Allow Me to Introduce Myself. My name is Lazy Slackovich

I was just going through my “Appearances” page, to update a few things for the coming year, and realized I haven’t posted a mother fucking thing since September.

I do have some legitimate excuses. For those who know me and my husband, know that his company’s busy season hits late August and runs through October. I am recruited to help work a lot of programs during that time, so things like this blog or my makeup/movie reviews take a back seat. For the most part.

But on top of all that, I fell down some stairs at the beginning of October. Not a full flight, just the two from our kitchen to the backdoor. I can’t be certain, but I think the tile and metal of those steps are harder than any other tile and metal out there. For a good two weeks, I was pretty damn sore. I couldn’t get comfortable; my left butt cheek was the most beautiful shade of deep purple (seriously, it should be an eye shadow color); and I couldn’t focus on anything except the pain in my back/ass.

I am happy to report, though, that all has healed well, and we’ve established a new rule in my house: Peggy is not allowed to don footwear without solid or rubber gripped bottoms. I think I’ve also FINALLY shaken this fucking cold that’s had a death grip on my sinuses for the last two weeks!

So my plan is to do a few wrap up reviews. I’ve missed the past three months of the Notoriously Morbid lipstick subscription service, so I figured I’d just do one big one for the end of the year (though I might not get the December one until January,) then cancel it. More than likely I won’t be writing up the Universal Yums reviews anymore, either. I’ll do an end of the year Morgue Drawer, and PDs, MEHs, and GFYs, as well as one final report on my Project Pan (spoiler - it didn’t go well. This IS my shocked face.)

I also thought I should probably start writing up some quick reports on any conventions I attend as an author. I just attended ArtPop3 and was pleasantly surprised at how well it went. And don’t worry, I’ll get back to my movie reviews, too. That’s just another one that I need to figure out if I want to keep the same two I normally do (Cinema Head Cheese and SlackJawPunks) and add in a new series on my site, or combine, or what? I’m still cogitating that one…

Anyway, sorry for my absence but I promise to get back on track for 2019. Which is…27 days…away…..WHAT THE FUCK.

GAH!

Something Positive from 2016

Well, fuck me. 2016 was a major beeyotch to most everyone. And I don't mean just the celebrity deaths. So instead of supporting the fear mongering, the hate, the divisive nature of almost EVERY FUCKING THING floating out there in the world, I thought I should think back to the stuff I actually enjoyed in 2016. Sure, it may seem trivial to some - makeup, movies, clothes - but I think if we can find anything that brought us joy this past year, I say revel in it!

WRITING

Well, this should be a relatively easy one for me. My short story collection, Hell Hath No Fury, was re-released out into the world via Dragons Roost Press. So many thanks go out to Michael Cieslak and DRP for letting my little baby breathe again!

I also got a drabble of mine turned into a comic! 13 Little Hells will debut sometime in 2017 and it includes a story of mine. I don't have all the details yet but I'll be sure to share them when I can. This is the first time I've ever had a story in a comic collection. Whoop!

I also can't forget that Source Point Press agreed to publish my vampire novel last year and I did just get a heads up that it's coming along nicely and should be available soon! Double Whoop!

Makeup

(all these makeup brands are Cruelty Free, too!)

I've had a handful of makeup favorites this year, most of it stuff I discovered in 2016 but I imagine I will be using for years to come. Tarte Cosmetics' Rainforest of the Sea foundation and Shape Tape concealer. I don't wear a lot of foundation unless it's for a special occasion, convention, or cos play. But when I do, I reach for this Tarte one ALL THE TIME. I have Fair/Neutral but they just came out with some new shades so Fair/Beige might be better since it has pink undertones but I'm good with the one I have for now! The concealer is also one of best I've used in...well, ever. These are high end products, which I normally don't gravitate toward, but these are definitely worth the price tag.

I got the Beautifully Bare Total Face palette from ELF a while back with an order. Two blushes, a bronzer, and a highlighter were included. The highlighter, though it looks dark in the pan, is one of the best I've ever used. It's not glittery; the texture is smooth; nicely pigmented and it lasts forever on the skin.

Left top-foundation; Left bottom-concealer; Middle-powder foundation; Right-highliter

The Milani Even Touch Powder Foundation was a HALLELUJAH moment for me. I'd been looking for a nice powder for a while and had been disappointed time and time again. But this stuff is perfection. It's great on its own or over a foundation without looking heavy. The color I have (Shell) is a great match!

Another ELF product I tried this year is their Lip Exfoliator in Sweet Cherry. It looks like a regular bullet shaped lipstick but it's a sugar scrub. It feels like its dry as you apply it but the balm melts with your body heat in just a few seconds. It's a great way to exfoliate and moisturize your lips in one step before putting on lipstick, particularly the liquid kind that dries down.

