Shiseido Blue Project Comes to Huntington Beach with Second Conservation CleanUp

Photo Credit: Jennifer Johnson

 On Thursday September 24th the Shiseido Blue Project and partners WildCoast headed out to the Huntington Beach Open for a day of beach cleanups and fun! Joined by Ashley Wahler, Janel Parrish, and Actor Sam Trammell, a group of volunteers geared up with some Shiseido sunscreen and hit the sand to clean up trash. The Shiseido Blue project is an initiative in partnership with the World Surf League, PURE and Wildcoast that aims to inspire, educate, and empower ocean protection. This global initiative launched in 2019 with a range of activities to protect the ocean, including cleaning up beaches, leading global conservation campaigns like We Are One Ocean, and promoting ocean-and sun-safe habits.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Johnson

I spoke to actor and surfer Sam Trammell about the event and got his top tips for enjoying a day at the beach while being conscious of the ocean and environment. According to Sam he always tries to take out more than he brings in by not leaving trash behind and uses ocean safe sunscreen when possible. 

Photo Credit: Jennifer Johnson

There was plenty of that in store at the Shiseido tent. The Shiseido sunscreen is perfect for a beach day and feel so luxurious on your skin. It is my favorite type of sunscreen to use because it comes in 50+ SPF and doesn't rub off easily. According to Wild Coast, our ocean's need our help. They provided me with some facts about Ocean Conservation as well as some tips on how to prevent further damage. 

1. About 17.6 billion pounds of debris ends up in the world's oceans every year. This is equivalent to nearly 57,000 blue whales. 

2. There are 5 giant garbage patches in our oceans. The largest — the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — includes an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of trash and covers an area nearly twice the size of Texas

3. By 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh all of the ocean’s fish.

Community beach clean ups are a great way to start as well as using more environmentally friendly products. Looking forward to seeing more great things with Shiseido Blue and keeping our Ocean's clean! 

Photo Credit: Jennifer Johnson

How to Throw an Elegantly Spooky Halloween Party in Your Backyard

 

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I have always loved to celebrate this holiday by picking out fun costumes and makeup! Halloween parties are a great excuse to get dressed up no matter what age you are! I love Halloween parties but I decided to make mine a little more elegant this year. So here is my guide to creating the perfect upscale and spooky event for you and your friends this Halloween. Since my costume was inspired by the Scooby Doo movies I decided to go with a spooky island theme for the decorations and made this a tropical Halloween party so you will see a mix of Halloween and tropical decor! 

What to Serve: 

Graveyard dip

This is one of my favorite Halloween appetizers it is so delicious and comes out looking really professional! All you have to do is make your favorite 7 layer dip and then fry up some tortilla shapes. I cut mine into a tree and some half circles for a spooky graveyeard look! 

Autumn Chex Mix 

I love home made chex mix and it is one of my favorite things to serve at a party. For this event I added some candy corns and candy corn pumpkins into my bowl of chex mix to give it a sprinkle of fall. I also love candy corn pumpkins so this was the perfect place to use them. 

Spider Eggs 

I found this recipe while researching ideas for my party and I will honestly never go back it came out too cute! All you have to do is make deviled eggs and add an olive on top! You just slice up an olive half into 4 slices and use another olive half to place in the middle of the egg and you have a spider! So creepy but somehow still cute!

Witches Hats

These witches hats are another one of my favorite snacks to make. All you need is a bag of bugle chips and some ritz crackers. I used spray cheese to attach my bugle chips but you can use anything you want like peanut butter or another snack spread. Mingle them in with the spiders eggs for the perfect appetizer platter. 

Spooky Smokies

I used my mini crock pot to cook up some spooky smoky sausages. I used BBQ sauce and then served them with toothpicks for a fun finger food! Pun intended! 

Cupcakes

I decorated some bright orange Halloween cupcakes for the ultimate dessert. I also added some pumpkin faces and used Halloween themed sprinkles. You can never go wrong with cupcakes! 

Cookies

I baked these pumpkin and ghost shaped sugar cookies and included them in my dessert assortment for some extra character. You can also make this another activity for your guests and have a cookie decorating contest! 

Candy 

I love the eyeball chocolates and pumpkin Reese's on Halloween so sprinkle them around the table for your guests to find whenever they are feeling a need for a treat!

Punchbowl

I love a good vampire blood punch bowl. A crystal punch bowl is the perfect accessory to class up your party decor as well! 

Decorations: 

Tiki Bar 

This is part of my Spooky Island theme. I used some tiki torches I found at the dollar store and these fun lantern lights to create a tropical effect. Plus I had this cute decorative Coconut jar. I topped it off with a sign and this cute Pineapple man idea I saw on Pinterest! 

Halloween tablecloth

I used some Halloween tablecloths that came in a party pack and then put this grass skirt around the edge of the table to keep with my tropical theme. 

