX?  What's your go to NYX product??