High-Low: It Takes A Village & Too Much Everything

HIGH: It Takes A Village

High-Low: It Takes A Village

Well, you may have noticed that I took a little break from BF the past few weeks. Believe me, it was not voluntary. I was in the throes of celebrating our BeautyFrosting 2nd bloggiversary and threw quite a fête here at The Cupcake Palace to celebrate (more on that later).

With the help of my mom, friends, assistants and generous sponsors, I “single-handedly” threw the party that I had dreamed of to celebrate 2 years of BeautyFrosting. See, that’s the joke! Everyone said, “Wow! How did you manage to pull off a party at your home for 70 people when it’s just you working full-time at it?” Well, here’s the thing. I may be a one-man shop but I’ve got a whole host of people who help it run smoothly and make it so much more fun. From friends to part-time assistants to my champions cheering me on, I never feel like I’m alone in making my dreams come true.

I am so lucky to be surrounded by people who believe in the beauty of my dreams and who encourage me to keep doing my best and giving my all every single day. I am beyond thankful for them.

So, my high this week is all of you folks who have supported me the past 2 years, who helped make this dream of a “BF Turns 2″ bloggiversary party a reality and to the people who inspire me every day. There are SO many of you but let’s just start with the party people who made my party a seamless and beautiful affair: Mom, Vanessa York, Chris Richards, Lindsey Vaerst, Joey LiMandri, Lindy Ryan, Heather Adair, Rosy Usagi and Malina Li. Between stuffing giftbags, hanging decorations, shopping at HomeGoods, bringing ice, waiting for people to arrive, offering to help in any way and offering moral support, y’all make it all so much sweeter!

 LOW: Too Much Everything

LOW: You can do anything but you can't do EVERYTHINGI’ll be honest with ya, here. People often ask me how I do it all – “How do you come up with ideas to write about? How do you go to so many events? How do you stay so positive? How do you make time for spin class? How do you make time for makeup? How do you find time to bake with all of that going on?” And when they ask me this, I always feel really flattered. I’m so happy that I make a busy life seem so easy and fun. But let me tell you, y’all, it’s not all rainbows and cupcakes and puppy dogs all the time. The past month has taught me a lot. The main thing is this little life lesson above – “You can do anything but you can’t do everything. Yep. I hear ya. LOUD AND CLEAR.

For a person who really thrives when they’re multi-tasking as much as I do, it’s really hard to know your limits. And it’s even harder for me to say no to a friend or business associate. But, by golly, I am learning  – albeit, verrrry slowly – that I cannot do everything, no matter how hard I try. I can’t do it all. I can’t please ’em all and  I can’t be it all to everyone. But I sure can try to do my healthy best.

So today I am trying to focus on the things that I can do, the ways I can improve the lives of those around me and am trying to let go of the superfluous so I can have a little bit more me-time every now and then. Because when your business is, well, you, the lines can between work and play can get pretty blurry.

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week?

*So what exactly is a High-Low, you ask? High-Low is the BEST & WORST part of your day, week, month, etc. I started this tradition with friends & family after I discovered it through a movie decades ago. Not only is it useful for reflection sake but it is also an excellent way to communicate with your spouse, kids or friends over the dinner table. By introducing this tradition to folks, parents have told me that their kids have opened up more and friends have told me that their spouses have become more communicative. Try it for yourself and let me know what your experience is! 

HIGH-LOW 10/13/13: Hallmark Home & Family happiness…and a mistake of misjudgment

This week was the very definition of a High-Low. It was one of my favorite, most-fulfilling, most epic weeks ever with a little low that could have disrupted it. But you know what? It didn’t. I wouldn’t let it. Not when I’ve worked so hard and not when my heart is so big.

So what was the high? Well, there were so many, I don’t even know where to start  – between fun time with friends like Jennifer Chan, Lindsey Vaerst, Amy Opoka and Aphrodite Camello and getting to do my weekly Beauty Beat segment on The Moll Anderson Show on I Heart Radio, the week was filled with happiness, friends and daily delights. But if I have to pick one…

HIGH: Home & Family on Hallmark

My high would have to be getting to be a guest on Home & Family on The Hallmark channel.

Being a guest on Home & Family on The Hallmark Channel was the HIGH of my week!

I was invited to be their beauty expert for Makeover Monday where we took Celia – a Home & Family set accountant, mother of 4 boys and an amazing woman who went back to finish college 3 years ago – and helped her discover her beautiful best.

With help from my fellow glam squad members -hairstylist Robby LaRiviere and stylist, Laurie Graham – Celia went from dependable set accountant to sexy birthday girl ready for a night out on the town.

Celia's Glam Squad on Home & Family on Hallmark (from L to R): beauty expert Dawn McCoy of BeautyFrosting, hairstylist Robbie LaRiviere and stylist Laurie Graham

 

Not used to being the center of attention, Celia enjoyed the primping but I think she realized that being behind the camera is much more relaxing.

As you can see from my face here, Robby ALWAYS has me in stitches!!

As for me? Oh, I loved being on camera. I’m a cheeseball like that.

