Volcanoe Inspiration

Babyhead has always been fascinated with volcanoes, and as a good mother I've tried to expose him to interesting ways to keep this interest alive. We've watched many a show on the discovery channel, checked out countless books on volcanoes, and googled more famous volcanoes than I care to really know about, all in the hope that Babyhead knows everything he can about this subject.

One day last spring I found Babyhead at the kitchen table, pens and crayons strewn about. His large drawing tablet was open and he was creating a masterpiece, my talented boy! It appeared to be a large mountain with a red top, fissures of what seemed to be lava pouring out all over. When I asked him what it was he replied: " a volcanoe momma, can't you tell?" I said yes and stared at the picture again. "What is this round part, outside the volcanoe, and these things?" I pointed to the paper. "It's you momma-your two eyes, nose and mouth." "Well where does the volcanoe come in and why is it so big?" I asked. He looked at me and then picked up a crayon, adding more red to the top of the mountain. "It's the volcanoe on your cheek I was drawing." His sweet face stared at my face for a long moment and then looked down at the paper and proceeded to color furiously. "Thank you momma for helping me draw my volcanoe."

I stood there rooted to the spot processing what had just transpired. Yes, it was true I had a "pimple" on my cheek that I unfortunately made the poor choice to pick and make bigger and badder. Yes, I had piled concealer on the terrible offense, fooling myself that no one could really notice the obvious mountain on my face. And yes, I had run out of Zapzyt, my favorite face volcanoe product awhile ago, meaning to pick some up when I'd next made it to Riteaid. I should have made a special trip, for if I had there would be no mountain on my face. Zapzyt has been my secret weapon for years. A teeny application to the spot 3-4 times a day for a week and poof-said pimple dries up and disappears. But, on the other hand, had I treated this pimple, then Babyhead would not have been inspired to create, and in the end isn't that what's important? Being a good Momma and be inspiring?

Run don't walk and pick up my secret Zapzyt. No more Volcanoe face. Ever.

SpiderMomma

After spending 5 hours in the garden this past mother's day weekend, and it was truly a fabulous weekend may I add-Babyhead outdid himself in the creative make-a-gift department; I was reminded of something when Babyhead was well, a baby.

Being in the garden battling crabgrass, over producing bluebells, bees, beetles and the like, my biggest issue is...spiders. Yes. I have a phobia. Nothing like my sister's which is so bad she once called the fire department, but that's another story, it is still pretty bad. I am lucky that I have 5 able bodied spider assassins at the ready. My youngest stepson has been handling my screams and screeches since he about 5-he's 16 now, running from anywhere in the house upon hearing my scream, calmly asking me: "where is it?" in his little froggy voice.

I hate spiders.
They're so sneaky, turning up when you least expect it, in strange areas, I can hardly deal.

Ok-back to Babyhead. I think he was about 14 months and I was doing some random thing like washing his binky at the kitchen sink for the millionth time. I was holding him-the mama left hip hold when he pointed at what I thought was the window and yelled, or he may have bellowed, it was too close to call: "Spidermomma!" In the words of my Grandmother, I liked to die! I screamed, he screamed-again- and I just about dropped him on his sweet head, scrambling to put as much distance from me and the window. We ended up in the living room, me panting from the exersion and extreme trauma and he big eyed chewing on his tiny fist, drool pooling on my shirt. " Where did you see the spider baby? Show momma!"

He pointed his little finger right at me, and in my confusion I said "Where? Is it on me? In my hair?" I started hopping about when he said quietly "stop. eye. momma." He pointed again at my eye. "Spider".

I ran to the mirror and looked at myself. I then began to laugh, that deep belly laugh that you tried to hide in childhood because it was just too embarrassing. I had to admit Babyhead was right. My eyes may look to him, a baby, like spiders. To me, a seasoned makeup pro I just saw fantastic mascara, the mascara I've used on me and on set forever and a day: "L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara. It thickens and lengthens like crazy. I prefer carbon black, but will use blackest black in a pinch. Sure it was unsettling every time he would yell out "spider!", but I grew used to it and smiled every time, even referring my fav mascara to complete strangers at the grocery store when he would let out a "SpiderMomma!!!" in line. Hey, he helps spread the word to better lashes I figured, and that can only be good to all the ladies in need.

So today, run don't walk and pick up some L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara... Spiders be damned!

Birthday Friend

Today is my birthday!!! Yeah!!! I used to celebrate my day anyway I wanted. Then I realized I needed more. So my birthday week was born. Through the years that was cool, but somewhere along the way it just wasn't enough. Even a birthday month wasn't enough!

The years were passing but quick and each birthday I would look in the mirror and see my image slowly change. I wasn't a young girl anymore. I was a woman.

