2013 Phoenix Comicon- au revoir to this year and cheers to next!

Hello Gorgeous!
Phew! The 2013 Phoenix Comicon has ended and it was a worthwhile whirlwind of fun and some quasi-mayhem!
I really enjoyed it as did my son and I'm so glad to see he caliber of talent that turned out to be a part of the event. Here's a wee recap of the weekend:

I met Nadia Neuroleptic who works with Dr. Diabolical at the Midnight Movies and has a special screening coming up on June 21st at the Phoenix Filmbar.

My most favorite part of the Phoenix Comicon is the costumes. I'm so sad I didn't dress up! Not even my Vulcan ears were on! Here I am in between interviews with some characters from Halo. Game on!

I met the beautiful Ms Sharon Skinner, author of The Nelig Stones and The Healer's Legacy at the PUGS event on Thursday night and she was kind enough to grant an interview to talk about what's next for her books. Stay tuned for that later this week and in the meantime visit her page http://www.sharonskinner.com/



As I moved through the convention center floor I encountered this pretty young writer named Laura Knatt who has already completed a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the first edition printing of her first comic Taiki and now her second CMYK is about to go to production. Stay tuned for an interview with her later this week. See more of her work at her website www.lauraknatt.com

Fiddlehead written by Cherie Priest. Oh if only she was there at the table when I came by! I really wanted to talk to her about her writing and the design/artwork of her comics. Til next time Ms. Priest!

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8 Trendy Workouts Ranked on Our Sweat-O-Meter Scale

Find out which workouts will leave you drenched in sweat and which will keep that pricey blowout looking perfect

This is a TotalBeauty.com Fitness article It's important to fit that daily workout into your schedule, but when you're juggling so many appointments, dates, and commitments, it often gets moved around. Some days it makes sense to have a full-on sweat session, since you're headed back home to hit the shower, but on other nights, you need to skip washing and completely re-doing your hair in order to meet your friends for drinks in time. That's why we ranked the trendiest workouts by their sweat level, where one is barely a glisten and 10 is I-look-like-I-fell-in-a-pool drenched. Click ahead to see where these workouts fall on the sweat-o-meter scale! See workouts

Sharon Skinner at 2013 Phoenix Comicon with The Nelig Stones & The Healer's Legacy

Hello Gorgeous!
I'm at the 2013 Phoenix Comicon (#PhxCC) and the scenery has been amazing, the crowds are full of costumes and the talent lineup is a fast rival to the San Diego Comicon.

Today I had  the pleasure of talking with the author of both The Nelig Stones and The Healer's Legacy, Sharon Skinner.

We first met at the PUGS: Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown event on the opening night of the Phoenix Comicon. Kismet we say!

Sharon Skinner writes young adult fiction and middle grade fiction with fantasy themes full of dragons and enchanted lands with strong heroine characters.

I asked her my favorite question, "if you could have anyone read your work, who would it be?".  She answered, "everyone!".

Sharon continued to share that when she began to write and craft her stories, trusting the process as she let the stories come forward that she wanted the writing to have an impact. Her initial focus was impacting a plugged in generation to escape in reading and let imagination play. Financial gain was the second goal and it has come to a reality for her with the success of both her books and the upcoming second installment of The Healer's Legacy.

When I asked Sharon about how the stories and characters come about for her, she said "it's the nags in my head that keep at me and I follow the sounds until I get the story. I have to trust the process of writing.".

I love that her books include local Arizona locations that you can actually read the book and then go visit the location that the story took place at like in The Nelig Stones which has a scene in the Papago Park area.

The Nelig Stones has a young heroine that has to choose a path to make it home again after being in trouble and part of the journey is finding 5 magic stones to light the way home.

The Healer's Legacy is about navigating a patriarchal society.  Both of these books are for young and old, are fun and entertaining to read and can help with kid and parent relationships.

Sounds to me like these two books are perfect summer reading for families!

Sharon Skinner received her masters in creative writing and is classically trained in writing.  She will be visiting the Mesa Public Libraries starting in September as an "Author of the Month". She will also be scheduling school visits.

The Nelig Stones and The Healer's Legacy are available at Brick Cave Books.

Sharon Skinner can be reached on her personal website www.sharonskinner.com.

Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

Our Favorite TSA-Approved Beauty Picks

There's no need to dread the 3.4oz liquid rule with these carry-on gems

This is a TotalBeauty.com makeup article Regardless of what class you're flying, check-in at the airport comes with its fair share of nuisances. There's rushing to cram everything into a plastic container and walking through the security line barefoot. But nothing compares to having to toss out your favorite perfume because it's over the 3.4 liquid limit. Nothing. To help you avoid holding up the line or tossing anything valuable, we ranked our top travel-friendly sized products so you can sail through security, worry free. Click ahead to see the top picks! See beauty picks

MONSTROS artist Scott Godlewski at 2013 Phoenix Comicon

Hey Purties!
I've been enjoying the 2013 Phoenix Comicon and there is so much to see! If you haven't made it out yet it's a great family event, so get your day passes here!

