Klainebows for everyone!

I know I'm a week late on this but I've been really busy at work so I finally have time to talk about what we Gleeks have been waiting for since Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and led him down Dalton's halls to sing Teenage Dream...



I had been waiting for that moment for longer than Kurt has (probably) and it finally came! I had seen the spoiler boards and rumor mills working overtime trying to convince me it was coming soon but I refused to believe it because it was one of those things that you want so badly to happen and Ryan Murphy knows how badly you want it but he's going to keep it from you until you least expect it, so I tossed all the rumors aside - even when I talked to my Glee insider. He hinted there was something in Tuesday's episode that would make me cry but he didn't tell me it was the Klaine kiss!



I have been waiting FOREVER for these two to kiss not only because Kurt has had a crush on Blaine since he got to know him and see him as a positive gay role model in his life but because of the way they looked at each other every time they saw each other. You had to be blind to NOT see the sparks between them. I mean, they practically had hearts in their eyes when they exchanged glances - even though Blaine tried courting another guy.



So there it was - my Klaine kisses happening right before my eyes and there I was on my couch, crying like a proud Mama.

Those weren't the only tears, either.

New Directions STOLE the competition at Regionals with their two original songs (that were pretty good, I must say) but I cried - not for the Dalton rendition of Candles but the Dalton rendition of Raise Your Glass. I know: nerd alert, BUT it was kind of perfect to wrap up Kurt and Blaine's new found relationship, kind of. It was so sweet!

New Directions winning also brought on the tears. I was so proud of them! They did such a great job and it was a nice "Fuck You" to Sue, who has been trying to bring them down for SO LONG.

Unfortunately Glee is on a month-long hiatus working on new stuff to close out the season and I've been seeing some thangs in the rumor mill and Chris Colfer relayed something at PaleyFest about a Kurt story line that make Ryan Murphy give Chris the "BITCH, YOU SAID WHAT" face. It was hilarious but Chris was right, "Like we didn't already know"...



I guess I have enough time to find more Glee goodies via the internet but I won't go looking too hard for it - I don't want to spoil the WHOLE THING for myself. I do like surprises after all.

Klainebows for everyone!
Love,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.

Katzi's Pink Hair Journey

Anyone who knows me in person knows that I've been trying to get my hair pink.

It all started with The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Yes, it sounds crazy but it's true. My favourite housewife Kandi had this really pretty reddish colour on the top of her head and I said to myself, "I want that", so I went to the nearest Sally's, got some 40VOL bleach and Manic Panic's Pillarbox Red - thinking it was the least offensive colour I could put in. But I started in the wrong place: my bangs.

I called these my "Rogue Stripes"

After I was all bleached and dyed, I was taken back to the 90's when EVERYONE was dyeing their bangs. Ugh. It looked cute but...it's not the freakin' 90's anymore! So I went back to the lab (aka the bathroom) and bleached out the rest of the top of my head. Boy did that come out strange. My hair bleaches funky, too. It never really bleaches out yellow-blond, it always comes out orange. What's a girl to do?! Cover it with more dye! This time, I bit the bullet and bought Manic Panic's Hot Hot Pink. But for some reason, my mind kept telling me not to buy it but I couldn't remember why...until I watched a majority of the colour I had just put in my hair wash down the drain - my hair and Manic Panic DO NOT get along.


So I was stuck. Stuck with having to dye my hair every week or so with runny Manic Panic.

Then, a lovely pink-haired goddess appeared on my Tumblr dash. Model/tattoo artist/ painter/makeup artist and all-around sweetheart Kelly Eden.


Her hair was THE glorious pink that had been eluding me since I was 15 years old. How? How did she do it?

Not only is she super talented but she's a sweetheart! Ask her any question and she'll help you out as best as she can. She ended up as my main inspiration for my hair colour.