Lights and lanterns 

I used these paper lanterns I found at the dollar store and a string of purple outdoor halloween lights. I strung the purple lights from the trees to create a criss cross pattern and then secured the lanterns onto the lights so they would hang down over the party!

Candle holders 

I found these iron candle holders at a garage sale and they turned out to be perfect for this party! They give off Dracula vibes and I added some fun ribbons to tie in my party colors. 

Tropical tablerunner 

This tropical tablerunner I also found at the dollar store and I used it to put on the tiki bar for an added island theme accessory. It also makes the table look more put together. 

Pumpkin cart 

This easy and fun design is something you can keep in your yard all month long! I bought some different sized pumpkins and used mums to create this autumn themed pumpkin cart. I had this little wooden wagon in my yard already and then created a sign to direct party guests into the backyard. I placed this at the entrance of the party and it also turned out to be a great spot for pictures! 

What to listen to: My Elegant Halloween Playlist

These are some of my favorite spooky classics along with some songs I researched and added to create a classy playlist perfect to set the mood. 

I Put a Spell on You

Witchcraft by Frank Sinatra

Black Magic Woman by Fleetwood Mac

Abracadabra by Steve Miller band

Disturbia by Rihanna 

She Wolf by Shakira

Monster by Lady Gaga 

Genie in a Bottle 

Monster Mash

Weird Science

My Costume: Daphne from Scooby Doo

I love this costume because it is easy to recreate with clothes you can get from any store and it is a little bit dressy too! Plus who doesn't love 70s fashion right? I created this look using a pair of white GoGo boots I got from a costume store however you can wear any pair of white boots. These ones from JustFab are in style and on sale so this is the perfect excuse to buy a cute pair of boots! I used this brightly color blocked dress from Kate Spade that I got a few years ago. I have linked some similar color blocked styles in bright purple here. I accessorized with this green scarf I found in my closet and of course had to wear a cute purple headband to complete the look! I also used this peach hair color to temporarily get an authentic Daphne hair style! This is the perfect party look because it is low maintenance and you can still wear a cute dress that you'll love! 

LAFW Returns With a Focus on Diversity on the Runway

After a long hiatus during the Covid pandemic LAFW has officially returned with in person shows this October at the Peterson Automotive museum. With a line up of exciting up and coming talent as well as some established Hollywood names the runway shows this year are making a splash in the LAFW comeback season. This season the runway also has a special focus on diversity with the, LAFW Diversity & Disability initiative. This year's events feature current and former Paralympians and athletes who will be closing out the season with an exclusive runway sports show unlike any other. Led by Disability & Diversity Advocate Steven Tingus, this promises to be a highlight of the entire season. 

 "LA has become the streetwear & Red-carpet fashion capital of the world. As part of this cultural renaissance, we're excited to be leaders behind this movement into a premier hub for fashion, art, design and entertainment. That's why the event has become more experiential than ever before," says Arthur Chipman, Executive Producer of LAFW.

The season promises to be an exciting return to in person events with partners such as Stella Artois, L'Oreal, and held at the iconic Peterson Automotive Museum. You can find out more at www.lafw.net

 

A New Life Premiers at the Landmark Theater in Los Angeles

 On Thursday August 28th the independent film directed by the famous Los Angeles acting coach Choice Skinner premiered at the Landmark Theater in Westwood. This long anticipated film has a special message for people after a year of change and uncertainty according to director and creator Skinner. The premier was a celebratory event where cast and crew from all around the country reunited to see the film finally come together. Red carpet attendees included the cast of the film: Daffany McGaray, Clark Chris Rouse, Kailah Ami, Danny Royce, Daniel Joo, Joan Moten, Ambyr McWilliams, Josh Butler, Kyndra Mack, Janessa A. Morgan, Jessica Cymone. Additional Celebrities who came out to support the event were: Torrei Hart, McKinley Freeman , Geno Brooks, Thai Edwards, Michael Cory Davis, Stephanie Charles, Dylan Flashner, Mezou, Erica Dasher, Hiram Murray, Mike Strong, Reid Ewing, Freckles (Jason Greene), Bree Winslow, Marcus Dupree , David Hillenbran, Antonio Ramsey, and Derek Dominique. 

I spoke to several cast members about what they were most looking forward to as well as their red carpet looks.  

Actress Sophia Perez who played Amy Johnston in the film told me about her look by Auntie Funky's closet. She said, "Her name is Michelle she's a designer here out of LA and she's amazing. She can make an outfit out of anything!"

Actress Kyndra Mack who played Brenda in the film explained her custom look telling me, "I am wearing LaVogue it's by one of my childhood friends and she actually designed it and wanted me to wear it on the red carpet."