Robby & I feeling verrrry comfortable on the set of Hallmark Home & Family - the warmest set I've ever been a part of!

But you know what I loved even more? Getting to know Celia and being a part of a team that hopefully helped her discover that her outer beauty is just as beautiful as her inner beauty.

And I can’t say enough about the kindness of the Home & Family family and crew. The set was one of the warmest I have ever been a part of and the hosts Cristina Ferrare and Mark Steines, guests and crew were so kind and generous that my heart just about melted. Thank you for having me, Home & Family family! I can’t wait to come back again!

And, you KNOW I had to take some baked goodness! So my family recipe of “More-More Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting” went right along with me. There wasn’t one left by the end of the day!

A sweet start to shoot day with my homemade "More-More Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting" - here with producer extraordinaire, Amy Webber and stylist Laurie Graham

 

So you wanna see the makeover? Well, you’ll have to watch Home & Family on Hallmark today at 10 am PST/EST & 9 am CST!!

LOW: A Mistake of Misjudgment

Amen, brother. "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." John Powell

So what was the low?

I made a big, big mistake. The kind of mistake you’re not supposed to make as an adult. See, my whole life I’ve really prided myself on my instincts when it comes to judging people. I can tell a bad guy a mile away and I steer clear of ’em like nobody’s business. But it’s the ones who aren’t bad who are maybe just troubled and confused that can sometimes lead us astray. But after years of being spot on, well, I misjudged. Ugh. So while it’s been a very up & down week, all I can do is learn from this. Forgive myself and move forward.

And through this mistake, I learned such a big life lesson that I actually said this out loud in my bedroom before bed the other night: “Thank you for such a powerful and LOUD life lesson. I hear you. And I have learned.” Does that make me a dork? Oh, ABSOLUTELY. But it also makes me someone who learns from my mistakes, doesn’t make them again and moves on quite nicely.

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week? 

*So what exactly is a High-Low, you ask? High-Low is the BEST & WORST part of your day, week, month, etc. I started this tradition with friends & family after I discovered it through a movie decades ago. Not only is it useful for reflection sake but it is also an excellent way to communicate with your spouse, kids or friends over the dinner table. By introducing this tradition to folks, parents have told me that their kids have opened up more and friends have told me that their spouses have become more communicative. Try it for yourself and let me know what your experience is!

 

 

High-Low 9/9/13: Neighbor-Family & New Scars

It has been faaaaaar too long since I shared a High-Low with you and, well, it’s time. These past few months have been such a wonderful, whimsical whirlwind – filled with travel, friends, family, rich opportunities, closing old chapters and – more importantly  – starting new ones. I have been to Texas and back, Nashville and back (more on that in another post), thought I was moving, found out I didn’t have to move, met new people, said goodbye to friends, hosted events and started becoming more involved in some philanthropic organizations that I care about deeply. But there’s no way, I can share all of the highs with you so we’ll just concentrate on the High-Low from the past week. Hope you enjoy! And I can’t wait to share more with you on a more regular basis, again.

HIGH: Neighbor-Family

After almost having to move out of my beloved home in July, I appreciate my neighbor-family now more than ever. Whether it be morning coffee with Hope across the street, laughing with Jenn as we organize my kitchen, Matty keeping me company with a glass of rosé and conversation while I frost cupcakes on a Saturday afternoon, having dinner at our neighborhood wine bar, Chic, with my old friend Sarah or Nora and Lucy bringing their laughter-filled light into my room as I get ready for a night out on the town, I am overwhelmed by the sense of family these friends give me.

So much so that they are not just friends anymore, they are my sister-neighbors and brother-neighbors…my neighbor family. And I love them to bits! Every morning I get to look out my window and say hello to these beautiful people. And every night, I get to see at least one of them before I turn in. It feels a bit like college and a bit like a small, southern town and it adds up to the warmest community I have ever lived in. I am so grateful for every second I get with them.

High: My Neighbor-Family

 

LOW: A New Scar

I have always wished I was more graceful. When I say this to people, they think I’m being modest, “But you are such a graceful and gracious lady”, I am told. Au contraire, my friends. While I am lucky that it doesn’t happen every day – or even every month – my life has been filled with its share of pratfalls and Three Stooges-style tripping accidents. So I wasn’t surprised at all when I was in a hurry at The Grove last Tuesday and totally bit it as I made my way up the stairs at The Apple store. Ugh. I gashed my knee pretty hideously. First, I was mortified…and then, I thought I might have to get stitches. I had no time for stitches! I had a manicure…and a meeting! Bless my heart.

Sorry for the graphic nature, folks...

Turns out I was okay. More or less. So why was I in such a hurry? Because there are lots of new beginnings on my horizon right now. New, fun, exciting and delicious things that I can’t wait to wake up to every morning. And, at the same time, there are also old chapters being closed. So, when I was asked by a doctor if I wanted plastic surgery, I said, “No, I think I’m gonna let this be a scar.” Scars are excellent reminders for us as humans. In this case, I feel like this scar will remind me that for new things to begin, we often have to get hurt, let ourselves heal and scab over before we can begin anew again. So while this is a low, it’s also an excellent jumping off point into the great unknown. And I am ready for all it has to bring.

