Interviewing the Dreamer - Vanity Haus

 

Make-up Artist Jessica Diaz

 Wondering what is Vanity Haus?  Well here's my interview with the lovely and talented ladies of Vanity Haus.  Read about who they are and what this beauty team can do for you!

What is Vanity House?

Vanity Haus is striving to change women's beauty routine, it feels like now a days it's more of a chore, we want to make it more of an environment of luxury and an enjoyable experience. Somewhere that we can bring back female camaraderie.

 Hair Stylist Bethy, working a photo shoot

How did you come up with name Vanity Haus?

We threw a lot of things around for a while but just couldn't decide on anything. We wanted it to feel cozy and comfortable, almost as if you were at a girl friends house. And we wanted it to be versatile enough where we can really take it anywhere that our lives and creativity lead us.

When did you establish Vanity Haus?

All three of us were working at a new salon at the time, we were all really excited about the change that we thought it would bring. It seemed like it was going to be more than just a regular salon experience. A few months down the line we started to realize that it was the same old salon routine. It was like any other place. We had all been toying with the idea of starting a blog together or something similar for a while and from that and our experience at this place we just thought bigger.

Who's idea was it to team up with each other?

We're all just really awesome and why not! jk

 Are you guys friends?

Sometimes … yeah, we're bffs

 Have you always wanted to be a make-up artist? Hair artist, etc.?

I think we all had different career plans when we were younger.  Jess wanted to be a vet. Only for dogs… (lol)  But none of us seemed to be able to get our creative needs met by any of those plans.  Life just threw us in this direction and we have never looked back!

What kind of training or schooling have you ladies had in your field?

Bethy attended Paul Mitchell the School.  She's worked at high end salons and does a lot of freelance work in print, runway and film.  Jessica graduated from the Make Up Designory and has also worked on set as a freelance artist, in major beauty retailers and in a salon setting. Her product knowledge is impressive!  And I Alex, am currently working on my marketing and business degree.

Do you guys travel? Are you willing?

Absolutely!

  

What look is your favorite to create?

Bethy:  We all have a different style, which is why it's so much fun to work with each other.

Jessica:  Alex likes to do crazy out of the box stuff, I like classic and vintage, really feminine looks, but then I like doing goth too! I just want to throw red lipstick on anything. And Bethy makes everyone's hair sexy.

 

Jessica working a photo shoot

Where do you guys see each other in 5 years?

In 5 years, we hope to be a household name.

Who would be your dream celeb to work on? And why?

Well Jessica has a MAJOR crush on Chris Hemsworth.

  

What is the hardest thing you've come across in your field?

Egos! Jk. We're very new in the business so we haven't been hit with anything too crazy, but I'm sure there will be plenty of make or break situations. 

 Bethy

What inspires you?

Everything and anything. Our families, our friends, color, texture, seasons… anything.

What has been the craziest moment in your career so far?

Realizing how much support and love we have around us while starting this whole thing. There is one person in particular who has taken it upon themselves to push us, encourage us and guide us. We love her and appreciate her more than we can express. We feel so blessed.

  

In your wildest dreams where do you see Vanity Haus featured?

Vogue, the fashion Bible!

Well Darlins, how would you like to get a complimentary mini make-over by these ladies?!  Join us on November 17th (2012) at Melissa Velia's 1st Pop-up Shop and you'll have the opportunity to get dolled up for your Saturday night affairs by Vanity Haus!  Time is limited so we recommend making any appt. to be seen by one of these talents gals.  Simply email us at m.velia@melissavelia.com with a time (11:00am - 2:30pm) you would prefer and we'll confirm it before the days end.  For all the other Pop-up Shop details click here 

If your interested in working with Vanity Haus or have a special event you'd like them to doll you up for, contact them at vntyhaus@gmail.com

Interviewing the Dreamer - The Author

(Adult material and content)

