The Unconvential Interview

February 25, 2016February 24, 2016michelleleighwrites Leave a comment

interview

So I randomly came across this scene saved on my computer, it was a scene I wrote in college for my screenwriting class. And I just thought I’d take a read and I actually really dug it, especially the last line. #swag #sassy So hope you enjoy!

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Abby rushes into the prestigious looking building and runs up a large flight of stairs stumbling along the way, she reaches the front desk.

Abby: (out of breath) “Hello my name is Abby…Abigail Reeves; I’m here for an interview with-”

Secretary: “Mr. Drake. Yes we have you on the list. Mr. Drake’s last meeting is going over just a few minutes he’ll be right with you. You can have a seat.”

Abby: “Oh- ok great. Thank you,” (she breathes a sigh of relief.)

A few moments later a young handsome looking man sits down next to her and gives her a slight smile, she smiles back.

Young man: “Hi.”

Abby: “Hi.”

Young man: “Here, for an interview?”

Abby: “Yes…can you tell on account of my nervousness?”

Young man: “Just a bit.”

Abby: “I just- I really want this.”

Young man: “Why? … I mean why would you wanna work for Drake Designs? Ryan Drake is a total tool, he’s completely unoriginal and his fall line is a complete joke.”

Abby: “I- don’t mean to be rude, but I can’t say that I agree with you…no in fact you’re way off base.”

Young man: “Is that so?”

Abby: “Yes! Ryan Drake is inspiring. His fashion is like art. I look at his line and I think to myself… that is a man who knows how to design for a woman. Not a lot of guys can do that. He looks at what women actually want to wear. it’s not always high heels, and short skirts. Sometimes it’s about comfort and feeling great in your sweat pants. I mean- I guess you just don’t understand that?”

Young man: “I guess not…Maybe he’s gay.”

Abby: “Could be, but that wouldn’t change the fact that he’s incredibly talented. He has an intense gift for fashion.”

Young man: “Hmm, – so you like fashion?”

Abby: “I love it, it’s my passion. Ever since I was a kid, I loved playing dress up…I loved putting outfits together and matching different colors and patterns. Finding the perfect accessory to match. I just… it’s in my veins.”

Young man: “You know you sound like your cut out for the fashion world.”

Abby: “Oh- from your lips to god’s ears!”

Young man: “Do you have any artwork? Any sketches of your own designs?”

Abby: “Um- yea.”

Young man: “Let’s take a look.”

Abby: “…I suppose I could show you a few, my interview should be in just a moment; I wouldn’t want to make him wait.”

Young man: “We’ll make it quick…(glancing over the sketches) These are incredible; you have a definite eye for fashion.”

Abby: “Thank you so much. It’s not every day you get complemented by a perfect stranger.”

Young man: “That’s very true.”

Secretary: “Oh Mr. Drake, I didn’t realize you had finished your meeting, this is Abigail-”

Young man: “Reeves… we’ve met.”

Abby: (shocked) “Um…”

Young man: “It’s good to know you enjoy my designs; your eye for detail would be a great asset to our company.”

Abby: “Wait- Your Ryan Drake?”

Young man: “Yes.”

Abby: “But you’re so young?”

Young man: “I graduated F-I-T a year early.”

Abby: “I’m such a fan of your work; I guess I should have checked to see what you looked like!”

Young man: “Well you wouldn’t find much, I keep a pretty low profile, let’s me sneak around and get to know people as the real me. You’d be surprised how many people we get in here who just care about the celebrity of the fashion world.”

Abby: “And here I am just thinking it’s an added bonus,” (she giggles.)

Young man: (smirking) “You’re funny. That works for me.”

Abby smiles shyly.

Young man: “Well I guess now we’ll have a lot of time to get to know each other, Ms. Reeves.”

Abby: “Abby- Abigail.”

Young man: (extending his hand) “Abby. We’ll see you on Monday.”

Abby: (shaking his hand) “Thank you so much.”

Young man: “Your welcome,…Oh and just to clarify… I’m not gay,” (he says winking and heading into yet another meeting.)

Abby’s jaw drops, as her stomach flips with butterflies dancing about.

-<3-

*I do not take credit for the image used in my edit.*

“Belated Love”

February 22, 2016February 21, 2016michelleleighwrites Leave a comment

BLOGGER’S NOTE: I have to apologize for being MIA this past week. I think this is the longest I’ve gone without posting in quite a while. But I am recently dealing with some changes in my life and it’s seriously taking over all of my mentality. So blogging has kind of taken a back seat, while I get acclimated. It’s not something I set out to let happen, but it just had to. And instead of getting mad at myself, I decided to just accept it and move onto giving you guys fun and new content. I have had this little story waiting to be posted for you guys since Valentines Day. It was supposed to go up last Sunday on Valentine’s Day but then things got crazy and I pushed it to Monday but then I got sick last week and posting just didn’t happen at all last week. And although that saddens my heart, I am human and sometimes in times of great stress and change, we need to give ourselves a mental/emotional break to just be. So I hope you are still with me, this short is finally ready to post so I present to you “Belated Love”- A short love story following Melanie and Grayson’s journey to finding each other again.

Poster

Mel & Grayson

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Valentine’s Day 2015

Melanie walks hand in hand with her boyfriend Grayson as the city lights twinkle alongside them.

“Did you enjoy your dinner?” he asks smiling over at her.

“I really did… but the dessert was my favorite part.”

“Oh I could tell, I know how much you love your chocolate,” he smiles letting out a small laugh.

“And Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse for indulging with little- to no shame,” she replies, laughing.

“No shame. None. You- are perfect,” Grayson says stopping and turning to her. He takes her hands in his and pulls her toward him. “I love you. Happy Valentines Day.”

“I love you,” she says smiling brightly as Grayson kisses her.

Grayson and Melanie continue walking as they enter Central Park, the cold crisp air kissing their faces.

“Are you cold?” Grayson asks looking over at her.

“Just my hands. I forgot my gloves,” She says rolling her eyes at her own forgetfulness.

“Come here. Give me your hands.”

Melanie holds her hands out to him, he takes them in his and brings them to his lips as he breathes on them, trying to warm her up.

Melanie looks at him her eyes smiling with love.

“Thank you,” she says kissing him.

“My pleasure,” he smiles “Actually I should have a pair of gloves in my pockets somewhere. Here- let me, see, …”

Grayson begins checking his pockets. He pulls out a ring box and hands it to Melanie.

“Can you hold that a minute?”

Melanie’s eyes lock onto Grayson’s. Her face in complete shock.

Grayson continues to pretend to look for gloves.

“Oh whoops, guess I left my gloves at home too.”

He smiles looking at her, he begins to kneel down on his knee.

Melanie’s breath catches in her throat as she looks away in awe.

“Oh my god” she says, standing there- frozen.

Grayson takes the box from her hand and opens it revealing a large sparkling diamond ring.

“Mel, I love you so much. You and I are amazing together. I know that we may not always be on the same page about everything but you are the only person who I actually want to fight all my fights with. You amaze me every day, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

“Are you serious?” she asks as he slides the ring on her shaking hand.

“Well I didn’t buy this ring for nothing,” he laughs.

Melanie stares at the ring on her hand. Still in complete shock. Her body shivering for an entirely new reason. The winter cold has nothing on the shock of this moment. Her emotions are all over the place as Melanie tries to gain some stability.

“Hey…”

Grayson stands up, cupping her face looking into her eyes.

“What do you say?” he asks.

Melanie looks up at Grayson and kisses him.

“Is that a yes?” Grayson says pulling away and looking up at her with a sweet laugh.

“Yes. Of course,” Melanie says smiling.

“I really caught you off guard, huh?” he says laughing.

“Well yea. I mean I really didn’t expect this, at all,” her voice stumbling.

“Well I mean, it can’t be that much of a surprise right? You know how much I love you,” he questions with concern on his face.

“Of course. Oh my god- of course. And I love you too, so much.”

Melanie cups Grayson’s face and kisses him, as he smiles brightly at her.