Through the loved and hated "Ask" feature on Tumblr, Kelly is sweet enough to answer tons of questions about her art, hair and lifestyle. I keep a tight watch on her "Asks" because that's where I get most of my information about how to maintain and manage this kind of hair. I know that makes me sound creepy but don't judge me! If I had been left to my own searches, I wouldn't be as productive. Thankfully, Kelly is kind enough to share her wonderful hair secrets - which not a lot of people are happy to do, surprisingly enough - and because of her, I know what to look for, how to keep it pretty and what to ask when I pop into my local Sally's.

So the task became: what do I do to get my colour evened out? I stupidly went and bleached more of my hair and all it did was damage it so I buckled down and made an appointment at the Paul Mitchell School in Atlanta.

Why a hair school? A few reasons:
1. The girl who used to cut my hair at Toni & Guy graduated from PM
2. Onisha suggested Vidal Sassoon hair school but PM kept popping up in all my searches
3. Why not a hair school? They'll be supervised by teachers
4. It's cheap!

So I made the appointment and made sure I said, "My hair is really damaged and it's a really uneven reddish orange brownish mess". Unphased, the girl on the other end made my appointment and that was that.

When I showed up on Saturday, I got a weird look from unsuspecting Emily. She seemed okay with it until I said I wanted to try solid pink again but if not, we could go black. Dallas, her Learning Leader, convinced me to go pink. "By the end of the day, we'll have you walking out of here looking like Nicki Minaj!" So I said go for it! The only bleach that was happening was my roots - under the advice of another Learning Leader (I'm sorry I forgot her name), she didn't try to even out my poorly done bleach job. She said the dye would cover it all - which was fine by me.

While I sat at Emily's station letting the bleach lift the colour off my roots, I felt like I was getting weird looks from students walking by. I mean, my hair did look like it was on fire with all the reds and oranges but Dallas kept checking in and reassuring me by announcing that Nicki Minaj would be arriving soon!

As it got closer and closer to washing the bleach out, Dallas walked by and placed a bottle of Ink Works Hot Pink on the corner of the counter. Emily and I were excited. It was pretty saturated. It reminded me of Manic Panic's Hot Hot Pink - which I knew I already loved.

Then it was application time. During this process, I realized I was undergoing a transformation I hadn't thought about since my teenage years - I was going to have hair like my most favourite Anime character: Washu from a show called Tenchi Muyo!

I have been infatuated with little Washu FOREVER and I can't believe that I totally forgot about her until Emily was painting my hair. Then we started talking about Anime characters and how maybe that's what I should do on the weekend - Cosplay Washu, Jesse (from Pokemon) and another character from Pokemon that I already dressed up as before: Nurse Joy!


Perfect!

At that point, people were gawking. The most popular question was: "Where do you work? Are they okay with your hair that bright?!" And as soon as I said "Video editor" it was pretty clear that I was in the same artistic vein as them - which was great. Everyone was wonderful and super supportive. Apparently not a lot of people come to the school with crazy requests. Except for this one girl who requested an Anime-inspired hairdo for Dragon*Con last year...

Nicki had almost arrived - and everyone was excited to see the result. After a nice warm 15 minutes under the dryer and an extra 10 to cool down, it was time to rinse out the dye.


People at the sinks were "oooh-ing" and "aaah-ing". "It's so bright!" "It's so pretty!" "Great job Emily!" was all I could hear from under the freezing cold water. I couldn't wait to sit back at her station!! The moment of truth...ta-da! It was beautiful! The colour totally reminded me of MP's Hot Hot Pink but better and brighter! I couldn't wait for her to blow dry my hair! Emily kept saying it reminded her of Barbie hair and I could totally see it - it was super girly and super pink! Success!

After many years of trying (and ruining my hair), I finally learned how to maintain healthy pink hair and I gave in to going somewhere and having it done! And it looks amazing! Emily did a fantastic job and was a total doll throughout the entire 5 hour process! That plus the help of Kelly Eden will help me maintain this glorious hair! And because I've learned my lesson, I'll be going to the Paul Mitchell School to touch up my roots.