Ok I thought, this has got to be adjusted. I guess I was mumbling to myself that year because both my husband and Babyhead both said together: "what?" I stared blankly at their identical faces and said "this birthday thing." And my birthday season was born.

Then tonight Babyhead asked me a great question: who have I known the longest? I sat and pondered the answer. I thought about my friends and family and all the people I've met through these many years I've been skipping about on this earth. Then I thought about the way I reviewed my face every year, being in the beauty biz and all. I had a good answer. There has been one good friend that has stood by me all these crazy years, from adolescence to just this morning when I looked in my bathroom mirror. This friend has watched me grow from a kid to a girl to a woman. From a bride to a wife and from a wife to a mother. This friend was never hard on me, but soothed me through the many phases I've passed through, and most of all never judged me. Instead took care of me so that I could look in the mirror and be pleasantly surprised that I still looked like myself, even though it felt like the years were careening out of control. This friend helped keep me together during times of stress and change, always the same always a constant. I grew to appreciate what importance this friend had in my world. Consistency. Tenderness. Softness. I rambled on as Babyhead stared at me eyes glazed over. "Who Momma?" Babyhead asked, "who is it? Do I know them?" I was about to answer before the phone rang and off he ran to talk to Grandma. Suddenly I was alone in the kitchen. I walked quietly into the bathroom and pulled out my dear friend.

My Cetaphil.

She's been with me since I was about 9 years old, when eczema made me hate looking in the mirror. She healed me. She removed make-up I had no business wearing through my 20's. She made sure I ALWAYS went to bed barefaced, almost every night for as long as I can remember. She stayed with me through almost every day of my life-it's true.

My face belongs to her and I'm good with that. Happy birthday to us!!!

Momma for real

When Babyhead asked me awhile back why I had a white stripe at my forehead I thought it was funny. At first. This was when he just started talking. As the years passed, the pesky "white stripe" came faster and faster. For as fast as it showed up I should have had hair down to the floor. But alas, due to being a frequent dyer as my handsome colorist Thomas told me, my hair would break more often than not.

This merry-go-round of gray coverage began at 23. Yes. 23. Everyone thought it was so chic! So cool! Wow! You look young, but you have a white streak! Yeahyeahyeah. I'm not sure when that commentary stopped. I noticed as soon as I colored, I got the lowball age guesses. With the white? Pretty close to my true age. Hey, I'm proud of my age and what I've done in my life, but can I have some vanity?! Gray be gone girl has become my anthem .

Sure babyhead was scared a few times when he saw momma for real, what I like to call it when I'm breaking out my box of Feria, or whatever was on sale at Riteaid.
Sure he cried when I tried to pick him up with hair color dripping down my hairline, regardless of the 2 inch Vaseline slathered across my face. He's gotten used to it. My husband bless his heart loves the gray and periodically tells me to not color. Huh?

Today an actress I recently met called with a hair emergency: she couldn't get into her colorist and she had a big presentation. I texted her my favorite hair tween time product: Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder. It's a game changer in a can. Back you come from the ledge of dowdy. One or two spritzes and you are 27 (insert your preference) again. I've tried EVERY temporary hair color product out there. Seriously. This is it. Babyhead asked me last week where was my white line? I told him it magically disappeared. He laughed and called me magic momma.

Run don't walk. Bring your sexy back.

The Anniversary Song

It's that time of year again, where Tony, Toni, Tone will be on heavy rotation in my home. "It's Our Anniversary" is one of "Our" songs. If you don't know this group, you should. They are smooth like butter and always set the mood, if a mood being set is what you're looking for. Granted, our other song is Cameo's "Sparkle". Yeah, we took it way back there. When we had it as our first dance, people were swaying to the music as we were, long ago smiles and memories on their faces. Man, I love that song....anyway...

10 years. Time to reflect? On what? How fast the time went? That it seems just yesterday I was walking down the aisle headed toward my beloved with the sounds of low whirring super8 cameras humming in my ears? My favorite fellas from my crazy profession made our day. It started with Matt saying yes to my persistent inquiring as to whether he would please please please shoot our wedding. After what was weeks of waiting until he said yes. Next on board was Trevor, then Mac, Chris, Dennis, Charlie, Kennan, the list goes on. Yes. I had two film crews for our wedding. Excessive? I didn't think so. We needed coverage right?

People thought I was crazy because I did all of the make-up. Everyone. But it was my day and I knew what I wanted, plus, working on a face comforts me, soothes me, brings me peace. Our wedding day was amazing, fabulous and perfect.