“I just didn’t think you were there yet,” she says.

“Really…well here we are,” he says kissing her again.

Melanie hugs him excitedly.

“Here we are,” she says with a nervous laugh.

*********************************************************

Valentine’s Day 2016

Melanie steps out of her shower into her fuzzy leopard printed slippers, as she wraps a beige fluffy towel around her body.

She wipes the mirror above her sink with her hand, revealing her reflection.

Her hair, wavy, and long, lay damply upon her shoulders. Her skin freshly washed and glowy.

She smiles and sets to brushing her teeth.

Upon rinsing, she hears her phone begin to ring and she rushes into her bedroom to grab it.

“Hello?”

“Hey girl,” her friend Kristin says.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing much just out picking up a few things for my singles girl’s night in valentines gala tonight. Are you coming, or did that cute guy Will finally ask you out?”

“He did! I’m getting ready as we speak.”

“Oh so exciting! Where’s he taking you?”

Melanie walks to her closet pulling out a dress and looking at it.

“I’m not exactly sure. He said he was going to take care of everything and that I should just be ready for 8.”

“Oh a man with a plan. Sounds like a keeper.”

“Ha. We’ll see. I’ve learned not to expect anything, since what happened with…well you know….”

“Oh yea. Well that was a complicated situation. I guess it pays to be cautious from here on out.”

“Yea. Any way I should get going so I can finish getting ready.”

“Yes. Enjoy. And if you find your date is a dud, you know where to find us,” Kristin says smiling.

Melanie laughs

“Ok, you got it. Thanks girl. Enjoy your night. Eat massive amounts for chocolate for me!”

“Done. See ya girl. ” Kristin laughs.

Melanie hangs up and starts pulling her outfit together.

*****************************************************

Grayson sits at his computer in a dimly lit living room. He sips his beer.

He scrolls through his Facebook feed as girls after girls post their Happy Valentine’s Day posts. Happy pictures of them and their boyfriends.

Grayson laughs with a snarky undertone. His eyes drift to a familiar name as he notices Kristin just posted a picture of her shopping car full of goodies. The caption reading…

Girls Night In Tonight…Um did I buy the whole store or what? We’ll miss you Mel Mel! #HappyValentinesDay

His face falls. His heart wills him to click Melanie’s name.

Her page pops up showing a smiley faced Melanie and Grayson’s breath catches in his throat.

He starts to look through her pictures as he sees what her life has been like without him.

“Dude get a grip, it’s over, it’s been over. You have to stop doing this to yourself,” Grayson says aloud as he buries his face in the hands.

*****************************************************

Melanie looks at herself in the mirror, she smiles and grabs her coat and purse and heads to her living room.

She checks her phone and sees that her date should be coming soon.

Melanie walks to her kitchen grabbing a box of chocolate with a small note on it reading “To Mel Belle, Love Dad.” She goes to sit on her couch when her apartment doorbell rings.

Smiling she walks over, opening the door.

Her face falls seeing the face of the man before her.

“Hey Mel,” he says sheepishly as he holds a bouquet of red roses and a heart shaped box of chocolates in his hand.

Melanie is speechless for a long moment.

“Grayson… What are you doing here?” She finally says.

“I know it’s been a while but I’ve been dying to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”

Melanie looks at him stunned.

“You do realize its Valentine’s Day, right?”

“Yes,” He smiles extending the gifts to her.

Melanie ignores the gesture.

“So what…you decided that I didn’t have any plans and that tonight out of all nights would be a good time to waltz back into my life. You must be joking.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t really think this through. I just- God you look beautiful,” he says, his eyes looking her over.

“What do you want Grayson?” Melanie says needing to change the subject quickly, her nerves building.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“You have a date don’t you? Of course you do. I’m such and idiot,” he turns and starts to walk away.

Melanie sighs as her instincts scream for her to shut the door, but her heart just can’t.

“Grayson wait-” she calls after him.

He stops and turns, with a hopeful expression.

“You obviously came here for a reason. So I guess… I can spare you 5 minutes,” She says stepping aside and gesturing him to come in.

Grayson smiles brightly as he walks in, he hands her the roses and candy awkwardly as she takes them and closes the door behind them.

“I’ve really missed you,” Grayson says as he watches her place them on her end table.

Melanie looks at him.

“What… you don’t miss me…at all?” he says searching her eyes for answers.

“Grayson, you were the one who broke our engagement. What do you want from me?”

“I didn’t break our engagement. You gave the ring back.”

“Yes. I did. And I may have been the one to officially call things off but let’s be honest Grayson, you weren’t ready to be married. In many ways, you broke our engagement long before I did. I just said what you couldn’t say.”

“Mel. You’re wrong. You are just so completely wrong,” Grayson says with a huff and a stern yet sexy glare.

“Am I? Really? Because every time I brought up something wedding related you made light of it. It was like you couldn’t be bothered to plan it. Like you didn’t want to start building a life together. What does that tell me? That you’re not in it,” she says her arms crossing in front of her chest.

“I was in it. I was all in it. You just completely questioned my love for you based on the fact that I didn’t care what color the napkins were.”

“It wasn’t just that and you know it.”

“Then what else was it?”

“Things were just different. It was a feeling that I would get when I was with you. I could just feel how hesitant you were. You couldn’t be less interested in planning our wedding.”

“How hesitant I was? You sure you don’t mean how hesitant you were?”

“What does that mean?”

“Come on Mel. It was easy to blame me. To blame my lack of planning skills for the reason why we broke up. But let’s tell the truth here. Let’s be honest about who was the one that wasn’t ready to get married. Because I assure you it wasn’t me. My not caring about planning wasn’t meant to be an insult, I told you it was whatever you wanted. I know you, I know how important it was to have your perfect dream wedding. I didn’t care about the hype of it, all I cared about was marrying you. For me our wedding was just about you. As long as you were the one standing across from me in that church- I wouldn’t have cared what you wore, where we were, or who was there. I just wanted you. I wanted to marry you, because I loved you. I loved you so much. That’s what it was about for me. So please don’t say I wasn’t in it. And own up to the fact that you were the one who just wasn’t ready.”

“So that’s why you came here? To hash things out?”

“No. I don’t want to fight with you.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I miss you. Because I hate being away from you. Because I was so heart broken by your rejection that I just shut down and I didn’t fight for you. If you needed some kind of reassurance from me, I wish you would have just talked to me. I wish you would have confided in me about your doubts. Or was it just that you fell out of love with me completely? Because you never gave me an explanation you just left.”

“Is that what you think? That I didn’t love you?”

“I don’t know. I mean you seem to be recovering fine. Going on dates and smiling like nothing ever happened.”

“So you’ve been checking up on me?”

“Of course I have. What do you think? I’m not going to apologize for that. I love you. I’m always going to love you. I’m not going to stop checking in on you. So get used to it.”

Grayson walks swiftly over to Melanie and cupping her face he kisses her.

Melanie wraps her arms around his neck as she falls into his kiss.

“I shouldn’t be doing this. I have a date. He’s probably on his way.” Melanie says in between Grayson kissing her.

“You wouldn’t have let me kiss you, if you actually cared about this guy. What do you know him for like 2 minutes? I don’t care about this guy. I don’t want to know about you going out with this guy, or any guy for that matter.”

Grayson says continuing to kiss her throughout their conversation.

“Grayson…Grayson…stop,” she says pushing him away.

“Why do you fight this so much? I know that there are still feelings here. There always has been. Even if you continuously want to deny it,” He says looking at her slightly dazed.

“I don’t want to deny it. I just-sometimes, I can’t help sabotaging a good thing. And please you have to understand it was never about you. I love you. Of course I love you. But I – I got scared. Marriage is so official and I guess I was just worried that I would somehow mess it up in the long run so I ended it before you could.”

“I’m not buying it. You know how much I adore you. There was nothing you could do that would make me think any less of you, ever. You’re basically walking perfection to me.”

“That’s the problem, Grayson. I love you so much. But you leave no room for me to be human. Everything I do, you just accept. I’m not perfect. I shouldn’t be put up on a pedestal.”