When I was a kid I dreamed about becoming three things when I grew up, an actress, a clothing designer and a writer.  Today I am a clothing designer, a published poet and an actress that was edited out of a MasterCard commercial.  Now I want you to meet another dreamer who has reached his dreams of becoming a published author, Daniel James Franklin.  Not only does he have a God given "Author's" name DANIEL JAMES FRANKLIN, his writing talent suppresses other young writers in my opinion.   Here's his interview about his new book and his writing.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Oh ya! It actually all went down in 3rd grade, if you can believe it! My teacher wrote prompts on the board-different questions about ideas, and we had to respond to them. I remember one time she wrote this prompt about "a black cloud covering the sun," and I just took off with it. Made up a story about a superhero named SuperDan. From then on I knew I wanted to be an author.

What's your book about?

It's based around a central character who is going through somewhat of a "mid-life crisis." A bunch of different tragedies happen to him all at once and he's really not sure how to handle it. He snaps and plans to kill himself. He overdoses on a drug called Red Devil, hence the name, and the book follows his drug trip. It's a single night and really about man's journey to find himself and the answers to life in midst of tribulation.

Daniel James Franklin

What inspired you to write this book?

Ya know, it's funny. I'm not the person who gets spoken to by God, or here's angels in his sleep, but this one actually came to me in a dream. The whole base of the story is what I dreamt. As soon as I woke I thought, "I NEED to write this!"

How did you come up with the title?

It was originally called God vs. The Devil. Then my good friend Charisma read it and told me it was a stupid name and I realized, "Ya, it's a stupid name!" Too be honest, I can't even remember how I came up with it, but I really like it now!

How did you come about writing this book?

The idea came and my possessed hands did that rest!

What motivates you to write?

Damn, I don't think I've ever thought about that. I really don't know. I just love doing it. I can tell you that it's a God given talent, and without him, I'd be a pretty horrible writer.

Daniel

Do you have a specific writing style?
Yes and no. I wrote this back in High School, so the writing is pretty juvenile at times. Every novel I write has its own twang to it. I guess I can say my style is ever-changing.

What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine?

Once again, I'd say that is also ever-changing. But I do notice, while writing a particular story, I really get into the main character's world. I must experience whatever he's going through first hand so that I can describe it with complete honesty. Hence me taking copious of amounts of substances while writing the book.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I wouldn't call it writer's block. I'm constantly coming up with new ideas, and for me it's about choosing the perfect one! Sometimes the choosing part can be stifling.

Why should people read your book?

Well to be forward-I don't think anyway NEEDS to read my book, I really published this for me. It's been my dream and now I can die happy. Haha. No, no, I'm kidding. But truth is, the material is relate-able to anyone. We've all found ourselves in a dark place questioning our own existence. It's man's most vulnerable point. Although reader's may not be going through what main character Ben Tanner is going through, but they realize, "Hey, I've felt this guy's pain before."

What do you want readers to take away from your book?

I will never advocate anything in particular, but I hope people just take a simple piece of hope from my book. We all have crazy thing happen to us. Keep your head up. And if they don't take away anything, well at least they have 144 pages to start a fire with haha.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I would like people to read it then tell me what they got from it. It's all their own experience.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

The things I write are the very things I'm supposed to be learning. It's funny because I'll write something, have the character learn, and bam! You think I'm there with him, but I'm not. I'm still stuck. So yes and no.

Who did the art work on the cover of your book?

I was waiting for this question! My twin brother Dave, who is an artist, rapper, musician, and model....well maybe not the last part but hey, not too far-fetched! Dave actually drew it on a Starbucks wrapper and showed it to me for fun and I loved it. Scanned it, edited out the word STARBUCKS, and bam, my cover!

Who's your biggest supporter?

My twin brother Dave will always be my biggest supporter. Love that homie.

Dave and Daniel

Is being an author something you'd like to do for the rest of your life?

That's my ultimate dream.