I try to be self-sufficient and try to keep my costs down but I learned the hard way that if I want pretty pink hair, I'm going to have to spend some money - and that's okay. So keep that in mind if you're going to change your look drastically. Do your research, ask around and don't be afraid to spend a little bit of money - it will all be worth it!


I think that after a few washes, it will be a light and pretty pink. Right now, it's a heavily saturated (and beautiful) magenta. No complaints here! I LOVE IT!!

Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.


Inspiration sites:
Kelly Eden
Raquel Reed
FY Crayon Hair
More Pink Please
Mrs. Donut

2011 Inspiration - The Oscars

After the Oscars, I always get into a bit of a frenzy. Seeing my heroes and a few underdogs win is a big boost in my creative thought pattern. This happens every year - so why haven't I done anything about it?

2011 is different, I feel. I had a great creative brainstorm with LB this weekend and I've been working on a mixed media costume, art thing for a certain event in May that will remain nameless until the time has come. But what of my short films? What of my editing? What of...it?

Yes, what of it indeed. Two years ago, W&B and I made a short and sent it to Sundance. It wasn't accepted but that's not the point. Where did the wind in the sails go? What happened to all that steam? I understand W&B are busy with their docs and other projects and I'm busy with work but that's no excuse for me to not pick up a camera. Why the fuck not? With all the stuff Joseph Gordon-Levitt is doing with HitRecord.org, why am I not getting more creative? I guess I'm not that great of a storyteller. My stories aren't compelling enough anymore. W did a number on my segment for our short film and I realized that I'm kinda boring. She knew just the right stuff to inject and make it a million times better. But all that aside, what's holding me back? Fear? Creativity? Ideas or lack thereof? Resources? Idea stealers? Am I ever going to get a solid crew? I want to work with W&B again but scheduling is so tough... If I don't have W&B, I'm a one-woman-crew. I haven't really worked with anyone else (except for the wonderful JD, DLM and TT in college) and I trust the crew at work (J and B are awesome) but what's holding me back? I don't know. Maybe I'll just run around and film everything - alá Thierry Guetta (but better and more organized). Maybe I'll take my half-baked ideas and actually bring them to life - good or bad. I'll make anything and everything. Provocative or plain and simple.
That mindset is working for the nameless project in May (even though I've only made 1 video with a modest 20 views) but whatever - it's a start, right?

I mean, if this guy can win an Oscar (for Best Live-Action Short 2011)...

I can get off my lazy ass and DO SOMETHING

Wow - that sounds rude. I'm sure God of Love is a wonderful short and very deserving of its Oscar. What I meant to say is that homeboy above looks all nerdy and awkward and scatterbrained and stuff - which is kinda like me - so why the hell not make a freakin' movie already?!

Sounds like a plan. This year's motto: Don't just talk about it, DO IT!

Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.

NOH8 Atlanta - The photos!

It was around 10pm on Saturday, January 15, 2011. I just so happened to be on Facebook when I saw that the OMFG Atlanta crew had posted an even with a NOH8 photo attached to it. I was intrigued, so I clicked on it and to my surprise, it was an event for the Atlanta NOH8 photo shoot that was happening the very next day! *gasp!*
I had been waiting FOREVER for Adam Bouska and crew to come to the Dirty South and do their famed NOH8 shoots. FOR-EH-VER. I even tried to convince my step-sister to got to the NYC one to represent our Moms. (She couldn't go because it was too short notice - Sorry!) So when I saw that Bouska and crew would be in town, all my Sunday plans flew out the window! (Sorry S.S.!)

My old man offered to drive me down and I convinced him to leave the house super early so that we wouldn't be there all day (which we were anyway) and it was total chaos! 30 minutes after we arrived, people started pouring in! It was amazing! Waiting around was kind of boring and I kind of wish my old man had something else to do instead of wait around for me...

I waited patiently to get my temporary face tattoo (and got cut in front of by "VIPs" numerous times) and I quietly waited to get photographed. I think I was being checked out by a few ladies - which was nice, I'll admit - and I saw a whole hell of a lot of cute boys! *_* There was also a group of nuns that were pretty much the highlight of the whole thing!