“I’m sorry. I never knew that’s how you felt. Look I get that I can come on a bit strong. And maybe I’ve smothered you by loving you too much. But I can’t help if I think you’re amazing. I can’t help if everything about you turns me on. It’s the price you pay for being madly in love. For finding that person that you can’t see yourself living without. And maybe I’ve convinced myself that you feel as strongly for me as I do for you. There’s something deeper going on, that made you run away from me, something you felt you couldn’t trust me to understand. So if I’m not the guy for you, then find who is. And just be happy, because in the end that’s all I want for you.”

Melanie looks at him, as her eyes begin to fill up.

“I’m gonna go. Obviously I didn’t think this through. It’s just this day. It got me thinking-I mean not that I don’t constantly think about you- but especially today. I just had an intense urgency to see your face. I’m sorry if I ruined your night.”

Grayson heads for the door as he opens it to find a man standing there about to ring Melanie’s door bell, he’s holding pink roses and a stuffed bear.

Grayson hangs his head and then looks up.

The man seems confused.

“Don’t mind me. I was just leaving. But word of advice. She likes Red roses, not pink. And she hates stuffed animals, they creep her out. Chocolate is always a safe bet.”

Grayson walks past the guy as Melanie watches his retreating figure and smiles inside, remembering their time together.

“Am I early?”

“No. You’re right on time Will. Why don’t you come in? There are probably a few things we should talk about.”

Will nods and steps inside as she takes his flowers and bear he notices she sets them down next to a dozen red roses and chocolate.

***********************************************************

Grayson sits on a bench in Central Park. He stares straight ahead in a daze. He has a flashback of kissing Melanie from earlier that night. He can clearly remember her arms tightening around his neck, her lips kissing him back with intensity.

He sighs looking down.

***********************************************************

“Will, I’m sorry I changed our plans I just wasn’t in the mood for dealing with a crowd tonight.” Melanie says handing Will a glass of wine as they sit in her living room in front of the fire place.

“That’s ok. Does this have anything to do with the mysterious stranger leaving your apartment?”

“Yes. We have some loose ends we’re still trying to sort through.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Is it a matter of unresolved feelings?”

Melanie sighs.

“Hey it’s really ok. I mean you and I are totally at the early stages. I’d rather know now than fall for you and get my heart stomped on later.”

“His name is Grayson and he was my fiancé. I broke things off a few months ago and we never really had an honest conversation about what happened. We were both so torn we just went our separate ways.”

“Do you still want to be with him?”

“I don’t know if I can. It’s kind of complicated. I’m kind of complicated.”

The guys looks at Melanie and ponders, he leans in and kisses her without warning.

Melanie pulls away almost immediately.

“I’m sorry I just-”

“Say no more- I think you just found your answer. And with that said, I think I’m going to head out. Happy Valentine’s Day,” Will says standing up.

“Will I’m-”

“Please don’t apologize. Look I get it. Sometimes, you gotta kiss the wrong one to make you realize who the right one is.”

He leaves and Melanie touches her lips thinking.

The image of Grayson grabbing her and kissing her plays over in her mind.

Melanie rushes over to grab her coat and purse, as she opens her door, she sees Grayson standing there at her door yet again.

Melanie drops her stuff to the floor as they lock eyes.

Grayson as if reading her mind, grabs her into a kiss as they begin to walk backward into her apartment. He pushes the door closed behind them.

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess.” Melanie says kissing him again.

“You’re not a mess.” He says kissing her.

“I’m sorry for hurting you and making you think I didn’t love you.”

“I knew you still loved me. I’m perceptive like that.” He says kissing her.

“Well, then I’m sorry for-”

“Shhh.” He says continuing to kiss her.

“No but wait, we need to talk, I have to tell you-”

“We can talk later, I have other things in mind.”

“But I just think that we still have so much that wasn’t resolved we really should just sit and-”

“Baby listen to me,” he says cupping her face, “I love you. But you talk too much. Please shut up,” he laughs “so we can really get this reunion going,” he says unzipping her dress and pulling it down off her shoulders.

“Words can wait,” she says as she kisses him back and starts to unbutton his shirt.

************************************************************

Grayson and Melanie sit in front of the fireplace, drinking wine and eating chocolates.

Melanie is wearing Grayson’s white button down and Grayson is wrapped in a bunch of blankets.

Grayson feeds her a piece of chocolate. She bites it and kisses him.

He cups her face, deepening the kiss.

“I love you, I’ve missed you so much,” She whispers.

“Well I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he smiles kissing her. “So…where were you running off to when I came back?”

“To find you,” she kisses him.

“Hmm. And what happened to Will?” he asks tucking her hair behind her ear and kissing her softly.

“Well he could tell pretty quickly that my mind was otherwise occupied.”

“So he didn’t kiss you…or anything?” Grayson asks knowingly.

“Um…well…” Melanie squints, scrunching her face, as she tries stalling.

“Of course he kissed you. How could he not.” Grayson cups her face as his thumb traces over her lips. He smirks and leans in, kissing her.

Melanie smiles against his lips, her hands covering his.

“Just so you know the kiss didn’t even last 3 seconds. I think he knew he was just a distraction. He even said sometimes you have to kiss the wrong one to realize who the right one is. And when he kissed me the only thing I could think about was you, and how I’d rather be kissing you.”

Grayson smirks, stroking her cheek.

“So are you gonna marry me or what…because I mean if you need a little extra convincing, that can be arranged.” Grayson says looking into her eyes, as he kisses her.

“Although I’m not objecting to any of your ways of persuasion. Are you sure your not mad…about Will?”

“Will who?” Grayson smirks, pulling Melanie into a kiss.

“I’m serious.” Melanie says smiling and looking at him.

“Do I hate the idea of some other guy kissing you? Absolutely. But I’m not mad. Because at the end of the day, you’re here with me.”

“I think it’s safe to say that I am never letting you go again,” Melanie says kissing him as she pulls him closer to her.

“Ok great. So uh…answer my question,” he says smirking as his eyes sparkle looking at her.

“Um… question was that again?” she says playing coy.

“Marry. Me.” he says seriously, staring into her eyes.

“Yes.” she says grabbing his face and kissing him several times.

Grayson laughs.

“Can we just talk about how sexy you look in my shirt? Kinda makes me feel like you’re all mine.”

“Really? Cause I am. I always have been.”

Grayson kisses her.

“And hey if you play your cards right, I might just let you take it off me.”

Grayson’s eyebrows raise.

“Even better,” he say kissing her as he starts to unbutton the shirt.

Melanie wraps her hands around his neck as they fall back onto the floor, the fire flickering into the night.

kiss

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-<3-

*I do not take credit for any images, or gifs used in my edits or otherwise.*

BLOG UPDATE: I think posting three times a week has been difficult for me, which is probably why I haven’t been so successful in posting on Sundays . So I am going to go back to my usual schedule of Mondays & Thursday. I have a lot going on personally (all good things) and changes happening, so some things are up in the air for me. Once I feel a little more settled I will try for a third posting day again.

The Soap Opera Culture

February 11, 2016February 11, 2016michelleleighwrites Leave a comment

A Soap Opera can be defined as “a television drama series dealing typically with daily events in the lives of the same group of characters.”

640_gh[1]

To be more specific it’s a world where anything can happen. Where real life situations occur but are over exaggerated to the nth degree. Where people can die and come back 5 years later alive and kicking. Where kidnapping and car accidents are the norm. Where people have facial reconstruction surgery coupled with amnesia and boom you have a soap opera story.

Soap Operas get so much flack for their storytelling. And I will be honest being someone who has watched soap operas and who still likes to keep up on the happenings via YouTube, I have gotten completely frustrated with certain storylines. But then there are moments when the show can shine, and you can relate to the drama unfolding, or just find it really intriguing and entertaining.