Makeup Revolution is an inexpensive brand from the UK. Part of their line is available at Ulta but everything in the MR line can be purchased at the TAM Beauty website. I have several eye shadow palettes but their Essential Mattes one is what I always reach for when I need an all over neutral look or just a neutral shadow to incorporate with other shadows. They are soft and smooth, have great pigmentation, and last a long time.

HAIR

Since I got all my hairs cut short I need to get back on the ball with styling. The Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Grooming Pomade is great. It smells like boy (which I like) and is the perfect blend of waxy and sticky. You can use it on wet or dry hair but I think it works better on dry.

This guy isn't new to me but I thought I should add him to this list. Nikki Black has been my hair stylist for years. We met at Motor City Comic Con years ago (he mistook me for someone else) and he's been doing my hair ever since (except for a few months when I went to one of those walk-in places and my styles went kinda ratchet). If you're from the Southeast Michigan area, he will come to your home to cut, color, and style your hair. If you're interested, just comment on this post with your email and I'll send you his phone number!

BODY

Soap & Glory has gotten a bit of hype this past year and I know why. Their body butters are fantastic. I've tried the Sugar Crush scent (lime) and The Righteous one. It's not described on the container but it smells like Lily of the Valley, which is one of the best floral scents ever. Even the hubby likes it and he usually doesn't like a lot of the scented stuff I use. Bonus! The butters are thick and keep your skin soft all day.

Ghoulish Delights is an indy company that creates bath and body products, all with horror themes/names. Sweet. The body scrub, Never Sleep Again, smells like the most delicious sweetened coffee you've ever had. Coffee grounds in the scrub are a nice exfoliant - not too harsh - and the butters keep your skin super soft. It can make the tub slippery so keep that in mind if you have someone wanting to use the shower after you!

I got a perfume sample in an Ipsy bag this year from LaVanilla labs and it is THE most perfect vanilla scent I've ever smelled. It is one of my favorite scents for a perfume and this company nailed it. I think I'm almost halfway through the bottle and that never happens.

Food

There's a great family owned coffee house near my home and the hubby and I like to frequent it as often as we can. Kahve is small but very homey. Warm decor, great people working there, and I've started to recognize the regulars that come through. I hope they stick around for a long, long time!

I review Universal Yums every month but it's worth mentioning here. UY is such a fun way to discover foods from different countries without having to buy airline tickets or travel to another city to find an authentic restaurant. Sure, you just get candy and chip-style snacks but it's still a nice little window into another culture.

Movie

There was no doubt in my mind that the Deadpool movie was going to be a huge success, especially with Ryan Reynolds playing the lead. The last movie that had me laughing through 95% or more of it was the South Park film from 1999. Thank you, Ryan, and gods bless.

I knew nothing of the comics about Dr. Strange but the trailers for this film looked pretty fucking sweet. I was not disappointed. Visually this film is stunning. Perhaps the character of Dr. Strange is TOO spot on (the arrogance and unlikeability of him) but Benedict Cumberbatch was phenomenal. If hadn't already known he was British, I would have assumed he was American. And Tilda Swinton is lovely to watch in anything!

Book

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty is a fascinating read about the funeral industry. She gives us great insight into the daily lives of folks working in this field and probably some uncomfortable truths we don't want to face - as mortals individually and as a race. I'm still working my way through it (I'm a notoriously slow reader) but am enjoying every page. You can also find Caitlin on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Clothing

I believe my friend, MontiLee, shared a link to my FB page about these: Deadpool leggings from the Lotus Leggings website (they don't look available anymore though). I remember being so resistant to the leggings resurgence years ago but broke down and bought a couple pairs, these included. HOLY SHIT are they comfortable! They're actually thicker than I thought (but beware leggings with white - they ARE see-through) and so soft! I can't wear them in the winter because it's too cold so I'll be counting down the days until Spring returns so I can pull these out again!

I think I got the grey sweater in the picture from Sears or JC Penny on sale when the seasons were changing. I know it looks basic, and it is, but it is so soft and comfortable I can barely stand it! I will wear this around the house or out to dinner or where ever. It's so versatile - it can be dressed up or down.

Event

This would have to be my writing group's first trip out of state for a convention. Flashback Con happens in Chicago every year and this time we joined in. We want the group to expand as much as it can and this was a great way to start. We got to network with a bunch of new folks we may never have met in Detroit, we sold more products than I thought we would, and it was such a great way to spend time with fellow members. I hope we can continue to expand our horizons and borders!

YouTube

I admit I have become somewhat addicted to YouTube. I subscribe to a bunch of make-up folks as well as comedy, cooking, death information/history, etc. But one channel in particular has been a new find for me in 2016 - Simply Nailogical. Cristine from Canada is a nail artist who's fucking hilarious. I don't do nail art usually. Shit, most of the time my nails are short little stubs because I'm a biter. But I can't stop watching her tutorials! She's so entertaining!