(Here they are getting tattooed and interviewed)


After my group was called, I patiently waited in yet another line that barely moved. BUT we got to see Real housewife of Atlanta Cynthia and her husband Peter - who snuck away like they were huge celebrities or something...got held up by more "VIPs" (that seemed to be the theme, unfortunately) and finally, it was time!
I waited my turn, taking off my glasses and tucked them in my purse. Then I had a few thoughts of how to make my photo better: I should've brought my protest sign that I made a few years back that read "Let my two Moms get married!", "I should've borrowed those handcuffs on the table back there...", "I should've done drag queen makeup instead", etc...

Shoulda, woulda, coulda. I was there alone, representing my Moms and that was good enough.

I walked across the white paper, threw my purse down and followed gentle Adam's directions while he complimented me on my hair. Good thing I had just dyed it that morning!


That particular colour incarnation is Manic Panic Hot Hot Pink over older Manic Panic Pillarbox Red. It's currently Splat Fetish Pink...And my makeup choice was obviously a purple smoky eye - Spirit Day + Gay Pride!

I followed his directions while he shot a maximum of 10 shots and then...sadly, it was all over. I ripped the duct tape off my mouth, thanked Adam for the opportunity and was on my merry way.

Overall, I had a good time. I definitely saw some ATLiens I had never seen before so it was nice. But the best thing about it all is that I have something else to add to my growing collection of support for my Moms. I'm still waiting for the day that they plan their wedding!

Check out the NOH8 gallery HERE

Check out Mark and Stephanie (from OMFG Atlanta) HERE

Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.

Revisited: Ashley - Top Chef of my Heart!!

Commenter Annie recently brought this video clip to my attention:


Thirty Days Artist Series: Ashley Merriman from Thirty Days NY on Vimeo.

It's the glorious Ashley Merriman from Top Chef Vegas (and her beautiful girlfriend) as part of the Thirty Days Artist Series.
I love it! It's well shot and well put together. I'm sad I didn't know about this soon but better late than never, right?!
Enjoy!




You know I just had to screen cap her beautiful face!

Happy Friday, fellow Ashley lovers!

Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.

Freak outs, Playboy and Oompa Loompas! Oh my!

Okay - let me eat my fucking words about BGC. Last night's episode started losing me but Lauren provoking Char (aka OCD: Operation Char's Demise) was amazing! First with the car (Nikki's plan but whatevs) then with with the phone. Holy shit, that was amazing. What really put the icing on that cake was the mattress over the balcony. That was truly priceless.

But before I can declare my insane love for Lauren, can we please talk about Jennifer? I'm with what Tanisha was saying during the after show: "Who the fuck do you think you are?" And, since we're talking about the after show, can we please talk about how Lauren called Char out on how Char was using people to do her dirty work, especially the new chick and Char was looking like, "I would never!" but at the end of the after show she admitted to using Jennifer as a pawn in Char's game. What in the actual fuck, Char? Lauren brought up a good point: Char says, "Been there, done that" and Lauren says she hasn't and she needs to in order to really learn from her experiences. I get that and respect that. But I think it's messed up that Char would want to come into the BGC house and try to "run it" with her "year of experience" when she's the WORST instigator or them all. I mean, let it go! She's still hanging on to the fact that Nikki and Lauren went on stage with Natalie Nunn (another BGC fave) and bad-mouthed them. Get over it! That was forever ago and you just need to let it go.

Okay - back to Jennifer. What in the hell?


I don't understand how she has done things with Playboy. I know that makes me sound like a jerk but come on, really? I don't get it. I was too distracted by Ashley!
At first, I didn't really like Ashley since she started all that crazy ass shit when she invited her disrespectful friends over but she seems like she's mellowing out (in BGC terms). She totally dominated that Playboy test shoot and if it were up to me, I would've picked her and Kori.