When I was younger I used to watch All My Children with my mom. Although I don’t remember the storylines much, I do remember being interested. Then when I got a little older I developed my own personal favorite; Passions. Oh boy that one was a crazy one! It 050620_mills_hmed_3p.grid-6x2[1] had an old lady witch named named Tabitha who had a demon baby and woman named Sheridan who was caught between loving two brothers. She was in love with and engaged to one brother named Luis then got into some boat accident went lost at sea and then was found and nursed to health by the second brother Antonio. Of course with no memory of being in love already, the woman falls in love with Antonio. So when she comes back to town with this new love interest, her old flame is both shocked and thrilled, Scan002__December_02__2002[1] causing a major love triangle. The triangle becomes a square when Luis’ current love interest Beth fakes a pregnancy to keep him around, after he finds out Sheridan is alive, he’s adamant about wanting to be with her. Well, I’m sure you can guess the rest…drama! Pretty sure she even wore a bag of flower on her stomach for months to continue the pregnancy charade. And she even kidnapped Sheridan and kid her in a sound proof basement. Can you say psycho? There was also Theresa who was playing a images2RZS6BTS surrogate for her ex Ethan’s baby with his new wife Gwen and ended up cheating with him and getting pregnant a second time, making her carry twins. Like what? Is that even possible. See this is my point in Soaps anything goes. Damn I can’t even believe how much I actually remember, I think I watched that soap while I was in middle school! haha.

In the Soap World you kind of have to suspend reality. They ask you to forget the nature of real life and play in their world. Soap actors are vast, each cast is pretty huge. They kind of have to be, considering the show is aired for an hour Mondays through Fridays. And usually the scenes you watch on TV are done in one take. Soap actors are some of the hardest working actors if you ask me. And sometimes there are some really amazing gems within the cast that you can just see moving on to prime time television or feature films. Soap actors are just getting better and better. Although I guess that does depend on which soap opera you watch.

My favorites used to include One Life to Live and General Hospital. Now that One Life to Live is no longer on the air, General Hospital is the only one I really keep up with, but it isn’t as consistent as I used to. Because well life kind of prevents me from being able to watch it, and most of my favorites have left. 😦 But every once in a while I’ll see something pop up on their Facebook page about a couple I used to like or a big reveal in the making and I’ll do a little catching up. It’s safe to say that if you stop watching for a few months, you can tap back in and the same storyline will still be front and center. It’s kind of hysterical. I’ll think to myself wait, hasn’t this chick been wearing that same outfit for like a year. I’m over exaggerating but seriously soap opera time rolls at snail’s pace. I’ve also dabbled in watching some amazingly cute couples on Guiding Light when it was on, As the World Turns when it was on, and Days of Our Lives.

Danny & Michelle Santos-Guiding Light The story of the mobster who falls in love with the smart studious girl during an arranged marriage.

Casey & Maddie- As The World Turns (Oh hey Matt from The Vampire Diaries!)

Chad & Melanie- Days of Our Lives (girl stole her best friend’s boyfriend)

One of the downfalls to being a soap fan, is when your favorite actor decides it’s time to leave the show. And when that said character is part of one of your favorite couples, the betrayal can feel real! I am still nursing the fact that the original Lulu Spencer left General Hospital, and this happened like a long while ago. I’m still not over it. Lulu was recast and now it leaves people having to pretend like it’s not a totally different person. You know

The new Lulu

what I’m saying when they do the little introduction… “The role of Lulu Spencer will now be played by Emme Rylan.” GAH! It’s painful. I don’t not like her, I just was so in love with the old Lulu, she was the only one who really took over that role. Sure she was played by several younger actresses in the past, but once they age a child, (you know when they show up from boarding school 5 years later and they are all smoking hot and grown up) the actor usually remains the same.

The old Lulu played by Julie Marie Berman was the perfect match for Dominic Zamprogna who plays her husband Dante. They had really great chemistry. I still see there is a connection with the new actress, but it’s not the same. It’s difficult to see one of your favorite couples change dramatically. Sure she’s playing the same character, but she’s a different actress, kind seems like he’s cheating. Speaking of cheating, in current General Hospital time Dante cheated on Lulu and now they are getting a divorce. Totally sucks. Like really sucks. Sometimes that’s the down side to soap operas, someone always has to cheat. And it’s usually the least likely character.

The Original Lulu

In 2010, it was Patrick who cheated on Robin and they went through hell and back. And of course just when things started looking up and they were starting to rebuild the actress playing Robin-Kimberly McCullough decided she was leaving, and they killed her off, throwing us fans into a tailspin of emotions. It was great storytelling and Jason Thompson who played Patrick was phenomenal in his grieving moments. That’s who I ratrick 2 meant when I said sometimes there are true soap opera gems. But as usual Robin’s character wasn’t really “burnt beyond recognition” which is the usual excuse for being able to bring a character back. Because there’s usually a whole big evil scheme that went down to kidnap said person and keep them from their loved ones for years all because of some crazy agenda or blackmail. And of course when the audience knows all the pieces to the puzzles you sit and wait months for the big reveal and for the character to make their big reveal. It can be actually really exciting. Haha.

And then there is always the whole oh we may be possibly related storyline, but we fell in love before we knew it. And now its creepy and weird. [SEE: Jared and Natalie (One Life To Live)] Or the tempered with paternity tests. That’s a fun one too!

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Now in real General Hospital time, McCullough and Thompson finished their last arc on the show for the foreseeable future as Thompson too has recently left the show to take over a role on The Young and the Restless. You’ll see actors pop up all over a bunch of soaps, it’s Drakefamily[1] like the most interchangeable business. And it’s also where many actors get their start. [See: Bethany Joy Lenz (known from One Tree Hill) on Guiding Light and also hey there Jesse Lee Soffer (known for Chicago PD) –As The World Turns.] Seriously that’s pretty frustrating too when they leave your soap for another, especially if it’s not one you watch. But I can imagine like with anything in life, you can get stuck and need to shake this up every

Bethany Joy Lenz

Jesse Lee Soffer

once in a while. Thompson played Patrick for 10 years, seems he needed a change. McCullough came back to finish off the couples storyline, which was a very cheesy but happy ending. While Robin was gone for so long, Patrick’s character went through many relationships with several women, he almost married two. It was kind of a hot mess and I wasn’t a fan of it. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him with some of the women, the two he almost married were great, but not for Patrick. In my eyes Patrick and Robin are just one of those epic soap opera love stories. It’s a shame that sometimes the best of them have to be tragically ripped about for storylines. The cheating storyline, the death storyline, the divorce storyline were all really hard to watch, because when you analyze tv couples like a fangirl is supposed to and let’s face it you ship your couples hardcore, it becomes really saddening when they split. When you refer back to good old happy times and they are now moving on from each other. Watching a soap opera is like riding a roller coaster. But day time television wouldn’t be the same without them.

What soaps do you watch?

P.S. Who else misses Soapnet? I loved that channel, they used to play all my soaps at night so I could watch what I missed turning the day! #NoIdonothaveDVR

*I do not take any credit for the images or clips used.*

-<3-

Dissect A Scene: The “Burzek” Break Continues #ChicagoPD

February 8, 2016February 8, 2016michelleleighwrites Leave a comment

Ok so I’m going to level with you here…this is more of a dissect an episode…based on all Burzek moments post engagement break up. This past Wednesday’s 3×13 episode of Chicago PD entitled “Hit Me,” was the first episode after Kim Burgess gave back the engagement ring Adam Ruzek proposed to her with. The break up scene was just that…breaking…heart breaking. And you can read my scene dissection on that particular moment HERE. I think this break-up is seriously crushing my soul, because I’ve been with this couple from the very beginning- from the awkward moments, to the flirtation, to the first “I Love You’s.” It’s been a joy to watch. So now that the two have broken up my Chicago PD is missing it’s Romance factor. And you know how I love my love stories! Sure, we still have Linstead (Detectives Erin Lindsay & Jay Halstead) and I love them, but they are a different kind of couple. They are in the very early stages of their relationship, and they aren’t as out with the PDA as Burzek was. Oh how it hurts to use the past tense. I have watched these scenes over and over. I have even rewatched the episode in it’s entirety. It doesn’t get any easier seeing these two apart.