Can you give a us a teaser from your book?

Well I have been posting chapter excerpts on my website! Thereddevil.net  If anyone is interested they can go there and get a nice feel for it. Be warned: it gets intense.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write a story, don't let it write you. In another words, it's your own world, do whatever the hell you want. Never get caught up in what's real or unreal, or truth or untruth. This is YOUR story. Do whatever you want. The same advice can be said when considering our very own lives.

What are your current / future projects?

As of right now I have 4 or 5 other novels ready to be edited and published. I'm going to wait on that. I've started writing a new novel and it's shaping nicely.

To buy the book Red Devil, at Barnes & Noble or click here 

First month it will be strictly sold by the publisher. Next month it will be sold by Barnes and Nobles website and Amazon.

Thereddevil.net

Blog

Interviewing the Dreamer - the Party Planner

So at my last trunk show I decided to add a little sweetness to the day and invited this wonderful company to sponsor my event.  It turned out fabulous!  I would love for you to meet my latest dreamers party planners, Nadia Perez and Valeria P. Raban from Let Us Decorate .

When did you start your company?

We started the company back in 2000.

What do you guys do?

My sister Valeria and I are event Planners. We make dream parties come true... at any price.

How did you come up with the name?

One day I decided our company name should have what we love to do in the title and so thus, come the name Let Us Decorate.

Nadia Perez and Valeria P. Raban

How did you get into this industry?

We have been planning birthday parties for each other since we were young. While planning an event one day we decided, why not have our own company. Since then we have been doing what we love to do. Which is supply the customer the best of the best for they're special events.

What type of parties do you do?

Anything your heart desires, we can plan it out and make it happen.

What was your first party like?As I mentioned before, we have been planning each others party's for years. As a company our first party was a Halloween theme event.

What inspires you?

Inspiration comes from within, we've been very blessed to be creative individuals. We have an imagination that goes as far as the sky. We get inspiration from our daily lives.

What motivates you?

We are each others inspirations.  If I see my sister involved and working extremely hard on a project, it motivates me to do the same.

What do you love the most about being a Party Planner?
The thing we love the most about event planning is the satisfaction we get from the smile on our client face. ♥

Melissa Velia Trunk Show

Paris theme bridal shower

What’s the hardest thing about doing what you do?
Definitely the hardest part about doing what we do is that we are perfectionist!  We want everything to be perfect for the client.

What’s your favorite candy/ treat?
My favorite candy is chocolate and my sister Valeria's is anything Gummy!

Which flower is your favorite to use?
My favorite flower to work with is Hydrangea and Gerbers.  My sisters favorite is peonies and cabbage roses.

What are your favorite color combinations?
We love all colors! We like the clean sharp look which is lots of white. Another of our faves is vintage looks. Like off white, pink and lime greens. There is amazing colors to combine. You can provide us with any color and we can make it look amazing.

What celeb would you like to plan a party for and what type of party would it be?
The celebrity I would love to plan an event for would be.... P Diddy (Sean Puffy combs) (laugh). He has great style and taste.

Sweet bar

Where do you see your company in 5 years?

We hope our company can grow and build itself on our work.

In your wildest dreams, where would you like your company to go?

We would love our company to take off.

Interviewing the Dreamer - the Photographer

Art

Are you photogenic? I believe a truly great photographer can make anyone photogenic.  I've had the honor of working with a few great photographers in my past and this past weekend I had the privilege of working with another great, Robert Vega.  Not only was Robert a great photographer at my summer photo shoot but he was an easy person to work with.  Check-out my interview with Rob and his amazing work.

How did you get started as a photographer?

It wasn't something I planned on doing. It just kinda happened. I was in bands and playing music everyday before I got serious about photography. I always wanted to be a musician and get signed and tour the world and all that good stuff.

Music - Bright Eyes

Have you always wanted to be a photographer?