I give up - every time I try to express my disgust for Jennifer, I get distracted by the other Bad Girls. How awesome was it when Lauren straight up hung up on Jennifer during the after show? Ah-mazing! Tanisha looked like she was all on Lauren's side. She was certainly NOT going to put up with Char's shenanigans, that's for damn sure. I think after Lauren wailed on Char, Char should really calm down. I mean, what's so important about "running" the BGC house? WHAT? Nothing, Char. You just want to look like the baddest bitch up in there but really you just look like a bully. A childish, immature bully.


The only thing Char is doing is making herself look like a maniac who needs some kind of attention/validation from others. Where is your mother, Char? Where is your father? Did nobody love you when you were growing up? I'm only slightly concerned.
Let me just say that I'm really looking forward to next week's episode of more Bad Girl shenanigans - and I hope Hurricane Char gets downgraded to a light drizzle sometime soon. It's getting old...

I will say this, though: my views still stand about the societal view of pitting women against women. I don't like what it is that makes us women feel like we have to be in a constant popularity contest. I feel it. I've felt it all my life and it's weird because with as much unity as I feel can happen, I feel that animal instinct of having to be the one on top - the winner, the first, the BEST. And I can't really shut it off. It makes me sad, really. But what I notice about BGC is that they take a bunch of girls from different backgrounds and throw them all into this house of craziness. The girls all have one thing in common too: they all "run" whatever group they're in back home, all their friends and family hype them up by telling them they're the best, prettiest, most beautiful, etc, and that breeds an unhealthy, violent environment. I know I don't have to watch this show but it's interesting to see the dynamics of younger women. I didn't go to a "regular" college so I didn't have the "college experience" of living in dorms and being constantly surrounded by an excess of estrogen so I feel as though I'm sort of a late bloomer when it comes to things like this. This is interesting to me. It's like seeing some sort of crazy, bizarro sorority house breaking down. It makes me wonder...

Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.

Photos from I Love BGC Tumblr

BGC 6 - Who runs the BGC house? Who cares...

This season of Bad Girls Club is making me bored. I hate to say it but it's true. Sydney was really the only one I enjoyed but what the other girls were saying about her is kinda true: she really does complain a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Especially in the last episode she was in when they went to San Francisco. She was a real sour puss - not just because of all the unnecessary tension in the house but because of her boyfriend.
Yeah, that's right, her boyfriend.
I don't know if it's Oxygen's editing or what but one minute she's on the phone with her boyfriend telling him he's the only one for her and how she wants to make it work and blah blah blah "you're my boo" etc etc. So when they're in San Fran, cut to Sydney making out with some guy.
The reason I think she left soon after was because I think she was using BGC as a way to "exlpore" certain "areas" of her life and then come back to a warm body when it was over and done with but the only problem with that plan is those pesky cameras that catch everything and I think she got scared because she had already been caught with 2 guys on camera and she just wanted to save herself from further explanation. Oh well.


Now that Sydney has gone, it looks as though Hurricane Char has turned her sights to a more delicate victim: Lauren. Why?! Gee, I don't know. I guess maybe I thought Char was more mature than this but I thought terribly, terribly wrong. Char is the oldest in the house so why is she making it look like bullying is okay? That's awful. Just because Lauren doesn't want to "follow" you doesn't make her a target. Char really needs to get over herself. I had really high hopes for her because of her age and maturity but I am horribly mistaken. I still stand behind Lauren though!


Hopefully I'll be able to sit through all of Monday's new episode since I skipped out on last Monday's. I know this might not be possible, since it is BGC after all, but I want them to stop fighting - even if it's just for one episode - and just be civil to one another. That's all. At this point, it's all petty shit that's driving everyone crazy. I understand that it's the dynamics of so much estrogen in one place and the cultural and societal beliefs than pit women against each other in every kind of situation but I just hope that one day they can stop fighting and respect each other as equals. No one is behind anyone (*cough*CHAR*cough*) - we're all equal.
Yeah, but I think today's episode is when Char yells, "DON'T DISRESPECT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO MY MOTHER" at Lauren. Hurricane Char has rolled in...

Honestly, I think Char will get what's coming to her...


Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.

Char photo from What Tee Says