Anyway… Here are the scenes:

In the first scene we see Burgess coming in and talking to Sergeant Platt about the agenda for the day. Burgess asks to talk to Platt in private once Platt busts out the obvious (that she and Ruzek broke up.) Now it’s been known that Platt and Burgess have had their weird bittersweet friendship since Season 1. Platt called the fact that Burgess and Ruzek wouldn’t make it to the altar, and she’s not really letting Burgess forget that. And now that Platt is engaged to Chicago fireman Mouch, she’s one upping Burgess as she plans her own wedding. But when Burgess asks Platt to sign off on a transfer out of the station, Platt throws her hands up and protests the decision. She surprisingly becomes a confident as she notices this whole situation is tearing Burgess apart. “Are you okay?” Platt asks followed by Burgess’ tearful “No.”

“You just sit here, and you feel what you need to feel,” Platt returns as she offers Burgess a chair. Marina shines in this vulnerable moment, and you can tell that underneath all the bluster and the hard times Platt gives Burgess, she actually deep down cares about her well-being and wants her to stick around. Burgess looks the part of a girl who just had her heart broken. Sure, she got up and managed to get dressed in her uniform, but her hair is in a laid back, messy, thrown up pony tail, her face and eyes are puffy and red, like she’s been crying all night. Yup sounds about right. All the while she strives to remain professional and do her job.

The second clip in this video, shows Ruzek and Atwater on an assignment for a case involving a casino. As they walk through they talk about the break up. Ruzek’s response to Atwater’s “Wait so it’s over…like over over?” is “I don’t know, you’re gonna have to ask her that. I mean she gave the ring back.” Ruzek’s later comment of “Anyway, moving on, right?” could be a red flag for our Burzek hearts, because it’s either let’s move on from this painful subject. OR I’m moving on from Kim Burgess. Judging by further scenes in this episode I’d say the first makes most sense. Adam Ruzek is clearly still very much in love with Kim Burgess.

This collection of scenes are the only interaction the two have since Burgess called things off. In the beginning we see Ruzek checking his phone, hoping for a call from her. Then we see him jump and turn at the sound of Burgess’ partner Roman’s voice, signaling he knew Burgess was in the room too. Burgess looks over at him awkwardly as he stares at her with puppy dog eyes and the saddest face ever. OH MY HEART! Seriously though Paddy is killing the puppy dog eyes this whole episode, I was just freaking out! (Legitimately kicking and screaming like a toddler.) Burgess looks away quicker than Ruzek, Ruzek’s stare lingers…which let’s be honest is WHAT WE LOVE about these break up story lines.

The following clip comes after Burgess and Roman just suffered a car crash while patrolling. Burgess is talking to a fellow cop, reporting what happened as we see a very determined Ruzek making his way toward her in a rather quick hasty fashion. He walks straight up to her, touching her face to check out the cut on her head. There’s really no hesitation on his part, as he asks her “Kim, are you okay?” Ruzek has always been very concerned about Burgess on the job since she got shot in Season 2. He always checks in on her, and he’s very protective, it’s the cutest freaking thing. You can tell that by the numerous times Ruzek’s made the same gesture when they were together.[See scenes 1, 2, & 3] The fact that he didn’t even think to do it again, shows he still loves her and still cares for her safety. Burgess on the other hand pulls back, making light of the accident and signifying she can’t take being this close to him. Ruzek grabs her shoulders and asks her how she’s doing with everything else- meaning the fact that they just called off their engagement- oh I don’t know- a day ago. Burgess again says she’s fine and asks how he is. In which Ruzek’s next response breaks Burzek hearts EVERYWHERE when he says “You’re fine. Really? Cause I’m terrible.” Let it be known that Ruzek looks kind of a wreck too, puffy face, full messy beard. Burgess responds to his honesty awkwardly by saying she’s sorry to hear that and then makes an excuse to walk away. Ruzek looks broken. Burgess looks flustered and equally broken. Though she hides it well.

This last scene is a scene between the two powerhouse women of the show; Kim Burgess and Erin Lindsay. I knew these two would be magic once they got a scene together. It’s about damn time! Look at Lindsay trying to play like she’s not also dating a fellow cop #Linstead. 😉 But seriously she did have a good point. Gender stereotypes and stigmas unfortunately do exist in many professions. Anyway what I love about this scene is how open Lindsay is. How she’s trying to be a friend to Burgess. And I love when she asks “Cause it’s that hard to see him at work every day?” And you can tell the hesitation in Burgess’ voice as she says “Cause I feel really guilty for calling it off, but it needed to be called off.” Which I think pretty much sums up the whole entire Burzek break.

I think that Burgess’ feelings are completely authentic. Her knee jerk reaction to transfer out is what anyone who just broke off their engagement would do. In fact if you watched this show since Season 1, you know that in Season 2 Burgess asks Ruzek-what if they ever broke up, and ended up hating each other, she mentions she’d probably transfer out. Of course Ruzek uses his charm to console her, as he just kisses her and tells her they aren’t breaking up. Looking back at that, AH, I JUST CAN’T. I want to cry. Poor Burzek! Oh the irony! Are you writers laughing in the writer’s room? 😉 She obviously still loves him, which is why this is so hard for her. In her mind she thinks there’s a reason behind Ruzek having such a relaxed approach to planning their wedding and their life together. And now seeing him and still having feelings for him makes it nearly impossible to try and move on (DON’T MOVE ON….PLEASE DON’T MOVE ON!) or just simply do her job. A job that basically puts your life on the line enough, she doesn’t need to be emotionally distracted and get hurt because as Voight likes to say “her heads not on straight.”

There were also a few other scenes not featured online.

Voight checks in with Ruzek-

During the case they are working on in Intelligence, Ruzek seems preoccupied the whole day. Voight calls on him for an update and Ruzek is so busy checking his phone yet again, that he doesn’t here Voight. After Voight gets his attention Ruzek supplies the update and as the others begin to clear the room, Voight asks Ruzek if he’s got “his head on straight.” Ruzek replies “Yea. I just didn’t see this coming. I feel like I let her down.” Voight responds “That’s not what I asked you.” While Ruzek answers “Yes. My heads on straight.” Voight responds “Okay.” With a pat on Ruzek’s back in understanding. THESE POOR COPS. It’s like they have to check their emotions at the door when they come to work. My god, I can only imagine the pressure. I mean people have to do things like that every day; separate their personal life from their professional. But when dealing with heart break and when you WORK WITH THE PERSON. I CAN’T. I have to admit though, from a writer’s stand point, this angsty stuff is GOLD. I just hate that sometimes the action and drama of the cases get in the way of the relationship stuff. I’m just hoping we don’t lose out on what this storyline can be, because they are too worried about delivering crazy cases and action packed scenes. It’s like okay we get it’s a cop show, but you just put our Burzek hearts through the mud, you better deliver that story FIRST. I don’t care about criminals doing stupid things. Not after you dumped this heartache on me. SHOW ME MY BURZEK LONGING STARES. SHOW ME THE TENSION!

Roman and Burgess chat on patrol-

Roman and Burgess have a very buddy type friendship. (Let’s hope it stays that way!) And so when they were on a drive to check out a suspicious situation, Roman says “Hey if you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s cool. But my cousin Matty thinks you’re hot. I told him I didn’t see it. But he wants your number.” Burgess kind of just laughs it off. (THANK YOU BURGESS!)