I spoke to Director and Creator Choice Skinner about the story of this film as well as what went into creating it during such a challenging year. His story of persevering to finish this film is incredibly powerful and such an inspiration for anyone who has felt like their Hollywood career was put on hold due to Covid. After writing the film and directing it through multiple setbacks during over a year of filming he edited the film himself and was finally able to see it all come together at the premier. 

I also spoke to the producer of the film who showed up for the red carpet in a custom tailored suit and hat giving serious Boss vibes. She also had a great message to share about working on this film and what made this project so unique. She told me, "Having a majority African-American cast that was a strong cast, that's what I think makes it superbly unique" 

Finally we all headed inside to watch the movie for the first time on the big screen. There was a Q and A with the audience and then the film began. This film was truly an all hands on deck project and most cast and crew contributed multiple talents during the filming and post production of the movie. It truly came out looking professional and had an amazing soundtrack as well. The story was captivating and had twists and turns that made me want to watch all the way through to the end. I would highly recommend checking this movie out if you get the chance. There were some great funny moments, as well as some heavy moments that felt incredibly relatable.

Shiseido Hosts Malibu Beach CleanUp with Celebrities Katharine McPhee and Adrien Grenier

This Friday July 23rd Shiseido kicked off the weekend with a great event giving us a fun way to give back! I attended the Shiseido Blue Project Malibu beach clean up where local influencers and celebs showed up to help spread awareness about keeping our oceans clean. The project was organized with Shiseido Blue grantee, Wild Coast, a non profit that is helping to clean up our beaches and oceans as well as spread awareness about the importance of caring for our Ocean and coastal environments. 

We started the morning off with some snacks and juices provided by Shiseido all in reusable containers. And of course we couldn't forget sun care! Shiseido provided their signature sunscreen and roll on sun gel for guests who came to the event. 

Wild Coast provided clean up gear as well as taught us how to catalog the trash we found for reporting and analyzing. We all got ready to go and then headed across the beach to begin our clean up. Celebrity guest Adrien Grenier, star of Entourage, got right to work and shared how important this cause was for him. 

Katharine McPhee Foster, the singer and actress known for her role in the TV show Scorpion, took time out of her busy schedule as a new mom to attend the event as well. Both stars dug right in collecting tons of trash with the group. 

I spoke with Ann Wycoff, the director of development for the Wild Coast project and she shared with me some of the shocking facts about the trash in our oceans. Over 1.8trillion pieces of plastic can be found in the pacific garbage patch located between CA and Hawaii. By cleaning up trash along the coast of Mexico and California WildCoast is helping to prevent more plastic from ending up in the already giant garbage patch in our ocean. 

The event shed light on the very important work that needs to be done to preserve our Oceans and coastal environments. Many times when talking about preserving the environment the Ocean is left off or forgotten about but thankfully organizations like WildCoast and the Shiseido Blue project are continuing the efforts to clean up the beach and bring awareness to this important cause! 

Justin Bieber Performs at the New Sofi Stadium in LA

This summer I attended the One Day LA "Freedom Experience" concert held at the brand new Sofi Stadium in LA. Headliners included Justin Bieber, Jaden Smith, Chance the Rapper, Tori Kelly and more. I covered the concert put on by the charity organization One Day LA which held the concert in celebration of a successful campaign around the city of Los Angeles. They had been working on initiatives such as delivering food, providing assistance to the homeless, and much more to help LA recover from the economic devastation of Covid-19. Volunteers who had participated in one of the campaigns were invited to the concert for free in honor of all their hard work. I covered the event from the media section and had a great time experiencing the brand new SoFi stadium. There were several other notable guests in attendance including the mayor of Inglewood and the co-founder of the OneDay LA movement. 

The event started off with a performance by Jaden Smith who warmed up the crowd with several new songs as well as his hit single "ICON". 

He told the crowd, "I seriously connect with what OneDay LA is doing and its an honor for me to be on this stage performing for all of you!" 

Chance the Rapper also gave an inspiring performance and shared some of his personal background with the crowd. He celebrated the great volunteer work accomplished through the OneDay LA movement. 

Tori Kelly came out next and performed several of her popular songs and got the crowd singing along. In between songs she said, "The work that you guys are doing is so inspiring. Thank you to OneDay LA!" 

Finally, it was time for the performance that everyone had been waiting for. Justin Bieber took the stage with several brand new songs. He gave a heartfelt performance to the crowd and shared about his personal faith journey with the audience. He told the crowd, "The pandemic has caused all if us to struggle and many of us have struggled with mental health issues. I know I have. I'm here to say you are loved and you don't have to be ashamed." This was a timely message that really resonated with the crowd as well as all of the listeners streaming the concert. One of the biggest silent effects of Covid-19 has been the epidemic of mental health issues that young people have faced while being away from their peers for so long. 

The night ended with some of Justin Bieber's classic songs like HOLY and the crowd went wild. It was a great way to celebrate the charity work that OneDay LA accomplished.