The beauty in this story is just that. Beauty. The beauty of a wedding, a marriage, of friendship and teamwork, and honest fine people who you are so lucky to know, let alone work with them. I think about them every year on this very day because of them, my husband and I and babyhead sit down in front of the tv and watch a beautiful movie. The movie of us. And very year since the moment he could speak babyhead would ask: " where am I momma? My brothers are there, where am I?" And every year, his little voice echoes in my mind when someone asks what did I get for my anniversary? And I reply: " I got my heart's desire and I didn't even know it at the time. My husband gave me my dear sweet love giving little boy. My babyhead. Lucky me. Lucky us.

Old School

Today I was thinking what product I wanted to post as I sat in the car listening to John Legend, waiting to pick up Babyhead. I thought about what item I use constantly around the house and it came to me. Don't laugh. Don't judge. Open your mind to the old school Bag Balm. That's right, that's what I said. Bag Balm.

When I've told people in the past about this stuff, they usually laughed or thought I was joking. Well I am not. This is some serious balm people. My husband and I bonded on an early date behind it. When I pulled the tiny (comes in 2 sizes-teeny and humongous) tin out of my handbag, he exclaimed:" my granny used that on the farm on all of her animals! I've only seen it in huge tins! What do you use it for?!" My lips I told him. This keeps them beyond soft. He couldn't keep his eyes off them the entire date as I dipped into that little green tin all night. Is Bag Balm the reason we are together? Maybe.

Anyway, the uses for this crazy stuff are endless: lips that are chapped. Cuticles that need help. Eczema on knees, elbows, behind ears. Bumps, bruises. Rough feet. Your hairline after your color appointment. Hands, sore muscles, or add a glow on cheekbones and Cupid's bow. I've even used it on shoes to shine em' up in a pinch on set. And of course Babyhead's Lips have always been soft.

Thanks Bag Balm for working so hard and asking of me so little. Run Don't Walk to your nearest drugstore and adopt a tin of your own!

Relax. Relate. Release.

Work waits for no woman.

When I have a 5:00am call time for a shoot, I totally use my styling background to stay focused. (my catholic schooling upbringing helps too).

Pull my clothes for morning? Check. Layout all cosmetics so they are at my fingertips at 4:00am? Check. Pull babyhead's uniform? Make his lunch? Pack a snack? Put his homework in his back pack? Check, check, check and check. Call my mother to set up a date with my husband later in the week? Check. Make notes on new project and create prepping schedule whilst working on my current project? Check. Do 5 loads of laundry that night? Work 14 hours on my feet dealing with 12 talent, (not all peaches)? Check. Filling my tank, making an appointment for my oil change, my colorist and my hair stylist? Check. Ok, so I mixed up the dates a bit and looked great for my oil change instead of my colorist, but whatever. Getting babyhead to bed at 8:30pm sharp? Kinda check. Ok. So the day to day can get crazy, but it the midst of it I just have to remember to do a few things: I'm so lucky- I rarely cook dinner, it's ready when I get home: Hug my great husband. Hug babyhead. Breathe. Appreciate my life. And drink plenty of water. Life is good, you just have to stop some days and smell the roses, or since I'm in Seattle, smell the coffee!!

Miracle Makers...

Some days it's so hard to get movin', to get it together takes a wonder woman like effort.

Today is that kind of day. One thing that helps me, even when I look like something the cat dragged in is two fabulous products: The Clarisonic skin brush and The Clarisonic Opal. www.clarisonic.com. Can you say miracle makers??? The brush makes you look like your 25 year old self just ran in from out of the rain-fresh, vibrant and dewey(no joke) and the Opal takes years off around your eyes, making those pesky "smile lines" fade into the woodwork. True testament: after about 3 weeks into my regime, Babyhead, then about 4 and a half, stopped me while in Costco, putting his tiny sweet hand on my cheek. "My momma's so pretty" he said as I was debating the poor choice of red velvet cake, even though there was no get together we were giving in sight.  "So soft"! He patted my cheek again and I looked at myself in the bakery mirror. Yes, I did look soft, dare I thought---pretty, younger even!! Wow.

That's when I knew I was on to something life changing. Run, don't walk to get one, or both!!! Today ain't soon enough!

Just Do It...

So, Here I go on my new blog. blog.

Years ago everyone told me to do this, did I listen? apparently not. They said, hey you're a Make-up and Wardrobe Stylist for TV and film www.lisamargaretcorr.com AND a Momma---you should blend the two. They said, you always have the tricks and tips...and now that you have a baby, all the cooler.  I finally got it together and here I am! Ok, better late than never!

Saying that, I love all things fashion and and beauty and I love my Babyhead. I am so busy with all this and then add in wife and step-mother to 3 almost grown boys and I tell you I crave estrogen, and sleep!!

I will be just talking about stuff I love and make-up styling tips, along with revelations of being a momma and amazing things babyhead says and does because he is pretty darn amazing.

Let's do this thang!!!!!!!