Mouse tries taking Ruzek’s mind off of Burgess-

Mouse (the tech guy) sees Ruzek having a few drinks at Molly’s. Ruzek looks down in the dumps, to say the least. Mouse saunters over with two girls by his side. He says something stupid like “Hey Adam I told Brynn here that you’re licking your wounds, turns out she is too.” Brynn sits down next to Ruzek (and instantly we hate Brynn) “So you’re a cop huh? You, must have a few crazy stories.” Adam says “Yea I got a few stories.” He then looks at her and asks “Brynn is it? I’m sorry I’m just not…” And he gets up to leave. Brynn looks unphased and says “No problem.” Adam walks out of the bar. Let’s put a new spin on “Bye Felicia”…”Bye Brynn.” I LOVE THIS SCENE and I hate it at the same time. SERIOUSLY WHAT IS UP with all the forces trying to get these two to move on from each other. They JUST broke up. Give them a minute to breathe, and you know come to the conclusion that they love each other like crazy and can’t live without each other, and have to get back together. I love the scene because ordinarily Ruzek has a pretty flirty nature. But when he and Burgess got together, it was like she become his world. He really only focused on her. Seriously you have to see how he acted with her, always kissing her, always wanting to be with her, always complimenting her. Homeboy even COOKED for her. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is! And even now that she broke things off, he still can’t fathom flirting with some other girl. Like I said before I think we may be seeing a new side to Adam Ruzek. I just hope the writers don’t pull another irony boost and let Ruzek get drunk and sleep with some rando (same goes for Burgess!) WE DON’T WANT TO SEE THAT!

In a nutshell, I think Adam is completely unaware of what is really going on with Kim. I think he’s been too caught up in the engagement bubble, that he hasn’t been noticing the signs of her growing frustration. Or at least he wasn’t taking them as seriously as he should have. While Kim feels that she needs to let him go, because this isn’t what he wants. But both are heart broken by not being together. My advice is for Burgess to play the hard to get card a little bit, I think it’s working for her for right now. I think it’s making Ruzek think. But I also give Adam so much credit for confronting Kim. I love that he was so honest about his feelings. How he feels terrible that they aren’t together. Most guys would just pretend they were cool, and just remain stoic. I think there needs to be more of that honesty (on both of their parts.) I think Adam needs to fight for Kim, get her to talk to him. I think they need a little distance, but not so much that it makes one of them do something stupid, or makes one of them start to move on. I think Kim needs to let Adam in on why she did what she did, because guys aren’t prone to realizing what they do wrong. Or at least Adam isn’t, he honestly just seems completely lost in confusion. She also needs to hear him out and there definitely needs to be more communication. They need to talk, like really talk about what went wrong and why. And I am just dying for Ruzek to just be like “But I love you…” followed by a big emotional speech. YES. PLEASE.

Anyway I know that this was a lot of emotional rambling and kind of long winded. And a less than eloquent dissection. But I just needed to vent. This Burzek break is messing with my feelings guys. I feel so bad for both of them. “But Michelle, it’s just a TV show, it’s not real,” you may say. UM, I’m sorry do you know me? I love TV! I love storytelling. I love the arcs of a love story! I am a writer! This is my bread and butter. Taking this stuff seriously is part of my love for television and my passion for creating stories myself. Like I always say watching TV is my research for when I can one day write for my own. And yes it’ll be a drama, because duh? 😉

So writers please don’t let me down here. Give me something I can work with.

I have a feeling I’ll be back here analyzing more Burzek scenes, because this is what is going to get me through this Burzek Break. When in doubt, blog about it!

Until next time, friends.

Catch this episode free on demand or on NBC.com

Chicago PD airs it’s new episode Wednesday @ 10 pm on NBC *Although this week is a special crossover event with Law and Order SVU which starts at @ 9 pm on NBC.*

Fingers crossed for some #Burzek scenes this week!

LIVE TWEET your #Burzek feels with me! – @Shellbelle91

*I do not take credit for any images, or videos/clips used in this post.*

-<3-

Barbie Evolves…Mattel bringing its A game

February 7, 2016February 5, 2016michelleleighwrites 1 Comment

I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, (sorry I couldn’t resist.)

Anyway… aside from that 90’s pop song being the greatest thing EVER, the world isn’t a Barbie World, and we are NOT Barbies. At least not the sculpted versions, we have been conditioned to believe are perfect and something to aspire to.

But as we grow and human nature catches up to corporate business, we see a change on the horizon. As you grow older I think your sense of self reflection gets stronger and you realize what’s really important in life. Heart is important. So why not instill that in the younger generation from the minute they are able to play with these iconic dolls.

Last week, I saw all the news about Barbie getting a makeover, and I was LOVING what I was seeing. What a changing world it is, that we live in. As Barbie Evolves…Mattel is bettering the iconic doll for future generations.

I loved Barbies as a kid, and even now all these years later, I still feel a connection to them. It takes me back to the days of my childhood. Where I would spend hours playing and being imaginative. Seeing the changes the companies are starting to realize need to be implemented to support healthier body image observance for young girls, is a really special thing. Granted, it took a while, but change is coming and it’s a groundbreaking move for Barbie lovers, like myself, to see.

-CUE RANT-

If you are not a fan or the change, you clearly don’t have a relationship with the toy, so get over it, and move on. Because this doesn’t concern you. Sorry… just reading the comments on the Barbie Facebook is so frustrating. If you don’t care about the change, why are you here looking it up? Why must you comment to say you don’t bother with Barbies? How is this change anything but good? I guess people will always have something to complain about.

-Ok, RANT OVER-

View my last Barbie’s Evolution turns into a Revolution post HERE .

Mattel is releasing its 2016 Barbie line, throughout this year. Some are even available for early purchase online.

On the Barbie.com website this is the statement featured about the new line-

Introducing the 2016 Barbie^® Fashionistas^™ Dolls. Releasing over time throughout the year, the line includes 4 body types- (Curvy, Tall, Petite, Original Barbie,) 7 skin tones, 22 eye colors, 24 hairstyles, and countless on-trend fashions and accessories. Shop now, exclusively at Mattel Shop.

Barbie.com also explains the reasons for the change, backing it up with a video.

THE EVOLUTION OF BARBIE-

Girls everywhere now have infinitely more ways to play out their stories and spark their imaginations through Barbie. Along with more overall diversity, we proudly add three new body types to our line. Here’s a look at why we did this, and the team that made it possible. #TheDollEvolves (SEE- video linked below)

Another video from Glamour Magazine that shows girls reacting to the new charge in Barbie, below:

Learn more about the new 2016 Barbie line HERE.

Like Barbie on Facebook for day to day updates and in-depth looks at the new and improved dolls.

360 degree viewing videos of the new dolls available on the Facebook page too!

“They’ll all be called Barbie, but it’s the curvy one—with meat on her thighs and a protruding tummy and behind—that marks the most startling change to the most infamous body in the world.” -TIME MAGAZINE

I want one of each, to put away for my future daughters, or nieces, or for my god daughter when you gets into Barbies which I selfishly hope is very soon! Haha! As I mentioned, I loved Barbies as a kid and I love that they are making Barbies more realistic and their beauty more attainable. It’s a great step in the right direction for inspiring positive body image for our young girls and future generations.

Is Ken going to be getting some realistic improvements next? I hope so. TODAY reports on the possibility. This looks so cool! If Barbie is looking more like real girls and women, shouldn’t Ken do the same and look more like real men, and boys? YES.

Everyone; men, women, girls, boys…we all come in all different shapes, sizes, heights, colors, ethnicities, some of us have curly hair, some of us have straight hair, some of us have beauty marks, some of us have freckles, and we all express our creativity through how we choose to dress. No one is perfect, but we are all unique. And there is a beauty in diversity. If everyone looked the same, like all the Barbies used to, the world would be a very boring place. I love that there are White, Black, Hispanic/Tan, and Asian Barbies in this new line. It’s a beautiful thing to see a reflection of our realistic world in these toys. Looking at this line of Barbies, their features are more human, they look like real people you’d pass on the street.

Because every little girl (or boy) playing with these dolls, just wants to feel accepted. To know that someone out there gets them and looks or feels like they look or feel. It’s human nature to want to feel that sense of connection to the world around you. Even as adults we want to feel accepted in our environment and when we look around and feel like maybe we stick out or we feel like we don’t fit in, it can cause us to feel badly about ourselves. That’s the same situation with children. The toys they play with mean the world to them. It’s the creative world they get to live in and make up stories. So if a doll looks like them, they get to play a more realistic version of that world. And feel that if Barbie can “be anything” which is the whole story behind Barbie and her million careers, then they can be anything and do anything. If Barbie isn’t perfect, they don’t feel like they have to be.