No. I've always loved taking photos, it was something that always intrigued me but I didn't take it serious until after the band I was in broke up. For a while after all that happened I didn't know what I was gonna do with my life. Since I was 12 all I was focused on was music, I woke up thinking music, I slept thinking music, and I practiced everyday. It's was my life and it was all I knew. And when it was over I didn't know what to do and I didn't know who I was outside of music. In a world without playing shows and practicing every single day I was lost. I didn't know what to do with myself. Then 2 of my friends and I took a trip to New York for my birthday. I had just bought a small compact camera that I took with me. I took over 1,000 photos in new york and it was on that trip when I feel in love with taking pictures. It's was then that I said to myself "Hey! I'm pretty good at this"

People

How long have you been a photographer?

I've been taking photos since high school. I took a class in high school and loved it. But at the time it was music first so photography was just a side thing. I became more serious with it like a little over 2 years ago. And just under a year ago I decided this is a career path I want to follow.

Melissa Velia photo shoot

Did you go to school for this or are you just a natural talent?

Just the one class in high school. The rest I learned from books, Photo blogs, videos, workshops. There's so much info out there and it's only a click away. I read and still learn about photography ever single day. And I guess you can say some is natural talent (wink).

What do you love about taking pictures?

I love capturing moments. I love the feeling and I love seeing the reactions a photo gets. Photos really do say so much. It can cause all types of emotions and they can say so much. You capture literally a fraction of a second of life wen you press the shutter and it's a moment that you can see over and over again for ever.

Portraits

Do you want to do this for the rest of your life or are there other things your passionate about?

I have a lot of other passions but photographer is one I will never stop doing. I love photography. I also will never stop playing music. Even if it's just picking up the guitar and strumming by myself I don't think music or photography will ever not be in my life.

Who's your favorite photographer?

I have a couple but is if I had to choice one it would be Zack Arias. His style and approach amazes me. I learned pretty much all the aspects of photography from him. I have never met him in person but I feel like I know him personally. He just tells it how it is and I like that.

Who's your biggest supporter?

My fiancee Windy. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have followed my gut and I wouldn't be where I am today. She made me see my potential and showed me a side of myself I never knew existed. She brings out the best in me and I can't imagine what my life would be without her. We push each other to be the best we can be and we don't take no for an answers. I was never like that before. If something was hard or if I felt I wasn't good enough I would quit. But she pushes me and is always by my side as I am for her.

People - Windy

Who inspires you?

The world inspires me. I see the world and know there's more we can do to make life better. I really think people have the potential to be better but there's a lot of change that has to happen for us to reach our full human potential. I find inspiration all over the place. The people who inspire me the most is Windy and my Dad.

Kids

What is your favorite thing to shoot?
I love shooting people. I love seeing how people reach when a camera is pointing at them. And I love how powerful a look can be. Expressions are a power thing.

Kids

What's the hardest thing about being a photographer?

Making a living with a camera. There so much more to a photographer then just taking good photos. You have to be good at marketing and good at business. When your a photographer it's you and only you. Your starting a business and going at it alone. I've heard pro photographers say that it's 80% marketing and getting your name out there and 20% actually taking photos.

In your wildest dreams, where do you see your career?

I never ever thought photography was gonna be something I would want to do as a career. But now it's all I want to do. And its a job I could do forever.

Here's a sneak peek at my Summer 2011 Look Book by Robert Vega! And don't forget to check-out the rest of his work at http://www.robertvegaphotography.com/

Fashion - Melissa Velia Summer 2011

M.I.A.

Hello Darlins,

Miss me? Ya, well I don't blame you.  I've been M.I.A. (missing in action) for the past weeks due to big events coming up in my world.  Please forgive me for not posting on a weekly bases. I guess in all honesty, I get a bit discouraged with my blog because I see all of you reading it, yet no one ever posts a comment or anything. Then, I begin to ask myself if anyone even cares what's going on in my world?  Never the less, I will continue to share my trials, my triumphs and my weired days right here on my blog. I hope you continue to follow.