Today I interviewed  MONSTROS Dinosaur-Man of Neptune! designer, writer, creater Scott Godlewski.

Photo courtesy of Phycus Malloy

Scott had some great answers for my few yet choice interview questions: real burners like:

1) If you could have anyone read your work who would it be? To which Scott answered-
"Spielberg, definitely Steven Spielberg because he has influenced me with his movies such as Goonies, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Gremlins".

I asked Scott about why MONSTROS? He said because it's fun to draw, and that the influence comes from his Dad watching '50's B grade horror movies.

I was curious if there is any Scotty in the character of MONSTROS and he says absolutely not-that he is the kid that is a sidekick to the character.

2) So Scotty, what's next for MONSTROS? He says to see it published as a printed comic book.

Photo courtesy of Phycus Malloy

Naturally this conversation leads me to ask him if he has a Kickstarter campaign started and he said no, that he's been drawing this character for the past four years and that the right opportunity to align with a publisher will come along. He is self taught and his talent shines through.

Well, I can agree to that!

Personally, I loved the drawing, the character and look forward to seeing MONSTROS in print, on Cartoon Network and in a theatre near me, real soon.

To purchase your prints and copies of MONSTROS (just $15), please visit Scott Godlewski at the 2013 Phoenix Comicon here: and remember to request a personal sketch for your next invitation, event or family photo card.
  Booth #551


Website:  http://www.scottgodlewski.com
Twitter: @Scottygod
Facebook: Scottygod

Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

2013 Phoenix Comicon: Greedo, Star Wars, LEGO, Minecraft and more

Hello Gorgeous,
It's been a long and great day at the  2013 Phoenix Comicon. I had a sidekick with me today as my son joined me at the last minute.

He was such a help because he recognized more character's and knew their names better than I did!

Minecraft took center stage and nearly every young boy was wearing a Creeper or Steve box head.

In between panels, interviews and photo ops, we found some amazing costumes! This one is particularly my favorite and my Sidekick was pretty impressed too. The photo doesn't do it justice-there is so much detail to this little Boba Fett!

 

We did spend a significant amount of our time in the Star Wars and LEGO area of the convention floor. We met Greedo in the Cantina area of Tattooine. I swear we are going dressed in costumes next year!

 

 
It was a long and very full day and I'll have the interviews coming out in the next day or so with some amazing comic book artists and authors.

What has kept me going all day long and photo op ready? BioBliss anti-wrinkle system. It's a simple 4 step program of Clean, Scrub, Lock It In Serum and Hydrate.

For more on BioBliss and the goodness of the anti-aging skincare line, visit www.biobliss.com

Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

Our Favorite TSA-Approved Beauty Picks

There's no need to dread the 3.4oz liquid rule with these carry-on gems

This is a TotalBeauty.com makeup article Regardless of what class you're flying, check-in at the airport comes with its fair share of nuisances. There's rushing to cram everything into a plastic container and walking through the security line barefoot. But nothing compares to having to toss out your favorite perfume because it's over the 3.4 liquid limit. Nothing. To help you avoid holding up the line or tossing anything valuable, we ranked our top travel-friendly sized products so you can sail through security, worry free. Click ahead to see the top picks! See beauty picks

Taiki comic author Laura Knatt at 2013 Phoenix Comicon

Hello Purty!
Quick note to share about a talented young comic book author and designer Laura Knatt.

 Photo courtesy of Phycus Malloy

She has already completed a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to self publish her first comic Taiki. Now she is drawing and writing her second CMYK.

Ms. Knatt is a graduate of FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise) and with 2 comics in her writing and designing arsenal I can see that  there is much more in store for her budding career.

I asked Laura Knatt my favorite question: "if you could have anyone read your work, who would it be?" and she answered "Emma Stone"! 

Photo courtesy of Phycus Malloy

To which the next question begged to be asked and answered: "So, if your comic makes it to the big screen, who do you want to play the main character?" Of course, Laura answered "Emma Stone!".

So far, Laura has spent the past six and a half years writing, drawing, coloring and editing Taiki which is available online here.

Her second comic CMYK is based on the printer colors and the artwork of 90's Cartoon Network show Ed, Edd n Eddy.

Please visit Laura at her booth in the Artists Alley AA38 or contact her through her website and social media listed at www.lauraknatt.com

Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

Your Spring Beauty Refresher

These expert tips will help you update your makeup, nail, and skin care routine for the new season

This is a TotalBeauty.com video article Spring is finally here! The changing season not only means warmer weather and a lighter wardrobe, but it also means that your beauty routine needs a makeover to match. Spring is the perfect time to brighten up with a new lip color or bold polish and to finally show off some skin. To help you get ready for the new season, we talked to celebrity makeup artist Cyndle Komarovski, who gave us expert tips on how to update our makeup, nails, and skin for spring. Click ahead to revamp and refresh your beauty routine now. See tips

Phoenix Comicon PUGS and TGIF! Get there!