Rock on Barbie, Ken. Be you. Do Your Thang. (Words to live by…Thanks *NSYNC. and yes I changed the title to Thang, because I just thought it was more effective than Thing. haha!)

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Which new Barbie and Ken do you find most inspired? Which is most like you? Personally speaking I really dig the curvy Barbies, with the tan complexion and brown hair. I feel she looks most like me. Although I gotta admit the fact that some dolls have hazel eyes now, is kinda awesome too. And I love the blue hair and other funky colors too. Super cool! So let’s start a conversation, what do you guys think? Tell me in the comments below!

*I do not take credit for any images or videos/songs used in this post.*

-<3-

Mini Drugstore Haul-Products Getting Too Expensive?

February 4, 2016February 3, 2016michelleleighwrites 4 Comments

So I’ve never really done a makeup haul of any kind on this blog. I’m not one to shop for name brand makeup, I’m a drugstore makeup buyer. I keep my makeup routine pretty simple, if and when I choose to wear it on a daily basis, it’s just the basics- Under eye Concealer, Coverstick, Powder, Lip Balm, Brows, and maybe mascara. Sometimes I won’t even use mascara, I’ll just curl my lashes, and lightly pinch my cheeks for some color, instead of adding blush.

So when I noticed the products that I use everyday started to finish and some were a bit old, I went to pick up a few key products from my local Rite Aid.

Products:

prices for haul post

Facial Cleanser- (was originally $8.29…so I was happy to catch this product on sale, I love that it’s a foam facial cleanser.)

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Make Up Wipes- (I buy the cheap ones! But still it only has 15 wipes, which is a bummer.)

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Cover Stick (in Medium 802)- (I happen to like wet n wild products, and I needed a new cover stick and didn’t feel like breaking the bank.)

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Under Eye Concealer (in Medium 130)- (I love this stuff, but wish it was cheaper, the applicator is really the perfect size and function to roll it onto those dark under eye circles.)

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Mascara (Mocha 034)- (this mascara is pure hypoallergenic and volumizing and suitable for green eyes. I have hazel eyes but depending on the day they can look green. So I went for this one. I also have sensitive eyes so hypoallergenic is a must for me.)

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Liquid Eyeliner- (This is a new purchase for me, I’m trying to strengthen my wing game, because it’s pretty non-existent. As they say practice makes perfect, so being that this is a test run product, I went for the cheapest I could find. Thank you wet n wild.)

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So I know these purchases are mostly pretty cheap, but the few that weren’t just kind of anger me. $9.49 for that tiny tube of concealer. Seriously. I paid $33.14 in total and only walked out with 6 items. Thankfully I had a $25 gift card so I didn’t have to add too much on, otherwise I probably would have gotten one or two things and left. In fact if I would have gone with my plan to purchase a new covergirl lipstick from their Oh Sugar line (which was $8) my total would have been in the $40 range FOR MAKEUP in a DRUGSTORE. It’s nonsense if you ask me. Which is why I steer clear from brand names. Drugstores should be ashamed for charging so much. Who’s with me?

What do you think of Drugstore prices on makeup?

*All photos are my own* #crappycellphonepics

-<3-

Grease: Live Review

February 2, 2016michelleleighwrites Leave a comment

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The first thing you should know before watching this show, is not to compare it to the original film. Grease is timeless, it’s a classic, and it’s untouchable. Granted, not comparing is easier said than done. I adore the film, it is hands down one of my favorite movies of all time. I can watch it over and over again and sing along in enjoyment. Anytime I catch it on TV I watch it. So as I sat watching Grease: Live, I found myself comparing every moment, every movement, every line to the original, which can completely daunt the magic of the live show.

Now don’t get me wrong some parts were better than others, and I definitely cringed during a few moments because of the dialogue changes, but overall I enjoyed the show very much. It gave me such an incredible respect for shows that shoot with a live audience. And my love for the Grease storyline was ignited once again. Can I please please dress up like Sandy at least once in my life? #goals

Now let’s get into specifics…I’m going to try and categorize my thoughts, and keep things to the point. So that we all aren’t here forever. 😉

Performance High Lights:

“Hopelessly Devoted”- Julianne Hough

“Summer Nights”- Aaron Tveit & Julianne Hough

“There are worse things I could do”- Vanessa Hudgens

“You’re the one that I want”- Julianne Hough & Aaron Tveit

“We’ll Always Be Together”- The whole Rydell gang

Casting:

Julianne Hough [Dancing with the Stars] really shines as Sandy, as she channels that good girl nature, while just trying to find a way to fit in. Her shy innocence is played naturally, as she delivers her performance with a sweetness and a tenderness. But she easily switches tone and spices things up when she becomes bad sandy. And her dancing skills showed right on through too. Oh and girl can sing too???!!!

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Aaron Tveit [Glee] was very charming as Danny. He got the swagger down pact, working the strut and the smirk full force. His delivery of flirtation was cleverly made his own. And let’s just say he’s kind of adorable.

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Vanessa Hudgens [High School Musical] was a complete star. Considering the recent loss of her father who passed just hours before the live show, she didn’t let anything derail her determination, as she conquered the role of Betty Rizzo. Her sassy nature and spunk was on point throughout the night, as she delivered her lines with conviction and flirtation. We commend you Ms. Hudgens, you love, are a true class act and a complete professional. Can you say powerhouse? I couldn’t imagine being able to even think about doing such a thing while dealing with so much emotional grief. The live show was dedicated in her late father- Greg Hudgen’s honor.

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Carlos Pena-Vega [Big Time Rush] was a really spot on Kenickie. I was loving how he delivered his lines with the same arrogant yet goofy flare the original Kenickie played by Jeff Conaway did. I have to say he really surprised me in a great way. Hats off.

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Carly Rae Jepsen [Singer] had to be my favorite. Now I’ll be honest, I love “Call Me Maybe” just as much as the next girl, but when I heard Jepsen had been cast in the role of Frenchy, I was a bit unconvinced. But she killed it. Not only does she look flawless decked out in [literally] head to toe pink, but Frenchy has this light spirit about her, she’s kind and more accepting then the other pink ladies. And I think Jepsen was exceptional in her delivery. Plus that moment where she shared a scene with Didi Conn (the original Frenchy) who came back to play the role of Vi (waitress at the Frosty Palace ice cream parlour) just gave me all the feels. Frenchy’s boy “Doody” was played by Jordan Fisher, and the original Doody played by Barry Pearl was on set as well, as he played Vince Fontaine’s agent. Both beautiful ways to pay homage to an incredible film. In fact Didi gave a few token Grease mementos to Carly for the live show, check out Carly’s instagram collage.

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Kether Donohue [The Carrie Diaries] wasn’t someone I recognized. But I think she was a breath of fresh air. Casting her as Jan was a great move. From her pigtails all the way to her squeaky voice, made me think fondly of her delivery. She also serves as a quiet humor in the drama that ensues between the other major couples in the story.

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The Production:

*Camera work:

Ok, this is the real deal talk here. I am mean how can I review a live show, without talking about the production side of it, right? Let me start by saying that when I watch live television I am often nervous for whoever is in that control room. From my studies in college, I know first-hand that operating a live show it is no joke. Anything can happen, anything can go wrong, and the world will see it. Well I mean maybe the world didn’t see when we’d mess up in my film production class, but still I was always so stressed. So I can only imagine the pressure felt on a much greater scale. Needless to say, I have been trained to view film and television with a critical eye. So granted I had my moments of “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” But for the bulk of the show, I was incredibly in awe of how seamless the camera work was. Grease Live was directed by a fellow Dancing with the Stars director Alex Rudzinski and Thomas Kail who is a high in demand Broadway director known for his work with Hamilton.