So what's got me so crazy lately....the new summer collections, a photo shoot for that collection, a trunk show and this....

Hope to see some of you there, it'd be great to finally meet some of my readers.  Anyways, stay tuned the next couple of week because I will doing NEW Interviewing the Dreamer posts. Great people, you just got to read about! Till then....xoxoxo

Interviewing the Dreamer - the Dancer

Veronica Gutierrez

Welcome to my very first Interviewing the Dreamer.  I decided to start this blog series to inspire others to dream the dream.  That anything is possible with ambition, commitment and faith.  So please meet my first Dreamer, a Dancer.

When did you start dancing?

 I started dancing when I was two or three but I really started to get into it when I was 12.

Have you always wanted to be a dancer? 

Yes, always! I think one way or another I will be doing something with dance.

Have you had training? Where? And how long?

Yes I've being training since I was 3 at Los Angeles Ballet Academy with my mother Andrea Paris-Gutierrez

What's your biggest dream? 

I think my biggest dream is to get recognized for my talents and not just do what I love but excel at it.

How do you plan on reaching your dream? 

By taking every opportunity I have head on and getting lots of experience. This is what I will need to prosper.

What's the hardest thing about dancing? 

I think the hardest thing is adapting to a different choreographers style and making sure that you are giving them what they need in the dance.

What's your favorite dance? 

Probably Jazz Funk. I love the contrast in movement the style allows.

What inspires you? 

People who are determined and respected. People who get things because they work hard and deserve it.

Who the one person who supports you the most? And what does it mean to you? 

I get a lot of support from my father who is always there for me, helps me out at home and is always there with his camera.  My brother too, but my mom supports me the most. Not just by being a mother that believes in her child, but also my dance teacher who believes in her student. It means so much to me to have people believing in what I want to do by my side.

Who's your favorite dancer? 

Well I'd have to say my brother Dylan Gutierrez. He has only danced with the Joffery Ballet for 2 years and is already getting lots of recognition for his beautiful  technique and performance quality. He makes me so proud and I aspire to be like him in my work.

 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Well in 5 years I will be 21, so hopefully Ill be starting my career with a steady job in a musical.

What would you tell your 5 year old self about your future? 

I would probably tell myself to pay more attention. My mom took me to so many shows and I mostly fell asleep.

And there you have it, inspiration.  Come see Veronica perform live at my upcoming fashion show on March 12th, as she opens for my Fall 2011 collection.

Show info. and RSVP:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=142351942496230

Who's coming?

So as you may well know, I've been getting ready for my upcoming fashion show in 3 weeks.  Things couldn't be more hectic but I'm happy to say, I have found the ballerina I needed!

So who's coming?

I would like to personally invite you to what's to be my biggest fashion show to date! Come see what happens when the "Black Swan meets Tim Burton" on the runway. Here are all the details from Project Ethos: Project Ethos returns to LA Fashion Week with an explosive lineup of fashion, music and art. 7 Designers, over 70 models, a dozen live music acts and DJs including ROBATANISTS and YOLANDA BE COOL ("We Speak No Americano"), 7 Visual Artists and more. Cocktail attire, 21+ Avalon Hollywood, Hollywood CA Red carpet 8:00pm - 10:00pm $20.00 pre-sale, $25 @ door, $50 VIP It's as amazing as it sounds! I really hope to see all of you there, it would mean everything to me. For tickets email me at m.velia@melissavelia.com or leave a comment below. AND for all my fellow fashion bloggers, I have a special invite for you! Email me for all the details. RSVP here.

Coming up on Following Melissa Velia, the beginning of my new blog series Interviewing the Dreamer.  A new series of blog post, that will feature interviews with lovely people to aspire to be.....something, someone and those who have dreamed it and made it happen.  If your looking to be inspired, check back this week for my first interview.