Oh good morning Gorgeous!
It's early. Or is it late? No telling now but what I will tell is that Ihave been to the 2013 Phoenix Comicon and it's better than ever! Ticket details at www.phoenixcomicon.com

I arrived early and began to peruse the already full exhibit floor that is teeming with some of the best costumes I've seen this side of the wardrobe truck on a sci fi movie set.

 The real joy came from sitting in on PUGS: The Geek Smackdown!

A panel of "specialists" were given a question and then given a minute to debate. The best argument wins!

The questions were as follows:
1. Better Superhero team: Justice League vs Avengers
The Avengers won this round

2. More useless henchmen? Stormtroopers vs. The Monarchs
I was surprised by this answer, though The Monarchs won

3. Better van based problem solving team A Team vs. Mystery Machine
This was the one of the best debates with references being made to "jinkies" vs "I pity the fool".

4. More bad ass butler: Jarvis vs Alfred
Who do you think one the vote?

5. Sexier Senior Citizen: Sean Connery vs Patrick Stewart
Patrick won! How is that possible against the original Bond?

6. More efficient prosthetic weapon? Merle from Walking Dead vs Ash of The Evil Dead
Ash won based on ability to saw through bras and panties. So you get a feel for who is in the crowd, right?

7. Spoilers: Shut Up or Gimme the Details
This question featured the only lady of the panels and she argued for not giving spoilers, alas, the gimme the details spoilers won.

8. More fun to play? Dungeons & Dragons vs. Magic the Gathering
This panel featured the 2012 PUGS champion Richard Mansfield who argued for Dungeons & Dragons being more fun to play and the crowd agreed with him for another win.

Just as the event was about to close, there was a special bonus round and it took all in the crowd by surprise. Especially Miss Dorin, who though she was about to watch her boyfriend Richard Mansfield go one more round of PUGS trivia. Not at all.

In a beautiful moment of geek romance, the screen shot quickly changed from the words Bonus Round to a photo of Richard and Dorin and a black cat with the caption "will you marry me?".

Yes-indeed, Richard proposed to Dorin right there on stage in front of the 2013 Phoenix Comicon crowd and luckily for him, the beautiful Miss Dorin said yes. Then Richard got down on one knee and gave her a ring.



Say it with me, awww. It was sweet and a fantastic way to wrap up the first night of the 2013 Phoenix Comicon.

I'm going back for more today and have interviews and photo ops lined up. Wish me luck! I'll be on my twitter so tweet any questions you may have to @Cherelynn.


Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

Dot by Marc Jacobs: my signature scent for summer!

Oh hello Gorgeous!
I'm traveling to Phoenix for the 2013 Phoenix Comicon which starts tonight! I am so excited!
And I'll be wearing my new signature scent for summer: DOT by Marc Jacobs.


It's yummy delish and a light floral which I love. Though it's a parfum, it doesn't last very long-so it's in my jumbo satchel bag so I can reapply at will. I wonder if it comes in a rollerball?

Notes:
Red Berries, Dragonfruit, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Coconut Water, Orange Blossom, Vanilla, Driftwood, Musk.
Style:
Chic. Energetic. Upbeat.

This fragrance is available at Sephora or Nordstroms, and online for $69.00.


Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

The 4 Best and The 3 Worst Dry Shampoos

Find out which dry shampoos will become hairstyle lifesavers, and which ones will only make dirty hair worse

This is a TotalBeauty.com hair care article Dry shampoo is a total game changer in the hairstyling world. Let's be honest, it's hard enough to cram adequate beauty sleep into your hectic schedule, let alone enough time to wash and dry your hair every morning. That's why dry shampoos are lifesavers! With a few sprays, they can transform your hair from weighed down and oily, to light, fresh, and bouncy. Unfortunately, not all dry shampoos are created equal. That's why we rounded up the absolute best of the bunch and the absolute worst. Click ahead to see which ones you should add to your routine and which ones just aren't worth the money. See dry shampoos

THE WORST: NO. 3: OSCAR BLANDI PRONTO DRY SHAMPOO SPRAY, $11

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.8

"I still noticed greasiness even after I had just applied it."

THE WORST: NO. 2: BUMBLE AND BUMBLE HAIR POWDER, $35

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.3

"A complete waste of time and total disappointment from a generally fantastic company."

THE WORST: NO. 1: TRESEMME FRESH START VOLUMIZING DRY SHAMPOO, $4.49

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 3.5

"This product did the exact opposite of what it was supposed to do."

Want to see what was the No.1 Best? Click Here!