Let’s just talk about that intro where the incredibly talented Jessie J. strutted throughout the set as she performed Grease (is the word). It was, I think a homage to the actual beginning of the film, where you hear the song as you see the caricatures pop up one by one, all in different locations, doing different things as the introductory credits show. As Jessie J walked throughout the set, we got to see bits and pieces of the set and all the characters coming to life for the first time. And the camera work was on point the entire time, following her every move in a kind of hand held, first person view vibe. Whatever kind of rig they used was full proof. I have to look into how they filmed that, because it was epic.

Also the black and white inserts were FANTASTIC, I was so excited to see that. In the film, as American Bandstand comes to host a dance off at Rydell high school, you see Vi and the gang watching live from the Frosty Palace and the TV shots are obviously in black and white. The inclusion of this during the dance off scene was a nice homage to the original film.

*Set Design:

Set design for Grease Live was done by Jason Howard (Dancing with the Stars.) For the most part the live show was set on a sound stage. There were a few scenes staged outside, but the outdoor scenes were minimal. Most scenes were set in the Rydell High school set, in the hallways near the lockers and in the school gymnasium. However, I imagine that the production kept to sound stage, because being that the show was live, there needed to be limited transporting of actors. Scenes were transitioned quickly. Points for the behind the scenes clips during the commercials, where we saw the actors running in between scenes to golf carts to drive them to their next scene. Super cool to see.

The race at thunder road was kind of wonky too, considering there couldn’t really be a car race, there was just a lot of tire spinning and smoke. But I get that you do what you have the means to and the allotted time for.

I did however miss the abundance of the carnival scene. The closing number of “You’re the one that I want” was performed on set and although the set was transformed into a carnival like atmosphere, it didn’t give off quite the grandiose appeal as the film. And the choreography wasn’t able to shine as much without the Shake Shack, and the Rizzo/Kenickie “I’m not pregnant” moment wasn’t the same without the Ferris Wheel. I was happy to see the closing number of “We Go Together” be performed outside, where the whole set was transformed into a carnival; Ferris Wheel and all. And I couldn’t understand why the whole segment wasn’t set there in the first place. But regardless the ending made up for it. The sheer excitement on the actors faces as they sang and took their bows, dancing and singing their hearts out, was enough to see that this was a passion project that meant the world to them. Julianne Hough’s expression was EVERYTHING!

*Glitches:

There were a few minor glitches that were noticeable, or at least to me. During the first scene after the opening number, where the gang is standing in front of Rydell High, we see a significant change in lighting. But it was corrected for the better.

During the sleepover scene, where Keke Palmer wowed as Marty singing “Freddy my love,” upon her quick change, it was as if you heard a mic scuff. I didn’t know what the noise was at first but then realized it was probably that. Super small, but bound to happen during a live show.

And lastly, during the big school dance scene there was a point where the sound just completely went out, and it felt like forever. It was a mere few seconds, but I could just imagine the sheer panic going on in the control room. I think the sound was slightly off for a few moments after that, during the Johnny Casino performance there was a weird cut, where it seemed like Joe Jonas’ song was just skipped over, and then throughout Sandy’s “Hopelessly Devoted” performance you can hear some annoying feedback, even so Julianne Hough’s vocals nailed it!

P.S. Who else noticed the Blanche character earring go flying off because girl could not stop wobbling, it was kind of irritating and overdone if you ask me. Haha. The Patty Simcox character was kind of a little too peppy for me, she was also kind of stiff and robotic, but I do think the similarities were there.

I’m just nitpicking here though, aside from that one major audio drop, everything went pretty smoothly. And I thought it all came together rather beautifully. I enjoyed it.

*Choreography

Choreography for Grease Live was done by Zach Woodlee (Glee). Although all big numbers were included, it seemed as though there were some adjustments made to the routines. Specifically in the hand jive sequence. I noticed it wasn’t the traditional moves. I took that as either a new spin to make the live show unique or that it could have possibly had something to do with copyright issues. Because I know that on Dancing with the Stars when they do movie week, they aren’t always allowed to use all the original choreography. Either way the show still went on.

*Costume Design:

Costume design for Grease Live was done by William Ivey Long (The Cutting Edge, The Producers, A slew of Broadway productions.) The dresses, the pink ladies and t-birds fashion, the Rydell high school gym clothes and cheer uniforms were on all point. The true 50’s inspiration was alive.

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*New Additions:

The script for Grease Live was constructed by Jim Jacobs (original musical) and Warren Casey (musical). Jacobs also worked with many projects including Glee and Dancing with the Stars. While Casey, worked with projects such as, Glee, Dancing with the stars, and SNL.

During last night’s live performance you may have seen some new developments in our beloved love story.

-Cultural acceptance

Different cultures and races were channeled into the main rolls. The T-birds were of an ethnic dynamic. With Pena-Vega using his Latin flare to deliver his lines as Kenickie. While Keke Palmer’s bold vocals lent Marty a new heir of confidence and sass. Along with Palmer, a few other African American actors were placed in the roles for Blanche and for Coach Calhoun. Not to mention Boyz II Men made a cameo as they sang “Beauty School Drop Out.” I have to say, I was kind of vibing! I love me some Boyz II Men.

-Script Adjustments to fit 2016

Aside from a few lyrical tweaks to PG -afye-things, and line tweaks, it was noticeable that the Grease Live script was set to be a bit more family friendly, I guess you could say. Don’t get me wrong the raunchy sex talk is still very much intact, and Rizzo and Kenickie bust out a few doozies. But the idea that they shied away from violence (instead of punching his wrestling opponent Danny just pulls down his pants revealing a pair of pink gym shorts), fat shaming (instead of focusing on Jan’s weight, they focus on her uniqueness) and bullying (Although Eugene is messed with throughout the show, Danny always gives him an out. Eugene helps the T-birds win the race at thunder road and Danny gives him his T-bird jacket to induct him into the group) was a nice change of pace now that I reflect. And although the vulgar dance moves were still a thing during the school dance off, and Sonny still spiked the bunch- he and the guys didn’t moon the camera. Shucks, I love the irony of Blue Moon playing as you see the three fellas moon the camera.

-New Songs:

“Freddy My Love” * (Written for the Original Broadway Musical but dropped for the film)

“All I Need is an Angel” * (New Original song for Grease Live)

On a scale of 1 to Grease the original, I give it a 6 (a little more than half,) because well let’s be real you can’t monkey with the original. BUT I take into account that this is a MUSICAL version and NOT a full FEATURE FILM. BUT did I enjoy the hell of it…YES. Would I watch it again…YES. Would I recommend you watch if you missed it…HELL YES. And now I’m going to go continue to listen to the original soundtrack because I’m a pile of Grease feels, now.

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Thanks for reading my in-depth Grease: Live Review.

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What’d you think of the show, let’s chat in the comments below? (Hey that rhymed!)

*I do not take credit for any images or video clips used.*

-<3-

Happy Birthday Justin Timberlake!

February 1, 2016February 1, 2016michelleleighwrites Leave a comment

BLOG UPDATE-

So I was trying to slowly make Sundays my third upload day but I kinda fell short yesterday. I wanted to post something yesterday in honor of Justin Timberlake’s 35^th Birthday, because I mean what kind of fangirl would I be if I didn’t. And since he’s not on tour or putting out an album, my fangirl posts have been lacking. But I got distracted the whole day, and then Grease: Live was on and I was hooked for 3 hours. By the time I started on my post, my internet and my computer decided to act up and I was trying to post before midnight but it just was an ongoing issue. So end result it was a failed mission. I am not going to rule out making Sundays my third post day, but I’m just going to see if it’s feasible. I’ll test the waters a bit this month. We’ll use February as a trial month for that and see how things go. Any way I’m still posting the Justin Tribute today (which was meant for Sunday,) but I will also be posting a review of Grease: Live a little later on, as an official Monday post. It’s going to take some time, because I have a lot of thoughts going on in my head about that one! Spoiler Alert: I am currently listening to the original movie’s soundtrack because my obsession with Grease has ignited. Anyway enough rambling…

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Justin Timberlake has been my longest running obsession. I support him in basically everything he does, creatively. He is a true talent. [insert my cheesy instagram post]

HBDJT