 

xoxo,
BF

 

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week? 

*So what exactly is a High-Low, you ask? High-Low is the BEST & WORST part of your day, week, month, etc. I started this tradition with friends & family after I discovered it through a movie decades ago. Not only is it useful for reflection sake but it is also an excellent way to communicate with your spouse, kids or friends over the dinner table. By introducing this tradition to folks, parents have told me that their kids have opened up more and friends have told me that their spouses have become more communicative. Try it for yourself and let me know what your experience is!

Main Event Monday: Beauty Bus Beauty Drive 2013

I am a big fan of the Beauty Bus foundation – an organization that brings dignity to terminally ill patients and their caregivers. So I was delighted when I was invited to attend their Beauty Drive this year at the Annenberg Building at the California Science Center on Sunday, May 5th.

On the orange carpet in my orange ensemble at the Beauty Bus Beauty Drive event

 

It was a fun day filled with a delicious Cinco de Mayo brunch, beauty & primping stations featuring hairstyling by InStyler and makeup applications by NYX Cosmetics, a Men’s lounge with haircuts and nail buffs, a Kids Korner (with glimmer, tinsel and feather application, face painting and a creative volunteer station), a silent auction and a semi-private access to the Space Shuttle Endeavor!

Sippin' a Cinco de Mayo margarita at the Beauty Bus Beauty Drive event

In between margaritas and mexican fare, my hair got gorgified thanks to InStyler!!

Getting gorgified thanks to the InStyler Pro at the Beauty Bus Beauty Drive Event

These curls were bouncy and voluminous and held for hours and hours! Even into the next day!

Hope & I ham it up in the photo booth

 

The Beauty Bus organization is a non-profit that brings a little pampering and A LOT of compassion and dignity to those suffering with terminal illnesses and their caregivers. The age of their clients ranges from 3 to 101 years old. There are no social, class, age or race boundaries. Beauty Bus is for everyone.

The Beauty Bus Foundation was founded in loving memory of Melissa Marantz Nealy who passed away the age of 28 from a degenerative neuromuscular disease. Melissa loved a good day at the spa. When her ability to leave the home became compromised, Co-Founder Alicia Marantz Liotta (Melissa’s cousin) was able to schedule in-home beauty services through her connections within the beauty industry. Witnessing the hope, happiness and respite these services brought to Melissa, Alicia and Co-Founder Wendy Marantz Levine, (Melissa’s sister) were inspired to launch Beauty Bus Foundation.

Beauty Bus creates a culture of compassion everyday through the following beautiful programs:

*In-Home Beauty & Grooming Services: from haircuts to manicures to facials to makeup applications, Beauty Bus’s in-home service brings the salon to those who are too ill to leave their home. They receive services, social interaction and a little peace of mind for no cost to them at all.

*Pop-up Salons: Created to provide patients and caregivers complimentary beauty and grooming services in a setting that promotes support and serenity.

 

 

*Bag of Beauty Program: Beauty Bus gives complimentary Bags of Beauty filled with pampering products to remind patients and caregivers that they deserve to look and feel beautiful.

Each patient can receive up to 12 services in a 12 month period. Meaningful donations are accepted and appreciated and they are based solely on what you want, and can afford, to give.

Here are a few testimonials about Beauty Bus that can’t help but warm your heart:

“Mom passed away on Wednesday morning. It was a heartbreaking time for us but I wanted you to know that she still had her Rose Pink nails that you gave her. It was the first time in a few years that she had her nails done and that I had seen her smile. I thank you for both of us for the wonderful experience.”
 Eileen C., Caregiver for her mom

“The simplest idea of someone coming to your home to pamper you at a time when all your energy is being expended to fight a personal battle, is much more than just feeling good about how you look. Beauty Bus gives its clients renewed internal strength to keep fighting.”
– Karen O., Former client, Breast Cancer survivor

It’s a beautiful thing. Thanks for the invite, Beauty Bus! I can’t wait for next year and hope I can get more involved with Beauty Bus this year!

*For more information on how YOU can volunteer with or donate to Beauty Bus, visit www.BeautyBus.org

Quote Book: Friday 12/21/12 – Mister Rogers knows best

Mister Rogers TRULY knows best...

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

(Mister Rogers)

Quote Book: Thursday, 10/11/12 – Nashville knows best…

Nashville knows best...

Nashville knows best...

“Failure’s what befalls a man who fails to act. Destiny is for men who refuse to accept their failures as their fate. We’ve all had failures. Don’t let ’em define you. Let ’em refine you. I believe in your destiny. Do you?”

(Powers Boothe as Lamar Wyatt on ABC’s Nashville)

Friday Favorite: The Most Dangerous Risk

I saw this on Facebook and fell in love with it.

And by “fell in love with it”, I mean I sent it people I knew immediately.

Enjoy!

Friday Favorite

Friday Favorite

“The most dangerous risk of all – the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.”

(Quote by Randy Komsar, Photo by Stephanie Sievers via escapethecity.org)